MCC East Bay

Weekly Ramadan Women's Dhikr Circle | Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi
2023-04-02 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-04-09 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
Join Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi every Sunday in Ramadan (except the last one) for weekly in-person women-only dhikr circles filled with recitation, reflection, and Salawat.

This Sisters Healing & Du’ah Circle supports sisters experiencing grief/loss, marital challenges, parenting challenges, health challenges, caring for elderly parents/loved ones, isolation, etc.

10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Sundays, 3/26, 4/2, 4/9 | Conference Room | Free; no registration needed

– More Ustadha Hosai: https://mcceastbay.org/hosai

– ‘Purification of the Heart Series: (Women): https://mcceastbay.org/muslimah-purification

– ‘Purification of the Heart Series: (Adults): https://mcceastbay.org/heart-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

Schedule

– Welcome

– Recitation of Ratib al-Shahr wird

– Recitation of Surah Yasin

– Dhikr

– Salawat

– Short reflection (khatira)

After this monthly gathering, MCC hosts a children’s story-time: https://mcceastbay.org/storytime

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, and 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.

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Ramadan Weekly Storytime on Sundays | Khala Sahar
2023-04-02 12:00 - 13:00, 2023-04-09 12:00 - 13:00
Every Sunday in Ramadan, Khala Sahar reads and entertains our young children in an engaging hour for ages 2 to 10 with a fun Islamic theme.12 p.m. to 1 p.m. | Sundays, 3/26, 4/2, 4/9, & 4/16 | Conference Room | In-person only, no live-stream option | Free; no registration needed

RAMADAN WEEKLY STORYTIME ON SUNDAYS!

Sunday, March 26, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 2, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday, April 9, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday, April 16, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

*PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DAY IN RAMADAN*RAMADAN BOOK DRIVE

Please help us give back to children and families most in need in our community. We will collect new Islamic children’s books to give as Eid gifts. Drop off at MCC storytime.

– More Sister Sahar: https://mcceastbay.org/sahar

– More sessions for young Muslim children: https://mcceastbay.org/children

About the Facilitator

Sister Sahar grew up in Southern California and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California – Irvine (UCI). She went on to work as a behavioral therapist for autistic children for many years. After having her own two boys, she dedicated her time to raising and homeschooling them. Sahar enjoys working with children and is inspired by their love and curiosity for life and Allah’s creation.

Khala Sahar’s Book Raffle: Win a free book! On a blank piece of paper, write your name, age, and 10 books read between each story time (or print out the book log to fill out). Bring your book log to storytime and enter the raffle. For every 10 books read, enter your name an additional time! The more you read, the more chances you have to win! (Note: books can be read independently, aloud by someone to the child, or an audiobook). Print the log: https://mcceastbay.org/log

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Tafseer of Surah Yaseen
2023-04-02 13:45 - 14:45, 2023-04-09 13:45 - 14:45
Sunday, March 26 | 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. | MCC Conference Room | Join in-person or watch live at mcceastbay.org/live

Every Sunday afternoon, Shaykh Talal will lead us through Surah Yaseen, unfolding the lines, stories, and lessons we can benefit from.

-Sunday, March 26

-Sunday, April 2

-Sunday, April 9

-Sunday, April 16

-More Shaykh Talal: https://mcceastbay.org/talal

Shaykh Talal Ahdab serves on the MA faculty at Zaytuna College. He pursued a rigorous and structured classical curriculum with Islamic authorities, focusing on Islamic theology, epistemology, ontology, language, jurisprudence, and legal theory. Over the last twenty years, he has taught the Islamic disciplines to senior students and professors of Islamic studies. His research interests include exploring how modern challenges can be addressed through Islam’s rich tradition of knowledge and scholarship. Shaykh Talal is fluent in Arabic. Shaykh Talal joined the Zaytuna College faculty in the Fall of 2017.

More Shaykh Talal: https://mcceastbay.org/talal

Tafseer of Surah Yaseen
2023-04-02 13:45 - 14:45, 2023-04-09 13:45 - 14:45
Every Sunday | 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. | MCC Conference Room | Join in-person or watch live at mcceastbay.org/live

Every Sunday afternoon, Shaykh Talal will lead us through Surah Yaseen, unfolding the lines, stories, and lessons we can benefit from.

-More Shaykh Talal: https://mcceastbay.org/talal-Previous sessions: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/tafseer-yaseen

Shaykh Talal Ahdab serves on the MA faculty at Zaytuna College. He pursued a rigorous and structured classical curriculum with Islamic authorities, focusing on Islamic theology, epistemology, ontology, language, jurisprudence, and legal theory. Over the last twenty years, he has taught the Islamic disciplines to senior students and professors of Islamic studies. His research interests include exploring how modern challenges can be addressed through Islam’s rich tradition of knowledge and scholarship. Shaykh Talal is fluent in Arabic. Shaykh Talal joined the Zaytuna College faculty in the Fall of 2017.

More Shaykh Talal: https://mcceastbay.org/talal

Zakat & Fasting for Children
2023-04-02 14:00 - 15:00
Children’s Author Aisha Gray Henry, the charismatic founder of the Ghazali’s Children Project, talks to our children about the timeless teachings of Al Ghazali in this two-part pre-Ramadan workshop series:

April 2: the special things about fasting that you never knew
April 9: a surprise story about how children can participate in Zakat (charity)

Sundays | 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. | Free | Register at mcceastbay.org/ghazali
Sponsored by Fons Vitae and MCC
Watch: ‘Polishing the Heart’ – a major new documentary on the Ghazali Children’s Project documentary and Muslim children’s education.

Trailer: (2 mins) YouTube.com/watch?v=Czwvo-pERRk
Documentary: (29 mins) https://conta.cc/3bHoUh2
https://youtu.be/Sly38fCkeb0
More Sister Virginia Gray Henry: https://mcceastbay.org/aisha

Parents are encouraged to join with their children. Children of any age may join. The sessions are especially recommended for children 6 to 9. Sr. Aisha also highly encourages parents to have “The Book of Knowledge for Children” on hand during these sessions. Purchase the series here.
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf says about this book: “This work can help our Muslim children have a more humane and universal understanding of the ethics and teachings of Islam through Imam al-Ghazali. I believe the work is highly relevant and very likely life-altering for those who will be exposed to it early.”

Watch Sister Aisha’s visit to the MCC Sunday School here.

About the Author
Aisha Gray-Henry is the Founder and Director of the charitable foundation and publishing company Fons Vitae. Fons Vitae is currently engaged in the monumental task of bringing out Ghazali’s Ihya in readable English for parents and teachers as well as adapting it to accommodate children’s workbooks, school curricula, and an instructional DVD. The Book of Knowledge and The Principles of the Creed educational sets are available and in use internationally with Purity and Prayer nearing completion. Included is a children’s interactive website www.GhazaliChildren.org, a pilot school project and prison program. Translations into Urdu, Arabic, and Malay are underway. The Fons Vitae Ghazali Project has been launched with great acclaim in Morocco, Canada, Indonesia, England, and the USA so far.
Who is Al Ghazali?
An alchemist is a person who can create gold from base metals. It is a quest as old as legend. The truth is that alchemy exists, but not of base metals, but of the human heart.
Imam al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE) is probably one of the greatest alchemists of all time. And in an epoch where the human condition is in its direst straits, never more has there been a need for the chemistry of Imam al-Ghazali.
A theologian, jurist, philosopher, mystic and polymath, Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali is not only ranked amongst Islam’s finest scholars, but is one of mankind’s finest students of the human condition. Known as Algazel to the mediaeval world, he was born in Tus, the Khorasan province of ancient Persia.
When he had the academic world at his feet in his early thirties, he spurned fame and fortune to go into a mode of self-denial and spiritual seclusion that lasted for many years.
Already an acknowledged master of Holy Law, he re-entered society a practiced Sufi – a true gnostic. A genius, Imam al-Ghazali was fully proficient in Greek and Roman philosophy, and he debunked its central tenets, proving that Revelation was always going to be superior to human reason. Human thinking could never evolve, he wrote, in an existential vacuum.
It was all of this that prompted him to write his magnus-opus, the Ihya ‘Ulumad-Din (the Revival of the Religious Sciences). It is today regarded as one of the classic works on the human psyche. In the Ihya the author explains step-by-step how to turn one’s base instincts and desires into the golden ideal.
Today’s modern world – devolved of spirituality and fraught with destructive ills such as materialism, multi-national greed and violence – is in need of people like Imam al-Ghazali. This is because Imam al-Ghazali teaches a way to balance the body and the soul, thus allowing us to reconcile modernity with spirituality in its very broadest, and most universal, sense. (Source: Dome Publishers)
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Fasting & Zakat for Children
2023-04-02 14:00 - 15:00
Children’s Author Aisha Gray Henry, the charismatic founder of the Ghazali’s Children Project, talks to our children about the timeless teachings of Al Ghazali in this two-part Ramadan workshop series:

April 2: the special things about fasting that you never knew
April 9: a surprising story about how children can participate in Zakat (charity)

Sundays | 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST| Free | Register at mcceastbay.org/ghazali-workshop
Sponsored by Fons Vitae and MCC
Watch: ‘Polishing the Heart’ – a major new documentary on the Ghazali Children’s Project documentary and Muslim children’s education.

Trailer: (2 mins) YouTube.com/watch?v=Czwvo-pERRk
Documentary: (29 mins) https://conta.cc/3bHoUh2
More Sister Virginia Gray Henry: https://mcceastbay.org/aisha

Parents are encouraged to join their children. Children of any age may join. The sessions are especially recommended for children 6 to 9. Sr. Aisha also highly encourages parents to have “The Book of Knowledge for Children” on hand during these sessions. Purchase the series here.
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf says about this book: “This work can help our Muslim children have a more humane and universal understanding of the ethics and teachings of Islam through Imam al-Ghazali. I believe the work is highly relevant and very likely life-altering for those who will be exposed to it early.”

Watch Sister Aisha’s visit to the MCC Sunday School here.

About the Author
Aisha Gray-Henry is the Founder and Director of the charitable foundation and publishing company Fons Vitae. Fons Vitae is currently engaged in the monumental task of bringing out Ghazali’s Ihya in readable English for parents and teachers and adapting it to accommodate children’s workbooks, school curricula, and an instructional DVD. The Book of Knowledge and The Principles of the Creed educational sets are available and used internationally, with Purity and Prayer nearing completion. Included is a children’s interactive website, HTTP://GhazaliChildren.org, a pilot school project, and a prison program. Translations into Urdu, Arabic, and Malay are underway. The Fons Vitae Ghazali Project has been launched with great acclaim in Morocco, Canada, Indonesia, England, and the USA.
Who is Al Ghazali?
An alchemist is a person who can create gold from base metals. It is a quest as old as legend. The truth is that alchemy exists, but not of base metals, but of the human heart.
Imam al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE) is probably one of the greatest alchemists ever. And in an epoch where the human condition is in its direst straits, never more has there been a need for the chemistry of Imam al-Ghazali.
A theologian, jurist, philosopher, mystic, and polymath, Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali is not only ranked amongst Islam’s finest scholars but is one of mankind’s finest students of the human condition. Known as Algazel to the medieval world, he was born in Tus, the Khorasan province of ancient Persia.
When he had the academic world at his feet in his early thirties, he spurned fame and fortune to go into a mode of self-denial and spiritual seclusion that lasted for many years.
Already an acknowledged master of Holy Law, he re-entered society as a practiced Sufi – a true gnostic. A genius, Imam al-Ghazali was fully proficient in Greek and Roman philosophy, and he debunked its central tenets, proving that Revelation was always going to be superior to human reason. Human thinking could never evolve, he wrote, in an existential vacuum.
All this prompted him to write his magnum opus, the Ihya ‘Ulumad-Din (the Revival of the Religious Sciences). Today, it is regarded as one of the classic works on the human psyche. In the Ihya the author explains how to turn one’s base instincts and desires into the golden ideal.
Today’s modern world – devolved of spirituality and fraught with destructive ills such as materialism, multi-national greed, and violence – needs people like Imam al-Ghazali. This is because Imam al-Ghazali teaches a way to balance the body and soul, thus allowing us to reconcile modernity with spirituality in its broadest and most universal sense. (Source: Dome Publishers)
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Fasting & Zakat for Children
2023-04-02 14:00 - 15:00
Children’s Author Aisha Gray Henry, the charismatic founder of the Ghazali’s Children Project, talks to our children about the timeless teachings of Al Ghazali in this two-part Ramadan workshop series:

April 2: the special things about fasting that you never knew
April 9: a surprising story about how children can participate in Zakat (charity)

Sundays | 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. PSgt| Free | Register at mcceastbay.org/ghazali-workshop
Sponsored by Fons Vitae and MCC
Watch: ‘Polishing the Heart’ – a major new documentary on the Ghazali Children’s Project documentary and Muslim children’s education.

Trailer: (2 mins) YouTube.com/watch?v=Czwvo-pERRk
Documentary: (29 mins) https://conta.cc/3bHoUh2
More Sister Virginia Gray Henry: https://mcceastbay.org/aisha

Parents are encouraged to join their children. Children of any age may join. The sessions are especially recommended for children 6 to 9. Sr. Aisha also highly encourages parents to have “The Book of Knowledge for Children” on hand during these sessions. Purchase the series here.
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf says about this book: “This work can help our Muslim children have a more humane and universal understanding of the ethics and teachings of Islam through Imam al-Ghazali. I believe the work is highly relevant and very likely life-altering for those who will be exposed to it early.”

Watch Sister Aisha’s visit to the MCC Sunday School here.

About the Author
Aisha Gray-Henry is the Founder and Director of the charitable foundation and publishing company Fons Vitae. Fons Vitae is currently engaged in the monumental task of bringing out Ghazali’s Ihya in readable English for parents and teachers and adapting it to accommodate children’s workbooks, school curricula, and an instructional DVD. The Book of Knowledge and The Principles of the Creed educational sets are available and used internationally, with Purity and Prayer nearing completion. Included is a children’s interactive website, HTTP://GhazaliChildren.org, a pilot school project, and a prison program. Translations into Urdu, Arabic, and Malay are underway. The Fons Vitae Ghazali Project has been launched with great acclaim in Morocco, Canada, Indonesia, England, and the USA.
Who is Al Ghazali?
An alchemist is a person who can create gold from base metals. It is a quest as old as legend. The truth is that alchemy exists, but not of base metals, but of the human heart.
Imam al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE) is probably one of the greatest alchemists ever. And in an epoch where the human condition is in its direst straits, never more has there been a need for the chemistry of Imam al-Ghazali.
A theologian, jurist, philosopher, mystic, and polymath, Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali is not only ranked amongst Islam’s finest scholars but is one of mankind’s finest students of the human condition. Known as Algazel to the medieval world, he was born in Tus, the Khorasan province of ancient Persia.
When he had the academic world at his feet in his early thirties, he spurned fame and fortune to go into a mode of self-denial and spiritual seclusion that lasted for many years.
Already an acknowledged master of Holy Law, he re-entered society as a practiced Sufi – a true gnostic. A genius, Imam al-Ghazali was fully proficient in Greek and Roman philosophy, and he debunked its central tenets, proving that Revelation was always going to be superior to human reason. Human thinking could never evolve, he wrote, in an existential vacuum.
All this prompted him to write his magnum opus, the Ihya ‘Ulumad-Din (the Revival of the Religious Sciences). Today, it is regarded as one of the classic works on the human psyche. In the Ihya the author explains how to turn one’s base instincts and desires into the golden ideal.
Today’s modern world – devolved of spirituality and fraught with destructive ills such as materialism, multi-national greed, and violence – needs people like Imam al-Ghazali. This is because Imam al-Ghazali teaches a way to balance the body and soul, thus allowing us to reconcile modernity with spirituality in its broadest and most universal sense. (Source: Dome Publishers)
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Interfaith Iftar: Stories of Moses in the Islamic and Jewish Tradition
2023-04-02 18:00 - 20:30
Please join us this Sunday evening for an Iftar dinner experience as we observe the holy month of Ramadan and help create a better society by learning about the theme “Stories of Moses in the Islamic and Jewish Tradition” with parables and prayers from Imam Sundiata Rashid, who is the leader of a Lighthouse community mosque in Oakland, and Rabbi Larry Milder, who is Rabbi of Congregation Beth Emek in Pleasanton.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Sunday, April 2 | MCC East Bay | Register at: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/interfaith-iftar

Space is limited at this multifaith Iftar. MCC congregation members: please attend ONLY if they accompany a friend, co-worker, or neighbor of another faith or nonfaith.

Iftar means ‘fast-breaking,’ and it is an integral part of the Muslim community’s life during the sacred month of Ramadan. Muslims break their daily Ramadan fast with a community dinner called an “iftar.”

Please RSVP your attendance so we can make sure to have adequate food.

Interfaith Iftar Event Schedule

6 p.m. – Arrival & Socializing and observing the 6 p.m. – Midday Prayer (Asr)

6:30 p.m. – The program begins with Rabbi Larry Milder & Imam Sundiata Rashid (Conference Room)

7:35 p.m. – Call to Prayer and Breaking of Fast (Banquet Fellowship Hall)

7:40 p.m. – Prayer at Sunset in Prayer Hall (Maghrib) followed by Iftar Dinner in Banquet Fellowship Hall

This is the fifth community Iftar in the Tri-Valley.

Here was 2017: “What Ramadan Means to Me:” https://youtu.be/tiJgEJT-DM8

Here was 2018 “Why Faith Matters:” https://youtu.be/5J8rL9Hepog

Here was 2019 “Loving Across the Difference”: https://youtu.be/JzK7JexOxLw

Here was the 2022: “Loving Across the Difference”: https://youtu.be/Hb8_0IUwCBU

The Holy month of Ramadan

“Iftar” is the fast-breaking meal observed each evening at sundown during the holy month of Ramadan. The Interfaith Iftar Dinner allows the whole community to join our Muslim friends for an evening meal as they break their Ramadan fast.

This year, in 2023, the month of Ramadan is even more special because, for the second year, it overlaps with several religious holy days and traditions, including the celebrations of Passover, Easter, Vaisakhi, Mahavir Jayanti, and Theravada New Year. Muslims, Jews, Christians, Baha’is, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, and others will all be practicing their significant religious and cultural traditions around the same time. This overlapping of spring holy days will not happen again until 2054. This convergence is a significant opportunity to remind us of the interconnectedness of our communities, and it’s a chance to recommit to our highest ideals and our goals to build communities where everyone is treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

From Islamic Networks Group (ING):Ramadan Mubarak- Blessed Ramadan!

Ramadan Mubarak or “blessed Ramadan” to all observing the Islamic lunar month of fasting, which begins on March 23rd and lasts until April 20th. Muslims in the US and worldwide commemorate the month–in which Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad–through fasting, prayer, and charity, as well as communal gatherings with family, friends, and neighbors.

ING has a number of free resources on Ramadan for all types of educators, which are being downloaded across the United States, and in Europe and Asia.

Educator and Workplace Resources for Ramadan

Muslims in the US and worldwide will be observing Ramadan, the Islamic lunar month of fasting, from March 23rd to April 20th. ING has a number of free resources for all types of educators about the month and its significance to Muslim Americans:

–Online presentation on “An Overview of Ramadan and Fasting,” which includes a PowerPoint presentation and scripts.

–Ramadan Information Sheet on the purpose of fasting, special activities, and more.

–Seven Steps for Supporting Muslim Employees During Ramadan article by Charterworks.com.

–Religious Practices of Muslim Students in Public Schools webpage, which includes information on prayer, fasting, dietary restrictions, attire, and more.

–Calendar of Important Islamic Dates, including Ramadan, Eid ul-Fitr, and other Muslim holidays.

-ING also offers in-person or virtual presentations and diversity trainings for educators, corporate managers and staff, and healthcare providers.

For Muslim Teens

Online presentation on Ramadan for use by Muslim teens in classroom presentations.

Daily Singles Iftar
2023-04-02 19:25 - 20:00, 2023-04-03 19:25 - 20:00, 2023-04-04 19:25 - 20:00, 2023-04-05 19:25 - 20:00, 2023-04-06 19:25 - 20:00, 2023-04-07 19:25 - 20:00
MCC is honored to host a nightly dinner for all our single brothers & sisters. The Iftar space is gender segregated.

Only on Saturdays, the singles Iftar is suspended and joins the community-wide Iftar.

The singles Iftar space is in the room next to the kitchen. Map: https://mcceastbay.org/facility-map

Singles Iftar registration for the new week opens at noon on Saturdays:

– Starting Wednesday, March 22: RSVP for Thursday, March 23 to Friday, March 31 at https://mcceastbay.org/singles-1

– Starting Saturday, April 1: RSVP for Sunday, April 2 to Friday, April 7 at https://mcceastbay.org/singles-2

– Starting Saturday, April 8: RSVP for Sunday, April 9 to Friday, April 14 at https://mcceastbay.org/singles-3

– Starting Saturday, April 15: RSVP for Sunday, April 16 to Thursday, April 20 at https://mcceastbay.org/singles-4

Food is served in takeout boxes to make it easier to take leftovers home.

Free. Optional donation.

– Ramadan timetable: https://mcceastbay.org/timetable

– More about events and activities in Ramadan 2023 at mcceastbay.org/ramadan

Youth Kahf Recitation
2023-04-07 12:00 - 12:30
Listen to a young MCC Hifz/Advanced Qur’an student studying with Qari Amar Bellaha recite the important Friday Surah al-Kahf with English subtitles at noon each Friday in Ramadan ’23.

– March 24: Muhammed Constantino
– March 31: Muhammad Rasyiid Prihardono
– April 7: Muhriz Munir
– April 14: TBA

These recitations are part of the MCC Mic Check series, which is a teen-initiated effort when a youth in the East Bay expresses their love for the Qur’an by reciting his or her favorite verses with melody and beauty. The series is curated by Muslim Student Association (MSA) at California High School in San Ramon.

– Watch the recitation on YouTube at mcceastbay.org/live
– Watch the recitation on Facebook at mcceastbay.org/facebook
– Mic Check Youth Qur’anic recitations at https://mcceastbay.org/mic-check

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
Reciters in Ramadan ’22:

– Rayhan Ali: https://youtu.be/b8aPeterrE0
– Haanee Badal: https://youtu.be/gVMDtxrfIlw
– Umair Shafi: https://youtu.be/JwRnFcdJ6LM
– Zacharia Hamze: https://youtu.be/BUSLlXwlx3g

Reciters in Ramadan ’21:

– Omar Ali: https://youtu.be/bcAnFhVm1w4
– Ahmed Hussayni: https://youtu.be/6_56HU_Ngow
– Yusra Constantino: https://youtu.be/EIn59jQibTM
– Taha Abdullah: https://youtu.be/eU4K3EKB6cE

Surah al-Kahf (Arabic: الكهف, meaning: The Cave) is the 18th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran with 110 verses (āyāt). It is considered by many to be among the most important Qur’anic Surahs due to its doctrine, spirituality, guidance, and storytelling.
Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said “Whoever recites Surat al-Kahf on Friday will have a light between this Friday and the next.” -As-Sunan al-Kubra

Girls Scouts Troop 30875 Tables @ MCC Jumu’ahs
2023-04-07 13:30 - 16:00
Our little Tri-Valley Muslimahs in Girl Scouts Troop hosted a backpack and toy drives for our community’s most deserving families.

We now sweetly support these young girls: by purchasing cookies for you and your family this Friday. Girl Scout cookies are now halal-certified.

You can also gift a cookie box to needy families served by the MCC Food Pantry by purchasing a box after Jumu’ah and placing the cookies in the Toy bin in the MCC lobby. The cookies will be gifted from parents of Zakat-eligible families to their children on Eid morning.

MCC supports our Girl Scouts Troops that we proudly host in their annual cookie sales to support educational programming, community projects, and more.

Help the Girls Scouts fulfill their tradition of giving back to the community while expanding their experiences as leaders, entrepreneurs, and explorers by supporting their cookie sales.

Questions? girl-scouts@mcceastbay.org

Three Jumu’ah Services @ MCC
2023-04-07 13:30 - 16:00
For our Jumu’ah services on Friday, April 7, masks are optional to attend any MCC service, and no RSVP is necessary:

1:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. – INDOOR ONLY

– Dr. Hatem Bazian delivers this sermon.

– No social distancing option in Prayer Hall (shoulder-to-shoulder). Social distance worship is available for women in Banquet Hall & men in Conference Room.

2:30 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. – INDOOR ONLY

– Br. Mohammed Abdul Baseer delivers this sermon.

– No social distancing option in Prayer Hall (shoulder-to-shoulder). Social distance worship is available for women in Banquet Hall & men in Conference Room.

3:40 p.m. – 4 p.m. – INDOOR ONLY

– Hafiz Sami Rehman delivers this sermon.

– No social distancing option in Prayer Hall (shoulder-to-shoulder). Social distance worship is available for women in Banquet Hall and men in Conference Room.

Please attend at 2:30 or 3:40 p.m. to avoid heavier first-service congestion whenever possible. Masks are optional.

Jumu’ah parking for three services is in the MCC and the neighboring HP lot. The aerial map at https://mcceastbay.org/hp

– Virtually watch these three sermons from home: https://mcceastbay.org/live

– More Dr. Hatem: https://mcceastbay.org/hatem

– More Br. Abdul Baseer: https://mcceastbay.org/mohammed

– More Hafiz Sami: https://mcceastbay.org/sami

For parents attending with young children indoors, MCC offers private mothers’ and fathers’ rooms 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 is just past the Banquet Hall doors into the school area.

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

The Alameda County Health Department reports COVID-19 cases are still happening. We remain indoors for the five daily prayers and three Jumu’ah services as long as health officials deem it safe. All the Jumu’ah prayers are indoors in the MCC Prayer Hall. Learn more at https://mcceastbay.org/prayer

Hatem Bazian is a co-founder and Professor of Islamic Law and Theology at Zaytuna College, the 1st Accredited Muslim Liberal Arts College in the United States. In addition, Prof. Bazian is a lecturer in the Departments of Near Eastern and Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Bazian between 2002-2007, also served as an adjunct professor of law at Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. He teaches courses on Islamic Law and Society, Islam in America: Communities and Institutions, De-Constructing Islamophobia and Othering of Islam, Religious Studies, and Middle Eastern Studies. In addition to Berkeley, Prof. Bazian served as a visiting Professor in Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California 2001-2007 and adviser to the Religion, Politics and Globalization Center at UC Berkeley. In Spring 2009, Prof. Bazian founded at Berkeley the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at the Center for Race and Gender, a research unit dedicated to the systematic study of Othering Islam and Muslims. Prof. Bazian in Spring 2012 launched the Islamophobia Studies Journal, which is published bi-annually through a collaborative effort between the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project of the Center for Race and Gender at the University of California at Berkeley, the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Initiative for the School of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University; the Center for Islamic Studies at the Graduate Theological Union, the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding at the University of South Australia, and Zaytuna College. In addition to academic work, Dr, Bazian is a weekly columnist for the Turkish Daily Sabah Newspaper and Turkey Agenda online magazine. Dr. Bazian is founder and national Chair of American Muslims for Palestine, board member of the Islamic Scholarship Fund, Muslim Legal Fund of America, President of Dollar for Deen Charity, and Chair of Northern California Islamic Council.

Mohammed Abdul Baseer is an engineer and a former president of Islamic Society of East Bay (ISEB) in Fremont. He has been active in the Bay Area Muslim community for since the early 1990s. Br. Baseer and his family live in Fremont.

Youth Halaqa & Iftar
2023-04-07 18:00 - 21:30
For our middle and high school girls & boys (ages 12 to 18), please join us on the first three Fridays in Ramadan for a program just for you: pray Asr in the congregation, listen to a special guest youth halaqa speaker, and enjoy a yummy dinner for Iftar.
Stick around and pray Isha/Taraweeh at 9:15 p.m.
Pre-halaqa attendance is required. Teens may not come for Iftar only.

– Friday, March 24: 5:45 p.m. Asr prayer, check-in at 6 p.m., halaqa begins at 6:15 p.m. Maghrib at 7:27 p.m.RSVP at https://mcceastbay.org/youth-1 (opens on Wed., March 22)
– Friday, March 31: 6 p.m. Asr prayer, check-in at 6:15 p.m., halaqa begins at 6:30 p.m. Maghrib at 7:33 p.m.RSVP at https://mcceastbay.org/youth-2 (opens on Sunday, March 26)
– Friday, April 7: 6 p.m. Asr prayer, check-in at 6:15 p.m.. halaqa begins at 6:30 p.m.; Maghrib at 7:39 p.m.RSVP at https://mcceastbay.org/youth-3 (opens on Sunday, April 2)

The schedule is:

5:45 p.m. – Asr prayer in Prayer Hall
6 p.m. – Check-in begins and teens take a seat in the Conference Room
6:15 p.m. – Halaqa begins in the Conference Room

Check-in / icebreaker
Fiqh of Fasting Workshop (1 hour)
Q&A (10 mins)

~7:25 pm (maghrib: 7:30) Teens go into the banquet hall
~7:40 p.m. – Iftar
8:15 p.m. – Jeopardy game based on fasting workshop
9 p.m. – Isha & Youth Taraweeh
10 p.m. – Group dhikr: istighfar and salawat -Discussion circles –Setting goals during Ramadan -Popcorn du’a

Nominal $5/youth cost to have an accurate number of attendees. MCC has a standing policy that financial need should never hold a person back from attending any event held at MCC. For a code, please message scholarship@mcceastbay.org.
Iftar times in Ramadan 2023 at mcceastbay.org/timetable
The youth halaqa is held in the MCC Conference Room. The Iftars are held in the Banquet Hall.
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Youth Qiyam
2023-04-07 23:15 - 2023-04-08 06:00
For our middle and high school girls & boys (ages 12 to 18), please join us post-Taraweeh prayers for a special night of brotherhood and sisterhood open to all youth. We’ll start with reflections, discussion, and prayer throughout the night. We’ll end with complementary suhoor & Fajr prayer.

Friday, April 7 | 11:15 p.m. to 6 a.m. | Conference Room | In person only | Register at HTTP://mcceastbay.org/youth-qiyam

*Once registration is full, please join the waitlist*

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Kids' Ramadan Craft Activities
2023-04-08 13:30
For ages 4 to 12, join Sister Emira Mustafa for craft-filled Saturday afternoons this Ramadan where our kids create beautiful Ramadan crafts.

Saturdays, March 25th, April 1st, 8th & 15th | 1:30 p.m. | Ages 4 to 12 | Conference Room | $25/session or $90 for all four | Register at mcceastbay.org/ramadan-kids

Activities on Saturday, March 25th:

– 30 Acts of Kindness Challenge

Activities on Saturday, April 1st:

– Moon Phases Ramadan Decorations

Activities on Saturday, April 8th:

– Framed Copper Embossing

Activities on Saturday, April 15th:

– Eid Mubarak Door Wreath or Wooden Plaque Sign

These are parent-and-me activities. Parents are required to stay and monitor children throughout the event. Only registered children receive materials for the projects. Sessions are capped at 100 children per session.

Note: No refunds due to the purchase of materials specific to each program. Otherwise, seat may be transferred.

MCC has a standing policy that financial need should never hold a person back from attaining spiritual or practical knowledge from any event or class held within the community center. To request a financial waiver, message scholarship@mcceastbay.org

About the Facilitator:

Sister Emira Mustafa is the founder of Craft E Muslims, a business with a mission to creatively connect the heart and mind through fun innovative methods.

She has published two workbooks available on Amazon titled “Islamic Themed Fall Festival Activity Kit” and “Practically Preparing for Ramadan.” Her Etsy page features many Islamic-themed crafting kits sure to inspire a love of learning within our community.

Here is one of her crafting videos on how to make a Rustic Eid Twinkle Light Banner: https://youtu.be/J8xIJOTy5dM

– More Sr. Emira: https://mcceastbay.org/emira

– More sessions for young Muslim children: https://mcceastbay.org/children

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Community Iftar
2023-04-08 19:20 - 21:00
For the first three Saturdays in Ramadan, join your fasting brothers and sisters for MCC’s community iftar and stay afterward for worship. Limited space. RSVP is required for this Iftar (registration opens Saturday prior to each iftar).
Come join us to pray and break bread in the community. Capped at 300 guests each week.
A nominal $3/person registration is required so that we can have the right amount of food available. Please join the waitlist once the Iftar goes full.
*Children under the age of 5 do not need a ticket.*
MCC is a green masjid. Please bring your own water bottles to reduce the use of disposable cups.
Please cancel your RSVP at any time if you cannot make the Iftar so your fasting brother & sister can join us. Message operations@mccastbay.org

– Saturday, March 25: Register at https://mcceastbay.org/iftar-1 (opens at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22nd)
– Saturday, April 1: Register at https://mcceastbay.org/iftar-2 (opens at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 26th)
– Saturday, April 8: Register at https://mcceastbay.org/iftar-3 (opens at 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 2nd)

MCC has a standing policy that financial need should never hold a person back from attending its events and actitvities. To request a financial waiver to attend, please message scholarship@mcceastbay.org
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Ramadan Weekly Storytime on Sundays | Khala Sahar
2023-04-09 13:00 - 14:00
Every Sunday in Ramadan, Khala Sahar reads and entertains our young children in an engaging hour for ages 2 to 10 with a fun Islamic theme.1 p.m. to 2 p.m. | Sundays, 3/26, 4/2, 4/9, & 4/16 | Conference Room | Join in-person or watch online at https://mcceastbay.org/live | Free; no registration needed

RAMADAN WEEKLY STORYTIME ON SUNDAYS!

Sunday, March 26, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 2, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 9, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 16, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

*PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DAY IN RAMADAN*RAMADAN BOOK DRIVE

Please help us give back to children and families most in need in our community. We will collect new Islamic children’s books to give as Eid gifts. Drop off at MCC storytime.

– More Sister Sahar: https://mcceastbay.org/sahar

– More sessions for young Muslim children: https://mcceastbay.org/children

About the Facilitator

Sister Sahar grew up in Southern California and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California – Irvine (UCI). She went on to work as a behavioral therapist for autistic children for many years. After having her own two boys, she dedicated her time to raising and homeschooling them. Sahar enjoys working with children and is inspired by their love and curiosity for life and Allah’s creation.

Khala Sahar’s Book Raffle: Win a free book! On a blank piece of paper, write your name, age, and 10 books read between each story time (or print out the book log to fill out). Bring your book log to storytime and enter the raffle. For every 10 books read, enter your name an additional time! The more you read, the more chances you have to win! (Note: books can be read independently, aloud by someone to the child, or an audiobook). Print the log: https://mcceastbay.org/log

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Fasting & Zakat for Children
2023-04-09 14:30 - 15:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5uOcNKO-5ou0026feature=youtu.be

*Please note the time change for this Sunday. The session will begin at 2:30 p.m. PST.*
Children’s Author Aisha Gray Henry, the charismatic founder of the Ghazali’s Children Project, talks to our children about the timeless teachings of Al Ghazali in this two-part Ramadan workshop series:

April 2: the special things about fasting that you never knew
April 9: a surprising story about how children can participate in Zakat (charity)

Sundays | 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST | Free | Register at mcceastbay.org/ghazali-workshop
Sponsored by Fons Vitae and MCC East Bay.
Watch: ‘Polishing the Heart’ – a major new documentary on the Ghazali Children’s Project documentary and Muslim children’s education.

Trailer: (2 mins) YouTube.com/watch?v=Czwvo-pERRk
Documentary: (29 mins) https://conta.cc/3bHoUh2
More Sister Virginia Gray Henry: https://mcceastbay.org/aisha

Parents are encouraged to join their children. Children of any age may join. The sessions are especially recommended for children 6 to 9. Sr. Aisha also highly encourages parents to have “The Book of Knowledge for Children” on hand during these sessions. Purchase the series here.
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf says about this book: “This work can help our Muslim children have a more humane and universal understanding of the ethics and teachings of Islam through Imam al-Ghazali. I believe the work is highly relevant and very likely life-altering for those who will be exposed to it early.”

Watch Sister Aisha’s visit to the MCC Sunday School here.

About the Author
Aisha Gray-Henry is the Founder and Director of the charitable foundation and publishing company Fons Vitae. Fons Vitae is currently engaged in the monumental task of bringing out Ghazali’s Ihya in readable English for parents and teachers and adapting it to accommodate children’s workbooks, school curricula, and an instructional DVD. The Book of Knowledge and The Principles of the Creed educational sets are available and used internationally, with Purity and Prayer nearing completion. Included is a children’s interactive website, HTTP://GhazaliChildren.org, a pilot school project, and a prison program. Translations into Urdu, Arabic, and Malay are underway. The Fons Vitae Ghazali Project has been launched with great acclaim in Morocco, Canada, Indonesia, England, and the USA.
Who is Al Ghazali?
An alchemist is a person who can create gold from base metals. It is a quest as old as legend. The truth is that alchemy exists, but not of base metals, but of the human heart.
Imam al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE) is probably one of the greatest alchemists ever. And in an epoch where the human condition is in its direst straits, never more has there been a need for the chemistry of Imam al-Ghazali.
A theologian, jurist, philosopher, mystic, and polymath, Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali is not only ranked amongst Islam’s finest scholars but is one of mankind’s finest students of the human condition. Known as Algazel to the medieval world, he was born in Tus, the Khorasan province of ancient Persia.
When he had the academic world at his feet in his early thirties, he spurned fame and fortune to go into a mode of self-denial and spiritual seclusion that lasted for many years.
Already an acknowledged master of Holy Law, he re-entered society as a practiced Sufi – a true gnostic. A genius, Imam al-Ghazali was fully proficient in Greek and Roman philosophy, and he debunked its central tenets, proving that Revelation was always going to be superior to human reason. Human thinking could never evolve, he wrote, in an existential vacuum.
All this prompted him to write his magnum opus, the Ihya ‘Ulumad-Din (the Revival of the Religious Sciences). Today, it is regarded as one of the classic works on the human psyche. In the Ihya the author explains how to turn one’s base instincts and desires into the golden ideal.
Today’s modern world – devolved of spirituality and fraught with destructive ills such as materialism, multi-national greed, and violence – needs people like Imam al-Ghazali. This is because Imam al-Ghazali teaches a way to balance the body and soul, thus allowing us to reconcile modernity with spirituality in its broadest and most universal sense. (Source: Dome Publishers)
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Fourth-Annual Special Needs Iftar
2023-04-09 18:15 - 20:30
For San Francisco Bay Area families raising children with special needs, join us for MCC’s fourth-annual Iftar.

6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. | Sunday, April 9 | Register at: https://mcceastbay.org/special-iftar

Schedule:

– 6:15 p.m. – Asr prayer

– 6:30 p.m. – Pre-Iftar halaqa in Conference Room with Br. Ahmed Alkubaisi, and Br. Abdullah Mojaddidi.

– 7:20 p.m. – Walk out to the Banquet Hall to socialize and reflect before breaking the fast with dates.

– 7:41 p.m. – Maghrib prayer in Prayer Hall

– 7:54 p.m. – Iftar in Banquet Hall

– 9:15 p.m. – Isha/Taraweeh prayers

Questions? help@mcceastbay.org

– More Muhsen co-sponsored events at MCC: https://mcceastbay.org/muhsen

Learn more about how we are privileged to accommodate our special needs community: https://mcceastbay.org/accommodating-disabilities

Parents/caregivers took a break to socialize and learn about resources while all our special-needs guests received personalized one-on-one attention with MCC youth. The panelists are Br. Ahmed Alkubaisi and Br. Abdullah Mojaddedi.

Alhamdulillah, since 2017, the MCC East Bay has been proud to be the first masjid on the West Coast to be certified as special-needs friendly. In 2019, MCC East Bay became the first gold-certified masjid in California. We are working hard now to become the first platinum-certified masjid on the West Coast.

Watch an event recap of a prior special needs event: https://youtu.be/gOWgE2aS3gc

This Iftar is in partnership with Muhsen.

Questions or accommodation requests? Contact us at help@mcceastbay.org

Below is a list of practices that are approved and endorsed by MUHSEN (Muslims Understanding and Helping Special Education Needs) in order to facilitate inclusion and accommodation at MCC events for individuals and families with special needs.

– Accommodations for separate registration or check-in lines to avoid long wait times

– Nearby accessible parking accommodations

– Ample aisle space in halls/venues to maneuver wheelchairs in and out

– Sign Language Interpreter for programs

– Accessible seating near front and sides of hall with ease of access

– Front of hall reserved, designated seating specifically for guests who are Deaf to see ASL Interpreter

– Ramp/lifts/elevators provided throughout the venue as appropriate including the stage

– Specialized childcare arrangements for children with disabilities provided by capable, trained volunteers

– Captions on media/videos shown where ASL Interpreter is not available

– Ushering for guests with special needs

MUHSEN Ramadan 2022 Volunteer Sign up:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHiuyK2n2XO8bkxSjjAO_IgN_hQ5V5DMJWEI3TsPNja3oHBw/viewform?usp=sf_link
