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Weekly Comment |
Hamas Truce Offer Rejected
The off-hand and outright
Israeli government rejection, of
the offer of a six month truce
by Hamas must tell us many
things.
It is significant that Hamas
offered the truce in return for
the easing of the embargo on
Gaza. The request was simply
that Israel should not prevent
basic humanitarian needs from
entering into Gaza. Hamas did
not even insist on any of the
issues that have been, for ages,
and still are on the political
agendas of all Palestinians. For
Hamas to make such a plea the
conditions for the people on the
ground must be really bad; way
beyond what the media shows or
are allowed to show.
Israel’s complete and absolute
rejection of the truce offer in
times when peace is a cry from
all quarters, is indeed
significant. Their reading of
the situation, as it being a
ploy to allow for Hamas to
better equip themselves for
battle is ludicrous. The lack of
desire to create a peaceful
environment where solutions can
be discussed is surely an
indication of a lack of desire
to create a lasting solution.
Many commentators have actually
remarked that it is easy to see
a pattern of intentional
disruption of possible moves in
the direction of peace or even
peace discussions by Israel.
Mondays bombings by the Israelis
that resulted in the murder of
an entire family including three
children and the mother, while
they were having breakfast, is a
clear example of this. It is an
open provocation through an act
of cruel and heartless slaughter
that must result in a response
that will then be ‘responded’ to
by even more violent means and
result in an escalation of
hostility that will stop, in its
tracks, any thoughts of
discussions.
Sick Society: Cellar Family
The recent
reports in the news of an
Austrian man who held captive
his daughter with whom he
fathered 7 children is an
indication of how sick our
society has become.
It has taken over 24 years for
the neighbours and authorities
to realise that the missing
daughter of Josef Fritzl was a
captive who lived in her home's
cellar.
It is therefore a reminder that
evil knows no bounds and
underscores the need for humans
to live as society and not as an
aggregate of 'isolated and
independent' homes.
A substantial proportion of
abuses and crimes against women
and children takes place in our
own communities and go
unreported. How well-equipped
are we in dealing with cases
such as this?
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U P D A T E |
Survey on Ar-Rasheed
The editorial team for Ar
Rasheed shall be carrying out a
survey on the readership of the
paper. The findings of the
survey will go a long way in
improving the paper’s content,
presentation and frequency among
other things. We call upon
readers of the paper to respond
to the survey by completing a
questionnaire obtainable via
email from
mediadesk@islamsa.org.za
Jamiatul Ulama AGM
The AGM of the Jamiatul Ulama
has been scheduled to take place
at the Jamiatul Ulama Auditorium
(Baitul Hamd, 32 Dolly Rathebe
Road, Fordsburg) on Sunday 11
May 2008.
All members of the Jamiatul
Ulama are invited. |
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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 149.88
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 7,493.93 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,997.57
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Sign of the Times |
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The Prophet Muhammad
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
said, “A time will come when
man will not care whether
what he gets comes from a
lawful or an unlawful
source.
(Bukhari).
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Quotation for the Week |
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Worries Disappear |
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“Pay attention to
Allah, not to worries and
the worries will disappear.
(Maulana Asharf Ali
Thanwi
Sahib rahmatullahi ‘alayhi) |
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Point of Reflection |
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Natural Order |
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"Where there are many:
somebody will always be
offended."
(African Proverb) |
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Q and A |
Question: I’d just like to
find out if it’s permissible
to
neaten a woman’s eyebrows?
We have heard many things
like its haraam to shape it
but its ok to remove the
hair on
the top and bottom as long
and you don’t change the
shape.
Please advise. |
Answer:
Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wasallam prohibited the
plucking of the eyebrows.
(Aap ke Masaail 7/129/
Mishkaat Pg. 376) Therefore,
on the basis of this
narration one should
abstain.
However, if one's eyebrows
are substantially overgrown
that it appears unsightly,
then it will be permissible
to bring it to a
normal level of appearance.
And Allâh Ta’âla Knows Best.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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Workers Day
Message |
Allah Ta'ala says: ”We
have apportioned among
them their livelihood in
the life of this world
so that some of them may
command work from the
others.” (43:32)
The Prophet (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam said:
“(They are) Your
brethren whom Allah has
placed in your custody
Let him who has been
made custodian of his
brother by Allah feed
him from what he himself
eats, clothe him out of
what he clothes himself,
and impose not on him
work that will overcome
him…” (Bukharī & Muslim)
Nabī Sallallâhu ‘alayhi
wasallam has said: Human
society functions on a
divinely ordained scheme
wherein the rich are
dependent on the poor
for their labour, whilst
the poor are dependent
on the rich for their
livelihood. This
interdependence between
the employer and
employee is couched in
moral and legal
imperatives of justice,
dignity, trust and
compassion aimed at
creating a harmonious
relationship between the
employer and employee.
The employer is expected
to provide working
conditions that do not
impinge on the dignity
of the employee whilst
the employee is expected
to fulfill his
obligations with due
efficiency and trust.
The conduct we portray
in our capacities as
employers or employees
is either going to draw
people closer to Islam
or turn them away from
it. “As you are aware,
the Prophet Sallallâhu ‘alayhi
wasallam had a burning
desire to invite
humanity towards Islam.
Despite 13 years of
untiring effort in
Makkatul Mukarramah and
seven years in Madinatul
Munawwarah, there was no
large scale movement of
non-Muslims into Islam.
Between 7AH and 10 AH
which is the period
after Fath-Makkah
(Conquest of Makkah)
until the Prophets
demise, there was such
an influx of people
entering the ranks of
Islam that was not
witnessed in the
preceding 20 years… this
was due to non-Muslims
having had an
opportunity for the
first time, to observe
and intermingle with
Muslims, witness their
honesty, fair dealings,
compassion and sole
reliance on Almighty
Allah. This left such a
deep and profound
impression on
non-Muslims that
thousands entered into
the fold of Islam within
a relatively short
period of time.” (Ml
Abul Hasan Ali Nadwī)
Islam spread to every
corner of the globe
because of the conduct
of the Muslimīn. People
were naturally attracted
to Islam because they
saw and experienced fist
hand the exemplary
conduct of Muslims. We
need to ask ourselves
why individuals who see
how we pray, fast, eat,
etc, individuals who
have virtually become
part of the family still
do not find reason to
accept Islam. Are we
perhaps falling short in
these values?
It is unfortunate that
some Muslim homes still
treat their domestics
unfairly. They are paid
a pittance, and are made
to work long hours. They
are often addressed as
‘girl’ and ‘boy’ by
people who are young
enough to be their
grandchildren. In some
cases the ‘food’ offered
to them is unbecoming.
Nabī Sallallâhu ‘alayhi
wasallam has said:
“(They are) Your
brethren whom Allah has
placed in your custody
Let him who has been
made custodian of his
brother by Allah feed
him from what he himself
eats, clothe him out of
what he clothes himself,
and impose not on him
work that will overcome
him…” (Bukharī & Muslim)
If these are the rights
that slaves enjoy… if
slaves are referred to
as ‘your brethren” what
about the position and
rights of our domestics?
The Prophet of Allah
Sallallâhu ‘alayhi
wasallam has said:
“There are three kinds
of people whom I shall
be against on the Day of
Judgment: One of them is
a man who hires a
labourer and demands his
full due from him, yet
refuses to pay him his
wages” (Bukharī) He
either refuses to pay
him the agreed wage, or
he exploits the
desperation of the job
seeker by paying him
less than the market
related wage.
On the other extreme we
have employees who often
resort to litigation and
demand exorbitant sums
of monies as
compensation for what
they deem to be “Unfair
dismissal” Employees who
simply walk out on their
employers without
fulfilling their
contractual obligations.
Nabī Sallallâhu ‘alayhi
wasallam has said: “A
time will come over
people wherein a person
will not care what he
takes from it (money)
whether it is halāl or
harām.” (Bukharī) An era
will dawn over man
wherein he will be so
obsessed with securing
wealth that he will
hardly ever question
whether what he receives
is legitimate or not.
Moulana Ashraf Ali
Thanvi while teaching
tasawwuf would say: “If
ever I learnt of a
disciple who lagged
behind in offering
optional prayers or in
observing the rituals, I
would be saddened and
would ask him to observe
it. But if I learnt of a
disciple who defaulted
in monetary dealings, I
felt hatred for him.”
There are many among us
who are fairly conscious
about our prayers and
ibādāt, yet we fail
miserably when it comes
to our monetary
dealings, our treatment
to our employees, or our
commitment to our
employers. We forget
that our Dīn extends
beyond ibādāt and lays
great emphases on the
morality of our monetary
dealings.
May Allah Ta’āla protect
us from oppression and
exploitation!
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Freedom
With the country celebrating
Freedom Day and the focus on
freedom it is only
appropriate that we remember
the great sacrifices of
those who contributed to the
fight against oppression,
discrimination and
injustice. It is also
appropriate that we stand
tall as South African
Muslims for the contribution
and sacrifices that were
made by Muslims in South
Africa in realizing the aim
of attaining freedom and
equality for all.
On this occasion, we also
pray that this beautiful
nation of ours is driven to
continue in the path of
justice and goodness, and
that the steps we take are
always a progression towards
the better and never
retrogressive steps that
take us back to oppression
or injustice of any type.
Finally, as Muslims, we
remind ourselves that the
concept of freedom needs to
be understood in the context
of our deen. When we pledge
our allegiance and
commitment to Allah, in the
recitation of ‘Laa ilaaha
illAllah’ (There is no being
worthy of worship except
Allah), then this commitment
we make is a total
commitment that governs
every thought, breath and
action of our lives. There
is no freedom to do what we
want, when we want, how we
want, etc. We do whatever we
do according to the command
of Allah and the sunnah of
our Beloved Prophet,
Muhammad (sallallahu `alayhi
wa sallam).
May Allah guide us in all
that we do. Aameen.
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