Friday May 6th, 2022 | 5th Shawwal 1443 |
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President's Message on Eid 2022 |
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Assalamu-Alaykum (Peace Be Upon You)
Eid Mubarak to all of you, the traditional Muslim greetings of Eid.
As we bid farewell to this Ramadan, let us reflect on the Quranic lessons of Ramadan. Ramadan is about rejuvenating God-consciousness and being grateful for the blessings of Allah SWT.
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❝ O you those who have believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was for those before you that you may attain God Consciousness. ❞
(Quran 2:183)
❝ Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear Signs for guidance and judgment…. and so glorify Him in that He has guided you; and that you may be grateful. ❞
(Quran 2:185)
❝ We give gratitude because of God’s blessings. “And if we try to want to count the blessings of Allah, we would be incapable of doing so. ❞
(Quran 14:34)
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Imam Abu Hamid Al Ghazali says that recognition of Allah's blessings is central to living a life dedicated to faith and obedience.
So, let me take this opportunity to reflect on the blessings of Ramadan for our community.
When we started the planning for Ramadan in January 2022, we faced uncertainties of COVID. We also did not know the level of community engagement given that we have been sheltered at home for the past 2 years due to COVID restrictions. So, when the first day of Ramadan rolled around on April 1st, we waited in hopeful breadth.
On the first night of Ramadan, the masjid was packed with over 1200 members who come to pray Isha and Taraweeh (night) prayers. This is the most attendance we have ever had until then. Right then, we recognized the blessings of Ramadan had arrived. By the night of the 29th, we had 2500 people for Taraweeh, another record for us. How we even accommodated that many people, I have no idea. Every inch of the masjid was occupied including our most recent expansion. The next day,1600 of our community members had their Iftar at MAPS.
Over the past 30 days, we received much feedback from the community. Here are a few sentences from a moving letter from a sister after her experience on the night of the 29th of Ramadan.
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❝ The iqama was called, and the recitation began. I was hooked because I knew the verses, the connection was strong! A feeling of belonging and unity overcame me. I felt like I was in a Muslim country, the feeling of security and kinship. The kind when you’re walking down the street and older people start playing with your kids and kissing them out of love.
Last night was a surreal experience for me and I was moved to share it with you. I hope you had an epic experience too. ♥ ❞
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For the rest of my remarks, I will list 10 blessings the MAPS community experienced during this Ramadan.
1. First, we are grateful that Allah SWT allowed us to enjoy the full blessings of Ramadan without any COVID disruptions over the past 2 years. There was looming fear that an outbreak could have abruptly brought everything to a halt! We were blessed with beautiful recitations from Qari Aslam and Qari Abdelkarim during the Tarawih. During the last 10 nights, we averaged over 1000 people praying Tarawih every day, and a similar number stayed all the way to Fajr and ate their suhoor (breakfast) at MAPS in the wee hours of the morning. In addition, our Tarawih broadcast on Facebook and YouTube received about 600 to 1000 views every day. We provided daily iftar to about 300 people during weekdays, and 1000+ during weekends. We also supported Iftar at EMAS and MAYF mosques in South Seattle. These are no easy tasks, considering the volunteers were fasting as well and needed to go to work every day. We were blessed with an amazing group of volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this Ramadan a great experience for the community. These efforts provided the community members both time and space to establish bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood which is vital to creating a vibrant community.
2. Because of your generosity, we paid off the loan on the masjid that we took when started the construction in 2010. Praise to Allah, the Most Glorious! Immediately, after my announcement, I received feedback that we need to start thinking about expansion because the masjid (mosque) has become too small for our needs! This is a full year before Redmond light rail station, a stone’s throw away from our mosque opens and the Marymoor Village transformation takes shape.
3. MAPS Expansion project, which I talked about last year, was completed early in the year with the addition of 5,000 sq ft of space. Every sq ft of it was used for Iftar, Taraweeh, and I’tikaf. Now that we have the space, we cannot imagine how we could have managed to do what we did without this additional space.
4. We launched MAPS Seattle, a campus of MAPS in Downtown Seattle a week before Ramadan. MAPS Seattle campus is 2 blocks from SLU, within walking distance from all major tech companies – Amazon, Meta, Google, Zillow, etc. When we opened, we did know what to expect. MAPS Seattle operation is in full swing with 150 people attending Jummah prayer, and 100+ in attendance for daily Tarawih prayers. What is so exciting is that this was an effort led by our second generation of leaders from the community and most of the attendees are also young, second-gen Muslims who live and work in Seattle.
5. MAPS IOC resumed their Annual MAPS IOC Iftar which was held on April 13th and was the best executed IOC Iftar program in the history of MAPS with a keynote by Dr. Suzy Ismail.
6. We launched Ummah Coffee, a project led by a trio of amazing upcoming leaders Osman, Juned, and Hasan. In their words, Ummah coffee is about creating community connections and providing a co-working space with a little bit of coffee. In the 10 days since the opening, they had served 1500 cups of drink and 700 plates of bakery products. Through our SBRN (our small business network) partnership, our bakery products come from Muslim-owned small businesses – Alida Bakers, Jawahara Café, Diana’s Cake, and Cloud Food Court. If you are looking for a meeting place with a bit of coffee, check out Ummah Coffee. Also, watch out for Ummah Coffee in MAPS Seattle!
7. We had our Ramadan Quran competition in which over 200 kids participated and had our award ceremony on the last night of Ramadan.
8. We distributed $160K in Zakat (charity) to 1000 needy families in the community in the last days of Ramadan. Overall, we have given $425K of your Zakat to needy people in the community this year alone! In addition, MAPS MCRC distributed 2500 Ramadan Food Boxes to needy families. MAPS PCRC is also provided Eid Gifts to over 850 families. For Afghan refugees, this was their first Ramadan away from home. MAPS MCRC arranged for Suhoor and Iftar meals and prayers to make their Ramadan a memorable one.
MAPS also partnered with Seattle Children's Hospital to distribute Eid Toy Gifts to all the sick children in the hospital at 3 locations. The community donated over 350 gifts. This is the first time a Muslim organization has taken such an initiative; a tradition churches provide during the Christmas holidays.
9. MAPS MCOC (a program that celebrates our cultural diversity) held many events with our children celebrating the Muslim cultural diversity of Ramadan and Eid. MAPS Youth held many events with other Muslim youth groups.
10. We had our first new converts Iftar led by Sr. Aisha Aslam in which 70 people participated. We have started a converts networking group that meets monthly. This has been a much-needed service that we are fulfilling.
As you can see, we are more than a masjid. There was a lot going on here at MAPS during Ramadan.
For those of you who are new to MAPS, we extend you a warm welcome to our community. We have a lot to offer to you as well as learn from you. I met a lot of newcomers over the last 30 days and was amazed at the diversity and the skills they bring. If you have a particular passion, we want to leverage your expertise at MAPS. Sign up for our newsletter on our website and follow us on our social media channels to stay connected. We have a vibrant Education program led by Sh Adam Jamal, our Education Director. I am grateful to the community for your unwavering support over the years. I want to close by wishing all of you and your families a blessed Eid Mubarak!
JazakAllah,
Hyder Ali
MAPS President
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To finish our first month as a new masjid, the Maps Seattle community celebrated the end of Ramadan with an indoor picnic potluck. Originally meant to be at Gas Works Park, the ingenuity and tenacity of our volunteers at MAPS Seattle and our friends at Wasat helped create a warm and welcoming atmosphere to celebrate Eid-Al-Fitr and move the picnic to the MAPS Seattle building at the last minute due to rain. With handmade tables built by Atif Sattar, rugs we borrowed from our friends at WASAT, cushions, lights, and Eid cards created by Tehreem Sabir, with snack goody bags for everyone, we created an amazing indoor picnic and an experience that embodied the beauty of our ummah. We welcomed young professionals, families, as well as our non-Muslim friends - all gathering together to celebrate Eid with potluck serving a diverse cuisine from all over the world, with one highlight being the Pakola milkshakes. The children who came were particularly happy to receive goody bags made by the volunteers at MAPS Redmond.
The entire gathering was filled with ihsan and barakah thanks to the big hearts, brains, and tireless efforts of the MAPS Seattle volunteers Alhamdullilah.
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Redmond
1:15pm & 2:15pm
Imam Joban
"3 Ways to Keep Ramadan Momentum Alive"
Youth Khutbah 3:30 PM
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Seattle
Khutbah at 1:15pm
Br. Salah Dandan
"Exalted in Rank"
(Surah Ghafir 40, Verse 15)
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It was narrated from Abu Ayyub that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever fasts Ramadan then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime.”
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Cancelled
Every Thursday
10am to 12pm & 8:00pm (online)
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Masks Are Optional in MAPS Facility starting Friday, May 6th |
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Thank You For Bringing Smiles to Seattle Children's Faces |
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AsSalamu Alaykum / Peace be upon you,
By the grace of The Almighty, during Ramadan, we delivered 350 toys and books at 3 locations of Seattle Children’s hospital. The initiative was intended to bring the kind of joy that Muslim children the world over experience on Eid day, to the young patients at the hospitals. Alhamdulillah, the event was a success. We had an opportunity to interact with many patients and their parents, along with the nurses, staff, and doctors at the hospitals. The gifts brought smiles and joy to many. In fact, several people whom we met insisted on making a small donation towards the initiative.
Seattle Children's had the following message to our community:
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❝ On behalf of Seattle Children’s, we are incredibly grateful for the Muslim Association of Puget Sound hosting three toy distribution events, bringing happiness and smiles to hundreds of patients and families this week! It has been an absolute pleasure working with Hafsa and your organization to make this happen. Thank you for your sincere dedication to the community. Partnerships like these are incredibly special. We wish you a very happy Eid! ❞
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We are looking for baristas to work at the Cafe after Ramadan. Part-time and/or full-time opportunities are available. Flexible shifts during weekdays, events, and full days on Jummah. To apply, please email your resume to: ummahcoffee@mapsredmond.org
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Understand Quranic Arabic Intensive
Starting May 13th
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After a long hiatus Quranic Arabic is back at MAPS!
This intensive course covers over 60% of Quranic Arabic vocabulary and grammar. The only requirement is to be able to read the Quran in Arabic, you do not need to be very fluent in reading/ tajweed.
Nearly 400 students have taken the Quranic Arabic courses at MAPS and you can be one of them.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, then please let them know about it and share the registration link. There’s a special discount available for students who register together.
Because of the time and effort associated with an intensive program, we will only have this class if at least 20 students register.
This program consists of two intensives: the first is a double weekend and the second is for 8 weekends with a break in July.
The first Friday is FREE attendance and you must register below.
The course will be taught by Ustadh Hasan Mangrio, in-person at MAPS, and will be $200 per student.
6 Weekends: Fri-Sun for first two weekends, Sat/Sun for the remaining 4
Fridays 7-10pm, Saturday and Sunday 12-3pm May 13th-15th & May 20th-22nd.
Starting May 28th through June 19th class schedule as follows
Every Saturday and Sunday 12-3pm.
There are only 20 spots remaining, so sign up quick!
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Instructor: Ustadh Hasan Mangrio
Platform: In-person at MAPS
Pricing: $200 per student
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What are the pre-requisites for this class?
Being able to read Quran in Arabic is a pre-requisite for this class. You do not need to be fast or fluent. You do not need to know tajweed or be able to write in Arabic.
Is there an age requirement?
We’ve had students from ages 8-70+ in our classes and they’ve all enjoyed it and benefitted. We recommend children ages 8 and 9 attend with their parents or someone who can help them.
Will there be homework?
Most of the work is done in class, sometimes small amounts are assigned as homework.
What if I have to miss a day?
The course is easy to follow and most of the work is completed in class. We’ve recorded previous classes which you can use to catch up on. If you’re unsure please email your instructor Hasan hasan.mangrio@gmail.com
Tip: Invite a family member or friend to attend with you who can help you keep up.
What is the curriculum?
The goal of the course is to learn the words and grammar that are the low-hanging fruit and make up 60%+ of the Quran. This simplicity and ease are part of the Quran’s miracle. With this course, you will be able to start your journey in learning the language of the Quran. We will learn Quranic words, phrases, and Arabic sentence structure in order to put all of them together. Students will also play quiz games in order to review the material and have fun competing with their classmates.
The curriculum was created by Sh Adam Jamal.
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MAPS-MCRC is proud to announce the MatchUs Matrimonial Event for Young Professionals! This event is open to US and Canadians residents, ranging from the ages of 20 to 35yrs.
Join us on Saturday, June 11th, 2022 from 3:30pm to 6:30pm.
Limited seats are available so register soon! Pre-registration is required! There are two different ticket options: one for women and one for men. Tickets are $40 per person and include High Tea.
Each ticket should be purchased ONLY in the name of the person who is attending the event. Parents & guardians, please do not use your own name when registering! Only registered attendees will be allowed to enter the venue.
Venue details will be emailed to attendees a few days prior to the event!
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🥘 Muslim Support Group 🥘
The intention of this group is to provide support to our new Muslims and for those searching or who have reverted back to Islam. Please join us on May 6th at 6:30pm in the MPR and invite others who would be interested.
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✨ MAPS 2022 Summer Camps ✨
We are excited to announce MAPS Summer Camp 2022 registration is now open. We have put together a variety of camps for you to choose from.
Each week you will have the option to enroll your child into the camp of your choice.
The slots are first come first serve.
Please pay close attention to the dates as each camp has its own dates and times.
We look forward to seeing your kids this summer at MAPS Summer Camp 2022.
Details about the class are on the registration page. Please use the links below to each week's summer camp.
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✨ Patient Advocacy Workshop ✨
Please join Muslim Health Professionals (MHP) and MAPS-MCRC for the first workshop in our series "Navigating the U.S. Healthcare System". This workshop will be led by healthcare professionals to address challenging patient-provider encounters and discuss ways to advocate for ourselves as patients. This event will be held on May 14th at MAPS Redmond in the MPR from 2-4PM and virtually via Zoom.
Topics that will be covered include:
- Patient rights: what to expect from a patient-provider relationship
- Informed Consent: understanding what’s on the form that you sign before any procedure or surgery
- Maximizing clinic visits: how to get the most out of your clinic visit and collaborative decision making
- Challenging encounters: what to do when you are faced with a challenging encounter in the clinic or at the hospital
You may submit a case or question regarding a challenging provider encounter which may be discussed anonymously as a group. This is entirely optional.
We hope to provide light refreshments and ask that you please confirm your participation with this form.
Jazakumallah khair!
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Upcoming MAPS Events
Every Saturday at 6:00pm
MAPS-MCRC FREE CLINIC
Golden Times for Senior Women
Wednesdays at 2:30pm on Zoom
Yoga & Laughing Therapy
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MAPS-AMEN EVENTS
Save the Date: Faith Action Network Summit!
May 15th, Online
MAPS-AMEN OPPORTUNITIES
Paid student internship opportunity at King County Public Health! Contact Abdirahman Omar at King County for more info.
The Faith Action Network is hiring for two open positions, one in Central WA and one in the Seattle area! For more information, click here.
SURVEY:
Please complete this survey on Islamophobia in Tech conducted by the Islamophobia Studies Center
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Ongoing Education Programs
January 23 - June 2022
2021-2022
Every other Monday
Starting October 11, 2021
October 2021 - June 2022
September 6, 2021 - June 16, 2022
September 14, 2021 - June 18, 2022
September 12, 2021 - June 12, 2022
Ongoing
Tuesdays 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Join via Zoom
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Sponsored Ads and Programs |
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Want to hear more before signing up? Attend a 45-minute climate challenge workshop to get more details and see if this opportunity is right for you! Sign up for any of the workshops here!
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