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Monthly Archives: July 2012
July 22, 2012
DR. ZULKIFLI HASAN
THE MIRACLE OF RAMADHAN AND FASTING
THE MIRACLE OF RAMADHAN AND FASTING
Introduction
Ramadhan is the greatest month and the best time for self-regulation and self-training.  There are numerous benefits to those who are fasting during Ramadhan either from spiritual or physical perspectives. The positive effects of Ramadhan and fasting have not only been mentioned in al Quran and al Sunnah but also by many scientific researches. In fact, there are few institutions specifically established to promote fasting as a way to prevent and heal diseases such as “Fasting Center International Incorporation” in the United States of America. This brief article attempts to highlight several interesting findings about Ramadhan and Fasting effects from four different perspectives namely economic, health and sciences, psychological and social point of views.
The Miracle of Ramadhan and Fasting
Economic Perspective
According to the study undertaken by the University of New Hampshire led by Iranian-born finance Professor Ahmad Etebari, stocks in largely Muslim nations outperform during the month of Ramadhan. It is found that on average, stock returns are 9 times higher during Ramadhan than other times of year. The phenomenon is called the “Ramadan Effect.”
Between the stock markets of Bahrain, Oman, Turkey, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, the report identified a trend of considerably higher returns during Ramadhan as compared to other months. The study found that the average returns for the 15 countries from the database of 1989 to 2007 were 38% during the month of Ramadhan as compared to an average of 4.3% during ordinary months. The research reveals that that the social cohesion and institutional feelings attains during Ramadhan help influence the investments behavior.
Health and Science Perspective
In 1994 the first International Congress on “Health and Ramadhan”, held in Casablanca, entered 50 research papers from all over the world from Muslim and non-Muslim researchers who have done extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. The congress made recommendations that Ramadhan fasting is an ideal method for treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin dependent diabetes, obesity and essential hypertension.
Allan Cott, in his famous book “Why Fast”, states that fasting has the effects to clean out the body; to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and to let the body heals itself. Another interesting finding refers to the ability of fasting habit to slow the aging process based on a research conducted by Dr. Yuri Nikolayev, Moscow scientist and dietician/nutritionist. This finding is supported with another research by Dr. Alvenia M. Fulton, by which his experiment indicates that fasting is the ladies best beautifier, brings grace charm and poise, normalizes female functions and reshapes the body contour.
Psychological Perspective
As regard to psychological point of view, it is empirically proven that fasting can bring positive effects to psychological and mental health. At this point, Dr. Sabah al-Baqir from Medical Faculty of University of King Saud reveals that fasting will generate specific hormone which may relieve tension and to make a person to feel better physically and mentally.
Social Perspective
Crime Rate
I believe that this is phenomenal in many jurisdictions all over the world. According to the statistic produced by the Iranian Police Department, the Iran’s overall crime rate and murder rate have declined during the holy month of Ramadhan. There has been a 32% decline in homicides and the overall crime rate has dropped significantly. It is worth noting that the homicide rate in Iran is six murders per day and Iran stands 50th in the world in the homicide rate.
Family Institutions
Ramadhan is the best time for family and social gathering. The Maktoob Research in UAE conducted a survey on the opinions of 6,128 adult Muslims from across the Arab world about Ramadhan. The survey reveals that 96% of Muslim Arabs observing the fasting month and it is also found that 86% of those surveyed tend to observe iftar as a good opportunity for family gatherings. This finding indirectly indicates that fasting during Ramadhan can strengthen the family institutions and community as well as provide best opportunity for the unity of the ummah.
Generosity
Considering to numerous hadith on the rewards and benefits of sadaqah (charity) during the month of Ramadhan, it is observed that the willingness and efforts for charity and donation are significantly increased. According to Lung Transplantation Research Center, National Research Institute of TB and Lung Disease, Tehran, Iran, organ shortage is the most significant problem that they face for the activities of trans¬plantation systems. In this regard, they carried out a survey on the Muslims’ behavior during holy month of Ramadan pertaining to organs donation in Iran. Interestingly, the survey reveals that the number of applications for organs donation in Ramadhan increase to 154% as compared to other months with a total of 11528 organ donations as opposed to 4538 applications in the previous month. This phenomenon indicates that Ramadhan seems to provide a great opportunity to promote organs donation across the Muslim world.
Conclusion
Ramadhan is the greatest and best month of the year. It is one of the blessings of Allah to the Muslim that He enables us to fast in Ramadhan. The blessed month of Ramadhan and ibadah of fasting not only offer us with great rewards from Allah but also with so many benefits either from economic or health and science, psychological or social perspectives. With this priceless opportunity from Allah to us, it is hoped that we can keep the spirit of month of Ramadhan not only during this blessed month but at all times and throughout the year.
References
Azizi, F. (1987). Evaluation of Certain Hormones and Blood Constituents During Islamic Fasting Month, Journal of Islamic Medical Association, November.
Cott, A. (1977). Fasting Is A Way Of Life. New York: Bantam Books.
Hassan Abohghasemi, Nasim Sadat Hosseini Divkalayi and Fariba Seighali. (2011). Contribution of religion to blood donation: Iran experience, Asian Journal of Transfusion Science, 5(2), pp. 185–186.
Katayoun Najafizadeh, Fariba Ghorbani, Sajjad Hamidinia, Mohammad Ali Emamhadi, Mohammad Ali Moinfar, Omid Ghobadi,Shervin Assari. (2010). Holy month of Ramadan and increase in organ donation willingness, Saudi Journal of Kidney Disease and Transplantation, 21, pp. 443-446.
Maktoob Research. (2008). Region-wide Survey on Ramadan Traditions and Practices. Dubai: Maktoob Research.
Scott Malone . (2010). Markets in Muslim Lands Rally During Ramadan-Study.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/08/03/stocks-ramadan-idUSN0317695120100803
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Soliman, N. (1987). Effects of Fasting During Ramadan, Journal of Islamic Medical Association, November.
Regards

Zulkifli Hasan
With Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Islamic finance news
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July 16, 2012
DR. ZULKIFLI HASAN
RAMADHAN MEDAN ISLAH AL NAFS (REFORMASI DIRI)
RAMADHAN MEDAN ISLAH AL NAFS (REFORMASI DIRI)
Pendahuluan
Pada 1961, Presiden Habib Burguiba mengejutkan seluruh rakyat Tunisia apabila mengiystiharkan larangan berpuasa di bulan Ramadhan bagi semua penjawat awam. Bagi menunjukkan komitmen larangan ini, seluruh anggota Kabinet telah mengadakan majlis makan tengahari dan ditayangkan secara langsung di media elektronik. Arahan tegahan untuk berpuasa di bulan Ramadhan ini di buat berdasarkan andaian bahawa ianya akan mengurangkan produktiviti dan ini tidak baik untuk negara.
Tindakan yang dibuat oleh Presiden Habib Burguiba ini jelas menunjukkan kejahilan dan ketidaktahuan sejarah Islam. Sejarah telah mencatatkan banyak peristiwa penting umat Islam berlaku pada bulan Ramadhan. Ramadhan bukan menjadi penghalang kepada produktiviti mahupun penyebab kemunduran bahkan ianya adalah bulan kemenangan bagi umat Islam. Bermula dari penurunan wahyu pertama kepada Rasulullah Sallallahualaihiwasallam diikuti kemenangan umat Islam dalam peperangan Badar, Khandaq dan Hunain, penaklukan kota Mekah serta kejayaan mendapatkan kembali bumi Al Aqsa semasa era Salahuddin al Ayubi. Pada bulan Ramadhan juga empayar Rome ditakluki dan seterusnya menjadikan negara Islam sebagai salah satu kuasa besar.
Berbanding dengan zaman kegemilangan umat Islam terdahulu, pada masa ini, sesungguhnya umat Islam melalui masa-masa getir dengan pelbagai peristiwa dan tragedi yang berlaku di serata dunia. Walaupun kesemua negara Islam telah mencapai kemerdekaan setelah dijajah puluhan atau ratusan tahun, umat Islam masih berada dalam keadaan yang menyedihkan. Dengan mengenang nasib umat Islam di Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Selatan Thailand dan Filipina, Sudan, Bosnia, Chechnya, China dan lain-lain yang tidak dapat ditulis dalam ruangan yang kecil ini, terdetik sejenak mengapakah peristiwa ini berlaku sedangkan umat Islam telah dianugerahi dengan nikmat Islam dan iman. Bahkan Ramadhan sudah semestinya menjadi institusi paling berkesan mendidik dan melatih umat Islam untuk kemajuan dan pembangunan. Sehubungan dengan itu, artikel ini serba sedikit akan mengupas intipati Ramadhan dan mengaitkannya dengan penghayatan kemerdekaan.
Carta Prestasi Umat Islam Seiring Dengan Sambutan Ramadhan
Seiring dengan sambutan Ramadhan yang sudah melebihi 1400 tahun, artikel ini cuba memberikan sedikit gambaran tentang status umat Islam pada hari ini. Dalam konteks Malaysia, penulis juga ingin berkongsi fakta mengenai keadaan umat Islam setelah 55 tahun kemerdekaan.  Fakta-fakta ini bakal menimbulkan satu persoalan mengapa umat Islam pada hari ini termasuk di Malaysia masih ketinggalan, mundur dan miskin. Penulis berpandangan bahawa salah satu punca kemunduran umat Islam pada hari ini adalah kerana gagal untuk memahami dan menghayati intipati dan aspirasi Ramadhan.
Berkenaan dengan pendidikan, laporan yang dikeluarkan oleh Yarmouk Universiti mengenai kedudukan universiti dan penyelidikan umat Islam sesuai dijadikan rujukan untuk membuka minda mengenai status umat Islam. Laporan ini mencatatkan bahawa di 57 negara OIC, hanya terdapat lebih kurang 1000 universiti. Jika dibandingkan dengan negara lain, Jepun misalnya mempunyai 1000 universiti manakala di Amerika sahaja, terdapat 5,758 universiti.
57 Negara OIC ini juga ketinggalan dari aspek penyelidikan di mana hanya keluarkan lebih kurang 500 PhD setahun berbanding di UK sahaja melahirkan 5,000 graduan PhD. Didapati tiada negara Islam yang memperuntukkan lebih dari 0.5% daripada GDP untuk penyelidikan berbanding di Jepun, Amerika dan Jerman yang memperuntukkan sekurang-kurangnya 2.5% daripada GDP mereka. Begitu juga yang berlaku dari sudut penerbitan apabila direkodkan bahawa negara Islam hanya menerbitkan kira-kira 100,000 buku dan artikel penyelidikan daripada jumlah 2.1 juta naskhah yang telah diterbitkan di seluruh dunia. Bahkan, hingga kini tiada universiti di negara Islam yang tersenarai sebagai antara 100 terbaik di dunia.
Dari sudut ekonomi, direkodkan bahawa hampir separuh daripada 57 negara OIC diklasifikasikan sebagai ’Negara Berpendapatan Rendah’  dan ’Negara Miskin dan Tinggi Keberhutangn’. 70-85% daripada 1.6 billion orang Islam ini juga dikategorikan sebagai ’non-bankable’ dan 50% hidup di bawah garis kemiskinan serta 25% tiada akses pada kemudahan perubatan dan air bersih. Sebagai contoh revolusi di Tunisia tercetus akibat kesempitan hidup iaitu lebih 40% kadar pengangguran dan lebih 25% dilaporkan sebagai miskin tegar. Situasi yang sama berlaku di Mesir iaitu dengan 80 juta penduduk dan lebih 90% adalah Muslim, direkodkan hampir 50% penduduk adalah miskin dan kadar pengangguran juga mencecah lebih 10%.
Dari aspek GDP, walaupun negara OIC mewakili 70% daripada pengeluaran minyak dunia, GDPnya hanyalah 4.7% daripada GDP dunia, eksport hanya 7.9% daripada jumlah eksport dunia dan 1.3% daripada perdagangan dunia. GDP negara OIC melainkan Turki dan Indonesia adalah kecil daripada syarikat di senarai bursa saham di barat. Umpamanya, GDP Malaysia pada 2009 hanya USD193 billion hanya bersamaan dengan ’market capitalisation’ Google.
Kegagalan Menghayati Aspirasi Ramadhan Antara Punca Permasalahan
Merenung kepada fakta dan angka tersebut di atas, jelas menunjukkan umat Islam kini menghadapi krisis yang perlu ditangani segera. Persoalannya di sini, mengapa dan kenapa ianya berlaku sedangkan disepakati bahawa Islam itu agama yang syumul, sempurna dan merupakan cara hidup. Lebih-lebih lagi Islam memperuntukkan sebuah institusi pembersihan jiwa mendidik rohani dan jasmani yang perlu dilalui oleh setiap umat Islam selama sebulan setiap tahun.
Institusi Ramadhan merupakan sebuah institusi yang diperuntukkan khusus oleh Allah untuk melatih, mendidik, menyucikan jiwa dan fizikal umat Islam. Ia umpama sebuah kem, sekolah, universiti atau institusi lain yang menyediakan modul untuk membina kekuatan diri. Bagi memotivasikan umat Islam, Allah menjanjikan pelbagai insentif yang hampir mustahil untuk ditolak umpamanya malam ’lailatul qadr’ yang hanya ditawarkan kepada umat Nabi Muhammad Sallallahualaihiwasallam. Sekiranya ruh Ramadhan ini dihayati, umat Islam pasti selepas ini akan dapat mengembalikan kegemilangan Islam sepertimana yang dikecapi satu masa dahulu. Dengan itu, penulis berpandangan bahawa antara punca utama permasalahan yang berlaku hari ini ialah kegagalan umat Islam untuk menjadikan institusi Ramadhan sebagai medan membentuk syahsiah diri mencapai darjat ketaqwaan.
Memahami dan Menghayati Intipati Ramadhan
Kenapa Ramadhan?
Timbul persoalan mengapa Ramadhan amat penting sebagai institusi mendidik diri. Jawapannya sudah pastilah kerana ianya arahan Allah kepada hambanya agar dapat membina kekuatan jiwa dan iman melalui proses pentaqwaan diri. Kenapa pula Ramadhan dipilih sebagai institusi latihan dan ujian? Ini berkemungkinan amat berkait rapat dengan hadith Nabi Sallallahualaihiwasallam yang menyebut bahawa apabila Ramadhan menjelang tiba maka pintu syurga dibuka, ditutup pintu neraka serta dibelenggu para syaitan (Al-Bukhari dan Muslim).
Bertepatan dengan makna Ramadhan yang bermaksud panas iaitu bulan menghanguskan dosa, Allah telah memberikan peluang kepada umat Islam untuk beramal dan beribadah tanpa gangguan hasutan syaitan. Segala kelakuan dan perbuatan di bulan Ramadhan menjadi cermin sebenar tatkala syaitan dirantai daripada menghasut dan membisik. Allah telah memberikan peluang yang sangat tinggi nilainya ini untuk umat Islam membentuk dan membina syahsiah diri dengan hanya perlu berhadapan dengan hawa nafsu tanpa dipengaruhi oleh bisikan syaitan.
Taqwa Sebagai Objektif Ramadhan
Tidak dapat dinafikan pelbagai hikmah Ramadhan dan puasa yang dapat dibuktikan melalui kajian saintifik sehinggakan terdapat di Amerika, ‘Fasting Centre International Incorporation’ sebuah institusi yang mempromosikan puasa sebagai cara untuk mencegah dan memulihkan penyakit. Namun begitu, kelebihan berpuasa sama ada dari sudut kesihatan mahupun dari aspek yang lain bukanlah merupakan matlamat utama Ramadhan. Objektif utama Ramadhan dirakamkan oleh Allah dengan jelas di dalam al Quran iaitu untuk mencapai darjah ketaqwaan.
“Hai orang-orang yang beriman, diwajibkan atas kamu berpuasa sebagaimana diwajibkan atas orang-orang sebelum kamu agar kamu bertakwa” (Al-Baqarah: 183)
Melalui ayat di atas tersangatlah jelas bahawa melalui kalimah ‘la’alla’ itu yang bermaksud, ‘agar’ atau ‘semoga’ atau ‘mudah-mudahan’ menunjukkan matlamat sebenar puasa Ramadhan iaitu tidak lain dan tidak bukan mencapai makam taqwa. Kelebihan taqwa ini dinukilkan Allah di dalam surah al A’raf ayat 26 yang bermaksud “Hai anak Adam, sesungguhnya Kami telah menurunkan kepadamu pakaian untuk menutupi auratmu dan pakaian indah untuk perhiasan. Dan pakaian Taqwa itulah yang paling baik. Yang demikian itu adalah sebahagian dari tanda-tanda kekuasaan Allah, mudah-mudahan mereka selalu ingat”.
Sekiranya dirujuk kembali, pengertian taqwa bukan sahaja bererti takut namun ianya juga membawa maksud yang lebih luas. Ibn Kathir menyatakan taqwa berasal daripada perkataan tawaqqi, iaitu menjaga diri daripada perkara yang tidak diingini. Imam Ibn Kathir menerangkan Taqwa di dalam tafsirnya dengan merujuk kisah dialog Umar al Khattab dan Ubay bin Kaab. Dalam kisah ini Ubay memberikan analogi Taqwa dengan perumpamaan orang melalui jalan berduri di mana sudah pastinya seseorang itu berhati-hati bagi mengelakkan terpijak duri.
Bagi merumuskan makna taqwa, kata-kata daripada Ali Bin Abi Talib sangat relevan untuk dirujuk. Beliau merumuskan ciri taqwa itu kepada empat iaitu takut kepada azab dan murka Allah, yakin dengan al Quran, redha dengan sedikit nikmat dan sedia menghadapi hari kematian. Keempat-empat ciri inilah yang menjadikan seorang yang bertaqwa itu mempunyai peribadi unggul dan jiwa yang merdeka.
Di samping memahami taqwa sebagai matlamat Ramadhan, ianya juga membuktikan keadilan Allah. Sesungguhnya Allah menilai seseorang itu melalui kaca mata taqwa dan bukan dari kualiti yang lain. Taqwa itu boleh dicapai oleh sesiapa sahaja sama ada individu itu kaya, miskin, gemuk, kurus, cantik, kurang upaya, ternama dan sebagainya. Melalui penilaian taqwa ini Allah jelas menunjukkan keadilannya di mana semua manusi berpotensi untuk mencapai makam taqwa dan seterusnya mendapat kasih dan rahmat Allah.
Ruh Ramadhan Hayati Kemerdekaan
Tahun ini kita akan mencapai kemerdekaan yang ke-55 dengan tema “Janji Ditepati”. Walaupun tidak dapat dinafikan bahawa tema Hari Kemerdekaan tahun ini agak berunsurkan politik, tetapi bulan kemerdekaan tahun ini adalah sangat bermakna kerana ianya juga berada di dalam bulan Ramadhan yang mulia. Seiring dengan ruh Ramadhan ini, penghayatan kemerdekaan kali ini sepatutnya menjadi lebih bermakna dan menerbitkan kefahaman yang mendalam kepada konsep mencapai kemerdekaan dan juga mengisi kemerdekaan. Kemerdekaan lebih 55 tahun lalu bukanlah satu perkara yang mudah dicapai. Namun begitu, agenda mengisi kemerdekaan itu adalah perkara yang lebih sukar. Ini bersesuaian dengan nukilan para hukama’ yang menyatakan jihad melawan nafsu adalah lebih besar dari jihad melawan musuh Islam.
Di Mana Umat Islam Malaysia Selepas Kemerdekaan?
Dengan bilangan penduduk Malaysia yang mencecah 28.3 juta, bilangan penagih dadah juga meningkat setiap tahun. Direkodkan setiap hari akan ada 12 penagih baru dan kini bilangan penagih dadah telah melebihi 1.3 juta orang. Lebih menyedihkan umat Islam mewakili 80% angka ini iaitu 1.04 juta manakal Cina, 149,000 dan India, 101,000. Kos penyelenggaraan mereka ini juga menelas kos yang amat besar iaitu mencecah RM8.65 bilion.
Dari sudut ekonomi, walaupun Malaysia telah berjaya menurunkan kadar kemiskinan sejak kemerdekaan, namun didapati umat Islam masih lagi mendominasi statistik penduduk miskin. Sebanyak 5.3% umat Islam dikategorikan sebagai miskin berbanding Cina, 0.6% dan India, 2.5%. Dianggarkan lebih 75% orang miskin di Malaysia adalah umat Islam.
Merujuk kepada fenomena jenayah, Statistik Yayasan Pencegahan Jenayah Malaysia melaporkan statistik kes rogol membabitkan pelajar kian meningkat dan pada tahun 2008 sebanyak 309 kes direkodkan di mana majoriti yang terlibat adalah orang Melayu. Selain daripada itu, Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM) juga merekodkan seramai 8,809 pelajar berusia antara 7 dan 18 tahun terlibat dalam kes-kes jenayah yang mana sebanyak 72.7% adalah umat Islam berbanding India, 10% dan dan Cina, 7.3%. Lebih menyedihkan, kes buang bayi juga didominasi oleh umat Islam apabila PDRM melaporkan lebih 80% yang didakwa terlibat adalah umat Islam.
Taqwa Sebagai Asas Penghayatan Kemerdekaan
Ketaqwaan merupakan satu bentuk penghambaan diri hanya kepada Allah iaitu membebaskan diri secara total dari perhambaan dengan manusia. Apa guna kemerdekaan dicapai sekiranya jiwa, pemikiran dan cara berfikir masih lagi berada di bawah ruang lingkup yang tidak merdeka. Kemerdekaan itu amat sia-sia jika ianya tidak diisi dengan agenda umat. Lebih malang lagi apa yang berlaku ialah kemerdekaan yang dicapai selepas penjajahan itu diganti dengan bentuk penjajahan lain seperti pemerintahan diktator yang dilihat lebih kejam sebagaimana yang berlaku di Tunisia yang diperintah secara zalim oleh rejim Habib Borguiba dan Ben Ali, di Mesir yang dizalimi  puluhan tahun oleh rejim Anwar Sadat, Gamal Nasir dan Husni Mubarak dan di Syria yang ditadbir secara kuku besi berserta kezaliman yang melampau.
Dalam konteks Malaysia, walaupun tidak dinafikan negara telah mencapai kemajuan namun begitu, masih terdapat banyak permasalahan dan krisis sosial yang berlaku pada umat Islam. Berdasarkan fakta yang tersebut di atas, jelas menunjukkan umat Islam di Malaysia masih lagi dibelenggu masalah sosial, ekonomi dan lain-lain. Permasalahan penagihan dadah, jenayah, kemiskinan, pendidikan dan sebagainya masih menghantui dan membelenggu umat Islam. Penulis berpandangan di antara punca permasalahan ini ialah kerana kegagalan menghayati ruh Ramadhan dan juga umat Islam menghadapi krisis taqwa. Sekiranya taqwa itu dijadikan sebagai dasar pembangunan diri, bangsa dan negara sudah pasti umat Islam akan kembali dihormati dan mendapat kedudukan yang sewajarnya.
Islah Al Nafs ’Reformasi Diri’ Ke arah Ketaqwaan?
Secara umumnya amalan umat Islam dalam bulan Ramadhan selama ini tidak akan berjaya merealisasikan aspirasi untuk mencapai darjah ketaqwaan. Amalan Ramadhan umat Islam hari ini adalah tidak sama dengan amalan para salaf al-salih. Dahulu, para sahabat Rasulullah menanti-nantikan dan merindui Ramadhan. Mereka bergembira menghidupkan Ramadhan dengan tarawih, tadarus, tahajud, qiyamullail dan sebagainya. Laungan selawat dan tasbih menguasai suasana. Amalan bersedekah menjadi lumrah dan kebajikan golongan tidak berkemampuan diambil berat dan dibela. Di kala Ramadhan meninggalkan mereka, para sahabat menangis dan bersedih kerana takut tidak ketemu lagi Ramadhan yang mulia. Alangkah indahnya suasana Ramadhan ketika itu.
Kini, syawal lebih dinantikan berbanding Ramadhan. Suasana Ramadhan hanya meriah tatkala di permulaannya. Masjid dan surau hanya penuh di awal Ramadhan dan hampir lengang diakhirnya. Di sepanjang jalan kelihatan bazaar Ramadhan yang dihadiri ribuan umat Islam membeli juadah berbuka walaupun waktu Maghrib hampir menjelang tiba. Lagu-lagu raya dimainkan di mana-mana tatkala selawat dan salam lebih utama. Paling menyedihkan jumlah kehilangan nyawa akibat kemalangan jalanraya terus berleluasa dan tidak kurang angka statistiknya.
Setelah melihat kepada situasi dan amalan Ramadhan umat Islam pada hari ini secara umumnya, dapatlah disimpulkan bahawa Ramadhan yang disambut setiap tahun itu tidak akan dapat mengubah diri, masyarakat negara dan umat. Ini memandangkan amalan Ramadhan itu tidak dimanifestasikan dengan matlamat ketaqwaan. Di dalam berbicara mengenai matlamat ketaqwaan, persoalan yang besar diajukan ialah bagaimana atau apakah formula untuk mencapai darjat ketaqwaan. Umat Islam pada hari ini perlu melakukan transformasi diri atau dalam erti kata lain melaksanakan proses ’Islah al Nafs’ atau reformasi diri. Sepertimana perkara yang lain, usaha untuk mencapai taqwa perlu melalui proses ’reformasi diri’. ’Islah al Nafs’ ini perlu dilaksanakan satu persatu secara konsisten, ikhlas dan itqan. Penulis membahagikan proses mencapai makam ketaqwaan ini kepada empat fasa seperti berikut: –
(a) Berilmu.
Ketaqwaan tidak akan dapat dicapai melainkan dengan ilmu. Hanya dengan ilmu yang sahih dapat memberi petunjuk kepada kita mengenai cara dan amalan yang boleh mendekatkan diri kepada Allah. Hanya dengan ilmu yang benar bersumberkan nas-nas yang sahih akan memastikan amalan yang dilakukan diterima Allah. Amalan dan ibadah yang bertentangan dengan amalan Rasulullah dan berunsurkan bidaah dhalalah bukan sahaja tidak diterima oleh Allah bahkan ianya boleh menjadi faktor kemurkaan Allah.
(b) Beramal
Taqwa itu sangat berkait rapat dengan amalan. Tanpa amalan walaupun berilmu tidak akan dapat membuatkan seseorang mencapai darjat ketaqwaan. Begitu juga amalan yang dibuat sambil lewa juga tidak mendapat perhatian daripada Allah. Amalan Ramadhan Rasulullah sesungguhnya perlu dijadikan panduan dan rujukan dalam segenap aspek. Dalam hal ini setiap amalan itu juga perlu mempunyai ciri-ciri Itqan, Istiqamah dan Ikhlas.
(i)	Itqan: Rasulullah bersabda: Allah mengasihi seorang hamba kalau ia melakukan sesuatupekerjaan ia melakukannya dengan sempurna (Al-Tabarani).

(ii)	Istiqamah: Dan sesungguhnya amal yang paling dicintai Allah adalah yang terus menerus meskipun sedikit.(Muttafaq ‘alaih)

(iii)	Ikhlas: Amirul Mu’minin, Abi Hafs Umar Al Khattab, dia berkata: Saya mendengar Rasulullah bersabda: Sesungguhnya setiap perbuatan tergantung niatnya.  Dan  sesungguhnya  setiap  orang  (akan dibalas) berdasarkan apa yang dia niatkan. Siapa yang hijrahnya karena (ingin mendapatkan keridhaan) Allah dan Rasul-Nya, maka hijrahnya kepada (keridhaan) Allah dan Rasul-Nya. Dan siapa yang hijrahnya karena dunia yang dikehendakinya atau karena wanita yang ingin dinikahinya maka hijrahnya (akan bernilai sebagaimana) yang dia niatkan (Bukhari dan Muslim).
(c) Berdoa dan Bertawakkal
Berdoa merupakan senjata orang mukmin. Sebagai hamba kepada Allah, amalan berdoa dengan sepenuh hati tanpa jemu akan menjadikan diri merasa sangat kecil di hadapan Allah. Doa ini pula mesti diikuti dengan tawakkal iaitu konsep berserah pada ketentuan Allah. Konsep doa dan tawakkal ini yang akan menambahkan ciri ketaqwaan kepada Allah di mana ianya memperlihatkan peranan kita sebagai hamba Allah yang menyerahkan sepenuh jiwa raga kepadaNya.
(d) Syukur dan Redha
Setelah melalui ketiga-tiga fasa di atas, setiap individu yang ingin mencapai darjat ketaqwaan perlu memenuhi ciri-ciri fasa terakhir iaitu syukur dengan nikmat dan anugerah Allah dan redha dengan apa sahaja ujian, pemberian dan penentuan Allah. Konsep syukur dan redha ini merupakan natijah dari ilmu, amal, doa dan tawakkal. Melalui institusi Ramadhan yang menguji keimanan melalui pembentukan jiwa menerusi amalan ibadah yang disyariatkan akan dapat mendidik diri ke arah pembinaan insan yang bertaqwa.
Kesimpulan
Ruh dan intipati Ramadhan perlu diberi penghayatan dan diterjemahkan ke dalam hidup umat Islam sepertimana hidupnya Ramadhan sewaktu zaman Rasulullah. Penghayatan Ramadhan melalui penterjemahan ruh dan intipatinya merupakan pencetus kepada matlamat ketaqwaan. Makam Taqwa itu pula penentu kepada harga diri kita di mata Allah. Hanya dengan pakaian taqwa kita akan mendapat rahmat dan berkat Allah serta mempunyai harga di mata Allah. Apabila kita mendapat rahmat Allah ini, maka dengan itu jugalah segala usaha ke arah pembangunan diri, negara, bangsa dan umat akan mendapat keberkatan dan tidak akan menjadi sia-sia. Sesuai dengan sambutan kemerdekaan yang ke-54 ini juga marilah kita jadikan Ramadhan sebagai titik tolak dan asas pengukuhan Taqwa demi kesejahteraan umat Islam. Hayatilah roh Ramadhan al-Mubarak hanya untuk mendapat keredhaan Allah dan hidupkanlah semarak semangat kemerdekaan melalui penghayatan Ramadhan serta jadikan taqwa sebagai dasar pembangunan ke arah kecemerlangan dunia dan akhirat.
Best Regards

Zulkifli Hasan
With Professor Tariq Ramadhan, (Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies, Oxford University) at Bangi, Selangor
My Thought
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July 12, 2012
DR. ZULKIFLI HASAN
My Recent Book: Shari’ah Governance in Islamic Banks
Shari’ah Governance in Islamic Banks

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Available at:
http://www.euppublishing.com/book/9780748645589
An in-depth and insightful study of Shari’ah governance from a theoretical and practical perspective

Shari’ah governance has a profound influence on the day-to-day practice of Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) and each jurisdiction has adopted a different approach to developing a governance framework. This book reviews these pluralistic approaches and identifies best practice.
Covers the following aspects:
Theoretical aspects of corporate and Shari’ah governance

The regulatory framework for Shari’ah governance

Shari’ah governance approaches

The role of the Shari’ah Board and the mechanisms for ensuring its independence, transparency and competence

Operational procedures of Shari’ah governance

An assessment of the Shari’ah Board

Examples, case studies and practical discussions based on IFIs in Malaysia, the GCC countries of Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait & Saudi Arabia and the UK enliven the text.
Hardback

ISBN: 9780748645589

Price: £75.00
Regards

Zulkifli Hasan
Hasan, Z. (2012). Shari’ah Governance in Islamic Banks. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Islamic finance news
4 Comments
July 10, 2012
DR. ZULKIFLI HASAN
FNB sharia banking credentials questioned as board quits
FNB sharia banking credentials questioned as board quits
FARANAAZ PARKER Available at:
http://mg.co.za/article/2012-07-09-fnb-islamic-finance-unit
FNB’s Islamic Finance unit has suffered a setback after its sharia board quit, bringing the unit’s sharia compliance credentials into question.
The dispute between FNB and the sharia board overseeing its Islamic Finance unit has highlighted some of the difficulties of trying to accommodate two inherently different systems of banking in one financial institution.
Last week the sharia board of FNB Islamic Finance resigned citing an “untenable breakdown in trust”. Board chairperson  Mufti Ebrahim Desai said the board could not vouch for FNB’s Islamic Finance products.
“Those products that we had endorsed will remain valid for as long as there are no changes. However, as we no longer supervise the implementation, we cannot endorse the same,” he said.
Desai told the Mail & Guardian that there had been ongoing difficulties between the board and bank officials, since news emerged of wrongdoing within the unit towards the end of last year.
In January, the M&G reported on the shake-up at FNB’s sharia division, which was rocked by claims of misappropriation of funds, conflicts of interest, unfair labour practices, and mistreatment of staff, board illegitimacy and fraud.
Ebi Patel, the former head of the division, was put on special leave while an internal investigation was conducted.
It found internal breaches of operational procedure and corporate governance failures, and documents showed that special deals were worked out for friends and family.

Patel was reinstated but faced disciplinary action. When Patel tendered his resignation from the company in June, the bank denied that the move was linked to the investigation and said he was retiring “for personal reasons”.
Patel was replaced by Amman Muhammad, former MD of Absa Islamic Banking, at the beginning of the month.
Desai said the bank had “showed they regarded the sharia board with total disdain and … had lack of trust in us” and that it had violated an undertaking to consult with the board on appointments within the unit.
“This is not a matter of us interfering with governance issues, we needed to know who would be there because that’s the type of person we’d be working with.”
On Friday, FNB moved to reassure its Muslim customers that the termination of its sharia board’s services did not invalidate its sharia certification.
It said it had “mutually terminated” the services of its three-member sharia board as the parties had “differing views of the role of the board in the operational management of the business”.
The bank has set up a sharia supervisory compliance oversight committee to fill the gap until it can reconstitute a permanent sharia board.
It reassured customers that the termination of the sharia board’s services in no way altered the compliance of its existing products and services, or the validation of its sharia certification.
The Muslim Judicial Council’s Moulana Taha Karaan said the incident had raised eyebrows in the Muslim community.
“People would like some clear answers as to what’s happening,” he said.
“Unfortunately the statements released tend to create the impression that sharia compliance might be at stake.”
Karaan, however, said there was no need for panic.
“The next few months will show us whether the new board or management seeks to change things in the product structure. At this moment … they’re doing the same deals they used to do before, in terms of contractual structures,” he said.
“Sharia-compliance of the products is not at stake.”
Meanwhile, Stuart Grobler, chairperson of the Banking Association’s committee for Islamic banking, said integrating Islamic banking into conventional banks can be complicated.
“The difficulty for an organisation like [banks] is that they have a normal managerial hierarchy or accountability, and then across that you impose this sharia board which you would comprise of certain scholars, muftis or imams, who are not necessarily business oriented. But they are the final arbiter of what is sharia compliant, so every financial component or every deal is approved by the sharia board,” he said.
“You can imagine how that would affect management prerogatives, accountability and responsibility.”
Sharia law requires an “underlying asset”, so transactions cannot be paper-based. Islamic bankers may also not invest in companies that are too highly leveraged or earn a disproportionate amount of revenue through interest.
Muslims may not use interest so any interest accrued through conventional banking systems is usually donated to charity. However, if a Muslim invests in a sharia compliant bank or financial product, the returns on an investment are derived through alternative mechanisms, and they can use the proceeds.
Islamic banking has been identified by national treasury as one way to attract investment from Islamic countries, particularly in the Middle East, and processes are in place to create a regulatory framework that would facilitate this.
In December last year national treasury invited banking institutions to submit proposals for the provision of advisory services for the structuring and issuance of a government Islamic bond, known as a “sukuk” in local and international markets.
The evaluation of the bids has been completed and a consortium comprising Standard Bank, Liquidity House, Nova Capital, BNP Paribas, Albaraka and Regiments Capital has been appointed to set up a programme and issue a debut sukuk on behalf of the Republic of South Africa.
Also read
Regards

Zulkifli Hasan
Cape Town, South Africa
Islamic finance news
Leave a comment
July 9, 2012
DR. ZULKIFLI HASAN
Highly-paid sharia boards could face shake-up in Islamic finance review
Highly-paid sharia boards could face shake-up in Islamic finance review
By Bernardo Vizcaino

DUBAI | Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:12am BST

(Reuters) – Islamic finance may face its biggest shake-up in years as a top standard-setting body seeks to reform the way the industry does business, including the role of highly paid scholars in enforcing religious principles.
Khaled Al Fakih, the new secretary-general of the Bahrain-based Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), outlined plans for a sweeping review of its guidelines in an interview with Reuters.
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Some of AAOIFI’s reforms may prove controversial by challenging entrenched interests in the fast-growing business. Islamic financial assets hit $1.3 trillion globally last year, a 150 percent rise in the past five years as the industry expanded beyond core markets in the Middle East and Malaysia, financial lobby group TheCityUK estimates.
“We would like to see insightful debate…that can help us develop standards that can benefit the industry,” Fakih said by email from Bahrain, ahead of AAOIFI’s annual meeting there on May 7 and 8.
His organisation plans to start consultations on reforming the operations of sharia boards, the groups of Islamic scholars which rule on whether financial institutions’ activities and products are religiously acceptable, by the middle of this year. A final draft of the reforms is not expected to be ready before the end of next year at the earliest.
AAOIFI will also work on a new framework for disclosing financial data, and will look at revising standards for takaful (Islamic insurance), investment accounts and other products.
Fakih, a Lebanese-born commercial banker who took over at AAOIFI in February, said basic elements of Islamic finance such as murabaha, mudaraba and ijara – structures designed to permit investment while obeying religious bans on paying interest and pure monetary speculation – would be reviewed next year.
CONTROVERSY
For many in the industry, AAOIFI’s review cannot come too soon. Although far smaller than conventional banking, which has tens of trillions of dollars of assets, Islamic finance has grown much more quickly in the last few years, so its flaws could start to affect banking systems and economies.
Much of its growth has occurred because it can count on the support of large pools of sharia-compliant funds in the booming Gulf and southeast Asia, which have not pulled back during the global financial crisis as Western funds have.
Last year’s Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East promise a fresh wave of growth; new, Islamist-led governments want to promote the industry after their authoritarian predecessors discouraged it for ideological reasons.
But the growth has exposed weaknesses in Islamic finance. One is the lack of a clear consensus on what products and procedures are permissible; the sharia boards of individual banks and investment firms can issue conflicting rulings.
This can create big controversies. When Goldman Sachs (GS.N) announced last October that it planned a $2 billion sukuk issue, which would make it one of the first top Western banks to raise money in that way, its own sharia advisors approved the plan. But some other scholars criticised it; six months later, the sukuk has not been issued and it is not clear when it might be.
The sharia board system is open to accusations of conflict of interest because scholars are paid handsomely – in some cases, with hourly fees of $1,000 or more – by the very firms whose behaviour they are supervising.
The ambiguity in regulation has let some Islamic financial institutions, such as Kuwait’s Investment Dar, argue in court that contracts into which they had entered were not valid because they were not sharia-compliant in the first place.
AAOIFI plans to improve the operations of sharia boards by strengthening the certification process for scholars, Fakih said. The organisation currently offers scholars two professional credentials, but they have been criticised as not sufficiently rigorous and too easy to obtain.
In addition, AAOIFI is developing new guidance on the relationship between Islamic financial firms and their sharia boards, “similar to international best practices on terms of reference for financial institutions’ board of directors”.
One way to reduce conflicts of interest might be to limit the length of scholars’ tenure at individual firms, to prevent them from forming excessively close relationships with their employers that might compromise their objectivity. However, Fakih did not mention this idea. Current AAOIFI standards acknowledge “engagement over a prolonged period of time may pose a threat to independence”, but do not prescribe specific limits.
AAOIFI will also look at ways of fostering the rise of a new, younger generation of Islamic scholars, through steps such as training courses, Fakih said. This could remove a bottleneck to growth in the industry by loosening the dominance of about two dozen veteran scholars who have practiced for decades and hold multiple board positions.
RESISTANCE
It is not yet clear whether reformers in AAOIFI will be able to push through changes over the potential opposition of many veteran scholars and financiers who profit from the status quo.
Yasser Dalhawi, chief executive of Syariah Review Bureau, an Islamic finance advisory firm in Saudi Arabia, said change would be difficult. But he added that many people in the wider industry would support change as a way of ensuring growth and bringing Islamic finance closer to its religious principles.
A survey of customers’ attitudes to sharia boards, conducted a few years ago by a Gulf financial firm, found widespread dissatisfaction which was expressed in some cases with expletives, one prominent scholar told Reuters, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
To balance opposition to change within AAOIFI, Fakih seems to want to involve the widest possible range of industry interests in the debate; he called for “rigorous and meaningful discussions…not only among scholars but also with all participants of Islamic finance.”
His plans to release a series of draft proposals for public consultation mark a change from AAOIFI’s past style, which relied more on decisions made behind closed doors.
ENFORCEMENT
In its review, AAOIFI is also expected to discuss strengthening enforcement of its standards across the globe. They are not backed by any legal sanction, so national financial regulators decide whether to enforce them.
Currently only a small number of countries, including Bahrain and Qatar, have adopted AAOIFI standards wholesale; others use them as references without making them compulsory.
“Unless you have a global rule, it is not really going to work as it creates arbitrage opportunities,” said Murat Unal, board member at Funds@Work, a German-based consultancy. He added that in some cases, scholars had avoided strict local regulation by offering their services in countries with looser standards.
At an Islamic finance seminar in Dubai this month, Muddassir Siddiqui, a prominent scholar from Malaysia, pressed his fellow panellists on who could strengthen global enforcement. There was no concrete response except for the vague idea of an international body of some sort.
AAOIFI might conceivably work around this by requiring all scholars, regardless of the country where they are located, to adhere to a code of conduct that would effectively transcend legal or territorial boundaries. But powerful figures inside AAOIFI might oppose anything which limited their room for manoeuvre so drastically.
In any case, the 21-year-old organisation is likely to have to grapple with such issues as it tries to preserve its status in the industry. So much money is now flowing into Islamic finance that other bodies, such as national regulators, may jump in if AAOIFI does not solve problems.
Some are already doing so. Last year Qatar’s central bank banned Islamic windows, which allow conventional banks to offer sharia-compliant products. AAOIFI already had standards which let Islamic windows function if their funds were segregated from the banks’ conventional operations. But Qatar decided those standards were not sufficient – a warning sign for AAOIFI as it tries to win industry support for its reforms.
Regards

Zulkifli Hasan
International Islamic University Malaysia
Islamic finance news
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LAA 3064

MOOT/MOCK AND

PLACEMENT

ART OF ADVOCACY

CONTENTS
Introduction

Examination in Chief

Cross-examination

Re-examination

Cross-examination of Experts

Speaking In Court

Qualities needed by a Peguam Syarie

A good voice,Command of
words,Confidence,Persistence,Knowledg
e of law,Experience.

Appearance- must look neat and tidy.

Speak clearly

Punctual, do not rush

Preparation of Witness
First Interview- Witness must be interviewed as

early as possible. During interview ask the
witness to relate the story to the case.

Second Interview-To see whether there is any
recollection that he has not disclose. To
compare with the testimony of other witness.

Third Interview-Prepare written statement signed
by the witness known as affidavit.

Formulate the question to be asked in
examination in chief.

Formulate cross examination question.

QUESTIONING

Types of Questions:

Open and closed questions-length or short
answer

Hypothetical questions-to test the logical
boundaries of an evidence.

Leading questions-suggest the answer

Probing questions-to discover something

Insinuation questions-probabilities, alternative
facts

Confrontational questions-fact that cannot be
denied

Examination-in-Chief
It is the role EIC to present the evidence in a
complete and convincing form. Evidence in chief
is the pivot of the whole case.

Purposes: 1) to lay before the judge all that
witness knows which is relevant and material.2)
To elicit from the witness a complete orderly
story with the minimum of prompting.

2 important points: I) the proofs-statement of the
witness and ii) the rules of the law.-master the
rules of evidence. Eg. Admissible evidence,
Hearsay evidence.

Cont..

The Technique

Foundations

i) grasp of the main lines of the evidence ii)
skill in the use of words.

Guiding without leading

Must not be shown that the answer is
expected from him.

Retaining Control

Able to to deflect the story in the right
direction and away from irrelevancies

Cont…
Orderliness and thoroughness - The order of
time, chronological order.

Refreshing the memory of a witness- should not
press the witness, can refer to the note made at
the time of the occurrence.

Toning down weak points- not to conceal facts.

Treating a hostile witness- we can cross examine
our own witness, may ask leading question and
can be contradicted by means of proof of his
evidence.

EIC relates to “w”question- Where, what, who,
when, why, can. Able to avoid leading questions.

Cont…
Introducing real evidence during EIC.

Request that exhibit be marked for identification,

Lay the foundation for admitting exhibit.

Allow opposing counsel to examine exhibit

Offer exhibit into evidence

Give the exhibit to the trial judge for inspection.

Anticipating Cross examination- try to anticipate

what the opposition is going to try and do to your

witness.

Cont…
General guidelines.

Preparation for examination in chief with an
appraisal of the contribution which the
witness to be examined makes to the proof of
the case or rebuttal of the other side.

Treat the witness with courtesy and patient.

When you have got what you want please
stop questioning.

Question should be short as possible and
single. Easy questions.

Cont…

Leading questions- question which suggest
the answer.

Forbidden during EIC.- Reason: I) potentially
biased in favor of that party ii) may bring out
only the evidence which is favorable to the
questioner’s client iii) witness may not
express his full meaning in their own hands.

Exception: personal details eg “Your name is
Azizan? Yes. You live at Taman Seri
Gombak? Yes…..”

Cont…
Should never state anything in court which he is
not able to justify.

Listen carefully to the answer to the question
Don’t use words which the witness may not
understand.

If your witness gives a damaging answer don’t
show your disappointment by gesture or anything
else, please carry on questioning the case.

Use very precise question if possible do a mock
examination in chief.

Tell the court if you have finished EIC. Eg “I have
no further questions.”

Cross-Examination

Preparation for cross-examination is much
more difficult because you are not in
control of the process. Here, mental
preparation is about all you can do.

Purpose-i) to destroy the material parts of
the evidence-in-chief ii) To weaken the
evidence where it cannot be destroyed iii)
to elicit the new evidence helpful to the
party cross examining iv) to undermine the
credibility of the witness

The main Techniques

A Probing Question

To elicit information and to tie the witness
down to a definite account of event.

Q- Who, what, why, when, where, how.

Leading the witness to state positive facts.

Try to show improbability or lack of
knowledge.

Never get embroiled in a personal argument
with the witness.

Insinuation Question

Question which reveal the account your
witness will give.

Alternative view of facts which give more
favorable to the other side.

To elicit favorable evidence and to
weaken the evidence in chief.

Suggesting other possibilities.

Possibility of mistaken observation.

Never asked unnecessary question.

Confrontation Question-

Only if necessary. Should be used with
strong material preferably facts which the
witness cannot deny.

The aim is to force the witness to admit
the falsity of his story or to make him
tongue-tied or to involve him in
contradictions.

Hostile witness

Witness whose evidence turns out to be
unfavorable to the party calling the witness.

The court may give leave to cross examine
a hostile witness. The party must make an
application to the court that the witness is
hostile.

He can be asked leading questions and can
be contradicted by means of proof of his
evidence.

Important Rules of Practice.

1) The witness must be cross examined on
all material facts which are disputed.

2) must put the the witness the case he is
going to set up so far as it lies within the
witness’s knowledge.

What questions are allowed: I) relevant to
the issues ii) tend to impeach the credit of
the witness.

Question which is tending to show that he
has committed or convicted for any offence
unless offence of similar facts.

Cont…

Preferable to visit the scene of the incident and to
scrutinize all the facts of the case.

Construct a hypothesis based on the facts of the
case.

Short and precise question. Avoid unnecessary
cross-examination.

Deal with each point one by one. The foundation is
to base your questions on the lines of an argument.
To disguise the form of argument.

Don’t supply the answer if the witness can’t answer
it.

Great pressure to the witness-ask question rapidly
and in short and sharp as possible.

Re-Examination

� After cross examination it is desirable to correct
any wrong construction which has been placed
during cross examination by explaining or
mitigating any point which has been made against
the witness.

� Objectives: to explain or qualify admissions made
by the witness during cross examination.
Rehabilitate a witness. Ask the witness to correct
something misleading.

� Re-examine the topic which is not admissible
during cross examination. Advantage for re-
examination.

Cont…
Countering the effect of insinuation-to
exclude the suggested facts during cross
examinations.

Counteracting the destructive techniques-
gentle insinuation in re-examination.

� Avoid re-examination is unnecessary.

� Where fresh evidence is elicited in cross-
examination the same technique of cross
examination may be applicable.

Cross Examination of Experts

2 methods of cross-examining an
expert.

a) To discredit the expert

b) To establish an alternative
interpretation of the facts upon which
the expert’s opinion is based.

Certain field of expertise is not capable
of yielding certain results.

Cont…

Additional preparation because an expert knows
better than you about the subjects.

i)ascertain the witness’ professional qualifications
and relevant experience.

ii) Obtain a copy of the expert’s reports.

iii) Read the literature pertaining to the subject
matter.

iv) Review the witness’ qualifications, opinion with
your own expert.

v) Ascertain whether the expert has given any
expert evidence before.

Cont…
The Techniques

Ascertain the frequency with which the expert
gives evidence. To identify potential bias.

Attempt to narrow the witness’ expertise

Highlight your own expertise or opinion of
other experts in the area.

Attempt to elicit evidence that corroborates
the propositions which form the foundation of
your expert’s opinion.

Ask the expert to explain the technical terms
in  lay terms.

Cont…
TIPS

Keep question simple and short

Leading question mainly for cross examination

Use probing questions to elicit witness’s
commitment to his story

Use insinuating questions to put your own
theory of the case to the other’s side witness.

Use confronting question only when can prove
your points.

Do not repeat answers

Required Reading

Michael Hyam, Advocacy Skills,
1990,Blackstone Press Limited

Jeffrey Pinsler, Evidence, Advocacy and
The Litigation Process, 1982, Butterworth.

John Munkman, The Technique of
Advocacy, London,1991, Butterworths.

GOOD LUCK

FOR YOUR MOOTING.


BLOG OF KNOWLEDGE (Shari'ah, Law, Islamic Finance and Muslim News)
Shari'ah, Law, Islamic Finance and Muslim News
Daily Archives: March 8, 2010
March 8, 2010
DR. ZULKIFLI HASAN
Gulf Finance House Raised to ‘CCC-/C’
Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House Raised to ‘CCC-/C’; outlook negative

Available at:
http://www.ameinfo.com/225743.html
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services today said it raised its long- and short-term counterparty credit ratings on Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House G.S.C. (GFH) to ‘CCC-/C’ from ‘SD/SD’ (selective default). The outlook is negative. “The rating action follows GFH’s completion of the partial extension of maturity of a $100m facility,” said Standard & Poor’s credit analyst Goeksenin Karagoez.
The first tranche of this facility was a $50m payment due March 3, 2010, with the remainder due on March 3, 2011. We understand that GFH has obtained consent for the partial extension from all lenders of the facility, which is set to be repaid in five installments over the next two years. Under our criteria, we consider GFH’s maturity extension to be a “distressed exchange” and therefore tantamount to a default because the new maturity represents a change to the facility’s originally scheduled payment terms.
“We subsequently reassessed GFH’s creditworthiness by analyzing, among other things, GFH’s new liability structure, cash flow projections, and its overall business model and strategy and on this basis, we raised the ratings on GFH to ‘CCC-/C’. While the partial maturity extension of two facilities has somewhat reduced the immediate and severe stress on GFH’s liquidity situation, it remains in our view very weak and will likely constrain the ratings,” said Mr. Karagoez.
With total assets of $1.6bn on Dec. 31, 2009, GFH is an Islamic wholesale investment institution based in the Kingdom of Bahrain (A/Stable/A-1). “The negative outlook reflects our opinion of GFH’s very weak liquidity position from a rating standpoint, because it still faces challenges to meet debt repayments coming due in the very near term,” said Mr. Karagoez.
It also reflects the uncertainty we perceive regarding the ability of the institution to implement its plan for improving its liquidity position and boosting its revenues. Failure to meet any of the upcoming existing or restructured payments would lead us to lower the ratings to ‘D’ (default). In addition, we would consider as another distressed restructuring any transactions by GFH to reschedule or restructure its debt, including unrated obligations, such that lenders receive less than the original value. This would result in a lowering of the ratings to ‘SD’, assuming GFH continues to honor its other obligations.
We would raise the ratings if GFH is successful in raising alternative sources of liquidity to alleviate the currently difficult liquidity situation. To fully alleviate liquidity pressure and therefore further improve its creditworthiness, however, we believe that GFH would need longer-term funding sources and new business activity because its debt structure is short-term and operating cash flow is minimal.
In rating ease of description as very important, we are essentially asserting a belief in quantitative knowledge – a belief that most of the key questions in our world sooner or later demand answers to ‘by how much?’ rather than merely to ‘in which direction?’John Tuley
Regards

ZULKIFLI HASAN

DURHAM, UK
Madrid, Spain
Islamic finance news
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