Carleton County Islamic Center - CCIC, 530 Main Street, Woodstock, NB (2026)

10/14/2026

🌎 **A MESSAGE TO HUMANITY — FROM THE QUR’AN**

**Part 2 | Every Blessing Has a Source**

Throughout the Qur’an, God addresses all humanity, inviting us to reflect on our existence, our purpose, and our relationship with our Creator.

In this second part of our series, we reflect on a simple yet profound question: **Have we forgotten the source of everything we have?**

📖 **The Qur’an — 35:3**

**“O humanity! Remember Allah’s favours upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? There is no god worthy of worship except Him. How can you then be deluded from the truth?”**

🌿 **A Reflection**

O humanity!

Look around you. The sky above you, the earth beneath your feet, the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the food that sustains you.

Every moment of your existence is surrounded by blessings.

Yet how easily we become accustomed to these gifts, until we hardly notice them anymore!

The Qur’an does not ask us to search far away for evidence of God's generosity. It simply invites us to **remember what is already before our eyes.**

The heavens and the earth continuously provide for our needs. Rain falls, plants grow, and life is sustained through countless blessings, many of which we receive without even asking.

But behind all these blessings lies a greater question:

**Who is their ultimate source?**

The Qur’an directs our attention beyond the gifts themselves to the One who created them and made them available to us.

And then comes the powerful question:

**“Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heavens and the earth?”**

It is an invitation to reflect, to recognize, and to be grateful.

If there is one Creator who brought us into existence and sustains our lives, then He alone deserves our ultimate gratitude, devotion, and worship.

This is the heart of Islam's message: **There is no god worthy of worship except Allah.**

Sometimes, the greatest discovery is not finding something new, but recognizing what has been surrounding us all along.

**Every blessing is a reminder. Every breath is a gift. And every gift invites us to remember its Giver.**

🌎 **A Message to Humanity — From the Qur’an**
*Part 2 of our ongoing series exploring God's messages to all humanity.*

— **Carleton County Islamic Center (CCIC)**

10/11/2026

❤️ “I Am Truly Near” — A Beautiful Message from God

Have you ever felt alone, overwhelmed by life's difficulties, or wondered whether God hears your prayers?

In one of the most beautiful and comforting verses of the Qur’an, God speaks directly to the human heart, offering a remarkable reassurance:

He is near. He hears. And He responds.

📖 God says in the Qur’an:

«“When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me. So let them respond ˹with obedience˺ to Me and believe in Me, perhaps they will be guided ˹to the Right Way˺.”

— Qur’an 2:186»

🌿 A Reflection — The Nearness of God

Notice how God addresses us:

“When My servants ask you about Me: I am truly near.”

The verse does not say, “Tell them that I am near.”

Instead, God answers directly:

“I am truly near.”

There is no intermediary in this answer. No distance separating the servant from the Creator. No complicated ceremony required to reach Him.

Just a direct, intimate reassurance from God to those who seek Him.

❤️ A Door That Is Always Open

What makes this verse so deeply moving is the affection conveyed by its words.

God calls us “My servants.”

He does not describe Himself as distant or inaccessible. Instead, He invites us to turn to Him personally.

You do not need wealth, status, influence, or another human being to carry your prayers to God.

You can call upon Him wherever you are.

In the quiet of the night.

In moments of fear or uncertainty.

When your heart is burdened with sadness.

When you are overwhelmed with gratitude.

Even when you cannot find the words to express what you feel.

God knows. God hears. God is near.

🌱 Prayer Is More Than Asking

The verse also reminds us that our relationship with God is not merely about asking Him to fulfil our wishes.

God says:

“So let them respond ˹with obedience˺ to Me and believe in Me…”

We call upon God, and He calls upon us.

He invites us to believe, to trust, to obey, and to walk the path of goodness and righteousness.

And although God's response to our prayers may not always come in the form or at the time we expect, no sincere prayer is beyond His knowledge.

✨ A Beautiful Reminder

Perhaps one of the greatest comforts faith can offer is the knowledge that we are never beyond the reach of our Creator.

We may feel forgotten by people.

We may find ourselves without anyone to turn to.

We may face difficulties that no human being can resolve.

But the message of this verse remains:

“I am truly near.”

Only a few words, yet they carry a world of comfort, hope, and reassurance.

You are never too far away to call upon God. And God is never too far away to hear you. ❤️

Carleton County Islamic Center

10/08/2026

🌿 What Remains When Everything Else Disappears?

Imagine everything we spend our lives pursuing—wealth, possessions, status, and worldly success—suddenly coming to an end.

What would remain?

The Qur’an gives us a remarkable picture of this life: rain falls upon the earth, plants flourish, and the landscape becomes beautiful and full of life.

But that beauty does not last.

The plants eventually dry, crumble, and scatter in the wind.

And then God draws our attention to something far more lasting: the good deeds we leave behind.

📖 God says in the Qur’an:

> "And give them a parable of this worldly life. ˹It is˺ like the plants of the earth, thriving when sustained by the rain We send down from the sky. Then they ˹soon˺ turn into chaff scattered by the wind. And Allah is fully capable of ˹doing˺ all things.

Wealth and children are the adornment of this worldly life, but the everlasting good deeds are far better with your Lord in reward and in hope.

˹Beware of˺ the Day We will blow the mountains away, and you will see the earth laid bare. And We will gather all ˹humankind˺, leaving none behind.

They will be presented before your Lord in rows, ˹and the deniers will be told,˺ “You have surely returned to Us ˹all alone˺ as We created you the first time, although you ˹always˺ claimed that We would never appoint a time for your return.”

And the record ˹of deeds˺ will be laid ˹open˺, and you will see the wicked in fear of what is ˹written˺ in it. They will cry, “Woe to us! What kind of record is this that does not leave any sin, small or large, unlisted?” They will find whatever they did present ˹before them˺. And your Lord will never wrong anyone."

— Qur’an 18:45–49 (selected verses)

🌿 A Reflection: What Truly Lasts?

There is something profoundly moving about the images these verses place before us.

First, we see the earth after rainfall.

Life awakens. Plants grow. The landscape becomes green and beautiful. Everything appears full of vitality and promise.

Then, almost without warning, the scene changes.

The greenery withers. The plants become dry fragments, scattered by the wind.

What was once flourishing has disappeared.

Such is the nature of this worldly life.

Its beauty is real. Its pleasures are real. Its blessings are real.

But none of them is permanent.

Wealth may disappear. Youth gives way to old age. Strength becomes weakness. The possessions we spend years accumulating eventually pass into other hands.

And even the mountains—those enormous symbols of strength and permanence—will one day be swept away.

If even the mountains will not remain, what can we truly possess forever?

❤️ The Things That Do Not Disappear

In the middle of this powerful reminder, God directs our attention to something of lasting value:

“But the everlasting good deeds are far better with your Lord in reward and in hope.”

The Qur’an does not tell us that wealth, family, or the beauty of this world are worthless.

It calls them adornments—blessings that make our earthly lives beautiful.

But it reminds us that their value is temporary, while the reward of sincere good deeds endures.

The kindness we show.

The charity we give.

The hungry person we feed.

The injustice we refuse to commit.

The forgiveness we offer.

The comfort we bring to someone who is suffering.

These are among the things that give our temporary lives lasting meaning.

⚖️ A Day When Nothing Is Forgotten

Then the Qur’an takes us from the fleeting beauty of this world to a scene of extraordinary seriousness.

All humanity stands before God.

No wealth can purchase an exemption. No worldly status can grant special treatment.

And the record of our deeds is opened.

Nothing is overlooked—not even the smallest action.

Imagine standing before God and seeing the complete story of your life.

Not merely what people knew about you, but what you actually did.

The kindness no one noticed.

The charity no one knew about.

The harm no one witnessed.

The injustice that went unchallenged.

Nothing is lost. Nothing is forgotten.

And the passage concludes with a remarkable assurance:

“And your Lord will never wrong anyone.”

God's judgment is perfectly just.

No good deed will be forgotten, and no one will be treated unjustly.

🌱 A Question Worth Asking Ourselves

We spend so much of our lives asking:

How much have I earned?

What have I achieved?

What do I own?

But perhaps we should also ask:

How much good have I done?

Whose suffering have I helped relieve?

How have I treated the people around me?

And what will I take with me when I leave everything else behind?

The Qur’an reminds us that this world, however beautiful, is only temporary.

What we accumulate will eventually leave us. But the good we sincerely do for the sake of God will never be lost. 🌿

Carleton County Islamic Center

10/06/2026

🌎 A MESSAGE TO HUMANITY — FROM THE QUR’AN

Part 1 | Different by Design, One by Origin

Throughout the Qur’an, God repeatedly calls out:

“O humanity…” — يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ

It is a remarkable address. It is not directed to one race, nation, tribe, or even only to Muslims. It is a message to all people.

We begin this series with one of these universal messages:

“O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may get to know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware.”

📖 Qur’an 49:13

A reflection:

O humanity — different in our races and colours, divided into peoples and tribes — we all come from one human origin.

God tells us why He made us into different peoples and communities: not so that our differences become a cause for hostility and division, but “so that you may get to know one another.”

Our different languages, cultures, appearances, abilities, and backgrounds are part of the diversity of humanity. They need not separate us. They can instead become a reason for us to know one another, cooperate with one another, and learn from one another.

And then the Qur’an establishes a remarkable standard:

“Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you.”

Race is not the standard.
Nationality is not the standard.
Language is not the standard.
Wealth or social status is not the standard.

In the sight of God, there is one measure of true honour: Taqwa — righteousness and consciousness of God.

We are different peoples, but one humanity. We have different backgrounds, but one Creator.

Perhaps that is why the verse does not begin:

“O Muslims…”

It begins:

“O humanity.”

🌎 A Message to Humanity — From the Qur’an
Part 1 of our series exploring the Qur’an’s messages addressed to all people.

— Carleton County Islamic Center (CCIC)

10/05/2026

🌿 Who May Be Most Deserving of Our Charity?

Sometimes, the person most in need is the one who will never tell you they are in need.

They do not ask. They do not complain. Their dignity conceals their hardship so well that others may assume they need nothing at all.

The Qur’an draws our attention to these quiet, dignified people whom we might otherwise overlook.

God says in the Qur’an:

> “˹Charity is˺ for the needy who are too engaged in the cause of Allah to move about in the land ˹for work˺. Those unfamiliar with their situation will think they are not in need ˹of charity˺ because they do not beg. You can recognize them by their appearance. They do not beg people persistently. Whatever you give in charity is certainly well known to Allah.”
— Qur’an 2:273

🌿 A Reflection

What a deeply evocative portrait this short passage paints of such a noble kind of person.

It is a complete portrait, drawn with remarkable delicacy.

Almost every sentence is like the stroke of a painter’s brush—tracing the features and qualities, revealing the feelings and emotions. And scarcely has one finished reading before those faces and personalities seem to appear before the eyes, as though one could actually see them.

Such is the Qur’an’s way of portraying human character, until the figures it describes seem almost to move before us—living and full of life.

These are the dignified poor, who conceal their need as one would conceal something that should never be exposed.

Giving to them, then, should be done quietly and with tenderness—in a way that neither wounds their self-respect nor injures their dignity.

And so the passage concludes with words that gently encourage charity without the need for recognition, reassuring the giver that God knows what has been given and will reward it:

> “Whatever you give in charity is certainly well known to Allah.”

God alone knows what is hidden, and no act of goodness is ever lost with Him. 🌿

Sometimes the people most deserving of our generosity are not those who ask the loudest, but those whose dignity keeps their hardship silent.

Carleton County Islamic Center

09/29/2026

🌿 A Father’s Timeless Advice to His Son

The Qur’an preserves the beautiful advice of Luqmân to his son—wisdom that speaks not only about our relationship with God, but also about our character, our families, and the way we treat others.

God says in the Qur’an:

> “Indeed, We blessed Luqmân with wisdom, ˹saying˺, ‘Be grateful to God, for whoever is grateful, it is only for their own good. And whoever is ungrateful, then surely God is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.’

And ˹remember˺ when Luqmân said to his son, while advising him, ‘O my dear son! Never associate ˹anything˺ with God ˹in worship˺, for associating ˹others with Him˺ is truly the worst of all wrongs.’

And We have commanded people to ˹honour˺ their parents. Their mothers bore them through hardship upon hardship, and their weaning takes two years. So be grateful to Me and your parents. To Me is the final return.

But if they pressure you to associate with Me what you have no knowledge of, do not obey them. Still keep their company in this world courteously, and follow the way of those who turn to Me ˹in devotion˺. Then to Me you will ˹all˺ return, and then I will inform you of what you used to do.

˹Luqmân added,˺ ‘O my dear son! ˹Even˺ if a deed were the weight of a mustard seed—be it ˹hidden˺ in a rock or in the heavens or the earth—God will bring it forth. Surely God is Most Subtle, All-Aware.

‘O my dear son! Establish prayer, encourage what is good and forbid what is evil, and endure patiently whatever befalls you. Surely this is a resolve to aspire to.

And do not turn your nose up to people, nor walk pridefully upon the earth. Surely God does not like whoever is arrogant, boastful.

Be moderate in your pace. And lower your voice, for the ugliest of all voices is certainly the braying of donkeys.’”

— Qur’an 31:12–19

❤️ Wisdom for Every Generation

In just a few verses, a father teaches his son principles for an entire life:

Be grateful.
Worship God alone.
Honour your parents.
Remember that no deed is too small for God to know.
Pray and encourage what is good.
Be patient when life becomes difficult.
Never look down upon other people.
Walk with humility.
And speak with gentleness.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful aspects of this passage is the way Luqmân repeatedly addresses his child:

“O my dear son…”

It is wisdom delivered with affection.

A reminder that some of the greatest things we can leave our children are not possessions, but faith, gratitude, good character, humility, and compassion. 🌿

Carleton County Islamic Center

09/27/2026

🌿 Faith Is More Than Words

God says in the Qur’an:

> “Have you seen the one who denies the ˹final˺ Judgment?
That is the one who repulses the orphan,
and does not encourage the feeding of the poor.”
— Qur’an 107:1–3

The passage begins with this question, directing everyone capable of seeing and reflecting to consider:

“Have you seen the one who denies the Judgment?”

The listener waits to discover where the question is leading: Who is this person who denies the Judgment, whom the Qur’an describes in this way?

Then comes the answer:

“That is the one who repulses the orphan, and does not encourage the feeding of the poor.”

This answer may come as a surprise when compared with the conventional understanding of what it means to have faith. Yet this goes to the very heart and reality of the matter.

The one who denies the Judgment is described as the person who pushes the orphan away harshly—humiliating and hurting the orphan—and who does not encourage the feeding of the poor or urge others to care for them.

Had this person truly believed in the Judgment, and had the reality of that belief become firmly established in their heart, they would not have treated the orphan harshly, nor would they have remained indifferent to feeding the poor.

Faith Must Be Reflected in Our Actions

True belief is not merely a statement spoken by the tongue.

Rather, it is a transformation within the heart that moves a person toward goodness and kindness toward their fellow human beings—particularly the vulnerable, the poor, the orphan, and those who are in need of care and protection.

God does not want words from people alone. He wants those words to be accompanied by actions that demonstrate their truth. Otherwise, those words are empty and carry no real weight or value before Him.

Few passages could express this truth more clearly than these three short verses.

They beautifully capture something at the very heart of faith:

What we believe should transform how we live—and how we treat the most vulnerable among us. ❤️

Carleton County Islamic Center

09/26/2026

If anyone were to ask what do Muslims believe in a nutshell—this would describe it best. This is an English translation of a surah (there is no good English translation of this word) from the Quran (the holy book Muslims believe in).

Translator: Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem

09/24/2026

🌿 We Make No Distinction Between God’s Prophets

One of the fundamental beliefs in Islam is something that may surprise some of our neighbours:

Muslims believe in Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets sent by God.
Belief in God’s messengers is not optional in Islam—it is part of our faith.

God says in the Qur’an:

“Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ ‘We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and his descendants; and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and other prophets from their Lord—we make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we ˹fully˺ submit.’”
— Qur’an 3:84

When the Qur’an says “we make no distinction between any of them,” it means that Muslims do not accept some of God’s prophets while rejecting others. We recognize and honour all of them as messengers of God, even though their individual missions and roles were different.

So a Muslim cannot believe in Muhammad ﷺ while rejecting Jesus or Moses. To believe in the message of Islam is to believe in all of God’s prophets.

Abraham.
Ishmael.
Isaac.
Jacob.
Moses.
Jesus.
Muhammad.

And the many other prophets God sent throughout human history.

Different messengers. One God. One continuing call to worship the Creator. 🌿

Carleton County Islamic Center

09/23/2026

👁️ A Moment of Reflection — The Blessing of Sight!

One day , as I arrived at a place, I noticed a blind man making his way out through the door.

He was carefully feeling his way through a path that I could cross in less than a second. He tried several times to open the door as he searched for the button. Then, slowly and cautiously, he began feeling his way down the stairs, concerned that he might fall.

I hurried after him and asked if I could help, if he did not mind. He thanked me and said that he would simply walk slowly. I wanted to insist, but I was concerned that doing so might hurt his feelings or take away from his independence.

So I stood for a moment and watched him.

A thought came to me:

How precious is a single glance?

A person who has lost his sight might give so much just to see the path before him—to recognize an obstacle, avoid a fall, or move through the world without darkness.

Then I thought about those of us who can see, walk, hear, breathe, and go about our daily lives—blessings so constant that we can easily stop noticing them.
Sometimes we become consumed by the one thing we do not have, while overlooking countless blessings already surrounding us.

We pursue another goal, another possession, another achievement, thinking, “Once I have this, I will finally be content.” Yet when gratitude disappears, even having more may not make the heart feel richer.

This does not mean that sadness or depression is simply a lack of gratitude. People can experience genuine psychological and medical struggles that deserve compassion, support, and appropriate care.

But there is also an important spiritual lesson:

Gratitude changes what we notice.

It reminds us to look not only at what is missing, but also at what has already been given.

Sight.
Health.
Family.
Safety.
A meal.
A home.
The ability to take another step.

Blessings we may barely notice can be the very things someone else deeply wishes for.

God says in the Qur’an:

“Surely God is ever Bountiful to humanity, but most people are ungrateful.”
— Qur’an 2:243

Perhaps happiness does not always begin by receiving something more.

Sometimes it begins by recognizing what was already there. 🌿

Carleton County Islamic Center

Carleton County Islamic Center - CCIC

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