Anti-oxidant in tomatoes helps cut riskof stroke: study

Eating tomato and tomato-based food rich in antioxidant lycopene can
halve the risk of stroke, a new research has claimed.
Finland researchers found that people with the highest amounts of
lycopene in their blood were 55 per cent less likely to have a stroke
than people with the lowest amounts of lycopene in their blood.
The study involved 1,031 men in Finland between the ages of 46 and 65.
The level of lycopene in their blood was tested at the start of the
study andthey were followed for an average of 12 years.
During that time, 67 men had a stroke.
Among the men with the lowest levels of lycopene,25 of 258 men had a stroke.
Among those with the highest levels of lycopene, 11 of 259 men had a
stroke. When researchers looked at just strokes due to blood clots,
the results were even stronger.
Those with the highest levels of lycopene were 59 per cent less likely
to have a stroke than those with the lowest levels.
"This study adds to the evidence that a diet high in fruits and
vegetables isassociated with a lower risk of stroke," said studyauthor
Jouni Karppi fromthe University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio.
"The results support the recommendation that people get more than five
servings of fruits andvegetables a day, which would likely lead to a
major reduction in the number of strokes worldwide, according to
previous research," Karppi said in a statement.
The study also looked at blood levels of the antioxidants
alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and retinol, but found
no association between the blood levels and risk of stroke.
The research was published in the journal Neurology .

Scientists develop easier test for blindness

Scientists claim to have developed a quick and accurate test for one
of the world's leading causes of blindness.
Researchers from Australia's Vision Centre demonstrated the test under
lights for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - one of the world's
leading causes of blindness.
A new study shows that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be
just as effectively and more rapidly and inexpensively diagnosed under
bright lights, instead of requiring patients to sit for 20 minutes in
a darkened room.
"AMD accounts for half of the legal blindness cases in Australia,"
says Professor Ted Maddess from The Vision Centre and The Australian
National University.
"It affects one in seven people over the age of 50, costing the
nation$2.6 billion a year. Globally, it affects 25 to 30 million
people, with an annual cost of $343 billion.
"While current tests for AMD are done in the light, scientists have
proposed that it might be better if the patient has their vision
adapted to the dark prior to the test," he said in a statement.
"This is because they had found that rod receptors - vision cells that
we use to see in black and white and in low light - die earlier in AMD
than the cone receptors we use to see in colour during the day. So it
had been suggested that AMD tests would be more accurate if they were
based on thehealth of a person's rods," researchers said.
Recent research, however, has shown thatthe eye's cones, while dying
later than rods, start to deteriorate at thesame time as the 'night
vision' cells.
Using the TrueField Analyser, researchers tested how pupils respond to
images on LCDscreens.
"We found little to no difference in the results - with the TrueField
Analyser, we could diagnose AMD just as wellregardless of how much
light the eyes were exposed to during the test.
"Our research indicates that it's not necessary forpeople to be
dark-adapted, which eliminates any long waiting periods and the need
for dark rooms. So it is an easier test than was previously thought,"
researchers said.

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Dought & Clear - - Friday Prayers - - Why aren't travellers mentioned in the hadeeth, “Jumu’ah prayer is an obligatory duty for every Muslim except four”?

In a hadeeth of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) it says: "Jumu'ah prayer is an obligatory duty for everyMuslim
except four." Why is it that travellers not included among those for
whom Jumu'ahprayer is waived in this hadeeth?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The hadeeth referred to in the question was narrated from Taariq
ibnShihaab (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Jumu'ah prayer is an
obligatory duty for everyMuslim, to be offered in congregation, except
four: a slave who is owned, or woman, or a child, or one who is sick."
Narrated by Abu Dawood (1067). Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo' (4/483):
Its isnaad is saheeh according to the conditions of the two shaykhs
(al-Bukhaari and Muslim). Ibn Rajab said in Fath al-Baari (5/327): Its
isnaad is saheeh. Ibn Katheer said in Irshaad al-Faqeeh (1/190): Its
isnaad is jayyid. It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami' (3111).
It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The
traveller is not obliged to pray Jumu'ah." Al-Haafiz said in
Bulooghal-Maraam: Its isnaad is da'eef.
The exception of the traveller is also mentioned in a number of
hadeeths, including the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, according to which
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said:
"There are five for whom Jumu'ah is not obligatory: the woman, the
traveller, the slave, the child and the people of the wilderness." It
says in Majma' al-Zawaa'id: It was narrated by al-Tabaraaniin al-Awsat
and its isnaad includes Ibraaheem ibn Hammaad, who was classed as
da'eef (weak) by al-Daaraqutni. Shaykhal-Albaani (may Allah have mercy
on him) said:(He is) da'eef jiddan (very weak).
It is no secret that the shar'i rulings should be derived from all of
the hadeeths that were narrated concerning thisspecific subject, and
theyshould not be derived from only one hadeeth whilst ignoring the
rest of the hadeeths.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned a
number, as we see in thehadeeth being asked about here, and mentioning
a number does not necessarily mean that it is limited to this number.
The aim may have been to make it easier to remember this hadeeth for
those who heard it. A similar example is the words of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): "There are seven whom
Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there will be no shade
but His…" By compiling all the hadeeths which speak ofthis great
matter ("Allah will shade them with His shade") it becomes clear that
there are more than20 such categories, not only seven.
Al-San'aani said in Subul al-Salaam:
We can see from the hadeeths that Jumu'ah isnot obligatory for six
people: children, as there is consensus that Jumu'ah is not obligatory
for them; slaves, as there is consensus on this matterexcept for
Dawood; women, and there is consensus that it is not obligatory for
them; sick people; travellers, who are not obliged to attend it; and
the sixth category, which is the people of the wilderness. End quote.
And Allah knows best.

Friday Prayers - - Dought & Clear - - Is it permissible for him to complete the purchase when he can hear the call to prayer?

Dought & Clear - - Friday Prayers - - Sometimes when I'm in the
market place and I am in a store and have chosen something and am at
the checkout, the call to prayer is given. Is it permissible for me to
complete the purchase or is that haraam?
Also, sometimes we are in the car and the muezzin has already given
the call to prayer, and we stop at the grocery and my brother asks the
shopkeeper to sell him something. Doesthis also come under the
prohibition?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If that is the adhaan for Jumu'ah prayer that comes after the khateeb
has ascended the minbar, then it is haraam to buy and sell at that
time, because Allah says (interpretationof the meaning): "O you who
believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah (prayer)
on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu'ah
religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and leave off business
(and every other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!"
[al-Jumu'ah 62:9].
The words "O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed
forthe Salaah (prayer) on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the
remembrance of Allaah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah
(prayer)] and leave off business" mean: stop dealing with trade and
come and listen to the khutbah and perform Jumu'ah prayer in the
mosque with the imam. This means that it is haraam to buy and sell
after the second adhaan which comes when the khateeb sits on the
minbar, until the prayer ends, unless there is a case of necessity
which calls for buying or selling, such as buying water for the
purpose ofpurification or a garment to cover one's 'awrah for prayer.
End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 13/101-102
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Buying and selling after the second call to Jumu'ah is haraam and also
invalid. Based on that, the transaction is invalid, so it is not
permissible for the purchaser to dispose of what he has bought,
because he has not taken possession of it, and it is not permissible
for the seller to dispose of the money paid, because he has not taken
possession of it. This is a serious matter, because some people may
buy or sell after the second call to Jumu'ah, then take things on the
assumption that they now belong to them. End quote.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti', 8/52.
So it is not permissible tobuy or sell after the second adhaan for
Jumu'ah, because what is required is to hasten to the mosque in order
to hear the khutbah and pray, and buying and selling distracts from
that.
But if that happens with regard to all the other prayers (Fajr, Zuhr,
'Asr, Maghrib and 'Isha'), there is nothing wrong with it, so long as
it doesnot distract one from praying in congregation and cause one to
miss it.
Allah says (interpretationof the meaning): "Men whom neither trade nor
sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allaah (with heart
andtongue) nor from performing As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât) nor from
giving the Zakât. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be
overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of
Resurrection)"[al-Noor 24:37].
Those are men who, even if they do business and sell and buy, there
isnothing haraam in that, but it should not distractthem and make them
give precedence to that and prefer it over the remembrance of Allah,
establishing prayer and giving zakaah; rather they should make
obedience to Allah and worship of Him their ultimate aim, so whatever
keeps them from that, they should reject it.
End quote from Tafseer al-Sa'di, p. 569
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it haraam
to buy and sell during the adhaan or after it? What about on Fridays?
He replied:
Allah says (interpretationof the meaning): "O you who believe
(Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah (prayer) on
Friday (Jumu'ah prayer)..." [al-Jumu'ah 62:9], so it is not permissible
to buy and sell or to rent or do any other kind of transaction; rather
people should focus on Jumu'ah prayer and hasten to pray Jumu'ah, and
not let anything elsedistract them.
With regard to other prayers, they may or may not come under the same
rulings as Jumu'ah,but to be on the safe side, one should not do
anything after the call toprayer, after the adhaan for Zuhr, 'Asr or
Maghrib,because that may distract him from praying in congregation.So
it is better to avoid that, unless it is some minor matter that will
not distract him, so perhaps there is nothingwrong with it, because
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, only spoke about the issue of
Jumu'ah, because it is very important and it is obligatory to attend
it, and one misses out by missing it. So it is a serious matter and is
a weekly obligation.
To sum up: Jumu'ah cannot be compared with other prayers, but if he
avoids such situations so that he will not be distracted from praying
in congregation,that is better.
Whatever the case, if his buying and selling may distract him from
performing prayer in congregation, then it is haraam, but in some
cases the prayer may be delayed, if the Imam is late, so a person may
buy or sell something onhis way, and it may not affect his attending
the prayer. But if he avoids that and adheres to what applies to
Jumu'ah,that will be more on the safe side, so it is like Jumu'ah with
regard to precautions. End quote.
From Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb
And Allah knows best.

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