Saturday - December 27, 2008 (Dhul-Hijjah 29, 1429)
Al-Hijra - Islamic New Year Celebration
Masjid Yusuf invites the Muslim community to come and join us for Dinner and Lecture in preparation for Muharram 1, 1430 - Al-Hijra - Islamic New Year will be on December 29, 200.
Al-Hijra, the Islamic New Year, is celebrated on the first day of Muharram, the month in which Prophet Muhammed emigrated from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE (the Hijra). The holiday is also known simply as Muharram.
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We invite the Muslim Community to gather together at Masjid Yusuf and break fast together in preparation for Eid. Those who are not fasting please join us for dinner.
If you would like to sponsor the iftar and/or dinner (in part or full) please send an email to TheMasjid@gmail.com , thank you.
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Sunday December 7, 2008 (Dhul-Hijjah 9, 1429)
Iftar & Dinner - Dhul-Hijjah 9, 1429 .. the Day of `Arafah
We invite the Muslim Community to gather together at Masjid Yusuf and break fast together in preparation for Eid. Those who are not fasting please join us for dinner.
God has created some times better than others in the sense that the reward for good deeds done during these times is multiplied many times. This encourages His servants to do more righteous deeds and to worship Him more in order to ready themselves for death and the Day of Judgment.
Muslims believe that the best such season of worship is the first ten days of the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah. These days, which include the Day of `Arafah and `Eid Al-Adha, bring the Muslims an opportunity to correct their faults and make up for any shortcomings.
1429/2008 Calendar
The blessings of Hajj spill over to those who are not making the pilgrimage if they fast on Dhul-Hijjah 9, the Day of `Arafah. On this day, also known as the Waqfah (standing), the pilgrims stand on and around the Mount of Mercy to ask Allah ’s forgiveness. When the sun sets that day, all their past sins are forgiven. If those who are not making Hajj fast on that day, the sins of two years (the past and the coming one) are forgiven.
The following day, Dhul-Hijjah 10, begins a three-day Islamic public celebration known as `Eid Al-Adha, the `Eid of the Sacrifice. In some places it is known by the Turkish name bairam; `Eid Al-Adha is the Greater Bairam.
This `eid commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Isma`il (Ishmael—peace and blessings be upon them both). Muslims should reflect on their own commitment to Allah and strive to strengthen their relationship with their Creator.
Muslims celebrate this `Eid by attending special congregational Prayers followed by a sermon (khutbah) in the morning. It is a confirmed sunnah to attend these Prayers, which are usually held outside the mosque. The form of the Prayer is the same as that of `Eid Al-Fitr Prayer and is also preceded by the Takbir. Muslims are recommended to perform ghusl (complete ritual bathing) and put on their best clothes beforehand. Women who cannot perform the ritual Prayer should attend and sit on the sides or in back so that they may share in the joy of that day.
Afterwards, or on either of the next two days, many Muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat, or seven people may share in sacrificing a cow. The sunnah is to give one-third of the meat to the poor, one-third to friends and relatives, and to keep one-third for one’s own family. The majority of scholars agree that this sacrifice is not obligatory (for those who can afford it), but is a confirmed sunnah.
Pilgrims in the state of ihram (consecration) are forbidden—among other things— to clip their nails or cut or pluck their hair. Those who do not perform Hajj but who plan to sacrifice an animal on `eid should likewise abstain from clipping their nails or cutting or plucking their hair from the first day of Dhul-Hijjah until they sacrifice. The majority of scholars agree that this abstention is not obligatory, but it is a confirmed sunnah and highly recommended.
During these ten days, Muslims should also recite Allah ’s praises often with the phrases “subhan Allah ” (glory be to Allah ), “al-hamdu lillah” (all praise to Allah ), “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is Greatest), and “la ilaha illa Allah ” (there is no god but Allah ).
The Day of `Arafah is an excellent time to repent and return to Allah . `Eid Al-Adha, the best day of the year, combines two great acts of worship, salah (ritual Prayer) and sacrifice. Together, they offer Muslims the chance to become closer to their Creator and Lord.
Even though he is only 19, this young man from Rwanda has survived a life of hardship. As a young child he survived the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. He still has horrific memories of hiding in forests from militias that were killing people. The rivers and roads they walked through were littered with bodies. Later on he lost his father and had to lead a harsh life in one of the poorest countries in the world.
Despite all his hardships, Sulaiman was determined to become a hafiz and was rewarded by becoming the first Rwandan to take part in the Dubai International Holy Qur’an Award competition. Sulaiman’s quest with the sacred book started when he converted to Islam at the age of 11.
“Even though my family were Catholics I was never interested in the church. The Azan from the mosque in my neighborhood fascinated me and I started attending classes there,” he said.
When asked if he faced any resistance from his family, Sulaiman said that his family had no issues with him becoming a Muslim, as Islam is a held in high regard in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. His whole family followed him a few years later and converted to Islam.
Since the genocide, Rwandans have converted to Islam in huge numbers. Muslims now make up 14 percent of the 8.2 million people in Africa’s mostly Catholic nation, twice as many as before the killings began. The reason behind the conversions lies in the fact that Rwandan Muslims did not take part in the genocide and played a key role in the humanitarian efforts that followed.
Muslims have been honored by the national government for their roles in saving the lives regardless of their faith. Many people attribute the recent spread of Islam to these humanitarian acts.
It took years of dedicated work for Sulaiman to memorize the Qur’an. The lack of qualified teachers in Rwanda made him make up his mind to travel to Kenya as there are good Qur’anic schools there.
“I was 15 when my five friends and I decided to travel to Kenya to seek knowledge. Two of my friends were converts like me,” he said.
The six young men packed their bags and traveled to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to find the school. They enrolled themselves in a free boarding school, which accepts students from all over East Africa. There they studied under the tutelage of Qur’an scholars. It took Sulaiman two years to memorize the whole Qur’an.
Now back home in Rwanda, Sulaiman works as a part time Imam and Qur’an teacher to supplement his income while studying at the only Islamic seminar in Kigali. “Masha Allah , there are so many Muslims now in my country. We are working hard at teaching the Qur’an to the new generation of Muslim children,” he said.
After finishing his education, Sulaiman hopes to get a scholarship to study Islam. “We get Muslim scholars coming from Uganda to spread the word of Islam in Rwanda. I hope that through my knowledge of Islam I will be able to help spread peace in my country,” he said.
emigrated from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE (the Hijra). The holiday is also known simply as Muharram.
’s forgiveness. When the sun sets that day, all their past sins are forgiven. If those who are not making Hajj fast on that day, the sins of two years (the past and the coming one) are forgiven.