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July2019
ÓAt-TawheedIslamicCenter,IslamicMosque&ReligiousInstitute(IM&RI),2019
As-Salaam-Alaikum to all our readers!
Lessons From Hajj: The True Meaning Of Sacrifice The Hajj holds a special place in the hearts of Muslims around the world. The reasons for its significance are more complex than many of us think. Yes, it’s decreed by Allah (SWT) for all Muslims to perform Hajj at least once in our lives, if we are physically and financially able to. But the Hajj comes every year, so what does Allah (SWT) want us to pay attention to each time? One lesson is the importance of sacrifice.
We try to perform the Hajj in the same way our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) did when he finally returned to his hometown of Makkah after spending many years away in Madinah. That historic, emotional and triumphant homecoming was a reward from Allah (SWT) for the many sacrifices our Prophet (SAW) gave from the moment he was commanded to spread the message of Islam.
When performing the Saee ritual between the hills – Safa and Marwa – we are walking and running in the footsteps of one of the bravest women in Islamic history, our mother Hagar (RA). We all know how she ended up alone in the middle of a desert, with her infant son Ismail (AS) crying out from thirst. Hagar (RA) had faith in Allah’s Mercy, but did she sit and simply wait for water to show up? No. She did everything in her capacity to produce results. The Saee is an unapologetic homage to a woman’s sacrifice, strength, resourcefulness, and stature in Islam.
Qurbanī or uḍḥiyyah is the ritual animal sacrifice of a livestock animal during Eid al-Adha. Allah (SWT) told Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to sacrifice his son as proof of faith. Along the way, he was tempted
ONE VOICE
July2019
ÓAt-TawheedIslamicCenter,IslamicMosque&ReligiousInstitute(IM&RI),2019
by the devil to not heed Allah’s command, but Ibrahim (AS) responded by throwing stones to scare him off. Finally, Allah (SWT) rewarded his servant’s sacrifice by placing a ram there, in place of his son, to be slaughtered instead. This symbolic sacrifice is emulated by Muslims around the world till today. Because every parent can look at their beautiful child in the eyes and understand immediately the depth of anguish and pain Ibrahim (AS) endured with every step he took on his mission.
But there’s more than one way to perform a sacrifice for the sake of Allah (SWT). And it doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture. Sometimes a small sacrifice, witnessed only by you and Him, is the most meaningful. The list is endless if you just get a little creative! Here are some ideas:
• Cleaning up the masjid if you see a mess, even though you might be late getting back to work. • Shopping for your local food pantry the next time you visit the grocery store. • Mowing your neighbor’s yard without them asking you to, because you know they’re older or
going through a hard time. • Taking a day off from work to go volunteer at a homeless shelter. • Buying a cheaper used car rather than a new one so that you can continue financially
supporting your parents. • Choosing to stay home rather than go to your friend’s party because you know it will be
unsupervised and there will be alcohol there (kids, we know, it’s not easy!). • Letting your sibling take the credit once in a while for something you may have done. • Giving your spouse that last scoop of ice-cream in your freezer, even though it’s your favorite
and you’ve been thinking about it all day!
You see, dear brothers and sisters, the reason Allah (SWT) loves our sacrifices, big or small, is because of the strength of character it takes to go through with it. It’s a test we pass, often without anyone else knowing, so the reward we get is exponentially larger! The lesson we should teach our kids and remind ourselves regularly is this – the more you give (in this case, sacrifice) for the sake of Allah (SWT), the more He will give back.
The Benefits of Islamic Schooling Considering the benefits of sending your child to full-time Islamic school? Many parents wonder why they should spend the time, energy and money to send their child to an Islamic school. There are many benefits Islamic schools offer students and families. Some of them include:
• An Islamic environment: One of the strongest arguments in favor of sending children to Muslim schools is the presence of an Islamic environment. Muslim kids
July2019
ÓAt-TawheedIslamicCenter,IslamicMosque&ReligiousInstitute(IM&RI),2019
pray and interact with other Muslim teachers and students. These factors help children fortify pride in their Muslim identity while at a tender age, and this pride lasts a lifetime.
• Islamic academic knowledge: Children are taught Arabic, Quran and Islamic Studies on a daily basis. Important topics covered include seerah, everyday du’as, and hadeeth in addition to memorizing surahs from the Holy Quran. This routine, daily exposure to Islamic academic information becomes deeply rooted knowledge children take with them into their lives long past their school years.
• Smaller class sizes: Generally, Islamic schools have a much smaller student:teacher ratio than public schools. With individualized attention, students often excel academically.
• Exceptional secular curriculum: In addition to the religious curriculum, Islamic schools are held to the same state benchmarks public schools are guided by regarding the secular curriculum. Core classes including English, math, social studies and science are governed by state curriculum standards.
• Baraka: By far, the biggest advantage to sending your child to an Islamic school is the blessing that comes from the sincere intention to seek the pleasure of Allah in terms of the responsibility for educating your child. Islamic schools rely on students to educate, and supporting your local institution with your tuition dollars and with your du’a is a source of baraka for you, your family, your child, and the entire community at large.
Interested in learning more? The Islamic School of Grand Rapids has openings in its Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade classes. The first day of school is Monday, August 26. For more information, please contact Principal Lynn Smith at [email protected].
A Summer To Remember … #YSSummerCamp19 Congratulations to the entire team of volunteers and youth, for making the Summer Camp 2019 a complete success! It’s been a wild ride, with arts, crafts, field trips to parks and zoos, lessons in Islamic etiquette and teachings, and good ol’ fashioned fun in the sun! Basically, our kids got a chance to make lasting friendships and just be kids!
Now let’s take a moment to recognize the incredible efforts of all the volunteers, under the leadership of Imam Morsy and Sister Mona: Rodo Abdirahman, Habiba Salem, Loie Ghannam, Mohamed Abdirahman, Musa Hammad, Abdallah Salem, Ardian Lahu, Qasim Ibrahim, Hamza Khan, Mirza Komic, Omar Mokhtar, Shahd Salem, Sabrina Kader, Rahima Abdirahman , Alaa Hamed, Pelin Turk,
July2019
ÓAt-TawheedIslamicCenter,IslamicMosque&ReligiousInstitute(IM&RI),2019
Qulani Mohammed, Rueda Abdirahman, Soudah Shaheed, Maimuna Shaheed, Ramla Ali, Rana Ali, Bayan Zeqlam, Justine Schumaker, Leyla Elayek
I encourage you to reach out to as many of these young people as you can and show them your support. Our community needs to have as many ways of keeping our youth connected to their faith and their masjid as possible, and Summer Camp 2019 did that in the best way!
July2019
ÓAt-TawheedIslamicCenter,IslamicMosque&ReligiousInstitute(IM&RI),2019
InTheSpotlight:OurNewLogoChangecanbedifficult,butitcanalsobeexcitingandinspiring!Thepresentexecutivecommitteemembersofthismasjidhaveslowlybeenmakingimprovementsandchangestomakeourmasjidamoremodernandwelcomingplaceforall.Updatingthelogoisonewaytohelpourprogresstowardsthisgoal.Herearesomereasonswhythislogoworksforus:
• Revealsouridentity–thename,alongwiththestar-and-crescent,tellstheworldwhoweareandwhowewishtobe.Weareaplaceofworship,educationandinspirationforMuslimsandotherpeoplewhowanttolearnaboutIslam.Ourcommunityiswherewelive,andwhoweworkfor–thepeopleofGrandRapidsandWestMichigan.
• Invitespeopletogettoknowus-Alogocanquicklygrabpeople’sattentionandcommunicateourcorevaluesinaninterestingway.Oursdepictsanartistic,abstractversionofasingleminaret.Withthatitemphasizestheideaof‘TheOnei.e.Allah’and‘Beingone,i.e.unity’.Thisideacomesfromthe“Tawheed”partofourname.
• Fostersloyalty-Asourmasjidgrows,ourlogoisgoingtobecomemorefamiliartoawiderangeofcommunitymembers,ofallfaiths,andthisfamiliarityenhancestheperceptionthatwearetrustworthyandaccessible.
Forinformationonupcomingevents,pleasevisithttp://www.grmasjid.com
Tosubscribetoourfreemonthlynewsletter,[email protected]
July2019
ÓAt-TawheedIslamicCenter,IslamicMosque&ReligiousInstitute(IM&RI),2019
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