Affirmative Action

Women enjoy equal rights in Shariah in respect of ownership, management of financial affairs, civil transactions and contracts. The Hanafi school has extended this position to the contract of marriage, although the majority of other schools have considered marriage an exception and require its solemnization by the legal guardian (wali) even of an adult woman. Since Islamic jurisprudence permits selection (takhayyur, or takhyir) among the leading schools, position which has been utilized in the statutory legislation in many Muslim countries, then there is basically no Shariah issue of concern in this area. Yet patriarchal customary practices, especially among the tribes of Asia and Africa, present obstacles to women's enjoyment of their civil and financial rights. The problem here is essentially not juridical but one of prevalent prejudicial custom and male-dominated family and society.

To give an example, the Quran unequivocally entitles female relatives to specified shares in an inheritance, which is, however, widely denied to them by their male relatives. Prohibitive statutory enactments in many Muslim countries on this and similar other issues have not succeeded in curbing entrenched customary positions. The Lesson one learns here is that prescriptive law reform needs to be followed by a wider campaign on awareness raising, education and policy initiatives.

Muslim women in rural Asia and Africa are not well aware of their rights either under the Shariah or statutory law. Legislation should naturally be continued to lead the way in the campaign for gender equality and economic empowerment of women. In some particularly difficult situations, recourse may be had to affirmative action legislation and quota system, for example, in admission to schools and employment centres, on a temporary basis at least, to promote the objectives of gender equality.

Compiled From:
"Shariah Law - An Introduction" - Mohammad Hashim Kamali, pp. 271, 272

Perfect Equilibrium

It does not befit a Muslim to overburden himself with work to the extent that it violates the rights of his soul, the rights of his family, and the rights of his society. This applies even if such exertion is in the worship of Allah, be it by way of fasting, Salah, sacrifice, or abstinence.

It is for this reason that the Prophet, peace be upon him, when he saw his Companions ever congregating behind him for the night vigil, said to them: "Take from work what you can, for verily Allah does not stop (rewarding you) until you get fed up (in worshipping Him); and verily the most beloved of works to Allah is that which is most constant even if it is meagre." [Bukhari, Muslim]

In another instance he said: "Verily this Religion (of Islam) is very easy. No one ever challenges this Religion but it overcomes him. So be moderate, and try to approach perfection, and receive the glad tidings." [Bukhari]

This, therefore, is the sunnah (i.e. constant practice) of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and this is his method: an open, plain, easy road of moderation and observance of balance between spiritualism and materialism; an equilibrium between the requirement of the self and the right of the Lord.

Compiled From:
"Time in the Life of a Muslim" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, pp. 29, 30

Spacious Earth

Al-Ankabut (The Spider)
Chapter 29: Verse 56

"You servants of Mine who have believed! Spacious is My earth; worship Me alone, then."

This verse is addressing the believers who suffer persecution at the hand of the unbelievers, who aim to prevent them from worshipping God. It tells them to try to flee from persecution so that they can truly practise their faith. This is given in the form of a loving address that touches one's heart.

The Creator of these hearts who knows all their feelings, fleeting thoughts, perceptions and ideas address them with love, inviting them to emigrate for the sake of their faith. These words, right from the onset give them a feeling of their true status, linking them to their Lord: 'Servants of Mine!'

This is the first caring touch, while the second is felt in what comes next: 'Spacious is My earth." You are My servants, and this is My earth, which is spacious and can comfortably accommodate you. What keeps you, then, in a hostile place where you are oppressed and persecuted on account of your faith, and where you cannot worship God in freedom? Leave this narrow and restricted place and find somewhere else in My spacious earth, to enjoy freedom of worship.

Sorrow at leaving one's own homeland is the first feeling which stirs in the mind of one who is invited to leave his home. Hence, these words stress closeness to God and the earth's spaciousness. Since it is all God's earth, then the place to be loved most is that where one enjoys freedom to worship God alone.

Compiled From:
"In The Shade of the Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 13, pp. 340, 341

Difficult Times!

A passage from The Holy Quran

'On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns and suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) "Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which you did lay on those before us; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have the strength to bear. Blot out our sins and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Protector; help us against those who stand against faith."'

The Holy Quran - Surah 2 Verse 286

We all go through difficult times and struggles in our lives, but Alhamdulillah, through Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala's Mercy, we are never placed in a situation which we cannot deal with and come out of.

Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala tests those that He loves

So through these difficult times we need to turn to our Lord an Master and continue to have complete faith in Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala, and place our complete trust in Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala. The best way of showing Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala that we have full faith and trust in Him is by following Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala's guidance.

Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala's guidence the beautiful way of life that is Al Islam. Alhamdulillah.

Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala can turn our lives around, we just need to have that faith, trust and a little patience.

May Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala ease whatever difficulties we may be facing in our lives and grant us an answer, a cure, a solution, or remove the difficulty & grant us success.


To Allah we belong & to Allah we return
The Holy Quran - Surah 2 Verse 156

Games that bring the family closer

Father's reading the newspaper, mother's on the telephone, brother's on the computer, sister's reading a book, and little Ahmad is playing with his toys. What do these people have in common?

Nothing. How can they be brought together?

Young and old, we all love games. What better way to share each other's company, learn about Islam and have fun at the same time than to play a game? Below are three games to play with the whole family.

1. 'Steps to Paradise' Board Game. This board game, made in England, has questions for different age or knowledge levels. Answer the questions on Islam as you move around the board. And if you have collected enough Sawab (reward) then you might be able to enter Paradise.

2. Question and Answer Cards. Pre-made cards with questions and answers on Islam are readily available. Split the family into two teams and compete with each other to see who has the most right answers. The 'losing' team can do something together for the 'winning' team, for example, cook dinner. (This may mean that dad and some of the children may be cooking dinner for mum!) If pre-made cards are not available, then get into your teams and design the questions for the other team to answer.

3. Treasure Hunting. Mum or Dad designs a treasure hunt for the rest of the family. The number of clues, in the form of questions, depends on how many letters the secret place that contains the prize has. For example, if a cake awaits them in the REFRIGERATOR then 13 questions are needed. The first question needs to have an answer starting with R. For example, "What is the name of Surah 13?" The answer is "Ra'd". Each first letter of the answers form the final word. Draw a map and place each question on a card at each location. Once the code is cracked all can share the prize.

An important note to keep in mind is that when teams are called for, make sure it's randomly selected. Also, for each game, team members will be different each time. If team members remain the same all the time, rivalry will be set up and not all members will have the chance to work with the others.

Compiled From:
"Saying it out loud - the easy way to teach children the daily Duas (supplications)" - Jameela Ho of Yagoona

Divine Silence

"God has set some limits, so do not transgress them; He has commanded some commands, so do not ignore them; He has made some things unlawful, so do not commit them. He has also kept silent (sakata) about some matters as a mercy toward you, not because He has forgotten them, so do not ask about them."
-Baihaqi, Tirmidhi

Clear-cut approach regarding rulings related to belief (aqidah) and worship (ibadah) is associated with a methodology that is indeed strict but essentially confident in the field of interpersonal relations and social affairs (muamalat).Taking human interests into account, alleviating the legal burden, and simplifying the system of rules must be constant preoccupations when considering and implementing scriptural sources.

The divine Lawgiver's silence is a mercy, a grace offered to human beings so as not to make their burden too heavy, but it is also a positive and trustful recognition of their human and intellectual ability to devise their own ways of being faithful to the message through time and the variety of places. Here silence eases conscience and summons the intellect.

Compiled From:
"Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 69-70

Calamities

Al-Sajdah (Prostration)
Chapter 32: Verse 21

"We shall certainly have them taste some chastisement in this world in addition to the greater chastisement; perhaps they will retract."

"The greater chastisement" here refers to the chastisement to which the unbelievers and evil-doers will be subjected in the World-to-Come. The verse, however, also speaks of "some chastisement" in this world, which refers to things like serious diseases, death of kith and kin, tragic accidents, and losses and failures of various types which people face in the course of their worldly lives. There are also storms, earthquakes, floods, epidemics, famines, riots, warfares and other calamities which befall a people collectively, sometimes affecting the lives of millions.

These calamities afflict people in order that they may take heed before the greater chastisement overtakes them. They should give up those patterns of thought and action that lead them to the immense chastisement of the Hereafter. In other words, God has not made man's life in the world to be spent without care and concern. Man has not been granted an altogether smooth sail in this life. Calamities visit him so that he may purge his mind of the delusion that there is no power above him capable of causing harm.

They are thus made to realise that their destiny is controlled by someone else other than themselves. This real power and authority rests with God, not with man. Whenever any calamity from God strikes man it becomes evident that he can neither avert it himself nor by invoking any jinn, spirit, or god. Far from being simply natural disasters, these calamities serve as warnings from God to dispel man's misperceptions and prompt him to recognise the reality of things. By deriving lessons from these, man can mend his ways during his existence by embracing right beliefs and reforming his conduct. This alone will save him from the greater chastisement of the Hereafter.

Compiled From:
"Towards Understanding the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol. 8, p. 173