Written by Zechariah Muhammed Jamal, a Muslim youth living in Guelph
Since 2007, I’ve been a member of the MSOG. Back when I was first born, my father brought me to the 44 Marlborough Street Mosque in search of Allah’s blessing. Back then, the entire MSOG community could fit in one little house. Now, here I am, 15 years old (and still going strong), and I can see how much the community has grown and prospered.
No longer are we a small group of people. No longer are we crowded up in a small house. No longer are we dependent. It truly is a privilege to grow up in a time where all the work has already been done. People worked hard to get the MSOG where it is today. They had to work to increase the population of our community. They had to fight for the masjid. They had to grind to become independent.
Now, the blood, sweat, and tears of those who dedicated their time towards Islam act as the feeding nutrients of the seeds of the youth – like me. I am a Muslim boy, growing up in a time where, for the first time in Guelph, a Mosque is being built from the ground. The masjid I grew up in was one where I could only pray.
Now, there will be a place for my siblings and I to not only pray, but attend a gymnasium, marriage halls, schooling, and more.
It’s an honour living in a time where I can see my own local Masjid sprout from humble beginnings to erecting the first Masjid from scratch here in Guelph, where I can connect with other Muslims and increase my faith in Allah.
The Muslim youth won’t have to go to the John McCrae school to play basketball now – the Masjid will have it’s own gym. Muslims will not have to have their wedding ceremonies far away in other cities – here in Guelph, the Masjid will have them covered. As we gather for prayers throughout Ramadan, no one will have to line up in the hallways to pray – there will always be enough space.
