MCC East Bay

Deceptive Desires | Weekly Series with Sidi Shahryar Abbasi
2021-04-07 19:00 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Food, sex, money, fame, power and praise.
Leading into Ramadan ‘21, join Sidi Shahryar Abbasi for 30 minutes every Wednesday evening as he explores one natural desire inside you and he outlines spiritual and practical methods to curb that desire and channel your energies in the right direction.
7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. | Wednesdays | February 3 to April 7 | Watch at https://mcceastbay.org/live and watch past series recordings at https://mcceastbay.org/desires

More Sidi Shahryar: https://mcceastbay.org/shahryar
Sidi Shahryar’s “Real Talk Series”: https://mcceastbay.org/real-talk
Sidi Shahryar’s “Traits of the Righteous” Series: https://mcceastbay.org/hallmark

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

RSVP for Outdoor Jumu'ah
2021-04-09 13:30 - 13:50 | MCC East Bay, 5724 W Las Positas Blvd #300, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, United States
RSVP for a prayer spot at the outdoor MCC Jumu’ah on Friday, April 9:

First service: 1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Second service: 2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Third service: 3:40 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Ustadh Parvez Ahmed leads the first and second Friday prayer services and Hafiz Zaid Khanani leads the third service.
Registration is limited to 100 outdoor Jumu’ah spots. Registration opens to all promptly at 5 p.m. each Thursday.

RSVP for the outdoor prayer services:

1:30 p.m. Jumu’ah: https://mcceastbay.org/jumuah-1
2:30 p.m. Jumu’ah: https://mcceastbay.org/jumuah-2
3:40 p.m. Jumu’ah: https://mcceastbay.org/jumuah-3

Watch the three sermons live from home: https://mcceastbay.org/live
More Ustadh Parvez: https://mcceastbay.org/parvez
More Hafiz Zaid: https://mcceastbay.org/zaid-khanani

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
Alameda County is in the red tier, which means widespread and rapid COVID-19 cases are still happening.
We remain cautiously outdoors for the five daily prayers and three outdoor Jumu’ah services (weather permitting). Learn more at https://mcceastbay.org/reopening
We limit the number of worshipers at each service. Please give a chance to another brother & sister to attend if you’ve been fortunate to attend these popular outdoor Friday prayers in recent weeks.
You may forfeit your prayer spot if you do not arrive in the MCC parking lot when the sermon begins promptly at 1:30 p.m./2:30 p.m./3:40 p.m. each Friday.

Eid Toy Drive
2021-04-10 09:00 - 13:00
Please help us spread cheer to families in need during this blessed time by donating new unwrapped gifts (in person or online) to the MCC Girl Scouts’ 4th Annual Toy Drive.
Prior to Eid ul-Fitr ’21, our wonderful MCC Girl Scout troops will wrap and deliver the presents to 340 children of Muslim families in the East Bay who have recently received Zakat/Sadaqa and if possible, an additional 360 children of families who receive regular food rations from the MCC Pantry.
There are four ways to bring a smile to a child’s face this Eid:

Drop off toys/gift cards to MCC every Saturday (through May 1st) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Ship to MCC via our Amazon wish list at https://mcceastbay.org/wishlist
Ship toys/gift cards from any online retailer to: MCC Girl Scouts, 5724 W. Las Positas Blvd., #300, Pleasanton, CA 94588
Donate using at https://mcceastbay.org/drive-donations (secure link) or drop off cash/checks (made out to “Girl Scouts”) marked “Toy Drive” to the MCC office or during Saturday hours listed above.*

For children 1 – 16 years of age, please consider donating new unwrapped toys and for children 16 – 18 years old please consider a gift card (which can be marked Toy Drive and left with the MCC office) or other options suitable for teens.
Please avoid:

Clothing
Dollar store or similar quality toys
Electronics or electronic accessories requiring children to have access to a particular device
Toys of violent nature (guns, swords etc.)
Toys that may be construed as having an inappropriate nature

Keep in mind we are hoping to share gifts that these children may not typically have access to.
If you donate a toy that needs batteries, please attach a set to the toy.
*MCC Girl Scouts will use funds collected to purchase toys or wrapping supplies for the drive. Any extra funds received will be used for school supplies for the same group of children for the next school year.
Questions for Girl Scouts Troops 30875 and 32705? girl-scouts@mcceastbay.org

Ramadan Recipe Demo
2021-04-10 13:00 - 13:15
This Ramadan, let’s resolve to spend less time in the kitchen and more time in worship.
Learn how to prepare and freeze these simple recipes for use in the holy month.

March 20: Beef patties (Galawati Kebab)
March 27: Beef samosa
April 3: Chicken spring rolls
April 10: Meat balls (koftay)

1 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Saturdays leading into Ramadan ’21
Watch live as part of ‘Ramadan at Home’ series at mceastbay.org/live

Full recipes will be posted at https://mcceastbay.org/recipes
More Sr. Aalia: https://mcceastbay.org/aalia

Sr. Aalia Muzaffar is on a lifelong journey to cook wholesome and tasty food for her loved ones. She shares her passion virtually leading into this holy month by demonstrating Iftar meals that are nutritious and delicious, but also quick and freezable so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time on your spiritual development this Ramadan.
Sr. Aalia video blogs about her favorite recipes on her YouTube channel Aalia’s Kitchen at https://mcceastbay.org/aalia-kitchen She loves to teach simple recipes and techniques to community members who are reticent about trying their hand in the kitchen.

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Ramadan Ready For Women: Fiqh of Fasting and Nutrition
2021-04-11 10:00 - 13:00
Sisters: Join our esteemed panel of speakers for a three-hour session to prepare for Ramadan.
Dr. Rania Awaad opens the session followed by three simultaneous sessions: Maliki Fiqh with Ustadha Mona Elzankaly, Hanafi Fiqh with Ustadha Shaista Maqbool, and Shafi Fiqh with Ustadha Dr. Rania Awaad.
After a short break, the program resume with a special session on nutrition and exercise in Ramadan with Holistic Health Coach and Prophetic Tibb Student Iman Salam, of Afiya Live Well.
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Sunday, April 11 | Free for Women Only | Register at mcceastbay.org/ramadan-ready
Sponsored by The Rahmah Foundation & MCC East Bay
Ustadha Mona Elzankaly

Born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in Southern California, Ustadha Mona Elzankaly graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics in 1994.
In 1998 Ustadha Mona began seeking sacred knowledge at the Zaytuna Institute in Hayward CA. She later traveled internationally seeking sacred knowledge. She has studied under many eminent scholars such as Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Khatri, Shaykh Abd Allah b. Bayyah, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, Shaykh Salik b. Siddina, Imam Zaid Shakir, Habib Umar b. Hafiz, Habib Ali al-Jifri and other scholars from Syria, Yemen and Egypt.
Ustadha Mona obtained different Ijaazahs in Tajwid, different books of hadith, Aqidah, and Maliki Fiqh. In 2008 She completed the four-year Zaytuna Seminary pilot program and received a baccalaureate degree in Islamic Studies. In 2014 she completed a four-year Islamic Shari’a program at al-Azhar University in Cairo Egypt.
Ustadha Mona began teaching in 2002 both privately and publicly. She has taught for Zaytuna Institute, Sisters Deen Intensive, Dar al-Zahra, The Rahmah Foundation and Meadows of al-Mustafa. She currently teaches at The Rahmah Foundation FOH program, and Nur al-Iman an Islamic studies program for ladies.

Ustadha Shaista Maqbool

Ustadha Shaista was born and raised in New York, America. She started her studies as a teenager in Queens, New York. She then travelled to Damascus, Syria where she spent ten years studying Arabic along with a range of other religious sciences such as Fiqh, Seerah, Tafseer, Hadith and ‘Aqeedah. Ustadha Shaista was blessed with the opportunity to study with some of the most illustrious scholars of our time such as Shaykh Samir Al-Nass, Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, Shaykh Muhammad al-Jum’uah, Shaykh Mazeen Bakeer and Shaykh Na’eem al-Arqsusi. She is licensed in tajweed from the late Shaykh Abul-Hassan al-Kurdi (may Allah have mercy on him).
She has studied the Shafi’i and Maliki schools, though her specialty is in the Hanafi school.
She is an expert in the Fiqh of menstruation in the Hanafi school (known to be one of the most difficult chapters in fiqh) which she would teach in Syria to other Arab students as well as the wives of her shuyukh.

Ustadha Dr. Rania Awaad

Rania Awaad, M.D. is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she is the Director of the Muslim Mental Health Lab and Wellness Program and Director of the Diversity Clinic. She pursued her psychiatric residency training at Stanford where she also completed a postdoctoral clinical research fellowship with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Her research and clinical work are focused on the mental health needs of Muslims. Her courses at Stanford range from teaching a pioneering course on Islamic Psychology, instructing medical students and residents on implicit bias and integrating culture and religion into medical care to teaching undergraduate and graduate students the psychology of xenophobia. Her most recent academic publications include an edited volume on “Islamophobia and Psychiatry” (Springer, 2019) and upcoming texts on Islamic Psychology (Routledge, 2020) and Muslim Mental Health. She has also produced a toolkit, fact sheet, CME course, and is now editing a clinical textbook on Muslim mental health for the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Awaad is particularly passionate about uncovering the historical roots of mental health care in the Islamic intellectual heritage. Through her outreach work at Stanford, she is also the Clinical Director of the San Francisco Bay Area branches of the Khalil Center, a spiritual wellness center pioneering the application of traditional Islamic spiritual healing methods to modern clinical psychology. She has been the recipient of several awards and grants for her work. Prior to studying medicine, she pursued classical Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria and holds certifications (ijaza) in Qur’an, Islamic Law and other branches of the Islamic Sciences. Dr. Awaad has also served as the first female Professor of Islamic Law at Zaytuna College, a Muslim Liberal Arts College in Berkeley, CA where she taught courses on Shafi’i Fiqh and Women’s Fiqh and Qur’anic sciences for nearly a decade. In addition, she serves as the Director of The Rahmah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Muslim women and girls. At Rahmah, she oversees the Murbiyyah spiritual mentoring program for girls. Dr. Awaad is a nationally recognized speaker, award-winning teacher, researcher and author in both the Islamic and medical sciences.
Follow her on Instagram at Dr.RaniaAwaad
More Dr. Rania: https://mcceastbay.org/rania

Iman Salam
Iman Salam is a practicing Nutrition Consultant, Holistic Health Coach, and a student in Eastern Medicine. She thrives on creating the ideal health plan to meet wellness goals. While living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she received a Diploma in Preventative Health & Nutrition, Executive Master’s in Preventive Health and Nutrition, and became a certified Health Coach as well as a certified Personal Trainer. Living abroad helped give her a broad outlook on the role wellbeing has on our lives.
Her philosophy embraces the sacred traditions of wellness, revolving around living well, being well, and eating well. She truly believes the key to success is being mindful of one’s wellbeing. Her aim is to help folks navigate between foods that heal and foods that harm. She loves teaching others the fun and ease in being able to understand how each individual body works. She has developed a wellness program that promotes insightful health and sustainable actions to achieve the best self. Learn more about her https://www.afiyalivewell.com

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Thrive This Ramadan | Sidi Shahryar Abbasi
2021-04-11 18:00 - 19:30
Join us in a judgment free zone to help us all thrive this Ramadan no matter where we are at on our spiritual journey. This pre-Ramadan session is geared towards teens and young professionals.
Let’s face it: Ramadan can be tough. Many times it is hard to go from our regular lives full of school and work to days full of fasting and worship.
Whether it’s figuring out how to navigate long hours of studying or work, or how to resist gossiping with your friends at school, join Sidi Shahryar as we discuss practical ways to not just survive this Ramadan but to truly spiritually thrive. There will be time for Q&A inshAllah as well.
6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, April 11 | Watch at https://mcceastbay.org/live
Join Sidi Shahryar Abbasi for an open conversation to help us navigate any challenge we are facing – whether we are struggling with smoking and drinking or with praying and reading the Qur’an. We will cover:

Having the right mindset: How we can get the most out of this Ramadan given the circumstances

Light fiqh review: How to ensure we are fasting in a way that’s pleasing to Allah

Getting on the path to repentance and change: Practical steps we can take to seek Allah’s forgiveness for our actions

Spiritually cleansing our hearts: How to cleanse our hearts from bad traits, and our mind from bad images and lustful desires

Getting rid of bad habits: How to wean ourselves from excessive use of NetFlix, Hulu, Tiktok. Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Whats App

Managing our time: How to have a good schedule while at home and juggling lots of responsibilities

This is a judgement free zone! Please join this virtual chat regardless of where you at on your spiritual journey, learn spiritual insights to overcome your challenges, and learn ways to have a great holy month.

– More Sidi Shahryar: https://mcceastbay.org/shahryar
– 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 “Controlling Your Desires” Series: https://mcceastbay.org/desires

Shahryar graduated from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and served as the External Affairs Vice President of UC Berkeley’s student government. He is an experienced speaker, mentor, and coach. Learn more about him at The Success Company: https://www.successcompany.co/about-us
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org
