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Volume 02, 29 June 2014 / 1 Ramadan 1435, Cape Town Edition

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RamadanThe Lord of all Months

amadan is the fulcrum of our year and the month whose coming we eager-

ly anticipate from almost the very moment it finishes. It is without a doubt the prince of months. The Prophet, sallalahualayhiwa-salam, said,

“The lord of all the months is Ramadan and the lord of all the days is Jumu‘a.”

What makes this month so spe-cial? What causes it to stand out and rise above all of the others? Is it because it is the month of fasting? No, it’s quite the oppo-site. Allah made it the month of fasting so that we might more fully take advantage of the bless-ed and exalted nature of it’s time. For there is no doubt that fasting has the capacity to alter our state and make us more receptive to the gifts our Lord has laid aside for us in the course of this im-mense month, gifts alluded to by the Messenger of Allah in the fa-mous khutba he delivered in the final days of Sha’ban:

“O people! A great and bless-ed month has come to you - a month in which there is a night which is better than a thousand months; A month in which Al-lah has made it obligatory to fast and in which he has made it recommended to stand in prayer during the night. Any voluntary good action that is done within it is like an oblig-atory action done outside of it, and any obligatory action done within it is equivalent to seventy obligatory actions done outside of it. It is the month of sabr and the reward for sabr is the Garden. It is the month of generous giving, and the month in which a believer’s provision is increased. Any-one who gives someone fasting that with which to break his fast, will receive the reward of freeing a slave and be forgiven his wrong actions. Moreover, he will receive the reward for the fast of the one he fed with-out diminishing that person’s reward in any way.”

The Laylat Al-Qadr

The first special thing the Mes-senger of Allah mentions with

respect to this month is that it contains the Laylat al-Qadr, a night of such immense value that a whole sura of the Quran is ded-icated to it. Allah says, the trans-lation of which is, “Truly We sent it down on the Laytal al-Qadr. And what will convey to you what the Laylat al-Qadr is? The Laylat al-Qa-dr is better than a thousand months.”

his night is so replete with light and baraka that it is worth more than a thou-

sand months, and that is not just any thousand months - a length of time equivalent to eighty-three years, but a thousand months of a believer, a thousand months of worshipping our Lord and obeying Him and His Prophet. A thousand months of good ac-tion stuffed into a single night. The moments of that night are immeasurably valuable and we would be fools not to take advan-tage, not to bring it to life and fill it with dhikr and prayer.

This night, according to the ma-jority of ulama and people of tafsir, falls on one of the last ten nights of Ramadan, usually one of the odd nights, so we should be ready and make sure we get our portion of qiyaam al-layl - standing the night in prayer for that night by at the very least go-ing to the tarawih. The Tarawih is a unique opportunity to hear the whole Quran recited, an opportu-nity that the majority of us almost never get outside of Ramadan.

This is why we do not neglect to recite Quran. Indeed, we must make every effort to complete a khatm of it by reciting at least a juz’ a day. For Ramadan is the month of Quran, the month in which the Book of Allah was re-vealed in its entirety. Allah says, the translation of which is,

“The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur‘an was sent down as guidance for mankind, with Clear Signs containing guidance and fur-qan (discrimination).”

Those Clear Signs are even clearer in this month, and our own capacity to hear, taste and understand them much en-hanced. Many of the barriers between our hearts and the meanings of the Words of Allah are weakened and removed, by making the Book of Allah your constant companion throughout its days and nights.

The Obligatory Fast

The second thing the Messenger of Allah mentions in his khutba with respect to this month is that it is the month in which Allah has made it obligatory to fast. This is itself a great honour, for fasting is a very special form of worship in the eyes of Allah. Allah says in a hadith qudsi,

“Every good action of the son of Adam is for him, except fast-ing which is for Me, and I will assign him a reward for it.”

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We Welcome

June 2014 RAMADAN 1

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The Editor’s Desklhamdulilah! Another year has made its circumference. The world has moved. Both outside

and inside ourselves. Changing our perceptions, expanding through what-ever new light has uncovered of in our understanding and brought us together at the beginning of Allah’s month. Ram-adan!

Take a moment to congratulate yourself. Being here, being Muslim, at the door of the most Generous Host. We enter together into the month of Ramadan where there is nothing but increase. For all our terrific efforts in the year to derive some benefit, to gain success, for increase, this is a special time in the event of our lives where Allah turns His complete attention to your every act, and pays you most kindly beyond their worth. In Ramadan, success is un-avoidable for those that seek it. At no other time in the year do your good ef-forts bring benefit as tremendously as in the month of Ramadan.

I have always been excited about Ramadan, growing up I would miss the closeness that was experienced at every level. Provision was closer, people were closer, my deepest thoughts were closer and most importantly, my Lord

was closer. Once very abruptly whilst sitting with a man of knowledge, I re-marked: “I am so excited about the fast!” To which the man of knowledge replied swiftly, “the fast is excited about YOU!” A grin swept across my face at the idea of the fast during Ramadan being a living personality as if a long expected friend come to spend a month in my compa-ny. A close companion, where ever you travel as if always in Jamaat, Shaytaan locked away in chains.

I wondered through the remark of the man, to uncover the hidden treasure of understanding, he so obviously insinu-ated by his tone. I immediately reflect-ed on my behaviour during the fast of Ramadan as being in the company of an important guest. A guest of indeed high character and stature that treated its host with the same courtesy of which it was given. I gave mind to my speech and acts whilst in the company of this precious guest. Being in high company, did I act accordingly or did I spend a tiresome amount of time trying to forget I was in this company. A company that had a high enough opinion of me to be excited to see me in return. Perhaps rightly speaking we have two compan-ions during Ramadan, where Qur’an is the second.

The prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The fast and the Quran are two in-tercessors for the slave of Allah on the Yaum al-Qiyamah. The fast will say, ‘O Lord, I prevented him from his food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.’ The Quran will say, ‘I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for him.’ And their intercession will be accepted.” [Ahmad]

May Allah bring us the very best of this month, may we be successful through-out it and may it be this kind of success we experience throughout year follow-ing it. May the Ramadan transform our character and our acts and may it be pleasing to Allah, glory be to Him. May we greet the Laylatul Qadr with sincere hearts that from it a certainty will flow through each dua. That we ask for the highest of things expectantly from our Lord, in high opinion of Him. Amin

Nabeel AbdalhaqqISLAM HERECape Town Editor

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What is Quran?

We send down in the Qur’an that which is a heal-ing and a mercy to the muminun, (17:82)

he month of Ramadan has a special relationship with the Book of Allah. As we know fromSurat al-Baqara the Qur’an was first revealed during

Ramadan and in it most of us devote more time than usual to its recitation both in Salat at-Tarawih and outside it. All Muslims are well aware of the supreme importance of the Qur’an. We know that it was the greatest miracle of the Messenger of Allah, salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the Guidance from Allah, which he was sent to transmit to us and which he implemented and demonstrated through-out the course of his life as a Prophet among his Com-panions in Makka and Madina.

Firstly, along with our appreciation of the exquisite beauty of its language and the supreme eloquence of its means of expression, we must make sure we know the meaning of what it contains, what Allah has put in it for us, what He considers it necessary for us to know. Our ‘ulama have traditionally divided the contents of the Qur’an into three parts; these are not hard and fast divisions but indi-cate the three main themes. They have defined these as Tawhid,Qasas and Ahkam: in other words the Unity of Allah, narrative elements and legal judgements. Each of these divisions covers a wide area and none of them is mutually exclusive. And we must always bear in mind that Allah’s Book defies any attempt at precise analysis or exact definition of any sort.

Tawhid - Oneness of Allahhe part dealing with tawhid first and foremost tells us what we can know about Allah Himself and includes such supreme passages as Surat

al-Ikhlas, Ayat al-Kursi and of course, many other ayats which deal directly with the nature of the Divine Reality. They tell us all we need to know, indeed all we can know, about our Lord and Creator. Alongside these are the ar-guments for His existence with which Allah ta‘ala con-fronts those who do not believe in Him. Surat al-An‘am is full of these but they occur in many other places as well. However, the tawhid part of the Qur‘an extends far be-yond these passages referring directly to the Divine Unity and also tells us about the nature of existence as a whole and of the universe we inhabit. We are told about the unseen realms of angelic power. We are told about the Last Day and the accounting process that takes place on it and are given detailed and graphic descriptions of the Garden and the Fire. Physical sciences covered by the Book are physics, biology, astronomy, geology and meteorology; it goes into the plant world and the animal world, tells us in detail about the growth process, the weather cycle and many other matters we need to know about the world we live in and, most importantly, tells us in every case how all these things relate to and indicate their Lord and Creator, Allah tabaraka wa ta‘ala.

Qasas - Narrative Elementshe part dealing with qasas – the narrative as-pects of the Qur’an – is limited in many people’s minds to the stories of ancient peoples and their

Prophets, mentioned particularly in Surat al-A‘raf and Sura Hud but found right through the whole Qur’an from beginning to end. Very importantly also under this head-ing of qasas, the narrative aspects of the Qur’an, come

the many passages dealing with what happened during the life of the Prophet and his Companions and the ar-chetypical nature of those events is made clear to us. Allah squeezes out for us every drop of wisdom from the very texture of the events themselves so that the lessons they teach are as equally applicable and useful for our own lives today as they were then, to the extent that there is scarcely any state or predicament a human being can get into which is not prefigured and resolved in the text of the Qur’an. Finally and vitally it is in this part that Allah instructs us in those qualities of character which mark out the muminun and are indispensable for gaining His pleasure and tells us of those which characterise the ka-firun and munafiqun.

Ahkam - Legal Judgementshe third division, comprising ahkam or legal judgements, is also much more extensive than it is often reckoned to be. It is not restricted to

those ayats which lay down the specifics of the shari‘a of Islam concerning such matters as the pillars of the deen, the halal and haram, marriage and divorce, inheritance, property, commercial transactions, warfare, and criminal offences, although they, of course, form its core. It also includes such passages as those in Suras al-An‘am and Isra and the beginning of Surat al-Muminun and the end of Surat al-Furqan which give the outline of the deen al-fitra, the behavioural patterning which formed the basis of all the previous Divine Revelations and which underlies the specifics of its final form in the Islamic shari‘a. And also within its compass are the many ayats addressed directly to the muminun containing all sorts of instruc-tions and prohibitions which may not necessarily be legal injunctions but which nonetheless govern our behaviour to a considerable extent.

This then has been a general run down of the classical formulation of the contents of Allah’s Book but it would be absurd to assert that it covers them completely. There is much more. Its contents are inexhaustible. It contains everything we need for our lives in this world and the Next. Allah says in it:

We have not omitted anything from the Book (6:38)

And Allah speaks the truth. We must not treat it as an ancient historical text; each ayat is as fresh and vibrant today as it was the day it was revealed. We can either keep it carefully on the shelf as revered printed pages in a bound book or we can recite it and study it and use it and take it on as Allah intended and the Messenger, sal-la’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, showed us how to. The matter is in our hands.

If We Had sent down this Qur’an onto a moun-tain, you would have seen it humbled, crushed to pieces out of fear of Allah. We make such exam-

ples for people so that hopefully they will reflect. (59:21)

The Event of Qur’anWhat on earth is the Qur’an? What is this Book whose descent is so powerful that it would smash a mountain to

bits? What happened that night in the cave of Hira when Allah’s Messenger, salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, received the first revelation? Words were brought to the Prophet, salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, by the Angel Jibril, ‘alayhi salam, directly from Allahtabaraka wa ta‘ala which took the form of Arabic letters and words and emerged as the sentence.

What we have to realise is that this cataclysmic event is from any rational standpoint completely impossible. Something directly from the Lord and Creator of the Uni-verse who is beyond form and cannot be contained by any form entered into the form of letters and words which were etched into the heart of the Prophet Muhammad, salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and then emerged on his tongue out into this world. In some way which is beyond our capacity to comprehend, something directly from Al-lah Himself descended into this world; the timeless came into time; the infinite somehow became finite in the words of the Qur’an. A famous classical definition expresses it thus: the Qur’an is the real word of Allah and is neither created nor originated in time; it is re-cited by our tongues, written in books and pre-served in our breasts but does not dwell in them.

This subject was a matter of passionate debate for many years during the early centuries of Islam. Ahmad ibn Han-bal, rahimahu’llah ta’ala, was beaten daily for months and months for following the path of the noble salaf and refusing to bow to the dictates of the rationalists and as-sert that the Qur’an was created. There can be no “how” about the exact nature of the Qur’an just as there can be no “how” about the nature of the Divine Essence. The point is that it happened. Divine Revelation directly from the presence of Allah, the Lord and Creator of all exist-ence came into being and took form for the final time in the words of the Qur’an and became accessible to all human beings from that time on.

Something of the momentous nature of the event can be gleaned from what happened to the Prophet, salla’Lla-hu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when the Revelation came to him, and remember that he was created for it and prepared by Allah to receive it. We know that the first time it came he was twice crushed to the extent that he feared that he was on the point of death. Continued on the next page

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4 RAMADAN June 2014

Shaykh Abdalhaqq Bewley

What is Qur’an?n other occasions it is reported that his weight in-creased dramatically at the time when ayats were being revealed and that he sweated profusely on

even cold days. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, radiya’Llahu ‘anhu, showed that he understood what was happening when he said when questioned about the Prophet’s Night Jour-ney to Jerusalem: “If he says so it is true. He tells me that Revelation comes down to him in no time at all right from Heaven to earth during both day and night and that is a far greater matter than you are carping on about.”

No, the Qur’an is something tremendous beyond what we can possibly know. Every letter, every syllable, in it comes to us directly from the presence of Allah, the un-knowable who is All-knowing, the formless who is All-en-compassing, the Creator of the universe and of each one of us and all our actions. A taste of the awesome reality of Allah’s words in His Book was once brought home to me by a man of great knowledge in Morocco when I was living there shortly after I became Muslim. He asked me if I had read and understood the Qur’an. I said that I had an English translation and had done my best to match it up with the Arabic. He said to me, “No, I don’t mean that. Have you really understood the Qur’an.” “What do mean then by understand?” I asked. “If you were truly to understand even a single letter of the Qur’an,” he replied, “you would not eat or sleep for forty days because of the

light that is in it. I know this,” he continued, “because it happened to me.” This is the truth about the Qur’an; every ayat is potentially more powerful than a nuclear bomb. Yet how comparatively nonchalantly we rattle off the ayats as we do our salat each day; with how little real consideration we pick up the Book and recite our daily portion. How great is our heedlessness and how abun-dant is Allah’s mercy towards us.

I have mentioned these things in order to remind myself and you of the immense inheritance we have received, of the incalculable debt of gratitude we owe to our Lord for making us people of the Qur’an. So let us take advantage of what remains of this Ramadan to renew our relation-ship with the Qur’an and deepen our love for it so that it truly becomes a constant companion for us in everything we do. It is called the Encompassing Ocean so let us swim in it and drown in it and absorb its meanings into ourselves so that it turns into the very texture of our lives. In doing this we will grow in love for Allah and his Mes-senger and discover for ourselves the very source of the sunna of our Prophet, salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, for as ‘A’isha, radiya’Llahu ‘anha, told us his character was the Qur’an; and in doing this we will be following in the foot-steps of the Companions and those who have followed them in taking on Allah’s guidance at the source and put-ting it into practice in their lives and making it available to those around them. May Allah make us all in the truest and deepest sense people of the Qur’an

Shaykh Abdalhaqq Bewley

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Ramadan: Lord of all Months

rom all the acts of worship, Allah singles out fast-ing as being the one that is for Him. It enjoys a special status and those who do it enjoy a spe-

cial station with their Lord not granted to any other, and are granted access to Him and His everlasting reward through doors not opened to anyone else.

The Messenger of Allah said,“There is a gate to the Garden called ar-Rayyan through which will only those who fast will be al-lowed to pass and no one else on the Day of Ris-ing.”

Then the Prophet mentions that this month increases us in sabr, the quality that enables to face down hardship and get the best of every situation, and in generosity, the quality that lies at the very heart of good character. The mu’min cannot help but finish the month with a better character than that which he started it. Every good qual-ity is strengthened and increased while every bad one is weakened and diminished. That is part of our Lord’s favour to us, locking away those forces that negatively influenced us throughout the rest of the year and whis-pered to us to forget our Lord.

The Prophet said,“When Ramadan comes, the Gates of the Gar-den are thrown open, the Gates of the Fire are slammed shut, and the Shaytans are chained up.”

We are no longer rowing upstream, the current is firmly with us and propelling us forward towards our Lord. So take full advantage. Give generously, forgive your broth-ers with whom you have grievances and re-establish ties.

Allah says in His Mighty Book, “But as for him who feared the Station of his Lord and forbade the lower self its appetites, the Gar-den will be his refuge.”

We mentioned in the first khutba that one of the things that sets the month of Ramadan apart is that it has been chosen to be the month of fasting, but true fasting is so much more than most people realise. It is not just the abstention from food, drink and sexual intercourse, even though that is its legal definition - that is just the start, and those are but two of the seven jawarih/limbs of the body -

the stomach and private parts. It is also abstaining from the appetites and wrong actions of the remainder – the tongue, eyes, ears, hands and feet. If you do not, then know that all you will get from your month is hunger.

The Prophet said,“So many who fast get nothing but hunger and thirst from their fasting, and so many who stand the night in prayer get nothing but tiredness and loss of sleep.”

There is little benefit in denying yourself what is normally lawful when you permit yourself what is normally unlaw-ful. It defeats the whole purpose.

The Prophet said,“If someone does not leave false testimony or false action, Allah will have no need of him giving up his food or drink,”

And Jabir ibn Abdallah said,“When you fast, let your ears, eyes and tongue abstain/fast from lying and any other wrong action. Do not harm your servants and remain serene and at peace. Do not let the day you fast be the same as days you do not fast.”

And Umar ibn al-Khattab said, “Fasting is not just from food and drink, but also from lying, swearing, senseless prattle and en-gaging in anything that is false.”

o not forget these words and do not approach the days of your fast as you would any other day. Realise the month of Ramadan for what it is

and approach its days and nights with the same awe and reverence that you would the mosques, for they with re-spect to time what the Houses of Allah are with respect to place. We ask Allah to give us the best of the upcoming month. We ask Him to protect all of our limbs from wrong action during the course of it, and increase us in sabr, generosity and all the good qualities of character that it magnifies and enhances. We ask Him to accept our fast and give us the strength and himma to stand in prayer and take advantage of its nights, especially the Laylat al-Qadr. May He make us all among those who bring it to life and gain access to its lights and secrets. And we ask Him to unlock for us the meanings of His Book and make it our constant Companion throughout the coming month and for the remainder of our lives

Shaykh Habib Bewley

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June 2014 RAMADAN 5

/Summerisdubai /Summerisdubai/Summerisdubai /Summerisdubai

Ramadan in Dubai amadan in Dubai is a cultural initia-tive that was launched in 2011 by Du-bai Festivals and Retail Establishment

(DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tour-ism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) with the aim of promoting the season of reflection within a multi-cultural environment like Dubai. In the spirit of celebrating and sharing the values of this important month in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan in Dubai unifies efforts to promote Dubai as a unique destination during the Holy Month, as well as enriching Dubai’s position as a year-round tourism destination offering multi-ple experiences.

With Dubai being home to people from differ-ent cultural backgrounds and faiths, Ramadan in Dubai has indeed become an opportunity to promote cross-cultural understanding. During this Holy Month, DFRE join hands with gov-ernment departments and official institutions to encourage participation by local communi-ties in different cultural activities and to give non-Muslims the opportunity to get valuable insights into the month of reflection and self-re-straint through various activities based on Is-lamic values, heritage and tradition such as the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, Rama-dan Forum and Ramadan Tents.

Ramadan, commencing from Sunday, 29th June to Sunday, 27th July 2014 is a significant month in the Islamic calendar and in Dubai. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, so it is an essential step in the spiritual life of every Muslim. Basically, Ramadan is a time of challenges and fasting during which Muslims should be more turned to Allah, their spiritual life and others. Being free from eating and from the worries and tasks of everyday life during the day, they have to use that time to pray and thus be closer to Allah.

The period is marked by a host of Ramadan-re-lated activities and Dubai organises numerous events during the month.Dubai being a popu-lar tourist destination welcomes Ramadan in a spiritual yet glamorous way. Life turns upside down in Dubai with the start of Ramadan as Muslims wake up at early hours of night to be-gin their fast (Suhoor) and end it at the evening time known as Iftar thus slowing down the ac-tivities at day time and transforming the metro-politan city totally at night.

Visiting Dubai during Ramadan can lead to a fascinating and culturally uplifting holiday. Every year Ramadan colorful and decorative tents are set up all across the city where peo-ple of all races and religions come together and enjoy the opening celebration of Ramadan fast. It’s a delightful sight to see everyone savoring local dishes and drinks. Shisha bars become popular in Ramadan where apart from enjoy-ing Shisha, games of backgammon, cards and dominoes are played all night. Iftar parties are also held and free food is offered to those in need. People visit from all over the world as locals are in full festive and spiritual mood.

Emarati hospitality and traditions are very evident during this month as Iftars are host-ed across Dubai and residents of different na-tionalities come together to share the spirit of

Ramadan. Also included annually during Ram-adan are a number of educational cultural ac-tivities that aim to educate the public on what the month of Ramadan is all about and how to conduct one’s self during this holy month. Planned activities put emphasis on the spiritual side of this occasion such as the Ramadan Night Market which stays open into the early morning hours and offers a variety of shopping and dining options. The annual Ramadan of-fers some of the finest Arabian cuisine after If-tar every night, throughout the night during the month of Ramadan.Tents known as Majlis and Jaimas offer marvelous buffet feasts which are set up all across Dubai. Arabic tents are well decorated with Persian carpets and are nor-mally filled to capacity which makes them an ideal place to indulge in rich Arabian culture.Not forgetting the traditional Arabic sweets also making an appearance during Ramadan, such as the tasty katayef, and the sweet pastries which are a great way to get that much-needed energy kick.

Almost every hotel offers an all-you-can-eat iftar feast during Ramadan, serving traditional Emirati and Arabic foods like slow cooked lamb and rice, as well as plenty of dates for ener-gy for the next day. Beachside hotels like the Atlantis and Jumeirah Beach Hotel often erect grand iftar tents where people come to eat, play board games and smoke shisha.

Another reason for visiting Dubai during Ram-adan is for the shopping. Dubai is already know as one of the world premier destinations for shopping, with its vast selection of shops, souks and shopping malls but during Ramadan shopping is a favored pastime, due to shopping malls staying open very late at night and mas-sive discounts at the majority of stores.Malls and shops offer huge discounts and visitors can save on airline bookings and on holiday rental apartments booking. Special Ramadan holiday rental deals are offered thus allowing people to spend more on shopping and other activities.

Ramadan is a great time to visit Dubai if you are on a budget as many businesses offer gen-erous discounts to celebrate the holiday. Every trader you can think of will be offering compet-itive discounts during the month of Ramadan, from high class restaurants to boutique shops.

Make an effort to understand this religious time of year and what it means to the city. Visit Jumeirah Mosque where tour guides can explain how important this time of year is to Muslims for reflection and prayer, as they use the month to focus on their actions over the past year and to cleanse themselves for Eid al Fitr, the festival that marks the end of Ramadan with a celebratory feast.

For Dubai Ramadan holidays, the best places to stay during your visit would definitely be at Palm Jumeirah or Dubai Marina as both areas are in close proximity to Dubai shopping malls and have lots of restaurants in the neighbor-hood at which you can attend one of the fan-tastic Iftar buffets. So if experiencing an enjoy-abale time memorable time and saving lots of money is your idea of a good vacation why not try Dubai for a Ramadan holiday.

More activity optionsisit the old Quarter for iftaar and late night shopping. As a guest in the city you may want to take a trip and explore ‘Old

Dubai’.Take the Metro Green Line to Ghubaiba metro station and wander down towards Dubai Heritage and Diving Village to discover the rich history of pearl diving in the region. The Dubai Heritage and Diving Centre is open from 9am – 5pm on weekdays throughout Ramadan.

Close by is the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, which is also open during Ramadan. This is the historic seat of the Al Maktoum fam-ily and the house contains artifacts and images of old Dubai.

Dubai Museum, open from 9am–4:30pm dur-ing Ramadan, is housed in Al Fahidi Fort. Its oldest tower was built in 1787 and is believed to be the oldest structure which still stands in modern Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Under-standing offers an insight into the practice of fasting – here you can experience a traditional Iftaar. This experience is a key to understand-ing the culture of Emiratis during this holy month. Iftaar starts with the Athan (Call to prayer) breaking of the fast with Dates and Cof-fee watching your hosts pray briefly and then having dinner. The visit culminates with a visit to the Diwan Masjid (Mosque) and ends with dessert and tea back at the SMCC.

Head across the Creek in an abra [water taxi] towards the Gold Souk, Spice Souk and shop to your heart’s content. Visitors will find them-selves transported into the heart of Dubai’s vi-brant culture of trade with bargains to be had over tea until late into the night.Dubai Mall is a must do – wander around and browse to your heart’s content during Rama-dan. There are plenty of bargains to be had Of course, any visitor to Dubai must see the view from The BurjKhalifa’s observation platform. During Ramadan the ‘At The Top’ experience is open from 4pm to 1am. Booking in advance guarantees savings, to reserve your spot.

Of course should you venture there after 7.30pm the observation deck allows you to have the view of the Dubai Fountains from the top. Fountain shows run from 7.30pm to 11pm during Ramadan. Why not treat yourself and your guests to dinner after the At The Top ex-perience at one of the restaurants on the lower level of Dubai Mall and catch all the excitement of these fantastic musical fountains.Of course Ramadan in the city is not complete without experiencing a lavish Iftaar at one of the many hotels around the city. With sunset happening at just after 7pm, it’s the perfect way to ex-perience traditional Arabian hospitality while enjoying a sumptuous feast for dinner.

Taking a small boat ride along the creek, along the Heritage village and onto the Sea with a Dhow Cruise. You’ll find many type of Dhow cruises – the Sunset cruises with or without dinners. Expect to pay around Dhs 145 – Dhs 250/person

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Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce MarketingTel: +27 11 702 9600Email: info@dubaitourism.co.zaWebsite: www.definitelydubai.com

Are tourists allowed to eat during the day?Yes- absolutely! While you are unable to eat in public spaces, international hotels still serve food during the day and some eateries/restau-rants will continue to operate behind screens. You are invited to join in the celebrations after sunset as many hotels and restaurants offer Iftar, which is a special evening meal when the fast is broken. And remember it’s OK for youngsters to eat and drink anywhere, al-though it’s still a nice idea to keep it discreet.

Does everything shut down during Ramadan?No, although some attractions and shopping malls may operate slightly shorter opening hours, they often stay open until midnight and Sega Republic is open until 1am!Also visit the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo as well as Ski Dubai

Are there any special kid’s events?Many attractions have special Ramadan activi-ties for kids. For example at KidZania they will be making greeting cards, lanterns, jewellery and henna tattooing, as well as a live Arabic drumming parade and traditional dress fashion shows.

What about events for adults?The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) offers a range of in-teresting activities, walking tours of the histor-ic Bastakiya district and Iftar feasts. Visitors are reminded that when in public places they should wear clothing that covers the shoulders. Many hotels offer some fantastic deals during Ramadan – with all inclusive, half board and other offers it makes it a very affordable time to travel.

If you will be visiting Dubai during Ramadan, here are some helpful tips:During this Holy Month, all healthy Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset when they must refrain from all food, drink, gum chewing, any kind of tobacco use, and any kind of intimacy. While Ramadan in Dubai offers a genuine cul-tural experience, there are do’s and don’t’s to be observed by residents and visitors during this period:•Be extra vigilant at sundown: As sundown ap-proaches, fasting Muslims head home to pray, be with family and of course break their fasts. The roads can be hectic at this time – it may be best to delay your trip just half an hour until the rush is over.•Do accept invitations: If you have been invited to an Iftar meal with friends or colleagues, do go along. Remember not to go empty-handed. Arabic desserts are always a good option to of-fer your host.•Do exchange Ramadan greetings: It is cus-tomary to use the greeting “Ramadan Kareem” when meeting Muslims, and at the end of Ram-adan, for the three day Eid celebrations, “Eid Mubarak”.•Do be charitable: Be generous to those less fortunate by donating food, clothes or money to individuals and charitable organisations.•Do stop smoking: As with eating and drinking, smoking is not allowed in public during the Holy Month of Ramadan. It’s the perfect time to quit.•Do dress appropriately: Both men and women should dress conservatively, and not display too much skin when in public. Cover shoulders and upper arms, hemlines should reach the knee and pay attention to necklines.•Do be considerate: Fasting can play havoc with a person’s eating and sleeping habits, be sym-pathetic to people around you.•Don’t kiss or hug your partner in public: During Ramadan, avoid demonstrative acts of affection in public, as you may cause offense.•Don’t play loud music: Ramadan is a time for prayer and spiritual reflection. As such, it is im-portant to respect the peace by not playing loud music in your home or car.•Don’t eat in public: Show respect for those who are fasting during the day by not eating and drinking in front of them. Most malls, and all hotels, will have one or two eateries open but discreetly tucked away behind screens and closed doors.

RamadanIN DUBAI

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June 2014 RAMADAN 9

mirate is the fundamental aspect of any successful and functioning society. Indeed, as Ibn Taymiyya

stated, la qiyam lil-deen illa bihaa, the deen cannot stand without it. Even the ibadat, the major pillars of the deen, re-quire it for them to be done in the desired manner.

Take prayer, for example, and in particular the jumua prayer. The khutba was a time for idha, instruction, and a time when the leaders communicated with their people. In the books of history, the first thing to which the historians refer, after mentioning that a land has been conquered, was to refer to the khutbas within the mosques of that land and for whom they were being given, for that was the strongest indica-tion for where the true allegiance of the land lay. The khateebs were appointed by the ruler and always made dua for him. Indeed, in the beginning of the affair, in the time of the rightly-guided khalifas, it was the khalifas themselves who gave the khutbas. And yet, today, in far too many places, khutbas are limited to dua and delivered in a language that almost none of the congregation understand. This con-nection of prayer to amirate has largely been lost.

Or take Ramadan. The start and finish of the month has always been a political decision, but today that aspect has been removed and instead everyone follows whichever method of determining that they want, leading to the crazy situation that is all too familiar to Muslims today of two Muslims in the same street openly celebrating the eid on different days. The connection of fasting to amirate has large-ly been lost.

But the pillar of the deen that has been changed the most is zakat. Indeed, it has changed so much that most people no longer really know what zakat is. It has been relegated to a personal act of giv-ing, much like sadaqa, albeit one that is obligatory. So long as we take 2.5% of our excess wealth and give it to the needy or to charity, we have discharged our ob-ligation. But that is not truly zakat as we will show. The pillar of zakat has been lost because a correct understanding of the fundamentals of zakat have been lost. And until that correct understanding is restored, the pillar of zakat will remain broken and the house of Islam that is sup-ported by those pillars will remain a ruin.

The first fundamental thing essential to zakat is political authority, for zakat, far from being a private act of worship whose payment is left to the conscience of the individual, is in fact a function of the lead-ership of the Muslims as a whole, or at the very least a function of the local Muslim leadership of the land. Zakat is taken, not given. Allah says in the famous ayat in Su-rat Tawba, the translation of which is,

“Take sadaqa from their wealth to pu-rify and cleanse them.”

According to the mufassirun, the word sadaqa in this aya refers specifically to zakat. That and the word khudh are cru-

cial to the understanding of this ayat. Allah commands His Prophet to take zakat from people’s wealth, not to leave it up to them to decide whether or not to they want to give it. And, indeed, that was his prac-tice, and the practice of all the right-acting leaders of the Muslims who came after him - they took the zakat and waged war on those who refused to pay, considering that to be essential to maintaining the uni-ty and well-being of the Muslim umma. In-deed, that was the very first thing that Abu Bakr did upon coming to power and being told that the tribes who had paid zakat to the Prophet were now refusing to pay it to him, uttering the now famous words,

“By Allah, I will fight anyone who makes a distinction between the prayer and zakat. Zakat is the right which is due on wealth. By Allah, if they refuse me a hobbling rope which they used to pay to the Messenger of Allah I will fight them for it!”

He knew that the survival of the deen rest-ed upon a correct implementation and un-derstanding of zakat. He saw that as the defining moment of the nascent Muslim umma. He saw that if that understanding were lost, and the matter of the payment of zakat was left to personal conscience, the whole matter would fall apart at the seams and the power of the Muslims would be evaporated. And indeed that has been proven by the situation of the Muslim umma today, powerless, rudderless and ineffectual despite the frankly astonishing levels of wealth it seems to enjoy in many places. That wealth, however, is impure, dirty, and without baraka and will continue to be a source of harm and not good for the Muslim umma until the pillar of zakat is revived. For it is zakat that purifies wealth and makes it tayyib, and as we know Allah only accepts what is tayyib.

ut, as we have mentioned, that revival is incumbent upon a lead-er being in place who takes the

zakat, if necessary by force, and distrib-utes it to those of the eight categories whom he sees fit: the poor, the destitute, the collectors, those close to becoming Muslim, freeing slaves, those in debt, travellers and fighting in the way of Allah. This was the ijma of the four imams and all the major fuqaha from their madhahib, and, contrary to what many think, applies just as much to hidden wealth, i.e. gold

and silver, as it does to open wealth, i.e. livestock and crops. The proof for this is found in the actions of the early khalifs, for Umar ibn al-Khattab used to instruct his governors, saying, “Khudh - Take from the Muslims from every forty dirhams one dirham.”

Indeed the great Hanafi faqih, Shaykh Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abi Sahl as-Sarkha-si, used to go so far as to say that anyone who pays his zakat to other than the ruler, has not discharged his obligation of zakat and still owes it. In other words, what he thought was zakat was merely charity and nothing more. And Imam Ahmad is quoted in the book ash-Sharh ar-Rabbani li Mus-nad Ahmad as having said, “The khalifa alone has the authority and responsibility to collect and distribute zakat, whether by himself or through those he appoints, and he has the authority and responsibility to fight those who refuse to pay it.” In other words, those who refuse to give it direct-ly to him, even if they claim they have al-ready given it directly to the categories to which it is due. That is not their right, it is solely the right of the leadership.

ithout some form of leadership being put in place, without gov-ernance, there can be no zakat

in the true sense of the word, but merely a faint echo of it. So the first step to its revival and, by extension, the revival of the deen, is the restoration of leadership, of person-al rule, the giving of baya to an amir, even that only be, at first, at a local level, as we mentioned last week. No grouping of Muslims, no matter how small, should be without a leader from among their midst. And when that leader is in place we must submit to him taking our zakat and being in charge of its distribution, and not try to distribute it ourselves, and certainly not give it to charitable institutions to send abroad. Such institutions have no right to our zakat - they do not fall into any one of the eight categories and have not been appointed as collectors by reputable au-thority. And so all they succeed in doing is misappropriating the funds of well-inten-tioned Muslims and preventing them from fulfilling their obligation correctly. If you do want to support such institutions and the projects they do, then give them voluntary sadaqa not zakat. It is only when zakat is understood and implemented proper-ly that the glory that is the deen of Allah will be restored. So we ask Him to restore leadership amongst us so that His deen can once again be whole.

The second essential element missing from zakat today is the means of pay-ment. Zakat is due exclusively on three areas of wealth, crops and livestock and monetary wealth, a category that includes trade goods and what is mined, so long as each of these categories has reached the minimum threshold and the requisite length of time has passed. Aside from that, nothing else is zakatable. Imam Ma-lik said in his Muwatta,

“There is no zakat except on three things: crops, ‘ayn (i.e. gold and sil-ver) and livestock.” That is clear and is

well-known by the majority of the Muslim umma. What is less well-known, howev-er, is that zakat must be paid in kind. If your wealth is made up of livestock, you give livestock, if your wealth is made up of crops, you give crops and if your wealth is made up of gold and silver or even of trade goods, you give gold and silver. These are the only substances in which it is permissible to pay zakat, and it is only when you have given it in these substanc-es that you have discharged your duty.

For example, in the late 19th century, soon after paper money had been intro-duced in the Ottoman empire, when the great Shaykh of al-Azhar, Shaykh Illish, was asked about whether zakat should or should not be paid on the paper money that was in circulation at that time in the Osmanli realms, he replied in categorical fashion, “No zakat is paid on it, as zakat is restricted to cattle, certain types of grain and fruit, gold, silver, the value of turnover stock and the price of stored goods. The items mentioned are not in-cluded in any of the above categories.” Zakat, he ruled, would only be owed on it if there was sufficient weight of it for its value as scrap paper to reach the nisab, in which case zakat would be payable on it in gold as merchandise. Hence, zakat is only paid on things which have intrinsic value and is only paid in something which has intrinsic value.

What does this mean? It means that we cannot continue to accept paper money or electronic money as a viable currency. It has no inherent value and is a means of control, not exchange. And its continued usage prevents us from correctly imple-menting zakat and establishing the deen in full. But, until that time, we remain in a state of darura, the circumstances under which the forbidden becomes temporar-ily permissible, and darura rules apply. So, although, strictly-speaking, no zakat is owed on wealth held in bank accounts and other modern forms of saving and in-vestment because no actual gold or silver is involved, the best interests of the Mus-lims are served by its being paid. They should, in this interim period, calculate the value of that money in gold, and then pay whatever is owing. They must ensure, however, that they pay whatever they have to pay in physical gold, in dinars, for zakat is an act of worship and acts of worship must be carried out in the exact way spec-ified in the Quran and Sunna.

eadership and real currency - these two elements are absolutely essen-tial to a correct implementation of

zakat and thus a correct implementation of the deen of Allah. And they go hand-in-hand, for it is only with trusted leadership that you have trusted currency. We ask Al-lah to revive the sunna of bay’a among us, and to restore our jama’a by restoring our leaders. And we ask that He enable them to mint gold dinars and silver dirhams in such numbers that they once again be-come the dominant currency in the land. And that through that He enable us to re-vive the lost pillar of zakat and make the deen whole once again.

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The Sunnah of eating Dateshroughout Islamic history, certain types of food were always consumed because they were eaten and recom-

mended by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Salman ibn Amir Dhabi relat-ed that the Prophet said: Break your fast with dates, or else with water, for it is pure (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)

Dates have always received more attention than any other fruit. The Holy Prophet has en-couraged Muslims to break their fast with dates and water. There are more than 300 different types of dates with each having its own taste and texture. Like other fruits, dates are season-al; therefore the supply of fresh delicious dates are always limited. Dates can be classified as soft, semi-soft and dry dates.

Soft dates, plain dates, dried dates and date paste. Fresh dates are a premium source of vitamin C. Since dates contain relatively little water, they do not become much more concen-trated upon drying. Each date provides about 20 calories, and is a good source of carbo-hydrate, fibre, and potassium, also providing some calcium and iron along with other vita-mins and minerals in smaller amounts. Dates do not have significant amounts of fat, choles-terol, protein, or sodium. Among the family of dates, the ‘Ajwa dates are superior in quality.

Narrated by Sa’d: The Prophet said, “If some-body takes some ‘Ajwa dates every morning, he will not be effected by poison or magic on that day till night.” (Another narrator said sev-en dates). (Sahih Bukhari) Health benefits of dates are uncountable, as this fruit is affluent in natural fibres. Dates are rich in several vitamins and minerals. It is said

that one date is minimum requirement of a bal-anced and healthy diet. It helps in fighting con-stipation, intestinal disorders, weight gain, and heart problems.

People consume dates in several ways, like mixing the paste of the dates with milk, yoghurt or with bread or butter to make the food tasty and healthy. This paste is beneficial for both adults and children, especially during the time of recovery. According to the modern medicine survey, it is known that dates are useful in pre-venting abdominal cancer. Breaking fast with eating dates helps us to avoid overeating of the food after the fast. When the body absorbs the nutritional value of the dates, the feeling of hun-ger gets pacified.

There are several health benefits from eat-ing dates. Below are some common ailments which can be treated by consuming dates.

•Constipation: Dates are a laxative food. To obtain the laxative effect from dates, you need to soak dates for one full night in water. You should consume these soaked dates in the morning to get the full benefits.•Intestinal Disorders: The nicotinic content that is present in the dates is said to be benefi-cial for curing any kinds of intestinal disorders. Continuous intake of dates helps to maintain a check on the growth of the pathological or-ganisms and thus, helps in the rise of friendly anti-bacteria in the intestines.•Heart problems: Dates helpful in main-taining your heart in a healthy condition. Soak dates for whole night. Crush them and con-sume in the morning. This is will help a lot to strengthen weak heart. Best to taken twice a week

Muhammad Danish

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June 2014 RAMADAN 11

omeopathy is often confused with natural med-icine: a gentle medicine of home remedies, plants, herbal tinctures and teas. Besides the

fact that homoeopaths do use remedies made out of nat-ural ingredients, it has its very own laws and diagnosis and is a proper medical scienceIf we talk about science we must admit that there is in-deed not such a thing as official medical science but medicine taught in universities is primarily concerned with the visible, physical form of the human being. Using different branches of natural science such as mathemati-cal, chemical, biochemical and physiological processes, it is trying to explore and understand the secrets of the human body, its functioning and the causes of defects (diseases). But no proper medical science with its own valid laws and regularities has been established so far.

To confirm this statement we must know how sci-entific research must be done:1.There is an observation about a natural phenomena2.A question is made about its regularity is made (is it always happening in this way?)3.The Hypothesis of this natural law must be approved( it always happens in this way)4.The New law must be provable at any time and any place by anybody5.If Point 4 approves the original hypothesis we can talk about a natural law in a scientific manner

If this is a scientific process, we will check if ho-moeopathy is scientific discoveries.1.Hahnemann(The founder of homoeopathy) watched, as in good health, that he developed symptoms similar to a symptomatic state that the patient was suffering from malaria while taking a substance (bark China) for a while. At this time China bark was the official remedy for malaria2.He was wondering if this was always the case. “ If any substance capable to provoke certain symptoms in a healthy person, it also must be able to cure a patient who suffers symptoms similar 3.He found evidence in himself, in other healthy people and later by healing people by his discovery.4.He published this findings and expected evidence and experiments by a wider group of scientists to verify or deny this hypothesis.5.Instead of a critical test by scientists, these were limited to criticize his way of healing.

6.Hahnemann’s hypothesis was confirmed later with hundreds of tests and the arrival of other physicians with a serious desire to test or confirm the new system. To this day this law has been confirmed billion times and is scientifically proven.

Now let’s see if the medicine faculty of universi-ties, reserving for them the title of scientists, also uses this method:

1. We have said before that medicine and research meth-ods use other branches of the natural sciences. They have no own laws, so experiences and perceived obser-vations are explained in hypothesis that vary in different times or from one doctor to another.2. The medicine taught in universities does not recognize the energy dimension that resides in every living being. The division of their disciplines by different parts of the human body produces recognition by different special-ists and local treatment of parts and organs instead of a person as a human being or integral unit.3. The therapy of one of these parts is often contraindi-cated for the rest of the body.

ahnemann investigated scientifically in a time that was marked by irrational theories and hy-potheses. This meant a profound change in

the history of medicine and has not yet been recognized. The official medical discoveries and experiments working with other branches of science and therefore calls itself scientific , but still has no laws or formulas for healing remedies and therapies that are generally safe in short or long term.There are other types of research in the field of medicine that are objectionable for scientists. For example animal testing because animals react different as humans.

In conclusion: from the point of definition of science we can see that the laws and findings obtained in homoeop-athy are scientifically proven. Now if you can not explain these phenomena by physics, chemistry or biology, it is not a contradiction, but a proof of the existence of a new different branch of science, the science of medicine.

Homoeopathic medicine considers men, women and children as well as animals and plants, as a functional unit in unstable equilibrium with the environment. The disease is no longer viewed as an accident, as some-thing alien, as a misfortune, as bad luck. The acute and chronic disease is a sign of imbalance and disharmo-ny. Disease comes from the Latin infirmus = unstable. Chronic disease is synonymous with chronic in-firmness , chronic imbalance , and symptoms are its expression. Homoeopathy, for all that, is concerned not only by tissue injury, anatomic injury but it is interested in the individual: how to live, how you sleep, how it nourishes, how it re-lates. It tries to understand the changes - disease - and context in which they occur. Homoeopathy is therefore, as Dr. Paracelsus said, a medicine of the person, a ho-listic medicine and is therefore the real medicine of the

XXI century. (George Vithoulkas ) To know what is sick we must first know what is healthy! While there’s life in a body, this energy tries to balance itself and reacts if unbalanced. A person is healthy if it can defend itself against anything that hurt or injure him.

The reaction of the body is an attempt to bring the organ-ism back in order or back to balance. There are multiple examples:

*Sudden cold and drop of outside temperatures- the body will start to shiver and cause muscle movements to guarantee better blood circulation on skin and body surface. Pores tiding up to minimize skin surface-

*Hot temperatures- sweat appears to cool body down, open pores to maximize surface

These are very basic reactions where we can see how the body protects itself. We would not try to suppress these attempts, but rather see it as a fault if we wouldn’t react like this. We must regard the symptoms we pro-duce as healing attempts and instead of suppressing or eradicating them rather assist and fortify our own de-fence system. Homoeopaths read the symptoms of the patient and administer a remedy which is able to cause the same or very similar symptoms in a healthy person. The remedy now stimulates the already in process de-fence system of the patient and start a chain reaction of the body to heal so the desired balance will be achieved as soon as possible.

It is of utmost importance that we see symptoms like:

*Tears, cough, sneezing, vomiting or diarrhoea – as an attempt to get rid of something harmful*Pain- as an alert and immobilizer*Mucus, tears, pus –as an attempt to discharge rotten and infected tissues*Fever- as a powerful thermo weapon to burn viruses and bacteria and make sure the patient rest to save energy.

e see the weapons of the body in action and a sign of running the defence. By assisting and monitoring the body’s defence system,

we strengthen the immune system which need to be trained like we train our muscles to be fit and in form. If we always suppress the natural weapons and reach out for Antibiotics and other Anti….symptoms, we can not expect our immune system to be in shape and will depend on outside help and assistance. But if our aim is independence and self sufficiency we need to enable our body to use its natural weapons in the way there have been given to us

Moumina WagnerHomoeopath

Homoeopathy Examined

Hahnemann - Founder of Homoeopathy

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