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Weekly Comment |
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Where will our Children be this
Saturday Night?
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Imagine a youngster who shows a
parent on how a child-lock works
on a remote control of an
electronic device! Is there
anything the parent can do to
protect that child from the
vices propagated by such a
device?
In an era where
grown-ups have to play catch-up
to their children’s
technological know-how, online
social networking and all the
stuff that goes with that, it is
important for parents to
re-assert their responsibility.
Parents should never
abdicate their responsibility of
nurturing and teaching their
children and instilling in the
youth the values that define us,
first and foremost, as humans
who have chosen the Path of
Islam.
Alhamdulillah,
that we are born into homes of
Islam and Iman. Homes
illuminated with the teachings
of Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam. Lifestyles upon the
pattern of the Noble Sunnah.
Actions in conformity to the
commands of the Creator.
There is no guarantee
however that our children will
be able to sustain their faith.
More than praying for them,
parents have to keep teaching
and make efforts of keeping up
with what sort of things are
happening in their children’s
life.
The lure of
temptation towards the sinful
worldly pleasure of depravity,
sleaze and intoxication is ever
strong. In a flash, one’s
spirituality can forever be
lost.
We are at that
time of the year when events ‘on
the social scene’ such as matric
parties or rave dances clog the
calendars of ‘fun-seekers.’
A permissive outlook or any
type of indifference on the part
of parents allows the youth to
participate in such events.
There are those parents who
argue: ‘Let them go and see.
They will realise that it’s not
for them…’
It could be
the case that the youth realises
that indulgence in drugs,
alcohol, music laced with
profanity and all the forms of
indecency that go along with it
cannot be the life of a Muslim.
However, what if it does not
dawn on them that this is not
what is meant of their lives and
they eventually get hooked to
such vices?
On university
campuses, in schools and in the
areas Muslims are to be found,
the issues that are coming up
time and again indicate that the
things that were thought of as
accidental ‘once-offs’ as
children experimented on them
are becoming of lifestyles that
are taking root with dire
consequences.
Parents
need to equip the youth with
skills for managing their lives.
A parent should not be scared to
ask his/her child where there
are ‘hanging out’ on Saturday
night.
Where parents
cannot cope, they should not shy
from seeking help from imams,
counsellors and societal
leaders. Community support
networks can also play a role as
parents come together to help
one another in raising a
generation of youth of a calibre
that would please the Almighty.
What is at stake is too
important to be left to a chance
that a child is going to ‘find
his/her way’ to uprightness. |
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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 312.98 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 15,649.18 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 6,259.67 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Hear and Obey |
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Abu Hurairah Radhiallahu
anhu reported: The Messenger
of Allah Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wasallam delivered a Khutbah
and said, "O people! Hajj
(pilgrimage to the House of
Allah) has been made
incumbent upon you, so
perform Hajj.'' A man
inquired: "O Messenger of
Allah, is it prescribed
every year?'' He Sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam remained
silent till the man repeated
it thrice. Then he
Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam
said, “Had I replied in the
affirmative, it would have
surely become obligatory,
and you would not have been
able to fulfil it.”
Afterwards he said, “Do not
ask me so long as I do not
impose anything upon you,
because those who were
before you were destroyed on
account of their frequent
questioning and their
disagreement with their
Prophets. So when I order
you to do something, do it
as far as you can; and when
I forbid you from doing
anything, avoid it.”
(Muslim) |
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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Divinely Protected |
“He who prays for five times
a day is in the protection
of God, and he who is
protected by God cannot be
harmed by any one.”
(Abu Bakr Siddiq RA)
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Point of Reflection |
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Be Careful with Words |
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Words are like eggs: when
they are hatched they have
wings. (Madagascar) |
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Q and A |
Question:
What is
the correct Du’aa or
greeting when entering a
home and there aren’t any
inhabitants therein?
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Answer:
In this instance you may
recite "Assalamu 'Alaynaa
Wa'alaa 'Ibaadillaahis
Saaliheen" (May peace be
upon us and upon the pious
servants of Allah).
Reference: Aalamgiri Vol. 5
Pg. 325
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U P D A T E |
Symposium on Religious Rights
and Freedoms
A three-man delegation of
Moulana Yusuf Patel, Moulana
Muhammad Ali and Mufti Muhammed
Yusuf Minty represented the
Jamiatul Ulama South Africa at
the two-day Symposium on
Religious Rights and Freedoms
held at Constitutional Hill
between 15th and 16th September
2011.
The symposium
attracted a number of scholars
and experts in international law
and religious studies as well as
religious scholars who presented
papers on the place of religion
in secular jurisdictions among
other things.
Other
papers presented focussed on
comparative perspectives on
religious rights and freedoms,
gender, religion and religious
legal systems as well as freedom
of religion, association and
equality.
The debates
around the topics reflected the
contemporary challenges existing
in plural societies in
accommodating individual and/or
minority rights.
The
symposium was co-hosted by the
University of Johannesburg’s
SAIFAC, University of Free State
and Juta.
Meeting the Muslim
Students Association
Members representing the Muslim
Students Association (MSA) at
the University of Johannesburg
as University of the
Witwatersrand had a meeting with
the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
on Monday 13 September 2011.
At the meeting which was
held at Baitul Hamd in
Fordsburg, a number of issues
were discussed by way of
exploring ways in which the
Jamiatul Ulama South Africa can
assist the Muslim student body
in overcoming challenges faced
on campus.
Among other
things, it was agreed that a
Jumuah programme will be
organised in the near future.
Meanwhile, Hafiz Abdur
Rahman Laily, a final year
student at the Jamiatul Ulum al
Islamiyyah and a former
executive member of the MSA will
be speaking today at the
University of Johannesburg on
the topic of morality.
Today’s programme is jointly
organised by the Muslim AIDS
Programme and the MSA.
Preschool Resources: New
Taalimul Atfaal series
As parents prepare to send
children to pre-school and
teachers look for resources for
use in the forthcoming academic
year, the Jamiatul Ulama South
Africa would like to announce
that we have stock available of
the New Taalimul Atfaal series.
The series which is
going to enter into its second
year of use comprises of
textbooks at two levels, namely
Age: +4 and Age: +5 in three
subjects of Lifeskills,
Numeracy, Literacy. There is
also a number and an alphabet
book as well as a special
Islamic themes text.
The
series has an accompanying
teacher's guide and is backed by
support from the Taalim Board of
the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
which developed the series in
conjuction with Me’raaj
Publications.
The
Taalimul Atfaal series provides
an excellent start for preschool
learners who are put on an
Islamically-oriented path during
this crucial phase of early
education.
For
enquiries, please phone JUT
Publishing on: 011 373 8042.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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Talking about
people |
Talking about people
is permitted for a sound
legal reason. There are
six reasons for which it
is allowed:
1.
Being a victim of
injustice - The person
who has been wronged is
permitted to complain
about it to the ruler or
qadi (judge) or others
in authority or those
who have the power to
rectify the injustice.
2. Seeking help
to alter something
objectionable or to
return someone who
disobeys Allah to the
correct path. This is
allowed if his aim is to
remove that
objectionable deed,
otherwise it is
forbidden.
3.
Asking for a fatwa – A
questioner says to the
mufti, “My father
(brother, spouse or
so-and-so) has wronged
me by such-and-such. Can
he do that? How can I be
saved from it and obtain
my right and remove the
injustice?” This is
permitted as it is legal
argument, but it is
better to be more
circumspect and say,
“What do you say about a
man, person or spouse
who does such-and-such?”
Then he will obtain what
he desires without
mentioning him
specifically, although
it is nonetheless
permitted to mention him
specifically.
4.
Warning Muslims about
evil and advising them.
5. When someone is
open about his impiety
or innovation, like
someone who drinks wine
openly, oppresses
people, imposes tolls on
people and taxes
property unjustly and
engages in false
matters. What he does
openly is mentioned, but
it is forbidden to
mention other faults he
has unless it is for
another justifiable
cause.
6.
Recognition - When a
person is known by a
nickname, like al-A'mash
(the blear-eyed),
al-A’raj (the lame),
al-Asamm (the deaf), and
the like, it is
permitted that they be
known as that but it is
forbidden to use it to
condemn them. It is
better if there is
another way of
identifying the person.
• ‘A’isha
radhiyallhu anha
reported that a man
asked permission to
visit Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam and he said,
“Give him permission. He
is an evil brother of
the tribe.” (Bukhari &
Muslim) Al-Bukhari used
this as a proof for the
permissibility of
speaking ill of the
people of corruption and
people of doubt.
• ‘A’isha
radhiyallhu anha
reported that Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, “I do not
think that so-and-so and
so-and-so knows anything
about our Deen.”
(Bukhari) Al-Layth ibn
Sa’d, one of the
transmitters of this
hadith, said, “These two
men were among the
hypocrites.”
•
Fatima bint Qays
radhiyallhu anha said,
“I went to Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam and said, ‘Abu
Jahm and Mu’awiya
radhiyallhu anhuma have
both proposed marriage
to me.” Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam said, “Mu’awiya
is poor and without
property. Abu Jahm does
not put down the staff
from his shoulder.”
(Bukhari & Muslim) In a
version of Muslim, “As
for Abu Jahm, he beats
women,” which explains
the transmission, “He
does not put down the
staff from his
shoulder.” It is also
said to mean he travels
a lot.
• Zayd
ibn Arqam radhiyallhu
anhu said, “We went out
with Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam on a journey
during which the people
suffered considerable
hardship. ‘Abdullah ibn
Ubayy (the hypocrite)
said, “Do not spend on
those who are with
Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam so that
they become disunited.”
He said, “When we return
to Madinah, the mightier
will drive out the
humbler from it.” I went
to Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam and told
him that and he sent for
‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy who
took a strong oath
swearing that he had not
said it. They said,
“Zayd has lied to the
Messenger of Allah,” and
I felt great distress
inside me because of
what they had said until
Allah sent down a
confirmation (of what I
had said): “When the
hypocrites come to
you...” Then Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam invited them in
order to ask forgiveness
for them, but they
arrogantly turned their
heads away.” (Bukhari &
Muslim)
• ‘Aisha
radhiyallhu anha said,
“Hind, the wife of Abu
Sufyan, asked Rasulullah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam, “Abu Sufyan is
miserly and does not
give me enough for me
and my children unless I
take it from him without
his knowledge.'” He
said, “Take what is
reasonably enough for
you and your children.”
(Bukhari & Muslim)
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Reclaiming Inner
Peace |
“He it is Who sent among the
unlettered ones a Messenger
from among themselves,
reciting to them His Verses,
purifying them and teaching
them the Book and Al-Hikmah
(His sunnah, legal ways and
orders) And verily they had
been before that in manifest
error.” (Surah 62, Verse2)
The primary duties of
Rasulullah Sallalaahu alayhi
wa sallam are identified in
the verse quoted above.
History bears testimony to
the superb manner and way in
which Rasulullah Sallalaahu
alayhi wa sallam
accomplished this task and
responsibility. He left
behind in his illustrious
students and companions a
reservoir of men and women
who constitute the best
generation of Muslims that
were ever seen. It comes as
no surprise that we continue
to be inspired by them!
(Radhi Allahu Anhum
Ajmaeen.)
The
institution of tilaawah,
purification of the physical
and spiritual self and the
study of the Qur’aan and
hadith are still a salient
feature of many in the
Ummah. Our challenge is to
make this the quest of every
individual, irrespective of
colour, ethnicity or
academic background. When
all these facets of
excellence are adopted by
all and sundry we will
experience a resurgence of
Islam and an improvement in
the fabric of Muslim
society.
Even a
cursory analysis of modern
living will bring us to a
conclusion that it is
exhausting and frenetic.
People generally crave quiet
moments of reflection and
contemplation. Tilaawah and
the message of Qur’an and
hadith lend to finding inner
peace and contentment. We do
tend to make an all out
effort in the pursuit of our
physical needs; is not
equally important to sustain
and feed our souls?
Let us embrace this
responsibility that we have
inherited, wholeheartedly.
It would be tragic indeed if
our life passes us by while
we remain oblivious to the
message of the Qur’an and
the wisdom (Al-Hikmah) of
Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi
wa sallam.
May allah
guide us all. (Ameen)
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