The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ramadan

  • ‘Do not be Ramadan Muslims’

    Acting Head of Insurance and Actuarial Science Department, University of Lagos, Dr Tajudeen Yusuf has urged Muslims to fully imbibe the spirit of Ramadan, stressing that it should be guide through the remaining months of the year.

    The Unilag don enjoined Muslims to take advantage of Ramadan to seek Allah’s mercies by increasing worship and not limit good deeds to Ramadan alone.

    He said: “In Ramadan, the gates of Paradise are open, that of Hell is closed and devils are chained. This is evident in the multitudes that strive towards righteousness, eagerness to please the other person, being nice to neighbours, doing good to people. Ramadan seeks to tame us, to teach us on how to pursue our life in other months. Let Ramadan penetrate you. Carry the spirit and extend it beyond Ramadan because Allah’s favour is with us throughout the year and not the month of Ramadan alone.”

    Yusuf enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the habit of speaking truth, noting that it will inadvertently make one to attain the level of righteousness needed to face Allah on the Day of Resurrection.

    He stated: “While being truthful at times might not be easy because Shaytan vowed to be there with us at every turn in our life but Allah is so caring for us. People through the promptings of Shaytan think there’s no manifestation of the Hereafter. For every event in this life, the Quran has already foretold it and that conflict will continue till the Last Day.

    “As Muslims, we should not get carried away by wealth and other frivolities of this world. The belief in the Hereafter should guide us. The belief makes us conscious and righteous on how to fulfil the divine’s injunctions. Life becomes meaningful when we have empathy. We should try to emulate the Prophet, who at the peak of his glory forgave his enemies and that made people troop to Islam. It shows the magnanimity of the Muslims. That is how Islam spread, it was not by sword.”

     

     

  • Indebtedness

    NIndebtedness in Islam is not just about loan. Neither is it about money or material objects only. Indebtedness can also be spiritual, or moral. Each of these is considered a problem for which Islam proffers a solution.

    In the spiritual realm, a Muslim may become a debtor when he skips certain daily prayers (Salat). And, until he observes such prayers, no matter how late, he remains a spiritual debtor. He may also become a debtor when he misses some days of fasting in Ramadan for whatever reason or when he fails to pay Zakah at the appropriate time. Also, his refusal to perform Hajj when he has the ability to do so can amount to indebtedness. In each case, the only rectification which amounts to payment of debt is to atone for the omission. Such rectification can be made by the debtor himself or by someone else (in the case of Zakah and hajj). As for Salat the rule is different. No other person can help in pay any debt incurred by you. The payment

    must be done by the very person who incurred the debt. It must be remembered that there is no excuse for missing Salat.

    In the case of fasting, there is a temporary indebtedness and there is a permanent one. An example of a temporary indebtedness is that of a menstruating woman or a wayfarer or a sick person. Each of them is to rectify the omission by himself/herself when Ramadan is over. But a person who is unable to fast due to old age or permanent ailment is not expected to fast after Ramadan. What he has to do is feeding one indigent person each day of Ramadan. That is permanent indebtedness.

    Other areas of indebtedness in Islam in clued Zakah and Hajj. Zakah can be paid on behalf of the estate owner either by his offspring or the beneficiaries of his legacy. This often happens posthumously or if the principal turns infamy. Hajj, on the other hand, can only be performed by proxy if disability prevents the person concerned from going through its rigour or he is unable to perform that function till his death. Any good Muslim from among his children, relatives or friends can do it on his behalf. Please continue tomorrow.

     

  • Reappraising Ramadan

    Reappraising Ramadan

    At no time in the life of man can the true nature of human existence

    be more manifest than in Ramadan. It is in that sacred month that Muslims reflect mostly on the purpose of their existence on earth. Some people fasted actively last year but are no more today. Some put their feet at the door step of Ramadan this year but never entered it. Some fell by the way side along the line. Some fasted with absolute faith in Allah and confidence in making use of the lessons of Ramadan. Some joined the train with no idea of their destination in the month.

    At the beginning of the sacred month, an analysis was done in this column classifying the 30 or 29 days of Ramadan into three segments.

    The first segment was said to contain the first ten days of the month during which the blessings of Allah came to the faithful Muslims freely and in abundance. Except for meeting that segment with faith and good intention, there was no working for blessings. That segment ended on July 8, 2014 paving way for the second segment that began the following day.

    With the commencement of this middle 10 days period, most sincere fasting Muslims began to intensify worship (‘Ibadah) by spending their days and nights seeking Allah’s forgiveness and by chanting Istighfar while observing Tarawih and Tahajjud in addition to the normal five daily obligatory Salawat. Most of them also engage vehemently in Tilawah, Tafsir and attendance of public lectures for better understanding of Islam. However, forgiveness in this circumstance is neither automatic nor free. Usually, conditions are attached to it.

    One of such conditions is for all fasting Muslims to admit his/her misdeeds and repent on them. The second is for such Muslims to voluntarily and genuinely seek forgiveness. And the third condition is to resolve never to return to such misdeeds again. To seek Allah’s forgiveness during this segment, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was reported to have said that “if you want to speak with Allah, make your request on prostration. And if you want Allah to speak to you recite the Qur’an”. And that was what Muslims of understanding are now doing.

    No one who abides by the above conditions and follows it scrupulously will ever be disappointed. Allah is both a promising and a fulfilling God. He never reneges on His promise. He promises in Qur’an 2:186 thus: “…when my servants ask you (Prophet Muhammad) about me, tell them that I am very close to them. I answer the prayers of whoever seeks my favour if he prays to me (without any intermediary). So, let them expect my favourable response and trust in me so that they may be rightly guided”. Money or material possession which constitutes vanity is not an evidence of acceptance of prayer in Islam.

     

    Second Segment

    This second segment of ten days is not just to consolidate on the blessings of the first ten days it is also to prepare the fasting Muslims for the last ten days when all genuine Muslims are expectedly ready to be fully liberated from the evil machinations of any Satanic forces. The last ten days which constitute the last segment are the most heavily pregnant in terms of spiritual activities. In that segment are such activities like I‘tikaf, Laylatul Qadr and Zakatul Fitr to be found. Zakatul Fitr can be called the climax of Ramadan while ‘Idul Fitr is its anti-climax. Whoever passes through that segment therefore without any blemish is qualified to profit here on earth and in the hereafter.

    However, gaining spiritual achievement is not as important as maintaining such achievement. It will be foolish of anybody to go through such a rigour for a whole month only to turn back and throw away the gains there from. That will seem like returning to one’s own vomit. If some people passed through the same rigour last year and did not see this year’s Ramadan it would be expected of those who are alive to learn a lesson from that. There is no automation in fasting every year. Only the grace of Allah can ensure that for some.

    Human life is not measured by the length of life or time and manner of   death. In Islam, death is neither the consequence of sin nor the repercussion of ignorance. There are instances when the sinless die and the sinful live. There are also instances when the learned one may die while the ignorant one lives. The schedule of life and death is not in the custody of any human being. Death is a debt which every living being owes and must pay.

     

    Jesus and Muhammad

    Not even Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was spared of death or given a foreknowledge of it. Allah told him in the Qur’an: “Say I have not the power to benefit or to harm myself except what Allah pleases. Unto every nation is a fixed term. When their terms expire, they cannot delay it by an hour nor can they bring it forth before its time”. Q.10:49. And more than six hundred years before Prophet Muhammad (SAW), another Prophet, Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary) had made a similar statement thus: “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me”. See John 5:30 and he expressed the same statement in another way in John 20:28 thus: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught me”.  The statements by both Prophets though at different times, were made out of humility and exemplariness.

     

    Between dream and

    fulfilment

    Some people dream but never live to realize their dreams. Some look but never see. It is only in the imagination of man that age or accident or disease should be a cause of death. We shall all die at our scheduled time through the destined means. Therefore, whoever is privileged to pass through this year’s Ramadan successfully should endeavour to add spiritual value to his or her life and not diminish in faith after the sacred month. We shall all account for that value before Allah.

    Let men remember the role of their wives during the month and renew their love for those wives. Let women recall the intimacy which Ramadan rekindles between them and their husbands during the month and sustain such intimacy if only for the sake of the children. Let parents’ happiness be derived from the role of their children in the sacred month and further encourage such children to do good in order to curry the favour of Allah. Let everybody remember the tremendous improvement which the month of Ramadan has brought to our relationship during the month and strive to sustain such relationship irrespective of tribe, language or religion.

     

    Relationship

    We should also review our relationship with our neighbours especially the non-Muslims among them in that month. In Islam, neighbours are as important as the next of kin. And, Islam attaches so much respect to them that Bukhari and Muslim quoted Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as saying three times that: “he does not believe in Allah whoever creates fear in his/her neighbours”. And in another Hadith also reported by Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet was quoted as saying: “Whoever believes in Allah and the last day let him be nice to his neighbours and respect his guests”

    In the month of Ramadan a good Muslim is expected to wear a new toga of sobriety and repentance. He doubles his good deeds towards his neighbours by extending generosity to them and by cultivating a new atmosphere of friendliness and trust with them. He genuinely gives them as much impression of love and brotherhood as he does with his con-sanguine relatives. It does not matter whether such neighbours are Muslims or non-Muslims. Neither does it matter whether they are fellow tribesmen or non-natives. The Prophet did not discriminate in his Hadith when he was admonishing his disciples on what relationship with neighbours should be. And that is the inalienable position of Islam on neighbours. Therefore, whoever, had quarreled with his neighbours, therefore Ramadan, let him go and settle the quarrel during Ramadan.

    That is an additional value to fasting in the sacred month.

     

    Needs and wants

    Fasting in the month of Ramadan cannot be taken in half measure. It is an act of ‘Ibadah that stands as a whole pillar of Islam. Whoever wants to receive full rewards for his religious activities in Ramadan let him continue to abide by the foregoing after the sacred month.

    Ramadan is not made a pillar of Islam by accident. Its purpose is to return man to the original state of purity into which he was created.

    That Allah entrusts the world to man is also not by accident. Allah consulted wide and far before entrusting this great responsibility to man having volunteered to bear it. This much is revealed in Qur’an 33:71 thus: “We offered the trust (of the world) to the heavens; the earth and the mountains they all turned it down and were afraid of it.

    Man undertook to bear it but he has proved to be insincere and deceitful”. For man to re-examine himself, repent his misdeeds and be redeemed, therefore, Allah brought Ramadan as a means of rescue.

    It is in the month of Ramadan that Muslims reconfirm NEEDS rather than WANTS as the necessities required for the sustenance of their lives.

    Muslims, by their faith and orientation, should not, ordinarily, akin to WANTS. They should rather be more concerned about NEEDS than WANTS.

    The reason for this is not far-fetched. With NEEDS come contentment and satisfaction while WANTS are the cause of greed and avarice.

    Allah, the creator and Sustainer of the universe, had provided the needs of every living creature even before its creation. But then, He knew ab initio that of all those creatures man alone would go beyond

    NEEDS into the realm of WANTS. That was perhaps what caused the negative role which Satan assumed in the life of man shortly after the creation of Adam and Hawa’u.

    By introducing WANTS to man, what Satan did was to create a permanent job for himself in the life of man. Without WANTS the world would not have been what it is today. Blood would not have been shed. Money would not have been deified. Hatred would not have been known to man.

    And, man’s inhumanity to man would have been totally averted.

     

    Renaissance

    It is however delightful to note in the sacred month that Nigerian Mosques are full of Muslim youths an indication that a silent Islamic renaissance is on course despite the satanic confusion in the land caused by manifest agents of Satan. With this development, two great possibilities are expected to see Islam through the coast of good hope in the 21st century. One is the return of the Mosque to its original objective without delving into violence as currently being done by some vandals claiming to be Muslims. The other is the inalienable continuation of Islamic intellectual dynamism in reshaping the destiny of mankind. The hope that these two possibilities are achievable in the hands of today’s teeming Muslim youths is in fulfilment of a fundamental prophesy about the signs of the last days.

    One of these signs is that ‘the sun will start rising where it used to set’. The reference here is not to the physical sun. The Prophet was referring to the spiritual photosynthesis of the souls of mankind for the ultimate metamorphosis of those souls from mortality to immortality. The photosynthesis in reference here is Islam. And the fulfilment of this prophesy is gradually being confirmed today not only by the rate at which the Westerners are embracing Islam in their thousands, despite the grand plan to blacklist that divine religion with implacable hatred, but also by technology and science.

     

    Functions of mosque

    When Prophet Muhammad (SAW) established the very first Mosque in Madinah (Masjid Al-Qubah) in 622 A.C, the purpose was more than just Salat. Thus, to the Muslims, the Mosque is not supposed to be just a house of worship. It should also be a school, a library, a hospital, a court, a media centre, a parliament and a place of work for some Muslims. Without the Mosque, the unity of the Muslims would have been impossible.

    Mosque is the meeting place for offering Salat five times a day. It is the centre of congregation for Jum’at prayer every Friday. It brings the Muslims together twice in a year for congregational observance of Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha. Yet, the meeting place called ‘Arafah which is the climax of Hajj is a Mosque.

    The Mosques in Makkah, Madinah, and Quds (Jerusalem) serve the same purpose as those in Cairo, Jakarta, Islamabad and Sydney. And, in purpose and intent, there is no difference between the Mosque in Sokoto and the one in Vancouver.

    Generally, the Mosque plays a central role in fortifying the unity of the Muslims wherever they are. But unfortunately, for personal benefits, the Mosque has been relegated to just a place for Salat alone thereby becoming grossly underutilised. That is the real cause of the backwardness in which the Muslim Ummah is now wallowing. With the experience of the sacred month, every fasting Muslims has an opportunity to gain bounteously here on earth and in the hereafter.

    Such bounties must not be lost. This year’s month of Ramadan may be running fast to its end, its lessons will continue to live with us practically until they are renewed again next year with the return of this same month in sha’Allah. RAMADAN KARIM!

  • Ramadan Guide

    Ramadan Guide

    Children are Allah’ greatest gift to man. Their presence in a house is blessing. Their contribution is immense. Those are children for you.

    They can act as much of teachers just as they are of students. They learn fast, they teach fast. They are a major security for parents in any given environment.

    Children have both temporal and spiritual roles to play in a matrimonial life. And with such roles, they sometimes create hope for humanity and sometimes, they signal despair. They are the greatest asset in the possession of parents in time of peace. They are also the greatest weapon for them against the forces of Satan.

    Because of their innocence, they pave way for God’s forgiveness and quick acceptance of prayers. And, most importantly, children guarantee the continuity of man’s existence on earth. It is only with them that the fulfilment of today’s promise is possible tomorrow.

    In the Qur’an, children are mentioned many times and most often with reverence. They are treated in that glorious book as a major issue in the life of man. As orphans, they do not only have a role to play, they also compel some adults to play a role relating to them.

    As heirs to their parents, they have substantial shares in

    inheritance. Muslim children are like cubs. They follow the footstep of their parents or guardians a lot. They are often with their parents during the five daily prayers. They watch their parents as the latter give charity to the poor. They accompany them to public lectures and Islamic social gatherings.

    And, in Ramadan, children are part of the Muslims’ total spiritual package. They wake up with them at night. They fast with them in the day. They break the fast with them at sunset. They join their parents at Tafsir and night lectures. They participate in Laylatul Qadr and in giving Zakatul Fitr to the poor.

    In all these activities, they are supposed to be encouraged. At the tender age of seven, they should be guided to fast even if for half a day. And when they reach the age of 10 they should be strengthened in faith and in religious deeds through fasting. They should be provided with necessities of life both on the temporal and spiritual grounds.

    With these, they will grow up to become the fulfilment of their parents’ dreams.

    Most children grow up as good or bad citizens by emulating their parents. A child is therefore what his parents make him. If advantage of Ramadan is not taken by parents to mould their children into good Muslims what other platform will be used? Your child is your sun. Make hey while it shines.

  • Ramadan: A lifeline for spiritual motion, body’s health (1)

    Ramadan: A lifeline for spiritual motion, body’s health (1)

    Mercifully and thankfully, another Ramadan is here again. I say mercifully, because this month of fasting is a great gift, and thankfully, because my mother taught me to express gratitude for every gift I am given or any good turn done me.

    Prophet Mohammed received and instituted the Ramadan, one Islamic calendar month of fasting, and prayers to sanitise irreverent life in a bloodletting Arabia where he lived and worked in the service of the Most High. This pillar of Islam is an addition to others which includes a call to prayers five times in one day. Before these prayers are said, the ablution is made. Just as I wear a white dress for worship, to remind me to keep my thoughts and deeds pure, the ablution, the cleansing of hands and certain parts of the body with water, advises soul cleansing, so that the human spirit at worship approaches its Maker, Allah, in the highest degree of cleanliness, chastity, the human spirit can attain. Every new Ramadan is expected to make a completely new and better person of the adherent than he or she was the previous Ramadan, so that, every year, step by step, he or she discards as many human foibles or faults as possible, and begins a sure spiritual ascent homewards to Paradise.

    Christians need not keep aloof during the Ramadan. They should follow the fast. Prophet Mohammed did not in any way contradict the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ . In fact, he conceded to Christians the right to their chosen mode of worship. He had not come to fight them or to take their religion away. In fact, the Koran describes Jesus as “the Spirit of God” and the Prophet acknowledges Christianity in the three conditions he said everyone must fulfill to earn a place in Paradise. These conditions were set out in Chapter 2, verse 62 which says under the title of UNITY OF ALL SUBMITTERS AND MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR SALVATION:

    “Surely, those Who believe, those who are Christians, the converts, the Jews, anyone who (1) believes in God (2) believes in the Hereafter and (3) leads a righteous life will receive their recompense from their Lord; they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.

    So important must this clarification have been for converts to Islam that it appears again, wholesale, in Chapter 5, verse 69.

    Thus, I strive to follow the Ramadan every year, in spirit and as far as the ageing flesh can go without food during work hours.

    Every Ramadan, my Moslem friends who fast all the way ask me if there are nutritional food supplements they can add to the fast diet. Of course, there are many. To understand them requires that one understands what goes on in a fast, especially fast of this nature. In a fast, deprivations of the flesh of food, water and negative and base emotions provide it with physiological rest. This means that, as food is not eaten, the body is saved the workload of digestion and elimination of wastes from food breakdown. This gives it time and energy to eliminate all the toxins which had been stored in the cells, sometimes for years, to the detriment of the body, because engagement of three square meals everyday did not permit. As this elimination of toxins is going on, in a fast, the body becomes lighter, relaxes its hold on the soul. The loosened bond makes the soul more sensitive to ethereal currents which may uplift it spiritually.  As for the body, deprivation of food from sunrise to sunset may deprive it of vital nutrients and energy which need to be recouped in breakfast and dinner. The trouble, however, is that the appetite is not ready for breakfast before sunrise, and food overload at this time must be counterproductive. What about dinner? A fast is not broken with a heavy meal either, otherwise it would be counterproductive. Light meals densely packed with nutrients are called for. Additionally, thought should be given to food supplements which provide energy, support the elimination organs i.e. the lungs, the liver, the kidneys the bowels and the skin. As these organs support optimal elimination of poisonous wastes in the cells into the blood stream, antioxidants which knock out these toxins will be needed. My suggestions, which are by no means exhaustive and which will be re-visited during the fast, are as follows:

    BREAKFAST

    1)         Clean alkaline water is suggested. The blood, loaded with toxins is acidic in a fast. Drinking acidic water during a fast is, therefore, not healthful. The acidity will extract alkaline minerals from the cells to dilute the acid and protect the blood from unleashing acid “bath” on weak tissue or organs. People who engage in long fasts often notice a thickening of oral thrush (gray tongue). They may also suffer from mild to severe headaches or delirium as the toxin dense blood irritates nerves in the brain. Most Nigerian water brands in bottles or sachets add salt to injury as they are acidic. Alkaline water is better. One may buy Eternal’s Energy Cup, load with water in the night and drink it in the morning, and reload in the morning for breaking the fast in the evening. The trouble, however, is that it holds no more than one glass of water. To the rescue should come LASENA bottled water, Nigeria’s most alkaline bottled water brand at 7.8pH from a 522 metre-deep artesian well near Lagos loaded with alkaline minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium Silica and Zinc. If the blood is left acidic, it would leach calcium from the bones and teeth, magnesium from the muscles, iron from red blood cells and deprive the enzymes and immune system of Zinc, among other physiological deficit. Often thus is one of the causes of fatigue experienced during a long fast. One of the best sources of these needed alkalizing minerals is CORAL CALCIUM, which has about 40 minerals the way Nature composes them in the human body.

    Bread, milk, egg, margarine, fried foods, white flour foods  and sugar, which are acidifying, should be eliminated. After rehydrating with about 1.5 litres plain alkaline water sipped over some time, whole grain cooked pap to which some wheat is added may follow. My choice most mornings are cooked guinea corn or yellow corn pap, two or three Weatabix cakes crushed in before the pap is removed from the stove.  To this may be added unsweetened yoghurt  and one teaspoonful of blackstrap molasses. This dosage of molasses supplies about 40 percent of an adult’s daily iron need, plenty of potassium, the B complex vitamins and some minerals. The yoghurt provides probiotic (friendly bacteria) for intestinal cleansing and health. Weatbix gives fibre for bowel movement, the pap, energy. The fibre ensures the energy is evenly dispensed throughout the day. I find this meal sustains me till evening especially when I add one to two teaspoonfuls of wheatgrass powder and half teaspoonful of spirulina powder.  If the budget permits it, other greens such as Barley grass, Moringa, and nettle may be added. The body need lots of minerals, vitamins, hormones, enzymes and trace elements, and they are present in these green plants. These plants have lots of chlorophyll for cleaning and rebuilding the blood, for stimulating immune function, for supporting the healing process and for reversing inflammation and pain. Spirulina has complete protein fractions, and is reputed to be the richest plant source of beta carotene, an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant precursor of Vitamin A which, in the presence of adequate amount of Zinc in the body, is good for the eyes and skin and the mucous membrane lining in the nose, mouth, intestines etc. As the body is going to be starved or hungry for nutrients all sunrise hours, it may be wise to keep lots of nutrient circulating in the blood all day. Eating mountains of food is useless in this project if the meals are devitalised, nutritionally speaking. It is actually the absence of nutrients which make the body makes us to eat, believing it would find nutrients in the next meal to bridge the shortfall. For this reason, other food supplements may be considered.

    If, for example, cell or tissue salts are found okay, they may be taken with the first water intake of the day, preferably Lasena water, to enrich alkalinity and last water intake. That’s how I do it. I find that I need the phosphate cell salts for my eyes. So, before I go to bed, I drown some tablets, depending on the dosage, in a glass of Lasena water. These tablets are slightly bigger than as grains of sand, but are very potent. There are 12 cell salts. They are the constituent salts, in varying ratios, in different cells. Some products contain all 12 in a tablet. Some others specialise. The phosphates, for example, are a specialised group… (1) Calcium phosphate (for bones, teeth and metabolism) (2) Magnesium phosphate (to stop muscle spasms, especially heart palpitations, and to stop pain)  (3) Ferrum phosphate (to provide iron, oxygen and to break congestions as in asthma and dark blood clots in the menstrual blood)  (4) Potassium phosphate (to repair damaged nerves, ease muscle tensions, and rebalance fatigued brains) and (5) Sodium phosphate (to help hold water outside the cells). This is important because, a fast in which water is not taken may inadvertently cause dehydration. As we now know, dehydration may cause many metabolic disorders and diseases, including those of the so-called HIV and cancer.

    There will be time yet to talk about dinner and make more suggestions about breakfast. As we look forward to Ramadan 2014, let’s offer genuine thanks like happy, child-like children to the Almighty Creator of All and Ruler of All the Worlds, and use this gift to maximum spiritual benefit and the rejuvenation of the health of our bodies.

  • Origin of Tafsir

    From the beginning of Ramadan, every year, Muslims congregate in various Mosques or Learning Centres where Tafsir (exposition of the Qur’an) is rendered by learned scholars. This is in accordance with the Prophetic tradition which encourages better understanding of the Qur’an.

    Linguistically, Tafsir means exposition. But technically, it means the comprehensive analysis of the Qur’an. In other words, Tafsir is the exposition of the contents of the Qur’an, as usually done comprehensively by Muslim scholars especially during the month of Ramadan throughout the Muslim world.

    Because of the coded language of the Qur’anic revelation, it became necessary for the verses of that sacred book to be decoded for the purpose of thorough understanding of the Muslim Ummah. And this was thoroughly by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to the great delight of his companions and disciples.

    From the explanation above it becomes clear that the revelations of the Qur’an were the immediate cause of intellectual research in Islam.

    For instance, Arabic the original language of the Qur’an had no grammar prior to the revelations of the divine message. The grammar of that language evolved only from the contents of the Qur’an.

    The challenge which the Qur’an threw to humanity in all spheres of life led to competition among the scholars. Thus, each time a revelation came, the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were always eager to know why and how of every what. And this led to their very close association with the Prophet who paved the way towards that intellectual research.

    Although the formal study of Tafsir as an independent discipline did not begin until many years after the death of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), he (the Prophet) nevertheless started its process. He did not only give the exoteric and esoteric meanings of revealed verses of the Qur’an, he also explained their application and to the daily life of man as well as the implications of same.

    It was the prophet who decoded most of the coded areas of the Qur’an for proper understanding of the ordinary Muslims. Through his utterances and actions which were later to be known as Hadith and Sunnah, the contents of the Qur’an became more and more understandable to the Muslims even as further research continues today.

    Thus, after the prophet’s demise, Hadith and Sunnah together became an independent subject of research paving man’s way to higher firmaments in civilization. And this has helped, in no small measure, in expanding the scope of Tafsir. It is from this that, all new discoveries and new frontiers in knowledge became adapted to the study of Tafsir until Tafsir itself became an estuary through which every stream of knowledge was passed to mankind.

    Ever since Tafsir has become a field of study, research into all spheres of knowledge has increasingly advanced with resultant development of man. It is through such research that man zoomed into the firmament of science which brought about the current gargantuan civilization.

    If there are such famous universities like Al-Azhar of Cairo, in Egypt; Qarawiyyin of Fez, in Morocco and Zaytuniyyah of Tunis, Tunisia, (the three oldest Universities in the world) it is as a result of the research developed to advance the course of Tafsir. But what problems does Tafsir face? Read on tomorrow.

  • Shopping on the upswing as Ramadan knocks the door

    Shopping on the upswing as Ramadan knocks the door

    The Ramadan season is here again! As usual, the tempo of shopping in and around major foodstuff and fruits market within the Lagos metropolis is on the upswing, as Muslims shop for items for the yearly fast. When The Nation Shopping visited some of the major markets in Lagos, such as Mile 12, Oyingbo, Ojuwoye-Mushin, Badagry, and Idumota, among others, the upsurge in human traffic in those markets could hardly go unnoticed.

    Shoppers, mostly Muslims were seen trooping in and out of such markets to purchase items, mainly foodstuffs and fruits. These markets, it was found, have been busier in the last one week with patronage increasing by the day. According to the traders, sales are picking up with more customers buying up most of the items on display. Indeed, the markets have come alive, riding on the crest of the spirit of the Ramadan season.

    For instance, at Daleko Market in Mushin, a suburb of Lagos state, the leader of the market, Alhaja Rafatu said traders have been making huge sales since last week because Muslims are buying Ramadan items. “We at Daleko Market always look forward to seasons like this to make more money. Those of us who had our stalls burnt to ashes last month now have reasons to smile again. We are pleased with the rush and high patronage we get from customers far and near,” she said.

    A foodstuff trader at Balogun market in Lagos Island Local Government Area, Kudirat Sanni said at the weekend that customers now patronise her more than they have in the last three months when sales was very discouraging. “Ramadan rush has started again. It comes once in a year and I always look forward to it,” she said.

    Another trader, Shade Ifedapo, a pepper and tomato seller at Sabo Market in Ikorodu said sales have been very different these few weeks. According to her, “Customers now come to buy pepper, tomato and other items in large quantities regardless of the hike in the price of these items at times like this.”

    She disclosed that small quantity of tomato which used to sell for N50 now sells for N200 while a small quantity of pepper originally sold for N50 also increased to N100 with reduced quantity. Shade explained that when these items are sold at exorbitant rates to the end user, it is also sold at exorbitant rates to the trader who is buying to resell. “Yes, we sell to make profit. But we cannot afford to lose after spending so much money to buy from producers and wholesalers. That is why we sell according to what we buy,” she stated.

    One of the traders at the market, Taiwo Johnson, said he wishes that the huge patronage the market is experiencing presently would last for some time, even after the fast.

    While stating that in the past, Muslims would buy in bulk before the fast and when they are fasting, he said patronage would reduce until when it is time for them to conclude the fast. “I have noticed a fluctuation in the patronage of Muslims before, during and after their yearly Ramadan fast” he said.

    The story is the same at Oshodi Market. One of the traders in the market who spoke to The Nation Shopping, Zugwai Duniya said Muslims don’t want to be caught unawares as they stock their homes with staple food items to prepare for the fast. He said: “It is better to

    prepare ahead because when Ramadan eventually starts, food items and fruits would become costlier than they are now.”

    Duniya added: “People are complaining that these items are on the high side, but they should be used to it by now. They should know that we anticipate periods like this. They should also not forget that we sell based on the price we buy,” he said. Hameed Abu, a middle-aged stall owner, also said that he has been selling seasonal fruits for twenty years now and that business has not been bad. “I have to deal with about 300 customers every day. I can sell fruits worth more than 30, 000 a day; watermelon is the most patronised” Abu said.

    Traders at the popular Agege Market also have cause to cheer. Haji Abdullah, a trader, said that this year’s Ramadan business is better than last year. She said despite an increase in the price of almost all food items, her sales did not go down. She said Muslims patronise her stall more every Ramadan because they can’t do without their basic needs for the fast. While some consumers complain of the hike in prices, others say they are use to it.

    At Ebute Market in Ikorodu, a customer, Fiyin Adedayo, who was seen buying food stuffs and other items said Ramadan is about to start and as usual, she stocks her home with food items and fruits a week to the fast  so that she can have enough to share. “I am used to Ramadan prices and I’m not bothered,” she said.

    At Mile 12 Market, Hakeem Usman, a customer who religiously follows the family tradition, said that without stocking his house with these items, he finds it very difficult to buy when fast starts. “I prefer buying all necessary items my family needs for the fast early enough. It has become a part of our heritage as devoted Muslims,” said Usman told the Nation Shopping.

    However, foodstuff and fruits are not the only items of choice for Muslims during such season. Ramadan accessories such as Hijabs (Head Scarfs), Khimar (Hijabs with hands), Abayah, jalbab (long flowing gowns for women) and many more from retailers, who stock them, also enjoy increased patronage.

    For instance, Adejoke Ahmed who sells Islamic items at Yaba Market said she has been making huge sales from the sale of the Holy Quran, Mausalah (prayer mat), Tesbah (rosary), prayer kettle, house decorations, posters with Allah images and verses from the Quran. Same for Alhaji Nurudeen Gbadamosi, who sells Islamic discs at Idumota Market. He has been making bumper sales this season as shoppers are patronising his Al-Qunut CDs (prayer discs) and Islamic Nasheed (Islamic poems).

    A sales person at an Islamic store in Ikeja, Medinat Raman said it has become a tradition for the store to record very high sales when it is Ramadan. “It is not new to us here that when Ramadan is around the corner, more people, mainly Muslims patronise us,” she disclosed, noting that Hijabs, Khimars which are coverings for Muslim women while praying during Ramadan is the most demanded among items in stock.

    However, Akanni Abdulazeez, a shopper, complained that the price of the same quality of hijab he bought for his daughter last year has increased by N1, 250. “I am shocked! The price difference this year is killing and I doubt if Nigerians can cope. We can’t even afford our daily meals,” he said.

    The shoppers are however, not deterred by the slight price adjustment. For them especially theMuslims, Ramadan is an annual ritual, which is why ahead of the fast, Muslims are expected to distribute gifts to the needy in line with the Islamic injunction of giving to the less privileged, which is mandatory to enable them observe the fast.

    The Nation Shopping learnt that during Ramadan, food consumption pattern changes, as some Muslims who are used to patronizing ‘bukas’ eateries and restaurants, begin to prepare their early morning and evening meals themselves, either for convenience or to cut cost. Majority of them who can afford to stock their homes with necessary items do so before the fast begins.

    The Ramadan shoppers are encouraged by traders from the north who have promised that they will ensure that products like pepper, tomato, onions and other staple food items are available in various Lagos markets regardless of the insecurity challenges the northern states are facing presently.

    Mallam Musa is one of the northern leaders at Mile 12 market. He told The Nation Shopping that staple food items might be very expensive but won’t be out of stock. “People should bear with us because of the Boko Haram issue our states are facing now. It is not easy travelling to these places to transport food items or fruits to Lagos. We take lots of risk and endanger our lives. That is why we sell them at exorbitant rates,” he said.

    Musa further disclosed that many traders have moved down to Lagos to secure their lives. “So, we practically buy these things also from few mallams who are farmers and who don’t mind to take the risk of travelling to the north to cultivate,” he pointed out, adding that these days, traders are at the mercy of their fellow countrymen. “We buy what is available most of the time or rather, what our brothers agree to sell to us” he said.

  • Quilox may close down for Ramadan

    Quilox may close down for Ramadan

    QUILOX nightclub, according to its management, may be shut down for a month by the end of June.

    Sources close to Shina Peller, owner of the night club, revealed that the break might be during the Holy month of Ramadan.

    Peller, according to the sources, is a devout Muslim who always observes the Holy month of fasting with strong religious principles.

    Findings revealed that the club had a schedule in place that includes seasonal breaks during the Holy Month and other special events spread across the various seasons of its calendar.

    Quilox is expected to re-open after the break in grand style, as is customary for this elegant and exclusive nightclub.

    The nightclub, which is popularly known for its Las Vegas-style theme, has held many successful events and parties in the past years.

  • After Ramadan good deeds continues, says scholar

    •Condoles with Fashola

    The good deeds exhibited during the month of Ramadan should not be discontinued, an Islamic scholar Sheikh Dhikrullahi Shafi’I has said.

    Sheikh Shafi’I enjoined Muslims not to reduce the acts of worship and goodness after Ramadan, saying the Holy Month is like a training institute.

    “If one graduated from an institution, the expectation of the people is for such a graduate to put into use the knowledge acquired and lessons learnt for the benefit of the community. All sinful acts we abandoned during Ramadan should be jettisoned to make the society a better place for humanity,” he said.

    The cleric, who spoke yesterday from Makkah, Saudi Arabia where he is performing Umrah (Lesser hajj) condoled with Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola over the demised of his father, Alhaji Ibrahim Ademola Fashola.

    While praying Allah to forgive him, Sheikh Shafi’I advised Governor Fashola to improve on his knowledge of Islam and move closer to Allah.

    “Our affluence and influence do not count when the time is up; this should always be at the back of the mind of our leaders when piloting the affairs of the state. You must not make laws that are anti-God to please mankind. We should fear the day we would stand before Allah to give accounts of our sojourn on earth,” he said.

    The cleric called on world leaders, United Nations in particular to be just in their dealings.

    “The crisis in Tunisia, Libya, Iraq, Egypt, Afghanistan and other parts of Middle East is worrisome; UN as world police and peacemaker should live up to expectation; the atrocities the military is perpetrating in Egypt are condemnable likewise Israeli aggression against Palestinians. How can you say you are on the negotiation table and at the same time expanding your occupation of the Palestinians’ land? What manner of negotiation is that?” he queried.

    Sheikh Shafi’I urged Muslims world to be united and fellow clerics to play their role as expected.

  • Ramadan tests German Muslim athletes

    Abstaining from food and water for 15 hours a day, German Muslim athletes are taking the challenge of observing the holy fasting month of Ramadan and keeping their training courses.

    “I always hear the same sentences, like ‘Don’t you need a drink?’ or how can you do it?’ Suleyman Baysal, a 21-year-old Muslim soccer player at YEG Hassel team, told Deutsche Welle.

    “I don’t need to drink right now. Really, I don’t,” he responds as usual.

    Like other German Muslims, the 21-year-old student of English and philosophy is observing Ramadan fasting from sunrise to sunset.

    Baysal breaks the fast with his family around 9 p.m. and sets an alarm for 3 a.m. to drink another litre of water before dawn.

    Baysal coaches a team of nine- and 10-year-olds, and the kids respect his commitment and try to hide water bottles, so he won’t see them drinking.

    “I say, ‘You don’t need to do that – just drink, it doesn’t matter,’ but they are so friendly,” he said.

    In 2010, the German Football Association (DFB), The German Football League (DFL) and the Central Council of Muslims declared that professional soccer players were exempt from fasting during Ramadan.

    Some Muslim stars chose to fast, including Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery from France, who sets inspiration for other athletes.