deen. community. service. the monthly...

The Monthly Observer

March 2018

VIRTUES OF JERUSALEM The city of Jerusalem houses one of the holiest sites of Islam, Masjid al-Aqsa.

MASJID VISION REFLECTED IN LOGOThe MCA logo defines the vision and is re-flective of the sophistication and plurality of the blessed Ann Arbor muslim community.

DEEN. COMMUNITY. SERVICE.

AS-SIHĀH AS-SITTAH BOOKS OF HADITHMajority of Islamic seminaries around the globe require students to study `the six au-thentic books` of Hadith before graduating as `ulama (Islamic scholars)

2 / The Mo n T h ly o bserv er

The Virtues of Jerusalem

EC Meeting Minutes Summary from February 11, 2018

As-Sihāh As-Sittah Books of Hadith

Meet the board - Br. Khaled Mahmood, EC Education

Committee Chairman

The city of Jerusalem houses one of the ho-liest sites of Islam, Masjid al-Aqsa. The land and the whole area around Masjid al-Aqsa has been “blessed” Allah and is “Holy” as mentioned in the Qur’an.

The February Executive Committee meeting finalized the 2018 budget and approved a series of programs.

The Majority of Islamic seminaries around the globe require students to study `the six authentic books` of Hadith before gradua-ting as `ulama (Islamic scholars).

The MCA executive committee (EC) is fortunate to have Brother Khaled Mahmood, ian Environmental Engineer with more than 20 years of experience as the incumbent EC education committee chairman.

Welcome to the MCA Monthly Observer. The news magazine was established to provide an independent perspective on issues important to Muslim communiites as well as being a reliable source of information.

Table of Contents

Welcome to the MCA Monthly Observer

Masjid Vision Reflected in LogoThe new MCA logo utilizes visual symbols, color, and words to reflect the vision of the masjid. It is reflective of the sophistication and plurality of the blessed Ann Arbor mus-lim community.

The MonThly observer / 3

The Virtues of Jerusalem The city of Jerusalem houses one of the holiest sites of Islam, Masjid al-Aqsa. Masjid al-Aqsa is the second masjid (house of Allah) built on earth, forty years after the Ka`bah in Makkah by Adam (peace be upon him). It was since been renovated by Prophet Ibrahim and his son and then later it was renovated by Dawud and his son, Sulayman (may peace be upon them all) (Nasai and Ibn Majah).

Blessed Land – The land and the whole area around Masjid al-Aqsa has been “blessed” by Allah and is “Holy” as mentioned in the Qur’an. It is referred to in the Qur’an, directly or indirectly, almost seventy times. Allah has endowed physical and spiritual blessings on the land from which all humanity can take benefit. According to a prophetic tradition, al-Aqsa is “the land of resurrection and doomsday” (Ahmad). Furthermore, al-Aqsa was a place of residence for many prophets, including Adam, Ibrahim, Ishaq, Dawud, Sulayman, Zakariya, and Yahya may peace be upon them all (Al-Qurtubi’s al jami’ Li’akham al Qur’an). Many companions of the Prophet travelled to the Holy Land to visit the sacred places. These included Abdur al-Rahman ibn Awf, Abu Darda, Abu Dharr al-Gaffari, Bilal ibn Rabah, Khalid bin Walid, Muadh ibn Jabal, Muʿawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, Salman al-Farisi, etc.. Many of the companions died and are buried there as well. This legacy was maintained by numerous scholars who were born and lived in this blessed land of al-Quds (Jerusalem) including: Imam al-Shafiʿi (born in Gaza); Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (lived in `Asqalan); Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (lived in Nablus); Musa ibn Nusayr, the conqueror of Spain (lived in Hebron). The famous scholar Imam al-Ghazali also used to teach in al-Aqsa and wrote part of his famous treatise Ihya `Ulum al-Din while residing there.

Reward in Prayer – Masjid al-Aqsa is the third most sacred masjid in Islam. It is the only mosque besides the Masjid al-Harām in Makkah which is mentioned by name in the Qur’an. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “one prayer

in my mosque is better than four prayers offered there (in Masjid al-Aqsa), and what a good place of prayer it is” (Haakim). One prayer offered in the Prophet’s Mosque is equivalent to one thousand prayers (offered elsewhere). Therefore, one prayer offered in al-Masjid al-Aqsa is equivalent to two hundred and fifty prayers.

Al-Isra and al-Mi`raj – About one year before the hijrah (migration to Madinah), Allah took the Prophet by night on a miraculous journey from the Ka`bah in Makkah to al-Aqsa in Jerusalem (al-Isra), mounted on a celestial animal called al-Buraq, accompanied by angel Jibrāʾil. It was in Masjid al-Aqsa that Allah assembled all the prophets, from Adam to Isa (may peace be upon them all) for the prayer led by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself. This is the only known ground on earth where all the prophets observed prayer together at one given time (Ibn Katheer). The Prophet thereafter ascended from the precincts of al-Aqsa to the heavens (al-Mi`raj). It is on this occasion that the Prophet and his ummah (nation) received the gift of five time daily prayer.

The First Qiblah – Masjid al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem, was the first qiblah (direction of prayer) for Muslims. The Prophet and his companions prayed facing Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem throughout the Makkan era and for sixteen or seventeen months in Madinah until the qiblah was changed to Ka`bah in Makkah (Fathul Bari Ibn Hajar).

Visiting Masjid al-Aqsa is an authentic sunnah – The Prophet (peace be upon him) visited Masjid al-Aqsa on the journey of Isra` and also exhorted the believers to visit this blessed land. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Do not undertake a journey except to three mosques: this masjid of mine (in Madinah), Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah) and Masjid al-Aqsa” (Bukhari). Furthermore, he (peace be upon him) also said, “If anyone adorns an ihram for Hajj or Umrah from al-Masjid al-Aqsa and then proceeds to al-Masjid al-Haram, his former and latter sins will be forgiven, or [the Prophet said] he will be guaranteed Paradise” (Abu Dawood). Thus, many companions adorned their ihram from al-Aqsa, including, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas, Abu Hurayrah, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Tamim al-Dari, and Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with them all) (Abu Dawood’s Awn al-Ma’bood Sharah).

A Few facts about Masjid al-Aqsa:Masjid al-Aqsa is referred to as the Blessed House (Baytul Muqaddas)Masjid al-Aqsa was the second masjid builtMasjid al-Aqsa is the first of the two prayer directions (Qibla) the Muslims faced towardsPrayer in Masjid al-Aqsa will wipe away Continued on page 11


Masjid Vision Reflected in Logo In 2017 the MCA Executive Committee created a new logo utlizing visual symbols, colors and word to reflect the values of the community. The new MCA logo was selected for its articulation of the institutional vision and reflection of the blessed Ann Arbor Muslim community. By being meaningful and reflective, the hope is that the logo will serve as a guiding reminder that will inspire our community to achieve its full potential.

Part of the logo redesign was also the development of a motto reflective of all of the different programs the masjid provides and roles it plays as well as it’s core values:

Deen . Community. Service.

The MCA is blessed to be a community of great diversity: we have in our midst people of many different races and ethnicities, social economic classes, education levels, and interests, yet we gather and pray shoulder-to-shoulder, not despite these differences, but because of them. Alhamdulillah, there is a blessed God-given strength in our diversity as well as in our commitment to our deen, and it was important that the logo reflect this.

The open book in the middle represents the Qur’an and the Sunnah, the basis of our deen (religion). It is in the center of our logo emphasizing its importance.The symbol speaks to our role as a full masjid providing a space for the five daily prayers and the jummah khutba, collecting and distributing zakat (obligatory purifying tax) and sadaqa (charity), and providing services to accommodate janazah (funeral) prayer and Islamic burial.

The book also emphasizes the pursuit of knowledge which is central to our

deen. The MCA strives to provide the venue for obtaining and acquiring knowledge to better understand and live out our deen. This includes support services for new Muslims through our “Living Islam” series, Islamic education for youth through both Michigan Islamic Academy (MIA), the full time K-12 private school affiliated with MCA, and the weekend Islamic school (MCAIS), as well as Islamic sciences classes and lectures or workshops for the congregation at large.

The hands holding together around the book symbolize our community, strengthened through diversity, coming together around the deen. The hands emphasize the importance of community and unity to our religion, and reflect these as core principles of our institution. The MCA serves the needs of the community by providing religious services and distributing zakat, but also through helping community members experiencing emotional distress or needing assistance with life transition through a weekly community support clinic provided by Muslim Social Services (MSS) and, staffed by a board certified counselor and a child psychiatrist.

In addition, the MCA provides regular social programing including guest lectures, Eid salat, community dinners and potlucks, sporting activities such as swimming, basketball, and badminton, and festival celebrations such as the Eid carnival. The goal of all of these activities is to encourage community unity and provide a social forum for the community to grow together and prosper mentally, spiritually and physically.

The arrows pointing outward symbolize the willingness and desire of the institution to share these beautiful values, concepts and ideas

with the community at large. This can be in the form of spreading knowledge such as through our Islam 101 class, participation in interfaith events with community partners like the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice (ICPJ) and the Interfaith Roundtable of Washtenaw County (IRT), opening the masjid to the greater Ann Arbor community with the annual Open House and providing tours for local groups, and having a presence at citywide events like the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair. It also means providing assistance to those in need through social services such as the free food distribution partnership with Food Gatherers, helping tragedy-stricken areas like Puerto Rico, and advocating for social justice in alliance with like-minded organizations and efforts.

The logo not only inculcates the vision of the MCA through symbols and words, but also through its use of color which, according to psychology, affects how we act and feel subconsciously. In our design, we were cognizant of the meanings and uses of different colors in art, design and life. The two blue colors chosen for the logo evoke emotions of wisdom, joy, trust, honesty and responsibility, which are in line with the vision of the MCA. These two colors are often used for communicating consciousness, inspiring trust, calmness and security. Specifically, the light blue color evokes emotions of freedom, self expression, trustworthiness, wisdom and joy. It is used to draw attention, inspire trust, suggest precision, communicate consciousness and stimulate productivity. The darker blue color evokes emotions of trust, responsibility, honest, loyalty and inner security. In design, blues are used to reduce stress, create calmness, relax, secure and create order.

The MCA leadership believes that the MCA has the potential to be a leader in the American Muslim community. We pray this logo will represent us, remind us, and guide us to this end.


The majority of Islamic seminaries around the globe require students to study `the six authentic books` of Hadith before graduating as ùlama (Islamic scholars). But what are these `six authentic books` (as-Sihāh as-Sittah)?The third and the fourth century of the Hijri calendar witnessed the compilation of hundreds of books of Hadith (prophetic traditions), some gaining more popularity than others. Subsequently, the Hadith scholars began to research and write on the biographies of the narrators who had been mentioned in a certain book (and later, in a combination of books), so that later scholars could easily determine the status of each Hadith. Therefore, Abd al-Ghani ibn Abd al-Wahid al-Maqdisi (d. 600 A.H.) compiled a dictionary of narrators called àl-Kamāl`. This work included all narrators whose Ahadith (plural of Hadith) were recorded in any of the six books, i.e. Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan al-Nasaì, Sunan Abi Dawud, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, and Sunan Ibn Majah. This work was remarkable and thus became the basis for other future works on biographies of narrators. Since their narrators were discussed in a single book, these six books began to seem as a single unit

instead of being considered as “Six Principal Works”, and were mentioned together by later Hadith scholars.These “Six Principal Works” are also known as “the Six Authentic Books” of Hadith. It does not mean that every Hadith found in these six books is authentic and unquestionably reliable, but that the majority of them are acceptable and authentic, except for Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim in which all the narrations are considered to be authentic. Accordingly, each Hadith from the remaining four books is tested based on its own merit. Sahih al-BukhariThis book is generally considered the most authentic, second only to The Glorious Qur’an. The author selected 9,082 [or excluding the repetitions, 2,062] out of about 600,000 narrations to include in this compilation. The book is arranged according to topics under separate headings, the majority of which are extracts from the Qur’an, and some from different Ahadith. Sahih al-Bukhari is also unique in the strict conditions implemented to determine which Ahadith to include in this book. Specifically, each narrator should be of a very high grade of character,literary and academic standard, accuracy, trustworthiness, and memory. In addition, there should

As-Sihāh As-Sittah Books of Hadith

be positive evidence of the meetings and learning and teaching between the narrators. The author of this book is Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Mughirah ibn Bardizbah al-Ju`fi al-Bukhari. He was born on 13th Shawwal 194 AH. in Bukhara and passed away

on the night of Eid in 256 AH. He was of Persian origin. He was blinded during infancy; however, his eyesight was restored by the virtue of his mother’s supplication. His mother had brought him up after his father, a Hadith scholar himself, died while Imam al-Bukhari was an infant. He began the study of Hadith even before ten years of age. The likes of Is`haq bin Rahawayh and Àli ibn al-Madini are amongst the 1080 Hadith scholars from whom Imam al-Bukhari recorded Ahadith. His travels included going to Syria, Egypt, Jazirah, Hijaz, Iraq, and Nishapur. He once

“Since their narrators were discussed in a single book,

these six books began to seem as a single unit instead of being

considered as “Six Principal Works”, and were mentioned

together by later Hadith scholars.”


“It is considered one of the best and most comprehensive books on the subject of legal Prophetic

traditions.”

As-Sihāh As-Sittah Books of Hadithbecame penniless and thus had to live for some time eating the leaves of wild plants.Sahih MuslimThis book is generally considered second to Sahih al-Bukhari (while some even consider it to be its equal or even its superior). The author tried to record therein only those Ahadith which were unanimously agreed as authentic. Unlike Imam Bukhari, the focus of Imam Muslim was not legal extraction. The book is well known due to its authenticity and careful attention to mutabaàt (parallelisms) and shawahid (witnesses). The author of this book is Abul Hasayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj ibn Dawud ibn Kaushad al-Qushayri al-Nishaburi. He was born in the famous Khurasan city of Nishapur in the year 204 A.H. [The years 202 A.H. and 206 A.H. have also been mentioned.] He began his studies of Hadith at the age of about 14 and journeyed to Persia, Iraq, Hijaz, Syria and Egypt. From amongst his teachers were Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Bukhari, and Is`haq bin Rahawayh. His students included Abu Isa Tirmidhi, Abu Hatim Razi, Abu Bakr Ibn Khuzaymah etc. The cause of his death illustrates a glimpse into his engrossment and obsession in knowledge. He was once asked about a specific Hadith which he could not remember at that time. He returned home and while searching for the Hadith, he didn’t realize he consumed a whole bag of dates. This

led to his eventual death (Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A’lam Al-Nubala). He passed away in 261 AH. and was buried in Nasir Abad, a place outside Nishapur.Sunan Abi Dawud

250 A.H. His teachers included Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim and Imam Abu Dawud. However, he was greatly influenced by Imam al-Bukhari in particular.Sunan al-NasaìThis book is unique in how it records the divergences between various versions and chains of Ahadith and how it corrects the mistakes committed by narrators. The author`s name was Abu Abd al-Rahman Ahmad ibn Shuàyb al-Khurasani al-Nasaì. He was born in 215 A.H. in Nasa`, a city in Khurasan, and died in 303 A.H. He was very accurate in his retention of Hadith. He began his travels for study when he was 15 years old and travelled to Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Hijaz amongst other cities. His teachers included Is`haq bin Rahawayh, Imam Abu Dawud, Imam Bukhari, and Qutaybah ibn Saìd.Sunan Ibn MajahThis book is comprised of 32 sub-books, 1,500 chapters, and 4,341 narrations (3002 of which have been recorded also by the authors of the other five books). It is of the lowest grade of the six books in its authenticity. However, it is unique in its beautiful arrangement of sub-books and chapters and in containing very little repetition. The author’s name was Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Abdillah ibn Majah al-Ribì al-Qazwini. He was born in 209 A.H. in Qazvin, a city in Iran, and died in 273 A.H.. His travels for study included journeying to Khurasan, Rayy, Iraq, Syria, Hijaz, Egypt and other places. His teachers included Muhammad al-Tanafasi (d. 233 A.H.).

(Mufti) Abdullah Al-Mahmudi

To write or contribute please contact us by email:

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This book includes about 4800 Hadiths from a collection of 500,000. The author sufficed on just one or two Hadiths in every chapter to make it easy to use. It is considered one of the best and most comprehensive books on the subject of legal Prophetic traditions. The author`s name was Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn Ashàth ibn Is`haq al-Sijistani. He was born in Sijistan (also known as Sistan or Sijz, found in present day eastern Iran, southern Afghanistan, and western Pakistan). He was born in 202 A.H. and passed away in 275 A.H. in Basrah. He began his journey to acquire Hadith when he was younger than 20 years of age. He travelled to Khurasan, Persia, Iraq, Hijaz, Syria, Egypt, Tarsus, and Rayy. He lived a major portion of his

life in Baghdad while his last few years were spent in Basra. He had more than 300 teachers which included Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and Yahya ibn Maìn.Jami` al-TirmidhiThis book is comprised of 50 sub-books and includes 3,956 traditions. It was completed in 270 A.H.. This book has 3 distinguishing features: 1. The Prophetic traditions are collected systematically; 2. It mentions the legal opinions of early scholars concerning the subject of the Hadith mentioned; 3. It discusses the quality, grading [authentic or good or weak] and defect [if any] of the traditions. It is the famous work of Abu Isa Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Sawra ibn Musa al-Tirmidhi. He was born in 209 A.H and died in 279 A.H. He most likely began his travels for study in 235 A.H. and returned to his hometown before

“Unlike Imam Bukhari, the focus of Imam Muslim was not legal

extraction.”


Meet the board - Br. Khaled Mahmood, EC Education Committee Chairman

Brother Khaled Mahmood, the incumbent Executive Committee (EC) education committee chairman, is an Environmental Engineer with more than 20 years of experience. Before joining the MCA community he lived in Warren, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. He was one the founding members of the Islamic Center of Michigan (ICM) in 2004 before it merged with the Islamic Organization North America (IONA). While in Chicago in 2007, he served on the board of the Muslim Community Center (MCC), and managed the Community Library at the Elston Avenue location, contributing to its reorganization.As an officer of the EC, the Education Committee Chairman’s main responsibility is to direct the education activities in coordination with other EC officers and the imam.

In the past two years, Br.Khaled has made significant accomplishments, particularly with regards to improving the MCA Islamic School (MCAIS), which is the weekend Islamic school program. MCAIS aims to cultivate an

environment for children to learn to read, memorize, and recite the Qur’an on Saturdays and to acquire foundational knowledge of Islamic sciences and Arabic language on Sundays. The weekend school program is meant

to foster spiritual and academic development. This program was designed to help nurture an intrinsic motivation within the student to learn the basics of their religion and build a strong moral character. At the end of the program, the hope is that the student will walk away embracing their Islamic identity and loving the Book of Allah (SWT).

During his previous term, Br. Khaled 1) updated the Arabic curriculum to the “Weekend Learning Series” textbook series and supplemental materials; 2) extended instruction time by half an hour; 3) invited parents to be part of the school community by establishing an active Parent Teacher Organization (PTO); 4) hired qualified teachers capable of engaging students from diverse backgrounds; and 5) supported the implementation of a summer camp to keep our children engaged with Islamic oriented activities during the school break.

In addition to the MCAIS, Br. Khaled is actively working with the Imam, the EC, and the Sisters’ Committee to

implement educational programs for the broader MCA community, including both youth and adults. Classes for sisters have been an important priority for the year as part of the EC’s effort to meet the needs of women in the community with emphasis on increasing women’s engagement in the masjid. In March, sisters’ classes on topics of tafseer, hadith, and fiqh will start, and, for younger sisters, three levels of mentorship programs were established. [Details of these classes and programs are in the EC Minutes Summary on page 9.] In addition, there are now programs lead by the Imam for brothers and sisters including the tafseer class on Saturdays, the 40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi after Isha several evenings a week, and the brothers’ youth program.

The monthly Community Potlucks are also an important education series. For February, the topic was civic engagement with Representative Abdullah Hammoud, eMgauge Michigan director Hassan Sheikh, and Pittsfield Township Board of Trustee Yameen Jaffer. In March, the potluck on the 17th aims to educate the community about Palestine.

The MCA is fortunate to have Br. Khaled lead the education efforts at the masjid. His experience and work at the MCA are an asset to our community. His vision for the community is to provide quality services at our Islamic Center in the areas of Islamic education for children, adult enrichment courses, and youth engagement activities in a welcoming atmosphere. He is assisted in his work by his wife, Dr. Naznin Mahmood, a pediatric neurologist at Henry Ford Health System.


The February Executive Committee (EC) meeting was the first this year with only the new board present. The proposed 2018 budget was emailed to the EC for review prior to the meeting. At the meeting, it was discussed and some modifications made. The proposed streams of revenue, along with associated expenses, were incorporated, specifically, the expected news magazine advertisement income, Friday food and vending machine sales. Expenses included the allocation of a part-time paid staff person to ensure successful implementation with regards to the food sales. Another new line item was funding the boy and girsl youth activities. Both the Treasurer and the President encouraged the EC to control costs while also seeking ways to increase revenue. The EC unanimously adopted the revised budget and it was sent to the Board of Trustees (BT) for review and approval.

Br. Abdelhakim, the outgoing treasurer, met with Br. Nusrat February on February 10th to finalize the transition.The most pressing concern was the sending of the donation receipt letters .Donors who made contribution through Paypal, Comerica, or MOHID with address information should have now received letters; however, Br. Adnan is still working to extract addresses from the images of the processed checks. A motion was passed to adopt the Joint Committee recommendation of the 50/50 utility share between MIA and MCA. Dr. Ahmad Mizyad was nominated and unanimously approved to fill the EC secretary position left vacant by Br. Habib’s election as president.

Working in conjunction with the Sisters’ Committee and volunteers, the following programs are being rolled out for sisters:Tafseer Class: While sisters are welcome to attend the Saturday after fajr tafseer program conducted by Imam Abdullah, on Wednesdays and Sundays at 10:30am,

February 11 EC Meeting Minutes Summary

Sr. Shazia will offer an English language tafseer class specifically for sisters starting Sunday, March 4th. Dr. Nagla will continue teaching the sisters’ Arabic tafseer class Thursdays between dhur and asr. Fiqh Class: On Tuesdays, the Imam will teach a fiqh class following the traditional curriculum starting with Tahara, Salat, etc .The program will alternate weekly between 11am and 7pm on Tuesdays (with the material repeating) to accommodate women’s diverse schedules. Sr. Rula will assist with facilitation. Starting March 6th in the morning. Hadith Class: - Sr. Jenn will teach a biweekly halaqa on the 40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi designed to foster sisterhood and spiritual growth from 3-5:30pm on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, beginning March 10th.Tea Time: Srs. Jaye and Rula are currently seeking three volunteers to coordinate a monthly low/non-programmed tea intended to strengthen sisterhood, on the 3rd Saturday of each month, starting April 21st from 2:30 - 4pm.MCA Sisters’ Mentorship: We will be launching a three-tiered membership series for female youth. (1) Sr. Noreen is coordinating a ‘Mommy and Me’ style program for pre-teens. (2) Sr. Soumaya is leading the Youth Mentorship Network (YMN Girls) for ten to seventeen year olds with nine volunteers who will plan weekly educational, social, and mentorship activities. Approximately a $1,000 budget request was approved for this program which will be supplemented by a $15 participation fee. (3) Dr. Naznine is organizing a professional mentorship program for college and graduate students pairing the young women with experienced professionals

working in their field of interest.

To make masjid programing more accessible, particularly for the elderly and sisters caring at home for children, live streaming of the khutbas and lectures was also discussed. The Imam has agreed to allow his programs to be live streamed, but the EC plans to look at the issue in greater depth, mindful of privacy, risk, accessibility, and consistency. Facebook’s live stream option is one option, but Mixlr might also be a better solution.

Another big area of need is childcare, not only during masjid programing, but for working families currently relying on daycare services outside of the community. For the masjid programing, the MCA is going to hire a group of babysitters who will provide daycare during all of the sisters’ programing as well as the all-community events such as the monthly potlucks and jummah services. Srs.Nargis and Iffat have taken the lead on remodeling the classroom between the sisters’ entrance and the office for this purpose. They will be installing storage cabinets for toys, special split doors, wall mounted toys, new carpet, and paint with the goal of making the room a safe kid-friendly environment for infants through age five. The primary initial goal is to make the masjid more accommodating to mothers and families. The long term goal would be to offer professional daycare services which could address an unmet need in the community.

With regards to Ramadan planning, Dr. Ilyas will lead Taraweeh along with a team of 5 hufaaz as backup. Imam Abdullah is going to be organizing the month’s educational activities for the

Continued on page 11

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EC Minutes, page 9 continued

all a person’s sins, leaving them like the day they were born (An-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah)Importantly, the sacredness of the Holy Land is associated with the whole place and land and not just with a building or the city of Jerusalem. We should therefore pray for the preservation of the land, make a firm resolution to visit the blessed land, and assist the land and its people in whatever way we can. May Allah increase us in our knowledge, love and dedication to the Holy Land. Ameen. (Mufti) Abdullah Al-Mahmudi

Jerusalem page 3 continued

masjid. The EC is planning on changing

the carpet by Ramadan and upgrading the facilities to make the masjid more usable for the community. There are already several requests for fundraisers. This year, the EC is going to prioritize fundraisers who are vested in the

community and who are willing to take a longer term approach to marketing by advertising in the newsmagazine.

Dr. Ebraheem volunteered for office manager position which will help save the MCA the allocated funds for the position. Br. Tariq has been in contact with the city seeking a permit for the new sign and is in the final stages of the process.

Attendees: Habib Hamidi,

Khaled Mahmood, Shafeeq Shaikh, Nusrat Ali, Jaye Starr (substituting for Stephanie Darwish)Absentee: Jamal Al-Aref, Ayoub Hassan, Stephanie Darwish, Tariq Ali, Hussam Abu Shtayyah, Imam Abdullah

March Day Jumad Ath-Thani/Rajab Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha

آذار االيام رجب/ جماد الثاني فجر شروق ظهر عصر مغرب عشاء

1 Thu 6/13 5:53 7:10 12:48 3:55 PM 6:25 PM 7:43 PM2 Fri 6/14 5:51 7:08 12:47 3:55 PM 6:27 PM 7:44 PM3 Sat 6/15 5:50 7:06 12:47 3:56 PM 6:28 PM 7:45 PM4 Sun 6/16 5:48 7:05 12:47 3:57 PM 6:29 PM 7:46 PM5 Mon 6/17 5:46 7:03 12:47 3:58 PM 6:30 PM 7:47 PM6 Tue 6/18 5:45 7:01 12:47 3:58 PM 6:31 PM 7:49 PM7 Wed 6/19 5:43 7:00 12:46 3:59 PM 6:33 PM 7:50 PM8 Thu 6/20 5:41 6:58 12:46 4:00 PM 6:34 PM 7:51 PM9 Fri 6/21 5:40 6:56 12:46 4:01 PM 6:35 PM 7:52 PM10 Sat 6/22 5:38 6:55 12:46 4:01 PM 6:36 PM 7:53 PM

11** Sun 6/23 6:38 7:55 13:46 5:01 PM 7:36 PM 8:53 PM12 Mon 6/24 6:36 7:53 13:45 5:02 PM 7:37 PM 8:54 PM13 Tue 6/25 6:34 7:51 13:45 5:03 PM 7:38 PM 8:56 PM14 Wed 6/26 6:33 7:50 13:45 5:03 PM 7:40 PM 8:57 PM15 Thu 6/27 6:31 7:48 13:44 5:04 PM 7:41 PM 8:58 PM16 Fri 6/28 6:29 7:46 13:44 5:05 PM 7:42 PM 8:59 PM17 Sat 6/29 6:27 7:45 13:44 5:05 PM 7:43 PM 9:01 PM18 Sun 7/1 6:25 7:43 13:44 5:06 PM 7:44 PM 9:02 PM19 Mon 7/2 6:24 7:41 13:43 5:07 PM 7:45 PM 9:03 PM20 Tue 7/3 6:22 7:39 13:43 5:07 PM 7:47 PM 9:04 PM21 Wed 7/4 6:20 7:38 13:43 5:08 PM 7:48 PM 9:05 PM22 Thu 7/5 6:18 7:36 13:42 5:08 PM 7:49 PM 9:07 PM23 Fri 7/6 6:16 7:34 13:42 5:09 PM 7:50 PM 9:08 PM24 Sat 7/7 6:14 7:32 13:42 5:10 PM 7:51 PM 9:09 PM25 Sun 7/8 6:13 7:31 13:42 5:10 PM 7:52 PM 9:11 PM26 Mon 7/9 6:11 7:29 13:41 5:11 PM 7:53 PM 9:12 PM27 Tue 7/10 6:09 7:27 13:41 5:11 PM 7:54 PM 9:13 PM28 Wed 7/11 6:07 7:25 13:41 5:12 PM 7:56 PM 9:14 PM29 Mon 7/12 6:05 7:24 13:40 5:12 PM 7:57 PM 9:16 PM30 Tue 7/13 6:03 7:22 13:40 5:13 PM 7:58 PM 9:17 PM31 Wed 7/14 6:01 7:20 13:40 5:13 PM 7:59 PM 9:18 PM

Fajr Dhuhr Asr Isha6:15 1:50 4:15 8:057:00 1:50 5:20 9:156:40 1:50 5:25 9:30

Sisters Classes

Brothers Quran Circle

Sisters Youth Mentors Networks

Tafsir Class :Wed & Sun 10:30am

Fiqh Class: Tue 3/6 11am & 3/13 7pm

Hadith Class: Sat. 3-5:30pm

"Tafsir Al Quran"Saturdays after Fajr

Islam 101

21-311st. FRIDAY PRAYER: 12:00PM 2nd. FRIDAY PRAYER: 1:30PM

Iqamah Table for 2/2018 Monthly EC MeetingDates Maghrib1-10

Sundays between Maghrib and Isha

"Riyadh Al-Saliheen"Everyday after Isha

Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor and Vicinity2301 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Telephone: (734) 665-6772 Website: www.mca-a2.org

Programming

March 2018 - Jumad Ath-Thani/Rajab 1439 -- رجب/ الثاني جماد

MCA Membership MattersPlease renew your MCA Membership in order to participate in the election and amendment processes.

To apply online, please visit: http://mca-a2.org/forms/membership/

Sunday

10 Minutes after AdhanMarch, 11th, 2018

11-20 11.00 AM - 1.00PM

Imam's Office Hours: Tue/Thr Fajr to 9am, Tue-Fri Asr-IshaMCA Office hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 9am to 3pm

Community Announcements

Community Dinner!Muslim History of Jerusalem

Dinner @ 530pmLecture @ 615pm

March 17th, 530pm

(for Non-Muslim friends)

Wednesdays at 7pm

Free Food Distribution

Brothers Youth -Open Gym - Fridays after Isha*

Sisters Weekly Halaqa

4-6pm Mar 13 and Mar 27

"Living Muslim"

Every Monday at 3pm

12 / Th e Mo n T h ly observ er

deen. community. service. the monthly...

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