Volume 5, Issue 2
Shaban - Ramadhan 1421 November-December 1999
[And united their hearts; had you spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united
their hearts, but Allah united them, surely He is Mighty, Wise] (8:63)
“(Every) fruit (enjoyment) will there be for them: they shall have whatever they call for: Peace!- a word (of salutation) from a Lord most merciful!” Holy Quran (36:57-58) The Holy Month of Ramadhan is approaching us at last! A chance to replenish ourselves spiritually and make a fresh start on the year to come. Perhaps the above mentioned ayah from the Holy Quran is not the first that would come to mind, but on the contrary I feel this ayah best expresses the love we Muslims have for this month. For in truth this month is a gift from our creator, an opportunity to redeem ourselves in the eyes of our maker, to truthfully reflect on the years and months that have passed and to wholeheartedly attempt to improve ourselves, spiritually, physically and mentally. This ayah is a reminder of the blissful existence of the righteous in the
Global Economic Trends PAGES 4-5
hereafter. Allah (SWT) has blessed us with the capacity to think, reason and problem solve and as a result we have a tremendous responsibility placed on our souls, it is our duty to constantly assess our state as a Muslim person and more importantly as a slave of Allah (SWT). We were placed on this earth to elevate, not simply exist from one signpost in life that a kaffir society has defined for us to another. In the Holy Quran Allah (SWT) says: “I have only created Jinns and Men, that they may serve Me.” Holy Quran (51:56) The ultimate fulfillment of serving Allah SWT or worshipping the Almighty is in the spiritual elevation that brings us closer to Allah SWT. The best motivation for self improvement is to try and visualise what we are aiming to achieve, imagine life in heaven, a tantalisingly beautiful place, the likes of which we have never
Discussion
A closer insight
PAGES 10-12
PAGE 6
22
Assalamu alaykum brothers and sisters and welcome to your latest issue of Voice of Unity. In this issue you will find a variety of articles ranging from an analysis of Western Psychology to details of the IUS Annual Conference, which was based on an academic seminar this year debating Global Economics. In addition, there is also an account of the IUS General Meeting that took place in early November. Denial of a certain reality can be considered as either ignorance or arrogance. Speaking to a fellow student the other day I was surprised when she told me she came from „Persia‟. Her express refusal to mention the name as „Iran‟ was as good as implicitly
denying the Islamic Republic‟s existence. Furthermore, it was an acknowledgement of either her ignorance of Islam or her presumed superiority to it. Society today is abundantly filled with examples of many people whom live in denial of Islam. We only have to look around to see this. By this I do not only mean those who are not Muslim, but I refer more worryingly to those who are of Muslim background. A certain student on my course is so desperate to assimilate into secular society, and ignore any Islamic roots he has; to the extent that he prefers to have an English sounding nickname rather than his real name which is evidence of his religious and cultural background.
Islamic Hygiene Prophet Mohammad (SAW): “There are three traits which Allah loves (in people): briefness in speech, short (length) of sleep, and small portions of food; while there are three traits that he dislikes (in them): loquaciousness, oversleeping and overeating.” “Try to be as clean as much you are able to. Verily, Allah has based the foundation of Islam on cleanliness; hence, never can a person enter Paradise but the clean ones.” Ammer-ul-Moimeneen Ali (AS) told Imam Hasan (AS): “Shall I teach you four treats by which you will be in no need of any medical
It is a sad fact that many pubs and bars today have customers who are of Islamic origin. Many of these such people will probably describe themselves as „modern, liberal Muslims‟ in effect th eir only knowledge of Islam is that of the name, whereby they live their lives in sheer denial of Islam‟s guidance and regulation of daily life. These examples are to name but a few. Surely as Muslims we have been blessed. Many people submit their lives to Islam every day, is it not inherently wasteful for those who have been born into guidance to be ashamed of their Islamic heritage? Sr. Duha Al-Wakeel, Editor
treatment?” “Yes” Imam Hasan replied. Imam Ali said: “1.Do not sit for food (in order to eat) unless you are hungry. 2-Leave the table while you still have an appetite. 3- Chew (your food in your mouth) well; 4- When you want to go to bed, (primarily) go to the water-closet (toilet) to ease nature. If you take these in action, you will be in no need of any medical treatment.” Imam Ali (AS): “Over-indulgence of food is the source of many diseases.”
3
Sr. May Al-Timimi
If you read university prospectuses about pharmacy you are guaranteed to get something along these lines „pharmacy is concerned with the action and uses of drugs...‟ That‟s all very well, but what does studying pharmacy really involve? From personal experience I can honestly say that drugs and drug action do not come into the picture until the end of the second year. The most important element in pharmacy is a thorough understanding of organic chemistry. It becomes almost a language, whereby whole lectures are given in the form of chemical mechanisms. Having said that, pharmacy also involves drug design and manufacture, drug delivery, drug interaction with biological systems and last but by no means least the laws regarding pharmacy practice. Drug design and delivery involves the study of the way drugs are discovered, the process by which unsuitable drugs are eliminated and how useful substances are put through a series of tests which can last for up to ten years before a drug can be put on the market. The importance of drug design cannot be stressed enough. This involves matters such as whether a drug is given as a liquid, tablet, capsule or injected into the patient, and how these different paths of drug delivery would effect the bioavailability of the drug. The interaction of drugs with biological systems is essential to the understanding of how a drug works. As pharmacists we study these interactions in depth, however, it depends on what career path we choose to take, that these studies become important. For example, in hospital pharmacy it is essential that the pharmacist has an in depth and detailed understanding of drug interactions, since it is the pharmacists job to advise doctors on what drugs are suitable for administrations and which are not. Any failure on the pharmacists part to recognise a severe drug interaction may result in a fatality, and further more, it would be the pharmacists fault since s/he is trained specifically to recognise these problems. This leads me on to the laws involved in pharmacy practice, and to which all pharmacists
must adhere. All pharmacists must register with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB). The process of registrations takes one year, at the end of which an exam is taken and if passed it would enable one to work as a pharmacist. This procedure means that the time between first entering university and becoming a fully qualified pharmacist is five years. A qualified pharmacist must comply with the rules and regulations set by the RPSGB as well as those set by law specifically for pharmacists or face being struck off the register. There are three areas of work into which a pharmacist can go. The first two require registration with the RPSGB and these are hospital and community pharmacy, whilst the third which is industry requires only a degree qualification. Working for industry, however, may not be the easy option, because entry requirements to industry are very high and candidates are all expected to have achieved a first degree (70% or above average). Further more, industry jobs will involve research and ultimately further degrees such as Msc.‟s and PhD‟s are required. Pharmacy is an interesting and challenging subject; it forms the foundations of the drug industry and is therefore essential to modern medical research. As career prospects go, unemployment amongst pharmacists is virtually non-existent. If it is flexibility that you need, then community pharmacy can offer that, whereby you can work part-time or as a locum. On the other hand, if job fulfillment is your aim, then hospital pharmacy offers hands on experience with helping people and the satisfaction of seeing the effects. If you are more interested in climbing up the ladder of success in your profession, and earning a substantial salary in the process then industry offers that opportunity. However, you must keep in mind, that as a pharmacist you are in a position whereby peoples lives are in your
44
Sr. Shanaz Iqbal
"O you who believe! Be maintainers of justice, bearers of witness of Allah's sake, though it may be against your own selves or (your) parents or near relatives; if he be rich or poor, Allah is nearer to them both in compassion; therefore do not follow (your) low desires, lest you deviate; and if you swerve or turn aside, then surely Allah is aware of what you do."(Holy Quran 4:135) Mankind has experimented, under the leadership of the West, with four major economic ideologies during the last three hundred years: Capitalism, Socialism, NationalFascism and the Welfare State. All of them were ba s e d on t he f und am en t a l l y and characteristically Western premise that religion and morality are not relevant to the solution of man's economic problems; that economic affairs are better settled by reference to the laws of economic behaviour and not in respect of any social code of moral conduct. Capitalism built its house on the principle of unfettered private enterprise, the profit motive and the mechanism of the market. Socialism sought millennium through public enterprise, social motivation and a centrally planned command economy. Fascism represented a distinct blend of the two resulting in state capitalism geared to political aggrandisement and military adventurism. The Welfare State is founded on a system of mixed economy, a form of capitalism blended with a measured socialist compassion. Despite noteworthy achievements in certain specific fields, these major ideologies on the economic stage have failed to resolve the major economic problems of mankind. Fascism was the first to fall; the latest fallen „god‟ is socialism. It would be the height of folly to assume that, by elimination, capitalism and welfare state have been vindicated, as the third annual IUS conference on „Global economic trends and their impact on Muslim countries’ illustrated. Following the introductory recitation of
the Holy Quran by Brother Mohsen AlRashed, Brother Mehdi Hassan (a student of PPE at Oxford University) began the afternoon with an overview of the current global economic trends and the problems facing many countries in the global economy. The Russian economy has imploded, leading to punishing inflation and economic hardship; scores of Japanese banks are in ruin; the once-booming economies of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have collapsed; Brazil and the rest of Latin America have begun to edge towards the precipice; and even in Europe and America the markets lurch violently, wiping out gains. It is regrettable that we remain complacent just because most of the trouble is occurring beyond our borders. We are all part of the global capitalist system which maybe characterised by 'free' trade and more specifically by the 'free' movement of capital, but also, equally, by economic instability, poverty and exclusion. Brother Mehdi reiterated the beauty of Islam that, even as Muslims, we quite often take for granted and indeed often overlook. Where other religions have compartmentalised different aspects of life, quite often into competing and conflicting rights, Islam views life as a compact whole. Allah (SWT) has regulated every aspect of life, including economics, providing detailed regulations for conduct. Where the economic principles of Islam are aimed at creating a just society, in today‟s world individual self-interest and greed has become a marked feature of the economic system, as the power of the market spreads as far a field as Beijing. Things are not right as politicians and economists might have us believe. The world's ruthless killer and the
5
greatest cause of suffering on earth is listed in the WHO's International Classification of Diseases as extreme poverty "The only differences between the savages of America and those of Europe, is, that the former have eaten up many a hostile tribe whereas the latter have known how to make a better use of their enemies; they preserve them to augment the number of their subjects, that is to say, of instruments destined to more extensive conquests." (Immanuel Kant - Project for a perpetual peace) Countries such as the UK and USA continue the drive in globalisation and trade liberalisation. With the poor constituting many Muslim countries, Brother Mehdi offered suggestions as to the steps to move forward and in particular stressed the importance of economists and indeed us as Muslims living in the west, in influencing the debate on global economic trends. Responses to date have only intensified the problems – poverty continues to remain a persistent global reality. Furthermore institutions such as the IMF have only intensified the problems of already troubled economies by insisting on Structural Adjustment Packages (SAP). No doubt we are failing to learn from past financial crises, relying as Brother Mehdi stressed, to a large extent on academia – as, if the solutions do not appear in charts we do not consider them and if the solutions cannot be represented by some formula we do not regard them valid. Brother Mehdi‟s talk highlighted, that, like every other man-made system the capitalist economic system is inherently flawed. Man lacks foresight, we do not see beyond ourselves nor can we anticipate what the future holds. So what is the alternative to this inherently unstable and injustice capitalist economic system? As Muslims we do not have to look far. "It is not righteous that you turn your face towards the east and the west, but righteous is this, ...give away wealth out of love for him (Allah) to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and
the beggars and for (the emancipation of) the captives, and keep up prayer and pay the poor rate; and the performers of their promise when they make a promise...and these are they who guard (against evil). (Holy Quran 2:177) An estimated 100 financial institutions in over 45 countries practice some form of Islamic finance. This industry has grown at an annual rate of 15% over the past 5 years; the markets current annual turnover is $70 billion, an increase from $5 billion in 1985. This is clear evidence of the growth of an Islamic financial system worldwide. It is not surprising therefore that even the IMF has set up a body to look into Islamic banking. Islamic economics - or iqtisad - defines the complete system of social and economic behaviour, dealing with a range of issues such as property rights, allocation of resources, economic decision-making, importance of contracts and competition etc. Brother Safdar Jaffer, the second speaker spoke on attempts to provide Islamic banking, particularly since the early 1980's and the extent to which Islamic states, notably the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan (as only these two countries have Islamic banking as a constitutional requirement), have been successful in implementing Islamic policy in this respect. Brother Safdar provided an interesting comparative analysis of the historical development of Islamic Banking in both countries. The fundamental concept in Islamic economics is morality. It cannot be overemphasised that the foundations of Islamic economics are objectivism and moralism, whereas capitalist economics stresses individualism, with no consideration for the effects on the wider society of the individual‟s actions. Brother Safdar spoke extensively and in some detail on the issue of usury (interest) or re‟bah- quoting both from the Quran and various Muslim scholars. The emphasis was on
66
Br. Yasser Alaskary
It's getting to that time of the year, when there is a special atmosphere. The month of Allah (SWT), the month of fasting, the month of the Quran, is approaching and most of us are awaiting its arrival eagerly. However, it has unfortunately also become common to expect the Muslim world to be divided as to the start and end of this month. It is our duty to not be like sheep by blindly following our friends, family, and community on this matter. We must understand and research so that we can try our best to do what is right. The whole problem centres on the sighting of the new moon to signify the start of the month of Ramadhan and then the ending of it (and of course the day of Eid). There are two schools of thought within the Shia world regarding the start of a month. Those who follow the late Sayyid Rohollah Khomenei(RA), believe that any sighting of the new moon only applies to that region, and not to the entire world. For example, if the new moon was seen in Syria, but not in Pakistan, then Ramadhan only begins for those in Syria and not for those in Pakistan (they start a day later). The second school of thought on this matter, who make up all the current main scholars (Ulema) and also include figures such as Ayatollah Al-Sadr (RA) and Ayatollah AlKhoei (RA), have a common approach. They regard a month to start if the new moon is seen anywhere in the world the night before. As this group makes up the majority, I will tackle the problem based mainly from this perspective. According to the late Ayatollah Al-Khoei (RA) and Ayatollah Al-Sadr (RA), and all of the present day scholars, science and astronomy have progressed so far that they are more reliable than human sightings and can be used to tell us when Ramadhan and Eid are (and, of course, any other month). The laws of science, and very accurate data collected from telescopes and satellites, are
(diagram showing where the moon can be sighted)
used to work out on computers when the new moon is born, and where and when it can be first seen. The probability of sightings with the naked eye being incorrect (e.g. a sighting of the decreasing (waning) moon, which is visible at Fajr time on the Eastern Horizon about 17 to 23 hours before new moon is born) are much greater than the calculations on the computers and the sightings done by telescopes and satellites. This accuracy is the reason for the scholars' view. The problems arise in the sighting of the new moon with the naked eye. A new moon that has just been born is completely invisible (i.e. it is entirely black) and cannot be seen. A new moon is not what signifies the start of a month (e.g. Ramadhan or the day of Eid), it is sighting (or more accurately the first appearance) of the new moon. This happens many hours after the moon is born. The time required for this depends on the angular separation of the moon from the sun, and the altitude of the moon above the horizon. The minimum time for the new moon to be visible is over 13 hours, but is more commonly near 20 hours. The common mistake by people is to just find out when the moon is born and take it to signify the beginning (or end) of a month. This, however, due to the above mentioned reasons, is not the start of the new
7 month. It's worth noting here that this is the reason countries such as Saudi Arabia almost always start and finish a day earlier than other countries, as they regard the birth of the new moon to be the start of the month and not the sighting (which usually is not possible till the next day). One other simple scientific fact that is worth noting and can be used to verify possible sightings is this: if the moon is not sighted in North America on a clear day, it is impossible to see it in the Middle East, 8 to 12 hours earlier on the same evening. For this Ramadhan, the moon will be born on the 7th of December at 22:32 GMT, but it will not be possible to see it until the 8th, as shown on the map, and therefore fasting should start for Ramadhan on the 9th of December. For Eid, the moon will be born on the 6th of January at 18:14 GMT, and will be visible on the 7th as shown on the map, making Eid on the 8th of January 2000.
the main differences between Islamic banking and capitalist banking, in (Continued on Page 7)
IUS Conference....Continued particular the profit sharing arrangements, based on the principle of equity rather than interest. Brother Safdar continued with an equally interesting discourse on the main principles of Islamic banking and the different types of contracts offered. The final speaker, Brother Iqbal Siddiqi, from Crescent International, ended the conference with a short but an equally interesting talk on, Issues on global Islamic movements. Brother Iqbal emphasised the importance of distinguishing between true Islamic systems and so-called Islamic systems. The individual components of the complete Islamic system - whether the economic and social system or the Shari'ah - cannot occur in isolation, nor can military rulers, dictators or kingdom sheikhs introduce them. Total implementation of all aspects of Islamic values
by the state can only occur when the state has Islamic legitimisation. Given that the international arena is very important in shaping a state‟s economic order and given the present global economic structures, Brother Iqbal correctly stressed the importance of unity among the Muslim Ummah, in countering the destructive global economic trends. It is difficult, if not impossible, to establish an Islamic economic system without unity. Progress can only precede unity and taking the history of Europe and the creation of the European Union, we can see this. The collapse of Socialism and its centrally planned economy in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe has raised a host of critical questions for all concerned with the ideological future of mankind. Does this represent the final demise of the socialist system and the unequivocal victory of the western doctrine of economic and political liberalism, as is being claimed by some of the enthusiasts of Western capitalism, heralding ‘the end of history‟ Or does it constitute yet another phase in the never-ending ebb and flow of history? Does the fall of socialism of itself vindicate capitalism? If socialism has collapsed under the weight of its contradictions and inequalities does that necessarily mean that capitalism has overcome its own historical contradictions, injustice and failures? Euphoria at the fall of a false „god‟ aside, the critical questions that still perplex the mind and conscience of man crave cogent answers. Yet the search for appropriate answers need not be confined to the Western experiences as this conference has shown. The economic crisis of our time remains as deep and distressing as ever and can be ignored only at the gravest peril. There is an urgent need for objective analysis of the entire economic landscape with a view to finding a fresh approach, which seeks the objectives of efficiency and equity simultaneously, and for all
88
(continued from page 1)
seen, and the fulfillment of the greatest (Continued on page 8)
ambition, nearness to our creator: “Peace!- a word (of salutation) from a Lord most merciful” Holy Quran (36:58) -truly the most captivating words! Once we have reminded ourselves of our goals in this temporary material life, we can begin to truly appreciate the value of this month, a chance to obtain the pleasure of our Lord, to truly repent and hope for forgiveness from a merciful creator. How can we begin to practically change our erroneous ways of the past? Glorious Ramadhan serves as a pragmatic guide to self improvement, a practical guide to spiritual progression. The starting point is for us to decide to change ourselves. Some may argue that no one is perfect, but why use this as an excuse? Why not aim for the ideal? At least on the Day of Resurrection we can say that we truly attempted self improvement, which is all Allah (SWT) asks. Let us start to be more critical of ourselves. Let us decide that today we are going to identify the parts of our personalities that we need to change. A thorough personality evaluation is the way to go, a two columned table with all our plus points and weaknesses to be filled out honestly. We should not aim for a complete character assassination, but a true description, (you don‟t need to show it to anyone!) Let us start by identifying one or two things that we would like to change, and set ourselves small targets like: “I want to start praying on time.” Then we should really make an effort just for one or two days to do this and we‟ll Inshallah find that it‟s not as difficult as we think to change, just taking it one step at a time. Our next target may last for a week, a month and before we know it, this new behaviour is habit forming. With plenty of Du‟a, to help strengthen our resolve we are bound to be successful! This is the concept of Ramadhan, for one whole month the whole Muslim Ummah unite their efforts to improve
themselves and bring their lives one step closer to the ideal. In truth it is quite difficult to break the habits of 29 consecutive days! So what‟s to stop us implementing the principles of Ramadhan everyday of our lives? How can we try to follow in the footsteps and show our true love for the Ahlul Bait (AS) who lived flawless lives, when we have basic character flaws that we can actually do something about. Let us stop running away from our problems, accept responsibility and attempt to tackle them effectively, a practice recommended by Imam Mohammed-ibn-Ali (9th Imam) (AS) “A Muslim Believer should obtain these three virtues: success granted by Allah SWT, be an admonisher of his self, and find approval from the one who advises him.” Muntah-al-Amal, p.229 This also intertwines with the issue of self knowledge, to really know yourself is to know Allah (SWT) as the hadith goes, and to know Allah (SWT) is to achieve closeness to Allah (SWT), the goal of every Muslim. So what are the qualities we should encourage in ourselves to achieve these goals? A Hadith from Imam Sadiq (AS) gives us an idea; “Verily we love those who are wise, perceptive (intelligent), learned, forbearing, patient, reliable and faithful. Surely, Allah, Almighty and Glorious, favoured the Prophets with high morality. Then he who possesses them may praise Allah SWT for them, but he who does not have them may weep unto Allah SWT, the Almighty the Glorious and ask Him for them.” Jabir humbly asked what they were, and the Imam (AS) replied: “They are: piety, contentment, patient endurance, gratefulness, forbearance, modesty, graciousness, courage, enthusiasm, benevolence, truthfulness, and honesty in deposits” Al-Kafi. Vol. 2, p.56 Being a good Muslim and possessing the recommended traits promises a life full of the
9
blessings from Allah (SWT), and a reward of inconceivable measure in the hereafter. The limited capacities of our human imagination cannot begin to perceive the pleasures that await the righteous ones, the Holy Quran says: “For the righteous are gardens, in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath: therein is their eternal home: with companions pure (and holy), and the good pleasure of Allah. For in Allah’s sight, are (all) His servants” Holy Quran (3:15) Our first target for improvement is sinning, Allah (SWT) has promised punishment on the Day of Judgement for the wrong doers of society, so fear of Allah (SWT) alone should stop us from committing sins. What about the effect these sins have on our souls? Sins in the short term have consequences in our life on earth, and are not conducive to happiness: for example backbiting destroys relationships and trust, jealousy consumes a person so that they cannot enjoy life, adultery can destroy a marriage let alone the consequence of their Islamic punishment awaiting them in the hereafter. The conscience of one who sins regularly can plague them till their dying day. Imam Ali (AS) said that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “ When Allah Almighty and Glorious sends his wrath on a nation and does not punish (them) by it then: their prices go up, their lifetimes will shorten, their merchants will not gain profits, their fruits will not be abundant, their streams will not become brimful, their rain will be withheld from them, and their vicious ones will dominate over them” Khisal by Saduq, Vol. 2, p.360 Reminiscent of the current state of the Muslim Ummah. More importantly, a simple action
lasting a fleeting moment may have extreme consequences on our souls, and relationship with Allah SWT: Imam Ali (AS) said “If one of you desires to know his standing with Allah SWT, he may evaluate his situation in relation to his sins against Allah: such is his worthiness to Allah, the Blessed and Exalted.” Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 70, p18 What about our destiny in the hereafter? We have been promised mercy for the repentant and punishment for unforgiven sins: “Tell my servants that I am indeed the Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. And that my Penalty will be indeed the most grievous penalty.” Holy Quran (15:4950) We must acknowledge the weight of our actions as this awareness can help us to avoid temptation. The truth is we don‟t really know what our future holds, as we have been promised that every single action will be accounted for. All we can do this Ramadhan is to repent and truly seek to improve ourselves, holding hope in our hearts for the mercy and guidance of Allah SWT for the attainment of our ultimate goal: “(Every) fruit (enjoyment) will there be for them: they shall have whatever they call for: Peace!- a word (of salutation) from a Lord most merciful!” Holy Quran (36:57-58)
Q
IUS Ramadhan Programmes The IUS would like to invite you to attend its Special programmes for the Holy month of Ramadhan. These take place at Dar AlHikma, 45 Chalton Street, Euston, every Wednesday at 4:00pm. The programme includes Congregational Prayer, Iftar and a speech. Programmes start on Wednesday 15/12/99.
10 10
Syeda Tatheer Zahra Shamsi
Introduction When we think about applying traditional western psychology to Islamic populations, we immediately encounter difficulties, ideological as well as practical difficulties. It‟s not always possible to transfer these psychological notions to groups for whom the theories proposed don‟t fit neatly within the framework they have been brought up in. We recognise that it‟s very important for Muslim groups to have forums which will encourage individuals to express their problems and which will allow them to be comfortable, as their needs aren‟t always catered for by the health services or social services here. And this often inhibits many from coming forward for psychological services. In fact there are a number of reasons for people covering up or attempting to hide psychological problems, or the emotional distress they‟re experiencing. Unfortunately in the age where counselling services are so effectively used in western countries, all across Europe and North America, its still considered taboo in our communities to access these services. This issue of services not catering for our needs is now becoming widely recognised. And the good news is that there are many centres which are becoming established here in a multiethnic community because of equal opportunities policies and because of crosscultural research; research with different cultures is showing that what may be an effective form of treatment for people from one culture may not be beneficial for people from another culture because a lot of the issues may not be relevant. The positive outcome here is that there is an increase in research to show us that peoples‟ constructs, the ways in which they view the world, are different and can‟t always be generalised. Just to give an example, there have been studies carried out with a certain group of African individuals who were
diagnosed with a psychiatric illness, schizophrenia; but when this same group of people was assessed by psychologists and psychiatrists from their own culture, they discovered that the behaviour they were exhibiting which led to this diagnosis, was considered perfectly acceptable in their own cultures. So the consequence of such a diagnosis of course is that they would be receiving psychotropic medication, drugs for the treatment of mental disorders which they didn‟t have, which have no organic basis. And this had in fact been found to be happening, a lot of research has uncovered this sort of practice. So as a consequence of these sorts of difficulties, many centres and organisations have arisen which are dealing with specific areas, such as bereavement, or care for the elderly, marital problems and many others. But they‟re often isolated and working alone; and they‟ve usually come about in response to cultural and lingual needs of particular communities, such as the Afro-Caribbean community, or the Asian community for example, which are considered homogenous groups – so they‟ve been put together on the basis of their ethnic backgrounds. But they‟re not necessarily fulfilling the requirements of our faith, so it‟s not an ideal situation. We can very briefly look at the psychological framework within which western practitioners are working. We know that psychology is basically considered to be the study of the human mind and behaviour. It‟s a broad discipline which not only relates to how psychology is commonly portrayed in the media - as dealing with mental illness - but covers all sorts of other issues relating to human development, such as learning, and human distress, relationships, marital issues, the upbringing of children. Although it‟s a relatively new western science, psychology has firmly established itself as a discipline with rigorous scientific, empirical support. Ironically, the literary definition of the word, psychology - the
11
origin of the word – is, the discourse or the study of the soul or the spirit. Psychology is regarded as a natural science, involving the study of the laws of nature, of human spirituality, but is this really the case? Problems with Western Psychology Someone who has questioned this very fiercely and has attacked the very basis of western psychology is Dr Malik Badri – he is an experienced Muslim psychotherapist and professor of psychology from Sudan. The following quote of his illustrates his views: “They will claim (he‟s talking here about western psychologists) that their theories about human behaviour are based purely on empirical, unbiased observation. They will even claim to take a neutral stand with respect to the existence of God and the place of religion and to apply an objective non-biased “scientific approach” in studying spiritual phenomena”. Clearly when we‟re talking about nature, about the nature of man, we can‟t take him and study man, his problems, his needs, as a distinct entity, removed from his Creator. The great „alim Syed Mujtaba Musawi Lari has done a lot of work in this area and he emphasises that man has spiritual needs in the same way that he has physical needs, and we need to consider them. Faith provides an individual with strength against despair and hopelessness. If we consider the example of depression, it‟s a debilitating illness, and the majority of us would have experienced depression at some stage. But there are different types, and it can also be considered to be on a continuum with varying degrees of severity. In the most severe cases the ultimate end would be suicide or a suicidal attempt. Imam Jaffer alSadiq (AS) has said that “a true believer can never commit suicide”. We all experience psychological difficulties, but our faith provides us with a motivating force to help overcome them. That‟s not to say that hoping and wishing that the situation will change is enough, we really
need to take positive action too. Often we also need professional assistance. Its e s s e n t i a l especially with individuals diagnosed with serious clinical conditions, that they continue to receive professional help. For us there isn‟t a dichotomy between faith our religious convictions - and scientific study and scientific advance. This is where we as Muslims diverted from the traditional JudaeoChristian notions of faith. For a Muslim, knowledge and science reinforce faith rather than oppose it. The result of this belief was the golden age of science and faith in Islamic civilisation, in which science and knowledge made huge advances by Muslims reaffirming their belief through scientific discovery. In contrast, European history is divisible into the age of faith and the age of reason, where faith and science were at odds. The notion that faith and science pull the human being in opposite directions has been challenged by Muslim thinkers throughout history. Psychological Psychologists
Practice
for
Muslim
So coming back to the dilemma of the Muslim psychologist, can we effectively continue to use the principles of psychology in the treatment of our Muslim patients, given that psychological principles are based upon western research and ideals? How applicable is psychology to us? Well there are many schools of thought in psychology, many ways of explaining human behaviour. They‟re not all couched within an atheistic, materialistic framework; we can briefly look at an example: the humanistic school of thought is a fairly modern movement in psychology which
1 12
(Continued on page 12)
started to emerge in the 1950s and 60s - the humanistic model features quite prominently now in psychotherapeutic intervention, its quite commonly used. The humanistic school focuses on a positive concept of human nature, and emphasises the individual‟s uniqueness. Humanistic psychologists take account of the individual‟s self and subjective inner experiences, such as the concepts of values, faith and self-direction. And this is where it differs from other, more traditional schools of thought which are based on the belief that human beings are really the same and that their behaviour is determined, pre-determined by certain forces beyond their control. The humanistic view, just as its name suggests, looks at the person as an individual, as a human being; what is it that motivates this person, what are the things that makes this person unique? They take account of the individual‟s personal goals, and their aims for achievement. And in this respect, the humanistic psychologists are the closest to encompassing the religious dimension – to working with the spiritual aspect of the person as well. As we‟re growing in a multicultural society, we‟re seeing a synthesis, this combining, of theories, to try to arrive at the most suitable model which will be relevant for most people from different backgrounds – although again the situation isn‟t ideal because the paradigm or the framework within which we‟re working isn‟t Islamic. So I was really fortunate when I had the opportunity while I was in Iran to interview one of Iran‟s leading psychologists Dr Parveen Debajnia, as I was interested in psychological practice in a country completely guided by Islamic principles. She was very proud of the modern teaching and research facilities that they had in the new university hospital in Qom and she discussed the therapeutic intervention, how they worked with patients, and advances they‟d made based on scientific research within an Islamic framework. There are many examples of the type Dr
Debajnia discussed with me in the practice of Malik Badri in Lebanon, in Sudan and in Saudi Arabia. Just to illustrate, he gives an example of one of his female patients who had been admitted for anxiety and depression, and she was experiencing phobias – displaying undue, irrational fears. She had been seen by other psychologists in the hospital but she wasn‟t responding to any of the types therapy that they was using – nothing was effective. When Malik Badri began working with her he began reciting a relevant verse of the Quran, she immediately responded and broke down in tears – this led to the discovery of a lot of other problems which she had been hiding, she confessed to them straight away – and this was what had been hindering her recovery before, as the previous psychologists weren‟t aware of these other really important underlying factors. So when these came to the fore Malik Badri was able to work on these issues effectively using traditional psychotherapeutic techniques, behavioural methods. And Alhamdulillah this patient made a very dramatic improvement. When he told his colleague how he had successfully treated her, he expressed his amazement and said, “I‟ve kept a copy of the Holy Quran in my office for the last three years and it never once occurred to me to bring it down from the bookshelf and use it as part of my therapy”. So there we‟ve got an inspirational example of how Islamic teachings can guide us in our scientific practice; and there are many other such examples. Conclusion We‟ve seen then in a very small way how Muslims are able to benefit from modern psychology. Western psychological techniques are not always reconcilable with Islamic ideology as they have evolved traditionally emphasising sound scientific practice without much regard for consideration of faith. However, by employing empirical research findings in the light of Islamic teachings there is strong evidence that Muslim psychologists can restore spiritual vigour to the essentially materialistic western psychology.
13
The highest aim in life - To know God and do His will The most enriching good habit Complimenting others The most destructive bad habit - worry The greatest joy - Giving The greatest loss - Loss of self-respect The most satisfying work - Helping others The ugliest personality trait - Selfishness The most endangered species - Dedicated leaders Our greatest natural resource - Our youth The ugliest look - A frown The greatest "shot in the arm" Encouragement The greatest problem to overcome - Fear The most effective sleeping pill - Peace of mind The most crippling failure disease - Excuses The surest way to limit God - Unbelief The most powerful forces in life - Love The most dangerous piranha - A gossiper The Greatest Life-Giver - The Creator The worlds most incredible computer - The brain The worst thing to be without - Hope The deadliest weapon - The tongue The two most power-filled words - "I Can" The greatest asset - Faith The most worthless emotion - Self-pity The most beautiful attire - A SMILE! The most prized possession - Self esteem The most powerful channel of communication - Prayer The most contagious spirit - Enthusiasm The most urgent need - Salvation The GREATEST - ALLAH
There was a friend of Amir al-Muminin, a good believing man, who unfortunately fell into error, and had to be punished. Imam Ali (AS) cut off the fingers of his right hand. The man took hold of his cut hand, with the blood dripping from it , with his left hand and went away. He was then instigated by a seditious Kharjite, who wanted to take advantage of the course of events for his own party and against Imam Ali (AS), so he came up to the man with an utter of compassion and asked: “Who cut your hands off?” “The chief of the Holy Prophets successors,” he said, “the leader of the faithful and untainted ones at the resurrection, the most righteous among the believers, Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib who is the infallible Imam of righteous and divine guidance, cut off the fingers of my right hand....the first to reach the Gardens of Felicity, the hero of the brave, the avenger against the ignorant promoters, the giver of Zakat....the leader on the right hand and of the perfect path ‘Sirat-ul-Mustaqeem‟, the speaker of the truth and not of falsehood and filth, the Head of Mecca, the steadfast exceller.” “Poor you!” said the man, “he cut off your hands, and you extol him thus!” “Why should I not extol him,” replied the companion, “now that his friendship is mixed with my flesh and blood? I swear by God that he did not cut off my hand except with a right that God has established.” Such was the love, attraction and the affection of the companion for Hadharat Ali (AS). Sent by Br. Jawad Husain Jafri
14 14 Islamic Personalities of The 20th Century (2)
Br. Mohammed Al-Hilli
Date and Place of birth: 1931 (1350 AH), Khadimiyya, Baghdad, Iraq A glance at his life: Imam As-Sadr (RA) led a major resistance movement against the baathist regime in Iraq, headed by the dictator Saddam. He was, to all Iraqis, the leader and the inspiration to lead the country towards Islamic prosperity. He came from an old and well-known religious family that had produced a number of prominent figures in Iraq. He started his religious studies from a very early age, and by the age of eleven he had written his first book. He developed to be a leading scholar at the Hawza in Najaf, providing Islamic teaching and guidance to hundreds of students from around the world. As well as being a major religious figure (marjae), martyr AsSadr was a strong political force who actively campaigned for human rights in the country. He formed the Islamic Da‟wa Party in 1957, an Islamic movement with the aim of establishing Islamic rule in Iraq. He also led the Safar Uprising in 1977, in which thousands took to the street to publicly announce their anger at the non-Islamic baathist regime. Consequently, he was arrested. His sister Bint-ulHuda, who was a scholar in Islamic theology, organised many protests and demonstrations to demand his release. Due to fear of public backlash he was freed by the government. Imam As-Sadr was arrested for a total of three times, the last in 1980, and escaped four assassination attempts. He was kept under intense house arrest for nine months after issuing a fatwa that it was haram for Muslims to join the un-Islamic Baath party. Consequently, on the 5th of April, he and his sister Bint-ul-Huda were arrested for the final time, imprisoned, severely tortured, and finally executed three days later by Saddam in one of his palaces. Aspects of his life: Imam As-Sadr was the purest example of kindness, humbleness and piety, and was greatly loved by people due to his close association with them. He had a very basic life, and was always available for consultation and help. He always thought about others before himself. For example, while under house arrest, he noticed that Saddam‟s guards that were surrounding his house were thirsty, and so he raced to offer water to them. This was despite the fact
that water and electricity was constantly cut from his house. Publications: Sayyid As-Sadr will always be remembered for the numerous books and journals he left behind. Of these are „Our philosophy‟, „Our Economy‟, ‘The Islamic School‟, „Fadak in history‟, „The Islamic Bank‟, ‘Research on Al-Mahdi (ATF)‟ and many others books (e.g. his resaleh), of which some were retained and others destroyed by Saddam‟s regime. He also made many contributions to papers and journals. Aspects of his wisdom: “The mass of the people are always stronger than the tyrants, however powerful the tyrants may be, but the people must be patient and never surrender.” “Unite your words and actions, and organise your ranks under the banner of Islam.” Martyrdom and place of burial: 8th April 1980. He and sister were secretly buried, under strict orders from Saddam, in a mysterious location in Iraq. Final note: Martyr Imam As-Sadr (RA) remains one of the prominent Islamic movement leaders in this century. He actively campaigned for Islam, calling upon Muslims to recognise the rich legacy of Islam and detach themselves from any external influences, like those of Capitalism and Marxism. He urged Muslims to wake up and rise from their slumber, and realise that by wanting to spread their ideology in the Muslim world, the imperialists were attempting to kill Islamic ideology. Imam As-Sadr has been greatly missed by the Islamic movement since his martyrdom in 1980. He always emphasised that he was very willing to give his blood for the freedom of Iraq from the baathist government. He will always be the inspiration and the force for the movement, as it struggles to free Iraq from the bloodthirsty dictatorship regime of Saddam.
15
Sr. Oola Ajina
Remember remember the fifth of November, I know I certainly will. Apart from being the day commemorating Guy Fawkes's fumbled attempt to blow up the houses of parliament, Friday 5th November marked the advent of the first of the IUS monthly meetings for the academic year 1999-2000, and Alhamdulilaah it was a huge success. This meeting was revolutionary because up until that point IUS meetings had been conducted on a weekly basis on Wednesday afternoons at Darul-Hikma. In general, the change was welcomed by IUS members and none could complain of being disappointed since the speakers were of the highest quality, and the attendance was pleasing. The evening‟s programme began with recitation of the holy Quran by brother Mohammad Al -Hilli, this was followed by a thoroughly engaging talk by brother Muhammad Rafiq on the importance of Da‟wah. By way of a very brief background on the speaker, brother Muhammad Rafiq accepted Islam nearly 6 years ago, and since then, due to the mercy of Allah (SWT) and to the brother‟s active promotion of the teachings of Islam, eight people have accepted the religion. Brother Muhammad Rafiq‟s talk was truly enlightening, it opened up many windows and gave a vision of working at a national level to improve the way Islam is perceived in Great Britain. He spoke with evident experience and much knowledge of this topic, and as well as talking about the essentiality of inviting non-Muslims to Islam, he also emphasised the importance of Tabligh. This is because before we can actually start propagating Islam to others, we must first make sure that our own faith is sound. Secondly, it is important to remember that we can do Da‟wah to Muslims as well as non-Muslims. Rather than alienate those Muslims that have drifted away from the teachings of our holy Messenger and the Ahlul-Bait, we should try to bring them closer to Allah (SWT).This is because the image of Islam will continue to be tarnished, and Da‟wah made increasingly more difficult if Muslims act in a way contradictory to that laid out by the Quran. Brother Muhammad Rafiq‟s talk was followed by a short break for prayers and refreshments. After all, no IUS meeting would be complete without the trademark appearance of the treat-sized sweets! The evening‟s events were drawn to a close by a stimulating discussion on current affairs by the editor of the Muslim News, brother Ahmed Versi. He highlighted the important issue of religious discrimination, and the sad fact that it is still widespread. The members‟ interests in the topics raised were plainly apparent by their active participation in the discussion. All in all, most would
agree that besides the odd half dozen mobile phones that went off throughout the course of the evening, the first IUS monthly meeting ran very smoothly indeed!
IUS Birmingham Report Having already established a sister society in Australia the previous year, the Islamic Unity Society (IUS) focused thoughts of expansion much closer to home. Talks first began with brothers and sisters in Birmingham, UK, in September 1998. The last twelve months have seen not only the establishment of a five-person subcommittee in Birmingham, but a raising of the profile of the society that has reverberated nationwide. Our first major event was held in February of this year, with over one hundred attendants, participants and dignitaries. A variety of areas were explained through informative and competent speeches - the concept of wilayat, the importance of unity and the spiritual aspects of Hajj. In addition, members of the Executive Committee of IUS presented an overview of the society's aims, objectives and aspirations to an audience previously unfamiliar with the IUS. Following from the February conference, the subcommittee was established. It is currently composed of three undergraduates, one postgraduate and one professional member. The group meet on a semi-regular basis and aim to be in constant contact with local IUS members, and to work closely with the various communities to achieve a common objective. During the holy month of Muharram in April, the Birmingham subcommittee held a Muharram campaign. Visiting each of the three community centres in the city, our aims were to recruit members to IUS, to import knowledge via leaflets and newsletters and to forge closer links with the local communities. By the Grace of Allah (SWT), the campaign achieved each aim to a high standard. The next twelve months will, Insha Allah, see IUS Birmingham grow further. Plans for the future include regular study circles for members. further networking between undergraduates and professionals in the same fields, and co-ordination with the other regional subcommittees for events and excursions. We pray to the Almighty to help us succeed in our efforts. Ameen. IUS subcommittee members: Br. Abbas Chagani, Br. Abbas Ali, Br. Sajid Kazmi, Sr. Musarat Ali, Sr. Shelina Kurji
16 16
* Monthly Seminar: Alhmdullilah, the first IUS monthly seminar was held on
Friday 5th November at The School of Pharmacy, London. The programme was well attended, and there were very good speeches by Brother Mohammed Rafiq on „The importance of Da‟wa‟ and Brother Ahmed Versi on „Racial discrimination in this country‟. Whilst the programme returns to its weekly schedule during the moth of Ramadhan, further Monthly Seminars will resume in February Inshallah. * The new IUS Wall-planner for 1999-2000 is out. These are available for members who renew their membership. If renewing, please send the relevant payment, with the name and address to the address below. * Ramadhan Campaign: The IUS will be conducting a campaign during this holy month, visiting various mosques and publicising its activities. If you are interested in helping, then please contact the committee. * The planned Annual General Meeting for the year 1998-99 went ahead on Saturday 13th November. However due to a lack of quorum the elections have been rescheduled to Sunday 28th November. This will take place in Islamic Centre of Manchester. Members who are interested to attend should contact the Committee as soon as possible. Free transport will be made available. Inshallah.
Daily Supplication for the Month of Ramadhan: “O the High, O the Great, O the Forgiver, O the Merciful, Thou art the Lord of the lords, there is nothing comparable to Thee, and Thou hears and sees everything. This is the month Thou has made great, exalted, distinguished, rendered superior over all other months, and this is the month in which Thou has made fasting obligatory for me, and this is the month of Ramadhan in which Thou sent down the Holy Quran, a guidance for the mankind, which has clear signs to show the right path and set apart truth from falsehood; and Thou celebrated it with the „Night of Qadr‟ a night better than a thousand month. So, O the Owner of favours and benefits from whom none can can oblige, have mercy on me by cutting off my drift towards the hell-fire and direct me unto Paradise, O the Most Merciful.”
Wiladat Wafat Wiladat Shab-e-Dharbat Shahadat
Imam Mahdi (ATF) Hadharat Khadija (AS) Imam Hasan (AS) Imam Ali (AS) Imam Ali (AS)
15th Shaban 10 Ramadhan 15 Ramadhan 19 Ramadhan 21 Ramadhan
Islamic Unity Society Registered Charity No. 1066910 Mail Address: IUS Box 145 37 Store Street
Telephone: 07971 404 647 Fax: 0171 640 2372 Internet: www.ius.org.uk
Tue 23rd Nov Sat 18th Dec Thu 23rd Dec Mon 27th Dec Wed 29th Dec