Rabi' ul Thaany 21,1435/February 21,2014 Issue No. 564

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

Friday BulletinThe

The Weekly Muslim News Update

www.islamkenya.org

INSET: The CEO of Da'awa Development Group Sheikh Musa Ismail distributes food to Akai Ekomua, the Turkana wom-an who was driven by famine to slaugh-ter a dog to feed her children. ABOVE: Relief food from the Da'wa Group ready for distibution to famine stricken victim-ins in Turkan

Muslims have been called to get involved in the ongoing relief efforts to help alleviate the threat of starvation facing residents of Turkana.The call was made by the chairman of the Ki-sumu based Da’wa Development Group (DDG) Abdulqadir Omar who described the situation as deplorable and said there is urgent need for concerted efforts to give a helping hand to those facing starvation.He added that Muslims were under obligation to support the suffering regardless of their faith stressing that they have a responsibility to as-sist their counterparts in Turkana with water and food aid to stem the looming threat of hunger. “If the Prophet, peace be upon him gave good tidings of paradise to a prostitute who fed a thirsty dog, what impact will it be to assist a human being facing the threat of death due to

Parliament to investigate Masjid Musa raid

A parliamentary committee is to com-mence investigation into the Febru-ary 2 police raid on Masjid Musa in Mombasa County which left eight people dead.The chair of the departmental com-mittee on administration of justice and national security Asman Kama-ma acknowledged that the matter was “a weighty issue” among Mus-lims and pledged to give a statement in a week’s time.He was responding to a demand for a statement from the MP for Mvita Ab-dulswamad Sharrif Nassir who called for action to be taken against police officers who was involved in the raid which led to the death of innocent people.The MP accused the police of violat-ing the sanctity of the mosque and said there was no reason which war-ranted the storming of the mosque which occurred after the worshippers had concluded afternoon prayers. “Police officers raided masjid Musa and attacked worshippers all on the fighting terrorism,” he said.“During the raid, eight innocent peo-ple who had no inclination whatso-ever to any terror organization were killed and a number of them injured,” he added.Among those who were arrested, the MP said, were 55 minors some of whom were mentally unstable.Abdulswamad wondered why the police saw it fit to attack a place of worship without taking the necessary restraint which could have prevented loss of lives.The legislator further demanded the security agencies to produce Salim Hemed whose arrest was captured by television cameras but his where-abouts remain unknown.The chair of the departmental Com-mittee Asman told the police that they have an obligation to produce the missing person and pledged that Muslim leaders will be invited to pre-sent their evidence to the committee on the probe to get to the bottom of what happened during the fateful day.

Continued To Page 2

starvation,” he said.He said while there are ongoing efforts to help address the challenge, the mag-nitude of the problem was immense and it calls for more determined efforts from various stakeholders to help mitigate the problem.The chairman said his organizations was exploring avenues to undertake long term measures to help address the challenges of drought faced in the area and other drought prone areas around the country.“Our mission was a fact finding mission and it is necessary to put in place long term measures to help address the prob-lems of hunger experienced in different parts of the country,” he said.

Call to help hunger stricken Turkana

The Friday Bulletin

2

Rabi' Ul Thaany 21, 1435/February,21 2014

State should address challenges facing Muslim youth

Appeal for hunger victims

EDITORIAL

Masjid Mussa in Mombasa County was on Sunday February 2 in the headlines after a police raid which left scores of people dead and many others injured.Security forces stormed the mosque after the afternoon prayers in response to what they described as organized effort to recruit and train youths in “jihadist activities”.Muslims like any other citizens ,have a civic right to assembly and discuss issues of their concern in a peaceful manner and through following the laid down rules and regulations without in-terfering with others. It is also acknowledged fact that the police have a legal duty to protect the lives and property of the citizens.But senseless loss of lives through reckless use of force is unac-ceptable and there was no reason whatsoever which warranted the police to storm the mosque especially soon after the prayers which normally attract many people, some of whom were not participating in activities going on at the mosque.However,as much as we abhor the violence and acknowledge the anger that comes with events of this day, we wish to call upon the Muslim community and especially the youth to restrain themselves against any acts of revenge or perpetuated anger.They should instead seek to address their grievances through peaceful means and allow the Muslim leadership to sort out the sticky issues with the relevant authorities.It is hoped that reason will prevail when dealing with the chal-lenges facing Kenyan Muslims in view of Sunday's confronta-tions, but all these conceded.Muslim leaders and the government must use this opportunity to address the intrinsic challenges facing the Muslim youth today and seek long-term solutions for them.

Without addressing these challenges, the Muslim youth will al-ways remain vulnerable to many elements that are out to exploit such youths.In addressing the challenges facing the youth today, the gov-ernment and the Muslim leaders must acknowledge several things- that Kenya is today a vital player in global politics, but despite these many challenges, the leaders and authorities must appreciate that Muslim youths are as enthusiastic as any other Kenyan youths about the day to day issues affecting their lives.Muslim youths are very patriotic to their country and like other Kenyans want good education, a good healthcare system, good governance and general orderly society.And like any other youths, they are concerned about national is-sues such as corruption, democratic governance and equitable distribution of resources. Some of the challenges were brought to light and presented to the Presidential Action Committee on grievances of the Muslim community on harassment and discrimination.In this regard, the government need to act and implement the Abdullahi Sharawe report and the Muslim leadership in Kenya should start providing proper leadership in addressing the plight of Muslim youth through dialogues and consultations.Muslim scholars have an added responsibility of living up to their roles and provided the much needed leadership and guidance to the community. It is rather disappointed that the scholars have chosen to abdicate their responsibility and left a vacuum which have been filled by others who have done little to address the challenges facing the youth and the community in general.

The Da’wa Group in partnership with a United Arab Emirates charitable organization Dar al Ber Society donated foodstuffs worth Sh 1.8 million to the starving people of Turkana.Areas which benefitted from the progamme include Kakuma and Lopur in Turkana West.More than 400,000 people face starvation in the county and scores of families have migrated to the neighbouring Uganda in search of food and pasture for livestock.

Somali refugees unlawfully forced out of country-Amnesty

Continued From Page 1

Widespread intimidation, the abuse of human rights and the with-drawal of services are forcing Somali refugees out of Kenya, said Amnesty International in a report published on Wednesday. “The environment in Kenya is now so hostile that some refugees feel they have no option but to return to Somalia where the ongoing conflict in parts of the country continues to destroy lives. This is tantamount to forced return” said Sarah Jackson, Deputy Region-al Director at Amnesty International.Amnesty International’s report “No Place Like Home” reveals how life for Somali refugees has been made unbearable. People are denied access to registration, meaning they are illegally staying in Kenya, and are actively targeted by the police with indiscriminate arrests. “The combination of insecurity and harassment has left refugees struggling to survive in Kenya. They are effectively being pushed out of their safe havens. For returns to be legal, they must be vol-untary. That means without undue pressure, with their safety and dignity guaranteed. At present we are extremely concerned that these criteria will not be met” said Sarah Jackson. “Here, in Kenya, it’s like a prison. At night we can’t leave the house, in the day we might be arrested. It is not currently safe in Somalia, we hear of killings and murder, but the situation here is very desperate… so instead of being here, let me go back,” la-mented 28-year-old Somali refugee Abdi, about his plight.Last November, in the wake of the al-Shabab attack on Westgate in Nairobi, the governments of Somalia and Kenya met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and signed an agreement setting out a framework for the return of hundreds of thousands of refugees to Somalia. This programme is expected to start imminently.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refu-gees (UNHCR)’s own guidelines, a refugee’s decision to return can only be considered voluntary if it is motivated by positive ‘pull-factors’ in Somalia and not by pressure for them to leave Kenya.The vast majority of refugees interviewed by Amnesty Interna-tional felt they were being compelled to leave Kenya. Those that have returned to conflict areas in Somalia risk persecution and retribution. “According to international law, voluntary returns can only take place when safety and dignity is guaranteed. How can this be possible when grave human rights abuses happen on a daily basis in Somalia?” said Sarah Jackson.“The Kenyan government and UNHCR are duty bound to protect refugees in Kenya. Pressuring people to return to areas of active armed conflict where their lives and freedom are at risk is prohib-ited under international law.”

3

The Friday Bulletin

Da'wa

As adults, we lose much of the simplicity we once knew as chil-dren.Islam is very simple; but as adults we make it seem so very com-plicated. The message of Islam has existed since the beginning of time, and its message is for all people. The message of Islam can be summed up as follows: There is one Allah; and that Allah speaks to His Creation. All the rest is amplifying that message.Such a simple message speaks to the hearts of all. Imagine those miners in Chile who were trapped underground for many weeks. Whether they were religious men or not, they would each one of them have prayed to be saved. Whether or not people accept the fact that Allah exists, troubles and tragedies often mean He is the first one they should turn to.In a simple way, Islam answers that need of men and women. Without popes or priests interceding on their behalf, Islam teach-es that we can all bow down to our Creator and speak to Him di-rectly. As Muslims, we should never forget this simplicity of Islam.It is when we do forget it in talking to others, that we can make it sound like any other organized religion. And modern men and women are not too fond of organized religion. There comes a point, though, when we need to deepen our faith. Those new to Islam want to grow in their faith. They want to become better and better all the time.It is relatively easy to declare the words of “Shahadah” (testimony of faith: that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger), but it takes the rest of one's life to live up to those words. If we don't progress from that first day when we accepted Islam, then we have not made much progress in becoming better Muslims, have we? This deepening comes both in terms of knowl-edge and in the way we behave.To become better Muslims, then, we need to make progress. This applies either to those who accepted Islam when they were sev-enty years old or to those who were born Muslims. New Muslims can often feel overwhelmed with all the details they have to learn about Islam. The danger here is that all these details can turn into facts to be learned, rather than ways of helping us to become better.It isn't always helpful to use Arabic words in explaining things to those who have newly embraced Islam, but there is one Arabic word which is very important here, which we need to understand. This word is “Ihsan”. From the beginning of time He planned that we would be Muslim, the person He wanted us to be. And when we are laid in the grave we will finally have become that person. So, how do we grow as Muslims? How do we become better? How can we possibly ever be like Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)?Translating it into an English word, though, is very difficult. Enough to say, that when we have reached the level of “Ihsan” as Muslims, we have reached the level Allah wants us to be. When we under-stand what “Ihsan” is, we will have understood what it is to be a Muslim. The word “Ihsan” comes from an Arabic root word that means a number of things.This root word can mean: to do right; to improve; to be in a desir-able condition or in a proper state; to decorate or embellish; and to treat with kindliness. The word also means perfection / excel-lence while doing anything. In Arabic, one who practices “Ihsan” is called a “Muhsin”. The plural of “Muhsin” is “Muhsineen”. We know that Allah loves “Muhsineen”, because he tells us so in the Quran: “Whoever submits himself to Allah and is a Muhsin (one who is good) then his reward is with his Lord, on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (2:112)What a remarkable progress we will have made in life if we no longer fear or grieve. Isn't that something the whole world is look-ing for? Being Muslim, though, means more than knowing the correct way

By Idris Tawfiq

Becoming Better Muslims How to Reach the Level of Excellence (Ihsan)

to perform ablution or the correct postures to use in prayers. “Ih-san” includes sincerity during prayers and being grateful to par-ents, family, and to Allah. Of all the words used to translate the Arabic word “Ihsan” into Eng-lish, my preferred word is Goodness. This may not be technically correct, but it sums up for us what we are trying to achieve in be-coming better Muslims. We are, in fact, trying to be better people, people who think of Allah and be good to others all the time.When we reach “Ihsan”, the level of real goodness in our lives, everything we do is for Allah's sake – and people will see it! There are some people we meet in life who have a big impact on us be-cause they are such good people. As Muslims, we strive each day to become like those people.How wonderful it would be if people would point to a Muslim in the street and declare him or her to be a Muslim because of the goodness of their lives. Such a person would not only be faithful to prayer and eager to do everything the Prophet (peace be upon him) did, but would be a good husband and father. He would be a loyal and trustworthy friend, an honest and conscientious worker, a kind and generous person. In attributing everything in his life to Allah, that person would have become a “Muhsin”, one who has reached the level of “Ihsan”.There are many places in the Quran where we read about “Ihsan” and those who practice it. Allah tells us: {Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.} (Al-Maidah 5:13)In another place He says: {And spend in the way of Allah and do not throw (yourselves) with your (own) hands into destruction (by refraining). And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.} (Al-Baqarah 2:195)And again He says: {Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.} (Yusuf 12:90)The question for us, though, is how to reach such a level of good-ness. How do we become good persons? How do we become really good Muslims, whose goodness is obvious to everyone?Well, obviously, such goodness isn't given to everyone. Even the one who is most steadfast and diligent in observing the five daily prayers at the proper times is not always generous and kind. Even the one who can tell us everything about Islam and lecture on its merits to big audiences is not always a gentle and caring person.There are some people who each day divertingly hear the birds singing in the trees, whilst other people only hear background noise. There are some whose hearts are touched by the suffer-ing of the poor in their midst, whilst others only find beggars a nuisance.So, as Muslims, what do we do to reach the level of “Ihsan”?We can only give a few hints, and even then all of our efforts will depend on Allah's grace. It is He who gifts us with goodness. A combination of all of these things will help us in our journey to be better.1- The one who would be a better Muslim needs, first of all, to know enough about Islam. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) urged us to: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon all Mus-lims." (Ibn Majah) To our dying die we need to be thirsty to under-stand more about the message of Islam, which has touched the hearts of billions of people throughout history.

Rabi' Ul Thaany 21, 1435/February,21 2014

Topic: Sababu ya Imaan KudhoofikaBy: Ustadha Amina Atilala 23rd February 2014

TIME: 2.00 pm -4.00 pm Venue: Makina Mosque Kibera

SUNDAY LECTURE Continued To page 4

The Friday Bulletin

WOMEN

4

The Valentine's Day Traps of New Muslims

Rabi' Ul Thaany 21, 1435/February,21 2014

Shannon Abulnasr

Valentine's Day...ahhhh, the day of “love”!I'm not going to jump into the evolution of Valentine's day to what it is today, nor the innovation it is to practice in Islam.Instead of a history lesson, or barking rules, I would rather give warnings to Muslims and new Muslims about the traps we can fall into, and how we should feel about the intended methods of expressing love in Islam.New Muslims usually learn very quickly that in Islam love has a different approach than it did before accepting Islam. Since in Is-lam, we do not “date” and intermingle with the opposite sex, it can cause a new Muslim to feel lost in their “journey of love”.While learning about the tricks of Satan (shaitan), which are well hidden behind the mask of red roses, and boxes of chocolate, we can be more on guard and prevent ourselves from falling into such traps.The “Single” New Muslim TrapsSingle new Muslims, still having the lingering emotional attach-ment that comes with Valentine's Day, can really play a number on them. Many become depressed because they still don't know how to find a spouse, or to find one they are compatible with, leav-ing them to feel they will forever be alone. This is most prevalent amongst the new Muslim brothers, more so than the sisters.I've had numerous new Muslim brothers telling me that they are fed up with their search for a spouse, and have considered look-ing for a non-Muslim spouse instead. This shows me that there is a big problem for new Muslim brothers when it comes to finding a mate. This is potentially dangerous because it can tempt them into haram (unlawful) relationships with non-Muslims.Although they are permitted to marry from the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), the approach is what makes it difficult be-cause they don't want to approach marriage in the same regards a Muslim is required to do so. As a result, the brothers tend to resort back to their “pre-Islam” way of interacting with the opposite sex when they feel they can't find a Muslim to marry– but not always of course. Non-Muslims in the West will not agree to be in a relationship without touching and kissing, and even without intercourse. Many do not respect the sanctity of marriage and chastity in these days and times. It is difficult to find a non-Muslim in the West that would accept such a “cold” seeming relationship. This is a jihad for the new Muslim brothers.So, what should they do to overcome these feelings during the time period leading up to and including Valentine's Day that has engulfed the non-Muslim mindset?The “In a Relationship” New Muslim TrapsSome new Muslims may actually still be in a relationship with a non-Muslim, or even a Muslim that they were dating from before they accepted Islam. It is complicated, especially when holidays that revolve around “love and intimacy” come around. It all boils down to avoiding haram situations.We can't even think about Valentine's Day, when the bigger issue we face is that we are in a haram relationship to begin with. New Muslims in this situation are stuck in a state of limbo. They “love” their boyfriend/girlfriend, and don't want to break up simply be-cause they accepted a new religion. Some feel they should stay in it for the sake of dawah too. So, what should they do?No one will ever like to hear the typical advice for this situation, which I agree with, which is to end such relationships. More harm can come from staying in these relationships than leaving them. We need to worry more about pleasing Allah instead of people. If they truly care about your relationship with Allah, they will under-stand and accept, and if they don't, then that is a clear indicator that they are not a good match for you in regards to protecting your deen.

You have to just put your trust in Allah, and pray for it to be easy on you.It really isn't worth all the sins that you would accumulate to stay in such relationships. It may in fact cause that person to have respect for you in the end, because they will see your dedication to being a good Muslim, and may cause them to be interested in learning more about Islam since they saw you do something so big for the sake of Allah!Let's be realistic, and face it... How many sins are you accumulat-ing by staying in this relationship? If we review just the basics, you will have sins for: 1- touching, kissing, etc. 2- being alone without mahrams 3- inappropriate speech between one another 4- lusting after the other 5- exposing awrah 6- intercourse outside of mar-riage (be realistic, it is more likely than not... going to happen) 7- lying to others to hide it 8- repeating all the previous seven things daily. Is it really worth all that?Satan is very active in relationships outside marriage, so remem-ber what Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us about how that when a man and a woman are together alone, the Shay-tan (Satan) is the third wheel. (Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi)For those born and raised in Islam, that are involved in such re-lationships, you are spreading the wrong impression about Islam and how the status of women is raised in Islam. How can you honestly feel good about having a haram relationship with a wom-an outside of marriage?Even if, and when they convert to Islam and learn all this, you can probably expect them to not have respect for you knowing that you were willing to do such a thing! More likely than not, once they learn this about Islam, they will leave you, so it would be all for nothing! Be responsible and give non-Muslims and new Muslims the correct image of Islam about love and marriage from the beginning, because you are not 'helping' anyone by doing this.All of these things are considered cooperating in sin and trans-gression and disobedience to Allah, who tells us: “Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Al-lah. Verily, Allah is severe in punishment.” (5:2)

Dress-making Tutor/Seamstress

Well established Training Institute in Nairobi CBD is looking for a person to fill a full time position for a tutor in dressmaking department. A suitable candidate should:--Be a Muslim ladyA Diploma holder of Fashion design & garment making from a recognized institution or • Have successfully passed Trade test -Grade 1 from the Directorate of Industrial Training • Have at least TWO years’ working experience • Possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills • Computer literate. The candidate must be able to work with minimum or no supervision. She must have a high commitment to qual-ity. Closing date for applications: Friday 28th February 2014.NB: ONLY SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WILL BE CALLED FOR AN INTERVIEW.To apply, Drop your CV and relevant testimonials to:

The Administrator ,Jamia Mosque Committee

Nairobi

Continued To page 4

The Friday Bulletin

5

YOUTH

Nowadays, one of the greater obstacles that young Muslims face when it comes to marriage is the opposition they face from their family elders regarding their choice of spouse.There can be many grounds for this opposition, e.g. race, ethnic-ity, cultural disparity, level of religious commitment, age difference, chosen profession of the prospective spouse, and family back-ground, to name a few.There are more chances of conflict between generations when they are not on the same page in other areas as well, e.g. lifestyle choices, frank and friendly communication, mutual respect and compassion, as well as moral and religious inclination.For example, a young, single person might want to marry some-one belonging to another ethnicity or religion only on the basis of sexual attraction/physical desire, and their parents might not agree with their choice because they can clearly see the red flags of incompatibility leading to future marital disaster.If this conflict persists, the youngster might be ill-advised by friends or colleagues to go ahead with their choice of spouse and marry them any way, ignoring their parents’ opinions, and go off to live an independent life away from their elders’ eyes.However, before any youngster decides to jump the gun in such a manner, and take such a drastic measure, they should pause and try to rationally and objectively reflect upon why their parents are refusing to let them marry the person they like. What are the reasons for their parents’ opposition to that person as a spouse? They should try to communicate in a calm and controlled manner with their parents to find about this.Next, they should reflect upon the relevance, correctness and validity of their parents’ concerns. Nine times out of ten, parents are justified in their reservations about their adult offspring’s deci-sions, and want to protect their offspring from suffering and getting hurt ahead in life.Their more advanced life experience enables them to see the long-term results and outcomes of the choices made by people during young age, and they are all the wiser because of it.The only rare situations in which the opinions of parents can (and should) be undermined when a young singleton is seeking a spouse for marriage, is when their parents are non-Muslims, or much less religiously inclined than them, and their prime reasons for opposing an otherwise religiously compatible match, are purely worldly or cultural in nature e.g. the guy is too short, or he has too many siblings; the mahr being given is not high enough; their daughter will not have her own home to live in after marriage; they only marry within the extended family, not outside; the girl their son likes (their future daughter-in-law) doesn’t yet know how to cook, or she doesn’t have a college degree because she is only 19.As long as the reasons for parents’ reservations regarding their offspring’s choice of spouse are related to things that can change with time (e.g. educational qualification, visa status, professional establishment, size or location of residence, or living arrange-ments), a young singleton should not allow them to turn away good proposals. They should gently and respectfully educate their parents about the commands of Deen related to marriage, to per-suade them to let the small things slide, and not stick to rigid and irrelevant cultural traditions.The best way for a singleton to deal with marriage proposal con-flicts with parents, is to regularly turn to Allah in earnest and sin-cere istikharah prayers, to supplicate for the best decision and decree regarding their marital future.Single people should remember that, even though it might out-wardly seem as if their parents are in-charge of their future, and are turning away perfectly nice proposals for trivial reasons; ulti-mately, all matters related to their future provision and decree have been preordained by Allah, and nothing can turn away from them

Youth Marriage: How Far Parents Shall Be Involved?

Rabi' Ul Thaany 21, 1435/February,21 2014

Continued to page 6

Sadaf Farooqithat which is written for them -- not even their parents, who are standing firmly at the helm, ‘steering their life boat’, so to speak.The Quran on seeking permission of parents before marrying chaste Muslim womenThe Quran enjoins marrying chaste women from among the be-lievers, only after gaining the permission of ‘their people’ (using the Arabic word “ahl” to describe her guardians/family):“So marry them with the permission of their people, and give them their due compensation (mahr), according to what is acceptable..” [4:25]To a newbie in Islam, it might seem outwardly ‘unfair’ that a wom-en needs her guardians’ approval before marrying someone she wants to, whereas a man can go ahead and marry a chaste and religiously committed woman even against his parents’ wishes -- although it is not at all recommended for him to do so.One cursory look at ‘free’, secular and liberal societies where women are supposedly ‘free’ to marry whoever they please, or rather, men are ‘free’ to marry any woman they choose without seeking her parents’ approval first, will give us a clear picture of the inherent wisdom behind Allah’s command that is highlighted in the verse of the Quran above.Fact: Women are the more vulnerable partner in marriageWomen are more prone to being emotionally and physically abused by husbands than vice versa, because the latter have been given more physical strength and emotional indifference as compared to them.What this means is, that it is relatively easier for a man to roam around more freely outside in the world, as he is less at risk of harm to his self or life, and also because he never gets ‘tied down’ with the responsibility of child bearing and rearing as a result of his marriage(s).Men in ‘free’ societies thus end up ‘enjoying’ one no-strings-at-tached sexual relationship after another with women, without com-mitting to marriage or child maintenance (if a child is born).Women, on the other hand, not only endure the physical rigors of pregnancy and birth if they conceive a child, but they are also unable to work at physically tasking jobs that require hard labor and constant travel, while simultaneously catering to full-time child rearing.This narrows down their professional options in seeking suitable employment that will provide for them and their children without physically taxing them beyond their limits, such as office-desk jobs.The ‘freedom’ from parental permission before marriage or ro-mantic relationships with women, mostly leaves them as single mothers carrying a double burden: that of breadwinner as well as child-rearer.Wisdom in Allah’s commandsBecause of these physical and physiological differences between men and women, if the latter were easily available to men for mar-riage without the prerequisite of seeking their guardians’ approval first, it would allow men to go around marrying and divorcing wom-en at their whim and fancy, without taking on the responsibility of their financial maintenance and that of their children.It would allow men to marry anyone they want, and later on aban-don her -- when the onslaught of pregnancies and the addition of little children made her less sexually accessible and pleasurable, and more expensive to maintain.Just taking a casual glance at the social dynamics of secular, “free” societies nowadays, where men do not need the elders’/guardians’ permission to court or marry a woman, and looking at how the women in these societies work full time as single mothers,

The Friday Bulletin

6

Rabi' Ul Thaany 21, 1435/February,21 2014

compromising on their children’s upbringing by placing them in day-care because they have to go to work to provide for them, will make us appreciate the command of Allah that deters men from using women just for pleasure and procreation and guards single women like jewels, not available for all and sundry to use and discard at will.Conclusion:Both the single Muslim youth today and their parents should aim to strike an optimal balance when the time comes for them to marry, which allows their parents to be involved in their choice of spouse, yet provides them with enough freedom of choice to not feel re-stricted due to adherence to obsolete and trivial cultural and worldly beliefs.

How Far Parents Shall Be Involved? Continued from page 5

How to stop radicalisation of Muslim youths-Ahmednassir AbdullahiOPINION

2- In order to be good we need to do good things. In fact, we become good people by the good things we do. Praying five times a day cannot but alter our lives. Helping the poor or those in need cannot but touch our own hearts.3- We need to think very carefully who our friends are. If we are surrounded by bad people, or by people whose lives are consumed in materialism or violence, their behaviors will affect us, too. If our friends are gentle and kind, surely some of their kindness will rub off on us?4- We need to be constantly asking ourselves what our mo-tives are, what our hopes and aspirations are, and why we want to be good Muslims. By constantly asking ourselves questions we avoid the danger of complacency and of doing things just because we have always done them.5- It is important for us to take time out and to reflect. If it is important in a football game for the players to take time out and discuss their strategy to win the game, how much more impor-tant it is for us, as Muslims, to take time out and consider our strategy in life. Apart from the formal times for prayer, we should set aside a few moments from time to time to ponder on where we are in our spiritual journey. At such times we can give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. How often we take for granted the things that are most important to us. We only cry when we have lost them. In rendering thanks to Allah for His kindness, we become better people.6- If we need a benchmark, a measure of how we are pro-gressing as Muslims, we need only to look at the way we treat

Continued from page 3Becoming Better Muslims

other people. Are we courteous and kind to those we meet? Do we greet others with the best of manners?7- Finally, even though there is an immense gap between our de-sire and the reality, we might ask ourselves how much we are like Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Sure, we can pray five times a day, but how alike are we to the best of men ever to have lived. If we strive to be like him, we can only become better. We might never reach our goal, but at least we will make progress day by day. Allah tells us: “And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (29:69)

The events surrounding the riots and police action on Masjid Musa in Mombasa a fortnight ago have puzzled and bewildered many Kenyans. Both the real causes and the true culprits of that event remain contested by the State and a number of Muslim groups.However, it is the prognosis and the spin put on events by the players that should most concern Kenyans. We have heard of the radicalisation of Muslim youth theory from the State and the police to explain the saga.Then we have the employment, neglect and the uneducated and disillusioned theory as an explanation of the problem.Both theories fail to pinpoint the true cause of the riot or provide a rational explanation why Muslim youths are in a state of con-stant confrontation with the government.A number of reasons underline the true causes of this never-ending insurgency by Muslim youths.First, the Muslim community in Kenya has been a victim of the most successful State infiltration and penetration of any organi-sations by the Kenyan intelligence service.Every Muslim organisation in the country has been taken over by a State security agency. Unlike other religions, the State, through the Office of the President and security organs, has tak-en over both grassroots and national Muslim organisations and calls the shots through puppet imams and chairmen of these bodies.One will not have failed to notice that during the electioneering cycles, Muslim organisations are the only religious bodies that explicitly endorse pro-government candidates.The Council of Imams and the Supreme Council of Kenya Mus-lims are a pale shadow of their glorious past. Many Muslims in Kenya have lost faith in Muslim organisations as they believe the State security organs and the Office of the President make the policy decisions for Muslim organisations in the country on a day-to-day basis.The capture of Muslim organisations by the State and its secu-

rity organs had two consequences.First it created a schism between the nominal leaders of these or-ganisations whose loyalty lies with the State and the general Muslim populace who want the State to keep off their religious organisa-tions.This disconnect means that the Muslim followers no longer have re-ligious leaders in the mosques and organisations that are independ-ent of the State and its organs.They have lost respect for their imams and leaders and see them as government puppets and spies.Second, the absence of religious leaders leaves room for younger members and the youth to assume a leadership role as was the case in Masjid Musa in Mombasa.The government, because it doesn’t want to lose its puppet imams and informers, will not allow the overthrow of the status quo. So at this level, the confrontation is one in which the government fights for the retention of certain imams and leaders as they provide the link for State infiltration and dominance of religious discourse within the community.The Kenyan government has an unofficial policy to extra-judicially kill Muslim leaders. In the past two years, more than 20 prominent Muslim leaders have been killed by State security agents.In fact a special unit is in charge of these killings. The victims are identified, debated within the security and policy apparatus, and then a decision made by the political and security leaders to kill.The killings of Muslim leaders fuel the rebellion and agitation with-in the Muslim community. Imagine a scenario where the security agents had a policy to kill Catholic clergy in the country? A bloodbath would have resultedThe agitation at the Coast has a simple solution. The government must withdraw from mosques and madrasas. It must stop determin-ing for Muslims who will lead prayers in their local mosques and who will be the imam.The State should stop its policy to infiltrate Muslim organisations. It must stop extra-judicial killings of Muslims.

The Friday Bulletin

7

NATIONAL

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) has launched a programme aimed at improving the education standard in the Muslim community.The Drivers of Accountability programme (DAP) will be carried out in three predominantly Muslim regions of North Eastern, Upper Eastern and Coast respectively.According to the Eastern Province chairman Abdalla Kamwana, the project's main objective is to empower education stakehold-ers on how to prepare school development plan and annual op-erational plan for smooth management and running of educational institutions, a move which is expected to improve on academic performance. Kamwana further said the programme would involve all players in the education sector who will be engaged in strategies to explore solutions to the perennial poor performance in national examina-tions by Muslim candidates in the regions.The Supkem official further added that the programme is intended to build transparency, improve integrity, promote accountability and strengthen good governance in the management of educational in-stitutions in the three regions in order to improve education stand-ards.Kamwana noted that through the programme, parents and the lo-cal communities would be in an informed position to be aware of their responsibilities and rights in participating in all development programmes.The chairman observed that the poor performance of the three re-gions in national exams was a manifestation of the marginalization the people there have been subjected to over the years where pub-lic schools lacked good facilities and teachers. He however, expressed that the devolved system of government would assist uplift education standard in such marginalized areas.

SUPKEM launches project to address education

Rabi' Ul Thaany 21, 1435/February,21 2014

Women have been urged to maintain the tradition of memorizing the Noble-Quran and taking Madrasa education seriously.This was emphasized during the launch of Women Quran memo-rization class in Lurambi and Shinyalu constituencies, Kakamega county, by Kakamega Jamia Mosque and Islamic centre women secretariat.Speaking at the event, the centre Imam, Sheikh Ibrahim Sadalla said knowledge is the only tool and way to carry the Muslims to the level of being masters of all affairs and asked Muslim women to emulate lady Aisha wife to Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa sallam who was a great woman scholar through whom the companions of the Prophet learnt and benefitted a lot from her knowledge. ''According to the teachings of the Holy Prophet Mu-hammad salallahu alayhi wa sallam,Women or Mothers are the pillars of families and greater responsibility lies on their shoul-ders,'' said Sheikh Sadalla.He noted that the classes will provide the women with chances to participate and enhance their capacity of memorizing the Quran, build self-esteem and nurture their career development.The Imam further pointed out that learning and memorizing the Book of Allah was a fundamental aspect of Islam and urged them to sacrifice more time to realize the objectives of learning the Quran. He called on Muslim scholars and Madrasa teachers to be on the front line in supporting the initiatives to improve on Islamic educa-tion and inculcate the culture of reading the Noble Quran among Muslims.Women leader Amida Abdalla said that the program will be ex-tended to other ten constituencies within the county to improve the status of Muslim women in Islamic education and build strong Islamic faith. She encouraged Muslim women to participate fully in Islamic activities and called on husbands to provide support to their wives to enable them further Islamic knowledge.

Maintain culture of memorizing Quran-Women told

Muslim parents have been urged to support and participate in education matters of their children by instilling and building the culture of reading in them at early stage in order to build their confidence and self esteem.These remarks were made by Asim Ismail the founder of Tarbi-yyah International of Karachi Pakistan, who reminded parents of their primary obligation to provide for the physical and emotional needs of their children with special emphasis on teenagers.''Mentoring begins at home; this is the primary reason as to why it is very important for parents to act as role models for their chil-dren. Islam teaches us to read and as parents we are supposed to inculcate the same to our children,'' he said.He noted that the lack of reading culture in the Muslim community was among the contributory factors of Muslims lagging behind in socio-economic and political development. Asim advised parents to have quality time with their children as this fosters proper up-bringing and guidance, adding that busy schedules were becom-ing a big challenge for the proper growth of their children.He emphasized on upbringing of children based on Islamic val-ues, stating that this will lead to a well mannered and disciplined society. Speaking over the weekend at a workshop on the concept of integrated education adopted by Fajr Academy of Pakistan, Asim stressed that there is need to integrate education system where students master the Quran and Islamic knowledge while at the same time learn contemporary education.The presentation which attracted stakeholders in the education sector was organized by the Girls Training Institute (Maahad).

Instill reading culture in children, parents told

The vice chairman of Jamia Mosque Committee Farouk Adam congratulates a jovial Abdinassir Muhammad after he received his visa to perform the Umra (the minor pilgrimage). Abdinassir emerged the winner in the Quran memorization com-petition which was held during Ramadhan at Jamia Mosque. A well wisher awarded him and his father a fully paid umra pack-age and he leaves the country tomorrow for the pilgrimage which will take him to the sacred cities of Makkah and Madina in Saudi Arabia.

Competition winner to perform Umra

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147 E-mail: fridaybulletin@islamkenya.org. Printed by Graphic Lineups Limited-Kweria Road info@graphic.co.ke

Daawah work in Our PrisonsCriminal rehabilitation is gaining popularity among many who are forward thinking. Such forms of rehabilitation can help to reduce the number of repeat offenders who return to jail after being unable to adapt to life outside of jail. This can also help to solve some of the more serious cases, such as sexual offenders who may con-tinue in their heinous ways after being released, preying on women or children.Criminal rehabilitation can help to solve the problem of overcrowd-ing in most prisons. The criminal population continues growing, as the death penalty has been abolished, and the state would need to spend more on facilities to house criminals.There are statistics showing that only 35 percent of inmates do not make their way back to prison upon their release. This leaves us with a large percentage of released criminals who do commit crimes and end up being repeat offenders. This poses a major dif-ficulty to society as well as a strain. The government has to fork out huge sums to keep tabs on these possible repeat offenders as well as maintaining the prison systems. Needless to say, the possibility of releasing prisoners who might be repeat offenders is a threat to social safety.However, the scenario does have a light at the end of the tunnel. There seems to be a good reason why some former inmates do not return to jail: it appears that their time in incarceration was spent productively, changing some vital aspect of their personality.Education is one of the ways in which this positive change can be effected. Ummah Foundation through its Prisoners Rehabilitation Program has been in the forefront in bringing change in prisons through Islamic teachings and other technical programs. In Na-ivasha maximum prison, Ummah Foundation has established an Education Centre that serves as a mosque for the inmates and an Education hub that inmates come together every day to learn and watch prominent Muslim scholars give lectures from the video and Tv set that the Foundation has provided for them. In a very short period ever since Ummah Foundation found its space there, quite a number of new Muslim revertees have embraced Islam. In Kamiti Maximum Prison, Ummah Foundation in collaboration with PRP has started construction of another centre that is simi-lar to the one in Naivasha. With the same setup and programs we anticipate to rehabilitate a bigger number than before through Daawah. Other Prisons like Nairobi Remand, Athi River, Lang’ata Women’s Prisons are equally in need of the same services and that is why we call upon all well-wishers to join hands with Ummah Founda-tion through its Prisoners Rehabilitation Program to see changes in our Prisons through Daawah work. With your help and support we expect to achieve the following:1-Have an adequate number of educational (secular and spiritual), vocational and work programs being provided to rehabilitate pris-oners.2-Cater for the special needs of our Muslim Sisters at Lang’ata Womens Prisons who need to be provided with sanitary facilities and children clothes.3-There are certain groups of prisoners – remand and short term, young offenders and prisoners with mental health problems- who need our care and satisfactory rehabilitation. We can also help those with minor offences to be bailed out of the prisons.For your participation in this noble initiative contact us:Ummah FoundationVillage Plaza,2nd Floor Ngara Road P.O.Box 58717-00200 , Nairobi, KenyaTel:+254-20-2680610/13, Mobile: +254734845277E.Mail: info@ummahfoundation.netWeb: www.ummahfoundation.net

The “Engaged” New Muslim TrapsAlhamdulilah, you have found a mate! However, you are not mar-ried yet, and can still fall into the traps of Satan, especially during the time surrounding Valentine's Day. You have to fight the urges to do the “romantic” things that non-Muslims do on this day. Do not make a special day out of it. If you find yourself wanting to do these things with your mate, then you need to re-analyze your boundaries in the relationship. It means that you are starting to lean into the haram areas of re-lationships outside marriage. It calls for hearts to be preoccupied with foolish things that contradict the way of the righteous believ-ers.The engagement time should still have boundaries in place, and you shouldn't be “infatuated” with the other. You should simply be just getting to know one another, and not “dating” while engaged.Does this mean that you can't have feelings for the other? Abso-lutely not.It just means that you have to avoid falling into lust, and infatua-tion. If you are staying within the guidelines of Islam, you will not get overly attached to the point you would fall into a deep depres-sion if it fell through. You can “care” about someone without being “in love” with them.Romantic love comes in time. Love will blossom once you are married, so don't preoccupy yourselves with Valentine's Day in trying to gain their affection, because it may cause you to lose respect in the end.Always keep in mind that pre-marital relationship is not always a guarantee for a successful marriage. Usually a couple finds love and happiness and their world revolves around each other, and once they marry, they start to see the “real world, and real life problems” that married couples will encounter and feel when they are sloping downward, and ultimately contemplate if they ever were a good match to begin with. That's worth thinking about, so while you can care about a person, don't invest too much of your emotions into it before marriage.Also, for the sake of Allah, do not plan your wedding day to be on Valentine's Day! Don't begin your marriage upon innovation. Marriage takes lots of effort, and you need Allah's blessings in it.The “Married” New Muslim Traps“And of His Signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy.” (30:21)This verse does not end with “... on Valentine's day.” This express-es my point to be made for those that are married already. It is important for a Muslim to express their love and appreciation for their spouse every day, instead of focusing their efforts to make them feel special only on one measly day of the year.Make it a daily habit to show your love and affection, instead of try-ing to prove it in a once-yearly tradition. Your spouse would rather have it regularly than just “every now and then” anyway.When you love someone, make sure that you are loving them for the sake of Allah, and that your love for them does not overpower the love you have for Allah. If you feel that you would die without them, or would lose your mind if they were to leave you, then you need to take a step back and purify your heart and mind, because it is pushing the limits Allah sets.If you are not careful you can fall into the trap of idolizing your partner. This sneaks up on people and they don't even realize they are doing it. Allah tests us with things we love, and people we love, so don't let them become a false idol of the heart.

The Valentine's Day Traps of New Muslims

Continued From page 4