NEWSLETTER

Monday, 08 Ramadhaan 1432 H / 08 August 2011

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Audio Cd's of Nasheeds; Qirats and lectures available. Call us on +27 (0)11 854 7022

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0% COMMISSION ON FOREX PURCHASES

Al Baraka's Foreign Exchange gives you access to foreign currencies.

Are you planning to go for Haj, Umrah or travelling abroad on business or holiday, you may obtain your foreign currency from Al Baraka Bank

We offer:
- Foreign Banknotes at competitive rates (US$, EURO €; POUND £; SAUDI RIYAL)
- Free traveller's will

Kingsmead (DBN) 031 364 9200; Fordsburg 011 833 1154 (GAUT); Lenasia 011 852 6623; Laudium (PTA) 012 374 0041; Athlone (CT) 021 637 8800 & at Overport (DBN) 031 209 1003

Customer Service Centre - 0860 225 786
www.albaraka.co.za

Your Partner Bank

Albaraka Bank Limited is an authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. Reg. No. 1989/003295/06 NCRCP 14 FSP No. 4652

Imagine that you are on the beach. You are four years old. The camp leader has told you that you have five minutes to build a great castle. "Quickly," your three year old Ameer tells you, "the sand here is too soft. Run closer to the water and get better sand!"

Off you run and grab, with your tiny hands, as much sand as you can hold. But, as you run back, plop, plop, plop, you feel the sand slipping through your fingers. You can do nothing about it. In your haste, all the sand has slipped away. Bang. The competition is over. This is the analogy of our lives. This is the analogy of our time in Ramadan.

For many living in Western countries, Ramadan is passed daily with 9 to 5 jobs or school - nights where we may or may not go for Taraaweeh. A peak at the TV (may Allah protect us) and the night is over. Back to work where all around us people are eating and drinking from crystal water fountains. Blink. Ramadan is over.

The question of the hour is: how do we take full advantage of this gift of Allah? This is our topic, before the sands of Ramadan slip away.

How many years have we been fasting Ramadan? 10 or 15 or 40 years? Are we 10 or 15 or 40 times better? Or, does it seem like we have arrived back at the drawing board every time Ramadan comes around? All acts of worship are for our own benefit! Don't do it and harm befalls you, which is the way life was programmed.

Ramadan is no small matter. It is one of the pillars of this Deen of Islam - without it one's Islam would not be complete. In this month, Rasul Allah - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - would intensify his worship of Allah ta'ala. In doing so, he laid the foundation for his Ummah after him to emulate.

Ibn AlQayyim - rahimahullaah - wrote: "From his blessed guidance - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - in Ramadan is that he used to intensify and diversify his actions of worship. So, for example, Jibreel used to rehearse the Qur'an with him during the nights of Ramadan. When Jibreel would visit him, he would intensify the amount of Sadaqah that he would give. He was the most generous out of all people - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam – and Ramadan was the time when he was most generous. In Ramadan, he would fill his time with Sadaqah, treating people kindly, reciting Qur'an, performing Salaah, remembering Allah, and performing I'tikaaf." - Zaad AlMa'aad

Observers described the way Allah's Messenger- sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - gave like Ar-Reeh AlMursalah, like the blessed wind. Why? The blessed wind, as they knew it, was a wind that brought coolness to everyone - no one was denied its blessing. The blessed wind, additionally, was not lazy in bringing its goodness to the people. It would come swiftly to all. This is how Rasul Allah - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - was described, and this is how our service to humanity should be: swift and encompassing. Bi idhnillah.

If you had invested R1000 in Kagiso Asset Management’s Equity Alpha unit trust fund almost six years ago, when it launched, you would have been invested in the number 1 domestic equity general unit trust fund AND your R1000 investment would have grown to R3 847*.

The Kagiso Islamic Equity Fund, which uses this same investment team and process, is NOW available to investors seeking transparent and ethical investments. Whilst complying with Sharia law, the fund aims to consistently outperform the market.

To access the Kagiso Islamic Equity Fund, contact your financial advisor, visit our website at www.kagisoam.com or call 0800 22 11 77

Kagiso Asset Management: Unconventional thinking. Superior performance

Kagiso Asset Management is an authorised financial services provider.

Gold: $1,679.50 /oz
Platinum: $ 1,698.78/oz
Silver: R9,13 per g
Saudi Riyaal: R1.85
Oil: $106.80 / barrel
$ 6.95
€ 9.78
£ 11.29
Mahr Fatimi: R14880.34
Minimum Mahr: R297.60
Zakaah Nisaab:R5952.13
Krugerand: R12,204.83
24 carat gold: R374.67 /g
22 carat gold: R343.84 /g
18 carat gold: R280.98 /g
14 carat gold: R218.68 /g
09 carat gold: R141.94 /g

Sadaqatul Fitr Hanafi: R16
Sadaqatul Fitr Shafi: R21

* DA takes 'hasty' action against Cele - THE Democratic Alliance has laid criminal charges against national police commissioner General Bheki Cele and Minister of Public Works Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, for their role in the R1 billion police headquarters lease.

* SAfrica to open new museum honoring Nelson Mandela - Officials say they will build a dedicated museum honouring Nelson Mandela's struggle against apartheid, on the site where he was arrested 49 years ago.

* Israeli Stock Market Plunges in Response to US Debt Crisis - The debt crisis in the United States, including the downgrading of the U.S. debt rating by a major agency, had a negative impact on the first day of the trading week in the Middle East. Stock markets in Dubai and Egypt dropped about four percent, and the effects were even worse in Israel.

* Assad must stop violence, UN chief repeats after latest crackdown - UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday renewed his appeal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop the violence against civillians after reports of a new military crackdown just a day earlier.

* Is climate change to blame for famine in the Horn of Africa? - The question arises whenever "extreme weather events" – hurricanes, floods, droughts – hit our TV screens. It's impossible to answer with a simple yes or no – but here's what we think we know so far.

Method

• Combine the first 9 ingredients together, mix thoroughly
• Shape into croquettes (long finger shapes), placing cheese in the center
• Combine the flour, salt and chillies together. Coat croquettes in this mixture
• Dip in egg and breadcrumbs
• Freeze and fry when required
• Deep-fry until golden all round

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Contact Ismail Jassat LEICESTER
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Children are Smarter

"The new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, "Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up!"

After a few seconds, Little boy stood up. The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Little boy?"

"No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!"

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