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Weekly Comment |
Congo: As the World Watches
The Democratic
Republic of Congo is one place
that will go down in history as
where the world failed humanity.
Fresh fighting in the eastern
part of the country has
intensified as about a million
people running scared have been
displaced.
There are
accounts which document that
well over 9 million people have
perished in the conflict there
since 1996. What will it take
for the world powers to make the
necessary steps to stop this
carnage?
What is
heart-breaking is that the
renewed conflict is happening
under the watch of the UN. The
17,000-strong UN contingent of
mainly Indian and Pakistan
troops was placed here to keep
peace. But what happens when
there is no peace to keep?
As Emma Hurd writes, “If the
UN peacekeepers are not there to
save lives then they should pack
up and go home. It may be more
dangerous to give people the
pretence of security than no
security at all.”
The
terms of the UN presence there
are very loose after the world
powers cobbled up a mission just
to be seen that there were doing
something. It is a mission that
was conceived as a PR exercise
that masks the guilt of the
world powers.
Who will
give Mother Congo hope?
US
Elections
By
next week this time we should
probably know the result of what
has been an extended period of
campaigning and electioneering.
Will John McCain prove the polls
untrue and succeed to become the
next President of the USA, or
will Barack Obama make history
to become the first ‘Black’
President? Will there be a
continuation with the following
of the broad line of the
policies of the old and the
tried and tested strategies of
the ‘experienced’, or will the
young and fresh blood that
promises change come to the
fore?
As Muslims, the
important question to ask is
whether the new president,
whoever it may be, will bring
about significant changes with
regard to the course of action
that the US and their friends
will charter for Muslims around
the world and for Muslims in the
US. Will he change the way the
US acts in the
Afghanistan/Pakistan area; will
he possibly bring about an
accelerated programme of
withdrawal of US forces from
Iraq; will it change the way
illegal captives in Guantanamo
and other such camps are treated
or held without rhyme or reason;
is there any chance that any of
the two would take even a small
step toward a change in the US’s
policies on Israel; will there
be a change in the way the US
has forced its way into various
parts of the world and also
forced the hand of many world
leaders?
The principles
of the vitally important and
critical concept of sovereignty
have been redefined to take the
shape of a unique brand of
suzerainty, with the US assuming
the position of a self-imposed
paramount authority. Her illegal
foray and occupation of Iraq and
its criminal military jaunts
into Afghanistan show this. Her
incursions into Pakistan and the
recent strike into Syria say
much for its respect for the
rule of law and the dominion,
power and freedom of independent
states. In terms of the global
Muslim community, the
perspective of the two
candidates on this issue is a
key question that must be
examined. |
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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 112.06 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
5,603.13 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,241.25 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Accepted
Hajj |
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Yahya related to me from
Malik, from Sumayy, the
mawla of Abu Bakr ibn Abd
ar-Rahman, from Abu Salih
as-Samman, from Abu Hurayra
Abu Hurayrah Radhi-Allahu
anhum, that the Messenger of
Allah Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam said, "Umra is an
expiation for what is
between it and the next Umra,
and the only reward for an
accepted hajj is the
Garden."
(Al-Muwattah)
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Quotation for the Week |
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Good
Character |
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Good character is a Divine
weapon.
(Hadhrat
Maseehullah Khan
Rahmatullahi ‘alayhi)
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Point of Reflection |
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Moderation |
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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 Saying)
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Q and A |
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Question: What are
the conditions for the
nikaah to be valid with
regard to the wakeel and 2
witnesses? Are the rules
different if the father is
the wakeel? In the Ijtimaas
only the wakeel is called
and no witnesses. How then
is the nikaah done? |
Answer:
From amongst the conditions
of nikah that relate to our
discussion is the condition
of Ijaab and Qabool and the
condition of the presence of
witnesses at the time of
Ijaab and Qabool. Since the
bride is generally not
present at the occasion of
nikah she appoints a
representative to give her
over in marriage. This
representative is called the
wakeel. The presence of
witnesses at the time of
appointing the wakeel is not
a condition for the validity
of the tawkeel.
However for the nikah to be
valid there must be at least
two Muslim males or one
Muslim male and two Muslim
females who are baaligh and
sane who witness the Ijaab
and Qabool. The Ijaab in our
nikahs is generally made by
the wakeel and the Qabool is
made by the bridegroom. At
the Ijtima the entire
congregation are classified
as the witnesses that
witness the Ijaab and Qabool.
Thus the conditions for the
validity of the nikah are
found.
And Allâh
Ta’âla Knows Best.
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U P D A T E |
Haj Seminar
The Jamiatul Ulama hosted a Haj
Seminar on Wednesday 22nd and
Thursday 23rd October 2008 at
the Jamiatul Ulama Auditorium,
2nd Floor 32 Dolly Rathebe Road,
Fordsburg from 7:00pm, insha-Allah.
Prospective hujjaaj attended the
event which focused on the
spiritual dimension of Haj,
visiting the City of the Prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam as
well as some of its landmarks
and the five days of Haj.
Taalimi Board Meets
Madrasah Committees
The Jamiatul Ulama’s Taalimi
Board convened a meeting with
jamaats whose madaaris are
affiliated with it. The meeting
which took place in Fordsburg on
26 October 2008 was aimed at
briefing the jamaats of
developments within the taalimi
board, activities and progress.
It was also a
consultative process which
sought input from the
representatives of the
affiliates.
The
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
a social context; 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
former glory.
The
institute currently offers the ‘Aalim
Fâdhil which is a six-year
direct-contact and full-time
course which will be taught
through the medium primarily
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 2009 close on
the 28th November 2008. 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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Tahajud
Salah |
Stand (in pray) all
night, except a little.
Half of it, or a little
less than that.
Or a
little more; and recite
the Qur’an (aloud) in a
slow, (pleasant tone
and) style. (73: 2-3)
• Allah makes
mention of his special
bondmen in the
nineteenth juz of the
Noble Qur’an. A range of
special quality of these
bondsmen has been
enumerated. Among these
qualities, Allah speaks
highly of “Those who
spend the night in
adoration of their Lord
prostrate and standing.”
(25:64)
• A
person who is punctual
with daily Qur’an
recitation, remembrance
of Allah and worship
will enjoy the benefit
of his acts of worship.
As a result of such
consistency, Allah will
bless one with the
ability to perform
Tahajud Salah.
•
By not performing
Tahajud Salah a person
will be deprived of the
sweetness of Imaan. The
more a person spends his
night in Ibadat
(worship), the more
his/her day will be
filled with blessing and
goodness.
•
Through the blessings of
Tahajud Salah a person
gains the nearness to
Allah and a person is
protected from the
trials of Shaytaan
during the day.
• Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam has
mentioned that the best
fast after the fast of
Ramadhaan is the fast of
Muharram and the best
Salah after the
compulsory Salah is
Tahajud Salah. (Muslim)
• Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam described a
palace in Jannah, the
beauty of the outside
could be seen from the
inside and the beauty of
the inside could be seen
from the outside. Allah
has reserved this palace
for those who fed
others, spread salaam
(greetings) and
performed salah in the
dead of night when all
people were asleep.
• A person should
endeavour to sleep
whilst in the state of
wudhu. Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam has said that
when a person sleeps in
a pure state, an angel
is appointed at his head
side to supplicate to
Allah saying: ‘Oh Allah!
Please forgive this
servant as he has slept
in a pure state.’
• The keeping awake
at night and begging
from Allah hastens the
acceptance of du’a.
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam has said
that there is a specific
time in the evening when
a person makes du’a and
that du’a is readily
accepted. (Muslim) This
generally refers to the
latter part of the
night.
•
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam has said
that people would be on
the plains of Reckoning.
A caller will call out
saying: where are those
people who would forsake
their beds at night and
worship their Lord? A
group of people will
stand up, they would be
few in number, and they
will enter Jannah
without reckoning. (Baihaqi)
• Ibn Abi Dunya
narrated a hadith in
which Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam stated that the
most honored of people
are those who memorized
the Qur’an and those who
keep awake at night.
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Proper
Ppbringing of Children |
Many a time, parents
complain about the
disobedience of their
children, their rebellion
and desire to indulge in
unlawful activities. Is this
because parents themselves
have faltered in their
Islamic responsibility to
their children? Is it due to
their own oversight and lack
of proper Islamic upbringing
that they are the first to
taste the bitter fruit of
their negligence?
Children are, in reality, an
enormous blessing for their
parents. If the proper
Islamic etiquette is taught
to them, they can become one
of the fragrant flowers of
paradise and a means of
enhancing the honour of
their parents. They will
look after their parents in
their old age, always honour
and respect them and be the
“coolness of their eyes” as
mentioned in the Qur’an. On
the other hand, if proper
Islamic character is not
taught to them, they will
become a veritable coal of
hellfire and their behaviour
will turn their parent’s
world into a living hell.
There are many
guidelines in the shari’ah
regarding the proper
upbringing of children.
Rasulullah Sallallâhu
'alayhi wasallam said that
the best gift a parent can
give his child is proper
Islamic education and
nurturing. Rasulullah
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam
also said that that when a
child becomes seven years
old, the habit of performing
salaat should be inculcated
within them, and when they
reach ten years of age, they
should be warned for
neglecting salaat. (Tirmidhi
vol. 1, no: 39) In another
tradition, Rasulullah
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam
has said that one should
encourage ones children to
do three things:
(i) to
have love for Rasulullah
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam,
(ii) to have love for
the household of Rasulullah
Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam,
and
(iii) to recite the
Qur’an Majeed regularly.
The minds of children
are ripe and mature. Thus,
whatever teachings, lessons
and habits are imbibed from
an early age, will last till
old-age. If one wishes one
children to tread the
straight path, the first
step in achieving this is
that his/her parents should
first be on the right path
and set the correct example
themselves. They can not
expect to rectify their
children if they do not set
an example of beautiful
character themselves.
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