In The Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

Assalamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
(May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you)
============================================================

Embracing Differences and Promoting Tolerance

“By the night when it covers everything and by the day when it brightens up in glory. And by Him, who created the male and the female, surely your efforts are diverse. So, he who gives and is pious and accepts what is good, We shall prepare for him the way to ease; But whoever is miserly and heedless and rejects what is good, We shall prepare for him the way to hardship” (Al-Layl: 1-10).

Our wonderful world is full of contrast; the darkness of the night and the brightness of the day, the competitive urge of men and the loving motherly instinct of women. Then there is the variety in human endeavours. People are different from one another, they differ in their works, and all have their specific goals. This richness of diversity in human beings is the proof of Divine Unity and the brotherhood of man. After introducing the concept of diversity in the creation and mankind the Quran explains the path to success and the path to failure by mentioning the three characteristics of successful people, these are:

1. Generosity: This is to give to others without them asking for it, to provide support, service and provisions to the needy. The generous give these out of love and kindness. Parents are generous to their children as they feed, clothe and care for them.

2. God Consciousness (Taqwa): This means to fear God and be aware of the Lord’s presence all the time and in all places. This God consciousness is expressed through prayer, charity and works of goodness.

3. Openness: This means accepting all that is good and beautiful. This is about recognising the good ideas and concepts such as good habits and practices etc. read more

How to hold Steadfast onto our  Deen through these challenging times
Faith leaders come together in solidarity show

The Central Mosque of Blackpool wishes to take this opportunity to thank all the various faith, police and council representatives for their immense gesture of solidarity subsequent to the recent targeting of Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park, London.

The attack in London was an isolated hate crime which targeted innocent worshippers and was carried out by an individual who was representative of no one or no faith, other than his own hatred and evil.

Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Jewish leaders met at Blackpool Central Mosque on Tuesday to observe noon prayers and speak to offer solidarity across the town’s religious sectors.

The solidarity visit to the mosque by Faith representative and civic dignitaries on the 27th June 2017 was truly inspirational and a reflection of the huge amounts of humanity and religious love and empathy that exists between the communities of Blackpool.  It is a gesture that will live long in mosque's memory.

A community without education is a lost Community

"Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has said, "When a Person dies the rewards for his good deeds cease except for three things for which he continues to get the reward (even after his death) and they are Sadaqa Jariyah (Perpetual Charity), knowledge which benefits people and pious children who pray after his death."  (Sahih Muslim)

Allah says “If he comes walking I will come running to him” (Hadith). The path of submission and devotion to God is a laborious one, strewn with thorns and scarped with potholes. There are vast spaces of arid deserts to cross as well as perilous jungles. It requires enormous courage and bags of enthusiasm to reach the  destination. However, Allah is most Merciful and Gracious He does not leave the seeker of truth wandering in the wilderness. He comes to every sincere seeker, holds their hand and leads them on the path. The following verses allude to this:

“As for those who strive hard in our cause, we shall most certainly guide them onto paths that lead unto us, for behold God is indeed with the doers of good” (Ankabut: 69).

God says: “When my seeker draws a hand span near me, I come an arms length to him, when he comes near me an arms length, I draw near to him two arms lengths. If he comes walking I come running to him” (Muslim reported by Anas).

With such promises why shouldn’t the true seeker strive? The beloved Messenger (peace be upon him) would stand in the night vigil for so long that his feet would swell and start bleeding. His wife Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) could not bear to see this and would lament, “O Messenger,  why do you do this you are sinless?” He would reply “Why shouldn’t I want to be a grateful servant of my Lord?”

How much time, effort and wealth do we expend in Allah’s way? We can measure the degree of our relationship with Him by quantifying our struggle. How well do you think you will fair on a scale of 1-10? Where 1 is least effort and 10 the effort of our venerable ancestors. Make this your new year’s resolution to go up a few points. The sacrifice of Ibrahim provides us with a beautiful example of serving the Lord. The wish to please Allah at any cost is a real challenge for us in an age of plenty and abundance. Can we control our carnal desires and work for Divine pleasure?