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bilal786 |
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bilal786 Brampton, ON |
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No bio submitted. Member since October 5, 2005
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| The Osmanli Naksibendi Hakkani Dergahi: ★★★★★ A very peaceful place to visit. It's actually a working farm (crops and livestock). On the property is a large building that contains a masjid, wudu facilities and meeting hall where zikir and other observances are held. The dergah is run by Sheikh Abdul Kerim, kalifah of Sheikh Nazim al Haqqani. There is a group of about a dozen murids who live in the dergah or in the nearby communities. The dergah recieves a steady flow of visitors fron NY, NJ and throughout the world. People go for the scenic beauty and to attend daily zikir and special occasions (eids, special nights in shabaan, Ramadan, Rajab, etc). In my opinion it is a wonderful place to visit. If feel a peace of mind and a level of spirituality I have found in few places in the world. (Submitted on June 20, 2012) |
| Masjid Noor-ul-Haram: ★★★ Nice Desi masjid. An converted bungalow sitting on a large property. The juma prayer I attended was all Indo-Pak. The community appeared to be close knit and not used to non-Desis. The talk was mostly in Urdu with some English thrown in from time to time. After the Juma salat there was a short zikir and salawat session. The facilities were clean. (Submitted on June 9, 2012) |
| ISNA Canada: ★★ It's all about the money and maintaining large overhead costs. I was not impressed by having to sit for well over an hour after Isha salat on lailat ul khadr night while a mosque spokesman went on and on about how the mosque needed money. He would not allow us to pray taraweh prayers until $30k were pledged or donated. Maybe if they ran a simple, low cost operation there would be no need to extort money from people who just want to pray. (Submitted on June 9, 2012) |
| Rexdale Jame Masjid: ★★★ I attended the Rexdale Jame Masjid near the end of Ramadan in September, 2010. At the time I visited I attended an iftar. It was mid-week and hundreds of people attended. I am not from the Rexdale area, so I am not acquainted with the demographics, but it appears that there are a large concentration of Muslims in the area of this mosque.
For lack of a better description, I would say that is mosque is a conservative, Tablighi mosque. Those I spoke to informed me that a large number of those attend are active to one degree or another with Tablighi Jamaat.
The atmosphere was relaxing, the brothers for the most part were pleasant to be around. The wudu facilities and toilets were clean and well maintained.
As of September, 2010, there were no facilities for women at this mosque. Parking close to the mosque is very limited. (Submitted on January 3, 2011) |
| Thorncliffe Musallah: ★★★ I lived at 65 Thorncliffe in the early 1990's and remember going to the mosque meant going all the way to Donlands and Danforth to attand Madinah Masjid. The local brothers then established a massulla then a Masjid near where Iqbal's restaurant is now located. I paid a visit to 65 Thorncliffe a few weeks ago and was delighted to learn that a prayer space had be established on site. This space is a blessing for the many who don't have the time to attend prayers at the large mosque or are elderly and have trouble making the trip to the mosque doe to health or poor weather. (Submitted on January 3, 2011) |
| Masjid an-Nour: ★★★★ Masjid Noor is located at the corner of Geneva Street and Welland Avenue in St. Catherines Ontario. It is about a 25 minute drive from Buffalo/Fort Erie. This mosque has a wonderful atmosphere. The mosque is both child and woman friendly. The Friday Khutba is Quran/Hadith based with little referance to politics or other issues that can potentially divide people. Lots of lectures, seminars, youth activities. The congregation is a mix of Arab (Lebanese, Syrian, North African, etc), Somalian, Bosnian and quite a few converts. Well worth the drive from Niagara Falls for those on vacation. (Submitted on May 22, 2008) |
| Canal Walk Prayer Room: ★★★★ The description says it all. It's so nice to have a place to pray when a mosque is not nearby. The prayer room is clean and well maintained. The fact that this room exists is a testimony to the determination of local Muslims to have their religion respected. Hopefully Muslims in North America will make it a point to use their considerable economic clout to get similar facilities in their public areas. (Submitted on May 22, 2008) |
| Islamic Society of the Niagara Peninsula: ★ The Islamic Society of Niagara is located on the fringes of Niagara Falls just off the QEW on the way to Fort Erie/Buffalo (please see map). It's congregation is an eclectic mix of Arab, Pakistani, Turkish and other ethnic groups. Like all mosques, this one is a house of Allah and I respect it as such. However, I personally don't like the "feel" of the place. Men and women tend to mix feely at the weekly fund raising lunch after Juma prayer and the front row of the 'women's section' can literally touch the feet of the men in the back row. There is a very liberal interpretation of what constitutes hibab and the khutbas don't tend to use a lot of referances to Quran and Sunnah. With that said, what I do like aobut this mosque is that it's close to the QEW highway (the road from Toronto to Fort Erie/Buffalo - kind of a last chance masjid on the way to the good old U.S. of A.. A better alternative for those who prefer a more 'traditional' set up is Masjid Noor in St. Catherines. (Submitted on April 1, 2008) |
| Madina Masjid: ★★★★ I have an emotional to Madina Masjid. I remember the days when I was a new Muslim and used to travel 200km to attend the ijtima (gathering)on Saturday nights. This mosque has an interesting dynamic. The members of the board of directors are not great fans of the tabligi jamat movement, yet the mosque is a major tabligi centre. I figure they tolerate the tabligi brothers because of the large numbers of people that attend the Saturday ijtima (gatherings) and the possible financial consequences of not allowing allowing tabligi brothers to have their programmes (ie: mosque will lose money if the tabligis go elsewhere). The mosque, in it's present state, is a rather humble building and rather plain both inside and out. The mosque was originally established by the local Gujrati community, but has gradually become more multicultural over the last 10 or so years. As well, women have been given a place to pray in the basement - not a very nice place by many accounts (near the funeral facilities), but alot better than 10 years ago when the 'ladies section'was small broom closet. Overall my opinion of this mosque is rather good. I would prefer that the board of directors was more multicultural. Afterall a Mosque is a house of Allah and not an ethnic club. All Muslims should be allowed to participate in a mosques administration. A problem that this mosque, as well as many others, have a tendancy to spend donation money on rather UNNECESSARY AND COSTLY additions to the building. I wonder how spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on domes and minarets makes the lives of Muslims in Canada and abroad better? Maybe someone can explain that to me. Muslims in Canada need socical services and Islamic schools and not minarets. More fiscal responsibility would be nice to see. (Submitted on March 30, 2008) |
| Azhar Academy Mosque: ★★★★★ Nice place to pray. Azhar is located a few blocks east of UEL, where I once worked. Despite not being from the dominate demographic, I felt at home. The mosque is clean and and well organized and makes good use of limited space. (Submitted on March 1, 2008) |
| Masjid al Taqwa: NR Basically, Masjid al Taqwa is a nice, peaceful place to pray. One can say that it is the less famous sibling of Madinah Masjid, living in the shadow of the busy and better known mosque. From what I gather from local sources, this mosque was originally established by West Indian Muslims who felt that their needs would be met in a setting apart from Madina Mosque. Over time, this West Indian congregation purchased a larger facility east of here on Danforth Avenue and moved on. The governing of Al Taqwa was taken over by Muslims of Sri Lankan origin. Be that as it may, Al Taqwa is a true oasis of peace amid the hustle and bustle of Central Toronto. Aside from Jumah time, one can go there between prayers and do zikir or meditate in peace.
To my knowledge there is a sister's section on the lower floor and some afterschool Islamic instruction for children. (Submitted on January 1, 2006) |
| Noor Cultural Centre: ★★★ True enough, this mosque is well appointed in terms of amenities (washrooms and wudhu facilites are clean, at least by comparison to other mosques). However, there is more to a mosque than what meets the eye. People do have the right to their own opinions and are ultimately responsible before Allah. I find it somewhat uncomfortable being in a place 'theological free for all' is the rule of the day. In Islam we are supposed to submit ourselves to Allah and the teachings of his last prophet. These teachings are as applicable today as they were over 1400 years ago. To take an Ala Carte approach to Islam, doing what you feel like and tossing the rest away, is not a good way of doing things. It simply isn't submission to Allah. With that said, Allah has given us the ablility to choose and will hold us to account. The best I can say about this mosque is that it is a place to do ones salat when in the area. (Submitted on December 31, 2005) |
| Islamic Centre of Oshawa: NR The building houses the 'mosque' and a few rooms or apartments. The place is very traditional with the pre-khutba talk held in Urdu. I would tend to rate the place as 'average'. Being from a non-Urdu speaking background I did not feel particularly welcome. However, it is a 'house of Allah' and one of few places to pray Juma on the occasions I'm in Oshawa. In this society, any mosque is a good mosque. It is better for it to be there then not. (Submitted on December 31, 2005) |
| Masjid Dar Us Salaam: ★★★ The brothers who worked toward establishing this masjid really had their work cut out for them. The adjacent Cyprian cultural centre fought tooth and nail for years to prevent this mosque from being built. Though citing parking concerns, the underlying issue was Xenophobia. In the end, Allah (swt) allowed the court find in favour of the masjid. In any event, I do miss the intimacy of the 'old days' when the Thorncliffe community prayed in the nearby industrial units, but times change and the communtiy grows, thus the need for more space. I do wish that the administration was more progressive and inclusive of Muslims of all ethinic backgrounds. By that I mean that there should be more programs for non-Urdu speakers and that the administration should be more diverse. (Submitted on December 29, 2005) |
| Masjid al-Jamia: ★★★★★ I go to al-Jamia (stegman road) whenever I'm in Cape Town. It has a different (but not 'better') feel than the Main Road mosque. It's larger and less clostrophobic. The Imam gives his speachs without the aid of a script. It is somewhat hard to get to if you are not from the area. Getting there from the Main Road entails either going through an underpass near the train station (locals advise against this as the underpass is a favorite mugging area) or up Protea Road and through a maze of streets before reaching Stegman Road. Ask local for directions. (Submitted on November 27, 2005) |
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