Muslim Views, January 2023

Umrah maqbool wa mabroor

As we enter the Gregorian new year, we notice that a number of people have taken advantage of the holiday season to perform pilgrimage to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. Performing the Umrah is a relief for many of those who had for the past few years not been able to go on this sacred journey due to the restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the restrictions have been lifted, a number of South Africans have taken advantage of the opportunity to once again go to the two holy cities to attain spiritual rejuvenation in preparation for the holy months ahead, namely, Rajab, Sha’baan and Ramadaan. We pray that Allah SWT accept the supplications and duahs of those who have gone and will be going on Umrah. May Allah SWT make the year ahead easy for all of us and grant us, too, the honour of following in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, Insha Allah.

Photo TOYER NAKIDIEN

WHEN someone is enthusiastic and always smiling, the atmosphere around that person is never boring. There is always something to talk about

The positive energy around people with enthusiasm can lift the mood of a group of people, and can sometimes lead to increased energy for thinking and doing things that can be of benefit to an individual and to a large group of people or community. Under different conditions, that same enthusiasm can be labelled as false optimism or wishful thinking. At times, the intended enthusiasm can have the opposite effect to what was intended. Let us take an example from a society that does not exist. In this society, there are people who live in beautiful houses surrounded by mountains, trees, lakes and a number of

things that we would think of as being beautiful. There is nothing that the people who live in this make-believe world ever need. They have everything they need, and can easily afford to buy what their hearts desire. Their children are deprived of nothing. In this same society, in a different part of town, another group of people live. This group is much larger in number than the first group of people. Remember that the smaller group of people live lives in which they need nothing – they have everything they need. The larger group of people live in areas that are dull and grey –their surroundings are not green and lush, but consist of grey, broken concrete, tar and gravel. They can hardly see the mountains because the buildings in their areas are built high and close to each

other to cram as many people into the smallest space possible. The greenery in this part of the fictional town is to be seen in the small patches of vegetables that people grow in what they were told would be ‘large gardens’ when they were moved to these areas. Here there is no soothing sound of a river close by. The sounds of water in this part of town are from broken taps that have not been fixed by the municipality or other government department that is supposed to maintain these taps. There are rivers, but in this part of town the people have to endure rivers of sewage because the overflowing sewage pipes cannot be maintained and fixed with the limited budget set aside by the politicians who live on the beautiful side of the town. Now suppose that someone enthusiastically starts telling

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those of us who live on the notso-nice side of town that we should be happy to hear the sound of dripping water and smell the awful smell of sewage.

We are told that we should be overjoyed because our children have very little, as it gives us an opportunity to work hard to give them food so that they do not starve. This is told to us with enthusiasm and broad smiles.

We do not believe this even for a minute. As we enter the new Gregorian year 2023, it is important for us in the fictional part of town that smells bad and is colourless and dull, to speak loudly, and start telling others that the mountains, rivers and open green spaces, as well as the food, good jobs and savings in the bank, should be for us as well. For us, there is little to be ‘happy’ about in a new year in which each new day brings fresh misery.

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Vol. 37 No. 01 • RAJAB 1444 • JANUARY 2023

Our editorial comment represents the composite viewpoint of the Editorial Team of Muslim Views, and is the institutional voice of the newspaper. Correspondence

We are always hopeful, but hope must be grounded in reality and work

In the footsteps of Lady Fatima (RA): from Rajab to Ramadaan

SALEEMAH JAFFER

RAJAB is known to be significant for a number of reasons. The Prophet (SAW) told us that Rajab is one of the four sacred months of the Hijri calendar, and is the month of Allah ta’ala. We also know that Rajab is the month of the Isra and the Mi’raj. Our teachers repeatedly tell us that in order to reap the benefits of Ramadaan, the seeds need to be sown in Rajab.

According to many scholars, Jamad-ul-Akhir is the birth month of Sayyidah Fatima Az-Zahra (RA), the beloved youngest daughter of the Prophet (SAW). As we move from Jamaadil Aakhir to the month of Rajab, we are reminded of the duah of the Prophet (SAW): ‘O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’baan and let us reach Ramadaan.’

Reflecting on the life and legacy of Sayyidah Fatima is the perfect start to our preparations for the month of Ramadaan.

Perhaps one of the most significant gifts we have received in relation to preparing for Ramadaan is the tasbeeh of Sayyidah Fatima. Growing up, many of us were taught to do this tasbeeh after our daily fard prayers: 33 times Subhaan Allah,

33 times Alhamdulillah, 34 times Allahu Akbar.

According to the narrations, Sayyidah Fatima had requested the assistance of a servant to help her with her daily chores and work due to fatigue and exhaustion. The Prophet (SAW) asked her if she would like a better gift, and after she affirmed this, he offered her the aforementioned adhkaar.

Today, many of us struggle to manage our time, feeling completely exhausted and drained at the end of the day. The anxiety around this struggle may be especially heightened in Ramadaan, where we may find ourselves overwhelmed with trying to manage our time and maximise on the bounties and blessings of the month.

With the intention of following the sunnah, implementing the tasbeeh of Sayyidah Fatima can help us to find the time and energy we need to make the most of the blessed month. This is something small we can start doing from Rajab, in preparation for Ramadaan.

The scholars and gnostics refer to different levels of fasting, citing the abstinence of food, water and marital intimacy to be the most basic level of fasting. When one is trying to gain closeness to Allah ta’ala, one

should aspire to the fasting of the limbs and senses as well. This entails staying away from any haraam or negative spaces or actions, and keeping away from anything that distracts one from the path to Allah ta’ala.

Sayyidah Fatima was the epitome of modesty and grace, and as the leader of the women of Jannah, is the perfect role model for Muslim women to aspire to. Her manners, practices and strength guide us to practical ways to attain the pleasure of Allah ta’ala. Her service of her father (SAW), her kindness towards her children, her compassionate nature and her generosity serve as clear reminders for us today.

Sayyidah Fatima’s own household often slept with empty stomachs after having given their supper away to someone hungry at their doorstep. We should not delay in doing good and giving charity. Rajab is an excellent time to develop and implement a charity and service plan.

True generosity is giving of what we love most, for the sake of Allah ta’ala, before being asked. Our most precious resource is our time. When planning what we will be ‘giving’ in Ramadaan, we often think of it in terms of calculating our zakaah that is due, setting aside money for our

fitrah, and planning what food we will distribute to loved ones and to those who are less fortunate.

This Rajab, we can take from the life of Sayyidah Fatima, from her example and her legacy, and plan to allocate time for service. Selfless service of the creation for the sake of the Creator is one of the paths to closeness to Allah ta’ala.

Our service time can be allocated to preparing meals for loved ones or those less fortunate, assisting in cleaning the masjid, visiting the elderly or the orphans, caring for animals and the environment or even caring for one’s own family. When these actions are done with the intention to please Allah ta’ala, they become acts of worship.

Changing our mindset to doing random acts of kindness as hopeful acts of worship, to ensure our intentions are for the sake of Allah ta’ala and to be more mindful in our tasks can change our relationship with our Creator. Sayyidah Fatimah showed us this path in her actions and her words. This Rajab, let us follow her footsteps and begin our journey to Ramadaan.

We ask Allah ta’ala to bless us all in Rajab and Shabaan, and allow us to reach Ramadaan, ameen.

Saleemah Jaffer is a community researcher and facilitator. She works in the youth programming department for Madina Institute and is a student of the Alawi Husayni Ninowy Zawiyah (Spiritual School)

The writer points out that one of the most significant gifts we have received in relation to preparing for Ramadaan is the tasbeeh of Sayyidah Fatima (RA).

Photo SHUTTERSTOCK

Rajab, the Month of Allah, in preparation for Hajj

FATIMA ALLIE

THE beauty of Islam is that we follow the lunar calendar. In essence, this means that our months are either 29 or 30 days long. So, the Islamic year moves 10 days earlier, every year. This allows us to experience our Islamic months in all seasons of the year. It is the beginning of 2023 and we are in the seventh month of the Islamic calendar, namely Rajab.

The Prophet (SAW) said that Rajab is the month of Allah, and the month of our Prophet (SAW) is Sha’baan. Ramadaan is the month of the ummah. For this reason, Muslims devote their time in prayers and helping the needy during Rajab, as the good committed during the month of Allah, earns more rewards and more blessings.

Growing up in a household with

four generations, family togetherness was the cornerstone of our existence. When the month of Rajab beckoned, my great-grandmother and grandparents would speak about the importance of this month. They spoke about ‘die groot aand’ (the big night) in Rajab, namely the 27th of Rajab, the night of the Isra and the Mi’raj. We were encouraged to ‘pwaasa’ (fast) more, to keep the peace and also to practise more acts of sadaqah (charity).

As a mother and grandmother, I am reminded of the beautiful significance of Rajab. Automatically, we prepare for Sha’baan and then for Ramadaan. It is almost as if our spiritual sensors become heightened during Rajab to remind us that, as unique creations of Allah, we need to improve ourselves in order to become more beneficial to our community.

Shanaaz Parker received hidayah

from Allah to continue with her project, Hajj The Timeless Journey, that she started in 2006 when 10 deserving hujaaj were sent on an all expenses paid Hajj. Today, we once again focus on this amaanah that we as a community will fulfil, through the Mercy of Allah.

You may purchase Shanaaz Parker’s recipe books as all proceeds go towards this initiative, or make any cash donation into the banking account of Hajj The Timeless Journey. To date, Alhamdulillah, we have raised a total of R255 000.

Radio 786 and Muslim Views are proud partners to Hajj The Timeless Journey.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the Hajj process had to undergo a transformation. Slowly but

surely, the hujaaj were able to perform Hajj in 2021 and 2022 under strict rules and regulations. It is 2023, and we made contact with Sahuc, asking what the way forward was. This was their response at the time of going to print.

‘Nothing concrete, the Sahuc team departs later this week to meet with our counterparts in the KSA for concretisation of agreements – more will be informed upon our return insha Allah.’

While we await Sahuc’s recommendation, this is how you can continue to assist. Write to us and nominate a person worthy of such a gift.

The candidates must be faced with financial constraints preventing them from fulfilling the fifth pillar

of Islam. The nomination process is user friendly: Radio 786 has kindly designed an application form on their website www.radio786.co.za

Click on the ‘Hajj: The Timeless Journey’ icon and follow the prompts; your motivation should be no more than 300 words; a nominee can be nominated more than once by different people; couples can also be nominated.

Email your nominations to hajjthetimelessjourney@gmail.com

Rajab is considered to be the month of Allah, which is why Muslims pay great attention to it. Let’s start now already with our spiritual maintenance to ensure that we use Rajab as that stepping stone to a more rewarding Sha’baan, before we welcome the month of Ramadaan, the month of the ummah of our Prophet (SAW).

Khadijah (RA) a role model for Muslim women’s career paths

NONTOBEKO AISHA MKHWANAZI

SHE wakes up before dawn to perform her morning prayer, prepares breakfast for her family and then rushes to work. On arrival, she greets the security guard and the cleaner with a smile because smiling is a sunnah, and Islam has taught her to respect humankind because it’s Allah’s creation.

She walks into her job, in her beautiful hijab, oozing with kindness and care for others as taught by Prophet Muhammad (SAW). During the day, she ensures that her salaah (prayer) is done on time, upholds ethics, and her integrity is beyond measure.

After work, she rushes home to express her motherly love and care while tending to her husband. She represents the many Muslim women who are ambassadors of Islam throughout the world, who share their love, skills and knowledge as a means of serving humanity through their respective fields.

Among these many remarkable Muslim women is the dean of the Faculty of Usul al Din, at Madina Institute South Africa, Professor Khadijah Moloi.

Born in 1948, in the Vaal, Moloi has worked in the education sector for 47 years. She has held various leadership

positions at primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Her work is published in numerous academic journals and she has also published and co-published books and book chapters.

Her community involvement is exceptional throughout the globe. She has also received numerous excellence research awards from various higher institutions.

During an interview, Prof Moloi highlighted that as Muslim women set out to make a difference every day, it is important that they draw strength from the mother of the believers, Khadijah (RA) as she is a great paragon for women today.

‘As Muslim women in the 21st century, our careers should empower us to be role models, who follow role models within Islam. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (RA) is not only known as the wife of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and a remarkable mother but was also a renowned businesswoman. Her caravan equalled the caravans of all other traders of the Quraysh (the conglomerate of Meccan tribes in the 6th century) put together. Not only was her business unparalleled but so, too, was her faith, which is reflected by her enormous excellent deeds,’ says Moloi.

She encourages Muslimahs to also embrace Khadijah’s (RA) selfless character.

‘Khadijah (RA) spent her wealth to feed and clothe the poor, assist her relatives financially, and provide aid for others. This quality of hers teaches us that when Allah, the Giver, grants us wealth, we shouldn’t forget that it is from the Almighty God and we shouldn’t spend it uselessly. We should realise that with every R1 that He grants us, comes a responsibility, the responsibility of spending it in the right way,’ says Moloi.

She says that Muslim women should avoid pride no matter how much they achieve. ‘Though Khadijah (RA) was rich, intelligent and elegant, she was always humble and God-fearing. She was also known as al-Kubra (The Great). In spite of all her great qualities, there was not even an ounce of pride in her. We should try to adopt this quality and should always remember that our wealth, respect and accolades are both from Allah, and to Him shall we return.’

While there are many Muslim women, young and old, who are conflicted as to whether or not to establish careers, start businesses, Moloi says in this day and age, where a single income is not sufficient to maintain the household, where women get divorced and, after three months, find themselves swimming in poverty with no one to take care of them, Muslim women ought to start earning some form of

income, no matter how small it is.

‘We are all born with skills, talent and knowledge according to what Allah has individually blessed us with. I believe that keeping that knowledge to one’s self, in the boundaries of her home, is doing a grave injustice to other people who would have benefitted from that knowledge. Poverty eradication and community development are facets of the community which need both female and male to contribute financially in order to create a better society,’ says Moloi.

She also highlights that for a Muslim woman to have a career is a form of dawah. ‘I believe a Muslim woman should work because how else are other people going to know about Islam. Islam is not only spread in words but also in character [akhlaaq]. My character as a Muslim woman through my clothing, ethics, kindness, should speak before I even open my mouth.

‘Throughout the 47 years in which

I have worked in the education sector, when my colleagues or students tell me that I am kind, I am able to tell them that my kindness stems from Islamic values as it is among the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW),’ says Moloi.

She encourages Muslimahs to cherish their homes. ‘Respect starts at home; you can’t give respect outside if you can’t give it at home. Respect your children and husband by giving them their rights as ordained by Allah. Having a career does not mean neglecting the home but it should mean elevating the home,’ says Moloi.

She encourages Muslimahs – young and old – wishing to start careers to seek guidance from Allah. ‘Ask Him to grant you ease and let your career path be a means of pleasing Him. Work hard, seek knowledge and open your heart to serving others. Stop making excuses; take that first step and start small,’ concludes Prof Moloi.

principal – to heading education departments at the University of Johannesburg, North West University and the Vaal University of Technology (VUT). She also won first place in the prestigious Research Excellence category in the VUT Faculty of Human Sciences annual research awards. Photo YOUTUBE / MADINA INSTITUTE

WC Shura Council hosts family day event

NONTOBEKO AISHA MKHWANAZI

‘A MAJORITY of Muslims in townships who have recently started their journey in this beautiful path [Islam] often find themselves feeling isolated during the festive season. This is due to religious discrimination from their families and their inability to partake in certain festivities that are not in accordance with Islamic values and principles, leading to some viewing Islam as a lonely religion,’ says Western Cape (WC) Shura Council executive member and Sisterhood chairperson, Fawzia Gqamane. Motivated by the need to change this reality for many Muslims in WC townships, and with the aim of teaching communities about Islam and its emphasis on healthy family ties which ultimately leads to flourishing communities, the WC Shura Council under its female wing, Sisterhood, hosted a family day event which was open to people of all religions at Zandvlei Park, Muizenberg, on December 4.

People from townships such as Delft, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and Langa attended the event. ‘The event brought joy to many Muslims as they got to spend time, discuss challenges they encounter

and share tips on how to overcome their struggles on a personal level with other Muslims from other townships,’ says Gqamane.

She highlighted that the event was also a platform for dawah and a means of contributing towards creating townships where religious tolerance is a norm.

‘Among the many reasons why some people in townships dislike Islam is because they lack understanding and the little they know is based on myths and misconceptions about Islam. I believe the most effective way to explain this beautiful religion is for us as Muslims to not live in silos but to interact and engage with community members.

‘Among the many mistakes done by some Muslims is that once they embrace Islam, they then isolate themselves because they fear being judged or criticised. As a result, a gap is created between Muslims and non-Muslims, especially within families,’ says Gqamane.

She says in order to fill this gap, Islam offers a solution as it encourages family ties, and we ought to work as a collective to ensure that this is achieved.

‘The event brought families together regardless of religious affiliation. It also gave non-Muslims an opportunity to ask questions and

learn about Islam while enjoying the good weather, good company and great food. Therefore, putting them at a much better understanding of their Muslim family members’ religious choice,’ says Gqamane.

She says the event also highlighted the need for stronger brotherhood and sisterhood bonds in order to create united communities but to also create a legacy for future generations.

‘We live in a world where some of our brothers and sisters pray next to each other daily in the masjid yet they don’t even greet each other, let alone know each other’s names. How do we then help one another develop or even remind each other of Allah when this is becoming a norm?

‘We also need to ask ourselves is this the behaviour we would like our children to assimilate and if our actions are what Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught us. If not, its never too late to change and that was among the many lessons learnt during this event,’ says Gqamane.

Sixteen-year-old, Nokubongwa Shibase from Khayelitsha, one of the attendees says she was grateful to the event organisers because she learnt a lot from the event.

‘I embraced Islam early this year and although my mother has been

supportive of my journey, she still had doubts. The event gave her the opportunity to meet other mothers who are Muslim and are in a better position to explain to her what is Islam. She may not have accepted Islam yet but I hope Allah grants her hidayah [guidance].

‘I am happy because now I am confident that with her support my journey will be easier. It’s hard to be a young Muslim living in the township, and I would like to think it’s harder when your own family is not supportive. I am also grateful because I also got to meet

attendee, says there needs to be more such events because they bring hope for a better future. ‘Islam is a beautiful religion and this beauty needs to be shown to the world. The event brought joy to my heart as I was able to interact with sisters from various communities and relax as I observe nature.’

Yaseen Mbanjwa, a 34-year-old from Khayelitsha, says he wishes more males would be part of such events. ‘There is this misconception within our communities that such events are for women, which is not true. Males are also part of families and should attend in order for us as communities to build a

in Zandvlei Park, Muizenberg.

Photo FAWZIA GQAMANE

Inspiration for the youth as they journey to new ventures

NONTOBEKO AISHA MKHWANAZI

AS the year 2023 begins, thousands of youth set out to find employment or pursue higher education. Like any journey, this has challenges, especially since it entails a new environment and meeting different people from all walks of life, who have different values and morals. With the release of the 2022 matric results, for some Muslim prospective students, the excitement of going to university or college is accompanied

Institute alumnus, medical doctor and co-ordinator of Youth Breeze, a youtube channel under the Al-Ikhlaas Academia Library, which offers the youth a platform to engage in innovative and contemporary ideas, says it is important for the youth to remember that Islam is a way of life and everything that a Muslim ought to do is an expression of Islam.

‘So, studying law, medicine, art, finance, engineering etc., these are all ways in which Islam can be expressed because all these courses are designed to provide benefit and service to humanity, plants, environment etc.

‘Allah has expressed through the Quran that He loves those who do good (3:134). Therefore, as you begin this journey, try and express gratitude for your blessings at all times, and whatever good you do, do it with humility because you’re doing it with the brain, heart and hands that are given to you by Allah,’ says Dr Amien.

He urges the youth to have patience. ‘You are going to face a lot of hardships in your journey, so it is vital that you understand that hardships come from the Creator and there is divine wisdom behind the challenges that one faces.

‘Challenges are also an incredible means of growth and are an opportunity for us to develop patience, and Allah in the Quran has also mentioned that he loves those who

have patience (3:146), He guides and rewards them.’

He highlights that as the youth set out to different avenues, they should develop a relationship with the Quran and hadith as it gives you guidance, teaches you discipline and how to interact with different people.

‘Being a young person in today’s world is very hard with the pressure from peers, family, community, social media, financial backgrounds etc. This is among the major reasons why we as the youth need Islam in our lives as it gives us permanent solutions instead of the harmful temporary solutions some of the youth turn to, like smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs,’ says Dr Amien.

According to Research and Development Professor in Transformation, at Stellenbosch University, Professor Aslam Fataar, the youth ought to develop a firm set of practices to integrate into university, college or even the workplace.

‘They must be disciplined in adhering to norms of good conduct, excellent relationships, and give clear messages to let everyone know what they would tolerate from others who may not share their moral commitments, lifestyles etc. They must respect others and strictly perform their religious obligations as it is key to signalling to others in one’s environment that one is not about

to become embroiled in side-tracking behaviour,’ says Fataar.

He highlights that finding one’s feet in university or college can be a bewildering experience. ‘Make sure that you participate in the orientation week. Make it clear you have certain religious requirements such as halaal food, prayer times, fasting and Eid etc. Join with other Muslim students to ensure that residences and classes have adequate facilities and arrangements etc,’ says Fataar.

With the youth unemployment rate at 60 per cent in South Africa, the young person seeking employment is faced with a major challenge. Fataar says communities must develop support systems and information sharing about skills, training, mentorship and work opportunities in order to help the youth with the unemployment crisis.

‘The youth should be encouraged to keep positive, and stay on course in a range of virtuous practices in the community, such as charity, social welfare, good friendships and support for younger siblings and children,’ says Fataar.

Madina Institute alumnus, lawyer and human rights activist, Zainab Chirwa, says among the most important things Muslim students should do is to ensure that their intention for studying is pleasing Allah as this also makes their journey a

means of worshipping Allah. She cautions prospective students and employees. ‘It is Allah who has facilitated this opportunity for you. Therefore, it’s important to be careful who you befriend. Ensure that those you befriend do not encourage you towards actions that are displeasing to Allah. One of the best things about university or the workplace is how diverse it is. So, stand in your ‘difference’ proudly,’ says Chirwa. She urges communities to support students who did not do well in their matric finals. ‘All good and bad is from Allah. Failing matric is not the end of the road. Reach out to your high school on the avenues you can take to rewrite your exams. There are many successful stories of people who’ve rewritten their matric and achieved their dreams. There are many factors that lead to students not performing well in their final exams. Let us be supportive and ensure that our young people pursue their goals,’ says Chirwa.

She encourages the youth who are struggling to find jobs. ‘As Muslims, we should remind ourselves once again, that Allah is our Provider and Sustainer. Brush up that CV. There are so many resources to help you with employment on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Google etc. Apply for internships and learnerships. Upskill yourself if possible. There are free online courses. Do your best and Allah will do the rest,’ advises Chirwa.

Deal decisively with dehumanising institutional culture, or step aside

incidents are a reflection. The report was the focus of a panel discussion, and panellists built consensus around the need for the university to adopt and act on its practical recommendations.

role in opening up space for these conversations.

I APPROACHED the conference as someone who will, Godwilling, be completing a Master’s in Education Policy Studies through Stellies over the next couple of years. It is this part of me that wanted to develop a deeper understanding of the context of race, class, gender, sexuality, in Stellenbosch, and the extent to which this context enables or forecloses the realisation of more just, dignified and equitable futures. It was with this core intention that I registered for the conference, in the hope that it would shed some light on these questions.

My entering into Stellenbosch as an outsider to the town felt jarring. As I walked down Van Riebeeck Street to get to the conference venue, I couldn’t help but wonder as to what historical narratives of Jan van Riebeeck are taught in this town that would continue to warrant streets being named after him, 28 years into a seemingly post-apartheid dispensation.

Whose narratives are consequently left out, silenced or conveniently ignored? What role have these narratives (or the violent erasure thereof) played in shaping the foundations on which this town was built?

And how might decolonisation as a reclamation and recentring of marginalised historical narratives function to challenge these foundations and enable new ways of being – that aren’t premised on white supremacy and antiblackness – to be embodied? Such questions are not limited to street names but are intrinsically tied to the theme of visual redress at the university, which the conference explored.

The conference required us to reflect deeply on the meanings of transformation in the context of a university that has a long, complex history which is intrinsically connected to the development of Afrikaner nationalist ideologies and theologies, the institutionalisation of apartheid, and the formalisation of ideas that continue to shape and inform racialised relationships and configurations of power within and beyond the town.

Building on the critical interventions of the Fallist movements, it challenged us to hold the institution of Stellenbosch University accountable to its purported values and commitments, given the roles that it continues to play

– through its structures, policies and institutional cultures – in maintaining patterns of exclusion and marginalisation.

It is these roles that Justice Sisi Khampepe sought to investigate through the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of Racism at Stellenbosch University. The immediate context of the conference was the recent release of the commission’s report, which confirmed (albeit not in these words) what many black students at the university have been saying for years: that the cumulative effect of exclusionary language policies, unwillingness to uproot cultures of white supremacy that are embedded in the university’s foundations, and failure to deal decisively with racists who are hell-bent on obstructing any efforts towards transformation, is the reproduction of an institutional culture that is not just unwelcoming, but deeply dehumanising. In so doing, the report highlights that racism needs to be dealt with not in terms of isolated incidents but on deeper systemic, institutional and cultural levels, of which such

Despite the inherent limitations of attempting to engage transformation work through a university – which is constrained by colonial logics and epistemologies – the conference did, at the very least, create opportunities for new shifts and insights to emerge.

From what I was able to observe, the conference allowed us to crystallise our intentions; to build community with people who are sincerely committed to effecting change within their respective spheres of influence; and to see ourselves in relation to the systems and communities of which we are a part, including the university as it shapes and relates to the broader context of Stellenbosch.

In addition to creating a space for conceptual insights about race and institutional transformation to be presented, our being in places such as Lynedoch, Cloetesville, Kayamandi, the Moederkerk – all of which continue to be shaped and conditioned by colonial relations of power – illustrated the ethical urgency of taking this work seriously.

Moreover, these visits forced us to reckon with the more problematic aspects of the university’s relationship with neighbouring communities, including the tendency towards deeply extractive patterns of research, the reproduction of racist tropes in how people from communities are represented (as argued by Professor Jonathan Jansen in his keynote address), and the relative lack of attention paid to structural barriers that prevent black school students from accessing the university in the first place.

On a more personal level, these site visits gave us an opportunity to reflect on how race conditions and shows up in our own lives, especially as some participants came from the very communities that we visited.

It was particularly moving to witness just how deeply the discourse that collectively emerged from the conference resonated with people – be it in terms of those who, in their own lives, have had to overcome significant structural barriers to be where they are today, or those who demonstrated a willingness to listen and connect to the pain that their own ancestors wrought as architects of the very systems that we are now trying to change. The conference played a significant

While there are those who choose to live in denial about the prevalence of systemic and institutional racism, the fact of the matter is that all of us have a vested interest in being free of these systems – systems which have, for so long, conditioned us to view ourselves and each other through the lens of white supremacy.

These systems have entrenched harmful and oppressive ways of being, which don’t dehumanise just those on the receiving end of oppression but also those who seemingly benefit from these systems (to paraphrase Paulo Freire).

These systems have done little to facilitate the sort of deep healing and reparation (in material, psychosocial and relational terms) that our society so desperately needs.

Until and unless we commit to acknowledging, understanding and repairing the harm that these systems have caused, and until we recognise that transformation in its deepest sense must bring about a change in the condition of our hearts – in conjunction with political will, tangible action and a commitment to the systematic overhaul of society’s oppressive structures – we will continue to obstruct the realisation of more dignified, loving and just futures.

This article was originally published by LitNet and can be accessed online at: https://www.litnet.co.za/deal-decisively-withdehumanising-institutional-culture-or-stepaside/

The Faculty of Theology building at Stellenbosch University. During the apartheid era this faculty in particular, and the university in general, had an intrinsic connection to the development of Afrikaner nationalism and the institutionalisation of apartheid.

Photo SHUTTERSTOCK / MAGDALENA PALUCHOWSKA

AASIF BULBULIA reflects on the Race and Transformation in Higher Education Conference that was held at Stellenbosch University from November 15 to 17, last year.

AqsaWeek: highlighting a symbol of resistance and a focal point of unity

DR ISMAIL PATEL details the importance of AqsaWeek, an annual international campaign that focuses on one of Islam’s holiest sanctuaries, in light of the illegal Zionist occupation and its apartheid regime.

AL-AQSA Sanctuary, in Jerusalem, is one of the greatest symbols of Muslims. It is the holiest Islamic site in Jerusalem and has been a fundamental part of Muslims worldwide. Since the Israeli occupation of Al-Aqsa Sanctuary in 1967, Muslims have had restricted access, and the sanctity of this holy site has been jeopardised. Intrinsically linked to the dangers facing Al-Aqsa Sanctuary is the plight of the Palestinians. The Al-Aqsa Sanctuary is a symbol of resistance against Israeli occupation and of all the oppressed around the world. AqsaWeek – to be observed from February 13 to February 19 – is launched to highlight the heritage, emphasise the sacredness and build a love for Al-Aqsa Sanctuary:

• AqsaWeek is to provide an awareness of Al-Aqsa Sanctuary and revive Muslims’ heritage;

• AqsaWeek emphasises the centrality of Al-Aqsa Sanctuary and its long heritage of resistance to

Crusader occupation and now to Zionism;

• AqsaWeek is to reignite the devotion and love for a symbol of unity;

• AqsaWeek has a broader purpose of providing a voice for those silenced through subjugation and restoring dignity amongst the dispossessed globally.

The website www.aqsaweek. org.uk provides resources and more details on AqsaWeek.

AqsaWeek is commemorated every year and coincides with the Night Journey of the Prophet (SAW) on 27 Rajab, the seventh month in the Islamic calendar.

Although a UK NGO, Friends of Al-Aqsa, launched AqsaWeek, the event has gone global. AqsaWeek belongs to all Muslims and people seeking justice.

• AqsaWeek is for those who consider freedom of expression a fundamental right.

• AqsaWeek is a means to express sentiments against occupation and colonisation.

• AqsaWeek belongs to all, and each individual must do what they can during this week.

• The ownership of AqsaWeek rests with all fair-minded people.

Since the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, the attacks on Al-Aqsa have increased. Groups like Temple Mount Faithful publicly call for Masjid Al-Aqsa’s destruction. The extremists in Israeli society are now being supported by some Israeli ministers. On January 3, 2023, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem.

AqsaWeek is thus a platform to bring to the fore the dangers Al-Aqsa and the Palestinians face. AqsaWeek is not a one-off event but a platform to spur the global community to work and help protect Al-Aqsa and safeguard the Palestinian people.

AqsaWeek is an avenue to create pressure groups to lobby governments, expand BDS and increase the campaign for justice in countries around the world for Palestine.

AqsaWeek is also to show united global sympathy for Al-Aqsa. Individuals and organisations in many countries highlight the plight of Al-Aqsa. However, these efforts in different countries are seen in isolation. Using the [hashtag] #LoveAqsa in AqsaWeek will highlight the global love for Al-Aqsa.

Without united international pressure, the Israeli extremists will fulfil their destructive ambition.

AqsaWeek thus is a deterrent against Israeli extremist aspirations.

AqsaWeek should be marked by organising varied events that bring to the fore the centrality of Al-Aqsa Sanctuary and the plight of the Palestinians. The events should also recognise other oppressed and colonised people and the need to cooperate against oppressors.

AqsaWeek should be used to teach Muslims and non-Muslims of the great heritage of Al-Aqsa Sanctuary and how to support the occupied people.

AqsaWeek should be organised in mosques and include schools, universities, workplaces, community centres, museums, councils, parliaments and other public buildings.

AqsaWeek is an opportunity to educate ourselves and our friends about one of the most significant symbols of Muslims. It is to help mobilise global advocacy for Al-Aqsa Sanctuary, the Palestinians and subjugated worldwide.

Remember to use #LoveAqsa throughout AqsaWeek.

Governments, Muslim institutes, schools and organisation have endorsed AqsaWeek. The Department of Religious Affairs in Turkey and Malaysia, including the Iraqi

government and Palestinian Awqaf promoted AqsaWeek 2022. The support stretched from South Africa to Australia and from England across the Mediterranean countries to Canada. Let us make AqsaWeek 2023 more prominent and effective. Arrange an event and use #LoveAqsa.

Aqsa belongs to us all and the success of AqsaWeek is our collective responsibility.

For details about AqsaWeek programmes across the country, contact Hafidh Ebrahim Moosa on +27 62 301 2960; or Shaikh Shahied Esau, +27 82 704 5378. Visit our website, www. muslimviews.co.za which will keep readers updated.

Dr Ismail Patel is founder and chair of Friends of Al-Aqsa, a UK-based organisation demanding equality and justice in Palestine, and standing up against Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid regime.

AqsaWeek, an international campaign to be observed from February 13 to 19, will provide an awareness of AlAqsa Sanctuary to emphasise its long heritage of resistance to Crusader occupation and now to Zionism.

Photo FRIENDS OF AL-AQSA, UK

AMA fills NGO gap in remote parts of Lebanon and Afghanistan amidst harsh winter

NADDA OSMAN

AMA has started distributing winter rescue packages for families living in refugee tents in Lebanon as well as in remote villages in Afghanistan as conditions worsen.

Fires ravaging through camps and englufing everything have become all too familiar in Lebanon’s refugee camps. As the biting cold hits the camps, families resort to burning their possessions, including food and plastic sheets to stay warm. This often results in raging fires which devastate hundreds of tents, however, families are left with no other option if they are to survive the winter.

‘There are days where I don’t eat so my younger siblings can get some food,’ an 18-year-old girl living in a refugee camp in Lebanon’s western Beqaa region told the AMA team.

The ground in the camp is muddied and pools of water collect after heavy rainfall. Inside the tents, which some of the refugees have lived in for years, the floor is covered with rain water, despite this being where people sleep.

Every winter, temperatures in the Beqaa region of Lebanon reach -4 degrees Celsius, with snowfall

blanketing large areas. Without proper infrastructure, dirty water seeps into the tents before they fully collapse, leaving people homeless.

AMA has responded by launching a Winter Rescue campaign, with emergency assistance, including heaters, food, clothing, blankets and water.

Sitting on the cold floor, a Syrian refugee says that the conditions have left her unable to see a reason to live.

‘Sometimes I wish that I wasn’t alive so I wouldn’t have to go through this,’ a teenage Syrian refugee told us during a visit to one of the camps. Besides having her own children to look after, the girl’s mother has also adopted a young boy, whose father died and mother abdanoned because she was unable to provide for him.

The winter rescue assistance is well received by the refugees living in the camps, particularly those living in hardto-reach areas, which some residents tell AMA have not been visited by NGOs for over six months.

Winter rescue in Afghanistan

A similar situation is unfolding in Afghanistan, where snowfall has already started to cover large swathes of land. In remote villages hidden in the mountains, NGOs and emergency

aid rarely get there.

Long, winding roads become even more treacherous during the winter, with many NGOs and charities not willing to take the risk to travel. Millions of people are immediately cut off due to the poor access to villages.

Snow covering the mountains and a lack of clean water also makes it increasingly difficult for people to earn a livelihood as it becomes almost impossible to go to work, grow crops or sustain livestock.

The situation is difficult for almost everyone as people are left to fend for themselves and find different ways to find food and clean water. Some will wait for their neighbours to finish eating to see if there are any left-overs, while others will ration bread to make sure it lasts for days.

With the price of basic goods swelling, and any income shrinking significantly, basic goods such as firewood are hard to obtain.

People living in remote villages told AMA that every winter comes with extreme anxiety and fears of what could happen, particularly to young children who have poor immunity.

Last year, the UN’s refugee agency spokesman, Babar Baloch, highlighted the urgency of getting emergency aid

into Afghanistan before winter is fully underway. ‘Winter in Afghanistan can kill if people do not have the resources and if you end up being under the open skies,’ he said. ‘So it is really merciless. It is very important to get that support to reach more and more Afghans as soon as possible,’ he added.

As Afghanistan becomes one of the world’s worst emergencies around the world, AMA has been on the ground filling in gaps where other NGOs have not been able to reach.

Through AMA’s winter rescue campaign, we ensure that local people are empowered and involved in the process of their development and needs. AMA consults locals and has

staff on the ground, regularly carrying out monitoring and evaluation in an effort to support those most in need.

Women-headed households, which are already at a higher risk of child marriage, gender-based violence and abuse as basic essentials become even more scarce are in even greater need of support. By including women in decision-making processes and consulting them for their needs, AMA is slowly breaking the cycle of poverty.

Contact details: Hussain Choonara: +27 81 030 8241; www. africamuslimsagency.co.za

Follow AMA on Instagram (@africamuslimsagency), Facebook (@AfricaMuslimsAgency), Twitter (AMASDirectAid)

During the winter months, entire villages become cut off from hospitals, markets, schools and work, leaving millions of people at risk. Photo FARSHAD OMARI

Zakah at a glance

SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS

ZAKAH is one of the five fundamental institutions of Islam. It is second only to prayer as an essential article of the faith. Zakah forms an integral, compulsory and inseparable part of the Islamic way of life. The non-observance or neglect of zakah is tantamount to a negation of the faith itself.

The early Meccan revelations emphasised the moral aspect of zakah and persuaded Muslims to offer it voluntarily. It was not until the second year of Hijrah that zakah was made obligatory on all Muslims.

An example of one of these revelation is: ‘Zakah is for the poor and the needy and those employed to collect the funds, and for those whose hearts are inclined towards the faith, and to free the captive, and for those in debt, and in the cause of Allah, and for the traveller, a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is AllKnower, All-Wise.’ (Quran 9:60)

Apart from zakah, which is an obligatory charity, Islam also encourages voluntary giving, known as sadaqah. This voluntary alms giving is not just mere handouts to the poor for self-gratification or

public show. On the contrary, it serves to confirm our faith in a Generous God that smiles upon the generous spirit.

Sadaqah knows no distinction of status, race or even creed. It begins with one’s family, and then extends to the poor, the traveller and even the enemy. Allah Almighty declares: ‘They feed (others) for the love of Him: destitute, orphan and captive.’

(Quran 76:8)

‘For the love of Him,’ means that sadaqah must be given for the pleasure of Allah alone and for no other reason. It may be given in secret or openly as an example for others to emulate. ‘If you give alms in public, for others to see, it is well: but if you conceal your alms, and give them to the poor, it will be better for you.’ (Quran 2:271)

Sadaqah is thus a tangible prayer of thanksgiving to Allah for His Bounty, Faith and Charity. ‘It is not righteousness that you turn your faces toward the east and the west. True righteousness is this: to have faith in Allah and the Last Day, the angels, the scriptures and the Prophets; to give of one’s wealth, though it may be cherished, to the next of kin and the orphans, the destitute and the wayfarer, to the

needy and for the redemption of slaves; to observe regular worship and to give the obligatory alms. Those who fulfil their covenant having bound themselves by it and those who are patient in misfortune and adversity and in times of strife: these are true in their faith; these are the God-fearing.’ (Quran 2:177)

Both worship and responsibility are the hallmarks of a true Muslim. Allah ascribed to man the role of His vicegerent on earth. The execution of this responsibility becomes in itself an act of worship. Muslims, individually and collectively, are bound ‘to enjoin acts of righteousness and goodness, and to forbid acts of wickedness and depravity’. Enjoining good is not simply preaching to others and avoiding evil. It is actively sharing your own material, spiritual and intellectual wealth with others, be it little or much.

To give and to share with others are of the greatest expressions of righteousness; that is zakah means purification, wholesomeness or health. It also means, in a figurative sense, the contribution that every Muslim of means, man and woman, must make for poverty eradication and social upliftment, and to subsidise establishments and works of public welfare for the benefit and progress of civil society.

‘Zakah is both discipline and

freedom. As a discipline, zakah has been made a fareedah (an obligatory act of worship) which every Muslim, man and woman, rich and poor must fulfil. Zakah engenders freedom because sharing and giving liberates man from greed, selfishness and pride.

‘And believers, men and women, are protectors of one another, they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they establish regular prayer and they pay the zakah, and they obey Allah and His Messenger. On them Allah has bestowed mercy.

Allah is Mighty, Wise.’ (Quran 9:71)

‘Islam is the faith of Divine Oneness (touheed). Simply expressed, touheed is the conviction and witnessing that there is no god but God. This statement, brief to the utmost limits of brevity, carries the greatest and richest meanings in the whole of Islam.

Sometimes, a whole culture, a whole civilisation, or a whole history lies compressed in one sentence. This certainly is the case of the kalimah (pronouncement) or shahaadah (witnessing) of Islam.

Zakah, an integral part of touheed and purifier of body and spirit, penetrates every facet of the life of the Muslim and his community. Prayers, fasting, the pilgrimage and striving in Allah’s cause (jihaad) are also acts of zakah, for these also

purify the hearts and minds of true believers.

The stand of Caliph Abu Abkr (RA)

The early history of Islam offers a practical example of the stand taken by Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (RA), successor to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), when certain tribes refused to pay zakah. Faced with what Abu Bakr (RA) saw as a crisis, he sent Khalid Ibn al-Walid at the head of an army to force the recalcitrant tribes to abide by the payment of zakah.

In reply to Khalid’s exhortation to fulfil his obligation, Malik Ibn Nuwaira said: ‘I will keep the prayer but not give the zakah.’ Whereupon Khalid retorted: ‘Do you not know that the prayer and the zakah are complementary, and that the one is not accepted without the other?’

In order to overcome their unyielding attitude and compel them to carry out the terms of their Islamic covenant, Abu Bakr (RA) did not hesitate to fight against the dissident tribes and subdue them by force of arms.

This was the first and last time in the history of man that an army was commissioned to compel the rich to fulfil their financial obligations to the needy members of society.

For more information contact www.sanzaf.org.za

The awqafability of SMEs

HISHAM DAFTERDAR

THE institution of waqf is a feature of the socio-economic makeup of Muslim society, and one of the most effective mechanisms of its unity.

Awqaf contributed effectively in creating a holistic system for unifying Muslims and serving their social and welfare needs. The waqf, as an Islamic institution to combat poverty and enhance welfare, has a developmental role to boost the economy and complement government’s social initiatives.

SMEs are receiving increasing attention in developing countries because they address the economic disparity between regions, and contribute to economic growth and sustainable development. They create jobs, produce goods, provide services, reduce poverty and raise living standards. In this light, many of the fundamentals of the SMEs are consistent with the broader goals of awqaf.

There is a close and mutually beneficial relationship between awqaf and the small and medium scale enterprise (SME) sector. The

concept of the waqf as a financier of SMEs arises from its mission to play an effective role in social and economic development.

SMEs enable awqaf to maintain equilibrium between ‘give’ and ‘take’. Awqaf as givers enable the SMEs to realise their potential and be profitable, while as takers the SMEs enable awqaf to be profitable while being charitable.

Being a small enterprise does not mean being restricted or limited. Nearly all businesses start as small entities with low amounts of capital and very few employees. Many large companies around the world started as small businesses with an idea for a product or a service to meet a market need.

Notwithstanding SMEs’ important contribution to the economy and their potential for growth, they face a number of financial and operational difficulties, and many fail as a result of one or a combination of the two.

SMEs need financial resources to start, equip and run their businesses. Access to finance is a major constraint. SMEs often find it difficult to access adequate

capital and affordable finance as in many cases they fail to meet ‘the threshold of bankability’ requirement of banks and financial institutions.

There are also non-financial and operational constraints, such as limited production capacity, poor market access and low level of managerial skills. All these issues expose the SME to risk of failure.

Lack of succession planning is another big issue facing SMEs. Without proper succession planning, SMEs will have relatively short survival horizon. Awqaf and SMEs can complement each other. In many respects, awqaf and the SME sector have common goals and complementary roles in community involvement. Awqaf organisations are viewed as centres of community assistance.

SMEs on their part are much closer to their communities than larger companies. They are more dependent on their customers, employees, neighbours and other key stakeholders, and therefore are better attuned and more responsive to community needs.

Awqaf financing is not just to build a business, but to build people who then build

the business. SME owners are known to be entrepreneurs who are creative, innovative and technically capable, but are not strong on finance or management.

Awqaf can raise capital and channel needed resources, and provide advisory services to competent entrepreneurs who have business propositions that have good prospects of succeeding.

Awqaf’s support of SMEs is not a matter of just providing concessional finance or giving benevolent loans to new or existing SMEs. Experience from many countries shows that if the enterprise prospects depend entirely on grants or low-cost funds, it will have little or no chance of surviving and standing on its own feet.

Awqaf must examine closely the extent to which the solvency of the SME is based on the availability of this ‘cheap capital’. Moreover, awqaf does not want to be regarded as an institution which subsidises uneconomic enterprises.

Partnership between a waqf and an SME can be short or long term, ranging from working together to deliver a one-off programme to a more permanent relationship. The close relationship between

awqaf and the SMEs can provide reciprocal benefits.

Awqaf can provide the capital and the financial support needed by the SME. Awqaf have the means to raise capital and mobilise financing for SME projects. Awqaf can also link projects to target sponsors and donor groups.

SMEs, on their part, represent vehicles for awqaf to deploy surplus capital and earn potentially good returns from projects that harmonise with awqaf purposes. SMEs can also be used to develop and convert awqaf’s undeveloped properties into revenue generating projects serving awqaf organisations in sustaining themselves over the long-term.

Hisham Dafterdar, CPA, PhD, is Chairman of Awkaf Australia Ltd.

A ‘fiercely dedicated teacher’ and ‘fearless activist’ passes on

GRIEF continues to overwhelm us on a daily basis as we lose distinguished members of our community.

We sadly lost Mr Allan Liebenberg, a distinguished educationist and a dedicated

Allan Liebenberg passed away on January 7, 2023, at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer. A close associate, Donald Neumann, said Liebenberg, who grew up in Lansdowne and attended Livingstone High

Letters to the Editor

and fearless activist. His life story is one of admiration. He achieved his dreams and aspirations and set ablaze a path of enlightenment for all who knew him.

He was a beacon in the darkness and a hope that gave learners and the oppressed courage and strength to lead their lives. The community will sorely miss the best educator we had ever been blessed with.

Allan was an absolute timeless

School, attributed his political awakening to the murder of Imam Abdullah Haron in 1969 at the hands of the apartheid government.

Liebenberg studied education at the University of the Western

Letters to the Editor

Kindly include your full name and address. Letters must not exceed 500 words.

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icon. He had command of his school and had control of every student’s attention span. His teaching credentials put him in a league of his own. His unmatched level of kindness, a truly loving spirit, and his intellectual prowess instilled a measure of confidence in those whom he guided in a glittering educational career. He epitomised the richness of humanity and enveloped

Cape, and was elected as SRC chairperson during his first year. As a teacher at Parkwood High School, he was routinely harassed by the Department of Coloured Affairs. He later went on to become the principal

every situation with class and charm. His caring demeanour and leadership will remain unparalleled in our geographical neighbourhood. A fiercely dedicated teacher and a tremendous taskmaster, any were blessed for being under his tutelage. His unwavering focus on goals and meticulous planning are the footprints he leaves behind.

Allan was not only a dedicated educator; he was also an

at Crestway High School in the late 1990s, and started the Western Cape Governing Body Association serving predominantly marginalised schools. He also served at various levels of the Western Province

exceptional role model in how to conduct one’s life with dignity and, above all, in uncompromising honesty and integrity.

The entire community suffers an immeasurable loss from the passing away of Mr Allan Liebenberg, a truly unique individual who deserves to have a memorial of recognition in his honour.

Farouk Araie Benoni, Gauteng

Senior Schools Sports Union (WPSSSU). Apart from several 14-days periods of detention without trial, Liebenberg was detained in 1980 and 1985 for periods extending to 90 days.

[Source: www.iol.co.za]

MADRASSATUL KHAYR, under the auspices and administration of the Hospital Welfare and Muslim Educational Movement (HWMEM) provides partially visually-impaired and completely visually-impaired individuals an opportunity to seek knowledge of Quran, Fiqh, Touheed and Akhlaq through the medium of Braille and audio equipment. Braille is a medium of communication that enables members of the visually impaired community to read, share and experience the beauty of the glorious Quran and allied literature. The madrasah is unique in that it is the only one of its kind in the Western Cape. On December 10, 2022, the madrasah held its year-end function, where Ismail Dollie read the Quran in Arabic in Braille, while his wife, Thuria, read the Braille version of the English translation. The couple, from Mitchells Plain, are long-standing students of Madrassatul Khayr. The weekly Saturday afternoon classes have a diverse range of age groups and are offered free to those eager to learn. The madrasah provides transport for the students to and from their residences. The teaching staff of the madrasah includes, amongst others, the principal, Shaikh Shaheed August, teacher, Hafidh Ansaaf Saul, and volunteer, Sister Rufeeda Doutie. Families who have visually-impaired or blind children and relatives are encouraged to make use of the opportunity availed by Madrassatul Khayr. This sometimes could be their only source of hope and encouragement. For further information contact Mohammed Omar-Khalfey, the madrasah administrator and assistant secretary of the HWMEM on 082 491 7488. Photo AKKIL BREY

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HERE is to Twenty-twenty Free! Free from all the things that limit you from being the best version of yourself, and that begins with putting your best foot forward. The best foot sometimes starts with the dreaded B-word: budgeting.

Unfortunately, the word ‘budget’ has often been misconstrued and associated with negative connotations but, in reality, a budget is simply a plan for your money.

Budgeting means you’re spending with purpose before the month begins. It doesn’t limit one’s freedom as perceived by some. Rather, it’s really all about being intentional with where your money goes and getting on track with your finances. It’s all about perspective.

Focus on Finance

Budgeting for the year ahead

This could range from having student loans to maxed out credit cards due to the December frenzy and January extraexpenses.

Check in on your emergency fund.

budgeting contingency plan for when things get a little complicated. Be flexible enough in your budget to ensure you’re able to make these changes.

Whatever the case may be for you, start 2023 with these helpful budgeting nuggets.

Review your financial goals.

Take a moment to figure out what your financial resolutions and overall goals are in 2023. Determine exactly why you want to start saving and thereafter distinguish between short-term savings goals and long-term savings goals.

As you gradually achieve your short-term goals, you may realise how it is possible to save money and be in control of your finances. And this can make your long-term goals feel increasingly attainable. However, be smart and realistic because there’s nothing more disheartening than setting an idealised, yet totally unattainable goal and watching it become increasingly impossible to achieve.

Once you have decided on your financial goal, begin estimating how much you need to set aside each month

in order to reach this goal. As you start making specific financial goals for 2023, also take note of any outdated goals or ones already achieved. Avoid setting any goals that are no longer relevant to you.

Review your expenses.

In a budget, your expenses break down into three categories. These are fixed expenses, which typically stay the same each month, variable expenses, which change and fluctuate from month to month, and periodic expenses, which only happen once or a few times each year.

Have a clear understanding of each expense so you can properly allocate your income to pay for it. This further allows you to better understand your spending habits.

Pay off any debt.

If you have debt, paying it off needs to be a top priority. It’s critical to make a plan to get out of any form of debt.

If you utilised a portion of the fund to pay for an urgent expense already this year, make it a top priority to replenish the fund. Furthermore, consider actively contributing to this fund throughout the year. The more you can set aside into your emergency fund, the more you’ll have in your financial safety net.

Keep building your savings. Continue to keep setting aside a percentage of your income toward your savings. When possible, arrange for an automatic withdrawal from your checking account to a savings account. Automating keeps you from questioning whether you should put some money into savings because it is already there.

Pay attention to your budget yearround. Life happens! While 2023 could be the year you meet your financial goals, it could also be the year when unexpected challenges disrupt some of those plans.

Life always comes with a few surprises so it’s a good idea to have a

Quite evidently, a budget is restrictive, and its primary purpose is to guide your spending within your means. But properly done, it can also be the key to unlocking more financial freedom.

Your financial wellbeing and getting the most out of your money are important. Remember that there’s no reason to manage your monetary affairs alone, speak to an expert advisor and get assistance.

Best of savings in 2023!

Please note that the above is for information purposes only and does not constitute tax/financial advice. As everyone’s personal circumstances vary, we recommend they seek advice on the matter. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, Nexia SAB&T does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or errors contained herein. For any queries or further information, please contact: Hassen Kajie (Entrepreneurial Business Services Director, Cape Town) Mobile: (+27) 82 333 3389; Email: hassen@nexia-sabt.co.za

Yousuf Hassen (Entrepreneurial Business Services Director, Centurion) Mobile: (+27) 82 333 3376; Email: yhassen@nexia-sabt.co.za

TINASHE CHIPATISO, a tax and corporate consultant at Nexia SAB&T, provides some budgeting tips for the year ahead.

Welcoming 2023 with a special focus on the power of education

EBRAUHIM ALLIE

THE past few months have been overwhelming for millions in Pakistan. The worst climate disaster in the history of Pakistan has affected the lives of more than 33 million people across 116 districts.

Families have laid to rest their loved ones, with the floods taking the lives of more than 1 700 people, including 646 children, and injuring at least 12 000 people. Over 2,2 million homes were damaged or destroyed, forcing at least seven million people into displacement, having no shelter, safety and security.

Vital infrastructure, such as public health facilities, water systems and schools have been devastated or washed away. The situation in Pakistan is critical, with more than nine million people in dire need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

The aftermath of the flash floods has exacerbated the country’s financial crisis, with millions of businesses and livelihoods devastated by the

floods. Over 4,4 million acres of crops and orchards are currently underwater, with Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh being the worst affected.

This devastation to the harvest season has caused a massive shortage of staple foods, such as rice, flour, vegetables and fruit in the markets. A spike in food prices adds a significant burden on families struggling to survive this disaster.

As the floodwaters are receding, it is evident that the crisis has become an acute survival crisis. People are frail, hungry and fighting a battle against severe acute malnutrition, diarrhoea, malaria, dengue fever, typhoid, acute respiratory infections and painful skin conditions; the situation on the ground is intense.

Islamic Relief has been responding to the needs of millions of people suffering from the worst climate disaster in the history of Pakistan. Living in miserable conditions, with nothing to eat after losing their livelihoods and homes, people are much in need.

Our teams are assisting and

have distributed tents, food baskets, drinking water, tarpaulin sheets, hygiene kits, multipurpose cash grants, newborn baby kits and kitchen sets to around 600 000 vulnerable people and families.

Your support enabled us to provide food packs, kitchen sets, hygiene kits and tents to 112 380 individuals in Noshki and Quetta, Balochistan. We have reached out to 287 730 individuals with food packs, household kits and tarpaulin sheets in Malir-Karachi, Thatta, Dadu and Mirpur Khas, Sindh.

Deprived of safe and clean drinking water, Islamic Relief, in collaboration with Unicef, has distributed over one million litres of clean drinking water since the flooding started, and will distribute 40 000 litres of water daily in the flood-affected areas of KP and Sindh provinces.

We are also providing makeshift latrines and washing stations for the health and hygiene of the communities as the risk of infection by diseases increases.

Islamic relief has shifted into

the recovery and rehabilitation phase, in which we continue to support people in restoring their lives and helping them get back to self-reliance.

The rehabilitation of indigenous irrigation water harvesting structures through cash-for-work, food-for-work, and food-for-assets interventions in flood-affected areas is underway.

Capacity building of farmers on resilient agriculture and good livestock management practices will also be the steps towards a resilient lifestyle for the affected.

We will employ different strategies to improve the overall quality of life for those who have suffered from the flood.

We thank our donors, partners, supporters, volunteers, staff and our teams on the ground for their unwavering support towards the holistic improvement of the flood-affected people in Pakistan. We encourage you to

continue providing support as we undertake a scale-up of response activities in the future.

We ask Allah to facilitate ease and restore the dignity of the millions of people who have lost everything in the floods. We ask Allah to grant us steadfastness to

Islamic Relief staff connecting with school students on their excursion.

Photo ISLAMIC RELIEF WORLDWIDE

Give the best sadaqah jaariyah with Muslim Hands

AISHA ADAM

THE Messenger (SAW) said, ‘The best charity is to give water to drink.’ (Sahih al-Jami)

Around the world, millions of people do not have access to clean drinkable water, and in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, women and young girls travel long distances, daily, to collect dirty water for their families.

These water sources are mainly contaminated rivers, streams and lakes, where animals also defecate, causing water-borne diseases in adults and children. Unfortunately, hospitals and clinics in these rural areas also struggle without access to clean and safe water, hindering the treatment of patients.

Alhamdulillah, through the generosity of donors, Muslim Hands has been operating in povertystricken communities around the world to provide clean water solutions to families in need. Over the years, our teams have constructed over 15 700 water wells globally, providing clean, drinkable water to over one million people.

Subhan Allah, due to the kindness and compassion of the donors, over 128 000 children in rural schools around the world also have access to

clean and safe water in their schools. Here is how you can also help make a difference:

Tube Well

The gift of a tube well can help ensure that three to four families have access to clean and safe water for cooking, washing and drinking. Tube wells are manually operated and can lift water from 30 metres beneath the ground.

They are designed to last at least ten years and are easily located, normally between a cluster of houses in remote villages and communities. A tube well costs R4 500 and you can gift this sadaqah jaariyah in your name or that of your loved one, at muslimhands.org.za.

Dig-a-well

The gift of a dig-a-well can serve up to 200 people and, on average, these wells serve up to 35 families. These wells have mechanical hand pumps and draw water from up to 40 metres beneath the ground. A dig-a-well costs R12 850 and can last a community for generations to come.

Community Well

Community water wells can serve up to 1 000 people and are

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often built in areas where water is particularly scarce. These wells are 1,5 metres wide and draw water from 50 metres or more beneath the ground, allowing them to provide clean water all year round.

Community water wells provide clean, drinkable water for families, crops and livestock for generations, ensuring that you and your loved ones reap the rewards of giving the best sadaqah jaariyah for years to come.

At Muslim Hands, we take a holistic approach at ensuring that families have clean water that improves their overall health and wellbeing. Our teams offer workshops to families when a water well is constructed, where they highlight to the community how they can maintain their water well.

To date, our teams have constructed water wells in various countries around the world, including Pakistan, Mali, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. By donating a water well, you can help ensure that women have the opportunity to work and earn a livelihood, young girls can attend school and children do not suffer from waterborne diseases. Donate today at muslimhands.org.za or call us on 021 633 6413 for more information.

Donate a water well and help save countless lives. Photo SUPPLIED

Islamic finance: a South African context

SHAIKH ZIYAAT ISAACS

SOUTH AFRICA has been on the world’s stage for decades with its political struggles, activism against injustice and its continuous fight for freedom.

Almost thirty years since being ‘freed’ from apartheid and the underpinning injustice tied to it, the question in terms of social economic justice begs a response from the ‘new’ custodians of South Africa. Although it does not seem that we have achieved economic freedom in South Africa – at least in the context of the masses – a critical response to this question remains outstanding.

As this topic requires several vantage points of access to its research, we will analyse and unpack it from an Islamic finance standpoint as a differentiator that could assist the South African government to achieve social economic justice through its principles.

Ultimately, the highest objective of Islamic law is to prevent harm and enable welfare in every aspect of life, albeit economics itself. The recent Economic Social and Governance (ESG) investment strategies are inherently in line with these principles and thus a pivotal directive to pursue.

In 2018, iConsult Africa hosted a

Finance (Isra) and the Ratings Agency Malaysia (RAM) to explore the South African context of Islamic finance.

The following findings – from the research paper – demonstrate the scope for South Africa to be a market leader in Islamic finance on the continent and, ultimately, attract foreign direct investments (FDI) from the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), which could address the economic deficits the country requires.

Demand side

Lack of market awareness and understanding of Islamic finance

Islamic finance started in 1989 with the establishment of one full-fledged Islamic bank, followed by Islamic windows operated by conventional banks and the increasing number of Islamic asset management companies. However, the awareness of Islamic finance is low among its communities.

Based on a study conducted in 2014 to examine the awareness of Islamic banking products and services among consumers in South Africa, the results revealed that 48 per cent of the respondents were not aware that Islamic banking is available for both

in non-Islamic banks and with few customers embracing Islamic banking (Cheteni, 2014).

Government and some private sector employees have no choice but to opt for conventional

charges and treatment on the transactions. Therefore, the top-down approach from the government to provide incentives plays a crucial role in creating a level playing field for shariah-compliant investment/ savings.

pension funds

Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) in South Africa manages pensions and related benefits on behalf of all South African government employees, and it is also Africa’s largest pension fund. It has more than 1,2 million active members, in excess of 400 000 pensioners and beneficiaries, and assets worth more than R1,6 trillion. However, unfortunately, there is no specific allocation for shariahcompliant funds provided by the GEPF. Similarly, in the private sector, most of the companies would have their own private pension fund schemes, which are mostly invested in conventional funds. Therefore, both government and private sector employees have no choice but to place their money in conventional pension fund schemes.

Lack of incentives to encourage shariah compliant savings and investments

Supply side

Inadequate shariahcompliant assets

The number of shariah-compliant shares available on the JSE is limited. There are only 160 shariah-compliant shares out of 400 listed shares. The number of sukuk available in the market is also scarce, leading to fund managers investing in offshore assets. However, Regulation 28 limits the foreign exposure for pension funds to only 20 per cent.

Absence of harmonised approach among the shariah advisory committees

There is no central or harmonised shariah governance body in South Africa, and each asset management company is adopting a different approach and methodology as advised by their own shariah advisor. This has led to inconsistencies in the shariah ruling.

Shortage of experts in Islamic

There is a talent deficit in the

Islamic finance industry. Hence, identifying domestic institutions that can assist to nurture local talent is crucial to sustain the industry’s longterm development (MIFC, 2016).

The study has given us clear injunctions to focus time and effort to enable a conducive environment for South Africa to not only grow in this space but become the custodian of Islamic finance on the continent. These sentiments and values are currently being echoed throughout industry and policymakers.

The time has come to embrace our natural calling to enjoin in goodness and forbid from evil in all our economic affairs. Surely, these ‘fundamentals’ will remove the woes of corruption, mismanagement and unethical conduct from the system.

Shaikh Ziyaat Isaacs [MSc Islamic Finance (INCEIF), certified shariah advisor and auditor (AAOIFI)] is the founder and managing director of iConsult Africa and a qualified Islamic finance expert. He is also the Head of Finance for the ARP Group and a lecturer in Islamic Banking and Finance at the International Peace College South Africa (Ipsa), in Cape Town.

iConsult Africa

iConsult Africa is a bespoke Islamic Finance and Business Advisory Firm focused on alternative financial solutions based on Islamic principles. Their primary focus is to explore financial solutions with broader social economic impact and inclusiveness.

https://iconsult.africa/Home

Al Quds College, based at Masjidul Quds, in Gatesville, Cape Town, held its annual graduation ceremony on December 9, 2022. One of the graduates was Fatima tu Zahra Van Der Merwe (centre) who embraced Islam three years ago. With her are Muallimah Nabeelah Salie (left) and the principal of Al Quds College, Muallimah Ashiqa Noordien-Rakiep (right). Both muallimahs are BA graduates of International Peace College South Africa (Ipsa). Al Quds College is for females only and offers the one-year Self-Enrichment Programme, either full-time or part-time, and an intensive, two-year Islamic Sciences course. The one-year programme covers Quran reading, fiqh, seerah, hadith, Arabic reading and understanding and short courses conducted by guest lecturers. The two-year course covers the same areas as the one-year course but in a more in-depth manner. In addition, it includes Islamic finance, inheritance, the life of the four righteous caliphs, Sciences of the Quran, Tafseer and Conversational Arabic. Al Quds College invites all women to its Open Day on January 26 from 10h30 to 12h30 to learn more about this opportunity to strive towards empowerment, closeness to one’s Creator and building character and consciousness. To reserve your seat for the Open Day, and for further enquiries contact 072 992 2419.

Photo NAZMEH SCHROEDER

Farewell Pelé

With the passing of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as Pelé, on December 29, 2022, the curtain fell on the greatest player of the most popular sport in the world. SHAIKH SA’DULLAH KHAN and MOGAMAD ALLIE pay tribute.

THE universal language of sport transcended barriers and united people in the darkest days of apartheid, a time when ‘black’ heroes shone brightly in our minds.

Despite our depressed situation, the stars that elevated our hopes to what was possible in disproving the fallacy of white supremacy were Malcolm X and the two sporting giants that shone most brightly –Muhammad Ali, the boxer, and Pelé, the footballer. Both Ali and Pelé, athlete and sportsman of the century respectively, commanded unprecedented global admiration and elicited worldwide appeal.

Pelé and South Africa

Ali only visited South Africa 1993 , after the apartheid era. Pelé had a brief sojourn in this country in the 1960s, when apartheid laws prevented him from leaving the old Johannesburg airport terminal. The Brazilian vowed never to visit South Africa again until Nelson Mandela was released from prison.

True to his word, he only returned for the ‘90 Minutes for Mandela’ charity football match held on July 18, 2007, at Newlands Rugby Stadium, in Cape Town, to celebrate Madiba’s 89th birthday. Mandela was moved to comment on the footballing genius: ‘To watch Pelé play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extra-ordinary grace of a man in full.’ True indeed.

Inspirational rise to unique acclaim

and, of course, his natural talent, the young Pelé evolved from the dusty fields of his hometown to eventually grace the biggest stages the game of football had to offer. In doing so he, along with Ali, rose to become the two bestknown, most respected and loved athletes in modern history.

Not surprisingly, given his feats and his contribution to both Brazilian and international football, Pelé was nicknamed ‘O Rei’ (the king). That is indeed a mighty source of inspiration for everyone.

In an illustrious career spanning 21 years, Pele netted over a thousand goals (127 in the 1957 season for Santos alone). After joining Santos in 1956, the footballing genius turned a small, unknown coastal club into one of the most famous names in world football.

His plethora of records at the World Cup are even more astounding – he won three finals (1958, 1962 and 1970); was the youngest player (at 17) to play, score, net a hat-trick and be part of a team that won a final.

His 1 279 goals in 1 363 games are recognised as a Guinness World Record. As for being a callow teenager in that 1958 World Cup-winning team in Sweden, Pele later remarked that he was so skinny that ‘quite a few people thought I was the mascot!’

smile and charming personality, Pelé gave expression to jogo bonito (the beautiful game) which was the catalyst that transformed football into the world’s most popular sport.

It’s difficult to exaggerate and to overstate his contribution to Brazil and to the game of football. As Jose Mourinho, among the game’s leading coaches in the modern era said: ‘Pelé is football. The two are indivisible.’

He became a world-wide promoter of the game, an advocate for good sportsmanship and a Unicef goodwill ambassador for sports in general, raising millions of charitable dollars for the poor and underprivileged.

Sportspersons like Ali and Pelé were symbols of hope and examples of sporting genius. Both came from impoverished homes yet attained pinnacles of their respective crafts through their exceptional, God-given skills.

Their performances were treasured occasions of entertainment that dazzled millions of sports lovers, inspired thousands of sportspersons and continue to motivate people to pursue their quest for excellence.

Tributes to Pelé

‘Pelé, transformed football into art, entertainment. He gave voice to the poor, to the Black and above all, he gave Brazil visibility. Football and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure!’ – Neymar.

‘A mere goodbye to King Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that the entire football world is currently embracing. He will never be forgotten and his memory will live forever in each and every one of us football lovers. Rest in peace King Pele.’ – Cristiano Ronaldo

‘Today, football says goodbye to its most beautiful chapter; the man who charmed the world and changed the history of the game forever. You will always be the greatest, because 60 years ago, with all the difficulties you faced, you already did what only a few can do today.’ – Richarlison de Andrade

‘The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten. RIP KING.’ – Kylian Mbappé.

Pelé, widely acclaimed as the world’s greatest ever footballer, rose from abject poverty of the ‘favelas’ or slums of Bauru, cleaning shoes and serving tea at train stations to supplement his family’s income. He began playing barefoot football for his first team who were so poor they were called the ‘sin zapatos’ or those without shoes.

Such was the level of poverty among the aspiring young footballers in Bauru that they were forced to improvise by practising with a ball made of grapefruit and paper wrapped in old socks. Through practice, perseverance

Such was the level of respect he commanded that the Brazilian legend remains the only player for whom a war was stopped (a 48-hour ceasefire between Nigerian forces and the Biafrans, on February 4, 1969) so that the Nigerians could watch him play.

Following his record-breaking achievements at the 1958 World Cup, the first of a record five won by the Selecao, the Brazilian government passed a resolution in 1961 declaring Pelé a nonexportable national treasure. The step was taken to ward off interest from leading European teams like Real Madrid and Manchester United who were keen on signing him.

Abiding legacy

With magnificent skills, a warm

Pelé’s name will forever be etched in footballing history and an abiding sporting heritage. He left an incomparable legacy in the world’s most popular sport. In the words of another soccer legend, Franz Beckenbauer, ‘Football has lost the greatest in its history.’

Shaikh Sa’dullah Khan is the CEO of Islamia College in Cape Town and Mogamad Allie is a freelance journalist and sports historian.

Pelé hugging Ali

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Pelé signing a miniature ball for Sa’dullah Khan, in Los Angeles, in 1994.

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