Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, president of As-Sunna Foundation of America, rouses the feelings of love and charity in the crowd gathered at the Buena Park Hotel Ballroom for the Momin Lodge fundraiser.

Shaykh Hisham Kabbani speech (real audio)

On June 29, a Sunday night, Muslims from all over the Southern California area came together to support and promote the development of Momin Lodge, Islamic Education and Research Center. Founded by Dr. as-Sayyid Hasan ud-Din Hashmi, this center has been under renovation for the past year. The huge building, once an industrial complex, has enough space to hold a large mosque, and a full madrasa and even an Islamic research and teaching institute. Momin Lodge is in need of community funding to complete its initial phases, and at this point just to keep afloat.

Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqui, ISNA president, speaks about the need for education of our youth.

Among those present were many members of the Muslim community of Southern California, from all different communities, schools and ways of thinking. The speakers themselves were from all over the Southland and even from the San Francisco Bay Area (Shaykh Kabbani).

Dr. Ahmad Sakr, of Diamond Barr Islamic Center, speaks of his travels, relating his experiences with the global Muslim community to the need for Islamic education.

The speakers at this event were as varied as were the topics they spoke about. Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqui, president of the Islamic umbrella organization ISNA, spoke on the need for education of our youngsters and the fear all parents have of losing their children to the Western way of living.

Dr. Sakr, Shaykh Kabbani, Farouk and Yusuf Tar, local supporters of Ahl as-Sunna wal-Jama`at, discuss the importance of establishing mosques and centers which are open to Muslims of all beliefs and schools.

Dr. Abdur Rahman Khairy, CEO of LaRiba Bank, spoke briefly. To paraphrase he noted that it is beautiful to see all Muslims coming together this way: "we have the mystical side of Islam, [pointing to Shaykh Hisham], we have Dr. Muzzamil and we have Dr. Sakr" He noted also that this showed the true unity of Islam and he was happy to work on a fundraiser for a mosque which supports that concept.

After leading salat al-Maghrib, Shaykh Hisham was introduced as the keynote speaker. In his talk he remarked that the unity we see here at this fundraiser is a good sign for Muslims. Despite our differences we can unite on the basis of kalimat at-tawheed and this must be done. After speaking, he then encouraged the crowd in the Buena Park Hotel ballroom, to support Islamic education and Islamic community by paying and not giving simple lip-service. Dr. Sakr joined in the fundraising activity and alhamdulillah by the end of the evening a considerable sum of money had been collected to help the mosque out of its fiscal crisis.

Zamen and Fareed Farukhi speak with Shaykh Kabbani.

Finally the evening was concluded by the singing of na`at praising the Prophet (s). Dr. Sakr remarked that he had visited the community of Muslims in South Africa, where they did the praise and salaam on the Prophet (s). Following this, and Shaykh Hisham's encouragement, the salaams on the Prophet (s) were given from the standing audience, leaving tears in the eyes of many of the avid supporters of Ahl as-Sunna wal-Jama`at in Southern California and joy in their hearts, to see salawat and salaams made openly in an Islamic gathering. This was a watershed moment in the history of Islam in North America, as Ahl as-Sunna, Salafi, imams, scholars, educator, banker, doctors, businessman, professionals all stood together without condemning one another and in fact supporting each other for the sake of Allah and His religion al-Islam.