 Message From the Imam
Threats to Our Families
It is very important that we address vital issues that confront our community. This is especially true when it comes to those matters that directly threaten the very foundation of our lives and happiness. Regardless how difficult and hurtful they may be, problems do not go away by themselves. We first seek Allah's guidance and ask for His support, then we address the issues with the intention of finding solutions.
I would like to talk about something that rightfully generates fear among men and women alike. It is a reality that has shattered the lives of many children who at an early age are forced to endure severe challenges. I'm referring to divorce, which often becomes an unbearable situation for children, who see the difficult separation between their parents whom they love dearly. In some cases, divorce is a "solution," but, at best, it is the most detestable of permitted acts. This is according to Allah, who holds all wisdom and is the Merciful Lord of the Heavens and the Earth.
 It is no secret that the dissolution of the family, the cornerstone of our community, has become widespread. The effects of divorce are far-reaching and long-lasting. It is the annulling of the bond between a man and a woman who should be partners for life, according to the vows and promises they have made before witnesses and before Allah, who is the ultimate Witness. Divorce has led to the destruction of countless Muslim homes; it has led to the estrangement of countless children, whether young or adolescent. It often leads to the abuse of the rights of spouses and offspring. Psychologists, sociologists, and jurists have written extensively and convincingly on how divorce exposes husbands, wives, and children to severe distress and suffering.
Islam is comprehensive in its reach. It has laid down specific guidelines to observe when divorce becomes a necessary decision, so that it does not become a tool for abuse. Islam is also a practical religion, for it provides guidance meant for real life with all its trials. It recognizes that some relationships may reach a point of no repair and that the end of some relationships is better than their prolongation, especially when children are exposed to turmoil and violence. Everything possible should be done to ensure a happy and safe household, which safeguards the family members and society at large. Allah says in the Quran (Sura 4), "O men, live with your wives in kindness and equity. If you dislike anything in them, it may be the very thing that God will use to bring about much blessing."
Unfortunately, there are far too many cases of divorce that are caused by problems that could have been treated. Many couples seek the selfish way out of injured marriages that could be healed with some patience, trust, and serious effort, thus offering their children an opportunity to live decent lives. (I am not speaking about exceptional cases involving infidelity or repeated abuse, gambling, drugs, and alcohol.)
There are many causes for the spread of divorce in our community. I will mention a few. One common cause is a lack of education among young females and males before marriage. Many  times they are taught false ideas and develop false conceptions and unrealistic fantasies about marriage (often borrowed from television and its artificial enticements). Many young men are misinformed about how they should treat their wives with respect, support, leadership, and gentleness (in deeds and in words). And the same is true about young women. In fact, many young men are taught to be cold and aggressive with their wives and allow no manner for compromise, as if this is part of manhood. Many young women are somehow taught to focus only on materialistic things and evaluate suitors entirely based on such aspects as income and appearance, instead of religion and character. Plain and simple, this is ignorance. And the results are harmful, especially when children come into the picture years later.
We have a marriage crisis, and our reaction to crisis must involve education. We must teach our children first to fear Allah Almighty and trust in Him and His teachings; and second, young people must learn early on that success requires that they treat their future partners as they would like to be treated themselves, with fairness, patience, and mercy. We should guide them to be content with what Allah the Exalted has allotted to them and to avoid the habit of being artificially and deeply dissatisfied in not having what others have, and so on. These things are the temporary adornments of this world. Yes, husbands and wives both have rights toward each other and these rights must be preserved. But we must remind ourselves that perfection belongs only to the Creator and that any person we marry will have something about them that might seem irritating (which we allow to appear to be unbearable), but these negative thoughts develop because young couples have fantasies of marriage.
Another common cause for the disintegration of the marital relationship is a lack of honest dialogue between the two partners. In some divorce cases, husbands and wives discovered that the only time they actually had sincere dialogue with one another was during the divorce process. For this reason, couples must never be hasty in getting a divorce. Honest and open communication is an amazing way to bring calm and security.
A common cause for divorce is interference by in-laws. It is rare to find in a divorce case in-laws (mother-in-law or father-in-law) who actually say something that is constructive and invites healing. A majority of the time, they aggravate the problem; they make a bad situation much worse. In-laws must focus on the best interests of the whole family.
 There are other causes for divorce to keep in mind: couples not well introduced with one another before marriage; excessive absence of one of the spouses; pointless arguing; a lack of contentment; cheapness when it comes to time or money; and inappropriate mixing between genders. Many marriages have been destroyed because spouses have not been vigilant about maintaining appropriate segregation and honorable relations between other men and women.
My brothers and sisters, I remind you and remind myself to fear Allah in every action we take. I advise couples to attempt to understand the real cause for conflict by being honest with one another. In addition, remember that each partner is responsible in assessing his or her own shortcomings with regard to their obligations toward Allah as well as their duties toward their spouse, marriage, children, and home life.
When we are presented with a difficult test from Allah the Exalted, we must consider the relationships we have with those who are most dear to us. We should keep our problems private and teach our children to honor the privacy of what happens at home. Problems and trials are aggravated when privacy is not observed. Also, it is not wise to discuss past errors and try to wound each other with them. If both parties insist on being right and leave no room for discussion, then a solution is impossible. The wife as well as the husband should practice contentment and to focus positively on what one has. If he or she sees something good from their partner they should be thankful, and if they see a shortcoming they should practice patience and remember that many people share similar shortcomings and that no human being is perfect. It's also very important to not attempt to solve a problem when you are in an angry state.
Please remember that it is impossible to be completely satisfied in any situation. Sometimes we tend to stress ourselves more than the situation deserves, which is unhealthy and unproductive. True happiness is not money or physical beauty. It is living a life of satisfaction, dignity, and contentment with Allah and what He provides for us. And finally, we must remind ourselves that Allah never burdens a soul with something greater than it can bear.
Sh. Jamal Said
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 Message From the President
A Community of Volunteers
One of the most important attributes of a lively and vibrant community is a strong sense of responsibility and the readiness of individuals to generously offer their commitment to help and serve. Collectively, this is widely called volunteerism. A volunteer, of course, is someone who freely serves his or her community or an important cause for no personal gain other than a desire to improve our condition.
President John F. Kennedy once said, "Never before has man had such a great capacity to control his own environment, to end hunger, poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and human misery. We have the power to make the best generation of mankind in the history of the world."
 We are blessed in this community and at the Mosque Foundation by a great group of volunteers: men and women, young and old, professional and retired, who give our community and our Mosque a unique and distinctive mark. For example, on any given Friday at our Mosque-rain or shine, freezing cold or sweltering hot-you will see a dedicated group of volunteers from the Traffic Committee who safely guide worshippers to park their cars in an organized fashion. Imagine the chaos without their help.
Every other week, a busy physician leaves his clinic and comes to the Mosque with his wife, and together they pack the Mosque pickup truck with food and other needed products and drive them to the Food pantry without special notice or fanfare. Their only hope is to receive reward from Allah the Exalted. There contribution brings warmth to their hearst and relief to families who are hungry and in need of basic living supplies.
Every Sunday after Fajr prayer, a group of sincere individuals spend hours selflessly reviewing the applications for Zakat (Charity) to ensure that the money is distributed according to the fair rules of distribution.
Every Monday morning, a group of sisters devote their time distributing food, and fresh fruits and vegetables to more than 100 families at the Mosque Foundation Community Food Pantry. They, too, are unconcerned with any credit for themselves. They are motivated to serve others and their community. In fact, they relieve the entire community of the obligation to serve the needy.
For more than twenty years, we have had some sisters who prepare homemade sandwiches and sell them to Mosque worshippers every Friday. They rightfully believe that a small but persistent good deed is better than big one which is interrupted or inconsistent. This ethic is praised by God's final Prophet (PBUH).
The Information Technology Committee is formed by a few members who have busy full-time jobs in corporate America. They somehow spend hundreds of volunteer hours to plan and provide oversight to the new website and the newsletter, as well as study and make recommendations for the IT requirements of the Mosque expansion project. Their effort is priceless, though most of the community may never know the great work they have done.
More than twenty volunteer committees spend hundreds of hours meeting, planning, training, and working to provide educational and social services, maintain the Mosque, organize events, engage in Interfaith dialogue, meet with public officials and media representatives, lead the community to political empowerment, organize rallies, and help govern the affairs of the community.
The Mosque volunteers are an important part of the fabric of our community, but it is useful to look at the bigger picture of volunteerism in America in general. It has been estimated that 61.2 million Americans volunteered time in 2006, or the equivalent of 9 million full-time workers. About 44% of all adults volunteer in their communities, schools, churches, youth centers, park districts, or their preferred non-profit organizations. In 2006, the estimated dollar value of volunteer time was $18.77 per hour. More than 239 billion dollars were saved by volunteering.
 How many tens of thousands of dollars does our community save because of the selfless work of our devoted volunteers? It is a challenge to calculate, but what we do know is that our community and its needs are expanding fast. The number of volunteers has not kept up with the demand for services. For different reasons, Muslims are not volunteering in a way that our faith and community calls for. A small number of life long volunteers, women and men, are carrying a very heavy load for the rest of those who do not volunteer. Many Muslims are not used to give commitments that take away from their family time or social life. Most Muslim retirees and senior citizens do not volunteer compared to more than 65% of their fellow Americans of similar age. There is also a perception in our community that our youth are accustomed to receiving but not giving to their community.
We can do better and volunteer more as individuals and as a community. We can do this by teaching our children to volunteer, and by being role models for them, spreading the good work among our friends and neighbors, volunteering to all causes not only Islamic ones, institutionalizing volunteerism in our schools, Mosques and organizations, and recognizing our volunteers for the great work they are doing.
In Islam, volunteering is an important element of faith (iman); it is praised and rewarded. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said "Faith has more than seventy virtues, the highest of which is the declaration of faith and the lowest is removing harm from the way." The volunteer work of many brothers and sisters in our community are among the high virtues of faith. They do their work silently, patiently, and for the sake of God.
Dr. M. Zaher Sahloul
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At Your Service, Oh Allah!
Volunteering for the Pleasure of Allah
The Mosque Foundation has been blessed over the years with a dedicated and supportive community, as well as outstanding volunteers. Everyone has seen the familiar faces of the volunteers, directing the traffic through all types of inclement weather; assuring everyone's safety during large events such as the two Eid Prayers; and generally assisting in all programs and events. While many of the volunteer's faces may not be familiar, since they are working behind the scenes to organize the Mosque Foundation's various programs and events, so much depends on their service and dedication.
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Whoever does not thank the people, does not thank Allah," so in following this sunnah, the Mosque Foundation would like to introduce the community to one outstanding volunteer each month, in recognition of his/her service.
 Fawzy Hassan is definitely one of the familiar faces at the Mosque Foundation. Br. Fawzy is always eager to lend a helping hand anywhere it is needed. "I feel that this is more like an obligation. The mosque is the backbone of the community, so in a sense we are helping the whole community, not just the mosque," Fawzy states. "Everyone has to give something back to the community, whether it's financially or their time, whatever they can give," he further states.
Br. Fawzy Hassan was born and raised in the Bridgeview area, from one of the first families to settle in this area from Beitunia, Palestine. As the father of four boys, Br. Fawzy tries to instill this "spirit of giving back" in his sons the same way he remembers being encouraged to volunteer by Nasser Boundaoui (May Allah have mercy on his soul). "It's important to encourage our youth," Fawzy says, "Br. Nasser Boundaoui had such an impact on me when I was younger, and on so many others, encouraging us and guiding us to what we should be doing. We have to do the same for our own youth."
May Allah reward Br. Fawzy Hassan and all the dedicated volunteers in the Mosque Foundation.
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Two Special Guests Visit the Mosque Foundation in February
The Mosque Foundation was honored to present two very special guest speakers in the February Monthly Arabic Program and the Monthly English Program. The Monthly Arabic program, which was in English this past month because of our English speaking guest, invited Kalman Resnick, a Jewish American attorney raised in Evanston, who shared with our community a speech he gave at a recent Shabat Service in Beth Emet Synagogue describing his experiences in Qalqilia.
 In August 2007, Mr. Resnick was invited by a Palestinian friend to visit his family in Qalqilia, Palestine. The experience of living between checkpoints, and experiencing occupation firsthand, even for such a short period of time, altered his views about the Palestinian-Israeli issues he had been raised to believe. After returning home from Qalqilia, Mr. Resnick felt an obligation to his Judaic beliefs to inform others in his own community and outside his community, about his personal experiences behind the wall of occupation.
An audience of close to 200 people of all ages attended this enlightening program. The Mosque Foundation extends our thanks and best wishes to Kalman Resnick for sharing his experiences with us, and for his courage to stand up for peace and justice.
The Mosque Foundation Monthly English Program was presented two weeks earlier than its usual time slot in February to accommodate our honored guest, Sh. Yusuf Estes, who was in Chicago for several speaking engagements including ours. Sh. Yusuf, a former Christian minister who reverted to Islam 17 years ago, is well known for his dedicated outreach through his speeches, webcasts, and writing.
 Sh. Yusuf, an animated speaker who weaves humor and heartwarming personal stories throughout his speeches, explained in detail the more encompassing meanings for the Arabic words, "Islam" and "Deen." Sh. Yusuf pointed out that the usual general translation of the word "Deen" into the word "religion" is much too vague to encompass the true meaning, which defines every aspect of our lives. He also pointed out that "Islam" being simply defined as a religion would indicate to Non-Muslims that it only began 1400 years ago during the time of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), although we know that the message of Islam, submission and obedience to Allah, was the same message given to all the prophets beginning with Adam (PBUH).
The program was blessed with a large audience of around 250 people who gathered at the Mosque Foundation to listen to Sh. Yusuf. May Allah reward Sh. Yusuf Estes and bless his mission to deliver the true message of Islam.
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| Upcoming Events |
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Family Bowling Night
Sunday, March 2, 2008 - 6 PM - Centennial Bowl, Tinley Park
Tickets - $25 includes 3 Games, Shoe Rental, Pizza & Drink
"Taste of Taqwa"
Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 4:30-7:30 PM at MFCC
"Law 101 Seminar"
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 6:30-8 PM at Universal School, Rm 201
Monthly English Program
Dr. Ihsan Bagby
"The New Melting Pot: Diversity of Islamic Culture in the West"
Saturday, March 22, 2008 - 6-8 PM at MF
Spring Qur'an Competition
Register before March 29, 2008 at MFCC
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| Don't Forget to Set Yours Clocks Forward! |
| Sunday, March 9, 2008 begins Daylight Savings Time.
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It's Your Choice
by Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292-1350)Translation by Ibrahim N. Abusharif
Where is the mind of a person who prefers the brief pleasures of this life (which are unfulfilling like muddled dreams that come to one during sleep) over the pleasures of the Hereafter that are of supreme joy and happiness-profound bliss that never vanishes or ends? A person sells this supreme pleasure for the fleeting and disappearing pleasure whose end is pain.
If a rational person were to honestly compare between these pleasures, he would be ashamed of himself and of his mindset for striving to attain worldly pleasure and for losing his time preoccupied with it-let alone preferring it over Paradise, which has pleasures that no eye has ever seen, that no ear has ever heard; they are pleasures that are not similar to anything that has ever occurred to anyone's mind [as the Prophet (peace be upon him) described it].
Indeed, God the Exalted has purchased from the believers their souls, and has made its profit Paradise and the enjoyment of looking upon God's Gracious Countenance and hearing His Perfect Words. How can it seem right to a rational person to neglect this and sell it for the paltry price of this life which at every moment is perishing? Is this not the greatest fraud?
This terrible fraud, moreover, will be made clearest on the Day of Judgment when the scales of the God-fearing become heavy [with good deeds] and the scales of the workers of falsehood become weightless.
Once you understand the preceding, then realize that perfect joy, happiness, and the good life reside in attaining knowledge of God and His oneness, enjoying His presence, longing for His meeting, and directing all of one's heart toward this.
For the most miserable life is the life of one whose heart is scattered and his aspirations divided. He leaves no place in his heart for anything to settle itself. There is no place in his heart to find peace. The good life and joy are found in having tranquility with God.
So be sure that your concern is one, that is, God alone. For this is the ultimate happiness of a person. A person's concern should be true knowledge. For every human being, in fact, every creature, strives for what leads to pleasure, bounty, and a good life. And every person repels all that opposes these [benefits]. This matter has six requisites. First is awareness of what is beneficial and agreeable to a person, which leads him to true pleasure, happiness, and a good life. Second is knowing the path that leads to it. Third is actually taking that path. Fourth is knowing what is harmful, damaging, and repulsive, which brings misery to his life. Fifth is knowing the path that brings about this [misery]. Sixth is avoiding [this path].
No one achieves joy without these [aspects]. Every rational person should strive to [attain to] these requirements. However, many people fall into error with regard to these things. They either do not comprehend them or do not know the path that leads to them. Even if a person is aware of the path, his heart has low desires and whims that interfere between him and taking its path. So each time he wants [what is truly beneficial], these low desires and whims interfere and block him. The [solution] to this is in either one of two things.
[First], there is an agitating love or a fear in a person that disturbs the soul until finally God and His Messenger and Paradise and its delights become more beloved to him than these whims, and he realizes that it is impossible to have them both. So he prefers the elevated one over the lower one.
[Second], he attains knowledge about the terrible consequences of preferring his desires. He then realizes that the ultimate torment of following one's whims is far greater and everlasting than the temporary discomfort of resisting one's lusts and not fulfilling them. If these realizations take hold in his heart, he will give [proper] preference [to God and His guidance] over everything else. The distinguishing characteristic of a rational person is affirmed in his preference for the higher of two loves: love for the Hereafter over love for his desires. Likewise, he prefers to accept the easier of two disliked things: dislike of the punishment in the Hereafter over the dislike of not fulfilling his desires in this world. This is the station of the rational person.
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By Ibrahim N. Abusharif
The Quran is a divine Book that did not fall from the sky in one bound volume. It was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (God's peace and blessings be upon him) through AngelGabriel over a period of some 23 years. The more one studies the Quran, the more he or she will realize the profound wisdom in this eventual unfolding of the last revelation on earth. With more than 6,200 verses, the Quran is closely connected to the life of the Prophet and the evolving community in Makkah and Madinah-real men and women to whom we can relate. The life experience of the first Muslim community touched the full spectrum of the human condition. And throughout it all, Allah sent down portions of the Glorious Quran to guide this community-and humanity-through diverse contexts that are familiar to all human beings no matter what era we live in. Passages of the Quran, therefore, require that one learn the context of their revelation to gain fuller understanding. Many great scholars in our history have illumined the way in this regard. What follows is an example of how context influences what we understand about a passage from the Quran.
The Quran reveals: God confirms those who believe with a firm word in this world and in the Hereafter. And God leaves astray the wrongdoers, and God does whatever He wills. (Quran, 14:27) This verse refers to the trials of the grave, in which every one of us shall be questioned about what we chose to believe in during our earthly lives. When the funeral processions break up and the living depart from our grave sites, two stern angels will visit and sit us straight up in our graves and ask us crucial questions about our faith and convictions: Who is our Lord? What religion did we follow? What Prophet did we take as an example? What Book did we take for guidance? It is impossible to overstate how important this occasion will be, how frightening and consequential. For the believer, however, one who lived with certainty in the oneness of God and the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad (God's peace and blessings be upon him), and who placed these beliefs into practice, he or she will actually speak to these angels with amazing confidence.
In other words, Allah confirms them and sets in their hearts a firm word-la ilaha illa Allah, there is no God but God, Allah. This understanding is based on sound statements of the Prophet as recorded in Bukhari and Muslim (two of the most important and authentic collections of the Prophet's statements). While this moment in the grave will be mercifully easy for believers (those of them who took their lives and time seriously), it will not be this way for others. For those who reject faith and never repent, it will be an extremely taxing moment of stammering fear and unimaginable anxiety and anguish. In short, their hearts will not be firm. On the contrary, when they are asked, "Who is your Lord?" they will tremble and groan out of panic and say, "I do not know!" It will be the same response when they are asked about the Messenger of Allah and the Quran. So this verse gives good news and assurance to the believers, who will have a share of Paradise in their graves until the Day of Resurrection.
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Community Center Corner Testimonials From Our Youth
Othman Shubbak, 13
Century Jr. High in Orland Park, IL
I have been coming to the MFCC since the doors opened. There are many reasons I enjoy coming from Orland Park, Illinois to be at the Center. One reason I always come back is because the Counselors.  They are very fun to have around and they also like to have fun with the youth. The second reason I like coming is because it helps me stay consistent with my salat. I really enjoy that when the Counselors gather us to pray they are praying as well. The third reason that brings me back is that all my friends come to the Community Center. My friends and I really love working out, playing games and sports, and learning about Islam. I really hope that we always have a place like this to come to.
Zaina Zayyad, 14
Aqsa School in Bridgeview, Illinois
One day last summer, my friend and I decided the long awaited summer was dragging by too slowly. We decided that we wanted to start going to the Community Center, a place both our parents would agree to send us, and a place that was comfortable for both of us. I started coming to this all-girls, Muslim youth environment three days a week, enjoying all the opportunities afforded to me.  Since that July, I have been coming to the youth center to mingle with the Muslim girls, to enjoy my time in an environment that stimulated me spiritually and encouraged me to do my best for my community. The girls, as well as the counselors, are not only great company, but also amazing role models who influence me to maintain and improve myself, by both reaching out to others and looking inward. Of the many inspiring programs the Community Center offers, the Ramadan program, to me, was especially rewarding. I can confidently say, the Iftars, as well as the lectures and going to Taraweeh as a group helped me to strengthen my Iman and my relationship with Allah. Now, I still come often to play basketball, get together with the girls, and sharpen my faith. I hope to continue to strengthen my character by coming to this blessed establishment, MashAllah.
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Helping Students Seek Education
The Mosque Foundation is a proud 2008 scholarship sponsor of the Spartan Educational Foundation of Oak Lawn Community High School District 229. The Spartan Educational Foundation, a 501C3 non-profit organization, was established three years ago as a way to provide scholarships to graduating seniors, and mini-grants for educational programs. The generosity of the scholarship sponsors, such as the Mosque Foundation, has enabled the Foundation to award seven $1,500 scholarships to graduating seniors, and $5,000 in mini-grants for educational programs at Oak Lawn Community High School in 2007, and the continued financial support of scholarship sponsors will allow them to continue and increase the number of scholarship recipients in 2008. For more information about the Spartan Educational Foundation and how to become a sponsor, call Laura Shallow, Foundation Chair at (312) 704-5906.
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Salat al Khusoof
It is a sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) to offer a special prayer whenever a lunar or solar eclipse is visible. The Mosque Foundation held this special Salat al Khusoof service on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, after Isha prayer, as a full lunar eclipse was clearly visible in the Chicago area. The Salat al Khusoof along with the short khutbah lasted about half an hour, and many of the worshippers stood transfixed in the parking lot afterwards to marvel at the orange glow of the disappearing moon in the crystal clear sky.
Click here for more information about eclipses
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