www.islamkenya.

org

Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014

Lamu curfew extended

Issue No. 604

Prophethood in Islam Call for Mandera evacuation

Page 4

Page 2

faulted

Friday Bulletin
The

Page 7

The Weekly Muslim News Update

Muslim leaders condemn Mandera

bus attack
re

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir speaks at a press conference on Wednesday in the company of

Muslim leaders drawn from Nairobi and Mombasa where they announced the reopening of the four
mosques. INSET: Mombasa governor Ali Hassan and Abdulswamad join worshippers for the Dhuhr
prayers yesterday at Masjid Musa.

Mombasa mosques reopen

Four Mombasa mosques finally opened their

doors after Muslim leaders from Mombasa and
Nairobi agreed on modalities with regard to
their future operations. They resolved that the
mosques will be overseen by a team of elders
and residents from around the vicinity who will be
in charge of the day-to-day running of the facilities.
Musa Mosque, Sakina Mosque, Swafaa Mosque
and the Minnah Mosque were closed down two
weeks ago after a police raid for allegedly promoting the radicalization of youth.The closure
drew angry reactions from the Muslim leadership

who demanded that the government unconditionally open the places of worship to worshippers.
Leaders and scholars have agreed on the modalities of opening the mosques and they will be open
to worshippers from Thursday, said Abdulswamad
who spoke on Wednesday at a press conference
on Wednesday in Mombasa.
At the same time, he called on the leaders to positively engage with the youth so as to help nurture
a stable and viable community but added that it
should also be their responsibility to live by the
tenets of Islam which emphasize on respecting
Continued To Page 2

uslims
leaders
have
strongly
come out to condemn the Saturday morning attack on a Nairobi
bound bus by the Somalia
based Al Shabaab militia
group, terming the attack a
cowardly act.
The bus heading to Nairobi from Mandera was
ambushed at about 3 am
in the morning at Omar Jillaow Arabia area in Mandera County by the militia
killing which left 28 passengers dead.
The leaders appealed to
Kenyans to reject the evil
machinations of the group
which wants to create religious animosity among
Kenyans.
All Shabbab does not represent Muslims and the
Saturday attacks should
not be seen as Muslims
targeting Christians said
Adan Duale the majority
leader in the National Assembly.
He said the country belongs to all Kenyans irrespective of religious inclinations and Christians and
Muslims should continue
to exist in peace and harmony.
According to Mandera governor Ali Roba, the county
officials had shared intelligence with the national
security officials of an
impending attack but the
warnings were not heeded.
The Supreme Council of
Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM)
Secretary General Adan
Wachu called on the secuContinued To Page 7

This Newsletter contains some of Allahs names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep, circulate or shred

Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014

The Friday Bulletin

Invest in education to uplift the Ummah Lamu curfew extended yet

again
More investments is needed in the ary schools in the country, there are 67
education sector as this will further
better the economic condition of the
Ummah.
The regional chairman of World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY)
Ahmed Hussein said having more educational institutions providing quality
education will see an increased number of Muslim joining higher institutions of learning who will later have a
positive impact on the community and
the society at large.
While acknowledging the increasing
number of Muslim based education
institutions, Ahmed who is also the director of the Childrens Services said
there is more room for growth in the
sector as there is a growing number
of parents who yearn to enroll their
children in an Islamic friendly environment.
There is a need to invest in the education sector as this will make a positive difference in the community, he
said during a luncheon hosted in honour of the WAMY secretary general
Dr. Saleh bin Suleiman Al-Wohaibi
during his visit to the country on Sunday.
Speaking at the luncheon, Dr. Ismail
Hassan the director of Africa Muslim
Agency (AMA) said statistics provide
a grim picture of the state of education in the Muslim community and it
is imperative that concerted efforts
are made to address the imbalance.
Out of the more than 6,000 second-

Continued from Page 1

scholars and elders as well as abiding by the rule of the law. Issues
which we have seen when youth engage in acts of violence will not be
tolerated, he said.
The Mombasa Governor Hassan
Joho emphasized that the security
officers should not criminalize places
of worship noting that they should
seek out those whom they believe
are criminals. Mosques do not commit crimes and the security agencies
should not criminalize places of worship, he said.
The move to open the mosques
came after Muslim leaders met at the
weekend in Nairobi and appointed an
eight member team to travel to Mombasa and deliberate with the county
government leaders on the measures
to reopen and run the four mosques.
The leaders demanded their unconditional opening and faulted the government for shutting down the places
of worship asserting that the action
tantamount to violating the constitu-

schools and among these only 10 are

able to send students to universities, he
said.
The director also spoke on the persistent challenge of lack of sufficient qualified teachers stressing that measures
have to be put in place to remedy this
state of affairs.
On his part, Prof. Muhammad Salim
Badamana, the head of the veterinary
department at the University of Nairobi
called on Muslim schools to enhance on
academic cooperation and further urged
players in the education sector to establish community based schools in other
counties of the country apart from the
traditional Muslim areas.
In his remarks, the former parliamentary
deputy speaker Farah Maalim said Muslims need to apply effective strategies to
improve on the state of education in the
community adding that it is through education that the community can register
social-economic empowerment.
In his address, the WAMY secretary
general advised Muslims to work together for the betterment of the community.
He pledged continued support from the
organization towards the people of Kenya especially in the education sector.
The organization is the parent body behind WAMY High School which is ranked
among the countrys top performing
schools. Early this year, a sister institution WAMY Academy which comprises
a pre-school, primary and girls secondary school also opened its doors to the
public.

The curfew on Lamu County has been extended for

the fourth time in row by another month.
Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo on Saturday announced the extension of the curfew until
22 December 2014.
The dawn-dusk curfew was first imposed on July
2014 after series of killings were witnessed in
Mpeketoni which left over 60 people dead.
Political and religious leaders, locals and civil societies from the coastal region have occasionally
expressed their anger over the five- month long
curfew, citing economic hardship for the locals who
depend on fishing and tourism.
Last month the leaders and residents organized a
two-day strike that brought the town to a standstill
as businesses were shut down and transport both
land and water paralyzed.
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy on Sunday said the
extension of the curfew by a month is ridiculous
and a deliberate move to make the people suffer
further.
"I thought four months was enough, another
month? Why? This is a time for these residents to
be set free so that they can fight hunger and poverty caused by the curfew," he said.
He noted that the curfew should instead be mapped
only in areas that were attacked, which include
Mpeketoni, Witu, Hindi and Kibaoni.
ODM party leader and former Prime Minister Raila
Odinga said the Lamu curfew has been applied selectively and its continued extension has no meaningful purpose.
Calls to have the government lift the curfew have
fallen on deaf ears even as civil societies such as
the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Haki Africa and
Continued To Page 4

Closed mosques reopened

tional rights of worship for Muslims.
Speaking at the consultative forum
held at Nairobis Jamia Mosque, the
Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims
(SUPKEM) national chairman Prof. Abdulghafur El Busaidy took issue with the
government for failing to consult Muslims on such sensitive matters touching
on the community.
It is unacceptable and wrong for the
government to close down the mosques
without even consulting Muslim leaders.
If the same approach was being taken
on Churches, Christian leaders would
definitely be consulted, he said.
Prof. El-Busaidy said Muslim leaders
were ready to sit and dialogue with the
government on addressing the issues of
youth radicalization but stressed that a
heavy handed approach will be counterproductive and could worsen the situation.
In his remarks, Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome
from the Islamic Foundation said the
unprecedented action sets a worrying
precedent and the community will not
accept the government plan to interfere

in the running of mosques. Today it is happening

Mombasa, if we allow this to happen they will come
to Nairobi and other areas, he said.
In a press statement released on Sunday, Majlis
Ulamaa Kenya echoed the same sentiments and
further demanded that the police apologize to the
community for violating the sanctity of the sacred
places. Closure of mosques is not acceptable and
there can be no justification whatsoever, said the
chairman Sheikh Khalfan Khamis.
The scholars body also called on government to
take adequate measures and arrest the worsening security situation in the country saying that
Kenyan are increasingly getting concerned on the
senseless killings happening in several parts of the
country.
The team to Mombasa include Prof. El Busaidy,
Sheikh Khalfan Khamis, Abdulrahman Wandati,
Sheikh Ahmad Uthman from the Kenya Council
of Imams and Ulamaa (KCIU), Dr. Abdallah Kheir
from the Union of African Scholars, Dr. Mustafa Ali
from the Islamic Foundation and Ibrahim Yusuf representing the Jamia Mosque Committee.
Among other terms of references, the team will
also deliberate on the initiating dialogue between
the Muslim leadership and the youth.

Page 2

The Friday Bulletin

DA'WA

Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014

The concept of prophethood in Islam

Allah the Creator of the universe and everything in it, created humans for a noble
purpose: to worship Him alone and lead a
virtuous life based on His teachings and
guidance. However, one cannot fulfil this
purpose without receiving clear guidelines
from Allah.
Allah, the Most Merciful and Just, did not
leave us to wander the Earth aimlessly. In
order to inform us of our purpose, Allah appointed certain individuals to communicate
and demonstrate His message to all of mankind. These individuals are known as Prophets, who include Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim
(Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa(Jesus) and
Muhammad may peace be upon them all.
The Characteristics of Prophets
All Prophets have common characteristics
which make them exceptional human beings.
Prophets Receive Revelation
The main difference between an ordinary
human being and a Prophet is that a Prophet receives revelation from Allah.
Prophets have noble character
Prophets were the best examples amongst
their people in character and righteousness.
They lived in obedience to Allah, with excellent morals and were always truthful in
speech and conduct. For this reason, Muslims reject totally the false attribution of major sins to the Prophets, as appears in some
scriptures of other religions. Prophets never
sought personal benefits such as wealth,
high status or power rather, they only sought
the approval of Allah.
Prophets Perform Miracles
Many Prophets performed miracles, usually in a field which their people excelled.
For example, the people of Musa (peace
be upon him) excelled in magic; therefore,
Musa (peace be upon him) was able to perform miraculous acts which even magicians
could not perform. The people of Isa (peace
be upon him) excelled in matters of medicine; therefore, Jesus (peace be upon him)
was able to perform acts of healing beyond
the skill of his own people. The people of
SUNDAY
LECTURE
Muhammad (peace be
upon him)
excelled
in poetry; therefore, Muhammad (peace be
upon him) delivered the Quran, containing
such eloquent words which no poet could
ever compete with. In addition, many Prophets conveyed truthful prophecies of future
events. Such miracles were performed only
with the permission and assistance of Allah,
proving that they were human, and not divine.
Prophets are not divine
While Prophets are chosen by Allah Almighty, they are in no way divine and should
not be worshipped. Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) was commanded to
say, I am only a man like you. It has been
revealed to me that your God is One God.
Quran 18:110
It is clear even from the Bible, both the Old
and New Testaments, that the Prophets

were not divine, and would worship and

prostrate to the One True God. "And he [Jesus] went a little farther, and fell on his face,
and prayed..." Matthew 26:39
And they [Moses and Aaron] fell upon their
faces..." Numbers 16: 22
"And Abram [i.e. Abraham] fell on his face:
and God talked with him..." Genesis 17:3
Prophets have the necessary qualities
Allah gave all Prophets certain characteristics in order for them to successfully fulfil
their mission, such as persistence, courage,
leadership, patience and wisdom.
Some examples include:
The persistence of Nuh (peace be upon
him) in calling his people to Allah, even
though very few accepted.
The courage of Ibrahim (peace be upon
him) to single-handedly confront his entire
community regarding their false beliefs,
while he was still very young.
The leadership of Musa (peace be upon
him) in directing the escape of his people
from the most oppressive tyrant of his time
- Pharaoh.
The patience of Iysa (peace be upon him)
in enduring the hardships and persecution
imposed upon him by his people.
The wisdom of Muhammad (peace be
upon him) in uniting the many rival tribes of
Arabia, who had a long history of conflict,
into one peaceful community.
The Message of the Prophets
And certainly We sent to every nation a
Messenger (saying): 'Worship Allah and
avoid false gods.' (Quran 16:36)Since all
Prophets were sent by the One True Allah,
they all conveyed the same message and
had the same mission - to remind and educate their people of the purpose of life. Their
message was to:
Clarify the true concept of Allah and reject
false beliefs
Teach the true purpose of life
Demonstrate how Allah should be worshipped
Convey Allah's definition of righteous and
sinful conduct, and advise people accordingly
Describe the rewards for obedience (Paradise) and warn of the punishment for disobedience (Hell)
Explain commonly misunderstood issues
such as the soul, angels and spirits, the afterlife and fate
The main focus of all the Prophets was to
clarify the concept of Allah: that He has
no partners or equals, and that all worship
should be directed exclusively toward Him.
In the Quran, there are numerous examples
of Prophets proclaiming this message: Nuh
(peace be upon him) said, "O my people!
Worship Allah! You have no other gods besides Him." Quran 7:59
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said, "Do you
worship besides Allah, things that can nei-

ther bring you benefit nor cause you harm?"

Quran 21:66
Musa (peace be upon him) said, "What!
Shall I seek for you a god other than Allah
even though He has made you excel (all)
created things?" Quran 7:140
Iysa (peace be upon him) said, "Indeed Allah is my Lord and your Lord: so worship
Him (alone): this is the Straight Way." Quran
3:51
Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "It
has been revealed to me that your God is
One God. So whoever expects to meet his
Lord then let him do good deeds and associate none as a partner in the worship of his
Lord." Quran 18:110
This message was consistent throughout
the generations, and highlights the importance of having the correct belief in Allah.
Every nation was sent a Prophet
"And for every nation there is a
messenger."Quran 10:47
Muslims believe that thousands of Prophets
were sent periodically by Allah, at least one
to every nation, as a mercy to mankind for
their guidance. In certain circumstances,
the message of the Prophets was lost, corrupted, forgotten, neglected, or denied by
the people. These were some of the reasons why a new Prophet would be sent to
re-convey Allah's message.
Muslims believe in and respect every Prophet sent by Allah. Muslims also believe in all
of the divine books which were revealed to
the Prophets, mindful of the fact that none
of these books exist today in their original
form, aside from the Quran. "It is He (Allah)
Who has sent down the Book (the Quran)
to you (Muhammad) with truth, confirming
what came before it. And He sent down the
Torah and the Injil." Quran 3:3
Why doesn't everyone receive direct revelation?
Allah created life and gave humans free will
Continued To Page 6

GIRLS HOLIDAY CAMP

7th Uluum Din Youth camp

Date: 1st-7th December 2014

Venue: Markaz Ulumm Din-Athi River
Theme: Empowering Muslimahs in
matters concerning deen and dunya
For details contact 0725 828028/
0738282828

FREE MEDICAL CAMP

Pumwani Social Hall-Majengo

Date: 29 November 2014
Time 9.00 am-5.00 pm
Organised by Light Sisters

ALL ARE INVITED

SUNDAY LECTURE

Kukumbuka mauti sehemu ya pili

By: Ustadha Mariyam
Date:30th Nov 2014 Time: 2Pm- 4Pm
Venue: Makina Mosque Kibra
Page 3

The Friday Bulletin

Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014

Relations between Muslims and non-Muslims

Dr. Sa`id Isma`il Seeni
Islam has not left any aspect of life without its required guidelines.
For each aspect, it sets a basic rule, which is in harmony with the
basic rules of the other aspects, to indicate in the end, that there is
only one Creator and one perfect Legislator. The basic rule usually
functions as an axis around which the secondary rules and exceptions revolve. The relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims
is no exception.
The basic rule for relations between Muslims and non-Muslims is
based on a few verses. The first can be translated as, We have
not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a mercy for the worlds
(Al-Anbiya' 21:107).
This verse clearly assures that Islam is a mercy for all accountable beings, both humans and the Jinn. Islam is a mercy because
it guides Muslims to felicity and happiness in both this world and
in the hereafter. But is Islam a mercy for only those who choose
it as their faith or should Muslims force people to accept it? Here,
the second verse comes to assure that There is no compulsion in
religion. The truth stands out clear from error. (Al-Baqarah 2:256).
Other verses that make up the basic rule specifically define the
kind of relationship that should take place between Muslims and
non-Muslims. The Qur'an says as follows: Allah does not forbid
you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your
homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly;
surely Allah loves the doers of justice. Allah only forbids you respecting those who made war upon you on account of (your) religion, and drove you forth from your homes and backed up (others)
in your expulsion, that you make friends (and ally) with them, and
whoever makes friends with them, these are wrong-doers.} (AlMumtahanah 60:8-9)
The above verses clearly assures that Muslims should not force
others to accept Islam. In addition, Allah Almighty does not forbid Muslims from dealing justly with those who do not fight Islam
or oppress Muslims. Indeed, He enjoins Muslims to do favors for
them. Obviously, doing favors is more than just dealing justly, because it gives people more than what they deserve.The above
verses affirm that it is only forbidden to have relations with those
who show hostility to Muslims. In this context, those who aid the
oppressors are not better than the oppressors themselves.
It is important to note that the above verses were revealed after
the first verses of the same surah, Al-Mumtahanah, which forbid
taking guardians and trustees from among the enemies of Allah,
they also encourage Muslims to follow the example of Prophet
Ibrahim who boycotted the enemies of Allah. This fact confirms the
validity of the ruling given in the above verses and proves that they
had not been abrogated. It is also important that the second verse
of the surah provides a clear description of the enemies of Allah.
If they get the better of you, they would treat you as their enemies
and stretch forth, their hands and tongues against you with evil,
and they desire that you become unbelievers. (Al-Mumtahanah
60:2)
Verse seven of the same chapter serves as an introduction for
verses eight and nine, confirming that the above enmity does not
always last forever. Allah says what means, It may be that Allah
creates (mutual) love between you and the ones of them whom
you took as enemies (Al-Mumtahanah 60:7).
The verse does not stipulate an enemy's conversion as the reason
for removing the enmity; actually, enmity may be ended if an enemy takes a supportive or at least a neutral position.
As mentioned above, the ultimate goal of Islam is to establish
peace and to bring about happiness for all beings in both this world
and the eternal one in the hereafter. In case some people refuse
to cooperate in achieving peace and happiness in the hereafter,
Muslims should still cooperate with them to maintain peace and
happiness in this world. Allah says what means, O you people
We have created you from a male and a female and made you into
nations and tribes that you may know each other. The best among
you is the most pious (Al-Hujurat 49:13).

Islam did not come to break the ties between human beings, to
spread hatred and enmity, or to encourage bloodshed. Nor did
it come to eliminate the freedom of choice in this life, which is
secured by Allah. Indeed, even Satan was granted the freedom to
choose between obeying and disobeying his Lord, he misused this
gift and chose to disobey.
The above basic rule is based on the fact that Allah has distinguished humankind and the Jinn with special gifts that made them
accountable for their choices in this life, for which they will be rewarded or punished mainly in the hereafter. Among these special
gifts are intellectual faculties, divine guidance, and a limited freedom of choice.
A thorough review of the expeditions and battles during the lifetime
of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) shows
that the Prophet never once initiated hostility. Rather, he only became involved in battles in self-defense and retaliation. In general,
Continued To Page 6

GHANIMA EL MARZUQ GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL

Ghanima El Marzuq Girls High School is a Girls Boarding

School owned by AMA and is located along the Namanga Highway 10 Km from Kajiado Town. Its adjacent to Ummah University. The school will open its doors for Form one and two in
January 2015

VACANCIES

POSITIONS
1. PRINCIPAL
QUALIFICATION / REQUIREMENTS
A female Muslim B.Ed, P.G.D.E, M.Ed
At least 3 years experience in the position or as D/Principal
A proven good track record.
2. DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
QUALIFICATION / REQUIREMENTS
B.Ed, Dip/Ed At least 3 years experience in the position
A proven good track record
3. TEACHERS
QUALIFICATION / REQUIREMENTS
B.Ed/ Dip. Ed/PGDE, At least 2yrs experience, Two teaching
subjects. Registered with T.S.C
4. BURSAR
QUALIFICATION / REQUIREMENTS
A Muslim CPA
5. MEDICAL STAFF
QUALIFICATION / REQUIREMENTS
Qualified RCO, nurse, lab technician
Applications with C.V and testimonials in both hard and soft copies, should reach the undersigned on or before 1st December
2014.
Director AMA P. O BOX 31422-00600
NAIROBI Email: kenya@direct-aid.org

Lamu curfew extended

Continued from Page 2
Muslim For Human Right (MUHURI) threatened to sue the Inspector General of Police over the curfew.
They argued that the curfew is a violation of human rights and has
crippled the county both economically and socially
Last week the Attorney General Githu Muigai dismissed an application to lift the curfew by MUHURI as baseless saying the application is "misconceived and an abuse of the court process"

Page 4

The Friday Bulletin

Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014

How to protect Muslim youth from extremism

Maaria- Zain
While it is dangerous to stereotype Muslims in a non-Muslim community, and
generally we should not, certain trends
amongst Muslim families are quite pertinent when it comes to living in such communities. On one hand, there are those
families who emphasize a lot of integration of their children into the local community, especially through the enrolment
of school.
While it is great for Muslims to be part and
parcel of society especially the youth
parents can sometimes lose sight of their
children and their development, especially
when normalcy boasts a dichotomy of
values as compared to what Islam presents. This is not to say that everything
Western is evil but certain concepts, especially with regards to values honoring
the family unit, (for example: the respect
for parents), is nearly always lost, if parents give up too much of their control
over their children.
While many families do supplement with
Islamic classes in the evenings or weekends, its hard to balance out the stronghold influence that the Western community has over Muslim youth. This can
cause an imbalance in their understanding
of their religious values.
While some Muslim youth may find acceptance into the Western culture, others may feel rejected, due to the gross
ignorance perpetuated by the media,
and general prejudice and discrimination
against Muslims. Without having a firm
sense of belonging or proper knowledge
of their religion, this may cause the same
youth to rebel against the non-Muslim environment, under the masked label of the
Muslim extremist.
On the flipside, there are Muslim families
who live in the West who have tendencies
to box-in their Muslim children to the extent that they are not allowed to integrate
with society. These families have strong
cultural tendencies, to the point that culture overrides practices of the religion and
their children end up growing up with an
us vs. them mentality, and even harbor a
lot of animosity towards every non-Muslim.
Unfortunately, these children grow up
drowning on enmity, instead of care and
compassion towards their friends and
neighbors, and end up with a rift between
their culture and their Western community.
Rebellion is then sparked in the name of
Islam, but without proper teachings of the
religion at their helm.
The Prophet and Muslim Youth
Prophet Muhammad led the best example
in the upbringing of the youth, seeing as
he kept the youngsters of his time close to
him, building strong principles of Islam, all
while integrating with society for the sake
of dawah.
He constantly encouraged them to be
brave in the face of adversity, yet to nev-

er lose sight of the Quran and Sunnah,

and therefore peruse humility in thought
and speech. His closest followers were
amongst the young, who were passionate
about the faith, but were molded according
to Islamic thought rather than be allowed to
pursue their own ideologies.
In particular, Ali bin Abi Talib, the first child
to accept Islam, grew alongside the Prophet Muhammad, made many personal sacrifices for Islam, lived an extremely simple
life, and was highly disturbed by the ideologies that involved looking towards him
as an icon of more than he actually was
a Muslim, (the Muslim leader, later on),
who was a humble believer of Allah and His
Messenger.
Similarly, the youth of today need to be imbued in dawah work (in a fun and engaging way) while integrating with society. This
can be done all while keeping in mind the
fundamentals of Islam. On one hand, there
is no need to crawl into a lizard hole and
follow the ideals of a non-Muslim society
that contradict Islam, but at the same time,
it is also important to keep true guidance
in mind, all while growing and developing.
It also falls under the responsibility of parents to seek out scholars, imams, and
teachers, who are passionate in mentoring
the youth as the dawah team of the future.
Giving the Youth Time, Space and a Voice
While it is easy to standby and criticize the
Muslim youth and their choices, it serves as
a reminder that much rebellion is sparked
when the young and expressive are overly
sheltered or confined. Joining causes that
seem daring and exciting, but at the same
time dangerous and violent, stem from a
need to be heard and to be validated.
The youth needs validation, and it is for
adults to provide the same, while within
the framework of Shariah, and this is what
scholars, Imams, teachers, and parents
need to work on for their children. Society
today has been blessed with abundant resources that its a pity that the same goes
to waste.
Encouraging them to express themselves
also carries other benefits such as giving
them a voice to counter the claims of the
mass media and the sordid misrepresentation of Islam. Social media has become
a playground for the youth, and there is a
higher calling for the Muslim youth of today to use it to their benefit for the sake
of Islam. Again, this has to be guided, as
todays generation tends to fall into the trap
of self-worshipping, group-worshipping,
group-think which should all be curbed
indiscriminately.
Similarly, encouraging them to showcase
their strengths and lend their advantageous arms to the cause of Islam will also
help them in building up their portfolios
as young adults. Not only does this build
their unique strengths and resumes and
in turn, keeps them away from peer pres-

sure, it will also help them combat, become

participative and confident members of society, especially as adults, in college, in the
job market, working as volunteers, and the
like.
A lot of animosity and angst-ridden sentiments of the Muslim youth probably stems
from them being grotesquely misunderstood, by both their own Muslim kin, and
non-Muslim community alike.
It may take time to eradicate radicalism of
sorts or maybe never at all but there
has to be a cohesive effort of all parties
and even the youth themselves, to want to
change and to be better Muslims in order
to safeguard themselves and the image of
Islam as a whole.
A blanket approach by finding the right
mentors, and an individual approach by
building individualistic and personal portfolios will help combat this problem on the
long run.
Whether one takes place before the other, or they are carried out simultaneously
plays second fiddle as to the importance
of their effectiveness, as it takes the entire
Muslim community to shape the next generation, and this will Allah-willing put a
curb over the unfortunate radicalization of
the potential of the youth, standing at the
foot of a great Islamic renaissance.
Maaria Zain is a certified Childbirth Educator (AMANI Birth Institute), living in the UK.

Israel's "Jewish State" bill

stirs anger
AL-QUDS A new bill that defines Israel
as the homeland of the Jewish people has
sparked criticism and seen as undermining
the democratic character of the country,
as well as fostering discrimination against
Muslim and Christian minorities.
If the Jewish homeland proposal becomes
law, it would mean the institutionalization
of racism, which is already a reality on the
street, in both law and at the heart of the
political system, Majd Kayyal of Adalah,
from the Legal Centre for Arab Minority
Rights in Israel, told Agence France Presse
(AFP) on Sunday, November 23.
Democracy guarantees that all citizens
have the same rights and are equal before
the state, but this racist change introduces
a distinction on the basis of religion."
Approved on Sunday, the controversial
bill revokes the "Jewish and democratic"
status of Israel, identified in its basic law,
changing it to the national homeland of the
Jewish people.
Supports of the bill, 14 ministers, were
led by the right-wing including Netanyahu
who claimed the new law would guarantee
"equality" for all citizens.
Since its approval, the new bill has been
drawing rebuke from both Israeli politicians
and Arabs rights groups. (OnIslam.net)

page 5

The Friday Bulletin

OPINION

Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014

Closure of mosques not good for Muslim-State relations

Muhammad Warsama
We have lost count of the number of police
swoops that continue to be staged in this
country from Mombasa to Kwale to Eastleigh to Lamu to Samburu, Turkana, Pokot
and Baringo.
What has this unscientific and unprofessional approach to crime-busting operations achieved so far? Six thousand Somalis spent months including Ramadhan at
Kasarani, Nairobi last April. We were told
the operation was to get rid of Al Shabaab.
Nothing of this kind happened.
On the contrary, a group of young Somalis returning from the diaspora and calling
itself Super Power is ruling the Eastleigh
underworld, robbing, maiming and killing at
will. When they are caught, they bribe their
way back to freedom. Some are even taken to the border, ostensibly for deportation
by conniving police, only to retrace their
way back to Eastleigh after being dumped
at the frontier.
While the impact in dealing with the rampant insecurity through these heavy-handed operations by our corrupt is negligible,
the political image of the Jubilee government has been dealt a very big blow. The
social fabric of our society which for years
since 1963 has remained cohesive is
showing disturbing signs of a deteriorating
relationship between the Christian majority and the Muslim minority. A look at the

social media, shows the rising feelings of

animosity between the two communities.
The incompetence of the police bureaucracy which never changes tactics to adapt to
the challenges of a fast evolving society is
also making matters worse.
Why have the authorities returned to the
1960s outmoded colonially-inherited collective punishment the Kenyatta Senior
government invoked against secessionist
Somalis?
That policy has no place or tolerance in the
new constitutional dispensation we are enjoying in our country today. Even in Nigeria
with its much bigger Boko Haraam problem, collective punishment is not an option.
But it appears that the Jubilee government
does not care, for if it did, it would not allow
the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo to take draconian measures against
settled communities that would grievously
impact on Jubilee's political fortunes in
2017.
I am also disappointed to see that the Muslim leadership is being ignored and not
consulted when these things are happening around them.
It is now more than a week since four
mosques were closed in Mombasa since
and more might follow suit. You can never persuade Muslims that the closure of

Prophethood in Islam
Continued from Page 3
and intellect, as a test to see who will willingly follow His path and who will deviate. If
every person received direct revelation, life
would not be a true test of faith. The real test
of one's faith is in using one's intellect and
reason to contemplate and recognise Allah's
signs, rather than being spoken to directly
by Allah, which would not require any effort,
and would render belief meaningless.
Although Prophets received direct revelation, this did not exempt them from life's
tests, as Prophethood brings with it many
difficulties and trials.
The final Prophet
Prophets were sent to specific groups of
people, and over time, the messages with
which they came were lost or corrupted.
However, Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) was not sent to a specific people,
but to mankind as a whole, and his message
has been preserved both in the form of the
Quran and the Sunnah.
The Quran is the spoken word of Allah, and
is free of any corruption, errors or contradictions. It is a book of "guidance for mankind... and the distinction (between right and
wrong)." Quran 2:185.
The Sunnah is a collection of the sayings
and actions of Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him), as recorded by his companions and their students. The fact that there
are thousands of these recorded and rig-

orously authenticated makes it very easy

for anyone to follow Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) correctly.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
is the final Prophet for all mankind from his
time up until the end of time, including current and future generations. He was a perfect example of an honest, just, merciful,
compassionate, truthful and brave human
being. He, like other Prophets before him,
did not have any evil characteristics and
strove solely for the sake of Allah.
Since the Quran and Sunnah are preserved
and easily accessible, there is no need for
another Prophet. The message of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is in complete harmony with the teachings of the
previous Prophets, and reaffirms their message.
Conclusion
Prophets were sent as a mercy by Allah, to
convey His message and to teach people
how to live a righteous life. They have the
best of characteristics and are to be followed and obeyed. Following a Prophet is
obedience to Allah and rejecting a Prophet
is disobedience to Allah. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last of the
Prophets, so Allahs guidance was complete with his coming, and our salvation is
complete with the obedience to Allah and
His Final Prophet. (IISNA)

these mosques is because they are crime

scenes. The police displayed weapons they
claimed to have seized in the mosques but
many Muslims believe the weapons were
planted inside the mosques.
We cannot accept the closure of our
mosques as scenes of crime. The police
should simply modernise their archaic and
useless methods of dealing with insecurity
and find better ways of dealing with radical
Muslim youth.
Each day the mosques remain closed
drives a dagger of bitterness in the hearts
of all Muslims.
Our community has since last February told
the police to set up sentry posts at the affected mosques to vet those going in and
out. That offer has not been acted upon.
As matters stand now, hundreds of Muslims
will be without their places of worship because of police incompetence, not because
of radical youth. If they had the capacity to
arrest 291 people, why could they not do
it before without disrupting our places of
worship? Why did they not compile lists of
youth they wanted to arrest and swooped
on them individually in their homes rather
than storming mosques?
Where are we heading to?
The writer is veteran journalist based in
Mombasa

Muslims and non-Muslims

relations
Continued from Page 4
the causes of these battles could be classified under the following categories:
1. Self-defense, such as the battles of
Uhud and Al-Khandaq.
2. Retaliation for oppression and continuous hostility. This is true in the case of all
major battles, including the battles with the
tribe of Quraish such as Badr.
3. Following in the tracks of the enemies
who carried out a raid on Madinah, such as
the expedition of As-Sawiq and the expedition of Thi Qarad.
4. Surprising enemies who were preparing
themselves to attack Muslims, such as the
expedition of Bani Al-Mustaliq and the expedition of Dawmat Al-Jandal.
5. Punishing betrayers or traitors, as in the
case of Bani An-Nadhir, Bani Quraidhah,
and the conquest of Makkah.
So, the basic rule in the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims is that
there must be coexistence and peace.
Dr. Said Ismail is a Professor at the Islamic University in Madina, Saudi Arabia.

page 6

The Friday Bulletin

NATIONAL

Safar 06,1436/November 28, 2014

Cohesion commission faults call for Mandera evacuation

The NCIC chairman Francis Ole Kaparo
has criticized a call from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) to withdraw their members
from Mandera and other parts of Northern
Kenya following the gruesome Saturday
bus attack.
He said the move serves the interests of
those who aim at dividing Kenya along religious lines.
Whereas it is the duty of trade unions
and other professional bodies to be concerned about the welfare of their members,
emotive pronouncements such as those
by KNUT and the Doctors Union will be
counter-productive and could easily play
into the evil hands of the Al-Shabaab terror
group, which is bent on balkanizing Kenyans along regional, ethnic and religious
lines, Kaparo said.
Citing growing fears of insecurity, the unions have called on their members to
Northern Kenya due to the growing fears
of insecurity. The government and area
leaders have also criticized the call saying
that it is counterproductive to development
as well as to measures to tackle insecurity.
The chairman also expressed concerns
about the rising cases of hate speech being propagated on social media warning
that severe action will be taken on those
found culpable.
After this (Mandera attack) occurred, the
kind of messages being posted in the social media Facebook and Twitter can
bring this country down. So we need to be

careful not to use divisive language which

can bring this country down, he said.
On his part the Balambala Member of
Parliament Abdikadir Aden, said the call
by unions for their members to vacate the
region will impact negatively on hospitality and peaceful coexistence and amounts
to punishing the local residents who have
also suffered from acts of terrorism.
He urged the government to put stringent
measures in place to ensure safety of all
Kenyans living or working in the region
which borders the war-torn Somalia.
Meanwhile, a magistrate court has cautioned the Gatundu MP Moses Kuria for
spreading hate speech warning that he
risks prosecution if he does not desist
from making inflammatory remarks.
Court prosecutor Nicodemus Maingi accused the MP for recently posting a statement under the hashtag #killyourown
which he said amounts to contempt of
court. The MP is out on bail after facing a
similar charge which arose when he posted a hate message against the Somali
and Luo communities in the aftermath of
the Gikomba and Thika Road attacks in
May this year.
In his recent posting, the MP said on
twitter, It is time we move all Somalinon-Muslim civil servants from Mandera,
Garissa and Wajir and replace them with
Muslim Somalis.
The prosecutor maintained that the
hashtag borders on incitement to violence and criminality. Nairobi senior principal magistrate Enock Cherono issued

Police claims of finding weapons inside

Mosques doubted
A section of leaders have cast doubts about
police claims of finding weapons including
grenades in four mosques that they have
raided in Mombasa County.
Speaking at a press conference at the Parliamentary buildings, Mombasa Senator
Hassan Omar said the claims are meant to
legitimise what he termed as illegal raids of
mosques. He said the weapons could have
been planted by police themselves during
the raids which occurred between 2 am
and 3 am in the night.
"We highly doubt part of the information
that they are sharing with the public that
intends to legitimize the illegal actions undertaken by police. It is out of order to soil
the name of Muslim places of worship by
planting weapons inside them," he said.
On his part Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow said police claims of seizures of lethal
weapons inside the houses of worship
amounted to attempts to manipulate and
win support of Kenyans for their illegal
raids on mosques. "This whole exercise
of attacking mosques and killing people in
it is totally misguided and provocative. Security officers must target suspects smartly

and pick them up in their homes, not in

mosques," he said.
Billow also condemned the killing of four
innocent people by machete-wielding
youth in what appears to be a "retaliation" of the raids on mosques by police.
Youths ought not to engage in this kind
of criminal action whatever provocation
that had preceded it.
In fact they lose moral support from society and to some people their action will
only justify the wrongs the police did. Our
youth must desist from this kind of violence at all times," he said.
Speaking in Nairobi, the Council of Imams
and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) national
treasurer Sheikh Hassan Omar said the
prevailing belief among many Muslims is
that the weapons had been planted in
the mosques as a publicity stunt to win
public support for the storming of the
houses of worship.
During the attacks on Musa,Sakina, Swafaa and Minaa Mosques, police said they
had recovered grenades, petrol bombs,
and bullets among other dangerous
weapons

a stern warning to the MP against making

statements which threaten national cohesion.
After the Gikomba attacks he took to the social media stating on his facebook account:
I think it is only a matter of time before Kenyans start violence against PERCEIVED
(sic) terrorists, their sympathisers, their financiers and those issuing travel advisories
without intelligence.
He was later arraigned in court after complaints from the National Integration and Cohesion Commission (NCIC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) where he was charged
with incitement, hate speech and causing
ethnic contempt. The legislator was released
on Sh2 million cash bail and a Sh5 million
bond but an additional condition that he desist from indulging in hate speech.
Mention of the case against the MP will be
made on January 15.

Mandera attack
condemned
Continued from Page 1

rity forces to track down those involved in

the attacks and deal with them according to
the law.
Seek those criminals behind the attacks.
They are not Muslims but criminals, Islam
does not advocate for the killing of innocent
people, Said Wachu.
On its part, the Council of Imams and
Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) called on Kenyans to ignore statements by terrorists alluding to be revenge attacks for the closure
of four mosques in Mombasa. We condemn
the Mandera attack.
It is inhumane and they cannot be justified
under any circumstances. Killing innocent
people is wrong and is not what Islam teaches, said CIPK assistant Treasurer Sheikh
Hassan Suleiman.
Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir said the killers were bent on tarnishing the good image
of Islam and called on all Kenyans to reject
forces which aim at dividing the country
along sectarian lines.
We have lived in harmony for years and we
need to unite, shun and speak out against
any forms of violence. Let us not allow external or internal influences to divide us, he
said.
While condemning the attack during a press
conference in Garissa town, the SUPKEM
vice chairman for the north-eastern region,
Sirat Abdullahi called on the government to
decisively deal with criminal gangs whose
aim is to wedge a religious war among
peace loving Kenyans.
Muslim leaders condemn the heinous act of
murder against innocent people who dedicated their lives to serving the people of the
region selflessly," said Sirat.

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From the Qur'an

Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war
against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth
from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them
justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice." (Al-Mumtahinah:1)

Ummah Efforts in Prisons

Currently,one out of every 800 adults in Kenya is behind bars.
Of these, 94% will be released back into society. It is critical for
the health of these individuals, their families and our communities that they be given the tools to heal and live productive lives.
Ummah Foundations Prisoners Rehabilitation Program empowers prisoners to take charge of their lives, transform their futures
and end the cycle of recidivism. In major Prisons like Naivasha
Maximum Prison, Kamiti Maximum, Kwale and Manyani, Ummah
Foundation has constructed an Education facility that serves as a
learning centre and prayer hall for the Muslim inmates.
This program provides education, rehabilitation and re-entry support to incarcerated men and women in prisons and jails in the
aforementioned areas. At the heart of this initiative is a powerful
emotional literacy program, an internalized mode of spiritual training that equips the inmates with abilities to pass on knowledge to
their fellow inmates- An Imam course. This program offers prison
inmates encouragement and the necessary support to take stock
of the life experiences that have propelled them into criminal activity, take responsibility for their criminal behaviours, change lifelong patterns of violence and addiction, and build productive lives.
During the entire period that Ummah Foundation has involved
itself in these correctional facilities, we have learnt that the Program is very effective for prisoners growth and transformation.
Many prison chaplains should wholeheartedly embrace the program because it is infused with an inclusive spirituality. This is
particularly the case in multi-faith contexts. Inmates gain greater
self-awareness, the capacity to manage their emotions, empathize with the feelings of others, and increase their spiritual development through, among other things, mindfulness meditation,
and the quiet motor that underlies the healing program. Thousands of lives are being turned around through the guidance and
inspiration that the prisoners education and rehabilitation program offers.
The expanding prison population continues to grow as a major
national crisis. Taking a proactive stance, Ummah Foundation is
committed to playing an integral part in redefining our nations
prisons as places for healing and positive growth. That is why we
seek to partner with all willing donors and well- wishers to bring
change in the society by diagnosing and curing the ailments from
the root sources- prisons. The prayer facility also houses an office
for the Prison Maalim for recording and library books for reference. Islamic literature copies of the English translated Quran,
DVDs, and other resource materials, have been distributed free
of charge to individual prisoners, prison libraries and prison programs for all to benefit.
This is a program that calls for your concerted support and lets all
pull our efforts together so that the change we all desire to see in
our society can be attained Inshaa Allah.
Contact us: Ummah Foundation Village Plaza, 2nd Floor, Ngara
Rd, P.O. Box 58717- 00200 Nairobi Tel:020-2680610/13
Mob: 0734 845277 Email: info@ummahfoundation.net
Web: www.ummahfoundation.net

From the Traditions of the Prophet

Beware! Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, or curtails their rights, or burdens them with more than they can bear, or
takes anything from them against their free will; I will complain against
the person on the Day of Judgment. (Abu Dawud)

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147
E-mail: fridaybulletin@islamkenya.org. Printed by Graphic Lineups Limited-Kweria Road info@graphic.co.ke