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Weekly Comment |
A Revisit: With the
‘left’ wing so ‘right’, who
needs the ‘left’?
The
rhetoric of ‘change’ is as
hollow as never before. The
anti-war movement that drove
President Barack Obama to power
is dumfounded.
The
presidency that was touted to be
not just change in Washington
but change to Washington is
alienated to its supporters as
it grows as hawkish as the Bush
Administration.
Ryan
Jaroncyk of California
Independent Voter Network opens
our eyes with the following
sobering facts about Barack
Obama:
• He just signed a
record $708 billion military
budget, bigger than President
Bush's largest defense budget.
• He allocated over $100
billion in supplemental funding
for the wars in Afghanistan and
Iraq.
• The CIA has
carried out a record number of
Predator Drone attacks on
targets in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and other nations,
attacks which led to the deaths
of over 700 Pakistani civilians
last year.
• He
instituted two new troop surges
in Afghanistan, which added an
additional 50,000 troops.
• His two troop surges led
to 2009 being the bloodiest year
for American & NATO soldiers in
Afghanistan.
• A record
number of private war
contractors, approximately over
200,000, now operate in
Afghanistan and Iraq under
Obama's command.
• U.S.
soldiers, mainly special forces,
are now operating in Pakistan
and Yemen.
• Over 100,000
soldiers are still on the ground
in Iraq, despite campaign
pledges to commence a fairly
rapid drawdown. In addition, a
significant spike in sectarian
violence has occured in Iraq
over the last six months,
arousing new worries of yet
another delay.
•
Guantanamo Bay is still open,
despite Obama's pledge to close
it in a year's time.
How
amazing that one year can bring
about so much change in a man!
With the left wing so right, who
needs the left?
Read more
here:
http://caivn.org/article/2010/02/08/where-has-anti-war-movement-gone |
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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 |
R137.75 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 6,887.44 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,754.98 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Charitable
Obligation |
Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari
Radhi-Allahu anhu reported:
The Prophet Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam said,
"Giving in charity is an
obligation upon every
Muslim". It was said (to
him): "What about one who
does not find (the means) to
do so?'' He Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam said, "Let
him work with his hands,
thus doing benefit to
himself and give in
charity.'' It was said to
him: "What if he does not
have (the means) to do so?''
He Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam said, "Then let him
assist the needy, the
aggrieved.'' It was said:
"What about if he cannot
even do this?'' He
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said, "Then he should enjoin
good.'' He was asked: "What
if he cannot do that?'' He
(the Prophet Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam) said, "He
should then abstain from
evil, for verily, that is a
charity from him."
(Al-Bukhari and
Muslim) |
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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What Counts, Really? |
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“I see that some people are
content with the least of
the deen, but I do not see
them pleased with little of
this life.” (Ibn
Mubarak) |
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Point of Reflection |
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The Obvious |
A tiger does not have to
proclaim its tigritude.
(Nigeria)
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Q and A |
Question:
Please
inform me who is responsible
for the maintenance of
children, what does
maintenance entail and does
it always have to be given
in cash. Your response will
be highly appreciated. |
Answer:
It is the
responsibility of the father
to provide maintenance for
his children. Maintenance
comprises of food, clothing
and shelter (place to live
in) (Shaami; vol.3, p.612,
H.M. Saeed). The father must
provide the above to the
extent that the needs of the
children are taken care of
(Fataawa Mahmoodiyya, vol.9,
p.227). The father is thus
not obligated to provide for
anything over and above the
basic needs and necessities
of his children. It is also
not necessary that the
father pays this maintenance
in the form of cash. If he
provides these essentials in
kind he will be absolved of
his responsibility.
Therefore if the father
purchases the food, clothing
and makes arrangements for a
shelter he will be absolved
of the responsibility of
maintenance (Fataawa
Mahmoodiyya, vol.9 p.22). If
the father is not in a
position to provide the
basic needs and necessities
because of either being
unemployed or not earning
enough, then the
responsibility will rest on
the closest relative/s of
the child to provide the
maintenance or make up for
the shortfall (Shaami;
vol.3, p.612/3, H.M. Saeed).
<Go to
Top> |
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U P D A T E |
Ramzy Baroud Speaks on Gaza
The Jamiatul
Ulama and Al-Aqsa Foundation of
South Africa will host Ramzy
Baroud who will speak on Gaza at
the Suliman Nana Memorial Centre
Hall on Thursday 11 Feb 2010
starting from 19h30,
insha-Allah. Ramzy is a prolific
writer and journalist who has
recently published a book
entitled: My Father was a
Freedom Fighter.
<More
here>
Jamiatul Ulama Branch
Meeting
Members of staff of the Jamiatul
Ulama branches met last Saturday
to look at issues relating to
community work and challenges
the offices have to grapple
with.
Members discussed
standard procedures as well as
programmes that have to be
enhanced to serve the community
better.
Allaying Fears of "Terror"
Threats
Leaders of the Muslim community
met government officials of the
intelligence department recently
to discuss issues of common
concern.
Brother Ebrahim
Patel facilitated the meeting
where leaders drawn from various
Ulama bodies affiliated with
UUCSA as well as from other
organizations wanted to assure
government that the Muslim
community, would not support
anything untoward that would
disrupt the peace and calm
prevailing in the country.
The government officials in
response emphasized the fact
that they did not have any
suspicions about the community
as the media has always tried to
portray.
Taalimi Board Reaches Out to
Migrant Communities
Under the on-going programme to
reach out to migrant communities
in and around Johannesburg, The
Taalimi board today met the
Ugandan as well as Ethiopian
communities.
There are
about 10,000 Ugandan Muslims in
South Africa while the Ethiopian
Muslim community is about
2000-strong.
The
communities leaders met
expressed their appreciation for
the kind gesture from the
Jamiatul Ulama highlighting
their needs and the challenges
they face requiring assistance
from the established Muslim
communities.
From the
time the Taalimi Board of the
Jamiatul Ulama started this
initiative, it has noted the
remarkable level of organization
of these communities in areas of
Islamic education and
development of own
infrastructure by members of the
respective communities.
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.
Ladies
Madrasah Resumes
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.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Repentance |
“Ask your Lord for
forgiveness and then
turn in repentance to
Him.” (11:3)
“O you
who believe! Turn in
sincere repentance to
Allah.” (66:8)
•
Scholars say that it is
a duty to repent for
every wrong action. If
it is disobedience which
occurs between a person
and Allah, and does not
involve the right of
another human being,
repentance has three
pre-conditions. The
first is that one
refrains from that
particular sin. The
second is that he
regrets committing the
sin. The third is that
he resolves not to ever
return to it. If one of
the three is lacking,
then his repentance is
not sound. If it
involves another human
being, repentance has
four preconditions:
these three and that he
fulfill his duty to the
wronged person, for
example, if it is money
or the like, he pays it
to him.
• Abu
Hurayrah radhiyallahu
anhu said: I heard
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam say, ‘By
Allah, I ask forgiveness
from Allah and turn
towards Him in
repentance more than
seventy times a day.’
(Bukhari)
• Anas
ibn Malik radhiyallahu
anhu, the servant of
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam,
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘Allah is
more pleased about the
repentance of one His
slaves than one of you
would be about finding
your camel which had
strayed away from you in
the middle of the
desert.’ (Bukhari and
Muslim) In the version
of Muslim, ‘Allah is
more pleased with the
repentance of one His
slaves when he turns
towards Him than one of
you would have over his
mount, which, having
escaped from him with
his food and drink in
the middle of the desert
so that he has despaired
of finding it and gone
to a tree to lie down in
its shade, and it
suddenly appears
standing by him while he
is in that state, so
that he takes its reins
and then says out of the
intensity of his joy, ‘O
Allah, You are my slave
and I am Your Lord!’
getting confused because
of his intense joy.’
• Abu Musa
al-Ash‘ari radhiyallahu
anhu reported that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘Allah, the Almighty,
stretches out His hand
(of mercy) during the
night, turning towards
the one who did wrong
during the day, and
stretches out His hand
during the day, turning
towards the one who did
wrong during the night,
until the day the sun
rises from the place it
set.’ (Muslim)
•
Abu Hurayrah
radhiyallahu anhu
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘Allah
will turn towards anyone
who turns in repentance
before the time that the
sun rises from the place
it set.’(Muslim)
• ‘Abdullah ibn
‘Umar radhiyallahu anhu
said that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘Allah,
the Mighty and Majestic,
accepts the repentance
of His servant as long
as his death-rattle has
not begun.’ (Tirmidhi)
• Abu Sa‘id
al-Khudri radhiyallahu
anhu reported that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘Among those before you
there was a man who
killed ninety-nine
people. He asked as to
who was the most
knowledgeable man in the
world and was directed
to a monk. He went to
him and said that he had
killed ninety-nine
people and was
repentance possible for
him? The monk said,
‘No,’ so he killed him
and made it a hundred.
Then he again asked who
was the most
knowledgeable man on
earth and was directed
to a man of knowledge.
He said that he had
killed a hundred people,
so he asked if
repentance possible for
him? The man said, ‘Yes,
who can come between you
and repentance? Go to
such-and-such a land;
where there are some
people worshipping
Allah, Almighty. Worship
Allah with them and do
not return to your own
country. It is an evil
place.’ So he went and
then, when he was half
way there, he died. The
angels of mercy and
angels of punishment
started to argue about
him. The angels of mercy
said, ‘He came in
repentance, turning with
his heart to Allah
Almighty.’ The angels of
punishment said, ‘He has
not done a single good
action.’ An angel came
in a human form and they
appointed him arbitrator
between them. He said,
‘Measure the distance
between the two
countries and whichever
one he is nearer to,
that is the one he
belongs to.’ They
measured and found he
was nearer to the land
to which he was going,
so the angels of mercy
took him.’ (Bukhari and
Muslim) In the variant
of Bukhari, ‘He was a
hand-span nearer to the
virtuous land, so he was
put among their people.’
In another variant of
Bukhari, ‘Allah revealed
to this country to
distance itself and to
that one to come
nearer.’
•
‘Imran ibn al-Husayn
al-Khuza‘i radhiyallahu
anhu reported that a
woman from Juhayna came
to Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam, who was
pregnant as a result of
fornication. She said,
‘O Messenger of Allah, I
have committed an
offense liable for
punishment, so carry out
the punishment on me.’
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam summoned
her guardian and said,
‘Treat her well. When
she gives birth, bring
her back to me.’ He did
that and Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam commanded that
her garment be tied
tightly about her and
then he commanded that
she be stoned. Then he
prayed over her
(Salaatul Janazah).
‘Umar radhiyallahu anhu
said to him, ‘Do you
pray over her, Messenger
of Allah, when she
committed fornication?’
He said, ‘She repented
with such repentance
that if it were to be
divided out among
seventy of the people of
Madinah, it would be
enough for all of them.
Can you think of
anything better than her
offering herself to
Allah, the Mighty and
Majestic?’ (Muslim)
• Abu Hurayrah
radhiyallahu anhu
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘Allah,
glory be to Him,
expresses delight about
two men, one of whom
kills the other and yet
both of them enter
Jannah. One fights in
the way of Allah and is
matyred. Then Allah
turns towards the killer
(with mercy), who then
becomes a Muslim himself
and is martyred.’
(Bukhari and Muslim)
<Go to Top> |
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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The Importance of
Self-Reflection |
Man is constantly
involved in various
activities.
Some of
the activities are focused
on earning of a livelihood
for the purpose of providing
for himself and his family;
some aimed at strengthening
the relationships that are
important to him as well as
fulfilling the rights of his
close and extended family,
and some activities that
center solely around
fulfilling the injunctions
of Allah.
Sometimes
man becomes so involved in
the activities that
preoccupy him that he loses
sight of what exactly he is
doing and why he is doing
it.
Sometime man
loses track of what needs to
be given priority in the
mountain of tasks he has to
complete.
It is important
to constantly and
consistently reflect upon
one’s actions and question
one’s own intentions.
Anything done only for the
pleasure of Allah will
ultimately bring real and
true blessing and reward.
<Go to Top> |
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