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Points to assist a declining marriage

The Hadith questions the manhood of a person who beats his wife up during the day and derives pleasure from her during the night. Good marriages require patience, kindness, humility, sacrifice, empathy, love, understanding, forgiveness, and hard work. Following these basic principles should help any marriage to improve. The essence of them all can be summed up in one sentence: Always treat your spouse the way you would like to be treated.

Amidst busy schedules and tasks on the parts of both women and men, Muslim husbands and wives tend to forget the real reasons behind marriage and likewise the rights of each other. Subsequently, they deprive themselves, their mates and their children of the happiness and tranquility that is the bedrock of a successful family. This unbalanced vision towards a couple’s ideal relationship is bad enough to plunge the family into a situation laden with troubles and worries.

Negative Relationship between Husband & Wife

Some Muslim spouses relate to each other like adversaries rather than life time partners. The husband assumes the position of dictator, and whatever he says is not law. The wife on the other hand feels that she must squeeze everything she can out of her husband. Some wives do not express their gratitude to their husbands irrespective of how much the man may do for her. Instead they adopt an attitude of ‘never enough’ and make the husband feel like a failure if he does not provide every want and desire their extravagant lifestyles dictate. Some husbands speak very harshly to their wives, humiliate them, and even physically abuse them. Their wives have no voice or opinion in family matters. Moreover certain husbands become so cold and miserly that even the basic expenditure for the house is difficult to come by.

Nikah – A divine institution

The Nikah bond has been divinely established for the welfare and upkeep of a healthy and progressive community. This divine prescription has been unjustly utilised as a vehicle to perpetrate oppression, deception, humiliation, and abuse. Allah Ta’ala describes marriage very differently in the Noble Quran: ‘And from his signs are, He created for you wives from among yourselves, so that you may live in tranquillity with them, and instilled love and mercy between your (hearts) . . . “(30:21)

Head of the Home

The position Islam has accorded to the man as the head of the home is a responsibility which will be accounted for, rather than a privilege which should be abused. We are taught to treat our wives well. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) has reported to have said: ‘The person possessing the most perfect faith is one who has excellent behaviour, and the best among you are those who are best towards their wives” (Mishkat)

Be Partners in Decision Making

Follow the principle of ‘Shura,” (consultation) and make decisions as a family. Implementing this Sunnah within the home increases harmony and love between family members. It will also assist in enhancing trust and loyalty between spouses and the children.

Abuse

Abstain totally from every form of emotional, mental, or physical abuse to your spouse.

Watch Your Words

Be very careful what you say when you are upset. The wounds afflicted to the heart of a person by words will never heal and remain a lifelong memory. Sometimes you will say things that you would never say when you were not angry. Apply the directives found in the Hadith for suppression of anger.

Work Together in the House

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) consistently assisted his wives with household chores. When Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) did not consider the housework trivial, how can we today obligate our wives to all the house work and much more?

Communication is Important

Talk to each other, communicate, have a dialogue, but do it respectfully. Husbands and wives need to talk to each other. It is better to deal with problems early and honestly than to let them pile up until they explode.

Live Simply

Do not envy or cast your gaze towards those spouses who seem to be living a more luxurious life than your family. Be pleased with what you have. The grass will always look greener on the other side. The wealthiest person is the one who has attained contentment of heart. To develop the quality of contentment, look at those people who have less than you, not those who have more. Repeatedly thank Allah Ta’ala for the many blessings in your life.

Admit Your Mistakes

When you make a mistake, admit it. When your mate makes a mistake, excuse him or her easily. If possible, never sleep angry with each other.

Past Problems

Everything that has happened is history. Repent for the past and live for the future. Do not focus discussion on the past unless it is something that will make both of you laugh.

The Duaa for a blissful marriage: “Allahumma rabana hab lana min azwaajinaa wa zurriyyatina qurrata a-ayun waj-alna lil muttaqeena imaama” (O Allah! grant us such wives and offspring who will be a source of coolness for our eyes, and make us leaders of the Allah-Fearing)

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The Prophet ﷺ said,

“No one who has an atom’s-weight of Pride in his heart will enter Paradise.” A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, what if a man likes his clothes and his shoes to look good?” He ﷺ said, “Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty, Pride means rejecting the truth and looking down on people”(Sahih Muslim).

Commentary:

The word or the name for arrogance/pride in Arabic is ‘Kibr’. This is the inner quality of pride. The name of the outward quality is ‘Takabbur’ which means arrogance.

Arrogance is a blameworthy characteristic which is the feature of Iblees and his followers in this world, those on whose hearts Allah Ta'ala has placed a seal.

11 Signs of a Person Having Pride/Arrogance:

▪ He doesn’t like others to have what he has

▪ He cannot avoid anger

▪ He cannot avoid being jealous of others

▪He doesn’t accept advice from others

▪He doesn’t want to listen or accept advice from a learned person or even attend lessons

▪ When advising people he always puts them down

▪ When speaking he will say good remarks about himself

▪ When he speaks he speaks with pride to let people know he has knowledge

▪He deals with people in bad way

▪ He walks in bad way

▪ He has looks down at people because he is wealthier, or has a better appearance.

The cure for arrogance involves Knowledge and Action which involves the following remedies:

Firstly, you should know and recognise your Lord and know and recognise your own self as you should be recognised, and that you are not worthy of greatness and that true greatness and pride are only for Allah Ta'ala

Secondly, you should think of yourself as being just like other people and realize that they are like you; they were born from a mother and a father just as you were, and that taqwa (piety, fear of Allah) is the true criterion of superiority.

Allah Ta'ala says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At Taqwa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqoon (the pious)” (Al-Hujuraat, 49:13).

And finally, know and realize that on the Day of Resurrection the person with pride will be gathered in a small form like an ant which will be trampled underfoot as The Prophet ﷺ said: “On the Day of Resurrection, the arrogant will be gathered like ants in the form of men. Humiliation will overwhelm them from all sides. They will be driven to a prison in Hell called Bawlas, with the hottest fire rising over them, and they will be given to drink of the juice of the inhabitants of Hell, which is teenat al-khabaal” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi).

Arrogant people are hated by other people just as they are hated by Allah Ta'ala; people love humble, tolerant and gentle people, and they hate those who are harsh and cruel to people.

And Allah knows best!

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Most people are aware of the conditions people must fulfill before their repentance is accepted, namely giving up the sin, regretting the sin, and determining never to commit it again.

However, in this article we will highlight some practical steps people should follow in order to help achieve sincere repentance.

1: Trying to count all the sins that you have committed since adulthood until the present time.

This is an introduction to repenting for all these sins, because when the soul considers all its sins, it will be humble and tend to repent as soon as possible. Here is a list of the categories of sins to help you remember your past sins:

- Sins of the body, such as the tongue (backbiting, tale-bearing, lying, and ridiculing others); the eyes (looking at what is prohibited), ears, hands, feet and private parts.

- Sins of the heart, such as arrogance, envy, aggression, self-conceit, and so on.

- Negligence in performing your duties towards one’s parents, relatives and negligence regarding the other duties such as enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, as well as Da'wah (calling to Islam).

- Negligence in the acts of worship like delaying the prayer after its due time.

2: Try to count all the blessings of Allaah The Almighty upon you.

You should keep counting these blessings until you realize how negligent you are towards the rights of Allaah The Almighty and until you despair of counting. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allaah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, humankind is most unjust and ungrateful.} [Quran 14:34]

Then, you should make a comparison between the blessings that Allaah The Almighty sends down to you, and your misdeeds that are being sent to Him in return. In this case, you will not be able to resist your tears, your heart will be soft and you will say: “I acknowledge the favors that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon.” [Al-Bukhaari]

When you shed tears and feel remorse, you should then move to the third step.

3: Repentance Prayer

After deserting the sin, you should immediately implement the advice of the Prophet,(Peace be upon him) who said: “Whenever one commits a sin, and then performs ablution perfectly, and prays two Rak’ahs (units of prayer) after which he seeks the forgiveness of Allaah He will forgive him.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]

Then, you should determine that you would never return to sins. In this way, you will live the best day of your life since your birth.

4: Keep away from bad friends and evil companions.

Sever your relationship with them, because they will prevent you from returning to your Lord. If you succeed in getting rid of them, then this is a great sign that Allaah The Almighty has accepted your repentance.

5: You should have a daily program of acts of worship to perform.

This program aims at helping you make up for what you missed and compensate your negligence towards the rights of Allaah The Almighty. This program should include reading parts of the Quran, Dhikr (words of remembrance) reported from the Prophet, night prayer and fasting. However, the most important thing is that this program should be gradual and realistic.

6: You should attend a religious lecture in a masjid once a week on a regular basis.

This step aims at strengthening your relationship with your Lord and the righteous people who are your companions on the road to faith. Accompany those righteous people and never keep away from them.

Futher Reading

THERE IS NO “TEENAGER” PHASE IN ISLAM

THE ROLE OF TELEVISION IN THE DESTRUCTION OF CHILDREN AND SOCIETY PART 1

ROLE OF THE TELEVISION IN THE CORRUPTING OF SOCIETY PART 2

AN EXAMPLE OF A PIOUS WIFE

AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT ANGRY WITH ME THEN I DO NOT CARE

AN EXAMPLE OF A MOTHER’S PATIENCE

HOW NAJMA TAUGHT US HOW TO LIVE

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1. We can never count Allaah’s Blessings: Be ever grateful to Allaah Ta’ala for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities and life.

Allaah says: “Is, then, He Who creates comparable to any that cannot create? Will you not, then, take heed? For should you try to count Allaah’s blessings, you could never compute them…” (An-Nahl 16:17-19).

2. Shaytan’s primary mission is to make human beings ungrateful: From the very beginning of the human being’s creation, the issue of gratefulness and thankfulness to Allaah Ta’ala has been debated. After refusing to bow to Adam, Satan said:

“Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from the right-hand side and from the left-hand side, and You (Allaah) shall not find most of them thankful” (Al-Araf 7:17).

3. The opposite of Shukr (gratitude) is Kufr (disbelief): In many places in the Quran, Allaah compares the terms Shukr and Kufr. “Then remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject Me” (Al-Baqarah, [002]:152).

Imaan (belief) implies Shukr or gratefulness as opposed to Kufr or ungratefulness. A kafir or disbeliever is ungrateful to the Being Who has given him everything, whereas a Believer is one who is ever thankful for all that Allaah Ta’ala has given him.

4. We thank Allaah for our own benefit: If you are ungrateful, Allaah Ta’ala is unaffected. If you become grateful, then you have taken the first step towards becoming a true Believer. It is for this reason that the Prophet exhorted us to “Love Allaah as we benefit from His grace” (Tirmidhi).

Allaah reminds us: “And whoever is grateful, he is only grateful for the benefit of his own self” (Luqmaan, [031]: 012). “For surely if it was not for the grace of God on you and His mercy, you would have been among the losers (Al-Baqarah 2:64).

5. True worship means sincere thankfulness to Allaah: Allaah Ta’ala explained in the Quran that the only people who truly worship Him are those who give gratitude to Him, so those who are not among the people of gratitude are not among the people of ‘Ibaadah (worship and obedience). “… and be grateful to Allaah, if it is Him you worship” (Al-Baqarah, [002]:172).

6. Shukr leads to Allaah’s pleasure: Allaah has told us that His pleasure may be attained through gratitude. “…If you are grateful, He is pleased with you...” (Az-Zumar, [039]: 007).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allaah is pleased with His servant if, when he eats something, he thanks Allaah for it, and when he drinks something, he thanks Allaah for it” (Muslim).

7. Gratitude is a purpose of our creation: “It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection: that you may give thanks (to Allaah)” (An-Nahl, [016]: 78).

8. Shukr is a quality of success in this life and in the Hereafter: Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated that the Prophet said: “There are four qualities, whoever is given them has truly been given the best in this world and the next. They are: a grateful heart (that is thankful to Allaah), a remembering tongue (that mentions Allaah often), an enduring body (to persevere through the trials), and a faithful wife.”

9. Being grateful and patient in times of difficulty: Everything that happens to us – even events that we may consider to be personal afflictions or natural disasters-are from Allaah. Therefore, in times of calamity and distress, there will be some good for us, provided we respond appropriately.

The Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) said: “How wonderful is the case of a Believer! There is good for him in whatever happens to him -and none, apart from him, enjoys this blessing. If he receives some bounty, he is grateful to Allaah and this bounty brings good to him. And if some adversity befalls him, he is patient, and this affliction, too, brings good to him.” (Saheeh Muslim)

10. Allaah’s Mercy is for all, but most people will remain ungrateful: He shows and gives mercy to all, even those who continue to be ungrateful and rebellious towards Him: “Indeed God is the possessor of bounty for all people but most people do not give thanks.” (Al-Baqarah, [002]: 243).

11. Most people subconsciously thank God: Reflect upon your own life and you will find innumerable occasions when Allaah’s `hand’ has been holding you and helping you. So often, believers and even atheists subconsciously use the expression ‘Thank God’, without realising the full implications of our words.

12. Shukr leads to abundance in Allaah’s favors: If you appreciate Allaah’s favors, He has promised increased Rahmah or Mercy for you. Allaah’s reward for your gratitude is unlimited and unconditional. “If you are grateful, I will surely give you more and more.” (Ibraaheem, [014]: 007)

13. Three ways to express Shukr: The classical Muslim scholars have indicated Shukr can be shown in three ways:

– Shukr of the heart (Qalb), which is achieved by harboring and intending good for all of Allaah Ta’ala’s creation.
– Shukr of the tongue (Lisaan), which involves celebrating the praises of Allaah Ta’ala, such as utterance of “Alhamdulillah”, and expressing gratefulness to Allaah Ta’ala with our tongue.
– Shukr of the limbs (Jawaarih), which is fulfilled by using our external senses to do good. Every time Allaah Ta’ala gives us a blessing, we must use it in a way that benefits humanity and that pleases Allaah Ta’ala.

Further Reading

THE INTENSE LOVE OF RASULULLAH (SALLALLAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) FOR HIS UMMAH

HOW TO PERFORM ISTIKHARA

UNDERSTANDING SECULAR EDUCATION

HOCUS POCUS AND BOGUS!

SMILE

ENJOYING MOTHERHOOD WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG

THE UGLY SIDE OF ‘THE ‘BEAUTIFUL’ GAME’

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Voters List details required for 2019 Government Schools Admission for Grade One (I.e. From 2013- 2017) could be obtained from below link of Elections Department :

http://eservices.elections.gov.lk/myVoterRegistration.aspx

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REMEMBER the beginning of Ramadan last year: the festive supermarkets with their jampacked aisles, the makeshift roadside stalls outside restaurants selling crisp sambusas and subiya, the sounds of Adhan emanating from Masajid...

My house overlooked a Maghsalat-Al-Amwaat Al-Khairiyyah (a charitable organization which prepares bodies for burial in the Islamic manner), and as I walked home from the neighborhood supermarket laden with packages of food and other essentials in preparation of the next day’s fast, I caught sight of a family accompanying a bier in a hearse. The women huddled together, sobbing quietly, while the men stood at a distance in somber silence.

It struck me: While I was going home to the comfort of my home and the company of my family, this person was being dispatched alone, to answer the stern questioning of the grave. While I would be given the opportunity to fast and perform other deeds as Allah willed, this person, who had been given the same opportunity in past years, had been deprived of it this year.

Our Imam and Khateeb, may Allah preserve him, used to remind the congregants of the favors of Allah in allowing us to witness yet another Ramadan, by contrasting our state with those of the people of the graves, who would gladly give the world and all that is in it if they could, in lieu of the chance to worship Allah a little more, to add the tiniest good deeds to their scale that would enable them to draw closer to Paradise and take them further away from the Fire.

In a khutbah, Imam Abdul Bari Al-Thubayti, may Allah preserve him, said: “Whoever remembers death frequently is honored with three things: hastening towards repentance, contentment and energy in performing acts of worship; and whoever forgets death is punished with three things: delaying repentance, lack of contentedness and laziness in acts of worship.”

With disturbing reports of the MERS virus and the resultant panic pouring in from all over the world, it is no wonder that our thoughts naturally turn to death and dying.

Unlike some belief systems which consider the contemplation of death “inauspicious” or “macabre”, Muslims are encouraged to regularly remind themselves and others about the inevitable end of life, and what awaits a person in the Hereafter.

The Prophet ﷺ once stood at the edge of a grave and called out to his Companions: “O my brothers! For this, prepare yourselves.” (Ibn Majah) and in another narration, he said: “O people! Remember often the destroyer of pleasures: death.” (Al-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah)

Once a man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Who is the wisest among the people, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “The one who remembers death most often and the one who is best prepared to meet it. These are the truly wise, honored in this life and distinguished in the Hereafter.” (Ibn Majah, Al-Tabarani).

The remembrance of death acquires a special significance with the advent of Ramadan, since it is the season of Hope and Blessings and an opportunity to earn innumerable rewards that can be reaped eternally, which is open to everyone equally.

Yet, many of us greet Ramadan with a sense of complacent déjà vu, a “been-there, done-that” lassitude, that could cost us dearly. Let’s face it: for many of us Ramadan has turned into a time for socializing with friends and extended family, spending hours preparing and sampling traditional dishes, watching TV sitcoms from Iftar to Isha – to the extent that we even spend the precious nights of Ramadan in auto-pilot mode, performing our prayers perfunctorily before hitting the supermarkets, malls, coffee shops and Internet cafes to shop or while the night away.

Somewhere at the back of our minds is the assurance that there’s always next year – or a succession of years – to count on, when we will magically have the “Ramadan of our dreams” with plenty of time to read the Qur’an, stand in prayer at night, seek forgiveness in the early morning hours, serve the ailing and poor, be hospitable to our neighbors and friends.

However, the sad truth is that as the years pass by, our energy and health dissipates and our responsibilities and distractions increase exponentially, distancing us from the mirage of the perfect Ramadan even further... until it may be too late.

The Prophet ﷺ advised us: “Hasten to do good deeds before you become busy. Are you waiting for such straitened circumstances which will make you unmindful of devotion? Or such prosperity which will make you corrupt? Or such disease which will disable you? Or such senility which will make you mentally unstable? Or sudden death? Or the Dajjaal (Anti-Christ), who is the worst apprehended (sign of the Hou r)? Or (are you waiting) for the Hour? That will be most grievous and bitter.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

We have no guarantees that we will live to see another Ramadan, let us seize each blessing with eagerness and each opportunity to earn rewards with enthusiasm, to make this the best Ramadan of our lives.

Rahla Khan

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Three months after Sri Lanka was rocked by deadly anti-Muslim riots fuelled by online vitriol, Facebook is training its staff to identify inflammatory content in the country’s local languages.

The social network has been seeking penance in Sri Lanka after authorities blocked Facebook in March as incendiary posts by Buddhist hardliners fanned religious violence that left three people dead and reduced hundreds of mosques, homes and businesses to ashes.

Until the week-long ban, appeals to Facebook to act against the contagion of hate speech had been met with deafening silence, at a time when the California-based tech giant was reeling from unprecedented global scrutiny over fake news and user privacy.

“We did make mistakes and we were slow,” Facebook spokeswoman Amrit Ahuja told AFP in Colombo.

The dearth of staff fluent in Sinhala -- the language spoken by Sri Lanka’s largest ethnic group -- compounded the issue, with government officials and activists saying the oversight allowed extremist content to flourish undetected on the platform.

Ahuja said Facebook was committed to hiring more Sinhala speakers but declined to say how many were currently employed in Sri Lanka.

“This is the problem we are trying to address with Facebook. They need more Sinhala resources”, said the island’s telecommunications minister Harin Fernando.

Since the violence broke out in March, two high-level delegations from the company have visited Sri Lanka, where ethnic divisions linger after decades of war, to assure the government of its intent.

Ahuja said Facebook was working with civil society organisations to familiarise its staff with Sinhala slurs and racist epithets.

Complex local nuances have added to the challenge. The word for “brother” in Tamil -- also an official language in the country -- can be a derogatory term in Sinhala when a slight inflection is used.

Fernando said the decision to impose an island-wide blackout on Facebook -- used by one in three Sri Lankans -- was taken as a last resort to prevent an escalation of violence.

Buddhist monks freely shared images of masked men attacking mosques and urged others to do the same in the weeks before the riots erupted in Kandy.

Sinhala extremists used the social network to recruit rioters and organise their travel to the troubled area, from where violence later spread.

A meme in Sinhala, which remained online for weeks, urged death to all Muslims, including children.

A man who reported it to Facebook was told it did not violate “specific community standards”.

In addition to government warnings, Fernando told AFP that Facebook users lodged thousands of complaints over extremist content, but were met with silence.

“It was not something that I liked doing. But if we didn’t block Facebook, the violence would have spread out of control,” he said.

Eventually the army was given special powers to restore order under the first state of emergency declared in the 21-million-strong nation since the end of the civil war in 2009.

Ahuja said Facebook has since taken down “hate figures and organisations” in Sri Lanka including the Bodu Bala Sena, a radical Buddhist outfit that is blamed for attacks against Muslims in recent years.

Its spokesman Dilantha Withanage complained the group and its leader – Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara -- were being unfairly targeted.

“We can’t even post a photo of venerable Gnanasara on Facebook,” Withanage told AFP.

But videos of his sermons can still be seen on the social network. Other extremists have also slipped through the cracks, activists say, despite repeated requests to have their accounts removed.

Last year another extremist Buddhist group, Sinhale Jathika Balamuluwa, urged followers via Facebook Live to storm a UN compound sheltering Rohingya Muslims. Police had to be called in to protect the refugees from the mob.

Several Facebook pages for the group have been blocked in Sri Lanka but the same content can be viewed under alternate names, activists say.

“Facebook is only now being held to account over things that since 2013 were evident...(to) us,” said Sanjana Hattotuwa, a researcher who has studied Islamophobia on Facebook in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Centre for Policy Alternatives said Facebook needed to offer more than “cookie cutter” pledges to clean up its act.

”The time for promises has passed. Action is what’s needed, and transparency and accountability,” said Hattotuwa.

Source: AFP

-Agencies

http://www.adaderana.lk/news/47953/facebook-staff-to-learn-sinhala-insults-after-sri-lanka-riots

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The Muslims of Sri Lanka, since ancient times have been in peaceful coexistence with the other communities of the Island and has proved to be an integral and inseparable component of the Sri Lankan society.

According to ancient chronicles, traders from countries like Rome, Greece, Persia( Iran ), China, India etc visited Sri Lanka on trade missions. Arab merchants having maintained friendly relationship with natives, had ventured into the interior and coastal areas of Ceylon for trading, even before the advent of Islam. Arabs were only interested in trading and commerce in Sri Lanka in an honest and a just manner The present day Muslims of Sri Lanka, could therefore be considered the descendants of many of these Arabs, Persians, Indians, and Malays etc.  

During mediaeval times, foreign trade had been flourishing in Sri Lanka, in view of the island’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean and the variety of goods offered to the traders like spices, cinnamon and other rare items such as precious gems, pearls, ivory etc. However, with the decline of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century A.D., trade expeditions were fading off. The Arabs and Persians made use of this opportunity to fill the void and continued to engage in inter-coastal trade. Muslim merchants had arrived in large numbers as a result of traditions associated with Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) and the cordial treatment meted out by the local rulers. Most of the foreign traders visited the island for their trade benefits and left the Island after making their fortunes. But Arabs opted to settle down, making Ceylon their homeland. The majority of them lived along the coastal areas in peace and tranquility, side by side with Sinhala families.  

Many of the Arab traders may not have brought their womenfolk along with them when they settled in Ceylon. Nevertheless, many of them married native women who later embraced Islam

Traders who landed in Ceylon, explored into the interior of the villages and met the local traders in search of trade opportunities. Foriegn traders are known to have taken with them for trade and barter commodities found in high demand at that time such as clothes, jewellery and foodstuffs like dried fish.( www.sailanmuslim.com:The unbreakable bond: Why Sinhala-Muslim relations have stood the test of time: Asiff Hussein).  

According to travelogues of Ibn Batuta, (the renowned 14th century Arab traveller), after the conquest of Persia (Iran), Syria and Egypt, the Arabs had dominated all the salient ports and trading stations between East and West. It had been estimated that the Arabs had settled in Sri Lanka and Sumatra by the 1st century A.D. Before the end of the 7th century, a group of Muslim merchants had established themselves in Ceylon.  

The first mention of Arabs in Ceylon appears to be in the Mahavamsa ‘the Great Chronicle of Ceylon’, in an account of the reign of the King Pandukabhaya, it has been stated that this king set apart lands for the `Yonas’ ( Arabian traders) on the side of the western gate of Anuradhapura. (Perera B.J. `Ceylon Historical Journal-Vol.1’). This may indicate an Arab presence in the island even before the advent of Islam, in 7th century. (Fr. S.G. Perera in his book -History of Ceylon for Schools- Vol. 1. The Portuguese and Dutch Periods, (1505-1796), Colombo (1955),  

In the 7th century, when the people of Ceylon heard of the Prophetic mission during the reign of Aggrabodhi III, a delegation had been dispatched from Ceylon on a fact-finding mission to Arabia. The mission started when the Prophet himself was living, but was able to reach Arabia only during the time of Caliph Umar (654-664), Hence it is highly probable that Arab settlements existed in Ceylon even prior to the 7th century.  

The Sinhalese Kings considered the Muslim settlements favourable. Many of the Arab traders may not have brought their womenfolk along with them when they settled in Ceylon. Nevertheless, many of them married native women who later embraced Islam.  

The second wave of Muslims had come from South India. They are the descendants of earlier Arab traders who had settled in South Indian ports and were married to local women. Colonies of such Indo-Arabs emerged along the coasts of Sri Lanka. These settlements were described by the Dutch and British as ‘Coastal Moors’. (Lorna Dewaraja p 41, 43).  

From the Anuradhapura period to Kandyan times there was a Muslim lobby operating in the Sri Lankan court. It advised the king on overseas trade policies. They kept the king abreast of developments outside his kingdom. One Muslim envoy had been sent to the Nawab of Carnata by a King. Another had been sent to Pondicherry soliciting French assistance against the Dutch, in 1765. The Muslim trader with his navigational skills and overseas contacts coupled with their multi-lingual ability (p 135-136). became the secret channel of communication between the court and the outside world” (Lorna Dewaraja p 8). The Sri Lankan kings encouraged the Muslims to maintain their links with the Islamic world as this was mutually beneficial. In the 13th century, Al Haj Abu Uthman was sent by the Sri Lankan king, Bhuvanekabahu I to the Mamluk Court of Egypt to negotiate direct trade. They were sent on important and confidential missions to South India right up to Kandyan times.  

Lorna Dewaraja says that when the Portuguese tried to gain a foothold in Colombo, the Muslims gave early warning to the King, nobles and the Sanga, provided firearms, fought side by side with the Sinhalese and even used their influence with South Indian powers to get military assistance to Sinhalese rulers. Through the intervention of the Muslims, the Zamorin of Calicut who ruled Kerala at that time sent three distinguished Moors of Cochin with forces to help King Mayadunne (p 50).  
Invading Portuguese grabbed the trade forcefully from the Muslims and gave an ultimatum for them to leave the territory of the Portuguese in Ceylon. The invaders then started persecuting the Muslim traders who were mainly Arabs, but they did not flee the country which had become their homeland for several centuries. They began to move towards the Kandyan Kingdom seeking refuge. Kandyan kingdom welcomed the Muslims as by this time the Muslim traders have proved their credibility as highly disciplined and honest traders. When the Dutch invaded Sri Lanka and persecuted the Muslims in their coastal settlements, the Muslims had retreated and had sought refugee from the Kandyan Kingdom. King Senerat (1604-1635) and Rajasingha II (1635-1687) had been sympathetic towards the Muslims and settled them in the Eastern coast. According to Robert Knox, King Senerat had settled approximately 4000 Muslims who escaped the wrath of the Portugese and Dutch in the district of Batticaloa to revive the paddy cultivation. ( Mahavansa.blogspot.com, The Terrible atrocities committed by the Portuguese13-06-2006) These settlers were believed to be the ancestors of the large concentration of Muslims from areas like Kathankudy in the Eastern Province.  

Muslims had been funtioning as physicians, and presumably they practised Unani medicine system, which found its way to this country through Beruwela

Muslims were integrated into Kandyan society primarily by giving them duties which related to the King’s administration. They were made a part of the Madige Badda or Transport Department. They were allowed to trade in arecanut, which was a royal monopoly. The Muslims from Uva, which was near the salterns, had to bring salt as part of their obligatory service (Dewaraja p 100-101). In addition to this, selected Muslims were involved in the Maligawa rituals and were given Maligagam lands. Their duties included salt, hevisi, silversmith (acari) also the higher function of kariya karavanarala. Therefore the Muslims were involved in the administrative and ritual aspects of the Dalada Maligawa as well (Dewaraja. p 107-8, 110). In addition, Muslims also functioned as weavers, tailors, barbers, and lapidarists (p 137-138).  
Muslims had been funtioning as physicians, and presumably they practised Unani medicine system, which found its way to this country through Beruwela. Tradition has it that in the 10th Century, Prince Jamal-ud-din, the son of the Sultan of Konya (in Asia Minor) arrived here and practised Unani medicine.  

According to Dr. C. G. Uragoda, Unani physicians at first transmitted their medical knowledge orally to members of their own families. Later, information was written down in Tamil language in Arabic script, and kept within the family. Many of the medical plants found in the Kandyan areas and used in Ayurveda began to be employed in the Unani system too. Unani drugs were brought to the country by trading vessels coming from Arabia and the Persian Gulf. These drugs consisted of mainly syrups, which contained ingredients such as rose petals, grapes, dates and musk. Many local constituents were also made use of. Dewaraja states that at this time, Unani had been practised in its purest form in towns like Colombo, Galle and Beruwela (p 128). A Muslim physician named Sulaiman Kuttiya who was practising in Galle was invited to the Kandyan court, taken into royal service and given land near Gampola.

His descendants who lived till 1874 carried the prefix “Galle Vedaralala” (p 91). The most renowned of these Muslim physicians were the Gopala Moors of Gataberiya in the Kegalle District. The family traces its pedigree to a physician from Islamic Spain, whose descendants migrated to the Sind in Northern India, from where they were ordered to come to Sri Lanka to attend on King Parakramabahu II of Dambadeniya (1236-1270) (p 128). The Gopala descendants continued to function as physicians to the king, during reigns of Rajadirajasinghe (1782-1798) and Sriwickrama Rajasinghe. (1798-1815). The Dutch also appointed two Muslims as local physicians in their hospitals, and one of them, Mira Lebbe Mestriar who was later appointed as Native Superintendent of the Medical Department in 1806 by the British (p 133).  

Waidyasekera Duwegoda Ranasinghe Mudiyanselage M. M. M. Irshad who is an Ayurvedic physician from Talduwa in Awissawella. claims that he is a descendant of the lineage of royal physicians who served King Rajasinghe1 of Seethawaka. According to him, he belongs to the fourteenth generation. How Irshad’s ancestors came to Talduwa in Avissawella during the reign of Rajasinghe 1 is a tale worth relating.  

According to him Rajasinghe’s queen suffering from an incurable ailment had been attended to by many renowned physicians without success. When Irshad’s ancestor arrived the king with a desire to test his competence had tied a thread to the foot of a table and given it to the physician. He rightly recognised it as a lifeless nerve. Next the thread was tied to the foot of a cat and yet again he identified it correctly. Thirdly the thread was tied to the queen’s hand and the physician recognised it as the nerve of a living being. The king taken up by his cleverness assigned him the task of curing the queen. When the queen was cured completely, the king as an act of tribute settled the Muslim physician and his family in Talduwa.  

Irshad claimed that all his ancestors even his father had studied under monks. He had studied for three years in a temple. Most of their medicinal recipes are written on ola leaf in Sanskrit. They are forced to learn Sanskrit to prepare the medicines. Irshad still possesses a number of ola leaf writings in Sanskrit, Sinhala and Tamil. His ancestors specialised in curing skin diseases and paralysis, and even today people arrive in their numbers from as far as Maldives to meet Irshad.(From Arabia to Thalduwa by Jennifer Paladano:Sunday times 22-09-1996). Dr. Lorna Dewaraja further states that the Muslims not only served the king as physicians, but also as traders Soldiers, Lekams and Disavas. They were often bestowed with the titles of Madige Badda Disava and Madige Badda Lekam.  

Many Muslims of the Kandyan districts have had definite hereditary patronymics of the vāsagam type found among the Sinhalese. This is the ge- or gedara-nama, a Sinhala term meaning ‘house name’. For instance, one could still find among the Kandyan Moors patronymics like Aracchige, Lekamge, Galgedara, Lindegedara, Kandegedara, Vedaralalage-gedara, Gurunehelage-gedara, Muhandiramla-gedara, Vidanalage-gedara, Kali Mudiyanselage-gedara, Yahakugamhala-gedara, Kotmale Adappala-gedara and Nagahadeniyagedara. This type of surname precedes one’s Arabic personal name. Thus we find names like Alakoladeniya Gedara Yusuf Lebbe, Kurugoda Vidanalage Gedara Abdul Hamid Wahabdin and Kandeedara Abdul Gafur Sitti Nafiya. Such ge-names seem to have been in existence for a considerable period of time, for among the names of 17th, 18th and 19th century Kandyan Moor physicians given by Mohamed Sameer (Personages of the Past.

When the queen was cured completely, the king as an act of tribute settled the Muslim physician and his family in Talduwa  

Moors, Malays and other Muslims of the past of Sri Lanka.1982) we come across names like Meegahayate gedere gurunanalage Uduma Lebbe, Liyamagaha Kotuwe Wederale Sulaiman Lebbe, Rajakaruna Behethge Mudiyanse Abdul Qadir and Palkumbure Vaidyatileke Rajakaruna Gopalana Mudiyanselage Mohamed Udayar. What is however interesting is that the Moors of the maritime districts like Alutgama, Beruwala and Maggona also formerly bore ge-names which is widely attested in the Dutch Tombs covering the period 1766-1771 where we find such names like Ibrahim Tandellage Ahamadoe Nainde, Daroebesie Lienege Oemoer Lebbe, Iratnewalli Aratjege Oedoema Lebbe, Ismail Mokedonge Oemoer Lebbe, Pawelekodige Sleman Lebbe, Kopeaediaerlage Ibrahim Lebbe, Mamina Marekelage Ahamadoe and Assena Lebbelage Potoema Natja (Sri Lanka National Archives Dutch Tombos 1/3807 & 1/ 3764).

It is possible that such names, at least in some instances, were originally borne by the Sinhalese ancestress of these Moor families who passed it down to their offspring, thus ensuring its continuity. In the alternative, it would indicate the readiness of the Moors to adopt the salient features of the host culture so as to identify themselves more closely with their Sinhalese. There is reason to believe that at least a few ge-names such as Muhandiramlāge borne by a number of Moor families were acquired as a result of their ancestors being appointed to the high office of Muhandiram etc by the Kandyan kings. The same may hold true of names like Vidanalage ‘House of the Village Head-man’.Vedaralalage ‘House of the Physician’ indicates that the folk bearing this name are descended from medical men.  

The Muslims of the Eastern Province are also known to possess kudis or matrilineal clans among them with names of Sinhala origin, namely, Ranasinga Mudaliyar Kudi and Verrisinga Aracci Kudi , Sinhalese derived names meaning ‘Clan of the Lion of War Chieftain’ and ‘Clan of Lion Hero Headman’ respectively ( See Crucible of Conflict. Tamil and Muslim Society on the East Coast of Sri Lanka. Dennis Mc. Gilvray.2008). This may well suggest that the ancestors of these clans were Sinhalese, which is surprising given the overwhelming influence of the Tamil social milieu in the life of the Muslims of these parts.

( www.sailanmuslim.com: The unbreakable bond: Why Sinhala-Muslim relations have stood the test of time: Asiff Hussein).

Lorna Dewaraja vividly explains that during the time of the Sinhala kings, from the inception, right up to the Kandyan Period, there was racial amity between the Sinhalese and the Muslims. The reason for this was that the Muslim traders were economically and politically considered an asset by the Sri Lankan king.  

The Muslims were received favourably in the Kandyan Kingdom, as far as can be seen. Robert Knox says that charitable Sinhala people gifted land to Muslims to live (Dewaraja p 115). Muslims adopted the outward appearance and dress and manners of the Sinhalese. It is said that even James Cordiner could not distiguish the differences between Muslims and Sinhala (p 120). In Galagedara there are yet two villages occupied only by Muslims, surrounded by Sinhala villages. These two villages had Mosques (Dewaraja p 104).

The Muslims were received favourably in the Kandyan Kingdom, as far as can be seen. Robert Knox says that charitable Sinhala people gifted land to Muslims to live (Dewaraja p 115). Muslims adopted the outward appearance and dress and manners of the Sinhalese.

Mosques were built on lands donated by the King. Present Katupalliya and Meera Makkam Mosque in Kandy were built on land gifted by the King. The architcture of the Katupalliya is Kandyan. (p114-115). Ridi Vihare in Kurunegala gave part of its land for a Mosque and allocated a portion of land for the maintenance of a Muslim priest (p 113).  

In 1930, in Rambukkana many Muslim boys had received their education in Buddhist monasteries. Many of them studied Sinhala and idigenous medicine. Facilities were provided for the Muslim boys to say their prayers and attend Koranic classes, while living in the temple. In this remote village in Rambukkana, Muslims made voluntary contributions towards the vihara and they participated in the Esala Perahera. As a mark of respect the drummers voluntarily stopped beating of drums and paid obeisance when they passed the Mosque (Dewaraja p 113).  

The relations that have existed between the Sinhalese and Muslims of Sri Lanka since ancient times illustrates the ethnic harmony in a pluralistic and multi-ethnic society. By and large, the Sri Lankan Muslims are peace loving and God fearing. Right from the inception they have exhibited their good will, generosity and a great degree of resilience towards all. Past history is a starked reminder to the present generation for peaceful coexistence. Of late emergence of business rivalry, rreligious intolerance, petty jealousies etc is on the rise and takes centre stage of racial tensions. Hate speech, including social media posts could easily whip up unscrupulous crowds on trivial issues into frenzy and cause anti-Muslim sentiments, turmoil and mayhem in the country.

Most of the time, these are the machinations of insignificant groups with vested interest. Yet, as a nation with a past bitter 30 year experience of ethnic unrest, an eye to an eye and a tooth to a tooth politics will get us nowhere. Today the Muslims are at the cross roads. It is crystal clear that groups espousing violence in the name of any religion have no place among peace loving citizens. Ironically, majority of the victims of racial tension in Sri Lanka and elsewhere have always been found to be Muslims. Any incident of isolated nature has to be taken up in the correct perspective of the Law of the land and timely tackled by the Police or the Security Forces.. This course of action would prevent organized gangs to take the law into their hands.

The relations that have existed between the Sinhalese and Muslims of Sri Lanka since ancient times illustrates the ethnic harmony in a pluralistic and multi-ethnic society

In this backdrop, it would be prudent to go the extra mile to train our citizens to cherish pluralism and tolerance from the childhood starting from school going days. Emphasis should be laid on the need for racial harmony through amity and coexistence. Emotional intelligence, beliefs, values and discipline may have to be instilled in the minds of people.  

One must not forget the fact that united we stand and divided we fall. Let the bygones be bygones and usher in a new era of peace and harmony!: “Hatred begets hatred and violence begets violence” and “To err is human and to forgive is divine “Sabbe satta bhavanthu sukhitatta”.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Time-tested-bond-of-Sinhala-Muslim-Friendship-147295.html

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(ශාන්ත රත්නායක)

බටහිර වෛද්‍ය ක්‍රමය අනුව වඳභාවය ඇති කළ හැකි පෙත්තක් සොයා ගෙන නැති බව ප්‍රජනන වෛද්‍ය විද්‍යාව පිළිබඳ මහාචාර්ය චන්දිකා විජේරත්න මහත්මිය අද (15) ශ්‍රී ලංකා වෛද්‍ය සංගමයේ මාධ්‍ය හමුවක දී පැවසීය.

ආහාර සමඟ වඳ පෙති මිශ්‍ර කිරීමෙන් වඳභාවය ඇති කළ හැකි බවට අනියත බියක් සමාජ වෙබ් අඩවිවල ඇතිව තිබෙන හෙයින් ඒ ගැන සත්‍ය තත්ත්වය පෙන්වා දීම අපේ යුතුකම යැයි මේ මතය විද්‍යාත්මක වශයෙන් කිසිදු පදනමක් නැති බවත් සඳහන් කළ ඇය ඖෂධ පෙති , කුඩු හෝ එන්නත් මගින් කණඩායමක් හෝ ජනවර්ගයක් වද බවට පත් කිරීම ප්‍රයෝගිකව කෙසේවත් කළ නොහැකිය.

දැනට පාවිච්චිය සදහා ඇති සියළුම උපත් පාලන පෙති සහ එන්නත් ස්ත්‍රීන්ගේ පාවිච්චිය සදහා පමණක් වන අතර එයින් කෙරෙන්නේ ගැබි ගැනීමේ හැකියාව තාවකාලිකව වැලැක්වීම පමණි පුරුෂයන්ගේ තාවකාලික වඳ බාවයක්  ඇති කළ හැකි උපත් පාලන ගිලින පෙත්තක් දැනට ලොව කිසිම තැනක නොමැත. යනුවෙන්ද ඇය පැවසුවාය.

Video URL : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tonQIlrzhyQ&feature=youtu.be

මෙම මාධ්‍ය හමුවට ස්වේච්ඡාවෙන් කරුණු දැක්වීම සදහා  වෛද්‍යවරු රැසක්ද සහභාගි විය.

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ජුඩ් සමන්ත

ආණමඩුව නගරයේ පිහිටි  මදීනා හෝටලයට පෙට්‍රල් බෝම්බ තබා ගිනි තැබීමේ සිද්ධියට සම්බන්ධ සැකකරුවන් 7 දෙනා මෙම මස 19 වැනි දා දක්වා රිමාන්ඩ් කිරිමට ආණමඩුව වැඩබලන මහේස්ත්‍රාත් සුනිල් ජයවර්ධන මහතා අද (13) නියෝග කළේය.

මෙලෙස රිමාන්ඩ් ගත කරන ලද්දේ ආණමඩුව සහ ඒ අවට පදිංචිව සිටි තරුණයින් 7 දෙනෙක් වේ. ඔවුන් වයස අවුරුදු 18 - 22 වියේ පසුවන්නෝ වෙති.

පසුගිය 11 වැනි දා අලුයම 3.00 ට පමණ යතුරු පැදි  තුනකින් පැමිණ ඇති සැකකරුවන් මුලින්ම හෝටලය ඉදිරිපිට පෙට්‍ට්‍රල් වක් කර පසුව පෙට්‍රල් බෝම්බ ප්‍රහාරයක් එල්ල කර ඇති බව විමර්ශන වලදී හෙළි වී ඇත.

ප්‍රහාරය සඳහා යොදා ගත් යතුරු පැදි 3 ක්ද පොලිස් බාරයට ගෙන ඇත.

සිද්ධිය වූ මදීනා හෝටලය අසල ඇති වෙනත් වෙළඳසලක සවි කර ඇති ආරක්ෂිත කැමරා පද්ධතියක දර්ශණ උපයෝගී කරගෙන එක් සැකකරුවෙකුව අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමෙන් පසු සෙසු සැකකරුවන් සම්බන්ධයෙන් තොරතුරු අනාවරණය වී ඇත.

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