Qur'an Ayath~ ~ Seek your support from Allah

"And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carriedthem on
the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and
preferred them over much of what We have created…" – Quran, 17:70.
Allah has honored you. Dignity is your birthright. It's okay if you're
not perfect. No one is. You can stilllove yourself, with all your
specialgifts and funny habits, and whatever is lacking, well, you can
work on it. That's what all of us do.
Be patient with your parent and love them, but don't buy into their
negativity. Allah loves you and has a plan for you. Believe this and
move forward, and when you have children, shut down the cycle of
negativity and do better than your parent did. It's okay to be better
than your parents. Any good parent wants their children to surpass
them.
Show your own children patience,gentleness and endless love.
May Allah bless you and fill your heart with self-knowledge,
self-dignity, and hope for the future.
--
:-> :->

History :- Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah) ~ Abu Musa al-Ashari:

Abu Musa al-Ashari
When he went to Basrah as governor of the city, he called
theinhabitants to a meeting and addressed them: "The Amir al-Muminin,
Umar, has sent me toyou to teach you the Book of your Lord and the
Sunnah of His Prophet and to clean your streetsfor you."
People were taken aback when they heard these words. They could easily
understand that one of the responsibilities of a Muslimruler was to
instruct people in their religion. However, that one of his duties
should be to clean streets was something new and surprising to them.
Who was this governor of whomthe Prophet's grandson, al-Hasan,may God
be pleased with him said: "There was no rider who came to Basrah who
was better for its people than he."
His real name was Abdullah ibn Qays but he was and continues to be
known as Abu Musa al-Ashari. He left his native land, the Yemen, for
Makkah immediately after hearing that a Prophet had appeared there
whowas a man of rare insight, who called people to the worship of One
God and who insisted on thehighest standards of morality.
At Makkah, he stayed in the company of the Prophet and gained
knowledge and guidance.He returned to his country to propagate the
word of God and spread the mission of the noble Prophet, peace be on
him. We have no further news of him for more than a decade. Then just
after the end of the Khaybar expedition he came to the Prophet in
Madinah. His arrival there coincided with that of Jaffar ibn Abi Talib
and other Muslims from Abyssinia and the Prophet welcomed them all
with joy and happiness.
This time Abu Musa did not comealone. He came with more than fifty
persons from the Yemen all of whom had accepted Islam. Among them were
his two brothers, Abu Ruhm and Abu Burdah. The Prophet referred to the
whole group as the "Asharis".In fact he sometimes referred to all
Yemenis as Asharis after Abu Musa al-Ashari. He often praised the
group for their soft and tender-hearted nature and held them up to the
rest of his companions as a high example of good behavior. He once
said of them:
"If the Asharis go on an expedition or if they only have a little food
among them, they would gather all they have on one cloth and divide it
equally among themselves. They are thusfrom me and I am from them."
Abu Musa soon became highly esteemed in the Muslim community. He had
many great qualities. He was a faqih endowed with intelligence and
sound judgement and was ranked as one of the leading judges in the
early Muslim community. People used to say:"The judges in this ummah
are four: Umar, Ali, Abu Musa and Zayd ibn Thabit."
Abu Musa had a natural, uncomplicated disposition. He was by nature a
trusting person and expected people to deal withhim on the basis of
trust and sincerity.
In the field of jihad, he was a warrior of great courage
and endurance and skill. The Prophet said of him: "The master of
horsemen is Abu Musa."
"Abu Musa's insight and the soundness of his judgment did not allow
him to be deceived by an enemy in battle. In battle conditions he saw
situations with complete clarity and executed his actions with a firm
resolve.
Abu Musa was in command of the Muslim army traversing the lands of the
Sasanian Empire. At Isfahan, the people came to him and offered to pay
the jizyah (in return for military protection) to make peace and avoid
fighting. However, they were not sincere in their offer and merely
wanted an opportunity to mount a treacherous attack on the Muslims.
Abu Musa however saw through their real intentions and he remained on
the alert. Thus when the Isfahanis launched their attack, the Muslim
leader was not caught off-guard, He engaged them in battle and before
midday of the following day, he had won a decisive victory.
In the major campaigns against the powerful Sasanian Empire Abu Musa's
role was outstanding. In the great Battle of Tustar itself, he
distinguished himself as a military commander.

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- Islamic Marriage Khutbah (Wedding Speech)

This is a typical Muslim nikah khutbah (wedding speech) that would be
given by an Imam at a Muslim wedding. This particular speech was
translated from Arabic, I believe. I do not know the author's name:
Wedding Khutbah
"Thanks be to Allah that we praise Him, pray to Him for help; ask Him
for pardon; we believe in Him,We trust Him; and ask Himto guard us
from the evil of our own souls and fromthe evil consequences of our
own deeds. Whomsoever He leaves straying no one can guide him. I bear
witness that there is no God save Allah, who has no partner, and I
bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, whom He has
sent with truth as a bringer of good news and a warner.
The best word is the book of Allah, and the best way is that of
Muhammad, on whom be peace. The worst of all things are innovations
and every innovation leads astray, and every thing that leads astray
leads to Hell.
Whosoever obeys Allah and His messenger will be guided aright and
whosoever disobeys will cause loss to his own self (and thereafter).
Hereafter,I ask the refuge of Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.
O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord who created you from a
single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath
spread abroad a multitude of men and women. be careful of your duty
towards Allah in whom you claim (yourrights) of one another, and
toward the wombs (that bear you). Lo, Allah hath been a watcher over
you. [Surah Al Nisa' 4:1]
O ye who believe! Observe your duty to Allah with right observance,
and die not save as those who have surrendered (unto Him). [Surah Ali
'Imran 3:102]
O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight
to the point; He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you
your sins. Whosoever obeyethAllah and His messenger,he verily hath
gained a signal victory. [Surah Al Ahzab 33:70-71]"
Marriage is one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. The
Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) has told us how to live
as Muslims. One of the branches of faith is marriage. It has been thus
narrated in a Hadeeth that when a person marries, he has complete half
of his religion and so he should fear Allah regarding the remaining
half.
Shame, modesty, moral and social values and control of self desire are
just a few of the many teachings of Islam. Furthermore, these are just
a few of the many worships that a person can complete by performing
the ritual of marriage. Through marriage a person can be saved from
many shameless and immoral sins and through marriagehe has is more
able to control his desire. Therefore, the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi
Wa Sallam) has said:
"O young men! Whoever is able to marry should marry, for that will
help him to lower his gaze and guard his modesty." [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Marriage is a strong oath that takes place between the man and women
in this world, but its blessings and contract continues even in
Jannah. It is the way of our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa
Sallam), and whosoever goes against this practice has been
reprimanded.
Hadhrat Anas ibn Malik narrates:
A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet
(Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) asking how theProphet worshipped (Allah),
and when they were informed about that,they considered their worship
insufficient and said:
"Where are we compared to the Prophet as his past and future sins have
been forgiven?"
Then one of them said: "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever."
The other said: "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast."
The third said: "I will keepaway from the women and will not marry forever."

Jokes :- Love for your partner what you love for yourself

To summarize the duties of brotherhood and sisterhood in Islam, we
should love for our brother and sister what we love for ourselves.
This is an incredible teaching that if implemented would go a long way
towards improving relations between us. This spirit of love is
especially important between husbands and wives, as we often treat
each other as abstract enemies as opposed to Muslims, first and
foremost.
- Imam Zaid Shakir
This is an excellent observation and insightful piece of advice. Many
of usare familiar with this hadith but have not thought of it in terms
of husband and wife.
When we want for our spouse what we want for ourselves, it takes our
marriage to a new level oflove. We begin to think about our partners
needs and wants, we pray for our partner just as we pray for
ourselves, we work for our partner's material and spiritual success as
much as our own.
We also forgive them for their mistakes just as we would hope to be
forgiven. We praise them for the good they do, thank them, hug them,
and when they need it we correct them in kindness. That's love, and
it's what agood marriage is made of.

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE ~ ~ Musa; Eloquence on a Different Level

Prophet Musa (`alayhisalam) is often described as being strong, tough
and a force against the harshness that surrounded him. See, he was
destined to go up against the barbaric Pharaoh, so Allah `azza wa jall
raised him in a way where he'd be fit to face the horrors and physical
calamities that were to occur to him in his time (surviving
persecution, the killing of his opponent, exile, coming back to the
Pharoah, leading Bani Israel from oppression etc).
But one interesting characteristic of Musa (`alayhisalam) is that he
was not eloquent nor did he possess fluency or ease of speech (which
is in contrast to the Prophet Muhammad (s) who was granted 'jawami'
al-kalim' , i.e. high eloquence).
Musa acknowledged this impediment and feared that Pharaoh would use it
against him.Remember, he was a Messenger delivering a message - and
naturally it would be that much more difficult to get across your
message if you cannot speak as well as your opponent. It only makes
the battle harder. Let's lookat Musa's acknowledgement of this:
He said in his supplication to Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala:
وَأَخِي هَارُونُ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّي لِسَانًا فَأَرْسِلْهُ مَعِيَ
رِدْءًا يُصَدِّقُنِي ۖ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ
"And my brother Aaron is more fluent than me in tongue, so send him
with me as support, verifying me . Indeed, I fear that they will deny
me ." [al-Qasas: 34]
He feared that the Message wouldbe denied on account of his speech
defect. And indeed, he was denied by Pharaoh and his elites. In fact,
Pharaoh used this as an insult against Musa and said:
أَمْ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَٰذَا الَّذِي هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ
"Or am I [not] better than this one who is insignificant and hardly
makes himself clear ?" [al-Zukhruf: 52]
So, why does this characteristic of Musa interest us?
Because subhan'Allah, perhaps this is why Allah `azza wa jall singled
him out and spoke to himdirectly . Pharaoh was arrogant and saw
himself above speaking to Musa because he 'couldn't make himself
clear', and so Allah honoured Musa by raising to up to Mount Sinai and
speaking to him directly – to show that despite the speech impediment,
he was worthy of conversing with his Lord .
وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَّمْ
نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ ۚ وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا
"And [We sent] Messengers about whom We have related to you before and
Messengers about whom We have not related to you. And Allah spoke to
Moses with a direct speech ." [al-Nisa: 164]
Hence Musa is forever remembered as ' Kaleemullah' – the one who
conversed with Allah.
A lesson: Sometimes, people may disregard you and belittle you,
thinking that you are not worthy of something, but in some future turn
of events, Allah `azza wa jall will raise you and bring you out as
better. He will draw you closer to Him and give you from His Mercy,
and also make clear to the people what you are truly deserving of. Let
us humble ourselves and never look down on anyone, because not
everyone's reality is clear, and perhaps the ones we look down upon
are a million times better and more deserving than us in the Sight of
Allah `azza wa jall
--
:-> :->

HISTORY :-How did Muhammad become a Messenger of God?

At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad
received his first revelationfrom God through the Archangel Gabriel.
This revelation, which continued for twenty-threeyears, is known as
the Qur'an.
Muhammad began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel and to preach
the truth which God had revealed to him. The people of Makkah were
steeped in their ways of ignorance and opposed Muhammad and his small
group of followers in everyway. These early Muslims suffered bitter
persecution.
In the year 622 CE, God gave the Muslim community the command to
emigrate. This event, thehijrah or migration, in which they left
Makkah for the city of Madinah, some 260 miles to the North, marks the
beginning of theMuslim calendar.
Madinah provided Muhammad and the Muslims the safe and nurturing haven
in which the Muslim community grew. After several years, the Prophet
and his followers returned to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies
and dedicated the Ka'bah to theworship of the One God. Before the
Prophet died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim,
and within a century of his death, Islam had spread to Spain in the
west and as far east as China.

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- How did the spread of Islam affect the World?

The Muslim community expanded rapidly after the Prophet's death.
Within a few decades, the territory under Muslim rule had extended
onto three continents--Asia, Africa andEurope. Over the next few
centuries this Empire continued to expand and Islam gradually became
the chosen faith of the majority of its inhabitants. Among the reasons
for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its
doctrine--Islam calls for faith in only One God worthy of worship.
Islam also repeatedly instructs human beings to use their powers of
intelligence and observation.
As Muslim civilization developed, it absorbed the heritage of ancient
civilizations like Egypt, Persia and Greece, whose learning was
preserved in the libraries and with the scholars of its cities. Some
Muslim scholars turned their attention to these centers of learning
and sought to acquaint themselves with the knowledge taught and
cultivated in them. They, therefore, set about with a concerted effort
to translate the philosophical and scientific works available to them,
not onlyfrom the Greek and Syriac languages (the languages of eastern
Christian scholars), but also from Pahlavi, the scholarly language of
pre-Islamic Persia, and even from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian
language.

--
:-> :->

STORY :-

He told his wife:
"Alhamdulilah that I found you my princess" ♥
she asked him:"who guided you to find me?"
"Allaah (subhanahu wa ta'ala),through my prayer... I always used to
make this Duaa: (O Allaah grant me the woman You accept to be the wife
for a good servant)
"I was waiting for you" said the wife after a moment of silence
"how?" asked the husband smiling
"I always used to make thisDuaa in my prayer:(O Allaah grant me the
man You accept as a good servant)
May Allaah grant all the Muslimat husbands whom Allaah accepts as good
servants, A'ameen♥ —

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE :-Be someone’s silver lining

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Goodness knows, a lot of
people these days are laboring under heavy clouds. I am, sometimes.
Maybe you are too.
Today, how about being someone else's silver lining? Relieve someone's
distress, bring ease to someone's heart, and help someone, as the
Messengerof Allah (pbuh) said,
"Whoever relieves a believer from a distress of this life, Allah will
relieve from him a distress on the Day of Judgment. Whosoever brings
ease to a believer who is in difficulty, Allah will bring ease to him
in both this lifeand the next. Whosoever conceals the shortcomings of
a Muslim, Allah will conceal his shortcomings inthis world and the
next. Allah will always help a servant as long as that servant helps
his brother."
Many of us are familiar with Allah's words in the Quran, in Surat
al-Balad. It'sa Juz Amma surah, frequently memorized:
"And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult
pass? It is the freeing of aslave, or feeding on a dayof severe hunger
an orphan of near relationship, or a needy person in misery; and then
being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and
advised one another to compassion. Those are the companions of the
right."
What if you don't have the capability at this moment of feeding an
orphan, or a needy person? The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has given us
examples of extremely simple things each of us can do that still count
in Allah's eyes as sadaqah (charity). He (peace be upon him) said:
"Charity is prescribed for each descendant of Adam every day the sun
rises." Hewas then asked: "From what do we give charity every day?"
The Prophet answered: "The doors of goodness are many… enjoining good,
forbidding evil, removing harm from the road, listening to the deaf,
leading the blind, guiding one to the object of his need, hurrying
with the strength of one's legs to one in sorrow who is asking for
help, and supporting the feeble with the strength of one's arms — all
of these are charity prescribed for you." He alsosaid: "Your smile for
your brother is charity." – Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 3, Number 98
All of these are only examples. Look around youat your community. What
needs are not being met? What distress are people in? What simple
things can you do to help the people around you?
*. Muslims in communities from California to New York, and in other
nationsas well, have started soupkitchens to feed the poor and
homeless.
*. Muslims in Baltimore USA and other cities have opened shelters for
victims of domestic abuse.
*. There are many organizations that allow you to support an
orphananywhere in the world. For a monthly donation that's probably
less than you would spend on a movie or a restaurant dinner, you can
make sure that one child is fed, clothed, and educated.
*. Volunteer jobs are plentiful. The Prophet (pbuh) mentioned leading
the blind. Even today many blind people need assistance from
volunteers. You can help with grocery shopping, reading the newspaper,
or sending and reading email.
*. Many public libraries haveadult literacy programs, and always need
tutors to help teach people to read and write.
*. Campaign online, throughFacebook and forums, to raise money for
victims ofdisasters like the recent typhoon in Indonesia, or the
floods in Pakistan. Or work with your local masjid to collect
clothing,blankets and food supplies from your local community to be
sent to disaster areas.
*. Volunteers in some inner cities have turned abandoned lots into
organic food gardens. Theinner city residents all pitch in to help,
and the result is healthy food for people who otherwise would not have
access to fresh produce, and a new sense of community brotherhood and
sisterhood.
There are countless other examples I could give. Evenclearing some
broken glassout of the road or smiling at someone are counted as
sadaqah; they may seem like small things, but the stakes are greater
than youor I can imagine.
It's not about being a goody-two-shoes, impressing your friends,
having a story to tell, or earning a merit badge. It's not about
recognition. It's about changing the world one small step at a time,
earning Allah's pleasure, saving your own soul, and becoming one of
the people of Paradise. What could be more important?

--
:-> :->

Advise :- All I Have is You

All I have is you Allah, all I have is you
No lover, no fighter, no comforter
All I have is you
All I have is you Allah, all I have is you
No strength, no hope, no wishes
All I have is you
All I have is you Allah, all I have is you
No colors, no peace, no whispers
All I have is you
All I have is you Allah, all I have is you
No pride, no beauty, no certainty
All I have is you
All I have is you Allah, all I have is you
No future, no patience, no ease
All I have is you
All I have is you Allah, all I have is you
And you are everything that I lack
All I have is you/

--
:-> :->

STORIES- Abraham the Prophet

Prophet, Seer, Leader of the People, Holy Forefather, Ḥanīf , Friend
of God, Constructor of the Kaaba , 'Possessor of Power and Vision',
Apostle of the Nations
Born Mesopotamia
Honored in Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Baha'i Faith
Druzism
Influenced Many Jews , Christians and Muslims/

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:- Dunya: An Overflowing Sea

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever
wakes up with good health, safety and he has with him food for the
day, then it is as if the world has been gatheredfor him. O Ibn
Ju'shum, what suffices you of it is that which prevents your hunger
and that which conceals you; whether that's a garment which you can
wear or an animal which you can ride upon, then indeed, how fine that
would be! (It is) half a bread and some running water, andyou shall be
called to account for whatever liesabove the Izar (lower garment)."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id 10/292, Mawarid al-Dham'an 2503]
Abu Hatim: 'The intelligentperson must never be deluded by this world
and its dazzles, its beauty and splendors, such that he occupies
himself with it as opposed to occupying himself with the eternal
Hereafter and the everlasting delight (of Paradise). Rather, he should
place the world where Allah has placed it because its end will no
doubt perish. Its civilizations shall become ruins, its inhabitants
shall die, its magnificence will depart and its greenery will be
destroyed. There will remain no arrogant leader in command and no poor
and humiliated one, except that the glass of death shall pass over
them.Then they will depart to the dust where they will become worn out
until they return to what they were in the beginning; ruins (i.e.
dust). Then the Knower of the Unseen (Allah) shall inherit the earth
and all that is upon it. Thus the intelligent one never places his
reliance ona home of this description and he cannot find tranquility
in a world like this – for indeed what lies in store for him is that
which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and has never occurred to the
human mind. So he holds back by abandoning this small and diminutive
world and instead takes pleasure in that superior and abundant world.'
Shu'ayb ibn Ahmad once recited to Sulayman ibn Yazid:
Don't you see how a person exerts his years of youth,
But fate and destiny seem to disrupt the lives of men.
So there is he who tastes the bitter cup of death,
And there is he who awaitsa similar experience.
They have in store for them, a rapid and passing provision,
And all must one day drink from the cup of death.
There is no inheritor exceptthat his wealth will be inherited,
And there is no plunderer except that he will soon bedeprived.
There is none who shows affection except that his love is sold,
And there is no blessing except that it will soon depart .
There is no healthy or afflicted one whom days consume,
Except that it will soon go and be removed.
I see people as guests, whohave settled in estrangement,
Their days revolving around them, and overturning them.
There is a charm in this home of delusion which they have built,
But they have surely seen and experienced its rapidness and fleet.
So they criticize the Dunya (world) but yet they don't desist from its milk,
Indeed, I have not seen thelike of this world; it's criticized yet milked.
It delights them abruptly, yet it harms them suddenly,/

HADEES:->-

"This world is like an overflowing sea, and people are overturned in
its waves. Whoever is given these 3 things from the world has indeed
been given the world in its entirety: Safety, Provisions and Health.
No-one is deceived by it except the foolish and no-one relies upon it
except him who is deprived. Whoever wishes to be free, let him avoid
desires even if they are sweet. Know that not everysweet thing is of
benefit but rather every benefit is sweet. Every desire is
blameworthy, except that which brings profit, and the greatest of
profits is Paradise and having Allah suffice you of the people.
The one reason which leads the smart one to place this world in its
proper place, abandon relying upon it and seekingthat which has been
decreed for him of eternal life and everlasting blessing, is
abandoning long hopes and remembering that death is something which
can comeat any given moment. This is because long hopes haveforever
severed the necks of men just like the mirage… it disappoints whoever
places his hope init, and it deceives whoever sees it."
- Ibn Hibban (rahimahullah)

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:- How To Build Your Taqwa

Taqwa is a core Quranic value. It is universal – likethe Quran itself,
everyonecan benefit from it. It is one of the guiding principles of
the life of a believer. Tapping into your inner taqwa can be one of
the most empowering and liberating things you ever do for yourself.
First,lets define it. Then we'll look at some excellent ways of
building it withinyourself insha'Allah.
What is Taqwa?
I define 'taqwa' as 'conscious power'. You may have seen some Quran
translations describe it as 'God-consciousness'. While this is
pointing in the same direction, it alsolacks something. The actual
word 'taqwa' does not contain the concept of 'Allah' within it. If you
want to say 'be consciousof Allah', you say 'itaq Allah' (imperative
tense). In that sense, taqwa is consciousness. The more you are
conscious and aware, the closer you getto Allah. There is another
subtlety in the word 'taqwa'. The Arabic word for 'strength' is
'quwwa', which is contained within'taqwa'. Taqwa means having the
inner strengthto do what you need to do in any given circumstance.
This brings us to my definition. Taqwa is 'conscious power'. The
conscious use of your God-given strength.
So, why build up your taqwa?
How does it enhance your life? Well, first and foremost, the Quran
states that if you have notaqwa, the gates to divine guidance are
closed to you. So are the gates to success in life. And the gates to
Paradise. The opening line of the second Surah of the Quran, Surah
al-Baqara, is a response the prayer in the first Surah, al-Fatiha,
which we recite at least 17 times a day in prayer: "guide us to the
straight path". The response is:
"This is the book withoutdoubt in it is guidance forthose with taqwa".
If you want to access the wisdom and guidance of the Almighty through
theQuran, you need to build up your inner-taqwa. This makes perfect
sense.It takes time, discipline, focus and study to access the
treasures of the Quran. I do my best to short-cut this for you as far
as I can, but in reality you need to build up your taqwa so you can
engage with the Quran yourself.
Taqwa enhances your life. Building your personal level of conscious
power is the most empowering thing you can do. It means building up
your ability to take control of your life. When you have a high level
of conscious power, you can do anything. You simply need to think up a
goal, commit to it, and make ithappen. No wimping out of fear, no
giving in to laziness – those factors won't affect you when you up
enough taqwa.
How To Build Your Taqwa
If we acknowledge that taqwa is your conscious power, building it
becomes easy. Let me give you an example: Have you ever had the
feeling that you 'cant be bothered' praying? Have you ever prayed
anyway? If so, you exercised your taqwa. And I bet you felt a million
times better afterwards. That wasn't by accident. You earned and
deserved the right tofeel good because you exercised your taqwa, and
it grew.
Think of taqwa like a muscle. To grow a muscle, you need to exercise
it. Specifically, you need to lift a weight and take it to the point
of 'momentary muscle failure' – the point at which you exert full
effort but you cannot physically bring the weight all the way up. If
you don't reach that point in your weight training, your muscles just
won't grow. It's the same with taqwa. It requires progressive
training.
To build your personal conscious power, you need to decide to do
something. It could be anything you know you need to do. It could be a
religious or spiritual action like prayer or reading the Quran. Or, it
could be something less glamourous like cleaning your bedroom. Once
you've decided what you need to do and when you need to do it, if you
follow through, you will build your taqwa. If you do not, you'll get a
little bit weaker on the inside.
Instituting 5 daily prayers into the religion of Islam was beyond
genius – it was Divine. If your life feels like it's in amess, pray.
Five times. Ontime. Within a couple of days, I bet you'll feel
differently about your situation.

--
:-> :->

News:- -Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan at their wedding ceremony in Palo Alto, California , on Saturday.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has updated his status to "married."
Mr. Zuckerberg and 27-year-old Priscilla Chan tied the knot at a small
ceremony at his Palo Alto, California, home on Saturday, capping a
busy week for the couple.
Mr. Zuckerberg took his company public in one of the most anticipated
moves in Wall Street history on Friday. And Ms. Chan graduated from
medical school at the University of California, SanFrancisco, on
Monday, the same day Zuckerberg turned 28.
The couple met at Harvard and have been together formore than nine years.
A company spokeswoman said Mr. Zuckerberg designed the ring
featuring"a very simple ruby"'. The ceremony took place in Mr.
Zuckerberg's backyard before fewer than 100 guests, who all thought
they were there to celebrate Ms. Chan's graduation.

--
:-> :->

Health:- Home Remedies for healthy skin

#Apply an oatmeal, yoghurt and honey mix on the face and neck.
Massage,then scrub and keep it on for 20 minutes.
#Make a paste by putting together papaya, milk powder and lemon juice.
Apply for 20 minutes before rinsing it off.
#Use tea bags dipped in warm water on your eye area to treat dark circles.
#Moisturise skin with a mixof malai and lemon juice. Keep for 15
minutes beforerinsing.
#Improve your skin with a mixture of Aloe Vera and rose water. The two
are natural detoxifying and antiseptic moisturisers.

--
:-> :->

Health:- Gourmet Files : Go forthe drink

Some like it hot, some like it cold… what matters is to keep yourself hydrated.
It's so often repeated that it almost loses meaning: The advice to
drink specific drinks when the heat becomes dehydrating. I understand
that fluids need replenishing, that cold liquids are going to please
and refresh, that some foods, like khus , are inherently "cooling",
but the advice seems empty when you're wilting from the heat.
Once I was travelling long distance by car, motoring from Chandigarh
to Delhi, in the days when cars werenot air-conditioned. We left at
the crack of dawn tobeat the heat, but by about11, the dry heat and
scorching sun made the trip a nightmare. Opening the windows brought
in the loo , your hair and lips became as dry as straw; and closing
them baked you into a Marie biscuit. Midpoint, at Karnal, we stopped
because the driverwanted a cup of tea. This old saying, " Garam chai
garmi mein thandak pahunchati hai ," I have never understood. Anyway
he wanted his cuppa and we went into the restaurant. My cousin, whose
car it was, suggested I have salted nimbu pani . I would have
preferred iced water or plain nimbu pani , but he insisted. And voila,
it worked. Quite magical — half a glass down and I was feeling human
again. Irealise that heat is one thing — it causes acute discomfort,
but salt loss is quite another — it debilitates.
Iced tea wonder
A cuppa that does work forme, though, is a tall glass of iced tea. If
it's thoroughly chilled, it tastesdelightful of course, but it also
quenches thirst that no jugfuls of plain water can, however many
trowels of crushed ice havebeen added.
In my list of favourite cold summer drinks there are many criteria:
Looks (the strawberry cooler wins hands down. Though the sight of a
tall, misted glass,with chilled amber coloured tea, ice cubes
clinking, a green lime leaf floating, can give the red a run for its
money — but then it could be the association); taste (they all tie for
this one); and efficacy in beating the heat( panna and iced tea). Khus
ka sherbet ? I could live without it, but that's entirely my
idiosyncrasy because, to my mind, khus should be inhaled, in an ittar
from Kannauj or in thefresh breeze of an evaporation cooler through
pads of khus , vetiver roots, not consumed. That's like eating
Patanwala's soap. Inthe hot summer months, sometimes a muslin sachetof
vetiver roots is tossed into the earthen pot that keeps the
household's drinking water cool and, like a bouquet garni , lends a
distinctive aroma to the water.
In summer, with non-stop demands for cold drinks, keep a bottle of
sugar sherbet in the kitchen. (Boilone litre of water with onekg sugar
and simmer just until sugar dissolves. Whencool, add one tsp lime
juiceto prevent crystallisation.)

--
:-> :->

Quotes:-/:-

May the little flowers lyingin gloom, Rise and bloom, swaying
endlessly, This way and that way, Morning to dusk everyday Get well
soon.
=
I hope you're feeling better, I miss you every day. I'm always
thinking of you, So this is what I say, Get Well Soon.
=
Tonight all the stars came out to play a signal But all of them are
not shining, Bcoz they all know my friend is sick. Get Well Soon!
=
If wishes were flowers I would send You A big bunch to say. Get Well Soon
Heard that you're not feeling well. So brought flowers for you to make
you feel Happier. Get well soon

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:- Love Defeats Bigotry

I don't mean to portray myself as an enlightened soul. I've made my
share ofmistakes and I still strugglenot to be judgmental or reactive.
But I've also had experiences that have shown me the way forward. One
was with my former sister-in-law, Crystal. I am divorced now, but I
was married for ten years. Laura (my ex-wife) and her family were not
Muslim, and her family had their reservations about our marriage. Her
mother expressed a fear that I would kidnap our future children and
take them to Egypt (even though I've never lived in Egypt). "Like
Sally Field in 'Not Without my Daughter'", she said.
One day I was at a restaurant with Laura, her mother and her sister.
When the waiter came to our table, he said to me, "As-salamu alaykum."
I did not know him, but I was wearing a kufi and had a beard. I
replied, "Wa alaykum as-salam." Crystal began laughing, and after the
dinner was over, when we were going to the car, she began saying,
"Salami, salami, baloney."
At the time I was in a mental state where I was fed up with bigotry. I
had experienced a lot of it, and I had no more patience for it. I told
Crystal that her behavior was rude and bigoted. She got
extremelyangry, and after that I was a persona non-grata at my
in-laws' house. I was not invited to their home for any reason, and
there was no communication whatsoever between me and them for more
than a year. After that my mother-in-law reached out to me
tentatively, and offered a makeshift apology, which I accepted. But
Crystal remained angry.
Later, Laura and I moved toPanama. The place where we lived was so
beautiful and peaceful, and the natives were so accepting of us, that
I found my hearthealing. The in-laws still didn't quite accept me – in
fact Laura's father came to visit once and told me angrily that my
religion was ridiculous and backwards – but I found that it did not
bother me so much. When I returned to the USA for a visit I spoke to
Crystal. I said, "I apologize for my attitude in the past. I love you
and your family. You all mean alot to me." I said that sincerely,
holding in my mind all the good I had experienced from Crystal over
the years, and forgiving the bad.
From that moment on, my relationship with Crystal was transformed. She
cameto visit us in Panama and had a great time. After my divorce, when
I returned toCalifornia, Crystal actually began attending my martial
arts class. She became more open minded, began exploring religious
thinking outside of the narrow Christian fundamentalist box she had
always lived in. I'm notsaying that any of that is because of me. But
what I can attest to is that ever since I gathered the resolveto say
to her, "I love you and I value you," she has not showed a hint of
bigotry or anger toward me, and in fact has becomea pleasant person to
relate to.
I"m afraid I may be telling a string of random stories here. I don't
know if I'm communicating this thesis Ihave, this understanding, that
sincere love is transformational. When you can love someone without
desire, expectation, or judgment, it utterly changes your relationship
with that person, even with those who hate you. I believe this is the
essence of faith. It is the heart of da'wah. It is the Golden Rule.
I have given examples of one-on-one interaction, but I believe that
love and kindness can work their wonders just as well when it's one to
a thousand, or ten to a million, just as a single great ocean wave can
flood a whole city, except that love is a good flood that washes away
the fires of hatred.

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:-

I feel weary at times. At times my passion drains away and I feel like
I'm justgoing through the motions.
But as believers, we have to make choices that are rooted in hope. We
must have hope. Hope is not wishing on a star, or daydreaming. Hope is
a real thing, because it's a part of trusting God. After all, prayer
is all about hope.
The Quran tells us that with every difficulty comes ease. Hope is an
acknowledgment of that reality, that things will get better, and that
a time of ease will come.
The opposite of hope is despair, and that what Satan pushes. He wants
us to despair of God's mercy, despair of our futures, despair of our
salvation, and fail to see the beauty in our lives.
When life becomes hard, we need to see through eyes of hope, not eyes
of despair.

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:- ANSWERS FROM THE QURAN:

ANSWERS FROM THE QURAN:
O Allah, I told you: I'm in pain.
You said, "Do not despair of the mercy of Allah." (Q 39.53)
I told you: Nobody knows what is in my heart.
You said, "Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (Q 13:28)
I confided: Many people have hurt me.
You said, "So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them." (Q 3:159)
I let You know: I feel alone.
You said, "We are closer to him (man and woman) than his jugular vein."
I confessed: My sins are so many.
You said, "And who can forgive sins except Allah?" (Q 3:135)
I pleaded: Do not leave me.
You said, "So remember Me, I will remember you." (Q 2:152)
I complained: I'm facing a lot of difficulties in life.
You said, "And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out." (Q 65:2)
I told You: O Lord I need hope.
You said, "Indeed with hardship comes ease." (Q 94:6)

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:- Lead the Way

Do you want to see something different in the world? Show it. Do you
want to see things moving in a better direction? Then get stepping and
walk it, and I guarantee that otherswill follow, because they have
seen the problems as well, and they are waiting for someone to lead
the way.
Do you want to be a betterMuslim, father, mother, son, daughter,
sibling, or friend? Then be it. Now is the moment. The past is
prologue leading to this moment.
Are you waiting for someone else to show loveand kindness first? Are
you waiting for someone else to be vulnerable or brave, to put himself
out there, totake the first step, to show the way? There is no someone
else. You are the someone else. You… are… someone.
Le'ts open ourselves to faith, love and kindness. Let's change the way
we move in the world, the way we behave with Allah, the way we treat
people, the way we interact with every person. Let us become
testaments to the power of these transformative behaviors, not through
our words but through our actions. Let's express a new sincerity from
our hearts and walk through the world like believers. Let's become
people of Allah, people of Jannah (Paradise), people of imaan (faith),
love and mercy.

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:- Wemens freedom

charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, and all men
and women who are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who
remember God unceasingly: for all of them has God readied forgiveness
of sins and a mighty reward"
(Surah 33: verse 35).
This verse offers women somuch; it offers them paradise on the basis
of their own actions. It demands of them good character, tells both
men AND women to be active; and instills in them the sense of
individual responsibility.
So, Islam offers to women, as it offers to men - paradise as a reward,
it offers a complete picture which considers both this world and the
hereafter - built solidly upon the foundation of a believe in The
Creator. A relationship with one's Creator brings untold peace - for
men andfor women.
Islam allows women to know themselves as they are. Thus in Islam women
are equal to men, but they are not the same. Men and women are equal
before God - they are the protecting friends of one another, they are
garmentsof one another, hiding one another's faults; but they are not
the same. In Islam -imitation is not liberation.
Women are not men - an obvious statement, but onewhich is often
overlooked. Islam offers a balance - which can be seen if one looks to
nature - black and white, up and down, day and night etc. etc. Two
halves to form a whole. Balance is absolutely vital. But, after the
industrial revolution women and men are becoming more and more alike.
Men have become cogs in the system.Women have also been pulled into
the consumerism of an industrialized society and have been forced into
the work place, but still receiveno help at home - a recent study
showed that 9 out of10 men were not 'New Men' and did not help out at
home (The Times, Nov. 1995).
Western society has ignored the balance and told women that for them
to have status they must achieve what men achieve. Western society has
created a new image for women based on the male - and this is very
objectionable. Rather than highlighting her individual strengths, she
is told to compete according to malecriteria in order to have value.
But she is not given any help to cope with her additional
responsibilities."Work, have a career to achieve status - but we
willnot provide crhche facilities, or time off during school
holidays." We are now facing a situation where, as the President of
Bosnia, Alija Ali Izebegovic, said:
"Modern civilization has disgraced motherhood... It has preferred the
calling of a salesgirl, model, teacher of other people's children,
secretary, cleaning woman and so on to that of mother. It has
proclaimed motherhood to be slavery and promised to free women from
it." (Islam Between East and West p.144-145)
So, we have put down the feminine and are saying: 'masculine criteria
is the best, indeed only thing to judge by, feminine criteria is
second class - useless'.
But in Islam both are equal,but they are different. So inIslam we do
not have the situation where: -the logical is perceived as better than
the lateral; the firm is perceived as better than the tender; the
analytical is perceived as better than the intuitive. InIslam women do
not say:"I'm only a housewife" - Where did this ONLY come from? - It
came from taking the masculine criteria as best. Why is being in the
rat-race superior to being a mother? Because we see the masculine as
superior to the feminine. Where is the spirit of the Malcolm X (Malik
El Shabazz) quote:
"If you educate a man you educate one person; if you educate a woman
you educate and liberate a nation".
Women in Islam of course have a role beyond that of motherhood - one
does not spend 25 years preparing for and another 25 years recovering
from motherhood - but the point is do not demean motherhood; and do
not demean and belittle the feminine. Islam offers to women pride in
the feminine. The equal but different roles of men and women in Islam
have to beunderstood, and in understanding - individualscan be
themselves, and thus find a balance and true happiness.
And this peace and securityallows and gives room for the development
of a woman's potential based on her own strengths.

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:-

Young boy to his teacher:"I miss Ramadan, do u think it misses us too?"
Teacher: "Of course, that's why it comes 10 days earlier each year!" ^_^
Are you missing Ramadan too? Well it's just around the corner...click
on the picture to read an extremely beautiful piece about the Love &
enthusiasm of Muslims for the Blessed Month!

--
:-> :->