NEWSLETTER

Monday, 20 Thul Hijjah 1433 H / 05 November 2012

________________________________________

****

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

****

02.11.2012 - Mayyit of: Aziza Vawda- VENUE: North beach Durban - TIME: 16h00 - QABARSTAAN: TBC

----------------------------------------------------------------

02.11.2012 - Mayyit of: Hafiz Gulam Mohammed Lakhi - VENUE: Panoli India - TIME: 11h30 (SA Time) - QABARSTAAN: Panoli India

----------------------------------------------------------------

02.11.2012 - Mayyit of: Yusuf Mohammed Saleyh - VENUE: 7 Ferdoze Street Roshnee - TIME: 11h00 - QABARSTAAN: Roshnee

-------------------------------------------------------------

02.11.2012 - Mayyit of: Rabia Mohammed - VENUE: 50-13th Avenue Mayfair - TIME: 11h00 - QABARSTAAN: Newclare

Abu'l-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Kathir al-Farghani, born in Farghana, Transoxiana, was one of the most distinguished astronomers in the service of al-Mamun and his successors. He wrote "Elements of Astronomy" (Kitab fi al-Harakat al-Samawiya wa Jawami Ilm al-Nujum i.e. the book on celestial motion and thorough science of the stars), which was translated into Latin in the 12th century and exerted great influence upon European astronomy before Regiomontanus. He accepted Ptolemy's theory and value of the precession, but thought that it affected not only the stars but also the planets. He determined the diameter of the earth to be 6,500 miles, and. found the greatest distances and also the diameters of the planets.

Al-Farghani's activities extended to engineering. According to Ibn Tughri Birdi, he supervised the construction of the Great Nilometer at al-Fustat (old Cairo). It was completed in 861, the year in which the Caliph al-Mutawakkil, who ordered the construction, died. But engineering was not al-Farghani's forte, as transpires from the following story narrated by Ibn Abi Usaybi'a. Al-Mutawakkil had entrusted the two sons of Musa ibn Shakir, Muhammad and Ahmad, with supervising the digging of a canal named al-Ja'fari. They delegated the work to Al-Farghani, thus deliberately ignoring a better engineer, Sind ibn Ali, whom, out of professional jealousy, they had caused to be sent to Baghdad, away from al-Mutawakkil's court in Samarra. The canal was to run through the new city, al-Ja'fariyya, which al-Mutawakkil had built near Samarra on the Tigris and named after himself.

Al-Farghani committed a grave error, making the beginning of the canal deeper than the rest, so that not enough water would run through the length of the canal except when the Tigris was high. News of this angered the Caliph, and the two brothers were saved from severe punishment only by the gracious willingness of Sind ibn Ali to vouch for the correctness of al-Farghani's calculations, thus risking his own welfare and possibly his life. As had been correctly predicted by astrologers, however, al-Mutawakkil was murdered shortly before the error became apparent. The explanation given for Al-Farghani's mistake is that being a theoretician rather than a practical engineer, he never successfully completed a construction.

The Fihrist of Ibn al-Nadim, written in 987, ascribes only two works to Al-Farghani: (1) "The Book of Chapters, a summary of the Almagest" (Kitab al-Fusul, Ikhtiyar al-Majisti) and (2) "Book on the Construction of Sun-dials" (Kitab 'Amal al-Rukhamat). The Jawami, or 'The Elements' as we shall call it, was Al- Farghani's best-known and most influential work. Abd al-Aziz al-Qabisi (d. 967) wrote a commentary on it, which is preserved in the Istanbul manuscript, Aya Sofya 4832, fols. 97v-114v. Two Latin translations followed in the 12th century. Jacob Anatoli produced a Hebrew translation of the book that served as a basis for a third Latin version, appearing in 1590, whereas Jacob Golius published a new Latin text together with the Arabic original in 1669. The influence of 'The Elements' on mediaeval Europe is clearly vindicated by the presence of innumerable Latin manuscripts in European libraries.

References to it in mediaeval writers are many, and there is no doubt that it was greatly responsible for spreading knowledge of Ptolemaic astronomy, at least until this role was taken over by Sacrobosco's Sphere. But even then, 'The Elements' of Al-Farghani continued to be used, and Sacrobosco's Sphere was evidently indebted to it. It was from 'The Elements' (in Gherard's translation) that Dante derived the astronomical knowledge displayed in the 'Vita nuova' and in the 'Convivio'.

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 [when available]; AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR AUD; UNITED ARAB EMIRATES DIRHAM AED: INDIAN RUPEE INR )
- Free traveller’s will

Kingsmead (Dbn) 031 364 9200; Overport (Dbn) 031 209 1003; Fordsburg 011 8331154; Lenasia 011 852 6623; Laudium (Pta) 012 374 0041; Athlone (CT) 021 637 8800

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

• Gold: $1,716.25
• Platinum: $ 1,558.78 /oz
• Silver: R9.81 /g
• Saudi Riyaal: R2.30
• Oil: $ 108.66 / barrel
• $: 8.66
• €: 11.17
• £: 13.90
• Mahr Fatimi: R15018.12
• Minimum Mahr: R300.36
• Zakaah Nisaab: R6007.25
• Krugerrand: R15,601.35
• 24 carat gold: R478.67 /g
• 22 carat gold: R439.17 /g
• 18 carat gold: R358.98 /g
• 14 carat gold: R279.34 /g
• 09 carat gold: R180.92 /g
  
  As at (02/11/2012)

* Afriforum and ANC agree on ‘Shoot The Boer’ song - The ANC has dropped its appeal against a court order which in effect bans singing of "Shoot the Boer

* Police use of excessive force on Andries Tatane condemned by the Human Rights Commission - The police did used excessive force on Ficksburg protester Andries Tatane resulting in his injuries and subsequent death

* Dangers of Social Media - Gone are the days when you could trot merrily along a beaten path and wave to the neighbours as they tendered to their gardens.

* US scrambles to recover after deadly storm - Rescuers searched flooded homes for survivors, millions remained without power and drivers lined up for hours to get scarce fuel, three days after the powerful storm Sandy slammed into the US East Coast, killing more than 90 people.

* Syrian troops killed in checkpoint attacks - Syrian rebels have killed at least 28 government soldiers in attacks on three army checkpoints on the main road from the capital Damascus to the northern city of Aleppo, according to an activist group.

ANGLORAND FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP

Contact us: Tel: +27 (31) 536 8206 | +27 (31) 536 8201/2/6 | +27 (31) 584 8045
Cell: +27 83 9786 788 | Fax: +27 (31) 536 8200
Email: islaminfo@anglorand.co.za | Website: www.anglorand.com

Method:
Sift the flour and salt together, add garlic flakes and remaining ingredients and mix to make a soft dough. Leave to rise, then punch down and roll like small rotis. Allow to rise. Cook on a tawa, if desired, or brush with ghee, sprinkle with rough salt and garlic flakes and bake in a very hot oven till brown.

AL-IMDAAD FOUNDATION

An Ulema guided NGO, The Al-Imdaad Foundation is a non-profit humanitarian aid agency registered in the Republic of South Africa. Working through five international branch offices, The Al-Imdaad Foundation has left it’s humanitarian footprint in over 60 countries in its brief 9 year history.

Visit www.alimdaad.com for more information.

“No, from skipping,” replied the dumbo.

Any statements and/or opinion/advertisements in this email not related to this company's business is solely that of the advertiser and we do not take responsibility/endorse for such statements / advertisements or opinions.

VIRUS WARNING: Please note that this email message has been swept for the presence of computer viruses, however, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for viruses. The company does not accept any liability for any damage caused as a result of a virus transmitted by this email.