Joe,

I believe it states that it is a private enterprise that will serve as a
resource for muslims on the Shariah and sunnah. As a muslim who has learned a
great deal about this religion by having access to books on sunnah, and in
the process discovered that there is a lot I did not know, I think this
enterprise is a wonderful idea for muslims in The Gambia.
In Islam, there is the Qu'ran and then there is the sunnah of the Prophet
(SAS) which simply put is the way the Prophet (SAS) lived his life and which
in turn was a practical example of a muslim's way of life as given to him
along with the Qur'an. In a surah in the Qur'an, it says that the Qur'an was
given to the Prophet along with something else like it, referring to the
Sunnah which encompasses the do's and don'ts of every aspect of a muslims'
life There is a geat deal about the Sunnah that we as Gambian muslims do not
know, and this endeavour could serve to educate the people. I agree that this
knowledge will help lessen the need to go to the Islamic court as well if
people are educated as to what teh Shariah ruling is on different matters
that are now coming into court for decision simply because the people
involved od not have this information.
I think it is great, and I hope that they will be able to provide this needed
resource to the muslims. Ever since I discovered the massive amount of
information on Sunnah that we as Gambian muslims are not aware of, I have
often thought about how useful it would be to have a resource like this that
would be available to the muslims who care to make use of it, and i think
there are many who will be thrilled to have this.
To the Jaiteh brothers, this is a wonderful service you have planned, and may
Allah (SWT) bless the endeavour.

Jabou Joh

In a message dated 4/28/03 4:47:27 PM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

>
> If such an office is a compliment to the Cadi Court, then I say go right
> ahead.  However, if this is an attempt for something else, then I say
> thanks
> but no thanks.  With the recent rise of religious fundamentalism in The
> Gambia (floggings/muggings in Brikama by the Mullahs, etc.), we as a
> society
> cannot let anything that divides our peoples to flourish, just like we
> allowed the "July 22nd Thugs" to sprout.  So, to the Jaiteh brothers,
> goodluck with your office and services, and I hope it is what you say it
> is,
> an Advisory Office to compliment to Cadi's Court.  Please read on.
>
>
> First Sharia Advisory Office in the Offing, Jaiteh Brothers Unveil
> Elaborate
> Plans
>
> The Independent (Banjul)
>
> April 28, 2003
> Posted to the web April 28, 2003
>
> Banjul
>
> What could be a trial start to a new sharia advisory office is in the
> offing
> in The Gambia aimed at giving guidance to members of the public on issues,
> revolving around Islamic precepts of daily living and sharia.
>
> It will be the first such enterprise in the country with a drive to give
> advise on marriages, divorce, family life, inheritance and demystify the
> overarching concept of sharia for the multitude of people whose
> understanding of it may be shallow. It initiators, who said it was
> resulting
> from their protracted study and analysis of the situation, believe that
> such
> an office is of overriding necessity against a backdrop of ignorance of
> Islamic precepts, that inherently prevents individuals from making informed
> decisions on issues that affect them from the Islamic perspective.
>
>
> The office already established in Serrekunda London will also be engaged in
> legal translation from Arabic to English and vice versa and will also be
> available for land valuation.
>
> Expounding on the reason for such an enterprise Mohammed Lamin Jaiteh and
> Mohammed Jaiteh (Hamma) explained that over the past ten years they have
> observed that a number of cases have reached the Cadi's court that should
> have been laid to rest by an advisory office, rendering it unnecessary for
> them to be heard by the Islamic courts.
>
> "Some complaints that go to the courts the Islamic courts need not go there
> if the parties involved are given expert advise over the wisdom or
> otherwise
> of doing so. Such an office would help a great deal to remedy the situation
> and relieve the Islamic court of such cases that have overwhelmed it for
> many years and over which many are disenchanted" the two brothers
> indicated.
>
> The Jaiteh brothers expounded on the burden unleashed on the Islamic court
> in the Gambia as a result of profound ignorance of sharia, a concept, which
> has been overridden by misinterpretations relating to the dreaded
> amputation
> as retribution meted out against moral defaulters.
>
> "Sharia is all-encompassing, it entails the whole behaviour of Muslims in
> an
> Islamic environment and not only about amputation as widely and erroneously
> held" they argued, pointing out that their drive is to plumb the depth of
> such a concept and lay it bare for the simple understanding of those who
> may
> be initially prone to misrepresent it to their own detriment.
>
> "There was a time when problems relating to sharia have swarmed the courts,
> which Muslims did not understand. Scholars that-be speak about sharia as
> revolving around amputation and we felt an office for consultation was
> necessary if anybody was going to stem the tide of such misrepresentation
> of
> the concept. The enemies of Islam are bent on destroying sharia but family
> life, relations, crime and punishment, inheritance, economic management
> systems occur in our daily living patterns without the majority of us
> knowing that they all consist in sharia. All these things including asset
> distribution, company laws, partnerships, contracts and other elements of
> the corporate world are about sharia and Muslims must know about them.
>
> The emphasis on law is also inherent in sharia," they explained.
>
> The Jaiteh brothers argued that instead of resorting to television
> programmes, to preach and eventually convolute the true nature of the
> debate
> on sharia, an office established exclusively to address these concerns
> could
> not have come at a more appropriate time when the situation beggars a
> solution. They said the office would be a citadel for the most seasoned
> scholars on Islamic precepts and jurisprudence whose service would be
> accessible to the inquiring public.
>
> "There are always people receptive to the idea of research and the quest
> for
> knowledge and we are going to help them without sectarianism coming into
> play. We will not cloud it with our own personal judgement but the
> universal
> judgement of Islamic teaching. The office would provide constructive ideas
> from constructive Islamic precepts and pave the way for an unadulterated
> understanding of the dynamics of Islam" they added.
>
> "It is regrettable that time is wasted on unnecessary arguments about
> precepts or concepts which diminish the value of the subject" they said.
>
>
>
>

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