Leeds Makkah Masjid

Following is a short poem about the blessed month of Ramadan by sister Rahila Jabeen from her upcoming collection of short poems book. We pray to Allah Almighty that He accepts her humble efforts and gives her the tawfeeq and enables her to spread the message of Islam in poems and prose. Aameen:

I am a Muslim sister from the local community and would like to share with you some thoughts about the blessed month of Ramadan. Enjoy the poem but I hope you also seriously reflect on its contents.

For all my fellow muslims out there,
Ramzaan mubarak is the message I bear.
Allah has given us another opportunity to fast,
To beg for forgiveness for sins of the past.

As we all know very well,
Closed firmly now are the doors of hell.
But heavens doors are open wide,
Herein will all the believers abide.

So enjoin the good and forbid the evil,
Don not worry about the devil.
He has been restrained but we can not see,
While ramzaan lasts he will not be free.

Perhaps you could utilise this time to analyze and reflect,
How do you treat your elders? Do you give them enough respect?
Do you have any bad habits which you could correct?
Or will you be debating Pakistani politics and who they will elect.

We commit major sins without thinking anymore,
Backbiting about our fellow muslims and what they wore.
Guard that which is between your jaws and that which is between your legs also.
Heaven will be your abode, it will be the place you will go

Ramzaan is the month full of barakah,
Full of blessings, full of rehmah.
Fast, read quran, durood and your prayers,
In the blessings for you will be shares.

When comes ifthari share your food,
Be polite and don`t be rude.
It is sunnah to break your fast with a date,
But do remember the poor who will have nothing on their plate.

Remember to make dua for all women and men
That we live to see this month again.

By sister Rahila Jabeen

Insha-Allah, the blessed month of Ramadan will start on 1st September 2008.

The first taraveeh prayer will be held on 31st August at 9:45pm.

• Taraveh facilities are provided for sisters.

• Iftari (fasting opening facilities) are provided at the Masjid throughout the month of Ramadan.
• From 1st - 4th September, the taraweeh prayers would be aired live on Leeds Community Radio.

The Ramadan 2008 timetable is attached below:

On the 27th of Rajab every year, Muslims celebrate Al-Isra Wal Miraj event, in which the beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) traveled from Makkah to Jerusalem and from there to the seventh heaven until he reached the presence of Allah Almighty and witnessed the glorious countenance of the Lord of the heavens and the earth.

To celebrate this journey, a programme will be held at Al-Madina Masjid on 29th July 2008, between 4 – 6pm. Part of the objective of organizing such events is to encourage our youth to participate by reciting the glorious Quran, reading nasheeds and naats in praise of the Holy Prophet and delivering shorts talks on Islam.

Please make time to attend this event to encourage children.

Alhamdullilah, we are honoured again for the auspicious occasion of Rabi-ul-Awal. The month of the birth of the Essence of Mercy,  the most beloved of Allah, the last and final Messenger Muhmammad Mustafa (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has started! Makkah Masjid invites everyone to celebrate and rejoice on this favour of Allah.

In Celebration of the Beloved (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa-Alihi Wasalam), Jalsa Milad-un-Nabi will be held on Sunday 9 March 2008 after Zuhr prayer at 1:30pm.

Let us pray as much as we can and send salutations upon the beloved of Allah to express our love for our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Eid-ul-Adha 2007 Lecture (Khutba) delivered at Leeds Makkah Mosque by Imam Hafiz Asim.

Eid-ul-Adha is a day to renew the Islamic spirit of sacrifice….not only offering sacrifice of animals but being prepared to sacrifice of one’s emotions and feelings for the sake of one’s peaceful religion of Islam.

The Qur’anic story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismael, not only teaches us rights of Allah over Man but rights of parents over children and rights of children over their parents.   

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is obligatory to visit the House of Allah, Kaba al- muazzama, in the sacred mosque of Masajid-i-Haram in Saudia Arabia, once in a lifetime provided a Muslim can physically and financially afford to undertake the journey. It is a spiritual journey of a lifetime. Millions of Muslims, men and women, old and young from the four corners of the earth, make the pilgrimage to Makkah  every year. In carrying out this obligation, they have only on purpose in mind – to seek the pleasure of the Lord of the Heaven and the Earth, Allah.

The pilgrim proclaims: Here I am, O God, at Thy Command! Here I am at Thy Command! Thou art without associate; Here I am at Thy Command! Thine are praise and grace and dominion! Thou art without associate.

In respect of the obligation to perform Hajj, the Holy Qur’an states: "And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka`bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses … [3:97]

“The pilgrimage shall take place in the months appointed for it. And whoever undertakes the pilgrimage in those [months] shall, while on pilgrimage, abstain from lewd speech, from all wicked conduct, and from quarrelling; and whatever good you may do, God is aware of it. And make provision for yourselves - but, verily, the best of all provisions is God-consciousness: remain, then, conscious of Me, O you who are endowed with insight.” [2:197]

There are many ahadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which note the importance of performing Hajj. On such hadith notes:
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Whoever performs Hajj (pilgrimage) and does not engage in marital relations (with his wife), nor commits sin, nor disputes unjustly (during Hajj), then he returns from Hajj as pure and free from sins as on the day on which his mother gave birth to him.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The following is a brief guide pertaining to the five days when the ritual of Hajj is performed.

8th Dhul-Hijja 
On the eighth day of Dhul-Hijja, a pilgrim purifies himself by bathing and he or she then makes the intention to enter into a state of Ihram. A Muslim male is to put on his two white sheets of cloth, Ihram, and proclaim “Labbayka": "Here I am, oh Allah, here I am. Here I am. You have no partner. Here I am. Surely all praise, grace and dominion is yours, and you have no partners." A pilgrim then goes to the outskirts of Makkah, known as Mina and there prays Dhuhr, Asr, Magrib, Isha and Fajr.

9th Dhul-Hijja
When the sun rises on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijja, he goes to the plane of Arafah and there prays Dhuhr and Asr combined at the time of Dhuhr, making each one two units. This is really a day to be spend out in the open, and the ritual during this day is called wuquf, "standing” and glorifying Allah and seeking forgiveness from Allah. Amongst the many prayers (dua’), the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed thus: "There is no Deity but Allah alone. He has no partner. All dominion and praise are His and He is powerful over all things.”

At sunset he goes from Arafah to Muzdalifah and there prays Magrib and Isha combined, despite the fact that the time for Magrib would have started in Arafah. But because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left Arafah at sunset and prayed Magrib and ‘Isha combined in Muzdalifah, a Muslim is to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Muslim should try to spend this night in the remembrance of Allah as much as possible.

10th Dhul-Hijja
The Fajr prayer is performed in Muzdalifah.
Near sunrise, a pilgrim goes from Muzdalifah to Mina. In Mina different duties await the hajji on the 10thof Dhul-Hijja. Upon reaching Mina, he does the following:

• 7 stones, pebbles, that would have been gathered in Muzdalifa the day before are thrown by each hajji at Jamrah Al-Aqaba which is the closest monument to Makkah. The Jamrahs are pillars that represent the power of Satan. At this place, Satan appeared before Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when he was on his way to sacrifice his son Prophet Isma’il (peace be upon him). While throwing these pebbles, the hajji says: "Allah is the Greatest," and believes that he is overcoming his inner-self and throwing pebbles at his inner Satan. The chanting of "labbayka" comes to an end around this time.
• He slaughters the sacrificial animal. Nowadays hajjis do not kill the animal themselves, but professional butchers do it and Saudi authorities take care of it.
• He shaves or clips his hair; shaving is preferable and is the sunah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). A woman clips her hair the length of a finger-tip.

After having performed the above obligations, a hajji is allowed to come out of the state of Ihram. He can wear other clothing and do everything that was lawful before Ihram except engaging in marital relations. He goes to Makkah to perform Tawaf-i-Ziyarat and Sa’yi between the mounts of Safa and Marwah. With the completion of this Tawaf and Sa’yi, a pilgrim is allowed to do everything that was lawful before Ihram. After performing Tawaf and Sa’yi, he returns to Mina to spend the nights of the eleventh and twelfth days there.

11th -12th Dhul-Hijja
These two days Rami (stoning the satan pillars) is performed. He stones the three Jamrah in the afternoon of both the eleventh and twelfth days. He starts with the first Jamrah, which is furthest from Makkah, then the middle one, and lastly Jamrah Al-Aqaba. Each one should be stoned with seven consecutive pebbles accompanied by Takbeer (“"Allah is the Greatest,"). He stops after the first and middle Jamrah to make supplications to Allah. It is not permissible to stone before noon on these two days. However, due to the large crowd, stoning can be done after the Maghrib prayer till dawn.

If a hajji manages to perform stoning on the twelfth day, he can leave Mina before sunset. However, it is best to prolong his stay and spend the night of the thirteenth in Mina and stone that afternoon in the same manner as on the twelfth day.

When a hajji is ready to leave the city of Mecca, he should make Tawaf Al-Wadaa (the Tawaaf of Farewell), seven circuits around the Ka’bah.
This is a very short introduction to performing Hajj.  For detailed information, please do consult either a Muslim scholar or a guidebook on Hajj.

Eid-ul-Fitr 2007 Lecture (Khutba) delivered at Leeds Makkah Mosque by Imam Hafiz Asim.

Who gains from our acts of worship: Allah or His servant? Why are we ordered to pray, fast, give charity and be good to other human beings? For whose benefit the rules and laws are set down?

The prescribed acts of worship seek to strengthen our relationship with the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth so that we attain inner peace and are in harmony with ourselves and our surroundings. When the relationship is strengthened, a Muslim’s outlook on life changes and he surrenders himself to the will of Allah and Allah showers His blessings on him abundantly. Eid-ul-Fitr is a day when Allah showers His blessings on Muslims for completing the fasts and performing additional virtuous deeds during the month of Ramadan.

Making duas (in Arabic & Urdu) and supplicating to Allah Almighty after the completion of the Holy Quran in taraweh prayers, on the 27th night (Layla-tul-Qadr) of the holy month of Ramadan 2007.