Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq's (Ral) Speech

When Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Ral)  was made caliph, he delivered a khutba before the people. In it, after describing Allah's praise and laudation, he said: -"0 People! I have been appointed the amir of your caravan though I am not better than you are. If I work properly, help me and if I do not work well, correct me. Truthfulness is a deposit and falsehood is defalcation. The weak amongst you is strong in my sight. I will surely try to remove his pain and suffering. And the strong amongst you is weak to me I will - Allah willing - realise the right from him fully....When obscene things spread among any nation, calamities generally continued to descend upon them. As long as I obey Allah and His messenger, you should obey me, and if I do not obey Allah and His messenger, then obedience to me is not incumbent upon you. (Now prepare for prayer)."

Prophet Muhammad's (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) Last Sermon

After praising, and thanking Allah (The One True God) the Prophet began with the words:

"O People! lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore, listen carefully to what I am saying and Take These Words to Those Who Could Not Be Present Here Today.

"O People! just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that he will indeed reckon your deeds.

"Allah has judged that there shall be no usury (interest), therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. And the first practice of usury that I abolish is that due to Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (Prophet's uncle). Now all usury is abolished.

"Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabiah ibn al-Harith.

"O Men! the unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calender in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to prohibit which Allah has made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve in number. Four of them are holy, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Shaban.

"Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

"O People! it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they must not allow someone you dislike into your home, as well as never to be unchaste. If they do so, you are within your rights to chastise them, but not severely.

"O People! listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat (obligatory charity). Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab... except by piety. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly.

"Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

"O People! No Prophet or Apostle Will Come after Me and No New Faith Will Be Born. Reason well, therefore, O People! and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QUR’AN and my SUNNAH (i.e., sayings, deeds, and approvals) and if you follow these you will never go astray.

"All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Now, if you are asked about me on the day of Judgment, how will you respond?"

The Prophet's companions replied, "We will testify that you have conveyed the message and fulfilled your mission."

The Prophet raised his index finger towards the sky and then pointed toward the people, "Be my witness O Allah, that I have conveyed your message. O Allah, be witness..."

After the prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) had finished addressing the people, he received a revelation from Allah

"...This day have I perfected for you your religion and fulfilled My favor unto you, and it hath been My good pleasure to choose Islam for you as your religion (Surah 5, Ayah 3).

The sermon was repeated sentence by sentence by Safwan's brother Rabiah (RA), who had a powerful voice, at the request of the Prophet and he faithfully proclaimed to over ten thousand gathered on the occasion.

The Need for Halaal Certification

Our supermarket shelves, store-rooms and refrigerators bulge with an astonishing choice of foods from all over the country and even the rest of the world. Restaurants too, offer diverse menus and constantly cook up ways to attract your custom. 

Marketing people employ specialised techniques and expertise to package and entice us to purchase more and more. Special promotions are specifically aimed at children who are expected to coerce their parents to part with their hard earned cash for an eat-out experience.


With all the abundance of food Allâh has blessed us with, have you stopped for a moment and examined the groceries in your cupboard or the provision in your refrigerator? How sure are you that everything in there is guaranteed Halâl? 


Are you sure that;
•    The red colouring in your ice lolly is not the one derived from crushed   insect?
•    The flour improver in your loaf of bread is not made from human hair?
•    Your French fries have not been coated with an animal shortening?
•    The crumbling on your fish fillet is not laced with animal stock?
•    The cheese you relish does not have pork ingredients?
•    The chocolate you crave for does not contain liquor?
•    The chicken fillet used in your Ramadân savouries is not imported from China? 
•    The braai sausage casing from your local butcher is not the one from Latin America?


The need for Halâl regulation is evident from the above


The growing trend of eating out is no exception to this minefield. The proliferation of fast-food franchises offering tantalising ranges of foods add to the confusion of Halâl status. 


Don’t be fooled! Some non-Muslim outlets employ a Muslim, complete with Islâmic headgear, in the frontline. Many of these outlets receive their meats from non-Halâl suppliers. One restaurant menu offers a variety of flavours – “hot,” “mild,” “peri-peri,” and “Halaal.”


Are we witnessing the fulfilment of the prophecy of the Prophet [peace be upon him]:


“There will come a time upon my followers when people will not be concerned about what they consume. It will not matter to them whether it is Harâm or Halâl.”


It is further reported, “When such time appears, none of their supplications will be accepted.” [al-Bukhârî]
How can we allow our Shar‘îa rights to be violated? 




           Halâl certification is the solution for both consumers and traders.

What is Halaal?

Islâm is a comprehensive religion guiding Muslims through sets of rules governing every facet of life. Since food is an important part of daily life, food laws carry a special significance. Islâmic philosophy propounds that the food which man consumes affects not only his physical constitution but also his moral character and spiritual upliftment.

Halâl is an Arabic word which means lawful or permissible. In the specific context of consumables it refers to food that is lawful for consumption. The antonym of Halâl (lawful) is Harâm (unlawful) which refers to unlawful items. Muslims are permitted to eat the flesh of certain animals, which are required to be slaughtered according to the specified ritual procedures. Pork is totally not permitted. Similarly, any animal not ritually slaughtered will also be categorised as Harâm (unlawful). Halâl also encompasses all aspects of food hygiene and quality.