|
|
|
Weekly Comment |
Defending Islam with Dignity
Seeing the
reaction Muslims are making in
response to many attacks on and
misuse of Islam and its symbols
has been encouraging.
At
the beginning of the month,
several publications carried
sacred texts of the Qur’an
especially in advert inserts.
They were in the form of
non-Muslim firms wishing their
clientele blessings of the Holy
Month as well Muslim-owned print
media covering Ramadan and
carrying adverts on similar
lines.
When the
sensitivity of the matter was
brought to the attention of the
parties concerned, they offered
their apologies and pledged to
be more circumspect in future.
Not many days ago, there was
a case of a KwaZulu-Natal paper
article that took an
Islamophobic slant. Furthermore,
earlier this week, there was a
report of an incident involving
a business executive making an
unkind remark about a staffer
observing hijab.
In both
circumstances, due the said
reaction (which has been
overwhelming, thanks to
Ramadan?) we have seen apologies
coming very fast from those
concerned.
There is no
denying that we are facing a
barrage of issues as an Ummah.
What matters however is how we
respond. Are we going to be
permanently in reaction-mode?
Rather, are we going to take
initiative and teach the Deen of
Islam to our colleagues, circle
of influence and associates?
In the practice of our
faith, we cannot remain in a
‘vigilante’ mode waiting to
silence the next person stepping
on our toes. More constructive
would be an adoption of a
strategy that will dispel myths
and misconceptions by teaching
the essence of Islam as a way of
life.
In the course of
our work we have also
experienced that non-Muslims are
more readily amenable to
concerns which are brought to
their attention. Perhaps it’s
time we moved away from the
default position that any
non-Muslim who makes a remark on
Islam and Muslims deemed
indecent, had in fact intended
to ridicule. They may deserve
the benefit of doubt.
It
is in fact Muslims themselves
who seem reluctant to admit
error of their part. How can we
demand that a commercial
publication should observe all
the respect and care for Islamic
symbols when Muslim-based
publications are indifferent
about it?
In our
strategy, we should neither
apply double standards nor be
hypocritical. Our approach
should be governed by principles
of fair-dealing and
steadfastness. We are not going
to offer apologies for our
beliefs either. In the war of
ideas we find ourselves in, an
insult for an insult will not
take us anywhere. As such, we
are not going to sink to the
same lows as those who have made
their mission to insult Islam
and Muslims.
We surmise
the Arab-European League’s
recent publishing of offensive
cartoons, albeit for
illustrative purposes to
highlight double standards in
the application of freedom of
expression as they have claimed,
was inappropriate. (more
here)
The Divine
Injunction from the Qur’an is
clear on the matter: “And do not
abuse those whom they call upon
besides Allah, lest exceeding
the limits they should abuse
Allah out of ignorance…”
(6:108).
It is the
nature of response which can win
over the hearts of others or
keep us marginalised and
disparaged. |
|
|
C O N T E N T
S |
|
Summarised
Jumuah Bayaan |
|
Question and
Answer |
|
Update |
|
Message from the Ameer |
|
I N F O R M A
T I O N |
|
Min. Mahr |
R 149.06 |
|
Mahr Faatimi |
R 7,453.10 |
|
Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,981.24 |
|
Words of Wisdom |
|
Hadith of the Week |
|
Charity |
The Messenger of Allah
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said: "If I had (a mountain
of) gold, I would love that,
before three days had
passed, not a single (coin)
thereof remained with me if
I found somebody to accept
it (as charity), excluding
some amount that I would
keep for the payment of my
debts." (Bukhari)
|
|
|
Quotation
of
the Week |
|
Obedience to the Creator |
“Stay obedient to Allâh,
stay away from disobeying
Allâh and command your
families to remember Allâh,
and He will
save you
from the Fire.”
(Ibn ‘Abbâs Radhi-Allahu
anhu)
|
|
|
Point of Reflection |
|
Reason Prevails |
“Any problem that cannot
be solved through reason
will not be solved by
force.”
(Hausa
Saying)
|
|
Make your
Contribution to the Jamiatul
Ulama |
“The deeds most loved by
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala
(are those) done regularly,
even if they are small.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Complete a
debit order and be
regular and continuous in
your small contributions... |
|
|
|
Q and A |
Question:
Is it
permissible for a person to
pay more Zakaah than is
required? For instance,
double the actual amount
due.
|
Answer:
The amount of
Zakaah due on a person is
what is required to be paid.
While there is no harm in
paying more Zakaah than is
due, one could contribute
that surplus amount as
Lillah, so that it could be
used for other religious
avenues where Zakaah cannot
be used, such as masâjid,
madâri and the
administration of Zakaah,
etc.
<Go to
Top> |
|
U P D A T E |
A
New Musalla Opens at the Zone
Shopping Mall, Rosebank
The Zone
Shopping Mall in Rosebank has a
new Muslim prayer facility. The
musalla has been provided under
the auspices of the Old Mutual
Investment Group Property
Investments.
The
Jamiatul Ulama has been involved
in the development of the
musalla by guiding on the layout
as well as installation of the
ablution facility.
Furthermore, while Old Mutual
Investment Group Property
Investments provided all the
requirements such as the space,
plumbing, signage and all
required fittings, carpeting was
provided by the Jamiatul Ulama.
The musallah is on the
eastern side of P1 level parking
area, before the exit to Oxford
road.
On behalf of the
Muslim community, we thank the
Old Mutual Investment Group for
providing this facility and also
Mrs Y Ebrahim who had initially
approached the management of the
mall with a request for the
musalla.
Haj Seminar
The Jamiatul Ulama in Fordsburg
hosted a Haj Seminar for
prospective hujjâj on Sunday 6
September 2009. The seminar held
at the Baitul Hamd’s auditorium
in Fordsburg was attended by
about 70 participants who were
taken through presentations on
the procedures of Umrah, five
days of Haj as well as the visit
to the city of the Prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam.
The seminar ended with a
question and answer session.
“Who will make a Good
Loan to Allah?”
Imagine you come on the Day of
Judgment and you have
contributed among other things
towards: a child’s proper
recitation of the Qur’an;
reconciliation of disputing
Muslims; providing for the
community’s poor and vulnerable;
publishing of the
recommendations of Allah and His
Rasul Sallallahu alayhi wasallam,
and guiding others towards the
Path of the Almighty! You can be
rest assured that it will weigh
heavily in your favour on the
scale of deeds more than
expectations.
The
Jamiatul Ulama is your conduit
for acquiring such Favours of
Allah. “The deeds most loved by
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala (are
those) done regularly, even if
they are small.” (Bukhari and
Muslim) We look forward to your
continued support and
contributions.
Please
make a commitment regardless of
the amount but regular by
completing a debit order and
submit it to the Jamiatul Ulama
via fax: 011 373 8022.
Orlando East Masjid Project
The Jamiatul Ulama is appealing
to all Muslims to contribute
towards the construction of an
Islamic centre in Soweto.
The project is the Jamiatul
Ulama’s collaborative initiative
with Ikhwana Islamiya in Soweto
where construction of the
purpose-built structure is
nearing completion.
The
project, which is under Siddiqi
Trust shall comprise of a masjid,
an imam's house as well as
madrasah classrooms in Orlando
East.
Donate generously
towards this project. A
Prophetic tradition according to
Bukhari and Muslim goes:
“Whosoever builds for Allah a
masjid, Allah will reward him
similar to it in paradise."
In another narration
according to Imam Ahmad,
“Whosoever shares in building a
masjid for Allah, even if it is
as small as a bird’s nest, Allah
will build for him a house in
Paradise.”
This is one
opportunity for earning thawâb
jâriya and a special statement
of support for the growing
Muslim community in Soweto.
Direct:
Name of Account:
Siddiqi Trust;
Bank: HBZ
Bank Ltd
Branch: Fordsburg
Code: 570105
Account No.: 11
901 121864
Via ABSA
Name of Account: HBZ Bank Ltd
Branch Code: 632005
Account
No.: 0101 323 1601
Ref:
21008105 (MUST Quote. Very
Important.)
Via Standard
Bank
Name of Account: HBZ
Bank Ltd
Branch Code:
00520508
Account No.: 002 502
410
Ref: 21008105 (MUST
Quote. Very Important.)
Kindly fax deposit slip for
record purposes to: 011 373 8022
|
|
Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
|
Maximise on the Last 10
Days of Ramadan |
“Verily, We have sent it
(this Qur’an) down on
the night of Qadr. And
what will make you know
what the night of Qadr
is? The night of Qadr is
better than a thousand
months. Therein descend
the angels and the Ruh
(Jibreel) by Allah’s
Permission with all
Decrees. (All that
night), there is Peace
until the appearance of
dawn.” (Surah Qadr - 97)
• Laylatul Qadr
(the Night of Power) is
described in the Qur’an
as, “better than a
thousand months” (97:3).
Thus, any action done on
this night is more
virtuous than carrying
out that action in any
other time of the year.
• Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam would exert
himself in devotion
during the last ten
nights to a greater
extent than at any other
time. (Muslim)
•
A’ishah radhiyallahu
anha related that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said:
‘Search for Laylatul
Qadr on the odd-numbered
nights during the last
ten nights of Ramadan.’
(Bukhari) Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said: ‘Whoever
prays during the night
of Qadr with faith and
hoping for its reward
will have all of his
previous sins forgiven.’
(Bukhari and Muslim)
• Here are some tips
of things we can do to
maximize these blessed
days:
1. Take a
vacation for Allah
We
take a break from our
jobs for almost
everything in life. Why
not take out time to
focus on worshiping and
thanking our Creator? If
this is not completely
possible, take a few
days off at least if you
can. This can make it
easier to stay awake at
night to do extra
Ibadah, not having to
worry about getting to
work the next day. It
will also facilitate
doing I’tikaaf.
2. Perform I’tikaaf
It was a practice of
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam to spend
the last ten days and
nights of Ramadan in the
Masjid for I’tikaaf.
Those in I’tikaaf in the
Masjid perform various
forms of Thikr
(remembrance of Allah),
perform additional
Salaah, and recite and
study the Noble Qur’an.
I’tikaaf of a shorter
period of time, like one
night, a day or a couple
of days is encouraged as
well.
3. Make
this special Du’a and
get your sins wiped out
A’ishah radhiyallahu
anha said: I asked
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam: ‘O
Messenger of Allah, if I
know which night is the
night of Qadr, what
should I say during it?’
He said: ‘Say: O Allah,
You are the One who
Pardons and You love to
pardon, so pardon me.’
(Ibn Majah & Tirmidhi)
The transliteration of
this Du’a is “Allahumma
innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul
‘afwa fa’fu ‘annee”.
Abu Hurairah
radhiyallahu anhu
narrated that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said: ‘Whoever
stands (in prayer) on
Laylatul Qadr while
nourishing his faith
with self-evaluation,
anticipating reward from
Allah, will have all of
his previous sins
forgiven.’ (Bukhari and
Muslim)
One of
the best times to make
du’a is during the last
part of the night. Abu
Hurairah radhiyallahu
anhu narrated that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said:
‘When the last third of
the night remains,
Allah, the Glorious,
descends towards the
heaven of the earth and
proclaims: Who is there
who supplicates for Me,
and I may grant his
supplication? Who is
there who begs Me for
anything and I may grant
it to him? And who is
there who seeks My
forgiveness, and I may
forgive him?’ (Bukhari,
Muslim) This means for
instance, waking up an
hour or so before Suhoor
time to ask Allah for
anything and everything
your heart desires. This
can be done supplicating
with the Du’as of the
Sunnah, but more
preferable is Du’a in
your own language, with
sincerity and
conviction.
4.
Make a personal Du’a
list
Ask yourself
what you really want
from Allah. Make a list
of each and everything,
no matter what it is,
whether it deals with
this world or not. Allah
loves to hear from us.
5. Recite the
Qur’an
Perhaps you
can choose Surahs or
passages from the
Qur’an, which you have
heard in Tarawih to
recite. If you have
attended a class where
the recitation of the
Qur’an is taught, this
is a great time to put
your knowledge into
practice. Choose the
last few Surahs or a
particular Surah of your
choice and read its
translation and Tafseer.
Then think deeply about
their meaning and how it
affects you on a
personal level. However,
the most meritorious is
to complete an entire
recitation of the Qur’an
as many a times as
possible.
6.
Evaluate yourself
Ask yourself those
questions that need to
be asked. Do an
evaluation of where you
are and where you are
going. Let this
evaluation lead you to
feel happiness for the
good you have done and
remorse for the bad you
have done. This latter
feeling should make it
easier to seek Allah’s
sincere forgiveness when
making the Du’a.
7. Make a to-do list for
the odd nights of the
last ten days
This
should define how you
would like your night,
the one better than a
thousand months, to be
used. Pick things from
this list and define the
sequence you would like
to do things in. This
will help you avoid
wasting your time in
unproductive and
frivolous activities.
<Go to Top> |
|
Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
|
I'tikaaf |
The final ten days of
Ramadan 1430 commences
tomorrow evening. It is the
beginning of the last third
of the honorable month of
Ramadan – a last opportunity
to take full advantage of
this noble month.
In
a flash a full twenty days
have elapsed. Indeed, this
should be an occasion for us
to reflect on how we have or
have not spent these
glorious days. Did we fully
utilize the golden
opportunity of begging Allah
for forgiveness and asking
for the fulfillment of all
our needs and wants. This
reflection should be a
motivation that drives us to
make better use the days
that follow until the end of
Ramadan.
While we
reflect on the use of our
time during this Ramadan, we
should also take advantage
to reflect on the way we
have spent our lives up
until this stage and let the
reflection be a motivation
for us to make better use of
the rest of our lives.
The last ten days of
Ramadan is also the period
wherein many people enter
into the masjid to perform
the sunnah i’tikaaf. There
is great virtue in engaging
in the sunnah i’tikaaf and
we make du`aa that Allah
(subhanahu wa ta’aala)
accept the efforts of all
those undertaking this
important fard al-kifaayah.
At the same time,
there are many who are not
fortunate enough to be able
to join the sunnah I’tikaaf
for a variety of reasons.
These brothers should
remember that there is
nothing preventing them from
engaging in nafl i’tikaaf by
spending the nights in the
masjid or as much time in
the masjid as possible at
any other time of the day.
Spending the nights
in i’tikaaf presents one
with the probable prospect
of finding the night of
Qadr, since the hadeeth
indicates that the blessed
night falls within the last
ten nights of Ramadan. If it
is not possible to spend the
entire nights then at least
portions of the night could
be spend in the masjid in
ibaadah.
It must also be
mentioned that sisters are
also presented with the
opportunity of i’tikaaf,
which will be performed in a
secluded area within their
homes.
The hadeeth of
the Prophet (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) mentions
various benefits of
i’tikaaf. Among them are:
• The person performing
i’tikaaf will receive the
reward of two hajj and two
umrahs.
• Whoever
performs I’tikaaf for one
day, for the pleasure of
Allah, Allah will create a
distance of three trenches
between him and hellfire –
each trench being equal to
the distance between the
heavens and the earth.
•
The person performing
i’tikaaf is protected from
sins, and he receives reward
for all good deeds that he
is not able to perform by
virtue of him being in
i’tikaaf.
May Allah
(subhanahu wa ta’aala) guide
us in all that we do.
Aameen.
<Go to Top> |
|
|
|