MCC East Bay

Jumu’ah Services @ MCC & Rosewood
2025-08-22 13:30 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For MCC’s four Jumu’ah services on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025:

1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Ustadh Amin ibn Anderson delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.

Ustadh Omar Naisan delivers this sermon at Rosewood Conference Center, 4450 Rosewood Dr., Pleasanton

2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Ustadh Omar Naisan delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

3:40 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Hafiz Ameen Ahmed delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

*Please attend at 2:30 or 3:40 p.m. at MCC to avoid heavier first-service congestion whenever possible, or please attend the off-site MCC Jumu’ah service, that is, each week at the Rosewood Commons, 4450 Rosewood Dr (Building 5)., Pleasanton. Rosewood is just a four-minute drive from MCC.

Please note that the former HP lot (now Pleasanton School District) is no longer available to our congregation. Please come to the third or fourth Jumuah at MCC to ease up parking congestion or, better yet, attend our weekly parallel satellite prayer from 1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. at Rosewood Center (Building 5): https://mcceastbay.org/rosewood

– Virtually watch the three MCC sermons from home: https://mcceastbay.org/live
– More Ustadh Omar: http://mcceastbay.org/omar
– More Hafiz Ameen: http://mcceastbay.org/ameen-ahmed

For parents attending with young children indoors at the main MCC facility, we offer private mothers’ and fathers’ rooms with an audio and visual connection to the Prayer Hall. Parents can watch the sermon and pray while working with other parents and young children. The mothers’ and fathers’ prayer room is just past the Banquet Hall doors into the school area.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Maristāns Unveiled: The Legacy of Islamic Healing | Author's Event with Dr. Rania Awaad & Merve Nursoy-Demir
2025-08-22 19:00 - 21:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Muslims once led the world in holistic mental health care. Today, that legacy is being revived.

Join Authors Dr. Rania Awaad and Merve Nursoy-Demir for a special in-person book signing, discussion, and Q&A exploring the rich tradition of Islamic psychology and healing. Their newly released book “Maristāns and Islamic Psychology” uncovers the story of historic wellness centers that stood at the heart of Muslim societies.

The books will be available at the event for $55. Meet the authors and get your copy signed after the program.
Friday, August 22, 2025 | 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. PST | MCC Conference Room | Free; join in person or watch virtually at mcceastbay.org/live

Please join us for an evening centered on faith, healing, and the revival of a legacy too often forgotten. The book traces the history of Islamic healing institutions—spaces that treated the whole person with compassion, dignity, and spiritual care—and offers a vision for how that model can serve us today.

MCC proudly hosts a Maristan counseling room at the community center.

Featuring:

– Dr. Rania Awaad (Stanford Psychiatry, President of Maristan)
– Merve Nursoy-Demir (Researcher and Co-author)
– Moderated by Dr. Mohamad Rajabally and Anse Sawsan Imady

Schedule

– 7 p.m. – Start of program
– 8 p.m. – Maghrib congregational prayer
– 8:20 p.m. – Wrapping up and audience questions & answers
– 9:30 p.m. – Isha congregational prayer
– 9:45 p.m. – Cutting of celebratory cake in MCC foyer along with snacks

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

About the Authors

Dr. Rania Awaad M.D., is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where she is the Director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab as well as Stanford University’s Affiliate Chaplain and Affiliate Professor of Islamic Studies. In the community, she serves as the President and Co-Founder of Maristan, a holistic mental health nonprofit serving Muslim communities, and the Director of The Rahmah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Muslim women and girls. Before studying medicine, she pursued classical Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria, and holds certifications (ijaza) in the Qur’an, Islamic Law, and other branches of the Islamic Sciences. Follow her @Dr.RaniaAwaad

Merve Nursoy-Demir, MA, obtained her bachelor’s degrees in the Departments of Psychology and History at Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey. Upon completing her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Merve started working in the Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islāmic Psychology Lab. Currently, her research topics are on mental health practices, institutions, and theories in Islāmic history.

@maristan_org @stanfordmmhip @dr.raniaawaad

About the Book
Maristāns and Islāmic Psychology outlines how the novel methods, tools, and approaches for treating psychological illnesses developed in the maristāns (hospitals) of the Muslim world can be utilised today in formulating a practical implementation of Islāmic psychology (IP). As a hallmark of Islamic Civilisation, the maristāns were institutions of healing that boasted the world’s first treatment centres for treating psychological illnesses. They also served as the centres where theoretical concepts developed by early Muslim scholars—physicians, theologians, and philosophers—who contributed to the creation of IP were translated into practical, clinical applications.

A detailed examination of the treatment modalities within these historical treatment centres provides a promising model for creating a holistic approach to psychological healing that is grounded in Islāmic heritage. This text completes such an examination, highlighting the practical IP treatment methods in fourteen maristāns geographically spread throughout the Muslim world to bridge this centuries-long model of psychological care to the modern context.
As part of the Islāmic Psychology and Psychotherapy Focus series, this book provides a foundation for mental health professionals who either directly deliver mental health services or are involved in creating theories, institutions, or spaces of IP and psychotherapeutic practices.

Review

After centuries of obscurity, the priceless treasures of Islamic civilization are finally being unearthed, piece by piece. The treasure this timely book succeeds in bringing to light is the Islamic pattern of holistic health care in general and mental health care in particular, the latter being a first in the history of civilization. Of utmost interest is the ability of medieval physicians to harness every possible resource in their environment, thereby achieving truly remarkable results.
–Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, Consultant Psychiatrist and Author of, among other titles, Man and the Universe and Spiritual Significance in Islamic Architecture.
In the late 1970s, I had a chance encounter with a German engineer. In a remote area where he was building a road in Iran, he had come upon a Medieval mental hospital, still running on its original endowment, that treated mental disorders, not with Western pharmacology, but through architecture!- the colour blue, a ‘ golden ratio’ in proportions, a ‘mandala ‘ courtyard, fountains. The effect, he said, was so tranquilising that he decided to stay and had ‘the best night’s sleep in my life’.
His account intrigued me. In the 45-odd years since, I was, however, able to discover only a little about early Muslim mental hospitals― until reading Rania Awaad and Merve Nursoy-Demir’s groundbreaking edited book.
This is a ‘must-read’ book for anyone with an interest in Islamic Psychology. Still, it should appeal to a much wider readership and has the force itself to encourage a paradigm shift in how we in the West view mental illness and its treatment.
–Dr. Rasjid E. Skinner, Clinical Director at Ihsaan Therapeutic Services and Visiting Professor at International Islamic University Islamabad.
A vital contribution to the field of Islamic psychology. Looking to the past to elucidate the profound wisdom and practical methods used by Islamic institutions of holistic, community healthcare, the authors reveal how relevant and needed such practices are today. Despite advancements in modern medicine, there have been major side effects, including the disaggregation of body and soul and disconnection from nature and community. The future of Islamic psychology, and health and wellbeing more broadly, requires efforts to “catch up with the past,” reviving traditional healing practices and institutions tailored to modern circumstances. This book is a crucial step towards that future.
–Dr. Abdallah Rothman, Clinical Director of DAR al-Shifaa and Executive Director of the International Association of Islamic Psychology.
–This text refers to the hardcover edition.

📣 Upcoming Event at MCC East Bay! @mcceastbay
Join Dr. Rania Awaad for a special in-person book signing, discussion, and Q&A exploring the rich tradition of Islamic psychology and healing. Her new release, Maristāns and Islamic Psychology, uncovers the story of historic wellness centers that stood at the heart of Muslim societies.
🗓️ Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 | 7–9 PM
📍MCC East Bay (Conference Room) | Watch online at mcceastbay.org/live
🎊 Free and open to the community. Refreshments served. Books are available for $55 at the event. Meet the authors and get your copy signed after the program.
Featuring:
• Dr. Rania Awaad (Stanford Psychiatry, President of Maristan)
• Merve Nursoy-Demir (Researcher and Co-author)
• Moderated by Dr. Mohamad Rajabally and Anse Sawsan Imady
📚 Prefer to purchase online? Support Maristan by ordering here: linktr.ee/Maristan
(Maristan may earn from qualifying Amazon purchases.)
Dr. Mohamad Rajabally is a long-time community activist, a lay speaker for Friday sermons at mosques across the Bay Area, and an active leader with two national groups that represent Muslim-Americans. As an advocate for the poor and vulnerable, he has founded a domestic violence shelter in the South Bay and serves as a Board Member for the Tri-Cities Homeless Coalition (now called Abode). For the past decade, he also served as a Human Relations Commissioner for the City of Fremont. As a religious leader, Dr. Rajabally has served since 2000 as a volunteer Muslim chaplain at Washington Hospital. He is a past president of the Islamic Society of East Bay in Fremont, which is one of the Bay Area’s largest mosques. Dr. Rajabally operates a dental practice in Newark along with his wife.

Private Event
2025-08-27 14:00 - 20:00
MCC Conference Room

Maitri Bay Area Tables @ MCC Jumu’ahs
2025-08-29 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Maitri is a free, conﬁdential, nonproﬁt organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area that primarily helps families and individuals from South Asia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives facing domestic violence, emotional abuse, cultural alienation, or family conﬂict.

Visit their table for more information on their free client-based and community programs, including housing, legal advocacy, economic empowerment, outreach and prevention, policy advocacy, and volunteer engagement.

Jumu’ah Services @ MCC & Rosewood
2025-08-29 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For MCC’s four Jumu’ah services on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025:

1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Shaykh Talal Ahdab delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.

Hafiz Yaseen Mahmood delivers this sermon at Rosewood Conference Center, 4450 Rosewood Dr., Pleasanton

2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Hafiz Yaseen Mahmood delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

3:40 p.m. – 4 p.m.

TBA delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

*Please attend at 2:30 or 3:40 p.m. at MCC to avoid heavier first-service congestion whenever possible, or please attend the off-site MCC Jumu’ah service, that is, each week at the Rosewood Commons, 4450 Rosewood Dr (Building 5)., Pleasanton. Rosewood is just a four-minute drive from MCC.

Please note that the former HP lot (now Pleasanton School District) is no longer available to our congregation. Please come to the third or fourth Jumuah at MCC to ease up parking congestion or, better yet, attend our weekly parallel satellite prayer from 1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. at Rosewood Center (Building 5): https://mcceastbay.org/rosewood

– Virtually watch the three MCC sermons from home: https://mcceastbay.org/live
– More Shaykh Talal: http://mcceastbay.org/talal
– More Hafiz Yaseen: http://mcceastbay.org/yaseen

For parents attending with young children indoors at the main MCC facility, we offer private mothers’ and fathers’ rooms with an audio and visual connection to the Prayer Hall. Parents can watch the sermon and pray while working with other parents and young children. The mothers’ and fathers’ prayer room is just past the Banquet Hall doors into the school area.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

The "Raising Trailblazers" Parenting Workshop | Fouzia Usman
2025-08-29 19:00 - 21:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Join us for a transformative parenting workshop led by Fouzia Usman, founder of Muslim Nation Builders, where parents will discover research-backed strategies to help their children develop a strong, positive Muslim identity and embrace their place in the global Ummah.
The “Raising Trailblazers” workshop by Muslim Nation Builders addresses one of the most critical challenges facing Muslim families today: raising children who genuinely love and embrace their Islamic identity rather than seeing it as a burden or source of difference. Following the workshop, we will hold a Q&A session.
Friday, Aug 29, 2025 | 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. | MCC Conference Room | Join in person or watch live at mcceastbay.org/live
Parents: Please ask your child to complete this survey prior to the event. We will have dinner for sale during the Family Night.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
This workshop addresses the reality that our children are constantly exposed to images of Muslim suffering globally, leading many to internalize that Muslims are weak or oppressed, despite the historical fact that Muslims were superpowers 85% of the time from the Prophet ﷺ until now. It tackles the modern challenges of raising children who feel proud of their Islamic heritage, offering strategies to transform their identity from feeling like a “minority” to embracing their strength as part of the global Muslim Ummah.
The workshop includes practical advice and activities for families using The Three Framework:

Compassion Before Correction (following the prophetic model)
Identity Through Experience (why children must feel their Islamic heritage, not just learn about it)
Understanding Critical Timing (the developmental window for identity formation).

Parents will learn practical implementation through Character Development via Service, Confidence Building via History, and Community Building via Shared Experiences.
Purpose: To empower parents with evidence-based insights and tools to move beyond conventional “correction-focused” parenting and create lasting identity transformation. To help parents foster an environment where Islamic values are not just taught but experienced, developing children who see their Muslim identity as a source of strength and pride.
What makes it unique? MNB workshops are specially curated to combine Islamic principles with child development research, offering valuable and practical advice to participants. The “Raising Trailblazers” approach stands out by addressing why traditional methods—Islamic schools, weekend programs, lectures—while valuable, often fail to create the deep identity connection our children need. It provides research-backed alternatives that honor both Islamic principles and modern understanding of child development.
It helps lay a foundation to:

Raise children who genuinely love their Islamic identity
Move beyond correction-focused parenting to identity-building approaches
Engage children in meaningful service that strengthens character and Islamic connection
Build confidence through understanding Muslim historical achievements and legacy
Create community connections with like-minded Muslim families
Understand the critical developmental windows for identity formation
Create family cultures where Islamic identity is a source of strength and pride
Build the next generation of Muslim trailblazers who embrace their place in the Ummah

When raising children with a strong Islamic identity, the active participation of both parents is paramount. Attending parenting workshops fosters a united front, ensuring that both mother and father are aligned in their approach to their children’s identity development. It promotes consistent identity-building practices, strengthens the family bond, and underscores the significance of collaboration and mutual support. Just like mothers, fathers play a crucial role in their children’s spiritual and cultural identity formation. By attending the workshop together, parents can provide each other with better support and create a nurturing environment where children thrive in their Islamic identity.
About Fouzia Usman:
Fouzia Usman is a passionate entrepreneur, mother of three, software engineer, and the founder of Ummah Stars and Muslim Nation Builders. Her innovative work in raising Muslim children who excel in both Deen and Dunya was selected among many submissions to be presented at the Prophetic Strategy Summit in Malaysia, where she shared her insights with a global audience of Muslim leaders and educators.
She is a TEDx speaker, published writer (https://muslimmatters.org/2023/05/06/trip-to-turkey/), Certified High Performance Coach (CHPC), certified NLP practitioner, and Positive Discipline Parent Educator. With over 20 years in corporate software engineering, she brings a unique perspective that combines practical methodology with Islamic principles to address modern parenting challenges.
As an ardent visionary, Fouzia has personally guided families through identity-strengthening experiences in Turkey and beyond through her transformative platform, Muslim Nation Builders. She aims to positively impact Muslim families worldwide by helping parents raise children who practice the deen with passion and conviction. Her work is a testament to how one person’s vision and dedication can create a profound impact in the global Muslim community.
For more information, please visit Muslim Nation Builders at https://www.muslimnationbuilders.com
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

– More Islamic parenting workshops: http://mcceastbay.org/parenting
– More talks & lectures about Islamic Homeschooling: http://mcceastbay.org/homeschool
– More Islamic marriage talks & workshops: http://mcceastbay.org/marriage
– More sessions for Muslim teenagers: http://mcceastbay.org/teens
– More sessions for young Muslim children: http://mcceastbay.org/children
– More “My Parents Just Don’t Understand” Series: http://mcceastbay.org/parent-teen

Join us to learn:

Enhanced Parent-Child Relationships: Parents will leave with concrete strategies to foster deeper emotional connections with their children, laying the foundation for effective guidance and influence.
Paradigm Shift in Parenting Approach: Families will understand the difference between “correction-first” and “compassion-first” parenting, learning practical ways to implement the prophetic model in daily interactions.
Clear Action Plan: Each parent will identify specific steps to create identity-strengthening experiences for their children, moving beyond theoretical knowledge to practical implementation.
This workshop serves as a catalyst for parents who sense their current approaches aren’t entirely practical but haven’t known what to do differently. It bridges the gap between loving our children deeply and guiding them effectively toward a strong Islamic identity in an increasingly challenging environment.

Jumu’ah Services @ MCC & Rosewood
2025-09-05 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For MCC’s four Jumu’ah services on Friday, Sep. 5, 2025:

1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Shaykh Rami Nsour delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.

TBA delivers this sermon at Rosewood Conference Center, 4450 Rosewood Dr., Pleasanton

2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Ustadh Mohammed Abdul Baseer delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

3:40 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Hafiz Abdullah Ayyaz delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

*Please attend at 2:30 or 3:40 p.m. at MCC to avoid heavier first-service congestion whenever possible, or please attend the off-site MCC Jumu’ah service, that is, each week at the Rosewood Commons, 4450 Rosewood Dr (Building 5)., Pleasanton. Rosewood is just a four-minute drive from MCC.

Please note that the former HP lot (now Pleasanton School District) is no longer available to our congregation. Please come to the third or fourth Jumuah at MCC to ease up parking congestion or, better yet, attend our weekly parallel satellite prayer from 1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. at Rosewood Center (Building 5): https://mcceastbay.org/rosewood

– Virtually watch the three MCC sermons from home: https://mcceastbay.org/live
– More Shaykh Rami: http://mcceastbay.org/rami
– More Ustadh Abdul Baseer: http://mcceastbay.org/mohammed
– More Hafiz Abdullah: http://mcceastbay.org/abdullah-ayyaz

For parents attending with young children indoors at the main MCC facility, we offer private mothers’ and fathers’ rooms with an audio and visual connection to the Prayer Hall. Parents can watch the sermon and pray while working with other parents and young children. The mothers’ and fathers’ prayer room is just past the Banquet Hall doors into the school area.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Rabi’ Al-Awwal Mawlid: Hareesun Alaikum - حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم ﷺ
2025-09-05 18:00 - 22:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
﻿

The East Bay Annual Mawlid features talks and recitations (Nasheeds) with the theme “Hareesun Alaikum- حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم ﷺ.”
We will have talks, counsels, and recitations (Nasheeds) about “The Guiding Light: Muhammad ﷺ” with Ustadh Dr. Ali Ataie, Shaykh Faraz Khan, Sidi Mahdy Amine, Qari Amar Bellaha, Ustadh Tarif Arabi, and Bay Area Munshids. Sidi Syed Mubeen Saifullah will be the MCC for the evening.
6 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. | Friday, September 5 | MCC Prayer Hall | No RSVP needed to join post-Maghrib Mawlid program (only for pre-Mawlid dinner (capped at 600 guests & babysitting) | Join in person or watch virtually at mcceastbay.org/live
San Ramon Valley Islamic Center, Islamic Center of Livermore, Ta’leef Collective & MCC East Bay proudly present this Rabbi’al Awwal Annual Mawlid.
Program Schedule

6 p.m. – Asr congregational prayer
6:10 p.m. – Burda Shareef with Ustadh Tarif Arabi (Prayer Hall)
6:30 p.m. – Dinner service begins (men in Sunday School parking lot and women in Conference Room/Kindergarten area)
7:22 p.m. – Maghrib prayer, congregational prayer
8 p.m. – Qur’an Recitation (Qari Amar Bellaha), Talk (Ammu Tarif), Nasheeds (Sidi Mahdy Amine and team) (no RSVP needed to join this pre-Mawlid program)
9:15 p.m. – Isha congregational prayer
9:25 p.m. – Talk/presentation (TBA) (no RSVP required to join this main Mawlid program)
10 p.m. – Talk (TBA)
10:45 p.m. – Qur’an recitation and closing dua by Qari Amar Bellaha

This is a family-friendly event. Bring the entire family. Complimentary babysitting during the Mawlid program begins at 8 p.m., and goodie bags will be given to all kids at the end of the event. RSVP for the main program complimentary babysitting at mcceastbay.org/mawlid-babysitting
“Hareesun Alaikum” is a phrase from the Quran, specifically verse 9:128 of Surat At-Tawbah (The Repentance). It translates to “most eager is he for your (welfare)” or “most solicitous is he for you”. The full verse, often recited in Arabic, speaks of Prophet Muhammad’s deep concern for the well-being of believers.
The Tri-Valley Annual Mawlid ’25 coincides with the weekend of 12th Rabi ul Awwal 1447.

– Watch YouTube Livestream: https://mcceastbay.org/live
– Watch Facebook Livestream: https://mcceastbay.org/facebook
– Watch past Mawlid celebrations hosted at MCC: https://mcceastbay.org/mawlid
– More Dr. Ali Ataie: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/ali
– More Shaykh Faraz: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/faraz
– More Sidi Mubeen: https://mcceastbay.org/syed
– More Sidi Mahdy: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/mahdy
– More Qari Amar: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/amar
– More Sidi Tareef: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/tarif

Come soak in the sublime fragrance of our Beloved Nabi ﷺ. This is a celebration dedicated to falling in love with him ﷺ.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
The Mawlid is a joyous expression of the greatest blessing from Allah.
Mawlid (or Mawlid al-Nabi al-Sharif) is the observance of the birth of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is commemorated in Rabi’ al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar.

– Past Tri-Valley and East Bay Al-Mawlid al-Nabawi Celebrations: https://mcceastbay.org/mawlid
– More about celebrating the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s day of birth: https://seekersguidance.org/answers/general-counsel/innovation-bida-and-celebrating-the-prophets-birthday-mawlid
– In Defense of the Mawlid – Shaykh Abu Nahla Al Wazani: https://mcceastbay.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/In-Defense-of-the-Mawlid-Shaykh-Abu-Nahla-Al-Wazani.pdf

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
Shaykh Faraz Khan is a scholar of Ashʿarī and Maturidi philosophical theology with field specialties in Hanafi Jurisprudence, Prophetic Biography, Hadith, and Logic. At Zaytuna College, he has taught Kalam Theology, Creedal Theology, Prophetic Biography, Readings in Muslim Spirituality, and Logic in the Islamic Tradition. Shaykh Faraz also serves as the coordinator of the Honors Program, in which he has taught Kalam, Prophetic Biography, Logic, Tafsir, and Hadith. After completing undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin, he moved to Amman, Jordan, in 2004 and read classical texts with distinguished scholars in Ashʿarī and Māturīdī scholastic theology, Hanafi jurisprudence, prophetic narration, logic, and other religious sciences, receiving scholarly authorization (ijāza) after seven years of full-time study.
Ustadh Ali Ataie is a perennial student and researcher involved in interfaith activities for over two decades. He holds a Master’s in biblical studies, focusing on New Testament and biblical languages. He also holds a PhD in cultural and historical religious studies from the Graduate Theological Union. His doctoral work focused on Muslim hermeneutics of biblical texts, especially the Gospel of John. He lives in San Ramon, CA, with his wife, Roya, and three daughters. Learn more about him at https://zaytuna.edu/academics/faculty/ali-ataie
Raised in Morocco, Qari Amar Bellaha memorized the Qur’an at 17 from Madrasat Imam Nafia. He has ijaza for the Hafs and Warsh forms of Qur’anic recitation. In 1994 and 1995, he was awarded top prizes in the National Moroccan Tajweed competition. He is recognized internationally for his recitation’s beauty, clarity, and excellence, and is one of the Bay Area’s foremost Qur’an teachers. Hafiz Amar leads MCC’s Taraweeh prayers each Ramadan.
Amu Tareef is an international scholar who studied traditional Islamic Sciences at Al-Fath Institute, al-Azhar branch in Syria. Affectionately known to the community as ‘Ammu (or Uncle), he was born and reared in Damascus, Syria. His teachers include Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghuri, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Dr. Mustafa al-Khin, and Shaykh Dr. Samer al-Nass.

Shamail Muhammadiya ﷺ | The Rahmah Foundation & Nur al-Iman
2025-09-06 11:00 - 19:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For Sisters Ages 14+! Join Ustadha Eiman Sidky, Ustadha Mona Elzankaly, and Ustadha Shamira Chothia Ahmed to explore the Shamā’il Muḥammadiyya—the timeless collection of narrations describing the noble character, appearance, and daily life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Come with an open heart and leave with renewed love for the Prophet ﷺ and practical lessons to live by.
Saturday, Sep. 6 | 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (PST) | MCC Conference Room | Women & Girls Ages 14+ | In-person & Online (no video of speakers will be shown) | Register at mcceastbay.org/shamail
No babysitting option | Pre-paid lunch provided in the Banquet Hall. Coffee and tea will be served.
The event will not be publicly live-streamed. A link to view the live-stream will be emailed an hour before the event.
The Rahmah Foundation, Nur al-Iman, and MCC East Bay are sponsors for this event.

– More videos in collaboration with Rahmah Foundation: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/rahmah-foundation

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
Ustadha Eiman Sidky
Actively engaged in propagating Islam and educating Muslims in the United States for the past 15 years, Ustadha Eiman Sidky is loved by all those who meet her and has an amazing way of instilling the love of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the hearts. She has studied under Al-Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Ali Aljifri and the Haba’ib of Tarim. For twenty years, she taught Qur’an and Islamic Studies at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Virginia. She continues to teach Seerah and Qur’anic tafseer classes both in the United States and in Egypt.
Ustadha Mona Elzankaly
Born in Cairo, Egypt, and raised in Southern California, Ustadha Mona Elzankaly graduated from the University of California, Riverside, with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics in 1994.
In 1998, Ustadha Mona began seeking sacred knowledge at the Zaytuna Institute in Hayward, CA. She later traveled internationally, seeking sacred knowledge. She has studied under many eminent scholars, such as Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Khatri, and Shaykh Abd Allah. Bayyah, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, Shaykh Salik b. Siddina, Imam Zaid Shakir, Habib Umar b. Hafiz, Habib Ali al-Jifri, and other scholars from Syria, Yemen, and Egypt.
Ustadha Mona obtained different Ijaazahs in Tajwid and books of hadith, Aqidah, and Maliki Fiqh. In 2008, she completed the four-year Zaytuna Seminary pilot program and received a baccalaureate in Islamic Studies. In 2014, she completed a four-year Islamic Shari’a program at al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.
Ustadha Mona began teaching in 2002, both privately and publicly. She has taught for Zaytuna Institute, Sisters Deen Intensive, Dar al-Zahra Tarim Yemen, The Rahmah Foundation, and Meadows of al-Mustafa. She currently teaches an Islamic studies program for ladies at Nur al-Iman.
Ustadha Shamira Chothia Ahmed
Born and raised in California’s Central Valley, Shamira Chothia Ahmed is passionate about educating and empowering Muslim women to reach their highest spiritual potential through acquiring sacred knowledge.
Having graduated as valedictorian from a large public high school, her studies led her — following a brief soul-searching stint at Georgetown University — to seek sacred knowledge from scholars on three continents — Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Ustadha Shamira began her journey in seeking sacred knowledge at the women’s Dar-ul-Uloom Mu’eenal Islam seminary in South Africa, and completed the five-year intensive ‘alima program at Ja’mia Al-Imam Muhammad Zakariyya, one of Britain’s first and most renowned Islamic universities for women. Thereafter, she continued her Arabic and Qur’anic studies in Damascus, Syria, where she obtained an ijāzah in Tajwīd of the Ḥafṣ recitation from the late eminent Syrian scholar Shaykh Ḥasan al-Kurdī.
In 2005, Ustadha Shamira taught Hanafi fiqh for women at the Zaytuna Institute in California and since then, has taught various Islamic sciences in venues across North America. In 2008, she earned a Master’s Degree in Demographics and Social Analysis from the University of California at Irvine, focusing on the identity formation of the Muslim-American population.
In 2013, Ustadha Shamira specialized in the detailed rulings of menstruation, lochia, and abnormal discharge under the direction of Mufti Abdur Rahman Ibn Yusuf Mangera and assisted in compiling Imam Abu Hanifa’s Al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained.
As a wife and mother of five children, Shamira has a passion for empowering women in their childbearing years to gain closeness to their Lord through her spiritual birth consultations and virtual doula services.
Ustadha Shamira is a co-founder of the Rahmah Foundation and currently teaches for Nur al-Iman, a full-time girls’ shariah program with Ustadha Mona Elzankaly based in the Bay Area.

Private Event
2025-09-06 11:45 - 14:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Prayer Hall

The Final Rites: Ghusl & Shroud Workshop (For Sisters & Brothers)
2025-09-07 14:00 - 15:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Would you know what to do if a loved one passed away?
Join parallel individual sessions for sisters & brothers in a step-by-step, practical session designed to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to carry out the final rites following the Qur’an and Sunnah. Hands-on workshop; ages 18+ only. No children, please.
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Sunday, September 7, 2025 | MCC Conference Room (women) & MCC Prayer Hall (men) | Free; no registration required
“He who washes a dead body and conceals what he notices of physical defects, he will be forgiven forty times.” [Al-Hakim]
This hands-on workshop includes a full live demonstration of the washing (ghusl) and shrouding process, allowing you to learn and ask questions in a supportive environment.
Rehana Markar facilitates the sisters’ workshop. Sidi Abdur Rehman facilitates the men’s workshop. Both are lead volunteers for body washing in the East Bay.
After the parallel workshops, you can sign up to prepare bodies for burial at the Islamic Society of East Bay’s morgue. These parallel and separate men’s and women’s workshops are conducted by experienced mortuary volunteers. This is an excellent opportunity for couples.
This workshop’s content and washing simulation are inappropriate for children and adults who are faint of heart.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

– MCC’s Islamic End of Life Talks Playlist: https://mcceastbay.org/end-of-life
– Islamic burial services in the San Francisco Bay Area’s East Bay: https://mcceastbay.org/funeral
– To volunteer with the ISEB Mortuary, (men) please get in touch with Brother Abdur Rehman at 2abdurrehman@gmail.com or (510) 366-5205
– To volunteer with the ISEB Mortuary, (women) please get in touch with Sister Rehana Markar at (510) 406-4652 or rehanamarkar@hotmail.com

“He who washes a dead body and conceals what he notices of physical defects, he will be forgiven forty times.” [Al-Hakim]
Topics covered in this workshop include:

– What to do when death occurs?
– Forms required by the State of California
– Order of preference for who is preferred to perform the ghusl on the deceased
– What should we do before we start the ghusl (body washing)?
– Preparing the kafan (shroud) and ghusl items (soap, warm water, camphor (powdered dry sidr leaves), cardboard box, etc.
– Preparing and cutting the kafan
– Preparing the body for washing and the process of washing the body
– Applying the shroud to the washed body
– What to do after shrouding the body?

We will describe how to perform the Islamic ceremonial process of washing and shrouding a deceased person (mayit) before Janaza and burial. Al-Mayyit (Arabic: الميت) is the term to refer to the deceased in Islam. There are prescribed burial rites to be given upon the death of a Muslim, including the salat al-mayyit, or “prayer of the dead.”
Abdur Rehman is a prolific volunteer who has volunteered to wash and shroud Muslims in the East Bay for more than a decade. A convert to Islam from Hinduism, he brings a unique understanding of the relationship to death and burial in both faith traditions.
At mosques, Br. Abdul Rahman demonstrates practical ghusl and shrouding in workshops and he encourages area Muslims to learn how to wash their loved ones. He volunteers with the Fremont-based Islamic Society of East Bay’s mortuary. The masjid is also known as the Lowry masjid. Muslim funerals in the East Bay are community affairs, and non-family members partake in several aspects of funerals, from jānazah prayers to burials. Community members are essential in conducting ghusl, a body-washing ritual on the deceased. In the ghusl ritual, the entire dead body is washed, which requires the helping hands of multiple people to lift and move the body around for washing. Muslim families often need outside assistance from the community to wash their deceased because they don’t have family members trained to perform it or are too emotional to perform it themselves. In such instances, volunteers step up to help families wash their deceased loved ones.
How Volunteers Become Involved
Many might be surprised to learn that anyone would volunteer to wash the dead body of a stranger.
Ethics of Washing
Washing the body of the dead requires an ethical approach. It is an act that should be carried out in a dignified and respectful manner, and we must avoid causing harm to the body. In addition to not harming the body, the ethical approach includes avoiding idle talk around the body, making prayers for the dead individual, and making sure that all the steps of the ghusl are correctly done. Under the pressure to finish washing the body in time for the burial.
Lessons from Volunteering (“He is down today, I am tomorrow.”)
The experience of washing during funerals does not simply remain in the wash facilities; instead, the volunteers carry lessons from the experience into their lives. Volunteers say that dealing with death has instilled them with humility. In remembering death while washing, it reminds us of the meaning in life: family, community, living a righteous life, and above all, worshiping her Creator.
Resources

MCC’s Islamic End of Life Talks Playlist
Islamic Will & Trust Templates: Version 1, Version 2, Version 3, Version 4
A Guide for the Muslim Funeral
Practical Ghusl and Shrouding
Islamic Estate Planning (video presentation)
The Islamic Perspective on End-of-Life Care (video presentation)
The Soul’s Journey After Death | Shaykh Alaeddin El Bakri
Resources from the TWO GODS Documentary Film
Five Wishes: Advanced Planning Guide
FAQ – Islamic Wills & Trusts
Noor Islamic & Cultural Community Center (NICCC) in Concord – Islamic Mortuary

Washing & Shrouding The Deceased Muslim
When a Muslim dies, it is the responsibility of his family or other Muslims to wash him according to the Islamic rites of washing the deceased. Two or three people may perform the washing. The person(s) who may wash the deceased should:

– Be a trustworthy and honest adult Muslim(s).
– Know the Islamic way of washing the dead and be able to carry out the washing.
– Do not make any comment on the body of the deceased.

Note

– If the deceased is a male, then ONLY males should wash him.
– If the deceased is a female, then ONLY females should wash her.
– For a married person, the spouse may perform the washing.
– For a child, either males or females may wash.

Place of washing

– The deceased’s body should be washed in a clean, secluded, and private place where clean water and soap are available. Gloves or pieces of cloth are needed. – The body of the deceased should be washed with water and, if available, lotus leaves or camphor (To be used in the final wash). – The washing should be done three or five, or any odd number of times if necessary.

Steps of washing

– The body of the deceased should be placed on a table or similar, the deceased’s clothes should be removed, and the body should be covered with a sheet of cloth.
– The head and the upper body should be raised slightly to ensure the washing water with exudations from the body flows down and does not run back to the body.
– The deceased’s Aura (private parts) should be covered with a piece of cloth. The Aura of a male is from the belly button to the knee in the presence of males, for the female is the same in the presence of females.
– The washer should start washing by saying:” Bismillah “,” In the name of Allah “.
– The washer winds a piece of cloth around his hand, and with this, he cleans away any impurities from the body using water. Then he should dispose of this piece.
– The washer should take another piece of cloth around his hand, press lightly the stomach of the deceased so as so to expel, if possible, any remnants from it, and then wash the body of all impurities using water. Then he should dispose of this piece of cloth.
– The washer should take another piece of cloth around his hand (may use gloves), and wash the covered private parts, then dispose of this piece of cloth.
– The washer should perform Wudu (ablution) on the deceased without inserting the water in the nose and in the mouth.
– The washer should clean the body with water and soap, if available, starting from the head (hair, face, and beard {men}), then the upper right side of the body, then the left side, after that the lower right side, then the lower left.
– In the case of a female, her hair should be loosened, washed, combed, and be braided in three braids, and placed behind her back. The washing should be done three times, or five times, or seven times, as needed, providing that after washing the head, wash the right side before the left, and the upper parts before the lower ones.
– In the last wash, the washer may use camphor or some perfume with the water.
– After that, the body should be dried with a clean towel.
– Then the body should be covered with a white sheet.
– You now get ready to start the shrouding.

Special Note: In case the deceased is a female in her menstrual period or has childbirth bleeding, padding should be used to prevent blood from leaving the body. Note:

– It is recommended that those who performed the washing should take a bath.
– It is recommended that those who performed the washing should make Wudu.
– All of this is based on authentic Hadith that Um Atiyah narrated that: ” When the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) died, he instructed us:‘ Wash her three times, or more than that if you feel it is necessary, with water and sidr(good smelling leaves), and then after the last wash apply some camphor to the body , then loosen her hair, wash it, comb it, and make it in three braids laid behind her back ” (Bukhari & Muslim).

Note:

– There is no Islamic teaching of reading the Quran during the Ghusul.

– There is no Islamic teaching of making special dhikr (Certain words to remember Allah) during the Ghusul. Shrouding the Deceased Muslim – Shrouding should start just after washing the body of the deceased. It is recommended to use white sheets made of inexpensive material. Extravagance is not recommended in the Kafan (Shroud). Aisha relates that: ” When the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) died, he was shrouded in three white sheets from Yemen” (Bukhari & Muslim). The shroud (kafan) of a male: The Kafan of a male should consist of three white winding sheets about{7 x 7 feet}, clean and large enough to conceal the whole body, after having been perfumed with incense. Use 4 tie ropes, each 7 feet long. The material of the sheet should not be silk, nor should any gold be used. Steps of shrouding

– The winding sheets should be spread out one on top of the other.
– The deceased, covered with a sheet, is lifted and laid on his back on the winding sheets.
– Some scent or perfume may be put on those parts of the body upon which one rests during prostration, that is, the forehead, nose, hands, knees, and feet.
– If it is possible, the deceased’s left hand should be placed on his chest, then put his right hand on the left hand as in the Salat (Prayer).
– The edge of the top sheet is folded over the deceased’s right side, then the other edge over his left side. Then the second sheet should be folded the same way. The third and the largest sheet should be treated the same way.
– These sheets should be fastened with a piece of cloth {Tie ropes}, one above the head, another under the feet, and two around the body.

ICNA Relief Tables @ MCC Jumu'ahs
2025-09-12 13:00 - 16:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
ICNA Relief is a nonprofit organization that uplifts lives with compassion, empowering women, supporting refugees, and providing food to those in need.
Stop by their table and discover how you can be part of this beautiful mission!

Afghan Relief Tables @ MCC Jumu’ahs
2025-09-12 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Afghan Relief is a US-based nonprofit that helps widows and orphans in Afghanistan. They are currently assisting victims impacted by the devastating earthquakes that struck Kunar, Afghanistan. Hundreds have lost their lives, and thousands are injured and displaced. Afghan Relief is on the ground providing shelter, food, healthcare, and urgent aid.
Visit the table this Friday to support their relief efforts.

Jumu’ah Services @ MCC & Rosewood
2025-09-12 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For MCC’s four Jumu’ah services on Friday, Sep. 12, 2025:

1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Hafiz Atef Arabi delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.

TBA delivers this sermon at Rosewood Conference Center, 4450 Rosewood Dr., Pleasanton

2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Hafiz Atef Arabi delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

3:40 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Hafiz Yaseen Mahmoud delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

*Please attend at 2:30 or 3:40 p.m. at MCC to avoid heavier first-service congestion whenever possible, or please attend the off-site MCC Jumu’ah service, that is, each week at the Rosewood Commons, 4450 Rosewood Dr (Building 5)., Pleasanton. Rosewood is just a four-minute drive from MCC.

Please note that the former HP lot (now Pleasanton School District) is no longer available to our congregation. Please come to the third or fourth Jumuah at MCC to ease up parking congestion or, better yet, attend our weekly parallel satellite prayer from 1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. at Rosewood Center (Building 5): https://mcceastbay.org/rosewood

– Virtually watch the three MCC sermons from home: https://mcceastbay.org/live
– More Hafiz Atef: mcceastbay.org/atef
– More Hafiz Yaseen: mcceastbay.org/yaseen

For parents attending with young children indoors at the main MCC facility, we offer private mothers’ and fathers’ rooms with an audio and visual connection to the Prayer Hall. Parents can watch the sermon and pray while working with other parents and young children. The mothers’ and fathers’ prayer room is just past the Banquet Hall doors into the school area.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Grief Begins with Love | Sofia Safi
2025-09-12 19:00 - 21:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Loss touches every soul. It is born from love, and when it arrives, it reshapes the way we navigate the world. Some losses are so deep, they stay beside us—silent companions in every step.
Join Sofia Safi, author of A Flower for You: A Poem for All the What Would Have Been of You, as she shares her story of child loss and the journey of carrying grief with honesty.
This gathering is for anyone who has loved, lost, and continues to carry the “what could have been.” Come as you are with your love and pain.
Friday, Sep. 12 | 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. | MCC Prayer Hall | Join in-person or watch live at mcceastbay.org/live
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
The book will be available for purchase for $14. The author will sign.
The book can also be purchased on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Flower-You-Poem-Would-Beens/dp/1733642102
About the Book
This beautifully illustrated book aims to wrap those who need it in understanding. When a child passes, so does their future, along with the hopes and dreams that parents and loved ones had for them. Those who have experienced child loss may find themselves wondering about the milestones and memories they will now never have with their child. Those thoughts are captured here in words and images by someone who understands. A Flower for You also allows for personalization, with a space for readers to add a picture and share thoughts about the child who has passed away.
Note from the Author
In honor of beautiful baby Hamza, please take a copy of this book and donate it to your local library. Or keep it in your collection. Or gift it to someone who may find comfort within its pages. However you choose to share it, may it offer a moment of solace to someone who needs it.

Monthly Sisterhood Hike | Sisters in the Outdoors
2025-09-13 07:00 - 10:00 | Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, Pleasanton, CA, Foothill Rd., Pleasanton, 94588, United States
Join us at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Sep. 13, for a hike at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park near Sunol to get to know other sisters in the community and enjoy the great outdoors. No children, please (female teens, okay). Let us know you are coming: https://mcceastbay.org/rsvp
If sisters want to walk around more, they can do it depending on their interest/time. The hike will be canceled if there are not enough RSVPs or depending on the weather.

– When: Saturday, Sep. 13
– Time: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Please arrive a little early to park and find the group. The group can wait till 7:10 a.m. and will start the hike. Please be on time, since we cannot hold the group.
– Carpool: We highly recommend carpooling. No carpool is available from MCC for this hike. Carpooling encouraged others on this hike. Please note that cell phone service is not available at the parking lot, so we kindly request that you arrive on time.
– Parking: We will meet in the parking lot outside the gate. Please do not go inside the park even if the gate is open. We like to emphasize that there is no cell reception in the parking lot, so please be there on time, as we will not break the group to come back to get someone from the parking lot if they are running late.
– Meeting Point: Parking lot, Foothill Staging Area, Foothill Rd, Sunol, CA 94586
– Trail: Olive and Thermalito Trail Loop
– Distance: 4.5 miles
– Difficulty: Moderate
– Misc: Wear hiking shoes if possible. There will be a small water crossing, and your shoes might get wet. Bring a small breakfast/ Lunch sandwich or something to eat. Carry enough water, a hat, and a light jacket. Please download All Trails map (free version) in case you decide to return in the middle of the hike. This will be very helpful in navigating back to the parking lot.
– RSVP: By Friday, Sep. 12, please let us know you are coming for this hike: https://mcceastbay.org/rsvp

Sr. Aparna Khan and Sr. Sohaila will be leading this hike. If you have trouble finding the group on the day of the hike, please call or text Sr. Aparna at (408) 480-6584 or Sr. Sohaila at (925) 786-7698. Please remember that we cannot hold all the group, so we request you to please be on time.
For future hikes, please subscribe to the MCC newsletter and/or add your phone number to the Women’s Hiking WhatsUp group.
Please wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes, carry a water bottle, a small snack, a hat, sunglasses, and hiking poles if you have one.
Questions? hiking@mcceastbay.org
About this trail:
Check out this 4.5-mile loop trail near Sunol, California. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 27 min to complete. This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and running, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.

Monthly Men's Hike | Dublin Hills Regional Park
2025-09-13 08:00 - 10:30 | Dublin Hills Regional Park
For Brothers! Join a brotherhood that hikes through life’s ups and downs, finding strength and community in the great outdoors. Our Monthly MCC Brothers Hike caters to various fitness levels and explores East Bay’s serene landscapes. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just looking to start, we welcome you to share in this journey of fellowship and discovery.

Saturday, September 13 | 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. | Dublin Hills Regional Park | No children, please (teenage boys, okay) | RSVP at mcceastbay.org/brothers-hike
If brothers want to walk around more, they can do it depending on their interest/time. The hike will be canceled if there are insufficient RSVPs, pending weather conditions.

When: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – Please arrive early to park and find the group. The group can wait till 8:10 a.m. and will start the hike. Please be on time since we cannot hold the group.
Carpool: We highly recommend carpooling. No carpool from MCC is available for this hike.
Parking: Free
Meeting Point: Martin Canyon Creek Trailhead
Trail: Dublin Hills
Distance: Around 5 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Misc: Pack a snack and water for yourself. Wear hiking shoes if possible. Bring a small breakfast/ Lunch sandwich or something to eat. Carry enough water, a hat, and a light jacket. Please download the All Trails map (free version) if you decide to return in the middle of the hike. This will be very helpful when navigating back to the parking lot.
RSVP: By Friday, September 12, please let us know you are coming for this hike: https://mcceastbay.org/brothers-hike

Mohammed Kadoura leads these monthly hikes for the brothers. If you have trouble finding the group on the day of the hike, please call or text Br. Mohammed at (617) 935-7347. Please remember that we cannot hold all of the group, so we request you to please be on time.
For future hikes, please subscribe to the MCC newsletter and add your phone number to the Men’s Hiking WhatsApp group.
Please wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes, carry a water bottle, a small snack, a hat, sunglasses, and hiking poles if you have any.
Questions? hiking@mcceastbay.org
About this trail:
Discover this 5.0-mile loop trail near Dublin, California. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 33 min to complete. This is a popular trail for hiking, running, and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.

Saturday Morning Flag Football Sessions for Boys
2025-09-13 09:30 - 11:00 | Creekside Park, 5601 W Las Positas Blvd, Pleasanton, California, 94588
For Boys Ages 7-14: Join us for four sessions of flag football, which includes warm-ups, basics, drills, and games. These sessions are organized by peers in our community who love working with youth.
Saturdays, 9/13, 9/20, 9/27, & 10/4 | 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. | Creekside Park | Boys Ages 7-14 | $50 for all 4 sessions or $15/session; register at mcceastbay.org/flag-football

Limited to 60 participants.
Dads are encouraged to come and stay and participate as well.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
MCC has a standing policy that financial need should never hold a person back from attaining knowledge offered within the four walls of MCC the facility. To request a financial waiver or discount, please complete: https://mcceastbay.org/scholarship
Camp facilitators
Azmat Zeeshan Mukhtar is a local father and mentor from our community who enjoys sports and spending time with kids. He will organize the activities and recruit other dads to help volunteer, making this a rewarding experience for our young Muslim boys.

Gathering of the Hearts | Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi
2025-09-18 19:30 - 21:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Join Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi for our monthly in-person and online gathering for women (ages 18+) to commune, reflect, discuss, and gain strength and support from each other.
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Monthly on Thursdays | Free; no registration required | Conference Room or watch live online at https://mcceastbay.org/live
In this class, we use “Purification of the Heart” and “Foundations of the Spiritual Path” By Sidi Ahmad Zarruq, Translated by Hamza Yusuf. Download the book at HTTP://mcceastbay.org/foundations
Watch past session recordings at https://mcceastbay.org/muslimah-purification
We discuss spirituality, self-development, relevant and contemporary topics, and issues related to Muslim women’s roles and responsibilities in today’s knotted-up world. We also examine “Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms, and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart” by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf.

– More Ustadha Hosai: https://mcceastbay.org/hosai
– ‘Purification of the Heart’ Series: (Adults): https://mcceastbay.org/heart-purification
– ‘Purification of the Heart’ Series: (Women): https://mcceastbay.org/muslimah-purification
– ‘Purification of the Heart’ Series (Teens): https://mcceastbay.org/purification
– ‘Agenda to Change our Condition’ Series: https://mcceastbay.org/agenda
– ‘Modern Muslim Parenting’ Series: https://mcceastbay.org/islamic-parenting

This is a discussion-based group, and participation is not only encouraged, but it is required.
Sorry, no babysitting provided. The in-person option is for women only, or the virtual option so anyone can watch live on:

– YouTube: https://mcceastbay.org/live
– Facebook: https://mcceastbay.org/facebook
– Instagram: https://mcceastbay.org/instagram

About Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi:
Hosai Mojaddidi is the co-founder of mentalhealth4muslims.com, where she advocates for and writes about various mental health-related topics tailored for Muslims. She has served the American-Muslim community for nearly 20 years as an activist, writer/editor, mediator, interfaith organizer, and public speaker, covering a variety of topics, including women’s issues, marriage/family, education, self-development, interfaith bridge-building, spirituality, etc.
In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, blogging via social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), doing arts and crafts, visiting gourmet coffee shops, and exploring the countless beautiful parks, beaches and nature preserves throughout Northern California where she lives with her husband, two sons, and fish named Max.
These monthly sessions are live-streamed and recorded. Watch past Ustadha Hosai recordings at https://mcceastbay.org/hosai
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Friends of Wadi Foquin Tables @ MCC Jumu'ahs
2025-09-19 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Friends of Wadi Foquin, a local Bay Area non-profit that supports the village of Wadi Foquin in Palestine, will be hosting the founder of Khayari for a speaking and fundraising tour in the Bay Area. This Friday, they will be raising funds for Khayari Women’s Leadership and Economic Empowerment Organization – which is based in Bethlehem, Palestine. Please visit their table and learn more about how you can support them.
On Friday, September 19, local Bay Area groups supporting Khayari Foundation, which is an organization located in Bethlehem that seeks to empower Palestinian women. We are very blessed to be hosting the founder of Khayari on Sunday inshallah from 6-7 pm
Ccommunity members will be tabling today on behalf of Khayari Foundation. Khayari is an organization located in Bethlehem that seeks to empower Palestinian women. We are very blessed to be hosting the founder of Khayari on Sunday from 6-7 pm. Learn more here.
Wadi Foquin is the site of a community development project supported through the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Global Ministries (Advance project #3021565). A resolution supporting Wadi Foquin was passed at the church’s May 2016 General Conference acknowledging the challenges of settlement expansion and recent land confiscation orders. The resolution calls for accountability from the Israeli government for the destruction of land and life in Wadi Foquin. It also calls on U.S. officials to contact the Israeli government to immediately halt the illegal Israeli settlements and confiscation of Palestinian land.
Ways to Support Wadi Foquin

Prayer – commit to praying for Wadi Foquin, its concerns and needs. Contact Rev. Michael Yoshii at michaelyoshii1@gmail.com.
Engagement – organize and promote community events that highlight Wadi Foquin and Israel/Palestine issues. Contact Rev. Emily Lin at Emily.Lin@cnumc.org or Rev. Mike Friedrich at deaconmike99@gmail.com.
Advocacy – participate in campaigns prompted by Wadi Foquin. Contact Rev. Michael Yoshii at michaelyoshii1@gmail.com.
Study – organize opportunities for study on Palestine/Israel. Contact Rev. Naomi Southard at Nosouth@aol.com or Linda Weingarten at weingarten.linda@gmail.com.
Giving – fundraise for Wadi Foquin projects, campaigns, and needs. Contact Jean Hart at jeanhart65@gmail.com.

Gifting Dreams Tables @ MCC Jumu'ahs
2025-09-19 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Gifting Dreams is recruiting tutors to expand tutoring and mentorship programs, supporting Afghan youth served by the MCC-SRVIC Refugee Team. This nonprofit organization also supports individuals seeking help with specific school subjects, general studies, or emotional support.
Visit their table this Friday to learn more about their cause and how you can support them.

Jumu’ah Services @ MCC & Rosewood
2025-09-19 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For MCC’s four Jumu’ah services on Friday, Sep. 26, 2025:

1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Ustadh Munes Tomeh delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.

Ustadh Quran Hodge delivers this sermon at Rosewood Conference Center, 4450 Rosewood Dr., Pleasanton

2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Ustadh Quran Hodge delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

3:40 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Sidi Shaan Mukhtar delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

*Please attend at 2:30 or 3:40 p.m. at MCC to avoid heavier first-service congestion whenever possible, or please attend the off-site MCC Jumu’ah service, that is, each week at the Rosewood Commons, 4450 Rosewood Dr (Building 5)., Pleasanton. Rosewood is only a five-minute drive from MCC.

Please note that the former HP lot (now Pleasanton School District) is no longer available to our congregation. The District graciously provides the MCC congregation a limited number of parking space. Please come to the third or fourth Jumuah at MCC to ease up parking congestion or, better yet, attend our weekly parallel satellite prayer from 1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. at Rosewood Center (Building 5): https://mcceastbay.org/rosewood

– Virtually watch the three MCC sermons from home: https://mcceastbay.org/live
– More Ustadh Munes: https://mcceastbay.org/munes
– More Ustadh Quran: https://mcceastbay.org/quran-hodge
– More Sidi Shaan: https://mcceastbay.org/shaan

For parents attending with young children indoors at the main MCC facility, we offer private mothers’ and fathers’ rooms with an audio and visual connection to the Prayer Hall. Parents can watch the sermon and pray while working with other parents and young children. The mothers’ and fathers’ prayer room is just past the Banquet Hall doors into the school area.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Women's Weekly Friday Evening Halaqa | The Rahmah Foundation
2025-09-19 19:00 - 21:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Ustadha Dr. Rania Awaad holds a weekly women’s gathering on Friday evenings to discuss navigating contemporary issues. This program runs in parallel to the Friday night girls’ halaqa.

7 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Every Friday from September 19, 2025, to May 22, 2026 (calendar) | MCC Conference Room | Free; no registration or RSVP required to attend in person | To join virtually, register at https://mcceastbay.org/zoom

– More Dr. Rania: https://mcceastbay.org/rania
– Watch past Dr. Rania’s Friday Night Halaqa (FNH) recordings: https://mcceastbay.org/womens-halaqa
– Join Dr. Rania’s WhatsUp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HlHmFFnGbwvCvLl6uGD1C4
– The Rahmah Foundation’s Holiday Calendar: https://mcceastbay.org/rahmah-calendar

The FNH Fall session runs from Friday, September 19, 2025, to May 22, 2026, with no halaqas on the following dates: Friday, November 28, December 19, December 26, January 2, February 20 through March 27, April 3, and April 10. See calendar.

Free weekly babysitting is provided in Room 23. Facility map: https://mcceastbay.org/facility-map

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

This women’s halaqa is hosted at MCC and runs parallel to the girls & teens program in partnership with The Rahmah Foundation.

Ustadha Rania Awaad was raised in the U.S. and began her formal study of the traditional Islamic sciences when her parents permitted her to travel to Damascus, Syria, at 14. Her desire to continue studying the Deen resulted in multiple trips back to Damascus, interspersed between her high school, college, and medical studies. She was honored to receive Ijazah (authorization to teach) several branches of the Shari’ah sciences at the hands of many renowned scholars, including many female scholars. She has received Ijazah to teach Tajwid in the Hafs and Warsh recitations from the late eminent Syrian scholar Shaykh Abu Hassan al-Kurdi. In addition to completing several advanced texts of the Shafi’i madhhab, she is licensed to teach texts of Maliki fiqh, Adab, and Ihsan. Currently, Ustadha Rania teaches online and local classes for The Rahmah Foundation, Rabata. She is on the faculty of Zaytuna College, where she teaches courses in Shafi’i fiqh and women’s issues in fiqh and has helped develop and co-direct the Tajweed and Hifz program.

Ustadha Rania is also a medical doctor with a specialty in Psychiatry. She completed her Psychiatric residency and fellowship training at Stanford University, where she is currently on the faculty as a Clinical Instructor in the Stanford Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences department. Her medical interests include addressing mental health care concerns in the Muslim community- particularly that of Muslim women and girls. She has been awarded grants from the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) to research this topic and has presented her findings at several medical conferences. Other ongoing endeavors include compiling manuscripts addressing female-related mental health and medical issues from a fiqh-oriented perspective. She is the Director of the Rahmah Foundation, a non-profit organization that teaches traditional Islamic knowledge to Muslim women and girls. In this capacity, she also heads the Murbbiyah Mentoring Program, which trains young women to teach and mentor Muslim girls and teens. Ustadha Rania is both a wife and a mother; she has been counseling and teaching women classes on Tajwid, Shafi’i Fiqh, Ihsan, marriage, and raising children since 1999.

Learn more about Dr. Rania and her work at http://med.stanford.edu/psychiatry/research/MuslimMHLab.html

Every Friday evening, the MCC bustles with activity. MCC hosts four halaqas to increase God-consciousness for youth, women, and men.

Join Dr. Rania Awaad‘s women’s gathering on navigating contemporary issues from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. This wide-ranging Muslimah halaqa is in the MCC Conference Room, and the first hour is live-streamed here (watch past sessions at https://mcceastbay.org/halaqa). This halaqa is organized in partnership with The Rahmah Foundation. Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Start of the Young Muslimahs Weekly Friday Night Halaqa | The Rahmah Foundation
2025-09-19 19:00 - 21:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Our weekly Young Muslimahs Halaqa (grades PK – high school) restarts Friday, Sept. 19, and will continue every Friday until Ramadan ’26 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. For sisters, Dr. Rania Awwad leads a parallel weekly women’s Halaqa.
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. | MCC East Bay | Girls 4 to 18 | Register at http://mcceastbay.org/rahmah-halaqa (opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6)
Space is limited for our girls’ Friday night halaqa and will fill up within days.

Girls’ Halaqa registration opens to all at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at http://mcceastbay.org/rahmah-halaqa
If you would like to volunteer, please fill out the form here.
See The Rahmah Foundation 2025-26 calendar.

Questions? youngmuslimahscamp@gmail.com or events@mcceastbay.org
The MCC has a standing policy that financial need should never hold a family in the East Bay from benefiting from any offering at the MCC facility. To request a financial waiver, please complete the application at mcceastbay.org/scholarship
The 2025-26 session runs from Friday, September 19, 2025, to May 22, 2026, with no halaqas on the following dates: Friday, November 28, December 19, December 26, January 2, February 20 through March 27, April 3, and April 10. See The Rahmah Foundation 2025-26 calendar.
First-come, first-served. No waitlist once full. For Dr. Rania’s gathering, no RSVP is needed.
This women’s halaqa is hosted at MCC East Bay and runs parallel to the girls & teens program in partnership with The Rahmah Foundation.
This halaqa is for girls ages 4 – 18 (PK-12th grade). Our purpose is to build strong bonds of sisterhood, the love of Allah and His Prophet, and establish salat. This halaqa meets on Friday nights at MCC East Bay from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: Muslim Community Center – East Bay (MCC East Bay), 5724 W Las Positas Blvd, 300, Pleasanton, CA 94588
Date and time: Fri, Sep 19, 2025 7:00 PM – Fri, Dec 19, 2025 9:00 PM
Sponsored by The Rahmah Foundation & MCC East Bay.

Contemporary Public School Health Seminar For 8th & 9th Grade Muslim Students in Public High Schools
2025-09-20 10:30 - 13:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For 8th-10th Graders and Parents: Join us for a seminar to educate and empower Muslim youth on California-mandated health topics within a safe, respectful, and Islamically guided environment.
The seminar aims to fill a growing gap in values-based health education, addressing key issues such as mental wellness, sexual health, relationships, and personal safety—while preparing students to navigate public school health classes with clarity and confidence.
Saturday, Sep. 20 | 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | MCC Conference Room | 8th-10th Graders & Parents | In-person only | $25/student | Register at mcceastbay.org/health-seminar | This event will not be recorded or livestreamed.
We will have breakfast from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Come early! This talk is open to those attending public or private schools.
Boys & Girls will have separate parallel sessions led by local doctors and teachers. Parallel sessions for parents on navigating the high school journey.
Co-sponsored by MCC East Bay & Averroes High School.
This seminar educates and empowers Muslim youth on California-mandated health topics in a safe, respectful, Islamically-guided setting to help navigate public school health classes confidently.
The topics we will cover inshaAllah are: heath, sexual education, relationships, and safety and wellness.
MCC has a standing policy that financial need should never hold a person back from attaining spiritual or educational knowledge within the four walls of the Muslim Community Center. For a financial waiver for this event, please email scholarship@mcceastbay.org.
Key takeaways you will gain from this session:

Youth will gain knowledge of key health topics through a faith-based framework.
They will be better prepared for the state health curriculum with values-aligned clarity.
They will feel supported by trusted adults in their physical, mental, and spiritual development.
The seminar will foster confidence, identity, and decision-making grounded in Islamic teachings.

What is being taught in public schools?

Sexual Health Education for California’s Youth (For High School & Community Settings) by Office of Adoscent Health (OAH) Evidence-Based Cirriculum
Sexual Health Education for America’s Youth for High School & Community Settings by Positive Prevention PLUS
CA He​althy Kids Resources Center​

About the Speakers
Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi is the co-founder of MH4M (http://mentalhealth4muslims.com), established in 2010. For nearly 20 years, she has been actively involved in the Bay Area and Southern California Muslim community, working and volunteering for many notable organizations. Learn more about her at http://hosaimojaddidi.com
– More Ustadha Hosai: http://mcceastbay.org/hosai
Qur’an Hodge is a Bay Area native. He began his Islamic education in 2019, studying Arabic at the Al Maqasid Seminary in Pennsylvania. Sidi Quran continued to Dar Al Mustafa, a Yemeni Islamic university in Tarim, Hadhramaut. At this Islamic seminary founded by Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Sidi Qur’an studied Ibtidaiyya, Hadith, Aqida, Seerah, Nahw, Quran Hifzdh, Kitaba, and Tafseer in classical Arabic. Sidi Quran has completed certificates in Taleef Collective’s Refining the Core and Zaytuna College’s Permaculture Program. He is passionate about creatively working on community issues, particularly the challenges Muslim youth face. He lives with his wife and child in Castro Valley.
Dr. Sana Ali is a Family Medicine physician practicing in Dublin and San Ramon since 2019. She grew up in the East Bay. Went to UC Davis and then Western U for medical school and residency at a UC Davis-affiliated community hospital in Modesto. She practices pediatrics, family medicine, women’s health. Parents panel speakers:
Br. Karim Bayanzay is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco, in the Department of Hospital Medicine, with a research focus on improving cancer care delivery in Afghanistan. Co-founder of Neurospinal Innovations, a medical device company focused on improving pain using wave therapy. I am also President of Averroes High School. I also founded “the study spot” tutoring and mentoring center for teens.
Dr. Gul Zahid is a board-certified pediatrician based in the Bay Area. She has trained and practiced in a variety of clinical settings, including academic centers and community clinics, with a focus on preventive medicine. She has a special interest in mental health, having completed additional training in the identification and management of mood and behavioral disorders in children and teens. Dr. Zahid is passionate about empowering families with knowledge and tools to support their children’s growth, both physically and emotionally.
Coach Faheem Rivers has over 25 years of experience working with youth. He is currently the principal at Averroes High School. He holds a degree in psychology, served as a Dean of Discipline, and is a passionate basketball coach. He has used sports to build resilience, teamwork, and discipline among young people.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
Objective: To educate and empower Muslim youth on California-mandated health topics within a safe, respectful, and Islamically-guided environment. The seminar aims to fill a growing gap in values-based health education, addressing key issues such as mental wellness, sexual health, relationships, and personal safety—while preparing students to navigate public school health classes with clarity and confidence.

Concerns that may come up: We understand that there may be concerns about the explicit nature of some topics included in the California-mandated health curriculum. To address this in a thoughtful and responsible way, our proposed seminar will include a pediatrician who will verbally explain what students can expect to be taught in school, helping to prepare them for the material in an age-appropriate and respectful manner. Alongside this, our religious speaker will offer guidance on how students can navigate these topics at school while staying true to their Islamic values.

Expected Outcomes:

● Youth will gain knowledge of key health topics through a faith-based framework.
● They will be better prepared for state health curriculum with values-aligned clarity.
● They will feel supported by trusted adults in their physical, mental, and spiritual development.
● The seminar will foster confidence, identity, and decision-making grounded in Islamic teachings.

Why This Seminar Matters:
This seminar is designed to fill a gap in the community and offer our youth a faith-based foundation in understanding critical health topics that are often presented through a secular lens in public schools. Many of today’s societal challenges—ranging from emotional distress and substance abuse to broken relationships and identity confusion—are deeply rooted in issues related to sexual
health, gender relations, and the absence of values-based education.
By integrating California’s mandated health curriculum with Islamic teachings, this seminar aims to:

● Educate students on essential health topics in a way that honors their faith, identity, and values
● Mentor them through the complex issues of adolescence, equipping them with the tools to navigate peer pressure, social media, and conflicting societal norms
● Support their emotional, physical, and spiritual development with guidance from trusted professionals and scholars
● Prepare them for adulthood by instilling confidence, clarity, and a deep sense of responsibility grounded in Islamic principles

Ultimately, this seminar serves as a healthier, values-driven alternative to the often distorted version of health education they encounter in secular classrooms. It empowers our youth to make informed, faith-aligned decisions that protect their well-being and uphold their Islamic identity as they grow into responsible, God-conscious adults.

Event Schedule

10:30 – 10:50(20 min) Sr. Hosai
10:50– 11:20 (30 min) Breakout Girls – Sr. Sana & Boys only session – Ustadha Hosai
11:20 – 12:00p.m (40 min) Girls rejoin

Boys session- Br. Karim
Girls session – Sr. Hosai

12:00 – 12:15 (15 min) Stretch break and settle in
12:15- 1:15 (1 hr) Ustadh Quran
1:15- 1:30 (15 min) Q&A with Ustadh Quran with closing dua

Title: High school Health Class

Date: August 30th ( Tentative )
Audience: 8 & 9th Grade Students

Note: While the seminar is designed as a pre-requsite for 9th grade public school class, we believe that all high schoolers can benefit from its content as it’ll provide a safe space for our youth to ask questions and gain clarity.

Seminar Objective:
To educate and empower Muslim youth on California-mandated health topics taught in 9th grade within a safe, respectful, and Islamically-guided environment. This seminar is designed to fill a gap in the community and offer our youth a faith-based foundation in understanding critical health topics that are often presented through a secular lens in public schools. We will address key issues such as mental wellness, sexual health, relationships, and personal safety.
This seminar prepares youth to navigate public school health class with clarity and confidence while empowering them to make informed, faith-aligned decisions as they grow into responsible, God-conscious adults.
NOTE: Separate seminar for boys and girls.

Building Stronger Muslim Marriages | Imam Faraz Malik
2025-09-21 14:00 - 15:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
In just 90 minutes, we help Muslim couples go from roommates to soulmates. This interactive seminar, led by an Imam and a Licensed Professional Counselor, is designed for Muslim singles, engaged couples, and married couples, offering a blend of Islamic guidance and professional counseling principles.
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Sunday, September 21, 2025 | MCC Conference Room | Join in person or watch virtually at mcceastbay.org/live
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
In this workshop, you will learn:

Islamic principles of marriage and family life
Emotional and communication skills for couples
Healing from past relationship challenges
Practical strategies for nurturing love and mercy.

About the Speaker

Faraz Malik is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), educator, and religious scholar with a unique combination of expertise in mental health, Islamic studies, and classical Arabic education. He holds a BA in Mathematics, a Master’s in Islamic Studies, and a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling. Faraz also spent four years in Amman, Jordan, where he deepened his mastery of classical Arabic, teaching at the esteemed Qasid Arabic Institute. He furthered his traditional Islamic education by completing the demanding five-year Alimiyyah program at Qalam Seminary.
Driven by a passion for solving communal problems, Faraz founded Arabic Daily, the first Arabic language institute in the U.S. to offer high school credit courses nationwide, accredited by Cognia and WASC. His deep involvement in education has given him a profound understanding of the unique challenges students and families face, especially when it comes to academic support and curriculum development.
Throughout his journey, Faraz gained valuable skills and connections in digital marketing, strategic planning, and organizational growth, making him a trusted advisor to non-profits and community organizations. His broad experience in launching and running companies has allowed him to assist organizations with their marketing, development, and operational strategies.
Through Malik Consulting, Faraz brings together his counseling and business expertise to serve both individuals and organizations. Whether you are seeking personal guidance or a leader in need of organizational support, Malik Consulting is equipped to help you navigate challenges and achieve your goals.

Practicing Hope: Be a Lifeline for Young Women Experience Challenges of Life in Palestine | Areej Masoud
2025-09-21 18:00 - 19:00
Join Areej Masoud, founder of Khayari Women’s Leadership and Economic Empowerment Organization in Bethlehem, as we learn about the work she has done to highlight the voices of Palestinians living in Palestine. She will speak about Palestinian women’s empowerment.
Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025 | 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. | MCC Conference Room | Join in-person or watch live at mcceastbay.org/live
Sponsored by Asbury United Methodist Church, Friends of Wadi Foquin, Soul of My Soul Exhibit & MCC East Bay.
Reverend Michael Yoshii will be MCing this event. He has been advocating for Palestine from the Bay Area for decades
On Friday, September 19, local Bay Area groups supporting Khayari Foundation, which is an organization located in Bethlehem that seeks to empower Palestinian women will also table at MCC during the three Jumu’ah prayer services: https://mcceastbay.org/event/friends-of-wadi-foquin-tables-mcc-jumuahs
Areej will share her personal journey, the mission of Khayari, and how Palestinian women are shaping hope and resilience in the face of war and occupation. The ongoing conflict has created severe hardships for Palestinians. This event offers a chance to hear directly from someone working on the ground to empower women and build hope amid these challenges.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

– More talks & sermons about Palestine at MCC: https://mcceastbay.org/palestinian

Areej Masoud is a Palestinian Christian woman from Bethlehem and the founder of Khayari Women’s Leadership and Economic Empowerment Organization. Born and raised under occupation, she speaks from a place of urgency. Now witnessing a genocide unfold in Gaza, Palestinians struggle to keep hope alive in the West Bank.
Khayari provides leadership training, economic opportunities, and spaces for women to heal and build supportive communities. The organization supports young Palestinian women by providing leadership opportunities, economic empowerment, and a platform for their voic
Just months before the war began, Christian Palestinian Activist Areej Masoud launched Khayari to create a space for young Palestinian women to lead, heal, and find direction in a world that often denies them the right to exist. The organization is Palestinian-led, woman-founded, and deeply rooted in lived reality. Areej’s work and ministry centers on women’s voices, economic empowerment, and reclaiming space amid destruction. Her presence is not to dwell in the evil in the world, but to engender courage and find hope for the future.
Palestinian Christian Areej Masoud, works in communications at Bethlehem Bible College. She will outline the everyday difficulties of life in the occupied West Bank.
Areej is impassioned to speak up on behalf of her people and introduce the world to her reality, often hidden from mainstream media! A reality where access to basic necessities such as healthcare, education, water, shelter, freedom of movement and economic security is greatly restricted.

Friends of Wadi Foquin Tables @ MCC Jumu’ahs

Areej Masoud is a Palestinian Christian woman from Bethlehem and the founder of Khayari Women’s Leadership and Economic Empowerment Organization. Born and raised under occupation, she speaks from a place of urgency. Now witnessing a genocide unfold in Gaza, Palestinians struggle to keep hope alive in the West Bank.Just months before the war began, Areej launched Khayari to create a space for young Palestinian women to lead, heal, and find direction in a world that often denies them the right to exist. The organization is Palestinian-led, woman-founded, and deeply rooted in lived reality. Areej’s work centers on women’s voices, economic empowerment, and reclaiming space amid destruction. Her presence is not to dwell in the evil in the world, but to engender courage and find hope for the future.

Learning Quran, Arabic, & Islamic Studies Camp | Hassania Eljaouhari Idrissi
2025-09-25 16:30 - 18:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For Boys & Girls Ages 6-15: Join us for a seven-week camp on learning the Qur’an, Arabic, and Islamic Studies using the text 40 Hadith for Islamic Schools, Part II by Muhammad S. Adly.
Students will learn the meanings of the hadith, memorize them, and build a beautiful Muslim character through the teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw). Surah al-Waqia will also be covered through memorization and understanding its meanings.
We will learn conversational Arabic through practicing questions and answers based on dialogue and presentations.
Thursdays | 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. | Sept. 25 to Nov. 6 | Room 22/23 | $135/student ($125/sibling) | Register at mcceastbay.org/learn
$10 discount for siblings. Please email operations@mcceastbay.org to receive the discount code.
About the Instructor:
Hassania Eljaouhari Idrissi has over 25 years of teaching experience in Islamic schools in Texas and California, including MCC Sunday School, the Rahmah Foundation, Brilliant Minds Montessori School in San Ramon, and the Salah Champions summer program, which took place at MCC in 2024.
MCC has a standing policy that financial need should never hold a person back from attending any activity held in the community center. To request a financial waiver, please complete our financial waiver request: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/scholarship
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

UNICEF Averroes Club Charter Tables @ MCC Jumu'ahs
2025-09-26 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
The Averroes UNICEF Club is selling chai and mojitos to fundraise for a local homeless shelter in the Bay Area. 100% of their efforts will be used to create care packages for those in need.
Visit their table this Friday to support their cause.

Jumu’ah Services @ MCC & Rosewood
2025-09-26 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For MCC’s four Jumu’ah services on Friday, Sep. 26, 2025:

1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Shaykh Talal Ahdab delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.

Ustadh Omar Naisan delivers this sermon at Rosewood Conference Center, 4450 Rosewood Dr., Pleasanton

2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Dr. Youssef Ismail delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

3:40 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Sidi Shaan Mukhtar delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

*Please attend at 2:30 or 3:40 p.m. at MCC to avoid heavier first-service congestion whenever possible, or please attend the off-site MCC Jumu’ah service, that is, each week at the Rosewood Commons, 4450 Rosewood Dr (Building 5)., Pleasanton. Rosewood is only a five-minute drive from MCC.

Please note that the former HP lot (now Pleasanton School District) is no longer available to our congregation. The District graciously provides the MCC congregation a limited number of parking space. Please come to the third or fourth Jumuah at MCC to ease up parking congestion or, better yet, attend our weekly parallel satellite prayer from 1:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. at Rosewood Center (Building 5): https://mcceastbay.org/rosewood

– Virtually watch the three MCC sermons from home: https://mcceastbay.org/live
– More Shaykh Talal: http://mcceastbay.org/talal
– More Dr. Youssef: http://mcceastbay.org/youssef
– More Ustadh Omar: mcceastbay.org/omar
– More Sidi Shaan: http://mcceastbay.org/shaan

For parents attending with young children indoors at the main MCC facility, we offer private mothers’ and fathers’ rooms with an audio and visual connection to the Prayer Hall. Parents can watch the sermon and pray while working with other parents and young children. The mothers’ and fathers’ prayer room is just past the Banquet Hall doors into the school area.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
