Islamic Focus

Issue 101 Igniting the Spirit of Islam May 2012 Bukhara Publications/Tel: 078 672 7797/Fax: 086 651 2125 Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com/Korsten/Port Elizabeth

shameful, indecent, evil, re-

bell ious and oppres-sive.’ (16:90) The vulgarity

of the painting has been ap-parent and even on that score alone, it is utterly ob-

scene and objectionable.

Circulating. As for repub-lishing and circulation of such indecent material, we

have to remember that a Muslim is prohibited from

speaking about everything that one hears: ‘It is suffi-cient for one to be called a

liar the one who speaks about everything that he

hears.’ (Muslim)

Islam has nothing to do with a freedom to insult. It lays emphasis on its exact

opposite: the freedom from insult. It values human dig-

nity, decency, and harmony in the society. �

Adapted from article by Jamiatul Ulama SA

‘O Children of Adam! Let not

Satan seduce you in the same manner as he got

your parents out of the Gar-den, stripping them of their clothing, to expose their

shame.’ (Quran 7:27)

Both freedom of expression and human dignity are val-ues enshrined in the coun-

try’s constitution. From a Muslim’s point of view, we

find the indecent painting of President Zuma as insulting and totally unacceptable on

a number of grounds:

Freedom of expression has limits. It is not a li-

cence to demean, ridicule and insult another. The Prophet � said: ‘Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak a

good word or remain si-lent…’ (Bukhari)

Honour of humanity is sacred. Protection of hon-

our is one of the objectives

of Islam. Regardless of the personality of the one sati-

rised, every human being deserves respect. The Quran commands: ‘O You

who believe, do not let one set of people make fun of

another set…’ (49:11) Regardless of the justifica-

tions which have been put across for the kind of por-

trayal of President Zuma, who has been considered as ‘fair game’ for ridicule by

sections of the media, the Quran instructs ‘…and, if

you judge between man-kind, that you judge

justly.’ (4:58) Islam shuns indecency.

Every Friday we hear the Imam conclude his sermon

by reciting the verse of the Quran: ‘…Allah enjoins jus-tice, kindness and the doing

of good, to kith and kin; and He forbids all that is

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P4 Assad’s Atrocities

P7 Never Quit

P8 FAD

P3 Love for Poor

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2 Islamic Focus

WORLD

NEWS

BURMA - Fighting raged since June 8 between Bud-

dhists and Muslims in Rakhine. 25 killed since attack

by Buddhists on a bus carrying Muslims. Rakhine

state has a sizeable Muslim population, including

Rohingyas, a Muslim group who are stateless, as

Burma considers them to be illegal immigrants from

Bangladesh. (BBC, 12 June)

USA - 43 Catholic institutions sued the Obama ad-

ministration over its mandate requiring employers to

provide contraception in their health insurance

plans. (BBC, 25 May)

TUNISIA - Curfew declared on 8 regions after

Islamist attacks in protest at an art exhibition with

several blasphemous and lewd paintings. The exhibi-

tion included paintings that caricatured Makkah, por-

trayed a nude woman, and showed the word 'Allah'

spelled out with strings of ants. (BBC, 12 June)

AZAWAD - Two groups that seized northern Mali

two months ago agreed to merge and turn their ter-

ritory into an Islamic state called Azawad. (BBC, 27

May)

KUWAIT - A court sentenced a Shia man to 10

years for insulting the Prophet �. (BBC, 4 June)

LEBANON - Lebanon sent troops to Tripoli after 10

people were killed in clashes linked to unrest across

the border in Syria. (BBC, 3 June)

PALESTINE - An Israeli soldier was killed on the

Gaza border after a Palestinian freedom fighter cut

through the boundary fence and opened fire on Is-

raeli troops. (BBC, 1 June)

QATAR - A fire at a shopping centre in the Doha

killed 19 people, 13 of whom were children. (BBC,

28 May)

SYRIA – Pres Bashaar’s troops slaughtered 108

people in Houla. 49 were children and 34 women.

(BBC, 28 May)

INDONESIA - US popstar Lady Gaga's show called

off after Muslim and Christian groups protested.

(BBC, 29 May)

PALESTINE - US state department criticised Israel's

treatment of thousands of African asylum seekers

who are being denied basic social services because

of their race. (BBC, 25 May)

AZERBAIJAN - Border clashes with Armenia saw 3

Armenian soldiers killed. (BBC, 5 June)

AFGHANISTAN - More than 80 killed in a landslide

triggered by two quakes. Part of a mountain col-

lapsed, burying an entire village. (BBC, 12 June) �

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3 Islamic Focus

SOCIAL / S

UNNAH

In dealing and coping with loss in life, the Sa-

haba showed unparalleled excellence in this.

This was due to two things: 1. Making peace with the decree of Allah in

every situation, and

2. Having a firm belief in the reality of the world to come.

Everything belongs to Allah and returns to him. So if we don’t own that thing why mourn

our loss? We have limited free will for our ac-tions, but we have no control over tomorrow’s

events. Worrying over such things is of no use.

Urwah bin Zubayr � went with his eldest son to Damascus. When he was in the stable ad-

miring the khalifa's fine horses, one of the horses trampled him to death. The grief

struck father had barely shaken off the dust from burying his son, when he developed gangrene of the foot. His leg had to be ampu-

tated. Back in Madinah Urwah � said to the people: ‘Do not be frightened with what you

see. Allah has bestowed upon me four sons and He has taken back one and allowed me to remain with three, so for Him is the Praise.

Allah has given me four limbs and has taken one and allowed me to remain with three, so

for Him is the praise. I swear to you by Allah, that if he has taken from me a little, then he has caused to remain with me much, and if he

has tried me once then he has forgiven me many times.’

Once we are resigned to the decree of Allah and make peace with the situation, we will be

free from crippling grief and depression. �

Islam enjoins love and consideration for the poor:

Love. The Prophet � said to his wife, ‘O Aisha, love the poor and let them come to you and

Allah will draw you near to Himself.’ (Bukhari)

Company. The Prophet � prayed: ‘O Allah, keep me poor in my life and at my death, and

raise me at resurrection among those who are poor.’ (Nasai)

Fruits of Paradise. Abu Saeed Al-Khudri � narrates that the Prophet � said: ‘f a Muslim clothes a Muslim when he is naked, Allah will clothe him with green garments of Paradise; if a Muslim feeds a Muslim when he is hungry,

Allah will feed him with fruits of Paradise; and if any Muslim gives a Muslim drink when he is

thirsty, Allah will give him pure wine which is sealed to drink.’ (Abu Dawud)

Hunger. Ibn Abbas � said that he heard the Prophet � say: ‘The believer is not the one who eats when his neighbour beside him is hungry.’

Help. Abu Huraira � narrates that the Prophet � said: ‘Whoever relieves a believer’s distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will relieve him from a difficulty of the difficul-ties of the Hereafter. Whoever alleviates one in

dire straits, Allah will alleviate his lot in both this world and in the Hereafter. Whoever con-

ceals a Muslim, Allah will conceal in this life and the Hereafter. Allah will continue aiding his servant as long as he is helping his

brother.’ (Muslim) �

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HISTO

RY / CURRENT

A year of protests against Bashar Assad’s bru-

tal Alawi Syrian regime has seen him continue his father’s legacy of atrocities and massacres

against the Muslims of Syria. ATROCITIES AGAINST MUSLIMS. In village

after village in the Jabal al-Zawiya region of Syria the scene is the same: burned-down

houses and grieving families who described atrocities by Syrian soldiers: relatives of all ages dragged away and shot, their bodies of-

ten set on fire.

Amnesty International says 9,400 people were killed in Syria since government forces first shot protesters in March 2011.

HOULA MASSACRE. Friday 25 May, 2012,

after Juma, Assad’s regime shelled Houla. Then government-supported Alawi Shabiha

gangs came in, slaughtering Sunni Muslim. 108 were murdered including 49 innocent kids and 34 women.

AL QUBAIR MASSACRE. Shabiha gangs also

carried out the Al-Qubair massacre on June 6, 2012. 78 people were killed, many of them women and children. Victims were rstabbed

and shot by Shabiha forces loyal to Assad. Shabiha militia are led by Fawaz Assad and

Munzer Assad, first cousins of President Assad. JIHAD. Senior Syrian Ulama like Sheikh Mu-

hammad Yaqoubi have given the fatwa of Ji-had to be undertaken by Syrians against the

merciless regime of Assad. The list of unimag-inable torture and murder being perpetrated by Assad’s troops is a clear motivation for

Sunni states to crush Assad. �

Once rumours were spread about Imam Abu

Hanifa rahimahullah that he has made changes in Islam by giving preference to his

own reason over the Quran and Hadith. Baaqir rahimahullah asked him: ‘Why have you al-tered Islam giving preference to your own

logic over Quran and Hadith?’

Imam Abu Hanifah asked: ‘Between men and women, who is weaker? Baaqir: ‘Women.’ Abu Hanifah then asked: ‘As inheritance, how

much does a man get in comparison to the woman?’ Baaqir: ‘The man gets double.’ Imam

Abu Hanifah said: ‘Had I given preference to my own logic over Quran and Hadith, I would have given women double the man’s share.’

Then Abu Hanifah asked: ‘Which act of wor-

ship is superior, Salaah or fasting? Baaqir: ‘Salaah.’ Abu Hanifah asked further: ‘When a

woman due to menstruation misses Salaah as well as fasting, then which does she have to pay in?’ Baaqir: ‘Fasting.’ Abu Haneefa de-

clared: ‘Had I followed my own reasoning I would have told her to pay in Salaah and not

fasting.’ Abu Hanifah then asked: ‘Which liquid is more impure, urine or semen?’ Baaqir: ‘Urine.’ Abu Hanifah: ‘When does Ghusl be-

come compulsory on a person, on the passing out of urine or on the passing out of semen?’

Baaqir: ‘On the passing out of semen.’ Upon this Abu Hanifah said: ‘Had I preferred my own logic I would have made ghusl compul-

sory after passing urine and wudhu compul-sory after semen.’

Baaqir was delighted to hear all those rumours were false and baseless. (Kamaalaat-e-Imam

Abu Hanifah, pg 348) �

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5 Islamic Focus

QUESTIO

NS & ANSWERS

Q: Pork substances in

Germany are often in mixed drinks or bread.

Can we eat or drink? A: In the 3rd verse of Surah

al-Maidah Allah says: ‘Made unlawful for you is carrion,

blood, the flesh of swine…’ Intended by the pig is the pig and all its parts, the pig’s

meat is specifically men-tioned as that is what one

would most likely consumes from it. Therefore, food mixed with pork is not per-

missible as it entails also eating the pork mixed with

it. Eating pork is not permis-sible in Islam.

Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: What is the ruling on

the gelatine in medicine or vitamins?

A: The source of gelatine is the collagen found in the skin and bones of animals like

cattle, pigs, poultry, and fish. Cellulose from plants may

also be used. If one is unsure of the source of a tablet or capsule, then it is considered

pure by default. Medicine or vitamins that include gelatine

may either be in a capsule or tablet form. In tablet form, besides for coating, the gela-

tine may have also been used as a processing agent

(even if not mentioned on the label). During production,

the gelatine may have been mixed with something else until its qualities were oblit-

erated istihlak.

Istihlak: The jurists discussed cases of istihlak. For example: 1) A

pilgrim eating food with per-fume in it. (Sharh al-

Muhadhdhab 7:273) 2) A small piece of flesh falling

into meat, not making eating

the entirety unlawful. (Nihayat al-Muhtaj 8:158)

Reason being: ‘Because once its own qualities were obliter-ated, then it became as if

non-existent.’ (Ibid)

Medicine Made from an Impurity: Capsules and coatings may

also be made from gelatine. The jurists addressed the is-

sue of medicine made from an impurity. ‘It is permissible to use medicine made from a

dead animal’s hoof or bones (sic), pure or

mixed…’ (Fatawa 1:28)

Umum al-Balwa: The principle is: ‘Difficulty brings about ease.’ Difficult

circumstance permits dispen-sation. Various reasons allow

relaxation in a given ruling. One such reason is: public affliction or umum al-balwa.

In Conclusion:

The presence of gelatine in some medications and vita-mins may be regarded

as istihlak. The jurists dis-cussed using impurities med-

icinally. The widespread use of gelatine in pharmaceuti-cals and vitamins could make

avoiding it a public affliction

(umum al-balwa); and there-

fore excusable. If equivalent alternatives exist, then one

should opt for them instead. Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: A restaurant sells only

fish but it is ‘beer bat-tered. I was told it would

be Halal because it was impossible to get intoxi-cated from it? What is the

correct view? A: In Mughni al-Muhtaj

5:517, Khatib Shirbini men-tioned a comparable situa-

tion, and stated, ‘…as the substance of alcohol is con-

sumed by fire; the bread re-mains impure.’ Fire/cooking does not remove impurity,

and the Shafi School consid-ers alcohol, like beer, im-

pure. Therefore, even when cooking removes all the alco-hol, contamination with the

impurity makes eating it problematic. �

Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: A person’s cellphone

fell in a toilet pan, but he managed to retrieve it

in time. Marks of water can be found on the screen. Obviously, he can-

not wash the phone. What will be the method of pu-

rifying such a phone? A: If the impurity is of such a nature that it has a form and

physical structure, one should remove the impurity

by wiping it. The stains/marks of impurity will not af-fect the pure state of the cell

phone if one cannot remove the stains and marks.

And Allah Knows Best Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: Is it permissible for males to use deodorant during Salaah? To my

knowledge, the alcohol content evaporates, leav-

ing only the scent. A: Deodorants containing al-cohol derived from grapes or

dates are impermissible for usage. However, deodorants

containing alcohol derived from other sources are per-mitted if all other ingredients

are Halaal. Generally the de-odorants nowadays do not

contain alcohol derived from grapes or dates. Hence, Sa-

laah performed after apply-

ing such deodorants is valid. Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: What should one do with impermissible food items?

A: 1. It is not permissible to give any consumable items

which contain Haraam (forbidden) elements to hu-man beings, animals or any

other creature. 2. In princi-ple, one will have to dispose

of consumable items which contain Haraam elements. 3.

Disposing of such items is not considered as Israaf (waste), since Israaf is only

applicable to Halaal (permissible) items. 4. If

Haraam items are left in any place and if someone takes them away, you will not be

responsible for giving away Haraam.

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: Is it permissible to look

up Arabic words in a dic-tionary during the Khutba

on Friday (either in book form or on the mobile phone) in order to better

understand the Khutba? A: On the blessed day of

Juma, instead of performing Zuhr salaah, one performs the Juma salaah. An essen-

tial part of the Juma salaah

is listening to the Khutba de-livered before Salaatul Juma.

The Khutba of Juma has great sanctity and signifi-cance. It takes the place of

two rakaats which is per-formed normally through the

4 rakaats of Zuhr salaah. Amongst the etiquettes of the Khutba is that one should

not engage in any other act whilst listening to the

Khutba. Even when the name of the Prophet � is men-tioned instead of verbally re-

citing Salawaat (salutations) one should recite it in his

heart. If one sees others speaking during the Khutba

one should not prevent them since this would lead to one-self being engaged in an act

besides listening to the Khutba. Just as in Salaah it is

not permissible to do any-thing which is outside the acts of salaah, likewise dur-

ing the Khutba it is not per-missible to do anything be-

sides listen to the Khutba. You may record the Khutba and look up the meanings of

the Arabic later. � Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

mortems be

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INTERNET / IN

SPIRATIO

N

Born into poverty, Abraham Lincoln was faced

with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered

a nervous breakdown. He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and became one of the most famous presidents in US history.

Sketch of his road to the White House:

1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them. 1818 His mother died.

1831 Failed in business. 1832 Ran for state legislature – lost.

1832 Also lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in. 1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to

begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt.

1834 Ran for state legislature again – won. 1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart

died and his heart was broken. 1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.

1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature – defeated.

1840 Sought to become elector – defeated. 1843 Ran for Congress – lost. 1846 Ran for Congress again – won.

1848 Ran for re-election to Congress – lost. 1849 Sought the job of land officer in his

home state – rejected. 1854 Ran for US Senate – lost. 1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination

at his party’s national convention – get less than 100 votes.

1858 Ran for US Senate again – again he lost. 1860 Elected president of the United States. �

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8 Islamic Focus

SUNNAH / ORGANISATION

5. Prostration of recitation.

The Prophet � said: ‘When you read a verse of prostration then prostrate, the devil departs

crying and says: ‘Woe be to him. He was or-dered with prostration and he prostrated, so for him is Paradise. I was ordered with pros-

tration and I refused, so for me is the Fire.’ (Muslim)

6. Reciting M'uwadhdhataan: Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Naas.

Abu Saeed � said: ’The Prophet � used to seek refuge from the jinn and from the effects

of the (evil) of men until the m'uwwadhdhataan were revealed. When they were revealed he clung to them and aban-

doned what was besides them.’ (Tirmidhi)

7. Supplicating for blessings for some-thing which wins your admiration.

The Prophet � said, ‘When one of you sees something in his self or in his possessions which amazes him (or wins his admiration) he

should invoke blessings upon it as the (evil) eye is indeed true and real.’

8. Saying ‘Bismillah’ (in the Name of Al-lah).

Abul-Maleeh � reports that a man said, ‘I was behind the Prophet � and his riding animal stumbled. I said, ‘May the devil perish,’ and he said, ‘Do not say, ‘May the devil perish.’ If you say that he will grow in size until he becomes

the size of a house and says, ‘By my strength.’ Instead say, ‘In the Name of Allah.’ When you

say that, he reduces in size until he is like a fly.’ (Abu Dawood) �

FAD (Families Against Drugs) centre was es-

tablished to serve the community. It is a non profit organization. Its main aim is to offer re-

lief to those trapped in the world of drugs and addiction.

The object is to help families along with the addict by equipping them with the necessary

skills to stay off drugs. Support Meetings

� Gelvandale and Surrounding Areas: Al Ansar Building, behind Drop Inn Petrol

Station, Bell Road, Parkside. � Every Tuesday at 7:30pm. Addicts only support meetings.

� Every Wednesday at 7:30pm. Parents/Loved Ones support meeting.

� West End and Surrounding Areas:

West End Primary School, St Dominics Street, West End.

� Every Tuesday at 7:30pm. Parents/Loved

Ones support meeting

� Uitenhage: Uitenhage High School, 19 Dower Avenue.

� Tuesdays at 7:30pm

Anti-drug marches are held to raise awareness

in the community. FAD provides a counseling service, support groups, group and individual sessions and drug testing. FAD has volunteers

giving their time to the cause. �

Contact Tel: 071 898 8354 / 084 556 6819

Email: familiesagainstdrugs786@gmail.com

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9 Islamic Focus

BIO

GRAPHY / M

USLIM

INFLU

ENCE

While the notion of a Suez canal is today usu-

ally associated with the 19th-century engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps, the Frenchman was ac-

tually heir to an idea that goes back hundreds of years. The Muslim ruler Umar � was also responsible for a canal that linked the Nile to

the Red Sea.

In 638 CE when there was drought in Makkah and Madinah, Umar � wrote to his general Amr bin al Aas � to send food from Egypt. He then commanded him to make a canal linking the Nile to the Red Sea. For the most part, the

Canal of the Commander of the Faithful, as it was named in honor of the caliph, followed the route cut by an old Roman canal, which had

become covered up.

From its mouth on the Nile to its terminus at the Red Sea port of al-Qulzum (modern Suez),

the canal coursed a remarkable 170 kilome-ters. The 14th-century Mamluk historian Ibn Duqmaq writes: ‘No sooner had Amr � brought effort to bear than ships were moving in it as they had before. Ships were arriving in

the Hijaz in the seventh month (after the start of excavation).’ Amr � himself traveled on one of those ships to make the pilgrimage to Mak-

kah.

Umar �'s canal transformed the fortunes of the Holy Cities, bringing unprecedented food security to the residents of the Hijaz. It oper-

ated for 114 years, until caliph Mansur or-dered the canal blocked. The Canal continued

to flow through Cairo and as far as the central Wadi Tumaylat, about half its original length, throughout the medieval period, becoming

known as the Cairo Canal. �

Muhammad Ibn Abd El-Karim El-Khattabi

known as Abdel Karim was born in 1880 in Ajdir, Morocco and died in 1963 in Cairo,

Egypt. He was a Berber and leader of the armed Berber resistance movement in the Rif, northern Morocco, against French and Spanish

occupation. His guerrilla tactics influenced Ho Chi Minh, Mao Zedong and Che Guevara.

Abdel Karim’s father was a Qadi (Islamic judge). Abdel Karim received a traditional

education at a mosque school in Ajdir, fol-lowed by studies at religious institutes in Te-

touan and Fez. He became a journalist for a Spanish newspaper and was appointed chief qadi for Melilla in 1914. He was jailed by the

Spanish for anticolonial activities. In 1920 he began a war of rebellion against them. At An-

wal, in 3 weeks of fierce battles, his forces killed 8,000 Spanish troops, and the Spanish

army of 13,000 was forced to flee, defeated by 3,000 Rifian fighters. This established Ab-del Karim as a pioneer of guerrilla warfare and

leader of Northern Morocco and led to the col-lapse of the Spanish Monarchy in 1931.

By 1924, the Spanish were forced to retreat to two isolated enclaves. When Abdel Karim in-

vaded French-occupied Morocco in 1925, the French attacked him. In 1925 a French/

Spanish army of 250,000 with aircraft and ar-tillery, attacked the Rif Republic. Intense com-bat persisted for ten months, but the French/

Spanish armies, using chemical bombs against civilians, defeated Abdel Karim who surren-

dered in 1926. He was exiled to Reunion and then gained asylum in Egypt where he pre-sided over the Liberation Committee for the

Maghreb, and where he died in 1963. �

Publishers of the Islamic Focus

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10 Islamic Focus

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HISTO

RY / INSPIRATION

The Muslim population of Japan has been esti-

mated at around 100,000. There are few re-cords of contact between Islam and Japan be-

fore 1853, although some Muslims did arrive in earlier centuries. The first modern Muslim contacts were with Malays who served aboard

British and Dutch ships in the late 19th cen-tury. In the 1870s, the life of the Prophet � was translated into Japanese. Another important contact was made in 1890

when Ottoman Turkey sent a naval vessel to Japan to salute the visit of Japanese Prince

Akihito to Istanbul several years earlier. The first Japanese to go on Haj from Japan was Kotaro Yamaoka. He built a mosque in Tokyo

in 1938. The real Muslim community life in Ja-pan began with the arrival of several hundred

Turkmen, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kyrgyzs and Kazakh Muslim refugees from Central Asia and Russia

in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution during World War I. These Muslims were given asy-lum in Japan and had settled down in several

main cities. Some Japanese embraced Islam after coming in contact with them. The Japa-

nese invasion of China and South East Asia during the Second World War brought the Japanese in contact with Muslims. Those who

embraced Islam through them returned to Ja-pan and established in 1953, the first Japa-

nese Muslim organisation, the Japan Muslim Association. Three Japanese translations of the Quran were published in 1920, 1937 and

1950. The first by a Muslim was in 1972.

There are currently 30-40 single-story mosques in Japan, plus another 100 or more Musallahs: apartment rooms for praying. �

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A 50-something year old white woman arrived

at her seat on a crowded flight and immedi-ately didn't want the seat. The seat was next

to a black man. Disgusted, the woman imme-diately summoned the flight attendant and de-manded a new seat.

The woman said, ‘I cannot sit here next to this

black man.’ The fight attendant said, ‘Let me see if I can find another seat.’

After checking, the flight attendant returned and stated ‘Ma'am, there are no more seats in

economy, but I will check with the captain and see if there is something in first class.’

About 10 minutes went by and the flight at-tendant returned and stated: ‘The captain has

confirmed that there are no more seats in economy, but there is one in first class. It is

our company policy to never move a person from economy to first class, but being that it would be some sort of scandal to force a per-

son to sit next to an UNPLEASANT person, the Captain agreed to make the switch to first

class.’ Before the woman could say anything, the at-

tendant gestured to the black man and said, ‘Therefore sir, if you would so kindly retrieve

your personal items, we would like to move you to the comfort of first class as the captain doesn't want you to sit next to an unpleasant

person.’

Passengers in the seats nearby began to ap-plause while some gave a standing ovation. �

11 Islamic Focus

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RAMADAAN 1433 PORT ELIZABETH/UITENHAGE JULY/AUG 2012 DAY ISLAMIC ENGLISH START FAST FAJR END FAST

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12 Islamic Focus ISSN 2223 - 1110 (Print) | ISSN 2223 - 1129 (Online)

Hani � narrates when he came to Rasulullah �

and asked: ‘O Rasulullah �! Whicj thing makes

Paradise incumbent?’ He replied: ‘Make incumbent

on yourself to speak graciously and to feed gener-

ously.’

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AAKHIRAH

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A registered PBO, NPO, BEE certified organisation

Madressah Projects Al Fidaa Foundation has opened Madressahs in

much-needed areas, making knowledge accessible

to young learners in Bloemendal, Kensington,

Helenvale and Salt Lake. Certain organizations find

it difficult to maintain their Madressah projects; Al

Fidaa Foundation assists in salaries of Ustaads and

sponsors poor students.

Madressah Feeding Many children come to Madressah hungry. Al Fidaa

Foundation feeds them with a sandwich to assist

them with their concentration in learning the

Quraan. This has made a positive impact on their

learning.

Zakaah Distribution �72% of the people in the Eastern Cape live below

the breadline

�Our target this Ramadaan is to distribute

R200,000 worth of Zakaah hampers

�The joy of Iftaar: Share the barakah and duas of

Ramadaan with a hungry family

�Support our year-long distribution - People are

not only hungry in Ramadaan

�Zakaah distribution is strictly under the supervi-

sion of the Ulema

�Our field workers work among the poorest of the

poor to satisfy the strict criterion of Zakaah appli-

cants

�Certain applicants are granted assistance in rent,

electricity and essentials.

“For me to fulfill the necessities of a Mus-

lim family for a month, or for a week, or

for whatever period of time Allah pleases,

is more beloved to me than performing Haj

after Haj.”

Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas �

Malabar Ext 6 Pre-School Instilling the Spirit of Islam at a Young Age

Covering a wide range of subjects, enhancing their

character profile, beautifying their Islamic Belief.

The pre-school caters for 3 to 4 year old pupils

from 8:30 to 12:00 Monday to Thursday. The

school’s enrolment is currently 12 learners.

Our Future Depends On You!

Skills Development Al Fidaa Foundation has embarked on an intensive

Skills Development Program to train, educate and

empower impoverished individuals to become fi-

nancially independent. Amongst the developments

are: sewing classes, computer lab, sponsorship of

raining courses and small business start-up costs