LVMuslim.com

A workshop on inheritance and Continuous charity (Tonight, 6/26/09) at the Jamia Masjid

Leaving a Legacy
A Workshop on Inheritance and Continuous Charity

Presented by

Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
&
Saturna Trust Co.

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Islamic Society of Nevada (Jamia Masjid)
4730 E. Desert Inn Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89121

8:00 PM, (Promptly after Maghrib)

Speakers:

Moem Salam
&
Ahmed Shaikh

For more information please contact:
(317) 839-8157
ukhan@isna.net

Stay in your lane

An interview by Dr. Akbar Ahmed

by Fateen Seifullah

Masjid As Sabur is in a unique situation, it is located in the inner-city.  We are blessed to be able to interact with so many different kinds of people from various walks of life.  There are the homeless, gang members, drug users, sincere neighbors and preachers.  If you stop to talk with them and listen they may provide you with some jewels of wisdom.  Take for example our next door neighbor Bishop R.E. Lee of Rohoboth Holliness Cathedral.  Bishop Lee and I have built a strong relationship, in fact a large part of the parking lot in front of the Masjid belongs to Bishop Lee and his Church.  We were fortunate to meet a God fearing Christian man who is friendly and kind to the Muslims.  When he walks up to me, the first thing he does is give the salam.  Bishop Lee has a slogan, a phrase that he is known by and that is "stay in your lane" . A catchy phrase right, but what does it really mean.  I've given a lot of thought to this statement over the years since the first time that I heard Bishop Lee say: Stay in your Lane.   In track and field when competing in any of the races, one of the ways to be disqualified is to cross into your opponents lane.  Staying in your lane is essential to staying in the race.  In swimming if you cross lanes you will be disqualified.  In professional drag races, crossing into another lane can be fatal.  The bishop was telling me to run my race and to stay in my lane. He was telling me not to worry about what other groups and organizations are doing.  Just Stay in My Lane!  What would our communities, Masjid /Organization be like if we just stayed in our lane.  There would be less bickering and infighting.  We would be able to support the specialty projects that are established by each community without duplicating those efforts, and without someone feeling threatened.  If we concentrated on particular projects, our communities would be more effective and productive.  I do not mean to suggest that we all can't have a food bank or a clinic or a political action group.  However, if there is an area that a Masjid or center is known for and has been successful at, first let us try to see how the whole body could work to improve that program.  Secondly, determine if that particular project is needed in your neighborhood, lastly - stay in your lane.  Support a good cause without competing against it. 

Educational Sites: MSA WEST Compendium of Muslim Texts

http://www.msawest.net/islam/

Originally University of Southern California (USC) MSA compiled a collection of some useful and important texts on their website. Eventually, the database has been taken over by MSA West zone website. There is ample information available on this site but I recommend concentrating on the Compendium of Muslim Texts

Some of the useful topics you can find useful text on are as follows:

Southern Nevada Muslim Home Schoolers (SNMHS)

photo by Jan Von Holleben               

by Sakeena Mirza

Last summer, a few months before our elder son was slated to begin the first grade, our family decided to set out on the less trodden path of homeschooling.  Whereas just a few months before I had gaffed at the thought of educating my children at home, after deep reflection on the goals I had for my family and children, I became convinced that a family-centered education was the best option for our family.

After moving to Las Vegas at the end of the summer, we desperately searched for other families who had decided to tread the same road.  As a result of our search, an online group was born to help Muslim homeschooling families in the area communicate and coordinate activities.

 

What is Homeschooling?

Homeschooling encompasses many forms of non-institutionalized education.  Despite its name, homeschooling does not always take place at home.  Education takes place in diverse settings and circumstances, but remains family-based.

Moving On UP! An interview with Imam Fateen Seifullah about the C.I.P.

photo by Pungkas Nataatmaja                           

by Krisheena Malik

Moving On UP! An interview with Imam Fateen Seifullah about the C.I.P.

What is the C.I.P.? Community Investment Project. Imam Fateen mentioned in the khutbah last Friday that he needed 100 Muslims to give twenty dollars a month for the next three years to the Community Investment Project. He explained that Masjid As-Sabur is in the process of securing a non-interest loan to acquire the two neighboring properties.

So I thought, okay sounds good, but what is the plan exactly? What are the intentions of the C.I.P?  What will I be investing in and how will it benefit me or anyone else in this community? So I sat down with the Imam and let's just say he didn’t shy away from any of my inquiries. So here I will attempt to address any questions or concerns you might be having about the C.I.P. based on my interview with Fateen Seifullah, Imam of Masjid As-Sabur.

The goal of the Community Investment Project is to allow the community to establish an economic premise to function without complete reliance on the big-money donors who are depended on far too often to pull out their checkbooks for every costly project benefiting the Muslims of Las Vegas.  If each individual in the community makes a small, yet consistent investment, they develop a sense of ownership to the property or project.  The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would go on expeditions to get everyone in the ummah to contribute to the building up of the community, even if it were only one dinar, not allowing the very rich and very willing Abu Bakr to fund the entire project himself. And He is the Best of Examples.

Blog hiatus

LVMuslim.com has been on hiatus for the past week, I have been traveling and have had limited access to the web. InshAllah I will start posting again this week and back to a normal routine once I get back in town next week. I will be traveling often this summer and would like local community members to participate in writing for the blog. Please email me if you are interested.

Usman Malik
Usman@lvmuslim.com

Educational Sites: Islamic Finder

http://www.islamicfinder.org/

IslamicFinder.org is a good resource for Muslims to determine prayer times when traveling and finding the nearest mosques. There are many other resources available on the site as well. 

Download the most popular Athan Software on the internet for free here.

When traveling, a good way to determine prayer times by clicking here.

Here is a nice tutorial about prayer I found on the site: The right way to pray

In the Press: Local Muslims say Obama's speech was inspirational (Las Vegas Review Journal 6/5/09)

Find this article at:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/47032942.html

In the Press: Vegas Muslims React to Obama's Cairo Speech (Channel 8 Eyewitness news)

"A New Beginning" President Barack Obama's speech to the Muslim world in Cairo, Egypt 6/4/2009

"A New Beginning"

The President gives a speech in Cairo, Egypt, outlining his personal commitment to engagement with the Muslim world, based upon mutual interests and mutual respect, and discusses how the United States and Muslim communities around the world can bridge some of the differences that have divided them. June 4, 2009.

Following video is released by the white house, Rashad Hussain is a friend of mine and no one is surprised by all of his accomplishments at such a young age:

Muslim Americans Serving in the U.S. Government

The United States government reflects the rich diversity of the American population. Meet three Muslim Americans who freely retain and express their own faith identities while serving their nation.

Continue below to read the complete transcript of the Presidents speech: