InterFaith21

(L-R): Imams Yusuf Ramadan, Faheem Shuaibe and C.B. Hanif, among others at the 2011 Ramadan Session.

After all these years I shouldn’t have been surprised at how beautiful everyone looked during the 2011 Ramadan Session, hosted by The Mosques Cares Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed last weekend in Elizabeth, NJ.

Of course, almost to a man and woman, we all were fasting for G-d’s sake. Still I was surprised that everyone seemed to be glowing.

So much for the question of why continue to have the Ramadan Sessions if our dear departed Imam W. Deen Mohammed, leader of the largest community of Muslims in the United States, no longer can be present to share his wisdom, as he did for us for so more than three decades. In fact the Imam was present — in part because we were, whether from California to Connecticut, Ohio to Florida.

Wallace D. Mohammed II, president of The Mosque Cares, affirmed his commitment to continue furthering his father’s work. Imam Kareem Muhammad (L) was a 2011 co-chair.

From the very first session, presented by Imam Dr. Nasir Ahmad, ’til the very last with Imam Faheem Shuaibe, and the other outstanding presenters in between such as Imams W. Deen Shareef and Earl El-Amin, right up to the Taraweh prayers each evening, there was wealth on which to reflect for every student of “Our Imam.”

But don’t just take my word for it. Get the CDs or DVDs. If a link for them becomes available, I plan to post it here. Meanwhile, once again as part of the continuing effort here to help chronicle this community, more scenes:

Ramadan Session 2011 Co-Chair Sutanah Whitfield announcing updates on the annual Islamic Convention, also hosted by The Mosque Cares each Labor Day weekend, again in Chicago, IL this year where an even larger gathering is expected.

— C.B. Hanif