President s Message by Dr. Mohammad Saleem

Transcription

1 THE BOND SEPTEMBER 2014 / ZULQIDH 1435 AH Volume 23, Issue 9 I ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF KINGSTON 1477 SYDENHAM ROAD Kingston, ON K7L 4V4 O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-encompassing and Knowing.(Qur an Al=Maida 54) KEEPING THE KINGSTON MUSLIM COMMUNITY TOGETHER President s Message by Dr. Mohammad Saleem Assalam-o-alaikum Brothers and Sisters in Islam, Thus We have appointed you a middle nation, that ye may be witnesses against mankind, and that the messenger may be a witness against you (Al-Baqara, 2.143) Explaining the "Middle Nation ummat wasat " one of the Tafsir narrator describes this word is so comprehensive in meaning that no English word can correctly convey its full sense. It is a righteous and noble community which does not go beyond proper limits, but follows the middle course and deals out justice evenly to the nations of the world as an impartial judge, and bases all its relations with other nations on truth and justice. Being part of this Umma, it is our responsibly too to be a community with a middle course so that wavering one way or the other does not shake the delicate balance which most of us have tried to keep within our community as well as within the larger Canadian community. Obviously we do have our spiritual, socio-political, philosophical, and cultural views leading to difference of opinions. Recently we have witnessed that on Canadian national level our foreign policies has shifted toward one side which might have satisfied a limited segment of society but created a lot of resentment all over. First generation of immigrants physically live in Canada, but many of us are snugged to at least some socio-politico baggage from back home. It is perfectly understandable. However, one must be cautious that we do not adversely affect our community by taking the inherited positions and tilting the delicate middle course of our community. We also need to recognize that practicing the difference of opinion is a discourse of the Canadian way of life and need to be respected. Ways to disagree amicably must be evolved to keep harmony. Islamic Society of Kingston work load as well as the number of volunteers who are working for the ISK have increased, but it remains to be seen if the work load is proportional to the number of volunteer s available. More volunteers are needed at all the time and at all levels. With the departure of the Imam, a special vacuum was created affecting administration and operation of the afternoon and weekend school. Alhamdulillah, an early attention and start to remove the slack is paying off and we are expecting that the school programs, Insha Allah, will be executed per schedule and the needs of our children will be met. Equally, we expect that parents and other volunteers can also pitch in to provide needed support to school management and staff. Imam hiring committee is trying its best to fill the Imam position. By the end of August, this committee has interviewed about six candidates and at least one more candidate is expected to be interviewed prior to the recommendations of the committee. There has been good input from the community in the hiring process, despite the fact that the attendance have been low during the candidate s talks. The ICK extension project is moving ahead steadily. A core group from executive, fund raising, building and finance committees has been working with various stake holders to get input on school requirements and body wash for funeral arrangements. Women requirements in the extension project as well youth input will be sought this month. Completing this process will lead to town hall meeting for further discussion. We have a number of events lined up in the next few weeks, and your participation in those event is strongly solicited. May Allah SWT reward all those volunteers who work at various capacities in ISK. IN THIS ISSSUE President s Message Page 1 Education Outlook Page 2-5 Community Corner Page 6-8 ISK Information Page 9

2 THE BOND SEPTEMBER 2014 / ZULQIDH Issue 7 2 Education Outlook

3 THE BOND SEPTEMBER 2014 / ZULQIDH Issue 7 3 MESSAGE FROM EDUCATION COORDINATOR Dear Parents, I m thrilled to introduce to you to the academic year at the Islamic Society of Kingston's Evening and Weekend School! Every parent wants their child to be successful. For most parents, the standard for success is based on high marks, academic and extracurricular achievements and finally, a stable occupation in life that brings a high, or at the very least, decent income. As Muslims, our standard for success must be broader one that factors in the relationship of our child with Allah and their final outcome in the Hereafter. Academic and career success must be encouraged, but if they come at the expense of a child s relationship with Allah and their well-being in the Hereafter, then this cannot be considered to be true success. At the ISK Evening & Weekend School, our goal is not to just educate students in the areas of Qur anic recitation and Islamic studies, but also to develop a framework of Islamic thinking in the minds of students. We hope and pray that once students graduate and move on to face new challenges in life, this framework will help them make the choices that will be beneficial to them in both worlds and that will help build their connection with Allah, Insha Allah. Please take a few minutes to read this complete package. As always, if there are any questions, please let me know! I look forward to seeing you and your child soon. On behalf of our team and members of the ISK Education Committee, welcome! May Allah make this a beneficial year for students, parents and teachers alike. Sincerely, Mahammad Aloudat ISK Education Coordinator

4 THE BOND SEPTEMBER 2014 / ZULQIDH Issue 7 4 Schedule The days your child attends classes at the ISK Evening and Weekend School will depend on his/her current grade level in school. GROUP JK Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:40 pm Saturdays from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm GROUP SK Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:40 to 7:50 pm Saturdays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm GROUP A (Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3) Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:40 pm or 6:40-7:50 pm (slot must be selected at sign-up) Saturdays from 2:00 to 3:30 pm GROUP B (Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7) Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:30-6:40 pm or 6:40-7:50 pm (slot must be selected at sign-up) Saturday from 3:30 to 5:00 pm Calendar & Holidays For GROUP A, JK and SK students, school will begin on Tuesday, October 14th, For GROUP B students, the first day of classes will be on Wednesday, October 15th, The academic year will be divided into three semesters: Fall (October 14 to December 20) winter (January 10 to April 4) spring (April 11 to June 27) Tests will be administered at the end of each semester. There will be no classes on statutory holidays and no Saturday classes will be held on long weekends. There will be no classes during March break. Admissions & Registration All students, regardless of whether they were registered in previous years, will need to register online for the academic year. Registration opens on Friday, September 5, 2014 at Fee payment must be made online or on the first day of school. Please see the Fees and Payment Options section of this package for further details. New admissions will be accepted only at the beginning of a semester, space permitting.

5 THE BOND SEPTEMBER 2014 / ZULQIDH Issue 7 Lego Robotic Summer Camp Recap Alhamdulillah the two weeks summer camp is done. It was a good opportunity for ISK to deal with other organizations and have a bit of change compared to previous years. The kids learned how to build variety of robots and program them to do different tasks such as going forward and backward, turning left and right to find their way through a maze, dancing when listening to music, following a line with certain color, turning when something is blocking the way, etc.. 5

6 THE BOND SEPTEMBER 2014 / ZULQIDH Issue 7 6 VISIT from Seniors Association of Kingston On Wednesday September 10 th, 28 people from the Seniors Association of Kingston visited the Islamic Centre of Kingston. They were received by Brothers Hafizur Rahman and Mohamed Bayoumi, and Sisters, Nazma Rahman, Ulfat Jalaluddin and Raafia Monem. They were given a short talk on the Centre, the community and Islam by Brother Bayoumi, followed by questions and answers. The program ended with some food and drinks. Rosemay Kozak, coordinator of the visit, sent us the following Hello again, Hafiz, THANK YOU all again for a simply wonderful afternoon at the ISK. Everyone on the bus was talking about how enriching and enjoyable the time was. I can t thank the cooks enough, either; the food was exceptional! The conversations, the presentation, the tour, your warm welcome- nothing could have been better.please give my warmest regards to Mohammed, Ulfat, Rafia, and Nazma. We are all looking forward to the flyers about the bazaar. I wish you a safe and satisfying trip to Mecca. Shukran!!! Rosemary ISK Communication Committee ISK executive committee has formed the following Communication Committee. Br. Khalid Elgazzar Acting Coordinator Br. Hafizur Rahman Member Br. Umar Iqbal Member Sister Kiran Saleem Member Br. Atif Rahman Member You may contact committee at cic@kingstonmuslims.ca EID ANNOUNCEMENTS Eid Date: Insha Allah, To be announced shortly. Eid Prayer Venue: Islamic Center Kingston Prayer Timings: First Prayer: 8:00 AM Takbeerat start at 7:30 AM Second Prayer: 10:00 AM Takbeerat start at 9:30 AM Hudaya /Qurbani Contact: Br. Salahuddin Jalaluddin Tel: jalals@kos.net Eid Party: Saturday, October 11, Details will be announced.

7 THE BOND SEPTEMBER 2014 / ZULQIDH Issue 7 7 Community News Advertise Your Business Free at ISK Display Special Limited Time Offer Only few slots are available for the advertisement and it will be on "first come first served" basis Send your advertisement in Power Point Format (single slide) to Islamic Society of Kingston iskadmin@kingstonmuslims.ca Or um_ar@ieee.org Congratulations! Marriages: Two sisters who grew up in Kingston as a part of the community got married this summer. Allah SWT bless their marriages. Nikkah and Engagement ceremony of Br. Faizan Imtiaz and Sister Sahrish Arshad were performed in Spain. Insha Allah, Walima will follow in Kingston. Birth: Sister Zahraa and Br. Noor had their first child, a girl named Ayah on the day of last Eidul Fitr. Allah SWT give her health and piety. Leaving for Hajj Mubarak from Kingston this year: Br. Haris Javed and his younger sister. Br. Hafizur Rehman Sister Shammi and Br. Aftab Ahmed Br. Fareed Watto May Allah SWT make it easy for all of them. Arrivals: Br. Omar Iqbal and his family are back in Kingston, and we welcome them back. Br. Saleem Najmi has joined a job at a Kingston firm. Death: Inna Lillahi wa Inna ilyhe Ragioon. Father of Br. Sabri Alryani (Moktar Abdalla Alryani) past away in Libya at Age 76. Please make dua for him. If you have any news which you would like to share with the community please send it to thebond@kingstonmuslims.ca

8 THE BOND SEPTEMBER 2014 / ZULQIDH Issue 7 8 A Welcome to the FROSH By Dr. Mona Rahman The following reading" was included at the Interfaith Service organized by the Interfaith Council on Friday, September 11. The Interfaith Service consists of readings and meditations from various faith groups and is an annual event during Orientation Week. Please note that much of the commentary of the "parable" is taken heavily from commentary given by 'Abdullah Yusuf 'Ali in his translation and commentary of the Qur'an. Alhamdulillah rabbil 'alameen. Assalata wa salam 'ala Muhammad, 'abduhu wa rasuluhu. (Praise be to God, Lord of the Words. May peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, His servant and His Messenger) I would like to begin first with a prayer uttered by Prophet Moses (pbuh) when he was told to go to Pharoah as told to us in the Qur'an. "Rabbish-rah-li-sadri Wayassir-li-amri. Wahlol 'oqdatam-mil-lisaniyafqahoo-qawli" (O my Lord! Expand me my breast; Ease my task for me; and remove the impediment from my speech so they may understand what I say) As university students, we are here with the common goal to acquire knowledge. The way in which we perceive situations around us is largely determined by our own experiences and knowledge of things. Upon entering this environment, we have left one circle and entered a larger one, one in which we are exposed to a broad range of subjects, opinions, traditions, in hopes that we can increase our own knowledge of the world and thereby gain a better understanding of life and world around us and, as a result, be appreciative of and become closer to God. I thought I would share a story related in the Qur'an about an episode in the life of Prophet Moses (pbuh) when he was up against mysteries he wished to explore. For brevity, I will only highlight certain aspects of the parable as commented on by 'Abdallah Yusuf Ali in his translation and commentary of the Qur'an, rather than relate the whole story. Prophet Moses was to find a servant of God, whose name is not mentioned in the Qur'an but Tradition gives it as Khidr (meaning Green). Khidr had two special gifts from God: 1) Mercy from His own Presence, and 2) Knowledge from His own presence. The first freed him from the ordinary incidents of daily human life, and the second entitled him to interpret the inner meaning and mystery of events. Prophet Moses (pbuh) asked if he could follow him and learn from this special knowledge. Khidr cautioned him, saying that there would be many things which Moses would see with him which he would not completely understand and which would make him impatient. Moses had faith in God; he adopted the true attitude of the learner and promised to obey in all things with the help of God. The story then goes to tell about three events which seem paradoxical. After each instance, Moses becomes impatient and questions the actions of his teacher. I will relate the final one: Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If though hadst wished, surely thou couldst have exacted some recompense for it!" He answered: "'This is the parting between me and thee: now will I tell thee the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience..as for the wall, it belonged to two youths, orphans in the Town; there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled: their father had been a righteous man: so thy Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure-a mercy (and favour) from they Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience." (Al-Kahf (18): 77-78, 82) Although they were refused hospitality, Khidr performs a kind act and rebuilds a falling wall without asking for any compensation. If the wall had fallen, the treasure buried beneath it would have been exposed and probably stolen by this selfish community. It was expected that these orphans would grow up and safely take possession of their heritage and be righteous men like their father, using it for good works and in advancing righteousness in this wicked community. Thus, it is justice that through the wisdom given by God, Khidr was able to protect both public and private interests. There are several major points we can learn from this story. Prophet Moses (pbuh) was given tremendous wisdom as well as divine revelation yet his knowledge was incomplete. No matter how much knowledge we acquire, no matter how much wisdom we achieve, it will still be incomplete. Even if one person acquires all the knowledge of the present day in sciences, arts, literature etc, this still does not include all knowledge as Divine knowledge is unlimited as far as humanity is concerned. We need to make a constant effort, just as Prophet Moses (pbuh) has shown, to keep our knowledge current. In fact, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) emphasized this by encouraging men and women to acquire knowledge "even if one has to go to China". Most importantly, what we learn from this story is that there are paradoxes in life; apparent loss may be real gain, returning good for evil may be justice and not generosity. God's wisdom transcends all human calculations. In the university setting, we have the opportunity to be exposed to many different subjects, perspectives, and schools of thought. My advice to you as you enter university is to be aware of the paradoxes of life. Open your eyes, open your mind and open your heart. Look beyond the apparent, ask questions, be critical, remember that there is usually more than one perspective to a situation and most importantly, be patient and constant with faith, for with knowledge comes understanding. The Signs of God are all around us yet it is only those who have knowledge and understanding who may recognize them as such. As 'Abdallah Yusuf Ali states in his commentary of this story: "The highest knowledge comes not except by divine gift, and a constant, patient striving, with faith, to apprehend something of the purpose of the All- Wise God". Rabbi zidni 'ilman (O my Lord! Advance me in knowledge) Rabbi habli hukmaw wa'alhiqni bissaliheen (O my Lord! Bestow wisdom on me and join me with the righteous) Subhanaka Allahomma wa bihamdik. Ash-hado an la ilaha illah ant. Astaghfiroka wa atoobo ilayk. (Glory and Praise be to you O God. I declare that there is no deity but You. I beg of You Your forgiveness and repent to You).

9 THE BOND SEPTEMBER 2014 / ZULQIDH Issue 7 9 ISK INFORMATION ISK EXECUTIVE CONTACT INFO PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD SALEEM Tel: president@kingstonmuslims.ca SECRETARY NOOR KHARRAT Tel: secretary@kingstonmuslims.ca TREASURER SAMINA MAURICE Tel: treasurer@kingstonmuslims.ca SOCIAL COORDINATOR HISHAM ELBATARNY Tel: social@kingstonmuslims.ca WOMEN S REPRESENTATIVE YOUSRA BENAZZOUZ Tel: womensrep@kingstonmuslims.ca ICK MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR MOHAMMED BABIKIR Tel: centre@kingstonmuslims.ca EDUCATION COORDINATOR MOHAMMAD ALOUDAT Tel: education@kingstonmuslims.ca OTHER CONTACT INFO IMAM OF ISK VACANT Tel: imam@kingstonmuslims.ca Website: DAWA COMMITTEE COORDINATOR MOHAMED BAYOUMI Tel: Daawa@kingstonmuslims.ca LIBRARY COMMITTEE RAAFIA MONEM, HODA BAYOUMI, MOHAMMAD SALEEM library@kingstonmuslims.ca MOMS & TOTS MONA RAHMAN Tel: mnrahman@tricolour.queensu.ca NEW MUSLIM SUPPORT newmuslims@kingstonmuslims.ca Dates Fajr Zuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Sep :00 1:25 5:35 Sunset +5 8:45 Sep :10 1:25 5:20 8:35 Sep 29- Oct 5 6:20 1:25 5:10 8:20 Oct :25 1:25 5:00 8:05 Oct :40 1:25 4:50 7:55 Oct :40 1:25 4:40 7:45 Oct 27-Nov 1 6:40 1:25 4:30 7:40 Notes: PRAYER TIMES AT THE ICK o Jum a khutba starts at 1:25 o Times shown are for Iqamah, Adhan will be called 10 minutes earlier. o During community events, Asr may be prayed earlier WHAT S NEXT FOR THE BOND? Next Submission Deadline: Friday, October 10 th, 2014 The Bond will accept articles from individuals on any given topic if the editors consider them useful information for the whole community. Please consider submitting 1 or 2 column article for consideration. Submit To: thebond@kingstonmuslims.ca Next Publication Date (Insha Allah): Friday, October 17 th, 2014 Disclaimer The views and/or assertions expressed in THE BOND are the sole responsibility of their author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the newsletter committee, nor of the Islamic Society of Kingston and its officers.