Jeewan Chanika
Jeewan Chanicka accepted Islam at the age of 11. His journey to Islam and continual learning has enabled him to understand its beauty and compassion for all peoples regardless of differences. He has been married for 14 years and has been blessed with two wonderful sons.
Jeewan was born in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Calgary, Alberta and went on from there to live with his family in the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad. He lived in Trinidad for approximately 15 years and completed his highschool A Levels there before returning to Canada. It is in Trinidad that he began to sing and this would lead to his first nasheed album, "The Prophet's Song". He has a Masters Degree in Education.
While working as a teacher in the public school system, he lectured and ran workshops across North America on various issues of Islamic relevance: youth, domestic violence, family, self-esteem, conflict-resolution, and da`wah, among other issues. Jeewan has counseled both youth and adults in areas dealing with employment, housing, mental health, suicide, drugs, racism, physical and sexual abuse, immigration and integration issues, marriage, and family problems.
Jeewan has won several awards for his work in the field of education as well as community work. Most recently, he was participated in a project with the United Nations University of Peace to develop a curriculum framework around Peace in the Islamic Context. It is being implemented from madrassahs to universities across South Asia. Jeewan has been fortunate to travel to Tobago, Barbados and St. Vincent and has the privilege of having two Guyanese sisters-in-law :)
For more information on Jeewan please visit www.jeewanc.com
Eid Mubarak
- By Jeewan Chanika
- Published 09/19/2009
As we wish good bye to a dear guest, hearts illuminated by God’s remembrance, having implored Allah SWT for His forgiveness, mercy and to answer our duas we must now prepare our hearts and minds to “steady the course”. Together my dear brothers and sisters, we reflected and spent time trying to understand how to develop a more personal and meaningful relationship with Allah and realized that this personal relationship can only lead to service to His creation. Today we must now become firm in our resolve to try and improve our lives and re-prioritize our time while we have the ability to do so.
As we prepare to celebrate the beautiful day of Eid, let us remember that together we are celebrating, not the end of Ramadan, but the opportunity we had to gain closeness to Allah, the chance to realize that our potential and abilities are greater than we sometime realize and that with Allah’s mercy and guidance we have the potential to become so much more that will give us illumination and enlightenment in this life and the ultimate success in the hereafter.
It is my sincere wish and prayer that these reflections were beneficial to those of you who read them. If, somehow, even one person gained some light from them, then this was indeed a great mercy from Allah. Any good that came from them, came purely from Allah and any mistakes or errors, were my own and I ask yours and Allah’s forgiveness.
On behalf of my family and I, we would like to sincerely wish you and your families Eid Mubarak. May Allah accept all of your prayers, fasting, charity, duas and all your good deeds during the blessed month of Ramadan. May He bless all of you by the best of your deeds, grant you Light in all your endeavours, allow you the joy of returning to Him with the Shahada on your tongues, resurrected in the shade of His Throne and entrance to Jannatul Firdaws, where you can reside in the companionship of our beloved Habib (peace be upon him) and dwell in His Majestic Presence for all of eternity.
Please keep us in your duas,
With love and salam- jeewan
