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Weekly Comment |
“Stop
Demonising the Muslims”
An
article entitled “Stop
Demonising the Muslims” appeared
in the Star last week. The
article by Ml. Ibrahim Bham, the
secretary general of the
Jamiatul Ulama focuses on
various angles to the relevant
issue of stereo-typing.
<read it here> |
Zimbabwe:
National Religious Leaders Forum
Statement
The NRLF have issued
the following statement with
regard to the situation in
Zimbabwe:
The National Religious Leaders
Forum expresses outrage over
recent events in Zimbabwe, in
particular the blatant
violations of human rights in
that country. We can’t remain
silent any longer and feel that
it is our duty to speak out
against the horrific injustices
perpetrated by the ZANU PF
Government.
We condemn the brutal and
violent assault on Morgan
Tsvangirai and the leadership of
the legitimate democratic
opposition and appeal to the
Zimbabwean Government to respect
the rule of law.
We note the terrible suffering
economic and otherwise that has
been
imposed on the people of
Zimbabwe and stand in solidarity
with all who seek peace and
justice in that country.
We commit ourselves to new and
broader collaboration,
commitment and action with other
civil society organisations in
advocacy for peace with justice
in Zimbabwe.
We call on the South African
government to accept its moral
responsibility as a neighbour.
“Do not stand idly by the blood
of your neighbour” (Leviticus
19:16). Let all of us as South
Africans stand by our Zimbabwe
brothers and sisters so that we
do not stand accused by God:
“What have you done? The blood
of your brother calls out to me
from the ground” (Genesis 4:10).
‘Confessions’
One can only describe
the manner and nature of the
‘confessions’ made at
‘closed-door’ hearings in
Guantanamo, as absolutely absurd
and ludicrous in their nature,
and in their ‘matter-of-fact’
manner of reporting, in a way
which assumes that the entire
world is so foolish to believe
those conducting the hearings.
Slave Trade
On the anniversary of
the abolishment of slave-trade,
statements in the UK have
expressed emotions of disgust
and shame at what British
officials describe as “ the
inhumanity of the slave-trade”.
Tony Blair stated that, “It is
an opportunity for the United
Kingdom to express our deep
sorrow and regret for our
nation's role”.
If there is an admission of
wrongdoing on the part of the
UK, then surely there should be
a move to right the wrong. Maybe
this is the reason why Blair
refuses to issue a full,
unconditional apology – because
an apology will mean a beginning
to the calls for reparation, and
surely Blair does not want to
open that door.
Egypt Bans
Parties based on 'Religion'
The Egyptian
government held a referendum
this week in which people were
asked to vote on key
constitutional reforms. These
reforms entail, among other
things, removal of judicial
supervision of elections;
banning political
activity/parties based on
religious grounds and giving
powers to the government to
invoke special powers to fight
terrorism
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood,
by far the most vocal critic and
opponent of Hosni Mubarak’s
government called for a boycott
of the controversial election. A
low 27% voter turnout was
recorded, with the
constitutional amendments
getting a ‘yes’ vote from 75.9%
of those who participated.
As if the country never already
had stringent security laws,
critics of the referendum have
regarded it as placing the
country on a road towards a
permanent ‘state of emergency.’
In examining the reason for the
low turnout at the polls the
question of whether the Muslim
Brotherhood call for boycotting
the referendum played a pivotal
role will be asked. If it is the
case that the Muslim Brotherhood
call made a major impact, and
the fact is that the Muslim
Brotherhood is a religious based
‘party’, then the belief that
the majority view is being
suppressed cannot be excluded.
Democratic
Republic of the Congo: Time to
Build a Nation
It has been reported
that, this week, clashes broke
out between government troops
and guards allied to opposition
head Jean-Pierre Bemba. The
government of Joseph Kabila
justified its military action
against the group by saying that
the supporters of Mr. Bemba are
a threat to the stability of the
country.
There have been many positive
outcomes in the political
process in the DR Congo in the
recent past culminating in the
2006 elections (first since the
1960s). The polls were billed as
the most significant event on
the African continent since the
South African transition to
majority rule. This significance
was gauged in terms of the
potential this troubled
territory has to offer to her
battle-scarred people and the
continent at large.
Is it not possible for the
protagonists to resist the
dictates of ego and put the
interests of the masses and the
future of a nation ahead? Armed
militia groups stalking the
country should now disarm. Years
of war have brought nothing but
abject poverty, famine and
disease. Why should the peace
alternative to allow
nation-building be so elusive? |
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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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Minimum Mahr |
R 113.95 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,697.25 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,278.90 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Yardstick
for FAith |
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Narrated By Abu Umamah
Radhi-Allahu anhu: The
Prophet Sallallah ’alayhi
wasallam said: “If anyone
loves for Allah's sake,
hates for Allah's sake,
gives for Allah's sake and
withholds for Allah's sake,
he will have perfect faith.”
(Sunan Abû Dawûd)
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Quotation for the Week |
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Source of
Light... |
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“I saw a child carrying a
light.
I asked him where he had
brought it from.
He put it out and said: “Now
you tell me where it is
gone.”
Hasan al-Basri
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Point of Reflection |
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Pride and
Humility |
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Pride is concerned with
who is right. Humility is
concerned
with what is right.
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Q and A |
Question: Should a
Muslim institution accept
donations from non-Muslims?
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Answer: There is no
harm in accepting such funds
for a learning institute
provided one
is sure beyond doubt that
there
is no ulterior motive behind
such a donation. In other
words, the non-muslim
donor’s
intention is not to harm the
institute in any way by
giving
the funds and his intention
is merely to attain some
virtue on humanitarian
grounds.
However, it should be
clearly understood that if
it is
suspected that the donors
might later on incline the
institute towards their
ideals
then such donations should
not
be accepted.
And Allah knows best.
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Question:
In
the event of
divorce and mother takes
custody of child, can she
register the child using her
maiden surname? |
Answer:
It will NOT be permissible
on such grounds for the
mother to register her
child’s surname on her
maiden name. In Islam every
person is and should be
named on the father’s
lineage - in other
words, on the father’s
surname.
In the Holy Qur’an, Allâh
Ta’aala has ordered the
Muslims not to call the
adopted children/ people by
their adopted father’s
name/surname but by the
lineage/surname of their
biological fathers.
See Surah
Ahzaab (33) 4-5.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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April
Fool: Who is the Real
Fool? |
Allah Ta'ala says:
“The curse of Allah is
upon the liars.”
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Question: THE
FIRST OF APRIL is
regarded as a day to
play practical jokes on
people. Generally a
person is told something
which perturbs or even
shocks him. However he
shortly thereafter
realizes that what he
was told is
not true but it was
rather a joke. According
to the Shariah is it
permissible to play such
practical jokes on
people?
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Answer: This is a
very pertinent question.
Hence it is appropriate
that it be dealt with in
some detail. The aspect
of playing practical
jokes on the first of
April is much more
serious than what most
people generally regard
it to
be.
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Firstly it must be
understood well that to
deliberately cause any
inconvenience to anybody
is totally Haraam and
a grievous sin,
irrespective of how
apparently trivial and
insignificant it may
seem. This is applicable
even if the
inconvenience was caused
merely in jest and in a
light-hearted manner.
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Secondly, the practical
jokes played on people
involve lying. It is
also totally forbidden
to speak lies. Allah
Ta’ala declares in the
Glorious Qur’an: “The
curse of Allah is upon
the liars.”
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Rasulullah Sallallaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam is
reported to have said:
“Destruction to the
one who speaks lies in
order to make people
laugh. Woe unto him, woe
unto him.” (Abu
Dawood)
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In another narration it
is reported that: “a
person is not a complete
Believer until he
forsakes lying in
joking.” (Kanzul
Ummaal).
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Deception
Making people “April
fools” also involves one
in the serious sin of
khiyanah (deception).
Rasulullah Sallallaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam is
reported to have said:
“It is a great
khiyanah that you say to
your brother something
regarding which he
believes you to be true
but you are in fact
lying to him” (Mishkaat).
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Another Hadith
pronounces the
declaration of
Rasulullah Sallallaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam thus:
“The one who deceives
us (Believers) is not
from among us” (Mishkaat).
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These aspects alone make
it apparent that
engaging in “April fool”
antics involves one in a
host of major sins.
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Imitating the Kuffaar
Over and above this is
the fact that playing
tricks is a custom of
the Kuffaar. According
to the Funk and
Wagnall's New
Encyclopaedia, playing
tricks on the first of
April “is a custom among
European peoples”
(vol.2; pg.263). The
World Book Encyclopaedia
records that the
observance of April
Fools’ Day “began in
France after the
adoption of the reformed
calendar by Charles IX
in 1564” (Vol. 1; pg.
557).
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Thus the aspect of
tashabbuh [imitating]
the kuffaar also becomes
applicable. Rasulullah
Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam is reported to
have said: “He who
imitates a nation, he is
from amongst them.”
(Mishkaat)
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Hence when playing April
fool tricks involves one
in such serious sins,
how can a person who
claims to love Allah
Ta’ala and His beloved
Rasul Sallallaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam ever
engage in it? If one has
played such tricks in
the past, one must
sincerely repent and
seek the pardon of those
who were deceived in
such a manner.
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[Source: Al Haadi (Madrasah
Taaleemuddeen, South
Africa)] |
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U P D A T E |
Professor
Muhammad Mahmood Sanusi
Over the last two weeks the
Jamiatul Ulama played host
to Professor Mahmood Mohamed
Sanusi.
Professor 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.
Programmes were conducted by
Professor in Johannesburg,
Durban and Cape Town, and
mini-workshops were
held for Ulama, business
people, those involved in
Islamic Finance, muftis and
other community groups.
Responses to the programmes
ranged from excellent to
overwhelming and the
Jamiatul Ulama was thanked
for arranging for
Professor’s visit.
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Youth Convention
The Annual Youth Convention
hosted by the Jamiatul Ulama
and the UMSA (Union of
Muslim Students
Associations) will take
place at Darus Salam Center
in Laudium on the 13th May
2007.
The conference has been
taking place annually for
the last three years and has
grown from strength to
strength. Last year over
three thousand people
attended.
This year’s theme is ‘Muslim
Youth in a Multi Cultural
Society’, and the convention
has been titled Hang in
there!
Volunteers are requested
to contact the Laudium
Jamiatul Ulama Office on 012
374 2506.
On the same day, 13th May
2007, 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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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Our
Beloved Prophet, Hadhrat
Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam
The month of Rabi al-Awwal
has dawned upon us. It is a
month wherein Muslims
traditionally incline
towards recalling the life
of our Prophet Muhammad
Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam
Allah Azza wa Jalla tells us
in the Qur’aan:
“Verily in the Messenger of
Allah you have a perfect
example ...” (33:21)
It is important to take
examples from the life of
the Prophet Sallallaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam. He
simplicity, his concern for
others, his willingness to
sacrifice, his kindness, his
commitment and dedication,
his taqwa and tawakkaul, and
his submission to the Will
of Allah are all aspects
that we need to exert
ourselves in trying to
emulate.
It must also be remembered
that success of any believer
remains in following the
Sunnah of the Prophet. The
verses of the Qur’an are
replete with verses
instructing, enjoining and
encouraging us to follow the
blessed
Sunnah of Muhammad
Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam.
Allah Azza wa Jalla says:
Say: "If ye do love Allah
follow me: Allah will love
you and forgive you your
sins for Allah is
Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.
Say: "Obey Allah and His
Apostle"; but if they turn
back Allah loves not those
who reject Faith”. (3:31,
32)
And obey Allah and the
Apostle; that ye may obtain
mercy. (3:132)
All who obey Allah and the
Apostle are in the company
of those on whom is the
Grace of Allah of the
Prophets (who teach) the
sincere (lovers of truth)
the witnesses (who testify)
and the righteous (who do
good): ah! what a beautiful
fellowship! (4:69)
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