July, 2007 Wahdat, Islamic Education Center Newsletter

July 2007 .............. Jumadi II-Rajab 1428

Historical Mother’s Day in Houston ACC organizes its first annual unity celebration on the occasion of the Wiladat of Bibi Fatema Zahra

n a wet and dreary Independence Day Houston’s Muslims came together to express their love and admiration for the Daughter of the Prophet(saww), Hazrat-e-Fatema Al-Zahra (sa) and to unite under the banner of unity. The event was organized by the

Ahlul Bayt Coordination Council (ACC) which comprises of the five Shia Organizations and two Anjuman’s of the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Over 600 representatives from Al-Ghadeer Education Foundation, Markazi Imambargah Al-Murtuza, Islamic Propagation Foundation, Ahlul-Bayt Foundation, Anjumane-Pasbane Aza and Alamdar-e-Husain conducted ACC’s first ever annual unity celebration at the Islamic Education Center with poetry, presentations and speeches. The Council’s main objective is to present a united stand on issues facing the Muslim community and to work side-by-side on select joint projects. These include the formation of a moon-sighting committee, marriage assistance committee (MAC), burial services, annual youth camp and others. Spokespersons from each organization expressed in no uncertain terms the great need for the unity of Muslims under the current environment of animosity and unprovoked assaults on the Islam and Muslims all over the world. Each speaker urged the audience to sincerely work and pray for the success of this joint effort. Hujjatul-Islam Shabbiri who was instrumental in bringing all the brothers together pointed out that the formation of brotherhood was the quintessential primary task of the Prophet (saw) when he migrated to Madinah from Makkah. He supported his argument by poignant verses from the Holy Qur’an wherein Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims of their past animosities and how He saved them from the brink of fire by uniting them. Moulana also mentioned albeit briefly, about the critical role a mother plays in the development of a child and the formation of a just society. He pointed out that Hazrat-e-Zahra was the most perfect exemplar and a role model for humanity. As a gesture of thanks and in appreciation all mothers were given flowers on this auspicious mother’s day. All momineen also listened to a presentation on the tragic attack on the Askarriya Shrine as a reminder that unity indeed is the need of our time. This thoroughly enjoyable event will be remembered and relived again next year at the Ahlul-Bayt Foundation organization, insha-Allah

FATIMIYAH MASJID OPERATIONS FUND APPEAL!

Dear Community Members: Asslamu alaykum

The Islamic Education Center of Houston serves the community as a center for the Friday congregational prayers, Islamic celebrations, community programs, and above all – a center for imparting knowledge about Islam and promoting Islamic values. We have a very large facility with a full time Masjid that is open seven days a week, Al Hadi School, Sunday school, Farsi School, Imam Sajjad Clinic, MIH, the IEC Kitchen and other valuable programs and services. Given the level of activity, the Masjid has approximately $23,000 of fixed monthly operating expenses. These include salaries, related expenses for employees, utilities such as light, water, insurance, maintenance and supplies. We are totally reliant upon the generosity of community members such as you to pay for these expenses. Due to a significant decrease in donations over the summer months, we are currently facing a severe shortage in our Masjid operations fund. We need to raise approximately $50,000 to pay for past due operating expenses and fixed operating expenses to be incurred over the next two months. We have established a Masjid operations fund titled "FATIMIYAH (sa) Fund" to commemorate the birth of the Holy Lady (sa). We humbly request that you donate generously to this fund to help the Masjid. Please make your donation to the Fatimiyah (Masjid Operations) Fund. If you have any questions please call me at 7173 787 5000 X 66 or email me at treasurer@iec-houston.org . To make your contributions online, please visit www.iec-houston.org/estore and make a general donation for Masjid expenses. May Allah bless you and your family.

O

July, 2007 Wahdat, Islamic Education Center Newsletter

Happy Mother's Day Courtesy PressTV.com Fatima is Fatima. Fatima lived like this and died like this. After her death, she began a new life in history. Fatima appears as a halo in the visages of all of the oppressed who later become the multitudes of Islam. All of the usurped, extorted, oppressed, sufferers, all of those whose rights have been destroyed and sacrificed by pressure and have been deceived, had the name of Fatima as their slogan. The memory of Fatima grew with the love, emotions and wonderful faith of the men and women, who throughout the history of Islam, fought for freedom and justice. Throughout the centuries, they were nourished under the merciless and bloody lashes of the Caliphates. Their cries and anger grew and overflowed from their wounded hearts. This is why in the history of all Moslem nations and among the deprived masses of the Islamic community, Fatima is the source of the inspiration for freedom, the desire of that which is a right, the seekers of justice, the resisters of oppression, cruelty, crime and discrimination. It is most difficult to speak about the personality of Fatima. Fatima is the woman that Islam wants a woman to be. The concept of her visage is painted by the Prophet himself. He melted her and made her pure in the fire of difficulties, poverty, resistance, deep understanding and the wonder of humanity. She is a symbol in all the various dimensions of being a woman. The symbol of a daughter when facing her father. The symbol of a wife when facing her husband. The symbol of a mother when facing her children. The symbol of a responsible, fighting woman when facing her time and the fate of her society. She herself is an Imam, a guide, that is, an outstanding example of someone to follow, an ideal type of woman and one who bears witness to any woman who wishes to 'become herself' through her own choice. She answers the question of how to be a woman with her wonderful childhood, her constant struggling and resisting on two fronts, inside and out, in the home of her father, in the home of her husband, in her society, in her thoughts and behavior and in her life. I do not know what to say. I have said a great deal. Still much remains unsaid. In the expression of all of the amazing aspects of the great spirit of Fatima, that which causes the most wonder in me, is this that Fatima is the traveling companion, steps in the same steps, flies together with the great spirit of Ali, through the ascension of humanity towards completeness and the stages of the descent of the spirit and the psyche. She was not just a wife to Ali. Ali looked upon her as a friend, a friend who was familiar with his pains and his great wishes. She was his endless refuge, the one who listened to his secrets. She was the only companion of his loneliness. This is why Ali looked at her with another look and also at her children. After Fatima, Ali took other wives and he had children from them. However, from the beginning, he separates the children who were from Fatima from his other children. The latter are called 'Banff Ali',[that is, sons of Ali] and the former, 'Banff Fatima' [the children of Fatima]. Isn't it strange! When face to face with their father, and he, Ali, the children are related to Fatima. And we saw that the Prophet also saw her with different eyes. From among all of his daughters he would only discipline Fatima. He only relies upon her. From an early age, she accepted the great invitation.

July, 2007 Wahdat, Islamic Education Center Newsletter

continued from page 2… I do not know what to say about her. How to say it? I wanted to imitate the French writer who was speaking one day in a conference about the Virgin Mary. He said, 'For 1700 years all of the speakers have spoken of Mary. For 1700 years, ail philosophers and thinkers of various nations of the East and West have spoken of the values of Mary. For 1700 years, the poets of the world have expressed all of their creative efforts and power in their praise of Mary. For 1700 years, all of the painters and artists have created wonderful works of art showing the visage and states of Mary. But the totality of all that has been said, thought and the efforts of all the artist throughout all of these many centuries were not able to sufficiently describe the greatness of Mary as these words, 'Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ'.' And I wanted to begin in this manner with Fatima. I got stuck. I wished to say, 'Fatima is the daughter of the great Khadijeh.' I sensed it is not Fatima. I wished to say, 'Fatima is the daughter of Mohammad ('s).' I sensed it is not Fatima. I wished to say, 'Fatima is the wife of Ali ('a).' I sensed it is not Fatima. I wished to say, 'Fatima is the mother of Hassan and Hossein.' I sensed it is not Fatima. I wished to say, 'Fatima is the mother of Zainab.' I still sensed it is not Fatima. No, these are all true and none of them are Fatima. FATIMA IS FATIMA. By Ali Shariati

Al-Zahra Library News Library Committee for the Term 2007-8 We are looking for volunteers to join the library committee. The main role of the committee will be to help in improving library services for the community. This includes procurement and promotion of books and media, publishing Islamic literature, establishing relations with other libraries, developing its website and conducting programs in the library. Please consider joining us. For more information contact Br Hyder Syed: syedalihyder@gmail.com

July 2007 SPECIAL EVENTS AT I.E.C. Please contact Br Moosa Raza (281-813-9487) to sponsor any programs listed below. May Allah bless you.

Tue, Jul 10th Shahadat Imam Ali Al-Naqi (as) (26th Jumadi II)

Holy Qur’an………………………………….….7:35pm Speech……………….…………………..............7:45pm Nauha…….………………………………………8:30pm Maghribain……………………………………….8:44pm Dau-e-Tawassul………………………………….9:15pm Tabarruk……………………………………….....9:45pm

More scheduled programs continued on the next page…

July, 2007 Wahdat, Islamic Education Center Newsletter

July 2007 SPECIAL EVENTS AT I.E.C. Please contact Br Moosa Raza (281-813-9487) to sponsor any programs listed below. May Allah bless you.

Sun, Jul 15th Wildat Imam Al-Baqir (as) (1st Rajab)

Holy Qur’an……………………………………7:35pm Hadith-e-Kisa…………………………………..7:45pm Speech ……….....………………….................. 8:00 pm Maghribain Prayers...……..…….………………8:43 pm Tabbaruk….………………………….………....9:30 pm

Tue, Jul 24th Wiladat Imam Al-Taqi (as) (10th Rajab)

Holy Qur’an/Qaseeda Presentation…………..….7:15pm Speech …………...………………….................. 7:30 pm Maghribain Prayers...……..…….……………….8:39 pm Tabbaruk….………………………….……….....9:00 pm (Estimated cost of Tabarruk: $300)

Sat, Jul 28th Wiladat Imam Ali (as) (13th Rajab)

***Jashn-e-Mouloode Ka’aba*** Holy Qur’an………………………………….….6:50pm Qaseeda/Presentation..…………………..............7:00pm Speech..….………………………………………7:30pm Maghribain……………………………………….8:37pm Tabarruk……………………………………….....9:15pm (Estimated cost of dinner: $2,500)

Tue, Jul 31st Shahadat Hazrat Zainab (AS) (15th Rajab)

Holy Qur’an/Marsia………………………….….6:50pm Speech..….………………………………………7:45pm Maghribain……………………………………….8:36pm Dua-e-Tawassul………………………………….9:00pm Tabarruk……………………………………….....9:30pm (Estimated cost of tabarruk: $600)