بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allāh, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy
As-Salāmu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh
Firstly, we start by thanking you all for your continued generosity in aiding the Masjid Athari Project. Mā shā’ Allāh! We reached the £700,000 milestone last Friday. Verily the Messenger of Allāh (عليه الصلاة والسلام) said, ‘Whoever does not thank the people then he has not thanked Allāh’. (Musnad Ahmad, Sunan At-Tirmidhī)
Then to proceed, we update you with regards to the purchase of the building for Masjid Athari.
The survey was conducted on the 26th March 2014 and today, the 7th April 2014, we have received the surveyors report. The report highlighted various aspects for consideration and from these issues is a particular concern regarding the basement where it appears that water is penetrating and causing issues of damp. The surveyor has advised for us to undertake further investigation by employing a damp-proofing specialist.
We have advised the sellers and their agents of this development and they have, Alhamdulillāh, allowed us some further time to have the necessary investigation work carried out. We will continue to keep you updated with developments as they happen.
Also, we again remind you that as part of our commitment to the community, the Masjid Athari Team is still pursuing other excellent opportunities that could likewise be appropriate in establishing Masjid Athari. Again, we will notify you as these develop in the coming weeks.
Remember that the Messenger of Allah (عليه الصلاة والسلام) said ‘the best of imān is: patience and forbearance’, (Saheeh Al-Jaami’ As-Sagheer Shaikh Al Albaani).So continue to be patient and bear with us whilst we strive to bring about the needs of the community.
Let us continue in the meantime donating to repay the loans of £217,500 and to make Masjid Athari debt-free from its first day of opening.We encourage you all to dig deeper, to reach out further with regards to your family and friends and aid us in continuing upon this noble project to establish Masjid Athari in East London.
It was narrated that Umar bin Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allāh say:
((مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِدًا يُذْكَرُ فِيهِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ))
‘Whoever builds a masjid in which the Name of Allah is mentioned, Allah will build a house for him in Paradise.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah)