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Weekly Comment |
Hajj: Let’s facilitate ease in
Ibadah while we can
The Jamiatul Ulama welcomes all
initiatives to make Hajj
affordable to as many Muslims as
possible. We urge all parties,
agencies and any other
role-players to make this a
reality. As a goal, it must rank
high among other targets of the
South African Haj and Umrah
Council (SAHUC).
Haj packages cannot be priced in
a manner that seeks to
profiteer. On one hand, it is
against the spirit of Shariah as
price-fixing contravenes the
principle of fairness in trading
practice. On the other, it is
not possible to continue to
operate in this manner without
attracting the attention of the
agencies and authorities
monitoring anticompetitive
behaviour in the marketplace. In
the absence of self-restraint,
the advantages that come with
self-regulation shall be lost.
The Jamiatul Ulama recognises
the importance of the role that
SAHUC ought to play as an
administrative body managing the
affairs of pilgrims. On our
part, we shall continue to offer
our theological support to
pilgrims and continue the
advocacy for the welfare of all
pilgrims seeking to fulfil this
important pillar of the Deen of
Islam. We shall continue to
explore ways of making this
vision a reality.
Zimbabwe is beyond either Mugabe
or Tsvangirai
After all the dust has settled,
the country will have to move
on…
At the heart of the political
crisis in Zimbabwe there is the
land reform programme that so
far has floundered. At the core
of such a land reform programme,
there is an unfulfilled
commitment. A broken promise of
a colonial power that now
accuses Robert Mugabe of a
brutal dictatorship.
Mugabe, once in shining armour
of a hero of the liberation era
became a ‘right honourable’
premier of a free Zimbabwe that
was full of promise in 1980. In
the initial decade, the average
growth for the economy was at an
annual average 4.5%. Fast
forward to 2008: Mugabe’s armour
has lost its lustre. He is the
‘senile villain’ who cannot
relinquish power. He has become
the archetype of African leaders
(sometimes called sons of
continent) who often overstay
the long gone ecstatic welcome
at independence.
The ‘P’ of patriotic in Zanu-PF
entails that the incumbent as
well as the challengers should
forgo their self-serving
interests. It’s time to mend the
nation and forge a common
destiny of a Zimbabwe that can
feed her children as it used to.
Presiding over a reign of
violence in a teetering economy
while trying to remain in power
is clearly ill-advised. There
are no easier answers,
regardless. Zimbabwe is beyond
either Mugabe or Tsvangirai. A
power-sharing deal should be
brokered.
At another level, putting things
into perspective, the ‘Zimbabwe
Ruins’ case is not unlike the
matter of Palestine where the
British created the mess and
walked away. The culpability of
the colonial power reneging on
her commitment as it was done at
Lancaster House in 1979 is not
forgotten. It’s time for Downing
Street to make amends and
reconstruct Zimbabwe.
Truce? What Truce?
Some things are doomed before
they start. It seems Apartheid
Israel enters into deals only by
lip-service.
The surprise was not in the
predictability of Apartheid
Israel. It was in the brevity of
the duration it took for
Apartheid Israel to provoke by
killing two Palestinians in the
West Bank hardly a week after
concluding the now-shaky truce.
Is it a ploy which seeks to put
Hamas on the spot so that the
movement goes on a collision
course with other factions in
Gaza such as Islamic Jihad?
It may not be far-fetched as
Palestinian internecine
conflicts are a boon to
Apartheid Israel. |
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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 159.49 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 7,974.50 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 3,189.80 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Kindness |
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Narrated 'Aisha Radhi-Allahu
anha: “Allah's Messenger
Sallallahu alyhi wassallam
said, "Be calm, O 'Aisha!
Allah loves that, one should
be kind and lenient in all
matters." (al-Bukhari)
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Quotation for the Week |
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Acquisitions |
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Whatever possesions and
objects of its desires the
lower self may obtain, it
hangs on to them, refusing
to let them go out of greed
for more, or out of fear of
poverty and need.
(Jalal al-Din
Muhammad Rumi) |
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Point of Reflection |
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No Haste |
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The Devil would intrude upon
hurried work.
(Turkish Proverb) |
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Q and A |
Question: I am a
purchasing officer for my
organization. Sometimes
tendering firms
may offer me discounts for
my private purchases or
gifts for giving them
business even
if there no preconditions.
It this acceptable under
Shariah? |
Answer:
Even if such gifts or
presents are not given on
the basis of them being a
precondition for the
awarding
of tenders, they should
still be disclosed to one's
employer(s)
or manager(s). If they allow
you to have them then you
may have them on condition
that this does not
constitute bribery, even in
an implicit manner. On the
other hand, if they are
given as
a bribe, even in an implicit
manner, it will not be
permissible to take them.
They should be returned to
the party concerned.
And Allâh Ta’âla Knows Best.
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U P D A T E |
Responsibility of Ulama in the
Masjid Workshop
Young Ulama gathered at the
Jamiat offices on Saturday, 21
June 2008. They were attending a
workshop conducted by Moulana
Mohammad Ali Zubair Ali. The
workshop focus was on the
responsibility of Ulama in the
masjid. Among other things, the
Ulama discussed: the virtues and
importance of the post of the
Imaamat; the relationship
between imams and trustees;
masjid-based social and
spiritual programmes, and
community responsibilities.
Brother Khalid Baig Visits the
Jamiat
Brother Khalid Baig was a guest
of the Jamiat on Tuesday, 24
June 2008. Brother Khalid is a
prolific and insightful author
based in the US and has written
as well as translated (from
Urdu) a number of books and
articles. One of his well known
publications is ‘First Things
First,’ an anthology of his
contributions to the column by
the same title in the magazine
Impact International.
While at the Jamiat office,
Brother Khalid who is in the
country courtesy of the Islamic
Medical Association (IMA),
conducted a workshop on Role of
Ulama in the Media and Writing
for a Worldwide Readership.
The book First Things First as
well as Accepted Whispers, a
collection of supplications from
Qur’an and Hadith originally by
Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi under
the title Munajat-e-Maqbul are
available on sale from the
Jamiatul Ulama (Tel: 011 373
8000).
A forthcoming publication of
Brother Khalid, insha-Allah, is
on music entitled Slippery
Stone: Understanding Islam’s
Stance on Music and Singing.
Recent articles by Brother
Khalid are available from his
e-journal www.albalagh.net
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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The Role of a
Father towards Children
Part I |
You shall not kill your
children for fear of
want. We will provide
for them and for you. To
kill them is a great
sin. (17:31)
Fathers are like
bridges, they differ in
structure, but all have
a common goal, they
carry us through life’s
difficulties and help us
cross life’s stepping
stones.
It is in the natural
instinct of the father
to love his children.
However the Quraan
teaches us through the
incident of Ibraahim as
that this love should be
a hindrance in the
obedience of Almighty
Allah.
When asked to sacrifice
his son through the
means of a dream, Allah
did not want Ibraahim
Alayhis Salaam to harm
his son, rather to make
him understand that
nothing should take a
him away from the love
and obedience of Allah.
Consultation
with one’s child
This story also teaches
us another great lesson
of fatherhood. When
commanded by Allah to
sacrifice his son
Ibrahim as approach his
son and explained the
command of Allah to his
son. He said: "O my son!
I have seen in a dream
that I am slaughtering
you. So look what you
think!''.
This consultation with
his son had many
benefits:
1. To test his patience
and resolve, at a young
age, in obeying Allah
and obeying his father
2. It makes the task of
the child easy by
informing him of his
responsibilities.
3. It empowers the child
to make major decision
that will life of the
child in the future.
4. Also this incident
brings a different
aspect to light. The
confidence the child has
in his father that he is
willing to sacrifice his
life by the request of
his father.
As fathers we should be
approachable to our
children. Our children
need to understand the
port of help for them is
there parents. When
Prophet Yusuf Alayhis
Salaam had seen the
dream of the sun, moon,
stars prostrating to me.
Immediately he turned to
his father for guidance.
The responsibility of
fatherhood is not
restricted only to sons.
This responsibility is
also for daughters. The
Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam said: “Whoever
has a daughter and
tutors her on good
morals, educates her
well, and feeds her
properly she will be a
protection for him from
Hell fire.”
Tips for
Connecting with your
Children (Courtesy of
Al-Jumuah Magazine)
When you speak,
what do your chil¬dren
hear? When you were
young and your father
had something to say.
How did he say it? Did
the conversation start
off like, "You would be
good, if only you would"
Did some of his lectures
leave you feeling as if
you weren't living up to
his expectations?
Now think about the way
you approach your
children with advice.
Put yourself in their
shoes and try to
remember what it was
like to be young.
Remember the feelings of
not being good enough,
or falling short of your
father's standards. How
can you keep your
children from feeling
this way?
If you are looking for
the best ways to develop
that intimate parental
rapport with your
children, here are a few
suggestions from people
who specialize in child
and adolescent
development;
• Be honest in your
discussions. This is the
best way to establish
trust.
• Listen to your
children when they speak
and ask open ended
questions that encourage
dialogue. Children want
to be able to discuss
topics with their
parents. They are
looking for two sided
conversations.
• Think about how you
speak to your kids.
Sometimes when fathers
advise their children,
they speak in ways that
seem to say, "You will
be a good Muslim only
when you..."
• Avoid threatening, and
nagging to get your
children to be more
responsible and
practical. It can
backfire.
• Recognize the things
your children do right
and praise them for it.
Everyone wants to feel
appreciated and
acknowledged for his or
her efforts. Children
are no different.
• Stay calm and in
control during
emotionally charged
situations. Don't resort
to yelling and
screaming. Avoid getting
into power struggles
with your children.
• Establish clear,
consistent rules about
what is and is not
acceptable. Be aware
that younger children
will follow the rules
you set simply because
they are the rules.
Adolescents may question
certain rules. Respect a
child's need to have a
rule explained, but be
firm in explaining that
certain rules are not
open to negotiation.
• Be supportive. As a
father, you are an
important foundation of
validation in their
lives.
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
‘Foreign Muslims’
(This is a re-run of the
Ameer's Message prepared for
4 July 2007)
A community in Gauteng, last
weekend, arranged a
programme for the Malawian
community.
Within our midst of ‘South
African’ Muslims, there are
Muslims from various parts
of the world. They exist
within us, but not always as
a part of us. It is our duty
and responsibility to
remember that Islam exists
beyond the boundaries of
race, colour, tribe,
nationality, etc.
South African Muslims need
to welcome Muslims from
other lands into their
communities and even, where
necessary and possible,
assist and cater for the
special needs for these
Muslim brothers and sisters.
It must also remembered that
providing for the physical
needs of Muslim brothers and
sisters from abroad is
important, but providing for
their spiritual, religious
and educational needs to be
given priority.
The argument that many of
these ‘foreign’ Muslims have
engaged in bribery,
corruption, drug-dealing and
other crimes and vices holds
little water. Every
community has those who
engage in good, and those
who transgress. Where
Muslims from other countries
perpetrate crime and cause
the spread of wrongdoing,
then we should help Law
Enforcement Agencies to root
out these individuals or
groups who do not represent
the Muslim Ummah in their
actions.
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