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Weekly Comment |
It
will take more the US to
Liberate Palestine
Joe Biden is the highest ranking
member of the Obama
Administration yet to visit
Israel. Biden came, saw and has
been snubbed by an announcement
of 1600 more homes to be built
for Israeli settlers in East
Jerusalem.
Vice President
Biden had meant to ‘promote
peace’ pledging his country’s
support for those who take ‘risk
for peace.’ However, to his
embarrassment, before he could
meet hapless Mahmood Abbas, a
minister revealed Zionist plans
to build more settlements on
stolen Palestinian land.
Settlements are Illegal by
international law and
acknowledged by the world
community including the USA as
an ‘obstacle to peace’ between
Palestinians and Israelis.
Somehow, Palestinian
Authority’s Mahmood Abbas,
desperate for legacy, had
earlier in the week agreed to
hold ‘indirect talks’ with
Israel. In the months that have
gone by, Abbas called for a
settlement freeze before
resumption of talks with Israel.
However, Netanyahu’s
administration is a coalition of
forces that has never subscribed
to the peace mantra. The peace
process, as it turns out appears
to be a sedation interval in
which Israel consolidates her
‘gains’ on stolen land. It
complements occasional bombing
raids and other apartheid-like
strategies for containing
Palestinian resistance.
The resistance itself has been
fought with the borrowed
American language of ‘War on
Terror.’ Thanks to
give-a-dog-a-bad-name-and-hang-him
policy! Activists against the
occupation, branded as
terrorists, languish by the
thousands in Israeli jails.
As all this is going on,
Mahmood Abbas hopes and hopes
that his nominal authority could
salvage something, albeit a
Bantustan, out of Zionist
Israel. The reality is that
Israel remains recalcitrant,
with a singular objective of
Judaisation of Occupied
Palestine.
The demeanor
of the Netanyahu Administration
continues to be strengthened by
the wavering Obama
Administration. As the
Clintonite elements take over
America’s Middle East policy,
Abbas’ hopes are nothing but a
pipe dream.
It does not
matter whether you are talking
to Likud, Labour or Kadima. The
result is the same. It will take
more than the USA to restore
justice to the dispossessed.
The world community should
translate her goodwill to
Palestinian people through
sustained action against the
world’s most malignant
occupation that is Israel.
Arab and Muslim nations
should take the lead in
demanding an end to the
suffering of Palestinian people
as a matter of urgency. The
slogan of liberation: “We shall
never be free until all the
oppressed people are free”
should be turned into actions
that will truly liberate
Palestine.
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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 149.61 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 7,480.31 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,992.12 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Excessive
Questioning |
Abu Hurairah
Radhi-Allahu anhu reported:
The Prophet Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam said, "Do
not ask me unnecessarily
about the details of the
things which I do not
mention to you. Verily, the
people before you were
doomed because they were
used to putting many
questions to their Prophets
and had differences about
their Prophets. Refrain from
what I forbid you and do
what I command you to the
best of your ability and
capacity".
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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Sincerity |
Deeds without sincerity
are like
a traveller who
carries in his water-jug
dirt. The carrying of
it
burdens him and it brings no
benefit.
(Ibn al
Qayyim)
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Point of Reflection |
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Focus |
The hunter in pursuit of
an elephant does not stop to
throw stones at birds.
(Uganda)
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Q and A |
Question: Could you
let me know if it is
permissible to use water
from a solar geyser to make
wudhu and ghusl?
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Answer:
It would be
permissible to make use of
water heated through
solar-powered geysers.
References: Raddul
Muhtaar Vol. 1 Pg. 125 &
180, Taqreeraatul Raafi'ee
'Alaa Raddil Muhtaar Vol.
1Pg. 23 - H M Sa'eed
edition, Behishti-Zewar Vol.
1 Pg. 61, Ahsnal-Fataawaa
Vol. 2 Pg. 43.
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U P D A T E |
The Ethiopian Muslim
Community is Vibrant
In the outreach programme of the
Jamiatul Ulama, a delegation
that visited the Ethiopian
community in Jeppe Street in
central Johannesburg, has been
pleasantly surprised by what
they saw.
The community
maintains a musalla with a
capacity of 350. From the time
of Dhuhr, the place is abuzz as
jamaat after jamaat follows.
Members of the community
operating shops in the central
and eastern parts of the CBD
patronise the musalla.
Representatives of the community
highlighted the challenges they
face and reiterated their
seeking of support on how to
better serve their community.
United Ulama Council of
South Africa holds AGM
The United Ulama Council of
South Africa (UUCSA) held their
annual general meeting (AGM) in
Port Elizabeth on Monday and
Tuesday this week. The AGM
tabled matters of common
interest to the member
organizations and reviewed the
activities of the period since
the last AGM.
Plans for
the year ahead were tabled and
discussed.
UUCSA is an
umbrella body of major ulama
organizations in South Africa
and the Jamiatul Ulama as an
affiliate were represented by
Moulana Ebrahim I Bham and
Moulana Yusuf Patel, the current
secretary general of UUCSA.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Taqwa: On
Fear-filled Awareness of
Allah |
“O you who believe!
Fear Allah as He should
be feared.” (3:102)
“So keep your duty
to Allah and fear Him as
much as you can.”
(64:16)
“And
whosoever fears Allah
and keeps his duty to
Him, He will make a way
for him to get out (from
every difficulty). And
He will provide him from
(sources) he never could
imagine.” (65:2-3)
“O you who believe!
If you obey and fear
Allah, He will grant you
Furqan (a criterion to
judge between right and
wrong) and will expiate
for you your sins, and
forgive you; and Allah
is the Owner of the
Great Bounty.” (8:29)
• Taqwa is an Arabic
word which is explained
as a shield against
wrongdoing and further
expounded as to be
“conscious of Allah” or
to have “fear of Allah”
or to be “cautiously
aware of Allah”.
• The origin of the word
Taqwa is from the Arabic
root letters wa’ ka’ ya
(meaning shield) and its
verb is from the word
“Ittaki”. Ittaki means
to be careful or to be
protected or to be
cautious. Taqwa is an
internal compass on the
path that leads towards
Allah. The broader
meaning and character of
Taqwa is to develop
one’s behavior, so as to
be cautiously aware in
the worship of Allah and
attain nearness to Him
and in so doing, perfect
oneself.
• Abu
Hurayrah radhiyallahu
anhu said, ‘It was
asked, ‘O Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam, who is the
noblest of people?’ He
replied, ‘The one with
the most fear of Allah.’
They said, ‘This is not
what we meant.’ He said,
‘Yusuf alayhis salaam,
the Prophet of Allah,
son of a Prophet of
Allah, son of a Prophet
of Allah, son of the
Friend of Allah.’ They
said, ‘This is not what
we meant either.’ He
said, ‘Is it then about
the Arabs that you
asking? The best of them
in the Time of Ignorance
is the best of them in
Islam when they have
knowledge (of Islam).’
(Bukahri and Muslim)
• Abu Sa‘id
al-Khudri radhiyallahu
anhu reported that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘This world is green and
sweet. Allah has put you
in charge of it so be
careful how you behave.
Beware of this world and
beware of women. The
first trouble
experienced by the Bani
Isra-eel was on account
of women.’ (Muslim)
• Abu Mas‘ud
radhiyallahu anhu
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam used to say, ‘O
Allah, I ask you for
guidance, fearful
awareness, chastity and
independence.’ (Muslim)
• Abu Tarif ‘Adi
ibn Hatim at-Ta‘i
reported that he
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam say,
‘Whoever swears an oath
to do something and then
sees something nearer to
Taqwa than it, should do
the thing which will
result in more fear of
Allah.’ (Muslim)
• Abu Umama Sudayy
ibn ‘Ajlan al-Bahili
said, ‘I heard
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam speaking
in the Farewell Hajj. He
said, ‘Fear Allah, pray
your five prayers, fast
your month, pay the
zakah on your property
and obey your leades and
you will enter the
Garden of your Lord -
Jannah.’ (Tirmidhi)
• Tips to Increase
Taqwa (Piety):
1. Be
alert to whatever may
divert you from Allah.
2. Be alert to the
carnal pleasures that
may lead to the realm of
the forbidden.
3.
Ascribe all material and
spiritual
accomplishments to
Allah.
4. Never
consider yourself as
better than anyone else.
5. Long for Allah’s
pleasure and
satisfaction in all
affairs.
6. Renew the
fountains of your Imaan
by studying and
reflecting on Allah’s
creation.
7. Remember
death, and live with the
conscious knowledge that
it may happen at any
time.
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Building a Healthy
Islamic Environment |
In order to attain a
wholesome Islamic
environment, human beings
should, on an individual
level, reform and rectify
themselves.
The
ideal Islamic environment
rests upon good character,
spirituality and a high
degree of ethics…all of
which begins on an
individual level. These
factors, implemented on an
individual level, act as
binding elements towards
strengthening society as a
whole. On the other hand, if
society is built upon
factors other than the above
like material
considerations, then,
although it may seem to be
achieving success, it would
be like loose stones lying
next to each other. It would
seem to be solid, but it is,
in reality, weak, movable
and unstable.
Once a
person’s inner is perfected,
he becomes a selfless being
the benefits of which
benefits society
tremendously. He/she does
everything that please
Allah, and according to the
following hadith, treats
others in a way only that
would be pleasing to Allah:
“La yu’minu ahadukum hatta
yuhibbu as-shay’ la
yuhibbuhu illallah.” (None
of you can be a true
believer until you like or
dislike something only for
the pleasure of Allah.”
(Bukhari and Muslim) A
selfless and morally upright
person, one who cares for
others, a responsible person
and one who cares deeply for
others can only be one who
has made effort on his inner
self, and not a person who
has been endowed with the
outer trappings of the
world.
Our noble
Rasulallah (sallallahu
‘alaihi wa sallam) describes
a true believer as part of
the whole ummah. Individual
piety is commendable, but it
is not nearly half as
commendable as a person who
cares deeply of society, and
is one of them. According to
the hadith, the example of
Muslims, in their love and
compassion for each other is
like a body. If one limb is
in pain, then the entire
body is affected with
restlessness, discomfort and
fever.
Let us pray
that we all become caring
members of the
ummat-e-Muhammadi so that we
can once again become the
mighty force that we were
centuries ago – Aameen.
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