A Trip to the Zoo

Asalamu Aliakom Wa Rahmat Allah Wa Barakatu. I would like to apologize
to my readers for not writing any new stories during the entire
summer. It has been a hectic summer for me, andthe ongoing events in
Palestine have dulled my desire to write. This, of course, is no
excuse, so I ask that you be patient with me, as I attempt to rekindle
the fire of writing within me.
Most of us at one point in our lives have visited the local zoo.
Although I am sure many of our brothers and sisters who have young
children may classify their own homes as zoos, this is not the kindof
zoo I am writing about today!
Every zoo has a wide variety of animals. As a child I used to take
great joy in visiting the zoo. From the roaring lions to the graceful
giraffe, I lovedit all. Over the course of my lifetime, I have been
tomany zoos, yet there was one visit that I shall never forget.
It was the mid eighties and my family and I were visiting Egypt during
the winter. Winters in Egypt are not as exciting as the summers, but
there is still a lot a person can do. My mother and her sister decided
to take us to the International Zoo in Madinat Nasr (Nasr City). Oh
the sheer excitement after hearing we were going to visit the zoo! I
ran all over the home shouting, "We're going to the zoo, we're going
to thezoo!" This was going to bea fun day.
The International Zoo was much like any typical zoo. It had its trees
and plant growth which attempted to enhance the feeling of being in
the wild. A quick look to the right, and therewere the wild African
monkeys. A look to the leftand one could see a peacock showing off its
beautiful feathers. I lookedin awe at each of the animals and thought
to myself that this was truly a grand place to visit.
As we ended our tour of the zoo, we came upon the most well known
animal of Arabia, the camel. It was sitting in the middle of its gated
clearing watching the passers by as if monitoringfor anyone heading in
its direction. Earlier we had stopped by a food stand and purchased
some popcorn and "coca-cola gummies" to eat. As I chewed on my popcorn
I watched the camel staring at us and licking its mouth periodically.
Both my mother and aunt commented that the camellooked hungry and
decided to feed it some of our coca-cola gummies. The camel had a
serious appetite. It finished all the candy we had. My mother and aunt
tried feeding the camel some popcorn but itwasn't interested. Seeing
as our day had come to an end, we decided to head towards the exit.
Suddenlymy mother felt the clamping of the mouth of an animal on her
shoulder.Lo and behold it was the camel himself! My aunt pulled us
away and yelled"Get away from the camel!" Oh no, it hadn't had enough
candy and now it was going after my mother.
Alhamdulilah, the camel only caught on to a shawl my mother was
wearing. With a tug she was able torelease the shawl from its mouth
and quickly ran away to put some distancebetween herself and the
hungry camel. Some school children on a field trip noticed the
incident and a young girl exclaimed, "Stay away from the camel, it
bites!"
Realizing that we had more than our fair share offun-filled adventure
we headed back home. The ironic thing is that I don't ever recall
seeing a "Do not feed the animal" sign. Now whenever I visit a zoo, I
think twice about feeding the animals.
Jazakom Allahu Khairan forreading. 'Til next time Insha Allah.

Be True, and Be You

Listen to the quiet voice inside yourself. The persistent voice that
tells you that there's something more to life, that calls you to do
something meaningful, toexperience the world in a profound way. So
many ofus dismiss that voice, suppress it. We are told that our dreams
are not realistic or practical. We are told that we should settle for
what is reliable, and will pay the bills, and garner us the respect of
our peers.
But if we do not listen to that quiet voice, then whowill? There is no
external advocate who can read the yearnings of your heart and speak
up on their behalf. You must be the champion of your own soul.
On the authority of Abu Malik Al-Harith bin Asim Al-Ashari said that
the messenger of Allah said:
"Purity is half of faith. alhamdu-lillah [Praise be to Allah] fills
the scales, and subhana-Allah [How far is Allah from every
imperfection] and alhamdu-lillah [Praise be to Allah] fill that which
is between heaven and earth. Prayer is light; charity is a proof;
patience is illumination; and the Quran is an argument for or against
you. Everyone starts his day and is a vendor of his soul, either
freeing it or bringing about its ruin."
(Related by Muslim).
You are the vendor of your soul: either freeing itor bringing about
its ruin. You free it by worshiping Allah in love, gratitude and fear;
keeping the praises of Allah on your tongue and in your heart; praying
and fasting and living righteously (as opposed to self-righteously);
by showing love and concernfor other human beings; and by being true
to yourself.
Allah created you with a unique nature. Do you think it's only your
fingerprints that are unique? Or your retinal scan, palm print, voice
print and DNA? Do you believe that your uniqueness is encapsulated by
measurable biometrical data? No, your uniqueness extends to your own
wonderful thought patterns, your special heart, and your soul. You are
you, not anyone else.
You are not an assembly-line robot, or a machine put here to consume,
produce and expire. You are different from everyone else in the world
because you are you. Respect that, and don't try to force yourself in
an uncomfortable or even impossible mold that someone else has
dictated for you. Be true, be you , and free your soul.
I'm not talking about sinful desires. I am speaking of the quiet and
inspired urgings of your heart. Maybe you dream of working in disaster
relief, helping all those poor souls who suffered after the Indian
Ocean tsunami, or from the earthquake in Haiti. Maybe you have an
inner artist and you'd like to pursue that passionately and see where
it takes you. Maybe you love children and would like toteach; maybe
you are not satisfied with current school curricula and you have an
idea of starting your own school. Maybe you've always fantasized about
being a karate black belt, or helping poorvillages in Africa become
self-sustaining, or campaigning for human rights.
Maybe you're single and you have feelings for a certain person, or
just an undercurrent of admiration and respect, but you fear
rejection; or maybe the person comes from a different cultural
background and you worry that your family or your peers would not
approve.
I could go on and on, but you get the point. Don't be afraid of your
dreams. Life is short; it passes so quickly, much sooner thanwe
expect, and when we get to the end of the roadwe will regret only that
we suppressed our hearts,and shoved them down into silence.
We will never regret pursuing our dreams, taking bold chances,
expressing our love, whether or not we succeeded or failed, whether we
experienced great joy or intense pain. In the end the difference
between success and failure in any venture is inAllah's hands anyway.
All you can do is try, and trying is everything.
Stand up for your inner voice. Listen to it.
Stand up for your dreams.Give them a chance.
No one else will do it for you.

1b- The Benefits of becoming a Murîd

1b-
14. Associate very little with rulers and those who hold high positions.
15. Stay very far from irreligious people.
16. Do not search for the faults of others. Do not have evil thoughts
about anyone. Instead,look at your own faults and try to put them in
order.
17. You should be very particular in offering your salât in the proper
manner, at the proper time and with great concentration.
18. Always occupy yourself in the remembrance of Allah either with
your heart or tongue. Do not be neglectful in this regard at any time.
19. If you experience any satisfaction in taking the name of Allah and
your heart feels happy over this, then express your gratitude to
Allah.
20. Speak in a nice, humble way.
21. Set aside specific times for all your different tasks and abide
strictly to these times.
22. Consider whatever regret, sorrow or loss you may experience to be
from Allah. Do not be despondent. Instead, think that you will be
rewarded for this.
23. Do not think about worldly matters, calculations, profits
andlosses, etc. all the time. Instead, think about Allah.
24. As far as possible, try to helpand benefit others irrespective of
whether it be in worldly affairs or Dînî matters.
25. Do not eat and drink too littleto the extent that you become weak
and fall ill. Nor should you eat and drink too much to the extent that
you feel lazy in carrying out the different acts of 'ibâdah.
26. Do not have any desire or greed for anything from anyone except
Allah. Do not allow your mind to wander towards any place thinking
that you will be able to gain certain benefit or profit from there.
27. Be restless in your quest for Allah.
28. Be grateful for the favours that are bestowed upon you
irrespective of whether they areplenty or few. Do not be depressed
with poverty and destitution.
29. Overlook the faults and mistakes of those who are under your control.
30. If you learn of any fault of someone, conceal it. However, if the
person plans to cause harm to someone else and you learn of it, then
warn the other person beforehand.
31. Be in the service of guests, travellers, strangers, 'ulamâ, and
the pious servants of Allah.
32. Choose the company of the pious.
33. Fear Allah all the time.
34. Remember death.
35. Set aside a certain time daily wherein you should think aboutall
your actions for that day. When you remember any good action, express
gratitude. When you remember any evil action, repent.
36. Don't ever speak a lie.
37. Don't ever attend gatheringsthat are contrary to the Sharî'ah.
38. Live with bashfulness, modesty and forbearance.
39. Do not be conceited by thinking to yourself that "I
havesuch-and-such qualities in me."
40. Continue making du'â to Allah to keep you steadfast on the straight path./

1a- The Benefits of becoming a Murîd

1a-
5. If you mistakenly become a murîd of a person who acts contrary to
the Sharî'ah, or if he was good in the beginning and later changed,
then sever your contact with him and become a murîd of some other
pious person. However, if your shaykh commits a sin which could be
overlooked, then think to yourself that he is also human and that he
is not an angel. He has made a mistake which could be forgiven by his
making taubah. Do not allow your conviction in him to dwindle over
trivial matters. However, if the shaykh persists on such acts, sever
your contactwith him.
6. It is a sin to believe that your shaykh has full knowledge of
everything you do.
7. Never read books which havestories of the dervishes which appear to
be contrary to the Sharî'ah. Similarly, you should not read poems that
are contrary to the Sharî'ah.
8. Some dervishes say that the path of the Sharî'ah is different from
the path of the dervishes. Such dervishes are astray. It is fard to
consider them to be liars.
9. If the shaykh asks you to do anything that is contrary to the
Sharî'ah, it is not permissible to act upon it. If he insists on you
to carry it out, sever your contact with him.
10. If, due to the barakah of taking the name of Allah, you experience
a good state in your heart, you have a good dream or upon waking up
you hear a voice or see some light, then do not mention this to anyone
other than your shaykh nor inform anyone of the wazîfahs that you read
or the 'ibâdah thatyou make, because by doing so, this good fortune
will go away.
11. If your shaykh asks you to recite a particular wazîfah or engage
in a particular form of dhikr and after some time you still do not
experience any delight in this, do not be disheartened, nor should you
lose your confidence in your shaykh. Instead, think to yourself that
the greatest effect is that your heart is making an intention of
remembering Allah and that you are being given the opportunity to do
good. Never think that you should be blessed with the opportunity of
pious persons appearing in your dreams, that you should begin to have
knowledge of things that are still going to occur, that you should be
able tocry profusely or that you shouldbecome so engrossed in your
'ibâdah that you are unaware ofother things. These things occur at
times and at times they do not. If they do, express your gratitude to
Allah. If they do not occur, decrease after having occurred frequently
or cease to occur altogether, then do not be saddened. However, if,
Allah forbid, you display any shortcoming in following the Sharî'ah or
commit any sin, thenthis is definitely something to be distressed
about. You should immediately make an effort to put your condition in
order, inform your shaykh about it and act upon his advice.
12. Do not be disrespectful of other shaykhs or other sûfi orders. Nor
should you address the murîds of other shaykhs or other sûfi orders by
telling themthat your shaykh is greater thanhis or that your sûfi
order is greater than his. By engaging in such unnecessary and foolish
conversations the heart begins to darken.
13. If your shaykh pays more attention to a fellow murîd, or if a
fellow murîd gains more benefit from his wazîfahs and dhikrs, do not
be jealous of him.
Guidelines on how a Murîd and every other Muslim should spend his night and day
1. Acquire knowledge of the Dîn according to your needs. You could
acquire this knowledge either by reading a book or by asking the
'ulamâ.
2. Abstain from all sins.
3. If you commit any sin, repent immediately.
4. Do not hold back in fulfilling anyone's right. Do not cause anyone
physical or verbal harm.Do not speak ill of anyone.
5. Do not have any love for wealth nor any desire for name and fame.
Do not concern yourself with extravagant food and clothing.
6. If someone rebukes you for your mistake or error, do not tryto
justify your action. Admit your fault and repent.
7. Do not embark on a journey without any dire necessity. This is
because many unconscious and unintended acts are committed while on a
journey. Many good deeds are missed out, there is a shortcoming in the
different forms of dhikr (remembrance of Allah), and youare unable to
accomplish your tasks on time.
8. Do not laugh excessively nor talk excessively. You should
takespecial precaution in not talking with ghayr mahrams (those with
whom the observance of purdah is incumbent) in an informal way.
9. Do not go about repeating or mentioning an argument that may have
taken place between two persons.
10. Always be mindful of the rules of the Sharî'ah in everything that you do.
11. Do not display laziness in executing any act of 'ibâdah.
12. Try and spend most of your time in seclusion.
13. If you have to meet and converse with others, meet them with
humility and do not display your greatness.
14. Ass....

1-The Benefits of becoming a Murîd

1-
By Shaykh Ashrafali Thanawi (ra)
There are several benefits in becoming a murîd:
1. At times a person errs in the different methods of reforming the
heart that were mentioned previously. The shaykh shows the correct
path in this regard.
2. At times the effect and benefitthat one derives from a book is not
as great as that which one would have obtained from the guidance of a
shaykh. One gainsthe barakah of the shaykh. Furthermore, if the murîd
displays any shortcoming in carrying out a good act or commits an evil
act, he will be ashamed of this in front of the shaykh.
3. The person develops confidence and love for the shaykh. Based on
this, he is inclined to follow and emulate the ways of the shaykh.
4. If the shaykh is strict in giving his advice or displays his anger,
the person does not feel offended and endeavours to actupon his
advice.
There are many other benefits which are acquired by those whom Allah
has favoured. Thesecan only be known by acquiringand experiencing
them.
Qualities to be found in the Shaykh
If a person wishes to become a murîd, he should first consider the
following factors in the shaykh. If the latter does not possess these
qualities, do not become his murîd.
1. The shaykh must know the masâ'il of Dîn. He should not be ignorant
of the Sharî'ah.
2. He must not possess any quality that is contrary to the Sharî'ah.
His 'aqâ'id (beliefs) must be the same as those that have been
mentioned in Part One of Bahishti Zewar. He should not possess any
quality that is contrary to all the masâ'il and all those things
connected to reformation of the heart that have been mentioned in this
book.
3. He must not be carrying out this programme (of shaykh and murîd) as
a means of sustenance. (That is, he must notbe doing it for financial
gain).
4. Become the murîd of a person who is regarded as a pious person by
the majority of good people.
5. Become the murîd of a person who is spoken highly of by good people.
6. His programme of instruction must be such that one develops a love
and inclination for Dîn. This can be gauged by looking at the
condition of his murîds. Even if fifty-sixty percent of his murîds are
good, consider such a shaykh to be effective. Do not have doubts on
him by looking at the condition of a few murîds. You may have heard
that the pious persons have a lot of effect. This (looking at the
condition of his murîds) is the criterion whereby one gauges the
effect and power of a shaykh. Do not gauge the effect and power of a
shaykh through other means, such as somethingoccurring exactly as he
mentioned it to you, someone getting cured by his mere touch,that a
ta'wîdh worked accordingto the reason for which he gaveit to you or
that if he fixes his gaze on a person he becomes completely entranced
and at a loss. Never be deluded by these effects and powers.
7. The shaykh must be such thathe does not take into consideration the
status of his murîds when giving them advice of the Dîn. (That is, he
does not favour his murîds when it comes to reprimanding them in
matters of the Dîn). He stops them from useless and foolish things.
Once you have found such a shaykh, seek permission from your parents
(if you are unmarried) or from your husband (if you are married), and
become a murîd of such a shaykh solely for the purpose ofputting your
Dîn in order. If your parents or husband do notpermit you to become a
murîd, do not become one as it is not fard to become a murîd. However,
it is fard to tread the path of the Dîn. You should therefore continue
treading this path even if you are not a murîd of a shaykh.
Rules connected to the shaykh and murîd
1. Be respectful to your shaykh. Remember the name of Allah in exactly
the way shown to you by your shaykh. Have the following belief with
regard to your shaykh: "The spiritual benefits that I can gain from
this shaykh cannot be gained from any other shaykh."
2. If the murîd's heart has not been reformed properly as yet and the
shaykh passes away, hemust become a murîd of another shaykh in whom
the above-mentioned qualities are found.
3. When you come across any wazîfah in any book or read about the
frugal life of someone, do not act upon it on your own accord. Ask
your shaykh about it first. If any good or evil thought enters your
heart or you decide to do something, first consult your shaykh.
4.Women should not remove their purdah in the presence of their
shaykh. At the time of becoming a murîd, do not shakehis hands. It is
permissible to take the oath of allegiance (bay'ah) by holding one end
of a handkerchief or piece of cloth while he holds the other end. A
verbal bay'ah is also sufficient.
5. If you mistakenly become a murîd of a person who acts contrary to
the Sharî'ah, or if he was good in the beginning and later changed,...

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Remove a Harmful Thing

"Removing anything harmful from the path is part of faith." We are
taught to be concerned about the safety and well being of all human
beings to this degree. If a road or pathway thatis used by people, be
they Muslim or not, has anything that may cause harm upon it, then in
the same way that we would like to save ourselves, we should like that
for all. One day we will have been saved due to a similar deed by
others

The Gift of a Child

A friend of mine recently wrote about her son:
"There are moments in parentingthat break your heart open with
boundless love, where you see your child so clearly navigating their
own space… a funny mix ofpride, empathy and fall-over-yourself love
and gratitude for the gift of your child ensues, followed by
tears….watching Wilder walk up to a new friend on the playground at a
new school and navigate the space between shy and easy was just such…
thank you universe for giving me that moment."
I know what she means. Earlier this morning I told my daughter Salma a
joke and she gave me a smile as sweet as a mango that made my heart
melt. And just now she climbed into the chair next to mine and said,
"Baba, cover your eyes." I did but I peeked between my fingers because
sometimes she leaps onto me full bore, with her kneespointed at me, as
if I'm a trampoline. But this time she climbed into my lap, and kissed
me on the cheek.
Of course she followed it up by telling me she was bored, and asking
me to buy her a new doll. Still, having this child has taught me to
love as I never did before. I have learned patience, sacrifice,and
aspiration, not for myself but for another.
I recently listened to a lecture by Umm Sahl of Damascus in which she
remarked that our children do not belong us, but to Allah. They are
given to us in trust, andwe are their shepherds.
I can see that. How could I own or possess something so beautiful, and
powerful, so unique? No one but Allah can hold a human being in their
hand, seeing the essence of that person, knowing and appreciating
every atom.
What a tremendous responsibility a child is. What a tremendous gift.
May Allah make us all equal to the task, and help us to fulfill our
roles as shepherds, providing tarbiyah and love, and ushering in a
better generation than our own, Insha'Allah.

Keeping food diary could be key to staying slim and fit

Adopting a fixed timetablefor meals could be a more effective method
of dieting than trying to cut out fatty foods, say researchers. People
who snack on healthy food can put on weight if their eating patterns
are not maintained properly, according to new study.
In contrast, the researcherssaid, sticking to strict mealtimes is good
for the metabolism and helps the body burn off fat, allowinga more
liberal choice of food, The Telegraph reported.
Previous studies have shown that both a high-fat diet and eating
patterns that disrupt the natural body clock can interfere with our
metabolism and raise the risk of obesity.
Scientists from the HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem tested the effects
of timingand fat intake on four groups of mice over an 18-week period
to determine whether carefulscheduling of meals could lower the
effects of a high-fat diet.
Half were given a high-fat diet that would normally be expected to
make themobese. Of these, a quarter were fed at the same time each day
and another quarter could eat as much as they liked, whenever they
liked.
The other half was fed a diet that was lower in fat. Again, one
quarter had a fixed feeding time, the other had not.
All four of the groups gained weight over the course of the trial,
with the group that ate a high-fat diet at irregular intervals
unsurprisingly gaining the most weight, while those on a low-fat,
scheduled diet gained the least.
But more surprisingly, the mice that had been fed a high-fat diet at
regular intervals finished the trial in a better condition than those
that ate low-fat foods whenever they wanted, despite both groups
consuming the same number of calories overall.
The mice in the scheduled, high-fat group had 12 per cent lower body
weight, 21 per cent lower cholesterol and 1.4 times higher sensitivity
to insulin than the unscheduled, low-fat group.
The diet also changed their metabolism so that they burnt off the fats
they ingested to produce energy in between meal times, rather than
storing the fat in their bodies.
"Our research shows that the timing of food consumption takes
precedence over the amount of fat in the diet, leading to improved
metabolism and helping to prevent obesity," the paper quoted Prof Oren
Froy, who led the experiment, as saying.
"Improving metabolism through the careful scheduling of meals, without
limiting the content of the daily menu, could be used as a therapeutic
tool to prevent obesity in humans," he suggested.
The study was published in the Journal of the Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology.

Sugar in blood can shrink your brain

medical research
Doctors ought to think again about what is a normal blood-sugar level.
Researchers in Australia have found that even those now considered
normal are at greater risk of the brain shrinkage thatcomes with
type-2 diabetes and is evident in dementia patients.
"We found that even within the normal range, and in people without
diabetes, higher sugar levels were associated with greater shrinking
of the hippocampus," said Nicolas Cherbuin, head of the brain lab at
the Australian National University in Canberra.
"If these findings are replicated in other cohorts,norms for blood
sugar levels and diabetes may need to be re-examined." Over four years
Cherbuin studied 249 people aged 60-64 whose blood sugar was in the
normal range of 4-6.1 millimoles per litre.
He found that those in the top of the range were more likely to have
loss of brain volume in the hippocampus and the amygdala than those in
the lower blood-glucose range. The hippocampus and the amygdala are
important to memory and cognitive skills.
Type-2 diabetes is often put down to poor lifestyle choices and the
same goesfor high blood sugar. To ward off brain shrinkage, eat well
and get fit — and try and avoid the stressful things in life.
"Lack of exercise and chronic stress also affect blood sugar levels
and a healthy lifestyle should include regular exercise and avoiding
chronic stress," Cherbuin said.

THINGS TO KEEP YOU FIT

You are what you eat -andwhat you don't eat. Similarly, life depends
on what you keep and what you don't keep. There are many things in
life that people may keep, but onlya few are truly worth keeping. Here
is a list of what to keep (and how) for a brighter, happier and more
fulfilling life.
1) Keep calm. Life can be unnerving and if you don'tmake an effort to
keep collected and focused, you could easily lose your cool.Take
regular, conscious deep breaths to calm and center yourself.
2) Keep your chin up. Not only is it good for your posture and
diminishes your double chin, it also helps you maintain an "I can
handle it" attitude. By keeping your chin up, you can keep your head
above water.
3) Keep your spirits high. Always maintain a positiveand joyful
attitude. Remember that no one can perk you up like yourself. Keep
your spirits high when the going gets rough by focusing on your dreams
and counting your blessings.
4) Keep your word. The true measure of a man is ifhe keeps his word.
Honorable and trustworthy is the man who stands by what he says and
promises. It is important to think well before speaking because once a
word is uttered andreleased into the universe, its vibrations could no
longer be erased.
5) Keep in time with your inner drummer. Don't be swayed by others
into following the confusing beat of their drums. Although it is
sometimes necessary to adjust to the pace of others, it is best to
keep in step with your personal rhythm and to dance to your own music.
6) Keep in touch with the child in you. The source of creativity in
your life is that little child within you. He questions, he marvels,
he imagines and invents. Stay in touch with him, and be young and
creativefor life!
7) Keep abreast of the times. The world is movingso fast. Know what's
happening, what's in style,what's au courant, what's relevant, what's
important.Learn the hottest trends and the latest in technology. Don't
be caught in a time warp or you'll be left behind.
8) Keep in shape. Your shape shows your state of health. Your body is
the vessel that you journey through life in. Keep it healthy and
strong. Don't be one of those people who say, "I'm in shape; round is
a shape!"
9) Keep your mouth shut. People talk too much. We language ourselves
to our own destruction and defeat. Know when to talk and when to shut
up. Avoid being too verbose. Oftentimes, silence speaks more
eloquently than words.
10) Keep good friends. Good friends are hard to find. Nurture
friendships that make your plight through life easier, more wonderful
and meaningful. Truly poor is the man who has no good friends.
11) Keep great memories, not heavy objects. In the very end, good
memories of life are what we will be left with, not jewels and riches
that we can't bring when we finally go. Live each moment beautifully.
Linked together, these magical moments create a magnificent life.
12) Keep a diary. Writing a journal is therapeutic. Record the
important events in your life, your dreams and aspirations, even your
failures and disappointments . When you trace back events in your
life, you are bound tolearn lessons from them aswell as find great
inspiration and strength.
13) Keep saying grace and thanks. Blessed is he who says grace before
he eats and gives thanks for all thegifts he receives daily. Maintain
a thankful attitude and focus on your blessings instead of
disappointments .
14) Keep on moving forward. The universe moves forward in time. Don't
get stuck in yesterday; make an effort to move ahead to a better life.
Drop those unnecessary pieces of material and emotional baggage that
weigh you down and keep you from flying to your loftiest dreams.
15) Keep out of danger. Hewho exposes himself to danger finds it.
Don't courtdanger; avoid it. As they say, an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure. Look out for number one (that's you!), and
always stay safeand sound.
16) Keep up the good work. Success is built uponsuccess. The more you
do, the more you achieve; the more you achieve, the better you get at
doing it. Make success a habit by keeping up the good work.
17) Keep young. Do everything in your power to stay strong, supple and
youthful. Think young; feelyoung. A wise man once said "It is never
too late to be what you might have been." Remember that ageis a number
and that youth is an attitude.
18) Keep on dancing. Life isa dance through space andtime. Embellish
whatever music life plays for you with your own fresh orchestration
and creative choreography. Be excited in your heart and keep your feet
light with happiness.

Introduction Hajj

Once a year, Muslims of every ethnic group, colour, social status, and
culture gather together inMecca and stand before the Kaaba praising
Allah together.
It is a ritual that is designed to promote the bonds of Islamic
brotherhood and sisterhood by showing that everyone is equal in the
eyes of Allah.
The Hajj makes Muslims feel real importance of lifehere on earth, and
the afterlife, by stripping away all markers of social status, wealth,
and pride. In the Hajj all are truly equal.
The Hajjis or pilgrims wear simple white clothescalled Ihram. During
the Hajj the Pilgrims perform acts of worship and they renew their
sense of purpose in the world.
Mecca is a place that is holy to all Muslims. It is soholy that no
non-Muslim is allowed to enter.
For Muslims, the Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam . It
occurs in the month of Dhul Hijjah which is the twelfth month of the
Islamic lunar calendar. It is the journey that every sane adult Muslim
must undertake at least once intheir lives if they can afford it and
are physically able.
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Top
History
History of the Hajj
Four thousand years ago the valley of Mecca was a dry and uninhabited place.
Muslims believe the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was instructed to bring
his wife, Hajira (Hagar) and their child Is'mail to Arabia from
Palestine to protect them from the jealousy of Ibrahim's first wife
Sarah.
Allah told the Prophet Ibrahim to leave them on their own, and he did
so, with some supplies of food and water. However the supplies quickly
ran out and within a few daysHajira and Is'mail were suffering from
hunger anddehydration.
In her desperation Hajira ran up and down two hillscalled Safa and
Marwa trying to see if she could spot any help in the distance.
Finally she collapsed beside Is'mail and prayed to Allah for
deliverance.
Is'mail struck his foot on the ground and this caused a spring of
water to gush forth from the earth. Hajira and Is'mail were saved. Now
they had a secure water supplythey were able to trade water with
passing nomads for food and supplies.
After a while the Prophet Ibrahim returned from Palestine to check on
his family and was amazed tosee them running a profitable well.
The Prophet Ibrahim was told by Allah to build a shrine dedicated to
him. Ibrahim and Is'mail constructed a small stone structure - the
Kaaba or Cube - which was to be the gathering place for all who wished
to strengthen their faith in Allah.
As the years passed Is'mail was blessed with Prophethood and he
gavethe nomads of the desert the message of surrender to Allah.
After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving city thanks to its
reliable water source, the well of Zam Zam.
Gradually, the people began to adopt polytheistic ideas, and worship
spirits and many different gods. The shrine of the Prophet Ibrahim was
used to store idols.
After many years, Allah told the Prophet Muhammed that he should
restore the Kaaba to the worship of Allah only.
In the year 628 the Prophet Muhammed set out on a journey with 1400 of
his followers. Thiswas the first pilgrimage inIslam, and would
re-establish the religious traditions of the Prophet Ibrahim.

Daughter of Namrud

Namrud was the oppressive king who threw Ibrahim (A.S.) into the fire.
His daughter, Ru'dah, was watching the scene from above. She noticed
that the fire was having no effect on Ibrahim (A.S.). She shouted and
asked him the reason for this.
Ibrahim (A.S.) replied: " Allah has saved me from this calamity
through the blessing of iman."
She replied: "If you permit me, I will also come into the fire."
He replied: "Recite Lâ ilâha illallâhu Ibrahim khalîlullâh
(translation: There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Ibrahim
is the close friend of Allah).
She recited this kalimah and immediately dived into the fire. The fire
had no effect on her as well. She then came out of the fire and went
and rebukedand censured her father. He subjected her to great
difficulties but she remained steadfast on her iman.
Lesson: Glory be to Allah! How courageous she was that she did not
abandon her iman even when in difficulty! O women! You should also be
strong-willed at the time of difficulties and do not act contrary to
the Deen even if it equals a hair's breadth.

Fatimah bint Abdul Malik

Fatimah bint Abdul Malik was a highly placed woman of first century
Hijrah . She was wife of thegreat Banu Umayyad Caliph Umar ibn Abdul
Azizand daughter of Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. She wasraised in palatial
atmosphere like princessesand she was familiar with the royal culture.
Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, himself a man of great beauty was regarded one of
the few who greatly were mindful of their get-up. His diet and dress
were equally worthy of royalty. But after he had totake over the
charge of the Caliphate, he gave up all princely practices. He turned
his mouth away from the superb and delicious cuisine. The pulses were
started to be cooked daily and all the people of his household were
sick with the pulses.
One day a servant complained his matron that he was fed up with the
pulses. She silenced him to tell that his master,the Commander of the
Faithful, too ate the same and they themselves, as well.
Once the Caliph praised the taste of Lebanon-honey before her. She
sentword to ruler of Lebanon, Ibn Ma'di Karb. He immediately sent the
honey. When it was servedbefore the Caliph, he questioned his wife if
she had ordered for that. She answered in affirmative and the Caliph
sold out thehoney and deposited the price in Baytal Mal (state
exchequer).
Once a woman came from Iraq to get approved the allowance for her
orphan daughters. She saw the first lady baking bread herself and sat
near her. She was looking at the house and then said regretfully that
she had come to find some favoursfrom that house but it, itself is in
the worst. The Caliph's wife said, "your homes are cared for, at
thecost of ours." Then she inquired about her problems and put her
casebefore the Caliph who approved the allowance forthwith.
When 'Umar ibn Abdul Aziz fell ill with mortal disease, his brother in
law Muslima ibn Abdul Malik came to inquire about his health. He saw
the Commander of the Faithfulwearing a worn Kameez (long shirt). He
took aside his sister and asked her to change the Kameez of the
Commander of the Faithful. She told her astonished brother that the
ruler of the greatest empire of the time had only that shirt.
Fatimah was a woman who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and
was bred with royal manners. But she withdrew from that sort oflife to
the will and wish of her husband and lived her life poorly. She lived
long after her husband but she persisted to live simply. The noted
Turk writer Dhehni Afindi writes, "Fatimah bint Abdul Malik ibn Marwan
was known Dhatid Khimar (the woman of shawl).
She was a lady of great piety and reverence. Her tomb is in Busra
(Syria) where her devotees pay visits frequently.
(Serah 'Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, Taha'in Tarikh Islam ).

Hazrat Umme Salamah(R.A)

Hadhrat Umme Salamah was the daughter of Hadhrat Abu Ummayyah
(Radhiyallaho anhu). She was first married to her cousin Hadhrat bin
Abdul Asad known as Abu Salamah (Radhiyallaho anhu). The couple
embraced Islam in the verybeginning and emigrated to Abyssinia, due to
the persecutions of Qureysh. A son was born to them in exile, who was
named Salamah. After returning from Abyssinia, the family emigrated to
Madinah . Hadhrat Umme Salamah's (Radhiyallaho anha) story about her
journey to Madinah, has been alreadygiven in the early part of the
chapter. After reachingMadinah, Hadhrat Umme Salmah (Rad laho anha)
got another son 'Umar andtwo daughters Durrah andZainab (Radhiyallaho
anhum).
Hadhrat Abu Salamah (Radhiyallaho anho) was the eleventh man to
embrace Islam. He participated in the battle of Badr as well as in
Uhud. He got a severe wound in Uhud, which did not heal for a long
time. He was sent by the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam)
in an expedition in Safar, 4 A. H. When he returned from the
expedition, the old wound again started giving trouble and at last he
died of the same on 8thJamadil-Akhir, 4 A. H. Hadhrat Umme Salamah
(Radi-allaho anha) was pregnant at the time. Zainab was born to her
after the death of her husband. After Umme Salamah had completed her
Iddat (waiting period), Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radlahoanho) proposed to
marry her, but she declined.
Later, the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) offered to
marry her. She said: "O, Prophet of Allah! I have quite a few children
with me and I am very sensitiveby nature. Moreover, a people are in
Mecca, and their permission for getting remarried is necessary."
The Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) said: "Allah will
look after your children and your sensitiveness willvanish in due
course. Noneof people will dislike the proposed marriage".
Hadhrat Umme Salamah then asked her (eldest) sonHadhrat Salamah
(Radhiyallaho anho) to serve as her guardian and give her in marriage
to theProphet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) She was married in
the end of Shawwal, 4 A. H. She says: "I had heard from the Prophet
Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) that a person struck with a
calamity should recite this prayer:
"O, Allah! Recompense me for this affliction by giving me something
better than what I have lost: then Allah would accept his prayer." I
had been reciting this prayer since the death of Hadhrat Abu Salamah
(Radhiyallaho anho), but I could not imagine a husband better than he,
till Allah arrangedmy marriage with the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho
Alaihe Wasallam) ." Hadhrat Aishah (Radhiyallaho anha) says:
"Umme Salamah (Radhiyallaho anha) was famous for her beauty. Once I
contrived to see her. I found her much more beautiful than I had
heard. I mentioned this to Hafsah who said. "In my opinion, she is not
as beautiful as people say." She was the last of the Prophet Mohammad
(Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) wives to die. It was in 59 or 62 A. H.
She was 84 at the time of her death, and as such she wasborn 9 years
before Nubuwwat.
As already been said, the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe
Wasallam) married Hadhrat Umme Salamah after the death of Hadhrat
Zainab Khuzaimah (Radhiyallaho anha). She therefore lived in Hadhrat
Zainab's (Radhiyallaho anha) house. She found a had-mill, a kettle and
some barley in an earthen jar, lying in the house. Hadhrat Umme
Salamah milled some barley and after putting some fat cooked a
preparation , which she served to the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho
Alaihe Wasallam) on the very firstday of her marriage with him.

Islam is a Game Changer

Islam is a game changer. Every other system, every human-made "ism" –
feudalism, tribalism, nationalism, monarchism, capitalism, communism,
fascism – treats human beings like commodities orless. Every other
system simply plays around with variables like distribution of wealth
and labor, or elevates one group of human beings based on lineage or
geography, while devaluing others to less-than-human status.
All these systems are fundamentally uncivilized, even barbaric.
Islam changes everything. Islam says, we're going to uphold the
fundamental dignity of all human beings.
"And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them
on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and
preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite]
preference." – Quran, 17:70
Allah has honored all the children of Adam. Not onlyMuslims, not only
men, notone race or nation, not only the wealthy or beautiful, but all
humans. As for the nature of man, Allah says, "[So mention] when your
Lord said to the angels, 'Indeed, I am going to create a human being
from clay. So whenI have proportioned him and breathed into him ofMy
[created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.'" – Quran,
38:71-72
A being into whom Allah breathed cannot help but be noble by nature.
Yes, we humans are corruptibleand shortsighted, but we don't have to
be. Our nature is pure. We can, at times, rise above our own
foolishness and become great.
When it comes to morality,Islam takes the approach of trusting human
beings to live by values like compassion, justice, fairness, help for
the poor, brotherhood and sisterhood, devotion to God, and
non-attachment to material luxuries.
That's what Islam is supposed to be!
This is why certain oppressive cultural practices found in parts of
the Muslim world are so abominable. I'm talking about so-called honor
killings, female genital mutilation, denial of education to women,
violence against religious minorities, etc. These practices must be
abolished. They are anathema to everything Islam represents.
Islam came to promote an idea of human dignity based on:
1- Our relationship with Allah;
2- The love and mercy we show one another;
3- The utilization of our free will for a higher purpose.
All human beings are created in the best of molds ( You Are Perfectly
Created ). All human beingsare born on the fitrah , the pure and
natural way, with an inborn inclination to recognize the Creator and
do good. Racism and nationalism are abhorred and abolished. Women
arerecognized as intellectual and spiritual beings, not property,
objects, or vassals.
That's Islam as it should be. It's a revolutionary system. Rather than
a limited material or tribal system, it is for the first time in
history a human system. If we're practicing anything less then we're
not practicing Islam. If we look down on certain races, if we hate
people because of their nationality or religion, if we subjugate
women, then we're practicing a fraud, and shaming ourselves before the
world.
Islam rises above everything that came before. Islam came to change
the world, and to elevate the essential nobility all human beings, a
nobility not based on nation or tribe, but on our eternal souls.
That's the call of Islam. That's the path we must follow.

Patiently Persevere

"The writer Mustapha Sadiq Ar-Rafei wrote, 'When I looked into history
I found a small number of individuals whose lives mirrored thelife
cycle of a grain of wheat. They were torn from their roots, then
crushed, then ground in mills, then kneaded withfists, then rolled out
and baked in ovens at high temperatures… just so they could provide
food for others.'
Patiently persevere in the face of hardship hoping fora good outcome
because you never know how many dead hearts you willbring to life in
the process. No hardship lasts forever. There is always an end."

The Tall Grass

I could listen all day
to the eucalyptus leaves
rustling in the wind, passing it on.
You said once
that the world was stale and worn,
like a room where everything's been used.
Sometimes I wonder
if you were speaking of yourself.
I don't see the world that way,
or you either. At this moment
the clouds in the Eastern sky
are limned with red light
like the edge of a forest fire.
The cows across the road are grazing
in the acres that burned last year.
Now tall green grass grows there.
I know they are slow beasts, barely aware,
but they love their calves,
and they worship in their way.
They are beautiful in their striped coats.
All is beautiful, especially you.
If your world is a stale room
then let me break the door
and carry you into the June sunshine.
Maybe you're right that everything's been touched,
but the world renews itself.
The rains wash to the sea,
and all is clean. I know that -
like the acres where the cows graze -
you've been burned.
You said you have ten thousand questions
and nowhere to turn. You said
you are a painful mystery to yourself.
That's okay. None of us have answers,
none of us know our own depths
any more than we know the stars..
You are innocent as a childto me.
You are new, never stained,
the tall grass growing green
on the acres of your soul.

1a. Ruling on raising the hands when offering supplication (du‘aa’) after burying the deceased

1a.
Theissue of raising the hands or not may be as follows:
1. Where there is a text which speaks of raising the hands, such
as offering supplication (du'aa') in 'Arafah, offeringsupplication at
the first and second Jamarah, and praying for rain (istisqa')
2. Where there is no mention of raising the hands, such as the
supplication in the Friday sermon (khutbah), when no one is to raise
his hands in supplication, neither the khateeb nor the members of the
congregation, because theMessenger (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) did not raise his hands although he delivered so many
khutbahs to the people.
3. In other cases, the matter is broad in scope; one may raise the
hands or not

1. Ruling on raising the hands when offering supplication (du‘aa’) after burying the deceased

1
What is the ruling on raising the hands in supplication when one
offers supplication (du'aa') in thegraveyard after the burial?
Praise be to Allah.
The basic principle is to raise thehands when offering supplication
(du'aa') except in some cases where it is not prescribed to raise the
hands. This has been discussed previously in the answer to question
no. 11543
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If he offers
supplication and raises his hands, this is one of the means of having
the supplication answered, except in some cases where the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not raise his hands, so
we should not do that either, such as during the khutbah on
Friday,when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did
not raise his hands unless hewas praying for rain (istisqa'), in which
case he did raise his hands. The same applies between the two
prostrations and before saying the salaam at the end of the tahajjud;
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not raise
his hands, so we should not raise our hands in these cases where he
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not raise his hands,
because his doing something is proof and his not doing something is
proof. Similarly, after saying the salaam at the end of the five daily
prayers, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used
to recite adhkaar as prescribed in Islam, without raising his hands,
so weshould not raise our hands either in that case, following his
example. As for the cases in which he (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) did raise his hands, the Sunnah in those cases is to raise
the hands, following his example and because that is one of the means
of having supplications answered. The same applies to cases in which
the Muslim may offer supplication to his Lord and there is no report
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to
indicate whether he raised his hands or not. In such cases we may
raise our hands, because of the hadeeths which indicate that raising
the hands is one of the means of having the supplication answered, as
statedabove.
End quote from Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 26/146
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Chapter: it ismustahabb
to raise the hands when offering supplication outside of prayer. Then
he (may Allah have mercy on him) quoteda number of hadeeths which
indicate that it is permissible to raise the hands when offering
supplication outside of prayer… Then he said: There are many hadeeths
concerning this issue other than those I have quoted, but those that I
have quoted are sufficient. The point is that it should be understood
that the one who claims that raising the hands should be limited to
the cases mentioned in the hadeeth is mistaken.
End quote from Sharh at-Tahdheeb, 3/489
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Should
supplication be offered at the grave by raising one's hands?
He replied: If one raises the hands there is nothing wrong with it,
because of the report proven from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) in the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased
with her), according to which he(blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) visited the graves, raised his hands and offered supplication for
their occupants. Narrated by Muslim.
End quote from Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 13/337
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
with regard to offering supplication for him after the burial, it is
proven in a report narrated by Abu Dawood that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) would, after burying the deceased,
stand over him and say: "Pray for forgiveness for your brother and ask
for him to be made steadfast, for now he isbeing questioned." If
someone raises his hands when asking for forgiveness for him, there is
nothing wrong with that, and if someone does not raise his hands and
says "O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, forgive him; O Allah,forgive him;
O Allah make him steadfast; O Allah, make him steadfast; O Allah, make
him steadfast," then leaves, (that is also acceptable).
End quote from Liqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh. No. 82
Shaykh 'Abd al-Muhsin al-'Abbaad (may Allah preserve him) was asked
about the rulingon raising the hands when offering supplication for
the deceased after burying him.
He replied: The matter is broad in scope. We do not know of anything
to indicate that it is proven or that it is not allowed. So the
individual may raise his hands or not. The issue of raising the hands
or not may be as follows::->

My Heart

When the coals of faith are cooling off inside you;
and you feel like all you do is act a part;
When you're desperate for one ember that's still burning -
you will find it, hot and glowing, in my heart.
When you've lost that smiling image of yourself,
and you don't know where to stand or where to start;
When you're looking for your compass and your candle,
you will find them, safe and protected, in my heart.
When some people label you a failure,
and the accusation pierces like a dart;
There's one to whom you've always been an angel;
I still love you, I still see you, in my heart.
Everything that's good and sweet about you -
and there's so much, you're a living work of art -
is alive in me, I've kept it like a songbird,
soaring still and calling in my heart.

You Are One

The trees and shadows
are black and brown -
I'm afraid to turn around -
then I hear a sound
like a trumpet call,
ringing like the dawn,
orange and clean.
It's the call of the One,
a perfect Quran,
revealed upon a man
and lights the world like a sun.
It shines on my skin
and warms my mind.
I stride through the trees
tall like a woodsman -
no fear now.
You call and I come,
O Allah, As-Salam,
You are the One.

For Every Trouble, Allah Helps You Double

For every setback, Allah has a comeback. For every trouble, He helps
you double. Every day He shows you the way. Alhamdulillah.
Allah does not get tired of you. Hedoes not write you off, or forget
about you, or give up on you. In fact, when you need Him and call on
Him, He comes to you quickly, at speed, rushing to help you:
The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Allah the Most High
said, 'I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he
mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself;
and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly
greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand's length, I draw near
to him an arm's length. Andif he comes to Me walking, I go to him at
speed.'" [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
What an amazing, benevolent, merciful God is Allah. He is Master of
all: He could have been capricious, selfish, or destructive, and we
would have been helplesspawns, unable to help ourselves or be helped.
But that is not His nature. In hundreds of verses of the Quran, Allah
Almighty describes Himself as "Ghafurun Rahim", that is One Who
forgives and has mercy.

Advice

I'm often touched by my readers' comments, and I feel grateful to
Allah that I have the opportunity to help people through my writing.
However, I will no longer advise people personally through email or
Facebook chat. I have so many business and personal projects going,
and I also have a daughter to take care of. And I have my own
struggles. I'm doing my best just to walk the path, and raise Salma up
right.
I have to be blunt about another thing: sometimes sisters read my
writing or poetry here and then want to message me privately. I'm not
comfortable with that. Please take my writing as it is: a gift, a
sharing of whatever wisdom I have acquired, and an expression of love
to all. And if you benefit from it then Alhamdulillah.
If you need advice on a marriage or family issue, please to go my
IslamicAnswers.com website and submit your question to the
team.Besides, I really have only one answer to almost any question:
"Take responsibility for your ownchoices and happiness. Live up to
your talents and make something happen. Eliminate 'I can't' from your
vocabulary. Create opportunities. People will tell you 'no': you tell
them 'yes'.
Turn to God for guidance with an open heart and have the courage to
follow what comes, rather thanclinging to your own imagined outcomes.
He will always provide a way out, will always open a door; you only
need eyes to see it, and that comes from sincerity.
Be sincere with yourself above all,because if you're lying to yourself
then you're stuck. Focus on your own mistakes rather than the mistakes
of others, but only in order to learn and do better. Don't bind
yourself with guilt and self-pity. Regret for the past is a waste:
it's gone and you can't change it, so forgive yourself and forgive
others.
Believe in something greater thanyourself. You have a purpose in this
life, a mission, and most likelyyou know in your heart what it is,so
find a way to follow that path, one step at a time.
Guard your spirit from harm but be open to love. Choose compassion
again and again, even when the world makes it hard. Be patient with
your family and friends. Don't hold your love back: you only go
through this world once, so let your love shinelike the sun."
Finito. If this has been helpful, then make dua' for me. Jazakum Allah
khayr, may Allah reward youall.

Poem: Hear Those Who Call

O Allah, hear those who call:
the refugees, the small,
and those who cannot speak.
Hear them and help with blessings from above;
and for me…
give me love.
I know I'm weak.
A life that sometimes weighs
to others would be sweet.
Help the victims of war, and prisoners of speech:
feed them, care for their wounds…
and for me… bring a heart that beats.
For my people in Palestine,
in Syria, in Burma, I weep.
Give them freedom and a new day.
And if there's one stray soul
searching for me, Ya Allah,
then show her the way.
If You think I'm arrogant,
then break me down.
Bring me low to praise You above.
And if You think it's right,
if I've grown as You want me to grow,
if You look inside
and see a soul
sincere as a dove,
new and ready to be born…
then bring me love.

Compared to the Atlantic slave trade

Slavery in Muslim cultures and the Atlantic slave trade
Slavery in Muslim history lasted much longer than the Atlantic slave
trade - although slavery had existed in many cultures long before
Islam.
The Muslim slave trade from Africa seems to have enslaved roughly
similar numbers (estimates vary between 11 and 14 million Africans) to
the Atlantic slave trade, and the transportation conditions endured by
victims of the Eastern trade were probably justas horrible in their
own way as those of the Atlantic slave trade.
One poignant fact is that when the Atlantic slave trade was abolished
the Eastern trade expanded, suggesting that for some Africans the
abolition of the Atlantic trade didn't lead to freedom, but merely
changed their slave destination.
Slavery played a significant part in the history of Muslim
civilisation, but it was a form of slavery that was inherently
different from the 'slave trade' inthat the Muslim concept of slavery
regarded those enslaved as people who had some, albeit fewer, human
rights that must be respected.
What was notably different fromthe slavery of the western
world,however, was the degree to which they [slaves] were protected by
Muslim law. When the law was observed, their treatment was good. They
mightexpect to marry and have families of their own, and they had a
good chance of being freed. There were also built in avenues of
escape.
Gwyn Campbell; Frank Cass, The Structure of Slavery in Indian Ocean
Africa and Asia, 2004
But even though slavery under Islam could be significantly less harsh
that that of the Atlantic slave trade, both involved serious breaches
of human rights and restricted liberty. However well they were treated
the slaves still had restricted freedom, and when the law was not
obeyed their lives could be very unpleasant.
The relationship between slave and master in Islam is a very different
relationship from that between the American plantation labourer and
owner. It was a much more personalized relationship and relatively
benevolent. Everything here is relative -- being a slave is being a
slave and it shouldn't be romanticized.
Ronald Segal, interview with Suzy Hansen in Salon magazine, 2001
Here are some of the main differences between Muslim slavery and the
Atlantic slave trade:
*. The Atlantic trade lasted from the 15th to 19th centuries, the
Eastern trade from the 7th or 9th century to the 20th
*. Under Islam slaves were considered people first, and then property.
In the Atlantic trade slaves were considered property not people, and
often just regarded as units of productive labour
*. Islamic law laid down considerable protection for slaves; those
taken for the Atlantic trade had very little protection
*. Islamic law only permitted those conquered in legitimate warfare to
be enslaved, all other methods being illegal - although this was often
ignored - whereas the Atlantic trade enslaved anyone who had
commercial value
*. In Islam, slave-owners were forbidden to take young children from
their mothers, something common in the Atlantic trade
*. The owner-slave relationship could be kinder in Islam than in the
Atlantic trade, and often more personal
*. Islam recommends the freeing of slaves in itself as a 'good'
religious act and says that slaves who convert to Islam should be
freed. Zakat (the requirement for charity) was used by Muslim states
to free slaves. There were many other avenues whereby a slave couldbe
freed, for example as expiation for irregularities in other religious
rituals; as a result many more slaves were freed than in the Atlantic
trade
*. Under Islamic law a slave couldtake his/her master to the Islamic
courts to address a grievance, and the judge had the right to grant
freedom against the master's wishes and/or other compensations; there
was no such protection for slaves taken by the Atlantic trade
*. Islam permitted slaves to attainhigh office; those taken for
theAtlantic trade stayed at the bottom of society *. In the Atlantic
trade there weretwo males to every female; in the Islamic trade, there
were two females to every male
*. Islam permitted women to be enslaved for sexual purposes, although
not for prostitution
*. Africans were enslaved in the Atlantic trade to work on an
industrial scale in agricultural labour; in the Islamic trade they had
a far wider variety of roles
*. The Atlantic trade only involvedblack Africans; Muslim slavery
involved many racial groups
*. Slavery in the Atlantic trade was highly racist, something
prohibited in Islam where there was much less institutionalised
racism. Both masters and slaves had a wide range of colours and
backgrounds;

Muhammad and slavery

The Prophet Muhammad did not try to abolish slavery, and bought, sold,
captured, and owned slaves himself. But he insisted that slave owners
treat their slaves well and stressed thevirtue of freeing slaves.
There are two different ways of interpreting this:
*. some modern writers believe that Muhammad intended his teachings to
lead to the gradual end of slavery by limiting opportunities to
acquire new slaves and allowing existing slaves to become free. This
idea doesn't appear in early writings.
*. others writers argue that by regulating slavery the Prophet gave
his authority to its continued existence, and that by having slaves
himself he showed his approval
Muhammad treated slaves as human beings and clearly held some in the
highest esteem.
For example, he personally ensured the freedom of Bilal, an African
slave who had convertedto Islam. Bilal was chosen as the first muezzin
of Islam because ofhis beautiful voice. A muezzin is the person who
calls the community to the daily prayers, and is a position of great
prominence and responsibility.
Zayd was a young boy who had grown up in the household of the Prophet
as a slave, and remained with the household, almost as an adopted son,
even after he was freed. He was amongst the first four people to adopt
Islam. Indeed when Zayd'sfather (a wealthy nobleman) tracked his son
down and offered to buy his freedom from Muhammad, Muhammad told Zayd
that he was free to go withhis father with no money changing hands,
and to his father's astonishment Zayd chose to stay with Muhammad.
The Prophet also married a Coptic Christian slave girl.
In his lifetime the Prophet introduced the following rules about slavery:
*. Stated that freeing slaves was the act that God found most acceptable
*. Zakat (charity - the third Pillar of Islam ) was often used by the
state to free slaves
*. Stated that freeing a slave was the appropriate way to gain
forgiveness for certain wrongs
*. Ordered that those who committed certain wrongs should be penalised
by having to free their slaves
*. Stated that slaves should be allowed to buy their freedom, and if
necessary should be given the opportunity to earn money, or be lent
money by the state, in order to do so
*. Allowed slaves to be freed in certain circumstances
*. Stated that slaves' contracts should be interpreted in favourof the slaves
*. Stated that the duty of kindness towards slaves was the same of
that towards family, neighbours and others
*. Stated that when a slave owner had a child with a female slave, the
child should be freed and could inherit from their father like any
otherchild (as in the case of Ibrahim )
There are a number of hadith that show that the Prophet treated slaves
well and expected others to do the same...
He will not enter Paradise who behaveth ill to his slaves. The
Companions said, 'O Apostle of God! have you not told us, that there
will be a great many slavesand orphans amongst your disciples?' He
said, 'Yes; then be kind to them as to your own children, and give
them to eat what you eat yourselves. The slaves that say their prayers
are your brothers.
Be kind to slaves as to your own children...and those that say their
prayers are your brethren.
They (slaves or servants) are your brothers, and Allah has put them
under your command. So the one under whose hand Allahhas put his
brother, should feed him of what he eats, and give him dresses of what
he wears, and should not ask him to do a thing beyond his capacity.
And ifat all he asks him to do a hard task, he should help him
therein.'
'There are three categories of people against whom I shall myself be a
plaintiff on the Day of Judgement. Of these three, one is he who
enslaves a free man, then sells him and eats this money'.
al-Bukhari and Ibn Majjah
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari:"The Prophet said, 'Give food to the
hungry, pay a visit to the sickand release (set free) the one in
captivity (by paying his ransom).'"
Bukhari/

Allah Do All Things In Time! So That We Can Get His Blessings In Time! Unfortunately We Are Not In Time; We Take And Forget His Blessings;* O Allah We Are Ashamed Forgive Us And Give Us Ability To Do More And More Good For You!

'' All praise is due to Allah'. May peace and blessings beupon the
Messenger, his household and companions '' - - - O Allah, I am Your
servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is
in Your hand; Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree
over me is just; I ask You by every name belonging to You that You
have named Yourself with,or revealed in Your book, ortaught to any of
Your creation, or have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with
You, that You make the Qur'an thelife of my heart and the light of my
breast, and a departure formy sorrow and a release from my anxiety.

According to the Qur'an Muslims havepossessions and lead a beautiful life in abundance and blessings

In many verses of the Qur'an Allah promises the dominion of the
morality of Islam all over the world. The promise of ourAll-Mighty
Lord is true andAllah never fails to keep His promise.
Those who believe in Allah also believe that Allah's promise will
absolutely come true. Because our All-Mighty Allah gives the news of
the dominion of the morality of Islam over theworld and promises it,
what befalls to sincere believers is to pray for its realization by
heart, demand it and strive for itwith all their might. Believing that
morality of Islam will reign and making effort for the realization of
this blessed event is obligatory for every Muslim who abides by the
Qur'an. In one verse our All-Mighty Allah says:
Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that
He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them
successors, and will firmly establish for themtheir religion with
which He is pleased andgive them, in place of their fear, security.
'Theyworship Me, not associating anything with Me.' Any who are
unbelivers after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur,55)
Some other verses in which Allah promises the dominion of the morality
of Islam over the world are as follows:
Allah has written, 'I will be victorious, I and and My Messengers.'
Allah is Most Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Mujadala, 21)
They desire to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths but Allah
will perfect His Light, though the unbelievers hate it. It is He Who
sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth to exalt it
over every other religion, though the associaters hate it. (Surat
as-Saff, 8-9)
They desire to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths. But Allah
refuses to do otherthan perfect His Light, even though the
kafirundetest it. It is He Who sent His Messenger withguidance and the
Religion of Truth to exalt it over every other deen, even though the
associaters detest it. (Surat a-Tawba, 32-33)
Allah confirms the Truth by His words, even though the evildoers hate
it. (Surah Yunus, 82)
Those before them plotted but all plotting belongs to Allah. He knows
what each self earns, and the unbelievers will soon know who has the
Ultimate Abode. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 42)
We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong. Their
Messengers brought them the clear signs, but they were never going to
have faith. That is how We repay evildoers. Then We appointed you
after them to be successors on the earth so We might observe how you
would act. (Surah Yunus,13-14)
That those people of pure natural belief in Allah whodo not associate
any partners to Him will be the inheritors of this world is a divine
Law which is stressed in many verses of the Qur'an:
We wrote down in the Psalms, after the Reminder came: 'It is
Myservants who are righteous who will inherit the earth.' (Surat
al-Anbiya, 105)
We will leave you the land to live in after them. That is the rewardof
those who fear My station and fear My threat.' They asked for Allah's
victory, and everyobdurate tyrant failed. (Surah Ibrahim, 14-15)
Moses said to his people, 'Seek help in Allah and be steadfast. The
earth belongs to Allah. He bequeathes it to any of His slaves He
wills. The successful outcome is for those who fear [and respect
Allah].' They said, 'We suffered harm before you came to us and after
you came to us.' Hesaid, 'It may well be thatyour Lord is going to
destroy your enemy andmake you the successors in the land so that He
can see how you behave.' (Surat al-A'raf, 128-129)
We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong. Their
Messengers brought them the clear signs, but they were never going to
have faith. That is how We repay evildoers. Then We appointed you
after them to be khalifs on the earth so We might observe how you
wouldact. (Surah Yunus, 13-14)
Rather We hurl the truth against falsehood and itcuts right through it
andit vanishes clean away! Woe without end for you for what you
portray! (Surat al-Anbiya, 18)

Evolution Theory Cannot Explain How Life Originated

Origin-of-life researcherscannot identify any location on primordial
Earth suitable for production of prebiotic molecules. Those
studyingthe problems cannot explain how the uniform "handedness"
(homochirality) of amino acids, nucleotides, and sugars could emerge
in any so-called prebiotic soup.
Data from the geological, geochemical, and fossil records all place
impossible constraints on naturalistic scenarios. Life arose rapidly
and early in Earth's history - as soon asEarth could possibly support
it. Origin-of-life researchers recognize thatlife had no more than
tens of millions of years to emerge. Life also appeared under
amazingly harsh conditions – conditions that would not allow life to
survive, let alone originate.
Earth's first life was complex chemically… Consistent with this,
investigators have discovered that life in its most minimal form
requires an astonishing number of proteins that must be spatially and
temporally organized within the cell.
History seems to be repeating itself. Just as the first Darwinists
gave up on the earliest versionsof abiogenesis, so scientists today
are abandoning long-cherished pillars of the naturalistic
origin-of-life paradigm. Many now speculate that life may have
originated somewhere other than onEarth.

Dua best Times

Best Times to make Dua
There are certain times dua (supplication)
is more likely to be accepted by Allah (SWT)
as mentioned by Prophet (SAW). These
times are as follows:
1. The Last Third Of The Night
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that Allah's
Messenger (SAW) said: 'In the last third
of every night our Rabb (Cherisher and
Sustainer) (Allah (SWT)) descends to the
lowermost heaven and says; "Who is
calling Me, so that I may answer him?
Who is asking Me so thatmay I grant
him? Who is seeking forgiveness from
Me so that I may forgive him?."'
[Sahih al-Bukhari, HadithQudsi]
Amr ibn Absah narrated that the
Prophet said: 'The closest any
worshipper can be to HisLord is
during the last part of the night,
so if you can be amongstthose
who remember Allah at that time,
then do so.'[at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i,
al-Hakim - Sahih]
2. Late at night
When people are sleeping and busy
with worldly pleasures Allah (SWT)
gives the believers an opportunity,
or an answer hour if theycan fight
sleep and invoke Allah (SWT) for
whatever they need. TheProphet
(SAW) said: 'There is at night an
hour, no Muslim happens to be
asking Allah any matter of this world
or the Hereafter, except that he will
be given it, and this (occurs) every night.'
[Muslim #757]
3. Between Adhan and Iqamah
Anas (RA) narrated that Allah's
Messenger (SAW) said: 'Asupplication
made between the Adhan and Iqama
is not rejected.'
[Ahmad, abu Dawud#521, at-Tirmidhi
#212, Sahih al-Jami#3408, an-Nasai
and Ibn Hibban graded itsahih (sound)]
4. An Hour On Friday
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): Allah's
Messenger (SAW) talked about Friday
and said: 'There is an hour on Friday
and if a Muslim gets it while offering Salat
(prayer) and asks something from
Allah (SWT), then Allah (SWT) will definitely
meet his demand.' And he (the Prophet (SAW)
pointed out the shortness of that
particular time with his hands.
[Sahih al-Bukhari]
Some have said that this hour is from
the time the Imam (prayer's leader)
enters the mosque on Friday's prayer
until the prayer is over (ie between the
two khutbahs), whereas others have
said that it is the last hour of the day
(ie after the Asr prayer until the
Maghrib prayer).
5. While Drinking Zamzam Water
Jaber (RA) narrated that Allah's
Messenger (SAW) said: 'Zamzam
water is for what it is drunk for.'
[Ahmad 3: 357 and Ibn Majah #3062].
This means that when you drink Zamzam
water you may ask Allah (SWT) for anything
you like to gain or benefit from this water
such as healing from illness.... etc.
6. While Prostrating
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that
Allah's Messenger (SAW),said:
'The nearest a slave can be to his Lord
is when he is prostrating, so invoke
(supplicate) Allah (SWT) much in it.
[Muslim, abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and others,
Sahih al-Jami #1175]
When a Muslim is in his Salat (prayer)
he is facing Allah (SWT) and when
he prostrates he is the nearest
he can be to Allah (SWT) so it is
best to invoke Allah (SWT) at this time.
It is said that while in prostration,
one should not ask for worldy needs
(ie a nice car, a new job, etc),
but for the Hereafter.
7. When Waking Up at Night
Narrated Ubada Bin As-Samit that
Allah's Messenger (SAW) said:
'Whomever wakes up at night and
says La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la
shrika lahu lahulmulku, wa lahul hamdu,
wa huwa ala kulli shai'inqadir.
Alhamdu lillahi, wa subhanallahi
wa la ilaha illallahu, wallah akbir,
wa la hawla wala quwata illa billah
(none has the right to beworshipped
but Allah (SWT) He is the only one who
has no partners.

What is the power of DUA at Iftaar

Once Prophet Moosa / Musa / Moses (peace be upon him) asked Almighty
Allah (SWT): O Allah! You have granted me the honor and privilege
oftalking to you directly,Have you given this privilege to any other
person? Almighty Allah (SWT) replied, O Moosa / Musa / Moses during
the last period I am going to send an Ummat / Ummah (Community or
Nation), who will be the Ummat / Ummah (Community or Nation) of
Muhammad(SAW) with dry lips, parched tongues, emaciated body with eyes
sunken deep intotheir sockets, with livers dry and stomachs suffering
the pangs of hunger - will call out to me (in dua) they will be much
much closer to me than you O Moosa / Musa / Moses! While you speak to
me thereare 70000 veils between you and me but at the time of iftaar
there will not be a single veil between me and the fasting Ummati of
Muhammad (SAW). O Moosa / Musa / Moses I have taken upon myself the
responsibility that at the time of iftaar I will never refuse the dua
of a fasting person!
KEEP YOURSELF OCCUPIED WITH DUA BEFORE BREAKING YOUR FAST
Never underestimate the power of dua. When nothing helps only dua helps/