As the sun sets on Ramadan, the new moon heralds the coming of the Eid day -- one of two days Muslims all over the world celebrate each year. Why do we celebrate Eid? In what manner do we rejoice? In the first instance, we are thankful for that grace from Allah which carried us through the month of earnest, joyous labour spent in fasting, prayers, and Qur’an recitation. But upon further reflection, we can see that our joyous festivities, in fact, hail and celebrate that glorious mo- ment when Allah’s infinite mercy, the light of His last guidance (The Holy Quran), dawned upon mankind. That is why Ramadan has been reserved for the fasting; that is why the end of Rama- dan has been earmarked for rejoicing: The Eid seems to be echoing the Qur’anic call - ‘that you complete the number (of Fasts) and proclaim the great- ness of God for having guid- ed you, and so that you may render thanks and rejoice’ (Al- Baqara 2:185). How many and how priceless are the blessings from Allah val is like Eid, it is unique among all of them. Some centre their celebrations on the person who created their identity, but not on Eid; we do not celebrate even the birth day of the Prophet Mu- hammad(pbuh), rather we cele- brate the sending down of the word of Allah -- the Qur’an. Some rejoice in the beginning of the New Year, but not Eid; we rejoice in the dawn upon mankind of a new era of light and peace. Some celebrate the end of the dark winter days and the coming of the spring of light and warmth, but not Eid; we celebrate the end of the dark, cold night of igno- rance and the coming of a warm spring of Justice and Equality. Some give thanks for the harvest of grain, fruit or cattle, but not Eid; we give thanks for the harvest of the richest blessings of Allah for soul and intellect, for mind and heart, for living and con- duct. One can say that Eid raises man’s festivities from the physical to the spiritual and intellectual level symbol- izing what Islam does to man’s entire life, vision and hope. continued on page 2... What does Eid celebration mean? Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, and remit from us our evil deeds, and take to Thyself our souls in the company of the righteous (Al-Imran, 3:193) Rabbana, fagh-fir lana thunubana, wa kaffir anna sayi’atina, wa tawaffana ma’al-abrar This dua’ is from the last ten ayahs of surat Al-Imran. The Prophet(pbuh) used to recite these ten ayahs when he wakes up at night to do tahajud prayers. The Prophet (pbuh) used to look up to the sky and recite: “In the crea- tion of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day are signs for those of understanding” to the end of the surat. Community News Altrincham Muslim Association 01 September 2010 Volume 1, Issue 10 EID Issue to us? Yet undoubtedly the most priceless of all are his words that illuminate the pathways of life and guide our steps to success, here and in the Hereafter. Hence, from the moment the new moon heralds the coming of the Eid day the constant cry of the heart and tongue is ‘Allah alone is great; to Allah be- longs all thankful praise’. This cry remains on the lips while the festivities of Eid remain, in response to Allah’s com- mand. The two Muslim festivals are just one measure of how Is- lam emphatically and totally centres our lives on the Qur’an. If Eid-al-Fitr cele- brates the beginning of its dawn, the other festival, Eid- al-Adha, marks its comple- tion. For if in Ramadan is the night in which the first revela- tion came, on the Day of Hajj came the verse proclaiming the perfection and completion of the guidance it brought (Al -Ma’ida 5:3). All our days are crowded by Allah’s blessing, but no day can be like the day that is crowded by Allah’s guidance. No people live without festi- vals of their own, but no festi- Dua of the Month Dua of the Month 1 Upcoming Events 2 Laylat al-Qadr 2 Monthly health tip 3 Salah timetable 4 Inside this issue: اَ نَ لۡ رِ فۡ ﭑغَ ا فَ ن ﱠ بَ ر ا ﱠ نَ عۡ ر ﱢ فَ ڪَ ا وَ نَ وبُ نُ ذَ عَ ا مَ ن ﱠ فَ وَ تَ ا وَ نِ اتَ ـ ﱢ يَ سِ ارَ رۡ بَ ۡ ٱ
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Altrincham Muslim Association - Newsletter September 2010
Altrincham Muslim Association - Newsletter September 2010
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Transcript
As the sun sets on Ramadan,
the new moon heralds the
coming of the Eid day -- one
of two days Muslims all over
the world celebrate each year.
Why do we celebrate Eid? In
what manner do we rejoice?
In the first instance, we are
thankful for that grace from
Allah which carried us
through the month of earnest,
joyous labour spent in fasting,
prayers, and Qur’an recitation.
But upon further reflection,
we can see that our joyous
festivities, in fact, hail and
celebrate that glorious mo-
ment when Allah’s infinite
mercy, the light of His last
guidance (The Holy Quran),
dawned upon mankind.
That is why Ramadan has
been reserved for the fasting;
that is why the end of Rama-
dan has been earmarked for
rejoicing:
The Eid seems to be echoing
the Qur’anic call - ‘that you
complete the number (of
Fasts) and proclaim the great-
ness of God for having guid-
ed you, and so that you may
render thanks and rejoice’ (Al-
Baqara 2:185).
How many and how priceless
are the blessings from Allah
val is like Eid, it is unique
among all of them.
Some centre their celebrations
on the person who created
their identity, but not on Eid;
we do not celebrate even the
birth day of the Prophet Mu-
hammad(pbuh), rather we cele-
brate the sending down of the
word of Allah -- the Qur’an.
Some rejoice in the beginning
of the New Year, but not Eid;
we rejoice in the dawn upon
mankind of a new era of light
and peace. Some celebrate the
end of the dark winter days
and the coming of the spring
of light and warmth, but not
Eid; we celebrate the end of
the dark, cold night of igno-
rance and the coming of a
warm spring of Justice and
Equality. Some give thanks
for the harvest of grain, fruit
or cattle, but not Eid; we give
thanks for the harvest of the
richest blessings of Allah for
soul and intellect, for mind
and heart, for living and con-
duct. One can say that Eid
raises man’s festivities from
the physical to the spiritual
and intellectual level symbol-
izing what Islam does to
man’s entire life, vision and
hope.
continued on page 2...
What does Eid celebration mean?
Our Lord! Forgive us our
sins, and remit from us our
evil deeds, and take to Thyself
our souls in the company of
the righteous (Al-Imran,
3:193)
Rabbana, fagh-fir lana
thunubana, wa kaffir anna
sayi’atina, wa tawaffana
ma’al-abrar
This dua’ is from the last ten
ayahs of surat Al-Imran. The
Prophet(pbuh) used to recite
these ten ayahs when he
wakes up at night to do
tahajud prayers. The Prophet
(pbuh) used to look up to the
sky and recite: “In the crea-
tion of the heavens and the
earth, and the alternation of
night and day are signs for
those of understanding” to
the end of the surat.
Community News
Altrincham Muslim Association
01 September 2010
Volume 1, Issue 10
EID Issue
to us? Yet undoubtedly the
most priceless of all are his
words that illuminate the
pathways of life and guide our
steps to success, here and in
the Hereafter. Hence, from
the moment the new moon
heralds the coming of the Eid
day the constant cry of the
heart and tongue is ‘Allah
alone is great; to Allah be-
longs all thankful praise’. This
cry remains on the lips while
the festivities of Eid remain,
in response to Allah’s com-
mand.
The two Muslim festivals are
just one measure of how Is-
lam emphatically and totally
centres our lives on the
Qur’an. If Eid-al-Fitr cele-
brates the beginning of its
dawn, the other festival, Eid-
al-Adha, marks its comple-
tion. For if in Ramadan is the
night in which the first revela-
tion came, on the Day of Hajj
came the verse proclaiming
the perfection and completion
of the guidance it brought (Al
-Ma’ida 5:3). All our days are
crowded by Allah’s blessing,
but no day can be like the day
that is crowded by Allah’s
guidance.
No people live without festi-
vals of their own, but no festi-
Dua of the Month
Dua of the Month 1
Upcoming Events 2
Laylat al-Qadr 2
Monthly health tip 3
Salah timetable 4
Inside this issue:
ربنا فٱغفر لنا ذنوبنا وڪفر عنا سيـاتنا وتوفنا مع
ٱ برار
Page 2 Community News Volume 1, I ssue 10
Upcoming Events Annual Family Fun Day & Heart at Risk Programme September 25th, 12 – 4pm
A fun filled day for all the family. This year’s fun day promises to be bigger and better than years
gone by (Insha’Allah). Activities vary from cricket, football, tug of war, bouncy castle , henna
painting as well as many more fun things. As always there will be plenty of food to choose from.
There also will be free heart health check and advice available, conducted by a cardiologist, where
numerous check can be carried out ranging from cholesterol checks to blood test as well as advice
on how to reduce the risk of heart problems. Also there will be a healthy heart award given to the
individual that has made the most improvement.
Madrassah Registration Day
With the new academic year starting soon, Sunday 19th September (10-12pm) is registration day.
It will also give an opportunity to meet the teachers as of 11.30am, when they will outline the
coming year’s curriculum (no classes on the day). Parents wanting to register their children must
register them on that day, all new children and those on the waiting list are welcome to attend the
day for their assessment.
First day of term will be Friday 24th September, Insha’Allah. Full details on the website.
Ramadan Itikaf
We are now well into Ramadan, and the last ten days are almost upon us, which gives all those
who have the opportunity to spend some additional time in the centre. Last year proved to be
very successful in the large numbers that stayed for a few days (up to 10 days). Our centre is giv-
ing all able and healthy men (sorry sisters!) the opportunity again this year. So at that we can make
the necessary arrangements all those interested please contact Brother Malik, he will be at the cen-
tre most days from Asr to Isha (Insha’Allah) or you may call him on 07968294677.
Eid symbolizes a radically new
basis for human unity. Those
who form their identities by
persons and events, temporal
and physical, erect barriers
that are insurmountable. But
not so in Islam. Eid is for
anyone who is prepared to
turn to his Creator and sur-
render himself unto Him and
follow his guidance.
Yet, the solemn, spiritual
spending spree though; Eid is
not a commercial venture.
Delicious meals are cooked
and, in sharing, heartily eaten.
But not a morsel should be
thrown away. Every worldly
thing is from Allah, a bounty,
and must therefore be made
use of to honour His occa-
sion, to rejoice in His greatest
bounty. It is this spirit which
pervades Eid celebrations
What does Eid celebration mean? (continued from page 1) character of Eid does not rob
Muslims of delights, pleasures
and merriment that must ac-
company any human celebra-
tion. Muslims begin to look
ahead to the day of Eid as
Ramadan sets in. As Eid ap-
proaches, joyful expectations
increase. Houses are decorat-
ed and new clothes are pre-
pared, for everyone must wear
their best. There is no selfish
Some pictures of the AMA Fun
day 2009.
*New Date for
Annual Family Fun
Day.
September 25th, 12 – 4pm
Laylat al-Qadr - ”The night of Power” Allah(swt) says:
We have indeed revealed this
(Quran) in the Night of Pow-
er: And what will explain to
you what the night of power
is? The Night of Power is
better than a thousand
months. By Allah’s permis-
sion, therein come down the
angels and the Spirit with all
decrees. In it there is peace
until the rise of dawn! [Quran
97:1-5] Laylat-ul-Qadr is the
night when the Quran was
revealed. Allah(swt) tells us of
the importance and value of
this one night and compares it
to be better than a thousand
months : (over 83 years). Tra-
ditions inform us that Laylat-
ul-Qadr is one of the odd
nights of the last 10 days of
Ramadan.
Narated by Aisha(raa): Allah's
Apostle(pbuh) said, "Search for
the Night of Qadr in the odd
nights of the last ten days of
Ramadan." – [Bukhari Vol.3,
Book 32, #234]
The above Hadith tells the
Muslims that they should
actively seek for this Night
and when to do so. This is a
very special and blessed Night
and we are not to indulge in
anything but worship to the
best of our ability throughout
these odd nights. One of
them will be The Night (Allah
willing).
This Night is a very special
Night full of mercy in which
Allah(swt) forgives the commit-
ted Muslim prostrating before
Him: cont…
Fortunate are those who
will get a chance to
worship on this Night
that is equivalent to more
than the average age of
most people. A Muslim
who spends this one
Night in sincere worship
can get the rewards and
blessing as if he had
spent his entire life in
worship.
Page 3 Community News Volume 1, I ssue 10
Monthly Health Tip : Influenza door handles with unwashed
hands.
Symptoms develop one to
four days after being infected.
People with flu are usually
infectious a day before symp-
toms start, and remain infec-
tious for five or six days. Chil-
dren and people with weaker
immune systems may remain
infectious for slightly longer.
Try to avoid all unnecessary
contact with others during
this infectious period.
Seasonal flu is a very common
illness that occurs every year,
usually during the winter
month.
The number of people who
consult their GP with flu-like
symptoms varies from year to
year, but is usually between 50
and 200 for every 100,000
people. This is in addition to
the many people with flu who
do not see their GP.
Your symptoms will usually
peak after two to three days.
You should begin to feel
much better within five to
eight days.
However, elderly people or
those with certain medical
conditions may develop a
complication such as a chest
infection. This can lead to
serious illness and can be life-
threatening.
In the UK, about 600 people
a year die from seasonal flu.
This rises to around 13,000
during an epidemic.
A seasonal flu vaccine is avail-
able free if you are over 65,
have a serious medical condi-
tion or live in a residential
home.
Seasonal flu is a highly infec-
tious illness caused by a flu
virus.
The virus infects your lungs
and upper airways, causing a
sudden high temperature and
general aches and pains.
You could also lose your ap-
petite, feel nauseous and have
a dry cough. You may need to
stay in bed until your symp-
toms get better.
Symptoms can last for up to a
week.
The flu virus is spread in the
small droplets of saliva
coughed or sneezed into the
air by an infected person. If
you breathe in these droplets,
you may become infected.
Flu can also spread if some-
one with the virus touches
common surfaces such as
Viral Influenza
Influenza, commonly called the flu, is always caused by a virus.
and prepared himself to ob-
serve prayer (with more vig-
our). – [Muslim Book 6,
#2643]
What can one do on these
odd nights?
Practice I’tikaf if possible.
Aisha(raa) reported that the
Messenger of Allah(pbuh) used
to observe i'tikaf in the last
ten days of Ramadan. –
[Muslim Book 6, #2638]
Do p lenty of Dhikr
(remembrance of Allah), reci-
tation of the Quran, and pray-
ers.
This Night is to seek for-
giveness so ask Allah(swt) to
bestow upon us His Mercy
and forgive our sins. Ask for
forgiveness most sincerely
and with eagerness to be for-
given. `A'isha(raa) reported that
she asked the Prophet(pbuh) "O
Messenger of Allah! If I knew
which night is Laylatul-Qadr,
what should I say during it?"
He instructed her to say:
"Allahumma innaka `afuwwun
tuh . i bbu l ` a fwa fa ` fu
`annee" (O Allah! You are
Most Forgiving, you love for-
giveness. So forgive me). Re-
ported by Ahmad, Ibn Majah
and At-Tirmithi.
This is also the night to ask
Allah(swt) for everything. Pray
to Allah to better your Islam,
your Iman and your heart.
Ask Allah to help you change
to the better. Ask Allah for
the goodness of this life and
the Goodness of the Hereaf-
ter. Pray for our Muslim
brothers and sisters who are
suffering. Pray for your rela-
tives, friends and loved ones
(those who are with us and
those who are no longer so).
Pray for everyone!
If you are a woman who is
having the monthly cycle and
cannot offer Salah or pick the
Quran you can still recite the
Quran from memory, make
dua and listen to the Quran.
Y o u c a n s e e k m o r e
knowledge of Islam. Allah(swt)
looks at our intentions, so
recite whichever Surahs you
do know and do spend time
in Dhikr and Dua.
Narated by Abu Huraira(raa):
Allah's Apostle(pbuh) said,
"Whoever establishes the
prayers on the night of Qadr
out of sincere faith and hop-
ing to attain Allah's rewards,
all his past sins will be forgiv-
en." – [Bukhari Vol.1, Book 2,
#34]
This Hadith is very important
in conveying the clear mes-
sage that worship must be
done with clear intentions,
conviction and the will to seek
the rewards of Allah(swt).
Which one of us is not in
need of guidance and for-
giveness? Is it therefore not
foolish to be lazy, go to sleep
and miss an opportunity that
we might never get again?
The Prophet(pbuh) used to exert
himself worshiping in the last
10 nights of Ramadan to a
much greater extent:
Aisha(raa) reported that when
the last ten nights began Al-
lah's Messenger(pbuh) kept
awake at night (for prayer and
devotion), wakened his family,
Laylat al-Qadr
Seek out the night of power and ...
Spend your time reciting Quran and in the remem-brance of Allah(swt).
Timetable for September 2010
Islamic Cultural Centre, Grove Lane, Hale, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA15 8JG E-mail: [email protected]
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Altrincham Muslim Association Registered Charity Number 1101378
“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before
you, that ye may (attain) God-consciousness” (S2, A183)