MCC East Bay

Holistic Underground Inc (Alamida Foundation) Tables @ MCC Jumu’ahs
2025-10-31 13:30 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Alamida Foundation is a non-profit organization in Oakland, CA that provides Islamic Education and Services for all ages in the SF Bay Area and sustains the underserved community of Uganda.

NARIKA Tables @ MCC Jumu'ah
2025-10-31 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
NARIKA is a grassroots movement org that supports survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), particularly from South Asian and immigrant backgrounds, with culturally responsive and linguistically diverse case management, legal resources, wellness programs & support groups, and economic empowerment workshops. Visit their table this Friday to learn more about their cause and how you can support them.

Jumu’ah Services @ MCC & Rosewood
2025-10-31 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, Oct. 31, 2025:

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

Ustadh Ibrahim Qureshi delivers this sermon at MCC East Bay

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

Sidi Hashim Mir 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.

Hafiz Yaseen Mahmood 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 Ibrahim: https://mcceastbay.org/ibrahim
– 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

Family Movie Night on October 31st!
2025-10-31 16:00 - 18:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For Ages 6 & Up: Join us for a cozy, family-friendly movie night on Friday, October 31st. Grab a blanket and enjoy an evening filled with laughter, community connection, and fun.
After the movie, stick around for popcorn, exciting activities, and candy distribution — the perfect way to end the night with smiles all around! We will have Halal Bites of Chichago foodtruck outside as well!
Date & Friday, Oct. 31 | 4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Between Asr & Maghrib) | MCC Conference Room | $5/child ($8 at the door) | Register at mcceastbay.org/movie-night
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
MCC has a standing policy that financial need should never prevent a person from attending any community center activity. To request a financial waiver, please complete our financial waiver request: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/scholarship

﻿

Women's Weekly Friday Evening Halaqa | The Rahmah Foundation
2025-10-31 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-07 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-14 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 girl’s halaqa.

7 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Every Friday from September 19, 2025, to May 22, 2026 | 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

Friday Night Teen High School Halaqa | Sidi Quran Hodge
2025-10-31 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | CA
Join Ustadh Quran Hodge for weekly Friday evening basketball & halaqa sessions for teen high school boys from 9th through 12th grade.
These sessions aim to craft our next generation of confident, faithful Muslim men. These halaqas are for high school boys only—no younger boys are allowed. Each session is capped at 30 teens. Once limited spots are full, please kindly join the waitlist.
The first hour is physical activity in the gym (basketball, flag football, or soccer), and the latter hour is pizza and a teen halaqa with Sidi Quran.
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Fridays | October 24, 2025, to May 22, 2026 (with a break in Ramadan 2026) | $400/person | Register at mcceastbay.org/boys
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
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
Location of Friday evening sessions for high school boys in ‘25 and ‘26:

– October 24, 2025, at Dublin High School
– October 31, 2025, at Dublin High School
– November 7, 2025, at location TBA
– November 14, 2025, at location TBA
– November 21, 2025, at location TBA
– November 28, 2024 (no session)
– December 5, 2025, at location TBA
– December 12, 2025, at location TBA
– December 19, 2025, at location TBA
– December 26, 2024 (no session)
– January 2, 2025 (no session)
– January 9, 2026, at location TBA
– January 16, 2026, at location TBA
– January 23, 2026, at location TBA
– January 30, 2026, at location TBA
– February 6, 2026, at location TBA
– February 13, 2026, at location TBA

– February 20, 2026 (no season in Ramadan)

– February 27, 2026 (no session in Ramadan)– March 6, 2026 (no session)
– March 13, 2026 (no session in Ramadan)
– March 20, 2026 (no session in Ramadan)
– March 27, 2025 (no session) at location TBA
– April 3, 2026, at location TBA
– April 10, 2026, at location TBA
– April 17, 2026, at location TBA
– April 24, 2026, at location TBA
– May 1, 2026, at location TBA
– May 8, 2026, at location TBA
– May 15, 2026, at location TBA
– May 22, 2026, at location TBA

About Sidi Quran
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.

– More Quran Hodge: https://mcceastbay.org/quran-hodge

Monthly Sisterhood Hike | Sisters in the Outdoors
2025-11-01 08:00 - 11:00 | Sunol Wilderness, 1895 Geary Rd,, Sunol, California, 94586, United States
Join us at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, for a hike at Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve in 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, Nov. 1
– Time: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Please arrive a little early to park and find the group. The group can wait till 8:15 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: $5 parking fee. 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. We will not break the group to come back to get someone from the parking lot if they are running late.
– Meeting Point: Sunol Visitor Center
– Trail: Little Yosemite
– Distance: 5.8 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, Oct. 31, 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:
This loop takes you to Little Yosemite via Camp Ohlone Road, Gear Road, Backpack Road, and McCorkle Trail. You’ll be traveling along Alameda Creek for the first leg of your journey. This route also passes by a spur trail that takes you to several backcountry campsites such as Cathedral, Eagle’s Eyrie, and Sycamore.

Monthly Sisters' Mawlid
2025-11-01 11:00 - 13:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For Sisters: Join us monthly for sisters’ Mawlid for a gathering of remembrance and Dhikr.
Connect more with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as we gather on the fourth Saturday of each month in remembrance and dhikr.
Saturday, Nov. 1 | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Pre-K room or Conference Room | In-person only | Free; no RSVP required

Sisters and children welcome. No boys over the age of eight are allowed.
Dates for Monthly Women’s Mawlid at MCC East Bay

– Saturday, November 23, 2024
– Saturday, December 28, 2024
– Saturday, January 25, 2025
– Saturday, February 22, 2025
– No session in Ramadan in March ’25
– Saturday, April 26, 2025
– Saturday, May 31, 2025 (date changed due to Memorial Day weekend)
– Saturday, June 28, 2025
-Saturday, July 26, 2025
-Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025
– Saturday, Sep. 27, 2025
– Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
The Mawlid is a joyous expression of the greatest blessing from Allah.
We take this blessed opportunity monthly to remind ourselves of the three sacred rights that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ requires from us, instilling in us a deep sense of respect and reverence.

– Marifah – Recognizing who the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is
– Muhabbah – Loving the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
– Ittiba’ – Obedience to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ

The second two (loving and obeying) are not entirely possible without genuinely recognizing the first – who the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was. This recognition enlightens us and deepens our knowledge of his teachings.

Stories of Strength & Surrender: An Afternoon of Faith, Reflection, & Sisterhood | Ustadha Shamira Chothia Ahmed
2025-11-01 13:30 - 16:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Sisters: Join us for a meaningful gathering exploring the lives of the Four Greatest Women ever created, as mentioned in authentic hadith: Sayyida Khadija (RA), Sayyida Fāṭima (RA), Sayyida Maryam (AS), and Sayyida Āsiya (AS).
This course will guide participants through their lives — not as distant figures of history, but as timeless examples that can inspire the path of every woman today. Through reflective teaching, dhikr, and guided journaling, attendees will be invited to draw strength from their legacy and apply it to their own lives, inshaAllah.
Saturday, Nov. 1 | 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST (After Dhur) | MCC Conference Room | Sisters Ages 14+ | In-person or virtually | $25 early-bird (ends Oct. 29) or $35 regular admission (a recording of the program will be available for those who register) | Register at https://mcceastbay.org/greatest-women
🌸 Open to all women and teens 🖊 Bring a journal and an open heart
Co-sponsored by Her Sacred Path, The Rahmah Foundation, & MCC East Bay
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.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
About Ustadha Shamira
Ustadha Shamira Chothia Ahmed is passionate about educating and empowering Muslim women to grow in knowledge and closeness to Allah ﷻ. Born and raised in California’s Central Valley, she graduated as valedictorian before briefly pursuing pre-med studies at Georgetown University. Her heart was soon drawn to sacred knowledge, and she began her ‘alimah studies at Dar-ul-Uloom Mu’eenal Islam in South Africa, completing the five-year intensive program at Ja’mia Al-Imam Muhammad Zakariyya in Bradford, UK—one of the first and most renowned Islamic universities for women. She furthered her studies in Damascus, Syria, where she received an ijāzah in Tajwīd of the Ḥafṣ recitation from the late eminent Syrian scholar, Shaykh Ḥasan al-Kurdī. She later earned a Master’s degree in Demographics and Social Analysis from UC Irvine, focusing on Muslim-American identity formation. In 2005, she taught Hanafi fiqh for women at the Zaytuna Institute in California and has since taught across North America. She trained under Mufti Abdur Rahman Ibn Yusuf Mangera in women’s fiqh, also assisting in the preparation of Al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained. Alongside her teaching, she is also a certified birth doula and lactation educator, offering spiritual and practical support to women in their childbearing years. She is the founder of Her Sacred Path, a global initiative dedicated to spiritually empowering women through classes, mentorship, and community, and the co-founder of the Rahmah Foundation, which has served women’s education in the Bay Area for nearly two decades. A wife and mother of five, she enjoys spending time with her family, fitting in a strength workout when she can, and dreaming of having more time to read.

#TeamFajr Monthly Sunday Breakfast & Qur'an Khatam
2025-11-02 06:00 - 07:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
“If people knew the reward in praying Fajr & Isha in a congregation, they would go to the Masjid even if they had to crawl” [Bukhari & Muslim]
Join Qari Amar Bellaha on the first Sunday of each month. Pray the pre-dawn prayer in congregation (6 a.m.), followed by recitations of Surah Yaseen and Al-Wird Al-Latif (booklets provided) in unison, community dua, and following sunup, Salat al-Ishraq prayer in congregation. Qari Amar will also lead the Khatam (completion) of the Qur’an. Each month, congregation members complete one Juz of the Holy Qur’an. Please finish your Juz by the first Sunday of each month. Sign up for Juz at mcceastbay.org/juz This program is also streamed virtually at https://mcceastbay.org/live. 2025 Sunday Monthly Khatam with Qari Amar Bellaha:

– January 5, 2025
– February 2, 2025
– No TeamFajr in Ramadan
– April 6, 2025
– May 4, 2025
– June 1, 2025
– July 6, 2025
– August 3, 2025
– September 7, 2025
– October 5, 2025
– November 2, 2025
– December 7, 2025

There are numerous benefits and virtues of reciting the Holy Qur’an and sending Salawat upon Rasulullah (S). Along with bringing great barakah into our lives, these two acts of ‘ibadah are a means by which Allah elevates our rank in Jannah. Though it may be challenging to make a habit of tilawah (recitation) and Salawat individually, there is strength in our numbers. Join your MCC community in our goal of collectively completing a Qur’an khatam. Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

More Qari Amar: https://mcceastbay.org/amar
Imam al-Haddad’s litanies (al-Wird al-Latif): https://mcceastbay.org/wird
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “He who performs the Fajr will be under the protection of Allah.” [Muslim]
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The best prayer before Allah is the Fajr prayer on Friday in the congregation.”

Women’s Seerah Bookclub (in-person & virtual) | Ustadha Leila Fakira
2025-11-03 11:00 - 12:30, 2025-11-10 11:00 - 12:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Join our weekly sisters’ in-person & virtual Seerah book club, where we have an active discussion, take away lessons for our daily lives, and inshaAllah fall in love with the Prophet ﷺ. This year, we are reading from Our Lady Fatima al-Zahra (R.A.) by Muhammad Abduh Yamani.

Every Monday, in-person & virtual | 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | MCC | Women only | RSVP for the live registration link at https://mcceastbay.org/bookclub | RSVP is needed to join us virtually

Event Details:

The in-person & virtual discussion takes place every Monday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with a break in Ramadan ’26.

Please register online to receive the link to the WhatsApp thread where all communication and updates will be made.

Book Purchase:

If you wish to follow along with the book, please purchase the book. The book can be purchased here:

https://www.meccabooks.com/products/our-lady-fatima-al-zahra
https://store.celebratemercy.com/products/our-lady-fatima-al-zahra?srsltid=AfmBOoolySfro5MbF50JY0y6f-0yyRMdaGwsDMa2DqstKJWBykrF1Tpa
https://bookshop.rabata.org/search?q=pur+lady&options%5Bprefix%5D=last

For those local in the Bay Area:

Rumi Bookstore
Zaytuna Bookstore

Questions? bookclub@mcceastbay.org

About the Book

This book is about the life and virtues of the eminent lady Sayyidatunā Fāṭima al-Zahra ﵂. Through her, with Sayyidunā ‘Alī ﵁, the blessed lineage of her father, the Messenger of God ﷺ, was preserved. She resembled him in every way, and of all people she was the dearest to his heart. She stood with him ﷺ and strove always to serve and aid him, taking care of him after the death of her mother, Sayyidatunā Khadīja ﵂. Fāṭima was brave, strong, forbearing, dutiful, gracious, and protective. She was a loving mother and an inspiring example to her sons, Imams Ḥasan and Ḥusayn ﵁. Fāṭima al-Zahrā ﵂ tells the life story of its subject in a vivid, straightforward manner, linking it to the history of Islam from the early times of tribulation to the establishment of the Dīn and the Community based in al-Madīna. Its style and approach are very suitable for children, as well as for older readers. The author, Dr Muhammad Abduh Yamani (d.1431/2010), who served for several years as Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Information, was a distinguished educationalist, author and businessman, notable also for his piety and philanthropy.

Mommy & Me Fall–Winter 2025 Session | MCC's Mommy & Me Program
2025-11-06 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-13 10:00 - 11:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
In this five-week session, our toddlers and pre-schoolers (ages 1-5) will develop love for Islam, Allah (swt), and RasulAllah (saw) through book reading, sing-alongs, Parachute Time, activities, and more!
Thursdays: 10/23, 10/30, 11/06, 11/13, & 11/20 | Saturday: 11/08 | 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Conference Room or Prayer Hall | $75 for 5 sessions, or $20 per session | Register at mcceastbay.org/happyhearts
These Mommy & Me sessions are designed for girls and boys ages one to four who are accompanied by a female guardian. Moms, grandmothers, and so on are welcome. This is also a great opportunity to connect with other moms and caretakers in the MCC community.
Our Mommy and Me sessions begin with dua and a salaam/greeting song and end with the Fi-Amanillah song and kid-favorite parachute time.
Questions? Happy Hearts Playgroup Facilitator Sr. Khadija at mommyandme@mcceastbay.org
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

Purification of the Heart – Men’s Book Club
2025-11-06 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-11-13 18:30 - 20:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Join us for a weekly book club and discussion group as we collectively strive to purify our hearts and grow closer to Allah through understanding and treating the spiritual diseases that afflict us all. We will read and reflect on Hamza Yusuf’s translation and commentary of Imam Mawlud’s classical work, Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms, and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart.
Each session will cover one chapter, including group discussions and reflections on the diseases of the heart and their cures.
While we encourage consistent attendance for the benefit of shared reflection and continuity, each session is self-contained, and participants are welcome to drop in even if they cannot commit to every week. Sidi Mohammed Kaddoura facilitates this group.
Starts October 16 | Thursdays | 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Conference Room | In-person only
Class Schedule: Tracking Chapters: Purification of the Heart– Men’s Book Club

Disclaimer
This book club is intended to stimulate thought and reflection, not to teach deen. It is not a fiqh or aqidah class.

Discussion Group Guidelines

Everyone has something to say; everyone has something to learn.

Shy participants are encouraged to contribute.
Talkative participants are encouraged to listen more.

Confidentiality is essential.

Do not share other participants’ reflections outside the group. It’s okay to say, “someone in my book club made me think about…” but not “so-and-so said…”

Give 70 excuses.

Assume good intentions. If disagreements arise, remember our shared goal is growth. We leave differences in the room and continue with brotherhood outside of it.

Maintain emotional awareness.

The topics we discuss may evoke strong emotions. All participants are expected to remain calm, respectful, and emotionally intelligent. Please avoid getting carried away in conversation. Proper etiquette is required at all times.

Book Purchase
Please purchase the book in advance if you want to follow along. Available at:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Purification-Heart-Symptoms-Spiritual-Diseases/dp/1929694156
Zaytuna Bookstore: https://bookstore.zaytuna.edu/products/purificationoftheheart
About the Book
This exploration of Islamic spirituality delves into the psychological diseases and cures of the heart. The causes and practical cures of these diseases are discussed, offering a penetrating glimpse into how Islam deals with spiritual and psychological problems and demonstrating how all people can benefit from these teachings.

Author: Imam Mawlud (translated and with extensive commentary by Hamza Yusuf)

About the Translator
Hamza Yusuf is an American Islamic scholar and co-founder of Zaytuna College, the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States. He is one of the most influential Islamic educators in the Western world, known for his ability to bridge traditional Islamic scholarship with contemporary issues.

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Remembering the Beloved ﷺ | Shaykh Yahya Rhodus
2025-11-06 20:00 - 22:30 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Join us for an inspiring evening of remembrance with our beloved teacher, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, to connect the listener to the Prophet ﷺ and his teachings. The more we know about his life, character, and way, the more we will come to love and follow the one beloved to Allah. PDF for gathering: https://bit.ly/39mLNXV
Thursday, November 6, 2025 | 8 p.m. (after Isha prayers) to 10:30 p.m. | MCC Conference Room | Join us in-person or virtually at mcceastbay.org/live
Shaykh Yahya is joined in this gathering by our beloved Bay Area teachers, Qari Amar Bellaha, Qari Tayeb Bouamama, and Sidi Mahdy Amine. This program includes a recitation of the prophetic biography in poetry form, followed by a counsel intended PDF for gathering: https://bit.ly/39mLNXV
On Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, Shaykh Rhodus will also give a free workshop at MCC about the traits of the righteous. Learn more at: https://mcceastbay.org/event/traits-of-righteous
“Prayer itself orients and situates us, just as these gatherings do. Every time we come together, it is an opportunity for us to realign, to reset, to remind ourselves of what is truly important.” – Shaykh Yahya Rhodus
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
About Shaykh Yahya
One of the most well-respected Muslim scholars in the Western world, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, has spent the best part of two decades studying at some of the most prestigious learning institutions in the Muslim and Western worlds.
Having embraced Islam at 19 in Santa Clara, California, he immediately began studying the Islamic sciences with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and visiting Mauritanian scholars, such as Shaykh Khatri Wuld Bayba and Shaykh Abd Allah Wuld Ahmadna. Shortly thereafter, he traveled to Mauritania to pursue a full-time course of study where he could learn from one of Mauritania’s most outstanding scholars, Murabit al-Hajj. Following an interim study period in Damascus, Syria, Shaykh Yahya spent the best part of seven years in Tarim, in the Hadramawt Valley of Yemen. There, he studied at the reputable school, Dar al-Mustafa, with the renowned scholars Habib Umar bin Hafiz and Habib Ali al-Jifri.
Since then, Shaykh Yahya has been the official translator for Habib Umar and Habib Ali at various international speaking engagements, including the Common Word Conference held at Yale University in 2008. Upon returning to the United States, Shaykh Yahya was a full-time instructor at Zaytuna College. He has a B.A. in Near Eastern Studies from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Islamic Studies from the Graduate Theological Union. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Cambridge, England, in collaboration with Dr. Tim Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad).
He is the Founding Director of al-Maqasid, where he is a full-time scholar and teacher. Al-Maqasid’s mission is to cultivate holistic learning environments rooted in knowledge, devotion, and service by providing full-time, part-time, online, and community programs.

– More Sheikh Yahya: http://mcceastbay.org/yahya

Alameda County Transportation Commission Tables @ MCC Jumu'ahs
2025-11-07 12:30 - 15:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Eligible 6th–12th graders at over 160 Alameda County schools can apply for a free Student Transit Pass, which gives students unlimited free rides on local buses, 50% off BART, and other youth transit discounts. Visit the Alameda County Transportation Commission table this Friday to see if you qualify and start riding for free!

New Jumu’ah Times (Winter Schedule)
2025-11-07 12:30 - 15:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Sunday, November 2, 2025, is when Daylight Saving Time changes. Please remember to set your clocks back one hour.

MCC’s Jumu’ah times will change this Friday, Nov. 7:

– First Khutbah: 12:30 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. Location: MCC Prayer Hall
– Second Khutbah: 1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. Location: MCC Prayer Hall
– Third Khutbah: 1:40 p.m. to 2 p.m. Location: Rosewood Commons
– Fourth Khutbah: 2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. Location: MCC Prayer Hall

There is no parking in any neighboring parking lots, including the Pleasanton Unified School District lot (former HP lot).

Due to the shorter time frame for Zuhr prayers before Asr, MCC will not offer Jumu’ah for youth (3:40 p.m. to 4 p.m.) until Friday. March 8, 2026, is the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST).

The daily Iqamah times change beginning Sunday, November 2, are:

– Fajr: 6 a.m.

– Zuhr: 12:30 p.m.

– Asr: 3:45 p.m.

– Isha: 8 p.m.

Download the ’25 Prayer & Iqamah timetable: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/timetable

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Ibrahim Khalilullah Islamic Center Tables @ MCC Jum'uahs
2025-11-07 12:30 - 15:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Bay Area-wide Hifz and Qirat competition is being held at Ibrahim Khaleelullah Islamic Center in Fremont by Al FurQan Qirat Academy on November 15th.
This is an excellent opportunity for boys and girls ages 9-25 to learn and compete in understanding the Qur’an. Please visit their table this Friday to learn more about the program and to participate.
IKIC & Al-Furqaan Academy invite you to the Bay Area Annual Qirat & Hifz Competition!
🏆 Win Big! Cash Prizes & Trophies
✨ Compete with the best talent in the Bay Area
👦👧 Separate categories for Boys & Girls (ages 9-25)
🕌 Hifz & Nazira categories available
🍔 Food trucks & fun for families!
📅 Event Date: Nov 15, 2025 @ 12 pm
📍 Location: Ibrahim Khaleelullah Islamic Center, Fremont
💰 Registration Fee: $20
📩 Contact: sf.qurancompetitions@gmail.com
🕓 Last Date to Register: Nov 6
🔗 Register Now: https://tinyurl.com/qiratcompetition2025

Humanity-Increased Tables @ MCC Jumu’ahs
2025-11-07 13:30 - 16:00 | CA
Humanity-Increased, a non-profit responding to the humanitarian crisis in Uyghur, is helping sisters and widows who are either disabled themselves or caring for disabled orphaned children, who are at immediate risk of eviction from the apartments they currently live in due to rising rent in Türkiye.
Please visit their table this Friday to support their cause.

Smarter Sadaqah: Creating a Family Foundation to Multiple Impact and Maximize Tax Savings | Hafiz Yaser Ali J.D.
2025-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
As the year ends and tax season approaches, people typically increase their charitable giving. But what if you could do more — give generously, save taxes legally, and build lasting reward?
In this practical session, Attorney Yaser Ali will show how a Family Foundation can function as a modern waqf—a vehicle that lets you give and invest strategically, support causes you care about, and reduce your taxable income at the same time.
Friday, November 7, 2025 | 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Prayer Hall | Free; no registration required | Join in person or watch virtually at mcceastbay.org/live
You’ll learn:

How to set up a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit entity before year-end to maximize tax deductions

The key differences between a Donor Advised Fund and a Foundation, and when each makes sense

How to use these tools for Zakat and Sadaqah locally and internationally

How to include a bequest (wasiyah) in your estate plan to continue your charitable impact beyond your lifetime

Whether you give a little or a lot, this session will show you how to turn your generosity into Smarter Sadaqah—charity that saves taxes, multiplies blessings, and builds your family’s legacy of ongoing good.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
About Shaykh Yaser

Shaykh Hafiz Yaser Ali, J.D., is a trusts & estates attorney specializing in helping American Muslims create tax-efficient, Sharia-compliant estate plans. Yaser is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley School of Law and is trained in classical Islamic Inheritance Law.

For a talk about advance care planning: https://youtu.be/hSVVdlQ_ocI

More Islamic perspectives on end-of-life matters: https://mcceastbay.org/end-of-life

More special guests hosted at the MCC: https://mcceastbay.org/guests

Funeral & burial options in the San Francisco Bay Area: https://mcceastbay.org/funeral

More Hafiz Yaser: https://mcceastbay.org/yaser

Wills & Trusts attorneys in the community: https://mcceastbay.org/will/

https://youtube.com/live/pBxwEtVe2r8

https://youtube.com/live/Q0G28AwEQdY

Monthly Men's Hike
2025-11-08 07:00 - 09:30 | Brushy Peak Regional Preserve, Livermore, California, United States
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, November 8 | 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. | Brushy Peak Regional Preserve | 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 interests/time. The hike will be canceled if there are insufficient RSVPs, depending on the weather.

When: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Time: 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. – Please arrive early to park and find the group. The group can wait until 7:10 a.m., and then 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: Laughlin Ranch Staging Area
Trail: West Side Loop to Brushy Peak Loop Trial
Distance: Around 4.5 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, November 7, 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 the group, so we request that you arrive 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:
The trail meanders between chaparral shrub communities and lush meadowlands before progressively climbing to Brushy Peak. With its natural outcrops and oak trees, this scrubby peak with a circular summit offers panoramic views over Livermore and the nearby windmill-dotted highlands. Look out for local wildlife along the trail, including rattlesnakes, hares, and other bird species.

Mommy & Me Saturday Session | MCC's Mommy & Me Program
2025-11-08 10:00 - 11:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For our Toddlers and Preschoolers (ages 1-5): Join us on Saturday mornings for a Mommy & Me session where children will develop a love for Islam, Allah (swt), and RasulAllah (saw) through book reading, sing-alongs, Parachute Time, activities, and more!
Saturday, Nov. 08 | 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Conference Room or Prayer Hall | $20 per session | Register at mcceastbay.org/happyhearts
These Mommy & Me sessions are designed for girls and boys ages one to four who are accompanied by a female guardian. Moms, grandmothers, and so on are welcome. This is also a great opportunity to connect with other moms and caretakers in the MCC community.
Our Mommy and Me sessions begin with dua and a salaam/greeting song and end with the Fi-Amanillah song and kid-favorite parachute time.
Questions? Happy Hearts Playgroup Facilitator Sr. Khadija at mommyandme@mcceastbay.org
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

Traits of the Righteous | Shaykh Yahya Rhodus
2025-11-08 10:00 - 13:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Join us for an inspiring session with our beloved teacher Shaykh Yahya Rhodus to explore the defining qualities of the righteous as described in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Together, we’ll reflect on what it truly means to live with sincerity, humility, and steadfast faith in today’s world, and how to embody these timeless virtues in our daily lives and strengthen our connection with Allah and others.
Saturday, Nov. 8 | 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | MCC Conference Room | $15/person | Join in-person or virtually | Register at mcceastbay.org/traits
On Thursday, November 6, Shaykh Yahya will also hold an evening gathering: https://mcceastbay.org/event/remembering-the-beloved/
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
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.

– More Sheikh Yahya: http://mcceastbay.org/yahya

About Sheikh Yahya Rhodus
One of the most well-respected Muslim scholars in the Western world, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, has spent the best part of two decades studying at some of the most prestigious learning institutions in the Muslim and Western worlds.
Having embraced Islam at 19 in Santa Clara, California, he immediately began studying the Islamic sciences with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and visiting Mauritanian scholars, such as Shaykh Khatri Wuld Bayba and Shaykh Abd Allah Wuld Ahmadna. Shortly thereafter, he traveled to Mauritania to pursue a full-time course of study where he could learn from one of Mauritania’s most outstanding scholars, Murabit al-Hajj. Following an interim study period in Damascus, Syria, Shaykh Yahya spent the best part of seven years in Tarim, in the Hadramawt Valley of Yemen. There, he studied at the reputable school, Dar al-Mustafa, with the renowned scholars Habib Umar bin Hafiz and Habib Ali al-Jifri.
Since then, Shaykh Yahya has been the official translator for Habib Umar and Habib Ali at various international speaking engagements, including the Common Word Conference held at Yale University in 2008. Upon returning to the United States, Shaykh Yahya was a full-time instructor at Zaytuna College. He has a B.A. in Near Eastern Studies from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Islamic Studies from the Graduate Theological Union. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Cambridge, England, in collaboration with Dr. Tim Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad).
He is the Founding Director of al-Maqasid, where he is a full-time scholar and teacher. Al-Maqasid’s mission is to cultivate holistic learning environments rooted in knowledge, devotion, and service by providing full-time, part-time, online, and community programs.

– More Sheikh Yahya: http://mcceastbay.org/yahya

Bay Area Community Health Tables @ MCC Jumu'ahs
2025-11-14 12:30 - 15:00 | CA
Bay Area Community Health was formed in 2020 on the strength of Southern Alameda County’s Tri-City Health Center and Santa Clara County’s Foothill Community Health Center. Formed during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bay Area Community Health (BACH) brings more than 70 years of combined service to an area that stretches from Union City to Gilroy.
This Friday, they will be providing information and enrollment on Medi-Cal and other public benefit programs, and access to primary care service appointments. Visit their table to learn more.

The Islamic American Legacy | Sidi Muizz Rafique
2025-11-14 19:00 - 21:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
The Islamic American legacy explores a rich and complex history that has been woven into the fabric of the United States from its earliest days. It encompasses the contributions of early Muslim explorers, the presence of Muslims among enslaved Africans, the experiences of immigrant communities, and the ongoing impact of Islam on American culture and society. Explore their stories of resilience, community, and loss.
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Friday, November 14, 2025 | MCC Conference Room | Join in person or watch virtually at mcceastbay.org/live
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
About the Speaker
A graduate of UCLA and Georgetown University Law Center, Muizz Rafique is a native of Southern California who has lived in the Bay Area for almost a decade. He is the author of “A Fish in a Basket: The Story of Prophet Musa and Al-Khadir” and has published a series of articles with Al-Madina Institute.
Discover the deep roots of the Islamic American Legacy, shaped by Muslim immigrants, converts, & enslaved African Muslims who have enriched the cultural, social, & intellectual fabric of the United States for over a century.
