Author: Editor

QUESTION: Salaamu Alaikum Ya Sheikh, if a person misses ‘Isha’ prayer, it may be noted in the month of Ramadan in particular as you are well awaremthat there are more than two jamaa‘ahs in the same place and at the same time. This is something that often happens at the time of ‘Isha’ and Taraweeh prayer. For example, when the first jamaa‘ah has finished ‘Isha’ prayer, another jamaa‘ah comes and they say the iqaamah (call immediately preceding the prayer) and they begin to pray ‘Isha’. During this time, the first jamaa‘ah get up and start to pray Taraweeh. Is it…

VINICIUS Junior scored a brilliant goal but the focus after Real Madrid’s win at Benfica on Tuesday was on another incident of alleged racist abuse aimed at the Brazilian. The Champions League play-off first leg was halted for 10 minutes with the players leaving the pitch after Vinicius told referee Francois Letexier that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni had called him a “monkey”. The 20-year-old Argentine midfielder, who covered his mouth with his shirt as he appeared to say something to Vinicius, denies racially abusing the Real Madrid star. Vinicius has become a lightning rod for racist abuse after arriving in the…

ISRAEL has severely restricted Palestinians’ access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan. Israeli authorities said on Friday they would allow no more than 10,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank into one of Islam’s holiest sites for the day, and only with permits – a fraction of the number who have visited to mark the occasion in previous years. Only children under the age of 12, men over 55, and women 50 years or older are eligible. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that only about 2,000 Palestinians were able to cross…

EMAIL released in the United States Department of Justice files show that the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was offered the chance to buy into a sprawling building tied to the Department of Defense in 2016, according to United Kingdom broadcaster ITV News. The 84,710-square-metre (101,312-suqare-yard) complex, located roughly 1.6km (1 mile) from the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, was described in an investor deck as a “mission-critical” site and “the only property in Arlington, Virginia other than the Pentagon itself with the ability to meet the space and infrastructure needs of the DOD”. The proposed purchase price was about $116m.…

THREE Cameroonian soldiers have been sentenced to prison for their role in the killing of at least 21 civilians in the country’s troubled Anglophone region. The jail terms for the crimes, which took place six years ago in the Northwest region, range from five to 10 years per person. A military court previously found the soldiers guilty of murder, arson and destruction – a rare occurrence in a country where military personnel are seldom convicted of crimes against civilians. Nevertheless, lawyers for the victims told the BBC they were disappointed with the length of the jail terms handed down on…

A TUNISIAN court has sentenced a lawmaker to eight months in prison over social media posts mocking President Kais Saied following recent deadly floods. Ahmed Saidani was arrested earlier this month after he posted on social media about Saied’s visits to flood-hit areas, calling him the “supreme commander of sanitation and rainwater drainage”. He was jailed on Thursday on charges of insulting others via communication networks, a judicial official said. Saidani’s lawyer, Houssem Eddine Ben Attia, told AFP news agency that his client was being prosecuted under a telecommunications law against “harming others via social media”, an offence punishable by…

QUESTION: Salaamu Alaikum Ya Sheikh, what exactly does moderation in Islam mean? Marwat Abdallah, Bauchi – ANSWER: Amin Alaikil Salaam, What Allah requires from a Muslim is not overly burdensome. He prescribes moderation in every walk of life. I remember a conversation I recently had with my neighbor and friend who happens to be a non-Muslim. I had just returned from an Islamic conference. When she came to know about it, she looked worried, and asked: “No one advocates extremism at these sorts of things, do they?” I almost laughed, but realizing the seriousness of her concern, I reassured her…

PALESTINIAN journalists jailed by Israel have reported widespread abuse in custody, including routine beatings, starvation and sexual assault, according to testimony published by the International Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). In a February 19 report, the media rights group said it interviewed 59 Palestinian journalists imprisoned by Israel after the Hamas-led attacks of October 2023. All but one reported experiencing “torture, abuse or other forms of violence”, it said. The alleged abuse meted out by Israeli authorities ranged from baton beatings and electroshocks to excruciating stress positions – including under sewage water – as well as sexual violence. Two journalists…

BRITAIN’s former prince Andrew was Thursday arrested on suspicion of misconduct during his time as a trade envoy, as UK police investigations into allegations emerging from the Jeffrey Epstein files gathered pace. Unprecedented in Britain’s modern era, the arrest was a new blow for the ousted royal, who was marking his 66th birthday on Thursday. Andrew was stripped of all his titles last year, having been forced out of his former home by his brother King Charles III. As part of the investigation into Andrew, “we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of…

A TOTAL of 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight for Russia, according to a Kenyan intelligence report that details a network of rogue officials allegedly colluding with human trafficking syndicates. The report, submitted to parliament on Wednesday by Kenya’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), said 89 Kenyans were on the front lines of the Russia–Ukraine war as of February this year. At least one Kenyan has died, while several others have returned home injured or traumatised, it added. The Kenyan government, which previously estimated that about 200 of its nationals had been recruited to fight for Russia, wants Moscow to…

THE youngest son of former Zimbabwean ruler Robert Mugabe was in police custody after a gardener was shot at his South Africa home on Thursday, media reported. Police said they were investigating a case of attempted murder after the shooting in a wealthy suburb north of Johannesburg and had taken two men in for questioning. A police spokeswoman declined to identify the men, but several South African media outlets reported that one of them was Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe. Photographs on the IOL News X feed showed pictures of Mugabe, 29, in handcuffs and being escorted by police. He is the…

QUESTION: Salaamu Alaikum Ya Sheikh. Please can Mallam tell me more about the easy acceptance of du’a in Ramadan? Amir Ibrahim Nasir Wamakko, Sokoto – ANSWER: Amin Alaikum Salaam Wa Rahamatullah Abu Saeed Khudri (Radhiyallahu anhu) relates that Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihil Wasallam) said, “Everyday and night of Ramadan Allah sets free a great number of souls from Jahannam. And for every Muslim during everyday and night there is a time when his dua is certainly accepted. Apart from this Hadith, there are many others stating that the dua’s is accepted at the time of if’taar. Unfortunately at that time…

ATLETICO Madrid twice let the lead slip in a 3-3 Champions League play-off first leg draw at Club Brugge on Wednesday. Diego Simeone’s side went 2-0 up in the first half but Brugge fought back to 2-2, and after an own goal allowed the Spanish side to move back in front, Greek winger Christos Tzolis grabbed a 90th minute equaliser for the hosts. Atletico, who have never won the Champions League, are a long way off the pace in La Liga and consider their best chances of silverware this season to be via a cup route. However, their poor defending…

ISRAELI fire has killed at least two Palestinians in separate incidents across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, as Israel continues to block thousands of Palestinians from seeking urgent medical attention through the partially-reopened Rafah crossing in its ongoing, more than two-year genocidal war on the enclave. Al Jazeera’s correspondent on the ground reported that one child was killed in the northern Strip when an Israeli drone targeted children on their way to check their destroyed homes in the area. Meanwhile, soldiers opened fire on and killed Muhand Jamal al-Najjar, 20, near the Bani Suheila roundabout east of the city of…

PERU’s Congress on Tuesday impeached interim president Jose Jeri, the Latin American country’s seventh head of state in 10 years and only the latest to be toppled over graft claims. Jeri, 39, was accused of the irregular hiring of several women in his government and of suspected graft involving a Chinese businessman. In office since last October, Jeri took over from unpopular leader Dina Boluarte, who was also impeached amid protests against corruption and a wave of violence linked to organised crime. Prosecutors last week opened an investigation into “whether the head of state exercised undue influence” in government appointments.…

GABON’s media regulator on Tuesday announced the suspension of social media platforms “until further notice”, blaming content posted online for stoking conflict and division in society. The High Authority for Communication imposed “the immediate suspension of social media platforms in Gabon”, its spokesman Jean-Claude Mendome said in a televised statement. He said “inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and insulting content” was undermining “human dignity, public morality, the honour of citizens, social cohesion, the stability of the Republic’s institutions, and national security”. The communications body spokesman also cited the “spread of false information”, “cyberbullying” and “unauthorised disclosure of personal data” as reasons for…

A GOLD rush has gripped an informal settlement east of the South African city of Johannesburg, after reports spread a few days ago about the discovery of some gold particles. A resident in a poor neighbourhood of the former mining town of Springs claimed to have found several nuggets while digging at an outdoor enclosure used for cattle. Dozens of people have now descended on the area and have been digging up the fenced area where the cows were once penned in, hoping to strike it rich. Armed with pickaxes and shovels, they have been sifting through the soil in…

QUESTION: Salaamu Alaikum Ya Sheikh, I live and work Port Harcourt as an oil worker. On the 29th of Sha‘baan (Yesterday), I went offshore with the intention that the following day (Wednesday) was the day of doubt, It might be Ramadan or not, and we lost communication until day break the next day, after Fajr prayer. I later found out that the new moon of Ramadan was sighted Wednesday night, and I am confused. Should I fast and if I fasted today (Wednesday), do I have to make it up? Bashir H Magaji, Port Harcourt. – ANSWER: Amin Alaikum Salaam…

SUPER Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has finally opened up about his controversial departure from Napoli in 2024, revealing that his relationship with the Italian club deteriorated after what he described as mocking videos posted on the club’s TikTok page. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the Nigerian forward detailed the circumstances that led to his exit, accusing the club of failing to honour a prior agreement and of turning supporters against him during a tense period. According to Osimhen, tensions escalated after Napoli’s official TikTok account posted videos mocking him following a missed penalty during a Serie A match.…

ISRAELI settlers have forced 15 Palestinian families to tear down their homes and depart from the northern Jordan Valley in the northeastern occupied West Bank, according to a local official. Mahdi Daraghmeh, head of the al-Malih Village Council, told the Wafa news agency on Tuesday that the families had begun dismantling their homes amid intensifying assaults by settlers. According to Wafa, seven additional families from the nearby Maita community were forced to leave several days earlier following similar settler attacks and threats. In a separate incident, settlers assaulted men from Nabi Samwil village, northwest of occupied East Jerusalem, injuring one,…