Adhan Al Maghrib Sunset Call to Prayer4 in Masjid Toronto Friday June 27 2014
Adhan Al Maghrib / The Sunset Call to Prayer, Masjid Toronto, Friday June 27 2014

Bismillah,

AsalamAlayKum, and Ramadan Mubarak / Blessings of Ramadan be upon each and every one of you!

In the days before and leading up to Ramadan 2014, Muslims meeting me inside Masjids, plus other followers of the 30Masjids Project, have asked me if I would be doing it again this year?
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From: HiMY SYeD 6 June 2014 16:07
To: deputymayor@toronto.ca
Subject: Email Follow-up to In Person Request to Light up City Hall Twin Towers Green for Start and End of Ramadan 2014

Good Afternoon Mr. Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly,

Thank you for immediately saying “YES” to Lighting Up City Hall Green ( The Traditional Colour in Muslim Culture ) for Ramadan, when we spoke in person for only the briefest of moments earlier this afternoon at the conclusion of D-Day Ceremonies in Nathan Phillips Square.

Ramadan is the Muslim Holy Month of Fasting.

Muslims observe a Lunar Calendar, with days beginning at Sunset.

Consequently, Ramadan begins 10 or 11 days earlier each year on the common solar calendar.

The tentative starting date for Ramadan this year is Saturday Evening, June 28 2014.

Ramadan is expected to end on Sunday Evening, July 27 2014.

Eid-al-Fitr ( A Muslim Day of Thanksgiving to acknowledge the successful conclusion of Ramadan ) is anticipated for Monday Morning, July 28 2014.

Due to the possibility of Visual Moonsighting being different than New Moon Calculations, there is a slight chance the actual dates this year are different than listed above.

Nevertheless, Lighting up City Hall Green on a pre-determined schedule with this much notice in advance is something likely to be understood by the wider Muslim Community, if it so happens either lighting is off by one day.

Therefore, on behalf of the wider Muslim Community, I would like to request Toronto City Hall be lit green on the Evening of Saturday June 28 2014 to mark the start of Ramadan, and then again on the evening of Monday July 28 2014 to Mark Eid-al-Fitr and the End of Ramadan.

There are an estimated 75,000 to 80,000 Muslim Families in the Greater Toronto Area.

It will be the first time that Ramadan and Eid al Fitr would be recognized in such a manner in our city.

Thank You Mr. Deputy Mayor for your attention.

Sincerely,

HiMY SYeD
http://30Masjids.ca / http://Twitter.com/30Masjids

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Vince Bacani - Lisbon 2011 056I visited Masjid Toronto today as part of Doors Open Toronto, and it was definitely the highlight of my day.

Everyone I met was so warm and friendly: from the welcomes outside on Dundas and inside at the front desk, to our excellent tour guides Omar and Omair who took us around the building and explained some of the basics of the practice of your faith, to the tireless calligrapher who wrote my name on a souvenir placard with such flair, to the funny ladies in the hall downstairs who loaded my plate with the BEST tuna croquettes, falafel, samosas, and so many delicious sweets!
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Welcome to Doors Open Masjid Toronto May 24 and May 25 2014

2014 was the third time Masjid Toronto has been a part of Doors Open Toronto. The first two years being in 2008 and 2009. So, it’s been a while. However, the visitor count has improved.

Day 1 saw 400 people tour Masjid Toronto; Day 2 a further 300 for a total of 700+ Visitors during the Doors Open Toronto 2014 weekend.

Following are a collection of tweets, images, and an ending video documenting the weekend to share a glimpse of Masjid Toronto and Doors Open Toronto 2014…
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For whatever reason, I can’t seem to find anything online, be it pictures, tweets or even a mention, about the Bosnian Islamic Centre and Doors Open Toronto 2014, to include in this blog post.
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doors open toronto 2014 official poster

Every year, The City of Toronto, in partnership with many building owners, decide to open up their public and private spaces.

In 2014, Doors Open Toronto (@Doors_OpenTO) falls on May 24 and May 25.

For one full weekend the wider community may visit and enjoy free tours, learn about the architecture, or simply scratch the itch of curiosity about buildings people have only seen from the outside.

It just so happens that ALL SIX ISLAMIC Buildings participating in Doors Open Toronto 2014 have been visited and blogged about by 30 Masjids at some point during the past three Ramadans!

Personally, I’m volunteering this year at two locations:

  • Leading tours of Masjid Toronto on Saturday and Sunday Morning between 10 a.m and 1 p.m.
  • Welcoming Visitors to the Canadian Sufi Cultural Centre between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

Would love to meet readers of this blog in person!  Please ask if I’m around when you arrive.

Hopefully, some of you can make it out at the above times, InshAllah.

Following are complete Doors Open Details, Location, Timings, plus links to their corresponding 30Masjids blog stories:

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Mezquita de Bogotá, Colombia - Masjid Abou Bakr Alsiddiq

As I arrived in Masjid Abou Bakr Alsiddiq, The Mezquita de Bogotá, the Friday Qhutbah has already begun…

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InshAllah, Alhumdulillah, I will properly updated this blog post. For the moment Here are three images I took during our Jumah in the World Urban Forum in Medellín…

Recording of Jumah Qhutbah I delivered in WUF7 Muslim Prayer Space on Friday April 11, 2014:

[podcast]http://30masjids.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2014-04-11-Jumah-Qhutbah-WUF7.mp3[/podcast]
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Muslim Prayer Room, World Urban Forum, WUF7 Green Pavillion 4th Floor, Plaza Mayor, Medellín Colombia, Saturday April 5 2014 - 019

AsalamAlayKum from the World Urban Forum in Medellín, Colombia!

With 25,000+ people registered for this United Nations sponsored Biennial forum on Cities and Urbanism, there are bound to be many, many Muslims in attendance.

On the Morning of Saturday April 5, 2014, the First Official Day of WUF7, I asked where the “Multi-Faith Prayer or Meditation Room was?”

After a few moments at one of the numerous Information Kiosks, I was taken by one of the Volunteers to the 4th Floor of the Green (see what WUF7 Organizers did there!) Pavillion.

Pleasantly surprised to see that this wasn’t a Multi-Faith Prayer Space but a Dedicated Muslim Prayer Room, for both Males and Females!

Muslim Prayer Room, World Urban Forum, WUF7 Green Pavillion 4th Floor, Plaza Mayor, Medellín Colombia, Saturday April 5 2014 - 007

The Qibla Direction was already posted. But no prayer times.

In 2010, I attended World Urban Forum 5 in Rio De Janeiro. The Prayer Space was Multi-Faith. Friday was the last day of the WUF5, like it is now.

Then, we didn’t perform Jumah there, instead because I knew where Rio’s ONLY Masjid was, me and group of African Muslims, hopped into Mini-Buses they had rented, and we headed out to make Jumah. Upon Arrival, we had just missed it. So we all prayed Dhuhr together.

I took it upon myself to schedule a Jumah here at WUF7, InshAllah…

WUF7 Jumah Qhutbah will be at 1 p.m. on Friday April 11 2014, on the 4th Floor of the Green Pavillion, in the Muslim Prayer Room.

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New moonsighting for Tuesday April 1 2014 from in front of Medellin's only masjid

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