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Weekly Comment |
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Double Standards: A Déjà vu
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The world has seen the
unravelling of hypocrisy that
underlies many of the world's
superpower policies in a
dramatic fashion.
When
the riots broke out in England,
there was a report that
beleaguered Colonel Gaddafi of
Libya called on David Cameron to
step down because, he claimed,
the UK prime minister was unfit
to govern after unleashing
“violent repression” on
“peaceful protesters.”
Notwithstanding the loss of
lives in the violent UK riots,
the biggest story in the media
on the other side of the
Atlantic and world's financial
circles was the downgrading of
the US credit rating.
For
the first time in history, a
credit-rating agency, gave the
US an AA+ down from AAA,
loosely-speaking, the first
class of national
creditworthiness and solvency.
Authorities in Washington
barked at the agency throwing
some tantrums at a credit-rating
system that is part of the
world’s financial hegemony that
arguably benefits the US the
most.
Credit-rating is
used to benchmark risk and,
hence cost of finance in the
riba-based capital markets.
Among nations we have those
who are more equal than others.
Largely, it is the ‘lesser
nations’ that often are found on
the wrong end of the stick of
the world financial system.
Now that chickens have come
home to roost, instead of taking
a dose of its own medicine, the
US has called to question the
expertise of the agency that has
given it a downgrade.
Elsewhere, the cheerleaders of
‘freedom of expression,’ who
defended the use of
social-networking media in the
on-going protests in the Arab
world, were seen back-pedalling
on policy by suggesting that the
use of such networks be
‘regulated’ as rioting youths
mobilised using that in the
recent but now contained UK
unrest.
In the
blogosphere, others toyed with
the idea that the International
Olympic Committee should engage
'Plan B' as London was not fit
to host safe Olympic Games come
2012.
This is
similar to what was said in the
run up to the hosting of the
soccer World Cup in 2010 when
British media went overdrive in
discrediting South Africa’s
ability to host the event.
The world is now seeing
through all the hypocrisy that
is behind the policies that are
manipulated and applied only
selectively to further interests
of world powers. The world shall
remain unjust and know no peace
as long as such double standards
remain in force.
Shouldn’t what's good for the
goose be good for the gander
too? It seems it is not for now. |
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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 290.88 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 14 543.93 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 5 817.57 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Think Destination |
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Narrated Mujahid: 'Abdullah
bin 'Umar Radhiallahu anhu
said, " Allah’s Messenger
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
took hold of my shoulder and
said, 'Be in this world as
if you were a stranger or a
traveller." The sub-narrator
added: Ibn 'Umar Radhiallahu
anhu used to say, "If you
survive till the evening, do
not expect to be alive in
the morning, and if you
survive till the morning, do
not expect to be alive in
the evening, and take from
your health for your
sickness, and (take) from
your life for your death."
(Bukhari)
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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Do no Harm |
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Hearts are predisposed to
love someone who does them
good and to detest someone
who does them harm.
(Shah Waliyyullah
ad-Dihlawi)
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Appeal for Funds
The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
would like to appeal for funds
from the Muslim community
towards the many services of the
Ulama body.
Funds which
can be in the category of Zakaah
go towards the welfare
initiatives of the
organisations. These include:
monthly assistance for the
needy, the widowed, indebted as
well as towards an Education
Bursary Fund and ermergency
relief among others.
Funds in the category of Lillah
go towards administration
expenses as well as the running
of different programmes in
Islamic education, awareness,
advocacy and the facilitation of
Zakaah distribution as outlined
above.
Payers of Zakaah
are therefore asked to consider
making Lillah contributions to
facilitate the distribution of
their Zakaah to worthy
recipients.
Our various banking account
details are here. |
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Q and A |
Question:
Does
vomiting a mouthful nullify
a fast? Is there a
difference if the vomit is
induced?
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Answer:
When an organisation is
making out a receipt for
payment of Zakaah, do we as
donors need to give names of
each individual who has a
portion of Zakaah in the
lump sum or can we suffice
on putting the name of one
person only?
It is
not a pre-requisite for the
Zakaat to be accepted that
the names of all the donors
appear on the receipt. The
intention is what counts.
The issuing of a receipt is
an administrative issue.
Therefore having just one
name on the receipt would
suffice.
Question:
Is a person
permitted to discharge
Zakaah in advance i.e. for
the next three years?
Answer:
One
of the preconditions for the
obligation of Zakaah to come
into effect is that a person
has to possess surplus
Zakaatable wealth.
Therefore, if a person
possesses such wealth and is
in a position to most likely
retain this wealth for the
coming period, then there
will be no harm in
discharging Zakaah due on it
in advance. At the end of
each year for which Zakaah
has been paid, he/she would
then just have to do a
calculation again in order
to assess whether more than
the required obligation has
been paid already or whether
there is a shortfall that is
yet to be settled.
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Top> |
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U P D A T E |
Sadaqatul Fitr
The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
has determined this year’s
Sadaqatul Fitr minimum amounts
for 1432AH as follows:
Hanafi: R16.00 per person
Shafi’î: R21.00 per person
Timely payment of Fitra
facilitates distribution before
Eid in accordance with the
Sunnah.
Ibn Abbas
radhi-allâhu ‘anhu narrates that
Rasulullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi
wasallam has made obligatory
Sadaqatul Fitr as a means of
cleansing the fasts from idle
and lewd talk and in order that
it provides food for the poor
and destitute. (Abû Dawûd)
Pay your Sadaqatul Fitr,
Kaffarah and Fidya to any of the
Jamiatul Ulama South Africa’s
office or deposit into Jamiatul
Ulama Transvaal JHB Branch
Account 1; HBZ Bank Ltd; Branch:
Fordsburg; Branch Code: 570-105
Account No.: 1953 285 937
Haj Seminar
The Johannesburg Haj seminar for
this year took place Sunday 14
August 2011 at the Jamiatul
Ulama South Africa’s Auditorium.
Well over 170 participants took
part in the proceedings which
covered Umrah, five days of Haj
and the visit to Madina.
The
seminar hosted by the Jamiatul
Ulama South Africa in
Johannesburg is an annual event
in Ramadan offered to prepare
prospective pilgrims for the
rituals and procedure of
performing Haj and Umrah.
Meanwhile, presentations used in
the seminar are available from
the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
offices upon request on 011 373
8000.
Somalia Famine
The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
has issued an appeal for the
assistance of the people of
Somalia where famine has been
declared. So far, thousands of
women and children are reported
to face starvation as millions
are undernourished due to food
shortages that have resulted
from the drought in the Horn of
Africa.
Please help the
“Somalia Drought Relief” by
depositing contributions into:
Name: Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal
Relief Acc.
Bank/Branch:
Nedbank-Fordsburg
Branch
Code: 195305
Account Number:
1953 285 937
Please earmark
deposits with ref: “Somalia
Drought Relief” and fax
confirmations to: 011 373 8022
Letter of
Recommendation: Notice to Donors
The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
would like to inform the Muslim
community that the features of
the Letter of Recommendation
which is issued to fund-raisers
has changed.
The new
letter incorporates the new
Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
logo. Other features of the
letter include: an embossed
seal, original signature of the
Ameer of the Jamiatul Ulama
South Africa, date of expiry and
applicable category of funds,
e.g. ZAKAAT and/or LILLAH.
Donors are advised the
following:
•To ask for
positive identification and
compare it with the name in
which the letter is issued. If
the names do not correspond,
confiscate the letter and inform
the Jamiat immediately
•To
check if the letter presented is
an original one. Only original
colour letters are acceptable.
If it is a photocopy, confiscate
it immediately and inform the
Jamiat
•Letters whose
validity date has expired should
be confiscated. Please inform
the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
immediately
•Always call
the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
office to verify before making
any donations
Dawood
Cassim (Moulana)
Treasurer
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam and
Ramadan (III of IV) |
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Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
& his Ummah |
“Verily, there has come
unto you a Messenger
(Muhammad SAW) from
amongst yourselves.
It grieves him that you
should receive any
injury or difficulty. He
is anxious over you (to
be rightly guided); for
the believers (he is)
full of pity, kind, and
merciful.” (9:128)
• As compared to
other days of the year,
during the blessed month
of Ramadan Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
paid much more attention
towards the social,
physical and spiritual
wellbeing of his
companions and those
around him.
• He
sought various avenues
and means in order to
achieve these goals:
1. His
salallahu alayhi wasalam
teaching the Sahabah
radhiyallahi anhum
Imparting education and
the pristine teachings
of Allah has been always
among the central
activities of the
Ambiyaa alayhimus salaam
and those who followed
thereafter in their
footsteps. Describing
this quality of the
beloved of Allah
salallahu alayhi
wasalam, Mu‘awiya bin
Hakam radhiyallahi anhu
narrates, ‘May my
parents be sacrificed
for him, I have not seen
a better teacher than
him; neither before him
nor after him. By the
oath of Allah, he did
not scold me, he did not
hit me, and he did not
swear at me.’ (Muslim)
Among his teachings
during this month
include: ‘If a person
forgetfully eats during
the month of Ramadan,
there is neither a need
to repeat the fast nor
for any compensation to
be paid.’ (Ibn
Khuzaimah) ‘If a person
involuntarily vomits
whilst fasting, there is
no need to repeat the
fast. However, whoever
voluntarily does so will
have to repeat the
fast.’ (Ahmad)
2. His salallahu
alayhi wasalam
encouragement towards
good deeds
Abu Hurairah
radhiyallahi anhu
narrated that Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
remarked, ‘Every good
deed of the son of Adam
is multiplied. One good
deed is multiplied ten
times and sometimes up
to seven hundred fold.
Allah says, ‘This is
excluding fasting.
Fasting is for me and I
will reward it because
the fasting person
abstains from food and
censual desires for my
sake. For a fasting
person there are two
moments of joy: the joy
at the time of breaking
the fast and the joy
upon meeting his
Creator. Certainly, the
smell which emanates
from the mouth of a
fasting person is more
beloved in the eyes of
Allah than the fragrance
of musk.’ (Muslim) Ibn
Umar radhiyallahi anhu
narrated that Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
said, ‘Performing Umrah
during Ramadan is
equivalent in reward to
performing Hajj with
me.’ (Bukhari)
3. His salallahu
alayhi wasalam mercy
towards his Ummah
The very mission of Nabi
salallahu alayhi wasalam
was encompassed by his
quality of mercy and
compassion, as the
Qur’an declares, ‘And We
have sent you (O
Muhammad SAW) not but as
a mercy for the Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all
that exists).’ (21:107)
Among the many, one
illustration of this was
his insistence of
hastening the partaking
of Iftaar as soon as the
time sets in and the
eating of food at the
time of Sehri. Sahl bin
Sa’d bin Sahl
radhiyallahi anhu
reports that Nabi
salallahu alayhi wasalam
said, ‘People will
continue to remain on
good so long as they
hasten to partake of
Iftaar (as soon as the
time sets in).’
(Bukhari)
4. His salallahu
alayhi wasalam meeting
with delegations
Despite his engagement
in the worship of Allah
during this auspicious
month, he continued to
meet, welcome and
fulfill the needs of
those who visited him.
Ibn Is-haq writes that
it was during the month
of Ramadan that
Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wasalam returned
from the expedition of
Tabuk and in the very
same month a delegation
from the tribe of
Thaqeef visited him. He
ordered a tent be
erected for their
accommodation in a
corner of the Masjid and
Nabi salallahu alayhi
wasalam made personal
arrangements for their
food.
5.
His salallahu alayhi
wasalam encouragement of
charity
More than any other time
of the year, this is a
month of charity and
giving. Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
mentioned, ‘…whoever
gives to a fasting
person something for
Iftar, his sins will be
forgiven and he will be
saved from Jahannam; he
obtains as much reward
as the fasting person
(to whom he had given
something for Iftaar)
while the reward of the
person is not reduced in
any way.’The people
asked: ‘O Rasulullah!
All of us are not by the
means to give something
for the Iftaar of
another. Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasalam
said, ‘This reward is
even for a person who
gives another a date, or
a drink of water or milk
(for Iftaar)…’ (Ibn
Khuzaimah)
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Which Favours of
Allah can we Deny? |
When we juxtapose the
abundance that is a feature
of the Ramadan table-spread
in this part of the world
with the heart-rending
images of the situation of
want in the Horn of Africa,
the portrait of dramatic
contrast is complete.
Yet these images cannot
truly convey the pain,
suffering and sheer
magnitude of the tragedy
that continues to unfold in
troubled Somalia and the
immediate region.
The bounties that Allah
continues to lavish upon us
must never be taken as for
granted. We have not truly
understood the meaning of
hunger, let alone
starvation.
Our
fasts especially for the
next few years would be
regarded as relatively easy,
given the short winter days
and low temperatures.
However, fasting is training
in the obedience to Allah.
It rekindles a sense of the
meaning of patience and
reminds us to adhere to the
tenets of Islam and the
emulation of the Prophet
Sallalaahu alaihi wa sallam
that transcends all seasons.
That the spirit of
Ramadhan is alive and well
in our communities is true.
This spirit should not only
be measured by the amount of
mutual invitations for
iftaar that goes out, rather
it should be seen in the
heightened awareness of
Allah and his Deen.
It would be unfortunate if
we do not reap the full
spiritual benefit of Ramadan
by slipping back into our
old routines. In fact it is
an imperative that we are
resolute in our intention to
continue our spiritual
ascendancy.
As the second
part of Ramadan is truly
upon us, let us continue to
keep its spirit alive by
increasing our devotions.
The people of
Somalia and indeed other
areas of the world need
help. Let us also be part of
the process to help and
better the lives of the less
fortunate.
We make
dua that Allah accept all
our acts of devotion and
reward us abundantly. Ameen.
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