Islamic Society Of Nevada (Jamia Masjid) Ramadan updates 2009

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

Salam Alaikum,
The countdown for the month of Ramadan is almost over. The moon that runs according to the laws of Allah has spoken and the first day of fasting is on August 22 and the first night of Taraweeh is on Friday, August 21, 2009 at 9:00 PM.
Here are some basic information related with the Ramadan at the Jamia Masjid.

1. Isha, Taraweeeh and Prayer times
From August 21 till September 4, the Isha will start at 9 PM immediately followed by the Taraweeh prayers at the Jamia Masjid..
Zuhr and Juma is always at 1:00 PM. at the Masjid
Asr for the first 15 days of Ramadan is at 5:30 and the second 15 days at 5 00 PM at the masjid.
Fajr is at 5:15 for the first 15 days and at 5:30 for the second 15 days of Ramadan at the Masjid.

2. Huffaz at the Jamia
Four Huffaz are the masjid to facilitate the taraweeh prayers. They are: Hafiz Musa, originally from Somalia, Hafiz Abdullah, from Thailand, Hafiz Ashraf Patel from England, originally from India and Hafiz Saqib Bukhari, from England, originally from Pakistan. We are expecting for Qari Islam Fikri to arrive from Egypt on Saturday or Sunday depending on the visa situation. We have done all paper work and now awaits for the US embassy in Cairo to issue him visa.

3. Program during the Month of Fasting
10 minutes before the Isha prayer, a short summary of the portion of the Quran being recited that night would be given by Dr. Aslam Abdullah in English.
Every day, immediately after the taraweeh prayer, Qari Ashraf Patel would be reciting the Quran for 10 minutes.
Every Friday, immediately after the taraweeh prayer, Hafiz Saqi b Bukhari will give a 10 minute talk on a subject relevant to Muslims in Las Vegas. His first topic is on Wealth as defined by Allah in the Quran.
Every Friday night after the taraweeh prayers, there will be Salat at Tasbeeh. This salat is in four units or raka and it takes about 40 minutes to complete.
Eery day huffaz are available to help anyone improve their reading of the Quran.
Every day iftar and dinner will be served at the Masjid.
masjid will remain open for 24 hours.

4. Itikaf
During the last 10 days of Ramadan, many people perform Itikaf. They spend this time in the masjid focused on developing a better understanding of the Quran and sunnah and themselves. Those who are interested in performing the itikaf should contact the office at 702-433-3431 or 909-489-5989.

5. Iftar sponsorship
Those who want to sponsor iftar for any number of people any day of the month of Ramadan should contact Khalid Khan at 702-768-4919. Please call him and inform him of the number of people you would like to sponsor for what day.

6. Program at Lailatul Qadr.
Lailatul Qadr program is on the 27 night of the month of fasting. It means that on Wednesday 16, the 27th night would begin after the sunset. Special program will include a short talk on the significance of the night, special prayers, the completion of the Quran and qhole night of ibadah.

7. Our Website
all the information that is necessary for the community to know would be posted on the website www.LVMASJID. US
The website is newly constructed by Brother Asad. It is simple and user friendly. It has sections on Jamia Masjid related program and it also has sections on the Quran, Hadith, Islam Basics and Contemporary issues.
It also gives details of the services offered by the Masjid.
You can get prayer schedule and Ramadan schedule and everything else related with the masjid on the website. Please visit it often. Dr. Aslam Abdullah will be writing a regular column on the website.

8. Khutbah Broadcast LIve
Inshallah, with the help of brother Mashar, Asad and Tariq, the khutbah will soon be broadcast live through Internet. You can log in from your home or work place to listen to the khutbah if you are unable to visit the mosque for any reason.

9. Ramadan Preparations
Thanks to the efforts of Brother Khalid Khan, Mehboob Tarin, Bonito Roberto and many others, the Ramadan preparations at the msjid are complete. Carpets were steam cleaned, floor was re polished, bathrooms and outside area were washed, Ramadan supplies were added and audio system. We hope and pray that everything goes smooth and we observe the month without any difficulties.

10 Friday Schedule during the month of Fasting
Dr. Aslam Abdullah will be the khateeb on Fridays 21, 28 and september 4, Dr. Muhammad Shafi will give khtbah on September 11 and Dr. Rajab Ali will give khutbah on September 18.

11. Eid
Inshallah Eid will be on Sunday, September 20 at the Jamia. The first prayer will be at 7:30 and the second at 9:30. Takbeerat will begin 30 minutes before the prayer.

12. Zakat ul Fitr
Zakat ul Fitr is $10 per person including the expected baby. Please pay the zakat ul fitr early so that money can be given to the poor and the needy.

13. Zaka ul Mal
Many people give zakat on their savings in the month of Ramadan. Some send this money to countries of their origin, some to relief organizations. We encourage you to donate generously to the Masjid so that the poor and the needy in the town are taken care. It is better to give this zakat early.

14. Eid Gifts to poor and the needy children
Every year the masjid gives new clothes and toys to the poor and the needy Muslim children. Please contact the masjid if you are interested in participating in the program.

15. Food for homeless
Every year in the month of fasting, Muslims offer food to homeless and the needy, Please participate in this program.

Here are some tips to help us observe the month of fasting with a change.

Eat, drink and be moderate

Almost all of us do it - once Iftar time hits, we just keep plowing food and drink into our mouths till it's hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we're supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let's try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.

Give a dollar a day in charity...or five or ten

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let's open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it's the intention that counts.

Memorize 4 new Surahs

Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites. Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you've started, you'll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following week.

Go to Tarawih prayers

Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful, but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of Ramadan's blessings. Don't miss it this year. If going every day is not possible, try going at least once week.

Attend the Tarawih prayer in which the recitation of the Quran will be finished 

Call the local mosque and find out which day the Imam will be finishing the recitation of the Quran in prayer. Attend to not only hear part of the Quran's recitation in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending Duas that follow it.

Stop swearing and/or backbiting 

It's hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone's upset us. Whether we utter those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we know this isn't the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we want to build our spirituality, we've got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.

Try this: get a box and every time you catch yourself swearing or backbiting put some money in it. It could be a buck or less. 

At the end of the month send the money to a charity or buy a gift for the person whom you've backbitten the most against.

Call/email your relatives

You'd think that given the easy access to email, competitive long-distance calling rates, phone cards, etc. these days, we'd keep in touch with family and friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the case, as we get caught up in life's "busyness."

Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call family and friends or at least email them a Ramadan card and ask them how their fasting is going.

Go on a technology diet

Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this. Avoid checking personal email and surfing the web during your fast. After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for the television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual elevation this month.

Read 5 minutes of Quran a day

Even if you feel you've got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran.

Forgive everyone who has hurt you

Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it's also great for the soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah's forgiveness, shouldn't we lesser beings forgive too?  

If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three people.

Happy Ramadan !!!

Dr. Aslam Abdullah is the Director of Islamic Society of Nevada (ISON), he can be reached at dr.aslamabdullah@gmail.com