Muharram 20,1438/October 21, 2016

www.jamiamasjidkenya.org

Friday Bulletin

The

Issue No. 703

The Weekly Muslim News Update

Gov't plans to spur growth of

Islamic finance

s part of the strategies to position

Kenya as the regional hub for Islamic finance, the government has put
in place a policy and Shariah governance
framework to driving forward the sector.
The Islamic Finance Project Management
office that will be responsible for the overseeing of policies and giving guidance on
Islamic finance and banking in the country
was launched by the National Treasury and
Capital Markets Authority.
A National Sharia Supervisory Board (NSSB)
will be formed in 2017 to advise regulators
on the authenticity of Islamic products.

The government has already engaged

the Islamic Finance Advisory and Assurance Services (IFAAS), a UK based consultancy firm and an international law firm
Simmons and Simmons who have been
tasked with providing global benchmarking and technical advisory role on the
development of Islamic finance in the
country.
This project will bring on board stakeholders from the Retirement Benefits
Authority (RBA), the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), the Capital Markets
Authority (CMA) and the Sacco Societies

Regulatory Authority (SASRA).

Islamic Finance Project Management Office lead consultant Farrukh Raza said Islamic finance in Kenya provides immense
opportunities which are not fully tapped
due to lack of fully fledged Shariah governance framework.
There is a steady growth in the Islamic financial sector with immense potential, but
to fully unlock this potential there has to
be some sort of robust framework based
on the Kenyan context, he said during the
launch on Friday in Nairobi.
Continued To Page 2

Above: A section of officials from Jamia Mosque, Ummah Foundation, Prison Rehabiliation Programme and the
Prison Department follow proceedings during a graduation
event for Muslim inmates who completed an Islamic study
course at Kamiti Maximum Prisons.
Right: Inmates entertain guests with a drama skit during
the event.
(STORY ON PAGE 7)

State discriminates Muslims, Somalis in getting ID cards

A social justice organization has accused Muslims particularly ethnic Somalis and nities take ages to get the document.
the state of blatantly discriminating against Borana and other marginalized commu- The sum effect of these discriminatory polthe Muslim community in getting national nities are the major victims of this state icies is that it is very fast and very easy
identity cards.
discrimination as they face numerous for people of Gikuyu origin especially to acInformAction said the process of acquiring hurdles in obtaining the constitutionally quire ID cards, while it is an uphill battle for
an identity card in the country discriminates guaranteed vital document.
those in northern Kenya to get one, which
Kenyans on the basis of religion and ethnic- He said while it is easy for other Kenyan can take between two to three years, if one
ity.
communities to obtain the document, is lucky, he said.
Continued To Page 2
The organizations director Maina Kiai said members of these marginalised commuThis Newsletter contains some of Allahs names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep, circulate or shred

The Friday Bulletin

CIPK urges Imams to fight immorality

The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) has made a rallying call to Muslim religious leaders to be at the forefront in
speaking out against immorality in the Kenyan society.
The councils national organizing secretary
Sheikh Muhammad Khalifa said religious
leaders have a responsibility of protecting
the moral fabric of the society and should use
their position and influence to provide guidance, promote and maintain good ideals.
He was speaking in Mombasa during a consultative meeting with officials from the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) which is
seeking to review the Film and Stage Plays
Act Cap 222 of the Laws of Kenya.
In the review, KFCB wants to regulate all film
and TV content that is aired via the internet
arguing that these unregulated content pose
threats to children who are the most vulnerable consumers of these contents.
Society today is grappling with challenges
of depraved practices such as pornography,
homosexuality, bestiality and drug abuse
therefore religious leaders have to come
out strongly and denounce these vices. We
must nurture and protect the moral fabric for
the well-being of our society, Sheikh Khalifa
said.
Sheikh Khalifa backed the move by KFCB to
regulate internet provided content noting that
the council is fully in support of stringent laws
that will guarantee the protection of national
values and beliefs.

Muharram 20,1438/October 21, 2016

A lot of our local television channels are awash

with adult content without considering the negative effects these programmes have on our children. As a council we want these harmful programmes to be completely banned, he added.
He said the Kenyan society is infiltrated with
moral terrorists who are hell-bent on destroying the family institution and the countrys social
and moral fabric by promoting depraved acts.
While blaming harmful foreign cultural influence,
Sheikh Khalifa urged KFCB to crack the whip on
those promoting immoral and illegal practices
that go against established faiths and traditions
of Kenyans adding that Kenya is a God fearing
nation.
Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Ezekiel
Mutua noted that online content provided children with easy access to harmful substances.
The tough talking Mutua said the culture of treating young children to adult content on television
and sex talks on radios must come to an end.
He raised concerns over increased pornography dens and strip clubs in Mombasa county
where young girls are exploited by foreigners.
He promised that culprits behind the dens and
filming of illegal and immoral acts will face the
full force of the law.
As part ensuring the Film and Stage Plays Act
Cap 222 of the Laws of Kenya are reviewed,
KFBC has begun holding a series of consultative
meetings with the relevant stakeholders both in
the private and public including parents, religious institutions, consumer protection groups
and other government agencies and legislators.

Growth of Islamic finance in Kenya lauded

Continued From Page 1

While there is great potential for the

development of the Islamic finance
sector, he observed that the absence
of a proper legal framework has hindered the growth of the sector adding that with the right legislations, the
country will be able to benefit from the
wide range of opportunities available
in the Islamic finance sector.
He said the new office will be launching an awareness campaigns to dispel
the financial myths surrounding the
Islamic finance and Islamic products
and services.
There has been a lot of misconceptions and bad publicity on Islamic finance but that now will be addressed
by the new office. Islamic finance is
all about transparency, inclusiveness
and creating jobs as well, he added.
Treasury Principal secretary Kamau
Thugge said the government is committed to creating the right environment for Kenya to be a regional hub
for Islamic finance due to its untapped
potential. He urged stakeholders to
provide Islamic finance sector with the
relevant technical and financial expertise for the development the sector.
The PS also announced that the government is also planning to issue a
foreign Sukuk (Islamic bond) as soon
the implementation of Islamic finance
reforms are in place. In a move seen

Page 2

The Islamic Finance Project Management Office lead

consultant Mohammad Farrukh Raza addressing media during the launch.

to further buttress the countrys drive in the Islamic

financial sector, Thugge said the government has
already made applications to join the Islamic development Bank (IDB) as well as the Islamic Finance
Service Board (IFSB).
The CEO of the Capital Markets Authority Paul Muthaura said time is right for Kenya to cement its place
as a regional hub for Islamic finance arguing that the
sector is in safe hands. Muthaura while describing
the countrys experience in the sector as young, said
Islamic finance requires support to able to fully take
off.
At present, there are two fully fledged Islamic banks
in the country, Gulf African Bank and First Community Bank, six conventional banks that are providing
Islamic window operations, an Islamic insurance provider and a Retakaful window and Shariah compliant Unit Trust Fund at the Capital Markets.

State accused of
discrimination in issuance of IDs
Continued From Page 1
There is additional vetting based
on the ethnicity of the person seeking an ID card. Thus someone of
Borana heritage who was born
and bred in Kiambu will need to go
through all the three levels of vetting, especially if they are Muslim,
quite unlike their colleagues with
Gikuyu heritage who only need a
birth certificate and a parents ID
card, he added.
In its recent report carried out in
more than 32 counties on mass voter registration exercise by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries
Commission (IEBC), InformAction
said many Kenyans from communities who face bottlenecks in acquiring identification papers will not
be able to take part in the coming
general elections.
The former chairman of the Kenya
National Commission on Human
Rights (KNCHR) and currently the
United Nations Special Rapporteur
on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association described the vetting process the
communities undergo as long, tedious and invasive.
The organization said such discrimination is threat to national peace
and cohesion while emphasizing
that challenges is acquiring IDs
are partly to blame for youth radicalization in areas such as Coastal
Kenya and other parts of the country where many youth are frustrated
for lacking the document.
InformAction called on the government to extend the recent directive
by the President Uhuru to have the
Makonde people promptly issued
with ID cards to other marginalized
communities.
The sentiments from Maina Kiai
were amplified by majority leader in
the National Assembly Aden Duale
who called on the government to
abolish the vetting process in acquiring ID cards saying the process
is discriminative to Muslims and
members of the Somali community.
Duale said the process benefits corrupt government officials who extort
bribe from desperate Kenyans.
This process is unfair for indigenous Kenyans who all they want
is to be recognized by their government so that they can enjoy the
same rights as other citizens, he
said.

DA'WAH

The Friday Bulletin

Muharram 20,1438/October 21, 2016

Lamps of the Ummah: The life of Imam Abu Hanifa

The understanding of the laws and code
of conduct of Islam is something that
has constantly been evolving throughout Islamic history.
The first generations of Muslims after
the Prophet peace be upon him had a
much easier time understanding what
is expected out of them as Muslims because they had access to the Sahaba,
the companions of the Prophet peace
be upon him.
As history progressed, however, a need
arose to codify Islamic laws into organized and easy to access law codes.
The first person who undertook this
monumental task was the great scholar
Imam Abu Hanifa. Through his efforts,
the first school of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), the Hanafi school, developed.
Early life and education
Once upon a time, a pious young man
of Persian origin was sitting by the bank
of the Tigris river in Iraq when he saw
an apple floating on the water. Feeling
rather hungry, he picked up the apple
and ate it. Then soon afterwards he began to question himself on having eaten
something that does not belong to him,
without permission by its owner.
Therefore he decided to look for the
owner. Had the young man been a
scholar, he would have known that he
could eat the apple without need of permission by anyone. However, he went
upstream, looking at houses close to the
river, until he saw a house with a garden
and an apple tree, full of fruit and with
some branches stretching over the water. It was a splendid house, with a large
garden.
He knocked on the door and asked to
see the owner. He was ushered into the
presence of an old man with a pleasant
face, who seemed to be very decisive in
his attitude.
On hearing the story, the house owner
reflected a little before saying to the
young man that he committed a gross
error. He should have known better than
seeking forgiveness after the misdeed
is done. However, he was prepared to
forgive the young man if he would meet
his condition.
The young man was full of hope, but
when he heard the condition, his heart
sank. The house owner said to him: I
have a daughter of marriageable age,
but she is physically and mentally handicapped, and I am worried about what
would happen to her after my death.
Looking at you, I feel that you could provide her with the care she needs. If you
are prepared to marry her, I will forgive
you what you have done.
The young man thought hard; then decided that going through life with such

a wife was much easier than having to go

to hell for his misdeed. Therefore he accepted. Then on the wedding night he was
surprised to find his wife a beautiful and
well-educated young woman.
It was into that marriage that Imam Abu
Haneefah Numan bin Thabit was born
in Kufah, southern Iraq in 80 A.H. corresponding to 700 CE.
His father, Thabit, was a successful businessman in Kufa and thus the young Abu
Hanifa intended to follow in his fathers
footsteps. Living under the oppressive
reign of the governor of Iraq, al-Hajjaj ibn
Yusuf, Abu Hanifa stayed focused on running the family silk-making business and
generally steered clear of scholarship.
With the death of al-Hajjaj in 713 came the
removal of oppressive policies regarding
scholars, and Islamic scholarship soared
in Kufa, especially during the reign of Umar
ibn Abd al-Aziz (717-720).
Thus, by his teenage years, Abu Hanifa
began to study under some of the resident
scholars of Kufa. He even got the opportunity to meet between eight and ten companions of Prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him, among them Anas ibn Malik,
Sahl ibn Sad, and Jabir ibn Abdullah. After
learning from some of the greatest scholars of Kufa, he went on to study in Makkah and Madinah under numerous teachers, namely Ata ibn Abu Rabah, who was
known as one of the greatest scholars of
Makkah at the time.
He soon became an expert in the sciences
of fiqh (jurisprudence), tafsir (exegesis of
the Quran), and kalam (seeking theological
knowledge through debate and reason). In
fact, the concept of using debate and logic
became a cornerstone of his methodology
for seeking Islamic laws.
His school of Fiqh
Imam Abu Hanifa was a firm believer that
a code of laws cannot stay static for too
long, at the risk of no longer meeting the
needs of the people. Thus he advocated
interpreting the sources of Islamic law
(usul al-fiqh) in response to the needs of
the people at the time.
This dynamic form of legalism did not supersede the Quran and Sunnah (sayings
and doings of the Prophet peace be upon
him), of course. Instead, he promoted the
use of the Quran and Sunnah to derive
laws that addressed the issues that people
dealt with at that time.
A major aspect of his methodology was the
use of debate to derive rulings. He would
commonly pose a legal issue to a group
of about 40 of his students, and challenge
them to come up with a ruling based on the
Quran and Sunnah. Students would at first
attempt to find the solution in the Quran, if
it was not clearly answered in the Quran,
they would turn to the Sunnah, and if it was
not there, they would use reason to find a

logical solution.
Abu Hanifa based this methodology on the
example when Prophet Muhammad peace
be upon him sent Muadh ibn Jabal to Yemen
and asked him how he will resolve issues using Islamic law. Muadh responded that he
would look into the Quran, then the Sunnah,
and if he does not find a direct solution there,
he would use his best judgement, an answer
that Muhammad peace be upon him was
pleased with.
Using such a process for codifying fiqh, the
Hanafi madhab (school of law) was thus
founded, based on the rulings of Imam Abu
Hanifa, and his prominent students, Abu Yusuf, Muhammad al-Shaybani, and Zuffar.
He loved his students more than they ever
loved him. He treated them as a father treats
his children. He often gave them grants to
cope with their needs. If a student wanted
to get married and did not have the means
to do so, Abu Haneefah would pay the expenses of his marriage.
His personal qualities had a great influence
on his scholarship and he was also patient
and forbearing. He did not use hard words
to anyone who attacked him. Once, someone accused him of being a heretic who invented matters that had no basis in Islam.
Very calmly, Abu Haneefah said to the man:
"May God forgive you, for He knows that I
am unlike what you have said. Ever since I
came to know Him, I have not transgressed
in my beliefs.
There is nothing that I hope for more than
His forgiveness, and nothing that I fear more
than His punishment." The man asked him
earnestly to absolve him of what he said.
Abu Haneefah said: "I forgive anyone who
says something against me if he is ignorant.
If he is a scholar, then the situation is more
difficult. A slur by a scholar leaves its trace
for long."
His legacy
Numerous times throughout his later life,
Abu Hanifa was offered a position as a chief
judge in the city of Kufa. He consistently
refused such appointments and thus found
himself regularly imprisoned by both the
Umayyad and later, the Abbasid authorities.
He died in the year 767 while in prison.
His school of law became very popular in the
Muslim world not long after his death. As the
official madhab of the Abbasid, Mughal, and
Ottoman Empires, his school became very
influential throughout the Muslim world.
Today, it is very popular in Turkey, Syria,
Iraq, the Balkans, Egypt, and the Indian Subcontinent.

SATURDAY LECTURE

Topic: Tarbiyatul Ijtimaiyyah (Community

Training)
By: Ustadha Amina Atitala
Date: 22nd October 2016
Time: After Dhuhr Prayer (1.30 to 3.00 pm)
Venue: Womens section of the Mosque

Page 3

WOMEN

The Friday Bulletin

Muharram 20,1438/October 21, 2016

Domestic violence: Why women endure?

Saba Sayed
I wish my husband dies, a sister quietly expresses her deep desire, which she
thinks will end her miserable marital situation. She is married to a man who has
abused her throughout her married life.
Her abusive relationship has brought her
to the point of wishing for her husband's
death, but she is unwilling to get out of
the marriage for only one reason: financial
instability. Her husband is the breadwinner and she left her studies to convert and
marry him. If she leaves the marriage, she
will not have anyone to support her or her
children.
Another sister is in a worse situation; her
husband not only verbally abuses her, but
also suffers a sexual addiction. She also
remains in her marriage because she is unable to financially support herself and her
children. She says if anyone from her family could buy her an accommodation she
would leave her husband the same day.
When it comes to domestic violence or
abusive relationships, the issues of shame
and dishonor have often been addressed.
However, there are other reasons why
women endure:
Financial support
Many Muslim women endure domestic violence because they do not have the financial means to support themselves or their
children. In most cases, husbands are the
sole breadwinner and the wife becomes
highly dependent on him for financial support. She would rather take the abuse than
try to become financially independent.
Lack of academic education
Even in current times, many parents continue to put more emphasis on their sons'
education and undermine that of their
daughters. As soon as a good suitor approaches, parents marry their daughters
off without taking any future commitments
to the completion of her education.
Complications in remarrying
It is a well-known fact that divorced Muslim
women have a hard time remarrying, especially if they have children. The fear of
living a life without a husband seems more
difficult than having one who is abusive.
Self-Image
Sometimes women with education and financial stability tolerate domestic violence
just to maintain the image of being in a stable relationship. In their minds, an unsuccessful marriage is conceived as a failure
on their part. Their ego stops them from

Ayah of the week

Ayah of the week

Indeed, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing

of good to others; and giving like kindred; and forbids
indecency, and manifest evil,
and wrongful transgression.
He admonished you that you
may take heed.

(Quran 16:91)
Page 4

being known as the victims of domestic

violence.
For the children's sake
At other times women drag along their relationship just so that their children don't
have to grow up in broken homes. They
believe a family with a mother and father is
better than one with a single parent.
Should women endure?
No matter what the reason may be, there is
no excuse for enduring injustice. Unfortunately, in many cultures, there is so much
negativity associated with seeking help
through a third party and/or pursuing a divorce, that many women willingly endure
domestic violence rather than protect their
rights.
1. Seek help
First, let us realize that not every case of
domestic violence has to end in divorce.
True, there are cases that definitely require
a divorce, but there are other cases that
can be sorted out without one. One may
never know until they seek professional
help.
2. Your marriage is not solely your responsibility
Do not be deceived into thinking that you
are the one responsible for disclosing
the secrets of your marriage by seeking
help. You need help, your spouse needs
help and your marriage needs help. If your
spouse was sick, would you not go to the
doctor to help explain his/her situation?
Only selective people need to know what
is happening in your marriage. Seek help
though a professional and through close
family members and friends whom you can
trust.
3. Evil effects on children
You will not be putting your children though
any embarrassing situation should you
seek help though a third party. They will,
in fact, appreciate any help you can get to
resolve the issue, rather than growing up
watching their mother being abused by
their father.
In case the solution is a divorce, again it is
better for the children to grow up in an outwardly broken home rather than growing
up, emotionally traumatized, in an internally broken home, trying to keep it a secret.
Complications of Remarriage, Financial Instability, and the Muslim Community:
In cases where the solution is divorce from
an abusive relationship, the quandaries

Hadith of the week

Those who are merciful will be shown mercy
by the Most Merciful. Be
merciful to those on the
earth and the One in the
heavens will have mercy
upon you.
(Tirmidhi)

Quote of the week

Justice, mercy, wisdom,
righteousness and common good
are the basics of Islam. Whatever
gets out of justice to injustice is
not from Islam. Whatever gets out
of mercy to violence is not from
Islam. Whatever deviates from
common good to harm is not from
Islam, and whatever dissents from
wisdom to imprudence is not from
Islam.

Imam Ibnul-Qayyim

of remarriage and financial support need

answers. We are not living in the time of
the abah, where divorced/widowed
women had no difficulty in remarrying. It
is not practical for women to live a single
life. Even when offering polygamy as a
solution, hardly any brothers are willing to
marry a divorcee with children.
Neither are we living in 'Umar radhiallahu
anhu's time, who had set up an excellent
support system for single women with
no male family member to support them.
Many sisters do not work, and solely rely
upon the husband for financial support.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not
suggesting that due to these challenges a
destructive marriage needs to drag, rather
I am encouraging the Muslim communities
to think of solutions for these issues.
He [Allh] will make for him of his matter
ease.
While we find the practical solutions, let me
remind my sisters and brothers who want to
leave an abusive marriage to put their trust
in Allh as He instructed us. And whoever
fears Allh He will make for him a way
out And will provide for him from where he
does not expect. And whoever relies upon
Allh then He is sufficient for him. (Alalq: 2-3)
It is interesting that Srat'l-alq (divorce)
is full of verses reminding us about putting tawakkul in Allh and solely relying
on Him for support. There are several reminders in this surah that Allh will bring
ease and Allh will not overburden a soul,
subhanAllh.
Tie your camel
When a family member was getting married, her husband-to-be, who is a very practicing brother masha'Allah, did not deem it
necessary for his wife to complete her education. Though her parents wanted her to,
they didn't want to miss the good proposal
either. The suitor promised that he will provide his best for her as long as he lives,
and in case anything was to happen to him,
then his wife should put tawakkul in Allh
and make the best of her situation.
Alhamdullilah the need never arose and
the parents didn't have to regret their decision. But, there are other cases where the
husband turns out to be a very different
person than what he had appeared initially.
Daughters have to make the best of their
situation.
I believe the necessity of educating our
daughters (not to mention the importance
of education itself) is vital, especially in our
times. I am a proponent of early marriages,
but I also believe that a higher education
for our daughters is tying your camel's
rope. Allah knows best.
Parents will have to come up with ways to
support both early marriage and education
without one becoming a hindrance to the
other.
May Allh protect Muslim families, bless
their marriages with love and harmony, and
protect our children and bless them with
salih spouses, ameen ya rabb.

The Friday Bulletin

YOUTH

Muharram 20,1438/October 21, 2016

What is Halloween and where did it come from?

Halloween today is defined by children going house to house on the night of October
31st, dressed up in a variety of costumes
collecting treats. Although Halloween may
seem like a time for children to have fun
carving pumpkins and collecting candy, not
many know the origins of this festival and
its traditions that date back centuries.
The origins of Halloween date back to the
time of the Celtics or Celts.They were a
group occupying the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Northern
France about 2,000 years ago. This group
celebrated their new year on November
1st. This day marked the end of the summer and was reflected upon as a time of
darkness and cold as winter approached.
The Celtics associated this dark time of
year with death.
On October 31st (the Celtic new years eve)
they celebrated a festival called Samhain.
This celebration was supported by the belief that the ghosts of the dead roamed the
earth. Priests (Druids) were believed to
be able to communicate with these ghostly
spirits and tell the future by doing so; by
telling the future many were given hope
for the long, dark winter ahead.
The Priests built large fires on this night
and the people gathered to burn crops and
animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities/
gods. During the festival they wore animal
heads and skins as costumes.
Customs
Dressing up in costumes: This was done
so that the spirits of the dead would not
recognize people. It was also done by people imitating supernatural beings that were
believed to roam the earth at that time.
Trick-or-treating: The Priests/Druids would
go from house to house on October 31st
and demand specific types of food (to offer
to the spirits in order to calm them). If their
demands were not met, it was believed the
people and their homes would be cursed
with trouble, sickness, and death.
Prosperity was promised to those who generously donated (hence the phrase, trick
or treat, implying a demand for treats or
else a certain consequence would have to
be given).
Jack-o-lantern: This started off as a legend
associated with a man of Irish origin named
Jack who supposedly enjoyed playing
pranks on the Devil. The legend states that
after his death, Jack did not go to Heaven
or Hell and therefore, had to wander the
earth carrying a lantern, providing him
with some light to see where he was going. Pumpkins that were hollowed out and
had candles lit inside were representative
of this legend. They were also supposed
to scare evil spirits away (this is why odd
looking faces are carved on the pumpkins).
Bats and Black cats: These animals were
believed to communicate with the dead.
It is also believed black cats were able to
house the souls of witches.
Halloween Today
Each year people spend billions of dollars
on candy and costumes at this time of year.
In a world stricken with poverty and malnutrition in many underprivileged countries,

this amount seems rather Ridiculous to be

spent on candy and costumes.
Many devil worshippers and occult groups
now ritualistically recognize Halloween as
the Devils Day. Over 60% of costumes are
sold to adults who become outrageous exhibitionists.
The Islamic perspective
We have sent them the truth, but they
indeed practice falsehood (Quran 23:90)
You must keep to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs; cling to
it firmly. Beware of newly invented matters,
for every new matter is an innovation, and
every innovation is misleading. (Bukhari).
In order to save one self from falling into
and following the practices of a society,one
must have firm knowledge of the teachings
and rulings of ones own religion and belief
system. Clearly all that deviates from the
Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) and leads to
wrong practices is contrary to the beliefs

of Islam.
Halloween is a celebration that rejoices in
all things magical and evil.
In the Quran Allah says of magic that it
only harms and brings no benefit (Surah
Al-Baqarah, V.102).
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
said:The final hour will not come until my
followers copy the deeds of the previous
nations and follow them very closely, span
by span, and cubit by cubit (Bukhari).
Whoever imitates a nation is one of them
(Abu Dawud). Islam propagates the idea
of conscious living, and upon the advent
of Islam, it served to cleanse ignorant and
superstitious practices.
Muslims have been ordered to work for a
purposeful, beneficial cause for mankind.
Indulging in prehistoric and ignorant practices can only lead to frittering away ones
life and thus making one an ultimate loser
in the Hereafter.

Iman - Belief

There are the 6 Articles of Iman (faith) that every Muslim must believe in and live
by.Read and find out what they are!
The Pillars of Iman are six:
To believe in Allah, the Angels, the Books, the Messengers, the Last Day, the Divine
Destiny and that the good and bad of it are all from Allah, the Most High.
Arkanal Imanul Sitta:
An Tu'minu biLlahi, wa mala'ikatihi, wa kutubihi, wa Rusulihi, wa bilyawmil Aakhir, wa
bil-Qadarihi khairihi wa sharihi minAllahi Ta'ala
Belief in Allah:
Muslims believe in one, incomparable God, He has no son nor partner, and that one
has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true God, and every other
god is false. In the Qur'an, Allah describes Himself:
Say, "He is Allah, the One. God, to Whom the creatures turn for their needs. He
begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none like Him." [suah Ahad; 112:1- 4]
Belief in the Angels:
Muslims believe in the existence of the angels and that they are honored creatures.
The angels worship Allah alone, obey Him, and act only by His command. Among the
angels is Gabriel, who brought down the Qur'an to Muhammad peace be upon him.
Belief in Allahs Revealed Books:
Muslims believe that Allah revealed books to His messengers as proof for mankind
and as guidance for them. Among these books is the Qur'an, which God revealed to
the Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). Allah has guaranteed the Qur'ans
protection from any change.
Belief in the Prophets:
Muslims believe in the prophets and messengers of Allah, starting with Adam, including Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac), Jacob, Musa
(Moses), and Isa (Jesus) (peace be upon them). But Allahs final message to man, a
repeating of the eternal message, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims
believe that all the prophets and messengers were created human beings who had
none of the divine qualities of Allah.
Belief in the Day of Judgment:
Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) when all people
will be resurrected for Allahs judgment according to their beliefs and deeds.
Belief in Al-Qadar:
Muslims believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but this belief in Divine
Predestination does not mean that human beings do not have freewill. Rather, Muslims believe that Allah has given human beings freewill. This means that they can
choose right or wrong and that they are responsible for their choices. The belief in
Divine Predestination includes belief in four things:
1) Allah knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen.
2) Allah has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen.
3) Whatever Allah wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not to happen does
not happen. 4) Allah is the Creator of everything.

Page 5

OPINION

The Friday Bulletin

Dr. Karima Burns

The Muslim contribution to optics

There is still a controversy as to whether

color therapy works within the realm of vibration or within the world of the brain. And
Muslims would be pleased to know that this
debate would not even be possible without
the Muslim contribution to optics and to the
discovery of how colors work.
Before Muslim scientists took over the field
of optics, Euclidic and Platonic thinkers believed that the eye was the source of light,
and that the world would actually be dark if
not for the illumination that the eye provided. It was thought that the mixture of this
darkness with light produced colors.
The less popular theories of Democritus
and Aristotle that the eye collects light
and was not its source of light would have
been totally disregarded if it had not been
for their support and development by the
Muslim scientists of that era who were the
first to prove that the world is actually light,
and that the objects in it are, in some way,
the absence of that light. They also demonstrated how rainbows are created and
introduced color theory.
One of the first Muslim scientists to significantly contribute to the field was Ibn
al-Haytham (who was know in the West by
the Latin name Alhazen) who lived in the
11th century. Some history books call him,
the greatest student of optics between
Ptolemy and Witelo.
Ibn al-Haythams main work on optics, the
Kitab al-Manazir, was well known in the
West as Thesaurus Opticus. He studied
the structure of the eye and correctly described the process of vision in the text.
As well, it contains the oldest existing diagram illustrating the eye and its connection
to the central nervous system. The book
was copied at Basra in 1083, and altered
and adopted by Al-Hazens Persian commentator, Kamal al-Din al-Farisi.
The translation to English of his description
of the parts is still used today: retina, cornea, vitreous humor, and aqueous humor.
Because of his deep understanding of how
the eye worked and his ability to compare
it to the camera obscura, he was able to
study light itself, improving upon many earlier theories of light refraction and proposing his own theories about how colors were
created.
He demonstrated that Ptolemys law that
the angle of incidence is proportional to
the angle of refraction is true for small angles only, and discarded the popular belief
of the day that rays of light traveled from
external objects into the eye and not the
opposite way.
He also noted that light is the same irrespective of its source, and gave examples
of sunlight, light from a fire or light reflected
from a mirror all of the same nature.
In volume four of this work, he gave experimental proof of the specular reflection of
accidental as well as essential light, a complete formulation of the laws of reflection,
and a description of the construction and
use of a copper instrument for measuring

Page 6

Muharram 20,1438/October 21, 2016

reflections from plane, spherical, cylindrical, and conical mirrors, whether convex or
concave.
Another significant idea he contributed to
the field of light and color was the idea that
light is a movement that admits variable
speed, which is less in denser bodies. This
was the beginning of color theory.
Ibn al-Haythams interest in optics was
continued two centuries later by the astronomer, Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi, born in 1236.
It was al-Shirazi who gave the first correct
explanation of the formation of the rainbow.
However, little remains of his original work
on optics other than the work of his famous
pupil, Kamal al-Din al-Farisi who made two
major contributions in the field of mathematics one on light and the other on
number theory.
The work on light was prompted by a question he was asked concerning the refraction of light, which led his teacher, Al-Shirazi, to advise him to consult the work of Ibn
al-Haytham.
Al-Farisi then made such a comprehensive
study of this treatise that al-Shirazi suggested that he write a revision of it.
However, Al-Farisi went much further the
Tanqih (meaning revision) suggested that
some of ibn al-Haythams theories were incorrect and proposed alternative theories.
His most important proposal was his theory of the rainbow. While Ibn al-Haytham
had initially proposed the theory and AlShirazi had expounded on it, al-Farisi revised and updated it to the point that it was
the first mathematically satisfactory explanation of the rainbow.
Ibn al-Haythams initial theory was that
clouds reflect light from the sun before it
reaches the eye, which did not allow for experimental verification.
Al-Farisi, on the other hand, proposed a
model where a ray of sunlight is refracted
twice by a water droplet with one or more
reflections occurring between the two refractions. This model did allow experimentation with a transparent sphere filled with
water.
However, al-Farisi had to explain how the
colors of the rainbow were formed. The
previous view about the formation of colors
was that they were produced from a mixing of darkness with light, but this did not
explain the colors of the rainbow.
Based on the experimental evidence of the
colors that he had observed with his transparent sphere experiment, al-Farisi proposed that the rainbows colors occurred
because of the superimposition of different
forms of an image on a dark background.
He wrote, If the images then interpenetrate, the light is again intensified and produces a bright yellow. Next, the blended
image diminishes and becomes a darker
and darker red until it disappears when the
sun is outside the cone of rays refracted
after one reflection.
Before this book, our use and understand-

ing of color was purely traditional and intuitive. Our understanding of how colors work
and the beginnings of the science of color
therapy began with these words.
This article was first published in 2008 and
is currently republished for its importance.

UNESCO adopts anti-Israel

resolution on al-Aqsa
Mosque

Palestinian leaders have welcomed a decision by the United Nations cultural agency
to adopt a resolution on occupied East
Jerusalem that sharply criticises Israeli
policies around the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while Israel says it ignores Jewish
ties to the key holy site.
A spokesman for Paris-based UNESCO
said on Tuesday that the resolution, which
caused Israel to suspend its cooperation
with the agency, was adopted without a
new vote after being approved at the committee stage last week.
The text, which touches on Israel's management of Palestinian religious sites,
refers throughout to the al-Aqsa mosque
compound site in occupied East Jerusalem's Old City only by its Muslim names:
al-Aqsa and al-Haram al-Sharif.
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is the thirdholiest site in Islam. Jews refer to the site
as the Temple Mount.
Palestine's deputy ambassador to UNESCO, Mounir Anastas, told reporters the
resolution "reminds Israel that they are the
occupying power in East Jerusalem and it
asks them to stop all their violations", including archaeological excavations around
religious sites.
The UNESCO resolution also condemned
Israel for restricting Muslim access to the
site, and for aggression by Israeli police
and soldiers, while also recognising Israel
as the occupying power.
"By criticising the report for the omission of
the words Temple Mount, [Israel] glosses
over more than two dozen detailed criticisms of Israeli actions in and around the
Old City, which is after all occupied territory," Al Jazeera's Paul Brennan, reporting
from West Jerusalem, said.
The resolution was submitted by Algeria,
Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar
and Sudan - and was originally passed
with 24 votes in favour, six against, and 26
abstentions.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime
minister, said in a statement on Thursday
that UNESCO had lost its legitimacy by
adopting this resolution."The theatre of the
absurd at UNESCO continues, and today
the organisation adopted another delusional decision which says that the people
of Israel have no connection to the Temple
Mount and the Western Wall," Netanyahu
said.
Continued To Page 8

NATIONAL

The Friday Bulletin

Muharram 20,1438/October 21, 2016

Kamiti inmates graduate in Islamic study programme

In the first programme of its kind, seventy
four inmates from Kamiti Maximum Prison
last week graduated after the completion
of a basic course in Islamic studies.
The programme was undertaken by the
Prisoners
Rehabilitation
Programme
(PRP) and is aimed at empowering inmates with Islamic studies. Inmates from
both the Maximum and Medium prisons
were beneficiaries in the programme
which covered courses in the areas of fiqh
(Islamic jurisprudence), hadith (traditions
of the Prophet), seerah (biography of the
Prophet, peace be upon him) and other Islamic disciplines.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony,
the Officer in Charge of Kamiti Maximum
Prison Henry Kisingu said the government
recognizes the importance of spirituality
in the reformation process of inmates and
pledged more support towards such programmes that have a positive impact on
prisoners.
We appreciate that the programme has
had a positive impact on the prisoners and

we will work together to ensure that it meet

its objectives, he said.
In her remarks, the Nairobi regional prison
commander Wanini Kereri urged the prisoners to uphold the teachings of Islam and
use the knowledge gained to better themselves and others. Be true Muslims and
cooperate with others in goodness. Read
the Quran, learn it and walk the way of the
Quran, she said.
In his nasaha (word of advice), Sheikh
Juma Amir the Jamia Mosque deputy
Imam Sheikh Juma Amir told the inmates
not to despair but look at the brighter side
of the life in prison saying that it will help
them to become better people.
We have the example of Prophet Yusuf
(alayhi sallam), despite the fact that he was
unfairly jailed, he used his time in prison to
propagate moral virtues, he said.
Take advantage of the available opportunities in improving your knowledge of
Islam and the vocational training programmes provided by prison authorities,
they will transform you into better people,

Stick to Islamic values, students advised

Muslims students joining institutions of
higher learning have been advised to
stick to Islamic values and principles.
The head of Dawah at Umma University Mubarak Ali said maintaining
the Islamic identity, having high moral
character and discipline is key for Muslims students in achieving their educational endeavors.
Apart from pursuing educational goals
and life ambitions Mubarak said it is
equally important for Muslims students
to strive and rightly practice their faith
and undertake their religious obligations in accordance with Islam.
Speaking over the weekend at Mount
Kenya university main campus in Thika during a programme to welcome
first year students commonly knowns
as freshers, Mubarak advised the
students to be wary of peer pressure
and temptations that may lead them
to indulge in immoral and un-Islamic
practices.
He urged students to propagate Islam
and demystify negative perceptions
associated with Islam and Muslims
by being good ambassadors of Islam.
The world today is filed with Islamophobia and misconceptions just because the religion of Islam has been
misunderstood. It is the duty of every
Muslims to correct this misconceptions
by relaying the correct teachings of Islam, he said.
He noted that life in campus is not confined to studies alone and emphasized
on the need of Muslim students to participate in dawah activities and Islamic
programmes so as to convey the true
message of Islam to people of other
faith.
The students were at the same time
asked to maintain healthy interfaith re-

lations with students from other faith backgorunds in order to promote ethnic and religious
tolerance in institutions of higher learning.
Female students were categorically implored
to dress modestly as commanded by Islam
and to preserve the importance of wearing the
hijab.
The function which attracted over 300 students was attended by student leaders from
Mount Kenya University, Umma University
Thika campus and Thika School of medical
and Kenya medical training college.

he said.
The Director of Correction and Rehabilitation in the Kenya Prison Service Mary
Khaemba emphasized that religion is the
backbone for change and said the government will work with faith based organisations in enhancing spiritual programmes in
prisons to positively transform the lives of
inmates.
On his part, the Jamia mosque Committee chairman Muhammad Osman Warfa
commended the Prison Rehabilitation Programme for its activities to better the lives
of the inmates.
He particularly singled out the education
programme saying that while it empowers
the inmates with Islamic education, it will
also significantly contribute to their rehabilitation process and integration of inmates in
the society upon their release.
Nairobi lawyer Ibrahim Ahmed Yusuf who is
also a member of the Jamia Mosque Committee pledged that through the Muslim
Lawyers League, legal assistance will be
extended to the inmates. Perhaps some of
you are innocent and you are here because
of you did not receive adequate legal representation. We will organize legal clinics to
provide you with the necessary assistance,
he said.
The vice chairman of the Prison Rehabilitation Programme Muhammad Sharrif noted
that moves are being explored to provide
the inmates with more advanced learning
programmes to further increase their knowledge of Islam.
We are looking at the possibilities of providing higher Islamic courses up to degree levels which can be obtained through online,
he said as he urged more inmates to enroll
in the study programme.

59
003
836
ADN
Satelite for Africa
and Europe

Page 7

Al-Aqsa Mosque has no Israeli ties-UNESCO

Continued From Page 6

In April, UNESCO also passed a resolution condemning "Israeli
aggressions and illegal measures against the freedom of worship
and Muslims' access to the al-Aqsa Mosque", also failing to mention the site's Jewish name.
In 2011, the Palestinians were admitted as a member state of the
organisation, which led the United States to suspend its payments
to UNESCO.
The latest resolutions created unease at the top of the organisation, with Michael Worbs, who chairs UNESCO's executive board,
saying he would have liked more time to work out a compromise.
"We need more time and dialogue between the members of the
board to reach a consensus," he told AFP news agency.
UNESCO chief Irina Bokova had distanced herself from Thursday's vote, saying in a statement: "Nowhere more than in Jerusalem do Jewish, Christian and Muslim heritage and traditions share
space."
But Riyad al-Maliki, the Palestinian foreign minister, responded
to Bokova by describing her comments as "completely unacceptable". "The Palestinian government expects Ms Bokova to focus
her efforts on implementing the will of member states and preserving Jerusalem from the Israeli systematic colonisation and assault
on its Palestinian character," said Maliki.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is located in East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed following its invasion in 1967 - in a move never recognised
by the international community - as part of its subsequent military
occupation of the West Bank.
Jewish settlers and Zionist organisations have called for complete
Jewish control over the mosque compound. Jewish groups' incursions into the mosque compound have continuously led to Palestinian protests across the occupied West Bank, including East
Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. (Source: Al Jazeera News)

WE ARE RECRUITING
An upcoming Islamic television station is seeking to recruit creative and talented personalities to play a pivotal role in taking
the station to the next level in broadcasting.
If you feel you can work in a creative environment and nurture
the thought of establishing a successful career in an Islamic
television channel, you may be the talent we are looking for.
We are seeking suitable and experienced candidates in the following positions;
Station Technician
TV Producers
Video Editors
Studio Technical Operators
Video Graphics Designer/Promo Producer
Talented hosts/Presenters for women programmes, youth
shows and current affairs talkshow programmes.
If you have the desired qualifications and skills, please send
your application and resume to tamazcomm@gmail.com.
Or address them to:
Executive Producer
P.O. Box 40629-00100 Nairobi
For the position of TV producers and presenters, the application should be accompanied with a show reel.
Closing date: October 28th 2016.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Steps to a bright future

Over the past decades after Kenyas independence, the unfortunate reality is that the income gap has widened between families.
Educational outcomes are one of the key areas influenced by family incomes. Children from low-income families often start school
already behind their peers who come from more affluent families,
as shown in measures of school readiness. The incidence, depth,
duration and timing of poverty all influence a childs educational
attainment, along with community characteristics and social networks. However, Ummah Foundation, international players and
partners have made an intervention that shows how the effects
of poverty can be reduced using sustainable bursary awards to
bright needy and poor children. Persistent socioeconomic disadvantage has a negative impact on the life outcomes of many
school going children.
Through our small ways we offer a level playing ground where
poor students can find chance to compete favourably with their
counterparts from affluent families. A bright child from a poor slum
area like Korogocho or Kibera, if sponsored and given the same
opportunity will be able to be as good as a child raised in Runda or
Karen. Through our pragmatic education committee that is led by
experience and wisdom, the Foundation has been able to sponsor more than 1500 students from the time of its inception. We
believe these graduates are making a positive impact in the society and bringing a change in their own fields of expertise which
was hard to achieve if Ummah Foundation and other donors did
not lay a formidable foundation for them. We therefore trust and
believe this is the direction to go if indeed we want to bring forth
the desired results. Decreasing the risk factors (like dropping out
of school due to lack of fees) in a childs environment increases
a childs potential for development and educational attainment
hence a big transition in life.
The path way to this Education program began way back in the
year 2006 after evident research results showed that most students from our community were dropping yearly from all levels of
learning and hence leaving a pathetic figure of less than 0.5% at
the public universities then. Due to poverty, some parents used to
make frantic requests to various Organisations to help their children succeed in high school but the help was very minimal and
could not satiate the demands.
To us this was the apex of the Muslim education crisis and something needed to be done to address these issues and bring our
community to normalcy. Through sponsoring some students and
sensitizing parents to have different perceptions as far as education is concerned, today at least we can pride of the fact that
the Muslim population is slightly above 3% in public universities
though still a lot needs to be done to bridge the alarming gaps.
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a step and the
steps to follow should maximize heavily in investing in education.
This is the sure way of attenuating poverty and ignorance that
has always stood between us and our long term dreams. Ummah
Foundation advocates for and support intervention programs that
provide academic, social and community support to raise the success of disadvantaged children and youth. We therefore appeal
to all, never miss a personal opportunity to support the potential
educational success of a poor bright child and youths who we
come into contact with.
Our Contact:
Ummah Foundation
P.O.Box 58717-00200
Tel: 0202680610/13 Mob: 0734845277
Email: info@ummahfounfation.net
Web: www.ummahfoundation.net

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