Dorothy Westerman
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 30/05) - Five times a day, the secular world stops for many in Yellowknife's Muslim community.

Gathering at the Yellowknife Islamic centre, the prayerful face the direction of Mecca and offer prayer to Allah in the city's only mosque, located on Franklin Avenue.

There are about 100 members of the Islam community in the city says Yusuf Hashi, president of the Islamic centre for five years.

Muslims from Somalia, Fiji, Eastern Europe, Pakistan and other African countries have created their own close-knit community.

Hashi attributes the freedom Canada offers to the world in the ability for his Muslim community to worship peacefully.

"We have great rights in Canada, so we try to establish our culture here, too," Hashi said.

Each Friday, about 50 men and 10 women go to the mosque for prayer and a meal, consisting of just about every dish except pork, which is forbidden.

For Muslims, Islam - a monotheistic (belief in one God) faith - is a way of life.

They believe Muhammad is in the line of prophets who was sent to the world after Abraham, David, Noah, Moses and Jesus.

"Each one of them was preaching one single word that there is no God except the true God.

"They were guiding mankind to the way of God."

Important also in the Muslim faith is a code of dress, he said.

"We have to always protect our thoughts," he said.

While the requirements of Islam are somewhat stringent compared to other faiths, Hashi said there is great joy in being a Muslim.

"You have hope. Hope in that the Lord, the creator of Earth, will overlook your sins and forgive you.

"But always you will have fear in your heart because as with human nature, we are always making mistakes.

"You have the fear you may be rejected, but you have the hope that you have been accepted," he said.

While Christians in Yellowknife are preparing for Christmas, one of the largest yearly celebrations of their faith, the Muslim community has just completed one of theirs - Ramadan - a 30-day fast between sunup and sundown, Hashi said.

This year, Ramadan, which is held each year on the ninth month of the Islamic calender year, fell between Oct. 4 - Nov. 2.

The fasting is a recognition of the month the sacred book of Islam, the Qur'an, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.

At the end of Ramadan, Id-al-Fitr, becomes a celebration of prayer and festivities to mark the end of the fast, he said.

"The whole community comes together and we celebrate the glory of Allah, (to God) and the whole day we visit each other and give each other a gift and we eat together," Hashi said, although he admits it is a bit difficult to celebrate when the entire community is not.

"It's a little bit difficult, but God says 'you stop what you love for the sake of Me and I will reward you'," he said of the reasons Ramadan is important to the Muslim community.

"You have to do it if you believe," he said.

The second major event in the Muslim community is the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

"It is Ad'Ha, the biggest celebration for the Muslims," Hashi said.

"It is once in a lifetime if you can afford it - to travel to Mecca," he said.

The holy city is visited each year by millions of Muslims who consider it holy ground.

Since Hashi moved to Yellowknife 15 years ago, he said the Muslim community has grown.

"But Muslims, like other Canadians, go where the opportunity is, so we have had more people moving here the last few years."