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Friday Bulletin
The Weekly Muslim News Update
Where is justice?
Above: Reverend John Kamau who was arrested with ready to explode materials and linked
to the deadly Uhuru Park bombings was swiftly
served with justice and he is now a free man after he was granted bail. On the Right are three
Kenyans Idris Magondu, Muhammad Adan Abdow and Hussein Hassan who were shipped
to Uganda without being allowed to challenge
their detentions in a court of law.
www.islamkenya.com
This Week
Editorial
Da'wa
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P3
Women Issues
Ramadhan and the Baby
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P6
Ramadhan
This Newsletter contains some of Allahs names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep, circulate or shred
P7
EDITORIAL
Story From Page 1
DA'WA
The Minor Feast will entitle us to climb up the ladder one step toward becoming mu mineen (believers), because we must now learn
to sacrice our time, money, leisure, pleasure, skill, along with other
talents, God-given gifts and bounties, then be prepared to share
them with our fellow human beings.
As believers adhering to the seven branches of iman (faith and
belief) we must not only think of, but actually perform good deeds.
This in turn, will now prepare us for the second examination of
higher spiritual achievement. And, if successful, we will be entitled
to celebrate the Major Feast as believing men and believing women
then go up one more rung on the ladder up Sirat Al-Mustaqim (the
Straight Path).
During Ramadhan, we get up for suhoor before dawn, then stop
eating and drinking at the break of dawn, abstain from such and
such actions during the day and take Futoor (break the fast) in the
evening, at the exact time of sunset. This is precise timing. The
month of fasting teaches us to respect time and be precise in our
dealings and timings and to be punctual at all times.
The exact timing of initiating of the fast at the break of dawn and
breaking it at sunset with the right countdown to the last minute,
teaches us the limits between right and wrong, between halal (permitted) and haram (prohibited), which is so essential for the elevation of the soul to a higher level on the spiritual scale.
A person who can rule his/her desires and make them function as
he likes, has attained true moral excellence! A 425-hour of intensive study in any particular subject of one s choice in any university
would qualify one in that particular subject.
Similarly, 425 hours of intense devotion in Ramadhan should certainly uplift a practicing Muslim to a state of higher spiritual achievement and earn him a reward from Allah.
During Ramadhan, we also learn to inculcate in ourselves the art
of patience. This, together with lessons and reminders to forgive
all those who wronged us, add their own quota of enhancing our
personality and outlook on life, with multiple benets, not only in this
life but also in the Hereafter.
VACANCY
Saturday Lecture
Victories in Ramadhan
Sheikh Abdullatif Abdulkarim
Sat. 21st August 2010 2.00 pm-4.00 pm
Jamia Multi Purpose Hall
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WOMEN ISSUES
Ramadhanwith baby!
Tips on making a mothers fast last
Allah The Most High Says what means: "To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He wills. He
gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He
wills males.." [Quran 42:49]
Children are Gods gifts to whomever He so pleases. As such, they
should not become obstacles to our thankful efforts in Ramadhan to
increase our worship of a Most Gracious and Generous Lord.
Ramadhan is back again, Al-Hamdulillahand not a moment
too soon! We should be grateful we are granted another precious
chance to fast, increase our acts of worship, and pile up as many
good deeds as possible in just a month's time. It is often over in a
blink of an eye. So it's a race to make the most of each day and night
in devotion to, and sincere worship of Allah, our Lord and Creator.
But for a worshipper who's also a wife, this goal can be an oh so
difcult one to achievebalancing a Ramadhan schedule for the
soul against taking care of a home and a family in a fasting and
night intensive time. This is exponentially truer for mothers who are
breastfeeding and caring for a baby while fasting and running a fasting household.
How often a new mother is up all night with her baby tending to its
needs and settling it to sleep! She barely closes her eyes before it's
the wee hours of the night and its time to get up and start the fasting
day. The loss of sleep, weakness from fasting, and the substantial
calorie and time losses of nursing a hungry baby can leave a worshipping mother exhausted, even depressed.
These are the last feelings of spirit a Muslim seeks to mine, especially during the auspicious month of Quran. When that Muslimah
is also a mother, she struggles both to fulll her family's needs and
that of the home, in addition to her own Ramadhan worship. There
can be no doubt that fasting, Prayer, and recitation of Quran own
a higher priority over her, even as Allah Almighty reminds us in the
Noble Quran: "O you who have believed, let not your wealth and
your children divert you from remembrance of Allah. And whoever
does that then those are the losers.." [Quran 63:9] Yet a Muslim
mother's household and care-giving worship do not desist.
Yet while maintaining the fast and sustaining increased acts of worship in Ramadhan presents such women with particularly arduous
challenges, it nonetheless remains true that she can excel on the
Siyaam (fasting) and Qiyaam (night Prayer) side and in the administration and nurture of home and baby too. Indeed, it is not only absolutely possible, but utterly spiritually invigorating. With substantial
organization and pre-planning, motivated new mothers (and new
mothers again) can reap all the rewards of Ramadhan and then
some, and enjoy this special month too.
Down-home Ramadhan advice
Sister Alayah, a stay-at-home mother has this counsel for Ramadhan mothers: Do as much preparation as possible well before Ramadhan even begins. "I have fasted during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and [while] coping with colicky babies. You name it and I
went through it. What worked best for Sister Alayah was making a
balanced Ramadhan schedule and sticking to it. "I just made sure
that everything had its time and place. I planned the Ramadhan
Suhoor and Iftaar meals beforehand. I created the daily menus and
went shopping."
For older children, Alayah recommends having crafts and simple
toys on hand to keep them occupied so that you can perform prayer,
read the Quran, or work in the kitchen. "I make Ramadhan folders
for my children. They have their own schedule for fun activities during the Ramadhan day, as well as Quran and Hadeeth study pages.
I also print coloring and craft pages from the Internet, which is an
excellent resource."
As for caring for a baby, Alayah says: "I always make sure that my
baby is well fed and cared for rst before I tend to other activities."
By doing this, the baby is less likely to be fussy when the mother
wants to perform prayer or read the Quran. With a clean diaper and
a full belly, the baby will most likely be content while the mother
engages in acts of worship or other activities.
Strategies for a sweet Ramadhan
Aasiya, another stay-at-home, remembers being all alone during
Ramadhan with her then 1-month-old baby Safa. "I was recovering
from a C-section and could not do much around the house. I relied
on an 'old wives' technique to make my baby sleep longer during
the Ramadhan nights." Aasiya bathed her daughter every night before bed then swaddled her rmly in a blanket. "She would sleep
tight through the night. I would be able to recite Quran and [make]
dhikr or warm up my heart in prayer without interruption."
Aasiya also made it a habit of getting up an hour before the Suhoor
meal so that she could perform the Tahajjud Salah night vigil and
prepare things for the next day while her baby snoozed.
What helped Aasiya most during Ramadhan was keeping the
Iftaar menu simple. "I stuck with preparing one appetizer, one main
course and fruit salad every day during Ramadhan." She also kept
the cleaning of her home to a bare minimum. "Being a cleaning
freak, I had to make myself understand one thing in Ramadhan: I
am supposed to perform my prayer and Quran recitation properly.
Nobody is going to award me medals for keeping the house super
clean. All energy I have would be my baby's requirement when she
was awake in the daytime, so I should be loyal to Allah and my
daughter in Ramadhan."
For breastfeeding mothers who want to fast but fear their milk supply will diminish or they will feel extra thirsty, Aasiya shares some
advice that helped her during Ramadhan with her baby. "I always
ate yogurt during the Suhoor meal, as someone told me it helps
prevent thirst. It worked like a charm for me. I also drank a lot of
uids, mostly water, during Suhoor and after Iftar." As a result, sister
Aasiya had no trouble fasting in Ramadhan and rarely felt thirsty,
even though she maintained her regular breastfeeding schedule to
keep up with the demands of her baby.
...If only you knew
It's important to note that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are
not required to fast during Ramadhan and can make up the missed
days at a later date.
Allah, Transcendent and Exalted, Says in the Gracious
Quran:"[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among
you is ill or on a journey [during them] then an equal number of
days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but
with hardship] a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person
[each day]. And whoever volunteers excess it is better for him. But
to fast is best for you, if you only knew.[Quran 2:184]
Thus many Muslim women opt to fast during Ramadhan and it is
permissible for them to do so, in accordance with the approval of
the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. Remember!
All the missed fasts from Ramadhan must be made up at a later
date.
Moreover, not fasting in Ramadhan truly makes the heart heavy
and sad. "When you are determined to fast in Ramadhan so that
you do not have to make up the fasts later all alone, you show courage," observes Aasiya. "Ask Allah for help. It is His blessing that will
energize you during the fast. You will feel successful after a whole
month of Ramadhan worship while juggling the care of your baby
and the house-work."
Ramadhan is like a rainbow that appears in the sky after a cloudburst on a sun-drenched day. Its beauty and mercy last only as long
as the time it is permitted by Allah. Muslims must seize the Ramadhan days and nights in utter worship of Allah while striving to keep
distractions at bay.
"Ramadhan is a beautiful month, so have patience," says Sister
Alayah. "Get the whole family involved in worship and lending a
hand to the mother of the home so that she, too, can worship."
make to memorize portions of the Quran? What specic surahs or verses had an impact on you
this past year? Take some time to write down your responses to these questions. Be frank with
yourself because the responses are known only to you and Allah. Let your responses also be a
checkpoint of some sort so that you can compare them with this Ramadhan. Ramadhan presents
to all of us an opportunity to develop a personal routine as a result of efforts of maximizing selfrestraint and enhancing self-development.
Why exactly is it important that we spend time reading the Quran? First, in Ramadhan the mood
around us is very advantageous for reading and reection. Throughout the year, we might read on
our own, sometimes in a rush, sometimes heedlessly. In Ramadhan people are trying to complete
reading the entire Quran in one month. In addition, abstaining from food and drink helps us to
suppress our lowly desires in pursuit of higher level, intellectual and spiritual desires such that we
can actually reect upon the meaning of the verses we are reading from the Quran. That reection is intended to help us to internalize the teachings of the Quran to the degree that all aspects
of our lives are aligned with those teachings.
OPINION
More than 1,500 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands stranded by
ooding and landslides triggered by the annual monsoon rains. Survivors have been
left without food and shelter as houses and livestock have been destroyed. The oodwaters have washed away millions of hectares of crops, submerged villages and
destroyed roads and bridges. Disease is spreading among Pakistani ood victims.
More than 12 million people affected in the disaster whose ripple effects have eclipsed
those of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Primary:
Standard 1-7
cExcellent Facillities
cCondusive and Secure Study atmosphere
cQualied Trained Teachers
cSchool Transport
Separate facilities for boys and girls in line with Islamic teachings
For Admission enquires contact the Admission ofces
SYOKIMAU
in
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Borehole water
2 parking bay per at
Electric fencing on the perimeter wall
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Ideal investment
Financing can be arranged for those who qualify
A million reasons to
support Ummah Foundation
A signicant number of Kenyas population is
Muslim. We could not be the largest percentage of the populace, but our numbers are signicant. They are signicant enough to bring
change in and out of the community. The unity
of purpose in the just successfully concluded
referendum is a good example of our strength.
To add more spice, the success has just come
to the country at the start of the Blessed month
of Ramadhan.
Millions of people in our community are in the
throes of poverty. They are struggling through
poverty, hunger, disease and ignorance occasioned by among other reasons years of
neglect in national development programmes.
Most of these affected areas are found in the
arid, semi arid areas of the country and urban
slum areas like the Majengos of Nairobi and
Mombasa.
Ummah Foundation has very developed
project plans, intermediate plans, as well as
strategic plans of lifting up the Muslim Ummah
to a comfortable level out of poverty, hunger,
disease and ignorance. With your support, we
have been able to achieve the following:
Provision of bursaries and scholarships to
the needy and deserving students.
Provision of medical assistance to the
needy. This includes organising eye operations for the needy.
Distribution of relief food and clean water
during the long drought.
Distribution of Iftar to the needy Muslim families across the country.
Provision of wheelchairs to the needy physically challenged persons.
Provision of computers to a number of Islamic institutions.
Developing a high level Madarassah system for the whole country as well as providing
teachers salaries and learning materials.
Construction of low cost housing for the
poor.
Assistance in the Prisoners Rehabilitation
Program.
Zakat distribution as directed by the Holy
Quran.
Burial and funeral arrangements for the
needy.
To be able to come closer to achieving our
goals of caring for our people, we still need
your support. You may send your donations
through the following accounts:
Ummah Foundation,
First Community Bank, Wabera Street, AC No.
101943-01 (Ksh) or 101943-02 (US $)
Or Gulf African Bank- Kenyatta Avenue
AC No.s 0720 002001 (Ksh) 0720 002002 (US
$) or 0720 002003 (Zakat Account)
Or visit our ofces Village Plaza, Ngara Rd,
Suite A2, P.O.Box 58717-00100, Nairobi.
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.
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