Faith, love and kindness are secret weapons to change the world

Faith, love and kindness are not cute ideas or naive catchphrases.
They are elemental forces with the power to alter human hearts, and to
change the world. They are transformative emotions and behaviors that
were bestowed upon us by Allah,who is Al-Rahman (The Most Merciful)
and Al-Wadood (The Most Loving). They are stronger than hurricanes,
and they transcend the birth and death of individuals, and the rise
and fall of nations.
Don't we still have love for the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), and for
the Sahabah, all of whom lived many generations and nations ago? In
fact we look upon them as our heroes and leaders and we love them as
if they were dear friends. This is proof of the enduring nature of
love, which survives when all else changes around us.
Faith, love and kindness are the secret weapons that Allah has given
us to conquer corruption, cynicism, hatred, racism, and evil, in
ourselves and in the world.
These ideas are not naive, as some might say. Was the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) naive? He suffered in his mission, but he persevered. His
mission was rooted in faith and love of Allah, and expressed through
kindness to all people. There are so many stories about him showing
tremendous kindness to rude and even murderous people, and changing
their hearts in the process. He succeeded in the face of impossible
odds. His success is a testament to the power of these noble emotions
and behaviors.
That's why I illustrated thispiece with a photo of sun rays shining on
a dark and snowy world. Because these powerful emotions and behaviors
are not thestuff of sunny afternoons, cotton candy and daisies. They
are like a guiding starthat is only seen in the darkness. They come
into their own and show their true power by confronting and overcoming
hatred, bitterness, painful loss, war, poverty and despair.
I describe them as behaviors because faith that exists only in the
heartis not true faith. Faith is proven by action. Faith is defined by
the way you live your life. The same is true for love and kindness.
Love is a verb, not a noun. It's not an abstract feeling in your
heart, but a matter of behavior, the way you treat people, the way you
help, forgive, and show mercy to people.
Love Works Miracles in the Heart
It may be a cliche' to speak about love changing the world. It's not
something we can envision in concreteterms. So let me bring it down to
the level of one human being.
Growing up, I had a friend named Ismail. He was a few years younger
than me– when I was 17 he was 14, I think – and had grown up in a
dysfunctional family that had moved around constantly and had not
bothered to educate the children, so that at the age of 14, Ismail was
functionally illiterate.
I began tutoring Ismail andhis younger brother, teaching them to read
and write. I started from scratch, teaching them the alphabet and the
sounds ofthe letters, and working upto small phonetic words. I tutored
them for one hour every day, seven days a week, in the living room of
their apartment. Their parents were not supportive. I was never paid.
Sometimes their parents were fighting with each other at the same time
I was trying to teach. At times I noticed that the two boys could not
concentrate because they were hungry, so I began feeding them before
our study sessions, and giving them multivitamins. Slowlythey began to
learn, until they could write short essays and letters on their own.
Back then I worked for the United States Geological Survey, measuring
water levels at farms in the Central Valley, and taking water samples
to be testedfor various fertilizers and pesticides. It was hot,
difficult work. I'd ride my motorcycle more than hourto the huge
corporate farms on the west side of the valley. Armed with survey
maps, I would trudge across vast farms in 100 degree heat, seeking the
sumps that brought up ground water for irrigation.If the farms had
been recently irrigated the ground might be soft and my feet would
sink into the mud with every step. Some of the sumps were a dozen feet
deep or more, so in order to get a sample I had to toss a chain link
ladder down into the sump, climb down, fill a test tube, and climb
back out. I was very aware that if the ladder broke I could get stuck
in the sump, and I might not even be missedfor two or three days (no
cell phones in those days). It worried me.
So I began asking Ismail to come to the farms with me. He wasn't doing
anything anyway – he was not enrolled in school because he could not
function anywhere near hisgrade level.

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Resilience is Contagious

"Resilience is contagious." –Amy Estrada. Sure, life comes along now
and thenand blows you off your feet. That's alright. What matters is
that you get back up.
You don't have to have theanswers. You don't have tobe superman or
superwoman. When the thundercloud opens up, who among us can stop the
rain? When the hurricane blows, who can stay on his feet? No one.
When the storm passes, stand up. Dust yourself off, take stock, and
move forward in the name of Allah. If the storm has disoriented you
and you don't see the way forward, look to the Quran. "And if there
should come to youguidance from Me – then whoever follows My guidance
will neither go astray [in the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter]."
(Quran, Surat TaHa, 20:123). The Quran is a mighty book. Never
underestimate it. If you cannot speak Arabic and find the English
translations unwieldy, get one of the modern translations that are
easier to read, like those by Umm Muhammad, or Thomas Cleary.
When you get knocked down and then stand up tall, with strength,
others see it, and it rallies them. Your spouse sees it, your children
see it, your friends see it, and of course Allah sees it. Don't think
of it as showing off. Not at all. Think of it as brotherhood and
sisterhood, all of us helping each other, giving each other strength,
being good shepherds to our flocks.
Superman is no hero, he's impervious to bullets! Real heroes get hurt,
they get down on themselves sometimes, they're imperfect, they
struggle to pay the bills and raise theirchildren, they struggle to be
become stronger in their faith, but they struggle! They don't give up.
That's inspiring, and it's contagious, and maybe sometimes it will be
someone else inspiring you, and maybe sometimesit will be you, getting
up after the hurricane, showing us all how it's done.

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RULERSHIP IN YEMEN:

The folks of Sheba were one of the oldest nations of the pure Arabs,
who lived in Yemen. Excavations at "Or" brought to light their
existence twenty five centuries B.C. Their civilization flourished,
and their domain spread eleven centuries B.C.
It is possible to divide their ages according to the following estimation:
1. The centuries before 650 B.C., during which their kings were called
"Makrib Sheba". Their capital was "Sarwah", also known as "Khriba",
whose ruins lie in a spot, a day's walk from the western side of
"Ma'rib". During this period, they started building the "Dam of
Ma'rib" which had great importance in the history of Yemen. Sheba was
also said to have had so great a domain that they had colonies inside
and outside Arabia.
2. From 650 B.C. until 115 B.C. During this era, they gave up the name
"Makrib" and assumed the designation of "Kings of Sheba". They also
made Ma'rib their capital instead of Sarwah. The ruins of Ma'rib lie
at a distance of sixty miles east of San'a.
3. From 115 B.C. until 300 A.D. During this period, the tribe of
Himyar conquered the kingdomof Sheba and took Redan for capital
instead of Ma'rib. Later on, Redan was called "Zifar". Itsruins still
lie on Mudawwar Mountain near the town of "Yarim". During this period,
they began to decline and fall. Their trade failed to a very great
extent, firstly, because of the Nabetean domain over the north of
Hijaz; secondly, because of the Roman superiority over the naval
traderoutes after the Roman conquest of Egypt, Syria and the north of
Hijaz; and thirdly, because of the inter-tribal warfare. Thanks to the
three above-mentioned factors, families of Qahtan were disunited and
scatteredout.
4. From 300 A.D. until Islam dawned on Yemen. This period witnessed a
lot of disorder andturmoil. The great many and civil wars rendered the
people of Yemen liable to foreign subjection and hence loss of
independence. During this era, the Romans conquered 'Adn and even
helped the Abyssinians (Ethiopians) to occupy Yemen for the first
timein 340 A.D., making use of the constant intra-tribal conflict of
Hamdan and Himyar. The Abyssinian (Ethiopian) occupation of Yemen
lasted until 378 A.D., whereafter Yemen regained its independence.
Later on, cracks began to show in Ma'rib Dam which led to the Great
Flood (450 or 451 A.D.) mentioned in the Noble Qur'ân. This was a
great event which caused the fall of the entire Yemeni civilization
and the dispersal of the nations living therein.
In 523, Dhu Nawas, a Jew, despatched a great campaign against the
Christians of Najran in order to force them to convert into Judaism.
Having refused to do so, they were thrown alive into a big ditch where
a great fire had been set. The Qur'ân referred to this event:
*.
*. "Cursed were the people of the ditch." [85:4]
This aroused great wrath amongthe Christians, and especially the Roman
emperors, who not only instigated the Abyssinians (Ethiopians) against
Arabs but also assembled a large fleet which helped the Abyssinian
(Ethiopian) army, of seventy thousand warriors, to effect a second
conquest of Yemen in 525 A.D., under the leadership of Eriat, who was
granted rulership over Yemen, a position he held until he was
assassinated by one of his army leaders, Abraha, who,after
reconciliation with the king of Abyssinia, took rulership over Yemen
and, later on, deployed hissoldiers to demolish Al-Ka'bah, and ,
hence, he and his soldiers came to be known as the "Men of the
Elephant".
After the "Elephant" incident, the people of Yemen, under the
leadership of Ma'dikarib bin Saif Dhu Yazin Al-Himyari, and through
Persian assistance, revolted against the Abyssinian (Ethiopian)
invaders, restored independence and appointed Ma'dikarib as their
king. However, Ma'dikarib was assassinated by an Abyssinian
(Ethiopian) he used to have him around for service and protection. The
family of Dhu Yazin was thus deprived of royalty forever. Kisra, the
Persian king, appointed a Persian ruler over San'a and thus made
Yemena Persian colony. Persian rulers maintained rulership of Yemen
until Badhan, the last of them, embraced Islam in 638 A.D., thus
terminating the Persian domain over Yemen.

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HEALTH - ~ 3 Ways to Cut Calories + Increase Longevity

Did you know that one pound of fat equals a whopping 3500 calories?!
By cutting just 500 calorieseach day, you can lose up to one pound a
week to reach your goal weight. The good news is that you don't have
to suffer from starvation or exercise burn out to achieve this. By
making a few tweaks to your diet and exercise routine, you will be
cuttingthose calories almost without even realizing it!
If cutting 500 calories sounds a bit overwhelming, start with cutting
just 250 each day. Here are eight surprising but effective ways you
can cut calories and increase longevity!
Food For Thought
Making smart food choices and modifying your eating habits can make a
huge difference in the amount ofcalories you consume. When studying
the habits of centenarians for twenty years, I learned that peopletend
to live longer when they consume fewer calories. Try the following
simple strategies to slash unnecessary calories and gain a flatter
belly.
1. Downsize your cups and plates. Some studies show that we tend to
eat everything on our plate, even if we are already full. Centenarians
I have interviewed shared a common habit—they all stopped eating once
they were three-quarter's full, which is less taxing on the digestive
system than overeating. We can work towards this same habit bymaking a
few dish switches. Opt for a 10-inch plate instead of a 12-inch one
and you can save about 500 calories by eating 20-25% less. Beware of
those oversized coffee beverages, which can contain up to 700
calories! Lose the whipped cream, flavored syrups, andfull-fat milk
and save yourself even more calories.
2. Don't go nuts! Althoughnuts should be eaten for their heart-healthy
fats and trove of nutrients, it is easy to overindulge in these
crunchy companions.Depending which nut you choose, one handful
contains about 175–200 calories. If you are not careful, you may find
yourself eating a bowl—and about 500 calories. To save some calories,
portion out one handful and eat nuts that require shelling like
pistachios, which will slow down your munch time.
Bonus Tip: Some of my patients nibble on High Performance supplements
for a vitality-enhancing snack. High Performance is a combination of
unique Chinese food herbs, exotic seeds and wholesome grains that
strengthens digestion and boosts your energy naturally.
3. Dress for less. What's healthier than indulging in a big green
salad, right? Although you are on the right track, watch out for those
toppings and dressings that can pack on the calories. Tossing in a
small handful of nuts or dried fruit is ok, but those buttery
croutons, extra cheese, bacon, and sugar-laden dressings can sabotage
your health goal. Stick with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette that
contains heart-healthy olive oil and calorie-free balsamic vinegar.
You can also swap a fresh squeeze of lemon for the balsamic vinegar
and add herbs and spices for a flavor kick! If you must choose that
blue cheese dressing, stick to just one tablespoon.
Boost Your Metabolism toBurn Calories
Increased muscle mass equates to a higher metabolism. That means by
just sitting, you will effectively burn more energy. Strength training
iseffective for building strength and improving your overall health.
However, if pumping iron isn't part of your workout plan, multiple
forms of cardiovascular exercise willimprove the power in yourmuscles,
burn calories, and boost your cardiovascular health. Just remember, if
you are outdoors, put on your sunscreen to protect your skin from the
UVA andUVB rays. Try the following fun activities to become a burning
machine!

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