Islamic Focus Issue 78

P3 Wars P4 Rain Recipe P7 Peace P9 Butter Chicken P10 Husbands P12 Al Azhar Bukhara Publications/Tel: 078 672 7797/Fax: 086 651 2125 Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com/Korsten/Port Elizabeth

Issue 78

Igniting the Spirit of Islam

Apr 2010

New Zealand got angry Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was assassinated Jan 19, 2010 in a hotel room in Dubai. He was a co-founder of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, the Palestinian liberation movement.

MOSSAD His assassination was ordered by the Israeli government and carried out by Mossad (Israeli secret service) agents holding fraudulently obtained passports from several European countries and Australia. Two Palestinians, former Fatah officers, were arrested for providing logistical assistance to the hit team.

The assassination is the latest in a string of illegal Jewish assassinations going back over the years. Prior to setting up Israel, the forerunners of Mossad and the Israeli army carried out ter-

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ror attacks on the British and Palestinians.

PLANNING Mossad’s current assassination involved fraudulently obtaining credit cards from USbased Payoneer, a financial services firm run by a former officer in an elite IDF unit.

Did the FBI call for an investigation into moneylaundering? Was Obama outraged at the illegal use of the US financial system for murder?

Several countries expressed outrage at the Israeli killing including Australia, Germany and the UK. But this all follows a pattern: In 1987, UK PM Thatcher ordered the closure of the Mossad station in London after the kidnapping of the Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu.

But that did not affect her support for Israel and in due course, normal service resumed.

with Israel in 2004 when two Israeli agents were found to be using New Zealand passports. Diplomatic ties were frozen but were quietly resumed a year or so later after an Israeli apology.

OUTCOME Clearly, this is another open violation of international law

by Israel and the Jews that will go unpunished.

O you who believe! Do not take as intimate friends other than your own people, who spare no pains to ruin you; they love to hamper you...You love them but they do not love you...When they are with you they say: We believe; but when they go apart they bite their fingertips at you out of rage‌ (Quraan 3:118-9) ...And beside Allah there is for you no friend nor helper.

(Quraan 29:22)

...

WORLD NEWS

MALI - 26 killed in a crush at the famous Djinguereber mosque in Timbuktu. (BBC, Feb 26) MALAWI - Muslims are angry with government plans to ban polygamy. The Muslim Association of Malawi said the law would discriminate against the country's Muslims. (BBC, Apr 30) IRELAND - Carrickmacross town council decided to remove a page signed by the Israeli ambassador from its guestbook. (BBC, Mar 2) LIBYA - Pres Gaddafi called for a jihad, or holy war, against Switzerland after a Swiss vote against the building of minarets. He urged Muslims to boycott the country. (BBC, Feb 26) INDIA - 2 dead in Karnataka after violence over an article which challenges the Muslim veil by Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen. (BBC, Mar 2) EGYPT - Supreme court overturns an earlier ruling by a lower court that banned gas sales to Israel.

Egypt's gas trade with Israel is controversial, as many Egyptians are opposed to links between the two countries. (BBC, Feb 27) PALESTINE - Jewish police clash with Palestinian protesters at the al-Aqsa Musjid. (BBC, Feb 28)

election. (BBC, Mar 3) MOROCCO - Morocco expels 20 Christian workers for illegal proselytizing of Muslim children to Christianity. Proselytizing is banned. (BBC, Mar 12) SOMALIA - 3 ships held captive by pirates have been moved after Hizbul-Islam Islamist fighters seized their base in Haradhere. Hizbul-Islam wants Islamic law and to put an end to the pirate trade.

(BBC, May 3) INDONESIA - Police in Aceh shot and killed 2 suspected Islamists. This follows a number of major anti-terrorism raids. (BBC, Mar 12) US - Government recorded a budget deficit of $221bn (R1,547bn) in Feb, the largest monthly deficit in its history. Total deficit since Oct stands at $651.6bn, putting it on track to beat last year's record annual budget deficit of $1.4tn. (BBC, Mar 10) EGYPT - Egyptian scholar Sheikh Tantawi died while on a trip to Saudi Arabia. He was Imam of Azhar Musjid and head of Azhar University. He was buried in Madinah. (BBC, Mar 10)

NIGERIA - More than 100 killed in more MuslimChristian violence in Jos. (BBC, Mar 3)

PALESTINE - Jews publicly showed pride at the illegal killing of Hamas founder Mahmoud Mabouh as well as disregard for the murder. Mabouh was killed

by Israel's secret service, Mossad, in Dubai by Jewish agents using fake passports. (BBC, Mar 10)

IRAQ - Doctors in Falluja are reporting a high level of birth defects, blaming weapons used by the US in 2004. The level of heart defects among newborn babies is 13 times higher than in Europe. Children are born with paralysis or brain damage and one baby was born with three heads. (BBC, Mar 4)

PALESTINE - Israel admits using human shields after charging 2 soldiers with endangering the life of a Palestinian boy during the Jewish offensive in Gaza. The soldiers used the 9-year-old boy as a human shield. Use of civilians as human shields is a war crime. (BBC, Mar 12)

PALESTINE - Hamas banned male hairdressers from working in salons where women get their hair styled. This is part of a campaign as to introduce more Islamic law to the Gaza Strip. (BBC, Mar 4)

USA - Oil from a rig which sank Apr 22 is threatening coastal industries. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida declared a state of emergency.

The Louisiana wetlands host a multi-billion-dollar fishing industry and are a prime spawning area for fish, shrimp, crabs and oysters. (BBC, May 3)

TURKEY - A scale 6 earthquake struck the east, killing 17. (BBC, Mar 8) INGUSHETIA - Leading Islamist freedom fighter, Saeed Buryatsky, killed in Russian raid. (BBC, Mar 6) NIGERIA - Ruling party wants a Muslim from the north as its candidate in next year's presidential

Islamic Focus

PALESTINE - The Gaza Football World Cup features 16 teams mostly made up from players from the amateur Gaza Football League, alongside foreign workers in Gaza from the respective countries.

Teams include Italy, SA, England, France and Palestine. (BBC, May 3)

... 2

HISTORY

Iraq invaded. Think it’s new? Think again.

1917: British troops invade Iraq. The invasion proved to be more costly than anticipated with 40,000 British deaths. TE Lawrence says UK public was tricked into invading Iraq.

2003: US coalition invades Iraq with lies about alleged weapons of mass destruction (never found). What was anticipated to be a short conflict is now in its sixth year.

1917: UK promises Arabs freedom in return for helping fight the Turks, while secretly making an agreement with France to divide and rule the land.

2003: US promises freedom to Iraqis after overthrowing Saddam. Nothing yet after six years.

1921: Pro-British government installed in Iraq.

2005: Pro-US government installed in Iraq.

1920: Rather than welcome them as liberators, Iraqis rebelled against British. UK air force bombs civilians, houses, crops and cattle with mustard gas bombs. 10,000 Iraqis killed.

1990’s: 1,2 million Iraqi children killed under US/ UN sanctions.

2004: Iraqi rebellion against US/UK. Heavy bombardment of civilians. Over 100,000 killed.

1917: UK creates Iraq from 3 provinces pitting Sunni against Shia against Kurd.

2005: Separate areas for Sunni, Shia and Kurds.

1917: UK had oil interests in Iran and a friendly Iraq would help. In 1927, oil discovered in Iraq.

2003: US oil interests threatened by Saddam and Iran.

After initially thinking it would be a walk-over, the British in the 1920’s left Iraq in turmoil with a puppet government. Oil was completely in UK/US control, but at great cost to Iraqis and the British.

The same is happening now.

The First Anglo-Afghan war was fought from 1839-1842. The British suffered their worst defeats here. The same cities are today the scene for more British-US hell. Here’s a brief look at some of the events: On the pretext of supporting Shah Shuja's in reclaiming his throne the British invaded Afghanistan in 1839. Shuja's rule depended entirely on UK arms and funds to suppress rebellion. They took Kandahar in April 1839. Ghazni was captured with the help of traitors. Shuja could only be maintained with the presence of more British forces. As the occupation dragged on, UK soldiers brought their families, setting up a permanent occupation. This infuriated the Afghans who took up arms in 1841.

The British situation soon deteriorated when Afghans stormed Kabul. British commanders tried to negotiate with Afghan freedom fighters while secretly plotting against them. The British withdrew from Kabul. They were attacked

by Ghilzai warriors and less than 40 of the 16,000 reached the besieged garrison at Jalalabad. The survivors only included one Briton, Dr. William Brydon. Along with the attacks on Kabul, Afghan forces also attacked the British in Kandahar, Jalalabad and Ghazni. By 1842 the British retreated from Afghanistan pillaging the country and demolishing Kabul’s main bazaar out of spite.

Lady Butler's famous painting of Dr. William Brydon gasping his way to Jalalabad, helped make Afghanistan's reputation as a graveyard for foreign armies, a lesson America is learning the hard way today.

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SOCIAL / INSPIRATION

1. Play. Every game a person plays is futile and worthless except for archery, training one’s horse and playing with one’s wife as these are from righteousness. (Tirmidhi) 2. Loving Glances. When a husband casts a glance at his wife and the wife at him, Allah Almighty looks at them with mercy and sympathy. And when the husband holds his wife’s hand with affection, both of their sins start falling off from between their fingers. (Kanzul Ummal) 3. Money. Indeed Allah Almighty loves to see a person play with his wife and because of it, ordains for them a great reward and provides for them Halal (lawful) sustenance. (Kanzul Ummal) 4. Food. … A Believer is rewarded under all circumstances to such an extent that he is even rewarded for that morsel which he raises to his wife’s mouth (to feed). (Shuabul Imaan) 5. Amusement. Aisha says, ‘By Allah, I have seen the Prophet standing by the door of my room hiding me with his blanket, while the Abyssinians were playing with spears, so that I may watch their play from in between his ears and shoulders. And just for my sake, he stood there until I was the one who moved from there. Just imagine how long a young girl who is playing would have stood.’ (Bukhari) 6. Child. A person should be like a child while with his family, but when an important matter comes up, he should be a man. (Umar , quoted in Kanzul Ummal)

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A teacher from primary school asks her students to write a essay about what they would like God to do for them.

At the end of the day while marking the essays, she read one that made her very emotional. Her husband, thatwho had just walked in, saw her crying and asked: ‘What happened?’ She answered: ‘Read this. It's one of my students essays:’ Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special: Make me into a television. I want to take its place. Live like the TV in my house.

Have my own special place, And have my family around ME. To be taken seriously when I talk. I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions. I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives when it is not working. Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me. And I want my brothers to fight to be with me. I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me. And last but not least make it that I can make them all happy and entertain them. Lord I don't ask you for much. I just want to live like every TV. The husband said: ‘Poor kid. What horrible parents!’ She looked at him and said: 'That essay is our son's!’

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Q: When does the waiting period (iddat) of a divorce end: on the first day of the following period of purity or on the first day of the menstruation that follows three periods of purity?

A: The waiting period of a woman who menstruates ends with the start of her third menstruation. As soon as a woman in waiting sees menstrual blood after her third period of purity, her waiting period is over.

Q: If a woman does not have children, does her former husband have to support her after the waiting-period (iddat) ends after 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 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 father, whether he is with their mother or not.

Q: Is it permissible to pray with a mirror in front of us, or even in the same room, or do we have to cover it?

A: It is offensive (makrooh) to pray on or towards anything that is distracting, such as something striped or a person who is facing one. A mirror is similar. As for praying with a mirror in the room, I have not seen our imams mention this. A reflection is not considered a picture of animate life, so it

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would not appear to be a problem.

And Allah Knows Best Q: How does one calculate the earliest time for Esha Salaah? Is it 50 minutes after sunset?

A: Esha time enters when the red twilight disappears from the sky. This varies from place to place and from season to season, and is not fixed to 50 minutes. Prayer timetables generally calculate Esha according to the disappearance of the white twilight, which is later than the disappearance of the red.

If one prays Esha according to the prayer timetable, this is fine.

Q: Is it obligatory to return someone's greeting if he does not say ‘Assalaamu alaikum’ (peace be upon you), but something else such as the greeting, ‘May Allah give you a good morning’ (in Arabic, for example)?

A: It is not obligatory to return any greeting except the greeting of peace (Salaam).

However, it is good to return a supplication to someone who says this to one, such as, ‘And may Allah give you a good morning, too.’ Ibn Hajar says in the Tuhfa, ‘One who says, ‘may Allah give you a good morning’ or one who says, ‘may Allah strengthen you’, does not make it obligatory for the one greeted to respond.

However, replying to him with a similar supplication is good, unless one does not reply to him because he intends to reprove him for

leaving the sunnah of greeting with Salaam.’

Q: I was on a journey which Islamically allowed the shortening of Salaah with a group of Muslims.

We stopped to pray Maghrib and Esha during the beginning of Esha's time. The imam shortened his Esha to two rakaats.

We ended the journey before Fajr. If one will finish his journey before the Fajr prayer, should one shorten his Esha or pray the full four rakaats?

A: It is fine to shorten your prayer so long as you remain a traveler while you are praying it, even if you expect to arrive at your destination before that prayer’s time exits. Only if you arrive at your destination in the middle of your prayer must you complete the full four cycles (rakaats).

Q: Is sea and river water purifying (i.e. able to be used in Wudhu, etc)?

A: Both sea water and river water are purifying, meaning it is valid to use them to lift ritual impurity (through wudhu or ghusl) and also valid to use them to remove filth. In brief, water as it comes from nature is purifying, no matter what quality it may have. It ceases to become purifying when 1. it is used to remove ritual impurity or remove filth, or 2. when it changes through admixture with something pure such that it is no longer termed water, or 3. when it is affected by filth.

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

SHAFI Q & A

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

HANAFI Q & A From various Ulama

www.askimam.org | www.askmufti.co.za | www.councilofulama.co.za Q: My father in law passed away 20 years ago and my mother-in-law remarried and her second husband also died. Is it permissible to bury my mother-in-law in the same grave as my fatherin-law? (my mother-inlaw's first husband) A. It is permissible to bury one person in the grave of another only if it is certain that the body of the first deceased has disintegrated and become sand. After 20 years it is possible that this has happened; hence it will be permissible to bury your mother-in-law in her husband’s grave.

Answer by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Q: I hold a post where I have to check the teachers are going on time. If not I have to inform higher management. Is it Gheebat (backbiting)?

A: It is permissible for you to inform management about the times of the teachers.

The task of informing the management about the times of the teachers has been entrusted to you; not doing so will be breach of trust. When Gheebat is done in order to rectify some evil and the matter is discussed with a person who is in position to rectify that evil then it will be permissible. (Riyadus Saliheen Pg 538) Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: If the Imaam gets stuck while reciting qiraat in Salaah and he had recited the required waajib amount of qiraat already should he go into ruku or should he jump to another

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verse in order to complete the recommended (mustahab) amount of qiraat?

A: The preferred view is that he should jump to another verse in order to complete the mustahab qiraat. (Fatwa Raheemiya) Answer by: Council of Ulama EC

Q: Did the Prophet consume seafood?

A: It is recorded that the Prophet partook of a type of huge fish that Allah made available to the Sahabah when they went out on an expedition. (Sahih alBukhari) This means he did consume seafood.

Answer by: Jamiatul Ulama KZN

Q: Is the making of wedding cakes permissible?

A: Weddings are occasions of happiness and joy. To bake a cake on this occasion out of happiness is permissible.

However, the trends of the non-Muslims in baking the cake should be avoided e.g., adding candles, figurines, dolls etc.

Answer by: Jamiatul Ulama KZN

Q: Is it permissible to make novelty cakes e.g. in the shape of a car or a Barbie doll cake?

A: It is permissible on condition that it is not given the shape of an animate object.

Thus, making a cake in the shape of a doll is not permissible.

Answer by: Jamiatul Ulama KZN

Q. Is it permissible to do male circumcision with a laser? They say it is more comfortable in adulthood.

A: Yes, it is permissible to do circumcision by means of a

laser and the Sunnah of circumcision will be fulfilled.

And Allah Knows Best Answer by: Mufti Suhail Tarmahomed

Q: Could you elaborate for me the saying that ‘Every child is born a Muslim’?

A: Allah, after creating Adam , addressed the souls of man: ‘(Recall) when your Lord brought forth their progeny from the loins of the children of Adam, and made them testify about themselves (by asking them,) ‘Am I not your Lord? They said, Of course, You are. We testify.’ (Quraan 7:172) In accordance with this, the Prophet stated: ‘Every child is born with the belief of Allah (as God). It is then the influence of the parents that make him a Jew, Christian or Magus.’ (Bukhari) Hence, every child is born after having acknowledged the lordship of Allah and has the natural ability of choosing Islam as a religion. If one chooses Islam, then one has acted on the belief that one was born upon. If one denies the existence of Allah or believes in Allah, but ascribes partners unto him, then one has shifted away from the belief that was instilled within him before birth and in all probability was influenced by his (non-Muslim) parents in adopting an incorrect belief. Imam Abu Hanifa (rahimahullah) stated that if the message of Islam did not reach an individual, it is still compulsory on him to recognize the existence of Allah as this is the demand of a sane intellect.

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

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We at Islamic Focus are aiming to connect the Muslim community of Port Elizabeth/Uitenhage by keeping them informed of Islamic events, Ulama talks, Juma speakers, funeral notices and the like.

To this end, we have in place several tools for getting the news to you as soon as we can.

These are all free and include:

www.quranclub.net - Daily wisdom www.islamicjameah.org.uk - Jameah

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Schools, UK www.lancashiremosques.com - Lanca-

Emails, enewsletters, website Juma roster, notice board and events column, sms (in conjunction with the Council of Ulama Eastern Cape), posters and social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Ummah24, Mxit.

To link up with the system that suits you best, contact us for details or visit our website.

shire Council of Mosques www.revertstories.com - Revert Stories http://ifa-india.org/ - Islamic Fiqh Acad-

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College, UK www.muslimkidsbooks.wordpress.com

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Support Sensible Surfing

Toothpick City II will be a collection of more than 40 famous religious buildings and tall towers from around the world standing side by side. The exhibit will be made entirely of toothpicks and glue with the structures built to a 1:164 scale. When completed, it will be the largest toothpick structure in the world with almost 4 million toothpicks.

Among the Islamic structures is the Grand Musjid in Makkah (the Ka’bah) which alone contains more than a quarter-million toothpicks. Other Musjids include King Hassan II, Djenne Musjid and the Dome of the Rock.

The project will take Stan Munro 5 years to complete.

To see amazing pictures of the Ka’bah built entirely with toothpicks, visit www.toothpickcity.com.

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SOCIAL / INTERNET

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

SOCIAL / REVIEW

The base for combating the evil around us is the home. Likewise, the base for de-stressing and relaxing should be the home. Part two of tips on building a strong home:

4. Stay at home. Men should try to be at home as much as possible, because the guardian’s presence keeps things under control. For some men, the norm is to always be outside the home, and only if they can’t find some place to go do they come home. This is wrong. A man should reduce his business commitments and put an end to idle meetings.

An extract from the minutes of the French Eastern Masonic lodge held in 1923: ‘For the purpose of separating the individual from his family, you must eliminate morals at their root, because people are inclined to cut off family ties and do forbidden things, they prefer to chat idly in cafés rather than carry out their duties towards their families.’

5. Take note of activities. Take note of what family members are up to. Who are your children’s friends? Some parents do not know their children have porn movies or drugs.

Some do not know their daughter goes under various pretexts to date a boyfriend. There are points to note: a. This supervision must be subtle. b. There should be no terrorizing atmosphere. c. The child must not be made to feel he/she is not trusted. d. Advice and punishments must be measured against the ages of the children, their levels of understand and extent of the wrong.

5. Beware of negative methods of checking on children and making them feel their every move is watched. Sheikh Salih al Munajjid

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The TouchArabic application for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch is a simple and fun memory game. TouchArabic teaches you basic knowledge about the Arabic language by using Arabic letters and numbers in a creative way.

Features Arabic alphabet Basic Arabic numerals Sounds for pronunciation Scoreboard to compete with friends Online scoreboard to compete with others around the world Three difficulty levels New updates with additional play types planned for the future. The app costs around R16 and can be downloaded from iTunes. It requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later and is compatible with Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It is 7.8 MB and developed by Hilal Spark.

Another innovative app for the iPhone is the Halal Scanner 1.0. This app provides a database of food additives. You take a picture of the ingredients label on a food item and the app produces the results of what the food additives (the E Numbers) really are and if they are Halaal. You can also search and browse the database.

The app costs around R16, is 4.5 MB and requires iPhone 3GS with OS 3.1.3 or later.

Available through the iPhone App Store.

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Haroon was trained in general knowledge, military arts and state craft. He is reported to have roamed the streets of Baghdad at night to look after his subjects secretly. He was reported to be a pious man and took part in many battles personally. He traveled his vast empire to learn the conditions of his subjects.

He also personally inspected all frontiers to see they were well guarded. He established schools, Musjids, Madrasas, colleges, hospitals, roads and bridges throughout the empire.

He supported scholars, scientists and poets.

It was under Haroon that Baghdad flourished into the most splendid city of its period. He waged many campaigns against the Byzantines. The Muslim empire extended into Africa, upto Afghanistan and India.

In 802 Haroon sent Charlemagne presents unprecedented in Western Europe that may have influenced Carolingian art. Haroon went on Hajj 5 or 9 times. He opened communications with the Emperor of China and the west. In his reign, the Hanafi school of thought took definite shape. In 807 Haroon’s forces occupied Cyprus. Haroon is famous as the Caliph in the Arabian Nights stories. Haroon fell ill on a military expedition in Iran and died after ruling for 23 years. He ranks as one of the greatest rulers of the world.

The caravel was the standard model used by the Portuguese in their voyages of exploration.

It could accommodate about 20 sailors. A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward (beating). Caravels were much used by the Portuguese and Spanish for the oceanic exploration voyages during the 16th and 17th centuries in the age of discovery.

The caravel was developed based on existing fishing boats. Its name derives from an earlier Arab boat known as the qarib. The Arab Muslims were ousted from Spain and Portugal in the 15th century, leading to the Spanish and Portuguese using Arab technology and exploring the world. It is highly possible that the caravel was based on the Arab qarib.

Being smaller, the caravel could sail upriver in shallow coastal waters. With the lateen sails attached, it could go fast over shallow water and take deep wind, while with the square Atlantic-type sails attached, it was very fast. Its economy, speed, agility, and power made it esteemed as the best sailing vessel of its time.

The exploration done with caravels made possible the spice trade of the Portuguese and the Spanish. However, for the trade itself, the caravel was later replaced by the larger nau which was more profitable for trading.

Muslims laid the foundation on which exploration of the world was built by Europeans.

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BIOGRAPHY / MUSLIM INFLUENCE

Haroon Ar Rashid (Born 763 in Rayy, Iran.

Died 809 Mashhad, Iran) was the fifth and most famous Abbasid Caliph. He ruled from 786 to 809, and his time was marked by scientific, cultural and religious prosperity. He was the son of al-Mahdi, the third Abbasid caliph, and Khayzuran from Yemen.

HISTORY / FUTURE

The estimated population of Haitian Muslims is about 3250, or 0.04 percent of the population, although local Muslims claim the actual number is nearer 5000 due to many Muslims that aren't counted due to inaccessibility.

The history of Islam on the island of Hispaniola (which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic) begins with slavery in Haïti. Many Muslims were imported as slaves to Haiti from Africa. Although many were forced to abandon Islam over time, their Islamic heritage has persisted in the culture of native Haitians.

A history of Dutty Boukman, whose death is largely considered the start of the Haitian Revolution, suggests that he was Muslim. In the early 20th century, a wave of Arab immigrants came to the Americas, in which a noticeable amount settled in Haiti. The first to arrive around 1920 was a man from Morocco along with 19 other families.

Today, the majority of the country's Muslims are indigenous Haitians, followed by the ethnic Moroccan. As a result of limited financial resources, the first Musjid was only built in 1985. In 2000, Nawoon Marcellus became the first Muslim elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Haïti.

Islamic organizations include the Bilal Mosque and Islamic Center in Cap-Haïtien, which offers programs in Islamic studies and daily prayers, Byllal miragoane Mosque in (Miragoane)and the Centre Spirituel Allah ou Akbar in Port au Prince. The foundation stone of the first Musjid in Gonaives is near completion, named Mosque-ul-Munawwar.

The appearance of Dajjal is among the major signs of the approach of the last day of this world. Here are some descriptions of him from the Hadith:

Description Dajjal will be blind in his left eye.

There will be a thick fingernail-like object in his left eye.

He will have very thick hair on his body.

He will be short, and his legs will be crooked.

The hair on his head will be extremely twisted.

He will have one eye (with which he can see), while his other eye will be totally flat. It will neither be deep (in its socket) nor protruding.

The letters ‘Kaaf’ ‘Faa’ ‘Raa’ will appear on his forehead and all Muslims will be able to read it regardless of them being literate or not.

He will have a wheatish complexion.

He will travel at great speeds and his means of conveyance will be a gigantic mule.

He will play beautiful music which will attract music lovers.

Activities He will emerge between Syria and Iraq, and his emergence will become known when he is in Isfahaan at a place called Judea (Yahudea).

He will be of Jewish origin.

The Jews of Isfahaan (Iran) will be his main followers.

He will stay on earth for 40 days; the length of the first day will be one year, the second day will be one month, the third day will be a week and the remaining days will be normal.

He will be unable to enter Makkah and Madinah as Angels will be guarding them.

From Madinah he will go towards Shaam (Syria) where Imaam Mahdi will be.

Extracted from the work of Mohammed Ali ibn Zubair Ali. Part Two in next issue

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CLUES DOWN 2 Imam _________ will lead the Muslims near Qiyamah 4 _________ will guard Madinah and Makkah from Dajjal 6 Reading Surah ________ will save one from Dajjal’s evil 7 Dajjal will ride a gigantic ___________ 9 Dajjal will remain in the world for ________ days

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FOR THE LITTLE ONES

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8 CLUES ACROSS 1 Prophet Eesa will come to earth in this city 3 Prophet Eesa will kill this person in Palestine 5 One of the signs of Qiyamah is when the sun will rise from the ________ 8 Dajjal will emerge in __________ in Iran 10 The length of Dajjal’s first day will equal one ________

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FINAL FOCUS

The Council of Islamic Affairs (COISA) in Port Elizabeth is an NPO founded by the Majma Huffaath Al-Quraan. The Majma was established in 2008 to promote Quranic and Hifz studies in PE. As the organisation grew, the Majma found itself tackling issues not related to its original objective, and established COISA in 2009 to oversee these. COISA is made up of religious scholars and members of the community with various Musjids affiliated to it.

Departments Da'wah.

Education. Madrasah certification of all levels, i.e. Foundation Phase, GET, FET. Media and Publications.

Quraan Academy. Comprises Huffaaz in PE and institutes Quraan and Hifz classes at the various Madrasahs. Hosts a Quraan Khatam at Musjids in PE and has a full-time school for Huffaaz in Bloemendaal.

Research and Rulings. Issues are referred to the MJC, Moulana Yusuf and Taaha Kieran and Mufti Abdul Kader Hoosein.

Social Welfare.

Project A building project was begun in Booysens Park to comprise a full-time hifz school, Musjid, dormitories and library. Salaah is already being performed in a wooden structure at Musjidul Fattah there.

Contact Tel: 041 481 9472 Cell: 072 145 0009 Fax: 086 604 1456 www.cia.za.org

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, ‘If I could only see the world, I will marry you.’ One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, ‘Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?’ The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: ‘Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.’

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life is a gift. Today before you say an unkind word: Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food: Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Islam does not condone dating or pre or extra marital affairs.

The episode is quoted here to highlight a specific lesson. Likewise, Ulama have different viewpoints on organ transplants.

This episode is not meant to express an Islamic ruling on the issue.

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