Muslim Views, March 2017

Vol. 31 No. 3

JAMAD-UL-AKHIR 1438 l MARCH 2017

The Makkah Chronicles We launch our new series SALIM PARKER

USLIM Views ran a series called ‘Stories from the Hijaz’ over a five year period about Madinah, the city housing the qabr of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in the Prophet’s Mosque, the City of Peace, the City of Light and the city that draws millions annually to bathe in its serenity.

In this edition, ‘The Makkah Chronicles’, a new series of ‘Stories From the Hijaz’ commences about the city that is associated with all our prayers.

It is the city to which over a billion Muslims turn their faces five times a day in compulsory prayer.

It is integral in the prayers and desires of each and every Muslim to one day visit Makkah.

Madinah is the city to which our Messenger (SAW) fled after the Muslims were persecuted.

Madinah is where our beloved Prophet (SAW) was finally laid to rest.

Makkah is the city where Nabi Muhammad (SAW) was born and the city where, during the Farewell Pilgrimage Khutbah on Arafah, he pronounced the perfection of our religion.

Makkah’s history goes back much further and is associated with the Father of Mankind.

From barren earth, our Creator, through Nabi Ebrahim, Hajira and Nabi Ismail (AS), willed that,

M

through the miracle of the well of Zam-Zam, a city, a nation, and now an ummah of over a billion strong flourishes.

Makkah is a city that draws us.

‘Hajj’ linguistically means to set off on a journey.

Hajj for all Muslims is the journey we embark on to repay a debt owing to Allah SWT. It is the journey that forms the fifth and final pillar of Islam.

It is the physical and spiritual journey of the individual yearning to be as close to our Creator as is humanly possible.

Yet, Hajj is the journey of humankind taking us to the roots of our religion and laying bare, when all are uniformly clad in their humble ihraams, our frailty.

It reminds and prepares us for the time after our temporary abode on this earth.

However, it also is a time of infinite repentance and a reminder that Allah’s capacity to forgive exceeds our capacity to sin.

This new series will take the reader in the footsteps of those who have travelled this path while simultaneously gazing and wondering in amazement at the significance of Hajj and the associated history.

Through words and pictures, our new series, ‘The Makkah Chronicles’ will, Insha Allah, reinforce the obligation to accept the invitation extended by Nabi Ebrahim (AS) thousands of years ago.

Stories from the Hijaz: The Makkah Chronicles, features as a special centrespread feature in this edition of Muslim Views.

Five times a day, the devout Muslim, after completing the fard salaah (compulsory prayer), will thank our Creator for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon us. The Muslim will also beseech our Creator to grant us the opportunity, the blessing of performing pilgrimage.

Photo ESA ALEXANDER

DONATE DONA ATE at www.islamic-relief.org.za www.islamic-relief.org.za

WATER 4 LIFE

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Muslim Views

Muslim Views . March 2017

Muslim Views . March 2017

transformation that shifts the onus on government and the private sector to drive growth in order to prioritise the eradication of gross unemployment, inequality and poverty.

Elaborate parts of the budget address seek redemption in leftist rhetoric that call for all the nice things like ‘inclusive growth’ and the eradication of poverty.

There are fundamental problems with this rhetoric.

First, over two decades have lapsed during which nothing remotely radical was done to address glaring social and economic problems in our country.

Talk of radical change at this stage is deserving of cynicism. And there is nothing radical or transformative about stamping out collusion and corruption.

These are a cancer in any economy, whether left or right of the political spectrum, and should be eradicated.

Secondly, such talk is not matched with a record of actual interventions.

THE Minister of Finance, in his budget The banking sector is a case in point. speech last month, waxed lyrical The minister sounds radical when he about transformation, repeating this says this sector is evidently collusive word no less that 54 times. and greedy and that it must be He said, ‘We need to transform in order transformed, to the point of to grow, we need to grow in order to transformation of ownership. transform.’

It is ironic that this seemingly radical We note his emphasis on the approach was never adopted until the symmetrically reciprocal relationship Guptas were exposed in state capture between growth and transformation. projects and, more recently, South Our attention in drawn to the delicate African banks were implicated in a balance that must, in essence, be currency collusion scandal. maintained between the interests of Indeed, decades of profiteering by the citizens on the one hand, and that of banks, exorbitant fees, financial private, corporate and state entities on exclusion of the poor masses, the the other. dominance of white males in top It is in maintaining this delicate balance, management, gross indifference to goes the argument, that the interests of sector charter targets and the like were the people can be served. happily condoned.

This is a thinly veiled neo-liberal Radical noises now smack of political argument favouring trickle-down expediency rather than serving the economics. public interest.

It advocates the protection of capitalist However, the address is also certainly interests as a means of advancing the not deserving of wholesale dismissal. people’s interests.

Statements of intent, especially in In this model, budgets are designed on respect of legislative reforms in the the assumption of an individualist and mining sector and in land redistribution corporate drive for personal and have potentially significant benefits for commercial success in a competitive those who have been historically environment. dispossessed.

This assumption is far from the South Similarly, the R870 billion allocation in African historical and present reality. Our energy, transport, education, health and history of institutionalised dispossession, water sectors is significant, provided repression and imposed racism these funds are not squandered or produced a landscape of structural captured by corruption. inequality and poverty.

Ultimately, a radical budget must ensure Since 1994, this landscape has not that revenue policy follows spending significantly altered except for the policy, and not the reverse. Above all, it colossal rise in unemployment under must boldly prioritise the needs and the ANC majority rule. rights of especially the rural poor, the The minister of finance does not unemployed and of marginalised advocate radical economic women. That is truly radical.

When radical is just sound and fury

Our editorial comment represents the composite viewpoint of the Editorial Team of Muslim Views, and is the institutional voice of the newspaper. Correspondence can be sent to editor@mviews.co.za

Publishers: BRISKTRADE 175 (Pty) Ltd P O Box 442 Athlone 7760 South Africa Tel: 021 696 5404 • Fax Admin: 021 696 9301 Advertising adverts@mviews.co.za Admin info@mviews.co.za Editor Farid Sayed E-mail editor@mviews.co.za Fax Editor 086 516 4772 DISTRIBUTION Your Advertiser 021 638 7491 Views and opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial team or the publishers.

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Sharpeville Massacre, 21 March, 1960 960 was going to be the ‘Year of the Pass’.

1Early in 1960, the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and the African National Congress (ANC) embarked on a feverish drive to prepare their members and Black communities for the proposed nationwide campaigns.

The PAC called on its supporters to leave their passes at home on the appointed date and gather at police stations around the country, making themselves available for arrest. The campaign slogan was ‘No bail! No defence! No fine!’

The PAC argued that if thousands of people were arrested then the jails would be filled and the economy would come to a standstill.

At a press conference held on Saturday, March 19, 1960, PAC President Robert Sobukwe announced that the PAC was going to embark on an anti-pass campaign on Monday the 21st.

According to his ‘Testimony about the Launch of the Campaign’, Sobukwe declared: ‘The campaign was made known on the 18th of March.

‘Circulars were printed and distributed to the members of the organisation and on the 21st of March, on Monday, in obedience to a resolution they had taken, the members of the Pan Africanist Congress surrendered themselves at various police stations around the country.’

At the press conference Sobukwe emphasised that the campaign should be conducted in a spirit of absolute non-violence and that the PAC saw it as the first step in Black people’s bid for total independence and freedom by 1963 (Cape Times, 1960).

PAC President Robert Sobukwe subsequently announced that ‘My instructions… are that our people must be taught now and continuously that in this campaign we are going to observe absolute non-violence.’

On the morning of 21 March… local PAC leaders first gathered in a field not far from the Sharpeville police station.

When a sizeable crowd of people had joined them they proceeded to the police station chanting freedom songs and calling out the campaign slogans ‘Izwe lethu’ (Our land); ‘Awaphele amapasti’ (Down with passes); ‘Sobukwe Sikhokhele’ (Lead us Sobukwe); ‘Forward to Independence, Tomorrow the United States of Africa.’

When the marchers reached Sharpeville’s police station, a heavy contingent of policemen were lined up outside, many on top of British-made Saracen armoured cars.

Mr Tsolo and other members of the PAC Branch Executive continued to advance – in con-

formity with the novel PAC motto of ‘Leaders in Front’ – and asked the white policeman in command to let them through so that they could surrender themselves for refusing to carry passes.

Initially, the police commander refused but much later, at approximately 11h00, they were let through.

Journalists who rushed there from other areas, after receiving word that the campaign was a runaway success confirmed ‘that for all their singing and shouting the crowd’s mood was more festive than belligerent’ (David M Sibeko, 1976).

By mid-day, approximately 300 armed policemen faced a crowd of approximately 5 000 people.

At 13h15 a small scuffle began near the entrance of the police station. A policeman was accidently pushed over and the crowd began to move forward to see what was happening.

According to the police, protesters began to stone them and, without any warning, one of the policemen on the top of an armoured car panicked and opened fire. His colleagues followed suit and opened fire.

The firing lasted for approximately two minutes, leaving 69 people dead and, according to the official inquest, 180 people seriously wounded.

Unlike elsewhere on the East Rand where police used batons when charging at resisters, the police at Sharpeville used live ammunition.

Eyewitness accounts attest to the fact that the people were given no warning to disperse.

Eyewitness accounts and evidence later led to an official inquiry which attested to the fact that a large number of people were shot in the back as they were fleeing the scene.

The presence of armoured vehicles and air force fighter jets overhead also pointed to unnecessary provocation, especially as the crowd was unarmed and determined to stage a non-violent protest.

According to an account from Humphrey Tyler, the assistant editor at The Drum, ‘The police have claimed they were in desperate danger because the crowd was stoning them. Yet only three policemen were reported to have been hit by stones – and more than 200 Africans were shot down.

‘The crowd gave me no reason to feel scared, though I moved among them without any distinguishing mark to protect me, quite obvious with my white skin.’

Within hours, the news of the killing at Sharpeville was flashed around the world.

Courtesy SA History Online.

This is an abridged version of the original.

This newspaper carries Allah’s names, the names of the Prophets and sacred verses of the Holy Qur’an.

Please treat it with the respect it deserves.

Either keep, circulate or recycle.

Please do not discard.

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Muslim Views . March 2017

The imam who travelled from Kandulu to Chatsworth MAHMOOD SANGLAY

IMAM Ameen Yunus Sandi is originally from Malawi but today is imam of Masjid Al Taubah, in Chatsworth, Malmesbury, in the Western Cape.

His place of birth, in June 1986, is a village named Kandulu, in Salima, a district in the Central Region of Malawi.

Kandulu and Chatsworth are 3 308 kilometres apart, and separated by the territories of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Imam Ameen’s journey to Chatsworth commenced with a watershed moment in his childhood, about 25 years ago.

The young Ameen attended madrasah in Kandulu, and both his father and grandfather were ulama. This is where his love for Islam was inspired, as it were, by a single watershed experience.

Imam Ameen recalls one day at madrasah, in the month of Ramadaan, an old man who had since passed away, asked him to recite the iqama (the call for the start of the compulsory congregational prayer). This sudden exposure to responsibility and leadership of a sacred ritual raised both his self-esteem and his love for learning about his faith.

In 1999, at the age of 13, the young Ameen was advised to go for an interview for admission to the missionary school, Salima Islamic Centre, in Malawi.

He not only passed the interview but excelled and was the first from his village – and that time the youngest ever – to qualify for admission to the institution.

He was rated second among sixty

Muslim Views

Imam Ameen is teaching the meaning and lessons from the Hadith in one of his classes at the madrasah held in Masjid Al-Taubah, in Malmesbury.

Photo AMEERUDEEN DAVIDS

candidates and only thirteen made the grade.

In 2003, Ameen Yunus Sandi, graduated from the centre as an imam.

The following year, he applied for admission and wrote the required examination to study at Blantyre Islamic Mission. He was the top student at the mission among over 60 students.

He completed his madrasah course in 2006 and his secular schooling in 2007. Then he was finally ready to formally accept the responsibilities of an imam.

Blantyre Islamic Mission collaborates with Madinah University and students are selected from the institution for study in Madinah.

However, Imam Ameen says this is not done on the basis of merit. For some unknown reason, selection occurs at random and hence he was not selected even though his results were exception-

ally good.

From 2008 till 2010, Imam Ameen worked for the Al-Baraka Charity Trust in Blantyre then he made the journey to South Africa.

He stayed with his brother in Pietermaritzburg while working as an assistant imam at a mosque in Delareyville, in Northwest Province.

This is where he gained experience for six months as imam and in speaking from the pulpit. In 2011, he worked for Islamic Dawah Movement as imam at Marianville Islamic School, in Durban, and remained there till 2015 when he left for the Western Cape.

On June 13, 2015 he was appointed imam of Masjid Al Taubah, in Chatsworth.

The town is adjacent to Riverlands, which is part of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve as designated by Unesco, in 2001.

However, Chatsworth is part of

Abdussameeg Johaar, left, and Zuhair Bastra are engaged in a peer review process in which each is checking the Quranic recitation of the other before proceeding to recite from memory to Imam Ameen in his hifdh class.

Photo AMEERUDEEN DAVIDS

the Swartland Municipality, which was established in 2000.

It is a neglected town with poor infrastructure. The population is very diverse and includes Somalis, Egyptians and Nigerians. The gap between the poor and wealthy is wide and unemployment in the region is at 34 per cent. The youth also face challenges such as drug abuse and crime, hence the work of religious leaders is important.

The mosque accommodates just over a hundred congregants, including women and is usually full for Jumuah prayers. There are 250 Muslim families in Chatsworth and Imam Ameen is accountable to a committee, the Chatsworth Islamic Society, which oversees the management of the affairs of the mosque as waqf.

His responsibilities at the mosque are comprehensive and include the five daily prayers,

Jumuah, marriage ceremonies, funerals and teaching at the madrasah from Monday to Thursday. He also undertakes visits to the sick and to the prisons.

Imam Ameen is now settled in Chatsworth with his wife, Selina Hoosain, and two sons, aged six and four years.

Given his experiences in this long journey, Imam Ameen is hopeful that the ills of our society, such as racism and poverty can be dealt with through initiatives like those of House of Ummah, Awqaf SA and the Imam Development Programme (IDP).

He is part of the IDP and, according to Shaikh Bilal Ismail, national manager of the IDP, Imam Ameen is the first and longest standing beneficiary of the programme.

He is of the view that mosque committees should invest in their imams and not only the brick and mortar of the sacred space.

Muslim Views . March 2017

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Essa Moosa stood for rights of oppressed globally MANSOOR JAFFER

THE passing of Judge Essa Moosa on Sunday, February 26, is still being felt in South Africa and abroad.

Many of the liberation fighters of the 1980s continue paying tribute to him on various media platforms, and in several parts of the world people from oppressed groups are struggling to come to terms with his passing.

In Turkey, on Monday, February 27, the biggest Kurdish newspaper Yeni Ozgur Politika, carried a huge front page picture of Judge Moosa with a large caption that simply said, ‘Dostumuzu Yitirdik’ (We have lost a friend).

At the time of his passing, Judge Moosa was the chairperson of the Kurdish Human Rights Action Group, which he, the late Imam Gassan Solomon and others established in 1998, following a visit to South Africa by a Kurdish delegation.

The delegation had come to lobby the Mandela Government to grant asylum to Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan, a request which was acceded to.

A few months later, Ocalan was heading to South Africa when he was abducted in Nairobi by security agencies from Turkey and Western countries.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment on Imrali Island, off the coast of Istanbul, where he has been held under harsh conditions.

Moosa campaigned tirelessly for his release as well as for a negotiated settlement of the Kurdish question.

The Kurds have struggled for basic rights since Britain and

Muslim Views

Judge Essa Moosa (centre), as chairperson of the Kurdish Human Rights Action Group (KHRAG) in South Africa, hosted an event at Community House, in Salt River, Cape Town, for a visiting Kurdish delegation, in 2012. Also at the programme to raise awareness about the plight of the Kurds, which Judge Moosa championed, were (from left): Mbulelo Sprite Mabala, past Deputy National Chairperson of the MK Military Veterans Association; Nazmi Gür, member of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP); Cape Town’s renowned poet, James Matthews; Judge Moosa; Gulten Kisanak, co-leader of the HDP; Faruk Doru, member of the HDP; and Mike Louw, former organiser of Cosatu Western Cape.

Photo KHRAG

France – in a typical act of colonial injustice – carved up the Kurdistan area into four after the end of the First World War. Though he became known for his efforts regarding the Kurdish people, Moosa also supported and highlighted the struggles of the people of Palestine, Western Sahara, the Basques and Kashmiris, among others.

He consistently asserted the rights of oppressed people to social justice and self-determination.

Moosa came from humble beginnings in Observatory, and lived – among other places – in Wynberg, Elsies River and District Six. The Moosa and Omar families lived in the same road in Observatory during the 30s and 40s.

This is a remarkable coincidence because Essa Moosa and the late Abdullah Omar went on to become among the foremost human rights lawyers in the country. Omar was the first justice minister in democratic South Africa and Moosa became a high court judge and internationally respected advocate of human rights.

Moosa’s humble origins, forced removal from District Six and general experiences of apartheid in his early adult life, shaped his thinking and actions in later years. He placed himself clearly among the forces of resistance, engaged in widespread solidarity work and remained, until his death, committed to the most marginalised, downtrodden sections of society.

In practice, he made no distinction between people based on class, race or their social status.

He left a footprint in the alternative media, serving as a trustee of the community publication Grassroots, South newspaper and, eventually, Bush Radio. At Grassroots and South, he worked alongside well-known public figures such as Johnny Issel, Moegsien Williams and Rashid Seria.

Essa Moosa and Associates in central Athlone attained almost legendary status as thousands of activists and their families turned to the law firm as state violence intensified.

Moosa and his team of lawyers, that included Ebi Mohamed, Mushtaq Parker, Bashir Waglay, Aniel Jeaven,

Kader Amien, Ashok Adhikari, Gadija Khan, Selwyn Hockey and office staff such as Gadija Vallie, Chris Engel and Ashraf Ismail, never turned anyone away from their doors.

They became a beacon of hope for a people battered by the brutal hammer of apartheid repression. Some activists testified last week that the words ‘phone Essa’ became almost like a slogan among detainees in prison during the state of emergencies in the ’80s.

The impact of their solidarity work was felt across the province, in cities and in remote places such as Pacaltsdorp, Dysselsdorp, Vredendal, Ceres and Oudtshoorn.

After 1990, Moosa was a member of the Constitutional Committee of the African National Congress that backed up negotiators during the Codesa talks.

Later, he served with distinction as a high court judge and spent his final years working in the office of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPIC) as an investigating judge dealing with complaints from and against members of the Hawks.

The Moosa family wishes to express its sincere and massive gratitude to all who were at his side during his lifetime, who showed compassion and solidarity during his illness and who gave support and condolences when he finally passed on.

Moosa is survived by six children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mansoor Jaffer is an activist, journalist and musician who acted as spokesperson for the Moosa family in the days after his passing.

Muslim Views . March 2017

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Prayer rooms at new Cape Town hospital A QUIET place for reflection and prayer makes a world of difference to patients, visitors, doctors and staff members in a bustling healthcare facility.

Muslim prayer rooms for men and women have therefore been incorporated in the new Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital for religious and spiritual observance, as part of the facility’s efforts to provide a welcoming environment for individuals of all faiths.

Dr Azgher Karjieker, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon who practises at the hospital, has been assisting the project team with the establishment of the Muslim prayer rooms in the new Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital.

‘There was a small space for Muslim prayer in the old hospital building but larger rooms have been incorporated in the new building for the observances of our faith for both men and women,’ he explains.

Dr Karjieker motivated for the expansion of the Muslim prayer room when the hospital moved to its new premises on Cape Town’s Foreshore.

‘I am grateful to management for involving me in this aspect of the new facility from an early stage. The Muslim prayer rooms will be officially opened on Saturday, 10 December.

‘Muslims pray five times a day.

Our lives revolve around these prayer times so we try to make time for them wherever we are, whether we are at work, out and about or at home. Prayers can be performed alone but it is much better to share worship together, in a congregation.

The jamaah performing Asr Salaah at the function to mark the opening of the prayer room in the new Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital.

Photo RIAZ ISMAIL

Muslim Views presented the prayer room at the new Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital with calligraphy by a local artist, Achmat Soni, to adorn its walls. Dr Azgher Karjieker (second fromleft) accepts the gift from Mr Sharief Hassan, Muslim Views MD, and Farid Sayed, Editor. On the left is Imam Hassan Walele who recited the opening duah at the facility and also led the first salaah Photo RIAZ ISMAIL in jamaah in the new prayer room.

‘At Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, we have many Muslim patients, staff members and medical personnel.

It is not always practical to find a convenient place to pray if there is not a prayer room provided, and delaying prayers until we get home is not ideal.

‘The accessibility of the Muslim prayer rooms in the new Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital will certainly be convenient, particularly for the midday and mid-afternoon prayers, when visiting hours and prayer times coincide. Thus, Muslims

visiting their loved ones in hospital and also patients who are mobile will be able to make use of this facility,’ Dr Karjieker notes.

Muslims prefer to pray in an area where there are no statues or photos on display. An ablution area is provided for cleansing before prayers, in accordance with tradition. ‘The hands, face, ears, forearms and feet are washed prior to prayers, and shoes are placed on a rack before entering the carpeted prayer area.

‘As Muslims we are in a constant state of either thankfulness, when things are going well, or

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‘The accessibility of the Muslim prayer rooms in the new Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital will certainly be convenient, particularly for the midday and midafternoon prayers, when visiting hours and prayer times coincide. Thus, Muslims visiting their loved ones in hospital and also patients who are mobile will be able to make use of this facility,’ Dr Karjieker notes. patience, when God challenges us with difficulties, medical or otherwise. Both circumstances lead to supplication to God and, in a

healthcare facility in particular, having the prayer rooms on site is a great comfort,’ Dr Karjieker notes.

The general manager of Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, Chris Tilney, says that the Muslim prayer rooms are integral to making the facility inclusive for people of various faiths, reflecting the multi-culturalism for which Cape Town is celebrated.

‘Muslim patients will also have their dietary needs catered for as the kitchen at our new hospital is fully-certified Halaal, as it was at the facility’s previous location. It is our hope that Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in its new incarnation will be an inclusive healing environment where people of all faiths can draw spiritual comfort,’ Tilney concluded.

Issued by Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA)

Muslim Views . March 2017

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XENOPHOBIA IN CONTEXT

The rights of migrants in Islam This is an extract from ‘The rights of Forced Migrants in Islam’, a research publication produced by Islamic Relief Worldwide ISLAM has a strong heritage of forced migrant protection, stemming from the original teachings of the Quran as well as from historical examples taken from the lives of great prophets – from Ibrahim (AS) to Musa (AS) to Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

This heritage includes strong – even stern – commands on the importance of seeking refuge if one is facing persecution as well as on the duty of providing asylum to those who need it.

It is a tradition which provides a robust and generous framework for the protection of and provision for forced migrants, enshrining rights such as the rights to dignity, non-refoulement, equal treatment, shelter, healthcare, family reunification and protection of property.

Yet, this tradition is not always applied in the modern context, despite Muslim countries currently hosting around 50 per cent of the world’s refugee population.

There is a pressing need to nurture the theological discourse on the issue of forced migrant protection in Islam.

Such traditions could play a vital role in helping such countries manage forced migrant crises in a manner that is compliant with Islamic principles while also assisting forced migrants in recognising the rights and dignity conferred on them by God. Forced migration played a particular role in the life of Prophet

Muhammad (SAW) and his first companions. In 615 AD approximately 100 early Muslims sought refuge with the Christian King Negus of Abyssinia to escape the brutal persecution of the ruling Quraish tribe in Makkah.

This was followed by a larger migration to Madinah, in 622 AD, which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) joined. As this paper will discuss, Quranic narrations of these stories highlight the high status of both those who seek refuge from persecution, and those who provide refuge.

While there exists no exact linguistic equivalent of the term ‘forced migrant’ within Islamic legal traditions, the term ‘hijrah’ (migration) and its derivatives are mentioned 27 times in the Quran.

There are a further 650 ahadith (sayings of the Prophet) on the topic of protection and assistance.

The centrality of migration to the Islamic Tradition is perhaps best evidenced by the Islamic calendar system, for it is not with the Prophet’s birth that the Islamic calendar starts or with the commencement of revelation, nor the conquest of Makkah but rather with the hijrah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his companions to Madinah.

Unfortunately, such traditions are rarely invoked today.

In Islam the seeking of asylum is rooted in the attributes of moral autonomy and free will – uniquely conferred by God onto mankind.

As such, within an Islamic framework we may speak of the ‘duty’, rather than the ‘right’ to seek asylum.

Allah says in Surah An-Nisa: ‘When the angels take the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they ask them, “What circumstances were you in?”

‘They reply, “We were oppressed in this land.” And the angels say, “But was God’s earth not spacious enough for you to migrate to some other place?”’

(Quran 4:97) As such, with the freedom bestowed upon mankind comes an obligation to preserve our human dignity by seeking refuge from oppression and persecution.

The Islamic concept of a forced migrant does not merely imply a helpless victim of circumstance but rather one who has taken an active choice to preserve their life, as per the command of Allah.

The verse (Quran 4:99) also highlights that while seeking asylum is a duty, being granted asylum is also a right.

This right to asylum may be claimed by Muslims and nonMuslims alike from a Muslim community.

In Surah Taubah, Allah says: ‘And if anyone of the idolaters should seek your protection, grant it to him so that he may hear the word of God then take him to a place safe for him.’

Within the Islamic framework, providing refuge to a forced migrant is not an act of charity but rather an act of justice.

Such traditions could play a vital role in helping such countries manage forced migrant crises in a manner that is compliant with Islamic principles while assisting forced migrants in recognising the rights and dignity conferred on them by Allah.

Nurudean Ssempa, (right) originally from Uganda, who studied marine biology at the University of Cape Town (UCT), is a community worker, and a regular contributor to Muslim Views.

Nurudean and Siti Kabanda, originally from Tanzania, were married on January 21, 2017. Siti is finishing her studies in Public Health at UCT. May Allah bless their marriage.

Photo SUPPLIED

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Muslim Views . March 2017

The Islamic will is a progressive act MUMTAZ AHMED

IMAGINE waking up one day to the parting of your spouse and you discover that he has left you with absolutely no financial security. Or, even worse, discovering that your spouse has executed a will which is not according to the laws of the Quran.

Do you know the emphasis the Almighty has placed upon His ummah regarding seeking knowledge, specifically that of inheritance?

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) narrated: ‘Learn (the knowledge of) inheritance and teach it to the people for it is half of knowledge and it will eventually be forgotten. It will be the first knowledge to be taken away from my ummah.’ (Ibn Maajah) Executing a will becomes even more important in non-Muslim countries, such as South Africa where Islamic law is not recognised.

People have become indifferent to the Islamic system of inheritance, and the estate of the deceased is not divided amongst the heirs according to Islamic law.

Failing to leave an Islamic will will result in the law of the land deciding how your estate is to be distributed, which is obviously not in accordance with Islam.

It is not only imperative but fard on each Muslim to firstly execute a valid will in accordance with Islamic law. However, because we live in a non-Muslim country, your will should also comply with the requirements of South African law.

South African law embraces freedom of testation, which means individuals are given free-

dom to direct how their estate should be divided, and free to dispose of their assets as they wish.

As a result, effect must be given to the expressed wishes of the testator (person who left a will).

If you make a valid will according to Islamic law, South African law has to honour the wishes of the testator, provided your will complies with certain formalities as provided for in the Wills Act. In essence, the will of a Muslim must firstly abide by the rules the Almighty set down in the Quran and it should, at the same time, comply with South African law in order for our legal system to accept it as valid.

One of the beauties of Islamic law is that Allah gives the testator the permission to bequest a portion, specifically one third of his estate, to a non-heir after payment of all debts and funeral expenses.

Even though all heirs are specifically mentioned in the Quran, Allah grants the testator the option of bequeathing a certain portion of his wealth to any person who is not classified as an heir. It is an opportunity to help a poor relative who would not otherwise qualify for a share or even to provide for an heir born out of wedlock, because they cannot inherit from the other two thirds of the estate.

A will helps not only the beneficiaries but can help the deceased person too in his afterlife who may wish to set up provision for an ongoing charity, an action that continues to be rewarded even after death.

The legal consequences of departing without a will have dire effects on succession in terms of

South African law. The deceased’s children are regarded as intestate heirs. However, sons and daughters shall inherit equally, which is in conflict with Islamic law.

Furthermore, the deceased’s spouse shall inherit a child’s portion of the estate or R125 000, whichever is greater, instead of inheriting the specific portion Allah has ordained for him/her.

This is contrary to the laws of the Quran, especially where women are elevated and protected to such an extent that they benefit more than a man when inheriting.

On the face of it, apparently, the inheritance of a man is twice as much as that of a woman.

However, when we probe into this matter we find that the reason for the differentiation of inheritance is due to the financial obligation that men bear.

If a woman has wealth, she is not required to spend it on her family. All possessions that she gains are solely hers. Men are the protectors and supervisors of women because they must support them from their means.

(Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 104, p.

326; Quran 4:34) There are a number of reasons to execute a will that is Islamically sound. Not only would you be avoiding family disputes but you would be safeguarding the future of your children in Allah’s favour, which is highly rewarding.

It is important to seek legal advice in drafting a will from an attorney who has knowledge of both Islamic and South African law.

Mumtaz Ahmed from Ahmed Attorneys and Conveyancers Inc. specialises in Wills and Estates and Conveyancing.

NPO assists its students to university

Student Iezhaar Mfiki, accompanied by his mother, being interviewed. He is awaiting acceptance from DUT to study a BA in Environmental Management.

Photo FEROZA RUSTOM

AMINA WAGGIE

THE Southern Africa Dawah Network (SADN), a registered non-profit organisation (NPO) in existence for the past 23 years, has assisted its boarding students along their journey from secondary education into tertiary level, helping them in their endeavours to achieve success.

The SADN’s main focus is on education and dawah. They assist students who have completed their matric through the MA Motala Islamic Centre into a tertiary student programme.

These students are offered career guidance and assistance when applying for bursaries. Students who reside at the centre are provided with food, mentoring, transport fare for travelling to university and living in an Islamic environment.

The office manager, Yasmin Mohamed, the Head of Department (HOD), Shabir Nhelko, and the HOD of Islamic Studies, Moulana Chimbwe, interviewed 25 students on January 18, 2017.

These students were questioned on their matric results,

their choices of courses they wished to study in 2017, university acceptance as well as their passion for the chosen profession.

A few of the students will be reading towards degrees in BA Commerce, LLB, Sports Management, BSc Radiography and B.Tech.

The SADN is not a bursary NGO. However, they assist students from the Motala Centre to go to university.

The MA Motala Islamic Centre, run by the SADN, is situated at 185 Wyebank Road, Wyebank, and houses about 30 male, boarding students from Grade 8 to tertiary level.

The centre also offers Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) classes for the community aged 16-60 years, skills training, Islamic classes, community outreach programmes and orphans programmes.

The SADN wishes all their students well for the 2017 academic year.

For more information on SADN’s projects and activities call: (031) 304 8000 or 076 321 0650

Why do we really remember our icons?

SHAFIQ MORTON

I WAS thinking about this question while lying flat on my back with a kidney infection.

It was the day of Judge Essa Moosa’s janazah, and I was listening to the radio. Accolades were pouring in. I felt bad that I couldn’t attend his janazah for like so many in the 1980s, he’d been part of my world.

My experience, however, had been slightly different to others.

His two sons, Faizel and Seraj, had been members of the famous Wynberg Surf Club to which I belonged, as had their neighbour, Adil du Bruyn. Those were the days the judge, then an attorney, had stayed in Surrey Estate.

Lieutenant Mostert of the security police had harboured a grudge against club members, thinking, it seemed, that when we were sitting in the waves we were plotting the downfall of the apartheid state.

It used to frustrate the Special Branch, who had taken to following us at all hours.

As activists, we had been involved in the pitched battles against the police in Thornton and Belgravia Roads but the SB had somehow made a conflation with the surfing club as a revolutionary cell, which it wasn’t.

Judge Essa Moosa didn’t defend me in court but I can remember that he was always the go-to man.

Eloquent in the name of the apartheid underdog, it is his quiet and unassuming presence that I remember most.

It was reassuring that in those dark days there were people like Essa Moosa around.

Muslim Views

‘Dostumuzu Yitirdik’ (We have lost a friend), was the headline on the cover of the biggest Kurdish newspaper in Turkey, Yeni Ozgur Politika, on the passing of Judge Essa Moosa, a day after his janazah. Judge Moosa, well-known as a struggle lawyer of the 1980s, supported the struggles of the oppressed throughout the world and was the chairperson of the Kurdish Human Rights Action Group (KHRAG).

Photo KHRAG

But as the accolades were aired, I noticed an interesting pattern. Nobody was saying what a brilliant legal mind he had or what kind of judge he was. They were all talking about Essa Moosa, the man. He was being praised and honoured for his considerable human qualities.

Again, got me thinking. As a journalist I’ve dealt with enough obituaries to realise that we are not remembered much in the street for our achievements but more for how we have been in

relation to others. It’s a question of adab – conduct – sometimes as simple as a ‘salaam’ or a ‘good morning’.

The most prominent example is Nelson Mandela. I can recall a white policeman once saying to me what a lovely old man Madiba was, just because he’d remembered his name.

If you’re an icon, everybody knows what you have done but when it comes to institutional memory, it is how you were with those around you that counts at

the end of your days.

I have so many memories of our community figures, all who could make the small things count in their own inimitable ways.

Take Imam Abdullah Haron, so widely acknowledged as a martyr and freedom fighter.

Interestingly, those who were around him have never used this language but rather of an ‘ordinary’ imam who could relate to his people. My bet is that had the imam been aloof, his legacy would not have been as rich. I

think the same could be said of all our iconic imams.

Community leaders such as Shaikh Nazeem Mohamed and Shaikh Abu Bakr Najaar have both been honoured for their achievements. But I can guarantee that if I were to go to the bleachers with a tape recorder today, their memory would be based more on their expansive personalities than on their speeches and books.

Even Shaikh Yusuf of Makasar, about whose personality we have so very little detail, is remembered more for the spiritual solace he gave to the early slaves and exiles than the letters and ijazas behind his name. Again, his abiding historical memory is how he was with people.

I could cite endless examples of this ubuntu of the soul, of how our icons have become who they are through honouring the dignity of others. It is, of course, a reflection of prophetic ethics in that truly good people never curse or denigrate their fellow beings.

They have the innate ability to make everyone in the room feel special.

I think this is why we remember our icons. We remember them for their human-ness. No one ever remembers a CV, an award or an honorary doctorate. Perhaps Rumi, that wellspring of poetic wisdom, understood this well when he wrote in his epic Mathnawi: ‘Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover others’ faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear.’

Muslim Views . March 2017

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Stalwart exits teaching arena TOYER NAKIDIEN

THE farewell speech to the 2016 matric students of Al-Azhar High School was tinged with some bitterness as the principal, in his last formal speech to the parents and matriculants, expressed his disgust at the Department of Basic Education’s decision to lower the Grade 9 pass requirements for Mathematics to 20%.

Suroor Christian’s teaching career started when he enrolled at Hewat Training College.

In his second year at college, he became the president of the SRC (Students Representative Council). That year, he organised a boycott of the September Religious Instruction examination as the lecturer had taught that God had decreed the superiority of the whites by pouring the ‘races’ through a funnel.

Christian’s first teaching post was at Grassy Park Senior Secondary School.

In 1971, his second year of teaching, South Africa celebrated ‘Water Year’. It was also the year that elections were being held for the Coloured Representative Council (CRC), an apartheid parliamentary structure. He would not support the celebrations as not far from there, in Khayelitsha, people were struggling without this precious commodity – no running water, no flush toilets.

He arranged that the matric History class and the Standard 8s, which he had taught the previous year, stay away from the event.

He also spoke out against the CRC.

Suroor Christian addressing matriculants and their parents at the Al-Azhar 2016 matric farewell dinner, one of the last formal speeches of the retiring principal.

Photo TOYER NAKIDIEN

The result of his mobilisation went further than he had anticipated as, on the day, the school walls and classroom doors were found to be defaced with slogans against the principal.

Christian’s classroom door, being the only one that was not defaced, was suspected of being the instigator.

He was subsequently summoned to Coloured Affairs, where officials gave him two options: they would transfer him to Sutherland or he could resign

from teaching without having to repay his student bursary. He chose the latter option.

The next two months of his life, Christian described as ‘the most boring’. He worked as a clerk in an insurance firm until he received a call from a teacher at Livingstone High School – Mr Yusuf Da Costa. It was a few weeks before the June examinations and one of the teachers had decided to emigrate.

Christian was soon a member of the school management team

but when a promotion post became available, he was informed by a close source that his application would not be successful.

He was furious but not for long. He soon after received a call from the principal of Spine Road High School, in Mitchells Plain, offering him a senior position starting in the new year, 1985.

That was the year that saw Mitchells Plain rocked by student unrest and Spine Road High was caught in the middle of it.

As a result of the unrest, many students and teachers were victimised, arrested and some students killed.

The community saw the need for mass movement and two powerful bodies were established – UDF (United Democratic Front) and WECTU (Western Cape Teachers Union), the latter being the forerunner of Sadtu (South African Democratic Teachers Union).

Another community organisation that also came into being during this period was the PTSA (Parent, Teacher, Student Association). Here, Christian played a leading role in mobilising parents in Mitchells Plain, Grassy Park and Lotus River.

In 1990, Christian was appointed as Deputy Principal at Sibelius Senior Secondary School and assumed the position of principal the next year. He served in that position until 1999, when he was medically boarded after suffering a heart attack.

He had hardly recovered when, three months later he was approached to teach and do

teacher training in UK Muslim schools.

This lasted for about two and a half years, when he went to Abu Dhabi as an academic quality controller; a position he held for six months.

On returning to Cape Town, Christian was encouraged to apply for the position of principal at the soon to be started Al-Azhar High School, on the old St Columbus high school campus.

The campus was not much more than a shell which had to be renovated and refurnished.

Calling on schools with which he had close ties, he managed to get the school ready for its first intake in 2005.

By the end of 2016, Al-Azhar High was preparing to complete its library and one of three proposed science laboratories.

Asked about his remark at the matric farewell regarding the mathematics pass requirements for Grade 9, Christian expressed his disappointment in what he sees as the failure of the education system.

He explained that in the early 1990s, he was involved with the New Education Policy Investigation (NEPI), which was doing the groundwork in preparation for a new breed of children who would have equal access to quality education in a democratic South Africa.

Now, almost 30 years later, those ideals are still far from being reached and the education arena is more fractured than ever, a situation, which any person concerned about education will decry.

Muslim Views

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Intersections of race: gendered violence and racism in Africa AYESHA KAJEE

VIOLENCE against women isn’t picky. It cuts across class, religion, race and culture. But since the worst economic marginalisation occurs at the nexus of race and gender, the poorest of the poor are nearly always women of colour. Their multiple disadvantage increases their vulnerability to violence, and makes it harder for them to escape abuse.

Women tend to work the hardest, for meagre pay and carry the brunt of unpaid labour burdens (such as caring for children and the infirm) in nearly all societies.

This leads to lower education levels and the inability to achieve financial independence.

Gender gaps increase exponentially when poverty analyses account for factors such as ethnicity, caste, race and disability.

The feminisation of poverty has long been recognised yet gender, race and poverty are often conceptualised separately.

Gender-neutral analyses of poverty and race fail to adequately portray the complex human rights violations experienced by poor black women. An integrated and holistic lens is required to examine how intersecting inequities based on race, gender and class entrench and perpetuate the power imbalances that ‘legitimate’ gendered violence.

Outside of war-zones, nowhere is this more starkly evident than in South Africa. The Gender Statistics Report, published in 2013, found that South African women are less literate than men and less likely to have a tertiary education.

Women also experience higher unemployment levels.

Muslim Views

The third in a series of edited versions of papers delivered at International Peace College South Africa’s (IPSA) third annual Women in Islam – Women in South Africa (Wiwisa) conference, held in December 2016, addressing the theme ‘Muslim Women at the Intersection of Violence: Contextualising Poverty, Racism and Terror’, Ayesha Kajee spoke on ‘Gendered violence and racism in Africa’, and Fazlin Fransman was the respondent.

Women tend to work the hardest, for meagre pay and carry the brunt of unpaid labour burdens (such as caring for children and the infirm) in nearly all societies. This leads to lower education levels and the inability to achieve financial independence.

Juxtapose against this sensational newspaper articles calling South Africa the ‘rape capital of the world’, claims based on extrapolations of limited regional studies. However, in the absence of a comprehensive national survey, and given that rape and sexual abuse are heavily underreported, there is little doubt that gender based violence is pervasive.

A September 2015 article in The Conversation titled ‘South Africa: a dangerous place to be poor, black and a woman’, noted that women’s rights are protected by strong constitutional and legal mechanisms, with women having achieved excellent representation in government and civil society.

But the statistics tell a different, chilling story, revealing that many women, especially black women, experience ‘degradation,

grinding poverty and extreme violence’.

Geographical plotting of Census data through Wazimap, shows that most South Africans who live in poverty are black females in rural or peri-urban areas.

Multiple studies also reflect that poor women are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence because they have fewer options and resources to escape or seek justice.

Many of the same challenges exist across Africa.

According to the UN Economic Commission for Africa, ‘The scourge of violence against women in Africa is still largely hidden.’ Embedded patriarchy designates it a private family matter or an acceptable cultural norm. Consequently, the impacts of gendered violence on African economies are underestimated.

The proliferation of conflicts, usually rooted in struggles over power or resources, has stymied efforts to prevent gendered violence and promote women’s rights. Rape has been used as a weapon of war in countries such as Sudan and the Congo, and captured girls have become child soldiers or sex slaves in regions such as Liberia and Uganda.

The emergence of organisations that conflate neo-patriarchy with religious terrorism has exacerbated this, with Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Lords’ Resistance Army in Uganda gaining particular notoriety.

When ethnicity or religion has fuelled conflicts, the use of gendered violence has overtones of shame, social stigma and unwelcome pregnancies.

Where gang rape has been widespread, fistulae are common, adding long-term physical and

medical distress to the emotional trauma experienced by victims.

Land plays a significant role in poverty, inequality and gendered violence.

On average, across ten countries in Africa, 39 per cent of women and 48 per cent of men report owning land, including both individual and joint ownership.

Only 12 per cent of women report owning land individually, while 31 per cent of men do. The link between land and customary law also means that many widows are inherited by the deceased husband’s brothers, leading to gendered violence that may be unavoidable if the woman wants to retain use of the land to support herself and her children.

Islamic perspective on the intersectionality of poverty, race and gender The Quran teaches that wealth is entrusted to humans to use responsibly for the benefit of all.

Thus the poor have a right to a share, and it is unacceptable to have huge inequities since Muslims must foster social justice.

The Quran also cautions against racial and ethnic discrimination, clearly exhorting that all humans are created equal.

There is a strong basis for developing a hermeneutic of gender justice within marriage in Islam and in Muslim society, generally.

References to the inviolable sanctity of every male and female implies that gender violence, clitirodectomy and honour killings contravene Quranic teachings.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

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Muslim Views . March 2017 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

Every Muslim woman (also true for every Muslim man) is obliged to undertake her khilafah, to actualise her full potential.

This moral imperative also fulfils societal needs in intellectual and economic terms, and thus raises questions around issues such as women’s choice of profes-

sional and economic activity, economic independence, contraception in Islam and bodily integrity within marriage.

Gender justice is integral to social justice, aiming to redress inequalities that result in women’s subordination to men.

Gender-sensitive accountability relationships must be promoted and the formal and informal agreements that shape social rela-

tionships must be reviewed to challenge patterns of inequality and gendered violence.

Since family and community are key sites of gender-specific injustice, we must focus on power relations and patriarchy in the private sphere.

A political economy lens can illuminate gender injustice and gendered violence, helping us to think global and act local, with

context-specific concerns such as masculinities or colonial ethnography.

An intersectional approach towards a more just, more equal, less sexist, less racist and less violent society is premised on the notion that all humans are part of an indivisible and interdependent community.

Ayesha Kajee is a management and development consultant with

a specific focus on African Governance and Human Rights issues.

She was formerly executive director of the Freedom of Expression Institute and the founding director of the International Human Rights Exchange Programme at Wits University, where she also lectured. (Fazlin Fransman’s response is found below.)

Intersections of race, gendered violence and racism in Africa FAZLIN FRANSMAN

INTERSECTIONALITY is a theoretical framework which analyses socially constructed categories by viewing their interactions and placements within society. It differs from constructs such as diversity.

However, many of us continue to look at oppression through diversity and other additive approaches. We only see the differences between certain groups but do little to highlight how the different constructs interact to form new social identities.

A simple example is 14-yearold Ntombi, from rural Eastern Cape, who has just started her menstrual cycle. She has no running water, no flushing toilet and cannot afford sanitary towels.

If we dissect the challenges this individual faces, we can place it into the following categories.

She is female and is faced with a challenge only females are faced with.

Poverty plays a major role in what she can and cannot access.

This girl is from a traditional Xhosa family where she is raised by her grandmother who never explained what is happening to her body.

As a community of reflection, we need to reflect on our own roles in reinforcing this soft oppression against women. We have to question the natural assumptions we hold about women.

The location of her home, is far from towns and as such no drainage system exists.

We need to acknowledge the structural inequalities that constrain and shape Ntombi’s young life, and acknowledge that multiple oppressions are taking place.

Often we focus on the individual challenges and try to deal with them in isolation from each other.

The inequities faced by this young girl cannot be solved by

simply providing her with sanitary products as this is only one challenge she faces and therefore highlights a lack of understanding of the intersecting realities which reinforce her oppression.

Ntombi will still be a poor black girl in a rural eastern cape, with a lack of access to opportunities.

In this scenario, race, class and culture are interacting in a manner that forms an entirely different identity to someone of the same race and culture but different class.

When we analyse Ntombi’s life, we can see that each construct reinforces another, making a specific reality – a reality that would be entirely different if one

or two of those constructs were different.

What we need to realise is that different combinations of constructs, whether it be race, class or gender, affect your ability to access things whether it be sanitary products, education or a job.

Furthermore, even if Ntombi does advance out of her community, does well at school and attends university, she is still entering a society where the soft and hard oppression of women is normalised.

It is important to make a distinction between hard and soft oppression: hard oppression is what we all are accustomed to. It relates to gender based violence or overt sexism.

It’s things we can actively define.

However, soft oppression is the worldview. It is how both men and women think about other women. It is what is normalised.

Hard oppression is the one generally tackled: let’s give the girls sanitary pads; let’s have 16 days of no violence against women and children.

While this is important, it is addressing only one facet of the problem, it negates the cause of the lived reality of every woman, irrespective of race or class. It allows the soft oppression – the worldview – to continue unscathed.

As a community of reflection, we need to reflect on our own roles in reinforcing this soft oppression against women. We have to question the natural assumptions we hold about women.

Fazlin Fransman is currently the Head of Fund Development and Communications at Islamic Relief South Africa. She co-founded the Allied Movement for Change, a civil society organisation working in rural KwaZulu-Natal. She currently serves as its Executive Deputy Chairperson.

Muslim Views

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Maserati’s first SUV launched in South Africa

Ashref Ismail, who shares monthly motoring news with Muslim Views’ readers.

Photo SUPPLIED

ASHREF ISMAIL

MASERATI has launched its first ever SUV in its 100-year history, the Levante, in South Africa.

As with many Maseratis in the past, the new car’s name is inspired by a wind: the Levante is a warm Mediterranean wind that can change from a light breeze to an irresistible natural force in an instant, mirroring the character of the first Maserati SUV. Design, exclusivity and performance are the key characteristics for describing this new Maserati.

Distinctively Italian in style, the Levante has breathtaking and iconic Maserati design features.

The spaciousness of the interior, enhanced by the panoramic electric sunroof, is combined with coupé-sleek external lines and the best aerodynamic efficiency in its category with a Cx coefficient of just 0,31.

The new Maserati SUV is based on the Quattroporte and Ghibli architecture, further evolved and refined to meet the expectations of this market segment, in which Maserati will compete for the first time.

The technology applied to every Levante is designed to offer outstanding performances both on- and off-road.

Sophisticated suspension – double-wishbone on the front axle and multi-link on the rear, combined with electronically controlled damping, four corner airsprings providing five dynamic ride levels (plus one additional park-position), play an essential role in the car’s handling.

For South Africa, the Levante is fitted with a 275hp, 3 litre V6 Turbo Diesel, combined with the ‘Q4’ intelligent all-wheel drive system, which can transfer torque between the axles instantaneously when required, and an 8-speed automatic gearbox, with integrated Start&Stop System.

In terms of performance, the Diesel-powered Levante (275hp) covers 0-100 km/h in 6,9 seconds, and has a top speed of 230 km/h, while its combined cycle consumption and emission figures are 7,2 litres/ 100 km and 189g CO2/ km, respectively.

A wide range of sophisticated advanced driver assistance systems is available, including adaptive cruise control with automatic Start&Stop function, forward collision warning, automatic

The Levante is Maserati’s first ever SUV in its 100-year existence.

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brake assist system and lane departure warning.

Further options include blind spot alert, surround view camera and a power-lift tailgate.

Two extended feature packs are available for the Levante, a Luxury-Package and a SportPack; they each include a variety of distinctive stylistic and technical contents and enable customers to extensively personalise the exterior and interior of the Levante.

The list of accessories, tailored to the vehicle’s high quality and functionality standards, offers a wider array of options than ever before, which include cargo solutions, useful everyday items and a variety of roof carrier or trailer

options.

The Maserati Levante is built in a dedicated, completely refurbished and modernised area of the Mirafiori plant, in Turin; the first cars have already come off the assembly line and the market launch is planned for this spring in Europe, to be followed by the rest of the world.

About Maserati Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna, Italy, by its founder Alfieri Maserati and his brothers. Their passion and talent contributed to the company DNA: innovation, excellence and challenge, which are reflected in the brand’s claim

YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN AN SUV AND A MASERATI LEVANTE. THE MASERATI OF SUVs. STARTING FROM R1 650 000 The practicality and versatility of an SUV, or the power and panache of a Maserati? Now you can enjoy both - Introducing the new Levante. The Powerful V6 Engine, Q4 intelligent all-wheel drive system, 8 speed ZF transmission and sophisticated air suspension confirm that the Levante is every inch a refined SUV. Meanwhile, its exclusive Italian styling, luxurious interior and unique exhaust note affirms its Maserati DNA. So that’s one less difficult decision to make.

Discover the new Levante.

LEVANTE DIESEL: V6 60 o 2,987CM - MAX POWER: 275 HP AT 4,000 - MAX TORQUE: 600NM AT 2000-2600 RPM - MAX SPEED: 230 KM/H 0-100KM/ ACCELERATION: 6,9 SECS - FUEL CONSUMPTION (COMBINED CYCLE): 7,2 l/100KM - CO 2 EMISSIONS (COMBINED CYCLE): 189 G/KM THE DATA MAY NOT REFER TO THE MODEL REPRESENTED

www.maserati.co.za

MASERATI CAPE TOWN 67 JAN SMUTS STREET, CAPE TOWN, 8001 Phone: 0800 0600 78 | E-mail: info@maseraticpt.co.za Muslim Views

‘The absolute opposite of ordinary’.

Today, the company’s headquarters and main production location are in Modena, Italy.

A second state-of-the-art production location, based on the highest quality standards of the World Class Manufacturing (WCM) concept, was inaugurated in Grugliasco, near Turin, Italy, in 2013.

Maserati has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat SpA – now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles – since 1993.

Its emblem, the trident, was inspired by the fountain on the Piazza del Nettuno in the centre of Bologna.

It is a symbol that ties together the brothers, their hometown, and the artistry and craftsmanship for which Bologna and Emilia-Romagna are known.

Through major investments into product development, production facilities as well as its worldwide dealer network, Maserati has hit a milestone turning point.

In addition to the successful GranTurismo and GranCabrio ranges, the latest generation of Maserati’s flagship sedan, the Quattroporte, and the new sports executive sedan, the Ghibli, provide the cornerstones to the brand’s strategy of producing some 70 000 units and gaining a significantly strengthened presence in the global luxury car market.

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Another niche, another Audi: the all-new compact SUV Audi Q2 ASHREF ISMAIL

AUDI South Africa has extended its Q family with a compact SUV – the all new Audi Q2.

An urban vehicle perfect for everyday driving and recreation, bundling youthful styling and technology with a high level of functionality, the sporty yet compact SUV with all-road genes and coupé design is a new entrant into the premium SUV segment of the market. Its distinctive geometric design language exhibits a clear and independent character within the Q family, creating a design that’s sharp and edgy.

At the front, a strong image is created by the Singleframe grille in octagonal design that is positioned high and complemented by large air inlets.

Especially eye-catching is the low roof that descends and merges into the C-pillars with colour-offset blades, which accentuates the sportiness of the Audi Q2. The rear gains its sporty appeal with a long roof edge spoiler and an extended rear diffuser.

The interior of the Audi Q2 continues the angular design language of the exterior and offers space for five occupants. It instantly impresses with the topquality materials and workmanship customary at Audi, as well as exemplary ergonomics.

The luggage compartment can accommodate 405 litres of cargo and can be increased to 1 050 litres when the rear bench seat

Audi’s Q2 has what it takes to be a premium SUV competitor.

back is folded. Options include a power tailgate and a three-way split of the rear bench backrests.

The middle segment also serves as a through-loading facility – practical for transporting longer length items.

A number of sophisticated driver assistance systems are also available for the Audi Q2 for the first time in this segment.

Audi pre-sense front uses radar to recognise hazardous situations that can occur with crossing pedestrians or other vehicles in front of the car. The system warns the driver and initiates hard braking if necessary – down to a standstill at low speeds.

The driver also gets additional support from the latest-generation park assist. It can manoeuvre

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the compact SUV into parallel and perpendicular parking spaces.Cross traffic assist rear comes into play when the driver wants to reverse out of a perpendicular parking spot. It monitors the traffic behind the car with its radar sensors.Adaptive cruise control with stop and go function and Audi side assist round out the offering of driver assistance systems available.Customers also have many ways to express their personal style in the elaborately crafted interior. Colours like yellow, orange and red may be selected for inlays, sections of the seats and contrasting stitching.

Inlays are also available in brushed aluminium.Seat upholstery choices range from high-end fabrics to fine nappa leather. At

With the new Q2, Audi is not only creating new niches but also filling them.

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night, the optional LED lighting package makes the interior especially attractive – LED light guides illuminate the sculpted inlays at the front of the instrument panel and the centre console. Drivers can use the MMI to choose from ten colours.Audi South Africa will offer a range of two petrol engines and one diesel engine for the Audi Q2. The smallest petrol engine in the Q2 line-up is the 1.0 TFSI. It produces 85 kW and 200 Nm of torque from a displacement of 999 cc.

Claimed fuel consumption for this engine is 5,1 litres/ 100 km while it is exempt from CO taxation with emission figures of 117 grams per kilometre. Both a man-

ual and S tronic transmission is available on this model.

Above that is the 1.4 TFSI, producing 110 kW and 250 Nm of torque and also comes with cylinder on demand (COD) technology. With S tronic, the engine consumes on average 5,2 litres of fuel/ 100 km and emits 119 grams CO per kilometre.With the manual gearbox, these figures are 5,4 litres, and 124 grams CO2 per kilometre. The sole diesel engine on offer is in the form of the 2.0 TDI producing 105 kW and 350 Nm of torque. This engine will only be available in S tronic transmission.The Audi Q2 prices start from R434 500 going all the way up to R565 000 for the top-of-the range.

Muslim Views

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Mercedes-Benz highlights in Geneva ASHREF ISMAIL

HIGHLIGHTS on the Mercedes-Benz Cars stand at the 87th Geneva Motor Show included the new E-Class Cabriolet as well as the extensively revised GLA. Mercedes-AMG provides a glimpse of the performance of the future with a show car.

The focus of Mercedes-Benz’s presence at this year’s Geneva Motor Show lies squarely on the world premiere of the E-Class Cabriolet.

After the E-Class Coupé, which also celebrated its premiere in Geneva, the open-top fourseater is the latest member to join the successful model series.

The E-Class family has been completely renewed within a period of a year and alongside both of the two-door models now comprises the world’s most intelligent executive saloon, the Estate model plus the All-Terrain model.

The E-Class Cabriolet combines a puristic, sensual design with high levels of comfort on long journeys for four people and state-of-the-art technology.

For the first time in Geneva it is also possible to see a new, exceptional variant of the legendary off-road icon, the G-Class, in the guise of the Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet. The new GLA, meanwhile, is celebrating its European debut with an extended range of engines, specif-

Mercedes-Benz showcases new products at the Geneva Motor Show.

ic visual highlighting applied to the interior and exterior design and updated equipment lines.

Other new products and features making up the total of 34 vehicles being presented at the show include special models of the Mercedes-Benz SL and SLC, among others.

With the Concept X-CLASS, Mercedes-Benz Vans is providing

a glimpse in Geneva of its new pickup model, the X-Class.

Smart, meanwhile, has two exceptional special models on display, namely the fortwo cabrio BRABUS edition #2 and the forfour crosstown edition*.

As part of its 50th anniversary, this year, Mercedes-AMG is not only celebrating its successful past and present but is also providing

Photo QUICKPIC

a glimpse of an alternative drive concept with a show car.

In addition, four other AMG models are celebrating their world premiere: the E 63 S Estate*, AMG GT C Roadster Edition 50*, C 63 S Cabriolet Ocean Blue Edition* and C 43 Coupé Night Edition*.

A visual highlight of the company’s presence at the show was

the ‘EQ Lane’, which flowed through the entire stand in the form of a black, shining trail, equipped with lights and media technology.

Here, the new product brand EQ showed the entire world of electric mobility, from the Concept EQ and the company’s already electrified vehicle range through to charging stations and energy storage units.

Visitors could also once again experience the exciting ‘Silver Flow’ atmosphere of the Mercedes-Benz stand: a dynamically shaped, free-floating, large-scale sculpture consisting of silver slats created the perfect setting for the new Mercedes models.

The technically sculptural Silver Flow appeared to float weightlessly above the large show stand covering 3 790 square metres and combined with the central media space to form the stage area for the presentation of the numerous premieres.

The future direction of the company in the area of electric mobility can also be seen in a new form of communication: for the first time at a motor show, Mercedes-Benz is making use of a VR (Virtual Reality) application.

With this, visitors will be introduced to the world of EQ and will also be able to enjoy an immersive experience of aspects of electrified and networked mobility. *These models are not yet available in South Africa.

TOYOTA

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . March 2017

17

Mahindra enters Cross Over segment with its stylish new TUV300 ASHREF ISMAIL

MAHINDRA South Africa, a part of the US$17,8 billion multinational Mahindra group, has launched the tough and stylish TUV300 in South Africa.

The TUV300 easily conquers the road less travelled yet offers a singular combination of comfort, convenience, performance and value.

The new Mahindra TUV300 is manufactured at Mahindra’s world-class production facility in Chakan, Maharashtra, India.

According to Mahindra, the new TUV300 has been inspired by the design of a battle tank. It is available in South Africa in topspec T8 M/T form, has a bold, rugged appearance and toughened high strength steel body that allows it to tackle any challenge thrown at it.

Its clean, chiselled lines are distinctive and purposeful, creating a shape that highlights its prominent shoulders, an elevated front end, short overhangs, raised ground clearance and an angular, purposeful silhouette.

The result is both bold and confident, while also unmistakably Mahindra.

Aesthetic highlights include powerful bumpers front and rear, chrome-framed fog lamps, stylish roof rails, economical 15-inch alloy wheels shod with soft and low road noise SUV tyres, and a tailgate-mounted, full size spare wheel.

The spacious, seven-seat interi-

Mahindra enters the highly lucrative, mini SUV segment with this, the TUV 300. Photo QUICKPIC

or offers stylish and comfortable accommodation, with durable fabric upholstery for the front bucket seats and rear bench seat.

The fascia features piano gloss black detailing and brushed chrome-look surrounds.

The infotainment system includes Bluetooth connectivity for convenient, safe, hands-free drive as well as music streaming and also offers easily accessible USB and analogue AUX inputs.

The new TUV300 bristles with safety technology. The rigid, hightensile steel body shell offers a strong, integrated safety cell, protected by crumple zones in the front and rear, as well as side impact protection beams.

Dual airbags further enhance occupant safety in the case of a collision, while the braking system is fitted with ABS anti-lock control, incorporating electronic brake force distribution (EBD).

Automatic door locking is also standard.

The Mahindra TUV300 is powered by a 1,5-litre turbodiesel engine, featuring twin-stage turbocharging. The mHawk100 four-cylinder unit has a rated maximum power output of 73,5 kW at 3 750 r/min coupled with a class-leading peak torque of 240 Nm, sustained between 1 600 and 2 800 r/min. Two-stage turbocharging addresses turbo lag at low engine speeds and smoothes

out the torque curve to enhance responsiveness and tractability while also boosting engine refinement.

The default gearbox is a fivespeed manual unit. An Eco Mode, as well as Mahindra’s MicroHybrid Technology, ensure that the new TUV300 is economical and fuel efficient, too.

THE new TUV300 features a suspension set-up aimed at offering confident handling and positive steering, combined with a smooth, pliant ride on and off the road. The independent system up front employs dual wish-bone, coil springs and an anti-roll bar while the rear system comprises a multilink design with coil springs

and an anti-roll bar. The powerassisted steering achieves a turning circle of 10,7 metres.

The new Mahindra TUV300 features a raft of advanced technology features. These include static cornering lights which illuminate automatically when cornering to improve after-dark vision through bends.

Additional lighting-related features include follow-me-home and lead-me-to headlight operation when the TUV300 is locked or unlocked, respectively.

Brake energy regeneration helps to further economical fuel efficiency while Intellipark reverse assistance makes reversing into even tight spaces an easy and intuitive process.

Mahindra’s BlueSense app is another high-tech feature. It allows control of the infotainment system, including volume adjustment, track selection, play/ pause control and more. The app can even track selected vehicle parameters.

The new Mahindra TUV300 goes on sale through Mahindra South Africa’s national dealer network, and will be offered in a choice of four colours: Molten Orange, Majestic Silver, Glacier White and Dynamo Red. The recommended retail price of the Mahindra TUV300 T8 Manual is R229 995. The price includes a three-year/ 100 000 km warranty, and a three-year/ 90 000 km service plan with first service at 10 000 km followed by intervals of 20 000 km.

Muslim Views

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Oasis hands R10m to UCT and awards 49 tertiary bursaries

AMINA WAGGIE OASIS Group Holdings presented University of Cape Town (UCT) with a cheque for R10 million and also awarded bursaries to 49 tertiary students, on March 1, 2017, at the Oasis head office.

Oasis has been actively involved in addressing the educational needs faced by South Africa and has prioritised its investment in this critical area.

The company is deeply involved in projects that span from the foundational development of children through to postgraduate learning.

The keynote speaker, Oasis Chief Executive Officer, Mr Adam Ebrahim, spoke about the dynamic growth of Oasis, how education is in crisis and how the organisation would make a real and tangible difference to society.

The issue of providing quality education to our growing population and the funding thereof has remained an area of contention and hot debate. The educational system is under severe pressure and unless a strengthened system is implemented, underpinned by a

On March 1, Oasis Group Holdings handed UCT a cheque to the value of R10million and awarded bursaries to 49 tertiary students at the Oasis Group Holdings head Photo OASIS MARKETING DEPARTMENT office.

new social compact amongst all stakeholders, the challenges that they face will continue to grow.

Participants within the economy need to become more actively involved as the strength of the educational system is a national responsibility.

‘Individuals and citizens, communities as well as businesses, need to contribute towards education and we need to voice our concerns but we must also work together to create solutions that will alleviate the pressures faced by the students,’ said Ebrahim.

To date, the company has committed over R10 million to Early Childhood Development and

close to R15million to secondary and tertiary level education.

The guest speaker, Non-Executive Director of Oasis Group Holdings, Professor Brian Figaji, gave an inspirational and uplifting speech to the crowd about empowering the youth as they are the future of the country.

‘Congratulations to the bursary recipents for having been selected. The selection makes you very special and in case you don’t know why you are special, consider that only 17 per cent to 20 per cent of the age group 18 to 24 get access to higher education, in the broad sense,’ said Figaji.

One of the beneficiaries, Kiara

Ford, a student at Stellenbosch University, studying BSc Mathematical Science, said that the bursary means a lot to her and without it she would not have been by the financial means to study.

‘What I am especially grateful for is that Oasis will be giving me practical experience in their company and this will prepare me for the world of work,’ said Ford.

The advice given by Ford for other students who wish to obtain a bursary is to keep working hard to achieve good results.

Oasis presented UCT with an investment which will contribute to the alleviation of funding pressures through the allocation of

bursary grants to students attending the university. They will also grant these students the same opportunities as the Oasis bursary recipients to gain skills and practical experience.

The R10 million will be distributed over the next five years, R2 million will be allocated to the university annually.

First-year student orientation and support will receive R250 000; undergraduate degrees and programme will receive R1 million; and postgraduate studies will receive R750 000.

UCT and Oasis will collaborate in selecting students eligible for the funding.

At the Oasis cheque hand-over to UCT, from left to right, were: Ammaarah Ebrahim, Tay-yibah Ebrahim, Sabriyyah Ebrahim, Bint Nur Ebrahim Cassim, Haadiyah Ebrahim, Professor Anwar Mall (Deputy Vice Chancellor, UCT), Nazeem Ebrahim (Deputy Chairperson, Oasis), Zahrah Ebrahim Dutton, Khaya Jack, Professor Kevin Kotze, Adam Ebrahim (CEO, Oasis), Elle Williams, Professor Brian Figaji, Dr Russell Ally (Executive Director of Development & Alumni, UCT), Abdurahman Mayman, Shaheen Ebrahim (Chairperson, Oasis) and Isma-el Ebrahim.

Photo OASIS MARKETING DEPARTMENT

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19

Voetstoots and Islamic law of contracts BASHEER MOOSAGIE

WE live in a time in which Islam is not implemented in its correct form. This fact has left the followers of Islam focusing on the ritual aspects of Islam.

Generally, there is an enormous amount of understanding of the rules of prayer.

However, there remains a general lack of knowledge of things on the periphery. An example of this is contract law in the eyes of the shariah.

The shariah places all economic transactions on the firm footing of ‘contractus’.

The freedom to enter into contracts and the obligation to remain faithful to the stipulations therein has been so highlighted that a characteristic which distinguishes a Muslim is considered to be his faithfulness to terms of his contracts.

The maxim that ‘Muslims are bound by their stipulations’ is a traditional rule recognised by the majority of jurists.

The concept of contracts is not only important as the legal aspect of exchange but also it is a concept upon which the shariah is based. The entire fabric of the shariah is contractual in its conceptualisation. The very foundation of the shariah is a covenant between man and his Creator who imposes on man the duty of having integrity towards his word.

Contracts may be generally described as the effective mode of acquisition of ownership and transfer of property or services. It expresses the combination of offer and acceptance.

The contract forges legal relations between two parties over a particular matter. An example of an offer by a seller would be, ‘I sold this to you for the price of...’ An acceptance would then be, ‘I accept.’ Regardless of how elaborate a transaction may be, this simple model is the basis of all Islamic contracts.

Basheer Moosagie is a business development analyst. He is also a part-time lecturer at IPSA. He obtained his MBA from University of Stellenbosch Business School where he focused his studies around Islamic Photo SUPPLIED finance.

The contract forges legal relations between two parties over a particular matter. An example of an offer by a seller would be, ‘I sell this to you for the price of...’

An acceptance would then be, ‘I accept.’ Regardless of how elaborate a transaction may be, this simple model is the basis of all Islamic contracts.

The maximum degree of clarity must be given by the one who makes the offer, and the maxi-

mum degree of clarity must be ascertained by the one who accepts. This is the underlining principle of contracts in Islam.

The offer cannot be made conditional upon an occurrence outside the agreement.

For example, the contract is invalid if a person sells his car under the stipulation that the purchaser will not sell it again – ‘I will sell it, provided you sell it back to me, should you decide to sell it.’

Transacting by using things such as vending machines, hirepurchase agreements, the involvement of separate financing companies, insurance cover, and share companies, selling things that are not yet in one’s possession and sub-contracting of orders, are all matters that cannot be assumed to be allowed or not in Islam.

General Islamic rules concerning contracts The following conditions must be met: l Offer and acceptance (and yes, dear reader, marriage is a contract) l Contractual parties – at least two parties l Subject matter l Consent With regard to the subject matter or the object, the following conditions need to be satisfied: l Lawful: The subject matter needs to be consistent with the shariah, i.e. a contract involving alcohol is not valid. l Existence: The subject matter needs to be in existence. l Ownership: The seller needs to have ownership of the object. l Specific: The subject must be

clearly defined.

Throughout the legal history of Islam, a body of rules constituting a general theory of contracts – with explicit emphasis on specific contracts, such as sale, lease and partnership – were formulated based on the precepts of shariah.

Contracts are considered binding and their terms are protected by the shariah, no less securely than the institution of property.

The faithfulness to one’s contractual obligations is so central to belief that when the Prophet (SAW) was asked: ‘Who is the believer?’ he replied: ‘A believer is a person with whom the people can trust their person and possessions.’

He also said: ‘A person without trustworthiness is a person without religion.’

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Muslim Views . March 2017

21

The ultimate journey: people’s challenges, struggles and sacrifices In the first article of our series on Makkah, we look at the sacrifices people have made, the effort they have put in and the challenges they have overcome to perform what is described in the Quran as ‘a duty’ we owe to Allah.

(Left) This photograph, from the collection of the author’s wife, Gabeba Agherdien, of one of the first flights taking Cape pilgrims to Makkah was taken at the Cape Town airport in the early 1970s.

Photo AGHERDIEN COLLECTION

SALIM PARKER

ND proclaim the pilgrimage (Hajj) among men: they will come to thee on foot and [mounted] on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways.’ (Surah Al-Hajj, v 27) Hajj is the setting out, the commencement, of an obligatory journey in the life of any Muslim if there are no defined barriers. In the words of Dr Ali Shariati, it is the ‘evolution of the believer to his Creator’.

Some say it is the blossoming of a new dawn, others desire it as the dusk settling on a fulfilled life and, for some, it perpetually illuminates their lives, giving meaning, solace and hope when the dark shadows of their temporary existence on earth seems overwhelming.

For most it is, without doubt, the most important, the ultimate, journey of their lives.

Throughout the ages, humankind has striven to embark on this travel.

Our narratives are rich with the stories of

‘A

the attempts by many to take the first step forward of this intention.

Sometimes, decades passed before the dream was commenced, some were mercilessly and ruthlessly robbed of their hard-earned savings and had their dreams forever unfulfilled.

A lucky few never in their wildest imagina-

The journey from Istanbul to Madinah via Damascus was reduced from 40 days to five days with the construction of a railway line from Damascus in 1908.

Source: WWW.BRITISH MUSEUM.ORG

INFO@ALNURTOURISM.CO.ZA WWW.ALNURTOURISM.CO.ZA

HOTEL

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INCLUDING INCLUDING A AIRFARE IRFARE FFROM ROM O ONLY NLY R R44 44 5 500 00 p p.p .p 27 7 JJul ul DEPAR T 2 DEPART ul 24 4 JJul DEPART DEPAR T 2

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INCLUDES 2 UMRAHS Muslim Views

Every year, millions of Muslims gather on Arafah in response to the instruction given to Nabi Ibrahim (AS) by our Creator, Allah SWT, to ‘proclaim the Hajj among men’.

Photo SALIM PARKER

Kharlzada Kasrat Rai walked 6 387 km from Pakistan in order to perform Hajj.

Source AL ARABIYA, OCTOBER 13, 2013

‘So I braced my resolution to quit my dear ones, female and male, and forsook my home as birds forsake their nests.

‘My parents being yet in the bonds of life, it weighed sorely upon me to part from them, and both they and I were afflicted with sorrow at this separation.’

The South African Hajj traditions have been eloquently portrayed by Dr Hoosain Ebrahim in his book The Cape Hajj Tradition: Past and Present.

He poignantly describes the numerous unsuccessful attempts by Imam Frans of Bengal to perform Hajj in 1806, the departure of Imam Adulgamiet of Palm Street Mosque, in 1811, for the holy journey from which he never returned home to Cape Town, and, finally, the first pilgrim to return in the form of Hajji Gassonnodien more than 20 years later.

From that time, a rich, colourful and established culture has been in place in Cape Town with hordes of family members seeing off pilgrims embarking ships in the Cape docks being a tradition in the previous century. One scribe penned it as: ‘Their colourful garments rivalled the most gorgeous flowerbeds.’

Currently, the intoxicating fever to perform Hajj has certainly not been subdued by the distractions of modernity. Senad Hadzic, in 2012, walked 5 700 km from Bosnia;

Kharlzada Kasrat Rai, in 2013, walked over 6 300 km from Pakistan, and Mohammed Ali Al-Mirfa, 75-year-old, in 2014, walked for more than two months from Yemen to take part in the five-day pilgrimage.

Two fit young men, Natheem Cairncross, and Imtiyaz Haron, cycled almost 11 000 kilometres from Cape Town in 2010 to perform Hajj.

The journey took nine months, compared with the less than 12 hours it takes today to be flown there.

But Hajj is desired by even the sickest. ‘I am prepared for Allah to recall me while undertaking this journey,’ were the words uttered by a man whose body was ravaged by cancer and who, according to doctors, only had a few months to live.

‘I saved a few pennies weekly for forty years and Allah has blessed me to go on Hajj, even though I am wheelchair bound,’ an elderly seamstress related.

Throughout the ages, humankind has been aware of the importance of Hajj in their lives and as a preparation for the hereafter.

The Quran vividly explains that Allah does not need mere mortals at all but humankind has a debt in the form of the pilgrimage to pay.

‘Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to God; those who can afford the journey; but if

Imam Yusuf Pandy, an iconic figure in the Cape Hajj tradition, embarking at Cape Town Harbour in 1966. He is currently still, more than 50 years later, leading groups on this holy journey.

Source: CAPE ARGUS 28, 1966

any deny faith, God stands not in need of any of His creatures.’ (Quran 3:97) Stories from the Hijaz is sponsored by Al Jeem Foundation

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tion dreamt of setting off due to their financial or health circumstances only for a benefactor to elicit a radiant smile from their hearts.

Scholars refer to Hajj mimicking life. In the life of a Muslim, Hajj is part of life.

For those who complete the journey, Hajj often is life.

The epic journey of Musa Mansa, who was the emperor of an empire in West Africa in the present-day Mali region, in the 14th century and who went on pilgrimage between 1324-1325, has been grandiosely documented. His procession reportedly included 60 000 men, including 12 000 slaves who each carried nearly two kilograms of gold bars. About 80 camels each carried between 23 and 136 kg of gold dust, which was given to the poor met along his route. In fact, he carried and distributed so much gold on his journey that the price of the precious metal was depressed for more than a decade in Cairo, one of the cities he passed through.

At about the same time, in June 1325, at the age of twenty-one, Ibn Battuta, one of the greatest explorers who ever lived, set off from his hometown in Morocco to perform Hajj.

This journey would ordinarily take sixteen months but he would not see Morocco again for 24 years.

He describes his departure as: ‘I set out alone, having neither fellow traveller in whose companionship I might find cheer nor caravan whose part I might join but swayed by an overmastering impulse within me and a desire long cherished in my bosom to visit these illustrious sanctuaries.

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Muslim Views

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Muslim Views . March 2017

The Best of Planners

His joy knew no bounds as he and his spouse had been invited as a small percentage of Muslims to stand on the plains of Arafah that year, writes DR SALIM PARKER. SHORT buzz on his mobile alerted him to the fact that a new message awaited his attention. A short few words that would require his speedy attention and reaction virtually immediately.

Thousands throughout South African awaited similar messages. Some had crafted their requests many years previously and were absolutely certain that they would receive a positive answer to their applications.

Some knew that they were in that borderline area, along with a few hundred others who were in the awkward situation of either being rewarded for their patience or being asked to wait another few weeks or even another year, depending on a number of permutations.

Others simply hoped and prayed that, even though thousands were ahead of them in the queue, somehow, through some quirk in the process, they would be fortunate to be elevated in time.

He looked at the screen of his phone.

The message was short and concise. It informed him that he and his wife had been accredited to perform Hajj that year and very tersely instructed them to confirm their acceptance within a few days or else their names would be removed from the list.

He was elated but simultaneously devastated. His joy knew no bounds as he and his spouse was part of a small percentage of Muslims who had been invited to stand on the plains of Arafah that year to be as close to their Creator as would ever be possible in their lives.

He excitedly informed his wife and both of them burst out crying. Tears of joy flowed down her cheeks. They had saved, planned meticulously and had applied with considered calculations of the probability

A

of being accredited that particular year.

Now it seemed that all their dreams and hopes would be fulfilled.

Just six months earlier, they would have described life as perfect. However, a lot can happen in six hours, six days, six weeks and especially six months. Life had not been kind to them in those six months.

They had saved enough to undertake the journey. In fact, they had even budgeted to buy presents in Saudi Arabia for all their family members, and freight the gifts home to South Africa. Their ordinary monthly expenses of house bond, car and other necessities were accordingly budgeted for and money set aside.

As is the case of the vast majority of intending Cape Town pilgrims, their children were probably the least of their worries as there is no such phrase in the community termed ‘extended family’. There is only family, family and more family.

Hajj in the Cape involves all and sundry, with family members of the hujjaaj intricately and whole-heartedly involved in all preparations. Sometimes, when sitting in the family’s interactions, it is difficult to ascertain who is actually going for Hajj so animated and excited are everyone!

Their children would be cared for by immediate relatives who deem it an absolute honour, and a deed that the Creator will indeed reward.

Yet, six months ago, everything changed when his employer called him into his office. He knew their firm was experiencing financial difficulties due to the tough economic times. They were all aware that cost cutting and other austerity measures were introduced and that their boss was trying desperately to save their jobs.

However, he was not prepared for the devastating news that was to follow. The firm was closing down that very day and there was not even money for that month’s salaries. No severance pay benefits, no immediate alternative employment, nothing.

He was aware that his boss had worked tirelessly behind the scenes to save the firm, that the employer had not drawn a salary for himself for a few months so that he could pay his staff.

He did not blame the man at all. However, the future was now uncertain. He might have been a good planner but his carefully worked out plan to perform his Hajj lay in tatters. Allah, however, is the ultimate planner.

They could not believe how their savings had been devoured. Other unforeseen calamities, such as illness which had to be paid out of their own pockets instead of the work subsidised medical aid further aggravated their rapidly deteriorating financial situation.

As the accreditation date drew nearer so did their hope of economic salvation recede. They had to make a decision of either accepting to go on Hajj that year or postponing. They looked at each other.

The seed to perform the obligatory journey had been planted years ago when they

We may plan but, ultimately, Allah SWT is the best of planners.

Muslim Views

committed to accepting the invitation that had been extended thousands of years ago.

The stem was firmly rooted in fertile soil by the many classes they had attended and the numerous returning pilgrims they had been blessed to interact with. They did not hesitate. ‘Yes, we accept,’ they responded.

It was a strange balance sheet that they then filled in. On the positive side was the net effect of going to perform Hajj. That was non-negotiable. They sold their car.

The net effect was that they were going to perform Hajj. They moved in with one set of parents and rented out their house. The net effect was that they were going to perform Hajj.

There were many such transactions with exactly the same results. Their resolve and commitment were unwavering. He, in the meantime, went for a number of interviews and two weeks before their departure date he was called in for a second interview by a company who were interested in his skills.

They offered him a permanent job with long term security and better remuneration than he had anticipated. He was overwhelmed. Allah was surely being merciful!

However, there was one problem; he had to start the next week, a few days before his scheduled departure to Saudi Arabia.

He had a day to decide about his precarious position but he informed the interviewing panel immediately that he was not deviating from his chosen balance sheet.

He explained to them that he desperately needed the job for his family’s future financial stability and felt honoured that they had offered him the position.

He was prepared to shorten his pilgrimage but he was not prepared to cancel it.

The company informed him that they regretably could not comply with his wishes and would have to offer the position to someone else.

They came to consult me for a medical condition one day in Madinah about a week later and related their story to me. ‘I feel completely at ease with my decision, Doc,’ he said.

‘We are in the City of Peace, the City of Light,’ I replied as we marvelled at the serenity of the Prophet’s City.

They were immensely grateful to be on the holy journey and knew that their children were well cared for by their grandparents.

A few days later, he approached me as I was having breakfast with a friend. He was smiling and his wife was beaming from ear to ear. ‘Look Doc,’ he said, showing me his mobile.

A simple clear message was displayed informing him that the company that had said that they could not keep the position for him was now willing to wait until his return. His Hajj had barely started and yet one of his journeys was already completed.

For more Hajj Stories visit www.hajjdoctor.co.za. You may contact Dr Parker via e-mail: salimparker@yahoo.com Photo SALIM PARKER

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Famine declared in South Sudan with Horn of Africa also at risk THE number of people at risk of starvation now stands at more than 11 million.

The United Nations has declared a famine in parts of South Sudan, the first to be announced anywhere in the world in six years.

Conflict and drought in the Horn of Africa and South Sudan are generating a humanitarian crisis of alarming proportions.

Reports emerging from the region indicate that this crisis is set to become worse than the last famine in 2011.

Islamic Relief South Africa CEO Yusuf Patel said: ‘The situation in South Sudan has literally become a matter of life and death. Life is becoming more and more unbearable with widespread hunger sweeping the region. We must act quickly and ask our supporters to donate generously so that we can reach those in desperate need of food assistance.’

As many as 100 000 people in South Sudan are facing starvation with a further one million classified as being on the brink of famine.

The Horn of Africa, which include Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, has been hit by monthslong drought.

Somalia’s hospitals are seeing children with severe dehydration

while in Kenya the government has declared a national emergency.

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Muslim Views . March 2017

23

Cycling for education tour gets jubilant welcome MAHMOOD SANGLAY

AZHAR Vadi, of Salaamedia and the Salaam Foundation, on a 3 000 kilometre tour in South Africa, undertaken in aid of charity for education, arrived at the offices of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) on March 9.

Vadi was honoured with a jubilant welcome by the MJC president, his deputies and 200 learners from Al Azhar High School.

The focus of the charity drive is on young children faced with the challenges of poverty.

Vadi said in his address to the learners that in his tour, which included a journey through 50 towns, he had encountered schools that are still using the bucket system as a toilet facility.

He added that some children walk up to 4 000 kilometres to school per annum.

The needs identified by the organisers include the building of toilets in schools with pit latrines, the provision of containerised kitchens and libraries, school shoes for learners who cannot afford them and bicycles for learners who walk long distances to school every school day.

The #Riding4SAeducation campaign commenced on February 7 from the Musina border post, in Limpopo, and will end at Cape Point, in the Western Cape, by mid March.

Vadi made a call to other cyclists to join him at various points en route. Nine cyclists joined him at Macassar, in Faure, and arrived with him at the MJC offices. At the time of going to press, Vadi was to participate in the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday, March 12 (the event was stopped due to strong winds).

Azhar Vadi, holding his cycling helmet, was welcomed at the Muslim Judicial Council offices on March 9 by 200 learners from Al Azhar High School. On his right is Shaikh Irafaan Abrahams, President of the MJC, addressing the learners.

Bishop Dr Derick Mtsolo of the Western Cape Christian Ministers Association, on Vadi’s left, was also part of the welcoming delegation. Shaikh Riad Fataar, in front, Deputy President of the MJC, introduced the speakers.

Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY

He also announced that he intends to take the campaign across Australia in 2018. This will enable the organisers to raise funds in foreign currency, which is expected to boost the revenue of the campaign in South African currency.

In 2019 he intends to tour Europe.

Salaamedia engages in humanitarian journalism, where consumers of the media are encouraged to participate and actively get involved in stories that are covered.

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Health File

Ethical dilemmas in sponsorship and in philanthropy DR NASEEMA BARDAY

THE ethical foundation of philanthropy is a field of study that attempts to understand the fundamentals of what lie beneath donorship and sponsorship. It would be natural to assume that giving to others, sharing of wealth, time and knowledge are ethical. It must be a good thing, right?

When you scratch beneath the obvious, however, other factors emerge.

What makes people give or not give is not straightforward. Sometimes, people with little give much and, at other times, people with much give nothing. Things are more subtle and complex than the obvious.

The oft quoted example is of the man walking past a drowning child. He does not hesitate to jump into the pool to save the child, ruining a R3 000 suit and leather shoes. Savingp the child is clearly worth the cost. But donating R3 000 to starving children on the other side of the world is much harder.

Why should we be involved in charitable projects?

Let’s look at the arguments.

Are we not already, as healthcare workers, giving enough of ourselves by the very nature of what we do? We all see patients pro Deo regularly, we often discount fees and we already give so much emotionally and spiritually by being in health service.

We are basically fatigued in almost every way, suffering from compassion fatigue. When I first learnt about the term, I was relieved to have a diagnosis for my condition, and especially to know that I am not alone.

John Steinbeck, author and social philosopher of the last century, wrote in 1951: ‘Perhaps the most overrated virtue in our list of shoddy virtues is that of giving. Giving builds up the ego of the giver, makes him superior and higher and larger than the receiver.

Nearly always, giving is a selfish pleasure, and in many cases it is a downright destructive and evil thing‌ For giving can bring the same sense of superiority as getting does, and philanthropy may be another kind of spiritual avarice.’ In the end, you are left only with your intentions and your conscience: ‘Inna ma amalu binniya.’ Compassion fatigue describes the syndrome experienced by care workers who struggle daily with emotional challenges in a society that is not fixable. The goal of providing relief to the needy feels impossible.

This painful reality eventually takes its toll; eventually, negative attitudes prevail as the unsurprising result of chronic stress resulting from caring too much.

Traumatologists suggest that people who are attracted to care giving enter the field already compassion fatigued as they are people who were taught from an early age to care for the needs of others before themselves. Ongoing self-care practices are absent in their lives.

Given the background of the physically, emotionally and financially beleaguered, not to mention often financially burdened, it becomes not unnatural to ask, ‘Do I need to get involved in anything more? My well is already

dry.’ It is perhaps not surprising then that one starts being skeptical and expressing concerns about this sponsorship ventures. One asks questions like: l Who are those making the decisions about funding and administration? l What salaries/ remuneration is being paid to whom? l What are the interests – personal/ financial – and what are the conflicts of interests of both donors and beneficiaries? l Are there consequences and advantages for donors, like positive influence upon their prestige or name?

Studies in several countries have shown that a high percentage of donations are of fiscal benefit to the donors/ companies making those donations. Does this mean that the real foundation of philanthropy is just a loophole in the tax law?

There is a fascinating argument

that may seem extreme, that donorship is a kind of greed, pride and superiority.

John Steinbeck, author and social philosopher of the last century, wrote in 1951: ‘Perhaps the most overrated virtue in our list of shoddy virtues is that of giving.

Giving builds up the ego of the giver, makes him superior and higher and larger than the receiver. ‘Nearly always, giving is a selfish pleasure, and in many cases it is a downright destructive and evil thing‌ For giving can bring the same sense of superiority as getting does, and philanthropy may be another kind of spiritual avarice.’ In the end, you are left only with your intentions and your conscience: ‘Inna ma amalu binniya.’ The arguments in favour of social philanthropy are much more wholesome and obvious. It is a means of giving back to soci-

ety, in a way in recompense for our state-subsidised training, thereby also relieving the overburdened state.

Most religious traditions emphasise this strong link between man and his responsibility to society. Moreover, by relieving the state burden, the fiscal benefit to the donor by the Section 18A tax rule in some way mitigates the perceived perverse financial incentive of donating.

But what about the ethical dilemmas for the community, for the recipients of sponsorship?

I think perhaps the biggest contention may be around the perceived needs of what is required for others. We must safeguard against socio-cultural hegemony.

Have we identified the appropriate recipient groups? And are we creating a culture of expectation?

Lastly, there is the matter of consistency in a service being offered, especially in the field of healthcare. It speaks to the integrity of a project when Now it works, now it doesn’t, and the natural disappointment of inconsistent service delivery.

Despite my discussion regarding the ethical dilemmas and considerations when making sponsorship, none of these failures/ drawbacks justify ethical opposition to sponsorship and community charitable projects. We must continue to give financially, and of our time!

Dr Naseema Barday [MBChB (UCT), DTM&H (Wits), BScHons Reproductive Medicine (Stell)] has a practice at Kenilworth Medicross, Cape Town.

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Muslim Views . March 2017

25

Fever: friend or foe to your child DR LEANA VAN DYK

FEVER is one of the most common presenting symptoms in any child, and the cause of up to 20 per cent of all consultations in children.

Through the years, we have tried to ‘break’ a child’s fever at all costs. Every household and medical facility have their ‘remedies’ to break a fever and, very often, too little emphasis is placed on what the fever is there to do.

A fever is a child’s friend but can become the child’s enemy if we are not careful. Before I explain this statement, let’s have a look at the origin of fever, and the benefits and disadvantages of a raised body temperature.

The normal body temperature in a human being is 36,5 – 37,2 degrees Celsius. It is maintained by the interaction between receptors that detect thermal changes (located in the skin, spinal cord and brain); the hypothalamus in the brain (maintain the temperature set point), and the effector channels that either retain or release heat to maintain our temperature. (This is done through the vasodilation or constriction of our skin vessels, causing sweating or shivering.)

Fever can be caused by: 1. Organisms from outside the body (e.g. bacterial toxins, viruses, yeasts, protozoa, spirochetes) 2. One’s own defence system (immune reactions) For doctors, the severity, onset and pattern of a fever is often a guideline as to what the possible cause is. But we do depend on

Fever is thus one of the earliest signs that warn a parent that their child is not well but it is a better friend than just a warning sign. An elevated body temperature optimises the body’s response to invading organisms and limits the viability of the causative organisms themselves

Dr Leana van Dyk, paediatrician.

additional signs and symptoms to find the cause of the fever.

Very high temperatures might indicate a bacterial infection while a lower grade fever might indicate a mild viral infection.

This is not a hard and fast rule and one always has to consider all the symptoms at hand.

Photo SUPPLIED

Fever is thus one of the earliest signs that warn a parent that their child is not well but it is a better friend than just a warning sign.

An elevated body temperature optimises the body’s response to invading organisms and limits the viability of the causative organisms themselves.

Most organisms causing infection function optimally at normal body temperatures while raised temperatures are unfavourable for the functioning of such organisms.

For the above reasons, we should aim to determine the cause of the fever and treat the cause. In this manner, the fever will respond and be controlled.

So, why the big effort to reduce a fever? A fever cannot harm your child. Guidelines as to when to treat are not clear but, generally, the aim of treatment is to relieve discomfort.

Febrile seizures (convulsions caused by fever) are a concern but this only occurs in two to four per cent of the population. The young child’s brain is very sensitive to very high temperatures. For this reason, very high temperatures can lead to febrile seizures.

Febrile seizures most commonly occur in children of ages six to six-years-old. months Although mostly innocent and uncomplicated, these seizures can be very traumatic for the family and the aim is to avoid them by reducing the child’s temperature.

If your child had a febrile seizure before, keeping the temperature normal can prevent it from re-occurring.

At the end of the day, fever must not be seen as the enemy but rather as an alert that the child is not well, and should guide us to the real pathology. Treatment and antipyretics should be aimed to keep our children comfortable, as a low-grade fever might assist the child in fighting the real foe.

Dr Leana van Dyk [MBChB (UFS) FCPaed (SA) MMED (US)] is a paediatrician at Melomed Tokai Private Hospital.

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Muslim Views . March 2017

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How waqf sustained social services MAGDA ISMAIL ABDEL MOHSIN

THE current economic situation of almost all Muslim and Muslim minority countries in terms of their high illiteracy rate, lack of good healthcare, high unemployment rate and the spread of poverty encourages the author to present the role of the institution of waqf, past and present, and to show how this socio-financial institution can help in minimising such problems.

In last month’s edition, it was pointed out that not only did waqf cover mosques, houses, weapons, lands and wells, it expanded to finance almost all social services, including education.

In addition, the health sector was also financed through waqf revenues, not only in the Islamic world but its benefit also spread to finance European countries, too.

Many waqf properties were established either to finance building hospitals. For example, it has been estimated that there were 50 hospitals in Cordoba alone, which were built as waqf hospitals.

Waqf revenues were also used to finance famous medical publications such as the Kitab al-Kiliyat fi al-Tib of Ibn Rushd, which was translated into different languages and became the main med-

… it has been estimated that three-quarters of all the arable land during the time of the Ottoman Empire belonged to waqf and that the ratio of people employed by the institution of waqf to those employed directly by the state in Turkey in 1931 was 8,23 per cent to 12,68 per cent

ical book in Europe, besides the Kitab al-Hawi fi al-Tib book of Ibn Sina.

From the 15th century up to the 19th century, the shariah court continued to supervise all the waqf properties and managed the public waqf while the founders or the appointed trustees managed their waqf properties.

Due to this sound administration and supervision of waqf properties, the creation of waqf reached its peak during the Ottoman empire and this encouraged sultans, ministers, princes and their wives and mothers to create waqf in different forms for the benefit of the people. These types of waqf were known as ‘AlAwqaf al-Salatiyn’.

The creation of waqf was not

only limited to the sultans and families but also rulers and individuals were encouraged to create their own waqf. All these waqf succeeded in financing the different sectors, besides opening jobs for the majority of the people.

For example, it has been estimated that three-quarters of all the arable land during the time of the Ottoman Empire belonged to waqf and that the ratio of people employed by the institution of waqf to those employed directly by the state in Turkey in 1931 was 8,23 per cent to 12,68 per cent.

Tracing the types of waqf during that time, it was found that most of those waqf were in immovable form, such as agricultural lands, farms, crops and waqf gardens which usually contained a palace, stables, small stores, bee hives, various types of livestock and agricultural tools, besides many buildings that housed the farmers’ families, gardens, trees such as grapevines and olive trees as well as houses in villages, stables, warehouses, stores and shops.

Moreover, waqf also financed commercial buildings.

The commercial buildings included offices, general dealer stores, hotels and public baths, factories manufacturing a variety of goods, and waqf-based mills which provided the people with ground corn and wheat for bread making.

A variety of institutions and services were supported by waqf, such as mosques, elementary schools, secondary schools, universities, Hadith schools, Quranic schools, tekyes (Sufi places of worship), libraries, soup kitchens, aqueducts, fountains, public wells, ice factories, ablution facilities, restrooms, docks, transportation facilities, lighthouses and forts.

Various individuals and institutions also benefitted from the waqf and this benefit came in the form of money, goods and services.

Salaries for people who publicly recited chapters from the Quran, income to be paid for the waqf supervisor, teacher, the imam, the muadhins, guests, visi-

tors and student hostels were all provided by waqf revenues.

Moreover, waqf also improved the health sector by providing hospitals, doctors and research centres with enough income for their maintenance. It also helped the poor and the needy and provided houses for the orphans and the elderly.

Furthermore, the institution of waqf also showed a great concern for animals as many people created waqf to provide food for birds and animals as well as building clinics and hospitals to treat them. Besides, it took care of prisoners and helped their relatives, too.

From the above, we realise that the role of immovable waqf during the early days of Islam until the Ottoman Empire played a significant financial role through its varied and wider contributions to the different socio-economic sectors.

Dr Magda Ismail A Mohsin, is currently an associate professor at the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF). She is the author of three books on waqf entitled ‘Financing the development of old waqf properties’, published

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Are we still teaching the same way?

CEO of Islamia College in Cape Town, Shaikh SA’DULLAH KHAN, points out in this two-part series the duty of the educator in enhancing the capacity of the learner. In part one, published last month, he wrote about ‘The road forward’.

REFLECTING on my own experience as a child and how ‘religious’ education was (and often still is) imparted, it was basically self-imitative.

A teacher is expected to teach what he was taught, using the same methods to teach by which he learnt. Hence, it was (and still seems) quite a challenge to get many Islamic studies and Arabic teachers to look at any textbook for teaching other than the textbook from which they learnt or to consider any change in the method which might speed up or enhance the pupils’ learning; hence, the thinking and the message is stagnant and limited.

Relevance and appreciation Our children’s first experience of Islam is often based almost entirely on the memorisation of many sounds and words of unknown meaning, of actions of unknown significance and of disconnected information of little practical relevance to the question of what Islam really is and what it actually means to be a Muslim.

Is it ever taught how the Prophet manifested the ‘Iqra revolution’ – a revolution of faith, a revolution of knowledge and

Muslim Views

The dominance of the negative ‘Fear and Guilt approach’ is still prevalent in our teaching of faith in the madrasah and in so many of the sermons from the pulpit.

Stressing the negative makes the child want to avoid anything to do with the religion. Many children grow up thinking that rather than enhancing life, it is religion that keeps one from enjoying living and progressing in life.

enlightenment, a revolution that transformed the world?

In the words of the historian and scholar Dr John William Draper, in his book A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, ‘In the year 569 AD was born at Makkah in Arabia, the man who of all men, exercised the greatest influence upon the human race, Muhammad.’

Are we ever taught to appreciate the practicality of the comprehensive message of the global Messenger beyond the scope of the mosque and the madrasah?

If learning ‘Islamic Studies’ has not given the learner any meaningful insight into its significance then by the time he reaches the

teens, he is quite likely to drop interest in engaging in the study of Islam.

Due to a lack of affinity to the subject, he may grow up as a ‘religious illiterate’, that is, having little practical understanding of the universality of Islam despite having spent so much time attending classes on Islam.

Being taught how without knowing why The pupil is not motivated to ask many questions nor to think ‘too independently’. He is supposed to accept everything without critical reasoning. How would he then be enlightened?

Imam ash-Shaafii said, ‘Realise that knowledge is light,’ and light neither gives rise to patterns of darkness nor to corridors of doubt.

Teachers have to avoid the ‘Christopher Columbus Syndrome’ (who supposedly discov-

ered America). He went more than once to what is now America believing that he had reached the Far East.

When he started he did not exactly know where he was going; he did not really know where he was when he got there, and when he returned, he did not know where he had been.

Does our learning leave us with this dilemma; learning what we learn without knowing its real purpose?

Positive affirmations rather than negative perceptions How often do we over engage in what Steven Covey calls the ‘five cancerous behaviours’: Complaining, Comparing, Competing, Contending and Criticising our students? The dominance of the negative ‘Fear and Guilt approach’ is still prevalent in our teaching of faith in the madrasah and in so many of the sermons

from the pulpit.

Stressing the negative makes the child want to avoid anything to do with the religion.

Many children grow up thinking that rather than enhancing life, it is religion that keeps one from enjoying living and progressing in life.

So, instead of seeing the world as an opportunity, it is seen as a trap; instead of enjoying the gifts of life, everything is seen through the prism of haraam/ forbidden; instead of basking in the mercy of Allah, we are gripped in the fear of God. This approach is most counterproductive and often achieves the very result we are most trying to avoid: youth not rushing to faith but fleeing from the mosque and madrasah.

The question remains: where is the pertinent, positive, practical message of compassion, hope and love?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

What must parents tell kids?

They wanted to know how a few MPs could delay SONA proceedings for one hour while the Speaker allowed them a chance to insult the president.

I had no answers and told them to change the channel.

Cllr Yagyah Adams Cape Muslim Congress

AS my family viewed the State of the Nation Address (SONA) my kids asked questions.

They wanted to know why politicians were so vulgar in parliament and why they were fighting. They wanted to know why the younger MPs were so rude to the elderly and, if politicians could swear in parliament why they (my kids) could not swear at home.

They asked why MPs could not wait until others were done speaking and why some MPs repeated the same questions.

My kids wanted to know if it was normal to fight in parliament and if so, why I did not allow them (my kids) to fight at home.

My kids asked why I did not allow them to throw each other with objects when politicians threw each other with bottles in parliament. They also wanted to know why I did not approve of baseball caps inside the house while politicians wore berets in parliament.

They wanted to know why roads were blocked from the morning, forcing my wife to get up even earlier to use public transport to work if MPs knew that they would disrupt events and leave early.

A postmodern way of life THE piece by Shaikh Sa’dullah Khan, ‘Paying tribute to the Prophet amidst a crisis of leadership’ (Muslim Views, December 2016), refers.

Unfortunately, removing religious extremism and fundamentalism from our deen, without engaging with the secular does not help the cause of Islam. It still remains a religion, a dangerous ideology based on blind faith, poisoning people’s minds against the truth and dividing them into sects.

For example, the Prophet Abraham did not succumb to any of the dogmas and doctrines of the religion of his time. He used the knowledge of the Intelligence Design of the creation to find God, free of all dogmas and doctrines of religion.

Hence, Islam is not a religion but a post-modern way of life, which superimposes the knowl-

edge of science, religion, culture, politics etc., one on top of the other without creating any boundaries within and between them that make them separate and exclusive.

In accordance with the above, the daily salaah is not a ‘ritual prayer’. It is a ‘ritual pledge’ to God that we will function in every aspect of our lives according to the Quran we recite in the salaah and not according to the word of any man.

Therefore, to attach any religious teachings of Sunnah, madhhabs, priesthood etc. to the salaah and separate it from the secular and scientific path of the creation is totally against the millat of Ibrahim (AS).

Hence, salaah as a ‘pledge’ is not an end in itself like a ‘prayer’.

It is a means to an end.

For example, it is a stepping stone to the Assembly of the Ummah, where the Quran is understood and implemented according to the post-modern faith of Abraham to develop an Islamic community by consensus according to the protocols of the congregational salaah that ‘all men are equal’. Herein lies the structures of our leadership and herein lies the method to unify the ummah with a similar purpose and knowledge of Quran and Sunnah.

Thus, the post-modern faith of Abraham is a unique system of life. It is the only system of life that intersects the secular and the religious. Reverend Bosworth Smith said, ‘Prophet Muhammad was Pope and Caesar in one.’

Muslim Views . March 2017

Michael H Hart stated that he was the only one in history who was ‘most extremely successful in both the secular and religious levels’.

Let’s make 2017 a post-modern year for the ummah here in South Africa. Let us show the rest of the Muslim world and all people of religion that we are the only people in the world who do not accept any teaching of religion that is not acceptable to the secular and vice versa and that we are people who are not divided into religious sects, silsilas, khanqahs and madhhabs.

And, that we are not extremists and fundamentalists in any aspect of our lives, both secular and religious. In addition, let us also show the world that we are the best example of those who recognise all illegal barriers of race, religion, ethnicity, sex etc.

For more information on this subject and related articles and my e-book titled, Abraham’s Faith: Post-Modern Way of Life, not Religion, please visit my Website blog at http://www.thepostmodernway.wixsite.com/info A K Sayed Lenasia, Gauteng

Making time for the family PARENTS with children of all ages should relish any time that they can spend with their kids.

With lives as busy as they are nowadays, even a few hours can be valuable, and days spent together are golden, hence, the time that families spend together

29

should be enjoyed and not wasted.

Any time together should be consided quality time.

Some families have parents that both work. In this situation, parents rush to work at early hours and sometimes don’t return home until after dark.

A quick stop at a drivethrough for dinner or a frozen pizza are often consided dinner since neither mother nor father have time during week days to spend hours cooking, let alone cleaning, running errands.

Other families have a stay at home mom and a career dad. In these homes, the mother may spend the day cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and may be running a few errands.

However, in both cases, the time that parents actually get to spend with children is usually limited, especially during the week.

After five days in school, many youngsters participate in extracurricular activities, such as gymnastics or even tutoring sessions; their time after school each day is divided between these activities, completing homework and supper time.

What time is left for sharing with parents? How can parents relate to their children and keep track of them if they only spend a few minutes with them on a daily basis?

Even if it is true that parents only get a few minutes with their children every evening, this time should not to be overlooked.

In fact, those golden minutes can prove to be precious in the long run.

However, it is up to the parents to modify family time activities according to the age and interests of these children.

A S E Ameen Pietermaritzburg

Muslim Views

DISCUSSIONS WITH DANGOR

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Muslim Views . March 2017

Shariah, the fear of the West Brutality in the name of Islam has severely damaged the notion of the shariah as a just system of laws, writes Emeritus Professor SULEMAN DANGOR.

MOST people, I venture to guess, are ignorant about the scope of the shariah, often identifying it with penal law and imagining images of beheadings, floggings and amputations.

The shariah covers religious, civil, political, constitutional and procedural law and includes family relations, crime and punishment, inheritance and disposal of property.

Isis, which claims to have established a state based on the shariah, has created a negative image of the shariah in the minds of Westerners to the extent that any mention of shariah sends shivers down their spines.

Brutality in the name of Islam has severely damaged the notion of the shariah as a just system of laws. The protestations by Muslims that the actions of Isis are not in conformity with, but in clear violation of the shariah, has had little effect.

There is so much antipathy towards the shariah in the West in

general, that there is even opposition to the recognition of Muslim Family Law. In the US, Islamophobes are capitalising on this negative perception by claiming that American Muslims have an agenda to impose the shariah on all US citizens.

Republican Joe Heck claimed that Muslims in Michigan ‘have tried to implement their version of shariah law in the United States’. Talk-show host Mark Levin says, ‘We already have creeping shariah law in this country.’

As an illustration of the extent to which Islamophobia has gripped the American public, at least nine states have passed ‘foreign law’ statutes banning the shariah in American courts – even though no US court has ever given a ruling based on the shariah.

One of the reasons for the antiimmigration movement in Europe is the fear that Muslims, who constitute the majority of recent immigrants, will in time change the character of Europe through the implementation of shariah measures, which are incompatible with so-called European values.

Some of the issues that Europeans find unacceptable are the hijab/ niqab, halaal slaughtering, proscription on homosexuality, mushrooming of mosques and separation of sexes.

There is an assumption in the West that all Muslims not only want to follow a strict ‘fundamentalist’ interpretation of the shariah but also want to impose it on the rest of the world. In reality, while many Muslims are eager to embrace the shariah in its entirety, there are conservative and reformist trends among them.

Others do not strictly adhere to the shariah.

In Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kosovo, Albania, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan there is little support for the shariah. The opposition to Morsi in Egypt after he announced that he would introduce shariah measures is instructive. Even those who voted for him after the ousting of Hosni Mubarak campaigned to remove him from office.

There is also tremendous opposition to the proposal to restore the role of Islam in public life in Turkey.

While the constitutions of most Muslim-majority states mention the shariah as a source of law, it is not applied uniformly across the Muslim world. What is common to most Muslim countries is the implementation of Muslim Family Law or Muslim Personal Law. The shariah plays no role in the legal systems of

many of the 57 Muslim majority countries in Africa, Asia and Europe.

The countries said to implement major aspects of the shariah are Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Yemen and Mauritania.

Most Muslim majority countries where the shariah is applied have a mixed system where the shariah is not dominant but plays a significant role in the nation’s legal system.

Aspects of English, RomanDutch, Spanish, Italian and French laws are included in their legal systems. Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Algeria, Sudan and Morocco are among the countries with a mixed legal system.

Some Muslim countries have both shariah and secular courts and allow their citizens to choose between them. This is true of UAE, Jordan and Pakistan. This is a way to cater for their non-Muslim citizens.

It is evident from the above that most people in the West who campaign against the shariah have a simplistic view of it and how it operates in the Muslim world.

In the wake of the current Islamophobia sweeping Europe, there is tremendous opposition to accommodating the shariah in European countries.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Boris Johnson, said he was opposed to ‘a shariah system running parallel with UK justice…’

In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders’ party has gained considerable support for its opposition to the shariah.

Somewhat ironically, while people in the West are wary of the shariah, some non-Muslim coun-

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tries with substantial Muslim minorities have provided Islamic family law courts where matters relating to Muslim Personal Law can be decided. Apart from the United Kingdom, these are mostly in Africa and Asia, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, India, Israel, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The perception that all Muslim countries implement the shariah and that all those that do, implement it in its totality (including penal law), is false.

The claim that Muslims living in Christian majority countries want to impose the shariah on all the citizens of those countries is equally false. The allegation that Muslims will introduce penal laws in Western countries is sheer propaganda. All that the majority of Muslims want is to live in conformity with Islamic teachings.

The West will have to accept that it cannot impose its value system on Muslims. Many Muslims (apart from the recent refugees) have been living in Europe for several generations and regard it as their permanent home. They cannot be treated as strangers in Europe or the US simply because their forebears were immigrants.

Muslims, too, have an obligation not to make unreasonable demands, such as expecting nonMuslim owned supermarkets not to stock haraam products. They have to be sensitive to the feelings of their non-Muslim fellow citizens in pursuing their rights.

Too many Muslims still live in silos, reinforcing the stereotyping of Muslims as incapable of integrating. It is in their own interests to reach out to their fellow nonMuslim citizens and through personal interaction allay their fears of the shariah.

OF WAR, HUNGER AND VIOLENCE HELP CHANGE THIS #NoToSevenYears

0800 111 898 111 898 www www.islamic-relief.org.za .islamic-relief.org.za SNAPSCAN

Focus on Finance

Muslim Views . March 2017

31

Breakdown of the 2017 budget HASSEN KAJIE, CA (SA), a director of NEXIA SAB&T, based in the Cape Town office, and AYSHA OSMAN, CA (SA), National Technical Manager for Nexia SAB&T, in the Centurion office, give readers a succinct view on how the Budget will affect our pockets.

SPEAKING to Parliament on Wednesday, February 22, 2017, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan outlined the nation’s predicament.

‘While South Africa is once again at a crossroads’ and ‘tough choices have to be made to achieve development outcomes’, Gordhan nevertheless tried to stress the need for growth. He put up a brave front delivering the 2017 Budget Speech against a background of calls for his resignation. An additional R28bn will be collected in the coming financial year by means of those earning more than R1,5m per year being taxed at 45% (the previous top bracket was 41%), a fuel levy rise of 30 cents per litre, a higher dividend withholding tax rate of 20% and the usual rise in sin taxes. Street talk before the nation’s budget speech had people saying ‘Oh boy time to tighten the belts again’ and ‘what will he take from us now’. Well, here we have it people: the grim budget outline for 2017 and the list of tax increases:

Specific spending programmes over the next three years:

l R490bn on social grants l R106bn on transfers to universities, while the national Student Financial Aid Scheme will

spend R54,3bn l R751,9bn on basic education, including R48,3bn for subsidies to schools, R42,9bn for infrastructure, and R12,7bn for learner and teacher support materials l R114bn for subsidised public housing l R94,4bn on water resources and bulk infrastructure l R189bn on transfers to local government equitable share to provide basic services to poor households l R142bn to support affordable public transport l R606bn on heath, with R59,5bn on the HIV/Aids conditional grant

Tax proposals

l A new top marginal income tax bracket for individuals combined with partial relief for bracket creep will raise an additional R16,5bn. l R6,8bn will be collected through a higher dividend withholding tax rate. l Increases in fuel taxes and alcohol and tobacco excise duties will together increase revenue by R5,1bn. l As soon as the necessary legislation is approved, government will implement a tax on sugary beverages. The rate will be

l l

l

l

2,1c per gram for sugar content above 4g per 100 ml.

A revised Carbon Tax Bill will be published for public consultation and tabling in Parliament by mid-2017.

The first R900 000 of the value of property acquired from March 1, 2017, will be taxed at zero per cent. Before March 1, 2017 the first R750 000 of the value of property was taxed at zero percent.

The general fuel levy will increase by 30c/ litre on April 5, 2017. This will push the general fuel levy up to R3,15/ litre of petrol and to R3,00/ litre of diesel. The road accident levy will increase by 9c/ litre of petrol and diesel on April 5, 2017.

Personal income tax will bring in R482bn, VAT R312bn, company tax R218bn, fuel levies R96,1bn and customs and excise duties R96bn in the coming year.

Sin tax rises Taxes on alcohol and tobacco are set to rise as follows: l Beer 12c/ 340ml l Fortified wine 26c/ 750ml l Ciders and alcoholic beverages 12c/ 340ml l Unfortified wine 23c/ 750ml l Sparkling wine 70c/ 750ml

Hassen Kajie

l l l l l

Spirits 443c/ 750ml Cigarettes 106c/ packer of 20 Cigarette tobacco 119c/ 50g Pipe tobacco 40c/ 25g Cigars 658c/ 23g

Social grant spending and increases Spending on social grants is set to rise from R164,9bn in 2016/17 to R209,1bn by 2019/20, growing at an annual average of 8,2% over the medium term. The number of social grant beneficiaries is expected to reach 18,1 million by the end of 2019/20.

The specific increases are: l State old age grant from R1 505 to R 1 600 per month; l State old age grant, over 75s from R1 525 to R1 620; l War veterans grant from R1 525 to R 1 620;

Aysha Osman

l Disability grant from R1 505 to R 1 600; l Foster care grant from R890 to R920; l Care dependency grant from R1 505 to R1 600; and l Child support grant from R355 to R380.

This article is intended for information purposes only and should not be considered as a legal document. Please note that while every effort is made to ensure accuracy Nexia SAB&T does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or errors contained herein.

If you are in doubt about any information in this article or require any advice on the topical matter, please do not hesitate to contact any Nexia SAB&T office nationally.

Muslim Views

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Muslim Views . March 2017

- ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE -

Sanzaf hosts security officer graduation ceremony SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS

ON Wednesday, February 22, 2017, Sanzaf hosted the certification of the security officer vocational training students, in collaboration with Rafee Moosajie at Wise Guy Security Training Academy, where eleven students received their certification.

With an unemployment rate of 26,6 per cent, according to Statistics SA, acquiring various trades and skills can be beneficial to the economy of South Africa as it equips people with the correct skill sets to be employed.

Sanzaf would like to wish the Skills Development students all the best for their future endeavours, Insha Allah.

Congratulations on your certification and new employment.

May this be the beginning of a successful journey.

Qurbani Booklet Through Operation Qurbani, Sanzaf provided support to the under-resourced areas in the Southern African region, and facilitated and distributed meat on the day of Eid-ul-Adha and during the three days of Tashreeq.

Sanzaf offers a prepaid Qurbani Booklet that allows qurbani to be affordable. For more information contact Shireen Kamaldien at: 021 638 0965 Proud holders of their security officer certification: Saeed, Rafee (owner of Wise Man Security), Careemah, Aysha and Munseef receive their certificates.

Photo SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS

Muslim Views

From left to right: Insaaf Osman, Vocational Training Co-ordinator, Careemah, Aysha, Munseef, Saeed and Rafee, Wise Man Security owner.

Photo SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS

Sanzaf offers a prepaid Qurbani Booklet that allows qurbani to be affordable. For more information contact Shireen Kamaldien at 021 638 0965

Muslim Views . March 2017

33

Curry & All and all… on the Garden Route

The dubious exterior belies the warmth of Uncle Solly’s welcome.

Photo DILSHAD PARKER

DILSHAD PARKER

THE Garden Route, while being one of the most beautiful drives you’ll ever take in South Africa, is notorious for the absence of halaal food available along the way.

It is particularly distressing for us Capetonians who are spoiled for choice in the city centre and can have our pick of the Excellents of this country, Wembley, Boeta Salie around the corner or Khans down the road.

It is because we cannot fathom the idea of going away for a few days and not being able to have a braai or two or three in that time.

We are such a meat eating culture and, sadly, refuse to moderate, and I’m as guilty of this as the next one. I am trying though and have radically cut down on the amount of red meat in my family’s diet.

But I don’t mean to lecture.

This article is about the actual availability of halaal food in an

area where it comes as such a welcome surprise and almost a relief.

Having said that, arriving at Curry & All has the feeling of pulling into one of those American truckstops where you’re not sure what to expect when you stop there – you may end up being stalked and killed by murderous zombies lurking behind the dilapidated walls. But what it has is a curiosity factor.

There is something to be said for experiencing a place that could be a little dodgey on the off chance that it will surprise you.

At the beginning of February, we stopped at this almost desolate garage about ten kilometres outside Plettenberg Bay on our way back from ziplining at Tsitsikamma Falls Adventures.

Tired and dirty because of the constant drizzle while we were ziplining, we pulled in without

feeling out of place. The unpaved forecourt and rough walls added character to the setting.

Stepping into the alcove of the restaurant we realised that it was little more than a takeaways setup with a counter and two tables inside and a stoep area outside with room for several more tables.

The menu against the wall was quite extensive but when we ordered, we found many items were not available. We opted for what they had, which was the Chicken Bunny Chow, a Chicken Shawarma and, because they did not have the kiddies fish and chips available, a normal fish and chips, which proved to be a very large portion. We took a seat at one of the tables available on the stoep and Uncle Solly, the owner of the establishment, came to make sure the table was presentable with at least a clean tablecloth.

I must admit, my conversation with Uncle Sollie was more enjoy-

able than the food. While the fish and chips was a huge portion, and the fish nicely done, the chips were a tad oily. The bunny chow proved to be spicy and tasty, very enjoyable.

My shawarma however was not the best choice. Uncle Solly didn’t take my order himself or he would have advised me against it.

He doesn’t get them as regularly as he needs to so he has to freeze them. And when reheated, they turn hard way too quickly.

He changed my hard pita for a roti instead which made the rest of my meal worth the drive. The food was well presented and everything was clean. We also tried some milkshakes, which were good.

We needed the bathroom and luckily Uncle Solly directed us to the facilities in the jamaat khana, which was around the corner of the building. They were clean and functional and in much better condition than the restrooms of the garage.

What’s nice about a place like this is that it feels well travelled. It has personality and it has stories.

The walls are covered with scribbles of the travellers who have been there. There were English names, Afrikaans, Muslim and even foreign European languages acknowledging the food and the experience.

Uncle Solly is obviously a people’s person and has made a memory for many of these travellers.

He told us about plans he has to start Halaal Adventure Tours in the area where people can book a whole week of exciting activities with halaal food catered for. So, if adventure is up your alley, perhaps you could curry Uncle Solly’s favour and give him a call.

This review is independent and meals were paid for. Dilshad Parker is owner and author of www.hungryforhalaal.co.za

The shawarma filling was tasty after being rescued by a roti to replace the Photo DILSHAD PARKER pita.

Muslim Views

34

Muslim Views . March 2017

- ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE -

Muslim Hands in Africa: food crisis campaign NAZEER VADIA

‘Hunger is not simply a problem, it is an obscenity, an injustice to the developing world.’

As we sit browsing the many scrumptious options available for our next meal, an 88-year-old widow from Malawi sits up at night thinking about what she is going to feed her four grandchildren in the morning.

Miss Adunia Uladi is just one of the many cases that make up the staggering 30 million people on the brink of starvation in Africa.

In countries like Malawi, Somalia, Ethiopia and Niger, severe drought and violent conflicts have sent these nations spiralling into crisis.

More than a million children are at risk of malnutrition as crops fail to grow and livestock are literally dying of thirst.

Part of South Sudan has already been declared to be in a state of famine by the UK, with many other countries looking like they might follow.

The consequences of conflict atrocities and drought are devastating. Entire families are forced to travel miles upon miles to find food and water.

Children are lucky to get one meal a day, with the majority suffering from malnutrition and related illnesses.

In Somalia, twelve million people are at risk of starvation, and with little to no development in one of the poorest countries in the world, the Sudanese people

Muslim Views

A Muslim Hands staff member giving out essential foods to women and children in Somalia.

Photo ABDURAGHMAAN DAVIDS A Muslim Hands staff member with children from an orphanage in Sudan.

Photo ABDURAGHMAAN DAVIDS

depend on outside support to survive.

It is even more troubling that a major factor in the current situation is due to man’s savage selfishness.

Political warfare and conflict have bled these beautiful lands of our continent. The fact that 20 per cent of people in Africa suffer from or will at some point experience hunger or starvation is heartbreaking.

Muslim Hands refuses to accept that anybody can be denied such a basic need of survival. Being a reputable and recognised charity organisation registered in South Africa and internationally, Muslim Hands tirelessly works to provide food, education, healthcare and water to needy communities in Africa.

As an organisation, we are active in 27 of the poorest coun-

tries in Africa, where we provide everything from food and education to healthcare and qurbani service.

Due to your efforts and donations, through our Africa On Edge campaign, we have been able to deliver emergency food and water supplies to communities suffering from food crises in Malawi, Sudan and Kenya.

We look to continue this good work throughout the year; just last week, Muslim Hands delivered lifesaving food essentials to over 400 people in South Sudan.

With ten field offices across Africa, Muslim Hands can reach millions suffering the effects of war, famine and drought. The Africa On Edge campaign has provided a lifeline to families during this difficult time.

At Muslim Hands South Africa, this issue is close to our

hearts as we share the African heartbeat with those suffering.

We have committed ourselves to raising funds for this urgent matter and continue with our Africa on Edge campaign.

We need your donations to continue providing relief to families facing famine in Somalia and Sudan.

We are aware that it is only because of your donations and efforts that we are able and privileged to carry out this project that has a tangible positive impact on the lives of those in need.

Your generous donations have allowed us to run Africa On Edge, benefitting hundreds of thousands of people all over Africa. We urge you to once again open your hearts and donate to help those facing starvation.

A donation of just R150 can feed one child for one month while R3 700 will feed five families for a month. ‘Amazing,’ is how our dedicated ground zero workers say they feel on seeing

the smiling faces of the children when they receive something as basic as rice.

A famous author once said, ‘I am not African because I was born in Africa but because Africa was born in me.’ Help our fellow African brothers and sisters overcome these difficult times.

Insha-Allah with your help, we will not stop working to end hunger in Africa.

We appeal to you, our loyal donors and supporters, to be a part of the Muslim Hands Africa On Edge campaign.

Every donation received helps to make a difference in the lives of so many needy people.

Call Muslim Hands today on 021 633 6413 to contribute towards this project.

You may donate online https://muslimhands.org.za/donat e/africa-on-the-edge/africa-onthe-edge-food-crisis, pay us a visit at our office in 1 Carnie Road, Rylands, Cape Town, or visit our website.

Light from the Qur’an

Muslim Views . March 2017

35

The reality and certainty of death IBRAHIM OKSAS and NAZEEMA AHMED IN this article, we will share some reflections on death by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. His reflections occurred while being imprisoned because of his service to imaan and the Quran.

Bediuzzaman, the author of the contemporary Quranic tafsir, Risale- i Nur firstly indicates that as definite and obvious as it is that the night follows the day and that winter follows autumn so, too, it is definite and obvious that death will befall all of us.

Bediuzzaman contemplates his imprisonment and says that just as the prison where he was being imprisoned is a temporary guest house for those who continuously enter it and leave it so the face of the earth is a hostel on the road of the swiftly travelling caravans of creation who come to earth and then depart from it.

He says that in light of the certainty and inevitably of death, surely death, which has emptied all the cities into the graveyards a hundred times over, has demands greater than life.

He then requests that we all reflect deeply on this awesome truth, and recognise that death cannot be killed nor can the door of the grave be closed.

Since this is the reality, it is certain that the matter of no one being saved from the executioner

of the appointed hour, nor being saved from the solitary confinement of the grave must surely be a matter and anxiety for man of far greater importance than any other matter in his life.

Bediuzzaman cautions however that this should not be a cause of despair but rather we should have complete hope since there is a solution to this challenge which comes from the Quran. He provides the following summary.

Death is either eternal annihilation, a gallows on which will be hanged man and all his friends and relations or it comprises the release papers to depart for another, eternal realm, and to enter, with the document of imaan, the Palace of Bliss.

The grave is either a bottomless pit, a dark place of solitary confinement or it is a door opening from the prison of this world onto an eternal, light-filled garden and place of feasting.

Bediuzzaman then uses the following comparison to illustrate the above truth.

For example, gallows (for execution by hanging) have been set up in the prison yard, and behind the wall immediately beyond them a huge lottery office has been opened in the lottery of which the whole world has taken part.

The five hundred people present at that time in the prison are certain to be summoned one by

one without exception to that arena; thus, to avoid it is not possible.

Everywhere announcements were made: ‘Come and receive your decree of execution, and mount the gallows!’ or: ‘Take the note for everlasting solitary confinement, and take that door!’ or: ‘Good news for you!

‘The winning ticket worth millions has come up for you. Come and receive it!’

He further says that the prisoners saw that one after the other, their fellow prisoners were mounting the gallows.

They observed some prisoners being hanged while others made the gallows a step, and moved onto the lottery office beyond the wall. Just at that point, two groups entered the prison.

One group was holding musical instruments, wine and apparently sweet confections and pastries which they were trying to make the prisoners eat.

But the sweets were in fact lethal, for devils in human form had laced them with poison.

The second group was carrying instructive writings, permissible foods and blessed drinks. They presented them to the prisoners and said to them with great earnestness: ‘If you take and eat the gifts the first group gave you by way of testing you, you shall be hanged on these gallows before us like the others you have seen.

‘If you accept the gifts we have brought you on the command of this country’s ruler in place of them, and recite the supplications and prayers in the instructive writings, you will be saved from execution.

‘Believe as though you were seeing it that each of you will receive the winning ticket worth millions in the lottery office as a royal favour.

‘These decrees say, and we say the same thing, that if you eat those illicit, dubious and poisonous sweets, you will suffer terrible pains from the poison until you go to be hanged.’

Bediuzzaman says that, like in this comparison, for the people of imaan and ibadah – on condition that they have happy deaths – the ticket for an everlasting and inexhaustible treasury will come up from the lottery of man’s destiny beyond the gallows of the appointed hour.

However, for those who persist in vice, unlawful actions, kufr and sin, there is a hundred per cent probability that on condition they do not make istighfar, they will receive the summons to either eternal annihilation (for those who do not believe in the hereafter) or to permanent, dark, solitary confinement (for those who believe in the immortality of man’s ruh, but take the way of vice) and eternal perdition.

Bediuzzaman conveys that cer-

tain news of this truth has been given by the one hundred and twenty-four thousand anbiya with their innumerable miracles, which confirm them; and by the more than one hundred and twenty-four million awliya who see in their illuminations the traces and shadows of what the anbiya had told, and they affirm it; and by the more than thousands of millions of investigative scholars, interpreters of the law and veracious ones who, with decisive proofs and powerful arguments, prove according to reason and absolute certainty the things told by those two eminent groups of mankind, and have set their signatures to them.

Bediuzzaman cautions us not to be among those who do not heed the news given unanimously by the decrees of these three vast and elevated communities and groups of people of reality who are the suns, moons and stars of mankind, and the sacred leaders of humanity.

Furthermore, we should not be among those who do not take the straight path which they have pointed out, and disregard the awesome ninety-nine per cent danger, and abandon that way.

Rather, we should be among the people who follow the straight path that, with a hundred per cent certainty, will lead to Paradise and eternal happiness, Insha Allah.

Muslim Views

36

Muslim Views . March 2017

From Consciousness to Contentment

The etiquette of the mosque JASMINE KHAN

IT is noon on Friday and you are walking along the road. You are calm and feel the joy of knowing that with every step you are taking, Allah is rewarding you.

Reaching the mosque, you notice there are not many shoes in the rack and with a slight smile you enter and find a place in the first row. The place is silent, not even the qiraah has started and you relish the bliss of sitting in the House of Allah, totally at peace as you silently recite some adhkaar.

With the commencement of the qiraah, you feel the healing effect of the Quran infusing every part of your body, and you are so grateful.

The imamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lecture resonates with you and as you listen to the khutbah, you relish the sound of the Arabic words.

At the end of the salaah you continue sitting, making duah and just being. When the place has almost emptied and you can comfortably get to the exit, you reluctantly leave. As you walk home you feel fulfilled and so grateful to be a Muslim.

It is 12.45 on Friday and you are running along the road to the masjid. Huffing and puffing up the stairs you are dismayed at the amount of shoes blocking the entrance. Shedding yours, you plough through them to enter the masjid.

It was narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If you say to your companion, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Listen attentively,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; on a Friday, when the imam is delivering the khutbah then you have engaged in idle speech.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The place is packed but you want to get to the first row. With scant regard for anyone, you force your way to the front and seeing a tiny gap you worm your way into it, oblivious to the discomfort of those on either side.

You have no sooner settled and caught your breath when your phone rings. You scrabble to find it and look to see who is calling.

Realising it is a call you have to take, you answer and with the phone clamped to your ear you make your way through all the ladies to the exit.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your friend, asking where you are. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In the mosque,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; you say but she goes on to tell you something which had happened the night before. The adhaan goes and you have to plug your free ear with a finger as you listen.

After several minutes, the call ends and you once again force your way back. Now, you spot someone you just have to greet and spend more minutes catching up. As you continue, you look

around and see several ladies you know, so you wave and blow kisses to them. All the while you are trying to get back to your spot.

The imam has started the lecture but you have already missed most of it. As you sit down, your phone pings and in case it is an emergency you look at the message. Since you now cannot follow what the imam is saying you spend several minutes texting.

At the end of the salaah, you jump and leave, uncaring of how many ladies you are inconveniencing. As you walk home, you feel uncomfortable, stressed and already visualising what has to be done at home.

The mosque is the house of Allah, a place to engage in the remembrance of Allah through worshipping Him, glorifying His names, beseeching His mercy and help through reciting His book, and through participating in talks which remind people about the purpose of this worldly life.

About His house, Allah says in

the Quran: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;And [He revealed] that the mosques are for Allah so do not invoke with Allah anyone.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (The Noble Quran 72:18) Just as we observe some etiquette when we are being hosted in someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house, we should also observe some etiquette when Allah blesses us with the honour to be hosted in His house.

When we attend Jumuah, it is obligatory to listen to the imam.

If we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, we show total disrespect.

It was narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If you say to your companion, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Listen attentively,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; on a Friday, when the imam is delivering the khutbah then you have engaged in idle speech.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; In an article called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Contemplations of a strangerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the writer mentions several things that should not be done in the mosque. Among them are: l Standing for the sunnah prayer in a place that blocks other worshippers from exiting the mosque. Since Muslims are not allowed to walk in front of a person who is in salaah, think for a while before you choose your place to perform your sunnah prayer. l Carelessly walking in front of the worshippers who are in salaah, and who do not have sutrah in front of them. It mostly happens after the conclusion of the Jumuah Salaah.

People often fail to show patience for a few minutes to allow fellow worshippers to finish their salaah, and because of this impatience to exit the mosque, they often walk in front of worshippers who are still in salaah.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If the one who passes in front of one who is praying knew what (sin) he incurs, he would realise that waiting for forty is better than passing in front of him.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Abul-Nadr, one of the narrators of the hadith, said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I do not know whether he said forty days or months or years.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; l Indulging in idle talk in the mosque, and in a voice that echoes through the mosque.

Engaging in any talk that is not concerned with the remembrance of Allah is not allowed in the mosque.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;There will come a nation before the times, their talk in the mosque will be of the dunya; Allah has nothing to do with such people.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Sahih Ibn Habban 15/163) In a similar narration, the Blessed Prophet said: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Do not sit with them for Allah has nothing to do with them.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; As the sacred month of Rajab approaches, may Allah grant us to reflect. Let us strive to be like the first lady mentioned, and protect us from the behaviour of the second. Ameen.

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Muslim Views

Positive and Effective Parenting

Muslim Views . March 2017

37

‘The roots of violence in childhood’ FOUZIA RYKLIEF

‘CHILD murder suspect known to family’ was the headline in the Cape Times dated February 17, 2017. This was the headline of yet another account of the murder of a five-year-old, in George. Then there are a number of cases where children have died in the crossfire between gangs.

Women killed by their partners, men and women killed during hijackings and house robberies, children as young as nine years going to school with weapons; the violence in families and communities across all sectors continue unabated.

I felt compelled to write about this after reading the article referred to earlier but pondered over what approach I should take.

Going into the horrific details of this violence is not useful. I thought it would be far better to address the issue of prevention by considering the roots of violence.

Some of what I write may be debatable but at least it will get us thinking, which, hopefully, will lead to some kind of action, albeit it on a personal level.

It is a well-documented fact that much of the crime committed has at its roots poverty, unemployment, overcrowding in homes and substance abuse. But before this, there is perhaps a more primary causal factor.

Alice Miller, in her writing, refers to the roots of violence in childhood. I borrowed the title of

During my years as a social worker at Nicro during the 1970s, South Africa was identified as having the second highest murder rate in the world, after Chicago. At that time, research in Pollsmoor Prison into the backgrounds of prisoners convicted of violent crimes revealed that, as children, they were regularly and severely beaten in the name of discipline my article from her work.

She did extensive research in the upbringing of individuals who had committed horrendous violent crimes and found that the common denominator was violence perpetrated against those individuals when they were children. I now ask: Are the seeds of violent behaviour planted in the young child and, if so, how?

I do not have the answers but I thought I will share the following quotes from her work just to get myself and you, dear reader, thinking about this. Miller confirms that the seeds of violent behaviour are planted at a young age.

‘Almost all children on our planet are beaten in the first years of their lives. They learn from the start violence, and this lesson is wired into their developing brains. No child is ever born violent. Violence is NOT genetic, it exists because beaten children use, in their adult lives, the lesson that their brains have learned.’

These are strong words. How-

ever, I agree with the thinking here and need to emphasise that she refers to beatings which are regular, not the occasional hidings meted out to children. She also writes about neglect, emotional and psychological abuse and exploitation.

During my years as a social worker at Nicro during the 1970s, South Africa was identified as having the second highest murder rate in the world, after Chicago. At that time, research in Pollsmoor Prison into the backgrounds of prisoners convicted of violent crimes revealed that, as children, they were regularly and severely beaten in the name of discipline.

I remember a saying I may have used in a previous article: sad boys turn into bad boys. Similarly, sad girls will turn into bad girls. More and more, girls are involved in violent acts.

Social workers know that the children who are easily lured into gangs are children who do not have a sense of belonging at home

because of overcrowding, because of parents who are not available to them or are attuned to their needs.

Miller says further: ‘As beaten children are not allowed to defend themselves, they must suppress their anger and rage against their parents who have humiliated them, killed their inborn empathy, and insulted their dignity.

‘They will take out this rage later, as adults, on scapegoats, mostly on their own children.

Deprived of empathy, some of them will direct their anger against themselves (in eating disorders, drug addiction, depression etc.) or against other adults.’

The above also suggests that there is a cycle of violence. As children turn violent because of what was done to them, it must be true that their parents had the same experience. So violence is also learnt.

What are we to do? The relevant authorities appear to be losing the battle against violence.

Can we as individuals make a dif-

ference?

I believe we can. If we believe that the seeds of violence are planted in childhood then there is something we can do. While NGOs and faith-based organisations continue their work with communities, I as an individual parent can make sure that I plant seeds that will grow into strong and healthy plants.

Needless to say, the Positive Parenting skills I covered over the past year can contribute significantly to this process.

There is, of course, the issue of the role of fathers. A former colleague of mine did her Masters degree in this area. Unfortunately, I have lost contact with her so do not have access to her thesis but I remember her saying that the boys who got into trouble were boys who suffered from ‘father hunger’.

I substantiate the above with the following information quoted in a presentation I attended a few years ago: l 65 per cent of children (11-12 million children) grow up without biological fathers. l It results in higher criminal involvement, more teenage pregnancies, greater poverty, lower education and development, higher incidence of substance abuse.

But let us not leave mothers out of this. Mothers also abandon, neglect and abuse their children so another question arises: are homes producing strong girls and good men?

Gems adding sparkle to the life of seniors JASMINE KHAN

IN the Self-help section of Lotus River, three women with a single purpose got together and established Gems.

Fadeela Davids felt that something should be done for the elderly who were alone at home while their children worked.

Gabeba Williams had already started a walking schedule with some of the ladies to keep fit but while chatting to one of her neighbour, Sybil Jacobs, Gabeba realised that she did not really know her neighbours; she could only identify them by the houses in which they lived.

She felt that she needed to do something about it to which Fadeela suggested, ‘Let’s not talk about it, let’s just do it.’

The first step was to secure a venue so Fadeela went to the Share Educare Hall in the area, and the person in charge, Mr Davids, readily agreed to make the hall available at no cost.

Gabeba, meanwhile, had invited Sybil to join them.

Describing herself as a ‘prayer warrior’, Sybil was already active in the community, visiting the sick and lending a hand where needed.

She agreed to the proposal and ‘Greet, eat and Meet for Seniors’ – Gems – was born.

A working committee with Gabeba as chairperson was formed and on a cold and misty morning during May, 2006, the first gathering took place. With the help of more ladies, Gabeba went from door to door to invite people to join the group.

They were concerned that because of the weather not many people would attend but to their

Members of Gems (Greet, Eat and Meet for Seniors) are (Back, left to right): Charles Miller, Rose Bennie, Fadeela Davids, Gabeba Williams. (Front, left to right): Elizabeth Alexander, Elizabeth Lesch, Margaret Keating.

Photo GALIMA SAMBO

great surprise and joy a number of people came. They meet on the last Wednesday of every month and now, in their eleventh year, Gems is still going strong.

For the first meeting, the ladies contributed to give the seniors a cup of tea and a sandwich but as the years passed the organisation

grew and, nowadays, the members get breakfast and lunch.

Every month they have a speaker to share information that will be of benefit to the elderly.

Gems is very grateful to the Parent Centre for their support and for providing talks on how to be good grandparents.

It is encouraging and inspiraThey also have the support of Lotus River Day Hospital, and tional to find that in these days of the hospital physiotherapist, high fences and closed doors, Fazlin Ryland, takes the people there is a community who lives according to the scriptures. Their through some exercises.

Galima Sambo, the treasurer, events are opened with Gabeba tells how they approached the reciting Surah Fatihah and Sybil municipality for funding and suc- saying a prayer.

Sybil says that when it is time ceeded in getting a grant. They used the money to buy sweaters for the meeting she is overfor the members and some chairs whelmed with joy. The members and provided an end-of-year are so happy to meet and greet each other that they are scarcely excursion for the members.

During the early years, every- aware of anything else. Gems has certainly put a thing was paid for sparkle in the lives out of the pockets Gems is very grateful of these seniors. of the working One of the group but, nowato the Parent Centre members, Charles days, the seniors get a card every for their support and Miller, says: ‘We often feel we are three months to the only ones with collect from their for providing talks problems then find families. on how to be good our neighbour has Galima says that similar or worse she does not pubgrandparents. ones.’ However, he licly ask them for says, it is also their collections.

She rather does so in private for about sharing the joys of life and fear of embarrassing someone good health.

His wife, Elizabeth, adds: ‘We who was not able to collect anyare not Muslims and Christians, thing.

In the case where a member we are one family.’ Indeed, what was unable to collect anything, better way to express and live the committee will sponsor that according to the scriptures of person for the outing without let- both faiths.

Allah says in the Quran (4:36): ting the others know. Preserving the dignity of the elderly is of ‘Be good to the neighbour who is paramount importance to the your relative and to the neighbour who is not a relative.’ committee.

The Bible states: ‘Jesus said to The money the members contribute goes towards outings; they him, “You shall love your neighhave been to Langebaan, Her- bour as yourself.” On these two manus, Hout Bay and are taken commandments hang all the Law to different restaurants for meals and the Prophets.’ (Matthew 22:39-40) when it is someone’s birthday.

Muslim Views

38

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . March 2017

FOR ALL A medley of minarets

Muslim Views . March 2017

39

During the early Umayyad era, the first minarets specifically built for adhaan were at the mosque of the Prophet, in Madinah, writes DR MC D’ARCY.

AROUND the world, a medley of minarets adorns mosques of the Muslim faith; some seem quaint and simple, others are thrillingly ornate, ethereal. The minarets in our memory will be the fascinating ones, those painted with reverence and entwined in history, art and nostalgia.

‘Manara’ is the Arabic word for lighthouse (English: minaret).

Most minarets consist of a base, a tower and a gallery from which the muadhin (muezzin) delivers the adhaan (call to prayer). Locally, the muadhin was, and is still, referred to as the bilal (from the name of the first muadhin, Bilal, during the time of the Prophet).

In old Cape Town, the adhaan was termed ‘bang’ (pron. ‘bung’) from Bahasa Malayu. (In Afrikaans, when the muadhin recited the adhaan, people would say, ‘Die bilal bang.’)

Islam’s first minarets were erected at the Umayyad Mosque, in Damascus. Some say that the four square minarets were part of the pre-Islamic building, probably from a Roman temple to Jupiter that had stood on that site. The original minarets were later replaced with Mamluk style towers adorned with their typical geometric patterns.

During the early Umayyad era, the first minarets specifically built for adhaan were at the mosque of the Prophet, in Madinah. The four slender corner minarets were 25 metres high.

In the eighth century, they were refashioned by the Umayyad caliph al-Walid. Sadly, these are no longer extant. At about the same time, the Umayyads built corner minarets around the Great Mosque (Haram) in Makkah.

They were slender towers, not suitable for calling the adhaan.

Most early mosques had outside staircases to rooftop ‘sentrybox’ structures from which to call to prayers. One such structure is at Bosra, in Syria (built 720 CE).

With the current intensive bombardment of the Syrian cities, one wonders if it is still there.

In The Habibiyah 75th Anniversary Souvenir Brochure of 1980, there is a picture of the

The square minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque of Marrakesh. A replica in Seville, Spain, was converted into a cathedral when the Muslims lost Spain, in 1492.

Photo M C D’ARCY

A minaret on the Greek island of Rhodes. This island was for a few hundred years part of the Ottoman Empire.

Photo M C D’ARCY

early Habibia Mosque in College Road, Rylands, with a rudimentary roof minaret with an outside stairway.

(Incidentally, one of the first imams trained at that nascent mosque was my maternal greatgrandfather, Imam Hassan Jakoet (Pang Gasant) – (Hazrat Moulana Abdul Latief Qazi - Riaz Jawoodeen, Habibia Soofie Masjid Centenary Magazine, 24/8/2005, p. 27).

Pictured in a 1950s postcard, Auwal Mosque, in Dorp Street, Cape Town, had a small minaret just above rooftop level. Now it is decked with a conventional style minaret.

The huge 9th century Samara Mosque, near Baghdad, had a freestanding conical minaret with a spiral outside stairway for donkeys to carry the muadhin to the top.

The impressive Mamluk Ahmad Ibn Tulun Mosque, in Cairo, has a mini-copy of this classic design. Mamluks were exslaves who were groomed for high positions as rulers or kings.

Interestingly, the mosque was once sold for a vast sum. To the disgust of the buyer, the seller then demanded extra money for the minaret, which was freestanding a short distance from the mosque wall.

Minarets vary across the globe.

Many of the mosques in Turkey are decorated with pencil slim minarets capped with pointed metal spires. The number of minarets varies according to the size and prestige of the mosque.

Mosques built for the caliphs

have more minarets than local edifices. Some minarets of the Süleymanye Mosque, built by supreme architect Mimar Sinan, for Suleiman the Magnificent, sport very ornate decorations.

Moroccan minarets are mostly square and adorned with intricately, pierced ornamentation.

The 77-metre tall minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque, completed March 10, 1198, and sited close to the world famous Jemaa ElIfna souq, in Marrakesh, sports this design.

It was echoed in the Great Mosque of Seville, Spain. After the Muslim defeat in Spain, the grand mosque was turned into a cathedral. The minaret was converted into a bell tower.

Incidentally, the Koutoubia Mosque was also known as the Mosque of the Booksellers, denoting the love of books in Islamic life almost a thousand years ago.

The famous Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque complex in Fes, Morrocco, founded by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 CE, has a beautiful, square, green-tiled minaret. According to the book, Guinness World Records, it is also the oldest continually functioning university in the world. And, it was founded by a woman.

Of interest: ‘12th century scholar Ibn Asakir (most famous for his book on the history of Damascus, Tarikh Dimashq) travelled extensively in the search for knowledge and studied under the tutelage of 80 different female teachers.’ (Century Welfare Association, Mauritius)

The opulent, recently built, Mohammed IV Mosque, in Casablanca, juts out over the sea.

Its square minaret has a lift to transport the muadhin to the top.

It also has a powerful laser beam that shows Casablancans the direction to the Kaabah in Makkah.

Fatimid Shia Caliph Al-MMuzz sent his Sicilian commander, Jawhar, to conquer Egypt.

Jawar established the city of Cairo in 969 CE. In June, 972 CE, the first mosque complex was completed.

Saladin Ayyubi changed the Shia belief to Sunni.

I had the privilege of ascending one of the Mamluk-style minarets of a Cairo mosque and feasted on the carved patterns of zigzags, geometric stars and floral bouquets of Mamluk art carved on the domes and the minarets of the mosque. Heavenly art!

In 970, The Fatimid Caliph AlMuizz li-Din Allah constructed the first mosque in Cairo: AlAzhar (probably named after the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima Al-

Azahra, Wikepedia: Muslim Heritage). It evolved into the second university complex in the world.

Today, Cairo is known as The City of a Thousand Minarets.

North African clay and wood structured mosques have either no minarets or rudimentary minaret features.

These mosques have to contend with the adverse weather and the distortions of malleable clay. They have to be restored almost on a yearly basis. Clay also restricts the building of tall minarets.

Middle East, Arabian and Gulf state mosques tend to have spire minarets with onion-style domes at the top. This is noted particularly in Persian and Indian designs. Further east, in China, the minarets are pagoda-styled or are often completely absent, as with the older mosques in the Indonesian archipelago.

An article on a medley of quirky and cute, old and new minarets of Cape Town and its surrounds will follow soon.

A mosque in Dubai. The ornate mighrab protrudes from the mosque wall.

Photo M C D’ARCY

Muslim Views

40

Muslim Views . March 2017

Character of a true pendekar (warrior) MARIAM GILLAN

WHEN I first saw Shahana Daya, four years ago, I thought what a sweet little girl she was, not knowing that she was already 22-years-old.

Her smile, her beautiful, clear complexion, her glowing eyes were so infectious. Because of Shahana’s special needs, her parents, Essop and Abeedah, did everything they possibly could for her. They even allowed her to go surfing when they were on holiday in December, her father said.

Their lives revolved around her.

Shahana, who was from Mayfair West, attended special schools in Bedfordview and Homestead Park. She used to make dhikr (remembrance of God) every Thursday night in a special room at her home.

She developed a friendship with one of the founder members of the Sultan Bahu Fete, Mr Idris Sayed, at the age of 16 years and received an honorary disc to access the fete every year, according to her brother-in-law.

It all started when Shahana accompanied her nephew and two nieces, with whom she had a very warm relationship, to pencak silat training, in Bosmont, every Wednesday and Sunday and waited until they finished their martial arts training.

Her father, Essop, then asked me if it would be possible for Shahana to join the training. ‘It will be so good for her because at home she watches TV too much,’

‘Shahana was a true pendekar (warrior) for not being limited by limits, for never giving up or surrendering and for being a role model. he said. At pencak silat she would at least get some physical exercise.

Of course I said we would like her to join us.

That was four years ago and she has since reached blue belt status.

Last year, Shahana received the PPSSA ‘Student of the Year’ certificate from Mr Didi, the cultural attache of the Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria.

Shahana was a very special student and had Downs syndrome.

She passed away on Friday morning, February 3, at the age of 26 years.

She will always have a special place in my heart! She led by example!

Some of the pencak silat members paid tribute to this remarkable young lady.

Nathier Samaai, chief instructor At PPSSA: ‘I’ve always thought of Shahana as a leader, someone with a big heart.

‘She was always cheerful and always spreading happiness to others. She always had a smile.

She was a dedicated pencak silat

Last year, 2016, Shahana was awarded the ‘Student of the Year’ certificate.

student, pushing herself to the limit.

She inspired, motivated, supported and looked after her fellow students.

She was and always will be a true version of a pendekar (warrior) and will always be missed.’

Ammaar De La Rey, Shahana’s mentor and instructor’s words were: ‘Shahana was very special to me.

‘The first time she came to Pencak Silat I knew that we were going to have new experiences with her. But little did I know that Shahana was going to grow close to all our hearts. She was an angel.

‘Her prayers that she made for us were always so powerful, so meaningful.

‘Shahana was no different from anyone. In fact, her devotion and willingness outshone us all. She truly was amazing.

‘We love you Shahana.’

The founder of our Persaudaraan Pencak Silat SA, in Indonesia, Ka Sariat Arifia, commented: ‘Seeing her at the training and belt grading, anybody could see and understand that her physical limitation could not limit her beautiful mind, heart and spirit.

No matter how hard the task, the exams, she never said ‘no’ or ‘I Shahana with fellow Pencak Silat practitioners.

Photo MARIAM GILLAN

Muslim Views

Photo MARIAM GILLAN

give up.’ She always fought to the end.

‘Through pencak silat, Shahana found her encouragement, power and to go beyond her limit.

‘I still remember the first time I met her parents.

‘They said words which I will never forget until the day I die, “We thank God for sending his angels to South Africa.”

‘The core essence of pencak silat is not only about who can fight like a tiger or being as fast as lightning and strong like Hercules but it is about being the light in the darkness – and that is what Shahana was.

‘Shahana was a true pendekar (warrior) for not being limited by limits, for never giving up or surrendering and for being a role model.

‘I would like to thank Shahana and her family for their contribution, for their beautiful mind, spirit and hearts.

‘Shahana, I hope we can be reunited again in the day after the judgment, sit and talk in the highest good place God is willing to give.

‘Rest in peace my little sister.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun.

‘With so much love from Indonesia, your teacher and brother, H Sariat.’