Nov 03, 2017:

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On last Friday, November 3, 2017, Br. Riaz Bagha, President of ICONO delivered the Juma Khutba. The core points of this khutba were enumerated below for knowledge of our brothers and sisters:

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The Theme:  “the roles or functions of a progressive Masjid”

 

The word ‘Masjid’ comes from the root word ‘Sajda’ which means ‘prostration ‘.  Almighty Allah loves the action of prostration and there is no better position for his creation to demonstrate humility to the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth. Masjid means a Mosque.

 

As demonstrated by our Noble Prophet, the masjid is not merely a place to pray. Rather it serves to fulfill the needs of the community in numerous ways such as building unity among Muslims and a venue where non-Muslims can ask questions and learn about Islam, , a place to raise funds for such things as providing food and necessities for the needy, care of the elderly and sick (this is what the early Masajids did, but now we have clinics and hospitals), a place to socialize, a place to educate children, a place for women to meet with each other and learn and address each other’s concerns and get advise within the Islamic context, and many other functions.

 

Unfortunately, many Mosques now have fallen into a ritual type of service. Sometimes they open only on Fridays. In many Masajids, people come once on Fridays, perform ritual prayers and go home. Other Masjids do a little better and keep Mosques open at all prayer times, but that is all. Pray and go home.

 

However, there are some very progressive Masajids that do wonderful work. They are visionaries and set up a whole system of programs to meet the social, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the community. ICONO aims to adopt best practices from these Masajids, but go beyond, well beyond.  And inshallah  we, together as a community, will implement progressive strategies and  be an Icon, a trend-setter, that will motivate Muslims and different Masajids in the West and North America to replicate its approach, Inshallah ( God Willing ).

 

ICONO shall view difficulties as mere challenges to be overcome. To climb Mount Everest, one has to take the first step. Merely saying “We can’t do it” is apathy of the worst kind and one has admitted to defeat even before one starts.  ICONO intends to be different, and we shall require grit, courage, resilience, ambition, and people who can think outside the box. Most of all we need unity.

 

Insha’Allah, this is what we intend to accomplish and implement, a step at a time. All these shall Insha’Allah be done with the approval of the management. Here are a few ideas:

1. Establish a gym and we can alternate exercise one day for males and one day for females.

2. Cook and raise funds. Do pot-luck meals. Fund raise by inviting public to partake in International Foods.

3. Invite speakers from different fields. Islam is all-encompassing, it is . Some ideas: Scholars of Islam; Environmentalists who will teach about our role in this shared planet that we need to take care of for our coming generations; lawyers who can teach us many things including how to set up inheritance from an Islamic Context in North America; Accountants who can teach us many things including how to calculate Zakaah ( mandatory tax to be given to the needy) as now we have stocks, bonds, shares and so many other types of investments and savings and inventories; scientists and experts from different fields who can teach us how to apply the verses from the Quran and the proofs contained within Quran that make it absolutely clear for non-Muslims, and even Muslims who want to know how the Words in the Quran exactly correspond with known contemporary science and fields of human endeavor; animal rights activists as all creation is Almighty Allah’s and as viceroys we are obliged to care for all living things with compassion and accord Islamic Rights to all His creation; Physicians; Teachers who will teach how to discipline children on cell-phone use, how to navigate media and social platforms and how to be aware of dangers on the www. etc.; Tajweed experts who can teach us how to recite the Quran correctly; Taekwondo and other Martial Arts experts who can teach us and our youth how to defend themselves; Carpenters and plumbers and swimming instructors, etc, etc. The above is merely the tip of the iceberg in experts from our own community and experts from outside the immediate community, and we want you to be a part of this endeavor. The management will leave you with ideas that you can bring forward for approval.

4. We need to establish a library where people can come and study Islam from Authentic Sources, and also a room where they can come and study and do school, university or college work. We need teachers who can help with homework in such fields as Math, Science, English, etc.

5. We need to send members out who can learn how to do Ghusl of a deceased from an Islamic Perspective. Practically. We need a place for Burial/cemetery

6. We need a with expertise in plumbing, electrical, carpentry, etc. who we can call for helping fix things within the ICONO location.

7. We inshallah want to start soup kitchen that can provide food to the needy once a week to begin; establish a bin where we can put non-perishable items for distribution to needy members within the community, and in Sudbury, and beyond, and in all communities such as Food Bank for the poor. Collection of Zakat for distribution.

8. We need to create garden plots for those interested in growing their own vegetables. We have enough land we can make use of. They will need to keep the area clean though.

9. We need people who will grow flowers and create beauty around ICONO. Almighty Allah loves cleanliness and beauty.

 

The responsibility of building, supporting and maintaining your Mosque is not only the responsibility of the management and care-takers: It is the RESPONBILITY OF EVERY MEMBER.

 

There are many more things we can do at ICONO. Let us remember the following quotes:

Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” [Qur’an, 13:11]

 

Is there any reward for good other than good? Quran 55:60

 

“None of you truly believes (in Allah and His religion) until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]

 

There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed." -- Ray Goforth