Muharram 21,1436/November 14, 2014

www.islamkenya.org

Issue No. 602

Editorial:State should address Lessons from the Hijrah of Be wary of Tetanus jab,
growing insecurity concerns
the prophet Page 3,4,5
women advised Page 6
Page 2

Friday Bulletin
The

The Weekly Muslim News Update

'Extra judicial killings widening rift

between Muslims and State'

The Deputy Chief Kadhi Sheikh Rashid Ali Omar hands over a laptop to Hassan Muhammad Mahmoud who was among the winners of the 6th edition of the Family of
the Prophet and the Companions competition. Eight winners received various prizes
which included smart phones, digital Qurans and laptops in the annual competition
organised by the Saudi based Committee for Da'wa in Africa. The event was held yesterday at Jamia mosque and facilitated by the Cultural Attache of the Saudi Arabian
embassy

Stay off religious affairs, Kenya Gov't told

The Imam of Jamia Mosque has scoffed
at calls for the regulation of religious institutions saying that this is tantamount to
infringing on the right of worship and worshippers.
Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu told the government to keep off matters of religion
adding that Muslim religious institutions
will not accept to be controlled by the state.
The government should go after individuals who engage in unacceptable activities
in places of worship. Places of worship are
a no go zone for the state, said Sheikh
Swalihu.

He said the planned regulation of religious

institutions goes against the principles of
freedom of worship which are enshrined in
the constitution.
He wondered why mosques were being
romped into the regulation exercise when
the genesis of the matter lay with dubious
activities of some of the Churches. If Pastor Kanyari was using mischievous means
to fleece his congregation, he should be
arrested and action taken against such
churches. Mosques are free from such
activities, he said while referring to conContinued To Page 2

The extra judicial killing of Muslim personalities is widening the rift between the
government and Muslims, the former ethics and governance permanent secretary
John Githongo said as he warned of a declining human rights climate in the country.
Githongo accused state agents of being
behind the extra judicial killings and disappearances of Imams and preachers which
he said are now being seen as a normal
feature of life and the no longer cause of
an outcry.
Extra judicial killings by state agents has
now become so common as it has been
normalized. If you are a Muslim preacher
your life expectancy has been shortened
by several years, he said on Tuesday in
his opening address at the 4th Human
Rights Watch Film Festival at the Alliance
Franaise in Nairobi.
The chasm between Muslims and the
government has never been wider. Even in
mature democracies, the war against terror feeds on the basic rights of citizens in
a manner more widespread and to a depth
unprecedented since the Second World
War, he added.
The former anti-corruption czar who exposed the Aglo-Leasing scam said while
four years ago, the country was being
praised for promulgating the most progressive constitution in Africa, it is now a
different case as basic human rights that
had been won through hard struggle had
started to slide backwards.
He said in recent years, the country has
witnessed reversals in human rights and
said Kenyans were increasingly concerned
about the threats to rights and freedoms.
Githongo also spoke about the deteriorating security situation in the country which
he said was a great source of concern for
all Kenyans. "It would not be an exaggeration that, in fully half the country, even a
Cabinet secretary cannot simply climb into
their car and drive there without special
security arrangements being made," said
Githongo
Hundreds of policemen have been killed
since then and the number of Kenyans who
have been killed, maimed or displaced in
Continued To Page 2

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

EDITORIAL

The Friday Bulletin

Muharram 21,1436/November 14, 2014

State should address growing insecurity concerns

Once again the state of insecurity and

banditry is on the headline with attacks
witnessed in Northern and Coast regions
of the country.
At the Coast, in an audacious attack,
a gang armed with pangas and crude
weapons attempted to invade the Nyali
barracks while in Malindi an AP camp was
also a target of another daring raid.
The recent killing of 21 police officers by
bandits in Kapedo,Turkana county was
the second highest loss of police officers
in the history in a span of two years.
The slaughter came nearly two years after massacre of 40 officers in Suguta valley near Baragoi in Samburu County by
armed cattle rustlers.
The officers who lost their lives in the
Kapedo attack went in pursuit of armed
raiders who three days earlier had killed
three of their colleagues from the General
Service Unit (GSU).
The raiders had attacked vehicles ferrying Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination materials and
later torched them.
This senseless killing of officers triggered
off a massive security operation by the
Kenya Defence Forces which has elicited

complaints of human rights abuses by the

army against the local residents.
A growing number of Kenyans are asking
why are our security agencies unable to
deal with rampant lawlessness and violence in spite of massive budgetary, human
resource and technological training being
allocated and provided by the government
to maintain peace and security.
The confidence with which these raiders
carried out their brazen attacks shocked
residents and left Kenyans deeply worried.
In Mpeketoni Lamu for example, attacks
happened after the government had deployed security officers around the areas
in the aftermath of an attack on a police
station.
The killing of police officers,Imams,Islamic
preachers,activists,businessmen,village
elders and mysterious disappearances
of youth and individuals continue to send
chilling reminders about the security and
safety of many Kenyans.
Kenyans are growing impatient with the
apparent inability by security agencies to
contain these spate of attacks while the
agents of banditry and insecurity seem to
have perfected their means of operation
and keep becoming more and more so-

CIPK Nairobi chapter formed

The Nairobi chapter of the Council of Imams and Preachers
of Kenya (CIPK) has come into being with the election of the
office bearers.
While the council has been active at the Coast region and in
other parts of the country, till recently, it did not have a presence in the nations capital.
Following the elections held last week at Jamia mosque,
Sheikh Muhammad Khan from the Muthurwa mosque was
elected the new chairman and he will be deputized by Musa
Okoth.
The Secretary General is Sheikh Yusuf Ramadhan Kamau,
the Imam of Masjid Huda, Kawangware and his deputy is
Ibrahim Muhammad.
Sheikh Athman Abdallah the Imam of Umoja mosque took
the position of organizing secretary while Sheikh Muhdhar
Hussein Omar is the treasurer while Ahmed Idris Khamis
was elected the assistant treasurer.

FROM TURKANA TO MADINA

Khalid Maisa Mase from
Lodwar, Turkana county
is the first Muslim from
Turkana to join the Islamic University of Madina, Saudi Arabia after
he secured a scholarship
to study Islamic studies.
He told the Friday Bulletin that he hopes more
students from Muslim
minority areas will also
benefit from the scheme
and realize their dreams
to attain Islamic education at institutions such
as the Islamic University
of Madina.

phisticated in the way they execute their

deadly activities in disregard of the law
enforcers.
And who is safe if such a number of police
officers can be killed in a single mission?It
is high time the government rethinks and
comes up with different approaches to reverse this worrying social trend.
In areas faced by insecurity, peace
awareness should be introduced at all societal and institutional levels so that this
will serve as a moral preventive measure
to tame anti-social activities.
All stakeholders including government,civil
society,religious denominations,cultural
leaders, should be mobilized to take the
leading role in peace awareness program.
Peaceful co-existence and diversity
should be promoted and communities
encouraged should learn to respect each
other.
Tackling insecurity should also involve
dealing with the societal problems that include marginalization,unemployment,pov
erty and corruption among others.
By continuously ignoring this important
matter, the war against insecurity,crimes
and other kind of conflicts will remain a
vicious circle.

State warned on religious interfearence

Continued from Page 1
troversial Pastor Victor Kanyari of Salvation Healing Ministries Church who
was exposed by KTNs investigative
programme Jicho Pevu and Inside Story
coaching members of his congregation
to give fake testimonies and extorting
money from church members.
Speaking to the Friday Bulletin, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) secretary general Adan Wachu
confirmed to have received an invitation
from the Attorney General for a meeting on November 14 to discuss the proposed regulations on religious organizations but said the council will consult
with other Muslim leaders for direction
and course of action while stressing
that there was no cause of alarm for
Muslims. Of cause Islam is not a body
registered with the registrar of societies.
Islam is a religion and a religion cannot
be regulated, he said.
Following the recent television expose
which drew angry reactions from the
public, the government responded by
suspending the registration of all religious organizations and further directed
existing religious organisations to file
details of their current status and financial returns with the Registrar of Societies.
The directive from the AGs office has
to include the full name of the organisation, a registration number, the date
of registration and the full particulars of
office bearers, copies of identification
cards, passport-size photos and a copy

of the Kenya Revenue Authoritys personal identification number (PIN).

According to the proposal,
churches, mosques and
temples that reflect transparency, accountability and spirituality in their operations will
only be registered.

Extra judicial
killings
Continued from Page 1

the security operations number in the thousands, he

added.
He went on to criticize the
ongoing curfew
in Lamu
saying that an entire community was collectively being
punished and warned that
the action was breeding resentment among residents.
In Lamu for example, it is as
if a decision has been taken
to punish an entire community, causing further alienation
and resentment in an already
volatile part of the country,
he said while referring to the
dawn-to-dusk curfew, now in
its fourth month, which was
imposed by Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo.

Page 2

The Friday Bulletin

DA'WA

Muharram 21,1436/November 14, 2014

Hijrah lessons for Muslim minorities

Dr. Wael Shihab

There is no conflict between faithful citizenship and preserving ones faith. Muslims
should precede others in serving their communities. The Emigration to Madinah (Hijrah) was a turning point in Muslim history
that has many inspiring lessons, especially
for Muslim minorities.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be on him) and his Companions set wonderful examples that Muslims should learn from
and translate into practice in all aspects of
life.
After the Prophet and his Companions migrated to Madinah, previously known as
Yathrib, it became the second most important city in Islam, after Makkah. Though
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be on him) never forgot his love for Makkah,
he remained in Madinah until he breathed
his last; he protected and developed it.
Prophet Muhammad and his Companions
spared no effort to cultivate Madinah and
turn it into a developed, civilized city.
Muslims living in majority non-Muslim countries, whether emigrants or natives, have
important lessons to draw from the Hijrah
occasion.
True spirit of citizenship
Once settled in Madinah, Prophet Muhammad and his Companions from Makkah
loved and cared about it the same way they
were concerned about Makkah, their original home.
Out of his great love and care for Madinah,
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be on him) declared it as a sacred, inviolable city, the same way Makkah had been
a sacred city. Prophet Muhammad (peace
be on him) said,Verily [Prophet] Ibrahim declared Makkah sacred and supplicated (for
blessings to be showered) upon its inhabitants, and I declare Madinah to be sacred as
lbrahim had declared Makkah to be sacred.
I have supplicated (Allah for His blessings
to be showered) in its sa' and its mudd (two
standards of weight and measurement)
twice as did Ibrahim for the inhabitants of
Makkah." (Muslim, Sahih, hadith no. 1360)
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be on him) and his Companions exerted
SUNDAY LECTURE
their utmost efforts to defend their country,
Madinah, against foreign aggression and attacks. They fought all invading forces which
attacked and targeted their city, even when
aggressors were from their original tribes
and cities. In the 5thyear of Hijrah, for example, the Prophet (peace and blessings be
on him) and his Companions courageously
defended Madinah against the allied tribes
led by Quraish, which had gathered in large
numbers to invade the city.
After the conquest of Makkah in the eighth
year after Hijrah, Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings be on him) and his
prominent Companions returned back to
Madinah to stay there until the end of their
lives. Some people thought that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) would
return to Makkah after the Muslim victory;
however, he (peace and blessings be on
him), along with prominent Companions,

went back to Madinah and continued serving it and working for its betterment.
Muslim minorities, in Europe, Americas
and elsewhere around the world, should
be faithful and loyal citizens to their countries where they live. There is no conflict
between faithful citizenship and preserving
ones faith. Muslims should precede others
in serving their communities and working for
their interest and wellbeing.
Peaceful co-existence
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be on him) and his Companions established
good relations with other communities living
in Madinah. There was a large Jewish community as well as some other Arab tribes
who had not accepted Islam. The Prophet
(peace and blessings be on him) prepared
a mithaq (a covenant or a constitution) for
organizing relations between these communities. The covenant of Madinah laid down
broad principles on which cordial relations
would be established between Muslims and
non-Muslims. Protection of life and property,
and freedom of thought and of worship were
guaranteed. Among the principles of the
covenant are: The Jews and the Muslims, .
.each group must support the other against
anyone who fights the people of this document (covenant of Madinah). Their relationship shall be one of mutual advice and consultation, and mutual assistance and charity
rather than harm and aggression . . . Charity and goodness are clearly distinguishable
from crime and injury, and there is no responsibility except for ones own deeds. Allah is the guarantor of the truth and good will
of this covenant. This covenant shall constitute no protection for the unjust or criminal.
Muslim minorities, therefore, should not only
peacefully co-exist with other communities
of their country, but they should also support
and assist them in goodness as much as
they can. In doing so, Muslims are following
the path of the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) and his Companions (may
Allah be pleased with them) who worked for
the interest and wellbeing of all communities living with them in Madinah.
Developing the community
On arriving in Madinah, the Prophet (peace
and blessings be on him) built his Mosque
to provide social and educational services
for the community. People used to gather
to hold educational and spiritual sessions in
the Prophets Mosque. Social celebrations
and gatheringssuch as weddingstook
place in the Mosque. People discussed
various concerns of the city in the Prophets
Mosque, which was not confined to the performance of Prayers.
Before Hijrah, Yathrib was a polluted city.
When the Prophet's Companions came
from Makkah to Madinah, many of them
fell sick. The Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) asked them to clean the city
and rid it from its dirt. He (peace and blessings be oh him) supplicated to Allah to bless
Madinah and protect it against plagues and
illness. `Aishah, may Allah be pleased with
her, said: We came to Madinah and it was

the most polluted land of Allah. The water

there was most stinking. (Al-Bukhari)
Moreover, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked his Companions
to dig wells in different parts of the city. It
is mentioned that more than 50 wells were
dug in Madinah, and that afterwards there
was enough clean water for everyone. Also,
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) encouraged the Companions to cultivate the land and grow gardens. He told
them that anyone who would cultivate any
dead land, would own it. Many people started working and cultivating and soon there
was enough food for everyone. (See ArRuba`i, Fath Al-Ghaffar, 3:1294)
Muslim minorities should actively participate
in the development of their communities.
Islamic centers, particularly in the West,
should provide educational and social services for all communities. Mosques should
play a vital role in marinating good and fair
relations with other communities. Muslims,
following the example of the Prophet (peace
and blessings be on him) and his Companions, should exert their utmost efforts to promote and develop their countries.
Noble characters and behavior
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be on him) and his Companions were the
most honest, faithful, trustworthy, loyal,
and truthful people that the world has ever
known. In Madinah, they dealt faithfully and
honestly with all people, irrespective of their
faith, race, or cultural background. They
loved goodness and wellbeing for all. The
Companions refused to stay idle or be dependent on others; they rather engaged in
work and trade to earn their lawful livelihood
and benefit their community.
Ibrahim ibn Sa`d narrated from his father
from his grandfather: `Abdur-Rahman ibn
`Awf said, "When we came to Madinah as
emigrants, Allah's Messenger (peace and
blessings be on him) established a bond
of brotherhood between me and Sa`d ibn
Ar-Rabi`. Sa`di bnAr-Rabi` said (to me), 'I
am the richest among the Ansar (the people
of Madinah who welcomed and helped the
Prophet and his Companions), so I will give
you half of my wealth and you may look at
my two wives and whichever of the two you
may choose I will divorce her, and when she
has completed the prescribed waiting period (before marriage) you may marry her.'
`Abdur-Rahman replied, "I am not in need
of all that. [Another narration of the hadith
reads: May Allah bless you in your family and property.] Is there any marketplace
where trade is practiced?' He replied, "The
market of Qainuqa`." `Abdur-Rahman went
to that market the following day and brought
some dried buttermilk (yogurt) and butter,
and then he continued going there regularly. Few days later, `Abdur-Rahman came
having traces of yellow (scent) on his body.
Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings
be on him) asked him whether he had got
married. He replied in the affirmative. The
Prophet said, 'Whom have you married?'
He replied, 'A woman from the Ansar.' Then
Continued To Page 5

Page 3

The Friday Bulletin

Muharram 21,1436/November 14, 2014

Emigration to Madinah: Lessons for new Muslims

Muhsin Haredy
The early Muslim community suffered a lot
before they were ordered to leave Makkah
and go to Madinah.
The persecution exercised against Muslims increased especially after the death
of Prophet Muhammads beloved wife,
lady Khadijah and his uncle, Abu Talib. At
a certain point, it was necessary to look
for a new soil to plant the seed of Islam, to
spread the word of Allah, and to practice Islam in a secure and receptive environment.
I am not going to give a detailed account
of the events of the Prophet's emigration
to Madinah. Such details can be found in
the Hadith Collection of al-Bukhari (hadith
no. 245). However, I am going to mention
some lessons that can be drawn from this
great event in the history of Islam.
The first lesson is patience. By patience I
mean enduring the hardships put forward
by the people of Quraish to check the tide
of Islam. Muslims were boycotted; they
were not allowed to buy and sell in the
open market or engage in any business.
However, they persevered and accepted
the tribulation.
After the command of emigrating to Madinah, Muslims left behind everything they
loved, their families, friends, their country,
etc. Why did they do that? Because they
put their trust in Allah and cherished hope
in His mercy that He will make a way out
for them. In Madinah, Muslims were free to
practice their religion and they were able to
establish a new state.
New Muslims can learn from this lesson that there is some light at the end of
the tunnel. You might be treated badly or
ridiculed by your families, neighbors and
friends. Therefore, do like what the early
Muslims did; endure the hardships with patience. Do not lose hope. Rest assured that
your decision to take Islam your way of life
will not let you down.
Put your trust in Allah
Nothing on earth should make you give up.
See how the Prophet (May the peace and
blessings of Allah be unto him) behaved
when he was in the cave and the people
of Quraish were following him. His friend
Abu Bakr(May Allah be pleased with him)
reported that:I was in the company of the
Prophet (May the peace and blessings of
Allah be unto him) in the cave, and on seeing the traces of the pagans, I said, "O Allah's messenger if one of them (pagans)
should lift up his foot, he will see us." He
said, "What do you think of two, the third of
whom is Allah?" (Al-Bukhari)
Put your trust in Allah and be sure that He
is always there to help you. Although the
people of Quraish were hostile towards the
Prophet (May the peace and blessings of
Allah be unto him) and wanted to put an
end to his life and message, they used to
call him the truthful and the trustworthy.
They used also to entrust him with their
valuables. What a contradiction!

His honesty was put to test when he was

ordered to emigrate. What would he do
with the valuables entrusted with him?
Would he use it to make his emigration
plan successful? Would he give it to his followers? On the contrary, the Prophet (May
the peace and blessings of Allah be unto
him) asked his cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib(May
Allah be pleased with him) to delay his emigration for three days so that he can return
to people their valuables.
We learn from this situation that when you
are put to test, do not forget your principles. Do not forget what your religion asks
you to do. Islam urges you to be honest
with all people, Muslims and non-Muslims.
If a colleague or friend entrusts you with
something and it happens that you are not
in good terms with him, do not give yourself excuses misusing the trust. You have
to return it to him immediately. By this you
will be teaching him something about Muslim's ethical code.
A Professional guide
When the Prophet (May the peace and
blessings of Allah be unto him) and Abu
Bakr(May Allah be pleased with him) decided to leave Makkah, they wanted to
get the job done professionally. Therefore,
they hired Abdullah ibn Urayqit, a nonMuslim who was a professional guide in
Makkah, to act as their guide. Lady Aishah
(May Allah be pleased with her) reported
that: Allah's messenger (May the peace
and blessings of Allah be unto him) and
Abu Bakr(May Allah be pleased with him)
had hired a man from the tribe of Bani AlDil from the family of Bani `Abdibn `Adi as
an expert guide, and he was in alliance
with the family of Al-`As bin Wa'il Al-Sahmi
and he was on the religion of the people
of Quraish. The Prophet (May the peace
and blessings of Allah be unto him) and
Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him)
trusted him and gave him their two shecamels and took his promise to bring their
two she-camels to the cave of the mountain of Thawr in the morning three nights
later. And (when they set out), `Amir ibn
Fuhairah (May Allah be pleased with him)
and the guide went along with them and
the guide led them along the sea-shore."
(Al-Bukhari)
We learn from this situation that there is no
problem to seek the help of people of other
faiths as long as they are qualified enough
and have more experience than Muslims.
If it happens that a new Muslim is in trouble and the solution to his trouble is in the
hand of someone who belongs to another
religion, he should seek his help as long as
he is a trustworthy person.
If there is a vacant job for which two persons apply, Islam teaches that proficiency
comes before piety. Take the professional
even he is not Muslim. By this, you are doing the Muslim who is not qualified enough
a favor. He will learn more and gain more

experience so that next time he will be accepted.

In Madinah
After the Prophet (May the peace and
blessings of Allah be unto him) arrived to
Madinah, the people of Madinah welcomed
him and protected him as they would protect themselves and their families. The
Prophet (May the peace and blessings of
Allah be unto him) ordered that each Helper
(one of the Ansar) would have an Emigrant
(Muhajir) brother. In their new life after conversion, new Muslims should interact with
their Muslim community and they have to
adapt to the customs of their community.
New Muslims are the emigrants and Muslim communities are the helpers (Ansar).
Muslim communities should welcome new
Muslims and help them.
Another important lesson of the Hijrah
is how the Prophet (May the peace and
blessings of Allah be unto him) approached
those who showed interest in Islam. When
he met the first delegation of the Khazraj he
just told them about Islam and only urged
them to read the Quran. Next year he told
them about the acts of worship, manners
and virtues. In the second Aqabah pledge,
the Ansar accepted to protect the Prophet
(May the peace and blessings of Allah be
unto him) and his followers as mentioned
above.
This is how new Muslims should be approached. First, they have to be convinced
of Allah's oneness. In later stages, they can
learn how to perform the Prayer, pay the
Zakah, observe fasting, etc.It is noteworthy that what we celebrate on the month of
Muharram is the beginning of applying the
Islamic calendar because the emigration
took place in the month of Rabi` al-Awwal
not in Muharram.
So, let's make the new Hijri year a new
start for all of us. Let's make it a turning
point in our life.
Let's start a new leaf. Let's purify our intentions in every action we do and make it only
to please Allah the Almighty. Let's apply the
actual meaning of Hijrah as the Prophet
(May the peace and blessings of Allah be
unto him) is reported to have said: "An emigrant is the one who abandons what Allah
has made unlawful." (Al-Bukhari)
Mohsen Haredy is a contributing writer
and counselor of Reading Islam. He graduated from Al-Azhar University and earned
his MA in Hadith literature from Leiden University, the Netherlands. Currently, he is an
overseas PhD student at Leiden University.

SUNDAY LECTURE

Topic: Kushukuru neema

By: Sheikh Abu Hudhaifa
Date:16th Nov 2014
Time: 2Pm- 4Pm
Venue: Makina Mosque Kibra
Page 4

The Friday Bulletin

Muharram 21,1436/November 14, 2014

The role of the youth in the Prophets migration

Abdisalam Adam
The youth need inspiration, faithfulness, and
pride in their Islamic heritage to counter the
pressures of alienation and popular culture.
They need to realize the great expectations
the community places on them. Many parents came to Minnesota to find better future
for their children. Thus, it is disheartening to
see the youth go astray and waste their potential to learn, grow, and lead.
At the onset of the new Islamic year, it is
worthwhile to remind the Muslim youth of
their place in history. The youth played a
pivotal role in the most significant occurrence of Islamic history the Migration of
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) and his companions from Makkah to
Madinah in 622 CE. We can say the religion
survived because of the contribution of the
youth. Why can our youth today, with all
the resources at their disposal contribute
positively to society and lead the way? Why
dont they focus on their education and become messengers of peace and prosperity?
Lets turn to some youth pioneers of Islam to
see the sacrifices they made in the service
of their community.
Struggles of Early Muslims
In the early days of Islam, when Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) called
his people to embrace Islam, they did not
accept it easily. The tribe of Quraysh, to
which the Prophet (peace and blessings
be on him)belonged, was reluctant to leave
the religion of its forefathers, and the Makkan unbelievers spared no effort in trying to
eliminate the religion from existence. They
resorted to every conceivable means and
method of torture and persecution. They
ridiculed the new converts and subjected
them to all kinds of hardships in order to
force them to renounce their faith.
But the ill treatment only made them more
determined and firm. Among the early reverts who suffered most were the Yassir
family (father, mother, and son), Bilal Ibn
Rabah, and Khabbab Ibn Al-Arrat. The latter
was in fact publicly executed to deter others from embracing Islam. But nothing could
turn the new Muslims away from their faith.
This situation continued for thirteen years in
Makkah, while the Muslims were still weak.
The Prophets Migration (Hijrah)
Then, Allah (the Exhaled, the Mighty) instructed His Prophet (peace and blessings
be on him)to migrate from Makkah to Madinah, then known as Yathrib. This migration marked a turning point in Islamic history
as the Muslims found support in Madinah.
Within a few years, their situation changed
from weakness to strength.
However, the Hijrah itself was overshadowed by all kinds of dangers. The Quraysh
conspired to kill the Prophet (peace and
blessings be on him)before he left Makkah, and they contrived a master plan to
assassinate him. They agreed that each
clan should select a warrior to represent it,
whereby the warriors would jointly stab the
Prophet(peace and blessings be on him).
The idea behind this plan was to escape
the onus of blood compensation and tribal

feuds. In this manner, all the clans would

share the compensation, and at the same
time, the Prophets clan could not engage in
war against the allied tribes.
But Allah protected His Prophet (peace and
blessings be on him)from their conspiracy.
As the group selected to carry out the plot
gathered outside the Prophets home, he
asked his cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib (May Allah
be pleased with him), to sleep in his bed.
Then the Prophet (peace and blessings
be on him) left silently under the cover of
darkness, as he recited these verses of the
Quran:And We have put in front of them a
barrier, and We have covered them so that
they cannot see. [Yasin, 36:9]
The Prophet (peace and blessings be on
him) went to his close companion, Abu Bakr
(May Allah be pleased with him),and they
left Makkah secretly, accompanied by Abu
Bakrs servant, Aamir ibn Fuhayrah(May
Allah be pleased with him), and a guide
who had good knowledge of the way. The
group left in a direction other than the one
usually taken to Madinah so as to escape
the pursuit of their adversaries. The Prophet
(peace and blessings be on him)and Abu
Bakr(May Allah be pleased with him)hid in
the cave of Thawr, near Makkah, to wait for
the frantic search of the unbelievers to subside. In fact, The Quarysh placed a reward
of a hundred camels for whoever would
capture the Prophet (peace and blessings
be on him) before he reached Madinah.
The Role of the Youth in the Migration
It is worth noting here the role played by
Muslim youth in this crucial journey, which
required much planning, secrecy and courage. Four young people who stood up to
this task were Ali ibn Abi Talib, Aamir ibn
Fuhayrah, Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr and Asma
bint Abi Bakr (May Allah be pleased with
them). The role of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (May
Allah be pleased with him) on the night of
the Prophets escape from assassination
has already been mentioned. Abdullah Ibn
Abi Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him)
sneaked out each night to inform his father
and the Prophet (peace and blessings be
on him) of what was transpiring in Makkah
among the unbelievers, and of the relentless search they were undertaking.
Aamir Ibn Fuhayrah, on the other hand,
drove his sheep to graze over and wipe out
any footprints leading to the cave where the
Prophet (peace and blessings be on him)
and Abu Bakr were hiding. Asma took food
and water to them. She stood firm in the face
of close scrutiny by the leaders of Quraysh,
such that one of them even hit her hard to
extract from her information of the whereabouts of the Prophet (peace and blessings
be on him)and Abu Bakr. One day, Asma
could not carry the food and water with her
bare hands, so she tore her waist-band into
two sashes and used them to tie and carry
the provisions on her shoulders. When she
reached the cave and the Prophet (peace
and blessings be on him)saw what she had
done, he said to her, Surely, Allah has exchanged your two sashes with two sashes
in Paradise.

Indeed, the story of the circumstances surrounding the Prophets migration serves as
an inspiration for Muslim youth in all generations. These young individuals realized the
significance of the Message of the Prophet
(peace and blessings be on him)and importance of his personal safety for the survival
of Islam. They therefore made the decision
to contribute to the success of the Islamic
message with all the means at their disposal.
The sacrifice each one of them made reveals the love and loyalty that they had for
the Prophet (peace be upon him). They also
serve as role models for all Muslims youth
to emulate. Youth is the most vigorous and
dynamic stage in an individuals life.
Therefore, Muslim youth of today should realize their role in society, and they should
contribute selflessly to the advancement
of the community. In a hadith, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) said that among the
things for which every person will be held
accountable on the Day of Judgment is his/
her youth and how he/she spent it. In another authentic Hadith, the Prophet (peace and
blessings be on him) said, Take advantage
of five before five: Your youth before your
old age; your health before your illness;
your wealth before your times of poverty;
your spare time before you get busy; and
your life before your death. (Related by
Hakim and Musnad Ahmad).
The Muslim youth should therefore rise to
the occasion and shoulder their responsibilities to their communities. They must
also have the courage and foresight to help
shape the future of their community and nation.

Hijrah lessons
Continued from Page 3
the Prophet asked, 'How much did you pay
her?' He replied, '(I gave her) a gold piece
equal in weigh to a date stone (or a date
stone of gold)! The Prophet said, 'Give a
walimah (wedding banquet) even if with one
sheep.'" (Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami` As-Sahih, hadith no. 2048)
The Quran praised and commended the
morals and characters of the early Muslim
community in Madinah, saying,And those
who before them, had homes (in Madinah)
and had adopted the Faith, show their affection to such as came to them for refuge, and
entertain no desire in their hearts for things
given to the (latter), but give them preference over themselves, even though poverty
was their (own lot). And those saved from
the covetousness of their own souls, they
are the ones that achieve prosperity. (AlHashir 59:9)
Muslims living in majority non-Muslim countries should never hesitate to give priority
to public interest and the social welfare of
their communities over their own personal
benefits. They should be good examples for
others in faithfulness, trustworthiness, cooperation in goodness, honesty, etc., which
are the traits of true Muslims.

page 5

The Friday Bulletin

Muharram 21,1436/November 14, 2014

Politicians, Jewish fanatics: United against Al-Aqsa

Ramzy Baroud
Israel's decision to shut down al-Aqsa
Mosque on Thursday, Oct. 30, is not just
a gross violation of the religious rights of
Palestinian Muslims.
In fact, the rights of Palestinian Muslims
and Christians have been routinely violated under the Israeli occupation for decades, especially in Al-Quds (Jerusalem),
and more recently in Gaza. During the 51day war on the Gaza Strip, a reported 73
mosques were destroyed, while 205 were
partially destroyed, according to a Palestinian government report.
The Noble Sanctuary located in al-Quds
Old City, is known as Haram al-Sharif in
Arabic and is home to the al-Aqsa Mosque
and the Dome of the Rock. It serves as
much more than a religious role in Palestinian society because it is a unifying national
force and symbol as well.
Thus, unsurprisingly, it has been a target of
numerous Israeli raids, including attempts
to burn it down, or conduct excavations
under it to seek the fulfilment of biblical
prophecy.
In response, Defending al-Aqsa has been
an unswerving rallying cry for Palestinians
throughout the years. Several Palestinian
uprisings were unleashed as a reaction to
Israeli political or military plans to alter the
status-quo over the mosque. The al-Aqsa
Intifada in 2000 was one such uprising. It
lasted for nearly five years, during which
thousands of Palestinians and hundreds
of Israelis were killed in clashes that were
provoked by late Israeli leader, Ariel Sharon.
Not the work of few extremists
That context should be remembered if the
current coverage of the very worrying situation in and around al-Quds is to be meaningful in any way. The war on the mosque,
which is central to the spirituality of hundreds of millions of Muslims around the
world, is not simply the work of a few Jewish extremists. It is part and parcel of an
Israeli government agenda which has been
crystalizing in recent years and months.
Next month, for example, the Israeli Knesset will vote on a motion calling for the
partitioning of al-Aqsa.One of the leading
advocates of that partition, at least in terms
of a first step towards a complete takeover,
is the Temple Mount Faithful organization,
headed by Yehuda Glick.
Founded by Gershon Salomon, Temple
Mount Faithful Movement, according to
its website, is dedicated to the the vision
of consecrating the Temple Mount to the
Name of God, to removing the Muslim
shrines placed there as a symbol of Muslim conquest, to the rebuilding of the Third
Temple on the Temple Mount, and the godly redemption of the People and the Land
of Israel.
This messianic vision is not entirely alien
to the discourse of Benjamin Netanyahus
government. His logic in defense of illegal
settlements in occupied al-Quds is such:

"The French build in Paris, the English

build in London and the Israelis build in Jerusalem. To come and tell Jews not to live
in Jerusalem why?"
Indeed, there seems to be little conflict
between the vision of the Temple Mount
Faithful Movement-like organizations, the
political attitude of Tel Aviv, or the many
steps underway to terminate Palestinian
properties, demolish homes, and expand
Jewish settlements.
Yehuda Glick, the well-funded US-Israeli
activist, whose obsession with destroying al-Aqsa knows no bounds, and who
has been frequenting the mosque in provocative visits under Israeli police cover
for years, has been the face of the Israeli
designs against al-Aqsa.
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, a suspected Palestinian assailant shot and wounded him
as he stepped out of a al-Quds conference
focused on building the Temple Mount on
the ruins of al-Aqsa. His alleged attacker,
Moataz Hejazi was killed by Israeli police.
His sister told al-Jazeera on Oct. 30 that
her brother was badly beaten then taken to
the roof of a nearby building and shot.
The decision to shut down al-Aqsa took
place after the incident. Some in the media
and in Israel see Glick who has been
a notorious figure for many Palestinian Jerusalemites throughout the years as a
victim of wanton Palestinian violence.
He was part of a growing movement
among religiously militant Jews demanding more prayer rights at the al-Aqsa compound, ABC News casualty reported. But
Glick demanded more. His groups mission
was to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian
inhabitants of East al-Quds. His actions
testify to this.
Jewish extremism
The shooting of Glick is reminiscent of a
similar episode in the blood stained history
of the region, one that had dreadful consequences. On Feb. 25, 1994, the US-born
Jewish extremist Baruch Goldstein stormed
into the Ibrahimi Mosque in the Palestinian
city of al-Khalil (Hebron) and opened fire.
The aim was to kill as many people as he
could, and that he did, by killing up to 30
people and wounding over 120.
It was not enough that Israeli soldiers
within the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque
allowed Goldstein armed with a Galil
rifle and other weapons access to the
mosque, but they opened fire on worshippers as they tried to flee the scene. Israeli
soldiers killed 24 more and injured others.
Goldstein was a member of the Jewish Defence League (JDL), a racist party of Jewish extremists founded by Meir Kahane.
The Temple Mount Faithful, like other such
extremists groups, consider Goldstein, a
hero. Like Glick, Goldstein was also American and lived in an illegal al-Khalil settlement.
While Goldsteins mass murder was condemned by many, including many Israelis,

there is no denial that Jewish extremists,

who are mostly populating the illegal settlements of the West Bank and al-Quds,
are part of a larger Israeli government plan
aimed at ethnically cleansing Palestinians.
While Israeli bulldozers dig into Palestinian land during the day, levelling mounds
of ground and destroying olive groves for
settlement expansion, heavy machinery
burrows beneath the Old City of al-Quds at
night. The Israelis are looking for evidence
of what they believe to be ancient Jewish
temples, presumably destroyed in 586BC
and 70CE.
To fulfil the "prophecy," Jewish extremists
believe that a third temple must be built.
But of course, there is the inconvenient fact
that on that particular spot exists one of Islam's holiest sites: The Noble Sanctuary. It
has been an exclusively Muslim prayer site
for the last 1,300 years.
Politicians, Jewish fanatics: Shoulder
to shoulder
The combination of right-wing politicians
allied with religious zealots is now defining
the Israeli attitude towards Palestinians,
particularly in al-Quds. They are eyeing
al-Aqsa for annexation, the same way the
Israeli government is labouring to permanently annex large swathes of the occupied
West Bank.
In fact, last February, the Israeli Knesset
chose the 20th anniversary of the Goldstein massacre of Palestinians in al-Khalil
to begin a debate concerning the status
of the al-Aqsa compound. Powerful rightwingers want the government to enforce its
"sovereignty" over the Muslim site, which
is administered by Jordan per the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty of 1994. Israeli
MP, Moshe Feiglin, is the man behind the
move, but he is not alone.
Feiglin is a member of Netanyahu's Likud
party, and has strong backing within the
party, the government, and the Knesset.
His supporters include Yehuda Glick, the
American-born fanatic.
It remains unclear what fate awaits al-Aqsa
Mosque. Caught between Israeli annexation plans, raids of Jewish extremists, international silence, and a history of bloodshed; al-Aqsa is facing difficult days ahead,
as indeed are the people of al-Quds, whose
suffering, like their city, seems eternal.

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page 6

The Friday Bulletin

NATIONAL

Muharram 21,1436/November 14, 2014

You have failed in security, Imam tells govt Be wary of Tetanus jabs,
An Imam has criticized the Jubilee govern- killings and disappearances of Imams
ment for failing to curb the spiraling insecu- and preachers in the coast region, the
women told
latest victim being Sheikh Salim Bakari
rity in the country.
His comments come in the wake of the
recent attacks in Kapedo where 24 policemen lost their lives and the killing of an
Imam in Mombasa.
The Imam of Landhies Mosque in Nairobi
Sheikh Ahmed Uthman faulted the state
and those in charge of the security docket
over the increased state of insecurity warning that the country could be heading towards to a failed state.
Speaking at Nairobis Jamia Mosque during his Friday Khutbah (sermon) last week,
Sheikh Ahmed noted that the insecurity is
as a result of poor governance by those in
government and that unequal distribution
of resources has forced communities to
take arms against each other.
He said President Uhuru Kenyatta should
take responsibility for the recent security
lapses that has left many Kenyans feeling
unsafe including security officers.The government has completely failed to protect
Kenyans. If the police are losing their lives
at this rate what do we make of the ordinary citizen,he said while addressing the
worshippers who turned up for the weekly
Friday prayer.
The Sheikh also raised concerns over the

Mwarangi the Imam of Masjid Bilal in

Likoni Mombasa who was killed by unknown assailants.
He said Muslims were concerned at the
continued cases of mysterious killings
and took issue with the government for
making empty rhetoric to investigate the
spate of unexplained murders.
In his sermon, the Imam also took issue
with the government imposed Lamu curfew saying it is unconstitutional and discriminatory against the area residents.
We have witnessed killings in Samburu
and Pokot but we have not seen any curfew being imposed. This is why we are
asking why only in Lamu? Why should
innocent people continue to suffer just
because the government has failed to
provide security, he noted as he accused
the government of subjecting the locals
to abject poverty and bringing the socialeconomic life of the county to its knees.
The dusk-dawn curfew imposed on the
county four months ago by the Inspector General of Police elicited strong opposition from area leaders who say that
the curfew has negatively affected the
economic livelihood of the residents who
mainly depend on fishing and tourism.

Malindi School to offer education support to orphans

Mamsa High School in Malindi Sub-county,
Kilifi county will next year through its education bursary scheme programme extend
educational support to bright and needy orphans in the region to pursue their secondary school education.
The programme will see 10 orphans who
perform well and score high marks at
the 2014,Kenya Certificate of Primary
Education(KCPE) receive sponsorship and
bursaries for their secondary school education through to completion from Mamsa
High School.
The Mamsa High School Administrator
Muhammad Ali Al-Amoody said the move
is aimed at supporting bright and needy
orphans from poor backgrounds to further
their education in high schools, contribute
to the improvement of education standards
in the Muslim community and promote
good Islamic moral values and cultures
among the beneficiaries for proper upbringing and enable them to be responsible members of the community.
Speaking during a fundraiser for the bursary programme, Muhammad said that
within a period of two years now, Mamsa
High School bursary scheme has benefited over 50 students in secondary schools
from various parts of the country.
''We recognized education being a vital pillar in development of a community, Mamsa
High School community as part of its social welfare programme found it prudent to
involve itself in this endeavors of ensuring
the educational needs and well-being of

orphans are well catered for, for them to

feel part of the society,'' said the school
administrator.
Pupils and orphans from public primary
schools and special cases will be given
priority.In the 2012-13 academic year,20
orphans were enrolled in the full scholarship programme which runs from Form
One to Form Four.

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Muslim women have been told to avoid the

tetanus vaccination as there were alot of unresolved and ambiguous issues surrounding
the exercise.
Prof. Muhammad Karama, a researcher
at the Kenya Medical Research Institute
(KEMRI) said reports that the vaccine contains substances which could lead to sterilization of women cannot be brushed away
and said Muslim medical experts in Nairobi
and Mombasa were carrying out research to
determine their suitability.
This is also a big concern to the Muslim
community and till conclusive results are
made, we do advise women to keep away
from the tetanus immunization campaign.
He said while ordinarily, the tetanus vaccine
is administered to expectant mothers at antenatal clinics, female students in secondary
schools were now being targeted in the campaign.
On his part, Sheikh Abdullatif Abdulkarim from the Kenya Council of Imams and
Ulamaa (KCIU) said due to the ambiguity
surrounding the matter, it is imperative that
Muslim women stay away from the tetanus
immunization campaign.
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam
advises us that Leave what makes you
doubtful for what does not, he said during
a consultative meeting called to discuss
the matter which came at the fore after the
Catholic Church accused the government of
being involved in a clandestine population
control program disguised as a tetanus vaccine program.
On the ongoing polio vaccination exercise,
Prof. Karama told parents to ensure that
their children are vaccinated as there was a
threat of the resurgence of the disease following the emergence of new cases in some
of the refugee camps.
The country is yet to completely eradicate
polio and it is important for parents to ensure
that their children who are five years and below are vaccinated, he said.
Following concerns raised by the Catholic
Church, a parliamentary health committee
which sat on Tuesday called for the testing
of the vaccine in independent laboratories as
part of the investigations on the claims that
the vaccine is being used to secretly sterilize
women
The Committee ruled that a joint team of experts from the Ministry of Health, Catholic
Church and other stakeholders would conduct a fresh round of independent medical
tests to end the controversy on the safety of
the vaccines.
The Church maintains that the governmentadministered tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine
contains the hormone called beta Human
Chorionic Gonadotrophin, or HCG, a birth
control substance which causes infertility
and multiple miscarriages in women, claims
which the health ministry has vehemently
dismissed.

Ummah Efforts in Prisons

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Currently,one out of every 800 adults in Kenya is behind bars.

Of these, 94% will be released back into society. It is critical for
the health of these individuals, their families and our communities that they be given the tools to heal and live productive lives.
Ummah Foundations Prisoners Rehabilitation Program empowers prisoners to take charge of their lives, transform their futures
and end the cycle of recidivism. In major Prisons like Naivasha
Maximum Prison, Kamiti Maximum, Kwale and Manyani, Ummah
Foundation has constructed an Education facility that serves as a
learning centre and prayer hall for the Muslim inmates.
This program provides education, rehabilitation and re-entry support to incarcerated men and women in prisons and jails in the
aforementioned areas. At the heart of this initiative is a powerful
emotional literacy program, an internalized mode of spiritual training that equips the inmates with abilities to pass on knowledge to
their fellow inmates- An Imam course. This program offers prison
inmates encouragement and the necessary support to take stock
of the life experiences that have propelled them into criminal activity, take responsibility for their criminal behaviours, change lifelong patterns of violence and addiction, and build productive lives.
During the entire period that Ummah Foundation has involved
itself in these correctional facilities, we have learnt that the Program is very effective for prisoners growth and transformation.
Many prison chaplains should wholeheartedly embrace the program because it is infused with an inclusive spirituality. This is
particularly the case in multi-faith contexts. Inmates gain greater
self-awareness, the capacity to manage their emotions, empathize with the feelings of others, and increase their spiritual development through, among other things, mindfulness meditation,
and the quiet motor that underlies the healing program. Thousands of lives are being turned around through the guidance and
inspiration that the prisoners education and rehabilitation program offers.
The expanding prison population continues to grow as a major
national crisis. Taking a proactive stance, Ummah Foundation is
committed to playing an integral part in redefining our nations
prisons as places for healing and positive growth. That is why we
seek to partner with all willing donors and well- wishers to bring
change in the society by diagnosing and curing the ailments from
the root sources- prisons. The prayer facility also houses an office
for the Prison Maalim for recording and library books for reference. Islamic literature copies of the English translated Quran,
DVDs, and other resource materials, have been distributed free
of charge to individual prisoners, prison libraries and prison programs for all to benefit.
This is a program that calls for your concerted support and lets all
pull our efforts together so that the change we all desire to see in
our society can be attained Inshaa Allah.
Contact us: Ummah Foundation Village Plaza, 2nd Floor, Ngara
Rd, P.O. Box 58717- 00200 Nairobi Tel:020-2680610/13
Mob: 0734 845277 Email: info@ummahfoundation.net
Web: www.ummahfoundation.net

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All Proceeds go to hijab
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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