#when sna based on Islam

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Rumeli Hisarı (Rumelihisarı), also known as Rumelia Castle or Roumeli Hissar Castle, is a fortress located in the Sarıyer District in Istanbul, Turkey, on a hill on the European side of the Bosphorus. The name of this fort was used by the surrounding city. The fort was built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452, before his troop conquest of Constantinople. The three large towers are named after the three viziers of Mehmed II: Sadrazam Çandarlı Halil Pasha, who built a large tower next to the gate; Zagan Pasha, who built the south tower; and Sarıca Pasha, who built the north tower.

Rumelihisari Halil Pasha Tower

Rumelihisarı Saruca Paşa tower.

Rumelihisarı Small Zaganos Paşa tower

Rumelihisarı Zaganos Paşa tower interior

Rumelihisarı's Fatih Mosque

Rumelihisarı minaret above cistern.

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United States Suspends aid to Somalia's army over Corruption

New Post has been published on http://www.vennomax.com/africa/united-states-suspends-aid-to-somalias-army-over-corruption/

United States Suspends aid to Somalia's army over Corruption

The United States is suspending food and fuel aid for most of Somalia’s armed forces over corruption concerns.

The announcement comes at a critical time for Somalia as African peacekeepers start to withdraw this month.

The AU force – with troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda – is scheduled to leave by 2020. The first 1,000 soldiers will go by the end of 2017.

African Union (AU) troops landed in Mogadishu a decade ago to fight al Shabaab Islamist militants and Somali forces are supposed to eventually take over their duties.

But the United States, which also funds the 22,000-strong peacekeeping force, has grown frustrated that successive governments have failed to build a viable national army.

Diplomats worry that without strong Somali forces, al Shabaab could be reinvigorated, destabilise the region and offer a safe haven to other al Qaeda-linked militants or Islamic State fighters.

The U.S. suspension of aid came after the Somali military repeatedly failed to account for food and fuel, according to private correspondence between the U.S. and Somali governments seen by Reuters.

“During recent discussions between the United States and the Federal Government of Somalia, both sides agreed that the Somali National Army had failed to meet the standards for accountability for U.S. assistance,” a State Department official told Reuters last week, on condition of anonymity.

Somalia’s defence minister confirmed the developments to Reuters news agency.

“It is true that some concerns have been raised on how support was utilised and distributed. The federal government is working to address these,” Somali Minister of Defence Mohamed Mursal told Reuters.

The U.S. suspension comes at a sensitive time.

The State Department official said Washington would continue to support small, Somali special forces units mentored by U.S. personnel and would work with the Somali government to agree criteria that could restore support to other units.

“We are adjusting U.S. assistance to SNA units, with the exception of units receiving some form of mentorship, to ensure that U.S. assistance is being used effectively and for its intended purpose,” the official said.

Between May and June, a team of U.S. and Somali officials visited nine army bases to assess whether the men were receiving food the United States provides for 5,000 soldiers.

“We did not find the expected large quantities of food at any location … there was no evidence of consumption (except at two bases),” the U.S. team wrote to the Somali government.

At one base, less than a fifth of the soldiers listed by Somali commanders were present. The best-staffed base had 160 soldiers out of 550. Only 60 had weapons.

“Many appeared to be wearing brand new uniforms. This implied they were assembled merely to improve appearances,” the letter, seen by Reuters, said.

An ongoing assessment of the Somali military this year by the Somali government, African Union and United Nations drew similar conclusions.

The joint report seen by Reuters said many soldiers lacked guns, uniforms, food, vehicles or tents. Troops relied on support from AU forces or local militias to survive.

“The SNA is a fragile force with extremely weak command and control,” the report said. “They are incapable of conducting effective operations or sustaining themselves.”

Most units don’t have radios, leaving soldiers to rely on runners to get help when mobile networks go down, the report said. Troops lacked paper to write reports, toilets, boots and medical equipment such as tourniquets. Many slept under trees.

SNA units were at 62 percent of their authorised strength on average. Only 70 percent of them had weapons, the report said.

Although the report was deeply critical, diplomats praised the government for trying to quantify the scope of the problem.

“The government deserves massive praise for doing it and being willing to talk about it,” Michael Keating, the U.N.’s top official in Somalia, told Reuters.

The United States also suspended a programme paying soldiers $100 monthly stipends in June after the federal government refused to share responsibility for receiving the payments with regional forces fighting al Shabaab.

Washington has spent $66 million on stipends over the past seven years but has halted the programme several times, concerned the money was not going to frontline soldiers.

One Somali document seen by Reuters showed members of a 259-strong ceremonial brass band were receiving stipends this year meant for soldiers fighting militants.

The State Department’s watchdog said in a report published in October there were insufficient checks on the programme and U.S. stipends could fund forces that commit abuses – or even support insurgents.

Officially, Somalia’s military is 26,000 strong, but the payroll is stuffed with ghost soldiers, pensioners and the dead, whose families may be receiving their payments, diplomats say.

Intermittent payments from the government have forced many active soldiers to sell their weapons, ammunition or seek other work – practices the U.S. stipends were designed to curb.

Washington has whittled down the number of troops it pays to 8,000 from over 10,000 but there is still no reliable payroll, said a Mogadishu-based security expert.

Defence Minister Mursal said the United Nations is creating a biometric database and plans to help the Somali government make cash payments directly to soldiers via mobile phones.

The new government will also set up a separate system for widows, orphans, and the wounded so the payroll would adequately represent military strength, he said.

The weakness of Somali forces has deadly consequences. The insurgency is striking with ever larger and more deadly attacks in the capital Mogadishu and major towns.

A truck bomb killed more than 500 people in October and a suicide bomber killed at least 18 at a police academy on Thursday.

Somalia’s national security plan calls for a military of 18,000 soldiers, funded by the central government and operating country-wide.

Getting there will be hard. Security experts say the military is dominated by a powerful clan, the Hawiye, which would be reluctant to lose control of the lucrative security assistance revenue stream.

Many regional governments within Somalia already see the Hawiye-dominated federal forces as rivals rather than allies.

The government’s ability to push reforms depends on balancing demands from federal member states, lawmakers, clan leaders and international partners, the U.N.’s Keating said.

“It’s going to take a long time and its going to run into massive clan resistance,” he said. “Some clans are very dominant in the security forces.”

Somalia’s partners also need to get serious and coordinate better, said Matt Bryden of the think-tank Sahan Research.

According to Sahan, donors – including the EU, AU, Turkey and Uganda – have trained more than 80,000 Somali soldiers since 2004. Bryden said records are so poor it was not clear if many had taken multiple courses, or just quit afterwards.

“It’s like sand through your fingers – where are they all?”

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Is the punishment for a thief immediately cut off in the hand in Sharia law?

In responding to a criminal case, a judge must first find out the reasons for the perpetrator to commit the crime. One of them is stealing. The punishment of cutting off hands cannot be imposed arbitrarily on all perpetrators. Because there are conditions that make the sentence finally appropriate to be imposed on him, including:

1. He is a mukallaf, intends to steal, is not forced to steal, there is no relationship between the thief and the stolen and there is no syubhat (unclear) in committing theft. What is meant by mukallaf is a person who is mature and intelligent.

2. Not forced, not someone who is forced by someone else to carry out theft, with threats that endanger his life.

3. There is no kinship relationship, here the meaning is that the stolen property is not the property of his own child. Because the Prophet shallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said "You and your property belong to your father", or the property of your father or parents themselves (according to the opinion of the majority of scholars). Because his child is part of the person who will inherit his property and he is still responsible for providing support to him, or from the property of his husband or wife. As for other family / kinship relationships, it has no effect.

4. There is no syubhat in committing theft. The point is that he is not forced to do so, for example he is hungry, really needs wealth, and so on. Ibnul Qayyim rahimahullah said, "This is a strong syubhat that can overturn the law of had because he needs it so badly. This is a stronger (reason) than the syubhat mentioned by many scholars.

The conditions that must be fulfilled in the criteria for theft of the punishment for cutting off hands, relating to the stolen goods include:

1. Theft is carried out from a protected place / storage. Ibn Mundzir rahimahullah said, "They agreed that cutting off the hand is applied to people who steal from the storage place." What is meant by storage / guarded here is a place of support that can safeguard the intended property safely; for example a locked house, cupboard, or a closed shop and the like.

The author of Ar-Raudhah Nâdiyah (2/277) said: "Al-hirzu / place of savings is what the community considers to be a place to store these assets, such as a barn for storing grain, a cage for storing animals and a basket for storing fruits."

This place differs from region / country to another; adapted to the form of goods, a place usually used for storage. If the theft is not carried out in a protected place, such as money placed at the door of the house, then the perpetrator will not be punished with cutting off his hand.

2. The stolen property is respectable property, owned by its owner or representative

3. The stolen item reaches its nishâb when it is taken from its place. What is meant here is the nishâb / minimum limit in the case of theft, which is three dirhams or a quarter of a dinar or the equivalent of one of the two. As mentioned in the hadith of 'Aisyah, that the Prophet sallallaahu' alaihi wa sallam said, "The hand (thief) is not cut off except for a quarter of a dinar or more." HR. Muslim: 1687), Tirmidhi (1446)]

And Rasulullah Shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam has punished the cutting off the hand against the theft of a shield which was worth three dirhams [HR. Muslim: 1687), Tirmidhi (1446)]

The value of a quarter of a dinar today is 4.45 grams of gold. If converted into dollars, the nishob value is 7.685 US dollars. If converted into Rupiah, the nishob value is 4,111,800 Rupiah.

4. Proof of theft by the perpetrator. Either by means of evidence from two witnesses stating that it was the perpetrator who took it or by means of confession from the perpetrator. In the case of witnesses, it is not permissible for female witnesses to be present, even though they testify against two or more women with a man. Because in hudûd legal matters, female witnesses are not used.

the hand cutting penalty cannot be enforced in the following situations. Among them:

1. The perpetrator is crazy or insane

2. The perpetrator has not yet experienced puberty or is still a child.

3. The perpetrator is the victim's son or the victim's husband, and vice versa.

4. Perpetrator steals because he has to.

5. The negligence of the victim puts items in the open without being guarded or stored.

6. The item stolen is not something of value.

7. The stolen goods did not reach the nishab.

8. The victim is unable to present two witnesses to prove the theft case.

If the judge meets one of these situations, the sentence of cutting off the hand is canceled. And replaced with ta'zir. That is, all criminal decisions are returned to the judge against the perpetrator.

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Jizya in Islam is expensive?

Definition of jizya

Jizya comes from the Arabic word (جز - يجزي) which means to reward what one does. The term in particular is to give pay in return for the security guarantees given to them.

Jizya terminology means, "Taxes given to non-Muslims in general in return for the protection that Muslims give them". If the Muslims fail to provide protection to them, the tax is returned to them. This has been repeated many times in the history of Islam.

To whom  Jizya is obligated?

Not everyone has the obligation to pay jizya. Jizya is only required for certain people who have met the criteria to pay for it. The details are as follows:

1. it is levied from men, and not from women.

2. collected from adult men who have puberty, and not collected from children.

3. collected from healthy only. 

4. collected from the rich and not collected from the poor, Even they get their rights from Baitul mal Muslims if they are in a country that applies Islamic law.

This means that jizya is only taken from among men who are able to participate in war, and is not levied even from people who focus on worship.

Value of Jizyah in islamic ruler history. 

The value of jizya is much lower than the value of zakat which is even required to be paid for Muslims. Zakat is paid about 2.5% of the total wealth if it has reached haul and nishob. However, the basic value that must be paid for non-Muslims is only about 1 dinar each year. This is a very low number when compared to the taxes that existed both in the past and present era.  Although basically muslim rulers are given the freedom to regulate how much jizya should be paid to non-Muslims, Rasullulah shallallahu alaihi wassalam has ordered that it be fair to ahlul dzimmah and even threaten anyone who abuses or hurts them. The Prophet shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam said,

أَلاَ مَنْ ظَلَمَ مُعَاهِدًا أَوِ انْتَقَصَهُ أَ��ْ كَلَّفَهُ فَوْقَ طَاقَتِهِ أَوْ أَخَذَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا بِغَيْرِ طِيبِ نَفْسٍ فَأَنَا حَجِيجُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

"Whoever applies unjustly to the infidel Mu'ahid, diminishes his rights, burdens them (jizya) beyond his means or takes their property without their pleasure, then I will be the one who will as an argument to break such a person."  ( HR. Abu Daud number. 3052 )

A. jizya during the reign of the Ummayad Caliphate

Jizya at the time of the Ummayah caliphate was determined based on the small amount of income owned. The rich are assigned 48 dirhams per year, moderate economic people, 24 dirhams per year, and below that is 12 dirhams per year with a record of the person concerned having a job. This kind of system then continued until the era of the Abbasid Caliphate.

B. Jizyah during the reign of Ottoman Caliphate

The jizya established in Ottoman Rules was much smaller than the previous two caliphates. Ottoman-defined amounts ranged from 2.5, 5 to 10 piaster per person (male) according to his income. Women and church officials were released. In the 19th century the number ranged from 15, 30, to 60 piaster according to income. There are also mentions of 3, up to 5 crowns or dollars in 17th century.

So small was this ottoman jizya, until Tournfort alluded to the entry of Islam Candiot People: "must be admitted, these damned people sell their souls cheaply. What they get as a religious ransom is tax-free which is no more than 5 crowns a year."

source: rise and fall of andalusia by dr. Ahmad Sirghani, Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan by Dr. Muhammad Ash - Shallabi, the preaching of islam by Thomas Arnold.

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How about the Janissary Recruitment System?

Janissary's army was an elite force in the Ottoman government. They often win in various wars against their enemies, thanks to their precise strategy and tactics of war. Each of Janissary's troops had the opportunity to occupy the position of Vizier even though they were originally just an ordinary soldier. This is one of their stories:

Fatyon was born on the shores of Hamire, Albania. His father worked as a fisherman. When the Ottomans came to his village, Fatyon was only 9 years old. In accordance with the Ottoman Government's policy at the time to select talented children who were in the balkans to be recruited into janissary. Ottoman officials every 5 years only take 1 child from every 40 villages. Fatyon is one of them. His brother was very sad to see Fatyon's departure because he was Leaving his homeland.

Fatyon was escorted from salonika port to Constantinople. After arriving Fatyon was left to a Muslim farmer family who lived in tekirdag city. This family then taught Fatyon Turkish Language, and Islam. A few years later Fatyon returned to Constantinople. He has been fluent in Turkish and knows the traditions of the Turkish people. He then joined the training of janissary army candidates. Each candidate is grouped according to their own talent. Fatyon has expertise in weaponry. He also studied it in about 8 years.

Fatyon eventually officially became Janissary's army during the reign of Sultan Selim I. At that time Sultan Selim was leading a military expedition against the Persian Shafavid Dynasty. The Ottomans won the battle brilliantly. The Artillery was a factor in the Ottoman Turks' victory against Shafavid. And this is where Fatyon showed his skills. He served as commander of the Artillery.

Fatyon also participated in the war against the Mamluks in Syria and Egypt. After the sultan selim acquired the Levant and Egypt, Fatyon served as governor of Damascus, thanks to his achievements during the war and his loyalty. When Sultan Selim passed away, Fatyon felt sad. Because a Janissary has assumed the Sultan is their father. And they themselves are his children.

Fatyon returned to his homeland, in Albania. He was proud to have become a Janissary Army and converted to Islam. He himself has even forgotten his real name. Since he entered the Academy, he has changed his name to Mehmed. Fatyon means Luck in Albanian. Not long ago, the Central Government summoned him to Constantinople to take the position of Grand Vizier replacing Pargali Ibrahim Pasha who was executed during Reign of Sultan Sulaiman Al Qanuni. He became Wezir for 2 years, until finally he died, due to the plague, He left a large number of descendants of more than 20 children.

Until the end of 1600, almost the majority of Ottoman Vizier came from Janissary. They had a great part in their government, military, and loyalty to the Sultan. But over time, the janissary forces began to show defiance and rebellion to the Central Government. They deposed some sultans and even killed them as they wished. As well as interfering in the firing and choosing the Grand Vizier. This is one of the signs of the decline of the Janissary Army, until finally they were properly disbanded in 1824 at Reign of Sultan Mahmud II. Turkish historians also have various assumptions about janissary's army. Some call them heroes. But there are also those who call him a traitor.

Ayas Mehmed Pasha ( 1483 - 1539 ) his original name Was Fatyon.

Tombstone of Ayas Mehmed Pasha at Eyüp Sultan Mosque Cemetery.

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Noble power, which has been great can actually be even greater by the way of peace than the way of war. the end result of the war cannot be ascertained and you will see the afflictions that accompany it more than prosperity.

Candarli Halil Pasha when persuading Sultan Mehmed II to withdraw in the conquest of Constantinople.

Once not, O Sultan, I will not accept forever what Halil Pasha said. We do not come to this place but for martyrdom, not to return home.

Zaganos Pasha when for his rejection of Halil Pasha's opinion in the presence of sultan Mehmed II. Zaganos asked the sultan to continue the siege of Constantinople.

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Islamic Term Explanation

On the previous blog, you found that there are terms in Islam that might be difficult to understand. In this blog, I will explain briefly.

1. Mukallaf : people who have been subject to the obligation to worship. And the condition is that the person is old enough (puberty) and has common sense.

2. Baligh: the age of the person who has entered the puberty phase

3. Syubhat: Something that is not clear and still needs to be investigated further.

4. Nishab: minimum limit in case of assets according to sharia law.

5. Ta'zir: a situation where criminal law matters are submitted to the judge against the perpetrator.

6. Hadith: are all the words (sayings), deeds and decrees and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad Shallalahu alaihi wassalam which are used as statutes or laws in Islam.

7. Hudud: The form of punishment imposed on criminals in accordance with sharia law.

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Died in an enemy country, far from his own country

He was a friend of the Prophet shallalahu Alaihi Wassalam, and made his house a temporary residence. For Rasullulah shallalahu Alaihi Wassalam, he was a veteran in the Battle of Badr. He is Khalid bin Zaid bin Kulaib Al - Ansari or better known as Abu Ayyub Al - Ansari Radhiallahu Anhu.

Abu Ayyub was the person who first embraced Islam, he took part in the Baiat of Aqabah. Thus, he embraced Islam before the Prophet moved to Medina. He also participated in the Battle of Badr and the wars that followed. When the Prophet Shallalahu Alaihi Wasalam arrived in Medina, he stayed in his house until he built his own house and finished building the Masjid.

Abu Ayyub Al Ansari never missed a battle with Rasullulah Shallalahu Alaihi Wassalam. He also participated in warfare during the time of Khulafa Rasyidin after Rasullulah Shallalahu Alaihi Wassalam died. Until the time of the Caliph Muawiyah Radhiallahu anhu. He participated with the Muslim army led by his son, Yazid. To besiege the capital of Constantinople. This is the last battle that was followed by Abu Ayyub Al Ansari Radhiallahu anhu.

In 669M the caliph Mu'awiyah prepared an army led by his son, Yazid bin Mu'awiyah to surround the capital city of Constantinople. The troops of the Muslims fought against the Roman troops who took shelter in their fortress. Pepper at that time the Muslims suffered great losses because they were hit by a very harsh winter. As well as the inadequate siege tools to break down Theodosius' fort.

It was during the siege of Constantinople that Abu Ayyub Al Ansari fell ill. At that time he was 80 years old. However, this did not dampen his enthusiasm with the Muslimin to strive in the path of Allah. When he lay down on a stretcher. Yazid came to him and asked: "Do you have a request, Abu Ayyub?"

Abu Ayyub replied, "Give my greetings to the army of the Muslims and tell them," Abu Ayyub has a message to you that you should enter the enemy's earth as far as possible, take his body with them and bury him under the soles of your feet in the fence of the city of Constantinople. "

One of the last hadiths conveyed by Abu Ayyub before he died is:

من مات لا يشرك بالله شيئا دخل الجنة

"Anyone who dies and does not associate Allah with anything, then he will go to heaven"

Abu Ayyub's body was buried near the fortress of Kosntantinople. The Romans said to the people who buried Abu Ayyub, "O Arabs, it looks like you guys experienced something tonight?"

So Yazid replied, "one of the companions of our prophet has died".

The Romans said, "By Jesus, we will dismantle it and make the body as food for dogs".

Yazid replied: "By Allah, if his grave is dismantled, surely there will never be a bell ringing in the Arab country".

The Romans felt anxious and worried about the churches and their graves which were under the control of the Muslims. If only the Arabs did it because they did bad things to Abu Ayyub's grave. So the Romans replied: "By the Lord Jesus, we will not do anything to the grave of your friend, we will not allow anyone to disturb the grave of your friend".

The Romans then put each guard in front of Abu Ayyub's grave. Worried that someone who does not know what to do goes and digs up his grave. It is said that every time they experience a drought, they pray to their grave, and then rain down on them.

Abu Ayyub Al Ansari became a symbol of high position, especially in the eyes of the Ottoman Turks. His figure became the driving force for the spirit of the Ottoman Turks in conquering the city of Constantinople. And after the Conquest of Constantinople, the Uthmani Sultans on their inauguration day as sultans always celebrated religious celebrations at the Masjid of Abu Ayyub Al ansari. Abu Ayyub in the eyes of the Turks has the rank of wali Allah who is loved by the hearts of the believers. They consider that Rasullulah Shallalahu Alaihi Wassalam came to his house and his jihad with him was the greatest position and glory and the most noble virtue.

Syair from Shaykhul Islam, As'ad Effendi on Abu Ayyub Al Ansari's jihad:

He is present in every battle,

Fight seriously

Against what he fought in his war of war

So he came with determination and dignity

Into this battlefield at the end of this great battle

Finally he died of stomachache as a soldier,

In a state of isolation (far from his country)

So that he became a Syahid before being killed by a Syahid.

Eyüp Sultan Mosque on Instanbul, Turkey