September 08 (Ramadhan 1429 AH) (Tel.)

Transcription

1 September 08 (Ramadhan 1429 AH) (Tel.) SPECIFIC QUALITIES OF HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN By Hujjat-al-Islam Ghulam Hur Shabbiri In the name of Allah Al-Baqara (The Cow) 2:185 It was the month of Ramadan in which the Qur an was [first] bestowed from on high as a guidance unto man and a selfevident proof of that guidance, and as the standard by which to discern the true from the false. MONTH OF REVELATION OF HOLY QUR AN As we all know, God Almighty (Allah(swt)) has created the Earths and the Skies. Similarly, He is the Creator of time and space. We see in Sura Al-Asr, He swears by the Time. He divided time into Days and Nights. Then days into weeks and called Friday to be the best or master of the days (Sayed/Afdhal al Ayyam). He is the one Who created months and years and each year contains 12 months; As Allah said in Quraan in Al-Tauba (Repentance) 9:36 BEHOLD, the number of months, in the sight of God, is twelve months, [laid down] in God's decree on the day when He created the heavens and the earth; [and] out of these, four are sacred: The four sacred months include, Muharram al Haram, Rajab al Murajjab, Sh'aban al Mu'adham, and Ramadan al Mubarak. Out of these four holy months, Ramadan is the month which has been mentioned by name by God Almighty in His Holy Book. One of the special attribute related to Ramadan is the revelation of Allah's(swt) message in this holy month. And that message (Holy Quran) has proof of guidance and a standard of distinguishing the good from the evil (or right from wrong). Second significance is also explained in Holy Quran as Ramadan being the month of fasting or in other words Ramadan can be called "The Fasting Month"; Al-Baqara (The Cow) 2:183 O you who have attained to faith! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you might remain conscious of God: In this month, the whole Muslim Ummah keeps fasts to adopt piety and nearness to the Almighty. The third characteristic of this month is to be considered as a month of prayers and repentance. It is the month to talk to the creator; it is a month of Munajaat. Al-Baqara (The Cow) 2:186 When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. The fourth attribute related to Ramadan is that Allah (swt) has bestowed human beings, especially Muslims, with Splendid Night (Laila til Qadr) in this month. The Night which is better than a thousand months. This is the Night when destiny of all the human beings is decreed, and the Arch Angel, Jibra'eel (Gabriel), descends on earth to bless the believers with Peace from Almighty. Al-Qadr (The Night of Decree) 97:1 BEHOLD, from on high have We bestowed this [divine writ] on Night of Destiny. 97:2 And what could make thee conceive what it is, that Night of Destiny? 97:3The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months 97:4in hosts descend in it the angels bearing divine inspiration by their Sustainer's leave; from all [evil] that may happen 97:5 does it make secure, until the rise of dawn.

2 Fifth significance of Ramadan is that Allah(swt) had decreed this month to be the Month of Peace and Friendship. Any kind of warfare or bloodshed is prohibited (Haram) in this month. Another quality of this month is that in this month all human beings are ordered to practice equality. Rich or poor, king or subjects, learned or simple are to show respect to each other and to submit to the One Who is worthy of submission. In this month everyone is expected to observe humbleness and piety. This much emphasis on character building is only seen in Islam. No other religion emphasizes upon this as much. May Allah (swt) grant us the true blessings of this month and make us capable of benefiting from fruits of this holy month (Ameen). Wassalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Br. Faheem Kazimi SalamunAlikum, Brothers and Sisters, When asked to write something for this issue of Wahdat, many thoughts went through my mind. I thought I should simply thank the community members for their trust in electing me the chairman, or may be I should complain about all the small issues that are brought up and I am expected to fix them immediately. Or perhaps I should point out how, without any consideration for the time one needs to address the larger issues, I am expected to fix them yesterday and then blamed and criticized for not serving the community. I thought of listing all the issues we as the board are faced with and are working on, I contemplated just saying no and not write any thing, I considered many other options, but in the end my thoughts turned to the only logical place for guidance, Ahalulbait (as). As I was reading through the lives of Ahalulbait (as) I came across this saying: I admonish you regarding five things; if you are wronged, do not commit wrongdoing to others, if you are betrayed, do not betray anyone, if you are called a liar, do not be furious, if you are praised, do not be jubilant, if you are criticized do not fret and think of what is said in criticism, if you find in yourself what is criticized about you, then you are falling down in the eyes of God; when you are furious about the truth, it is much greater calamity then your falling down in the eyes of the people. And if you are opposite of what is said (in criticism) about you, then it is a merit you acquired without having to tire yourself in obtaining it. The lives of the 14 infallibles and their sayings are in front of us to guide each step of our lives. When I saw the above saying by Imam Baqar (as), it seemed so appropriate to the situation any member of the board of director faces. We all took an oath to serve Islam and the community to the best of our abilities. We knew or should have known that we may be criticized along the way for things we did not get right in someone s eyes; we may feel we have been wronged by some and we may even be called a liar by some. We hoped we would be praised along the way for some things we did get right. When I read and understood the meaning of the saying of Imam Baqar (as), it became apparent to me that I need not worry about negative but rather work on being opposite of what criticism may be directed towards me; and what better time to make such a resolve than as the month of Ramadan approaches. We all know the Fazilat of the two months just passed (Rajab and Shabaan) and the month that is here (Ramadan), so I won t expound on it. I will however take the opportunity to remind the community about the rewards of giving during these months. Our center observes many programs during Rajab and Shabaan and has daily Iftar during Ramadan. These programs put an extra financial burden on us. Although many community members take vacation and attendance is lower than normal during summer months the programs still continue and the expenses are incurred. I request all community members to sign up for direct deduction to support the operating expenses of the masjid. A community cannot survive without the support (financial and time) of its members. I would like to share with you something one of the community members stated at a meeting: He simply said that we need to realize that IEC is a blessing for us, if we don't appreciate this blessing it will be taken away from us. Please ask the shias of Pakistan what happened when they lost the blessing of Allah (swt) which was given to them in the form of Shaheed Arif Hussaini. GENEROSITY Compiled by Sr. Naveed Fatima Generosity means having a noble spirit. Generosity is the opposite of stinginess. It stands for offering money, food, or any other lawful gaining out of one s free will. It is in fact a noble trait of character. Imam Sadiq (as) said: "Generosity is Page 2 September 2008 Wahdat - Islamic Education Center of Houston

3 abstaining from what is forbidden, and being pleased with spending what you legitimately earn in Allah s way." It is mentioned in a Hadith that generosity is a great attribute of Allah (SWT). In other words, Allah (SWT) is extremely generous. Generosity and kind heartedness is one of the countless good qualities the Holy Prophet and Imams possessed. The Ahl ul-bayt (a) therefore praised generosity laudably: Imam as-sadiq related that the Prophet (s) said: The best men in view of faith are the most generous. The generous is close to Allah, close to people, and close to Paradise. The stingy is remote from Allah, remote from people, and close to Hell. Imam Ali (as) asked his son Imam Hasan (as): O my son! What is generosity? He said: It is giving freely during affluence and destitution. Reference: Mishkat ul Anwar: Section 5, Chapter 4 Generosity doesn't only mean that you give when you still gain or retain, but in fact means to give when you yourself hardly have anything. According to these details, generosity could be divided into three groups: 1. To give while one has something in possession and the one to whom it is given also has something in possession. 2. To give while one has something in possession and the one to whom it is given is in need. 3. The one who is giving is in need but places his own needs aside and gives priority to others over himself. The third type is the most desirable and was practiced by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) and the Imams (A.S) The true generous should begin with the nearest such as relatives, friends, neighbors, and people of virtue, because such classes are worthier of being treated generously. It is related from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s): He who passes a night satiated while his neighbor is hungry has never believed in me. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah shall not look at the inhabitants of a village one of whose individuals is hungry. Virtues of generosity vary according to its fields. The noblest virtue of generosity, however, is carrying out the obligations of the Sharia, such as the zakat, khums, and the like. The Prophet (s) said: The most generous is he who fulfills that which Allah has deemed obligatory upon him. As we can see from the aforementioned ahadith, charity and generosity are very closely related. In fact we can safely interpret that generosity is a prerequisite for charity. In other words, a person needs to be generous to be able to give charity. The following beautiful hadith of our sixth Imam teaches us the proper way of doing an act of charity. Imam as-sadiq (a) said: Favors are worthless unless they are disregarded, veiled, and provided immediately. If you disregard your favors, you will surely revere the one to whom you have done that favor. If you cover up the favors that you do, you will surely accomplish your deeds. If you offer your favor as soon as possible, you will surely give it pleasantly; otherwise, you will destroy and give unpleasantly." OBITUARY It is to inform you with heavy heart that Sister Dulara Amir, passed away on Friday August 22, She was buried in Forest park cemetary on Sunday, August 24, She is survived by sons, Br. Aqil Amir, Br. Jaffer Amir, Br. Sajjad Amir, daughters, Sr. Farrukh Ahmed, Sr. Zahra Goher, Sr. Nargis Fatima, and several grand and great grand children. IEC would like to offer its deepest condolences to her entire family. May Allah give her a place in heaven. We also offer our condolences to Br. Mohsin Shojaei whose mother passed away in Iran. We also offer our condolences to Hujjatul Islam Movahedi for the death of his father, who was a great and pious scholar. Hujjatul Islam Mohammad Movahedi was a student of Ayatullah Sheikh Mahdi Isfahani (RA). He was a role model in akhlaq and worship. His funeral was held in Mashhad where thousands of people participated and he had opportunity to be buried in the haram of Imam Reza(A.S). We offer our condolences to the family of Agha Movahedi and all the children of the marhum. May Allah (SWT) bless the soul of the marhumeen to be placed with Ahlulbayt(A.S). Page 3 September 2008 Wahdat - Islamic Education Center of Houston

4 PREPARING FOR THE START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR Sr. Salma Hooshmand The back to school season can be a stressful time for parents and students. It can also be an exciting one; the prospect of new challenges, a fresh start--and of course--crisp new school supplies can be channeled into a positive experience. Here are a few tips to help maintain the positive energy during this time and minimize its stresses. For Students: 1. Maintain a positive attitude. Try not to listen to gossip about teachers and classes. If you come to class on the first day prepared to dislike a teacher, you are likely to set the tone for the rest of the year. Remain positive who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised. 2. Start off with good organization and study habits. Create a plan for staying organized in school and at home. Where will you drop your backpack when you come home from school? What will you do with papers? How will you keep track of your schedule and homework? When and where will you do homework? Do you have the supplies you need? Teachers profess that organization is a key factor in student performance. 3. Be willing to try something new. Your educational experience is only as rich as you make it. Try a new extra-curricular activity. Take that pre-ap class. Take control of your own education; parents and teachers can only hold your hand for a time you have to learn to help yourself learn. For Parents: 1. Attend your child s back to school night or meet and greet the teacher event. These are important events to help your children overcome their anxiety over the new school year with your support. It s also an opportunity for you to open communication with your child s teacher. Think of yourself in league with your child s teacher allies in helping your child succeed. 2. Create and follow routines. Today s lifestyles are filled with obligations and can become hectic. Planning morning and after school routines can help save time and minimize stress. When will lunches be packed? Who will drive the kids on what days? When is bedtime? Setting up routines can help your family stay grounded and stabilized through the frenzy of activities. 3. Help your child succeed by doing your part. There is no doubt that parents want to be a part of their child s education, but what is the best way to accomplish this? Parents should be role-models for their children in all aspects. For example, if you have a child who is struggling with reading, it may not be enough to just ask them to read more. Your child needs to see you enjoy reading, and to read with you. If your child needs to be more organized, ask yourself how organized you are. Children tend to mimic their parents, and in any case, you ll have the satisfaction of knowing you ve done your part. Page 4 September 2008 Wahdat - Islamic Education Center of Houston

5 HAQQ Lantern of Path: Fasting Hadith from Imam Jafar as Sadiq (as) The Holy Prophet said, 'Fasting is a protection from the calamities of this world, and a veil from punishment of the next.' When you fast, intend thereby to restrain yourself from fleshly appetites and to cut off those worldly desires arising from the ideas of Satan and his kind. Put yourself in the position of a sick person who desires neither food nor drink; expect recovery at any moment from the sickness of wrong actions. Purify your inner being of every lie, turbidity, heedlessness and darkness, which might cut you off from the meaning of being sincere for the sake of Allah. Somebody said to one of the Companions, 'You are already weak; fasting will weaken you further.' 'I am preparing that fast for the evil of a long day,' he said. 'Patience in obeying Allah is easier than patience in His punishment.' And the Messenger of Allah once quoted Allah's words, 'Fasting is done for Me, and I am its reward.' Fasting kills the desire of the self and the appetite of greed, and from it comes purity of the heart, purification of the limbs, cultivation of the inner and the outer being, thankfulness for blessings, charity to the poor, increase of humble supplication, humility, weeping and most of the ways of seeking refuge in Allah; and it is the reason for the breaking of aspiration, the lightening of evil things, and the redoubling of good deeds. It contains benefits which cannot be counted. Page 5 September 2008 Wahdat - Islamic Education Center of Houston

6 PAGE 2 HAQQ Sermon Given By The Holy Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) About Ramadhan O People! Indeed ahead of you is the blessed month of Allah. A month of blessing, mercy and forgiveness. A month which to Allah is the best of months, Its days the best of days, Its nights the best of nights And its hours the best of hours. It is the month which invites you to be the guests of Allah And invites you to be one of those near to Him. Each breath you take glorifies Him; Your sleep is worship, Your deeds are accepted And your duas answered. So, ask Allah, your Lord To give you a sound body And an enlightened heart So you may be able to fast and recite his book, For only he is unhappy who is deprived of Allah s forgiveness during this great month. Remember the hunger and thirst of the day of Qiyama Give alms to the needy and the poor, Honor your old, Show kindness to the young ones, Maintain relations with your blood relations, Guard your tongue, Close your eyes to that which is not permissible for your sight, Close your ears to that which is forbidden to hear, Show compassion to the orphans of the people so compassion may be shown to your orphans. Repent to Allah for your sins, And raise your hands in Dua during these times, For they are the best of times and Allah looks towards His creatures with kindness, Replying to them during these hours and granting their needs if He is asked O people! Indeed your souls are dependant on your deeds, Free it with Istighfar (repentance) Lighten its load by long prostrations; And know that Allah swears by His might: That there is no punishment for the one Who prays and prostrates and he shall have no fear of the fire on the day when man stands before the Lord of the worlds. O people! One who gives Iftar to a fasting person during this month will be like one who has freed someone and his past sins will be forgiven. Some of the people who were there then asked the Prophet (s) All of us are not able to invite those who are fasting? The Prophet (s) replied: Allah gives this reward even if the Iftar is a drink of water. One who has good morals during this moth will be able to pass the Siraat on the day that feet will slip One who covers the fault of others will benefit in that Allah will curb His anger on Page 6 September 2008 Wahdat - Islamic Education Center of Houston

7 PAGE 3 the Day of Judgment. As for one who honors an orphan; Allah will honor him on the Day of Judgment And for the one who spreads his kindness, Allah will spread His mercy over him on the Day of Judgment. As for the one who cuts ties of relation; Allah will cut His mercy from him Whosoever performs a mustahab salah in this month; Allah will keep the fire of hell away from him. Whosoever performs a wajib prayer; Allah will reward him with seventy prayers in this month. And whosoever prays a lot during this month will have his load lightened on the day of accounts. He who recites one ayah of the Holy Quran will be given the rewards of HAQQ reciting the whole Quran during other months. O people! Indeed in this month the doors of Jannah are open, Therefore ask Allah not to close them for you; The doors of Jahannam are closed, So ask Allah to keep them closed for you. During this month Shaytan is imprisoned; So ask your Lord not to let him have power over you. Imam Ali (as) says that I stood up and asked: O Prophet! What are the best deeds during this month? The Prophet (s) replied: Stopping oneself from doing those deeds which are forbidden by Allah A Poem about Ramadhan The great Muslim poet Jalal al-din Rumi sang about Ramadan in the 13th century AD (translation by A.J. Arberry): "The month of fasting has come, the emperor's banner has arrived; withhold your hand from food, the spirit's table has arrived. The soul has escaped from separation and bound nature's hands; the heart of error is defeated, the army of faith has arrived. Fasting is our sacrifice, it is the life of our soul; let us sacrifice all our body, since the soul has arrived as guest. Fortitude is as a sweet cloud, wisdom rains from it, because it was in such a month of fortitude that the Koran arrived....wash your hands and your mouth, neither eat nor speak; seek that speech and that morsel which has come to the silent ones." Page 7 September 2008 Wahdat - Islamic Education Center of Houston

8 An IEC Al-Qasim Youth Publication Ramadhan: A Revolution By: Ailia Ahmed AND MEN WHO FAST AND WOMEN WHO FAST ALLAH HAS PREPARED FOR THEM FORGIVENESS AND A VAST REWARD. HOLY QURAN 33:35 ALLAH HAS LAID DOWN FASTING AS A TRIAL OF THE PEOPLE. - IMAM ALI (AS) Ramadhan is the month of Allah (s) in which we are blessed by His Mercy and Forgiveness. It is a new beginning and a time for us to change for the better. This month is filled with blessings and we must seize the opportunity to improve ourselves. In the month of Ramadhan, we fast from before dawn until after sunset. It is a form of worship for an extended period of time, in which we must control ourselves mentally and physically. By being aware of all the acts we do on a regular basis, we can identify the areas that we need to improve in. So, if we take caution and consider each step we take while we are fasting we can stop ourselves from doing bad actions, and instead try to do good. Imam Ali (as) said, Allah has laid down fasting as a trial of the people. During this month, we build a sense of endurance. We train our body to survive without food for a period of time and make it go through the hardship. Also, Imam Ali (as) said, Acquire patience and endurance because their relation with true faith is that of a head to a body, a body is of no use without a head, similarly true faith can be of no use without attributes of resignation, endurance and patience. Therefore, by persevering in our fasting we strengthen our faith through endurance and patience. THE FAST IS A FIRM SHIELD AGAINST THE FIRE OF HELL. - IMAM SADIQ (AS) Allah (swt) said, For all righteous deeds of servants there is a reward from ten times to seven hundred times, but since, fasting is especially reserved for me - I will bestow its reward. Therefore, only God Almighty knows the reward of fasting. This quote stresses the importance assigned to fasting. This should encourage us more to be truly sincere while we are fasting and only to fast for the sake of Allah (swt). In conclusion, in the month of Ramadhan we have the chance to observe our actions to improve ourselves, strengthen our endurance and patience, and become more sincere. Prophet Muhammad (s) said, The truly powerful person is the one who has conquered himself. Let us use this blessed month to our benefit and start a revolution within ourselves. THE TRULY POWERFUL PERSON IS THE ONE WHO HAS CONQUERED HIMSELF - PROPHET MUHAMMAD (S) Page 8 September 2008 Wahdat - Islamic Education Center of Houston

9 ISLAMIC EDUCATION CENTER PROGRAMS FOR THE MONTH OF RAMADHAN 1429 (SEP. 2008) * All dates are subject to Moon sighting. Please adjust your calendars accordingly. Regular Programs* During Ramadhan Holy Quran recitation 15 minutes before Salat-e-Maghrib Maghrib on time Iftaar/dinner Isha Salat Dua (see schedule below) Daily speeches by Br. Hassanain Govani (for the first 15 days of the month of Ramadhan) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Dua Iftetah: Mon, Wed, Sat & Sun Munajat-e-Imam Ali... Friday Dua-e-Kumail.Thursday Dua-e-Tawasul... Tuesday * Youth speeches will be held on Saturdays/special program nights only Majalis for Shahadat of Imam Ali ibn Abi-Talib (as) Wafat of Hazrat Khadija (as) Tuesday, Sep. 9* Night of 10 th Ramadhan Holy Quran recitation 30 min. before Salat-e-Maghrib Maghrib.on time Iftaar Isha Salat Youth Speech Speech (majlis) 9:15pm Lady Role Models in Islam - Br. Hassanain Govani A amal (Prayers) for The Nights of Qadr Jashn-e-Wiladat of Imam Hasan Al-Mujtaba (as) Sunday, Sep. 14* Night of 15 th Ramadhan Holy Quran recitation 30 min. before Salat-e-Maghrib Maghrib on time Iftaar Isha Salat Youth Speech Speech 9:15pm Peace The Manifest Victory -Br. Hassanain Govani DAY OF QUDS Fri, Sept. 26 th, 2008 Thu, Fri, Sat: Sep 18 th, 19 th, 20 th Ramadhan 19 th, 20 th, 21 st Holy Quran...1 hr before salat Maghrib Iftaar/dinner Isha Salat Dua Simultaneous Majalis...9:15 pm Urdu Main Hall Sirah of Amir ul momenin Ali (as) H.I. Ghulam H Shabbiri Farsi Men s Dinning Hall Speaker: TBD English Ladies Dinning Hall Speaker: TBD Thu, Sat, Mon: 18 th, 20 th, 22 nd Ramadhan: 19 th, 21 st, 23 rd Short A amal 10:15 pm All Night A amal 11:30 pm (breaks between a maal) Suhur.4:30 am Fajr Prayer on time The month of Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, and clear (signs) for guidance and distinction (between right and wrong). Al-Baqarah (2:185) After Jumuah Prayers Location: To Be Determined The Day of Quds is the Day of Islam. Imam Khomeini (ra) Please Note: It is recommended to see the moon for the first of Shawwal and report the evidence of moon sighting to the Resident Alim, Hujatul Islam Ghulam Hur Shabbiri. Weekly Sunday School during then Holy month of Ramadhan will be scheduled on Saturdays. School timings: 5 pm - 7 pm. Iftar/Dinner will be served every night. Suhur will be served during the nights of Qadr. Dua-e-Tawassul & Dua-e-Kumail will be recited on Tuesday & Thursday nights & Dua-e-Nudbah on Friday mornings. Please donate generously towards the Ramadhan Fund which has been set-up to provide daily Iftar/Dinner. If you wish to sponsor a special night s Iftar/Dinner/Tabaruk, please contact any board member. All Iftar/Dinners are sponsored by the community; please drop your contributions in the Ramadhan Fund Box or contact Br. Vaqar or Br. Faisal

10 Islamic Education Center 2313 S. Voss Road, Houston, TX (713) RAMADHAN TIMINGS 1429/2008 ZOHR / ASR SUNSET MAGHRIB / IFTAAR SPECIAL PROGRAM DAY SEP. RMDHN RMDHN IMSAK FAJR SUNRISE MON 1 1 5:24 AM 5:34 AM 6:56 AM 1:20 PM 7:43 PM 8:03 PM TUE :25 AM 5:35 AM 6:56 AM 1:20 PM 7:42 PM 8:02 PM WED :25 AM 5:35 AM 6:57 AM 1:19 PM 7:40 PM 8:01 PM THU :26 AM 5:36 AM 6:57 AM 1:19 PM 7:39 PM 7:59 PM FRI :27 AM 5:37 AM 6:58 AM 1:19 PM 7:38 PM 7:58 PM SAT :28 AM 5:37 AM 6:58 AM 1:18 PM 7:37 PM 7:57 PM SUN :28 AM 5:38 AM 6:59 AM 1:18 PM 7:36 PM 7:55 PM MON :29 AM 5:39 AM 6:59 AM 1:17 PM 7:34 PM 7:54 PM TUE :30 AM 5:39 AM 7:00 AM 1:17 PM 7:33 PM 7:53 PM Wafat of Hazrat WED :30 AM 5:40 AM 7:00 AM 1:17 PM 7:32 PM 7:52 PM Khadija (AS) THU :31 AM 5:41 AM 7:01 AM 1:16 PM 7:30 PM 7:50 PM FRI :32 AM 5:41 AM 7:02 AM 1:16 PM 7:29 PM 7:49 PM SAT :32 AM 5:42 AM 7:02 AM 1:16 PM 7:28 PM 7:48 PM SUN :33 AM 5:43 AM 7:03 AM 1:15 PM 7:27 PM 7:46 PM Wiladat of MON :34 AM 5:43 AM 7:03 AM 1:15 PM 7:25 PM 7:45 PM Imam Hasan (AS) TUE :34 AM 5:44 AM 7:04 AM 1:14 PM 7:24 PM 7:44 PM WED :35 AM 5:45 AM 7:04 AM 1:14 PM 7:23 PM 7:43 PM THU :36 AM 5:45 AM 7:05 AM 1:14 PM 7:21 PM 7:41 PM Majlis/Shabe Qadr FRI :36 AM 5:46 AM 7:05 AM 1:13 PM 7:20 PM 7:40 PM Shahadat of Imam SAT :37 AM 5:47 AM 7:06 AM 1:13 PM 7:19 PM 7:39 PM Ali (AS) / Shabe Qadr SUN :38 AM 5:47 AM 7:06 AM 1:13 PM 7:18 PM 7:37 PM Majlis continues MON :38 AM 5:48 AM 7:07 AM 1:12 PM 7:16 PM 7:36 PM Shabe Qadr TUE :39 AM 5:48 AM 7:07 AM 1:12 PM 7:15 PM 7:35 PM WED :40 AM 5:49 AM 7:08 AM 1:11 PM 7:14 PM 7:33 PM THU :40 AM 5:50 AM 7:09 AM 1:11 PM 7:12 PM 7:32 PM FRI :41 AM 5:50 AM 7:09 AM 1:11 PM 7:11 PM 7:31 PM Quds Day SAT :42 AM 5:51 AM 7:10 AM 1:10 PM 7:10 PM 7:30 PM SUN :42 AM 5:51 AM 7:10 AM 1:10 PM 7:09 PM 7:28 PM MON :43 AM 5:52 AM 7:11 AM 1:10 PM 7:07 PM 7:27 PM TUE :43 AM 5:53 AM 7:11 AM 1:09 PM 7:06 PM 7:26 PM Eid-ul Fitr* * Subject to moon sighting ZAKATUL-FITRA: This Zakat is obligatory for any person who is mature, sane, conscious and financially able at sunset on the last Day of Ramadhan to pay for himself and his dependents. The rate is 3 kilograms (1 SA = 6.6 Lbs.) of Wheat, Rice, Barley, Raisin, Date or similar produce per person. It is also permitted to give cash value of such items by rounding it up to higher value. Approximate costs of 6.6 Lbs. are: (All momineen are encouraged to pay their Khums on 15 th of Ramadhan.) Wheat = $7 Rice = $14 Raisin = $20 Dates = $46 Barley = $20 KAFFARA: Kaffara for delay of fasting from last year and for sick persons who could not fast provided sickness continued this year is Lbs./Day of Wheat, Rice, Barley, Raisin, Date or similar produce. The approximate costs of Lbs. are: Wheat = $2 Rice = $3.50 Raisins = $4.85 Dates = $11.50 Barley = $5

11 HASSANAIN GOVANI GUEST SPEAKER First half of the Holy Month of Ramadhan Br. Hassanain Govani is from Trollhättan, Sweden. He completed his equivalent of the Swedish A-levels in 2001, majoring in Business Economics and Accounting, in addition to achieving an international Young Enterprise Diploma. Later he pursued Oriental Studies at Uppsala University and also spent a few months at Damascus University learning Arabic. In 2004, he joined the first Madinatul Ilm Course in Qum. Br. Hassanain started his community involvement as a volunteer, inheriting a deep sense for community affairs from his family, receiving inspiration from their work. He is active in the local Islamic School and other youth related functions, delivers lectures and recites majalis in Swedish, English and Gujarati. The IEC will host him for the first half of the month of Ramadhan. The following is a list of speeches that he will deliver in the blessed nights. 1. Themes of the month of Ramadhan 2. Fasting in different religions 3. Taqwa: The fruit of fasting 4. The Do s and Don ts of Taqwa 5. Building blocks of taqwa Avoiding drugs and alcohol 6. Building blocks of taqwa Avoiding consumption of haraam 7. Building blocks of taqwa Avoiding celibacy and promiscuity 8. Building blocks of taqwa Role of marriage in Islam 9. The position of Women in Islam 10. Lady Role Models in Islam (Sayidda Khadijah, Fatima Zehra, Zaynab Al-Kubra) 11. Taqwa in society: Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil 12. Peace: The Manifest Victory (Sulh Hudaybiyah and Hasaniyah; a discussion) 13. Imam Hasan (as): Various aspects of his life 14. Building blocks of taqwa Importance of Prayers 15. Building blocks of taqwa Importance of Charity 16. Building blocks of taqwa Controlling the Tongue Please make an effort to join us and take advantage of his presence in this holy month. May Allah bless you, your family and accept your fasts.

12 Comments from MAHDI Volunteers The MAHDI volunteer group is a subcommittee of the IEC Tabligh Committee, dedicated to serving those less fortunate that ourselves and spreading true Islam, without words, through charity, service and goodwill towards others, in collaboration with other charitable organizations. With the wonderful support of the IEC Community and the IEC Board, we are able to feed 100 homeless street people every week, and 110 homeless men living in the Open Door Men s Shelter, once a month, for a total of 500 people each month. We are looking to serve at a women s/children shelter in Houston, but we need your weekly and continuing support to help keep our movement alive. Please send your much needed donations to the IEC and reference the MAHDI group. In conclusion, members of the MAHDI group were asked How do you feel helping those less fortunate that yourself. Next month we will print the comments of other volunteers of the MAHDI group. Helping people less fortunate feels good, because they can have some food, and they can see that we are good people, and we re here to help them out. -- Br. Mohammed Al-Saady, 13 yrs old-- It feels very good to help others, because you know it s going to help them in their future life. Sometimes when you want something we think about the fact that we have a lot of things they don t have, which we never appreciate, but now we are learning to appreciate what we have by helping people less fortunate than ourselves. -- Sr. Zainab Abdus-Sabour, 10 yrs old- Helping the less fortunate is a humbling and invigorating experience. It feels great to step out of our day to day routine to help persons who really need it. It gives one a sense of doing something that matters, as opposed to only following our self serving interest. Seeing someone else benefit from our efforts creates an uplifting feeling. -- Sr. Kendall Quinan, -- I feel blessed to have the opportunity to please Allah and gain blessings from helping the poor and helpless. I think I'm probably gaining more benefit from helping them than they are from me. They'll be hungry again, but inshallah helping the poor will benefit me in this world and the akhirat. -- Sr. Syeda Jafri-- Page 12 September 2008 Wahdat - Islamic Education Center of Houston