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Weekly Comment |
Operation Smother Gaza
Israel declared this week that
it was to sever or limit the
supply of power, electricity and
other fuels to the Gaza Strip.
This, they claimed, was in
response to rocket attacks. The
unrelenting barrage of attacks
on the Gaza by Israel is also in
response to attacks from them.
The border blockades,
restriction of free movement,
economic sanctions and unending
list of measures implemented by
Israel are all in response to
something. They have never and
will never put a foot wrong –
they simply respond to the
wrongs being done upon them.
Really, who do they think they
are fooling?
The concept of responding to
attacks is one that is
understood international
politics as a measure used in
preventing future of further
physical force being inflicted
in a conflict. The response can
however not be excessive or
punitive and cannot extend into
the realm of retaliation which
includes the element of revenge.
It must never carry out
collective punishment and must
not cross the boundaries of
infringing basic human rights
and needs. The current actions
of Israel cannot be described as
anything else but punitive,
vengeful, and excessive.
In addition, Israel’s intentions
must be questioned in light of
the larger picture of
discussions and projected
meetings and negotiations. Last
month Israel declared Gaza a
hostile entity, which was a
precursor to an ‘open season’ on
Gaza. At present, US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice is in
the Middle East in an effort to
bring the Israeli and
Palestinian negotiating teams
closer together before the
planned proposed Middle East
conference in America within the
next few weeks. She has met with
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas, the
Egyptian leadership as well as
with Jordan's King Abdullah. The
presence or role of the Gaza in
the meetings is conspicuous by
its absence in discussions and
arrangements. Maybe the absence
of Hamas has to be justified and
Israel’s intentions in its
current actions has everything
to do with the present
situation.
Pakistan’s Bloody
Diaries
The recent events playing out in
Pakistan are a cause for
concern. By the day, scores of
people are dying painting a
gloomy picture of a total
break-down of law and order.
Karachi. Balochistan.
Waziristan. Swat. The list goes
on. All this is happening in the
run up to the country’s general
elections to be staged no later
than mid-January 2008.
Who stands to benefit from such
wanton loss of life? In part
Benazir Bhutto points at
government intelligence trying
to ‘kill’ her. Others say it is
work of ‘hard-line’ Islamists:
‘Generic’ Al-Qaeda or Taleban
sympathisers as they are
commonly referred to.
All this comes at a time when
Washington is increasingly
jittery about Pakistan, her ‘key
ally in the War on Terror’. On
the back of massive financial
support to the country’s
leadership, there have been
sustained accusations against
Pakistan’s failure to rein in
Islamic militants using her soil
‘as a base to attack US and
other foreign and local forces
in Afghanistan…’ Could it be
another ‘blank cheque’ for
Musharraf to allow him prop up
his political fortunes as his
military trump card is set to be
taken away?
Universal Brotherhood of
the Ummah
Last week
we presented some facts about
the ongoing atrocities being
committed in Palestine. The word
Palestinians is often used to
refer to the people undergoing
the oppression in that area. For
identity, this is factually
correct as they are natives of
Palestine. A brother
respectfully and rightfully
pointed out that it would be
better if we were to refer to
the brothers and sisters there
as Muslims and not Palestinians.
The oppressed in Palestine are
not exclusively Muslim, but also
include many Christians.
However, it is important to take
note of the intended point of
the brother.
We must elevate ourselves beyond
the created restrictions of
borders, boundaries and thinking
in terms of race, ethnicity and
nationality. In South Africa, it
is common to speak about Indian
Muslims, Malays, Black Muslims,
and foreigners.
As long as we continue to refer
to people in terms of these
confines, we are allowing our
minds and thinking to be defined
by those that want us to think
in a particular manner.
We must also understand the
concept of the Muslims Ummah,
its existence as a whole and the
responsibilities upon the
shoulders of all members towards
other members wherever they may
be. The concept of equality
within the Ummah and the
universal brotherhood are issues
that need to be delved into and
practiced upon.
When Muslims have been
intentionally made into live
targets on the basis of their
Islam, should not the Muslims
come to the aid and assistance
of their brothers and sisters,
on the basis of Islam? |
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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 110.05
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,502.68 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,201.07 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Cleansing
Charity |
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Narrated by Qays ibn Abu
Gharazah Radhi-Allahu anhu :
“In the time of the Apostle
of Allah Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam we used to be
called brokers, but the
Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam came upon us one
day, and called us by a
better name than that,
saying: ‘O company of
merchants, unprofitable
speech and swearing takes
place in
business dealings, so mix it
with sadaqah
[charity].’”
(Abu Dawud)
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Quotation for the Week |
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Voluntary
Restraint |
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Taqwa [piety] means that one
has the urge to disobey and
one
prevents oneself from doing
so.
(Hazrat Hakeem
Akhtari DB)
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Point of Reflection |
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Silence is Effortful |
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It is easier to talk than to
hold one's tongue.
(Greek Saying)
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Q and A |
Question: My father
gave a house to me and my
sisters during his lifetime,
and it was
transferred to our names,
after which we rented it
out.
My father also mentioned in
his will that the house
belongs to the daughters.
Now my brothers are claiming
a share from it. Do they
have any
claim on the house? |
Answer: You
have mentioned
that your late father gave
the house during his
lifetime to yourself and
your sisters, and
that it was also transferred
to your names, and that you
have rented it out as well.
Based on this the gifting
process would
be considered complete and
the house would not form
part of
the estate, which means that
your brothers do not have
any claim over the house.
Your father’s actual estate,
however, has to be
distributed to all his
Shar’i heirs according to
the
Laws of Succession. See
Fataawa Mahmoodiyah v.9
p.390.
AND ALLAH TA’AALA KNOWS BEST
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U P D A T E |
Haj Seminar
Jamiatul Ulama South Africa’s
office in Johannesburg will host
a Haj Seminar at the JISS Centre
(Cnr of Battery Street and 3rd
Ave, Mayfair) on Sunday 11
November 2007 starting from
09h30 until 12h30.
The programme will be as
follows:
1. Spiritual Dimension of Haj by
Moulana E.I. Bham
2. Madina & Ziyârah by Moulana
Abdullah Dhabelia
3. Umrah & Five Days of Haj by
Moulana Sulaiman Ravat
4. Question and Answer Session
Separate accommodation for
ladies will be available.
Refreshments will also be
served.
Tel: 011 373 8000 for more
information.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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Commercial
Morality
The Noble Qur'ân states:
"When the (Friday)
prayer is complete,
disperse through the
land and seek the Bounty
of Allâh Ta'âla (through
trade or lawful
activity)."
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 m 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 o 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!
Fulfill 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
lopsided 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.
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Proper Upbringing of
Children
Many a time, parents
complain about the
disobedience of their
children, their rebellion
and desire to indulge in
unlawful activities. Is this
because parents themselves
have faltered in their
Islamic responsibility to
their children? Is it due to
their own oversight and lack
of proper Islamic upbringing
that they are the first to
taste the bitter fruit of
their negligence?
Children are, in reality, an
enormous blessing for their
parents. If the proper
Islamic etiquette is taught
to them, they can become one
of the fragrant flowers of
paradise and a means of
enhancing the honour of
their parents. They will
look after their parents in
their old age, always honour
and respect them and be the
“coolness of their eyes” as
mentioned in the Qur’an. On
the other hand, if proper
Islamic character is not
taught to them, they will
become a veritable coal of
hellfire and their behaviour
will turn their parent’s
world into a living hell.
There are many guidelines in
the shari’ah regarding the
proper upbringing of
children. Rasulullah
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam
said that the best gift a
parent can give his child is
proper Islamic education and
nurturing. Rasulullah
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam
also said that that when a
child becomes seven years
old, the habit of performing
salaat should be inculcated
within them, and when they
reach ten years of age, they
should be warned for
neglecting salaat. (Tirmidhi
vol. 1, no: 39) In another
tradition, Rasulullah
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam
has said that one should
encourage ones children to
do three things:
(i) to have love for
Rasulullah Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam,
(ii) to have love for the
household of Rasulullah
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam,
and
(iii) to recite the Qur’an
Majeed regularly.
The minds of children are
ripe and mature. Thus,
whatever teachings, lessons
and habits are imbibed from
an early age, will last till
old-age. If one wishes one
children to tread the
straight path, the first
step in achieving this is
that his/her parents should
first be on the right path
and set the correct example
themselves. They can not
expect to rectify their
children if they do not set
an example of beautiful
character themselves.
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