Eid ul Fitr Message of Haji Omar Farouk, President of International Muslims Organization of Toronto, Canada.
“Eid Mubarak, kullu‘am wa antum bi khayr (Blessings of Eid on you. Wishing you blessings throughout the year).
I begin my remarks on this most auspicious day with a prayer – having observed yet another sacred month of Ramadan in what continues to be a global pandemic.
I ask Allah to grant us the wisdom to recognize His Divine favours even in these times of grief and death on a scale most of us have never witnessed in our lifetime.
Almighty God, You have sent us a virus so infinitesimal and yet it has forced the mighty machine of corporate production and consumer consumption to its knees.
We are grateful, Our Lord, for your countless favours. While our mosque was shuttered, we are blessed to obey your command as we continued to worship You in the privacy of our homes.
It is only by your Divine favours that we’ve been able to weather this storm thus far. That truth resonates in our heart. We turn to You, Our Lord, in sincere repentance.
Our Lord, whatever good is hidden in this pandemic, cause us to benefit from it and grant us the resilience to become people of truth and sincerity.
Our Lord, fill our hearts with gratitude, generosity and kindness towards our neighbours, co-workers and all citizens of Canada.
We beseech You on this day to shield the Muslims of Palestine from the bullets and tear gas.
We ask you, Our Lord, to thwart the evil actions of violent extremists who kill innocent people, often children and women. Reduce their ranks and disarm them of their weapons of destruction.
We specifically ask you, Our Lord, to elevate the rank of our brother Mohammed Aslim-Zafis whose life was taken last September in an act of extreme hatred as he stood watch over our mosque.
By the honour of our Master Muhammad, Salallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam (Peace and Blessings be upon him), watch over us with Your eyes that never sleep; protect us with Your Protection that does not waiver; have Mercy upon us by virtue of Your Power over us so that we do not perish. You are our Reliance and our Hope.
O Allah, We ask you: increase us in faith, prosperity in life, grant us a healthy body, abundant sustenance, repentance before death and forgiveness after death. Overlook our sins on the Day of Judgement and enter us into gardens of delight. Ameen.
I appeal to all members of IMO’s congregation to get the Covid-19 vaccine if you haven’t already. It is a means which Allah has given to us to help defeat this virus by His permission.
In a sound hadith, Allah’s Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) peace and blessings be upon him said,
“How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him”.
And Our Prophet (ﷺ), peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“No affliction afflicts one who submits to the Will of God – no illness, no anxiety, no sorrow, no injury, no distress, or whatever complaint a person may complain about – But that Allah pardons some of his faults for it.”
I conclude on behalf of our Imams, members and board of directors, collectively we wish to remind you that we at IMO will continue to do our best to support you and to serve your needs as we move forward.
Someday soon, by Allah’s Grace, the Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted, and we will have an opportunity to embrace each other and share many meals together.
May Allah reward you for all your donations, contributions, supports and commitments to IMO, and may Allah raise us among the best of His creation on the Day of Judgement. Ameen”