October 10, 2024
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@al_maqasid
As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum,
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See you on Telegram InshAllah!
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
﷽
Al-Maqasid is pleased to host our next Community Forum, to be held this Saturday, October 12th following Salat al-Dhuhr at 1:30 pm inshaAllah. (Please note the prayer time change for this day only.)
To RSVP and contribute to a potluck of refreshments and finger foods: https://tinyurl.com/communityforum2024-2
Please also submit any questions, comments, or feedback in advance: https://forms.gle/U3Rndvjns84At7v4A
We look forward to a productive afternoon of dialogue, discussion, and communal spirit, inshaAllah.
We are excited to announce our upcoming Weekend Retreat, which will be held on October 18-20 titled: On Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, a study of Book 19 of Imam al-Ghazali’s masterpiece Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Religious Sciences).
According to Imam Al-Ghazali, enjoining good and forbidding evil is an obligation and crucial to fulfilling the mission of the prophets sent by Allah Ta’ala. If knowledge of it were discarded and its practice neglected, prophethood would be unnecessary, religion would disappear, weakness would reign, and ignorance would prevail. Its centrality to the deen is evident in the Quran, Hadith, statements of the pious predecessors, and in the general consensus of the Umma. For example, Allah Ta’ala tells us:
Let there be a group among you who call ‘others’ to goodness, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil—it is they who will be successful.
[3:104]
The believers, both men and women, are guardians of one another: They encourage good and forbid evil…[9:71]
You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in God…[3:110]
In Imam al-Ghazali’s On Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, he discusses its four pillars, objectional matters in familiar daily activities (such as visiting mosques and marketplaces), the obligation to call to Allah, and how to advise a ruler.
We welcome you to join us in exploring this often neglected and misapplied obligation in what we pray will be a weekend filled with abundant blessings as we acquire knowledge and spend time in devotion together.
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Don’t Lower Your Standards - Imam Zaid Shakir
“We don’t want to lower the bar; we want to strengthen the believers’ legs so they can jump over the high bar.”
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, while there is good in both.” (Sahih Muslim)
Unlock Your Potential - Musab Penfound
Allah ﷻ says in the Quran:
“Indeed, mankind was created anxious: distressed when touched with evil, and withholding when touched with good— except those who pray, consistently performing their prayers..”
(Quran 70:17-70:23)
Stay connected with us on social media!
LOVING THE BELOVED ﷺ
This weekly Majlis includes a recitation of the prophetic biography in poetry form followed by a counsel intended to connect the listener to the Prophet ﷺ and his teachings. The more we know about his life, character, and way, the more we will come to love and follow the one beloved to Allah.
Our Relationship with the Prophet ﷺ – Auzair Khilwati
Auzair Khilwati shares the profound story of Uwais al-Qarni (رضي الله عنه), a man who, despite never meeting the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, was deeply attached to him and exemplified unparalleled devotion.
Uwais al-Qarni (رضي الله عنه) is a powerful symbol of selflessness, humility, and unwavering obedience to his mother. His life is a testament to the idea that true nearness to Allah and love for His Messenger ﷺ is not limited by physical proximity. Rather, it is attained through sincerity, devotion, and sacrifice.
This relationship is beautifully captured in the hadith, where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
"There will come to you a man from Yemen whose name is Uwais. He will have his mother with him, and he was afflicted with leprosy, but Allah cured him except for a spot the size of a dirham. Whoever among you meets him, ask him to seek forgiveness for you." (Sahih Muslim)
Through Uwais' life, we learn that it is the purity of one's heart and the depth of one's love for Allah and His Messenger that matter most, regardless of distance or circumstance.
The Reality of the Prophet ﷺ - Yusuf Weltch
“We only know the Prophet ﷺ to the extent of our states.”
No matter how much we strive to praise the Prophet ﷺ, whether we dedicate our entire lives and every breath to glorifying him, we will never come close to fully encompassing his true greatness. His value and honor are beyond the limits of human comprehension, for there are no bounds to the perfection Allah ﷻ has bestowed upon him.
As Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an: “Indeed, you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah often.” — Sura Al-Ahzab (33:21)
The Prophet ﷺ embodies the highest moral character and spiritual excellence, a standard we can only strive toward but never fully grasp in its entirety.
JUMU’A KHUTBA
The weekly Jumu'a, or Friday, Congregational prayer is live streamed from Al-Maqasid from 12:15pm-1:10pm.
Preparing for Difficult Times - Amjad Tasin
“It is important for us as believers in this late time, in the end times, that we strengthen and cultivate that same degree of iman [as the Companions], and that we have certainty in Allah’s promise.”
The greatest super heroes to have ever lived are the Companions of our beloved Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. They were able to endure great suffering and overcome immense difficulties because of their strong faith (iman) and preparation for the ultimate abode.
In this khutba, Amjad Tarsin relates inspiring stories from the Quran and Prophetic Era as encouragement to strengthen and cultivate our own iman. He also mentions the last statement of Imam Marcellus Williams, who was recently executed unjustly, but held onto the promise of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala.
Amjad ends with one of the strongest ways to strengthen iman.
Lectures
Al-Maqasid's weekly lecture series will cover topics that are essential to every Muslim's religious literacy. We welcome you to join us as our faculty members offer engaging lectures on crucial topics such as the way sacred knowledge was preserved, the importance of infusing spirituality into environments of learning, and what a principled engagement would look like in our context today. Each lecture will be approximately 45 minutes long, allowing ample time for questions and discussion.
Seminary Rawha
Linguistically related to the spirit (ruh), the Rawha is a class centered around Islamic spirituality. It explores the text-based tradition that outlines the spiritual path and aims to inspire seekers to both embark upon it and attain its realities.
The Seminary Rawha takes place Monday and Wednesday evenings
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