MAUT (Death)

Allah Ta’ala has sent this message:
“And every soul shall taste death.”

Our Nabi Sallallahu alayhi Wasallam gave us the following glad tidings:
“Maut is a gift to a Mu’min.”

This feuding mankind is united on one issue: Death is inevitable. It is inescapable. It is unavoidable. It is one of the certainties of life.
Fueding mankind is also unanimous on one thing: One does not have much choice in this matter. All the riches in the world cannot bribe death; all the power and might in the world cannot threaten death; all the status and rank in the world cannot influence death. On this there is no difference amongst all of humankind. It is what happens after death in where different views are held.

The difference between Islam and other religions is a reflection of which religion is true and worthy of being followed. Without fear of contradiction, we can safely state that Islam's concept of what happens after death, is so vividly explained, so clearly defined that it almost appears that death is but another form of the continuation of life. Whereas others view death and afterlife as a somewhat mysterious and baffling event, Islam has elucidated death and clarified in detail what happens after death. You see, in Islam there are no “blind spots”, no secrets, no puzzles in a fundamental subject such as death. The same Allah that clearly defined the misMaut (Death)sion of the temporary life of a Muslim, that same Allah did not leave His believers confused with regards to death and the permanent life of the Hereafter. There is consistency in Islam’s ap proach to every facet of mankind’s existence.

Confusion is turmoil. Clarity is peace. Islam is peace. Muslims are very, very clear and peaceful about death. Let’s discuss the approach to Maut of a true Muslim.

Our Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said that death is a gift to a Mu’min. It is a bridge which links the lover to his Beloved. A Muslim is secure in the knowledge that death is a gift from His Beloved, Allah. A Muslim understands that death is not a punishment. For others it may be a tragedy but for himself it is a boon.

Gifts don’t have to make immediate sense. A father opens an account for the benefit of his child’s education. That child does not understand the value of the father’s gift. That child is weak and would rather prefer the cash to enjoy life right now.

Weakness in Imaan makes us prefer to avoid the gift of death so that we may enjoy life right now. A strong Imaan dictates otherwise. A strong Imaan says that your pleasure in this temporary abode is very, very restricted and limited. Here, in this world you are constantly a target of fear and anxiety. Here in the world you are relentlessly hounded by restlessness and worries. Here in the world you are a continuous target for sicknesses and ailments. In short, here in the world you lead an existence filled with more misery rather than joy, an existence filled more with responsibilities than carefree, cheery, abundant overflowing freedom. And this is the freedom which the human soul is constantly in search of. And this is the freedom which comes only from the gift of death.

A true Muslim does not mind death. It is a gift from freedom of want and destruction. It is a gift from freedom of perplexity and pain. It is a gift from freedom of toil and turmoil. It is a gift from freedom of injustices and oppression. It is a gift from freedom of disappointments and depressions.

For with death a Muslim is unbuckled and freed to soar to a celestial existence wherein His soul resides in peace. For with death a person enters into Allah’s Compassion. For with death Death a person is where he belongs: By Allah.

Upon death does a Muslim not say:

‘Unto Allah do we belong and unto Him do we return’?

Does the Holy Qur’an not inform us that at the time of death, an announcement is made by the angels to a true Muslim:
“O contented soul, Return happily to you Lord who is pleased with you.” (c89, v 27)
Just as the child appreciates his father's gift of education after he becomes an adult, so too, does a Muslim fully fathom the great gift of death after death.

Story:
Once Moulana Thanvi Rahmatullahi alayh whilst walking was jestingly playing with a small child. Suddenly the child said: “Bar-e Abba Allah kare tum mar ja-e. (Grandfather, may Allah Ta’ala make it that you die). Moulana was taken aback and highly disturbed. However, after pondering deeply about the incident, he said to his friends:

“At first I felt offended at the small child’s words. But then I realized that he had given me a valuable Du’a. He had asked Allah to grant me the gift of death so that I may leave this world which is a prison for a Muslim”.

Some time after this incident a certain pious traveller fell asleep in a Masjied. He dreamt that Hadhrat Moulana Thanvi Rahmatullahi Alayh was laughing merrily and heartily. When he woke up, he thought to himself that it is wrong to laugh in such a carefree manner and that this type of laughter was not in the nature of Moulana Thanvi Rahmatullahi alayh. The only explanation for such ecstatic and unbridled joy was that Hadhrat Moulana had passed away. And truly, a few hours thereafter came the news that Moulana had left this temporary world that night.

Out he was of this worldly jail and into the Rahmat of Allah he had, Insha-Allah, entered. The gift from Allah brought laughter and joy to him. Death was the bridge. He led his life as a true loyal friend and he abided by the wishes and commands of his Friend. The time had come for an eager friend to meet his even more eager Companion - Allah.

May Allah grant us all the Taufeeq to accept death as a gift. (Ameen)

Mujlis ul Ulema of South Africa

SAVE THE CHANGES

Nearly everyone in this age of modern technology has at some stage worked with a P.C. We have used it to draft documents, amend these documents, copied and pasted onto documents, used the 'undo' icon, edited documents, just to mention a few of the time saving operations that we find on this device.
After opening a document that we have worked upon previously and made the necessary changes and improvements a little box appears on the screen asking the question: Do you want to save the changes you have made to this document? You are then given the option of selecting the YES tab or the NO tab. Selecting the YES tab will give you the desired results while selecting the NO tab literally takes you back to square one. All the effort made in editing, improving and shaping the document becomes an exercise in futility.

Don't we all find ourselves in a similar predicament when the blessed month of Ramadaan passes us? Just think of your book of deeds like a document on your P.C. During the month of Ramadaan we have done amongst other things the following:
• Increased our ibaadah and acts of charity
• Taken control of our feelings and emotion
• Responded with compassion and sensitivity to the needs of others
• Multiplied our good deeds

At the same time we have spent many hours on the Musallah begging for Allah's forgiveness for our sins, errors and transgressions.
The vital question that needs to be asked is: Do we want to save the changes that we have made in the month of Ramadaan?, Are we going to press the YES tab or the No tab? Pressing the YES tab will leave us with a new, improved version. A version of heightened spirituality, a version of
righteousness, a version that is pleasing to our Creator. Pressing the NO tab will take us back to square one; back to our old habits before Ramadaan, back to the life of sin and immorality, back to a life of heedlessness And back to a life subjecting ourselves to the wraSAVE THE CHANGESth of the Almighty.

How do we improve on this document; the document of our lives, the document of our deeds, the document that we are going to present to Allah the Almighty on the Day of Reckoning.

Here are some hints:

• Copy and Paste from the life of our illustrious master Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

• Use the 'undo' icon by making taubah immediately after any transgression as the Hadith states "The one who repents from sin is like one who has committed no sin at all."

• There may not be a need to do a "spell check" but there is certainly a need to do a "sincerity check" and a "shari'ah check" Are we complying?

• There may be files and folders that we want to keep while there could be some others we would not even want others to know exist. Many of us begged Allah to "delete" our sins and dark deeds .We cried before Allah, shed tears of remorse and vowed not to commit those sins in future. Going back to the sins that we have asked Allah's forgiveness for would be like making a visit to the "recycle bin".

• What about viruses? P.C. users are also very wary about e-mails they receive and the sites that they visit, fearing the admission of a virus that may pollute their system and cause it to malfunction. Why do we then subject our minds and thoughts to immoral sites and dens of vice which would pollute our moral system and cause us to malfunction? What anti-virus software have we installed to ward off the variety of fitnahs that confront us everyday?

Fortunate is the person who has saved the changes. Even more unfortunate is the person who has made no changes as he /she has nothing to save.

25 BEAUTIFUL MUSLIM ONE LINERS

25 BEAUTIFUL MUSLIM ONE LINERS

1. Give Allah what's right, not what's left.

2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end. Allah's way leads to an endless hope.

3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

4. He who kneels before Allah can stand before anyone.

5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma, but never let
him be the full stop.

6. Don't put a question mark where Allah puts a full stop.

7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the mosque for a face lift.

8. When praying, don't give Allah instructions, just report for duty

9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to the mosque.

10. We don't change Allah's message, His message changes us.

11. The mosque is prayer-conditioned.

12. When Allah ordains, He sustains.

13. Warning: Exposure to Allah may prevent burning.

14. Plan ahead It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

15. Most people want to serve Allah, but only in an advisory position.

16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Qur'an.

17. Exercise daily Walk with Allah.

18. Never give the devil a ride He will always want to drive.

19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.

20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

21. He, who angers you, controls you.

22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives are developed.

23. Give Satan an inch and he will be a ruler.

24. Allah doesn't call the qualified He qualifies the called.

25. Read the Qur'an It will show you how simple life can be.

SHOULD WE ALLOW THE SRI LANKAN MALAY LANGUAGE TO BE LOST? By Raju(din) Sally

 SHOULD WE ALLOW THE SRI LANKAN MALAY LANGUAGE TO BE LOST?
By Raju(din) Sally
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has declared the Sri Lankan Malay language to be an endangered language. Should we allow this to happen? It is a fact that in Cape Town, South Africa there is a fair population of Malays, but none of them speak Malay now. It is feared that the same fate may befall the Sri Lankan Malays very soon if we do not act fast and that too in a strict manner!

Let me put this context in Malay thus:

“Marilah kita omong Bahasa Melayu” - (Come let’s talk our Malay language)

“Kalau tidak omong Bahasa” - (If we don’t talk the language)

“Nanti lupa Bahasa” - (We will forget the language)

“Kalau lupa Bahasa” - (If we forget the language)

“Hilanglah Bangsa” - (We will lose our Malay race)

Language is the soul of the race. A community is identified by the language its people speak.
The Sri Lankan Malays are a minority group which is considered to be drifting away from their mother tongue and even in their homes Malay language takes second place - they speak Sinhala, Tamil or English in that order. There is even a marked absence in the use of the Malay language among some Malay organizations (there are about 24 of them active in Sri Lanka). It is a pity even the elders do not endeavour to speak in Malay, perhaps in keeping with the trend of the present-day children who are comfortable in other languages!

If we don’t take serious view of this appalling situation, the elder Malays in Sri Lanka may regret as our fate will be sealed. What is expected of us as parents in Sri Lanka is not to know and teach the Standard Malay to our children at home at an early age, but to make every effort to speak at least the well known Sri Lankan (colloquial) Malay. It must be mentioned here at the same time we should keep our identity by wearing our typical Malay dress at functions arranged by Malay associations, for example the males should attire a batik shirt with a headgear ‘Sonko’ and the females a ‘Baju kurung’ so that while travelling for such functions the other communities will know that we are a different species!

In this direction, I must stress that COSLAM (Conference of Sri Lankan Malays) uses a ‘home’ Office at No.100, 2nd Maligakanda Lane, Maradana with a telephone bearing No. 0112727760to administer its activities for the welfare of the Malays in Sri Lanka. Any one is welcome to joinCOSLAM which is dedicating itself in conducting Hari Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language Day) contests among Muslim children under four (4) age groups, viz 12, 15, 17 and 21, besides an Open event 21 and above, for the ninth year in succession.

A carefully arranged syllabus is prepared and distributed by COSLAM to each category of children and those above 21 years participating in the contests held each year in Kirinda, Hambantota and Bolane (in the district of Hambantota), Kandy, Puttalam, Gampaha and Colombo. Very attractive cash prizes are on offer not only to the winners but also to the 1st runners-up and 2nd runners-up to all categories together with Certificates. Winners will also receive Challenge shields. Wouldn’t we therefore recognize the generosity of COSLAM for its jihad to keep our language alive and in keeping with the maxim “Gratitude is a noble virtue and only noble hearts possess them”?

COSLAM while encouraging the use of proper Malay words, for the purpose of inviting more participants in these contests, allows the use of common borrowed words from Sinhala and Tamil most Malay homes in Sri Lanka are akin to, for example: correct Malay word for cemetery is either “per kuburan” or “kuburan” while “maiyet pittani(T)” is permitted. Another example: “anting butang” is the correct Malay word for ear stud, while “krabu (S)” is allowed.

Saudaras and Saudaris! - so don’t have any qualms - these contests are designed for you to make you learn and speak the Malay language on a daily basis, okay? Be proud to be a Malay by not allowing to lose the language and thereby eventually lose our race too. May Allah grant you this lofty ideal of Malayness, insha Allah!

A prize-giving is held in Colombo at the conclusion of the contests to coincide with an epoc-making event – that of honouring the memory of a National Hero Dr T.B.Jayah who made a signal contribution to Sri Lanka as an educationist and contributed to the independence struggle of Sri Lanka in no small measure, as a statesman and diplomat. It may also be pertinent for me to remind you that by having “Iman” in following our religion of Islam, we will no doubt be blessed by Allah in all our endeavours, insha Allah - Ameen!

REMEMBERING MOTHER ON HER 100TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY

27th August 2016 marks the centenary birth anniversary of my beloved mother Gnei Fareena Meedin (nee Jayah). She was the fourth among seven children born to Tuan Arifeen Jayah and Gnei Sulaiya Packeer. Her other siblings were Zahira Ahamat, Rasheed Jayah, Raheela Bongso, Hisham Jayah, Murad Jayah and Chintaree Azoor.

According to Arifeen Jayah's diary Fareena was born on Sunday 27th August 1916 at 0.30am at Saunders Court in Slave Island (Kartel). She had her primary education at the Bilingual Girls School in Slave Island and like her elder sisters was soon confined to her home, a practice prevalent by devout Muslim parents in that era.

In 1949 mother was given in marriage to Hameem Meedin, a returnee from the North African theatre of War (WW2) after serving the Royal Ordnance under the Allied Forces only to begin his new career as Stenographer at Walker and Greig in Darley Road.

After being blessed with a daughter in 1950 the Meedin couple moved from 18 Fountain House Lane, Maradana to 35 Vauxhall Lane, Slave Island Their second child, a son was born six years later.

When they found the hustle and bustle of city life too much to bear, in 1973 they chose to move far from the madding crowd to a retreat of sorts, a 35 perch plot at Akbar Town with fruit trees and abutting paddy fields . Hameem Meedin, a religiously inclined Malay, ensured that the Malay Muslim environment from Slave Island (Kartel) to Akbar Town should remain throughout.They always desired to live in close proximity to a masjeed and a burial ground.

Their married life together lasted 47 glorious years during which time they had the fortune in having witnessed the 2 children being educated at Colombo's best schools, saw them happily married and celebrated the births of 4 grand children.

Fareena Meedin continued to live a perfectly healthy life except for a cataract operation she had to undergo.She never complained of any aches or pains usually associated with old age but lived a nonagenarian leading a normal life partaking all the gastronomical inventions she had inherited from her mother and imparted the skills to her next generation to perpetuate the fine art of Melayu cusine.

Till her death she never procrastinated her Salat and always observed the full month of Ramadhan without missing a single day of fasting. She recited the Quran at a marathon speed and always had enough 'katams' to donate to other's 'rateebs' a deed she relished.

Among the seven siblings in the Arifeen Jayah family she established many records. She outlived all others to the ripe age of 97 years. She lived to witness the weddings of 2 grand children. She was the only great grand mother to witness the births of 2 great grand children.She had the honour of having her grandson to be the only Hafiz of the Koran in an entire generation.

As all beings shall taste death, Allah Almighty decided that she should leave us to join the 'saliheens' in Jannah when He sent Malak- al -Maut to her death bed in hospital on the morn of 29th December 2013. Her Janaza took place at Akbar Town Burial Grounds the next day.

May Allah Rabbul izzeth through His grace reward mother for all her good actions, through His mercy forgive my mother from all her shortcomings and bless her with Jannathul Firduose. Ameen!

SRI LANKA MALAYS & THE FIGHT FOR MINORITY STATUS

The turbulent history of Sri Lanka’s tiny Malay community has been brought to the fore by the recent visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues to the island nation.
The UN Special Rapporteur Rita Izsak-Ndiaye arrived in Sri Lanka last Monday to examine the status of minorities in light of the aftermath of its bloody decades-long civil war.
She held her first meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samarweera and will advise on, monitor and report on rights for ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.
Rita then met Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen, the Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province to discuss the state of the Sri Lankan Malay minority groups in Sri Lanka.
According to BBC Tamil, Rita presented the request of Sri Lankan Malaysians to award them separate minority status in the Sri Lankan constitution.
Rita will present her full report of her findings to the U.N. Human Rights Council in March 2017.

Who are Sri Lankan Malays:
In the past population of Sri Lankan Tamils and Sri Lankan Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Malays constitute less than 0.20% (40,000 as of 2011).
The Sri Lankan Malays have a complex history of migration from the time of the Cholas in the 11th century and enforced by colonization in later centuries. Today, the Sri Lankan Malays in Sri Lanka have a distinct culture.
The Malays of Sri Lanka, are called as Javanese in Sinhalese, owing to their early origins in Java in present-day Indonesia. The ancestors of the present day Malay community arrived in Sri Lanka mostly during the colonial rule of the Dutch over present-day Sri Lanka and south-east Asia between 1796 and 1948.
The term “Malay” in the Sri Lankan context, actually refers to a large group of people whose origins lie not just in the Malayan peninsula, but also in the many islands of the Indonesian archipelago such as the Balinese, Tidorese, Madurese, Sundanese, Bandanese and Amboinese.

History:
The origins of this movement of people began as early as the 13th century. A Malay ruler named Chandrabahanu invaded the north of the Sri Lanka (present-day Jaffna) to retrieve a relic of Lord Buddha revered by the Sinhalese rulers.
The Malay community was known for its military prowess and in later years, served in the regular army of the Dutch led by the princely class of Malay/Javanese families.
Indonesian political exiles comprised a significant portion of the early Malay population brought to Sri Lanka by the Dutch.
After 1850, by which time the British were the dominant colonial power in Sri Lanka, there were no more battles to fight, and Malays gradually began to shun military service for a variety of reasons.
A few non-Malay Companies of Indian Sepoys and African origin people were attached to the Malay battalion.
Malays were also no longer engaged in combat duties, and instead performed guard duty.
During this time, plantations of crops such as coffee, tea, cocoa and rubber for export offered lucrative opportunity.
Tamils from Tamil Nadu flocked in as estate labourers, and Malays availed themselves of supervisory roles in the hill country estates and office jobs in the European agency houses.
Staunch defenders of Malay Culture in Sri Lanka:
Many attempts have been made to revive the local Malay language and culture by organizations such as the Sri Lanka Malay Confederation, an umbrella organization of the local Malay community.
In Sri Lanka, Malays have retained certain aspects of their culture, and have strongly protected it, examples being the honorific Tuan which precedes the names of Malay males, their family names, social customs and culinary habits.
The Malays of Sri Lanka have a concise but clear request: to be heard. Sri Lankan Malays have lived for more than 300 years first as exiles, then as settlers and now as citizens of Sri Lanka. They live side by side with communities belonging to Moor, Tamil, Sinhala and Burghers as well.

An organization batting for the Malay cause was the Conference of Sri Lankan Malays (COSLAM) led by T. K. Azoor. His actions urged the Sri Lankan Government to make constitutional provisions to elect or appoint a Malay to Parliament as well as each to the Provincial Councils and its Successors of the Western, Central and Southern Provinces.
The Malay community are deprived of their legitimate rights: right to employment, right to abode and right to free education as equal as to other communities of Sri Lanka. Malays who were once employed in the armed forces have been displaced.
While several housing projects were launched to provide houses for the homeless, the Malays were left out.
Language is a significant barrier too, as Malays had no other choice but to choose either Tamil or Sinhala as their medium of instruction in schools since the English stream education was abolished in 1962.
Religious identity is another assertion. They are Muslim by religion but not by ethnicity. They are however classified as Muslims and not Malays. Not all the Malays were Muslims nor they were always Muslims in the past.

THE MEANING OF TRUE HAPPINESS…

THE MEANING OF TRUE HAPPINESS…

All praises are due unto Allah alone. Durood and Salaams be upon Sayedina Muhammed Sallallahu alayhi wasallam. People die out of grief in their quest to obtain happiness. Many perceive happiness to be mansions, sports cars, holidays, power and fame. If not whilst living, then most certainly at the time of death they discover that their perceptions were illusions. Like a shadow, we all know that happiness and success exist. So how do we catch a shadow? Simple: Catch the object!
Hearts are in Allah Ta`ala’s Hands!

The object is the heart and the seat of happiness is the heart. A person can have less but if his heart is happy, he has plenty. On the other hand, a person who has plenty but whose heart is angry and unhappy, he is a poor person. Nabi Sallallahu alayhi wasallam made Du’a: “O Allah, verily our hearts are in Your Hands…” “O Allah, grant barkat in our hearts…”
Since our hearts are in the Hands of Allah, it is logical that if we please Him, he will infuse in our hearts happiness and contentment. Understanding ourselves — The nafs versus the rooh…

Men is very easily influenced by what he sees and what he hears. Good news makes his heart jump with joy, bad news depresses him. Just as clay accepts impressions easily, so too does the heart of men. After all, has Allah, Most High not created men from clay?

There is a constant clash between our Nafs and our Rooh. This is where the greatest clash of civilisation takes place. The Nafs is inclined to Shaytaan and evil, the Rooh towards Allah and virtue. The Nafs loves negligence in Allah’s affairs, the Rooh thrives on the remembrance of Allah, Most High. The Nafs adores itself, the Rooh has no time for such nonsense — it’s too busy contemplating
the Greatness of Allah, Most High. The Nafs blooms with deception and hypocrisy, the Rooh blossoms with Ikhlaas (sincerity). The Nafs loves haste, the Rooh loves contemplation. The Nafs prospers with false excuses and self-pity to cover its shortcomings, the Rooh flourishes with humility and is strengthened with Taubah.

The problem
Once, a group of travellers stopped over for the night at an inn. The horses and donkeys were being attended to by the staff of the inn. The workers took one of the donkeys and decided to sell it and throw a party. They invited all the travellers. Much merrymaking took place. At the end of the party, all the workers started dancing and singing “The donkey is sold, the donkey is sold.” The travellers, including the owner of the donkey, clapping hands jovially joined in.

Came the morning, one traveller found himself without his donkey. On inquiring where it was, the workers told him that it was sold and that the proceeds went towards the party. Did he himself not merrily join in all the eating, dancing and singing? Not only did the poor traveller lose his donkey, he actually partook in the celebrations!

One of the major reasons why our Imaan is stagnating is the problem of following crowds and majorities. The consequences of our actions we ignore. If someone sings “gender equality, gender equality, gender equality”, we join in. If someone sings “it’s Islam, it’s Islam, it’s Islam”, we join in.

Whether it is in accordance to the Shariah or not — we do not think! Whether it pleases Allah and His Nabi Salallahu alayhi wasallam or not — we do not reflect! Though we know that Allah alone is worthy of being pleased, we prefer the pleasure of the creation.

Are we under the impression that Allah does not watch ...or that He does not care...or that He does not mind when He is disobeyed? Or are we under the impression that Allah does not reward...that He does not appreciate sacrifices...that He does not get happy with obedience?

The consequences
Happiness does not mean that one will not get sick or have no problems or experience no difficulties. Happiness means that we will find Allah at our side, “holding” our hands and guiding us gradually towards solutions. This special Ta-alluq (relationship) with Allah is what true happiness is all about. Most certainly, Allah Ta’ala does get happy just as He does get angry. If we remember Allah Ta’ala, He has Promised to remember us. The more we remember Him, the more He remembers us. The more obedient we are, the greater He cares for us. This remembrance and obedience is the root of happiness. Thus, we displease Allah at our own peril. If He is displeased, can wealth exonerate us from divine displeasure and buy us happiness?