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Weekly Comment |
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Steadfastness
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All praise is due to Allah
and may His choicest salutations
continue to descend upon our
Master and Leader Muhammad – who
taught us the importance of
perseverance and consistency.
“Indeed those who say:
"Our Rabb is Allah," and then
remain steadfast - the angels
descend on them saying "Fear
not!" - "Nor grieve! but receive
the Glad Tidings of the Garden
(of Bliss) which you were
promised.” (41:30)
Sufyan
ibn Abdillah Radhi-Allahu anhu
narrates that: “I said, ‘O
Messenger of Allah, give me a
(clear and concise) statement
regarding Islam which I need not
ask anyone other than you about?
’ Nabi Sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said: ‘Say I believe in
Allah (Iman) and then remain
steadfast (Istiqamah)”. (Muslim)
The two directives given
to Sufyan Radhi-Allahu anhu in
the above hadith sets out in
amazing brevity the formula for
success; Iman and Istiqamah.
Istiqamah means consistency and
steadfastness in discharging
your obligation in the best
possible manner and with the
highest possible enthusiasm.
Nabi Sallallahu alayhi wasallam
himself was specifically
instructed to execute his
obligations with Istiqamah in
the following words: “Be
steadfast (in discharging your
obligations) as you are
commanded (by Allah).” (11:112)
Ibn Abbas Radhi-Allahu anhu
states that this was the most
difficult verse of the Quran on
Nabi Sallallahu alayhi wasallam
to the extent that he would say
that: “(This verse of) Sura Hud
has made me grey.”
The differences between a
believer and a hypocrite,
between a looser and a winner,
between success and failure lie
in the level of your Istiqamah.
With Istiqamah you can
accomplish the most difficult of
tasks. The distinction between
achievers and defeatists lies in
their ability to be steadfast
and consistent in what they do.
How do we achieve Istiqamah?
Commitment
“Winners make commitments -
Losers make promises”. The most
important single factor in
individual success is
COMMITMENT. Commitment ignites
action. The best description of
commitment is “persistence with
a clear purpose.” Commitment is
what you do immediately whilst a
promise is what you hope to do
in the future “Speech by itself
is worthless, unless it is
followed by action. Speech and
action by themselves are
worthless, unless they have the
right intention. And speech,
action, and the right intention
are worthless unless they agree
with the Sunnah.” (Abdullah ibn
Masud)
Company
"Man is influenced
by the faith of his friends.
Therefore, be careful of whom
you associate with.” (Abu Dawud)
This means that a person’s
beliefs, values and character is
shaped and determined by those
that he associates with. You are
as righteous, committed,
motivated and as productive as
your friends are. “Tell me who
your best friends are and I will
tell you who you are” The simple
but true fact of life is that
you become like those you
closely associate with- for the
better or worse.
Sincerity of Purpose
“The reward of deeds
depends upon the intentions, and
every person will be rewarded
according to his intention...”
(Bukhari)
Our sincerity
determines the true value of our
actions and also helps us to be
consistent in what we do. “There
is nothing more difficult for me
to correct than my intentions,
for it continually attempts to
change.” (Sufyan Thawri)
Our sincerity of purpose
purifies our actions and gives
added significance to what we
do. A man approached three
workers who were doing the same
job. “What are you doing?” he
asked each one of them
separately and got different
answers. “I am cutting stones”
replied the first. “I am earning
my livelihood” replied the
second. “I am building a mosque”
replied the third. The value of
what we do depends upon the
inner purpose in our heart with
which we do our work.
Time
“Time
is like capital in the hands of
an investor, which he invests
for the purpose of profit. The
greater the amount being
invested, the greater the
returns. So whoever takes
advantage of doing good deeds in
his life has achieved success,
while whoever wastes his
investment will not see any
profit but incur great loss.”
(Sharaf al-Din al-Tibi)
Imam Ghazali rahimahullah says:
“It is incumbent on every person
who believes in Allah and the
Last Day that he should not be
oblivious of evaluating himself.
Every breath of life is a
precious jewel which can buy
eternal treasures. Wasting these
breaths or using them for
detrimental purposes is such a
great loss which no intelligent
person could justify. When a
person wakes up he tells himself
that the only commodity he has
is his life. When life perishes
all his capital perishes.” (The
Provision of Believers)
Introspection
It is necessary for an
individual to pause at the end
of each day that has passed, in
order to check himself and run
through his achievements: What
has he done in the course of the
day? Why has he done it? What
has he omitted? Why has he
omitted it? “You will not meet a
believer except he is evaluating
himself.”(Al-Hasan Basri)
Unfortunately, honest
self-evaluation is one of the
hardest skills to master. We
generally tend to be
self-serving in our thoughts.
Umar Radhi-Allahu anhu would
often say: “Criticize and
appraise yourselves before you
are criticized and appraised on
the Day of Judgment, and weigh
out your deeds, before they are
weighed out for you.” A Sage
once said: “We take delight in
every day that we have lived,
yet each day that passes is a
portion (gone) of a lifetime.”
May Allah make us of those
who persevere and remain
steadfast in doing good and
abstaining from evil. |
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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 299.11 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,982.26 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 14,955.65 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Retain the Qur'an |
.
Ibn ‘Umar Radhiallahu anhu
reported: The Messenger of
Allah Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam said: "The parable
of one who knows the Qur'an
by heart is as the parable
of an owner of hobbled
camel. If he remains
vigilant, he will retain it;
and if he neglects it, it
will go away.”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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Face and Honour |
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Beware! Don’t allow yourself
to do what you know is
wrong, relying on the
thought, “Later I will
repent and ask God’s
forgiveness.”
(Imam Al-Ghazali)
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Point of Reflection |
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True Companion |
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Acquaintance without
patience is like a candle
with no light.
(Persian)
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U P D A T E |
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Eid Parcels: Distribution of
Sadaqatul Fitr |
Ahead of Eid, the Jamiatul Ulama
South Africa has managed to
distribute nearly 900 hampers to
families in need from its
Fordsburg offices in
Johannesburg.
Hampers
made of groceries and food items
were distributed on Monday 29
August 2011.
Furthermore,
the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
advanced assistance through the
Muslim Judicial Council to 46
ulama of the Cape region who
were identified to be in need.
Some needy families of Palm
Ridge, Reiger Park, Kagiso as
well as Tembisa were among the
beneficiaries of assistance
given.
Families who have
been enrolled on the monthly
welfare assistance programme
were also helped with extra
assistance for Eid.
The
funds of this special Eid
assistance were from the
contributions which members of
the community made to the
Jamiatul Ulama South Africa in
the form of Sadaqatul Fitr.
The Jamiatul Ulama South
Africa wishes to thank all who
have made this possible.
We pray to Almighty to reward
you all for your generosity and
living up to the Sunnah of our
Beloved Prophet Sallallahu
'alayhi wasallam in making it
possible that the needy can too
share in the joys of the
auspicious occasion of Eid ul
Fitr.
We wish all
Muslims the world over Eid ul
Fitr Mubarak.
May the
Almighty accept our acts of
worhips and keep us steadfast on
the Straight Path.
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Q and A |
Question:
Could
the six optional fasts in
Shawwal be staggered during
the month or is it a must
for it to be consecutive?
Jazakallah
Answer: Keeping them on a
staggered basis is allowed.
Reference:
Haashiyah Tahtaawee 'Alaa
Maraaqil Falaah Pg. 639/40 |
Questions:
I have a few questions
and request your guidance on
these issues:
1. A woman
could not keep some of her
fasts during Ramadan due to
her menses. Will she have to
keep fasts after Ramadan in
lieu of the missed fasts or
are women exempt for
compensating for fasts
missed because of Menses?
2. She is now
pregnant and cannot fast due
to her condition of
requiring extra nutrition.
If she has to keep fasts in
lieu of those missed during
Ramadan, is there any other
way for her to compensate
for the missed fasts?
Your guidance is much
appreciated,
May
Allah reward you for your
efforts,
Wassalaam
Answer:
1. Yes, she will have to
make Qadhaa for the fasts
that she missed due to her
menses. A woman is only
excused from making Qadhaa
of missed Salaahs due to her
menses.
2. Whenever
she is in a healthy
position, even though after
child-birth, she should make
up for those missed Ramadan
fasts.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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What after
Ramadan? |
• Yesterday, we were
receiving Ramadan and
today have bid it
farewell and we do not
know whether we are
going to live to witness
the next Ramadan. Our
hearts were full of
happiness, hope for the
mercy of Allah and the
fear of His retribution
at the beginning of this
great month. We invoke
Allah to accept our
fasting and prayers, to
accept from us our past
deeds and to bless us
the remaining part of
our live.
•
Though we have bid
farewell to Ramadan, it
should not mean a
farewell to acts of
worship. A Muslim should
rather strengthen the
tie between himself and
his Lord so that he may
have a perpetual
blessing.
•
There is no value in act
of worship by which one
does not increase in
piety and fear of Allah.
Where is the impact of
fasting when one
abandons the recitation
of the Qur’an, no longer
observes the
congregational prayers
and desecrates other
people’s honour? Where
is the impact of the
acts of worship in
Ramadan when afterwards
he eats usury and takes
other people’s
properties wrongfully?
Where the effect of
fasting and night
prayers, when one
engages in acts of
deception in his
business transactions
and lies day and night?
Where is the impact of
Ramadan on him, if he
does not call the misled
to the Path of Allah,
feed the hungry, cloth
the naked and make a
sincere supplication for
Islam and the Muslims?
• Of the good
deeds that are
recommended after
Ramadan is fasting for
six days in the month of
Shawwal. Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, “Whoever
fasts the month of
Ramadan and follows it
up with a fasting of six
days in the month of
Shawwal is like the one
who fasts for eternity.”
(Muslim)
•
Ramadan has taught us
great lessons and
admonitions. It taught
us how to resist the
insinuations of Shaytan
and the whims of the
evil inclining soul. It
taught us how to
eliminate differences
and its causes. The
ranks of the Muslims
have become solidly
united during Ramadan,
so we should not let it
become disunited again
after it. The eyes have
shed tears during
Ramadan, so we should
not let them become dry
after it. The Masaajid
have become shaken
during Ramadan and the
tongues were engaged in
remembrance of Allah,
praising Him and
invoking Him, so let
this continue after
Ramadan.
• The
Muslim nation has bid
farewell to the blessed
month of Ramadan while
her agonies are very
much still with her. She
is today experiencing
great calamities that
can be seen in what is
happening in Palestine
and other places in the
Muslim world. The Muslim
nation has been tested
during her long history
with different kinds of
trickery and
afflictions, some of
which are enough to wipe
other nations out of
existence, but the power
of Islamic belief that
was and is still keeping
this nation alive. This
gives us a hope that
certainly the future is
for Islam.
• It
is therefore a duty of
all Muslims to help the
causes of Islam, to
exercise patience and
self-control, to make
sincere supplications
and to seek the help
from Allah in the face
all these tribulations
so that He may rescue us
from all these
sufferings and that is
very easy for Him to do.
• One the Day of
Eid, it is also
recommended to
congratulate one
another, for the
Companions of the
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam are
reported to have done
that. One can use
expressions like,
“Taqabballallahu Minna
Wa Minkum” (May Allah
accept it from us and
you).
•
Celebrating the end of
Ramadan is meant for
those who fast and
observe night prayers
for the sake of Allah;
it is meant for those
hearts that are
brightened by the light
of Faith and purified
from sins and the snares
of Satan. The Eid of a
Muslim is an occasion
for eliminating rancor
and hatred, for
overpowering satanic
feelings and sentiments
and for conquering those
sentiments that have
divided the Muslim
nation and damage their
brotherhood. Let us make
a real turning point in
our relationship with
our relatives,
neighbours and brethren.
Let us transcend mere
outward appearance and
rituals in our Eid so
that it can be a
prosperous one for all.
Allah says, “Worship
Allah and join none with
Him (in worship); and do
good to parents,
kinsfolk, orphans, the
poor, the neighbor who
is near of kin, the
neighbour who is a
stranger, the companion
by your side, the
wayfarer (you meet), and
those slaves whom your
right hands possess.
Verily, Allah does not
like such as proud and
boastful.” (4:36).
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Turning to the
Almighty as we Celebrate Eid |
It is no doubt that the
world is in a continuous
state of flux. No state of
today can give you an
estimate of things that are
to come. The unthinkable is
taking place whether it is
in the financial markets of
the affluent world or on the
Arab street where political
uncertainty has become the
only constant.
Natural disasters too have
occurred with erstwhile rare
intensity and frequency
sometimes in regions which
have for many decades from
such calamities.
Accentuated by civil strife,
the Horn of Africa remains
in the grips of famine as
mothers watch their babies
die in their hands. A total
of 3 million people face
starvation as drought is not
claiming not only human life
but also the livestock that
provide livelihood of the
traditional pastoralist
people of the region.
Those who are in business
world can feel the
ramifications of all these
situations as the buying
power of the masses is
eroded and profit margins
come under pressure.
In such an environment of
uncertainty, instability and
difficulty people often ask
many questions and search
for solutions even though
the solutions may be of a
very transitory and interim
nature. People often
speculate on future
conditions and cling on to
unrealistic hopes and
expectations, frequently
based on wishful thinking or
a type of self-delusion.
Remedies and answers are
sought from a variety of
sources, which are dubious
and bound to fail, are often
self-prescribed by every
individual.
Allah
(subhanahu wa ta’aala)
repeatedly declares his
control and power over
everything in the Qur’an.
The Prophet’s Salllalahu
‘alayhi wa sallam ahadeeth
continually reminds of the
fact that it is Allah who
decides in all matters. A
hadeeth narrated by Abdullah
ibn Abbas mentions that the
Prophet Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam explained to him
that if the entire world
were to gather together in
order to cause harm to an
individual, they would not
be able to do so, and if the
entire world wished to cause
benefit to a person they
would not be able to do so,
except with the will and
permission of Allah.
Alhamdulillah, we have no
doubt that this is an
absolute truth. It is thus
only logical that we turn to
Allah and seek His
assistance through du’aa and
istighfaar. The
prescriptions for the
prevention and removal of
calamities can also easily
be traced in the Qur’an and
hadeeth and lie in our
dedication to Allah alone,
in the performance of our
salah, the discharging of
our zakah and the various
ibaadah we are obliged to
engage in. It also rests on
the premise that we will
obey the commandments of
Allah and abstain from what
He has forbidden.
Allah brings conditions upon
people according to their
actions. Allah mentions in
the Qur’an that difficulties
come upon people as a result
of the wrongs that people
do. He also says that chaos
and corruption has spread in
the world as a result of
what man’s hands have
earned. The Prophet
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
has also emphasized this
point in many ahaadeeth.
This underlines the
importance of istighfaar and
correction of our actions.
As we celebrate
Eid-ul-Fitr, let us reflect
on our lives, and ask the
Almighty to strengthen to be
steadfast with sincerity on
the acts of worship we
exerted ourselves on during
Ramadan.
May Allah
Subhanahu wa ta’aala guide
us in all that we do, and
may He accept our ibaadah
and efforts. May He accept
all our du’aas and ease the
suffering of humanity the
world over.
Eid-ul-Fitr Mubarak!
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