Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020 Issue No. 889 Friday ...jamiamosque.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/The-Friday...Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020 This Newsletter contains some of Allah’s

Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020

This Newsletter contains some of Allah’s names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep, circulate or shred

Issue No. 889

The Weekly Muslim News Update

Friday BulletinThe

Friday BulletinThe

Jamia donates relief food to Budalang’i flood victims

Over 40 families affected by floods in Budalang’i in Busia County have re-ceived donations of relief food from Jamia Mosque Committee Nairobi.The food items which included maize flour, rice, wheat flour, sugar, salt and cooking fat were donated through the Busia Mus-lim Council.The food items are part of the presiden-tial donation which he made to the Muslim community. In all the head of state donated 20 tonnes of foodstuffs which is being distributed to deserving cases through Jamia Mosque and the Supreme Council of Kenya Mus-lims (SUPKEM).Most of the ten tonnes allocated to Jamia Mosque will go towards alleviating the suf-fering of people in areas which have been marooned by flood waters. Floods have continued to cause untold suffering to the people of Budalang’i with hundreds of families being rendered homeless after raging floodwaters sub-merged their homes as a result of River Nzoia breaking its banks.Speaking to The Friday Bulletin, the Bu-sia Muslim Council (BMC) secretary Sa-dat Mansoor Kibira lauded Jamia Mosque Committee for coming to the rescue of the flood victims saying the donation will go a long way in alleviating the suffering of the affected families as they will have some-thing to eat.

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Prison officials and inmates at Naivasha Maximum Prison in Nakuru county receiving foodstuffs donated by Jamia Mosque Committe. The food items are part of President Uhuru Kenyatta's food donation to the Muslim community during the month of Ramadhan. The event was cor-dinated by the Prison Rehabiliation Programme, a sister organisation to Ummah Foundation.

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The government has announced Mon-day 25 May as a national public holiday to mark Eid ul Fitr. The declaration was made in a special gazette announcement by the Interior cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i on Wednesday.

“It is notified for the general information of the public that the cabinet secretary for interior and coordination of national gov-

Eid ul Fitr holiday for Monday 25 Mayernment in exercise of powers conferred by section 2(1) of the Public Holiday’s Act, declares that Monday the 25th of May 2020, shall be a Public Holiday to mark Idd ul Fitr,” said the notice.

According to the government statute, the Eid ul Fitr public holiday is marked on the 31st day after the official pronouncement of the beginning of the month of Ramad-

han. This means that the Eid ul Fitr event does not necessarily fall on the official public holiday.

Eid ul Fitr remains the only public holiday for Muslims. The other important Muslim event Eid ul Adh’ha which marks the end of the Hajj is according to the Public Holi-days Act not marked as a national event

“We would like to appreciate and thank Jamia Mosque Committee for the gener-ous support towards the Muslim commu-nity in Bunyala Sub-County in the face of floods and Covid19. The donation will go a long way in alleviating the suffering of

the affected families who have been left homeless,” Sadat said.He stated that apart from losing their homes, the residents have been left with

Members and staff of Jamia Mosque Committee wishes all Muslims Eid Mubarak

Continued To Page 2

The Friday Bulletin

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Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020NATIONAL

The Muslim Education Council (MEC) is calling for views on best possible strate-gies of restoring normalcy in the education sector.The MEC Executive Director Munawar Khan urged education stakeholders and parents to submit their views and recom-mendations to the council through its email address [email protected]. “Muslim Education Council is calling on Muslim education stakeholders and par-

School reopening: MEC call for Muslims’ viewsents to come forward and submit their views to the council to restore learning of our children, ’’Munawar said. Munawar pointed out that the Council will thereafter present the views to a 10-mem-ber Covid-19 National Education Response Committee appointed by Education Cabi-net Secretary Prof George Magoha to look into the reopening of schools following the coronavirus pandemic.Last week, the education cabinet secretary

Continued From Page 1

commissioned a team to deliberate on pos-sible measures for reopening of schools which had been closed due to the corona-virus pandemic. The team is chaired by Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development (KICD) Chairper-son Sarah Ruto and will also review the school calendar. Members include Munawar Khan of the Muslim Education Council, Kenya Second-ary Schools Association chairman Indimuli Kahi, primary schools heads' representa-tive Nicholas Gathemia, CEO of private schools' lobby Peter Ndoro, Nicholas Mai-yo who is representing parents and Augus-tine Muthigani from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops. Also in the team are Jane Mwangi repre-senting international schools, Nelson Ma-kanda from the National Council of Church-es of Kenya and Peter Sitienei, chairman Kenya Special Schools Heads Association. The government extended the closure of schools for a month from the date of the second term reopening scheduled for May 4.In April, President Uhuru Kenyatta hinted at a partial reopening of schools and dis-missed speculation that the Kenya Cer-tificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams could be cancelled. The Head of State said the Education min-istry was working on measures to allow candidates to sit the exams.

Jamia donates relief food Continued From Page 1no source of income after the floods de-stroyed their livestock and crops. Sadat said there is urgent need for con-certed efforts to give a helping hand to those affected by the floods and appealed to well-wishers, donors and humanitarian organizations to emulate Jamia Mosque Committee and come forward and offer support adding that the victims urgently need shelter and other basic needs such as foodstuffs, clothes, detergents, mos-quito nets, blankets and emergency medi-cal supplies.“The situation is overwhelming. The floods are everywhere across Budalang’i Sub- county. The people urgently need shelter and other basic needs,” he said.The affected villages include Runyu, Ru-kala, Mau Mau, Mabinju, Rugunga, Lu-gare, Bulwani, Obaro, Igigo, Siginga and Bukoma.Transport in Budalang’i constituency, es-pecially in Bunyala North has been par-alysed after a number of bridges were swept away. In some areas, residents are forced to wade through waters to access shopping centres.

Appreciating Jamia Employees

Jamia Mosque Committee Deputy Secretary-General Ibrahim Ahmed Yusuf (RIGHT) presents a voucher to Jamia staff member Athuman Ali.The vouchers were presented to Jamia staffs to cater for their food packages.Looking on Jamia Finance Officer Aboobakar Nazir.

Eid ul Fitr holiday but a public holiday “only for Muslims.”

This year’s Eid holiday celebrations will be like no other.

At this time of the year, there is a buzz of activities with preparations for Eid ul fitr celebrations in high gear. Shopping areas especially in Muslim dominated areas are at the brim with shoppers seeking food-stuffs, apparel and gift items.

Traditionally the festival at the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan is marked with communal prayers in mosques, visits to friends and family.

During the Eid event, hundreds of faithful flock to open grounds and mosques for the congregational prayers. For families, it is a time to get together for family reun-ions to celebrate the event.

But in the advent of the coronavirus epi-demic which has, in essence, put the

world to a standstill, this year's Eid cele-brations will be much different never seen since times in known memory.

The congregational prayers will be of-fered in homes without the usual Eid ser-mon. Family visits which are hallmarks of the Eid celebrations will be not be possi-ble as the celebrations will be confined in the homes.

The festivities will be devoid of communal gatherings and the usual funfairs where families and children get entertained will be missing.

“It is the first time in the known history of this country that there will no Eid prayer,” said the Imam of Jamia Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu.

“While it is a source of sadness for Mus-lims, we do expect that the faithful will find the best way to still celebrate this impor-tant event at home,” he added.

Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020

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All praise and thanks are due to Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā), the Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, his family and all his Companions. The following is a clarifica-tion of the rulings concerning Zakāt al-Fiṭr, this great symbol of Islām.1. What is Zakāt al-Fiṭr?Zakāt al-Fiṭr is a zakāh which is given at the end of the month of Ramaḍān by eve-ry Muslim, small or old, male or female, whether free or a slave.2. What is the wisdom behind it?This was explained by the great exegete [mufassir] of the Qur’ān, the noble Com-panion, ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Abbas (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) when he said, ‘The Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh praise and send peace and blessings upon him, obligated Zakāt al-Fiṭr to serve as purification for the one fasting for any vain speech or indecent be-haviour; and also to serve as food for the indigent.’3. What is the legal ruling?In the view of the majority of scholars, both early and latter generations, it is obligatory. This is due to the saying of Ibn ‘Umar, ‘The Messenger of Allāh obligated Zakāt al-Fiṭr as one sā’ of dates, or one sā’ of barley upon the slave, the free, the male, the fe-male, the young and the old Muslim. He ordered that it be given before the people leave for the prayer.’ (Bukhari)4. On whom is it obligatory?It is obligatory upon the Muslim, male or female; whether a slave or free, if he finds that he has a surplus of property after hav-ing catered for his core needs on the day and night of Eid, such as food, shelter, clothes etc. He must give this on his own behalf and on behalf of all Muslims who are dependant upon him, whether young or old, free or a slave, provided that the de-pendant is not able to give the zakāh on his or her own behalf. If they are able, it is better that they give on their own behalf due to the generality of the address that the Prophet (ṣall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) gave to the Muslims.With regard to the young and insane, it should be paid on their behalf by their le-gal guardian from their own wealth if they have wealth, or if not, they take the ruling of those who are unable to pay on their own behalf. If a woman is the head of the household, she must pay on her own be-half and for her dependants as previously explained.The meaning of ‘dependant’ is the person on whom it is a duty upon another to pro-vide for. If someone were to give on behalf of a dependant who is a disbeliever, there is no harm in this, In Shā’ Allāh, in accord-ance to the Hanafi school.5. To whom should it be given?It is best for Zakāt al-Fiṭr to be given to the poor and indigent. They are the first two categories of the eight to whom zakāh is normally given to. This is due to his (ṣall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) saying, ‘…and as

food for the indigent’. The majority of schol-ars are of the opinion that Zakāt al-Fiṭr is not to be given to non-Muslims.It is possible for a person to give his and his dependants Zakāt al-Fiṭr to one person just as it is possible that the Zakāt al-Fiṭr of one person be distributed amongst a num-ber of indigent people.6. When should it be given?It is best that it be given one or two days before the ‘Īd prayer, meaning that it should be given on the twenty-ninth day of Ramaḍān onwards; al-Bukhārī records, ‘They would give Zakāt al-Fiṭr a day or two before (Eid).’In the case that one giving Zakāt al-Fiṭr gives money to an Islamic organisation which acts as a representative on his be-half to convert this money to food, there is no harm in giving the value in money to such an organisation a number of days before Eid. This is because in this case someone else is acting on his behalf and he is not giving zakāh directly; the person to whom he is giving money is acting as his representative and hence he is not actually giving the zakāh at the time he hands over the money.It is best for a person to give it before his Eid prayer and not to delay it until after the prayer due to the saying of Ibn ‘Umar, ‘The Prophet ordered that it be given before the people leave for the prayer.’ Agreed upon.7. What should be given?

Zakat al-Fitr Q&ADA'WAH Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020The Friday Bulletin

Shaikh Haitham Al-Haddad Al-Haddad

Zakāt al-Fiṭr should be given as staple food of the country in which one resides. Hence, it is possible that it be given as rice in some countries and flour or wheat in others etc. It is also possible to give it as modern day food items, provided that the food can be stored, such as pasta. The proof for this is the ḥadīth of Abū Sa‘id al-Khudri who said, ‘We would give Zakāt al-Fiṭr as a sā’ of food, or a sā’ of barley, or a sā’ of dates, or a sā’ of dry cheese, or a sā’ of raisins.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)8. How much should be given?A sā’ of food in modern day usage trans-lates to approximately 2.25kg.9. Can the monetary value of food be given as Zakāt al-Fiṭr? The majority of scholars say that this is not permissible whereas the Hanafis say that it is. It is best for a person to not give its monetary value but give it as food because this is what the texts specify. Moreover, the specific reasoning of the text further proves that this is what should be given. Therefore, it is not possible to exercise ijtihad on this issue by claiming that one is looking to the reasoning behind the ruling. Furthermore, Zakāt al-Fiṭr is a very specific form of zakāh and one cannot make an analogy between it and the zakāh of one’s wealth and prop-erty: its source is different, the ones upon whom it is obligatory are different and its timing is different. As such, it cannot be said that it has the same purpose and can be associated with it in this manner.

Eid prayers amid COVID-19 lockdown By Sheikh Yasir Qadhi In those communities where the masjids have not yet opened, Salat al-Eid should be prayed in one’s houses with one’s own family, and there is no need for a khutbah. “The Eid prayer is not the same as the Fri-day prayer, as Friday prayer has different conditions and rulings. While the general rule is that Eid Salat should be prayed in a large congregation, it is permissible even in regular circumstances for the one who missed Eid salat to make it up at home. The servant of the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam), Anas b. Malik (radhi-allahu anhu) once missed the Eid prayer in Basrah, so he gathered his family and had one of his household lead them in two rak’ats. And Ata bin Abi Raba (d. 114 AH) said regarding the one who missed the Eid prayer, “Let him pray two rak’ats and say the takbirs”. Hammad bin Abi Sulayman (d. 120 AH), the famous scholar of Kufa and teacher of Abu Hanifa, said when asked the same ques-tion, “He should pray as they prayed, and do the takbirat as they did” (These reports are in the Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah). All of these reports are regarding those who missed Eid for any reason. Notice that the Friday prayer would not be ‘made up’ like this, and one who misses Friday prays Dhuhr instead. “Hence, given our current

situation, there is no problem in advising families to observe all of the Sunnahs of Eid (of taking a ghusl, eating a breakfast, wearing one’s best (permissible) garments, saying the general takbirat after Fajr, etc.) and then praying a congregational prayer at home with one’s family.” The Eid prayer has special takbirat. There are seven takbirat in the first rak’at inclu-sive of takbirat al-ihram, and six in the sec-ond rak’at inclusive of the takbirat al-qiyam – this is the position of the Hanbali school, and Ibn Taymiyyah. Note that Shafi’is say seven not including the takbrat al-ihram (that would make eight total); as well the Hanafis state four takbirat inclusive of ih-ram and qiyam for both rak’ats.As well, the Eid khutbah is not a require-ment of the prayer, hence there is no need to give one. All four schools of law state that the khutbah of Eid is not obligatory. In the report above, Anas (radhiallahu anhu ) merely prayed two rak’ats and didn’t ask his servant to deliver a khutbah. Alterna-tively, it would be allowed for masjids to broadcast Eid khutbah, and all families pray their individual congregational prayers at a given time, and then, after they finish their own Eid prayers, they can listen to a khutbah broadcast live from their masjid as a general reminder.

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The Historic Eid of COVID-19 : How Will It Look Like?Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020The Friday Bulletin

Say “Nothing shall ever happen to us ex-cept what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Maula (Lord, Helper and Protec-tor).” And in Allah let the believers put their trust.” (At-Tawbah 9:51)Say Eid-ul-Fitr and the first thing that comes to mind is a big festival. It’s one of the biggest on the Islamic calendar.The COVID-19 Eid festival won’t be cel-ebrated in congregation or at open air ei-dgars. Governed by restrictions, social dis-tancing, and regulations, this year the Eid will be a truly unique one.Historically SpeakingUnlike Hajj, which has been cancelled sev-eral times and for a number of years in the past. There are no obvious records to show that Eid has ever been cancelled.In some incidents, Eid congregations have been subjected to attacks, but nothing compares with the total cancellation of Eid celebrations we are experiencing this year.The Joy of MoonsightingOne thing that won’t be affected is the joy from looking for the Eid moon. The excite-ment amongst the family looking through windows, on balconies or standing in the garden looking towards the evening sky, the first one to see it is the winner!Alhamdulilah, this tradition hasn’t been af-fected by the virus. Even isolated within our homes, families will still get to share the joy of seeing the new moon. Then, once sight-ed, the social media flurry takes over!Eid GreetingsOnce sighted and confirmed by authorities, something else that remains the same de-spite virus restrictions is social media en-gagement. The pinging sound of message alerts go off on family members’ phones with messages of Eid Mubarak.Phones are put on speaker phone for both parties to extend their sentiments, the ex-citement is building up! The Internet, social platforms, and apps on our mobile devices and laptops help build a virtual ummah. We will have a massive virtual gathering, a vir-tual Eid.The Feast of Eid This year, unlike previous years the Eid menu may remain the same with family fa-vorites and traditional food to look forward to – the only difference being that it will be cooked on a smaller scale.There will be less relatives and friends dropping in for a quick visit and a bite to eat. For Eid cooks, perhaps not such bad news. The Eid feast may not involve as many hours in the kitchen on the day of Eid or the eve.This year’s Eid ul Fitr will be a cosy dinner around the table just the nuclear family. No, stacks of plates and crockery to wash up, no huge pots to soak just a manageable family dinner.New TraditionsEach family has their own Eid traditions. Perhaps yours includes applying henna or giving kids money gifts from aunties and uncles.

This year you may want to be a little cre-ative. One thing to consider is setting up a decorated Zoom corner to add festive-ness to your calls. Similar to a throne at a wedding banquet, dress up an area with a sofa or love seat, reserving it for your video greetings.Children’s ActivitiesAs much as adults are feeling the lock-down and restrictions of not being able to go out during the month of Ramadan, children are still playful and the sense of not being able to play outdoors makes this a Ramadan to remember.With no parks to go to, no school or playgrounds children will feel confined. So, knowing there will not be a celebra-tion as in previous Eids to look forward to, will put them down.However, by sharing Eid activities such as making crafts like lanterns or moon and star chains to string across the liv-ing room may help. Reading bedtime

stories about Eid will take them on an imagi-nary journey. Even teaching them about how other regions celebrate Eid can be lovely.Virtual Eid GatheringsWe are used to the excitement and atmos-phere of getting ready with our new outfits, the children looking great and venturing out in the early morning on Eid day to attend salat ul Eid at the mosque or attend an Eidgar. “O you who have believed, seek help through pa-tience (sabr) and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Al-Baqarah 2:153)We will have the option to engage others on the internet to have a virtual Eid. Sitting in our homes in front of screens, chatting with friends and family. 1441 will be an Eid for the history books with many Muslims looking forward to next year when, inshaa Allah, we will get to celebrate it as we have always done. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the mosques and at open-air gatherings with a deeper appreciation be-cause 1441/2020 was a historic virtual Eid.Nadia Ali is a freelance writer

Nadia Ali

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Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020The Friday Bulletin

“Whoever fasts Ramadhan then follows it with six days of Shawwāl, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime.”Fasting the 6 days of Shawwāl[1]Now that the days of Ramadhan are over for this year, the days of accruing great rewards are not. The Messenger of Allāh (SallAllāhu ‘alayhi wa salam) said: “Who-ever fasts Ramadhan then follows it with six days of Shawwāl, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime.”[2]The scholars have differed over the im-plementation of this hadīth, however the majority consider it to be a highly recom-mended act.[3] They fell into three main groups in terms of the manner of how to perform the fasts.The first group which included Imām al-Shāfi’ī and Ibn al-Mubārak considered it to be highly recommended to fast consecu-tively from the beginning of the month.The second group opined that there was no problem to fast successively or sepa-rately. This was the view of Imām Ahmad.The last group (Ma’mar and Abdul-Razāq) suggested that these days should not be performed straight after ‘Īd al-Fitr as this is the time of eating and drinking. Rather, it is better that these six days coincide with ayām al-bīd (13th,14th and 15th of each month), the remaining three days can be performed on either side of these days.Virtues of FastingThe fasting of Shawwāl is like fasting in Sha’bān; both of these months are wed-ded to Ramadhan. Whilst the fasting in Sha’bān serves to prepare the believer for Ramadhan, Shawwāl is like demonstrat-ing gratitude to Allāh for bestowing us with Ramadhan. The one who fasts the six days of Shawwāl after completing the fasts of Ramadhan is like one who has fasted con-tinuously, as a good deed is multiplied by 10 (i.e. 36 days of fasts is equivalent 360 days – a full lunar year).The Prophet (SallAllāhu ‘alayhi wa salam) said “Fasting Ramadhan is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days is like fasting two months. That is like fasting a whole year.”[4]This is irrespective of whether Ramadhan is 29 or 30 days because of the saying of the Prophet (SallAllāhu ‘alayhi wa salam) “The two months of ‘Īd, Ramadhan and Dhu’l-Hi-jjah, will never be lessened.”[5] The mean-ing of this is that these two months will not be lessened in terms of their rulings.It could be argued that that these 6 days can be performed during any time of the year to gain the bounty. However, the virtue is connected to fasting in Shawwāl specifi-cally because it is attached to Ramadhan. This exclusivity for Shawwāl has been mentioned by some scholars like ‘Abdullāh bin al-Mubārak as reported in al-Tirmidhi.[6]Benefits of fasting straight after Rama-dhanFirstly, fasting the 6 days of Shawwāl after completing the days of Ramadhan is like

Shawwal: The fast of a lifetime

fasting for the entire year.Secondly, fasting in Sha’bān and Shawwāl is like praying the voluntary prayers that come before and after an obligatory prayer. Similar to those prayers, the Sha’bān fasts prepares the believer for Ramadhan whilst the Shawwāl ones compensates for any deficiencies of the obligatory Ramadhan fasts. For this reason, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz is reported as saying, “Whoever finds nothing to give charity with, let him fast.” Just as one of the wisdoms of Zakāt al-Fitr is to make up for any defects for the Ramadhan fasts, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz suggests that if a person cannot afford this, then he should fast in its place as is done for other legislated acts such as violated oaths, and so on.Thirdly, it is a sign that the fasts of Rama-dhan have been accepted. If Allāh accepts an act of worship, surely He will give the believer an opportunity to perform an act similar to it. Fifthly, this helps the slave to continue to do the acts that he started in Ramadhan. The Messenger of Allāh said: “The best deed in the sight of Allāh is that which is done regularly.”[7] Do not let the fasting of Ramadhan be like how many of us recite the Qur’ān – we begin reciting it in Ramadhan and end it there, not return-ing to it for another year! Rather our en-deavours should be continuous such that the recitation of Sūrah al-Nās is followed by al-Fātiha and al-Baqarah. Every time we

By: Asif Uddin

complete the Qur’ān, we begin it again.Make up for what you missed in Rama-dhanThe Prophet (SallAllāhu ‘alayhi wa salam) would use Shawwāl to make up for any actions he missed in Ramadhan. For in-stance, he didn’t perform the ‘itikāf during the last 10 days one year, so he made it up in the beginning of Shawwāl.There is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars[8] whether the fasts that need to be made up from Ramadhan must be performed before fasting the six days of Shawwāl in order to reap the reward for fasting the entire year. The alternative is to fast the six days and make up the missed fasts later even if it was just before the next Ramadhan which seemed to have been done by ‘Ā’isha (radiAllāhu ‘anhā). It is bet-ter to be on the safe side and make up the missed fasts of Ramadhan before the fasts of Shawwāl.Obedience tied with timeThe different times of the months within a year are connected to varying acts of obe-dience. Each month is tied to a target or a milestone of acts of obedience, some peri-ods more than others. These targets took on such an important form that the scholars divided the Qur’ān into 30 sections to cor-respond to the 30 days of the month for it to be a measure of our own actions. The chance to perform such actions do not ex-pire until the date of our death.

Turkish ambassador to Kenya Amb. Ahmet Cemil Miroğlu (LEFT) hands over a Handwashing plastic bucket plus food packages to Jamia’s as-sistant Human Resource officer Amyra Obuleko (RIGHT) and admin-istration assistant Farah Mansur (SECOND RIGHT) at Jamia Mosque Nairobi.The program was part of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism project dubbed 'Ramadhan and COVID-19 Food Security and Hygiene Support Program'

A helping hand from Ankara

The Friday Bulletin

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Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020

Staying Power: How to Keep the Ramadhan Flame BurningYacoob Manjoo

Picture this: It’s 2 weeks after Eid, and you had an incredible Ramadhan. Along with the basics of fasting and taraweeh, you excelled spiritually by improving your salah, spending more time with Quran, and achieving an incredibly intimate bond with your Creator through dua.

As the month came to a close, you felt rejuvenated and empowered – confident that you’d continue your spiritual progress in the next 11 months, so that by the fol-lowing Ramadhan, you’d be a completely transformed Muslim.

Reality Check

You had these high hopes, but your cur-rent reality is totally different. After the joys of Eid had passed, you found that it became near-impossible to maintain the spiritual exertion. The community spirit faded once the unifying spirit of fasting and taraweeh was gone.

Your schedule reverted to ‘normal’, and life resumed its hectic pace. Before long, you were sucked back in to all the ‘impor-tant’ things that used to take priority over your spiritual wellbeing. And just like that, your best intentions – to carry forward the spirit of Ramadhan – faded away.

Sadly, this is an annual cycle reality for many Muslims. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

With a little planning, and some sincere ef-fort, we can carry through the goodness of Ramadhan into the rest of the year, insha-Allah.

Build on a Solid Foundation

The most critical part of a building is its foundation. So too, the most important el-ement in post-Ramadhan planning is the intention and mindset. To make this post-Ramadhan challenge successful, inter-nalize the following hadith, which encom-passes two cornerstones of success: “The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The first key here is consistency. We need to force ourselves to engage in particular acts of worship on a regular basis – not just at the next major occasion, or when we feel like doing it.

The second key is being realistic: ‘…even if they are small’ means that, even if your deed seems insignificant to you – a tiny drop compared to what other people are doing, or even nowhere near what you yourself managed in Ramadhan – it still counts. It still matters to Allah.

Your Future Starts Now

In these final 10 days of Ramadhan, many of us are on a spiritual high – which makes it the perfect time to take advantage of the momentum by planning ahead. Pause to analyze your own life and pick out some areas you want to improve on in small yet

consistent ways. Here are three sugges-tions to get you started:

Fasting

You know about the many Sunnah fasting days outside of Ramadhan, right? Now that you’re so used to fasting, choose a small but manageable personal target for integrating these into your life. Can you manage Mondays or Thursdays? Or the 3 middle days of each Islamic month? Choose your day(s), then give yourself time to settle into that rhythm.

And when you do fast, remember the taqwa you gained from this month-long period of fasting, and the reward you hoped for. Sure, you won’t get as many ‘bonus points’ as you did in Ramadhan, but there’s still great reward for following the Sunnah of fasting outside Ramadhan.

So, go ahead and do it – even if it’s just one day a week. If you struggle, drop down to once every two weeks. Allah knows your capability. Just make the sincere, commit-ted effort to do this for His sake, and in-sha-Allah He will make you stronger. One day, insha-Allah, you’ll look back on your former weakness and be thankful that you kept going.

Salah (Prayer)

Salah is the pillar of the religion. Uphold it and your deen is on solid ground, but let it slip and you have a lot to worry about – especially when it’s your first question on the Day of Judgement. So, ask yourself: am I striving to make my salah better this Ramadhan? And can I take that commit-ment forward after Ramadhan?

Areas you could focus on are: making all

desperate throughout the rest of the year.

Consider the various categories of charity (it’s not only money), then plan how you can keep the habit going after Ramadhan. Would you set yourself a daily or weekly target? Or maybe you could keep a charity box at home, then drop small daily contri-butions into it.

Again, don’t go big unless you can consist-ently maintain that level after Ramadhan. But don’t abandon lofty ambitions either. For example, if you want to sponsor an or-phan but can’t afford the monthly amount, club together with others so that you can share the contribution (and reward) with them.

And, importantly, give without seeking rec-ognition or fame. It’s easy for Shaytaan to corrupt your intention and cause your acts of charity to be rejected by Allah, so pro-tect yourself from this hidden shirk by giv-ing in secret as far as possible.

These are just a few areas you can focus on, but you could choose whatever you feel is most critical for you – whether that’s Quran, community service, personal char-acter, or anything else.

Act Now – Before the Chance is Gone

In these precious final days and nights of Ramadhan, let’s consolidate our gains and devise concrete plans to carry the benefits through to the next 11 months. With per-sonal momentum, pure intentions, lots of dua, and strong willpower, insha-Allah we can avoid the annual post-Ramadhan slump – and make this month one of both short term and long term gains.

YOUTH

5; making them on time; and concentrating your heart and mind on Allah, while trying to ignore distractions. Within these goals, don’t go big. Break your goals into small, manageable pieces that you can slowly but surely build up over time – then follow through on that. Even if you slip up, it’s OK. Just get back up and keep going at what-ever pace you can. To help inspire and motivate you, check out this excellent e-book, or lectures by Shaykh Hussain Abdul Sattar or Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda.

Charity

Charity is a purification, and we all need to be purified regularly. Even though Ram-adhan is traditionally the sea-son of paying our zakah and giving more sadaqah, it’s im-portant to also be charitable after the month is over – be-cause those in need are still

Gulf African Bank(GAB) managing director Abdallah Abdulkhalik (LEFT) hands over donation of wheat flour to Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu (THIRD RIGHT), Imam Jamia Mosque Nairobi .The donation was part of the bank's Corporate Social Resposibility(CSR) programme. The food items will be distributed to families that have been affected by harsh economic times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Looking on is Sheikh Juma Amir, the Director of Information at Jamia Mosque and the Depu-ty Imam Sheikh Jamaldeen Osman

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The Palestinian territory— long known for being one of the major wellsprings of ten-sion and violence in the Middle East re-gion and the wider Muslim world—is cur-rently faced with an outbreak of the novel Coronavirus whose response is severely encumbered by the preexisting struggles and perils of Palestinians under the Isra-el's dehumanizing apartheid system.Over 500 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and 2 deaths have thus far been report-ed in Palestine. However, the figures are much likely to spike in consequence of the strained and under-resourced healthcare system as well as the restrictive Israeli and Egypt blockades, overcrowded refu-gee camps as a result of the besiegement and military occupation of the Zionist pow-er which is typified by continuous brutal-ity, expansion of settlements, harassment, lack of freedom, subjugation and humilia-tion of Palestinians.International news coverage on Palestine, together with reports from various Rights groups and humanitarian organizations amply paint a grim picture of the situation on the ground which has earned the tag of an 'open-air prison' following the con-tinued and increased efforts by Israel to emasculate Palestinians whose territo-rial and human tragedy began with the infamous Balfour declaration of 1948 in which Britain's then foreign Secretary Ar-thur James Balfour established "a national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine after the Holocaust. In a recent article titled: 'Coronavirus: A ticking timebomb for the Middle East', BBC's Defence and diplomatic corre-spondent Jonathan Marcus observed that: "Even in places where there is the absence of full-scale war, there are some alarming potential coronavirus crisis-points. The Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip are a case in point."Sharing insights on the issue in an arti-cle titled: 'A Nightmare within Nightmare: The Coronavirus in Palestine', Palestin-ian Public health specialist Rasha Kaloti for example noted that: "...the 19 refugee camps in the West Bank and East Jeru-salem are overcrowded with more than 240,000 Palestinians. Israel’s military control and the intentionally debilitating building and property restrictions result in overcrowding in Palestinian areas. In Jerusalem’s Old City, Palestinian families of multiple generations live in residences intended for single-family use, and in East Jerusalem building permits are severely restricted."With internal political pressure, especially from the powerful US-based lobby group known as American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the United States government has remained the biggest partner and supporter of Israel and its apartheid system through massive mili-tary, economic and diplomatic support.

Enter the Donald Trump era, and the American government's biasness for Is-rael has even moved from being an open-secret to a more fanatical and pronounced stance that does not have any regard for the rights and welfare of Palestinians.With additional support from some self-serving and indifferent Arab leaders, Trump has clearly and dearly made a habit to annoy, weaken and humiliate Palestini-ans so that they can surrender and submit to his workhorse biddings for Israel. Nevertheless, the firmness and enduring resistance and resilience of Palestinians continues to be unyielding, and has op-positely attracted more external solidar-ity through various platforms such as the UN General Assembly and the Boycotts, Divest and Sanctions(BDS) movement against Israel.In May 2018, President Trump moved the Jerusalem- based US embassy to Tel Aviv in what Palestinian President Mohamud Abass termed as "a slap in the face" for Palestinians since it was part of a move to recognize Israel's sovereignty at the expense of the territorial welfare of Pal-estinians whose fight for an independent state is often downgraded by biblical and political propagandas from US conserva-tive and evangelical groups as well as Is-rael, which spuriously claim that Palestine was a "land without a people for a people without a land", and that Palestinians are wholly "militias" instead of freedom fight-ers.

Palestine: Pandemic Plus Apartheid

In January 2020, Trump finally announced his so-called "the deal of the century" which was a product of mainly his Pro- Israel, Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner who was heading the crafting of the big deal which ironically did not involve Pales-tinian negotiators. Still, the document did not disappoint in its barefaced objectives for massively benefiting Israel in what sounded like the biggest landgrab deal of the century. One of Trump's common reactions to the angry feedback from Palestinians re-garding the US foreign policy mission on the Israel- Palestinian territorial conflict has been the cold politicization of aid by cutting US assistances to Palestine in order to sabotage the determination of the masses to free themselves from the shackles of Zionist occupation. The seven decades of Palestinian suffer-ing and devastation thus remains a blot on humanity. But it is not too late to give this oppressed and suppressed lot a new and just beginning that would in turn in-spire big hope and positive changes in the neighbouring Arab states and the world at large. More urgently now, however, is that the world should ease the pandemic burden on Palestine through humanitarian and medical assistances.Hassan Malik is a social-political com-mentator in Garissa town.

The Friday Bulletin Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020

Hassan Malik Mohamed

OPINIONGiving back to society

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The Friday Bulletin Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020FEATURE

Post-Ramadhan What Can We Maintain the Spirit of Ramadhan?Dr. Wael Shehab

Answering your question, Dr. Wael She-hab, PhD in Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar University and currently the Imam of the Downtown Toronto Masjid in Canada, states:Ramadhan is now over. Our eyes shed tears and our hearts ache for the depar-ture of the month of the Quran, the month of mercy, the month of solidarity, the month of forgiveness, the month of freedom from the Fire.However, we should continue doing good deeds after Ramadhan since the Lord of Ramadhan is the Lord of the entire year.Means of Ongoing ObedienceFirst, be a Rabbani, not Ramadhani!Some pious people used to say: “Try to be a Rabbani (belonging to Allah always), and do not be a Ramadhani (only worshipping Allah in Ramadhan).” We do not worship Almighty Allah only in Ramadhan; we have to worship and serve Him every day of our lives.Muslims must continually do good deeds. We have to observe our daily prayers, fast during Ramadhan, give zakah, and per-form Hajj if we can afford it.We should also speak the truth, be honest, and treat each other and all human beings with courtesy and kindness. Remember that good deeds lead to more good deeds and bad deeds only lead to more bad deeds.It is said: “One of the rewards of good deeds is more good deeds after that, and one of the consequences of evil is more evil deeds after that.”Second, consistently doing good deeds is a sign of sincerity.When people do something good and then do more good, it means that they really benefited from their good actions and that Almighty Allah accepted their good deeds.However, when someone prays, fasts, does some acts of charity, and then stops doing these things, this means that from the beginning his intention was not good. He was not sincere in his good deeds.The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) always stressed the fact that the best good deeds in the sight of Almighty Allah are those that are done consistently, even if they are very few.Islam is the religion of purity and sincerity. This applies to all the seasons of the year; not only to Ramadhan.Allah, the Lord of Ramadhan, is also the Lord of the entire year. Thus, we should not confine our acts of worship to the month of Ramadhan. Instead, we should seize every chance to show humbleness, devotion and sincerity to Almighty Allah at all times, so that we may gain His pleasure.Third, there are means to continue doing good deeds.The following are some of these beneficial means that help us continue doing good af-

ter Ramadhan:1- Seek the support of Almighty Allah, be-seeching Him the Almighty to guide you to the right path and to help you remain stead-fast in faith. Almighty Allah has praised the supplication of those who have been instructed soundly, when they said: “Our Lord! Cause not our hearts to stray after You have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your Presence. Lo! You, only You are the Bestower.” (Aal `Imran 3:8)2- Continue to observe optional fasting af-ter Ramadhan: We are encouraged in the Sunnah to observe optional fasting after the month of Ramadhan. The days in which optional fasting are recommended are:a) Fasting six days during the month of Shawwal;b) Fasting the day of `Arafah, Dhul-Hijjah 9, provided that the person is not perform-ing Hajj;c) Fasting Muharram 10, and if possible the 9th and 11th days of the same month;d) Fasting as many days as possible during the month of Sha`ban;e) Fasting during the months of Rajab, Dhul-Qi`dah, Dhul-Hijjah;f) Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays;g) Fasting the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every lunar month;3- Continue offering the Tahajjud Prayer: During Ramadhan we were accustomed to performing the Tahajjud Prayer, so after Ramadhan, we should continue to offer it, even two rak`ahs.Praising the character of devout believers, Almighty Allah says (what means), “Their limbs do forsake their beds of sleep, the while they call on their Lord, in Fear and Hope.” (As-Sajdah 32:16)Likewise, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “It is highly recommended for you to observe Qiyam Al-Layl, for it was the practice of your righteous predecessors. Qiyam Al-Layl brings us close to Our Lord, atones for our sins, drives disease from the body, and puts a stop to transgression.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) re-ported that he heard the Messenger of Al-lah (peace and blessings be upon him) say, “There is an hour in the night, in which no Muslim individual will ask Allah for good in this world and the next without Him giving it to him, and that applies to every night.” (Muslim)Al-Hasan Al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “We know of no harder act of worship than enduring through the night and offering our money.” He was asked, “How is it that those who observe Qiyam Al-Layl are among the people with the most beautiful faces?” To this he replied, “Because they commune with the Most Merciful and He clothes them in light from His light.”

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as having said: “Whoever wakes up at night and lets his wife do so in order to offer two rak`ahs, will be recorded amongst those who make much dhikr of Allah in that night.” (Abu Dawud)4- Continue reading, listening and reflect-ing on the Qur’an: Through the month of Ramadhan, we used to read, listen to and reflect on the Qur’an; therefore, we should not forsake it after Ramadhan. The Qur’an describes the Prophet’s complaint to Al-mighty Allah because of his people forsak-ing the Qur’an: “And the Messenger has said, ‘O Lord, indeed my people have for-saken this Qur’an.’” (Al-Furqan 25:30) We should never forsake the Qur’an so that we would not be included in the Prophet’s complaint (peace and blessings be upon him).5- Continue taking care of the poor and needy: In Ramadhan, we used to feed the poor and take care of them. We paid zakat al-fitr to help them meet their needs; there-fore, we have to continue caring about them after Ramadhan.Ramadhan exposed us to hunger and thirst. After feeling the pangs of hunger and thirst we should be more sympathetic to the plight of millions of people who are less fortunate around the world. A true Muslim can never be apathetic about the suffering of others.In a hadith qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Proph-et (peace and blessings be upon him) nar-rated from Almighty Allah: “O Son of Adam, I asked you for food, yet you did not feed Me.” The man will ask: How can I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? Allah will say, “Didn’t you know My servant so-and-so was hungry and you did not feed him; didn’t you know that if you were to feed him, you will find Me with him?” (Mus-lim)6- Continue offering supererogatory acts of worship; do what you are most inclined to do and capable of doing regularly, even if it is little. The Prophet (peace and bless-ings be upon him) said, “O people! Do only those good deeds which you can do, for Al-lah does not get tired (of giving reward) till you get tired, and the best deeds to Allah are the consistent ones, even though they may be few.“7- Continue performing a lot of dhikr and ask Almighty Allah for forgiveness. This may seem insignificant, yet observing it regularly increases faith and strengthens the heart.8- Continue avoiding all that has been prohibited: In Ramadhan, we used to re-frain from lawful things—such as food and drink—during the daytime. We have been sufficiently trained to maintain self-control and self-discipline; therefore, we should continue avoiding all that Almighty Allah has forbidden.

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Muslims had a pioneering role in humani-ties and philosophical thinking, as they innovated high-level sciences that are of great importance to the human social side.They also innovated sciences that are of great importance, particularly to the Islam-ic Shari’ah and the Arabic language.Definition of SociologyThe dictionary of social sciences terms defines Sociology as follows:“It is the science whose object is to study, describe and compare human societies as they are conditioned by their temporal and spatial frameworks in an attempt to find out evolution laws to which these human societies are influenced in their progress and change.”Subject Matter of SociologySociologists say the subject matter of So-ciology is social phenomena, which ap-pear to people living together in societies and their interaction and engagement in interrelations and creating what is called a common culture in which they agree on certain methods to express their ideas, certain values and certain methods in economy, governance and morality etc.Social phenomena start when two or more people interact and get engaged in social relations. When these relations last and go on, social groups are formed. Social groups are one of the subject matters of Sociology.Another subject matter of Sociology is social processes such as conflict, coop-eration, competition, agreement, social stratification and social mobility. Change of culture and social structures are also major subject matters in Sociology. So-cial systems- the governed methods that regulate social behavior- and personality- the factor that shapes and is shaped by culture- are also subject matters of Sociol-ogy.Ibn Khaldun, Founder of SociologyDespite the fact that social thinking is as old as man himself, however, the study of human communities has not become a topic for a science until a later stage. The concepts, subject matters and aims of Sociology were first identified by Muslim scholar Ibn Khaldun, who put the basics of this new science and innovated it.Ibn Khaldun said in clear-cut sentences that he has explored an independent sci-ence that no one of his ancestors had talked about. He says: “Such is the pur-pose of this first book of our work. (The subject) is in a way an independent sci-ence. (This science) has its own pecu-liar object- that is, human civilization and social organization. It also has its own peculiar problems- that is, explaining the conditions that attach themselves to the essence of civilization, one after another. Thus, the situation is the same with this science as it is with any other science, whether it be a conventional or an intel-lectual one.”

And also adds: “The subject here is dif-ferent from that of these two disciplines which, however, are often similar to it. In a way, it is an entirely original science. In fact, I have not come across a discussion along these lines by anyone. I do not know if this is because people have been una-ware of it, but there is no reason to sus-pect them (of having been unaware of it). Perhaps they have written exhaustively on this topic and their work did not reach us.”In addition to this, Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddi-mah included, at least, seven branches of our modern sociology, which he discussed very clearly.Just observers have testified that August Count had driven many of his theories and opinions from Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah. Ibn Khaldun is considered a turning point in writing the human history through inno-vating Sociology. He shook the global hu-man thinking with this exploration, as he put a new plan and put forward fresh ideas or rather new laws that can be applied on all human societies out of his belief that man cannot live except in a society and if he lives in a society, he should live with people and if he lives with people, they should all live on a piece of land.For this relation to exist between those people, tribes or human groups, a ruler should organize these relations. The form of governance ranges between a simple governor (chieftain) to an absolute ruler. Ibn Khaldun’s BiographyIt is important in this context to shed some light on Ibn Khaldun, the founder of this science. He is Abu Zayd Abd Al-Raman Bin (Khaldun) Khalid Al-Hadrami, born in North Africa present-day Tunisia on 1st of Ramadhan (AD/732 AH). He moved to Fez, Granada, Tlemcen, and Andalusia and also Egypt where he was honored by its Sultan Adh-Dhahir Barquq and made the grand jurist of the Maliki school of fiqh (one of four schools in Islamic Juris-prudence). He stayed in Egypt about 25 years (784-808 AH) where he died and was buried at the age of 76 years.Ibn Khaldun was brought up in a high-rank family and memorized the Quran when he was very young. His father was his first teacher. He was also taught by the famous scholars of his time. He strove for a pub-lic post after the majority of his teachers died in an epidemic of the plague which hit Tunis. He began his political career Chancellery of the Tunisian ruler Ibn Me-rin. However, unhappy with the job, he left to Fez (Moroccan city). Here the Marinid sultan Abu Inan Fares I, appointed him as a member in his scientific council. He was then able to start classes at the hands of scholars and men of letter who fled Tuni-sia, Andalusia and Al-Maghreb to Fez.Later, Ibn Khaldun moved to Granada leaving his family behind in Fez. After-wards, he left to Wahran in Algeria to set-tle with his family in Ibn Salama castle. He started his early writings with his book

Kitabu Al-ibar wa Diwan A-Mubtada’ wa Al-Khabar fi Ayyam Al-Arab wa Al-Ajam wa Al-Barbar wa man A’sharahum min Dawiu Al-Sultan Al-Akbar “Book of Evi-dence, Record of Beginnings and Events from the Days of the Arabs, Persians and Berbers and their Powerful Contemporar-ies”, whose introduction the Muqaddimah is considered the first to introduce sociol-ogy and its affairs and laws. In this pream-ble, he dealt with what we call now social manifestations or what he called human civilization or human social organization.Ibn Khaldun’s MuqaddimahIbn Khaldun simplified in his Muqaddimah all he had of knowledge. So, this introduc-tion is very precious and pretty much ad-vanced when looking at the era it was writ-ten in. It includes six chapters as follows:Chapter One: Human civilization: It is tantamount to public sociology. Ibn Khal-dun studied phenomena in human socie-ties and the rules they follow.Chapter Two: Bedouin civilization. He studied Bedouin civilization, revealing its characteristics and that it is the origin and ancestor of urban civilization.Chapter Three: On dynasties, royal au-thority, the caliphate. It is tantamount to political sociology. He explains in this chapter the rules of governance, religious systems, … etc.Chapter Four: On sedentary civilization or what we call now urban sociology. In this chapter, Ibn Khaldun explains all ur-ban-related phenomena, origins of civili-zation and that civilization is the goal of urbanism.Chapter Five: On crafts and ways of mak-ing a living or what we call now economic sociology. He explains the influence of economic conditions on society’s condi-tions.Chapter Six: On sciences, their acquisi-tion and study or what we call now sociol-ogy of education. In this chapter, Ibn Khal-dun explains educational phenomena and ways to acquire knowledge and classifica-tion of sciences. Ibn Khaldun also studied sociology of religion and law, linking poli-tics to values.In fact, no one before Ibn Khaldun stud-ied social phenomena in an analytical way that yielded results such as those produced by Ibn Khaldun, particularly be-cause this Muslim thinker received these social phenomena from sound, cred-ible historical sources as scientists study physics, chemistry, mathematics and as-tronomy nowadays.He is considered the first to make these social phenomena subject to scientific, empirical method that led to reaching many facts that look like laws. Thus, what Ibn Khaldun has reached, including theo-ries, remain a pioneering work in the field of social studies in the march of human philosophy.

Ibn Khaldun – Father of SociologyThe Friday Bulletin Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020

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NATIONAL

The Ministry of Education has been ac-cused of being insensitive to the plight of the school-going children from poor family backgrounds. Speaking on Sunday during a foodstuff distribution exercise, Ijara Member of Par-liament Sophia Abdinoor said that the min-istry did not consider children from rural areas who have no access to electricity, laptops, network connectivity when com-ing up with e-learning programme. The MP said that the insistence by the government that the national examina-tions will not be postponed is a clear indi-

Covid-19: Ijara MP accuses ministry for ignoring poor studentsThe Friday Bulletin Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020

Kisumu mosque land case: judgement by noticeAn Environment and land court in Kisumu will deliver judgement on land disputes involving Kaloleni Muslim community and Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) on notice.According to communication from deputy registrar dated May 13 and sent to Kalo-leni Muslim Mosque Committee and the Kisumu Muslim Association lawyer Abdul-rahman Muhammad, the judgement will be delivered on notice due to the Covid19 pandemic that caused all courts to scale down as from March 16.“I have noted your communication. Please note that due to the Covid 19 pandemic that caused all courts to scale down as from March 16 we experienced some de-lay in delivering judgements. Therefore judgement in this matter will be delivered on notice,” read part of the communica-tion.Presiding Judge Justice Anthony Omb-wayo had set May 14, 2020 as date for delivering of judgement to end the dispute which has been in place for over thirty years.Kaloleni Muslim Mosque Committee and the Kisumu Muslim Association which are being represented by lawyer Abdulrahman Muhammad sued the SDA Church and the National Lands Commission for what they say is the irregular allocation of the land.

The applicants are seeking an order to cancel the lease certificate granted to the church and issue a letter of allotment to

Parents urged to promote home-schoolingThe government is working on a method to scale up involvement of parents in the learning of their children who are at home due to the Coronavirus pandemic.The government has raised concerns that some parents are still finding it hard to ensure their children follow the “Out of Classroom Programmes” that are being facilitated through broadcast and digital platforms-radio, TV and the Kenya Educa-tion Cloud (KEC) online platform.During a consultative meeting at the Ken-ya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Mumina Bon-aya, observed that parents have a shared responsibility with schools to ensure meaningful teaching and learning takes place.“Parents are the first and continuing edu-

cators of their children. They are not ex-pected to teach, but to motivate their chil-dren to achieve their full potential,” she said.The team is expected to come up with strategies that will enable parents and guardians, whose roles are emphasized in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), to create a conducive environ-ment, not only for learning at home but also for the overall wellbeing of the learn-ers. “As learning continues to take place at home, we need not only focus on the academic dimension, but, ensure that the child is receiving guidance and a condu-cive environment is created for them to develop holistically without neglecting the physical, moral, social and psychological wellbeing of the child,” Mumina said.

KICD Council Chairperson, Dr Sara Ruto emphasized the invaluable role that par-ents play in the education of their children saying they cannot be left behind in their children academic journey.“Parents are the first educators, trainers and source of authority that a child inter-acts with. Helping parents to skilfully iden-tify a child’s talent and potential, creates an enabling environment for the school to build on,” said Dr Ruto.In addition, Dr Joel Mabonga, the acting KICD Chief Executive Officer observed that parents are important players in the success of home-schooling because they are the ones at home with the learners during this time when they are being ex-posed to alternative ways to ensure learn-ing continues beyond the classroom.

cation that it does not care about the dis-advantaged children in rural areas. She observed that the new learning guidelines ended up creating two classes of education systems in the country by as-suming that all children in the country have equal opportunities. “There are places like Ijara where we don’t have laptops, there is no internet. The ministry of education must re-think of their plan and strategy on how to include disadvantaged children,” Sophia said. “You cannot tell me that the child in rural Ijara will sit for the same exam with a child

in Nairobi. We will not accept that. We are one country and the ministry must come up with a strategy for every place,” the legislator added.Last month, the education CS Prof. George Magoha came under criticism for saying children were learning online dur-ing the Covid-19 pandemic.Kenyans who expressed their sentiments through the social media accused the CS of being out of touch with reality since learners living in informal settlements and rural areas do not have access to the in-ternet.

and produced correspondence and other evidence to reinforce their case that the land was allocated to Muslims way back in 1985.

Kaloleni mosque committee.The land registered under Kisumu Municipality Block 5/40 had been earmarked for expansion of the adjacent Kaloleni Muslim Primary School and an application had been made way back in 1985 for the plot to be allotted to the mosque but in a strange turn of events, the National Land Commission instead allocated the property to the Sev-enth Day Adventist Church.According to suit papers filed at the Land and Environment Court case in Kisumu, the Kaloleni Mus-lim Mosque Committee and the Ki-sumu Muslim Association accused the National Land Commission of deliberately circumventing a more than 30- year pending applica-tion by Muslims and allocating the land to the Church in a record six months.During the main hearing, Kalo-leni Muslim Mosque Committee Secretary-General Harun Rashid Gullah and his former counter-part at Kisumu Muslim Associa-tion Ali Zakariah testified in court

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NATIONALThe Friday Bulletin

The stay-at-home directive and the curfew imposed by the government is contribut-ing to the upsurge of Gender-Based Vio-lence at the coast region. According to the Mombasa Gender-Based Violence Technical Working Group, while 27 cases were reported in Mombasa and Kilifi in the month of April, many oth-ers cases go unreported.The Technical Working Group has now launched a toll-free line 0800720587 for residents to report cases of gender vio-lence and also an SMS line 21094 where they can send text messages at no cost. Speaking during the launch of a toll-free

Coast: Gender-Based Violence cases on the rise as toll-free line openedline at Tononoka, Mombasa Gender Af-fairs director Esther Engolo said people are reluctant to report such cases due to the curfew and restriction of movement. "We are launching this toll-free line so that it will be easier for them to call directly or even send an SMS," she observed.The lobby group have also set up a ‘situ-ation room’ to deal with the cases and to make the urgency of the cases known as soon as they happen.Among the organisations involved in the toll-free line initiative include Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), Action Aid, FIDA Kenya and Sauti ya Wanawake

Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020 Ramadhan 29, 1441/May 22, 2020

The government has extended the ces-sation of movement in and out of Nairo-bi’s Eastleigh estate and Mombasa’s Old Town until June 6, in measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kag-we who announced the extension on Wednesday stated that the continued in-crease of infections in the two areas was a major concern to the government, hence the extension.

In reaction to the announcement, the chairman of Eastleigh Business District Community Ibrahim Hussein said it was “shocking” since they adhered to all the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health (MOH). “We are surprised that the gov-ernment has decided to extend the ces-sation movement yet we have fulfilled all

It is ‘shocking’-Eastleigh Businesses react to cessation extensionthe guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health,” he stated.

The chairman said it was ironical that while restrictions are imposed on Eastleigh, business operations in crowded areas like Gikomba were being allowed to continue even though they were not adhering to guidelines from the ministry of health. “If you walk into areas like Gikomba, people are not observing social distancing and some are not even wearing masks,” the chairman added.

“Honestly speaking we cannot stop think-ing that this cessation is a deliberate movement to curtail our businesses,” he further observed as he said that they will continue observing the MOH guidelines and sensitizing the residents on the impor-tance of taking precautionary measures to

Pwani.Coast residents are also reported to fear to report such cases because they are scared of breaking their marriages and the arising stigma.Muhuri Gender Officer Topista Juma said while gender bases cases are reported in many homes, people are afraid of report-ing them to the authorities for fear that they might result in marital breakups.The officials said it is important for the victims to report such cases before they escalate and further lead to suicide or murder.

The Palestinian Authority has cut all ties with the US and Israel, including those relating to security, after rejecting a Mid-dle East peace plan presented by Don-ald Trump, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said on Saturday.Abbas was in Cairo to address the Arab League, which backed the Palestinians.The blueprint, endorsed by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for the creation of a demilitarised Pales-tinian state that would exclude Jewish settlements built in occupied territory and remain under near-total Israeli security control.“We’ve informed the Israeli side … that there will be no relations at all with them and the United States including security ties,” Abbas told the one-day emergency meeting in Cairo, which was called to dis-cuss Trump’s plan.Israel and Palestinian Authority security forces have long cooperated in policing areas of the occupied West Bank that are under Palestinian control. The Palestinian Authority also has intelligence coopera-tion agreements with the CIA, which con-tinued even after the Palestinians began boycotting Trump’s peace efforts in 2017.Abbas said he had refused to discuss the

Eastleigh Business Community Chairman Ibrahim Husseinprevent the spread of coronavirus.

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NAIROBI.

AVAILABLE VACANT SPACE

plan by with Trump by phone, or to receive even a copy of it to study it. “Trump asked that I speak to him by phone but I said ‘no’, and that he wants to send me a letter … but I refused it,” he said.Abbas said he did not want Trump to be able to say he had been consulted. He reiterated his “complete” rejection of the Trump plan, presented on Tuesday.“I will not have it recorded in my history that I sold Jerusalem,” he said.The blueprint also proposes US recogni-tion of Israeli settlements on occupied West Bank land and of Jerusalem as Is-

rights to create a state based on land cap-tured and occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, with East Jerusalem as capital, the final communique said.Foreign ministers from Egypt, Saudi Ara-bia and Jordan, three close US allies, as well as Iraq, Lebanon and others, said there could be no peace without recognis-ing Palestinian rights to establish a state within the pre-1967 territories.ments on land captured in war to be a violation of international law. Trump has changed US policy to withdraw such ob-jections.

rael’s indivisible capital.The Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo said the plan did not meet the mini-mum aspirations of Palestinians, and the League would not cooper-ate with the US in implementing it.The ministers af-firmed Palestinian

Palestinians cut ties with Israel and US after rejecting Trump peace plan

Ramadhan Food Distribution and Covid- 19 ThreatsAs the whole world grapples with the global pandemic of Covid-19, the Kenyan government too has been taking a number of steps to prevent the spread of the virus such as shutting down of schools and colleges, open markets, mosques, churches and temples, re-stricting cross border movement, encouraging hand washing and social distancing and being each other’s keeper. The main strategy being promoted is shutting down as many public places as possi-ble and asking people to maintain social distancing. Working from home, for instance, is a measure that many offices and companies have introduced in response.As it is, Kenya already faces a huge burden of malnutrition, and many suffer from infections such as cholera, tuberculosis, cancer, and heart complications, whom the public health system has not been able to reach yet. Maybe the Kenyan government should take lessons from the Covid-19 and make some fundamental changes to enhance the capacity of our health system. Level five and other referral hospitals need to be equipped to test and have Intensive Care Unit facilities to respond to people needing higher levels of care. Primary health centres and frontline workers also need to be empowered to be able to respond to the demand. There are reports that the isolation wards meant to stop further transmissions of the disease are currently operating under poor circumstances. Necessary precautions for suspect cases, clean beddings and washrooms, adequate sanitizers and soaps, masks and gloves, proper meals, and a sensitive staff is an utmost requirement. It is extremely crucial to take accountability of this mo-ment to also revive people’s faith in our public healthcare. Ummah Foundation and other Organizations have been working round the clock to see how they can come in to aid in this fight of Covid-19 that involves all. Water tanks, soap and sanitizers have been supplied to various correctional facilities and the challenge was how to distribute food to the poor within these precautionary

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147 E-mail: [email protected] Printed by Signal Press Limited-Lords House-Tom Mboya Street [email protected]

measures. For the whole of last week Ummah Foundation has been moving from estate to another, identifying villages and individual doors where the food parcels were dropped. This was done in Soweto, Kibra and Mathare slums. The distribution was done differently taking into considerations all the safeguard measures as directed by the Ministry of Heath to avoid the spread of the ranting Covid virus. The food parcels contained rice, maize mill flour, cooking oil, green grams, beans, wheat flour, sugar, tea leaves and salt. The almost 40 kilogram parcel was donated to each family to last for an entire month dur-ing these challenging times. Alhamdulillah, the exercise was very successful and we are very grateful to our partners Global Hu-manitarian Relief Foundation (GHRF) who have tirelessly been sponsoring our food distribution programs every year during the month of Ramadhan. More than 300 Muslim families benefitted from the exercise. It is crucial to note that in these abysmal times, we need to ramp up our food and social security schemes to support people dur-ing these dangerous times. Thousands of people who surge for food whenever word goes round poses a very risky stampede that can be very disastrous. However Ummah Foundation took care-ful measures to make sure nobody was hurt and every deserving Muslim in the targeted villages had a portion of the food without violating the government regulations.

Contact us:Ummah Foundation

2ND Floor Suite A4, Village Plaza Ngara Rd, P.O Box 58717-00200 Nairobi

TEL: (+254) 202680610/13/16 Mob: 0734-845277Email:[email protected]. Web: www.ummahfoun-

dation.net