ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- ~ Love Is an Important Sign of a Believer

Almost everyone will come across loveless and ruthless people in their
lives. These people are unaffected by almost everything that goes on
or is said around them and use a harsh form of language. There is no
doubt that it is none other than satan who leads these people to
lovelessness and ruthlessness. Satan does not want people to have good
conscience or to be rational, submissive, grateful, tolerant, pleased
with Allah's creation, full of love and showing moral virtue to those
around them. Yet Almighty Allah has created human nature to make
things easy and put others at their ease,so people will sacrifice
themselves if necessary, do this without letting the other party know,
to adapt to all legitimate things and to be full of love. Believers,
who use this attribute created by Allah very well, calm down the
environment they findthemselves in and always have apositive impact.
This harmonious, calming, positive, warm and relaxing character that
believers exhibit to those around them out of their love of Allah is
an excellent sign of a believer. Allah reveals in the Qur'an how He
has created the blessing of love for believers:
" As for those who believe and do right actions, the All-Mercifulwill
bestow His love on them." (Surah Maryam, 96)
The true source of the love for other people that believers feel in
their hearts is their love of Allah. Knowing that Allah created the
joy they feel in their hearts and that Allah is manifested in all
things is the true source of profound human love.
In true love, one can always express these emotions to the people one
loves with breathtaking and effective words one has never used before.
Each one is different to all those that have gone before because one
experiences that joy in the most vibrant form andat every moment in
one's heart.
Allah has created human beings with "souls," in contrast to all other
living things. Therefore, and again in contrast to all other living
things, the effect that the riches in one's soul will have on another
person will also be different. The love that everyoneexperiences is
directly proportional to the beauty in one's soul. The more traits
deserving of love and respect one has, the more people will love and
respect them. In the same way, the more sensitive one is to the traits
deserving of love and respect in other people, the more one will see
such beauties in others and love and respect them in proportion.
Mr. Adnan Oktar Speaks of the Love Described in the Qur'an:
The Qur'an describes the foundation of love. It does not tell us
simply to love. Love requires patience, for instance, loyalty,
generosity, care, protectiveness and consideration, doesn't it? An
egotistical, selfish person cannot know love. An egotistical, selfish
person inevitably loses love. People who are not forgiving lose love.
In other words, love does not form spontaneously. It calls for work
and care. You haveto protect love in the same way you tend a flower.
Love does notjust appear spontaneously. One does not love a person's
eyes and eyebrows; they can grow old or become diseased. Wealth can
also disappear, but faith and virtue, the moral values stemming from
faith, are permanent and have a profoundeffect on the soul. That is
why we love other people. One cannot just love a person made of flesh
and bone because lift the skin up by just a millimeter and flesh is
bright red, and all you have is blood and fat and nothing else. So
there is nothing left to love about a person.
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ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- ~ The Qur'an sets out the basis of love

The Qur'an refers to love that stems from faith and has a profound
impact on the soul. It takes hard work to possess thatlove. The
concept of love in the Qur'an encapsulates the concepts of
self-sacrifice, patience, generosity, care and protection. Our Lord
reveals in the Qur'an that responding to evil and evil words in the
finest possible manner and treating people well represents the basisof
love.
If you ask people across the world, the majority will probably say
they "know all about love and loving" and that they "love agreat many
people." But the fact is that only very, very few people know love and
how to love. What people imagine to be "love" is actually a feeling
rather more like infatuation. The passage of time makes it quite
clear that this feeling is not love at all. True love is an emotion
based on the love and approval of Allah, that never diminishes no
matter how much time goes by, that can withstand time, difficulties,
flaws and errors andthat is always growing.
Responding to Evil in the Finest Way Is Proof of Love
In the Qur'an, Allah commands people to respond to evil with good:
"A good action and a bad actionare not the same. Repel the bad with
something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone
else, he will be like a bosom friend." (Surat al-Fussilat, 34)
Allah has promised believers an auspicious outcome when they respond
to evil with good. He notes that even if there is a stateof enmity
between them and theother person, a warm friendship can still emerge.
This is also a requirement of believers' conception of love and
compassion. When they see that the other party is behaving badly and
in a manner displeasing to Allah, they first think that this behavior
is a danger to that person in terms of the hereafter and approach that
person with tolerance and modesty, avoiding pride and arrogance, and
adopt a humble way of speaking. They never adopt the logic of "The
person inerror or who does wrong must be the first to apologize" or
"To hell with them," an attitude common among people who do not live
by Qur'anic moral values.They know that Allah will approve of the
behavior of whoever behaves well, and that to respond to evil with
good is the behavior most compatible with the moral values of the
Qur'an. For that reason, they regard humility as gaining them
something rather than a source of loss.
Believers may encounter all kinds of people during their lives. But
they never alter their moral conception on the basis ofother people's
behavior. Other people may speak mocking or ugly words, become angry
or behave badly. But the believer never changes his good manners,
modesty, compassionate affection and loving behavior. He never
repliesto bad words with bad words of his own. He never responds to
mockery or anger with mockery or anger of his own. He always responds
to offensive behavior with a tolerance, compassion and love that
serves to embarrass the other party and make them want to behave
better. He is always calm and moderate in the face of anger.
Of course, this behavior on the part of a believer has an entirely
rational dimension; it never puts him in a position whereby he can
come to harm. He never allows himself or other believers to come to
any harm or to sufferany wrong. But with his good behavior he also
preaches the moral virtues commanded by thefaith. And by adopting the
moral values beloved of Allah, he tries to attract the other party
toward religious moral values.
However, we must also not forget that someone else behaving badly is
no excuse for exhibiting poor moral values oneself. Everyone is
individually and ultimately responsible to Allah for his actions.
Being able to respond to bad behavior with affection, compassion,
moral virtue and love is, according to the Qur'an, a sign of superior
morality because this proper attitude on the part of the believer
shows the power and intensity of his devotion to Allah.That person is
patient solely because that value will be pleasing to Allah. Allah
reveals that He will twice reward this superior patience people
exhibit regarding living by the moral values of the Qur'an:
"They will be given their reward twice over because theyhave been
steadfast and because they ward off the bad with the good and give
from what we have provided for them." (Surat al-Qasas, 54)
Treating People Well Is Proof of Love
"We did not create the heavens and earth and everything between them,
except with truth. The Hour is certainly coming, so turn away
graciously." (Surat al-Hijr, 85)
Allah commands believers to behave well and treat others with love.
This is a solid moral conception stemming from fear of Allah and
devotion to the Qur'an.
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QUR'AN AYATH EXPLANATION :- ~ 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?

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HEALTH - ~ Cool foods for summer

Foods to stock up on and those to avoid to beat the heat.
It's summer and most people are drinking water like thirsty men in a
desert.But in the midst of all this guzzling to prevent dehydration we
tend to neglect our diet! Sure, the body needs water to replenish lost
fluids, but it also requires a special summer diet too! Here are some
food items that can make your summers cool:
Vegetables: Those with high water content should top the list, as they
help hydrate your body from within. Foods such as onions, tomatoes,
cucumbers, pumpkins, cabbage, carrot, cauliflowerand sprouts should
find a place on your plate, as theyserve to cool your body from within
while providing the daily quota of nutrition.
Non Veg: For those who feel empty without their quota of meat, try
fish. Thisis better than red meat or chicken because it containsfatty
acids such as Omega 3 and Omega 6.
Gooseberry: Not only is amla a great refresher, it also helps reverse
the ageing effects of the sun and gives you added stamina for gym
sessions. It strengthens the heart, hair and different glands.
Apricot: If you're prone to skin breakouts or acne in summer, apricot
can help. It provides iron, vitamin C, potassium and fibre. Enjoy it
as a great pre- or post-workout snack.
Buttermilk : Buttermilk is better than diet soda. It is one of the
healthiest summer drinks. Down a glass a day to avoid dehydration and
digestion issues.
Cardamom : Look no further than your cup of elachi chai for an instant
cool down. Cardamom has wonderful detoxifying properties to
effectively cool down even the most hot-headed days.
Corn: Nothing elevates work stress more than a malfunctioning air
conditioner. So pop some corn. It's a good source of pantothenic acid,
which provides vitamin B to lower stress levels. Boiled corn is a
great snack or a lunch takeaway as it lowers cholesterol levels and is
high in essential carbs.
Mango: Skip Katrina's aamsutra adverts and focus on the real fruit.
Chilled mangoes are the juiciest way to cool off, butif you're looking
for a bit ofspice, try this: Unripe mangoes are a rich source of
pectin. Steam and juice with cumin (jeera) and salt for an excellent
remedy from heat stroke and exhaustion.
Oyster: Already establishedas an aphrodisiac, oysters contain
phytochemicals that wipe out the toxins that encourage sweating. But
they're best consumed fresh and should not be bought from stores where
they're sold in bags and bowls.
Soybeans: Rich in protein, they help prevent summer colds. Add some to
caramelcustards, kheer or payasamto lower bad cholesterol levels.
Kiwi: The fruit is rich in omega 3, relatively easy tofind, and easy
on the pocket. And there is no need to dress up this tasty and
delightful fruit.
Soups : Watery broth-based soups are an excellent choice! Adding
'cool' herbs such as mint orcoriander to the soups is another way of
ensuring that your piping hot soup cools you down from within.
Curd: Curd is a healthy alternative to cold drinks and ice-cream. The
VitaminB in it helps soothe ulcers, allergies and heat boils.
Juices : Be it lime juice, coconut juice, green tea or just plain
buttermilk, drink them all to replenish lost fluids and avail of the
benefits of various nutrients and vitamins.
So, now that you are armed with the do's and the don'ts of a summer
diet , enjoy the sun!
Stay away from them
Cold drinks and ice cream: While fizzy cold drinks and yummy ice
-creams may seem cool, they actually interfere withthe body's own
cooling mechanism!
Coffee and alcohol: Both act as diuretics, which increase urination,
leading to an excessive loss of water from the body
Fried foods: Samosa, vada-pav, burger and pizzacontain a lot of fat,
which on entering the body increases the metabolic rate. This has a
thermal effect on the body, increasing its temperature!

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