Opening of the New Mosque - 16 Rabi-ul Awwal 1430

Friday Sermon - 13th March 2009

All Praise is due to Allah (swt), who is the sustainers of all the universe. May the peace and blessings of Allah (swt) be upon Muhammad (saws), his family, his companions, and all those who follow him in righteousness until the day of resurrection.

Respected brothers and sisters at home. Today is a most remarkable and extraordinary day for this community. The long awaited dream has been fulfilled. The ambition has been completed. Twenty five years ago, a handful of the followers of Muhammad (saw) came forward to establish a house of Allah (swt).

These people, Who are now our murubbis', collectively gathered funds by knocking on the doors of other Muslims. After working all week, these brothers, with little means of conveyance, walked from door to door, all over Ipswich, sometimes getting as little as fifty pence, sometimes more. Even though they could not actually build a symbolic mosque from scratch, they managed to raise enough money to purchase the old abandoned Ipswich fire-station, which was then, and is now, in need of much renovation.

They tried to keep up and maintain Mosque activities voluntarily, as well as continue to raise funds, and keep up their day job. But Allah had further plans for the continuation of this hard process. After twenty years, their generation has come forward. This new generation has realised the hardship of their elders. They have become aware ofthe Mosque as an important part of their lives. They have implemented their time and wealth, for the further establishment of this Mosque. Alhamdulillah.

Everyone in this community has collectively, workedwith much hardship. They have sacrificed their energy and money, to fulfil the dream of their forebears. Their endeavour is manifest today. Alhamdulillah! We have been given the ability to purchase and refurbish this new building we are in today. Allah (swt) has accepted our efforts, and has rewarded us with this opportunity. Respected brothers and sisters at home. I would like to commemorate this day to those people, who are not here with us today, to witness our triumph.Those who strived for this Mosque. Those who had dreamt for this Mosque. Those who had made thisMosque an important centre of their lives. May Allah (swt) reward them with paradise. Ameen.

I would especially like to commemorate this day to one particular person. He remained the Ipswich Mosque Chairperson for twenty years. He dedicated his time, and went to great lengths of hardship, to see this Mosque flourish. He was a pillar of strength in our community, and I am sure he is remembered by everyone here today. He is Alhaj Azizur Rahman. May Allah (swt) reward him with Jannatul firdaus. Ameen.

Ipswich & Suffolk Bangladeshi Muslim Community Centre and Mosque And for all those who are here with us today, and all those brothers and sisters who donated, from all over the UK, and all those in our community, men, women, children, youth and the elderly persons, May Allah (swt) grant you a house in Jannah, and may He fulfil all your needs in this life. I would like to thank all the brothers of the Mosque committee. May Allah (swt) accept them, as he accepted all members of Masjid-e-Quba, which was established by the Prophet (saw). Ameen. I would like to thank all the brothers of the Mosque committee. May Allah (swt) accept them, as He accepted all members of Masjid-e-Quba, which was established by the Prophet (saw). Ameen.

I would also like to thank Brother Rizwan, for his unconditional hard work. May Allah (swt) accept his sacrifices, as He accepted the sacrifices of Prophet Ibraheem and Ishmaeel. (as). Then there is Brother Sheikh Mahmudul Hasan. I would like to thank him for travelling here and joining us, on our opening day. Jazakallah. Lastly, I would like to mention the verse which informs us of the path to paradise. Allah (swt) said in the Quran 9:18:

"The Mosques of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the last day and observe proper worship, and pay the poor due, and fear none but Allah, it is they who are expected to be on true guidance."

Brothers and sisters at home. We have filled the first three conditions according to the aforementioned verse of the Quran. We have Iman, webelieve in the day of Judgement, and we have established a place of worship. Now, our main responsibility is to establish salat,which means, in every single individual, whether in our family, or society in order live peacefully in accordance with Allah (swt)'s wishes. And since Allah has given us the material opportunity (i.e. This Mosque), it is up to us to fulfil the spiritual aspect.

We should accept this Mosque as acentre of education, a place of social welfare, a place where decisions of matters, relating to the Muslim community are made. We should make this Mosque a place of comfort and peace. A sanctuary for everyone. An earthly Jannat. Especially for the

Muslim children, youth, women and young adults. May Allah (swt) give us the thawfeeq to value what we have achieved today. And may Allah (swt) accept this Mosque, strengthen our faith, give success to our efforts, and guide the generations to come, to an Islamic way of life, by way of this Mosque. May He reward us with every aspect of peace in this life, and Paradise in the hereafter.
Ameen

Jazakumullah.

Posted on March, 2009 by Md Yousuf Saleh