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Weekly Comment |
Swiss Ban
on Minarets: Reflection of
Political Extremism
Fifty-seven percent of the 2.67
million Swiss who participated
in a referendum voted against
the right of Muslims to
construct minarets with their
mosques. The move was
spearheaded by the racist Swiss
People’s Party (SVP) whose
slogan read: “minarets are
symbols of rising Muslim
political power that could one
day transform Switzerland into
an Islamic nation.” The SVP
campaign posters showed minarets
rising like missiles from the
Swiss flag next to a fully
veiled woman.
The Swiss
government to its credit was
against the proposal but could
not prevail against the
provocative and intolerant
rhetoric of the extremist Swiss
People's Party (SVP) The vote
revealed the extent to which
far-right racist groups were
winning the battle of ideas on
the future of Europe. The
results of this referendum have
been welcomed by leaders of
other radical right-wing groups
in Europe, such as
Heinz-Christian Strache, leader
of the radical-right Austrian
Freedom Party, and Marine Le
Pen, vice-president of France's
National Front, which points to
the possibility of religious and
political extremism spreading
further in Europe Muslims
comprise 6 percent of
Switzerland’s 7.5 million
population.
Many of them
are the refugees of the 1990s
Serb-Croat ethnic-cleansing of
Muslims in Bosnia and former
Yugoslavia. There are about 150
mosques in Switzerland, only
four have minarets which won't
be affected by the ban. Unlike
mosques in Muslim countries,
these minarets are not used to
call Muslims to prayer.
Compare this action of the
so-called ‘civilized and
democratic world’ with the
religious tolerance which exists
in most parts of the Muslim
world. There is no restriction
on building new churches in the
Muslim world with Christian or
Jewish minorities – Indonesia,
the most populated Muslim
country (13 million Christians
out total population of 212
million), Pakistan, Egypt,
Islamic Iran, Iraq, Nigeria,
Sudan, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan,
Syria, UAE, Kuwait, etc. The
church bells ring every Sunday
and Christmas is an official
holiday. Most Muslim countries
have Sunday as weekly holiday.
Christians have held several top
positions in both military and
government in Indonesia,
Pakistan, Iraq (Saddam Hussein
had six Christian cabinet
ministers including Vice
President Tariq Aziz), Lebanon,
Egypt, Sudan, Tanzania, and
Nigeria.
The minaret
unlike the Cross has no ‘divine
value.’ People are certainly not
attracted to Islam because of
tall minarets. They reverted to
Islam for its simple teachings
and human-brotherhood. Minarets
are architectural structures
associated with mosques which do
not have any political
significance.
Farhad
Afshar, leader of the Swiss
Coordination of Islamic
Organisations said: "The most
painful thing for us is not the
ban on minarets, but the symbol
sent by this vote. The idea of
putting issues related to
religious freedom and human
rights to vote is quite
unacceptable and unjustifiable.
Furthermore, the situation where
the majority votes on issues
related to the rights of the
minority is fundamentally at
odds with the spirit of
democracy, which cannot be
allowed to be used as an open
door to incitement, and an
excuse to pit citizens against
their fellow partners in
society.”
Mosques and
minarets in European cities are
manifestations of the proudly
indigenous nature of Islam in
Europe. It is tragic that the
far right is stripping away at
the illustrious heritage of
coexistence between different
faiths and cultures in Europe
and replacing it with their
warped and xenophobic political
agendas.
(This
statement has been issued by the
United Ulama Council of
South Africa (UUCSA).
The Jamiatul Ulama in a
co-founding and active member of
UUCSA. |
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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 161.88 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 8,094.09 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 3,237.64 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Reconcile while you
can |
Narrated Abu Hurairah
Radhi-Allahu anhu reported:
“Allah’s Messenger
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said, ‘The gates of Paradise
are opened on Mondays and
Thursdays, and then every
slave (of Allah) is granted
forgiveness if he does not
associate anything with
Allah in worship. The person
in whose heart there is
rancour against his (Muslim)
brother, they will not be
pardoned and with regard to
them it will be said twice:
‘Hold both of them until
they are reconciled with
each other.’”
(Muslim)
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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The Age of Knowledge |
It is reported that
Ayyûb Al-Sakhtiyânî
Rahmatullahi alayhi was
asked: “Is knowledge today
greater or lesser (in
amount)?” He replied, “There
is more speech today, but
there was more knowledge in
the past.”
(Al-Fasawî)
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Point of Reflection |
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Value of Good Repuute |
Well-named is more is
worth more than golden belt.
(French Proverb)
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Q and A |
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Question: What is
the definition of a Makrooh
act in Islam? Is it
considered a sin or is
undesirable? |
Answer:
There are two types of
Makrooh. One is Makrooh
Tanzihi and the other is
Makrooh Tahrimi. The
perpetration of Makrooh
Tahrimi is a sin whilst the
perpetration of Makrooh
Tanzihi is not a sin.
Makrooh Tanzihi can also be
termed as undesirable and
one will Insha Allah not be
rebuked for its
perpetration.
<Go to
Top> |
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U P D A T E |
Mufti Ahmad M Mia
Rahmatullahi ‘alayhi
With the demise of Mufti Ahmad,
the Muslim community lost yet
another senior Muslim scholar on
Sunday 22 November 2009.
Mufti Ahmad of Waterval
Islamic Institute was associated
with many projects of Islamic
education not only in South
Africa but as far afield as the
Indian Ocean island of
Madagascar as well as in
Mozambique and Malawi.
Mufti Ahmad was a meticulous
person behind many of the high
print quality Islamic education
publications the Institute
became well known for.
Mufti Ahmad had also in earlier
years been a member of the
Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal’s Darul
Iftaa Department.
May the
Almighty grant him Jannatul
Firdaus.
Photographs for Official
Documents
Muslim community leaders will
tomorrow, 3 December 2009 meet
with officials of the Department
of Home Affairs to discuss a new
development in a requirement for
Muslim ladies to take off the
hijab when taking photographs
for passports and related
documents.
This
development was communicated to
the Jamiatul Ulama who will be
joined by other members of the
United Ulama Council of South
Africa in order to explore ways
of accommodating Muslim special
requirements pertaining to
head-covering.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Social
Etiquette: Compassion
towards children |
“And when the female
(infant) buried alive
(as the pagan Arabs used
to do) is questioned.
For what sin, was she
killed?” (81:8-9)
• Uqbah ibn Amir
radhiyallahu anhu
reports Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam as saying: ‘If
anyone has three
daughters, treats them
patiently and provides
clothing for them out of
his hard earned money,
they will be his
protection from the fire
of Jahannam.’
•
Ibn Abbas radhiyallahu
anhu reports Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam as saying: ‘If
any Muslim has two
daughters who have come
of age of maturity and
he treats them kindly so
long as they are with
him (or he said, so long
as he lives with them)
Allah will guarantee him
Jannah (by virtue of his
good behaviour to
them).’
• Al
Midam ibn Ma’di Karib
radhiyallahu anhu says
that he heard Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam saying, ‘What
you feed yourself counts
as sadaqah for you, and
what you feed your
children counts as
sadaqah for you, and
what you feed your wife
counts as sadaqah or
you, and what you feed
your servant counts as
sadaqah for you.’
• Walid ibn Numayr
says that he heard his
father saying: ‘People
used to say,
Righteousness is a gift
from Allah, and good
manners and behaviour
are taught by parents.’
• Ibn Umar
radhiyallahu anhu says:
‘Allah has named Abraar
(the virtuous) in the
Noble Quran those who
were dutiful towards
their parents and
treated their sons
kindly. The fact is that
as there are rights you
owe to your father,
there are also rights
that you owe to your
son.’
• Anas bin
Malik radhiyallahu anhu
says that a woman came
to Aisha radhiyallahu
anha and gave her three
dates. The women gave
one date to each of her
two children and kept
one date for herself.
The children ate their
dates and began to look
at their mother. She
took the third date,
divided it in two parts
and gave one half to
each of her children.
When the Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam came, Aisha
radhiyallahu anhu told
him about it and he
said, ‘What is there in
it that seems strange to
you? Verily Allah has
shown mercy to her for
her showing mercy to her
children.’
•
Jarir bin Abdullah
radhiyallahu anhu
reports Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam as saying,
‘Allah will not show
mercy to those who are
not merciful to
mankind.’
•
Aisha radhiyallahu anha
narrates: ‘Some desert
Arabs came to Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam and one of them
said to him, ‘Oh
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam do you
kiss your children? By
Allah we do not kiss
them.’ The Rasul of
Allah sallallahu alayhi
wasalam said, ‘What do I
do for you from Allah,
if Allah the Great and
Glorious, has withdrawn
mercy on from your
heart?’
• Nu’man
bin Basheer radhiyallahu
anhu says that his
father went to
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam carrying
him in his arms and
said, ‘O Rasul of Allah!
I make you witness that
I have given such and
such a gift to Nu’man.’
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam said,
‘Have you given the like
of it to all your sons?’
I replied, ‘No.’
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam said,
‘Then let someone else
be your witness.’
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam then
added, ‘Does it not
please you that all your
sons should be equal in
their kind their kind
treatment from you?’ I
replied, ‘Why not?’
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasalam said,
‘Then do not gift it to
one of them alone.’
• Abu Hurayrah
radhiyallahu anhu
reports Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasalam as saying,
‘Allah, the Great and
Glorious, divided mercy
into hundred parts and
kept ninety nine parts
with Him, and sent down
one part to the earth.
And it is because of
this one part that His
creatures are merciful
to one another, such
that a mare lifts up its
hooves away from its
baby animal least that
it should trample upon
it.’
(Bukhari -
Adabul Mufrad)
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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World AIDS Day |
December 1 was been
designated by the
international community as
World AIDS Day. It is meant
to be a day which will help
to create a greater
awareness of AIDS.
The Jamiatul Ulama has
circulated a Jumu‘ah message
on AIDS for Ulama to utilise
for this Friday’s (4th of
December) sermon.
There are many important
issues that relate to
HIV/AIDS including
diagnosis, helping those
afflicted with the disease
and providing support to the
families of those who are
HIV positive.
The
primary aspect of importance
however is the approach
towards dealing with the
imminent danger of the
spread of AIDS. How does one
prevent the spread of AIDS?
The Islamic model of
preventing the spread of
AIDS deals with a focus on a
change in lifestyle and
attitude. Islam, as well as
other religions, suggests
that tackling the root of
the problem is the best way
to decrease the spread of
the problem. When it is an
accepted fact that the
spread of AIDS is largely
attributed to drug abuse,
promiscuity, sodomy,
fornication and adultery,
then surely the focus should
be on eliminating these
acts.
In addition,
we look around us and see
many repulsive and
frightening acts and
practices that have become
common in society, in
general, and even within the
Muslim community. Child
abuse, spousal abuse,
divorces, and the like have
become common. Drug abuse
has destroyed countless
homes.
It is
important to remember that
the life we live is the life
we will see. If we live a
life that breeds evils then
we will be afflicted by
those evils.
At the
same time, it must be
remembered that those who
have been afflicted by
difficulties cannot be cast
by the wayside, stigmatised
or victimised. The principle
of considering an act, and
not the person, as evil must
be applied, and a helping
hand must be offered to
those who reform and seek
assistance.
May
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala
guide us in all that we do.
Aameen.
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