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Welcome to the editorial of this special edition of At-Taqwa

Newsletter which comes to you from the beloved city of the

Prophet s, Al Madeenah Al Munawwarah, written in the

most virtuous month, Ramadhaan, whilst seated in the most

virtuous of places, the Rawdhah, Regarding which the

Prophet s has stated,

“Between my house and my mimbar lies one of the gardens (Rawdhah)

of Paradise.” (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim)

I put pen to paper beseeching Allah S to guide me with

words which becomes a means of Khayr (goodness) in this

world as well as the next. Ameen.

Today is the 2nd of Ramadhan 1432 AH corresponding to the

2nd of August 2011. In front of me I see the blessed Mihraab

(Pulpit) of the Prophet s as I sit behind the Muadhin‟s

platform. My fellow Muslim brothers are immersed in the

recitation of the Qur‟aan, whilst others sit reflecting. The

preparation for iftaar is underway. How fortunate are those

who are blessed with the iftaar of the Muslims in the

Rawdhah. (May Allah S accept their good deeds) Aameen

My mind tries to rewind to the history of 1400 years of the

Prophet s‟s Masjid. How many souls have visited the

Prophet s‟s Masjid, invoking salutations on the Prophet s

and conveying Salaam upon his noble Companions, Abu

Bakr t and Umar t? How many are present at this moment

in time conveying Salaat and Salaam? How many are there to

come until the day of Qiyaamah? May Allah S accept the

presence of the believers. Ameen

The message I want to convey through this editorial is the

global message of the Prophet s on brotherhood. Whilst

sitting in the Rawdhah I see hundreds of faces from

hundreds of lands, varied in language and culture. Witnessing

this unification of the Muslims most definitely touches the

heart, each one united with the statement of Shahaadah. This

unification of the Muslims only came through the tireless

efforts of the Prophet s which unified the Muslims,

regardless of creed, colour, language, country etc.

I pause for a few seconds to glance at the expressions on the faces of the

fasting believers whose faces shine with the effects of worship,

Alhamdulillah.

We find in the Qur‟aan and Ahaadeeth of the Prophet s the

benefits of unity between the Ummah and the harms in

disunity. The Prophet s averted every situation which

brought conflict and discord in the Ummah.

The Prophet s toiled to eradicate the disease of disunity

from the Ummah warning them not to return to this sorry

state.

An incident which my beloved Shaykh and teacher,

Mahboobul „Ulamaa wal Mashaaikh, Shaykh Muhammad

Saleem Dhorat daamat barakaatuhum quotes in regard to unity

comes to mind. When Shaykh ul Hind, Hadhrat Mawlana

Mahmoodul Hassan w returned from imprisonment back to

India he exclaimed, „I have thought hard and long upon the

sorry state of the Muslims. I have come to the conclusion

that due to two vital elements not being present in the

Muslims in the manner they should be, we find ourselves in

the dilemma we are in:

1) Association to the Qur’aan

2) Unity in the Ummah

We should be aware that unifiying the Ummah will only

come through holding fast to the rope of Allah S which is

none other than the Qur‟aan. Allah S states,

„Hold fast, all of you, to the cord of Allah, and be not divided.‟ (3:103)

A very important point that needs to be kept in mind is that

in order to bring about unity we will have to exercise equality.

Unity and equality go hand in hand, so in order for unity to

flourish one will have to deal with all situations in an equal

manner.

Today we live in a society which hurls the slogans of equality.

How sincere we really are in this matter remains arguable. We

need to keep the famous saying in mind: “Where there is a

will, there is a way.” A sincere will is what is needed as was

shown practically by our most beloved Messenger,

Muhammad s. Equality was not just on the tongue of our

beloved Prophet s; he was a physical embodiment of

equality. One just needs to read the books of seerah to see

how equality was displayed by this great Messenger s.

Another issue which I would like to turn the hearts and

minds of the Muslim youth towards is the serious issue of

gang culture. This issue has become so detrimental that it has

started to eat away at the Muslim youth, just like cancer. It no

longer remains an issue of being from a different country,

origin or background; we now see Muslim youth from the

same ethnicity ready to attack and cause trouble just on the

basis of being from a different area. I sincerely pray to Allah

S to guide us.

Editorial

Continued on Page 3

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In Shaykh’s In Shaykh’s In Shaykh’s

CompanyCompanyCompany

A supplication when a strong wind blows taught to us by the Prophet s:

ها و ما فيها و شر ما أرسلت بهشر اللهم إني أسألك خيرها و خير ما فيها و خير ما أرسلت به و أعىذ بك من شر )المسلم(

„O Allah, I ask you of the goodness of this wind, and the goodness it contains, and the goodness with which it has been sent,

and I seek Your refuge from its harm and the harm that it contains, and the harm with which it has been sent.‟ (Muslim)

One may also benefit from the lectures and teachings

of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullah

from the following websites:

www.idauk.org

www.at-tazkiyah.com

www.liwajhillah.co.uk

At-Taqwa Academy is sad to announce the demise of

Honourable Brother Nasrullah Khan Pathan who

passed away peacefully after a long bout of illness on

the 5th of September 2011 aged 75.

انا هلل وانا اليه رجعون

Honourable Brother Nasrullah Khan Pathan was an

instrumental figure serving the community until his

illness overtook his health, he will be greatly missed by

all that knew him.

His funeral prayer was led in his home town of

Nuneaton by a much loved and trusted friend, the

founder of the Islamic Dawah Academy, Leicester,

Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullah.

Honourable Brother Nasrullah Khan Pathan leaves

behind his widow, two sons and a daughter. At-Taqwa

Academy shares with many others the grief and loss

being experienced by the family members of the

deceased, we ask Allah S to grant us patience at these

difficult moments, Ameen.

May Allah S accept all of Honourable Brother

Nasrullah Khan Pathan‟s endeavours and make them a

means of his salvation in the hereafter, Ameen.

The Blessing of Youth: “Those youth are very lucky, who live in our time wherein one is invited to sin at all times from all four sides, but despite this they safeguard their purity and chastity. Those young men, those young women, how blessed are they, how worthy of praise are they and how worthy are they of envy who have, despite living in such a challenging era, in an age which is full of the worship of desires, still managed to safeguard their honour and chastity.

We need to value our youth, look after it, and spend it in

pleasing Allah S. This strength, this activeness, this sharpness of intellect, this intelligence, use all of it in opposing Shaytaan

and in pleasing Allah S. Spend it all in pleasing Allah S. Sacrifice your youth for the one who has given you this youth. Don‟t sacrifice your youth upon lusts and desires, upon sin, upon

doing those actions that displease Allah S. Sacrifice your youth for that One who has blessed you with this blessing of youth.”

Resisting the Irresistible: “Many (young) people say that some things are (just so) irresistible. But remember to resist you need to use your courage. For it is only through courage (and willpower) that the irresistible can be resisted.”

For more inspiring words of our respected Shaykh visit:

www.shaykh.org

Shaykh.org is a blog maintained by the students of Shaykh

Mohammad Saleem Dhorat (may Allah S preserve him). It

aspires to meticulously record the eminent Shaykh’s

teachings, discourses, and advices in the light of the Shari’ah.

A Great Loss

We need to remember that if we are culprits in regards

to the matter of gang culture then we are openly

announcing betrayal and violation of the effort and

struggle of the Prophet sin unifying the Muslim

Ummah. We need to contemplate on what a serious

crime this is against Allah S, His Messenger s and the

entire Muslim Ummah.

May Allah Sunite the Ummah of the Prophet s.

Ameen

Continued from Page 2

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“How we live is how we die.....” Obituary of Hadhrat Mawlana Yunus Patel x

The sound of his words “Allah! Allah!” still vibrates not only within the four walls of Masjid An Nur in Asherville, Durban, but in the crannies of thousands of Muslim homes. His ardent plea of “O My Beloved Allah! O My Most Merciful!” continues to be etched in the hearts of thousands, laymen and scholars, young and old, from the East and the West, all alike. This blessed soul who captivated the hearts of many who were favoured with a glimpse at his illuminated face, or had an eavesdrop on his charismatic voice was laid to rest in the soil of the most blessed land on earth after Fajr Salaah on Wednesday, 13 July 2011. The skies above the Noble Ka'bah witnessed a spiritual entourage, very seldom seen, moving in Tawaaf around

the House of Allah S shortly before Maghrib Salaah on Tuesday, 12 July 2011. A short while after Salaah this trail settled down in one area of the Mataaf, benefiting from his pearls of wisdom. Mawlana then began experiencing chest pains, and subsequently his soul

tranquilly departed into the mercy of Allah S. Innaa lillahi wa inna ilayhi raaji'uun

Mawlana Yunus Patel x was born in about 1945 in the KwaZulu-Natal town of Stanger. As a young boy, a personality which left a lasting impression upon his heart and served as an inspirational role model for him was

Haji Bhai Padi x. As Mawlana himself narrated: “One day in 1962, when Haji Bhai just began his efforts of Tabligh, an announcement was written on the notice board in Grey Street Masjid that Haji Gulam Muhammad Padia will be delivering a lecture. After completion of the lecture, Haji Bhai called for help but nobody stood up. So Haji Bhai's father-in-law volunteered, together with me (a 17 year old young boy at the time) and another elderly man. On another occasion, I decided to accompany Haji Bhai to sleep in the Umzinto Masjid as he was going to be sleeping alone in the Masjid. For hours that night,

Haji Bhai kept busy in Tahajjud crying before Allah S. We travelled from Durban to Escourt, then to Ladysmith and further on to Johannesburg. At every town, Haji Bhai implored the people regarding the importance of Deen. However nobody was interested to assist. Throughout the journey, it was Haji Bhai's crying of two hours every night that never stopped.”

In the early 1960s Mawlana Yunus x was one from among the early group of youth who travelled to Darul Uloom Deoband, India, to pursue the studies of Deen. Together with being a student par excellence, he was the confidante of many of his illustrious teachers and served them diligently at home and on travel. Upon his return, he served the community of Mooiriver as an Imam and teacher. He was motivated to go there by the fact that at the time there was not a single Aalim serving the Muslim communities between Pietermaritzburg and Newcastle. Even though people in the Transvaal offered him a much higher salary together with house, lights and water, the need of Deen took him to the icy cold town of Mooiriver where he accepted meagre pay and had to live in a tin shanty home. For him the need of Deen was greater. After four years or so, he moved back to Durban and was instrumental in establishing the first offices of the Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) upon the insistence of Mawlana

Ansari x. For many years thereafter, Mawlana Yunus x served the Ummah under the auspices of the organisation and subsequently was the secretary general and later the president of the Jamiatul Ulama (KZN). During the famous Qadiani Dispute in Cape Town

during the early 1980s, Mawlana Yunus x was part of the team of expert 'Ulama who prepared the required expert evidence in the court case to defend the honour

of Rasulullah s and the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah. At a time when general indifference towards Deen prevailed and signs of Deen were noticeably rare in the South African society, Mawlana established a girls‟ Madrasah in 1982 in Asherville, Durban. Students, who initially had very little inclination towards Deen, would be motivated with his perseverance and dedication to change their lives within a short space of time.

In recent years, Mawlana Yunus x became deeply concerned about the unity and wellbeing of the 'Ulama.

“Strange is the VISA of life...It can be cancelled at anytime. The duration of its validity unknown, and its extension too is impossible.”

Hadhrat Mawlana Yunus Patel x

Continued on Page 7

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Indeed the society we live in has advanced. We see this

particularly in those who fall between fifteen and twenty

years of age, and even younger. What was just the

exception of a few has now become the norm. What was

not expected fifteen to twenty years ago is now

predominant and prevailing among the youngsters.

A person naturally falls and gets caught up in this

advanced society whether it is of benefit or not. A

person gets involved in drugs simply because of social

pressure. One needs to think about the very objective of

why he has come into this world. Allāh S says in the

Glorious Qur‟ān:

“And I (Allāh S) did not create the jinn and mankind except

that they should worship me.” (51:56)

DRUG ABUSE - STRAIGHT FACTS

Looking into information and facts on drugs gives us an

idea to what a person is dealing with when it comes to

drugs.

What Is A Drug?

A drug is a substance other than food, derived from

natural and synthetic sources which bring changes in the

functioning of the body and/or the mind.

Drugs, both legal and illegal, come from many sources;

from those manufactured in laboratories or grown wild.

They are obtainable from a doctor, chemist or pusher (a

dealer).

What Is Drug Abuse?

Drug abuse can be understood as the consumption of a

substance:

1) Without medical supervision of medically useful drugs

which change mood and behaviour.

2) For a purpose other than that for which it is

prescribed.

3) Which has mind-changing properties, and has no

legitimate medical or socially acceptable use.

4) Which is socially acceptable but can be used contrary

to the accepted norms and values of the community.

Addiction

This term implies that an overwhelming drug

dependency has developed which has serious detrimental

effects on the functioning of the individual and on

society.

Why Do People Take Drugs?

Social pressure

The impression is created that the media tend to glorify

some drugs. Musicians, actors and sportsmen who are

known to use drugs may contribute. We live in a „pill-

popping‟ climate where children grow up thinking there

is a „pill for every problem.‟

Group pressure

It makes you feel part of the group to partake in any

form of drug taking. Passing the Dagga cigarette in a

group, for instance, is especially a group activity.

(Magalisburg Health Centre, South Africa)

Company

Getting caught up in the wrong things usually stems

from the kind of companionship a person has, especially

the youngsters. Thereafter, it only takes a few ideas to

come together to think about these things especially in

this era. Drugs will definitely be in the conversations and

one cannot escape it. It is the talk of the streets. During

the day you will definitely find a dealer at a corner of a

road.

For our youngsters there are few options, they can either

stay with good company and in good places. Otherwise

they will fall prey to the street life. However, with

regards to drugs a person has no choice but to stop it

altogether and this can be done. It is important that a

person should choose his friends with much care.

Moreover, choose those who will benefit and be of good

companionship. All sorts of pressure will disappear.

Rasūlullāh s says:

“A person is upon the religion of his friend, so he should beware

whom he befriends”. (At Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd)

Drugs -

Now or

Never By: Mawlana Fadhlul Islam

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Everything that Allāh S has made in this world is precious

and valuable. The more precious things are, the more they are

kept protected, i.e. priceless diamonds are found deep under

the ground, protected and covered with layers of rock.

Elegant pearls are found deep in the ocean, encased and

protected in an oyster shell. Allāh S has blessed us with a vast

array of unique and delicious fruits and given each fruit a

beautiful peel which protects its tender and delicate inner fruit

from germs, contamination and impurities.

However, one of the most precious and valuable treasures to

Allāh S is the beauty of a Muslim woman. That is why Allāh

S has bestowed upon a woman the invaluable gift of hijāb,

which protects and safeguards her honour, safety and dignity.

What is Hijāb?

The literal meaning of hijāb is to screen, conceal, or partition.

In Islamic terminology, the word hijāb means to cover,

conceal or hide oneself from the view of a non- mahram male

(a man with whom marriage is permitted).

Hijāb - a commandment in the Qur’ān and Aḥādīth

Evidence 1

In Surah Al-Aḥzāb, Allāh S says:

“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters, and the believing

women that they should cast their outer garment over them.” (33:59)

In this verse, the Arabic word „Jilbāb‟ has been used. „Abdullāh

Ibn Abbās t says:

“They should cover their faces, including their head with the

Jilbāb, and they should reveal one eye.” (Ma‟aariful Qur‟ān)

The wisdom behind covering only one eye is to ensure that

the road and pathway is able to be seen with the other eye.

It is stated through various authentic ahādīth that the women

in the early days of Islam, including the wives of the Prophet

s, practised hijāb as soon as the verse was revealed. They

believed the Glorious Qur‟ān to be a source of guidance for

the whole of mankind, a guidance that should not be ignored

by any means.

Evidence 2

In Sūrah An- Nūr, Allāh S says:

“And say to the believing women that they must lower their gazes and

guard their private parts, and must not expose their adornment, except

that which appears thereof, and that they should draw their veils over the

bosom.” (24:31)

In this verse, the Arabic word „Khumur‟ has been used to

indicate veils. It is actually used to describe a cloth which

women used to cover their faces and their heads with. When

it is compulsory for a woman to cover her chest, then it is also

compulsory to cover her face. In fact, it would be compulsory

to a greater extent. The reason being is that the face is the

centre of beauty and temptation.

The above evidence represents the commandments of „true

hijāb‟. There are many more verses and aḥadīth that clarify

hijāb is an obligation commanded by Allāh S upon every

single Muslim woman.

Regrettably today, the Muslim woman is influenced by

fashion, custom and trends. We have fallen into the deception

of Shaytān, we have altered the concept of „true hijāb‟.

Unfortunately, many of us believe that we have reached the

height of piety by merely covering up with our so called hijāb

of various colours, adorned and beautified with sparkling and

intricate embellishments, achieving nothing but unrequired

attraction from the opposite gender. In addition, the use of

figure hugging cloth for hijāb, makeup and overwhelming

scents and fragrances, surely results in attracting the attention

of men.

Let us attract Allāh S’s love and not His wrath and anger, let

us not be deceived by the ways of Shaytān and nafs. We claim

to love Allāh S and His Messenger s, yet contrary to

Sharī„ah, we follow growing trends and fashion, dressing in a

manner which displeases Allah S and His beloved Prophet

s. Let us take heed from the words of the Prophet s:

“Those women who appear naked even though they are wearing clothes,

who allure and are allured by others………will never enter paradise, or

even smell its fragrance and the scent of paradise can be perceived from a

very great distance.” (Al Bukhārī, Muslim)

Hijᾶ b - A

precious gem

to be

safeguarded By: Umme Muhammad

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He constantly strove to harmonise relations between them at junctures when situations were adversarial. His emphasis was to focus on the broader picture and greater benefit for the Ummah. In his words: “The need of the time is that we can maintain our different opinions, but if someone has been instrumental in the service of Deen we can differ with him with respect and dignity. On other issues however, we should work together.”

Mawlana Yunus x was honoured with the mantle of Khilafah from two great luminaries, Mufti

Mahmoodul Hasan Gangohi x and later on Mawlana Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb daamat barakaatuhum. Over the many years, thousands around the globe drank from his fountain of wisdom, piety and knowledge. Scores of people are known to have changed their lives just by sitting in one of his gatherings. His humility, generosity, concern for the well-being of the young and old, coupled with his burning love

of Allah S and his Rasool s were remarkable traits all embodied in one personality.

Continued from Page 4

At times, when someone we love praises someone else, it creates a feeling of jealousy and envy. But imagine loving someone so much that you love and respect those whom they love and respect, even if it be over and above you.

The following conversation between Abu Bakr t and Ali t is an example of that.

It is recorded in Sunan ad-Daarimi, upon the authority of

Abu Hurayrah t that both Abu Bakr t and Ali t arrived

at the door of Prophet Muhammad s and Abu Bakr t said,

“O Ali, you go first.”

Ali t replied, “Please you go before me.” Ali t then said, “I will never go in front of a man of whom the Messenger said the sun never rises or sets on any better man than Abu Bakr.”

Abu Bakr t replied, “How can I go before whom the

Messenger said the best woman (Fatimah t) was given to the best man.”

Ali t then said, “I will never enter before a person whom the Messenger said on the day of judgement a call will come

from Almighty Allah S saying “O Abu Bakr! You and the ones that love you enter Jannah!”

Abu Bakr t replied, “I will never go before you because you will come rising on the day of judgement and it will be said that “He was a good man, a good brother and a good father.”

So Ali t then said, “I will never go before you when the

Prophet s said, „If the Imaan of Abu Bakr was placed on one side of the scale and the Imaan of the Ummah on the other the Imaan of Abu Bakr would outweigh it.”

Abu Bakr t replied, “I cannot go before the one who the

Prophet s said on the day of judgement “Ali will come with

his wife Fatimah and their two children riding on a camel and the people will ask “Who is this O Prophet?” and the reply will be given, “This is the one whom Allah loves.”

Ali t then replied that the Messenger s said, “Allah said, “The one who brought Siddeeq was Rasoolullah and the Siddeeq is the one that follows.”

Jibreel u was then instructed to go to Muhammad s and

say, “Allah S sends His salaam and all the angels are

listening to the conversation between Abu Bakr t and Ali

t go out and be the third one to resolve it! Allah S sends his special blessings and has built a fence of Imaan and adab between them.” (Meaning they are the people of adab)

The Prophet s then came out and kissed both of them and said, “By the one in whose hand lays my soul – if the sea was ink and the trees pens and the creations of the heavens and the earth were writing they would never be able to write about your virtues nor describe your words.”

An Amazing Conversation

Between Two

Companions y

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