Archive for the ‘Community’ Category
Administrator on September 5th, 2010
ANNUAL COMMUNITY IFTARI
In the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast which involves refraining from food, drink, smoking and conjugal relations from dawn until sunset for a whole month. Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam and over 2 million Muslims in the UK have been fasting for a month to detox their bodies and to re-direct their hearts and souls. It is an act of worship which is designed to bring believers closer to Allah and to rediscover and re-direct themselves and teach self-discipline.
In the spirit of the month of Ramadan during which Muslims fast, Leeds Muslim Council annunly holds a community iftar reception. This year, Leeds Muslim Council cordially invites the whole community of Leeds to share a meal with them at Leeds Makkah Mosque on Tuesday, 7 September 2010. This meal, called Iftar, is eaten after sunset and breaks the Muslims’ day long fast.
The management committee of Makkah Mosque, Leeds Muslim Council, has historically been committed to helping achieve harmony within the local community by planning initiatives that actively engage with different community organisations, with the aim of providing opportunities for visitors to explore and share the beauty of Islam.
PAKISTAN FLOOD APPEAL
Refraining from food and drink teaches people to empathise with those who cannot afford to have a meal and have access to clean water.This year, Muslims of Leeds have been focusing on this aspect of fasting more than ever due to the terrible floods that have swept away villages upon villages in Pakistan. Consequently, there are people in Pakistan who have not had food for 3 days, not by choice but because they have lost everything that they owned. Families and friends of people who are caught up in the floods have reported that some of them have been eating leaves from trees as that is the only dry thing that is available for them to chew. According to UN the effects of floods in Pakistan have exceeded the combined total in three recent mega disasters being, Tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Concerted efforts have therefore been made at Leeds Makkh Mosque to raise funds for the victims of flood in Pakistan.
The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Coun. Jim McKenna, launched his eight week long Pakistan flood appeal on Monday 16 August 2010 from Leeds Makkah Mosque and he will be a special guest of honor at the community Iftar dinner. Leeds Muslim Council will handover the funds raised at Makkah Mosque to the Lord Mayor of Leeds to form part of his Pakistan flood appeal. The donations will then be sent to Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Coun. Jim McKenna, will be an honoured guest at the event.
Please see below coverage regarding the Pakistan Flood Appeal:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-10877528
http://www.northleedslifegroup.com/tag/makkah-masjid/
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Leeds-Pakistan-appeal-off-to.6480475.jp
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/aug/15/leeds-makkah-mosque-qari-asim-pakistan-floods-ramadan
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/aug/04/bookmarked-leeds-mosque-prays-for-pakistan-earthquake-victims
The iftar dinner will be served on Tuesday 7 September 2010 @ 7:45pm
Administrator on September 3rd, 2010
The Youth – Muslims or otherwise- throughout the world are facing many challenges.
In Britain more than 50% of the Muslim population is under the age of 25. Although Muslims are the fastest growing ethnic group in the UK, their success rate overall in the mainstream activities has not been a source of pride for the youth themselves or their parents and there are many psychological, social, political, cultural and economic reasons for that. In the recent years, there has been increasing rates of involvement in crime & violence, drugs use, gang culture and anti-social behaviour. In additions, there are further issues around relationships, mental health, school drop-outs and unemployment.
Youth Committee of MINAB- the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board-recognizes that British Muslim community has a serious challenge on its hands: to ensure that it invests in today’s children (tomorrow’s adults) so that the youth play a more fulfilling role in British society. It requires all partners involved in the upbringing of the youth working towards this objective and not wait for a crisis to occur and then react.
From religious perspective, parents, teachers, mosques and Imams, youth workers and social workers all need to work together to help the youth overcome these issues & challenges.
MINAB and Leeds Makah Mosque in join venture with Muslim Youth Skills has organised a programme around the theme: ‘A Time to Invest’. This event will cover the importance in investing in our future generations.
The event is held on Friday 3 September 2010 after Taraweeh prayer at Leeds Makkah Mosque.
The event is open to everyone.
Speaking about the event, MINAB Youth Committee chair, Qari Asim, said: “Youth are the community of tomorrow. The British Muslim Community needs to transform the mindset towards youth and development to embrace youth as equal partners in the decision making and problem solving processes of their community. It is an investment that is most needed in our community.”
Administrator on August 25th, 2010
On Sunday 29 August 2010, the Muslim community of Leeds will mark the 7th anniversary of the opening of the Makkah Mosque, Leeds and over 40 years of the Muslim community establishing mosques in Hyde Park Leeds.
Makkah Masjid and Madina Masjid were built and have been running due to the endless prayers and hard work of the Muslim community of Leeds.
By the grace of Allah, Makkah Mosque has achieved a great deal over the past 7 years nationally and internationally. Makkah Mosque has won a nation-wide competition to become the UK’s Model Mosque. The Mosque is a leader in the field of promoting and enhancing community relations, something which HRH Prince Charles has noted in one of his speeches.
In order to mark the anniversary of Allah giving the community of Leeds the gift of His Houses in the form of Makkah Masjid and Madina Jamia Masjid, a special ceremony will be held before the iftari dinner at Makkah Masjid on Sunday 29 August 2010. The purpose is to show gratitude to Allah and thank Him for enabling the community to be part of the mosques. Also, Leeds Muslim Council wishes to thank the community for their continued support.
On the day after Asr prayer, the community will recite the Holy Qur’an and remember their Lord doing different zikrs until Iftar. The hard work and services of all those who were part of the success of the mosque will be remembered. In particular, the efforts of Shaykh Hafiz Fateh Muhammad (May Allah have mercy on his soul) will be remembered.
InshaAllah, the occasion will be a joyous one, with everyone- brothers and sisters, elders and children coming together to break their fast in Allah’s House with a real sense of community spirit and affinity with the Masjid.
Imam of Makkah Masjid, Qari Asim, said: “the Holy Qur’an tells us to remember the Days of Allah, which include days on which blessings are granted on an individual or a community, and clearly the day on which Allah gifted the Muslims of Leeds with Makkah Masjid was a day on which He showered us with His blessings. It is therefore incumbent upon us to show gratitude to Allah on this occasion.
Inviting the whole of the community to collectively praise their Lord and celebrate together is in keeping with the spirit of the month of Ramadan.”
Administrator on August 9th, 2010
Ramadhan is a month of intensive spiritual, physical and mental training so that one can become closer to Allah. Remembrance of Allah, Zikr, is the key to gaining closeness to Allah and obtaining contentment of the heart. Progress that each Muslim shall make during the month of Ramadan in achieving this objective will be up to him. However, at an individual and collective level, we should set ourselves specific goals to achieve in the month of Ramadan and then to maintain such goals throughout the rest of the year.
At Makkah Mosque, we have set ourselves a number of individual and collective spiritual, financial and intellectual goals.
On the basis of the following hadith, one such goal is to collectively recite:
i) 5 million times – reciting the declaration of faith (shahadah): There is no one worth of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
ii) 5 million times – reciting any “Istighfar” that a person may know; in other words seeking forgiveness from Allah Almighty; and
iii) 5 million times – salutations on the Prophet Muhammad / darood sharif/salat alan-Nabi. Sallal laahu alaihi wa-alihi wa-ashabihi wasallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet, his family and companions) is the shortest darud sharif.
In a hadith, narrated by Salman Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him relates), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said the following in a sermon prior to the arrival of the month of Ramadan:
“O people! …. try to have the following four things with you in the month [of Ramadhan].You will make your Lord be pleased with you with two of them, and you cannot do without the other two.
One of the things that will make Allah be pleased with you is to continue saying kalima shahada “La Ilaha Illalaahu” (there is no one worth of worship except Allah…) and the other is asking forgiveness from Allah.
One of the two things that you cannot do without is asking Paradise from Allah and taking refuge in Allah from Hell…..”
Altogether, we are inshaAllah hoping to collect over 15millions of these blessed words during the month of Ramadhan.
We will insha’Allah also complete the entire recitation of the Noble Qur’an 100-150 times over the course of the month.
We also intend to recite 1,000 times surah Yasin (surah 36)insha’Allah over the course of the month. It will only take 35 people reciting surah Yasin once everyday of the blessed month.
If you wish to join us, please e-mail us on mail@makkahmasjid.co.uk and let us know how much you would like to recite these words or a part of the Glorious Qur’an. It could be as little as reading 10 times each of the above mentioned zikrs everyday or a page of the Holy Qur’an every day or surah Yasin once a day/week.
Come & join us in gaining the pleasure of Lord of the Heavens & Earth and making your future brighter!
Administrator on August 5th, 2010
The death toll from flooding in north-west Paksitan has risen to over 1,500 as rescue workers struggled to save more than 27,000 people still trapped by the water.
Around 14 million people have been displaced due to the flooding. The full scale of disaster will only be revealed once the water start to recede.
There are also fears growing that the floods could cause a huge humanitarian crisis in the region as hundreds of thousands of survivors come under threat from water-borne diseases.
Aid is desperately needed for those who have suffered and every little can help.
In Makkah Mosque special prayers are being held for those who have suffered as a result of this flood and people are being urged to donate as much as they can to provide relief to those who have suffered as a result of disaster.
Imam of Makkah Masjid, Qari Asim, said: “The significant loss of lives, and infrastructure in Pakistan, following the recent floods is deeply saddening. Everyone is urged to show support for this humanitarian issue.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/aug/04/bookmarked-leeds-mosque-prays-for-pakistan-earthquake-victims
Whilst giving an interview to Yorkshire Evening Post, Qari Asim said: “”Ramadan is just round the corner and the whole point of it is to empathise with people who cannot afford two meals a day, about spiritual cleansing and also understanding practically. These people’s basic needs have been taken away and I think people will be giving generously to help them.”
Ramadan is a month of charity.
Ibn `Abbas, one of Muhammad’s Companions, narrated: “The Prophet was the most generous amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadan when Jibreel visited him, and Jibreel used to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of the month. The Prophet used to recite the Holy Qur’an to Jibreel, and when Jibreel met him, he used to be more generous than a fast wind (which causes rain and welfare).” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
Please click on the linkn below to see the full article:
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Leeds-rallies-to-aid-Pakistan.6458193.jp
An interview with ITV can be seen on the following link:
http://www.itv.com/yorkshire/aid-for-pakistan93595/
Lord Mayor of Leeds launched his flood relief charity appeal at Makkh Mosque on 5 August. The event was coved by BBC Look North and be seen at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj5m
Administrator on July 21st, 2010
Last week the Conservative backbencher Philip Hollobone tabled a Private Members’ Bill calling for a ban on wearing a burka or niqaab (face veil) in public places. The Bill follows moves in a number of European countries, including France and Belgium, to ban the wearing of a face veil in public.
The UK government has responded to Mr Hollobone’s proposal by saying that it will not ban the burka. The Immigration Minister Damian Green has said that forbidding women in the UK from wearing certain clothing would be “un-British”. He said such a law would run contrary to the conventions of a “tolerant and mutually respectful society”. In an interview with the Telegraph newspaper, he has said it would be “undesirable” for Westminster to vote on a burka ban, and that there was no prospect of the coalition government proposing such a bill.
Makkah Mosque welcomes the government’s confirmation that it will not be banning the veil. Whilst it is accepted by the vast majority of Muslim scholars that wearing a face veil is not a mandatory requirement of Islamic dress for women, it is important that Muslim women are allowed to dress in a way in which they feel comfortable. Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim, said: “The small minority of British Muslim women who choose to wear the face veil should not have their freedom to express their religious views curtailed. Britain’s tolerance is one of the things that makes this a great country to live in and the current government’s desire to preserve this tolerance deserves to be applauded.”
Administrator on July 15th, 2010
One of HRH Prince of Wales’ charities is Mosaic. Mosaic was founded to create opportunities for young people, championed by Muslims, harnessing the power of positive thinking.
Mosaic aims to achieve two things:
- Increase education opportunities for those who do not have them
- Increase opportunities for understanding between people of different backgrounds
Mosaic holds an annual International Summit in the summer and this year’s summit, 2010, will bring together 80 Muslim delegates from 17 countries around the world to engage in leadership development, to better enable them to become agents of positive change. Delegates have been selected from a wide range of individuals aged 25-35, representing a diverse range of backgrounds and experience – from teachers to designers, HR professionals, students, engineers, journalists and business leaders.
Mosaic International Summit is an innovative leadership development opportunity, designed to bring together young emerging leaders from across the Muslim world.
Makkah Mosque in conjunction with Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) will host some of the delegates on Tuesday 20 July at 2:30-4:30pm. The Mosaic Global Delegates will gain first hand experience of the work that mosques do in the UK to harness the power of positive thinking and the inspiration they provide to the future leaders of this country.
A workshop will be held at Makkah Mosque on Tuesday 20 July at 2:30-4:30pm to discuss the phenomenal and inspiring role of mosques in galvanizing the power of positive thinking and bringing positive change in the world. The workshop will provide an opportunity to British Imams and the global Muslim delegates to discuss issues common to them in their own localities and share experiences and good practices with each other.
Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim said: “As chair of Leeds Mosaic and chair of MINAB Youth Committee, we are delighted to be hosting the Mosaic global leaders at Makkah Mosque and providing them with an insight into what inspiring work local communities in Britain are doing to foster a strong and positive leadership.”
Maulana Shahid Raza OBE, Chairman of MINAB said: “This is a good example of how Mosques are involving in positive projects and we’re delighted to support the work of Makkah Masjid, UK’s Model Mosque, to help bring about change for the benefit of everyone”.
Administrator on June 29th, 2010
Leeds Makkah Mosque, in conjunction with leading local and national organisations, invites you, your friends, colleagues and contacts to an event entitled ‘Communities United – Working Together for a Brighter Future’ on Wednesday 7 July 2010 at 2:30pm – 5.30pm to mark the 5th anniversary of the atrocities committed against civilians in London on 7 July 2005.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leeds/10535443.stm
Makkah Mosque truly believes that the diversity of British society is a source of great national pride and is something that should be passionately celebrated and promoted. It has long been leading the way in holding multi-cultural events to celebrate community, culture, sports and commerce – some of the areas where diversity is a strength.
The programme will consists of worksops and inpiring speeches.
The workshops will be held between 2:30 pm – 4.00 pm and will cover issues that are common to all communities, including ‘caring for the world (environment & sustainibility)’, ‘sports breaking barriers’, ‘Islam in the media’ and ‘business connecting communities’. Brodrick Clarke, Director of Programs for the Ali Center, Louisville US, will lead a youth workshopThe core aim of the workshops is to bring people of different backgrounds together to meet, learn and connect around issues of common interest and universal appeal so that inter-community relations are enhanced.
Following the workshops, talks will be delivered by politicians, sports personalities, media representatives and entrepreneurs between 4:15-5:15pm.
http://www.myyorkshire.org/playback-video.asp?journeyid=141&resourceid=265
The Keynote speakers will be Kristiane Backer, TV presenter and journalist, and Greg Roberts, CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center in the US.
Greg Roberts said that the Ali Center is honored to be a part of Communities United event. “Our headquarters is located in Louisville, Kentucky, a Sister City of Leeds so we are especially excited to be involved in this partnership and to formally recognize the families and loved ones of those whose lives were lost in the 7/7 bombings.”
Roberts continued by saying, “Our mission embraces the promotion of respect, hope, and understanding among cultures through our outreach and educational initiatives. And the Center’s founder, Muhammad Ali, embodies the values that we hope will inspire people around the globe to break down barriers among us and embrace our commonalities in order to bring about true healing in the world. We are proud to be a part of this effort.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/jul/06/faiths-unite-in-leeds-five-years-after-london-bombings
TV presenter and journalist Kristiane Backer will be amongst the speakers and has said “As a Muslim, I am deeply distressed at those who contort the values of my faith and its commitment to peace and justice for their own corrupt means. Life is sacred in Islam. My faith teaches me to serve God by positively contributing to society; to care for the weak and the elderly; to be kind to animals and to protect the environment.”
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/features/JULY-7-Five-years-on.6404673.jp
The Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim, commented: “The event has been organised to remember those who lost their lives in the tragic London bombings on 7/7 and also to remember all those lives that are still being lost throughout the world due to violent extremism. Makkah Mosque’s message is clear and simple – those who resort to violent extremism in the name of Islam are not following the true teachings of Islam.
The event will also seek to highlight the positive way in which communities have moved forward and have been working tirelessly for a peaceful co-existence.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/06/bombings-brought-out-best-leeds
The Chair of the MINAB, Maulana Shahid Raza OBE, expressed his support for the event by commenting, “We at the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board recognise and welcome the efforts of Makkah Mosque which has worked in collaboration with their local community to promote a culture of peace, harmony and tolerance amongst the diverse communities of Leeds.
The tragic events of 7/7 touched everyone’s hearts. The Muslim community in Leeds recognised the misrepresentation of their faith by the perpetrators of the attacks, who used religion as a despicable cover for their actions. These actions could never be justified in the name of Islam. Their attempts to divide communities in creating an atmosphere of mistrust and fear have largely failed.
Today’s events mark the coming together of those communities, who stand united together against all forms of hate which so often manifest itself into unspeakable violence. MINAB takes pride to support this event as well other similar forthcoming initiatives by its members.”
http://www.makkahmasjid.co.uk/wp/index.php/category/media-coverage/page/2/
Deborah Green, chief executive of Marketing Leeds said:
“We are proud to support the Connecting Communities Workshop. As well as raising the profile of Leeds to a national and international audience, we also work with the local community through a programme of festivals and events, to celebrate and promote the culture and diversity of our city.
“This workshop, which marks the anniversary of a tragic event, will bring communities together to encourage inter-community relations and highlight the way that people in the Leeds city region work together to make the city a better place for residents and visitors alike.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/10533264.stm
Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, in whose constituency Makkah Mosque is located expressed his views on the forthcoming event in the following statement:
“The terrible events of 7/7 and the links to Yorkshire and to Leeds were a shock to all of us, but in the days and weeks afterwards, the community in Hyde Park and Headingley really pulled together and that strength of unity was crucial to taking us forward.
”Five years on, I am very pleased to be able to attend this important event at the Makkah Mosque to highlight the real progress that is has been made in bringing the community closer together and working together for the benefit of all.”
http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=13437
Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, sent his apologies for not being able to attend in person and added:
”I applaud you for holding this commemorative event, wish you well in your work in the future and hope that we can continue to work together to realise our shared vision of a modern, multi-faith, multi-cultural Britain in which opportunity is equal for all.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/jul/06/leeds-today-good-grub-holbeck-walks-and-city-varieties
Fabian Hamilton, MP for Leeds North East praised the continued working together for the welfare of our fellow citizens in the following words:
”I have always felt that my dear friends in the Leeds Muslim Community are like my family, my brothers and sisters – that we are part of one another – and that our connection becomes stronger as the years pass and as we continue our work together for the welfare of our fellow citizens, whatever their faith or background.”
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/and/My-Passion-One-man39s-unique.5668099.jp
Director, the Home Office sent well wishes as follows: ”I would like to wish you every success for the commemorative event that you are holding on the 7th July. You should be rightly proud of the positive work that Makkah Mosque, and its partner organisations, have undertaken across UK communities over a number of years. Thank you for your invitation for the Home Office to attend – please accept our apologies that were unable to do so.”
Leeds Rugby Foundation are fully behind th aims and objectives of the event, with Connecting Communities Manager Ikram Butt adding: “While in many respects sport is trivial compared to the tragedy suffered in the name of extremism, it is still a vital vehicle for bringing people together as players, volunteers or fans in common aims.”
“We are very aware in Leeds and the surrounding areas of the power of sport, in particular the community and family-based ethos of rugby league, which can be used to break down perceived barriers.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/10533264.stm
Event partners and supporters include the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), HRH Prince of Wales’ charity Mosaic, Marketing Leeds, Muhammad Ali Center, GFEvents, Leeds Rugby Foundation, Yorkshire Cricket Board, ABDN, Together4Peace, White Ribbon Campaign and Concord.
Administrator on June 20th, 2010
Today, 20 June 2010, the UK, is celebrating Father’s Day. The purpose behind Father’s Day is a day to honour all the fathers for everything they do for their children. This is an occasion to express gratitude towards one’s father for all his love and support.
Showing gratitude to parents and treating the with kindness, love, compassion and care is considered as one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. Kindness toward parents, in the Glorious Qur’an, is mentioned next to the commandment to believe in One God. In other words, everyday is a Father’s Day and Mother’s Day in Islam and therefore should be celebrated as such.
The following verses of the Noble Qur’an and the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) highlight the high status given to parents in Islam.
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness lower to them the wing of humility and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.’” (Qur’an 17:23)
- Abdullah ibn ‘Umar narrates that the Prophet said:
“The Pleasure of the Lord lies in the pleasure of the parent. The Anger of the Lord lies in the anger of the parent.”
- Bahys ibn Hakim said that he heard from his grandfather, that he had asked the Prophet , ‘Who should I do a good turn?’ The Prophet replied, ‘Your mother.’ His grandfather once more asked the Prophet , ‘Who shall I do a good turn?’ The Prophet said, ‘Your mother.’ His grandfather repeated the question a third time. The Prophet said, ‘Your mother.’ After repeating the question for the fourth time, the Prophet replied, ‘Then your father and then in order, your relatives.’
- Ibn Abbas said, “Any Muslim whose father and mother are Muslims and who wakes every morning with the intention of doing right by them will have two doors opened for him/her in paradise by Allah Taa’la. If only one parent is alive, then one door (will be opened). If he/she angers a parent, Allah Taa’la will not be pleased with him/her. Then the Prophet was asked, “What if one’s parents are unjust to him/her?” He answered, “Even if they are unjust (one must act good to please ones parents)”.
Sayyiduna Mu’adh reported that the prophet said “good news to those who are good to their parents, Alla will increase the length of their lives “.
- Abu Ja’far heard Abu Huraira say that the Prophet said, “There is no doubt that three kinds of prayers will be answered, the prayer of the oppressed, the prayer of the traveller, and the prayers of the parents for their children”.
- In addition to the foregoing, the Prophet (peace be on him) not only prohibited insulting or cursing one’s parents but declared it to be a major sin. He said, ‘Among the major sins is a man’s cursing his parents.’ The people who were present wondered how a sane and believing individual could curse his own parents, and enquired, ‘How is it possible for a man to curse his own parents?’ The Prophet (peace be on him) replied, ‘He insults another man’s father, and then the other insults his father, and he insults the other’s mother, and the other returns the insult to his mother.’ (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
It is one of the beauties of Islam that, with respect to the treatment of parents, it forbids the Muslim to be disrespectful to them even if they should be non-Muslims who are fanatical to the point of arguing with him and putting pressure on him to renounce Islam. Says Allah Ta’ala: …Be grateful to Me and to thy parents; to Me is (the final) goal. But if they strive to compel thee to associate with Me that of which thou hast no knowledge, do not obey them; but keep company with them in this life in a kind manner and follow the way of those who turn to Me. Then to Me will be your return and I will inform you (of the meaning of) all that you did. (Qur’an 31:14-15)
In short, the importance showing kindness to parents are:
1. Obedience to Allah and His Messenger, (peace and blessings be upon him),
2. Obeying and honouring one’s parents is a means of entering Paradise,
3. Respecting and obeying them is a way of showing gratitude to them because they are the ones who brought you into this world, and
4. If a person is good with his parents this may be the cause of his own children respecting him and showing kindness and compassion towards him.
Parents have a right to receive love, discipline and care from their children but they must give their children the same rights as well. If both parents and children submit to the will of God, there will be love and peace in the family.
The priorities of many parents for their children include wealth, material comforts, a good education, a good job, a happy marriage and living happily ever thereafter. In the materialistic world, when everyone is competing to get a higher, more comfortable and luxurious position in the world, this list of priorities is only natural. Accumulation of wealth and leading a comfortable lifestyle is not against the spirit of Islam. However, Islam requires Muslims to use these blessings from Allah with a sense of accountability. One must bear in mind that as with wealth, children are a treasure from Allah and the way we raise them and invest in them could mean the difference between them bringing the fruits of success or abysmal failure in this world and in the hereafter.
Parenting is an enormously important, time consuming task for which there is, justifiably, the promise of great reward.
Imam of Makakh mosque, Qari Asim’s book Our Children: Our Future tackles one of the most pertinent challenges facing the Muslim community of Britain today; raising children to be good Muslims and responsible citizens of the world.
Administrator on June 12th, 2010
When the tragic events of 7 July 2005 occurred in London, the Muslim community shared the national sense of sadness and revulsion. But these emotions were soon to be clouded by an uncomfortable awareness that certain parts of society was associating the whole of the Muslim community with the mindless acts of a few individuals, and Muslims were being tarnished as “terrorists”, “extremists”, “fundamentalists” and “the other”.
In particular, for the British Muslim community of Leeds, the city from which a number of the instigators of the atrocities were from, the whole situation was extremely intense. The media attention that followed the attacks was a truly surreal affair; the narrow terraced streets of the suburbs of Hyde Park and Beeston were suddenly besieged by an international array of press and TV journalists presenting a community unrecognisable to the local residents, apart from the familiar sights of the local butcher’s shop, curry house and chip shop. Makkah Masjid itself – built some 2 years previously through the generosity and sincerity of the local Muslim community – became the preferred backdrop against which much of the media reporting took place.
The days that followed 7/7 were difficult. There was fear of reprisal from the far right and of heavy handed policing. Anger too at the way the events were being reported with the whole community being made to feel that it was on trial. And added to this, contradictory claims around how this was or was not connected to what continues to happen in Muslim lands such as Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan. No wonder then that the resulting confusion was made worse by attempts to reconcile the seeming ordinariness of the alleged bombers with the carnage that they had caused.
Given this situation Makkah Masjid felt that it was incumbent on it to take a number of positive actions to try to identify some of the factors that contributed to the atrocities, with the aim of working towards tackling these. The actions Makkah Masjid took included:
i) increasing its engagement with the youth to identify factors which may have contributed to the catastrophic events, listening to the voices of disengaged youth to identify what they see as the key issues that are challenging their community and what mosques and Islamic institutes can do to overcome those challenges or what guidelines masajid can provide in respect of those challenges.
ii) Makkah Masjid also enhanced its mission of bringing to the locality an authentic Islamic voice which was both compassionate and scholarly – a voice that would convey a message rooted in sacred knowledge, branching out into a community in crisis.
iii) the Mosque has assumed a significant role in promoting understanding and tolerance between different cultural and faith groups.
In respect of engaging the youth, Leeds Muslim Council, the management committee of Makkah and Madina Masjids, held a number of workshops in Makkah Mosque, Madina Masjid and in Woodsley Community Centre. The workshops:
1) Discussed the concept of the Muslim and British identity and the challenges that were likely to arise as a result of the catastrophic events of 7/7;
2) Inspired the youth to be proud of their multiple identities and work towards a higher aim of benefitting everyone with the best elements of those identities;
3) Addressed the barriers to our youth being successful in this life and the next;
4) implemented a local youth project in Leeds to start addressing some of the responsibilities British Muslim youth have towards each other and the wider community.
As part of the findings of the workshops it was decided that annual youth conferences would be held in order to discuss religious, social, political and economic challenges and opportunities that Muslims faces living in Britain. These workshops would also analyse how young British Muslims can contribute positively to all aspects of British life.
It was also agreed that in order to assess the progress, 5 years on from 7/7 a number of extended workshops would be held in the summer of 2010 to analyse whether:
- the challenges faced by Muslims in Britain have been overcome;
- the engagement of Muslim youth has in fact increased;
- the disenfranchised British Muslim youth feel more engaged;
- the integration process has been streamlined;
- the distinction between “fundamental” and “modern” Muslim has disappeared or
- the opportunities offered by Britain have been taken up by British Muslims;
- the contribution of British Muslims to the social, political and economic fields has increased or decreased; and
- the vilification of British Muslims in the media has got better or worse.
It is now 5 years on from 2005 and Leeds Muslim Council and Young Minds has started the workshops. Young Muslims are portrayed in the media in the context of radicalisation, but their lives are far more complex than this. Much is written about young Muslims but their voices are rarely heard. These workshops aim to explore the issues of multiculturalism, Islamism and the experiences of Muslims in Britain in the light of the events of 9/11 and 7/7 and the policies and practices developed as a result of those tragic events.
These workshops are organised in partnership with the Mosques and National Advisory Board (MINAB): http://minab.org.uk/.
The first of these workshops took place on Sunday 16 May 2010. The theme of the workshop was “The Participation of Youngsters in the Mosque”.
The second of these workshops aims to identify the key challenges facing British Muslim youth today and explore practical ways in which these challenges can be managed or overcome.
This workshops will give youngsters an opportunity to air their views on issues including Mosques, madrashas, radicalization, Islamophobia, extremism, policing, body-scans, PREVENT agenda, citizenship, media, body-scans, hate crime, discrimination, challenging the violent extremist ideology
and supporting mainstream voices.
The third of these workshops will explore the opportunities presented by Britain and how Muslims are benefitting from those opportunities or can benefit from those opportunities.
The next workshop will take place on Sunday 13 June 2010 at 2:30pm.
The third workshop will take place on Sunday 11 July 2010.
Makkah Mosque, Young Minds are committed to young people find their voices within mosques, their own community and throughout society so that their aspirations can be met and their contribution can be recognized. These workshops are aimed at achieving those aspirations.
For further details, please contact: mail@makkahmasjid.co.uk or info@minab.org.uk
