“The Edge of Sunset Livestream performance,

airing each Thursday night during the month of Ramadan,

is a chance to celebrate with community stories, incredible music, fun hosting, guest chats, and much more.

Join us for the hour just before Iftar for moments of laughter, reflection, and connection.

This week,

our livestream performance surrounds the theme of

“Memories of Iftar”.

We’re guided by our community stories around Iftar memories that recall a time when we celebrated together:

recollections of family traditions, parents and siblings, celebrating with the wider community, and much more.

This week’s show is hosted live by Sergio Guerra,

who is joined by musicians Brenna MacCrimmon and Maryem Tollar of Turkwaz,

puppeteers Afsaneh Zamani & Annie Katsura Rollins

and the entire MABELLEarts community.

MABELLEarts.ca
VirtualIftarNights.ca

Canada Post has issued an Eid Stamp in time for Eid al Fitr 2021.

The first ever Canada Post Eid Stamp was released in 2017 :

and this Eid Stamp was released last year in 2020 :

I like this year’s the best.

You can order them now from Canada Post.

Canadian Stamp News provides background on 2021’s Eid Stamp Design :

“Lionel Gadoury, Andrew Conlon and Brad Pyne, of Context Creative,

designed this year’s Eid set,

which includes a 10-stamp booklet plus an official first-day cover (OFDC) measuring 190 millimetres by 112 millimetres.

Ottawa’s Lowe-Martin printed 120,000 booklets (1.2 million stamps in total) plus 7,000 OFDCs,

each franked with an Eid stamp and serviced with a Montréal cancel.

The 28-millimetre-by-38-millimetre Permanent stamp features an evening Eid scene,

centring on a crescent moon framed by an arched window.

Nine five-pointed stars also appear in the sky alongside the moon.

“A highly recognizable symbol of Islam,

it also alludes to the fact that both festivals commence with the sighting of a new moon,”

according to a statement from Canada Post about the crescent moon’s meaning.

“Another striking feature of the stamp design is that the view of the night sky is shown through a window,

the shape of which was inspired by arches often used in mosque architecture.

An overlaid pattern of hexagrams creates an intricately latticed screen – or jali – another form of decoration common in Islamic architecture.”

This is the second year of the Pandemic. Masjids are closed. Stay-at-Home orders are in effect.

Congregational prayers may be limited to 10 at most.

Lockdowns with varying rules depending on city and province have created an uneven Ramadan experience for many Canadian Muslims.

With an intention to help re-connect us with Ramadan and fellow Muslims,

This Collection of Photographs is a glimpse of the First 10 Days of Ramadan 2021.

Photos are from the Toronto Metropolitan Area, from around Canada, from around The Muslim World :

30 Masjids BIG photoblogFirst Ten Days of Ramadan 2021 – Canada and Around The Muslim World

 

InshAllah, we’ll post a collection of photographs from the middle 10 days of Ramadan 2021.

If you wish to submit your Ramadan photos, tweet us @30Masjids or leave a comment on this post.

— HiMY SYeD

“Hi Everyone.

so, I’m just here across the street from the lineup for vaccination at the Warden Woods Community Centre

And I just wanted to take a moment to talk to you guys about what took place today….”

This 9th morning of Ramadan 2021,

While eating our Suhoor / Pre-Dawn meal before beginning the day’s Fast,

We listened to Qur’an Recitation by Qari Shaikh Mohamed Abdel Aziz

Livestreamed by the Islamic Institute of Toronto.

Afterwards,

IIT then Livestreams a separate Video recording of Adhan Al Fajr,

The Call to Morning Prayer.

The daily Livestream Video of IIT’s Morning Call to Prayer is not exactly timed to the minute when Dawn begins and we are to stop eating Suhoor and begin our Fast.

Somehow I was expecting that.

What I wasn’t expecting was SNOW.

Fajr time and it is Snowing in the Toronto Metropolitan Area.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْ خَطَايَاىَ بِمَاءِ الثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّ قَلْبِي مِنَ الْخَطَايَا، كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَبَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَاىَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ

” O Allah !

Wash away my sins with the water of snow and hail,

and cleanse my heart from the sins as a white garment is cleansed of filth,

and let there be a far away distance between me and my sins

as

You have set far away the East and the West from each other. “

( Bukhārī 6375 )

Muslims of Shelburne Centre is the name of the first Masjid in the town of Shelburne, Ontario,

About an hour’s drive north west of Toronto, located at 506195 Highway 89.

Centre Dufferin District High School has a Muslim Students Association.

CDDHS Muslim Students Association partnered with Islamic Relief Canada to host Shelburne’s first ever Drive-Thru Iftar.

Tables with a number of decorative Ramadan lanterns were well spaced apart in the drive way in front of the masjid.

The Drive-Thru Iftar would be hard to miss,

A sister was holding up sign inviting people,

And the 72 inch tall Inflatable Masjid from New Traditions Store was hard to miss.

Warm Iftar meals were picked up and people made donations earmarked for Yemen.

Brother Nader Khan,

Who we first met on Day 7 of Ramadan 2012

In the original location of Seeker’s Hub Toronto,

And last saw in person on Day 11 of Ramadan 2019

Performing on stage at Rose Theatre during City of Brampton’s First Community Iftar,

Has released this New Single at the beginning of Ramadan 2021,

Usefully & appropriately titled,

RAMADAN TORONTO

Enjoy . . .

This song is about re-connecting with so many of those distinct experiences and aspirations that come about as we observe Ramadan in the Greater Toronto Area,

And really also in large metropolitan cities anywhere in the world.

It’s a cover of an original song that came out last year,

by my dear brother Isam Bachiri in 2020.

I loved the song,

and I loved it even more when he suggested that I pen a cover for Toronto.

As with other releases from our label (First Spring Records),

100% of the profits from this single will be donated to a charitable project as part of our #ShareTheProphet initiative.

For this release,

we’re really excited to be supporting Give 30,

an initiative to fight hunger by supporting food banks in Canada and the United States during Ramadan.

So every song purchase and stream will raise funds for this blessed project.

Thank you for all your love, support, and prayers.

I pray that you enjoy this song even more than we enjoyed crafting it.

Please do share it with others. ”

Nader Khan

 

“Thank you to all of the City staff for organizing and dedicating time and resources towards this beautiful virtual event.

Much appreciation to Mayor Brown and Members of Council for including Ramadan as a corporate event celebrating the diversity of the City.

Gratitude to those who participated in this program making it inspiring and spiritual.

Thanks to viewers for watching and being a part of this virtual celebration with us.”

Urz Heer

“Gotta admit – I have absolutely not been feeling it this Ramadan.

Incredibly tough to have yet another Ramadan in a pandemic,

while working and studying.

Since Ramadan started,

I’ve been on 24 hr call 3 times.

I miss the masjid and I miss the community / comradery

🥺

Also,

Ramadan in America is hard.

You’re still expected to work at the same level and capacity as if you’re not fasting,

except now you’re fatigued and hangry.

You can’t simultaneously work at your fullest potential and participate in Ramadan at your fullest.

Your routine and sleep schedule are off while everyone around you is at their norm.”

— By Deena Kishawi, MD – Chicago, Illinois

Incidentally,

It was also Night 7 in Ramadan 2020 last year that Adhan Al Maghrib,

The Call to The Prayer after Sunset,

Began broadcasting outside into the ISNA Canada parking lot via loudspeaker.

Madinah Masjid in Toronto’s East End Danforth Avenue neighbourhood offers Curb Side Iftar Pickup on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays during Ramadan 2021.

We arrived a few minutes before the 7 p.m. Doors Open time for Iftar Pickup,

Only a few people were waiting outside.

Because so many Muslim Families live within line of sight,

if not immediate walking distance of Madinah Masjid,

a line of people appeared almost from nowhere,

self-organizing into 6 feet apart distances awaiting their turn for Iftar Pickup.

Front Entrance Doors into Madinah Masjid echo Horseshoe Arches found in Alhambra Palace of Muslim Andalusia from centuries past, and of Spain today.

But to enter Madinah Masjid during Pandemic Protocols,

requires a few steps around the building.

I was pleased to again see bicycle parking by a masjid’s entrance.

I rode my bike, both of them,

to complete 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan 2012.

Often finding ZERO Bike Parking provided by the Masjid I was visiting on any given day.

This despite Islam clearly on the side of Sustainable Environment and Active Transportation.

I notice the Garbage Bin placed in-between the two bicycles currently locked in place.

It suggests to me that some thought was invested into providing Physically Distanced Bicycle Parking for Madinah Masjid’s Cyclists.

MashAllah.

Well done.

Having picked up Madinah Masjids Hijra 1442 / 2021 Ramadan Timetable from just inside the south entrance,

I return to the front sidewalk and find no one there.

As quickly as Curb Side Iftar Pickup doorway opened and people waiting in line for their turn appeared,

It all disappeared within moments.

Last year,

During the Hard Lockdown of Ramadan 2020,

Madinah Masjid received permission to broadcast their first ever Public Adhans via loudspeaker to observe Maghrib Sunset Time.

Because Ramadan 2021 in Ontario began with Houses of Worship permitted to operate at 15% Capacity,

The context has changed and Public Adhans are not broadcast within Toronto at this time.

Unknown if this will change with the new 10 person maximum rule for Masjids in Ontario beginning on Monday.

 

So what exactly was the Iftar Picked up Curb Side outside Madinah Masjid ?

 

Very Soft Chicken Korma in the smaller container.

And OH MY ALLAH how so very tasty was the Soup in the larger container !

Halfway between Haleem and Chowder with dashes of spices that felt as if I was eating fresh fish.

I don’t know what that was, but I’m glad we saved some for later !

Alhumdulillah !