Islamic Focus

Issue 111 Igniting the Spirit of Islam Mar 2013 Bukhara Publications/Tel: 078 672 7797/Fax: 086 651 2125 Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com/Korsten/Port Elizabeth

it is meant that when the

time of the death of a be-liever approaches, he re-

ceives the good news of Al-lah's Pleasure and His Bless-ings upon him, and so at

that time nothing is dearer to him than what is in front

of him (the meeting with His Lord). He therefore loves the meeting with Al-

lah, and Allah (too) Loves t h e m e e t i n g w i t h

him…’ (Bukhari)

PREPARATION

Among the things we can do to secure a better life after

death is: 1. Reading the Quran which will comfort us

after death, in the grave and beyond. (Tirmidhi) 2. Charity from which people

continue to benefit. 3. Knowledge we taught others

about Islam from which they benefit. 4. Kids who pray for us. (Muslim) �

That thing which is inevita-

ble in everyone’s life is death: Every soul will taste

death… (Quran 21:35)

PURPOSE

The purpose of living this temporary life and then fac-

ing death: ‘Glorious is the One in whose hand is the Kingdom (of the whole uni-

verse), and He is powerful over every thing, The One

who created death and life, so that He may test you as to which of you is better

in his deeds. And He is the All-Mighty, the Most-

Forgiving.’ (Quran 67:1-2)

INTELLIGENCE ‘The smart person is the one who takes control of

their self and acts for what wh i c h c ome s a f t e r

death...’ (Tirmidhi) ‘Remember frequently the

thing that cuts off pleas-ures,’ i.e. death.’ (Tirmidhi)

‘The hearts become rusty just as iron does when water

affects it.’ On being asked what could clean them the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa

sallam replied, ‘A great amount of remembrance of

death, and the recitation of the Quran.’ (Tirmidhi)

PAIN The pain at the time of

death, when the soul is sepa-rated from the body, is ex-tremely severe. But for a be-

liever, death’s agony turns into joy when he realises

that he is to meet Allah and that Paradise awaits:

‘Whoever loves to meet Al-lah, Allah (too) Loves to meet him; and whoever

hates to meet Allah, Allah (too) Hates to meet him!"

Aisha radhiallahu anha said to the Prophet sallallahu alaihi was sallam: ‘But we

(all) dislike death!’ He re-plied: ‘It is not like this, but

Scan the QR code with

your cellphone to go to

our website:

www.islamicfocus.co.za

97

72

22

31

11

00

9

IS

SN

2

22

3-

11

10

P12 The Wish

P4 Women

P7 Black Dot

P8 Kansu Braves

P10 Sunnah

P3 Racism

2 Islamic Focus

WORLD

NEWS

EGYPT - The Egyptian army killed over 3,000 peo-

ple supporting Muslim Brotherhood president Morsi

who was deposed in an army coup on 3 July. Thou-

sands of people protested the coup. Many were

killed in protests at various Musjids. The US-backed

army is cracking down on the Brotherhood with

mass arrests. It also wants to ban the group which

advocates Islamic law and won Egypt’s first democ-

ratic elections. (BBC, 18 Aug)

LEBANON - The leader of Lebanon's militant Shia

Hezbollah group, which supports the brutal regime

of Bashar Assad in Syria, lambasted Sunni Muslims

and pledged more militant support against Sunnis in

Syria. Hundreds of people were injured in bomb

blasts at a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. Hezbollah

blamed Sunnis while Lebanese politicians blamed the

bombings on Jews. Militants from Hezbollah are ac-

tively fighting alongside Bashar’s soldiers in Syria.

(BBC, 16 Aug)

PAKISTAN - There was a five-hour stand-off be-

tween police and a gunman 15 Aug in Islamabad.

The gunman was overpowered after being shot in

the leg by police. (BBC, 16 Aug)

YEMEN - 27 members of a Yemeni wedding party

died after the vehicles they were travelling in were

swept away by heavy floods. Several other people

have been killed by flash floods in Yemen, which is

prone to flooding during the Monsoon season. (BBC,

16 Aug)

PALESTINE - Israel-Palestinian peace talks re-

sumed in Jerusalem after 3 years. The meeting be-

gan hours after Israel freed 26 Palestinian prisoners

as part of the deal to restart the stalled negotiations.

In the meantime 2,000 more illegal Jewish settle-

ments were approved in the occupied West Bank

and East Jerusalem. 500,000 Jews now live in illegal

settlements built on the occupied territories. In a

separate development, Israel carried out air strikes

in northern Gaza. (BBC, 16 Aug)

LIBYA - Members of Libya's minority Berber, or

Amazigh, community stormed the parliament build-

ing in Tripoli. Windows were smashed, furniture de-

stroyed and documents stolen. The Amazigh were

demanding that the future constitution recognise

their language, ethnicity and culture. Amazigh fight-

ers played an important role in the armed rebellion

against Gaddafi. (BBC, 15 Aug)

YEMEN - Al-Qaeda fighters killed five soldiers in an

attack on a gas terminal in southern Yemen. 8 Aug

14 people were killed in Yemen in three illegal US

drone strikes. (BBC, 11 Aug)

SYRIA - More than 100,000 people have been killed

in 28 months by the Shia-supported regime of Ba-

shar Assad. (BBC, 16 Aug)

USA - The US National Security Agency (NSA) broke

privacy rules and overstepped its legal authority

thousands of times in the past two years, according

to documents leaked by Edward Snowden. Mr

Snowden leaked top secret documents to the US

and British media. He has been given asylum in Rus-

sia. An internal audit dated May 2012 counted 2,776

incidents of unauthorised data collection over the

previous 12 months. (BBC, 12 Aug) �

� Telephone, SMS line, Whatsapp: 078 672 7797

3 Islamic Focus

SOCIAL / H

ISTO

RY

Dignity. Islam is against all forms of racism.

All races are equal to Allah and the only char-acteristic that makes someone superior to an-

other is righteousness. Allah has dignified all humans: ‘We have certainly honored the chil-dren of Adam …’ (Quran 17:70)

Recognition. Allah created different races

and tribes so that we would recognize each other: ‘O mankind, verily, We have created you from male and female and made you

peoples and tribes that you may know one another …’ (Quran 49:13)

Superiority. “O people, verily, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no

favoritism of an Arab over a foreigner, nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither red skin

over black skin, nor black skin over red skin, except through righteousness.” (Ahmad)

Rebuke. Once a Sahabi told Bilal �: “O son of a black woman!” Bilal � told Prophet � who became angry and said to the Sahabi: “By the one who revealed the Book to Muhammad �, none is more virtuous over another except by righteous deeds …” (Bayhaqi)

Lineage. “There are certainly people who brag about their ancestors who have died.

Verily, they are coal for Hellfire such that they are more contemptible to Allah than the bee-tle that rolls dung with its nose …” (Tirmidhi)

Tribalism. “He is not one of us who calls to

tribalism. He is not one of us who fights for the sake of tribalism. He is not one of us who dies following the way of tribalism.” Abu

Dawud) � By Abu Amina Elias

A Waqf or charitable endowment is encouraged

in Islam. Over the centuries, Muslims have made many thousands of Waqfs.

Here are some of the more amazing ones. Note the variety and needs of the time:

Fully fitted and staffed hospitals for the poor

Starter-pack apartment buildings for newly weds Utensils and trousseau for disadvantaged

brides Public water fountains

Caftans and outer garments for the old Replacement of broken plates to save maids from censure from madams

Provision of grass for the mule ridden by the Shaykh of Al Azhar

Havens for old horses and sick animals Food for animals during winter months

Public musafir/travellers lodges, roads, and bridges Salaries of imams, ulama, ustaadh/a, muez-

zins, qaris Schools, research institutions, orphanages

Stipends and support for students Skills, craft training, and job creation guilds Orchards and food gardens

Flea markets.

The Prophet � said: “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); knowl-

edge which is beneficial; or a virtuous descen-dant who prays for him (the de-

ceased).” [Sahih Muslim] �

From: Awqaf SA

http://twitter.com/IslamicFocus

296 DURBAN RD (OPP TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT)

TEL: (041) 453-0119 FAX: (041) 453-4134

For all Engine Requirements, Please Contact:

SOLLY & AADILL

Importers of new & used gearboxes, engines & motor spares Spares & accessories for all types of vehicles

112 DURBAN RD ���� KORSTEN TEL: (041) 451-5908/453-4716

CELL: 082 51 222 36 IN CONJUNCTION WITH

4 Islamic Focus

154 RENSBURG STREET,

WEST END, P.E.

TEL. 041 481 2862, 481 7849

FAX. 041 482 0462

“Live with them in kindness.” (Quran 4:19)

“You will never be able to be equal between

wives, even if you should strive to do so. So do not incline completely toward one and leave another hanging …” (Quran 4:129)

“Treat women well, for woman is created from

a rib and the most curved portion of the rib is its upper portion. If you try to straighten it, it will break, but if you leave it as it is, it will re-

main curved; so treat women with kind-ness.” (Bukhari)

“A believer should not despise a believing woman. If he finds something in her character

he dislikes, he will be pleased by something else.” (Muslim)

“I enjoin you to treat women well, for they are

like captives in your hand …” (Tirmidhi) “The most complete of the believers in faith

are those with the best character, and the best of you are the best in behaviour to their

women.” (Tirmidhi) The Prophet � enjoined: “Do not strike the maidens of Allah.” Umar � complained that women had become emboldened toward their

husbands. So the Prophet � allowed it. Then, many women came to the family of the Prophet � and complained about their hus-bands. The Prophet � said: “Many women have come to the family of Muhammad (�) complaining about their husbands. These men are not the best among you.” (Abu Dawud) �

https://www.facebook.com/IslamicFocus

WORSHIP / SOCIAL

In Ramadan most people managed to increase

their recitation of the Quran. During the rest of the year many will not even touch the

Quran. Here are some tips to continue reciting Allah’s Speech after Ramadan:

STEP 1: DON’T BE OVERWHELMED Some are overwhelmed by the number of

pages. Remove ‘I can’t’ from your vocab and eliminate negative thinking, for the believers put their trust in Allah, matched by striving

with their actions.

STEP 2: PLAN AHEAD Prior to commencing with your recitation it’s important to plan around your routine and

block out time for your Quran goal e.g. your work hours, rest hours and any other commit-

ments. Structure a realistic plan, review it constantly and put it into action!

STEP 3: UNDERSTAND THE QURAN Read the translation of the part you will be re-

citing. Having a basic knowledge of the theme, topic, message and meaning of what you are

reciting makes the recitation of the Quran an incredibly uplifting experience that you do not want to miss out on!

STEP 4: TIME TIPS

A. Recite a little before and/or after every Salah. In this way you break down the amount you want to recite for the day into manage-

able amounts. B. Recite before going to sleep. “Indeed, the hours of the night are more ef-

fective for concurrence and more suitable for words” (Quran 73:6). Reciting during the day is also beneficial, however the night time reci-

tation is easier. � Adapted from Fee Qalbee blog

5 Islamic Focus

QUESTIO

NS & ANSWERS

Q: If someone put on

khuffs (leather socks) be-fore zuhr, made the pre-

zuhr sunna rakats and the zuhr prayer itself. How-ever in between the zuhr

prayer and the post-prayer sunnas their

wudhu broke. Could they make zuhr the next day (if resident) or zuhr three

days later (if traveler) by wiping over the khuffs?

A: The time-limit for wiping over footgear (khuff) is 24 hours (one day and one

night) for a non-traveller and 72 hours (three days and

three nights) for a traveller. This time starts from the first

invalidation of one's wudu after wearing the footgear. In the case described in your

question, the clock would start ticking from the time

your wudu was invalidated. So, for example, if your se-quence of actions was as fol-

lows:

10.00 a.m. You make wudhu and wear your footgear 12.30 p.m. You pray your

pre-zuhr sunnas followed by your zuhr prayer

12.45 p.m. You wudhu is in-validated, so you re-perform your wudhu and wipe over

your footgear. Then you may

pray while having wiped your footgear until 12.45 p.m. the

following day if you are a non-traveller, and until 12.45 p.m. three days later if you

are a traveller.

So if, as a non-traveller, you pray zuhr before 12.45 p.m. the following day, you may

pray while having wiped over your footgear. If you pray

zuhr after 12.45 p.m., then you will have to remove your footgear and wash your feet

before praying. Answer by Shaykh Hamza Karamali

Q: What are the charac-

teristics of the socks which makes wiping over them permissible?

A: Just like the khuff, socks must fulfill five conditions be-

fore it is permissible to wipe over them during wudu.

They are:

1) That they be strong such that one can walk continu-ously on them for the length

of time that a traveller would in his comings and goings to

fulfill his needs, such as go-ing somewhere to fulfil his needs, such as relieving him-

self, buying food, and so

forth. It is not intended that one must be able to walk in

them throughout the dura-tion of the journey.

2) That they be thick, whereby if water is poured

on it, it would not penetrate through quickly.

3) That it completely cover the part that is to be washed

during wudu, which is the feet including the ankles.

4) That they be pure of filth

5) That they be worn after one has made a complete

wudu, having washed both feet first, for if one washes one foot and puts on one

sock, then washed the other foot and puts on the other

sock, it is not permissible to wipe over them.

So whenever a sock fulfills these five conditions, it is

permissible to wipe over it, and when it doesn’t, then it is not valid. � Answer by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed

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

www.shafiifiqh.com

http://www.islamicfocus.co.za/index.php?option=com_rss&feed=RSS2.0&no_html=1

82 DURBAN ROAD, KORSTEN

TEL/FAX: (041) 453 2990

Place your platter order from as little

as R35:

Sandwiches, Bunny Chows, Rooties,

Samoosas, Pies, Curry Bunny,

Chicken Bites

6 Islamic Focus

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

www.askimam.org | www.askmufti.co.za | www.daruliftaa.net

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q1: If a lady suffers ex-

treme pain in her knees and therefore cannot go

into the sajdah position but she's able to walk around and complete her

household chores, should she sit for the duration of

her Fardh and waajib sa-laah or is it waajib for her to stand?

Q2: If one has the ability

to stand will the fardh and waajib salaah be valid if it is executed in

the sitting position (on a chair/bed)?

A: A person who is able to stand (make Qiyaam) but

cannot make Sajdah has the following options:

a. She may perform the en-tire Salaah including the ges-

tures for Ruku and Sajdah standing up. b. She may perform the Qi-

yaam and Ruku standing up and then sit down to perform

the gesture for Sajdah. c. She may perform the en-tire Salaah including the ges-

tures for Ruku and Sajdah sitting down.

From the three options men-tioned above, the Jurists

have stated that the last op-tion (to perform the entire

Salaah in a sitting posture and gesture) is best.

Q: My question is regard-ing zakaat on income tax.

I pay the tax on my previ-ous financial year before January of next year. e.g.

income tax on the income between April 2012 and

March 2013 will be paid before January 2014. My income tax consists of

two parts. Tax on income

of previous year and some advance tax for coming

year (April 2013 and March 2014). I pay my za-kaat in Ramadan every

year.

My question is that whether zakaat is to be paid on this income tax if

the Ramadan will be be-tween March 2013 and

January 2014. In short will this tax to be paid on later date be considered

my liability or not? If yes then does this include

both the portions of tax i.e. previous and ad-

vance? A: If your Islamic financial year is Ramadan, then the

taxes due only till Ramadan will be regarded as a liability

and exempt from Zakaat. The taxes due after Ramadan will not be considered as a

liability.

Q: Can I give my Zakat to my parents? A: It is not permissible to

give Zakat to one’s parents.

Q: Can the Quran be physically held to recite surahs in Taraweeh?

A: In principle, it is not per-missible for one who has not

memorized the Quran to look into the Quran and recite any portion of the Quran in Sa-

laah.

If one who has not memo-rized the Quran looks into the Qur’an and recites any

portion of the Quran in Sa-laah, the Salaah is invalid.

If the Quran is physically held during Salaah, that will

constitute Amal e Katheer

which renders one’s Salaah invalid.

Q: If one does the last cir-cuit of Saee (walking be-

tween Safa and Marwa) without wudhu, is the

Saee valid? A: Wudhu is not a condition for the validity of Saee. How-

ever, it is Mustahab (preferable) to be in the

state of wudhu while per-forming Saee.

Q: Many old people are now dyeing their hair and

beard in dark brown or blackish brown colour.

The intention is for it to look black. And it appears as black after

dyeing. Islam prohibits colouring in black and in-

tention is important in Is-lam. Is it halal to do this? A: It is prohibited to use

pure black dye. If the dye is any other colour besides

pure black, it is permissible even though it looks like black.

Q: If a person is in Itikaf

can he go out of the mas-jid for Jumuah (Friday) ghusl (bath)?

A: In a sunnah itikaf a per-son should not leave specifi-

cally for the Jumuah ghusl. Rather when he goes to the washroom to relieve himself,

he can in the process and by the way also take a bath

without spending excessive time in taking a bath.

In a nafl itikaf a person may leave specifically for the Ju-

muah ghusl. �

http://www.youtube.com/user/IslamicFocus

7 Islamic Focus

Enrich your web experience. Not all content on all sites

Islamic-compliant. Consult Ulama.

� www.islamicmarriage.wordpress.com -

Articles and fiqh on marriage

� www.brasscrescent.org - Awards for

best Muslim blogs

� www.abuhaneefah.com - Abu Haneefah

College of Fiqh

� http://ramadan.myh.org.uk/ - Muslim

Youth Helpline

� www.muslimyouth.net - Muslim Youth

Net

� www.audiblewisdom.org - Audio on Is-

lamic topics

� www.npicc.org - Newbury Park Musjid,

UK

� http://fatwa.ca/ - Mufti Faisal al Mah-

mudi. Fatwas

� www.qafila.org - Help students study Is-

lam

� www.muwaqqit.com - World Salaah

times � www.islamiciprayer.com - Electronic de-

vice to teach Salaah � More on our site: www.islamicfocus.co.za

Support Sensible Surfing

INTERNET / IN

SPIRATIO

N

A small town chamber of commerce invited a

speaker to address its annual dinner. The community’s economy was bad, people were

discouraged, and they wanted this motiva-tional speaker to give them a boost.

During his presentation, the speaker took a large piece of white paper and made a small

black dot at the center with a marking pen. Then he held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw.

One person quickly replied, “I see a black dot.

“Okay, what else do you see?” Others joined in agreement: “A black dot.”

“Don’t you see anything besides the dot?” he asked. A resounding “No” came from the audi-

ence.

“What about the sheet of paper?” asked the speaker. “I am sure you have all seen it”, he said, “But you have chosen to overlook it.”

“In life, we also tend to overlook and take for

granted many wonderful things that we have or happen around us and focus our attention and energy on small, dot-like failures and dis-

appointments.

The so called ‘problems’ that we have are usu-ally like the black dot on the paper. They are small and insignificant if we can widen our ho-

rizon and look at the whole picture.”

Are you one of the person who focus your at-tention and energy on dot-like problems? �

Westend Shopping Centre Tel: 041 481 9123 Fax: 041 482 2326 Cell: 084 329 8507

Variety of Cakes, Biscuits and

various Savouries

Custom-made Cakes to Meet

the Occasion

Westend Shopping Centre Tel: 041 481 9123 Fax: 041 482 2326 Cell: 084 329 8507

http://issuu.com/islamicfocus/docs

8 Islamic Focus

SOCIAL / HISTO

RY

Meaning. The journey of life often encom-

passes difficulties, challenges, trials and tribu-lations. Every hurdle we face in life has a

meaning and “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” (Quran 2:286)

Allah’s Love. “Great reward comes with great trials. When Allah loves a people, He tests

them, and whoever accepts it attains His pleasure, whereas whoever shows discontent with it incurs His wrath.” (Tirmidhi)

High ranks. “Nothing befalls a believer, a

(prick of a) thorn or more than that, but Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby, or erase a bad deed.” (Bukhari)

Bigger picture. Hardships and trials are part

of everyone’s life. The important thing is for us to have the right attitude of trusting Allah

and His plans when facing such hardships and trials. We may not know that our hardships may be part of a bigger plan of which we may

have only limited knowledge. It’s only at a later stage that it may be revealed. When the

step brothers of Prophet Yusuf � were taking him to throw him into a dark well, Allah re-vealed to him that: “Allah will bring about, af-

ter hardship, ease.” (Quran 65:7) and this is exactly what happened.

For the best. Allah also reminds us: " … and it may be that you dislike a thing which is

good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not

know." (Quran 2:216) �

The Kansu Braves were a unit of 10,000 Chi-

nese Muslim troops from Kansu who were transferred to Beijing in 1898. They took part

in the Boxer Rebellion when the Chinese fought the colonial western forces intent on looting China and spreading opium in the

country. They were commanded by General Dong Fuxiang.

Dong was extremely anti-foreign, and gave full support against the invaders. The Kansu

Braves attacked the 8 nation alliance relent-lessly. They were dubbed as the ‘10,000 Is-

lamic rabble’ by westerners. They were also known for their intolerance towards the Opium trade. The Muslim troops were armed with

modern repeater rifles and artillery.

After the German diplomat in Beijing killed a Chinese civilian for no reason, thousands of

Chinese Muslim Kansu Braves under General Dong Fuxiang of the Imperial Army and Box-ers went on a violent revolt against the west-

ern invaders.

Another Muslim general, Ma Anliang, joined the Kansu braves in fighting the foreigners. Ma Anliang would go on to be an important

Chinese leader in the Warlord Era.

The Muslim troops led by Dong Fuxiang de-feated the Seymour Expedition of the 8 nation alliance at the Battle of Langfang on June 18.

The Chinese won a major victory, and forced Seymour to retreat to Tianjin with heavy casu-

alties by June 26. Langfang was the only bat-tle the Muslim troops fought outside Beijing, with the rest of their fighting being done in the

city. �

Be informed by inviting IslamicFocus on Mxit: 27786727797

PERELSONS B U T C H E R Y

STOCKIST OF:

BEEF, LAMB, PATTIES, WORS, VIENNAS,

POLONIES, COLD MEATS, BILTONG, VEAL, SAUCES,

CHICKENS, RUSSIANS

Perelson’s Butchery Just Got Better! STRICTLY HALAAL

Ismail Ravat: 082 786 0821

WE ARE NOW AT 54 COTTRELL ST, KORSTEN

9 Islamic Focus

BIO

GRAPHY / TW

ITTER

In light of the increasing usage of social me-

dia, we bring you Twitter accounts of interest

to Muslims. Not all content might be Islamic-

compliant:

@iFalasteen: Tweeting on Palestine and other social issues

@NMunshie: Moulana Nazir Munshie, Ameer of Al Fidaa Foundation

@IdealMuslimahs: The Ideal Muslimah.

Celebrating Sisterhood @IHHen: Humanitarian Relief. We aim at per-

petuation of good anytime and anywhere. IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation

@Tablighuddeen: Abu Humza. Information on Islam

@IslamicHorizon: A magazine published by

Darul Uloom Zakariyya under the supervision of senior Ulama

@IslamicThinking: Islamic Thoughts

@MuftiFaraz: Mufti Faraz. Mufti | Shariah Fi-nance Advisor | Halal Foods Advisor | Lecturer | Instructor �

Follow us on @islamicfocus

PE Death Notices: @PEJanaza PE Salaah Times: @stt_PE Editor: @MuhammadBadsha

Diponegoro (Mustahar) (Born 1785, Yogya-

karta. Died 1855, Makassar, Dutch East In-dies) was a Javanese prince who opposed

Dutch colonial rule. He played an important role in the Java War (1825–1830). He was the eldest son of Sultan Hamengkubuwono III of

Yogyakarta.

Being a devout Muslim, Diponegoro was alarmed by the relaxing of religious obser-vance at his half brother's court, as well as by

the court's pro-Dutch policy.

Diponegoro he started a holy war (Jihad) against the Dutch. The beginning of the war saw large losses on the side of the Dutch, due

to their lack of strategy in fighting Dipone-goro's guerrilla warfare. Ambushes were set

up and food supplies were denied to the Dutch troops. The Dutch finally increased the num-

ber of troops. From 1829, Diponegoro lost the initiative and he was put in a defensive posi-tion. Many troops and leaders were defeated

or deserted.

In 1830 Diponegoro's military was as good as beaten and negotiations were started. He was invited to negotiate under a flag of truce. He

accepted but was taken prisoner. The Dutch exiled him to Makassar where he eventually

passed away. Today Diponegoro is a National Hero of Indo-

nesia, and the Central Java Military Region is named after him. The Indonesian Navy had

named two ships after him. He had 3 wives, 17 sons and 5 daughters. �

Publishers of the Islamic Focus

Distributed free in PE/Uitenhage 11 Morat Street, Korsten Port Elizabeth

Tel: 078 672 7797 Fax: 086 651 2125

Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com www.islamicfocus.co.za

Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com

10 Islamic Focus

We are Moving to

Cape Road!

HISTO

RY / SUNNAH

The Muslim conquest of Persia (637–651) led

to the end of the Sassanid Empire and the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion in

Persia. When Islam was introduced to Irani-ans, the nobility and city-dwellers were the first to convert, Islam spread more slowly

among the peasantry. By the late 11th cen-tury, the majority of Persians had become

Muslim. Shiasm entered Iran around the 15th century

with the Safavid dynasty which made Shiasm the official state religion and aggressively

forced it on the population. Muslims invaded Iran in the time of Umar radhiallahu anhu (637) and conquered it after several great

battles. By 674, Muslims had conquered Greater Khorasan (which included modern Ira-

nian Khorasan province and modern Afghani-stan, Transoxania)

Many important Muslim scholars were Persian or lived in Iran including Imam Bukhari, Imam

Muslim, Imam Ghazali, and physicians, as-tronomers, mathematicians and scientists like

Al-Farabi, Avicenna, as well as Sheikhs of Suf-ism like Rumi and Abdul-Qadir Gilani. Sunni Muslims are about 9% of the Iranian popula-

tion. While the Zoroastrians, Jews, and Chris-tian Iranians are recognized as religious mi-

norities, no Sunni mosques are allowed in places where Sunnis are not a majority. There are around 48,983 mosques in the country.

In 1979 the Shias established a theocratic

state and have and are providing military and other support to Shias fighting Sunnis in vari-ous parts of the world. �

� Subscribe to our free enewsletter online or by emailing us

With our lives being so far distanced from the

Prophet �’s, it can be difficult to see how im-plementing his example can be easy. Here are

practical ways to incorporate the sunnah into your life:

1. Find Out What It’s About To follow the sunnah, you first need to know

what it’s all about. This involves gaining knowledge – but make sure that the informa-tion you’re getting is authentic.

2. Seek Good Friends

“Man is on the religion of his friend, so let every one of you examine whom he be-friends.” [Tirmidhi]

Try to surround yourself with good people who

will remind you of the sunnah. It’s good to be around those who verbally remind you, but it’s

even better to be around those who actively practice the sunnah themselves.

3. Make It a Habit Turn your selected sunnahs into everyday

habits. This involves: identifying the sunnah, knowing what the reward is, and finding a trigger that will remind you to do the action.

Say you want to implement the sunnah of

making wudu before sleeping every night: Ac-tion: Making wudu before sleeping each night. Reward: Forgiveness will be sought for you

by an angel (wow!) – as per the hadith of Tabaranee. Trigger: Identify the last thing

you do before getting into bed e.g., brushing your teeth. Make that the trigger, telling your-self that from now on, after you brush your

teeth, you’ll make wudu. � productivemuslim.com

11 Islamic Focus www.islamicfocus.co.za | Join Islamic Focus Blackberry group: 28BC2F31

12 Islamic Focus ISSN 2223 - 1110 (Print) | ISSN 2223 - 1129 (Online)

73 DURBAN ROAD KORSTEN PH. 041 451 3060

FINAL FO

CUS

MUEQSA (Muslim Equestrians South Africa) is

a South African initiative to network Muslim equestrians from around the country. Its de-

signed for horse enthusiasts of all levels of in-volvement including dealers, breeders and rid-ers.

MUEQSA was started in 2011 with the objec-

tive of encouraging riding as a Sunnah. It also aimed to promote the importance of horses in Islam and about the various Hadith on their

care.

AIMS � To make it easy for Muslim horse owners in South Africa to get in touch with others, to

ride, share ideas and knowledge and form smaller riding communities.

� To gather Muslim equestrians under one da-tabase so that all can be informed about

news, events, views, updates and new com-ers in the Muslim horse world.

� Establishing a base to promote horse riding

and archery.

The database has grown to over 600 members and subscribers. A monthly e-newsletter keeps people informed of happenings. The website

has information on various aspects of horses including events, horses in Islam and classi-

fieds. �

CONTACTS

Email: mueqsa@gmail.com Web: www.mueqsa.co.za

Fax: 086 730 0881

Imagine that a Genie offers you any car in the

world. The catch is that it is the only car you will ever own. What would you do?

You would read the manual ten times, change the oil twice as often as required, and you

would take fastidious care so that that car re-mained the car of your dreams forever.

Think about what this tells you about your body.

You get only one mind and one body–the

same ones you will have at 20, 40, 60, etc. Take care of them and maximize their poten-

tial. It will be too late to take care of your body and mind (and car) later on. You can

maintain them, but it is hard or impossible to undo big mistakes or negligence later on. You

do not want to end up with a wreck on your hands.

Your main asset in life is yourself.

Treat yourself as a valuable asset. I often ex-plain to students that I would be willing to pay today for a percentage of the future earnings

of good students.

If you value yourself, and invest in yourself, you will be worth a great deal through out your lifetime, both to yourself and to your

community.

Author: Warren Buffet �