Administrators representing the Puget Sound Masajids (Kent, Sea-Tac, East Side; Abu-Bakr, Cham, Everett, West Seattle, Omar Farooq and Idris Mosque) met March 2003 and decided to create an Islamic Council of Washington State.

Mission Statement
Unite all Muslims in the Puget Sound area and expand to include all Muslims in Washington State. Have one voice representative of all Muslims in Washington State.
All Agree -
Each mosque will be the focal for the community in which they exist and shall not become involved with internal affairs of other mosques
All mosques opinions shall be equal
Each mosque shall have one vote id decision making
Each mosque shall have one representative in attendance at meetings (the representative can be the Imam)
Idriss Mosque will have responsibility for representing Muslims in the press and political arenas; i.e.; shall be the focal point for all media, city and state and federal government contact.
All mosques will work with other mosques and Muslim organizations to enhance the unity of diverse Muslim groups.
The council met again September 2003.
Present were: Kent, Sea Tac, Abu-Bakr, Cham, West Seattle, Omar Farooq, Everett, and Idriss Mosque
Re-affirmed agreement and responsibilities per March meeting
Adopted following Joint Masajid Agreement.
All agree to follow the method of local sighting in North America and to start the month of Ramadan and the month of Shawwal together on the same day.
Since the Day of Arafat and Hajj are acts of worship, associated with specific places, all agree to follow the dates of Arafat and Eid al-Adha as observed in those places.
Joint Masajid Agreement Puget Sound, Washington
As this is an appropriate time to re-affirm all previous agreements, between the Joint Masajids in regards to the Ramadan and Eid declarations all Council participants have previously agreed, as follows:

Moon Sighting:
All Masajids agree to follow the method of a local moon sighting in North America and to start the month of Ramadan and the month of Shawwal together on the same day.
All Masajids agree the Days of Arafat and Hajj are acts of worship associated with specific places to follow the dates of Arafat and Eid al-Adha as observed in those places.

Location:
The location for the EID Prayer shall be selected preferably in the following order;
Washington State Convention Center
Seattle Center
Any available place

General Arrangement
Eid responsibilities:
Collecting Donations/ Finance — East Side Masjid (Bellevue)
Eid Prayer (internal arrangements) — Masjid Omar Al-Farooq
Eid Prayer (external arrangements) — Idriss Mosque (Northgate)

Flyer Distribution:
Unauthorized distribution of flyers is not allowed during or after Eid prayers.
Only flyers of participating Council Masajids with names prominently displayed are allowed

Finance:
All Council Masajids have responsibility for sharing event cost.
All monies collected during EID Salat shall be used only for EID expenses.
The ONLY collection made on EID Salat is for Zakatul-Fitr and EID expenses. - NO other collections are allowed on EID Salat.
Money shall only be collected for Eid expenses and zakatul-fitr at Eid prayer
Collections for other/ individual Masajid specific purposes or causes shall only be done by mail-in request.
• Acknowledgement of this agreement is made and signed by the following Masajids:
• Idriss Mosque (Northgate)
• Masjid Omar Al-Farooq (Mountlake Terrace)
• Masjid Jamiul Muslimin (Cham Masjid)
• Eastside Masjid (Bellevue)
• Masjid Al-Taqwa (Downtown Seattle)
• Redmond Musala (Redmond)
• Masjid Al-Tawheed (West Seattle)
• Islamic Center Of Kent (Kent)
• Downtown Muslim Association of Seattle
• Islamic Center of Everett
 

The Five Obligatory

Fridays:
Congregational prayer (Jum'a) Khutbah
Women's Arabic and English Halaqahs after Magrib prayer
Guest lecturers Katibs/Imams after Asr prayer

Sunday:
Weekend School ( 7 -19 years) Registration
Mornings - 11:00 am - 1:30 pm (Manners, Qur'an, Arabic, Islam)

Men's Arabic and English Halaqah after Magrib prayer

Coming  Soon - Monday  - Thursday:
Islamic Pre School (3 - 8 years) Registration
Mornings 9:00 am  -12:30 pm (Manners, Qur'an, Arabic, Islam, English)
Afternoons 1:30 pm  - 4:30 pm (Manners, Qur'an, Arabic, Islam, English)

Coming  Soon - Thursdays:
Adult ESL & Citizenship Classes Registration
Mornings 10:30 am -12:30 pm

Dawah Programs
Free distribution of Islamic literature and books
Public lectures and presentations
Correctional Facilities Education
Participation in interfaith councils
Political advocacy with government officials
 

Qur'an 2:183‚ 
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint‚ 
The blessed month of Ramadan will begin this year on September 13, 2007, inshaallah
Isha and Taraweeh prayers will be held daily at Idriss Mosque. I' tikaf will be observed also during the last ten days of Ramadan. Muslims should contact their masjid for their Ramadan schedule.
We encourage all who can, to SPONSOR an IFTAR, - Quran 2:21) "...whatever ye do that is good, - (Allah) knoweth it well..."  Sponsoring Iftar is a form of charity that you can do, by contacting us, at Religion@Sheikhidrissmosque.Org or contacting your masjid.

Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah
Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without [the] reward being diminished at all..."

Ramadan Vocabulary
Imsak means complete abstention from eating and drinking and all other activities as prescribed in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Suhoor is the time to eat before beginning the fasting day
Iftar is the time to end the fasting day
Itikaf is a period of time during the last ten days of Ramadan whereby devout Muslims devote their full-time to prayer and remembrance of Allah. It is a time when one elects to confine the self in an experience that can be likened to a personal retreat. It is a time of connecting with Allah, worshipping, studying, feeding the soul. Many Muslims take refuge in the mosque for observing itikaf. Itikaf can also be observed at home in a quite corner or a room.
Idriss Mosque wishes all a peaceful, blessed, spiritual, wonderful, successful Ramadan. May Allah (swt) accept your fasts prayers and efforts; forgive your sins; and bless you, your families and all believers abundantly in this month and always.
Prepare yourself for Ramadan, maximize its fulfillment; physically and spiritually. And remember " by Failing to prepare one Prepares to fail."
 

Ramadan Etiquette
We remind all to not waste food during Ramadan‚  It's not only haram to do so but it defeats a major purpose of fasting; i.e.; remembering the less fortunate in the world, who unlike those of us who will break our fast and eat, will not eat for lack of available food.  It is always better to break one's fast by starting with a small amount of food, rather than taking too much and not eating it all, or not sharing what's available with others.
Muslims who have anger issues from events, weeks, months or days past, etc., or those who carry any dislike, hatred, discontentment‚ in the heart‚ and retain dissention between themselves and others or another Muslim should make peace, because one's heart and mind should be pure and clean when fasting. 

Preparation for Ramadan
Ramadan is the month in which the Holy Qur'an was reveled. It is a month for Allah. Ramadan is a time to focus, read, and recite the whole Qur'an. Ramadan is a month of tahajjud and qiyam al layl, of tarawih prayers of sadaqah, zakah al-fitr and zakah al-mal. It is a Holy month in which Allah bestows abundant blessings. It is a month for Muslims to welcome by being prepared; therefore;
Start reading the Qur'an daily after salat al fajr
Spend time listening to recitations from the Qur'an.
Train yourself to go bed early so you awake early and rested for salat al fajr in the Masjid
Keep yourself in a state of wudu' most of the time.
Evaluate your deeds and yourself daily before going bed.
Thank Allah for your blessings, any good deeds done and repent to Him for your mistakes and sins.
Take time alone, so you can meditate, worship Allah, make dhikr, tasbih.
Those who can afford to make Umrah before Ramadan should do so.
Start giving sadaqah daily, no matter how little. Make it a habit like eating and drinking.
Find time to make extra prayers; i.e., duaa and tahajjud.
Read more Islamic books, especially the Qur'an, Sirah, Hadith, and Fiqh.
Help others by sharing your wisdom, knowledge and talents.
Try writing articles on Islam for Muslims and non Muslims.
Associate with Muslim scholars so you may learn from them.
Train yourself to do good, render free service to others.
Make dawah to non-Muslims, but learn how to do it first, as dawah is an art requiring knowledge and diplomacy

More Preparation -
Reduce the number of hours you watch TV spend your time reading the Qur'an and Sunnah .
Avoid looking at unlawful things; pictures, women dressed, yet undressed, men displaying bare chest, persons wearing shorts, tight fitting pants, sensual movies, magazines, catalogs.
Avoid going to theaters - go to a masjid
Avoid eating too much and only eat when you are hungry
Do not to over fill your stomach- remember 1/3 stomach for food, 1/3 stomach for water, 1/3 stomach for air.
If you drink coffee, tea or sodas reduce your consumption.
If you smoke be serious in trying to eliminate/ reducing your usage
Avoid listening to music - replace it with listening to recitations of the Qur'an.
Limit going with friends to picnics, dinners and other social gatherings, before Ramadan to help the body prepare, for fasting
If you have friends who do not practice the teachings of Islam, avoid socializing with them, as much as possible.
If you travel a lot on business try do more business locally so you can be closer to your family and community.
Preparing before Ramadan arrives is far better than waiting till it comes. Preparing oneself for anything in life is a sign of wisdom and maturity. Remember no one is assured of living one more minute nor hour or day and tomorrow may never come. So hurry benefit from the blessings and rewards Allah offers you now.

SUGGESTED HEALTH GUIDELINES FOR RAMADAN
This information is useful advice on avoiding some common problems encountered in Ramadan.
During Ramadan, one's diet should not differ much from the norm and should be as simple as possible. The diet in Ramadan should maintain one's normal weight, whereby one neither loses nor gains excessively.
However, if over-weight, Ramadan is an ideal time to normalize one's weight.
During fasting one should consume slow digesting foods, including fiber containing-foods, rather than fast-digesting foods. Slow digesting foods can reasonably suffice the body for approximately 8 hours, while fast-digesting foods may only suffice the body's needs 3 to 4 hours.
Slow-digesting foods are foods that contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour, unpolished rice, etc. (called complex carbohydrates)
 

Fast-burning foods are foods that contain sugar, white flour, etc. (called refined carbohydrates).
Fiber-containing foods are bran-containing foods, whole wheat, grains and seeds, vegetables like green beans, peas, spinach, and other herbs like methie, the leaves of beetroot (iron-rich), fruit with skin, dried fruit especially dried apricots, figs and prunes, almonds, etc.
Foods eaten should be well balanced and from each food group, i.e. fruits, vegetables, meat / chicken / fish, bread / cereals and dairy products. Too much fried food is unhealthy and should be limited. Fried foods can cause indigestion, heartburn, and weight problems.
 
Avoid
Fried and fatty foods.
Foods containing too much sugar
Over-eating especially at suhoor
Too much tea at suhoor- Tea makes you pass more urine taking with it valuable mineral salts that your body would need during the day.
Smoking cigarettes- if you cannot give up smoking cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking is unhealthy and should be stopped completely.
 

Eat
Complex carbohydrates at suhoor so that the food lasts longer making you less hungry.
Dates are excellent source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium.

Almonds are rich in protein and fiber with less fat.
Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates.

Drink
As much water or fruit juices as possible between Iftar and bedtime so that your body may adjust fluid levels in time.
 

Common Problems
Constipation
Constipation can cause piles (hemorrhoids), fissures (painful cracks in anal canal) and indigestion with a bloated feeling.
Causes: Too much refined foods, too little water and not enough fiber in the diet.
Remedy: Avoid excessive refined foods, increase water intake, use bran in baking, brown flour when making breads.
 

Indigestion and Wind
Causes: Over-eating. Too much fried and fatty foods, spicy foods, and foods that produce wind e.g. eggs, cabbage, lentils, carbonated drinks like Cola also produce gas.
Remedy: Do not over-eat; drink fruit juices or better still drink water. Avoid fried foods; add ajmor to wind-producing foods.
Lethargy ('low blood pressure') Excessive sweating, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, dizziness, especially on getting up from sitting position, pale appearance and feeling faint are symptoms associated with "low blood pressure". This tends to occur towards the afternoon.
Causes: Too little fluid intake also decreased salt intake.
Remedy: Keep cool and increase fluid and salt intake.
Caution: Low blood pressure should be confirmed by taking a blood pressure reading when symptoms are present. Persons with high blood pressure may need their adjusted during Ramadan. They should consult their doctor.
 

Headache
Causes: Caffeine and tobacco-withdrawal, doing too much in one day, lack of sleep, hunger usually occur as the day goes by and worsens at the end of the day. When associated with "low blood pressure", the headache can be quite severe and can also cause nausea before Iftar.
Remedy: Cut down caffeine and tobacco slowly starting a week or two before Ramadan. Herbal and caffeine-free teas may be substituted. Reorganize your schedule during the Ramadan so as to have adequate sleep.
Low Blood Sugar Weakness, dizziness, tiredness, poor concentration, perspiring easily, feeling shaky (tremor), unable to perform physical activities, headache, palpitations are symptoms of low blood sugar.
Causes: in non-diabetics having too much sugar i.e. refined carbohydrates especially at suhoor. The body produces too much insulin causing the blood glucose to drop.
Remedy: Eat something at suhoor and limit sugar-containing foods and drinks.
Caution: Diabetics may need to adjust their medication in Ramadan, consult your doctor.
 

Muscle Cramps
Causes: Inadequate intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium foods.
Remedy: Eat foods rich in the above minerals e.g. vegetables, fruit, dairy products, meat and dates.
Caution: Those on high blood pressure medication and with kidney stone problems should consult their doctor.
Peptic Ulcers, Heart Burn, Gastritis and Hiatus Hernia
Increased acid levels in the empty stomach in Ramadan aggravate the above conditions. It presents as a burning feeling in the stomach area under the ribs and can extend up to the throat. Spicy foods, coffee, and Cola drinks worsen these conditions.
Medications are available to control acid levels in the stomach. People with proven peptic ulcers and hiatus hernia should consult their doctor well before Ramadan.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones may occur in people who have fewer liquids to drink. Therefore, it is essential to drink extra liquids so as to prevent stone formation.
 

Joint Pains
Causes: During Ramadan, when extra salat are performed the pressure on the knee joints increases. In the elderly and those with arthritis this may result in pain, stiffness, swelling and discomfort.
Remedy: Lose weight so that the knees do not have to carry any extra load. Exercise the lower limbs before Ramadan so that they can be prepared for the additional strain. Being physically fit allows greater fulfillment, thus enabling one to be able to perform salat with ease.

Ramadan Kareem