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Weekly Comment |
Special Needs: They need More
than Sympathy
A Special Needs Awareness Jalsa
that was held at the Wits
University Auditorium last
Sunday turned out to be a moving
affair. Not even an eye could
remain dry for what it saw.
Children with different
kinds of challenges performed,
sung in sign language and
demonstrated in amazing ways how
in spite of adversity, they are
learning how to pray, recite the
Qur’an and be just that: truly
special.
When dealing
with the affairs of the
handicapped, emphasis should not
be on their disAbility. Rather,
it should be on the wonders of
the Almighty who endows an
enduring spirit to the disAbled
to overcome their
visual-impairment,
mental-challenge, hearing or
speech impediment, and any other
forms of challenges.
It
should be appreciated that the
disAbled are special people who
have been endowed with
challenges. Yet, the
physically-challenged excel in
many ways with distinction as
the Jalsa showed to many in the
audience.
The history of
Islam presents many cases of
people who had different forms
of bodily challenges. Their
place in society was not judged
by the nature of their
challenge. Rather, by the
content of their character.
Despite his visual
challenge, Abdullah Ibn Umme
Maktûm Radhi-Allahu anhu, the
blind sahabi became a hafiz of
the Qur’an and went to occupy
the honourable position of the
muezzin of Nabi Sallallahu
‘alayhi wassallam.
Incidents related to him
prompted the revelation of 16
verses of the Qur’an the most
famous being the beginning of
the 80th Surah of the Qur’an
known as Abasa (He frowned).
After this occasion, Nabi
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wassallam
would greet him by saying:
“Welcome unto him on whose
account I was reminded by
Allah.”
On not less than
ten instances while the Prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam led
expeditions out of the city of
Madina, Abdullah Ibn Umme Maktûm
was left in-charge of the
community.
Later Muslim
generations emulated this fair
treatment of the
physically-challenged.
Ata ibn Abi Rabah became one of
the greatest muftis of Makkah in
his time regardless of his being
paraplegic. He was highly
honoured by Abdul Malik ibn
Marwan, the Muslim Caliph of
that time. His vast knowledge
earned him recognition and
prestige.
Caring for the
physically-challenged is an
individual’s religious duty for
those responsible for them for
whom Allah has promised
tremendous rewards.
At a
wider level, it is a collective
responsibility of the entire
Muslim community to show care,
compassion, and understanding
and to set up accessible
infrastructure in our masâjid
and educational institutes to
cater for the specific needs of
the physically-challenged.
Resources for special needs
education tend to be cost
intensive. It was eye-popping to
learn at the Jalsa that it costs
R5000.00 per day for an
English-sign language
interpreter! Are we going to
ignore the lament of those
children and teachers who are
helpless at not accessing the
beauty the Qur’an due to lack of
Arabic learning aids for the
hard of hearing?
It is
deplorable that the religion
which has been termed by the
Almighty as a mercy for the
entire universe must be lacking
in terms of care and compassion
to the physically-challenged, to
an extent that people of other
faiths must be seen as
trendsetters in this matter.
The Jamiatul Ulama commends
the role of all those who strive
for the betterment of the
physically-challenged and we
pray that the Almighty accepts
their noble endeavours.
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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 147.91 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
7,395.30 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,958.12 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Lasting Company |
Anas ibn Malik
Radhi-Allahu anhu reported
Allah's Messenger Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam as saying:
“Three things follow the
bier of a dead man. two of
them come back and one is
left with him: the members
of his family. wealth and
his-good deeds. The members
of his family and wealth
come back and the deeds
alone are left with him.”
(Muslim)
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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For the Future |
"Remember Allah when you
are comfortable, He will
remember you when you are in
difficulty, and when you set
your eyes upon something in
this world, think about how
it will end!
(Abu-d-Dardaa Radhiallaahu
`anhu)
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Point of Reflection |
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It Starts with Fajr... |
No one who can rise
before dawn 360 days a year
fails to make his family
rich.”
(Chinese
Saying)
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Q and A |
Question:
Kindly
provide some insight into
the matter of
Talaaq-e-Raj’i.
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Answer:
Talaaq-e-Raj’i is when the
husband pronounces one
explicit divorce, for
example, ‘I divorce you’ or
‘I give you Talaaq’. The
sunnah method of issuing
this divorce is that only
one such divorce be given
and that too, in a clean
period of the wife wherein
no sexual activity was
engaged in between the
spouses.
In this
divorce the husband can
revoke the divorce before
the expiry of the iddat,
verbally, by saying, for
example, “I take you back as
my wife” or physically, by
being intimate with the
wife. By intimacy is meant
kissing, hugging in an
intimate manner, touching
the wife in an intimate
manner, etc. The word
intimate here does not imply
sexual intercourse only.
If the divorce is not
revoked within the iddat
period then by the passing
of the iddat the wife will
be considered to be
completely out of the nikah
of the husband and is free
to remarry. If the divorce
was not revoked by the
husband within the iddat
period and the couple
thereafter decides to
reconcile, then a new nikah
has to be performed. In this
way the wife does not have
to marry another man before
being able to get back with
the husband. One must
however understand that if
the couple does get together
during or after the iddat
then the one divorce still
stands. In future the
husband only has two
divorces left to reach the
maximum three. In other
words the divorce is not
cancelled by reconciliation.
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U P D A T E |
Jâmi‘ah
al-‘Ulûm al-Islâmiyyah
The Jâmi‘ah
al-‘Ulûm al-Islâmiyyah was
established by the Jamiatul
Ulama with the aim of providing
quality Islamic education within
such a social context which
challenges the notion of
practicing Islam in its
unadulterated form. The
formation of the Jaami`ah is
driven by the desire to rekindle
scholarship within the Ummah and
provide sound leadership so as
to elevate the Ummah to its
deserved glory.
The
institute currently offers the
‘Aalim Fâdhil programme which is
a six-year direct-contact and
full-time course and will be
taught primarily through the
medium of English and Arabic
together with a limited amount
of Urdu.
Some of the
subjects that are taught
include:
Arabic and the
various branches of Arabic
grammar and literature,
Qur'anic sciences and exegesis,
Hadith and Hadith sciences,
Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh,
History.
Other subjects
include a focused programme on
functional Arabic and Urdu as
well as English for Effective
Communication.
Skills
development is also given
importance,
Computer Studies
is a compulsory subject with the
intention to register all future
students for the ICDL.
A
programme on Islamic economics,
Research methodology and writing
forms and skills are covered as
is speech and elocution,
Students are exposed to guest
speakers who address them on a
range of issues, on a
fortnightly basis.
Learners will be awarded a
certificate upon completion of
the course.
The institute
also motivates students to
further their knowledge in other
fields and facilitates their
registration and study at
tertiary institutes in
accordance with their academic
aptitudes.
No boarding
and lodging is provided to
students.
Admission
Requirements:
Aspiring
learners must be mature persons,
of upright character, have a
basic Islamic education, be in
possession of a matriculation
certificate, versatile in
English and any other official
language of the country and be
dedicated to self-study.
Learners will be accepted
only after an interview.
Applications for 2010 close on
the 9th October 2009. The
academic year begins in January
and ends in December.
For
more information, contact:
Ml. Abdullah Jeena
Jâmi‘ah
al-‘Ulûm al-Islâmiyyah
Tel:
011 373 8040, Fax: 011 373 8022
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Week Three:
Reward for Good Deeds -
Seeking knowledge |
“From among His
servants, it is those
who have knowledge that
fear Allah.” (35:28)
“Allah will raise the
ranks of those who
believe among you and
those who have been
given knowledge.”(58:11)
• Mu‘awiyah
radhiyallahu anhu
narrates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘When
Allah desires good for a
person, He gives him the
understanding of Deen. I
(Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam) am
merely a distributor (of
knowledge) and Allah is
the One who bestows. The
affair of this Ummah
will remain upright
until the final hour and
the order of Allah comes
to pass.’ (Bukhari &
Muslim)
• Mu‘aadh
bin Jabal radhiyallahu
anhu narrates that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘Learn knowledge for
learning it results in
the fear of Allah,
acquiring it is an act
of worship, discussing
it is glorification of
Allah, delving in it is
Jihad, teaching it to
one who does not know is
a charity, and giving it
to those who deserve it
is a means of proximity
(to Allah). The reason
for this is that it is a
means of knowing the
lawful and the
prohibited. It is a
companion in solitude, a
friend in a strange
land, one who converses
with you in solitude, an
indicator towards
happiness and
affliction, a weapon
against the enemy and an
adornment in the
presence of friends.
Allah raises the rank of
nations through it and
thereby makes them
guides and leaders in
goodness. Their
footsteps are followed,
their actions are
emulated and their
opinions are adopted.
The angels desire to
befriend them. They
stroke them with their
wings. Every animate and
inanimate creature seeks
forgiveness for them:
the fish and other
creatures of the sea,
the animals of prey and
cattle of the jungles.
This is because
knowledge is the life of
the hearts from
ignorance and the light
of the eyes from
darkness. It is through
knowledge that a servant
reaches the ranks of the
righteous and lofty
positions in this world
and in the Hereafter.
Pondering over knowledge
is equivalent to
fasting. Teaching it to
each other is equivalent
to spending the night in
worship. It is through
knowledge that ties of
kinship are cemented. It
is through knowledge
that the lawful and the
prohibited are learnt.
Knowledge is the leader
of action and action is
its follower. It is the
fortunate ones who are
inspired by knowledge
while the unfortunate
ones are deprived of
it.’ (Ibn Abdul Bar)
• Abu Musa
radhiyallahu anhu
narrates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘The
similitude of the
guidance and knowledge
Allah has sent me with
is like that of rain
which fell upon
unproductive land. A
piece of that ground was
good. It absorbed the
water and caused trees
and plenty of vegetation
to grow. Another piece
of that ground was
barren. It held the
water (without absorbing
it). Allah enabled
people to benefit from
it. They drank of it,
irrigated their land and
harvested (their crops).
The rain fell on another
portion of that land
which was plain and
level. It neither holds
any water nor does it
allow any vegetation to
grow. So that is the
similitude of he who has
the understanding of the
religion of Allah and
benefits from what Allah
has sent me with. He
thus acquires knowledge
and conveys it to
others. And the other is
the similitude of him
who does not pay any
heed to it and does not
accept the guidance of
Allah with which I have
been sent.’ (Bukhari)
• Anas bin Malik
radhiyallahu anhu
narrates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘The
similitude of the Ulama
on earth is like that of
the stars by which
people are guided in the
darkness of the land and
sea. If the stars are
extinguished, people
would soon go astray.’
(Musnad Ahmad)
•
Abu Al-Aswad says,
‘There is nothing that
is more honourable than
knowledge. The kings are
rulers over the masses
while the Ulama are
rulers over the kings.’
• Abu Hurairah
radhiyallahu anhu
narrates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘The most
superior form of charity
is for a Muslim person
to acquire knowledge and
then to teach it to his
Muslim brother.’ (Ibn
Majah) Abu Ummamah
radhiyallahu anhu
narrates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘The
person who goes to the
Masjid solely to learn
something good or to
teach it shall receive
the reward of a person
who performed a complete
Hajj.’ (Tabarani)
• Abu Hurairah
radhiyallahu anhu
narrates that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘From
among the actions and
good deeds that would
benefit a person after
his death are the
following: knowledge
which he spread, a
righteous child whom he
left behind, a copy of
the Qur’an which he left
as inheritance, a Masjid
which he built, a house
which he built for
travellers, a source of
water which he caused to
flow, and charity which
he took out of his
wealth while he was
alive and healthy. (The
reward of all this) will
join him after death.’
(Ibn Majah)
• Abu
Hurairah radhiyallahu
anhu narrates that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘Whosoever calls towards
guidance shall receive
the reward equal to
whoever follows him
without their rewards
being decreased in any
way. Whosoever calls
towards misguidance
shall receive the sin
equal to whoever follows
him without their sins
being decreased in any
way.’ (Muslim)
•
Abdullah, the son of
Imam Ahmad bin Hambal
rahimahullah, says: ‘I
asked my father, ‘Should
I offer Tahajjud Salaah
at night or should I
write down knowledge
instead?’ He replied,
‘Write down knowledge.’
Ad-Dimayati explains:
‘The reason why he said
this to his son is that
the benefit of writing
down knowledge extends
to others as well. He
will benefit form the
reward and the reward of
whoever benefits from it
in his life and forever
after his death. As for
the Tahajjud Salaah, the
reward of it is confined
to himself alone. Allah
knows best.’
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Niqab |
Yesterday, a website
(www.IslamOnline.net)
reported that a senior
Sheikh from Egypt had made a
statement to the extent that
hijab has nothing to do with
Islam. The sheikh instructed
a school student, whose
class he was visiting,
insisting that she remove
the niqab. The website
quotes the Sheikh, as
saying, “The niqab is a
tradition and has nothing to
do with Islam,” and adding
“I tell you again that the
niqab has nothing to do with
Islam and it is only a mere
custom. I understand the
religion better than you and
your parents.” The Sheikh is
also quoted to have said, “
I intend to issue a
regulation to ban the niqab
in al Azhar schools ... no
student or teacher will be
allowed into the school
wearing the niqab”. The
Sheikh’s statements come
close after the Ministry of
Education in Egypt has
reportedly ordered a ban on
the niqab in school hostels
and the Egyptian ministry of
religious endowments
recently distributed
booklets in masaajid against
the niqab.
I find it
difficult to believe and am
extremely saddened to learn
that a senior scholar, such
as the one mentioned, could
have made a statement to
this effect. In fact, I hope
that there was some mistake
or the sheikh was
misunderstood.
The
issue of hijab and niqab is
a very simple one and needs
to be put in perspective.
There is unanimity among
scholars on the obligatory
nature of hijab (hijab –
covering the entire body
except the hands and face;
niqab – the veil or the face
covering). There is clearly
a difference of opinion on
whether the niqab is part of
the hijab or not – in other
words whether the niqab is
obligatory, sunnah or
preferable. Scholars have
presented both opinions and
proofs have been submitted
by proponents of both views.
Both sides have also
respected the views of the
other. There has however
never been an authentic view
that hijab is not a part of
Islam or that it is not
permissible.
The
opinion that niqab has no
basis in Islam and is an
innovation in deen, or that
it is based only on culture
and tradition, is an opinion
that is without doubt an
incorrect opinion. It is an
opinion that has no basis in
the Qur’an, the sunnah, the
way of the sahabah or the
understanding of the pious
scholars of Islam.
In
recent times it is an
opinion that has been
proposed by enemies of Islam
and has been the cause of
the Muslim women in various
countries around the world
being forced to remove their
hijab (The ban of the burqa
in France, the examples of
the Muslim women in
Michigan, USA courts and the
example of a woman in an
Australian court are but a
few examples).
Even
contemporary scholars such
as Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi has
slammed the view of the
Egyptian Sheikh. Dr Qardawi
states:
“No Muslim
scholar, whether among the
predecessors or contemporary
scholars, has ever been
reported to have regarded
wearing niqab as forbidden
except in the case of ihram
for women. The scholarly
difference regarding the
issue of niqab is only over
whether it is obligatory or
recommendable... Thus it is
untenable that a Muslim
jurist would regard niqab as
prohibited or even merely
undesirable in Islam. Hence,
I was really shocked to
learn of an opinion
attributed to some Al-Azhar
scholars to the effect that
they believe that veiling
the woman's face falls under
prohibiting what Almighty
Allah has originally
permitted. In fact, the
advocates of this view
cannot be said to be of firm
knowledge about the Qur'an
or the Sunnah or fiqh.”
The issue of the
miscreant views on niqab is
however one that expands
beyond the issue of niqab
and is indicative of a move
towards a secular view and
approach that compromises
the pristine purity of our
deen. It cloaks itself in
the presentation of deen in
a manner which is more
acceptable to contemporary
society – an approach that
is teeming with concessions,
compromises and apologetics.
It is important to note
that the niqab issue is only
a sampling of the shocking
and contemptible views that
could emerge or originate
from the unnatural and
illegal evolution of our
deen by scholars who make
grave errors as a result of
their compromises,
circumstances or need to
submit to alien persuasions
and pressures.
May
Allah (subhanahu wa ta`aala)
guide us in all that we do.
Aameen.
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