Islamic Focus Issue 75

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

Issue 75 Igniting the Spirit of Islam Nov 2009

P3 Marriage P4 Success

P7 Silence P8 Yaumul Jumuah

P9 Fabric P10 Malaysia

Bukhara Publications/Tel: 078 672 7797/Fax: 086 651 2125 Email: [email protected]/Korsten/Port Elizabeth

the sacrifices of Ebrahim � and his family in the wor-ship of Allah. The signifi-

cance of the destination of Hajj to Makkah is that it is the site of the first house

built for the worship of the One and Only God of the

universe; while other pil-grimages derive their im-portance exclusively from

their connection to events in the life of a prophet or

saint.

TAWAAF

One of the elements of the Hajj is Tawaaf or circling

around the Ka’bah. The law of the universe is that the

earth, moon, stars, all gal-axies revolve around a cen-tre. Likewise, electrons

move around an atom in an orbit. Since all matter con-

sists of atoms, this means that the law of revolution applies to everything.

While Tawaaf is done in submission to Allah, it re-

flects this law of the uni-verse. �

Hajj sees millions of Mus-

lims converging on Makkah in worship of Allah.

The act of pilgrimage is emphasized by most reli-gious traditions.

JUDAISM

The second book of Samuel tells how Prophet Dawood � captured Jerusalem and brought the Ark of the Covenant there. To Jews,

the Ark was the symbol of God's presence in their midst, so Jerusalem became

central to them. There were three festivals

in Jerusalem every year, and Jews were commanded

to undertake a pilgrimage to the city to participate in them (Deuteronomy 16:16).

These three festivals came to be known as pilgrimage

festivals. Musjidul Aqsa in Jerusalem was the center of Judaism

until its destruction in 70 CE, and all who were able

were under obligation to visit

it and offer sacrifices during the festivals.

CHRISTIANITY

The key to Christian pilgrim-

age is devotion to the mem-ory of Jesus �. Pilgrims vis-ited places filled with memo-ries of his life. For Christians, Jerusalem

was associated with the life of Jesus �. Pilgrims traveled to Palestine to experience firsthand the places in which biblical events occurred.

HINDUISM

Pilgrimage is deeply embed-ded in Hindu culture. There

are hundreds of pilgrimage sites in India attracting mil-lions of people annually. The

city of Varanasi served as a center of Hindu pilgrimage

for 3,000 years.

ISLAM

In Islam the Hajj or pilgrim-age is based on events from

� � �... ... ... 2 Islamic Focus

WORLD NEWS

USA - A US-born Muslim major killed 12 soldiers and injured 28 in a gun attack at Fort Hood, Texas, the largest US military base in the world. (BBC, Nov 6) CYPRUS - Muslims are infuriated after Greek au-thorities announced the construction of a bar in the garden of the historic Hala Musjid, South Cyprus which reportedly houses the tomb of Umm Haram �, the aunt of the Prophet �. (IOL, Oct 29) USA - There were shockwaves among Muslims after FBI killed an imam in Dearborn. (IOL, Oct 30) UAE - A lab built the world’s first Arabic-speaking robot which could soon go into mass production to serve as receptionists, sales staff or shopping assis-tants in in shopping malls. (SindhToday, Nov 4) IRAN - Iranian Shias executed a Jundullah Sunni fighter. Jundullah says it is fighting against the op-pression of Iran's Sunni Muslims. (BBC, Nov 3) SAUDI ARABIA - Shia rebels from Yemen fought their way across the border into Saudi Arabia. They killed one soldier and injured 11. (BBC, Nov 4) Saudi army regained the area after a battle. (BBC, Nov 8) SAUDI ARABIA - A paedophile who raped 5 chil-dren and left one of them to die in the desert is to be beheaded and crucified. Crucifixion in Saudi means tying the convict’s body to wooden beams to be displayed to the public after being decapitated by a professional swordsman. Saudi has executed 56 people this year under laws that allow the death penalty for rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking. (SindhToday, Nov 4) AFGHANISTAN - Taliban killed 5 British soldiers in Helmand. 92 UK troops killed this year, the highest annual figure since 1982. (BBC, Nov 4) KENYA - Ifo camp housing thousands of mainly So-mali refugees in the north-east was flooded follow-ing 3 weeks of constant rain. (BBC, Nov 4) PALESTINE - UN Secretary General said he is dis-mayed at continued Jewish aggression in occupied East Jerusalem, including demolition of Palestinian homes and eviction of Palestinian families. This fol-lows another Jewish settler family evicting Palestini-ans and taking their house. (BBC, Nov 3) SAHARA - Desertec will supply Europe with 15% of

its energy needs by 2050 with solar-generated elec-tricity from a network of power plants and transmis-sion grids across North Africa and the Middle East. The huge solar project will start in the Sahara desert with a $400bn venture. (BBC, Nov 2) SOMALI - Dahabshiil introduced the first-ever debit card in Somalia in Somaliland. They hope to roll the system out to all Somali areas from Djibouti to Kenya. Dahabshiil handles cash transferred by So-malis living overseas to relatives back home. $1bn is sent to Somalia from emigrants. (BBC, Oct 28) BAHRAIN - Parliament approved a bill banning citi-zens from having relations with Israel. (BBC, Oct 28) KASHMIR - 2 Muslim freedom fighters killed in gun battle with Indian forces in Poonch. (BBC, Oct 29) PAKISTAN - Massive blast ripped through market in Peshawar killing 118. (BBC, Oct 30) PALESTINE - Israel is denying Palestinians clean, safe water while allowing almost unlimited supplies to illegal Jewish settlers in occupied West Bank, Am-nesty International says. (AJ, Oct 27) SOMALIA - Hundreds attended wedding of a 112 year old man and his 17 year old wife. (BBC, Oct 29) PALESTINE - The Rabbi and leader of an ultra-fundamentalist Jewish sect was extradited from Bra-zil to Israel to face charges of abusing children in a 'purification' ritual to expel demons. Young children were beaten, burned and made to eat faeces at his home in occupied West Bank. (BBC, Oct 28)

FRANCE - Defense Ministry sent its Muslim soldiers on a special plane for Hajj while the Saudi Defense Ministry provided accommodation. (IOL, Sep 15) PALESTINE - The Jewish Apartheid wall in occupied West Bank was breached as Palestinians and foreign activists tore down segments of it. In 2007, the Jews demolished 160 Palestinian homes and appropriated 3 km² of land to build the wall. The wall may be 750 km long when finished, four times the length of the Berlin Wall. (AJ, Nov 9) NICARAGUA - A Pakistani businessman who fi-nanced the first Musjid in Honduras, is financing much of a new Musjid in Nicaragua. Nicaragua has 1,500 Muslims. (IOL, Nov 10) �

� � �� 3 Islamic Focus

INSPIRATIO

N / IN

TERNET

‘And among His signs is that He created for

you mates … and He has put love and mercy between you…’ (Qur’aan 30:21) How many

marriages have that love and mercy? A man's primary need is for respect, while a

woman's primary need is for love. A ‘crazy cycle’ results when the wife does not show

respect and the husband does not show love. When a wife feels her husband is unloving, she often reacts with disrespect, which in turn

makes the husband act even more unloving. The solution is for the wife to show uncondi-

tional respect to her husband and for the hus-band to show unconditional love to his wife without waiting for the other to change first.

In the Qur’aan and Hadith, there are possibly no two concepts more stressed with regards

to marital relationships than love and respect.

For men: ‘Take good care of women…’ (Bukhari) Qur’aan says: ‘Live with them in kindness and equity. (4:19) ‘...the

best among you are those who behave best towards their wives.’ (Tirmidhi) Men are

urged to be kind and loving towards wives. For women: Many men complain their wives

do not respect them. This sentiment is stressed in Islam with regards to wives. Re-

spect of a person in authority means doing what they say: ‘When any woman prays her five salaah, fasts her month, guards her body

and obeys her husband, it is said to her: Enter paradise from whichever of its doors

you wish.’ (Tirmidhi) The more respect a woman shows her husband, the more love he will show her. �

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While the state education system is facing ruin

with students falling pregnant, drugs running rampant, abuse common and anti-Islamic ele-

ments forming part of the curriculum, Muslims are looking for alternatives.

These include private schools, Muslim schools and home schooling. While each has positive

and negative points, and might not be the best or possible alternative for everyone, we start by looking at aspects of home schooling.

BENEFITS OF HOME SCHOOLING

1. Removes children from an environment of drugs, alcohol, sexual experimentation, gangs and peer pressure, and to put them in a

healthy, safe and secure environment. 2. Removes children from an environment un-

friendly to Islamic teachings e.g. dress code. 3. When home schooling, a parent need not

worry about conflict arising from children at-tending Juma prayer, or going on Hajj. Classes can be held on Saturday and Sunday, over

Christian holidays, while being light during Ramadan and stop for Eid.

4. Other plus points include improving family unity and socialization, restoration of motiva-tion and positive behavior, academic success;

and flexibility in choosing curriculum and teaching methods.

There is an abundance of information available on every aspect of home schooling from book-

stores, libraries and home school support groups. Likewise, text books and curriculum

are pretty easy to come by. Certain curriculum are recognized by the education department and learners’ results are accepted as official

qualifications. �

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MOTIVATION / SUNNAH

Two frogs decided to go to the dairy to get

some milk to drink. They hopped their way in and looked for the milk urns. As they leant

over to get a drink of milk, they slipped into the urn.

They began thrashing about, trying to save themselves from drowning in the milk. They

couldn’t leap out of the urn as the milk was too low. Eventually, one of the frogs said to the other: ‘I can’t manage. What’s the point?

We’re going to drown anyway.’ So saying, he stopped kicking and sank to the bottom and

drowned. The other frog continued his frantic move-

ments. Unexpectedly, the milk started to slowly churn and began turning to butter with

the frog’s kicking. After a while, the frog was able to get a better grip on the butter and

leapt out of the urn to safety. Lesson: Never adopt a defeatist attitude. No

matter how difficult things might seem, there is wisdom in why it’s happening to us and we

are definitely equipped to meet the chal-lenges. �

Prophet Muhammad � showed us the way of achieving success in this world:

1. Making a Friend out of an Enemy The Prophet � was subject to hardship by the disbelievers. At that time the Qur’aan enjoined

him to return evil with good. As a result: ‘You will see your worst enemy has become your

closest friend.’ (41:34). There is the example of a would-be assassin who was forgiven by the Prophet � and then accepted Islam. 2. The Power of Peace Over Violence

When Makkah was conquered, all the Prophet �’s worst enemies were brought before him. He forgave them. As a result, they accepted

Islam. The power of peace realized success in the Prophet �’s mission to call towards Islam. 3. Gradualism Instead of Radicalism

This principle is well established by the Hadith of Bukhari: Aisha � narrates that the first verses of the Qur’aan were related mostly to

Heaven and Hell. Then, after a period of time, when people’s hearts had softened, the spe-

cific commands to abstain from adultery and drinking were revealed. For social changes, Islam advocates the evolutionary method,

rather than the revolutionary one.

4. To be Pragmatic in Complex Matters During the writing of the Treaty of Hudaibiya, the Prophet � dictated the words: ‘This is from Muhammad, the Messenger of God.’ The non-Muslim delegates objected to these words and

the Prophet � ordered the scribe to simply write: ’Muhammad, son of Abdullah.’ �

Adapted from Principles of Success by Darul Ihsan

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QUESTIO

NS & ANSWERS

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

Q: What should one do if

one is responsible for the funeral and burial of a

Non-Muslim relative? A: It is permissible for a Muslim to prepare a non-

Muslim’s body for burial, but it is not permissible to per-

form the funeral prayer for him, or to bury him in a Mus-lim graveyard. He must also

avoid things non-Muslims normally do with the dead if

it is prohibited in Islam. Q: Can women expose the

area between the navel and knees when there is a

necessity e.g. when using the toilet and bathing, as

well as changing one’s clothing? Do they have to go to elaborate lengths to

avoid being nude at these times while alone?

A: It is perfectly permissible for a woman to expose the area between the navel and

knees when there is a need, such as using the toilet,

bathing and changing. One should not, man or woman, be unmindful in uncovering

one’s nakedness in these ac-tivities unnecessarily, but

one does not need to go to unreasonable lengths to re-main covered. (Reliance of

the Traveller, e9.1 [7])

Q: Can one read literature

containing incidental mention of sinful matters?

What if there is a lan-guage benefit in doing so? A: It seems this is permitted,

as affirmed by our teacher, Shaykh Muhammad

al-Khatib (a leading Shafi Mufti in Yemen). The books of grammar and other works

of Arabic literature wide-spread among people and

scholars contain mention of some sins, and scholars have not condemned such litera-

ture. However, if readers fear that they will be harmed

by reading such literature, then it would be haram.

Q: Is a woman allowed to lead men in prayer?

A: As stated by Imam Naw-awi in the Majmu, the vast

majority of early as well as latter scholars, the scholars of all four schools and others

agree that it is not valid for a man to follow a woman. This

is based on the hadith: The Messenger of Allah � spoke to us and said: ‘A woman

should not lead a man.’ (Ibn Majah and Baihaqi) This is

strengthened by another hadith: ‘A people who give their affairs over to a woman

will never prosper.’ It is also

established by the fact that

women never led men among anyone in any age of

Islam, because if this were permissible it would have happened as there would

have been a need for it.

Q: What is ruling of men covering their heads? A: Covering the head with a

cap (topi/kufya) or turban is a sunnah for men, estab-

lished through the practice of the Prophet �. It is not obligatory. A man who does

not cover his head is not sin-ful, though he has left a Pro-

phetic sunnah. It is espe-cially emphasized for men to

cover their heads during prayer, because uncovering one’s head is irreverent. (Ibn

Hajar al-Haytami, Tuhfa) He states explicitly that it is dis-

liked for men to pray with their heads uncovered.

Q: Is it permissible for a girl to ride in a car alone

with her male cousin? Can they go to a public restaurant together to

have dinner as friends? A: The cousin is a relative

the girl can marry (Ghair Mahram). It is not permissi-ble to do anything with one’s

cousin that is not permissible to do with anyone else who

one can marry. Q: Is it permissible to

place a stone or brick be-hind the deceased in the

grave so the body does not fall back when laying it down towards qibla?

A: It is permissible to place a brick or stone behind the

dead body for this purpose. (Hashiyatul-Jumal) �

Answer by: AskMufti.co.za


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

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

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: Is there any Islamic

significance to ‘786’? A: Every Arabic letter has a

numerical value. The numeri-cal values of the Arabic let-ters of Bismillahir Rahmaanir

Rahim added up totals to 786. Hence, using ‘786’ is

not a baseless practice and cannot be deemed haraam as it has not been prohibited

in Islamic law. However, this practice is not established in

any narration nor is it equivalent to writing Bismil-lah in full. However it is used

on certain occasions to avoid disrespect to the name of Al-

lah. And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Answer by: Mufti Shafiq Jakhura

Q: My doctor gave me medication for an illness.

Some medications contain ingredients from haraam animal sources. I have no

specific information that this medication contains

anything haraam. Can I use it? A: As long as there is no cer-

tainty that a medication con-tains a haraam ingredient,

you must consider it halaal and lawful. Not all medica-tion contain haraam ingredi-

ents. There is no need to doubt. Continue using the

medication. Answer by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Q: When is a person al-lowed to read salaah sit-ting on a chair?

A: If a person is unable to get up from sajdah then he

is allowed to make salaah sitting on a chair. Likewise if

he is unable to make the sa-jdah itself then he may offer salaah sitting on a chair. He

will then make his ruku and

sajdah by bending forward

slightly. He will bend forward lower for sajdah than he

would for ruku. Similarly if a person cannot stand because of weakness or dizziness he

may perform salaah on a chair.

Answer by: Moulana Naziem Moosagie

Q: How many stones are there in the Hajre Aswad

(Black Stone)? A: The Hajre Aswad was

originally one stone. When it was taken away by the

Qaramita it was broken into several pieces. It was re-turned and today comprises

approximately 16 pieces. Answer by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Q: Is it permissible to charge a patient a certain amount if they are paying

cash, and inflate the amount if they are on

medical aid? A: Giving a discount to cash

patients is permissible. At the same time medical aid patients should not be un-

duly exploited although they could be charged a higher

rate. Both doctor and patient should be aware of the appli-cable rate prior for consulta-

tion or treatment. And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Answer by: Mufti Shafiq Jakhura

Q: My family is non-

Muslim. Should any of my parents die, can I attend their funeral?

A: You are fully entitled to be grieved and saddened at the

death of your non-Muslim parent as this is natural. If they pass away it will be

permissible for you to ex-press your grief and condo-

lences with the rest of the family. However, as funerals

of other faiths have elements

that are in conflict with Is-lamic beliefs and practices, it

will not be permissible to at-tend the funeral ceremony. Allah Ta’ala mentions: ‘And

never (O Muhammad �) per-form Salaah (funeral prayer)

for any of them who dies, nor stand at his grave. Cer-tainly they disbelieved in Al-

lah and His Messenger, and died while they were evil-

doers.’ (Qur’aan 9:84). And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Answer by: Stanger Darul Uloom

Q: Can I make will in fa-vor of my nephew, when

my full brother is one of my heirs?

A: It is permissible for one to bequeath from within one third of his wealth for his

nephew who is not an inheri-tor. However, it is not per-

missible for one to exceed one-third of his wealth unless

all the inheritors allow him to do so. The inheritors all must be mature and sane in order

for them to be able to give permission.

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: Can Zam Zam water be sold?

A: Yes, Zam Zam can be sold if one makes the effort to

bottle it. Answer by: Council of Ulama EC

Q: Can a lady appoint her husband to pelt the ja-maraat on her behalf? She

cannot pelt because of the crowds.

A: No she cannot appoint her husband to pelt on her be-

half. She should pelt at night when the crowds are less. (Fatwa Raheemiya, 5:235)�

Answer by: Council of Ulama EC


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STO

RY / IN

TERNET

There is profound strength in observing si-

lence. Knowing this secret all those people who observe silence have a cheerful life.

There was an advert in a newspaper saying: ‘Officer required in a company dealing with

very small, sensitive instruments.’ It was a prestigious post and lots of people applied.

The selected applicants arrived for an inter-view on the appointed date. While waiting, some of the applicants were drinking tea/

coffee, some were talking and others were trying to impress the officers of the company.

The hall was very noisy. In this noisy environ-ment there was a young man sitting peace-

fully. He was silent and at peace with himself. All of a sudden an announcement, not easily

audible, was made from one of the sensitive instruments: ‘We would like to recruit a per-

son who has a quiet nature and keen observa-tion. The person who can hear this instruction may come in and take the recruitment letter.’

Nobody could hear that announcement in such

a noisy atmosphere. But the young man who was sitting silently got up immediately and went in. He was appointed to the position. He

came out of the room and spoke to the oth-ers: ‘Why are you waiting? I'm already ap-

pointed to the position.’ The others were annoyed after hearing thist.

They accused him of bribing the recruiting group. Then the man replied peacefully:

‘Before going in I thought of you all. I was only able to hear the instructions to collect the appointment letter.’ �

Source: Inspirations Volume 5

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HALA

AL / TECH W

ATC

H

The Arabic word for Friday is Yaumul Jumua

and is called this because it is the day of con-gregating for Muslims. Friday was the last day

when the creation of the universe was com-pleted. On Friday, Prophet Aadam � was cre-ated, admitted into Paradise and sent down to

earth. The end of the world will be on a Fri-day. (Ibn Kathir) Allah had appointed Friday

as the day of congregation and festivity for people, but the previous nations did not ap-point it as their sacred day.

Before Islam, Friday was known as Yaumul

Arubah. The first Arab to change the name to Yaumul Jumuah was Ka’b Ibn Luayy, 560 years before Prophet Muhammad �. The Quraish used to gather on this day and Ka’b delivered a sermon. Ka’b was among the fore-

fathers of the Prophet � and stayed away from idol worship, believing in One Allah. Thus the

importance of Friday was recognised in Arabia before Islam. (Mazhari) Some narrations state that the Ansar of Madinah used to gather and

pray, before Hijrah, on Friday before Jumuah prayer became obligatory.

From the time of the Prophet � till the era of Umar � there was only one Athaan for Ju-muah at the time of the Khutba in front of the Imam. The Muslim population grew rapidly in

the era of Uthman � and this Athaan could not be heard by the large Muslim population on the outskirts of Madinah. He therefore initi-

ated another Athaan which was called in the trading area further from the Musjid at his

house in az-Zaurah, which could be heard throughout Madinah. No Sahaabi objected to this. �

Ma’ariful Qur’aan Vol 8 Pg 453-4 English

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game can be played at school or at home with all the family members.

It is a fun way to learn about the Quraan. The inventor of the game is Saniyasnain Khan and

the game is produced by Goodword Books. The game consists of:

600 Quraan knowledge questions covering: Prophets in the Quraan

People of the Quraan Places of the Quraan

Message of the Quraan 99 Names of Allah

Examples:

Q. Who were the honoured guests of the Prophet Ibrahim alaihis salaam?

A. The Angels (Surah al-Hijr, 15:42)

Q. What does fasting teach us? A. Self-Control (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:183)

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BIOGRAPHY / M

USLIM

INFLU

ENCE

Muslims have played an instrumental role in

the invention, spread and improvement of fab-ric over the ages. Here are some highlights:

Velvet: The art of velvet-weaving originated in Muslim Kashmir around the 14th century.

Silk: Arabs began manufacturing silk in the

6th century. The Crusades brought silk pro-duction to Western Europe from Muslim lands, in particular to many Italian states, which saw

an economic boom exporting silk to the rest of Europe. Muslim Arabs spread sericulture (silk

making) to Africa, Spain and Sicily, all of which developed an important silk industry. Silk remained a rare and expensive material

until Muslim Arabs in Sicily and Spain (8th to 10th century) began supplying it in a much

greater abundance.

Muslin: was introduced to Europe from the Muslim Middle East in the 17th century. It was named after the city where Europeans first en-

countered it: Mosul, in Iraq, but the fabric originated from Dhaka, Muslim Bangladesh.

Seersucker: The word came into English from the Persian words ‘shir o shekar’ meaning

‘milk and sugar’. Muslim traders traded the fabric throughout a wide area. The British took

to it in the colonial period. Satin: The name satin came from the Chinese

port where Arab traders obtained it, Zaitun (now Quanzhou) in Fujian province.

Fustian: Derived from El-Fustat, the name of a suburb of Cairo where cloth was manufac-

tured. �

Moulana Mahmud Al-Hasan (Born: 1851, Died:

1920) was born in Bareilly, India. His father was an Islamic scholar and inspector of

Madressas. Moulana Mahmud was from the lineage of Uthman �. Moulana got a tradi-tional Islamic education. He was the first stu-

dent of Darul Uloom Deoband in 1870. He completed his education in 1873, and began

teaching there. In 1890, he was appointed Sheikhul Hadith. He taught there for 44 years, and in Makkah, Madinah and Malta when he

was imprisoned there.

A movement concerned with the welfare of the Ottoman Khilafat began in India and Moulana actively encouraged Muslim students to join it.

He organised efforts to start an armed revolu-tion against British rule from within and out-

side India. He launched a programme to train volunteer fighters. In 1917 he laid the founda-

tion of Jamiatul Ansar which organised con-ventions against the British. In 1920 he as-sisted the Turks at the Battle of Balqaan with

large sums of money. He got support from the Turks to attack the British in India when he

met the Ottoman Minister of War in Madinah. Moulana planned to return to India to start the

Jihad. The plan was discovered and he was arrested in Makkah. He was imprisoned in

Malta for more than three years before his re-lease in 1920. He returned to India and took part in many conferences to fight for freedom

from the British. He was given the title Sheik-hul Hind (India) and became an icon of the In-

dian independence movement. He wrote a translation and commentary of the Qur’aan which he began in Malta. He died in Delhi and

20,000 people attended the funeral. �

Publishers of the Islamic Focus

Distributed free in PE/Uitenhage 11 Morat Street, Korsten Port Elizabeth

Tel: 078 672 7797 Fax: 086 651 2125

Email: [email protected] www.islamicfocus.co.za

98 Cape Road, Mill Park, Port Elizabeth, 6001

Phone: 041 374 6001 Fax: 041 374 6002

www.sab-t.co.za


Sea Food Take-out

Tel: 041 586 1068

HISTO

RY / INSPIRATION

The Qur’aan has been preserved in Arabic and

is read by all Muslims in that language. It is also studied by Muslim scholars in Arabic.

There have been translations of the Qur’aan and none can convey the original beauty. Here is a brief history of translation:

� First translation of a part of the Qur’aan is

attributed to Hazrat Salman � of Surah Fatiha into Persian.

� The first translation was into Persian in the

1100’s called Qur'an Quds. There are more than 60 Persian translations now.

� 1143 Latin. � 1547 Italian. � 1616 German, from Italian.

� 1647 French, from Arabic. � 1649 English, from French.

� 1658 Dutch. � 1734 English from Arabic by George Sale.

One of the copies was owned by Thomas Jefferson, on which Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to US Congress, was sworn.

� 1886 Bengali by Girish Chandra Sen � 1858 Polish

� 1902 Urdu by Maulana Aashiq Ilahi Meeruti. There are now about 20 Urdu translations.

� 1936 Bosnian.

There are also translations in Hungarian,

Hindi, Swedish, Estonian, Acehnese, Afrikaans, Andalusian, Balochi, Bangla, Bulgarian, Chi-nese, Pashto, Mande, Malayalam, Macedonian,

Kannada, Japanese, Hebrew, Esperanto, Dan-ish, Sindhi, Spanish, Swahili, Tatar, Turkish

(over 50), Zulu and Xhosa. Many online Qur’aan sites offer the transla-

tions, some with over 100 translations. �

Islam is the official religion of Malaysia with

60% of the population Muslim. Ethnic Malays are Muslim with substantial numbers of Indian

Muslims and some ethnic Chinese converts. The Sunni Shafi school is the official form in Malaysia. Musjids are common throughout the

country. Government bodies and banking in-stitutions close for two hours every Friday for

Jumuah prayers. In certain states the week-ends are Friday and Saturday. There are strict policies against deviate sects including Shias.

Islam came to Malaysia some say as early as

the first century Hijrah with Arab Muslim mis-sionaries as well as Muslim Indian traders from South India. Islam was adopted peace-

fully by the coastal trading ports and became established on the Malay peninsular when Sul-

tan Muzaffar Shah I (12th century) of Kedah became the first ruler to convert to Islam. The

conversion of the Sultanate of Malacca by Muslim traders from Tamil Nadu, India to Is-lam was the milestone of Islam in Malaysia.

Hanafi Islam that Chinese Muslims brought

lost almost all contact with Islam in China and was absorbed by the Shafi school. Many Malay words trace their origin to Arabic. In states

where the Islamist PAS party rules or has in-fluence, such as Kelantan, the genders are

segregated in public places. The goal of PAS is to establish an Islamic state. Parallel to civil courts, there are Sharia courts for Islamic and

Muslim family issues. There is a government institution in charge of organizing pilgrimages

to Makkah called Tabung Haji (Pilgrim Fund Board). Government also funds the construc-tion of Musjids. Most states have Sultans who

maintain authority over Islamic affairs. �


FOR TH

E LITTLE

ONES

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

� Islamic Focus newsletter

� Islamic websites

� Printing of Islamic literature in English

and Xhosa

� Audio CD’s

� Islamic PC Software/Activities

Donations can be made by calling 078 672 7797 or by

direct deposit to:

Acc Name: M Badsha

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

All activities supervised by Moulana Muhammad Badsha

M K K A W S A J H A D A N A F A A M E D W R A L E

A A T M S M S M T M U F N R K E A A A A A A A F W

M E U A N U F A A A A A T H A R I A M I M W J Z E

F J M A A R A D F A Z A A A F T A I U A M T A I L

E R A T A F I T A A E A Q H N M M Z Q E K A M U A

U Z M M S S A H Z A A I A A I A A J L H S K R D R

R H A H A E N R R A A N T T M L A Z T E Z Z A R R

R Z A M R F T A A A A A R A M M A A K S T I A H L

A N M J L A A T T T A A Q R A A A T M S L E A A A

U I N A R A A D A A M M N R N W M I A A A A A W Z

R Z A T I A A F I F M A A A A A E E N R W A F S S

R N D M E A S H Q Z A A M T M H E N A I D R A A A

T R A S R A M W D M T A A M I M R A A K Q A A S R

D I T F E A R R A Q A A T R A F J T A A I D D D A

Z T I A K A K R T D W A I A R A R A A T R A K D A

K Z T N E A R F A A A D S A M H I Z T W I I A A S

I E A T B Z K U F M R A Z M A W F I E R A A Q A A

E A L A A A M I M A L D K I Q N A T M F H A H A I

R A H A A M L A M F R S S L M W I T A F L U F U Z

N U K W A A A R Z A A A A A I H A M A W A A N A J

A M S Z D A R T K M E I L Q A A A A T A R Z A M H

H I F Z W K A R T A A E I R I M A M K A Q A A M A

K M U A T K A M M U M Z A I U A A I E A K E M F A

I M I T M A A A T M W W E M A K M I A M E N E A M

Q I K A A R M L Q A M I T A A A Z S A R J A M M A

Find these words: 1. Ifraad 2. Meeqaat 3. Makkah 4. Jamaraat 5. Tawaaf 6. Qiraan 7. Maqaam 8. Ihraam 9. Saee 10. Arafaat 11. Tamattu 12. Mina 13. Zamzam 14. Safa 15. Rami 16. Hajraswad

17. Muzdalifa 18. Kiswa 19. Marwa 20. Kabah


73 DURBAN ROAD KORSTEN

PH. 041 451 3060

FINAL FO

CUS

Islam Awareness Centre (IAC) grew out of a

need to co-ordinate Dawah work in Port Eliza-beth. Activities had been ongoing for a few

years before the Centre was officially launched in 2009.

Vision � Providing Muslims with tools to counter mis-

sionary onslaught � Creating awareness of Islam and Muslims � Distributing/Printing literature on Islam

� Organising seminars and workshops on Is-lam

� Training Dawah workers � Hosting Musjid tours � Providing follow-up help to new Muslims

Activities

� Hosted Muslim-Christian public debates � Put ads in local newspapers on Islam

� Responded to false information on Islam presented by non-Muslims

� One-to-one interaction with non-Muslims

interested in Islam � Dedicated Dawah office

Contact:

11A Rodney Street, central

PO Box 22786, Port Elizabeth Tel: 041 582 3856

Cell: 082 750 8066 Fax: 086 540 1970

Email: [email protected]

www.islamawareness.co.za

Banking Details: ABSA

Account No. 9227266117

Islamic Savings Account

There was once a perfume seller. He owned a

parrot which could talk. The parrot would greet and speak to every customer who en-

tered the shop. The customers were amazed and would come time and again to purchase perfume only to speak to the parrot.

One night the owner forgot to lock the parrot

in the cage. The parrot heard a cat and pan-icked. It started flying around the shop knock-ing down all the perfume bottles and spilling

the perfume. The next morning when the owner entered the shop he became angry and

hit the parrot on the head until its hair fell out and it became bald. From that day on the par-rot did not speak a word.

Customers would enter the shop and hope to

hear the parrot saying something but the par-rot would not speak. Slowly customers started

coming less until the business eventually col-lapsed.

Lesson: We should value everyone as they could be the source of goodness for us. �

November

Sheikh Hajjaj of Egypt: Qiraat-

17: Musjid Taqwa after Maghrib

18: Musjid Mansoor after Maghrib

27: Eidul Adha (subject to sighting of moon)

December

5: MBF Business Expo. Kwantu Towers. 9am-6pm

25-27: Cape Ijtima. Uitenhage

Events updates at www.islamicfocus.co.za

Documents

Islamic Focus Issue 75