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Weekly Comment |
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Southern Africa Ulama
Conference
Last week Ulamaa from
across Southern Africa
met in Maputo, Mozabique.
Among the organizations
present were the
Jamiatul Ulama
(previously Transvaal –
now representing Muslims
across the Gauteng,
North-West, Limpopo,
Mpumalanga, Northern
Cape provinces),
Jamiatul Ulama KZN,
Muslim Judicial Council,
Boland Muslim Council,
Jamiatul Ulama Western
Cape, Lajnatul Ulama
Eastern Cape, United
Ulama Council of South
Africa, more than seven
Ulama organizations from
Mozambique, Ulama
organizations from
Zimbabwe, Zambia,
Malawi, Botswana and
Swaziland. Over 170
delegates attended the
conference which
comprised of talks,
presentations, breakaway
sessions, debates and
discussion groups.
The meeting and
networking of Ulamaa
from across Southern
Africa was a momentous
occasion and prized
opportunity. It
presented delegates with
the prospect of becoming
better acquainted with
one another and their
respective activities,
fields of operation, and
outstanding
achievements. It was
also a chance to examine
challenges and possible
solutions. In addition
the framework for a
proactive approach
towards serving the
needs of the Muslim
Community was
established in the form
of realistic and
sustainable resolutions
that covered a wide
range of fields
including Hilal (Moonsighting
and the Islamic
calendar), Halal Foods,
Youth, Women, Media,
Dawah, Education, Aids
and Drugs. Aspects such
as Special Needs
Education, Empowering
the Indigenous, Poverty
Alleviation and the
Middle East Crisis were
also afforded due
attention and
discussion.
Hereunder follows the
‘Communique’ and the
“Middle East
Press-Statement’ issued
by the Southern Africa
Ulama Conference.
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THIRD SOUTHERN AFRICA
ULAMA CONFERENCE
RAJAB 1427 / AUGUST 2006
MATOLA, MAPUTO,
MOZAMBIQUE
Final
Communique
The Third Southern
Africa Ulama. Conference
was convened in Maputo
Mozambique, on the 11th,
121h and 13th of August
2006.
The meeting was attended
by 170 participants from
the following countries:
Mozambique, South
Africa, Zimbabwe,
Zambia. Malawi,
Swaziland and Botswana.
The conference
deliberated on various
issues affecting the
Muslim Ummah in general
and Southern Africa in
particular, with a view
of coordinating
activities of Ulama in
Southern Africa.
The following issues
were discussed over the
three day meeting:
Hilaal (Moon sighting),
Iftaa, Education,
Ma’kulaat (Halaal),
Youth, AIDS and Drugs,
Da’wah in Women, Media
and other important
issues.
The crisis in the Middle
East attracted much
discussion. A strongly
worded "Press Statement"
condemning the Israeli
aggression was issued at
the conference.
This statement called
for an immediate
cessation of
hostilities, severing of
diplomatic ties and the
imposition of economic
sanctions against
Israel.
An interim executive
committee was set up
with a view to formally
establish a Southern
African Ulama Council.
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THIRD SOUTHERN AFRICA
ULAMA CONFERENCE
RAJAB 1427 / AUGUST 2006
MATOLA, MAPUTO,
MOZAMBIQUE
Statement on the
Middle-East Crisis
Issued by the Muslim
religious leaders of
Southern Africa, at the
conference held on the
11th, 12th and 13th
August 2006 in Maputo,
Mozambique.
Delegates at the
Southern African Ulama
Conference held in
Maputo, express their
revulsion at the
collective punishment
being unleashed against
innocent civilians in
Gaza and Lebanon, in
clear defiance of the
Geneva Accord.
“We unequivocally
condemn these inhuman
atrocities, the
magnitude of which is
only matched by the
indifference of the
international community.
This political
duplicity, by default,
allows Israel to
continue its terror
blitz unrestrained.
We the Muslim religious
leaders from the
Southern African
Development Community (SADC)
call upon the
governments of our
countries:
• To demand an immediate
cessation of hostilities
as well as the
withdrawal of Israeli
forces.
• To sever diplomatic
ties with Israel.
• To spearhead an
international call for
economic sanctions.
• To demand, Israel to
allow the unhindered
flow of aid to the
intended victims.
As Africans, we are
acutely aware of the
pain and suffering of
political subjugation.
We are also aware that
the apartheid regime in
South Africa was only
vanquished because of
diplomatic, economic and
political isolation of
the then pariah state.
A petition from the SADC
will not only place
pressure on the last
bastion of apartheid, it
will also embolden other
countries to act more
decisively.
Above all, it will send
a reassuring message to
millions of oppressed
people who feel betrayed
by the self-appointed
custodians of humanity,
more specifically the
United States of America
and the United Kingdom.
Issued by the Muslim
Religious Leaders from
the following countries:
Botswana, South Africa,
Swaziland, Mozambique,
Malawi, Zambia and
Zimbabwe. |
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Summarized Jumu’ah Bayaan: |
The Need to revive Islam
… and our Spirits
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• Allah hails Muslims as
“. . . the best of
peoples ever raised up
for mankind...” (3:110). |
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• However, Muslims are
today at their lowest
ebb. The faith that had,
once tamed wild and
rough people into
polite, soft-speaking
humans; welded warring
tribes into a selfless
fraternity; turned
slaves into masters and
desert nomads into
rulers, seems to have
lost not only its fire
but even its warmth. |
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• Islam is not peace
only in name. It bends
farther backwards than
any other religion in
pursuing peace and
avoiding conflict. No
other religion declares
that taking an innocent
life is like killing the
entire humanity and vice
versa (5:32). None
offers anything
comparable to the Treaty
of Hudaibiya or the
Covenant of Madina. |
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• Which religion tempers
its sanction for
retaliation with strict
prohibition against any
excess? Which religion
commands its followers
to revere all prophets
from Adam to Muhammad
(peace be upon them) as
Messengers of Allah,
(2:285). Which religion
lays down, “And insult
not those whom they (the
disbelievers) worship
besides Allah, lest they
insult Allah wrongfully
without knowledge . . .”
(6:108) |
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• According to western
scholars such as Richard
Bonny and Robert
Winston, jihad in the
true sense is not holy
war to convert
non-believers, but a
process to spread light
on earth. Winston says:
“It is a profound
misrepresentation to
believe that jihad
covers wars of
aggression, border
disputes, the intention
to colonize, or acts of
terrorism or
indiscriminate bombing.” |
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• Robert Winston also
offers a robust defense
for the punishments for
theft and adultery and
the requirement that the
sentences be carried out
in public, according to
the shariah. Similarly
he points out that the
preconditions prescribed
to prove the crime of
adultery make it
practically impossible
to execute the
punishment. And,
finally, explaining the
requirement that a legal
sentence of punishment
be carried out publicly,
he says, “This is not
done to please a
bloodthirsty or sadistic
people but to ensure
that justice is seen to
be done and that
punishment does not
exceed what has been
prescribed.” |
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• Why are the Jews and
Christians so confident
and why do Muslims wear
a crestfallen, guilty
look? Scholars have
given various reasons: |
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1. Our loss of interest
in the pursuit of
inquiry and in learning
other disciplines. Our
madrasahs should not
only produce men to be
hired only to lead
prayers, conduct
marriages or perform the
last rites for the dead. |
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2. Another equally
critical shortcoming is
the lack of knowledge
about other religions.
To fight your ‘enemy’
you must know what
weapons he uses. |
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3. We have not shown
Islam as a powerful
force by our own
actions. |
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• Islam does not depend
on anyone for its
protection. Allah has
declared: “Verily, We,
it is We Who have sent
down the Dhikr (i.e. the
Qur’an) and surely We
will guard it (from
corruption).” (Al-Hijr,
15:9). If, therefore,
Muslims opt to deviate
from the straight path,
they would not at all
harm Him or Islam but
invite doom for
themselves. |
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• The truth of this
statement is evident
from the situation
Muslims are facing
today. The only way for
us to avoid being kicked
about is to resuscitate
our self-esteem by
investigating where we
went wrong and
rediscover the magic
that had shot Muslims to
the highest pinnacles of
fame in the past. |
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I N F
O R M A T I O N |
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Min. Mahr |
R97.13 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R4856.17 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R1942.47 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Most Loved
Deed |
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Masruq
Rahmatullah Alayhi
says: I asked 'Aisha
Radiyallahu anhaa which deed
was most loved by the
Prophet. She said, "A deed
done continuously."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol.2,
No.232) |
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Quotation for the Week |
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Begging |
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“To beg for
something that belongs to
someone else stems from a
tendency which is
midway between ruthlessness
and covetousness.”
Ibn Hazm in his
Kitab al-Akhlaq wa al-Siyar
fi Mudawat al-Nufus |
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Saying of the Week |
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Foolish Man |
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"A
foolish man may be known
by six things: Anger without
cause, speech without
profit, change without
progress,
inquiry without object,
putting trust in a stranger,
and mistaking foes for
friends. |
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Q and A |
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Q: Please enlighten us with
regard to the Islamic
viewpoint on Bungee-Jumping
and other similar
activities? |
A: If there are any valid
reasons for engaging in
these type of activities -
for Islamic training
purposes and fitness
activities, duly prescribed
as such for the well-being
of an individual -
then there may be some scope
for it.
However, the general norm is
that they are simply
adrenalin boosters and done
to give the individual a
‘kick’ out of the whole
thing, with no beneficial
cause of action. If this be
the case, then it is
something that will fall
under the category of
futility. It should also be
understood that in whatever
a person does, he is
governed by the rule of
integrity and human dignity
which every person is
obliged to preserve under
any costs. This also
undermines the validity of
such actions. Importantly,
it should also be remembered
that, plunging oneself into
the throes of potential harm
and destruction
is not sanctioned in any
creed leave alone Islam. The
practical dynamics of such
an activity
truly displays this notion.
In
fact, Islam forbids o a
person
to engage in actions which
would threaten his life.
Hence we strongly advise
that abstention be exercised
with regard to such
activities, and more
beneficial, physically and
mentally stimulating
activities
be considered I pace of
them; most of all that all
activities be engaged in for
a valid purpose and not
simply as entertainment or
recreation.
And Allah Ta'aala knows
best. |
CORRECTED FROM LAST WEEK
– The following question
appeared in last week’s
issue, but was not clear in
its answer. Hereunder
follows the answer as it
should have appeared.
Q: Is it permissible for a
person to marry his first
cousin? |
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A:
First cousin- A child of
your aunt or uncle e.g. your
father’s brother’s daughter.
In this case, you share a
set of grandparents with
your first cousins.
Second cousin- A child of
your parent’s first cousin.
In this
case, you share a pair of
great grandparents with your
second cousins.
Based on the above
definition
it will be permissible for
first
and second cousins (whether
they are paternally or
maternally related) to marry
one another.
The list of women one is not
permitted to marry is
categorically stated in the
Holy Qur’aan (Surah
An-Nisaa22-24).
If for any reason one’s
first or second cousin falls
within the category of the
women
prohibited in the above
verses, then it will not be
permitted for him to marry
her. E.g. if she is his
foster (i.e. milk) sister.
(Your foster mother is one
who had breastfed you prior
to your attaining the age of
two. Likewise your foster
sister is
one who had (before the age
of two) fed on the milk of
the
same woman who fed you.)
And Allah Ta'aala knows
best. |
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R E F L E C T I O N S |
An Important Letter
What happens when you
receive an important letter
from someone? Do you put it
away or immediately open it
and read it? I Believe, all
of us would open the letter
and read it. If you don't
know how to read, you would
find someone who could and
let him read it out to you.
In short, we would take the
letter
seriously as it contains
important information.
On the other hand, how do we
treat the Holy Quran, which
is
an important message from
Allah? Our future of this
world
and the Hereafter is in
knowing this message. But,
do we read
the Quran? May be only a few
of us. Instead of reading,
we cover the Quran with a
beautiful cloth and put it
away on a high shelf. Would
we do the same
with the above mentioned
important letter? Not at
all. So, it's time that we
realize the
value of the Quran and read
it often to know its
important message.
Source: IslamCan |
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Advertise Here. We are Well Read! |
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U
P D A T E |
Ijtimaa
It must be
admitted that the salvation
of mankind is firmly
entrenched in the belief in
the Oneness, Power and
Control of Allah. This
belief must be translated
into practice as outlined in
the Qur’aan and demonstrated
by the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam). The
Tableegh Jamaat uses this as
the basis of its aims and
actions. The Annual Ijtimaa
for the provinces of Gauteng,
North West, Northern
Province and Northern Cape,
will take place on the 18th,
19th and 20th August 2006 in
Polokwane (Pietersburg).
Brothers are requested to
attend. Programmes range
from lectures, taleem
programmes and periods for
individual dhikr. Sleeping
arrangements are made
availabled (bring your own
bedding-sleeping bag, etc-
with) and meals are provided
at a nominal cost. |
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Happiness
Money has very little to do
happiness, otherwise all the
rich would be blissfully
happy and the poor totally
miserable. Money can buy
medicines but not health,
acquaintances but not
friends, servants but not
faithfulness, food but not
appetite.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad
Sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam
has very aptly said that
riches are not from an
abundance of worldly goods,
but from a contented mind."
With all the scientific and
technological advancement,
man is still living a life
of continued misery and
unhappiness. Everywhere we
look we find turmoil and
confusion, people don't know
how to solve their problems,
how to achieve true
happiness. Most don't even
know what their function is
in this cycle of Creation.
If we want to achieve true
happiness then we have to
look towards our Creator and
Source of happiness where He
says in Surah Asr: “ By the
token of time Man is in
loss, except such as have
faith and do righteous deeds
and join together in the
mutual teaching of truth and
of patience and constancy.”
As long as we attach our
happiness to material things
it will always elude us.
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