All praises are due to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the universe. Peace and

salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and all those

who follow him.

Happiness is born inside and not outside the home. One

will not be happy in the home unless those around one are happy. A husband

who is in a happy mood and enters his home, will not be happy when his wife is in

bad mood and vice versa. In fact, the entire family is

affected by one individual?s state of mind.The first step in striving to attain a happy home is for both husband

and wife to look at the marriage as an act of

ibaadah (worship). If this is not done, all forms of happiness will not be

attained. Thus, a husband who is angry with his wife

and reminds himself that he is worshipping Allah by

having patience with her will not continue to be angry.

When he is angry, he draws closer to Allah Almighty by controlling his anger as he

wants to be the best husband.

NewsletterFROM THE MIMBAR TO YOUR HOME...THE HAPPY

HOME WHICH IS FOUNDED ON TAQWA

PART 2

The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: ?The best of you ar e those who ar e the best to their wives, and I am the best of you to my wives? (Al Tirmidhi)

There are three ingredients which are crucial for the happiness and success of the mar r iage and family uni t. These three uni ts are ?Sakeena?, ?mawaddah? and ?rahmah? which are der ived from the ver se in Surah Al Rum: ver se 21 where Allah Almighty said:

? And one of His signs is that He cr eated mates for you fr om your selves that you may find tr anquility (sakeena) in them, and He put between you love (mawaddah) and compassion (r ahmah), most sur ely ther e ar e signs in this for a people who r eflect.?

When the Home is void of these three ingredients i t is inevi table and only a matter of time as to when pain and suffer ing w i l l str ike. This w i l l shake the mar r iage to such an extend that the ?roof col lapses? resulting in arguments and ultimately r esulting in Talaaq. There are many homes in which a Talaaq had been given not by the cour t or even pronouncement, but a psychological ly infer r ed one. Are there not homes in which a husband and w ife are not on speaking terms? Where there is total breakdow n in communication, sleeping in separate bedrooms and the use of the most abusive language?

A home wherein ?Sakeena? is operative, is a home which is tr anqui l , at r est and f i l led w ith peace. I t is for this ver y r eason that the home in the arabic language is r efer r ed to as a ?sakan?, der ived from ?sakeena?. Are we as husbands and w ives ensur ing that our home (sakan) is a place where the family uni t can f ind r est, peace and

tr anqui l l i ty? Are we eager to want to be at home? Are our chi ldren eager to be at home? Or do we rather spend more

time away from home and our chi ldren wanting to r ather go to other?s home as our homes are always a place of arguments? The Prophet [Peace and blessings be upon him], when he exper ienced for the f i r st time revelation he was scared and immediately went to his home (sakan) and to his beloved w ife Sayyidatina Khadi jah (may Allah be pleased w ith her ) who comfor ted him and reassured him that no harm would come to him.

Mawaddah is the demonstration of love by physical ly expressing that love outwardly, especial ly when the mood is good. Going that extr a mi le by doing l i ttle things even though you are ti r ed and not r eal ly feel ing up to i t, str engthens the love bond.

Rahmah on the other hand, is show ing compassion to each other by over looking and forgiving each other especial ly when the mood is bad, and the si tuation is hosti le. Mawaddah and rahmah is speci f ical ly for husband and w ife, i t is Al lah Almighty that puts i t in the hear ts of spouses. This is in order that they are able to overcome their challenges that they are faced w ith, given that they come from di f ferent backgrounds and upbr inging.

I t is for this r eason that we should constantly make dua to Allah Almighty to grant mawaddah and rahmah between spouses. May Allah Almighty grant us the abi l i ty to make the necessar y changes so that we may have a happy home where sakeena, mawaddah and rahmah operates. Ameen

And Allah knows best.

By Sheik Ebrahiem Tofa

Edition 24, July 2019

Goodwood Islamic Society

What's I nside... Dear Readers,

We have passed the halfway mark in the

Gregor ian calendar and how sweet i t feels.

We ask that Al lah grants you success for

the r est of the year ahead. That al l the

mistakes you have made, be forgiven by

the Most-Forgiving. And that al l the l ives

we have lost thus far , be granted Jannah

tul-Fir dous, In Shaa Allah.

Our July Edition is here to ease you into the

new month of July. And to kick things off

we have a simply decadent fr ui t cake

recipe from the talented Salwaa Smith. Be

sure to let us know how your cake turned

out and drop us an emai l via our emai l

address.

An impor tant ingredient for any

scrumptious desser t is...? The sugar ! And

Zeenat Patel-Kasker tel ls al l about a

tr aumatic exper ience of a neighbour ly

home invasion and how the idea of

pr ivacy has been used, abused and the

issues r egarding how i t cr eates ?an

exaggerated sense of paranoia and fear?.

?Not only does Allah SWT show us that we

are capable of accomplishing great things,

but Al lah SWT also shows us what i t takes

to accomplish something?. Our hear ts may

sti l l be r ecover ing from the Month of

Ramadaan ?leaving to get some milk?, and

this ar ticle: Keeping the Spir i t of

Ramadaan Alive, offer s advice in the

forms of salawat and duah to help keep

that vibe al ive in your home, your walk to

school and your dr ive to the beach.

Wherever you go!

Shukran for al l your suppor t, and we

would tr uly love to keep you in the loop

about latest edi tions and events happening

at the Goodwood Islamic Society. Be sure to

join our WhatsApp distr ibution l ist,

number below in the ?Want to Know

What?s Happening?? ad.

~ Zahraa Shroeder

BANKI NG DETAI LSA BSA

Bran ch : Pa rowBran ch Cod e: 6 320 0 5

Referen ce: N SLT

For international Donations - Swift code is: ABSA ZA JJ

Islamic cheque account - Quloobul Moe?m ieneen Mosque ? 4083356878

Islamic savings account ? Quloobul m oe?m ieneen Building fund ? 9292830377

Islamic savings account ? Quloobul Moe?m ieneen Fundraising ? 9292830610

Islamic savings account ? Quloobul Moe?m ieneen Waqf fund - 9292830806

Islamic savings account ? Quloobul Moe?m ieneen Madrassah ? 9292831187

Goodwood m asjied of fers t he

follow ing:

youth act ivit ies

wellness cent re

legal advice cent re

soup k it chen

beitul maal

classes - ladies, rever t ,

arabic, et c

madrassah

borehole

qurbaan program

m asjied expansion project

Appeal for funds

QMM Newslet t erMonthly Commit t ee Art icle June 2019 /

Shawaal 1440

The beginning of June 2019 heralded the end of the auspicious month of Ramadaan wherein we were able to re-energise our spiritual batteries to last us for another 12 months In-Sha-Allah. On the 29th night of Ramadaan we paid tribute to a number of role players who contributed to making this year?s Ramadaan such a phenomenal success. Together with the itikaaf jamaah, we hosted our ghufaath, the imaamat, our thikr boys, the caretakers and the Goodwood Neighbourhood Watch at a supper in the masjied. We also presented them with some gifts to show our gratitude and we were particularly pleased and immensely appreciative in the way the Goodwood Neighbourhood Watch looked after our vehicles while we could perform our prayers with absolute peace of mind. This year was the first year that we had no security incidents around the precincts of the masjied and we are looking forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with the Neighbourhood Watch in future In-Sha-Allah.

On Eid morning the masjied was once again packed to capacity while the melodious sound of the takbier reverberated throughout our community. Alhamduliellah our Eid Collection was the largest amount that we collected to date and we would like to thank, Hadjies Isghak Hendricks and Ismail Lalla for co-ordinating this collection with the youth. Alhamduliellah, we once again contributed the highest amount towards the Mubarak Fitra Fund in the northern suburbs in order to feed the needy on Eid day. After an inspiring Eid Ghutbah by Sheikh Ebrahim Tofa we were introduced to some of our Ghujaaj who will be representing us on Arafaat this year. As they greeted us we could feel the emotions running

high and it brought back memories for those who were there, and the yearning grew stronger for those who were still waiting for this noble invitation. To date we have over 50 honourable residents of the greater Goodwood that will be performing their hadj this year In-Sha-Allah.

During Ramadaan we made an appeal for funds to upgrade our Wellness Centre Mobile Trailer so that we could have a fully fitted dental and doctors consulting room. Alhamduliellah with the funds that we received thus far we will be tackling this upgrade soon so that we can use it to do more outreach programs to the many impoverished areas in the northern suburbs, In-Sha-Allah.

Alhamdulielah during Ramadaan we also received acknowledgement from the South African Human Rights Commission that they received our complaint regarding the dismissal of our rezoning application with the City of Cape Town and that they will attend to it in due course. We were also visited by Sheikh Numaan Roman, a Town Planner at the City Council who was commissioned by the Muslim Judicial Council to follow-up and fast track cases where communities were struggling with religious rezoning and land aquisition matters. We pray that the rezoning issue will be sorted out soon so that we can commence with our Building and Redevelopment Project to cater for all our religious, social, cultural, educational and recreational needs Ameen Alfu Ameen.

On Wednesday, 12th June 2019, the Gift of the Givers contractors

together with Dr Gideon Groenewald started with the installation of the piping that will lead the borehole water to the filtration plant and back again to the ablution areas where it is needed. We are looking forward for this project to be completed sooner rather than later, so that the entire community can benefit

from it In-Sha-Allah.

Our partnership with the World Masjid Association of Sunnah Sports (WMASS) started in all earnest after we acquired the necessary equipment to establish an archery club. Practice sessions started on Saturday, 15th and Monday, 17th June 2019 at the masjied under the watchful eyes and mentorship of Hadjies Ismail Davids and Cassiem Kannemeyer. Alhamduliellah we were pleased with the number of young and older males that attended and we will soon be catering for the females once the necessary interest is shown. It is our intension to enter a team from our masjid when an inter club competition takes place in September In-Sha-Allah.

Sheikh Dawood took a part of his annual leave and went to visit his family in Malawi. The community once again responded generously in cash and kind to assist our Malawian brothers when the call was made to donate, especially since they recently suffered under the catastrophic effects of Cyclone Idai which ravaged many parts of their country. Brother Ayyub Christians, one of our regular mussallees who is a qualified social worker and doing an Aalim Course, is standing in for Sheikh Dawood for all the awqaats. It is our sincere prayer that he is successful with his studies and that he will always avail himself when needed to assist the community in any of his profesional capacities In-Sha-Allah

.~ Mogam ad Safedien

Chairm an

Fr om the Quloobul Moemieneen Commit tee

PART 3Hi jab She was ?Aa?ishah the daughter of Abu Bakr (Abullah) ibn Abee Quhafa, As Siddiq the f i r st Caliph of Islam and closest companion to the prophet (pbuh). Her mother was Umm Rumaan bint Aamir.

She was a tal l and slender woman of fair and rosy complexion. She was strong w i l led, confident, passionate, extr emely intel l igent, compassionate, generous and devout. She was determined and courageous which at times meant she could be competi tive and tempestuous. There was a degree of playfulness, a sense of humour in her nature and a sharp w it.

She was the most know ledgeable woman of this ummah and the dearest of al l to the hear t of the prophet (pbuh). The tabeen would say i f ?Aa?ishah?s know ledge was put on one pan of the scale and the know ledge of al l the woman of the wor ld were to be put in the other pan, ?Aa?ishah?s know ledge would outweigh them.

She spent 9 years as the w ife of the prophet (pbuh) and l ived for another 50 years fol low ing his passing.

Her kunya was Umm Abdullah after her nephew Abdullah ibn Az Zubair.

Her v i r tues Of her vir tues Jibr i l AS descended w ith her picture commanding the prophet (pbuh) to mar r y her ; he had mar r ied her when she was a virgin and he never mar r ied any virgin besides her ; his soul was taken whi le his head was on her chest and he was bur ied in her house; Al lah had exonerated her w ith r evelation from the heaven.

The Prophet (pbuh): ?The excellence of Aa?ishah over al l women is l ike the excellence of al-Thareed (pieces of bread in vegetable or meat broth) over al l other foods.? [Sunan al-Tirmidhi , no. 3888]

?Learn a por tion of your r el igion from this Humayra (r ed colored lady).?

Mar r iage Follow ing Khadeeja?s death Khaw la suggested the Prophet (pbuh) mar r y ?Aa?ishah daughter of Abu Bakr. After ini tial r eluctance the prophet (pbuh) said:

?Aa?ishah, ?You have been show n to me in (my) dreams on three nights. An angel was

car r ying you in a si lken cloth and said to me, ` This is your w ife.? And when I uncovered i t; behold, i t was you. I then said: ` I f this dream is from Allah, He w i l l cause i t to come tr ue.'? [Bukhar i and Muslim]

He agreed to an engagement to ?Aa?ishah. This was problematic to Abu Bakr as ?Aa?ishah was alr eady engaged to Jubair ibn Mutim. As Abu Bakr was a man of honour he r equested that he f i r st discuss the issue w ith Jubair ?s parents. After the meeting Jubair ?s parents were pleased to break the engagement on account that ?Aa?ishah was a Muslim and they feared their son would be inf luenced to leave his pagan fai th by ?Aa?ishah. Abu Bakr then readi ly agreed to the proposal of the Prophet (pbuh).

Three years later in Shaw wal of the 2nd year of the Hi jr ah the prophet concluded his mar r iage to ?Aa?ishah. (?Aa?ishah always loved Shaw wal as i t r eminded her of her mar r iage to the prophet (pbuh))

?Aa?ishah said that the Prophet mar r ied her when she was 6 years old, and consummated the mar r iage w ith her when she was 9, and she stayed w ith him for nine years (ti l l his death).

Se r i e s : The wiv es of t he

Nabi (S.A.W)

Aa?ishah bint Abi Bakr RA

She said the women of Madinah "blessed me and wished me good luck and said: May you have shar e in good. They washed my head and embellished me and nothing fr ightened me. Allah's Messenger [Pr ophet Muhammad came ther e in the mor ning and I was entr usted to him." [Muslim 8:3309] [Bukhar i 7:62:64]

Was ?Aa?ishah a ch i l d? Reason?s which would show that ?Aa?ishah was an adult in her society:

- The Quran does not permit the mar r iage of a chi ld: ?And test the or phans [in their abilities] until they r each mar r iageable age. Then if you per ceive in them sound judgement, r elease their pr oper ty to them? ? (4:6)

- She was alr eady engaged and regarded ready for mar r iage per the standards of her time.

- The age of consent is an ever changing number.

- The three year per iod between betrothal and consummation suggests a waiting per iod was in place unti l ?Aa?ishah was ready to be a w ife.

- None of the Muslims or non-Muslims including the Jews and Chr istians cr i ticised this mar r iage. I t was normal for their time.

- Nothing in her mar i tal l i fe would suggest she was anything but a strong and independent woman.

Dispute over her age

There is a second opinion that suggests ?Aa?ishah was infact closer to 18 years old at her mar r iage. Of the evidences

sighted: - No record kept of

bir thdates. In fact, there was no calendar used by the Arabs. Due to their playing w ith the months of the year , time keeping became distor ted.

- ?In the time befor e Islam, Abu Bakr mar r ied two women. The fir st was Fatila daughter of Abdul Uzza, fr om whom Abdullah and Asma wer e bor n. Then he mar r ied Umm Ruman, fr om whom Abdur Rahman and ?Aa?ishah wer e bor n. These four wer e bor n befor e Islam.? Tar ikh Tabar i , vol. 4, p. 50. This would make ?Aa?ishah at least 13 at the time of Hi jr ah and 17 at the time of mar r iage.

- Asma bint Abee Bakr was the sister of ?Aa?ishah and was ten years older than her. Asma died at the age of one hundred years in 73 AH. This would make Asma 28 years of age in 1 A.H., the year of the Hi jr ah, thus making Ayesha 18 years old in 1 A.H. So ?Aa?ishah would be 21 years old at the time of the consummation of her mar r iage, and 14 or 15 years old at the time of her betrothal. I t would place her year of bir th at four or f ive years before the Call . Mishkat al-Masabih

- There is a r epor t in Sahih Bukhar i as fol lows: ?On the day (of the battle) of Uhud when (some) people r etr eated and left the Pr ophet, I saw ?Aa?ishah, daughter of Abu Bakr , and Umm

Sulaim, with their r obes tucked up so that the bangles ar ound their ankles wer e visible hur r ying with their water skins (in another nar r ation it is said, ?car r ying the water skins on their backs?). Then they would pour the water in the mouths of the people, and r etur n to fill the water skins again and came back again to pour water in the mouths of the people.? Boys under 15 were not permitted to f ight and i t is therefore inconceivable that gir ls of 9 would be in the battle.

- the Isaba, speaking of the Prophet?s daughter Fatima, says that she was born f ive years before the Call and was about f ive years older than ?Aa?ishah. This would mean ?Aa?ishah was born in the same year the Prophet (pbuh) r eceived revelation making her 18 at the time of her mar r iage.

- ?Aa?ishah herself is r epor ted to have stated that when the chapter [of the Holy Quran] enti tled The Moon, the f i f ty-four th chapter , was revealed, she was a gir l playing about and remembered cer tain ver ses then revealed. Now the f i f ty-four th chapter was undoubtedly r evealed before the sixth year of the Call . I f we consider she was around 6 years old when this surah was revealed this would make her 18 at her mar i tal consumption.

~ Sheikh Muham m ad West

G.I .S ARCHERY

J ul y 2019 ( s hawaal 1440)

All praises are due to Allah, the Benefactor, the Munificent, the Ruler, the Pardoner and Giver of grace, bounties, kindness and generosity. He is Noble, and blessed His servants with seasons of mercy and forgiveness, and has generously bestowed upon them times when they may increase in righteousness and good deeds, times of goodness, bounties and abundance of blessings.

We thank Him, and testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Him. He is alone without partners in His Lordship.

And we bear testimony that our chief and leader Muhammad (pbuh) is His true servant and messenger. O Allah bestow special honor and blessings upon Muhammad (pbuh), and upon his purified household and companions, who yearned for a trade that will always be successful and never fail.

Alhamdulillah we hope that our communities are all enjoying good health and imbued with high spiritual confidence and consciousness. Ramadan has indeed been a significant month of rejuvenation, reflection and introspection. May Almighty Allah strengthen and guide us to uphold our religious duties and moral obligations to protect and safeguard the pristine values and principles of our Deen and working towards strengthening the Islamic brotherhood within our communities with good qualities of concern, generosity and sharing.

The guests of Allah (Hujjaaj) are now anxiously preparing for their departure to the Holy cities of Makkatul Mukarramah and Madinatul Munawwarah, to undertake their holy pilgrimage insha allah. One of the numerous boons of The Most Merciful upon the ummah of our

beloved prophet Syidina Muhammad (pbuh), when our communities and their families rally to the support and assistance of our brethren and

bidding them farewell with well wishes in the forms of dua and athkaar. We beseech our Creator to honor all Hujjaaj with Haj Maqbool wa Mabroor and protect them during their journey, bless them with good health and grant them safe return to their loved ones. Ameen.

Mubarak Fit ra fund 2019 collect ion report :

Alhamdulillah and amount of R838 376. 00 was received from the 24 mosques and institutions whom contributed during the month of Ramadan. The detailed report will be enclosed below insha allah. May

Almighty Allah reward all for their whole hearted contributions and may He bless their undertakings Ameen.

Icons are prepar ing t o embark on t he following project s of which t he details fol low below:

Icons annual Youth Ret reat scheduled for 27 September t o 29 September 2019. We intend to host 250 youth from the 25 Masaajid from within the Northern Suburb areas. Siddique and Kuilsriver masjid will be the venues hosting our activities insha Allah.

The youth will be engaged in fun and inter active sessions with the Muslim Youth Incorporated leaders with various youth orientated programs:

Outdoor programs and sessions include:

1. 5?s soccer tournament at Century City

2. Hiking session at Table Mountain

3. Surf walk at Melkbos Strand4. Reflective sessions on the

purpose of life5. Traditional Q+A with Icons

Imamat6. Leadership development

Funding for the above event covered by donations of R2500.00 from various masajid and sponsorship from donors, as well as Sanzaf. Our imams have also been assigned to assist with providing the meals (breakfast, lunch and supper) for the youth. Alhamdulillah this task has always been very well managed with the support of the various masajid committees and membership as experienced during the two previous youth camps.

Imam Development project is also in planning. Applications are invited to be submitted to https:/ / imamdp.org/apply. Application closing date is 30 June 2019.

Imaamat council of t he nor t her n subur bs

3 st ep applicat ion process:

1. Submit application on-line

2. Short listed candidates will be interviewed

3. You will be notified of your acceptance

Applicat ions for bursar ies for h igher

educat ion st udies and sk il ls developm ent :

All applications to be accompanied by

recommendation letter from your Imam/

community leader. This is an initiative from

Sanzaf to assist the poor in our communities and

making it possible for them to benefit and

achieve insha Allah.

Apart from bursaries to assist with higher

education studies (Universities and Technikon

institutions), opportunities are also available for

assistance with funding and support to striving

applicants in skills development, short courses,

as well as small business development. This

service is available from Sanzaf, and for more

details Moulana Rezaan Sydow can be contacted

at the Belhar Offices.

Ma assalaama

~ Im am Om ar Ef fendi

secr etar y.uns@gm ai l .com

MASJIED MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Akhlaaq Delf t

Fiqh (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Fiqh - for t n ighly (af t er Asr )

Al-Jam ia Ut hm ania Bont eheuwel

Fiqh (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Tableegh Jam a'ah Program

Mar r iage Course (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Beginners Class (Tauheed)

(Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Haj (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Alhidaayah Kraaifont ein

Qur 'an Tafseer Rever t s Fiqh

Badr Belhar

Tafseer ul Quran (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Arabic (Maghr ieb - Eshaa)

Fiqh (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Bishop Lavis Fiqh Quran reading Par t t im e hifz for yout h

(Asr - Maghr ieb)

Bluedowns Tuscany Glen

Quran, Tafseer

Beginners/Rever t s - 1st 3 TUE/m ont h

Hadeet h, Fiqh

Durbanvil le Islam ic societ y

Kit abul Janazah (20h00 - 21h00)

Workshop for gir ls ent er ing

puber t y - for t n ighly (18:30)

Jum ua Delf t

Fiqh, Hist ory (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Beginner /Rever t s, Janaza

(Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Haj (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Arabic (11h00 - 13h00)

Kuilsr iver Quran reading for fem ales

(19:30 - 21:00)

Yout h - every 3rd MON

(19:30 - 21:00)

Quran reading for m ales

(19:30 - 21:00)

Haj/Um rah (19:30 - 21:00)

Mubarak Belhar

SANZAF Aalim ah (Mornings)

Tafseer (af t er Maghr ieb)

SANZAF Aalim ah (Mornings) Hadeet h

(af t er Maghr ieb)

SANZAF Aalim ah (Mornings)

Quran reading (af t er Maghr ieb)

SANZAF Aalim ah (Mornings)

Arabic (08h00 - 12h30)

Nasr i l lah Fiqh, Tauheed (bet ween Maghr ieb

and 'Eshaa)

Quraan reading (bet ween Maghr ieb

and 'Eshaa)

Haj (bet ween Maghr ieb

and 'Eshaa)

Net reg Haj (af t er Maghr ieb)

Quraan reading (af t er Maghr ieb)

Fiqh (af t er Maghr ieb)

Nurul Huda Belhar

Quran reading (af t er Maghr ieb)

Fiqh (af t er Maghr ieb)

Tafseer (af t er Maghr ieb)

Quran reading, Fiqh - ladies only (Morning)

Arabic

Panoram a Quran reading, Tajweed

(Maghr ieb - Eshaa)

Haj and Um rah (Maghr ieb - Eshaa)

Refresher Fiqh, Quran reading for

beginners (Maghr ieb - Eshaa)

Par row valley Quran reading Hif t h Fiqh 40 Hadit h of Im am Nawaw i

QMM Goodwood

Quranic Lit eracy, Seerah

Beginners/Rever t

Inspirat ional Talk Tafseer - Ladies Arabic, Hadeet h -

Men

Housew ives (10h00 - 12h00)

Quba Nor t hpine

The st or ies of t he prophet s

(af t er Maghr ieb)

St ory of t he Quran - Ladies class (Mornings)

Par t t im e hif t h, Tajweed

(10h00 - 13h00 for t n ight ly)

Raudah Pinelands

Quran, Tajweed (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Um rah, Haj (Maghr ieb - 'Eshaa)

Siddique Elsies River

Ladies class (10h00) Tafseer (19h00)

Quraan reading (19h00)

Islaam 101 for ladies (19h00)

Ladies class (10h00)

Beginners class (19h00)

Haj, Um rah (15h00)

The Hague Delf t

Quraan reading and

social m at t ers discussion

Quran reading and m ar r iage classes

W h a t is A u t is m S p e c t r u m

D is o r d e r (A S D ) ? P a r t I I

In South Africa only 10% of people with autism are correctly diagnosed. This emerged in Cape Town at the first conference held to discuss the prevalence of Autism spectrum Disorder. The conference took place at Valkenberg Hospital in April 2018 and was hosted by University of cape Town to mark autism Month, which is observed globally in April each year.

The Centre for Disease Control in the United States released the latest autism prevalence statistics this year. 2018 saw an increase in the prevalence statistics for autism from 1 in 68 just two years ago to 1 in 59. This is a 15% increase.

Ot h e r in t e r e s t in g

f in d in g s w e r e t h a t :

The gender gap in autism has decreased. In 2012, boys were 4.5 times more likely to be diagnosed than girls. By 2014, this had decreased to a ratio of 4:1. This reflects improvement in identification of autism in girls, many of

whom do not fit the stereotypical picture of autism seen in boys.

Disappointingly, there has been no overall decrease in the age of diagnosis, with most children still being

diagnosed by age 2. This is important because research and experience shows that early intervention leads to best outcomes.

s ig n s & s y m p t o m s

People with ASD have difficulty with social communications and interactions, restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. The list below gives some examples of the types of behaviours that are seen in people diagnosed with ASD. Not all people with ASD will show all behaviours, but most will show several.

Social communication/ interaction behaviours may include:

- Making little or inconsistent eye contact

- Tending not to look at or listen to people

- Rarely sharing enjoyment of objects or activities by pointing or showing things to others

Autism

- Failing to, or being slow to, respond to

someone calling their name or to other

verbal attempts to gain attention

- Having difficulties with back and forth

conversation

- Often talking at length about a favourite

subject without noticing that others are

not interested or without giving others a

chance to respond

- Having facial expressions, movements and

gestures that do not match what is being

said

- Having an unusual tone of voice that may

sound sing-song or flat and robot-like

- Having trouble understanding other

person?s point of view or being unable to

predict or understand other peoples?

actions

R e s t r ic t iv e / r e p e t i t iv e

b e h a v io u r s m a y in c lu d e :

- Repeating certain behaviours or having

unusual behaviours. For example,

repeating words or phrases, a behaviour

called echolalia

- Having a lasting intense interest in certain

topics, such as numbers, details or facts

- Having overly focused interests, such as

with moving objects or parts of objects

- Getting upset by slight changes in a routine

- Being more or less sensitive than other

people to sensory input such as light,

noise, clothing or temperature

People with ASD may also experience sleep

problems and irritability. Although people with

ASD experience many challenges, they may also

have many strengths, including:

- Being able to learn things in detail and

remember information for long periods

- Being strong visual and auditory learners

- Excelling in math, science, music or

artincludes the same type of symptoms,

but at a more intense level.

~ GIS Volunt eer

Autism

?And when Abr aham pr ayed, ?My Lor d, make this

city a city of peace, and pr ovide its inhabitants with

fr uits, such of them as believe in God and the Last Day.?? ? Qur an, chapter 2,

ver se 126

Hajj accredi tations have been received, and prospective pi lgr ims have been issued their Divine invi tation to the Holy Land. Soon, i f not alr eady, many Hajj greeting cards w i l l make their way into your post-boxes and vir tual inboxes. For someone having been on this journey, your hear t w i l l long to be there and re-exper ience the pi lgr image. There is a r eason that the hear t longs for the Holy Land, and this is as a r esult of a prayer that Nabi Ibrahim AS had made. When Nabi Ibrahim AS and his son Ishmaeel AS bui l t the Kaaba, they r eci ted a prayer , for which we reap the benefi ts to this ver y day.

?And when Abr aham and Ishmael wer e laying the foundations of the House, [they pr ayed], ?Our Lor d, accept this fr om us; for You ar e All Hear ing, All Knowing. Lor d, make us submissive to You; make of our descendants a nation that will submit to You. Teach us our r ites of wor ship and tur n to us with mer cy; You ar e the For giving One and the Mer ciful. Our Lor d, send for th to them a messenger of their own to r ecite Your r evelations to

them, to teach them the Scr iptur e and wisdom, and pur ify them. You ar e the Mighty, the Wise One.?? ? Quran, chapter 2, ver ses 127 ? 129.

When we speak to tr aveller s who have visi ted the Holy Land, there is one common theme in what they r epor t on, which is the concept of a magical form of peace that they have not exper ienced anywhere, ever before. Traveller s w i l l tel l the tale of a wor ld fr ee of wor r y and the usual concerns. They w i l l fur ther r elate on how there is an atmosphere of other -wor ldly ease and a vibrancy that could well be akin to the human perception of heaven.

After many ref lections on these feel ings, I came across a ver se in the Quran that led me to another prayer that Nabi Ibrahim AS had made:

?[Remember ] when Abr aham said, ?My Lor d,

make this a city of peace and help me and my childr en to

keep away fr om wor shipping idols.?? ? Quran, chapter 14,

ver se 35.

Nabi Ibrahim AS prayed for peace. He asked Allah to bless the Holy Land w ith the greatest cur rency in both wor lds. To ponder upon Allah?s Magnif icence, and to tr uly understand that to this ver y day we sti l l exper ience the fr ui ts of a sincere prayer. I t makes me fur ther contemplate the power of sincere intention and the goodness that can emerge from the fountain of fai th. Our prayers can be so impactful. We should not underestimate Allah?s abi l i ty to Give, Accept and Grant from the pool of Divine abundance.

continued on next page.../

The hear t w il l al w ay s l ong f or t he Hol y Land

The parables of the l ives of the Prophets, as outl ined in the Quran, should ser ve as lessons of inspir ation. We should be inspir ed to draw w isdom and str ength from the teachings of our spir i tual ancestor s ? the Prophets, at times of confl ict or contemplation in our l ives. This state of peace outside of the Holy Land can be established in our hear ts and minds by the constant r emembrance of Al lah. I r emember thinking about this feel ing of r enewal after per forming my Hajj.

I thought about the abi l i ty to r etain this sereni ty upon my return home. Tr ying to foster this state of peace in your dai ly l i fe is

par t of the spir i tual str uggle. We are constantly bombarded w ith elements that are designed to throw us off course. By bui lding inner r esi l ience against these elements, we w i l l be able to capture Divine Light and thereby r adiate i t outwardly. May we al l w in our battles, and have l ives f i l led w ith a state of constant peace, Amin. Have a wonder ful month.

Best w ishes, w ith love and l ight,

~ Maryam Rum aney

www.mbr umaney.co

I want us to reflect on one of the most unique distinct blessings of Ramadan, that I think many of us overlook. And if we reflect on it ? it will be the spirit that we need to continue after Ramadan. To not allow the spirit of Ramadan to die out, and to reflect on sustaining ourselves post-Ramadan. One of the things that Allah SWT uses Ramadan for ? is to show you, your potential. So one of the beautiful things that Allah SWT does for us, is that He says to you and me ? you are very capable, because so often we think that we are losers. We think that we are failures, we think that we don?t have what it takes, we think that we can't accomplish goals.

So Allah brings you Ramadan to say ? STOP, from Allah SWT's Mercy and Compassion ? He is showing us our potential.

And so the first step that we need to understand about this month of Ramadan, is that we are capable of being righteous. Not only does Allah SWT show us that we are capable of accomplishing great things, but Allah SWT also shows us what it takes to accomplish something. He shows us the necessary qualities and traits and steps

that you and I have to take to accomplish the goals that we want. Because all of us want to be close to Allah, all of us want to be good Muslims, all of us want to follow in the footsteps of Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

Allah is showing us, I know that you think that you don?t know what it takes, but I 'm going to show you, through practice, I 'm going to walk you through every day

Allah SWT has showed us every single day what it takes.

What are some of the qualities that we need reflect upon?

Number 1 Allah SWT wants us to get our minds right ? what do I mean by that?

Allah SWT says:

Allah has made it t hat t his fast ? is all about you being

conscious and aware of Allah SWT.

Allah SWT says:

Call out t o my servant s and say t hat ver i ly I am the One

who forgives a lot .

So never ever despair ? never lose hope ? get your mind right.

Allah commands us, never despair ? the only ones who

despair are the ones who reject Allah.

If you think that you a loser ? then realize that you do not know who Allah SWT is.

That you have not believed in Him the belief that He is deserving of.

Because Ramadan shows us time and time again ? Allah wants to give us everything.

And that is why Allah SWT in a Hadith Qudsi says:

I am where my servant perceives Me to be

I f you view Me in a good l ight ,

Allah SWT says, t hen you wil l have t hat goodness.

And if you view me in a negat ive l ight , t hen t hat is

what you wil l have.

So it 's simple ? don?t ever assume bad of Allah ? don?t ever have a bad assumption of Allah.

And all He wants you to do ? is turn to Him.

Doesn?t Allah SWT say?

I f My servant s ask you about Me, I am close.

I respond t o t he caller when he or she calls.

That is how Allah SWT is speaking about Himself. So why do we have a bad opinion of Him? Why have we written ourselves off? We have written ourselves off because we have not relied on al-Wakeel, but we have relied on our deficient selves.

Number 2 Allah SWT is telling us ? to accomplish this goal, you have to be mindful of your number one enemy.

You have two primary enemies ? and what these two enemies are trying to do, all of the time, is to drag you down.

The shaytan and the Nafs ? these are the two primary enemies ? all they want to do is make you fail.

So from Allah's Mercy, Allah locks him up in the month of Ramadan. What Allah SWT is saying, is that shaytan, has been trying to make you fail. So I 'm going to bring you some relief this month, I 'm going to tie him up so that you can see what you can accomplish. So that you can see and experience and feel what success looks like. Because perhaps, if shaytan was unlocked, maybe these 29 days may be much harder, and maybe a lot of us would fail.

Keeping t he Spi ri t of Ramadan

So from Allah's Mercy, Allah locks him up in the month of Ramadan. What Allah SWT is saying, is that shaytan, has been trying to make you fail. So I 'm going to bring you some relief this month, I 'm going to tie him up so that you can see what you can accomplish. So that you can see and experience and feel what success looks like. Because perhaps, if shaytan was unlocked, maybe these 29 days may be much harder, and maybe a lot of us would fail.

What Allah says to us in this Ayah, is that shaytan has an assumption.

And so many of us unfortunately, we affirm his assumption.

And his assumption is, is that he will tell us what to do, and we will follow. Allah SWT says:

That the plot and the ploy of the shaytan is very weak.

So Allah SWT says:

This shaytan ? he is your enemy, so t ake him as your enemy.

So as you are readying your mind, you need to see your enemy every single day and know exactly what he is trying to do. Because he is trying to whisper sweet nothings into your ear.

Coupled with the shaytan, you have to fight your Nafs.

Because what is your Nafs?

Your Nafs is always inclining towards evil

That is why the Prophet (SAW) says:

Your worst enemy is t he Nafs t hat is wit hin you.

And so to accomplish your goals in attaining spirituality and righteousness, to realize your potential as a human being.

Number 1 ? you have to get your mind right.

Number 2 ? you have to be aware and vigilant of your enemies.

Number 3 This is the third quality required to realize our potential as believers: Patience and Perseverance. The month of Ramadan ? the fast of the day ? we are taught patience and perseverance. This is the key to success.

If you want to succeed, then be patient, and be perseverant in your patience, and be mindful of Allah,

So that you can succeed.

Meaning that ? you can't give up ? after Ramadan when you start a project, when you make a commitment, you have to see it through till the end. That?s the type of resolve that you need to realize your potential, to accomplish your goals. Because Patience is half of belief.

Number 4: Consistency

We notice with Ramadan ? it 's not one day on, one day off, or one week on, one week off. What is it? Every day! Consistency is key ? repetition is key. If you want to accomplish your goals ? then you have to do it all the time.

The best of actions, the best of deeds, are the ones that are done consistently even if it is small in amount.

Number 5: Sacrifice

You are going to have to be willing to sacrifice. If you

are too committed to your desires, if you are too committed to your wants ? you won't realize you're potential.

I don?t have to spend 6 hours a day on my phone ? which is what the latest statistics have shown.

The average person today is spending 6 hours on their phone ? trust me, none of us need to be on our phones for 6 hours.

So I can sacrifice one of thses precious 6 hours, to read some Quran, to help those in need, to give in Sadaqah.

I can sacrifice, and Allah showed us in this month of Ramadan that you can sacrifice food and drink for my sake, so you can do it.

When you break your fast ? you feel a sense of accomplishment ? because you accomplished something.

And Fee Sabilillah ? you have to be ready and willing to sacrifice everything.

Number 6 Did we do this on our own? This month of Ramadan? No we didn?t, we did it collectively. We did it as a community; we did it as an Ummah. One of the things that really inspired us to continue and to push forward, is because we know everyone else is doing it. We know that 1.7 billion people across the world were experiencing this month of Ramadan.

So in that collectiveness, we realized we can accomplish remarkable things.

One of the most important elements necessary for us to realize our potential, is to be around righteous people.

Allah SWT says:

Allah is commanding us ? find good people ? find people who are doing good things ? find people who are trying to follow Nabi Muhammad (SAW), and be with them.

The Prophet (SAW) says:

Find Muslims and be wit h t hem.

The believer is on t he path and t he way of t heir f r iend.

Be select ive of who you choose t o be your brother or your sist er .

Because, t he reason why we have t o stay wit h t he Muslims,

Because t he wolf wil l at t ack and eat f rom the st ray sheep.

So if you are out there on your own, then know that you are very vulnerable and your ability to stand up is compromised.

But if you have your brothers and sisters around you, those who love you, who love Allah, who love Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

You are going to be inspired to join them ? that?s what Ramadan has shown us.

May we continue to keep the spirit of Ramadan alive, Allahumma Ameen.

~ Sheikh Mogamad Salaam

?There?s a woman needing help.? I checked my mobile and to my horror there were multiple voice notes on our neighbourhood security chat that confirmed a home invasion was underway, that the invaders were still inside and that the family was struggling to access help. I knew the family. My husband was now up, all the lights were on and he was calling the police while I relayed the address. He repeated and checked that the address was correct, that indeed help was on its way. I called the family to assure them that help was on the way. I could hear the commotion, the fear and short descriptions of what was transpiring. I tried to stay calm and wait on the phone until I could hear that help arrived. I knew the phone would drop the moment it did.

The bloodcurdling realisation that I was talking to someone during a home invasion released a surge of adrenaline. This was happening live and I knew that at any point things could go desperately wrong. As I listened to her I prayed and prayed and prayed.

There we were in the depth of slumber, tuned out of our phone notifications. In another country and another time zone was a stranger who was up for fajr, casually scrolling through his phone I imagine and catch updates about home when he came across a distressed plea for help. Unable to call our national emergency services he desperately called my husband. If it were not for him alerting us there could have been further delays.

I stayed in touch with the family and I was relieved to receive a call a few hours later with an update on what had transpired.

Feeling a litt le bit traumatised myself, I realised how important the essence of neighbourhood bonds are. Years ago when I was a child I recall how my mom and our neighbours had benches almost permanently placed against the boundary walls to ease a quick ?over the wall? chat. Chats were held as the laundry was being taken off the laundry lines, and it was perfectly acceptable to call each other?s name to receive

something, or ask of something. A quick step up on the make-shift ladder and you were face-to-face with your neighbour.

Coming home from a day out I clearly recall the absolute delight my mother enjoyed as we entered our driveway to find a bush of greens. Our neighbour was clearing out her garden and instead of disposing of her excess; it was placed in my parent?s driveway. My mom alerted more neighbours and they each planted the excessive fruit trees and collected all the fallen seeds. In today?s times such an act of kindness would be surprising, even annoying. Receiving a bush of greens comes with lots of dirt and mess. My mom was dressed in finery that day as we had just attended a wedding. But a quick call over the wall rounded up all the kids and the business of sharing and caring happened instantly.

Today?s adoption of privacy rules discontinues a long legacy of integration and community bonds. An exaggerated sense of paranoia and fear are the reasons many utilise to hide behind gated communities that ignore the door bell. Privacy, while designed to serve the self somewhat, does litt le to create the bonds necessary for a homogenous community to thrive.

What do we do when we just need a teaspoon of sugar, at ten o?clock in the evening? It seems like a nuisance to drive all the way to the local shop while it deprives you of a quick visit to the neighbour and an instant spoon of sugar.

It?s the litt le things that make us grow.

And be good to the neighbour who is your

relative and to the neighbour who is not a relative . . . (Qur'an,

4:36)

~ Zeenat Patel - Kaskar

The alar m abr upt ly ended

a good n ight?s r est . In my

slum ber I bem oaned a

shor t sleep th ink ing that

faj r was al r eady upon us,

but the alar m f l ashed that

i t was on ly 3am . Confused

I wear i l y l ooked over at

my husband who on

pr onouncem ent of h i s

f r i end?s nam e conf i r m ed

that i t was a phone cal l

and not the signal of an

alar m that had woken us.

The t im e r evealed that the

news was ur gent and I held

my br eath at the thought

that ther e would be news

about a janazah.

?Check the secur i t y gr oup?

was the i nst r uct i on

r elayed dur ing the phone

cal l .

A Cu p of S u ga r P l ease

Ebrahiem Daniels

What i s Love?I have no answer.

As if I am worthy enoughTo have loves description

Linger on my lips.A million thoughts rushed through my head

As I chose the answerLove is. Well. Uhm?I am still not worthy.

And I look into her eyesAnd picture our future.

Love tells me to go ahead.And I reply,Love is us.

Love will be my ability to wake up next to you and smile.Love will allow me to watch you age

And still acknowledge, that even if your beautyFades away,

I?d love you tomorrow, more than I doToday.

Sal waa smi t h's Ri ch Fr ui t Cake

Today I?m sharing with you one of my late mommy?s favourite cakes. The making of this cake was reserved for Eid and other special occasions. Although we didn?t and still don?t celebrate Christmas my mom would always bake cakes and share with our neighbours.We grew up in an area where multi-faith people lived. Everyone respected each other?s religion. At Eid some of our non-Muslim neighbours reciprocated with their home bakes. Naturally they would only send gifts suitable for Muslim consumption.For an extra rich fruit cake buy fruit cake mixture that has cherries and nuts included. You may add extra almond slivers. During my younger days I didn?t like cake that had cherries as an ingredient. But strangely now that I?m older I?ve acquired a taste for cherries. I have made a double batch of the recipe below to show you different ways of presenting your fruit cake.I would have loved to bake a cake for each and everyone of my followers but the very least I could do is share my mom?s recipe. Who knows, maybe you could start your own tradition, make an extra cake and share it with your neighbours?

Ingredients:

250g butter or margarine

1 cup soft dark brown sugar

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 dessert spoon instant coffee

3 cups water

500g luxury fruit cake mixture

4 large eggs

4 cups self raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Method :

Grease and line a 20cm deep cake tin with grease proof / parchment paper.

You may also wrap a double layer of brown paper, tied with string, around the outside of the tins.

Alternatively, use two small loaf tins or mini loaf tins, perfect for gifting.

Place all ingredients except flour, baking powder and eggs into a large pot.

Bring to the boil, simmer over medium until all the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 10

minutes.Allow to cool completely.

Whisk eggs in a separate bowl.Add the flour and baking powder as well as the boiled

fruit mixture.Stir with wooden spoon, mix well until all the

ingredients are combined.Pour into the prepared cake tin/s.

Bake on the centre shelfFAN OVEN: 130°C for 2 hours

CONV OVEN: 150°C for 2 hoursWhen cooked, leave for 30 minutes before turning out

Visit our online shop www.capemalaydelights.storeAll content and media belongs to Salwaa Smith & Cape

Malay Delights (PTY) LTD.

'W ha t 's C ook i n g?'

From My Kitchen To Yours - keeping our heritage alive!

THE MORE YOU KNOW QUR?AN THE MORE YOU LOVE AND LIVE IMAN

People try to protect

themselves from sin, to save

themselves from evil and find

shorter and straight paths

toward Allah. One should

know that this can be

provided with Qur?an and

more especially, this can be

provided with the right

comment of ikhlas in Qur?an.

As it has been stated in

Risale-i Nur the twenty first

flash:

In this world especially

afterlife tasks, the most

important principle, the

greatest strength, the most

acceptable intercessor, the

firmest point of support, the

shortest way to reality, the

most acceptable prayer, the

most wondrous means of

achieving one's goal, the

highest quality, the purest

worship is: Ikhlas.

In ikhlas, like those

mentioned above, lies many

lights and much strength. As

we are utterly weak and poor

and powerless, it is

absolutely important, more

than anything else, with all

our strength, that we are

compelled and obliged to

gain ikhlas. We are in utter

need of instilling ikhlas in

ourselves. Especially at this

dreadful time, of being

confronted by severe

oppression, terrible enemies,

and aggressive bid?as. The

sacred task of faith and task

of Qur?an have been

burdened on our shoulders

by the grace of Divine.

Otherwise what we have

achieved so far in our sacred

task will in part be lost, will

not persist and we shall be

held responsible. Therefore,

the more you read Risale-i

Nur, the right tafseer

(explanation) of Qur?an, the

more strength your iman

evolves through the light of

ikhlas. and will, only be

achieved in this way, the way

of the Qur 'an (The Damascus

Sermon).

We are exposed to the severe

thread contained in the

Divine prohibition out of

countenance eternal

happiness meaningless,

unnecessary, harmful,

mournful, egocentric,

tedious, for the sake of some

hypocritical base feelings and

insignificant benefits by

violating ikhlas we will both

attack all our brothers? rights

and transgress against the

task of Qur?an and be

disrespectful to the

sacredness of the truth of

faith.

~ Naif KaraSakarya University

Turkey

Boeta Yusuf SiljeurHow long have you been in the ar ea?

I?ve been a resident of Goodwood for the past 17 years.

What 's your favour i te food?

I see myself as a HAKE man ? . Hake & chips is my favourite dish. Please no chicken

What 's you favour i te spor t?

Undoubtedly RUGBY, I like cricket & soccer but nothing beats rugby.Dominoes is my favourite pass time

What 's your favour i te team ?

STORMERS!!!

What i s your favour i te book?

The only book/s I ever read is the Quraan and kitaabs

Role i n the com m uni ty?

Do what I can to inspire the youth and keep them on their toes. Correct where I can anyone making a mistake

Wher e did you gr ow up?

I grew up in Rogers street, District 6, Then moved to Woodstock and now in Goodwood

Advice to youth?

Leave all the bad stuff, Go to madrassa, Be careful of your friends

WHO'S WHO IN THE WOOD?

mont hlyS C H E D U L E

Feat ur edPer sonof t heMont h

5th Jum ua - Sheikh Dawood

12th Jum ua - Sheikh Tofa

19th Jum ua - Ml Khal i el Par ker

26th Sheikh Tofa

26th Salaatu l Layl

28th Ghaatam ul Qur an

Adult Classes Available:

Monday: Quranic Lit eracy, Seerah, Beginners/Rever t

Tuesday: Inspirat ional Talk

Wednesday: Arabic, Hadeet h, Tafsir for Ladies

Thursday: Thik r , Housew ives (m ornings)

Fem ale Hif t h classes dur ing t he day:

Monday - Fr iday:

Nurul Quran Fem ale Hif t h Inst .