Mohamed Sulaiman Mohamed Arif
Chairman, Masjid Al-Abrar
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
All praise is due to Allah, who grants the ability to serve His house and His community. For the past 25 years, Allah has blessed me with the opportunity to serve this masjid in various roles as Member, Bilal, Treasurer, Secretary, and Chairman. Every responsibility was an amanah, and I pray that I fulfilled it to the best of my ability.
By the mercy of Allah, I feel deeply grateful to witness the fulfillment of our mission in many ways. Among the greatest blessings has been the ability, beginning eight years ago, to identify sincere volunteers from a young age, our youth ranging from 6 to 12 years old, and to nurture them with care, guidance, and purpose.
At the same time, Allah allowed us to identify and develop potential board members between the ages of 15 and 31, individuals with strong character, integrity, and taqwa, prepared to carry the responsibility of leadership for the future of this masjid.
Throughout this journey, this masjid has been managed to the best of my ability in accordance with the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ. We have also maintained a strong commitment to preserving the Tamil Muslim tradition, heritage, language and values, honouring our elders and passing on our identity with wisdom and balance to the next generation while remaining firmly grounded in the teachings of Islam.
Alongside this, we have strived to maintain a good rapport with our neighbours, fostering mutual respect, understanding, and peaceful coexistence, as encouraged by our faith.
Through patience, mentorship, and collective effort over these years, these individuals have been prepared to serve. Today, I see the seeds that were planted beginning to bear fruit. Some fruits are already visible, while others are still ripening and, in shāʾ Allāh, will continue to benefit the community long after we are gone. Any success we have achieved is solely from Allah, and any shortcomings are from ourselves.
I pray that Allah accepts our service, forgives our mistakes, places barakah in this masjid, and raises future leaders who will serve with sincerity, wisdom, unity, respect for our rich heritage, and compassion toward the wider community. May Allah allow this masjid to remain a source of guidance, mercy, and strength for all. Aameen.
