30 Masjids 🟩

Left to Right: Abdullah, Qasem, Daoud, Rezk.

Where do you find Muslim Canadians in-between Isha, The Night Prayer, and Fajr, The Dawn Prayer, when it’s The Holy Month of Ramadan?

Tim Horton’s.

Having prayed Taraweeh at 370 Somerset Street in Saint John, New Brunswick, there is barely three and one half hours remaining until Fajr, Dawn, and the cutoff time to eat a pre-dawn meal to begin fasting Day 11 of Ramadan 2016.

Returning to the 24 hour Timmie’s in Saint John’s North End where I had my post-Iftar coffee, I find four Muslim Youth who were also praying at 370 Somerset.

We learn about each other over coffee.

They learn about 30 Masjids Canada, and in particular all four are inquisitive about successful fundraising techniques to help them in securing 370 Somerset Street as a owned, rather than rented, Masjid building.

Abdullah is from Iraq, Qasem from Yemen, Daoud from Somalia, Rezk from Morrocco.

Each of these four College Students have been in Canada between one and two years. They all live on the west side of Saint John.

Though they have vehicles, the 370 Somerset Street location is closer to them than the city’s main Masjid. When it comes to praying Isha and Taraweeh, the optional extra Night Prayers, the new Musalah building is now their first choice.

They all volunteer at 370, and want to see it improve.

But they first got to buy it.

How much?

$60,000.00

That’s it.

60K.

And you’re the proud papa, or mama, of a new Masjid in Saint John, New Brunswick.

When I think of all the fundraising that goes on around Toronto for various community projects, 60K is a number that is reached sometimes within minutes, often times within days.

Here in Saint John, it’s a pre-occupation with worshippers at 370 Somerset as to how to fundraise sixty thousands dollars.

Yet before that… they got to Name their Masjid if they’re going to begin serious fundraising.

I encourage them to set up a website as soon as they have an official name.

InshAllah, we’re going to stay in touch.

It’s so late, it’s early.

These four need some rest before Fajr.

We say our Salams.

I need more coffee, as I continue to update 30 Masjids, in this Tim Horton’s at Tahajjud Time, in Saint John’s North End.