At our Saturday School here at MCEC, we like to give our students a diverse range of knowledge and education. As a part of their curriculum of understanding Islamic history and the role it plays in our life as Muslims, our students took a trip to the British Museum.
They had the chance of viewing the Islamic gallery and seeing other exhibitions. The students were able to explore Islamic objects and understand the history behind them.
Our senior Imam, Dr Mohamed Ali Ahdash, provided a great history lesson on Islam, Prophet Musa and our students indulged in Q&A’s.
As a part of our curriculum here at MCEC Saturday School our pilot classes took a trip to the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon. We want our students to increase their knowledge, appreciate the creation of Allah (awj), and connect Islam with the many things we have around us.
The day was spent at three different exhibition sites and the highlight for our children was the small models of airplanes; the children were able to explore them as they were replicates of the real ones across the museum.
The staff prepared some activity sheets to support the learning of our little ones which they enjoyed doing whilst on their trip. The children were able to expand and put into practise their Arabic vocabulary.
Our children also had the opportunity to spend some time at the playground and enjoyed their lunch at the museum too.
A warm thanks to all the staff and volunteers who came on this trip!
A disaster struck Turkey and Syria while we were in the comfort of our homes.
The earthquake was one of the greatest tragedies in the region, many have passed away due to the fatality and others have been injured.
We as a community are deeply upset and hurt with this calamity.
Our condolences and prayers go out to each individual who has passed away and those who are injured.
Please be generous in your donations and give for the sake of Allah (awj)
You can also help by donating online:
Muslim Community and Education Centre Lloyds Bank Sort Code: 30-99-86 Account Number: 01198920 Ref: Turk-Syr
May Allah (awj) make it easier for the families, grant them ease and patience as well as those who have passed away grant them the highest rank in Jannah, Ameen.
Please remember the brothers and sisters and young children in your prayer.
We all know the situation in Afghanistan is challenging economically for ordinary citizens. There is a dire need for food at a minimum beyond other requirements. Over the summer, we worked to establish a relationship with JAPO, a non-political, non-profit organisation recognised by the Afghan Government. Working closely with them through August, September and October of 2022, we delivered food packages to 214 needy families in Afghanistan. To give you some idea of food prices in Afghanistan today, 25kg of rice is approximately £25-£30 in a country where the daily wage for a labourer is £1.50-£1.75.
The food packages consisted of
A bag of Flour 50 kg
1 bag of Rice, 25 kg
1 can of cooking oil, 10 Lite/ 10 kg
1 kg green tea
1 bag of sugar, 7 kg
1 bag of beans, 5 kg
1 bag of peas/lentils, 5 kg
1 bag of mung bean, 5 kg
This was a very challenging project in both setting up, and on the ground, with several hurdles we had to overcome. Still, with the grace of the Almighty, we managed to disburse a significant Sadaqah directly to the poor on the ground. But, of course, none of this could have happened without the generous daily donations of Sadaqa we receive from you, and we work hard to ensure it is distributed fairly.
Packages ready for DistributionGreen Tea and LentilsVolunteers helping the elderly
It brings us sadness to hear of the passing of the Queen.
She was not only the Queen of Britain but also a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She will be missed by all who were close to her and others who didn’t know her personally.
The Queen served for over 70 years and held strong values related to life and serving the public. We will not see another monarch reign for as long as this and through such an era of change.
The loss of a loved one is always painful, and we pass our sincere condolences to the Royal family and are thinking of them at this difficult time.
The month of Muharram is one of the four sacred months, which are Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. “Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred [(i.e. the first, the seventh, the 11th and the 12 months]. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein.” [Qur’an Surah al-Tawbah 9:36]
Muharram is described as “the month of Allah” and this indicates the veneration that the month of Muharram deserves.
It has been a sacred month since time immemorial and it is one of the months that Allah sanctified.
The beginning of the Islamic record was in the era of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab when he gathered the people in the sixteenth year of the Hijrah, so he consulted them from where the record begins. From migration because migration was in which an independent entity was established for the Muslims and in it the formation of the first Islamic country.
The migration was not in the month of Muharram; it was in the month of Rabia Awal.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: (The best fasting after Ramadan is God’s month of Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer) and:“The best fasting after Ramadan is the fasting of Muharram the month of Allah and the best prayer after the fard is the night prayer.”
“A man asked the Messenger of Allah! Which month do you order me to fast after the month of Ramadan?” He said: “If you will fast after the month of Ramadan, then fast Al-Muharram, for indeed it is Allah’s month in which there is a day that Allah accepted the repentance of a people, and in which He accepts the repentance of other people.”
It is highly recommended to fast as much as possible during Muharram (though fasting the whole month is reserved for Ramadan only). The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, ‘The best fasting after Ramadan is the Sacred Month of Allah (Muharram)’ (Muslim). Therefore Muharram is a month of fasting, repentance and divine relief.
There is no specific recommendation to pay your Zakat in Muharram and there is no prohibition to get married in Muharram.
It has the virtue of fasting Ashura, which is the tenth of Muharram.
On the authority of Ibn Abbas, he said: When the Prophet came to Medina and found the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura, the Prophet said to them: “What is this day that you fast? They said: This is a great day on which God saved Moses and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people. So Moses fasted on it, thank you, so we fast it.” The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said we are more deserving and more entitled of Moses than you, so the Prophet fasted and commanded his fast.)
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) stated: “For fasting the day of Ashura, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year that went before.” We need to seize this great chance.
The tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura. Ashura is traced as far back as the Prophet Musa (عليه السلام) and it was a Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (saw).
There is no connection between fasting Ashura and the martyrdom of Hussain ibn Ali (عليه السلام), the grandson of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). It is not a month of grief or sadness.
About the Author
Dr Mohamed Ali Ahdash is MCEC Palmers Green Mosque’s, Senior Imam. He is available from Fridays to Sundays from Asr onwards. Dr Ahdash is a lawyer and an expert in Islamic studies. He is the author of Copyright in Islamic Law. He studied Law at the University of Benghazi, Libya for his first degree coupled with traditional education (IJAZA) in Islamic studies and Arabic. He then studied for a diploma degree in Islamic and Arabic Studies at the University of Tripoli, Libya. He worked as a lawyer, a researcher and a lecturer. He obtained a Master of Law from SOAS, University of London and a PhD in Islamic Law, from the University of Wales, Lampeter. His research interests include Law, Islamic studies and culture, history, and political issues of MENA.
The Caretaker will be responsible for implementing systems and procedures for all of the responsibilities described below. The successful candidate will therefore need to be flexible in both managing the weekly hours and approaches in order to carry out duties effectively and efficiently.
Hours of Work
We will operate a winter hour rota and a summer hour rota on a seven-day basis.
The winter rota will operate between November – March:
Your hours of work for the winter rota will be rotated between a morning and an afternoon shift.
The morning shift will be from 5:30 am – 1:30 pm
The afternoon shift will be from 1:30 pm – 9:30 pm
The summer rota will operate between March – October:
The morning shift will be from 7:30 am – 3:30 pm
The afternoon shift will be from 3:30 pm – 11:30 pm
The CEO and or Operations Officer will confirm the days and shifts at the start of the month.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Security
Safety
Cleaning
Maintenance
MCEC has no provision of transport, or accommodation, commuting to & from work is solely the Caretaker’s responsibility.
The applicants must have permission to work in the UK and will be DBS checked.
