friday bulletin 685

7/26/2019 Friday Bulletin 685

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Ramadhan 12,1437/June 17, 2016 Issue No. 685

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

www. jamiamasj idkenya.org

FridayBulletinThe Weekly Muslim News Update

Lobby groups to appeal againstdisputed NEP census ruling

ABOVE: Fasting Muslims gather at Ja-mia Mosque moments before the Iftar(the breaking the fast meal). At least 800

people break their fast on a daily basis atJamia Mosque.

LEFT: Hundreds of worshippers attendthe Friday prayers along Banda Streetoutside Jamia Mosque during the rstFriday of the month of Ramadhan. Dueto the overwhelming number of worship-pers, Jamia Mosque Committee is forcedto secure parking space to accommo-date the increasing number of people onFridays.

Continued To Page 2

The

Several Muslim organizations aremoving to court to challenge the rul-ing by the Court of Appeal that can-

celled the 2009 census results from eightdistricts in North Eastern.

In its ruling on May 13, the Court of Appealauthorized the disputed results to be pub-lished and gazetted and subsequently di-rected the Ministry of Planning and Kenya

Bureau of Statistics to use the projectedgures rather than actual published cen-sus gures of 2009 in respect to the then8 districts.

The disputed census results were forLagdera, Mandera East, Mandera Central,

Mandera West, Wajir East, Turkana North,Turkana South and Turkana Central districts.

National Muslim Leaders Forum (NAMLEF),Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUP-KEM) Garissa branch, Consortium for theEmpowerment and Development of Margin-alized Communities (CEDMAC) and KenyaMuslim Charitable Trust are some of the or-ganizations enjoined in the appeal against

the ruling that approved the use of the pro-jected census gures.

The county governments of Mandera, Wajir,Garissa and Turkana will also move to theSupreme Court seeking to overturn the deci-

Ramadhan at Jamia

Thirteen-year old Khansaa HusseinAhmed emerged the overall winner of thefth edition of the annual Jamia MosqueQuran memorization competition in thefemale category.

The Al Quran Al-Karim Girls student inMuthaiga took position one for her meri-torious efforts of memorizing the whole 30chapters of the Quran.

Khansaa who was the runner up in thesame category in last years competitiontook home a cash prize of Sh 80, 000.

The second position went to Sumeya Mu-hammad Abdirahman of Bashair Islamiccentre in Juja Road who received a cashprize of Sh 70,000.

Winners of Girls

Quran competitionfeted

Continued To Page 2


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The Friday Bulletin Ramadhan 12,1437/June 17, 2016

Page 2

EDITORIAL

Continued To Page 5

Continued From Page 1

In recent times, there has been an up-surge of inammatory and violent talkfrom the political class which is polariz-ing the country and fanning the embersof violence among Kenyans.

Already, the protests calling for the re-moval of Commissioners of the Inde-pendent Electoral and Boundary Com-

mission (IEBC) have set off deep rivalriesbetween the ruling Jubilee Coalition andthe opposition Cord Alliance casting adark shadow on the countrys politicalspectrum.

Violent talk and inammatory statementsare slowly but steadily building up gen-erating concerns that the next electionscould be rocked with violence on a muchbigger scale than that witnessed in 2008.

Then, more than one thousand Kenyanslost their lives in the unprecedentedpost-election violence which threatenedto split the country down the middle but

eight years down the line, it appears thatsome Kenyans are yet to learn about itsdevastating effects and would like to seea repeat of the same tragic scenario.

Organs which were created to ostensi-bly put an end to this terrible occurrence

such as the National Cohesion and Integra-tion Commission (NCIC) have done little toeffectively exercise their mandate and areessentially barking dogs which cannot bitegiving hate mongers more space to con-tinue with their vitriolic talk.

It is now a ritual practice for the politicalclass to engage in war of words which bor-

der on incitement and inaming ethnic andpolitical tensions. The long arms of the law,it appears cannot be able to reach out tothese seeming powerful mortals while thecourts have been disappointing in the dis-pensation of justice when it comes to theseuntouchable politicians.

Perhaps Kenyan stands out as the onlycountry in the world where a leader canmarshal a panga wielding mob and leadthem in making dangerous threats againstthose seen to be enemies yet no mean-ingful action from the authorities is taken torein in such inammatory and dangerous

lose tongue.While it is commendable that the authori-ties have nally taken some steps to coun-ter these dangerous outbursts by ensuringthat politicians engaging in inammatorytalk are arrested and detained, this action

Govt should curb the growing ethnic ame

Winners of Jamia Quran competition feted

was largely driven by public outrage andthis is why Kenyans remain pessimisticabout the move.

The wounds aficted by the post-electionviolence are yet to heal and to this day,many Kenyans are homeless starring at ableak future. More so, the scars of the eth-nic and political clashes of 1992 and 1997

where thousands of people were killed inRift Valley, Central and Coast regions are areminder on the gruesome results of politi-cally charged inammatory talk.

The government must take more drasticand meaningful actions to give assuranceto Kenyans that those fanning animosityand intolerance have no place as free peo-ple in Kenya no matter which position theyhold or to whom there are close to.

More importantly, Kenyans need to under-stand that while they can be used to gangup to kill and maim each other to appeasetheir tribal and political henchmen, the

people they ght for while in public appearto be ery enemies, in many cases they arebedfellows when its suits them politically. Alook at the recent history of politics in thiscountry will conrm that todays bitter politi-cal enemies could well be tomorrows coa-lition leaders.

Appeal on disputedNEP census

sion that cancelled their 2009 censusgures.

Speaking to The Friday Bulletin onWednesday NAMLEF Chairman Abdul-lahi Abdi said the estimated gures willaffect the nancial revenue allocationsof the four counties noting that their al-locations will be splashed by half.

Abdullahi accused the national govern-ment of ghting to reduce the regionsrevenue allocations saying it is a ployto carry on with the continued margin-alization of North Eastern region by thegovernment. This is a deliberate moveby the government to deny the peopleof North Kenya the devolution resourc-

es that they rightfully deserve, he said.

In February 2012, the then Minister forPlanning Wycliffe Oparanya tabled arevised post census gures in Parlia-ment showing that the gures in the 8sub counties were inated in the 2009population count.

The 2009 census gures read that the8 sub-counties had a total populationof 2.35 million but Oparanyas guresplace the gures at at 1.3 million peo-ple. The state argued that then 8 subcounties had registered abnormal pop-ulation growth.

It is this action that infuriated the arealeaders who then moved to the HighCourt arguing that the minister had nopowers to alter the census results andthe High Court ruled in their favour.

The acting Saudi Arabian ambassador Abdallah bin Masoud presentsa certicate to Khansaa Hussein Ahmed who emerged the overallwinner of the Qura'n Memorization competition

Maryam Abdullahi Ahmed from Madra-satul Zeid Bin Al Kattab in CaliforniaEastleigh emerged third position and wasawarded with a cash prize of Sh 60,000.

Both Khansaa and Sumeya will competewith contestant from other parts of thecountry in the East African Quran memori-zation competition to be held in Mombasa

on June 19 at the Baluchi Hall Makadara.The 15 chapter category was won by Bal-qis Yahya Mwanjala, Farhia Guuled Abdul-lahi and Asma Farah Mire. The three girlswere awarded cash prizes of Sh40,000,Sh35,000 and Sh30,000 respectively.

It was a close contest in the 10 chapter

category with only0.11 mark separat-ing the competi-tors. Hafsa Jumale

Yusuf, HamdiSaid Muhammadand Fardowsa Ji-bril Muhammadtook the winnersprize in this cat-egory. They eachtook home a cashprize of Sh27, 000,Sh23, 000 andSh20, 000 respec-tively.

First position in theve chapter cat-

egory went to Am-ina Mamo Alamowho was closelyfollowed by Sabi-rina Hassan Abdi.Bahja Muhammad

Uthugow took position three. The girls tookhome cash prizes of Sh13, 500, Sh11, 500 andSh10, 000 respectively.

The two-day competition held over the week-end at Jamia Mosque attracted 57 participantsdrawn from 26 different Madrasah institutionsfrom Nairobi and its environs, the highest num-ber since its inception in 2012.

The boys event begins today and closes onSunday with the awards ceremony taking placeat the mosque.

The annual competition is sponsored by theSaudi Arabian Cultural Attach and AfricanMuslims Agency in conjunction with JamiaMosque Committee.



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The Friday Bulletin

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DA'WAH Ramadhan 12,1437/June 17, 2016

Ramadhan holds different meaning fordifferent people. For some, it is a feast inthe evening hours and diet control in themorning hours. For others, it might be anexcellent season for family reunions. In the

Asian countries, some people tend to fo-cus more on food and lavish iftaar partiesin this month while others spend the night

playing cricket and are asleep throughoutthe day.This happens when people culturally fol-low the rules and regulations of Ramadhanwithout knowing the immense blessingsand virtues this month carries. When weexplore and cruise through the authen-tic texts from the Quran and the Sunnah,we get to know what Ramadhan is reallyabout. This can help us get motivated, pre-venting us from spending the month in amechanical way. Rather, we will cherishevery minute of this blessed month andtaste the sweetness of faith.If you want to have a different Ramadhan

this time, way better than your previousones, and feel an immense spiritual rush,this article is for you.What exactly is this month of Ramadhanand how is it signicant?Lets begin Ramadhan is the month of Allahs mercyand blessings, a month to keep the obliga-tory fasting and a training session for Mus-lims to increase their taqwa levels.How is it a Mercy?There has come to you Ramadhan, ablessed month which Allah has enjoinedyou to fast, during which the gates ofheaven are opened and the gates of Hellare closed, and the rebellious devils arechained up. In it there is a night which isbetter than a thousand months, and who-ever is deprived of its goodness is indeeddeprived. (Ahmad)How does this month help us in spiritu-ally getting closer to Allah?In one word: Fasting.

Allah has made the purpose of fastingcrystal clear in His Book: O you who havebelieved, decreed upon you is fasting as itwas decreed upon those before you thatyou may become righteous. (Al Baqarah,2: 183)

And when we fast with this aim in mind, wecome out feeling spiritually rejuvenated,and this feeling is wonderful! Fasting isan absolutely unique spiritual experience.It is an act of worship that testies to oursubmission to Allah; we cant go on withoutwater or food normally, but for Allah wecan, a thousand times over!Fasting helps us develop a strong per-sonality and character. Not giving in to thetemptation of having a sip of cold waterwhen no one is around really says volumesabout a persons self control. It instills othergreat qualities in us such as patience, will-power and determination, which we needin our lives.

Fasting helps us in achieving just that. Italso instills humility in us by giving us afeeling of deprivation which the afuentones normally never face. We learn that lifeisnt always perfect and this leads us to de-veloping another important characteristic:generosity. We learn to give because we

learn exactly how it feels to have nothing.What are some things I can focus on tofeel the sweetness of this month andreap its exclusive rewards?Remember every tip given here and makesure you implement as much as you can.1. Fast each day with this beautiful hadithin mind: Whoever fasts Ramadhan out of

faith and in the hope of reward, his previ-ous sins will be forgiven. (Bukhari)2. Pray every night with this hadith echoingevery now and then in your head: Narratedfrom Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said:Whoever spends the nights of Ramadhanin prayer out of faith and in the hope of re-ward, his previous sins will be forgiven.(Muslim)

And, Whoever prays qiyaam with the imamuntil he nishes, it will be recorded for himthat he spent the whole night in prayer.3. Break your fast and offer iftaar to others:Whoever gives iftaar to one who is fastingwill have a reward like his, without that de-

tracting from the fasting persons reward inthe slightest. (Tirmidhi)4. Make dua and pour your heart outThe combination of Ramadhan plus thelast third of the night makes it a super awe-some time for acceptance of our duas.Thats the time when Allah descends to be-stow His bounty upon His slaves, to meettheir needs and to relieve their distress. Atthis time of the night, He says, Who willcall upon Me, that I may answer Him? Whowill ask of Me, that I may give him? Whowill seek My forgiveness, that I may forgivehim? (Bukhari)Make dua when breaking your fast and

try not to waste those priceless momentsadmiring your food. You can save that forlater. At every breaking of the fast, Allahhas people whom He redeems.The night which can change our lives alsocomes in Ramadhan, which makes it allmore special! Verily, We have sent it (thisQuran) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (De-cree). And what will make you know whatthe Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? The Nightof Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thou-sand months (i.e. worshiping Allah in thatnight is better than worshiping Him a thou-sand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).Therein descend the angels and the Rooh

[Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allahs Permissionwith all Decrees, (All that night), there ispeace (and goodness from Allah to Hisbelieving slaves) until the appearance ofdawn (Al-Qadar 97:1-5 )

And Whoever spends Laylat al-Qadr inprayer out of faith and in the hope of re-ward, will be forgiven his previous sins.(Bukhari and Muslim)This is the night when prayers are an-swered and we dont want to miss it!Exclusive virtues for those who getthese opportunities:1. The Prophet peace be upon him said,When Ramadhan comes, go for Umrah,

for Umrah in Ramadhan is equivalent toHajj. According to a report narrated byMuslim, is equivalent to doing Hajj withme. (Muslim)2. It was narrated in the hadeeth that theProphet peace be upon him used to spendthe last ten days of Ramadhan in itikaaf

Virtues and blessing of Ramadhanuntil he passed away, then his wives ob-served itikaaf after him. (Bukhari andMuslim)3. Narrated from Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaarimay Allahs mercy be upon him: Whoeverfasts Ramadhan then follows it with sixdays of Shawwaal, it will be like fasting fora lifetime. (Muslim)

4. This is the month which gives maximumrewards to the believers in terms of theirefforts. Its as if their wages have been in-creased. When a Muslim sells himself tothe Highest Bidder (the Allah Almighty) inthis month, the chances of going to Par-adise are intensied. So go for it! Whoknows if we can enjoy and reap the fruits ofnext Ramadhan.From the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah may

Allahs mercy be upon him who said thatthe Messenger of Allah peace be upon himsaid: When Ramadhan comes, the gatesof Paradise are opened and the gates ofHell are closed, and the devils are chained

up. (Bukhari)So make sure you make the most of thisblessed month in shaa Allah.

Fareed Ahmad

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The Friday Bulletin

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WOMEN Ramadhan 12,1437/June 17, 2016

A busy mums guide to combatting fatigue during RamadhanTasnim Nazeer

As we embark on the enlightening monthof Ramadhan, many mothers (includingmyself) often contemplate the best way toprepare ourselves so we can avoid chal-lenges that may hinder our productivityduring Ramadhan. Fatigue during Ramad-han can often occur during or after fasting

and you may nd that the tasks during theday need to be prioritized in order for youto have time to take a break and rest.

How can a busy mum that has busy kidscombat fatigue during this blessed monthutilize her time (and nd the energy) to re-ally focus on achieving Allahs blessings?Do you feel that you want to earn rewards,but are too shattered at the end of the dayto spend time focusing on what is reallyimportant during Ramadhan? These tipsmay help you nd energy and avoid feel-ing fatigue.

It is important to remember why we are

fasting and whom we are fasting for. Withthis in mind, we will derive the motivationto combat fatigue and please Allah to earncountless rewards that can be achievedduring this very special month.

Top Tips to Combat Fatigue

1. Make sure you eat your Suhoor

As busy mums we tend to get preoccupiedworrying about the kids, and there may betimes when we do not realize that we actu-ally do not eat our Suhoor properly. Somemothers do not even eat anything beforefasting and do not realize that having thepre-dawn meal before fasting is Sunnah

and is recommended by our holy Prophetpeace be upon him. Just as breakfast isthe most important meal of the day, Suhooris there so that you have fuel and energy toget through the day while fasting.

The Prophet peace be upon him is report-ed to have said as narrated by Anas binMalik, Take Suhoor as there is a blessingin it [Sahih Bukhari]. Not only are thereblessings in eating the pre-dawn meal, italso helps prevent fatigue and exhaustion,and lessens feelings of thirst.

2. Renew your wudhu

If you start feeling fatigue while fasting, you

may nd it benecial to renew your wudhu:this can help you feel refreshed, keep fo-cused, and utilize your time in prayer andthe remembrance of Allah. Wudhu not onlyhas physical benets, but also has a spir-itually calming affect that helps drive awaythe feeling of fatigue.

3. Slow down and take breaks

Days during Ramadhan can often be hectic with preparing iftar, suhoor, looking afterthe kids and the likes, it is important to slowdown. Dont try to cram everything in all atonce take a deep breath and rest for awhile! This doesnt mean that you need

to sleep for hours on end, but it may beworthwhile having a nap as you will inevita-bly feel more tired when sleeping patternschange during Ramadhan.

4. Make dhikr

Making dhikr as much as you can just bysaying Alhamdulillah, Subhanallah and soforth can really help cure tiredness andhelp you stay focused and alert. Dhikrhelps keep the remembrance of Allah inyour heart, and there are countless bless-ings associated with making dhikr. Dhikralso helps if we are suffering even fromhousework fatigue, as narrated by Ali: Fa-

tima complained of what she suffered fromthe hand mill and from grinding, when shegot the news that some slave girls of thebooty had been brought to Allahs Apostle.She went to him to ask for a maid-servant,but she could not nd him, and told `Aishaof her need. When the Prophet came, Ai-sha informed him of that.

The Prophet came to our house whenwe had gone to our beds. (On seeing theProphet) we were going to get up, but hesaid, Keep at your places, I felt the cool-ness of the Prophets feet on my chest.Then he said, Shall I tell you a thing which

is better than what you asked me for?When you go to your beds, say: Allahu Ak-bar (i.e. Allah is Greater) for 34 times, and

Al hamdu Li llah (i .e. all the praises are forAllah) for 33 times, and Subhan Allah (i.e.Gloried be Allah) for 33 times. This is bet-ter for you than what you have requested[Sahih Bukhari].

5. Draw Inspiration from the Prophet:

Our holy Prophet peace be upon himtaught us the importance of not overdoingthings as well as making sure that we canperform ibadah properly and actively, if weare able to.

It was narrated by Anas bin Malik May Al-lahs peace be upon him: Once the Proph-et peace be upon him entered the masjidand saw a rope hanging in between itstwo pillars. He said, What is this rope?The people said, This rope is for Zainabwho, when she feels tired, holds it (to keep

standing for the prayer). The Prophet said,Dont use it. Remove the rope. You shouldpray as long as you feel active, and whenyou get tired, sit down [Sahih Bukhari].

On another account the Prophet peacebe upon him showed us his understandingregarding tiredness of the body when fast-

ing as it was narrated by Abdullah bin Amrbin Al-As may Allahs peace be upon him:The Prophet said to me, You fast daily allthe year and pray every night all the night?I replied in the afrmative.

The Prophet said, If you keep on doingthis, your eyes will become weak and yourbody will get tired. He who fasts all the yearis as he who did not fast at all. The fastingof three days (a month) will be equal to thetasting of the whole year. I replied, I havethe power for more than this.

The Prophet said, Then fast like the fast-ing of Dawud who used to fast on alter-

nate days and would never ee from thebattle eld, on meeting the enemy [SahihBukhari].

Final thoughts

Drawing from the guidance our NobleProphet peace be upon him has given usabout tiredness during fasting, we can seethat there are many ways which we cancombat fatigue and regain energy to com-plete our tasks during the day efciently,and with motivation. May Allah make iteasy for all mothers and families during thisblessed month of Ramadhan I hope thatthese tips will be benecial in making this

Ramadhan a truly productive one.

Ayah of the week Hadith of the week Quote of the week

The Messenger of Al-And when My serv-

lah (saw) said:"... whoeverfasts during Ramadan outof sincere faith and hoping

to aain Allah's rewards,then all his past sins will beforgiven." (Imam Bukhari).

ants ask you, [O Muham-

mad], concerning Me - in-

deed I am near. I respond to

the invocaon of the sup-plicant when he calls upon

Me. So let them respond to

Me [by obedience] and be-

lieve in Me that they may be

guided.(Al-Baqara :186)

Fasng is not

merely abandoning

food, drink and desires.

However, coupled with

that is abstaining from

everything that Allah

has made haram

Sheikh Salih al Fawzan

3 cups rice

2 lbs beef, boiled in water with salt, ginger

and garlic paste

1 tbsp curry powder

Turmeric powder

Salt

A third cup oil

1 cup peas 1 cup corn

Different coloured bell peppers.. diced

Cumin powder

1 diced onion

Chopped coriander

The Friday BullenKitchen

Veggie and Beef Fried Rice

Method:

1. In a pot, add the oil and cook the onions until

soft.

2. Next add the vegetables and mix well.

3. Now add the spices and mix well.

4.Then add the meat with the broth and let it

boil.

5. Once it comes to a boil, add the rice and

cook until the rice is 50 percent done. Remove from the stove, if there is any excess

liquid gently drain it away other wise bake

the rice in the oven until well cooked.

Serve with your favourite pickles.

Enjoy!!


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The Friday Bulletin

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YOUTH Ramadhan 12,1437/June 17, 2016

A good friend is someone who benetsyou, who is good to you, treats you welland, indeed, treats you. A good friendbestows gifts upon you and shields youfrom harm and creates circumstancesfor you to better yourself in different as-pects of your life.

What greater friend is there then than theholy month of Ramadhan in the IslamicCalendar. For when it arrives, it bringsnothing but goodness upon goodness."When Ramadhan arrives, the gates ofParadise are opened, the gates of Hellare closed and the devils are chained."(Bukhari, Muslim)

It seems as though the previous monthlast year has not even just gone by andthis year's Ramadhan has already ar-rived. By the grace of Allahu azza wa jallit has arrived and we now need to getinto a more proactive state of mind in or-der to reap maximum benet from this

month. The two main acts of worship inthis month are the fasting as Allah hasprescribed to us in Surat al-Baqarah ofthe Noble Qur'an and the tarawih prayerthat is performed every night of themonth.

This month is a month where we askfor Allah's mercy, His forgiveness of oursins and for admittance into al-Jannah.We must, as we approach Ramadhan,begin to take stock of where we are interms of Deen, how much we practice,how much we know, how much we af-fect others and whether generally thereis barakah in our life and His signs or

not. For at whatever stage we may be at,Ramadhan is an opportunity to give ouriman and taqwa a big boost.

To attain taqwa, or Allah-consciousness,is the primary reason why we fast so thatis the rst thing that we need to keep inmind when we make our intention for thecoming fasts. Not that so we get an ideaof how hungry people feel, not so thatwe lose some weight but for taqwa. Oneof the results that fasting achieves is thatyou are constantly aware during the dayof Allah seeing you which is why a Mus-lim never breaks a fast intentionally. The

aim of fasting is to prolong that state ofmind throughout the year.

The tarawih is another important part ofthe process of Ramadhan, of constantdhikr, remembrance, devotion and wor-ship even though it is not obligatory. IfIphone are a trademark of Apple, thenthe trademark of Ramadhan Sharif isthe Noble Qur'an. "The month of Rama-dhan is the month in which the Qur'anwas sent down." (Al-Baqarah: 185)

Indeed the month of Ramadhan is themonth of the Qur'an and it is well advisa-ble for a Muslim to strengthen his or herrelationship with the Qur'an especiallyin this blessed month. The Qur'an is theroot of our Deen, from where everythingcomes from, it's recitation food for allsouls for all time, the guidance thereina light for mankind. Start reciting someQur'an every day, practice your recita-

tion and aim to nish one recitation of Qur'anyourself in the coming month. Be diligentand disciplined with regards to the tarawihprayer; do not miss one night of prayer if youcan help it. This special occasion comes butonce a year, as a Divine Gift so do not missout on it. Make a habit now of going to themosque to pray salah in jamaat wherever

and whenever possible.Finally, the last part of Ramadhan: the lastten days incorporating the night of poweror laylat al-qadr. These ten days are daysin which some people make intention to doand do I'tikaf or 'retreat' in a Masjid. If oneis able to take time out from one's commit-ments then this is a very benecial spiritualexercise for one's spirituality as it takes a lotof discipline and comprises much devotion.Lastly on the subject of laylat al-qadr, many

Welcoming a good friend


masaajid hold a big event on the 27th nightof Ramadhan claiming that that is the nightof power. It may be or it may not be, eventhough there are narrations to that effect.

However, I conclude with the Prophetic ad-vice: "Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the odd num-bered nights, among the last ten of Ramad-han." (Bukhari)

Try to worship as much as you can, try todo tilaawah as much as you can, try to givein charity as much as you can, try to do asmany good deeds for Allah, to people andfor your own progression, do not forget theZakat al-Fitr and remember to revise themethod of praying the salah of Eid al-Fitr.May Allah make this a benecial month forall Muslims and may we exit it better thanwhen we entered it.

Boat ambulance to ease maternal health services in Lamu

Muhammad Tauseef Tariq

A recently launched boat ambulance ser-vice in Lamu County is expected to providemuch needed relief to the residents in ac-cessing medical care.

The speed boats, Al Khair 1 and Al Khair 2will be based at Pate and Ndau Islands andwill be used to ferry urgent referrals, par-ticularly maternal health cases from neigh-bouring islands to the King Fahd Hospital,the main referral facility hospital on LamuIsland.

The boats worth Sh7 million were donated

by a UK based charity organsiation Al KhairFoundation and handed over to the LamuCounty governor Issa Timamy at a cere-mony held recently in Lamu. The boats areequipped with stretchers, oxygen, safety

jackets, storage compartment for medical

equipment, antenna and radio calls amongother facillities.

While there are specially designed for mater-nal services, they will also be used for otheremergency services. This is our contributionto the people of Lamu who face a lot of chal-lenges in accessing emergency medical caredue to the transportation problems, said the

Al Khair Foundation country director Muham-mad Tariq Harunany.

The boats will make it easy for patients tobe taken to hospital and will go a long way

in reducing the maternal and infant mortalityrates in the county, he said.

He added that Al Khair Foundation will con-tinue to partner with the Lamu county govern-ment in the health sector and other areas touplift the living standards of Lamu residents.

In its ve-bench judgment, the Court of Ap-peal ruled that the High Court erred as itsorders denied policy makers and govern-ment crucial information for planning pur-poses and that the lower court was not jus-tied to stop the government from using theprojected gures when necessary.

Accordingly, we allow the appeal to theextent of setting aside the order prohibit-

ing from publishing, issuing, or gazettingprojected results of Lagdera, Mandera East,Mandera Central, Mandera West, Wajir East,

Turkana North, Turkana South and TurkanaCentral districts, or from circulating to anyother organ of the Government, Constitution-al Commission, ofces or non-governmentalorganisations, any other gures other thanthe published 2009 population and HousingCensus Results, the court ruled.

Appeal on disputed NEP census

One of the donated speed boat ambulance, Al Khair 2


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The Friday Bulletin HEALTH Ramadhan 12,1437/June 17, 2016

During Ramadhan, apart from worship andconcerns of how to spiritually improve one-self, a lot of people get preoccupied withwhat they will cook or prepare for iftar andsuhoor for thirty straight days. The numer-ous shopping trips start a week or two be-fore Ramadhan. During the rst few days ofRamadhan, some people prepare the mostlavish meals without thinking about how itwill affect them later on, especially whenthey need to stand up for long taraweehprayers.In this article, we will discuss Ramadhansnumerous physiological and lifestyle-changing benets and how you can stay twhile fasting. Intend that this Ramadhan ofyours will not be another food festival butone that you will use to get your tness andweight back on track, in sha Allah!Prioritize ibadah, not cookingMany people view Ramadhan as a monthto prepare the best meals, since not eat-ing all day should be rewarded with excep-

tional evening meals. However, Ramadhanis an annual opportunity to wipe away oursins, change our life styles and get closerto Allah, so when it is over we stay on theright track and continue the good deedsand habits we developed during Ramad-han.Whether it is Ramadhan or not, my foodconcerns are the same. We fast for thesake of Allah, so personally it is not impor-tant for me to reward myself with excesshours in the kitchen, when my true rewardsare already written down with Allah. There-fore, since I primarily focus on enhancingmyself spiritually, my food consumption is

the same as any other day throughout theyear.Know the importance of eating rightThough I do not focus much on food con-sumption during iftar, I know it is crucial tohave a proper diet. Most of us have differ-ent schedules during Ramadhan, whetherdue to work or school. For those of us whocannot stay up all night, we need propersleep along with proper food intake to allowus to fast and last the following day.With the change in eating routines andhabits, we may be oblivious to the fact thatwe could be putting on weight. We do nothave the time to workout, nor do we focus

on clean eating. It is Ramadhan of course,so we have the belief that indulging ingreasy foods for iftar/ suhoor will give usenergy throughout the day.The whole idea that greasy foods give usmore energy is incorrect. In fact, heavygreasy meals make you feel fatigued fast-er when standing for long prayers. Crashrates with greasy fatty foods are higherthan clean foods. Simply look for the rightfoods.What are the right foods?The right foods will always be earth-growngreens that are natures cure and answerto most diseases and illnesses out there.

You should stock up your fridge and pan-tries with fruits for Ramadhan rather thanfatty, fried and junk food.How fasting boosts health and tnessRamadhan is an excellent time to start yourphysical tness journey while you are on aspiritual journey to get closer to Allah. Fast-

Fasting and healthZarah Chodhry

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ing has numerous physiological benetsand supports weight loss by giving you achance to re-assess your meals and im-prove your eating patterns.Heres the timeless hadith of our Prophetpeace be upon him regarding healthy eat-ing habits: A human being lls no worsevessel than his stomach. It is sufcient

for a human being to eat a few mouthfulsto keep his spine straight. But if he must(ll it), then one third of food, one third fordrink and one third for air. [Ibn Majah]Portion control was suggested more than1400 years ago by our beloved Prophetpeace be upon him, long before the weightloss craze began. If we truly follow thisgolden advice from our Prophet peace beupon him we will not be eating mindlesslyand lling our stomach until it is full, whichwill inevitably lead to weight gain, lazinessand lethargy.For those who binge all day or cannot con-trol binge eating disorders, fasting helps

you increase your self-control and over-come your food addiction because it forcesyou to eat only when it is allowed. There-fore, your body gets accustomed to thisnew change after a few days. Naturally,fasting helps you nd and adopt a patternthat is healthier to stick to afterwards, Insha Allah.Intermittent fasting aids weight lossFasting can be a safe way to lose weightas many studies have shown that inter-mittent fasting fasting that is controlledwithin a set number of hours allows thebody to burn fat cells more effectively than

just regular diet ing.

So after a day of fasting, it will be moreeffective if you exercise for at least 30 min-utes, with a particular focus on cardio. Youwill be burning more body fat during fastingdays versus non-fasting days, because in-termittent fasting allows the body to use fatas its primary source of energy, instead ofsugar. Now even many athletes use fast-ing as a means to hit low body fat percent-ages for competitions.Fasting is not starvationSome people are under the impressionthat fasting starves the body and henceyou go into starvation mode. That is nottrue. Fasting is not starvation. It is simply

not eating or drinking for a period of time,not continuously for days on end withoutbasic nutrients.Martin Berkhan, a nutritional consultantand personal trainer, stated the follow-ing in his article regarding fasting and itsmyths: Starvation literally means starva-tion. It doesnt mean skipping a meal ornot eating for 24 hours. Or not eating forthree days even. The belief that meal skip-ping or short-term fasting causes starva-tion mode is so completely ridiculous andabsurd.Fasting is a natural detoxHave you noticed that during Ramadhan

our bodies feel more rested? It is becausefasting gives your digestive system a rest,and this can energize your metabolism toburn through calories more efciently. Ifyour digestion is poor, this can affect yourability to metabolize food and burn fat.Fasting can regulate your digestion and

promote healthy bowel function, thus im-proving your metabolic function. Accordingto some researchers, not eating anythingfor just one day has shown to help the bodyclean up the toxins and regulate the func-tioning of other organs of the body includ-ing liver and kidneys, health expert, NathanHewitt, mentioned in one of his articles.

Although fasting has numerous benetsthat have been established scientically,it should not be a permanent solution toweight loss since the initial appealing fac-tor of fasting and experiencing weight lossis quick uid loss, not substantial weightloss. If it was easy, it would come back justas quick when we go back into our normalroutines. So just keep that in mind: fastinghelps you.

US Muslim theologian Yasir Qadhi hassaid that Muslims do not need to apologisefor the Orlando gay night club attacks dur-ing which gunman Omar Mateen killed 50people.

In a Facebook post Qadhi asked why hemust issue an apology for something per-petrated by a mentally unstable personsimply because his name was Omar?

Barely 36 hours after one of the mostpositive exposures to Islam and Muslimsin America, via the funeral of Muhammad

Ali, it appears all of that good will be wiped

away by a senseless act of violence, per-petrated by a nobody who happens tohave a Muslim name.

Such is the problem of being a minorityunder pressure: the actions of one becomelinked to all. Last I checked, Caucasianmale mass-shooters (which is the default)do not represent all of white America. Mex-ican gangsters dont represent all Latinos.

African American criminals are not repre-sentative of the entire African Americanpopulation. So why must I issue an apol-ogy for something perpetrated by a men-tally unstable person simply because his

name is Omar?Im not trying to be callous with regards tothe deaths in Orlando any and all loss ofhuman life in such a manner is a tragedy,and no religion or law or moral code wouldapprove such an act.

I merely wish to point out that it seems un-fair that the actions of one are extrapolatedto represent all ONLY when the perpetra-tor is Muslim. We never have all churchesissue condemnations when a Christian fa-natic murders an abortion doctor. So whymust we as a community somehow col-lectively own up the crimes caused by a

lone, deranged person?If you want a condemnation, I condemnevery unjust killing equally, regardlessof the religion, race or nationality of theshooter. But Im afraid I will not be issuingan apology, as I have nothing to apologizefor.

Yasir Qadhi: I will notapologise for Orlando

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The Friday Bulletin RAMADHAN Ramadhan 12,1437/June 17, 2016

Ramadhan is the month of change. Thewhole universe changes in Ramadhan.

Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu anha reportedthat the Prophet peace be upon said: Theblessed month has come to you! Allah hasmade fasting obligatory upon you dur-ing it. During it, the gates to Paradise are

opened, the gates of Hellre are locked,and the devils are chained. Thereis a night [during this month] whichis better than a thousand months.Whoever is deprived of its goodis really deprived [of somethinggreat]. (Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and al-Bayhaqi)

This month has been a time forgreat worldly changes throughout history.During the month of Ramadhan, ProphetMusa [alayhi] passed away as mentionedby Al-Hasan ibn Ali radhiallahu anhu.During Ramadhan, Isa was raised to the

heavens, as reported by al-Hakim, andin Ramadhan, the Qur'an was revealed.The month of Ramadhan in which was re-vealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankindand clear proofs for the guidance and thecriterion (between right and wrong.) Al-Baqarah 2:185

During the life of the Prophet salallahualayhi wa sallam, Ramadhan was the hostfor the occurrence of important historicalevents and for great people to rise or passon. In it, great relief came and great victorywas achieved which changed the course oflife for the Muslims of that time. The death

of his beloved wife Khadijah radhiallahuanhu on the 10th of Ramadhan impactedhim personally.

The great victory at the decisive Battle ofBadr in 2 AH happened on the 17th of Ram-adhan, and it witnessed the death of theheads of the Mushrikin of Quraysh, suchas Abu Jahl. The digging of the Trencharound Madinah took place in Ramadhanof year 5 AH.

On the 8th of Ramadhan, another crucialevent took place. Makkah was conquered,which marked the ending of shirk in the

Arabian Peninsula and the purication of

Al-Ka'bah from the idols. Over 360 idolsaround Al-Ka'bah were destroyed by Ra-sul Allah peace be upon him and his com-panions. On the 25th of Ramadhan ofthat year, the Uzza idol, which was thegreatest idol the Arabs had ever knownwas destroyed at the hands of Khalid ibnal-Waleed. Following that, the Laat idol ofThaqeef was demolished by the hands of

Abu Sufyan, Khalid and al-Mughirah. Notlong before that, those men had beenghting to protect those very idols as theyused to worship them, but now everythinghad changed.

In the Ramadhan of the 9th year of Hijrah,

the Prophet peace be upon him returnedvictorious from Tabook after he regainedcontrol of the area and let the Romans andthe Persians know that there was a newyoung nation in Arabia that would onlygrow and not be intimidated. Also during

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Ramadhan: A month of historical and spiritual change

that blessed month of that year, the tribeof Thaqeef came around after 20 years ofenmity and rejection of Islam and acceptedthe faith. The kings of Himyar in Yemencame to the Prophet peace be upon him todeclare that the time of change had come,and they embraced Islam.

Six months after the death of the Prophet

peace be upon him, his most beloved childand the one that resembled him the most,Fatimah radhiallahu anha, also passedaway.

Ramadhan continued to be the month of

change and great events over the years, ablessed month for the Muslim nation. Dur-ing the year 13 AH in Ramadhan, Al-Muth-anna Ibn Harithah and his army won themost important battle for Muslims in Iraqknown as Al-Buwaib, and it was the gate-way to opening the land of Iraq as well asthe downfall of the Persian Empire.

Sudan and the south of Egypt had becomeMuslim lands of freedom and justice afterthe Muslims' army led by Abdullah Ibn Abi

As-Sarh arrived there in the Ramadhan ofthe year 31 AH. The death of Ali Ibn AbiTalib at the hands of the Khawarij marked

a change in the way the Khilafah would bedetermined. This tragic event, which high-lighted the extreme dangers of innovation,took place on a Friday at Fajr time in AlKufah (present-day Iraq) during the 17th ofRamadhan of the year 40 AH.

Then we have the legacy of the Mother ofthe Believers, Aisha. She paved the wayfor women by being a positive exampleto emulate as well as what stances theyshould take to help develop the society.She passed away in the Ramadhan of theyear 58 AH. She inspired women for overthe centuries to learn, teach and lead. Ai-sha's (radhiallahu anha) life remains an

unprecedented and enduring example forthe world.

The 28th of Ramadhan year 91 AH broughtforth the Muslims entering Al-Andalus withtwelve thousand soldiers led by Tariq ibnZiyad, who managed to defeat one-hun-dred thousand soldiers from the Spaniards.They then allowed thousands to enter Is-lam and for years to come the Islamic civi-lization in Spain was a beacon of diversity,tolerance, advancement in human thoughtand scientic discovery.

As things were changing in the West, agreat change also happened in the East in

the year 92 AH on the 6th of Ramadhan.Muammad ibn Al-Qasim landed in Al-Sindh (Pakistan today), and the great landof India turned towards becoming a Muslimland and it witnessed the establishment ofmany great dynasties and Islamic civiliza-

tions.

In the year 95 AH during Ramadhan, Al-Hasan Al-Basri made Sujood Al-Shukr(prostration of Thanks) when the newscame of Al-Hajjaj's death, marking the endof a dark era lled with injustice and thekilling of many innocent people.

The Roman king of 'Ammuryah, killed manyMuslim men, sent their earsand noses to nearby Muslimcities with orders to submit tohis rule. Not only that, he hadthousands of Muslim womenenslaved and raped. No onedared to attack his castle dueto its known strategic position

and its long, impregnable walls. However,that came to change in the 6th of Ramad -han of the year 223 AH by the hand of the'Abbasi Khalifa, Al-Mu'tasim, who eradi-cated those walls and freed the prisoners.

Later, the Muslim nation suffered manydefeats at the hand of the Mongols. Geng-his Khan and his soldiers, spread fearand terror in the hearts of all they threat-ened. The situation was so dire that noone was willing to ght and instead theywillingly offer themselves to be martyred.This humiliation and status of fear changedduring the 15th of Ramadhan in the year658 AH, when Prince Qutuz defeated theMongols for the rst time in the battle of'Ayn Jaloot. A second defeat was servedto the Mongols that took place on the 5thof Ramadhan in the year 702 AH after the

battle of Shaqhab which lasted for 3 daysand ended with a glorious victory for theMuslims. King Al-Naser came back carry-ing the news to his people and the rest ofthe world that the Mongols had been killed,defeated and on the run.

Ramadhan in 1973 brought forth the rsttime that Egyptian forces defeated Israel'smilitary in battle and thus changed the per-ception across the Arab world that the Is-raeli army was not invincible. The eventsof this war paved the way for the subse-quent peace process, returned the Sinai toEgypt and brought all sides of the conictto direct, public peace negotiations the rst

time since 1948.

Sh. Waleed Basyouni

Ummah Foundation is sponsoring in-terested Muslims with valid drivinglicences and with a minimum gradeof C plain in KCSE to train as Con-struction Machinery Operators.

The training takes one month andgraduates are most likely to get jobswith good salary. We have very limit-ed chances and urge all to apply now.Ummah FoundationVillage Plaza 2nd Floor, Ngara RoadP.O.Box 58717-00200, Nairobi, KenyaTel:+254-202680610/13, Cell: +254-734845277

ANNOUNCEMENT

Ramadhan in 1973 brought forth the rst time thatEgyptian forces defeated Israel's military in bat-tle and thus changed the perception across the Arabworld that the Israeli army was not invincible.


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This is the book about which there is nodoubt, guidance for those conscious of Al-lah (Al Quran 2:2)

The Quran is the true benefactor of theconscious knowledge seeking human be-ing. It envelopes a plethora of ethical di-rectives, social, legal, moral, economic re-sponsibilities, frameworks and guidances.

It enjoins unity amongst all human beingsfrom our unique races, creeds, wealth andhealth backgrounds, statuses and classes.The Quran offers divine solutions to everyproblem our world faces; imbued with prac-tical advices that if heeded to, puts onesmind at ease and draws ones soul closerto peace.

It is lled with words of warning yet wordsof justice and consolation. It aligns itself tothe beat of the heart and the reality of theworld- destined to play a decisive role inthe reconstruction of thought and speechwhilst gaining perspectives in existence

and purpose. The Quran guides the follow-ers of Islam towards a way of life.

One of the miracles of the Quran resides inits authentic preservation and protection inits totality since its completion 1400 yearsago. The unadulterated and unalteredchapters has allowed simplicity of memo-rization by millions around the world andits content testament to timelessness andapplicability to every era of time till its end.Interestingly, the rst word revealed in theQuran was Iqra meaning read, as AllahSubhana wa taala says Read in the nameof your Lord who created (Al Quran 96:1).

With knowledge of this verse, it becomesimportant for us all to turn towards theQuran with an open mind, sincerity andhumbleness, seeking to gain heightenedunderstanding of what our Creator has pre-scribed for us to ensure we free ourselvesfrom the shackles of this temporary exist-ence and travel smoothly upon this journeythrough to the True world.

The deep wisdom the Quran withholds,aims to benet not only one person or aselect group of people, but the whole of hu-manity. This is conveyed by Allah Subhanawa taala in His book where He says ThisQur'an is enlightenment for mankind and

guidance and mercy for a people who arecertain in faith (Al Quran 45:20).

The personication of the mercy Allahspeaks of can certainly be ascribed toHis nal messenger our beloved ProphetMohammad peace be upon him, throughwhom the nal revelation was sent so hemay serve as the "mercy to the worlds" (AlQuran 21:107), sent to humanity to per-fect good character. Prophet Mohammedpeace be upon him having been grantedthe honour of divine revelation from hisCreator makes him the most authentic in-terpreter and expounder of the Quran. This

embodiment afrmed through the descrip-tion of him by his wife Aisha (RA) when shesays he was like a walking Quran. Thisbecomes the example that every believingMuslim should embrace and continuouslystrive to follow.

The Friday Bulletin RAMADHAN Ramadhan 12,1437/June 17, 2016

Kandeel Butt The light of Ramadhan and QuranThe month of Ramadhan is that in whichthe Qur'an was revealed, a guidance forthe people and clear proofs of guidanceand criterion. So whoever sights the newmoon of the month, let him fast i t; and who-ever is ill or on a journey - then an equalnumber of other days. Allah intends for youease and does not intend for you hardship

and wants for you to complete the periodand to glorify Allah for that to which He hasguided you; and perhaps you will be grate-ful" (Quran 2:185).

This becomes the month that every believ-ing Muslim should take as a gift from theirever Generous Creator in which opportu-nity is unravelled to delve greater into theunderstanding of His book, intent to gainprofound knowledge of the wisdom He con-veys- with deep rooted faith that the humandisposition can reach its greatest potentialthrough practice of the divine advices pre-sent within its pages, in the fashion it wasby the best man to ever walk the earth.

The distinct features of this month residesin the beauty that it is present to purify thetarnished soul. Allah Subhana wa taallahgrants His servant days where he refrainsfrom worldly addictions and desires for Hissake to make Him the sole focus of attach-ment because He knows the unseen as-pects of our characters that are in desper-ate need of His divine inspiration. If thesesteps to seek Him and near Him are madeespecially during this month, He promisesHis reward as He says in a Hadith QudsiEvery deed of the son of Adam is for himexcept fasting; it is for Me and I shall re-

ward for it, highlighting the bountiful bless-ings that can come from fasting- indicatingnot only the power of Ramadhan but theextent of mercy of our Rabb towards us.

When one becomes aware of the work ofShaiytan, one better understands the ben-et of Ramadhan. As the prominent IslamicScholar Hamza Yusuf relates that a clearenemy is easier to defeat than a slinkingone. We know through a famous Hadiththat during this month Shaiytan is chained.Prophet Mohammad peace be upon himsays When Ramadhan comes the gates ofparadise are open and the doors of hell are

closed. And a caller cried out: O seekerof good come in this month- O seeker ofevil cease. Allah decrees this because Heknows that if Shaiytan cannot overcomethe believers in creed or belief he haspromised to probe our lusts and desires sowe can stray away from His path; the pathof righteousness.

Therefore when the giver of ill tidings andwhispers is locked up, the believer musttake advantage of this time and strive tounderstand the state of their soul, take no-tice of bad inuences and their own short-comings, practice to correct their thought,speech and actions, remove negativityfrom their heart and ll it with love and kind-ness, and be mindful of Allah in all that theydo.

Ibn al Qayyim said that the body of the hu-man is like a country, whose capital is theheart and whose frontiers are the seven

limbs (eyes, ears, tongue, stomach, privateparts, hands, feet). Fasting acts as a guardof these limbs. As we shield our limbs weare encouraged to enjoin one another inrighteous deeds, in hope these acts areour gateway to spiritual growth fullmentand purity. We recognize that it is throughpurication of each of these limbs that we

can free the soul from its constant needand dependency on the eeting pleasuresof this life, redirecting the heart towards itsUltimate abode. With the reminder of ournal destination our heart lightens as ourdependency shifts from the worldly to theDivine.

As the month of the Quran is with us, letus connect to the Giver and the Book Giv-en. Let us remember that since the birthof every son of Adam, the call to prayer isrecited. Since these very rst few momentson earth, the Light of Allah shared in theear of a child illuminates the love and pres-ence of Allah in the childs life and forms

a connection to Ar Rahman as he/shewas in the womb. May this month serve tostrengthen this connection and act uponHis book as Imam al Ghazali reminds usthat those who hold it (Quran) rm foundguidance and those who acted upon it gotsalvation.

Let us Muslim brothers and sisters takethis month to get closer to our Rabb. OurCreator, Designer, Maker and Divine CareTaker. He is indeed in control and promisesto near those who near Him, correct ourmatters if we seek Him, get His increaseif we are grateful and ever responding to

those who call Him. Let us increase ourheart-to-heart conversations with Him.We make great efforts with the creationto understand them and create bonds, letus make these efforts and more to under-stand and deepen the connections with ourCreator who in turn promises to assist ourworldly affairs.

May the words of our Rabb transcend ourunderstanding. May it move our hearts andgrant us clarity of mind in practicing thisgift of peace that has been bestowed uponus and make us increase in His remem-brance. May we grow in patience, govern

our emotions and feel empowered to over-come any challenge that we are faced with.

May Allah make this Ramadhan for youand all your loved ones one of Quran, sup-plication, mercy and forgiveness. May Al-lah keep our intentions pure, see Him in allwe do and accept all we do in our desireto near Him. May He grant us our deep-est duas and give us the strength to remainpatient through His answers and keep ourheart grateful and at peace for whateverHe decrees. Ameen.

And nally we accept the reality that noneof us knows if we will see another Ramad -

han. So let us take the moments we havetoday to strive for the understanding, mer-cy, forgiveness and pleasure of our Rabb.There is nothing more worthy of our con-cern and effort than this.

Kandeel is a Nairobi based pharmacist

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You might be coming across several poststhat are excitingly buzzing with Ramadhanaround the corner. If you have just revertedto Islam and are feeling a little too appre-hensive of what to expect, heres a smallattempt on my part to help you get throughthe initial jitters in shaa Allah.#1 Dua dua duaIf you feel no one understands what you are

going through, then know that Allah does!So cry out to Him and cry some more, ask-ing Him to make things easy. With His help,you can move mountains and reach yourgoals with ease; nothing is too daunting orheavy when you have Allah on your side.Place your worries in His hands and freeyour mind and heart from the emotional andphysical burdens you might be facing. Im-agine how you would trust your best friendby telling your worries to them knowing thatthey *will* help you out or will support youthrough it. Allah is beyond any comparisonand His help is beyond anything you canever imagine. Make use of all the special

times when duas are accepted. A dua ofa distressed believer is always answeredby Allah.#2 PraySomething as simple as 2 rakats or morecan ease the tensions and worries youhave. Prayer can erase scars and healwounds you never even knew existed.Pray to get an emaan high. Its the mostamazing way to spend time during Rama-dhan. Apart from receiving amazing bless-ings from your Lord, you will also learn tocontrol and tame your nafs, making thewhole process of Ramadhan sweeter andrewarding in shaa Allah.#3 Learn!When you learn something, it becomes

Six Ramadhan tips for new Muslim/revertsfamiliar, in turn making it easier for you tofollow and comprehend. A science theo-ry might make no sense at all, but if youspend some time studying about it, it be-comes easier to grasp the concept. Now,you have no hesitation in putting your newfound knowledge into practice. The samecould be said about Ramadhan. When youlearn more about the blessed month and

the benets it carries, itll be much easierfor you to utilize it in the best possible man-ner.#4 You are never aloneVisit mosques or local organizations to getin touch with fellows Muslims who have re-verted recently or even Muslims who have

just started practicing the deen. Surroundyourself with support groups which willmake your worries and struggles a lot easi-er, rather than battling them all by yourself.If you nd no one, always remember, youhave Allah with you all the time.#5 Dont feel shy to take part in iftaargatherings

If your Muslim friends or family invite youfor iftaar, go for it. No! You are not going tobe a burden on them and you dont haveto feel shy either. Its a nice way to spendtime and learn more about this beautifulreligion.What better way to spend the month ofRamadhan than indulging in conversa-tions that revolve around Islam and Allah.

Angels gather in places where peoplecome to seek knowledge. Imagine beingsurrounded by angels who are invoking Al-lahs mercy and love on you! Theres noth-ing more soothing than that.#6 It is okay if you falter once in a whileIf you feel youre not living up to the chal-lenges and goals you set for yourself, its

okay; you need to relax. Allah rewards youfor your intentions and He does not over-burden you more than what you can take.So dont overburden yourself with expecta-tions that are too high to attain.Pick yourself up and dont let Shaytanmess with your mind. Continue doing smallconsistent deeds, even if it means recitinghalf a page of Quran a day. Dont waste

time on what youve missed, rather, con-centrate on what you can do!Points to Remember: If you are scared that you might not wakeup for suhoor, you can ask your friend togive you a call to check if youve woken up. You might feel hungry for a day or twoduring the fasting period. Its not uncom-mon or something to be ashamed of. Eventhose whove been fasting for years feel anagging sense of hunger for a couple ofdays but the body will adjust to it in no time. Plan your meals and buy your groceriesbeforehand so you dont have to wonderwhat needs to be prepared for suhoor or

iftaar every single day. Take this as an opportunity to give dawahto your family who may not be Muslimsyet. Actions speak louder than words, andwhen combined with gentle words can belethal in creating the right kind of change intheir mindset in shaa Allah.Know dear sister or brother in Islam that

Allah sees the tears and the struggles youmade for this religion, and none of it, ab-solutely none of it will go wasted. Instead,every single hardship you face with pa-tience will be rewarded with magnanimousbounties which no human can comprehend.He will give you from places unknown andwill make your pathway to jannah easier inshaa Allah.

Nasmira Firdous

1. The director ofDa'awa at Africa Mus-lim Agency Muham-mad Noor presentsa prize to one of thewinners of the Quranmemorization compe-tition.

2. A courtesy visitby ofcials of JamiaMosque CommitteeMuhammad OsmanWarfa and AbdullatifEssajee to the Leaderof Majority in the Na-

tional Assembly AdenDuale

3. Youth from South Cdistribute water anddates to fasting Mus-lim stuck in the trafc

jam along Mombasa

5. The CEO of First Community Bank Fazal Mehboob ags off an Iftar Food dis-tribution caravan headed to Naivasha, Isiolo, Mombasa and other areas. The pro-gramme was held in partnership with Maahad Da'awa Organisation. 6. Sheikh Ab-dullatif Abdulkarim the Patron of Park Road Youth Group presents a Ramadhanfood ration pack to a resident of Mukuru Kwa Reuben slum in Nairobi

Ramadhan Pictorial


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Umar H. Abdalla

Teaching is not a job, it is a calling. It isamong the noblest professios. Paradoxi-cally, not many Muslims are inclined to-wards pursuing this profession. In Kenya,there is an acute shortage of Muslimteachers, particularly those trained toteach Islamic Religious Education (I.R.E)

and Arabic. Educationists, leaders andMuslim organizations are continuouslyworking towards addressing this dire situ-ation but with little success.

While, there are varied reasons as to whymost students are not interested in be-coming teachers, I will instead focus onwhy you should be one.

First, as a teacher you get to experienceincredible joy in seeing the fruits of yourwork. When, I was a third year universitystudent, I taught (as a teaching assistant)for a term in a secondary school locatedin my village. Seven years later, I met a

young man who enthusiastically greetedme, referring to me as mwalimu. He waselated to see me.

He informed me that he was a graduatetrainee for one of the parastatals in Ken-ya. Despite the fact that I took a differentcareer path, I felt a strong sense of satis-faction. I was happy that I did contributeto shaping the future of this young man.

As a teacher, you will be able to experi-ence this happiness over and over, as youcome across stories of success by yourstudents.

Secondly, for many people, work is a

means to an end. They work for a paycheque to earn a living. But as a teacher,you have a true vocation. To your stu-dents, you are not an employee but a

OPINION

friend, a mentor and a guide to the world.Indeed, teachers help build a studentsself-concept, shape their dream, provideredirection, and impart knowledge andwisdom. This is why teaching offers a deepsense of purpose.

Thirdly, teaching is a job that offers a great

deal of variety. Each year, you get to workwith a new group of students with uniquepersonalities, experiences and ideas. Asa teacher, you are safe from a job that in-volves repetition of a specic task over andover.

Fourthly, teaching does not have to startand begin with your presence in the class-room. It offers you as a space for profes-sional development. You can shape yourcareer as an educationist, guidance andcounsellor and others. There are so manyteachers, who are working in NGOs- com-plementing the programmatic work with

their teaching experience. You can also,pursue post graduate studies and becomea lecturer. For instance, my high schoolteacher is now a lecturer at the Universityof Nairobi and he is also an advisor/mentorfor my PhD thesis.

There are many more reasons as to whyyou should consider being a teacher.However, the most important of all, is therewards you will receive from Allah. In-deed, imparting knowledge which is ben-ecial verbally or by any other means issaddaqatul jaariya. As long as people ben-et from this knowledge, the teacher will

receive reward for it.The writer is the C.E.O, Africa Educa-

tion and Development Trust. He can be

reached at [email protected]

Why you should pursue a teaching profession

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The long awaited Kakamega JamiaMosque and Islamic centre elections fornew ofce bearers to manage the affairs ofthe local Muslims will be held on SundayJune 19.

The elections will be held at the Islamic

centre and madrasah wherein. The newofcials will serve for a term of two years.

The elections had earlier been planned forMay 29 but were suspended and pushedforward to usher in an Independent elec-toral board and give room for Muslims toregister as voters in order to participatein the election exercise and practice theirrights and obligations of electing leaders oftheir choice.

According to the chairman of the electoralboard Amin Yusuf Wasike who is also aregistration ofcer with Independent Elec-toral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)

all arrangements have been nalized andthat the polls will be free and fair.

Amin further pointed out that all posts willbe open for contestation with only regis-tered members allowed to participate inthe elections to be conducted through se-cret ballot.

Among the positions to be contested forinclude that of the chairman, deputy chair-man, secretary general, deputy secretarygeneral, treasurer, deputy treasurer, com-mittee member, youth leaders (from bothgender male and female) and women lead-er respectively.

Prominent Kakamega businessman Ibra-him Muhammad Awadh is among severalaspirants who have shown interest for thechairman's position.

Kakamega Mosque electionsfor June 19


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Page 11

The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL Ramadhan 12,1437/June 17, 2016

Muslim Education Council (MEC) haspledged to address the concerns of Mus-lim students at various institutions of higherlearning in the country.

The remarks were made by the councilexecutive director Munawar Khan whosaid the council acknowledges the role ofMuslim students at the universities and it

is committed to work closely with the stu-dents in the realization of the Muslim com-munity's agenda in education sector.

Addressing a consultative forum for univer-sity students at Jamia Multi-purpose hall onTuesday, Munawar said as an immediatestep focus will be placed on addressingthe challenges being faced by Muslim stu-dents at various public universities throughengagement with the administration to fa-cilitate conducive environment for them topursue their education while at the sametime practice their faith and religious obli-gations.

Munawar noted that Muslim EducationCouncil will consider including a represent-ative for the Muslim students at Universi-ties to assist the council come in term withsome of the challenges affecting them intheir pursuit of education at campuses.

He stated that the council will championand promote the interests of Muslim Stu-dents and the general Muslim communityto transform the education standards in thecommunity for social economic develop-ment.

He pointed out that the council will partnerand liaise with various Muslim organiza-tions to ensure the concerns of Muslim stu-

dents at public universities are addressedand also offered sponsorship to train asIslamic Religious Education (IRE) teachersto take up teaching of the subject in educa-tional institutions across the country.

Muslim Education Council member Dr.Ahmed Yussuf encouraged Muslim stu-dents to pursue teaching as a professionby enrolling at teachers training collegesto qualify as (Islamic Religious Education)IRE teachers and give back to the commu-nity.

Earlier Muslim students had raised someissues and challenges affecting them

among them lack of prayer facilities, fe-male Muslim students being prevented andrestricted from wearing hijabs against theirwishes and lack of Imams and chaplains.

On his part Muhammad Mwinyi Pembe,the former director Quality Assurance andStandards at the education ministry ad-vised Muslim students in higher institutionsof learning to maintain high moral charac-ters, discipline and strive to emulate thelife and character of Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) who was sent to per-fect good morals among Muslims.

In his address, the coordinator of NairobiArea Muslim Students Association UmarSakwa challenged Muslim students to beat the forefront in dawah activities throughthe propagation of the teachings of Islamin order to attract other people to Islamand as a means to ght misconceptions to-wards the religion and Muslims.

The consultative forum brought togetherMuslim students from various public andprivate universities to deliberate on variouschallenges affecting education in the Muslimcommunity and how they can be addressedto improve on education standard.

MEC to address university Muslim students concerns Mumias' Al-Ahdaly Islamiccenter in expansion plan

Jamia Mosque is providing an IarProgramme where more than 500people are served with hot Iarmeals on a daily basis.

Please benet in this noble ven-ture by buying Iar coupons at theentrances for only Ksh 200.

"Whoever feeds a fasng person will have

a reward like that of the fasng person,

without any reducon in his reward."

(Tirmidhi)

Jamia Iftar Programme

Al-Ahdaly Islamic center situated at Ki-sumu Ndogo in Mumias sub-county hasembarked on Sh10 million expansion planto upgrade its facilities.

The expansion plan would improve the ca-pacity and enable the center cater for thewelfare and needs of over 25 orphans andneedy children sheltered at the center.

According to the center managing direc-tor Sayyed Hassan Muhammad, amongthe proposed amenities in the expansionplans are the construction of dormitoryand two more classrooms.

Speaking to The Friday Bulletin, SayyedHassan noted that the managing commit-tee has made some efforts and laid downplans to improve the face of the centerand already it had approached variousMuslim charitable organizations, donorsand well-wishers to support the projects.

Sayyed Hassan however, called on localMuslims to support social and religiousprojects meant to benet them for pro-gress.

He asked the Muslim community to pooltogether it few resources and channeltowards Islamic projects for the pleasureof Allah, stressing that more emphasisshould be placed on investment in educa-tion to uplift the social-economic status ofMuslims.

The managing director said there wasneed to focus more on establishing learn-ing institutions and to support the educa-tion of children as this will enhance the

state of affairs in the education sector inthe community.

''Education is something which everycommunity gives adequate importance.

Any community which fails to invest ineducation lags behind,'' he said.

In his remarks he also called for moremeasures to support the education of or-phans and needy Muslim children throughzakat, charity and organizing fundraisingto enable them further their studies.

Sayyed Hassan also appealed to parentsto extend more support to Muslim schoolsto assist them in attaining their goals of

providing education to the community.

Support towards expansion of Al-AhdalyIslamic center can be made through Ac-count number 11157800793.Kenya Com-mercial Bank, Mumias Branch and Forfurther details contact 0733513831.

The Muslim community in Kericho Countywill not be discriminated against in mattersof employment, development programmesand service delivery.

This assurance was made by the governorPaul Chepkwony who promised that therights of minority groups will be respectedand protected by his government.

Addressing Muslim faithful at Kericho JamiaMosque on Saturday last week, GovernorChepkwony said the county governmentrecognizes their role and contribution to thedevelopment of the county and assured thatthey shall be involved and included in mat-ters pertaining to the county developmentprogrammes.

Chepkwony however, admitted that therights of Muslims in the county have notbeen given adequate attention and pledgedthat his government will ensure their rightsare respected.

''I admit that the county government has nothelped the Muslim community. I want to as-sure you we are going to do everything pos-sible as the county government of Kerichoto cater for your needs particularly in areaof development,'' he said.

He said county development programmeswill be extended to all residents without dis-crimination and urged Muslims in Kericho toplay a more viable participatory role in de-velopment matters.

While delivering a goodwill message ofRamadhan, the governor donated fooditems worth Sh 200,000 to the Muslim com-munity.

At the same time governor Chepkwonyurged the Muslim community in the countyto take the education of their children seri-ously by giving them the necessary supportto excel academically in order to compete

favourably in the job market.Governor Chepkwony further encouragedMuslim youth and women to take advantageof the county's 30 percent tender allocationfor women, youth and marginalised groupsto economically empower themselves.

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims(SUPKEM) Deputy national chairman Ab-dillahi Kiptanui lauded the county chief forthe donations and asked him to addressconcerns of Muslims pertaining to land titledeeds and ID cards, lamenting that it takeslonger for the Muslim community to acquirethe cards unlike their counterpart from other

faiths. The vetting is rigorous, long and dis-criminatory,'' he said.

He further pointed out that without identitydocuments Muslim youth are not in posi-tion to benet from the government youtheconomic programmes which are meant toimprove on their livelihood.

No discrimination against

MuslimsKericho governor


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The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee P O Box 100786-00101 Nairobi Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147

Ummah Foundation is an organisation that provides a helping handto the underprivileged. For the past one week Ummah Founda-tion together with its Prisoners rehabilitation Program (PRP) hasbeen disbursing Iftar food stuffs and dates to prisons across thecountry during this auspicious month of Ramadhan. Our annual

Ramadhan appeal enables big-hearted donors to give their Zakatand sadaqa to provide relief from hardships and share joy duringthe blessed month with the less fortunate. We target prisons thathave Muslims who face challenges during the whole month. Nospecial food is apportioned to them and they entirely depend onthe same food provided to other prisoners at the time of breakingtheir fast and Suhuur. By Ummah Foundation providing foodstuffsand dates, it is a big relief as they can equally enjoy their fast likethe rest of us outside prison.In Ramadhan, on the one hand when we see a set of people pre -paring different, special, delicious foods. On the other hand we caneven nd a set of people who are worried about morsel of food tobreak their fast. Our prime intention is to disburse Iftar food parcelsto help the needy people to observe the Holy month of Ramad -

han. Our priority apart from prisons is for orphanages that housea number of orphans that have internal challenges in affording thedaily costs. The Iftar food distribution covers identied families andindividuals who are socially, nancially and economically disad-vantaged, with a special focus on the destitute, the elderly, thepoor and the needy.The person who strives on behalf of the widows and the poor islike those who strive in the way of Allah and like those who fast inthe day and pray at night. Sahih Bukhari

Ramadhan special offersThis Ramadhan, we are asking you to show your concern, let usspread happiness and joy in the lives of less fortunate in obser-vance of this Holy season. You can help us to reach out to thepoor, deprived and needy of our communities this Ramadhan andlive the spirit of this blessed month. Your Zakat and Sadaqa will

help educate children who cant afford to be in class due to lackof fees. Like previous years, with your kind and generous support,underprivileged people will be able to have good education andmake meaningful contribution to the large society.We would therefore like to take this opportunity to remind our-selves and everyone else that our efforts should be aimed at tak-ing full advantage of this blessed month. It is particularly impor-tant to reach out to friends, neighbours and needy people in onescommunity and beyond. Donate generously in order to ensure theUmmah programmes can reach the intended goal of eradicatingpoverty and ignorance. The prophet (peace be upon him) saidCharity does not diminish wealth. MuslimThe month of Ramadhan is here with us and we request all oursponsors and supporters to utilize this perfect opportunity and join

us to provide relief and assistance to the impoverished people. Itis imperative that we do our part to ensure their well-being. Foryour donations and contributions contact us:Ummah FoundationVillage Plaza 2nd Floor, Ngara RoadP.O.Box 58717-00200, Nairobi, KenyaTel:+254-202680610/13, Cell: +254-734845277Email: [email protected]

friday bulletin 685

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