The rights of orphans in Islam by Cherryl Floyd-Miller

In the Islamic faith, all children have the right to be clothed fed and protected until they are adults, to receive love and affection from their parents and to be treated as equally as their siblings.
These rights don't end when children become orphans, whose caregivers are primarily responsible for protecting orphans and instilling the values of the Qur'an and an appropriate reverence for God Almighty.


The Qur'an clearly sets a tone for the treatment of orphans in Islam: "Treat not the orphan with harshness" (Qur'an 93:9)

In the sense that the key posture toward orphans should be kindness, orphans belong to the entire community, and everyone takes responsibility for their welfare. Perhaps this can be attributed to a deep spiritual morality that demands Muslims be charitable toward less fortunate others, but the state of being an orphan takes on an even more profound meaning in the Islamic religion.

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) was an orphan, and some of the earliest verses of the Qur'an are devoted to his orphaned childhood. He is said to have himself adopted a former slave and raised him with the same care as if he were his own son.This practice offers some hope of reward later in their lives.

In hadith, or sacred text that delivers oral traditions about the Prophet Muhammad (saw), those who assist orphans are promised the companionship of the Prophet Muhammad in an afterlife (Paradise).

Additionally, if an orphan is wealthy, an orphan's guardian is responsible for protecting the orphan's inheritance until the orphan is legally able to assume control of it himself. The adoptive family is not allowed to combine an orphan's property or wealth with its own: "Give orphans their property, and do not substitute bad things for good. Do not assimilate their property into your own. Doing that is a serious crime." (Surat an-Nisa': 2)

There are consequences, the Qur'an teaches, for taking an orphan's property or giving them lesser grade or quantities of property than is rightfully theirs: "People who consume the property of orphans wrongfully consume nothing in their bellies except fire. They will roast in a Searing Blaze." (Surat an-Nisa': 10)

When orphans are adopted, Islamic practices direct guardians to protect orphan identities, as well, by allowing them to keep their birth parents' names. This preserves their heritage and establishes their connections with other living family members.
It is important to note that it is rare that non-blood relatives assume the care of orphans in Islamic culture. The rules of this faith, which deeply values kinship, require even distant relatives to be called on before a child is considered completely abandoned.

This system of caregiving is an ideal one that seems to ensure the only worry orphans should have is mourning or remembering their parents. It allows continuous stability and makes room for ample nurturing. Ultimately, it also helps to grow a healthy identity.Despite common misunderstandings about the Islamic faith, one thing is certain: Muslim orphans are not ever in a position to be alone.

"I AM AN ORPHAN." he said

 Orphans at the Al-Birr orphanage assist in a charity campaign

 in Jeddah

There is never a dull moment working within a hospital environment. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy my profession thoroughly. Helping someone else in need fills the heart with inner peace and satisfaction. Each day I get to meet people from different walks of life, each one of them having their own wishes, desires, problems, basically all going through the same journey called life. Very often I would meet people who truly become an inspiration to me.One such person is a 29 year old Saudi male nurse who works in the hospital and is a good friend of a colleague of mine. Mr. M is a bright and bubbly person. A happy go lucky young man I would say always greeting everyone cheerfully whilst walking down the corridors. I never really had a chance of knowing him on a personal level. He would always come by the pharmacy to collect medications for his patients and he always came across as having a warm pleasant demeanour and personality.

A few weeks ago he came by the pharmacy to collect his own medication and we started having a conversation.He enquired about my nationality, my qualifications and my family and naturally I then decided to enquire about him. My heart melted when he said " I am an orphan. I don't have any parents nor do I have any siblings.My parents passed away in a car accident. I was only three at the time."

He then told me that his mom's sister looked after him.However, as much as she loves him and cares for him her own children will always come first. As he related his story to me I started seeing a flicker of sadness in his eyes. He went on to say that he never really had much of a childhood. He grew up really fast and tried to become independent from a young age by working part time at his uncles company.By the time he started high school he had learnt how to cook basic meals and iron his own clothes. He didn't want to be a burden to anyone in the household despite the love and affection he received from his aunt and her family.

As Mr. M took his bag of pills and left the pharmacy tears rolled down my eyes. Here was a person who went out of his way for his patients and always appears to be happy and yet deep inside there is an inner sadness.When he left, I sat on the chair with my arms folded and a hundred and one thoughts came to my mind. Whilst many of us would have our parents present at important milestones within our lives such as our first day at school, graduation ceremony or wedding ceremony,an orphan child does not experience this. I then realized how grateful and thankful I should be for still having both my grandmothers and parents in my life.They have always been my backbone and support from the cradle up until now. They held my hand when I took my first steps in life.They were present at my first day at school. They made sure I had the perfect dress with matching accessories for my matric farewell party. They stood with joy and pride the day I graduated from university.If it wasn't for them I would have never been the person that I am today. In my family's eyes I have done them proud to have achieved a lot within my 30 years of existence but to me the biggest achiever is an orphan child like Mr. M, who has attained success without the support of his parents. He has gone through the many obstacles and hardships of life himself to achieve his success. That is the true meaning and the true essence of success.There are many of us who despite having parents fail to appreciate them and yet for many orphans like Mr. M, their only wish and desire is wanting to have their parents with them....... A wish and a dream that will never be fulfilled in this life time but certainly in the hereafter God willing. As Mr. M left the pharmacy I made a silent prayer in my heart for him. May the Almighty fulfill his every wish and desire and grant him success in this world as well as in the hereafter. May he one day have a family of his own to fill the void and emptiness of his own life. Ameen!!!!!!

FORCE FEEDING IN MAURITANIA

Journalists have reported an unusual scourge among the Mauritanian nomads - the force-feeding of their girls. For to be fat is considered a sensible ideal for brides-to-be.

Mothers cross sticks around the ankles and squeeze the ends together with rope till the girls cry out in pain. That is one way of forcing daughters to swallow litres of milk and mountains of couscous for days on end until they developed wings of fat hanging from their arms and their skin was traced with silvery stretch-marks - attributes considered the height of feminine beauty in Mauritania.
'They eat and eat, and drink and drink, and when they can't eat anymore we pinch them and sometimes they vomit,' Braika, a mother said. 'When they vomit on purpose, we make them eat the vomit to teach them not to do it again.'

She did not feel guilty about force-feeding her daughter. Only when fattened up, daughters could have the pick of husbands. 'A thin girl could be blown away in the wind, people think she is a stick and she will never find a husband,' she said. Nomads seem to believe a fat girl is a healthy girl. But then the Mauritanian government seems to have realized that in reality, obesity has reached epidemic proportions among Mauritanian women. It is actually killing them. Barely into their 40s, fattened women are dying from obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and heart failure.

Mounina Bint Abdalla is a health consultant who worked for years with the government trying to stamp out force-feeding.But she acknowledged that government radio sketches warning women of the dangers of obesity have had little effect on a society where fatness is revered as a symbol of nobility and good breeding.Nonetheless, force-feeding and the nomadic way of life is fast disappearing, said Mounina.'The country has been hit by years of drought and we simply don't have that kind of quantity of milk now, or the time it takes,' she added.

In the market in the capital Nouakchott, Mounina pointed to all the women working in the stalls selling everything from brightly coloured veils to fake Chanel sunglasses.'Just 15 years ago, women didn't work at all but now all these women are working because life in the city is very expensive,' she said. But despite this, women are still finding ways of fattening themselves up.

A pill-seller said he could not count the number of women who buy steroids meant for cattle.'Some come and buy 20 boxes in one go,' he said. But if force-feeding creates problems for women in later life, the cattle steroids can be an instant killer. Side-effects include renal failure and heart attacks. Dr Maagouiya, the general surgeon at the main hospital in the capital city of Nouakchott, said that without autopsies - which are not permitted in Mauritania - he could not be sure how many lives the steroids had claimed but he believed the figure was high. Yet mothers still come to him to request pills for their daughters, believing that thin girls are shameful because they look 'sick'. To be 'sick' is often a euphemism for having HIV/AIDS in Africa. But the message is getting through to some Mauritanian women, like Mounina's nieces who have started exercising around the stadium as the sun goes down. But they seemed to be doing it reluctantly and said they were trying to lose weight purely for health reasons, not because it would make them more attractive.
Dr Mougiya said he encountered the same attitude when he holds seminars trying to persuade obese women to slim down. 'They tell me that if they lose weight their husbands will leave them because everyone knows that in Mauritania men prefer a fat woman.'

But one thing is finally beginning to shake up popular attitudes to fatness - the explosion of Arab satellite channels obliterating the monopoly held until recently by the state channel.

Mounina's teenage daughters, for instance, say they do not want to be fat like their cousins who are only a few years older then them. They said they want to be 'a normal size' like the Lebanese pop stars.'Now Mauritanian men are looking at Lebanese singers and starting to compare them with us,' said 19-year-old Aicha. 'The men say to their wives 'why are you fat, why aren't you like Britney Spears?'

The lifestyle in Mauritania is changing fast - donkey carts and fruit stalls in Nouakchott are giving way to fast-food restaurants. But then it is all a small beginning. Long, long way to go for the harassed Mauritanian girls.

Source:
http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/news/forcefeeding-in-mauritania

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/6591835.stm

DHAB- THE DESERT LIZARD

Article written by Muhammad al Sulami
Hunting lizards is a popular hobby for many young Saudi hunters who enjoy looking for the “exceptionally delicious” reptile in desert areas that they then slaughter and eat.

Hunters use many methods to catch the reptiles. They either use rifles to shoot them or chase them until catching them with their hands. Some pour water down their holes or use pipes to push car exhaust fumes inside to force them out.

Although lizard meat is considered a specialty in the Kingdom, doctors warn against eating too much as the meat is high in cholesterol and rich in protein. The nutritious value of the meat depends on the time of the year. If the lizard is caught after its winter hibernation, its meat will be full of fat, which becomes low in spring and at the beginning of summer.

“Hunting lizards is a hobby that we have inherited from our ancestors,” said Adil Al-Otaibi, a young Saudi lizard hunter. He explained that the best time to hunt lizards is during the summer, especially toward the end of August after numbers have soared following the mating season which begins in May and ends at the end of August.

Al-Otaibi is saddened by the hunting methods of some hunters, which he said is threatening the reptiles into extinction. “With the rising demand for lizard meat, some hunters hunt huge numbers,” he said, adding that many people think lizard meat is beneficial to their sex life.

Massad Al-Mitairi recalls several funny incidents when hunting lizards. He said once he and a group of friends caught a number of lizards and that one of the friends threw the lizards into hot water to cook before slaughtering them.

“The lizards immediately jumped out of the pot and ran off. My friend became scared and also started running. He’s never come with us since,” he said.

To preserve the lizards and save them from extinction, the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) has issued strict rules and stipulated fixed times of the year when they can be hunted. Anyone who violates these rules will be handed prison sentences, fines or both.

They are many types of lizards including the Egyptian Spiny-Tailed lizard, the Dabb lizard, the Yemeni Spiny-Tailed lizard, the Bent’s Mastigure lizard and others.

So many of you may wonder if Muslims are allowed to eat Dhab. Well, the Prophet (saw) may have personally disliked dhab himself but he did allow his companions to partake in it as reported by an authentic hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA):" I and Khalid b. Walid went to the apartment of Maimuna along with Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him), and there was presented to him a roasted lizard. Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) stretched his hand towards It, whereupon some of the women who had been in the house of Maimuna said: Inform Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) what he intends to eat. Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) lifted his hand. I said: Messenger of Allah, Is it forbidden? He said: No. It is not found in the land of my people, and I feel that I have no liking for it. Khalid said: I then chewed and ate it, while, Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) was looking (at me).

I have put some pictures below of what the lizard looks like and some “tasty” ways in which it is usually prepared.

Has anyone ever tasted it??

I should add here that I haven’t tried it personally, and I don’t think I ever will.

Source:

http://www2.arabnews.com/node/352384

Pictures courtesy of Saud Al Yahya

SPEED AND ALCOHOL KILLS!!!!!

The above two pictures were taken at the scene of a gruesome accident that occurred on the Main Durban- Johannesburg N3 highway in South Africa on Sunday November 4th at around 17h00. Driving pass the accident scene with my family, we witnessed a Black Corsa van split in half with the occupant of the vehicle, a young white man, dead. The occupants of the other vehicle, a Ford Fortuna 4x4 was a family of five. A mother, father and three kids. The kids and the mother came out without much injury. However, the driver of the vehicle despite talking, was bleeding profusely from his head and arms. His legs were stuck and it was possible that he had sustained a serious leg injury. He needed to be removed from the vehicle with the 'Jaws of Life". Dad usually doesn't stop at an accident scene. However, the families belongings were strewn across the road and dad felt that he needed to pick up their belongings and hand it over safely to the relatives. Now in South Africa what usually happens at the scene of an accident is theft. You would find people living in the surrounding areas along the road side would come to the accident scene and instead of helping the victims they would choose to steal their belongings? In a separate incident that occurred about a month ago in South Africa, a truck that was carrying meat products was involved in an accident in the Mpumalanga region. The African people from the town nearby came to the accident scene and virtually stole the entire truck load of meat.
The cause of the accident we witnessed was unknown to the police. However, they strongly point the unfortunate incident to alcohol. The man driving the Corsa van was possibly under the influence of alcohol as his breath and body were reeking of alcohol. There was also many small bottles of coke in his car.He was probably drinking the coke to shoot up his caffeine and concentration levels.
The shocking bit about the whole accident scene was that our national government ambulance service was not well equipped in dealing with this kind of trauma. The ambulance failed to have many life saving drips and drugs. The doctor on duty was forced to borrow and utilize medical equipment from the NETCARE ambulance that had arrived on the scene.
If you could ever find a group of dumb policemen the dumbest of them all were present at the scene of the accident. They did not know how to use the 'Jaws of Life" which resembles a giant pliers. With members of the public pitching in to help, finally they managed to use the device and free the driver who was trapped underneath the vehicle. With the nearest hospital 86km away in Bethlehem, it makes you wonder why doesn't the national emergency services have an airlifting service in transporting a patient quickly and efficiently especially in life threatening situations.With millions of rands squandered and stolen each day through corruption in seems to me that South Africa is slowly but surely regressing into a fully fledged third world country. It is simply a matter of time.Whilst President Jacob Zuma enjoys his life with his many wives and 20 or so kids many of whom are illegitimate, his nation and his citizens are suffering.My heart bleeds for South Africa. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It has the best weather, the scenery is remarkable and the people are warm and kind. Africa should have been the superpower of the world. But then again because of greed which African president has ever succeeded in raising his nation to new heights??? Sadly folks the answer is NONE!!