Friday Bulletin 604

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Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014 Issue No. 604

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

FridayBulletin

The

The Weekly Muslim News Update

www. islamkenya.org

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M

uslims leadershave stronglycome out to con-

demn the Saturday morn-ing attack on a Nairobibound bus by the Somaliabased Al Shabaab militiagroup, terming the attack acowardly act.

The bus heading to Nai-robi from Mandera wasambushed at about 3 amin the morning at Omar Jil-laow Arabia area in Man-dera County by the militiakilling which left 28 pas-sengers dead.

The leaders appealed toKenyans to reject the evilmachinations of the groupwhich wants to create re-ligious animosity amongKenyans.

All Shabbab does not rep-resent Muslims and theSaturday attacks shouldnot be seen as Muslimstargeting Christians saidAdan Duale the majorityleader in the National As-sembly.

He said the country be-longs to all Kenyans irre-spective of religious incli-nations and Christians andMuslims should continueto exist in peace and har-mony.

According to Mandera gov-ernor Ali Roba, the countyofcials had shared intel-ligence with the nationalsecurity ofcials of animpending attack but the

warnings were not heeded.The Supreme Council ofKenya Muslims (SUPKEM)Secretary General AdanWachu called on the secu-

Muslim leaders condemn Manderabus attack

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir speaks at a press conference on Wednesday in the company ofMuslim leaders drawn from Nairobi and Mombasa where they announced the reopening of the fourmosques. INSET: Mombasa governor Ali Hassan and Abdulswamad join wor shippers for the Dhuhrprayers yesterday at Masjid Musa.

Prophethood in IslamLamu curfew extended

Four Mombasa mosques nally opened theirdoors after Muslim leaders from Mombasa andNairobi agreed on modalities with regard totheir future operations. They resolved that themosques will be overseen by a team of eldersand residents from around the vicinity who will bein charge of the day-to-day running of the facili-

ties.Musa Mosque, Sakina Mosque, Swafaa Mosqueand the Minnah Mosque were closed down twoweeks ago after a police raid for allegedly pro-moting the radicalization of youth.The closuredrew angry reactions from the Muslim leadership

Mombasa mosques reopen

Call for Mandera evacuationfaulted

who demanded that the government uncondition-ally open the places of worship to worshippers.

Leaders and scholars have agreed on the modali-ties of opening the mosques and they will be opento worshippers from Thursday, said Abdulswamadwho spoke on Wednesday at a press conferenceon Wednesday in Mombasa.

At the same time, he called on the leaders to posi-tively engage with the youth so as to help nurturea stable and viable community but added that itshould also be their responsibility to live by thetenets of Islam which emphasize on respecting


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Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014

More investments is needed in theeducation sector as this will furtherbetter the economic condition of theUmmah.

The regional chairman of World As-sembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY)

Ahmed Hussein said having more ed-

ucational institutions providing qualityeducation will see an increased num-ber of Muslim joining higher institu-tions of learning who will later have apositive impact on the community andthe society at large.

While acknowledging the increasingnumber of Muslim based educationinstitutions, Ahmed who is also the di-rector of the Childrens Services saidthere is more room for growth in thesector as there is a growing numberof parents who yearn to enroll theirchildren in an Islamic friendly envi-

ronment.There is a need to invest in the edu-cation sector as this will make a posi-tive difference in the community, hesaid during a luncheon hosted in hon-our of the WAMY secretary generalDr. Saleh bin Suleiman Al-Wohaibiduring his visit to the country on Sun-day.

Speaking at the luncheon, Dr. IsmailHassan the director of Africa Muslim

Agency (AMA) said statistics providea grim picture of the state of educa-tion in the Muslim community and it

is imperative that concerted effortsare made to address the imbalance.Out of the more than 6,000 second-

ary schools in the country, there are 67schools and among these only 10 areable to send students to universities, hesaid.

The director also spoke on the persis-tent challenge of lack of sufcient quali-ed teachers stressing that measures

have to be put in place to remedy thisstate of affairs.

On his part, Prof. Muhammad SalimBadamana, the head of the veterinarydepartment at the University of Nairobicalled on Muslim schools to enhance onacademic cooperation and further urgedplayers in the education sector to estab-lish community based schools in othercounties of the country apart from thetraditional Muslim areas.

In his remarks, the former parliamentarydeputy speaker Farah Maalim said Mus-lims need to apply effective strategies to

improve on the state of education in thecommunity adding that it is through edu-cation that the community can registersocial-economic empowerment.

In his address, the WAMY secretarygeneral advised Muslims to work togeth-er for the betterment of the community.He pledged continued support from theorganization towards the people of Ken-ya especially in the education sector.

The organization is the parent body be-hind WAMY High School which is rankedamong the countrys top performingschools. Early this year, a sister institu-

tion WAMY Academy which comprisesa pre-school, primary and girls second-ary school also opened its doors to thepublic.

Invest in education to uplift the Ummah

Continued from Page 1Closed mosques reopened

scholars and elders as well as abid-ing by the rule of the law. Issueswhich we have seen when youth en-gage in acts of violence will not betolerated, he said.

The Mombasa Governor Hassan

Joho emphasized that the securityofcers should not criminalize placesof worship noting that they shouldseek out those whom they believeare criminals. Mosques do not com-mit crimes and the security agenciesshould not criminalize places of wor-ship, he said.

The move to open the mosquescame after Muslim leaders met at theweekend in Nairobi and appointed aneight member team to travel to Mom-basa and deliberate with the countygovernment leaders on the measures

to reopen and run the four mosques.The leaders demanded their uncon-ditional opening and faulted the gov-ernment for shutting down the placesof worship asserting that the actiontantamount to violating the constitu-

tional rights of worship for Muslims.

Speaking at the consultative forumheld at Nairobis Jamia Mosque, theSupreme Council of Kenya Muslims(SUPKEM) national chairman Prof. Ab-dulghafur El Busaidy took issue with thegovernment for failing to consult Mus-

lims on such sensitive matters touchingon the community.

It is unacceptable and wrong for thegovernment to close down the mosqueswithout even consulting Muslim leaders.If the same approach was being takenon Churches, Christian leaders woulddenitely be consulted, he said.

Prof. El-Busaidy said Muslim leaderswere ready to sit and dialogue with thegovernment on addressing the issues ofyouth radicalization but stressed that aheavy handed approach will be counter-productive and could worsen the situa-tion.

In his remarks, Sheikh Ibrahim Lethomefrom the Islamic Foundation said theunprecedented action sets a worryingprecedent and the community will notaccept the government plan to interfere

in the running of mosques. Today it is happeningMombasa, if we allow this to happen they will cometo Nairobi and other areas, he said.

In a press statement released on Sunday, MajlisUlamaa Kenya echoed the same sentiments andfurther demanded that the police apologize to the

community for violating the sanctity of the sacredplaces. Closure of mosques is not acceptable andthere can be no justication whatsoever, said thechairman Sheikh Khalfan Khamis.

The scholars body also called on government totake adequate measures and arrest the worsen-ing security situation in the country saying thatKenyan are increasingly getting concerned on thesenseless killings happening in several parts of thecountry.

The team to Mombasa include Prof. El Busaidy,Sheikh Khalfan Khamis, Abdulrahman Wandati,Sheikh Ahmad Uthman from the Kenya Councilof Imams and Ulamaa (KCIU), Dr. Abdallah Kheir

from the Union of African Scholars, Dr. Mustafa Alifrom the Islamic Foundation and Ibrahim Yusuf rep-resenting the Jamia Mosque Committee.

Among other terms of references, the team willalso deliberate on the initiating dialogue betweenthe Muslim leadership and the youth.

The curfew on Lamu County has been extended forthe fourth time in row by another month.

Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo on Sat-urday announced the extension of the curfew until22 December 2014.

The dawn-dusk curfew was rst imposed on July

2014 after series of killings were witnessed inMpeketoni which left over 60 people dead.

Political and religious leaders, locals and civil so-cieties from the coastal region have occasionallyexpressed their anger over the ve- month longcurfew, citing economic hardship for the locals whodepend on shing and tourism.

Last month the leaders and residents organized atwo-day strike that brought the town to a standstillas businesses were shut down and transport bothland and water paralyzed.

Lamu Governor Issa Timamy on Sunday said theextension of the curfew by a month is ridiculous

and a deliberate move to make the people sufferfurther.

"I thought four months was enough, anothermonth? Why? This is a time for these residents tobe set free so that they can ght hunger and pov-erty caused by the curfew," he said.

He noted that the curfew should instead be mappedonly in areas that were attacked, which includeMpeketoni, Witu, Hindi and Kibaoni.

ODM party leader and former Prime Minister RailaOdinga said the Lamu curfew has been applied se-lectively and its continued extension has no mean-ingful purpose.

Calls to have the government lift the curfew have

fallen on deaf ears even as civil societies such asthe Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Haki Africa and

Lamu curfew extended yetagain

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DA'WA Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014

SUNDAY LECTURE

Allah the Creator of the universe and eve-rything in it, created humans for a noblepurpose: to worship Him alone and lead avirtuous life based on His teachings andguidance. However, one cannot full thispurpose without receiving clear guidelinesfrom Allah.

Allah, the Most Merciful and Just, did notleave us to wander the Earth aimlessly. Inorder to inform us of our purpose, Allah ap-pointed certain individuals to communicateand demonstrate His message to all of man-kind. These individuals are known as Proph-ets, who include Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim(Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa(Jesus) andMuhammad may peace be upon them all.

The Characteristics of Prophets

All Prophets have common characteristicswhich make them exceptional human be-ings.

Prophets Receive RevelationThe main difference between an ordinaryhuman being and a Prophet is that a Proph-et receives revelation from Allah.

Prophets have noble character

Prophets were the best examples amongsttheir people in character and righteousness.They lived in obedience to Allah, with ex-cellent morals and were always truthful inspeech and conduct. For this reason, Mus-lims reject totally the false attribution of ma-

jor sins to the Prophets, as appears in somescriptures of other religions. Prophets neversought personal benets such as wealth,

high status or power rather, they only soughtthe approval of Allah.

Prophets Perform Miracles

Many Prophets performed miracles, usu-ally in a eld which their people excelled.For example, the people of Musa (peacebe upon him) excelled in magic; therefore,Musa (peace be upon him) was able to per-form miraculous acts which even magicianscould not perform. The people of Isa (peacebe upon him) excelled in matters of medi-cine; therefore, Jesus (peace be upon him)was able to perform acts of healing beyondthe skill of his own people. The people of

Muhammad (peace be upon him) excelledin poetry; therefore, Muhammad (peace beupon him) delivered the Quran, containingsuch eloquent words which no poet couldever compete with. In addition, many Proph-ets conveyed truthful prophecies of futureevents. Such miracles were performed onlywith the permission and assistance of Allah,proving that they were human, and not di-vine.

Prophets are not divine

While Prophets are chosen by Allah Al-mighty, they are in no way divine and shouldnot be worshipped. Prophet Muhammad

(peace be upon him) was commanded tosay, I am only a man like you. It has beenrevealed to me that your God is One God.Quran 18:110

It is clear even from the Bible, both the Oldand New Testaments, that the Prophets

The concept of prophethood in Islamwere not divine, and would worship andprostrate to the One True God. "And he [Je-sus] went a little farther, and fell on his face,and prayed..." Matthew 26:39

And they [Moses and Aaron] fell upon theirfaces..." Numbers 16: 22

"And Abram [i.e. Abraham] fell on his face:and God talked with him..." Genesis 17:3

Prophets have the necessary qualities

Allah gave all Prophets certain character-istics in order for them to successfully fulltheir mission, such as persistence, courage,leadership, patience and wisdom.

Some examples include:

The persistence of Nuh (peace be uponhim) in calling his people to Allah, eventhough very few accepted.

The courage of Ibrahim (peace be uponhim) to single-handedly confront his entirecommunity regarding their false beliefs,while he was still very young.

The leadership of Musa (peace be uponhim) in directing the escape of his peoplefrom the most oppressive tyrant of his time- Pharaoh.

The patience of Iysa (peace be upon him)in enduring the hardships and persecutionimposed upon him by his people.

The wisdom of Muhammad (peace beupon him) in uniting the many rival tribes of

Arabia, who had a long history of conict,into one peaceful community.

The Message of t he Prophets

And certainly We sent to every nation aMessenger (saying): 'Worship Allah andavoid false gods.' (Quran 16:36)Since allProphets were sent by the One True Allah,they all conveyed the same message andhad the same mission - to remind and edu-cate their people of the purpose of life. Theirmessage was to:

Clarify the true concept of Allah and rejectfalse beliefs

Teach the true purpose of life

Demonstrate how Allah should be wor-shipped

Convey Allah's denition of righteous andsinful conduct, and advise people accord-ingly

Describe the rewards for obedience (Para-dise) and warn of the punishment for diso-bedience (Hell)

Explain commonly misunderstood issuessuch as the soul, angels and spirits, the af-terlife and fate

The main focus of all the Prophets was toclarify the concept of Allah: that He hasno partners or equals, and that all worshipshould be directed exclusively toward Him.In the Quran, there are numerous examples

of Prophets proclaiming this message: Nuh(peace be upon him) said, "O my people!Worship Allah! You have no other gods be-sides Him." Quran 7:59

Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said, "Do youworship besides Allah, things that can nei-

ther bring you benet nor cause you harm?"Quran 21:66

Musa (peace be upon him) said, "What!Shall I seek for you a god other than Allaheven though He has made you excel (all)created things?" Quran 7:140

Iysa (peace be upon him) said, "Indeed Al-lah is my Lord and your Lord: so worshipHim (alone): this is the Straight Way." Quran3:51

Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Ithas been revealed to me that your God isOne God. So whoever expects to meet hisLord then let him do good deeds and asso-ciate none as a partner in the worship of hisLord." Quran 18:110

This message was consistent throughoutthe generations, and highlights the impor-tance of having the correct belief in Allah.

Every nation was sent a Prophet

"And for every nation there is amessenger."Quran 10:47

Muslims believe that thousands of Prophetswere sent periodically by Allah, at least oneto every nation, as a mercy to mankind fortheir guidance. In certain circumstances,the message of the Prophets was lost, cor-rupted, forgotten, neglected, or denied bythe people. These were some of the rea-sons why a new Prophet would be sent tore-convey Allah's message.

Muslims believe in and respect every Proph-et sent by Allah. Muslims also believe in allof the divine books which were revealed tothe Prophets, mindful of the fact that noneof these books exist today in their originalform, aside from the Quran. "It is He (Allah)Who has sent down the Book (the Quran)to you (Muhammad) with truth, conrmingwhat came before it. And He sent down theTorah and the Injil." Quran 3:3

Why doesn't everyone receive direct rev-elation?

Allah created life and gave humans free will

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Islam has not left any aspect of life without its required guidelines.For each aspect, it sets a basic rule, which is in harmony with thebasic rules of the other aspects, to indicate in the end, that there isonly one Creator and one perfect Legislator. The basic rule usuallyfunctions as an axis around which the secondary rules and excep-tions revolve. The relationship between Muslims and non-Muslimsis no exception.

The basic rule for relations between Muslims and non-Muslims isbased on a few verses. The rst can be translated as, We havenot sent you (O Muhammad) except as a mercy for the worlds(Al-Anbiya' 21:107).

This verse clearly assures that Islam is a mercy for all account-able beings, both humans and the Jinn. Islam is a mercy becauseit guides Muslims to felicity and happiness in both this world andin the hereafter. But is Islam a mercy for only those who chooseit as their faith or should Muslims force people to accept it? Here,the second verse comes to assure that There is no compulsion inreligion. The truth stands out clear from error. (Al-Baqarah 2:256).

Other verses that make up the basic rule specically dene the

kind of relationship that should take place between Muslims andnon-Muslims. The Qur'an says as follows: Allah does not forbidyou respecting those who have not made war against you on ac-count of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from yourhomes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly;surely Allah loves the doers of justice. Allah only forbids you re-specting those who made war upon you on account of (your) reli-gion, and drove you forth from your homes and backed up (others)in your expulsion, that you make friends (and ally) with them, andwhoever makes friends with them, these are wrong-doers.} (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8-9)

The above verses clearly assures that Muslims should not forceothers to accept Islam. In addition, Allah Almighty does not for-bid Muslims from dealing justly with those who do not ght Islamor oppress Muslims. Indeed, He enjoins Muslims to do favors forthem. Obviously, doing favors is more than just dealing justly, be-cause it gives people more than what they deserve.The aboveverses afrm that it is only forbidden to have relations with thosewho show hostility to Muslims. In this context, those who aid theoppressors are not better than the oppressors themselves.

It is important to note that the above verses were revealed afterthe rst verses of the same surah, Al-Mumtahanah, which forbidtaking guardians and trustees from among the enemies of Allah,they also encourage Muslims to follow the example of ProphetIbrahim who boycotted the enemies of Allah. This fact conrms thevalidity of the ruling given in the above verses and proves that theyhad not been abrogated. It is also important that the second verseof the surah provides a clear description of the enemies of Allah.If they get the better of you, they would treat you as their enemies

and stretch forth, their hands and tongues against you with evil,and they desire that you become unbelievers. (Al-Mumtahanah60:2)

Verse seven of the same chapter serves as an introduction forverses eight and nine, conrming that the above enmity does notalways last forever. Allah says what means, It may be that Allahcreates (mutual) love between you and the ones of them whomyou took as enemies (Al-Mumtahanah 60:7).

The verse does not stipulate an enemy's conversion as the reasonfor removing the enmity; actually, enmity may be ended if an en-emy takes a supportive or at least a neutral position.

As mentioned above, the ultimate goal of Islam is to establishpeace and to bring about happiness for all beings in both this worldand the eternal one in the hereafter. In case some people refuseto cooperate in achieving peace and happiness in the hereafter,Muslims should still cooperate with them to maintain peace andhappiness in this world. Allah says what means, O you peopleWe have created you from a male and a female and made you intonations and tribes that you may know each other. The best amongyou is the most pious (Al-Hujurat 49:13).

Relations between Muslims and non-MuslimsDr. Sa`id Isma`il Seeni

Islam did not come to break the ties between human beings, tospread hatred and enmity, or to encourage bloodshed. Nor didit come to eliminate the freedom of choice in this life, which issecured by Allah. Indeed, even Satan was granted the freedom tochoose between obeying and disobeying his Lord, he misused thisgift and chose to disobey.

The above basic rule is based on the fact that Allah has distin-guished humankind and the Jinn with special gifts that made themaccountable for their choices in this life, for which they will be re-warded or punished mainly in the hereafter. Among these specialgifts are intellectual faculties, divine guidance, and a limited free-dom of choice.

A thorough review of the expeditions and battles during the lifetimeof Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) showsthat the Prophet never once initiated hostility. Rather, he only be-came involved in battles in self-defense and retaliation. In general,

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Continued To Page 6

Muslim For Human Right (MUHURI) threatened to sue the Inspec-

tor General of Police over the curfew.They argued that the curfew is a violation of human rights and hascrippled the county both economically and socially

Last week the Attorney General Githu Muigai dismissed an ap-plication to lift the curfew by MUHURI as baseless saying the ap-plication is "misconceived and an abuse of the court process"

Lamu curfew extended

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While it is dangerous to stereotype Mus-lims in a non-Muslim community, andgenerally we should not, certain trendsamongst Muslim families are quite perti-nent when it comes to living in such com-

munities. On one hand, there are thosefamilies who emphasize a lot of integra-tion of their children into the local com-munity, especially through the enrolmentof school.

While it is great for Muslims to be part andparcel of society especially the youth parents can sometimes lose sight of theirchildren and their development, especiallywhen normalcy boasts a dichotomy ofvalues as compared to what Islam pre-sents. This is not to say that everythingWestern is evil but certain concepts, es-pecially with regards to values honoringthe family unit, (for example: the respect

for parents), is nearly always lost, if par-ents give up too much of their controlover their children.

While many families do supplement withIslamic classes in the evenings or week-ends, its hard to balance out the strong-hold inuence that the Western com-munity has over Muslim youth. This cancause an imbalance in their understandingof their religious values.

While some Muslim youth may nd ac-ceptance into the Western culture, oth-ers may feel rejected, due to the grossignorance perpetuated by the media,

and general prejudice and discriminationagainst Muslims. Without having a rmsense of belonging or proper knowledgeof their religion, this may cause the sameyouth to rebel against the non-Muslim en-vironment, under the masked label of theMuslim extremist.

On the ipside, there are Muslim familieswho live in the West who have tendenciesto box-in their Muslim children to the ex-tent that they are not allowed to integratewith society. These families have strongcultural tendencies, to the point that cul-ture overrides practices of the religion and

their children end up growing up with anus vs. them mentality, and even harbor alot of animosity towards every non-Muslim.

Unfortunately, these children grow updrowning on enmity, instead of care andcompassion towards their friends andneighbors, and end up with a rift betweentheir culture and their Western community.Rebellion is then sparked in the name ofIslam, but without proper teachings of thereligion at their helm.

The Prophet and Muslim Youth

Prophet Muhammad led the best examplein the upbringing of the youth, seeing as

he kept the youngsters of his time close tohim, building strong principles of Islam, allwhile integrating with society for the sakeof dawah.

He constantly encouraged them to bebrave in the face of adversity, yet to nev-

er lose sight of the Quran and Sunnah,and therefore peruse humility in thoughtand speech. His closest followers wereamongst the young, who were passionateabout the faith, but were molded according

to Islamic thought rather than be allowed topursue their own ideologies.

In particular, Ali bin Abi Talib, the rst childto accept Islam, grew alongside the Proph-et Muhammad, made many personal sac-rices for Islam, lived an extremely simplelife, and was highly disturbed by the ide-ologies that involved looking towards himas an icon of more than he actually was

a Muslim, (the Muslim leader, later on),who was a humble believer of Allah and HisMessenger.

Similarly, the youth of today need to be im-bued in dawah work (in a fun and engag-

ing way) while integrating with society. Thiscan be done all while keeping in mind thefundamentals of Islam. On one hand, thereis no need to crawl into a lizard hole andfollow the ideals of a non-Muslim societythat contradict Islam, but at the same time,it is also important to keep true guidancein mind, all while growing and developing.

It also falls under the responsibility of par-ents to seek out scholars, imams, andteachers, who are passionate in mentoringthe youth as the dawah team of the future.

Giving the Youth Time, Space and a Voice

While it is easy to standby and criticize the

Muslim youth and their choices, it serves asa reminder that much rebellion is sparkedwhen the young and expressive are overlysheltered or conned. Joining causes thatseem daring and exciting, but at the sametime dangerous and violent, stem from aneed to be heard and to be validated.

The youth needs validation, and it is foradults to provide the same, while withinthe framework of Shariah, and this is whatscholars, Imams, teachers, and parentsneed to work on for their children. Societytoday has been blessed with abundant re-sources that its a pity that the same goes

to waste.Encouraging them to express themselvesalso carries other benets such as givingthem a voice to counter the claims of themass media and the sordid misrepresen-tation of Islam. Social media has becomea playground for the youth, and there is ahigher calling for the Muslim youth of to-day to use it to their benet for the sakeof Islam. Again, this has to be guided, astodays generation tends to fall into the trapof self-worshipping, group-worshipping,group-think which should all be curbedindiscriminately.

Similarly, encouraging them to showcasetheir strengths and lend their advanta-geous arms to the cause of Islam will alsohelp them in building up their portfoliosas young adults. Not only does this buildtheir unique strengths and resumes andin turn, keeps them away from peer pres-

sure, it will also help them combat, becomeparticipative and condent members of so-ciety, especially as adults, in college, in the

job market, working as volunteers, and thelike.

A lot of animosity and angst-ridden senti-ments of the Muslim youth probably stemsfrom them being grotesquely misunder-stood, by both their own Muslim kin, andnon-Muslim community alike.

It may take time to eradicate radicalism ofsorts or maybe never at all but therehas to be a cohesive effort of all parties and even the youth themselves, to want tochange and to be better Muslims in orderto safeguard themselves and the image ofIslam as a whole.

A blanket approach by nding the rightmentors, and an individual approach by

building individualistic and personal portfo-lios will help combat this problem on thelong run.

Whether one takes place before the oth-er, or they are carried out simultaneouslyplays second ddle as to the importanceof their effectiveness, as it takes the entireMuslim community to shape the next gen-eration, and this will Allah-willing put acurb over the unfortunate radicalization ofthe potential of the youth, standing at thefoot of a great Islamic renaissance.

Maaria Zain is a certied Childbirth Educa-tor (AMANI Birth Institute), living in the UK.

How to protect Muslim youth from extremismMaaria- Zain

AL-QUDS A new bill that denes Israelas the homeland of the Jewish people hassparked criticism and seen as underminingthe democratic character of the country,as well as fostering discrimination againstMuslim and Christian minorities.

If the Jewish homeland proposal becomeslaw, it would mean the institutionalizationof racism, which is already a reality on thestreet, in both law and at the heart of the

political system, Majd Kayyal of Adalah,from the Legal Centre for Arab MinorityRights in Israel, told Agence France Presse(AFP) on Sunday, November 23.

Democracy guarantees that all citizenshave the same rights and are equal beforethe state, but this racist change introducesa distinction on the basis of religion."

Approved on Sunday, the controversialbill revokes the "Jewish and democratic"status of Israel, identied in its basic law,changing it to the national homeland of theJewish people.

Supports of the bill, 14 ministers, were

led by the right-wing including Netanyahuwho claimed the new law would guarantee"equality" for all citizens.

Since its approval, the new bill has beendrawing rebuke from both Israeli politiciansand Arabs rights groups. (OnIslam.net)

Israel's "Jewish State" billstirs anger


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We have lost count of the number of policeswoops that continue to be staged in thiscountry from Mombasa to Kwale to East-leigh to Lamu to Samburu, Turkana, Pokotand Baringo.

What has this unscientic and unprofes-

sional approach to crime-busting opera-tions achieved so far? Six thousand Soma-lis spent months including Ramadhan atKasarani, Nairobi last April. We were toldthe operation was to get rid of Al Shabaab.Nothing of this kind happened.

On the contrary, a group of young Soma-lis returning from the diaspora and callingitself Super Power is ruling the Eastleighunderworld, robbing, maiming and killing atwill. When they are caught, they bribe theirway back to freedom. Some are even tak-en to the border, ostensibly for deportationby conniving police, only to retrace their

way back to Eastleigh after being dumpedat the frontier.

While the impact in dealing with the ram-pant insecurity through these heavy-hand-ed operations by our corrupt is negligible,the political image of the Jubilee govern-ment has been dealt a very big blow. Thesocial fabric of our society which for yearssince 1963 has remained cohesive isshowing disturbing signs of a deterioratingrelationship between the Christian major-ity and the Muslim minority. A look at the

social media, shows the rising feelings ofanimosity between the two communities.

The incompetence of the police bureaucra-cy which never changes tactics to adapt tothe challenges of a fast evolving society isalso making matters worse.

Why have the authorities returned to the1960s outmoded colonially-inherited col-lective punishment the Kenyatta Seniorgovernment invoked against secessionistSomalis?

That policy has no place or tolerance in thenew constitutional dispensation we are en-

joying in our country today. Even in Nigeriawith its much bigger Boko Haraam prob-lem, collective punishment is not an option.But it appears that the Jubilee governmentdoes not care, for if it did, it would not allowthe Inspector General of Police David Ki-maiyo to take draconian measures against

settled communities that would grievouslyimpact on Jubilee's political fortunes in2017.

I am also disappointed to see that the Mus-lim leadership is being ignored and notconsulted when these things are happen-ing around them.

It is now more than a week since fourmosques were closed in Mombasa sinceand more might follow suit. You can nev-er persuade Muslims that the closure of

Closure of mosques not good for Muslim-State relations

these mosques is because they are crimescenes. The police displayed weapons theyclaimed to have seized in the mosques butmany Muslims believe the weapons wereplanted inside the mosques.

We cannot accept the closure of our

mosques as scenes of crime. The policeshould simply modernise their archaic anduseless methods of dealing with insecurityand nd better ways of dealing with radicalMuslim youth.

Each day the mosques remain closeddrives a dagger of bitterness in the heartsof all Muslims.

Our community has since last February toldthe police to set up sentry posts at the af-fected mosques to vet those going in andout. That offer has not been acted upon.

As matters stand now, hundreds of Muslims

will be without their places of worship be-cause of police incompetence, not becauseof radical youth. If they had the capacity toarrest 291 people, why could they not doit before without disrupting our places ofworship? Why did they not compile lists ofyouth they wanted to arrest and swoopedon them individually in their homes ratherthan storming mosques?

Where are we heading to?

The writer is veteran journalist based in

Mombasa

and intellect, as a test to see who will will-ingly follow His path and who will deviate. Ifevery person received direct revelation, lifewould not be a true test of faith. The real testof one's faith is in using one's intellect andreason to contemplate and recognise Allah'ssigns, rather than being spoken to directlyby Allah, which would not require any effort,and would render belief meaningless.

Although Prophets received direct revela-tion, this did not exempt them from life's

tests, as Prophethood brings with it manydifculties and trials.

The nal Prophet

Prophets were sent to specic groups ofpeople, and over time, the messages withwhich they came were lost or corrupted.However, Prophet Muhammad (peace beupon him) was not sent to a specic people,but to mankind as a whole, and his messagehas been preserved both in the form of theQuran and the Sunnah.

The Quran is the spoken word of Allah, andis free of any corruption, errors or contra-dictions. It is a book of "guidance for man-

kind... and the distinction (between right andwrong)." Quran 2:185.

The Sunnah is a collection of the sayingsand actions of Prophet Muhammad (peacebe upon him), as recorded by his compan-ions and their students. The fact that thereare thousands of these recorded and rig-

orously authenticated makes it very easyfor anyone to follow Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) correctly.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)is the nal Prophet for all mankind from histime up until the end of time, including cur-rent and future generations. He was a per-fect example of an honest, just, merciful,compassionate, truthful and brave humanbeing. He, like other Prophets before him,did not have any evil characteristics and

strove solely for the sake of Allah.Since the Quran and Sunnah are preservedand easily accessible, there is no need foranother Prophet. The message of ProphetMuhammad (peace be upon him) is in com-plete harmony with the teachings of theprevious Prophets, and reafrms their mes-sage.

Conclusion

Prophets were sent as a mercy by Allah, toconvey His message and to teach peoplehow to live a righteous life. They have thebest of characteristics and are to be fol-lowed and obeyed. Following a Prophet is

obedience to Allah and rejecting a Prophetis disobedience to Allah. Prophet Muham-mad (peace be upon him) is the last of theProphets, so Allahs guidance was com-plete with his coming, and our salvation iscomplete with the obedience to Allah andHis Final Prophet. (IISNA)

Prophethood in Islam

Muhammad Warsama


the causes of these battles could be classi-ed under the following categories:

1. Self-defense, such as the battles ofUhud and Al-Khandaq.

2. Retaliation for oppression and continu-ous hostility. This is true in the case of allmajor battles, including the battles with thetribe of Quraish such as Badr.

3. Following in the tracks of the enemieswho carried out a raid on Madinah, such asthe expedition of As-Sawiq and the expedi-tion of Thi Qarad.

4. Surprising enemies who were preparingthemselves to attack Muslims, such as theexpedition of Bani Al-Mustaliq and the ex-pedition of Dawmat Al-Jandal.

5. Punishing betrayers or traitors, as in thecase of Bani An-Nadhir, Bani Quraidhah,and the conquest of Makkah.

So, the basic rule in the relationship be-tween Muslims and non-Muslims is that

there must be coexistence and peace.Dr. Said Ismail is a Professor at the Is-lamic University in Madina, Saudi Ara-bia.

Muslims and non-Muslimsrelations


OPINION


7/8

The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL

Cohesion commission faults call for Mandera evacuation

A section of leaders have cast doubts aboutpolice claims of nding weapons includinggrenades in four mosques that they haveraided in Mombasa County.

Speaking at a press conference at the Par-liamentary buildings, Mombasa SenatorHassan Omar said the claims are meant to

legitimise what he termed as illegal raids ofmosques. He said the weapons could havebeen planted by police themselves duringthe raids which occurred between 2 amand 3 am in the night.

"We highly doubt part of the informationthat they are sharing with the public thatintends to legitimize the illegal actions un-dertaken by police. It is out of order to soilthe name of Muslim places of worship byplanting weapons inside them," he said.

On his part Mandera Senator Billow Ker-row said police claims of seizures of lethalweapons inside the houses of worship

amounted to attempts to manipulate andwin support of Kenyans for their illegalraids on mosques. "This whole exerciseof attacking mosques and killing people init is totally misguided and provocative. Se-curity ofcers must target suspects smartly

Police claims of nding weapons insideMosques doubted


The NCIC chairman Francis Ole Kaparohas criticized a call from the Kenya Na-tional Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Ken-ya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Un-ion (KMPDU) to withdraw their membersfrom Mandera and other parts of NorthernKenya following the gruesome Saturday

bus attack.He said the move serves the interests ofthose who aim at dividing Kenya along re-ligious lines.

Whereas it is the duty of trade unionsand other professional bodies to be con-cerned about the welfare of their members,emotive pronouncements such as thoseby KNUT and the Doctors Union will becounter-productive and could easily playinto the evil hands of the Al-Shabaab terrorgroup, which is bent on balkanizing Ken-yans along regional, ethnic and religiouslines, Kaparo said.

Citing growing fears of insecurity, the un-ions have called on their members toNorthern Kenya due to the growing fearsof insecurity. The government and arealeaders have also criticized the call sayingthat it is counterproductive to developmentas well as to measures to tackle insecurity.

The chairman also expressed concernsabout the rising cases of hate speech be-ing propagated on social media warningthat severe action will be taken on thosefound culpable.

After this (Mandera attack) occurred, thekind of messages being posted in the so-

cial media Facebook and Twitter canbring this country down. So we need to be

rity forces to track down those involved inthe attacks and deal with them according tothe law.

Seek those criminals behind the attacks.They are not Muslims but criminals, Islamdoes not advocate for the killing of innocentpeople, Said Wachu.

On its part, the Council of Imams andPreachers of Kenya (CIPK) called on Ken-yans to ignore statements by terrorists al-luding to be revenge attacks for the closureof four mosques in Mombasa. We condemnthe Mandera attack.

It is inhumane and they cannot be justiedunder any circumstances. Killing innocentpeople is wrong and is not what Islam teach-es, said CIPK assistant Treasurer SheikhHassan Suleiman.

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir said the kill-ers were bent on tarnishing the good imageof Islam and called on all Kenyans to rejectforces which aim at dividing the countryalong sectarian lines.

We have lived in harmony for years and weneed to unite, shun and speak out againstany forms of violence. Let us not allow ex-ternal or internal inuences to divide us, hesaid.

While condemning the attack during a pressconference in Garissa town, the SUPKEMvice chairman for the north-eastern region,Sirat Abdullahi called on the government todecisively deal with criminal gangs whoseaim is to wedge a religious war among

peace loving Kenyans.Muslim leaders condemn the heinous act ofmurder against innocent people who dedi-cated their lives to serving the people of theregion selessly," said Sirat.

careful not to use divisive language whichcan bring this country down, he said.

On his part the Balambala Member ofParliament Abdikadir Aden, said the callby unions for their members to vacate theregion will impact negatively on hospitali-ty and peaceful coexistence and amounts

to punishing the local residents who havealso suffered from acts of terrorism.

He urged the government to put stringentmeasures in place to ensure safety of allKenyans living or working in the regionwhich borders the war-torn Somalia.

Meanwhile, a magistrate court has cau-tioned the Gatundu MP Moses Kuria forspreading hate speech warning that herisks prosecution if he does not desistfrom making inammatory remarks.

Court prosecutor Nicodemus Maingi ac-cused the MP for recently posting a state-

ment under the hashtag #killyourownwhich he said amounts to contempt ofcourt. The MP is out on bail after facing asimilar charge which arose when he post-ed a hate message against the Somaliand Luo communities in the aftermath ofthe Gikomba and Thika Road attacks inMay this year.

In his recent posting, the MP said ontwitter, It is time we move all Somali-non-Muslim civil servants from Mandera,Garissa and Wajir and replace them withMuslim Somalis.

The prosecutor maintained that thehashtag borders on incitement to vio-lence and criminality. Nairobi senior prin-cipal magistrate Enock Cherono issued

a stern warning to the MP against makingstatements which threaten national cohe-sion.

After the Gikomba attacks he took to the so-cial media stating on his facebook account:I think it is only a matter of time before Ken-yans start violence against PERCEIVED

(sic) terrorists, their sympathisers, their -nanciers and those issuing travel advisorieswithout intelligence.

He was later arraigned in court after com-plaints from the National Integration and Co-hesion Commission (NCIC) and the Law So-ciety of Kenya (LSK) where he was chargedwith incitement, hate speech and causingethnic contempt. The legislator was releasedon Sh2 million cash bail and a Sh5 millionbond but an additional condition that he de-sist from indulging in hate speech.

Mention of the case against the MP will bemade on January 15.

and pick them up in their homes, not inmosques," he said.

Billow also condemned the killing of fourinnocent people by machete-wieldingyouth in what appears to be a "retalia-tion" of the raids on mosques by police.Youths ought not to engage in this kind

of criminal action whatever provocationthat had preceded it.

In fact they lose moral support from so-ciety and to some people their action willonly justify the wrongs the police did. Ouryouth must desist from this kind of vio-lence at all times," he said.

Speaking in Nairobi, the Council of Imamsand Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) nationaltreasurer Sheikh Hassan Omar said theprevailing belief among many Muslims isthat the weapons had been planted inthe mosques as a publicity stunt to winpublic support for the storming of the

houses of worship.

During the attacks on Musa,Sakina, Swa-faa and Minaa Mosques, police said theyhad recovered grenades, petrol bombs,and bullets among other dangerousweapons


Mandera attackcondemned


8/8

From the Traditions of the Prophet

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147E-mail: [email protected]. Printed by Graphic Lineups Limited-Kweria Road [email protected]

Ummah Efforts in PrisonsCurrently,one out of every 800 adults in Kenya is behind bars.Of these, 94% will be released back into society. It is critical forthe health of these individuals, their families and our communi-ties that they be given the tools to heal and live productive lives.Ummah Foundations Prisoners Rehabilitation Program empow-ers prisoners to take charge of their lives, transform their futuresand end the cycle of recidivism. In major Prisons like NaivashaMaximum Prison, Kamiti Maximum, Kwale and Manyani, UmmahFoundation has constructed an Education facility that serves as alearning centre and prayer hall for the Muslim inmates.

This program provides education, rehabilitation and re-entry sup-port to incarcerated men and women in prisons and jails in theaforementioned areas. At the heart of this initiative is a powerful

emotional literacy program, an internalized mode of spiritual train-ing that equips the inmates with abilities to pass on knowledge totheir fellow inmates- An Imam course. This program offers prisoninmates encouragement and the necessary support to take stockof the life experiences that have propelled them into criminal ac-tivity, take responsibility for their criminal behaviours, change life-long patterns of violence and addiction, and build productive lives.

During the entire period that Ummah Foundation has involveditself in these correctional facilities, we have learnt that the Pro-gram is very effective for prisoners growth and transformation.Many prison chaplains should wholeheartedly embrace the pro-gram because it is infused with an inclusive spirituality. This isparticularly the case in multi-faith contexts. Inmates gain greaterself-awareness, the capacity to manage their emotions, empa-

thize with the feelings of others, and increase their spiritual de-velopment through, among other things, mindfulness meditation,and the quiet motor that underlies the healing program. Thou-sands of lives are being turned around through the guidance andinspiration that the prisoners education and rehabilitation pro-gram offers.

The expanding prison population continues to grow as a majornational crisis. Taking a proactive stance, Ummah Foundation iscommitted to playing an integral part in redening our nationsprisons as places for healing and positive growth. That is why weseek to partner with all willing donors and well- wishers to bringchange in the society by diagnosing and curing the ailments fromthe root sources- prisons. The prayer facili ty also houses an ofcefor the Prison Maalim for recording and library books for refer-ence. Islamic literature copies of the English translated Quran,DVDs, and other resource materials, have been distributed freeof charge to individual prisoners, prison libraries and prison pro-grams for all to benet.

This is a program that calls for your concerted support and lets allpull our efforts together so that the change we all desire to see inour society can be attained Inshaa Allah.

Contact us: Ummah Foundation Village Plaza, 2nd Floor, NgaraRd, P.O. Box 58717- 00200 Nairobi Tel:020-2680610/13

Mob: 0734 845277 Email: [email protected]

Web: www.ummahfoundation.net

VACANCIESVacancies exist for primary and kindergarten teach-

ers ( preferrably women).

Apply if you posses the fo llowing:

A Diploma or a Degree in teaching

Having atleast 3 years teaching experience in pri-

mary/kindergarten

Appl icati on to reach the Administ rator

Sister Nargis A.Bari 0701-802927 orE-mail @ [email protected] or

Sister Mariam Mohammed 0702-391498

Latest by 1st December 2014

Noor Academy KindergartenIslamic Integrated School

Po. Box 32516-00600

Nairobi

A train ing Ins ti tu te in Nairobi County is seek ing lec-

turers for Islamic Studies and Arabic Language. In-

terested candidates should possess:

- Masters degree in Arabic language for Non-Arabic

speakers from a recognized Universit y or

- Bachelors degree in Islamic studies (Education)from a recognized University.

- Any experience in the relevant eld will be an added

advantage.

- Drop your CV and testimonials at the Jamia Mosque

Administration ofces on or before 08/12/2014.

TEACHING VACANCIES

AFWAN HOSPITALCIRCUMCISION FOR BOYS

Safe Pain-less Heals in less than a week Reduced charges overthe holidaysOther Services include

X-ray and ultrasound services

Endoscopy servicesChildren immunization Ear,Nose and Throat(E.N.T) Clinic Psychiatric clinic Surgical clinic 24 HOUR Ambulance services Peadiatric neurology clinic which includes: Autism(children who do not socialize with others) Hyper-active children Delayed speech Epilepsy ClinicWe are located at Pumwani, directly opposite the Pumwani mater-

nity hospital.For more informaon please pay us a visit or give us a

call on 0723937630, 0739136969 or 020-8084481

Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made waragainst you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forthfrom your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with themjustly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice." (Al-Mumtahinah:1)

From the Qur'anBeware! Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, or cur-tails their rights, or burdens them with more than they can bear, ortakes anything from them against their free will; I will complain againstthe person on the Day of Judgment. (Abu Dawud)

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