Happy New Year
As we usher another year in the Islamic Calendar the entire team of Smile News “Bringing Smile to the People” wishes to extend their sincere thanks and appreciation to you all and pray for a successful and prosperous year 1435. In Sha Allah according to the Islamic Calendar the 3rd November 2013 will be the last day in the Islamic Calendar 1434 and the 4th November 2013 will usher in the 1st day of Muharram year 1435;
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year. Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar Calendar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian calendar.
ZAKAT
Every year it is obligatory on every Muslim to give out Zakat which is firmly established in the Qur’an, the Sunnah (or hadith). Allah states in Surah at-Taubah verses 34-35 “O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah: announce unto them a most grievous penalty- On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, their flanks, and their backs.- “This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!” Yusuf Ali
Zakat is obligatory when a certain amount of money, called the nisab is reached or exceeded. Zakat is not obligatory if the amount owned is less than this nisab. The nisab (or minimum amount) of gold and golden currency is 20 mithqal, this is approximately 85 grams of pure gold. One mithqal is approximately 4.25 grams. The nisab of silver and silver currency is 200 dirhams, which is approximately 595 grams of pure silver. The nisab of other kinds of money and currency is to be scaled to that of gold, 85 grams of pure gold. This means that the nisab of money is the price of 85 grams of 999-type (pure) gold, on the day in which Zakat is paid.
The Saddest thing in our beloved Country Sierra Leone most of the people that talks about Zakat do not reach the Nisab and they are most willing to part with 2.5 % of their earning, they usually do it for every One Million Leones (Le 1,000,000). According to some Banks I visited they put the rate for the Nisab at the range of Fourteen Million Leones (14,000,000) to Eighteen Million Leones (Le 18,000.00).
ASHURA
According to the Holy companion, Ibn Abbas (RA) when the Holy Prophet (SAW) migrated to Madinah, he found that the Jews of Madinah used to fast on the 10th day of Muharram. They said that it was the day on which the Holy Prophet Musa (AS) and his followers crossed the Red Sea miraculously and Pharaoh was drowned in the water. On hearing this from the Jews, the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “We are more closely related to Musa than you.” So the Prophet (SAW) directed the Muslims to fast on the day of Ashura. (Abu Dawood)
According to another Hadith, it is more advisable that the fast of Ashura should be either preceded or succeeded by an additional fast. It means that one should fast two days: the 9th and 10th of Muharram i.e. on the 12th and 13th November, 2013 or the 10th and11th i.e. on the 13th and 14th November, 2013. The reason of this additional fast as mentioned by the Holy Prophet (SAW) is that the Jews used to fast on the day of Ashura alone, and the Holy Prophet (SAW) wanted to distinguish the Islmaic-way of fasting from that of the Jews. Therefore, he advised the Muslims to add another fast to the day of Ashura.
Some (scholars) are of the opinion that before the fasts of Ramadhan were made compulsory, the fast of the day of Aashora was compulsory upon the Ummah.
This is stated in a Hadeeth reported by Hazrat Aisha (Radhiyallahu-Anha):
“That the Holy Prophet Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) ordered the observance of the fast of Aashora. However, when the fast of Ramadhan became compulsory, then whosoever wished, kept this fast and whosoever desired did not observe this fast.” (Bukhari). But, nevertheless the Prophet (SAW) continued to fast this day and encouraged his Companions to do the same.
By: Alhaji Mohamed Wusha Conteh
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