Muslim Chaplaincy Resources

Feb 23
2 min read

About Islam

Islam is the second-largest religion in Canada, practised by approximately 4.9% of the population. Canadian Muslims are one of the most ethnically diverse religious groups across the country. Muslims have lived in Canada since 1871 and the first mosque was established in 1938. Canada is home to the most northern built mosque in the world called the Midnight Sun Mosque.

~ Wikipedia

Sunni Muslims
The majority of Canadian Muslims follow Sunni Islam.
Shia Muslims
The Shiite population in Canada is estimated to be approximately 300,000 people.
Ahmadiyya Muslims
The Ahmadiyya Community has about 50 Local Chapters scattered across Canada, mainly in southern Ontario. The community has 25 places of worship in Canada.
Sufism
Sufism (Arabic: التصوف‎, romanized: al-Taṣawwuf) is a mystical body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic purification, spirituality, ritualism, and asceticism.

Attitudes to death and dying

When Muslims are facing serious illness, they are counselled to be patient and
faithful, asking for Allah’s help in prayer.
Muslim patients may ask for forgiveness and read or listen to the Qur’an.
Muslims may withdraw or withhold life-sustaining treatments to allow natural
death.
Patients may request to lie in a bed facing Mecca.
Family may recite the Shahadah, Islam’s testament of faith.
After death, the eyes should be closed, and the jaw bandaged so the mouth
cannot open. Arms and legs should be straightened, and the body removed as
soon as possible.
Non-Muslims attending to the body must wear gloves, so they don’t directly touch the body.
The body should not be washed.

Sufism

Sufism is a mystical form of Islam.
Our life is not a single finite entity. There is no death. Each ‘death’ is an
introduction to the next chapter of life.
There is no binary concept of heaven or hell as a consequence of external
judgement.