Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Association of Edmonton Newsletter Summer 2012 Message from President: Finally, the holy month we have been awaiting for has arrived. What does that mean to Muslims worldwide! To glorify the creator, to abstain from food and drinks from dawn to dusk, give charity and so on. It also means looking at the plight of those who are suffering, due to manmade disasters or natural, through no fault of theirs. It is time to remember nursing mothers, whose milk has dried up due to hunger and starvation, small babies crying for food, water, old folks hardly able to walk, and crying for help etc. Please listen to their cries and think before swallowing food and water. Your generous donation will alleviate a great deal of their miseries. That is called the spirit of Ramadan! It is also time to think about our environment and avoid wastage. A little while ago we introduced a program to replace Styrofoam cups, plates etc. We had asked members to bring their mugs. Alas. The response has been dismal. We all should be concerned with our environment. Continued on Pg 6 Thanks to Brother Abid for his BBq ing at the picnic. Contract On July 8 th, Contract for Dr. Usama Al-Atar was approved by General Body. If you are looking to contribute to this cause, please contact a member of the executive. Further details will be emailed.
Mukhi s Message Ramadhan Dr. Al-Atar تتععااللىى ببسسممهه ععللىى ككتتبب ككمماا االلصصيياامم ععللييككمم ككتتبب ا آممننوواا االلذذيينن ييااا أييههاا 183 االلببققررةة - تتتتققوونن للععللككمم ققببللككمم ممنن االلذذيينن O those who believe! fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may achieve piety (Holy Qur an 2:183) This verse describes the mandate of fasting upon Muslims. Its tone is full of compassion, as Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala) states that previous nations have also fasted, so Muslims need not to worry. The last sentence of the verse describes the essence of fasting, So that you may achieve piety. An essence of piety is the genuine sincerity in the actions performed by an individual seeking the pleasure of Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala). In Surah Al- Hashr (#59) verse 18 Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala) states, O those who believe have piety of Allah, and let every self consider what it has sent for tomorrow, and have piety of Allah; indeed, Allah is aware of what you do. One can notice that the concept of piety is repeated twice in this verse. In the first case, it refers to following the commands of Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala) by performing what is obligatory and refraining from what is forbidden. The second reference to piety is reminding the believers that when following the commands of Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala) one must do so purely for His sake. In other words, one s intentions when performing any action must be sincerely for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala). Lady Fatemah Az- Zahra (alaiha assalam) states in her famous sermon known as Al- Fadakiyyah, And He prescribed fasting to strengthen sincerity. Ahl Al- Bayt (alaihum assalam) are the ones who clarify and interpret the Holy Qur an, and as such, we find the words of Lady Fatemah Az- Zahra (alaiha assalam) helping us understand the above verse by stating that fasting strengthens sincerity, On Saturday May 26th, a gents "sports n fun" event at the Center was held. The event was held from 7-930 PM. There was table tennis; carrom and soccer. We had about 25 men of all ages participate in this event. Ramadhan program started on Saturday July 21st. We will have lectures by Imam Dr Usama on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays. Iftar will be served on Saturdays starting July 28th. There will be 'potluck dinner' on Thursdays, Fridays & Sundays. Quran Khane and Dua e Iftitah will be held everyday. There will be a joint Eid Dinner being held in conjunction with all Shia Communities. Further details to come 2
Cont which is the essence of piety. According to Al- Ustadh Mathahiri in his book, Al- Fadhael wal- Rathael, there are different types or stages of fasting. The first is known as the jurisprudent fasting االلصصوومم).(االلششررععيي Such fasting is observed when one adheres to the religious laws of fasting such as refraining from eating, drinking and performing actions that would void the fast. This is important, but it is not the goal of fasting. The second stage of fasting is the ethical fasting االلصصوومم).(االلا أخخللااققيي This is where a person s manners and ethics are watched during fasting. The holy Prophet (salla Allahu alaihe wa sallam) once saw a woman using abusive language against her maid while she was fasting. He then brought her a plate of food and asked her to eat. When she told the holy Prophet (salla Allahu alaihe wa sallam) that she was fating, he replied, How can you be fasting when you are using such abusive language against your maid? Indeed fasting is not about abstaining from food and water. What the holy Prophet (salla Allahu alaihe wa sallam) is trying to tell the woman, that fasting is a spiritual journey where one needs to ascend the ladder of spirituality and bring about a self reformation. While fasting one must refrain from spiritual diseases such as back biting, lying, cheating, jealousy and causing problems among believers by carrying false news back and forth to different groups. One must also train his or her limbs and organs to fast: the eyes must fast from looking at what is forbidden to see; the ears must fast from listening to what is forbidden to listen to; the tongue must fast from speaking what is forbidden to say, and other body parts must refrain from performing what is forbidden. Such is the ethical fasting. The third form of fasting is the fasting of recognition االلصصوومم),(االلععررففااننيي where one must fast from even thinking about performing any forbidden act, in an attempt to purify one s heart to recognize the Creator (subhanahu wa ta ala). This is an advanced stage of fasting that one may achieve in the latter days of the month of Ramadhan. If one works on his ethical fast through out the month, then one can achieve this advanced stage of fasting. It is important for one to set goals of self transformation during this holy month and work towards achieving them. Let one pray salat al- layl at least 20 nights of this month; read at least 15 parts of the Qur an, and make resolutions to change ones bad habits and remove spiritual diseases from the heart. We pray to Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala) to bless us to fast this holy month and to achieve the highest levels of self- reformation. We also pray for the protection of the Imam of our time (ajjala Allahu ta ala farajahu ash- shareef), and for the protection of all the Mu mineen World- wide. Praesent vitae nisl. Usama Al- Atar The guys having some fun at a mosque gathering On May 26 th, where over 25 individual attended! Donec 3
Memo From Al Mahdi Madrasah In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Bismihi Ta'ala Assalmun Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu Dear Parents, Teachers, Students, Volunteers and Community Members As we close this academic year 2011-2012, we would like to Thank Alla* SWT for His Mercy and Blessings He has bestowed upon us to serve Him alone and that He accepts our service Ameen. Our goal is to provide an excellent Islamic Education and instill the love of Alla* SWT and the teachings of our Holy Ahlul-Bayt to our children. Our Madrasah is a great place for our children to grow in faith and learn how to put our faith in action! We will mention a couple of our achievements and successes: 1. This year we introduced "Namaz Awareness Class", where all students participated in correct procedure when performing Namaz. We request all parents to continue encouraging and monitoring their children's Namaz. 2. We held classes with Imam Dr. Usama Al Atar of Aqeedah (Belief) 101 for a month. It was an inspirational sessions, where students, teachers, parents and members of All Shia Communities were invited to attend. We would like to thank Shaykh Usama for the session. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed their precious time, donations, duas for without your contribution we would not have been successful. In order to have a successful learning institute, it is absolutely crucial that we remain committed in supporting the school in every aspect. We would like to thank Br. Ashraf Jaffer for his continued contribution of printing Fi Sabillillah. May the Almighty grant him and his family good health and blessings Ameen. Thank you With duas and salams Kaniz Aliraza Mavani and Al Mahdi Madrasah Administration The Kids having fun at the Madressah picnic this June.
Al Mahdi Madrasah will Inshalla* hold classes for children ages 4-8 years for the Holy month of Ramadhan from July 21 st - August 18 th 2012/1432. Theme of the month: Nature in the Holy Qur an (Part 1) Ramadhan Diary Learn the Qur an, Live the Qur an Children will learn Duas, memorize Surahs, enjoy craft, activities, nasheeds, clips and more. We request registration fees to cover the cost of colorful manuals, materials and Idd gift for a minimal cost of $20.00. More information will follow after confirmation of participation. Kindly contact: Sis Kaniz Mavani 780-461-5415 / kaniz.m@telus.net NEWS IN A NUTSHELL On August 18, 2012 @ 8.00 p.m. we have invited various politicians/personalities for a function to celebrate the last week end of the holy month of Ramadan. As you know Muslims worldwide fast from dawn to dusk as commanded by almighty god and also as the holy Qur'an commands! 1Dinner will be served after prayers, around 10.00 p.m. Tentatively, On August 17 th there will be an anticipated rally for atrocities in the Middle East, namely individuals in Bahrain and Al-Quds. Please contact Brother Mahmood Mavani at mavani1786@gmail.com for more information on this worthy cause. 5
A Ramadan Poem, by Donna Sibaai The holy month of Ramadan For all Muslims has begun. Praising Allah through the day, From dawn to dusk we fast and pray. We pay zakah (charity) for those in need, Trying hard to do good deeds. When the sun has set, and day is done- I'll break this chain, but only one. By the end of Ramadan, this whole chain will be all gone! It's time for Eid and lots of fun!!! cont. We are the guardians of this earth. Wastage of food, water, paper etc. has reached an unprecedented level. It is unislamic. We need to curb this. Wasting approx. $ 4000.00 a year on Styrofoam cups, plates, etc. does not make economic sense. Savings can be used to help the hungry and destitute worldwide. We need to educate our children to understand what Qur an is teaching us! The vast majority of Shia brothers came to this part of the world some 40 years ago after having been expelled from Uganda, left Kenya and Tanzania. They faced many challenges when they first came. The first challenge was to build a centre where they could congregate, maintain their identity and practice their cherished faith. They built a beautiful centre which we call Imambarghah or House of Imams. The other challenge was to educate their children. They have been able to accomplish all these, Alhamdulillah! Some have become successful businessmen, professionals, high ranking government officers and so forth sins. Amen. What is next? What is our vision? I want you to think about this. 1. Our children spend most of their time in schools, where the environment is different from our culture and faith; 2. They spend only 4 hours a week to go to Madrasah. Is this sufficient? 3. Is Islamic Schools the answer and if not, then what! I want you to think seriously about this. The future of our children, grandchildren and future generations is in your hands. Do you want to be amongst those Muslims who, while living in some parts of the world and carrying Muslim names, know nothing about the religion of their forefathers (ISLAM) leave alone practising Islam! Mohamedhussein Dhalla Message from President: We are looking for Writers and Contributors for the next issue. Please contact Fayaz Rajabali or Sabrina Dhalla. 6
There will be a Fund-raising campaign launched to help Iraqi Orphans for $10 per child. Every donation of $10 will be entered into a draw to win a basket donated by generous donors! Eid Cards will be also sold at the cost of $10 each to those donors who wish to give or send abroad as an Eid gift! Thanks! www.childaidinternational.org Questions can be directed to farusa@telus.net INSTRUCTIONS Quick and Easy Mandaazi 3 cups of all-purpose flour ¾ tsp. of instant yeast 7 level tbsp. of sugar 1 tsp. of finely grinded cardamom powder ¾ cup heavy coconut milk some light coconut milk (just enough to make a soft but not sticky dough, so about ½ ¾ cup, add slowly) Yield: 16 Mandazi Sieve the flour; add in the yeast, the sugar and cardamom. Start kneading with the coconut milk adding a little at a time until you have a good soft (but firm, not sticky) dough. Knead it for about 15 good minutes, pounding it as much as possible. To check that it s been kneaded enough, roll it into a ball and using a sharp knife, make a deep slit through it, it should look slightly bubbly on the inside. If you re planning to cook the mandazi on the same day, then let this dough stay covered outside for about a couple of hours for it to rise before starting to make balls and roll. Make 4 balls out of the dough and roll out into circles. Cut this dough into quarters. Place the mandazi pieces on a floured surface so they don t stick. Cover with paper and let them stay like that for another hour. They ll rise some more. Then deep fry in hot oil. The minute each starts rising in the oil, turn it over. Remove from oil when both sides are a nicely browned color. 7
Delicious Nutella Cookies 1 cup Nutella 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 whole egg Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend all ingredients together well. Form into 1 balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass. Bake 7-8 minutes or until set. Cool and ENJOY! If you wish to submit a tasty recipe, please contact Sabrina Dhalla Please submit coloring entries to Fayaz Rajabali or Sabrina Dhalla before Eid to win a prize! 8