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Weekly Comment |
The End of an Era
While South African
expatriates in Australia, the UK
and various other parts of the
world sit on the sidelines
observing the peculiar
developments in South Africa,
saying, ‘We made the right
move’— while the Afro-pessimists
take delight in their déjà vu
feel — While some radio station
hosts sarcastically mimic the
comments of political actors in
apparent disbelief— While
analysts mock the reasoning
behind various decisions— While
cartoonists are having real
field day…
… all the
while, the South African public
sit in utter disbelief at what
has hit them. They struggle to
come to terms with what has
transpired and what the
consequences of this most recent
episode in the current muddle of
events that have played
themselves out on the South
African political stage. They
attempt to pinpoint where things
went awry. They apprehensively
watch if things have not fallen
apart. They endeavour to delve
into the hearts and minds of
those that have chosen to take
the path they cause the South
African people to tread on,
plodding and labouring along to
a destination that no one is
certain of.
Commentators
insist that it is no surprise
that ex-President Thabo Mbeki
finds himself where he is,
unceremoniously axed by his own
party, a party that he loyally
served for over fifty-two years.
They suggest that he was the
architect of his own destruction
and should have seen the writing
on the wall. Many intimate that
justice has been served upon a
man that had become used to
quietly serving injustice - a
man whose leadership style
exuded nothing but intimations
of autocracy; a man that had
assumed a condescending attitude
towards all others; a man that
had circled himself with those
that were true to only him; a
man that eliminated, in a
calculated manner and without
conscience, any that could even
be considered to be a threat to
his authority; a man that stood
and acted with no emotion and
feelings; a man that believed he
could do no wrong; a man that
thought that he would never wane
in the eyes of the people; a man
who often thought that he could
pull wool over the eyes of all
the people, supporting his
allies when their wrongdoings
were displayed for all to see –
a wooden character that had
established himself as a giant
that could not be toppled.
Other commentators suggest
that the current events create
the fear of a scenario of
unprincipled rule based upon law
of the jungle of survival and
vengeance. A scenario of the
existence of an administration
that is hell-bent on achieving
its own aims regardless of the
consequences.
Admittedly, it was clear that
Mbeki would be removed from a
position of influence. Very few,
however, suspected that he would
actually be removed from the
position of President,
especially since he had a few
months left to serve as
President. In any event, many
say that the ANC were already
calling most shots, with
Mothlante being privy to all
information and part and parcel
of every decision. The timing,
speed and cruel, cold and
callous manner of removing Mbeki
in one swift and decisive swipe
is frightening to most.
Whatever the case, the
consequences of the ANC decision
are many. Political analysts
have advised that the decision
has created an environment of
uncertainty. Even though the
markets have not yet reacted
negatively, the possibility of
foreign investment must be
adversely effected since the
basis of any investment is
stability and an environment of
certainty which generates
confidence. In the absence of
this a situation of financial
turmoil can easily evolve over a
period of time.
The ANC
decision also creates an
environment where there exists
the probability of no closure on
matters such as the arms deal
and the accusations against Zuma.
It also raises concern as to how
the ANC will govern in the
future. Questions about whether
Zuma is making decisions and who
is really in charge have also
been raised. It has also been
asked as to why it was not
possible to employ institutions
that have been created for
resolving differences to get to
the bottom of issues.
In
a situation where Zimbabwe’s
future is uncertain, the world
economy is failing, there is a
high volatility of currencies,
the undercurrents of private
political battles being fought
out in the economic field are
clearly existent, and now
Mbeki’s firing, it is important
that things are sorted out as
soon as possible.
All we
can do is hope and pray that
sanity prevails in the interest
of the nation.
A Nation
at War with Itself?
News of bombs going off
inside Pakistan has become a
standard update of daily
bulletins in the past few weeks.
Where it is coming from is
anybody’s guess. Al-Qaeda has
been quickly linked to many
incidents, particularly the
devastating blast that rocked
the Marriott hotel in Islamabad
claiming scores of lives.
Interestingly however, the
flashpoints inside Pakistan are
flaring up at a time when the
country has shown concern about
increasing incidents of US
incursions and raids on
Pakistani villages on the
country’s frontier with
Afghanistan.
Another
convenient coincidence is the
fact that the US has been
considering shuffling her troops
in order to commit more
personnel to Afghanistan where
the war has so far been
unwinnable.
Is it a
strategy for silencing Pakistan
on her concerns for the
borderline infringements by the
US? Is it part of a strategy of
frightening Pakistan into
collaborating, again, for a
fresh invasion of Afghanistan?
The wanton loss of human
life in the region is sickening
and should stop. It can only
stop with a political settlement
that recognises the will of the
people and not the imposition of
governments that are alien to
their own citizenry as it is the
case of Afghanistan. |
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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 122.02 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 6,101.12 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,440.45 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Night of
Reward |
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The Messenger of Allah
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said, “The person who
deprives himself from the
blessings of Lailatul qadr,
indeed has deprived himself
of all good and none other
than an ignorant person is
deprived from such good.”
(Ibn Majah)
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Quotation for the Week |
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Show
Business |
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One of
the most reprehensible forms
of Riya [show] is to
publicise one's acts of
worship [Ibadat] and deeds
before friends and family.
(Hazrat Moulana
Hakeem Akhtar)
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Point of Reflection |
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Asking is no Disgrace |
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It
is not disgraceful to ask,
it is disgraceful no to ask.
(Turkish Saying)
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Give a
Good Loan* to the Almighty:
Support the Jamiatul Ulama |
*“Who will loan Allah a
beautiful loan so He may
multiply it for him many
times?” [Sûrah al-Hadîd: 11]
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 and various
departments such as
education, welfare, hilaal
notification,
social
welfare, da’wah, ifta and
counselling. It also
responds to local and
international crises where
relief initiatives are
undertaken.
Our
operating expenses have
grown as more staff has been
recruited over the recent
years
to service the
ever-growing
needs of
the community. To
cover
such administrative expenses
and other overheads, we
appeal to the community to
make a commitment of
contributions of funds in
the
form of Lillah.
Regular contributions, no
matter how small, by way of
debit orders
will go a
long way in the support of
the Cause of Deen.
Kindly deposit your
contributions in to the
following account:
Jamiat Ulama Transvaal,
Nedbank Fordsburg,
A/c
No. 1953 435 327;
Branch
code: 195305, and fax your
deposit slip to 011 373
8022, clearly stating
whether the contributions
are in the
specified
category of Lillah.
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Q and A |
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Question: I had
missed many years of fasting
in the months of Ramadaan.
What can I do for Allah
Subhana Taallah not to be
displeased with me. Please
advise. |
Answer: If
you had missed these fasts
by not keeping them at all
you should seek sincere
repentance from Allah
Ta'aala and utilize the
remainder of your life to
keep the Qadhaa of these
fasts. You should also note
in your Will the number of
Qadhaa fasts that are on you
and keep updating your
records as you keep the
Qadhaa and make a bequest
that in the event of your
demise fidya should be paid
for the remaining Qadhaa
fasts, from your estate.
If you had broken your
fasts then kaffarah is
obligatory upon you as well
as the Qadhaa of the fasts.
In kaffarah one must fast
sixty consecutive fasts
without any break in
between. If a person is too
weak or sickly or has any
other valid reason for which
he cannot keep the sixty
consecutive fasts then he
should feed sixty people two
full meals.
And Allâh
Ta’âla Knows Best.
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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.
Bihar Floods –
Appeal for Funds
The
Jamiatul Ulama appeals to all
Muslims to contribute towards
the relief effort in the
flood-hit Bihar region in India.
Please visit www.jamiat.co.za
for details.
Jamiatul Ulama in the Press
An article on Ramadan appeared
recently in The Star, Natal
Mercury, Cape Times and
Swaziland’s Observer paper. Read
the full text on
www.jamiat.co.za
Unfair and Inaccurate Report
The Jamiatul Ulama has issued a
statement in protest of the
manner of reporting of the
recent story of a man alleged to
have raped two boys in a
Germiston township mosque. Read
the full text of the statement
on www.jamiat.co.za
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
and Ramadan (IV of IV)
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam & the
Night of Power |
“Verily, we have sent it
(this Qur’an) down on
the night of Al-Qadr
(Power).
And what
will make you know what
the night of Al-Qadr
(Power) is?
The night
of Al-Qadr (Power) is
better than a thousand
months (i.e. worshipping
Allah in that night is
better than worshipping
Him for a thousand
months).
Therein
descend the angels and
Jibraeel by Allah’s
Permission with all
decrees,
Peace! Until
the appearance of dawn.”
(Surah Al-Qadr 97)
• Laylatul Qadr (the
Night of Power) is a
gift of Allah unto this
Ummah. It is an
opportunity which the
Ummah should seize to
obtain closeness to the
Almighty through worship
and seeking forgiveness
from Him.
• As in
every other aspect of
our Deen, Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
was a practical
demonstration of how
every Ummati (follower)
should conduct
themselves:
1. His salallahu alayhi
wasalam exhortation to
search for this night:
It is reported
in a hadith, ‘Search for
it (Laylatul Qadr) among
the odd nights of the
last ten days of
Ramadan.’ (Bukhari)
Although scholars have
differed greatly in
stipulating exactly
which of the odd night
of the last ten days
upon which the Night of
Power occurs, the
preferred view is that
it is unknown to anyone
besides Allah. The
wisdom for it been kept
a secret is in fact a
mercy from Allah, so
that we could increase
in our worship and
effort to search for the
correct night. Ubadah
bin Samit radhiyallahi
anhu said, ‘Once
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam came out
to inform us of the
exact date of Laylatul
Qadr. Unfortunately, a
quarrel took place
between two Muslims
whereupon he said, ‘I
came out to inform you
as to when Laylatul Qadr
occurs but because two
people argued with each
other, the knowledge of
the correct date was
taken away – perhaps
that is better for you.
So seek it among the
ninth, seventh, and
fifth nights.’ Those
that are continuously
argue and fight should
ponder at the harm being
caused not only to the
individual but rather
the broader Muslim Ummah.
2. His
salallahu alayhi wasalam
encouragement towards
good deeds:
Abu Hurairah
radhiyallahi anhu
narrates that Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
said, ‘Whosoever stands
in the worship of Allah
on the night of Qadr
with firm belief in
Allah and a genuine hope
of receiving reward, his
past and future sins
will be forgiven, and
whosoever fasts during
the month of Ramadan
with firm belief in
Allah and a genuine hope
of receiving reward, his
past and future sins
will be forgiven.’ (Bukhari)
3. His
salallahu alayhi wasalam
performance of I’tikaaf:
Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
said in a hadith, ‘I
secluded myself in
I’tikaaf during the
first ten days of
Ramadan searching for
Laylatul Qadr. Then, I
continued into I’tikaaf
for the next ten days.
Thereafter, I was
informed that it is in
the last ten days; so
whosoever desires to
perform I’tikaaf he
should do so. So many
people made It’ikaaf
with him. (Muslim)
4. His
salallahu alayhi wasalam
humbleness in worship:
It is surely a
symbol of one whose
heart has softened in
awe of his Creator, has
realized the reality of
servitude to Allah and
has acknowledged his own
limitations to be most
humble before Allah.
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.’ (Bukhari)
5. His
salallahu alayhi wasalam
teachings regarding the
Night
Aisha
radhiyallahi anha
narrated that she asked
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam, ‘If I
happen to find the night
of power, what should I
say in du’a?’ He
replied, ‘Recite:[Allahumma
innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul
‘afwa fa’fu ‘anni]
Translation: O Allah!
You are the Most
Forgiving, the Most
Generous, You love to
forgive, so please
forgive me.’ (Muslim)
This is an all inclusive
du’a begging Allah for
His infinite grace and
mercy. As Allah mentions
in the Qur’an, this
night brings along with
it a group of angels who
descend along with
Jibraeel alayhis salaam.
They visit every home,
dwelling or shelter
wherein a Muslim is
worshiping Allah, greet
them and join in by
saying Ameen to his du’a.
6. His
salallahu alayhi wasalam
mention regarding the
signs of this night
In a
narration cited in
Baihaqi and Muwatta,
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam while
describing the meirts of
this night said, ‘Among
the signs of this night
is that it is a serene,
quiet, shinning night;
neither too hot nor too
cold but moderate. It is
as if though the moon is
shinning clear and no
stars are flung at the
devils on this night. It
lasts until the break of
dawn. Another sign is
that in the morning, the
sun rises without any
radiant beams, appearing
rather like moon in its
fullness. On that day,
Allah prohibits the
Shayateen (devils) from
rising up with the sun.’
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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The Last ten days of
Ramadan |
Ramadan has come and it is
quickly on its way out. We
are well into the last ten
days of Ramadan and the
opportunities will soon be
no more.
Ramadan is
an opportunity to drink of
the Mercy of Allah and
obtain His forgiveness.
Unfortunate is he who is
unable to attain this. The
Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi
wa sallam) explained in a
hadeeth that three people
are extremely unfortunate.
One from amongst them is he
who finds himself in the
month of Ramadan but still
does not manage to obtain
the forgiveness of Allah.
The remaining nights
are valuable and should be
spent in the worship of
Allah and in excessive du`aa.
Du`aa should include durud,
istighfaar and an earnest
plea for imaan and hidayah.
Parents, children and
families should be
remembered. Those that have
passed away should not be
forgotten. Those in need
should also be prayed for as
well as those in difficulty
and those suffering
oppression and injustice.
Du`aa should also be made
for the establishments of
deen and for protection of
Islam and Muslims all over
the world. Du`aa for the
hidayah of mankind must be
made. In the current
situation we find ourselves
and our country, du`aa for
guidance, peace and
prosperity should also be
incorporated.
Ramadan
is also a period of giving
and we should try to spend
as much as possible on those
less fortunate during these
last few days. Importantly,
sadaqatul fitr should not be
forgotten or even delayed.
May Allah (subhanahu wa
ta`aala) guide us in all
that we do, and may He
accept our ibaadah and
efforts. May He accept all
our du`aas. Aameen.
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