Where is happiness? More than five billion people are searching for it. But where is it? If happiness was in the hand, then the one whose wrist is adorned with a designer watch worth hundreds of thousands of rands, or whose fingers have been ringed with priceless diamonds, or the one who counts huge bundles of his money everyday, would always be very happy. If happiness was in the eyes, then the one who lives in the most scenic of places, with his most luxurious, expensive and eye-catching possessions such as furniture, cars, clothing, etc., in front of him all the time, would forever be elated. If happiness was in the stomach, the person feasting on delicacies would have been continuously ecstatic, while the one eating simple basic food would have been very miserable . However, nobody has found happiness in possessions and objects. Happiness is in the heart. If the heart is happy, the joy of the heart permeates every part of the body, irrespective of whether the hand does not have a rand, or whether the stomach has only been filled with bread and water. The question is: How does the heart gain happiness?

CONTENTMENT

The foundation of happiness is Imaan. The pillars of this happiness are righteous actions and the qualities of Imaan. Among the foremost qualities of Imaan that bring happiness to the heart and fill one's life with peace and tranquillity is qana'ah (contentment). Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) is reported to have said: “Verily true wealth is the contentment of the heart.” In another narration contentment has been described as “the wealth that is never exhausted.” Wahb bin Munabbah (R.A.) expressed this reality in the form of an anecdote. “Respect and wealth went out one day to search for a companion,” he said. “They met contentment and permanently stayed over with him.” The message is clear: Respect and true wealth is to be found in contentment. Otherwise one will be forever poor and miserable despite owning billions.

Contentment refers to being happy with what one has been blessed with. It entails living within one's means. Contentment does not bar one from possessing any comfort and luxury. Indeed, it is opposed to buying things merely to enhance one's “status,” or to avoid being regarded as “oldfashioned” by others. Contentment is the opposite of materialism. Therefore, if contentment offers peace and happiness, materialism promises unhappiness and misery.

From Ihyaaud Deen. This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Janaazah

• A boy and girl close to the age of puberty will be enshrouded in the manner a baaligh male and female are enshrouded. Enshrouding the boy in two cloths and the girl in three cloths is also permissible.
• As far as minors are concerned, it is Sunnah to enshroud a minor boy in three cloths and a minor girl in five cloths as baaligh males and females are enshrouded. Enshrouding a minor boy in one cloth and a minor girl in two cloths is also permissible.
• An infant child, who passes away immediately after birth or a while later, will be given an Islamic name. Similarly, ghusal will be given and the normal kafan will be carried out. The Janaazah Salaah will also be performed upon him.
• A still born child will be given an Islamic name. Thereafter he will be given ghusal, wrapped in a cloth and buried without Janaazah Salaah.
• If a woman miscarries then if the limbs are not yet formed (i.e. hands, feet, nose, mouth etc. are not fully formed), they will be wrapped in a cloth and then buried.
• If the limbs are formed (i.e. hands, feet, nose, mouth etc. though the entire body has not yet been formed), then the child will be named, washed, wrapped in a cloth and buried without Janaazah Salaah.

Note: The shar’ee ghusal will not be carried out in this case.

• If the newborn dies at childbirth before most of the body exits then it will follow the law of the stillborn child i.e. it will be given an Islamic name. Thereafter it will be given ghusal, wrapped in a cloth and buried without Janaazah Salaah.
• If the child died after most of the body appeared then it will be regarded as though he was born alive and then died i.e. he will be given an Islamic name. Similarly, ghusal will be given and the normal kafan will be carried out. The Janaazah Salaah will also be performed upon him.

Note: The major portion of the child coming out will be determined in the following manner: If the head of the child came out first, then once the chest exits it will be regarded as though the major portion of the child has come out. And if the child’s feet came out first then by the navel becoming visible it will be regarded as though the major portion of the child has come out.

The consumer is not an idiot. Do not try to pull the wool over his eyes. He is you and me, our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, wives, husbands, family and friends. They do us a great favour each time they purchase a product or service for it contributes to our economy and livelihood. If we claim to represent, serve or profit from them, then we have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that the necessary and relevant information is provided in assisting them to make their choices, by way of labelling, declarations, disclosures and transparency.

For the Muslim, the consumption of Halaal is not simply an option but an absolute obligation. This strand of the rope of Halaal which bind us together also presents the greatest challenge because of the enormous diversity. In one third of the world Muslims are in a majority situation and in the rest they live as a minority. They are found in both First World, as well as developing and Third World countries. Without a single cohesive institution such as the Rightly Guided Caliphate of previous times, it progresses by adherence to the Shari’ah.

There is no discrepancy on the primary sources, ie. The Noble Qur’an as revealed to the final Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), over one thousand four hundred years ago, preserved unchanged and without corruption in its original and pristine form. This is followed by the Sunnah traditions which consists of the sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon him) and is regarded both as explanatory and complementary to the text of the Qur’an.

There is a secondary source of the Shariah which is described as Juristic opinion of learned Ulama (Theologians) where through a measured and meticulous process, decisions arrived by Ulama through consensus, analogical deduction from the primary sources, sound reasoning, public interest, legal presumptions and customs with final sanction which done in harmony with the Divine primary sources above. It is in this area that many differences and rulings occur on the basis that the Ulama of that locality have made the decisions in the best interest of Islam for their respective communities.

The provision of Halaal products and regulatory services understandably experiences similar diversity, with governments of Islamic countries providing this in some instances whilst in minority situations the communities have learnt to rely on themselves through community based organisations. In the case of poultry there are many discrepancies with some accepting machine slaughter, others accepting slaughter by the "People of the Book" and some who accept a single recitation of the Tasmiyah (incantation) at the start of the process. Then there is the question of supply and demand where local halaal bodies grant certification at the port of entry on “paper verification” of the foreign certifiers whose bonafides and standards maybe questionable and where verification audits are conducted once in several years.

One of the revelations in the grand fraud case brought by SANHA on the unforgivable crime committed by the Orion Cold Storage company in passing off pork and other Haraam products as Halaal, was that during 2011 alone, eighteen containers of chicken were imported by Orion and cleared in the manner described above. Five of these were from Denmark. It is common industry knowledge that virtually without exception, chickens from Denmark are all slaughtered by machine.

South Africans as a rule in keeping with the decision reached by their pious Ulama predecessors do not accept mechanical slaughter of poultry which makes it incumbent on the certifying authority, in this case the MJC, to ensure that the consumers right to know and exercise their own choices is not impinged. Until such information is made available, consumers should abstain from all imported meats, question the sources at your butcher and even in downstream certification chain such as fast food outlets and pie manufacturers. Demand proper labelling information and do not accept products with vague labelling that merely states that it is specially packed for “xyz” without any details of country of origin, or value added products such as polonies and viennas, etc. labelling of which conveniently omits the large percentage of foreign raw material and country of origin.

Do not allow your right to know to be hijacked – its a matter of faith.

Report deviations to your Halaal body, Department of trade, consumer body or your local councillor.

By Abu Muhammad Yusuf

We are all searching for happiness. In achieving this happiness our attitude in life plays a crucial role.

After years of hard and dedicated service to his Company, Ahmed was being appointed at an elegant reception as the new Director. It was a small function where his wife Fatimah, a Home Executive, and some of the wives of the other persons in top management were also present. In an adjacent room, Ann, the wife of the CEO of the Company, asked Ahmed's wife a very odd and unusual question; "Does your husband make you happy?"

The husband, Ahmed, who at that moment was not at her side, but was sufficiently near to hear the question, paid attention to the conversation, sitting up slightly, feeling secure, even filling his chest lightly in pride and hope, knowing that his spouse was a role model Muslimah and would definitely not publically lower or degrade her husband, would answer affirmatively, since she had always been there for him during their marriage and generally in life. Nevertheless, to both his and the others' surprise, she replied simply;

"No, no he doesn't make me happy…"

All praise is due to Allah in whose hands lie the direction and result of all affairs. He is the creator of everything and freely controls therein, immaterial whether it be of the good or the evil. We testify that there is no deity worthy of worship besides Allah alone who has no partner. We testify that our leader and master, Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam is His servant and messenger who had removed us from evils towards the light (of guidance). He had eliminated (in His time through these teachings) every form of ignorance in religion and evil. May Allah's salutations and peace be upon Him, His family and companions through whom the Deen was made manifest in perfection. By them He caused faith to be embedded within the souls.

The month of Safr has approached us and is taken to be an evil omen by some, while others take it to be a sign heralding goodness. This practice is similar to that of Jaahiliyaa (Pagan ignorance of pre- islamic Arabia) in which they innovated the detested practice of shifting the calendar due to such a believe.

Allah Ta'aala refuted their activity by stating "An- Nasie" (shifting the calendar) is a cause to further (rebel) in disbelief (kufr). Likewise, Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam regretted the taking of good or evil thereby in specific terms while such speculation was disapproved by Him generally in all other issues. He had by such negation removed from us plenty worries and causes of sadness.

Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam said: "There is no spreading of disease (except by Allah's permission), nor (the taking of omens) by the flight of birds, nor (any evil) in the detesting of the owl and neither (any ill in) the month of Safr." (Bukhari)

Once, Muhammed Bin Raashid Radiyallahu Anhu informed Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam that people are taking ill omen due to the entrance of the month of Safr. Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam then said: "There is no (ill omen in) Safr." (Established by Sunnah)

Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam said: "Taking omens by the flight of birds is Shirk (polytheism)". He said this thrice. (Abu Dawud, Tirmizi)

Ibn Masood Radiyallahu Anhu said: "All of us at times have such baseless thoughts, except that Allah removes the same through Tawakkul (Trust in Him). From the statement of Ibn Masood Radiyallahu Anhu we learn that Tawakkul is in not believing by heart in the whispering (placed into the human mind) relevant to the flight of birds, nor acting upon its results through the limbs and neither expressing belief of the same through the tongue. We will then also not be taken to task for any such misbelieves.

The statement of Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam "If ill omen is found it would be in a woman, a property or a house" would be interpreted to mean that ills could most likely result amongst others from the three mentioned items. (Bukhari, Muslim)

I seek refuge with Allah from Shaytaan, the accursed.

Allah says (The messenger) replied "The (consequences) of your ill omens is to remain with you. Is this (because) you have been reminded (To turn to Allah). (Nay) But you are an extravagant nation. (Surah Yaseen, Aayat 19)

(Khutbaatul Ahkaam, Pg 86/87)