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Weekly Comment |
Never Doubt the Resolve of
Palestinians
It seems the
Occupying Power in Palestine
still doesn't get it.
For over 60 years now, Zionists
have harrassed arrested maimed,
tortured, decimated and bombed
and confiscated Palestinian
land. In the fresh round, Shin
Bet officers raided the Islamic
Movement's Al-Aqsa Foundation
inside Occupied Palestine. With
them they took, according to Ali
Abu-Sheikha, the institution's
director general, files
documenting the "damage" done to
the Muslim holy sites, maps, NIS
1 million ($348,000) and some
800 alms boxes containing a
total of NIS 270,000 (about
$78,000). He went to say: "All
that is left are the floor
tiles, and if they could they
would have taken them too."
No amount of brute force and
intimidation will ever delink
Palestinians from their land.
Yet, the Occupying Power that is
Israel believes it can continue
with sadistic infliction of pain
on the Palestians until they are
silenced into oblivion.
In Gaza, the death toll of
patients has reached 245 as 77
year-old patient, Hussain Abu
Jazzar died on Tuesday after
having been unable to get
treatment for his failed kidney,
due to the continued Israeli
blockade of Gaza. According to
the Palestinian Health Ministry
of the ruling party Hamas, the
closure of Gaza's crossings
including the Rafah crossing
terminal by Israel since June
2007 has doubled the suffering
of hundreds of patients awaiting
a glimpse of hope for treatment
abroad.
The intransigence of the
Occupying Power ignores the
strength of the human spirit.
However, it's just for now.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday,
Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the
Islamic Movement in Occupied
Palestine said "to those who
want to shut down the al-Aqsa
institution we say, if by doing
this you are trying to tell us
to keep quiet or make us fear
imprisonment – we will not keep
silent and will carry on
forever." He emphasised with
determination: "Jerusalem is
within the Arab-Islamic
community's rights until the end
of days, and we will not hold
any negotiations on it; the
occupation is temporary."
What else will the Occupying
Power do now other than what
they have been doing in the past
60 years a history of which is
well-chronicled?
The Favours of Allah
Allah (azza wa
jalla) infinte favours and
blessings. Allah informs us in
the Qur’an that the appreciation
of His favours will lead to an
increase in the favours, whereas
a rejection or lack of
appreciation should be reason to
fear the punishment of Allah. In
Surah Ar-Rahman, Allah describes
many of His favours and
repeatedly asks of us as to
which of His favours we will
deny.
Ask any Muslim of the favours
that he sees around him, and he
will most certainly declare that
these are from Allah. This
declaration is however a verbal
declaration. The real test of
whether the favours of Allah are
being appreciated or denied lies
in the manner an individual
deals with the favours. It is
the use or abuse of a favour
that can be considered to be the
true criterion for assessing the
gratefulness or rejection of
Allah’s favours.
Our lives are a blessing from
Allah. Our bodies, our health,
families, homes and wealth are
all favours of Allah. The air we
breathe, the water we drink, the
land we walk upon – these are
all favours of Allah.
Ramadan is a great favour of
Allah, bestowed upon us through
the Mercy of Allah. It is an
opportunity to obtain
forgiveness for the injustices
we have done upon ourselves; it
is an occasion for increasing
our good and earning rewards
multiplied manifold; it is a
chance for us to attain the
Pleasure of Allah. Ramadan also
contains the Night of Qadr a
night so valuable in reward that
foolish is he who does not
strive to acquire its benefits.
The month of Ramadan is so full
of blessings that the person who
deprives himself of its virtues
can only be described as
unfortunate and cursed.
It is important that we show
gratitude and appreciation to
Allah for all of His favours, by
using them in the manner they
are meant to be used and by
taking full advantage of their
availability and presence.
Free Will in the Favours of
Allah
Wealth is also a favour from
Allah. Allah instructs those
that have been blessed with
wealth to spend it in His path –
in the doing of good, and the
spreading of good, goodness and
righteousness. This does not
mean that the wealthy are
prevented from enjoying of their
wealth – they are at liberty to
enjoy the blessing of Allah
obtained through His will and as
fruits of their efforts. This
wealth should however not be
abused and wasted. Allah
instructs that people should eat
and drink, but not waste.
In as far as transacting with
the wealth given by Allah, here
too the individual is not at
liberty to engage in deals that
are in conflict with the laws of
Allah. With regard to trade that
is permissible but against the
spirit of Islam Muslims would be
advised to abstain.
The simple point must be made
that every blessing of Allah is
bestowed into the custody of man
as a trust – to be used in the
manner and for the pleasure of
He who has conferred the trust.
There can be no free will in the
utilization or employment of
these trusts.
The purchase of the Manchester
City Football Club by a
consortium of Muslim businessmen
from Dubai raises certain
interesting questions. The
exorbitant sums of money being
spent and pledged to the
elevation of the club are
mind-boggling, even to the most
lavish spenders in world
football.
Can it be viewed as a simple
business decision? Is such
business permissible or in-sync
with the spirit of Islam? … or
is it a careless abuse of the
trust of Allah?
The important question to also
ask is if we, on a smaller
scale, are guilty of abusing the
trusts of Allah. |
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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 121.34 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 6,066.87 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,426.75 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Priceless Opportunity |
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Narrated Abu Hurayrah
Radhi-Allahu: “The Prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said: ‘If anyone breaks his
fast one day in Ramadan
without a concession granted
to him by Allah, a perpetual
fast will not atone for
it.'"
(Sunan Abu Dawud)
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Quotation for the Week |
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Generosity |
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Make generosity a habit.
(Luqmaan Alayhis
‘Salaam)
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Point of Reflection |
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Ranks of Satisfaction |
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Don't lie down in low
places, flood will take you,
don't lie down in high
places, wind will take you.
(Turkish Proverb)
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Q and A |
Question: If I stayed in the
state of impurity after
12:00 noon in the afternoon
while fasting in the month
of Ramadan, will this
nullify my fast and if so
how many
Qadha fast/s do I keep?
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Answer:
If one
entered the state of major
impurity before the
commencement time of fasting
and thereafter commenced his
fast whilst in this state
then this state of impurity
will not affect his fast.
This fast is not nullified
in this instance, hence
there is no Qadha for it.
However, it is not correct
for him to remain in a state
of impurity for such a long
period without any
necessity.
And Allâh Ta’âla Knows Best.
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Jamiat
Appeal for Funds
The Jamiatul ‘Ulama, South
Africa - the oldest ‘ulama
organization of South Africa
-
has been serving the
community for the past 84
years. It has 7 provincial
branches.
The Jamiatul Ulama has
various departments such as
education, relief, hilaal
notification, halaal
supervision, social welfare,
da’wah, ifta and counseling.
It also responds to local
and international crises.
The Jamiatul Ulama ensures
that all zakaat monies are
spent in accordance with the
laws of shariah. All of our
activities are made possible
by your
continuous generous
contributions.
We appeal, in this blessed
month of Ramadaan, for
donations towards the
activities of the Jamiat.
You will, insha Allah, share
in the reward of all the
activities.
Kindly deposit your
contributions in to the
following account: Jamiat
Ulama Transvaal,
Nedbank Fordsburg,
A/c No. 1953 285 937;
Branch code: 195305, and fax
your deposit slip to (011)
373 8022, clearly stating
whether
the contributions are Lillah
or Zakaat. |
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U P D A T E |
Sadaqatul Fitr
The Jamiatul
Ulama has determined this year’s
Sadaqatul Fitr as R17.50 (for
Hanafi followers) and R22.50 for
the Shafi’î followers. Timely
payment of Fitra facilitates
distribution before Eid in
accordance with the Sunnah. For
this reason, the Jamiatul Ulama
has set Friday 26 September 2008
as the cut-off date for
accepting Sadaqatul Fitr
contributions, insha-Allah. “Allâh
Ta’âla has made obligatory upon
you the Sadaqatul Fitr as a
means of cleansing your fasts
from idle and lewd talk and also
in order that it provides food
for the poor and destitute.” (Sunan
Abû Dawûd)
A
Note on Fundraisers
The Jamiatul Ulama in its
endeavours to ensure that the
Ummah’s hard-earned resources
are prudently utilized, advises
the community to carefully
scrutinize the Letter of
Recommendation (Collection)
before advancing any donations.
Please refer to the notice on
the Jamiat website
www.jamiat.co.za for details. |
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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Rasullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
and Ramadan (Part I of
IV):
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam & his
Creator |
“And whatsoever the
Messenger gives you,
take it; and whatsoever
he forbids you, abstain
(from it), and fear
Allah.” (59:7)
“He who obeys the
Messenger, has indeed
obeyed Allah; but he who
turns away, then we have
not sent you (O Muhammad
salallahu alayhi wasalam)
as a guardian over
them.”(4:80)
• Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam was the
messenger of guidance
through and through, he
possessed the highest
degree of the
recognition of Allah
Ta’ala while
simultaneously it was he
who fulfilled the rights
of the worship of Allah
Ta’ala to the greatest
degree of excellence.
• Despite exerting
himself in prostration
to an extent whereby his
blessed feet would swell
up, he remarked when
questioned regarding it
by his wife ‘Aisha
radhiyallahi anha,
‘Should I then not be a
grateful servant of
Allah Ta’ala.’ (Bukhari)
• This feat of his
reached its pinnacle and
manifested itself during
the month of Ramadan
more distinctly than any
other time of the year.
This manifested itself
in various ways, among
others:
1. His salallahu
alayhi wasalam fasting:
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam
encouraged the partaking
of food at the time of
Suhur. Abdullah bin
Haarith radhiyallahi
anhu says that that a
Sahabi (companion) came
into the company of
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam while he
was partaking of the
food of Sehri. Rasullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
remarked, ‘This food is
a blessing that Allah
Ta’ala has bestowed upon
you. Therefore, do not
leave it.’ (Nisaa-i)
Similarly he would
hasten to terminate his
fasting as soon as the
time set in. Anas
radhiyallahi anhu says
that Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
would break his fast
prior to performing
Maghrib with some fresh
dates; if they were not
available then some dry
dates; and if that too
was not found then a few
sips of water.’ (Tirmidhi)
2. His salallahu
alayhi wasalam
recitation of Qur’an:
Ibn Abbas radhiyallahi
anhu says that Jibraeel
alayhis salam would
visit Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
each night in Ramadan
and Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam would
recite the Qur’an to
him. He salallahu alayhi
wasalam once confided to
his daughter Fatima
radhiyallahi anha
saying, ‘Jibraeel
alayhis salam would
visit me each year once
during Ramadan to revise
the Qur’an. However,
this year he revised it
with me twice. I do not
take this except as a
sign that my time of
death has neared.’ (Bukhari)
Ibn Mas’ud radhiyallahi
anhu says, ‘It is
appropriate for a Hafidh
(one who has memorized)
of the Qur’an to be
known by his recitation
during the night whilst
everyone is asleep,
during the day whilst
everyone is feasting, in
his moments of sadness
whilst everyone is happy
and with his tears
whilst everyone is in
pomp and merriment.’ (Baihaqi)
3. His salallahu alayhi
wasalam humbleness and
abstinence:
It is surely a symbol of
one whose heart has
softened in awe of his
Creator, has realized
the reality of servitude
to Allah Ta’ala and has
acknowledged his own
limitations to be most
humble before Allah
Ta’ala. Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
was a personification of
this. Abu Saeed Khudri
radhiyallahi anhu
narrates that once it
rained on the evening of
the twenty first of
Ramadan and the masjid
of Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam leaked.
My eyes fell upon the
messenger of Allah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
the next morning and his
blessed face was soiled
with mud and water.’ (Buhari)
4. His salallahu
alayhi wasalam
humbleness and
abstinence:
Ibn Abbas radhiyallahi
anhu remarked, ‘Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
was the most generous of
all people and he was
most generous in the
month of Ramadan when
Jibraeel alayhis salam
would meet him…’ (Bukhari)
5. His salallahu
alayhi wasalam fighting
in the way of Allah:
This is surely a month
of sacrifice and
difficulty. The Jihad of
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam during
this month reveals two
distinctions: the
occurrence of decisive
battles during this
month and secondly, the
greatest manifestation
of the help of Allah
Ta’ala. ‘Umar bin
Khattab radhiyallahi
anhu says, ‘We took part
in two expeditions with
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam during
Ramadan: the battle of
Badr and the conquest of
Makkah.’ (Tirmidhi)
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Controlling Our
Tongues |
Backbiting is one of the
biggest and most evil
destroyers of compassion,
love and brotherhood.
In Ramadaan, the opportunity
is presented for this evil
habit become more popular
and common since people have
much free time at hand. It
is important that we guard
against this evil trait.
In Arabic, the word used for
backbiting is Gheebah.
Gheebah is declared as Haram
in Islam. Allah Subhanahu wa
Ta’aala has warned about in
the Qur’am likening its
practice to that of eating
the flesh of a dead person.
The Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam has also cautioned
about its grave dangers in
many ahaadeeth. It is
considered to be from
amongst the major sins and
repentance from it is
obligatory. Imam Al-Qurtubi
said, “There is a consensus
(Ijmaa’) that backbiting is
a major sin and that it is
Fard that a person do Tawbah
from it.”
We sometimes fall prey to
the misconception that
gheebah is speaking such ill
about a person that is not
true about him. This is not
true. Rasulullah Sallallahu
‘alayhi wa sallam defined
backbiting. He once
addressed his companions by
saying, “Do you know what
Gheebah is?” They replied,
“Allah and His Messenger
know best.” He then said,
“It is to mention something
about your brother (in his
absence) that he would
hate.” A companion replied,
'What if what I say about my
brother is true?’ The
Prophet Sallallahu ‘alaihi
wa sallam replied: “If what
you said about him is true
then you would have made
gheebah of him. If it is not
true, then you would have
slandered him (buhtaan).”
(Muslim)
In another hadeeth, the
Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam said, “O ye who
have believed with (only)
their tongues, yet faith has
not yet entered their
hearts! Do not backbite
about Muslims, and do not
search out their faults.
Verily, he who follows the
private matters of his
Muslim brother, Allah shall
follow his private matters.
And whoever has his private
matters followed by Allah,
Allah shall expose them even
if they were (hiding) in the
belly of their home.” (Ahmad
and Abu Dawud)
Allah addresses us in this
regard by saying: “O you who
believe! Avoid suspicion as
much (as possible …. and spy
not on each other, nor speak
ill of each other (make
gheebah) behind their backs.
Would any of you like to eat
the flesh of his dead
brother? Surely, you would
detest it...Fear Allah, for
Allah is Oft- Returning,
Most Merciful.” (Surah Al-Hujuraat,
12)
This Ramadan, among the many
resolutions we make, let the
resolution to control our
tongues feature prominently,
and let us make an effort to
implement it in our and our
families lives.
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