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P8 Parents
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P7 Pot of Coffee
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P4 Empty Churches
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P3 Imam’s Salary
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Al Fidaa Foundation, a registered NPO, PBO and BEE organization, is making strides in empowering the impoverished in South Africa’s poorest province. HOLISTIC APPROACH The method employed aims to feed souls as well as bodies and starts at the grassroots level with around 190 pupils being given basic Islamic education at Maktabs. They are also given a nutritious meal in the form of sandwiches daily. This is extended to schools where well over 100,000 meals are fed a month to needy students. Stationery, uniforms and fees are sponsored while computers are donated. Food tunnels are established to provide additional income to schools. SKILLS EMPOWERMENT The next step involves the
Islamic Focus
Issue 98
Igniting the Spirit of Islam
setting up of the first skills centre in the Eastern Cape by Muslims. Situated in Kempston Road, it is unique in the fact that matriculants without jobs are picked up, attend classes, are given a light lunch and dropped back home. The skills centre has a state -of-the-art sewing course with sewing and embroidery machines able to handle 10 students at a time. The computer lab will provide PC skills to 30 students at a time. Participants are taken for a one-day Dawah course at the Islam Awareness Centre. SETA accreditation for the courses provided is in the pipeline. Other skills training provided includes welding, plumbing, nursing, counseling courses, business studies, PC technicians course and security guard training.
Feb 2012
SAVING SOULS The Al Fidaa counseling services is also located at the skills centre. Separate professional counseling for men and women for depression, marital abuse, aids and drugs among others is conducted at the centre. Al Fidaa’s reach is felt at Maktabs, schools, old age homes, hospitals and the poorest communities. Zakaat distribution also features largely in regular activities. The smooth running of the organization is overseen by a team of dedicated volunteers and workers. Every cent is accounted for via an efficient account-keeping system and financials are available to the public. Get the full story & pics on our website
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WORLD NEWS
BELGIUM - An Imam was killed in an arson attack on a Shia mosque in Brussels. (BBC, 12 Mar) AFGHANISTAN - US soldier kills 16 civilians and wounds others after entering their homes. Among the dead were children. (BBC, 11 Mar) FRANCE - President Sarkozy said he wants to limit foreigners. This is ripe coming from the son of a Hungarian father, a mother of Greek Jewish origin, whose second wife was the daughter of a Moldovan father and whose current wife is Italian born. In the run-up to elections, he also made a campaign against Halaal meat a major issue. (Guardian, 11
Mar) SOMALIA - Al-Shabab fighters ambushed an Ethiopian occupation base in Somalia killing 73 Ethiopian soldiers. (BBC, 11 Mar) PALESTINE - Jews pounded Gaza for three days killing 20 Palestinians including children. Palestinian fighters fired 140 rockets into Jewish-occupied areas injuring 4. (BBC, 12 Mar) LIBYA - Thousands rallied against moves by leaders in the east to create a semi-autonomous, oil-rich territory called Cyrenaica. (BBC, 11 Mar) PAKISTAN - Government banned the country’s largest Islamist group Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat. The group, formerly known as Sipah-e-Sahaba or soldiers of the Sahaba, defended Sunnis against militant Shias in Pakistan. (BBC, 11 Mar) EGYPT - Local premier soccer league called off after 74 people were killed in Feb riots at a match. (BBC,
10 Mar) YEMEN - US airstrikes targeted Al Qaeda positions in the south. Islamists have established an Islamic state in areas they hold in the south. (BBC, 10 Mar) PAKISTAN - Pakistan charges Osama bin Laden’s three widows with illegally entering the country.
(BBC, 11 Mar) THAILAND - 4 Thai soldiers killed in an attack in Narathiwat province, one of three provinces where Muslims are fighting for independence. Thailand anIslamic Focus
nexed the Muslim-majority provinces in 1902. (BBC,
8 Mar) TURKEY - 11 workers died after fire swept through a tent at a building site in Istanbul. (BBC, 12 Mar) YEMEN - US drone strikes killed 64 people in the south in three days. (PressTV, 12 Mar) SYRIA - 47 people, including women and children, killed in an attack by pro-government militia in Homs. Homs has been under siege for weeks with government forces pounding rebel areas. More than 8,000 people have been massacred by the Alawi regime since protests erupted last year. (BBC, 12 Mar) AFGHANISTAN - An avalanche killed 45 people and buried 15 houses in Nuristan. Earlier this month more than 50 people lost their lives in another avalanche in Badakhshan. (PressTV, 11 Mar) AFGHANISTAN - Protests raged across Afghanistan over the burning of copies of the Quran at a NATO military base by foreign troops. 23 people were killed in the protest including two US soldiers. (Darul
Ihsan, 27 Feb) MALAYSIA - Officials ordered book shops to stop selling a sex education book by British author Peter Mayle. It is banned from sale pending a review. It will be banned completely if it is proven to contain elements harmful to public morals and which corrupt people's minds. (BBC, 21 Feb) BANGLADESH - Conservationists urged government to take immediate steps to protect endangered Olive Ridley turtles after 25 washed up dead. There are five main species of turtle and all are currently found within Bangladesh's maritime boundaries.
(BBC, 21 Feb) SOUTH SUDAN - 100 killed and 200 injured in the latest of a series of ethnic clashes and cattle raids. Cattle raids and revenge attacks have killed thousands since independence in 2011. (BBC, 12 Mar) BANGLADESH - 100,000 opposition supporters took part in a mass rally calling for government to step down. (BBC, 12 Mar)
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Judaism. Rabbis came out on top, with an average annual haul of $140,000 or around R88,000 a month, including a tax-free housing allowance. Christianity. Clerics earn around $40,000 a year or R25,000/month. In bigger churches the average pastor with a flock of more than 2,000 earns $147,000/year. Islam. Imams only make around $30,000 annually and rarely receive a housing stipend. Many hold second jobs. An imam should be assessed by any other normal scale. Many Imams spend an average of 5-6 years studying for the equivalent of a Master’s Degree in Islamic Law. They might give around 80 hours a week, but are paid based on 20. If we need someone to spend 30 -40 hours a week in the Musjid, provide 10-20 hours a week of counseling, and on top of that be constantly on-call for marriages, funerals, and other emergencies, then a pay structure should be built to reflect that. Even the most basic of benefits are generally not provided such as healthcare and reimbursements for education and development. The root of the problem is a lack of respect for our scholars. They are not perfect, but if they don’t guide us, who will? Our responsibility is to help them grow, because the more that they grow, the better equipped they are to lead our communities.
How many times have you told your kids to change their clothes/brush their teeth/do their homework? For most of us, this is a normal part of life. We ask, and ask, and ask, and if we are lucky, our kids cooperate after the fourth request or after a loud scolding. We complain our kids never listen to us. We shouldn't worry they never listen to us. Instead we should worry that they are always watching us. While we are yelling at them; while we argue with our spouses; while we curse at drivers; and while we chat on the phone, they are watching. Kids watch very move, even when they don't listen to a word. When we yell at them to pick up a toy, we’ve taught them how to get someone to listen to us. When we kick toys out of the way, we are showing them how to display anger. It is impossible to handle every situation to teach kids lessons. We want our kids to learn they don't have to yell to be heard. So, the next time you ask your son to do something, figure out a way to get him to hear you. Ask him to look at you. Do anything but yell or scream. If we make an effort to remember children are watching us, it will keep us in check. We will mind our manners, we will speak more soothingly, and ultimately we will see that, by our kids watching us, we are beginning to behave the way we want them to behave. Then they will model themselves on us. It’s a cycle that trains parents and their children towards better behavior and emotional restraint. In the end, everyone wins.
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SOCIAL / FAMILY
Here are some points from studies on how much Imam’s earn in the USA. Many of these points are applicable in South Africa as well:
COMPARITIVE / ISLAM
One of the differences between Sunnis and Shias is based on what is accepted as authentic collections of hadith. Sunnis rigorously applied strict scrutiny of the chains of narrations for hadith, as well as the transmitters of these hadith. Six books are accepted as canonical works: Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nasai and Ibn Majah. The Shia were extremely lax in this regard. There are four canonical works among Shia: Al Kafi, Sharh man la Yadhurhu al Faqih, Tahdib al Ahkam and Istibsar. A critical examination of Al Kafi reveals these defects: 1. There are numerous chains of transmission in which transmitters have not been named. 2. There are defective chains of transmission where transmitters are missing. 3. There are transmitters who are unknown. 4. Daeef (weak) traditions are narrated. 5. Narrations are transmitted from those considered liars. (e.g. 8:190) 6. There are disputed chains where the manuscripts are at variance. 7. Transmitters referred to with wrong parentage. 8. There are technical defects in the text of certain traditions. Al Maqamani says with regards to Istibsar and Tahdib al Ahkam (the other canonical books) that in most chains of transmission there are defects and doubts. Out of the 13,365 narrators of Shia Hadith, 10,326 have been declared unknown and weak. Very few of the remainder can be unreservedly trusted.
Muslims in Europe are increasingly converting empty churches into mosques. This reflects the rise of Islam as the fastest growing religion in Christian Europe. There are now more practicing Muslims than practicing Christians in many parts of Europe. As Islam replaces Christianity as the dominant religion in Europe, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, empty due to lack of congregants, are being sold to Muslims and converted to mosques. In Germany, 400 Roman Catholic and 100 Protestant churches have closed since 2000. Another 700 are slated to close in the next few years. In France, mosques are being built more often than Roman Catholic Churches. The total number of mosques in France has doubled to more than 2,000 in the past ten years. By contrast, the Roman Catholic Church in France has built only 20 new churches in the last decade and has formally closed more than 60. Of France’s 41.6 million Roman Catholics, only 4.5% or 1.9 million are actually practicing, while 41% of Muslims or 2.5 million are practicing. In Britain, Islam has overtaken Anglicanism as the dominant religion as more people attend mosques than the Church of England. 930,000 Muslims attend a place of worship at least once a week while only 916,000 Anglicans do. 10,000 churches have been closed in Britain since 1960. While European governments strive increasingly to repress Islam and claim their countries are Christian, the facts on the ground speak otherwise. Adapted from article by Soeren Kern
The Authenticity of Hadith, Dr K Mahmud, Pg180-8
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From various Ulama
www.shafiifiqh.com Q: I reverted to Islam a year ago but am not sure as to what is appropriate with my non Muslim family members. Do I have to wear hijab in front of my half brothers (my father's sons from his previous marriage)? What about my non Muslim uncles? A: You are not required to wear hijab in front of your non-Muslim relatives provided that: 1. They are unmarriageable kin, such as your father, grandfather, brothers, half-brothers, nephews, and uncles (by blood). 2. And they are morally upright. However, you are required to observe hijab around cousins, whether they're related to you through blood or marriage. And hijab is also a requirement around uncles who are related by marriage, i.e., the husbands of your aunts.
derstand that the question is on the topic of lifting one’s hands shoulder level while transitioning between the prayer’s different postures, for example while coming up from ruku or while going into ruku. The ruling on this in the Shafi Mathab is that it is sunnah. This is based on the hadith found in Bukhari 1:188 that Ibn Umar would, ‘when he entered the prayer make takbir and raise his hands, and when he would make ruku he would raise his hands, and when he would say, ‘samia Allahu liman hamidahu’ he would raise his hands; and Ibn Umar ascribed this practice to the Prophet .’ Raf alyadayn is made for the first takbir, while going into ruku, coming up from ruku and also after standing up after the first tashahhud. Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept
Answer by: Ustadha Zaynab Ansari
Q: I heard that in the Shafi Mathab it is haram for Muslims who know Arabic to speak in any language other than Arabic when they are amongst each other. Is this correct? A: It is not haram in the Shafii Mathab, nor in any school to speak in a language other than Arabic if one knows Arabic. As Allah said in the Quran, He has created us in tribes and nations so that we may know one another, not so that we can all be Arabized. Answer by: Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Q: Please clarify the issue of raf al-yadayn (raising the hands)? A: By raf al-yadyan, we unIslamic Focus
Q: Is it halal to keep and buy and sell cats? A: In his Fatawa 4:240, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami discussed some details which pertain to owning and buying or selling a cat. Firstly, it is recommended to raise and breed them. And secondly, he mentioned that it is permissible to buy or sell a domesticated cat, but not a wild one. Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept
Q: I read it is recommended to delay Esha for women. If true then at what time does Esha end? A: The best time in which the Esha prayer is performed is the first of its time. The preferred time lasts up to onethird of the night; and in another view half. The merely
permissible time lasts up to morning (dawn). (Rawdat alTalibin 1:182; Sharh alMuhadhdhab 3:39-40) Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept
Q: In tashahhud does one shake the finger for kalima or not? A: In Tuhfat al-Muhtaj 2:80, it is stated that one raises the finger at the hamzah (beginning) of the phrase Illallah in the tashahhud and does not put in down until the end of the tashahhud. Ibn Hajar said that one not put it down until the end of the tashahhud. In al-Minhaj al-Qawim he mentioned until the salam. It is also stated in Nihayat al-Muhtaj, that one keep it raised until standing from the first tashahhud or until completing the salam in the last. The raising of the finger signifies, in word and deed, one’s testimony to Allah’s Oneness. Additionally, one does not shake the finger back and forth; in fact, it is disliked. Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept
Q: How many Rakaats sunnah does one perform before Zuhr Fardh? A: There are 2 established Rakaats before Zuhr from the 10 rawatib that should accompany the 5 daily prayers. These first 2 are emphasized (sunnah muakkadah; and one may add 2 more if one wants and they are encouraged (sunnah). (Nihayat al-Muhtaj 2:108, 110) If one does pray the 4 before Zuhr, then making a salaam between them is sunnah. (Sharh alMuhadhdhab 4:10) 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: If you extend credit when you sell merchandise, is your whole debtor’s book zakatable? Obviously there’s a chance of default from certain debtors. What’s the ruling on this? A: Zakat becomes compulsory according to one’s financial condition. If one has the nisab (minimum) amount of zakatable assets after deducting the liabilities then zakat is compulsory. Debt receivables are treated as one’s potential wealth and regarded as a strong debt as one is certain of receiving payment of such a debt. Zakat on strong debts is governed by the following laws: a. At the time of calculating zakat if the debt is not received then zakat is not obligatory on that debt. b. Once the payment of the debts is one-fifth or more of the nisab then zakat becomes due on that amount received. The zakat will be calculated for the present year as well as the previous years. c. If someone receives the complete debt in a lump sum, then zakat will be paid on the whole amount for that year and the previous years. d. It is permissible to discharge zakat on debt receivables before the zakat becomes due on it. In essence, if one pays 2.5% on the debt receivable every year before receiving payments, then one would not have to pay zakat for the past years upon receiving payments. e. If the credit extended becomes a bad debt (i.e. there is no hope of receiving it) then there is no zakat wajib on such debt. Islamic Focus
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Q: Does a remarried divorcee have a right over her children from the previous marriage? The former husband claims that she waived her custodial rights by remarrying and that the boys will remain with him. A: According to the Hanafis, the right to the custody of the girl from the age of 10 and the boy from the age of 8 is that of the father. If the father is not capable in terms of Islamic law to have custody of the children then the right to custody passes on to other paternal family members. According to some Mathabs, the child will have a choice at the age of puberty as to who he/she wishes to stay with. Answer by: Mufti M Mangera & Mufti S Jakhura
Q: Is there any Hadith indicating the wife’s right to stay in a separate house with the husband and not that of her in-laws? A: 1. In principle, it is necessary to provide residence/ shelter for ones wife. 2. It is necessary for one to provide a completely separate home for one’s wife, if both the spouses can afford to do so. 3. It is necessary for one to at least provide a completely separate room for one’s wife, if one cannot afford to provide a separate home for one’s wife. 4. The room may be in the home of one’s inlaws as long as one’s in-laws do not have free unhindered access to the room, no laws of Islam are violated and one’s wife is not harmed by staying in her in-law’s home.
6. There is no mention in the Hadith regarding the issue in question. However, the rulings of the jurists serve as sufficient basis for the mentioned injunctions. 7. Mutual understanding between the spouses should be employed when dealing with such sensitive issues. Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Q: Can one sew a flag to the ihram cloth? A: It is best that the ihram should be plain without any stickers or stitches. However, the sticker will not affect the validity of the Ihram. Answer by: Mufti M Mangera & Mufti S Jakhura
Q: Is it permissible to marry the daughter of my cousin who was breastfed by my grandmother in addition to myself? A: The relationship between you and your cousin is that of foster brother and sister, since your grandmother is also your foster mother. It is not permissible for one to marry the daughter of one’s foster sister. This ruling will not differ whether the daughter of one’s foster sister was suckled by one’s foster mother or not. Q: Can one use products such as soap or leather of animals that were not slaughtered Islamically? A: Soap made from animal fat is permissible. Leather is made by tanning animal rawhide and skin. The hide is then considered pure and permissible to use. Leather made from any animal other than pig is permissible.
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resources on Aafia Siddique, Muslim lady
A group of alumni, all highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
illegally held by USA www.muwatta.com - Maliki resources www.muslimyouthservices.ca - Cal-
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Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive and some exquisite. He told them to help themselves to the coffee.
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After all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: ‘If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
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Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it’s just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and then began eyeing each other’s cups. Now consider this: life is the coffee, and the jobs, houses, cars, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee Allah has provided for us. Enjoy your coffee!’
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INTERNET / INSPIRATION
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CURRRENT AFFAIRS / QURAAN
If one of them (your parents), or both of them attain old age, do not even tell them ‘oof!’ (or anything else that may cause them hurt) and do not rebuke them (even though they may be at fault). (Always) Speak gently to them (Never raise your voice when speaking to them. Speak with respect and never speak harshly to them). Lower for them the wings of humility (always be humble and softhearted towards them) out of compassion (meekness) … (Quraan) Good Treatment. Mujaahid rahimahullah said, in the explanation of this verse, that when parents become aged, you should not complain over washing their urine and excreta, as they washed it when you were a baby. Hasan said the lowest degree of disrespect was, ‘To deprive them of the benefit of your property and wealth, to avoid seeing them and to look at them harshly.’ Angry Looks. Urwah rahimahullah was asked what is meant when the Quraan says, ‘lower unto them’? He replied if and when they speak to you unpleasantly, do not look at them angrily. ‘Whoever looks at his father angrily, he is being disobedient.’ (Hadith) Doors of Paradise. Ibne Abbas said that two doors of Paradise will remain open for every Muslim whose parents are alive and he serves them well, while if he keeps them unhappy, Allah will not be pleased with him until they are pleased with him. Someone asked, ‘What if they are cruel?’ Ibne Abbas replied, ‘Then too you must remain good to them.’
Some tips on making your dua effective: 1. Praise Allah. The Prophet told a man who had made dua without praising Allah: ‘You have been too hasty, O worshipper. When you have prayed and are sitting, praise Allah as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then call upon Him.’ 2. Blessings on the Prophet . ‘Every dua is kept back until you send blessings upon the Prophet .’ (Tabarani in al-Awsat, 1/220) 3. Facing Qiblah. On the day of Badr, the Prophet turned to face the qiblah, then made dua. 4. Having Faith. ‘Call upon Allah when you are certain of a response, and remember that Allah will not answer a dua that comes from a negligent and heedless heart.’ 5. Raising the hands. ‘Your Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, is Kind and Most Generous, and He is too kind to let His slave, if he raises his hands to Him, bring them back empty.’ 6. Asking frequently. ‘The slave will receive a response so long as his dua does not involve sin or severing of family ties, and so long as he is not hasty.’ It was said, ‘What does being hasty mean?’ He said: ‘When he says, ‘I made dua and I made dua, and I have not seen any response,’ and he gets frustrated and stops making dua.’ (Bukahari, 6340) From: dailyreminders.org
From: Maintaining Family Ties by Sheikh Zakariyya rahimahullah
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He completed Grade 6, and for 2 years pursued Islamic studies in Makkah under Sheikh Abdurahman al-Alawi al-Maliki. Upon his return he continued studies under Sheikh Abdullah Gamieldien and Sheikh Ismail Ganief. Imam Haroon extended his services to the poor and began to teach. He was influenced by the ideas of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 1955 he was appointed Imam of Al-Jamia Mosque in Claremont. He established the Claremont Muslim Youth Association in 1958 and began to publish a monthly bulletin, the Islamic Mirror. He also established a monthly newspaper, the Muslim News (1960-1986) and was its editor. He took a strong stance against Apartheid and spoke against the barbaric racial laws and urged Muslims to support the Africans. The Imam helped families of those killed or imprisoned by the Apartheid government. In 1968 he went to Makkah where he met the Saudi Minister of Education and King Faisal. In Egypt he met with PAC members. He also went to UK and Holland. In 1969 the Imam was detained by the notorious Security Branch and was held for four months without the opportunity to see his wife and three children. He was tortured and murdered by the Apartheid police in 1969.
10 horses the Prophet owned: 1. Sakb, which he rode in Uhud; and he had a blaze, white legs and unmarked on two legs. 2. Murtajiz, that which Khuzaymah ibn Thabit bore witness for. 3. Lizaaz, presented to him by Muqawqis the ruler of Egypt. 4. Lahif, presented to him by Rabiah ibn Abi Bara’a. 5. Zarib, presented to him by Farwah alJudhami. 6. Ward, gifted to him by Tamim al-Dari . 7. Dars. 8. Mulawih. 9. Sab’hah, which participated in a race and this horse won the race; the Prophet was pleased by this. 10. Bahr, a horse he purchased from a Yemeni merchant; and thrice won the race; the Prophet wiped his face and said: ‘Truly, you are an ocean’. The Prophet had three mules: Dul-dul gifted by Muqawqis; it was the first mule that was ridden in Islam. Fiddah and Ayliyyah, a gift from the king of Aylah. He also had a donkey name Yafur. As for cattle, it is not reported whether he owned any cows or bullock. He had twenty milch camels in the woods. He had a she-camel named Qaswa. He had another she-camel named Jadaa’a. He had hundreds of sheep. He had an ewe named Ghaythah, and he would drink its milk. He had a white cockerel. From: The Light of Sight, Imam Ibn Sayyid An Naas
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BIOGRAPHY / SUNNAH
Imam Abdullah Haroon (born 1924 in Cape Town, killed 1969) was the youngest in a family of five, and an infant when his mother, Asa Martin, passed away. Since his father, Amarien, was not able to care for him, the latter’s sister, Maryam, reared him. This aunt had an influence upon Imam Haroon and she supported him to pursue his studies until he married Galiema Sadan in 1950.
HISTORY / SOCIAL
There are 4.3 million Muslims in Germany (5.4% of the population). Over 15,000 converts are of German ancestry. Islam is the largest minority religion in the country. The large majority of Muslims in Germany are of Turkish origin (63,2%), followed by smaller groups from Pakistan, former Yugoslavia, Arab countries, Iran and Afghanistan. Muslims first came to Germany as part of the relations between Germany and the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century. 20 Muslim soldiers served under Frederick William I of Prussia, at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1745, Frederick II of Prussia established a unit of Muslims in the Prussian army called the Muslim Riders. In 1760 a Bosniak corps was established with about 1,000 men. In 1798 a Muslim cemetery was established in Berlin. The German section of the World Islamic Congress and the Islam Colloquium, the first German Muslim educational institution for children, were established in 1932. The Islamic Institut Ma’ahad-ul-Islam was founded in 1942. After West Germany invited foreign workers in 1961, the Muslim population sharply rose within 2 decades. There are several Muslim organizations in the country and 2,600 prayer areas of which 200 are Musjids. Many Musjids are being opened in disused churches (500 churches have been closed since 2000). Many of the German federal states have introduced legislation banning head-scarves.
Worried about your child’s education and character? One alternative, depending on circumstances, is home schooling. Here’s a brief look at home schooling:
REASONS 1. Public and/or private education is not as thorough as a parent wishes. 2. Parents wish to remove children from an environment of drugs, alcohol, sexual experimentation, gangs and peer pressure, and to put them back in a healthy, safe and secure environment. 3. Removing children from an environment unfriendly to Islam. BENEFITS 1. Family unity and socialization; 2. Higher child motivation; 3. Positive behavior; 4. Flexibility in choosing teaching methods. 5. The child is comfortable at home; 6. Child feels safe and the brain is open to new ideas instead of self-defense; 7. Child concentrates more on education than other peripherals of a school education like ‘fitting in’, and relationships. Do you homework Doing your homework is key to succeeding, both educationally and emotionally in making this monumental move. Explore your options of budget, time, and facilities. RESOURCES There is information available on every aspect of home schooling. Home schooling is legal in most countries and curriculum can be used which offers recognised certification.
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FOR THE LITTLE ONES
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Find the following words: 1. Hijab 2. Turban 3. Maktab 4. Imam 5. Nikah 6. Arabic 7. Aqsa 8. Madinah 9. Khaibar 10. Khutba
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FINAL FOCUS
The Israeli Apartheid Week 2012, held in 13 South African cities and 11 SA universities, as well as 100 cities in countries like USA, Denmark, Portugal, France and UK, is an annual event begun in 2005 and is extremely successful in highlighting the oppressive system of governance in occupied Palestine.
There once was a farmer who discovered he had lost his watch in the barn. It was no ordinary watch because it had sentimental value for him. After searching high and low among the hay for a long while; he gave up and enlisted the help of a group of children playing outside the barn.
In SA it also brought together Muslims together with a large number of non Muslim politicians, academics, political parties and student organisations in universities among others. Several senior SA politicians have likened Zionist Israel to Apartheid South Africa. These include deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, Blade Nzimande, Zwelinzima Vavi, Winnie Mandela and former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils. Nelson Mandela stated: ‘...our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.’
He promised them that the person who found it would be rewarded.
In 2011, the Russell Tribunal on Palestine found that the Israeli government’s policies meet the legal criteria of a crime against humanity. The Tribunal is headed by 94-year-old Holocaust survivor, Stephane Hessel, one of the drafters of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
So the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn. After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand! The farmer was both happy and surprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest had failed. The farmer asked him what he had done different.
In Port Elizabeth the SACP hosted a night vigil at the Red Location Museum, a debate between Ronnie Kasrils, proposing that Israel was an Apartheid state, and Zionist Chuck Volpe was held at the university and a public rally was held at the Muslim Movement Hall with Ronnie Kasrils the guest speaker. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign was also championed. For more information, visit: www.apartheidweek.org.
The boy replied, ‘I did nothing but sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in that direction.’
Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn, went through and around the entire stack of hay but still could not find the watch. Just when the farmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another chance. The farmer looked at him and thought, ‘Why not? After all, this kid looks sincere enough.’
Moral: A peaceful mind can think better than a worked up mind. Allow a few minutes of silence to your mind every day, and see, how sharply it helps you to set your life the way you expect it to be.
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