Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Boys from Ajax Madresa in a car crash

Inna lillalhi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon.

The boys are from the Jaamiah Ajax , and it happened close to the Madresah. The other two boys with him were 15, they died in the crash.

Here's an article from the Toronto Star



Boy, 14, in fatal crash had own car

November 20, 2007

Staff reporter


The 14-year-old got the 1991 Mazda MX-6 on Friday.

Excited but careful to keep it a secret from his family, he drove it up to his private school in rural Ajax to show off to his buddies on Saturday night.

The next morning, he returned to pick up two friends. Speeding down Audley Rd., he crashed the car moments later, killing both 15-year-olds less than a kilometre from their school.

That's the tragic story of an Ajax boy and two schoolmates at Jaamiah Ajax, according to his family and school administrators. The exclusive school of about 80 students is described on its website as a"world-class Islamic institute."

The boy's sister said the family had no idea he had a car or where he got it.

"It was a big surprise to all of us. Someone gave him the car and we're trying to find out who."

She said she didn't know who, if anyone, might have taught him to drive.

The car left the road, rolled several times and landed in a horse paddock just before 10 a.m. Sunday. One 15-year-old, who was from Etobicoke, was ejected. The other, from Laval, Que., had to be cut out of the car, according to witnesses. Both were students who resided at the school, which teaches Islamic studies and academic subjects.

A 14-year-old, who was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, has been charged with two counts of criminal negligence causing death.

"He came here twice Saturday night, saying he just got the car Friday night. I thought he was 16. If I had known (he was 14), I would have stopped him right there and called his parents," Atif Din, general administrator of school, said yesterday.

"We thought for sure his parents had given him money to buy a car," said Abdul Waheed, an administrator and teacher at Jaamiah Ajax, north of Taunton Rd. "When I called his father Sunday morning to tell him about the accident, he said `what car was he driving?' He didn't know he had a car."

Din said students who live in residence need permission to leave the property, but the 15-year-olds left the school undetected Sunday. The 14-year-old has been a day student at the school for two years.

According to Din, the school, which is set on open land, was founded in 1991 and is open to boys 12 and older, including international students. Its main aim is to turn out young men with high morals, founder and principal Mufti Abdul Majid Khan told the Star in an interview two years ago.

"Fee is not a criteria," says a flyer in the two-storey building's modestly furnished waiting lounge.

Police yesterday confirmed the Mazda belonged to the driver but is registered to someone else.

"We have evidence that he owned it," said Sgt. Paul McCurbin but wouldn't elaborate. Speed and driver inexperience were cited as factors in the tragedy.

Sylvia Dietrich and Melvyn Croft, who manage Ajax Riding Academy, said the car flipped over several boulders and through a fence before coming to a rest in a paddock with five horses.

They didn't hear it but went to the scene a few minutes later when emergency vehicles arrived. The car was "so squished" it was unrecognizable, Dietrich said.

Dietrich said that stretch of road, which is flanked by fields and a golf course, is a popular spot for street racers.

"I've said there's going to be a fatal accident one of these days. Who'd have thought it would be in my field?"



-here's another article from CityNews

Monday, November 19, 2007

nobeatsnecessary

MashaAllah, it's about time we heard some new nasheeds, one's without beats! Alhamdulillah.

I'm going to buy this for sure inshaAllah. When you purchase their CD, 20% goes to charity, but the album isn't out yet. So you can go on their site (http://www.nobeatsnecessary.com/) and reserve a CD by adding your name and email, inshaAllah.



Monday, November 12, 2007

Back from Umrah (3 Weeks ago)

As salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,

Belated Eid Mubarak!!

Well I came back about 2 weeks ago... okay, 3 weeks ago (and I wanna to go back!!). Hearing about people going for Hajj just adds to the pain and makes me miss Makkah and Madinah a whole lot more. I would have updated earlier, but my Internet wasn’t behaving well, so it made it harder for me to do so. It was an amazing experience, SubhanAllah. I didn’t think I’d go back there this soon. I went 4 years ago for Hajj, but even then I didn’t think it would have been this year, especially since I just got married. My husband was also very fortunate (mashaAllah) since he’s just been for Hajj (the previous one) and being with him made the whole experience more then incredible (MashaAllah). I guess when Allah (swt) calls, no matter when and how, we end up there, as a guest to the house of Allah (swt) and the resting place of Rasulullah (saw), one way or another.

I thought going back the second time wouldn’t be as affective as the first, both emotionally and spiritually. Boy, was I wrong. SubhanAllah the emotions running through me were probably more than the first time I went and looking at the Ka’bah again was just like seeing it for the first time ever. For those who are going for Hajj for the first time, I can’t even begin to explain what goes on inside your heart when you reach Makkah, the Harem, and the Ka’bah. It’s like you know that your soul knows that you’re getting closer and closer to the House of Allah. Going in for the first time with your gaze lowered, makes your heart tremble with great anticipation, excitement and nervousness (you can’t even breath, think, or walk straight!). Then seeing the Ka’bah, in all its Glory and Magnificence, is so empowering that it pierces your heart and soul at the very core of your faith. If anyone has ever had a single atoms weight of doubt in his or her heart, just looking at the Ka’bah will remove it forever (InshaAllah). It’s a moment where it’s just you and your Lord; you don’t notice anything or anyone around you. Honestly, I can never fully explain exactly how one feels at that moment, you have to go through it to know. May Allah (swt) take us all there, again and again and again…

There were loads of people there this Ramadhan, it really felt like Hajj time. It was because all the locals came and most of Turkey was there (yeah all those little women…you see plenty of them). In the last 10 days it was nuts. We went to Madinah where it’s much calmer but there were still a lot of people there. SubhanAllahi wa biHamdi, SubhanAllahi-l-Atheem, being in Madinah is a whole different experience in itself. Again, I can never fully explain what goes on in the heart and soul when you know, that this is where Sayyidinah Rasulullah (saw) is (the Beloved of Allah, the Final Messenger, just think of Seera!), Sayyidinah Abu Bakr (ra) is (The great companion of Rasulullah (saw), the one who was with him all the way during Hijrah), and Sayyidinah Umar (ra) is (the one that struck fear in those that knew his name and never even saw him amongst the Mushriks, Romans and Persians). SubhanAllah and then there’s Jannatul Baqi, where so many Sahabahs (ra) and righteous people have been laid to rest. So many emotions just overwhelm you. Saying Salaams to Rasulullah (saw) and knowing that he can hear it and knows who we are just makes one feel so unworthy of coming in front of him covered in sins when one went against his sunnahs countless times. But knowing one is visiting Rasulullah (saw) is so…gosh I don’t even know which word to use, it just increases one’s love for him in every way. May Allah (swt) take us to visit Rasulullah (saw) again and again and again…

There are soo many memories, funny, sad, happy etc. I could share them all but I’d rather tell them personally because I’m more of a talker (as many of you know) than a writer. But I guess I could share a story or two.

-I made a friend in Madinah, and she has the most adorable little girl. She has cute, little, round cheeks, and she looks like a baby doll, MashaAllah. In Masjid al-Nabawi she would wait for the domes to slide open after Fajr and after Isha adhan. She’s around 15 months and I can still remember her giggle and the way she’d look up to see the dome all excited. MashaAllah, they came from Egypt, and her mother is such a kind person. May Allah (swt) bless her and her family in both worlds. Ameen

-In Madina, at Asr time they would start putting large dasterkans (big sheets on the masjid floors, inside and outside to sit on for iftar) and they would get covered in plates, drinks, Zamzam, dates, yogurt (their yogurt is yuuuumy, especially the one made by Nadec), bread, Kahwa (strong Arabic coffee), and a whole lot more. And Arab families would come and set their own dasterkans. Then they go around and get people to sit on theirs to break the fast (to attain reward). Ah, it’s so beautiful seeing the hospitality of the people of Madinah during iftar.

-In the Harem in Makkah, we were going down one of the escalators, and next to the one going down was an escalator going up. And all I see is a boy hanging on to the railing of the escalator by his hands going up. Man, I felt like trying that too.

-Another time in Makkah, in the Harem escalators we were coming down again, and this time at the bottom of the escalator was a little girl trying to go up…and she wasn’t getting anywhere.

-If you ever go to Makkah or Madinah, try the Movenpik ice cream. And I recommend having the blackberry ice cream in a cup…ohh its soooo good.

-One can never forget the old Turkish women, they’re cute little women but man, they’re tough. One may think they’re old and weak, but they can push through a crowd and get to the other side before the blink of an eye. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but you’d know what I mean if you’ve been before.

So that’s it for now folks or else I’ll go on and on and this will become a very long post, which will bore ya.


SubhanAllah we really, really enjoyed going to the Holy Cities for Ramadhan, it’s just something elsereally enjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something elseenjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something elseenjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something elseenjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something else enjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something else. May Allah (swt) take those who haven’t gone and take those again who’ve already been. We just have to make du’a that Allah (swt) calls us there, accepts us while we’re there (Umrah/Hajj/all other acts of Ibadah) and calls us back there and perhaps even take our sou enjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something elsels there at the time of our death.