News:- -Russian Naval 'Spy' Released by Ukraine 17 May 2012 The Moscow Times

A court in Sevastopol, Ukraine has acquitted a Russian defense
contractor on espionage charges afterhe spent two-and-a-half years in
prison for buying apiece of outdated Soviet equipment from Ukrainian
partners.
The court ruling was announced late Thursday, according to the defense team.
Artur Stepanyants, 53, whose saga was reported in The Moscow Times in
March of last year, was arrested by Ukrainian law enforcement officers
in 2010 while purchasing Soviet-made naval equipment he had been
planning to use for spare parts for the ships of the Russian naval
fleet in Sevastopol.
According to documents released during the trial, the seller of the
equipmentwas an informant for the local security services.
Stepanyants — who was arrested during the tenure of Ukrainian
President Viktor Yushchenko, who had a strained relationship with
Russia — was accusedof spying against Ukraine on the grounds that the
equipment he bought contained secret components.
His defense team and independent experts said the equipment was
produced during the Sovietperiod and was of no interest to Russia.
Stepanyants told The Moscow Times by phone from his home in St.
Petersburg that Ukrainian prosecutors have 15 days to appeal the
verdict. The Sevastopol prosecutor's office told the Unian Ukraina
news agency that it would appeal the verdict.

--
:-> :->

News:- -Moose Family Refuses to Leave City Park 17 May 2012 The Moscow Times

The Moscow Times
Moose Family Refuses to Leave City Park
17 May 2012
The Moscow Times
@
A family of moose has taken up residence in a citypark, where police
have increased patrols to keep residents and the animals safe.
The three animals, a male, a female, and a calf, spreadout in front of
a residential building on Shumkina Ulitsa in the Sokolniki
neighborhood Wednesday.One moose even ventured to take up a spot in
front of the neighborhood's police station.
Police said they started receiving calls about the animals Wednesday
morning, prompting them to increase patrols in the area.
Law enforcement officers attempted to drive the animals back into the
park Wednesday afternoon. A passerby said police called nearby street
sweepers to"get their guys," and together they chased the moose away
with brooms, though the animals later returned, the BBC Russian
Service reported.
Police called in specialists from Moose Island, a nearby state park
inhabited by moose from where the animals apparently came. Moose
Island stretches beyond the MKAD and the city limits, and is
physically contiguous with the Sokolniki city park. Only about a third
of the Moose Island park is within Moscow city limits.
No new calls came in to police about the animals overnight Thursday,
and a police representative told RIA-Novosti that they may have gone
back into the forest.

--
:-> :->

HADEES:->-Valleys Full of Gold

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "If the son
of Adam were given a valley full of gold, he would love to have a
second one; and if he were given the second one, he would love to
havea third, for nothing fills the belly of Adam's son except dust.
And Allah forgives he who repents to Him." [Bukhari]
Until our remains are mixed with dust (i.e. we die) we continue to
compete with each other inamassing the pleasures of life. Our
condition is that when one desire is satisfied, we immediately desire
to have another desire satisfied. We are always busy in eating,
drinking and having a good time, greedy with thedesire to acquire more
and more of everything.
Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) cautions us saying: "You are obsessed by
greed for more and more until you go down to your graves. Nay, in time
you will come to understand! And once again: Nay, in time you willcome
to understand! Nay, if you could but understand (it) with an
understanding (born) of certainty, you would indeed, most surely,
beholdthe blazing fire (of hell)! In the end you will indeed, most
surely, behold it with the eye of certainty: and onthat Day you will
most surely be called to account for (what you did with) theboon of
life!" [The Quran: Surah Takathur]
The pleasures and comfortsof the world are nothing more than a test
for those who are granted them. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) wishes to
judge how desirous a person is of Jannah by seeing what price they are
willing to pay for it: Do they spend their money in Allah's causes or
on their own enjoyment?
He (subhana wa ta'ala) advises those of us whom He has tested in ways
other than by the bestowing of wealth: "Never stretch your eyes
towards the things We have given to some groupsof them to enjoy, so
that We put them to test thereby, it being merely glamour of the
worldly life.And the bounty of your Lord is much better and more
lasting." [Surah Taha: Ayat 131]

--
:-> :->

Health:- Sunnat Of Drinking

Sunnat Of Drinking
~
1. To sit and drink. (Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith6452 and Sahih Muslim
Hadith5242, 5247). Zamzam water and left over water in the utensil
used for Wudhu areexcluded from this.
2. To drink with the right hand. (Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith5380; Sahih
Muslim Hadith5233)
3. To take 3 sips (or more in odd numbers). (Sahih al-Bukhari
Hadith5631; Sahih Muslim Hadith5255)
4. To say Bismillah before drinking. (Sahih al-Bukhari and al-Azkaar;
Fath al-Baarivol.10 pg.117)
5. To say Alhamdulillah after drinking. (Ibnus-sunniHadith472;
Majmauz-zawaaid vol.5 pg.81; Sunanal-Tirmidhi Hadith1885; Fath al-Bari
vol.10 pg.117 Hadith5631)
6. If there are several people who are going to share the drink, it
should be given to the one on the right. (Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith5612;
Sahih Muslim Hadith5257)
7. The one who is distributing the water (or food) should himself
drink after everyone. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi Hadith1894)
8. To recite the following Du'aa after drinking, 'Alhamdulillaah i
llaadhiy at'ama wa saqaa, wa sawwaghahu wa ja'ala lahu makhraja.' (Abu
Dawud Hadith3847). This Du'aa could also be recited after eating.
(Ibid)
9. After drinking milk to recite 'Allaahumma baarik lanaa feehi wa
zidnaa minhu'. (Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith3723; Sunan al-Tirmidhi
Hadith3455; ibnus-sunni Hadith474)./

--
:-> :->

Story - - Cathedral Church of the Redemption New Delhi . INDIA

Top tourist places to see in New Delhi
~
Located east of ParliamentHouse in New Delhi, the Cathedral Church of
Redemption was built in eight years and was completed in 1935. It was
designed by architect Henry Medd. Lord Irwin, the then viceroy, was so
impressed with its high vaulted arches and subtle curves that became
known as "Viceroy Church. Later, when the Viceroy escaped a near-fatal
accident in 1929 when an attempt was made to blow up the train, which
presented the picture in the east end and a silver cross to the church
as a gesture of thanksgiving toGod for saving his life.
The linear plain exterior ofthe church are in contrast with the high
rounded arches inside. The church's spiritual aura is reinforced by
the light coming through the windows of a crescent and a group of
angels who look down from the curved roof over the altar. regular mass
takes place at the Cathedral Church of Redemption on Sunday mornings.
Apart from this, the cathedral also hosts concerts, religious
festivalslike Christmas and Easter. It also maintains a staff choir,
called the Capital City Minstrels. You can pickthese concerts of
choral music and carol singing at times and religious holidays./

--
:-> :->

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)

--
:-> :->

Story - Past Event:- Points on the Sunnah of Sleeping

Here are some brief points on authentic sunnah actions before and
after sleeping, known as Sunan an-Nawm (sleep)
1. Sleeping on Wudoo'
The Prophet (pbuh) said to al-Baraa` bin 'Aazib (r.a):
If you go to your bed, then do your wudoo` (ablution) as you
would do it for prayer, then lie on your right
2. Reciting Surat al-Ikhlas, an-Nas, and an-Naas BeforeSleeping
'Aishah (r.a.) narrated that the Messenger (pbuh) used to recite
"Qulhuwallahu ahad", "Qul a'oothu birrabilfalaq" and "Qul a'oothu
birrabinnaas" every night when he went to sleep, then wiped his face
and whatever he was able from his body, beginning with his head and
face, and what faces him from his body, three times". [al-Bukhaari:
5017]
3. Doing Takbeer and Tasbeeh When Going to Sleep
'Ali (r.a) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said when
Faatimah asked him for a servant, "Shall I not lead you to that which
is better for you than a servant? If you go to your mattresses, or
rest to sleep,then say Allahu Akbar thirty-four times, and say subhaan
Allah thirty-three times, and say alhamdulilah thirty-three times, for
they are better for you than having a servant"
4. Making Du'a When Awoken from Sleep
'Ubaadah bin as-Saamit (r.a.) narrates that the Prophet (pbuh)
said:"Anyone awoken in the night and says: Laa ilaha illa Allah,
wahdatu laa shareeka lah, lahul-mulku walahul hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli
shay`in qadeer, alhamdulilah was-subhaan Allah, wallahu akbar, wa laa
hawla wa laa quwata illa billah, then said, Allahumma aghfirli or
invoked Allah, he will be answered, and if he does ablution and prays,
his prayer will be accepted" [al-Bukhaari: 1154]
5. Du'a Once Awake
Alhamdulilah alathee ahyaanaa ba'da maa amatana, wa ilayhin-nushoor
(Praise be to Allah Who granted us life after death, and to Him we
will be ressurected) [al-Bukhaari: 6312, narrated by Huthayfa
al-Yamaan (r.a.)]
Some Closing Words...
Muslims try their best to follow the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in all
aspects of life. Aspects of life such as walking, talking, eating,
washing, smiling, handshaking, travelling, and even sleeping. I think
it is safe tosay that Muhammad (pbuh) is the most closely followed man
in history, there is no other person like him in history, and there
never will be. He is our Prophet & Messenger and may Allah make his
position even more greaterthan it already is, ameen. May Allah grant
us love for Him and His Messenger (pbuh), Ameen.

--
:-> :->

Story - - Praising Allah: the Power of “SubhanAllah wa bihamdihi”

There are many hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
about the power of this phrase, " SubhanAllah wa bihamdihi " , which
means,"Glory to Allah and praise Him."
1. Whoever says "SubhanAllah wa bihamdihi" a hundred times during the
day, his sins are wiped away, even if they are like the foam of the
sea. [Sahih al-Bukhari;#7:168, Sahih Muslim;#4:2071]
2. Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet (sws) said, "Shall I tell you
the words that Allah loves the most?" I said: "Yes, tell me, O
Messenger of Allah." He said: "The words dearest toAllah are:
subhanAllah wa bihamdihi.
3. A palm tree is planted for the reciter [of the above] in Paradise.
[at-Tirmidhi; 5:511, al-Hakim]
4. The Prophet Muhammad(sws) said: "Two words (subhanAllah wa
bihamdihi) are light on the tongue, weigh heavily in the balance, and
are loved by the Most Merciful One."
Allah is so forgiving and gives us countless avenues to earn our
forgiveness. Today, let's have this phrase – subhanAllah wa bihamdihi
– on our tongues, and let's earn our forgiveness, and have entire
groves of palm trees planted for us in Jannah, Insha'Allah.
Praise going up, blessings coming down
Of course there are many types of dhikr . Dhikr means praising Allah,
remembering Allah. SubhanAllah wa bihamdihi is a good one, but even
something as simple as saying, "Thank you, Allah" when you finish a
meal is atype of dhikr.
When we have dhikr always on our tongues, we have this constant
connection with God, even as we go about our daily routines. When
things are going well, or when things are hard, we have this lifeline
to Allah, this constant stream of praise going up, and blessings
coming down. Our spirits are lighter, our hearts happier. We are
grateful for everything we have, because we remember thatevery single
little blessing – good health, the comfortable beds we sleep in, the
orange juice we hadfor breakfast, even our beating hearts and the
breath in our lungs – comes from Allah.
Dhikr is a guide to excellent character, and a light that keeps us on
the path to Paradise.
We covet what we think about
Here's another important point. I am the editor of IslamicAnswers.com
, whichis a common-sense advice website for marriage and family
issues. One type of common question I get is from a young person who
is madly in love with someone who is unavailable. Maybe the
unavailable person is already married, or is not interested, or the
parents do not approve, but it's clear that the match is impossible.
One thing I tell such a young person is, stop thinking about the
object of your desire. When the thoughts come, push them away.
Absolutely do not spend your time gazing at photographs of him/her,
reading old emails, dwelling on what-ifs, and fantasizing, because
that will only reinforce your obsession, and keep the unavailable
person in your mind.
What we think about, we come to desire.
With dhikr, we are using this principle for good. By constantly
praising Allah, we keep Him in our minds and hearts. The more we do
so, the more we come to desire His love, His forgiveness, and His
presence. The more we think about Allah, the morewe want to please
Him. It becomes a beautiful cycle of remembrance and blessings,
reinforcing each other.
That's why Allah described the believers as,
"Who remember Allaah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their
sides." [3:191]
"…and the men who remember Allaah often and the women who do so – for
them Allaah has prepared forgiveness anda great reward." [33:35]
"O you who have believed, remember Allaah with much remembrance. And
exalt Him morning and afternoon." [33:41-42]
The living and the dead
There is a very powerful hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in which he said,
"The example of the one who remembers his Lord (God) in comparison
withthe one who does not remember his Lord is thatof the living and
the dead." [Sahih al-Bukhari; 11:208, Muslim; 1:539]
I could write an entire essay about that one hadith, but I'll just say
that the essence of life is our need for Allah. Without Him, our
hearts would not beat, the rain would not fall, there would be no food
on our tables, and no joy in our hearts. When we remember Allah we
prove that we are spiritually alive./

--
:-> :->

News:- -This is How You Become an Imam of the Muslims!!

The following passage is from the introduction of Imām al-Nawawī to
his juristic masterpiece, al-Majmū':
It is authentically related from al-Shāfi'ī, mayAllāh Most High have
mercy on him, that he said, "I wish that the creation could have
learned this knowledge without a single word of it being attributed to
me."
And he, may Allāhhave mercy on him, said, "I have never disputed
anyone in order to overcome him, and whenever I dispute anyone, I love
that the truth should become manifest at his hands."
And he said, "I have never spoken to anyone except that I loved that
he should be granted success ( tawfīq ) and uprightness ( sadād ),
that he should be aided, and that he should be in the care and
protection of Allāh."

--
:-> :->

Allahu's Anger

Qur'an Ayath - Explanation :- -A Close Friend of a Master of Imitation Swimming in the Seas ofIndonesia: The Jawfish

Many living things can conceal themselves by taking the color of its
surroundings by means of its camouflage abilities. However, to
impersonate a different species by changing color and shape and to
perfectly imitate them is a new type of behavior, discovered by
scientists only recently. As it is known, the octopus has tens of
thousands of sacs called "chromatophores" on its body. The ctopus can
shrink and loosen these sacs to look like any background color or
image. However, the mimic octopus also changes its appearance to
imitate other animals. It can color itself with the colors of a
lionfish, then it bravely swims away after enlarging its eight arms
around its body to resemble the poisonous thorns of the lion fish. Or
itcan place its head and seven arms like triangle shape of a
tortonese's stingray and moves along the sea surface by dragging its
eighth arm like its tail. Or it jumps intoa sand hill to look like a
poisonous sea anemone and holds its arms in a zigzag mode. Not having
ahard interior and outer skeleton gives this being abody structure
ideal for imitation. This behavior displayed by the octopus is of
course very interesting and a result of our Lord's control over living
beings. However, what is more interesting isthe existence of a fish,
which takes advantage of an octopus that runs awayfrom its hunters by
imitating the fish. This fish,called the jawfish, swims around the
octopus and tries to take advantage of its strategy of protection.
It is of course very interesting that an octopus with no wisdom and
consciousness imitates a fish to defend itself, but what is more
interesting is the existenceof a fish, which knows andtakes advantage
of this characteristic of the octopus. Our Lord reminds us once more
the perfect creation of His Self with these examples, which require
wisdom. In one verse it is revealed as such:
" Allah is the Creator of everything and He is Guardian over
everything. ." (Surat az-Zumar, 62)/

--
:-> :->

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.

--
:-> :->

Health:- Tips To Help You Control Your blood pressure

1. Make sure your blood pressure is under 140/90 mm Hg. If your
systolic pressure (the top number) is over 140, ask your doctor what
you can do to lower it.
...
2. Take your high blood pressure medicine, if prescribed, every day.
If you have questions, talk to your doctor.
3. Aim for a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, carrying
this extra weight increases your risk of high blood pressure. One way
todetermine if you need to lose weight is to find out your body mass
index or BMI. If your BMI is above the healthy range (i.e., 25 or
greater), or if your waist measurement is greater than 35 inches
(women) or 40 inches (men) you probably have excess abdominal weight
and youmay benefit from weight loss especially if you have other risk
factors. Talk to your doctor to see if you are at increased risk for
high blood pressure and need to
lose weight.
4. Increase your physical activity. Do at least 30 minutes of moderate
activity, such as walking, most days of the week. You can do 30
minutes in three 10-minute segments.
5. Choose foods low in salt and sodium. Most Americans should
consumeno more than 2.4 grams (2,400 milligrams) of sodium a day. That
equals 6 grams, about
one teaspoon of table salt a day. For someone with high blood
pressure, the doctor may advise less.
6. Read nutrition labels. Almost all packaged foods contain sodium.
Every time you prepare or eat a packaged food, know how much sodium is
in oneserving.
7. Keep a sodium diary. Youmay be surprised at how much sodium you
consumeeach day and the diary will help you decide which foods to
decrease or eliminate.
8. Use spices and herbs instead of salt to season the food you prepare at home.
9. Eat more fruits, vegetables, grains, and low-fat dairy foods.
10. If you consume alcohol at all, consume moderate amounts. For men,
this is less than two 12 oz servings of beer, or two 5 oz glasses of
wine, or two 1 1/2 oz
servings of"hard"alcohol a day. Women or lighter weight people should
havenot more than a single serving of any one of thesebeverages in a
given day/

--
:-> :->

Health:- Third of malaria drugs 'are fake

India launches new malaria drug
A third of malaria drugs used around the world tostem the spread of
the disease are counterfeit, data suggests.
Researchers who looked at 1,500 samples of seven malaria drugs from
seven countries in South East Asiasay poor-quality and fake tablets
are causing drug resistance and treatment failure.
Data from 21 countries in sub-Saharan Africa including over 2,500 drug
samples showed similar results.
Experts say The Lancet Infectious Diseases research is a "wake-up call".
The US researchers from the Fogarty International Center at the
National Institutes of Health who carried out the work believe the
problem may even be much greater thandata suggests.
"Most cases are probably unreported, reported to the wrong agencies,
or kept confidential by pharmaceutical companies," say the
researchers.
No large studies of drug quality have been carried out in China or
India - countries that house a third of the world's population and are
a"probable" source of many counterfeit drugs as well asgenuine
antimalarial medicines, they say.
Lead researcher Gaurvika Nayyar stressed that 3.3 billion people were
at risk of malaria, which is classified as endemic in 106 countries.
"Between 655,000 and 1.2 million people die every year from Plasmodium
falciparum infection," he said.
"Much of this morbidity and mortality could be avoided if drugs
available to patients were efficacious, high quality, and used
correctly."
In parts of the world wheremalaria is prevalent, antimalarial drugs
are widely distributed and self-prescribed, both correctly and
incorrectly, say the researchers.
The study found there are insufficient facilities to monitor the
quality of antimalarial drugs and poor consumer and health-worker
knowledge about the therapies.
And there is a lack of regulatory oversight of manufacturing and
little punitive action for counterfeiters.
Despite this, malaria mortality rates have fallen by more than 25%
globallysince 2000, and by 33% in the WHO African Region.
But the World Health Organization says maintaining current rates of
progress will not be enough to meet global targets for malaria
control.
It is calling for renewed investment in diagnostic testing, treatment,
and surveillance for malaria/

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:- What are the five pillars of Islam?

The 'Five Pillars' of Islam are the foundation of Muslim life:
*. Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the
prophethood of Muhammad;
*. Establishment of the daily prayers;
*. Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
*. Self-purification through fasting; and
*. The pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able.
Iman or Faith
"There is none worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is the
messenger of God." This declaration of faith is called the shahadah, a
simple formula that all the faithful pronounce. The significance of
this declaration is the belief that the only purpose of life is to
serve and obey God, and this is achieved through the teachings and
practices of the Last Prophet, Muhammad.

--
:-> :->

News:- - Birthday greating Tips

As you slide down the banister of life,may all the splinters point in
the right direction.happy Birthday.
@
God made the sun,the earth,the moon,the stars, but love he could not
make another one when he made a love like you.happy birthday.
@
I would like to thank god for bringing you 2 life. andi would like 2
ask god 2 give you as much years to live as he can.Happy Birthday.
@
Do not keep your mind dalor boring always keep smileing-then the whole
world will smile with you.happy birthday.
@
"If there's something that you're dreaming of then may it all come
true,because you deserve it all..HAPPY BIRTHDAY".
@
"Most of us can remember a time when a birthday- especially if it was
one's own-brightened the worldas if a second sun has risen".

--
:-> :->

''Advise'':-:- Believe in Allah, Because He Believes inYou

I believe in Allah because He believes in me… and He believes in you
too. Believein His plan for you, have faith in Him, trust His guidance
to you, because He has faith in you, and trusts you.
Some people might challenge this assertion that Allah believes in us
and trusts us. To me, that's surprising. Allah created nothing in
vain. Everything He does has a purpose. His creation of humanity was
done with intent.
Why were we created? Many Muslims will automatically respond, "To
worship Allah." That's true, but why does Allah want to be worshiped?
Furthermore, why did He create everything else – the stars, planets,
forests, seas, mountains, animals?…
Without presuming to know Allah's intentions, and returning to the
realm of the human for a moment, I will make a simple observation. As
a writer, one of the reasons I write is because the act of putting my
thoughts and feelings on paper satisfies something deep within me.I've
been writing creativelysince I was a child, and to me it's not a hobby
but a calling. I'm a writer, therefore I write; and I am a writer
because I write.
The same is true for a painter or any other artist. I imagine if you
asked a painter why he paints, you might get many different answers:
*. "It makes me happy"
*. "It's my passion."
*. "To express my ideas."
*. "To make money."
*. "I don't know, I just do."
The bottom line is that it's the painter's nature to paint; it's her
calling, her
nextfunction. She is a painter, therefore she paints; or shepaints,
therefore she is a painter. Same difference.
Allah is Al-Khaaliq, The Creator. That is one of His names, one of His
attributes. He expresses this attribute by creating. You are a part of
that expression, and so am I. So is a blue whale, Mount Kilimanjaro,
the Grand Canyon, a dolphin, a mouseand an amoebum. Everything that
Allah created is amazing in its function and awesomely complex in its
design. Everything that He created is beautiful and
purposeful.Including you and me.
To create is an act of love. It is an act of faith. The Creator loves
you and believes in you. Believe in Him, believe in yourself, believe
in humanity, and believe in the unique path that Allah has chosen for
you.

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:- If you don’t speak their language…

I've learnt many things when it comes to speaking Arabic in Cairo
(indeed, in many Middle-Eastern countries), but nothing stares at me
so much in the face as the clear difference between Fus-ha (classical)
and ' Amiyyah (colloquial) Arabic.
My father once related a funny incident that happened when he was a
student in Cairo (paraphrased by me):
I was a young soldier out with my group when we suddenly got lost.
Now, because we were international students/soldiers under thewing of
the Egyptian Army,we were not yet fully exposed to normal Egyptian
life nor were we exposed to the intricate subtleties of the common
man's language! So anyway, the group got lost. We searched for a
wayback but it was hopeless. Then, alhamdulillah we saw an Egyptian
and decided to ask him for directions. The group put forward their
best student who spoke Arabic the best… but oh dear, he spoke only
fus-ha (classical Arabic) and so he stepped forward to the
unsuspecting Egyptian and said to him with a spur of confidence:
نَحنُ ضلَلَنا إلى الطريق
فهَلْ تُرشِدُنا إلي الصِرَاطِ المُسْتقِيمِ
We have gotten lost on ourway
So will you thus guide us to the Straight Path?
Lol, when I first heard this, I almost died of laughter. In a land
where the streets and general life is dominated by the colloquial
Arabic ('Amiyyah), a group of young soldiers coming out with such a
statement can only be described as being 'classical' (pun totally
intended). What was even funnier is that the studentsdidn't even give
the name of the place they were intending – they could've said "direct
us to the Kulliyat al-Harb (Military Faculty)" etc, but no, it had to
be the Straight Path!
This incident is an interesting one because it shows something that
many of us students encounter and struggle with when we first learn
Arabic – the war between fus-ha and 'amiyyah . You might find yourself
spending months and months learning the classical tongue only to find
that you can't use it in daily life because the general public don't
speak that way in their general affairs. I must admit, in the
beginning of my studies when I was just a teen, I was a staunch
advocate forthe fus-ha Arabic, almost militant in my stubbornness and
outright refusal to speak 'Amiyyah and let it taint my progress. I
remember whenever I went shopping,or popped down to the grocers, I
used to battle with the poor grocer. Oftenmy conversations with him(or
whoever I'd interact with in the market/various places) went something
like this:
Grocer : $*%^%$&^%&*#& [throws sentences at me in'amiyyah]
Me : Sorry, I can't understand you. Can you speak Arabic, please?
Grocer : I am speaking Arabic!
Me (ever so zealous): No, you are not! Speak Arabic!
Grocer (in 'amiyyah): Wallahil-'Azim I am speaking it! %#&%%^$%£#^&*#
[Repeats everything again in 'amiyyah]
Me : **Frustration point**
In reality, it need not be a war (although yeah, it tookme a while to
soften up and retract from my hard-line fus-ha views!) As a student,
you'll probably only be staying a few months and understandably most
of your effort will need to go towards your studies and learning the
fus-ha tongue as much as time will allow you. In the beginning, you
might find that people will advise you with different things; some
will say to learn Fus-ha only, others will say that you should learn
'amiyyah alongside the fus-ha and yet others will say something
completely different. It can be quite confusing. Looking back now, I
don't really regret the way I did things, although I ignored the
'amiyyah completely atfirst (except for some words that I eventually
learnt out of mercy for thatold grocer man lol) but once my fus-ha was
stable,I actually turned my attention to the 'amiyyah and began taking
it in too.
So what to do?
Well, it's really up to you todo what you think it's best for your own
personal circumstance. But I would perhaps advise anyone studying
Arabic to put their main primary effort into the fusha and learn that
really well because studying the 'amiyyah beforehand (or alongside)
the fus-ha can have detrimental affects on yourlearning and progress
of the fusha.

--
:-> :->

ISLAMIC ARTICLE -:- In the Care of Allah:

I pondered over those whom Allah `azza wa jall has chosen for His
governance and those whom He has drawn close to Him. We have indeed
heard of their description and seen those whom we deem to be from
amongst them.
Thus I found that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala does not choose except
someone who is complete in his form without any fault in his way and
no shortcomings therein. So you see him possessing a good countenance,
is of proportionate posture, freefrom defects in his body, complete in
his inner self , generous , charitable , and intelligent . He is not
an imposter nor is he someone who deceives and betrays . He does not
possess hatred or envy and there aren't in him anyof these internal
flaws .
This is someone who (Allah) has raised from his infancy . So you'll
see him in childhood retreating from the other children as if he were
a shaykh (scholar) amongst them. Heis far removed from all ills and
vices, and he fears shortcomings. The tree of his high aspirations
continues to grow until he sees its fruits hanging overthe branches of
other youth. For he is passionate in (seeking) knowledge , preoccupied
with deeds , guarding and looking after his time , hastening to
seekout fadha'il (virtue) and in constant fear of falling short .
And if you only could see how the Guidance of Allah and Divine
Inspiration havesurrounded him, you would see how Allah takes him by
the hand when he trips , and prevents him from error when his soul
calls him to it, and He utilises him in all that's good and conceals
his deeds from him such that he does not even see any good from
himself ."
- 'Sayd al-Khatir' by Ibn al-Jawzi, pg. 441

--
:-> :->

HADEES:->-

1]
Think positively of ALLAH for He has all the beautiful qualities.
Instead of expecting something bad to happen to you & calamities to
strike, put your hope in your Lord andtrust that He will be kind toyou
and set your affairs straight. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (radi
Allahu 'anhu) said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllahu 'alyhi
wasallam) said:
•►"Allaah says: 'I am as My slave thinks I am, and I am with him when
he calls on Me.' ♥ "
[Narrated by al-Bukhaari - 7405 and Muslim - 2675]

--
:-> :->