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Weekly Comment |
Human Rights
Day
Wednesday the 21st of March is
International Human Rights Day.
The Jamiatul has prepared a
statement which can be
read here.
Zimbabwe
Media reports indicate state
that South Africa has finally
responded to the atrocious
circus of vents in Zimbabwe.
Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz
Pahad has expressed the concern
of the South African government
and has called for Zimbabwe to
respect the rule of law as well
as the rights of all Zimbabweans
and leaders of various political
parties.
Countries from across the globe,
as well as the United Nations,
have issued statements that were
significantly stronger, while
leaders from various sectors of
the community have criticised
the South African government
response as not being strong
bold and clear enough.
The UN and world response has
been extremely swift.
Surprisingly, it was very far
from even reasonably quick when
Lebanon was invaded, and the
silence is strikingly deafening
when Palestinians are being
abused in a manner which make
the Zimbabwe situation look
docile.
Nevertheless, one cannot but
unequivocally condemn the
atrocities being committed in
Zimbabwe. The police brutality,
the lack of basic freedoms, the
infringement on basic human
rights and the indifferent
attitude in effecting violence
is wholly and absolutely wrong.
It is important that those with
the opportunity to prevent the
violence and mayhem from
progressing stop side-stepping
the reality and address the
situation in a practical way,
which will not only guarantee a
long-term solution, but also
stop the immediate carnage.
Incest Case
We must ask where it will stop
when a German brother and sister
who live as a couple and have
four children are going to
Germany's highest court to try
to legalise their relationship.
Suspicion of
South African Muslims
The South African National
Intelligence Co-ordinating
Committee Director-General Barry
Gilder statements are
dangerously careless and
insensitive, at the very least,
in light of the current
situation in South Africa.
Speaking on the possibility of
there being terrorist training
in South Africa he stated that
"there is some information that
there could be training grounds
on a small scale”. It is
interesting to note that the
statement contains two words of
ambiguity in saying that there
is “some” information and there
“could" be training grounds. If
the intelligence received by
Gilder is in terms of ‘some’ or
‘could’ then it is neither here
nor there, and should under no
circumstances have been
mentioned.
The statement, however, creates
an environment of suspicion, in
the minds of the ordinary man in
the street, towards every Muslim
he may know or see.
Whatever Gilder said thereafter,
in an apparent attempt to allay
the fears of the people, is
really indicative of the fact
that he realised the danger of
the statement he made, but is
insignificant since he had, by
then, already planted the seed
of suspicion.
King Abdullah
and President Mbeki Meeting
Arab News reports that, “The
Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Abdullah held
wide-ranging talks with South
African President Thabo Mbeki,
who arrived here yesterday on a
two-day official visit. The
talks focused on bilateral,
regional and international
issues. … The South African
leader’s visit is significant
keeping in view Pretoria’s
growing relations with the
Kingdom. On the political front,
the two countries have forged
closer ties and share common
views on various regional and
global issues. Mbeki has, time
and again, called for an end to
all policies aimed at isolating
the Palestinian Authority”.
Terrorising
the People of South Africa
Somehow, crime must insist that
it features somewhere prominent
in the news of each day.
Criminals have been torturing
the people of South Africa,
without exception. Last night
criminals broke into a spiritual
uplifment programme at a house
in Laudium. Ml. Fazlur Rahman, a
senior Aalim and shekh al-hadeeth
at Madrasah Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
was conducting an educational
and spiritual uplifment
programme at a home in Laudium
when five criminals entered the
home, accosted the worshippers
and stripped them of their
personal belongings at
gun-point. They further went on
to ransack the house. The
criminals were heavily armed to
the extent that they had
automatic weapons. Alhamdulillah,
nobody was seriously hurt even
though one brother was violently
attacked. To the credit of the
police, they responded quickly,
even though the robbers had
already fled.
US Ambassador
on relationship between SA and
the USA
On Tuesday 12 March the US
ambassador to South Africa, Mr.
Bost, gave a talk at the
University of Pretoria.
According to him the current
relationship between South
African and the USA is “fair”.
In addition there is a critical
“partnership” which is
characterized by differences
between the countries. He
refused to call the US support
for the Ethiopian operations in
Somalia an “invasion”. Strangely
enough he alluded to the
possibility that in the
discussions that takes place
between the two governments, the
issue of Somalia and the events
that unfolded there during
December of last year was
raised. The question to ask is
whether the South African
government knew about the
pending plans of the US to
support the Ethiopian invasion
and the effort to remove the
so-called “Islamists” from
Mogadishu. |
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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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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 113.07 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,653.75 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,261.50 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Endowment |
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Our noble
Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) said: "He who
spends the day in
safety, in good health and
with (at least) one day's
provision of food is like
someone upon
whom the world and all it
contains has been bestowed."
(Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 185) |
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Quotation for the Week |
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Transitory |
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Sleep with
the remembrance of death and
wake up with the thought
that you will not live long.
Uwais al-Qarni |
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Point of Reflection |
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The
Gossiper |
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Whoever
gossips to you will gossip
about you.
Spanish Proverb |
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Q and A |
Question:
Please advise if there
is any hadith which states
that it is not advisable to
clip ones nails on the bed.
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Answer:
We have not come across any
Hadeeth in this regard.
However, if you have such
information by you that has
raised this concern that
kindly forward it to us for
clarity. |
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Question:
Nabi (sallallahu `alayhi wa
sallam) has made mention of
the Ummah. What is the
actual meaning of Ummah?
Does it refer to only
Muslims – those who follow
Allah and His Rasulullah,
Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam), from the time of
Nabi
(sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
till Qiyaamah, or does it
also refer to other
religions Jews (Christians,
etc.) as well?
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Answer:
The word "Ummah" has
been used in both sense. One
is Ummat e Ijaabah and the
other is Ummat e Da'wah. The
former refers to all those
people that have responded
to Rasoolullah Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam's call to
Islam and they are called
Muslims as well. The latter
refers to the entire human
race towards whom
Rasoolullah Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam was sent to
call to the right path,
whether they have accepted
the call or not. [Also see
Ibn Maajah Pg. 287, with
marginal notes by Moulana
Fakhrul Hasan Muhaddith al-Ganghohi
Rahimahullah – Qadeemee
KutubKhaanah]
And Allah Ta'aala knows
best.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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Earning a
Halâl Living! |
Allah Ta'ala says:
"O you who believe
fulfil your covenants!" |
Islâm teaches man, that
his success lies neither
in asceticism nor in
materialism, that man
should neither shun nor
renounce material life,
nor be enslaved and
motivated by it. Islâm
advocates a just balance
between the two
extremes. It adopts a
balanced attitude
between the spiritual
development of an
individual and his
material needs.
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Earning a Living:
A Muslim is not only
obliged to earn money
but is obliged to earn
HALÂL money.
Rasulullâh Sallallahu
alayhi wasallam has
said: "The quest for a
lawful livelihood is an
obligation (like all
other) obligations in
Islâm." |
Rasulullâh Sallallahu
alayhi wasallam was once
seated with the
companions in the
mosque, when a stout and
strong man passed the
masjid, running towards
his business. The
companions said: "Alas!
For this young man! Had
his body and health run
in the way of Allâh.
Rasulullâh Sallallahu
alayhi wasallam retorted
saying: ‘Do not say
this;
if this young man runs
(to his business) with
the object of not
depending on others and
refraining for begging
he
is in the path of Allâh.
If he conducts trade
with the view of
providing for his weak
parents and children, he
is in the path of Allâh.
If he tries to show his
wealth out of pride, he
is in the way of Shaitân.’"
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Sayyidina ‘Umar said:
"Let none of you refrain
from earning livelihood
(and simply resort to
du’â) saying: ‘O Allâh,
give me provision.’ Know
for certain that the
heaven will not shower
rain of gold and
silver."
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Poverty "can lead to
kufr" warned the Prophet
Sallallahu alayhi
wasallam.
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Another hadîth states:
"Take to trade, because
out of ten divisions of
livelihood, nine are in
trade."
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Unsound Business
Practice
Is it naïve for a Muslim
to behave honestly and
ethically in a globally
competitive environment
characterised by
such murky
undercurrents? Is it
naïve for a Muslim to be
honest and just in
business? Will honesty
simply deprive them of
the competitive edge
over their business
rivals? Has honesty
become an unsound
business? Has it become
an unsound business
practice to be honest?
Is it too costly to be
honest? NO! Is the
emphatic answer. Earning
a livelihood is not only
a duty in Islâm, but a
great virtue as well.
Trade and commerce form
an integral part of a
Muslim’s life and are
regarded as acts of
divine worship. The
quest for a living
cannot be divorced from
religious
and moral ethics. Trade
cannot be separated from
trust in Allâh Ta’âla,
the Ultimate Provider.
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Criminal Aristocrats
Sadly, we see an
increasing number of
Muslims caught in the
cobweb of fraud and
deceit. Some of them
highly successful
businessman, rich and
famous, the ‘criminal
aristocrats’ of our
communities. Aristocrats
who specialise
in ‘B’ Route Container
Diversions! Hijacking
Specials! Solvent
Liquidations and Free
Port Taxation!
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Deceit
and Fraud
The Noble Qur’ân
states: "O you who
believe fulfil your
covenants!". The Qur’ân
calls on all believers
to be true to their
contractual obligations.
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Rasulullâh Sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said:
"Fulfil the trust of one
who has entrusted you
and do not be
treacherous to one who
deceives you." Another
tradition categorically
states: "There s no imân
in one who is not
trustworthy nor is there
religion in who does not
keep his promise."
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The Noble Qur’ân
states: "O you who
believe! Do not devour
your property by illegal
methods except that it
be by way of trade based
on mutual consent."
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Rasulullâh Sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said:
"Flesh nurtured by
unlawful sustenance will
not enter paradise, hell
is more fitting for it."
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Another hadîth states:
"No people decrease in
weight and measure
(practice fraud) except
that their provision
shall be restricted."
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U P D A T E |
Youth Conferences
A regional Youth Conference
will take place on Sunday
(1/03/2007) in Rustenburg.
The programme is scheduled
to begin at 9:00AM.
The Annual Youth Convention
hosted by the Jamiatul Ulama
and the MSA will take place
at Darus Salam Center in
Laudium on the 13th May
2007. On the same day a
similar Youth Convention for
Sisters only, will take
place at the Lenasia Muslim
School in Lenasia. The
Sisters conference is being
coordinated by the Islamic
Careline. |
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Programmes
Young Ulama Programme –
Dealing with Drug Abuse
The Jamiatul Ulama will be
hosting a workshop for young
Ulama on the 17th March
2007. The workshop will
focus
on Drug Abuse and the manner
of helping drug abusers in
their fight to free
themselves from the scourge
of drug abuse. For more
information call Ml.
Ubaidullah at 011 373 8000.
Programme for Ulama on
Islamic Business and Finance
The Jamiatul Ulama has
arranged a two day workshop
on Islamic Banking and
Finance for Ulama. Details
of the programme as follows:
Title: Islamic
Finance – Understanding
Current Issues
Date: Monday 26 and
Tuesday 27 March 2007
Times: Daily 10:00 AM
to 3:30 PM
These dates have been
specially selected to
facilitate the participation
of Ulama teaching in Muslim
Schools as
well as Maktabs.
The Workshop will be
conducted by Professor
Mahmood Mohamed Sanusi, who
Is an expert in the fields
of comparative law and
Islamic banking & finance,
and his articles have
appeared in various academic
journals
including the International
Journal of Financial
Services, Arab Law
Quarterly, IIUM Law Journal
and Journal of Regional
Islamic Council of Southeast
Asia and the Pacific.
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SAHUC
Elections
Elections were held at the
Annual General Meeting of
the South African Hajj and
Umrah Council. Ml. Ighsaan
Hendricks of the Muslim
Judicial Council was elected
as chairman. It is hoped
that the able leadership of
Maulana Hendricks will help
guide the Council in serving
the ummah in an effective
manner. |
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
What do we
do?
In light of the current
situation where Muslims fear
various adversities from
different sources, the
question is commonly asked,
“What should we do?”
It is important to continue
with employing the physical
and apparent means that
would help us overcome the
difficulties and fears that
we have. However, the focus
should be more concentrated
on the source of the removal
of the difficulties rather
than the means of their
eradication.
It is only Allah that can
change situations, and
everything takes place in
the knowledge and wisdom of
Allah, with Allah’s
permission and instruction.
The Late Maulana Abrarul Haq
(rahmatullahi alayhi) of
Hardoi once gave advice in
response to a question
similar to the one we are
currently asking. He
responded by saying that we
should do five things.
Insha’0Allah, if we bring
these into our lives, there
is no doubt that there will
be a marked and visible
change in our circumstances.
The five things are:
1. Seek knowledge of sins
and refrain from sinning.
2. Engage in Taubah &
Istighfaar
3. Make abundant Dua
4. Continuously read
“Hasbunallahu wa-ni’mal
wakeel “
5. Remain Steadfast upon
Imaan
May Allah safeguard us in
every way. Aameen.
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