The

Friday Bulletin
Rajab 13 1431/June 25 2010

The Weekly Muslim News Update

Police under fire

over refugee abuse

Issue No. 373

Nominated MP Sheikh Muhammad Dor presents a certificate to Sheikh

Muhammad Rashid, the Imam of Neema Mosque in Mombasa during a
two day workshop for cordinators of One Shilling Foundation. (Story
on Page 7)

he police is on the spotlight after being indicted

by an international human rights organization for
abusing refugees fleeing from the conflict in wartorn Somalia.
The report released in Nairobi last week by New York based
Human Rights Watch documented the widespread use of
violence, arbitrary arrests, and threats of deportation to extort huge sums of money from Somalia refugees trying to
get to refugee camps in Dadaab town.
"Refugees fleeing Somalia, majority of whom are women
and children, are welcomed to Kenya with rape, whippings,
beatings, detention, extortion, and summary deportation,"
said Gerry Simpson, a researcher and advocate with the
global rights watchdog.
The 99-page report, Welcome to Kenya: Police Abuse of
Somali Refugees called on the Kenya government to immediately restraint its abusive police force and also reopen
the refugee screening centre in Liboi border town to ensure
the secure passage to the refugee camps.
The Kenya-Somalia border was closed at the height of the
war in the neighbouring country in 2007 but this has failed
to stem the rising number of refugees fleeing the conflict in
the war torn country. The closure has been a blessing in
disguise for the police to extort money from the refugees
seeking safety in the country.
The report described the police operation along the border
as "one big money-making machine and police officers are
usually reluctant to be transferred from the area. Since
Story Continues To Page 7

Report calls for improvement in educational standards in N.E.P

A government monitoring learner achievement report has recommended the enhancement in capacity building measures for female teachers in North Eastern province and
enhancement of the school feeding programmes in arid and semi arid land (ASAL).
The report from the National Assessment Centre which focussed on monitoring learner
achievement for class three also called for special attention to be extended to ASAL
areas in improving the quality of education to ensure that pupils catch up with those in
other areas.
The study co-ordinated by Mukhtar A. Ogle said capacity building measures for female
teachers in the province is required to sensitize them on how they can be role models to
the girls.
Girls in the province were greatly outperformed by boys in both the literacy and numeracy
areas and it was suggested that the education policy should rectify this by minimizing the
gender gap.
The feeding programme was hailed for its role in promoting education in arid areas as
it encourages children to go to school where regular meals are provided at no cost. Increasing this programme will be in line with the governments strategy of increasing the
number of children attending school, the study noted.
Story Continues To Page 2

www.islamkenya.com

This Week
Editorial

What ails us in employment?

Da'wa

Isra' and Mira'j

P2
P3

Women Issues

Aisha binti Abubakar

P4

Youth and Children

Helping parents come closer to Allah

P5

Feature
The Pitfall of loving the game

P6

National News

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

P7

Rajab 13 1431/June 25 2010

The Friday Bulletin

Editorial

What ails us in employment?

When matters arise with regard to high unemployment rates
among Muslim, the often cited reason for this factor is marginalization experienced by Muslims over the years by the successive
governments. This argument has served as an excuse for not appropriately taking a keen look at solutions to the problems facing
our community.
High unemployment rates contribute to rising poverty levels which
in itself is an obstacle to social economic growth. Reducing unemployment levels is therefore, an important element in uplifting the
social conditions of the community as well as meeting the government social and economic blueprint.
On this aspect it is rather disturbing that our community is also a
contributory factor. It appears on an individual level, there is no
impetus among many Muslims to get out of the yokes of unemployment.
The government and the private sector often advertise vacant positions in various departments which are open to all Kenyans regardless of their backgrounds.
In the daily papers and other Media, hundreds of vacancies are advertised but many Muslims do not take up the challenge to respond
and apply to these opportunities which could hold the key in giving
them a better beginning in their lives.
The end result is that many Muslims are left out in employment positions, both in senior levels and the lower job classes not because
they lack qualifications but for unknown reasons do not submit their
applications.
In many Muslim dominated areas, departments from the government and the public sector have had to import human resources
from other parts of the country to fill the gaps due to lack of people
who have expressed interests in the available job positions.
In the list of short listed candidates to full various positions in the
ministry of education, among more than 3,000 people who applied,
only about 100 were Muslims. Last month, the health ministry
also unveiled a list of candidates to serve in various districts of the
country, it was the same situation as the vast majority of candidates

in North Eastern and Coast province where applicants from other

parts of the country.
Muslims institutions which had put in place affirmative measures
for Muslims have not escaped the same reality. One of the establishments recently advertised for positions in the media while
hundred of applicants were received from others, not more than
20 came from Muslims. A sad situation indeed.
The same situation is evident in the informal sector. Among Jua
Kali artisans, kiosk operators, mkokoteni pushers, cobblers, market vendors and the matatu industry, it is a daunting task to find
Muslims in these areas despite the fact that they are easily accessible.
The governments through development oriented schemes like
Youth Enterprise Development Fund, Women Development Fund,
Kazi Kwa Vijana and others have economically benefited many
Kenyans but such beneficial projects have not had the desired impact among many Muslims especially the youth.
It is imperative with the desired qualifications take a more active
role in applying for the available employment opportunities and
then put our trust in Allah.
Both the public and private sector have innumerable opportunities
which could be a source of employment for many Muslims.
Even for those who have qualified and failed to get absorbed in the
white collar area, seeking an alternative means in the informal sector could also be a vehicle for uplifting ones standard of living.
While it has been shunned by many for its perceived low income
earning, this sector has transformed the lives of thousands of Kenyans to much greater heights of earning an economic livelihood.
Focus should also be extended to job creations rather than seeking employment.
While Muslim organisations have a role to play in fighting unemployment, on an individual level, one can play a role in securing
gainful employment which will contribute positively to his welfare
and that of the nation at large.

Improve educational standards

in North Eastern

Security vital to achieve peace in

Northern Kenya

Story from Page 1

The success of the disarmament exercise in Northern Kenya will

largely depend on the governments commitment to increase security for the residents of the region.
A member of the Ewaso Nyiro peace Caravan, a non governmental organization dealing with peace issues in the districts of Isiolo,
Nanyuki, Meru, Marsabit and Moyale, Abdullahi Galgalo said many
of those in possession of illegal arms in the areas feared returning
their arms due to the prevalent insecurity situation in the areas.
Although the peace process is being welcomed by the communities in the area, more has to be done from all the security and other
stakeholders in ensuring peace prevails to give an opportunity for
development in the areas affected, he said.
Galgalo disclosed that most of those in possession of the illegal
arms were not willing to return the guns for fear of being attacked
by the other communities.
He decried the prevalence of insecurity in the areas saying that
it had contributed to under-development as many resources are
negatively impacted on by security matters while other regions
concentrate on development issues.
He went on to challenge local MPs, the provincial administration
and other local leaders in the region to spearhead the peace processes and advised the local communities who are predominantly
pastoralists to live cordially and peacefully among themselves
The Ewaso Nyiro caravan has formed a committee comprising of
elders from different communities in the north frontier regions in a
bid to foster peace among them and work to improve socio-economic standards of the region.

The study, National Assessment System for Monitoring Learner

Achievement (NASMLA) released this week showed that North
Eastern Province had the highest proportion of over aged school
going children standing at 71.7 percent followed by Coast Province
with 55.4 percent. Due to the hardships experienced in the province, many children start attending school when they are more than
the six years-the government recommended enrolment age for joining class one.
The report further revealed that over 57 percent of the pupils in
primary schools in the province do not attend pre-school which is
considered a vital stage in the learning process.
Education minister Sam Ongeri appealed to all education stakeholders to proactively interact with the report so as to ensure success in
the educational sector of the country.
The Minister directed all Provincial and District directors of education to contribute in ensuring that the standards of education in the
country improve as most of the ASAL areas lugged behind. On his
part, permanent secretary of education James ole Kiyiapi said that
the report will help in addressing quality matters in the educational
sector of the country.
The research focussed on gender, class repetition, special learner
needs, school infrastructure, text books and teachers motivation.
This research comes barely months after another report showed
that many Muslim dominated districts ranked among the worst performing areas in the rankings of the annual learning assessment
report by a non-governmental organisation Uwezo on the standards
of education in the country.

Rajab 13 1431/June 25 2010

The Friday Bulletin

DA'WA

Isra' and Miraj-The night journey and ascension

hammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was charged with the
office of prophethood for both the Houses of Allah, those in Jerusalem and Makkah, and was sent as the leader of the East and
the West or the entire human race until the end of time. As the
inheritor of all the Prophets of old, he represented the fulfillment and
consummation of mankinds religious development. His nightly journey from Makkah to Jerusalem expresses, in a figurative way, that
his personality conformed and alluded to the oneness of Al-Masjid
Al-Haram at Makkah and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa at Jerusalem. That all
the Prophets arrayed themselves behind him in Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa
shows that the doctrine of Islam, preached by him, was final, universal and all comprehensive, meant for every class and section of
human society throughout the ages.
The event is, at the same time, indicative of the comprehensiveness of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings be
upon him) the place accorded to his followers in the great task of
humanitys guidance and the distinctive character of his message.
The incident of Al-Isra' and Al-Mi`raj represents a demarcation line
between the regional, limited and variable rules of divine guidance
entrusted to the Prophets of old and the global, comprehensive and
abiding principles of faith conferred to the universal leader of human race. Had the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
been a sectional or regional guide, a national leader, the savior of
any particular race or the restorer of the glory of any particular people, there would have been no need to honour him with ascension
to the Heavens nor would he have been required to perceive the
hidden phenomena of the Heavens and the earth. Nor would it have
been necessary to create a new link between the celestial and the
earthly surface of the Divine Kingdom; in that case the confines of
his own land, his surroundings environs and the times would have
been sufficient enough and there would have been no need for him
to divert his attention to any other land or country. Neither his ascension to the most sublime regions of the Heavens and to the LotTree of the Farthest Limit or even the nocturnal journey to the far
away Jerusalem, then in the grip of the powerful Christian Empire
of Byzantium, would have been necessary at all.
The Journey of Al-Isra' and Al-Mi`raj of the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) was a divine proclamation that he had nothing to do with the category of national or political leaders whose endeavors are limited to their own country and nation, for they serve
the nations and races to which they belong and are a product of
their time, they serve the need of a particular juncture. The Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) of Islam, on the contrary, belonged to the luminous line of the Messengers of Allah (peace and
blessings be upon them all) who communicate the inspired message of Heaven to the earth. They are links between Allah and His
creatures.
As we contemplate the occurrences of this remarkable night, we
can say that Allah had a very good reason for Muhammad (peace
and blessings be upon him) to be transported from Makkah to Jerusalem and then to the Seven Heavens.
This unique incident also demonstrates Allahs infinite mercy to the
believers. His benevolent gift of Prayer gives the believers the privilege of acquiring countless blessings and also forgiveness for their
indiscretions.

Blessed is the One who took His Servant during part of the
night on a journey from Masjid Al-Haram to Masjid Al-Aqsa,
whose precincts we did bless [TMQ 17:1]
As for its exact date, it is still controversial and no agreement has
been reached. However, the majority of jurists are in favor of a date
between 16-12 months prior to migration to Madinah.
It was during this period that the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) found himself made to have a night journey from the
Ka`bah in Makkah to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (The Farthest Mosque) in
Jerusalem. Then he was borne to the celestial regions where he
witnessed the seven heavens, met the Prophets of the past and
saw the remarkable signs of divine majesty about which the Quran
says: The eye turned not aside nor yet was overbold, verily he saw
one of the greater revelations of his Lord. (An-Najm: 17-18)
Occurrence of the event at that time was meant to confer dignity
upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It signified
something of higher regale in order to console and alleviate the
feelings of distress caused to him by the persecution of the pagans
at Taif. This was also a solace for him after he lost his two main
supporters who had stood by him during the stiff opposition against
the message of Islam-his beloved wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid and
his uncle, Abu Talib.
Shortly before the Hijrah, (the migration to Madinah) the Prophet's
uncle Abu Talib died. Though the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam tried his best to get him to accept Islam, he chose to remain in
the religion of his forefathers. This hurt the Prophet a lot because
Abu Talib had raised him from his early childhood and had protected him from a lot of harm which the tribe of Quraysh had tried
to do to him.
A few days after Abu Talib's death, the Prophet's wife, Khadijah bint
Khuwaylid died. It was she who comforted him during his first difficult experiences with revelation and during the early attacks and
rejection of his people.
Following that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam went to Taif
with the aim of winning the leaders of it to Islam so they could support him and establish Islam, but his invitation was totally rejected.
He was chased out of the city and stoned so badly that his sandal
became clogged with blood.
From these events which occurred around the same time, the
Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam suffered a series of disappointing set-backs and trials. Thus, Allah took him up into His presence
in order to strengthen him and prepare him for the next, forthcoming
difficult stage of Prophethood which would be the Hijra, the establishment of the Islamic state the carrying of Islam to the world by
Dawah and Jihad
After the incident of Al-Isra' and Al-Mi`raj, the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) told the people about his nocturnal journey,
but the Quraysh mocked him and shook their heads stating that it
was inconceivable and beyond the bounds of reason. When Abu
Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw the Quraysh accusing
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) of falsehood, he
said, What makes you wonder about it? If he said this, then it must
be true. By Allah, he tells me that the revelation descends upon him
from Heaven in a flash or in an instant during the day or night and I
believe him. This is even more unimaginable and difficult than what
seems to astound you."
Because of that statement of Abu Bakr, the Prophet (saw) gave him
the title of "as-Siddiq (the truthful)."
Real Significance of Al-Isra' and Al-Mi`raj
The journey of Al-Isra' and Al-Mi`raj did not occur in a routine or
ordinary run of things only to demonstrate the profound phenomena
of the Kingdom of Allah in the Heavens and the earth to the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) of Islam. More than that, such
a prophetic journey of tremendous importance alludes to a number
of other significant and complex realities of far-reaching concern to
humanity.
The two Qur'anic chapters (Surahs) of Al-Isra' and An-Najm revealed in connection with this heavenly journey indicate that Mu-

Islamic Lecture

Madhara ya Shirk katika mujtama

Sheikh Juma Amir
Sat. 26th June 2010 2.00 pm-4.00 pm
Makina Mosque-Kibera

Saturday Lecture

Y
Social Upbringing
NL
O
Ustadha Amina Itilala
S
Sat. 26th June 2010 2.00 pm-4.00 pm STER
SI
Jamia Multi Purpose Hall

Rajab 13 1431/June 25 2010

The Friday Bulletin

WOMEN ISSUES

Aishah Bint Abu Bakr- the one who affirms the Truth
The life of Aishah is proof that a woman can be far more learned
than men and that she can be the teacher of scholars and experts.
Her life is also proof that a woman can exert influence over men and
women and provide them with inspiration and leadership . Her life
is also proof that the same woman can be totally feminine and be a
source of pleasure, joy and comfort to her husband.
Aishah did not graduate from any formal university. There were no
formal institutions of learning her days. Her utterances, however,
are studied in faculties of literature, her legal pronouncements are
studied in colleges of law and her life and works are studied and researched by students and teachers of Muslim history as they have
been for over a thousand years.
The bulk of her vast treasure of knowledge was obtained while she
was still quite young. In her early childhood she was brought up
by her father who was greatly liked and respected for he was a man of wide knowledge, gentle manners and an agreeable
presence. Moreover he was the closest
friend of the noble Prophet Muhammad
salallahu alayhi wa sallam who was a frequent visitor to their home since the very
early days of his mission.
In her youth, already known for her striking beauty and her formidable memory, she came under the loving care and attention of
the Prophet himself. As his wife and close companion she acquired
from him knowledge and insight such as no woman has
ever acquired.
Aishah became the Prophet's wife in Makkah when she was most
likely in the tenth year of her life but her wedding did not take place
until the second year after the Hijrah.
Of the Prophet's wives in Madinah, it was clear that it was Aishah
that he loved most. From time to time, one or the other of his companions would ask: "O Messenger of God, whom do you love most
in the world?" He did not always give the same answer to this question for he felt great love for many for his daughters and their children, for
Abu Bakr, for Ali, for Zayd and his son Usamah. Of his wives, however, the only one he named in this connection was Aishah. She
too loved him greatly in return and often would seek reassurance
from him that he loved her. Once she asked him: "How is your love
for me?"
"Like the rope's knot," he replied meaning that it was strong and
secure. Time after time thereafter, she would ask him: "How is the
knot?" and he would reply: "Ala haaliha -in the same condition.
As she loved the Prophet so was her love a jealous love and she
could not bear the thought that the Prophet's attentions should be
given to others more than seemed enough to her. Of her jealousy,
Aishah would say in later years: "I was not, jealous of any other wife
of the Prophet as I was jealous of Khadijah because of his constant
mentioning of her and because Allah had commanded him to give
her good tidings of a mansion in Paradise of precious stones. And
whenever he sacrificed a sheep he would send a fair portion of it to
those who had been her intimate friends.
Once, when Aishah complained and asked why he spoke so highly
of "an old Quraysh woman", the Prophet was hurt and said: "She
was the wife who believed in me when others rejected me. When
people gave me the lie, she affirmed my truthfulness. When I stood
forsaken, she spent her wealth to lighten the burden of my sorrow.."
Despite her feelings of jealousy which nonetheless were not of a
destructive kind, Aishah was really a generous soul and a patient
one. She bore with the rest of the Prophet's household poverty and
hunger which often lasted for long periods. For days on end no fire
would be lit in the sparsely furnished house of the Prophet for cooking or baking bread and they would live merely on dates and water.
Poverty did not cause her distress or humiliation; self-sufficiency
when it did come did not corrupt her style of life.
Later when the Muslims were favored with enormous riches, she
was given a gift of one hundred thousand dirhams. She was fasting

when she received the money and she

distributed the entire amount to the poor and the needy even
though she had no provisions in her house. Shortly after, a maidservant said to her: "Could you buy meat for a dirham with which
to break your fast?" "If I had remembered, I would have done so,"
she said.
Aishah lived on almost fifty years after the passing away of the
Prophet. She had been his wife for slightly over a decade. Much
of this time was spent in learning and acquiring knowledge of the
two most important sources of God's guidance, the Quran and the
Sunnah of His Prophet. Aishah was one of three wives (the other
two being Hafsah and Umm Salamah) who memorized the Quran.
Like Hafsah, she had her own script of the Quran written after the
Prophet had died.
So far as the Ahadith or sayings of the Prophet
are concerned, Aishah is one of four persons
(the others being Abu Hurayrah, Abdullah ibn
Umar, and Anas ibn Malik) who transmitted
more than two thousand sayings. Many of
these pertain to some of the most intimate aspects of personal behavior which only someone in Aishah's position could have learnt.
What is most important is that her knowledge
of hadith was passed on in written form by at least three persons
including her nephew Urwah who became one of
the greatest scholars among the generation after the Companions.
Many of the learned companions of the Prophet and their followers benefitted from Aishah's knowledge. Abu Musa al-Ashari once
said: "If we companions of the Messenger of God had any difficulty
on a matter, we asked Aishah about it."
Her nephew Urwah asserts that she was proficient not only in fiqh
but also in medicine (tibb) and poetry. Many of the senior companions of the Prophet came to her to ask for advice concerning questions of inheritance which required a highly skilled mathematical
mind. Scholars regard her as one of the earliest fuqaha of Islam
along with persons like Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ali and Abdullah ibn
continued in page 7

Mothers of the
Believers

The Friday Bulletin Kitchen

Strawberry cake

Ingredients

2 cups white sugar

1 tbs strawberry flavour
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs (room temperature)
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup strawberry puree made from frozen straw berries

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease
and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and
strawberry flavour until light and fluffy
Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each
Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the dough
alternately with the milk
Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the dough evenly
between the prepared pans
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a
small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out
clean.
Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10
minutes, before taking out to cool completely.
Share your favourite recipes with our readers. Send them to P. O. Box 10078600100 or email:fridaybulletin@islamkenya.com or fridaybulletin@gmail.com

Rajab 13 1431/June 25 2010

The Friday Bulletin

YOUTH AND CHILDREN

by Taha Ghayyur

Helping Parents Come Closer to Allah

"I have spent several sleepless nights praying to Allah to guide my

parents," is what Karima, 15, once wrote. My parents are so corrupt
that I just hope they could make it to Paradise!" is how Tariq, 19,
once vented his frustration over his parents un-Islamic practices.
Perhaps in every home today, there is a Karima or Tariq, a youth
who is concerned about their parents moral condition. This phenomenon involves a youth whom, perhaps not so long ago, Allah has
blessed with His choicest guidance, and they are now struggling to
revolutionize their life-style in the light of this new-found faith.
In this energetic Super-Muslim phase of our journey to Islam, we
find two types of youth:
The model of Karima - who is constantly seeking Allahs help in
making her parents understand and live Islam; humble and sincere,
but simply over-whelmed.
The example of Tariq - who is sincere in his relationship with Allah, striving to change himself for the better. In the process, however,
he has become a bit arrogant; even though he desires his parents
to change and reach Jannah (Paradise), due to his judgemental attitude, he is often frustrated and confrontational with his parents.
The stress and grief a concerned Muslim youth experiences at the
spiritual/moral/religious state of their parents is only natural. Inviting our culturally-oriented parents or elder siblings, closer to Allah is
perhaps the most pains-taking and distressing task a young Muslim
would have to undertake.
We must, however, persevere because we love our parents and
would not want them to be among the losers in the Hereafter. How
could we rest in peace? They have spent their whole life caring for
us at times when we were too young to even recognize and appreciate their patience and compassion towards us. At the same time,
we could only do so much to help our parents change their lifestyle.
After all, it is Allah who is the ultimate changer of the hearts.
Before we embark on a crusade to save our parents from the
clutches of Hellfire, it is imperative that we take the following tips
and words of wisdom into consideration:
Before anything else, thank Allah to have guided you and empowered you with the beautiful message of His Deen! Express your
gratitude through Du'a, praying extra voluntary prayers (Nawafil),
and helping those in need. As a result, your relationship with Allah
will strengthen and your humility will increase. At the same time, ask
yourself: "What and where would I be today, had Allah not blessed
me with His Message and Mercy? What makes me feel that I am the
only chosen one?" These questions should soften your heart and
evoke greater sympathy towards your parents and elders.
. Your Task: Simply convey the Message of Islam through your
actions and counselling, while expressing your sincere love, obedience, care, and wisdom. It is ultimately their decision to choose or
not to choose to come closer to Allah.
Avoid preaching to your parents: i.e. Help them realise their opportunities for improvement through indirect, non-verbal, and nonconfrontational means. Perhaps, by now you have begun growing a
beard as a brother or have observed Hijab as a sister, memorized a
few Arabic words and Hadiths, use phrases like Insha'Allah in your
conversation more often, and you are all puffed-up and well on your
way to becoming a Super-Muslim. These dramatic changes in your
appearance and style of speech may be shocking enough to your
parents. So please, remember not to fire Quranic verses or Hadiths
at your parents for the sake of preaching or argument. Parents do
not want to listen to their children lecturing them on how and why
they are wrong and sinful.
Emphasise: Strengthening relationship with Allah, through understanding and studying the Quran. Ultimately, after our death, it's our
intimacy with Allah that really matters.
Adopt flexibility, give up rigidity: Using wisdom means, doing the
right thing, at the right place, the right time. Often, due to our desire
for the well-being of our parents, we become stubborn on our stand
and expect our parents to follow it immediately. We fail to realize who
we are speaking to and the age difference; etiquette and respect is
disregarded in the name of establishing the Truth. How often we
come across young Muslims making a great fuss over their parents
celebrating birthdays (which is often part of family custom) to the ex-

tent that emotions run high, party is boycotted, and parents/elders

are branded ignorant, corrupt, people of innovationsetc.
While such celebrations are not Islamically aceptable, we need to
evaluate and set our priorities straight: What would you gain for
your parents guidance by using such offensive language? The
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised his companions: Make Islam and its affairs easy for people, and do not
create hardships for them (through your behaviour and ignorance).
Spread the glad tidings, and do not make people run away"
(Sahih al-Bukhari).

Shahadah and Prophet hood

The Shahadah is the first pillar of Islam. Shahadah

is the declaration that there is no god but Allah and
Prophet Muhammad, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, is the
Messenger of Allah.
Tawheed (Oneness of Allah):
The first part of the Shahadah, that there is no god
but Allah attests the Oneness of Allah. There are numerous verses in the Qur'an about Tawheed or the
Oneness of Allah.
In the first surah of the Qur'an it says: "You alone
do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help." (AlFatiha 1: 4) Similarly, the Qur'an also states: "Worship
Allah and join no partner with Him." [An-Nisaa 4:36]
The most summarizing expression is in Surah Ikhlas:
"Say, He is Allah, the One. The eternally besought by
all. He begetteth not, nor was He begotten. And there
is no one comparable to Him." [Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4]
Associating partners with Allah is called Shirk. Shirk is
not only the worship of idols, but also offering prayers
or supplications to anyone, living or dead, believing
that they hold the same attribute as Him. The Qur'an
considers Shirk as an unpardonable sin. It says: "Allah
forgives not that partners should be set up with Him;
but He forgives anything else to whom He pleases; to
set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most evil
indeed." [An-Nisaa 4:48] "What! Shall I seek for you as
god other than Allah, while He has given you superiority
over all creations." [Al-An'am 7:14]
The Holy Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is reported to have said: "Shirk is the greatest of all sins."
Prophethood:
The next basic requirement is to believe in all the
Prophets of Allah. The Qur'an says: "He who obeys the
messengers obeys Allah." [An-Nisaa 4:80] Allah sent
prophets in different periods of time to communicate
His guidance with human beings.
They were raised from the nation in which they were
sent to preach for. They preached in the languages
of there nations as the Qur'an says: "And there not
a nation but a warner has passed among them." [Fatir
35:24] "And for every people there is (sent) a guide."
[Ar-Ra'd 13:7]
Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is the
last Prophet. No prophet shall come after him. He was
sent for all mankind as he said: "Every prophet before
me was sent for his own people but I am sent for all
mankind."

Rajab 13 1431/June 25 2010

The Friday Bulletin

FEATURE

The pitfalls of loving the game

The biggest sports extravaganza is currently taking place in South infringed upon as employees are supposed to fulfil their part of the
Africa which entered into the record books as the first African coun- bargain by living up to their obligations which they are paid for. Allah
try to host the FIFA World Cup.
says, Verily Allah commands you to fulfill your trusts to those whom
The hype and talk presently is the World Cup 2010. Soccer-mania it is due, (Surah an-Nisa:58). He also says: O you who believe,
has gripped the hearts and minds of millions around the world, Mus- fulfill (all) obligations. [Srah al-Midah: 1]
lims included.
Among the growing phenomenon in sports event, notably football,
The general ruling in Islam is that everything is permissible until is the act of hero-worship. While many Muslims do not find it imporproven Haram. This applies to soccer and other sports as well. tant to know the names or biographies of the heroes of Islam- the
Watching or attending a soccer match would be permissible but Prophets, companions, scholars and other eminent personalitiesthe ruling can change as a result of varying circumstances. The fol- yet many people take time to study the entire life stories of many
lowing are reasons that can make it Haram (not permissible) for a sports stars, actors and musicians. From the amount they earn, the
houses they live, and even the cars they drive, all these information
person to watch soccer or any other form of entertainment:
If it causes one to miss Salah. Salah is the single most important is literary on their fingertips.
obligation in Islam after the testimony of faith (Shahadah). Anything How many of us know about the life and times of heroes like Abuwhich causes a person to miss Salah would be Haram for that in- bakar as-Siddiq, Umar Ibn Khattab, Ibn Taymiyyah, Salahuddin al
Ayyub, Nurdin az Zangi, Sultan Mudividual to do. It is rather unfortunate
hammad al Fatih, the Conqueror of
that due to the concurrence in the time
Constantinople, Zainab al Ghazali,
of the ongoing world cup matches and
these great men and women who
salah especially Maghrib here in Kenmade tremendous sacrifices which
ya, it has led to some people to forego
contributed to the growth of Islam.
the Salah in congregations choosing to
postpone it and pray at what they see
On the contrary, these stars are taken
as their convenient time.
as the role models and it is a common
phenomenon to see youths molding
At these times, mosques are empty as
their lifestyles on these stars. The
the fans decide to pray at home while
clothes they wear, their styles of walkothers have gone to the extremes and
ing and the hairstyles are all perfected
opted to abandon the Salah altogether,
to match with those they consider to
so as not to miss a moment in watching
their role models
men run after the leather ball.
With the growing popularity of the EuWe ought to be mindful of the severe
ropean soccer league in the country,
warnings from the Prophet Salallahu
it has become the trend to keenly folalayhi wa-sallam regarding those who
low up the progress of the teams and
abandon the prayers or take the Salah
the favourite players- an inclination
with simplicity. He said, Do not forgo
which borders on worship. Many are
Salah intentionally, lest you should get
ready to die and even kill to protect
out of the fold of Islam. Do not perpethe dignity of their teams or players.
trate disobedience to Allah, lest you deLast year, a Nairobi resident went to
serve His Wrath. He also said: The dithe extent of hanging himself after his
viding line between kufr (unbelief) and
team in the English premier league
Iman (faith) is Salah. And a person
Arsenal lost. Recently in Mombasa, a
who has missed one Salah is like one
youth stabbed his friend to death after
who has lost all his family and wealth.
an argument emerged regarding their
During the 1994 world cup in the United
different teams. In all these incidents,
States, scores of people used to wake
regrettably those involved were Musup in the late hours of the night so as
lims.
not to miss the action but for these
While some of us can go to the exsame people it becomes an agonizing
tremes of having these tendencies,
task when it comes to waking up for
the same fervent desires are not exthe night prayers-Tahajjud.
hibited when it comes to loving our reSome people spend so much time beligion, our beloved Prophet salalllahu
hind the TV screens engaged in watchalayhi wa sallam or his blessed comOmar
Fredrick
Kanoute,
the
2007
African
Footballer
ing these sports and neglect their
of the year who plays for Spanish club. Seville. In
panions. While grief becomes evident
family responsibilities. In the name of
2007, he saved the only mosque in the southern
when ones favourite team loses or
enjoying football, the rights of the wives
Spanish city of Seville from closure after he paid
is bounded out of the World Cup, the
and children are forsaken. If it was
US$700,000 (Sh56 million) so that fellow Muslims
same feelings are rarely shown when
possible, I would stop this event
in Seville would not find themselves without a
our Muslims brothers are butchered
altogether, said Umm Mayra
mosque.
in Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya, Afcomplaining about the angush in the
ghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Thailand, or
home brought about by the fervent atBurma.
titude in the ongoing world cup tournament.
While indulging in these crazed obsessions, it is imperative that
Some even decide to abandon their homes in favour of social joints we bear in mind that these so-called stars or teams, however much
to party with other fans to enjoy the game notwithstanding that in they are adored, they cannot in anyway contribute to the wellbeing
such areas, un-Islamic practices like consumption of alcohol and of a person in this life or the hereafter.
free mixing of the sexes is a common feature.
Our focus should be in our role models whose life till the end of time
Employees also look for flimsy excuses to abandon their work and serves as an inspiration to millions and is replete with valuable lesresponsibilities to leave early for home to watch the game. While sons which have immense benefits to the social, mental and spirdoing this, it should be noted that the rights of their employers is itual welfare of a Muslim.

Rajab 13 1431/June 25 2010

The Friday Bulletin

NATIONAL NEWS

Training programme for One Shilling coordinators

In a bid to streamline its operations, the One Shilling Foundation
has embarked on training programmes for its coordinators. The programme kicked off in Mombasa with a training programme which
benefited 26 six coordinators in the district.
The programme aims at providing more effective and efficient skills
in their responsibilities.
Nominated MP Sheikh Muhammad Dor who was the guest of honour noted professional skills, patience and objective planning were
important in seeing to it that targets and objectives of an organisations are achieved.
He reminded Muslims of their duties and responsibilities to the Ummah saying that each Muslims had an obligation to promote the
welfare of the community.
The MP who is also the secretary general of the Council of Imams
and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) applauded the One Shilling Foundation for creating the noble idea of collecting small donations from
Muslims across the country to empower the Ummah.
I call upon all Muslims in the country to support and safeguard
this valuable institution which runs according to the Sunnah of the

Police under fire over refugees

continued from page1
2007 when the screening centre in Liboi was closed, asylum seekers from Somalia have faced intolerable abuse
at the hands of Kenyan police. This must be stopped without delay, said Simpson.
Simpson asserted that it was a flagrant violation of Kenyan and international refugee laws for police to deny refugees passage into recognized camps and accusing them
of being in Kenya illegally.
The report also accused the police for not taking action to
stop the widespread rape of women and girls inside the
refugee camps in Dadaab, leaving the perpetrators go off
the hook unpunished. To curtail the increasing cases of
sexual abuse against women, the report suggested that
more female police officers to be deployed in the camp to
respond to the cases.
The report also asked the United Nations Commission
for Refugees (UNHRC) to swiftly introduce a new protection monitoring system within the camps and press for an
end to the abuses the refugees undergo while in those
camps.
Deputy Police Spokesperson Charles Owino who was
present at the press conference revealed that a special
police team has been established by Police Commissioner Matthew Iteere to investigate the reports claims.
The investigative team headed by the Director of Complaints has been dispatched to the areas in question to
evaluate the situation on the ground. We promise to take
necessary action as soon as possible, Owino said.
He added that Internal Security minister George Saitoti
had also constituted a team comprising local religious
leaders, youth and women representatives and the police
to investigate the allegations and report to him immediately.
Dadaab hosts the worlds largest refugee settlement
where more than 300,000 refugees from Somalia and
other countries like Ethiopia and Sudan are crammed
into three refugee camps of Dagahaley, Ifo and Hagadera
operated by UNHCR.

FROM THE BOOK OF ALLAH

And to every soul will be paid in full the fruit
of its Deeds; and Allah knows best all that they
do. (The Quran 39:70)

Prophet, he said.
Various Instructors were at hand at the seminar to provide the professional expertise to the coordinators. These included management consultants Amina Errey, Dr. R.S. Marjan, , Jaclyne Agengo,
George Opanyi, Mohamed Barma as well Ali Khamis the project
manager at the One Shilling Foundation.
The two-day training covered diverse subjects which included time
management, social marketing, client service, client care, client culture, service culture, personality qualities and personal grooming
which includes religious attachment and socialization.
Various instructors who included business as well as marketing
consultants gave first hand training to the coordinators drawn from
various areas in the district such as Buxton, Ganjoni, Magongo,
Jomvu, Sakina, Kisauni, Mtopanga and as far as Kilifi town.
The one shilling foundation is a non profitable organisation run by
the Ummah foundation that aims at collecting one shilling a day
from every Muslim in the country to ensure the Ummah is provided
with essential infrastructures like school and hospitals.

'Preserve Islamic values in Marriage'

Muslim couples have been advised to embrace patience and perseverance in
their marriages to ensure that the growing numbers of divorce in the country
is reduced.
Speaking while giving the weekly Saturday lecture last week, the Imam of
Jamia mosque Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu said that married coupled had to
feel affection for to their partners to ensure their marriage survives. Couples
should embrace patience, love and perseverance in their marriages as these
are core issues that will strengthen the bond between a husband and a wife,
Sheikh Swalihu said.
Sheikh Swalihu stressed that couples should base their marital affairs according to the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet peace
be upon him which he said were the fundamental principals to a successful
marriage.
The Imam also urged Muslims to remain steadfast in practicing the teachings
of their religion and shun away from foreign influences.
He also told Muslims in the country to ensure that they perform the mandatory
prayers (salah) in time especially during this world cup period where many
matches are being played during prayer times.

Aishah Bint Abu Bakr

Story from Page 4

Abbas. The Prophet referring to her extensive knowledge of Islam is reported
to have said: "Learn a portion of your religion (din) from this red colored lady."
"Humayra" meaning "Red-coloured" was an epithet given toAishah by the
Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. Aishah not only possessed great knowledge but took an active part in education and social reform.
Men and women came from far and wide to benefit from her knowledge. The
number of women is said to have been greater than that of men. Besides
answering enquiries, she took boys and girls, some of them orphans, into her
custody and trained them under her care and guidance. This was in addition
to her relatives who received instruction from her. Her house thus became a
school and an academy.
Some of her students were outstanding. We have already mentioned her
nephew Urwah as a distinguished reporter of hadith. Among her women pupils is the name of Umrah bint Abdur Rahman. She is regarded by scholars as
one of the trustworthy narrators of hadith and is said to have acted as Aishah's
secretary receiving and replying to letters addressed to her. The example of
Aishah in promoting education and in particular the education of Muslim women in the laws and teachings of Islam is one which needs to be followed.
After Khadijah al-Kubra (the Great) and Fatimah az-Zahra (the Resplendent),
Aishah as-Siddiqah (the one who affirms the Truth) is regarded as the best
woman in Islam. Because of the strength of her personality, she was a leader
in every field in knowledge, in society and in politics.. She died in the year 58
AH in the month of Ramadhan and as she instructed, was buried in the Jannat
al-Baqi in the City of Light, beside other companions of the Prophet salallahu
alayhi wa sallam.

Anger after UK bans Dr. Zakir Naik and Bilal Phillps

In a move which has sparked protest in
the Muslim world, the UK home secretary, Ms Thereasa May banned the entry
of the world renowned Islamic Scholar
Dr. Zakir Naik into the country. Dr. Zakir
Naik is the president founder of Islamic
Research Foundation which is based in
Mumbai, India. He also runs the popular
Muslim television channel Peace TV.
He was to attend the 2010 peace
conference which was scheduled
to be addressed by leading Muslim scholars from around the
world.
Ms Thereasa May said that
entry into the country is a privilege and not a right of a foreign
individual. She also added
that all those people who
promote hate and terrorism will not be allowed to enter into
the territory of UK.
She has alleged that
Dr. Naik spreads hate
speech and that he
supports the actions of
Osama Bin Laden.
The exclusion report
submitted by the UK authorities essentially has few quotes from Dr. Naiks lectures based on which they issued the
Ban. However, the quotes have been
taken completely out of context from the
speeches of Dr Naik. Instead he openly
denounces terrorism in his speeches and
lectures. He has been delivering lectures
for the past 20 years and there is not
a single lecture in which he appears to
have supported terrorism.
His stance on Osama Bin Laden is based
on the fact that a person cannot be called
a terrorist unless he is proven guilty in the
court of law. He clearly states that he neither considers Osama bin Laden to be a
saint, nor a terrorist.

In an official statement released on June

17th, Dr. Naik has urged the British government to reconsider the ban as it is
completely based on false perception.
He says that the statements made by the
home secretary are completely baseless
and out of context.
"It is clear from many of my talks that in
Islam, terrorism and killings of innocent
civilians is completely forbidden and
as such I have unequivocally stated several times that no Muslim
should be a terrorist.
"However, what is more surprising is that the UK government,
which has so many resources to
its disposal, has acted on falsehoods of the media and without
cross checking the facts. Even a
basic investigation into my
speeches would have revealed the truth that I stand
for peace and harmony
and I am strictly against
terrorism of any kind,"
he said.
Several Muslim organizations
from
around the world
have protested this decision of the British
government. Many groups in Britain are
staging protest and appealing for a recall
of this ban. Dr Naik is a well known personality amongst the Muslims who is revered by millions of his fans from around
the world.
This Ban has been challenged by Dr. Zakir Naik in the high court.
Meanwhile, another renowned Islamic
Canadian Scholar, Dr. Bilal Philips has
also been denied entry into UK. He was
asked to return back from the airport itself. Dr. Bilal Philips was scheduled to arrive in UK to attend the Quran Conference
which was due to be held on 20th June.

Mombasa leaders lead the way

It is a fact that one shilling is such a small unit
that can hardly buy anything these days. The
concept of the One Shilling Foundation is build
on the fact that if all Muslims contribute a shilling a day, Muslims can be able to save enough
money to establish worthwhile national institutions like universities, schools and hospitals. It
is a concept that is all involving. It is a concept
based on the power of the numbers; the power
of the entire Muslim populace.
There are leaders in Mombasa who have taken
the initiative to include the guidance and management of the One Shilling Foundation`s activities as part of their daily or weekly responsibilities. This has given the Mombasa branch of
the foundation the impetus to sail smoothly from
a beginners level to an unwavering, young,
bright, vibrant and dynamic level.
Foremost, is the support from nominated Member of Parliament and Imam of Mbaruki Masjid,
Sheikh Muhammad Dor. The foundation profits
from his guidance, advice, and expertise as a
religious scholar and national leader.
Then, there is Dr. R. S. Marjan of the Aga Khan
Hospital, Mombasa, who is also one of the most
honoured medical practitioners in the town. He
is the chairman of the Mombasa branch advisory committee of the One Shilling Foundation.
He is a participative leader who maintains the
foundations administration in his daily journal.
There is also Mrs. Amina Errey, former Kenya
Commercial Bank (KCB) Manager, Mombasa,
and now a leading business consultant. She
has added the much needed entrepreneurial
skills to the Mombasa branch. It should be appreciated that the One Shilling Foundation utilises best management practices and the latest
technique of managing an enterprise.
In the leadership group is Br. Abdallah Said
Bhaghoza, a famous hotelier and banker as
well as one of the trustees of the famed MEWA
Hospital. He is one of the most active committee members of the One Shilling Foundation,
Mombasa.
Others important personalities involved in furthering the goals of the One Shilling Foundation include Sheikh Abu Hamza, Said Mabruk,
Muhammad Fayyaz and Sister. Asya at the
forefront of the supervision of the foundations
activities.
The One Shilling Foundation thanks this dedicated team for their outstanding work. For those
who wish to dedicate their time, effort and money to the One Shilling Foundation for the sake
of ALLAH subhana wa please contact us on the
following address:
The One Shilling Foundation
The Village plaza, Ngara Road,
Block A,Suite A3,
P.O. Box 58717-00200, Nairobi
Tel: 0717 613 3333/ 0732 613333
Email: info@oneshillingfoundation.org
Web: www.oneshillingfoundation.org

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