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Weekly Comment |
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16
Days of Activism Against
Gender Violence
Islam has
entrenched the position
of women in society as
that of an
esteemed, treasured and
valued member of the
community to be treated
with utmost respect,
honor and dignity. Woman
is granted great
position and status by
the Qur’an and Sunnah,
whether she be a
daughter, wife, mother
or even a spinster. All
women are to be treated
with justice and
goodness
and women stand on an
equal footing to that of
their male counterparts,
in the eyes of Allah.
Islam emphatically and
unconditionally forbids
the ill-treatment,
subjugation or
oppression of women in
whatever way and in
whichever form.
Muslims are urged to go
the extra mile in
raising awareness of the
rights of women and
showcase the great
position that Islam
grants to women. It is
also important that
Islam’s position be
highlighted through the
actions and practices of
the Muslim community.
It must be remembered
that the perception
amongst Muslims that
their isn’t any real
abuse against women or
even children in the
Muslim community is a
misconception. An
increasing number of
cases of gender and
child abuse are being
reported to institutes
such as the Jamiatul
Ulama.
It is also relevant to
ask whether the West
criticizes Islam’s
supposed position on
women because of what
they have observed in
the lives of Muslims.
The 16 Days of Activism
Against Gender Violence
is an international
campaign originating
from the first Women's
Global Leadership
Institute sponsored by
the Center for Women's
Global Leadership in
1991. Participants chose
the dates, November 25,
International Day
Against Violence Against
Women and December 10,
International Human
Rights Day, in order to
symbolically link
violence against women
and human rights and to
emphasize that such
violence is a violation
of human rights. This
16-day period also
highlights other
significant dates
including November 29,
International Women
Human Rights Defenders
Day and December 1,
World AIDS Day.
Afghanistan blues for
the US and NATO
The US President, George
W. Bush, is travelling
to a NATO summit in
Latvia
this week. The meeting
is set to be dominated
by discussions on the
situation in Afghanistan
where NATO forces are
responsible to complete
the mission started by
the USA in 2001. NATO
currently maintains
approximately 30, 000
troops in Afghanistan.
Recent reports have
indicated a significant
rise in the power of
Taliban
forces in the South of
the country. This is a
major concern, not only
for the USA, but
especially for NATO.
Some officials have
suggested that if NATO
fails in Afghanistan,
the alliance will
sustain a major
political and military
setback.
A retired Air Force
General, Joseph Ralston,
who is a former NATO
Supreme Allied
Commander, has been
quoted as saying that
"...events in
Afghanistan
are reaching a critical
juncture, and European
politics and
perceptions, as well as
U.S. commitments in Iraq
may prevent NATO from
getting the assets
necessary to ensure
victory." The
implication of this is
that NATO, as well as
the USA, are currently
faced with major
political and military
difficulties to
end or win the wars the
USA unilaterally
declared in the
aftermath of 911. It
seems as if the
geopolitical adventures
of the USA are coming
undone, and that the
next few years will not
only see the chickens
coming home to
roost - but to blow up
in their faces.
Catch
22 - Iraq
Under the
current circumstances in
Iraq, where more than
200 people can
be killed in the course
of a few days, and as a
result of severe strain
on the
US military, the US can
neither leave - nor stay
in Iraq. This catch 22
will in
all likelihood turn into
a prolonged and somewhat
pathetic diplomatic
attempt to save face. US
military power has been
shown to be ineffective
to win the war, and it
has no political
willingness or resources
to maintain its military
adventures in the Middle
East. More than anything
else, the year
2006 will usher in a
slow and prolonged
crumbling of US and
British hegemony, and
associated changes in
world power structures.
Britain is set to
withdraw several
thousand of its troops
from Iraq early next
year, while the new
Iraqi government is
clearly incapable of
maintaining order. There
is no final solution in
sight, although one
thing is clear - this
being the fact that the
two major losers in the
conflict in Iraq will
be: firstly, the Iraqi
people exposed to
violence from internal
factions and occupying
forces fumbling to
maintain a foothold; and
secondly the USA as a
"major world power."
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Summarized Jumu’ah Bayaan:
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QURBAANI
(PART I of III) |
Allah Ta’ala says
in the Noble Quran in
Surah al-Kauthar:
"Verily, We have granted
you (O Muhammad ) Al-
Kauthar (a river in
paradise), So pray on to
thy lord and sacrifice.
For he who makes you
angry will be cut off."
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Hazrat Ayesha (RA)
reports that the Prophet
of Allah (Sallallâhu
'alayhi wasallam) said,
"The son of Adam does
not perform any actions
on the day
of sacrifice which is
more pleasing to Allah
than the shedding of
blood. He will come on
the day of resurrection
with its hair, horns and
hooves, and
the blood certainly will
fall in a place near
Allah before it falls on
the ground. So, make
yourselves purified
there with. (Tirmizi)
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• The sacrifice of an
animal has always been a
recognized form of
worship in most
religions, but in the
shariah of Islam the
sacrifice of an animal
has been recognised as a
specific form of worship
during the three days of
the month Zulhijjah,
namely the 10th, 11th,
and 12th.
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• ‘Udhiya’ is an Arabic
word meaning "blood
sacrifice", and
‘Qurbani’ is an
Urdu and Persian word
derived from the Arabic
word "Qurban" which
literally means an act
performed to seek
Allah’s pleasure. It is
technically used for the
sacrifice of an animal
slaughtered for the sake
of Allah.
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• Qurbaani holds a
distinguished position,
because the original
spirit of sacrifice was
the move of Ibrahim (alayhis
salam) to sacrifice the
life of his son Ismail
in total obedience to
the command of Allah.
The replacement of an
animal was made on the
instruction of Allah, as
is clear from the story
of
Hazrat Ibrahim and
Hazrat Ismail. Udhiya is
to commemorate the
unparalleled sacrifice
offered by the Prophet
Ibrahim when he, in
pursuance to a
command of Allah Ta’ala
conveyed to him in a
dream, prepared himself
to slaughter his beloved
son. However, Allah
after testing him of his
submission, sent down a
ram and saved his son
from the logical fate of
slaughter.
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• The act of
slaughtering is to
demonstrate our total
submission to Allah.
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• Hazrat Jabir reported
that the Messenger of
Allah slaughtered on the
day
of sacrifice two horned,
white and black
castrated rams. When he
faced them towards the
Qibla, he said: "Verily
I turn my face towards
the One who created the
heavens and the earth,
upon the religion of
Abraham, being upright,
and I am not one of the
polytheists. Verily my
prayer, my life and my
death are all for Allah,
the Lord of the worlds.
There is on partner with
him and I have been
ordered that, and I am
one of the Muslims. O
Allah, it is Thine and
for Thee, from Muhammad
and his Ummah: In the
name of Allah. Allah is
the greatest". He then
slaughtered the rams.
(Abu Dawud)
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• Hazrat Anas reported
that the Messenger of
Allah sacrificed with
his own hands, two white
rams with black
markings. He took the
name of Allah and
recited ‘Takbir’. Hazrat
Anas states that he saw
him putting his foot
upon
their buttocks and
saying: "In the name of
Allah. And Allah is the
greatest". (Sahih
Bukhari)
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• We learn from this
hadith that we should
should make every effort
to perform the sacrifice
with our own hands. If
the Prophet could
sacrifice by
his own blessed hands at
the age of sixty, why
can’t we follow in his
footsteps? If we cannot
do so, he should at
least be present at the
time of slaughter.
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U
P D A T E |
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Sponsor a
Book Programme |
The swell of
misinformation and the
subsequent
misrepresented picture
of Islam have reached
endemic proportions.
Islam has become
synonymous with
indiscriminate terror,
male chauvinism and
antiquated practices and
laws.
Neither will grousing
and complaining among
ourselves, nor will
adopting a ’victim-like’
mentality of pessimism
bring about any change.
It is the duty of the
Muslim ummah to boldly
and fearlessly showcase
and champion the
pristine teachings of
Islam in the hope of
educating the unwary
masses, who are swayed
by the incessant flow of
propaganda against
Islam. In addition,
people of note and
influence in the
non-Muslim community
should be approached
with the aim of
dispelling the myths and
distortions leveled
against Islam.
In an effort to educate
such people about the
true and beautiful
nature of Islam, the
Jamiatul Ulama has
embarked on a project to
provide relevant,
dynamic, well-written
and well-presented
literature on Islam to
politicians,
journalists, academics
and public libraries.
In order to finance the
purchase and
distribution of these
books the Jamiatul Ulama
has called upon the
community for their
assistance. This is a
unique opportunity to
contribute towards
educating people about
Islam and also defending
Islam.
The cost of sponsoring
one book is R100-00.
Contributions or
sponsorships can be
directed to any of the
Jamaitul Ulama offices.
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Qurbâni [Udhihiyya] |
Qurbâni arrangements
have been made locally
and abroad.
Kindly Forward Your
Payments
NOT LATER THAN THURSDAY,
28TH DECEMBER 2006
to Any of the Jamiat
Offices Below
OR
Deposit Directly into
Our
Jamiatul Ulama
NEDBANK FORDSBURG;
ACCOUNT NO: 1953 285 937
and Earmark Your Payment
“QURBANI 2006”
COST PER SHARE:
LOCAL: R700.00 ~
MALAWI: R200.00 ~ INDIA:
R165.00
Price of share includes
administration costs
NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
~ Kindly fax deposit
slip with name and
address details for
official receipt
~ Kindly submit names of
individuals on behalf of
whom Qurbâni is to be
made
~ Surplus funds, if any,
will be utilised for Dîni activities.
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Masjid
Notice Boards |
We request Imams or
community
members (who are either responsible
for Masjid Notice Boards or prepared
to take on the responsibility of
posting the Bulletin on the
Masjid
Noticeboard, with the consent of
the Imam) to forward:
- Name;
- E-mail address; - Masjid name and area.
Please forward your
details to the e-mail
address, jamiat@islamsa.org.za
and add the subject
heading, Masjid Notice
Board List.
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Imtihaan
Report |
The Jamiatul Ulama
Talimi Board engages in
the supervision and
provision of guidance to
a number of madaris/schools.
The Talimi Board also
conducts (imtihans)
external common
examinations at these
madaris twice annually.
The Schooling/Madrassah
year has come to an end
with the termination of
a rigorous imtihaan that
commenced on the 16th
October and concluded on
the 24th November.
Examinations were held
at 95 madaris, ranging
from Tzaneen/Louis
Trichard to Kimberley
and from Malelane to
Amersfoort, covering an
area of five provinces.
Over 130 mumtahins
(examiners) were used
for this purpose. Common
papers were written by
students in all these
madaaris in the subjects
of Islamic History, Fiqh
and Aqaa`id. Other
Islamic subjects were
tested orally by
external examiners
appointed by the Talimi
Board.
The Talimi Board
examiners commented that
the results, in general,
were both pleasing and
encouraging. The Board
wishes to express it’s
gratitude to the various
madaris and ulama who
participated and
volunteered their
teachers to be used as
examiners in various
madaris. |
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C O N
T E N T S |
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Summarised
Jumuah Bayaan |
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Question and
Answer |
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Qurbani |
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Update |
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Message from the Ameer |
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I N F
O R M A T I O N |
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Min. Mahr |
R 114.00 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,699.81 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,279.93 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Refuge
from Punishment |
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Abu Huraira
Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu narrates
that Allah's Messenger
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam
used to invoke (Allah):"Allahumma
ini a'udhu bika min 'adhabi-l-Qabr,
wa min 'adhabi-naar, wa min
fitnati-l-mahya wa-lmamat,
wa min fitnati-l-masih ad-dajjal.”
Trans:
“O Allah! I seek refuge with
you from the punishment in
the grave and from the
punishment in the Hell fire
and from the afflictions of
life and death, and the
afflictions of
Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari
Vol.2, No. 459)
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Quotation for the Week |
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Status of
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 Akhlaq wa al-Siyar fi
Mudawaat al-Nufoos
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Point of Reflection |
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Positive
Words |
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Encouraging words are like
honey: sweet to the soul and
healthy for the being.
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Q and A |
Question: My wife and I
are
both working and both of us
earn a salary, but the
earned money is incorporated
into
one.
Please advice as to whether
it would be acceptable for
us to purchase sheep
together,
from these incorporated
funds, and slaughter with
intention of using my name
on one and her name on
another. |
Answer: In your
situation it will be in
order for the two of you to
purchase two animals and
slaughter one for you and
one
for your wife. It will
however be better if both of
you could manage your funds
through separate accounts in
future.
This will assist with
matters related to zakaat
and especially ownership at
the time of distributing a
deceased estate. This will
also allow one to know
clearly whether Qurbani and
Zakaat etc. is obligatory on
each individual or not.
And Allah Ta'aala knows
best.
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Islamic Careline:
HIV/AIDS and Islam |
The disease of Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) is one which provokes
many reactions. Much has
been written and said about
this condition and loads of
money has been spent trying
to find a cure for it. Yet
AIDS has progressed
relentlessly since its first
official debut in the early
eighties. No country or
nation is exempted from its
serious
medical, social and ethical
consequences.
AIDS is a communicable
venereal disease and it is a
known fact
that the vast majority of
cases
are promoted by promiscuity,
sodomy, fornication and
adultery. Moralising about
AIDS or any
other sexually transmitted
disease is taboo in present
day culture.
Accordingly, the real issue
in
AIDS prevention is not
adequately addressed. Islam
as well as other religious
groups confront the root of
the problem and these are
therefore capable of
delivering constructive
suggestions for solutions to
the AIDS dilemma.
The major means by which
AIDS is transmitted – drug
abuse, sexual promiscuity
and homosexual acts are
forbidden in Islam. The
Islamic system promotes
fidelity in marriage, and
there is a clear emphasis on
a healthy family lifestyle.
Pre-marital and extra
marital sex is
uncompromisingly forbidden.
Sexual desires are to
be channeled through an
early
and sound marital life. The
holy book of Islam, Al –Qurân
says;
“Let those who find not the
wherewithal for marriage
keep themselves chaste. . .”
(Chapter 24, Verse 33).
In the short term the
message of ‘safe sex’ may
slow down the spread of
AIDS. In the long term
the message ‘Save
Sex’/‘Don’t experiment with
sex at all until
you are married and avoid
drugs completely’ is better.
‘Don’t
share needles’ is not
enough; ‘Don’t take drugs at
all’ is better.
Religion must play an
important
role in the campaign against
drug abuse, promiscuity and
other immoral behaviors.
Religious
beliefs and moral codes
should actively encourage
virtuous attitudes and
chastity within
every community. This effort
would ultimately prove to be
the most effective form of
prevention
in the global fight against
AIDS.
The Muslim contribution in
this regard consists of the
development and progression
of specific AIDS awareness
material
to be used in the training
and educating of
facilitators in order
to effectively implement a
religious response to AIDS.
The establishment of
professional counseling and
care giving
facilities for PLWA is also
an important humanitarian
function, and is regarded as
a priority of
the Muslim program. Ongoing
seminars and workshops would
also help in keeping the
public aware and informed
about the dreaded disease.
The Jamiat, together with
the Islamic Medical
Association (IMA) and
Islamic Careline can provide
a well-rounded approach
because religious, medical
and psycho-
social avenues can be
utilized. These three
organizations can provide
the expertise in the
relevant fields and would
therefore adequately
supplement and promote the
AIDS Awareness Project.
The establishment of a
formal structure within the
Muslim community has
considerably enhanced the
national struggle against
HIV/AIDS. We have, as a
minority community, achieved
much more in the field of
awareness and attitudinal
changes to the perceptions
and myths around the issues
of HIV
and AIDS. Moreover, the
Muslim AIDS Program has been
implemented at grassroots
level
and would positively affect
the global trend towards
stemming
the tide of the pandemic. |
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Eid Al-Adha:
A Step Towards Strengthening
our brotherhood
Since time immemorial,
people have had their own
days of celebration, but
Islam did not leave it up to
the Muslims to decide on its
own celebrations. Allah
established specific
festivities for the Ummah of
the Prophet Muhammad
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam.
The hadeeth of the Prophet
mentions: “When the prophet
Muhammad Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam migrated to Madina,
he found that the natives of
Madina, the Ansar, had two
days of celebration. He
asked: ‘What are these two
days?’ They answered: ‘There
are two days in which we
used to celebrate during
Jahiliyah’ (Period before
Islam). So Prophet Muhammad
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam
said: ‘Allah has replaced
them
with two better days; the
day of the Al-Adha and the
day of Al-Fitr’.”
The celebrations of the two
Eids have great meanings and
serve a great purpose.
Islamic celebrations differ
vastly from non-Muslims’
celebrations in that Muslims
not only celebrate for fun
and entertainment, but we
celebrate in the worship of
Allah.
The celebration of Eid is
really an opportunity to
thank Allah for His
uncountable, seen, and
unseen blessings.
Allah says in the Holy
Qur`an: “And if you try to
count Allah’s many blessings
and favors you will not be
able to.”
The two holidays are
juxtaposed after two of the
main pillars of Islam: after
fasting in the month of
Ramadan and after the period
of the pilgrimage to the
house of Allah.
Eid also strengthens the
relationship between Muslims
and eliminates selfishness.
The gathering of Muslims in
one place to perform Eid
prayer strengthens the
community bond. Islam urge
the Muslim community to
strengthen the relationship
between its members and to
eliminate selfishness
because our religious and
worldly matters cannot
be fulfilled effectively
without group work where
each person puts in his hand
of help. When everyone puts
in
his part, then he is
becoming part of one strong
body—he is like a brick in a
tall building. The building
will not support itself
without that one brick. This
is why the prophet
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam
made the analogy that
the Muslims are as one body;
if a part of this body is in
pain then the rest of the
body feels that part’s pain
and worries. He Sallallâhu
'alayhi wasallam also made
this analogy with a strongly
built building, parts of it
hold up other parts. Can you
imagine a human body
functioning properly when
its parts are scattered
about? And how can a
building rise strong and
high when its bricks are
scattered and unorganized?
So let this coming Eid be an
exercise for us in
brotherhood-building –
Aameen.
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