A salaamu-Alaikum Brothers and Sisters, Inshallah this issue of the IUS newsletter reaches you in good health and high Islamic spirits. We hope you have had a relaxing Summer break and are ready to start a new academic year. IUS News ¶ IUS National Day & Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 27th

September 1997 at the Brunei Gallery. For further details please turn to pages 5-8. ¶ Manchester Campaign - IUS representatives visited Manchester on the weekend

27th - 29th June. The primary goals of this visit were to meet existing members in Manchester, and to hold a presentation for the large community there about IUS. We had a very good reception from the community , and also made some new members. If you would like IUS to hold a presentation in your community please contact the Committee.

IUS was represented in Manchester at a celebration of the Birthdays of the Holy

Prophet (pbuh) and of Imam Jaffer Saddiq (as). ¶ Muharram Campaign concluded this year on 29th June with the Arba’een

Procession. IUS representatives were at hand, distributing literature to non-Muslims who were viewing the procession, and to explain the significance of the event to them. We also spoke with existing members and, over the two month period, made more than 100 new members.

Syed Aoun Abbas Shamsi Kamal Haider

Mudassar Ahmed Editorial Team

IUS News

Issue 1 : Volume 3. September / October 1997

IUS News / Editorial 1 IUS National Day & Annual General Meeting 7

Editorial / Dutifulness to Parents 2 IUS National Day & Annual General Meeting 8

Fiqh - various rulings 3 Psychology 9

Akhlaq - social justice 4 IUS General Meetings / Pearls of Wisdom 10

IUS National Day & Annual General Meeting 5 IUS Syria Trip 1997 11

IUS National Day & Annual General Meeting 6 What’s On Guide & Dates to Remember 12

Contents in this issue of IUSN:

Editorial We all live in a society where c h a n g e i s c o n s t a n t l y o c c u r r i n g . Technologica l and scientific i n n o v a t i o n s continue to shape our lives. With this change in how we live comes a gradual change in how we think, learn and adapt to our d e v e l o p i n g situations. Some scientists would call our adaption to these c i rcumstances evolution. Well, if evolution is defined as the ability to change according to the

(Continued on Page 2)

“And united their hearts; had you spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah united them, surely He is Mighty, Wise” (8:63)

IUS NATIONAL DAY & ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

2 IUS Newsletter Readers Article

circumstances, then we a r e i n t e l l e c t u a l l y evolving. One of the problems many of us face in this world is the fact that as someone gets older he generally tends to become stuck in his ways. Hence, Imam Ali has said: “Do not force children to behave like you, for surely they have been created for a time different to your time.” Imam Ali recognised this problem of change and adaption many years ago and has told us that the human intellect is evolving and continues to evolve with each generation. In this Sea of Change and this constantly adapting world, there must be something to hold on to. Some kind of stronghold in the middle of a storm. This unchangeable constant is our belief. We have a faith which is both dynamic and completely up to date with our ever changing world. This is Islam. Syed Aoun Abbas Shamsi

Editor

(Continued from Page 1)

Dutifulness To Parents

Dutifulness to one’s parents comes from the bondsman’s correct knowledge of Allah (swt), since there is no act of worship which will bring the person performing it more quickly to the pleasure of Allah (swt) than being dutiful to believing parents for the sake of Allah (swt). This is because the right of the parents is derived from the right of God, as long as they are both on the path of faith and the sunnah, and do not prevent a child from obeying Allah (swt) for the sake of obedience to them, or move him from certainty to doubt, or from abstinence to the desires of this world, or call him to anything which is in opposition to the faith and the sunnah. If the situation is such, then it is an act of obedience to rebel against them and an act of rebellion to obey them. Allah (swt) says: “If they contend with you that you should associate with me what you have no knowledge of, do not obey them. Keep company with them kindly in this world but follow the way of him who turns to Me, then to Me is your return!”

As far as companionship is concerned, keep their company and be gentle with them. Endure their hardship just as they endured yours when you were young, and do not withhold from them that which Allah (swt)has made plentiful for you in the way of food and clothes. Do not turn your face away from them or raise your voice above theirs. To respect them is part of God’s command; and speak to them in the best possible way and be kind to them. Allah (swt) will not let the reward of those who do good go to waste. Extract from Lantern of the Path

by Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (as)

IUS Newsletter 3 Fiqh

'Ibadat & Mu'amalat

Prostration Q30: Sometimes I intend to pray and there are some white pieces of paper in my pocket. Is it permissible for me to perform prostration on them? A: Yes, it is permissible for you to prostrate on them if they are ritually pure and made out of wood-pulp or similar material on which prostration is permissible. The same rule applies if they are made of cotton or linen. (FM, pp. 399-400) Q31: . . . prostration on cement? A: Likewise, it is permissible for you to prostrate on it. (FM, p. 400) Buying and Selling Shares Q70: What about buying and selling the shares of nies or others?incorporated compa

A: It is permissible to buy and sell shares of any kind of corporation on the condition that the transactions of this company do not engage in prohibited activities such as dealing in intoxicants or interest (riba). (FM, p. 408)

Smoking Q165: Many medical bulletins clearly state the harm of smoking, among them the fact that smoking is the primary cause of heart disease, disease of the blood vessels and arteries, high blood pressure, lung cancer and ulcers, in addition to the harm brought on the family and to society. Is it permissible for a non-smoker to begin smoking?

Is it permissible for a tobacco addict to continue? Is it permissible for a pregnant woman to smoke while the doctors say that the foetus is affected by the smoking of its mother?

A: If smoking causes substantial harm to a male or female smoker or to the foetus, then it is prohibited, whether he/she is a beginner or is addicted, assuming that he/she would not suffer substantial harm by quitting. As for the one who would suffer harm by quitting, he/she should consider which one is less harmful: to continue smoking or to quit, and act accordingly. (FM, pp. 416-17)

Beard Q115: Some men shave their beard and leave some hair on the chin alone. Is this sufficient by the shari'ah? A: [It is not sufficient]. (FM, p. 434) Cosmetics Q116: It is normal these days for a woman to put on mascara and make-up, wear rings, necklaces and bracelets for beauty and then go out in front of people in the markets and streets. A: This is not permissible for her except for mascara and rings provided that she is safe from falling into forbidden activities and does not intend by it to excite non-mahram men. (FM, p. 430)

From the rulings of Allama Seestani Al-Fatawa al-Muyassarah (FM),

al-Mustahdathat min al-Masa'il al-Shar'iyyah (MMS) Minhaj al-Salihin, vol. 1 (MS)

This is the beginning of a new series of articles on Fiqh. An interesting selection of questions & answers have been selected.

The original book and the latest rulings have been published on the Internet.

Every believer has thirty obligations over his brother in faith, which he could not be said to have met

unless he either performs them or is excused by his brother in faith performing them.

4 IUS Newsletter

Social Justice

These obligations are:

1. Forgiving his mistakes

2. Being merciful and kind to him when he

is in a strange land

3. Guarding his secrets

4. Giving him a hand when he is about to

fall

5. Accepting his apology

6. Discouraging backbiting about him

7. Persist in giving him good advice

8. Treasuring his friendship

9. Fulfilling his trust

10. Visiting him when he is ill

11. Being with him at the time of his death

12. Accepting his invitation

13. Accepting his presents

14. Returning his favours

15. Being grateful for his assistance

16. Protecting his honour

17. Protecting his property

18. Helping him meet his needs

19. Making an effort to solve his problems

20. Saying to him 'God bless you', when he

sneezes

21. Guiding him to thing which he has lost

22. Answering his greetings

23. Taking him at his word (not drawing a

bad interpretation of things he says)

24. Accepting his bestowals

25. Confirming him if he swears to

something; being kind and friendly

towards him, not unsympathetic and

hostile

26. Helping him if he is being unjust (when

we speak of helping him when he is being

unjust, we mean that he must be kept from

being unjust)

27. Helping him if he is a victim of injustice

(when we speak of coming to his aid

when he is a victim of injustice, we mean

that he should be assisted in securing his

rights)

28. Refraining from feeling bored or fed up

with him

29. Not forsaking him in the midst of his

troubles

30. Whatever good things he likes for himself

he should also like for his brother in faith,

and whatever he dislikes for himself he

should also dislike for his brother.

Extract from Jami al Sa’aadat

(The Collector of Felecities)

Abi Dharr al Naraqi

Akhlaq

This is the beginning of a new series of articles about Akhlaq (ethics). In this first article we examine

the general obligations Muslims have towards one another.

IUS Newsletter 5 IUS Day & AGM

SATURDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 1997 10:30AM - 6:30PM

You are cordially invited to the IUS National Day 1997 which will be held at the Brunei Gallery (please refer to page 8 for location), with a capacity of approximately 300 seats. The day will start at 10.30am with the Annual General Meeting. The afternoon session will be held after Namaz and lunch (please refer to page 6 for a more detailed agenda). With students coming from all over the country, this is an ideal opportunity for you to meet members of our community with whom you would normally not have the opportunity to meet. Also, Ulema from all over the country will be invited to attend as part of the IUS commitment to bringing students and scholars together to discuss the problems that the youth in this country are facing, and to find possible solutions to these problems. For members travelling to London from outside the London Underground Tube Network, IUS will subsidise travel costs by 75% up to a maximum of £30. When you arrive at the hall simply present your ticket to the IUS representative at the IUS stall along with your name and membership number and you will be reimursed.

There will be 3 sessions of speeches throughout the day including the following topics. Please refer to page 6 for more details on the day.

Ideology Identity & Post Modernity

Sayed Ameli

Embryology in the Holy Qur’an Br Raeid Jewad

Challenges Faced by the Muslim Women in the

Next Millenium Sr Nasim Walji

Imamat and Wilayat

Sayed Zafar Abbas Mali

Imamat, The Path to Guidance, Unity and Knowledge

Br Hasan Bokhari

The IUS National Day is your chance to meet, not only other students and Ulema, but also the people who are at the heart of the IUS. The Committee is very much looking forward to meeting you and will be happy to discuss any ideas you may have for the progression of IUS and the Community. We hope to see you all there. Please fill in the form on page 7 so that we are better prepared to receive you. Thank you.

AGENDA

AFTERNOON SESSION

2ND SESSION OF SPEECHES

REFRESHMENTS

3RD SESSION OF SPEECHES

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

6:30PM END

MORNING SESSION

10:30AM REGISTRATION

QUR’ANIC RECITATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

1ST SESSION OF SPEECHES

6 IUS Newsletter IUS Day & AGM

NAMAZ & LUNCH

IUS Newsletter 7 IUS Day & AGM

IUS NATIONAL DAY & AGM

WE WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD FILL IN THE FORM BELOW. THIS IS FOR OUR INFORMATION ONLY TO BETTER PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WILL BE ARRIVING. NAME: MEMBERSHIP NUMBER: CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER: (PLEASE DELETE AS APPROPRIATE) I AM TRAVELIING FROM OUTSIDE LONDON AND THEREOFRE WOULD LIKE SUBSIDISED TRANSPORT. I WILL BE TRAVELLING BY TRAIN/COACH. THE COST OF THE TICKET WILL BE £ .

Muhammadi Trust

Al-Hoda Bookshop

Al-Rafid Bookshop

Al-Hadi International Bookshop

Alif International Bookshop

IUS Library

& IUS Networking

Dar-al-Takwa

& Much More

Sister’s Islamic Clothing

Guests include Ulema from all over London as well as all Islamic Centres & Organisations and professionals in our community.

Oils & Perfumes

Dillons Bkshop

UCL

Russell Square

Gor

don

St

Thornaugh St

SOAS

M

AL

LE

T S

T

Senate House

Torrington Pl GO

WE

R S

T

8 IUS Newsletter IUS Day & AGM

Plea

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Affi

x St

amp

Her

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IUS

15 F

OU

NTA

IN R

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LON

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The nearest London Underground station is Russell Square on the Piccadilly Line. Other stations in the vicinity are Euston on the Northern and Victoria Lines (and also mainline British Rail) and Euston Square on the Hammersmith & City, Circle and Metropolitan Lines.

Euston Square

Brunei Gallery Thornhaugh Street

Alternatively, please place in an envelope and use a first class stamp.

FOL

D

SEA

L

ULU

Russell Square

Inst

. of

Edu

Keppel St

Montague Pl

EUSTON RD Euston

Bernard St

Wob

urn

Pl

Gower Pl

This map is simplified, and shows the necessary streets and buildings to guide you to the Brunei Gallery.

Easiest access is via Russell Sq

Bed

ford

Way

IUS Newsletter 9 Academic

Psychology

To begin with, psychology is actually quite a difficult subject to define due to its vastness, but also because it is constantly evolving, and the perspective taken by experts in the field often differs. But fortunately there appears to be basic agreement: psychology is derived from the Greek words psyche (mind, soul or spirit) and logos (discourse or study), which broadly translate to study of the mind. Whenever I’ve had the unfortunate opportunity of confessing my vocation, the response I receive can almost always be assigned to one of the following categories: • a look of pity accompanied by a hmm...that’s

interesting • isn’t it scary working with nutters? • go on then, what am I thinking? • aren’t all psychologists a bit mad? Whilst psychology is one of the most popular subject areas in terms of common discussion as to its application to real life, its sadly probably the most misunderstood. We all dabble in a bit of psychology from time to time, applying popular theories in an attempt to make sense of events around us. But the image of psychology as a fashionable, quasi-academic subject is only a very surface interpretation of a progressive multi-faceted discipline with a strong scientific basis. And media misrepresentation, exemplified by the keenly-followed American chat shows, doesn’t help. We all know that the Great American Public is more susceptible to psychological problems than the rest of us, purely as a consequence of their lopsided belief in the power of psychotherapy (form of psychological treatment). And naturally, when daily difficulties are apt to be viewed only within the limited constraints of psychological theories, people will end up being diagnosed as suffering from psychological illness at the drop of a hat. To avoid being pulled into such a closed spiral, it is imperative that any belief system should constitute a healthy balance of examining a number of factors rather than attempt to define all arising issues within the framework of one favoured view. Having said that, the popularity of psychology is often gratifying, particularly when I witness tangible cases where psychotherapeutic treatment has been effective. And as theories are formed on the basis of rigorous research, it would be fair to expect psychological theories to work at least part of the time. However, as individual circumstances comprise so many different factors, it

is reasonable to suppose that a piece of research which has been carried out on only a sample of the population will not be able to account for the numerous possibilities of individual problems. So rather than consider psychology as an all-encompassing explanation of the inner workings of our minds, it would be more fitting to regard it as a relatively new but fast advancing discipline which has so far identified general patterns in the areas of brain activity, thought processes and emotional constructs. So far I’ve been talking in terms of the more well-known conception of the application of psychology, which deals with “emotionally disturbed” or “mentally ill” individuals. This is only one branch of the vast discipline. Clinical Psychologists work with individuals with mental illness, behavioural and emotional disorders, and learning disabilities. They plan and carry out programmes of therapy, usually behaviour therapy/modification. A sub-group of clinical psychologists is that of the forensic or legal psychologists who are employed by the prison or probation service. They may work in community homes, detention centres or prison hospitals for the criminally insane. The other two main areas of applied psychology are educational psychology and occupational psychology. The former work with school aged children, administering intelligence tests and planning educational programmes designed to meet the needs of children with special needs. The role of the latter type of psychologist is to select and train individuals for jobs and provide vocational guidance, which often involves giving aptitude tests and tests of interest. Apologies for the rather quick run-down of this diverse, often misconstrued discipline. As a final word I would reiterate that an inaccurate and incomplete understanding is often the result of psychology as a whole becoming equated with particular theories of an age which have acquired popularity and predominance because of the (often controversial) attention they have gained - Freud is a prime example. The danger is that large numbers of the population would become acquainted with the popular versions of these theories without the underlying information about their shortcomings. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a mind-reading session to attend and a couple of hypnotic tricks to perform. Syeda Tatheer Zahra Shamsi

ISLAMIC UNITY SOCIETY MEETINGS IUS General Meetings are held at Dar-al-Hikma, 45 Charlton Street, London and start at 5.30pm. The nearest underground stations are Euston & Euston Square. The meetings will alternate between a study circle by Maulana Taki Rizvi on Tafseer of Quran and a lecture by an invited guest. Below you will find the plan of dates and speakers October, November & December in the first academic term 1. 1st October Study Circle - Tafseer by Maulana S.Taki Rizvi 2. 8th October Lecture - Br S. Shabir Rizvi 3. 15th October Study Circle - Tafseer by Maulana S.Taki Rizvi 4. 22nd October Lecture - Br S. Ahmed Al-Muhri 5. 29th October Study Circle - Tafseer by Maulana S.Taki Rizvi 6. 5th November Lecture - Sr Nasim Walji 7. 12th November Study Circle - Tafseer by Maulana S.Taki Rizvi 8. 19th November Lecture - Br Raeid Jawad 9. 26th November Study Circle - Tafseer by Maulana S.Taki Rizvi 10. 3rd December Lecture - Br Hasan Bokhari 11. 10th December Study Circle - Tafseer by Maulana S.Taki Rizvi

10 IUS Newsletter News/Pearls

Pearls of Wisdom

It is not sincere reliance on Allah if someone who has made a mistake

admits his mistake, but then makes it again.

Imam Ali (A.S)

EUSTON SQUARE

EUSTON

UCL

KING’S CROSS & ST. PANCRAS

DAR-AL-HIKMA (No. 45)

LOCATION AREA

ISLAMIC UNITY SOCIETY

PRESENTS

SYRIA

Sun 21st Dec - Mon 29th Dec Approximately £350 all inclusive Ziarat Includes: Tourist Attractions Include:

Q Bibi Zainab Q Qassyrian Mountain

Q Bibi Sakina Q Sham Gardens

Q Bibi Ruqayyah Q Ain Fija Includes: Heathrow - Damascus (return) Accommodation & Travel in Syria Food and Refreshments Islamic camp including Seminars and Social activities Excursions to historic sites, places of interest and local markets For full details please contact IUS Committee Limited Number of Places: Sisters places are now fully booked! Only ONE THIRD of Brothers places remain! (Open to IUS Members only)

Reservations should be made NOW

FULL PAYMENT MUST BE MADE BY 1ST OCTOBER 1997

Please note: This trip will be heavily subsidised and Inshallah we will try to keep the costs down to a minimum, but the above price is approximate as yet.

IUS Newsletter 11 What’s On...

¶ Islamic Unity Society National Day & Annual General Meeting will be held this year on Saturday 27th September 1997. This is a real chance to meet students from all over the country who will be attending as well as prominent Ulema. We would like to see you all there. There is no excuse big enough for not attending. We are willing to subsidise travel costs of 75% up to a maximum of £30 for members travelling from outside the London area. For further details don’t delay - read pages 5-8 today!

¶ IUS Syria Trip will be going ahead from the 21st - 29th December 1997, Inshallah. If you

would like to go or if you have already paid a deposit you must pay in full by 1st October 1997. For further details refer to page 11.

¶ The IUS Library is continually expanding and currently has a selection of the most popular

Islamic books. The library also offers substantial savings if you wish to purchase books. For more information please contact Br Mohsen on (0171) 723 0247

¶ Summer Football has now started on Sundays 12:30pm at Regents Park for IUS brothers.

For more details contact Br Kamal on 0956 447 054. ¶ Pentium P166 MMX Computers with multimedia from £699. Pentium computers from

£450. For further details please contact Br Abd-Aezed on (0181) 551 1482. ¶ Alif International, 109 Kings Avenue, Watford, Herts, WD1 7SB (01923 240 844) and Al-

Rafid (Arabic Books), 348a Harrow Road, London, W9 2HR are offering 20% discounts on their Islamic books for IUS members. For further details please contact the Committee.

What's On...

Dates to Remember ☺Wiladat Bibi Zainab (A.S) 5 Jamadi-I 8th Sept Mon Demise of Hazrat Fatima (S.A) 3 Jamadi-II 6th Oct Mon ☺Wiladat Hazrat Fatima (S.A) 20 Jamadi-II 23rd Oct Thurs

Islamic Unity Society Address: Telephone: (0171) 723-0247 Email: ucecmha@ucl.ac.uk 15 Fountain Road (0171) 582-6039 a.shamsi@ucl.ac.uk London SW17 0HG Facsimile: (0181) 482 4014 Internet: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~zcapn67/ius/ius.html