Loudoun Islamic Center

Eid Mubarak! Eid Salah information can be found on the attached flyer. Date: 6/16. Time: 8:30 AM. Location: Best Western Leesburg.

Potluck Breakfast Guidance:

Acceptable items:

Only breakfast items, such as: Eggs, Fruit platters,
Sandwiches, Donuts, Croissants, Bagels etc.

Restricted items (not allowed):
Kebab, Curries, Biryani etc.

Please ensure that the items brought to the potluck adhere to these restrictions.
We appreciate your cooperation in following the guidelines set by the NCC facility we have rented.

JazakAllah

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF DHUL HIJJAH?

Dhul Hijjah is the final month of the Islamic calendar. It is also a very significant and sacred month when the Hajj and Eid al-Adha occur.

Dhul Hijjah in Arabic means "The Month of the Pilgrimage". Pilgrims from all around the world come together in Makkah to fulfil the fifth pillar of Islam in the hope they will have all their previous sins forgiven upon completion.

Hajj is performed over three days, on the eighth, ninth and the tenth of Dhul Hijjah. The Day of Arafat takes place on the ninth, and Eid al-Adha begins on the tenth day and ends on the sunset of the 13th of the month.

The first nine days of the month are the holiest, and many Muslims choose to spend them in the remembrance of Allah (SWT). They include giving Sadaqah, increasing in Salah on top of the obligatory five daily prayers, spending more time in the masjid, offering more dhikr and duas, reading the Quran and fasting.

What are five recommended actions for the Day of ’Arafah?

For those of us who are not able to perform Hajj this year, we still have plenty of opportunities to reap the rewards of this blessed day. You should spend as much of the day as possible in worship, with the most important time being between Dhuhr and Maghrib.

1. Make du’a
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said of the Day of ’Arafah, ‘In it, there is an hour in which no believing worshipper makes a supplication to Allah for good, except that Allah answers it for him, and he does not seek Allah’s protection from evil, except that He protects him from it’. [Tirmidhi]

2. Fast
It is highly recommended for those who are not pilgrims to fast on this day. The Prophet (saw) said, ’It (fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah) expiates the sins of the past year and the coming year (i.e. those sins will be forgiven)’. [Muslim]

SubhanAllah, what an amazing opportunity: to be forgiven for sins we haven’t even committed yet!

The pilgrims at Hajj do not generally fast as the most important worship on this day are their prayers, the remembrance of Allah (swt) and begging for His forgiveness.

′The people of knowledge consider it recommended to fast on the Day of ’Arafah, except for those at ‘Arafat’. [Tirmidhi]

3. Seek forgiveness
As mentioned before, ’Arafah is a day of immense forgiveness when Allah sets many people free from the Fire. Even if you are not standing on the Plains of ’Arafat, you can still seek Allah’s forgiveness from your own home, workplace or local masjid.

There is yet another powerful hadith about Allah’s forgiveness on this day:

’Shaitan is not considered more abased or more cast out or more contemptible or angrier on any other day than on the Day of ‘Arafah. That is only because he sees the descent of the mercy and Allah’s disregard for great wrong actions.That is except from what he (Shaitan) was shown on the Day of Badr’. [Malik]

’Arafah is thus a day on which Shaitan witnesses Allah forgive even those servants who have committed great wrong actions. It is a day on which we should humble ourselves to seek Allah’s forgiveness and never despair of His mercy.

4. Make dhikr
For the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, the Prophet (saw) recommended reciting tahleel (La ilaha ill-Allah), لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، له الملك ، وله الحمد ، وهو على كل شيء قدير takbeer (Allahu Akbar)
and tahmeed (SubhanAllah and Alhamdulillah).

5. Perform Qurbani
Qurbani is the act of sacrifice of an animal for the sake of Allah as it reflects Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) dedication to Allah. If you cannot afford to do so, donating to charity or cooking something for the less fortunate is also a great way to make a sacrifice in honour of the blessed day!

Iqamah times:

First day of Taraweh Wed 3/22
I'sha: 9.15 PM

Thur 3/23 - First day of Ramadan
Faj'r: 6.15 AM

A Few Basic Facts About Ramadan:

The holy month of Ramadan celebrates the time in A.D. 610 when God revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. This sacred period invites Muslims to renew their spiritual relationship with God and to practice self-discipline.
Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which follows the lunar calendar. It is announced when a sighting committee spots the new crescent moon.
Ramadan ends with the next crescent moon, which begins Eid-al-Fitr.
Celebrating Ramadan includes fasting from sunrise to sunset. The fast only applies to able-bodied Muslims, however; children, pregnant women, those with health conditions, and the elderly are not expected to fast.
Fasting during Ramadan also includes refraining from negative thoughts, smoking and sexual activity.
If you are visiting an Islamic nation but do not celebrate Ramadan, you should not eat or drink in public spaces during the holy month.