Eid Message from the President, Dr Husein Jiwa

Winning Entry by Aleena Imran Rizvi (Age 9 Leicester UK)

Imam Ali (A.S.) said: "O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the righteous are awarded and the wretched are losers... O Servants of Allah! Verily the minimum reward for those men and women who fasted (during Ramadhan), is an Angel, who calls out to them on the last day of the month of Ramadhan (saying): “O Servants of Allah! Rejoice in the glad tidings that all your previous sins have been forgiven.”

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

On behalf of The Council of European Jamaats, I would like to extend my felicitations and congratulations to each and every one of you on this joyous day of Eid-al-Fitr.  It is with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to this most glorious of months. As Imam Sajjad (as) says in his farewell supplication, "Peace be upon you, the companion who brought comfort to our hearts when coming, thus making us happy, and peace be upon you, who left loneliness when going, thus giving anguish".

On this Holy day, we remember our brothers and sisters in difficulty and poverty throughout the world, in particular those affected by the floods in Pakistan. We have seen our entire community rise up and lend a helping hand to those affected by this large-scale humanitarian disaster. It is with great pride that I can say that the driving force behind the relief efforts throughout various jamaats have been our youth, the leaders of tomorrow. With great zeal, enthusiasm and passion, they have organised various events to alleviate the plight of those affected. Notable events include packing numerous boxes of basic food and medical supplies to be flown to Pakistan, organising fundraising events and of course the Ahlulbayt TV telethon organised by CoEJ in partnership with the World Federation. May Allah (swt) reward all those who contributed to this worthy cause, by donating their money or time and may He grant them Ajr in this world and the next. I would like to humbly remind you that the relief effort is continuing and our brothers and sisters will continue to need our support and assistance over the coming months in order to rebuild their shattered homes and lives.

To enhance unity, a CoEJ delegation recently met His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyid Sistani (May Allah Prolong His Life) in relation to his rulings on crescent sighting and to convey community concerns on this issue. His Eminence agreed that guidance would be issued directly from Najaf for the months of Ramadhan and Shawaal. His Eminence also firmly expressed that Ashura being a very important day in the Islamic calendar, should be observed on the same day when the majority observe.
As part of my vision for the seniors of our community, I feel it appropriate to mention in this month of spiritual growth, that CoEJ is embarking upon a Seniors Needs Assessment to address their strengths and needs. The outcome from this initiative will insh’Allah, enable us to protect, enhance and plan for the growing population of older adults and ease them into their sunset years with comfort.

As we celebrate on this day of Eid, we first and foremost offer our thanks to our Merciful Creator who has guided us on to His path and given us the strength to serve him in this Holy Month. Let us raise our hands in dua and earnestly and sincerely pray for the hasty reappearance of our Leader, Imam al-Asr (atfs), the unity of the Ummah and peace and prosperity for all Muslimeen.
We pray that we have reaped the full benefits of the blessed month of Ramadhan by improving and moulding our characters. We pray that the doors of Jannah remain open for us and that the doors of Jahannam remain closed.  May the Almighty accept what little we have been able to offer Him in this month and give us the strength and tawfiq to carry on serving his creation.
A humble request to recite Sura Fatiha for our Marhumin.

With Salaams and Duas

Dr Husein Jiwa
1 Shawaal 1431