ask Mufti

Date:
2007-08-29 02:12:15
Title:
I am a grade 10 student ...nd we are studing the book "cry, our beloved country". While studing this we came across a statement whhich says " IF GOD IS GOOD, THEN WHY DO WE GO THROUGH SO MUCH OF PAIN?"
Category:
Beliefs and Practices (Aqeedah)
Question:
I am a grade 10 student in thr\e roshnee islamic school, and we are studing the book "cry, our beloved country". While studing this we came across a statement whhich says " IF GOD IS GOOD, THEN WHY DO WE GO THROUGH SO MUCH OF PAIN?" mufti can you please comment on this statemen and give me the islamic veiw of it...
Anwser:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
It is our aqida and fundamental belief that Allah is Subhaan. He is pure and free from any blemish. No weakness or shortcoming can be attributed to the being of Allah. To attribute any shortcoming or blemish to the being of Allah is kufr. The statement in reference questions the pure being of Allah. That is also kufr.

There are many reasons for our pain in this world:

1. We are sent to this world to be tested by Allah. For that, we have to be faced with many adversities. Allah says, “Do people think We will leave them proclaiming ‘I believe’ and they are not tested?”
2. Our pains are also due to our wrongs and evil doings. Allah says, “Whatever adversity you are afflicted with, it is through the earnings of your hands.”

It is clear from the above that Allah is perfect and experiences of pain are either by Divine design or consequences of an individual’s actions.

You should refer this issue to the principal of your school and request him to address the issue.And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Mufti Ebrahim Desai Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah

LETTER TO THE EDITOR; CRIME

P O Box 21284
Roshnee
1936
23 August 2007

The Editor
The Citizen
P O Box 43069
South Africa
2042

Dear Sir

RE: Crime in South Africa

The alarming crime statistics in South Africa is spiralling out of control. It is the topic of discussion on the lips of every concerned citizen. South Africa has the highest crime rate in the world. Since apartheid, the crime rate of our country has rapidly increased from an incredible1 466 429 crimes to 1 844 241 crimes in 2001, which were recorded by the police, and stills increases rapidly. Various crimes like fraud, murder, theft and serious assaults are exceptionally high in South Africa, compared to most developed countries.

As a law-abiding citizen I would like to express my disappointment and dissatisfaction with the present government. It is the same rights that we’ve struggled interminably for, that are now placing our lives in danger. It appears that the criminals of today have more rights than law-abiding citizens. The corruption occurring within the government is escalating at a faster rate than any other crime category. Cases are left unsolved, police personnel are incompetent and criminals easily escape from prisons and courts. Bribes beneficial to our polices are being accepted when it is infact their duty to enforce the laws more stringently.

As a concerned citizen I suggest that the death penalty be reinstated as a determent to serious crime. Does the government have the power to offer low-abiding civilians of the country more protection?

Yours sincerely
M R Amod

All statistics are provided by the SAPS CIAC, see www.saps.gov.za

Regret

REGRET

I pulled into my driveway. I can see the cars of all our close family parked outside. As I get out of my car, my brother offers me his hand in a handshake of condolences.

I enter my house. My wife and daughters are crying. Everyone is trying to pacify them. I look at my wife and try to be strong, but I can’t stop my tears from flowing. There’s so much grief in my house, so much pain and worry in my heart. It looks almost as if someone is has died or is very sick, although this is not the case. What I’m currently describing to you is any father’s worst nightmare. My daughter has eloped.

Eloping has become so common, children trying to defy their parents. But I never imagined it would happen to me. My eldest daughter has ran away with our neighbour. The Mistrys are a nice Hindu family. We’ve never had problems with them. The only question running through my head is why?

I’m a Muslim man, Muslim by name but hardly in practice. I try to read all my salaah but the shop makes it so hard. I never miss Jummah and attend Fajr on both Eids. Sometimes I tell my daughters to pray. We fast every Ramadaan and celebrate both Eids very lavishly. I take my daughters for Umrah every year. We always stop in Dubai, so they can do some shopping.

I want to make girls independent, I always had them in private schools, they don’t really mix with the Indian girls, only those in the white schools.

I always gave my daughters the best, I only bought them branded clothes. I never told them ‘no’ for anything. They have a shoe to match every outfit and a scarf to match every shoe, although I never really see them wear scarves.

I don’t get a chance to spend time with my girls. We take a holiday twice a year but I always gave them their freedom. I thought my daughters how to drive from young. I even bought her a car before she got license. I remember how happy she was that day. She must be in that car right now, she’s using it to run away from me.

Where was my wife when my daughter was busy with the neighbour? I could have left her at home but, I needed her at the shop. We’ve been busy and I can’t manage otherwise. I do let my wife stay at home sometimes but she needs that time to visit her friends.

I did all this for my children, So that I could show the world my beautiful daughters. I never shouted them because, I fear that they will hate me.

Am I so selfish that due to my own needs I let my children go astray. For my pride and image I never once told them to cover up and dress properly. For my money, I never let their mother to guide them. Through my ignorance, I never prayed and never set an example for my children.

With tears in my eyes, I sit on my mothers old musallas and pray to Allah to bring back my daughter. Only Allah can save my eighteen year old daughter from my forty-five year old Hindu neighbour, father of three children.

hardship is encouragement in disguise

HARDSHIP IS ENCOURAGEMENT IN DISGUISE

As a young boy, I experienced a lot of hardships as I was living in South Africa and in those days apartheid was a rule. My parents were in the Indian congress, which gave me the encouragement to take up upon politics.

I remember the experience which I encountered, which was known as the Sharpeville Massacre. It occurred on the 21st March 1960. The African men marched against the “doing pass low.” The objective of the March was that African men leave their passes at home and present themselves for arrest. We marched to the local police station. Three hundred other policemen came to the local police station to assist them. While the Africans continued to march, the police opened fire against us. A total of 69 were shot dead and 180 were severely injured. I was lucky to come out scratch less.

I am glad I took part in such an event which taught me a lot of lessons. It gave a short period to feel how the black South Africans felt and lived through apartheid times. They wanted to be heard but were rather treated with violence; as a result these feelings of hatred build up within them. Having this experience made me feel like one of them. My heart cried with pity ness, but yet I was in the same shoes as them, just a wee bit better, because I was an Indian. I did not have to carry a pass. The fact that I could have been one of the 69 that was killed gave me shivers and made me feel the sadness of those who lost their beloved one’s, innocent, young and old were heartlessly killed, but the attitude I required and had was if I died for my country. It was worth it. The fact that I saw people killed in front of me for justice made me stronger and encouraged me to fight against the government for what was right. After this event, my views towards the white people in general have changed. I found them to be heartless and unjustful being to react in that way.

This experience gave me a total different outlook on life but when I thought of my family, friends and community as a whole, this gave me strength to a different to South Africa. I felt that what I was doing for my country was correct, because when looking at the lives of the sahaba and prophet (S.A.W), they were brave men who fought for their believes and what was right. Therefore knowing that one day I would be rewarded by Allah (god) for fighting for justice gave me even more strength.

Today when I sit back, relax and look at the new South Africa and ponder about my life, I feel grate honor knowing I played a role in the difference of South Africa. I also feel great honor when I think of the way I spent my youth, rather then regretting like most people today and how also when Allah questions me of my youth, I will have a answer. May Allah always keep South Africa non-sexiest and non-racist democratic South Africa.

Evaluation

Evaluation of term 1 & 2
Term 1 & 2 was a very different experience, the way we taught by MR SUJEE was much more advanced and totally different. We were not spoon fed and it made us think. It brought out our hidden talents

Evaluation of collages & Shanty town
The collages, charts and models all took a lot of time and effort, but it created unity between friends. It made us research, which increased our knowledge in history, advertising ect.

Evaluation of Audio Assignment
I was a person who could not speak, the Audio Assignment taught me how to speak and introduced me into a news reporters life. It allowed me to realize my faults in the way I speak.

Evaluation of interview
I think this was one of the best assignment we done so far, I was shocked to hear the stories of apartheid. It increased my knowledge in the history of my country. It made me appreciate the democratic South Africa I have.