With the start of the school year, classes will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays for youth under 15 years old and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends for children above the age of six.

“It’s all about Islam,” said imam and spiritual leader Habib Hassan, who organizes all the programming at the center.

For the youth classes, Hassan said he plans different lessons on how to pray and recite the Quran accurately. The class also includes teachings on the religion and Islamic manners, along with stories about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He said the activities for youth mostly “depend on their mood,” but range from Islamic Q&A, career guidance or games.

“I ask them what they want to do,” said Hassan. “Sometimes they come, we clean the mosque, we eat, we have some snacks.”

He said the goal is to create a safe, inviting and welcoming space at the mosque where youth can voluntarily gather to learn about Islam.

“You just have fun with them slowly and challenge them,” said Hassan.

The younger children learn the Arabic alphabet and Islamic foundational basics.

“For the kids, it’s just a general class,” said Hassan. “Sometimes, I make them all stand together and they pray.”

The imam said the classes teach students how to behave well and display their best character, which can help them become “better Muslims, better citizens and an example to the whole Yellowknife community.”

Read More:

Hassan said Muslims already have a shared understanding of their religion, worship and the reality of living in Canada as a religious minority. But the programming further brings Muslims together and connects the community to the mosque.

“First of all, Yellowknife is a small community and such programs, they help them be attached to the mosque,” he said. “You have to be attached to your mosque and to be attached to the mosque, the mosque must have activities and it must have some classes.”

The first classes in the center started on July 13 over the summer from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Thursday. Adults were able to drop in during the first 30 minutes of the classes for Quran reading or recitation help and attend a hadith class in the evening.

“The Muslims can come together, different cultures, different origins, different colors, that all mix together at the mosque,” he said.

Hassan said he would like the youth programming to eventually transition into a more organized, Islamic school in Yellowknife with actual tests and competitions for students.

So far this year, the imam said he’s been running all the classes and activities solo, which can be challenging, especially when teaching the younger children.

“It’s not a one-man thing,” he said. “You need like a team.”

He added that he plans to recruit a woman teacher to start women’s-only Islamic programming in the future.

Hassan said the mosque is a community center for everyone and a symbol for Yellowknife.

“Non-Muslims, Muslims, everyone is welcome,” he said. “We will welcome them with open hands and if they need to ask anything — they need guidance, they need help, let it be in any form — we will provide it.”

Source: yellowknifer.com