Origin

The word 'Islam' literally means peace through submission and obedience to the Will of Allah, glory be to Him. It is free of association with any race, ethnicity or geography.

The fundamental beliefs in Islam are known as Articles of Faith. The first and foremost is the belief in the Unity of God: That there is no deity except Allah. The Holy Qur'an invites us to ponder over the creation to recognize this unity (2:163-164). Muslims also believe in God's angels, His books, and His prophets.

Muslims believe that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last in the long chain of God's prophets and that the Holy Qur'an contains the final revelations providing Divine guidance for all of humanity. Finally, Muslims believe that the current life is a short sojourn in this world towards an everlasting life in the Hereafter and that our position in that life will depend on the Divine judgement of our actions in this world.

Scripture

slam enjoins on its followers certain acts of worship, known as Pillars of Faith. These consists of affirmation of faith in the unity of God, obligatory prayers five times a day, fasting from dawn to dusk for one lunar month each year, donation of two and a half percent of wealth every year to the poor and other deserving causes and, finally, if physically and financially capable, a pilgrimage to the House of God in Makkah once in lifetime.

The following verse from the Holy Qur'an tells Muslims that belief and worship become meaningful only if accompanied by moral and ethical behaviour:

It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West: But righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Scripture and the Prophets; And (who) gives his wealth, out of love for Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and to the needy and to the wayfarer and to those who ask and to redeem the captives; And (who) observes regular prayers; And (who) pays the poor due; And those who fulfil their contract when they make one; And those who are patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing. (2:177)

Muslims celebrate two major religious holidays: the first on the conclusion of the month of fasting and the second following the day of pilgrimage in Makkah. Muslims are prohibited to consume any product that contains pork or alcohol.

The Muslims now form the largest non-Christian community in Canada. The majority of these Muslims are Canadian-born. They display a mosaic Within the Canadian mosaic, Muslims represent a huge spectrum of ethnic and cultural origins.

Contact

There are nearly 40,000 Muslims in Ottawa. The main mosque is located at

Ottawa Muslim Association
251 Northwestern Avenue, P.O. Box 2952, Station D
Ottawa, ON,  K1P 5W9
Canada

Phone: 613-722-8763
Website: https://ottawamosque.ca