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Weekly Comment |
Different Angles: Gillian
Gibbons
The complaint against Gillian
Gibbons and her subsequent
jailing has caused much furore
and debate.
There are many issues that need
to be considered in this regard.
Among them are:
• A person travelling to a land
other than his own should
educate himself and make himself
aware of the conditions,
beliefs, practices and
sensitivities of the people he
will be forced to interact with.
A person must look at
circumstances holistically. In
the same way that he prepares
for weather conditions, he must
prepare to meet the needs of
other challenges. Claiming
ignorance would be foolish or
even insulting.
• The details of the Gillian
Gibbons case are not all in
front of most of us. It is
important to be able to peruse
the court proceedings to be able
to judge the merits of the
sentence meted out to Gillian.
Clearly, the sentence was not
one for intentional blasphemy.
The punishment for such an act
would have been much more
severe. The penalty imposed upon
her could probably have been one
of a warning for engaging in an
act that could possibly have
been construed as blasphemy or
an act that could have led to
blasphemy. Gibbon’s response –
whether it was apologetic or
whether it was a calm but
insistent, ‘I did no wrong’ -
could also have played a role in
the sentencing.
• On the other hand Muslims need
to ask whether this was not the
typical predictable response of
the Muslim Community - to react
with anger, and then consider
the consequences. Muslims have
become re-actionists and their
reactions can be profiled
without much difficulty. The
predictability of the Muslim
response can easily be used to
evoke responses that would lead
to a chain of premeditated
events. The remote possibility
of it being a set-up and
Gibbon’s being an agent
provocateur, cannot be excluded
in this regard. The fact that it
is being played out in such an
extravagant and flamboyant
fashion on the world stage, and
that Sudan (already being
lambasted from all sides for
local political issues) have
been forced to go one step
further back, into a defensive
mode is important to note.
• Many will ask the question of
whether the act falls within the
ambit of what is strictly
considered blasphemy. Would the
situation be different if the
teacher had asked the student’s
whom they loved most? What if
the student’s felt that they
wanted to name the Teddy as
someone they loved most? To
many, a Teddy is something
cuddly, loving, lovable and
close to the heart. Could it be
possible that the children also
viewed the Teddy as such? How do
Muslim children play with dolls
and other toys? Do they give the
dolls names, maybe even Muslim
names or Prophet’s names
sometimes – and do the Muslim
parents of these children stop
the children from doing so?
• The question of how Arab
persons refer to non-Arabs in
Arab countries is also
significant. A waiter, when his
name is not known, a store
clerk, etc are all addressed as
‘Yaa Muhammad’ in a belittling
manner, and this title (for that
is the sense in which it is used
– a simple title) is contrary to
the honor of the name of the
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam. In fact some Arab
Ulama have even advised people
accordingly.
• The question of how the
Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam reacted in situations
where he was directly or
indirectly insulted should also
form part of the Prophetic
example that must be followed.
The Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam refrained from
retaliating against those who
abused him and rather responded
with kindness, forgiveness and
reconciliation. The occasion was
considered to be an occasion for
education and da’wah. The
approach was a constructive one
aimed at bringing people closer
to Islam.
• Imagine if Gillian Gibbon’s
had been taken in, educated and
counseled on the issue as an
occasion to educate her. Imagine
if this story of Gillian
Gibbon’s process of education
was then broadcast around the
world.
• Maybe, it would be a good idea
to even prepare material on
Islam and Muslims for non-Muslim
expatriates working in Muslim
countries, albeit in the form
the politically correct
‘cultural and religious
awareness and tolerance’.
Our Children –
Our Responsibility
The following scenario is not
far from common. Imagine a youth
returning at three-thirty on a
Sunday morning. He went with a
girl to a movie, followed by a
snack at a restaurant. He then
went to a club, where they
danced, consumed alcohol and
took drugs. They then engaged in
zina. He dropped her at her
house and now returns to his
home alone. He is not even fully
aware of what is happening
around him, because of the
intoxicants he took. He is tired
from a late night and is
consumed by the dizziness of the
haram that he engaged in. He now
approaches the home, in which
you, your wife and other
children sleep blissfully. Take
it one step further, and imagine
that that young boy is killed in
this condition.
Crime has become an
ever-increasing problem of
serious proportions. Wherever
one goes, the talk revolves
around crime. Almost everyone
has been directly or closely
affected by crime. In light of
the grave and severe conditions
brought about by crime, it is
important, that we look at what
we can do to prevent and
eradicate crime. A fundamental
principal relating to crime
prevention is that of removing
avenues which make it easier for
crime to be committed.
One such avenue is that of being
on the streets or approaching
one’s home late at night. When
one needs to travel for
work-related issues or even
family matters, it is important
to ensure that the return
journey is preferably within
daylight hours or at least in
the early part of the night when
there is some activity on the
streets/in the neighborhood. To
return late at night creates a
situation which invites danger.
Even worse is the situation
where youth (young boys and
girls) are allowed to leave the
home for ‘entertainment’
purposes and allowed to return
in the early hours of the
morning.
It must be remembered that
circumstances are brought upon
us because of our actions. Most
of the ‘entertainment’ that our
children seek to obtain and the
places that they visit are
completely forbidden in Islam.
Movies, clubs and other such
past-times invite the anger of
Allah.
Allah Azza wa jalla has kept the
onus of the path that children
take, upon the parents of these
children. Parents are fully
responsible for the actions of
their children up until the
children reach the age of
puberty. It does however not
stop there. The responsibility
of seeing to that the child
engages in the obedience of
Allah remains upon the shoulders
of the parent for as long as the
child is under the care of the
parent, and to an extent even
beyond that. So, in the scenario
presented earlier, the young man
described would be answerable
for his wrongs, but the parent
would also be held accountable
by Allah.
Is it not time that parents
looked upon things more
carefully? Allowing our children
to please themselves in haram,
is very far from showing love to
them. |
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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 114.64 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,732.19 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,292.88 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Abuse of
Trust |
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Sufyaan Ibn As'ad Al-Khadrami
(radiyallahu anhu) narrates
that he heard Muhammad
Sallallalahu 'alayhi wa
sallam say: "Indeed it is an
act of the greatest abuse of
trust if you tell a Muslim
brother something which is
false while he believes that
you are telling him the
truth."
(Abu Dawud).
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Quotation for the Week |
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Hope in
Allah |
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The sick and weak should
allow Hope in Allah to
dominate their lives.
(Ml. Maseehullah
Rahmatullahi 'alayhi)
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Point of Reflection |
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Worth of a Mover |
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Better a single
decision-maker than a
thousand advisors.
(Wit and Wisdom of
Ethiopia)
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Q and A |
Question: If an organisation
is given Zakaah to
distribute
then can they purchase goods
with that money and
distribute those goods to
the poor
instead of the cash? |
Answer:
Answer: If the donor of the
Zakaah does not object to
that then that is
permissible.
AND
ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST
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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 Hajj by land.
They departed from
Johannesburg on the 19th of
November and hope to reach
Jeddah in the first week of
December.
Alhamdulillah, the group is
as of Tuesday, 23 Dec 2007
had
reached Port Sawaakin.(50km
away from Port Sudan). From
here, they’ll be taking a
ferry that will sail them to
the Arabian
peninsula, insha-Allah.
We make du’aa that Allah
make their journey easy and
grant
them, together with all
other hujjaaj, a Hajj
Mabroor.
Aameen.
Note: Radio Islam has a blog
about the trip:
http://www.radioislamlive.com/haj/
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Qurbani |
Qurbâni arrangements have
been made by the Jamiatul
Ulama.
Kindly Forward Your Payments
Not Later Than Monday, 17th
December 2007 to Any of the
Jamiat Offices OR Deposit
Directly into Our:
Jamiatul Ulama,
Nedbank Fordsburg;
Account No: 1953 285 937
Please and Earmark Your
Payment “QURBANI 2007” and
fax deposit slips to 011 373
8022
The Price per share is
R185.00.
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U P D A T E |
National Forum Against Racism
Members of the Jamiatul Ulama
attended a conference organised
by the National Forum Against
Racism, last Thursday. The forum
is a body established as a
result of resolutions passed at
the last International
Conference Against Racism. It
was resolve the UN member states
should establish a National
Action Plan (NAP) to deal with
the eradication of Racism. The
National Forum Against Racism
was set-up to work on the NAP.
The conference is one of many
being organised by the Forum to
enage in a process of broad
consultation.
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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Qurbaani: Who is
obliged to offer the
sacrifice? (Part II of
II) |
Allah Ta’ala says in the
Noble Quran in Surah al-Kauthar:
"Verily, We have granted
you (O Muhammad ) Al-
Kauthar (a river in
paradise), So pray on to
thy lord and sacrifice.
For he who makes you
angry will be cut off."
Hazrat Ayesha
Radhi-Allâhu ‘anha
reports that the Prophet
of Allah (Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam) said, "The son
of Adam does not perform
any actions on the day
of sacrifice which is
more pleasing to Allah
than the shedding of
blood. He will come on
the day of resurrection
with its hair, horns and
hooves, and the blood
certainly will fall in a
place near Allah before
it falls on the ground.
So, make yourselves
purified there with. (Tirmizi)
• Sayyadina ibn Umar
reports that the
Messenger of Allah lived
in Madinah Munawarah for
ten years and performed
‘Qurbani’ every year. (Tirmizi)
• Qurbaani is ‘wajib’
(compulsory) according
to Imam Abu Hanifah upon
every ‘mukeem’
(domiciled) and who
possesses 613.35 grams
of silver or its
equivalent in money,
stock in trade or any
other form of wealth
which is surplus to
his/her basic needs.
Each adult member of a
family who possesses
that much wealth must
perform his/her own ‘Qurbani’
separately.
• A sacrifice can be
made on behalf of others
such as minor offspring.
This is ‘mustahab’
(desirable). Similarly,
if one decides to
sacrifice on behalf of
ones spouse or a father
decides to sacrifice on
behalf of an adult
offspring, he can do so
with their permission. A
sacrifice can also be
made on behalf of a
deceased Muslim.
• Hazrat Hanash
reported: I saw Hazrat
Ali sacrificing two
rams. I asked him, "What
is this?" He said:
"Verily the Messenger of
Allah left instruction
to me to sacrifice on
his behalf, and so I am
sacrificing on his
behalf. (Tirmizi, Abu
Daud)
• Rasulullah was so
generous that he had
sacrificed on behalf of
his whole ‘Ummah’ and we
see here Hazrat Ali
sacrificing for
Rasulullah after he has
passed away. We learn
from this that we should
also put a share of
Rasulullah in our
sacrifice.
• Sayyadina Umm Salama
Radiyallahu anha reports
that the Apostle of
Allah said, "Whoever
sights the crescent moon
of ‘Zul-Hijjah’ and is
intending to make a
sacrifice should refrain
from cutting his bodily
hair and paring his
nails" (Muslim)
• Thus, after sighting
the ‘Zul-Hijjah’
crescent, it is
desirable for a man
intending to make a
sacrifice to refrain
from cutting the hair of
his body and paring his
nails till he has
slaughtered the animal.
No part of his body may
be absent at the time of
the descent of divine
mercy.
• It is preferable that
one selects on animals
oneself, nourishes it
and becomes familiar
with it, as this animal
is to become the means
great recompense and not
only that, but it is a
substitute for the
sacrifice of ones own
child.
• As for getting the
Qurbani done in other
places, one deprives
oneself from all the
aforementioned
blessings. If it is
carried out on account
of some strong excuse,
one can hope for the
whole or even more
reward.
• When looking around
for animals, do ensure
that all the legal
requirements for the
animal are met. Do not
opt for “cheap”
qurbaanis when one is
uncertain as to whether
ones sacrifice will be
carried out incorrectly
or not.
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Congregational
Prayers
In the
holiday period, it is
noticed that many people
neglect to perform their
salaah with congregation.
The fact that both, the
Qur'an and Sunnah, have laid
great stress on the
congregational prayer and
described its unique
excellence, shows that the
fard prayer is meant to be
offered collectively, and no
one in the Islamic community
should even think of
observing it individually
unless one has to do so on
the account of a genuine
reason.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’âla.
says in The Qur'an: "… and
bend down in ruku with those
who bend down in ruku."
[Al-Baqarah 2:43].
Commentators are generally
of the view that this verse
proves that prayer has to be
offered collectively. The
importance of the
congregational prayer in
Islam is so great that
Muslims have been enjoined
to observe it under all
circumstances, even in the
battlefield.
The Holy Prophet Sallallâhu
'alayhi wasallam, also has
greatly stressed the
offering of prayer in
congregation and described
its unique merit and
excellence. For instance, he
said:
o "Nothing is harder on the
hypocrites than the Isha and
Fajr prayer; had they known
of the great rewards that
Allah would bestow for those
prayers they would never had
missed them even if they had
to come to the masjid on
their knees." Then he said,
"I wish I should tell a
Mua'dhin to pronounce the
iqamah and appoint someone
as Imam in my place, and I
should myself go and set
fire to the houses of those
who do not come out even
after hearing the adhaan. (Bukhari,
Muslim).
o "Offering the prayer in
congregation carries 27
times greater reward than
offering it alone
individually." (Bukhari,
Muslim)
o According to Sayyidina
Anas Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu the
Holy Prophet Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam said: "The person
who offers his prayers
continuously for 40 days
without missing the first
takbeer, is granted a
two-fold immunity by Allah:
immunity from Hell-fire and
immunity from hypocrisy. (Tirmidhi)
o According to Sayyidina
Abdullah bin Masoud
Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu the Holy
Prophet Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam said: "O Muslims!
Allah has prescribed paths
of right guidance for you
among which is the offering
of the daily prayers in
congregation in the masjid,
which is the offering of the
daily prayers in
congregation in the masjid;
if you start saying your
prayers individually at
home, as so-and-so does, you
will be forsaking the Sunnah
of your Prophet, and if you
forsake the Sunnah of your
Prophet, you will certainly
be going astray." (Muslim)
o Sayyidina Usman
Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu has
reported that he heard the
Holy Prophet Sallallâhu 'alayhi
wasallam say: "The person
who observes the Isha prayer
in congregation, will have
the reward and blessings of
staying up half the night in
prayer, and the one who
observes the Fajr prayer in
congregation will have the
reward and blessings of
staying up the whole night
in prayer." (Tirmidhi)
The above ahaadith stress
the importance of offering
salaah in congregation.
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