For the First Friday Prayer in the Third Ramadan of the Corona Virus Pandemic, we stayed with attending Jumah Prayers at our regular go-to masjid, Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga.
We usually register and attend the second Jumah Prayer closer to 3 o’clock, which happens to overlap with the shift change at Maple Lodge Farms, one door south.
Many of Maple Lodge’s shiftchanging workers wind their way through the Sayeda Khadija Centre parking lot overlapping with when Jumah attendees, like us, are also arriving.
We arrived after the Khateeb had already ascended the mimbar, unusual for us.
Oh well, we can’t be on time every time.
A portion of the first part of today’s Qhutbah was about Sirat Al Mustaqim, The Straight Path.
Which was also the name of the Islamic Centre in Brampton when I prayed Isha and Taraweeh last night.
SubhanAllah.
There is no longer any pre-registration for Jumah Prayers at Sayeda Khadija Centre.
Jumahs now are simply show up, listen up, then line up, like how we all used to do pre-pandemic.
We’re still in a pandemic.
Wearing masks remain in vogue at SKC.
We’re still rocking our salats on our own prayer mats.
Mine is red.
After the Jumah Prayer and before the Duas, Imam Dr. Slimi addressed the Congregration.
He was holding up a four colour sign and explained the colours, which matched the four colours seen in their Logo.
You’ll find those same four colours here :
Maple Lodge Farms, the company behind the Zabiha Halal line of prepared foods, has a building next door to the masjid.
A masjid could have more concerning neighbours like the masjid on Yonge Street in Downtown Toronto.
OR if you’re a masjid, and your neighbour is a Halal Food supplier, consider your congregation as blessed!
Halal ad on the side of the bus, spotted on the way home after Jumah.
