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Weekly Comment |
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Liquor: The Scourge of Society
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Gauteng Province has 30,000
licensees of liquor outlets! The
number of those who distribute
liquor is unknown as a
substantial number of them
remain undocumented as they do
so illegally.
Due to such
malpractice, liquor is therefore
more likely to find its way into
the hands of youth below the
legally-sanctioned age.
This is some
of the information which came
out at a meeting with religious
leaders convened by the
provincial department of
economic development in
Johannesburg.
The
department reports that it will
introduced a moratorium on the
issuing on new licences from
July 2011 as a review of policy
is underway. This policy will
among other things look at open
times of liquor stores and
advertising of liquor.
Our take is
that liquor serves no benefit
for society other than being an
agent of mayhem and broken
homes.
In the Qur’an, the progressive
legislation towards an ultimate
prohibition was akin to weaning
off the early believers of a
habit which was well-established
from the era of ignorance
(Jahiliyyah). The gradual
prohibition came in the
following chronological order:
• “They ask
thee about intoxicants and game
of chance. Say: In both of them
is a great sin and (some)
advantage for men, and their sin
is greater than their
advantage.” (Al-Baqarah: 219)
• “O you,
who believe, go not near prayer
when you are intoxicated till
you know what you say.”
(An-Nisa: 43)
• “O you,
who believe, intoxicants and
game of chance and (sacrificing)
to stones set-up and (dividing
by) arrows are only uncleanness,
the Devils work; so shun it that
you may succeed.” “The Devil
desires only to create enmity
and hatred among you by means of
intoxicants and games of means
of chance and to keep you back
from the remembrance of Allah
and from prayers. Will you then
keep back?” (Al-Maida: 90-1)
It is
amazing to note that in the last
quoted verses, intoxicants are
mentioned with their twin vice
of gambling. To date, these two
go hand-in-hand to distract
believers from the Remembrance
of Allah, the Most High.
Our focus
for today however is
intoxicants.
The Holy
Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam said: “Curse of Allah
be on liquor, its maker, and he
who assists him, bearer, loader,
distributor, seller, purchaser,
consumer and whoever uses its
sale proceeds and profits.”
The Prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
termed liquor “Ummul Khaba‘ith”
[Mother of all Vices]. Is this
fact difficult to acknowledge
today? One only has just to look
at the statistics of fatalities
on roads due drunken driving,
broken homes, waste of
resources, and many other health
and social-economic ills linked
to the production and
consumption of liquor.
It has been
reported that the believers of
Madina did not wait for the
ultimate prohibition of Surah
Maidah. Rather, for them, on the
first instance of Divine
revelation proclaiming the harms
of liquor that outweighed its
benefits, they broke liquor
containers and drained away its
contents. This was the level of
their insight and understanding
of the essence and spirit of
Divine Revelation.
When
legislation is debased from its
Divine origins so that it
becomes just some ‘secular
regulation’, its unintended
effects can be very negative and
far-reaching. The early 20th
century American experience
applies here. The prohibition of
liquor only made the trade to
flourish underground through
bootlegging and its accompanying
crimes of extortion and
blackmail that became
widespread.
The success
of any regulation of liquor lies
in the realisation that all
human laws can be circumvented
and only the law of the
Omnipresent tracks down every
wrongdoer and transgressor. |
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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 240.08 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 12,004.15 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R4,801.66 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Be Good to
Neighbour, Honour the Guest
and Speak Well |
.
Abu Shurayh al-Khuza'i
Radhiallahu anhu reported
that the Prophet Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam said,
“Anyone who believes in
Allah and the Last Day
should be good to 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.”
(Muslim)
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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Knowledge |
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Knowledge revives the dead
hearts and drives them out
of darkness into light; and
knowledge is the light of
the inner eyes that cures
one’s blindness and restores
his inner sight.
(Mu’adh bin jabal
Radhiallahu anhu)
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Point of Reflection |
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Stand Up! |
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If you let everyone walk
over you, you become a
carpet. (Bulgaria)
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Q and A |
Question:
What
benefits of Wudhu to our
bodies apart from attaining
cleanliness and being able
to perform Salaah?
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Answer:
Since our area of
expertise is not in the
medical field, we apologise
for not being able to
identify the medical
benefits, if that is what is
required, relevant to the
Ibaadah of Wudhu.
However, hereunder have we
enlisted a few benefits of
Wudhu from the work of Shah
Waliyullah (Rahimhullah):
• Obtaining purity
is half of Imaan
• The
sins of a person are
eradicated
• The limbs
that are washed in wudhu
will glow on the day of
resurrection
• Constantly
being in a state of wudhu is
regarded as a sign of Imaan
Reference: Rahmatullah
Al Waasi'ah 3/164
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U P D A T E |
The Life and Work of Mufti
Mahmood Hasan Gangohi (RA)
Over 250 ulama gathered at
Homestead Park’s Masjid-e-Taqwa
on Thursday, 23 June 2011 to
listed to a speech by Mufti MS
Motara on the Life and Work of
Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi
(RA).
A recording of this
ulama programme which started
after Esha is available upon
request from Moulana Obeidullah
Bhoja who can be contacted on
011 373 8000 between 9:00am and
12:00 noon.
Forthcoming Lecture Programmes
Moulana
Abdul Hafeez Makki will be on a
lecture tour of South Africa
region. On Monday, 4 July 2011 ,
he will be speaking at Marlboro
Masjid.
This
programme will be followed by
two more at Zinniaville Masjid
in Rustenburg and Brits Masjid
on Tuesday, 5 July 2011 and
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
respectively.
All
programmes will start at after
Esha Salaat. Further information
may be requested from Moulana
Junaid on 084 555 9 888.
Meanwhile, Moulana Mahmoodul
Hassan will deliver a series of
three lectures starting from
Thursday 30 June 2011 (6:30pm)at
a Hifz-ul-Quran Completion
Ceremony of the Darul Uloom
Zakariyyah’s (Eikenhof Campus).
The second lecture will be
held after Esha at Masjid Shifaa
(5th Ave, Mayfair) on Friday 1
July 2011 followed by the last
programme of the series which
shall be held on Sunday 2 July
2011 at Masjid al Ansaar
Lakefield.
Moulana
Mahmoodul Hassan is a senior
Muslim scholar from of
Rajashtan, a north-western
Indian province. All of his
lectures will be in Urdu.
Lecture on Palestine
Islamic Medical Association
(IMA) Workshop
The IMA held a seminar for about
40 physicians in Polokwane on
Sunday 26 June 2011.
Mufti Ameer (Imam of Central
Islamic School in Laudium) and
Dr Suliman (Solly) Ebrahim were
among others speakers on the
programme of the seminar which
included many young doctors.
Dr Suliman made a
presentation on the topic of
Euthanasia and Organ transplant
for about 15 minutes before
Mufti Ameer discussed the ethics
of medical practice for the same
length of time.
Thereafter a short question and
answer session was held with
much interest shown from the
floor.
Moulana Ebrahim I
Bham delivered a lecture on
Palestine highlighting its
spiritual centrality to Islam
and Muslims as well as to the
on-going struggle in the
Occupied Land and its people.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Raed
Salah, a leader of the Islamic
Movement in Occupied Palestine
who has been on a speech tour of
England has been arrested. The
sheikh spent the night in a
prison cell, and is expected to
be deported from the UK.
It has been reported that Sheikh
Salah was arrested at the hotel
where he was staying after a
speaking engagement in the UK
city of Leicester. Legal counsel
has been sought to fight the
deportation which has been seen
as an action taken at the
instigation of the Zionist
Lobby.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Excellence of
Dhikr |
“Remember Me (Allah)
- I will remember you.
Give thanks to Me and do
not be ungrateful.”
(2:152)
“Remember
your Lord in yourself
humbly and fearfully,
without loudness of
voice, morning and
evening. Do not be among
the heedless.” (7:205)
“O you who Believe!
Remember Allah, much,
and glorify Him in the
morning and the
evening.” (33:41-42)
• Abu Musa
al-Ash‘ari radhiyallahu
anhu reported that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
“The metaphor of someone
who remembers his Lord
and someone who does not
remember Him is that of
the living and the
dead.” (Bukhari) Imam
Muslim related it and
said, “The metaphor of a
house in which Allah is
mentioned and a house in
which Allah is not
mentioned is that of the
living and the dead.”
• Abu Hurayrah
radhiyallahu anhu
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said: Allah
Almighty says, “I am in
My slave’s opinion of Me
and I am with Him when
He remembers Me. When he
remembers Me in himself,
I mention him in Myself.
If he mentions Me in an
assembly, I mention him
in a better assembly
than them.” (Bukhari &
Muslim)
• Abu
Hurayrah radhiyallahu
anhu reported that
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said,
“The ‘mufarridun’ have
outstripped.” They said,
“Who are the
‘mufarridun’, Messenger
of Allah?” He said, “The
men and women who
remember Allah often.”
(Muslim)
•
‘Abdullah ibn Busr
radhiyallahu anhu
reported that a man
said, “Messenger of
Allah, the laws of Islam
are too much for me.
Tell me something I can
cling to.” He said,
“Your tongue should
remain moist with the
remembrance of Allah.”
(Tirmidhi)
•
Jabir radhiyallahu anhu
stated that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, “Anyone
who says, “Glory be to
Allah and by His
praise,” has a palm-tree
planted for him in
Jannah.” (Tirmidhi)
• Ibn Mas‘ud
radhiyallahu anhu stated
that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, “I met
Nabi Ibrahim alayhis
salaam on my Night
Journey. He said, “O
Muhammad, convey the
greeting from me to your
community and tell them
that Jannah has good
soil and sweet water. It
is vast and its plants
say, “Glory be to Allah.
Praise be to Allah.
There is no god but
Allah. Allah is
greater.” (Tirmidhi)
• Abu Darda’
radhiyallahu anhu stated
that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, “Shall I
inform you of the best
of your actions and the
purest of your property
and the highest of your
degrees and what is
better for you than
spending gold and silver
and better for you than
encountering the enemy
and striking their necks
and their striking your
necks?” They said, “Yes,
indeed!” He said,
“Remembrance of Allah.”
(Tirmidhi)
•
‘Aisha radhiyallahu anhu
said, “Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam used to
remember Allah in all
states.” (Muslim)
• Abu Hurayrah
radhiyallahu anhu
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, “The
closest that a slave of
Allah comes to his Lord
is while he is
prostrating, so make a
lot of supplication
then.” (Muslim)
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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As Ramadaan
Approaches |
Ramadan is truly a
blessed month because Allah,
the Provider, through his
Infinite Mercy gives us this
wonderful opportunity to
gain paradise by promising
us that our sins will be
forgiven. The prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said: “Whosoever observes
fast during the month of
Ramadan with sincere faith,
and hoping to attain Allah’s
Rewards, then all his past
sins will be forgiven.
(Al-Bukhari).
REMEMBER we will stand
before Allah and answer for
what we have done.
Therefore, we should pray
all the time as Allah, the
most High, the Responsive
One, listens to the
distressed person when he
calls upon him and Allah
relieves him of his
suffering. Allah says:
“ And your lord said;
Invoke me (ask me for
anything) I will respond to
your (invocation) Verily!
Those who scorn My worship
(do not invoke Me, and do
not believe in My Ones),
they will surely enter Hell
in humiliation’ (Ghafir,
Verse:60)
Let us pray
to our Lord!:
“Take us
not to task if we forget or
fall into error.” (2:286)
Let us remember what
Allah reminds us in the
Qur’an:
“O you who
believe! Keep your duty to
Allah, fear Him, and speak
(always) the truth. “He will
direct you to do righteous
good deeds and will forgive
you your sins. Moreover,
whosoever obeys Allah and
his Messenger he has indeed
achieved a great
achievement”. (Surat
Al-Ahzab: Verses 70-71)
In Ramadaan, fasting is
a way of demonstrating our
faith. When we fast we show
that we know that Allah can
see us, and only our love
and fear of Allah the
Generous One keeps us on the
straight path. Together with
this, we must not forget
that refraining from food
and drink is not enough. We
have to question ourselves
as to why it is that we are
fasting; is it to lose
weight, is it to fit in with
the crowd or are we doing it
because Allah the Most High,
has commanded us to do so.
Action is as
important as our intention.
If we refrain from food,
spending our nights in
prayer and making dua’s but
yet continuing to engage in
the haram then our fast has
little meaning. The prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said, “ If one does not
abandon falsehood and
indecent actions Allah has
no need that he should
abstain from his food and
his drink” (Al-Bukhari)
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