'Any disaster that strikes you is through what your own hands have earned' (Surat Ash-Shura: 30)

There is an important characteristic of the lower self of a man. When
something good befalls onone; when he receives goodness and kindness
from the people around him; when things go the way he wants them to
go, in a way that would cheer him up and make him happy; he feels
rather complacent. He believes that the beautiful things going on
around him and the benevolence he receives are taking their sources
from him. He thinks the reason why things go well for him andwhy
course of events go the way he hoped them togo, is because he strives
a lot and because he is a good person who makes agreat effort in many
subjects and because he acts reasonable and precautious. In other
words, he is of the idea that he had earned all the good things
befalling on him to the smallest detail.
However when the sameperson faces things that he doesn't want to face;
when goodness and benevolence is not anymore offered to him by people
around him; when things do not givethe results he wants them to give;
when the blessings in his life lessen and some difficulties and
troubles arise; he would not thinkthat "all those, again to the
smallest detail, befallon him because he earned them all himself". On
the contrary, he believes that he did not deserve any of those things
happening to him, he feels hard done-by and wronged. He even thinks
that all these things befall on him because he has been too good
towards everyone and thus he livesin the psychology of a person "being
wronged".
Most of the time, a person living through these things would not stop
to think: "Could there be something wrong with me? Could itbe that I
have some wrong beliefs and a wrong point of view? Dothe things that
befall on me have something to do with such wrong beliefs I have or
with mymorality? Would the goodness and beauties in my life be any
different if I acted somehow different? Could it be that I have been
experiencing all these because I earned them due to the flaws I have
in my morality?"
Had he been thinking like this even for a very short time; and instead
of looking for the problem inother details, had he sincerely censured
himself;he would have realized the truth which in fact is very
evident.
Allah revealed in the Qur'an that: "Any disaster that strikes you is
through what your own hands have earned" (Surat Ash-Shura: 30)
This verse gives a person the true point of view with which he could
evaluate the things he is experiencing in a correct and sound manner.
In another verse Allah informs us that; "Those who do good will have
the best and more" (Surah Yunus: 26). When aperson keeps his heart
pure and sincere; when helooks at every event in his life by searching
the approval of Allah; as long as he thinks by the morality of the
Qur'an andapproach people only through this point of view stemming
from the Qur'an; Allah would definitely "increase the beauties in such
a person'slife".
If he is harboring any evil in himself, if he does not think purely by
the Qur'an and if he is adding a little bit of the moral values of
ignorance in his approach, if he evaluates the incidents taking place
not by the Qur'an but by the rules and value judgmentsof the
ignorance, it is natural for the things that befall on him and the
things he experiences to be just like that. Whateverhe manifests
spiritually would somehow reflect onhis life.
It is very important not to forget this truth, which has been very
explicitly revealed in the Qur'an. Man is very prone to think
continuously well of himself; he adopts a wrong point of view by
thinking that he earned allthe good things that befallon them but that
he neverdeserved (Allah is beyond such claims) the troubles he
experiences. To think on these verses of the Qur'an is in fact
sufficient for him to see that these suggestions of his lower self are
not true.
Allah is All-Compassionate and Most Merciful. His Mercy extends to all
things. Allah is the One Who loves His servants infinitely, Who
continuously bestows goodness and beauty on them through concealed and
overt means. Every moment of a person's life is full of thousands of
details in which he can seethe love of Allah. And Allah is the Owner
of the Infinite Justice. Allah shows His Mercy even on aperson who has
committed the worst evils on earth and shows him the ways to
salvation.

NEWS - ~ “Napalm photo” girl honours her saviours

Associated Press photographer Nick Ut poses with Kim Phuc in Toronto
on Friday. The girl who came to symbolize the horrors of the Vietnam
War honoured those who saved her on the 40th anniversary of The
Associated Press photo that made her famous.
AP In this June 8, 1972 filephoto, crying children, including
9-year-old Kim Phuc, center, run down Route 1 near Trang Bang, Vietnam
after an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places as
South Vietnameseforces from the 25th Division walk behind them.
It was a chilling photograph that came to symbolize the horrors of the
Vietnam War and, ultimately, helped end it.
It also saved the life of KimPhuc, who was just 9-years-old when, on
June 8, 1972, her village was attacked by south Vietnamese planes.
Ms. Phuc, who lives near Toronto with her family, honoured those who
savedher at a dinner on Friday tocelebrate the 40th anniversary of the
iconic photograph. They include AP photographer Huynh Cong "Nick" Ut,
who snapped the shot, as well as other journalists, doctors and nurses
who helped her get help and who treated her injuries.
Mr. Ut, who was 21 at the time, heard Ms. Phuc's screams as she ran
down the road to escape her burning village, and snapped the photo
that became famous around theworld.
The Vietnamese photographer then drove the badly burned child to
asmall hospital, where he was told she was too far gone to help. He
flashed his American press badge, demanded that doctors treat the girl
and left assured that she would notbe forgotten.
"I'm so grateful he was there," Ms. Phuc said. "He helped me and
rushed me to the nearest hospital. He saved my life. He's my hero.
This opportunity tonight I want to honour all of my personal heroes."
Mr. Ut said he cried when he saw her running. He said if he didn't
help and she died he would have killed himself. He knew right way this
picture was different and said veteran photo editor, Horst Faas,
deemed it the most the iconic photo of the Vietnam war.
"It changed the war. I met so many American soldiers who said 'Nicky
because of your picture I'll get to go home early,'" he said.
In the Pulitzer Prize-winning image, children run screaming from a
burning Vietnamese village. The little girl in the centre of the
frame, Ms. Phuc, is naked and crying, her clothes and layers of skin
melted away by napalm.
A few of days after the image shocked the world, a number of British
journalists including Christopher Wain, a correspondent for the
British Independent Television Network who had given Ms. Phuc water
from his canteen and drizzled it down her burning back at the scene,
fought to have her transferred to the American-run hospital. It was
the only facility in Saigon equipped to deal with her severe injuries.
"When we found in her in the British hospital it was in very
un-sterile conditions," Mr. Wain said Friday. "I asked one of the
nurses how she was and the nurse looked at her and said, 'Oh, she'll
die maybe tomorrow or maybe next day.' It was obvious it was very
urgent."
Martha Arsenault, a nurse who cared for her at the American hospital,
said when Ms. Phuc got to the American hospital nobody thought she'd
make it.
"Everybody, the doctors, they all thought she wouldn't because she was
just so burnt," she said.
Ms. Arsenault said the photo reminds her of how just awful war is.
Mr. Wain said he still feels slightly concerned for Ms. Phuc because
she has had to relive the traumatic experience all her life. He said
the picture is one of the most iconic war photosof all time.

NEWS - ~ US arrests 190 in child pornography crackdown

Police have arrested 190 people in a major US crackdown on child
pornography, officials say.
The month-long"Operation Orion" also resulted in 18 children being
rescued, federal agents said.
Arrests were made mostly in the US but also took place in countries
includingSpain, Argentina, the UK and the Philippines.
The official in charge said many of the cases began with a child
chatting with someone they had encountered online.
"Let this operation be a warning to anyone who would think they can
use the internet to exploit children - we are out there looking for
you, we will find you, and you will be prosecuted," Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton said in a statement.
The statement said that Operation Orion focused onthe production,
possession and distribution of child pornography in videos and
photographs.
Those arrested included a 35-year-old babysitter in Louisiana
suspected of using a seven-year-old child to make pornography.
A 28-year-old man in Michigan was found to have more than 1,200 images
and 109 videos of suspected child pornography on computersand media
storage devices,officials said.
Eight men were also arrested in Los Angeles, including one who met his
alleged 12-year-old victim on the internet.
He was charged with enticing a minor to commitlewd acts after agents
pretended to be the girl online and arranged to meet him at a shopping
centre.
The ICE statement said thatthey had also "identified and rescued" 18
victims of child pornography.
No details were given of the arrests conducted abroad. The US Justice
Department also listed Sweden, Serbia and the Netherlands as involved
in the operation.
US Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer said in a statement: "This
operation uncovered a dangerous and depraved group of criminals who
were devoted to trading sexually explicit images of children under the
age of five."

"Smiling" is a great way to make yourself stand out while helping your body tofunction better. Smile to improve your health, your stress level, and your attractiveness. Smiling is just one fun way to liv...e longer read about the others and try as ma

"Smiling" is a great way to make yourself stand out while helping your
body tofunction better. Smile to improve your health, your stress
level, and your attractiveness. Smiling is just one fun way to liv...e
longer read about the others and try as many as you can.
1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive
2. Smiling Changes Our Mood
3. Smiling Is Contagious
4. Smiling Relieves Stress
5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System
6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure
7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin
8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger/

Have handful of fenugreek (Methi) seeds everyday, it will lower your cholesterol and improve your glucose metabolism —

HEALTH - ~ : Banana-oatmeal hot cakes with spiced maple syrup

Dietitian's tip: Mashed bananas and cooked oats help keep these
pancakes moist and flavorful. If you don't like syrup, warm some
sliced bananas in a frying pan with a small amount of butter or oil
and spoon them on top.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Serves 6
Ingredients
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup water
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain)flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup 1 percent low-fat milk
1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 banana, peeled and mashed
1 egg, lightly beaten
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, cinnamon stick and
cloves. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat
and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stickand cloves with
a slotted spoon. Set the syrup aside and keep warm.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the oats and water. Microwave
on high until the oats are creamy and tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in
the brown sugar and canola oil. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and
ground cinnamon. Whisk to blend.
Add the milk, yogurt and banana to the oats and stir until well
blended. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture to the oat mixture and
stir just until moistened.
Place a nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium heat. When a drop
of watersizzles as it hits the pan, spoon 1/4 cup pancake batter into
the pan. Cook until the top surface of the pancake is covered with
bubbles and the edges are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and
cook until the bottom is well browned and the pancake is cooked
through, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining pancake
batter.
Place the pancakes on warmed individual plates. Drizzle with the warm
syrup and serve immediately.
Nutritional analysis per serving
Serving size: 3 pancakes
Calories 271 Sodium 243 mg
Total fat 7 g Total carbohydrate 49 g
Saturated fat 1 g Dietary fiber 3 g
Monounsaturated fat 4 g Protein 6 g
Cholesterol 32 mg/

Signs of Allah in Eating a Fish

Allah tells us in the Quran: Then let man look at his food (80:24).
Let's say that your mother cooked a fish for you to eat and you are
living in Canada and this fish came from Bangladesh. Now Allah tells
us to look at ourfood to see where it came from, how it came from, how
it was created, etc. Allah created this fish in a river of Bangladesh.
Then Allah gave it food and looked after it so that it grows up. At
one time, Allah caused a fisherman to catch the fish and sell it to a
foreign export company. Then Allah caused the company to send the fish
all the way to Canada. In Canada, someone went and bought that fish
from a store. Then the fish was cooked and served in frontof you. All
these things Allah did just so that you can eat!

MEDINA The City Of The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)

The second holiest site in Islam is Medina (or Medinah), the "City of
the Prophet (S.A.W)," is in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia.
It was to Medina city that Muhammad (S.A.W) fled when he was initially
driven out of Mecca, and the place where he attracted his first
followers.Medina currently has a population of about 600,000 people
and is the home of "The Prophet's Mosque." The long form of the Arabic
name for Medina(Madinat Rasul Allah) means "City of the Prophet of
Allaah", while the short form (al-Madina) just means "the City".
Muslims always add salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam ("peace be upon him")
after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad, so the full form of the name is
commonly given as "Madinat Rasul Allah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam."
Medina is the second holy city of Islam, after Mecca. It's importance
as a religious site derives from the presence there of the Masjid al
Nabawi, the Mosque of the Prophet (S.A.W), which was built on the site
of Muhammad's home and is where he is buried. The first mosque of
Islam is also located in Medinah and is known as Masjid al-Quba, the
Quba Mosque. In 622, Medina became the seat of Muhammad's (S.A.W)
growing movement after the Hijra. In 622 Muhammad (S.A.W) was invited
to come and live in Yathrib (the old name of Medina) and act as a sort
ofgovernor. Medina in those times was a divided city. Different clans
and religions were eternally quarreling and bickering and Muhammad
brought unity to the city. All parties agreed to a pact drawn up by
Muhammad (S.A.W) and his followers. He invited all people in the city
to followthe new religion of Islam. However, he had trouble convincing
the Jewish population (which was actually quite large) that Islam was
the true version of Judaism. In the ten yearsfollowing the Hijra,
Medina formed the base from which Muhammad (S.A.W) attacked and was
attacked and it was from here that he marched on Makkah, becoming its
ruler without battle. Even when Islamic rule was established Medina
remained for some years the most important city of Islam and the de
facto capital of the Caliphate. Under the first four Caliphs, known as
the Righteous Caliphs, the Islamic empire expanded rapidly and came to
include centres of learning such as Jerusalem and Damascus. After the
death of Ali, the fourth caliph, Mu'awiyya transferred the capital to
Damascus and the importance of Medina dwindled and became of a
religious more than a political nature. In 1924 the city, which had
been in Ottoman hands for centuries, fell to Ibn Saud, whose empire
later became Saudi Arabia.

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HOLD BACK YOUR TONGUE…

Oh slaves of Allah, take heed of what your tongue says, for that may
determine your fate between Jahannam and Jannah. One of the grave
problems which is taken very lightly by the Ummahat this present time,
are the words that we utter. Never do we think twice before we talk.
We indulge ourselves into dirty, flithy and forbidden acts. Among
these forbidden things which people take often lightly are gheebah
(backbiting), buhtaan (slander) and nameemah (malicious gossip).
Worst of all, we backbite about our very own brothers and sisters in
Islam. And I swear by Allahthis is such a dirty and deadly sin that we
are falling into without even realizing it.
For Allaah subhana wa t'ala says (interpretation of the meaning):
"neither backbite one another. Would one of youlike to eat the flesh
of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear
Allaah. Verily, Allaah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance,
Most Merciful"[al-Hujuraat 49:12]
Gheebah or backbiting means speaking about a Muslim in his absence and
saying things that he would not like to have spread around or
mentioned. Buhtaan or slander means saying things about a Muslim
thatare not true, or in other words telling lies about him. Nameemah
or malicious gossip means telling one person what another said in
order to cause trouble between them.
I do not understand how we even dare to talk about the sins of other
people, and indulge ourselves in the discussionof the lives of people,
when our life itself is so crooked. People hardly pray, or even if
they do, then they pray Fajr at the time of Dhuhr, Dhuhr at the time
of 'Asr, and so forth, and one of their excuse for missing or delaying
their Salah is, "I cannot find the time to pray", but yet we find a
lotof time for chit chatting about people.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that theMessenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Do you know what gheebah (backbiting) is?" They said,
"Allaah and His Messenger know best." He said, "Saying something about
your brother that he dislikes." It was said, "What if what I say about
my brother is true?" He said, "If what you say is true then you have
backbitten about him, andif it is not true, then you have slandered
him." Narrated by Muslim, 2589
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by two graves and
said, "They are being punished, but they are not being punished
foranything that was difficultto avoid. One of them used to walk about
spreading malicious gossip(nameemah), and the other used not to take
precautions to avoid getting urine on himself when he urinated." Then
he called for a green branch, which he split in two and planted a
piece on each grave, and said, "May their torment be reduced so long
as these do not dry out." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 213; Muslim, 292/

Loving Good For Your Brothers

A sign that you have begun to love good for others is that you will
want the greatest good in your relationship with your brothers who are
near to you. If you see that Allah (SW) singles out one of your
brothers with a particular blessing, either worldly or religious,it is
incumbent that you search deep into your heart and find feelings of
sincere happiness for him. It is stated in a hadith,"None of you truly
believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for
himself." A sign of this love is that you do not become quickly
angered if your brother makes a mistake while trying to do something
good. Rather than opposing or criticizing him, you should assist himin
the rectification of his mistake in a gentle way. Itis not easy to
have this attribute become firmly planted in the heart, because envy
(hasad) is subtle, even among your companions. However, by being
sincere and turning to Allah Most High continuously, this affair
becomes easy. So, if you see that Allah (SWT) has blessed one of your
brothers with uprightness,enlightenment, or righteousness, and it
weighs heavy on your heart, the cure for this is to pray that Allah
increase him in what He has given him. Say:
O Allah, increase him! O Allah, give him openings!
O Allah, give him Divine success!
O Allah, guide others by means of him!
The existence of the darkness of envy in the soul is a sign of not
loving good for others. If Allah bestows a blessing up someone, you
might say to yourself, "Masha-Allah, Allah has blessed him withthat."
However, if he happens to make the slightest mistake, you become
angered and say things like, "He doesn't know what he is doing!
Hedoesn't understand! He's not benefiting people!" Pay attention to
what youare saying here. Which is greater, the good he was doing, or
the mistake that he made?
Another sign that the heart does not desire good for others is
hastening to mention people's errors. This does not mean that you
remainsilent about the mistakes. Rather, it is upon you to advise your
brother and strive to rectify the fault, without diminishing their
honor. Your duty when rectifying is to correct the mistake, not to
diminish the stature of the one whomade the blunder. There isa big
difference between the two. From the subtle, evil aspects of the soul
regarding this, is the claimthat your self is perfect and the other is
deficient. Take for instance, when one says, "I am more knowledgeable
than him. How could he be the one who does that? How couldhe have more
students? Why are people praising him?" This is claiming thatthe self
is perfect. Or whenone says, "I have been studying longer than him. I
have more sincerity than him,"
Do you know who said"I?" Pay attention! The one who said, "I," was
Iblis. "I am better than him. You created me of fire, while You
created himof mud." (7:12) He (Iblis), laughs at you and makes you his
student when you say, "I" like he did. You arestudents of the
inheritors of the Prophet (Sallahu alayhi wassllam), not of Iblis.
As for the other aspect of seeking deficiencies in your brother, when
you say things like, "He does not know. He doesn't understand. He made
a mistake in that. He didn't organize this, etc." What isyour
intention in saying these things? If your intention is to try to
rectify his mistake, may Allah bless you because loving good for
people necessitates this. However,if your intention when he makes a
mistake is that you don't want him to do something good, sacrifice, or
work hard… look into your hearts. Do you want to stop a good action
frombeing done? Pay attentionto what is going on.
Don't say anything that your brother would dislikeif he were to become
aware of what you said. You may only speak to theextent that is needed
to rectify a wrong and give advice. You must address him first, if you
are unable to, a third person that you know could benefit the
situation by influencing him, or speaking to him. But to let your
tongue loose and talk negatively about him saying things like, "So and
so did this. Soand so doesn't know. So and so made a mistake. Soand so
just wants this for himself. So and so just wants to be known."
Whatdoes saying these things really mean? This is backbiting (ghibah),
and completely impermissible.
You can speak to the extent that is necessary to rectify the mistake,
but it is not permissible to criticize or dishonor your brother. If
you are able to gently allude to your brother's imperfection ('Aib) to
rectify the situation, it is better than speaking to him directly.
Ifyou are able to simply move your lips to inform the person, it is
better than raising your voice so that others can hear. If you can
speak directly to him, it is not permissible to speak to another about
it.

Islamic Article :-Better, Worthier & Superior

I was just reading Surah ale Imran when I came across these beautiful
and amazing verses…Even though I have read this surah many times
before but it felt as if I was reading these words for the first
time…The description of the things we love and then the way Allah
[subhanahu ta'ala] tells us about what's better…! An awesome dua and
some hints on how to acheive that high position!
So touching and so utterly mesmerizing! Jotting themdown…Please do
read, recite, understand, and contemplate! :)
Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire – of women
and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and
cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but
Allah haswith Him the best return.
Say, "Shall I inform you of[something] better than that? For those who
fear Allah will be gardens in the presence of their Lordbeneath which
rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and purified spouses and
approval from Allah. And Allah is Seeing of [His] servants - Those who
say, "Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and
protect us from the punishment of the Fire," The patient, thetrue, the
obedient, those who spend [in the way ofAllah], and those who seek
forgiveness before dawn. "
(Surah Ale Imran, 3: 14-17)
And there is another beautiful verse in Surah as Sajdah which seems
related to these verses:
"And no soul knows whathas been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as
reward for what they used to do." (Surah as Sajdah, 32:17)
Rasoolullah [sallallahu alyhi wasallam] said, regarding this verse:
"Allah says: 'Í have prepared for my righteous servants what no eye
has seen, no ear has heard, and it has never crossed the mind of man.'
" [Muslim, Trimidhi]
SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi, Amazing right?
Let us strive and work hardto gain that which 'Allah calls better'!
That which is supposed to be the BEST for us!
May Allah accept our effortsand reward us abundantly in this world and
the Hereafter! Ameen!

Assalamu Alaikum - - 9.jun.sat/

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud:
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa salam) said, "Do not wish to be like
anyone except in two cases. (The first is) A person, whom Allah has
given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one
whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur'an) and he acts according to
it and teaches it to others."
Sahih Bukhari, Book 3 (Knowledge), Number 73/

Questions Asked at Final Event

Assalamu Alaykum,
There were a few questions from the sisters which were left unanswered
in the last event. As promised, we will provide the answers on the
blog insha Allah. If you have a question whichyou would like answered,
post it as a comment and we will try answer it as soon as possible
insha Allah.
Question: A lot of people do not realise or do not believe in the
command ofthe Hijaab or the beard. Can you briefly go throughits
importance?
Answer: The following is an excellent book on the beard:
THE LAWS OF THE BEARD AND THE HAIR IN THE LIGHT OF THE AHADITH
by Moulana Fadhlur Rahmaan Azmi
To read a book on Hijab, visit the following two links:
The Niqaab - Duroos.net
Hijab - Inter-Islam
Questions: Please tell us what duas we can make to be successful.
Answer: Dua from the heart with sincerity will grant success. However,
if one wants to read duas from the Qur'an and Ahadeeth then that is
also correct. There are many duas that can be found, a very nice one
is:
أللِّهُم النّفَعنِي بِمَا عَلَّمتَنِي وَ عَلِّمنِيِ مَا يَنفَعنِي
Allahumma infa'nii bimaa 'allamtanii wa'allimnii maa yanfa' unii
O Allah! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge
that will be useful to me.
However, one should not limit oneself to this dua only, and try to
purchase anice dua book and read from there, accompanying it with dua
from the heart.
Question: Is tasbeeh a bid'ah? As I was told thereis no proof that
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallamused a tasbeeh.
Answer: The idea [of usinga tasbeeh] is to count the Dhikr. Be it
counted with the fingers or with beads, both are permissible. It is
recorded in Abu-Dawood Shareef that some Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhu)
had beads (seeds) which they used to use to count Dhikr.

Ten Statements from the Salaf On Love and Hate for Allah’s Sake

Imaam Abu Hamid al-Tusi al-Ghazali1 -
'Umar bin al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) said:"If one of youis blessed with
affection from his brother, he should hold onto that as tightly as
possible, as it is quite rare for one to be blessed with this."
2 - 'Umar (رضي الله عنه) alsosaid:"Nobody is given anything, besides
his Islaam, better than a righteous friend."
3 - 'Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) said:"Tend to yourbrothers, as
they are your sustenance in this world and the next. Do you not hear
the saying of the people of Hell: {"Now, we have neither intercessors
nor close friends to help us!"} [ash-Shu'ara'; 100-1]?"
4 - 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (رضي الله عنه) said:"By Allaah, if I fasted
all day without eating, prayed all night without sleeping, spent all
of my wealth in the Path of Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى), died the day I
died,but, had no love in my heart for those who obey Allaah, and no
hatred in my heart for those who disobey Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى), none
of this would benefit me in the least."
5 - 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه) said:"If a manwere to stand
for seventy years, worshipping Allaah between the Yemeni Corner and
the Maqam of Ibrahim (at the Ka'bah), hewould still be resurrected on
the Day of Judgement with those whom he loved."
6 - Ibn as-Sammak (رحمه الله) said, on his deathbed:"O Allaah! You
Know that, even if I had disobeyed You, I loved those who obeyed You!
So, make this for me a means of nearness to You!"
7 - Mujahid (رحمه الله) said:"Those who love eachother for Allaah's
Sake, when they smile at each other, their sins fall from each other,
just as the leaves fall from a tree before the winter."
8 - al-Ghazali (رحمه الله) said, commenting on the hadith "The
strongest bond of faith is to love for Allaah and to hate for
Allaah":"Because of this, it is a must that a person have enemies that
he hates for Allaah's Sake, justas he has friends and brothers that he
loves for Allaah's Sake."
9 - Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) said:"The slave will be brought
between the Hands of Allaah - the Exalted - on the Day of
Resurrection, and Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى) will Say to him: 'Did you
love one of my awliya', so that I can join you with him?'"
10 - al-Hasan al-Basri (رحمه الله) said:"Being harsh against a fasiq
brings you closer to Allaah - the Exalted."From 'Ihya' 'Ulum ad-Din'
(2/195 onwards) Iqtida' by Imaam al-Ghazali (رحمه الله)‏‎/

Wonderful - - How To Get a Fresh Start On a Bad Day

Every now and then, we allhave one of those days. You wake up feeling
icky – not sick, just sort of a lingering malaise that you can't quite
shake. Something caused by nightmares or a kink in your neck or a
headache. And then when you start totackle your to-do list for the
day, it feels like you're swimming through molasses. In January. With
cement shoes. In short: no bueno .
Next time you have a day like this, step back for a moment, and
pause. Breathe . And then, reboot your day. Start over with a clean
slate, consciously andintentionally, and see where this new day takes
you. Here's some tips:
Stop what you're doing.
Especially if it's making youmore frustrated. Just stop. Turn it off,
walk away fromit for a while, physically remove it from your sight if
it will make you calm down more. If you were working on a computer,
turn off the monitor or shut your laptop.
Eat something.
Without any distractions, preferably in silence or listening to some
of your "happy" music. Low blood sugar can make you crankyand sluggish
(ask me how Iknow!), not to mention give you a wicked case of brain
fog. And all too often,we rush ourselves through meals, thinking about
whatwe should be doing or where we should be or watching television
insteadof focusing on the food. I wouldn't suggest eating anything too
sugary, because that'll just cause another blood sugar crash before
too long – try something like oatmeal or peanut butter on toast. Eat
it slowly, in peace, and just focus on the food in front of you and
how it tastes, without worrying about anything else.
Take a walk or do yoga.
Both of these activities are relaxing and will help get your blood
flowing + fresh oxygen to your brain. Sometimes, getting out of the
physical space you're inis a necessary step to changing your current
mood.
Do something simple & easy that already needed to be done.
This gives you a feeling of accomplishment, however tiny, and helps
get you out of that "this day is worthless" rut. A few of thethings I
do are unloading and reloading the dishwasher, or declutteringmy desk.
You might clean something or organize something – as long as it
genuinely needs to be done, it's good!
5-10 minutes of meditation/quiet.
Or however long you feel comfortable doing so, evenif it's just for a
moment . You might just sit and listen to a calming song in silence,
or write a quick list of all the things you're grateful for. It does
us all good to say "thank you" every once in a while.
Resume working with a clear head, a peaceful heart, and the feeling
that this day won't be a waste after all!
Take a nap?
If this works for you, go ahead and do it. I have mixed results with
napping, sometimes waking up totally refreshed and sometimes waking up
with a thumping headache. But there's been studies out the wazoo that
say naps are freakin' fabulous, so don't feel guilty about itif you
choose to do so.
And there you have it – one fresh new day for you to do whatever you
wish with! Doesn't that feel delicious? The only thing left is to make
sure you put it to good use!

Authenticity of a report that Abu Bakr never prostrated to an idol

Question
Assalamu Alaikum, there is a report that Abu Bakr said he never
prostrated to an idol even when his father took him to an idol and
told him that is your god, so Abu Bakr questioned theidol for help and
then threw a rock at it. Is this report saheed and where isit located?
JazakumAllahu kheirun.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
is His slave and Messenger.
Al-Munaawi said in his book Faydhul-Qadeer whilelisting the virtues of
Abu Bakr "Abu Bakr, his father, his son, and his grandchildren
embraced Islam. He never prostrated to an idol nor drank wine."
As for the second part of the question, we have not found in any of
our references that Abu Bakr threw a stone at the idol. For further
information about the virtues of Abu Bakr see Fatwas 86517 and 90882 .
Allaah Knows best.

Why Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, was called Al-Murtadha

Question
Could you please clarify to me why honorable Ali ibn Abu Talib (ra)
was called bythe title "Al Murtaza"?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
, is His slaveand Messenger.
Al-Khaadimi clarified in his book Bareeqah Mahmoodiyyah the reason why
'Ali was called Al-Murtadha. He said, "This is because the Prophet had
chosen him to replace him among his family in Al-Madeenah in the
battle of Tabook, and he told him: "You are to me like Haaroon (Aaron)
to Moosa (Moses) except that there isno Prophet after me."
[Al-Bukhaari] Or this is because the Prophet was pleased with his
actions, or due to his brotherhood and companionship of the Prophet ,
and his virtues ."
Allaah Knows best.

Know some detail about....

Do u Know that :
1) The black stone at the kaabah was whiter than snow, but the sins of
the children of Adam made it black.
2) The first prophet and thefirst person ever to host a guest a guest
was Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.w).
3) Healing appeared 4 times in Quran and 3 times linked to Quran and
once to Honey .
4) Paradise has eight doorswhile Fire has seven doors.
5) All Insects are in Fire except Bee.
{Allahu Alam }

Amazing Stories

In order to achieve this great goal of strengtheningthe marriage bond,
and establishing a stable familylife, it is essential to choosethe
right partner in the firstplace!
♥ Among the great Muslim women who are known fortheir strength of
character, lofty aspirations and far-sightedness in their choice of a
husband is ♥ Umm Sulaym bint Milhan ♥, who was one of the first Ansaar
women to embrace Islam. She was married to Malik ibn Nadar, and bore
him a son, Anas. When she embraced Islam, her husband Malik was angry
with her, and left her, but she persisted in her Islam. Shortly
afterwards, she heard the news of his death, and she was still in the
flower of her youth. She bore it all with the hope of reward, for the
sake of Allah (subhaanahu wa 'ta'aalaa), and devoted herself to taking
care of herten-year- old son Anas. Shetook him to the Prophet (SAW) ,
so that he could serve him (and learn from him).
♥ One of the best young men of Madinah, one of thebest looking,
richest and strongest, came to seek herhand in marriage. This was ♥
Abu Talhah♥ - before he became Muslim. Many of the young women of
Yathrib liked him because of his wealth, strength and youthful good
looks, and he thought that Umm Sulaym would joyfully rushto accept his
offer. But to his astonishment, she told him, "O Abu Talhah, do younot
know that your god whom you worship is just a tree that grew in the
ground and was carved into shape by the slave of Banu so-and-so." He
said, "Of course." She said, "Do you not feel ashamed to prostrate
yourself to a piece of wood that grew inthe ground and was carvedby
the slave of Banu so-and-so?" Abu Talhah was stubborn, and hinted to
her of an expensive dowry and luxurious lifestyle, but she persisted
in her point of view, and told him frankly: "O Abu Talhah, a man like
you could not be turned away, but you are a disbelieving man, and I am
a Muslim woman. It is not permitted for me to marry you, but if you
were to embrace Islam, that would be my dowry (mahr), and I would ask
you for nothing more." (Reported by al-Nisa'i)
He returned the following day to try to tempt her with a larger dowry
and more generous gift, but she stood firm, and her persistence and
maturity only enhanced her beauty in his eyes. She said to him,"O Abu
Talhah, do you not know that your god whomyou worship was carved bythe
carpenter slave of so-and-so? If you were to set it alight, it would
burn."Her words came as a shock to Abu Talhah, and he asked himself,
"Does the Lord burn?" Then he uttered the words: "Ashhadu an laa
ilaaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul-Allah."
Then Umm Sulaym said to her son Anas, with joy flooding her entire
being, "O Anas, marry me to Abu Talhah." So Anas brought witnesses and
the marriage was solemnized.
Abu Talhah was so happy that he was determined to put all his wealth
at Umm Sulaym's disposal, but hers was the attitude of the selfless,
proud, sincere believing woman. She told him, ♥ ♥ "O Abu Talhah, I
married you for the sake ofAllah (subhaanahu wa 'ta'aalaa), and I will
not take any other dowry." ♥ ♥She knew that when Abu Talhah embraced
Islam, she did not only win herself a worthy husband, but she also
earned a reward from Allah (subhaanahu wa 'ta'aalaa) that was better
than owning red camels (the most highly-prized kind) inthis world, as
she had heard the Prophet (SAW) say:
"If Allah (subhaanahu wa 'ta'aalaa) were to guide one person to Islam
through you, it is better foryou than owning red camels." ( Fath
al-Bari)
*(♥)* Such great Muslim women are examples worthy of emulation, from
whom Muslim women maylearn purity of faith, strength of character,
soundness of belief and wisdom in choosing a husband. —

The Strength of Yaqeen in Allah -subhanahu wa ta’ala

He said: "O Maryam! From where have you got this?" She said, "This is
from Allâh." Verily, Allâh provides sustenance to whom He wills,
without limit." "At that moment (there and then/immediately), Zakariyâ
invoked his Lord…" [Surat Ale Imraan, 3:first part of ayah 38]
When Zakariyya Alayhissalam saw that Maryam Alayhissalam got Rizq from
Allah, he immediately made duaa to Allah,having the Yaqeen that if
Allah could provide for her from Ghayb (unseen means) then He
[subhanahu wa ta'ala] could also provide for him what he sought,
despite he being of old age (120+ years) and his wife being barren
(88+ years).
When most people see others with what they don't have, they either
start pitying themselves or they become jealous.
What should our attitude be?
What is the attitude of a Prophet?
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن
لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ ….
✦"At that moment(there and then/immediately), Zakariyâ called upon his
Lord, saying, 'My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring.
Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.' So the angels called him
while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, "Indeed, Allah gives
you good tidings of John, confirming a word from Allah and [who will
be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the
righteous." He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have
reached old age and my wife is barren?" The angel said, "Such is Allah
; He does what He wills." ✦
[Surat Ale Imraan, 3:38-40]
INDEED WITHOUT DOUBT,
Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) gives, grants, blesses according to one's
Yaqeen (certainty) in Him.

Enjoying the honey from a distance

This life and dunya is like a honey pot, and the flies that are
attracted to it are us, mankind. Most of the flies dive straight into
the honey, mesmerised by its sweetness and overcome by its smell, but
they soon realise that they have gone in too deepas they begin to
drown and suffocate in the honey.
But there are some flies who stay on the rim of the honey pot,
enjoying its sweetness from a distance, just a little at a time,
because they know that there is a better place waiting for them, with
more than just honey.
So we should take what we can with caution from our time in the dunya,
enjoying some of thegood and refraining from the bad. There's nothing
wrong with enjoying a cricket match, or other sporting activities, if
it'sonly for one day and obligatory acts of worship are not left out
because of the match. After all, the Prophet (salallahu alayhi
wasallam) allowed A 'isha (radiallahu anha) to watch men play with
spears and he stood there for as long as she was watching it. So
really, nothing wrong with a few fun and games….but just as long as
we're not forgetting our true purpose in life .
(Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversionand
adornment and boasting toone another and competition inincrease of
wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting]
plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned
yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is
severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is
the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.
( http ://bushrabinthashmat.blogspot. com / )
Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) says:
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ
وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ ۖ
كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ
مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا ۖ وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ
وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ ۚ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا
إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
"Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and
adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of
wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting]
plant growth pleases the tillers; then it driesand you see it turned
yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is
severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is
the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion. "
(Surah Al Hadid, 20)

The Three Categoriesof Tawheed Are Defined in the Qur'aan

We have previously statedthat the three categories of tawheed are
taken directly from the Noble Qur'aan. The categories are taken from
many verses, so let us look to some of them now.
The very first chapter found in the mus-haf , Soorah Al-Faatihah ,
mentions all three categories of tawheed . Allaah says [1]:
( All the praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of all that exists )
Here is tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah , as the verse establishes Allaah's
Lordship over the 'aalameen , which means everything except Allaah,
and the Rabb (Lord) meansthe Owner and Controller of Affairs. Allaah
then says [2]:
( The Bestower of Mercy, the All-Merciful, the Owner of the Day of Judgement )
Tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat is present in these verses, as Allaah
establishes for Himself the attributes of Mercy and Ownership. He also
establishes some of His Names - Ar-Rahmaan , Ar-Raheem , and Al-Maalik
.Then He says [3]:
( You alone we worship, and You alone we seek help from )
And here is tawheed al-uloohiyyah , as the verse demonstrates the
obligation to single out Allaah with acts of worship, and to seek help
from Him alone.
Similarly, the three categories of tawheed are also found in Soorah
An-Naas , the very last chapter to be found in the mus-haf . Tawheed
ar-ruboobiyyah is found inHis Statement [4]:
( Say: 'I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind' )
And tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat is found in His Statement [5]:
( the King of mankind )
And lastly, tawheed al-uloohiyyah is found in His Statement [6]:
( the God worshipped bymankind )
Likewise, the very first command issued in the mus-haf contains the
categories of tawheed [7]:
( O mankind! Worship your Lord who created you and those who came
before you, so thatyou might attain taqwaa . (He is) the One who made
the earth a bed foryou and the sky a mighty structure, and Hesent
water down from the sky that brings forth many fruits for your
provisions. So do not ascribe partners to Allaah while you have
knowledge! )
After mentioning the threekinds of people, the believers, the
disbelievers, and the hypocrites, and then turning His Servants to the
Qur'aan as a source of guidance [8], He followed that up saying [9]:
( O mankind! Worship your Lord! )
This is a general call, a command to the entire creation, to single
out Allaah with acts of worship, and a command to avoid ascribing a
single partner to Allaah. This is tawheed al-uloohiyyah .
Then Allaah comes with tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah , as something to back
up the fact that He deserves to be worshipped alone [10]:
( The One who made theearth a bed for you and the sky a mighty
structure, and He sent water down from the skythat brings forth many
fruits for your provisions)
Aren't these the actions of Allaah, Most High and Magnificent? This is
tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah . Allaah, Most Glorified and Exalted, mentions
it here as a proof and something that leads to tawheed al-uloohiyyah .
Just as He alone does these things, then no one other than Him
deserves worship, rather this is a right that ispurely and solely for
Him, Most Glorified.
He mentions two of the categories of tawheed in these verses. Tawheed
al-uloohiyyah is mentioned since it is the greatest thing sought from
mankind, and tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah ismentioned as a proof for it, and
something that can not be separated from it. He orders all of mankind
with the same order foundin another verse [11]:
( And I have not created the Jinn nor mankind
for any purpose other than worshipping Me )
So He has informed us thatthese two great creations, the Jinn and
mankind, have not been created for a purpose other than worshipping
Allaah, singling Him out with tawheed al-uloohiyyah .
Then He forbade shirk in the last part of the verse [12]:
( So do not ascribe partners to Allaah while you have knowledge )
Meaning that you are not to perform a single act of worship for other
than Allaah, while you know that no one shares in His Ruboobiyyah ,
His Creationof the Heavens and the Earth, His sending of the rain, His
causing the plantsto grow forth, etc. Since you know that no one
shared with Him in these affairs, then how could you worship someone
along with Him?!
Allaah, Most Glorified and Exalted, says [13]:
( And your God is one God, there is no God except Him )
This is tawheed al-uloohiyyah . A god is something that is worshipped,
so uloohiyyah is worship and complete love. The verse means thatthe
one who rightfully deserves your worship is only one, there is no God
except Him, there is none to be worshipped other than Him. Later in
the verse, Allaah says [14]:
( The Bestower of Mercy, the All-Merciful )
This is something from tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat , as it contains
proof for two of Allaah's Names, along with His Attribute of Mercy.

The Major Rule for Eating Fruit

There's no doubt that eating fruit is important to our overall health
and wellbeing. Fruit is healthy for you, we all know that, but, it's
good to know that eating it should follow some general guidelines
tofully benefit our health. It'sjust not as simple as putting it into
our mouths whenever we feel like it. Learn about the proper ways to
eat fruit and your whole body will thank you with less digestive
problems and tons more energy.
Incorporating fruit into ourdiet, the proper way, gives our digestive
system more powerful benefits through vitamin intake and improved
digestion. Looking at the nutrition of fruit, most fruits are a great
source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C and folate and so much more.
Their nutrients help guard against disease , lower rates of heart
disease, stroke and high blood pressure. However, eating fruit
carelessly without anynutritional knowledge could bring on more
problems to our health than benefits. Here is the major rule about
eating fruit:
Fruit should be eaten alone or with other fruit on an empty stomach.
This is because when fruit is eaten, the digestive process works very
quickly and our body uses different enzymes to digestthe fruit. The
simple sugarscontained in fruit need time to be completely absorbed by
your body. When fruits are eaten alone, your stomach can more easily
process all of the nutrients, fibre and the simple sugars contained in
the fruit. This is the optimal 'proper way' to benefit from the fruit
you eat. If you eat fruit close to a meal, especially right after a
larger meal and combine with other foods, it's held in the stomach
toolong along with other foods and will rot and ferment in the gut. If
you experience indigestion, heartburn, burping and and other digestive
discomforts and you blameon the meal - it could be the combination of
the food, the fermentation with fruit that causes your upset stomach.
If left uncontrolled it could lead to other health problems that stem
from the digestive tract.
Applying this rule is very simple. We eat approximately 3 large meals
a day, so space out your fruit servings in between. If this means
youneed to glance at the clock occasionally and calculate when you
could eat the apple you brought along with you, then you do that.And
aim to have it about 1 hour before a meal, or 2 hours after your meal.
For heavier meals, like pasta orburgers, you need to let that food
digest for even longer before you add fruitwith all its acid into your
stomach, about 3-4 hours. If you've just had a mixed green salad for
lunch, samerules apply but for a much shorter time, about 1.5 hours.
The best time to eat a bounty of fruit is either first thing in the
morningon an empty stomach, or as a mid-morning snack (which I prefer)
- in between breakfast and lunch. It's a good idea, to just eat more
fruit at one time, whether it's fruit salad, an apple or a fruit
smoothie. (3-4 servings of fruit is a proper daily requirement, that's
2 1/2 - 2 cups of fruit). If you feel very hungry after your
fruitservings, pay attention to what you've had for breakfast and
maybe your meal planning needs to be adjusted. You should be able to
wait it out about 1-2 hours with success. That will ensure all the
fruit is processed and gone into your body to do what it's supposed to
do.
Definitely avoid eating fruitclose to bedtime as there's plenty of
sugar in fruit to spike up your energy and keep you up when you need
your sleep.
Smoothie lovers! It is fine to consume nut milk or coconut milk with
fruit, butin small amounts and not every time. Therefore, nut butters,
nut milk, or non-dairy yogourt (such as soy) will not strain the
digestive system too much.And adding a single serving of a
low-glycemic fruit, such as an apple to your green smoothie will be
fine and will not create a lot of problems for you as long as you keep
the fruit serving to a minimumand it too is consumed apart from a
larger meal. However, ideally it is best to stick with eating raw
fruit alone - or leave alone!
Dried fruit holds the same recommendations. Keep in mind it's also too
sweet and too addictive. Limiting portions of the dried fruit you eat
is essential - think of a date as a special occasion ;)
If you do eat fruit on an empty stomach, you will gain the proper
nutrients that fruit - nature's perfect gift - will offer to your
health and wellbeing. You will avoid most digestive problems, feel
energized , promote weight loss and you'll look and feel fantastic
because your body will be fully absorbing all the vitamins, fiber and
healthy carbohydrates that it needsto function in good health .

HEALTH - ~ 10 Vegan Sources of Protein

HEALTH - ~ Meat-eaters will never stopasking and vegans always get
sick of hearing it:
"How do you get your protein?"
The image of a skinny (not to mention gangly and dread-headed) hippie
has typically been the poster child of veganism. After all, there's no
way we can be muscular, fit and even bulky as vegans, right?
Wrong.
Vegan athletes like Brendan Brazier , Rich Roll , and Jimi Sitko are
changingthe negative stereotypes, proving that plant-based protein can
not only build strong muscles, but can keep a vegan healthy enough to
run, swim, bike, dance or pump iron – no flesh-eating necessary.
So how do you get your protein? Here are 10 vegansources to try on for size:
1. Veggies: Yep, good old greens will pack a protein punch. One cup of
cooked spinach has about 7 grams of protein. The same serving of
French beans has about 13 grams. Two cups of cooked kale ? 5 grams.
One cup of boiled peas? Nine grams. You get the idea.
2. Hemp. No, you don't have to get high to get your protein. But toss
30 grams of hemp powder in your smoothie and get about 11 grams of
protein – just like that.
3. Non-Dairy Milk. Got (soy) milk? A mere 1 cup ofsoy or almond milk
can pack about 7-9 grams of protein. Eat with some fortified cereal
and you've got a totally vegan-friendlybreakfast.
4. Nut Butter. Eat up your peanut butter, almond butter and cashew
butter. A couple of tablespoons of any one of these will get you 8
grams of protein.
5. Quinoa. I kinda think quinoa is God's gift to vegans (and
gluten-free peeps!), as it's versatile, delicious and delivers about 9
grams of protein per cup.
6. Tofu. Four ounces of tofu will get you about 9 grams of protein.
And at about 2 bucks a pop, it's a cheap vegan's BFF.
7. Lentils. With lentils, you can make rice dishes, veggie burgers,
casseroles and more. One cup cooked delivers a whopping 18 grams of
protein!
8. Beans. They really are the magical fruit. With one cup of pinto,
kidney or black beans, you'll get about 13-15 grams of protein, a full
belly and heart-healthy fiber.
9. Tempeh. One cup of tempeh packs abour 30 grams of protein! That's
more than 5 eggs or a regular hamburger patty.
10. Sprouted-grain bread. Pack a sandwich with vegan sprouted-grain
bread and you'll get about 10 grams of protein in the bread alone.
Still want to ask me where I get my protein? Yeah. That's what I thought.

Allah's Name Appears Beautifully on a Quartz Rock

Place: Discovered by a Sri Lankan businessman. Currently the rock is
owned by M.S. Hameed. The rock was featured in an article in Khaleej
Times which can be found at the bottom of this page.
This is no ordinary rock (in Khaleej Times page 6)
By Muawia E. Ibrahim
23 April 2004
ABU DHABI - This is no calligraphy - or any other type of man-made
artwork. It is a nature-made artefact that manifests the magnificence
of Allah in a finely-finished Arabic calligraphy style.
This naturally formed rock,which bears the name of Allah, The Almighty
and Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him), was discovered by a Sri
Lankanbusinessman who broughtthe stone to the region so that it can be
kept in a museum or any other safe place.
M. S. Hameed, who is in Abu Dhabi visiting relatives, contacted
Khaleej Times to share, what he describes, as blessed signs of Allah,
withthe largest possible number of people.
"This a miracle of Allah. It is a magnificent artefact. It's beautiful
formation which is nature-made excels the finest decorative arts of
calligraphy," said Mr Hameed, who himself is anartefacts collector.
He claimed that the lettersappearing on the rock are formed in the
same order as in the seal of the Prophet.
"The most significant is the way the letters are written in the same
order as in the seal of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) which is illustrated
in the encyclopedia of Islam, Letters of the Prophet.
According to a calligraphy expert who studied the piece of rock, the
inscription of the words (Allah), (Mohammed) and (Rasool or Prophet)
were found to be naturally created.
"This is no artificial work of art as no man could make such a genuine
and marvellous work of art," said Masliya Farook, a specialised expert
in art and calligraphy.
"I think this piece of semi-precious stone is of immense historical
and cultural value to the Muslim community throughout the world,"
added Mrs Farook.
The precious stone has also been certified by the Sri Lankan Gem
Testing Laboratory as a natural genuine quartz rough specimen that has
not been tampered in anyway.

Tips - ANNIVERSARY

all my love for you FREE!wishing u a very happy ANNIVERSARY
=
Happy Anniversary and May your marriage be Blessed with love, joy And
companionship For all the years of your lives
=
If I met you on tomorrow I would still give you my heart If you should
say,"do you still love me?" I`d say, "Till death do us part"
=
That speial day is here again The day we took ourvows You're just as
speial 2 me 2day As u still get me aroused. Happy Anniversary Lover
=
Happy Anniversary and May ur marriage be blessed with love, joy and
companionship for all the years of ur lives.
=
Best wishes to you both on ur anniversary, May thelove that you share
Last your lifetime through, As you make a wonderful pair.

How to Pray 10 Jumah on one Friday

How many Jumah salat can we pray on a single Friday? Answer, no more
than one. However, here isa way that will get you reward of praying
more than one Jumah on any given Friday.
Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w) said:
Whoever invites towards (the path of) guidance shall receive a reward
equal to the rewards of those who follow him without this decreasing
anything from their rewards. (Sahih Muslim)
Using this formula, if you invite 9 of your friends to offer Jumah
with you and they respond to your call then you will get the reward
for your own Jumah plus nine additionalJumah prayers. You can increase
the number by as many as you want!
How great is Almighty Allah who has made earning for the hereafter very easy.
"And whoever guides others towards good is equal to the doer of good."
(Tirmidhi)

Darkness vs. Light

Once I had to go to a city for a few days. My plane landed there
during the late night hours. A brothergave me a ride to the place
where I was going to stay. This was the first time I visited this town
and was curious to see what it looked like. However, it was dark at
night and I wasn't able to see many things.
The next day, I went out with the brother and he happened to take the
same road as the previous night. But since it was day time, I was able
to see the river, hills, and many otherlandscapes that was not
properly visible the previous night.
It came to my mind that this is similar to what we go through in our
lives. Allah Ta'ala as told us through the Quran and Prophet Muhammad
(saw)about the many unseen things that are awaiting us in the
hereafter. While we are in this world, it's just like we are in
darkness. We are not able to see all these things. But as soon as we
die and close our eyes, everything will open up to us like the day
time and we will see whatever was hidden.

Conversation between two

Husband - I feel happy.
Wife - Why?
Husband - Because I'm blessed
Wife - Why do you say so?
Husband - Because ALLAH loves me.
Wife - Is it?
Husband - Yes that is why ALLAH has given me a priceless gift
Wife - MASHA ALLAH! what is it?
Husband - That is You! My dear, that is You!! A righteous wife is the
best gift that a man could have!!! ♥
May Allah bless us with His Love & the love of the person who Loves
Him, a person who would help us draw closer to His love. Ameen! ♥

Question: Some who are seeking knowledge are very hasty in giving rulings in matters of halaaland haraam, and this is a common noticeable defect. What is your advice to such people?

reply: "We have spoken on this issue long before,and we said that
Allaah the Wise has divided the Muslim community into two types of
people: the Ahl adh-Dhikr, and those that depend on the Ahl adh-Dhikr.
As Allaah says to the ordinary people: "then ask those who possess the
Message (Ahl adh-Dhikr) if you do not know." (Soorah 21:7 and 16:43)
The Ahl adh-Dhikr are, as we all know, are the Ahl al-Qur'aan and the
Ahl al-Hadeeth, those who know the authentic from the unauthentic, the
general from the specific, the abrogating from the abrogated, and
other such principles of Fiqh and Hadeeth.
Hence, it is not allowed for a Muslim to begin giving fatwaas on the
basis of some hadeeth, simply because he came across itin some book,
although he does not know if it is saheeh according to the criteria of
the scholars of hadeeth. On the otherhand, he knows that he is not
sufficiently well-versed in knowledge and competence in the Arabic
language to explain the meanings and ideas behind the Kitaab and
Sunnah. Therefore, anyone who has not decided to undertake acquiring
knowledge and persevere in it for many years, until the people of
knowledge testify that he can guide the people and direct themtowads
good, it is not permissible for him to think that he is an alim
(scholar) simply because he has read some ahadeeth and memorized some
aayaat. We often hear of some of them who cannot even read the Qur'aan
properly, nor the ahaadeeth of the Prophet (sallallahu `alaihi wa
sallam). This is why I advise the seekers of knowledge to study two
fundamentals: a) the principles offiqh and b) the principles of
hadeeth.
I have mentioned before that it isnot easy for one to deduce the
intended aim of the Lawgiver from any text unless he consults as far
as possible, all the texts of the Qur'an and Sunnah. I will givea
clear example: Allaah says: "Forbidden for you are dead meat, blood…"
(5:4). If a beginner who is studying the Qur'aan and has no knowledge
of hadeeth is asked regarding dead fish, he will immediately bring
this aayah as proof to clearly forbid it since it prohibits dead meat.
But were he to look into the ahaadeeth, he would know that the
Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, excepted two types of animals,
fish and locusts,from this prohibition, so he couldrule accordingly.
Briefly, the student must learn these two fundamental branchesof
learning to help to understandthe Qur'aan and Sunnah as correctly as
possible."

NEWS - ~ Bangkok Travel Guide

Take in the best of Bangkok in our whistle-stop tour to the best
temples, shopping hot spots and nightlife the cityhas to offer.
Good for: Families, Groups,Seniors, Individuals
Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
4 ratings
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Day 1
The Grand Palace
1,762 Reviews
Bangkok's famous palace complex was built in 1782and features several
magnificent buildings including Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald
Buddha), which contains a beautiful Emerald Buddha that dates back to
the 14th century.
Fee: Yes
Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)
1,694 Reviews
One of the oldest and largest temples in Bangkok features the famous
Reclining Buddha, which is the largest in Thailand measuring more than
150 feet in length.
Fee: Yes
See nearby places to eat
Khao San Road
200 Reviews
The backpacking district ofKhao San Road is the traveler hub of South
East Asia. Jam-packed with raucous bars and restaurants as well as
budget hostels, it's a favorite for late-night revelers.
Fee: No
Day 2
Siam Square
66 Reviews
The heart of the city is a mecca of commercialism. Surrounded by huge
malls and alleyways of tiny boutiques and markets, Siam is a favorite
of Bangkok's fashion conscious youth.
Fee: No
See nearby places to eat
Siam Paragon
986 Reviews
www.paragoncinepl... Despite it's crowdiness, Siam Paragon is the
best. Siam Paragon is located in the heart of Bangkok, surrounded by
so many... more »
Fee: No
Mahboonkrong
81 Reviews
Better known as MBK, Mahboonkhrong is an eight-story high mega mall.
The busy, crowded labyrinth of tiny stalls stock everything you can
imagine, from electronics to ornaments to specialized equipment.
Fee: No
See nearby places to eat
Day 3
Chatuchak Market
470 Reviews
If you have to go to Bangkok, Thailand, and if you are bargain hunter
do not miss Chatuchak Market. This is one of the most famous weekend
markets... more »
Fee: No
See nearby places to eat
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium
74 Reviews
Thailand's best-known boxing stadium hosts traditional Muay Thai
matches every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Expect to pay around
THB2000 for ring-side seats to the kickboxing-type matches.
Fee: Yes
Sky Bar, Bangkok
237 Reviews
The stunning, multi-hued Sky bar at Sirocco has several reasons to
turn minutes into timeless moments. Suspended in the sky on the 63rd
floor of The Dome at State Tower, the Skybar is one of the world's
highest open air bars, overlooking a panoramic view of Bangkok and the
Chao Phraya river. With such an enthralling ambience coupled with a
seductive selection of the finest vintages... More
Fee: Yes
See nearby places to eat
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can
change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all ratesand details
directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
About this expert
Gaby Doman is a freelance writer who has lived as an expat in the
Middle East and South East Asia for five years.
Places on this tour/

Invite Allah’s Power and Wisdom Into Your Life

Allah's power and wisdom are limitless and beyond our comprehension.
But guess what? There is a key that brings Allah's infinite wisdom
into play in your life. That key is prayer. Salat and dua' are like a
special hotline that transcends the veils of space and time and goes
directly to Allah. Prayer is the means and the voice that Allah has
given us to speak to Him, ask His forgiveness, and request His
assistance and wisdom in any situation that we are dealing with. And
it works.
"And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I
am near. I respond to theinvocation of the supplicant when he calls
upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be
guided." Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:186
Miracles happen every day. Do you not believe that miracles can happen
in your life as well? Do you think that you are too insignificant for
that? SubhanAllah. Allah sees andknows every fallen leaf, every grain
in the darknessof the earth; and He knowsyour innermost thoughts. He
is closer to you than your jugular vein. (Quran 50:16)
Do you think that Allah's nearness to you is because He mistrusts you?
No! Allahhas nothing to fear from you, and therefore nothing to
mistrust. Allah is near to you because He loves you. He is near to you
because He cares about you and understands your pain. He is near to
you so that He can help you. You matter, as much as the ocean, the
trees and the stars. You areimportant to Allah, not as ageneral
concept, but you, as an individual person with your own private needs
and fears. You only have to turn to Him, and call upon Him; and His
wisdom, power and guidance will manifest in your life.
I personally went through a very difficult period whenI was younger.
At the time I felt that I had failed in life. I was beginning to
feelsome despair. But I kept my faith in Allah, and I prayed to Him in
the day and the dark of the night. I trusted Allah, and I knew that He
would not abandon me. And then the last person I would expect, an
acquaintance who I hardly knew and who had no reason to care about
meor my situation, suddenly took an interest and beganhelping me.
Within a short period of time I had a job, and was able to get my own
apartment, and my life had changed completely. It was literally a
miracle. Even now it blows my mind. Allah stepped into that
situation,and He made the impossible possible, because I believed in
Him and I prayed.
Miracles happen every day. Allah hears you. You matter.
"O You the Ever Living Whosustains all that exists! O You Who created
the heavens and the earth without precedence. O You,Who Owns the glory
and the honor, none has the right to be worshipped except You. We seek
refugewith Your mercy. Grant Us success in all of our matters. Please,
do not abandon us to rely on ourselves even for an instant nor on any
of Your creation." – (dua' mentioned in Tafsir ibn Kathir)

Tired of my husbandnot praying or reciting Qu’ran

I have two problems and Ineed the solution for them. I am married for
6 years now alhumdulillah, a muslim from India. My husband
alhumdulillah is avery nice man, he takes care of his family a lot.
We have 3 beautiful kids mashallah. But he doesnt pray 5 times and
doesn't know how to read Quran. He never read in arabic language. A
few days ago he told me he read it in English before marriage. I
seriously doubt that. I want him to learn arabic and read Quran and
become a good muslim. I tell him hadith and how important prayer is
for us but it doesnt have any effect on him. He just says hm,hm,hm....
that's it.
I need some supplication that I can recite to make him change.
Another thing is that I have a small group of ladies coming to my
homeand we have islamic discussion on various topics. I told them that
it's not haram to cut our hair(ladies). They ask why is it not allowed
to get eyebrows done? Whereas we can wax and remove our upper lip
hair. Becauseeveryone here in India says that women shouldn't cut hair
and should not wax.
Can we wax andcut our hair, or not? I need authentic proof.
jazakallah,

Special times for dua:

1. When one is oppressed
2. Between the time of Athan and Iqama
3. At the time of the call forprayer
4. At the time of fighting when warriors are engaged with each other
5. When it is raining
6. When one is sick
7. The last third of the night
8. Ramadan (especially Lailatul Qadr)
9. After the Fard part of prayer\
10. When traveling
11. When breaking fast
12. In Sujood
13. Fridays, some say on Friday after Asr prayer
14. While drinking the water from the well of Zamzam
15. At the start of prayer (Dua of Istiftah)
16. When one begins the prayer, i.e. with "all praise be to Allah, the
Pure and the Blessed one"
17. While one recites al-Fatiha (which is a Dua)
18. When Ameen is said in the prayer (also relating to Fatiha)
19. At the time of raising the head after the Rukoo
20. In the last part of the prayer after conveying blessings unto the
Prophet (SAW)
21. Before finishing the prayer (before Tasleem (saying the Salaam to
the angels))
22. At the end of Wudu
23. On the day of Arafah
24. On waking up from sleep
25. At times of adversity
26. Prayer after the death of a person
27. Dua when someone's heart is filled with sincerity and when it is
focused on Allah
28. Dua of the parent against or for his children
29. When the sun moves from its meridian but before the Dhuhr prayer
30. The Dua of a Muslim forhis brother without thelatter's knowledge
31. At the time the army advances to fight in theway of Allah.
Dua can be beautified and perfected by certain actions:
1. Have Wudu, face Qibla, be neat and clean
2. Raise both hands up to the shoulder with palms open facing up
3. Use words of Allah and Muhammad (SAW)- i.e. Duas found in Quran andHadith
4. Ask by Asma alHusna- Allah's Beautiful Names
5. Ask Allah by your good deeds
6. Be insistent-repeat (i.e. 3x's)
7. Glorify Allah and recite Durud for the Prophet (SAW) at both the
beginning and end
8. Show humility, entreaty, desire and fear while making Dua
9. Repent and try to make amends where one has wronged
10. Confess mistakes, shortcomings, and sins
11. Keep voice between a whisper and speaking aloud
12. Show the need for Allah's help and implore Him for releasefrom
weakness, hardship and tribulation.
13. Seize the opportunity of time, situation and circumstance in which
prayers are answered
14. Avoid rhymed prose to keep concentration
15. Crying when making Dua
16. "The Dua of Dhun-Nun(Yunus) by which he invoked Allah from within
the belly of thewhale was: ' LAa ilahailla Anta, Subhanaka innee kuntu
min aDH-DHaalimeen.' ('There is no God but You, glory to You, I have
been among thewrongdoers.') No Muslim ever makes Dua with it but Allah
answers it." [at tirmidhi in his sunan, ahmad and hakim reported it
and hakim declared it authentic and adh dhahabee agreed]
17. End with"Alhamdulillah rabbil alameen." (Praise be to Allah, Lord
of the worlds).
We should ask for Dunya things, but not just for the sake of Dunya
itself and for Akhirah things. We should not ask for punishment to be
broughtforward in this world or for early death. We shouldnot curse
any particular human being or animal, abuse a Muslim for no reason,
abuse dead peoplewithout cause and religious excuse, or abuse fever or
the wind. We should not make Dua by saying we have been given rain by
this or that star or what Allah willed, and so and so willed. We
should not make Dua against family and property or for sinful acts and
severing the bonds.
In the end there can be reasons why the Dua might not be answered such
as not fulfilling conditions like some of the ones listed above or:
Divine Wisdom, trying to hurry the response of one's Dua, Dua for what
is sinful or the breaking off of relations, eating, drinking, or
dressing from what is Haram, not being resolute in making Dua,
abandoning the duty of enjoining what is good and shunning the evil,
the dominance of unmindfulness, lust and vain desires, not being
submissive during Salah, or committing particular sins (not divorcing
a vilewoman, giving a loan without a witness, and a man who gave his
wealth to the foolish).
More information on Dua can be found in a book in English, a
translation of Kitaab ud-Du`aa' by Shaykh al-`Awaa'ishah (published by
Jam`iat Ihyaa Minhaaj al-Sunnah), the Book of Supplications in
Al-Bukhari and Riyadh us Saleheen and Ajawab Alkafi by Imam Shams
Adeen Mohamad bin AbiBakr Bin Qayem Ajawyzeyah. Jazakamullahu khairan
to those who corrected and added to the above compilation. May Allah
make us of those that oft turn to Him in Dua. Ameen.