Bismillah, Wa Salaatu Wa Salamu 'Ala Rasulillah,

As-Salaamu 'Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu my dearest brothers and sisters.

We pray this message finds you all in the best of health and upon the very highest peaks of piety. Ameen.

Islamic Help in conjunction with Al Fitrah are focused on a grand aim which by the assistance of Allah (swt) and yourselves as committed supporters of the deen we can come to realise. Eid ul Adha is well on its way to approach, and according to calculations will be with us in mid December - 19th or 20th. Rarely does this beloved occasion fall so neatly without such a confusion as to when the Day of Arafat will actually be and this provides us with a golden opportunity to put together a celebration never to be forgotten.

Islamic Help are supporting Al Fitrah, who will be taking this day to a new level this year insh’Allah; bringing together all members of the Muslim (and indeed non-Muslim) community of London and neighbouring vicinities together - we will be hosting a single mass Eid prayer followed by a spectacular day of festivities for families, individuals, young and old alike. Seizing on the dawah potential of such a large congregation of Muslims, we shall encourage everybody to invite their non-Muslim neighbours, colleagues, counterparts and friends in order to witness the strength of a united body of Muslims converging together for a mutual auspicious purpose.

Among the array of events we will be hosting a fun fair, bazaar, gift stalls, and live stage performances of nasheeds, poetry, short lectures and live martial arts. All well known mainstream Muslim organizations who wish to participate and raise awareness of their cause will be represented through a variety of stalls and platforms during the day. This mass open fun day for all will serve to tie together the often fragmented and even neglected sections of the community into a visible whole.

Beginning modestly, our pilot launch is aimed at 2-3000 attendees, but we hold the wider aim of having this celebration become a lasting annual event on a larger scale both within London and neighbouring cities.

Now with the formalities out of the way, comes where you step in. An event of this magnitude requires manpower, commitment and enthusiasm of an even greater size from all brothers and sisters able to offer their huge variety of talents and skills. Islamic Help is supporting Al Fitrah in recruiting brothers and sisters to act as volunteers for this Eid Celebration Day and in the process, share in the epic reward of reviving an all but lost Sunnah and uniting the community of Muslims on a day meant for nothing other than unity.

The prophetic example left to us by our beloved Rasulullah (saw) was to leave our regular place of prayer and venture further afield outdoors to perform the congregational Eid prayer. Whilst the numbers of Muslims are great, so unfortunately is the manner in which they are dispersed in their own almost clique-like sections of the community; never giving the Eid prayer the justice it deserves. In order to reverse the trend of Eid becoming a monotonous or even unremarkable day where the only difference is new clothes and never ending house-hopping we desperately need to return back to the spirit in which this day of festivity was ordained.

Our children are bombarded with unrelenting consumerism surrounding the annual Christmas and Easter crazes, but see nothing to be enthused about concerning their very own, divinely granted, day of celebration. Having our days of Eids compromised in this manner has harmful effects on the psyche of the children and how they come to view and value their day- postponed ‘fun days’ in the dusty basements of over-crowded masjids will not go any way in giving Eid what it deserves and as carriers of this faith we need to build the lost excitement and anticipation for this day.

The location is to be announced as we are currently looking at a variety of indoor venues as well as outdoor parks to host this event. All contributions and suggestions are greatly appreciated regarding this matter and a final choice of venue will be announced publicly in early December bi'itnillah ta'ala. With this event also lies ample sponsorship opportunity if you are seeking to raise awareness of your particular business, service or goods. As a sponsor, having a visible platform will undoubtedly enhance the awareness and subsequent revenue of your service as well as serve as an unrivalled marketing opportunity. Sponsoring the Eid Celebration Day will allow firms and sponsors to approach new markets of consumers across a cross section of different communities. If you have a business, now is the time to start enquiring about reserving your platform at Eid Celebration Day. Register and confirm your spot immediately to avoid disappointment as we shall be handling clients on a first-come first-served basis.

Islamic Help will need volunteers and supporters to help Al Fitrah with a variety of duties such as marketing, leaflet distribution, web design, telemarketing, security, press relations, as well as any promotional and or supportive duties in advance and on the day.

This is our Eid brothers and sisters - an occasion we need to reclaim, cherish and play out in style. We request every single brother and sister reading to become involved in whichever great or small way possible. Any ideas you have for the day are invaluable to us and any aspects you wish to co-ordinate are equally greatly appreciated. We need your assistance; every drop raises the ocean - and the barakah of this ocean is sublime.

To register your interest and become involved in this event, all we ask you to do is to send over the following details to: ECC@alfitrah.com. All information will be kept confidential and you can trust will never be passed over to any third parties.

1. Full name

2. Telephone number (both mobile and home numbers)

3. E-mail address

If you prefer the good old fashioned way of doing things, our office landline number is (020) 8429 0001 and we are available to discuss this project during all office hours.

This Eid needs you.

Finally, I ask Allah (swt) to assist us in this venture, to make this a success and a deed heavy on our scales on the

Day where it will matter most. May He keep us sincere to Him always and shower His Mercy upon us all. Ameen.

Wa Salaamu 'Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

The Eid Celebration Committee, Islamic Help in conjunction with Al Fitrah.

info@1eid.net / www.1eid.net