Fundraising dinner

Fundraising dinner

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam!
Saturday march 17th, insha Allah, at the Armenian community centre, 191 Barton Street we will have fundraising dinner for our Masjid.

People may raise money for many purposes and their methods vary according to their ethnic background and their customs and habits. Some may use lotteries, gambling, dancing, bingo, shows…Such methods are totally rejected by Islam even if the proceeds are used to build a mosque or to finance some other Islamic program.

To raise money for building a center or a Masjid, one must remember that this effort is made for the love of Allah; Allah will accept only what is good, moral and ethical.

Dear brothers and sisters: let me remind you of the following:
-Allah will build a house in paradise for anyone who builds a Masjid. In this respect, Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. said:

-The Masjid to be build is for the love of Allah, and must not be used for fun or for sin.
-In building a Masjid, one must maintain it 24 hours a day for worshipers. Maintenance does not mean physical maintenance only, but spiritual maintenance also. One should make arrangements for the social, cultural, educational, economic and political well-being of the Muslim Ummah.

-When you give money, you are yourself the beneficiary. Allah is not benefiting from whatever you have done. The reward is a worldly and heavenly one. In this regard, Allah reminds us about the worldly reward and benefit as follows:
– Whoever gives money for the love of Allah, Allah will reward him 700 times or more. Allah says in the Qur’an:
مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّئَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“The parable of those who spend their wealth in Allah’s way is as the likeness of a grain which grows seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah gives increase manifold to whom He will. Allah is all-Embracing, all- Knowing.” (2:261).

-As far as beneficiaries are concerned, Allah says in Surah Baqara that you are the ones to benefit.
وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلأنفُسِكُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلاَّ ابْتِغَاء وَجْهِ اللّهِ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تُظْلَمُونَ
“…And whatsoever good thing you spend, it is for yourselves, when you spend not save in search of Allah’s continence: and whatsoever good thing you spend, it will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged.” (2:272)

The heavenly reward is as important as the worldly one. In this regard, Allah says:
إِن تُبْدُواْ الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَرَاء فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لُّكُمْ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَاللّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ
“If you publish your act of charity, it is well, but if you hide it and give it to the poor, it will be better for you, it will remove from you some of your evil- deeds. Allah is informed what you do.” (2:271)

Whenever you are paying for the love of Allah, you should be generous or else you are depriving yourselves of the benefits. Allah will be upset with you to the extent that He may get rid of you totally from this planet.

Almighty Allah says in the Qur’an:
“ You are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet among you there are some who are niggardly. But any who are niggardly are so at the expense of their own souls. And Allah is the rich, and you are the poor. And if you turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they would not be like of you.” (47:38)

We have to remember, my dear brothers and sisters, that those who practice Islam in their daily lives are the ones to maintain the Masjid. These are the ones who perform their regular prayers and pay their due, Zakat. It is this group of Muslims who will occupy, establish and maintain the Masjid. They keep them open daily and not only on the weekends.

Almighty says in the Holly Book:
“The mosque of Allah shall be visited and maintained by such as believe in Allah, and the Last day, establish regular prayer, and pay zakat, and fear none (at all)except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.” (9:18)

Dear Muslims,
May I request you kindly to donate your money, your time, your effort, your energy, and your knowledge for the love of Allah our Creator so that you will be able to establish a House of Worship to Allah on this earth…so that you will be happy and reward… so that your children will be proud of you… and finally, so that you will make a landmark of Islam in this city and in this part of the world. There is a great sense of joy and satisfaction when you do something by yourself to be proud of. There is no pride when someone does the work for you. You will never cherish the establishment of a Masjid until you share physically, mentally, morally, and financially in its constructions. You will never be happy and contented until you share in the responsibility of establishing the Masjid.

My dear brothers in Islam,
Because you don’t know how long you will live, please do not delay your contributions. Life is short; if you are dead, it is too late for you to do anything. If you have paid yesterday, you can pay today also. In as much as you eat daily to satisfy your hunger, you may have to pay daily so as to satisfy your religious needs in having a Masjid. Remember dear brothers and sisters, you are giving a loan to Allah, and He will multiply your loan to become your profit.

Dear Muslims,
Try to teach your children to be generous. Try to help them and train them to donate and to give for the love of Allah. Train them to be donors and not to be recipients. Ask them to come on fund raising dinner, together with you, with their savings and to give generously for the love of Allah. If you don’t train them now, it will be too late for them when they grown up.

We hope and pray that everyone shares the responsibility put on his shoulders. We hope and pray that Allah accept our humble efforts and make our vision a reality.

Your humble act of charity any amount of donation will help us to complete this project in the name of Allah, and to benefit for all of us.