July 29, 2022 | Muharram 1st, 1444

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Specially Merciful.

Assalamu alikum warahamatullah wabarakatu

My dear brothers and sisters,

On this special occasion of the start of a new Hijri year, I ask Allah to bless you and your families with the best of faith, health and prosperity in the coming year, and I pray the year to come is one of great blessings for our community.

1444 year ago, our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) set out on a journey that changed human history forever. A new civilization was born based on devotion to Allah (SWT), justice, brotherhood, inclusion, and human rights. This ummah connected vast lands, granted them peace, security & prosperity and led to an intellectual and civilizational revolution the scale of which the world has not witnessed.

إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ

Indeed this is your ummah, a single unified ummah, and I am your Lord so devote yourself to me.

Today our ummah faces serious calamities. Our hearts ache as we witness the injustice to Muslims around the world. Our Uighur brothers and sisters continue to face persecution, concentration camps and the systematic annihilation of their culture and identity by Chinese authorities in what can only be described as a genocide. I encourage you to educate yourself on their plight and join calls to action for their support.

The recent visit of the Pope has also reminded us of the injustices committed against indigenous communities right here at home. We welcome the Pope’s acknowledgment of past wrongs and call on meaningful action towards reconciliation with Indigenous communities across this country.

While we witness and reflect on the injustices of our time, it is useful to turn back to the lessons we learn from the Hijra. The Hijra occurred during a time of grave persecution and injustice against the first Muslim community in Mecca. The hijra represented to the believers a hope of new beginnings nurtured by faith and the reliance on Allah, but also coupled with real action and sacrifice to bring about positive change and raise justice and peace on the earth. 

Today we as a community will inshaAllah continue following this example as we hope for a better future for our community and ummah that is rooted in our faith, while we strive collectively to be positive change-agents through our contribution. May Allah grant us the will and ability to do this.  

I will leave you with a reminder to commemorate the upcoming Ashura (10^th of Muharram) through fasting as the Prophet (pbuh) taught us.

Your brother,
Abdullatif Bakbak
President – Executive
Muslim Association of Canada