HOLY RAMADHAN 1428 (A.H.) RELIEF AND TABLIGH PROGRAMS

AT DAR-UL-MUSLIMEEN, DODOMA

Alhamdulillah, as usual Dar-ul-Muslimeen organised many Relief and Tabligh programs in the month of Holy Ramadhan 1428 (A.H.), with the Tawfeeq from Allah and help from philanthropic donors. Some of the programs held were as follows:

1. Food packets to needy Muslim Families.

2. Food packets to Widows and Orphans.

3. Food packets to Muslim students in Boarding Secondary Schools.

4. Food packets to 'Union of Madrassah Dodoma (UMADO)' Teachers.

5. Food packets to needy Shia Families.

6. Food packets to Bi. Khadija Ladies Group.

7. Food packets to Muzdalifa Orphanage, Dodoma.

8. Quran Hifdh Competition Program for the students of Dar-ul-Muslimeen Primary School, Al-Qaem Seminary, and UMADO Madrassah Ladies. Gifts were given to the winners and the participants.

9. Gifts to young Muslim students who fasted for the whole Ramadhan.

10. Eid gifts to Orphans and Widows.

11. Eid gifts to all Muballighs,Volunteers and Islamic Knowledge Teachers.

12. Eid gifts to Dar-ul-Muslimeen Hawza students.

13. Eid gifts of Dresses and Gowns to all Shia Ladies.

14. Awareness and Spiritual Seminars during Ramadhan for four Weekends (eight days). These seminars were held for 'Union of Madrassah Dodoma Teachers (UMADO)' and 'Tanzania Shia Commmunity (T.I.C.)' members. Food packets were distributed to the participants after every Seminar.

15. Holy Ramadhan activity sheets and quiz pamphlets were distributed to all the students.

16. Dua, lectures and Iftar Programs every night at different centers. Transportation was also provided for participants who lived far from the Centers.

17. Laylatul Qadr Duas, A'maals and Sehri program during the grand nights.

18. Quiz competition on topics concerning Quran and Ahlulbayt, etc. Prizes were given to the winners as well as to all the participants.

19. Qardhul Hasanah Fund was launched to help the needy with interest free loans.

20. Eid Festival was organised for UMADO Madrassah and Dar-ul-Muslimeen Primary School students on two different occassions.

SOME EVENTS OF HOLY RAMADHAN AT DAR-UL-MUSLIMEEN, DODOMA,

WITH BRIEF REPORT AND PICTURES

TAMSA GRADUATION 2007 SPONSORED BY DAR-UL-MUSLIMEEN

Tanzania Muslim Students Association (TAMSA) Dodoma Branch arranges graduation program for Form Four and Six Muslim students every year, whereby different energizing papers are presented and Muslim Student Leavers are awarded with Certificates. This year 2007 was no exception; except that this year it coincided with the Holy Month of Ramadhan and the event was fully sponsored by Dar-ul-Muslimeen.

The TAMSA Form four Graduation program that was held for two consecutive days on 15^th and 16^th of September 2007 at Dar-ul-Muslimeen campus, witnessed variety of programs including lectures, questions and answers session, and I’tikaf during the night. The program was attended by approximately 200 students whereby different scholars presented their papers focusing mainly on ‘Responsibilities of Muslim Youths and Students in the Contemporary Era’ and the ‘Career Guidance’ for the successful future of the graduating students.

In his speech on the topic of ‘Aim of Education’, Sheikh Muslim Bhanji insisted upon the importance of higher education for Muslim students if they wanted to compete with the advanced world and said: ‘The Muslim Community would be committing a major mistake towards the next generation if they fail to help the Muslim students who want to go for further education but are unable due to lack of sufficient opportunities or are unable to pay the fees’.

Other speakers included Professor Janja Mnyero of the University of Dodoma, Brother Athuman Brambath, M.A. student from the University of Mzumbe, and Brother Lucas Hancha, a graduate from the College of Business Education. The students were served with Iftar and Sehri by Dar-ul-Muslimeen during the program.

'EIGHT DOORS OF JANNAH' QUIZ

Month of Holy Ramadhan is a month of earning Jannah. Indeed Al-Qaem Seminary (a Secondary School run by Dar-ul-Muslimeen) students worked very hard to achieve Jannah not only by praying and fasting in the blessed month of Ramadhan but also by studying the detailed hadith about the eight doors of Jannah.

In Biharul Anwar, Allama Malisi quoted a hadith by the Prophet (saww) which describes in detail about the divine inscriptions written on every door of Jannah explaining the good deeds and characteristics which will lead a Mu’min to enter to Jannah through it. A booklet that explained the above Hadith in detailed commentary was distributed to every student of Al-Qaem Seminary in the month of Ramadhan. The students were required to study this booklet which comprised of almost 65 pages and prepare for the ‘Eight Doors of Jannah Quiz’ that was held the final week of Ramadhan.

A total of 8 groups, i.e. two groups from every class from Form One to Four participated in this very exciting and rewarding quiz which saw Form Three Group ‘A’ grasping the prize of T.Shs. 100,000/- by achieving 78 marks in total. The winners were given the prize on the same day of the Quiz i.e. Thursday 29 Ramadhan, which proved to be an excellent Eid gift for the winners.

EID BARAZA FOR MADRASSA`STUDENTS AT DAR-UL-MUSLIMEEN

An Eid Baraza was organized by Dar-ul-Muslimeen jointly with ‘Union of Madrassahs in Dodoma (UMADO) at Dar-ul-Muslimeen campus on Saturday 20^th October 2007. The Baraza witnessed UMADO teachers and parents with their children in colorful dresses enjoying different Qasidahs and Milad recitations performed by different Madrassah children.

During the program ‘Certificate of Participation’ and copies of Holy Quran was presented to all Madrassah teachers who attended the eight weekend seminars during the month of Holy Ramadhan. This seminar was prepared by Dar-ul-Muslimeen Teachers’ Training college for UMADO Madrassah Teachers to upgrade their teaching skills.

The Eid Baraza is organised every year by UMADO to thank Allah (swt) for the blessings of Fasting and Eid, and also to promote unity between different Madrassahs and the believers of different sects Shias and Sunnis in Dodoma.

QURAN HIFDH PROGRAM

Holy Ramadhan is month of Quran, and for the students of Dar-ul-Muslimeen Education Center, it truly is. During the blessed month of Ramadhan, every year Dar-ul-Muslimeen organises Juzu Amma Hifdh Program for all the students starting from Standard one to Form Four.

Special gifts are arranged for those who memorise the whole Juzu, while award is given also to all the students who participate in this program even by memorising few Suras.

This year, the Juzu Amma Hifdh Program`was not limited to the students, but even ladies from UMADO Madrassahs participated. Out of 63 ladies who participated in this program, 10 ladies obtained 100% marks and were able to recite any suras form the 30^th Juzu by heart. Some ladies who participated were of elderly age reaching 85 years old.

‘We shall compete and memorise for two Juzus (29^th-30^th) next year’, said one elderly mother who had walked for 3 miles to participate in this program. Sheikh Muslim Bhanji had earlier emphasised the students and ladies to participate in the memorisation of Quran program in big numbers quoting a Hadith by the Prophet (saww) who said: “Whoever will recite one ayah from the Quran in this month of Ramadhan, will get the thawab of reciting the whole Quran”.

HOLY RAMADHAN WEEKEND SEMINARS

During the weekends of Saturdays and Sundays of Holy Ramadhan, Dar-ul-Muslimeen has organised 2 Seminars: one for Teachers of Quranic Madrassahs in Dodoma (UMADO teachers) and other for the members of Tanzania Ithna Ashariyyah Community (T.I.C.).

In both the Seminars different, topics are discussed by the scholars from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., as follows:

Madrassah Teachers’ Seminar:

1. Psychology in Teaching: Brother Zuberi Abdi.

2. Curriculum and Teaching Methodology: Sister Fatma Nassor.

3. Quranic Tafsser: Sheikh Ahmed Said.

4. Islamic History: Brother Hussein Karume.

Tanzania Ithna Ashariyyah Community (T.I.C. Seminar):

1. Islamic History: Brother Manswab Mohamed.

2. Islamic Laws in Contemporary Issues: Shaikh Yassin Abdalla.

3. Aqaid in Islam: Shaikh Mohamed Mnyeto.

4. Islamic Culture and Manners: Sister Rehema Dida

A total of not less than 200 people participate in both the seminars and Food Packets for Iftar are distributed after the end of every program.

QARDHUL HASANAH FUND LAUNCHED IN RAMADHAN

First time in the history of Tanzania, a special financial institution that would give interest free loans to people with low income was launched on Saturday 22^nd September 2007 (10^th Ramadhan 1428). The institution named as ‘Qardhul Hasanah Fund, Dar-ul-Muslimeen’ would give ‘Laa-Ribaa’ loans to four targeted groups in the start: Staff and Parents of Dar-ul-Muslimeen Education Center, members of ‘Tanzania Ithna Ashariyah community (T.I.C.)’, the teachers of the ‘Union of Madrassahs in Dodoma (UMADO), and the members of the Ladies Madrassahs in Dodoma.

The chairman of the ‘Qardhul Hasnah Fund’, Brother Abbas Mzee Kidemi assured the members of the above four groups that experts and scholars dealing with financial institutions and Islamic Laws were consulted in drawing the constitution and guidelines for the management of the fund and enough funds were secured for the launch of the project and that the it will spread to other groups as well in the future.

In the meeting, rules and regulations for becoming members of the fund and the procedure for securing the loan was briefly explained by Brother Husein Karume (the deputy Chairman of the fund) and Brother Manswab Mohamed (the Secretary) respectively. The launch of the fund was so successful that all the ‘Application Forms’ for membership were sold out even before the end of the meeting.

Despite of fasting, approximately 360 people from the above groups attended the launching ceremony and heartily lauded the Trustees of Dar-ul-Muslimeen for pioneering this project which will not only allow the low income earners to benefit from the fund but also assist them to avoid the sinful and unjust capitalistic system of Riba (interest). In the pictures below, are some participants listening attentively to the membership rules of the fund. The meeting ended with dua and distribution of packets of dates and Islamic books.

In the past, Dar-ul-Muslimeen successfully issued similar interest free loans with amount not exceeding Tshs. 50,000 - 100,000/- to only two groups: UMADO and TIC. But expanding the program, the newly established ‘Qardhul Hasanah Fund’ will also assist the parents of Dar-ul-Muslimeen as well as the Ladies groups of Madrassahs with loans ranging from Tshs. 45,000/- to 1000,000/-. More details of the fund will be uploaded in our website soon, Insha Allah.

DAILY DUA, MAJLIS AND IFTAR PROGRAMS