ALTERNATIVE RADIO TONIGHT @ 20:05
Michael Shuman – the small mart revolution

SUNDAY @ 17:05
Suth Jhally – how TV exploits its audience

REFLECT ON OTHER CREATURES’ WORSHIP
by Imâm al-Haramain Sa'ûd ash-Shuraim
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The Almighty Creator created this universe with His knowledge and wisdom and created in it all that exists of the angels, men, jinn, animals, plants and other things which none but He knows. He created all these for a single purpose that all acts of worship should be solely His, that all these beings should affirm His Lordship and actualise all acts of worship for Him alone; and that they should admit their helpless, submission and their need for Him alone. Hence, the actualisation of worship for Allâh alone cannot be properly achieved except by obeying Him and standing firm on the right path that the religion may be Allâh’s, that judgement may be His and that all calls may be to Him.

This duty can be carried out only by those whom Allâh has made successors in and inhabitants of the earth and that cannot be achieved by man except through words of the tongue, deeds of the heart and the limbs. Also, real act of worship cannot be actualised in the best form except by completely and absolutely surrendering and submitting to Allâh with utmost love for Him. Therefore, the best man in actualizing worship to Allâh is the best in submission and surrender to Him. Worship in essence, is the religion and the only acceptable religion before Allâh is Islâm. read more

SAYYIDUL ISTIGHFAAR
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The Prophet, Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam, said: “If somebody recites the Sayyidul Istghfaar during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it and dies before the morning he will be from the people of Paradise.” Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 318

Allahumma Anta rabbi laa ilaaha illa anta khalaqtani wa anaa 'abduka wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika mastatha'tu wa a'udzubika min sharri maa shana'tu abuu u laka bini'matika 'alayya wa abu u bidzanbi faghfirlii fainnahu laa yaghfirudz dzunuuba illa anta.

0 Allah! You are my Cherisher. There is no deity except You. You have created me and I am Your servant and as far as possible, I abide by my solemn promise and covenant (which I made to You). I seek Your protection against the consequences of my wrongdoings. I fully acknowledge the grace You have bestowed upon me and I confess my faults. So pardon me my sins as none besides You can pardon sins.

Benefit: According to the Hadeeth anyone who recites Sayyidul lstighfaar with conviction and devotion once during the day or night, and if he happens to die on that day or night he will surely enter Jannah.

It is for this reason that it has been named Sayyidul Istighfaar meaning The Chief Form of Repentance.

SURVEY on AR-RASHEED

The editorial team for Ar Rasheed shall be carrying out a survey on the readership of the paper. The findings of the survey will go a long way in improving the paper’s content, presentation and frequency among other things. We call upon readers of the paper to respond to the survey by completing a questionnaire obtainable via email from mediadesk@islamsa.org.za

US Dollar (USD) United States 7.86 ZA Rands
Pound sterling (GBP) United Kingdom 15.52 ZA Rands
Euro (EUR) European Union 12.44
Indian Rupee: 0.20
Gold: $934.25
Silver: R5.57g
Saudi Riyaal: R2.11
Pakistani Rupee: R0.12
Mahr Fatimi R8538.10
Minimum Mahr R170.76
Zakaah Nisaab R3415.24
Krugerrand R7929.70

US vice-president approved the use of waterboarding against al-Qaeda suspects. Dick Cheney and other senior Bush administration officials attended meetings to approve harsh interrogation techniques, which took place after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. The officials approved waterboarding, sleep deprivation as well as physical abuse as torture methods. Waterboarding is a torture technique that simulating drowning and feelings of suffocation by causing reflexive choking and gagging. The CIA has confirmed that senior Al-Qaeda member Abu Zubaydah is subjected to the interrogation technique.

Several Israeli tanks and bulldozers have crossed into Gaza Strip this morning. Reports indicate that a gun battle between Apartheid Israel troops and Palestinian fighters are currently underway.

The increase in the interest rate is likely to slow down economic growth in South Africa. According to trade union COSATU, the half a percent increase will also impact on job creation and increase unemployment.

The International Monetary Fund says that rising food prices threatens to undermine gains made in cutting poverty. The increase in food prices will further strain the global economy which is already hit be a financial crisis.

The state's case against police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi could be in jeopardy. The Mail & Guardian has established that seven of the eight investigators working on the Selebi case have already resigned or are in the process of leaving the unit.

CREAMY ICED COFFEE
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2 cups full cream milk - 1¾ cups strong brewed coffee - Crushed ice - Coffee syrup, to paste - 6 Tbsp lightly whipped cream - Sugar crystals, to garnish.

Method
Boil the milk, add coffee and leave to stand for 1 hour. Place coffee over and add syrup to taste. Top up with cream and crystals. Use a swizzle stick to stir.

Coffee Syrup
6 Tbsp strong coffee - 1 cup boiling water - ¾ cup sugar.

Method
Add coffee to water and leave to stand for 10 min. Add sugar and heat till sugar is dissolved. Cool. Then use. Keep bottled in fridged.

FORCES OF NATURE
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"And He hath made subject to you the sun and the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses: and the Night and the Day hath He (also) made subject to you." (Ibrahim (Abraham) - Chapter 14: Verse 33)

Some think that this verse means that the forces of nature have been placed under the control of man. Such an assumption leads people to develop a variety of odd ideas. Some even go so far as to say that to achieve mastery over the heavens and the earth is the true end of man's existence.

Almost all classical commentators agree that Allah's having made the natural phenomena 'subservient' to man is a metaphor for His having enabled man to derive lasting benefit from them. Allah has bound them to laws which are beneficial for humankind. Had sailing in the sea not been subject to any law, it would not have been possible for man to undertake sea voyages. Had the rivers not been subject to any laws, man could not have used them for irrigation. Likewise, had the sun, the moon, the day and the night not been regulated, there could have been no life on earth, let alone any flourishing human civilization. “Ishraq Al-Ma'ani" - Syed Iqbal Zaheer, Vol 6, p. 143