Wahdat Newsletter. Looking back and ahead. Congratulations to all on the auspicious occasion of the birth of Holy Prophet(sawws) Page 1

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1 Wahdat Newsletter J A N U A R Y / / R A B I U L - A W A L R A B I U S - T H A N I S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T : Looking back at Moharram and ahead to Rabi I and II. Education Updates A recap of Al-Hadi students Karbala Play I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Looking back and 1 ahead GBM Invitation 2 Education Updates 2 Karbala Play 3 Muslim Spelling Bee 5 IEC Services 6 Editor s Note 6 Congratulations to all on the auspicious occasion of the birth of Holy Prophet(sawws) and Imam Sadeq(as). In the name of Allah, most Beneficent, most Merciful The caravan of Karbala treads this path every year and it is our task to make sure that we are on board every year. By the grace of Allah (swt) we were able to commemorate Moharram and Safar Our center saw an unprecedented number of patrons on the night of Ashura this year. During these two months approximately 120 speeches were delivered in English, Farsi and Urdu by over 20 different speakers. According to conservative estimates, over 20 million pilgrims visited the Holy Shrines of Karbala, Iraq, marking yet another year of the world s biggest pilgrimage ) (External Article Link) The period after Safar is critical in keeping alive the sense of Islamic inspiration that the sorrow of Aba Abdillah(as) Looking back and ahead renews every year. As we look to Rabiul-avval, it is difficult to not interpret the important events in this month as a renewal of our imaan after the awakening of Moharram and Safar. This is a month of celebration and it includes the birth of Mercy Upon Mankind and the leader of our religion, the Holy Prophet of Islam(sawws) on the 17th, the birth of our leader of faith, Imam Jafar-e- Sadeq(as) also on the 17th, and the start of the Imamat of Imam of the Age(ajtfs) on the 9th. According to the hadith of Amir al-momineen (A.S.) that every day when one does not disobey his Lord is the day of Eid. We can understand that although particular days of Eid are few but in the life of a faithful person every day that he obeys his Lord that day becomes day of joy and day of celebration. - HI G.H. Shabbiri Therefore, this month provides us with a chance to renew our allegiance to the ideals of our faith as we celebrate these joyous occasions. The week of unity includes in it the 12th of Rabiul-avval which is the birth of the Holy Prophet according to Ahle Sunnat brothers as well as the 17th which is the date according to Shi i traditions. This is a week for all Muslims to celebrate a great Eid together. Other days of significance in Rabiul-avval include the matrimony of our Holy Prohphet (sawws) and H. Khadija(sa) on the 10th, the death of Yazid ibn Muawiya on the 14th as well as a few other enemies of the Ahlul-Bayt. Looking ahead to Rabius-thani, the noteworthy dates of the month are the birth of Imam Hasan Askari(as) on the 8th, the wafat of H. Masoumeh(sa) on the 10th, and the uprising of Mokhtar-e-Saghafi on the 14th. Page 1

2 Notice of General Board Meeting In accordance with the rule set forth in the IEC constitution article 6.1.1, the General Body Meeting will be held on Saturday, January 10, Registration will start at 5:30 P.M. The agenda for the meeting will be as follow Directors Report Question and Answer Session A quorum is necessary to hold a valid meeting. Forty percent (40%) of the active members registering for the General Body Meeting shall establish a quorum for the meeting. Shahid Ali Chawla Education Updates IEC Sunday School will resume on Sunday, January 4th, Please note that IEC Sunday School will resume on Sunday, January 4, Please note that Farsi School registration will be Friday, January 2nd with classes beginning that same day Please mark your calendars! IEC Farsi School will resume on Friday, January 2nd, 2015 Al Hadi School of Accelerative Learning ( invites all community members to their 19 th Annual Anniversary Dinner, which will be held on Saturday, February 7 th 2015, Insha Allah. Tickets for Adults and Youth (ages 12 and above) will be on sale shortly; free admission for Children under 12 years, and Childcare will be provided for ages 2 6. Come join us for an eventful afternoon to view Live Student Performances, Presentations, and Auction, followed by Dinner. Your contribution to the future of our children is greatly appreciated. Page 2

3 Al-Hadi School stages live performance on events of Karbala On December 12, 2014, to commemorate Arbaeen which signifies the 40 th day after the martyrdom of Imam Al-Hussain (as), students of Al-Hadi School staged a live play depicting the events of Karbala. Over 50 students from Grade 1 through High School took part in this play and through their heart-warming performances, brought to life various characters that exemplified the struggle of righteousness against falsehood and oppression. Directed by Br Zaheer Zaidi, the play was organized by Al Hadi School s IQRA department, well supported by the school admin and several parent volunteers. Open to the entire community, the live play drew an audience of over 350. Below are some pictures from the performance. To watch a recording of the play, please click here. Page 3

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5 Please register at or contact Sr. Elia Zaidi at Page 5

6 Islamic Education Center Houston, TX 2313 South Voss Rd. Houston Tx Wahdat Newsletter: Seeking to inform, intrigue and inspire The Islamic Education Center is a spring that quenches the thirst of those looking for true spirituality in the desert of materialism, a huge blessed tree to rest under its wide shadow from the heat of corruption which exists elsewhere, a masjid to supplicate and pray in, a school to learn in, a center to provide and receive services, and eventually a place to get near to Allah through righteous activities. We praise Allah (SWT) for helping us to be one of the unique communities that has been able to maintain its unity and provide services to the Muslim community and progress year after year. IEC SERVICES: PROGRAMS Daily Congregational Prayers, Friday (Jumuah) Prayers, Duae-Kumail, Tawassul, Nudbah, Programs on all major Islamic occasions COMMUNITY SERVICES Nikah/Wedding, Imam Sajjad Clinic, Full-service Restaurant, IEC Library, Funeral Services, Dawah & Interfaith and much more. EDUCATION Al Hadi School (PreK - Gr. 12), Sunday School, Farsi School, Al-Mustafa Hawza AGE BASED ACTIVITIES Al-Qasim Youth Group, As-Sadiq Senior Citizens Group Editor s Note As-salaamu alaykum Dear Community Members The Wahdat Newsletter is actively seeking writers, editors and reviewers. We are also seeking photographers who can who can help bring the words to life with their creativity. If you are interested, please send your information to Director.Publications@iec-houston.org. Your feedback is always welcome! Wahdat Team, Islamic Education Center of Houston, TX Disclaimer: "The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Islamic Education Center (IEC) of Houston TX, its' Board, Wahdat or anyone else other than the authors." Page 6