Monthly Archives: July 2011

Jul29

Muslim killings should be investigated.Muslims should read and write books about their history

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It’s not true that Muslims don’t want to say anything about the killing of Muslims in Mbarara and elsewhere. Muslims are also searching for answers just like any other Ugandan. Muslims have been kind of disorganized for a while such that it has been difficult to bring them together to discuss matters of importance to their community, but we have started sorting this out slowly.

UMSC BOSS: Sheikh Mubajje

Muslims have been killed under different regimes but it is very difficult to gather all this information together to bring it into the public domain, but we are doing it. All Uganda’s leaders, apart from Iddil Amin, have been dividing and using Muslims to achieve their own political aims, but with more organization and unity, Muslims will eventually put a stop to this nosense.

For instance, there were some Muslims killed in Bushenyi district and president Museveni mentions this in his book (Sowing the Mustard Seed) on page 113. Museveni said that there were killed by fellow villagers who had been incited by someone whose identity was known. Museveni does not mention the name of the villager in his book though he gives this as one of the examples why Binaisa had to be dislodged from power.

Imaam Iddi Kasozi also presented a paper at the Uganda Muslim Youth Assembly (UMYA) in 2008- which talks about human rights and the murder of Muslims in Ankole and Arua. We saved the contents of this paper on the link below if you wanna read it:

http://ugandamuslims.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/human-right-in-uganda-the-fate-of-the-1979-muslim-massacres-in-arua-and-ankole-paper-presented-at-umya-ramadhan-seminar-2008/

I wish more Muslims present this data to us such that we keep it on records instead of dying with all this knowledge. The Torch Newspaper has also been conducting weekly interviews among the Muslim elders in Uganda to help us gather information here and there. I don’t know if they have stopped doing this as I have not seen any more interviews posted to us for a while, but I reckon they were doing a good job, and they should be supported.

It is unfortunate that few Muslims are writing books about events happening in the Muslim community in Uganda such that it is very difficult to come across such materials either in books or internet, a more reason we wish to have a detailed historical page about Muslims in Uganda on our soon to be built Muslim website inishallah.

Prince Badru Kakungulu (5th from left) and others at a UMEA function

People, like by George W. Kanyeihamba found it in themselves to write a book about Muslim leadership question in Uganda, but how  many Muslims have done so, apart from probably a few , like Abassi kiyimba. Kanyeihamba’s book is entitled:’’ Reflections on the Muslim leadership Question in Uganda’’, for those who may wish to read it later on.

Kanyeimba mentions something interesting that in both the 1993 Kampala Conference and the subsequent Mbarara General Assembly consultative meeting,’’ `a small minority of Muslims and their political allies in the NRM government obstinately blocked the progress towards unity and reconciliation ‘. He specifically points out that former mufti, late Sheikh Swaibu Luwemba, as an NRM doodle who had a lot of friends in NRM, among them the presidential advisor on Muslim affairs.

To be honest, I find it a bit selfish for a Muslim to start openly defending a government like NRM which thrives on dividing people of different tribes and religion- to its own benefit. They enjoy seeing Muslims more divided than united, and that is very sad. How much effort has president Museveni put in to unite different Muslim factions in Uganda at the moment? Some people have accused him of siding with Shiekh Mubajje group against others.

Anyway, there is also a good book I recommend people interested in this area to read called ‘’ Islam and the Confluence of Religions in Uganda, 184O-1966. By NOEL KING, ABDU KASOZI and ARYE ODED. Abdu Kasozi also wrote another one he called the ‘The Spread of Islam in Uganda’’.

But overall, Muslims should take advantage of this internet age to at least write historical articles about themselves instead of just talking about these things in only mosques and normal conversations.

 Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

UK

Jul29

FOOD CRISIS DURING RAMANDHAN

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Assalamu Alaikum Brothers and Sisters,

Hope everyone is ok and in high islamic spirits. I have a suggestion now that Ramandhan is around the corner and there is a food crisis in the country. I suggest that Muslim homes in Uganda cook some food everyday and take it to the nearby mosques for people to break their fast. Every family should cook and serve what they can afford. It does not matter if you can only afford a few packets of biscuits, just organise with the Imaams and bring it everyday at the mosque to help Muslims break their fast

I have seen Asian Muslim families doing it here in the UK and it is effective and admirable. I heard that Muslims in Jinja also do it during Ramandhan.  Let other Muslim families elsewhere in Uganda emulate it and do it every Ramandhan inishallah.

For Muslims abroad, please dont forget to send some money to your parents back home to help them buy some stuff for Ramandhan.

Byebyo ebyange and Wassalam

Abbey
–

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

http://ugandansatheart.org/
http://twitter.com/#!/semuwemba
http://jjanguonkwekule.blogspot.com/
http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/

Jul29

FBI ‘Islam 101′ Guide Depicted Muslims as 7th-Century Simpletons

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FBI ‘Islam 101′ Guide Depicted Muslims as 7th-Century Simpletons


As recently as January 2009, the FBI thought its agents ought to know the following crucial information about Muslims:
  • They engage in a “circumcision ritual”
  • More than 9,000 of them are in the U.S. military
  • Their religion “transforms [a] country’s culture into 7th-century Arabian ways.”
And this was what the FBI considered “recommended reading” about Islam:
All this is revealed in a PowerPoint presentation by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Communications Unit (.pdf), which trains new Bureau recruits. Among the 62 slides in the presentation, designed to teach techniques for “successful interviews/interrogations with individuals from the M.E. [Middle East],” is an instruction that the “Arabic mind” is “swayed more by words than ideas and more by ideas than facts.”
The briefing presents much information that has nothing to do with crime and everything to do with constitutionally-protected religious practice and social behavior, such as estimating the number of mosques in America and listing the states with the largest Muslim populations.
Other slides paint Islam in a less malicious light, and one urges “respectful liaison” as a “proactive approach” to engaging Muslims. But even those exhibit what one American Muslim civil rights leader calls “the understanding of a third grader, and even then, a badly misinformed third grader.”
One slide asks, “Is Iran an Arab country?” (It’s not.) Another is just a picture of worry beads.
“Based on this presentation, it is easy to see why so many in law enforcement and the FBI view American Muslims with ignorance and suspicion,” says Farhana Khera, the executive director of Muslim Advocates, a legal aid group. “The presentation appears to treat all Muslims with one broad brush and makes no distinction between lawful religious practice and beliefs and unlawful activities.”
A grainy copy of the PowerPoint was obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union’s Northern California chapter and the Asian Law Caucus, a San Francisco-based civil rights group, and provided to Danger Room. The two groups filed a Freedom of Information Act request last year inquiring about government surveillance of American Muslim communities.
“In order for FBI training to be effective it has to present useful, factual and unbiased information. This material fails on all three criteria,” said Mike German, a former FBI agent who now works for the ACLU. “Factually flawed and biased law enforcement training programs only expand the risk that innocent Muslim and Arab Americans will be unfairly targeted for investigation and prosecution, and stigmatized in their communities.” [Full disclosure: My fiancee works for the ACLU.]
In response to queries from Danger Room, the FBI issued the following statement about the PowerPoint: “The FBI new agent population at Quantico is exposed to a diverse curriculum in many specific areas, including Islam and Muslim culture. The presentation in question was a rudimentary version used for a limited time that has since been replaced. It was a small part of a larger segment of training that also included material produced by the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at West Point.”
It is unclear when the FBI stopped using the PowerPoint.
Among the most provocative aspects of the presentation is its recommended reading list. One book offered is The Truth About Mohammed: Founder of the World’s Most Intolerant Religion, by Robert Spencer. Spencer is one of the ringleaders of the protest against the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” and the co-founder of Stop the Islamicization of America, which “promotes a conspiratorial anti-Muslim agenda,” in the view of the Anti-Defamation League. A manifesto written by the Norwegian terror suspect Anders Behring Breivik cited Spencer 64 times.
Another book cited is The Arab Mind, by Raphael Patai. The volume was briefly infamous in 2004, after Seymour Hersh reported its influence among certain Iraq war hawks in the wake of the Abu Ghraib scandal. According to Hersh, the takeaway of Patai’s book is that “Arabs only understand force” and are susceptible to “shame and humiliation.”
“It’s like asking law enforcement to learn ‘the facts’ about the African American experience by reading a book by the grand wizard of the KKK,” says Khera. “It is deplorable and offensive that the nation’s top law enforcement agency would promote such hateful so-called ‘experts’ on Islam.”
An FBI spokesman said Spencer’s book is no longer on the reading list but was not sure about the others. “We encourage our agents to seek out a variety of viewpoints. That does not mean we endorse or adopt the view of any particular author,” the bureau’s statement continues. “Broad knowledge is essential for us to better understand and respond to the threats we face. Knowledge also helps us defeat ignorance and strengthen relationships with the diverse communities that we serve.”
When dealing with Muslims and counterterrorism, the FBI’s record is mixed. It’s sent informants into mosques and used operatives to coax suspected extremists into active terror plots, arresting them before anyone was hurt. But its agents also stood up against torture at Guantanamo Bay and in the CIA’s undisclosed prisons. FBI Director Robert Mueller testified in 2008 that many of its terrorism cases “are a result of the cooperation from the Muslim community in the United States.”
In recent years, law enforcement agencies around the country have proven receptive to anti-Muslim crusaders. The Washington Monthly recently reported on the “growing profession” of terrorism consultants who get paid to make “sweeping generalizations about Muslims” to rapt audiences of cops. Adam Serwer at the American Prospect reports that another Breivik favorite, Walid Shoebat, also gets government cash to tell police things like “Islam is the devil.”
At a Capitol Hill event on Monday, a Florida-based researcher named Peter Leitner claimed that up to 6,000 Muslims in America are a “fifth column.” According to Leitner’s official biography, he founded a group called the Higgins Counterterrorism Research Center; Higgins claims to have provided counterterrorism instruction to “FBI Counterterrorism Special Agents,” various police departments countrywide and even Blackwater.
“These characterizations of Islam and of Arab and Muslim people are not just disheartening — they are frightening,” says Veena Dubal, an attorney with the Asian Law Caucus. “Degrading and inaccurate characterizations of Islam and of the ‘Arab mind’ don’t help individual agents fight terrorism. Rather, they imbue law enforcement with an extremely biased view of a diverse community.”

 

Ahmed Wetaka
P.O BOX 2488
Mbale- Uganda
Mobile +256 772 609736

Jul29

Invitation to an Islamic Public Lecture

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Asalaam aleikum brothers and sisters,

Hope you are all fine and waiting to embrace Ramadhan. The US Embassy has a guest speaker visiting Kampala during ramdahan.
He will be at the UMSC on the 15th and it would be very engaging if we  attended and ask all questions we want since the US PAO will be present. If we dont demand for answers and explanations, who will? This year the guest speaker will have a mixed audience (brothers & sisters)

Am kindly inviting you to attend this Islamic public lecture this ramadhan;

Date: Monday 15th August at the UMSC

Venue: Board room

Time: 2:00 – 4:00pm

Topic: “Rethinking Democracy among Muslims – Are Muslims partners in Democratisation or a threat to Democracy?”

Guest speaker: Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi

Just let me know if you will spare the 2 hours with us

stay blessed

Person Of Contact:
Nageeba Hassan,
UMSC National Coordinator Women’s Desk.
Executive Director REC
+256 772 443 261

Jul29

Letter of Invitation to 3rd UMPro Ramathan Convention at MUBS 6th August

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Co-operate in Goodness and Virtue

THE UNION OF UGANDA MUSLIM PROFESSIONALS

Kamalu Limited House, 2nd Floor, Plot 743, Bombo Road,  Makerere-Kavule, ( Opposite Total Petrol Station) P.O. Box  14041 Kampala, Uganda.  Telephone :  0414 680 201  or  0772 485 803

E-mail: umpro@umpro.org    :  Website: http://www. umpro.org

26th July 2011

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters

 

Re: Invitation to the third UMPro Convention

You are invited to the third UMPro Ramathan convention due to take place on Saturday 6th August 2011 at Makerere University Business School, Nakawa. The programe starts at 9.00 a.m. and will end with iftar.  UMPro registered members will pay UGX 15,000 and non-registered members will pay UGX 25,000.

 

Introduction/ Background

This is a follow up culminating from the discussion during the first ramathan convention held at Uganda Management Institute on 29th August 2009. A paper was presented by Dr. Sowedi Mayanja of IUIU on the topic Zakat: Its practicability in our Community. This paper generated a lot of interest and questions and at the end many members showed willingness to pay zakat.  However due to the limited time matters were not concluded.  This has led us to dedicate this year’s convention to zakat and we look forward to come up with practical suggestions to the management and administration of zakat funds. There will be six papers presented, out of which four is directly focused on zakat.

The Theme: Zakat: Its role in realizing success

The Objective:

To make Muslim professionals realise the importance of zakat as a vehicle towards financial emancipation of the Ummah and act accordingly.

 

Request

Please confirm your participation by e-mail to enable us make necessary arrangements.

 

 

Eng.Dr. Adam M Sebbit

President UMPro

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

THE THIRD ANNUAL MUSLIM PROFESSIONALS RAMATHAN CONVENTION

SATURDAY 6TH AUGUST AT MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, CONFERENCE HALL.  NAKAWA

 

Time  Activity Resource Person
9.00-9.25  a.m. Registration UMPro Secretariat
9.25-9.30  a.m. Opening Prayer  
9.30-9.45 a.m. Welcome remarks Brother Mustafa Ajuga, Chairman UMPro Board of Trustee.
9.45-10.15 a.m. The Do’s  and do not’s of Ramathan Sheikh Muhammad Waiswa MUBS
10.15-10.45 a.m. Open Discussion All Participants /Facilitator
10.45-11.15 a.m. The Types of Zakat and its significance in the current Ugandan situation Dr Ziyad Lubanga, IUIU
11.15-12.15  p.m. Open Discussion All Participants /Facilitator
12.15-12.45  p.m. The Beneficiaries of Zakat according to Quran and Sunnah Dr. Sulaiti Kabali, IUIU

 
12.45- 1.15  p.m. Open Discussion All Participants /Facilitator
1.15 – 2.15  p.m. Duhuri payers All participants
2.15-2.45  p.m. Zakat and Challenges of its practicability in Uganda : Mr.Swaibu K Nsereko: The  Torch

Publications
2.45-2.45 p.m. Open discussion All Participants /Facilitator
2.45-3.15 p.m. The Waqf  and Distribution of Zakat: Current practice in Uganda Haj Muhammad Nyanzi,  House of Zakat and Waqf in Uganda
3.15-3.45 p.m. Open discussion All Participants /Facilitator
3.45-4.15 p.m. Investment club as alternative source of income Mr.Sulaiman Kiggundu, Parliamentary Budget Office
4.15-4.45 p.m. Asri prayer All participants
5.45-6.45 p.m. Plenary /Way forward /Resolution UMPro Secretariat
7.00 p.m.- Swatul  magrib  and Iftar All participants
  Departure  at leisure All participants
     

 

 

 

Jul29

Fiqh of Ramadan [Shafi'i]

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In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

The Basics of Fasting according to the Shafi’i School
(An abridged and edited version of a pamphlet written in Arabic by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed.)

1. The Ruling of Fasting Ramadan
2. Integrals
3. Recommended Measures
4. Excuses that permit one not to fast
5. Making up Missed Fasts
6. Payment
7. Expiation

Allah be praised, Lord of the Worlds. Blessings and peace on our master Muhammad and on his folk and companions, one and all.

The following rulings about the fast should be known, applied, and taught to one’s family and whoever does not know them.

1. The Ruling of Fasting Ramadan
Fasting Ramadan is personally obligatory for every Muslim who has reached puberty, is sane, and is able to fast. It is not obligatory for a non-Muslim, a child, an insane person, or someone unable to fast (such as someone of advanced years or someone who is continuously [muzmin] sick).

2. Integrals of the fast
Fasting has only two integrals: (1) the intention and (2) abstention from the nullifiers of the fast.

2.1 Integral #1: Intention
The intention is to intend to fast. Its location is in the heart, but it is sunna to say it with the tongue. One optimally says, “I intend to fast tomorrow as a current performance of the obligation of this year’s Ramadan for Allah Most High.”

For the obligatory fast, it is obligatory to make the intention during any part of the night (from sunset until just before dawn). A practical way to avoid forgetting the intention is to intend to fast the following day immediately after breaking one’s fast at sunset. Whoever forgets to make the intention, or sleeps before sunset and does not wake up until after dawn must abstain from the nullifiers during that day and then make it up after Ramadan.

For the supererogatory fast, it is permissible to delay the intention until just before the noon prayer [zuhr], provided that that one has not already done something that nullifies the fast.

It is obligatory to repeat the intention to fast for every day of Ramadan. It is good practice to intend during its first night to fast the whole month, so that one’s fast will still be valid in the school of Imam Malik (Allah have mercy on him) if one forgets the intention on a particular day.

Related Issues:
1. It is permitted to eat, drink, and have intercourse with one’s wife after making one’s intention until just before true dawn (the second call to prayer). Such actions do not void the intention to fast.

2. It is valid to intend to fast while in major ritual impurity [janabah] and then perform the purificatory bath [ghusl] after dawn, although it is better to perform it before dawn.

2.2 Integral #2: Abstention from the NullifiersThe following seven things nullify one’s fast.

2.2.1 Nullifier #1: A substance reaching the body cavity through an open orifice (substance: this excludes mere traces such as mere taste or smell without any actual substance; body cavity: like the stomach, throat, head, and inside of the ear; open orifice: like the mouth, nose, ear, and anus)

If one deliberately and willingly allows food, drink, or anything else (even if inedible) into the body cavity through one of the aforementioned orifices, and one knew that this was unlawful, one’s fast is nullified. If one does this forgetfully, under coercion, or in ignorance of its unlawfulness, one’s fast is not thereby nullified.

Related Issues:

1. Someone whose gums bleed must obligatorily wash his mouth thoroughly with water. Spitting is not sufficient.

2. It is permissible to swallow one’s saliva and one’s fast is not thereby nullified unless it is admixed with something else such as blood from the gums or food that remains in one’s mouth, in which case one invalidates one’s fast by swallowing it deliberately.

3. The ruling of mucus and phlegm is that if one is able to spit it and take it out, it is obligatory to do so, but if it inadvertently reaches one’s body cavity and one is unable to take it out, the fast is not thereby nullified.

4. If one rinses the mouth during ablution [wudu] without exaggeration and some water reaches the body cavity, one’s fast is not nullified. But if one rinses the mouth for other than the ablution (such as to cool off or for cleanliness) and water reaches the body cavity, one’s fast is nullified even if one did not exaggerate. Similarly, if one rinses the mouth during ablution and exaggerates in doing so (by gargling, for example), one’s fast will be nullified if any water reaches the body cavity.

5. If one performs an obligatory purificatory bath [ghusl] (such as for major ritual impurity or menstruation) or a recommended one (such as for the Friday prayer) and water reaches the inside of the ears, one’s fast is not nullified. But if one’s bath is neither obligatory nor recommended (such as to merely cool off or to remove sweat) and water reaches the inside of the ears, one’s fast is nullified.

6. There is no harm in swallowing saliva after rinsing the mouth even if moisture from the water remains in one’s mouth and one’s fast is not nullified because it is difficult to avoid.

7. It is permissible (although disliked) to taste food with the edge of one’s tongue, provided nothing reaches the body cavity.

8. There is no harm in smelling food, incense, or flowers.

9. Smoking nullifies the fast.

10. If street dust, flour chaff, or car smoke reaches the body cavity, or if one is standing beside someone else who is smoking, one’s fast is not nullified.

11. Nose-drops nullify the fast. Scholars have disagreed regarding eye-drops and ear-drops and it is superior to be precautious by delaying them until after sunset for whoever is able.

12. An anal suppository will nullify the fast so if one is able to delay it until after sunset, it is obligatory to do so. If one needs it during the day, however, and is unable to delay it, one may take it and it is obligatory to perform a make up fast instead of that day.

13. Scholars have disagreed whether or not the syringe nullifies the fast. Some have said that it does not nullify it and others have said that it does, and there is mercy and ease for Muslims in their disagreement, although it is superior to delay it until after sunset if one is able to. Whoever is unable to delay it may take it and his fast will not be nullified, in-sha’Allah.

14. Entering a stick in order to clean the inside of the ear nullifies the fast according to the Shafi‘i school if one is aware of this ruling. If one was unaware of it or did it forgetfully, one is excused.

15. It is permissible to put Vicks in one’s nose or to enter into one’s nose a tube [unbubah] that has a scent that one inhales in order to open one’s air ducts. As for opening them by inhaling a powder (such as snuff, for example), one’s fast is nullified if it reaches the body cavity.

16. The inhaler used by asthma patients nullifies the fast because particles like drops of water come out of it and mix with his saliva, after which the patient swallows it, causing him to break his fast.

Note: It is unlawful to present food to someone if one knows that he will eat it during the day of Ramadan (and he is not excused from fasting), to buy it for him, or to sell it to him, even if the one eating is a non-Muslim or one of one’s parents, since it constitutes helping someone to commit an act of disobedience, which is unlawful.

2.2.2 Nullifier #2: Vomiting deliberately. Deliberately inducing vomit from one’s stomach nullifies the fast. If, however, vomit overcomes one and exits without one’s choosing, the fast is not nullified.

2.2.3 Nullifier #3: Sexual intercourse even if there is no ejaculation. Both the man and the woman thereby nullify their fast, provided they remembered that they were fasting. One’s fast is not nullified by kissing and touching without intercourse unless one ejaculates (even if little).

Related Issue: If one is having intercourse with one’s wife and dawn enters and one immediately disengages, one’s fast is valid even if one ejaculates afterwards (since its cause was permissible). If one continues having intercourse, one’s fast is nullified even if one is unaware of the entrance of dawn.

2.2.4 Nullifier #4: Ejaculation caused by masturbation using the hand nullifies the fast even if done from behind a barrier (note that masturbation is unlawful even when one is not fasting). As for kissing and fondling, if one fears that it will result in ejaculation, it is unlawful to do so and if one subsequently ejaculates, it nullifies the fast. If one knows that one will not ejaculate, it is better not to engage in kissing and fondling, although they are not unlawful.

2.2.5 Nullifier #5: Menstruation or post-natal bleeding during the day of Ramadan. The fast of a woman who begins the morning in a state of purity and then begins menstruation or post-natal bleeding is nullified. It then becomes unlawful for her to abstain from the nullifiers with the intention of fasting. It is not, however, unlawful if she abstains from them without intending to fast. A woman who begins the morning in menstruation or post-natal bleeding and then becomes pure during the day is not obliged to abstain from the nullifiers for the rest of the day, although it is sunna for her to do so.

2.2.6 Nullifier #6: Insanity. If the fasting person becomes insane during the day of Ramadan (even if only for a slight moment), his fast is nullified.

2.2.7 Nullifier #7: Unconsciousness. Whoever is unconscious before dawn and remains unconscious until sunset, his fast for that day is invalid and it is obligatory for him to make it up. But if one is conscious at the beginning of the day and later becomes unconscious, or if one is unconscious at the beginning of the day and later regains consciousness during it (even if only for a slight moment), one’s fast is valid.

Note: If someone sleeps all day from dawn until sunset, his fast is valid even if he does not wake up during the day, as opposed to the one who is unconscious, as mentioned above.

2.2.8 Notes regarding the nullifiers:

1. Whoever does one of these nullifiers forgetfully, under coercion, or in ignorance of its unlawfulness, his fast is not nullified, although ignorance of the rulings of the sacred law is not an excuse for someone who has access to scholars and muftis.

2. It is obligatory to abstain from these nullifiers starting from true dawn. The moment the muezzin says, the first “Allahu akbar” to signify the entrance of dawn, it becomes unlawful for someone legally responsible to perform a nullifier. If there is food or drink in his mouth, it is obligatory for him to spit it out. Some of the unlearned continue to eat and drink until the end of the adhan and this is a grave mistake that nullifies the fast.

3. Whoever obstinately [muta‘addiyan] nullifies his fast through eating, drinking, or another nullifier without excuse is sinful and it is obligatory for him to abstain for the remainder of the day. He must make up a day in place of the one he nullified, provided it did not happen through intercourse. If he nullified it through intercourse, it is obligatory for him to make up the day he nullified and to also perform an expiation, as explained later on.

4. Whoever eats, drinks, or has intercourse thinking it merely probable that the sun has set without attaining confidence that it actually has set, must obligatorily make up that day. Whoever eats, drinks, or has intercourse thinking it probable that it is still nighttime and it subsequently learns that dawn had entered, his fast is nullified and he must abstain from the nullifiers of the fast for the rest of the day and make up the missed fast. If he does not come to learn that dawn had actually entered, his fast remains valid.

3. Recommended Measures while Fasting
1. To hasten to break the fast once it has been established that the sun has set. If one doubts whether or not it has set, one should not hasten to break the fast.

2. To break the fast with three or more moist dates [rutab]. If one is unable to do so, then with dry dates [tamr] and if one is unable to do even that, then with water. If one cannot break it with water, then it is recommended to do so with something sweet like raisins.

3. To eat the predawn meal. It has a great blessing in it. It is sunna to delay it until just before dawn as long as delaying it does not result in doubt regarding the entrance of dawn.

4. To abandon vulgar speech such as lying, backbiting, and tale-bearing. These things are unlawful even if not fasting but they become even more so when fasting. If someone abuses one, one should say three times, “I am fasting” (either with the tongue or in the heart).

5. To give much charity.

6. To break others’ fasts even if only with a sip of water.

7. To perform much worship such as praying, learning sacred knowledge, reciting the Qur’an, making remembrance of Allah, and performing the spiritual retreat [i‘tikaf].

8. To keep good relations with kinfolk and visit others for the sake of Allah Most High.

9. To take a bath [ghusl] every night of Ramadan, especially if one attends the group prayer.

Warning: Let the fasting Muslim who is avid for his religion and the pleasure of his Master beware lest he conclude his day of fasting by breaking it with smoking, having finished off his good work with an unlawful act that Allah is not pleased with. Whoever prefers Allah, Allah will prefer him.

4. Excuses that Permit one not to Fast
1. Sickness during which fasting causes extreme hardship (meaning that one fears a worsening of the sickness, loss of limb, or loss of life). If one begins the day fasting and then later becomes sick in the manner described above, it is permissible for one to break the fast.

2. A long trip (81 km. or more), provided one begins traveling before dawn. If one travels after dawn, one is not excused from fasting unless one experiences extreme hardship such as extreme hunger or thirst.

3. Pregnancy or nursing when the woman fears for herself or her child. Note that mere pregnancy without any legitimate fear of harm for herself or for her child does not excuse her from fasting.

5. Making up Missed Fasts
All missed fasts must obligatorily be made up later on, regardless of whether they were missed with a valid excuse (such as sickness or travel) or without an excuse, except a child when he reaches puberty, an insane person when he regains sanity, an original non-Muslim when he accepts Islam, an old person who is unable to fast, and someone who is continuously sick. These people are not obliged to make up their missed fasts.

Related Issue: If, while fasting, a child reaches puberty, a traveler ceases his travel, or a sick person recovers, it is obligatory for them to complete their fast. If they were not fasting, it is recommended for them to abstain from the nullifiers for the remainder of the day.

6. Payment [fidya]
Payment [fidya] is due from four:

1. An old person who is unable to fast.

2. Someone continuously ill.

3. Whoever delays making up missed fasts until the following Ramadan without being excused in this delay. Payment [fidya] is due for every year.

4. The pregnant or nursing woman who doesn’t fast purely out of fear for her child. If she fears purely for her own self or for both herself and her child, payment [fidya] is not due from her.

According to the Shafi‘is, payment is a handful (about 275 grams) of food from the main staple of the area, such as wheat, barley, or rice. It can be paid to any deserving recipient of zakat.

7. Expiation [kaffara]
Expiation is only due on someone who deliberately and willingly has intercourse during the day of Ramadan in full knowledge of its unlawfulness when he has not already nullified that day’s fast by eating or drinking.

As for the one who merely touches his wife without actual intercourse, or has intercourse not remembering that he was fasting, or under coercion, or out of ignorance of its unlawfulness, or has already nullified his fast before intercourse by eating or drinking, he does not need to perform an expiation.

Expiation is only obligatory for the husband; it is not obligatory for the wife. An expiation is due for every day of Ramadan that one nullifies through intercourse.

One performs the expiation by freeing a believing slave. If unable, then one must fast for two consecutive months and if unable to do even that, then one must feed 60 people who are short of money (see Reliance, h8.11) a handful (about 275 grams) of food from the main staple of the area (such as wheat, barley, or rice).

Warning: Some newlywed youths ignorantly have intercourse during the days of Ramadan, preferring to satisfy their lusts rather than obey Allah Most High. They should fear Allah and know that in addition to the expiation they have to perform for every fast nullified through intercourse, they are also falling into Allah’s wrath and anger during this tremendous [mu‘adhdham] month.

 

Ahmed Wetaka
P.O BOX 2488
Mbale- Uganda
Mobile +256 772 609736

Jul29

Ronald Mayinja’s marriage to a Muslim girl is in deed one of the greatest injustice/shame done to the Muslim community

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Mayinja with Aisha at her parents home after introduction

Dear forum members, Assalaam Alaikum.

I remember Aisha Nakyeyune at Kawempe Muslim Secondary School as an innocent girl at that time. She was in senior one and we were the A level elders trying to encourage them to pray and be committed Muslims.

If she has decided to go with Mayinja, that is a wrong decision for her and the family members. Allah instructs believers not to marry non Muslim men or women because those are leading us to hell and Allah is inviting us towards Jannah by telling us to marry believing women or getting married to non Muslim men. A slave girl who is a Muslim is better than a non Muslim lady from Balangira and a poor Muslim man is better than a rich non Mulsim man like mayinja.

For one to appreciate such must be blessed by Allah. Let us pray to Allah to guide us and our brothers and sisters. It is easy to do what Aisha did if you are not protected by Allah. Seek His protection always dear forum members.

Some Muslims did a wonderful job to pray to Allah to enable Aisha see light again but we should now combine the dua to include Mayinja. We pray to Allah to give them guidance.

We ought to pray for our children as well because Aisha is a daughter of Hajj Kyambadde, bambi! Allah has tested him with a very serious paper. May Allah guide him as well.

Members, money, leadership, women, food are very serous trials. Be very careful with them. Many parents have given away their daughters to non Muslims due to material gains. Pray to Allah not to test you with any of those trials.

But as away forward we might need to establish a centre for connecting Muslim brothers and sisters who want to marry or get married. This is simply because, many Muslim sisters tell us that they have looked around for Muslim men but they are not there. The reverse is also true. Do not we need such a unit to connect these wandering fellows! food for thought.

Shukuran
Aisha and Mayinja

Abdulhamid Mpoza
Assistant Lecturer
Department of Mass Communication
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Islamic University in Uganda
P.O.BOX 2555 Mbale-Kumi Road
Cellphone:+256-772-898240/+

256-701-898240
Jul24

UGANDA MUSLIM WEBSITE IDEAS

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Assalamu Alaikum,

As I pointed out some time ago, I’m thinking of a new website for all Muslims in Uganda. We are not considering of re-designing the existing one /blog. I’m gonna use the web designers here in the United Kingdom. This will give me a chance to work with him or her to establish the requirements of our site. The good thing is that I’m familiar with the technicalities of the Internet. So this won’t be a problem at all.

But since I’m doing this on behalf of the whole Muslim community in Uganda and abroad, I would like a few ideas from the members here that may be appealing and necessary on our website. I don’t want to dictate everything in this matter and assume that it will please everyone, but I’m gonna list a few points to consider.

The rationale for the website

First of all, why do we want a new website for all Muslims in Uganda?

1. Give the Muslim community in Uganda and what we do at UMBS some more online credibility;

2. Serve as a reference point;

3. Sell products online on behalf of the Muslims with businesses;

4. Generate revenue through online advertising for those Muslims who wish to use this service. They will obviously have to pay some money to us because we will put in time to maintain and update the website on a regular basis.

Anyway, as long as we use a decent web company we should at least get a site that gives some online credibility but hopefully it will help us in one of the other areas too.

Logo and branding

I want members to privately send me some of the logos and brands they think would be suitable for our website. If something is nice, then I will just make sure that it is imbedded in our website.

Logo design and branding – although both falling under the graphic design umbrella – are actually different disciplines. If we have no logo / branding this needs to be considered during the early stages of the site design.

The look and feel of the site

Following on from the branding comes the actual look and feel of the site. At this stage it will be useful to send to our prospective web designer links to websites that we like. It’s also just as useful for a web designer to see sites that we don’t like.

So please, suggest to me the links you would like to appear on our Muslim website. I personally hope to include a web link to Islamic University in Uganda and the Torch Newspaper on the site, but I want more if you have any.

The content of the site

How many pages do we want? I will need to be able to update the pages myself depending on what is going on in the Muslim community? Sites that have ‘static’ content – text and images that are always the same or are updated infrequently – take a lot less time to develop than ‘dynamic’ content – content you can update yourself. ‘Static’ websites also cost less money from what I have been already briefed than ‘dyanamic’ ones. But ours is gonna be updated regularly with a lot of stuff. So it will cost us an arm and a leg.

We are thinking of including a chart page to help unmarried Muslims to interract regulaly to help them meet fellow Muslims for marriage, but all this will depend on the money available to design the website.

Search engine optimization requirements

Do we need to be visible on the search engines? If so, what words would we wish potential customers/Muslims to type in to find our website? I’m thinking of keeping the name:’ UGANDA MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS (UMBS), but I wonder if some of you have got other ideas. Do you want us to go with a different name?

Despite what some people may think, I have been briefed that search engine optimisation (SEO) needs to be built into the site from the outset; it is not something you can plug in afterwards (well you can but it takes a lot more time).

Text and images

We’ll need text and images for our website. Have you got any images you would like us to consider for the website,e.g, old Kampala Mosque, Kibuli Mosque, Muslim heroes, e.t.c. Please send them to me on: abbeysemuwemba@yahoo.co.uk

I have also been briefed that getting copy (or text) for websites is without a doubt the most common reason a website is launched late. I have also been briefed that writing content for your site sounds easy but give it a go – it’s harder than you think. So you all understand why we may need to charge you for adverts on this website BECAUSE WE WILL BE PUTTING IN A LOT TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR EVERYONE.

For instance, if you sell HALAL meat, it will give u chance to help Muslims to know where to find this meat instead of them going in places they don’t know; if you are a Muslim doctor with a clinic in Kampala, Muslims will definitely come to you before they go anywhere else.

Domain name

A domain name is the name you see in the address bar of your browser when you visit a site (e.g. http://www.ugandamuslims.com). Because we don’t have a domain name already we will need to register one; they are very inexpensive (just a few pounds per year). It is normally paid on annual basis and we intend to do this through revenues generated from the website. The moment Muslims stop advertising or supporting us financially in anyway, we shall close shop. But don’t worry so much, we shall always find a way around this inishallah.

Hosting

A website is physically ‘hosted’ on a server somewhere. To host a website securely and effectively is quite a complicated matter in its own right so it’s best to pay a company to do it for you.

We want this website to be hosted here in the UK rather than Uganda because of the uncertainties in Uganda. For instance, the Monitor website was temporary closed in 2006 elections when it started releasing electoral results that showed that Besigye was winning. So, we don’t want to be blackmailed by anybody in Uganda despite the fact that we love them all in some way.

Timescales

When does it need completing for? As you can see there is a lot to consider so it’s best for us and the web designer to come up with a realistic deadline. My only obstacle at the moment is ‘Mr. BUMALI’( cash). As you can see we are all in recession, so I could not possibly finance all this myself at the moment which brings me to the last thing to consider: BUDGET

Budget

And finally we have the unpleasant matter of the bill. I have therefore put a donation button or link below that will allow people to contribute whatever they can afford to help us finish this job in time.You can donate securely online using your PayPal account, just click on the ‘’donate’’ by PayPal button, or sign up for a free PayPal account. If I don’t get money, I will not be able to do this as you want it to be.

http://um-bs.com/donate/

The message: ‘donate to UMBS’, is already running at the end of every message on this forum but surprisingly we have not got any single cent from anybody so far. It has been running for a while but there is nothing received so far from anybody.

Or e-mail abbeysemuwemba@gmx.co.uk or abbeysemuwemba@yahoo.co.uk to arrange a payment method suitable for you .

For Western Union or Moneygram, send payment to:

Abbey Semuwemba

So, as you can see there is more to a website than meets the eye – but don’t worry if you’re puzzled by it all. We shall get there with everybody’s support inishallah.

–
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
MODERATOR
UK

http://ugandansatheart.org/

http://twitter.com/#!/semuwemba

http://jjanguonkwekule.blogspot.com/

http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/

Jul18

A liver transplant Fundraising for Mr. Musa Adyebuga

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Members,

We have been trying to raise funds to help our fellow staff Mr. Musa Adyebuga (Banking Officer/Namirmbe Rd. Br.) earlier scheduled for a liver transplant in India in June this year. However, up to now he has not raised the required amount. Out of the estimated UGX 144,000,000= required he has been able to realize around UGX 70,000,000= so far from well wishers, Bank’s contribution and withdrawal of his accrued contribution with NSSF.

He has now reached a crucial time for his overdue operation. In view of this, we are making a final appeal to all those who may not have been able to contribute so far, to generously contribute what they can including additional contributions from those who may wish to enable our colleague to go for the operation.

Otherwise, we wish to thank all those who have contributed and or mobilized contributions from well wishers outside the Bank

All contributions are made on the collection account opened in Centenary Bank for this purpose as indicated below;

Account name: Adyebuga Musa Surgery Collection A/C
Account class/no. S/A 2120400168

Jul15

HAJJI INFORMATION 2011 UNITED KINGDOM

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Dear Brothers and sisters  Asalaam alaikum


this is the information for hajji 2011
departure date and return for Hajji 2011 Allah willing

28 OCTOBER DEPARTURE AND RETURN 17TH NOVEMBER (19 DAYS) FROM HEATHROW AIRPORT

SAUDI AIRLINE DIRECT FLIGHT TO SAUDI ARABIA ARRIVING AT MADIINAH AVOIDING THAT LONG QUEUES AT JEDDAH HUJJAJ AIRPORT

WE WILL BE USING FOUR STAR HOTEL IN MADIINA CALLED LULU MUBARAK HOTEL. ONLY FIVE FROM MASJID (FOR ABOUT 4DAYS) NABAWWI MADIINA.
 AND FIVE STAR HOTEL IN MAKKAH CALLED RAMADA HOTEL. IT IS JUST FIVE MINUTES FROM HARAM MAKKAH

YOU CAN CHECK OUR HOTELS ONLINE

THE FAIRS ARE 2,450 POUNDS EVERY THING INCLUDED APART FROM FOOD


WE HOPE TO PROVIDE SOME FOOD AND HOT DRINKS IN ARAFAT AND MINA AND IN PLACES WHERE FOOD IS NOT EASY TO ACCESS ALLAH WILLING AS A GOOD GESTURE AND BROTHERHOOD IN ISLAM  TO ALL PILGRIMS

WE HAVE A QUICK HAJJI FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK 


 28TH OCTOBER DEPARTURE AND 11TH NOVEMBER RETURN BUT THIS IS INDIRECT FLIGHT 

 2200 POUNDS

 HOWEVER THIS ONE IS ADVISABLE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO RETURN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IT IS SO CLOSE TO WHEN YOU DEPART AND THE FINISHING OF HAJJI RITUALS AND THE ROUTE IS INDIRECT. WE JUST PUT IT FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO STAY LONGER IN SAUDI ARABIA.

PLEASE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS DON’T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME ON 077374 58994 OR BY EMAIL.mukwayamusa@hotmail.com

REGARDS

MUSA MUKWAYA

Organiser

Jul15

UMYA RAMADHAN SEMINARS 2011 SUMMARY PROGRAM

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UGANDA MUSLIM YOUTH ASSEMBLY (UMYA)

unveils

 The ANNUAL UMYA RAMADHAN SEMINARS 2011 SUMMARY PROGRAM

VENUE :

KIBULI Primary Teachers College“Main Hall”

Entrance:

Free for All

Dont Miss Great ….!!! and Popular Personalities including  Diplomats,Gorvenment Ministers,Sheirks and other religious leaders,Academicians,Politicians,Security Agencies,World popular speakers invited from various Countries(Guest Speakers),Cultural Leaders,E.T.C

- Hide quoted text -

Weekly Preachings and reminders on Fasting,Free Weekly literature

Open discussion forums for all participants

Islamic network forum

seek free information on various aspects

a human rights desk to receive and handle complaints

 

 

THEME

 

“REAL ISSUES, REAL SOLUTIONS: MOVING FROM CONCEPTS TO IMPLEMENTATION”

SEMINAR ONE

 

 

 

SUNDAY 7TH /8/2011

 

Morning Session 8Am-1Pm

Topics

 

  1. The Basic Identity and Duty of a Muslim in light of the verse: “…This Day I have perfected your Religion for you, completed my favors upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your Religion.”Qn (5:3)

 

  1. Fasting in Islam: The day of a typical fasting Muslim

 

 Afternoon Session 1:20pm-4pm

 

  1. The Arab World and the on-going Revolutions: Causes and Dynamics

SEMINAR TWO

 

SUNDAY 14/8/2011

Morning Session 8am-1pm

Topics

  1. Burial Rites in Islam
  2. Inheritance in Islam
  3. Treatment by Ruquya: Basic Knowledge that all Muslims should have.

 

Afternoon Session 1:20pm-4pm

  1. Terrorism and American Policing: Who are the Principal Suspects?

 

 

 

 

 

SEMINAR THREE

 

SUNDAY 21/8/2011

 

Morning Session 8am-1pm

 

Topics

1.      Family Values and Child Upbringing in Islam

2.      Heroes of Islam, the Life and Contribution of Swaibu Semakula.

3.      The challenges of Climate Change, Global warming and Food Security. What do we need to know and do NOW?.

 

Afternoon Session 1:20pm-4pm

 

  1. The Administration of Muslim Personal Law Bill: Ugandan Muslims versus the Ugandan State.

 

SEMINAR FOUR

 

SUNDAY 28/8/2011

Morning Session 8am-1pm

Topics

 

  1. Zakaatul Fitr and general life of a Muslim after Ramadan”
  2. Legal Hurdles to Islamic Banking in Uganda.
  3. Beyond Courts of Law and Political patronage: Alternative Dispute Resolution avenues for Ugandan Muslims.

 

Afternoon Session 1:20pm-4pm

  1. Civil liberty Vs National Security: Human Rights and the Brutality of security forces.

 

SEMINAR FIVE

SUNDAY 4th /09/2011

TO BE ANNOUNCED

Jul15

PROSPECTS OF ISLAMIC BANKING IN UGANDA : (2008 OIC BUSINESS FORUM) PAPER PRESENTED AT 2009 UMYA RAMADHAN SEMINARS

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DONT MISS THE 2011 UMYA RAMADHAN SEMINARS EVERY SUNDAY OF RAMADHAN STARTING SUNDAY 7TH AUGUST 2011 AT KIBULI PTC-FREE ENTRY

PROSPECTS OF ISLAMIC BANKING IN UGANDA : A FOLLOW UP TO THE 2008 OIC BUSINESS FORUM – CONFERENCE

By Hajjat Afuah Sebyala
Coordinator. OIC Business Forum 2008, Held in Uganda

This is an Original written Paper presented at the 2009 Uganda Muslim
Youth Assembly (UMYA) Ramadan Seminars held at Kibuli Primary Teachers
College, Kampala, Uganda.

Paper Presentation

A. WHAT IS ISLAMIC BANKING? – Islamic banking is a banking system that
is based on the principles of Islamic law (also known as Sharia, or
Shariah) and guided by Islamic economics. Two (2) basic principles
behind Islamic banking are  a) the sharing of profit and loss and, b)
significantly, the prohibition of the collection and payment of
interest. Collecting interest is not permitted under Islamic law ( it
is known as  RIBA).

B. PRACTICES OF ISLAMIC BANKING
1.      There are various Islamic banking products (over 40) , but will
mention a few.
2.      It must be understood that interest free banking alone cannot be
termed Islamic; there are other conditions which must be met before it
can be fully classified as an Islamic bank.
a) Wadiah Yad Dhamanah (savings with guarantee)
Refers to goods or deposits, which have been deposited with another
person, who is not the owner, for safekeeping. As wadiah is a trust,
the depository becomes the guarantor and, therefore guarantees
repayment of the whole amount of the deposits, or any part thereof,
outstanding in the account of depositors, when demanded. The
depositors are not entitled to any share of the profits but the
depository may provide returns to the depositors as a token of
appreciation.
b) Mudharabah (profit-sharing)
Refers to an agreement made between a capital provider and another
party (entrepreneur), to enable the entrepreneur to carry out business
projects, based on a profit sharing basis, of a pre-agreed ratio. In
the case of losses, the losses are borne by the provider of the funds.
c) Musyarakah (joint venture)
Refers to a partnership or joint venture for a specific business,
whereby the distribution of profits will be apportioned according to
an agreed ratio. In the event of losses, both parties will share the
losses on the basis of their equity participation.
d) Murabahah (cost plus) Refers to the sale of goods at a price, which
includes a profit margin as agreed to by both parties. Such sales
contract is valid on the condition that the price, other costs and the
profit margin of the seller are stated at the time of the agreement of
sale.
C. BRIEF HISTORY OF MODERN ISLAMIC BANKING
The origins can be traced back to the very beginning  of Islam however
modern Islamic banking as it is known today started mainly from Egypt
and to some extent in Malaysia.
EGYPT- Some pioneering Islamic banks on a very modest scale were
established in Egypt in the 1960s and operated as rural social banks
along the river Nile.
The very first Islamic bank to be developed as a result was the Nasser
Social Bank, which begun operating in Cairo, Egypt, in 1972. Then in
1975 Dubai  Islamic Bank was established.
MALAYSIA –  In 1963, Tabung Haji or Pilgrims Management and Fund Board
started  in Malaysia,  also  played an imperative role in the
evolution of Islamic banks. The aim was  the desire that money for
pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca  should be clean of interest, which wasn’t
possible with conventional bank
Tabung Haji is not a bank but it operates similarly by, accepting
deposits and making investment, under the guidance of National Fatawah
Committee of Malaysia.
The first Islamic bank established in Malaysia was Bank Islam Malaysia
Berhad (BIMB) which commenced operations on 1 July 1983. expanding
rapidly throughout the country with a network of 80 branches and 1,200
employees.
In 1975, the Islamic conference of Finance Ministers in, Saudi Arabia
approved the establishment of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
TOFINANCE PROJECTS  amongst OIC member countries
Currently over 53 countries have Islamic banking institutions and this
continues to expand over Europe, United States and the Far East.

D. Why Islamic banking (Islamic teaching and link to the current global
financial and economic crisis)

1.      Teachings   To Conform to the Islamic Teaching
2.      NO speculation – It is Ethical banking linking financial system to
the Real Economy. Because of its good practices, It is termed as
ethical banking, there is therefore No Speculation as  a bank’s
profits are directly linked to the rate of return that a borrowing
company generates, then the financial system would is linked to the
real economy.
3.      No reckless Lending The idea of banks sharing in the risk of the
borrower, should help keep lending in check.
4.      No gambling What has been seen with the Conventional banking, the
financial system that has grown beyond the real economy, into what has
been described by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as a “casino”.
Especially in the market for credit default swaps, finance had grown
beyond an economic support mechanism, into a global gambling arena
worth countless billions of dollars, until eventually everyone
realized that, to again quote Mr. Yunus, “Castles were built in the
sky, and suddenly people realized that these castles don’t exist at
all.”
5.      Could avoid future economic crisis Amidst global bailout packages,
linking a banks profits to the growth rate of its customers should
help prevent the reckless offerings of credit offered by banks that
was a major factor in the current crisis. After all, it would be
awfully easy for these banks to hand out credit with little
afterthought,
6.      Take advantage of the Boom- As if to answer the One, AP business
writer Emma Vandore explains, in his article Crisis widen appeal for
Islamic Finance, An unexpected by product of the global financial
crisis has been a boom for Islamic banks, With France  becoming the
latest country to woo Islamic banks, which avoided much of the damage
from the subprime mortgage crisis by following strict principles laid
out in the Quran
7.      Fairly Resilient – A November report by Moody’s shows that Islamic
banks have been fairly resilient. “If global banking practices were
based on Islamic practices then we wouldn’t be seeing the kind of
crisis we are living through now,” he said.
8.      Greater social justice -Islamic financial institutions work on a
philosophy of prohibiting transactions considered immoral and
promoting greater social justice by sharing risk and reward. Investing
in casinos, pornography, arm dealers or anything to do with that is
prohibited
9.      Real and genuine transactions” Islamic banking is saying we are
close to our clients and we’re only going to do genuine transactions
where we can see the asset, we understand the asset, we can make an
assessment of that asset: whether it’s financing a ship or an aircraft
they will go and have a look at the business. It’s giving guidance as
to what banking should be.”
E. Model Islamic banking in Malaysia and Pakistan
Pakistan and Malaysia can be assumed as the two leaders of Islamic
Finance.Both Malaysia and Pakistan started Islamic banking in early
1980’s but  employed entirely different approaches.

Pakistan – the Government attempted to convert the entire
financial
system in  accordance with Islamic law at once at national
level through
presidential orders.  However, the overnight practice of
islamization
didn’t achieve the required success.
Most of the efforts have either been reversed or further
developments
have been stopped.

Pakistan after the gap of twenty years has now decided to
shift towards
Interest free economy in a gradual and phased manner
starting all over
again.

Malaysia – adopted the gradual application approach. It allowed
Islamic and conventional banking systems to operate and to compete for
deposits on parallel basis.
Malaysia opted for the alternative gradual way of developing and
implementing Islamic banking system. Starting with one Islamic bank it
later allowed conventional financial institutions to offer and
participate in Islamic banking products and services through their
existing branches and staff.
In Malaysia,  What was done in order to introduce The Islamic Banking
A.   LEGISLATION
•       Separate Islamic legislation and banking regulations exist
side-by-side with those for the conventional banking system.
•       The legal basis for the establishment of Islamic banks was the
Islamic Banking Act (IBA) which came into effect on 7 April 1983.
•       The IBA provides BNM( the Central bank of Malaysia)  with powers to
supervise and regulate Islamic banks, similar to the case of other
licensed banks.
•       The Government Investment Act 1983 was also enacted at the same time
to empower the Government of Malaysia to issue Government Investment
Issue (GII), which are government securities issued based on Sharia
principles.
•       As the GII are regarded as liquid assets, the Islamic banks could
invest in the GII to meet the prescribed liquidity requirements as
well as to invent their surplus funds.
•       BNM adopted a step-by-step approach to achieve the objective.
•        The first step to spread the virtues of Islamic banking was to
disseminate Islamic banking on a nation-wide basis, with as many
players as possible and to be able to reach all Malaysians. After a
careful consideration of various factors, BNM decided to allow the
existing banking institutions to offer …Islamic banking services using
their existing infrastructure and branches.
•       In terms of products and services, there are more than 40 Islamic
financial products and services that may be offered by the banks using
various Islamic concepts such as Mudharabah, Musyarakah, Murabahah,
Bai’ Bithaman Ajil (Bai’ Muajjal), Ijarah, Qardhul Hasan, Istisna’ and
Ijarah Thumma Al-Bai’.
•       To link the institutions and the instruments, the Islamic Interbank
Money Market (IIMM) was introduced on 4 January 1994.
•       In October 1996, BNM issued a model financial statement for the
banking institutions participating in the SPI requiring the banks to
disclose the Islamic banking operations (balance sheet and profit and
loss account) as an additional item under the Notes to the Accounts.
ACCOUNTED FOR SEPARATELY
•       As part of the effort to streamline and harmonise the Syariah
interpretations among banks and takaful companies, BNM established the
National Syariah Advisory Council on Islamic Banking and Takaful
(NSAC) on 1 May 1997 as the highest Syariah authority on Islamic
banking and takaful in Malaysia.
. The primary objectives of the NSAC are as follows:-
• To act as the sole authoritative body to advise BNM on Islamic
banking and takaful operations;
• To co-ordinate Syari’ah issues with respect to Islamic banking and
finance (including takaful); and
•To analyse and evaluate Syari’ah aspects of new products/schemes
submitted by the banking institutions and takaful companies.
•       On 1 October 1999, a second Islamic bank, namely Bank Muamalat
Malaysia Berhad (BMMB) commenced operations.
IBS banking institutions have increased to 36 till the end of 2003,
comprising 14 commercial banks (of which 4 are foreign banks), 10
finance companies, 5 merchant banks and 7 discount houses.

F. Islamic banking in East Africa ( Kenya and Tanzania)

In view of current efforts to ensure greater cooperation of the East
African Countries- A brief look at the Islamic banking in East Africa
is paramount.
EAST AFRICA EXPERIENCE –  TANZANIA
•       Muslims make up more than 50 per cent of Tanzania’s population.
Existing banking regulations have hindered the introduction of Islamic
banking in the past.
•       The Tanzania government   has finally approved Kenya Commercial Bank
( KCB – Tanzania) TO START Islamic banking Products with the first one
called  Amaana( Trust) Islamic suite.
•         stringent guidelines set by the National Muslim Council of
Tanzania. Among these are the establishment of an Amana Banking
Advisory Board to oversee the product and the appointment of
Shariah-compliance officers.
EAST AFRICA EXPERIENCE  Cont.-  KENYA
•       The Central Bank of Kenya it its 2008 Report state, that Islamic
banking had managed to bring more of the unbanked population into
banking halls.
•       Speaking at the first East African Islamic banking conference at a
Nairobi hotel in , Ms Rose Detho, who is in charge of bank supervision
at the CBK said the concept had largely succeeded.
•       The first two fully-fledged Islamic banks in Kenya,
1.      Gulf African Bank and
2.      First Community Bank were licensed mid 2007.
•       Five other conventional banks have introduced Islamic banking
products. “The Central Bank is impressed that the Islamic banks that
have operated for hardly a year have made milestones said Madam
Dhetto,”
Kenya like Malaysia had to revise and amend the banking Legislation to
be able to introduce the Islamic banking
G. PROSPECTS OF ISLAMIC BANKING IN UGANDA

i) What happened at the  OIC BUSINESS FORUM?

OIC resolutions – There was no resolution regarding setting up of an
Islamic Bank. But His excellency Ahmed Darwish Dagher Almarar
President of the INTERNATIONAL INVESTIMENT HOUSE( IIH) of  ABU DHABI
made a presentation and  announced that his  institution had paired up
with the National Bank of Commerce Uganda  to form the National
Islamic bank of Uganda( NIBU)

However   WHAT was part of the resolution was the  setting up by the
Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( ICCI) of the International
Islamic Company for Exploration of Investment Opportunities and
Promotion of Intra trade ( FORAS) – this will be able to finance
projects with funds based on Islamic banking principles. It is fully
lincenced in Uganda with an office on Kyaggwe Road.

- In May 2009 in Syria Uganda Mimister of Foreign Affairs handed over the
OIC Ministerial Chair to Syria,
-National Chamber of Commerce can give you more information on the
OIC Business forum.

ii) What is the case for Uganda currently in 2009?

In Uganda, Reliable information from the Central Bank( Bank of Uganda)
show that Uganda is also gearing up to have its first Islamic bank or
to have existing banks introduce Islamic Banking products.

Brief statistics – Banks in Uganda – Licenced Commercial banks 21,
credit institutions 3, Micro finance deposit taking institutions 4,
leasing companies 2 and development banks 3

iii)What needs to be done? And what is being done?
As has been in the success stories of malaysia, a gradual introduction
will be the best for Uganda

1.      It requires amending the Act- Financial Institutions Act,2004 and
Micro Finance Deposit taking Institutions Act 2003  and implementing
Regulations
a)      Licensing
b)      Asset Quality
c)      Liquidity
d)      Capital Adequacy
To provide for ,
-  Profit/ Loss Sharing in case of instruments like the T/B = Treasury
Bills
-  Setting up of Sharia Boards within Commercial Islamic bank- for
credit and other products approval
-    verifying sharia  compliant products

2.      Bank of Uganda( BOU) is committed to the establishment of Islamic
banks or Banks offering Islamic banking Products ( This like other
East African countries mainly  Kenya)

3.      Commitment evidence-  It is the BOU as Government is not direct
since 1993- Bank of Uganda Statute 1993  and the Financial
Institutions Act,2004 ( gave it autonomy) ( before 1993, BOU needed
the Minister of Finance’s approval but now BOU can licence

-       BOU actions towards the Implementation,
a)      Has started Building Capacity to be able to Regulate the Islamic
banking  by training regulators  through sending their staff to  train
in Islamic banking  and Islamic Finance
b)      Selected  staff are sent for training in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia,
with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
c)      The draft  amendment to the Law is in process
d)      When the draft is ready it will then be sent through the normal
Government system for Law amendment ie To cabinet and then to
Parliament ( It is difficult to tell how long the process will take
since BOU has no control over Cabinet and Parliament)

4.      Some applications  for Licencing have  been received, they cannot
be processed until the Relevant Law is in Place. One application
involves   IDB, Iran Dar Bank, a Bangaladesh bank and some Ugandan
shareholders  But other already existing banks have also shown
interesting in introducing islamic banking products and these are many
the minute BOU is ready …………………….

5.      The Banks will then be required to show that they have competencies
to handle Islamic banking by way of management and relevantly trained
staff
6.      On the ground  some banks are already offering  banking accounts
without interest. But BOU says this is not under any current Law.
7.       Due to the high competition If you told your banker that my
account should not have interst , they would do it, (As mentioned not
giving of interest alone does not constitute Islamic banking

iv) What are the Likely Constraints / likely challenges

-       The concepts are new there might be capacity problems with
dissemination and senstising of the people
-       Moral Decay the low levels of honesty and trustworthiness in the
market, may result in none disclosure of actual profits
-        The poor system of book keeping accounts and audits, coupled with
lack of integrity may hamper full disclosure
(We have heard of some unethical behaviors in some companies where
they keep separate books of accounts for different purposes like the
Shareholders have a different balance sheet, For The Tax Authorities
is a conservative one and the 3rd one is the real one which is
accessed by very few( the selected few in the inner circle)

-        The banks may lack  means for monitoring the businesses
-       Legal system may lack capacity to help the finance providers in case
of default by the fund-users, since these are new concepts
-       Lack of a vibrant Islamic money market. May give limited options for
complying investments
-        Clear separation of shareholders funds from the client funds may be
difficult
-       The banks may not get suitably qualified people  to sit on their Sharia Boards
-       Lack of a common refence point(which Muslim supreme council in
Uganda- Old kampala, kibuli or….?  )for all muslims may have
conflicting authority on who is approving those qualified to sit on
the sharia Boards ( Compared to Tanzania, where the National Muslim
Council set stringent guidelines and all agreed with them)
-       Interbank  dealings may be hard as most of the banks are
conventional( do not follow sharia)

Without proper Corporate Governance, the Islamic Banking systems may
not function properly.

H.  CONCLUSION
1.      The Prospects Of Islamic Banking In Uganda Are Higher Now Than Ever Before
2.      Preparations Are In Top Gear And There Are Many Willing Banking
Institutions To Offer The Service,
3.      Support These Banks In Case They Start As It Is A Noble Cause
4.      Just Keep Your Ears On The Ground.

WAIT FOR MORE AT THIS YEARS UMYA RAMADHAN SEMINARS.

Cordination Desk-2011

Jul15

Useful tips for Ramadhan

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A.A brothers and sisters,
The Prophet (Sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said:-
‘One who does not abandon evil talk and actions, then Allaah is not in need of him abandoning his food and drink’. (i.e. his fasting)
  
 
Ramadan is a month of self-training, self-discipline and self-control for people of the Muslim faith.
 
It is a time to develop personal character by making a conscious effort to control emotions.
From dawn ’til dusk Muslims are to abstain from sexual intercourse, eating and drinking, which includes taking anything orally including water and medications. With Ramadan taking place during this hot summer it is even more important for people participating in this month to be aware of their health.


Fasting during Ramadan can be done safely and can even benefit one’s health, but it begins with preparation. It’s important to understand that fasting in Ramadan is different from total fasting or starvation diets, which can be unhealthy and lead to electrolyte imbalances.
 
Only with a prolonged fast does the body turn to protein for energy by breaking down muscle.
This does not happen during Ramadan since people still eat two meals a day.
A Ramadan fast can be beneficial to the body allowing a person to lose weight, lower blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol all while maintaining muscle mass.

To gain these benefits it is essential to eat a well-balanced diet during Ramadan and to get plenty of rest.

The deciding factor on whether a person stays healthy during Ramadan is not the fast itself, but what he or she eats during the non-fasting hours.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind while fasting:-


1.    Follow the medical advice of your doctor regarding the safety of fasting if you are on medication.

2.    Do not overeat during non-fasting hours. The sudden rise and drop in blood sugar following a large meal can make you fatigued and unable to perform nightly prayers.
 
3.    No matter how tired you are do not skip Sahoor, the morning meal.
This meal is vital. It will help you get through the day including preventing hunger-related symptoms such as headache, fatigue and restlessness.

4.    In the morning eat filling foods that you digest slowly.
These include foods that have complex carbohydrates and are rich in fiber such as grains, lentils, potatoes with the skin, green beans and fruits.

5.    When breaking a fast, eat fast-digesting foods that will rapidly restore glucose levels. Dates and bananas are excellent choices for Iftar, the evening meal.

6.    Throughout Ramadan avoid foods that are heavily processed, fried, spicy or fatty.

7.    Drink lots of water and fruit juices after Iftar to avoid dehydration, especially since Ramadan is during the summer.

8.    Minimize your caffeine consumption. Caffeine can act as a diuretic and cause an increased chance of dehydration.

9.    Balance your daily schedule to allow time for an early Sahoor, late Iftar, nightly prayers and adequate sleep.

Ramadan is about learning self-discipline, willpower and patience.

 
If people do not take care of themselves they may feel fatigued, hungry and irritable. This is a difficult combination when in training to control your emotions and body.

“Ramadan Mubarak” .

 

Source:-Published in TCWell and tagged Fasting, Health Tips, Ramadan, Summer   
 
One of the greatest acts of worship is fasting, which Allaah has made obligatory on His slaves, as He says:-
“… Observing al-sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-muttaqoon (the pious).”
 
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
 
 
Allaah encourages His slaves to fast:”… And that you fast, it is better for you, if only you know.”
 
Quran Sura-Al-Baqarah 2:184 –
 
He guides them to give thanks to Him for having made fasting obligatory on them:”… that you should magnify Allaah for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.”
 
“Quran”- Sura -Al-Baqarah .
 

My ‘ Salaams ‘ To All..

Nageeba Hassan

Jul15

ZAKAT: Punishments for NOT Paying it

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WHAT IS ZAKAH?

 

Zakah is an obligatory form of “charity” expected from every Muslim individual. Zakat can be defined as that portion of a man’s wealth which is designated for the poor. The term is derived from the Arabic verbal root meaning to increase, to purify, and to bless.  “Take Sadaqah from their property in order to purify and sanctify them” (Al-Quran 9:103)

 

It refers to the purification of a Muslim’s wealth and soul. To “purify” is to purify them from the faults of stinginess, greed and meanness, and lack of remorse towards the needy, and other similar depravities.

“Zakat is for the poor, and the needy and those who are employed to administer and collect it, and the new converts, and for those who are in bondage, and in debt and service of the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarers, a duty ordained by Allah, and Allah is the All-Knowing, the Wise”.  At Taubah 9: 60

 

BENEFITS OF ZAKAT

 

Zakat is for the welfare of the unprivileged and establishes a society on a humanitarian ground. Zakat also purifies the heart of the recipient from jealousy and hatred toward those who are wealthy in the material sense. Zakat also purifies his heart from selfishness and greed for wealth and is an essential element in attaining mutual love, cooperation, and solidarity among members of Moslem society.

 

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “He who discharges Zakah of his property, his sins shall leave him.”

“The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn; it grows seven ears and each ear has a hundred grain. Allah gives manifold increase to whom he pleases.” (2:26)

In the above verse 2:26, Allah has promised that He will repay hundred fold in the hereafter what a believer spent in the way of Allah.

 

THE NISAAB (Minimum ‘Zakatable’ Income)
The Nisaab is defined as the minimum wealth that one must hold for one year, at the end of which Zakat is payable. Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no zakaah on wealth until a year has passed.” The Nisaab of gold is three ounces or about 85 grams of pure gold and of silver is 596 grams of pure silver (Equivalent to $678 in May 2011).

All Muslims (minor or adult) with a set minimum level of income and assets are expected to pay Zakat of 2.5%.

 

TYPES OF ZAKAH

1. ZAKAH ON BUSINESS (URAD AL TIJARAH)

In this context, business refers to any form of trading activity that generates income (i.e. Buying and selling, for the sake of profit e.g. foodstuffs, furniture, animals, land, etc). Anyone who owns a business with a minimum working capital (Stock and Cash) of $678 must pay Zakat.

 

Formula: Zakat=2.5% x [(Current Assets - Current Liabilities)

 

2. ZAKAT ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE

 

Zakah On Agriculture Is Due Upon Each Harvest If It Is Equal To 2 Wasq (A Measure That’s Equal To 653 Kg).

 

Zakat is payable on all agricultural produce including fruits, commercially grown flowers, vegetables and all types of grains at the time of harvest itself. The Zakat levy on the agricultural produce varies according to the way the land is irrigated.

 

a) The Zakat is 10% of the land produce if the land is irrigated by streams, rivers (running water) or rainfall (without human effort).
b) The Zakat is 5% of the land produce if the land is irrigated by wells (or by artificial canal systems, tank water or bore well and open well) There is no deduction out of this on any account.
c) For crops dependent partly on rain water and partly on other water (Irrigation), the Zakat applicable would be 7.5% of produce.

 

Narrated 'Abdullah: The Prophet said, "Who among you considers the wealth of his heirs dearer to him than his own wealth?" They replied, "O Allah's Apostle! There is none among us but loves his own wealth more."The Prophet said, "So his wealth is whatever he spends (in Allah's Cause) during his life (on good deeds) while the wealth of his heirs is whatever he leaves after his death." 

 

3. ZAKAT ON ANIMALS:

 

Goats and Sheep

 

Up to 39 Goats/Sheep=No Zakat

From 40 to 120 Goats/Sheep=1 goat

From 121 to 200 Goats/Sheep=2 goats

From 201 to 300 Goats/Sheep=3 goats

Thereafter 300 on 1 goat for each 100 Goats/Sheep

 

Cows and Oxen

 

Up to 29 cows= No Zakat

From 30 to 39 cows=1 one-year-old male or female calf.

From 40 to 59 cows =1 two-year-old male or female

From 60 to 69 cows =2 one-year-old male or female

From 70 to 79 cows =1 one-year-old and 1 two-year-old male or female

From 80 to 89 cows =2 two-year-old male or female

From 90 to 99 cows =3 one-year-old male or female

From 100 to 109 cows =1 two-year-old and 2 one-year-old male or female

From 110 to 119 cows =2 two-year-old and 1 one-year-old male or female

From 120 to 129 cows =3 two-year-old or 4 one-year-old male or female

Thereafter 130 on: 1 one-year-old for each 30 or 1 two-year-old for each 40.

 

Please Note:

 

  • The person who owns different types of wealth e.g. animals, commercial goods and gold and silver must give Zakat on each category of wealth separately.
  • Zakat must be given in kind, that is, if one’s wealth is in cattle, one must pay in cattle rather than their equivalent in money;
  • Items of everyday use which are not meant for trade, such as household utensil, clothes;  tools and machinery used for further production or business operation, and animals used in agriculture are not Zakatable

 

WHERE SHOULD ONE PAY HIS ZAKAT?

 

Zakat can be paid at the mosque near you so the mosque committee or the Imaam can distribute it to the poor and needy that are entitled to get it. You can also give it to any Reputable Muslim Charitable Organizations of your choice.

Please Also Note: A Muslim’s primary responsibility is to pay the Zakat, not to supervise how it is spent. Refusal to pay the Zakat for fear of it being misappropriated is punishable by Allah as indicated below.

 

 

PUNISHMENT For Those Who REFUSE to Pay ZAKAT?

 

 

Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) has strongly warned those who are negligent in the fulfillment of these duties. Thus He said, "Those who hoard up treasures of gold and silver and spend them not in the way of Allah; give them the news of a painful punishment, on the Day when that (wealth) will be heated in the Fire of Hell and with it will be branded their forehead, their sides, and their backs, (and it will be said to them:) 'This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard.'" [Al-Quran 9:34-35]

 

‘Let not those who are miserly with what God has given them of His bounty think that this is good for them. Rather, it is bad for them. That which they withhold shall be hung around their necks on the Day of Arising.’ [Al-Quran 3:180]

 

Further, At-Tabarani relates, on the authority of ‘Ali, that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Allah has enjoined upon rich Muslims a due to be taken from their properties corresponding to the needs of the poor among them. The poor will never suffer from starvation or lack of clothes unless the rich neglect their due. If they do, Allah will surely hold them accountable and punish them severely.” (Related by At-Tabarani in Al-’Aswat).

 

TO SAVE MUSLIMS FROM THESE PUNISHMENTS

Pass this Information to All Muslims You Know

 

 

Compiled By: www.Sharing-Islam.com, For Comments, +256 703 80 80 80

Jul15

Ways to accomplish the task of memorizing the Qur’aan‏

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Asalaamualaykum wa rahmut ullahi wa barakatuh.
Bismillah was-salaatu was-salaamu ala’ rasoolillah’ wa’ ba’d:

These are some beneficial ways one can use in order to complete the memorization of the Qur’aan. May Allah make it easy to follow this beneficial advice and grant us success to accomplish this great task. Aameen.

To proceed: If you memorize one verse a day from the quran you will complete your memorizations in 17 years and 7 months and nine days

If you memorize 2 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 8 years and 9 months and 18 days

If you memorize 4 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 4 years and 4 months and 24 days

If you memorize 5 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 3 years and 3 months and 16 days

If you memorize 6 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 2 years and 11 months and 4 days

If you memorze 7 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 2 years and 6 months and 3 days

If you memorize 8 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 2 years and 6 months and 12 days

If you memorize 9 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 11 monts and 12 days

If you memorize 10 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 9 months and 3 days

If you memorize 11 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 7 months and 6 days

If you memorize 12 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 5 months and 5 days

If you memorize 13 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 4 months and 6 days

If you memorize 14 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 3 months ONLY

If you memorize 15 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 2 months and 1 day

If you memorize 16 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 1 month and 6 days

If you memorize 17 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 10 days

If you memorize 18 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 11 months and 19 days

If you memorize 19 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 11 months and 1 day

If you memorize 20 verses a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 10 months and 16 days

If you memorize 1 page a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 1 year and 8 months and 12 days

If you memorize 2 pages a day from the quran you will complete your memorization in 10 months and 6 days

MAY ALLAH GIVE US SUCCESS! AMEEN!

Jul15

Thank You Ex-Mumsa Members

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Dear Ex-MUMSA Members,

Assalaam alaikum…

In the name of ALLAH most Gracious most Merciful and may His peace and blessings descend upon His beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

I wish to thank all of you for the continued participation in the EX-MUMSA walk Ins. So far we have covered quite some ground in terms of re-union and social networking. More especially, we have been able to locate our brothers and sisters’ homes and families as well as work stations, amen. This physical contact reminds us our olden days as students at MUK and MUMSA members around the Mosque and halls of residence!

This to us is very fundamental in reigniting our spirits and continued revival of the Islamic faith.

I also wish once again to inform all of you officially that the subsequent meetings have culminated into the establishment of an endowment fund known as AWQAF UGANDA, whose primary objective is remembering and thanking ALLAH for all the blessings He bestows on us ever since we left the UNIVERSITY as well as giving back to Muslim community especially to the needy and underprivileged.

In the last meeting at Brother Bisaso Muhammad (26th June 2011), it was unanimously adopted that we register AWQAF UGANDA as a TRUST FUND and the process is nearing completion.

Bisaso we thank you for hosting us, we are sure you felt the joy of having friends who are not bothered about your earthly or material status. Members who turned up , you made our day memorable. Buwembo Yahaya (Agricultue – Masaka) you were the GUEST of the day as was shown by the TAKBIR applause by everyone, on your arrival. It was like we were in HEBEBE …..GOATLAND -MUK,

Ahmed Musisi (Delight Supplies and Saloons) you were our special guest no two, it was like we were in Hebebe, Goatland (MUK).
Joweria Namusoke Bagonza – the community loves you more especially after GOD saw you through that cancer treatment. Members thank you for the moral and financial support you gave her.

Hon. Latif and Hon Kyanjo, we thank you for not forgetting that MUMSA made you what you are. We are sorry that we forget your titles and just say Kyanjo and Latif!

Eng. Khalifan Kayemba and Wamala Adam, you have never let us down at all walk ins since we began.

We request all of you to join us as we sow seeds for harvesting in JANNAH-INSHALLAH by contributing to the FUND.

Announcements

Dr. Ahmad K. Ssengendo is hosting Walk In on 24th July 2011 at Kalule, Bombo Road starting 12 noon .

Dr. Zainab Akol on 14th August 2011 at 500pm (Iftar). Details for directions and program to be availed soon.

THANK YOU

Shamim Namuddu Ssebaggala
On behalf of
The Walk In Team

Jul15

Kizito Market Vendors Oppose “Mosque” Demolition

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Tension is mounting between Muslim vendors and Deborah Namutebi, the proprietor of Kizito market in Kalerwe over her proposal to demolish a prayer room they have using to conduct prayers at the market. It all started early this month after Namutebi issued an eviction notice to the Muslim to relocate their prayer room to another place to pave way for the expansion of the market.
She also declined to receive the shillings 80,000 that Muslims have been paying for the prayer room space insisting that they must vacate the area. Her decision to demolish the prayer room and evict them has not gone down well with Muslim vendors.
They have asked Namutebi to give them a change to construct a modern mosque in the same area in vain. Namutebi says that the prayer room which is built with iron sheets was illegally erected on her land and contradicts her plans of the market.
She says that she is willing to allocate the Muslim an alternative place in the market to use for prayers but they are reluctant. Namutebi has ordered the Muslims to move the prayer room by July 1.
Ishmael Mutebi, the county sheikh Wandegeya accuses Namutebi of being biased to Islam as a religion saying that is the reason she wants to demolish the prayer room. Mutebi vows to mobilize Muslims to block the contractors from demolishing the prayer room until Namutebi listens to their demands.
Haruna Kawooya, a vendor in Kizito Market says that the prayer room is convenient saying its demolition will be a direct attack on Muslims. As a result, the Muslim vendors have now petitioned, Alice Muwanguzi, the deputy Resident City Commissioner Kawempe division to block the demolition. The prayer room which has 15×15 feet can accommodate 50 Moslems in a prayer and is used by about 300 Muslims daily.

Ahmed Wetaka
P.O BOX 2488
Mbale- Uganda
Mobile +256 772 609736

Jul15

We have heard of how Muslims invented this and that…then What Went Wrong?

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Assalaam aleikum.

We have heard of the Golden Age of Islam, and lots of “It was Islam that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe’s Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed.” 

We have heard of Ibn Sina as father of medicine; Ibn Battuta as a traveller, writer and explorer; Ibn Khaldoun the philosopher and scholar of Plato stature; Ibn Rushd, another philosopher and physician… Then what wen wrong for us to become the laughing stock of the likes of Bernard Lewis who is wont at reminding us for not posting any university in the world’s best 500!

In this month’s edition of The New Atlantis, an American journal of technology and society,  Hillel Ofek approaches the topic from the scholarly angle. By the way, our IUIU features in this article for good reasons! Alhamdulillah.


http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/why-the-arabic-world-turned-away-from-science
–
Matovu-Mutesasira A. Twaha,
+971-50-2755731;
+256-772-680353.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Thank you Brother Twaha.

Article is very long, with very good intellectual arguments, but to me appears to arrive at one wrong conclusion: That Mainstream Sunni Islam’s inherent opposition to free thinking and reason are the only reason(s) why Muslims have since lost their share of prominence in the fields of science and advanced civilisation. At some point the writer even stated that “the doors of ijtihad were closed under Sunni Islam”.

Nothing can be any further from the truth. I do not deny that there are some matters on which we are required to just believe, but Islam is still the most open religion when it comes to reason. 98% of what we believe in can be explained. From the Trinity, age of consent, accountability for personal deeds and final salvation, Christianity and all those other faiths are told to “just believe”. They just won’t answer any question paused to their faith, they tell you, the people who wrote this stuff were inspired by the holy spirit, therefore its holy text, period! How come the Christians, with that enormous blockade on reason still control what is claimed to be science/civilisation?

We as Muslims should not be intimidated into blindly following and doing useless things because we fear being ridiculed as ‘backward’. For instance, what benefit does the US get from the trillions of dollars it has so far sunk into the International Space Station and trying to establish life on other planets as if the earth is full? Of what benefit is it if someone ventures into creation of babies in test tubes when there are plenty of women with fertile wombs? Realistically, majority of what we call progress is actually a unique version of madness and because Muslims generally concern ourselves with what benefits us in the hereafter, you wont get many Muslim governments/influential individuals investing alot of effort into useless inquisitiveness as trying to estimate the age, in millions of years, of some soil sample or skeleton through a series of terribly unreliable carbon dating DNA checks.

In summary, let nobody fool you as a Muslim that we are backward or we have lost out on scientific and evolutionary advancement. Everything we need, we have got. What we don’t have, we don’t need. Today, the most marvellous architectural wonders are to be found in the Middle East. It doesn’t matter if a South African Company and American consultants did the work on the Burj al Arab, the fact is, the Arabs needed it, and they got it.

Science is simply a pack of lies that should be taken in with caution. Concepts like ‘light years’, ‘three million years ago’, ‘radius of the earth’, ‘carbon dating’ etc are all used everyday but they are abstract! Nobody should ever convince you that they can reliably tell that a rock is 6000 years old – they are just playing on our minds. Thats not something you can reliably conclude on. Where does the earth stop, for someone to claim they know its radius? Lets not get carried away!

Thats what i think.

Fazhil Mwesigwa.

Jul10

IS MAMA FINA A MUSLIM OR SEEING HAJJ NSEREKO SEBULIBA LEADING A GROUP OF ARTISTS, MEAN ISLAM

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Mama Fina is the leader of the Traditional Healers Association in Uganda

People like mama fina are confusing our people so much. If i had political power, i would find a way to legislate against witchcraft in the country though it is practically difficult to do so. It was done in countries such Romania when it became a real problem for the society but it may be a tall order to climb in a society such as Uganda.

When AIDS/HIV surfaced in Uganda in the early 1980s, people used to think it was witchcraft- which led to the quick death of several of our people. People used to attribute AIDS/HIV, like they are still doing by attributing mental illness, to ancestral influence, witchcraft, evil spirits and/or bad luck. Bunyoro and Tooro were the biggest culprits during the AIDS times. In the Tooro areas of Kyarusozi and Kijura, AIDS was treated as an epidemic of witches and cannibals eating up bodies of people.

If Museveni  as our leader comes out and spreads the anti-witchcraft evangelism like he did with AIDS, this may also help reduce stuff like child sacrifice in the country, but few politicians are willing to take such risks. Why he and other public leaders are sitting back about this, I don’t know really. However, it’s important that the ‘emiti emito’ or young kids are taught through the school curriculum and family ciircles from day one that Satanism and witchcraft are ideals which only create enemity between relatives , friends and the general society. That’s why religious studies like Islam and CRE need to be strengthened in schools as much as possible.

Witchcraft did not start in Africa or Uganda. What we must know is that witchcraft was and still is part of the western community but because of the enlightenment and economic development of the population, it is not a strong influence as it is in developing regions like Uganda. Otherwise crimes such as using evil spirits in order to find the whereabouts of hidden treasure were fairly common in England’s history. Haven’t you heard of Edmund Hunt case in 1590 who was prosecuted for witchcraft? There was also a lot of witchcraft among the Welsh communities.

In other words, to reduce on the influence of witchcraft, you need to have a better economy and good educational background as it is in Europe. If Ugandans are still poor, then this problem will keep hanging over our heads. People will go into L.Victoria to look for money. The educated are either just plain stupid  or ‘mentally ill’ to still waste time with these things.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

Jul10

Uganda Muslim Community Revival. (UMCR) or Muslim Community Revival (MCR) for Global approach.

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Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

 

Alhamdulillah, Brs and Sis in Islam, I thank you for the wonderful effort to try to inspire each other for the revival of our community. I Just have a little in put regarding this issue – I call it revival because whatever we need for the community to function according to the Quran and the teaching of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) it’s in place at our own access – each time we recite surat AL-fatiha – We do ask Allah subhaanahu wa Taala to guide us to the straight path (Ihdinanas-Siraatal-Mus-taqeem). To find that path and remain steadfast on that path and die while on that path requires some efforts. Efforts like sacrifices, behavior change, commitment, responsibility, hardwork, physical movement, contribution of time, wealth and health, passionate for attaining Jannat and above all Ikhlas (Sincerity- that whatever we do should be for the pleasure of Allah Subhaanahu Wa Taala alone)! For Akhirat – (to be saved from Jahannam and attain Jannat). This has to be firm in our Hearts as any individual as well as collectively in the whole community.

 

The foundation we need to use for our community revival is already with each and everybody on this forum (I believe) and it has been used before. Those you used it benefited in this World and Hereafter, Allah subhaanahu wa taala is telling us in the Quran Surat al-Bayyinal (ayah 8….Radiyal-laahu anhum…) Allah being pleased with them. So if we use the same foundation and model – then we will benefit as well in this LIFE and Hereafter insha Allah. The Foundation is Islam and the Model is Quran, Sunnah and the three first Generations of Islam. Teacher was Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), Students were the Sahabah (Radiyal-laahu anhum) and the Institution was Masjid.

 

First a reminder about the purpose of man in this Ummah:

  1. Abd- a servant (of Allah only, not a slave of himself or other creations)
  2. Ibaadee-  a worshipper (of Allah alone, not a worshipper of anything else) – Iyyaaka Nabudu …
  3. A caller (reminding Muslims and calling non Muslims to Allah).

The other things we do or have a just means or tests/trials to use to achieve the above three.

Therefore the individual implementation of complete Islam in your own daily life will lead to community revival.

 

The building blocks for the revival:

 

Category one

  1. Allah subhaanahu wa Taala – We cannot do anything without the help of Allah (…iyyaaka nastaeen), so we have to put our Trust in Allah for the success in this life and life hereafter.
  2. The Holy Quran – the source of guidance, any other guidance will lead us to failure.
  3. Sunnah of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa salaam) – if we practice the sunnah on daily life in all situations and conditions, we will never go astray.
  4. Sahabah`s understand of Deen – the guiding stars and role models – if we hold firm on their way then we have achieved number 1, 2 and 3 above.
  5. Righteous believers – they have the above 1,2,3 and 4 and have concern for others that how can ALL humanity be saved from Jahannam and go to Jannat.

This is the worry and concern Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa salaam) had – Ummat, Ummat, Ummat.

 

Category two

  1. Home – Women, children and Youth, (individual level – this is the starting point for the revival)
  2. Local Masjid as a community center not just for salaat only (collective level – social events, education, dawat, charity distribution, salaat in congregation Fajr and insha to be like Jumah salaat!)
  3. Local approach – exactly area of residence (local masjid) has to be known to others for establishment of a network.       (Regional? Global?) 

 

Category three

  1. Amir – decision maker in that locality, after doing Mashwara – a seeker of opinion never loses and the seeker of consultation never repents –. Current Statistics about his population, skills, services, energy, resources etc.
  2. Mashwara – consultation at home/masjid, discussions (online forum?) – participates – have to obey and respect Amir`s decisions. –“….We hear and We Obey..” attitude .

 

Category four

  1. Brotherhood – initiated by some individual(s) without personal interest or hidden agenda. Highly motivated individuals to approach local religious leaders, intellectuals, professionals, businessmen and others to connect them to the Masjid and all the Mashwara taking place in the local masjid.
  2. unite – common interest – Pleasing Allah alone, so we have to help each other
  3. Everyone has to know what behavior not to be tolerated.
  4. Each individual has to be willing to sacrifice his wealth, time and health for the benefit of The Deen and all creations.

 

These below has to be discussed after the above has been firm in the hearts of people in the community willing to help each other for the sake of Allah and Deen.

 

Category five

  1. Other goals – projects, activities, programmes
  2. funding
  3. Muslim village with self contained system and services

 

The Amir of UMCin UK says– Be a Muslim and then be a Muganda (or other culture) but do not be vise verse.

Teach Women/girls because she can be a nation – community.

 

Conclution: how to put all that above in practical way – it will be send next time insha Allah. Forgive me brothers and sisters for any errors or mistakes in this piece. I am just a student and I am here to learn, please correct me where I am wrong. I ask Allah to help us – if there is any good in this piece let us benefit from it and any harm – Oh Allah protect us from it, Ameen. I ask Allah to forgive me and guide me that next time I can do better. Ameen

 

Br.Sulaiman Nsubuga (Abu Abdullah)

Streatham Masjid

South West London

UK

Europe

Jul10

Some ‘funny’ Sheikhs are Misleading Muslims on Duawas yet it is very wrong

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Asalam alaikum,
First of all if any of you is to travel to Kigali please do not spend on a hotel email me and come and stay at my house so we can share whatever is at my home.
In the case of shirk i have on many times told non muslims that you can not use the Quran to ”kuloga” some one. I have seem Sheiks and ”mwalimus” pray for non muslims using dua but on close inspection of whatever books they are reading, its not the Quran ( i do not read Arabic) its some wierd type of writing with shapes in which arabic words are written. True they begin with Al Fatiha and recite some surah, but then begin to chant some equally sayings.
I know for certain that” ruqiya” only works on muslims.But most of my christian friends believe in Sheiks for dua in their businesses , marriages and so many things. And there are those muslims who believe in sheik so and so’s dua goes direct so they call him to come and read and so up go his fees. In 2006 we wanted a shiek to help us pray dua for our  bussiness and he told us his duas range from 250 000 onwards i joked with my husband that 250,000 uganda to heaven via mecca via nairobi , ethopia,medina, 400,000  heaven via mecca, madina, dubai and lastly one milliom heaven direct. I will not name the Sheikh but i was amused so from that day me and hubby decided to read dua ourselves using the TRANSALITERATED not TRANSLATED Quran and duas. 

Here is the surprise…in Kigali after having my third born needed help for the ”Akika”.So i went to the mosque and asked for someone to help read. I got four Sheiks plus like eight kids from the Madrasa to come. I made them lunch and kept aside money like we do in Uganda…SubhanaAllah the sheiks refused the money and said it would reduce on their thawabs…so i just gave them enough for transport so i thought i was in kibitu kya dua so i called them again for dua in my house…i was told it is better for you to read dua yourself maybe if you need to do sadaka invite us plus the kids from the madarasa to help you pray. 

I wondered just a few hours apart BUT, the practice is eons apart.

WE ALSO NEED TO EDUCATE THE UMMAH OF THE POWER OF THE INDIVIDUAL DUA

Warmly as always,

Rehma

rehnak81@yahoo.com

Jul7

UMYA RAMADHAN SEMINARS 2011 COMENCE ON Sunday 7TH August at Kibuli Ptc

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UGANDA MUSLIM YOUTH ASSEMBLY (UMYA) WILL SOON UNVEIL ITS DETAILED 2011
RAMADHAN SEMINARS Program.

UMYA Ramadhan Seminars are and is a Highly Organised Forum where
muslims and at times non muslims from all diverse backgrounds and
ideologies meet,interact and sensitively address various topical
issues.

These Seminars are hosted at Kibuli Ptc Main Hall,Every Sunday in
Ramadhan. Entrace is Free.UMYA has succesfuly hosted these seminars
for now more than 22 years

This year , UMYA will soon  unveil its Comprehensive Program which
capture all basic aspects tourching Islam Generaly
,Fasting,Developments in Uganda as a country,the muslim Comunity,The
Arab World,The International Comunity E.t.c.

This year UMYA will focus on solution based Topical issues.The 2011
Seminars will comence on 7th August 2011.

Seminar Dates are as Follows

Sunday 7th August – Seminar one
Sunday 14th August- Seminar two
Sunday 21st August- Seminar Three
Sunday 28th August-Seminar Four
The date for the Fifth Seminar Would be Comunicated.

As you draft your Ramadhan time tables,GIVE UMYA RAMADHAN SEMINARS A
PRIORITY FOR YOUR SUNDAYS.

N.B.Given the high demand,attendance will be on first come first serve basis.

Jul7

”Eddogo” or witchcraft in Africa

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Assalamu Alaikum brothers and Sisters,

The educated in Africa use ‘Eddogo’ as escapism when they are mentally ill while the uneducated are understandbly just ignorant. Nevertheless, Africans need to stop calling people with mental health problems”mad’ because It is a bad tag that has made a lot of people to conceal this problem because of the stigma people have towards people with mental health.

In USA, for example, during their last presidential campaigns, I heard that one of the presidential candidates, McCain, attempted suicide twice long time ago, yet his campaign refused to release his full mental health records to the public. Nevertheless, his opponents did not make too much political capital out of it. If it was in Uganda, even president Museveni would have made it a serious campaign issue as he did with Besigye and HIV in 2001.

The truth is that mental illness is a real, debilitation disease, every bit as serious as cancer or heart disease, but it can be treated with the right medication. If anyone needs proof, they just read Bukedde newspaper every day. The stories there are so shocking. One approach to help you identify the mentally ill in our society is to understand their psychological processes. Once you understand why these people behave so irrationally, you can communicate more effectively with them.

There are a lot of stories in Bukedde where you find a man or woman who has killed their entire family simply due to depression and anxiety, but people still keep talking about Vodoo/Eddogo/ Jinns.

By the way, I have got a theory about witchcraft or Eddogo in poor societies. I believe things like witchcraft are signs of a poor and broken society. I also believe that witchcraft among family members symbolizes a broken and divided family within an already broken and poor society. If the society is already broken, witchcraft plays a role to save lives in big numbers in the sense that at least people don’t resort to practical means to settle their differences. If, for instance, woman A realizes that witchcraft does not work against woman B, she could find it easy to resort to practical ways of eliminating Woman B, but because she believes in witchcraft woman B is still breathing.

With a society with fewer resources to solve murders, I think witchcraft itself may be a blessing in disguise. I think it was naturally designed to save the lives of an ignorant population. As the country’s middle class increases, things like witchcraft and mental illness will be brought more in the lime light and get addressed urgently. At the moment, there isn’t a lot that is going to change in a country, like Uganda, as far as these issues are concerned. Yes, we can get the media to keep the fire burning but it won’t make much difference because the policy makers in the country themselves are ‘escapists”.

Obviously, because religion too has been weakened in the society, it is very easy for someone mentally ill to be easily convinced that there is someone doing ‘eddogo’ on them. Some of the religious leaders have also sadly made it a business to confuse Africans who are not well mentally. The most important thing is for all family members to be understanding when one of their own is not well mentally because it can easily happen on anyone.

However, what is happening in developing countries now was almost a similar story even in developed nations, such as USA, till when the society eventually changed itself politically, economically and socially.

In USA, for instance, mental patients were once treated as prisoners. The mental health movement of the 1950s led by the national Mental Health Association was able to remove public mental hospitals from control by prison authorities and place them under medical administrators. In the 1960s, the same folks made it possible for people who needed treatment in Community Mental Health Centers instead of hospitals. It was almost the same story in the UK when you visit their history. The Welsh were the biggest ‘Balogo’ in the UK, but all that is now water under the bridge because their societies have changed tremendously. Africa will also change with time as it keeps developing.

 Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Jul4

Update on Muslim Projects in Swaziland

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Assalaamu alaikum.
 
I hereby write on behalf of the muslim community and the poor community of Swaziland, in the Nyakatfo area for assistance in Building a Community Center to include a School, Clinic, Skills centre, Youth Center, Women’s Centre.
 
This will also help the Muslim and Other Youth to achieve Good Matric results to qualify for Universities both locally and in Madina Islamic University, Malaysia and others..
The country does not have qualified muslim teachers for Arabic, Quran and School subjects, especially Sciences.

NAME OF ORGANIZATION :   ISLAMIC YOUTH ORGANIZATION OF SWAZILAND.

ADRESSES;     POSTAL ;    PO BOX 6162

                                 MBABANE   H100

                                SWAZILAND

Website                          www.theiyos.org    

CHAIRMAN:  DR BASHEER B L SHABANGU

                                PO BOX 2803

                                MANZINI      M200

                               SWAZILAND

CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBERS (& SIGNATORIES)

                  1.       CHAIRMAN:   DR BASHEER B L SHABANGU   

                                                                basheer@realnet.co.sz

                                                               (+268) 7602 1747  cell  (+268) 25055110/339 office.

                   2.    ADMINISTRATOR/COORDINATOR :    BR HAMIDULLAH  V DLAMINI                

                                                               hamidlamini@hotmail.com    

                                                               (+268) 7 603 9687                                      

                       3.   SECRETARY : BR MUSA A MASANGANE     

                                                               masangane@hotmail.com                     

                                                               (+268) 7 604 2822

                      4. TREASURER  :     BR SULAYMAN LUSHABA

                                                                    (*268) 7 6029073

 BANK ACCOUNT :

Name:    ISLAMIC YOUTH ORGANIZATION OF SWAZILAND

                 STANDARD BANK (SWAZILAND)

                MANZINI MAIN BRANCH

                CODE   66 -05 64                            

               ACCOUNT NUMBER   0140047208901

                CURRENT ACCOUNT

Enclosures;
Details of the Nyakatfo Project/Appeal. Click below to open up the document:
 Nyakatfo High School and Islamic Centre[1]

 
I have had one of many meetings with the School Principal and we are desperately asking many Organizations for assistance in any form. We have already got some water tanks.
We need a borehole, electricity, computers, teachers houses etc as detailed in the attached documents.
 
Minister for Foreign Affairs has been asked to write a supporting letter (+268 7606 2909)
Senator Bhutana is a helpful neighbour of the Centre (+268 7 672 4960)
School Principal Mr Msweli                                               (+268 7608 5174)
 
This is the first School and Centre in Swaziland that will help muslims and the local community. 
 
 
Please also see information in our humble website
www.theiyos.org
 
we hope that you will encourage all other individuals, companies and organizations to donate to this noble project.
 
Yours Faithfully
 
Dr Basheer B L Shabangu
Chairman; Islamic Youth Organization of Swaziland
                     Swaziland Islamic Trust
                     Nyakatfo Islamic School Project

Jul4

Hajj Visas

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Where do I go to get a Hajj visa?

 
The application form is available from your nearest Saudi Consulate. But it is advisable to appoint a licensed travel agent, who will arrange a visa, as well as your travel and accommodation and anything else you may need to perform the Hajj. The travel agent will send your application form to the Saudi Consulate.
 
What do I need for a Hajj visa?

 
You must comply with all the following requirements:
The applicant must have a passport valid for at least six more months and acceptable both for entry to Saudi Arabia and entry to the next destination; the passport should have at least two empty visa pages adjacent to each other.
Each applicant must submit one recent passport size color photograph with a white background. The photograph must be a full-face view in which the visa applicant is facing the camera directly. Side or angled views are NOT accepted. (Some travel agents require two color photos, one for the visa application and the other for the group identification card).
The applicant must submit a completed application form filled in with black ink pen or printed; the form must be signed and stamped by the authorized travel agency.
The Mahram should write on the application forms complete information on his spouse and children or any relative with whom he is traveling. He should also provide copies of marriage or birth certificates.
Women are required to travel for Hajj with a Mahram. Proof of kinship must be submitted with the application form. Any woman over the age of 45 may travel without a Mahram with an organized group, provided she submits a letter of no objection from her Mahram authorizing her to travel for Hajj with the named group. This letter should be notarized.
The applicant must be in possession of a non-refundable roundtrip ticket with confirmed reservations.
The applicant must submit proof of vaccination for meningitis and ACYW135. For infants and children up to 15 years of age, a vaccination report is required for polio as well as meningitis. Children over 15 years of age should present the same vaccinations requested for adults. The certificate of vaccination should have been issued not more than three years and not less than 10 days prior to entering Saudi Arabia.
Each pilgrim should submit two certified checks or cashier checks payable to ‘Unified Agents Office’ in Jeddah for pilgrimage services (guides, Zamzam water agents, tent accommodation in Mina and Arafat and transportation costs). These checks should include the name and the passport number of the pilgrim and date and place of issue. Each applicant must pay the appropriate fees. Pilgrims have the option to submit one check combining both fees. Children between the ages of seven and fifteen should only pay half of the amount. Children under the age of seven do not need to pay. Please check with the Saudi Consulate in your country for correct charges.
Applicants who are not nationals of the country they are applying from should submit documented proof of legal residence status. Passport authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reserve the right to return (at his or her own expense) any pilgrim who has provided wrong or false information about their residence.
No applicant under the legal age of eighteen will be granted a Hajj visa if not accompanied by his family.
If the applicant has converted to Islam, an Islamic certificate must be presented which must be notarized by an Islamic Center. 
 
Can children accompany me on Hajj?

 
Children can accompany their parents. When applying for a visa, you should include their names in your passport and attach their birth certificates. Children and women under 45 should be accompanied by a Mahram (a male relative).
 
Do I have to pay for the Hajj visas? If yes, how much does it cost?
The Umrah and Hajj visas are free.
For Hajj you need to pay two checks to cover the cost of guides, Zamzam water agents, tent accommodation in Mina and Arafat and transportation costs. Please ask your nearest Saudi Consulate about the current level of these charges.
Main reference point:
Visas
SOURCE: http://www.hajinformation.com/main/t1510.htm

Jul4

FREE ONLINE ARABIC LESSONS BY ONE OF THE BEST TEACHERS

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Asalam alaikum.
one of the best Arabic  teachers in Egypt is going to offer free Arabic language lesson online insha Allah
REGISTER your names and state your level of Arabic language between: Beginner-intermediate- Quite fluent.
Send your names, level of Arabic language as shown above and your email address to (Ali Kyeswa-call2islam_info@yahoo.com) for 100% free registration.
Details will be sent to you after registering.
NB. Not knowing Arabic yet you are  Muslims renders you crippled!!!
We can make  it by Allah’s Grace!!
yours
Ali Kyeswa

Jul4

Of our OIC choice, Hon. Isaac Musumba!

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Assalaam aleikum.
Here we go. We have heard from Mr Isaac Musumba that he has been selected by the Government of Uganda (GoU) to be the next Sec. Gen. of OIC. Going by the newspaper quotation, “I have moved many steps ahead of MP level! So, my defeat was an opening for a bigger post.” He said that the post is on rotational basis and that this time round it has to be taken by a member state from East Africa, which is only Uganda.
Mash’Allah.
Well, I have been reading the latest from soon to be Isaac’s predecessor, the indefatigable Turkish and highly academic, Professor Ekmelddin Ihasnogolu. He had made a resounding presentation about the science and faith at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates a week ago. It was attended by a score of academicians, researchers and authors from many countries.
http://gulftoday.ae/portal/24550cf5-1ef7-4f3c-a323-e319b87075c6.aspx
Ihasanoglu has been seen “camping” at our IUIU more than once, requested the GoU to accelerate transfer of land to our university. He has been seen attending sessions of members of OIC parliamentary union in different countries…
Iam not insinuating that Ihsanoglu’s shoes might be very big for any other replacement, but I want us to share advice and ideas with Hon. Isaac and see how we milk the OIC.
What do we expect from the OIC, more so led by a Ugandan? Please contribute ideas to Hon. Isaac.
= What I think he should streamline is how Ugandan businessmen can tangibly gain from trading among OIC member states. During the April 13-7, 2011 OIC Expo in Sharjah, I saw some ladies bringing ebibbo naamenvu. Another stall for Uganda was empty waiting for articrafts that had delayed to reach (Pity them however, for how could they have reached on time when the national aircarrier that the NRM found in place is no more!) Our stalls were surrounded by pavilions (an umbrella of) products from Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey etc.
=Hon. Isaac should aspire to overcome all the hurdles and see that the Islamic Finance System is adopted  and availed to those who want it.
Hon. Isaac has this year been able to attend the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Astana, Kazakhstan (unlike last year when he and Olive Kigongo failed to attend the same meet in Kula Lumpur because they were wading their way out of CHOGM accountability). So, he has witnessed how countries that operate the IF System are fast moving forward. Inadvertently, that is how we shall easily gain from the IDB funded projects!!!!

 
We hope that Hon. Isaac will not serve petty interests of the hand that picked him, the NRM, but serve the wider interests of the country and particularly the Muslims. Why I say so, because two years ago, while Uganda was holding the permanent seat on the UN Security Council, Hon. Rugunda and his master assured the visiting Iranian President that they will not vote for sanctions vs his country, but they did the opposite a few months later.

 

–
Matovu-Mutesasira A. Twaha,
+971-50-2755731;
+256-772-680353.