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Weekly Comment |
Voting: Civic Duty and
Democratic Right
We shall be queuing
before polling booths on
Wednesday 22 April 2009 in the
fourth general elections of the
post-Apartheid era. All
political parties want your
vote. With it, they will earn
political capital with which
they will discharge affairs on
your behalf.
However,
others in the community are
trying to convince us that we
should not participate in the
electoral process. “It is kufr
politics!” they scream. The
Jamiatul Ulama, however, would
like to encourage all Muslims to
exercise this democratic right
to vote. It is a civic duty as
well.
Our vote should be
used to put in place a
government that will:
•
Safeguard civil liberties that
include the freedom of worship
• Ensure the eradication of
poverty
• Be committed to
the fight against disease and
delivery of an accessible health
care system
• Empower the
masses through social economic
development
• Uphold the
safety and dignity of all by
strengthening the criminal
justice system
•
Implement a foreign policy that
asserts freedom of all peoples
of the world
• Address
the imbalances created by
deliberate policies of the past
• Equitably distribute
the nation’s wealth and natural
endowments
• Assert our
national diversity as a boon and
be unswerving on inclusivity
As a minority community,
Muslims should be able to find
issues of common significance
with other compatriots. Shared
values such as peace, social
justice, accountability and
human dignity require our voice
so that we can “uphold good, and
forbid evil,” a principle tenet
of a Muslim’s social
responsibility.
We
cannot be so indifferent about
the conduct of government
business that we abstain from
voting. So, let us all who
registered cast our vote,
following the inclination of our
conscience, and then, put our
trust in Allah.
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C O N T E N T
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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 137.06 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 6,852.89 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,741.16 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Truthfulness |
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'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may
Allah be pleased with him)
relates that the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (may
Allah's blessings and peace
be upon him) said: 'A true
action leads to the path of
virtue and good deeds, and
virtue paves the way of a
person to Paradise, and the
said person continues to
speak the truth till in the
sight of Allah (The
Glorified and The Exalted)
he is named Siddiq
(Truthful). Lying leads to
vice, and vice leads to
indecent acts and if a
person goes on lying, in the
sight of Allah (The
Glorified and The Exalted)
he is named a liar.
(Bukhari and Muslim) |
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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Reading |
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"You
don't have to burn books
to destroy a culture. Just
get people to stop reading
them."
(Ray
Bradbury) |
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Point of Reflection |
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Precautionary
Responsibility |
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Do not stand in a place of
danger trusting in miracles.
(Arab Saying) |
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Q and A |
Question:
I was
on an open field (cricket
playground) and Asr Salaah’s
time set in. There were few
people present. Spread here
and there. What is Shariah
ruling on offering Salaah on
an open ground?
My
main concern here is (reason
and doubt): on the ground
there were people with their
dogs and pets etc. here and
there. So what is the ruling
on offering Salaah on an
open ground, where dogs and
other pets and some people
are sitting, etc?
What are the precautions and
concerns need to be taken
while offering Namaaz on
open ground where various
people pets and dogs and
other animals also present?
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Answer:
There will be no harm in
performing Salaah in an open
field provided there is no
form of impurity thereupon
nor any remnants thereof.
However, it is Makrûh
(abominable) for a person to
perform Salaah close to
impurities of any type.
When a person does
undertake the responsibility
of performing Salaah in such
an open ground, he should
ensure that a barrier of
some sort be placed in front
of him to facilitate the
easy passage of people and
to avoid being distracted.
The minimum requirement of
the barrier should be
approximately 45,72cm long
and having the width of an
index finger.
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U P D A T E |
More Ulwazi Students Graduate
Tuesday 7th April 2009 was
special day for students of
Ulwazi Skills Development and
Community Empowerment Centre.
They were graduating from
different vocational skill
programmes offered by the
centre. Of the fourteen students
who completed their sewing
course, seven were at an
advanced level.
A new
programme in computing saw the
graduation of ten students who
had completed a basic course
that focussed on Microsoft
Office Suite.
The centre
which opened last year is an
initiative of the Jamiatul Ulama
Branch in Lenasia and aims at
the empowerment of the community
through the imparting of various
technical skills.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Moderation |
“Thus we have made you
an Ummah justly
balanced, that ye might
be a witness over the
nations...” (2:143)
• Allah has created
the Ummah of Islam as a
community of moderation.
• The teachings
of Islam are based on
moderation. Moderation
in all facets of life -
spiritually, socially,
culturally,
educationally, morally
and even politically.
The teachings of Islam
negate extremism of all
sort.
• Those
that follow the Deen of
Islam with moderation
enjoy life and are able
to improve their
manners. They live in
peace and harmony; and
are able to live by the
tenants of Islam with
ease. On the contrary,
without this key
ingredient, living by
Islam becomes difficult
which eventually leads
to frustration.
• The very purpose of
revelation was a
reminder and exhortation
for mankind. Neither did
it seek to place Nabi
Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wasalam in
difficulty, nor his
followers. Allah says in
Surah Taha: “Ta Ha. We
have not sent the Qur’an
to thee to be an
occasion for thy
distress, but only as an
admonition to those who
fear (Allah).” (20: 1-3)
• The selected
bondsman of Allah have
been praised and
commended for possessing
outstanding qualities,
inter alia, they spend
of their wealth in a
moderate manner. The
concluding verses of
Surah Furqan illustrate
this in the words:
“Those who, when they
spend, are not
extravagant and not
niggardly, but hold a
just balance between
those extremes...”
(25:67)
• Eating
and drinking are the
cornerstones of human
existence. These too
should be undertaken
with a degree of self
control. Allah says in
the Qur’an: “O Children
of Adam! Wear your
beautiful apparel at
every (time and) place
of prayer; and eat and
drink but waste not by
excess, for He (Allah)
loves not the wasters.”
(7:31)
• The
objective of the
creation of Man is to
serve Allah and worship
Him. Allah desires from
us that we execute the
various forms of worship
in a manner that is par
excellence. Distinction
in this regard also
commands the middle
path. Surah Israa while
schooling the Ummah in
the method of calling
upon Allah states:
“Neither speak aloud in
thy prayer, nor speak it
in a low tone, but seek
the middle course in
between.” (17:110)
• The following
narrations of Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam exhort the need
for moderation in the
affairs of Islam. Abu
Hurairah radhiyallahu
anhu narrates that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam said,
‘The religion of Islam
is indeed easy. Hence,
follow it with
moderation, be close (to
it), give glad tidings,
seek the help (of Allah
with prayer) in the
morning, during the day
and during part of the
night.’ (Bukhari) In a
narration of Baihaqi,
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam is
reported to have stated,
‘The best of all
dealings is the one
which is moderate.’ Abu
Abdullah Jabir bin
Samurah radhiyallahu
anhu describes the
prayers of Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam, ‘I used to pray
with Nabi sallallahu
alayhi wasalam the
regular prayers. His
prayers were moderate
and his speeches were
moderate.’ (Muslim)
• Moderation should
be exercised in every
sphere of human life. If
the rights of all
persons are adequately
fulfilled and taken care
of, human existence will
be bliss. The advices of
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam
accurately sum up this
principal, ‘Certainly
you have a duty to
Allah, you have a duty
to yourself and you have
a duty towards your
family. Hence give each
your obligations due.’
(Bukhari)
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Six Rights of a
Muslim upon a Muslim |
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(This is a re-run of one
of the Ameer's previous
messages) |
In a world filled with
selfishness and the unending
pursuit of wealth and all
commodities to fulfill our
desires, it becomes
important to remind
ourselves of the rights
every Muslim has upon
another. Whether we know
that particular Muslim or
not, the fact that s/he is a
Muslim, they automatically
have certain rights upon us.
Allah's Messenger (peace
be upon him) said: "No one
of you shall become a true
believer until he desires
for his brother what he
desires for himself." (Bukhari)
Surely the best way for
us to please our
brother/sister is to place
him/her high in our
estimation and do for
him/her what we would like
for ourselves. The Prophet
gave us comprehensive
direction on how to sustain
brotherhood. He (sallallahu
‘alaihi wa sallam) said:
"There are six rights of a
Muslim upon a Muslim:?"
1) "When you meet him,
greet him?" With a warm
smile, a friendly face and
As-Salaam Alaykum we should
try to
greet every
Muslim. We must avoid
picking and choosing whom we
confer this basic right
upon. All Muslims regardless
of their social status and
position in society should
be afforded this "gateway"
into our personal space. The
Salaam is the best of
icebreakers as it
immediately brings down the
barriers that we
unconsciously erect around
ourselves to shield us from
"alien invasion".
2)
"When he invites you,
respond to him;?" When a
Muslim brother invites you
to a function, you are
obliged to go. Accepting an
invitation is about sharing
in the joys of a brother as
well as joining with other
Muslims in a social
gathering.
3) "When
he seeks counsel, give him
good advice;?" When a
brother comes to you with a
problem, seeking advice,
give him true advice. Be
sincere in your advice. Give
such advice that would keep
his best interest at heart.
4) "When he sneezes and
praises Allah, say to him:
`May Allah have mercy on you
(Yarhamuk-Allah)'?" . When a
Muslim sneezes or even when
he trips and he remembers to
praise Allah, we must
respond to him with a prayer
for Allah to have mercy on
him.
5) "When he is
sick, visit him?”. When you
go and visit a sick brother,
remember to pray for him and
do not inconvenience him by
staying too long.
6)
"When he dies, follow his
funeral?" Attending the last
rites of a brother is of
utmost importance. Speaking
well of him and seeking
forgiveness for him will
ease his condition in the
grave. In turn, when you
die, others will also feel
for you and make du’a
sincerely for your
forgiveness.
If we
can fulfil these basic
rights of Muslims, it is
hoped that much of the envy,
malice and hatred in the
society will vanish – Insha
Allah.
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