The Light 2018 05 May Issue

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May 2018 The Light 4 Some are not willing to fast the long hours of summer but take the opportunity to fast the very short hours in winter. We are of the opinion that in winter the fast should also cover at least the period in which we are involved in social activities, which is most likely between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. (at least). For example, in December in Holland, one would fast less than 10 hours if calculated from dawn till sunset. iftaar (breaking of fast) would be around 4:30 p.m., while the time for social activities will not yet have passed (in Europe, social activities, even work, go on till 6:00 p.m. in many cases). Therefore, in this case, fasting should be extended until at least after 6:00 p.m. We should also note that Islam is not a religion of either extreme, but of remaining moderate and in the middle. In high latitude countries (higher than 50 degrees), fasts in the summer are at one extreme where they become difficult for many to undertake, and fasts in the winter are at the other extreme where a fast does not feel like a fast. In the UK in the summer the fast can be as long as 19 hours, and in the winter as short as 9 hours. It is a basic teaching of Islam to avoid going to opposite extremes in religious observances (and other matters). See Quran 20:81, among others. Furthermore, 2:187 of the Quran permits to enter one's wife in the nights of Ramadan. This permission will not be valid if we keep fast in the mid of summer between dawn and sunset. Allah desires ease and not a hardship for us. If we take fasting between dusk and dawn literally in summer, we put a hardship on ourselves against Allah's will (Quran 2:185). For salaat times as well, it would be an option to fix these around the period in which we are involved in social activities (in case of nonstandard times of sunrise and sunset). There is, for example, no need to perform Fajr at 3:00 a.m. and go to sleep again. Even if sunrise is at 3:00 a.m., people may consider performing Fajr between 5:00 and 6:00, just before starting their social activities. The same goes for Isha. It can be performed before going to bed, even if the sky is not yet dark. For example, in June, sunset will be after I Shall Love All Mankind. 10:00 p.m. in Holland and the end of twilight will be after midnight. According to a hadith, the Prophet disliked sleeping before Isha (Manual of Hadith, chapter 9, hadith 10). In our opinion, there is no point in staying awake till after midnight to perform Isha and then get up only four hours later for Fajr. Furthermore, this short period does not leave much space for those who would like to perform the voluntary night prayers, Tahajjud salaat. (In particular, these people might not find spiritual fulfilment in the short summer nights when seeking for the Lailat al-Qadr, the blessed night in which the revelation of the Quran started). In fact, going to sleep after Maghrib and getting up for Isha after midnight will give the Isha salaat the characteristics of Tahajjud prayer. Remember that the main goal of praying is not to keep certain hours, but to stay away from indecency and evil (Quran 29:45). These are our opinions, in case of nonstandard times of sunrise and sunset. To keep fast at least during the period covering our social activities, with a maximum of 15 hours and a minimum of 13 hours approximately (15 hours is about the longest fasting time in Makkah), and to keep the prayer times around these times as well. Of course, this is only our opinion, based on Quran and Hadith, and if one chooses to match his or her fasting or prayer times according to sunrise and sunset, one may do so according to the literal interpretation of the verses. This Note is meant for those in the first place, who planned not to fast due to the long hours in summer, to get them an opportunity to fulfil their duties more easily. (Return_to content) THE HOLY PROPHET’S (S) DIALOGUE with the Christian Delegation from Najran The first Muslim State granted Religious Freedom and Basic Human Rights to non-Muslims. by Mr Salman Tufail It was in 1983 that I first heard about the Christian Delegation from Najran having a
May 2018 The Light 5 dialogue with the Holy Prophet Muhammad in Madina when he was virtually head of the Arabian Peninsula in the closing speech of the Ninth Convention of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Anjuman, Trinidad by the late Maulana Sheikh Muhammad Tufail. The speech marked the end of a Convention that will always be remembered for the bombing and attempted murder of all of the participants who were there on the opening day of 12th August 1983. The events of 12th August 1983 can be viewed as a precursor of what was to come. If the ideology at the heart of the attack was not rebutted, but, as can be seen, this ideology has taken hold of extremist elements among the Muslims, and the brutal attacks in Europe and other parts of the Muslim world are a testament to this. Moreover, this false narrative about Islam is not only being disseminated by extremists but also by politicians who have used it to further their political agenda and views. The results of this have led to 57.5% of all voters in Switzerland (2010 poll) supporting a constitutional amendment banning the construction of any new minarets (on Mosques). And the anti- Islam Freedom Party of MP Geert Wilders has publicly demanded that the Quran be outlawed and that Muslim women who wear headscarves are taxed. The passionate speech of Maulana Tufail was important for many reasons. Firstly, unknown to all of us, it was the last speech he made; and it was fitting, as it was in his muchloved Caribbean Island of Trinidad. Secondly, what he was indicating and pleading for Muslims to do, was to reject the extremist views of the radical Muslims. It mattered not that he was speaking at an Ahmadiyya Convention since his message was for all to push back against the corrupt interpretation of Islam being propagated. It was significant that he mentioned the meeting of the Holy Prophet with the Christian delegation from Najran as an example of the true nature and message of Islam. Thus discrediting the extremist concepts and views. Though the contents of the speech are very I Shall Love All Mankind. important to me, personally, the mention of the Christian Delegation from Najran is particularly important, especially in this age when persons of different faiths are being killed in the name of Islam. The encounter of the Holy Prophet with the Christian Delegation from Najran totally dispels any doubts that those Muslims are absolutely wrong who believe it is acceptable to kill people of other faiths because their beliefs are different to Islam. The Holy Prophet Muhammad said that differences of opinion are a blessing for society. The Christian Delegation from Najran in 631 AD The territory of Najran was located south of Bani Khatham near Yemen, about 450 miles south of Medina. In this area of the Arabian Peninsula, numerous Christian tribes lived, and it appears that the Yemeni Christians followed the Melchite Orthodox rite - Byzantine rite - whose centre was Constantinople. Najran Christians had a highly organised religious system, and it is not surprising that initially, few Christians embraced Islam. In reaction to this ‘failed attempt’ at conversion, Prophet Muhammad sent another representative to Najran, Mughira ibn Shu‘ba, who was meant to elaborate on this new religion called Islam. Intrigued by Ibn Shu‘ba’s message, the Najran Christians sent a delegation of sixty people to visit the Holy Prophet in Medina. The delegation consisted of about forty-five scholars and fifteen assistants Significance of the Dialogue. The date of the visit of the Christian Delegation from Narjan to the city of Medina is not precisely known but it is thought that it was 631AD, and some sources, such as Ibn Hisham, the earliest historian, seem to think it was before the Battle of Badr. But the exact date matters little, as what is important is the message that emanated from the encounter. The meeting with the Najran Christians is perhaps the most important interfaith meeting between Christians and the Holy Prophet Muhammad. The religious leaders from Najran (Yemen) arrived in Medina to question the Holy
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The Light 2018 05 May Issue

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