PRAYER TIMINGS Effective 04/24 MCA NOOR Fajr 5:20 5:20 Dhuhr 1:30 1:30 Asr 5:15 6:15 Maghrib Sunset Sunset Isha 9:30 9:30 Juma 1 12:15 1:30 Juma 2 1:30 2:30 Newsletter Juma 3 2:30 Published Weekly by the Muslim Community Association of San Francisco Bay Area www.mcabayarea.org Ramadan 11, 1442 AH Friday, April 23, 2021 “Salaam - MashaAllah, on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 6:30pm, MCA received “Certiicate of Special Mayoral Recognition - Ramadan 2021 ” from our Santa Clara City Mayor, Lisa Gillmor. The Mayor & Council’s support, friendship and love is highly appreciated by our Community. Also earlier in the morning at 9:30am, MCA participated in the County of Inside Masjid Nabavi Santa Clara Board of Supervisor’s AL-QURAN Proclamation of “Ramadan The Holy Month”, Alhamdulillah. And worship Allah and associate naught with Him, and show kindness It is really an honor for MCA to be to parents, and to kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the invited and speak at this event for few neighbor that is a kinsman and the minutes about “Ramadan at MCA”. neighbor that is a stranger, and the companion by your side, and the Among invitees from other Muslim wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess. Surely, Allah loves not Organizations were Imams and leaders the proud and the boastful. including Sh. Alaa Bakri, Br. Athar Siddique Al Quran 4:37 and few others. MashaAllah, the credit goes to Sr. HADITH Sameena Usman (CAIR) for arranging ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud (Allah be this and doing the hard work behind the pleased with him) reported that scenes to make such events happen for the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: Bilal would our Muslim Communities across the Bay pronounce Adhan (at the fag end Area. of the night in order to inform the people about the time of the Sahri). So you eat and drink till you hear the Again, BiG thank you to Sameena Usman. Adhan of Ibn Umm Maktum (which JazakAllah Khair” was pro-nounced at the conclusion of the Sahri and the commencement of the fast). Sahih Bukhari Bk 35, 2399 Final Deadline to submit Advertisements is Tuesday at 5:00 PM Join the MCA Mailing List and Stay Connected www.mcabayarea.org/newsletter 2 56. Al-Hameed The Sole-Laudable One The Praiseworthy, The praised One who deserves to be praised. “And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them.” [Quran 7:180] 3 4 5 Make RAMADAN Extra Special This Year! RAMADAN MUBARAK! BE A CHANGE MAKER! Your Support Will Not Only Change Lives, But Also Save Them. Photo credit: AP Please donate generously at: www.hhrd.org/ramadan Monetary donations may be done online. For other donation options (checks/cash), please contact: Shireen Khan (408) 469-3995 HHRD NorCal Oce: 3068 Scott Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054 21199 Hilltop Street, Southeld, MI 48033 . USA - Tel: (248)864- 8370 - Fax: (248)809-2524 6 7 Series on Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith Rarely can one find a closer bond between two ‘Now,’ replied my family, ‘you must realize pleaded. persons such as existed between Muhammad that Arabs and non-Arabs have pledged their the son of Abdullah and Abu Sufyan the son of obedience to Muhammad and accepted his ‘I do not have anything for you except what you al-Harith. (This Abu Sufyan of course was not religion. You are still bent on opposing him have heard,’ he said. the same as Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the powerful whereas you might have been the first to support Anxiety and grief took hold of me. I saw Ali ibn Quraysh chieftain.) and help him.’ Talib soon after and spoke to him about my case. Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith was born about They continued trying to influence me to re- His response was the same as that of my uncle. I the same time as the blessed Prophet. They consider my attitude to Muhammad’s religion went back to my uncle and said to him: ‘O uncle, resembled each other a great deal. They grew and to re-awaken in me affection towards him. if you cannot soften the heart of the Prophet up together and for a time lived in the same Eventually God opened my heart to Islam. I got towards me, then at least restrain that man from household. Abu Sufyan was a cousin of the up and said to my servant, Madhkur: ‘Get ready a denouncing me and inciting others against me.’ Prophet. His father, al-Harith, was the brother of camel and a horse for us.’ I took my son Jafar with ‘Describe him to me,’ said my uncle. I described Abdullah; both were sons of Abd al-Muttalib. me and we galloped with great speed towards the man to him and he said: ‘That is Nuayman al-Abwa between Makkah and Madinah. I had ibn al-Harith an-Najjari.’ He sent for Nuayman Abu Sufyan was also a foster-brother of the learnt that Muhammad had camped there. As I and said to him: ‘O Nuayman! Abu Sufyan is Prophet. He was for a short time nursed approached the place, I covered my face so that the cousin of the Prophet and my nephew. If by the lady Halimah who looked after the no one could recognize and kill me before I could the Prophet is angry with him today, he will be young Muhammad in the tough and bracing reach the Prophet and announce my acceptance pleased with him another day. So leave him...’ My atmosphere of the desert. of Islam directly to him. uncle continued trying to placate Nuayman until In their childhood and youth, Abu Sufyan and Slowly, I proceeded on foot while advance groups the latter relented and said: ‘I shall not spurn him Muhammad were close and intimate friends. So of Muslims headed towards Makkah. I avoided anymore.’ close were they, that one might naturally have their path out of fear that one of the Prophet’s “When the Prophet reached al-Jahfah (about expected Abu Sufyan to have been among the companions would recognize me. I continued in four days journey from Makkah), I sat down at first to respond to the call of the Prophet, peace this fashion until the Prophet on his mount came the door of his tent. My son Jafar stood beside be upon him, and follow wholeheartedly the into my view. Coming out into the open, I went me. As he was leaving his tent, the Prophet saw religion of truth. But this was not to be, at least straight up to him and uncovered my face. He me and averted his face. Yet, I did not despair of not for many, many years. looked at me and recognized me. But, he turned seeking his pleasure. Whenever he camped at From the time the Prophet made public his call his face away. I moved to face him once again. He a place, I would sit at his door and my son Jafar to Islam and first issued the warning to members avoided looking at me and again turned away his would stand in front of me... I continued in this of his clan about the dangers of continuing in face. This happened repeatedly. fashion for some time. But the situation became their existing state of unbelief, injustice and I had no doubt - as I stood there facing the too much for me and I became depressed. I said immorality, the fire of envy and hatred erupted Prophet that he would have been pleased with to myself: in the breast of Abu Sufyan. The bonds of kinship my acceptance of Islam and that his companions ‘By God, either the Prophet, peace be on him, snapped. Where once there was love and would have rejoiced at his happiness. When, shows he is pleased with me or I shall take my friendship, there was now revulsion and hate. however, the Muslims saw the Prophet, peace son and go wandering through the land until we Where once there was brotherhood, there was be on him, avoiding me, they too looked at me die of hunger and thirst.’ now resistance and opposition. and shunned me. Abu Bakr met me and violently Abu Sufyan at this time was renowned as one of turned away. I looked at Umar ibn al-Khattab, my When the Prophet came to hear of this, he the best fighters and horsemen of the Quraysh eyes pleading for his compassion, but I found him relented and, on leaving his tent, he looked more and one of their most accomplished poets. He even more harsh than Abu Bakr. In fact, Umar gently towards me then before. I so much hoped used both sword and tongue in the battle against went on to incite one of the Ansar against me. that he would smile.” the Prophet and his mission. All his energies were Eventually the Prophet relented and told Abu mobilized in denouncing Islam and persecuting ‘O enemy of God,’ lashed out the Ansari, ‘you are Sufyan, “There is now no blame on you.” He the Muslims. In whatever battle the Quraysh the one who persecuted the Messenger of God, entrusted the newcomer to Islam to Ali ibn Abi fought against the Prophet and whatever torture peace be on him, and tortured his companions. Talib saying: “Teach your cousin how to perform and persecution they meted out to the Muslims You carried your hostility towards the Prophet to wudu and about the Sunnah.