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(Posted
11:30 a.m., April 27)
Brick work to begin on Orléans mosque next week
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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|  Members
of the Islamic Society of Cumberland stand in front of the Masjid Bilal mosque
on Innes Road while holding an artist's rendition of what the building will look
like once it is finished. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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The Masjid
Bilal mosque on Innes Road will soon be getting its outer shell of brilliant white
brick as construction on the building is scheduled to resume this week. According
to Saeed Bokhari, president of the Islamic Society of Cumberland, three different
shades of brick will be used to give it a more striking appearance. The work is
expected to take four months to complete weather permitting. While
the brick work is being done on the outside, contractors will continue working
on the meeting room in the basement to have it ready for prayer as soon as possible. The
Islamic Society has so far raised two-thirds of their goal of $3 million, most
of which has already been spent on construction. The remaining work will be done
as additional donations roll in. During
a recent open house, over $20,000 was raised, including one donation of $5,000
from a single individual. Bokhari
says he's confident they will hit their target by the end of the year, although
he doesn't think they will need the full amount to complete the mosque . "It's
going to be less than that, but if we reach our goal we will use the money for
other things," says Bokhari. Once
it's completed, the mosque will be able to accommodate up to 400 worshippers in
the main prayer room. The women's room and the overflow prayer room downstairs
will be able to accommodate an additional 300 people for a total capacity of 700. At
present, there is only enough parking on site for a handful of cars. When the
mosque opens, worshippers will be able to park in the Metro parking lot across
the street. The Islamic Society hopes to one day buy the property beside the mosque
and turn it into a parking lot, but that's long term. When
it is completed with its decorative front columns and copper dome crowning the
main entrance, the mosque will be visually impressive. The name of the mosque
comes one of the earliest followers of the prophet Muhammed. Masjid
is the Islamic word for mosque and Bilal was the name of the first Mu'azzin in
the Islamic tradition. The Mu'azzin is the person who calls the worshippers to
prayer. Hazrat
Bilal was an Abyssinian slave who lived in the 7th century. When his master found
out that he had converted to Islam he tortured him mercilessly for several days
to try and force him to renounce his faith until finally his freedom was purchased
by Muhammad's closest companion Abu Bakr. Mohammad
appointed him as the first Mu'azzin. He soon developed a distinctive style which
became well known.in Medina and throughout the Muslim world. After
Mohammad's death in 632 AD, Bilal left Medina for a short period but then returned
after the prophet appeared to him in a dream. When
he returned to Medina, the people pleaded for him to call them to pray one last
time. When he relented, a multitude of worshippers answered his call. So the name,
Bilal, became a metaphor for the gathering, or coming together for people of the
Islamic faith. Expanding
on the same tradition, Mr. Bokhari says the Masjid Bilal will be a gathering place
for the whole community. The library will contain books on the Islamic faith which
will be available to the general community. The counseling services will be open
to the general community as well, as will the various athletic and senior programs
that will be operated out of the mosque. According
to Mr. Bokhari, there are approximately 6,000 to 8,000 muslims living in the east
end of Ottawa, rrepresenting 25 different nationalities. "We
belong to this community, We are here forever. We want this community to be proud
of what we are building, which is why we are being so maticulous in our approach,"
says Mr. Bokhari. "Whatever we are building, we are building to serve the
community and we will do it by deeds, not words."
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| The
Masjid Bilal mosque being built on Innes Road near Tenth Line, will be an unassuming
yet striking building with its white brick exterior and copper accents. Photo
supplied | |
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local
business partners.) Return
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