Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
All praise belongs to Allah, the Creator of heavens and earth and the Lord of the universe.
Dear respected brothers, sisters, elders and children
Assalamu’Alaykum wa Rahamatullahi wa Barakatuhu
It is my pleasure and privilege, on behalf of the BC Muslim Association, to extend very best wishes and greetings of EID MABARAK to you, your families and the loved ones on this festive occasion of Eid-ul Fitr.
Our beloved month of Ramadan has come to an end and with tears in our eyes we see it depart, hopefully leaving us in a better state of Emaan and spiritual awakening. Ramadan brought us excitement, joy and gratitude and it is sad to bid farewell to this sacred visitor. Alhamdulillah, Ramadan unified us in upholding the teachings of Islam and reflecting upon Allah’s place in our lives. It is our annual ‘service call’ to mend our ways, replenish our faith and earn Allah’s pleasure. We expect to be purified, gained His pleasure and enhanced our spiritual qualities. We hope it has made us a better Muslim, a better community and a better vicegerent on earth. As we conclude Ramadan, we cannot thank Allah swt enough for His favors, blessings and mercy for affording us the life, faith and health to live another Ramadan. For this and all of Allah’s favors, we give thanks. We sincerely ask Him to accept our good deeds, to elevate our Emaan, help us to completely change and become a better, pious and practicing Muslims, Ameen!
Eid-ul-Fitr is the biggest and happiest celebration of our Islamic faith; a celebration to expose our gratitude to Allah for enabling us to come closer to Him and acquiring a deep inner awareness of His presence in our life. I hope and I pray that you and your families had a wonderful Ramadan. I pray that you are energized, both physically and spiritually, and feel Allah’s presence as a guide to be obedient to His commands. May Allah (swt) bring a feeling of satisfaction, achievement and success in your life. Let’s welcome Eid ul-Fitr with a renewed spirit of Taqwa in our hearts and bring change in our lives in line with the basic principles of Islam. May He bring us all closer to Islam and enable us to fulfill our tasks and make us live our lives within the framework of Islam… Ameen!
As Muslims, we are living thru difficult times worldwide and with recent change in political leadership in some countries, Muslims have become victims of racial profiling and bigotry leading to personal attacks especially against our sisters wearing Hijab. There is much cynicism about Islam that our enemies take full advantage to portray negative image of Muslims and Islam as a religion. We need to set an example to other communities by following the divine teachings of Islam. We live in a time when some Muslims are ready to die for Islam but unfortunately they are not ready to live according to the teachings of Islam. We must portray Islam in its pure spirit because Muslims, as stated the Qur’an, are the best people evolved for mankind and that Islam is not a problem but a solution to the problems. We must follow the high moral ideals that are the cornerstone of Islamic faith. This will keep us safe and on the right track, In sha Allah.
Let us remember, assist and reach out to the less fortunate in our community with acts of kindness, charity and selflessness. Please invite your neighbors, friends and associates of all nationality and faith to be part of our celebration. I am asking the community to please welcome our newly arrived Syrian families; invite them to your houses and take care of them. They have suffered a lot being displaced from their homeland and it’s our responsibility to look after their welfare. Also please pray for our brothers and sisters in occupied Palestine and other parts of the Muslim world that are under constant attack and agony. Let’s remember them and pray for their safety and freedom.
July 1st marks Canada’s 150 anniversary. Please come and join BCMA locations and celebrate both Canada150 and ‘Eid Open House’ with refreshments, barbeque and fun activities for kids. Let’s raise Canada flag at your homes and participate in local community events and be a proud Canadian.
Finally, on this auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, please allow me to thank you all for your generous donation for various projects and running expenses of our masjids. I look to your continued support in completing the construction of a new Masjid in Kelowna currently underway. Your continued loyalty, contribution and generosity helps us meet not only the needs of the growing Muslim population but also exposing Islam and Muslims to other communities for better understanding and building bridges. May Allah (swt) bless and reward you all …Ameen!
“EID MUBARAK”
Baraka Allahu Fiikum
Daud Ismail
President,
The B.C. Muslim Association