Alhumdulillah,

Just in time for Hijri 1444 Islamic New Year…

Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga gets a J̶u̶m̶b̶o̶ JumahTron™ !

That’s what I’m naming it.

And why not?

It’s self-explanatory,

Alhumdulillah.

Also today,

The Kaaba in Makkah was adorned with its new Kiswah.

That changing of the Kiswah usually happens on the Day of Arafat,

However, on this last day of Islamic Hijri Year 1443, it happened today.

Earlier,

Dr. Hamid Slimi, Imam at Sayeda Khadija Centre, who is currently travelling,

Shared his Islamic Hijri 1444 New Year greeting . . .

 

Lastly,

Happy Islamic Hijri New Year Greetings from me too!

Your Brother in Islam,

HïMY SYeD.

 

Bismillah . . .

Twitter Thread for now,

With maybe an exdanded-ish blog story version to come, InshAllah.

Eid Al Adha Mubarak Everyone !

HïMY SYeD / 30 Masjids

“On June 6th, 2021,

A Muslim family was killed in the deadliest mass murder in London history.

Embers in The Forest sheds light on the realities of Islamophobia,

the path to healing and resiliency.

Produced by https://www.instagram.com/virtuetwentyfive/

Special thanks to

  • Al-Ghazali Center,
  • London Muslim Mosque,
  • Naseeha Mental Health,
  • Huda Sallaam,
  • Eaman Fahmy and
  • London School of Racialized Leaders.”

COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE

Québec, le 27 mai 2022 – Le Centre culturel islamique de Québec (CCIQ) prend acte de la décision rendue ce jour par la Cour suprême du Canada (CSC) concernant la peine du tueur de la Grande Mosquée de Québec.

Le 29 janvier 2017, ce dernier a froidement tué six (6) membres de notre communauté, a blessé cinq (5) personnes – dont l’une est paraplégique depuis – et a tenté de tuer trente-cinq (35) autres personnes, incluant quatre (4) enfants.

La CSC conclut que l’article 745.51 du Code criminel est invalide et inopérant et ordonne à l’accusé une période d’inadmissibilité à la libération conditionnelle de 25 années.

À notre avis, cette décision ne prend pas en considération, à leur juste valeur, l’atrocité et le fléau des meurtres multiples, ainsi que l’aspect haineux, islamophobe et raciste du crime.

Bien que nous accueillions avec déception cette décision de la plus haute instance judiciaire du pays, celle-ci nous permet de clore ce chapitre judiciaire et nous souhaitons désormais nous concentrer sur l’avenir.

Par ailleurs, nous tenons à remercier les procureurs du Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales, ainsi que tous les organismes et avocats de la pratique privée qui nous ont accompagnés de façon pro bono durant les cinq dernières années.

Votre travail, vos explications et votre support ont été fortement appréciés.

Nous remercions également nos concitoyens et concitoyennes pour leur aimable compréhension et compassion.

-30-

Pour plus d’informations : Boufeldja Benabdallah

Porte-parole du CCIQ

Courriel : info@cciq.org

Day 2 of Halal Expo Canada 2022 is also a Friday.

Friday Jumah Prayers being held on-site at any Muslim related event is something expected and today at the Halal Expo it was something delivered.

The prayer area itself has been available and open since the beginning of the Halal Expo on Thursday morning.

It was a simple designated prayer space using trade show booth curtaining as makeshift walls of a Musallah.

The prayer space inside the curtains had broadloom carpet.

A table at the front had a number of Qur’ans which I understood were free to take.

The translations of those were The Clear Qur’an translated by Dr. Mustafa Khattab, who happened to be the Khateeb and Imam for today’s Short Qhutbah.

A regular show room chair seen throughout the Halal Expo floor was used as today’s Mimbar.

Adhan Al Jumah, The Call to Friday Prayer.

Curiously, this Adhan was the first Adhan of the day.

I expected the first Call to Friday Prayer to be made from the main stage while being loudspeakered throughout the Expo Hall, and was privately surprised when it was not.

Whenever I attend large convention size Muslim events, the Call to Prayer is something heard using the Public Address system, echoing through the cavernous halls.

I am thinking of ISNA Conventions, or MAC National events, even smaller conferences.

Reflecting on this small detail occupied the back of my mind for the rest of Friday.

It’s not a big deal.

This was a Halal Industry Business-to-Business trade show with many non-Muslims in attendance and participating in their booths.

And whoever was an observant Muslim present at the time of Jumah would find their own way to the Prayer Space.

No one needed a Call to Prayer over the public address system.

As 30 Masjids is a blog primarily about visiting Masjids during Ramadan, this observation about today’s Adhan belongs here and is being noted.

But again, it’s not a big deal.

As advertised, today’s Jumah Qhutbah at Halal Expo Canada was Short.

However the lessons of today’s Qbutbah will stay with us for a long time.

Dr. Khattab is an Imam who promotes the advantages of using stories to explain Islamic lessons and concepts, and today he did so using a number of very short stories.

The first story was about a person who hung around the masjid all the time, but wasn’t materially producing anything.

The Imam of that masjid sees the brother and tells him to go outside and look at a bird’s nest, observe the helplessness of the baby bird and how its mother would go out and bring back food to feed it baby.

The brother returns to the masjid and returns to hanging around doing nothing.

The Imam asks him why he came back ?

The brother answers that he saw the baby bird being fed by its mother, so he figured he’d return to the masjid and other people would take care of him, take care of feeding him, etc., inside the masjid.

The Imam says, “You idiot!”

The lesson was not to remain the dependant baby bird, but to learn from the example of the mother bird going out and seeking its Rizq, its Divinely guaranteed sustenance, and then bring it back to the nest.

What belongs to us cannot miss us, but we have to make the effort, to work towards getting it, before it reaches us.

Dr. Khattab also reminded us of the names of well-known Companions of The Prophet ( pbuh ), who by today’s measure would be considered millionaire businesspeople.

He nullified this widely popular yet incorrect assumption that in Islam somehow poverty is associated with Piety. It is not.

The concluding story was about a thief who stole a sadle and was selling it for the same amount of money that he could have earned by simply acting as a security guard around the horses by the owner of the horses.

Takeaway lesson and reminder for today was that whatever is written for us, our Rizq, is going to reach us, so why not ensure it reaches us in a Halal or lawful way?

Why take short cuts by cheating or stealing our way to what is destined for us anyway ? What’s the point ?

 

Did I mention the Qhutbah was going to be short ?

Before we knew it, it was time to stand up and pray.

Jumah being our Weekly Congregational Prayer on Friday, the number of worshippers in attendance at Halal Expo Canada needed some overflow prayer space using carpet beyond the designated curtained prayer area.

No surprise there.

The Imam wasn’t using a public address mic, so the Muezzin loudly repeated each Allahu Akbar for all to hear and to follow each step of the Prayer.

Been a while since I experienced Prayer in a large gathering without the Imam using a mic. Maybe since before the pandemic?

I didn’t get a look at the Women’s side of the prayer area, but earlier, from a distance when it was empty, I believe I recognized Large Rugs with traditional Muslim designs, Persian or Afghan Rugs, being used to define the Sisters’ prayer area.

 

One of those rugs apparently was used to expand the brother’s prayer area, but it wasn’t enough.

Earlier, on the morning of Day 1,

As I was walking to the entrance of Hall 4 at The International Centre,

I could easily see the dome and twin minarets of the Malton Islamic Centre which I recently visited on Night 20 of Ramadan 2022, just on the other side of the GO Transit / Metrolinx train tracks.

The Qhutbah at the Malton Islamic Centre was no doubt longer than today’s Qhutbah at Halal Expo Canada 2022.

 

What will also be longer, is all the time I need to properly blog my thoughts and experience of this second Halal Expo Canada.

InshAllah, I will do that after Day 3.

The Expo is still open to the public on Saturday May 14 2022, I think the admission is $10.00 per adult person, but maybe this Promo Code :

  • HEC100

still works when you click “Register to Attend” on the front page, and you can still get a complimentary, Free, admission to the Halal Expo.

 

If you do attend and spot me in person on Day 3, do introduce yourself and say Salam.

It’s nice being able to meet followers of 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan in person again after these past years of the pandemic.

I’m attending the Second Halal Expo Canada being held at The International Centre by Pearson Airport in Mississauga, Ontario.

It’s the first and only, and thereby largest, Business-to-Business Trade Exposition focused solely on all aspects of Halal and what Halal means in North America.

 

CONFERENCE SESSIONS

  • 10:40 am – 11:15 am | Session 1. State of the Halal Industry
    KEYNOTE: Sh. Omar Subedar – HMA Canada

    • 10:55 am – 11:15 am | Panel Discussion with Sh. Omar Subedar – HMA Canada and Siti Sofia Ramli – Medic Pets (M) SDN BHD.
  • 11:15 am – 11:30 am | Session 2. Official Launch of CHART (Centre for Halal Accreditation Research and Training)
    Keynote Speakers: Dr. Hamid Slimi and Rehan Saeed.
  • 11:30 am – 12:00 pm  Session 3. Islamic Finance            KEYNOTE: Rehan Saeed
    • 11:45 pm – 12:00 pm | Panel Discussion
      Panelists: Riad Rahamut – Zero Mortgage, Sh Habeeb Alli – Zero Mortgage
      Moderator: Rehan Saeed – CHART
  • 1:00 pm – 1:15 pm | Session 4. The Potential of the Halal Industry in the Canadian Economy
    KEYNOTE: Maruf Yusuf – Halal.Ad
  • 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm | Session 5ATourism and Culture in the Halal Industry
    KEYNOTE: Dyah Lestari Asmarani – Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Toronto

    • Session 5B. Halal Tourism in Turkey (10 minutes)
      KEYNOTE: Dr. Selçuk Erincik – Turkey Culture and Tourism Office
    • 1:45 pm – 2:15 pm | Panel Discussion
      Panelists: Dyah Lestari Asmarani – Consul General of the Republic of Toronto, Dr. Selçuk Erincik – Turkey Culture and Tourism Office,
      Moderator: Jim Tarlton – MCBC.
  • 5:00 pm – 5:20 pm | Opening Ceremony

Took this photo during the day’s final panel discussion.

Panelists:

Dyah Lestari Asmarani – Consul General of the Republic of Toronto,

Dr. Selçuk Erincik – Turkey Culture and Tourism Office,

Moderator: Jim Tarlton – MCBC.

Fascinating to learn the different approaches to Halal Tourism each country is taking post-pandemic.

If there was a moment where I felt the same as I did in 1992, standing in the middle of the second Computers and Information Technology in the Service of Islamic Conference, inside the hotel in San Jose, Northern California, it was this sitting in the audience listening to this panel.

In 1992, at that conference in Silicon Valley, surrounded by Muslim Start-ups, Muslim Nerds, Muslim Software & Hardware Engineers, my business life changed as I asked for the Canadian rights to sell The Alim from ISL Software.

I imagine other attendees had their own moments where new ideas and new opportunities suddenly dawned on them during Day 1.

InshAllah, I will write more once Day 2 wraps up.

Here are a few tweets and images from Day 1 of Halal Expo Canada 2022 :

 

It is time for the Asr Prayer on the day of Eid Al-Fitr 1443, Monday May 2 2022.

I am standing in front of The IMO.

The International Muslims Organization of Toronto at 65 Rexdale Blvd in Etobicoke North.

I am standing inches from the spot where Brother Mohamed Aslin-Zafis was sitting on the evening on September 12 2020.

[ I am finding it hard to finish typing this blog post, so I will stop, step away, do something else today, and return to finish it… May Allah SWT forgive me for not finishing this blog post in a timely manner. ]

 

Eid Mubarak !

We decided to attend the 2nd Eid Al Fitr Prayer at Sayeda Khadija Centre this morning.

I have a good number of photographs to edit and post, and videos too!

But I want to enjoy my Eid day first,

So I’m embedding the following tweets and instagrams for now.

InshAllah I tweet a thread with my videos from the 2nd Eid al Fitr Salat at Sayeda Khadija Centre,

and then either embed those tweets or include those videos directly into this post.

Again from me,

HïMY,

Eid Mubarak Everybody !

After praying Maghrib,

I quickly headed out to the Queen Street overpass above Highway 410 in Brampton.

This vantage point offers unobstructed views of the horizon where the new moon may be expected.

But not tonight.

We have clouds above the entire Toronto Metropolitan Area

On this 31st Night of 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan 2022.

So this is a Negative Moonsighting Report from Brampton, Ontario on Sunday May 1 2022.

We are completing a full 30 Days of Ramadan 2022,

And by “We” I mean pretty much everybody ahead of tomorrow morning’s Eid Al Fitr !

Eid Mubarak Everyone !!

HïMY SYeD

“Selim and Bedri proudly stand beside the only Muslim Heritage Plaque in Toronto

which is attached directly into the façade of

The Albanian Muslim Society of Toronto building

at 564 Annette Street.

The plaque is dedicated to Regep “Reggie” Assim,

founder of the Muslim Society of Toronto.

This address,

564 Annette Street,

is not the first Islamic Centre in Toronto’s History,

that would be 3047 Dundas Street West.

This Annette Street location however,

remains home to Toronto’s oldest continuous Muslim Congregation.”

Bismillah . . .

My Official Website for the “Missing Muslim Plaque Project” :

http://30masjids.ca/Missing-Muslim-Plaque-Project/

There’s more to say and show.

So this simple blog entry and link to the official page will enough to qualify in ernest that this next project of mine did begin IN Ramadan.

If I keep typing, Ramadan will run out, and the Missing Muslim Plaque Project will have launched in Shawwal instead of Ramadan 2022.

HïMY SYeD

Founder & Project Co-ordinator,

Missing Muslim Plaque Project & 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan.

Sunday 30th of Ramadan 1443 / 1st of May 2022.

Since we’ve been invited . . .

Now we all just have to attend

The Islamic Institute of Toronto

on

Night 30 of 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan 2022

For IIT‘s

Khatm al Qur’an / Khatam ul Qur’an…

InshAllah.

Ameen.

InshAllah,

I’ll keep updating this blog post with tweets or announcements from the Crescent Council of Canada about Moonsighting for Shawwal 1443.

1st Shawwāl is their anticipated start on Monday May 2nd 2022.

UPDATE at 10:57 p.m. EDT :

“Shawwāl 1443/ 2022

1st Shawwāln (‘Eīd Al-Fiṭr) 1443 is on 2nd May, 2022

There were no reliable sightings of the new crescent today (29th Ramaḍān/ 30th April) across the international horizons.

Accordingly,

‘Eid Al-Fitr will be on Monday 2nd of May, 2022 In-sha Allah.

We wish everyone a blessed conclusion of Ramaḍān with one final day of fasting and a joyful and safe ‘Eid Al-Fiṭr.


We are aware of reported sightings in Afghanistan, Niger and Mali, however they were before conjunction.”

Crescent Council of Canada

The Crescent Council of Canada is an organization that has been established to bring extended unity and uniformity for Islamic lunar dates in Canada.

The Crescent Council of Canada adheres to the international sighting position, accepting reliable reports of the new crescent from across the globe.

Our criteria facilitates to synchronize various view points to easily allow the general Muslim communities across Canada to celebrate Islamic festivities on the same day.

We acknowledge that there are various views on determining Islamic lunar dates, which are all acceptable from the point of Islamic jurisprudence, however, we feel that a perspective that unites all opinions, is needed for uniformity amongst Canadian Muslims, especially regarding commencement of the months of Ramadan, Dhul Hijjah and the dates of the two Eids.

We believe that, this can be attained through the global sighting viewpoint.

Crescent Council of Canada’s objective is only unity and uniformity of all Canadian Muslims.

There is tremendous growth of Muslims in Canada, coming in from all parts of the world.

Rapid communication and advanced technology has made the entire world a global village.

Therefore, the best viable option, while taking advantage of this, is to take the international sighting viewpoint.

The Crescent Council of Canada takes a balanced approach.

We analyze scientific and astronomical data each month and at the same time, adhere to the traditional Islamic law, sighting from anywhere across the world.

This position is adhered by the consensus of the majority of jurists, including the great, Imams Abu Hanifah, Malik and Hanbal.

There is not a single fatwa or Islamic organization that regards global sighting as forbidden.

The Crescent Council of Canada encourages one and all to be part of the growing and extended unity for the lunar Islamic calendar.

Thank you / Jazak Allah Khayr for visiting our website.

May you be blessed tremendously.

To learn more visit the Crescent Council of Canada website“.

During this Holy Month of Ramadan 2022/1443

The Islamic Institute of Toronto organized the first

Canada Wide Online Qur’an Competition – judged by some of the most qualified reciters in Canada!

“Panel of Judges during Qualifying Rounds :

K100 – Juz Amma – Friday and Saturday; judged by Muqria Julie Lowe and Muqria Rabia Khan

K300 – Any 3 Juz’ – Friday; judged by Qari Abdulfatah and Qari Ali Salem Jaheder

Y500 – Any 5 Juz’ – Saturday; judged by Qari Abdulfatah and Qari Ali Salem Jaheder

O1500 – Any 15 Juz’ – Friday; judged by Shaikh El-Saeed Gharseldin

O3000 – The Whole Qur’an – Saturday; judged by Shaikh El-Saeed Gharseldin”

5 Categories were offered :

  • 1. K100 – Juz Amma – only open for ages 7-12
  • 2. K300 – Any Three Juz of the Qur’an – only open for ages 7-12
  • 3. Y500 – Any Five 5 Juz of the Qur’an – only open for ages 7-15
  • 4. O1500 – Any 15 Juz of the Qur’an – open for all ages
  • 5. O3000 – The Entire Qur’an – open for all ages

Competitors could recite in Hafs, Warsh or Qalun.

Finals for the competition held on Saturday April 30 2022.

We’re off to the FINALS

of the Inaugural

Canada-Wide Qur’an Memorization Competition!

Date : Saturday, April 30 2022

Juz Amma, 3 & 5 Juz – Starting at 1:00 PM

15 Juz and Whole Qur’an – Starting at 4:00 PM

Streamed live on YouTube and Facebook.

26 finalists in 5 categories.

It will be a real treat, InshaAllah.

Join with your family and friends.”

Qur’an Memorization Competition

FINALS : Juz Amma, 3 & 5 Juz

Qur’an Memorization Competition

FINALS : 15 Juz and Whole Qur’an

Brother Farhad Khadim

Announcing Winners and Finalists on Night 30 of Ramadan 2022

During Islamic Institute of Toronto‘s Khatm Al Qur’an . . .


“Alhamdulillah,

we have the results of the inaugural Qur’an Memorization Competition!

Congratulations to all the finalists, winners, their parents and our judges!”

Islamic Institute of Toronto, IIT

K100 – Juz Amma

1st : Ezzah Riaz – $500.00

2nd : Sakeenah Rahman – $300.00

3rd : Hamza Hanif – $200.00

4th : Ibraheem Khawaja – $100.00

5th : Bilal Baig – $100.00

K300 – 3 Juz

1st : Zahra Omar – $600.00

2nd : Ibrahim Khaleel – $400.00

3rd : Hadi Halani – $300.00

4th : Khadijah Siddiqui – $200.00

5th : Ahella Shalaby – $200.00

Y500 – 5 Juz

1st : Hamza Siddiqi – $800.00

2nd : Osman Mehmood – $600.00

3rd : Maaz Rehman – $400.00

4th : Hafsa Abdul Rahim – $300.00

5th : Hajirah Rahman – $200.00

O1500 – 15 Juz

1st : Abdul Hakeem Hassan Shifliy – $1,000.00

2nd : Nisa Rahman – $800.00

3rd : AbdurRahman Khawaja – $600.00

4th : Yumnah Rehman – $400.00

5th : Muhammad Salim – $200.00

O3000 – WHOLE QUR’AN

1st : Taha Siddiqi – $1,500.00

2nd : Mohamed Abdiwahab Hussein – $1,000.00

3rd : Abdullah Khawaja – $800.00

4th : Ibrahim Shams – $600.00

5th : Abdulkadir Xerow – $400.00

Closing words from Brother Fareed Amin . . .

“Thank you very much Brother Farhad,

And may I also extend on behalf of the entire IIT Community,

Congratulations to all the Winners,

Some of whom are here,

others of whom might be listening or watching.

This was indeed our inaugural one and InshAllah,

we’re hoping to build on it next year.

I want to thank all of our judges who participated.

I know this required a fair bit amount of time and we are indeed very grateful.

And brothers and sisters is just one example of what we do at Islamic Institute of Toronto.

The entire purpose of us being here at the Institute is to promote education…”

Alhumdulillah,

I was there on Night 30 of Ramadan 2022 a few rows from the front and centre enough that I was able to record Brother Farhad and Brother Fareed well enough.

This Canada-Wide Qur’an Memorization Competition is a BIG Deal.

A Really BIG Deal for Canada.

In traveling and blogging 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan for more than a decade now,

I have encountered or heard about numerous Qur’an Memorization Competitions around Canada.

Many of those competitions are limited in scope and organized at the Masjid level.

A few competitions could be argued to operate at a city-wide level, allowing competition entrants from around the city of whichever masjid was organizing the event.

What IIT has done this Ramadan 2022 is important.

It has created a legitimate platform and process to determine the best Qaris and Qariahs not just in one’s city, but in our Country, Canada.

And winners will now have a legitimate path to entry for the BIG International Qur’an Memorization Competitions including :

International Quran Recital Competition or Tilawah Al-Quran, the international Islamic Qur’an recital event that’s been held annually since 1961 in Malaysia.

and

The Dubai International Holy Quran Award (جائزة دبي الدولية للقرآن الكريم), where Qur’an Reciters from all over the world participate.

Canada can now Represent on the world stage of Qur’an Memorization and represent well, MashAllah.

This Inaugural Year of the Competition Memorization Competition, IIT, kept entry available to Qur’an Reciters resident in Canada.

That’s the “Canada-Wide” part of the official name.

I hope by next Ramadan 2023/1444,

IIT adds a 6th Category beginning with the letter “I”.

How’s “Canada-Wide and International Qur’an Memorization Competition” sound ?

We don’t know how it will sound, that’s the point of holding these competitions (Okay I’m pushing the metaphor a bit much now, hahah).

There can be a separate “International” Category for Qur’an Memorization entrants from outside Canada.

This Inaugural Canada-Wide Competition was held virtual and online, so going global is a matter of time zones and timed zooms.

Why should Malaysia and Dubai get all the blessings ?

There’s Barakah enough for everyone.

InshAllah, IIT’s Second Canada-Wide Qur’an Memorization Competition is now only 11 months away!

Even sooner,

Because it’s 11 Lunar months !