|
|
|
Weekly Comment |
'That Place in the Sun for Shady
Characters'
MySpace, an
online portal billed to be the
foremost ‘social-networking’
service, boasts of an 80
million-strong base of
registered users. Recently
MySpace reported that ‘29,000
convicted sex offenders in the
United States have profiles on
MySpace - up from a figure of
7,000 given in May.’
The Internet can serve a very
important part in the education
of our children. However, it is
increasingly becoming ‘that
place in the sun for shady
characters.’ When we leave our
children ‘working hard’ on the
Internet in the ‘safety’ of
their rooms, do we know whom
they are ‘chatting up’ and what
they are really up to?
The Divine imperative of modesty
is not waived on the Internet.
Lewd remarks, flirting, the gaze
and all the indecency that is
‘chat-life’ remain prohibited in
all spaces whether virtual or
actual.
The most dangerous place for
children may not be the
backstreet anymore … Do they
have the requisite skills to
safely traverse the information
superhighway?
Fifth Annual Nelson Mandela
Lecture
Kofi Annan was the guest speaker
at the Fifth Annual Nelson
Mandela Lecture.
Some interesting points were
made by him. Among them are:
o He commented on the fact that
Africa remains a country known
for poverty, war and corruption,
even though there was steady
progress made towards democracy
and good governance, and there
has been “measurable progress in
the past decade. Many civil wars
have ended and there are fewer
inter-state conflicts”. He
warned however, that “we should
be under no illusion. About half
the world’s armed conflicts and
some three quarters on the UN’s
peacekeepers are in Africa”. He
pointed out that ‘beyond Sudan,
less visible, but no less
devastating conflicts cry for
action.” He stated that the
“ever downward spiral of
Zimbabwe is both intolerable and
unsustainable”. He emphasized
that the people of Africa ‘must
ostracise leaders who seize
power through military coups
against elected governments’ and
warned that they ‘must guard
against a pernicious,
self-destructive racism – that
unites citizens to rise up and
expel tyrannical rulers who are
white, but to excuse tyrannical
rulers who are black.”
o He commented on Mandela’s
insisting on handing over the
reigns of power through correct
political process and said that
Mandela was a “wonderful example
on a continent where Presidents
have, in some cases, defied or
changed their countries
constitutions and clung to power
for decades”.
o He insisted that ‘peace will
only endure when it is
accompanied by social
development”. He slated that G8
who “made significant and
welcome promises of aid” saying
that “ the only promises that
count are promises met, and the
G8’s record, to be frank, is not
very good”. He observed that
direct investment in Africa has
increased to in excess of 200%
over the last five years, but
remarked regarding poverty, that
it was still a major issue, with
“more than 300 million people
south of the Saharah living on
less than $1 a day”.
Interesting, and in some
instances brave and courageous,
words from the ex-secretary
general of the United Nations.
Hopefully some will sit up and
take note.
Some would, however, ask whether
it is easier to be brave, in
speech, when one is not obliged
to translate his statements into
action?
Where in the world is this
happening?
Human rights abuses are
perpetrated on a daily basis.
The types of abuses include the
illegal imprisonment of people
without charge or trial;
enforced disappearances;
torture; extrajudicial
executions; abduction; forced
labour; hostage-taking, abusive
dismissals; ethnic
discrimination and religious
persecution.
These crimes are perpetrated in
various parts of the world. The
media sometimes gives expansive
coverage to them, while
sometimes turning a blind eye.
In a particular part of the
world, the current figures are
flabbergasting. They include:
2036 extrajudicial killings
2940 disappearance cases
1870 rape and child molestation
cases
15332 cases of unlawful private
property confiscation
The demolition of 9484 homes
owned by innocent civilians…
These figures are supplied by
international and local human
rights watch organisations.
Is this happening in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Palestine, Darfur,
or the Niger Delta?
Please see the correct
answer at the end of the
Newsletter |
|
|
C O N
T E N T S |
|
Summarised
Jumuah Bayaan |
|
Question and
Answer |
|
Update |
|
Message from the Ameer |
|
I N F
O R M A T I O N |
|
Min. Mahr |
R 107.40 |
|
Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,369.99 |
|
Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,147.99 |
|
Words of Wisdom |
|
Hadith of the Week |
|
Thin Line:
Grace/Pride |
|
It is narrated on the
authority
of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud that
the Apostle of Allah
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam,
observed: "He who has in his
heart the weight of a
mustard seed of pride shall
not enter Paradise. A person
(amongst his hearers) said:
'Verily a person loves that
his dress should be fine,
and his shoes should be
fine.' He (the Holy Prophet)
remarked: 'Verily, Allah is
Graceful and He loves Grace.
Pride is disdaining the
truth (out of self-conceit)
and contempt for the
people.'" (Muslim)
|
|
|
Quotation for the Week |
|
Ultimate
Sacrifice |
|
“You possess only whatever
will not be lost in a
shipwreck.” Imam
Ghazali (RA)
|
|
|
Point of Reflection |
|
Virtue of Failure |
|
Success is a poor guide to
wise policy. Failure at
least often leads to
reflection; success seldom
does.
(I Wallerstein)
|
|
|
Q and A |
Question:
Is it allowed to fast on a
Friday?
|
Answer:
Fundamentally, it
is permissible to
voluntarily fast on any day
besides the two days of Eid
and the three succeeding
days of Eid ul Adh-haa.
However, if one wishes to
fast only on Fridays then
this should be avoided. Yes,
he may either add a day
before or after it.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah
Radhiallahu Anhu reported
Rasoolullah Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam as saying:
“None of
you may fast on a Friday
except that he either fasts
before it or after it
(another day)”.
[Mishkaat Pg. 179 – Muttafaq
Alaih & Fataawa Mahmoodiyyah
Vol. 11 Pg. 108]
Hence, it is quite clear
from the aforementioned
Hadeeth that if one wishes
to fast on Fridays then he
may do so by either fasting
together with it a day
before or after. He should
not merely keep the Friday
fast.
<Go to
Top>
|
|
|
|
U P D A T E |
NRLF Meeting
The Jamiatul Ulama formed part
of the National Religious
Leaders' Forum delegation that
met with President Mbeki and key
members of his cabinet last
week.
Issues discussed include:
The Memorandum of
Understanding between government
and the NRLF.
The aspect of social cohesion
and its importance was given
great prominence.
The revisions of the structure
of the Moral Regeneration
Movement to include the NRLF.
The preparation of a ‘Bill of
Responsibilities’ intended as an
educational tool in the form of
a declaration that would teach
students the fact that rights
are accompanied by
responsibilities.
Crime in South Africa,
including, plans of the South
African Police Force in training
and better equipping members of
the Police Force to deal with
crime, current statistics and
the live system of ongoing
evaluation, assessment and
monitoring of police stations.
The Zimbabwe situation, and
progress made in the current
talks.
Various issues were raised.
Among them were:
The accuracy of current crime
statistics and the aspect of
unreported crime.
The perception of increase in
crime.
The need to deal with bribery
and corruption.
The aspect of considering a
social income grant for the less
privileged.
The situation in the Horn of
Africa.
AMS Conference
The fourth Annual Association of
Muslim Schools Conference took
place at the Al-Ghazali College
in Erasmia last weekend. The
theme of the conference was
‘Fulfilling our pledge to refine
our Islamic character.” Among
the guest speakers at the
conference were; Brother Yawar
Baig, Ml. Abbas Ali Zubair Ali,
Ml. Zaheer Ragie, Ml. Yusuf
Patel and principals from
various schools across the
country. The programme consisted
lectures, discussions, working
groups, panel discussions and a
Q and A session. Different
breakaways catered for different
groups including teachers of
different levels, principals and
amirs, and even secretaries. The
conference was well attended and
delegates from the various
schools were unanimous on the
great benefit they were exposed
to through the conference.
Malawi Delegation
A five-man Malawi delegation
recently completed a tour of
South Africa. During the tour,
the delegation visited a number
of Muslim organisations and
leaders to familiarise
themselves with initiatives and
projects taking place within the
Muslim Community.
While at the Jamiatul Ulama, the
delegation highlighted the
regional importance of the role
of Muslims in South Africa due
to their resourcefulness and
organisation which they regarded
as a source of inspiration. They
appealed for support of their
work in Malawi. Moulana Ayyub
Kachwee, the Jamiatul Ulama’s
Deputy Amir made a pledge of
support to Muslims in Malawi. He
also emphasized the importance
of Muslim unity which has to be
safeguarded all the time.
|
|
Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan
|
The Month of Rajab
Allah (azza wa
jalla) says in the Holy
Quran:
“The number of months in
the sight of God is
twelve (in a year)- so
ordained by Him the day
He created the heavens
and the earth; of them
four are sacred: that is
the straight usage. So
wrong not yourselves
therein, and fight the
Pagans all together as
they fight you all
together. But know that
God is with those who
restrain themselves: (Surah
Tawbah)
The Prophet (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) said)
said:
"O Allâh, make the
months of Rajab and
Sha'ban blessed for us,
and let us reach the
month of Ramadhân (i.e.
prolong our life up to
Ramadhân, so that we may
benefit from its merits
and blessings)."
Rajab is the seventh
month in the Islamic
lunar calendar. This
month was regarded as
one of the sacred months
(Al-Ash-hur-Al-hurum).
It is also deemed to be
a prelude to the month
of Ramadhân, because the
month of Ramadhân
follows it after the
intervening month of
Sha'ban. Therefore, when
the Holy Prophet
Sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam sighted the moon
of Rajab, he used to
supplicate to Allâh in
the following words:
"O Allâh, make the
months of Rajab and
Sha'ban blessed for us,
and let us reach the
month of Ramadhân (i.e.
prolong our life up to
Ramadhân, so that we may
benefit from its merits
and blessings)."
Lailatul Me'râj - It is
generally believed that
the great event of
Me'râj (ascension of the
Holy Prophet Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam to the
heavens) took place on
the night of 27th Rajab.
Therefore, some people
celebrate the night as "Lailatul
Me'râj".
Indeed, the event of
Me'râj was one of the
most remarkable episodes
in the life of our
beloved Nabi Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam. He was
called by Almighty
Allâh. He travelled from
Makkah to Baitul Maqdis
and from there he
ascended the heavens
through the miraculous
power of Allâh. He was
honoured with a direct
contact with his Creator
at a place where even
the angels had no
access. This was the
unique honour conferred
by Allâh to the Holy
Prophet Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam alone.
It was the climax of the
spiritual progress which
is not attained by
anybody except him. No
doubt the night in which
he was blessed with this
unparalleled honour was
one of the great nights
in the history of this
world. But, as we have
explained in our
discussion about the
month of Rabi'ul-Awwal,
Islam has its own
principles with regard
to the historic and
religious events. Its
approach about observing
festivals and
celebrating days and
nights is totally
different from the
approach of other
religions. The Holy
Qur'ân and the Sunnah of
the Holy Prophet
Sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam did not prescribe
any festival or any
celebration to
commemorate an event
from the past, however
remarkable it might have
been.
Keeping this principle
in view, the following
points should be
remembered with regard
to the "Lailatul-Me'râj":
1) We cannot say with
absolute certainty in
which night the great
event of Me'râj had
taken place. Although
some traditions relate
this event to the 27th
night of the month of
Rajab, yet there are
other traditions which
suggest some other
dates. Al-Zurqâni, the
famous biographer of the
Holy Prophet Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam has
referred to five
different views in this
respect: Rabi'ul Awwal,
Rabi'ul Âkhir, Rajab,
Ramadhân and Shawwal.
Later, while discussing
different traditions, he
has added a sixth
opinion, that the Me'râj
took place in the month
of Zul-Hijjah.
Allamah Abdul Haq
Muhaddith Dehlawi, the
well-known scholar of
Hadîth, has written a
detailed book on the
merits of Islamic
months. While discussing
'Lailatul Me'râj', he
has mentioned that most
of the scholars are of
the view that the event
of Me'râj took place in
the month of Ramadhân or
in Rabi'ul Awwal.
2) It is also not
certainly known in which
year the event of Me'râj
took place. There are a
number of views
mentioned in the books
of history, which
suggest a wide range
between the fifth year
and the twelfth year
after the Prophet
Sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam was entrusted
with prophethood.
Now, if it is assumed
that the event of Me'râj
took place in the fifth
year of his prophethood,
it will mean that the
Holy Prophet Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam
remained in this world
for eighteen years after
this event. Even if it
is presumed that the
Me'râj took place in the
twelfth year of his
prophethood, his
remaining lifetime after
this event would be
eleven years. Throughout
this long period, which
may range between eleven
and eighteen years, the
Holy Prophet Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam never
celebrated the event of
Me'râj, nor did he give
any instructions about
it. No one can prove
that the Holy Prophet
Sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam ever performed
some specific modes of
worship in a night,
calling it the 'Lailatul
Me'râj' or advised his
followers to commemorate
the event in a
particular manner.
3) After the demise of
the Holy Prophet
Sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam also, not one of
his companions is
reported to celebrate
this night as a night of
special acts of worship.
They were the true
lovers of the Holy
Prophet Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam and had
devoted their lives to
preserve every minute
detail of the Sunnah of
the Holy Prophet
Sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam and other Islamic
teachings. Still, they
did not celebrate the
event of Me'râj in a
particular night in a
particular way.
Being mindful of this
serious warning, we
should appreciate that
the 27th night of the
month of Rajab is not
like 'Lailatul Qadr' or
'Lailatul Bara'ah' for
which special merits
have been mentioned
expressly either by the
Holy Qur'ân or by the
Holy Prophet Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam.
However, all the
recognised modes of
ibadah [worship] like
salâh, recitation of the
Holy Qur'ân, dhikr, etc.
are commendable at any
time, especially in the
late hours of the night,
and obviously the 27th
night of Rajab is not an
exception. Therefore, if
someone performs any
recognised ibadah in
this night from this
point of view, nothing
can stop him from doing
so, and he will be
entitled to the thawâb
(reward) allocated for
that recognised act of
worship, Insha Allâh).
It is not permissible
however to believe that
performing ibâdah in
this night is more
meritorious or carries
more thawâb like 'Lailatul
Qadr' or 'Lailatul
Barâ'ah', because this
belief is not based on
any authentic verse or
sunnah of the Holy
Prophet Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam.
Similarly, it is not a
correct practice to
celebrate this night on
a collective scale and
to invite people to
special ritual
congregations.
From a publication of
Madrasah Arabia Islamia.
<Go to Top> |
|
Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Umrah
Visiting the
house of Allah (azza wa
jalla), and the Masjid of
His most Beloved (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) is a
tremendous, invigorating,
spiritual experience.
The peace and serenity of
the Masjid an-Nabawi in the
Blessed city of Madinah, and
the awe-inspiring,
overpowering nature of the
Baytullah in Makkah is
something that never ceases
to impact on the hearts of
all those that visit, as
many times as they are
privileged to travel there,
for the purpose of
worshipping Allah.
As much as some persons may
travel there with intentions
that are not altogether
complete, the benefit of
being present in these
sacred places, performing
various acts of ibadah and
asking of Allah, while
there, has boundless
benefits. For whatever
reason one may have
undertaken the journey,
he/she cannot help but
return spiritually
revitalized and charged.
This does however not mean
that the intention is not
important. Intention is of
paramount importance and the
value and reward of deeds
will be based on the
intention of the doer of
actions. The correctness of
the intention will enhance
and increase the benefit for
the individual who submits
his actions and will to be
solely for the pleasure of
Allah.
The hadeeth states that a
person should not undertake
a journey except to visit
three masaajid; the
Baytullah in Makkah, the
Masjid An-Nabawi in Madinah
and Masjid Al-Aqsa in
Jerusalem.
Let us urge people to choose
to travel to these three
places during their holiday
and vacations and encourage
them to do it with the
intention of doing it for
the sake of Allah.
<Go to
Top> |
|
|
|