friday bulletin 392

7/25/2019 Friday Bulletin 392

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Issue No. 392

The

The Weekly Muslim News UpdateDhul Qa'da 28 1431/November 05 2010

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

This Week Da'wa Virtues of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah P3Editorial

Women Issues Why British women are turning to Islam P4

Hijab a reflection on our weakness P2 Youth and Children Gender intereactions at Uni P6

Friday Bulletin

The refusal by some schools to allow studentsto wear the hijab, the Islamic female dress,has forced parents to take legal action to en-

sure that the constitutional rights of their daughters

are upheld.In a landmark case, Dr. Anisa Bashir and elevenother parents have taken Kenya High School tocourt over its relentless refusal to allow Muslim stu-dents to practice aspects of their faith.In the case certified as urgent, the parents say therights of their daughters have been violated andthey have been forced to study in an environmentwhere they feel uncomfortable and not accepteddue to their religious beliefs.The case is being heard by Justice David Maraga.The head teacher and the school Board of Gover-nors are named as respondents.In their submissions, the parents asserted that even

after the Ministry of Education issued directives toschools to respect the rights of the girls to wear thehijab, Kenya High School has continued to defy theorder. The parents are appealing to the court to nul-lify the school policy which they termed as unfair,and compel the institution to allow the students toexercise their right to wear the attire which is man-datory by the Islamic faith.Justice Magara, however, refused to issue tempo-rary orders to the school to allow the girls to ob-serve the hijab. He noted that he had to hear fromboth sides before reaching a decision.In July last year, the former education PermanentSecretary Karega Mutahi criticized schools whichdenied Muslim girls their right to wear the hijab

and directed such institutions to rescind the policy.It has come to my attention that some heads ofschools have refused to permit Muslim girls dressedin the hijab to attend school. I wish to remind youthat no child should be denied the right to educationon the basis of religion, read the circular which wasaddressed to all Provincial Directors of Education,District Education Officers and Municipal EducationOfficers as well as school head teachers.He went on to direct that students who were ex-pelled from school for wearing the hijab to be read-mitted immediately.Even after this directive, many schools continueto deny the Muslim girls to wear the hijab, a rightwhich has further been affirmed by the new consti-tution. Some of these schools include Kenya HighSchool, Pangani Girls, Loreto Convent and BuruBuru Secondary School among others.

DA'WA ON WHEELS

Northern Kenya Development Minister Muhammad Ibrahim Elmi (Right) sharesa word with Muslim scholar Sheikh Ahmad Msallam after he officiated at theopening of a two-day workshop on the merits of the companions of the Prophet.Looking on is Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu, the Imam of Jamia Mosque.STORY on Page 2

Parents now go to courtover hijab

Story continued On Page 7

Feature Cycling to Hajj P7

Residents of Coast and North Eastern regions should take a cue from other regionsand start laying strategies to be able to reap the benefits of the new federal struc-ture of government which is expected to come into force after the 2012 elections.

A commissioner with the Independent Boundaries Review Commission MurshidMuhammad said for the counties to enjoy the benefits of the new devolved structureof government, they should have the capacity in place to meet the demands of theproposed county government.He said the functions that would be devolved by the national government to thecounties will depend on the ability of the counties to undertake those functions.The counties which lack the capacity to undertake their stipulated functions, willnot take off in 2012 or they will take off with limited functions and therefore withlimited funding, he said.The constitution permits an asymmetrical devolution of powers and functions will bedevolved promptly to those counties that have the capacity to perform, he added.Murshid said though the new devolved structure of government has been seen as

a vehicle to reduce marginalization and underdevelopment, to achieve this, it isimperative that efficient governing structures are put place ahead of time to enable

Put in place structures to benefit fromcounty government


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The Friday Bulletin

2

Hijab case, a reflection on our weakness

After several complaints which in most cases had no headway,parents have taken it upon themselves to take legal action againstthe unfair practice of denying their daughters the right to hijab inschools. This is an unprecedented move which for the first time has

made the issue of the Muslim dress to go to the court room.For many years, the issue of hijab has been a painful experience inthe hearts of Muslims after many schools, many of them Christianbased but also including public schools have gone out of their wayand banned the wearing of the Islamic dress, the hijab in schools.

Even after the ministry of education officially clarified that wearingthe hijab is a constitutional right of the pupils and head teachershad no right to send away those practicing their religious obliga-tions, several schools have continued to flout the directive.

Several Muslim students have been forced out of schools and oth-ers have had to succumb to the unfair discriminatory laws aftertheir rights were violated. Some of the schools have even gone amile further by forcing Muslim students to attend religious observa-tions of other faiths while denying them the right to practice their

religion.

On this matter, the constitution is clear on the rights of citizens toobserve their religion without any hindrance. In article 32 of the Billof Rights, the constitution states, Every person has the right, ei-ther individually or in community with others, in public or in private,to manifest any religion or belief through worship, practice, teach-ing or observance, including observance of a day of worship.

The supreme law of the land further states, A person may notbe denied access to any institution, employment or facility or theenjoyment of any right, because of the persons belief or religion.The Bill of Rights adds that a person shall not be compelled toact, or engage in any act, that is contrary to the persons, belief orreligion.

While Muslim leaders during the agitation for the new constitution,cited the provision of protection of religious freedom in institutionsas among the positive development which will benefit the commu-nity, it appears that little was done to effect this important aspect

after the promulgation of the new law.

Even after the clarification from the education ministry, the mat-ter was not pushed with the desired momentum by the concernedMuslim organisations to protect the inalienable rights of Muslimstudents in educational facilities.

While the move by parents is laudable, it is also a demonstrationof the weakness of Muslim organizations to vigorously pursue thismatter. It was perhaps due to the inaction of the Muslim organisa-tions that the parents found it prudent to take it upon themselvesto fight for the rights of their pupils, a matter which would otherwisedeserve to be handled by Muslim organisations.

With the new constitutional framework which fervently protectscivil liberties, Muslim organisations should take another step tosee to it that this ugly and unwarranted phenomenon comes to anend. While angry voices have been heard in the past protestingagainst this unfair attitude, it is high time that these rhetoric aretranslated into action and measures explored to protect the rightsof Muslims.

While the Akorino faithful had the courage to resort to the courtsand successfully petitioned the courts to rescind an expulsionagainst their children who had been sent away from a school inUkambani after they refused to remove their religious head gear,sadly such a precedented move has not been seen in our com-munity.

The matter of hijab is a sensitive issue which concerns all Muslimsin the country. With the case now in court, it is rather important forMuslim organisations to also enjoin themselves in the suit to give itthe added strength as the outcome will have significant impact onthe community in the coming years.

The new constitution has provided valuable avenues to correctpast injustices, a new strategy should be devised where instead of

whining and complaining, constructive engagements with the con-cerned authorities should be explored and in the event of failing toachieve the desired results, legal redress should always remain asthe alternative.

EDITORIAL

Dhul Qa'da 28 1431/November 05 2010

Imams and scholars have been told to take extra measuresand increase awareness of Islamic knowledge among the pop-ulation.

Northern Kenyan Development Minister Muhammad Ibrahin

Elmi said there is need for more dawa efforts focused on im-parting Islamic knowledge to the masses for a better under-standing of the teachings of Islam.

He noted that many Muslims were not adhering to the tenets ofIslam with some having a wrong notion that Islam is only con-fined to praying and fasting. Many people are praying but arenot adhering to Islamic ethics related to honesty, truthfulness,good relations as well as failing to implement Islam in their dailylives, the minister said while officiating at the opening of a two-day workshop on the merits of the blessed companions of theProphet (peace be upon him) at Jamia Mosque on Tuesday.

The minister told Scholars and Imams to come up with regu-lar programme to inculcate the correct methodology of Islamamong Muslims noting that many people especially the youth

were susceptible to being misled by corrupt teachings.On his part, the chairman of Jamia Mosque Committee Mu-hammad Osman Warfa reminded the scholars and Imams oftheir role in the Ummah saying that they should take up themantle to educate and nurture Muslims into better citizens toserve not only the community but the nation as a whole.

Do more to increase religiousawareness, scholars told

Muslims in a far flung township in Bungoma have taken issue with thedecision of local authorities to demolish the local mosque.

Residents of Ndalu, 60 kilometers from Bungoma are reading mischiefin the directive from the County council saying it is was misconstrued

and aimed at denying them a place of worship.They asserted that proper procedures were followed in acquiring thepiece of land and there was no reason to warrant the destruction of themosque.

In a letter dated October 26, the Bungoma County Council ordered thatthe mosque be pulled down failure to which it will go ahead and carryout the demolition exercise.

The council contends that the construction was not in order as the landon which it stands was not sanctioned for the mosque.

The mosque chairman Ibrahim Baraka Ranogwa, however, contendsthat the council directive was done in bad faith adding that the morethan 250 Muslims of the area should not be denied a place of worship.We followed the proper channels and we have letters from the County

Council and the Ministry of Lands and Settlement raising no objectionto the mosque, he told The Friday Bulletin.

He turned his attention to Muslims and appealed to the Supreme Coun-cil of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) and other Muslim organisation to in-tervene and ensure that the area residents are not denied their rightsto freedom of worship.

Protests over plan to demolishBungoma mosque


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The Friday Bulletin

DA'WA

3

The virtues of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah

This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the oppor-tunity to correct one's faults and make up for any shortcomings oranything that one might have missed. Each of these special oc-

casions involves some kind of worship through which people maydraw closer to Allah, and some kind of blessing through which Al-lah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He, Almighty,Wills.

A Muslim must understand the value of his life, increase his worshipof Allah and persist in doing good deeds until the moment of death.

Allah Almighty says "And worship your Lord until there comes toyou the certainty (death)." [Quran 15: 99] The commentators said:"'The certainty means death."

Among the special seasons of worship are the first ten days ofDhul-Hijjah, which Allah has preferred over all the other days of theyear. Ibn 'Abbaas reported that the Prophet peace be upon himsaid: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more be-loved to Allah than these ten days." The people (the Companions )

asked: "O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the path of Allah?"He said: "Not even Jihad in the path of Allah, except in the caseof a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up forthe cause, and came back with nothing (lost both his property andlife)." [Al-Bukhari]

These ten days include the Day of 'Arafah, on which Allah perfect-ed His Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of twoyears. These days also include the Day of Sacrifice, the greatestday of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combinesacts of worship in a way unlike any other day.

Shall you offer a sacrifice?

The Sunnah indicates that the one who wants to offer a sacrificemust stop cutting his hair and nails and removing anything fromhis skin, from the beginning of the ten days until after he has of-

fered his sacrifice, because the Prophet Prophet peace be uponhim said: "When you see the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah, if any oneof you wants to offer a sacrifice, then he should stop cutting his hairand nails until he has offered his sacrifice." According to another re-port he said: "He should not remove (literally, touch) anything fromhis hair or skin." [Muslim]

The Prophet's instruction here makes one thing obligatory and hisprohibition makes another Haraam (prohibited), according to thesoundest opinion, because these commands and prohibitions areunconditional and unavoidable.

However, if a person does any of these things deliberately, he mustseek Allah's forgiveness but is not required to offer (an extra) sac-rifice in expiation; his sacrifice will be acceptable. Whoever needsto remove some hair, nails, etc. because it is harming him, such as

having a broken nail or a wound in a site where there is hair, can doso, and there is nothing wrong with that.

The wisdom behind this prohibition of the one who wants to offer asacrifice from cutting his hair etc, is so that he may resemble thosein Ihraam in some aspects of the rituals performed, and so that hemay draw closer to Allah by offering the sacrifice. He leaves his hairand nails alone until the time when he has offered his sacrifice, inthe hope that Allah will save him in his entirety from the Fire. And

Allah knows best.

If a person has cut his hair or nails during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah because he was not planning to offer a sacrifice, then hedecides later, during the ten days, to offer a sacrifice, then he mustrefrain from cutting his hair and nails from the moment he makesthis decision.

This prohibition appears to apply only to the one who is offering thesacrifice, not to his wife and children, unless any of them is offeringa sacrifice in his or her own right.

The virtues of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah

Types of worship and deeds to be performed during the ten days:

One must understand that these days are a great blessing from

The rites of HajjSheikh Abdullatif Abdulkarim

Sat. 6th November 2010 2.00 pm-4.00 pmJamia Multi Purpose Hall

Saturday Lecture

Allah to His servants, which is appreciated properly by the activelyrighteous. It is the duty of Muslim to appreciate this blessing andmake the most of the opportunity, by devoting these ten days to

paying more attention to striving hard in worship.Among His blessings, Allah has given us many ways in which toperform righteous deeds and worship Him, so that a Muslim may beconstantly active and consistent in his worship of his Lord.

Among the righteous deeds which someone should strive to per-form during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are:

The performance of Hajj and Umrah, which are the best of deedsthat may be done. And what indicates their superiority are a numberof narrations, one of which is the saying of the Prophet peace beupon him: "Performance of 'Umrah is an expiation of the sins com-mitted between it and the previous 'Umrah, and the reward of theHajj which is accepted by Allah, Most High, is nothing but Paradise."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Fasting: It is recommended to fast on the nine days and espe-cially on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah. There is no doubt that the actof fasting is one of the best deeds, and it is from what Allah, MostHigh, has chosen for himself, as in the Sacred Hadeeth: "Fastingis for Me (Allah), and it is I who give reward for it. Verily, someonegives up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for my sake..."[Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa'i and Ibn Maajah]

The Prophet peace be upon him said: "Fasting the Day of Arafahwill be credited with Allaah by forgiving one's sins of the previousyear and the following year." [Muslim]

Uttering the mention of Allah: It is recommended to utter Takbeer("Allahu akbar"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah"), Tahleel ("La ilaahaillallaah") and Tasbeeh ("Subhaanallah") during the first ten days ofDhul-Hijjah in the Mosque, at home, on the street and every placewhere it is permitted to mention Allah and mention His name outloud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatnessof Allah, Most High. He The Most High, Says: "...And mention thename of Allah on known [i.e., specific] days..." [Quran 22: 28]

Performing more good deeds in general, because good deedsare beloved by Allah and will bring a great reward from Him. Who-ever is not able to go to Hajj should occupy himself at this blessedtime by worshipping Allah, praying, reading Quran, supplicating,giving charity, honoring his parents, upholding the ties of kinship,enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other gooddeeds and acts of worship.

Offering sacrifice. One of the good deeds that will bring a per-son closer to Allah during these ten days is offering a sacrifice, bychoosing a high-quality animal. It is the Sunnah of our father Ibraa-him - from when Allah The Most High, redeemed his son by the

great sacrifice (of an animal in his place). Ibrahim, on whom bepeace slaughtered (sacrificed) two horned rams. [Al-Bukhari andMuslim]

Sincerely repenting. One of the most important things to do dur-ing these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allah and to give up allkinds of disobedience and sin.

Repentance means coming back to Allah and foregoing all thedeeds, open and secret, that He dislikes, out of regret for what haspassed, giving it up immediately and being determined never to re-turn to it, and to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing what Allah loves.The Prophet peace be upon him said: "Verily Allah has a senseof 'Ghyrah' (honor, prestige and anger over violation), and Allah's

Story continued On Page 6



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WOMEN ISSUES

The Friday Bulletin

Why ARE so many modern British career women converting to Islam?

Tony Blairs sister-in-law announced her conversion to Islam lastweekend. Journalist Lauren Booth embraced the faith joining agrowing number of modern British career women to do so. Here,

writer EVE AHMED, who was raised as a Muslim before rejectingthe faith, explores the reasons why.

Much of my childhood was spent trying to escape Islam. Born inLondon to an English mother and a Pakistani Muslim father, I wasbrought up to follow my fathers faith without question. But, pri-vately, I hated it. The minute I left home for university at the age of18, I abandoned it altogether.

As far as I was concerned, being a Muslim meant hearing the wordNo over and over again. Girls from my background were barredfrom so many of the things my English friends took for granted.Indeed, it seemed to me that almost anything fun was haram, orforbidden, to girls like me.

There were so many random, petty rules. No whistling. No chewingof gum. No riding bikes. No watching Top Of The Pops. No wearing

make-up or clothes which revealed the shape of the body.

No eating in the street or putting my hands in my pockets. No cut-ting my hair. No asking questions or answering back.

These ground rules were imposed by my father and I, therefore,assumed they must be an integral part of being a good Muslim.Small wonder, then, that as soon as I was old enough to exert myindependence, I rejected the whole package and turned my back onIslam. After all, what modern, liberated British woman would chooseto live such a life?

Well, quite a lot, it turns out, including Islams latest surprise con-vert, Tony Blairs sister-in-law Lauren Booth. And after my ownbreak with my past, Ive followed with fascination the growing trendof Western women choosing to convert to Islam.

Broadcaster and journalist Booth, 43, who is Cherie Blair's half sis-ter says she now wears a hijab head covering whenever she leaveshome, prays five times a day and visits her local mosque when Ican.

Before her awakening, she had been sympathetic to Islam andhas spent considerable time working in Palestine. I was always im-pressed with the strength and comfort it gave, she says.

How, I wondered, could women be drawn to a religion which I felthad kept me in such a lowly, submissive place? How could theirexperiences of Islam be so very different to mine?

According to Kevin Brice from Swansea University, who has spe-cialised in studying white conversion to Islam, these women are partof an intriguing trend. He explains: They seek spirituality, a highermeaning, and tend to be deep thinkers. The other type of women

who turn to Islam are what I call converts of convenience. Theyllassume the trappings of the religion to please their Muslim husbandand his family, but wont necessarily attend mosque, pray or fast.

I spoke to a diverse selection of white Western converts in a bid tore-examine the faith I had rejected.

Women like Kristiane Backer, 43, a London-based former MTVpresenter who had led the kind of liberal Western-style life that Iyearned for as a teenager, yet who turned her back on it and em-braced Islam instead. Her reason? The anything goes permissivesociety that I coveted had proved to be a superficial void.

The turning point for Kristiane came when she met the former Pa-kistani cricketer Imran Khan in 1992 during the height of her ca-reer. He took her to Pakistan where she says she was immediatelytouched by spirituality and the warmth of the people.

Kristiane says: Though our relationship didnt last, I began to studythe Muslim faith and eventually converted. Because of the natureof my job, Id been out interviewing rock stars, travelling all overthe world and following every trend, yet Id felt empty inside. Now,at last, I had contentment because Islam had given me a purposein life.

In the West, we are stressed for superficial reasons, like whatclothes to wear. In Islam, everyone looks to a higher goal. Eve-rything is done to please God. It was a completely different value

system.'Despite my lifestyle, I felt empty inside and realised how liberat-

ing it was to be a Muslim. To follow only one God makes life purer.You are not chasing every fad. I grew up in Germany in a not veryreligious Protestant family. I drank and I partied, but I realised thatwe need to behave well now so we have a good after-life. We areresponsible for our own actions.

Lynne Ali, 31, from Dagenham in Essex, freely admits to havingbeen a typical white hard-partying teenager. She says: I wouldgo out and get drunk with friends, wear tight and revealing clothingand date boys.

I also worked part-time as a DJ, so I was really into the club scene.I used to pray a bit as a Christian, but I used God as a sort of doctor,to fix things in my life. If anyone asked, I wouldve said that, gener-

ally, I was happy living life in the fast lane.

But when she met, Zahid, at university, something dramatic hap-pened. She says: His sister started talking to me about Islam, andit was as if everything in my life fitted into place. I think, underneathit all, I must have been searching for something, and I wasnt feelingfulfilled by my hard-drinking party lifestyle.

Lynne converted aged 19. From that day, I started wearing thehijab, she explains, and I now never show my hair in public. Athome, Ill dress in normal Western clothes in front of my husband,but never out of the house.

With a recent YouGov survey concluding that more than half theBritish public believe Islam to be a negative influence that encour-ages extremism, the repression of women and inequality, one mightask why any of them would choose such a direction for themselves.Yet statistics suggest Islamic conversion is not a mere flash in thepan but a significant development. Islam is, after all, the worldsfastest growing religion, and white adopters are an important partof that story. Evidence suggests that the ratio of Western womenconverts to male could be as high as 2:1, says Kevin Brice.

Moreover, he says, often these female converts are eager to dis-Story Continues To Page 5

The Friday Bulletin

Ingredients

Kitchen

Homemade Pizza

2 cups warm water

4 cups flour

1 Tbsp. instant yeast or fast acting pizza toppings (pizza sauce,

cheese, veggies, meat)

2 Tbsp. sugar

salt to taste

In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar, yeast with the warm water. Mix for about 5 minutest. Cover with a little oil and cover with plastic wrap; put in a warm place

for an hour. Roll dough out onto a floured surface. Top with pizza sauce, cheese, and other ingredients.

Grease a baking sheet with oil and bake at 350 F for 15 - 20 minutesor until golden brown.

NOTE-To get a very thick pizza, separate the dough into 2 pieces. Fit intoa 10 inch cake pan.

Method

Share your favourite recipes with our readers. Send them to P. O. Box 100786-00100 or email:[email protected] or [email protected]



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5

The Friday Bulletin

From Page 3

sense of Ghayrah is provoked when a person does that which Allahhas made prohibited." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

It is incumbent for a Muslim (who is not making Hajj) to makeevery effort to perform the Eed Prayer wherever it is performed,and to be present for the Khutbah (sermon) and benefit.

There is much to be gained, so make the most of the opportunityafforded by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten todo good deeds, before death strikes, before one regrets his neg-ligence and failure to act, before one is asked to return to life butonly when prayers will never be answered, before death intervenesbetween the hopeful one and the things he hopes for, before one istrapped with his deeds in the grave.

The virtues of Dhul-Hijjah

play the visible signs of their faith in particular the hijab.

For some converts, Islam represents a celebration of old-fashionedfamily values. Some are drawn to the sense of belonging and ofcommunity values which have eroded in the West, says HaifaaJawad, a senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, who hasstudied the white conversion phenomenon.

Many people, from all walks of life, mourn the loss in todays soci-ety of traditional respect for the elderly and for women, for example.

These are values which are enshrined in the Quran, which Muslimshave to live by, adds Brice.

It is values like these which drew Camilla Leyland, 32, a yogateacher who lives in Cornwall, to Islam. A single mother to daugh-ter, Inaya, two, she converted in her mid-20s for intellectual andfeminist reasons. She explains: I know people will be surprised tohear the words feminism and Islam in the same breath, but infact, the teachings of the Quran give equality to women, and at thetime the religion was born, the teachings went against the grain ofa misogynistic society.

The big mistake people make is by confusing culture with religion.Yes, there are Muslim cultures which do not allow women individualfreedom, yet when I was growing up, I felt more oppressed by West-ern society. She talks of the pressure on women to act like men by

drinking and having casual sex. There was no real meaning toit all. In Islam, if you begin a relationship, that is a commitment ofintent.

Growing up in Southampton her father was the director of South-ampton Institute of Education and her mother a home economicsteacher Camillas interest in Islam began at school. She went touniversity and later took a Masters degree in Middle East Studies.But it was while living and working in Syria that she had a spiritualepiphany. Reflecting on what shed read in the Quran, she realisedshe wanted to convert.

Her decision was met with bemusement by friends and family.People found it so hard to believe that an educated, middle-classwhite woman would choose to become Muslim, she says.

Several of the women I spoke to said strict Islamic dress was some-thing they found empowering and liberating. Lynne Ali remembersthe night this hit home for her. I went to an old friends 21st birthday,she reveals. I walked in, wearing my hijab and modest clothing, andsaw how everyone else had so much flesh on display. They weredrunk, slurring their words and dancing provocatively.

For the first time, I could see my former life with an outsiders eyes,

and I knew I could never go back to that. I am so grateful I found myescape route. This is the real me I am happy to pray five timesa day and take classes at the mosque. I am no longer a slave to abroken society and its expectations.

Kristiane Backer, who has written a book on her own spiritual jour-ney, called From MTV To Mecca, believes the new breed of mod-ern, independent Muslims can band together to show the world thatIslam is not the faith I grew up in one that stamps on the rights

of women. She says: I know women born Muslims who becamedisillusioned and rebelled against it. When you dig deeper, its notthe faith they turned against, but the culture.

Many young Muslims have abandoned the fire and brimstoneversion they were born into have re-discovered a more spiritual andintellectual approach, thats free from the cultural dogmas of theolder generation. Thats how I intend to spend my life, showing theworld the beauty of the true Islam.

While I dont agree with their sentiments, I admire and respect thewomen I interviewed for this piece. They were all bright and edu-cated, and have thought long and hard before choosing to convertto Islam and now feel passionately about their adopted religion.Good luck to them. And good luck to Lauren Booth. But its that wordthat sums up the difference between their experience and mine

choice.Perhaps if I had felt in control rather than controlled, if I had felt em-

powered rather than stifled, I would still be practicing the religion Iwas born into, and would not carry the burden of guilt that I do aboutrejecting my fathers faith. (Daily Mail)

Why British career women converting to Islam?From Page 4


Sheikh Muhammad Salim Bada-

mana, a member of the Sharia

advisory council of Jamia Mosque

and lecturer at the University ofnairobi with the Turkish Minister

of Social Services Omer Dincer.

Standing In the middle is Toursim

minister Najib Balala.

The Turkish minister last week

paid a courtesy call to members

of Jamia Mosque Committee after

attending Jumua prayers at Jamia

Mosque


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TThe question of gender interaction on campus is one of greatimportance. Unfortunately, at least in many cases, it has beenhandled from one or two extremes. I remember visiting a MuslimStudent Association meeting and finding the entire MSA shut down

because, at the first meeting a brother stood up and pointed at thesisters and said, Why are they here? It is not allowable for you tobe here! On the other side of the coin I have heard of MSAs thatconduct their meetings at coffee houses. While enjoying the latestcappuccino, Fatma and Zaid are sitting together with no respect forour sacred texts and principles.

The Scope of Inter-Gender Relations

In Sura Al-Qasas we find a very interesting example of inter-gen-der relations found in the story of Sayyiduna Musa (peace be uponhim).

By taking a quick glance at these verses we can garner a numberof lessons related to Islamic work, the personality of the Islamiccaller and rules and adab for inter-gender relations:

1. The great mercy and compassion of the Prophets. Prophet Musaon him be peace felt compassion for the two women and went toassist them. It is important for the Islamic worker to have mercy andconcern for those around him.

2. The importance of obeying and serving ones parents: ProphetShuaybs daughters not only served him in his old age, but obeyedhim by carrying themselves with great fidelity and morality in his ab-sence. The same can be said for the campus. Many of us live awayfrom our parents on campus and it is important to respect them intheir absence by being pious and righteous children. It is sad tosee many university students drooling at the opportunity to escapeto the campus environment just to disobey their parents. However,the truly righteous slaves of Allah obey their parents even in theirabsence. Of course, this obedience is in the good and not the evil.

3. It is well known that both of these women were eligible for mar-riage with Prophet Musa. In fact, we know that later he marriedone of them. Thus, these verses are used to prove that interactionbetween non-marhams is permitted as long as they observe certainadab which will be explained shortly, inshaAllah.

4. Inter-gender interaction is an exception, not the rule. Meaningthat such interaction should take place only under situations whichare clear necessities.

Thus, it can be said, that the call to Islam and its propagation fallunder such a necessity. Such work, however, must be done observ-ing the following adab;

(i) Remember that any encounter involves the eyes, tongue andlimbs. However, the most important component for this encounteris the heart. Thus, before any gathering check your heart and make

sure that it is with Allah Most High, full of love for Him and in sub-mission to the Sunna of the Prophet (may peace and blessingsbe upon him). A great dua to say before such a gathering is thefollowing supplication of the Prophet (may peace and blessings beupon him): Allahumma muqallibul Qulub thabit qalbi ala deenek.O turner of the hearts! Establish my heart upon Your religion.

(ii) Lowering the gaze as everything has an entrance and one ofthe entrances to the heart is the glance.

(iii) Avoid speech or actions which could be taken as flirting. Iwas told by one of my Sheikhs that laughing and joking should beavoided between non-mahrams. For that reason Allah describedthe daughter of Shuayb, when she approached Musa, Then therecame to him one of the two women, walking shyly.

(iv) Avoid being alone as Shaytan will be the third amongst you. Try

your best to meet as a group. Private meetings amongst a brotherand sister who are non-mahram are strictly prohibited. In addition,during group meetings there should be a good amount of distancebetween brothers and sisters.

(v) Observe the correct Islamic dress code and remember to askyourself an important question. Am I making dawa to myself, orto Allah and the call of His beloved (may peace and blessings be

Gender Interaction on Campus

YOUTH AND CHILDREN

Suhaib Webbupon him)?

(vi) There is no better solution than asking. Thus, it is important torefer any specific questions or issues to local scholars as they areyour life source for survival in the campus jungle.

The Hajj


Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and it was enjoined byAllah on Muslims to be performed once during one'slifetime. This pillar is observed during the month ofDhul-Hijjah.

Building and Purifying the Ka`bah

Allah told His Prophet Ibrahim, to build the Ka`bah. TheProphet Ibrahim and his son Ismail built it in order tobe a safe and secure place to worship Allah.

After the Ka`bah was completely built, Allah told Proph-et Ibrahim to proclaim Hajj to all mankind and call themto visit the Sacred House. Prophet Ibrahim compliedwith Allah's command and called people to perform Hajj.Allah says: "And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrim-age). They will come to you on foot and on every leancamel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide)mountain highway (to perform Hajj)." [Quran 22:27]

Allah inspired the believers to respond to the call ofProphet Ibrahim saying "Labbayk Allahuma Labbayk" (Inresponse to Your call, O Allah here I come). The believ-ers from around the world went to the Sacred House ofAllah on foot and some riding their animals. Until today,people still travel to Makkah to perform Hajj using vari-ous means of transportation.

Allah enjoined Hajj only the Muslims who are financiallyand physically able to perform Hajj.

During the time of Hajj, Muslims from all over the worldgather at the same time and place to perform Hajjrituals, supplicate Allah, and ask Him for forgiveness.At the same time they come to know each other andthe differences between them, such as economic condi-tions, gender, color, and language, are all disregarded.Hajj that is properly performed has a great reward.The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "Properlyperformed Hajj will receive no reward other than Para-dise". (Ahmad)

The Benefits of Hajj

In Hajj, there are many benefits for Muslims both inthis world and the Hereafter.

As for religious benefits, when Muslims perform theHajj rituals in the best way it is a way of showing obedi-

ence and love for Allah. Hajj also purifies the pilgrimsfrom their sins. As for worldly benefits, Hajj season isan annual gathering for Muslims from all over the worldwhere they meet to consult each other and cooperate inall that is beneficial.

The Friday Bulletin


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The Friday Bulletin

Two South Africans pedal their way to Haj

FEATURE


Two young South Africanshave pedaled their way toSaudi Arabia to perform thisyears Haj. Nathim Cairn-

cross, 28, and Imtiyaz Ah-mad Haron, 25, both fromCape Town, said on arrivalin Saudi Arabia that theyfelt happy they were fulfill-ing their dream of performingHaj. Pedaling our way to theKingdom from Cape Townwas a grueling experience.We wanted to travel thisway so that we are preparedto experience the rigors ofperforming the pilgrimage,Cairncross, a town plan-ner by profession, told Arab

News.Both set out on their journeyfor the annual pilgrimage onFebruary 7 on their bicycles.They pedaled through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ma-lawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Turkey, Syria and Jordan before reachingthe Saudi border. This is our first Haj. We could have come for Hajby plane, but it was our cherished desire to travel differently, so wechose to use our bicycles, as cycling is what we both love the most,Cairncross said.Both pedaled 80 to 100 km daily and took rest in mosques or tentsafter dusk and set out again after dawn. People have been verycooperative and courteous. At every place that we passed through,they welcomed us and were happy to know that we were going for

Haj. Food was never a problem as people took delight in offeringus the choicest dishes. Of course, it was tiresome to pedal through-out the journey, especially when negotiating mountainous regions,Cairncross added.From Kenya, the duo had planned to travel to Ethiopia, Sudan andEgypt before entering Saudi Arabia but were denied Ethiopian vi-sas at the Moyale Boder post with the authorities insisting that theyshould have obtained the visas in their home country. The alterna-tive route to Somalia was abandoned due to security reasons. Theychose to fly to Turkey where they restarted their epic journey toMakkah.Language was a big problem for both of them. Once we enteredthe Arab countries, we decided to pick up Arabic, especially whiletraveling through Syria and Jordan. This suited us well when wereached the Saudi border where the security officials were very

friendly and welcomed and greeted us. They were also happy to

know that we have under-taken this arduous journeyto fulfill our Haj dream,Cairncross said. We came

with a very small budgetand we found to our delightthere were people readilyprepared to offer us the localcash and meet our needs.Both did not encounter anyserious problem on their waythrough nine countries in thecourse of their nine-month

journey. All we did was tochange tires and tubes, andfix the pedal chain from timeto time.

Asked why they chose toride bicycles, Cairncrosssaid: This gives us a lot ofopportunity to meet andinteract with different peoplein different countries. Addi-

tionally, we continued with our Dawa work wherever we stopped forour overnight stays.Both Cairncross and Haron are students of Islamic law and havestudied Shariah. I joined a university and completed a course intown planning and am working in the field of construction, Cairn-cross said.Both of them are single and love sports. While Cairncross is inter-ested in wind surfing along beaches and seas, Haron, an econom-ics graduate, excels in kickboxing and mountain climbing.

County government structures

able the counties to effectively discharge their duties and fulfill theexpectations of the people.The commissioner regretted that while other regions of the coun-try are forging ahead with county government structures, Muslimregions were concentrating on trivialities like who will be the Gov-ernor or Senator.The constitution requires parliament to establish the criteria whicha county government must meet so as to get the authority to dis-charge its functions.

He implored the people of Lamu to take advantage of the opportu-nities to be generated with the proposed sea port saying that localpeople should strive to reap its massive benefits.Kenya's devolved units are now 47 with the Coast having 6 coun-ties namely - Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Tana River andLamu. For North Eastern and Upper Eastern regions, the countiesare Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit.and Isiolo.

From Page 1

Nathim Cairncross (Right) and Imtiyaz Haron at The Friday Bulletin

offices while on their journey through Kenya


8/8

Health care plan for the

futureKenyas, and indeed Africas healthcare de-velopment is appalling. Recent statistics re-veal that while countries like Saudi Arabia,Cuba, U.S.A, Canada, Lithuania, U.K., andTurkey enjoy as much as 100% access tosanitation, only 38% of Kenyans have ac-cess to sanitation. The World Health Or-ganisation estimates that a country shouldat least have 5 hospital beds per 1,000people. Kenya has 1.7 per 1,000. Accord-

ing to Nation Master Statistics as well asthe World Health Organisation (WHO), only35% of the births in rural areas are attendedby skilled health personnel in Kenya. Only17% of births in the poorest regions like theNorth Eastern and Northern Counties areattended by skilled personnel.These statistics should exert pressure on allauthorities concerned to develop the per-sonnel, the infrastructure and the facilitiesneeded to alleviate health problems in thecountry. Of course, we are all aware thatmany of the regions affected by underdevel-opment are inhabited by Muslims. What do

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

we do about it then?The answer lies with implementing a col-lective effort that will involve all Muslims toraise the funds needed to change the statusquo. This has already started. It is knownas the One Shilling Foundation. It has taken

the responsibility of planning and develop-ing the establishment of institutions suchas hospitals, universities, colleges, andschools for the Ummah. While the newsof starting this foundation is welcome toall, the onus lies with you to fulfil your partof the obligation. You only need to donateat least a shilling per day to this collectivefund. You can also earn more Thawabs bydonating more than a shilling per day, orby introducing other Muslims to the OneShilling Foundation. Own the One ShillingFoundation by taking part in its growth. Byparticipating in the activities of the One Shil-ling Foundation you are actually participat-

ing in the growth of the Ummah of your bestfriend- the Ummah of Rasulullah salallahualayhi wa sallamContact us today, through the following ad-dress:

Contact us on the following address:One Shilling FoundationVillage Plaza,Ngara RoadP.O. Box 58717-00200, NairobiTel: 0717 613 333/ 0732 613333Email: [email protected]

VACANCY

POSITION OF LIBRARIAN

JAMIA MOSQUE COMMITTEE invites ap-

plicaons for the the posion of Librarinto based at the Shah Abdullah Memo-

rial Library

Qualificaons

Minimum degree in Library and Informa-

on Science

At least 3 years working experience

Good communicaon skills

Ability to work independently and have

strong iniave.

Please send your curriculum vitae, copiesof academic qualificaons and copies of

professional cerficates to

The Secretary GeneralJamia Mosque Commiee

Administraon Offices1st Floor Jamia Mosque Complex

P. O. Box 100786-00101

Not later than 12th November 2010

friday bulletin 392

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