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Ramadhan 08,1436/ July 24, 2015

www.jamiamasjidkenya.org

Friday Bulletin
The

Issue No. 638

The Weekly Muslim News Update

Engage and not fight Muslims,


govt told

Tens of thousands of Muslims gather for the Eid Ul Fitr prayers at the Sir Ali Muslim Club last
Friday to mark the end of Ramadhan. The prayers were led by the Imam of Jamia Mosque
Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu

Address drug abuse in Coast President Uhuru told


Muslim leaders have urged President Uhuru
Kenyatta to rein on drug barons in the Coast
and other parts of the country with the same
zeal demonstrated in the fight against illicit
brews in Central Kenya.
The leaders told the head of state to show his
commitment to the fight against drug abuse
through extending the war on illicit brews to
hard drugs.
Mombasa governor Hassan Joho said the
national government should embark to eradicate drug abuse and drug trafficking in the
coast which has rendered many youth unproductive.
We want to see the same zeal and determination shown by the national government in
fighting illicit brews and alcoholism in Central
region extended to fight drug abuse here at
the coast region, Joho said.
Joho attributed the rising cases of crime levels and other social ills in his county to drug
abuse adding that his government together
with area leaders will fully support efforts to

rid off Mombasa and the coast region of drugs.


The governor further urged parents to report
children engaged in criminal activities and support concerted efforts that will see peace and
tranquility return to Mombasa.
On his part, Mvita Member of Parliament Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir noted that if the President was sincere in fighting drugs abuse and
trafficking, his directive should have been extended to fight hard drugs and substance use in
the coast region and other parts of the country.
Jamia Mosque Imam Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu also echoed the same sentiments and faulted
the Presidents move to fight drugs in only Central Kenya adding he should further issue a directive to arrest drug barons in the Coast.
It is very unfortunate that today our President
is only concerned with his home town in the war
on drugs in the country. Our youth at the Coast
have been affected by drugs as much as those
in central Kenya.It is not too late and it is our
appeal that the president will heed to our calls,
said the Imam.

The government should realign


its policies towards engaging the
community rather than embracing
an abrasive and heavy handed
approach which is only helping to
further alienate the community.
Stressing that Islam does not condone acts of terrorism, the executive director of the Muslim Human
Rights Forum (MHRF) Al Amin
Kimathi urged the government
to adopt a policy change which
emphasizes on soft approach
and engagement to contain the
threats of terrorism and radicalization.
Addressing tens of thousands of
faithful who turned up for the Eid
ul Fitr prayers at the Sir Ali Muslim
Club grounds last week on Friday,
he faulted the current strategy
saying that it is plagued with human rights violations which are
creating dissatisfaction and resentment in the Muslim community.
Many Muslims continue to disappear without trace and there is
enough evidence to suggest that
government security agencies are
involved in these unexplained disappearances, he said.
He explained that while Muslims
support the government efforts to
rein in acts of terrorism, there was
growing concerns that the security agencies are resorting to illegal
and underhand methods which
do not respect the rule of the law.
If any person has committed a
crime, he should be arrested and
presented in court with evidence.
Incommunicado detentions and
disappearances are a clear violations of the law, he said.
A soft approach which involves
engagements and human intelligence is the best way to win the
war on terrorism and sheer power
can never win, he added.
He went on to state that the current situations is creating bitter
sentiments among Muslims and
has impacted negatively on the
efforts to counter terrorism within

Continued To Page 2
This Newsletter contains some of Allahs names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep, circulate or shred

Ramadhan 08,1436/ July 24, 2015

The Friday Bulletin

Talk to Uhuru on rights violations-former US envoys tell Obama


Former US envoys have called on American President Barrack Obama to press
the Uhuru administration to adhere to the
rule of the law in the so-called war on terror.
Writing in an Op-Ed in the New York
Times, Johnnie Carson and Mark Bellamy who served as US ambassadors
to Kenya abhorred the governments response in the fight against terrorism regretting that the campaign has instead
turned into a crackdown on an entire
community and only serves to rouse anger in the Muslim community.
President Kenyattas administration
has instead moved to restrict the media
coverage of terrorist attacks and crack
down on business, civic organizations
and entire communities it charges are
sympathetic to the Islamic insurgency,
the two said in an apparent reference to
the closure of the Muslim-owned money
transfer businesses, the crackdown on
civil society organizations -Haki Africa

and Muslim Human Rights (MUHURI) and


the arbitrary arrests and detentions of Muslims in the aftermath of the spate of terrorist
attacks which have been blamed on the Al
Shabaab militia.
The crackdowns have achieved little except
to arouse widespread anger among local
human rights groups and Kenyas largely
peacefully Muslim minority, the former envoys pointed out while stressing that terrorist
threat should be addressed in a manner that
is consistent with the rule of the law.
They said that while the United States has
an obligation to support the government efforts to fight the scourge, the billions of funds
being poured into the countrys security
agencies are not the answer as the sector
is riddled with weak leadership and pervasive corruption which need to be urgently
addressed.
The duo reiterated that US counter terrorism support towards the country should be
pegged on a commitment from President

CIPK vouches for Muslim scholars meet to end moon


sighting differences
The Council of Imams and Preachers
of Kenya (CIPK) has called on the Muslim leadership to organize for a national
forum to deliberate on ways to end the
perennial divisions associated with the
sighting of the crescent.
The national chairman Sheikh Abdalla
Ateka said the forum will serve as a platform for scholars and other stakeholders
to address the differences and find a lasting solution to the issue.
Speaking to The Friday Bulletin, Ateka
decried the differences arising from the
sighting of the crescent stressing that
more than ever, a lasting solution should
be explored for the good of the unity of
Muslims.
He called on the Majlis Ulamaa Kenya
and the Chief Kadhis office to work together and spearhead the efforts to explore ways of addressing this matter
which he said was a blemish to the unity
of Muslims in the country.
He noted that the council was ready to
work with other stakeholders to solve the
divisions which arise with the sighting of
the crescent which are evident during
the beginning and end of Ramadhan and
of more recent during Eid ul Adha. ''For
the sake of unity of Muslims and Islamic
brotherhood, we as CIPK leadership are
ready to work with the various Muslim organizations and scholars to put this matter to a rest,'' he said.
Ateka further called for tolerance and patience pointing out that such differences
should not be the reasons for divisions
within the Muslim community.
There was marked differences during
this years Eid ul Fitr celebrations to mark
the end of Ramadhan. While some celebrated the event on Friday following re-

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ports of moon sighting in various countries


and locally, the Chief Kadhi Sheikh Ahmed
Muhdhar rejected the reports of local sightings and announced Saturday as the day of
Eid ul Fitr.
In his address during the Eid ul Fitr Baraza in
Mombasa on Sunday, Sheikh Muhdhar went
on to urge legislators to effect laws which will
give him the sole authority to announce the
sighting of the crescent.

Gov't urged to engage Muslims


Continued From Page 1
the community. We are now torn between
a stone and hard rock. On one hand the
government is victimizing the Muslim community and on the other hand we are also
facing threats from terrorism. Do not push
us to the wall. We are not terrorists, he said
amidst thunderous chants of Allah Akbar
(God is Great).
The activist urged the US President Barrack
Obama who will be making a visit to the
county to implore President Uhuru Kenyatta
to ensure that his administration respects
the rights of Muslims in the country.
In his address to the congregation, the Deputy Chief Kadhi Sheikh Rashid Ali Omar emphasized on unity while urging the faithful to
continue with the noble Islamic principles of
forgiveness, generosity and helping the less
fortunate even after the end of Ramadhan.
His sentiments were echoed by the Imam of
Jamia Mosque Nairobi, who regretted that
the Eid prayers which are supposed to be
symbols of strength and unity for Muslims
are gradually turning into arenas of divisions. We need to be united and it is a matter of regret that we cannot pray together on
this important day in the Muslim calendar,
the Imam who led the prayers stated.

Uhuru Kenyatta to order wide ranging security sector reforms which adhere to the
rule of the law and respects the countrys
democratic principles.
In the absence of such reforms, it is difficult to see how Kenya will gain the upper
hand against Al Shabaab, they said.
Carson and Bellamy told the US President
who is making a historic trip this week to the
land of his fathers birth,not to remain silent
but candidly present the issues of concerns
to the Kenyatta administration. Indeed,
Many Kenyans fear that if Mr. Obama does
not challenge the Kenyatta administrations
treatment of its critics, the lapse will be interpreted as a green light to continue cracking down in the name of Kenyas own war
on terror, they added.

Call for unity as Ramadhan ends


Muslim leaders in Nakuru took the platform
during the Eid ul fitr prayers last Friday at
the Afraha Stadium with calls for unity and
calls to the government to curb the incidences of insecurity.
Nakuru Jamia Mosque Imam Ahmed Salim
told the Muslim leadership to embolden
unity within the faithful as it is a source of
strength and progress for the community.
He went on to remind
the faithful that
the end of Ramadhan does not signify
the culmination of good deeds and urged
them to continue with the spirit of generosity, forgiveness and spiritual connection as
witnessed during the holy month. A noble month is gone and I urged Muslims to
remain ardent readers of Quran and avoid
all things that may nullify your blessings
earned from Ramadhan, said the Imam.
Speaking to the media after the prayers,
Nakuru County Commissioner Muhammad
Birik urged Muslims to compliment the government efforts in fighting terrorism saying
that the vice is only serving to harm the image of Islam.
Terrorism has nothing to do with Islam and
nowhere in the Qurn does it propagate the
vice, said Birik.
In his remarks, the Council of Imams and
Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) Rift Valley
chapter chairman Abdirahman Farah called
on the government to take action against
schools that violate the rights of Muslim students saying that there actions are
helping to promote intolerance and hatred
among Kenyans.
He also registered his disappointment for
the delays in issuance of national identity cards and birth certificates to Muslim
youth arguing that many have missed employment opportunities due to the lack of
documents.Without an ID, life becomes
difficult that one leaves the youth vulnerable to criminal groups, he said.
Former Nakuru Mayor Issa Gichangi told
the US President Barack Obama to respect
the local culture and desist from speaking
on the homosexuality agenda during his
visit to Kenya.

The Friday Bulletin

DA'WA

Ramadhan 08,1436/ July 24, 2015

How to keep Ramadhan alive for the rest of the year


Hesham Hassaballa
Almost invariably it happens a few days after the end of Ramadhan; the letdown.
Fasting is finished; the nightly prayers are
over; the group gatherings to break the fast
have vanished. We can eat, drink, and be
merry again when the sun is shining. And
that special feeling you have in your heart-the one that keeps you going despite your
hunger and thirst--gradually fades away.
The spiritual high evaporates, and all you
are left with are the bad habits you tried to
shed during Ramadhan, but mysteriously
rear their ugly heads once it is over.
Ramadhan is supposed to increase your
faith and God-consciousness: Believers!
Fasting has been prescribed for you--as
it was prescribed for those before you--so
that you may be conscious of God. (2:183)
The point is not to be an angel for Ramadhan and a demon at other times. The lessons learned and spiritual benefits gained
during that month are intended to carry
over for the rest of the year until next Ramadhan.
Yet frequently they do not. Is there anything we can do about it? Absolutely and
here are five ways we can try to keep the
spirit of Ramadhan alive and well throughout the rest of the year.
Good habits kept up
More than just denying oneself food and
drink, the fast of Ramadhan is a complete
body-and-soul fast. Although this should
be the behavior of the believer at all times,
when one is fasting, he or she should take
special care not to harm anyone, curse anyone, or do anything wrong. In fact, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"Whoever does not give up forged speech
and evil actions [while fasting], God is not
in need of his leaving his food and drink."
(At-Tirmidhi, 707)
Well, once Ramadhan is over, these
good behaviors should continue.
For instance, if you took the opportunity of
the month of Ramadhan to try to curb talking about other people, why not continue
to refrain from doing so after Ramadhan
is over? We should continue to go to the
mosque for congregational prayers. It is
so amazing to see the mosque--which
was packed just a few days earlier--stand
almost completely empty during Isha, or
night prayers, after Ramadhan. If we can
go to the mosque each day during Ramadhan, we can get there every day during the
rest of the year.
Smoking is prohibited during daylight hours
during Ramadhan, which makes it the perfect opportunity to quit cigarettes. Yes, the
nicotine in tobacco smoke is more addictive than heroin, and it is one of the most
difficult addictions to beat. But if you can
go without smoking for 14-17 hours a day
during Ramadhan, you can go without it for
the remaining 7-10 hours.
Ideally, there should be no Muslims who

smoke, given the fact that they have to stop


doing so for most of a month every year.
Sadly, the reality is quite different. Many,
many Muslims smoke, and it saddens me-especially since I am a lung specialist who
sees firsthand the devastation wrought by
cigarette smoking--to see groups of men
outside the mosque immediately light up
the moment sunset arrives.
Fast throughout the year
I must admit that this is the most difficult
one for me to follow, but I must mention it
anyway. The fast of Ramadhan is obligatory for every adult Muslim, but there are
numerous other fasts that Muslims are
encouraged to undertake throughout the
year, and we should try to participate.
For instance, Prophet Muhammad encouraged Muslims to fast six days of the month
of Shawwal, the month after Ramadhan.
The reward is equivalent to fasting the entire year. In a few months, the season of
Hajj will begin, and those Muslims who do
not perform the Hajj are encouraged to fast
the day of Arafat, when all the pilgrims will
be standing on that plain and begging God
for forgiveness. We should fast that day.
For Ashura, the day that commemorates
the exodus of the Children of Israel from
Egypt, Muslims are encouraged to fast
that day as well as the day before. (Ideally, Muslims should fast the first nine days
of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, when the Hajj
occurs.)
For the very ambitious, the Prophet (peace
be upon him) used to fast every Monday and Thursday, and if one is able, he
or she could follow this Sunnah, or tradition of the Prophet. The very, very ambitious could even fast in the tradition of the
Prophet David fasting every other day. If
this is too much, perhaps we can fast one,
two, or three days each month. Whatever
the number, we should try to fast outside
of Ramadhan to help keep the spirit of the
month alive in our daily lives.
Qiyam praying
During the month of Ramadhan, Muslims
gather together and perform the Isha, or
night prayer, and then special devotional
prayers, called Tarawih, in congregation
(together these are called, qiyam, extra devotional night prayers). It is such a
wonderful time, and it is perhaps--after
actually getting to eat and drink--the best
part of Ramadhan. We are all together in
the mosque, and we get to hear the entire Quran recited if we go every night of
Ramadhan.
Why not, at home, have your own "miniTarawih"? You can either read what you
have already memorized, or you can read
from the Quran itself. If you continue this
throughout the year, it is quite possible to
finish reading the entire Quran many times
over. This is an excellent way to keep the
feeling and spirit of Ramadhan alive.
Charity

Ramadhan is also the month of charity. It


was said that the Prophet, already the most
generous of men, was even more generous during the month of Ramadhan. Along
with teaching the believer discipline and
spiritual focus, the fast of Ramadhan is a
potent reminder that there are millions of
people around the world who must forgo
food and drink involuntarily, out of sheer
poverty.
As a result, Muslims are frequently motivated to give to the poor during Ramadhan,
and the reward for an act of charity--already
substantial--is multiplied many times over
in the month of Ramadhan. Muslims often
discharge their obligatory annual alms tax,
the Zakah, during this month.
Yet that does not mean we should be stingy and miserly throughout the rest of the
year. We should continue to be generous
even when it is not Ramadhan, perhaps
devoting a little bit of what we earn to help
the poor. You could even open a donordirected fund or a charitable gift fund at a
brokerage firm and invest your donations
so you could give more. If you want to be
even more ambitious, you can start your
own charitable endowment, an essential
aspect of the classical Islamic tradition that
has unfortunately gone by the wayside in
modern times.
Havent seen you since last Ramadhan..."
Another beautiful aspect of Ramadhan is
the frequent invitation to people's homes
for iftar meals after sunset. Here, Muslims
gather and break their fast together. Many
times, it is an opportunity to see friends
(and maybe even family) they do not normally get a chance to see during the rest
of the year. Well, the same theme applies:
if you can do it during Ramadhan, you can
do it at any other time as well. Why not
keep up the contacts made during Ramadhan throughout the rest of the year? Have
monthly gatherings at each other's homes
or at a favorite restaurant. Let it not be another year when you say to a friend, "Wow!
I haven't seen you since last Ramadhan!"
For Muslims, the month of Ramadhan is
the most wonderful time of the year. The
benefits and beauties of this month are
boundless, andI always feel a tinge of sadness when Ramadhan is over.
Yet we can keep the spirit of the month
alive and well throughout the rest of the
year. For that is the whole purpose of the
fast, isn't it- to be conscious of God?

SUNDAY
SUNDAY
LECTURE

SUNDAY
LECTURE
Topic: Nini baada
ya Ramadhan
By: Sheikh Abu Hudheifa
Date: 26th July 2015
Time: 2-4 pm
Venue: Makina Kibra
Page 3

The Friday Bulletin

WOMEN

Ramadhan 08,1436/ July 24, 2015

For todays fathers: Which example do you follow?


Zainab bint Younus
Sisters, you are the shepherds of your
children! Sisters, raise your children well,
for the future of the Ummah lies in your
hands! Sisters, your role as mothers is the
most important in the world!
Such is the mantra repeated over and over
again, to audiences of women who have already had this message ingrained in them
from youth. But where are the reminders to
Muslim fathers?
It's become a common cultural standard
that women are assumed to be almost
solely responsible for the raising and educating of children, from infancy right up until adulthood. The role of fatherhood, on the
other hand, seems to have been relegated
to one of financial obligation, and little else.
When we look to the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him), however, we see a very different
model of fatherhood.
Prophet Muhammad, the father
Ali ibnAbiTalib was raised in the household
of the prophet (Peace be upon him) and
the prophet was his father figure. When Ali
accepted Islam at the age of 12, he didn't
do so out of indifference or merely because
he 'had' to.
He had been raised to be intellectually capable of pondering what faith meant, what
the consequences of accepting that would
be, and the seriousness of living according
to Islam. Thus, when he accepted Islam,
it was with a keenness of intelligence and
awareness that was directly cultivated by
the prophet (Peace be upon him).
Similarly, ZaydibnHarithah who was also
raised by The prophet (Peace be upon
him), in such a dedicated manner that when
Zayd's biological father and uncle came to
take him back home, he refused to go with
them. Zayd was approximately eight years
old when he was captured by raiders and
sold into slavery in Makkah. The nephew of
Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her)
bought him and then gave Zayd as a gift to
her. She, in turn, gave him to The prophet
(Peace be upon him) who freed him and
raised him as his own son.
When Zayds father and uncle came to
claim him, Zayd informed them, I have
seen from this man (Muhammad) such
amazing things that I could never prefer
him over anyone else. (IbnSaad, IbnAthir,
IbnHajar).
Immediately after this, The prophet (PBUH)
formally adopted Zayd who became known
as Zaydibn Muhammad until the Quranic
verse was revealed forbidding this type of
adoption.
Such a close bond could only have been
the result of truly dedicated parenting.
Zayd was also one of the first people to accept Islam, along with Ali and the rest of the
Prophets household.
As an adult, the prophet (Peace be upon
him) made Zayd a commander of the
Muslim army no less than seven different

Page 4

times, until he was martyred in the Battle


of Mutah.
Nor was the prophet (Peace be upon him)
an exception when it came to fatherhood.
His Sahabah followed his example.
Umar ibn al-Khattab (radhiAllahu 'anhu)
didn't abandon his son 'Abdullah to his wife
to raise; he didn't expect 'Abdullah's mother
to be solely responsible for Abdullah's education or the refinement of his manners.
Instead, he took a hands-on approach and
ensured that Abdullah accompanied him
from a young age, as is evidenced in the
following hadith:
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
The Prophet (sallAllahu alayhimwasallam)
said, "The example of a believer is like a
green tree, the leaves of which do not fall."
The people said, "It is such-and-such tree;
it is such-and-such tree."
I intended to say that it was the date-palm
tree, but I was a young boy and felt shy (to
answer).
The Prophet said, "It is the date-palm tree."
Ibn 'Umar added, "I told this to 'Umar (later on), who said, 'Had you said it, I would
have preferred it over such-and such a
thing!" (Bukhari)
Abdullah ibn Umar grew up to be known
as the Jurist but would he have become
such a great man if it werent for the way
his father made a point of involving him in
the daily gatherings of the elder Sahabah
with The prophet (Peace be upon him))?
Unfortunately, there are far too many fathers today who prefer to leave their sons
to be raised by social media and less-thanideal friends, assuming that their mother
will deal with them until they suddenly
realize that their sons are no longer young
boys, but overgrown males with no understanding of Islamic manhood.
This situation, in fact, took place in the time
of Umar ibn al-Khattab (radhiAllahu anhu),
and his stance on fatherhood is further
demonstrated in this narration:
It is related that a man once came to Umar
ibn Al-Khattaab, complaining of his sons
disobedience to him. Umar summoned the
boy and spoke of his disobedience to his
father and his neglect of his rights.
The boy replied: O Ameer al-Mumineen!
(Prince of believers)
Doesnt a child have rights over his father?
Certainly, replied Umar. What are they,
Ameer al-Mumineen? That he should
choose his mother, give him a good name
and teach him the Book (the Quran). O
Ameer al-Mumineen! My father did nothing of this. My mother was a Magian (fire
worshipper). He gave me the name of Julalaan (meaning dung beetle or scarab)
and he did not teach me a single letter of
the Quran. Turning to the father, Umar
said: You have come to me to complain
about the disobedience of your son. You
have failed in your duty to him before he

has failed in his duty to you; you have done


wrong to him before he has wronged you.
Note that when Umar mentioned the
teaching of the Quran, it meant to the companions much more than what we assume
he didnt mean that the father hadnt simply taught his son the literal words of the
Quran, but rather, that he had neglected to
teach his son the meanings of the Quran
as well.
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) described The prophet (Peace be upon him)
as:
His character was the Quran. (Muslim)
The automatic understanding was that his
character was an embodiment of theteachings of the Quran.
Umars rebuke to the complaining father
wasnt that it was the mothers fault for not
teaching the son how to be a good Muslim
(or even a good person) the responsibility
was upon the father to raise his child according to the Quran.
In failing to carry out his responsibilities towards his son, the father was to blame for
his own sons disobedience.
Today, there are countless books and lectures aimed at mothers about the importance of their role yet few, if any, focused
on Muslim fathers. As a result, our Ummah
has been faced with a crisis of fatherhood:
one where Muslim men have minimized
their role as the head of the household and
relegated themselves to providing only financial support, rather than being present,
hands-on parents.
Subsequently, we have an entire generation of Muslim youth growing up with no
idea of what it is like to be a truly responsible Muslim man.
It is time that we recognize the seriousness of the situation, and change our understanding of the role of Muslim men as
fathers by returning to and reviving the
Sunnah of The prophet (Peace be upon
him) and his Companions. They were the
men who exemplified what it meant to be
true Muslim men leaders of both their
households, and of their Ummah.

SUNDAY
CAREER
DAY
Maahad Teachers Training
College cordially invites you
to a career day
Date: 1st August 2015
Time: From 9:00 am
Venue: Maahad Pangani.
Theme:Education
Guest speaker: Fatma Saman

LADIES ONLY

The Friday Bulletin

EID PICTORIAL
EID UL FITR PRAYERS

Ramadhan 08,1436/ July 24, 2015

1. Eid ul Fitr prayers on Friday at Eastleigh High School 2. Prayers at Orahey grounds in Wajir 3. Thousands gather for the prayers
at the Tononoka grounds in Mombasa. 4. Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua joins Muslims in celebrating Eid ul Fitr. He pledged to
offer bursaries and scholarships to bright Muslim students and also allocated the Muslim community five acres of land in the New
Machakos City for the construction of a mosque, school and other social amenities.

ANNUAL EID UL FITR ORPHAN FUN DAY

The annual Eid ul Fitr Orphans Fun Day was held last Sunday at the Wamy High School to give an opportunity for the orphans to
also enjoy the joys and happiness of Eid. The event was organised by the Admin Group, a WhatsApp group and attracted more than
500 orphans from different children homes in the country. A set of new clothes, gifts and various games and entertainment activities
were among the exciting features of the day. 1. Prominent rally driver Azar Anwar shares the Eid joy with the orphans. His driving
exploits were among the fun and excitements of the day. 2. Water games and bouncing castles were among the attractions for the
children. 3. Distribution of gifts to the orphans. 4. A section of the crowd follow the Quran competition.

Page 5

The Friday Bulletin

OPINION

We need to boldly tackle the challenges facing Muslims

Page 6

The Six days of Shawwal


Sheikh Salman al Awdah

Omar Sakwa
Musab, a 16 year old schoolboy from a
modest family living in a Nairobi suburb,
has developed an impressive social media
presence online. He has a face-book, twitter and you tube profiles, and continuously
monitors his accounts multiple times a day
for updates. He uses social media mostly to
stay in touch with his friends, but has also
recently subscribed to arrange of news and
current affairs outlets. He is increasingly
exposed to a number of regional conflicts,
particularly the unrest unfolding in Somalia, but isnt really sure what to think about
the conflict or where he stands. Musab
would like to develop a better understanding of these issues, but isnt sure who to
talk to or who to trust on such matters, he
certainly wouldnt want to talk about this to
his parents or friends at school about it.
While reflecting on the above story many
questions arises which disturbs my mind
as to where exactly did we really go wrong?
Recently two cases were reported, the arrest of 3 female university student on their
way to Somalia and the case of missing
Kenyatta University student and her friend
who disappeared without a trace to date.
This cases needs to worry us as Muslims
I have attended various forums, listened
to press conference and read articles by
various groups in media platform discussing about radicalization and extremism
but the unfortunate reality is that many of
them are directing their anger and fingers
towards Muslims and its leadership for notdoing enough to curb radicalization among
Muslim youth hence resulting in the current
situation.
We have witnessed a number of attacks in
various part of the country and fresh in our
mind the Garrissa University raid where
148 innocent students were killed and
properties destroyed by Al-Shabaab militia. I want us to pause and ask ourselves
questions what lessons are we are learning
from these situations.
As Muslims we are living at a very trying
moments in this country in the midst is
an identity crisis and mistrust among ourselves as Muslims. Our Muslim scholars
and leaders are pulling from different direction. At times supremacy battle are played
out at times at the public gallery as to who
has the authority to speak on behalf of the
community.
I believe these challenges should form
the basis for us to sit and reason together
about this menace that has really damage
the image of Islam and Muslims. I am truly
convinced that in order for us to move forward we must come out openly to comment
on issues we hold dearly in our hearts and
that too often are said only behind closed
doors. As well as there must be sustained
effort to listen to each other and learn from
one another and seek common grounds on
issues affecting us and the wider society.
Failure by our Muslim institutions and leadership to address the real issues affecting
our community has resulted in the lack of
trust and confidence from its followers. I
personally believe that we need to create

Ramadhan 08,1436/ July 24, 2015

a platform where our youth and leadership


can work together for the common good of
this community as this will help in building
trust among ourselves hence bridging the
existing gap between the analogue and
digital generation.
Paradigm shift in our education systems
and Dawah activities at every county level
will also help in addressing the realities of
todays youth and ideologies, economic
empowerment as well as life skills to our
youth. It is also important toopen Islamic
education and youth resource centers
manned by professionals in all mosques
in every county to deal with the emerging
youth issue as this will create an enabling
environment for the youth to serve their
community in an atmosphere of trust and
respect to their elders.
In order to realize these objectives, our
institutions must learn to understand and
work together for the common good of this
community and avoid duplication of work.
Our priorities should be in tandem with the
realities on the ground. At this juncture we
need to acknowledge and appreciate the
positive side of devolution in our country by
reaching out to communities that feel are
marginalized.
Blame game at this trying moment time
will be an exercise in futility because it will
not change our situation. If we are to recover our dignity and that of Islam it is we
who must decide, it is we who must act. It
should be well understood that the destiny
of this umma cannot be left to the institutions and leaders alone but every one of us
must play a critical role in the development
of this beautiful community.
Muslim institutions and leadership need to
rise to the occasion and offer advice and
leadership in the current emerging youth
issues. The current debate shouldnt be
whether the issue of radicalization exists or
not but should be centered on the roadmap
on how to counter extremism through the
existing Islamic theology. Allah says in the
Noble Quran 12:22 And when he (Yusuf)
attained his full manhood, we gave him
wisdom and knowledge
Our image as Muslims has really been
tainted by extremism, where the existing
media houses have also helped to spread
the wrong notion about Islam and Muslims
in the masses. For this reason we truly
need to invest in media particularly the television station as this will help a long way
in correcting the existing misconception
about Islam. Allah says in the Noble Quran
61:9 Their intention is to extinguish Allahs
light (by blowing) their mouths, but Allah
will complete (the revelation of) his light,
even though the unbelievers may detest.
And lastly, we need to be relevant to the
fact that changes begins with us as the
Almighty states, Allah will not change the
(good) condition of a people as long as
they do not change their state of (goodness) themselves Quran 13:11
The writer is the coordinator of the Nairobi Area Muslim Students Association

AbAyyb al-Ansr relates that Allah's


Messenger (peace be upon him) says:
"Whoever fasts the month of Ramadhan
and then follows it with six days of fasting
in the month of Shawwl, it will be as if he
had fasted the year through." [Sahh Muslim]
The month of Shawwl is singled out for
the observance of extra fasts, since this
month follows immediately after Ramadhan. The six days of voluntary fasting are
to the obligatory fast of Ramadhan what
the Sunnah prayers are to the obligatory
prayers.
It is related from Thawbn that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The fast of
Ramadhan is like observing ten months of
fasting. Fasting six days of Shawwl is like
observing two months of fasting. This together is like fasting throughout the year."
[SahhIbnKhuzaymah and Sunan al-Nas'
al-Kubr]
Scholars have explained that it is like observing a year of fasting because the reward of one's good deeds are multiplied
tenfold. Therefore fasting the month of
Ramadhan is like fasting for ten months
and fasting six days in the month of Shawwl is like fasting for two months.
Virtues of fasting in Shawwl
1. Fasting six days in Shawwl after observing the Ramadhan fast gives the person the reward of fasting throughout the
year.
2. The fasts of Sha`bn and Shawwl are
like the Sunnah prayers that accompany
the five obligatory prayers. Like the Sunnah prayers, these extra fasts cover up
for the deficiencies in our performance
of our obligatory worship. On the Day of
Judgment, our voluntary acts of worship
will compensate for the shortcomings in
how we carried out our duties. Most of us
have deficiencies in our observance of our
Ramadhan fasts and we need something
to cover up for those deficiencies.
3. Our return to the habit of fasting right after Ramadhan is a sign that our Ramadhan
fasts were accepted. When Allah accepts
our worship, He blesses us to engage in
further acts of piety. The saying goes: The
reward of virtue is further virtue. Therefore,
following one good deed with others like it
is a sign that the first deed had been accepted by Allah. By contrast, if a person's
good deed is followed by a sinful one, it is
an indication that the first good deed might
not have been accepted.
4. Those who observe the fast of Ramadhan are given their recompense of the
day of`Id al-Fitr, the day when the fast is
rewarded. Getting into the habit of fasting
again soon thereafter is a means of giving thanks to Allah for the blessings that
we have received. There is no blessing
greater than forgiveness for one's sins,
and we know that fast of Ramadhan is recompensed with forgiveness of one's previous sins.
Fasting these days in Shawwl is one way
for us to express our thanks for Allah blessing us in our observance of the Ramadhan
fast.

The Friday Bulletin

NATIONAL

Ramadhan 08,1436/ July 24, 2015

Govt indifference killing education in NE-Billow


The ineptitude on the part of the government to address the problem of shortage of
teachers in North Eastern is contributing to
the collapse of the education sector in the
region and risk a whole generation without
access to education.
Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow expressed
his concern about what he said was the indifference by the government to the suffering of the people from the region arguing
that little action has been taken to address
the crisis which is suffocating the education sector. The government risks handing over the region to terrorists if a whole
generation of youth do not have access to
education, he said in reaction to the failure
by the education cabinet secretary Jacob
Kaimenyi and his interior counterpart Joseph Nkaissery to appear before a Senate
committee last week.
The two had been summoned to shed more
light on the government's failure to recruit
new teachers for North Eastern Kenya and
the deteriorating state of security in the region but skipped the session eliciting angry
tones from the committee members.The

absence of the two clearly illustrates the


indifference to the suffering of the people of
the region, a position shared by the President who has demonstrated that he cares
less too, he added in comments made on
his Facebook page.
The Senate education committee chairman
Daniel Karaba said the situation in Garissa,
Wajir and Mandera counties was serious
and deserved robust attention from the
cabinet secretaries in charge.
On his part, Garissa Senator Muhammad
Yusuf Hajj said learners from the region

continue to suffer and it was imperative


that the government took drastic measures
to address the issues. We are dealing with
a serious matter. Many of our children are
not in school and national exams are not
far, he said as he criticized the cabinet
secretaries for failing to honour the summons.
Following a spate of attacks in the region,
hundreds of non-local teachers who make
up the majority among the teaching staff in
many schools refused to go back to their
workstations, a situation which has paralyzed education in the three counties.

Uhuru commends Walk of Hope youth

Murang'a Muslims to get


land documents
Residents of Mjini area within Murang'a
county have a good reason to smile following revelations that they would be availed
leasehold documents from the Murang'a
county government.
Like other Majengo areas in several part of
the country, the over 2,500 residents many
of them Muslims, have remained landless
and homeless without land documents.
Murang'a county government is making
efforts to provide land documents to Muslim residents in Mjini Estate,'said Governor Mwangi Wa Iria while addressing
Muslim faithful during Idd-ul-Fitri baraza at
Mjini Jamia Mosque grounds on Friday last
week.
The revelation by the governor is a relief
for the residents who have for more than
80 years clamored for the land documents
from successive governments without success.
The residents led by Abdullahi Ali lauded
the move and called on the county government to speed up the process which will
enable them develop their land pointing
out that lack of ownership documents has
been a major obstacle for the development
of the area.
He called for the process to be made in
a transparent and accountable manner to
ensure that only bonafide residents are issued with the leasehold documents.
The Governor said a committee comprising of residents,local administration and
county government officials will be set up
to devise ways of issuing the documents.''I
wish to urge Mjini Muslim residents to be
calm as the county government put up
measures to ensure their constitutional and
human rights are not violated,'' he said.

President Uhuru Kenya at State House with


the three walkers who succesfully completed a
1,000 kilometre journey.

Youth in the country have been urged to be in


the forefront in search for solutions to challenges
facing the country, President Uhuru Kenyatta has
said.
Speaking after hosting at State house Nairobi, a
section of youths from North Eastern who walked
for almost a 1000 kilometers in the trek dubbed
Walk of hope, the President said the North Eastern youth had set a good example and commended them for raising awareness on the regions
predicaments.
Three of the walkers Noordin Badel Tube, Ahmedour Saleh Mohamud, Salah Mohamed Abdinoor
were at state house together with a team that
supported the walkers.
The walk started from Tana Bridge in Garissa on
June 13 and ended at Border Point 1 in Mandera
town on July 18. Hundreds of local residents took
part in the walk at different stages as many could
not endure the tough terrain of the North especially as the trek was staged in the fasting month
of Ramadhan.
In commending the youth, President Uhuru said
young people have a big role to play in consolidating the countrys unity and promoting peace.
The countrys prosperity lies in our unity and
every one of us playing their part. To do that we
have to shun tribalism and negative ethnicity, the
President said.
He added the youth should be brought on board
and facilitated to fully participate in addressing
challenges facing the North Eastern region.
While briefing the President on the enduring walk,

the three walkers said they spread


messages of hope, tolerance and
anti-radicalization in every village
they visited along the road to the finishing line.
The youth were accompanied to
State House by members of the
North East Professional Association
(NEPA) led by their Chairman, Dr.
Abdirizack Arale.
Dr. Arale said the association is
committed to working with the government and the youth from the region to ensure peace and security.
He added that they supported walk
for hope because it believes that
hopeless is a recipe for disaster.
The meeting was also attended by
the Chief of Staff and Head of Public
Service Joseph Kinyua, The Presidents advisor on constitutional affairs Abdikadir Muhammad, North
Eastern Regional Commissioner
Mohamud Saleh and NEPA members.

'Support Imams and


Madrassa teachers'

Muslims have been urged to channel more resources in supporting


and enhancing the livelihood of
Imams and madrasa teachers.
Speaking during the Eid ul Fitr
Baraza at the Treasury square in
Mombasa, Mombasa deputy County
Commissioner, Salim Muhammad
commended the valuable roles
which Imams and madrasa teachers play in the society but regretted
that many of them were languishing
in poverty and deserved to be economically empowered.
He called on Muslims to give out
sadaqa and zakah to mosque committees to be in a position to cater
for the welfare of Imams and Madrassa teacher's salaries
Salim further said that there was a
need for the Muslim leadership to
put in place measures to provide
economic sustenance programmes
for the Imams and madrasa teachContinued To Page 8

Page 7

Israel in abusive arrests of Palestinian


children: HRW
Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Israel of abusive arrests of Palestinian children as young as 11 and of using threats
to force them to sign confessions.
Israeli authorities failed to inform parents of their childrens arrest
or whereabouts, the New York-based watchdog added, drawing
on accounts of several children detained during intense unrest in
east Jerusalem and the West Bank late last year.
HRWs Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson urged the United
States to pressure its Israeli ally to end what it said were longstanding abusive practices.
The rights group issued the accusations as US Defense Secretary
Ashton Carter began a visit to Israel. Israeli security forces have
used unnecessary force to arrest or detain Palestinian children,
it said in a report giving details of the abusive arrests of six children.
Forces have choked children, thrown stun grenades at them,
beaten them in custody, threatened and interrogated them without
the presence of parents or lawyers, and failed to let their parents
know their whereabouts.
Israels army, when contacted by AFP, had no immediate comment
on the report.
HRW said the military and justice ministry responded to its accusations and maintained that security officials had adhered to the
law in all cases, including by informing the children of their rights.
In one case, 11-year-old Rashid S, who was arrested in Israeliannexed east Jerusalem in November, said officers put a bag over
his head, kicked him and verbally abused him in Arabic, according
to the rights group.
Rashid was accused of throwing stones during the months of unrest that rocked Jerusalem before and after a deadly July-August
war in the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, 14-year-old girl Malak Al-Khatib was violently
arrested on suspicion of throwing stones at a road used by Jewish
settlers, HRW quoted her mother as saying.
Four soldiers beat her with something like a baton during Malaks
arrest until she lost consciousness, mother Khoula said.
While on the ground, they kicked her and one soldier stepped on
her neck.
In every case HRW documented, the Palestinian families said Israeli authorities did not inform parents of the childs arrest and
interrogated the children without permitting them to speak to a parent or lawyer prior to the interrogation.
Three children said they signed confessions written in Hebrew, a
language they do not understand, after interrogators threatened
them. Children urinated on themselves out of fear during the arrests, and had nightmares afterwards, it said. (Arab News)

'Support Imams and Madrassa teachers'


Continued From Page 7
ers to embolden their activities in guiding and imparting knowledge in the ummah.
In his remarks, he called on Mombasa resident to work together
with security agencies and share vital information with the police
that will help fight rising crime in the county.
Information sharing will be key towards tackling gangs in Mombasa that are creating fear among residents, said Muhammad.
Mvita Member of Parliament, Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir blamed
parents in Majengo and Old town for increased insecurity in the
area and dismissed recent claims that it had been caused by lack
of employment.
You cannot convince me that a 14-year-old is stabbing people
because of lack of employment. Such a kid should be in school,
said Abdulswamad.

Appreciations for your Ramadhan


donations:
Those who spend their wealth (in Allahs Cause) by night and day,
in secret and in public, they shall have their reward with their Lord.
On them shall be no fear, Nor shall they grieve. Quran 2: 274
It is more than 9 years since Ummah Foundation has been in
existence. In this period of time we are pleased to note that the
Foundation has engaged in very meaningful activities and projects
aimed at improving the lives of Muslims in this country and the
east African region. With appropriate resources at hand, our ultimate aspiration and goal is to transform Muslims into a vibrant
community uplifting their status in the society.
During the past month of Ramadhan, Ummah Foundation had
made appeals to our Muslim brothers and sisters to come fourth
and help support our goals and objectives. We also went round
mosques in Nairobi fundraising from well wishers and we appreciate the co-operation that we received from the mosque managements of Park Road Mosque, Parklands Mosque and Madina centre for allowing us to do the collection on various Fridays
from the congregations during the fasting month. We ask Allah
subhanawataala to amply reward all those who gave and made
their contributions.
We also take this chance to express our heartfelt thanks to all our
brothers and sisters based here and overseas who appreciate and
acknowledge the noble work that Ummah Foundation is doing. It
is through your continuous tremendous support both financially
and morally that you accord us over the years and more especially during Ramadhan, that Ummah Foundation has been able
to successfully implement some of the activities that range from
Education bursaries to needy students, Prison rehabilitation, social welfare activities, Madrassah programs, food and water relief
among other projects. May Allah subhana wataala reward you all
both here and the hereafter.
With more of your tireless support and donations, we hope Insh
Allah to carry out more programs which will contribute immensely
in enhancing the lives of Muslims in this country. The demand is
on the increase daily and the meager resources that we receive
cant be enough but it is our belief that we can achieve more if we
all join hands to better ourselves in various spheres that we still
lack behind.
May Allah accept our Saum, prayers, qiyam, Zakat, Sadaqa and
bless you abundantly.
Contact us:
Ummah Foundation
P.O.Box 58717-00200, Nairobi
Tel: +254-20-2680610/13 Mob; 0734-845277
Email: info@ummahfoundation.net
Web: www.ummahfoundation

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

JOB TITLE: HOSPITAL COOK/ CHEF


Qualifications and Experience
Must hold at least a certificate in Catering/ Cookery &
Housekeeping
Good communications and interpersonal skills
Computer Literate
Must have a food handling certificate
Should not be suffering from any chronic illness.
Applications accompanied by copies of certificates plus
detailed CV should be forwarded to:
THE ADMINISTRATOR CARE HOSPITAL
FORMERLY AFWAN HOSPITAL)
OPP. PUMWANI MATERNITY HOSPITAL
P.O. BOX 46041 00100 NAIROBI
OR E;MAIL: carehospitalnrb@gmail.com

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