Islamic Focus Issue 81

... ... ... ... Islamic Focus

Issue 81 Igniting the Spirit of Islam Aug 2010 Bukhara Publications/Tel: 078 672 7797/Fax: 086 651 2125 Email: [email protected]/Korsten/Port Elizabeth

MONGOLS: In the seventh

century AH the Mongols of Genghis Khan swept across

Asia destroying everything that lay in their path. In 617 AH Samarkand, Ray, and

Hamdan were put to the sword causing more than

700,000 people to be killed or made captive. In 656 AH Hulagu, the grandson of

Genghis Khan, continued this destruction. Even Bagh-

dad, the leading city of the Muslim world, was sacked. Some estimate that as

many as 1,800,000 Muslims were killed in this awesome

carnage. With the whole Muslim and Christian world

threatened, Saifuddin Qutuz from the Mamluks of Egypt, united the Muslim army and

met the Mongols at Ain Jalut on 26th Ramadan 668 AH.

They crushed the Mongol army and reversed this tidal wave of horror.

What are you going to

achieve this Ramadan? � Adapted from the article by: Sheikh

Abdullah Hakim Quick

Throughout the history of

Islam, Muslims have pro-duced some of their most

sterling achievements in the month of Ramadan. Here is a brief glimpse into them:

BADR: The greatest battle

of Islam was fought and won on the 17th of Rama-dan 3 AH when a group of

ill-equipped Muslim soldiers defeated a larger, better

equipped Quraish army. MAKKAH: The city of Mak-

kah was conquered without a battle on 20th Ramadan 8

AH. This was one of the most important dates in Is-

lamic history for after it, Is-lam was firmly entrenched in the Arabian Peninsula.

SPAIN: By 92 AH Spain

was under the tyrannical rule of King Roderic of the Visigoths. Roderic had

forced his six million serfs and persecuted Jews to

seek the aid of the Muslims

of North Africa. Musa ibn Nusair, the Umayyad gover-

nor of North Africa, re-sponded by sending his gen-eral Tariq ibn Ziyad at the

head of 12,000 Berber and Arab troops. In Ramadan of

that year, they confronted wa combined Visigoth army of 90,000 Christians led by

Roderic himself. After burn-ing his boats, Tariq crushed

the forces of disbelief. Not only was Roderic and his forces completely annihi-

lated, but Tariq and Musa succeeded in liberating the

whole of Spain, Sicily and the south of France. This was the

beginning of the Golden Age of Spain where Muslims ruled for over 700 years.

PALESTINE: In Ramadan

682 AH, Salahuddin Ayyubi, after battling the Crusaders for years, finally drove them

out of Syria.

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P7 Don’t Judge

P8 Golden Windows

P9 Makkah Clock

P10 Argentina

� � �... ... ... 2 Islamic Focus

WORLD NEWS

PAKISTAN - A plane with more than 150 people on board crashed north of Islamabad. (BBC, 28 July)

PALESTINE - 300 Bedouins living in occupied Pal-estine’s Negev desert were made homeless after Jewish police razed their homes. (BBC, 27 July)

UK - PM Cameron condemned the Jewish blockade of Gaza, describing the territory as a prison camp. He also criticised Israel for attacking a convoy trans-porting activists and aid to Gaza. (BBC, 27 July)

SUDAN - A group of Muslim men were given 30 lashes after being convicted of wearing women's clothes and make-up. (BBC, 4 Aug)

MALAYSIA - The state of Malacca is to allow young Muslims to get married despite criticism from women's groups. The state government and its Is-lamic Religious Council said the move is aimed at reducing the number of babies born outside wedlock and abandoned. (BBC, 4 Aug)

LEBANON - Clashes between Lebanese and Israeli troops killed a Jewish officer. (BBC, 4 Aug)

PAKISTAN - 1,600 killed in worst floods in 80 years. 650,000 homes and 10,000 cattle destroyed. 1,000 killed in China flooding as well. (BBC, 7 Aug)

INDONESIA - The Ulema Council said its March directive on the direction of Makkah actually had people facing Africa and now say people should shift direction slightly to the north-west. (IOL, 23 July)

SPAIN - 2 Spanish activists and a journalist ar-rested in a raid by Israel on a Gaza flotilla are filing charges against Israel's PM, accusing him of illegal detention, torture and deportation. (BBC, 23 July)

AFGHANISTAN - 4 US soldiers killed in the south while 2 were captured by Taliban fighters in the east. Dozens of international soldiers killed in July. June saw more than 100 troops killed, the bloodiest month of the 9-year war. (BBC, 24 July)

PALESTINE - 5 rockets fired at the Israeli tourist resort of Eilat from Sinai in Egypt. (BBC, 2 Aug)

KASHMIR - 9 killed in clashes between Muslims and Indian paramilitary forces in Indian-occupied Kashmir. 50 Muslims killed in clashes in 2 months of an uprising. (BBC, 2 Aug)

SAUDI - Saudi Arabia and UAE announced bans on some functions of the Blackberry mobile phone, claiming security concerns. (BBC, 1 Aug)

MOROCCO - Government will close 1,256 Musjids for repairs, to avoid a repeat of the collapse of a minaret in Feb that killed 41. (BBC, 10 Aug)

TURKEY - An explosion hit an oil pipeline killing two. Kurdish separatist group, PKK, is suspected of the attack. (BBC, 10 Aug)

JORDAN - The Islamic Action Front, the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, will boycott upcoming parliamentary polls. In the 1990s Islamists held al-most half of the parliamentary seats. (BBC, 10 Aug)

LEBANON - Security officials kill leader of Sunni Islamist movement Fatah al-Islam. Fatah al-Islam fought a three-month battle with the Lebanese army in 2007 in which 400 were killed. (BBC, 14 Aug)

PAKISTAN - 16 people, including 5 security person-nel, killed in two attacks in Balochistan. Officials say Baluch rebels are responsible. (BBC, 14 Aug)

SAUDI - For more than a century, Big Ben in Lon-don has been the centre of world time. But now it is being challenged by the world's tallest clock in Mak-kah, by which the world's 1.5 billion Muslims could soon be setting their watches. (Telegraph, 23 Aug)

USA - Hundreds took part in rival protests over plans for a Musjid near the World Trade Centre at-tacks. Muslims plan to convert an old building into a 13-storey Islamic centre and Musjid. (BBC, 23 Aug)

IRAN - First domestically built unmanned bomber, the Karrar, has a range of 1,000km. (BBC, 22 Aug)

PALESTINE - UN report says Israeli military is in-creasingly restricting Palestinian access to farmland and fishing zones in Gaza. The army uses live fire to enforce restrictions leading to tens of thousands los-ing their livelihoods. (BBC, 19 Aug)

EGYPT - A Van Gogh painting worth R350m was stolen from a Cairo museum. (BBC, 22 Aug)

EGYPT - the Muslim Brotherhood launched its own Facebook-style social networking site called Ikhwan-book. (BBC, 24 Aug)

FRANCE - 60 years ago Pont-Saint-Esprit was hit by hallucinations, which left 5 dead and many seriously ill. It was blamed on contaminated bread but a US journalist found a CIA document suggesting the CIA was experimenting on the people by dosing them with the LSD drug. (BBC, 23 Aug)

USA - Many US soldiers who served in Iraq have been linked to violent killings and attempted killings since their return to USA. The number of soldiers failing drug tests rose 3000% in the first 3 years of the Iraq war. By 2007, more than 20,000 US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq were taking anti-depressants and sleeping pills to cope with the stresses of combat. (BBC, 25 Aug) �

� � �� 3 Islamic Focus

COMPARITIV

E / W

ORSHIP

Do you feel your Salaah (prayer) is not having the

effect it is supposed to have on your life? It seems

we’ve lost the ability to connect in Salaah that

makes all the difference in its effect on us. The

people of the past found serenity in Salaah:

On one occasion a Sahaabi was in Salaah when he

was shot with an arrow in the chest. He pulled it

out and continued in prayer. A second arrow hit

him and he did the same. A third arrow was shot

but now he could no longer stand and fell bleed-

ing. Another Sahaabi rushed to his aid saying,

‘Why didn't you alert me from the first arrow?"

The Sahaabi replied, ‘I was in the middle of a

(beautiful) Surah and didn't wish to interrupt my

recitation of it.’

Ask yourself: Why do I pray? We need to start

praying out of love, out of longing to be with the

one we love. Pray for the comfort that comes from

being with the one you love. There are 3 reasons

which make you love someone: 1. Either because

that someone is beautiful. 2. Or because that

someone deals kindly with you. 3. Or because that

someone has done many favours for you.

Allah is all of these and more. Doesn't He deserve

to be the most worthy of our love over everything.

Musa � fainted when he only saw the mountain which saw Allah's beauty. Imagine if it was a di-

rect sight! Allah is so Kind that when we sin

against Him, we sin using the very gifts and He

has given us, yet He continues to protect us, even

while we're in the act! You will not find anyone

more kind. As for Allah's favours upon us, close

your eyes a while to appreciate just the gift of

sight alone.

Remember: The sweetness of this life lies in re-

membering Allah, the sweetness of the next life

lies in seeing Him! The next time you go for

prayer, go because you love Him, because you

miss Him and long to be with Him. � By M Hubbi

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The Kabah is the first house built for the wor-

ship of God. It is in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It was initially constructed by Prophet Aadam �. Prophet Abraham Ibrahim � and his son Is-mail � later reconstructed it.

‘Verily, the first house (of worship) appointed for mankind was that in Bakka (Makkah), full

of blessing, and guidance for all peo-ple.’ (Quraan, 3:96)

According to the Bible Bakka is mentioned by Prophet David (Dawood) � in Psalms: ‘Who

passing through the valley of Baca make it a well, the rain also filleth the pools.’ (Psalm 84:6)

The well here is the famous well of Zam Zam,

still present now, close to the Kabah after thousands of years.

The Bible, in the Chapter of Genesis, describes the rebuilding that was done later when God

ordained Abraham � to erect a Shrine for worship when Abraham � was ordered to go to the southern desert with his wife Hagera and infant son Ismail �. The Old Testament describes this building as the Shrine of God at

several places.

The Quraan also mentions the rebuilding of the Kabah in the second chapter.

Ultimately, it is the Muslims who are holding on to the way and original teachings of the

Prophets of the past, as taught and expounded by Prophet Muhammad �. This is true with re-gards to prayer, Qurbani (animal sacrifice) and

many other aspects. �

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WORSHIP / INSPIRATION

THE BUZZARD: If you put a buzzard in a pen

1.8 metres by 2.4 metres and it is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability

to fly, will remain a prisoner. The reason is a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 3 to 3.6 metres. Without

space to run, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life.

THE BAT: The bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot

take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle

about helplessly until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then it takes off in a flash.

THE BUMBLEBEE: A bumblebee, if dropped

into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the

means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where

none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like these three. We struggle with our problems and frustrations, not realising all we have to do is

look up. That's the escape route and the solu-tion to any problem: look up to the route of

Islam and the way out will be found. It is remarkable that everything turns out

well for a believer; and that applies only to a believer, If happiness comes to him

he is thankful and it turns out well for him, and if misfortune befalls him, he dis-plays patience and it turns out well for

him. (Muslim) � Adapted from Radio Islam article

Here are some pointers on helping one’s Dua

be accepted:

1. Raising the Hands. The Prophet � said: ‘Your Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, is Kind and Most Generous, and He is too kind to

let His slave, if he raises his hands to Him, bring them back empty.’ (Abu Dawood, 1488)

‘When you ask of Allah, ask of Him with the palms of your hands, not with the backs of

them.’ (Abu Dawood, 1486)

2. Praise Allah. Whilst the Prophet � was sit-ting, a man came in and prayed and said, ‘O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me.’ The

Prophet � said, ‘You have been too hasty, O worshipper. When you have prayed and are

sitting, praise Allah as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then call

upon Him.’ (Tirmidhi, 3476) According to another version: ‘When one of

you prays, let him start with praise of Allaah, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet

�, then let him ask whatever he likes after that.’

3. Blessings on the Prophet �. The Prophet � said: ‘Every duaa is kept back until you send blessings upon the Prophet �.’ (Tabaraani, 1:220)

4. Be Confident. ‘Call upon Allah being certain of a response, and remember that

Allah will not answer a duaa that comes from a negligent and heedless heart.’ (Tirmidhi, 3479) �


QUESTIO

NS & ANSWERS

SHAFI Q & ASHAFI Q & ASHAFI Q & ASHAFI Q & A www.sunnipath.com

Q: I pay money to the

Musjid for its mainte-nance and to help pay off

its debts. Does that money count as zakat? A: The money that is paid to

fulfill the needs of the Musjid does not count as zakat since

it is not permissible to give zakat except on the eight groups of recipients men-

tioned in the Quraan: ‘Verily, charity is for the poor, those

short of money, zakat work-ers, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, those pur-

chasing their freedom, those in debt, the path of Allah and

those fighting for Allah.’ Spending in the ‘path of Al-

lah’ means jihad only. It does not mean every path to good. This is the position of

the four schools of Sunni law, and the overwhelming

majority of Islamic scholar-ship. Money paid for the Musjid’s maintenance and

paying off its debts does not count as zakat; rather, it is

praiseworthy charity. Q: Do I have to give zakat

on unused gold? My par-ents bought me gold and

kept it until I get married. A: Zakat does not have to be paid on permissible gold and

silver jewelry, as opposed to forbidden or offensive

(makruh) jewelry, because it is made to be used so it is similar to household objects.

This is the case even if it goes unused for a period of

time as long as it is not in-

tended as saved wealth. An

example of jewelry which is not permissible is excessively

large jewelry such that it is no longer considered an ornament, rather it becomes

distasteful. So as long as this jewelry is not excessive you

would not owe zakat on it because it was acquired for your use after marriage

which is permissible.

Q: If a person saw sunset on the last day of Rama-dan in Makkah, then trav-

els to another city, is it obligatory on him to give

sadaqatul fitr (fitra) in Makkah, or can he give it

in the city he traveled to? A: What is clear in the Shafi school is that it is obligatory

for him to pay it in the city where it became obligatory

on him, and it is not permis-sible for him to change it to another place. In the ques-

tioner’s case, it is obligatory for him to pay it in Makkah.

However, there is a strong saying in our school that per-mits paying the fitra in any

city the giver wants. Accord-ing to this, it is permissible

for him to pay it in the city to which he traveled.

Q: Does one recite ta'aw-wudh (the saying: I seek

refuge in Allah from the rejected Satan) during the month of Ramadan (e.g.

before the Fatiha in the prayer or before reciting

Quraan) given that the

devils are chained up dur-

ing this month? A: Yes, one recites it in

Ramadan because Imam Nawawi rahimahullah said in Minhaj: ‘And one says ta'aw-

wudh in each rakah accord-ing to our School’. This is a

general statement and no other statement from our Imams which specifies it as

outside of Ramadan has reached us, so it remains

general. In fact, if one in-tends saying it on behalf of all Muslims until the Last Day

it becomes a prayer that is not limited to Ramadan or

even to one's lifespan.

Q: Is it permissible for a woman to dye her hair if her husband wants her

to? Must she obey him? A: Yes, it is permissible for a

woman to dye her hair with henna or something like it, whether her husband permits

her or not. But if he requests this from her, it seems she

must obey him, as long as it doesn’t harm her, because the husband has a purpose

in asking her to beautify her-self. �

PORT ELIZABETH EVENTS: 6 September. Mufti Abdool Kader Hoosen at Musjid Taqwa after Taraweeh | 1, 8 September. Ladies Programs. Various speakers. 3:15-4:00pm at Musjid Shaakireen, Malabar | Daily in Ramadaan. Tafseer by Moulana Moosa Leher. Musjid Qudama, Uitenhage | 10 September. Eidul Fitr (depending on sighting of moon)

Get Mufti AK Hoosen’s full PE Program on our website as well as updates, details and more events

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RAMADAAN 2010

SHAFI AMOUNTS


HANAFI Q & AHANAFI Q & AHANAFI Q & AHANAFI Q & A From various Ulama

www.askimam.org | www.askmufti.co.za | www.councilofulama.co.za

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: My bank gives reward/

loyalty points every time I use my credit card. I can

redeem these points for a wide range of products. I can also redeem these

points against my credit card outstanding amount.

Is it halaal to use these points? A. The use of a credit card is

allowed in Islamic law, re-gardless of whether the card

is issued by a banking insti-tution or some other com-pany, subject to the condi-

tion that a person does not involve himself in interest. As

such, the reward/loyalty points (redeemable for cash,

permissible gifts, mileage, etc.) given by such institu-tions is considered a gift and

halaal for you to redeem and use. However, if any reward

points are given by the bank as interest on the money you deposited with them, or in-

volve the purchase of bank products which are haraam

(prohibited) such as treasur-ies, mortgages, etc. then the reward points cannot be re-

deemed. Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: I work for a non-

Muslim printing company as a DTP Operator/

Graphic Designer. The na-ture of the work I do is

adverts, competitions and promotions for alcohol, movies and music. Not all

of my jobs include these items but at least 2-4

times a week I will have a job like this. Is my salary halaal?

A: It will be makrooh tahreem (close to haraam)

for you to work for this com-pany due to directly assisting

towards sin. (Fataawa

Shaami, Vol 4, Pg 268) ‘Help one another in righteousness

and piety, but help not one another in sin and animos-ity.’ (Surah Maaidah, 2)

Therefore, it is highly advis-able to either request man-

agement not to assign you any such tasks which are contrary to Islam or to seek

alternative employment else-where. If they refuse to as-

sign you such tasks, you may continue to work at the company while in the process

of finding another job if you have no other means of in-

come. Tawbah (repentance) and istighfaar must be made.

‘Whoever fears Allah - Allah will create for him a way of deliverance. And will provide

him sustenance from a place he had never expected; and

whoever relies on Allah then Allah is Sufficient for him; indeed Allah will accomplish

His command; indeed Allah has set a proper measure for

all things. (Surah Talaaq, 2,3)

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: A few of the Musjids in Toronto have Jumuah be-

fore Zuhr timings, as we are observing Daylight

Saving Times, e.g. Sep 8: Sunrise: 06:49 am, Sun-set: 07:41 pm, Zuhr sa-

laah time starts: 01:18 pm. The Musjids observ-

ing early Jumuah are con-ducting it at 12:30 pm. The scholars who allowed

early Salaah said they don't find any specific

timing mentioned for Ju-muah prayer so we can do this as it is lunch time and

more people can attend. Secondly, they said the

early timings of Jumuah

was also observed by the Sahaaba.

A: The claim of the scholars that there has been no spe-cific timing mentioned for Ju-

muah is incorrect. The books of jurisprudence that discuss

Jumuah also discuss the tim-ing of Jumuah. The majority of the Imams of the different

schools of thought, (Hanafi Maliki and Shafi) are of the

view that the time of Jumuah only commences after Zawaal (i.e. when the time of

Zawaal commences). It is only the Hanbali that state

that Jumuah Salah could be performed before Zawaal. To

keep clear of any difference of opinion and as a matter of precaution, the Jumuah

Salah must be performed af-ter Zawaal. Muslims living in

the affected area should seek special dispensation from their places of work etc. that

will enable them to perform the Jumuah Salah at the

correct time. As a sugges-tion, the talk could be given before Zawaal and immedi-

ately after Zawaal the first Athan could be given, the

Sunnah Rakaats performed, and thereafter the second Athan, a short Khutba and

Salah could be made.� Answer by: Mufti Shafiq Jakhura

RAMADAAN 2010

HANAFI AMOUNTS

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THOUGHTS / IN

TERNET

I was shocked, confused, bewildered

As I entered Heaven's door, Not by the beauty of it all,

Nor the lights or its decor. But it was the folks in Heaven

Who made me sputter and gasp: The thieves, the liars, the sinners,

The alcoholics, the drug users and the trash. There stood the kid from seventh grade

Who swiped my lunch money twice. Next to him was my old neighbor

Who never said anything nice. Mr Q, who I always thought

Was rotting away in Hell, Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,

Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jibreel, ‘What's the deal? I would love to hear your take. How'd all these sinners get up here?

There must be some mistake.

‘And why is everyone so quiet, So somber - give me a clue.’ ‘Hush, child,’ he said, ‘they're all in shock.

No one thought they'd be seeing you.’

JUDGE NOT! Remember: Just going to Musjid doesn't make

you a Muslim any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST,

Every sinner has a FUTURE! �

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SOCIAL / INSPIRATION

The base for combating the evil around us is the

home. Part five of tips on building a strong home:

10. Creating opportunities for meetings

to discuss family matters. ‘… and who (conduct) their affairs by mutual consulta-tion…’ [Quraan 42:38]. This is a time when

family members can sit together to talk about issues within and without the family that affect

them. This is a sign of strong interaction within the family. The man is the primary de-cision maker, but giving room to others to

contribute, especially when children get older, is good training for them to learn to bear re-

sponsibility, as well as giving everyone the confidence of knowing that his or her opinion

is valued. Examples of this are discussions concerning going on trips to visit relatives, or for holidays; organizing weddings; moving

home; and charitable projects such as finding out about the poor in one's neighbourhood so

the family can offer help. Families can also discuss problems faced by themselves or by relatives, and talk about how to solve them.

There is another important kind of family

meeting, which is holding frank discussions between parents and children. Some of the problems of adolescence can only by solved by

one-on-one conversations between parents and children, where a parent talks, calmly and

quietly, with their child about the problems of youth, the Islamic rulings and helps him/her solve the problems they may face at this age.

The parent may open the discussion with words such as ‘When I was your age…’ Lack of

such frank discussions will force children to talk to bad companions, which leads to so many other evils. � Sheikh Salih al Munajjid

The little girl lived in a small, simple house on

a hill and as she grew she would play in the garden and look over the garden fence and

across the valley to a wonderful house on the hill. This house had golden windows, so golden that the little girl would dream of how magic it

would be to live in a house with golden win-dows instead of an ordinary house like hers.

Although she loved her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must

feel to live there. When she got bigger, she asked her mother is she could go for a bike

ride outside the gate. The little girl rode across the valley until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill.

As she dismounted, she focused on the house

itself and was so disappointed as she realised all the windows were plain and dirty, reflecting

nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood empty. She turned, heart broken as she remounted her bike. As she

glanced up she saw a sight to amaze her. There across the valley was a little house and

its windows glistened golden as the sun shone on her little home. She realised that she had been living in her golden house and all the

love and care she found there was what made her home the 'golden house'. Everything she

dreamed was right there in front of her nose! We imagine things to be rosier for others,

little realizing that we can find happiness by appreciating what we actually have.

We seek pleasure outside the laws of Islam, little knowing that true contentment lies in fol-

lowing the rules laid out by Allah. �


BIOGRAPHY / M

USLIM

INFLU

ENCE

The city of Elkader, Iowa, USA is named after

Muslim Algerian leader Sheikh Abdul Qadir who led the resistance to the French occupa-

tion in the 1800’s. When the community was planned in 1846,

the founders: Timothy Davis, John Thompson, and Chester Sage (none Muslim) decided to

name it for the young Algerian who was lead-ing his people in resisting the French colonial takeover. The population is around 1,500. �

Name: Abdul Qadir. Born: 1808 Mascara, Al-

geria. Died: 1883 Damascus, Syria. Abdul Qadir was an Algerian Islamic scholar, Sufi

and political and military leader who led a Ji-had against the French in the 19th century.

His father was a Sheikh in the Qadiri sufi or-der. He was a Banu Ifran Berber and a de-

scendant of Prophet Muhammad �. He memo-rized the Quraan as a child and was trained in horsemanship, theology and linguistics. In

1825 he went on Hajj and met Imam Shamil, the Chechen Mujahid leader. He also traveled

to Damascus and Baghdad. The French in-vaded Algeria in 1830. By 1832 Abdul Qadir began a Jihad against them. He used guerrilla

warfare effectively and until 1842 scored many victories. On one occasion he released

his French captives because he had insufficient food to feed them. He was defeated after Ber-

ber mountain tribes refused to join the Arabs against the French. Abdul Qadir surrendered in 1847 after the French brutally suppressed

Muslims and practiced a scorched-earth policy. He and his family were exiled to France until

1852. He then went to Bursa and Damascus. He devoted himself to theology and philosophy and wrote a book on the Arab horse.

In 1860 when the Druze attacked Christians in

Syria, Abdul Qadir saved many Christians in his house. For this the French and Abraham Lincoln honoured him. In 1865 he was invited

to Paris by Napoleon III and was greeted with respect. His green and white standard became

the flag of independent Algeria. The town of Elkader, USA was named after him. One of his sons, Saeed ran the government of Syria

when the Ottomans evacuated in 1918. �

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The world’s biggest clock in Makkah, with a

diametre of more than 40 metres, can be seen from a distance of eight kilometres, and is

part of the 400-metre clock tower. The clock will be six times bigger than London’s Big Ben.

It sits atop the Makkah Clock Royal Tower complex, the world’s second tallest building,

which has over 500 shopping and food outlets, luxury apartments, and the 1,005-room Fair-mont Hotel. There are a total of 76 elevators.

The complex overlooks the Kabah.

The tower housing the clock is being built in a unique Islamic architectural style, while the clock has four faces, one in each direction.

The Name of Allah will be inscribed on the four clock faces. The clock will display Makkah

Time, a challenge to the 100 years of Green-wich Mean Time centred on the Big Ben in

London. The world’s 1,5 billion Muslims could now use Makkah Time to start the official new day. �


Sea Food Take-out

Tel: 041 586 1068

HISTO

RY / FUTURE

The appearance of Prophet Esa (Jesus) � is

among the major signs of the last day of this

world. Here are some events surrounding him:

� The Muslims will be besieged by Dajjal on Mount Dukhan in Jerusalem. It will be a se-vere siege resulting in great hunger and

poverty for the Muslims. � The Muslim leader will be Imam Mahdi.

� The night will be very dark and the Muslims will be making preparations for battle when a voice will proclaim that the person who

will relieve the Muslims has come. � Esa � will descend from the heavens with his hands on the on shoulders of two an-gels.

� He will descend at the time of Fajr either near a white minaret on the eastern side of Damascus or in Jerusalem.

� At the time Imam Mahdi would have stepped forward to lead the Fajr. He will ask

Esa � to be Imam but he would decline. � He will descend among the most pious Mus-lims at the time numbering 800 men and

400 women. � The Muslim army will then face Dajjal and

his army of 70,000 Jews. Dajjal will flee. � Esa � will pursue him and kill him at the Gate of Ludd (in occupied Palestine, used

by the Jews as an airport). � The Muslims will defeat Dajjal’s Jewish army

and nothing will give the Jews refuge. � The remaining Jews and Christians will be-lieve in Esa �.

� Esa � will kill the pigs and break the cross. � He will proceed for Hajj or Umrah and will

give salaam at the grave of the Prophet � and will hear a reply.�

Extracted from the work of Mufti Muhammad Rafi Uthmani Part Five in next issue

Muslims in Argentina are around 700,000 who

make up 1,5% of the total population. Due to the fact that Muslims ruled Spain and Portugal

for 700 years, Muslims of Moorish and African descent explored the Americas with Spanish and Portuguese explorers. The first Muslim mi-

grants came from Arab countries in 1870 while the 20th century saw an influx of Arab mi-

grants, mostly from Syria and Lebanon. It There are about 3.5 million Argentineans of Arab descent. A quarter are Muslim. Many

Arab descendents shifted away from Arabic and now speak Spanish.

There are several Musjids in the country. The King Fahd Islamic Cultural Centre has the

largest Musjid in South America as well as a library, two schools and a park. The Islamic

Organization of Latin America is active in Is-lamic projects. Carlos Menem, former Presi-

dent of Argentina, was reportedly born in a Muslim Syrian immigrant family. Muslims have played for the national soccer team. �

Food Additives is a small, simple to use pro-

gram for PC’s which allows you to search a data base of E-numbers. The program allows

you to search by E-number or additive name. It gives the name of the additive, its number, group, whether it is of animal or non-animal

origin and a brief description of it. Another program called Food Figures has similar in-

formation but has a better look and allows for printing of the information. Get both in a small zip file from our Downloads section at

www.islamicfocus.co.za. �


FOR TH

E LITTLE

ONES

Help Serve Islam Your donation will allow our activities to spread Islam:

� Islamic Focus newsletter

� Islamic websites

� Printing of Islamic literature in English

and Xhosa

� Audio CD’s

� Islamic PC Software/Activities

Donations can be made by calling 078 672 7797 or by

direct deposit to:

Acc Name: M Badsha

Acc No. 9077411586 |Bank: ABSA Inform us of deposits by phone or SMS

All activities supervised by Moulana Muhammad Badsha

To get started: Use one dice. One playing piece and 27 tokens for each player. You can use cut out paper or buttons for tokens. Each player takes turns to roll the dice and move their playing piece. The first player to reach the end gets two bonus tokens. The winner is the player who has the most tokens when all players have reached the end. If you land on a Minus block and you don’t have any tokens,

ignore the block. Have Fun!

End -2 +3 -2 -1 +2 71 70 69 68

62 63 64 +2 +1 65 66 -1 -1 67

-3 61 60 59 +1 58 57 56 55 +2

47 +3 48 49 50 51 -2 52 53 54

46 -2 45 44 43 42 41 40 +2 39

31 32 +1 33 34 35 36 -1 37 38

30 29 +2 28 27 -2 26 25 24 23

15 16 17 18 -1 19 20 21 +1 22

-2 14 13 +2 12 11 10 +2 9 8

Start 1 2 3 +2 4 5 6 -1 7

Missed a Fast Read Tarawih

Gave Charity Missed Fajr

Helped Mum

Read Esha Missed a Fast

Read Quraan

Kept a Fast

Broke a Fast

Didn’t Fight

Spoke a Lie

Read Quraan

Missed a Fast

Missed Zuhr

Helped Dad

Missed a Fast

Paid Zakaat

Missed a Fast Kept a Fast Broke a Fast

Missed Asr Missed a Fast

Paid Fitra Missed a Fast

Kept a Fast

Read Quraan


73 DURBAN ROAD KORSTEN

PH. 041 451 3060

FINAL FO

CUS

IMA Baytul-Nur or House of Light, is an NGO

set up in 1998 in response to the substance abuse problem. They are now a professional

counseling, training and developmental or-ganization. Baytul-Nur is a project of the Is-lamic Medical Association, a member of

SANHA.

Vision To serve and preserve families by addressing social problems such as substance abuse, do-

mestic violence, marital conflict, HIV & AIDS and child abuse.

Some Activities � Face to face and telephonic counselling and

family therapy for domestic violence, sub-stance abuse, marital conflict, pre and post

marital preparations and trauma counsel-ling.

� Support groups for family related issues and social problems.

� Training programmes for community devel-

opment, life skills, home based care, HIV and AIDS and youth empowerment.

� Baytul-nur is a partner to the National Mus-lim AIDS Programme.

� Faith based services in HIV and AIDS.

� Training in drug and marriage education, and parenting.

� 24 hour telephonic counseling on 0860 786 911.

Contact Tel: Tel: 031 209 7838

Fax: Fax: 031 208 2468 Email: Email: [email protected]

Address: 22 Browns Grove, Sherwood, Durban

www.baytulnur.org

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer

at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious

disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the

same disease and had developed the antibod-ies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be will-

ing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a

deep breath and saying, ‘Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz.’

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did,

seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He

looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, ‘Will I start to die right away?’

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to

give his sister all of his blood. The best among people is the one who

benefits people the most. (Hadith, Dara Qutni, Jamius Sagheer, 2:661)

He who is engaged in fulfilling his brother’s need, Allah will fulfill his needs. (Abu Dawood)

The Prophet � asked someone: ‘Do you love

Paradise?’ He replied: ‘Yes.” The Prophet � said: ‘Like for your brother what you like for yourself.’ (Ahmad, 4:70) �

Islamic Focus Issue 81

Documents

ah spain

muslim army

century ah

ah hulagu

ah samarkand

muslim world

month of ramadan

muslims of north africa