Fajr Competition

Question: The Deen Team has again started a competition called ‘Round 3, Fajr First’. It also captioned this competition as an ‘Incentive campaign encouraging youth to perform Salaah with Jamaat in the Masjid’. Approximately, eleven Musaajid are participating in this competition. The following caption is displayed on the poster, ‘A serious effort towards 100% attendance for Fajr Salaah with Jamaat will earn you: The pleasure of Allah, massive Thawaab, a lasting habit, R750 shopping voucher.’ The voucher can be used at sports shops, fishing shops, fashion shops, as shown on the poster. The poster also has the following Hadith mentioned, ‘If they knew the rewards of Fajr and Esha (in Jamaat) they would have come even if they had to crawl.’  Among the sponsors of this competition is Al-Baraka bank. Kindly comment on this competition of the Deen Team.

Answer:  At the outset, is should be well understood that we are not aware of a single senior Aalim / Mufti of our country’s many Darul Ulooms who is either the Principal, senior Hadith / Tafseer Ustaad or the Sadr-Mufti (Head Mufti) that endorses, supports and promotes the Deen Team’s works and activities.

To the contrary, some of our very senior Ulama have spoken against the activities of the Deen Team. This itself should be sufficient to warn one to be extremely cautious as not to let one’s children (the youth) be misled by the anti-Islamic activities dished out by the Deen Team be it in camping / outdoor weekends / activities, dunk-tank games, zip-lining, soccer / sports and tournaments, etc. which is then coated in ‘Islamic’ flavour either by having a short talk titled as ‘motivational’ or ‘inspirational’ or even ‘dynamical’ by a ‘dynamic speaker’. Further on, some of their activities (camping, outdoor, etc.) are dedicated for girls – the future mothers of the Ummah’s children! Where did they source such activities for girls from the Seerah, Sunnah and lives of the Sahaabiyaat (Radhiyallahu anhunna)? Such activities are in total and open conflict to the Nusoos (clear-cut) Aayaat of the Qur’an Majeed which instruct females to remain glued in their homes.

Their indulging in photos and videos is also Haraam and accursed according to the True, Correct and Pristine Teachings of the Deen of Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) which is taught, explained and demonstrated to the Ummah by the Ulama-e-Haq. What ‘DEEN’ is there really taught at the various activities of this group called the ‘Deen Team’ when they perpetrate and promote fun, play, activities and sports, etc. in the name of ‘Deen’?

Scholars are part of their work:

While this may be an argument that there are certain Moulanas who are part of the ‘Deen Team’, however, this is not a proof for branding their Haraam as Halaal. We are bound to judge on the basis of the Shari’ah, not on the basis of scholars’ involvements and participation. Just like Moulanas ofso-called ‘Halaal’ certifying bodies issue ‘Halaal’ certificates to the HARAAM Rainbow, Earlybird and other commercially killed chickens, that doesn’t in any way make the Haraam chickens Halaal, so too is the case here. To the contrary, as mentioned above, the senior Ulama-e-Haq of our country have openly warned the Ummah of South Africa of this group in their Bayaans and writings. Thus, their warnings are sufficient for one to take heed and opt for the safer route by abstaining from getting involved in their activities in any way whatsoever.

Coming back to the query, we have commented regarding it in the following points under two sections as detailed hereunder:

Section 1 – A quick glance at the background of this team and reasons why one should be wary of this group:

1. Our Ulama-e-Haq don’t agree with this group calling itself the Deen Team.
2. This ‘Team’ is pro-sports – something which our Ulama-e-Haq very staunchly oppose!
3. This ‘Team’ did use Masaajid to have their competitions – whether the courtyards or the parking of the Masjid, it doesn’t matter. A Masjid has to be respected which includes the compound wall, the toilets, and even the Istinjaa jugs. Thus, the sanctity of the Masaajid – the Masjid property – was disrespected.
4. This ‘Team’ is involved in the accursed and HARAAM photography and videography. This is anti-Islam. What ‘Deen’ can they present if they involved in anti-Islamic and accursed actions? Some of their posters have HARAAM animate pictures on them. Some of their social media posts (like on WhatsApp and Instagram) show videos with animate objects on them. All this is HARAAM according to the 1400-year-old Golden DEEN of Allah Ta’ala.
5. This ‘Team’ also hosts and arranges camping and other outdoor activities for GIRLS. What Islam are they teaching the youth – especially the girls, future mothers of this Ummah? Does Islam for them revolve around camping, outdoor activities, competitions, zip-lining, dunk-tanks, tournaments, etc. as much of their involvements with these entertainments are seen?
6. Our Ulama-e-Haq have said that using tournaments and sports, especially in the name of ‘Deen’, to get our youth involved in, will cause sports and tournaments to spread. Deen will not spread in this way and manner.
7. The word Team has connotations to sports. One gets a sport team which consists of sport players. Hence, this group is involved much in sports, etc. Now and again to maintain an Islamic outlook, they hold such ‘Salaah-related’ competitions.

Section 2 – The competition in question:

1. This ‘Team’ appears to be naïve in hosting such competitions. Do they expect the future-youth of this Ummah to attend the Masjid on the basis of competitions? Will a ‘competition’ be the motivational factor to gather the youth to the Masjid for Salaah?

Then what about the Islamic Call to Salaah, i.e. the Azaan? Will the Azaan no more be needed? Will the Azaan no more motivate and remind the Muslim men to gather in the Masjid for Salaah? Will posters of competitions with winners receiving vouchers of sportswear, outdoor equipment, camping equipment, etc. be the new way of gathering Muslims in the Masjid? Will their competitions be the annular (Naasikh) and the Azaan will be the abrogated (Mansookh)?

Then what happened to the famous Kitaab, Fazaail-e-A’maal’s section on the various Ahaadith regarding Salaah? What happened to the books written on the Fazaail of Salaah? The future Ummah – the Deen Team’s youth of today – will only be ‘motivated’ to attend even Jumu’ah Salaah if and when there is a competition enticing Muslim youth to attend the weekly Jumu’ah Salaah? Na-uthu Billah!

2. It is alien in the Seerah of Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) that Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam), or any of the senior Sahaabah who later became Ameerul-Mu’mineen, initiated any such competitions to get the youth to attend Salaah with Jamaat. Rather, it is the Teaching of Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) that from the age of 7, a child should be told to start reading Salaah. At the age of 10, he / she should be reprimanded to read Salaah. This is the Sunnah way. Once we implement this way, we shall need no competitions to motivate the youth to attend the Masjid for Jamaat Salaah.
3. Even if 1000’s of Masaajid participate in this competition, it doesn’t mean it is Halaal and correct. In Deen, numbers don’t count. Hence the 11 participating Masaajid means nothing much in Deen.
4. Regarding the mention of ‘a serious effort…’, what is ‘serious effort’ in this competition? Remember, it is a competition! Serious is the Imaani-power that will wake the youth up for Fajr Salaah, not a competition! While a competition may show immediate results, or until the competition runs, the true and long-term genuine results that will last is that which comes forth from a healthy Imaani body. Hence, we are supposed to work on ways to strengthen our youth’s Imaan, and this can never be hallucinated to be achieved from a competition! This Imaani-power will only come when we and the youth adopt the company of those who have this Imaani-power. If we are zip-lining, posing for pictures, attending a dunk-tank futile play, etc. then the Imaani-power is drastically lost. Sitting and adopting the company of the Ulama-e-Haq who explain to us the Correct Deen, will truly strengthen one’s Imaan.
5. While the mention of the few points for the attending of Salaah (Fajr) with Jamaat is correct, the last point – e. R750 voucher – is incorrect. This is contaminating the intention of the youth. The youth will wake up for Fajr Salaah with the hope of receiving a lousy R750 temporary voucher and will cast a blind eye to the perks mentioned in the various Ahaadith regarding the rewards for Fajr Salaah with Jamaat, in the Masjid. This is massively contaminating and playing around with the intentions and sincerity of the youth. Are we breeding a future Ummah absorbed in competitions only?

The only way to get the youth to the Masjid is the Sunnah-Way. That is, from the age of 7, parents start encouraging their children read Salaah. Then, at the age of 10, the father should ensure he takes his son to the Masjid while the mother sees that he daughter reads her Salaah punctually in the house.

Some Kitaab-reading on the virtues of Salaah on a daily basis will be of much benefit to keep the motivation alive in the heart of the children.

May Allah Ta’ala guide us and grant us the Tawfeeq of following Deen in the correct way, Aameen.