QUERY

The Jamiatul Ulama KZN had recently organised a ‘youth camp’. For the attraction of the youth a number of   sporting activities had been planned.  Among these were horse riding, archery, paint ball, quad bike riding, human football, farm olympics and obstacle course. Some maulanas gave talks, Salaat was performed and the event lasted for a couple of hours. Please comment on this type of programme in the light of the Shariah. I am a member of the Jamiat, but I feel uneasy about activities of this kind being organised by Ulama.

OUR COMMENT

Your uneasiness is actually Allah’s guidance inspired in your heart. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Seek a fatwa from your heart.”The heart of a true Mu’min who sincerely desires the Haqq, does not fail. The correct fatwa is forthcoming from the sincere heart of the Mu’min. The conscience of the true Muslim does not fail to issue a warning to save one from indulgence in sin and futility. Hence, Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Sin is that which disturbs your conscience.” 

However, when the heart has been incorrigibly contaminated and disturbed by deliberate indulgence in activities which are glaringly nugatory of the Pleasure of Allah Ta’ala, and inimical towards the Maqsad  (Objective) of life on earth, then the guiding Noor which is inherent in  the Imaan of every Mu’min from the day of his/birth is  tarnished and ultimately eliminated. Then the heart of even the Mu’min becomes like the heart of the kaafir. It becomes impervious to the spirit and ethos of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Its obduracy extends to the Aql which then fails to distinguish between Haqq and baatil. 

This is the lamentable malady which has overcome the brains of the KZN Jamiat’s molvis who are nowadays increasingly indulging in programmes which are conspicuously nugatory of the Objective of Islam. Such ‘youth’ programmes whilst hilariously ludicrous, especially when organized by molvis who deceive themselves with a flimsy outer ‘deeni’ façade, are in reality destructive for the akhlaaq of the participants, and in the long term ruinous for their Imaan. 

Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’aan Majeed: “In fact insaan has baseerat over his nafs even though he puts forth excuses.” These Jamiat KZN molvis are fully aware of their agenda. They cannot conceal from themselves their dishonest motive for having planned this stupid, laughable programme of futility.