The words Islam and Muslim are Arabic words. Islam means self-surrender to the will of Allah, which is the Arabic word for God. The word Islam is also derived from the word "salam" meaning peace. Islam is a complete way of life. Not only does it include the religious, social, economic, and political aspects of our life, but also, it considers these as interconnected. In other words, there is no separation between religion and the state, between religion and economy, or between religion and knowledge. This interconnectedness in Islam is also present at every level of our existence and reflects an holistic approach to life. The mind, body and soul are seen to be one. The individual is supposed to live in peace and harmony with other human beings regardless of ethnicity, class, gender or beliefs. Islamic teachings also instruct people to live in peace and harmony with other beings and with the environment. It is the way of life that all Prophets and Messengers throughout history have taught, from Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, to other Prophets who are not well known in the western world, such as Shu'ayb and Luqman. The last Prophet and Messenger of Islam is Muhammed who lived in sixth century Arabia.

A Muslim is one who accepts Islam and the Islamic ways. Muslims have two main sources from which they receive their Islamic teachings and information, the Quran and the Hadith. The Qur'an is the sacred Scripture, which constitutes God's direct Revelation to Prophet Muhammed. The Hadith is the collected sayings, actions and teachings of Prophet Muhammed, which conforms to the Revelation.

Islam is based on five important pillars. The first one is the Shahada (Declaration of faith): to bear witness to the oneness of God and that Muhammed is the last messenger of God. The second, is the Salah: Muslims are required to perform five obligatory daily prayers at set times,
1) The early morning prayer
2) the noon prayer
3) the mid- afternoon prayer
4) the sunset prayer
5) the evening prayer
It is highly recommended that Muslims perform these prayers in congregation. Other prayers that Muslims should perform collectively are: the Friday obligatory congregational prayer; the two Eid (Festival) obligatory congregational prayers, which are: the prayer of Eidu-l- Fitr (the Festival of Fast-Breaking) and the prayer of Eidu-l-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice); the Taraweeh prayers (these prayers constitute a special characteristic of the month of Ramadan. They follow the evening prayers for thirty days. It is preferable to perform them in a congregational form); and the congregational Salatu-l- Janazah (the Funeral prayers). The third pillar is the Zakah (alms, charity). Zakah not only includes charity, alms, tithe, kindness, official Tax, voluntary contributions, etc., but also it combines with all these God-mindedness and spiritual as well as moral motives.
Money collected under the Zakah fund has to be entirely donated to the poor and needy. The Sawm (fasting) is the fourth pillar in Islam. It means, among other things, abstaining completely from foods and drinks from dawn to sunset for thirty days annually. The fasting month is called Ramadan. The last pillar is the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Muslims should perform Hajj once in their life time, providing they are financially, mentally and physically capable.

The presence of Muslim people in Thunder Bay goes back to the period right after the amalgamation of Port Arthur and Fort William. The first Muslim people came to Thunder Bay as immigrants and students. The early immigrants consisted mainly of physicians and university professors. In the medical profession, Dr. Abdul Ghaffer was the first paediatrician to come to the Spence Clinic followed by Dr. Masood to Thunder Bay Medical Centre. Among university professors, Dr. Agha Akram was the first one to join Lakehead University in the late 1960's. In the beginning, most of the immigrants came from India and Pakistan followed by Algeria and Lebanon. They worked in different sectors of our local economy. In the early 1970's, Lakehead University attracted many Muslim students from the Indian subcontinent. Subsequently, in the late 70's and the early 80's, many Muslim students came to Lakehead U. from Malaysia, the Middle East and Africa. For the middle and the late 80's, Thunder Bay received many Muslim students from Malaysia and Lebanon. By the late eighties, there were around 100 Muslim students and around 30 Muslim families residing in Thunder Bay. Although, for the early 90's, the size of Thunder Bay's Muslim population did not significantly change, however, there was a slight change in its ethnic makeup. Fewer students came from Lebanon and more from Egypt. For much of the 90's, this composition stayed the same, with fewer people coming from Egypt.

The Thunder Bay Muslim Association represents the general welfare and interests of its members at the social, cultural, spiritual and festive level. Activities at the religious level: One of the most important aims and objectives of our association is to facilitate the fulfilment of the above pillars such as the Salah (prayer), the Zakah and the Swam (fasting) for our members. As board members we organize the prayers and celebrations for religious occasions such the Friday Salah and Eidu-l-Fitr, Eidu-l-Adha and the weekly gathering during the month of Ramadan in which we break our fast collectively. Our association also organizes weekly meetings to discuss religious issues pertaining to the Quran and the prophets. In addition to the aforementioned religious activities, the association organizes readings of the Quran, religious classes for children on a weekly basis, and occasionally, airs religious programs on the local community television channel. It should also be pointed out that we have an excellent relationship with the Lakehead University Muslim Student Association (M.S.A.). Our organization constantly works together with the executive members of the M.S.A. to ensure that students are provided with the assistance that is needed, especially at the spiritual and financial levels. The Thunder Bay Muslim Association is also involved in the organization and the collection of the Zaka donations from our members. Those who receive our donations are Canadian non-profit, charitable organizations working towards an humanitarian cause. At the local level, recipients of our donations include individual members of our larger community, who are in financial need.

At the social level, we are concerned with the plight of our members, and we try to provide them with the assistance they need. We also extend our help to visitors and newcomers who, coming to a new environment, are in need of all kinds of help especially, the need to feel at home. We provide them with the support they require by rendering needed services accessible to them. Furthermore, we try to help people of the Muslim faith who are passing through Thunder Bay, in particular those in need of accommodations and/or financial assistance. In addition to the religious gatherings mentioned above, our association organizes other social gatherings pertaining to marriages, births or deaths which also involve religious and cultural aspects. At the cultural level, we provide Arabic classes for children in the fall and winter. Our association organizes the language classes, as well as searches for capable teachers with the right approach to teaching. It should be mentioned here that the Arabic language is significant to Muslims because Arabic is the language of the Quran. Hence, knowing Arabic is crucial to understanding the Quran. Members of our organization also attend the cultural functions of other ethnic and religious organizations in order to foster co-operation, good relations and harmonious existence.

Our association is proactive in eradicating any misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. This includes: 1) informing the public about Islam through television and radio programs when needed; 2) interaction with people we come in contact with; 3) responding and rectifying any falsification of Islam present in the media. It should also be pointed out that by imparting Islamic values to our members, which emphasize honesty, kindness, tolerance and respect (especially for other religious and ethnic groups), we are fostering and promoting mutual respect and better understanding between Muslims and the community at large. We work closely with organizations and groups who are interested in harmonious existence on the basis of "race," ethnicity and religion. Some of these organizations include: the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association; Multi-regional Faith Centre; The Crossroads Centre. Members of our community also sit on various anti-racism committees.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Islam, the Muslims in Thunder Bay, or require further explanations to the aforementioned information, please do not hesitate to contact Walid Chahal by email at lakeheadu%23ca|wchahal or by phone through Thunder Bay Multicultural Association at (807)345-0551.