Gracious Center of Learning & Enrichment Activities

10/29/2026

Assalamu alaikum! Our Foundations of Faith class continues tonight in the classroom after Isha prayer at 7:25 p.m. Hope to see you there!

10/27/2026

Assalamu alaikum! Join us tonight for our adult study circle as we continue exploring the doctrinal development of Imam al-Wasiti, rahimahullah, on his journey to better knowing Allah and drawing near to Him.

We’ll meet after Salat al-Isha, which is at 7:30 p.m. Looking forward to seeing you there!

10/23/2026

as-salamu alaykum
Alhamdulillah, since launching our fundraising campaign on October 14, our community has contributed approximately $4,757 toward our $63,198 goal, bringing the remaining gap down to $58,441!

We are grateful to everyone who has contributed thus far. Your generosity is helping us move closer to sustaining GCLEA and its programs through Ramadan.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us that every morning two angels descend, one of whom supplicates:

“O Allāh, grant a replacement to the one who spends.” (al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

What a beautiful reminder that giving for the sake of Allāh is an act of faith and trust in His provision.

Every contribution helps sustain the prayers, educational programs, and community services that make GCLEA a place of worship, learning, and belonging.

The gap is closing, but we still have a way to go. We invite everyone who has not yet contributed to take part, and those who have already given to help spread the word.

👉 Donate Here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3WWYTYZ2UCMZA&source=url&ssrt=1764858770136

Or try our new giving option with the QR code below to send donations via Zelle.
You will see OULA Inc DBA GCLEA in both PayPal and Zelle links — that’s us.

Checks can be mailed to
PO Box 1020
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

May Allah accept accept your generosity, bless your wealth, and reward you abundantly.

Jazak Allah khayr,
Imam John Starling

10/16/2026

The $63,198 Gap: Help Carry GCLEA to Ramadan

Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh,

Last Ramadan, our community generously contributed $121,802 toward GCLEA’s $185,000 annual operating goal. Alḥamdulillāh, that support has sustained our center and its programs throughout the year.

However, we fell $63,198 short of our goal, and that funding gap has now caught up with us. Our remaining operating funds will not carry us to Ramadan.

We’re asking our community to help us close this gap and sustain our daily prayers, Sunday school, youth programs, adult education, and other essential services.

Please contribute today and help us finish what we started!

Donate via PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3WWYTYZ2UCMZA&source=url

May Allāh reward you for your generosity and continued support.

10/16/2026

as-salamu alaykum
Calling all “NEW” Muslims.

Join us for our monthly convert/revert get-together this Saturday at 6:15 pm.

Regardless if you have been a NEW Muslim for 10+ years or 10 minutes, you and your family are invited to join us.

Come and get to know more Muslims just like you and find support for your faith.

Again, this event is for new Muslims (converts/reverts) and their families ONLY, please.

Click HERE for details:

A gathering for new Muslims and their families

10/10/2026

As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātu

🕌Our monthly Seerah night will be *tonight after Isha* inshaAllah

🎙️Next Friday, Special Guest *Imam Dawud Walid* will be talking to us about his recently published book on chivalry in Islam. _Mark your calendars inshaAllah!_

🏫*NEW* Full-time Islamic school [Pre-K to Fifth grade] located in Pine Hill, New Jersey. _Registration is open!_

See GCLEA.org for more details

Our Imam is available to the community to answer questions, provide information about programs and events, and address your concerns.

09/29/2026

Join us tonight after Maghrib (6:45 pm) as we travel with Imām al-Wāsiṭī to his final destination: Damascus.

Tonight, we’ll explore the scholars he met, the circle he joined, and his relationship with the great figures of Damascus, including Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah.

We’ll discover how this final stage of his formation helped shape his emergence as a teacher, spiritual guide, and author, bringing his teachings into focus across Islamic spirituality, fiqh, sīrah, and ʿaqīdah.

All are welcome to join!

09/29/2026

as-salamu alaykum

Join us at GCLEA on Friday, October 16, from 7:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for a special family evening with Imam Dawud Walid, author of Futuwwah and Raising Males into Sacred Manhood, as we explore “Cultivating Chivalry in the Modern World.”

Much of today’s conversation surrounding men and women is increasingly framed in terms of competition, frustration, and opposition. Islam offers us a very different vision.

Through the tradition of futuwwah—spiritual chivalry—we are called to cultivate people of character, responsibility, courage, service, and devotion to Allah. Men and women are not adversaries, but servants of Allah who support one another in building strong families, healthy communities, and lives directed toward the Hereafter.

Drawing from his work on sacred manhood and Islamic character formation,
Imam Dawud Walid will discuss the virtues needed to raise principled young men, the broader qualities of spiritual chivalry, and how men and women can work together

We invite parents, young adults, families, and the wider community to join us for this timely and important conversation.

Friday, October 16
7:45 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
GCLEA

CLICK HERE to register: https://www.gclea.org/event-details/cultivating-chivalry-in-the-modern-world@

Family Event with Imam Dawud Walid, Author of Futuwwah and Raising Males into Sacred Manhood

09/26/2026

GCLEA is pleased to introduce a new structured learning opportunity in partnership with Hanbalī Disciples Institute.

Beginning Thursday, October 1, all are invited to join a 12-week study of Lumʿat al-Iʿtiqād by Imām Muwaffaq al-Dīn Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī, one of the most widely studied introductory works on Islamic belief in the Sunni tradition.

This course provides a guided study of foundational Sunni creed. Students will explore belief in Allah and His names and attributes, the Qurʾān and revelation, divine decree, the meaning of faith, the Hereafter, and the virtues of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.

Throughout the course, students will learn how the early Sunni and ḥadīth scholars understood and preserved these beliefs through the Qurʾān and Sunnah. The course is designed to provide an accessible introduction to classical Sunni creed and a strong foundation for further study.

Course Details
Start Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026

A structured 12-week course in foundational Sunni creed.

09/26/2026

Assalamualaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātu

📚Junior Sālikīn: Afternoon Islamic Program

Mon-Thurs, 4:30-6:30 @ GCLEA
Ages 7-9: Mon & Wed | Ages 10-12: Tues & Thurs

Dedicated to:
- Quran & Arabic
- Homework Help
- Islamic Studies
- Sports/Games/Activities
& More

Don’t forget to sign your children up for the new school year!

🔗Register here: https://www.gclea.org/event-details/junior-salikin

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📘Foundations of Islamic Belief

Beginning Thursday, October 1, GCLEA will offer a free, structured 12-week study of Lumʿat al-Iʿtiqād in partnership with Hanbalī Disciples Institute.

Classes will meet weekly between Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ and will include assignments, a midterm quiz, and a final examination. Successful students will receive a certificate of completion.

🔗Registration is required:
https://www.gclea.org/event-details/foundations-of-islamic-belief

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☑️Are you Registered to Vote?

It takes 2 minutes, and makes a HUGE impact on the community.

Support Muslim and Pro-Islamic candidates in your county today!

🗳️Register Now:
https://faithtovote.my.canva.site/resources