Greenwaymasjid

By: Shelley Isai  

On Sunday November 6th Muslims from many backgrounds met at the Foothills Recreation Center to Celebrate Eid Al-Ahda.  Over 500 people attended.  The Kruja family provided doughnuts and the Board provided coffee to welcome those who came to pray.  This year prayer was moved from the dining hall to the basketball court to accommodate for more of the Jammat.

Imam Didmar Faja led the service.  Imam Faja opened with a message in Albanian and then translated his lecture to English.  The message was one of sacrifice as he spoke about the sacrifice that Ibrahim was willing to make of his own child.  Imam Faja also referenced those who were performing Hajj and the rituals of sacrifice associated with this journey of faith.  After the message was delivered the Eid prayer ensued.

After the prayer many were seen taking pictures with family, giving hugs and offering best wishes for a wonderful Eid.  It is celebrations such as this that bring us together as a community.  As Muslims we fill the places where prayer is held.  The messages we hear on these special days sets the stage for the year.   This year, after hearing Imam Faja’s message we can concentrate on the sacrifices associated with being a Muslim in today’s society.

Not all sacrifices are enormous.  There are simple daily challenges.  After all, it is not always easy to make Friday prayer.   Sometimes it’s even hard to wake up for Fajr.  At times it’s hard to remember to greet the person praying beside us in the Masjid. However, these are essentials to being a good Muslim.  Fortunately, we can use the message that Imam Faja delivered on Eid Al-Ahda:  being a Muslim is not always easy; it involves sacrifice, but has great reward.  Sometimes that sacrifice is rearranging a busy schedule. Sometime that sacrifice is waking up on a cold winter morning to make our morning prayer on time.  Sometimes, it is stepping outside of our comfort zone and being willing to take the first step to say “salam” to someone we barely know praying next to us.

As the year goes on, think about the message delivered on Eid Al-Ahda.  What are the sacrifices both big and small that you can make this year to be closer to Allah?