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Weekly Comment |
Unscrupulous Hedging of Bread
Profit
This week a Johannesburg
think-tank released survey
findings of deepening and
widening poverty in South Africa
where the number of people
categorised as poor is reported
to have doubled. As the country
received these findings, there
was also news of three leading
bakers colluding to fix the
price of bread.
The price of bread, a basic food
item especially for the poor has
soared in recent times. One
trader had blown the whistle
with the Competition Commission
after observing synchronised
price hikes in both magnitude
and timing. There have been
reports manipulative practices
in the industry which also
affect farmers as the top bakers
dictate the quantity, quality
and price at which wheat is
supplied.
After all is said and done, it
is clear than the fines imposed
on the firms involved in this
trade malpractice will not
mitigate in any way the hardship
of the poor families to whom the
price increases have rendered
bread unaffordable.
Our call to the relevant
authorities is that the consumer
and in particular the
economically vulnerable have to
be protected. If the industry is
not self-regulating along fair
business practice lines then
necessary interventions are
called for.
The welfare on the vulnerable is
paramount and should not be
sacrificed at the altar of
profit.
Death Penalty
People are free to express their
own opinions. Freedom of speech
or expression must however
assume proportions of respect
for the views, beliefs and
convictions of others. Freedom
of speech does not allow for the
impositions of ones ideas on
others. It does not grant for
the freedom of speech to be
disparaging and judgmental of
other viewpoints, world-views
and especially religious
beliefs.
Many were thus surprised to see
statements expressing the view
that all countries of the world
must work towards abolishing
capital punishment and the death
penalty.
For Muslims, capital punishment
and the death penalty are
outlined in the Qur`an as part
of the divine system of Allah.
Sure, where Muslims live in
countries which do not allow for
the death penalty, then for
individual Muslims or the Muslim
community to insist on the
implementation of capital
punishment is not sanctioned.
However, where Islamic Law is
being implemented then the
application of capital
punishment is a part of the
divine law that must be
practiced upon.
So, for someone, in a country
far away from where Islamic Law
is being applied, to insist that
a country implementing Islamic
Law must change their laws is
tantamount to insisting that a
person review and change the
essence of his faith and
religious convictions. This
cannot be acceptable. |
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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 117.00 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,850.10 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,340.04 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Trust in
Allah |
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Seventy thousand of my
people will enter paradise
without being taken to
account. They are those who
do not use spells or take
omens, but put their trust
in their Lord.
(Bukhari, Muslim)
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Quotation for the Week |
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Opposing
the Nafs |
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Refrain from
following natural habits;
use the intellect and follow
the Shariah.
(Hazrat Ml. Maseehullah RA) |
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Point of Reflection |
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Looks Deceive! |
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The skin of the leopard is
beautiful, but not his
heart. (Baluba
(DRC), Saying) |
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Q and A |
Question: Over the years
many items such as watches,
jackets, etc. are left in
our Masjid unclaimed after
long periods
of notices. What should we
do with these things? |
Answer:
Once
the details of the lost
items have been suitably
announced for a sufficient
duration of time, i.e. such
a period after which there
is no hope of finding the
owner, you may donate those
items to
worthy recipients of Zakaah.
Refer Fataawa Mahmoodiyah
v.10 p.154.
AND ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST
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U P D A T E |
Haj by Land
Three Ulama members of the
Jamiatul Ulama, a student of the
Jaami`ah al Ulum al-Islamiyyah
(Darul Ulum at the Jamiat) and
one other brother are embarking
on a journey to travel for by
land. They will depart from
Johannesburg on the 19th of
November insha'-Allah and hope
to reach Jeddah in the first
week of December. We make du'aa
that Allah make their journey
easy and grant them, together
with all other hujjaaj, a Hajj
Mabroor. Aameen.
Library Project
The Tshwane Branch of
the Jamiatul Ulama has set in
motion a project to build and
set-up a library in an
underprivileged area. The
project is being run under the
name of Muslims Serving Humanity
– Library Project. The library
is being built in the
Shoshanguve/Mabopane area in the
precincts of a well-established
school. For more information on
the project as well as for
contributions, call the Tshwane
Office on 012 374 2506 or
082 655 9309.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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Over the next two
weeks , the summarised
Jum`ah Bayan wil focus
on AID,
in order to provide
material to Ulama to
prepare a bayan on AIDS
for the first week of
December,
which is International
AIDs Awareness Week. |
Acquired Immuno-Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS)
Allah says in the
Qur’an: “Say to the
believing men that they
restrain their eyes and
guard their private
parts. That is purer for
them. Surely, Allah is
well aware of what they
do.” (24:31)
The Prophet Muhammad
Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam said: “Whenever
unlawful sexual conduct
prevails with a society
to the point that they
feel no shame in
disclosing it and doing
it openly, then they
shall suffer from
plagues and such painful
illnesses that their
ancestors have never
experienced.” (ibn Majah)
• When looking at the
causes of AIDS, it
becomes clear that among
the primary causes,
identified by Muslim and
non-Muslims, are the
immoral and irreligious
sexual practices that
are considered to be
among the factors
responsible for the
spread of the disease.
• Amazingly, the
conclusions scientists
have drawn are exactly
those that Islam has
taught us. A renowned
AIDS researcher, Dr. Ron
Bayen of New York says:
"Only a change in sexual
behaviour and a war
against drugs can stop
the progress of the
disease."
• The aforementioned
’changes in sexual
behaviour' lay in
nothing else but to
observe Islamic ways
concerning sexual
relations. Similarly,
’the faithful partner'
is none but an
Allah-fearing spouse. In
Surah al-Mu‘minun, while
describing the required
standards and qualities
of true believers,
Allah, the Almighty
says: “And who guard
their chastity, Except
from their wives or what
their right hands
possess, for then they
are not to be blamed;
But those who seek
anything beyond that are
the transgressors ---“
• One of the solutions
to the problem is
appropriate sex
education. At the time
of Prophet Muhammad
ٍِSallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam, Muslim men and
women were never shy to
ask him about all
affairs, including such
private affairs as
sexual life. As A’isha
Radhi-Allâhu ‘anha,
the wife of the Prophet
Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam testified,
"Blessed are the women
of the Ansaar (the
citizens of Madina).
Shyness did not stand in
their way seeking
knowledge about their
religion." (Bukhari)
o Sex education should
be taught to children in
a way commensurate with
their age as they grow
up.
o The primary
responsibility of
imparting this
sex-education is that of
the parents of the
child.
o It should be done
within the total context
of Islamic ideology and
Islamic teaching, so
that the youth, beside
getting the correct
physiologic knowledge,
become fully aware on
the sanctity of the
sexual relations in
Islam and the grave sin
of blemishing such
sanctity.
• The disease AIDS is a
living sign of the
truthfulness of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad
Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam who prophesised
about it 1400 years ago:
“Whenever unlawful
sexual conduct prevails
with a society to the
point that they feel no
shame in disclosing it
and doing it openly,
then they shall suffer
from plagues and such
painful illnesses that
their ancestors have
never experienced.” (ibn
Majah)
o There is still
widespread ignorance of
this pandemic.
Abstaining from sex
before marriage and
having sex only within
marriage, both in-built
teachings of Islam,
should be promoted
aggressively, but the
bogey of condoms that
provide only 28%
protection should not be
used as it could promote
sex outside marriage.
• Most importantly is
that we must harvest
taqwa (piety -
consciousness that Allah
is watching over us all
the time) so that
besides staying away
from deviant sexual
practices, we stay away
from all types of sin
and immorality.
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Post Exams
Schools are busy completing
their year-end examinations.
Alhamdulillah, most students
are studying hard to excel
in their examinations.
Examinations are followed by
the receipt of results,
which will tell the students
how well they have
performed. The final
examinations are followed by
the annual summer holidays
which span a period in
excess of six weeks.
Results are mostly followed
by celebrations and the
vacations are periods
wherein parents and their
children travel to various
national and even
international locations for
their annual summer break.
There is no harm in being
happy that exams have been
concluded or expressing joy
at good achievements. It is,
however, important for
Muslims to guard against
celebrating the end of the
exams or good results in a
manner which is contrary to
the rules or spirit of the
injunctions of Allah, the
Sunnah of the Prophet
Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam
or even the spirit of what
the Islamic character,
identity and ethos is
supposed to portray. The
same principles must be
considered when considering
a holiday choice. Parents
should also ensure that
their children are occupied
in beneficial activities
during the vacation.
As many people would say,
let them make their
'holidays', 'holy days'.
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