Jamaada Al Awwal 30,1436/March 20, 2015 Issue No. 620

Friday BulletinTheThe Weekly Muslim News Update

www.islamkenya.org

Page 2 Page 7Page 4

Nairobi Jamia Mosque Imam Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu hands over clothes to residents of kyambeke village, near Nunguni in Makueni county. The Sheikh was among a team who visited the area on a fact finding mission on the situation of the nascent Muslim community in the area. The mosque (INSET) is housed in rented premises and the owner has already issued a vacation notice which will leave the Muslim residents without a place for congregational prayers.

The great women behind the great men

Parents urged to educate girls

Contain insecurity in NEP leaders tell govt

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

Editorial: Act on Uhuru's registration directive

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Start early hajj preparations-SUPKEM With the introduction of new hajj regulations by the Saudi Arabian authorities, those intending to make the pilgrimage to Makkah have been urged to start early preparations to avoid unnecessary delays and hindrances.

The organizing secretary of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) Shariff Hussein Omar said those planning to travel to Makkah for this years hajj should hasten and register early to avoid incon-veniences and last minute rush.

The Ministry of Hajj requires the names of hujjaj in advance by 30 Shaaban which corresponds to 17th

June, he said during a press conference last Sat-urday.

Further, he said pilgrims have also to ensure that they are vaccinated against yellow fever, hepatitis B, meningitis and polio three weeks prior to their scheduled travel dates while visas will be issued to only those with new generation passports.

At the same time, he appealed to the government to reopen immigration offices to facilitate the issu-ance of the passports to those planning to travel for the hajj.

Leaders from North East-ern have asked the gov-ernment to contain the mounting insecurity in the region.

The call followed the deadly attack last Friday which targeted a convoy of Mandera governor Ali Roba.

The governor escaped unhurt after his con-voy was hit by a rocket propelled grenade but claimed the lives of three people and left several others injured. The So-malia militant group Al Shabbab claimed respon-sibility.

In another attack on Sun-day night, one person was killed and three injured by unknown gunmen igniting stronger calls from local leaders for immediate ac-tion from the government to contain the rising inci-dences of insecurity.

Following the attack, the fifth attempt on his life, governor Roba lamented that his security was not being taken seriously by the national government and his efforts to serve the county have being frustrated by inaction from the government to tame insecurity.

I dont know if the gov-ernment is waiting for me to die before taking my security seriously. The government has a responsibility to protect the whole country and I wonder whether Mandera is in Kenya or another country, he said.

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The Friday Bulletin

Page 2

EDITORIAL

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Insecurity in NEP

Follow Uhurus registration directive with action During the launch of the Integrated Popu-lation Registration System (IPRS) last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed relevant government organs to ensure that all citizens were registered and their details entered in the government data-base.The move, the head of state said will help to streamline on the improvement of ser-vice delivery to citizens, national security and also contribute to end the marginali-zation of a section of citizens.The statement is a subtle admission by the government with regard to correla-tion of existing difficulties faced by many people in registering as citizens and mar-ginalization, issues which for long Muslim community leaders have lamented about and urged the government to address. Often times, the government has been quick to respond to these complaints with denials.Successive governments have since in-dependence been accused of deliber-ately putting in place policies which have served to deny many Kenyans their inal-ienable right to register as citizens. Hav-ing a Muslim name appears to be the first obstacle one has to overcome to secure important documents such as national identity cards, birth certificates and pass-

ports which to other Kenyans are a right while to a section of the unfortunate ones remain a privilege.Without an identity card, education and employment opportunities are not easy to come by, it is impossible to open a bank account and impractical to access basic essential government services such as health care.The result is that this opens entry points for poverty, crime, despondency and margin-alization which have negative implication on socioeconomic development.In many areas of North Eastern and Coast regions which have the largest concentra-tion of Muslims, this situation is highly prev-alent with many people facing difficulties to register as Kenyan citizens and forced to live as strangers in their own country. Ven-turing out of their home areas is a risky af-fair as the fear of being apprehended and labeled as foreigners is rife.In 2007, a committee appointed by former President Mwai Kibaki made stark revela-tions about the deliberate policies which have discriminated and contributed to the marginalization of Muslims. Top among the list of these issues were the difficulties faced by many Muslims in obtaining impor-tant national documents.

Jamaada Al Awwal 30,1436/March 20, 2015

Unfortunately, the Sharawe led Special Action Committee report is gathering dust and its findings and recommendation re-mains concealed from the public glare.While the Presidents directive is essen-tial in addressing this problem, what is more important is to ensure its practical application in a fair and just manner.Security has often been cited as the rea-sons for these discriminatory attitudes, however, the approach taken borders on collective punishment of an entire com-munity for religion and ethnicity remain main focus in determining the Kenyan-ness of an individual.With all information about citizens and foreigners residing in the country cap-tured on the Integrated Population Regis-tration System available at the a touch of a button, perhaps it is also important for the government to review discriminatory policies such as vetting as queries about a particular person can easily be obtained and verified digitally.Ultimately, it remains imperative on the government to ensure all its citizens are treated equally in a fair and just manner as discrimination will only perpetuate alienation and resentment and this fore-bodes social calamities for the nation.

He called for the removal of Mandera county commis-sioner Alex Ole Nyoko saying he has failed to maintain security in the area.

The Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow criticized the gov-ernment for failing to curb the runaway crime saying it had neglected North Eastern region as the matter is not given the attention it deserves. We feel that the govern-ment is treating Mandera as if it is not part of Kenya, if the government has thrown in the towel in the fight against terrorism it should tell us. We will not allow it to mortgage Mandera, he said while addressing a press conference on Monday.

He said persistent calls for the deployment of Kenya De-fence Forces (KDF) along the Kenya-Somalia border to seal off entry point used by the Somalia based militants has fallen on deaf ears. It is regrettable that parts of this country have been surrendered to terrorist by the government. We are under siege and feel abandoned by our government, said the Senator.

On his part, the majority leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale stressed that KDF should man the Kenya-Somalia border to strengthen security in the county and other parts of the country. KDF should take over all ar-eas along Kenya borders from Lamu to Mandera to stop Al Shabaab from attacking our country, said Duale.

The newly appointed Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett who visited the county on Saturday said the gun-men who attacked the governors convey might have been bandits and not Al Shabbab militants.

At the same time four people were killed and burnt be-yond recognition in Wajir town on Tuesday after a gre-nade was hurled into an M-pesa shop.

Wajir governor Ahmed Abdullahi called on the national government to swiftly stop the attacks. "The government is not doing enough to pre-empt the attacks which are threatening development in the area" he said.

Political leaders from Wajir county have vowed to address the acute shortage of teachers that has para-lyzed the education sector.

The county and the entire North Eastern region is yet to come to terms with shortage of teachers after non-local teachers refused to report back to work in the region citing in-security.

The leaders called for local solutions as part of proposals meant to ad-dress the ongoing crisis which has dealt a blow to the education sector for the better part of the year.

Speaking during an education day event in Eldas constituency, Wajir Senator Abdirahman Hassan said school leavers should be encour-aged to take up teaching as a career and the profession be made more enticing to students.

He also urged the local leadership to avail scholarship programmes to lo-cal students willing to pursue teach-ing courses. We need local and last-ing solutions to this crisis. We must encourage and sponsor our own stu-dents to study teaching as career, said the senator.

The leaders also proposed for the minimum entry grade of those wish-ing to pursue teaching to be lowered to enable more students enroll in

Wajir leaders pledge to address teacher shortage

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teaching profession at various col-leges and universities in the coun-try.

Eldas Member of Parliament Adan Keynan took issue with the Ken-ya National Examination Council (KNEC) over the cancellation of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results of Eldas boys secondary school.

KNEC withheld the results for Is-lamic religious subject of all the candidates who sat for the 2014 examination at the school over ir-regularities.

The MP said he does not believe the students cheated in the subject arguing that the students are well versed in Islamic religious studies and the subject is well performed in the entire North Eastern region.

The leaders used the forum to con-demned Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) secretary gener-al Wilson Sossion whom they ac-cused of being behind the teach-ers standoff by inciting teachers not to teach in the region.

They also appealed to the Teach-ers Service Commission (TSC) not to honour request from the teach-ers to be transferred to other parts of the country adding that the re-gion is safe for their return.

The Friday Bulletin

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DA'WA

SUNDAY LECTURE

The love of the companions of the Prophet is one of the basic principles of faith ac-cording to the people of the Sunnah and the Community (of Muhammad). This is be-cause they are the elite people who are cho-sen by Allah to accompany His Prophet and to disseminate His religion. They are those who have preserved for us the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, and conveyed them to us. In addition, without that group of righteous people, the teachings of Islam would have been lost just as the Jewish and Christian teachings have been lost.

Many texts from the Quran and the Sunnah mentioned the virtues of the companions, to the extent that they obligated loving and defending them, along with hating their de-famers.

Therefore, we love the companions for the following reasons:

1- We love the companions because Al-lah Almighty has been pleased with them. He says, Indeed, Allh was pleased with the believers when they gave the Baiah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad) under the tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Saknah (calmness and tranquillity) upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory. [Surat Al-Fath 48:18]

2- We love the companions because Allah Almighty has attributed faith (belief) to them. He says, He it is Who has supported you with His Help and with the believers. [Surat Al-Anfl 8:62]

3- We love the companions because Al-lah, Glorified and Exalted, has commended them. He has described them of being the successful. He has also promised them Paradise. Allah says, But the Messenger (Muhammad) and those who believed with him (in Islmic Monotheism) strove hard and fought with their wealth and their lives (in Allhs Cause). Such are they for whom are the good things, and it is they who will be successful. For them Allh has got ready Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.} [Surat At-Tawbah 9:88-89]

4- We love the companions because Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has said, You [true believers in Islmic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad) and his Sunnah] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind [Surat Al-Imrn 3:110]

Ibn Abbas said, They are the people who migrated with Muhammad, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him.

5- We love the companions because Allah, Glorified and Exalted, loves them. He says, Allh will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him [Surat Al-Midah 5: 54]

6- We love the companions because Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has attributed faith

Why do we love the companions?

SUNDAY LECTUREUovu wa uzushi katika didni

By: Abu KawtharDate: 22nd March 2015

Time: 2 pm- 4 pmVenue: Makina Kibra

(belief) to them. He says, And those who believed, and emigrated and strove hard in the Cause of Allh (Al-Jihd), as well as those who gave (them) asylum and aid - these are the believers in truth, for them is forgiveness and Rizqun Karm (a gener-ous provision i.e. Paradise). [Surat Al-Anfl 8:74]

7- We love the companions because the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has made loving them the sign of faith, and hating them the sign of hypoc-risy. He, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, The sign of Belief is to love the Ansar (the Supporters), and the sign of hypocrisy is to hate the Ansar. [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

8- We love the companions because the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has prohibited mentioning them with evil. He, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, When my com-panions are mentioned, hold your tongues. When the stars are mentioned, hold your tongues. When Fate is mentioned, hold your tongues. [It is classified as authentic by Al-Albani 545 in Sahih Aj-Jami]

9- We love the companions because the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has made them the security of the nation. He, prayers and peace of Al-lah be upon him, has said, The stars are a source of security for the sky and when the stars disappear there comes to the sky (it meets the same fate) as it has been prom-ised (it would plunge into darkness). And I am a source of safety and security to my Companions and when I go away, there would fall to the lot of my Companions as they have been promised with. And my Companions are a source of security for my nation and as they go, there would fall to the lot of my nation as (its people) have been promised. [Reported by Muslim 2531]

10- We love the companions because the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has made them the most right-eous and the best of people. He, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, The best of my nation are those living in my generation (i.e. my contemporaries). And then those who will follow the latter, and then those who will follow the latter. [Re-ported by Muslim]

11- We love the companions because the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has prohibited abusing them. He, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, Do not revile my companions, do not revile my companions. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if one amongst you would have spent as much gold as (the Mountain of) Uhud, it would not amount to as much as one mudd (half bushel, a dry measure) on behalf of one of them or half of it! [Reported Muslim]

12- We love the companions because the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be

upon him, has cursed those who reviled them. He, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, Allah has cursed those who reviled my companions. [It is classified as good by Al-Albani 5111 in Sahih Aj-Jami]

Prayers and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and companions. All the praises and thanks be to Allh, the Lord of the Alamn (man-kind, jinn and all that exists).

Jamaada Al Awwal 30,1436/March 20, 2015

SATURDAY LECTURETopic: The Concept of Ibaadah in

IslamLecturer: Ustadhah Amina Atitala

Date: 21st March 2015Time: 2.00 4.00 pm.

Venue: Jamia Mosque Multi purpose

Reverts Crash ProgrammeThe programme is currently ongoing

Venue: Jamia Mosque multi purpose hall

Time: 5.00pm -6.30pmDays: Mondays, Wednesdays and

Fridays.

Khalid Abu Saalih

Continued from Page 1

Hajj registration

We are appealing to the cabinet secretary for internal security and coordination of na-tional government and the department of immigration to re-open passport issuance offices in Garissa, Embu, Nakuru and El-doret, he said.

The regional immigration offices in Garis-sa, Embu, Nakuru and Eldoret were shut down last year by Immigration director Maj Gen (Rtd) Gordon Kihalangwa who cited the move as an effort to fight insecurity.

CARAVAN BAZAARVenue: Cutchi Sunni Hall-Pangani

Date: 21st March 2015Time: 10.am to 4.00pm

Darsa: Benefits of Sadaqa in your life(English and Swahili)

Support, donate items and food towards supporting the

Al-Furqan Towers ProjectLADIES ONLY

The Friday Bulletin

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The great women behind great men WOMEN

Aisha Stacey

Jamaada Al Awwal 30,1436/March 20, 2015

Behind every great man stands a wom-an; behind every man stands a great woman; behind every successful man stands a woman. These are three dif-ferent versions of an old saying, best remembered as a feminist slogan of the 1960s and 1970s. When you think about it however, it rings true. How do we respond when we hear about the man whose mother gave up everything to give him an education, the woman who worked 3 jobs to raise her children, and the woman who stands silently in the background as her husband rises to power as a statesman, business-man, politician, or educator? Men rise to soaring heights when the women in their lives nurture, support and encour-age them to be the best men that they can be. Even the Prophets of Allah benefitted from the wise counsel of the women in their lives.These great women, in their own in-dividual ways, supported and encour-aged men whose lives were fraught with danger and monumental change. Mothers, wives, daughters; the influ-ence these women have over the men in their lives is remarkable. Islam calls these women the best of human-kind. The best women of humankind are four: Mariam, daughter of Imran, Aasiya, the wife of Pharaoh, Khadija, daughter of Khuwailid, and Fatima the daughter of the Messenger of Allah [Bukhari and Muslims].The key to success for any woman is to live life according to Allahs guidance. As we know, this guidance is contained in and completed by the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad. Let us begin with mothers; Islam empha-sises their significant role on numer-ous occasions. Prophet Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, says, ...and He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me prayer, and alms, as long as I live, and to be dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant. (Quran 19:30-32)And when the angels said: O Maryam! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you above the wom-en of the worlds of mankind and jinn. (Quran 3:42)Prophet Muhammads son in law and close companion Ali, said, I heard the Prophet of ALLAH saying Maryam, the daughter of Imran was the best among women. (Bukhari,) Maryam, the mother of Jesus, was dedicated to Allah before she was born. Marys mother dedicated her child to the Mosque and by doing so she se-cured Maryams freedom because she understood that true freedom was only attainable through complete submis-sion to Allah.Maryam grew up having complete trust in Allah and her story can be found in

Quran, particularly in chapters 3 and 19. In chapter 5 of Quran Maryam is referred to as a siddiqa (truthful one) and the Ara-bic word siddiqa implies more than just speaking the truth. It indicates one who achieves a very high level of righteous-ness. It means that one is truthful, not only with themselves and those around them, but also with Allah. Maryam was a woman who fulfilled her covenant with Allah, Whom she worshiped with full sub-mission. She was pious, chaste, and de-vout; the woman chosen above all other women to be the mother of Iysa.After the birth of Iysa, Maryam faced in-credible hardship. Even though she was a young woman of faith, character and self control, try to imagine the courage it took for her to return to her village with a babe in arms. She left the village a young wom-an not much older than a child but with a reputation for piety and righteousness. She returned as an unmarried mother of a new born child. Imagine the talk, the gos-sip and accusations. When the townspeo-ple surrounded and questioned her she followed Allahs instructions and did not speak. Iysa himself, a baby cradled in Maryams arms, spoke, declaring himself to be a prophet from Allah. (Quran 19: 30)Islam tells us very little about the life shared by Iysa and his mother Maryam. Of course we can surmise that Maryam was a woman of her time. With the ex-ception of her education and possibly her ability to read, Maryam would have lived and learned just like the other Jewish girls around her. She would have kept house, cooked, cleaned, sewed, walked to the well for water but above all she was an educator. It is easy to imagine Iysa sitting on her lap or at her feet listening to the stories of her people and their prayers. He would also have experienced at close hand Maryams profound love and trust in Allah. How much of Maryams character influenced Iysa as he grew up? A great deal, is the most probable answer.As Iysa grew and began his mission, Maryam must have behaved like any oth-er mother. She probably swallowed her fears and encouraged her son to strive to please Allah. Maryam would have sensed the danger of Iysa mission yet undoubt-edly she held onto her total trust in Allah and conveyed her sense of contentment with Allahs will to her son.The mothers role is both monumental and overwhelming. Not only does she go through both the joys and difficul-ties of pregnancy and giving birth, she dedicates her entire life to nurturing and caring for her children. It is her respon-sibility to raise and to educate them to be righteous and pious human beings. She cooks, cleans, nurtures and educates, she is also responsible for their spiritual, emotional and physical health and well-being. A mothers role does not end when her child grows and begins a life of his or

her own, it goes on and on and continues to influ-ence her children and grandchildren.In this day and age when the role of motherhood is being undermined at every turn, women should draw strength from great women such as Maryam the mother of Iysa.Aasiya, the foster mother of Musa and the wife of Pharaoh.Another great woman who raised a great man de-spite the difficulties and pressures she faced was Aasiya. She is more often remembered as the wife of Pharaoh; however this great lady was also the foster mother of Prophet Musa.Like Maryam the mother of Iysa, Aasiya was a woman chosen by Allah to care for a child who would grow up to be a prophet of Allah. What qualities did Aasiya have with which to support and influence Musa? It was, once again, as we will discover her complete and total trust in Allah. As the wife of the most powerful and arrogant man in all Egypt, Aasiya was surrounded by luxury, wealth and beauty yet she was able to recognise that without Allah human beings were lost bereft and incomplete. Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level ex-cept Maryam, the daughter of Imran and Aasiya, the wife of Pharaoh.[Bukhari]When Musa was born his mother was compelled by circumstances to put her tiny new born baby in a basket and float him down the waters of the Nile her heart was nearly broken beyond repair. But Allah is the best of planners. Aasiyas maidservant drew Musa from the river and presented the tiny bundle to Pharaohs wife. Aasiya, in contrast to her arrogant, proud husband was a righteous, merciful woman. Allah opened her heart and Aasiya looked

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The Friday Bulletin

page 5

Jamaada Al Awwal 30,1436/March 20, 2015

Online pursuits are consuming an increasing amount of time of young people, and no less the Muslims. Those among the 500 million global users of Facebook (FB) know how it functions as a platform for many of these activities (such as news, entertain-ment, correspondence, campaigning, da`wah), going far beyond its description of a social networking site.

As an avid Facebook user of a few years, I have tasted its fruits but also experienced the sickness of excess and felt the dan-ger of getting lost among the trees. Whenever Muslims are faced with a new environment, they enter it carrying their principles with them. We also need a sound understanding (fiqh) of the realities of this environment and how to handle some of its specifics.The technological aspects of Facebook, particularly with its ever-updating interface, can have an intoxicating effect. It is built upon the principle of maximal stimulation of the eyes and brain; it is not far from the imagination to compare it with hypnosis. All this has a long-term effect on the mind and on the spiritual heart. This is why our attitude to such time-consuming activities is to use them for a purpose (even if that purpose be recreation), and not allowing it to eat into time better spent on other things. For some, this may mean taking conscious note of how often they open the page, and how long is spent on each visit.

What are the signs of excess? Specialists in addiction can list a few, but let me point out one thing that I believe is frighteningly common. I noticed once that when Twitter went down for a few hours then resumed, someone commented on the experience, writing: When Twitter went down, all I wanted to do was tweet about it! Ridiculous, yet I would suggest that it is quite repre-sentative of a common urge to use these media as a natural out-let for all our thoughts, desires and emotions. As I once wrote: We express our thoughts in the form of a status update instead of turning to Allah with our fears and joys. The day of a believer should be a constant conversation with God.

Is this constant babble not a blatant distraction from the remem-brance of Allah? Yes, even when we are reading and forward-ing religious content, if we do so with hearts unaware. To quote from Shaykh Abdallah Adhamis FB comment: By all means: share, post, sms, blog, im, email, tweet (though most impor-tantly, internalize). This is the point! If you read a supplication with your eyes, it is no use if your tongue remains dry and your heart remains silent. Is reading a du`a (supplication) anything like making du`a? Many times, we write such things robotically in the same way we type LOL with a completely straight face. I wont go so far as to call it lying, but it certainly is bizarre when you ponder on it!

Clicking Like is not a sign of commitment any more than saying I love Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was commanded to say, If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful (Quran 3:31). Our Islam is built on actions, not mere declarations.

Lets be in no doubt that FB is a public space, though certain as-pects (messaging) allow one-to-one communication. Even things you post on your own wall will come up on your friends homepag-es. Therefore, rather than merely decorating your home awaiting their arrival, you are actually dropping in on them every time you post something.

If Facebook is like a public street, doesnt it have rights? The first is lowering the gaze: not just from unseemly images, but from everything that doesnt concern you. Think about it as hundreds of conversations are presented before you.

The above FB Fiqh advice was based on a hadith (report con-cerning the Prophet (peace be upon him)) reported in Sahih Mus-lim, in which Allahs Messenger (peace be upon him) questioned some people sitting in the road and instructed them to avoid do-ing so. When these Companions explained their purpose, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If you must sit, then fulfill the rights of the road: lower your gaze, respond to greetings and talk

in a good manner.

Not only does Facebook make it all too easy to look at pictures of members of the opposite sex and personal details we have no business knowing, but it makes it tempting to pore through threads of comments that at best, are a complete waste our time, and at worst, involve a level of prying. Just as we take responsi-bility for what we post, we should also be ethical in what we ac-cess. Ask yourself: if that group of friends were chatting amongst themselves, would I feel right standing nearby and listening in?

Many of the problems with peoples Facebook usage stem from the confusion between public and private spaces. Consider a few such cases:

1. Saying aloud what ought to have been silent, or sharing with everyone what belongs to a certain group.Such a public forum is not the ideal place for potentially confus-ing ideas such as controversial questions of theology to be shared, as people without the relevant background knowledge may get the wrong idea. Moreover, Facebook is not the place to develop your thoughts, wondering aloud with things that could cause others to doubt. If you have a question, direct it to someone who knows. If youre working on an idea, try keeping a private journal.

Most importantly, beware of spreading unsubstantiated rumors. If in doubt, clarify and make certain of the reality, as the Quran (49:6) instructs. The following is also a thinking point: The Proph-et (peace be upon him) said: It is enough of a lie for a person to narrate everything he hears. (Sahih Muslim) So how about one who narrates every fleeting thought he hears from his self?In short: before posting anything, ask yourself Why? is it some-thing that will be of interest or benefit to those who will read it?2. Doing things shamelessly in front of respected people and near-strangers.Examples of this include using bad language, or writing flirtatious things in plain sight of people who could make hasty possibly unfair judgments. Perhaps someone would suggest that writing on the FB wall of someone of the opposite gender is more ap-propriate than a private message, but that is only true if the public nature of the communication does not become an excuse for a lack of etiquette.

People are clicking Like for the craziest things, associating themselves sometimes with immoral and unethical people and ideas, and promoting this on the newsfeeds of all their friends. It would be wise to slow down and think, if only for the following reason:

Be careful whom you love and Like do you want them by your side on Judgment Day? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: You are with whomever you love. (Bukhari & Muslim)Another common sight is photos of sinful activities, with Muslim friends pictured in compromising positions. Rather than uploading and tagging photos of these lapses, the right course of action is immediate repentance, as in the hadith: All my nation are safe except those who publicise their sins. A servant does an evil deed by night, and wakes up having Allahs cover upon him. Then he tells someone, I did such-and-such last night! He went to bed with Allah providing him cover, and woke up to throw off Allahs cover. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Privacy in general is a major and widely discussed issue of con-cern regarding Facebook, so a Muslim should be even more aware of the issue. Both sisters and brothers need to beware of broadcasting details that could be misused, and especially pic-tures in which they are more exposed than they ought to be in public. Even a private FB album is never truly private, when you think about it.

These few thoughts on Facebook Fiqh are by no means exhaus-tive, but I hope they provide a starting point to a greater con-sciousness and care when using new technology and emerging media.

The Fiqh of FacebookSuhaib Saeed

YOUTH

The Friday Bulletin Jamaada Al Awwal 30,1436/March 20, 2015

Almost all of the 436 mosques in the Cen-tral African Republic (CAR) have been destroyed by months of vicious fighting between Christians and Muslims, the US ambassador to the United Nations said.Samantha Power spoke to reporters on Tuesday after a Security Council visit last week to the country, calling the devasta-tion "kind of crazy, chilling".She expressed concern about an upcom-ing possible security vacuum as European Union and French forces pull out and a UN peacekeeping force is still not at full strength.At least 5,000 people have been killed since Central African Republic exploded into unprecedented violence in December 2013.Nearly one million of the country's 4.5 mil-lion residents have been displaced. Many of those who have fled are Muslim.Power said 417 of the country's mosques have been destroyed. She visited the one remaining Muslim neighbourhood in the capital, Bangui, and described the resi-dents as "a terrified population".Some Muslim women, afraid of leaving the community while wearing their veils, are

choosing to give birth in their homes instead of hospitals, the ambassador said.UN peacekeepers, French forces and a Eu-ropean Union military operation have tried to calm the violence.But Power said the last of the EU force of about 750 troops left the Central African Re-public over the weekend, shortly after the Security Council visit."That's a big drop-off in capability," she said. Meanwhile, the French forces have announced a "substantial drawdown" by the end of this year. France had sent 2,000 troops to its former colony.The UN peacekeeping force remains at about 80 percent of its planned strength of about 10,000, Power said.The UN secretary-general last month asked for more than 1,000 additional peacekeep-ers, and Power said the council is "very fa-vorably disposed" to the request.She said the combined forces have "averted a worst-case scenario," but the country's rov-ing armed groups remain armed.The ambassador called that a deep cause for concern and said disarmament is a "huge priority". (Al Jazeera)

US envoy: Almost every CAR mosque destroyed in war

Great women in IslamContinued From Page 4down up on the tiny baby and felt overcome by her love for him. She asked her husband to accept him into the family.The wife of Pharaoh said, a comfort for the eye, for me and for you; kill him not. It may be that he may be of benefit to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And they per-ceived not (the result of that). (Quran 28: 9)Once again the Quran tells us very little about Aasiya and even less about her re-lationship with her foster son Musa. How-ever, as a woman of faith, she must have had a profound influence on her foster son. Musa, the man was forthright and believed in speaking his mind and standing up for the weaker members of society. Whenever he witnessed oppression or cruelty, he found it impossible to stop himself from intervening. Today psychology tells us that this sense of justice, and the ability to empathise, is learned at a very early age. They are skills that are often not able to be acquired in later life. Aasiya must have helped instill these qualities in her foster son.As Musa grew up he was considered a wise young man; in all respects regarded as Pharaohs son. We do know from the words of the Quran however that Musa birth mother was his wet nurse. Ibn Kathir believes that Musa birth mother lived in the palace while she was breast feeding him and that as he grew up she was allowed the privilege of visiting him. Her influence must also have played a part in shaping Musa character. So did We re-store him to his mother, that she might be delighted, and that she might not grieve, and that she might know that the Promise of Allah is true. But most of them know not. (Quran 28:13)

Musa was quite possibly a child that was loved by both his real mother and Aasiya. There is little doubt that before he reached manhood Musa knew about the Children of Israel and the political situation in Egypt. A number of circumstances, the details of which can be found in the Quran, forced Musa to flee Egypt. From royal son to common criminal, how must Aasiya have felt?We can surmise that Aasiya knew the dan-ger inherent in allowing Musa to understand the differences between his life in the palace and his birth familys life in an impoverished district. Eventually Pharaoh discovered that his wife was secretly worshipping the Allah of Musa. He was incensed and raged with an-ger. Pharaoh both threatened and cajoled his wife Aasiya, but her heart now belonged to Al-lah Alone. Pharaoh offered his wife a choice, to accept him (Pharaoh) as her Allah or to continue to worship the Allah of Musa and be tortured until death. Aasiya chose torture and death and in her last painful moments she could be heard calling out to Allah. O my Lord! Build for me, a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong. (Quran 66:11)As the primary caregiver and educator, the mother has many heavy responsibilities, the most important of which is her responsibility to teach the children entrusted to her by Allah. It is the mother who first teaches her children how to know and love Allah. The best way to instruct children is by example because from the moment they can interact with their sur-roundings they are learning. As mothers, both Maryam and Aasiya taught the boys in their care to have complete trust in the One most worthy of Trust Allah.

A Canadian woman who was refused her day in court because she was wearing a hijab has said no thanks to $47,800 raised on her behalf through a crowd-funding campaign.The money collected on the gofundme website was to be used to help Rania El-Alloul buy a car.The drive was in response to a judges refusal to hear her case against Que-becs automobile insurance board, which had seized her vehicle.El-Alloul said in a letter on the website that she appreciates the financial sup-port offered by the generous and warm-hearted campaign.But, she added, she cant accept the gift. The awareness raised by this campaign has brought us people from all over, who have offered support to carry this issue forward, El-Alloul wrote.As a result, I believe that these funds can be put to better use helping those whose rights have been forfeited and stories left untold.Campaign organizers said they would like to earmark some of the money to help El-Alloul, who is pursuing legal ac-tion through the National Council of Ca-nadian Muslims.They have also proposed setting aside $20,000 to create a perpetual $500 annual bursary in coordination with a university called the Rania El-Alloul Bursary. It will be for any student has demonstrated a commitment to combat injustice and protect human rights.They are also considering donating $15,000 to an organization dedicated to helping immigrants settle in Canada, build friendship between Canadians or an organization that is focused on pro-tecting the civil liberties of all Canadians.Quebec court Judge Eliana Marengo re-cently told El-Alloul that her case would not be heard unless she removed her headscarf, saying it wasnt appropriate to wear in her courtroom. (The Star-Can-ada)

Hijab-wearing woman deeply grateful but turns down money

from crowdfunding

16-year-old Garissa orphan Ayan Gedi is suffering from life threatening condition of bilat-eral acute failure, a medical condition which has rendered both of her kidneys not to function.

Medical appeal

She urgently needs kidney transplant that will cost Ksh1.5 million which her needy family is unable to raise. Please foward your contributions to Jamia Mosque Com-mittee Reserve Account no. 00101464004 or MPESA Pay Bill no. 150770. Ac-count name Ayan Medical.You sadaqah and Zakah will inshallah contribute in saving her life.

The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL Jamaada Al Awwal 30,1436/March 20, 2015

Support girls education, parents toldParents have been urged to place more emphasis in the education of female chil-dren as this will contribute to the social and intellectual empowerment of Muslim girls and dispel the wrong notion that Islam is against educating girls and women and ad-vocate gender discrimination.Speaking last week during a prize giving day ceremony at Nairobi Muslim Acad-emy, the Umma University Vice chancellor Prof Shaukat Abdulrazak further cautioned against involving them in early marriages as this could be detrimental to their educa-tion and future wellbeing.Prof Shaukat noted that education is a fun-damental pillar in enhancing human lives and social economic development and pointed out that Muslims should invest in education through the establishment of more community schools to provide op-portunities to Muslim children to access education. ''There is need for the Muslim leadership in the country to put in place strategy measures to promote girls edu-cation in the Muslim community for them to play important roles in the society in matters pertaining to development pro-grammes,'' said Prof ShaukatHe called on Muslim investors and en-terprenuers to establish Muslim oriented schools to address the needs of the grow-ing number of Muslim students adding that Muslims need to have institutions which provide a holistic learning environment for both the Islamic and comparative educa-tion.Prof Shaukat who was the chief guest at the event commended students of Nairobi Muslim Academy for the sterling perfor-mance in 2014 Kenya Certificates of Pri-mary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Cer-tificates of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations saying the achievement was a demonstration on the positive stride be-ing made in the education sector.Through the vice chancellor scholarship scheme, Prof Shaukat awarded two schol-arships to students from Nairobi Muslim Academy who performed well in last year's KCSE examinations and announced that the university will collaborate with Mem-bers of Parliament and county govern-ments leadership to educate the needy through scholarships.He advised Muslim students joining higher institutions of learning to adhere to Islamic principles and work extra hard in their stud-ies in order to achieve excellent results.In his address, the school manager Sheikh Muhammad Osman Warfa pledged that Nairobi Muslim Academy will continue with it strides in providing quality education to the Muslim community, particularly the girls in order for them to play important role in the society and the nation at large. We want to produce girls that will play impor-tant roles in the community for social-eco-nomic development. We will continue sup-porting girls education at all cost to ensure they are not left behind,'' he said.Overall, 97% of the students scored C+

Muslim women across the country have been called upon to come out and engage in da'wah and other spiritual activities in prisons as part of the strategies to rehabili-tate female inmates.

This call was made by the Kakamega Ja-mia Mosque and Islamic centre women leader Amida Indimuli who stressed on the need for concerted efforts to reform in-mates through spiritual programmes.

Speaking during a visit to Kakamega main G.K Prison, Amida said society should not condemn inmates but rather they should assist them to become better and respon-sible citizens in and outside the prisons.

These are members of our society, our mothers, sisters and daughters and it is our obligation to lend a helping hand to them through spiritual guidance and counseling but this cannot be made by an individual, men or an organisation,we need more peo-ple to support these efforts,'' she noted.

Amida decried that da'wah (Islamic propa-gation) activities have for most part been left to Muslim men leaving out the women and appealed to women to take up their role in the society and increase efforts in disseminating the message of Islam to both Muslims and non-Muslims.

A committee member at Kakamega Jamia Mosque Hawa Omar Malenya called on Muslims to play their role in portraying a good image of Islam by giving support and assistance to Muslim inmates as this will also work on reforming them to be better citizens.

On his part, the Western regional Prison Maalim Sheikh Abdalla Omar noted that the prison authorities are willing to work with the Muslim community in the efforts to rehabilitate inmates.

During the visit Amida pledged that the Muslim women secretariat will lend its hands to support and promote the spiritual growth of the Muslim inmates.

Take Da'wah to prisons, Muslim women urged

The Nairobi Area Muslim Students Associ-ation (NAMSA) is organizing a career guid-ance programme for Form Four leavers to assist the students in making appropriate choices in their future education plans. The programme will be held at the University of Nairobi main campus on March 22 under the theme The Role of Mentorship in Ca-reer Development. According to the NAMSA coordinator Umar Swaleh, many students find it difficult to make proper career choices and the event will provide a platform to help them to make suitable proper choices.Apparently many students know very little about the careers they purport to covet, he said.He urged the student not to focus on mon-etary gains but to look at careers where they will make a positive bearing on the community and the society at large. At the same time he applauded the performance of Muslim students in last years KCSE ex-aminations saying that this will make posi-tive impression on upcoming students.Various institutions of learning which in-clude Universities and tertiary institutions will be represented during the event. More information on the event can be obtained from Umar Swaleh on 0722234569

NAMSA to organize career guidance fair

and are expected to join universities to fur-ther their education.In attendance during the occasion were Ahmed Hussein-the director of Children Services, Fatuma Saman a commissioner with Independent Police Oversight Author-ity (IPOA) and Hussein Ahmed, the Chair-man board of management Nairobi Muslim Academy among others.

The manager of Nairobi Muslim Academy Sheikh Muhammad Osman Warfa (Left)and the Umma University Vice chancel-lor Prof. Abdulrazak Shaukat during the school's prize giving day event on Satur-day

The purpose of the Ummah Think Tank is to advocate for best val-ues, to influence policy in the Muslim community, to develop best practices through mutual exchange of ideas and in-depth analy-ses and concrete recommendations for policymakers.Within its mandate, research is the core and in 2011, the Um-mah Think Tank tasked brother Abdulhamid Swaleh a lead re-searcher and a full bright scholar, together with a team of research assistants assembled from our Universities to embark on finding out why Muslim schools in general dont perform well in national examinations hence low absorption rate in Universities. Unlike the other faith oriented schools, our schools have always faced challenges of competing unfavorably in the national results index. The survey and research was carried out for a period of a year. The research was geared towards assessing the potential of the established high schools in Kenya by the Muslim community ir-respective of the mode of establishment towards achieving its maximum potential of admitting more students through second-ary schools education and thereby posts more qualified students in university admissions and enrolment. Also, the research was geared towards linking the established and developed secondary schools with the Muslim Foundations that expend a huge amount of their funding to support students financially in accessing sec-ondary education. The hypothesis for this research is that higher utilization of the established community secondary schools will lead to better fi-nancial viability and sustainability of the schools resulting in better educational standards and performances attained, better annual examination performance rating and an increase in university ad-missions. After completion of the research work, the paper has informally been transmitted electronically to various stakeholders and In-stitutions and the implementation work left to them to adopt the recommendations to make a difference in their schools. Whoever the post research follow up showed nothing much is happening in terms of implementation and if it is then, not to the level that was expected by the proponents of this noble initiative. So in another forum of the Ummah Think Tank members it was widely accepted that the research work should be compiled in a published book and be launched in forum that will have majority of the stakehold-ers, schools, universities, media, scholars, businessmen, Muslim organisations and youth representation invited. This will be on 22nd March 2015, at Jamia Multi-purpose hall. The Guest speaker of this launch of the Research work entitled Ac-cess to Higher Education - Beyond Brick and Mortar, will be Pro-fessor Shaukat Abdulrazak, the Vice Chancellor of Umma Univer-sity. Brother Abdulhamid will give a presentation of the research before the book is officially launched.We would like to invite all the invited stakeholders to observe punctuality as the program will start at 9 am. Lets all attend to make this precious education work manifest all over our institu-tions for the success of our Ummah.Ummah FoundationVillage Plaza, 2nd Floor, Ngara RdP.O. Box 58717-00200 NairobiTel: +254-20-2680610/13 Mob. 0734-845277Email: info@ummahfoundation.netwww.ummahfoundation.net

Ummah think tank research report launch

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147 E-mail: fridaybulletin@islamkenya.org. Printed by Graphic Lineups Limited-Kweria Road info@graphic.co.ke

MUSLIM ACADEMY PARK ROADMuslim Academy Park Road Is pleased to announce that 11 of our students who sat for KCSE 2014 Exami-nations performed very well. The following is a list of our top 11 students along with their overall grades.1. Hayeez Aaliya Saeed A-2. Abukar Mohamed Muktar B3. Edleasha Mohamed B4. Farah Hamdi Abdi B-5. Ali Mohamed Nigar C+6. Nasteha Hussein Ahmed C+7. Ahmed Hamida Mohamed C+8. Mohamud Sauda Adan C+9. Najmo Hassan Gure Garas C+10.Maye Aweso Maye C+11. Ali Khadra Omar C+We wish them all the best in their future endeavors and pray that they continue to make us proud of their achieve-ments.Muslim Academy Park Road has a few Vacancies in various classes from Nursery to Form2 (8-4-4) and year 8 to Year 10 IGCSE.Those looking to benefit from a serene learning environ-ment and Incredible learning experience; should apply im-mediately.

For admission enquiries, Contact the Admissions Offices at Muslim Academy Park Road P.O Box 41013-00100 NAIROBI

TELEPHONE +254 20240 6212; CELL: +254 725 148 786Email: muslimacademykenya@gmail.com

Palestinian leaders warned that the victory of rightist Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after campaigning against a two-state solution proved that Israel was no peace partner.Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the elections results proved that we dont have a peace partner.The whole world now should provide protection to the Palestinian people, including the US and the American Congress.Erekat said in remarks on official Voice of Palestine Radio.With 99.5 percent of votes counted, Likud had won 29-30 seats in the 120-member Knesset, comfortably defeating the Zionist Union opposition on 24 seats a united list of Arab parties came in third.He pledged to go on building settlements on occupied land and said there would be no Palestinian state if he was re-elected.The last opinion polls published four days before the vote showed the Zionist Union with a four-seat advantage over Likud.In the Gaza Strip, Hamas officials asserted that the results reflect a rise of radicalism among Israeli politicians.Mushir al-Masri, a senior Hamas official, said the projected election results clearly show the increase of radicalism in dealing with the Palestinians.He said the outcome should be enough to convince the Palestinian Authority and Fatah party to forget about the choice of keeping up the absurd negotiations, pay attention to the internal unity and rec-onciliation and rearrange the Palestinian house instead of betting on a mirage. (onislam.net)

Palestinians: Likud win ends peace hope

Top student Aaliya Hayeez Saeed who scored a Mean Grade of A- (Minus).