By: Huzaifa Ahmed, IPC Summer Camp Counsellor/ Youth Volunteer

Alhamdulillah, I attended the IPC Jame Masjid's community trip to Centre Island’s amusement park this summer. On a very sunny day, everyone who came, including the summer camp kids as well as the elders, was very excited to participate in the many things to do that day. The trip was a great chance for our community to make bonds with one another and appreciate the blessings of Allah. 

As everyone gathered at the masjid in the morning, we started to board the buses the masjid had rented for us to take us to downtown Toronto. As we began our journey, our own Huffadh and counsellors had the children and all the parents read their duas for our safety. The bus ride there was full of laughter and excitement with everyone talking to their friends. I was talking to a group of summer camp students about what they planned to do when they got there and how excited they were. Upon arrival, everyone was eager to get off the bus and get in line for the ferry. It took a while, but eventually, counsellors were able to gather everyone in one area and finally get in line. Due to the fact, that it was the middle of summer and a weekday, the area was crowded and took a while for us to board the boat but alhamdulillah everyone was able to get on together.

As we rode the ferry to the Island, I looked outside at the clear skies and blue water. I thought about the blessings of Allah; Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in Surah Al-Imran Ayah 190: “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding”. Looking outside was a reminder to remember Allah in all that we do and to be grateful for his never-ending mercy. With this being in my heart, we finally arrived on the island!

Before getting on any ride, we had everyone eat their lunch so that they could be energized for the day. As I saw everyone eat together I couldn’t help but remember the hadith of our beloved Prophet ﷺ: ‘Eat together and do not eat separately, for the blessing is in being together.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah 3287). After we had eaten, everyone was split up into groups. Parents were with their children and the Summer Camp teachers were paired up to look after a group of 3-4 students. Alhamdulillah, my group got together quickly and we raced to the entrance of the park to get our wristbands which we needed to get on the rides. Seeing their excitement made me feel grateful that I could somewhat guide the younger generation and show them how to enjoy life in a halal way. The first thing we did, and my favourite ride was the Skyride which was a ski lift that showed us around the whole park. Looking at the rivers that flowed through the island and all the trees from a birds-eye view made me remember that all these are signs of Allah's greatness and mercy upon mankind. After getting off the ride, our group began walking through the park, going on every ride the kids wanted to go on. We were given a limited time to do whatever we wanted in the park, so we were going to use it to have the most fun. 

As the day passed, I noticed the bond between the kids was growing stronger. The kids were helping each other win games, sharing their snacks with whoever was hungry, and sitting on rides together to enjoy together. Such behaviour mirrors the famous hadith of our Prophet ﷺ in which he says “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself” (Hadith 13, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi). After a long day of going on many different rides including the roller coaster, Ferris wheel, bumper cars, water coasters, and seeing the petting zoo they had, it was time to head back to the masjid. 

Before we got on the ferry back to Toronto, everyone who had come on the trip took a group photo. As we got on the ferry, most of the kids sat down as they were very tired from running around the park all day. Alhamdulillah the buses were waiting for us when we got back to Toronto and everyone safely got on. Like before, the counsellors had everyone read their duas for a safe journey and we set off for the masjid. This time on the way back, many kids and parents fell asleep and the few that were awake talked quietly amongst one another. When we arrived at the masjid, there were only 5 minutes until the asr jamaat was going to start, so we all went in to conclude our day by praying in a congregation. What an amazing way to end a beautiful day!

I want to say JazakAllah Khairan to everyone who organized this trip and to IPC Jame Masjid for allowing me and everyone else to come along for a very memorable trip. May Allah strengthen the community even more and protect us from any harm. Aameen