|
|
|
Weekly Comment |
Telling Talibans Apart: The
‘Bad’ ones, the ‘Good’ Ones
Isn’t it amazing that
‘superpowers’ go on long and
expensive misadventures only to
end up doing what was straight
and obvious to many in the first
place?
For a long
time many had hinted at the
unwinnable war in Afghanistan.
Russia, the remnant of the once
mighty Soviet Union, has even
been surprised a how the US is
replicatigg their failed
military strategy.
For Russia, it was a strategy
which saw the Soviet Union
withdrawal from Afghanistan
without much to show for her
invasion save for the thousands
of casualties and a badly
bruised ego. In fact, it was not
just an ego. The withdrawal
itself marked what turned out to
be the beginning of the end of
the USSR.
It was not
surprising that the
‘international community’ (read
USA and NATO) met in London on
January 29, with the Afghan
leaders to work out an
‘Afghan-led political strategy’
that would end the conflict in
that war-ravaged central Asian
country. The invaders have been
searching for an 'honourable'
way out
An
Afghan-led political strategy,
however, should not be one that
is simply a masqueraded
US-policy dictated to the Afghan
people.
Rather, it
should be homegrown and
inclusive, giving careful
consideration to the demographic
and cultural make up of the
Afghan people united towards
national reconciliation.
Hamid
Karzai might have taken a lead
in that direction on December 3
when he said: "Personally, I
would definitely talk to Mullah
Omar. Whatever it takes to bring
peace to Afghanistan I, as
Afghan president, will do it."
The US
knows that this is the only way
out of the quagmire of an
unwinnable war. Yet, such a bold
policy turn-around will hardly
be taken by the Barack Obama.
A
president who won his the ticket
on the back of a peace oratory
that won him a Nobel Prize
pledges to expand the war by
committing more troops to
Afghanistan while continuing to
decimate Pakistanis using
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The US
claims to know how to separate
the “good” Talibans from the
“bad” ones. How that will be
done remains to be seen. Such an
attitude however seems to add
veracity to the view that Barack
Obama is a certain one-term
president.
By denying
a general amnesty, Obama is
missing an opportunity for
turning his fortunes around
without losing much face in
Afghanistan. |
|
|
C O N T E N T
S |
|
Summarised
Jumuah Bayaan |
|
Question and
Answer |
|
Update |
|
Message from the Ameer |
|
I N F O R M A
T I O N |
|
Min. Mahr |
R 147.94 |
|
Mahr Faatimi |
R 7,396.75 |
|
Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,958.70 |
|
Words of Wisdom |
|
Hadith of the Week |
|
Duty to Allah |
Abu Umamah Radhi-Allahu
‘anhu said: I heard
Messenger of Allah
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
during the sermon of the
Farewell Pilgrimage saying,
"Be mindful of your duty to
Allah; perform your five
daily Salat, observe Saum
during the month (of
Ramadan), pay the Zakat on
your properties and obey
your leaders; (if you do so)
you will enter the Jannah of
your Rabb."
(At-Tirmidhi)
|
|
|
Quotation
of
the Week |
|
The Final Day |
"Do not neglect a day
which Allah has mentioned in
63 places in His Book."
(Ibn Mubarak)
|
|
|
Point of Reflection |
|
Make Do |
Walk with your slippers
until you can find your
shoes.
(Sicilian)
|
|
|
|
Q and A |
|
Question: What is
the general Islamic law of
custody over children? |
Answer:
The general rule of custody
in terms of the Shari’ah is
that the mother has the
right of custody of a girl
up to the time she reaches
the age of nine years whilst
in the case of a boy custody
for the mother lasts up to
the time that he reaches the
age of seven. Thereafter,
the right moves over to the
father. This right remains
for the mother on condition
that she does not marry a
man who is from the
prohibited degree
(non-mahram) of the child.
If she marries such a
person, the right of custody
will pass over to the
maternal grandmother. If the
maternal grandmother is not
present, then this right
will go to the paternal
grandmother and so on. If,
however, after marriage the
mother is divorced from the
second husband and the Nikah
bond is completely
terminated, while the
children are of an age where
the mother has the right of
custody, the right of
custody will return to her.
Reference: Shaami
vol.3, p.564, H.M. Sa’eed
<Go to
Top> |
|
U P D A T E |
Ladies Classes Resume in
Fordsburg
Ladies classes have resumed at
No. 10 High Road. The classes
which are mainly attended by
Muslim reverts have this year
drawn 180 students in total,
mainly from Soweto and towns
around Johannesburg.
The
classed which are organized and
hosted by the Jamiatul Ulama run
on Wednesdays and Thursdays
between 10:00am and 12:00 noon.
Two teachers have been
engaged to impart lessons to the
ladies to whom transport is
provided to ease travel
challenges. Meanwhile, 12 of the
last year’s students are now
able to read the Qur’an on their
own and continue to participate
in lessons in order to sharpen
their skills.
The Taalimi Board Reaches Out to
Migrant Communities
The Taalimi Board today visited
the Turkish community in
Johannesburg. This is part of a
continuing drive to reach out to
various Muslim community groups
living in Johannesburg and
surrounding areas.
On
Saturday 30 Jan 2010, members of
the board had visited the Somali
community which is running a
madrasah of 180 children in
Mayfair.
The Somali
community has taken long and
remarkable strides since their
arrival in South Africa just
over ten years ago mainly as a
refugee community. They have
acquired property which has been
turned into a masjid as well as
the said madrasah.
All
programmes are community-funded
and the masjid itself is
undergoing expansion to
accommodate 600 more
worshippers.
Members of
the Taalimi Board were amazed
with the discipline at the
masjid where approximately 800
brothers congregated for Zuhr
Salaat.
Both the Somali
and Turkish communities are
using the Tasheel Series. The
Somali community, however, use
the Tasheel Series as
complementary to their own
Somali curriculum.
The
two communities look forward to
forging a close relation with
the Taalimi Board in tackling
common societal challenges of
the modern day.
Ulama Workshop on Education
Ulama are
invited to attend a workshop on
Education. This workshop is
scheduled for Saturday, 5
Rabi’ul Awwal 1431 / 20 February
2010 at Baitul Hamd, 32 Dolly
Rathebe Avenue, Fordsburg. It
will commence at 9:00am and end
at 12:30pm.
The workshop
will address the following two
topics: “Current Learning
Trends, Themes and
Perspectives,” and “A Child’s
World: Infancy to Adolescence.”
Interested participants
are advised to make timely
reservations (by phoning 011 373
8000) to facilitate adequate
preparation for the workshop.
|
|
Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
|
Sincerity of
Intention |
“And they were commanded
not, but that they
should worship Allah,
and worship none but Him
Alone, and perform Salah
and give Zakat, and that
is the right religion.”
(98:5)
"Say: Whether
you conceal what is in
your breasts or make it
known, Allah knows it."
(3:29)
• ‘Umar
ibn al-Khattab
radhiyallahu anhu said:
I heard Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam say, ‘Actions
only go by intentions.
Everyone gets what they
intend. Anyone who
emigrates for Allah and
His Messenger, his
emigration is indeed to
Allah and His Messenger.
But anyone who emigrates
to gain something of
this world or to marry a
woman, his emigration is
to that to which he
emigrated.’ (Bukhari)
• ‘A‘isha
radhiyallahu anha said:
‘Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘There is no more hijrah
(migration) after the
Conquest (of Makkah),
but there is jihad and
intention. When you are
called to it then go.’
(Bukhari and Muslim)
• Jabir ibn
‘Abdullah al-Ansari
radhiyallahu anhu said,
‘Once we were with
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam on an
expedition and he said,
‘There are certain men
still in Madinah who
have accompanied you (by
virtue of their
intention) on every
stretch of land you have
travelled and in every
valley you have crossed.
It was only illness that
prevented them from
coming.’ One variant of
this narration says,
‘from their sharing the
reward with us.’
(Muslim)
• Abu
Hurayrah radhiyallahu
anhu said, ‘Allah does
not look at your bodies
nor at your forms but
Allah looks at your
hearts and your
actions.’ (Muslim)
• Abu Musa
al-Ash‘ari radhiyallahu
anhu said, ‘Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam was asked about
the man who fights in
anger, a man who fights
to defend himself and a
man who fights to show
off, and whether any of
these were fighting in
the way of Allah.
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘The one who fights so
that the word of Allah
will be uppermost is in
the way of Allah.’
(Bukhari and Muslim)
• Abu Bakra Nufay’
radhiyallahu anhu said:
‘Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘When two Muslims clash
with their swords, then
both the killer and
killed are in the Fire.'
I asked, ‘Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam, I can
understand this with
regard to the killer,
but what about the
murdered man?’ He
replied, ‘He also was
eager to kill his
companion.’ (Bukhari and
Muslim)
• Abu
Hurayrah radhiyallahu
anhu said: ‘Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘The
congregational prayer of
a man is twenty degrees
more (rewarding) than
his prayer in his
business or his house.
That is because when one
of you performs wudhu
thoroughly and then goes
to the Masjid with no
other object than that
of performing the
prayer, without being
prompted by anything
other than the prayer,
Allah will raise him up
a degree with every step
he takes, and a wrong
action will also fall
away from him, until he
enters the Masjid. When
he enters the Masjid, he
is in prayer the whole
time he is waiting for
it and the angels pray
for him all the time he
is sitting there,
saying, ‘O Allah! Show
mercy to him! O Allah!
Forgive him! O Allah!
Turn towards him!’ as
long as he has not
caused anyone injury and
has not broken wudhu'.’
(Bukhari and Muslim)
• Abu’l-‘Abbas
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdullah
ibn ‘Abbas said:
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said in
what he reported from
Allah, ‘Allah wrote good
actions and bad actions
and then made that
clear. Whoever intends
to do a good action and
then does not do it,
Allah, the Blessed and
the Exalted, will write
a full good action for
him. If he intends to do
it and then does it,
Allah will write ten to
seven hundred good
actions multiplied many
times over. If he
intends an evil action
and then does not do it,
Allah will write a full
good action for him. If
he intends it and then
does it, Allah will
write one bad action for
him.’ (Bukhari and
Muslim)
• ‘Umar
ibn al-Khattab
radhiyallahu anhu said:
‘I heard Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam say, ‘Three men
of the past were
travelling and took
refuge for the night in
a cave. They entered it
and a rock fell down the
mountain and blocked the
entrance. They said,
'The only thing that
will rescue us from this
rock is to call on Allah
invoking good actions we
have done!’ One of them
said, ‘O Allah, my
parents are both old and
it is my habit never to
give milk in the evening
either to my family or
friends before giving it
to them first. One day I
went a long way in
search of something and
did not reach them until
they had already gone to
bed. I milked their
evening drink but found
them asleep. I did not
want to wake them nor to
give my family or
friends their evening
drink before they had
had theirs, so I
remained with the cup in
my hand waiting for them
to wake up until dawn
came. The children were
at my feet, crying
because of hunger. Then
they woke up and drank
their drink. O Allah, if
I did that out of the
desire for your
pleasure, then rescue us
from the situation we
are in regarding this
rock.’ It opened up a
little but they still
could not get out. The
second said, ‘O Allah! A
cousin of mine was the
person I loved more than
any other. (Another
variant has, ‘I used to
love one of my uncle’s
daughters with the most
intense love it is
possible for a man to
have for a woman.’) I
tried to seduce her and
she refused me until,
one year when she was in
dire need, she came to
me and I gave her a
hundred and twenty
dinars provided that she
would let me do what I
wanted with her. She did
that but when I was
about to have my way
with her, (one variant
has, ‘when I was between
her legs’) she said,
‘Fear Allah and do not
break the seal without
having the right to do
so.’ Then I left her
alone in spite of the
fact that she was, of
all people, the one I
loved the most and also
left her with the gold I
had given her. O Allah,
if I did that out of the
desire for your
Pleasure, then rescue us
from our situation!’ The
rock moved a little
further but they still
could not get out. The
third said, ‘O Allah, I
employed some workers
and gave all of them
their wages except for
one man who went off
without taking what he
was owed. I invested his
wage until it multiplied
in value. After a time
he came to me and said,
‘Abdullah, pay me my
wage!’ I said, 'All the
camels, cattle, sheep
and slaves that you see
here have come from your
wage.’ He said,
‘Abdullah, do not make
fun of me?’ I said, ‘I
am not making fun of
you.’ He took them all
and drove them off, not
leaving anything. O
Allah, if I did that out
of the desire for your
pleasure, then rescue us
from the situation we
are in!’ The rock moved
away and they walked
out.’ (Bukhari and
Muslim)
<Go to Top> |
|
Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
|
Amar bil Maroof wa
al-Nahy anil Munkar |
Enjoining the good and
forbidding the evil is an
important aspect in Islam.
It is considered to be a
responsibility of the
Believers. It is considered
to be among the signs and
qualities of the Believers.
It is mentioned as a means
of protecting oneself from
the punishment of Allah. It
is the basis, foundation and
means of creating a moral
society. Abstaining from it
is a cause for incurring the
displeasure of Allah and
also a prevention for the
acceptance of du`aa. Allah
mentions amar bil ma`ruf and
nahy anil munkar in various
verses of the Qur`aan, and
numerous ahaadeeth have been
narrated on the issue. Some
of them are:
“The
believers, men and women,
are Awliyaa’ (helpers,
supporters, friends,
protectors) of
one
another; they enjoin (on the
people) Al-Ma‘roof (i.e.
Islamic Monotheism and all
that
Islam orders one to
do), and forbid (people)
from Al-Munkar (i.e.
polytheism and disbelief of
all kinds, and all that
Islam has forbidden)”
[al-Tawbah 9:71]
“Let
there arise out of you a
group of people inviting to
all that is good (Islam),
enjoining Al-
Ma‘roof
(i.e. Islamic Monotheism and
all that Islam orders one to
do) and forbidding Al-
Munkar (polytheism and
disbelief and all that Islam
has forbidden)” [Aal ‘Imraan
3:104]
“You (true
believers in Islamic
Monotheism, and real
followers of Prophet
Muhammad and his
Sunnah)
are the best of peoples ever
raised up for mankind; you
enjoin Al-Ma‘roof (i.e.
Islamic Monotheism and all
that Islam has ordained) and
forbid Al-Munkar
(polytheism,
disbelief
and all that Islam has
forbidden)” [Aal ‘Imraan
3:110]
Abu Sa"id
al-Khudri (RA), reported
that the Messenger of Allah
had said:
"Whoever
amongst you sees anything
objectionable, let him
change it with his hand, if
he is
not able, then with
his tongue, and if he is not
even able to do so, then
with his heart, and
the
latter is the weakest form
of faith." Saheeh Muslim
May Allah make it
possible to practice upon
these verses and ahaadeeth.
<Go to Top> |
|
|
|