RAMADAN KAREEM
Assalamu’Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
On behalf of the Executive Council, Executive Board and various divisions of the B.C. Muslim Association, I extend to you and your families warm greetings of “RAMADAN KAREEM”
I hope and pray that you and your families make the best of this sacred month with Taraweeh prayers, fasting, compassion for the hungry and less fortunate and increased devotion.
Alhamdulillah, we are blessed to live another Ramadan. It is an opportunity to strengthen our Emaan and ask Allah (swt), in His infinite mercy, to forgive our weaknesses and protect us from the torment of hell fire; an opportunity to improve and change our ways that are more consistent with Islamic traditions and a time to bond with family, relatives and society in general. Ramadan is also a time for spiritual reawakening and devotion to worship and pray to Allah. Our path in this world is a thorny one with hardships, temptations and all forms of enjoyment that is moving us away from practicing Islam and spreading the message of Islam, which is belief in and worship of only one God – the principle of Tawheed (Devine Unity).
Ramadan helps us instill fear of Allah in our hearts and change our lives significantly so that it is in conformity with divine injunctions. Ramadan is the time to dig deep into our hearts and reflect if the heart, mind and soul are in the right places. Are we doing the right things? Are we doing what Allah (swt) expects from us; are we sincere in our intentions and deeds and are we living Islam in our daily lives? Truthfulness combined with sincere effort will make this journey in Ramadan rewarding and go a long way in making us a better believer and a better Muslim.
Let us not forget our brothers, sister, elders and children suffering specially in Syria, Iraq, Sudan and other war torn and draught stricken areas. Let us pray that sanity prevails in Muslim leaders and they come together for the general wellbeing of our community. I appeal to our Muslim community to please welcome our newly arrived Syrian families into our homes for iftar, drive them to Masjids for prayers and provide rides for shopping and other needs etc. They are in dire need of our help and may Allah bless you for assisting them.
I pray Allah Subhanna wa Ta’ala to bring us together as a community; as the Ummah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). May He make our intentions and actions sincere for the sake of our deen. May He help us leave any differences, egos, pride and arrogance, if any, aside for the sake of the Ummah and empower us to focus our energies into meaningful things so that Islam can flourish? Ameen!
On the threshold of the Holy month of Ramadan, I ask for forgiveness from everyone to please forgive me if I have wronged you in any way. May Allah (swt) bless you, your families and the loved ones with happiness and grace your homes with warmth and peace. May He instill courage that you may triumph over hardships of life. May He accept our prayers, good deeds, forgive our shortcomings and embrace us with open arms…Ameen!
RAMADAN KAREEM!
Daud Ismail
President