1] Dua Against Debt

Being in debt is a killer. It consumes us with stress, and eats away
at our happiness and sense of security. It destroys marriages, and if
the debt is between family or friends then it can ruin those
relationships. In some countries, inability topay your debt can even
you put in prison.
I feel obligated to mention that part of the reason so many people are
carrying so much debt is our addiction to the material lifestyle. We
are bombarded with messagesand advertisements telling us we need to
buy this andown that. It gets to the point where we measure our status
in life (and that of others) by what we own, or worse, by how much we
spend. If we spend a huge sum of money on a lavish wedding, then we
are "honored" in society. If not,we feel shamed. Since our incomes do
not match our desires, we go into debt.
This thinking and lifestyle is completely contrary to what Islam
teaches us, and to the example set by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and
the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased withthem all). Even when they became
rulers of the world,they continued to live simple and humble
lifestyles, because they understood what really matters in life.
So the first step for us is to readjust our priorities, and to realize
that what matters is our relationship with Allah. Beyond that, the
important things in life are our family relationships– loving our
spouses and children and spending timewith them, worshiping with them,
supporting them. Then our friendships,and doing some good in the
world, creating something meaningful, andbeing an agent of compassion
in the lives of those around you.
Dua Against Debt
If you have done whatever you can to avoid debt, and still you find
yourself burdened with debts, try this dua from Fortress of the
Muslim. Repeat it manytimes every day:
Dua for relief from debt, inArabic
Allaahummak-finee bihalaalika 'an haraamika wa 'aghninee bifadhlika
'amman siwaaka.
"O Allah, suffice me with what You have allowed instead of what You
have forbidden , and make me independent of all others besides You."
(Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/560. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/180.)
This dua against debt is really brilliant, because the dua contains
within itself the solution to the problem. "Suffice me with what you
have allowed." Inother words, let the halal be enough for me. Don't
letme get myself into debt because of haram mortgage loans or
excessive material desire, or out-of-control consumerspending. Let me
be satisfied with a simple, halal life, so that I don't getinto debt.
If you repeat this often enough it becomes a part of your thinking and
awareness, and you modifyyour own behavior, which leads to: "make me
independent of all others besides You." You become your own man or
woman, not owing money to anyone, independent, relying only on Allah.
I'm not saying the dua is just an affirmation, I'm saying it works on
both levels, as an affirmation and as a prayer to Allah to help you
achieve that affirmation. It's a subtle and amazing dua.
Three Excellent Dua's Against Debt:
(note that #2 is the sameas the one above)
1) "Oh Allah, I take refugein You…"
Narrated by Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (ra):
One day the Messenger of Allah (saw) entered the mosque. He saw there
a man from the Ansar (a resident of Madinah) called Abu Umamah and
said to him: "What is the matter that I am seeing you sittingin the
mosque when there is no time of prayer?" Abu Umamah said: "I am
entangled in sorrow and debts." The Prophet Muhammad (ra ) replied:
"Shall I not teach you words by which, when you say them, Allah will
remove your sorrow, and settle your debts?" Abu Umamah said: "Yes,
Messenger of Allah." The Prophet Muhammad (ra ) said: "Say in the
morning and evening: Allahumma inni 'auzu bika min alhamma wal 'huzn,
wal 'ajzi wal kasali wal bukhli wal jubn, wa dhala'iddini wa
'galabatir rajaal." (See here for the arabic text).
'O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and
laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from
being overpowered by men.'
Abu Umamah said: "When Idid that Allah removed my distress and settled
my debt." [Abu Dawood]

Stories of New Muslims

This page is built on the shoulders of those people who have
volunteered their personal stories of how they entered Islam. Ifyou,
the reader, are open to the possibility that Allah, the Creator, has
given you clear evidence to accept Him and His message of Islam, then
read these stories. From different backgrounds, anddifferent
experiences, you just might find someone here who had the same
questions and doubts that you may have. Many of these people have
endured against tremendous obstacles, including parental opposition,
despair with other religions, being blind, and being lied to about the
true nature of Islam.

How to become a Muslim

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has fullconviction and
strong belief that Islam is the true religion ordained by Allah for
all human-beings,then, one should pronounce the " Shahada ",the
testimony of faith, without further delay . The Holy Qur'an is
explicit on this regard as Allah states:
"The Religion in the sight of Allah is Islam." (Qur'an 3:19 )
In another verse of the Holy Qur'an, Allah states:
"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (Submission to Allah),
Never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in
the ranks of those who have lost." (Qur'an 3:85 )
If a person does not pronounce the Shahada and enter Islaam, we cannot
say that he is a Muslim, even if he admiredIslaam and recognized that
it the best religion, a great religion, and so on. Abu Taalib, the
uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died
a kaafir (non-Muslim), and Allaah forbade His Prophet to pray for
forgiveness for him, even though he used to defend the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said in his poems: "I do know
that the religion of Muhammad is better than all other religions of
mankind; were it not for fear of blame or slander, you would find me
accepting it completely."

Do Fish Oil Supplements Protect Your Heart?

Many people take fish oil supplements because someevidence suggests
that the omega-3 fatty acids they contain help protect against
cardiovascular disease (CVD) and sudden death caused by heart rhythm
abnormalities. But there is conflicting evidence from several research
studies and, in theend, these supplements areprobably not helpful.
Results of a New Study
The fatty acids thought to help protect against CVD are called
eicosapentaenoicacid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In
reviewing this ongoing issue, the latest results are from a
meta-analysis published recently in Archives of Internal Medicine.
This report examined 14 research trials that enrolled20,485 patients.
These patients, all with known aCVD, took either a placeboor fish oil
supplements. Theaverage dose was 1.7 gram/day of EPA and DHA. The
results showed that supplementation did not reduce the risk of CVD
events, sudden cardiac death, heart attacks, strokeand transient
ischemic events, or deaths from all causes. The authors concluded that
fish oil supplements were not beneficial in secondary prevention
(preventative measures used in people with a prior history of CVD.)
Results of Previous Studies Differ
One reason for the popularity of fish oil supplementation was the 1999
report of a large Italian study which followed people who took fish
oil supplements for a period of 3.5 years, startingwithin 3 months
after a heart attack. Those taking the supplements significanty
lowered their risk for overall death as well as a combination of CVD
outcomes, compared to study participants who did not take fish oil
after a heart attack. While that sounded promising, two other research
trials looking at secondary prevention, published in 2010, found
different results, as did the meta-analysis described above. These
trials found that fish oil supplements offered no protection against
CVD events. What could be the reason?
There are a couple of possible explanations for the different results
of the latest studies:
1) accurate determination of the benefits of preventive measures
requires a longer follow-upthan employed in any of these studies; and,
2) any possible benefits of fish oil supplements were not apparent in
participants in the later studies because their CVD risk was reduced
by taking the new medications to control cholesterol levels and blood
pressure.
In addition, an earlier meta-analysis also had found no CVD benefits
of fish oil supplements in people with no prior history of CVD (i.e.,
primary prevention).
Should you continue to take fish oil supplements?
I think not, but there does remain the possibility that fish oils
provide some protection against CVD. Thecontroversy may be resolved by
results of the ongoing vitamin D and omega-3 trial that will enroll
20,000 men older than 50 and women older than 55.
Omega-3s are Essential in Your Diet
Despite the disappointing research results around fishoil, omega-3
fatty acids arean essential dietary component since humans can't make
these fats.
If you decide to continue to take fish oil supplements, you'll want to
understand that the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA comprise only
about 20 percent of most supplements. Meanwhile, whether you have CVD
or not, you should eat at leasttwo servings of marine fishweekly
because they not only contain omega-3 fattyacids but may also replace
your intake of less healthy red meat.
One final point about fish oil—there is even less evidence to support
other beneficial claims for these supplements, for example to improve
memory and joint pains of rheumatoid arthritis. However, strong
evidence does show that large doses of fish oil supplements
effectively lower blood triglycerides (but do not raise HDL
cholesterol or lower LDL cholesterol levels).