Question: As the month of December arrives, Radio Al-Ansaar has once more organized their Souk which is to be held in Durban from the … December to the … January (actual dates removed). Please enlighten us in this regard as many holiday making Muslims in the Durban area attend the Souk. Many evils, Haraam and sins are done at the Souk. Was-Salaam.
Answer: The Hadith of Nabi (Sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) answers your query satisfactorily: Nabi (Sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: “THE MOST BELOVED PLACES IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH ARE THE MASAAJID, AND THE MOST DISLIKED PLACES IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH ARE THE SOUKS (MARKETS and BAZAARS).” (Sahih Muslim)
We now represent few points prepared by Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel (Rahmatullaahi alaih) few years ago regarding the Souks. This article was named ‘The souks of Shaitaan’. We will reproduce just 3 points of the article of Hazrat Moulana and offer our comment.
Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel (Rahmatullaahi alaih) wrote: In the name and guise of Deen, Muslims are being invited to ‘Fund-raising’ programs, lunches, dinners, pre-Ramadaan and Eid Fairs. Funds are being raised for Deeni projects in this manner. The context of these programmes is ‘Fun’ and ‘Entertainment’ which entails socializing. The Muslim is encouraged to bring along his wife, daughters, mother and sisters. Since this is in the name of Deen, people consider it as Ibaadah (worship), something virtuous.
Brief comment: This is a very dangerous matter for Muslims. Muslims are misled into believing that any event which is garbed in Islamic attire, names, banners and is hosted by Muslims and Muslim organizations (whether ‘Islamic’ TV channels, ‘Islamic’ radios, Muslim schools etc.) is encouraged to visit and participate in with the notion of ‘supporting’ that particular Islamic organization/group/radio station/TV channel etc., whereas from the time one enters to the time of his exit at such venues earns one the direct Curse of Allah Ta’ala.
Haraam which is organized by Muslims, Muslim organizations, Muslim radio stations, and they clothe it with Islamic banners and names, doubles the evil and Hurmat (prohibition) of attending such places. Why, because Muslims are now made to believe that everything in such events are Islamic, permissible and Halaal. The fact of the matter is not that, dear readers! The fact of the matter is that Shaitaan has succeeded in beautifying their misdeeds so that Haraam no more appears to be Haraam. In fact, Haraam is made and understood to be Halaal by many if not all the participants at such events and souks.
Let us now examine a few aspects which will take place at the Radio Al-Ansaar Souk:
- Intermingling: Men and women will enter together, walk together and will be always together. We haven’t heard thus far of Al-Ansaar Souk providing separate facilities for men and women. We haven’t heard thus far of Al-Ansaar Souk arranging separate entrances, walkways, shops etc. for women. So where is Purdah, the great Law of the Shari’at? The Law which was told clearly to Nabi (Sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) by Allah Ta’ala to command the Muslim women to don the Jilbaab. “O Nabi! Tell your wives, your daughters and the women of the Mu’mineen that they should wear their ‘Jalaabeeb’ (it is the plural of Jilbaab-translator) over themselves. This is best for their recognition so that they are not harmed.”
A Jilbaab is a loose garment which covers the entire body without revealing the shape of the body and which has only a little opening to allow the woman to see. If this was the command to our Nabi (Sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) to ensure that his beloved wives and daughters-regarding whom not one Sahaabi will ever think wrong of-observe proper Hijaab, then where are we in our times in which lustful glances are the norm of such souks and fairs? Hence, any Muslim who is Purdah conscious will change his mind merely by this point if he had intentions of attending the Al-Ansaar Souk this year.
Merry grounds: The Al-Ansaar Souk arranges a merry ground for entertainment at their Souk. This year they are introducing an activity by the name of ‘Bag Jump’. Boasting this ride, they have advertised this as, “The first ever Al-Ansaar Souk Trade Fair”. On the advertisement on their website, they have a caption under this ride which reads, “Experience the Extreme”. They have also this written in their advertisement of this new ride, “0 to EXTREME WE DARE YOU”.
By introducing such rides and activities, a person becomes oblivious of the DESTROYER OF PLEASURES – death. Exactly what our Nabi (Sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said 1400 years ago, “Remember often the destroyer of pleasures”, by which he meant death. We should try to implement this in our lives. Hence, by involving ourselves in activities which makes us negligent of this remembrance (the remembrance of Maut) is discouraged. Therefore, rides, merry grounds and activities which will be available at the Al-Ansaar Souk are discouraged by the Shari’at, whilst on the other hand they are dared by the Al-Ansaar!
Performers: These are individuals or groups who will entertain the crowd of Muslims – a crowd consisting of both, men and women! Some of the performers will be singers, comedians and the like. Whilst entertainment will be their game, the Qur’aan Majeed explicitly rebuffs their act. Repeatedly the Qur’aan Majeed calls out, “The life of this world is mere futility and play”, and, “Know that the life of this world is mere play, futility…” In other words, the enjoyment in this world is just temporary and without any benefit compared to that of the Hereafter.
Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel (Rahmatullaahi alaih) writes, “The person is not going to make Taubah for this. He is not going to consider the intermingling and the socializing as sinful, because the event is promoted as something meritorious and ‘Halaal’, and because the invitation is from people and organizations that are representing Deen, and whom it is expected, would know better as to what is Haraam and Halaal.
‘What a kind of revolution! …That Ummah which detested Haraam, which stayed far from that which is doubtful, now has no fear indulging in Haraam.’
Even if an ‘Aalim is involved in such activities or endorsing such programmes and is seen at such venues, this does not make Haraam, Halaal. …This is the weakness of that ‘Aalim.”
Brief comment: Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel (Quddisa Sirruhu) has mentioned a very important point. May Allah Ta’ala reward Hazrat Moulana and fill Hazrat Moulana’s Qabr with Noor.
One is a person who knows that he is sinning. This person will eventually understand that he is disobeying Allah Ta’ala. Hence, a time will come (Insha Allah) in his life that he will resort to Taubah. On the other hand, a person sins, but he doesn’t even know that he is sinning. When will he resort to Taubah if he regarded that sin not to even be a sin? (We are not saying that he will never make Taubah, Insha Allah the realization will one day come to his heart.) In the same way, when sin is given an Islamic name and attire, then when will the participants resort to Taubah if they considered their attendance at such Haraam places which were Halaalized not to be un-Islamic and Haraam?
The Souk is not the only such Halaalized event. There are many others, such as; Islamic ship cruise, Islamic radios, Islamic TV channels, Muslim school dinner eve, Muslim school golf day, Muslim school fun walks… and the list goes on. One will notice that such events are always attached with the word ‘Islamic’ or ‘Muslim’. We are discussing the Souk in this article since it is to be hosted in this month (December) in Durban by Radio Al-Ansaar.
Thereafter, Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel (Rahmatullaahi alaih) offered some words of advice…
- ‘IT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE TO BE PRESENT IN A GATHERING WHERE ALLAH TA’ALA IS BEING DISOBEYED.’
- Mullah Ali Qaari (Rahmatullahi ‘alaih) has defined Hayaa (modesty) as : “The Haqeeqat (reality) of Hayaa is that your Maula (Your true Master) must not find you in that place which He has forbidden.” …Or indulging in that which He has forbidden.
- Such events and functions bring one close to Zina (adultery). Allah Ta’ala says: “And come not near to Zina. Verily it is a shameful and evil path” [Surah Al- Isra 17 : 32]
- Such functions promote Zina of the eyes, whereas it is from the Commandments of Allah Ta’ala that we lower our gazes from looking at ghair-mahareem. Allah Ta’ala addresses both the believing men and believing women: “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at that which is Haraam) and to be modest … And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at that which is forbidden) and to be modest and not to show off their beauty …[Surah Nur 24 : 29/ 30]
May Allah Ta’ala guide the Ummah in understanding the Deen correctly and give us the Tawfeeq not to participate in any such evil events and functions, Aameen.
“THE MOST BELOVED PLACES IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH ARE THE MASAAJID, AND THE MOST DISLIKED PLACES IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH ARE THE SOUKS (MARKETS and BAZAARS).”