September 2010	Volume 21	Issue 1
Message from the President Dear Brothers and Sisters Assalamu Alaikum & Eid Greetings We have reached the final phase of the holy month of Ramadhan and the time to join together to worship Allah (SWT) and thank Allah for his bounty and blessings on us all. The participation and support of our members and friends in the two recent ifthaars and the 27th Night prayers together with the response received for the proposed Eid Prayers, Eid Breakfast and Eid Dinner has been an amazing and humbling experience. It is a pleasure to be working in harmony with a young and dedicated team of committee members (with the support of our committed members) and to have successfully concluded some of the important events in this Holy month of Ramadhan. May Allah accept our fast, our prayers and forgive us for our transgressions. In addition to our regular functions, the new Management Team has been scrutinising various proposals that could both refocus and enhance the future direction of our Association. The new direction is aimed at attracting the widest cross section of our members so that they will in turn support and participate in all of our community activities and programs. The increased use of technology to improve communication, the USMAA Scholarship Scheme and the encouragement for all committee members to robustly participate and play an active role in all our functions are some of the innovative features of the new approach. In that enthusiasm there could be minor hiccups which I urge you to tolerate with patience. Allah rewards those who are patient. There is a spring in the steps of USMAA and a buzz about the place. Whats the buzz? Come and find out. Lets keep the momentum going. We need you and your support to ensure success. Lets continue to work together to benefit our community. Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran ; 'O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)' - Surah At-Taubah verse 119. I take this opportunity to wish you, your families and your loved ones a very happy and peaceful Eid ul Fitr. May Allah guide you and protect you always. Ameen. Wasalaam Fahmi Haniffa USMAA President
Editorial Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakathahu! A month of self discipline, a month of forgiveness, a month of increased spirituality ...the holy month of Ramadhan has gone past us once more. We hope that you were able to make the most of this month and increase your Iman and build a stronger relationship with Allah to give you the strength to face the trials and tribulations of the coming year. Ramadhan is a special time of the year, to look back at our actions of the past year, ask forgiveness for that which we have done wrong and look forward to a new year and a new beginning. Indeed we are privileged to be given such a time for reflection in this often busy lifestyle we lead with work and family concerns, where it is easy to forget the more important aspect of our lives - our relationship with Allah and our purpose on this earth. The important thing however is to ensure that it is not only this month that we remember Allah but continue to do so in all areas of our lives in the coming year as well so that we are the People of Truth, the God-fearing. Living in a multi cultural society such as Australia, away from the extended family and community in Sri Lanka, it is indeed lovely that USMAA gives us a whiff of Ramadhan back at home...complete with the steaming bowl of kunji to the very Sri Lankan short eats of cutlets and rolls for iftar. The sense of community with everyone bringing a plate to share and the congregational prayers are indeed a happy part of Ramadhan in Melbourne. In today's world where we are often bombarded with negative publicity of Islam and Muslims, it is the hope that USMAA will be a means to reaffirm our identity as Sri Lankan Muslims and build the sense of community that we can turn to and also help our children to be reminded of their Sri Lankan heritage. Whilst we have been blessed to enjoy Ramadhan in the comfort of comparatively shorter days and cooler weather, it has been indeed heart wrenching to hear of our brothers and sisters in Pakistan who have had to go through Ramadhan amidst one of the worst natural disasters in living history. 1600 deaths and 21 million people left homeless and without access to basic needs is a disaster of enormous proportions. The coming months are going to be a challenge to see how authorities cope with assisting these people. Sadly, the rampant corruption in Pakistan has been a draw back for many countries and international donors to send aid as they have done to other countries facing such disasters. From recent reports it seems the non-governmental sector is now gathering strength to assist these victims on their own. We can only wait and see how the aid efforts go ahead and assist in any way we can. I am sure our hearts and minds will have those who are affected in this disaster when we pray and celebrate Eid back here in relative comfort. May Allah help the people of Pakistan to survive this disaster and resume their lives! Insha Allah hope you have a lovely Eid surrounded by family and friends. Eid Mubarak!
The 2010 USMAA Annual General Meeting (AGM) The 2010 USMAA Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on 17 July 2010 at the Mulgrave Community Centre. Around 50 USMAA members and family attended the AGM. There were no nominations for the post of President and many other official positions of the Association. The Chair referred the matter to the Trustees and Br. Fahmi Haniffa stepped in as interim President until a Special General Meeting (SGM) was convened to give an opportunity for all members to decide the future course of action. One painful option was to dissolve the Association nearly 20 years after USMAA was formed. However at the SGM which was convened on Sunday 8 August 2010 at the Glen Waverley Community Centre, 700 Waverley Road, Glen Waverley there was a call for a fresh round of nominations and a fresh set of enthusiastic volunteers came forward to take up the vacancies. The apparent lack of interest of members towards the official business of running USMAA has thrown up several questions that need serious consideration. Some of the questions are: Does the Association meet the expectations of our membership? What does the membership want? Does the Association need to concentrate more on catering to the needs of our members? What are those needs? Does the Association need to re focus and re organise our objectives and activities? Does the Association need to bring a right balance with our religious, social, cultural, educational and fun activities? What are the weaknesses that need attention? How would USMAA improve two-way communication with the members? How does the Association encourage the young families, recent arrivals, the youth and the children to play an active role in the Association? Does the Association need to restructure the Management Committee? How does USMAA accommodate and represent the old, the young and the new? Does the Association need further flexibility? Does the Association need more members? How to attract young USMAA talent to take up leadership roles and play an active role in community work? How to plan the transition of leadership roles from the old guard to the new? What could the Association put in place to ensure smooth leadership succession in the future? How does the Association simplify procedures and formalities? In response to the above, there were quiet a number of suggestions that were discussed and documented during the meeting. There were many more issues and questions that came up during the discussions. USMAA invites you to express your views and opinions constructively and make a positive contribution to the community. Now you have the opportunity to visit the following link and fill in the feedback form on the USMAA website. http://usmaa.org.au/ContactUs.php
2010/2011 Committee President Bro. Fahmi Haniffa Vice President Bro. Nazeem Yakoob Treasurer Bro. Mohamed Najeeb Secretary Sis. Rizana Zubair Assistant Secretary Bro. Asadh Yusuf Editor Bro. Hamzi Muhammed Committee Members Sis.  Nizra Haniffa Bro. Shimal Zackariya Bro. Dilroshan Mohamed Bro. Mohamed Fayaz Zulfick Bro. Mohamed Azam Kassim Bro. Abdullah Mahmud One of the prime objectives of the new Management Committee is to enhance communication with the community. To enable this to happen we urge you to assist us by updating your contact details by visiting the following link and filling out the online form. Please fill in the form even if your current details, such as email address is correct. We will be deleting unconfirmed member details in due course and failure to fill out the form could result in you not receiving USMAA announcements and newsletters moving forward. http://www.usmaa.org.au/Contact-Update.php Thank you very much for your cooperation.
Membership fees and changes It is now a new financial year for USMAA and its time for all of you to renew your USMAA membership by paying in your annual subscription. There are some important changes made this year so please see details below and pay your subscription as soon as possible so that USMAA will be able to carry out its valuable role in our community unhindered. Members are advised that the function fee of $100 will not be charged this year. Instead the committee is experimenting with a new approach where instead you will buy a ticket for a nominal fee for some USMAA functions. If you have already paid the function fees for this year then you are kindly requested to collect your tickets for the Eid dinner or contact the treasurer or any committee member for further details. You can pay Membership fees to the Treasurer Mohamed Najeeb by Cash or send in a Money order or Cheque drawn in favour of USMAA. You could also make a Bank transfer/deposit to the following account, BSB 06 3121 A/C No 10185803 Commonwealth Bank Membership fees: Family $ 50 Adults $ 30 Students $ 30 Pensioners $ 15 If you are not a member yet then please sign up using the online membership form which can be found at http://usmaa.org.au/form.php USMAA is all about you. Please contribute and actively participate in all the activities and functions.
Ramadhan 2010 - First Ifthaar The first Ifthar was held on Saturday the 21st of August 2010, at the Mulgrave Community Centre. A large number of members and well-wishers braved the cold and wintry night to be present and participate in the ifthaar program. Sheikh Abu Omar delivered a bayaaan and conducted Maghrib, Isha and Taraweeh prayers at the venue.		See more pictures at http://usmaa.org.au
The young USMAA committee member Azam Kassim gave an update to the audience on the plans that are being formulated by the new committee. He announced the revision of the fee structure for the members with the hope that all of our members will pay their subscriptions and actively participate in our activities. Fahmi Haniffa announced the inauguration of the USMAA Scholarship Scheme which will start with a Scholarship Award of $2000 for the best student achieving the highest score at the VCE Exams for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. The VCE Scholarship Award is being privately funded. The terms and conditions of the VCE Scholarship Award will be released in the next USMAA Newsletter. There was also a collection of donations for the Pakistan Flood relief fund where the members donated generously. A sum of $1200 was collected that night, Alhamdulillah. After prayers everyone enjoyed the delicious Ifthar dinner which was coordinated by Brother Hussein Nizar, Sister Azeeka Hussein and their group of friends.
Ramadhan 2010 - Second Ifthaar On the following Saturday, the 28th of August, 2010 there was another successful turnout for the second Ifthar at the same venue. Once again Sheikh Abu Omar delivered a short bayaan and conducted Maghrib, Isha and Taraweeh prayers where his beautiful recital was appreciated by all. Another young USMAA committee member Asadh Yusuf delivered the USMAA update to the gathering and announced plans for the 27th night prayers organized by USMAA, the Eid prayers, Eid Breakfast and Eid Dinner. He asked one and all to check the USMAA website for more information. There was also a collection of donations for the newly established Al Iman School in Colombo initiated by the young Mariam Dole. It is encouraging to see the youth of USMAA involved in community service projects.		See more pictures at http://usmaa.org.au
Fithra donations ($10 per head) were collected from the members to be forwarded to deserving charities in Sri Lanka. Tickets for the Eid dinner sold briskly. The Ifthar dinner, generously sponsored by Sister Nizra, Brother Haniffa and their group of friends and families, was enjoyed by all after prayers.
27th Night of Ramadan - Lailatul Qadr The 27th night Lailatul Qadr prayers were held on Monday, 6 September 2010 at 125 George street, Doncaster East. The program commenced at 11:00 pm and went on till Suhr. The Suhr meal was provided. The event co-ordinators were Br. Mohamed Najeeb and Br. Mahroof. USMAA Update and announcements were made by Br. Abdulla Mahmud.		See more pictures at http://usmaa.org.au
The Program for the night included; Bayan (Talk on Islam) - By Bro Belal Assaad Thahajjath / Qiyamul Layl Tasbeeh Zikr Witr/Qunooth The prayers were conducted by Br. Azam Kassim and Br. Abdul Wahab. USMAA would like to thank Br. Aqa Tokhi and family, Br. Fazlun Haris, Br. Nauful Shariffdeen, Br. Mahroof, Br. Abdul Jabbar and Br. Mohamed Najeeb for having manned the kitchen and organized the surhur for the night. We would also like to thank all the members and their families for bringing finger foods and contributing to the success of the Lailthul Qadr program.
Eid-Ul-Fitr prayers and the traditional USMAA breakfast The Board of Imams have confirmed that Eid-Ul-Adha will be on Friday, 10 September 2010 Insha Allah.
The Eid ul Fitr prayers
USMAA together with the Monash University Mosque will be conducting Eid-Ul-Adha prayers. Date  Friday, 10 September 2010 Venue  Basketball court, Sports Complex, Monash University Clayton Campus Time 7.30 Takbeer will commence and Prayers at 8.00 - 8.15 am FREE Parking will be available in blue area SE1 close to the complex from 7.00 - 10.30 am. Paid parking is also available near the venue. Click here for the Monash University Map Please bring your prayer mats and come with ablution (wudu) for prayers
The Eid ul Fitr traditional USMAA breakfast
Members are welcome to partake of a light Sri Lankan breakfast after prayers. Date  Friday, 10 September 2010 Venue  Mulgrave Neighbourhood House (located in Wellington Reserve Community Centre), 36-42 Mackie Road, Mulgrave (Melway ref: 80 B2) Time 9:30 am onwards click on the map to expand.
Eid-Ul-Fitr the Ramadan Festival
Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fitr means "to break the fast" (and can also mean "nature", from the word "fitrah") and so symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is the first day of the month Shawwaal in the Islamic lunar calendar. Most Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr for at least 3 days. Following is what the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) did (Sunnah) on this day; Rise early in the morning, brush, bathe and clean up. Wear the best clothes that he had. Eat something sweet such as dates before leaving home. Arrive early at the Eid prayer location. Walk to the Eid prayer location through one route and return another. This is so he met as many people as possible and greeted them. Made it a point to give Sadqa-e-Fitr (zakatul fitr) for before the Eid day so it will reach the needy in time. On route he recited the thakbir: Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illa Allah, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar wa li-illahi al-hamd Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,There is no deity but Allah Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and to Allah goes all praise Description of the Eid Prayer Like any other deed in Islam, the prayer must be preceded with a true intention of worshiping Allah alone in the heart. The Eid Prayer consists of two Raka'ahs. The Eid Salaah is not preceded by the adhan (the call to announce the prayer time) or Iqamah (the call to start prayer). Jabir bin Samurah (radhi allahu anhu) said: "I prayed the Eid prayer with Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), on more than one occasion, without adhan or Iqamah." [Saheeh Muslim] No Sunnah prayer may precede or follow the Eid prayer, except if it is performed in a Masjid instead of a Musallah, in which case one must pray two raka'hs before sitting down. Ibn Abbas (radhi allahu anhu) reported: "The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) went out (of his house) on the day of Fitr, prayed two raka'hs and did not pray before or after it.[Zaad al-Maad (2/443)] The first raka'h is initiated with Takbeer al-ihram, followed by the opening supplication. Then followed by seven Takbeers in the first raka'h and five more in the second rak'ah. Aa'ishah (radhi allahu anha) said: "Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) would say Takbeer in both Fitr and Adha: seven in the first and five in the second, other than the two Takbeers of Ruku (bowing)."[(Saheeh) - Abu Dawood (1150) and others] After the Takbeer recite Ta'awwuth - 'A'uthu billahi min ash-Shaytaan ir-Rajeem' meaning "I seek refuge in Allah from the outcast devil" and 'Bismillah ar-Rahmaan ar-Raheem' meaning "In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful." Followed by the recitation of Soorah al-Fatihah Then, the recitation of Soorah al-Qaaf in the first raka'h and the Soorah al-Qamar in the second - OR - Soorah al-Alaa in the first and Soorah al-Ghashiyah in the second. Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said: "Both of these have been authentically reported from the action of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), nothing else is authentic." [Zaad al-Maad (1/443)] Note: Reciting a Soorah different from the ones mentioned above will too complete the prayer. The remainder of the prayer is performed in the same manner as any other prayer. The Sunnah of the Eid Sermon To deliver the Eid sermon (Khutbah) after the Eid Salaah is sunnah. Ibn Abbas (radhi allahu anhu) said: "I attended the Eid with Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), Abu Bakr (radhi allahu anhu) Umar (radhi allahu anhu) and Uthman (radhi allahu anahu); all of them would pray before the Khutbah." [Saheeh al-Bukharee] Once the day of Eid is announced we must start reciting thakbir immediately after magrib and continue until the time of Eid Salat. Greet people first by saying " Takabalallah minna wa min kuom" - May Allah accept my deeds and yours" and then say "Eid mubarak" before saying anything else. Greet one another by shaking hands (the holy prophet (PBUH) has said that when two Muslims shake hand, their sins drop off). Ensure you bring all your family members for Eid salaat (even menstruating women are asked to attend but not pray) so that everyone can get the blessings of Allah (the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)
Fitra and Zakath from USMAA members Mashallah USMAA collected $1135 as Fitra on Iftar and Lailathul Qadr nights which was sent to the Balapokuna childrens Orphanage. We also collected $180 as Zakath which was sent to the Galle Muslim Cultural Association. These funds were sent to the respective organizations in Sri Lanka through Serendib Financial Services on 8 Sept 2010.
UPCOMING MAJOR USMAA EVENTS Eid ul fitr - Dinner Date  Saturday, 11 September 2010 Venue  Mulgrave Community Centre, 355 Wellington Road, Mulgrave Time 6:30 PM onwards Tickets for the Eid Dinner are currently available for sale. There are only limited number of Tickets available. Please get your tickets from any of the committee members. Alternatively you could also contact us via the website feedback form found at the following link and we will get in touch with you. Don't forget to add your phone number. http://usmaa.org.au/ContactUs.php The cost of tickets (subsidised) is as follows: Adults: Members $10, non-members $15 Children 12 (5 to 12 years) $5 Children under 5 years - Free
USMAA Events Calender 2010 EID BREAKFAST 9:30 am Friday, Sept 10 Mulgrave Neighbourhood House (see notice above for more details) EID FESTIVAL DINNER Sept 11 Mulgrave Community Centre Event to be announced Oct 23 Mulgrave Community Centre FELLOWSHIP EVENING Date to be announced Mulgrave Community Centre
Other news
Alkauthar Institute course: An Epic Journey The AlKauthar Institute is pleased to present From Palestine To Egypt - An Epic Journey, a detailed study and analysis of Surah Yusuf. Follow the story verse by verse and open your eyes to the lessons that will be brought to the student from Aqeedah to Tarbiyyah, Tafseer to Dreams, Fiqh to Character the list goes on. It's an epic story, with epic lessons on an epic journey. Follow the Prophet Yusuf in this story from Palestine to Egypt, from a boy to a man, from accused to absolved, from slavery to governance, from being lost to being reunited. Inculcate yourself with a love for the Quran and the Prophets, find out how the lessons from the chapter can be used in your lives, reflect on the lessons and wisdom contained in Allah's final revelation. Please visit www.alkauthar.org for more details and enrolment. They offer a variety of courses that may be of interest to you.
From Atheism to Islam - My Story A physiologist doctor by professional training, Dr Abdullah is popular for analytical and convincing talks. Dr.Abdullah is from Tamil Nadu,India and is to pay a visit to Australia on the invitation of the Subcontinental Muslim Association of Australia (SMAA) on September 21, 2010. He will deliver a public speech at Copland theatre, Melbourne University on Saturday, 2nd October from 7.30pm to 9.30 pm titled 'From Atheism to Islam - My Story' Please visit the Subcontinental Muslim Association of Australia website at www.smaa.org.au or call 0422 698 346 for more details and enrolment.
USMAA Web site The USMAA website has a picture gallery of images that relates to USMAA events and newsletters. Please email newsletter@usmaa.org.au if you wish to remove any images from the newsletter or the USMAA gallery. Please ensure you provide a link to the image you want removed. The USMAA website now has the prayer times for Melbourne updated daily on it's home page www.usmaa.org.au. We hope this is an incentive to visit the USMAA website more often and check for updates. If you have come across any interesting features that might be useful and add value to the community then please pass it along. As you may have already noticed, some Community Announcements appear in this issue of the USMAA eNewsletter. We would like this to be a place where the achievements of community members is applauded and a place where community information both happy and sad is shared. We would like to encourage all members to send the following information to share with the community. VCE achievements for 2010 - Date, Name, School, Parents names, Suburb Graduations 2010 - Date, Name, Course, Uni, Parents names, Suburb Weddings and Nikahs that have taken place recently - Date, Names of the couple, Parents Names and Suburbs. Deaths in the community - Date, Name, Suburb, Family details Births in the community - Date, Name, Parents names and Suburb Please email to newsletter@usmaa.org.au The information you send may be edited to fit the space as needed. Insha Allah we hope you will utilize this tool to its full potential.
Advertisements The businesses who have advertised on our website are sponsoring the web hosting costs. They are all owned and operated by USMAA members and we hope you will take note of their messages and support them when possible. Members can place advertisements in the USMAA eNewsletter and website. We charge a nominal fee which will go towards the cost of administration and hosting the website. Please email webmaster@usmaa.org.au for details.
Email: members@usmaa.org.au USMAA INC. P O Box 120, Forest Hill, Victoria 3131, Australia. ABN 16207175319  http://www.usmaa.org.au If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, click here and send us a blank email
The editorial board of USMAA will not be responsible for the views expressed in this newsletter. USMAA Newsletters are available at: http://usmaa.org.au/Newsletter.php