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Anti-terrorism Bill will be changedThe highly controversial Antiterrorism Bill is subject to amendments and changes in Parliament and as such no one should have any fear or feeling of threat from the proposed Bill, Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. The government is aware of concerns raised by the global and local community on certain provisions contained in the draft of the Anti-terrorism Bill and the Government is ready to alleviate them by discussion, compromise and flexibility, he added. Addressing a news conference at the Information Department auditorium, Minister Rajapakshe said the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) passed in 1979 under President J.R. Jayewardene’s rule as a temporary measure to counter the emerging separatist insurgency. The PTA has been misused and exploited by successive Governments since then for their personal and political...
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CBK commends Dr. Shafi’s noble gesture of donating past salary to buy essential medicineFalsely accused by racist elements for alleged illegal sterilisation, Kurunegala Teaching Hospital doctor says racism will not take country or organisation forward except make poor people suffer more; calls on all to make Sri Lanka racism-free Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has commended Dr. Mohamed Shafi Shihabdeen over his gesture of donating the past salaries amounting to Rs. 2.6 million during his suspension and imprisonment on false charges to buy essential medicines. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
Dr. Mohamed Shafi Shihabdeen
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Dr. Shafi donates arrears of his salary to purchase medicines for hospitalsDr. Shihabdeen Mohamed Shafi, the doctor at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital has decided to donate arrears of his salary amounting over Rs. 2.67 million for the purchase of essential medicines for hospitals.
Dr. Shafi who was on compulsory leave on charges of performing infertility surgery, has received a cheque of over Rs. 2.67 million salary arrears from the Health Ministry last week.
The salary arrears include the basic salary, interim allowance, cost of living, and allowance in lieu of pension for the period of compulsory leave imposed on Dr. Sihabdeen.
Dr. Shafi who was employed at the Kurunegala teaching hospital was arrested on May 25th, 2019, on charges of performing infertility surgery.
On July 25, 2019, the Kurunegala Magistrate’s Court ordered that the doctor be released on bail.Govt. used Sinhala-Buddhist shield to its maximum benefit Ven. Galkande Dhammananda TheraThis Govt. nurtured thug-like monks promoted them and deployed them in various places Certain monks have severe psychological wounds If society isn’t healed cases of domestic violence, harassment and child abuse will be on the rise Reconciliation was about having workshops, providing a report and earning dollars Accountability has not been included in the Constitution or the Judicial system Terrorism sprouts in a country that has no justice Ven. Galkande Dhammananda Thera who currently heads the Walpola Rahula Institute for Buddhist Studies has been addressing issues related to social justice and harmony while promoting an inclusive and plural society. Having gathered a wealth of experience during the height of war for instance and having encountered various incidents during his lifetime, Ven. Dhammananda Thera has...Read More...Health ministry to pay back-wages for Dr. Shafi before July 10The Ministry of Health today gave an undertaking before the Court of Appeal that the salary and allowances payable to Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen will be paid before July 10 this year. The Ministry of Health gave this undertaking pursuant to a writ petition filed by Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen, who was at the centre of the controversy surrounding the alleged sterilisation of female patients. The Director General of Establishment at the Ministry of Public Services had earlier informed the Court that the basic salary, interim allowance, cost of living and allowance in lieu of pension could be paid to Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen, for the compulsory leave period. Meanwhile, the petitioner expressed willingness to attend the preliminary inquiry before Director of Kurunegala Teaching Hospital Dr. Chandana Kendangamuwa. Taking into consideration the facts,...Sri Lanka court orders release of lawyer held for two yearsA Sri Lankan court has ordered the release on bail of a lawyer arrested over his alleged links to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings and held for nearly two years on charges rights groups say lacked credible evidence. Hejaaz Hizbullah was arrested in April 2020 and accused of being linked to the attacks on churches and hotels that left 279 people dead. But after prosecutors failed to provide evidence of his involvement in the attacks, blamed on a local group, he was instead Read More...Hejaaz Hizbullah leaves from remand custodyAttorney-at-law Hejaaz Hizbullah today left from remand custody after fulfilling his bail conditions before Puttlalam High Court.Read More...
He was incarcerated for 22 months for allegedly committing offences come under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.Last Monday (07), the Court of Appeal ordered to release Hizbullah on bail pursuant to a revision application filed on behalf him.Hizbullah was ordered to be released on a cash bail of Rs.100,000 with two sureties of Rs.500,000 by Puttlalam High Court Judge Kumari Abeyratne. He was further ordered to report to the DIG office of Puttalam Police Division every second and fourth Sunday of every month.An indictment under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act has now been served on Hejaaz Hizbullah. According to the indictment, Hizbullah...හිජාස් ගෙදර යයි
(නිමන්ති රණසිංහ සහ හිරාන් ප්රියංකර ජයසිංහ) ත්රස්තවාදය වැළැක්වීමේ පනත සහ සිවිල් හා දේශපාලන අයිතීන් පිළිබද ජාත්යන්තර සම්මුති පනත ප්රකාරව චෝදනා ලැබ වසර දෙකකට ආසන්න කාලයක් රක්ෂිත බන්ධනාගාර ගත කර සිටි නිතීඥ හිජාස් හිස්බුල්ලා මහතා අභියාචනාධිකරණ නියෝගය ප්රකාරව ඇප මත මුදාහැරීමට පුත්තලම මහාධිකරණය අද (09)...- 1
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By Abbas Abu Yahya
Jabir bin Abdullaah –RadhiAllaahu anhu- said the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-used to teach us al-Istikharah (a prayer said for seeking blessings in carrying out a decision) for all matters, just like he used to teach us a chapter from the Qur’aan, he would say: If any of you intends to undertake a matter then he should pray twoRakah other than an obligatory prayer then he should say
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي أَوْ قَالَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
O Allaah I request of You with Your knowledge, and by Your Power I seek capability, and I ask of you of your great favour, since indeed You are the One who is able while I am not, and You know and I do not, and You are the One who knows the unseen. O Allaah if You know that this matter – here he mentions his need - is good for me in this world and for my living and for the matters of my Hereafter – or he said, for my affairs now and the future – then decree it for me and make it easy for me and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is evil for me in this world and for my life and for the matters of my Hereafter – or he said, for my affairs now and the affairs of my future – then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree goodness for me where ever it may be and make me pleased with it.
[Taken from: ‘Kalimah Tayyib’ by Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah p.115, collected by Bukhari (d.256 A.H.)]
Benefits:
1- Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah (d.728) -Rahimullaah- said :
‘The one who seeks guidance from the Creator and he consults the creation and is firm in his issue, will not have any regret.
Allaah Ta’ala said:
[3:159]
Qatada -Rahimullaah- said:
‘There are not a people who consult over an issue desiring the Face of Allaah except that they are guided to what leads them to their matter.’
[Hadeeth Salaatul - al-Istikharah by Dr. Aasim Qurutee p.50 ]
[The Connection with Tawheed]
2 - Shamsuddeen Muhammad bin Abee Bakr Ibn Qayyim aj-Jawzeeyah (d.751) -Rahimullaah- said:
‘Allaah compensated the Muslims by giving them this supplication, which isTawheed, and it is being in need of Allaah, servitude of worship, reliance upon Allaah, asking the One in whose Hand is all goodness, Who Alone can turn away evil.
He Alone who, if He opens up Mercy for His slave then there is none who can seclude a person from that mercy, and if He (Allaah) withholds it then none can send mercy to a person whether it is using omens, astrology or lucky stars.
This Dua’ is the good fortune for the happy person, it is good fortune for the people of happiness and success, those for whom Allaah gave them happiness before, and it is not good fortune for the people of Shirk and wretchedness, those whom associate another deity with Allaah, then soon will they come to know.
This Dua’ includes the confirmation and testification of the existence of Allaah – Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. The confirmation and testification of His Perfect Attributes, from the perfection of Knowledge and Capability and universal Will. And it includes the confirmation and testification of Allaah’s Lordship and entrustment of this matter to Him – Ta’ala – and seeking aid from Him, and relying upon Him, and a person leaves the responsibility from himself and acquits himself from any capability and strength except that it is with Allaah Ta’ala. It also includes the acknowledgement of the slave of Allaah of the weakness of his knowledge and his own interests and his own capability upon these things, and his desire for them, and that all of these things are in the Hand of his Guardian and his Originator and his true Lord. . . . .’
Ibn al-Qayyim -Rahimullaah- continues:
‘So the purpose of al-Istikharah is to rely upon Allaah and entrustment to Him and the capability to fulfill the action with Allaah’s Capability, His knowledge. And that Allaah chooses good for His slave, and this is from those things which necessitate being pleased with Allaah as the Lord. As a person will not taste the flavour ofEemaan if he does not have these things (reliance, entrustment etc), and if he is pleased with destiny after al-Istikharah then that is a sign of happiness.’
[Taken from ‘Za’ad al-Ma’aad’ by Ibn al-Qayyim 2/443-445]
Regarding the importance of al-Istikharah
3 – The author: Abdullaah bin Muhammad al-Hamadi says:
‘Indeed the human being has been created weak, and is in need of Allaah -Ta'ala- in all his matters and that is because a human does not know from where good and evil will occur in the future from incidents and events.
This is why, from the Wisdom of Allaah - Subhanahu - and from His Mercy to His slaves, He legislated for them this Dua’ so that they can come closer to their Lord and that they can seek refuge with Him, and that He will direct them to the path leading towards good and benefits.
Indeed the Muslim slave of Allaah is upon certainty in which there is no doubt that the management of all matters and the execution of them is in the Hand of Allaah -Subhanahu wa Ta'ala - and He is the One who destines and executes whatever He wills in His creation.
As Allaah Ta’ala says:
<< And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses, no choice have they (in any matter). Glorified be Allaah, and exalted above all that they associate as partners (with Him). And your Lord knows what their chests conceal, and what they reveal. And He is Allaah; Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). His is all praise, in the first (i.e. in this world) and in the last (i.e. in the Hereafter). And for Him is the Decision, and to Him shall you (all) be returned. >> [al-Qassas: 68-70]
‘Allaama Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Qurtubi al-Maliki (d. 671 A.H.) -Rahimullaah- said:
‘Some of the scholars have said: It is not appropriate for anyone to precede upon a matter from the matters of the Duniya until he asks Allaah for guidance in the matter by praying two Rakat Salaat -ul-Istikharah.’
[al-Jamia' al-Hakaam al-Qur'aan (13/202)]
[Following the Sunnah & the Salaf]
Indeed the Salaf as-Salih understood this meaning and would seek guidance from their Lord in all their matters.
[The author brings an example of when Zaynab –RadhiAllaahu anha- married the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and she prayed al-Istikharah. The scholars mention that she did this fearing her shortcomings in fulfilling the rights of the Messenger of Allaah.]
Then he continues:
‘This is how the Companions –RadhiAllaahu anhum- were eager to follow the Sunnah and to rely upon Allaah -Subhanahu wa Ta’ala- and seek aid from Him in preceding with their matters.
And we follow the methodology of the Companions and those who came after them from the Salaf as-Salih that is why it is upon us to revive this Sunnah in our lives and rely upon our Lord - Subhanahu - for He is The Best Master and The Best Guardian, Disposer of affairs.’
[Taken from ‘Kashf as-Sitaarah an Salatul-Istikharah’ p.15-17]
4 – Shaykh Muhammad Hayaat As-Sindi -Rahimullaah- (d. 1163 A.H.) said:
‘Regarding the saying in the Dua’: ‘If you know that this matter’: This is not a doubt about the knowledge of Allaah Ta’ala, rather it means; the slave’s absence of knowledge compared to Allaah’s Knowledge -Subhanahu wa Ta’ala-, since it is impossible for something to be good, and The all-Knowing and The All-Aware not have knowledge of it.’
[Hasheeyat as-Sindi ‘ala Nisa’ee (6/80) [Hadeeth Salaatul -Istikharah by Dr. Aasim Qurutee p.40 ]
[After the Decision has been made]
Shaykh Muhammad bin Umar Bazmool said:
‘That al-Istikharah is not done when a person is uncertain about the matter at hand; because the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said: ‘If any of you intends to undertake a matter’ and that the whole of the Dua’ indicates to this point.
So if a Muslim is uncertain about a matter, and he intends to pray al-Istikharah , then he should make a choice between the two matters and then pray al-Istikharah , and then after al-Istikharah he executes that matter, and if it was good then Allaah will make it easy for him and bless him in that, and if it was not good for him, then Allaah turns it away from him and makes easy for him that in which there is good by the permission of Allaah -Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
[Taken from: ‘Buggeeyat al-Mutattawa’ fee salat at-tattawa’ p.105]
5 - What should be done after al-Istikharah?
Shaykh ‘Aasim al-Qurutee said:
‘Shaykh Kamal uddeen Muhammad bin Ali bin AbdulWahid bin az-Zamalakaani (d.771 A.H.) said:
‘If a person prays two Rakah al-Istikharah for a matter, then he should after that do what appears to him, whether his soul becomes delighted to his own-self or not, since praying al-Istikharah is good, even if it does not cause one to be happy with his own self. ……. And there is nothing in the hadeeth that indicates that the soul should become relaxed as a condition for al-Istikharah to be accepted.’
[‘Tabbaqqat ash-Shafa’eeyah al-Kubra’ (9/206)]
And Shaykh Muhammad Badr ‘Aalaam said:
‘And know that the scholars of the past and the present indeed pointed out that it is not conditional for al-Istikharah that the person who made al-Istikharah sees a dream or that someone speaks to him or something occurs to his heart and mind. But rather Allaah Ta’ala makes his heart incline or lean to the side which causes his heart to be happy and is resolute upon this.’
[‘al-Badr as-Saaree ila Fayd al-Baari’ 2/247-248]
[Seeing a Dream]
Shaykh Muhammad ‘AttaAllaah Haneef -Rahimullaah- (d. 1408A.H.) said:
‘Likewise, there is nothing in the narrations mentioning sleep after al-Istikharahprayer or recognizing that which is better for that person of what he may see in a dream.
I bring attention to this, because many of the people claim that al-Istikharah is seeking information from Allaah Ta’ala and seeking consultation from Him, so they invent principles for al-Istikharah which the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-did not bring. Then if they do not see a dream in their sleep, they go and seek guidance from others whom they think are righteous people. Upon my life, indeed this action of theirs is from a type of fortune telling which the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- prohibited and it negates the Sharia’ aim of al-Istikharah.’
He continues:
‘[That al-Istikharah is having] Tawwakul (reliance upon Allaah) before the action, and being pleased with it after it. So whoever relied upon Allaah before it, and was pleased with what it fulfilled after al-Istikharah then he has established al-Uboodeeyah(servitude of worship for Allaah).’
[‘Taleeqat as-Salafeeyah ala Sunnan an-Nisa’ee’ (2/67) [Hadeeth Salaatul -Istikharah by Dr. Aasim Qurutee p.61-63]
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