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Weekly Comment |
UK
Bombings
Tony Blair toed the line. His
decisions, policies and actions
were so in sync with Bush’s that
many referred to him as Bush’s
‘poodle’. Blair’s exit raised
many questions as to whether
Britain would continue with a
similar line of support for the
US action around the world.
Blair’s successor, Gordon Brown,
was considered to have an
outlook significantly different
to that of Blair.
On the very occasion of the
departure of Blair and the
taking of office by Brown, the
UK attempted bombings take
place. The level of security is
raised nationwide. Brown makes
assurances and statements about
the importance he attaches to
safety and security and that is
of paramount substance to the
duty and responsibility of
government. Brown was abruptly
yet swiftly brought to the
realisation that the ‘terrorist
threat is a reality.
What are we to make of the
bombings? Does the timing not
raise any questions?
The how, when, and why of a
Unified Africa
African heads of
state convened in the Ghanaian
capital, Accra, for their ninth
summit since the inception of
the African Union. Debates were
dominated by questions
concerning the further
development of the African
Union, and in particular the
issue of an African
‘government’. The vision of the
African Union is founded on the
principles laid out by the AU’s
predecessor, the OAU. It is in
the spirit of charting an
independent path for the
development of the African
continent that the deliberations
on the establishment of a
pan-African government unfolded.
Two main strands of the debate
concerned the establishment of a
federalist structure for an
African government to be
implemented within a short
period of time; while another
perspective argued for a
gradualist approach based on
institutional capacity building.
The first approach, championed
by Senegal and Libya, argues
that the political integration
of the continent will help
Africa to compete, as a
political block, against other
global interests. The gradualist
approach, to a large extent
exemplified in the South African
perspective on integration,
takes a long-term view, but has
the same ultimate goal in mind.
It is important to note that the
question of an African Union
government is one of the most
important political questions on
the continent today. Implied in
this is also the issue of
enhancing trade between African
nations. An interesting
statistic in this regard is that
regional trade in the Economic
Community of West Africa is only
a quarter of the bloc’s trade
with the EU. Many factors such
as the post-colonial legacy of
economic dependence on Western
powers, and a lack of internal
cohesion in Africa’s sub-regions
all pose challenges to the
development and success of an AU
government. Although the
deliberations were marked by
some tensions, the consensus
between African leaders is that
African integration, policy
coordination, and enhanced
economic growth is the only way
for Africa to prosper in the
21st century.
Poor Service Delivery
Is the fact that there are more
and more unrest, demonstrations
or uprisings regarding to poor
service delivery to residents of
towns across the nation an
indication of something?
Dissatisfaction progressed to
unrest, and continued through
the chain to demonstrations,
uprisings and even riots. Last
week a councillor was murdered
in a most disrespectful way by a
crowd who were ‘protesting’
against poor service delivery.
Government needs to stand up and
take note.
Freeing Alan Johnston: ‘Currying
Favour’?
How ironic that
the villain has performed the
function of the hero – yet he
will never receive the credit,
or his intentions will be
questioned.
As soon as Alan Johnston was
captured, the Hamas-led
Palestine government of PM
Ismail Haniyeh called for his
immediate freedom.
Today’s news reports however
tell us otherwise. Hamas did it
‘hoping to curry favour with the
West.’
What about the words of Johnston
himself who has told a news
conference: "If it hadn't been
for that real serious Hamas
pressure, that commitment to
tidying up Gaza's many, many
security problems, then I might
have been in that room for a lot
longer…"?
All over a sudden, they’ve split
the West Bank from Gaza and they
are not done yet. They’re now
schooling us of clans of Gaza
saying: “the Army of Islam… is
dominated by the powerful,
heavily armed Doghmush clan...”
For those who can see through
it, they can perceive Somalia,
Afghanistan, Rwanda, Sudan, etc.
… They are putting a knife into
the things that hold us
together… are we going to let
them make us fall apart?
Hold on to the rope of Allah,
and curry the favour of Allâh -
not His adversaries! |
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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 103.33 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,166.53 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,066.61 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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The
Deplorable Three |
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Narrated By
Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle
said, "There are three
persons whom Allah will not
look at on the Day of
Resurrection, nor will he
purify them and theirs shall
be a severe punishment. They
are:
1. A man possessed
superfluous water, on a way
and he
withheld it from travellers.
2. A man who gave a pledge
of allegiance to a ruler and
he
gave it only for worldly
benefits. If the ruler gives
him something he gets
satisfied, and if the ruler
withholds something from
him, he gets dissatisfied.
3. And man displayed his
goods for sale after the 'Asr
prayer
and he said, 'By Allah,
except Whom None has the
right to be worshipped, I
have been given so much for
my goods,' and somebody
believes him (and buys
them)." (Bukhari) |
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Quotation for the Week |
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Reward in
Deed |
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Deeds are
rewards themselves, so why
do you ask for reward on
rewards.(Moulana
Ashraf Ali Thanvi
Rahmatullahi alayhi) |
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Point of Reflection |
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Be Grateful, Regardless |
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If you didn't get all the
things you wanted, you can
still be grateful for all
the things that you didn't
get that you didn't want.
(Unknown) |
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Q and A |
Question:
Is it permissible
for a woman to remove her
facial hair? What about
shaping of the eyebrows?
Does it make a difference
whether the woman is married
or unmarried? |
Answer:
It is, in fact,
preferable for women i.e.
married and unmarried, to
remove facial hair. This
implies to hair growing on
the cheek, chin and upper
lip
It is not permissible for a
woman to pluck, shape or
shorten her eyebrows. Hence
it is also not permissible
for her to remove the hair
growing between the eyebrows
on the upper tip of the
nose. Women who shape and
thin out their eyebrows have
been cursed in the Ahaadeeth.
This prohibition will imply
to both married and
unmarried women.
And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
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U P D A T E |
Ml. Mahmood Madani
Ml. Mahmood Madani, the
present Secretary General of the
Jamiatul Ulama, India visited
the offices the Jamiat last
week. He addressed the Ulama and
expounded on the ideology and
founding principles of the
Jamiatul Ulama, India.
Meeting with Chief
Justice of the Shariah Court in
Malaysia
On Thursday, last week,
the Jamiatul Ulama hosted the
Chief Justice of the Shariah
Court in Malaysia, Sheikh
Hussain Muhammad. Sheikh was
accompanied by other senior
members of the Shariah Court. He
addressed a gathering at the
Jamiatul Ulama where he outlined
the role, function and modus
operandi of the Shariah Court in
Malaysia.
Jamiatul Ulama Burial
Centre Loses Personnel following
Car Crash
Brother Ayoob Ebrahim
Sahib was a key member of the
Jamiatul Ulama Lenasia Branch.
He together with Brother Junaid
Badat (a dedicated volunteer of
the Burial Centre) were involved
in a car crash two weeks ago.
Brother Junaid passed away at
the scene of the crash, while
Brother Ayoob passed away
yesterday. He had dedicated his
time and effort at the Jamiatul
Ulama Burial Centre for over
five years. May Allah (azza wa
Jalla) make their maghfirah and
grant them Jannah.
Drug Abuse Programme
The Jamiatul Ulama
helped facilitate a course for
20 Ulama from Newcastle on Drug
Abuse and dealing with drug and
other substance abusers. The
workshop was conducted by
members of the Magaliesburg Drug
Rehabilitation Centre, where the
workshop was held. |
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
Commercial
Morality
Allah (azza
wa jalla) says in the
Holy Qur`an: "When the
(Friday) prayer is
complete, disperse
through the land and
seek the Bounty of Allâh
Ta'âla (through trade or
lawful activity)."
Rasulullah (sallallahu `alaihi
wa sallam) says: " The
quest of halâl earning
is a duty after a duty
".
The quest for sustenance
is regarded as "seeking
the bounty of Allâh",
and is thus hued with a
profoundly religious
character. Rasûlullah
Sallallâhu alayhi wa
sallam has said: "The
quest of halâl earning
is a duty after a duty"
which implies that
seeking halâl sustenance
is a religious
obligation second in
importance to religious
observances like prayer,
fasting, etc. Economic
activity in the life of
a Muslim is therefore
regulated by divine
principles, principles
that are premised on
commercial morality.
Commercial morality is
intrinsically bound to
religion and is as
important to faith, as
wudhu is to salât. The
Qur'ân describes upright
merchants in the
following words: "Men
whom neither business
nor sale can divert them
from the remembrance of
Allâh, nor from
regularity of salât or
from giving zakât.""
True believers are not
recluses or mystics,
they are men of action
distinguished by their
moral fibre. They steer
clear from unbecoming
business ethics or
ill-gotten gain.
Commercial Morality
comprises of four
fundamental ethics:
• Legal activity
• Justice
• Kindness
• Fear of Allâh
LEGAL ACTIVITY
Trade by definition
entails dealing with
people; it forges mutual
association between
buyer and seller. This
association must be
sustained by:
Mutual Consent:
The Noble
Qur'ân states: "O you
who believe, do not at
up each other's property
by wrong means except by
way of trade based on
mutual consent."
Unimposing
Salesmanship:
Rasûlullah Sallallâhu
alayhi wa sallam has
said: "Beware of
excessive oaths in
trade, it (may help) to
secure a deal but will
subsequently wipe out
blessings."
Compassion:
Rasûlullah
Sallallâhu alayhi wa
sallam has said: "May
Allâh show compassion to
a man who is lenient
when he sells, buys or
demands payment." (Bukhari)
Legal Commodity:
A Muslim may
only sell items that he
himself is allowed to
use or consume. Umar
Radhiallâhu anhu was
once informed that a
certain person was
selling alcohol. Umar
Radhiallâhu anhu) said:
"May Allâh curse him!
Does he not know that
Allâh's apostle said:
"May Allâh curse the
Jews. Allâh had
prohibited them to
consume fat of animals,
yet they melted it and
sold it." (Bukhari).
The Jews sold a
commodity that they were
not permitted to consume
and were therefore
liable for the curse of
Allâh.
JUSTICE
Hoarding:
Sayyidina Ali
Radhiallâhu anhu said:
"When a man hoards food
stuff (refuses to sell)
even for a day, in order
to gain from a price
hike, his heart becomes
hard."
Fraud:
Uqba bin Amir
Radhiallâhu anhu says:
"It is illegal for a
person to knowingly sell
defective (flawed)
merchandise, without
informing him (the buyer
of the defect).
Rasûlullah Sallallâhu
alayhi wa sallam said:
"He who regards the
unlawful as lawful, does
not believe in the
Qur'ân. Deceit in buying
and selling is
unlawful."
Monopoly:
Rasûlullah
Sallallâhu alayhi wa
sallam says: "Whoever
monopolises is a
sinner."
Usury:
"Allâh will deprive
usury of all blessings
but will give increase
for deeds of charity."
Regulated
Prices: Anâs
Radhiallâhu anhu says:
"Once they (the
companions) asked
Rasûlullah Sallallâhu
alayhi wa sallam to fix
prices. He replied:
"Allâh alone is the
regulator of prices, He
curtails or provides
amply..."
KINDNESS
Creditor:
Nabî Sallallâhu
alayhi wa sallam said:
"May Allâh show mercy to
a person who is
considerate when he
sells, buys or demands
payment."
He further said: "There
was a trader who dealt
in credit. Whenever his
debtor was in straitened
circumstances, he would
say to his employees:
"Pardon him, perhaps
Allâh will pardon us".
(When he died) Allâh
forgave him"
Debtor:
"He is best among you
who pays his debt in a
good manner and clears
it before its fixed…"
Employer:
Rasûlullah
Sallallâhu alayhi wa
sallam said: "Pay the
labourer his wages
before his sweat dries."
Employee:
"O You who
believe! Fulfil your
contractual
obligations."
Management:
Rasûlullah
Sallallâhu alayhi wa
sallam said: "O Abu Zarr!
(Radhiallâhu anhu) There
is no wisdom like sound
management, no piety
like self denial and no
virtue like good
conduct."
Fear of Allâh:
Rasûlullah Sallallâhu
alayhi wa sallam said:
"Fear Allâh wherever you
are."
The, fear of Allâh
Ta'âla is not confined
to prayer alone neither
can Islâm be relegated
to superficial
obedience. Islâm has to
be expressed in, every
sphere of human
activity. Worship, trade
and social interaction
are constituent parts of
religion. If anyone part
is removed from the
equation, we have a
lop-sided and unbalanced
religious ethic.
Providence: Rasûlullah
Sallallâhu alayhi wa
sallam said: "If you
trust in Allâh with due
reliance, he would
sustain you as He
sustains the birds. They
get up hungry in the
morning and return with
a full belly in the
evening."
A Muslim
therefore earns his
bread with the believe
that:
• The proportion of
sustenance is determined
by Allâh.
• It is an act of
worship to trade in
order to avoid depending
on others.
• Greed leads to
perpetual poverty.
• Lawful earnings draw
the blessing of Allâh,
even though it may seem
meagre.
• Kindness is more
virtuous then obsession
with wealth.
• Commit yourself to
equity, justice and
compassion.
May Allah imbue in us
the conduct of an
Allâh-conscious trader
and save us from the
temptation of indulging
in harâm.
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
‘Foreign Muslims’
A community in
Gauteng, last weekend,
arranged a programme for the
Malawian community.
Within our midst of
‘South African’ Muslims,
there are Muslims from
various parts of the world.
They exist within us, but
not always as a part of us.
It is our duty and
responsibility to remember
that Islam exists beyond the
boundaries of race, colour,
tribe, nationality, etc.
South African Muslims
need to welcome Muslims from
other lands into their
communities and even, where
necessary and possible,
assist and cater for the
special needs for these
Muslim brothers and sisters.
It must also remembered that
providing for the physical
needs of Muslim brothers and
sisters from abroad is
important, but providing for
their spiritual, religious
and educational needs to be
given priority.
The argument that
many of these ‘foreign’
Muslims have engaged in
bribery, corruption,
drug-dealing and other
crimes and vices holds
little water. Every
community has those who
engage in good, and those
who transgress. Where
Muslims from other countries
perpetrate crime and cause
the spread of wrongdoing,
then we should help Law
Enforcement Agencies to root
out these individuals or
groups who do not represent
the Muslim Ummah in their
actions.
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