This morning,

In-between bites of Sahoor, my pre-dawn meal, I went livestream hunting and IPTV channel surfing for a Good Sahoor broadcast.

As I type this, I can’t even recall what I was watching or listening to this morning.

Sahoor / Fajr today May 4th 2020 was not memorable.

Alhumdulillah,

Fajr on Day 4 of Ramadan 2013, is still memorable.

While blogging 30 Masjids in 30 Day of Ramadan 2013 around my home province of Ontario,

I spent an hour with Western University MSA brothers broadcasting

The MuslimsLive RAMADAN Radio Show .

Fast Forward to today,

Monday May 4th 2020 aka Day 11 of Ramadan 1441.

I am spending the half hour before Maghrib Sunset Time, listening to the Livestream,

Reflections on Islam Special Ramadan Radio Program.

30 Masjids AT HOME in 30 Days of Ramadan 2020

Began on

Wednesday April 22 2020 – Night 0” of Ramadan 2020,

Listening to the ROI Radio Livestream.

And Today,

I continue Ramadan 2020 by listening to,

and this time breaking my fast listening to, Reflections of Islamic Special Ramadan Radio Program.

Reflections on Islam began as a TV Show.

The Special Ramadan Radio Program came later.

I don’t remember which year was the first,

But my Teenage Ramadan Fasts during the 1980s in Toronto were broken listening to Adhan Al Maghrib being broadcast on the Radio.

I grew up listening to Reflections on Islam during Ramadan.

I don’t recall which years nor correct chronological order, but the Radio Station the program was broadcasting from bounced around every few years before landing on its current webpage sometime before Ramadan 2013.

ROI Radio had aired on one of Toronto’s Campus Radio stations, perhaps Ryerson Polytechnic ?

Akin to the MuslimsLive program I would later blog about and twitpic’d above.

There were a couple of other stations, maybe CFRB 1010 and another FM station for a few years ?

Each program would begin one half hour before Maghrib Sunset Time.

Since Sunset moves a number of minutes each night, ROI Radio would begin at a different minute of the hour every night of Ramadan.

This likely made it a challenge in scheduling for any Radio Station Manager.

The program itself was performing a Hijrah, migrating through the clock hour.

Consequently, for a number of years, ROI Radio was off the air completely.

Those Ramadan Fasts when there was no ROI Radio in the middle of the 1980s, kind of always felt incomplete when Sunset came around and my family broke our daily fasts.

To compensate,

On his weekly TV Show in weeks leading up to those Ramadans, Ezz E. Gad made available audio cassettes which we could pre-order.

Each set included recordings for 30 Days of Ramadan.

We were supposed to Press PLAY “One half hour before Maghrib Sunset Time” to line up sunset and hearing our tape players sound Adhan Al Maghrib.

I think our family ordered the tapes, but it wasn’t the same feeling as listening to the scratchy AM Signal.

When I first began blogging this 30 Masjids project in August of 2011,

I chose Day 15 of Ramadan 2011 to first blog about ROI Radio :

Day 15 – Reflections on Islam Radio Program

…A scratchy AM Signal from CJRN AM 7910 in Niagara Falls, on the other side of Lake Ontario.

The signal would weave in and out, yet that distant Adhan on the radio was how I broke my fast for years !

Last year,

I broke my First Fast of Ramadan 2019 listening to Ezz E. Gad via livestream.

 

To listen to the Livestream,

You must be connecting from an IP Address from inside Ontario, Canada.

If you were in British Columbia during Ramadan 2015, your BC IP Address did allow you to listen to ROI.

 

 

Many Rogers Internet customers complain that they indeed are in Ontario,

Yet their IP Address is showing out of province, and are geo-blocked from hearing ROI’s Livestream.

Don’t blame Ezz E. Gad,

Tell Rogers !

 

Remaining ROI Radio Livestream Start Times in Ramadan 2020 . . .

http://reflectionsonislam.tv/radio/

 

Ramadan 11 – May 4 : Start Time – 8:01 p.m.

Ramadan 12 – May 5 : Start Time – 8:02 p.m.

Ramadan 13 – May 6 : Start Time – 8:03 p.m.

Ramadan 14 – May 7 : Start Time – 8:04 p.m.

Ramadan 15 – May 8 : Start Time – 8:05 p.m.

Ramadan 16 – May 9 : Start Time – 8:06 p.m.

Ramadan 17 – May 10 : Start Time – 8:07 p.m.

Ramadan 18 – May 11 : Start Time  -8:08 p.m.

Ramadan 19 – May 12 : Start Time – 8:10 p.m.

Ramadan 20 – May 13 : Start Time – 8:11 p.m.

Ramadan 21 – May 14 : Start Time – 8:12 p.m.

Ramadan 22 – May 15 : Start Time – 8:13 p.m.

Ramadan 23 – May 16 : Start Time – 8:14 p.m.

Ramadan 24 – May 17 : Start Time – 8:15 p.m.

Ramadan 25 – May 18 : Start Time – 8:16 p.m.

Ramadan 26 – May 19 : Start Time – 8:17 p.m.

Ramadan 27 – May 20 : Start Time – 8:18 p.m.

Ramadan 28 – May 21 : Start Time – 8:19 p.m.

Ramadan 29 – May 22 : Start Time – 8:20 p.m.

Ramadan 30 – May 23 : Start Time – 8:21 p.m.

Shawwal 1 – May 24 : Start Time – 8:23 p.m.

Shawwal 2 – May 25 : Start Time – 8:24 p.m.

 

Why the extra two days of Livestreaming after the end Ramadan ?

(Likewise one or two days of radio shows before Ramadan began in April.)

One word.

Moonsighting, Not Moonfighting.

Okay, that’s three words.

First Rule of Moonsighting Club,

You Do NOT Talk About Moonfighting Club.

 

 

 

 
For my entire adult life, including years I consider my youth,

I have watched the weekly Reflections on Islam TV Show.

 

The show began on Local Toronto TV Channel, CFMT Channel 47, decades ago.

Channel 47 is still on the air, today it’s known as OMNI TV.

OMNI TV stuck to its multi-cultural multi-lingual programming roots.

IN 1980,

CFMT Channel 47 became Canada’s first television station to air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

CNN (Cable News Network), the world’s first 24-hour television news network would go live on June 1 1980.

Other channels went off the air one or two hours after midnight.

They might broadcast static or a test pattern.

Here’s CFTO (Canadian Frequency Toronto Ontario) Channel 9 at 3:30 a.m. on a Friday . . .

With all those overnight broadcast hours to fill, that may be why Fridays at 3:30 a.m.,

You could turn on Channel 47 in Toronto, watch Ezz. E. Gad and learn about Islam.

Nowadays,

TV Shows bounce around from being on Network TV, to syndication, get picked up by a Cable Channel, then wind up on an ON Demand Streaming Platform.

While those in the know, watch IPTV.

I can’t recall which year exactly,

But Reflections on Islam TV Program eventually performed a Hijrah or migration,

From Over-The-Air Television (OTA) UHF Channel 47 to Cable Channel VisionTV.

Back then, this was big deal, like, wow, which TV Show does that ????

Following in the footsteps of the First Muslims who migrated from Makkah to Madinah (née Yathrib) to keep their faith intact,

Reflections on Islam kept its thrice weekly Timeslots even after its OTA to Cable TV Hijrah…

  • Sundays : 11 a.m. Eastern Time
  • Mondays : 4 a.m. Eastern Time
  • Fridays : 3:30 a.m. Eastern Time

I still tune in.

للمرة الأولى في رمضان الأذان يصدح عبر المكبرات في المركز الاسلامي في كامبريدج ،كندا

Hearing Adhan for the first time at the Islamic Centre,,,was deeply moving

ICC Cambridge

https://www.facebook.com/ICCambridge/videos/614200872517175/


In 2011,

Three, and later on four, Indonesian Muslimahs began tumblr blogging 30 Mosques in 30 Days of Ramadan from the point of view of women.

Joining the worldwide 30 Mosques in 30 Days of Ramadan movement started in New York City in 2009 by Bassam Tariq and Aman Ali.

Ollie, Nana, Lisa, and Emie, named their project…

Pink Mosques.

Pictures and stories about mosques from Muslimahs perspective.

Throughout 2011 . . .

. . . Many of the world’s Masjid and Ramadan Bloggers quickly found each other online or connected with one another via Tumblr or on Twitter . . .

30 Masjids and Pink Mosques both begin in Ramadan 2011.

After Ramadan 2012,

Pink Mosques also began blogging visits to masjids year round, not just in Ramadan, and not just in Indonesia.

 

January 2013 ,

Pink Mosques and 30 Masjids met up in Detroit and together visited The Islamic Centre of America, the Largest Masjid in America, in Dearborn, Michigan.

HiMY SYeD and Aulia Halimatussadiah, Islamic Center of America, Dearborn Michigan, Tuesday January 15 2013

HiMY SYeD and Aulia Halimatussadiah, Islamic Center of America, Dearborn Michigan, Tuesday January 15 2013

Ollie is a prolific writer, editor, and publisher.

With her and her three friends’ numerous Masjid visits, they eventually had enough stories for proper book.

Out of the blue, Ollie surprised me by asking me to write a chapter for her Pink Mosques book.

What does a Muslim Brother, me, know about Muslim Women and their experiences in Toronto Masjids ?

You can read Chapter 52, Masjids in Toronto Canada, on the Storial.CO platform for the answer !

My chapter was written in English.

Others chapters are in Indonesian.

If you don’t know the spoken language of the country currently with the World’s largest Muslim population, you now have a good reason to learn !

Pink Mosques in a bilingual book.

 

Tuesday May 5 2020 is the official Digital Book Launch.

This Digital Book Launch is an online chat with three of the four authors of Pink Mosques.

Chat will be on the Storial.CO platform.

It’s scheduled for 16:00 (WIB) Western Indonesian Time

You can find your local time and Jakarta WIB time on this webpage :

https://time.is/id/Jakarta

Did Pink Mosques from Indonesia ever visit Blue Mosque in Turkey…?

You can find out by reading Chapter 23

or

Chapter 51 !

 

Ollie in Paris ?

Pink Mosques : Chapter 34 .

UPDATED : Ramadan 12 1441 / May 5 2020

Yes,

I already blogged about This Drive-Thru Iftar at Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga last Sunday, Day 3 of Ramadan 2020.

With the Pandemic Lockdown, all masjids are closed to the public.

Only masjid staff are allowed inside the building.

Last Sunday was my only physical visit to any masjid in person this Ramadan 2020.

Visiting and blogging, youtubing, documenting Masjids in Ramadan is the whole point of this 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan project.

And yesterday,

Saturday Day 9 of Ramadan 2020 was only my second in-person visit to a masjid, and that too was a Drive-Thru Iftar Pick up at Islamic Centre of Canada, ISNA Mississauga.

I miss going to the Masjids in Ramadan.

Any Masjid !

Any opportunity to visit a masjid, while still keeping physical distancing, is an opportunity not to skip.

This was the first time I have seen Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi in person since March 13 2020.

March 13 was the Final Congregation Friday Prayer inside Sayeda Khadija Centre Before the Pandemic Lockdown.

Alhumdulillah,

Through our car window, it was nice to exchange greetings and a few words in person with the Imam, during the Drive-Thru Iftar Pick up.

Everything else was pretty much the same as last Sunday’s Drive-Thru Iftar Pick Up,

See Day 3 if you want to learn more.

Once home,

To complete our Sayeda Khadija Centre experience for Day 10, we tuned into Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi’s near nightly Pre-Iftar Lecture Livestream.

Dr. Slimi mentioned tonight’s Drive-Thru Iftar near the end of tonight’s Pre-Iftar Lecture.

The Call to Prayer.

Adhan Al Maghrib.

We broke the Fast,

Ate our Drive-Thru Iftars at home.

Praying Salat Al Maghrib,

The Prayer after Sunset,

In-between both.

“Alhamdulillah,

After permission was given by the Mayor of Edmonton 💥MASJID AL SALAAM💥 made the Athan- Muslim call to prayer- Today May 2nd at Salat Ul- Magrib.

This Truly brings joy to the Muslim community of Edmonton

We ask Allah that this becomes a permanent thing,

even after the blessed month of Ramadan.

Masjid Al Salaam Islamic Centre

Masjid Al Salaam in Edmonton is less than one year old.

This is their first Ramadan.

Like many smaller places of worship, they need financial help.

Next time I am in Edmonton,

InshAllah,

Masjid Al Salaam will still be there.

Allowing me to hear the Adhan in person.

Ameen.

Volunteers giving families fresh meals

Ramadan is a time when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.

Yet many families in Toronto face food insecurity and lack access to food to break their fasts.

Maleeha Sheikh with an organization trying to help through a community-led initiative.”

Al Rashid is the oldest Muslim Congregation in Canada,

During 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan Canada

I broke my fast there on Day 21 of Ramadan 2016.

Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton,

Tonight using loudspeakers, was finally able to publicly broadcast,

Adhan Al Magrib, the Call to The Sunset Prayer.

Alberta Muslim Public Affairs CouncilAMPAC

We are delighted to announce that efforts made by AMPAC and other community members has resulted in the City of Edmonton approving our request for masjids across Edmonton to broadcast the Adhaan—the Muslim call to prayer—for the remaining days of Ramadan starting today, May 2, 2020.

This approval is for the sunset or Maghrib prayer only.

The call to prayer does not invite people to physically gather; rather it is a beautiful gesture to bring our hearts together during this time of distancing.

Edmonton now joins many mosques in Canada who have recently adopted the practice for the month of Ramadan for the sunset prayer only.

AMPAC will be in touch with masjids for further details.

AMPAC extends our deepest appreciation to the @City Of Edmonton, City Council members, and most importantly, Mayor @doniveson, for approving our request and understanding its importance to our community.

This is a huge milestone and showcases the true beauty of our city, province, and country.

Alberta Muslim Public Affairs CouncilAMPAC

Please see this previous message from Mayor Iveson about this being the season when some of the diverse faiths of the community celebrate significant events of their traditions and how COVID-19 does not put an end to observances.

The view of the Islamic Centre of Canada, as you turn off South Sheridan Way driving onto ISNA Canada’s front drive-way.

We were instructed to proceed and turn around in an empty parking area and come back with passenger side window facing the front of the main entrance.

The building is closed to the Public.

Those present are employees or volunteers helping make ISNA Canada’s first Drive-Thru Iftar possible.

Earlier in the day,

They had successfully operated a Drive-Thru Ramadan Food Bank Pick Up.

 

Through the passenger side open window, volunteers first ask how many children and how many grown-ups are in the car.

Then wearing protective gloves, volunteers bring the appropriate number of Iftar meals to your car.

 

We answered we were three.

 

Alhumdulillah,

three Iftar boxes were brought out to us in the car.

 

A sister beforehand had handed us three cans of pop.

 

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear

 

Wonder what’s in the Iftar box ?

 

Biryani ?

 

 

Nope.

Halal Burger !

 

UnBoxing followed by Unfasting.

 

30masjids.ca/night-7-video-public-adhan-al-maghrib-call-to-the-sunset-prayer-islamic-centre-of-canada-isna-canada-mississauga/

 

This the First Public Adhan Al Maghrib, Call to The Prayer After Sunset, at Masjid Dar As-Salam in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The Muslim Society of PEI was my destination on Night 8 of Ramadan 2016,

While doing my Coast-to-Coast 30 Masjids in 30 Day of Ramadan Canada.

Alhumdulillah,

This is not only one more Canadian City,

but one more Canadian Province now allowing Public Adhans at Maghrib Sunset Time.

Like almost every other Masjid or Islamic Centre in Canada,

Masjid Dar As-Salam  is  closed due to Corona Virus Pandemic Lockdown.

 

From The Guardian news story published April 27 2020 :

“Traditionally,

families would gather at the Masjid Dar As-Salam mosque in Charlottetown for a weekly potluck supper,

along with the smaller nightly Iftar — meaning “breaking of the fast”.

There are also nightly voluntary prayers,

the Taraweeh,

specific to Ramadan when a section of the Quran is read aloud each day,

so the entire book is read throughout the month.

With the mosque closed none of those activities can happen communally,

but they can continue on a smaller basis at individual homes,

with no impact on the significance or meaning of the monthlong holiday, said Esseghaier.

“We’re still fasting. We’re still breaking our fast together within the family.”

Since these activities can be carried out so easily on an individual basis,

the Muslim Society isn’t looking at offering online versions,

despite what many other communities have done to adapt existing traditions through virtual means.

This is because there are already exceptions allowed during Ramadan,

like for those who may not be able to attend prayer at a mosque or on fasting for those whom it may harm, said Esseghaier.

“In Islam, we try to make things easier for everybody.”

 

In these screen captures from the youtube video,

You can see many cars parked around the Masjid,

While the Masjid parking lot remained almost empty.

A LOT of Muslims turned out to witness Charlottetown’s First Public Adhan.

You can also see a LOT of physical distancing.

15 MacAleer Drive is in an industrial area,

There are no residential neighbours here.

Because of the ongoing Pandemic Lockdown,

This might be the largest Muslim Gathering in PEI during Ramadan 2020.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

First broadcast of Athan in Dar As-Salam Mosque, Charlottetown

A post shared by Muslim Society of PEI (@muslimpei) on

 

Labyrinths in Islam from HiMY SYeD on Vimeo.

The First Saturday in May is World Labyrinth Day.

That’s today.

This is the first time solar calendar World Labyrinth Day has appeared during Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic Lunar Calendar.

I have a another blog where I write about my Toronto and Vancouver City of Labyrinths Project .

What do Labyrinths and Islam have to do with one another ?

I use to think “Nothing.”

No Venn Diagram Overlap in these two areas of my life.

One morning in Ramadan 2009, after praying Fajr inside Toronto’s Dawah Centre Masjid,

I was allowed to realize Labyrinths In Islam have been hiding in plain sight all these years.

Ramadan 2009 was two years before I would start blogging 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan on this website.

Labyrinths have appeared on 30 Masjids before . . .

Two months before I began blogging 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan 2011,

I was on Umrah and spent time in The Holy City of Madinah.

On foot towards Masjid Qiblatain,

I found a Hedge Labyrinth and later made a sand Labyrinth with my foot . . .

Alhumdulillah.

Labyrinth related re-tweets originally made from Madinah in June 2011

Labyrinths are Unicursal.

They have one path, with no dead ends.

As long as you do not jump a line, you will always arrive at the centre.

Some Labyrinths are Pass-Through.

You enter from one side, follow the path, and exit.

You walked through the Labyrinth without encountering any dead ends.

By design, you cannot be lead astray. You do not experience anger.

When you inevitably arrive at the Centre, or when you exit a pass-through Labyrinth,

You feel a sense of accomplishment.

You are at peace.

No matter which path you took while walking a Labyrinth, you were rightly guided.

You may even want to walk the Labyrinth again and again or again after that.


Mazes are Multicursal

They have at least one dead end.

Sometimes many dead ends.

Maze are meant to puzzle you, to trick you, to frustrate you, to amaze you.

That is where the word Amazing comes from.

Mazes win when you get lost.

Mazes by design have many Innovations. You begin to doubt yourself.

Mazes lead you astray.

Many people give up in the middle of a maze, never finding their way out.

They become angry or frustrated or lose their patience.

Once abandoned, they may avoid mazes altogether, forever.

Labyrinths are The Straight Path.

aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm

الصراط المستقيم

Masking Tape Labyrinths

GTA EID, Toronto Ontario Canada, Tuesday August 30 2011 :

Eid Al Fitr Masking Tape Labyrinth

Vancouver Convention Centre, Sunday June 25 2017 :


Eid Al Adha Masking Tape Labyrinth

Eid Al-Adha Party, MAC Centre, 122 Kingsway, Vancouver, Saturday September 2 2017 :

Chalk Labyrinths

Pre-Ramadan Community BBQ, King George Park, Richmond B.C. Sunday May 21 2017 :

Chalk Labyrinth

EidFest at Playland, Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish Territory, British Columbia, Canada, Sunday July 2 2017 :

Eid Al-Adha🕋Masking Tape Labyrinth🍥

Vancouver Convention Centre, Tuesday August 21 2018

Masking Tape Labyrinth

Islamic History Month

Promenade, Vancouver Public Library, Saturday October 27 2018 :

Chalk Labyrinth

Windsor Labyrinth, City of Labyrinths Project / Day 13 of Ramadan 2013

Windsor Ontario Canada, Sunday July 21 2013 :

Last year during Ramadan 2019,

I photoblogged my visit to Jamiat-Ul-Ansar of Brampton, Great Lakes Masjid, on Night 26 of Ramadan 2019 for Isha and Taraweeh.

Also prayed JUMAH tul WIDAH 2019, Fourth Friday of Ramadan 2019 at Jamiat-Ul-Ansar.

Brampton’s Great Lakes Masjid has a dedicated and active congregation.

They remain busy with daily, weekly, and monthly programs year round.

When the Holy Month of Ramadan comes, it’s even more busy.

Pandemic Lockdown has reminded how central Masjids are in the lives of the observant Muslim.

You can see a handful of people remaining in their cars, or standing outside the fence, looking and listening via loudspeaker to their Masjid’s Call to Prayer at Sunset.

Adhan Al Maghrib.

Coming here for these few minutes, may be the only Physical connection Brampton Muslims have to their Great Lakes Masjid in Ramadan 2020.

Video of the First Public Adhan Al Maghrib, Call to The Prayer after Sunset, made in front of Darul-Uloom Masjid-Center, 2803 St Joseph Blvd in Ottawa.

As the camera pans around to showing an empty St Joseph Blvd,

Note the church steeple from where Church bells can ring out, calling the Christian Faithful to Prayer.

This video was uploaded to youtube on May 2 2020.

Adhan may have been was called the night before.