Organization Profile:
Gardens of Jannah is the official platform created for Afghan female youth to gain Islamic knowledge. This unique effort is initiated by Afghan female youth who are passionate about Islam and wish to create a non-judgemental environment for themselves and their peers.
Organization Name:
The name "Gardens of Jannah" is inspired from a saying of God's last messenger, Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him).
While in a gathering with his companions, Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: "When you pass by the gardens of Paradise, take from them." The Companions asked: "What are the gardens of Paradise, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "The circles of dhikr. There are roaming angels of Allah who go about looking for the circles of dhikr, and when they find them they surround them closely" (Source: Ahmad and Tirmidhi).
The word dhikr means remembrance of Allah. The circles of dhikr are when people gather together to talk about Allah, His religion and all things He loves. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) referred to such gatherings as “Gardens of Paradise” and encouraged us to attend and benefit from them. Hence, we have chosen to name this organization “Gardens of Jannah” (Jannah meaning Paradise).
While in a gathering with his companions, Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: "When you pass by the gardens of Paradise, take from them." The Companions asked: "What are the gardens of Paradise, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "The circles of dhikr. There are roaming angels of Allah who go about looking for the circles of dhikr, and when they find them they surround them closely" (Source: Ahmad and Tirmidhi).
The word dhikr means remembrance of Allah. The circles of dhikr are when people gather together to talk about Allah, His religion and all things He loves. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) referred to such gatherings as “Gardens of Paradise” and encouraged us to attend and benefit from them. Hence, we have chosen to name this organization “Gardens of Jannah” (Jannah meaning Paradise).
About Us:
The organizers of Gardens of Jannah have all come together based on similar backgrounds, experiences and aspirations. They are all born in Afghanistan and then moved to Canada at a very young age. They understand and have experienced the many different challenges faced by Afghan girls living in the West. They realize the absence of appropriate Islamic resources available to female Afghan-Canadians, therefore have volunteered to provide these settings and resources.
Target Audience:
This organization is specifically created for Afghan female youths between the ages of 15-25. The events and meetings will be conducted primarily in English as majority of the youths today are more fluent in this language. Although Gardens of Jannah appreciates the interest of those who do not fall into this age group we respectfully limit our gatherings to the girls between the given ages. However, for those outside this age group interested in pursuing Islamic knowledge there are many other resources we would be delighted to direct you to.
* Due to the high demand of younger girls wanting to attend our gatherings, Gardens of Jannah Execs are now permitting girls 13-14 years of age to join as well. However, we would like to advise our younger attendees that most subject matter might be at a higher education level (i.e. the length and style of the lectures).
* Due to the high demand of younger girls wanting to attend our gatherings, Gardens of Jannah Execs are now permitting girls 13-14 years of age to join as well. However, we would like to advise our younger attendees that most subject matter might be at a higher education level (i.e. the length and style of the lectures).
Organization Goals:
Gardens of Jannah aims to inform Afghan female youths about Islam, promote unity within the Afghan community, give an opportunity to network, create dialog about Islam and promote sisterhood. The organization hopes to remove the misconceptions created by the Afghan culture and the media about Islam and about the role of women in Islam. In the future, God willing, we wish to provide instructions on how to pray, read the Quran, raise funds for charity, etc.
Rules and Regulations
- Gardens of Jannah takes racial discrimination, harassment of any form, and prejudice etc. very seriously. We would like to inform our members that it will not be tolerated and could result to a suspension of Gardens of Jannah membership. Should any Gardens of Jannah member be faced with discrimination/harassment please do inform one of the organizers and we will take the appropriate means to deal with the unfortunate situation. One of the goals of this organization is to bring unity within our community and such actions contradict this goal.
- We kindly ask the members to refrain from backbiting, at least while in the group setting.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How often are the events held?
The first gathering will officially begin on Saturday June 7th 2008 (Inshallah - God willing), and it will be from 11am-2pm in order to give extra time for meet and greet. Other gatherings will be held twice every month on Saturdays from 11am-1pm (2 hours long).
Where are the events located?
Gardens of Jannah staff will personally e-mail interested members with the address of the location.
What topics will be covered?Some topics that the organization will cover include the following (not in order):
- Tawheed - (belief in one God)
- Allah and His names and attributes
- Life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
- Quran
- Hadith {Saying/Actions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)}
- Stories from the Quran
- Creation of Adam and Eve
- Stories of the Prophets
- Belief (Aqida)
- Men and Women Issues
- Pilgrimage (Hajj)
- Prayer
- Signs Before the Day of Judgment
- The Day of Judgment
- Death
- Trials of the Grave
- The Devil, Satan (Shytan, Ibliss)
- Jinns
- Angles
- How One Can Achieve Paradise (Jannah)
- Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil
- Fasting/Ramadan
- Marriage, Family, and Divorce
- Wives of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH)
- Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Companions
- Deeds - Good and Bad
- The Lawful and the Unlawful (Halal and Haram)
- Science and Islam
- Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam
- Islamic History
- General Religious Advice
- Methodology
- Spirituality
- Islamic Attire
- Islamic Manners
- And much, much more!!!
Each topic will be covered by scholars of great eminence. The topics will then be followed up by group discussions and activities. One should note that Gardens of Jannah staff will not be giving lectures on these topics personally. Some scholars that we will be listening to include:
- Abdal Hakim Jackson
- Abdullah Hakim Quick
- Abdur-Raheem Green
- Ahmed Deedat
- Ali al-Tamimi
- Anwar al-Awlaki
- Bilal Philips
- Feiz Muhammad
- Hamza Yusuf
- Ibrahim Dremali
- Jamal Badawi
- Mokhtar Maghraoui
- Muhammad al-Yaqoubi
- Muhammad Alshareef
- Siraj Wahhaj
- Suhaib Webb
- Sulaiman Mulla
- Tariq Ramadan
- Waleed Basyouni
- Yahya Rhodus
- Yaser Birjas
- Yasir Qadhi
- Yusuf Estes
- Zaid Shakir
- Zakir Naik
Note: Scholars will not be physically present.
Is there a dress code?
Gardens of Jannah does not wish to impose a dress code, members are free to dress by their own likings. However, we ask the members to dress in a non-offensive manner.
Can we bring food and drinks?
Members are allowed to bring food and drinks with them but we kindly remind you to clean up after yourself.
Will there be any field trips?
Yes. Gardens of Jannah Execs plan to take members on field trips if there is interest and if time and money permits :)
Is there a cost to become a member?
No. Gardens of Jannah is a non-profit organization, thus, members are not charged any fees.
Contact Us:
If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please e-mail us at gardensofjannah@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
.jpg)
