Islamic Focus

Issue 96 Igniting the Spirit of Islam Dec 2011 Bukhara Publications/Tel: 078 672 7797/Fax: 086 651 2125 Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com/Korsten/Port Elizabeth

students were Muslim, the

teachers were enemies.

6. The power of peace is stronger than the power of violence. When Makkah

was conquered, the Prophet �’s worst enemies were brought before him. They were war criminals. He par-doned them and most em-

braced Islam.

7. Gradualism instead of radicalism. Aeysha � says the first verses of the Quran

were related mostly to heaven and hell. After a

long time, when people’s hearts had been softened,

specific commands to desist from adultery and alcohol were revealed. For social

change, Islam advocates the evolutionary, rather

than the revolutionary, method. �

Prophet Muhammad � was the most successful man in history. Moulana Wahidud-

din Khan identified princi-ples of success taught by the Prophet �. Here are 7: 1. Begin from the possi-

ble. Aeysha � explained this principle when she said: ‘Whenever the Prophet � had to choose between two options, he always opted for

the easier one.’ (Bukhari) To choose the easiest option means to begin from the

possible.

2. To see advantage in disadvantage. In the early

days of Makkah, there were many difficulties. But a verse of the Quran: ‘With

every hardship there is ease, with every hardship

there is ease,’ (94:5-6) in-spired Muslims. They learned that if there are

some problems, there are also opportunities at the

same time. The way to suc-

cess is to use opportunities.

3. Changing the place of action. This is derived from the Hijrah (migration) from

Makkah to Madinah. This was a strategic move to find a

more suitable place for Is-lamic work.

4. Make a friend out of an enemy. This is derived from

the Quran which enjoins do-ing good when someone does evil. In turn: ‘You will

see your direst enemy be-c om e y o u r c l o s e s t

friend.’ (41:34)

5. Wring success from failure. After the Battle of Badr, 70 of the enemy were

taken prisoner and many were educated. The Prophet

� announced that if anyone of them would teach 10 Mus-lim children to read and write

he would be freed. This was the first school in Islam: the

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P4 US War Crimes

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2 Islamic Focus

WORLD NEWS

KENYA - Israel offered to help Kenya as it tackles

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

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

mies’. (BBC, 14 Nov)

LIBYA - Several days of fighting between rival fac-

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

PALESTINE - Jewish city of Tel Aviv named Best

Gay City of 2011 in an international American Air-

lines competition after winning 43% of the votes,

leaving New York in second place with only 14% of

the votes. (Ynetnews, 11 Jan)

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

tween Taliban fighters and police. Taliban are ex-

panding operations in Karachi. (BBC, 16 Nov)

ITALY - Italian clothing company Benetton pulled

an ad showing the Pope kissing a senior Egyptian

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

PALESTINE - Jews arrested 6 Palestinians called

the West Bank Freedom Riders who boarded a bus

used by Jewish settlers. They drew inspiration from

1960s US civil rights demonstrators who also cam-

paigned against segregated buses. (BBC, 15 Nov)

KUWAIT - Dozens of protesters stormed parlia-

ment, as hundreds more demonstrated outside

against the PM. (BBC, 16 Nov)

AFGHANISTAN - Online video shows US Marines

urinating on dead Taliban fighters. (BBC, 12 Jan)

USA - Oklahoma stopped from introducing amend-

ment to its constitution, stopping courts from con-

sidering Islamic law in judgements. (BBC, 10 Jan)

SOMALIA - Al-Shabab fighters, estimated at 9,000,

launched an account on the micro-blogging site

Twitter: @HSMPress. (BBC, 8 Dec)

PAKISTAN - Pakistan considering charging millions

in taxes on Nato trucks and fuel tankers, which pass

through to Afghanistan. The supply route is a lifeline

for Nato troops but Pakistan closed it after 24 of its

soldiers were killed in a Nato strike. (BBC, 12 Dec)

USA - Obama asked Iran to return the surveillance

drone they captured. (BBC, 12 Dec)

SYRIA - More than 5,000 people killed in the upris-

ing and 14,000 arrested. (BBC, 13 Dec)

LEBANON - Hezbollah exposed CIA agents in video

animations showing meetings between CIA and in-

formers at Starbucks and Pizza Hut. (BBC, 13 Dec)

USA - Republican presidential contender Newt Gin-

grich, called Palestinians an 'invented' people and

'terrorists'. (BBC, 12 Dec)

CANADA - Wearing of veils banned while swearing

oath of citizenship. Veils are already banned in Que-

bec for people receiving government services. Can-

ada is considering a wider ban on veils in govern-

ment offices, schools and hospitals. (BBC, 12 Dec)

SOMALIA - Ethiopian troops invaded and captured

Beledweyne after a fierce, hours-long battle with Al

Shabab fighters. (BBC, 31 Dec)

NIGERIA - State of emergency declared in some

parts after attacks from Islamist group Boko Haram

killed dozens on Christmas day. (BBC, 1 Jan)

PHILIPPINES - 1,249 killed in flash floods on the

majority Muslim island of Mindanao. Entire villages

washed away. 60,000 people homeless. (BBC, 1 Jan)

CHILE - A Jew, who served in the Israeli army, is

accused of starting a massive forest fire in Torres

del Paine national park. 110 sq km (27,000 acres) of

pristine forest has already burned. Hundreds of fire-

fighters are tackling the blaze. (BBC, 1 Jan)

EGYPT - Islamists have done well in elections even

in tourist spots like Luxor, Red Sea and Aswan with

the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party

winning, followed by the Salafi party, Al Nour. Many

young Egyptians are fed up with having to compro-

mise Islamic principles for tourists. (BBC, 28 Dec)

USA - Muslim leaders, together with rabbis, Catholic

nuns and Protestant pastors, boycotted New York

City mayor’s annual interfaith breakfast at reports

that undercover police officers spy on Muslims by

playing on cricket teams and infiltrating Muslim

neighborhoods and mosques. (BBC, 30 Dec) �

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3 Islamic Focus

RELAXATION / HADITH

Crescent Rating announced its ranking of the

top 10 Halal friendly holiday destinations for 2012. There are two rankings: one for Or-

ganization of Islamic Countries (OIC) mem-bers and one for non OIC members.

OIC countries are usually a bit more comfort-able for Muslims to travel to; it is usually eas-

ier to locate mosques, Halal restaurants and more family-friendly activities than other countries.

OIC ranking: 1. Malaysia. 2. Egypt. 3. Tur-

key. 4. Indonesia. 5. United Arab Emirates. 6. Morocco. 7. Tunisia. 8. Jordan. 9. Brunei. 10. Qatar.

Non OIC ranking: 1. Bosnia-Herzegovina. 2.

Singapore. 3. South Africa. 4. Sri Lanka. 5. Gold Coast (Australia). 6. Delhi (India). 7.

London (UK). 8. Bangkok (Thailand). 9. Mu-nich (Germany). 10. Vienna (Austria).

South Africa was ranked third due to offering much in terms of natural beauty, unforgetta-

ble safari experiences, miles of unspoiled beaches, and a bustling city life. It also offers a wide variety of Halal friendly facilities in-

cluding Musjids and Halal restaurants.

In fact, South Africa ranked ninth in the com-bined OIC, non OIC list for Halal friendly holi-day destinations in 2011, with the sizable

Muslim community and many travel attrac-tions catering to the needs of Muslim travel-

ers being sited as one of the reasons. The many Halal certified restaurants in all the ma-jor cities was also a plus factor. �

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Blessing. Reported from Anas ibn Malik �, the Prophet �said: ‘Girls are models of affection and sympathy and a blessing to the family. If a

person has one daughter, God will screen him from the fire of hell owing to his daughter; if he has two daughters, God will admit him to

paradise; if he has three, God will exempt him from the obligation of charity and Jihad.’ (Kanz

al-Ummal 277) Paradise. Abu Huraira � says, ‘The Prophet � said that if a person has three daughters whom he provides for and brings up, God will

surely reward him with paradise.’ (Ibid) Protection from Hell. According to Abdullah

ibn Mas'ud �, the Prophet � is reported to have said, ‘If a daughter is born to a person

and he brings her up, gives her a good educa-tion and trains her in the arts of life, I shall

myself stand between him and hell-fire.’ (Ibid) Roses. According to Ayesha �, the Prophet Salla � said about women: ‘They are like pleasing roses.’ (Ibid)

Good treatment. A report from Bahz ibn Ha-kim � states: I asked the Prophet � about his teaching in respect of women. He replied: ‘Feed them as you feed yourselves, clothe

them as you clothe yourselves, and do not beat or scold them.’ (Ibid)

Best things. According to a report from Ab-dullah ibn Umar �, the Prophet � declared: ‘The whole world is a thing to be made use of and the best thing in the world is a virtuous wife.’ (Muslim) �

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COMMUNITY / SUNNAH

The US invasion of Iraq has left a devastating

legacy. One example is Fallujah, a city which was ravaged with weapons like depleted ura-

nium and white phosphorous used during two attacks in 2004. This led to catastrophic levels of birth defects and abnormalities.

There are all kinds of defects in babies, rang-

ing from congenital heart disease to severe physical abnormalities. In 2009, 700 cases were logged. There are not even medical

terms to describe some of these conditions because doctors have never before seen them.

Most of these babies in Fallujah die within 20-30 minutes after being born. Al Jazeera saw hundreds of photos of babies with cleft pal-

ates, elongated heads, a baby born with one eye in the centre of its face, deformed limbs,

and malformed ears, noses and spines.

In 2011, Iraqi lawmakers issued resolutions that US attacks on Fallujah constituted geno-cide. Dr Christopher Busby, a British scientist,

along with other doctors, published a study in 2011 from data obtained by analysing hair,

soil and water samples from the city. Mercury, uranium and bizmuth were found, which can contribute to congenital abnormalities. En-

riched uranium is a primary cause or related to the cause of the congenital anomaly and

cancer increases. Radiation from the US nu-clear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to a 1-2% increase in birth defects while Fallu-

jah is registering a 14.7% increase.

If this is how the US liberates a country, then many are left saying: ‘Rather leave us unliber-ated.’ Iraq is the latest chapter in a long his-

tory of US genocide and terror. �

Despite the unrelenting oppression by Jews on

the people of Gaza, their indomitable spirit still shines through: More than half of Gaza’s 1.5

million residents are children. Years of de-struction and deprivation have left few spaces for them to play or be creative.

Summer Games. The UN arranges annual

Summer Games where centres are set up along Gaza’s shore, with bouncy castles, slides and swimming pools, a chance to experience

some of the pleasures of a ‘normal’ childhood. 250,000 children spend their days splashing,

and making new friends. The range of activi-ties include swimming and painting.

Resort. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip is experiencing a construction boom in recrea-

tional facilities. New leisure projects and res-taurants have been springing up, some par-

tially funded by Hamas. Visitors flock to Al-Bustan, a resort built by a Hamas-linked char-ity, to enjoy its swimming pools, restaurants

and cafes. Women are veiled, the atmosphere is Islamic and relaxed.

Zoo. Bissan City, a former garbage dump on land owned by the Hamas-run Interior Minis-

try, has been turned into a 19 hectare zoo, an entertainment park for children and gardens.

Living under siege does not mean that people do not think of ways to have some fun. De-

spite the embargo, smuggling tunnels with Egypt keep the territory supplied with a wide

variety of goods. At the first Gaza shopping mall, stores are filled with Egyptian and Israeli merchandise. �

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5 Islamic Focus

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: The dates I buy often

have worms in them. Do I have to open up the date

every time to check if it’s infested before taking a bite into it?

A: A worm that grows out of food, such as vinegar and

fruit (also dates and grains) is permissible if the worm is eaten with the food it grew

out of. (Tuhfat al-Muhtaj, 9:317) Ibn Hajar noted that

it makes no difference whether the worm is dead or alive. Imam Ramli said that

eating the worm in this case is only permissible if the food

hasn’t spoiled, although Ibn Hajar disagreed on this

point. Both positions are valid to follow.

Answer by: Shaykh Hamza Karamali

Q: Is it permissible for me

to accept wealth that was set aside for me by my

non-Muslim father as a bequest? A: Yes, this is permissible for

you, unless you know that the specific wealth that was

set aside as a bequest for you came into your father's possession through a means

not sanctioned by Islamic law, such as interest or other

unlawful transactions. If this were the case, it would be unlawful for you to accept it.

Answer by: Shaykh Amjad Rasheed

Q: I am a Sri Lankan liv-ing in Canada. We pray

Janaza prayers for those who died in Sri Lanka or

elsewhere in the world. Is this an authentic prac-tice?

A: In both Bukhari 1:318 and Muslim 7:21, the Prophet

� performed the funeral prayer for the Ethiopian king, Najashi rahimahullah. Based

on this, Shafis ruled that the

funeral prayer may be per-formed for one absent from

the country as the Prophet �was in Hejaz and Najashi in Ethiopia when it took place.

(Sharh al-Muhadhdhab 5:251-53) Not only is this ruling

the relied-upon position of the Shafi school, more decisively, it is the

practice of the Prophet � as established in authentic

narrations. The practice mentioned in the question is valid and is the Sunnah of

the Prophet �. Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: Can a Muslim lady wear perfume to the Musjid for

Salah? A: In Sharh Sahih Muslim 4:706, Imam Nawawi men-

tioned the conditions for women to attend the Musjid.

The conditions are: 1) They do not wear per-

fume, 2) They do not dress attractively (lewdly), 3) They

do not adorn themselves with jewelry that will make a noise thereby drawing atten-

tion to them, 4) They do not dress to show themselves

off, 5) They do not mix with men, 6) She is not a young woman or one that will cause

temptation by her presence, 7) And that there is nothing

in the way to the Musjid that may be dangerous for a woman.

Regarding the issue of a

woman wearing perfume to the Musjid, the Prophet � said, ‘If one of you attends

the Musjid, then do not touch perfume.’ In Sharh al-

Muhadhdhab 4:199, Imam Nawawi stated that in light of

this evidence it disliked

(Makrooh) for a woman to go to the Musjid with perfume

on. The ruling of Makrooh is something that a Muslim must abstain from.

And Allah Knows Best Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: Recently I had dental braces put on my teeth with clips glued to my

teeth. Is my obligatory ghusl (bath) valid with

this? A: A valid ritual bath (ghusl)

is: 1) the intention and 2) bathing the entire outer body. Washing the mouth is

not obligatory. (Mughni al-Muhtaj 1:219; Nihayat al-

Muhtaj 1:225) Therefore, wearing braces would not af-fect the validity of one’s

ghusl. And Allah Knows Best

Answer by: Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept

Q: What times are Makrooh (disliked) times

for Nafil (voluntary) Sa-laah?

A: After Fajr and Asr Salaah it is Makrooh to read Nafil Salaah for Hanafis. However,

Shafis and Hambalis allow it for Salaah that has a reason,

e.g. Tahiyyatul Musjid, Sa-laatut Taubah, Salaatul Haa-jah, etc. Answer by: Mufti Abdool Kader Hoosen

Q: How much breast milk

has to be given to a baby for a woman to become its foster mother?

A: Shafis state that she must breastfeed the child five

times, then only will she be-come the foster mother of

the child. (Bukhari) � Answer by: Mufti Abdool Kader Hoosen

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

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

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: Are Justine products

Halaal suitable? A: As per information at our

disposal the following Justine products are not Halaal:

Justine Eye Cream (animal collagen), Justine Facial &

Eye Firming Gel (animal elastin), Justine Hydrating Gel Mask (animal elastin),

Justine Hydrating Skin Saver Elixir (animal elastin),

Justine Skin Energiser AHA (animal collagen) and Justine Special Treatment Cream

(animal collagen). We do not have information on the

other Justine products. Answer by: SANHA

Q: Is it permissible to play

Scrabble? A: This game, in which words are made from letters, is in

itself beneficial as a mode of learning. Generally, there is

no gambling in it. Therefore, if there is no unreasonable absorption in the game, it is

permissible. There is nothing wrong with playing this

game. Answer by: Moulana Mahmood Uthmani

Q: Is it permissible for a

man to marry his wife’s sister a few days after the

death of his wife? A: It is permissible to marry her after her sister’s death.

However, if a man divorces his wife, then he may not

marry her sister during the iddat (waiting period) of his divorced wife. Once the iddat

has expired, it will be per-missible for him to marry the

sister. Answer by: Mufti Abdool Kader Hoosen

Q: If in a hotel, a bottle of

champagne was left for us in the room on our arrival,

is it haraam (not permis-

sible) if we give it to non Muslim friends?

A: Tell the hotel staff to take it away. The Prophet � has cursed 10 people involved in

the alcohol industry. (Ibn Majah) It is not permissible

to give it to anybody, includ-ing non Muslims. Answer by: Mufti Abdool Kader Hoosen

Q: What is the lineage of the Prophet �? A: The lineage of the Prophet

� is: Muhammad �, son of Abdullah, son of Abdul Mut-

talib, son of Hashim, son of Abdi Manaf, son of Qusay, son of Kilaab, son of Murrah,

son of Ka’b, son of Luay, son of Ghalib, son of Fihr, son of

Malik, son of An Nadhr, son of Kinanah, son of Khuzay-mah, son of Mudrikah, son of

Ilyaas, son of Mudar, son of Nizaar, son of Ma’d, son of

Adnan. Scholars have con-sensus on this lineage. There is no sound lineage found

linking Adnan to Aadam �. Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: Is it permissible to dis-play the face of the de-ceased for public viewing?

A: It is permissible to expose the face of a male after

Janaaza Salaah (funeral prayers) and before the bur-ial process. However, such a

practice is discouraged espe-cially when the effects of the

barzakh (eschatological world between the worldly life and the hereafter) be-

come apparent. Such effects should be concealed. It is not

permissible to expose the face of a female after

Janaaza Salaah. Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Q: Can a grandson get a

share from the inheri-

tance of his grandfather if his father dies before his

grandfather? A: If the grandfather has no other children at the time of

death, then the grandson will inherit. In the presence of

children, grandchildren do not inherit.

Answer by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Q: Is it haraam to wear a shirt with a picture of a

human being on it? What if the human being on it

has no eyes? A: It is haraam to wear clothing that have faces of

human beings or animals. But if the face is blotted out,

i.e. the features of the face like eyes, nose and mouth are covered, it will be per-

missible to wear such gar-ments.

Answer by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Q: Is it permissible to give bribe to get a job?

A: Islam emphasizes being honest and truthful. Bribery

is an offering in lieu of an il-licit advantage and is prohib-ited in Islam. Bribery is a

seed by means of which soci-ety is corrupted. Where brib-

ery is prevalent one sees the effects of lawlessness. The Prophet � cursed the one who offers a bribe and ac-cepts a bribe. (Tirmizi 3:15)

There are many Hadith which warn against giving and tak-ing bribery. Bribery is clearly

prohibited. However where one is a victim of oppression

or is pressed to make a rightful claim and resorts to

bribery as a last resort to preserve his right, he is ex-cused. �

Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

mortems be

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7 Islamic Focus

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INTERNET / IN

SPIRATION

‘Why do we shout in anger?’ a teacher asked.

‘Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?’ His students thought for a while.

One of them said, ‘Because we lose our calm; we shout for that.’ ‘But why do you shout when the other person is just next to you?’

asked the teacher. ‘Isn’t it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you

shout at a person when you are angry?’ The students gave some other answers but

none satisfied the teacher. Finally, he ex-plained, ‘When two people are angry at each

other, their hearts become distanced. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the

louder will have to shout to hear each other over that great distance.’

Then the teacher asked, ‘What happens when

two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other, they talk softly. Why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance be-

tween them is very small.’

The teacher continued, ‘When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper, and they get even closer

to each other in their love. Finally, they need not even whisper; they need only to look at

each other and that’s all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.’

Moral: When you argue, do not let your hearts get distanced. Do not say words that

distance each other more, or else a day will come when the distance is so great you will not be able to return.’ �

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8 Islamic Focus

SUNNAH / COMPARITIVE

One of the Sunnahs is to clean a utensil after

eating and before washing it:

Blessing. Jabir Bin Abdullah � narrates that the Prophet � commanded that the fingers should be licked and the utensil should be

cleaned (i.e. before washing it). Expounding the benefit if this, the Prophet � said: ‘As it is unknown which particle of food contains the blessing.’ (Targhib 3:146)

Saved from Hunger. Irbad Bin Sariyah � narrates that the Prophet � said: ‘Allah will fill the belly of the person in this world and in the hereafter, who cleans the utensil and licks his fingers after eating.’ (Ibn Majah 2:234)

Dua. Nubayshah � relates that the Prophet � said: ‘The utensil of a person who cleans it thoroughly supplicates for him saying, 'O Allah

save him from the fire of Hell as he saved me from the devil.’ (Mishkaat, pg 368)

The utensil is sinless and its supplication will definitely be accepted. How great a benefit for

this ‘small’action? Many people have the habit of leaving some food in the plate. This is in-correct and it contravenes the Sunnah of the

Prophet �. Some people regard cleaning the utensil as an act of greed. This perception is

erroneous. We should never be shy to practice on the

Sunnah of the Prophet � irrespective of who we are dining with. Always remember, per-

haps this perceived ‘small’ action can secure our Paradise. �

From: Radio Islam

While Christian missionaries strive to convert

people to Christianity, the fact of the matter is that current Christian teachings and practice

are far away from even the ones in the current distorted Bible. Churches and homes are full of statues of Jesus and Mary �, and people prostrate before them, whereas the Bible is clear in prohibiting this:

Exodus 20:4-5 ‘You shall not make for your-self an image in the form of anything in the

heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to

them or worship them.’ Deuteronomy 4:23 ‘Be careful not to forget

the covenant of the Lord your God that He made with you; do not make for yourselves an

idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden.’

Leviticus 26:1 ‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves,

and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it.’

Jeremiah 10:1-8 speaks against the practice of making wooden idols.

The amazing thing is that Christians, from the

top clergy down, pay absolutely no heed to these clear commandments of the Bible. How can they call people to a religion which is so

greatly in conflict with its holy book?

Worship is for the one God alone, Allah. To worship statues is to set up partners with God, and He has strictly prohibited this. �

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9 Islamic Focus

BIOGRAPHY / SOCIAL

The third edition of The 500 Most Influential

Muslims is out. Here are some of the news-makers:

Dr Mohammed Badie spiritual guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is ranked at

number 8.

Sheikh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah Aal Al Sheikh, Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, the highest position of religious authority in the

country. Ranked number 14.

Hajji Abd Al Wahhab, leader of the Pakistan chapter of the Tablighi Jamaat. Ranked 16.

Sheikh Muhammad Sa’id Ramadan Al Bouti, leading Islamic scholar in Syria. Profes-

sor at the College of Islamic Law at Damascus University. Ranked number 20.

Sheikha Munira Qubeysi, head of the larg-est women-only Islamic movement in the

world. It offers Islamic education exclusively to girls and women. Qubeysi commands

around 80 schools in Damascus alone, teach-ing more than 75,000 students. Qubeysi is ar-guably the most influential Muslim woman in

the world, though absolutely discreet, adher-ing strictly to Hijab. She is ranked number 24.

Others in the top 500 include SA cricketer Hashim Amla, Mufti Ebrahim Desai, Sheikh

Sudais, Moulana Igsaan Hendricks, president of the MJC, Mufti Ismail Menk of Zimbabwe, Dr

Zakir Naik, a popular preacher, Sheikh Sabouni, a scholar of Tafsir, Mufti Taqi Us-mani, leading scholar of Islamic jurisprudence

and Khaled Mashaal, leader of Hamas. �

Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari Abu al-

Futuh (Born: 1223 Kazakhstan, Died: 1277 Damascus, Syria) was a Mamluk Sultan of

Egypt. He was a commander of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France in

1250 and led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which

marked the first substantial defeat of the Mon-gol army and is considered a turning point in history. He ruled from 1260-1277.

Baibars was captured by the Mongols and sold

as a slave. He was sent to Egypt, where he became a bodyguard to the Ayyubid ruler As-Salih Ayyub. He paved the way for the end of

the Crusader presence in Syria and united Egypt and Syria into one powerful state that

was able to fend off the Crusaders and Mon-gols. Baibars succeeded Qutuz as Sultan of

Egypt. He waged a lifelong struggle against the Crusaders, defeating them in many bat-tles. Baibars fought off the Christians and the

Mongols during the Ninth Crusade. He died in Damascus after being poisoned. He had seven

daughters and three sons. In the Muslim world he is a national hero. Baibars also played an important role in bringing the Mongols to Is-

lam. He allowed them to visit to Egypt result-ing in a significant number accepting Islam.

He built infrastructure projects, such as a mounted message relay system capable of de-

livery from Cairo to Damascus in four days. He also built bridges, irrigation and shipping ca-

nals, improved the harbours, and built mosques. He has a heroic status in Kazakh-stan, as well as in Egypt and Syria. �

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HISTORY / MUSLIM INFLUENCE

What a wonder of divine power was the

blessed hand of the Prophet �. Many were the miracles that manifested themselves through

his hand. In fact, to list them all requires a vo-luminous book. Here is a tiny sampling:

Silk. His servant, Anas ibn Malik � said on more than one occasion, ‘I have never

touched any silk or brocade that is softer than the palm of the Prophet �.’ (Bukhari 2:96)

Cure. When Qatada ibn Nu‘man � was wounded in the eye by an arrow on the day of

Uhud, his eyeball was dislodged and hung on his cheek. The Prophet � pushed his eyeball back into place with his hand, blowing some of

his spittle on it then said, ‘O Allah, give him beauty!’ It became Qatada �’s best eye and when the other eye suffered from infection, that one never did. (Bayhaqi in Dalail 3:252)

Missiles. During the Battle of Badr, the Prophet � threw pebbles at the pagans, hitting them individually in their eyes. The Quran says: ‘You threw not when you threw, but Al-

lah threw.’ (8:17) In the face of his enemies, when stones entered his hand they became missiles.

Remembrance. Other times when stones en-

tered his palm, they praised Allah. It was as though his palm was the place for the remem-brance of Allah. (Majma al-Zawaid 8:298-9)

With this hand the moon split and water

flowed like a spring from his fingers. If the single hand of such a being was such, what a blessed personality was our Prophet �. �

Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina are about

two million and constitute 40% of the coun-try's population. Modern Bosniaks, often re-

ferred to as Bosnian Muslims, descend from Slavic speakers who converted to Islam in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Islam was brought to this region by the Otto-

mans. Turks gained control of most of Bosnia in 1463, and Herzegovina in the 1480s. Bos-nia and Herzegovina remained provinces of

the Ottoman Empire until the 1878 Congress of Berlin gave control to Austria-Hungary. In

1908, Austria-Hungary formally annexed the region.

Bosnia, along with Albania, were the only parts of Ottoman Europe where large numbers

of Christians converted to Islam. Muslims faced genocide during the 1992-1995 war

which they won with support of Muslim fight-ers from around the world. Throughout Bos-nia, mosques were destroyed by Christians.

Religious observance is increasing among

younger persons due to the religious revival as a result of the Bosnian war. Many Muslim women have adopted Islamic dress styles that

had not been common before the war.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are eight Muftis located in major municipalities across the country.

In the Federation's five cantons with Bosniak

majorities, schools offer Islamic religious in-struction as a 2-hour per week elective course. �

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FINAL FOCUS

Port Elizabeth was host to the annual Cape

Ijtima, a gathering of Muslims who sleepover for two or three days, listening to talks on Is-

lam. The city hosted this gathering for the first time in over 15 years.

It was estimated that over 5,000 people at-tended the Ijtima from 24-26 December in

Korsten, with over 30 busses coming from Cape Town. The infrastructure included a tuckshop, the takings of which covered the

costs of the Ijtima. 2,000 chicken tikka, 1,500 burgers, 1,500 wors rolls and 900 fruit salad

bowls were among the items sold. The eco-nomic spill over was felt by Muslim takeaways in Korsten, with some staying open till the

early hours of the morning selling to atten-dees. Over 90 degs of food were cooked for

those attending, with around 150 people able to eat from one deg.

The talks were translated into languages like Somali, Bengali and Urdu to cater for the di-

verse nationalities that attended. Volunteers ran the various departments including secu-

rity, catering, first aid, plumbing and electri-cal. Many put in late hours setting up, running and dismantling the infrastructure.

The Ijtima had an impact on the local non

Muslim community with youngsters challeng-ing Muslim youth to soccer matches, and peo-ple enquiring about it. Ulama supported the

Ijtima at every juncture. Many groups were formed from the Ijtima to go out in the path of

Allah to preach Islam. Overall, the Ijtima was a resounding success. The next one will be held in the Western Cape, with the Eastern

Cape playing host every second year. �

A Christian invited a Muslim to his house. The

Muslim accepted the invitation. The non Mus-lim offered him grapes to eat and he accepted

it and ate. But when the non Muslim brought him a glass of wine, he refused and said: ‘It is forbidden for Muslims to drink alcohol.’

The Christian said: ‘Oh, so it’s okay for you to

eat grapes, but drinking wine which is ex-tracted from grapes is forbidden? How is this possible? It doesn’t seem logical.’

The Muslim replied: ‘Do you have a wife?’ The

Christian answered: ‘Yes.’ The Muslim then asked: ‘Do you have a daughter?’ The Chris-tian again answered in the affirmative.

The Muslim then said: ‘Your wife gave you

your daughter just as the grape gave you wine. It is okay for you to marry the mother,

whereas God forbade you to marry the daugh-ter!’

The Christian’s answer was to proclaim the Is-lamic declaration of faith and become a Mus-

lim. A Muslim accepts all the orders of God as well

as His prohibitions based on blind faith, irre-spective of whether he understands the logic

and wisdom or not. In actual fact, all the laws of Islam are full of wisdom, but our intellect is insufficient to comprehend the reasoning at

times.

Therefore, we trust the compassionate God to legislate the best of laws for us and willingly accept His decisions. �

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