Newsletter of the Claremont Main Road Mosque · Id-al Fitr Edition - August 2012/1433
Vol.2 No.1
Gender Justice And Spiritual Flourishing Dr. Sa’diyya Shaikh In Ramadan, as our bodies experience hunger, fatigue and weakness, those amongst us who generally do not know poverty, or who do not know powerlessness personally or socially, are given the real opportunity to genuinely feel and empathize with people that go hungry every day of the year, or sectors of our society that experience abuse and social weakness. Ramadan thus provides us with the chance to develop empathy, compassion and generosity both at the internal and the external levels, both in the spiritual and material domains. Genuine compassion and generosity demand that we act in our world to transform it and to empower those who are vulnerable. Spirituality demands social transformation, our inner work must transform our personal relationships with other lives and with the world we live in. This month of August also coincides with national celebrations of women, a time where we recall and commemorate that momentous day in 1956 where 20 000 women courageously marched to the Union Building in Pretoria protesting the Apartheid pass laws, laws that invariably diminished all human beings in this country. While for some, this historical event might be seen through purely political lenses. I would argue that from an Islamic perspective these women’s cry against injustice and oppression was founded on a profound and universal spiritual imperative. On Women’s Day and for the month of August we are invited to reflect on ways that our societies could improve the respect and the dignity accorded to women and to protect women in a hostile world. It is a time to rethink the quality of relationships between men and women. There are I propose some very profound overlaps between the month of Ramadan dedicated to weeding out negative spiritual qualities and cultivating beautiful attributes of compassion, generosity and justice on the one hand, and on the other hand, a month dedicated in the secular world to focus on the empowerment of women and celebrate our full humanity. This is therefore a perfect time for each of us to make explicit connections between our spiritual development and how we translate our spirituality into action related to justice and the empowerment of women in our society. Enacting compassion and justice for women is not merely an act of extension to another human being, it is an act of connecting with the divine Beloved. As such, the person who extends to those in need, who acts with fairness and justice in their personal relationships to women and men, is not
simply the benevolent person who attends with merciful compassion to a marginalized ‘other’. In fact the needs and realities of a poor, hungry, ill or oppressed person paradoxically provide a fertile opportunity for a fellow human being to encounter Allah. Moreover the oppressed or hungry person is not merely an intermediary, but in and through that person’s predicament, God as the embodiment of love, is fully present and demanding human engagement. This spin on the spiritual dynamics of such relationships turns the traditional power dynamic between giver and recipient, between the powerful and the powerless on its head. In reality, both parties in this relationship give and receive divine mercy – the humanity and divinity of each is tied to the other and all is a product of divine love. In Islam, mercy, compassion and just action is an integral manifestation of divine love.
“This is therefore a perfect time for each of us to make explicit connections between our spiritual development and how we translate our spirituality into action related to justice and the empowerment of women in our society.” Within Islam the deepest, most vibrant, individually and socially transformative path to Allah is that of love. Love is the very impetus for creation as reflected in the hadith qudsi where Allah said “I was a hidden treasure and I loved to be known; so I created the world so that I might be known” . The path of love is not only a rich and universal spiritual legacy of humankind that we share with all human beings in other religious traditions, but it is also a legacy that can begin to reconfigure some of the very problematic ways in which dominant forms of power have functioned in our communities, especially male power. If we think about love and compassion as defining the most central ways in which we understand our relationship with God, then it is by definition the model through which men and women ought to relate to one another and indeed, all human beings with one another. And love does not allow for abuse and hierarchy, whether through culture and traditions of what women are expected to
Editorial Having come to the end of the blessed month of Ramadan, we give thanks to the guest huffaz, featured in this issue, for having honoured this jamat with their melodious recitations during the tarawih prayers. They have indeed contributed to making this Ramadan an especially spiritually uplifting experience at CMRM. This ‘Id al-Fitr edition includes articles reflecting on the many blessings of this holy month and provides us with some guidance on how we can make the next Ramadan an even more spiritually uplifting experience.
This was a month in which we also celebrated Women’s Day on the 9th August 2012, and the lead article by Dr Sa’diyya Shaik challenges us all to make explicit connections between our spiritual development and how we translate our spirituality into action related to justice and the empowerment of women in our society. In this edition we also report on the strides we, as a masjid community, are making in the Jihad Against Poverty campaign. We once again feature articles by youth in our jamat and would like to encourage more young people to submit contributions for publication in Al-Mizan. Finally, our tribute to Imam Gassan Solomon continues a trend we would like to set, to pay homage to our forebears who inspired this jamat to embrace a comprehensive vision of Islam that is socially responsive and espouses principles of justice and compassion for all. We wish you all ‘Id Sa’id Wa Mubarak
do or be, where they should be seen or not seen, which positions they should hold and which they should not. Genuine love is about self-giving, generosity and nonnegotiably about justice - it does NOT allow for abuse or discriminatory hierarchies.
40-42 Main Road, Claremont, 7708 • 021 683 8384 • www.cmrm.co.za
Chairperson’s Message Yusuf (Jowa) Abrahams
Assalamu Alaykum wa rahmatullah with a sense of pride and It is once again an honour for me and the activities of the Board on positive optimism that we report to you over the last three months. h of this year, two Board Since our Annual General Meeting in Marc shop and two Executive Work ing Plann meetings, a Board Strategic a General Meeting on had also We held. were Committee meetings and inspirational activities the 12th August 2012. Many other exciting also reported on in this ‘Id are ths of the masjid over the past few mon issue.
I wish to highlight a few other developments: to be a challenge and a • The maintenance of the mosque continues s has already done great priority. The Vice Chairperson, Achmat Peter rest gratitude to him since our work with repairs and maintenance and ons of members as ibuti contr ar regul for managing this portfolio. The Friday collections, ensure well as special donors, coupled with the a reasonably good state. that we are able to maintain the masjid in raising efforts if we are fund h • Fundraising: We will have to launc mosque and its related the of lity inabi susta thinking of long term face, is the overcrowding activities. One of the challenges that we still next to the mosque is erty prop on Fridays and on ‘big nights’. The g Committee by end raisin Fund a lish estab still for sale and we will well as funding for other of August to do the Capital Campaign as related masjid projects. Bassier who as a new • Masjid Trust: A special thanks to Khadeeja of masjid investment ially espec task the on taken young member has sustainability of the term and re-vitalizing the trust, to ensure longmasjid. the many volunteers and • Jihad Against Poverty (JAP): Thanks to We have been able to generous donations towards this campaign. ort. Imam Rashied, supp your implement many initiatives through many of these ding rhea spea are rs othe Mariam Baderoon and initiatives on an ongoing basis. tic and very competent Our sincerest gratitude to our very enthusias for their many hours bers mem d Boar all and tary treasurer and secre ent administration. effici of sacrifice in ensuring that we achieve an Rasheed Brown kh Shay had have We are certainly privileged to rs. May they praye ih Taraw the lead to ud and Shaykh Omar Maso -Allah. We Insha n the Qura continue with the beautiful rendition of forward look and ania Tanz to wish Shaykh Omar a safe journey back ing bring in ted assis who those to ks than to having him again. Our him to our masjid. Shaheed for their work Finally our thanks to Imam Rashied and Imam ys think of all those alwa we time this At and leadership at the masjid. who are no longer s, friend and ts paren our all id, stalwarts at the masj given a high place be ones with us. We pray that they and all our loved in Jannah, Insha Allah. be filled with peace and Eid Mubarak to you all! May your year Insha-Allah. Shukran once prosperity. May you enjoy good health again for your continued support.
Imam’s Message Imam Dr. A. Rashied Omar The past Ramadan has once again been a spiritually rejuvenating one for our small but vibrant Claremont Main Road Masjid congregation. The highlight of Ramadan 2012 has undoubtedly been the addition of Hafiz Omar Hasan Masoud from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to our tarawih imamat team. His beautiful recitations of the Qur’an and retentive memory were a special feature of Ramadan 2012 at CMRM. His unique style of recitation was not only melodious but it aptly captured the sublime meanings of the Qur’an. Small wonder that at times his voice would quiver as he struggled to maintain his composure when reciting particularly poignant sections of the Qur’an. Having recently lost my beloved father, and a number of our senior congregants in the past year, I was particularly attuned to notice that Hafiz Omar was more vulnerable when he recited verses of the Qur’an in which Allah, the Creator of Death & Life, reminds us about our mortality and the inevitably of death. On the 17th night of Ramadan Hafiz Omar broke down and sobbed as he recited verses 34 & 35 of surah Al-Anbiya, chapter 21 which reads as follows: We have not given any human being everlasting life before you (O Muhammad). So if you die, will they live forever? Every soul shall have a taste of death: We test you through the good and bad things, and to Us (Our Divine Presence) you shall all return (Q21:34-35) The experience cut deep into the recesses of my heart and that evening as I left the masjid I was inspired to reflect on the Islamic understanding of death. We learn from these verses of the Qur’an that on this earthly journey, all human beings are fellow travelers towards eternal life. Each one of us is therefore accountable for moral choices. We are expected to nourish the soul – to develop it through worshipping God, through prayers, fasting and spreading goodwill on earth. This life is as important as the afterlife; it has consequences for the hereafter. Our status in the afterlife depends, by the Grace of God, on the good we do in this life. In the midst of my deep grief, I consoled myself with the abiding memories I have of my father, Boeta Achmat Saban, Aunty Aisha Van Rooyen, Boeta Achmat Gamiledien, and all of our deceased congregants. I derived great comfort from the many memories of their kindness and generosity.
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We give thanks to Hafiz Omar Hasan Masoud for having inspired us this past Ramadan. We give thanks for the congregants of the Claremont Main Road Masjid for their commitment to a socially responsive vision of Islam and for their love, compassion, and affection for each other. We pray that the wonderful spirit of solidarity that has been nurtured through this past Ramadan will continue to gather momentum during the rest of the year, InshaAllah.
Fasting and God-Consciousness Fatima Noordien I was a hidden treasure and desired to be known, So I created creation. [Hadith Qudsi documented by Ibn ‘Arabi]
This reflection looks at God-consciousness (taqwa) from a perspective that links the practice of Fasting in Ramadan as a vehicle for affirming God-consciousness. Much has been written on the purposes and goals of fasting and we have been thoroughly familiarized with the Qur’anic purpose of fasting in Chapter 2, verse 183, which identifies one of the chief goals of fasting as “..so that you might remain conscious of God” (Q:2:183). If we ask ourselves why God wishes us to remain conscious of Him and why is it such an important goalpost to reach as human beings, a popular Hadith Qudsi immediately comes to the fore. In this saying uttered by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in God’s speech, the following is recorded: “I was a hidden treasure and desired to be known, So I created creation.” In a book by Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri on developing God-consciousness, he writes that the sincere seeker is constantly focused on a Divine name or attribute (of Allah) that is needed to bring about equilibrium and harmony in one’s life. Human life can only reach completeness by appropriate intention, timely action and constant trust in Allah’s ever present grace and mercy. Elaborating the theme of God-consciousness, Amina Wadud asserts that “faith is a spiritual and psychological posture that describes a partnership between one’s practical efforts and one’s understanding of a spiritual relationship with the Divine”. This seems to link closely with another Fadhlalla quote, “that through patience, faith and intelligent application the Qur’an will make perfect sense at all times.” In his book Quest For Meaning, Tariq Ramadan states that “we have to travel towards ourselves and rediscover a taste for questions, constructive criticisms and complexity as we embark on a process of making meaning. He also suggests a radically different process, namely “that of not looking at others from our perspective/ view/ paradigm/ window, but indeed going into the landscape and look at the view from the landscape to the windows for a more meaningful perspective.” All three of the above authors seem to suggest that seeking closeness to God/ God-consciousness is the ultimate reward and benefit reached if one does not merely conform to the external rites of fasting, namely abstention from eating, drinking and satisfying carnal desires, but strives to raise one’s fasting to higher levels. The reward stems from exertions one does on a non-physical level like controlling the anger, and quick easy off-putting responses, to pause before we say and do, to think about actions, not jumping to conclusions, giving others the benefit of doubt, striving to do good, being just, to act rationally and to express mercy and mercifulness to all creation, fulfilling social responsibilities and genuinely seeking a world where inequalities are reduced and all are treated with dignity and respect. All of these actions form part of seeking God-consciousness. Let’s return to the phrase in the hadith above ‘..and I wished to be known’. It is amazing that only human beings were created to fulfill this aspect as we are the only creatures of Allah who have been endowed with reasoning and accountability capacities. How do we then celebrate and know our God? Rephrased, how do we build God-consciousness? One answer immediately comes to the fore in another prophetic tradition, ‘Know yourself and you’ll know Me’. The importance of seeking God has been simplified by knowing yourself. This demands self-vigilance and personal activism. No spiritual guide can do it for us or on our behalf. The effort, sacrifice and willingness to subject ourselves to the rigour of honest clarification of intention and purpose in our actions are essential mindsets that we need to have to reach this goal most effectively. It is one of our choices we have to pursue with determination and effort. In conclusion, we also need to remind ourselves that reaching a state of God-consciousness is not an end state but is rather a state of being that is in a perpetual state of flux, thus making the journey of the self always interesting and challenging.
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MASJID AC Hajj Course In the run up to Ramadan 2012 we convened a very successful hajj class which ran for ten weeks. The course was jointly taught by Imam Rashied Omar and Imam Noor Salie. A special feature of the course was that students were required to participate in weekly quizzes and complete a comprehensive exam at the end of the course. Twenty students successfully graduated from the course and a couple of these students are now regular attendees at our masjid programmes. One of the novel texts used during the course was ‘Alleviating the Difficulties of the Hajj’ by Sheikh Salman b. Fahd al-‘Awdah (2009).
Kiyaam Bassier Nuh Allie
Kiyaam Bassier Overall, this was a well-rounded and structured course which focused on preparing the student on the fundamentals of the Haj and Umrah. It was truly enjoyed by all who graduated after writing their final examination.
The weekly lessons combined with tests involved learning on a daily basis. I found this helped incredibly with the understanding of the key steps to Hajj. Emphasis was placed on the pillars of hajj and we as a class were encouraged continuously to read different literature in our own time.
The sessions were student-centred rather than the traditional Imam-centred approach where the Imam preaches endlessly with the hope that the students absorb some of the information. Nevertheless, Imam Rashid spent a fair amount of time on the inner dimensions of the Haj as well as Ziyarah ila Madina which was covered by Imam Nur Salie.
Jihad Against Poverty Naqshbandi Muhammadi Masjid, Du Noon The Naqshbandi Muhammadi Masjid in Du Noon was officially opened on the second day of Ramadan 2012. The addition of this masjid to our Jihad Against Poverty programme this Ramadan was very special. CMRM was instrumental in arranging for Hafiz Ismail Moses and a group of his students to lead the tarawih prayers in Du Noon and CMRM sponsored the entire daily iftar meals and `Id al-Fitr meals. Our community iftar at Du Noon on Saturday 4 August, was also inspirational and students from five Southern Suburb schools (including Rondebosch Boys and Westerford) donated 100 food hampers. Imam Rashied Omar also delivered the khutbah at Muhammadi Masjid on Friday 3 August 2012. Comment from Adiel Kader (Naqsbandi project co-ordinator ): I am very glad that the CMRM iftar program was a success. There is just something very special about the masjid in Du Noon, Alhamdulillah. Every week thus far people have come to recite Shahadah, and no Dawah has been made yet, except the feeding and the interaction between Imam and the people. The musallees also takes care of the cleaning of the masjid and the electricity without expecting or asking anything from Naqshbandi. This is truly different from our experience at the other masjids. It really seems that the community has just taken ownership of the masjid and are very proud of it.
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ACTIVITIES Compassion In Action On Friday 29 June 2012 the masjid officially launched its Compassion in Action Campaign. CMRM hosted 30 students (from Blackburn College in the UK as well as various Western Cape Schools) in addition to Cape Town Inter-Faith Initiative (CTii) Council members and many other guests. The guests attended Jumu’ah and participated in a short programme and shared lunch thereafter. The guest speakers included Father Christopher Clohessey of St. Bernard’s Church and Rabbi Eitan Bendavid from the Yeshiva of Cape Town. The Compassion in Action Campaign, a collaborative effort between CMRM, St. Bernard’s Church and the Clarewyn Hebrew Congregation aims to work towards actively honouring the sanctity of every human being by working towards treating everyone with absolute justice, equity & respect. In the next few months members can look forward to participating in caring adventures such as gathering with the interfaith community in remembrance of God, book clubs and random acts of kindness networks.
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MADRASSA A Excursion to Shaykh Yusuf’s Kramat in Faure On Saturday, June 16th, also Youth Day in South Africa, the Claremont Main Road Mosque Saturday Morning Madrasa travelled about 40 km from Wynberg to the Faure kramat, in Macassar. We were blessed with beautiful weather and good conditions. Approximately 350 pupils and teachers spent the day at this historic settlement, learning about its history and meaning. Mr. Ebrahim Rhoda, a local historian of the region delivered a very informative talk at the Macassar mosque. After Mr Rhoda’s lecture we recited the Raatibul Haddad and performed Thur salaah. The Foundation Phase learners participated in a colouring in competition using images of the kramat and Voetboeg, the boat with which Shaykh Yusuf arrived at the Cape in 1694.
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A ACTIVITIES Learning About Our Kramats Mazin Jeppie* The word kramat comes from the Arabic word ka-ra-ma, which means “dignity” and also means “miracle.” A kramat is therefore a place for paying respect and dignified tribute to significant spiritual figures of Islam. Such places can be found throughout the Muslim world. They have different names in different places. It is our custom to use the term “kramat” for the burial place or shrine of our revered ancestors of great spiritual achievement. Many kramats fill up the landscape of the Cape Peninsula and honour slaves and exiles from the East who were brought here by the Dutch East India Company. Among those exiled to the Cape were scholars and saints admired and respected for their knowledge, very deep faith, and leadership of the Muslim communities. When a person becomes the Beloved or Friend of Allah, otherwise known as a Wali, everything they do is through the power of Allah. They are people who spend their time in remembrance of Allah: in all forms of dhikr and salah. There are various markers of such Awliya Allah. In popular culture it is widely believed that once they physically depart from this world, their distinction is upheld and their bodies do not decay or perish, but remain whole and unblemished. In some cultures, as a sign of recognition, the grave of the Wali-Allah is specially marked, such as with a tomb and special coverings, and thus distinguishes the grave from an ordinary one. Various practices have emerged in different parts of the world around the tombs of the saints of Islam. It is spiritually beneficial and enriching to visit kramats and participate in acceptable practices of remembrance or dhikrullah at these sites. Who was Shaykh Yusuf? Abadin Tadia Tjoessoep, more commonly known as Shaykh Yusuf, was born in 1626 on the Indonesian island of Makassar into a noble family. He was the maternal nephew of King Biset of Goa. At the age of 18, he embarked on Hajj to Mecca, spending several years learning under various scholars. Because of the conflict between the British and Dutch East India Companies, he was unable to return home. Instead he was welcomed in Java, by Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa. He was given the hand of the Sultan’s daughter in marriage and became his religious judge and personal advisor. For 16 years he stayed in Java until the Sultan’s son rose against his father. After being defeated in battle by his son, Ageng was captured later that year, but the 57 year old Yusuf managed to escape. In 1684 Shaykh Yusuf was persuaded to surrender on the guarantee of pardon, but instead of being set free, was imprisoned. He was then transferred from his arrest at Batavia castle to Ceylon on the basis of his rumoured attempt at escape. On the 27th of June 1693, at the age of 67, he was exiled to the Cape of Good Hope on the ship Voetboeg. Arriving in the Cape on the 2nd April 1694, Simon Van Der Stel received Shaykh Yusuf and 49 other prisoners. They were sent to the Zandvliet farm outside Cape Town, in an effort to reduce the influence of the Shaykh on the Dutch East India Company’s slaves. The plan proved futile. The settlement became a safe haven for slaves and it was here that the first organized Islamic community in South Africa was formed. From here the Islamic faith spread to the slaves of Cape Town and throughout other parts of the colony. Shaykh Yusuf passed away on the 23rd of May 1699. The Zandvliet farm vicinity was renamed Macassar as a mark of respect to Shaykh Yusuf’s place of birth, and he was buried on the hills of Faure overlooking the area. A shrine was erected over his burial site, now known as the Faure Kramat. *Mazin is a Grade 9 student at SACS.
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Social Media Success
Bushrah Hendricks* In this article I propose that sociology and psychology is what gives social media its purpose and it is this purpose rather than the technology, which has made social media the success it is. The purpose for which we use the social media technology is driven by our social and psychological needs. I believe that the popularity and success of all forms of social media, can in large measure be attributed to the fact that the modern social media technology is fuelled by some of the basic human social and psychological wants and needs such as, social acceptance, self promotion, inquisitiveness, group acceptance, recognition, freedom of expression and socio-political activism. Social media essentially has two players; the one I would call the initiator, being the person who broadcasts the information and the other being the receiver, the person who accesses the information. It is my view that the initiator and the receiver are motivated by different sociopsychological purposes. For example the initiator may be driven by money or by socio-political activism. In the case of the receiver, the purpose may for instance be the desire to be part of the trend of the day or be part of a wider social group. In essence, depending on the individual, the purpose could be any of the wants and needs identified above or a combination thereof. ‘Facebook’ provides the perfect space for the initiator to create a projection of
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their own persona, for recipients to view and to either endorse or mimic. Many initiators only post images, comments and status updates, which they want the public to see. Essentially such initiators are able to fabricate an identity and a ‘personal brand’, which recipients may then either believe blindly or form a cynical response. Either way this form of social media can be seen as a window into the psyche of the user. One of the negative psychological impacts of social media is the manner in which many recipients have become desensitised. Recipients are overpowered with information that they would not necessarily have been exposed to. A classic example is where recipients are bombarded with graphically grotesque images, which would previously have made them flinch, but now they are able to simply look at it without even batting an eyelid. In today’s society, social media sites have become a place for people to not only ‘vent’, and express their emotions, but it has also become a place where people are able to ‘troll’ anonymously. These ‘trolls’ probably feel a sense of power as they hide behind a false façade, and post inappropriate, negative and potentially harmful and hurtful comments, that are aimed at specific people. This shows how social media is misused as a mechanism of hatred. There can be a lot of anonymity when dealing with social media, and thus cyber bullies are often more confident and get a distorted sense of power and attention.
“Facebook’ provides the perfect space for the initiator to create a projection of their own persona, for recipients to view and to either endorse or mimic.” Another negative sociological and psychological aspect of social media, is that it inhibits personal interaction. People are more comfortable speaking to someone via ‘SMS’ than face-to-face. They have lost courage and are not able to emotionally grow as a person. Social media undoubtedly has many potential positive uses and purposes. An example of this is the Arab spring uprising. Another example of this in our own country is that
we are freely able to express our views on socio-political issues, like “Occupy the Common”, on many forums, such as ‘Twitter’ and ‘Facebook’. On a lighter note, we are able to receive news almost in real time, and get rugby updates as soon as they happen. A totally different view to the above argument is seen if we consider that the user of the social media is a third party user to the technology and thus the technological aspect of social media becomes hidden. As a twitter or facebook user, I have not written the technical program and features that enables me to use social media on my cellphone. However, due to my (user) demand for instantaneous access to information, events and happenings as they occur, the technology was created to enable filming, and many other communication strategies to be incorporated into a single handset. The user’s psychological and sociological needs are studied intensely to provide trends for the way technology develops to create upgraded products. Thus technology is not the driver, but our socio-psychological needs and desires become the driver for rapid advance in social media technology. The products are becoming slimmer, faster, more lightweight etc. A case that comes to mind immediately is the BBM (Black Berry) culture with its own language and features that speak to fellow black berry owners, forming another elite group in society that thrives on individual uniqueness. As social media technology evolves, it will offer more sophisticated platforms and forums for initiators and recipients to influence the way people think (the psychological aspect) and behave (the sociological aspect) and indeed the purposes for which they are used. It is not social media technology by itself, which influence human thinking and behaviour, but the socio-psychological purpose for which humans, either as initiators or recipients, utilise it. *Bushrah is in Grade 12 at Reddam House College.
Masjid Affairs Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum (WCRLF) On 20 June 2012 Imam Rashied Omar was elected as Chairperson of the Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum (WCRLF). Established in 2007 under the patronship of Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, representatives of the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Baha’i, Buddhist and African Traditional communities are involved in the forum along with all main denominations of Christianity and Islam. The WCRLF will be convening a press conference to “Call for an End to Corruption” on Wednesday 22 August 2012 on Lookout Hill in Khayelitsha. Guided by faith traditions and a common longing for a compassionate community, the WCRLF has produced a statement and programme of action through which the City of Cape Town’s religious leaders seek to make a modest contribution to rid our society from the scourge of corruption. All socially responsible citizens are urged to support and join this critical campaign.
Ramadan Seminar Series
Guest Huffaz Profiles Shaykh Omar Hasan Masoud
Shaykh Omar Masoud studied hifz in Zanzibar and completed an ‘Alim’s course at Madrasa Zakariya in Johannesburg. He is a former imam at the Vanguard Mall Prayer Room and is currently based back in Dar es Salaam.
Shaykh Abd al-Rasheed Brown
Shaykh Abd al-Rasheed Brown is a well known Qari and Huffaz in Cape Town. He has been the Director/ Principal at the Ibn al-Jazary Institute in Penlyn Estate, since 1999. He is a graduate of ICOSA, now merged into IPSA.
Hafiz Dr Shuaib Manjra
Dr Shuaib Manjra is an Occupational Health and Sports Medicine Physician involved in a number of national and international sports federations. Dr Manjra studied hifz under Hafiz Mohinudin Kazi at West Street Mosque in Durban.
Hafiz Ihsaan Bassier
Hafiz Ihsaan is currently a matric student at Rondebosch Boys High School. He is a graduate of the Claremont Main Road Masjid Saturday Morning Madrasa and studied hifz under Imam Rashied Omar.
Hafiz Shazaad Patel
Our Ramadan Sunday Morning seminar series, which focused on the Life & Thought of Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, was boosted by a skype lecture given by Professor Ebrahim Moosa from the USA on Sunday 5 August 2012. About 20 people attended the session. Hafiz Shazaad Patel is currently doing a postgraduate HDE at UCT. He studied hifz under Hafiz Nasif Adams at the Surrey Estate Mosque in Cape Town. 9
Getting Physical During Ramadan Dr Salih Solomon
I would like to propose this to you: that we are all presently in training, in fact, we are in the intensive phase of a longterm training programme. We’re also, as it happens, training buddies. We share a routine of awaking before dawn to ingest nutrients and hydrate ourselves, we abstain together from food and drink until sunset, and only then do we top up on nutrients and fluids, readying ourselves for the next day’s training. We have a pretty cool and special training programme, as it serves the dual purpose of fulfilling a short term ambition yet last’s a lifetime, and each year we repeat the intensive phase period for 29 or 30 days. However, each year is different and the outcome not always guaranteed – ideally the preceding months is about preparation, establishing a base or foundation from which the intensive phase then builds on making us stronger and perhaps more powerful, and crucially sharpening us for the months ahead so that we may perform better in our struggle to attain our shared goal: yearly improving our relationship with God, and of getting closer to the Divine. In training, we’re told, it is always important to keep the larger picture in mind whilst also acknowledging that there are many paths to our shared goal, and that a multi-dimensional approach is required. I would offer that this is in effect, a call for cross training, a realisation that the acquisition of different skills makes us more rounded and stronger, aiding our overall pursuit. The cross training of Ramadan could be seen to incorporate the inner dimension of fasting, as Imam al-Ghazali puts it in one of his levels, a special fast – fasting with our mouths/ears/eyes/tongue/hands and feet, and thereby connecting our physical senses & function with the intangible. In this we pursue a greater harmony of the spirit with our physical infrastructure,
nourishing the soul in its entirety. The Prophet (pbuh) asserts in a hadith that “no person will be allowed to move on the Day of Judgement until answering questions of how life was spent, how knowledge was utilized, how wealth was acquired and disbursed, and how the body was used or abused” It is clear then that our lifetime training, including the intensive phase of Ramadan, has to be multi-dimensional. In other words, getting in better shape spiritually alongside getting in better shape physically is desirable as well as our responsibility. On some level, race and gender/sex along with individual inertia have bedevilled our efforts to imagine a physically active life. Perhaps one of the most crucial obstacles is not the system, the structural violence and cultural violence, but rather an embedded entrenched idea that exercise is for other people, for another day, for when everything else is ok in our lives. We see this attitude crystallised in Ramadan, with the recurring idea that keeping the body moving in Ramadan is optional, the month being preserved for spiritual training only.
“Let us challenge the misplaced belief that exercising and fasting, or exercise in Ramadan is impossible.” So instead, the common features of Ramadan fasting are that: 1) We stop moving/stop exercising ; and 2) We overeat We hold onto the belief that our bodies are not able to withstand both fasting and some level of exercise. Ron Maughn, a UK based sports scientist has this to say about Ramadan: “Typically, the daily period of fasting is not more than about 12–15 h. This is not much longer than the normal overnight fast that most people experience while sleeping, and Ramadan fasting is therefore
less a formal fast and more a phase shift in food intake with a change in sleep cycles to accommodate the change in the timing of food intake.” He goes on to write, referring to athletes who train and fast that: “… that psychological factors related to awareness of the fact that meals were being withheld may be more important than the absence of food itself.”
2012 Post-tarawih running group It is this point that I wish to take up, that at a very basic level it is about mind over matter. It is perhaps the psychological factor which we need to also work on. So what is the way forward? Lets get to know our bodies better, to explore our individual limits and so doing being kind to ourselves and our bodies. We may not appreciate it, but each day of Ramadan we harness incredible force of character to begin and sustain our fast. There’s the single-minded focus, the determination and the ability to self-regulate – all essential qualities that we have trained up since we were young. Why not harness these very same qualities in keeping our bodies in shape? Let us challenge the misplaced belief that exercising and fasting, or exercise in Ramadan is impossible. And perhaps in so doing enhance the daily spiritual training we’re in – whilst also contributing to enhancing our culture so that together we may, healthier, elevate closer to God.
CMRM Staff We would like to express our appreciation to Yusuf, Boeta Dullah and Abubakr for their hard work in maintaining the masjid during the month of Ramadan. 10
Tribute | Imam Gassan Solomon (January 1941-October 2009) the St. Athan’s Road masjid. All these masjids have subsequently abandoned the practice and CMRM continues to be one of the only masjids in South Africa that has continued to embrace this practice.
Kassiem Adams Gassan Solomon was born on the 6th of January 1941 in Constantia. His father was Abdurahman Solomon and his mother was Gasena Abderoef, a sister of Shaykh Cassiem Abderoef. He attended Constantia Primary School and attended a very traditional madrassa in the afternoons. He matriculated from South Peninsula and went on to obtain a Social Science degree from the University of Cape Town. He acquired much of his Islamic education through the local madrassa system and through his association with Sheikh Amin Fakier and the late Abu Bakr Fakier. Gassan Solomon was elected as Imam of the Claremont Main Road Masjid (CMRM) on 12 June 1980. During his brief 5 year period as Imam he initiated a process of transformation that led to CMRM becoming one of the leading Muslim centres of anti-apartheid activism in South Africa. Gassan Solomon began his tenure as the first officially elected Imam of CMRM by entrenching the innovative practice of delivering the jumu`ah and `Id khutbahs in English from the mimbar. It was the late Dr. Abubakr Fakier who had first initiated the idea of delivering the khutbah in English from the mimbar at the Stegmann Road masjid in the mid-seventies. Other Imams that embraced this innovation were Shaykh Abbas Jassiem of the Quwwatul Islam masjid in Loop Street, Cape Town and Shaykh Muhammad Saligh Dien of
Under Imam Gassan’s leadership CMRM khutbahs became overtly political in nature and began to focus on the racial oppression, economic exploitation, and the quest for justice in apartheid South Africa. This socially relevant ethos attracted the youth to attend the masjid and encouraged them to participate in masjid activities. Imam Gassan and his CMRM congregants also began to immerse themselves in the anti-Apartheid struggle by supporting and participating in consumer boycotts, workers struggles, and street marches. CMRM under Imam Gassan’s imamat became a centre for youth organizations, such as the Muslim Students Association, the Muslim Youth Movement and the Call of Islam. Imam Gassan managed to develop a symbiosis of ideas with the activist youth in the CMRM congregation. This approach is one that had its genesis in the work of the Claremont Muslim Youth Association together with Imam Abdullah Haron and Dr Abu Bakr Fakier. It is an approach that CMRM still adheres to today.
“Imam Gassan managed to develop a symbiosis of ideas with the activist youth in the CMRM congregation.” Imam Gassan through the articulation of a socially responsible and politically relevant Islam came to join and play a significant leadership role in a number of organisations including the South African National Zakah Fund, Muslim Judicial Council (and its Senior Council or Imaarah), Call of Islam, United Democratic Front and later the Voice of The Cape. His membership of the Call of Islam and UDF in particular, catapulted him into public life. He was forced to depart from his position as Imam at CMRM in September 1985 as a result of being hounded by the South African Apartheid police. He was detained, banned, forced into hiding and finally went into exile in Saudi Arabia.
During his exile he continued his education at Ummul Qura Islamic University, in Makkah, and participated in numerous international conferences of the ANC. He briefly returned to South Africa in 1990 and finally permanently returned in 1991 under the De Klerk reforms. He was elected as a member of parliament to South Africa’s first democratic parliament in 1994. He served under three presidents until his untimely passing on 28th October 2009.
“As Imam of the CMRM Imam Gassan Solomon continued the legacy of Imam Haron to articulate a socially relevant vision of Islam that is still being disseminated at CMRM today.” Through all his years in public life Imam Gassan regarded himself as an activist rather than a professional politician. Imam Rashied Omar, who was appointed Imam of CMRM after Imam Gassan’s departure into exile in 1985, comments that he and other Muslim anti-aparthied activists owe Imam Gassan a deep debt of gratitude. As Imam of the CMRM Imam Gassan Solomon continued the legacy of Imam Haron to articulate a socially relevant vision of Islam that is still being disseminated at CMRM today.
Reference: Gamieldien MF. 2004 The History of the Claremont Main Road Mosque, Its People and their Contribution to Islam in South Africa, published by CMRM
11
Educational Adaptation In A Changing City
Professor Aslam Fataar In the brutal apartheid years our educational initiatives galvanized a public spiritedness that saw the emergence of viable Islamic communities and educational institutions all over the Cape Flats. The post-apartheid city has unleashed enormous destabilizing and creative energies as people search for appropriate schools, madrassas and educational experiences for their children. It is now a fact that most of the city’s children, across the class spectrum, are severely affected by what is perceived to be a faltering public school system. Apartheid education has bequeathed us an enormously uneven legacy and the postapartheid dispensation has failed to leverage a unified education system of quality. This has had enormous consequences for where our children go to school, the educational experiences they have while attending their schools of choice, and the implications for family and community functioning. Children with educational aspirations move across the city to access their schools of choice. This leads to the severance of the crucial link between school going and community living, making children less rooted and less committed to their community, neighbourhoods and religious or traditional commitments. This phenomenon expresses itself, for example, in the Muslim community, by way of the burgeoning Muslim private and community school sector in the city, the growth of hifz schools or home schooling options. People are in an elusive search for good education, which they imagine will serve as a moral bulwark against the encroaching secular order and its implied moral corruption. While growth in the diversity of schools has been one outcome, we seem to struggle to tie schooling to the common socialization of all of our country’s children into a cohesive public culture. Educational arrangements are now institutional purveyors of group identity, ethnocentricity,
religious parochialism and even racism. Similarly, our madrassa system has now also been re-arranged. It is now largely accepted that madrassa education no longer plays the strong socializing role that it once did, having to compete with the time consuming activities that our children are involved in at their schools, as well as with children’s immersion in information technologies, and peer associations. In other words, the coordinates of our children’s educational processes have been rearranged, often in the absence of an awareness of the precariousness involved in these processes. There is now an increased anxiety about our children’s educational future. We’ve noticed the creeping unemployment prospects of uneducated young people, and we’ve calculated that getting our children into the right schools is now one of our most important preoccupations. We invest large sums of money in school fees, extra-mural activities and tutorial support. We travel long distances to get our children to school, to sport practices, matches, and cultural events, in the hope of providing them positional advantage, entry to the right university, and middle class jobs.
“Our children exercise their educational aspirations in a harsh material world with great expectation and precariousness, in the hope of accessing a successful life. “ Most of these are done on credit, loan and debt arrangements, and recently an inordinate defaulting on school fees at schools. We have to contend with newer and harsher levels of survival and adaptation as the impact of the economic crisis kicks in and unemployment rises.
And, because of increasing individualization and striving to enter middle class lifestyles, we have not been responding productively as a Muslim community to the poverty that besets our city. Where do we cultivate the necessary values and dispositions for pro-poor sensibilities, anti-racist, anti-sexist living, and a commitment to sustainable futures, if not in our schools, our mosques, and madrassas? It seems then that we are now challenged to redirect our intellectual energies away from an ethnocentric focus on our individual preoccupations, or a narrow focus on our self or group-only preservation. We don’t have to succumb to the often illusive scramble for middle class entry, at the expense of a greater concern of the well being of all. We now have to develop an intellectual and educational platform that mitigates some of the negative features of our atomistic, egodriven lifestyles. More importantly, we have to somehow ignite a conversation about ethical living in this city, and what better place to start than in our educational endeavours. We have to force a more responsive conversation about the nature of our ethical responses, in our mosques, public media, and educational institutions. At the family and personal level we have to establish more productive family routines and conversations about productive living. At the madrassa level, it would mean augmenting and supplementing our rote learning pedagogies with critical, interactive ones. Children have to cultivate the ability to interpret and adapt to the challenges of contemporary times. This is not a time for anti-intellectualism or retreat into intellectual laziness. Countering individualism and ego-driven behavior can only be done by cultivating a responsive intellectual orientation that addresses the complexity of our times.
We now live our lives in a context of rising domestic poverty and unstable domestic arrangements. Life is now experienced on the basis of a generalized anxiety, greater worry and stress, amid increased levels of material deprivation. Our children exercise their educational aspirations in a harsh material world with great expectation and precariousness, in the hope of accessing a successful life. And, we struggle as a community, a city and a nation to engage in civic minded conversations about common productive living. Absent from our educational discourses are deliberations about socially just lifestyles, anti-racist and anti-sexist practices, and environmental justice. There are very few spaces for meaningful deliberation about Islamically prescribed values of neighborliness and respect for diversity.
‘Id Sa’id Wa Mubarak’ Kullu ‘Am Wa Antum Bikhayr Ma’as-Salamah Was-Sihhah May your entire year be filled with Goodness, Peace and Health
NEXT ISSUE OF AL-MIZAN 25 October 2012 Id-al Adha