Omar Bin Khattab Mosque – Toronto Downtown Muslim Community, is at least the third Masjid in Toronto and perhaps the first in Downtown, to publicly broadcast The Call to Sunset Prayer, Adhan Al Maghrib, via loudspeaker.

Like every place of worship in Toronto, it’s doors closed due to the Pandemic Lockdown.

To peek behind those doors visit this 30 Masjids photoblog post from Day 9 of Ramadan 2015.

Unlike the Islamic Centre of Canada in Mississauga with its industrial park neighbours, Regent Park, the neighbourhood around this Downtown Toronto masjid, has thousands of Muslims living within earshot.

Earlier, I had asked City Councillor Paul Ainslie, who represents Ward 24 in East Scarborough, a question . . .

Now we know the answer, Alhumdulillah.

10 years ago, I was asking a different question, “Sister, do you own a farm ?”

Omar Bin Khattab Mosque was first visited on Day 16 of Ramadan 2011, the first year of 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan.

I still have a soft spot for this Masjid.

With the noise by-law now suspended until the end of Ramadan 2020, the First Masjid in Mississauga to broadcast a Public Adhan Al Maghrib, Call to The Sunset Prayer, was Islamic Centre of Canada at 2200 South Sheridan Way.

The ICC masjid is located inside the ISNA Canada Complex, opposite a Queen Elizabeth Way highway.

Being in an industrial area, this is a destination Masjid, one you have to take transit or drive out to.

Unless you drove out there like brother Adam Moustafa did to record and tweet out his video, no one would hear it.

But that’s not the point.

It’s an extra-ordinary permission granted by The City of Mississauga to its residents during Pandemic Lockdown in the Holy Month of Ramadan 2020.

Use it or lose it, the saying goes.

So even if there is almost no one there to hear it, the Adhan will now be heard in South Mississauga . . .

Good afternoon,

On behalf of Mayor Crombie and City Council, and in the spirit of Ramadan, we are happy to announce that this morning Council unanimously voted to approve the external broadcast the Adhan or call to prayer during the month of Ramadan by mosques in the City of Mississauga.

Council supports the symbolic broadcasting of the Adhan for the duration of Ramadan at the time of sunset, as it will provide inspiration and comfort to our Canadian-Muslim residents of Mississauga.

City Council has agreed to suspend the noise by-law during the full period of Ramadan up to May 24, 2020.

Please note that the call to prayer can be broadcasted once daily for 5 minutes maximum.

You may begin your broadcast this evening on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.

We strongly encourage you to continue practicing and enforcing physical distancing measures.

If these measures are contravened, our officers will enforce.

Below is the approved resolution, effective immediately:

“That the enforcement of the Noise Control By-law 360-79, as amended, be suspended for the broadcasting of the evening call to prayer from local mosques and other non-residential buildings regularly used for worship, for the period of Ramadan in the year 2020 (up to May 24, 2020), provided the ‘call’ is broadcast only once per day for a maximum of 5 minutes and that it is not a call for people to physically gather in contravention of O.Reg. 52/20.”

We wish you a continued safe and healthy Ramadan Mubarak.

Best wishes,

Natasha on behalf of Mayor Crombie

The above message from sent from City of Mississauga’s Mayor Office to the Management of Jame Masjid Mississauga, and was then shared with their congregation via e-newsletter . . .

“*** UPDATED ***

Dear Subscriber, we are very happy to announce that the City of Mississauga has passed a motion permitting the calling of the Adhaan over the loudspeakers starting from today, please see announcement below.

In sha Allah we will be playing the Adhaan live over our external loudspeakers for Salaat al-Maghrib.

As the mosque is still closed to the public, we will be broadcasting this historic moment on Facebook live.”

Posted by Basir Mohammed on Wednesday, April 29, 2020

This first full week of Fasting in Ramadan 2020 is still in progress,

And we now have  f i v e  eight cities in Canada, so far, allowing Public Adhans from Local Masjid Loudspeakers, at Sunset time.

How many Cities will follow Toronto, and Pickering, and Markham, and Brampton, and Halifax, and, Milton, and Ajax, and now Mississauga ?

This 20 minute debate by Mississauga City Council is instructive for anyone in other Canadian Cities or Mayors and Councillors on other City Councils considering Public Adhans during Ramadan 2020.

The Mayor, Council, and City Staff discussed pretty much every concern the wider community may have including numerous edge cases and the matter of urgency as Week 2 of Ramadan 2020 is set to begin.

The merits of temporarily suspending the existing Noise Control By-Law rather than trying to amend the By-Law in the same Council Meeting was explored.

A possibility of allowing Public Adhans by edict of The Mayor under the COVID-19 Pandemic State of Emergency was a no-go for Mississauga due to a technicality.

But every City’s Emergency Plan is different, so that option may fly elsewhere. Your mileage will vary.

 

 

News release
City of Mississauga
April 29 2020

Noise Control By-law Suspended – Evening Call to Prayer

“Council passed a resolution that the enforcement of the Noise Control By-law be suspended to allow for the broadcasting of the evening call to prayer from local mosques and other non-residential buildings regularly used for worship.

This resolution is for the period of Ramadan, up to May 24, 2020, provided the ‘call’ is broadcast only once per day in the evening for a maximum of five minutes and that it is not a call for people to physically gather in contravention of Emergency Orders and physical distancing guidelines.”

Media Contact:
Catherine Monast
Senior Advisor Media and Public Information
City of Mississauga
905-615-3200, ext. 5046

Unanimous Vote by Mississauga City Council authorizes Public Adhan Al Maghrib / Call to Sunset Prayer during Ramadan 2020

Bonnie Crombie,
Mayor of Mississauga, Ontario

Wednesday April 29 2020 :

“At Council today we passed a motion to allow for the broadcasting of the evening call to prayer from local mosques and other non-residential buildings regularly used for worship during the month of Ramadan this year (up to May 24, 2020).

The ‘call’ is broadcast that can be heard once per day for a maximum of 5 minutes.

This is not a call for people to physically gather in contravention of the provincial guidelines on gatherings.

People need comfort and familiarity during this difficult time.

As long as it is not disruptive and follows the guidelines, the call to prayer can provide this to many living in our City.”

Muslim Community Thanks Mississauga Mayor and Council For Unanimous Vote On Broadcasting Call to Prayer this Ramadan

April 29, 2020-Mississauga

The Muslim Council of Peel brought forward a formal request asking for the call to prayer to be externally broadcast while mosques and Islamic centres remain closed to congregations under the COVID-19 crisis in Ramadan.

Mississauga is home to the largest Muslim community in the region.

Social distancing has made this Ramadan very difficult for those who look forward to the heightened sense of community inclusion during this month of worship.

The request was tabled today and passed unanimously at a virtual council meeting.

Mayor Bonnie Crombie stated on behalf of City Council,

”Council supports the symbolic broadcasting of the Adhan for the duration of Ramadan at the time of sunset, as it will provide inspiration and comfort to our Canadian-Muslim residents of Mississauga.”

City Council has agreed to suspend the noise by-law during the full period of Ramadan up to May 24, 2020.

The call to prayer can be broadcasted once daily for 5 minutes maximum beginning this evening.

The Muslim Council of Peel thanks Mayor Crombie and all Councillors for their leadership and support.

“The decision gives the community great solace during Ramadan when we would be assembling at the mosque every evening breaking fast in Ramadan, our holiest of months,” states Rabia Khedr, Executive Director while reminding places of worship to continue practicing and enforcing physical distancing measures.”

Contact:
Rabia Khedr, MA
Executive Director
647-760-9541

UPDATE ~ Friday May 1 2020 :

There is now a petition you can sign to say thank you to Mississauga City Council & Mayor Bonnie Crombie . . .

I just signed, Signature 6358 !

SubhanAllah, this is different.

While other City Councils in Ontario have approved a single daily Call to Prayer at Sunset, Hamilton’s City Council has given permission for two Public Adhans per day.

Hamilton’s Downtown Mosque and Hamilton Mountain Mosque now have permission to broadcast Public Adhans around Noon or Dhuhr Prayer Time, and again at Sunset or Maghrib Sunset Time via loudspeakers for the duration of Ramadan 2020.

Two Adhans are better than one.

One Adhan is better than zero.

Adhans will allow you hear the Masjids, yet with the Pandemic Lockdown in place, you cannot see inside the Masjids.

However . . .

Seven Years ago, on Day 30 of Ramadan 2013, I chose to break my fast and enjoy The Last Iftar at Hamilton’s Downtown Mosque.

At least you can get an idea of what the Masjid looked like inside back then.

It’s likely changed at least a little bit, but you get the idea.

On the final night of Ramadan 2013, I also learned of another Masjid in Hamilton.

So after breaking my final fast of that year, I walked over to Ibrahim Jam-E Mosque for the Late Evening Prayer, Salat Al Isha .

[gview file=”http://30Masjids.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Hamilton-City-Council-Downtown-Mosque-Call-to-Prayer-Twice-Daily-During-Ramadan-2020-07_1_Prayer.pdf”]

Ramadan in the age of COVID-19

“Adnan Akiel,

From the Bridging Gaps Foundation,

Shares more on how Muslims celebrate Ramadan in the time of COVID-19 and the shift to virtual worship.”

– CTV Morning Live Vancouver

Posted by Bridging Gaps Foundation on Wednesday, April 29, 2020

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Tuesday April 28th 2020

A post shared by Madinah Masjid (@madinahmasjid) on

Since Saturday,

Madina Masjid on Danforth Avenue in Toronto has aired a nightly public Call to The Sunset Prayer, Adhan Al Maghrib, via loadspeakers.

Other Masjids in neighbouring cities, and at least one other province, have followed :

There is City of Toronto permission for a ward in Scarborough for Public Adhans :

Haven’t heard back from Councillor Paul Ainslie yet.

As Ramadan 2020 rolls on, we can expect more Canadian Masjids to begin loudspeakering nightly Calls to The Sunset Prayer.

InshAllah.

 

 

“A big Thank You to Mayor Shaun Collier, Councillor Ashmeed Khan and Council for their support for Maghrib Azan on speakers.”

Masjid Quba Ajax
1501 Harwood Avenue North
Ajax, Ontario

“The call to prayer (Adhan) is an unfamiliar sound to many people and can now be heard daily before the sunset prayer (Maghrib) outside at the Brampton Makki Masjid at 8450 Torbram Rd.

Sunset is approximately at 8:17pm at this time of year, and changes about a minute or two each day.”

Video Credit: https://twitter.com/urzheer

The City Of Brampton in Peel Region has no by-law prohibiting Public Adhans being broadcast outside Masjids via loudspeaker.

Unlike other cities around Metropolitan Toronto, like Markham and Pickering or Scarborough, no municipal permission was really needed here in Brampton.

Alhumdulillah.

Likewise, Church bells already ring out throughout the year in Brampton.

Unlike Ramadan 2020, during Ramadan 2019 the Adhan, The Call to Prayer was heard inside the Masjid.

30 Masjids visited Brampton Makki Masjid on Night 18 of Ramadan 2019.

Maghrib Adhan at ICCM by Imam Sh. Huzaifah Khan.

Alhamdulillah ICCM is the only masjid in the west end of GTA to do loud adhan outside.

Thanks to Regional Councillor Zeeshan Hamid for getting this approved from the town of Milton.

“AssalamuAlaikum

Alhumdulillah, by the mercy of Allah SWT, we are pleased to announce that our Masjid has received permission from the City of Pickering to broadcast our Athaan outside the facility and to the community in the month of Ramadan.

Starting today, our Athaan can be heard live at Maghrib time.

We are grateful to our city officials for accepting our request and making this happen.”

Previous Visits . . .

Ummah Masjid and Community Centre in Halifax was my stop on Day 3 of 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan Canada in 2016.

Back then I posted a video of Adhan Al Maghrib, The Call to Sunset Prayer from inside the Ummah Masjid.

And here we are, The same Adhan Al Maghrib, from the same Masjid in Halifax, only this time it’s an outside Public Adhan via loudspeakers.

So far, that’s Toronto, Scarborough, Markham, Milton, and Pickering in Ontario with Public Adhans during Ramadan 2020.

We can now add Halifax in Maritime Canada to Canada’s Public Adhan in Ramadan 2020 List.

On an overcast and slighty rainy Sunday evening as Maghrib Sunset time arrived,

The First Ever Public Adhan Al Maghrib, The Call to Sunset Prayer, was broadcast in Markham, Ontario, a city immediately north of Toronto.

I understand they will broadcast The Call to Sunset Prayer, via loudspeakers, every night during Ramadan 2020.

As you see from Sister Aisha’s tweet, at least one Neighbourhood Muslimah can break her fast while listening to this Public Adhan.

Alhumdulillah.

Markham Masjid is one of the few Masjids I have yet to visit in person.

InshAllah, a future in-person visit to write up a proper 30Masjids story.

Markham Masjid is located at 2900 Denison Street and is one of two Masjids operated by The Islamic Society of Markham.

That means I’ll have to visit ISM’s newer, second masjid location too !

Day 3 of Ramadan 2020 was weird.

The Pandemic Lockdown has transformed this project’s premise from

30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan,

to

30 Masjids At Home in 30 Days of Ramadan 2020.

Yet, unexpectedly, Sayeda Khadija Centre‘s Drive-Thru Iftar Pick-Up, for regular Masjid attendees, allowed us a real, and not virtual, Masjid visit !

Even though we’d never leave the car,

We could still visit the Masjid in person during Ramadan 2020 to pick up an Iftar Meal.

After praying Asr, The Late Afternoon Prayer, at home, we hopped in the car and headed out . . .

Sayeda Khadija Centre’s Drive-Thru Iftar Pick-Up service was what you would expect it to be.

Cars enter from one side of the Masjid, then await their turn.

The “Temporarily Closed” sign posted outside Sayeda Khadija Centre entrance included a link to their donation page.

Because of the Pandemic Lockdown, every Masjid, Musallah, Islamic Centre, Temple, Synagogue, Church in Canada is physically closed, yet still financially on the hook for their monthly bills.

So like the sign says,

Please Continue to Donate in these difficult times” to Sayeda Khadija Centre !

The line moved pretty quick.

Waiting inside the car didn’t feel long at all.

The actual Drive Thru Iftar Meal Pick Up was simple.

Tables outside on the parking lot.

Pre-Packaged Iftar Meals in disposable containers atop those tables.

You lower the passenger side car door window.

A volunteer wearing a face safety mask asks you through your open car window, “How many meals ?”

The volunteer, wearing disposable blue safety gloves, hands you the Iftar meals through the car window.

And that took all of a few moments.

Thank you. Come Again.

Next !

We exit around the other side of the masjid and begin the return journey . . .

MashAllah!

Minutes later we are home with our Drive-Thru Iftar meals.

The first thing we did at home, of course, was to wash our hands.

Only then, with hands washed, did I place the three Iftar Trays on the dining table.

Around 7 p.m., we began listening to Brother Asim Malik deliver this evening’s Pre-Iftar Lecture from the same Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga via livestream.

An hour plus change passes while we listen to the Pre-Iftar Lecture.

Time well spent.

We broke our fast at home listening to Adhan Al Maghrib, The Call to Sunset Prayer, livestreaming from Sayeda Khadija Centre.

On any previous Ramadan Weekend, after breaking our fast in a large Public Iftar Gathering, we would be praying with hundreds of fellow worshippers inside a large Prayer Hall.

Tonight, it’s a couple of prayer mats spread out on the living room floor.

I don’t know about you, but I really, really, really, really, needed a coffee to go with my Iftar Meal tonight.

Chicken.

Rice.

Paneer.

We added the triangle of bread.

And of course the coffee.

Alhamdulillah.

 

This Drive Thru Iftar Pick Up is only available on Saturday and Sunday between 6 p.m and 8 p.m.

It’s for people who really need an Iftar meal.

It’s mostly intended for the regular people would normally gather on the weekends in Ramadan inside Sayeda Khadija Centre to break their fast, pray Maghrib, and enjoy their Iftar Meals with friends and extended family.

This is one service among many activities Sayeda Khadija Centre is providing to its regular congregation during the Pandemic Lockdown.

So, Toronto… umm…

Please don’t show up at the Drive-Thru Iftar if you wouldn’t normally show up at Sayeda Khadija Centre on a Ramadan Weekend.

This program is running on donations, by and mostly for its own congregation.

Yet, if you really need an Iftar Meal, no one is going to ask you for ID nor turn you away.

As Sister Remziya says it her tweet atop this story,

“Other mosques should follow this example.”

InshAllah, other Masjids around Metropolitan Toronto will do so.

When I learn of other local Drive Thru Iftars,

I’ll attempt to visit and blog about them.

 

Day 3 of 30 Masjids At Home in 30 Days of Ramadan 2020 summed up :

  • We visited Sayeda Khadija Centre
  • Staying inside the car, we picked up three Drive-Through Iftar Meals
  • Returned home
  • Listened to Pre-Iftar Lecture livestreamed from Sayeda Khadija Centre
  • We broke our fast At Home while listening to Adhan Al Maghrib, The Call to Sunset Prayer being Livestreamed from SK Centre
  • Prayed Maghrib in our Living Room
  • Enjoyed eating our Drive-Thru Iftar Meals at home

 

Was this the only Drive-Thru Iftar Meal services out there ?

Nope.

There are Drive-Thru Iftar meals happening every night in Manitoba at the Winnipeg Grand Mosque.

30 Masjids visited the Manitoba Islamic Association for Iftar on Day 15 in Ramadan 2016.

In the United States,

Drive-Thru Iftar Meals are also happening every evening of Ramadan 2020 in

  • Atlanta, Georgia
  • Westbury, Long Island, New York State
  • Kenner, Louisiana
  • Puget Sound, Washington State

InshAllah, I will also blog about the other Drive-Through / Drive-Thru Iftar Meal Services.

 

Previous Visits to Sayeda Khadija Centre . . .