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Weekly Comment |
When the 'Hand of the Market' is
in Paralysis
Economically speaking,
South Africa has just been
declared the most unequal
society in the world. The fact
that it applies to countries
with available and comparable
data only is no consolation.
According to a parliamentary
brief by Haroon Bhorat, an
economics professor at the
University of Cape Town, South
Africa has now overtaken Brazil
as a country with the widest gap
between the rich and the poor.
What are the implications of
this trend for the future of our
nation?
Economic
inequality means that the gains
of freedom, the gains of
economic prosperity of the last
decade are enjoyed by a relative
few.
Deliberate
government policies aimed at the
addressing the imbalances of the
past have made only a modest
impact. A poor record of service
delivery due to lack of capacity
in certain spheres of government
(especially as local authority
levels) has meant that reversing
inequality through public
expenditure on social services
remains an elusive reality.
There are countries which
are doing well in reversing
inequality. Though they do not
share South Africa’s history, at
a certain point in time their
economic indicators were
comparable to ours.
Lessons are therefore aplenty
for South Africa and they are
interestingly basic ones. It
does not take much
sophistication to notice that in
the longer term, the social
dividend for expenditure on
education and health is a
handsome one.
As long as
there is structural unemployment
due to a mismatch between skills
and potentially job-creating
sectors, inequality will not
only persist but also worsen.
The correlation between
education and income should also
be exploited in order to bring a
section of the population into
income brackets where they can
afford healthcare and other
amenities. We should therefore
prioritise relevant education,
among other things.
The
poor live in a vicious cycle of
poverty and other social-ills
that go with it. Ways should be
found to break this vicious
cycle. However, we shall be
cheating ourselves to continue
to believe that there shall be a
‘trickle down’ of wealth from
the few holding it to the poor
in order to lift them out of
poverty.
The failure of
capitalism as a system that can
address such imbalances is too
vivid to be unobservable. The
welfare of the indigent and
vulnerable of our society is too
sacred to be left in the ‘hand
of the market’ alone.
'Diplomatic Immunity’: For which
Diplomat?
It
sounds hypocritical for a judge
to let Ehud Barak of the hook in
England on the grounds of
‘diplomatic immunity.’ What sort
of a diplomat is a man who was
overall in charge of an
operation that resulted in
wanton loss of life in Gaza? |
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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 |
R140.48 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 7,024.13 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,809.65 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Forgiving with Power |
Abu Huraira reported
God's messenger (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon
him) as telling that Moses'
son Imran said, "My Lord,
who is the greatest of Thy
servant in Thy estimation?"
and received the reply, "The
one who forgives when he is
in a position of power.
(Baihaqi).
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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Self-Reform |
The beginning of
self-reform is
self-criticism.
(Prof. Ali A Mazrui)
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Point of Reflection |
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The Journey of Life |
Life is like this:
sometimes sun, sometimes
rain.
(Fijian
Proverb)
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Q and A |
Question:
As a
young man who is looking to
get married soon,
Insha-Allah, and will be
going to see few girls for
proposals, I would like to
know how long should one
speak to the girl for and
what questions should one
ask and what shouldn't be
asked?
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Answer:
When going to see a girl
with the intention of a
marriage proposal, certain
Ulama have allowed that the
boy may ask certain relevant
questions to the girl in the
presence of her Mahram. The
questions that may be asked
would depend on aspects that
are important to the boy.
Others, however, are of the
view that the boy is not
allowed to speak to the girl
at all as the Hadith makes
mention of looking at the
girl and not of speaking to
her. None of the Ulama,
however, give permission for
the boy and girl to
communicate thereafter. If
the boy requires any
information from the girl he
may ask his sister, aunt,
etc. to speak to the girl
and get the information that
he requires.
Thinking
that by courting the boy
will get to know the girl
better is fallacious.
Getting to know one another
better before marriage is
the mindset of the
disbelievers and experience
has proven what a dismal
failure this ideology is.
The Shari’ah has given
criteria that we should
follow when choosing a
spouse and upon these
criteria a decision can be
made. A person may also seek
assistance from Allah
Ta'aala in his
decision-making through the
means of Salaatul
Istikhaarah.
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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 Two: Stories of the
Qur’an -The Story of
Habil and Qabil |
“And (O Muhammad)
recite to them the story
of the two sons of Adam
alayhis salaam (Habil
and Qabil) in truth;
when each offered a
sacrifice (to Allah), it
was accepted from the
one but not from the
other...” (5: 27-31)
• Ibn 'Abbas
radhiyallahu anhu and
other companions that
narrated that Adam
alayhis salaam would
marry the male offspring
brought by one birth to
the female offspring
brought by another.
Hence, it was supposed
that Habil would get
married to Qabil’s
sister, who was better
and more beautiful than
anyone else. At the same
time, Qabil wanted to
keep her for himself.
Adam alayhis salaam
ordered him to allow
Habil to marry her, but
he refused. Then, Adam
alayhis salaam ordered
both brothers to offer a
sacrifice to Allah.
Meanwhile, Adam alayhis
salaam set forth towards
Makkah to perform
Pilgrimage. Just before
leaving, he tried to
entrust (the affairs of)
his children to the
heavens, the earth and
finally to the
mountains, but all
declined to shoulder the
heavy trust. Thereupon,
Qabil accepted the trust
and after Adam alayhis
salaam went away the two
brothers offered their
sacrifices to Allah.
Habil offered a fat
she-goat, while Qabil
offered a cluster of
plants. Later, a fire
came down from heaven
and consumed the
sacrifice offered by
Habil and left untouched
that of Qabil. Qabil
became raged with anger
and said to his brother:
‘I will kill you so as
not to marry my sister,
Habil said: ‘Verily,
Allah accepts only from
those who are
Al-Muttaqun (the
pious).’
• Abu
Ja’far Al-Baqir
mentioned that Adam
alayhis salaam was
present there when they
offered their
sacrifices. After
Habil’s sacrifice was
accepted, Qabil said to
his father, Adam alayhis
salaam: ‘It was accepted
only from him because
you invoked Allah for
his sake.’ And he
secretly intended
something against his
brother. One day, Habil
was late and Adam
alayhis salaam sent
Qabil to look for him.
The two brothers met and
Qabil said: ‘Your
sacrifice was accepted
and mine was not.’ Habil
said: ‘Verily, Allah
accepts only from those
who are Al-Muttaqun (the
pious).’ Qabil got angry
and hit his brother with
an iron rod and Habil
fell dead at once.
• Imam Ahmad, Abu
Dawud and Tirmidhi have
recorded: Sa’d Ibn Abi
Waqqas radhiyallahu anhu
said at the time of the
ordeal of ‘Uthman Ibn
‘Affan: I testify that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said:
‘There will soon be a
period of turmoil in
which the one who sits
will be better than one
who stands and the one
who stands will be
better than one who
walks and the one who
walks will be better
than one who runs.’
Someone asked: ‘Allah’s
Messenger! What is your
opinion if someone
entered my home and
stretched his hand to
kill me?’ He replied,
‘Be just like the son of
Adam alayhis salaam
(Habil).’ Another
narration has it, ‘Be
just like the best of
Adam alayhis salaam's
two sons.’
•
Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud
radhiyallahu anhu
narrated that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘No human
is killed or murdered
(unjustly), but a part
of responsibility for
the crime is laid on the
first son of Adam
alayhis salaam who
initiated the tradition
of killing (murdering on
earth).’(Ahmad)
•
Allah says: “Then, Allah
sent a crow who
scratched the ground to
show him how to bury the
dead body of his
brother. He (the
murderer) said: ‘Woe to
me! Am I not even able
to be as this crow and
to hide the dead body of
my brother?’Then he
became one of those who
regretted.” (5:31) Some
commentators said:
‘After Qabil had killed
his brother, he carried
him on his back for a
full year (not knowing
what to do with his
brother’s corpse.’
Others said: He carried
him on his back for one
hundred years till Allah
sent two crows who
fought against one
another. One of them was
killed. The murderer
scratched the ground to
hide the body of the
dead crow. Seeing him
doing that, Qabil said:
‘Woe to me! Am I not
even able to do as this
crow and to hide the
dead body of my
brother?’ Then, he
buried the body of his
dead brother and covered
it with earth.’
•
Abu Ja’far, the
historian, has
mentioned: Hawwa alayhas
salaam gave birth to
forty children through
twenty births. Others
historians have stated:
there were one hundred
and twenty births; in
each one a male and a
female were born. The
first among them were
Qabil and his sister
Qalimah, and the last
ones were ‘Abdul Mughith
and his sister Ummul
Mughith. Then, human
beings increased in
number and spread into
the earth, as Allah
mentions in the opening
verse of Surah Nisaa‘.
• Adam alayhis
salaam was the father of
mankind. He was created
by Allah who made the
angels prostrate before
him, who taught him
names of everything and
who made him dwell in
Jannah. Ibn Hibban has
recorded Abu Dharr
radhiyallahu anhu as
saying, ‘I asked: O
Messenger of Allah! How
many prophets of Allah
were there?’ He replied:
‘One hundred twenty-four
thousands.’ I said: ‘O
Messenger of Allah! How
many were the Messengers
among them?’ Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said: ‘Three
hundred and thirteen, a
great number!’ I said:
‘O Allah’s Messenger!
Who was the first among
them?’ ‘He said: ‘Adam
alayhis salaam.' I
asked: ‘O Allah’s
Messenger! Was he a
Prophet sent with a
message?’ He said: ‘Yes,
Allah the Almighty
created him with His
Hand (power), then,
breathed into him out of
his Soul, then, He
fashioned him (in a
proper manner).’
• Whilst narrating
the Night Journey,
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said:
‘So the gate was opened
and we went over the
nearest heaven and there
we saw a man sitting
with some people on his
right and some on his
left. When he looked
towards his right, he
smiled and when he
looked towards his left
he wept. Then he said,
‘Welcome! O pious
prophet and pious son!’
I asked Jibraeel alayhis
salaam: ‘Who is he?’ He
replied: ‘He is Adam
alayhis salaam and the
people on his right and
left are the souls of
his offspring. Those on
his right are the people
of Jannah and those on
his left are the people
of Jahannum and when he
looks towards his right
he smiles and when he
looks towards his left
he weeps.’ (Bukhari and
Muslim)
• Abu
Hurairah radhiyallahu
anhu reported Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam as saying:
Allah, the Exalted and
Glorious created Adam
alayhis salaam in his
own image with his
length of sixty cubits,
and as He created him He
told him to greet a
group of angels sitting
there, and to listen to
the response that they
give him for it would
form his greeting and
that of his offspring.
Adam alayhis salaam then
addressed them: Peace be
upon you! They (the
angels) said: May there
be peace upon you and
the Mercy of Allah, and
they made an addition of
‘mercy of Allah’. So he
who would enter into
Paradise would be in the
form of Adam alayhis
salaam, his length being
sixty cubits. Then, the
people who followed him
continued to diminish in
size up to this day.’
(Bukhari and Muslim)
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Our Precious Darul
Ulums |
Ramadan 1430 has passed
and many Darul Ulums will be
beginning their new academic
year in the next week.
South African Muslims
are indeed fortunate in the
many opportunities and
offers available to us. In
terms of the possibility of
studying the deen of Islam
at a level higher than that
of the elementary teachings
of madrassah and school,
young boys and girls are
presented with the fortunate
prospect of studying at
Darul Ulums across the
country.
There are
tens of Darul Ulums across
the country and at the Darul
Ulums students study Arabic,
Urdu, the Qur’an, Hadith,
Fiqh and many other
associated fields. The
programs at these Darul
Ulums are approximately six
years and students graduate
as Aalims.
Not so
long ago, South Africa had
to import huffaaz for
taraweeh prayer. Today, the
Darul Ulums have produced
such numbers of hufaaz and
Ulama that South African
huffaaz and Ulama serve at
cities across the globe – so
much so that communities
from around the world make
specific requests for South
African Ulama.
We
make du`aa that Allah
(subhanahu wa tqa`aala)
increase the Darul Ulums in
their efforts, grant them
every success and accept the
efforts of those involved at
the Darul Ulums. We also
make du`aa that Allah gives
the tawfeeq to the many
bright minds from our youth
to answer to the call of
seeking knowledge and
serving in the path of
Allah. Aameen.
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