Islamic Focus Issue 95

P10 Sri Lanka

1 1 1 0 0 9

P8 Violent Religion

2223 - 1110

P7 Daily Gift

I S SN

P4 Noble Swords

9 7 7 2 2 2 3

P3 Money Matters

P12 The Tunnel Bukhara Publications/Tel: 078 672 7797/Fax: 086 651 2125 Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com/Korsten/Port Elizabeth

Aafia Siddique, a Muslim lady, was captured by Pakistani intelligence agents and handed over to USA along with her children in 2003. In Afghanistan she was tortured for years. In 2008, the US finally admitted she was in captivity. She was then sentenced to 86 years on trumped up charges.

WAHN The Hadith tells us a time will dawn when non Muslims will devour Muslims, and Allah will take the fear of Muslims from the hearts of the enemy and cast wahn into the hearts of Muslims.

The Prophet said wahn is love of the world and dislike of death. (Abu Dawud) It is wahn which allowed a Muslim state to kidnap and handover a Muslim woman to the enemy: ‘A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not op-

Islamic Focus

Issue 95

Igniting the Spirit of Islam

press him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor.’ (Bukhari) It is wahn that prevented any Muslim ruler lifting a finger to protect the honour of a Muslim women and thousands of Muslims incarcerated around the world: ‘Indeed it is obligatory upon Muslims to free their captives or to pay their ransoms.’ (Hadith) It is wahn that leads Muslim rulers to imprison and torture thousands of sincere Muslims in their dungeons: ‘Allah will punish those who punish the people in the world.’ (Muslim) POWER With a united state and ruler, a Khalifah, Muslims responded to the cries of the helpless. A Jew tied the edge of a Muslim woman’s garment causing her private

Nov 2011

parts to become uncovered.

A Muslim man killed the Jew and the Jews retaliated by killing that Muslim. The man's family called for help and the Prophet sent an army and after a 15-day siege expelled the Jewish tribe from Madinah.

A Muslim woman was captured by Romans who tried to dishonour her. Frightened and alone she called out the name of the Khalifah, ‘Oh Mutasim.’ A man witnessed this and rushed to the Khalifah. Mutasim sent an army which defeated the Romans and freed the woman.

When the Hindus of India captured Muslim women, the Muslim governor Hajjaj wrote to the Hindu ruler to ransom them. He refused and Hajjaj sent an army to free them even though the Muslim state was not in a position to start a new campaign. This started the Muslim conquest of India.

WORLD NEWS

KENYA - Israel offered to help Kenya as it tackles Somalia's Islamist group, al-Shabab. Israel's PM Netanyahu said ‘Kenya's enemies are Israel's enemies’. (BBC, 14 Nov) LIBYA - Several days of fighting between rival factions near Zawiya left 7 dead. (BBC, 14 Nov) SOUTH AFRICA - Muslims reacted with outrage that a leading meat importer labelled pork as Halaal.

The company has also been accused of relabelling kangaroo meat from Australia and water buffalo meat from India as Halaal. (BBC, 16 Nov) PAKISTAN - Custom officials confiscated 74 falcons being unlawfully transported into the country by a member of Qatar's royal family. Members of Gulf royal families routinely bring in falcons for hunting birds and other animals in Pakistan. (BBC, 17 Nov) PAKISTAN - 7 killed in shoot-out in Karachi between Taliban fighters and police. Taliban are expanding operations in Karachi. (BBC, 16 Nov) ITALY - Italian clothing company Benetton pulled an ad showing the Pope kissing a senior Egyptian Imam after the Vatican protested. (BBC, 16 Nov) EGYPT - Clashes between army and protesters against pollution from a fertiliser plant left one dead and 11 injured. (BBC, 14 Nov) PALESTINE - Jewish police arrested six Palestinians called the West Bank Freedom Riders who boarded a Jerusalem-bound bus used by Jewish settlers. They drew inspiration from 1960s US civil rights demonstrators who also campaigned against segregated buses. Palestinians from the West Bank are not allowed to cross into Jerusalem without Israeli permission. (BBC, 15 Nov) KUWAIT - Dozens of protesters stormed parliament, as hundreds more demonstrated outside against the PM. (BBC, 16 Nov) USA - A US man shot at the White House with an assault rifle. (BBC, 17 Nov) MOROCCO - Islamist Justice and Development Party won the most seats in parliamentary elections, Islamic Focus

final results confirm. (BBC, 27 Nov) NIGERIA - Gunmen believed to be members of the Islamist Boko Haram group attacked several targets in Yobe state. (BBC, 27 Nov) IRAN - Protesters in Tehran broke into the UK embassy compound during a demonstration against sanctions imposed by Britain. Students removed the British flag, burnt it and replaced it with Iran's flag, and smashed windows. (BBC, 29 Nov) PAKISTAN - Pakistan is to boycott talks on Afghanistan's future in protest at a Nato air strike which killed 24 of its soldiers. Pakistan cut crucial Nato supply lines through its territory to Afghanistan in protest at the killings. (BBC, 29 Nov) SUDAN - Sudan ordered the expulsion of the Kenyan ambassador after a Kenyan judge issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's President who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Darfur. The African Union had decided that member states should disregard the ICC's arrest warrant. (BBC, 29 Nov) BUSINESS - Nestle is taking steps to end child labour on cocoa farms supplying its factories long after it knew children were involved in its cocoa production. (BBC, 28 Nov) PALESTINE - Several rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Jewish-occupied Palestine. Two buildings were damaged. (BBC, 29 Nov) PALESTINE - Bulldozed by Israel more than two dozen times, the village of Al-Arakib is one of many Bedouin desert communities whose names have never appeared on any official map. The Jewish parliament plans to demolish more Bedouin homes in southern Negev and forcibly move 30,000 Arabs to government-authorised villages even though the Bedouin rejected the move. (ArabianBusiness, 24

Nov) UAE - Falcons, long used for hunting in the Middle East, are now being adapted for pest control of pigeons around high-rise buildings. (ArabianBusiness, 3 Nov)

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Wahy or revelation to the Prophet occupies an important position as it was through this that our Creator communicated with us. Here are the different means of Wahy:

Whoever's greatest concern is this world then Allah will scatter his affairs. But who makes the next world his goal, Allah will bring his affairs together. (Hadith)

1. Sound of ringing bells: The first method was that the Prophet used to hear a sound similar to the ringing of bells. Some scholars think it was the voices of angels while others think it was the flutter of its wings while bringing Wahy.

These two Hadith teach us the priorities of life which will lead to success. We more often than not get them mixed up. Money in itself is not evil. Money provides food for the hungry, medicine for the sick, clothes for the needy.

But it is only a medium.

In 1923, eight of the wealthiest people in the world met. Their wealth exceeded that of the US government. What happened 25 years on: 1. President of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed capital for five years before he died bankrupt.

2. President of the largest gas company, Howard Hubson, went insane.

3. One of the greatest commodity traders, Arthur Cutton, died insolvent.

4. President of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, was sent to jail.

5. A member of the President's Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from jail to go home and die in peace.

6. The greatest ‘bear’ on Wall Street, Jessie Livermore, committed suicide.

7. President of the world's greatest monopoly, Ivar Krueger, committed suicide.

8. President of the Bank of International Settlement, Leon Fraser, committed suicide.

2. Angel in human shape: Another method of Wahy was that the angel used to appear in a human form and convey the message. Generally Jibraeel came in the form of the companion Dihyah Kalbi .

3. Angel in original form: Jibraeel came in his original appearance thrice: 1. when the Prophet wished to see the angel in his original form, 2. at the time of Meraj, 3. in the early Makkah days.

4. True dreams: The Prophet used to have dreams before the revelation of the Quraan started. What he saw in a dream happened in exactly the same manner when he awoke.

5. Discourse with Allah: Like Musa , the Prophet also had the privilege of direct discourse with Allah. While awake this happened only on the night of Meraj.

6. Inspiration in the heart: Without appearing before him in any shape, Jibraeel used to inspire something in the heart of the Prophet .

Adapted from Radio Islam Enewsletter

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FINANCE / QURAAN

Whoever rectifies that which is between himself and Allah, Allah shall rectify that which is between that person and His creation (spouse, children, business, etc). (Hadith)

HISTORY / SUNNAH

Scholars are of the opinion that the Prophet had 9, 10 or 11 swords.

One’s fingers can become the tools for earning rewards by using them for simple things:

1. Dhul-faqaar: means the one with holes or protrusions. This sword has holes or protrusions on it. It is the most famous of the swords; the Prophet acquired it from the spoils of war in the battle of Badr. There is an opinion that this sword initially belonged to Sulayman .

Licking the Fingers. The Prophet said: ‘After meals, lick the fingers, for verily, he (the one who eats) does not know in which portion of the food the blessing is.’ The Prophet said: ‘When any of you have eaten, do not wipe (or wash) your hands until he has licked his fingers.’ Anas said that after the Prophet had eaten, he would lick his fingers thrice. Thoroughly cleanse the plate with the fingers before washing it. The Prophet said that the cleansed plate supplicates to Allah.

2. Al-Ma’thir: means to be inherited. The Prophet inherited it from his father. It is reported that this sword was made by the Jinn.

3. Qalaiyyah: named after a place in the desert.

4. Al-Battaar: means the slaughterer.

5. Al-Qadhib: means to slice and slash. The sword was slender and slim. The Prophet would at times lean on this sword and deliver the sermon.

6. Al-Hataf: means death. The Prophet acquired these 4 swords from the booty of Banu Qaynuqa. This sword had a horn attached.

7. Al-Mikhtham (slaughterer), 8. Al-Rasub (to plunge), 9. Al-Samsamah: a sharp cutting sword which does not curve or bend. 10.

Al-Lahif: The Prophet owned a horse with a similar name. 11. Al Adhib (to cut and hack) The value and blessings of a sword used by the Prophet is far greater than the value of all the swords in the world.

Moulana Faraz Ibn Adam

Takhleel in Wudhu. (Takhleel means to pass the fingers of one hand through the fingers of the other hand to ensure water has reached the spaces in between the fingers). The Prophet said: ‘Make takhleel of your fingers so that Allah does not make takhleel of (your) fingers with fire on the Day of Qiyaamah.’

Counting Zikr. The Prophet said: ‘Make incumbent on you (to recite) Tasbeeh, Tahleel and Takbeer, and count (the Zikr) with the finger joints, for verily, they (the finger joints) will be questioned and interrogated on the Day of Qiyaamah.’ The fingers will testify on the Day of Qiyaamah in favour of the one who used them to count the Zikr.

Food in Wife’s Mouth. Every act of the Muslim, if done consciously in emulation of the Sunnah, is an act of worship. The Prophet said: ‘The believer is rewarded for every (lawful) act he does, even for the morsel of food which he (affectionately) lifts (with his fingers) to the mouth of his wife.’

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From various Ulama

www.shafiifiqh.com Q: Is it sunnah or adab (etiquette) to perform ablution (wudhu/abdaas) while facing the qibla?

A: Facing the direction of prayer in ablution is recommended. (Majmu 1:189) Some jurists classified this act as a sunnah, while others considered it to be an adab (proper etiquette). The legal basis for facing the qibla in wudhu rests in the fact that the qibla is the most noble direction.

Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: If the husband is not Mahram (i.e. here a marriageable mahram) to his wife how can he perform the ritual bath (ghusl) for his dead wife? Will it not nullify the wudhu of the deceased wife?

A: It is permissible for a husband to perform the ghusl (bath) of his dead wife.

(Nihayat Al-Muhtaj ila Sharhil Minhaj 2:449) The wudhu of the deceased wife, will not be nullified, and therefore will remain valid. (Rawdat At Talibin 2:102) Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: If a woman does not have children, does her former husband have to support her after the waiting-period (iddat) ends following a divorce?

A: It is not obligatory for a man to financially support a woman with whom his marriage has ended, after the waiting period (iddat) is over. This is irrespective of whether or not she has children. As for supporting the children: if they themselves do not have money to their name, financially supporting them is obligatory upon the Islamic Focus

father, whether he is with their mother or not.

Answer by: Shaikh Amjad Rasheed

Q: How should one respond to the accusation that the Shafi Mathab is a purely theoretical school of thought. One critic said: ‘The Shafi Mathab is currently and always has been a strictly academic, non-practical and theoretical ivory-tower Mathab’. Could you provide examples that show this not to be the case.

A: The practical nature of all four schools of Sunni Islam is established by the fact that Muslims all over the world have lived their lives according to the dictates of each of these schools for over a millennium. To claim that any of the four schools has never been practical or applicable goes against this plain fact and requires proof. The Prophet said: ‘The onus of proof is on the one who makes the claim.’ (Bayhaqi) Answer by: Shaikh Hamza Karamali

Q: What is the status/ ruling of the 2/4 Rakaats Sunnah before the compulsory Friday Juma prayer? Some people claim it to have no basis.

A: It is recommended to pray two or four rakaats before and after the Friday prayer. The sunnah prayers of Juma are just like the sunnah prayers of Zuhr (in number). (al-Anwar 1:161) According to Nawawi: the basis for the sunnah prayers before Juma is the hadith: ‘Between every two adhans there is a prayer,’ and qiyas (analogical reasoning) with

the sunnahs performed before Zuhr. (Majmu 3:504) Ibn Mas’ud used to pray four rakaats before and after Juma. (Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1:335) Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: What is the status of my daughter to my stepfather? Would she be allowed to be alone with him and appear without hijab in front of him?

A: She is his mahram (member of unmarriageable relatives) and does not have to wear hijab in front of him.

(Reliance of the Traveller, 6.2 [7]). She also may be alone with him.

Answer by: Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Q: Is there substantiation for the fact that a person’s fingernails, hair and blood return to them in the hereafter; therefore, one should not cut one’s nails or cut one’s hair in a state of janabah (major impurity) because these body parts with return in the hereafter in janabah?

A: Some scholars have stated it, while others objected to it. A narration attributed to the Prophet that he prohibited clipping the nails, etc., when in a state of major ritual impurity has been noted as a fabrication in Tanzih al-Shari’ah alMarfu’ah ‘an al-Ahadith al-Shani’ah al-Mawdu’ah 2:85) Therefore, under this discussion there is no sound hadith that would prohibit cutting the nails, etc., while in a state of major ritual impurity.

Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

SHAFI Q & A

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

s be

HANAFI Q & A From various Ulama

www.askimam.org | www.askmufti.co.za | www.daruliftaa.net Q: Can the child for whom Aqeeqah is done, eat the meat? Must the meat be distributed in a cooked form or raw? Is Aqeeqah still valid if one has become baligh (mature) A: Aqeeqah is the sacrificial animal offered on the occasion of birth. The practice of Aqeeqah is Sunnah. To offer Aqeeqah on the 7th day following the birth of the child is preferable. Aqeeqah can also be done after one has passed the age of physical maturity. Generally Aqeeqah is offered after the birth of the child when it is impossible for the child to partake of the Aqeeqah. However if the Aqeeqah was done later in life it would be permissible for one to consume his/her own Aqeeqah. It may also be distributed both cooked and raw.

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: If a marriage contract or certificate was not signed at the time of Nikah (marriage), will the Nikah be valid?

A: For Nikah to be solemnised, it is not a pre-requisite that a contract be signed or to have textual documents.

The basic requirements for a valid marriage according to Islamic law are the following two: 1) Offer and acceptance.

It is imperative to have an offer from either: a) the female (herself or her guardian/agent whom she appoints to pronounce the offer on her behalf), b) or male (or his agent). Likewise, in order for Nikah to be complete, it is necessary that an acceptance Islamic Focus

from the male or female (or their agents) takes place.

This offer and acceptance must be heard and understood clearly. The offer and acceptance have to be rendered with words which give the meaning of something being established in present.

Any word which portrays the meaning of a promise or it relates to the future will not be valid.

2) Witnesses. There must be a presence of at least two male witnesses or one male and two female witnesses, who hear and clearly understand this offer and acceptance. The offer, acceptance and the presence of the witnesses must all take place in the same session and at the same place. These two pronouncements of offer and acceptance are fundamental for a valid marriage contract according to Islam. They must be verbal and not merely written in order that they are heard and understood clearly by the witnesses. Hence, if a valid offer and acceptance in the presence of two male witnesses or one male and two female witnesses took place, the couple are married.

Checked by: Mufti Husain Kadodia

Q: I offered the two sunnats after the Fardh of Maghrib behind someone who was praying the Fardh of Esha. Will this be valid or will the two Rakaats be Nafil?

A: Sunnah Salaahs come under the same ruling as Nafl Salaahs. If you offered your Sunnah Muakkadah behind an Imam who was offer-

ing his Fard Salaah, your Sunnah Salaah will be valid.

Checked by: Mufti Husain Kadodia

Q: Is it permissible for me to keep my business open during Juma Salaah after the Juma Athan if non Muslim employees are running it?

A: It will be permissible for you to keep your shop open after the Juma Athan. Your non Muslim employees are working at that time and they have no obligation of Juma salaah.

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q:Is it permissible to do acts of Isaale Sawab (transfer of reward) for a living person? (E.g. a person who is suffering from a terminal illness) A: It is permissible to do acts of good deeds and gift the rewards to another person, dead or alive.

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: Can post-mortems be used for solving crimes?

A: Post-mortems, even though not condoned in Islamic law, can be used in Islamic Courts as supporting evidence. It cannot be the sole evidence to prove a huge crime like murder which entails inflicting severe punishment on the criminal.

Post-mortems cannot replace witnesses who must be present to testify to the charges in question. With postmortems, there is always a percentage of mistakes in the analysis; and the prescribed punishments for serious crimes in Islam (Hudood) are dropped off at the least doubt. (Ashbah Wan-nazair, Allama Ibn Nujaim)

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The 92-year-old, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. ‘I love it,’ she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

‘Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room, just wait.’ ‘That doesn't have anything to do with it,’ she replied. ‘Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged, it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift.’

And with a smile, she said, ‘Remember five simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.’

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INTERNET / INSPIRATION

Enrich your web experience. Not all content on all sites Islamic-compliant. Consult Ulama.

SUNNAH / COMPARITIVE

The 10th of Muharram, known as the day of Aashura, is sacred in Islam. The fast of this day was compulsory prior to the fast of Ramadan becoming compulsory.

On this day, ten Prophets were honoured: Musa was saved from Pharoah, Nuh ’s ship came to rest after the floods on Mt Ararat in Turkey, Yunus was delivered from the belly of the gigantic fish, the repentance of Aadam was accepted, Yusuf was rescued from the well in which his brothers dumped him (he was 7 years old at the time), Eesa was born and on this day was raised up alive to the heavens, Dawood ’s repentance was accepted after he delivered a verdict which was not of the standard expected of him by Allah, Ayyub was cured of a skin disease which lasted for 18 years, Yaqoob ’s sight was restored after he became blind due to excessive crying over the loss of his beloved son Yusuf , and Sulaiman was granted a kingdom which no one before or after enjoyed: he ruled over man, jinn, the wind, birds and mountains.

Things to do on this day: 1. Fast. The Prophet said regarding the fast of Aashura: ‘I have hope in Allah that it will compensate for the previous year’s sins.’ (Muslim) 2. Spend on the family. ‘Whoever spends lavishly on his family on the day of Aashura, Allah will grant him lavish sustenance for the rest of the year.’ (Baihaqi) Adapted from article by Mufti Siraj Desai

Islamic Focus

Christianity claims to be a religion of peace, yet the facts prove otherwise: The word sword appears 448 times in 404 verses of the Bible. In one verse, the following words are attributed to Jesus : ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.’ (Matthew 10:34) The Crusaders showed ample proof of having taken this to heart. The Crusades were wars blessed by the Church and Pope, yet this is what they managed to do: First Crusade: In 1099 the crusaders entered Jerusalem and massacred the Jewish and Muslim civilians and pillaged mosques and the city itself. It also unleashed violence against Jews in France and Germany.

Second Crusade: The Crusaders slaughtered the Jewish population of the Rhineland.

Third Crusade: King Richard of England murdered 3,000 Muslims including women and children after capturing Acre.

Fourth Crusade: The Crusaders sacked the Christian city of Constantinople in 1204 for three days, during which many Roman and Greek works were destroyed. The magnificent Library of Constantinople was destroyed and the Crusaders ruthlessly destroyed the city's churches and monasteries.

This is the tip of the Bible legacy of the sword which continued through colonialism and up to today.

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When Ferdinand V invited the Muslim king to surrender, Musa sent a biting reply, stating: ‘If the Christian king wishes to take our weapons, let him come and win them, but let him win them dearly. For my part, sweeter were a grave beneath the walls of Granada, on the spot I had died to defend, than the richest couch within her palaces, earned by submission to the disbeliever.’

Musa headed the cavalry and led it several times to neighbouring Christian forts to counter Ferdinand’s attacks. All the Muslim forts around fell and the Christians besieged Granada for seven severe months. Musa kept up the spirits of the suffering defenders, willing everyone to fight to the death. King Abu Abdullah and his council eventually agreed to surrender the last Muslim hold on Spain. Musa warned them the Christians would violate the treaty, wore his armour and rode out alone.

Christian sources record that 15 Christian cavaliers that night came upon a Muslim knight whose horse matched Musa’s. The Muslim fought with no care for himself. He was wounded together with his horse and at length flung himself into a river to escape capture.

Such was the glorious end of a warrior of Islam. As for those who surrendered, they suffered torture at the hands of the Christians and Muslims never again ruled in Spain.

There are great rewards for having good character and severe warnings for abandoning it: Defense.

Whoever defends a brother (Muslim) who is being reviled, Allah will defend him and aid him in this world and the hereafter. Whoever refrains from defending a Muslim who is being reviled while having the ability to defend, Allah will apprehend him in this world and the hereafter. (Sharhus Sunnah) Faults. Whoever observes a fault of another and conceals that fault (not advertising it), is (in reward) like one who has saved the life of a girl who was being buried alive. (Ahmad) Hunger. He is not a perfect Muslim who eats while his neighbor remains hungry. (Baihaqi) Needs. He who fulfills a need of a person in order to give him pleasure, has given me (the Prophet ) pleasure; whoever has given me pleasure has given Allah pleasure; whoever has given pleasure to Allah, He will give him Paradise. (Baihaqi) Seventy three acts of pardon are recorded for a person who aids a man in difficulty. Of these (73 pardons) one is sufficient for the rectification of all his affairs. The other 72 will serve as means for the acquisition of lofty stages in the hereafter. (Baihaqi) Whenever a Muslim visits a sick brother (Muslim) or merely goes to meet a brother, then Allah says: ‘You are holy, your walking is holy, you have arranged your abode in Paradise.’ (Tirmizi) Hayaatul Muslimeen, pg 89-91

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BIOGRAPHY / SOCIAL

Not much is known about the life of this hero of Islam in its last days in Spain. He was a knight from a royal lineage. He reproached the Muslim king of Granada Abu Abdullah Muhammad in 1489 for his submission to the Christians and strove to rekindle the spirit of Jihad among the Muslims in Spain.

HISTORY / MUSLIM INFLUENCE

Muslims in Sri Lanka are 10% of the population or around 2 million. The Muslim community is divided into three main ethnic groups: Sri Lankan Moors (92%), Indians, and Malays (5%) with small numbers of Sinhalese converts. With the arrival of Arab traders in the 8th century, Islam began to flourish in Sri Lanka.

The first Muslims were Arab merchants and their native wives, whom they married after converting to Islam. By the 15th century, Arab traders controlled much of the trade on the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka's. Many of them settled there spreading Islam. Their descendants are the Moors. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Javanese and Malaysian Muslims were bought over by the Dutch and British as soldiers or political prisoners. Their descendants are Malays. Muslims from India arrived during the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department handles Muslim affairs. There are 5,000 Musjids, 749 Muslim schools, 205 Madrresas and an Islamic university.

A hand cannon is an early form of firearm. It is possibly the oldest type of portable firearm.

It is a forerunner of the handgun as well as muskets and later rifles. While the exact origins are unknown, it is known that hand cannons were used in the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260 by Muslim forces against the Mongols.

The gunpowder formulae were almost identical with the ideal composition for explosive gunpowder.

The hand cannon was widely used until the 1520s in Europe and Asia. The earliest surviving documentary evidence for the use of hand cannons are from several Arabic manuscripts dated to the 14th century.

The hand cannon was followed by the musket.

Here too, Muslims played an important role with the Chinese adopting the Ottoman kneeling position in firing. Muslim Mughals introduced muskets to India in 1519. The guns came into wide use by not only the Indian Mughal Empires but also by Rival South Indian kingdoms.

DECEMBER 2: Mufti Zubair Bayat. Juma at Musjid Mumineen, Uitenhage. Ladies program 35 Selago Cres. 3-4pm 3: Darul Uloom Old Students’ Reunion after Maghrib | 3: Musjid Qudama Souk. Sports Centre, Uth 4: Darul Uloom Jalsa 10am-Zuhr. Lunch for all. Guest speaker: Mufti Zubair Bayat 6,7,8 & 13,14,15 Marriage Seminar Musjid Taqwa. Speakers: Mufti Siraj Desai, Sheikh Shamil Panday 8: Moulana Moosa Leher of Cii. Midnight Express at Azhar school. 8-9:30pm 9: Juma at Musjid Taqwa Talk at Musjid Mumineen, Uth after Maghrib | Motherwell Musjid Dawah Program. 9: Moulana Mustaqeem Swapi after Maghrib | 10: Sheikh Imaan Nakhoma after Fajr | Guest speaker after Maghrib | 11: Moulana Muhsin Mbotoli before Zuhr | 9-11: Youth Camp at Pier Street Musjid | 10-14: Darul Ihsan Youth Camp at Kwantu | 24-26: PE Ijtima. 163 Durban Road, Korsten Get more updates from our website: www.islamicfocus.co.za

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FINAL FOCUS

TEQDAS, a local South African app development company, has launched an app for Blackberry phones called Islamic Way. It is designed for use by South African Muslims.

Features Users can search for the contact details and directions to the nearest Masaajid to their current location. The app uses GPS but can also triangulate your position between cellphone towers even if your phone doesn’t have GPS. In addition to this, users can search through an extensive database containing the details of hundreds of Halaal bakeries, butcheries and restaurants. These searches can be filtered by name, address, suburb or simply by what’s near a user’s current location.

A new feature added is the Salaat time calculator that gives daily prayer times based on the user’s position as well as the option to save these times as an alarm.

TEQDAS is planning to add additional features to the app over the next few months. The TEQDAS team are already testing a number of new features, including a Zakaat calculator and a number of ‘Live Community’ features that will send news, events and other religious communication straight to your Blackberry Device.

It is designed to run on Blackberry devices with OS 5 and above.

It is currently available for download on Blackberry App World. There is a free trial version and an option to purchase the full version.

Zenkai journeyed to Edo and became the retainer of a high official. He fell in love with the official’s wife and was discovered. In selfdefense, he slew the official. Then he ran away with the wife.

Both later became thieves. But the woman was so greedy that Zenkai grew disgusted. Finally, leaving her, he journeyed far away and became a wandering mendicant. To atone for his past, Zenkai resolved to accomplish some good deed in his lifetime. Knowing of a dangerous road over a cliff that had caused the death and injury of many persons, he resolved to cut a tunnel through the mountain there.

Begging food in the daytime, Zenkai worked at night digging his tunnel for 30 years. Two years before the work was completed, the son of the official he had slain found Zenkai out and came to kill him in revenge. ‘I will give you my life willingly,’ said Zenkai. ‘Only let me finish this work. On the day it is completed, you may kill me.’ So the son awaited the day.

Several months passed and Zenkai kept on digging. The son grew tired of doing nothing and began to help with the digging. After he had helped for more than a year, he came to admire Zenkai’s strong will and character. At last the tunnel was completed and the people could use it and travel in safety.

‘Now cut off my head,’ said Zenkai. ‘My work is done.’ ‘How can I cut off my own teacher’s head?’ asked the younger man with tears in his eyes.

We are the slaves of those who teach us Islam and should show them utmost respect.

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