Gift of the Givers

In a world where 1.8 billion people profess to Christianity, it is nigh on impossible to be oblivious of one of its greatest annual celebrations, Christmas, the birth of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) who is referred to as Prophet Isa, the son of Maryam (Mary) in the Noble Qur'aan.

This celebration of his miraculous birth in Palestine in the east over two thousand years ago has become one of the most commercialized events, particularly in the West. Billions of dollars are spent on iconic decorations, festooning of various structures and exchanging of gifts.

Muslims should be no strangers to the concept of gifts and giving for in Islamic belief system it is accepted that Almighty Allah Ta'ala has given us the greatest gift of all as recorded in the Noble Quran,

"...This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion."
Surah Maaida, Verse 4

Muslims accept that all bounties are from Allah Ta'ala, whether these are physical such as food, clothing and wealth; or intangible and spiritual ones like influence, talent, power, insights into good and evil, etc.

In keeping with this concept Islam has made it an obligatory devotion for the "haves" to contribute to the upliftment of the "have not's" through the medium of Zakaat (see the "Know Islam" section - for further details).

It further recommends the practice of exchanging gifts and sincere good wishes which increases affection between Believers. However, the giving of gifts is not institutionalised or restricted to particular times, events or occasions but one should be free to give whenever one pleases and without fear of reproach for not giving gifts at certain times.

SANHA wishes to thank all our readers for "gifting" us your time, patience and interest in the electronic bulletin.

Whilst we cannot afford a gift for every single reader we will continue bringing many competition prizes and giveaways, (incidentally one of the prizes - our current double-header - is worth a whopping R1200, our biggest to-date as well as 20 NMC consolation vouchers worth R200 each).

Let us be a "gifted" community that will give of itself to the Noble cause and upliftment of all mankind.

Editor

BACK

ORGANISATION PROFILE

Halaal Feed & Food Inspection Authority (HFFIA)

In 1994 the Halaal Feed & Food Foundation was established and as in the cause of SANHA they understood the benefits of being guided by Ulama and accordingly they are under the jurisdiction of the Majlis al IFTA Europe. As a result of the growing awareness of Muslim consumers that food, pharmaceutical products and cosmetics in Europe were not suitable for them due to these products not being produced in accordance with the basic Halaal principles, in 1996 the decision was made to establish an inspection body to control, inspect and certify Halaal products and the HFFIA was born.

The HFFIA goes to great lengths to ensure that strict Halaal standards are met by their certified plants, i.e. screening and checking of:

• Raw materials
• Production process
• Cleaning procedures
• Packaging procedures
• Storage procedures
• Distribution procedures
• Purchasing and coding procedures

SANHA is proud to have signed a memorandum of understanding with the HFFIA so that we may have collaborative links with them, sharing information, skills and technology for the benefit of Muslims in Europe and South Africa alike.

Under the able guidance of Brother Abdul Qayyoem, the HFFIA has been a strong supporter of SANHA. They have attended our annual general meetings and have participated in International seminars held in South Africa.

Contact Details:

Halaal Feed and Food Inspection Authority
Postal Address
P.O.Box 16786
2500 BT The Hague
The Netherlands
(Europe)
Tel : 0031 70 – 364 91 91
Fax: : 0031 70 – 364 54 60

Email : info@halal.nl
Web : www.halal.nl

BACK

HADITH (Sayings and Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him)

Abuu Usayd radiyallaahu 'anhu and 'Umar bin al-Khattaab narrated that Rasuulullaah sallallaahu alayhi wasallam said:

Use olive oil for eating and rubbing on the body. It is from a blessed tree.

Commentary

Mawlaanaa Zakariiyyaa Kandhalwii comments:

The blessed status of the olive tree has been mentioned in Suuratun Nuur, ayah 35, "...from a blessed tree,an olive tree, neither easterly nor westerly."

Ulamaa have mentioned various reasons for its blessedness. Some say that it is mostly grown in Syria. Syria is blessed because (at least) 70 prophets were sent to it.

Others say it is blessed due to its many benefits. Abuu Nu‘aym says, "It has a cure for seventy diseases. One of which is leprosy."

Ibn 'Abbaas radiyallaahu 'anhumaa said, "Every part of the olive is beneficial. The oil is used for burning and cooking. It is also used for tanning. The wood is used for fire. The ash of the olive is especially good for washing silk."

It is said that the olive tree has a long life. It bears fruit after forty years and has a lifespan of a thousand. The books of medicine mention its many benefits.

The reason for mentioning this Hadiith in the practices of Rasuulullaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam is that if he encouraged the use of olives he must have used it himself

Reference

Ash-Shamaail lit-Tirmizii, Chapter on the curry of Rasulullah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam.

BACK

WINNING RECIPES

Tried and tested recipes from chefs, gourmet connoisseurs, contributors and also from kitchens of our certified plants for your culinary pleasure.

Save the information and make up your own collection of winning recipes.

Chef has stumbled on a wonderful website www.whatsfordinner.co.za recently launched by Knorr. This website is designed to make cooking quick, easy and 'hassle-free!' With recipes, meal-planners and shopping lists this 'one of a kind' website is sure to get your taste-buds tapping. Best of all, all Knorr dehydrated products are SANHA approved and carry our logo.

For your convenience we have listed below a recipe off the website.

Curried Chicken and Pasta Bake

Curried chicken baked in individual ramekins makes the ideal starter for dinner parties.

Serves 4 - Preparation Time: 10 mins - Cooking Time: 25 mins

• 125 ml milk
• 30 ml margarine
• 250 ml sour cream
• 2 smoked chicken breasts
• 125 ml fresh breadcrumbs
• 310 ml water
• 1 box Knorr Macaroni & Cheese – Cheese & Chicken flavour
• 10 ml curry powder
• 150 g broccoli, broken into small florets
• 125 ml Cheddar cheese, grated

• Mix the milk, water, margarine and the contents of the Knorr Macaroni & Cheese sauce sachet and pasta and bring to the boil in a saucepan, then simmer for 8–10 min
• Combine the sour cream and curry powder and season with salt and pepper
• Cut the chicken into thin slivers and mix with the broccoli and cream mixture and macaroni and cheese
• Spoon into four ramekin dishes, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese and bake for 10–15 min or until the cheese melts

Chef's tip:

As year end fast approaches, we are easily sucked into the rush and stress of this busy period. Cooking is a wonderful way of de-stressing! Pull out that apron, your favourite recipe, and cook! It is extremely soothing and satisfactory to create delicious aromas in the kitchen and then sitting down to a relaxing meal with your family.

Do you have a recipe to share with the readers?

Send in your favourite recipe to pro-kzn@sanha.org.za and who knows, you could be our "guest chef" for a future edition of the Halaal e-Bulletin.

BACK

KNOW ISLAM SERIES

One out of every five persons on this planet is a Muslim.  He is your neighbour, customer, supplier, employee, boss or friend.

Zakaat - Charity

One of the five pillars of Islam is Zakaat, which means purification and augmentation of one's wealth.

A Muslim who has money beyond a certain quantity is to pay Zakaat. It is also called the alms due or poor due. It is to be distributed to eight categories of people for the welfare of the society as mentioned in the Qur'aan, i.e. the poor, the needy, the sympathizers, the captives, the debtors, the cause of Allah Ta'ala, the wayfarers, and for those who are authorised to collect Zakaat.

The amount to be distributed is generally 2.5% of liquid wealth (which includes cash, gold and silver as well as stock-in-trade).

Should you wish to know more about Zakaat, you can contact organisations such as Jamiatul Ulama South Africa, SANZAF, etc. A free Zakaat calculator is also available on request from SANZAF.

Contact details:

Mr. Hasan Asmall
Tel: 031 3060786

BACK

Industry News

SANHA certified Parmalat leads growth in yoghurts - new size introduced

Paramalat has introduced a new 1Lt tub size to its smooth low-fat yoghurt range which complements the 175g tubs, and meets consumer demand for the recently introduced decadent flavours for larger families.

Parmalat's range is free of artificial colourants and contains live active cultures. The product can also be enjoyed by people with lactose intolerance.

Some of the variants in the Parmalat Low Fat Smooth Yoghurts range are strawberry, banana custard, coconut biscuit and vanilla. With the ever-increasing awareness that food affects our wellbeing, consumers are fast picking natural, healthy products combined with convenience, says Masanda Peter, Parmalat product manager: yoghurt and custards.

Back

MYSTERIOUS SPICE AND ALL THINGS NICE

In this issue we continue with the 2nd part of our three part series giving you information on the various types of Vitamins, their sources and benefits. Although we only need them in minute amounts, vitamins are essential for our bodies to work properly.

BACK

SMILE AWHILE

In the serious world of Halaal we take this moment to bring you a smile, a chuckle or even a hearty laugh. It's therapeutic, so pass it on:

In keeping with the editorial theme of giving, we thought we would share some valuable career advice with our readers.

1. If you want to spice up your life then be a chef but make sure you have the thyme!
2. Pool maintenance would be a good job but may prove to be draining.
3. Bear in mind if you become a lumberjack and can’t hack it you’re going to get the axe!
4. You have to 'fit in' if you want to become a shoe salesman.
5. To be a physical trainer you have to be fit for the job.
6. One needs to realize that a job as a historian may have no future.
7. To be a doctor you will need patience, lots of patience.
8. Being a professional fisherman would be a relaxing job but could you live on the net income ?
9. What about working in a muffler factory, if you don’t find it too exhausting ?
10. You could work in a coffee shop but you would have to contend with the daily grind.

BACK