O Allah! Bless us in the day of our Eid and our fast breaking and let it be the best day that has passed over us” –
Imam Ali Ibn Hussain Zainul Abideen (A.S.) – Sahifa Al-Sajjadiyya
May Allah’s (swt) blessings light up the path and lead us to unity and harmony and open all the doors of success
Eid-ul Fitr Message from The Chairman of The Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaats of Africa
Alhaj Anwarali R. Dharamsi
Hijri 1434 (August 2013)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the most Merciful
Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka lah,
There is no entity worthy of worship except Allah, who is one and has no partner
lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu
To Him belongs the kingdom and (to Him Belongs) the praise
yuhyi wa yumeetu wa yumeetu wa yuhyi
He gives life and causes to die and He causes to die and He gives life
wa huwa hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khair, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer’
And He is the ever living and shall never die and in His power is the goodness and He has the power over all things
My Dear Community Members,
As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh.
All Praise is due to Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted; and peace and blessing be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) and His pure progeny (AS).
We thank Allah (SWT) for the mercy and grace bestowed upon us to complete the holy month of Ramadhan peacefully, in good health and with elevated spirits of spiritual nourishment.
On this auspicious occasion of Eid ul-Fitr, I wish to convey my warmest wishes and heartiest greetings to each and every member of our entire community.
I am pleased and delighted to welcome Reunion Association who have joined the Africa Federation as a new member of the Federation since April this year, On behalf of all our Jamaats in Africa, I extend our heartiest felicitations and best wishes to our community members of Reunion on this auspicious occasion.
As we observe this day of Eid, with happiness and joy having offered our deepest gratitude and thanks to Allah (SWT) for His countless blessings and bowing our heads before Him offering Salatul Eid let us remember the plight of millions of less fortunate people, who include those impacted by poverty, hunger, conflict, disease, injustices and victims of human rights abuses wherever they are in this world.
I wish to appeal to all our community members to join together and to remind each other on the importance of charity and benevolence towards the less fortunate members of our community, whose numbers are increasing each year.
A number of times in the Holy Qur’an, Charity is mentioned and emphasized. I wish to quote one of the verses from the Holy Qur’an on Charity, which we all should reflect and act upon ………
Surely they who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and establish regular prayers and pay the poor-rate (Charity), they shall have their reward from their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. [Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah 2.277]
I wish to once again draw the attention of the Community to the global economic crisis which is still unraveling and the continuing recession whose effects are felt by a vast percentage of our Community not only in Africa but also around the world.
To overcome some of these economic challenges we face, I would like to stress the need for the Jamaats to take necessary measures and work towards building stronger funding infrastructures and long-term income generating investments in our Jamaats whilst the opportunities still exist, this will make our community self-reliant in terms of long term financial stability and sustainable development.
The current situation in the Middle East and in the Muslim world is becoming complex and the escalating turmoil is worrying. It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to be vigilant and steadfast and stand firmly against sectarianism and hatred and ensure that unity and brotherhood prevail in the society and in the countries we live in. We should respect each other, and strive to foster closer relationships with the followers of other faiths and abide by the Islamic teachings and values.
Similarly, I cannot emphasise more on the importance of Unity and in building bridges within our community in Africa and at global level. We are going through a critical period; unprecedented in our recent history. Muslims and particularly the followers of Ahlul Bayt (AS) are facing numerous challenges.
Like every year, this year again, the World Federation of KSI Muslim Communities of the United Kingdom jointly with the Federation of KSI Jamaats of Africa distributed Ramadhan Relief (Rahat Fund) to the Jamaats and Institutions in mainland Africa, Madagascar and Reunion bringing the true spirit of the holy month of Ramadhan to life like every one of us to fast and carry out the Ibadaat during the holy month of Ramadhan in relative comfort and ease of mind..
Total amount of US$290,000 was distributed as Ramadhan Relief, Kaffarah and Zakat-e-Fitrah to the needy and deserving families in our community and in the local Shia community.
The Solidarity Day which is an annual event of the Africa Federation is marked each year on 15th of Sha’ban with a special appeal to the community members in all Jamaats to donate their One Day’s Income towards charity; Alhamdulillah, another heartening benevolence and unity of purpose was displayed by our community members resulting in a record collection of US$200,000 this year though more is anticipated next year to meet the ever rising needs.
This fair amount of contribution is a reflection of the level of concern and care by the community towards the welfare needs for the year. My thanks go out to all those who supported and contributed for the success of this event.
The Holy month of Ramadhan is designated as the month of worship, sacrifice, repentance and devotion to the Creator underpinning in its sublimity and blessing among mankind. On this day, while we are celebrating Eid ul-Fitr let us take a moment and reflect on those millions of refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine who are suffering and cannot celebrate the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast in peace at home with their families, resulting in many of them seeking refuge in the neighboring countries and living in harsh conditions.
Let us pray for the safely, security and peace of our brothers and sisters in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Burma, Pakistan, Palestine, Yemen and in other countries. Let us also pray for the safety and sanctity of the Holy Shrines in Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia which have become targets in these recent attacks.
The World Federation have launched a Relief Fund for the Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, and I appeal to you all to donate generously towards this fund.
On behalf of the Africa Federation Office Bearers, Trustees and Councilors, and on my own behalf, I wish you and to your families Eid Mubarak with prayers for increase in imaan and tawfiqaat.
In closing I request you to remember with Sura-e-Fateha all our marhumeen and marhuminat, especially those who were with us last Eid, and are not with us today.
Anwarali R. Dharamsi
1st Shawwal 1434 AH