Issue No. 387

The

The Weekly Muslim News Update

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

This Week

Opinion Relation with Non-Muslims P7

Da'wa Make the spirit of Ramadhan last a whole P3

Editorial

Women Issues Philosophy of prophet,s marriage P4

Double standards on rendition P2

Youth and Children Adjusting to university P6

Friday BulletinShawwal 22 1431/October 01 2010

President Mwai Kibaki jetted into the country on Tuesday and faced stinging remarks over his government’s con-duct in illegally renditioning its citizens to Uganda.A High Court judge rebuked the head of state for allowing the constitution he himself swore upon to uphold only a few weeks ago and said he had a duty to ensure that the rule of the law was upheld.Judge Muhammad Wasarme said the extraditions flouted the individual rights of Kenyans contained in a new con-stitution that was promulgated in August and showed im-punity in the executive arm of government was still alive and well.He went on to question why President Kibaki allowed State security agents to infringe on the rights of Kenyans con-trary to the new Bill of Rights. Judge Mohamed Wasarme said the extraditions flouted the individual rights of Ken-yans contained in a new constitution that was promulgated in August and showed impunity in the executive arm of government was still alive and well.“That kind of behaviour, act or omission is likely to have far and serious ramifications on the citizens of this country and the rulers. It also raises basic issue of whether a President who has just sworn and agreed to be guided by the provi-sions of the Constitution can allow his agents to breach with a remarkable arrogance or ignorance,” he said.The Judge made the comments during a ruling in a case in which Muhammad Aktar Kana had moved to court to block his apparent arrest and transfer to Uganda over al-legations of involvement in the July 11 Kampala bombings which left more than 70 people were killed.“Prima facie the allegation contained in this application is a serious indictment on the institution of the President and whether he is protect-ing, preserving and safeguarding the interests, rights and obligations of all citizens as contained in the new Constitution,” he said."This application is a clear indication that the security arms of this country have not tried to understand and appreciate the provision of this

STOP violating the law, High court tells Kibaki

continued on page 2

'Muslims losing faith in new constitution'

President Mwai Kibaki displays a copy of the new Constitution after the promulgation ceremony at Uhuru Park on August 27.

Muslims are gradually losing in faith in the new constitution as it was clear that is has failed to protect and safeguard their rights, a Muslim scholar has said. Sheikh Abdullatif Abdulkarim of the Kenya Council of Imams and Preachers (KCIU) said while expectations were at an all time high that the new constitution will bring a new meaning to it citizens, this was not the case as the government has failed to live to its obligation of ensuring fairness and justice to all its citizens.He said while Muslims voted overwhelmingly for the new constitution expecting that it will safeguard their rights and address historical injustices, the current clampdown against Muslims is sending a wrong signal that the much praised dispensation was not meant to benefit members of the community, the sheikh said.He said the arbitrary arrests and the rendition of Kenyan citizens to foreign lands was a clear indicator that the state was taking the rights of Muslim for granted. “We were told that under the new constitutional dispensation, a police officer was supposed to provide an arrest warrant and provide the reasons for the arrests but they are instead behaving in a thuggery manner by breaking doors in the middle of the night and arresting people

continued on page 2

The Friday Bulletin

EDITORIAL

Justice and Constitutional Minister Mutula Kilonzo that Kenya has been putting up a spirited defence regarding his remarks that those accused of involvement in war crimes relating to the 2007 post election violence should be persecuted locally. The minister has stressed that with the coming into force of the new constitution, there is no reasons why Kenyans should be ferried to foreign lands to face trial when there is sufficient legal machinery in place to handle the matter.If these sentiments by the minister that the country is now in a position to effectively dispense justice to the suspects right here in Kenya, the big question is why should the same government abdi-cates its responsibility and chose to rendition a section of Kenyans to Uganda to face trial for their alleged participation in the Kampala bombing in clear violations of the law?Mutula’s comments confirms that the new constitution has brought new radical changes to the country where the judiciary as well as other state organs will be able to effectively follow the law to the let-ter. He alludes that the legal machinery is more effective and Ken-yans should have more faith in the present laws rather than relying on jurisdictions which may not provide justice for the citizens. His assertions however, are in stark contrast to the manner in which several Kenyan citizens had their rights trampled upon after they were carted off to Kampala in clear disregard of the due proc-ess of the law.While the law stipulates that in such cases, extradition has to be made only after authorization of the courts, the government through its security agencies circumvented the law and went on to hand over its citizens to face trial in a country whose justice system has been criticized for not respecting human rights principlesThe Justice Minister said that local mechanisms are in place to deal with the post election violence offenders under the Kenyan penal code but he continues to exhibit silence about the double

standard approach which has seen the government illegally sur-rendering its citizens.The deafening silence from the Justice minister about the rendi-tions while at the same time, championing the cause for the trial locally of the post election violence besmirches the ideals of justice for all citizens which are highly emphasised in the constitution. Mutula's docket is one of the crucial organs in the implementation process of the new constitution and it is imperative that for the cred-ibility of the whole process, the government should not send out a signal that its actions are meant to sideline and deny justice to a section of its citizens. Its also shocking that while there is growing criticism both locally and internationally regarding the manner in which its citizens have been hounded and send to foreign jurisdiction, the government is feigning a business as usual approach yet its image continues to suffer. It is not a surprise that the President himself has now been sucked into this quagmire and come under scathing attack from the judici-ary for looking the other way while his security agents unfairly target a section of the citizenry. It is barely two months after the President pledged to uphold the new constitution which he solemnly swore upon to the ululations of Kenyans but to the consternation of many, the conduct of the gov-ernment is sending concerns that the years of impunity, bad govern-ance and circumventing of the law may continue to thrive in the new constitutional dispensation. By and large, if the government is telling Kenyans that it is wrong for the post election violence suspects to be tried in foreign lands for war crimes, it should likewise ensure that those suspected to have involved in the Kampala bombings also face trial in local courts, after all, their perceived crime is of lesser magnitude compared to the war crimes accusations against the PEV suspects.

Double standards in rendition exercise

new Bill of Rights," the Judge added.In his submission, Muhammad expressed fears that state security agents would also apprehend him as several of those who were renditioned were his close business associates. “Invariably I have interacted with some of the victims in the course of my business as aforesaid. An affinity has therefore evolved in the course of time particularly through religious worship. This interac-tion is therefore a fertile ground by the said officers for inference of ‘guilty by association’,” he said in his affidavit.Through his lawyer Muturi Kigano, Muhammad, an interior designer told the court that Ugandan authorities have variously sought to ‘abduct’ him and at one time had even arrested his cousin in a case of mistaken identity.In blocking Mr Kana’s extradition from the country, Justice Warsame said the action by the Kenyan authorities showed “yesteryears’ im-punity is still thriving in our Executive arm of the government.”He then ordered: “I direct the Attorney General, Police Commis-sioner and Internal Security Minister to ensure that the applicant is not surrendered, handed over, transported and or transferred to Uganda or any other country without further orders from this court.”The court has directed that its orders be also served on the office of the President through Francis Muthaura who is the Permanent Sec-retary in the Office of the President and Secretary to the Cabinet.The judge made it clear if Kana was arrested he should be brought to court in Kenya and be subject to due process under the new con-stitution's Bill of Rights, rather than being sent to Uganda.Already thirteen Kenyans, eight of them renditioned from Kenya are facing terrorism related charges before a Ugandan Court. Al Amin Kimathi, the chairman of the Muslim Human Rights Forum is among those on trial in Uganda.Many Kenyans are angered by the way their government has ex-tradited Kenyan nationals to Uganda, alleging the correct judicial procedures have not been followed.

President told to abide by the constitutioncontinued from page 1

2

Shawwal 22 1431/October 01 2010

First Community Bank has established a strategic partnership with Kenya Meat Commission to promote livestock trade activities with-in the livestock producing communities in the arid and semi arid (ASAL) regions of the country.In fulfillment of this partnership, the Bank and Kenya Meat Com-mission signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday last week at the Garissa show during the launch of a new initiative titled, "Ufugaji ni Biashara". The signing of the MOU was witnessed by the Assistant Minister of Livestock Development, Aden Duale, the Managing Director of First Community Bank, Nathif J. Adam, Managing Commissioner of Kenya Meat Commission, Ali Hassan, the Chairman of Kenya Meat Commission, Aden Suleiman and the North Eastern Provin-cial Commissioner, James Ole Seriani.

FCB partners with KMC to promote livestock farmers

The Managing Director of First community Bank Nathif Jama (Right) exchange agreements with the Kenya Meat Commisison Managing Commissioner Ali Hassan during the Garissa ASK show

The Friday Bulletin

DA'WA

3

Islam and ScienceBr. Muhammad Abdallah

Sat. 02nd October 2010 2.00 pm-4.00 pmJamia Multi Purpose Hall

Saturday Lecture

Make the spirit of Ramadhan Last the whole year Part 2

Ramadhan brought discipline into your life. You did not eat or drink whenever and whatever you wanted. There was a time for these things. You had to control your instinct. Ramadhan is a powerful symbol that you can control yourself, that you can set yourself a target and stick to it. Taking that discipline and control forward is potentially one of the greatest blessings of the month. 21. Do not over eat. Just because we can eat once Ramadhan is over doesn’t mean we have to gorge ourselves. Obesity has been classed as the disease of the 21st century. Consider this saying of the Prophet, where the ‘one third rule’ is a concession to our desires, “No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath.” (Tirmidhi & others) 22. Time keep was essential during Ramadhan. You watched the clock to begin and end your fasts. Do not let that slack now. Punc-tuality is important in your lives – for prayers, for appointments, for work and school. When the Prophet was asked, “Which deed is the dearest to Allah?” He replied, “To offer the prayers at their early stated fixed times.” (Bukhari) To fulfill obligations and appointments early rather than late will endear you to people in this world too. 23. Watch your anger. The Prophet advised, “Do not become an-gry”, and those who control their anger are described by the Qur’an thus, “Those who spend (in Allah’s cause) in prosperity and in ad-versity, who repress their anger, and who pardon men, verily, Allah loves those that do good.” (3:133-134). In Ramadhan one has greater self awareness so this is perhaps easier. Outside of Ramadhan follow the Prophetic three point an-ger management plan of making wudhu, sitting or lying down. The Prophet also recommended saying, “I seek Refuge with Allah from Satan” when feeling angry (Bukhari) and making the dua, “I ask you O Allah, for truthful speech during times of pleasure and anger” (Ahmad) 24. Sleep less. Sleep is a blessing from Allah and you should have sufficient hours, but do not sleep more than necessary. The Qur’an describes God’s righteous servants as “They used to sleep but little of the night” (51:17) and those “Who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope” (32:16) Ramadhan has taught that to achieve the target of completing the fasts one has to be steadfast in adversity. The month is a living testament to the many exhortations in the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet to have sabr – patient perseverance, and there is reward in this, “Give glad tidings to those who exercise patience when struck with adversity and say, ‘Indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him is our return.’ Such ones receive [the] blessings and mercy of their Lord, and such are the guided ones.” (Qur’an 2:155) 25. Patience is often lost when we try to do too many things at once. Slow down, focus and prioritise. 26. Try and establish what makes you lose patience. Are there any patterns to your loss of patience? Can you eliminate those things? 27. Inculcate hope and a positive mental attitude. The Qur’an re-minds us that an attribute of Iblis (satan) is that he lost hope. Do this by focusing on small blessings in your life, and write them down. 28. God’s delays are not necessarily His denials. Maybe you have to learn something before the adversity will be removed. List what lessons you are learning from the current adversity and how it is benefiting your character. Our response to a difficulty or a problem can be to seek a distrac-tion. Even with Ramadhan, we may seek activity, even sleep, so that we do not have to feel the hunger or the thirst. However, one can only really gain the full significance of the month by developing focus on the hunger and thirst and examining what it is trying to teach us. Without doing so we may only get, as the hadith says, “...nothing except hunger and thirst, and many people

who pray at night get nothing from it except wakefulness.” (Darimi) We should develop focus in every aspect of our lives in order to extract the fullest benefits. 29. Do a little bit more than you feel like doing or think you can do. 30. Remove distractions as much as possible. Identify what is a negative drain on your focus and remove it. The removal may not need to be permanent; just until it does not distract you as much. 31. Keep the objectives of your action in mind. If you are reading the Qur’an set your objective for that Qur’an reading session first. 32. Enlist the support of others to help you stay focused, bearing in mind the Prophetic saying on choosing friends, “A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace. (Bukhari and Mus-lim) 33. The breaking of the fast is a reward for the fasting person in this world, with other reward in the Hereafter. Grant yourself positive rewards when you have maintained your focus and achieved your set goal. The body is an amanah, a trust, from Allah. We cannot abuse it. Fasting is actually beneficial to a healthy person. Detoxification oc-curs as the liver, kidney, lungs, lymph glands and skin eliminate or neutralise toxins. Fasting speeds up this process as the body breaks down fats, however health needs to be maintained all year round. 34. Think about the foods you eat. Fasting breaks down toxins, but it is better not to put in the toxins in the first place. Minimise fatty, fried, and sugary foods. 35. Do some exercise. It does not have to be difficult and you do not have to buy expensive equipment or a gym membership. A pair of walking shoes and a pedometer will make sure you do 10,000 steps a day – 3,000 of which should be aerobic. The Qur'an reminds us "Rivalry for worldly gain will distract you until you visit your grave." (102:1-2) And the Prophet said, "If the son of Adam were given a valley full of gold, he would love to have a second one; and if he were given the second one, he would love to have a third, for nothing fills the belly of Adam’s son except dust. And Allah forgives he who repents to Him." (Bukhari)Finding pleasure in people, events, nature and not in things, is a way to deal with this weakness of human beings, and to find true contentment. 36. The mind is wired to work better when things are framed in the positive, so whilst it is about wanting less and giving up things, frame it mentally that it is about gaining MORE contentment. Ultimately, there is no end to such a list, but making the spirit of Ramadhan last the whole year is about YOU and your commitment to WANTING that spirit to last the whole year. It will take effort, courage, discipline, and fortitude – but as these are the characteristics which Ramadhan taught you, you can do it!

Sarah Joseph

A former Roman Catholic, Sarah Joseph is the editor of the British Muslim magazine EMEL

Shawwal 22 1431/October 01 2010

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WOMEN ISSUESThe Friday Bulletin

The Philosophy of the Prophet's marriages In the early part of eighteenth century, the Christian writers started

with new tactics of attacking Islam. They aimed, through publications full of lies and slanders, at diverting attention from the noble frame-work of Islam and degrading the exalted person of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May peace be on him and his progeny).It is not strange, therefore, to see them writing against the Prophet

of Islam, accusing him of lust because he had married a number of wives, whilst other Muslims were restricted to a maximum of four at a time. Of course, by slandering the Prophet of Islam, they hoped to cause

a set-back in the fast progress of Islam. But these tactics did not suc-ceed much. We find a number of learned and fair-minded Christian writers defending the Holy Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi was sallam against such slanders, in apologetic language.Undoubtedly these stories of slanders are totally unacceptable to

the Muslims, since part of their faith is to believe in the infallibility (sinlessness) of all the Prophets.But at the same time it is imperative to acquaint the non-Muslims

with the true facts.Verdict of history:Unbiased historians, both Muslims and Christians, are agreed that

the number of marriages contracted by the Prophet of Islam was not as a result of lust or to satisfy the sexual desires. If this had been the case, he would not have married the twice-widowed Khadijah, 40 years old, at the youthful age of 25 when one is full of emotion and sexual urge.Prophet Mubammad salallahu alayhi was sallam lived together with

his first (and, at that time, only) wife, Khadijah, happily for 25 years with great mutual affection, despite the fact that young and beauti-ful girls of Arabia were easily available to him and were keen to be married to him. Not even once, during that period, did the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him take another wife. Undoubtedly he would have at least considered another younger wife simultaneously with Khadijah if he ever suffered from lust and fondness of young women, particularly when the country's customs wholly approved unlimited marriages.Critics Dumbfounded:Let us look at the life history of the Prophet of Islam. During the

prime of his life, he remains satisfied with an aged and twice-wid-owed wife, and does not even think of another. Then during the last ten years of his life, after passing the age of fifty, in his old age, when he is surrounded by various difficult problems of the newly-born Is-lamic State, he starts marrying a number of wives.Why this phenomenon?Was it not a difficult exercise and heavy burden to marry widows

and support their orphans? Was it easy for a perfectly dignified man in the person of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him to marry women of different outlook, characters and tribes, including some of much younger age who were still unaware of the full responsibilities of life?Let us ponder over the reply to these questions as given by a fa-

mous western historian, Thomas Carlyle in his book "Heroes and Heroes Worship". He says in effect that contrary to what his enemies accuse him, Muhammad was never lusty and sexualize and that it was a slander only out of prejudice against him and this indeed is a great injustice.John Devenport says, "and it may then be asked, is it likely that

a very sensual man, of a country where polygamy was a common practice, should be contented for five-and-twenty years with one wife, she being fifteen years older than himself".Let us examine the circumstances and conditions under which these

marriages had taken place. In principle, it can be stated that the mar-riages were contracted with one or more of the following objectives:For the sake of caring for the orphans and looking after the poor

widows. These were some Muslim women who had earlier enjoyed

high dignity in the Arab society. But on the death of their husbands, their status and even faith were in jeopardy, because their tribal chiefs would take them back and compel them to renounce Islam, thus converting them back to polytheism. For example, Sawdah had migrated to Abyssinia where her husband died, and she be-came absolutely alone without helper. It was the time when the Prophet Muhammad had lost Khadijah, his first wife; so he married Sawdah.Likewise, Zaynab daughter of Khuzaymah, was an old-aged wid-

ow, who after the death of her husband was inflicted with poverty, despite her being amiable and being known as 'Ummul-Masakin' (Mother of the poor). Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him mar-ried her to uphold her dignity and she died of old age only after two years of that marriage.For the sake of enacting a new law and eradicating injustice by the

ignorant tribes. For example, Zaynab bint-Jahsh was the daughter of the Prophet's aunt. She was married, at the recommendation of the Prophet, to Zayd ibn-Harithah, the freed slave and adopted son of the Prophet. This marriage was contracted to eradicate the dis-crimination against slaves and poor and to emphasize the Islamic equality and brotherhood, as Zaynab was from the family of Abd al-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and the Chief of Quraysh, whereas Zayd was a slave who was freed by the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.Unfortunately, Zaynab due to her family pride, did not get along

well with Zayd despite the Prophet's persuasions. The rift between the two culminated into divorce. Meanwhile, the system of adop-tion of children was expressly forbidden by Allah. So, when Zayd divorced Zaynab, the Prophet of Islam, at the express command of God, married Zaynab; and, thus, put an end to the then prevalent belief that adopted sons were like real sons and that wives or wid-ows of adopted sons were like daughters-in-laws.For the sake of freeing prisoners and slaves. For example, 'Ju-

wayriyah' was from a prominent tribe of Banul-Mustalaq. In a war against Islam this tribe was defeated; and Juwayriyah, the daughter of their Chief, was held in captivity. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him married her to set an example of protection and good treatment to prisoners of war.On seeing that the prisoners had be-come relatives of the Holy Prophet Muhammad by marriage, the Muslims released all the prisoners of war held by them. According to Ibn Hisham, over one hundred families of Banul-Mustalaq were freed from captivity as a result of this marriage.For the sake of uniting some prominent Arab tribes who often

were at logger heads with each other and to safeguard the inter-nal political status of Islam. Prophet Muhammad married A'ishah daughter of Abu Bakr Siddiq (first caliph) from the tribe of Bani Taim, Hafsah daughter of Omar ibn Al-Khattab (second caliph) from the tribe of Adi, Umm-Habibah daughter of Abu Sufyan from the tribe of Umayyah, Safiyah daughter of Huyaiy bin Akhtab of the Jewish tribe of Bani an-Nadhir, and Maymunah from the tribe of Bani Makhzum.Umm-Habibah (i.e. Ramla) was daughter of Abu Sufyan of Bani Umayyah who was the bitterest enemy of Prophet Muhammad and had repeatedly fought against him. She, as a Muslim, was in great distress since she was divorced from her original husband (who had become a Christian in Abyssinia) and her father was a great enemy of Islam. Seeing her deprived of every help from parent and divorced from husband, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him married her in sympathy. This marriage also gave a chance to the people of Bani Umayyah to soften their hearts for Islam.Safiyah was a widowed daughter of Huyaiy bin Akhtab, one of the

chiefs of Jewish tribe of Bani an-Nadhir. When the prisoners of this tribe were released by the Muslims, Prophet Muhammad married her in order to safeguard her status; and, thus, also linking himself with one of the great Jewish tribes of that time, and paving the way for them to come nearer to Islam.Maymunah was 51 years of age and from a prominent tribe of Bani

Makhzum whom Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him married continued on page 7

Shawwal 22 1431/October 01 2010

The Friday Bulletin

5

Waleed Kadous offers thoughtful insights into university life and sound advice for Muslim students at this impor-tant transition period in their lives.University... The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship "Education". Our continuing mission: To learn about the world, to improve our Islam and, possibly, get a job.Seriously, though, congratulations upon getting into university. This is quite an achievement. If you didn't get in, then my commisera-tions; but do not forget that as Allah says: "It may be that you do not like something but it is good for you; and it may be that you like something but it is bad for you." So trust in Allah and you will never go astray.An important thing to consider is what is different about university, and what being a Muslim at a university means and involves. For those who haven't been to University, it's a great place, but probably different to what you're used to. It is about as similar to school as a tricycle is to a tractor.Differences from schoolThe most obvious difference is size in every way. It's not only physi-cally much larger (a bonus for those who like to walk), but also has many, many more students; a typical school might have one thou-sand students, a typical university might have twenty thousand.The second obvious difference is in the teaching style. At school, you are usually spoon-fed knowledge in small groups and they mark the roll in each class. Not at University. Most lecturers don't care if you attend their lectures or not; and they don't say "Copy this from the board into your exercise books", it's more likely that they will put up a slide and you can copy it if you feel it is relevant. As for class sizes, certain lectures in popular courses can be attended by as many as 1500 people. Don't expect a lot of personal attention.The third obvious difference is in the student body. While school may be an environment which emphasises making everyone behave in a similar manner (for example by making everyone wear the same uni-form); university is almost the opposite, where being different is the norm (as contradictory as it sounds!!). There are no uniforms, and provided you act within the bounds of common sense and common courtesy, people do not really care that much about what you do. Or perhaps they do care, but they're probably not going to harass you for being different; they're more likely to support you.So what impact do these differences have?What are the implications of the above, especially in the context of a Muslim going to University?Because Universities are much larger, this means that they typically support a wider range of interest groups, hobbies and so on. There are usually a huge variety of clubs and societies on campus - from those related to political parties, to religious groups, to sports clubs and food clubs.This means it is a lot easier to find people with the same interests as you. Hopefully one of your "interests" is Islam. All the large Universi-ties have Muslims student associations. Some even have a room for prayer; perhaps even a library or an office. They vary in size, from as little as 10 to as many as 400. All are dedicated to Islam. Because nobody's looking over your shoulder, checking that you've been doing your homework and attending lectures, it means that you have to depend on yourself a lot more. It's no longer good enough to coast along. You need to motivate yourself. This sounds like it is trivial, but I've seen many first years make a pretty big mess of it because of this. People who used to be the top of their schools get marks in the low 50's and in some cases, fail. So, be aware of this; don't get caught out!Finally, because of the wide variety of different ideas at University, it is easier to be an individual. This has its pros and cons as you would expect; it means you have the opportunity to be a better person and get involved in a variety of beneficial activities, but at the same time, it may mean you waste your time. There are so many things that you can do that at the beginning you just want to do it all! Also, it can lead to you being caught in the activities of groups that may lead you to things that you might later regret.

Adjusting to University - An Islamic Perspective"You are a walking example of Islam."

YOUTH AND CHILDREN

Mothers of the Believer The wives of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) are called the Mothers of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with them, as a way of honouring them and giving them a noble position. Allah granted them the honour of being the Mothers of the Believers, as He says “The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their (believers') moth-ers (as regards respect and marriage)}. As the wives of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, were the Mothers of the Believers, Allah prohibited them to marry anyone after the death of the Prophet (sallal-laahu alayhi wa sallam).The Mothers of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with them, were the best Muslim women in piety and righteousness. They supported the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, during his lifetime and they shoul-dered the responsibility of calling people to Islam and spreading the message, and teaching the Muslim women the rulings of Islam. There were eleven Mothers of the Believers. Two of them died during the lifetime of the Prophet (sal-lallaahu alayhi wa sallam): Khadijah and Zainab Bint Khuzaymah, may Allah be pleased with them. When the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) died, he left nine wives. All of them were buried in Al-Baqee' in Madinah ex-cept Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, who was buried in Makkah and Maymunah Bint Al-Harith, may Allah be pleased with her, who was buried in Saraf near Makkah.

Children of the Prophet The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, married Khadijah Bint Khuwaylid, may Allaah be pleased with her, when he was twenty-five years old, fifteen years before prophethood. She was the best of all women in terms of her excellent morals, manners, and appre-ciation of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. She led an elegant and happy life with the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and she gave birth to four girls and two boys. The boys were Qasim and `Abdullah who – by Allah's Will – died young one after the other. As for the girls, they lived in an honorable house and had a happy childhood with a kind father and a noble mother. They all married excellent husbands. Three of them died during the lifetime of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, and the fourth died six months after his death. Three of them had children. They girls are Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah Az-Zahraa'. He also had another son, Ibrahim whose mother was Maaryah al Qibtiyyah, but like his other sons, he also died in childhood.

Shawwal 22 1431/October 01 2010

The Friday Bulletin

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Relations with Non-MuslimsHumanity lives today in a “global village,” where no people or nation can live in isolation from and indifferent to what goes on elsewhere. Our world is so interdependent and so interrelated that peaceful dia-logue has become an imperative. Qur’anic Foundations of Muslim/Non-Muslim RelationsIt should be noted from the beginning that the very term Islam implies that peace is the basis and the norm of Muslim/non-Muslim relations. Islam is derived from the Arabic root S-L-M, whose generic mean-ing includes the concepts of peace and submission. From a spiritual perspective, Islam may be defined as attaining peace through sub-mission to Allah or the state of peace in submission to Allah. Am-ple references in the Qur’an and Hadith reveal that this concept of peace embraces peace with God, inner peace as a result of that relationship with God, peace with humans, peace with the animal world, peace with vegetation, and peace with the ecological order.The Qur’an describes the human as the trustee of Allah on earth. Allah created everything on earth and in the heavens for the benefit of the human race. Sanctity of human life is affirmed in the Qur’an “Nor take life, which Allah has made sacred, except for just cause” (Al-Israa’ 17:33). The Qur’an confirms God’s revelation to previous prophets that [If anyone slays a human being, unless it be (punish-ment) for murder, or for spreading mischief on earth, it shall be as though he had slain all humankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all humankind.” (Al-Ma’idah 5:32). Beyond sanctity of life, in the Qur’an we read “Indeed, We (Allah) have conferred dignity on the children of Adam” (Al-Israa’ 17:70). It is noted that this verse is inclusive of all humans, irrespec-tive of their religion or even their belief in God. Universal justice: The Arabic term for justice is adl, meaning “to be in a state of equilibrium, to be balanced.” That balance is inherent in the cosmic order and ecology as much as it is inherent in spir-itual and ethical values. The Qur’an warns against disturbing that balance. Within that broad context, we can examine the concept of justice as it relates to human relationships based on Islam’s primary sources. Briefly, that concept has the following characteristics: Justice is not mere “political correctness” or something to be pur-sued exclusively, for worldly gain. For the believer, it is a divine com-mand.Justice is at the heart of prophetic teachings.Justice is a universal concept that should be observed without nepo-tism, even with the “enemy”:“O you who believe! Stand out for justice, as witnesses to Allah, and even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and wheth-er it be (against) rich or poor.” (An-Nisaa’ 4:135)“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety and fear Allah, for Allah is well acquainted with all that you do.” (Al-Ma’idah 5:8)Universal human brotherhood: Addressing the entire human race, the Qur’an states,“O humankind! We (Allah) have created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous (or Allah-conscious) of you. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Al-Hujurat 49:13)It must be noted that this verse does not address Muslims exclu-sively, but begins with the inclusive address “O humankind,” an ad-dress that embraces all. It reminds humanity that they belong to one family with the same set of parents, albeit a diverse family. This is a reminder that diversity in unity and unity within diversity are possible. Humanity is like a bouquet of flowers in which each flower is beauti-ful in its own right, yet, the combination of all flowers and the rich diversity of their colors is more beautiful. This sweeping statement in the Qur’an about broad human brotherhood is a profound basis for peace for and among all.Universal peaceful coexistence: The basic rule governing the rela-tionship between Muslims and non-Muslims is that of peaceful coex-istence, justice and compassion. The following two verses are key verses that embody that general rule: [As for such (non-Muslims) who do not fight you on account of (your)

faith, or drive you forth from your homelands, God does not forbid you to show them kindness (also love and respect) and to deal with them with equity, for God loves those who act equitably. God only forbids you to turn in friendship towards such as fight against you because of (your) faith and drive you forth from your homelands or aid (others) in driving you forth. As for those from among you who turn towards them for alliance, it is they who are wrongdoers.] (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8-9)This verse makes it a Muslim’s duty to treat peacefully coexisting persons with equity (qist) and birr. The term birr and its derivatives are the same expressions used in the Qur’an and Hadith to refer to one’s relationship with his or her parents. Such a relationship is more than kindness, since it includes also love and respect. Peaceful dialogue, especially with the People of the Book: All of the above nine principles apply to all non-Muslims. The Qur’an accords the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) a special position. The very term to designate them distinguishes them from others such as idolatrous Arabs (Al-Bayyinah 98:1). It is a complimentary title as it acknowledges that, like Muslims, their faiths are based on revealed books or scriptures. In its family and dietary laws, the Qur’an gives a special consideration to the People of the Book. For example, a Muslim male may marry a believing Jewish or Christian woman (Al-Ma’idah 5:5). The Qur’an exhorts Muslims to engage in peaceful dialogue with Jews and Christians: “Say (O Muhammad), O People of the Book! Come to a common term which we and you hold in common: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall not ascribe divinity to none beside Him, and that we shall not take human beings for our lord beside Allah, and if they turn away, then say: bear witness that we submit our-selves unto Him.” (Aal `Imran 3:64)Dr. Jamal Badawi is the director of the Islamic Information Founda-tion, Halifax, Canada and a Professor from St. Mary’s University, Halifax Canada.

Dr Jamal Badawi

OPINIONShawwal 22 1431/October 01 2010

Judge defends new Bill of Rights A High Court judge faulted President Kibaki over renditions to Uganda, and in the process, blocked Kenyan security from send-ing yet another victim of the Abuse of Law to Uganda !Let us say a rousing Hip, Hip Hooray for Tuesday, September 28, 2010 for it is sure to go down as a historic day in Kenya's judicial history. It is the day when the new Constitution took real meaning for Kenyans for the first time, for it is the day when the Bill of Rights became "armed to the teeth" in the protection of the rights of Muslims to be judged in open court, not prejudged by extra-judicial police.This is the day when Muslims can turn and look back as the day when they ceased to live beyond the pale of the law, and brought within its protective threshold. Our dying faith in the Kenyan Sys-tem has been snatched back, from the jaws of death, in the nick of time.We are not yet where we ought to be: we want to stop living as second-class citizens in our own country. We want an end to renditions - the most horrific application of an oppressive piece of stillborn legislation: the catch-all Anti-Terrorism Bill.Today, we have reason to smile. We have every right to rejoice. Stand up Human Rights Commissioner Hassan Omar and hold your head high, for your valiant forum against renditions last Fri-day was vindicated in our High Court today. The insults of yester-day's scumbag newspaper fade into oblivion. As they say, sticks and stones might break your bones, but words will never do so.To the enemies of human freedom and human rights, let today's court ruling serve as a warning: Muslim human rights are no long-er paperweight; they are for real. MOHAMMED WARSAMAMOMBASA

Friday Bulletin Mail Bag

The Friday Bulletin

NATIONAL NEWS

7

IDB Educa�on Trust-Kenya P. O Box 45163-00100 Nairobi Kenya Tel: +254 20 2243109/ 2216963

Email: info@supkem.or.ke or ncep@supkem.or.ke

IDB GRADUATESIDB Education Trust-Kenya is a trust established in Kenya whose main objective is to receive the repay-ments of the interest free loan (qard hasan) from IDB Graduates and reutilize it for other needy and deserv-ing students.In order to sustain the revolving fund, notice is hereby given to the IDB graduates within the years (1983-2006) who have not commenced payments and those defaulting to contact the Secretariat and/or the un-dersigned with a proposal for payment.

Please be adviced that we have been duly instructed to commence Legal Action in recovery of the pay-ments within 30 calendar days from the date of pub-

lication of this notice.

E. Wafula and AssociatesAdvocate for The TrustDrawn ByE. Wafula and Associates AdvocatesSonalus House 8th FloorMoi AvenueP. O. Box 62158-00200NairobiTel +254 20 2242152+254 8089400Email: ewafulaadvocates@gmail.com

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care such as the elderly and disabled

Muranga micro projects receive Sh 1.4 M financial boost

Small scale enterprises Muranga district were beneficiaries of Sh.1.4 million micro-finance scheme put in place to improve eco-nomic standards of the people.The programme which is being implemented as a pilot project by Uwezo Foundation financially supports micro finance projects and its eventual success will see the programme rolled out to other parts of the country. “I urge the beneficiaries of this programme to ensure that they max-imise on the loan provided to create income generating businesses and improve on their economic standards and better their lives,” said Shaban Juma, the foundation’s Secretary.The Foundation Chairman Abdallah Ndope told Muslims to fulfill their obligation of paying Zakat saying that it was an effective tool to economically uplift Muslims from the yokes of economic hardship. He called for care to the underprivileged members of the society saying that it was a religious obligation to address pertinent chal-lenges facing the community like education, diseases and poverty so as to contribute to the growth of the Muslim society.The National Muslims Leaders Forum (NAMLEF) Vice Chairman Yusuf Murigu advised Muslims to embrace the Islamic culture and positively change their attitude for the betterment of the society. “Nowadays our culture has become strange even to us because we have embraced other peoples ways of life, we should live in accord-ance with the Islamic principles to ensure success of the society at large,’ he said.He called on the Muslims not to blame others for some of the so-cietal problems they face but should try to find the solutions for the problems to improve on the lives of the people.Nine self help groups in Mjini area benefited from the loan facility which has so far seen more than Sh1.7 million disbursed since the inception of the project three months ago. Uwezo Foundation is a partnership between the National Muslim Leaders Forum (NAMLEF) and Islamic Dawah Group (IDG).

Shawwal 22 1431/October 01 2010

without any reason,” he said during his lecture at Jamia Mosque last week.“Even criminals are accorded their rights but for Muslims this ap-pears not the case,” he added.Sheikh Abdullatif accused the se-curity agents of resorting to deceit and propaganda to justify their illegal actions saying they were underestimating the intelligence of Kenyans. “They are illegally arresting people and concorting lies in the media to justify their illegal actions. They should understand that Kenyans are above such syndromes,” he said. He said the move by the government to ship its citizens to face trial in foreign countries was a mockery of the country’s justice system adding that there was no need for the local courts if the government felt they would not be in a position to provide justice to Kenyans.The Sheikh went on to advice Muslims who are colluding with the security services to further the culture of oppression to desist from the acts as this was against Islamic teachings. "Beware of suspi-cion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales. Do not look for other's faults. Do not spy one another,” he said quoting a tradition of the Prophet peace be upon him.

Muslims losing faith in new lawcontinued from page 1

in the year 7 after Hijrah.The above marital history of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon

him clearly shows the noble aim and objectives for which he mar-ried a number of wives. It is not difficult to see that none of these marriages was for personal satisfaction. Also, it is important to re-member that all of these marriages, except that with A'ishah bint Abu Bakr Siddiq, were contracted with women who were widowed not only once, but often twice or thrice.

continued from page 4

The Prophet's marriages

EXPECTATIONS OF THE ONE SHILLING FOUNDATION

Over ten years ago, it wasn’t unusual to see Muslims around the country requesting for fi-nancial aid from other Muslims abroad in or-der to build Mosques, Madaris and so on. In the spirit of Islamic brotherhood, the response they got was great. Mosques were built, Ma-daris were built, schools were built, the youth were sponsored to schools and colleges, drought stricken and flood hit communities were supplied with relief aid. The spirit of brotherhood, like it was in Madi-nah, was evident. But today, things are differ-ent. The spirit of brotherhood has not disap-peared, but there has been some meddling by outside forces that prevents Muslims to enjoy this brotherhood privilege from abroad. We cannot cry a river about it, though. We have to move on.The One Shilling Foundation has a very big role to play in the community. It has the re-sponsibility of inculcating the culture of gener-osity and self dependence among the Ummah in Kenya. What each Muslim needs to do is to subscribe to the One Shilling Foundation a lonely shilling per day that will make up a total of KSh 30 a month or a total of KSh 360 a year. As soon as Muslims get fully committed to this culture and donate the lonely one shilling per day to this noble kitty, we shall be able to con-struct our own national hospitals and no long-er be subjected to traditions that we abhor. We shall construct our own national universi-ties and colleges and no longer learn outside the classroom windows while our counterparts are learning inside the classrooms. Our chil-dren shall learn in our own national high level schools and no longer below the shades of trees using stone-age-like wooden boards, Inshaallah. It is therefore, the expectation of the One Shil-ling Foundation that such a brilliant and noble idea will be appreciated and embraced by all so that we can build a strong future, at par with the rest of the country. Contact us through the following addresses

One Shilling Foundation Village plaza,Ngara Road

Block A,Suite A3, P.O. Box 58717-00200, Nairobi Tel: 0717 613 333/ 0732 613 333

Email: info@oneshillingfoundation.org Web: www.oneshillingofoundation.org

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147 E-mail: fridaybulletin@gmail.com. Printed by Colour Magic Production Ltd-Kirinyaga Crescent P. O. Box 9581-00100 Nairobi

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