Many Masjids offer 20 Rakats of Taraweeh, others stop at 8 Rakats.

At Masjids where 20 Rakats are observed, many worshippers exit after 8 Rakats.

So how many Rakats (units) of Prayer is Taraweeh… really?

The Islamic Institute of Toronto historically has organized Taraweeh with 20 Rakats followed by 3 Rakats of Witr.

At the start of Ramadan 2022, our third Ramadan during this Global Corona Virus Pandemic, Resident Scholar Shaikh Ahmad Kutty explained IIT’s reasoning in hosting 8 Rakats of Taraweeh this year…

The Decision to Pray Eight Rak`ahs of Taraweeh at IIT is Temporary

Shaikh Ahmad Kutty

“Taraweeh is an important Sunnah of the Prophet (peace upon him).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) established a precedent by performing it three nights in congregation.

He discontinued it, however, out of concern that Allah could make it obligatory because of the zeal of the congregants.

Umar, the pious caliph, understood why the Prophet had chosen to discontinue taraweeh.

Therefore, when there was no concern over Allah making it mandatory, he organized taraweeh prayer led by Ubayy b. Kab, the famous scholar of the Qur’an.

Ubayy chose to pray twenty rak’as.

The precedent thus set was then followed by most Muslims in the centuries that followed.

According to well-attested reports from Aisha, the beloved wife of the Prophet, the Prophet never prayed more than thirteen rak’as.

But the Prophet never said that one could only pray thirteen.

When asked about optional prayers one may pray after isha; his answer was:

“One should pray it in two’s and two’s.

However, if there is a fear of dawn approaching, one should close it with at least one Rak’a of Witr.“

As for the contention about the precise number of Rak’as,

Ibn Taymiyya has analyzed the issue and summed it up as follows.

“We may pray twenty as is the view of Ahmad, Shafi;
or thirty-three as is the opinion of Imam Malik;
or eleven or thirteen (including Witr as the Prophet did it).

It is all good.

The number can vary according to the conditions of the worshippers.

It is acceptable if they can stand long hours reading with ten rak’ahs followed by three rak’ahs of Witr.

On the other hand, they can choose to pray twenty rak’as if they do so, considering the comfort level of the congregation.

That has been the precedent followed by most Muslims through the centuries.

It is the middle position between the eleven or thirteen and the thirty or forty, as various people hold.

However, it is wrong for anyone to state that the Prophet fixed the number of rak’ahs so that we can neither add nor subtract from it.”

Since its inception, we at the Islamic Institute have been praying twenty.

Some congregants choose to leave after eight, others at ten or twelve.

The same practice occurs in the Haramayn.

The recent announcement that we will start with eight was primarily due to administrative considerations and to prevent the spread of COVID infections by a sudden opening of the services since we are still not out of the woods yet.

It is only a temporary policy, and we hope to return to our previous practice of praying twenty as soon as we have some reassurances regarding health & safety.

I urge everyone to pray to Allah to heal our community and help us to get back to our routine and precedents as soon as possible.”

Shaikh Ahmad Kutty’s words are important and useful for anyone wanting to understand the history and rationale of observing the optional Taraweeh Prayer.

On Night 6 of Ramadan 2022,

Qari Abdulfatah Jahedar & Qari Ali Salem Jahedar led IIT‘s Congregation in 8 Rakats of Taraweeh.

If you are outside of Ontario and because of online geo-restrictions cannot listen to the Special Daily Ramadan Radio Program from Reflections on Islam,

Resilient Hour from the Islamic Institute of Toronto is a good go-to, at least 2/7ths of the time.

Tonight is the second of IIT’s twice weekly Resilient Hour shows being livestreamed on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan 2022/1443.

Qari Hassan Abdulrahman opened the Resilient Hour reciting verses of the Qur’an.

Speaking tonight was Shaikh Abdullah Hakim Quick about The Benefits of Ramadan.

We listened & watched the Resilient Hour while we readied ourselves for Adhan Al Maghrib and the time to break our fast.

Adhan Al Maghrib tonight was called by one of the younger members of the IIT Congregration, Brother Omar Hassan.

JANE’S WALK DETAILS:

Following an Islamophobia incident in North York in late 2015, HïMY SYeD led “The History of Muslims in Toronto – A Special December Jane’s Walk” a few days before Christmas.

It was well attended; much was learned, much was understood.

That very long walk was intended as a never-to-be-repeated event.

Yet Islamophobia persists… Quebec City Mosque Attack, and then Etobicoke, and then London.

This Jane’s Walk explains how 3rd, 4th, & 5th Generation Muslim Torontonians helped build our city.

This Jane’s Walk will visit four locations in The Junction and High Park neighbourhoods to reveal that history.

Walk stop locations:

  • The little known history of The Albanian Muslim Society of Toronto – The pivotal role of its founder, Reggie Assim
  • The Dundas Street Mosque – The City’s First masjid
  • Toronto’s FIRST Halal Butcher Shop – Roncesvalles Village
  • Jami Mosque – Toronto’s Second Islamic Centre and its national significance

TIME: Sunday May 8 2022 – 4:00 p.m.

MEETING POINT: Annette Street at Runnymede Avenue, Sidewalk on South West Corner of intersection.

WALK LEADER: Holding Orange “Walk With Us” Jane’s Walk sign; wearing a Green Square🟩

NEAREST PUBLIC TRANSIT: Runnymede Bus stop at Annette Street

WALK END LOCATION: Jami Mosque, 56 Boustead Avenue

Please help get the word and as important…

…Join This Special Jane’s Walk!

See YOU on Sunday May 8 2022, and Thank You!

​As part of the Green Square Campaign🟩, Green Squares (with safety pins) will be available for all who wish to wear one during this Jane’s Walk.

Reflections on Islam

Special Ramadan 2022 Daily Radio Program

Hosted by Ezzedin Gad

Livestreams began on Friday April 1 2022 and continues every evening until Tuesday May 3 2022.

Starts 30 minutes before Maghrib/Sunset according to Toronto Local Time.

Today’s program began at 7:25 p.m.

Ramadan in Toronto without Reflections on Islam, well, Alhumdulillah we don’t have to think about that this year.

This Radio program really is an unmistakable part of Toronto’s Muslim History and Toronto’s Muslim Heritage.

This program must have provided an important connection during these past two Pandemic Ramadan Lockdowns when masjids were closed then opened then closed and closed again.

For some not quite ready to break fast inside a masjid this third Ramadan of the Pandemic, this daily livestream is still here for you to hear.

So today, Day 4 of Ramadan 2022, we livestreamed the Ramadan Program while we prepared Iftar, and waited until Sunset according to Toronto local time.

We didn’t have to watch the clock.

We only had to wait and listen for Adhan Al Maghrib on today’s Ramadan Radio Program Livestream…


Livestream : https://reflectionsonislam.tv/ramadan_radio/

Only listeners in Ontario can livestream online at this time.

You can support Reflections on Islam by donating here.

Noon Academy is a private Islamic elementary and High School for children in Brampton, Ontario.

They have a Masjid which offers Jumah Prayers year-round and Taraweeh Prayers during Ramadan.

Noon Academy in Brampton is where I went for tonight’s Isha and Taraweeh prayer.

I was expecting to see many more cars in their parking lot.

Entry into the masjid was different that during my previous visits.

I was expecting way more people once inside.

Noon was spacious tonight compared to the full house inside Sayeda Khadija Centre’s Isha prayer on Saturday.

A side-door which is usually closed has been converted into the main entrance to the Masjid alone, by-passing the need to walk through the school hallways to reach the masjid.

That’s a smart change. In and out. Easy.

Small plastic bags are provided atop a table beside some hand sanitizer.

We bag our shoes and bring them into the hall with us.

As 9:30 p.m. approached, the start time for Isha, I was still waiting to see more people arrive.

Nope.

This was it.

Both men and women and children pray in the same medium sized prayer hall. There is no barrier between them.

I didn’t look closely, but from a distance, I might guess maybe 20 sisters in total were present for Isha and Taraweeh tonight. They had plenty of open space.

For the brothers, we ended up at two lines plus a few more standing in the third line.

We weren’t standing shoulder-to-shoulder, but maybe that was just me.

I brought my own prayer mat to put in front of me. A handful of others did as well.

Most of the brothers were praying on the regular masjid carpet, pre-pandemic style… can I even say that? “Praying pre-pandemic style”…?

Most were not wearing masks.

I kept mine on.

Every masjid’s congregation has their own COVID safety protocol rules and comfort levels.

These are the ones at Noon Academy for now.

During Taraweeh, the Imam recited verses from The Qur’an by reading it from pages open before him.

His Qur’an was open atop a music stand beside the mimbar. Music stands aren’t just for sheet music!

At least on this night, the one leading Taraweeh didn’t appear to be a Hafiz.

Unlike Saturday night during Sayeda Khadija Centre’s Taraweeh prayer when I felt overwhelmed being around so many fellow worshipers by the sixth rakat, tonight I’m simply tired.

I stop praying Taraweeh after eight rakats.

I’m not the only one.

During the Lockdowns during the previous Pandemic Ramadan, the IIT, Islamic Institute of Toronto, created a nightly livestream program.

They named it The “Resilient Hour”.

“Resilient” is a word meaning adapting to change.

“Hour” in Islam often refers to that Final Hour, The Day of Judgement, which is ever-approaching.

And adapting to changes during the Pandemic is what we all had to do.

IIT’s nightly livestream became a lifeline of sorts, a connection for a congregration who because of The Province of Ontario COVID-19 Stay at Home orders, could not congregate in person during Ramadan.

Shaikh Musleh Khan who is speaking tonight, was also speaking on Day 1 of Ramadan 2021, when we watched the first Resilient Hour livestream.

“​Assalaamu Alaikum and Ramadan Mubarak to everyone!

Great to have Resilient Hour again.

Please share the stream!”

– Mohamed Khadim

Last Ramadan 2021, Resilient Hour was livestreamed every night.

Resilient Hour this Ramadan 2022 will be livestreamed on Mondays and Wednesdays only :

  • Monday April 4 2022
  • Wednesday April 6 2022
  • Monday April 11 2022
  • Wednesday April 13 2022
  • Monday April 18 2022
  • Wednesday April 20 2022
  • Monday April 25 2022
  • Wednesday April 27 2022

Resilient Hour begins livestreaming around one hour before Maghrib/Sunset according to Toronto local time / Eastern Daylight Time.

youtube.com/c/IslamicInstituteofToronto/live

IIT’s decision to keep livestreaming Resilient Hour this Ramadan, even if it is only twice on Mondays and Wednesdays rather than every night, shares something with Sayeda Khadija Centre.

Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga is still doing Drive-Thru Iftar Pick Ups, a good idea they appear to be keeping from the full lockdown Ramadan days.

Even though Masjids in Ontario can operate without capacity limits, for now, we ARE in a 6th Wave of the Corona Virus Pandemic.

Ramadan 2022 could technically look like Ramadan 2019.

…Except we’re all wearing masks.

Similar to how Remote Working from Home became normal during the Pandemic lockdowns and is something Society is keeping.

Perhaps in addition to Drive-Thru Iftar Pick Ups, IIT’s Resilient Hour Livestreams also remain part of the Regular Ramadan Experience in Toronto.

The other contribution to Ramadan Culture in Toronto that IIT can continue, and SHOULD continue are their Drive-Thru Cup Cake Pick Ups !

Those were the best!

“Assalamu alaikum and Ramadan Kareem.

Watching from Guyana and missing the programs and the special feelings that can only be experienced at the IIT.”

– Jay Mobeen

Jay Mobeen was watching the Resilient Hour Livestream from Guyana ?

Might have to add another “I” to the “I I T”…

The “International” Islamic Institute of Toronto !

Tonight’s Iftar spread over our dining table while listening/watching to Adhan Al Maghrib on Resilient Hour cast onto our TV.


Toronto’s Metropolitan Area is vast.

While IIT is physically located in the north-east pocket of the city’s boundaries, being closer to Pearson Airport might mean you break your fast a minute after they begin livecasting Adhan Al Maghrib in Scarborough.

Scarborough was a city that got gobbled up into the amalgamated MegaCity of Toronto on January 1 1998.

IIT, where the sidewalk ends, or used to end, is in Scarborough.

IIT sounds better than IIS.

So… Maybe something good came out of Amalgamation after all ?

Aside : I was casting the livestream to our Television from my Raspberry Pi 400 via a fire stick. SubhanAllah, no glitches.

Sayeda Khadija Centre is providing Drive-Thru Iftar dinner pickups on Friday and Sundays from 6 p.m. onwards.

First come, first served.

We arrived what we thought was early but wasn’t.

There was already a line-up of cars waiting for the plastic chain links to be dropped and the entrance to the parking lot open for drive-thru to begin.

HA ! Car windows adorned with Pakistan Flags.

Perhaps the driver is happy because Prime Minister Imran Khan just survived a non-confidence motion in their Parliament in Islamabad?

This is the first Drive-Thru Iftar picker-upper exiting Sayeda Khadija Centre. That was quick!

Faith of Life Network / Centre for Deen Studies / Sayeda Khadija Centre all at 7150 Edwards Blvd, Mississauga.

Are we there yet ?

We’re almost there !

Two bags with Two Iftar BBQ Dinners each.

Outdoor Grill where tonight’s Iftar Dinners were Bar-Be-Qued.

Many thanks to all the volunteers.

Our turn to exit.

Others now in line for their Drive-Thru Iftar pick-up.

The first time we did Drive-Thru Iftar at Sayeda Khadija Centre was on Day 3 of Ramadan 2020.

We didn’t know exactly how this Pandemic would end.

We know now we’re closer to the end, than the beginning.

Closer, because we were able to attend Iftar at Sayeda Khadija Centre in person yesterday.

Yet, not exactly at Pandemic’s end, as we still did a Drive-Thru Iftar pick-up today, Day 2 of Ramadan 2020.

BBQ Chicken Iftar Dinner.

Bismillah….

 

We’re doing something tonight that we haven’t been able to do for two years…

Attend a Masjid on a Saturday Night for an in-person Iftar Gathering and Taraweeh Prayer.

The Masjid for tonight’s Day 1 blogging of 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan 2022 is Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.

During the Pandemic, our family decided to choose SK Centre as our primary masjid.

So as we ease into visiting different masjids, and do Iftars at different places, and blogging about them, this is where we start.

And to do that, we had to pre-register for a select number of available in-person iftar meal tickets.

No physical meal ticket, rather that ubiquitous QR Code most everyone has become familiar with during these past two years.

Alhumdullilah, we’re early enough to earn our choice of parking spots.

For people who couldn’t pre-book an Iftar meal ticket, Sayeda Khadija Centre still offered up Drive-Thru Iftar Meal pick-ups.

Drive-Thru Iftars are Friday and Sunday only on a first-come first-served basis.

While Saturdays are both in-person pre-booked Iftars, plus drive-thru Iftar pick-ups.

It took the Pandemic Lockdowns to make Remote Working from Home normal, which means Remote Working and Hybrid Working is something Society is keeping post-pandemic.

Likewise perhaps are Drive-Thru Iftar Pick-ups at larger Masjids.

They made sense during the Pandemic when masjids were locked down to the public.

At least tonight for people who missed out on booking an Iftar Meal Ticket, the pick-up still makes sense.

Tonight though, Alhumdulillah we’re walking inside.

The Iftar table seating arrangement is still not 100% of the building’s true capacity.

These brothers are handling the Drive-Thru Iftar Pick-ups for this evening.

Meals are prepared in the kitchen, here the food-filled containers are being bagged two at a time, before being walked over, outside and into the hands of people waiting in their cars.

Hard to see in this image, but colourful Islamic Geometry has been added to the windows in the south-west corner wall.

Yep… we’re early. This is the sisters’ side of the prayer hall.

As we entered the primary prayer hall, the lights were off.

Natural light flooding in through square skylights on the ceiling illuminated the masjid, though it was still rather dark.

This is my prayer mat I brought today.

It has a design of dome atop what looks like a representation of Turkish Architecture.

Domes serve three purposes when it comes to Masjids.

They are a technology that allows the voice of the speaker at the front of the Masjid Hall to project via measured acoustics so what is being said can easily be heard by everyone sitting anywhere inside the building.

This was before microphones and loudspeakers were invented.

Domes as sound systems were state of the art for centuries.

A second purpose of dome design brings us to the arch shaped windows circling the base of the dome where it meets the roof above the prayer hall.

Those windows allow in the maximum amount of natural light no matter the time of day, nor the time of year with the sun being wherever it is.

The entire prayer hall will have year round, free daytime lighting, to illuminate the inside of the masjid.

Sayeda Khadija Centre has no dome. It has skylights.

It also has electricity, which a masjid volunteer used to power on the lights, after a few minutes.

Domes are also for identity, the third of its purposes, still employed today.

Spot a dome along a city’s skyline, and it’s most likely a masjid, which means a local Muslim community is present.

Everyone wants the Pandemic do be done with. But it’s not done with us just yet.

Volunteers came and turned on this air circulation filter.

I noticed the noise of the machine, but the sound became ambient within moments and I forgot it was there soon enough.

 

Approaching Iftar time and cups of water are brought to us by volunteers.

Dates too, with which to break our fast in a few minutes.

Iftar for tonight : Date and a Cup of Water.

Dates and Cups of Water for all.

We’re all still wearing masks.

Why?

Because many Elders within the congregation wished to attend Iftar, and Isha, and Taraweeh.

Everyone wearing masks allows a more safe masjid environment for our elders.



Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi welcomes everyone and then recited some verses from the Qur’an as sunset time approached, then went over a few COVID-19 protocol housekeeping reminders.


Adhan Al-Maghrib, The Call to Prayer after Sunset, and time to break the fast.

Volunteer quickly serpentines around those lines of people, collecting our now empty cups.

Lining up for Salat Al-Maghrib, not quite shoulder-to-shoulder, but far from being six feet apart.

Progress!

Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi leads tonight’s Salat Al-Maghrib, The Prayer after Sunset.

Prayer complete. Almost time to Eat.

Imam Slimi reminds us Ramadan is about The Fast more than The Feast.

He also informs us that tonight they are short 15 volunteers.

Some volunteers have COVID, while other volunteers have family members who have contracted COVID, so as a precaution, those volunteers while symptom-free, also stayed home tonight.

A reminder that COVID is still a thing out there, and we all need to keep wearing our masks while inside the masjid.

Also being down so many Volunteers, Imam Slimi hints we should be patient with any shortcomings in tonight’s Iftar Dinner Program.

While winding our way from the Prayer Hall to the Meal Hall, spot this tray of cups of water and single servings of dates.

The usual site seen at any masjid’s entrance around Maghrib time.

Kind of smart how they did this.

The tables already have carafes of water plus cups.

Many tables also have two bags containing two Iftar dinners each.

These look to be the same Iftar Dinner bags which were being handed out earlier during tonight’s Drive-Thru Iftar pickups.

Other tables have different looking Iftar Dinner Trays, and the food is different.

I ask one of the volunteer how many meals were prepared for tonight?

If I heard correctly, there were 322 booked meals for tonight.

A combination then of surplus pre-bagged double Iftar Dinners from the Drive-Thru, and topped up with additional Iftar Dinner trays prepared shortly before Maghrib.

Minimizes the potential for food waste.

One of those logistical details that are important and needs to be understood and used.

Of those 322 Iftar Dinners prepared tonight, this one was mine.

Looking around, it feels like there are way more people here.

That feeling might be because this is my first In-Person Iftar Dinner inside a Masjid during Ramadan after two years of Lockdown.

…Bismillah…

The general purpose hall, which tonight is transformed into the Iftar Dinner Hall, has giant information posters on along the four walls.

From my table, I spot this poster with a verse from the Qur’an about water.

‘We… made frrom water every living thing…Then will they not believe?’

(Qur’an 21:30)

I reflect upon the verse as I consider the carafe of water on our table…

Is the carafe half full? Or is the carafe half empty?

That interstitial time after finishing Iftar Dinner and before getting up to prepare for Isha Prayer.

I decided to just sit and be grateful that I can. Be able to sit inside a Masjid after a public group Iftar.

These little kids, there were three of them, were playing nearby.

I watched as they made up some kind of game of running towards the rope line, going underneath it, then running again.

They kept doing this, laughing and smiling. Racing. Sort-of. Laughing and smiling. And screaming, the way that little kids are always randomly screaming.

I wonder what will these children remember of their childhood Pandemic Ramadans ?

Will they only remember the happiness of being able to run around and play after Iftar inside the Masjid hall?

Isha is close enough now, we start to head into the prayer hall.

Again, we enter the prayer hall early enough, we get to choose where we sit.

So why not sit to the left side of where the Hafeez will be sitting during tonight’s Taraweeh?

Looking up above the Mihrab, we see Islamic Geometry, filled with four pastel colours, and outlined in tints of gold.

When I first visited Sayeda Khadija Centre ten Ramadans ago on Day 23 of Ramadan 2012, this painted pattern of Islamic Geometric design was painted in white only.

I always wonder and marvel when I look up at it now, and remember when it was all white.

Someone had to paint this by hand.

Wonder who it was?

These are the four prayer spots reserved for tonight’s Hafiz. Students from the Masjid’s Qur’an memorization program.

I ask the Hafiz immediately to my right how they make up the schedule?

The first two Hafiz will lead six rakats (units) of Taraweeh Prayer each.

The final two Hafiz will lead four rakats of Taraweeh Prayer each, totalling twenty in all.

Welcome and Ramadan Kareem shared before Salat Al Isha, The Night Prayer begins.

Adhan Al Isha, Call to The Night Prayer.

Adhan Al Isha, Call to The Night Prayer.

Salat Al Isha, led by Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi.

Taraweeh Prayer begins, the first of twenty rakats of nafil prayers.

After six rakats, the second Hafiz for tonight is leading the first of his six rakats.

Around this Tag-Team-Taraweeh Hafiz handover, is when I began feeling a little overwhelmed.

Perhaps it was being around so many other people praying, close up, not quite shoulder-to-shoulder, but in very close proximity, after having avoided so many for so many months.

More than months, make that two years.

Reminded myself to be grateful that we can gather at all after being deprived from doing so these past two Ramadans.

Even this uncomfort of mine was a Mercy and Blessing which was not possible since Ramadan 2019.

How many favours of My Lord am I denying ?

After eight rakats, many people are happy and satisfied, and begin to exit the prayer hall.

My brother and I also exit, satisfied with having prayed eight rakats on this first Masjid visit of Ramadan 2022.

That joyful exiting experience where everyone is patient, talking, meeting, making donations.

All while still wearing masks.

Something not seen since Ramadan 2019 : Shoe racks filled with shoes.

During the Lockdown Ramadans, these shoe racks would remain mostly empty, as strict capacity limits needed to be observed.

During the pandemic, Sayeda Khadija Centre installed these new sliding glass doors, which were kind of used tonight.

The new sliding doors were partially opened, and allowed us eight-rakat-taraweeh-ers to exit more easily.

Another scene not seen since Ramadan 2019 ?

Hanging out in the masjid parking lot after Taraweeh.

This too is part of Ramadan Culture for Canadian Muslims.

Masjids don’t usually have stained glass.

This Ramadan, Sayeda Khadija Centre has something similar though…

Islamic Geometric Patterns inside the arched windows facing the parking lot.

Maybe these Islamic Geometric window designs will also become part of Canadian Ramadan Culture ?

““How should I break my fast?”

This is my most common patient question this week.

As 2 billion Muslims start #fasting for Ramadan I’ll answer here from my perspective as a doctor & cardiometabolic researcher.

Hopefully you’ll find takeaways to enjoy a #RamadanMubarak

A thread…

First and foremost a disclaimer that I’ll be answering from a scientific standpoint, not as a religious expert.

You may see, though, that much of the medical reasons here coincide perfectly with the sunna or tradition of Prophet Muhammad PBUH (not surprisingly).

Now to answer the question.

The best thing to break your fast with are dates.

Dates are full of key ingredients that are very helpful after a long fast.

First, they’re high in fructose & glucose which helps rapidly restore low blood sugar.

There are several other essential vitamins & minerals such as potassium, which is particularly important here…

When fasting, potassium excretion increases early on.

In fact, when we clinically prescribe intermittent fasting or protein-sparing modified fasts for weight loss we closely monitor electrolytes, and sometimes have to give potassium chloride supplements.

Being able to naturally replenish potassium along with fruit sugar is very helpful.

Dates are also chock full of other vitamins & minerals including magnesium, B6, fiber (which helps you feel full), and antioxidants.

The high caloric density of these small fruits is also convenient- they give nutritional value without occupying much room in your shrunken stomach.

So from a scientific standpoint, it makes perfect sense why this was the Prophet PBUH’s preferred food to break fasts with.

If you don’t have dates, consider other fruits with similar benefits such as apples, figs, or pears.

As for what to drink, the best is WATER.

Not tamarind drink, not Tang mix, not soda.

All these spike sugar WITHOUT the benefits above.

In fact, they rapidly expand the stomach, cause bloating, affect the rest of the meal afterwards, and don’t have additional nutritional value.

So the best is just a few sips of water.

This was also, in fact, the preference of the Prophet PBUH when he didn’t have dates.

“What about after that?”

Take a break.

There are several reasons for this…

1) After a long fast, your stomach is smaller and less able to accept a full meal quickly.

2) For digestion: Once you eat a few dates, that sparks a whole digestive cascade of events.

Your stomach starts producing gastrin which stimulates secretion of digestive juices.

As the dates get digested enterogastrone is secreted and helps regulate blood flow.

This is important preparation for the remainder of the meal that follows.

If instead you eat a massive meal all at once, too much blood gets shunted to your gut & away from your brain.

Food coma!

3) For satiety: the initial pause after breaking your fast helps modulate your “hunger hormones.”

Ghrelin is a hormone also released by your stomach when you’re hungry.

It’s highest right before breaking your fast and goes down when you eat.

Once Ghrelin is down it signals to your brain that you’re full.

This usually takes 45-60 minutes so the added delay after breaking your fast makes it less likely to overeat beyond your stomach’s capacity – a phenomenon way too common in Ramadan.

So if you’re fasting, following this process of taking a brief pause, AND paying attention to food quality then you shouldn’t gain weight during Ramadan.

If you find yourself GAINING despite 14 hours of fasting and with everything else being equal then something’s wrong.

In that case, you must explore what you’re eating and the way you’re eating.

So what did the Prophet PBUH do?

He used this time to pray Maghreb, the sunset prayer.

This prayer can be brief.

No need to extend it.

The time for longer prayers is after Isha (Taraweeh/Qiyam prayers).

And now you’re ready for the rest of your meal!

I urge you to again pay attention to quantity and quality here.

In terms of quantity, the Prophet PBUH reminds us to not be gluttonous 👇🏼

As for quality, a common mistake is having high fat meals at the expense of vegetables.

You do need some fat, but too much will cause spikes in triglycerides, increase cholesterol, and make you miss out on other vital macro and micronutrients.

You need enough protein for cellular functions and to ensure you don’t break down muscle during your fast (catabolism).

You need carbs for energy and virtually every physiologic process in your body.

You need vitamins & minerals which largely come from fruits & vegetables

There are a million opinions and diets out there and no single correct path, but whatever you choose just make sure to have balance and moderation.

I like the concept of thirds: Split 1/3 of plate for vegetables (cooked or salad), 1/3 for protein (meat or beans), 1/3 for carbs.

If you ensure at least a third in vegetables it becomes harder to miss out on important nutrients and you end up having less space for fatty/processed foods.

Finally, an often neglected but vital part of the discussion is suhoor (dawn meal).

This should NOT be skipped.

In terms of timing, suhoor should be delayed for two reasons.

1) The closer it is to dawn, the shorter your fast will be.

2) This extends the time from your last large nighttime meal which gives you time to digest and regulate hunger cycles.

For suhoor, focus on foods that give you satiety so you feel full for longer, without spiking your sugar, and without causing you to feel thirsty.

A great choice is Greek yogurt.

Hummus or beans (eg Fava) are also good but you need to mind the salt so you don’t feel thirsty.

And of course be sure to hydrate adequately, especially if you’ll be outdoors or perspiring during the day.

I hope you found this helpful!

I wish you all a healthy month ahead full of forgivenesses, gratitude, and blessings.

I pray for relief and peace to all those struggling through difficult times around the world.

#RamadanKareem to all.”

— By Haitham Ahmed, MD, MPH, Chair of Cardiology at AdvantageCare Physicians, New York, NY

AsalamAlay Everybody,

On this Friday Evening, April 1 2022,

There is overcast sky covering the entire Toronto Metropolitan Area.

Nevertheless, after praying Maghrib I still went out and looked for the New Crescent.

I could not see it because of complete cloud cover.

This is a Negative Moonsighting Report from Brampton, Ontario, Canada on Friday April 1 2022.

Ramadan ( Almost ) Mubarak to All !

Salam,

HïMY SYeD

Elsewhere . . .

Moonsighting.com :

“Seen:

Mr Syed Shahid Rashid from San Diego, CA reported:

On April 1, 2022, Hilal was seen with optical aid only.

I am in direct contact with brothers who have been able to sight with optical aid only.

Dr. Farooq Rahman and Mufti Shakeeb with 15+ people spotted the moon with aid from Mount Laguna that is 4000 feet above ground.

Nobody was able to see without aid as Dr. Rahman reported to me.”

When my brother Amir spotted this Mobile Vaccination Clinic to be held at ISNA’s Islamic Centre of Canada, he signed us up both for today, Sunday Jaunary 30 2022.


I previously wrote about getting my first COVID-19 mRNA shot at ICCO, Islamic Community Centre of Ontario, over on my City of Labyrinths blog :

First Dose – Mobile Vaccination Clinic – MAC ICCO – Muslim Association of Canada – Islamic Community Centre of Ontario – 2550 Dunwin Drive, Mississauga

My brother and I were already double-dosed fully vaccinated last year.

This Sunday Morning we’d be getting our third shot Boosters.

We were able to book appointments for 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Arriving at a quarter to eleven this morning, we found a nearly empty front parking lot at ISNA.

Parking opposite the primary entrance to ISNA High School is unusual for us.

Mostly when visiting the Islamic Centre of Canada, we have to hunt for a parking spot in the much larger south parking lot.

I was early, as were about a dozen other Muslims.

Being the first cohort, for lack of a better term, of the day, meant today’s Mobile Vaccination Clinic wasn’t immediately ready at 11:00 a.m. on the dot.

No one in line seemed to mind as we all stood six feet apart from each other for an additional 20 minutes.

Almost didn’t feel the time pass at all, despite looking at my watch every so often.

It afforded me the ability to privately recite short Islamic prayers, Dhikr, while inside of a Masjid Proper. Something of a rare privilege during the numerous lockdowns since early 2020.

So lesson learned is, whenever you have the chance to make Dhikr inside a masjid, be quick and get to it!

The Vaccination Clinic was set up inside the ISNA High School Gym.

The Gym was divided into two sections by unfolding the giant dividing sliding wall panels.

A section each for men and women.

The separate women’s section allowed privacy for Muslim Women when getting their Shots in the upper arms.

The men’s section had a total of four people waiting for shots.

I didn’t have to wait long at all.

Unlike the feeling I physically experienced when I got my first COVID-19 jab in the arm last year, this time I almost felt nothing.

The Doctor administering my shot asked me IF I got the photograph I wanted as he jabbed me ?

I couldn’t even tell that the needle was in my arm.

Afterwards I would wonder if a different needle technology was used so it was painless ?

I asked the Doctor how long I should keep the band-aid covering the spot where I was jabbed.

The band-aid was mostly unnecessary he informed me. It was applied as precaution to alleviate any rare instance of a drop or two of blood appearing around the jab location.

Well, no reason to keep mine on then, and the Doctor removed my band-aid.

After getting each of the first vaccine two doses, we had to stick around for 15 minutes.

For boosters, we only had to wait for five minutes.

If driving, they asked people to still wait for the full 15 minutes.

By now my brother had also had his booster jab all done.

We waited in a mostly empty half-gymnasium.

Masjids can easily be described as Empty Rooms with Carpets.

This Sunday morning’s Mobile Vaccination Clinic inside ISNA was an Empty Gym with Chairs.

There was something so Boringly Routine about today.

Everybody was going through the motions…

The Volunteers, The Medical Staff, ISNA’s Vaccination Volunteers, and we, the Waiting-to-be Third time Jabbed.

Ramadan comes around once every Lunar year.

We don’t yet know if Muslims visiting Mobile Vaccination & Booster Clinics at Masjids is now also annually necessary.

Allah-hu-Alam.

And Allah, Glorified and Praised be He, knows best.

“January 29, 2022 marks the 5th anniversary of the Québec City Mosque Shooting in which six of our Brothers were killed in the sanctity of the masjid,

Leaving six widows and 17 children,

As well as numerous other injured,

Including Aymen Derbal who was left paralyzed after being shot seven times trying to stop the shooter.

This day also marks the first National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia.”

– Islamic Society of Kingston

Live translation (French-English) of the 5th Commemoration of the Québec City Mosque Shooting, held in Québec City.

Muslim Council of Peel Statement on
National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Mississauga – January 28, 2022) Tomorrow, the Muslim Council of Peel alongside Canadians across the nation will remember the shocking and tragic event that took place in the Quebec City Mosque and will honour those beautiful souls that lost their lives and those that were injured during this senseless act of violence.

The Quebec City Mosque terror attack was the first mass attack against Canadian Muslims and worst mass murder in a house of worship in Canada’s history. Today, we honour and pray for Imbrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassana, Azzedine Soufiane, Aboubaker Thabti.

Since this devastating crime in 2017, racism and hatred, manifested in the form of Islamophobia, are serious issues that have significantly affected Canadian Muslims. To illustrate, the slain killing of Mohamed-Aslim Zafis at the doors of the Etobicoke Mosque, the terrorist attack in London, Ontario, and the continued hate crimes against Muslims, are just a few examples of this hate. As a result the Canadian government declared January 29 to be a National Day of Remembrance and Action Against Islamophobia in order to honour the victims and express solidarity with the survivors.

The Region of Peel is home to more than 150,000 Canadian Muslims, as well as more than 60 Islamic Centres, Mosques, and Schools. Canada’s Muslim population currently numbers over one million individuals; by 2030, this figure is predicted to double to 2.7 million. Canadian Muslims are a significant part of the country’s cultural diversity, social fabric, and economy. Muslim contributions and participation in the shaping of our country have been significant in a variety of fields, including the arts, sports, academia, sciences, literature, public policy, and other fields.

We thank the City of Mississauga and the City of Brampton for being strong voices in condemning Islamophobia.

  • On January 29, 2019, Brampton city council unanimously passed a resolution proclaiming Jan. 29 as a day of remembrance and action on Islamophobia. In November 2021, Brampton city council unanimously endorsed the Nation Council of Canadian Muslims’ (NCCM) municipal summit recommendations to combat Islamophobia
  • In October 2020, the City of Mississauga passed a motion to unequivocally condemn all forms of Islamophobia, hate speech or threats against Muslims or Mosques
  • In October 2020, the Peel Police Service committed to tackling systemic racism including Islamophobia through a partnership with the Ontario Human Rights Commission
  • In October 2021, The Peel District School Board approved an anti-Islamophobia strategy

Despite these efforts, the number of crimes motivated by race or ethnicity continues to rise in Peel Region. Hate crimes against members of faith communities increased by 54 percent between 2018 and 2020.

The Muslim Council of Peel (MCP) has been advocating for addressing systemic Islamophobia in Peel institutions and increasing hate crimes. From advising the Peel District School Board to the Chief of Peel Police, members of MCP have actively spoken out for Muslims living in Peel.

MCP calls for Municipalities to:

  • – pass municipal street harassment bylaws that are proportional and constitutional. Bylaws should also address clearly hateful verbal assaults and give authorities the ability to ticket and fine when necessary.
  • – provide dedicated funding for local community-based anti-Islamophobia initiatives.
  • – to implement anti-Islamophobia advisory councils while ensuring that there is appropriate representation of diverse local Muslim communities.
  • – dedicate specific funding for anti-Islamophobia public awareness campaigns
  • – invest in celebrating the history of local Canadian Muslims and initiatives through a concrete program that brings these figures and names to the forefront of local-level recognition
  • – redirect funding towards alternative measures to policing in municipal budgets.
  • – develop models for training young Muslim leaders for the future such as th Youth Fellowship program in Toronto.

Contact:
Rabia Khedr
MCP Board Director
905-270-9679
executivedirector@mcpeel.ca”