What is with your superstition

 

In the seventeenth century, the Dutch colonised what is now known as Cape Town. By that time, the Europeans had found a way around the southern tip of Africa to venture to the far east, ostensibly for trade. The end result was colonisation. It was as a result of this colonisation that Muslims from the far east, starting with Indonesia, were brought to the Cape as slaves and political exiles. They found their new home in what is today still called “Bo-Kaap”.

Being persecuted, the Muslims adopted more Dutch sounding names and hid their Islam and birth names. Yet, they preserved Islam that today there is Islam in Cape Town and, indeed, in South Africa. However, a visit to the Bo-Kaap does not give you a sense of Islam except for the many mosques in the relatively small area. In every person, there is but a reflection of yourself and your shortcomings. More so, when it is your understanding of Islam and how you live it, that reflects on yourself. So, we remind ourselves and when we do it out loud, perhaps that benefit can reach the next person. When someone’s eemaan (faith) is weak, that person may consciously leave Islam and adopt another religion or give up religion completely, i.e. become an atheist. May we all be spared from that. But the greatest threat is not that obvious disbelief. Rather it is those ideas, thoughts, beliefs and actions which are contrary to Islam. Superstition is one such example of a weak or corrupt belief system. However, to understand Islam and your belief system, you will understand why you are called Muslim. This education is what you must go and learn it from those who will clearly teach you the unadulterated pristine Islam. The one thing you don’t want happening is that on the Day of Reckoning, you discover that you committed shirk (ascribing partners to Allah). Sometimes it may be an act which does not nullify your Islam but sometimes it is a more deep-rooted belief which can absolutely nullify your Islam. The starting point of your Islam is your testimony of faith that there is only one deity, Allah, to be worshipped and that Muhammad ﷺ is his messenger. In that belief is that you reject believing in any other object or being. This object of disbelief may involve superstition. This disbelief may be like some find reason, wisdom and guidance in astrology and zodiac signs. For others it is in beliefs of what happens to the dead when those beliefs are foreign to Islam. And the list goes on.

The Bo-Kaap has become merely a tourist attraction and not a beacon of da’wah (calling to Islam). Walls are painted with reminders of Gaza. Will we give up the Bo-Kaap without a fight? Our forefathers left us Islam. Many of them were illiterate but they held onto their Islam. Today, you have access to so much knowledge. Let’s access that knowledge and let’s be Muslim and make Bo-Kaap (and Cape Town as a whole) the vibrant Muslim community we ought to be.

 

Do read, share and comment on these links below:

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/07/real-entertainment.html

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https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/05/resilience-and-reversion.html

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-march-to-holy-land.html

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/03/bold-question.html

 

 

#bokaap #capetown #islam #gaza #southafrica #palestine #muhammad #zodiac

 

How many wives?

 

You know when you sit in a social gathering and there is one guy that knows everything. Nobody seems to disagree with him even though he has no facts. He states his opinion as if it is fact. You all know that guy. Sometimes you have to look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are that guy. Without overstepping religious rulings and law, you can have a discussion on certain matters. A fair example will be polygamy. Most will agree that it is permissible, but many will argue about attaching conditions.

Now, I need to ask the women to bear with me. You often hear almost everyone saying that Islam is the solution and has all the answers. I will make point for argument and debate because we must not be shy to talk openly, but, of course, decently and within the ambit of Shari’ah. If Muslims provided the shield for women such that her honour and dignity is protected and preserved, we will have to do a few things differently. Marriage is one such institution that is the cornerstone of society. However, the standard of living of Muslims are more inclined to this world than the hereafter which means that marriages take place later and later in life. Secondly, the societal-induced demands make marriage and parenting expensive. Immediately, I hear you blame it on the economy. There is some justification in that. But it was not always this drastic. Rather, the local societal norm has not been Islam-centric, except for some of the rituals. I dare say, with the “pace” of life and the focus, that the younger generation may be struggling to know right from wrong. Society, today, is more accepting of new norms which should at least be frowned upon than, as example, accepting polygamy, or more specifically, polygyny. Before anybody gets carried away and marries more wives, there is much to clean up in our society. The cleaning up of society and the promotion of polygyny go hand-in-hand. Of course, the few that are capable, in the full sense of the word, to care for more than one wife properly and correctly, should carry on. For the majority, cleaning up means to improve the education on the subject of gender, marriage, parenting, etc. This must be the start of building our society and improving our overall condition.

I raise the issue of polygyny because it is frowned upon by Muslims of the Cape, in general, while new norms regarding marriage and related subjects are more acceptable to them. Perhaps through healthy discussion everyone can benefit, especially if it is in line with the view that Islam has the solutions.

 

Also click 👇and read

Authentic us (capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com)

 

Picture courtesy - https://muslimvillage.com

Easter eggs Mass Iftar

Samoosa sales dropped dramatically as the month of fasting, Ramadan, has ended. A thirty-hour old moon was clearly seen to end the month a day short of thirty days. While some are happy that the month is now behind us, there is also the need to reflect and build on the positives of this month. A few questions were raised regarding Muslim actions, its relevance or its misguidance. It is necessary to highlight these and correct wrongs, discuss matters that need further understanding.

The first point is not directly related to Ramadan but because this occurred in Ramadan, we will raise it anyway. The aspect of halal food is often a misunderstood concept. Most merely look for the stamp of a halal authority. The ingredients of a product may be halal, but there is another aspect to it. If food is dedicated to a god other than Allah, then that food becomes haram. Easter is one such period that has attached to it specific foods of which easter eggs and hot cross buns are common. Easter is related to pagan beliefs. However, Christians have adopted this period as the time of the crucifixion of Jesus (Eesa peace be upon him). Whether you dismiss the pagan aspect, then the Christian view too is contrary to Quran and thus Islam. To partake in foods relating to events that are against what Allah has revealed, then that is to transgress the word of Allah. The same goes for engaging in any of their, the Christians, affairs regarding Easter, whether it is verbal or otherwise. We remain quiet and understand that to them their religion and to us ours. Jesus – peace be upon him – was not crucified and he did not die for our sins. Jesus – peace be upon him – is not god or the son of god, but he was raised to the heavens as per Quran. We leave them to worship as they please and we worship according to the dictates of Quran and sunnah.

Talking about food, the mass iftars are becoming a thing. There are instances where desperately poor people are fed and then there are any other excuse to get together, including the interfaith iftars. Fasting is sacred and everything attached to it is sacred. The time before Maghrib (the prayer at sunset) is sacred and doubly so for the fasting person. How do you spend our time then other than supplicating to Him, Allah. Where is the sunnah in hastening to break your fast and hastening to establish the Maghrib prayer? Is it not time that you return and be firm on the sunnah? Are there not eleven months of the year to invite people to share a meal? Or if you really believe in feeding the fasting person, why not just do it at the masjid while following the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ?

As for tarawih. Those that are not able to recite the Quran in full in one month, were you attending tarawih to get the blessing of Quran?

Lastly, I hope the only scale that benefited in increase in weight is our scale of good deeds – an I definitely talking to myself first on this one. Yaa Allah, accept our fasting and all our acts of worship in the month of Ramadan (Ramadan without the “l” )

These are just what is observed and encountered. We all will want to do better and if this message can at least make you consider the points raised. Guidance is only from Allah. Allah guide and protect us all.

 

 

Also click and read: The Cape Muslim Dialogue: Samoosa - what you need to know (capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com)

Picture courtesy: www.news24.com