AL-FAROUQ NEWSLETTER VOL. 5 NO. 7 In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
SHAWWAL 1431 / OCTOBER 2010
Volume 5, Issue 8
Soon more than two millions of Muslims will present themselves in The Court of Allah, The Exalted, The Majestic. This is the Baitullah, The First House Built for the Worship of One God, towards which people will flock on foot, and on every lean camel and out every deep ravine, so that they may engage in the Remembrance of Allah... Hajj is a wonderful means of spiritual reform, drawing closer to Allah, and establishing an everlasting link with Allah Ta’ala. However, to achieve this we need to infuse some roohaniyat or spirituality into our Hajj. Muslims in their thousands flock to The Holy Lands year in and year out, completing Hajj and Umrah not once but several times over, yet come back with the same level of spirituality as before. In some the change is barely perceptible, whilst in others there is none at all, and in worse case scenarios the Hajji suffers spiritual retrogression. This is cause for major concern. Like the great ibaadat of salaah will not realize its true benefits unless executed in a proper manner, Hajj, too, will
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never transform the individual unless he or she injects some spiritual life and vigour into the pilgrimage. We invite those who intend performing Hajj or Umrah to read and contemplate the following procedure that will insha Allah invigorate and revitalize this most important aspect of our Deen: REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERNAL HAJJ The Build up to HAJJ: Repent from sin through continu-
ous taubah salaah. Realize that our souls have been destroyed through sin. We need to redeem ourselves. We have offered salaah and fasted; we have read Quran and paid our zakaat; we have done the odd act of piety and given charity here and there; yet the soul has been overwhelmed by an avalanche of sin; it’s time for the ultimate redemption. Fulfil the rights of Allah’s servants and pay what is due to them. Seek the forgiveness of those who were wronged or those unto whom we have dues outstanding. Make good relations with fellow Muslims. Above all, before embarking on this epic journey, ensure that the heart retains none of the malice, rancour, hatred, jealousy, and illfeeling of the past. Let this heart be clean, and at peace with all Muslims. It is not possible for a heart cluttered with bitterness and animosity to experience the sweet-
BANNING THE HIJAAB
T
he recent banning of the Hijaab by the French Government is reminiscent of the days of Kemal Ataturk, the despot and tyrannical ruler of Turkey, who banned the topi, the Imaama or turban, and all forms of Islamic garb. The only difference is that the latter had far more serious consequences, for Muslims were imprisoned and killed for adhering to their Deeni
and Islamic culture, whereas the French government has imposed fines for women who flout this law. However, the comparison which we wish to draw between the two acts of religious suppression lies in the aftermath of this ban: how do Muslims react to the banning of an obligatory form of Islamic dress? How did they react then, compared to the current (Continued on page 4)
(Continued on page 8)
TOPIC
PAGE
Hajj Q&A
2-3
Banning the Hijab
1,4
Aafiya Siddique
4,5
Shafi Hajj Laws
6
War on Porn
7
Quran-Burning
10
AL-FAROUQ NEWSLETTER VOL. 5 NO. 7
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I am a single divorced : What are the Fardh What are the earliest and Q :mother Q :latest of a 10 year old son. Q (compulsory) acts of Hajj? times for rami (stoning) He isn't baaligh as yet. I am by the means to go for umrah/hajj. I don't have any brothers, uncles or a father and grandfather. Is it permissible to go for hajj/umrah with my son as mahram even though he isn't baaligh yet? . A boy who is not Baaligh cannot serve as a Mahram on journey. (Fataawa Al Hindiyyah V1 P219). One of the conditions of Haj becoming Fardh on a female is a Mahram. If you do not have another Mahram available, Haj will not be Fardh on you. If no one else is available, you will have to wait until he becomes Baaligh.
A
I have planned for Hajj this Q :year Insha Allah. I am pres-
hair during the rituals of Hajj? is it ok to cut it later? : The stipulated period for cutting the hair during Haj commences from after dawn on the 10th of Thul Hijjah up to the sunset of the 12th. Also, the hair has to be cut within the Haram precincts. If the cutting is delayed after this time, a dum will become Waajib, i.e. it will be compulsory to sacrifice a sheep or goat, or one share in a cow or camel within the precincts of the Haram. (Mu'allimul Hujjaaj p176177)
A
ently working but not earning that much where I can afford to pay for Hajj. My father is giving me a gift and has told me to go for Hajj. Will my Farz Hajj be complete? . Yes, your Fardh Haj will be complete. When you begin your Haj, make the intention of a Fardh Haj. For example: “O Allah I intend to perform my Fardh Haj for Your sake, so make it easy for me and accept it from me.�
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Can I perform my deceased Q :father's hajj if I have not done my fard hajj? . If Haj is already Fardh on you then to perform Haj Badl for someone while delaying your own Fardh Haj is Makrooh Tahreemi (sinful). The sin is for delaying one's own Haj which has already become Fardh on oneself. In this case you should first perform your own Haj.
A
If Haj is not Fardh on you and you perform Haj Badl, it is permissible but Makrooh Tanzeehi (not advisable). However, both cases the Haj Badl will be valid. (Al-Bahrur Raa'iq)
: There are two Fardh of Hajj: 1. Wuqoof at Arafaat 2. Tawaaf-e-Ifaadha (Ziyaarat) (10th of Zul Hijjah) I do not have sufficient Q :money to go for Hajj. However, if I cash in my investments/ jewellery I will have enough. Is Hajj compulsory on me? : Yes, Haj will be compulsory on you. (Hidaya) You will have to cash in your investments and liquidate your jewellery to makeup the money for Hajj.
A
is the consequence if Q :a What woman forgets to cut her
A
Another dum will become waajib if the hair was cut outside the precincts of the haram, e.g. after returning home. In short, cutting of the hair is conditioned with time and place. One dum will become necessary for each omission. (Raddul-Muhtaar) Can I sleep in my hotel in Q :Aziziyyah instead of Mina? Is Aziziyyah part of Mina? : It is Sunnah to spend the nights in Mina during Haj. Aziziyah is not part of Mina. By spending the nights in Aziziyah, this Sunnah will be neglected.
A
of the Jamrah on 10th Zul Hijjah without incurring a penalty? : Stoning on the 10th ThulHijja begins at Subuh Saadiq (at the commencement of Fajr) and ends at Subuh Saadiq on the eleventh. If a person did not stone by Subuh Saadiq on 11th Thul-Hijjah, a Dum becomes compulsory. Stoning before Subuh Saadiq on the 10th Thul-Hijjah is not valid.
A
Why is kissing of the Hajre Q :Aswad allowed in the light of Quran and Sunnah? : It is permissible to kiss the hajar-e-aswad because Rasulullah kissed it. The narration mentions that Sayyidina Umar kissed the Hajre Aswad and thereafter addressed it with the following words: "I know that you cannot harm or give benefit. If I had not seen the Nabi kissing you, I would not have kissed you." (Bukhaari) Kissing of the Hajre Aswad is the practice of Rasulullah , and is proven from the Sunnah.
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Q
: Is one allowed to perform Hajj or Umrah with a your stepfather who is also your guardian? : A step-father, though being a guardian, is not a mehram for his step-daughter when it comes to Hajj, Umrah, or any form of travel. The hadith states: “A woman who believes in Allah and the Last is not permitted to travel a journey of three days (i.e. 48 miles) or more without her husband or mehram.� (Bukhari, Muslim)
A
She, therefore, cannot travel for Hajj or Umrah with the step-father only, unless there is another mehram such as her baaligh brother or nephew or uncle who accompanies them.
Q
: Wuqoof-e-arafaat is from zawaal of 9th to sunrise 10th Zul Hijjah. If staying after sunset how long can I stay? : One should leave immediately after sunset, or a little while thereafter. To stay longer at Arafah without a valid reason is contrary to the Sunnah. (Muallimul -Hujjaj)
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Can a lady perform haj Q :during menstruation? A: All the acts of Hajj can be performed during menstruation, i.e. Wuqoof at Arafah, Muzdalifah, stoning, etc., except the Tawaaf. Tawaaf, be it Ziyarat or Widaa', may not be performed in the state of menstruation. The woman will have to wait till she is clean before performing the tawaaf. Tawaaf and entering a Masjid in the condition of menstruation is not permissible.
Q
: If you miss rami one day can you do qadha of the rami on the next day? : If Rami was missed on the 11th, it will be fulfilled as Qadhaa on the 12th, when stoning
A
on the 12th. If Rami was missed on the 12th, it will be fulfilled on the 13th as Qadhaa when stoning on the 13th. In short, pelting that was missed on one day will be fulfilled as Qadhaa the next, and Dum will also be compulsory. This is mentioned in the book Muallimul-Hujjaaj. perform jumu'ah Q :onDo9th,we10th, 11th or 12th Thul-Hijjah during hajj? : Performance of Jumu'ah Salaah is permissible in Mina, but not permissible at Arafah. (Muallimul-Hujjaaj)
A
If the pebbles don't hit the Q :jamrah but fall near to it, is it alright? : If the pebble falls within a range of three arm lengths from the Jamarah, it will be valid. If it falls at a distance of three arm's lengths (approximately 1.3 metres) or more away from the Jamarah, the pelting of that pebble will not be valid. This in mentioned in the Fiqh work Al Jauharatun Nayyira.
A
I will be traveling for Hajj Q :with my husband. Can I perform multiple umrahs by myself if my husband does not wish to do multiple umrahs? : You are allowed to do multiple Umras before Hajj; this is totally permissible. People living in Makka normally go to Tan'eem and do the Umra from there. However, it is better to have a mehram or your husband with you when you do the Umra. And Allah knows best
A
We are going to Saudi Q :Arabia to visit our married daughter, parents, brothers and their families. We'll also perform Umrah and go to Madina during this visit. Three members of the family got visit visas from
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Saudi but the other two had to obtain umrah visas. The intention of the whole family is the same but does sharia give rulings according to the visa type? Will the two members with umrah visas have to wear ihram to enter Jeddah or can we all wear ihram to perform umrah, a few days after arriving in Jeddah? : The type of visa one obtains does not affect or influence the rulings of Shariah. According to Shariah, it is compulsory to wear ihraam for Umrah or Hajj (if it is Hajj season) when crossing the meeqaat. One is not allowed to proceed beyond the meeqaat without Ihraam. If anyone does so, then a dum of one goat or sheep becomes waajib. Regardless of what type of visa the other travellers have, all of you should put on Ihraam before Jeddah.
A
Can the Hajj/Ihram sandal Q :have a strap around the ankle? My understanding is that the top of the foot and the area that the leg is joined to the foot ie the ankle should be uncovered. : Your understanding is correct. The upper bone and the ankle should not be covered when one is in the state of Ihraam.
A
son, who is one Q :andCana my half years old, perform umrah without being circumcised (khatna)? : He can perform Umrah without Khatna. The Khatna should be done as soon as possible.
A
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AL-FAROUQ NEWSLETTER VOL. 5 NO. 7
BANNING THE HIJAAB (Continued from page 1)
situation? Ataturk, the man who secularised the former Islamic State of Turkey, had targeted the Ulema in order to uproot all vestiges of Deen from the Turkish society. In his time, a high-ranking Aalim by the name of Shaikh Aatif Effendi opposed the banning of the turban by staging a mass protest along with hundreds of Ulema, all wearing the sunnah turban. They marched in the streets of Turkey in defiance of this ban and proudly displaying the Sunnah of Their Rasool . Prior to this protest the more moderate leaders advised the Shaikh not to go ahead and risk his life and the lives of others for the sake of an act that at the most was a sunnah. The Shaikh’s response was that though the imaama was sunnah, the ban on Islamic attire by the infidel Ataturk was an attack on Islam; it was a strike at the very roots of Deen; this was a ban
On Thursday 23 September 2010, Pakistani born Dr Aafiya Siddiqui was sentenced by a Federal Court in New York, America to 86 years imprisonment. This pronouncement is, for all intents and purposes a life sentence, but to rub salt into the wounds of this young lady, wounds that the oppressive American Regime had caused, the zhaalim judge had to articulate the sentence in terms of years, rather than just say ‘life’. ‘Eighty six years’ is far more profound in effect, not to mention dra-
that would rip right through the strata of all Islamic belief and practice. The Shaikh argued that should Muslims lamely accede to this ban, the very existence of Islam is at risk. It was, therefore, no longer a ban on just the sunnah; this was a transmutation of Deen, and Ulema, who were vested with the task of safeguarding the Deen for generations to come, had a responsibility to resist all forms of religious oppression. Shaikh Effendi and his followers practically demonstrated their defiance to the banning of the imaamah. The result was that hundreds of these ‘Ulema were killed. They sacrificed their lives, like martyrs, for the defence of the Sunnah. May Allah grant us all today such iemaani fervour and zeal, aameen. The fear expressed by the deepsighted Shiakh Effendi was strikingly true, for today Turkey, that was once a centre of Islamic learning and spirituality has lost all vestiges of Islamic practice and belief.
matic, a characteristic the Americans always seem to have a special aptitude for. And what was her crime? Dr Aafiya, a neuroscientist (one who specializes in treating the nervous system of the human body), was charged with, and convicted of attempting to shoot American soldiers three years ago in Afghanistan. The fallacy of this whole farcical case is that she was arrested in Pakistan for a crime allegedly committed in Afghanistan, and
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And so we come to the Muslims of France and the hijaab ban. No government holds the right to ban an act of Shariah. Such a ban is futile and meaningless. We Muslims will reject and defy such a ban with the contempt that it deserves. While we emphasize that women should not emerge unnecessarily from the home, but when the need arises for them to go out, the Islamic dress code must be adhered to. Now, more than ever before, the need is to don the hijaab and niqaab. Now is the time to show our practical defiance of this ban, as was demonstrated by Shaikh Effendi and his colleagues decades ago. Some moderate leaders in France argue that covering the face is not commanded by The Quran. Apart from being erroneous, this claim is extremely short-sighted. These leaders fail to realize that such a ban heralds the beginning of far more rigid policies to outlaw Shariah. This is not the time to debate the academic position of hijaab in Shariah. It might sound melo-dramatic, by we believe the issue is one of survival: survival of Islamic practice and belief in a hostile environment. The need of the hour is uncompromising adherence to Shariah. tried and convicted in a federal court in New York! This makes an absolute mockery of the American Justice System. Clearly, the American government has abandoned all principles of Justice to steam-roll a conviction in this case. It was a question of guilty until proven innocent. Sadly, poor Aafiya had no way to prove her innocence, since the only witnesses to the incident were the very American soldiers she was accused of wanting to shoot. This idiotic trial is just another addition to the litany of discrepancies that punctuated the so-called investigation of her alleged crime. From Pakistan to Afghanistan, to (Continued on page 5)
AL-FAROUQ NEWSLETTER VOL. 5 NO. 7
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the eventual courtroom of New York, her whole case was plagued with false submissions, lies, fabricated evidence, and suppression of vital information. This has been confirmed, not by Muslims, but by Western Journalists themselves. A quick Google search will bring up several reports to substantiate what we have written here. Dr Aafiya Siddiqui, 37, is accused of picking up an M-4 Army rifle and firing two rounds at a team of Americans who tried to question her in Afghanistan on July 18, 2008. Prosecutors argue she screamed, “Allah Akbar” and vowed to kill Americans before she was wrestled to the ground. She allegedly had two pounds of poisonous sodium cyanide and hundreds of pages of notes and documents on how to build chemical and biological weapons. The horrendous irony of this whole debacle is that none of this evidence was produced in court; neither the poison, nor the “hundreds of pages of notes on chemical weapons” The American Constitution, considered a prestigious document in their circles, prides itself on cache phrases like ‘democracy’, ‘justice’, fairness; and even ‘Christian morals and values’, yet the actions of these kuffar will make even the Prophet Jesus (upon whom be peace) hang his head in shame. Religion means nothing to people who are hellbent on safeguarding their worldly interests. They will do so at the expense of every single principle in the book. It is worth quoting the words of Barrister Jawaid Iqbal Jafree, an attorney at law in Pakistan who
wrote an open letter to the Muslim Observer. This letter was in refutation of one Rafia Zakariya in America, an apparent sympathiser of American justice. Since July 2008 I had kept her (Miss Rafia) informed about the suffering and predicament of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui who was actually brutally kidnapped and subject to illegal and ruthless rendition along with her three innocent children, from Karachi in 2003, and not arrested from Ghazni in 2008 as has been scurrilously (and falsely) claimed by CIA/FBI functionaries and aficionados. The reprehensible maltreatment of Aafia is a felony of designer Bait and Switch. The most pressing question here is not what’s happening (regretably so!) in Pakistan to other oppressed men and women; more relevant is the fact that Rafia Zakaria who is on the Board of the American Civil Liberties Union never protested the grave ill-treatment that has been meted out to (Dr) Aafia who was transferred without any cause or judicial/extradition proceedings to New York. The Afghan Government as well as the United States Officialdom violated, inter alia, the Geneva/ Vienna Conventions and Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Pakistan and USA [1959] by not immediately informing the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul (this would have been the case had she been really arrested in Ghazni); instead the Pakistani Embassy in Washington was informed. Aafiya is victim of the fascist syndrome: “Call a person a dog and then shoot him”. The neoimprovisation and re-phrasing of
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that Syndrome is that before a predetermined shooting of an innocent victim, just have three or four heavy-weight American soldiers falsely claim that their chosen victim-to-be shot at them first by grabbing their gun that was lying on the floor. As a former Assistant Attorney-General in the USA, I know that laying-down a machine gun on the floor is never done under such circumstances. The Jury returned the verdict of “Guilty” based on verbal evidence of Aafiya against four bought-off witnesses. Law will accept the impossible but not the improbable and unreasonable. Let us not be somnambulant about that.” Recent news reports indicate that the defence team are considering an appeal against this unjust sentence. We can only make dua, in earnest and with great fervour, that Allah Ta’ala grants success to this appeal. Let this also be an eye opener to the complacent among us, who enjoy the comforts Allah has granted us, while oblivious to the suffering and pain of people like Dr Aafiya. In fact, there are hundreds of others whose incarceration and agony go by unnoticed and un-reported. The American Government, especially its tyrannical henchmen, the CIA, have a dark history of secret renditions. Guantanamo Bay bears mute testimony to this evil. The story of the silent sufferers that pass through these dungeons of torture has yet to be told. We make dua that Allah Ta’ala grant succour and relief to our Muslim brothers and sisters who still languish in the secret prisons of these kuffar, aameen. May Allah Ta’ala bring about the downfall and eternal damnation of those who commit injustice against his innocent servants, aameen Ya Rabal-Aalameen.
AL-FAROUQ NEWSLETTER VOL. 5 NO. 7
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SOME HAJJ LAWS ACCORDING TO THE SHAFI’EE MATHMATH-HAB Spending the nights of Tashreeq in Minaa: It is wajib for followers of the Shafi’ee math-Hab. To spend the nights of tashreeq in Minaa. On these days (11 and 12 of ZhulHijja) all three jamaraat are pelted. This ruling applies to the major part of the night which must be spent in Minaa. If anyone fails to stay for at least the major part of the nights of Tashreeq (10 & 11) in Minaa then a dum is Wajib. It must be remembered that both nights have to be spent in Minaa, not just the first. However, after pelting the jamaraat on the twelfth of Zhul-Hijja one may then return to Makka. To spend this night in Minaa is not necessary, unless you intend pelting the next day as well, i.e. the 13th of Zhul-Hijja. The nights that must be spent in Minaa are therefore the nights after 10 and 11 Zhul-Hijja. If one has a valid reason to return to Makka during these nights and not remain in Minaa then the dum falls away. Valid reasons are: illness that can only be treated in Makka; to accompany old or ill people; fear of losing one’s luggage, possessions, etc. Performing more than one Umrah during Tamattu’ hadj: Tammatu’ is an act consisting of Umrah and Hadj on one journey without going back across the meeqaat after having accomplished the Umrah. Now, after this, it is
permissible for the one making Tamattu’ to perform further Umras during the days before Hadj. This is the apparent ruling we gather from the books of fiqah. However, one should not go beyond the Meeqaat during this period, for then the Tamattu’ will not be valid any longer. Therefore, after performing the Umra of Tamattu’ should anyone wish to do further nafl Umras then such a person must not leave the confines of the meeqaat. Instead, perform the Umra from either Ju’raana, which is the best, or Tan’eem. One should not go to Madinah for example, or anywhere outside the meeqaat boundaries. As long as you do not so this, you may perform as much Umras as possible prior to the days of Hadj. Shaikh Muhammad Ameen AlShanqeeti states in his book Adhwaa’ul Bayaan: “One who made Umra during the months of Hadj and released himself from ihraam, while intending to do Tamattu’, then makes several more Umras during his stay in Makka, will not be liable for a dum except the dum of Tamattu’. There should be no dispute on this matter among the Ulema.” And Allah knows best.’ (Vol.5 p. 570) This categorical statement supports our contention quite clearly. The Hady of Tamattu’: This dum or hady is Wajib for all those doing Tamattu’ or qiraan. However, for the Shafi’ee adher-
ents it is permissible to pay in this dum any time from the completion of the first Umra till the days of Hadj. It is though, more meritorious to offer this hady on the 10th Zhul-Hijja, which is the day of Eid and sacrifice. But, if this dum is slaughtered any time between the release from the Umra ihraam and the day of Nahr (10th Zhul-Hijja), it will be permissible and acceptable. REFERENCES: The above information has been compiled from the following authentic Shafi’ee works: Adhwaa’ul Bayaan (Shaikh Shinqeeti, Egypt); Hadyatus-Saalik; Mathaahib Arba’a; Faizul-Ilaahil-Maalik; Al Maj’moo’ (Imam Nawawi); AlMausoo-atul-Fiqhiyya (Fiqah Encyclopaedia)
AL-FAROUQ NEWSLETTER VOL. 5 NO. 7
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SOCIAL
T
here has arisen among Muslims a new way of sexual indulgence. For this immoral pasttime one doesn’t need any girlfriend or partner, nor a brothel or prostitute den. You don’t even need the prostitutes. This can be done anywhere, anytime, even in the Most Sanctified of Places (Allah Forbid!) This is the ugly face of Pornography that threatens to wreck our marriages, health, wealth, social lives and our greatest asset: IEMAAN. This disastrous evil has made such inroads among the Muslim community that sends shivers down the spine. The extent of this lurid pleasure is absolutely mindboggling and devastating. From the young to the old, Muslim (mainly men) are becoming sucked into this vortex of vice and once trapped, fail to find a way out. The Harmful Effects of Pornography 1. It causes loss of memory 2. Weakness in eyesight: this comes in two ways. a) Continuous exposure to screen radiation; b) looking at the private parts of another. 3. It causes partial or total neglect of salaah. 4. It causes lapses in concentration. 5. It makes the viewer irritable, moody, and aggressive. 6. It impacts seriously on the marriage, with the risk of total marital breakdown. The husband who is addicted to porn viewing becomes very defensive when questioned about this by the wife, eventually breaking out in anger. This later on leads to verbal and physical abuse of the wife. 7. Such a person loses the Noor or lustre of iemaan on the face. 8. The heart becomes dead, and then inclines towards acts of immorality and degradation. 9. The viewer loses self-esteem and becomes withdrawn. 10. Usually people resort to masturbation while viewing pornography, and in the case of youth, this can happen several times in one day. The result is sexual weakness that later on affects his ability to satisfy the wife, if and when he gets married. This too, can result in breakdown of the marriage. 11. When porn viewing increases then the viewer fails to derive satisfaction from just looking at porn. Soon he will want to play out these acts in real life. The consequences of this are horrific. If he is married, he would expect his wife to indulge in the same lurid and filthy scenes that appear in those
porn movies. The result is marital crisis of another type. There are cases of pious girls from good families who were forced to watch these movies with their husbands, and then commit the same filth in the bedroom. Is there any limit to such demented and depraved behaviour? Do these men think their wives are animals? This is sheer zhulm, and on Qiyaamat Day these perverted souls shall have to pay dearly should they not repent before death - Allah Protect us, aameen. 12. If this poor creature is not married, he will then start looking out for women with whom these acts can be committed. Here, too, the evil is now exacerbated. The poor devil falls from the pan into the fire. 13. In some cases, people subscribe to pornographic movies for which they must pay. Because this indulgence has no limits and bounds, before long the perverted viewer discovers his credit card has been debited with thousands of rands. The causes of viewing pornography 1. The Chief Cause is television – especially the soap operas and films that are shown on so many TV channels. 2. Un-controlled exposure to the internet. 3. Freedom of the cell-phones. Most cell-phones have internet from which pornography could be downloaded in seconds. 4. This point follows number 3 above: going onto Mixit, Facebook, and similar programs on the cellular phone. THE CURE FOR THIS SICKNESS 1. Like any sickness or disease, without effort by the patient, no cure is forthcoming. So the one suffering from pornography addiction has to make a strong and firm effort to fight the urge to watch. 2. Keep company with good, and pious elders, especially pious and elderly ‘ulema. 3. Sit often in the lectures and the majlis of the ‘ulema. 4. Spend a few minutes a day in seclusion making the thikr of Laa ilaaha illallah; every few times add the second part of the kalimah MuhammadurRasoolullah. 5. Spend a few minutes a day contemplating on life after death. If possible, read books on life after death. Read these books on a daily basis, a few pages at a time and ponder over the content. 6. Avoid the company of people who are involved in this evil, or who are likely to influence one.
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AL-FAROUQ NEWSLETTER VOL. 5 NO. 7
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ness of Hajj, as it is nigh impossible for a heart filled with carnal and worldly desire to be imbibed with the amplitude of spiritual effulgence that permeates the atmosphere of the Haramayan and its environs. It is, therefore, vital that the would-be Hajji also jettisons worldly attachment and lustful emotions, thus conditioning the spiritual heart to be overwhelmed by the wonderful Blessings of Allah while on Hajj. Cast off all worldly and haraam connections. By Allah, how is it possible for a man on Hajj, to announce his humble presence before the Majestic and All-Powerful Creator, while his heart is still enshrouded in haraam love? How can a Muslim enter the Most Revered Domain of this universe with even the thought of a strange woman or an illicit affair? Is The Almighty Allah so insignificant in our eyes, that we are unable to unshackle our souls and hearts from haraam attachments before presenting ourselves in His Divine Presence? I swear by the Lord of the Ka’aba! That Muslim who goes to The Baitullah with a heart still tethered to the leash of his or her lover shall never be blessed with even the whiff of acceptance. The body of such a callous individual shall only go through the motions, while the soul will perish through deprivation and despair. May Allah protect us from such a wretched Hajj, aameen. THE IHRAAM The two sheets of Ihraam should be a stark reminder of the white calico that we all shall one day be enshrouded in after death. Let this thought linger in the mind right from the time one dons the ihram till it is time to be released. Just as one does not wear shoes, sewn clothes, or any other worldly at-
tachment in the state of ihram, after death too, one shall only take the few pieces of calico into that grave, while being totally relieved of all worldly artefacts. Such contemplation is a wonderful way of developing concern for the hereafter. Having discarded the fine garments of this world, barefooted and bareheaded, one is relegated to the status of an ordinary human being in front of Allah The Almighty, regardless of how high and mighty one was prior to entering the state if ihram. The King and the pauper, the learned and the ignorant, the rich and the poor, all are now equal before The King of all Kings, and The Richest of all rich, the Mightiest of all mighty. This reflection is a great leveller and humbles the ego of man. THE TALBIYAH The cry of Labbayk that emanates from the lips of the muhrim (one who is in ihram) is the proclamation one who has responded to Allah’s invitation. After having humiliated himself, he declares his presence in front of His Rabb. This invitation was not the cordial prestige afforded to a high-flying dignitary or a senior patron; instead this is the Divine summons of the Almighty King, granting an audience to His lowly servants. It befits such servants to come before Him humbly and submissively, with hearts trembling out of fear, and the outer body quivering with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. The true Muhrim does not appear on the Hajj scene as a frivolous adventurer or arrogant jet -setter; instead, this deferent wayfarer, clad in what is almost his kafan, comes before His Lord as a confessed criminal, penitent and remorseful, and with full acknowledgement that his salvation lays only at the Door of The Supreme
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Master, and nowhere else. Shouting the talbiyah out loudly, the Hajji is not giving any war cry; instead his anguish has exceeded all bounds, and his rooh continues to grow with intense desire and eagerness. In this state of uneasiness, he uncontrollably calls out to his Lord, while knowing that his Allah hears even the unspoken thought that flutters through the inner recesses of his heart. This is not the time to assume pretentious airs; the Hajji is not out to impress those around him, nor does he care what others will say. He is like a man possessed; possessed by a newly discovered love, that has been sparked off the moment he entered into the state of Ihraam. The taste of Divine Love has triggered off a burning desire and intense yearning to reach the source of that Divine Inspiration. Hence he shouts out at every step and turn, and every incline and decline: Here am I, O Allah! Here am I! Here am I (proclaiming that) You have no partner; Here am I! Undoubtedly all Praise and All Bounty belong to You, and all Kingdom; (I proclaim yet again that) You have no partner. Every Talbiyah that he utters is agonizing for the Hajji; for he shouts out, calling His Rabb, but gets no reply! Imagine the disappointment of one who believes My Beloved is here and calls out to Him, only to met with deafening silence! Imagine the disappointment of Hajar, the mother of Ismail (alayhimus-salaam), who ran to Safa expecting to find water, but to no avail. She then runs over to Marwa and then back again; she goes to and fro in great distress and anxiety but fails to reach the object of her quest. This typifies the Hajji, who runs from Mina to Mudalifah, then to Arafah. There (Continued on page 9)
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he spends hours calling on His Lord to reveal that Divine Presence that will satiate forever the intensified Love that is by then bursting at the seams of his Heart. He then goes back to Mina, and on to Makka, around the House of His Objective. All this movement is symbolic of the Believers quest for His Allah; a quest for Divine Countenance; a quest for which the Believer had forsaken his house, comfort, luxury and loved ones; a quest for which he has even sacrificed worldly pleasure and love. THE PLAINS OF ARAFAAT The Maydaan-e-Arafah, or the Plain of Arafaat is the closest resemblance one can get to the Plains of Judgement. Imagine that you are one amongst millions, standing in front of Allah on the Qiyaamat Day, begging for forgiveness, seeking intercession, and pinning hopes in the Vast Mercy of Allah Rabbul-Izaah. Convince yourself that should the sun set on that day before securing Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness, then all is lost, for indeed that will be the exact position of every human being on the Day of Judgment. When that sun sets, the pens of Taqdeer would have dried, and the scrolls already rolled up. By then it would be all over, bar the screaming and whining. Use the Day of Arafah as a dress rehearsal for Qiyaamah. If such a gathering of multitudes fails to invoke thoughts of Qiyaamat and Akhirat, then it is a clear sign of weak iemaan and total lack of conviction in the rituals of Hajj. Pour out your heart on the Day of Arafah, for Allah’s Mercy is on the Rampage. Not a soul in that gathering shall be untouched by His Powerful and Unstoppable Mercy. Allah has already declared and His Declaration is the Haqq: My Mercy has surpassed by
Wrath! Invoke His Mercy and provoke His Compassion with quivering voices, trembling hearts, and wet eyes blended with hope and agony. PELTING THE JAMARAAT This act is in commemoration of the stones hurled at Shaytaan by Hazrat Ebrahim and his wife Hajar (alayhimus-salaam) when they went about preparing for the sacrifice of their son Ismail. Symbolically the Hajji pelts the jamaraat that represents Shaytaan to indicate that nothing shall come between himself and sacrificing for Allah. He shall pelt evil way with the stones of taubah; his thikr shall constitute the missiles to take out the weapons of shaytaan and its forces. THE SACRIFICE Slaughtering the Hadi or sacrificial animal during Hajj is just another affirmation from the Hajji that he is prepared to sacrifice wealth and possessions for Allah’s Pleasure alone. Let his thought filter through the entire spiritual system, as depicted in the dua we read before slaughtering an animal: Verily, my prayers, my sacrifice, my life, and my death is for ALLAH Lord of the Worlds. He has no partner. With this have I been commanded and I and among those who submit to The Commands of Allah. (Surah 6: 163) The theme of Tauheed or Oneness of Allah permeates the entire Hajj. Time and again, we re-iterate the belief that He has not partner. The Hajji, should therefore, continuously remind himself of the Uniqueness and Omni-Potency of Almighty Allah. Let the Hajj become a means of entrenching this belief, and more. THE TAWAAF The Baitullah is truly the most revered and honoured sanctuary ever
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to be erected for the worship of Allah. When the Muslim encircles the ka’bah during tawaaf, there are several spiritual aspects to focus on, viz: Arriving at the Baitullah is almost as if the search for Allah has ended. “Here at last (the Hajji’s body language seems to be saying) is the Sanctuary of the One I have been seeking. After a mad frenzy of running from pillar to post, I have now finally reached the much awaited destination. I am at the doorstep of the Beloved. But admission is not going to be immediate. Where do I enter? Surely this is The Grandiose and Resplendent Court of My Allah! But how to get in and meet My Allah?” In a renewed state of frenzy the Hajji begins going around the ka’bah after offering the customary greeting of istilaam that The Almighty King has ordained for all those entering His Court. He then hastens with bristling shoulders and a protruded chest, rushing to the object of his heart’s desire. In the end, the Hajji does not come away with a physical discovery of his Creator, nay, this never happens; but he achieves such spiritual fulfilment that no amount of physical experience can ever match. This is almost the perfect Hajj. Allah take all our Hujjaj somewhere near this level of taqwa in their Hajj, aameen. SABR: THE FORTE OF THE HUJJAJ Whosoever has made Hajj compulsory upon himself (and sets forth) should not indulge in sexual acts with the wife, or sinful deeds, or disputes. And whatever good you do (in Haj) Allah knows its fully. And take with you (on this journey) your provisions. But the best of provisions is Taqwa. So fear Me O people of intelligence! (Baqarah: 197) This verse of Holy Quran provides two key elements for Hajj: Taqwa and Sabr.
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And the Kuffar shall continue to fight you until, if possible, they can turn you away from your Deen. (Surah Baqarah, verse 217) Another episode in this struggle highlighted by Almighty Allah in the Holy Quran is the recent attempt by American Kuffar to burn the Holy Quran. Thankfully, even their own Christian counterparts opposed this disgraceful gesture of Islamophobia by some obscure, publicity-seeking priest in a remote corner of America. Another shaytaan actually went ahead and burnt a copy of the Quran (or so it was made to appear by the media; Allah knows best). Be that as it may, those who subject the Holy Quran to sacrilege shall be dealt with severely by Allah, should such devils not receive Divine Guidance before they die; though history has proven that the desecraters of the Quran were never given guidance ever after. Hazrat Umar received Divine Guidance only after he respectfully agreed to bath and then hold and read the scrolls upon which Surah Taha was written, which he had heard his sister recite earlier. It is highly unlikely, though possible, that one who has deliberately and maliciously caused sacrilege against the Holy Kalaam of Allah will ever be guided towards Islam. For a so-called religious preacher to resort to burning a book that is revered by millions of people including non-Muslims, is the height of imbecility. Only fools and morons stoop to such low levels. What do they hope to achieve in such a heinous crime except to aggravate and antagonize the Believers in The Quran. Such actions have proven that the ignorant ones have no logical or intelligent answers to counter the Divine Speech of Allah; hence they resort to childish and naive tactics. There is no limit to spite and malice. These people need to understand that they are still new kids on the block; thousands before had attempted to challenge the Quran but failed miserably. Their abject failure made them the statistics of Allah’s Punishment. How many an opponent had come and gone, but the Quran withstood their challenges, unfazed. The Quran has withstood the ravages of time and survived all attempts to subvert, interpolate, and even destroy
it. And so shall it remain till the Day of Judgment, for it is Allah Himself Who has assumed responsibility for its protection. Almighty Allah declares in Surah Hijr: “Surely We revealed the Reminder (Quran) and We shall be its Guardians.” (Al-Quran: 15:9) This alone is enough to prove and confirm the Divine Status of the Holy Quran. One American journalist, in an attempt to put this issue into some perspective, cited the burning of the Quran in the time of Hazrat Uthman . Though at no stage in his report did he justify or support the action of blasphemers of the Quran, but his inference of an analogy between the administrative action of Caliph Uthman and the sacrilege of the Quranburners today is wholly flawed and erroneous. The background to Hazrat Uthman’s burning of copies of the Quran needs to be explained. It was during his time that the need arose to compile the Holy Quran for a second time in book form, this time maintaining the dialect of the Quraysh. The Quran was revealed in seven dialects, as is mentioned authoritatively in the books of hadith. The need to standardize the written Quran was motivated by the fact that new Muslims, living in far-away countries such as Azerbaijan, Turkey, etc. and lacking knowledge of the various qiraats or forms of recitation, were disputing the variant readings of the Quran. This dispute was detrimental to the imaan and belief of Muslims, and Hazrat Uthman was fully aware of these consequences. He was also fully cognizant of the hadith of Our Noble Messenger that warned of the danger of people arguing over the Holy Quran. Several Sahaba also urged Hazrat Uthman to adopt measures to curb this danger. After consultation with senior Sahaaba, the Khalifa Uthman went ahead to compile the Quran in the dialect of the Quraysh only. In so doing he ensured that the ordinary people will all be reading the same qiraat and not different qiraats as were revealed to the Messenger of Allah. However, he also made arrangements for these different qiraats and dialects to be maintained on an academic level, to be taught and studied by the Scholars of Islam. Till this day,
PAGE 10 throughout the Islamic Institutes of the world the science of Qiraat is being taught and expounded with great fervour, thus keeping alive all the original forms of Qiraat that came down to the Messenger of Allah . However, the script of the Quran that is used by Muslims today is the form compiled and circulated by the Khalifa Uthman . In order to enforce the acceptance of one form of script for the Holy Quran, Hazrat Uthman had to remove all copies of the Quran that were written in other forms of qiraat from circulation. Having done that, he was left with one small dilemma. Preservation of the Quran was of paramount importance to Sahaaba, and an irrepressible passion. It was not enough to merely withdraw copies of the Quran from circulation for people would continue using them; they would passionately and zealously retain these copies. The need was to remove these copies in such a manner that no one would be able to use or circulate them among the Muslim communities later on. He, therefore, decided to burn out unused copies of the Quran, thus maintaining a unified script of the Holy Quran that would be easy for all Muslims, even non-Arabs, to recite and understand. It is thus clear that this burning of the Holy Quran was not done in order to desecrate the Quran, or to antagonize its followers; rather it was intended to unify the Muslims and facilitate the recitation of The Quran for generations to come. Today the vast majority of non-Arabic speaking Muslims are eternally indebted to Caliph Uthman for this great service to the Holy Quran. May Almighty Allah exalt his status in the hereafter, and forever illuminate his soul with the Light of the Quran, aameen. There are, therefore, worlds of difference between that act of the Caliph Uthman to preserve the Holy Quran, and the desecration of the Quran by its enemies of today, who vainly and futilely seek to destroy Islam. “They seek to extinguish the Light of Allah, but Allah shall (relentlessly) take His Light to completion, even though the unbelievers detest it” (Al-Quran: 61:8) For further details on the compilation of the Holy Quran, write in for our free booklet The History of the Glorious Quran.