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Weekly Comment |
Nigeria: Violence begets
Violence without a Winner
There is tension hanging over
Jos, the capital of central
Nigeria’s Plateau State.
For weeks, Christians and
Muslims have fought each other
resulting in nearly 500 people
killed and hundreds more
injured. Thousands have fled
their homes and those returning
after an imposed military curfew
remain apprehensive of the
immediate future of their
hometown.
Nigeria has once
more witnessed yet another
bloody and deadly civil conflict
which has dogged the continent’s
most populous nation since
independence.
Conflicts
in Nigeria have been separatist,
as well as ethno-religious among
other issues. The term
‘ethno-religious’ is being used
advisedly here as there are many
situations where, though not
precise, ethnicity is masked by
religious affiliation. What
appears to be religious strife
may as well be continuation of
age-long tribal vendettas. Jos
straddles between ‘Christian
south’ and ‘Muslim north.’
According to a state police
commissioner, skirmishes began
after Muslim youths set a
Christian church ablaze, but
Muslim leaders denied that.
Muslims say that it began with
an argument over the rebuilding
of a Muslim home in a
predominantly Christian
neighbourhood that had been
destroyed in riots of November
2008.
In reference to the
clashes between police and
Islamic group “Boko Haram”
calling for the banning of
Western education in July 2009
we wrote:
…In the past, flare-ups have
taken many shapes but with
similar consequences: wanton
loss of life and tension.
Predictably, as in the past, the
government will appoint a
commission of enquiry to look
into the events surrounding the
matter. Again, as in the past,
there will not be much happening
by way of acting on
recommendations. Or perhaps the
Nigerian government will
surprise us with a different
response this time around?
Fast-forward to 2010: As Jos
smoulders, Nigeria’s leader,
Yar’Adua is away to Saudi Arabia
where he went to seek medical
help months ago. Back home,
activists have lamented that the
power vacuum his absence creates
could destabilise civilian rule
in a country that has seen
military rule for the better
part of the post-colonial
period.
It is commendable
that under the circumstances the
military has so far been
committed to preserving a
civilian political order,
resisting the temptation to
‘take-over.’ Nigeria needs to
continue in growing strong
institutions that are
accountable and can guarantee
internal stability.
In a
diverse society such as
Nigeria’s, intolerance will only
perpetuate non-stop vicious
cycles of violence. There will
never be a winner but more and
more misery and suffering of
poor women and children, to say
the least. |
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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 150.81 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 7,540.73 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 3,016.29 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Auspicious Friday |
Abu Hurairah
Radhi-Allahu ‘anhu reported:
Messenger of Allah
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said, "He who performs his
Wudu' perfectly and comes to
Jumu’ah prayer and listens
(to the Khutbah) silently,
the sins which he has
committed since the previous
Friday plus three more days
(i.e., 10 days) will be
forgiven for him. One who
distracts himself with
pebbles during the Khutbah
will not get the (Jumu’ah)
reward." (Muslim)
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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Learn and Practice |
“I
never memorised a single
hadith except I practiced
it, at least once.”
(Sufyaan bin
Sa’eed Ath-Thawri)
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Point of Reflection |
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Relax the Face |
"Life is short but a
smile takes barely a
second."
(Cuba)
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Q and A |
Question:
I recently learnt that a
creditor should not derive
any form of additional
benefit from his/her debtor.
The reason for my enquiry is
that I have a long standing
relationship with a friend
of mine who recently asked
me for a loan.
Our
relationship is such that we
often eat together and
exchange gifts between each
other from time to time.
This has always been our
practice even before I gave
him the loan. Please
enlighten me on this issue.
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Answer:
As
long as the following
criteria are met, the
relationship can be
maintained:-
• His
hosting you was not a
pre-condition to giving him
the loan.
• There is
no tacit agreement that his
hosting you is in lieu of
the loan you gave him.
• There was a practice
of this nature in place even
before the loan was
requested.
References: Shaami 5/166,
6/394 and Al-Ashbah 1/278,
270
And Allâh Ta’âla
Knows Best.
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U P D A T E |
Ulama Workshop on
Education
Ulama are invited to attend a
workshop on Education. This
workshop is scheduled for
Saturday, 5 Rabi’ul Awwal 1431 /
20 February 2010 at Baitul Hamd,
32 Dolly Rathebe Avenue,
Fordsburg. It will commence at
9:00am and end at 12:30pm.
The workshop will address
the following two topics:
“Current Learning Trends, Themes
and Perspectives,” and “A
Child’s World: Infancy to
Adolescence.”
Interested
participants are advised to make
timely reservations (by phoning
011 373 8000) to facilitate
adequate preparation for the
workshop.
Palestinian Delegation Visits
South Africa
A three-man delegation from
inside Occupied Palestine
visited South Africa recently
and appealed to Muslims in South
Africa to continue supporting
the Palestinians. During a
meeting with the Jamiatul Ulama,
the delegation highlighted the
increasing threat to Masjid al
Aqsa from Zionists.
The
members of the delegation are
part of an initiative which
organises buses to ferry
Palestinians to Masjid Al-Aqsa
to ensure Muslim presence at the
Haram Sharif in the face of
mounting threats from Zionists.
The project helps 60 to
70 busloads of Muslims daily to
come to the Haram Sharif at a
time when more and more
Palestinians are being pushed
farther away from the Haram by
the occupation. In Ramadan, 300
busloads come to the Haram under
the programme.
A key
member of the delegation, Sheikh
Bubuw, has since been banned
from visiting the Haram Sharif
for six months. He had organised
‘Itikaf in the masjid to prevent
Zionists from entering the Haram
Sharif during their festival
last year.
The sincere
appeal of the delegation was
that internationally more and
more people should be visiting
the Haram Sharif throughout the
year as well as supporting the
bus programme in order to
preserve Masjid al Aqsa’s Muslim
character which the Zionists are
hell bent to erase.
Motivating Substance Abusers in
Rehab Facilities
The Jamiatul Ulama has
approached two rehabilitation
facilities namely Phoenix and
Houghton Houses in order to have
access to patients needing
emotional and moral support on
their long way towards leading
clean lives.
Once an
agreement is concluded, ulama
and Muslim social workers will
be able to complement
institutional counselling to
patients with spiritual guidance
in order to motivate patients on
their resolve to change
destructive lifestyles of
substance abuse.
Southern
Africa Ulama Conference
A preparatory
meeting for the forthcoming
Southern Africa Ulama Conference
was held in Lenasia on Saturday
21 January 2010. At the meeting,
delegates discussed a framework
for a Southern Africa Ulama
forum as well as themes for the
conference scheduled to take
place in Malawi at the start of
the month of May 2010.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Al-Wahn, The
Deadly Disease |
• Allah said: “Say:
“‘Short is the enjoyment
of this world. And the
Hereafter is the best
for those who do right.
And you will never be
dealt with unjustly in
the very least. Wherever
you are, death will find
you out, even if you are
in towers built up
strong and high.”
[An-Nisaa, 4:77-78]
• On the authority
of Thawbaan (RA), the
Noble Prophet Muhammad
Sallallahu 'alayhi
wasallam said: “The
People will soon summon
one another to attack
you as people when
eating invite others to
share their food.”
Someone asked, “Will
that be because of our
small numbers at that
time?” He replied, “No,
you will be numerous at
that time: but you will
be froth and scum like
that carried down by a
torrent (of water), and
Allah will take the fear
of you from the breasts
(hearts) of your enemy
and cast al-wahn into
your hearts.” Someone
asked, “O Messenger of
Allah, what is al-wahn?”
He replied, “Love of the
world and dislike of
death.” [Abu Dawud and
Ahmad]
• Our
beloved Messenger
Sallallahu 'alayhi
wasallam was blessed
with the profound
ability to utter several
words which whole
volumes could then be
written about. In this
striking hadith, the
Prophet describes the
situation of the Muslims
with great accuracy, and
also prescribes a remedy
for the ailment. What is
extraordinary in this
hadith, is that the
Prophet conjures up
vivid images in the
listener’s mind about
the scenario. Here, the
Ummah is first likened
to some seemingly tasty
food surrounded by a
group of hungry diners.
But these people need to
share, and thus, the
food must be divided
into portions
corresponding to the
status of each ‘guest’.
• Shortly after
the fall of the Khilafah
(Caliphate), the Muslim
world was divided into
many different states by
the European powers,
with each of them eyeing
the rich resources that
Allah has blessed the
Muslims with.
•
Colonisation and
corruption shortly
followed in those lands,
and the seeds of
tyrannical, despot
regimes were planted.
Now, with the Ummah
divided and each
government primarily
concerned with its own
interests, the enemies
of Islam are free to
attack each region like
wild animals attack
their prey – Palestine,
Lebanon, Iraq, Chechnya
and Afghanistan…and then
Iran, Syria, Egypt,
Saudi Arabia…
•
Numbers are of little
significance. The
Muslims were victorious:
at the Battle of Badr,
where the disbelievers
outnumbered the Muslims
three to one. They were
also victorious at
Yarmuk, where the Romans
outnumbered the Muslims
seventy to one. The
current situation is
quite the opposite. The
Muslim population is
more than a billion and
is rapidly growing, but
described as “froth” in
the hadith.
•
Froth overlies the water
beneath, suggesting a
sense of pride and
self-confidence.
Secondly, the froth is
almost weightless and
with little substance,
such that a slightest
breeze can destroy it.
Thus, the pride and
self-confidence is ill
founded and in reality,
should not exist.
Thirdly, the foam and
scum is not in control
of its path - that is,
the role of the water
flowing beneath. All it
does is happily flow
along to its destination
while intoxicated with
its imaginary position.
• There were
days when the forces of
the Muslims were dreaded
by all those who opposed
them. Today, Muslims and
Islam are generally
looked down upon. Why?
The Prophet said it is
because of wahn: “Love
of the world and dislike
of death.”
•
Thus, the problem and
the solution have been
identified. After the
bombardment from
capitalist and socialist
ideologies, the Muslim
world became too
materialistic,
desperately pursuing the
rewards and pleasures of
this world, with little
remembrance of the
Hereafter. The Prophet
said (in another
hadith): “Keep much in
remembrance of death,
which is the destroyer
of pleasure.” [Tirmidhi]
• Once Muslims
realise that the death
is not the end, but the
beginning, thereafter
with ultimate justice
and either an
excruciating torment or
blissful reward, our
situation will surely
change.
• Until
then, Allah says:
“Verily, Allah will
never change the
condition of a people
until they change what
is within themselves.”
[Ar-Ra’d, 13:11]
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Social
Responsibility |
It is from amongst the
teachings of our Deen that
we have various
responsibilities to our
fellow human beings. These
responsibilities begin with
those around us. Our
neighbours employers,
employees, townsfolk,
colleagues, friends, family
and others who we interact
with have definite rights
over us. It is our duty to
fulfil these rights.
A person cannot dine
lavishly while his neighbour
starves. A person cannot
waste on extravagant
wardrobes of designer
clothes while those around
him do not have enough to
protect themselves from the
basic elements.
This
does not mean that a person
is not allowed to spend his
own hard-earned sustenance
to live a comfortable life
and provide for his own
family according to his
needs. He should enjoy of
what Allah has provided for
him. However, he should be
aware of the fact that Allah
has granted him this wealth
and it has been given to him
in trust with clear
injunctions as to how the
wealth should be expanded.
The poor and those in need
have rights over the wealth
that he possesses and this
must be fulfilled.
Additionally Allah exhorts
us, as Believers, to go
beyond the fulfillment of
rights and doing of justice.
Allah instructs us to show
increased kindness and
goodness to those around us.
As such we should not be
satisfied with spending the
bare minimum required of us
but should spend as much as
possible in order to better
the lot of our fellow human
beings.
"You will not
attain unto piety until you
spend of that which you
love. And, whatsoever you
spend, Allah is aware of it.
(Qur'an 3:92)
The
order to assist those in
need includes persons and
families from all
backgrounds and societies.
It is also not limited to
assistance in the form of
food or clothing but
incorporates assistance in a
wide range of fields.
In
a context where we exist as
a minority our community
outreach programmes serve to
fulfil the role of assisting
people from all backgrounds.
It also serves to showcase
the beautiful teachings of
Islam and become a means of
da`wah.
The effort by
a group of concerned
brothers at the Masjidus
Salam in Laudium, conducted
under the umbrella of the
Jamiatul Ulama, to build and
stock a library in
Soshanguve is a commendable
effort and must be lauded.
Alhamdulillah, the library
was built from scratch and
an official opening was held
this weekend.
May Allah
accept the effort of all
involved and may He make it
a means of goodness from
many perspectives. May Allah
guide us in all that we do.
Aameen.
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