ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- ~ Gratitude

How do we resist the onslaught of the season? How do we remember Allah?
The greatest tool in our toolbox is gratitude. By looking at what
we've been blessed with, our hearts become content. Socrates commented
that contentment is natural wealth, while luxury is artificial
poverty. Contentment does not mean complacency or passivity; it refers
to a stateof awareness of our blessings, and gratitude forthe smallest
to the greatestprovisions – the tiniest cellsin our bodies, to the
grand earth itself.
Let's become aware of what we have: the food onour plates, our ability
to see and hear, the love and health of our families, sanity,
intelligence, knowledge… these things are huge. When we open our eyes
and start to see, then we become content and happy, and we see how
meaningless are things are like big-screen TVs, the latest smartphone,
or another new dress.
Let's remember Allah the Eternal, and think of our aakhirah
(hereafter). While others are are hungering for more, let's be
grateful for what we have, and give.
Our local Muslim community center here in Fresno participates in
feeding the poor at soup kitchens; and is currently organizing a
winter blanket and coat drive for the homeless. I encourage every
Muslim community to do something similar. Get Muslim adults and
children involved in the process of giving, whether to needy Muslims
or non-Muslims.
It's liberating to ignore the sales and seasonal hype. When we abandon
the idea of acquiring goods, and instead focus on giving, we dump the
wholepropaganda machine on itshead. We change everything. While the
frantic buying of "stuff" makes us forget Allah, gratitude brings us
back to Him. That's why Allah brings together gratitude and
remembrance of Allah:
"So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do notdeny Me."
- Quran, Surat Al-Baqarah, 2:152
Being grateful to Allah means that our hearts become filled with love
for Him; our bodies are obedient to Him; our tongues praise Him; we
receive His favors with humility; we thank Him for everything we have
received; and we use what He has given us for good. We could never
repay Allah. The least we can do is thank him.
By being grateful and separating ourselves from the consumerist
craziness, we set an example of how to live without avarice. We free
our spirits, remove a burden from our backs, andshine a light for
ourselves and others.

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What do Muslims pray for?

For Allah to grant goodness both in this world and the Hereafter:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
" When a Messenger comes to them from Allah confirming what is with
them, a group of those who have been given the Book disdainfully toss
the Book of Allah behind their backs, just as if they did not know."
(Surat al-Baqara, 201)
What Does " Maruf " Mean?
Goodness, grant. Good tradition. The suitable and desired manner
according to the moral values of Islam.
How Should a Muslim Talk?
Talking with Wisdom
Talking with wisdom means a person makes the truest, the most
usefuland the most appropriate conversation possible. However, there
is no rule about talking with wisdom, and it has no connection with
the individual's level of intelligence, culture, state of education
or technical knowledge.
An individual who has wisdom would have no desire to sell oneself to
other people. He knows that Allah is the One Who will give him wisdom
and make him talk, and submits to Allah and in talking only seeks His
Approval. As always, he is aware that he is not in thesight of people,
but in the Sight of Allah and that his speech can only be effective
with His Will. He prays to Allah to make his words effective and wise.
In return for this sincerity, one's conscience inspires in the
individual the most beautiful words to say. In one verse, the
importance of talking with wisdom is revealed as such:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
" He gives wisdom to whoever He wills and hewho has been given wisdom
has been given great good… " (Surat al-Baqara, 269)
Being Determined in Worship
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
" He is Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between
them, so worship Him and persevere in His worship. Do you know ofany
other with His Name?" (Surah Maryam, 65)
"Determination" is showing patience about something, stopping at
nothing to reach the goal, and fulfilling what needs to be done no
matter what by acting with steadfastness. Allah wants Muslims not only
to worship Him, but also to be determined about worship.
Worship means being a servant. Every behavior, action, conversation,
and attitude people do for the cause of Allah is an act of worship.
As performing the prayer five times a day is an important and
obligatory act of worship for a person, in the same way, overcoming
anger, saying a nice word, warning people, not to make an assumption
or not to be argumentative are also acts of worship. Therefore,
Allah's Command "to be determined about worship" is valid for both
factual prayers and good moral values.
However, while Muslims are commanded to be determined in the verses,
there is one more important point revealed. This is the explanations
revealing that Muslims' steadfastness will be tested. Almighty Allah
may test Muslims' steadfastness to live according to the morality of
religion both through events that appear to be negative and with
blessings such as prosperity, health, richnessor power. In short,
Muslims are tested with both difficulty and accommodation. However,in
both situations, sincere believers would experience no negative change
in their behaviors, and they live the morality of Islam in every
situation and environment with thesame determination.
What Does it Mean to Be Honorable Against Disbelievers?
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan-
" You who have faith! If any of you renounce your religion, Allah will
bring forward a people whom He loves and wholove Him, humble to the
believers , fierce to the disbelievers , who strive in the Way of
Allah and do not fear the blame of any censurer. That is the unbounded
favor of Allah which He gives to whoever He wills.… " (Surat
al-Ma'ida, 54)
Allah commanded believers to have a good morality and, no matter what
happens and what kind of an attitude they are faced with, never to
give up these good qualities. The life of disbelievers contains
completely opposite attitudes to the good moral values of believers.
When believers come across these attitudes of disbelievers, they do
not descend to their level, andinstead respond with an honorable
attitude. They never make concessions tothe Qur'an, in the face of
their behavior, and show astrong determination about this. They
respond to a bad word with a goodword, to arrogance with humility, to
injustice with justice and to ruthlessness with mercy.

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HEALTH - ~ How to Breathe EasierAt Home

Having a healthy home isn't necessarily about making every surface
spotless. (Phew!) But a bit of strategic cleaning protects you from
germs and toxins. In fact, concentrations of some pollutants can be
two to five times greater inside our homes than they are outdoors,
according to theEnvironmental Protection Agency—a worrisome
factconsidering we spend, on average, 90 percent of ourtime indoors.
What's more, ordinary objects like a dirty dish towel or neglected
houseplant "can provide just the right environmentfor harmful microbes
to grow," says Kelly Reynolds, PhD, associate professor of
environmental sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Fortunately, small changes, whether it's shaking out your welcome mat
or installing a water filter, can improvethe well-being of your
home—and everyone in it.Here, the most important moves to make.
Step up your doormat
About 60 percent of the dust in our home comes from outside—most of it
tracked in on the bottom of our shoes, research says. And those tiny
particles are made up of a combination of all sorts of icky things
like human skin, animal fur, food debris, lead, and even arsenic.
"Fortunately, using the right kind of doormats canhelp reduce dirt,
pesticides, pollen, and other pollutants in your home," says Oluremi
Aliyu,MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of
Connecticut Health Center. Pick an abrasive one (it will grab more
gunk) made of synthetic fibers like nylon yarn or polypropylene.
Then don't forget to clean it: "Vacuum or shake out your mat once a
week," advises Linda Cobb, cleaning expert and author of Talking Dirty
with the Queen of Clean . Once a month, do a deep clean: Scrub it with
a scrubbrush and warm, soapy water, then hose it off.
Filter your tap water
Your home H2O can contain bacteria, chemicals, and other pollutants,
including heavy metals like lead. At least 74 million Americans in 42
states drink tap water containing chromium (a metal that in some forms
can cause cancer), a study from the Environmental Working Group
reveals.
And although chlorine is necessary to disinfect our water supply,
large amounts can damage healthy cells. The chlorine can also react
with other elements in water to form compounds that have been linked
to cancer, miscarriages, and birth defects. Long-term exposure to
water contaminants—via drinking or inhalation (such as in the steam
fromyour shower)—can also lead to blood, bone, and lung diseases,
notes Michael Roizen, MD, chairman of Cleveland Clinic's Wellness
Institute.
For extra peace of mind, invest in a water filter for your kitchen
faucet that is certified by the National Science Foundation (such as
Pur or Brita). In the shower, install a carbon filter to help remove
chlorine as well as metals that may leach out of pipes. Remember: "The
longer water has been sitting in the pipes, the higher the metal
content, so let it run for a few seconds before showering," Roizen
adds.

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Sheikh Nazim of Cyprus: The rising day belongs to Islam.The rising day belongs to the Just. Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. For this reason, don't be hopeless. Believers, give your hearts to Allah.

His Highness Sheikh Nazimal-Qubrusi was born in Larnaca, Cyprus, on
the 23 rd of April, 1922. The full name of this blessed person, known
as Sheikh Nazim al-Qubrusi, meaning Sheikh Nazim of Cyprus, is
actually Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani .
His maternal line goes back to Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi, the founder of
the Mawlawiya Sufi Order. His father was one of the exceptional people
blessed with Islamic moral values.
His Highness Sheikh Nazim, who is known for always having a smiling
countenance and being very patient, spent his childhood with his
grandfather, an Islamic scholar in Cyprus at the time, and received
his basic Islamic education from him. This initial education was
instrumental in his being very gentle and fond of people, inviting
them to Allah's path with his joyfulface and pleasant conversation.
His Highness Sheikh Nazimbegan studying chemical engineering at the
Istanbul University Bayazitcampus in 1940. In 1944, he went to Tripoli
(Trablus, the second largest city in Lebanon), where he made the
acquaintance of the Mufti of Tripoli, Sheikh Munir al-Malik, one of
the Islamicscholars of his period. At the same time, he came toknow
Abdullah ad-Daghestani, a well-known Islamic scholar of the time, and
took part in his conversations. The education that His Highness Sheikh
Nazim received from his grandfather and from Abdullah ad-Daghestani
led to him coming to possess a profound knowledge of Islamic moral
values.
His Highness Sheikh Nazimthen embarked on European visits in 1974,
meeting and talking with people from any culture orfaith during those
years, and trying to introduce them to religious moral values.
He is loved by hundreds ofthousands of people all over the world, and
thousands are keen to benefit from his conversations. The reason why
he is so popular is that he elaborates on religious moral values in a
very sincere, warm and lively way, possesses enormous tolerance and
always approaches everyone with the love and fear of Allah with a
smiling and cheerful face.
Adnan Oktar: The Master Sheikh Nazım sent me his quilted turban.
Masha'allah. I received it yesterday. Masha'Allah. He is very blessed,
very sweet, very magnificent person, our Master Sheikh Nazim .
Insha'Allah I keep it withgreat respect insha'Allah.
Notice that in this worldthere is one Qutb al-Aqtab and a Qutb
al-Irshad. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is the Qutb al-Irshad. In my opinion,
that is, if people have any conviction about myknowledge, Qutb
al-Aqtab is Sheikh Nazim.
AN EXCERPT FROM AN INTERVIEW MADE WITH SHEIKH NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI IN 1987
Allah ordered our brother Adnan isolation in prayer to manifest in
him in the way He manifested in Prophet Joseph (pbuh). We hope that
Mr. Adnan will have perfect services in the path of Allah in the
future.
His Highness Sheikh Nazim undertook his first trip to America in 1991,
visiting some 15 different states. There, he met Muslims, Christians,
Jews and members of other faiths,and told them of the moral values of
Islam.
His second trip to the US came in 1993, when he visited many cities
and towns, and took time to visit the mosques, churches and synagogues
in them. In this way, he was instrumental in bringing more than 10,000
people whom he met in North America to Islam in a very short period
of time .
In 1993 he opened the "Haqqani Convention and Retreat Center" in
Fenton in the state of Missouri, to hold seminars and dialogues.
Thousands of his students who had adopted his moral values as a role
model then traveled to other countriesto tell others what they had
learned from him. Thisfervent movement took the name of the Grand
Opening .
In 1996, His Highness Sheikh Nazim began his Far Eastern visits,
travelling to important cities in Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, India,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He met witheminent figures in all the
countries he visited and was received by statesmen and leading
individuals in all of them.
By means of his knowledge, modesty, approach to other people and deep
devotion to Allah under all circumstances, he was welcomed with
affection and deep respect by everyone who saw him.
His Highness Sheikh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi currently welcomes
and addresses guests from all over the world who visit his home, which
is in the form of a madrassa in Lefke, Cyprus. Despite being 88 years
old, he still strives with esteemed efforts to encourage people to
live by the all-embracing moral values of the Qur'an all over the
world.

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