ISLAMIC ARTICLE ~ There is only one criterion for evaluating man that Allaah explains

There is only one criterion for evaluating man that Allaah explains in
this verse,
"Verily, the most honourable of you with Allaah is (that believer)who
has piety." (Al-Hujuraat 49:13)
So the strongest in faith and best in deeds is the most honourable.
When the strange seed was nearly sowed among the pure Muslim society
during the Battle of Banee Al-Mustaliq, the Messenger of Allaah
quickly nipped it in the bud with his famous saying,
"Are you raising the slogans of the time of ignorance while I am still
in your midst?"
He was never pleased to see signsof racialism or tribalism among his
companions even in utterances. Abu Dharr once insulted a man and
called him, "You son of a black woman!" The Messenger of Allaah
angrily told him,
"Are you insulting him on accountof the origin of his mother? You are
indeed a man on whom there is a trait of the time of ignorance."
He also said in another occasion,
"He is not of us, the one who callsto nationalism, fights for
nationalism and dies for nationalism." (Abu Daawood)
It is therefore disappointing to find some Arabs these days calling to
nationalism and being proud of that in total disregard for the saying
of the Messenger of Allaah,
"Keep away from that (racialism), for it is stinking." (Muslim)
In the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet said,
"The first usury to be cancelled is our own usury: that of 'Abbaas son
of Abdul Muttalib. All of it is cancelled." (Muslim)
Allaah prohibits usury because of its grievous harm. It destroys the
conscience, ruins human life with covetousness, greed and selfishness.
It kills collective spirit, causes enmity and sows hatred among
people. Allaah declares war on its practitioners in this lifethrough
economic crises and psychological disturbances, and in the Hereafter
with a painful torment. He says,
"Those who eat usury will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection)
except like the standing of a person beaten by Satan leading him to
insanity." (Al-Baqarah 1:275)
The usury-based economic system is responsible for many financial
crises and woes that confront individuals, societies and nations.
In the Farewell pilgrimage, the Messenger of Allaah said,
"Fear Allaah as regards women, for you married them on a covenant from Allaah."
This saying highlights the protection and the respect that Islaam has
for woman's rights either in her capacity as a mother,wife or
daughter. It takes care of her rights from the beginning till the end
of her life. It makes her body forbidden to the glances of strangers
and gives her the right to inherit and acquire knowledge.It also makes
no distinction between her and man in reward and religious
obligations. Allaah says,
"Whoever works righteousness –whether male or female- while he (or
she) is a true believer, verily to him We will give a good life and We
shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what
they do." (An-Nahl 16:97)
In Islaam, we do not talk of rights of woman through empty theories
and useless conferences. But we invite every body to read the history
of the past women believers like Khadeejah, Sumayyah, Asmaa',
'Aaishah, Hafsah and Al-Hansaa'. We are opening for the humanity the
shining pages from the history ofthe Muslim women so that they can see
the living example of their feats. We invite the mankindto understand
how Islaam elevates woman, purifies her feelings, refines her
character andtakes her to the high aims and aspirations. The human
history has recorded for them glowing and everlasting achievements
that testify to their nobility and excellence.
As for those who appointed themselves as reformers and claim that they
are leading women to the right path, they accuse others who admonish
women to maintain their modestyand chastity with stupidity and
backwardness. But when you look deeply into what they proclaim, you
will find that their thoughts and behaviours are abnormal, that they
have naturally perverted and have become captives to their lusts.
These people have been surrounded by insinuations, so their aim is to
deprive the Muslim nation of its values, deprive the free women their
glory and the chaste her chastity.

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Story ~ Roaming in Rome

Take a real Roman holiday by catching the must-see sights of the ancient city.
It's been featured in many romantic comedies (think the evergreen
"Roman Holiday" or the more recent "When in Rome"), its cuisine is
well-known (count the number of Italian restaurants in any
metropolitan city), and it's the 'in' place for fashion and style
(heard of Armani, Prada or Fendi?).
But what really sets apart this magnificent metro apart is the
historical and cultural significance. Sure, New York and Mumbai are
important metros too, but are their streets lined with quaint little
pizzerias and cobblestones? Can one see beautiful sculptures along
major crossroads and piazzas? No, it is only in Rome where these are
daily sights. Since there's so muchto see, here are a few do-not-miss
sights:
The Colosseum
About 1900 years ago, Emperor Nero, the much hated monarch, built an
artificial lake of about 300,000 square feet. After his death, the
pool was covered up and in its place was built the largeamphitheatre
we now call the Colosseum. At its peak (during thetime of gladiators),
it could seat about 75,000 spectators (about 1.5 times the capacity of
Chennai's cricket stadium). But what really strikes the viewer is the
aging grace of the structure. Even after having been half-broken down
by the invaders, it serves as a symbol of the grandeur once associated
with the Roman Empire.
Food and Fashion
Rome contains the headquarters of fashion brands like Valentino and
Bulgari and has the distinction of being the hometown of pasta!
For food, stick to the small pizzerias by the street sides. Theymay
seem a bit cramped as everything seems to be in Rome, where lack of
space is a huge issue, but the mouth watering food makes up for it.
Pizza, traditionally associated with Italy,first originated in Naples.
When the citizens of Naples showed their invention to the
city-dwellers of Rome, they were laughed upon… Guess the joke is on
them, now! Don't miss out on Roman specialities: Pomodori conriso
(Baked tomatoes filled with rice and potatoes) and Gnocchi alla Romana
(potato dumplings doused in butter and melted cheese).
Fashion-wise, things might be expensive, but don't be afraid to
splurge a little. The Via de Condotti is home to top designer stores
such as Armani, Prada, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucciand other
global brands. Once upon a time, store-owners used to charge up to €10
for customers to just walk through the doors! Thankfully, now we can
window shop and dream about these luxurious products without having to
pay a penny.
St. Peter's Basilica
It's true that the most famous structure in the Vatican City is the
Sistine Chapel, but the St. Peter's Basilica is not something you can
miss! The interiors are just as impressive as its exteriors. St.
Peter's is vast and spacious, leaving a lot of room for visitors to
wander and explore different parts of the church. Inside, one can see
statues by artists such as Michelangelo of popes and figures who
played a crucial role in the construction and maintenance of the
basilica.
Fountain of four rivers
Rome boasts of a collection of public fountains unmatched by any other
city. They were once used as a way of distributing drinking water to
the poor. Rome's greatest fountain, the "Fountain of Four Rivers" is
found in Piazza Navon and depicts Gods of the four great rivers in the
four continents then known to geographers: the Nile in Africa, the
Ganga in Asia, the Danube in Europe and the Río de la Plata in
America. Each sculpture is enhanced by decorations of flora and fauna
of the respective regions. To top it all, a giant Egyptian-style
obelisk towers over the whole piece. People were originally worried
that the obelisk would cause the whole structure to tip over, but it
has held strong.
Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, actor
Last August, I visited Rome for the first time. It was one of my best
trips. It is the food that reallymade my trip great. I ate everywhere
possible, from street food joints to luxury hotels and I wasn't
disappointed anywhere. The gelatos were particularly special.
Also, a discussion about Rome would be incomplete without a mention
about its splendid architecture. Vatican City is beautiful. What I
feel is that we may take photographs to relive moments but witnessing
the breathtaking landscapes there in real is a different experience
altogether
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ISLAMIC ARTICLE ~ The Hidden Blessings of Illness and Hardship

The Hidden Blessings of Illness and Hardship
~
I'm glad and grateful that I am ill right now, and that times are
hard. Does that sound crazy?
~
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of
Allah (pbuh) said, "For any adversity a Muslim suffers, Allah erases
some of his sins, even though it may be no more than athorn pricking
him." (Related by Al-Bukhari).
Another version of this Hadith is also related by Al-Bukhari on the
authority of two of the Prophet's (pbuh) companions, namely, Abu Saeed
Al-Khudri and Abu Hurairah who quote him as saying: "Whatever befalls
a Muslim of exhaustion, illness, worry, grief, nuisance or trouble,
even thoughit may be no more than a prick of a thorn, earns him
forgivenessby Allah of some of his sins."
My father recently suffered a fall and broke his leg badly, and is now
in a rehab center. In my personal life, two moves and one divorce in
the last five years havemade it hard to retain friendships,and I find
myself feeling isolated. I've been through some painful personal
experiences. And these are hard times economically as well. So there's
a lot of stress in the household.
I do my best to love my daughter more than ever, to play with her, hug
and kiss her, and always remind her of Allah's barakah. I try to make
her world full of happiness, learning, and talks about Allah. I try to
never let her see me sweat, as they say. But once she's sound asleep
in bed, I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders like a
sack of stones.
So if by patiently enduring this illness and these hard times in
general, I will earn Allah's forgiveness for my sins, and maybe will
be blessed in ways that I do not see, then I am grateful.
One more hadith: Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated that Allah's Messenger
salallahu alayhi wasallam said, "On the Day of Resurrection, when
people who have suffered affliction are giventheir reward, those who
are healthy will wish their skins hadbeen cut to pieces with scissors
when they were in the world." (Al-Tirmidhi, 1570)
In other words, when people see how much reward is given to those who
suffered in life, they will wish that they had suffered terribly, in
the worst possible ways, so that it might become a cause of
forgiveness for them in the Hereafter.
SubhanAllah, whatever pain we suffer in this life is not in vain. It
is not wasted. We may cry and wince and groan over small pains,but
Allah sees our suffering and will compensate us more than we can
imagine, as long as we are patient and keep faith in Him. Allah the
Most High has a plan for us, and He is the best of planners. We must
have faith in Him and Hisplan for us.
Seeing the Good
Also, let us not be blind to the good things that have happened. I
think this is very important. All too often we get caught up in
ourlosses and dismiss some of Allah'squiet gifts and blessings that
have budded and opened up when we were hardly looking.
For example, I have always thought of myself as a writer at heart and
have been happiest when I was pursuing that calling. When I was single
I was obsessive about it. Even after a long day at work I would sit
down in front of the computer in my little San Francisco loft, and
write. After I got married and the responsibilities of family life
fell on my shoulders I neglected my writing. Lately, however, I find
myself writing daily and expressing ideas that have been growing in my
heart for decades. The words flow as if they have been bottled under
pressure, waiting for release. What a blessing!
In my teens I studied martial arts for some years. Life carried me in
different directions and I stoppedpracticing but I still thought of
myself as a martial artist, and keptmeaning to get back into it.
Finallyin my late thirties I realized that my dream was passing me by.
I got back into it and made a do-or-die commitment. Since then, with
the moves from the Bay Area to Panama City to El Valle to Fresno, it's
been a struggle to find teachers and training partners, but I have
persisted, in some cases creating my own training group out of
scratch. For the last year and a half, partly as a way ofdealing with
loneliness and stress,I plunged myself into an intensivestudy of the
arts.
Now I suddenly find myself entering this phase when my understanding
of the arts is expanding like a tidal wave. I seem to have moved
beyond rotememorization of techniques and Iam able to spontaneously
create combinations and visualize new possibilities.

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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 others will follow, because they have
seen the problems as well, and they arewaiting for someone to lead the
way.
Do you want to be a better Muslim, 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 elseto show love and kindness first? Are
you waiting for someone elseto be vulnerable or brave, to put himself
out there, to take 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

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