Emmanuel College Receives Second Gift for Muslim Student Scholarships

^{From left: Madeeha Shahbaz, Zayna Siddiqui, Aseel Aldset, Sajjad Ebrahim and Nazeera Rasheed.}

By Leslie Shepherd 

Ramadan, a month defined by generosity and spiritual reflection, brought an especially meaningful gift to Emmanuel College this year. 

Long-time Emmanuel supporter Sajjad Ebrahim announced at an iftar dinner on March 11 that he would give a second gift to double the number of scholarships he established for students in the Muslim focus of the Master of Psychospiritual Studies and Master of Theological Studies programs. 

The new $100,000 gift will expand the Sajjad Ebrahim Awards of Excellence to eight scholarships a year for each of the next five years. The awards, worth $5,000 each, prioritize students with financial need. 

The first four recipients of the awards were recognized at the dinner: Nazeera Rasheed, Madeeha Shahbaz and Zayna Siddiqui, students in the MPS program, and Aseel Aldset, who is pursuing an MTS.  

Rasheed said she stopped work and part-time activities to focus on her education, but that left her without an income. She said that receiving the scholarship made her think of a saying by the Prophet Mohammed, that those who rely upon Allah will be provided for the same as birds, who go out in the morning with empty stomachs and return in the evening full. 

“Because of Mr. Sajjad Ebrahim, I feel like that bird returning home full,” she said. 

Shahbaz was born and raised in Pakistan before moving to the United Arab Emirates to work in digital marketing, where she said she began to feel an emptiness she could not ignore. In 2022 she moved to Canada, with limited savings, no support system and no clear roadmap, only faith and a deep desire to rebuild her life from scratch. 

When she was accepted into Emmanuel’s MPS program, she did not know how she was going to manage the financial and practical realities of starting over in a new country. 

“The generosity of donors like Sajjad Ebrahim has made the journey possible for me,” she said. “Their belief in education, transformation and service has opened doors that once felt beyond my reach ... I promise to honour this gift by carrying forward the same spirit of generosity uplifting others and giving back in every way I can.” 

Ebrahim, the CEO of Lark Investments, noted that the MPS program, with its focus on counselling, chaplaincy and spiritual care, trains graduates for roles urgently needed in the community. Graduates go on to work in counselling, psychotherapy, chaplaincy and spiritual care. 

“With mental health being a major issue, this expertise will definitely help society,” he said. “Psychology and spirituality are two very important aspects in leading a successful life, and my hope and prayer is that these graduates will make a meaningful contribution, enhancing the lives of the citizens of this country.” 

In fact, Ebrahim said, to gasps of surprise and applause, he was so moved by the testimonials of the first scholarship recipients that “I’d like to offer four more scholarships for the next five years.” 

Emmanuel College Principal HyeRan Kim-Cragg thanked Ebrahim, who attended the event with several members of his family. 

“Your gifts will make a difference in our students’ studies and lives and make a long-term and positive impact on their contributions to the world,” she said. 

Ebrahim has been a friend of Emmanuel College for many years. He donated the area for the ablutions in the college’s Muslim prayer room, which opened in 2012 through a collaboration between Emmanuel and members of Toronto’s Muslim community.  

Ebrahim was also involved in the Canadian Dawn Foundation’s earlier contribution that helped establish the Muslim focus of what is now the Master of Psychospiritual Studies program.  

Ebrahim’s gifts follow a $100,000 donation from the Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Toronto in 2024, led by his fellow Jaffari Community Centre member and chair, Rizwan Khalfan Vic 9T5. Khalfan also serves on Victoria University’s campaign cabinet. Both donations were established as expendable awards, meaning the funds are distributed over a set period rather than held in perpetuity as an endowment.  

The iftar dinner was sponsored by the Shi’a Research Institute, a Toronto-based non-profit academic organization dedicated to advancing the scholarly study of Shi’a Islam through research, publications, lectures and educational programs.