Islamic Focus

Issue 95 Igniting the Spirit of Islam Nov 2011 Bukhara Publications/Tel: 078 672 7797/Fax: 086 651 2125 Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com/Korsten/Port Elizabeth

parts to become uncovered.

A Muslim man killed the Jew and the Jews retaliated by

killing that Muslim. The man's family called for help and the Prophet � sent an army and after a 15-day siege expelled the Jewish

tribe from Madinah. A Muslim woman was cap-

tured by Romans who tried to dishonour her. Frightened

and alone she called out the name of the Khalifah, ‘Oh Mutasim.’ A man witnessed

this and rushed to the Khali-fah. Mutasim sent an army

which defeated the Romans and freed the woman.

When the Hindus of India captured Muslim women,

the Muslim governor Hajjaj wrote to the Hindu ruler to

ransom them. He refused and Hajjaj sent an army to free them even though the

Muslim state was not in a position to start a new cam-

paign. This started the Mus-lim conquest of India. �

Aafia Siddique, a Muslim

lady, was captured by Paki-stani intelligence agents and

handed over to USA along with her children in 2003. In Afghanistan she was tor-

tured for years. In 2008, the US finally admitted she

was in captivity. She was then sentenced to 86 years on trumped up charges.

WAHN

The Hadith tells us a time will dawn when non Muslims will devour Muslims, and Al-

lah will take the fear of Muslims from the hearts of

the enemy and cast wahn into the hearts of Muslims.

The Prophet � said wahn is love of the world and dislike of death. (Abu Dawud)

It is wahn which allowed a

Muslim state to kidnap and handover a Muslim woman to the enemy: ‘A Muslim is

a brother of another Mus-lim, so he should not op-

press him, nor should he

hand him over to an oppres-sor.’ (Bukhari)

It is wahn that prevented any Muslim ruler lifting a fin-

ger to protect the honour of a Muslim women and thou-

sands of Muslims incarcer-ated around the world: ‘Indeed it is obligatory upon

Muslims to free their captives or to pay their ran-

soms.’ (Hadith) It is wahn that leads Muslim

rulers to imprison and tor-ture thousands of sincere

Muslims in their dungeons: ‘Allah will punish those who

punish the people in the world.’ (Muslim)

POWER With a united state and ruler,

a Khalifah, Muslims re-sponded to the cries of the helpless. A Jew tied the edge

of a Muslim woman’s gar-ment causing her private

97

72

22

31

11

00

9

IS

SN

2

22

3-

11

10

P12 The Tunnel

P4 Noble Swords

P7 Daily Gift

P8 Violent Religion

P10 Sri Lanka

P3 Money Matters

2 Islamic Focus

WORLD

NEWS

KENYA - Israel offered to help Kenya as it tackles

Somalia's Islamist group, al-Shabab. Israel's PM

Netanyahu said ‘Kenya's enemies are Israel's ene-

mies’. (BBC, 14 Nov)

LIBYA - Several days of fighting between rival fac-

tions near Zawiya left 7 dead. (BBC, 14 Nov)

SOUTH AFRICA - Muslims reacted with outrage

that a leading meat importer labelled pork as Halaal.

The company has also been accused of relabelling

kangaroo meat from Australia and water buffalo

meat from India as Halaal. (BBC, 16 Nov)

PAKISTAN - Custom officials confiscated 74 falcons

being unlawfully transported into the country by a

member of Qatar's royal family. Members of Gulf

royal families routinely bring in falcons for hunting

birds and other animals in Pakistan. (BBC, 17 Nov)

PAKISTAN - 7 killed in shoot-out in Karachi be-

tween Taliban fighters and police. Taliban are ex-

panding operations in Karachi. (BBC, 16 Nov)

ITALY - Italian clothing company Benetton pulled

an ad showing the Pope kissing a senior Egyptian

Imam after the Vatican protested. (BBC, 16 Nov)

EGYPT - Clashes between army and protesters

against pollution from a fertiliser plant left one dead

and 11 injured. (BBC, 14 Nov)

PALESTINE - Jewish police arrested six Palestinians

called the West Bank Freedom Riders who boarded a

Jerusalem-bound bus used by Jewish settlers. They

drew inspiration from 1960s US civil rights demon-

strators who also campaigned against segregated

buses. Palestinians from the West Bank are not al-

lowed to cross into Jerusalem without Israeli permis-

sion. (BBC, 15 Nov)

KUWAIT - Dozens of protesters stormed parlia-

ment, as hundreds more demonstrated outside

against the PM. (BBC, 16 Nov)

USA - A US man shot at the White House with an

assault rifle. (BBC, 17 Nov)

MOROCCO - Islamist Justice and Development

Party won the most seats in parliamentary elections,

final results confirm. (BBC, 27 Nov)

NIGERIA - Gunmen believed to be members of the

Islamist Boko Haram group attacked several targets

in Yobe state. (BBC, 27 Nov)

IRAN - Protesters in Tehran broke into the UK em-

bassy compound during a demonstration against

sanctions imposed by Britain. Students removed the

British flag, burnt it and replaced it with Iran's flag,

and smashed windows. (BBC, 29 Nov)

PAKISTAN - Pakistan is to boycott talks on Afghani-

stan's future in protest at a Nato air strike which

killed 24 of its soldiers. Pakistan cut crucial Nato

supply lines through its territory to Afghanistan in

protest at the killings. (BBC, 29 Nov)

SUDAN - Sudan ordered the expulsion of the Ken-

yan ambassador after a Kenyan judge issued an ar-

rest warrant for Sudan's President who is wanted by

the International Criminal Court for alleged war

crimes in Darfur. The African Union had decided that

member states should disregard the ICC's arrest

warrant. (BBC, 29 Nov)

BUSINESS - Nestle is taking steps to end child la-

bour on cocoa farms supplying its factories long af-

ter it knew children were involved in its cocoa pro-

duction. (BBC, 28 Nov)

PALESTINE - Several rockets were fired from Leba-

non into northern Jewish-occupied Palestine. Two

buildings were damaged. (BBC, 29 Nov)

PALESTINE - Bulldozed by Israel more than two

dozen times, the village of Al-Arakib is one of many

Bedouin desert communities whose names have

never appeared on any official map. The Jewish par-

liament plans to demolish more Bedouin homes in

southern Negev and forcibly move 30,000 Arabs to

government-authorised villages even though the

Bedouin rejected the move. (ArabianBusiness, 24

Nov)

UAE - Falcons, long used for hunting in the Middle

East, are now being adapted for pest control of pi-

geons around high-rise buildings. (ArabianBusiness,

3 Nov) �

� Telephone, SMS line, Whatsapp: 078 672 7797

3 Islamic Focus

FINANCE / Q

URAAN

Whoever rectifies that which is between him-

self and Allah, Allah shall rectify that which is between that person and His creation

(spouse, children, business, etc). (Hadith) Whoever's greatest concern is this world then

Allah will scatter his affairs. But who makes the next world his goal, Allah will bring his af-

fairs together. (Hadith) These two Hadith teach us the priorities of life

which will lead to success. We more often than not get them mixed up. Money in itself is

not evil. Money provides food for the hungry, medicine for the sick, clothes for the needy. But it is only a medium.

In 1923, eight of the wealthiest people in the

world met. Their wealth exceeded that of the US government. What happened 25 years on:

1. President of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed capital for five years before he died bankrupt.

2. President of the largest gas company, How-ard Hubson, went insane.

3. One of the greatest commodity traders, Ar-thur Cutton, died insolvent. 4. President of the New York Stock Exchange,

Richard Whitney, was sent to jail. 5. A member of the President's Cabinet, Al-

bert Fall, was pardoned from jail to go home and die in peace. 6. The greatest ‘bear’ on Wall Street, Jessie

Livermore, committed suicide. 7. President of the world's greatest monopoly,

Ivar Krueger, committed suicide. 8. President of the Bank of International Set-tlement, Leon Fraser, committed suicide. �

Adapted from Radio Islam Enewsletter

SHOP 7 SUMMERSTRAND VILLAGE 041 583 4882 www.786cellular.co.za

Wahy or revelation to the Prophet � occupies an important position as it was through this that our Creator communicated with us. Here

are the different means of Wahy: 1. Sound of ringing bells: The first method

was that the Prophet � used to hear a sound similar to the ringing of bells. Some scholars

think it was the voices of angels while others think it was the flutter of its wings while bring-ing Wahy.

2. Angel in human shape: Another method

of Wahy was that the angel used to appear in a human form and convey the message. Gener-ally Jibraeel � came in the form of the com-panion Dihyah Kalbi �.

3. Angel in original form: Jibraeel � came in his original appearance thrice: 1. when the

Prophet � wished to see the angel in his origi-nal form, 2. at the time of Meraj, 3. in the early Makkah days.

4. True dreams: The Prophet � used to have dreams before the revelation of the Quraan started. What he saw in a dream happened in exactly the same manner when he awoke.

5. Discourse with Allah: Like Musa �, the Prophet � also had the privilege of direct dis-course with Allah. While awake this happened only on the night of Meraj.

6. Inspiration in the heart: Without appear-

ing before him in any shape, Jibraeel � used to inspire something in the heart of the Prophet �. �

The only Muslim-owned Vodashop in the Eastern Cape

BLACKBERRY CURVE 9360BLACKBERRY CURVE 9360BLACKBERRY CURVE 9360BLACKBERRY CURVE 9360

� + Blackberry Internet Service

� + 120 Off-Peak Minutes PM

� Next Generation OS 7 R299 PM x 24R299 PM x 24R299 PM x 24R299 PM x 24

http://twitter.com/IslamicFocus

BUSINESS & CORPORATE LINES SPECIALIST

112 DURBAN RD ���� KORSTEN

TEL: (041) 451-5908/453-4716

CELL: 082 51 222 36

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

296 DURBAN RD (OPP TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT)

TEL: (041) 453-0119 FAX: (041) 453-4134

For all Engine Requirements, Please Contact:

SOLLY & AADILL

Importers of new & used gearboxes, engines & motor spares Spares & accessories for all types of vehicles

4 Islamic Focus

154 RENSBURG STREET,

WEST END, P.E.

TEL. 041 481 2862, 481 7849

FAX. 041 482 0462

HISTO

RY / SUNNAH

One’s fingers can become the tools for earning re-

wards by using them for simple things:

Licking the Fingers. The Prophet � said: ‘After meals, lick the fingers, for verily, he (the one who eats) does not know in which

portion of the food the blessing is.’ The Prophet � said: ‘When any of you have eaten, do not wipe (or wash) your hands until he has

licked his fingers.’ Anas � said that after the Prophet � had eaten, he would lick his fingers thrice. Thoroughly cleanse the plate with the fingers before washing it. The Prophet � said that the cleansed plate supplicates to Allah.

Takhleel in Wudhu. (Takhleel means to pass

the fingers of one hand through the fingers of the other hand to ensure water has reached the spaces in between the fingers). The

Prophet � said: ‘Make takhleel of your fingers so that Allah does not make takhleel of (your)

fingers with fire on the Day of Qiyaamah.’ Counting Zikr. The Prophet � said: ‘Make in-cumbent on you (to recite) Tasbeeh, Tahleel and Takbeer, and count (the Zikr) with the

finger joints, for verily, they (the finger joints) will be questioned and interrogated on the

Day of Qiyaamah.’ The fingers will testify on the Day of Qiyaamah in favour of the one who used them to count the Zikr.

Food in Wife’s Mouth. Every act of the Mus-

lim, if done consciously in emulation of the Sunnah, is an act of worship. The Prophet � said: ‘The believer is rewarded for every

(lawful) act he does, even for the morsel of food which he (affectionately) lifts (with his

fingers) to the mouth of his wife.’ � The Majlis

Scholars are of the opinion that the Prophet � had 9, 10 or 11 swords.

1. Dhul-faqaar: means the one with holes or

protrusions. This sword has holes or protru-sions on it. It is the most famous of the

swords; the Prophet � acquired it from the spoils of war in the battle of Badr. There is an opinion that this sword initially belonged to

Sulayman �.

2. Al-Ma’thir: means to be inherited. The Prophet � inherited it from his father. It is re-ported that this sword was made by the Jinn.

3. Qalaiyyah: named after a place in the de-

sert. 4. Al-Battaar: means the slaughterer.

5. Al-Qadhib: means to slice and slash. The

sword was slender and slim. The Prophet � would at times lean on this sword and deliver the sermon.

6. Al-Hataf: means death. The Prophet � ac-quired these 4 swords from the booty of Banu Qaynuqa. This sword had a horn attached.

7. Al-Mikhtham (slaughterer), 8. Al-Rasub (to plunge), 9. Al-Samsamah: a sharp cut-

ting sword which does not curve or bend. 10. Al-Lahif: The Prophet � owned a horse with a similar name. 11. Al Adhib (to cut and hack) The value and blessings of a sword used by

the Prophet � is far greater than the value of all the swords in the world. �

Moulana Faraz Ibn Adam

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Islamic-Focus/121276488849?v=wall

5 Islamic Focus

QUESTIO

NS & ANSWERS

Q: Is it sunnah or adab

(etiquette) to perform ab-lution (wudhu/abdaas)

while facing the qibla? A: Facing the direction of prayer in ablution is recom-

mended. (Majmu 1:189) Some jurists classified this

act as a sunnah, while others considered it to be an adab (proper etiquette). The legal

basis for facing the qibla in wudhu rests in the fact that

the qibla is the most noble direction. Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: If the husband is not

Mahram (i.e. here a mar-riageable mahram) to his

wife how can he perform the ritual bath (ghusl) for his dead wife? Will it not

nullify the wudhu of the deceased wife?

A: It is permissible for a hus-band to perform the ghusl (bath) of his dead wife.

(Nihayat Al-Muhtaj ila Sharhil Minhaj 2:449) The wudhu of

the deceased wife, will not be nullified, and therefore will remain valid. (Rawdat At

Talibin 2:102) Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: If a woman does not have children, does her

former husband have to support her after the waiting-period (iddat)

ends following a divorce? A: It is not obligatory for a

man to financially support a woman with whom his mar-riage has ended, after the

waiting period (iddat) is over. This is irrespective of

whether or not she has chil-dren. As for supporting the children: if they themselves

do not have money to their name, financially supporting

them is obligatory upon the

father, whether he is with

their mother or not. Answer by: Shaikh Amjad Rasheed

Q: How should one re-

spond to the accusation that the Shafi Mathab is a

purely theoretical school of thought. One critic said: ‘The Shafi Mathab is

currently and always has been a strictly academic,

non-practical and theo-retical ivory-tower Mathab’. Could you pro-

vide examples that show this not to be the case.

A: The practical nature of all four schools of Sunni Islam is established by the fact that

Muslims all over the world have lived their lives accord-

ing to the dictates of each of these schools for over a mil-lennium. To claim that any of

the four schools has never been practical or applicable

goes against this plain fact and requires proof. The

Prophet � said: ‘The onus of proof is on the one who makes the claim.’ (Bayhaqi)

Answer by: Shaikh Hamza Karamali

Q: What is the status/

ruling of the 2/4 Rakaats Sunnah before the com-pulsory Friday Juma

prayer? Some people claim it to have no basis.

A: It is recommended to pray two or four rakaats be-fore and after the Friday

prayer. The sunnah prayers of Juma are just like the sun-

nah prayers of Zuhr (in num-ber). (al-Anwar 1:161) Ac-cording to Nawawi: the basis

for the sunnah prayers be-fore Juma is the hadith:

‘Between every two adhans there is a prayer,’ and qiyas (analogical reasoning) with

the sunnahs performed be-

fore Zuhr. (Majmu 3:504) Ibn Mas’ud � used to pray four rakaats before and after Juma. (Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1:335) Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: What is the status of

my daughter to my step-father? Would she be al-lowed to be alone with

him and appear without hijab in front of him?

A: She is his mahram (member of unmarriageable

relatives) and does not have to wear hijab in front of him. (Reliance of the Traveller,

6.2 [7]). She also may be alone with him.

Answer by: Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Q: Is there substantiation for the fact that a per-

son’s fingernails, hair and blood return to them in

the hereafter; therefore, one should not cut one’s nails or cut one’s hair in a

state of janabah (major impurity) because these

body parts with return in the hereafter in janabah? A: Some scholars have

stated it, while others ob-jected to it. A narration at-

tributed to the Prophet � that he prohibited clipping the nails, etc., when in a

state of major ritual impurity has been noted as a fabrica-

tion in Tanzih al-Shari’ah al-Marfu’ah ‘an al-Ahadith al-Shani’ah al-Mawdu’ah

2:85) Therefore, under this discussion there is no sound

hadith that would prohibit cutting the nails, etc., while

in a state of major ritual im-purity. � Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

SHAFI Q & ASHAFI Q & ASHAFI Q & ASHAFI Q & A From various Ulama

www.shafiifiqh.com

http://www.islamicfocus.co.za/index.php?option=com_rss&feed=RSS2.0&no_html=1

6 Islamic Focus

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

www.askimam.org | www.askmufti.co.za | www.daruliftaa.net

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: Can the child for whom

Aqeeqah is done, eat the meat? Must the meat be

distributed in a cooked form or raw? Is Aqeeqah still valid if one has be-

come baligh (mature) A: Aqeeqah is the sacrificial

animal offered on the occa-sion of birth. The practice of Aqeeqah is Sunnah. To offer

Aqeeqah on the 7th day fol-lowing the birth of the child

is preferable. Aqeeqah can also be done after one has passed the age of physical

maturity. Generally Aqeeqah is offered after the birth of

the child when it is impossi-ble for the child to partake of

the Aqeeqah. However if the Aqeeqah was done later in life it would be permissible

for one to consume his/her own Aqeeqah. It may also be

distributed both cooked and raw.

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: If a marriage contract or certificate was not signed at the time of Ni-

kah (marriage), will the Nikah be valid?

A: For Nikah to be solem-nised, it is not a pre-requisite that a contract be signed or

to have textual documents. The basic requirements for a

valid marriage according to Islamic law are the following two:

1) Offer and acceptance.

It is imperative to have an offer from either: a) the fe-male (herself or her guard-

ian/agent whom she appoints to pronounce the offer on her

behalf), b) or male (or his agent). Likewise, in order for Nikah to be complete, it is

necessary that an acceptance

from the male or female (or

their agents) takes place. This offer and acceptance

must be heard and under-stood clearly. The offer and acceptance have to be ren-

dered with words which give the meaning of something

being established in present. Any word which portrays the meaning of a

promise or it relates to the future will not be valid.

2) Witnesses. There must be a presence of at least two

male witnesses or one male and two female witnesses,

who hear and clearly under-stand this offer and accep-

tance. The offer, acceptance and the presence of the wit-nesses must all take place in

the same session and at the same place. These two pro-

nouncements of offer and ac-ceptance are fundamental for a valid marriage contract ac-

cording to Islam. They must be verbal and not merely

written in order that they are heard and understood clearly by the witnesses. Hence, if a

valid offer and acceptance in the presence of two male

witnesses or one male and two female witnesses took place, the couple are mar-

ried. Checked by: Mufti Husain Kadodia

Q: I offered the two sun-

nats after the Fardh of Maghrib behind someone who was praying the

Fardh of Esha. Will this be valid or will the two Ra-

kaats be Nafil? A: Sunnah Salaahs come un-

der the same ruling as Nafl Salaahs. If you offered your Sunnah Muakkadah be-

hind an Imam who was offer-

ing his Fard Salaah, your

Sunnah Salaah will be valid. Checked by: Mufti Husain Kadodia

Q: Is it permissible for me to keep my business open during Juma Salaah after

the Juma Athan if non Muslim employees are

running it? A: It will be permissible for you to keep your shop open

after the Juma Athan. Your non Muslim employees are

working at that time and they have no obligation of

Juma salaah. Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q:Is it permissible to do

acts of Isaale Sawab (transfer of reward) for a

living person? (E.g. a per-son who is suffering from a terminal illness)

A: It is permissible to do acts of good deeds and gift the

rewards to another person, dead or alive.

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: Can post-mortems be used for solving crimes?

A: Post-mortems, even though not condoned in Is-lamic law, can be used in Is-

lamic Courts as supporting evidence. It cannot be the

sole evidence to prove a huge crime like murder which entails inflicting severe

punishment on the criminal. Post-mortems cannot replace

witnesses who must be pre-sent to testify to the charges in question. With post-

mortems, there is always a percentage of mistakes in

the analysis; and the pre-scribed punishments for seri-

ous crimes in Islam (Hudood) are dropped off at the least doubt. (Ashbah Wan-nazair,

Allama Ibn Nujaim) �

mortems be

http://www.youtube.com/user/IslamicFocus

7 Islamic Focus

Enrich your web experience. Not all content

on all sites Islamic-compliant. Consult Ulama.

� www.islamfactory.com - News, articles � www.occupiedpalestine.wordpress.co

m - Blog � www.hajjsafe.com - Anti-theft Ihram

waist bag � www.muslimfamilyday.org - USA � www.dua.org.za - Azaadville Darul Uloom � http://nadwifoundation.co.uk/ -

Sheikh Akram Nadwi � www.lastprophet.info - Islamic portal � www.duzak.org - Darul Uloom Zakariyya � http://tablighuddeen.com/ - Articles � www.muslimlinkpaper.com - Newspaper

in Baltimore and Washington, USA � www.alghurabaa.org - Articles, books,

audio � www.dhikrullah.com - Blog portal � www.historyofandalus.wordpress.com -

History of Muslim Spain � www.khanqah.co.za - Khanqah Ashrafia

Akhtaria, Hafiz Muhammad Yunus Patel � www.tvquran.com/en/ - Large database

of Quranic reciters � Support Sensible Surfing

INTERNET / IN

SPIRATIO

N

The 92-year-old, well-poised and proud lady,

who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and

makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed

away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. I provided a

visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her

window. ‘I love it,’ she stated with the enthu-siasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

‘Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room, just

wait.’ ‘That doesn't have anything to do with it,’ she replied. ‘Happiness is something you

decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furni-ture is arranged, it's how I arrange my mind. I

already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a

choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be

thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift.’

And with a smile, she said, ‘Remember five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred. 2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less.’ �

Westend Shopping Centre Tel: 041 481 9123 Fax: 041 482 2326 Cell: 084 329 8507

Variety of Cakes, Biscuits and

various Savouries

Custom-made Cakes to Meet

the Occasion

Westend Shopping Centre Tel: 041 481 9123 Fax: 041 482 2326 Cell: 084 329 8507

http://issuu.com/islamicfocus/docs

8 Islamic Focus

SUNNAH / COMPARITIVE

The 10th of Muharram, known as the day of

Aashura, is sacred in Islam. The fast of this day was compulsory prior to the fast of Rama-

dan becoming compulsory. On this day, ten Prophets were honoured:

Musa � was saved from Pharoah, Nuh �’s ship came to rest after the floods on Mt Ararat in Turkey, Yunus � was delivered from the belly of the gigantic fish, the repentance of

Aadam � was accepted, Yusuf � was rescued from the well in which his brothers

dumped him (he was 7 years old at the time), Eesa � was born and on this day was raised up alive to the heavens, Dawood �’s repentance was accepted after he delivered a verdict which was not of the standard

expected of him by Allah, Ayyub � was cured of a skin disease which lasted for 18 years,

Yaqoob �’s sight was restored after he became blind due to excessive crying over the loss of his beloved son Yusuf �, and Sulaiman � was granted a kingdom which no one before or after enjoyed: he ruled over

man, jinn, the wind, birds and mountains. Things to do on this day:

1. Fast. The Prophet � said regarding the fast of Aashura: ‘I have hope in Allah that it will

compensate for the previous year’s sins.’ (Muslim)

2. Spend on the family. ‘Whoever spends lavishly on his family on the day of Aashura,

Allah will grant him lavish sustenance for the rest of the year.’ (Baihaqi) �

Adapted from article by Mufti Siraj Desai

Christianity claims to be a religion of peace,

yet the facts prove otherwise:

The word sword appears 448 times in 404 verses of the Bible. In one verse, the following words are attributed to Jesus �: ‘Do not sup-pose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a

sword.’ (Matthew 10:34) The Crusaders showed ample proof of having

taken this to heart. The Crusades were wars blessed by the Church and Pope, yet this is

what they managed to do: First Crusade: In 1099 the crusaders entered

Jerusalem and massacred the Jewish and Mus-lim civilians and pillaged mosques and the city

itself. It also unleashed violence against Jews in France and Germany.

Second Crusade: The Crusaders slaughtered the Jewish population of the Rhineland.

Third Crusade: King Richard of England mur-

dered 3,000 Muslims including women and children after capturing Acre.

Fourth Crusade: The Crusaders sacked the Christian city of Constantinople in 1204 for

three days, during which many Roman and Greek works were destroyed. The magnificent Library of Constantinople was destroyed and

the Crusaders ruthlessly destroyed the city's churches and monasteries.

This is the tip of the Bible legacy of the sword which continued through colonialism and up to

today. �

Be informed by inviting IslamicFocus on Mxit: 27786727797

9 Islamic Focus

BIO

GRAPHY / S

OCIAL

There are great rewards for having good char-

acter and severe warnings for abandoning it:

Defense. Whoever defends a brother (Muslim) who is being reviled, Allah will de-fend him and aid him in this world and the

hereafter. Whoever refrains from defending a Muslim who is being reviled while having the

ability to defend, Allah will apprehend him in this world and the hereafter. (Sharhus Sun-nah)

Faults. Whoever observes a fault of another

and conceals that fault (not advertising it), is (in reward) like one who has saved the life of a girl who was being buried alive. (Ahmad)

Hunger. He is not a perfect Muslim who eats

while his neighbor remains hungry. (Baihaqi)

Needs. He who fulfills a need of a person in order to give him pleasure, has given me (the Prophet �) pleasure; whoever has given me pleasure has given Allah pleasure; whoever has given pleasure to Allah, He will give him

Paradise. (Baihaqi) Seventy three acts of pardon are recorded for

a person who aids a man in difficulty. Of these (73 pardons) one is sufficient for the rectifica-

tion of all his affairs. The other 72 will serve as means for the acquisition of lofty stages in the hereafter. (Baihaqi)

Whenever a Muslim visits a sick brother

(Muslim) or merely goes to meet a brother, then Allah says: ‘You are holy, your walking is holy, you have arranged your abode in Para-

dise.’ (Tirmizi) � Hayaatul Muslimeen, pg 89-91

Not much is known about the life of this hero

of Islam in its last days in Spain. He was a knight from a royal lineage. He reproached the

Muslim king of Granada Abu Abdullah Muham-mad in 1489 for his submission to the Chris-tians and strove to rekindle the spirit of Jihad

among the Muslims in Spain.

When Ferdinand V invited the Muslim king to surrender, Musa sent a biting reply, stating: ‘If the Christian king wishes to take our weapons,

let him come and win them, but let him win them dearly. For my part, sweeter were a

grave beneath the walls of Granada, on the spot I had died to defend, than the richest couch within her palaces, earned by submis-

sion to the disbeliever.’

Musa headed the cavalry and led it several times to neighbouring Christian forts to

counter Ferdinand’s attacks. All the Muslim forts around fell and the Christians besieged Granada for seven severe months. Musa kept

up the spirits of the suffering defenders, will-ing everyone to fight to the death. King Abu

Abdullah and his council eventually agreed to surrender the last Muslim hold on Spain. Musa warned them the Christians would violate the

treaty, wore his armour and rode out alone. Christian sources record that 15 Christian

cavaliers that night came upon a Muslim knight whose horse matched Musa’s. The Mus-lim fought with no care for himself. He was

wounded together with his horse and at length flung himself into a river to escape capture.

Such was the glorious end of a warrior of Is-lam. As for those who surrendered, they suf-fered torture at the hands of the Christians

and Muslims never again ruled in Spain. �

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: islamicfocus@gmail.com www.islamicfocus.co.za

Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com

10 Islamic Focus

Sea Food Take-out

Tel: 041 586 1068

HISTO

RY / M

USLIM INFLUENCE

A hand cannon is an early form of firearm. It

is possibly the oldest type of portable firearm. It is a forerunner of the handgun as well as

muskets and later rifles. While the exact ori-gins are unknown, it is known that hand can-nons were used in the Battle of Ain Jalut in

1260 by Muslim forces against the Mongols. The gunpowder formulae were almost identical

with the ideal composition for explosive gun-powder.

The hand cannon was widely used until the 1520s in Europe and Asia. The earliest surviv-

ing documentary evidence for the use of hand cannons are from several Arabic manuscripts dated to the 14th century.

The hand cannon was followed by the musket.

Here too, Muslims played an important role with the Chinese adopting the Ottoman kneel-

ing position in firing. Muslim Mughals intro-duced muskets to India in 1519. The guns came into wide use by not only the Indian

Mughal Empires but also by Rival South Indian kingdoms. �

Muslims in Sri Lanka are 10% of the popula-

tion or around 2 million. The Muslim commu-nity is divided into three main ethnic groups:

Sri Lankan Moors (92%), Indians, and Malays (5%) with small numbers of Sinhalese con-verts. With the arrival of Arab traders in the

8th century, Islam began to flourish in Sri Lanka.

The first Muslims were Arab merchants and their native wives, whom they married after

converting to Islam. By the 15th century, Arab traders controlled much of the trade on the

Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka's. Many of them settled there spreading Islam. Their de-scendants are the Moors. During the 18th and

19th centuries, Javanese and Malaysian Mus-lims were bought over by the Dutch and Brit-

ish as soldiers or political prisoners. Their de-scendants are Malays. Muslims from India ar-

rived during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs De-

partment handles Muslim affairs. There are 5,000 Musjids, 749 Muslim schools, 205 Madr-

resas and an Islamic university. �

� Subscribe to our free enewsletter online or by emailing us

DECEMBER

2: Mufti Zubair Bayat. Juma at Musjid Mumineen, Uitenhage. Ladies program 35 Selago Cres. 3-4pm

3: Darul Uloom Old Students’ Reunion after Maghrib | 3: Musjid Qudama Souk. Sports Centre, Uth

4: Darul Uloom Jalsa 10am-Zuhr. Lunch for all. Guest speaker: Mufti Zubair Bayat

6,7,8 & 13,14,15 Marriage Seminar Musjid Taqwa. Speakers: Mufti Siraj Desai, Sheikh Shamil Panday

8: Moulana Moosa Leher of Cii. Midnight Express at Azhar school. 8-9:30pm 9: Juma at Musjid Taqwa

Talk at Musjid Mumineen, Uth after Maghrib | Motherwell Musjid Dawah Program. 9: Moulana Mustaqeem Swapi after Maghrib | 10: Sheikh Imaan Nakhoma after Fajr | Guest speaker after Maghrib | 11: Moulana Muhsin

Mbotoli before Zuhr | 9-11: Youth Camp at Pier Street Musjid | 10-14: Darul Ihsan Youth Camp at

Kwantu | 24-26: PE Ijtima. 163 Durban Road, Korsten � Get more updates from our website: www.islamicfocus.co.za

11 Islamic Focus

FOR TH

E LITTLE

ONES

82 DURBAN ROAD, KORSTEN

TEL/FAX: (041) 453 2990

Place your platter order from as little

as R35:

Sandwiches, Bunny Chows, Rooties,

Samoosas, Pies, Curry Bunny,

Chicken Bites

www.islamicfocus.co.za

12 Islamic Focus

73 DURBAN ROAD KORSTEN

PH. 041 451 3060

FINAL FO

CUS

TEQDAS, a local South African app develop-

ment company, has launched an app for Blackberry phones called Islamic Way. It is

designed for use by South African Muslims. Features

Users can search for the contact details and directions to the nearest Masaajid to their cur-

rent location. The app uses GPS but can also triangulate your position between cellphone towers even if your phone doesn’t have GPS.

In addition to this, users can search through

an extensive database containing the details of hundreds of Halaal bakeries, butcheries and restaurants. These searches can be fil-

tered by name, address, suburb or simply by what’s near a user’s current location.

A new feature added is the Salaat time calcu-

lator that gives daily prayer times based on the user’s position as well as the option to save these times as an alarm.

TEQDAS is planning to add additional features

to the app over the next few months. The TEQDAS team are already testing a number of new features, including a Zakaat calculator

and a number of ‘Live Community’ features that will send news, events and other religious

communication straight to your Blackberry De-vice.

It is designed to run on Blackberry devices with OS 5 and above.

It is currently available for download on Black-berry App World. There is a free trial version

and an option to purchase the full version. �

Zenkai journeyed to Edo and became the re-

tainer of a high official. He fell in love with the official’s wife and was discovered. In self-

defense, he slew the official. Then he ran away with the wife.

Both later became thieves. But the woman was so greedy that Zenkai grew disgusted. Fi-

nally, leaving her, he journeyed far away and became a wandering mendicant. To atone for his past, Zenkai resolved to accomplish some

good deed in his lifetime. Knowing of a dan-gerous road over a cliff that had caused the

death and injury of many persons, he resolved to cut a tunnel through the mountain there.

Begging food in the daytime, Zenkai worked at night digging his tunnel for 30 years. Two

years before the work was completed, the son of the official he had slain found Zenkai out

and came to kill him in revenge. ‘I will give you my life willingly,’ said Zenkai. ‘Only let me finish this work. On the day it is completed,

you may kill me.’ So the son awaited the day. Several months passed and Zenkai kept on

digging. The son grew tired of doing nothing and began to help with the digging. After he had helped for more than a year, he came to

admire Zenkai’s strong will and character. At last the tunnel was completed and the people

could use it and travel in safety. ‘Now cut off my head,’ said Zenkai. ‘My work

is done.’ ‘How can I cut off my own teacher’s head?’ asked the younger man with tears in

his eyes. We are the slaves of those who teach us Islam

and should show them utmost respect. �

ISSN 2223 - 1110 (Print) | ISSN 2223 - 1129 (Online)