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Weekly Comment |
Let’s not Destroy what we have
Built
Many
visitors who have been to our
shores recently have a lot to
say about the vibrant atmosphere
of our country. Save for few
incidents, those now returning
to their homes have a different
tale to tell about the Rainbow
Nation.
It is a different tale because
they were warned about South
Africa. A South Africa they read
from their local papers and
other media outlets told them of
‘bushes’ in a South African town
where venomous still cobras
roam, ready to strike at any
time.
They were told of
machete-wielding tribesmen in
perpetual state of war, fighting
all the time. They had to take
extra caution not to be caught
in between while visiting the
country.
Our capacity to keep and
maintain a level of security
that would assure a reasonable
degree of safety to all visitors
was in doubt. So too was our
willingness to welcome the
guests to our country.
So far, the
myths of Afro-pessimists of the
kind have been debunked. The
experience of many has been a
wonderful one, to say the least.
In months and years to come,
South Africa will be remembered
as a destination of choice to
which they will return. At their
recommendation, many more will
be motivated to visit and
experience ‘the world in one
country.’
From the
horizon, however, this scenario
is under threat. Locally-based
foreign nationals have been
reporting of intimidation which
is simmering below the surface.
A number of reports suggest
‘planned attacks on foreigners
once the World Cup is over.’ It
is sad that the calendar for
many hardworking and
enterprising non-South Africans,
in legitimate engagements, has
been set to end on July 11,
2010.
Authorities have dismissed these
claims and have been at pains to
assure that everyone will be
protected, now and in future.
Nothing should be taken for
granted, however. After the ugly
and fatal flares up in winter of
2008, the community at large is
asked to be vigilant to elements
which stoke up hatred of people
from other lands.
It is
well-known that among those of
foreign origin, some live here
legitimately. They are those who
have actually been naturalised
(becoming South Africans), hence
compatriots!
Others are
refugees fleeing from their
troubled lands and many more are
engaged in services and
professions in which there is
short supply of
locally-developed human
resources such as medicine,
science education and other rare
skills.
Xenophobic tendencies pull back
the clock of the gains we have
made as a nation. Unemployment
and poor service delivery cannot
be solved by xenophobic attacks.
Those in
privileged positions such as in
law-enforcement and healthcare
should be true to their
professional pledges and oaths
by showing exemplary conduct and
not be agents that perpetrate
abuse of those at their mercy.
What we have
put together as a show for the
world should not be just a
façade of a nation in crisis.
Rather, it should be a stage on
which we celebrate our
achievements, acknowledge our
shortcomings and use appropriate
ways and means to confront our
challenges. |
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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 |
R167.39 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 8,369.60 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 3,347.84 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Well-Intended
Humility |
.
Mu`adh bin Anas Radhiallahu
anhu reported: Messenger of
Allah Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam said, "Whoever
gives up wearing elegant and
expensive garments out of
humbleness, when he can do
so, Allah will call him on
the Day of Resurrection and
before all the creations, He
will give him the choice to
wear whichever garment of
Iman he would like to
wear.''
[At-Tirmidhi].
(Muslim)
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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.. |
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“Be mindful of following the
Sunnah at all times. This is
[the real form of]
excellence, the objective,
and the cause of divine
pleasure.”
(Moulana Husayn Ahmad Madani
RA)
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Point of Reflection |
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Numerical Strength |
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Abundance will make cotton
pull a stone.
(Niger)
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Q and A |
Question: Can you
please define Eesaal Thawaab
as well as the difference
between Thawaab Jaariyyah
and Eesaal Thawaab?
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Answer:
Basically, Eesaal
Thawaab (literally meaning
'Passing of Reward') refers
to the offering of a
voluntary deed (besides
Salaah & Fasting) thereafter
making an intention for its
reward to be passed on to
another person.
Thawaab Jaariyyah (literally
meaning 'Perpetual Reward')
essentially is Eesaal
Thawaab, with the difference
being that Eesaal Thawaab
refers to a voluntary deed
where the reward is passed
on once off, whilst Thawaab
Jaariyyah is a deed whereby
the reward perpetuates, e.g.
making a Haafiz, Aalim,
sinking a well, building a
Masjid, planting fruit/shade
trees where, in all of these
deeds people are perpetually
benefitting.
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Top> |
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U P D A T E |
Taalimi Board Delegation
Returns from Thailand and India
A six-man
delegation of the Jamiatul
Ulama’s Taalimi Board has just
returned from Thailand where
they completed an intensive
programme of workshops and
seminars in different areas of
the country.
Methodology
of teaching the Qur’an was the
main theme in the workshops.
Emphasis was also placed on ways
on integrating Islamic education
into the in the country’s school
programme.
On-going
interaction yielding positive
results
The delegation
also visited rural areas of
Thailand, in particular on the
Southern end where a
supervisors’ workshop was held.
Thailand is one of the
countries where the Tasheel
Series has been adopted in the
madrasa curriculum. The series
has since been translated into
the Thai language.
The
delegation also fulfilled a
number of other engagements on a
stopover in Hyderabad. Upon the
invitation of Azaan
International School which
offers an integrated curriculum,
they shared their experience on
the introduction of Islamic
education into the school
programme.
Unlike in
Thailand where language poses a
barrier in interaction, the
workshops for teachers and a
seminar for other role players
went on well. More than 30
schools attended the sessions
which were followed by question
and answers.
At the
Maahadul Islam conference which
was being held in Hyderabad,
Moulana Ayoob Kachwee spoke on
challenges facing the ulama.
While in Hyderabad, the
delegation was also guests of
Brother Yawar Baig at his weekly
class session. Here, Moulana
Kachwee spoke of the role of the
Jamiatul Ulama and Brother
Ismail Variawa spoke on
Challenges of the media.
The delegation also visited
Hyderabad’s Darul Islamiya.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Treating the
Neighbour well |
“Worship Allah and
do not associate
anything with Him. Be
good to your parents and
relatives and to orphans
and the very poor, and
to neighbours who are
related to you and
neighbours who are not
related to you, and to
companions and
travellers and your
slaves.” (4:36)
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Ibn ‘Umar and ‘A’isha
radhiyallahu anhuma
reported: ‘Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘Jibril
alayhi salaam continued
to advise me to be good
to my neighbour until I
thought that he would
have me make him my
heir.’ (Bukhari &
Muslim)
• Abu
Dharr radhiyallahu anhu
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘O Abu
Dharr, if you cook a
stew put a lot of water
in it, keeping your
neighbours in mind.’
(Muslim) In one variant,
Abu Dharr radhiyallahu
anhu said, ‘My friend
(Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam),
advised me, ‘When you
cook a stew, put a lot
of water in it and then
go and see the people of
a neighbouring house and
give them a reasonable
amount of it.’
•
Abu Hurayrah
radhiyallahu anhu
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘By
Allah, he does not
believe! By Allah, he
does not believe! By
Allah, he does not
believe!’ It was asked,
‘Who is that, Messenger
of Allah?’ He said,
‘Someone whose neighbour
is not safe from his
mischief!’ (Bukhari &
Muslim) In the variant
of Muslim, ‘No one will
enter the Garden whose
neighbour is not safe
from his mischief.’
• Abu Hurayrah
radhiyallahu anhu
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘O Muslim
women! No one should
look down on a gift from
her neighbour, even if
it is only a sheep’s
trotter.’ (Bukhari &
Muslim)
• Abu
Hurayrah radhiyallahu
anhu reported the
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘No neighbour should
prevent his neighbour
from inserting a piece
of wood in his wall.’
Then Abu Hurayrah
radhiyallahu anhu said,
‘Why do I see that you
are averse to this? By
Allah, I will hurl it at
you between your
shoulders!’ (Bukhari &
Muslim)
• Abu
Hurayrah radhiyallahu
anhu reported that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
‘Anyone who believes in
Allah and the Last Day
should not harm his
neighbour. Anyone who
believes in Allah and
the Last Day should
honour his guest. Anyone
who believes in Allah
and the Last Day should
speak well or be
silent.’ (Bukhari &
Muslim)
• ‘A’isha
radhiyallahu anhu said:
I asked, ‘Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam I have two
neighbours. To which of
them should I give?’ He
replied, ‘To the one
whose door is nearer to
you.’ (Bukhari)
•
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar
radhiyallahu anhu
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, ‘The best
of companions in the
sight of Allah Almighty
is the one who acts best
towards his companion.
The best of neighbours
in the sight of Allah
Almighty is the one who
acts best towards his
neighbour.’ (Tirmidhi)
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Proper upbringing of
Children |
Many a time, parents
complain about the
disobedience of their
children, their rebellion
and desire to indulge in
unlawful activities. Is this
because parents themselves
have faltered in their
Islamic responsibility to
their children? Is it due to
their own oversight and lack
of proper Islamic upbringing
that they are the first to
taste the bitter fruit of
their negligence?
Children are, in reality, an
enormous blessing for their
parents. If the proper
Islamic etiquette is taught
to them, they can become one
of the fragrant flowers of
paradise and a means of
enhancing the honour of
their parents. They will
look after their parents in
their old age, always honour
and respect them and be the
“coolness of their eyes” as
mentioned in the Qur’an. On
the other hand, if proper
Islamic character is not
taught to them, they will
become a veritable coal of
hellfire and their behaviour
will turn their parent’s
world into a living hell.
There are many
guidelines in the shari’ah
regarding the proper
upbringing of children.
Rasulallah Sallallahu
'alayhi wasallam said that
the best gift a parent can
give his child is proper
Islamic education and
nurturing. Rasulullah
Sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam
also said that that when a
child becomes seven years
old, the habit of performing
salaat should be inculcated
within them, and when they
reach ten years of age, they
should be warned for
neglecting salaat. (Tirmidhi
vol. 1, no: 39) In another
tradition, Rasulullah
Sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam
has said that one should
encourage ones children to
do three things:
(i)
to have love for Rasulullah
Sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam,
(ii) to have love for
the household of Rasulullah
Sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam,
and
(iii) to recite the
Qur’an Majeed regularly.
The minds of children
are ripe and mature. Thus,
whatever teachings, lessons
and habits are imbibed from
an early age, will last till
old-age. If one wishes one
children to tread the
straight path, the first
step in achieving this is
that his/her parents should
first be on the right path
and set the correct example
themselves. They can not
expect to rectify their
children if they do not set
an example of beautiful
character themselves.
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