Day 4 – Imam Ashraf – Pre-Iftar Talks – Sayeda Khadija Centre – Mississauga

03 26 23'

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Sayeda Khadija Centre hosts Pre-Iftar Talks on both Saturdays and Sundays each weekend during Ramadan 2023.

If you can’t make it out in person to listen and learn from, you can still watch Pre-Iftar Talks via livestream found on the Live tab on Faith of Life Network’s Youtube channel.

On this first Sunday of Ramadan, we prayed Asr at home then headed out to Sayeda Khadija Centre at 7150 Edwards Blvd. in Mississauga, Ontario.

Sometimes simply called SK Centre, this has been our Home Masjid for the duration of The Pandemic.

For those not attending tonight’s Pre-Iftar Talk, there is also a Drive-By Iftar Pick-up service available until they run out of prepared take-away Iftar Dinners.

Official graphic logo signage welcomes everyone arriving from the Edwards Blvd. front side of the building.

Into the beginning of the 1990s, there was still often a Quality Gap in presentation and presentation materials of Muslim stuff.

It was hard enough to organize, publicize, and succeed in creating Islamic projects, Design was lower as a priority than producing and realizing results.

A photocopy of a photocopy of photocopy handed out after Friday Prayers with necessary information was a given, with its table crumbs quality.

Why would it be any different??

That was during my Muslim childhood observations in Toronto.

Today,

Design and Identity and Values and Consistent Messaging are table stakes for Muslim Organizations and increasingly for Masjids.

Would you want to donate to a masjid with a crappy sign hanging out front?

How would Muslim kids feel when they saw that is where their parents are taking them to pray?

Sayeda Khadija Centre has had their logo almost from the beginning, if not from its very founding.

In the months leading into Ramadan 2023, the printed signage on the parking lot facing west side of the building now matches the one on the front of the centre.

The sign looks good and is easily recognizable from a distance at night as its colours fully light up.

This will likely become an important landmark for passengers riding the Hurontario Light Rail Train.

The LRT public transit line is currently under construction, along Highway 10/Hurontario Street.

Metrolinx held an information table inside Sayeda Khadija Centre a few Fridays before Ramadan to answer questions about the Derry LRT Station which will service the Masjid.

Light Rail isn’t the only Public Transit passing Sayeda Khadija Centre.

The masjid is immediately underneath the flight path of planes departing from or arriving at Pearson International Airport.

Looking up in the moments between walking from the car to the entrance of the masjid and this plane flew by overhead.

A regular occurance.

I don’t think aerial sounds have ever been loud enough to disrupt services inside.

Still kind of cool to look up and view the underbelly of an Airbus whenever it passes by.

 

 

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Day 3 – Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick – Ramadan and the Power of Compassion – Saturday Lecture and Iftar Program – IIT – Islamic Institute of Toronto

03 25 23'

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Day 2 – LIVESTREAM – The Resilient Hour – Seizing the Blessings of Ramadan – Brother Farhad Khadim & Shaikh Ahmad Kutty – IIT – Islamic Institute of Toronto

03 24 23'

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Early days during the Pandemic, Islamic Institute of Toronto was closed due to public lockdowns in Ontario like every other Masjid and Islamic Centre.

Unlike every many Masjids and Islamic Centres,

IIT had the facilities to quickly create on online solution to keep their congregation connected, while introducing IIT to wider Ramadan communities.

During our now Fourth Pandmic Ramadan, The Resilent Hour has switched from that initial necessary daily Ramadan program, to a twice weekly schedule starting about an hour before Maghrib Sunset Time on Wednesdays and Fridays during Ramadan 2023.

If you’re outside of Ontario and can’t listen to the Reflections on Islam Daily Ramadan Program, IIT’s Resilient Hour remains a good go-to alternative at least 2/7ths of the time.

Hmmm… I think I used that line last year.

Also like in previous years, we broke our fast listening to Adhan Al Maghrib, The Call to Prayer after Sunset, which also concluded tonight’s Resilient Hour.

The Resilient Hour | Seizing the Blessings of Ramadan

Br. Farhad Khadim with Shaikh Ahmad Kutty

ASL Interpretation by Sister Aneesa

 

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Day 2 – JUMAH – First Friday of Ramadan 2023 – Sayeda Khadija Centre – 7150 Edwards Blvd – Mississauga

03 24 23'

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“Deeper Meanings of Ramadan

In this Jumu’ah Khutbah of March 24, 2023,

The first Jumu’ah of Ramadan 1444/2023,

Our Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi discusses the bigger picture and deeper meanings of the blessed month of Ramadan and the acts we do in them.

He talks about 7 things that make that will make Ramadan and Fasting change us to better Muslims and human beings at the end of Ramadan.”

On this First Friday of Ramadan 2023,

I attended the Second Jumah Prayer at 3:00 p.m. with Brother Asim Malik as Khateeb, Lecturer, at Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.

Brother Asim’s Khutbah does not appear on the Faith of Life Youtube channel where SKC Jumah Livestream Recordings appear.

The video above is a recorded livestream of the First Jumah Khutbah from 1:30 p.m. with Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi as Khateeb, which I was not present for.

I had taken photographs and video clips for this blog post during my attendance of the second Khutbah, yet I did something wrong while copying files from my SD Card to my Raspberry Pi Computer and now I can’t seem to recover them.

I made a some mild basic attempts to relocate the files and folders yet, SubhanAllah, the folder with the first few days of images and video appears empty now.

So, I will stop and simply share some of my experience on this First Friday of Ramadan 2023…

As I arrived, entered, then sat down in the middle of the second row immediately behind the Mihrab, I was thinking how full Sayeda Khadija Centre’s Main Prayer Hall was.

Two Ramadans ago, EMPTY was the one word which explained everything about that First Friday of Ramadan 2021.

Today’s word would be FULL or perhaps Restored.

Restored to how First Fridays of Ramadan look and feel like they do since before the Pandemic began.

One addition is that a number of worshippers are still wearing face masks inside the Masjid, myself, my brother Amir and my mom included.

At the conclusion of the Khutbah,

A young 18 year old man formally accepted Islam in front of the Congregation.

He was also already fasting on this First Friday of Ramadan.

As is the custom at Sayeda Khadija Centre since its inception,

Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi presented a New Muslim Welcome Gift to our new Brother in Islam.

Welcome to The Ummah!

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Day 1 – Reflections on Islam – Special Ramadan 2023 Daily Radio/Livestream Program

03 23 23'

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Alhumdulillah,

This First full day of Fasting in Ramadan 2023 is in The Books.

InshAllah, this day is written in our Good Books.

Like in previous years of blogging 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan,

We’re making at least one daily stop listening to Ezz E. Gad host Reflections on Islam Special Ramadan Radio Program…

I was wondering how many times I’ve broken my fast and blogged about it while listening to Reflections on Islam Radio and now looking at the following list, I’m sort of surprised…

There’s a gap for a few years.

During Ramadan 2016, I was travelling from Coast to Coast breaking fast in 30 Masjids in 30 Days in Canada.

Ramadans 2017 and 2018 I was in British Columbia blogging 30 Masjids in 30 Days around Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

Re-reading those previous entries one after another we can glimpse how important Reflections on Islam’s annual Ramadan Radio Program has been within Ramadan Culture for Muslims in Toronto and later on throughout Ontario.

During Ramadan 2011, it indeed was an over the air Radio broadcast from an A.M. Station in Niagara Falls.

By Ramadan 2013, it was off the air, yet having performed a digital Hijrah to the internet, Reflections On Islam Ramadan Radio Program remained on the air transformed into an online daily Livestream.

One benefit of migrating from a radio station time slot to their own website comes to mind.

Because the program is broadcast one half before Maghrib Sunset Time, every day the starting time on the air would change and not be fixed.

I recall at least on one occasion the Radio Station played the recorded program at the wrong time.

If memory serves, there was one time they re-played another day’s program or played the daily program out of order according to the 30 Days of Ramadan.

The decision to migrate from A.M. Radio to Digital Online Livestreams puts Reflections On Islam in its own house where they own all technical and timing decisions.

Alas, some Rogers customers in Ontario remain stuck with a Rogers’ out-of-province IP Address… and still can’t listen to the Livestream.

Livestreams remain geo-locked to Ontario based IP Addresses.

This year I realized that Reflections On Islam has started a Youtube Channel with 48 episodes available so far.

That’s a big deal for those of us who grew up watching weekly shows and sometimes being sad when we missed them.

The Television Program is still broadcast thrice weekly on VisionTV in Canada:

  • Fridays – 3:30 a.m.
  • Saturdays – 7:00 a.m.
  • Sundays – 11:00 a.m.

New episodes are broadcast on Saturday mornings then rerun Sunday morning.

It used to be that Friday’s Tahajjud timeslot would replay the episode broadcast the previous weekend.

Lately, I haven’t watched the Friday broadcast to confirm if this is still being done.

A number of times if I missed either of the Weekend shows, I made a very early Friday morning effort to wake up and watch it before Fajr, or after Fajr, depending on the time of year.

You can read a little more about the history of Reflections on Islam in my post from Day 11 of Ramadan 2020 written during first Ramadan of the Pandemic.

We’re now in the Fourth year of the Pandemic.

For the First Full day of Fasting in our fourth Pandemic Ramadan,

We opened our fast with an Iftar tablespread listening to Reflections on Islam‘s Adhan Al Maghrib being Livestreamed according to Toronto local time…

And if you’re within Ontario, for the remainder of Ramadan 2023, you can too, InshAllah.

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30 MORE | Day 1 – Twitter Thread : “Part of the new Twitter regime is that we don’t get cute emojis on the #Ramadan hashtag. This app continues to spiral downward.” — By Biryani For One – Vancouver

03 23 23'

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30 MORE | Day 1 – Fajr – Inflation’s effect on Preparing Ramadan Iftar Meals – Saboor Khan – Speaking with Rebecca Zandbergen on London Morning – CBC London

03 23 23'

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Inflation’s effect on Ramadan celebrations

Saboor Khan with the Muslim Association of Canada talks about how high food prices are influencing how people preparing Iftar meals for large groups during Ramadan.

Aired: March 23, 2023

CBC London Morning with Rebecca Zandbergen

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30 MORE | Day 1 – Fajr – The Risks of Ramadan Fasting for Diabetics and People on Medication – Dr. Mervat Bakeer – Speaking with Rebecca Zandbergen on London Morning – CBC London

03 23 23'

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The Risks of Ramadan fasting for Diabetics and People on Medication

Family doctor and diabetes expert Mervat Bakeer gives London Morning advice on how people with diabetes and other medical conditions can approach Ramadan fasting.

Aired: March 23, 2023

CBC London Morning with Rebecca Zandbergen

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Night 1 – First Isha & Taraweeh of Ramadan 2023 / 1444 – Noon Academy Masjid – 12 Rutherford Road South – Brampton, Ontario

03 22 23'

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Muslim Calendars begin each day following Sunset, rather than Midnight.

So following my Moonsighting Report, it’s now the First Night of Ramadan 2023, even if it is still March 22.

Fasting will begin at dawn tomorrow, Thursday March 23 2023.

For tonight, my mom wanted to pray the Holy Month’s first Isha & Taraweeh at Noon Academy‘s Masjid in Brampton.

So that’s where we prayed on Night 1.


 
Adhan Al Isha, The Call to The Night Prayer.

Salat Al Isha, The Night Prayer.

We had arrived early enough to make the first line.

The brothers’ had filled the first four rows of the prayer hall, by my count, about 100 men and perhaps a similar number of sisters were here.

Plus the random number of children who are always hard to count.

So maybe one hundred and fifty worshippers were present for Salat Al Isha.

The Imam of Noon Academy, Shaykh Waleed Almakee, shared some short reminders before Salat Al Taraweeh began.

Among the reminders was reciting the dua that The Prophet, Upon Whom Be Peace, recited upon seeing the new crescent.

Shaykh Waleed recited it and then asked us to repeat after him…

اللَّهُمَّ أَهْلِلْهُ عَلَيْنَا بِالْيُمْنِ وَالإِيمَانِ وَالسَّلاَمَةِ وَالإِسْلاَمِ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللَّهُ

Allahumma ahlilhu `alainā bil-yumni wal-iman, was-salamati wal-Islam, rabbi wa rabbuk Allah

O Allah, bring it over us with blessing and faith, and security and Islam.

My Lord and your Lord is Allah.

[ Tirmidhi: 3451 ]

…In this way, everybody present ended up reciting the dua upon sighting of the new crescent.

In First Nights of Ramadans past, I can’t recall an Imam asking us to recite this dua along with him.

I’ve heard the Dua, but reciting it…hmmm.

Well, Noon Academy is an Islamic School, and Shaykh Waleed is an educator, how could I not learn something tonight.

Another reminder was that Imam Shafi’i held the opinion that Zakat Al-Fitr can be paid from the beginning of Ramadan.

Noon Academy is following that opinion and already assigned a specific Donation Box earmarked for Zakat al-Fitr on this First Night of Ramadan.

The Qiraat, Qur’an Recitation, during Taraweeh was melodious and unrushed.

After four Rakats, the congregration pauses and collectively recites Surah Al-Iklahs three times.

It’s Tag-Team-Taraweeh after four Rakats, with Shaykh Waleed leading Rakats five through eight.

We prayed Eight Rakats (units) of Taraweeh, as that was what my Mom is able to do nowadays.

Noon Academy completes 20 Rakats each night.

Ramadan 2023 has begun and beginning tonight, I’ve started wearing my Green Square again.

Noon Academy in Brampton has nightly Taraweeh and Community Iftars on Saturday, with pre-registration required.

And if you do come to Noon Academy, it’s Bring You Own Water Bottle . . .

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Day 0 / Night 1 – Ramadan 2023 – Negative Moonsighting due to Clouds – Brampton, Ontario, Canada

03 22 23'

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AsalamAlayKum Everybody,

On this Wednesday Evening, March 22 2023,

It’s a re-run of last year’s start of Ramadan 2022 Negative Moonsighting Report . . .

 

Tonight,

Clouds remain over the entire Toronto Metropolitan Area.

Nevertheless,

After praying Maghrib I still went out to search for the New Crescent.

As expected, I could not see it.

For the second consecutive first night of Ramadan in a row,

This is a Negative Moonsighting Report from Brampton, Ontario, Canada on Wednesday evening March 22 2023.

Ramadan 1444 Mubarak to All !

Salam,

HïMY SYeD

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30 MORE | Fresh Paint: Getting Ready for Ramadan 2023 / 1444 – Fatih Mosque – United Canadian Muslim Association – 182 Rhodes Avenue – Toronto

03 21 23'

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I stopped by Fatih Mosque at 182 Rhodes Avenue in East End Toronto to pray my Dhuhr Prayers.

The time for the Asr Prayer was not that long after, so I stayed and would also pray Asr.

This is new… and a first as far as I can immediately recall.

Shoe Cabinets with closing doors and not simply the expected shoe shelves.

It sure does improve the welcomingness of the visual space in the Foyer of the Masjid.

Also improving the welcomingness will be freshly repainted bright white walls.

I found the Masjid and its prayer hall filled with a familiar smell of fresh paint.

Two Turkish brothers had been carefully repainting the walls with fresh coats of white.

So careful, that neither of them used a drop sheet on the carpeted floor of the Masjid.

I saw zero drops of paint anywhere where it shouldn’t be.

MashAllah.

This water faucet…

It feels like a stream of flowing water or fountain rather than a vertical tiny firehose of water as I did my wudu.

Can’t recall seeing this at any wudu station during my travels.

Maybe I did? I got to think back now….

Islamic Artwork and framed Qur’an passages which adorned the walls of the main prayer hall had been temporarily removed.

The walls looked bare in its dull eggshell colour.

Only with the contrast of the newly painted areas with the old, could I see the difference.

Luminescence is the word I am looking for.

These one-a-day tear-away Hijri calendars can be expected to be found in Turkish Masjids and Islamic Centres affiliated with the United Canadian Muslim Association.

Another UCMA Masjid is Metro Vancouver’s Eyüp Sultan Camii in Burnaby, British Columbia which I visited on Day 18 of Ramadan 2018.

I’ve seen these freely available at the start of new years in the past, yet I can’t immediately find any photographs of them appearing earlier on 30 Masjids.

…Adhan Al Asr – Call to Afternoon Prayer…

 

The Imam called the Adhan.

He asked me to call the Iqamah.

Iman then lead the four rakats (units) of Salat Al Asr / The Afternoon Prayer.

Taped on the back of the front door were posters with fundraising/donation information for recent earthquakes in Turkey and Northern Syria.

Fatih Mosque photographed two years ago on Sunday March 14 2021 :

Fatih Mosque first appeared on 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan during the first year of this blog,

Fatih Mosque – Day 7 of Ramadan 2011.

Alhumdulillah, that entry remains worthwhile reading.

182 Rhodes Avenue when it was Toronto’s Orange Lodge the 1960s…

Here’s what the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) says about 182 Rhodes Avenue :

“This building was one of the first mosque opened by Muslims back in 1965’s.

It has a significant place in the lives of Muslim first comers to Canada.

This building is where Muslim community grew out and represents the history of Muslim organizations in Ontario.

The building at 182 Rhodes Avenue itself is protected historic building by the City of Toronto.

This building was originally used as the local lodge of the Orange Order, a Protestant, fraternal organization with a long history of opposition to Roman Catholicism in Toronto until Muslims bought the property in late 1965’s.

Orange Hall was officially converted into a Mosque for Muslims of all ethnic backgrounds.

And became one of the two first mosque opened in Toronto.

In 1993 after it was put out for sale, United Canadian Muslim Association bought this property with Mosque street number 182 Rhodes Avenue and Imam’s Residence 184 Rhodes Avenue.

Extensive rennovations were done on both buildings.”

I had only intended to stop here to complete my prayers and continue with my day,

Yet finding Fatih Mosque being Freshly Repainted ahead of Ramadan 2023 / Ramadan 1444,

I’m considering this then to be the beginning of my 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan 2023.

Bismillah . . .

 

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30 MORE | VIDEO – JUMAH – Imam Abu Noman Tarek – Friday Congregational Prayer – Sayeda Khadija Centre – 7150 Edwards Blvd – Mississauga

03 03 23'

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Imam Abu Noman Tarek, of the Brantford Mosque and Muslim Association of Brantford, was visiting Khateeb today for one of the two scheduled Jumah Khutbahs at Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga.

Imam Abu Noman Tarek provided useful and important reminders about Mental Health and how Islam has provided tools and guidance in maintaining our overall Mental Health.

I attended the Khutbah in person and found it so important that I wanted to remind myself of it every so often, InshAllah, so I’m blogging the livestream here.

InshAllah, you may find it useful too…

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30 MORE | JUMAH – Less than 90 Days until Ramadan 2023… – Sayeda Khadija Centre – Faith of Life Network – 7150 Edwards Blvd – Mississauga, Ontario

12 30 22'

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Adhan / Call to Prayer

Salat Al Jumah / Friday Congregational Prayer

inside Sayeda Khadija Centre

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Less than 90 Days until Ramadan.

1st Day of Fasting of Ramadan 1444 is expected on Thursday March 23 2023.

Islamic “Days” begin after sunset the night before,

So Ramadan would begin after Sunset on Wednesday March 22 2023

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30 MORE | Janaza for Shakeel Ashraf – Jame Masjid Mississauga – Islamic Propagation Center of Ontario – 5761 Coopers Avenue – Mississauga – Peel Region, Ontario

09 14 22'

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30 MORE | LIVESTREAM: 3rd Annual Global Conference on Disability and Islam 2022: Inclusive Leadership

08 20 22'

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“This year’s theme

“Inclusive Leadership”

Is focused on the importance of having persons with disabilities at the forefront of policy and decision-making.

Building from last year’s theme,

“Nothing about us, without us”,

It is important that people with disabilities believe in their potential as leaders,

And as a society,

We need to ensure that leadership opportunities exist for them too.”

[gview file=”http://30Masjids.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3rd-Annual-Global-Conference-on-Disability-and-Islam-Saturday-August-20-2022.pdf” title=”3nd Annual Global Conference of Disability and Islam – August 20 2022 – Program Booklet”]

 

 

 

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