Holidays
Volume: 17 Issue: 3

Holidays

Once again we have come to the end of the academic year and everyone is awaiting the holidays. Children and parents look forward for these holidays to have a break from the busy lifestyles. People all over the world plan out their holidays long in advance and wait to have a break from their daily routine.

Whilst it is permitted in Islam to relax the mind and body, a Muslim shouldn’t become infatuated and consumed by holidays. Some people live for the holidays. They work the whole year just to have a holiday at the end of the year. For a Muslim, we understand that this temporary life is only a test. We live for the hereafter. Our real holiday will be when we will enter into Jannah, Insha Allah.

When the holiday period comes, shaytaan and his agents work very hard to mislead the Muslims and take them away from Allah Ta’ala. Be very careful during this period not to fall into the trap of shaytaan and become unmindful of Allah Ta’ala.

The following are some important aspects to keep in mind during the holiday period:

  1. A Muslims identity: During the holiday period, many people remove their Islamic clothing and copy the dressing of the disbelievers. Ensure that we are all dressed like Muslims. Girls should wear loose clothing and keep their heads covered and boys must keep their pants above their ankles with their topees on their heads. Don’t feel shy to be a Muslim and dress like a Muslim. Remember that you are the Ummati of Nabi Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Don’t let our Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) down.
  2. Be punctual with salaah: Don’t miss out your salaah. We generally become lazy and end up missing many salaah, especially Fajr. A Muslim must never miss out even one salaah.
  3. Immodest and Shameless Behaviour: Shamelessness and immodesty during the December period is the order of the day. People dress immodestly and parade the beaches and shopping malls. Try your best to avoid such places as the curse of Allah Ta’ala descends on such places. If you have to be in a public place, guard yourself from anything wrong. Always keep your gaze lowered.
  4. Be alert and conscious about eating Halaal: There are many restaurants nowadays that claim to be halaal. Don’t be fooled by some Arabic sign you see on the outside of a restaurant. Be sure of the halaal status of what you eat.

Music and Dancing

It’s that time of the year again when schools all over the country are planning out proms, deb’s balls, dances and concerts. The Non-Muslims will try their best to get our Muslim children to also participate in these functions and rob them of their Imaan, but we have to be very careful especially during this time of the year. Protect your Imaan and stay far away from these evil places.

Allah Ta’ala has made music and dancing haraam for us. A Muslim must never listen to music. Shaytaan tries his best to play music everywhere so that we feel attracted to listening to this evil. Today, music is heard everywhere, in shops, malls, games, ringtones and even in most toys. Even our masjids are not safe from the evil of music. This is shaytaan’s evil plan to make music so common that we do not even consider it a sin anymore. (May Allah Ta’ala protect us all)

Allah Ta’ala loves us so much that we can’t even imagine His love for us. It is because of this intense love that He stops us from things that are harmful for us. Expert doctors say that the brain and the entire body get affected with music. A person who listens to music can’t think and understand properly because of the manner in which music corrupts his brains. When we listen to music we instantly move our heads and shake our bodies to the beat of the music as this is the poison of shaytaan. Thereafter music entices him /her to engage in all kinds of sins and haraam.

Music and dancing displeases Allah Ta’ala and a Muslim must never displease Allah Ta’ala. If by chance or by mistake we have listened to music, we must immediately make Istighfaar and ask for Allah Ta’ala’s forgiveness.

One Sahaabi used to block his ears whenever he heard any music and used to say that, “I saw Nabi H doing the same.” If we are going in a taxi or we are in a shopping center and we have to suddenly hear some music, we should do the same and immediately block our ears so that the evil sound does not enter our ears. It is mentioned in a Hadeeth that a person who listens to music will be punished severely on the day of Qiyaamah. Hot boiling lead will be poured into his / her ears. May Allah Ta’ala forgive us and protect us all.

Many schools have music classes. As Muslims we must never attend such classes. No teacher can force you to do so. Put your foot down and say that our religion does not allow us to attend. Ask your Moulana or Aapa to write a letter to your teacher requesting not to attend these classes. If you see any Muslim attending these classes, then discourage them in a nice way from attending. Allah Ta’ala will reward you tremendously for this.

Even at home, try your best to discourage people from listening to music. Many people set musical ring tones on their phones. We should never put a musical ring tone on our phones. Advise our parents, brothers and sisters not to use haraam musical ring tones on their phones.

Music and dancing brings a person close to shaytaan and Jahannam and takes him far away from Allah Ta’ala and Jannah. May Allah Ta’ala grant us the strength to stay away from music and give us the ability to stop others from listening to this evil.

Can we be of any help to the Muslims in difficulty?

Muslims in many parts of the world are going through very difficult times. Some have no food to eat and some have no home to live in. Can we help them in any way?

The simple and most effective way of helping our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world is through Dua to Allah Ta’ala. Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) has said, “Dua is a weapon for a believer.” Make a proper wudhu. Then perform two rakaats of nafl Salaah. After Salaah, raise your hands and make sincere Dua to Allah Ta’ala to remove the suffering of all Muslims. This will surely attract the Mercy of Allah Ta’ala. All conditions, whether good or bad, is from Allah Ta’ala. Through constant Dua, Allah Ta’ala can change bad conditions to good conditions instantly.

Also express our Shukr (thanks) to Allah Ta’ala for not testing us with such conditions and beg Him to save us from such situations in the future.

Parents Column

Fidget Spinner

In the past, if a child got sick we took him to a doctor. The doctor gave him some small tablets and with the command of Allah Ta’ala, the child got better. Today we give the child a “BIG” tablet when he is well and this tablet makes the child sick. His heart, his soul and his Imaan get sick with this Tablet. Our children are being programmed and controlled by the screen.

In the past, the mother would shout the child, “Stop Fidgeting!” but today we have made the child into a “Fidget Spinner”.

A Muslim has intelligence. He does not just grab what the world has to offer. Technology today has gripped us in a modern form of slavery. It has left us with no time, no freedom and no family life.

An amusing cartoon or an entertaining video game or a pastime novel, all have hidden messages between the lines and scenes, which settle into the heart and minds of our innocent children. This then replays in our lives.

The cell phone has made itself part of our heart, almost inseparable. It is ringing us, messaging us and beeping us at almost every heartbeat. Its addiction is flowing strongly in our blood stream.

A Muslim is an honoured servant of Allah Ta’ala and not a disgraced slave of digital gadgets. Let us connect ourselves to Allah Ta’ala with Salaah, Qur-aan, Zikr and Duaa. Don’t get caught in web devices. Return to Allah Ta’ala and find the contentment, the fulfilment, the enjoyment you are looking for. Let us free ourselves from the slavery of unsteady technology. Spend valuable time with your family which you will appreciate tomorrow.

Poem
Fidget Spinner

The Fidget Spinner, it’s the new craze
young and old, it seems to amaze

For a few months, people were distracted
the attention of all, this tool attracted

Everyone had this fidget tool
I also needed one to be cool

“We have to have it” the children exclaim,
“Last year’s toys, just aren’t the same”

The latest fad, all the children had,
It spins and spins like the vehicles rims

Spinning on my fingers spinning on my nose,
spinning on my head and even my toes

This spinning action,
is really a distraction

The different colours, the different lights
it got so many into arguments and fights

A hundred rand for a spinning wheel
O Really, what’s the big DEAL?

Parents were shocked at how much they spent
children were not bothered about a cent

Teachers didn’t like it and banned it from school
everyone lost interest, it was no longer cool

Like every other trend
the spinner reached its end

I wasted my money, I wasted my time
How will I answer to Allah for this crime?

Come on O child, become a winner,
with a beautiful Tasbeeh, replace your spinner

Don’t be like the rest and be a pest
Leave the west and you’ll be the best

Allah will reward you over and over,
tons of rewards above you will hover

My dear child, this life is too short
to be wasted in aimless sport

The Day of judgement becomes a distant thought
Wake up before we get caught

Most Beloved Children

Assalamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu.

May Allah Ta’ala bless us all with good health and strong Imaan.

It is only with the Grace of Allah Ta’ala that we have reached the end of the year. May Allah Ta’ala accept our efforts and crown it with success. Al-hamdulillah we have worked hard throughout the year and increased our knowledge of Islam. Now we should try our best to practice on whatever we have learnt. By practicing on our knowledge, Allah Ta’ala will fill our hearts with Noor (light) and grant us barakah (blessings) in everything we do.

The theme for our Al-Maktab is “THE HOLIDAYS”. Now that we have come to the holiday period we have to be very careful of our Imaan. Shaytaan is on the run during this period and tries to rob us of our Imaan. The best thing for us to do during this period is follow the necessary guidelines mentioned in this newsletter and you will be saved from all kinds of evil, Insha Allah.

JazakAllah to all the children who took part in the quiz and project competitions. May Allah Ta’ala accept every pupil’s contribution. The names of the winners for the Quiz are as follows:

                          Name                                                            Maktab                                              Grade

  1. Asmaa Mohammed Shallcross                                         Grade 6
  2. Riaad Hulday Lotus Park                                        Grade 5
  3. Ayesha Cassim Ashrafiyyah                                     Grade 4
  4. Aaminah Mota Baitul Ilm                                          Grade 2
  5. Sulaiman Mayet Kokstad                                             Grade 1

Congratulations to one and all. Masha Allah! You all have done well and your prizes are on the way. The winners for the best projects for each grade are as follows:

                 Name                                                                     Maktab                                             Grade

Mahdiya Shaik                                                              R. Hills                                                Grade 1

Abdul Qadir Amra                                                        Eastview                                           Grade 2

Muhammad Ebrahim                                                  Redfern                                             Grade 3

Muhammad C. Chohan                                              Harrismith                                        Grade 4

Haseena Lakhi                                                               Bergville                                            Grade 5

Al-Haadiya Hassim                                                       Sunford                                             Grade 6

Nuria Simfukwe                                                            Silverglen                                          Grade 7

QUIZ

Answer all 10 questions correctly and submit your entries. The first 5 correct entries drawn will receive R50.00 cash.

  1. Which Nabi of Allah was commanded to build a ship?
  2. Mention the names of the four Sacred Islamic months?
  3. Mention two masnoon fasts (besides Ramadhaan and Muharram)?
  4. What is the punishment for listening to music?
  5. How many Surahs are there in the Qur-aan?
  6. Approximately how many Ambiyaa were sent to this world?
  7. On which day did Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) pass away?
  8. Mention one virtue of reciting Kalimah Tayyibah?
  9. What are the names of the four accepted Imaams of Fiqh?
  10. Which Sahaabi was known as the Conqueror of Khaibar?

Project

  1. Hijrat of Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to Madinah.
  2. Harms of Music and Dancing.
  3. Importance of eating Halaal.

All entries must be handed in by 31 January 2018. Winners in each grade will receive R100.00 cash.

N.B. Please write your name, the name of your Madrasah, the area you live in and your grade on your project in BIG BOLD WRITING. Please hand in the quiz and projects separately. JazakAllah.