Flavour of Faith

It is related by Abbas bin Adbul Muttalib that he heard the Apostle of
God say: "He tasted the flavour of Faith and experienced itssweetness
who agreed with a truthful heart to accept God as His Cherisher, Islam
as his religion, and Muhammad as his Prophet." [Bukhari]
Commentary:
Just as all delicious foods posses a flavour but can beperceived only
when one's faculty of taste has not been lost or become perverted due
to illness or any other cause, there is also a special sweetness in
faith which can be enjoyed by those alone who have, willingly and
earnestly, made Allah their Lord and Master, Muhammad (PBUH) their
prophet and guide, and Islam their religion and way of life, and whose
hearts have bowed in submission to God and yielded in obedience to
theprophet and assented to bethe adherents of the path of Islam. In
other words, their bond with God, the prophet and Islam is not merely
formal, hereditary or intellectual but real, sincere and genuine.
Anas related to us that "Only he will taste the sweetness of faith who
hasthese three qualities: the love of God and the prophet that comes
to him before everything else, he loves whom he loves solelyfor the
sake of God, and theidea of going back to apostasy after he has
embraced Islam is as repugnant to him as being thrown into fire."
[Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
The subject matter of this tradition is almost identicalto that of
proceeding one. It says that the sweetness of faith can only be
perceived by him whose love for God and the Apostle is stronger that
for anyone or anything else in the world, so much so that when he
loves somebody, it is wholly for the sake of God, and who is so deeply
devoted to the Islamic faiththat the very idea of leaving it and
reverting back to the apostasy is as painful to him as being castinto
fire.

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Anti-Islam film: US condemns Pakistan minister's bounty

The US state department has condemned a Pakistani minister's offer of
$100,000 (£61,600) for the death of the American maker of an
anti-Islam film.
It said the step was"inflammatory and inappropriate".
Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour made the offer after a wave of
protests against the film across Pakistan and the wider Muslim world.
Dozens have died in clashes between police andprotesters in Pakistan
and countries such as Tunisia and Sudan.
Sunday saw a fresh round of protests over the film in Pakistan,
Nigeria, Greece and Turkey.
Most passed off peacefully, but in the Greek capital Athens, riot
police and demonstrators clashed. Six people were arrested.
A state department official told the BBC: "The president and secretary
of state have both said the video at the core of this is offensive,
disgusting, and reprehensible - but that is no justification for
violence,and it is important for responsible leaders to stand up and
speak out against violence.
"Therefore we find Mr Bilour's announcement is inflammatory and
inappropriate. We note that the prime minister's office has
dissociated itself from his comments."
In hiding
The exact origins of Innocence of Muslims, the low-budget film that
has prompted the unrest, are unclear.
The alleged producer of thetrailer of the film, Nakoula Basseley
Nakoula, is in hiding.
Anti-US sentiment grew after a trailer for the film dubbed into Arabic
was released on YouTube earlier this month.
US citizens have been urged not to travel to Pakistan, and the US
embassy has paid for adverts on Pakistani TV showing President Barack
Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemning the film.
Although US targets have borne the brunt of protestsagainst the film,
anti-Western sentiment has been stoked further by caricatures of the
Prophet Muhammad published this week in the satirical Frenchmagazine,
Charlie Hebdo.
France shut embassies and other missions in about 20 countries across
the Muslimworld on Friday.
An 18-year-old man who threatened the magazine's editors on Facebook
has been charged with terrorism-related activity following his arrest
in the southern French city of Toulon, a judicial source told AFP news
agency on Sunday.

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He wants to study genetics; is there anything wrong with that in shar‘i terms?

I am a student in the faculty of sciences and I want to choose a
specialtythat will not conflict with Islam. What do you think of
specialising in genetics?Is it permissible for me to choose this
specialty?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Every branch of knowledge that people need in their religious or
worldly affairs is not forbidden in and of itself with regard to
studying, learning and understanding. But what is of concern is how
this knowledge is used and applied. There is nothing wrong with
studying accountancy – for example– but the problem is with the
practical application ofit in the real life financial world, such as
working in riba-based banks and other institutions. The same may also
be said concerning medicine. It is a branch of knowledge that is very
important and people cannot do without it, but sometimes in real life
it is used for things that are forbidden in Islam, such as cosmetic
surgery for the purpose of beautification, abortions, and so on.
The same may be said concerning the science of genetics, which is
defined in al-Mu'jam al-Waseet (2/1024) as the science which examines
the transmission of characteristics in living beings from one
generation to another andexplaining the way this occurs. It is an
important branch of knowledge, one of the greatest benefits of which
is knowledge of hereditary diseases and how to protect against them
and treat them. It may also be used for beneficial purposes in plants
and animals. But at the same time there is room for those who are
toying with what is called cloning. We have discussed a little about
what is permitted and what is forbidden with regard to cloning and
genetic engineering in the answers to questions no. 103335 and 21582 .
What matters then is not the theoretical study of genetics; rather it
is the practical application thereof. Whatever is permissible and
beneficial is encouraged by Islam, and whatever is haraam and harmful,
is forbidden by Islam.
In a conference of the Islamic Association of Medical Sciences in
Kuwait,which was held under the heading, "Genetics,
GeneticEngineering, the Human Genome and Gene Therapy: an Islamic
View," with the participation of the Islamic Fiqh Council in Jeddah,
the Local Chapter of the World Health Organization in Alexandria, and
the IslamicOrganization for Education, Science and Culture, which was
held during the period 23-25 Jumaada al-Aakhirah 1419AH/13-15 October
1998 CE,the following statement was issued:
Islam is the religion of science and knowledge, asit says in the verse
in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Say: 'Are those who knowequal to those who know not?'"
[al-Zumar 39:2].
Islam does not hold the human mind back from beneficial scientific
research, but it is not permissible for the results of this research
to be put into practice until they have been measured against Islamic
guidelines. Whatever is in accordance with sharee'ah is permitted, and
whatever goes against it is not permitted. The science of genetics
with its various aspects – as with all additions to knowledge – is
something that Islam encourages and Muslim scientists should be in the
forefront of it.
End quote.
And Allah knows best.

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Calcium pills pose 'heart risk'

People who take calcium supplements could be increasing their risk of
having a heart attack, according to researchers in Germany.
Calcium is often taken by older people to strengthen bones and prevent
fractures.
But the study, published in the journal Heart , said the supplements
"should be taken with caution".
Experts say promoting a balanced diet including calcium would be a
better strategy.
The researchers at the German Cancer Research Centre, in Heidelberg,
followed 23,980 people formore than a decade.
They compared the number of heart attacks in people who were taking
calcium supplements with those who did not.
'Taken with caution'
We need to determine whether the potential risks of the supplements
outweigh the benefits calcium can give sufferersof conditions such as
osteoporosis"
Natasha Stewart
British Heart Foundation
There were 851 heart attacks among the 15,959 people who did not take
any supplements at all. However, people taking calcium supplements
were 86% more likely to have had a heart attack during the study.
The researchers said that heart attacks "might be substantially
increased by taking calcium supplements" and that they "should be
taken withcaution".
Dr Carrie Ruxton, from The Health Supplements Information Service
which is funded supplement manufacturers, said:"Osteoporosis is a real
issuefor women and it is irresponsible for scientists to advise that
women cut out calcium supplements on the basis of one flawed survey,
particularly when the link between calcium, vitamin D and bone health
is endorsed by the European Food Safety Authority."
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) said patients prescribed the
supplements should keep taking their medication, but should also speak
to their doctor if they were concerned.
'Not safe'
Natasha Stewart, a senior cardiac nurse with the BHF, said: "This
research indicates that there may bean increased risk of having a
heart attack for people who take calcium supplements.
"However, this does not mean that these supplements cause heart attacks.
"Further research is neededto shed light on the relationship between
calcium supplements and heart health. We need to determine whether the
potential risks of the supplements outweigh the benefits calcium can
give sufferers of conditions suchas osteoporosis."
Ian Reid and Mark Bolland, researchers at the University of Auckland
in New Zealand, said: "The evidence is also becoming steadily stronger
that it is not safe, nor is it particularly effective.
"Therefore, the administration of this micro nutrient should not be
encouraged; rather people should be advised to obtain their calcium
intake from an appropriately balanced diet.
"We should return to seeing calcium as an important component of a
balanced diet and not as a low cost panacea to the universal problem
of postmenopausal bone loss."
A spokeswoman for the UK's Department of Health said it would consider
the study carefully once the complete article had been published.
"The majority of people do not need to take a calcium supplement," she said.
"A healthy balanced diet will provide all the nutrients, including
calcium, that they need. Good sources of calcium include milk and
dairy foods, fortified dairy food alternatives, e.g. soya drink, and
green leafy vegetables."

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