Send address corrections to:Muslim Community Center4380 North Elston AvenueChicago, IL. 60641Phone: (773) 725-9047Fax: (773) 725-1616

Membership Questions:tahirsyedali@yahoo.com

Muslim Community Center4380 North Elston AvenueChicago, IL. 60641

www.mccchicago.org

Illinois All Kids Program AcceptedA wide range of authentic Pakistani cuisine.

2502 W Devon,Chicago IL, 60659

E-mail: info@sabrinihari.com

Phone: (773) 465-3272Phone: (773) 465-0899Phone: (773) 743-6200Fax: 773-465-0095

“Here at Sabri Nihari, we strive to serve top quality experience.”

3 Angels Home HealthFarhan Siddique

Administratortypes of servicesSkilled Nursing CarePhysical TherapyOccupational TherapyRespiratory TherapyIV Administration/InfusionDiabetic/Insulin ManagementMedical/Post Surgical CareNutritional SupportMedical Social WorkerHome Health Aides

contact information6429 Dempster St.

Morton Grove, IL 60053Off: 847-581-1400Fax: 847-581-1402Cell: 847-361-5803

www.3angelshomehealth.com, Farhan@3ahh.com

(Continued on second page)

Glenbrook Montessori is an academic preschool and kindergarten (fully accredited by American Montessori Society for children ages 2½ to 6 years). We are committed to offer a quality education at an affordable price.

Registration Open Owned and operated by Muslim educators

Phone: 847-503-9009Web: www.glenbrookmontessori.comEmail: glenbrookmontessori@gmail.com3217 Springdale Avenue, Glenview, IL 60025

The MessageThe MessageA Publication of The Muslim Community Center, Chicago, IL

Ayah of the Month“My Lord, make me steadfast in Salah, and my offspring as well. And, Our Lord grant my prayer. Our Lord forgive me and my parents and all believers on the day when reckoning shall take place.” Surah Ibrahim [14:40-41]

Hadith of the MonthThe Prophet (S) said, “The year is of twelve months, out of which four months are sacred: Three are in succession Dhul-Qa’da, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab...” Narrated by Al-Bukhari

President’s MessageDear Brothers and Sisters,

Assalamu alaikum

Eid Mubarak to all of you. I pray that Allah (SWT) bring peace, His blessings, health and happiness in your lives. Our Hujjaj have started their journey back. May Allah (SWT) accept their Hajj and they are coming back as innocent as a newly born child!

By now you all have heard the sad news of many Hujaaj losing their lives in a stampede during Hajj. Please pray that Allah (SWT) gives them a high place in paradise.

At this occasion of Eid, I want to share with you good news. Finally the immigration department has approved the case of Imam Mufti Nazim Mangera and very soon he will be joining us as MCC Imam. He is an energetic young Imam and will be an asset for our youth. When he comes, we will introduce him to the community. After a long time, MCC will have its Imam inshaAllah. We will give him our full support so that he adjusts himself in MCC community for the long term.

We are having a first of its kind, “Open Mosque Day” at both centers, MCC and MEC on October 4. This program is being arranged in collaboration with CIOGC and Gain Peace and will be run simultaneously at the same time at both Centers. The Mosque will be open to our non-Muslim neighbors to learn about Islam and Muslims. Our dedicated teams at both centers are making full preparations. The tours

Vol. 46a • No. 10 Dhul-Hijjah, 1436 - Muharram, 1437 October 2015

Languages spoken: English, Spanish, Arabic, Urdu and Hindi

Benjamin Eye Care Center5201 S. Willow Springs Rd., Suite 280

La Grange, Il 60525 Phone: 708-354-2008

Fax: 708-354-2092www.BENJAMINEYECARE.com

-Immigration Law; Marriage/Family Based/Adjustment of StatusFiance(e)/Spouse Petition (K-1 and K-3 Visas). Citizenship. Professional Workers/H-1B & Perm-Divorce-Bankruptcy-Accidents/Personal Injury

Welcome Hijra New Year 1437!

Muslim Boy, 14, Detained for Making

Clock Mistaken for BombPolice detained a 14-year-old Muslim boy after a teacher at his North Texas high school decided that a homemade clock he proudly brought to class looked like a bomb, according to school and police officials. The family of Ahmed Mohamed said the boy was suspended for three days from MacArthur High School in the Dallas suburb of Irving after taking the clock to class on Monday.The boy makes his own radios, repairs his own go-kart and on Sunday spent about 20 minutes before bedtime assembling a clock using a circuit board, power supply wired to a digital display and other items, The Dallas Morning News reported.

On Monday, Ahmed showed the clock to his engineering teacher and then another teacher after the clock, which was in his backpack, beeped during class. That teacher told him that it looked like a bomb, the newspaper reported. Ahmed was later pulled from class and brought before the principal and Irving police officers for questioning. The school district said in a

Ahmed Mohamed

statement that Ahmed was detained by police. Irving police spokesman James McLellan told the Morning News that police are determining whether to file a charge of making a hoax bomb.“He just wants to invent good things for mankind,” Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, told the newspaper. “But because his name is Mohamed and because of Sept. 11, I think my son got mistreated.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is reviewing the matter. “This all raises a red flag for us: how Irving’s government entities are operating in the current climate,” said Alia Salem, executive director of the council’s North Texas chapter.

From Canadian Press - BC Local News, The Associated Press: http://www.quesnelobserver.com/national/327892131.html

In related stories, Ahmed Mohamed withdrew from the MacArthur High School that suspended him. The Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg invited him to visit the corporate office. Ahmed Mohamed was a “VIP” at Google Science Fair and also met Google co-founder Sergey Brin. And President Obama congratulated Ahmed over the invention and invited him to the White House.

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MCC Publications CommitteeInterim ChairJaved BhattyContributing EditorAsea QidwaiLayout EditorNajah Bhatty

The Message is a monthly publication of the Muslim Community Center that provides a forum for members to engage with the administration, organization, and activities of MCC/MEC and with each other. Submit your questions and comments to: MCCpublication@gmail.com. The opinions expressed in The Message do not necessarily represent those of MCC. The editors reserve the right to edit all material.

Mufti Nazim Mangera to Join MCC Soon

The immigration department has approved the case of Mufti Nazim Mangera and he will soon be joining us as the MCC Imam. “He is an energetic young Imam and will be an

asset for our youth,” said the MCC President, Br. Sarwar Nasir. MCC has been without an Imam for some time so an arrival of Mufti Mangera will be a welcome sign for the community, inshaAllah. “We will give him our full support so that he adjusts himself in MCC community for the long term,” pledged the President.

Eid-ul-Adha at MECOctober 24, 2015 marked the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha in Chicago and elsewhere. The salaat for this great day of remembrance of the legacy of Ibrahim (A), was held at MEC at two different timings during the morning. Everybody entering the mosque was encouraged to remember and be thankful to Allah (SWT). The khateeb reminded us of the father of this Ummah Ibrahim (A) and his sacrifices for the sake of Allah (SWT). In a thought-provoking khutbah, he told us to reflect on the small amount that we are paying for the sacrifice, whereas Ibrahim (A) was ready to sacrifice his beloved son Ismail (A), only for the sake of Allah (SWT). Also, we reflected on how a large number of families haven’t had the taste of meat in a long time and with the little that we give away for distribution as charity might mean a lot to them. Other aspects were highlighted, for example the ability of being able to offer salaat etc., which urged us to be grateful and thankful by the day, to Allah (SWT). Towards the end of salaat and khutbah, people in the mosque greeted each other and left the mosque smiling all set to celebrate this day with family and loved ones.

Asea Qidwai

New Publication Committee Appointed

Sr. Asea Sharaf Qidwai is the new Chair of the MCC Publication Committee. The MCC President Br. Sawar Nasir delegated her to assume responsibilities starting October, 2015, InshaAllah. Br. Zeshaan Abbasi will be inducted as the Co-Chair. The President also thanked the outgoing Chair Br. Javed Bhatty for his continuous help both as a Chair and an Interim Chair for stepping up to the publication needs - with an added anticipation that he will continue helping the new Committee Chair, inshaAllah.

Extracted from MCC President’s Report

Safety Crossing at MCCChicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is to start working September 9, 2015 to build a safety crossing at the MCC Elston facility; they will be constructing an island between the building and the parking lot to alleviate traffic hazards while crossing the road. There could be some traffic disruptions while completing the project. The work could take up to 30 days to finish.

Extracted from MCC President’s Message

The supermoon phenomenon occurs when the moon is full at its perigee - the closest part of its orbit around Earth (226,000 miles), meaning it appears larger in the sky. The eclipse started around 8:30 PM during the night of Sunday (September 27, 2015) and completed around 10:30 PM when moon became glorious coopery hue. The last such celestial event occurred in 1982 - and the next will be in 2033.

The normal perigee full moon, or supermoon (L), and appearing red during a total lunar eclipse (R) over Wiesbaden, Germany. Photo: EPA/Fredrik Von Erichsen

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/11895052/Supermoon-lunar-eclipse-2015-Amazing-pictures-of-once-in-a-generation-event-live.html

Supermoon and Eclipse

MCCA Launches Two New Programs

Full Time Girls Hifdh ProgramWe are pleased to announce the start of the new MCC Academy Full-Time Girls Hifdh program. For many years, our community has been hoping MCC Academy would open a girl’s component to complement the success of our full-time boys’ hifdh program, which began 6 years ago. Alhumdulillah, we have had the blessed opportunity to graduate 9 students from the boys program and we pray, inshaAllah, for the same blessed success with our new girls program. The girls will memorize the Holy Qur’an throughout the majority of their day under the instruction and guidance of Hafizah Mrs. Sadaf Kamani while keeping up with Reading, Math, Social Studies and Science under the tutelage of their own secular studies teacher, Ms. Hiba Zakai.

Part-Time Dual-Language Program for Young ChildrenMCC Academy is constantly growing and transforming to meet the needs of our community, alhumdulillah. We are pleased to announce the successful launch of another new program, our new Part-time PreK-Kg Dual-Language school for children ages 4 and 5 years old. This new MCCA early childhood program meets three days a week and runs the duration of the school year. This is an amazing opportunity for young children to learn early math and reading skills while spending a portion of their day immersed in Arabic and Islamic studies. This program is the perfect answer for families looking for a part-time early childhood experience for their young children in an Islamic environment. Please spread the word about this amazing new program for families interested in their 4-5 year-olds attending next year and/or in years to come. To help better ensure your child gets a coveted seat in any of our programs, MCC Academy encourages early registration. Call 847-470-8801 to apply for a seat in this program and/or any of the MCCA programs including full-time preschool, PreK, Kg and 1st-8th grades and our girls or boy’s hifdh programs.

MCC Youth Camp

(Continued from “President’s Message”)

MCCA Offers After-School and Weekend

Activities for Students, Alumni and Adults

The strength of a thriving Muslim community lies in its unity. Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Quran: And hold fast all together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love so that by His grace ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of fire and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make his signs clear to you: that ye may be guided. (Al-Imran 3:103).

MCC Academy (MCCA) is working to expand its reach to benefit the broader community with programming for children, teens, young adults, and adults. This Fall, MCCA has published a menu of after school and weekend activities for various age groups that are open to the broader community of Muslims in the area. InshaAllah, we hope you and your families will take advantage of these opportunities to convene and benefit from one another’s company while participating in fun and educational activities such as, among many others, Arts & Crafts Club, Touch Football League for boys, Gamer’s Club, Drama Club, Tae Kwon Do, as well as Islam-oriented classes including Fiqh of Taharah (ladies 18+) and Young Adult Studies (high school and college-aged men and women). Please visit the MCC Academy website at www.mccacademy.org/clubs-activities/ to see the list of available clubs and activities and for information on signing up. Interested in leading a weekend or after school club? Please contact Ali Tai at ali.tai@mccacademy.org.

MCCA’s Part-Time Dual Language Program

More Than 700 Killed in Saudi Hajj Stampede

At least 717 people have been killed in a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia’s civil defense directorate said, as the death toll continued to rise. The directorate said at least 863 other pilgrims were injured in Thursday’s stampede, which took place in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. It also houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage.Al Jazeera’s Basma Atassi, reporting from Mina, said the incident took place in a street between pilgrim camps. “The street where it happened is named Street 204. This stampede did not happen at the site of the ‘stoning of the devil’ ritual, which was happening today,” she said. “During and after the stampede the pilgrims continued to flock into Mina to perform the devil stoning ritual.”

Full story at http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/pilgrims-killed-hajj-stampede-mina-mecca-150924082302232.html

The stampede took place on September 23, 2015 during the ritual of stoning the devil at Mina. The MCC offers condolences over the loss of lives and pray that Allah (SWT) grants them shahada and gives sabr to the families left behind.

and information will start around 3 PM and end around 6 PM. Non-Muslim guests will also observe Asr prayer. On September 9, I had a very fruitful meeting with Alderman Margaret Laurino and her staff regarding safety crossing at MCC Elston facility. She explained that CDOT will start working on a kind of Island between MCC building and parking lot to alleviate the traffic hazards while crossing the road. There will be some traffic disruptions as they work on completing this project. We all need to be patient. The work will finish in the next 30 days. MCC annual dinner will be held on October 17th at Holiday Inn Skokie. Please purchase your tickets and help the Dinner committee in selling tickets, donations and in dinner preparations.

This year, we have engaged a different independent audit firm for MCC’s annual financial audits. The firm will be meeting with different committees and Councils in collaboration with Treasurer’s Office to finalize the annual audit.

We are looking for young professionals who can donate their time and effort in various tasks including law, finances, IT, journalism and education. Please spread the news and let me know if you want to volunteer. In that respect, I have appointed Asea Sharaf Qidwai as the Chair of publication committee starting October, 2015. Along with Asea, I have also included Zeshaan Abbasi as the co-chair to help publication committee. I like to thank Br. Javed Bhatty for his continuous help as Chair and Interim Chair and always stepping up to the needs of publication whenever needed. InshaAllah he will continue helping the new Committee Chair.

MCC elections for the year 2016 will be held in December, 2015. The nomination process has already started. I encourage you that if you have not paid your annual membership, please do so and actively participate in MCC elections.

Mohammad Sarwar Nasir, MCC President 847-927-0919, Msnasir53@gmail.com

MCC Elections 2015: Nominations Process

MCC’s nominations process for the 2015 elections is underway to determine who will be placed on the ballot on December 13, inshaAllah.

Nominators Feedback: As the time of writing, the Nominations Committee is awaiting responses from MCC’s Nominators to give their feedback on potential candidates submitted by MCC members; the Committee anticipates announcing the preliminary list of nominees by October 18, inshaAllah, and records will be made available to the MCC membership until October 23.

Nomination by Petition:This option is available for anyone wishing to be on the ballot by petition. The process will start from October 18 thru November 1; 50 signatures by the MCC’s voting members are needed for each director nomination and 100 for president’s nomination. A final list of the nominees is expected to be announced by November 8th, inshaAllah. Further details are provided in the Nominations Procedure available at the MCC office.

The elections will choose 1 President, 1 Women Director, 2 Young Muslim Directors, and 3 Directors in general category.

Stone Throwing at Mina