French Muslim Murdered, Stabbed 17 Times in Apparent ‘Islamophobic’ Attack

A Moroccan man has been killed in southern France in an apparent Islamophobic attack.

Source: sputniknews.com

MOSCOW, January 17 (Sputnik) — Mohamed El Makouli died near the French city of Avignon on Wednesday, when an attacker rushed into the victim’s house in the village of Beaucet, shouting “I am your god, I am your Islam” before stabbing the man 17 times, the National Observatory Against Islamophobia said, according to the AFP news agency.

Drone Down: Israel reportedly supporting Syrian rebels (Video)

 Syrian military officials claim they’ve managed to take down an Israeli drone in its airspace. It was downed while flying over the Druze village of Hadar, which is one of the Assad-forces stronghold.

KOLMANSKOP, NAMIB DESERT (IMAGE)

 In 1908, a railroad worker found a glittering diamond sitting on top of sand. The Germans came to get rich quick which is why the Kolmanskop (Kolmannskuppe) village has such a German-influenced architectural style. As you can see, the houses in Kolmanskop are derelict and appear to be sinking in the hot desert sand.

 (Afrikaans for Coleman’s hill, German: Kolmannskuppe) is a ghost town in the Namib desert in southern Namibia, a few kilometres inland from the port town of Lüderitz. It was named after a transport driver named Johnny Coleman who, during a sand storm, abandoned his ox wagon on a small incline opposite the settlement. Once a small but very rich mining village, it is now a popular tourist destination run by the joint firm NamDeb (Namibia-De Beers).

The rules of Sadaqat/Zakat al-Fitr

By: Mufti Faraz ibn Adam

Source: http://www.ilmgate.org/

The great Hanafi faqih (jurist) Imam Ibn al-Humam mentions: “Sadaqat al-Fitr is compulsory upon every free Muslim.” (Sharh Fath al-Qadir, 2:285)

The Evidence

All the scholars base their opinion on the following ahadith:

‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) enjoined the payment of one sa’ of dates or one sa’ of barley as Zakat al-Fitr on every Muslim slave or free, male or female, young or old, and he ordered that it be paid before the people went out to offer the ‘Id prayer.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1:409)

‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) declared the payment of Sadaqat al-Fitr as obligatory; it purifies the fasting person from any indecent act or speech, and is a source of feeding the poor. If one pays Sadaqat al-Fitr before the salah (i.e. the ‘Id prayer), it is considered an accepted charity, if he pays it after the salah, it is considered an ordinary charity.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, p. 263)

There are many similar narrations establishing the same ruling.

The Pre-Requisites of Sadaqat al-Fitr Being Compulsory

1. Islam: According to the four schools of thought (madhahib), being a Muslim is a pre-requisite. (Sharh Fath al-Qadir, 2:286)
2. Free (not being enslaved): All the scholars agree that a slave will not be obliged to dispense of Sadaqat al-Fitr. (Ibid.)
3. Possessing the quantum (nisab) for Sadaqat al-Fitr: This condition is deduced from the hadith: “Sadaqat isn’t compulsory except for he who is well-off.” (Musnad Ahmad, 10:7)

What is meant by quantum (nisab) is: that threshold of wealth one must have for Sadaqat al-Fitr to be compulsory. If somebody possesses less than that amount, he will not be obliged to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr.

The Hanafi madhhab is solitary in specifying a set quantum. According to the Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali madhahib, one who possesses surplus provisions for the night and day of ‘Id for himself and his dependants, will be obliged to discharge Sadaqat al-Fitr. (Mawahib al-Jalil, 3:257;Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1:594; al-Mughni, 4:301)

The specifying of a quantum is based upon the fact that in many places, Sadaqat al-Fitr has been termed as Zakat al-Fitr. For example, the narration of ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Umar in Sahih al-Bukhari has the wording Zakat al-Fitr. Also, the report of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri in Sahih Muslimbears the same terminology. Hence, by way of analogy and the alluded meaning (isharah an-nass), we can conclude that Sadaqat al-Fitr enjoys the same threshold and quantum as that of Zakat.

In principle, there are three types of quanta (nisab) in the Hanafi madhhab, each quantum results in different rulings.

1. That which obligates Zakat: to possess assets of a productive nature equivalent to the value of 612.36 g of silver.
   In this quantum, it is a requirement that the wealth one possesses has the capacity to grow and develop (numuw). Zakat is only compulsory in that asset which is of a productive nature; the asset has the capacity to increase. For example, in the animals which are regarded as zakatable, namely camels, cows and sheep, they grow and increase in reality by reproduction. These assets in reality are of a productive nature, it is witnessed by the eye. Hence, Zakat is obligatory on them. Another form of assets being of a productive nature is innately (hukman); in such assets, the actual asset doesn’t multiply or increase, but it inherently possesses the characteristic of being productive; they have the potential to result in a profitable return. Thus, gold and silver fall under this category, likewise cash.
2. The second type of quantum is to possess any asset beyond ones necessities equivalent to the value of 612.36 g of silver. One who has this will be liable for the following rulings:
   1. Sadaqat al-Fitr becomes compulsory
   2. The receiving of Zakat is impermissible
   3. Animal sacrifice (udhiyyah) becomes compulsory
   4. The financial maintenance of one’s family becomes obligatory

   For this quantum, it isn’t necessary to possess wealth which is of a productive nature, nor is it necessary to be trading in a commodity. Likewise it isn’t a condition to possess these commodities for a full lunar year, unlike the first quantum. Whoever possesses this quantum will not be obliged to discharge Zakat, however, he will have to dispense of Sadaqat al-Fitr.

3. The final quantum is to be in possession of one day’s provision. According to some, it is to possess 50 dirhams (153.09 g of silver). This quantum results in:
   1. The impermissiblity of begging
   2. The permissibility of receiving Zakat

   In addition, the possessor of this quantum will not be obliged to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr, nor will he have to perform animal sacrifice in the days of Hajj. (Ashraf al-Hidayah, 3:161)

In short, according to the Hanafi madhhab, for Sadaqat al-Fitr to be obligatory, one must possess any asset surplus of one’s basic needs which are equivalent to the value of 612.36 g of silver.

Who Has to Pay

According to the four schools of fiqh, one will have to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr on behalf of himself and his minor dependants when the above conditions are met.

Imam al-Haskafi mentions that a Muslim who meets all the above criteria is required to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr for himself and on behalf of his minor children who do not possess the required quantum. The same ruling applies for those suffering from dementia. (al-Durr al-Mukhtar, p.140)

If one’s children who haven’t reached the age of puberty possess the quantum, it will be permissible for their guardian to dispense of Sadaqat al-Fitr from their wealth. (Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, 1:211)

World Vision – The Zambia Project (Video)

World Vision- The Zambia Project from Janssen Powers on Vimeo.

 World Vision is an amazing organization doing great things in Zambia and all over the world. To learn more about their effort to bring Zambia clean water, visit worldvisionwater.org.

Morocco’s Tisdrin Pass Ranks Second Most Winding Road in the World

Source: moroccoworldnews.com

By: Larbi Arbaoui

Taroudant, Morocco- Morocco is filled with winding roads and very risky passes. Tizi n Tichka, linking the southeast of Marrakesh to the city of Ouarzazat, is the very famous winding road among Moroccans, yet it is not the most dangerous and adventurous one, which offers exciting driving experience and breathtaking views for the passengers.

Road to Machu Picchu – Peru in 4K (Video)

 This video by Devin Super Tramp reminds you how beautiful it is out there and reveals life in Machu Picchu in glorious 4K. Enjoy!

Gaza farmers fear tending their crops (Video)

 Palestinians on the strip are struggling to feed themselves. With severe restrictions on imports to the territory many turn to what little land there is to grow crops. But as Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports farmers are risking their lives to feed their families.

Hundreds missing after Nepal landslide (Video)

 Hundreds of people are missing after a massive landslide in Nepal.The landslide swept down an entire village and blocked a river that flows downstream from the Himalayas to India. Al Jazeera’s Subina Shrestha reports.