PRAYER TIMINGS Effective 04/06 MCA NOOR Fajr 5:40 5:50 Dhuhr 1:30 1:30 Asr 5:15 6:00 Maghrib Sunset Sunset Isha 9:10 9:10 Juma1 12:15 12:15 Juma2 1:30 1:30 Newsletter Published Weekly by the Muslim Community Association of San Francisco Bay Area Rajab 29, 1440 April 5, 2019 AL-QURAN Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al- Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing. And We gave Moses the Scripture and made it a guidance for the Children of Israel that you not take other than Me as Disposer of affairs, O descendants of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful servant. QURAN 17:2-4 HADITH Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: You would find people like those of mine, the good amongst you in the Days of Ignorance would be good amongst you in the days of Islam, provided they have an understanding of it and you will find good amongst people the persons who would be averse to position of authority until it is thrust upon them, and you will find the worst amongst persons one who has double face. He comes with one face to them and with the other face to the others. Sahih Muslim, Book 44, Hadith 283 Join the MCA Mailing List and Stay Connected MCA Board’s Corner Date: Tuesday March 26, 2019 The Executive Board met on March 26, 2019. It was decided that Eid prayers will be held at MCA. There will be three sessions with takbeer begin- ning at 6:30 AM, 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. The Social Committee has been tasked with finding parking solutions for Eid day. On March 22, a town hall meeting was held to solicit input from the community on how MCA facility can be secured. A summary of input col- lected was reviewed at the board meeting. Two immediate actions were decided. First, SCPD will be invited to provide active shooter training to staff, teachers, etc. (This training has already been arranged with SCPD by now). Second, MCA will explore a neighborhood patrol program in collab- oration with SCPD. For this, an advisory meeting is being set with Deputy Chief Dan Winter of SCPD. The EB met with two proposed candidates for appointee to the Granada Islamic School board. (Annually the joint boards, i.e. Executive Board and Board of Trustees send one appointee to the GIS board). Through a joint boards vote taken on March 29, Br. Abdulmateen Mohammed was appointed to GIS board. MCA membership renewal for the coming year will begin on April 6, 2019. Membership for a year runs from Ramadan to Ramadan. The time win- dow to either renew membership or become a member opens up a month before Ramadan. So, beginning April 6 you can renew membership (or become a member) for the coming year which will end in Ramadan 1441H. MCA Executive Board 2 3 The Night Journey and Ascension play a key role in Islam. Stephanie Hertzenberg | www.beliefnet.com The Isra’ or Israa and Mi’raj or At this time, Muhammad and the Muhammad two cups and told him Miraj refer to two portions of one Muslims were being persecuted to choose to drink from one. One of Prophet Muhammad’s most by those who practiced the native cup was filled with wine, the other extraordinary miracles, the Night pagan religion of the region. with milk. Muhammad chose to Journey and Ascension. These Muhammad understood, and the drink the milk instead of the wine. incredible events are described other prophets acknowledged Gabriel told Muhammad that if closely in the Quran and observed Muhammad as their leader. he had consumed the wine, his by Muslims across the world. Many followers would later have gone The modern Al-Aqsa Mosque in Muslims recognize astonishing astray. Jerusalem is built on the site where occasion of the Night Journey and it is believed that Muhammad and The series of events that followed Ascension by offering extra prayers the other prophets prayed. This Muhammad choosing milk over at night or turning on extra lights and silver domed mosque is not far from wine is referred to as the miraj or lighting candles. After prayers, food the Temple Mount and Dome of the Ascension. While he was still in is served. Rock in the modern city. According Jerusalem, Muhammad stood on a According to the account in the to Muslims, the Al-Aqsa Mosque in rock and ascended into the lowest Quran, the miraculous Israa, or Jerusalem was meant to link Mecca, heaven. The famous gold-roofed Night Journey, began when Gabriel Islam’s birthplace and holiest city, Dome of the Rock was later built visited Muhammad in Mecca before with the land where almost every over top of this stone. Muhammad and the Muslims other prophet had lived, preached When Muhammad ascended into emigrated to Medina. Muhammad and died: Israel. The Al-Aqsa Mosque the lowest heaven with Gabriel, he mounted the animal, called the is one of the three Holy Masjids met Adam and exchanged greetings. buraq, and set off on a journey. (mosques) in Islam. The other two Muhammad then ascended into The buraq could reach the horizon are the Holy Masjid in Mecca and the second heaven where he met in one stride and so Muhammad’s the Prophet Muhammad’s Masjid Jesus and John the Baptist. Once journey was swift. Several times, in Medina. One prayer in Al-Aqsa again the prophets spoke with each Gabriel stopped the buraq and told is said to be worth 250 prayers other, and Muhammad ascended Prophet Muhammad to pray. They elsewhere, a prayer in the Prophet to the next heaven. As Muhammad stopped at Medina, Mount Sinai and Muhammad’s Masjid is worth 1,000 traveled through the heavens, he Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. prayers elsewhere and a prayer in met Idris, Aaron and finally Moses. Then, they reached Jerusalem where the Holy Masjid is worth 100,000 Moses then claimed that more of Muhammad met the prophets who other prayers. Prior to the Muslim Muhammad’s followers would enter came before him and led them in emigration to Medina, Al-Aqsa was Paradise than Moses’ followers. In prayer. God explained that all the the qiblah, the direction Muslims the seventh heaven, Muhammad prophets before Muhammad went face when praying. met Abraham and saw the al Bayt through difficult times when they After Muhammad led the other al-Mamoor, the place where angels were preaching to their people. prophets in prayer, Gabriel offered go to worship God, Muhammad also 4 saw Sidrat al-Muntaha, the lote tree ask for the number of prayers to that Muhammad is the only person that marks the upper boundary of be reduced. Muhammad listened to ever enter God’s presence. the seventh heaven and the lower to Moses and God decreased the Muslims also use the phenomenon boundary of Paradise and the realm number of prayers to 40. Again, of the Ascension to emphasize the of God. Underneath the tree were Moses stopped Muhammad and importance of prayer. Every other four rivers. Two of these rivers asked what had transpired. When command from God was given on originated in Paradise, but nothing Muhammad told him, Moses earth, but prayer was prescribed in else is said about them in the story sent Muhammad back to God to heaven. It was in heaven that Moses of the Ascension. The other two ask Him to reduce the number of used his greater experience to advise rivers were identified as the Nile and obligatory prayers to something that Muhammad and have the number the Euphrates. humans would be able to uphold. of prayers reduced to five from 50. Muhammad obeyed and went back Had Muhammad not listened, there Muhammad then entered into the to God. This continued until the truly would be no end to the Call to realm of God and stood before God number of daily prayers was reduced Prayer for there would be no time for Himself. It was then that God told to the now famous five prayers a day. Muslims to do anything but pray, and Muhammad that Muslims were to even the most devout Muslim does pray 50 times a day. Muhammad Muhammad returned to earth and still need to eat. accepted the command and left the buraq took him back to Mecca. to return to Earth. On his way out When Muhammad told the people of of the heavens, Moses stopped Mecca about his incredible journey, Muhammad and asked what God many people did not believe him had told the younger prophet. and mocked him. Some of the early Muhammad said God had told him Muslims, however, never doubted to have his people pray 50 times a that something miraculous had taken day. Moses, however, recognized place. that people would never be able to Isra Mi’raj is a celebration of these live up to that expectation and told amazing events. Muslims believe Muhammad to go back to God and 5 Allah Forgives the Sins Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhum) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) saying, “A believer will be brought close to his Rubb on the Day of Resurrection and enveloping him in His Mercy, He (Subhanahu Wa Ta’alaa) will make him confess his sins by saying: ‘Do you remember (doing) this sin and this sin?’ He will reply: ‘My Rubb, I remember.’ Then He (Subhanahu Wa Ta’alaa) will say: ‘I covered it up for you in the life of world, and I forgive it for you today.’ Then the record of his good deeds will be handed to him.” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim] ••• Helping your Companions Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (radi Allahu anhu) reported: While we were travelling with the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), a rider came and began to stare on the right and on the left.