Women's Book Club
2021-11-03 10:45 - 12:15, 2021-11-10 10:45 - 12:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Join our weekly sisters’ virtual & in-person 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. We are reading “The Sultan of Hearts Prophet Muhammad ﷺ” by Resit Haylamaz and Fatih Harpci.
RSVP for the live registration link below at mcceastbay.org/bookclub. No RSVP needed to join us in person in the MCC Conference Room (masks and social distancing required)
Event Details:
The discussion will take place every Wednesday from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and in Fall 2021 run from Wednesday, Sept. 29 to Dec. 15 (with a break on Thanksgiving week on Nov. 24). The sessions are hybrid: meaning as in-person & virtual session. No RSVP needed to join in person. For the link to join virtually, please register below.
Ustadha Leila Fakira sends the webinar link to registered attendees after registration.
Book Purchase:
If you wish to follow along with the book, you’ll need to purchase the book. The book is out of print, but can be purchased here:

https://www.antstores.com/search?type=product&q=9781597849425
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1597849421/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_mHaAFb4CRDKX5

Questions? bookclub@mcceastbay.org

About the Book
Offering a comprehensive narrative of one of the most fascinating life stories of human history, The Sultan of Hearts is an authoritative work on the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The book relies firmly on canonical Hadith collections and Sirah literature, and is rich with references to many contemporary biographical works such as Al-Maktabatu’s-Sirah, Al-Maktabatu’l-Alfiyah, and Al-Maktabatu’sh-Shamilah.
The Sultan of Hearts presents the life of the Prophet and the events that unfolded during his mission by contextualizing them with Qur’anic revelations.
Analyzing “reasons of revelation” (Asbab al-Nuzul), a method in Tafsir studies, authors portray how every revealed verse of God’s word transformed his society and they reconstruct the biography based on this interaction between the scripture and the events. The book lays bare the role of the Qur’an in the education of the large congregation of the Companions, and with it reveals the kind of teaching and drill that the Messenger of Allah exercised in his close circle.
The developments that preceded and followed the statements of the beloved Prophet are reported extensively in order to point to both the educational aspects of the Qur’an and the role of our noble Prophet in transforming people’s lives. There are also detailed accounts of the spiritual and psychological states of many individuals from those who believed the Prophet and those who did not.

Practical Spirituality
2021-11-03 20:00 - 21:00 | Lighthouse Mosque, 620 42nd Street, Oakland, CA, 94609, United States
Are you feeling stuck in your relationship with Allah? Feeling unsure about how to progress spiritually while balancing the hustle and bustle of life?
Join us for a virtual weekly class with Sidi Shahryar Abbasi focused on practical spirituality. Each week, we discuss a topic to help us traverse the spiritual path and ultimately achieve nearness to Allah (SWT). The topics range from how to make intentions, devotions and daily duas (supplications), easy shortcuts to maximize your rewards, the importance of good character, how to balance spirituality as a working professional, and much, much more.
We will primarily be focusing on the text “The Book of Assistance” by the great Saint and Knower of Allah, Imam Abdullah Ibn Alawi Al Haddad.
8 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Wednesdays | Sept. 8 to Summer ’22 (except in Ramadan) | Watch at https://mcceastbay.org/live and watch past series recordings at https://mcceastbay.org/practical

More Sidi Shahryar: https://mcceastbay.org/shahryar
Download Imam Al-Haddad’s “Book of Assistance”: https://mcceastbay.org/assistance
Download Practical Spirituality Resources: https://mcceastbay.org/awraad
Sidi Shahryar’s “Real Talk Series”: https://mcceastbay.org/real-talk
Sidi Shahryar’s “Traits of the Righteous” Series: https://mcceastbay.org/hallmark
Sidi Shahryar’s “Deceptive Desires” Series: https://mcceastbay.org/desires

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Afghan Refugee Food Drive
2021-11-05 10:00 - 18:00, 2021-11-06 08:00 - 14:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
With more Afghan refugees being settled in the Bay Area, the MCC Food Pantry is running low on staple ethnic items. We’re putting a call out to the community to help us urgently stock these dry food items:

Lentils (yellow and orange)
Kidney Beans (dry bags and cans)
Garbanzo Beans (dry bags and cans)
Tea (green or black)
Tomato Sauce
Tomato Pasta
Jam
Sugar
Oil
Pasta
Rice
Afghan spices (black pepper, garham masala, cumin, turmeric, ginger)

We are also asking for new space heaters, new blankets and sewing machines for refugee families.
Drop off to the MCC Food Pantry near the Banquet Hall roll-up door from:

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13

Questions? pantry@mcceastbay.org

MCC Indoor & Outdoor Jumu'ahs
2021-11-05 13:30 - 15:50 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
For our Friday, November 5 Jumu’ah services, masks are required to attend while inside MCC and no RSVP necessary:

1:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. – INDOOR ONLY

Ustadh Parvez Ahmed delivers this sermon

No parallel outdoor services offered.
No social distancing in Prayer Hall (shoulder-to-shoulder). Social distance worship for women in Banquet Hall & men in Conference Room.
Masks are required.

2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. – OUTDOOR ONLY

Ustadh Parvez Ahmed delivers this sermon.

Outdoor in canopies in the MCC parking lot. No parallel indoor services offered.
No social distancing in first canopy near sermon speaker for men and no social distancing for first row for women. All other space is social distancing required.
Masks are optional.
Please check Friday afternoon weather forecast and take precautions against heat.

3:30 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. – INDOOR ONLY*Note earlier time due to Asr

Mohammed Abdul Baseer delivers this sermon.

No parallel outdoor services offered.
No social distancing in Prayer Hall (shoulder-to-shoulder). Social distance worship for women in Banquet Hall & men in Conference Room.
Masks are required.

Whenever possible, please attend 2:30 or 3:30 p.m. prayer to avoid heavy first-prayer congestion. Jumu’ah service parking at all three services is in the MCC parking lot and the neighboring HP lot. Map at https://mcceastbay.org/hp

– Watch these three sermons live from home: https://mcceastbay.org/live
– More Sidi Parvez: https://mcceastbay.org/pervez
– More Sidi Baseer: https://mcceastbay.org/baseer

For parents attending with young children, MCC offers a private mothers and fathers room with an audio and visual connection to Prayer Hall. Parents can watch the sermon and pray while in the company of other parents with young children. The mothers/fathers prayer room are just past the Banquet Hall doors into the school area.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
Alameda County reports COVID-19 cases are still happening.
We are cautiously indoors for the five daily prayers and for two of the three Jumu’ah services. The second Jumu’ah is outdoors in the MCC parking lot, weather permitting. Learn more at https://mcceastbay.org/prayer

HHRD Tabling
2021-11-05 13:30 - 16:00 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Helping Hand For Relief and Development (HHRD) tables at Jumu’ah about worldwide cataract eye surgery project and a Sunday winter clothing drive.
Cataract Eye Surgeries for Prevention of Blindness is one of our iconic projects, started in 2011 from Pakistan, gradually expanded to cover 7 more countries including Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Mali, South Africa, Nepal & Pakistan. By 2020, we were able to support 12,687 Surgeries, and hope to add 4000 more by the end of 2021. From 2022, we have an ambitious plan to significantly impact the disease among the targeted communities by scaling up and expanding our operations to new territories which will primarily be focusing upon refugees, internally displaced and COVID hit poor and needy in developing countries. For details and online donations: HHRD.Org/NorCal-GiftSight
HHRD and MCC are also hosting a Winter Clothing Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the MCC Banquet Hall on Sunday, Nov. 14.

Sister's Hike to Mission Peak | Sisterhood in the Outdoors
2021-11-06 07:00 - 10:30 | CA
Join us from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 6 for a Saturday morning hike at the popular Mission Peak in Fremont to get to know other sisters in the community and enjoy the great outdoors.

When: Saturday, Nov. 6
Time: 7 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Carpool : No carpool available for this hike.
Location: Mission Peak, Fremont from Ohlone College side.
Distance: Around 7.6 miles and not stroller friendly unless you have a jogger stroller
All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/mission-peak-from-ohlone-college
Parking Fee: $5 in the Ohlone College Parking Structure across the trailhead or street parking is free but it is a quarter mile walk to trail head.
Difficulty: Hard with lot of elevation. Please refer to all trails map to see hike difficulty, If you are first time hiker it might be little difficult.

Misc: Please wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes, carry enough water, small snack, hat, sunglasses and hiking poles if you have.

RSVP: Message Hike Leader Aparna Khan at hiking@mcceastbay.org with your name & cell phone number by Friday, November 5 to RSVP.

Please come prepared with water, snack and hiking/running shoes.
On the day of the hike, if you have trouble finding the group, please call or text Hike Leader Sr. Aparna Khan at (408) 480-6584. 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 water bottle, small snack, hat, sunglasses and hiking poles if you have.
Mission Peak from Ohlone College is a 7.3 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Fremont, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
Questions? hiking@mcceastbay.org

Park Features: Mission Peak gets throngs of hikers but only savvy trekkers take this route to the summit — an eight-mile out-and-back that stretches out the 2,000-foot ascent to the summit (the most-popular route ascends a similar height in a 5.2-mile out-and-back). This gradual route is a less-strenuous option for hiking to the top of the popular East Bay peak. It starts from the parking lot at Ohlone College along Mission Boulevard in Fremont, California. Just one trail — the aptly named Peak Trail — curves and climbs its way to the 2,517-foot summit of Mission Peak. (From the parking lot, look for a sign pointing to Ohlone Trail). Abundant parking at Ohlone College on the weekend makes this trailhead a welcome alternative to the Stanford Avenue entrance which fills quickly. There’s also a bit more shade on this route compared to other trails to the summit. Impressive views of the Diablo Range and San Francisco Bay open up on the way up. Don’t be surprised if you see deer and coyotes the ground and raptors and vultures soaring overhead. Best time to go: Springtime when the hills are green and the wildflowers are blooming. Winter’s the next-best time, especially if the peak gets a dusting of snow. Fall is OK; summer’s too hot during the day, but many hikers hit the summit at sunset and hike down after dark (best done under a full moon). NO bikes are allowed on this trail. Parking Fee: $4

Photos from September 4, 2021 hike to Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park

New Jumu'ah Times
2021-11-07 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Sunday, November 6 is the Daylight Savings time change. Please remember to set your clocks one hour back.

MCC’s Jumu’ah times will change this Friday, Nov. 12:

First Khutbah: 12:30 p.m.
Location: MCC Parking Lot
Second Khutbah: 1:30 p.m.
Location: MCC Prayer Hall (with socially-distant worship space in Conference Room & Banquet Hall)

Masks are required at all services. Parking in HP lot.

The daily Iqamah times beginning tomorrow are:

Fajr: 6 a.m.
Zuhr: 12:30 p.m.
Asr: 3:45 p.m.
Isha: 8 p.m.

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Monthly #TeamFajr Gathering
2021-11-07 06:00 - 07:15 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
“If people knew the reward in praying Fajr & Isha in congregation, they would go to the Masjid even if they had to crawl” [Bukhari & Muslim]
#TeamFajr is back (sans breakfast until we are out of this pandemic)! Join Qari Amar Bellaha on the first Sunday each month. Pray the pre-dawn prayer in congregation followed by recitations of Surah Yaseen and Al-Wird Al-Latif (booklets provided) in unison and following sunup, Salat al-Ishraq prayer in congregation. The post-Fajr gathering is also livestreamed at mcceastbay.org/live
Following the post-sunrise prayer, Qari Amar and anyone else who wishes to accompany him will visit Five Pillars Islamic Cemetery in Livermore (weather permitting).
2021 Monthly Sunday #TeamFajr Gatherings at MCC:

6 a.m. on September 5
6:30 a.m. on October 3
6 a.m. on November 7
6:30 a.m. on December 5

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 Fajr prayer on Friday in congregation.”
