ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- ~ Benefits of Dates

Muslims generally break their fast by eating dates. Prophet Muhammad
(Pbuh) is reported tohave said: "if anyone of you is fasting, let him
break his fast with dates. In case he does not have them, then with
water. Verily water is a purifier."
The Prophet used to break his fast by eating some dates before
offering Maghrib prayer, and if ripe dates were not available, he used
to substitute them with some dried grapes. When they too were not
available, he used to have a few sips of water, according to some
reports. Modern science has proved that dates are part of a healthy
diet. They contain sugar, fat and proteins, as well as important
vitamins. Hence the great importance attached to them by the Prophet.
Dates are also rich in natural fibres. Modern medicine has shown that
they are effective in preventing abdominal cancer. They also surpass
other fruits in the sheer variety of their constituents. They contain
oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium,phosphorous, manganese, copper
and magnesium. In other words, one date is a minimum ofa balanced and
healthy diet. Arabs usually combine dates withmilk and yogurt or
bread, butter and fish. This combination indeed makes a
self-sufficient and tasty diet for both mind and body. Dates and date
palms have been mentioned in the Holy Qur'an 20 times, thus showing
their importance. The Prophet likened a good Muslim to the date palm,
saying, "Among trees, there is a tree like a Muslim. Its leaves do not
fall."
Sayyidah Mariam (the Virgin Mary) mother of Jesus (Pbuh) haddates as
her food when she felt labour pains and during confinement. They are
definitely the "crown of sweets," and ideal food which is easy to
digest, and within half an hour of taking it, the tired body regains a
renewedvigour. The reason for this is thata shortage of sugar in the
blood is the main factor that makes people feel hungry and not an
empty stomach as is often assumed. When the body absorbs the
nutritional essence of a few dates, the feeling of hunger becomes
appeased. When one breaking the fast with dates takes some other food
afterwards, he cannot eat much. It would seem that breaking the fast
with dates then helps one avoid excessive eating.
Experiments have also shown that dates contain some stimulants that
strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy.
This helps the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery on one
hand andreduces the bleeding after delivery on the other. Dieticians
consider dates as the best food for women in confinement and those who
are breast-feeding. This is because dates contain elements that assist
in alleviating depression in mothers and enriching the breast-milk
with all the elements needed to make thechild healthy and resistant to
disease. The Prophet (Pbuh) has emphasized the importance of dates and
their effectiveness in the growth of the fetus. He has also
recommended they be givento women. Modern dietary institute now
recommend dates to be given to children suffering from a nervous
nature or hyperactivity. The Prophet (Pbuh)has also recommended dates
as a medicine for heart troubles, according to some reports. Modern
science has also proved the effectiveness of date, in preventing
diseases of the respiratory system.
Sayyidah Ayisha, (R.A.) wife of Prophet (Pbuh), used to prescribe
dates for those suffering from giddiness. It is now well known that a
fall in the level of the sugar in the blood and low blood pressure are
among the causes of giddiness. She was also reported to have used
dates combined with cucumber to treat her over-slim condition! She
said, "they've triedto fatten me giving me everything. But I did not
become fat. Then they fattened me with cucumber and ripe dates and I
gained!" Ayisha was quite correct, as we now know that one kilogram
of dates contains nearly 3,000 calories which aloneare sufficient to
supply the minimum daily requirements of an active man for one full
day.
Dates are rich in several vitamins and minerals. When the level of
trace elements falls in the body, the health of the blood vessels is
affected leading to an increased heart-rate and a consequent inability
to perform its function with normal efficiency. As dates are also rich
in calcium, they help strengthen the bones. When the calcium content
in the body decreases, children are affected with rickets and the
bones of adults become brittle and weak.
Dates are also important in keeping up the health of eyes. It is quite
effective in guarding against night-blindness. In the early years of
Islam, dates served as food for Muslim warriors.

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ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- ~ Benefits of Honey

The honey bee exhibits a combination of individual traits and social
co-operation which is unparalleled in the animal kingdom. A glimpse
into the nest makes it apparent why honey bees have fascinated us from
theearliest days of scientific observations. The infrastructure of the
nest, the perfectly uniform and functional comb, is composed of
beeswax and is constructed into a repeating series of almost perfect
hexagonal cells.
At the individual level, honey beeshave not one but three types of
colony members: queens, dronesand workers, each with their own
specialisations and place in honey bee society. The queen reigns over
the nest, surrounded by attendants and fed the rich food she requires
to perform herfew but crucial tasks in the colony. The queen produces
powerful pheromones, chemical signals to recipient workers which
control many of their behaviours and provide part of the 'social glue'
which holds honey bee life together. A highly organised social
structure exists within the colony and elaborate 'dances' are used to
communicate the location of food sources.
The products of the hive are important to the modern agricultural
system. Not only do honey bees provide us with honey, wax, propolis,
royal jelly and pollen but they also pollinate a good portion of our
crops, including such diverse agricultural plants as fruit trees,
oilseeds, small berries and foragecrops.
Honey is a remarkable viscous liquid, prepared by the bees fromthe
nectars of various plants. It has occupied a prominent place in
traditional medicines throughout world history. The ancient Egyptians,
Assyrians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans employed honey for wounds
anddiseases of the gut. When the Children of Israel were in Egypt or
journeying through the desert, their promised goal was a 'land flowing
with milk and honey' .
Both the holy Qur'an and Hadith refer to honey as a healer of disease.
'And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees
andin (men's) habitations..... there issues from within their bodies
adrink of varying colours, whereinis healing for mankind. Verily in
this is a Sign for those who give thought'.
(Translation of Quran 16:68-69)
In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) said:
'Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Qur'an is a remedy for
all illness of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies,
the Qur'an and honey.'
(Bukhari)
The reader may be surprised to learn that the above quotation from the
Qur'an is mentioned in a well known encyclopedia on honey (reference
3).
In recent years, scientific supportis beginning to emerge confirming
the beneficial effects of honey on certain medical and surgical
conditions. These effectsmay be summarised as follows:
Antibacterial and antifungal properties
These properties of honey are well established. Undiluted
honeyinhibits the growth of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus ,
certain gut pathogens and fungi such as Candida albicans . At a
concentration of 30-50%, honey has been shown to be superior to
certain conventional antibiotics in treating urinary tract infections.
The exact mechanism of the anti-microbial effect of honey remains
obscure. Low pH, osmotic disruption of pathogens and the
presence of bactericidal substances, collectively called inhibine may
all play a part.
Anti-diarrhoeal properties
At a concentration of 40%, honeyhas a bactericidal effect on various
gut bacteria known to cause diarrhoea and dysentery such as Salmonella
, Shigella , enteropathogenic E. coli and Vibrio cholera . In one
study, honey given with oral rehydration fluid was shown to reduce the
duration of bacterial diarrhoea in infants and children.
Wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties
Honey is of value in treating burns, infected surgical wounds and
decubitus ulcers. Honey is very viscous, enabling it to absorb water
from surrounding inflamed tissue. For example, a study in West Africa
showed that skin grafting, surgical debridement and even amputation
were avoided when local application of honey to wound promoted
healing, whereas conventional treatment failed.
In another study, wound healing was accelerated by application ofhoney
in women who had undergone radical vulvectomy forvulval cancer. Also,
it has been suggested that honey may be useful in the treatment of
chronic, foul smelling ulcers seen in leprosy.
Anti-tussive and expectorant properties
These anti-cough properties of honey are related to its capacity to
dilute bronchial secretions andimprove the function of the bronchial
epithelium.

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News - China's first female astronaut meets media

China launches spaceship with first female astronaut
2012-06-16 10:55:19 GMT 2012-06-16 18:55:19(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
~
The Long March 2F rocket carrying the manned spacecraft Shenzhou IX
blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
in Northwest China's Gansu Province on June 16, 2012.[Photo by Su Dong
/ For Chinadaily.com.cn]
JIUQUAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- China launched SaturdayShenzhou-9
spacecraft with the country's first female astronaut aboard.
Shenzhou-9, atop an upgraded Long March-2F carrier rocket, blast off
from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China at 6:37
p.m. Saturday.
A see-off ceremony was held at the center hours before the launch. Wu
Bangguo, the country's top legislator, attended the ceremony and
extended wishes to the three astronauts.
"The country and the people are looking forward to your successful
return," he said.
The first Chinese woman in space Liu Yang, 33, is joined by commanding
officer Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang, who has been selected as an
astronaut trainee since January 1998.
Main tasks of the Shenzhou-9 mission include the manual docking
procedure conducted between the Shenzhou-9 and the orbiting space lab
module Tiangong-1.
China succeeded in the automated rendezvous and docking between
unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft and Tiangong-1last year.
A successful manual docking will demonstrate a grasp of essential
space rendezvous and docking know-how, a big step in the country's
manned space program to build a space station around 2020.
Liu, a People's Liberation Army (PLA) major, was a PLA Air Force pilot
with 1,680 hours of flying experience and deputy head of a military
flight unit before being recruitedas an astronaut candidate in May
2010.
After two years of training, which shored up her astronautic skills
and adaptability to space environment, Liu excelled in testing and was
selected in March this year as a candidate for the Shenzhou-9 manned
spacemission.
"Female astronauts generally have better durability, psychological
stability and ability to dealwith loneliness," Wu Ping, spokeswoman
for China's manned space program, said.
More than 50 female astronauts from seven countries have gone into
space to date. The longest space flight by female astronauts lasted
188 days.

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Aishah bint-e-Abu Bakr [Radhiallaahu Anha]

The life of Aishah is proof that a woman can be far more learned than
men and that she can be the teacher of scholars and experts. Her life
is also proof that a woman can exert influenceover men and women and
provide them with inspiration and leadership. Her life is also proof
that the same woman can be totally feminine and be a source of
pleasure, joy and comfort to her husband.
She did not graduate from any university there were no universities as
such in her day. But still her utterances are studied in faculties of
literature, her legal pronouncements are studied in colleges of law
and her life and works are studied and researched by students and
teachers of Muslim history as they have been for over a thousand
years.
The bulk of her vast treasure of knowledge was obtained while she was
still quite young. In her early childhood she was brought up by her
father who was greatlyliked and respected for he was a man of wide
knowledge, gentle manners and an agreeable presence. Moreover he was
the closest friend of the noble Prophet who was a frequent visitor to
their home since the very early days of his mission.
In her youth, already known for her striking beauty and her formidable
memory, she came under the loving care and attention of the Prophet
[sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] himself. As his wife and close
companion, she acquired from him knowledge and insight such as no
woman has ever acquired.
Aishah became the Prophet's wife in Makkah when she was most likely in
the tenth year of her life but her wedding did not take place until
the second year after the Hijrah when she was about fourteen or
fifteen years old. Before and after her wedding she maintained a
natural jollity and innocence and did not seem at all overawed by the
thought of being wedded to him who was the Messenger of God whom all
his companions, including her own mother and father, treated with such
love and reverence as they gave to noone else.
About her wedding, she related that shortly before she was to leave
her parent's house, she slipped out into the courtyard to play with a
passing friend:
"I was playing on a see-saw and my long streaming hair was
dishevelled," she said. "They cameand took me from my play and made me
ready."
They dressed her in a wedding-dress made from fine red-striped cloth
from Bahrain and then her mother took her to the newly-built house
where some women of the Ansar werewaiting outside the door. They
greeted her with the words"For good and for happiness may all be
well!" Then, in the presence of the smiling Prophet, a bowl of milk
was brought. The Prophet drank from it himself and offered it to
Aishah. She shyly declined it butwhen he insisted she did so andthen
offered the bowl to her sister Asma who was sitting beside her. Others
also drank ofit and that was as much as there was of the simple and
solemn occasion of their wedding. There was no wedding feast.
Marriage to the Prophet did not change her playful ways. Her young
friends came regularly to visit her in her own apartment.
"I would be playing with my dolls," she said, "with the girls who were
my friends, and the Prophet would come in and they would slip out of
the house and he would go out after them and bring them back, for he
was pleased for my sake to have themthere." Sometimes he would
say"Stay where you are" before they had time to leave, and would
alsojoin in their games. Aishah said:"One day, the Prophet came in
when I was playing with the dolls and he said: 'O Aishah, whatever
game is this?' 'It is Solomon's horses,' I said and he laughed."
Sometimes as he came in he would screen himself with his cloak so as
not to disturb Aishah and her friends.
Aishah's early life in Madinah alsohad its more serious and
anxioustimes. Once her father and two companions who were staying with
him fell ill with a dangerous fever which was common in Madinah at
certain seasons. One morning Aishah went to visit himand was dismayed
to find the three men lying completely weak and exhausted. She asked
her father how he was and he answered her in verse but she did not
understand what he was saying. The two others also answered her with
lines of poetry which seemed to her to be nothing but unintelligible
babbling. She was deeply troubled and went home to the Prophet saying:
"They are raving, out of their minds, through the heat of the fever."
The Prophet asked what they had said and was somewhat reassured when
she repeated almost word for word the lines they had uttered and which
made sense although she did not fully understand them then.

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Thankfulness Towards Allah

"That is because Allah will never change the grace which He hath
bestowed on a people until they change what is in their (own) souls"
{Soorah al-Anfal (8):53}
This is one of the ways in which Allah deals with His servants, for He
made the condition of people directly related to their belief. If they
change their belief, Allaah will change their condition. Allah will
replace their security with fear, and their sustenance. And security
and sustenance are two Allah's greatest graces. Allah says in the
Quraan: "So let them worship Allah the Lord of this House (the Kaaba)
Who provides them with food against hunger and with security against
fear (of danger)" {Soorah Quraish (106:3-4)}
Suhaib ibn Sinan narrated that the Prophet said: "How remarkable is
the case of the believer! There is good for him in everything, but
this is not thecase for anyone except for the believer. When the
believer receives any good, he is thankful to Allah, and gets a
reward. And when some misfortune befalls him, he endures it patiently,
for which he is (also) rewarded." {Fiqh as-Sunnah, vol.4, p.1.}
What is Thankfulness?
In Islamic terminology, Thankfulness is the acknowledgment of the fact
that Allah is the only Grantor of graces, and full submission to Allah
in a way that assures that acknowledgment. The graces (favors) of
Allah are endless and countless. Allah says in His Book: "And if you
were to count the blessings of Allah, you will never be able to count
them." {Soorah Ibrahim (14): 34}
He, the All Mighty also says: "And whatever blessings and good you
have, it is from Allaah .." {Soorah an-Nahl, (16): 53}
How can a servant (Abd) thank Allaah? {The word 'slaves' represents
mankind, for all of mankind are expected to totally submit to the will
of Allah}The servant can thank Allaah in many ways. These include:
1. Prostrating to Allah, when theservant receives a blessing from
Allaah or when Allah saves him from a disaster. The Messenger of
Allaah (salallahu alaihi wasallam) used to prostrate to Allah whenever
he received a pleasant thing or was told good news. This prostration
is conducted for the sole purpose of giving thanks to Allaah, the
Granter of the grace and benefit that the servant received. [see Fiqh
as-Sunnah by Sayyid Sabiq (English trans.) vol.2, p.45]
Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Auf relates that the Messenger of Allah (sallaahu
alayhi wasallam) went out once and he followed him until he entered a
grove of palm trees and prostrated. His prostration was so long that
'Abdur-Rahman feared that Allah had taken his soul. 'Abdur-Rahman came
to look at him and he raised his head and said:"What is wrong,
Abdur-Rahman'?" Abdur rahman mentioned what had happened, and he
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Gibra'el came to me and said:
'Shall I not give you glad tidings'? Allah says to you, Whoever prays
upon you, I prayupon him. Whoever salutes you, I salute him.'
Therefore, I prostrated to Allah in thanks." {This is related by Ahmad
and by Al-Haakim who says: "It is sahih according to the criterion of
al-Bukhari and Muslim}
2. Thanking Allah in words: The majority of the scholars agreed that
if the servant does not thankAllaah for the grace he has, then that
grace will go away and may never come back. Allah's Messenger
(sallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: "It is a fine thingwhen a believer
praises and thanks Allah if good comes to him, and praises Allah and
shows endurance if smitten by affliction. The believer is rewarded for
everything, even for the morsel he raises to his wife's mouth."
{Bayhaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-Iman. Sunan at-Tirmidhi no.1733
See also Saheeh Muslim (7138)}
3. Talking about the benefits Allah has granted him. This is because
concealing the benefits of Allah is ungrateful. Allaah says in the
Quraan: "Do they believe in the false deities and deny the favor of
Allaah." {Soorah an-Nahl (16):72}
Ibn Katheer commented that denying the favors of Allah means hiding
his grants and/or relating them to others than Allah.
Narrated by Zaid bin Khalid Al Juhani : The Prophet led us in theFajr
prayer at Hudaibiya after a rainy night. On completion of the prayer,
he faced the people and said, "Do you know what your Lord has said
(revealed)?" The people replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better."
He said, "Allah has said, 'In this morning some of my slaves remained
as true believers and some became non-believers; whoever said that the
rain was due to the Blessings and the Mercy of Allah had belief in Me
and he disbelieves in the stars, and whoever said that it
rainedbecause of a particular star hadno belief in Me but believes in
that star." {Saheeh al-Bukhari (1:807)}

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The Wedding of Fatima (r) An Example of How Simple the Nikah

Fatimah (RA) was the youngest daughter of our beloved Prophet (SAWS).
Out of all the children, he was the most beloved to him. He said, 'The
Queen of the ladies in Jannat is Faatimah.' He also said, 'Faatimah is
part of my body. Whoever grieves her, grieves me.'
When Faatimah (RA) reached the age of fifteen, proposals for her
marriage began to come from high and responsible families. But the
Prophet (SAWS) remainedirresponsive.
Ali (RA), who was 21 at the time, says: It occurred to me that I
should go and make a formal proposal, but then I thought, 'How could
this be accomplished,for I possess nothing.' At last, encouraged by
the Prophet's kindness, I went to him and expressed my intention to
marry Faatima (Radhiyallaahu Anha). The Prophet (SAWS) was extremely
pleased and asked, 'Ali!Do you possess anything to give her in Mahr?'
I replied, 'Apart from a horse and an armour I possess nothing.'
The Prophet (SAWS) said, 'A soldier must, of course, have his horse.
Go and sell away your armour.'
So, Ali (RA) went and sold his armour to Uthmaan (RA) for 480 Dirham
and presented it to Rasulullah (SAWS). Bilaal (RA) was ordered by the
Prophet (SAWS) tobring some perfume and a few other things and Anas
(RA) was sent to call Abu Bakr, Uthmaan, Talhah, Zubayr with some
companions from the Ansaar (Radhiallaahu Anhum).
When these men arrived and hadtaken their seats, the Prophet (SAWS)
recited the Khutbah (sermon) of Nikaah and gave Faatimah (RA) in
marriage to Ali (RA). He announced, 'Bear you all witness that I have
given my daughter Faatimah in marriage to Ali for 400 Mithqaal of
silver and Ali has accepted.' He then raised his head and made Dua
saying, 'O Allah, create love and harmony between these two. Bless
them and bestow upon them good children.' after the Nikaah, dates were
distributed.
When the time came for Faatimah (RA) to go to Ali's (RA) house, she
was sent without any clamour, hue and cry accompanied Umm Ayman (RA).
After the ةesha Salaat, the Prophet (SAWS) went to their house, took
permission and entered. He asked for a basin of water, put his blessed
hands intoit and sprinkled it on both Ali (RA) and Faatimah (RA) and
madeDua for them.
The sovereign of both worlds gave his beloved daughter a silver
bracelet, two Yemeni sheets, four mattresses, one blanket, one pillow,
one cup, one hand-grinding mill, one bedstead, a small water skin and
a leather pitcher.
In this simple fashion, the wedding of the daughter of the leader of
the worlds was solemnised. In following this Sunnah method, a wedding
becomes very simple and easy to fulfill.
SOME METHODS DERIVED FROM THE ABOVEMENTIONED MARRIAGE
*. "Engagements" are contrary to the Sunnah. A verbal proposal and
answer is sufficient.
*. To unnecessarily delay Nikah ofboth the boy and the girl after
having reached the age of marriage is incorrect. (Note: But on the
other hand, some parents pray day and night endlessly for a quick
marriage to a good-looking, highly educated, well-off person who comes
from a grand family of great repute...in the case of a groom, a groom
with a high-flying job, etc. The minute we find such a groom or
bride,we jump to grab him/her. But how many of us spend sleepless
nights praying not fora speedy grand marriage but a marriage which is
filled with love, happiness, blessings and piety?)
*. There is nothing wrong in inviting one's close associates for the
occasion of Nikah. However, no special pains should be taken in
gathering the people from far off places. (Note: The money could
instead be spent in charity, to gain the blessings of the poor.)
*. It is appropriate that the bridegroom be a few years older than the
bride. (Note: TheProphet's first marriage was toKhadija, who was 15
years older than him. She was a widower and he was a virgin. They were
so happy together that he did not remarry until she passed away, even
though polygamy was widely practisedduring that time - before the
advent of Islam)
*. If the father of the girl is an Aalim or pious and capable of
performing Nikah, then he should himself solemnise the marriage.
*. It is better to give the Mahr Faatimi and one should endeavour to
do so. But if one does not have the means then there is nothing wrong
in giving less. (Note: The dowry isan obligation upon the groom's
family, not the bride's family!)
*. It is totally un-Islamic for those,who do not possess the means, to
incur debts in order to have grandiose weddings. (Note: On the
contrary, weddings are arranged on such a grand basis that often
parents cannot perform obligatory acts like Hajj for the next few
years because they lack funds, which were spent on the weddings of
their children)

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Trinity is denied in the Qur’an

People of the Book. Do not go to excess in your religion. Say nothing
butthe truth about Allah. The Messiah, Jesus son of Maryam, was only
the Messenger of Allah and His Word, which He cast into Maryam, and a
Spiritfrom Him. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. Do not
say:"Three." It is better that you stop. Allah is only One God. He is
too glorious to have a son! Everything in the heavens and in Earth
belongs to Him. Allah suffices as a Guardian. The Messiah would never
disdain to be a servant to Allah, nor would the angels near toHim. If
any disdain to worship Him and grow arrogant, He will, in any case,
gather them all to Him. (Surat an-Nisa': 171-72)
Those who say that the Messiah, son of Maryam, is Allah are
unbelievers. The Messiah said: "Tribe of Israel. Worship Allah, my
Lord and your Lord. Ifanyone associates anything with Allah, Allah has
forbidden him the Garden and his refuge will be the Fire." The
wrongdoers will have no helpers. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 72)
Those who say: "Allah is the Messiah, son of Maryam," do not
believe.Say: "Who possesses anypower at all over Allah if He desires
to destroy theMessiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone else
on Earth?" The kingdom of the heavens and Earth, and everything
between them, belongs to Allah. He creates whatever He wills. Allah
has power over all things. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 17)
And when Allah asks:"Jesus son of Maryam! Did you say to people: 'Take
me and my motheras deities besides Allah?'" He will respond:"Glory be
to You! It is notfor me to say what I have no right to say! If I had
said it, You would have known it. You know what is in my self, but I
do not know what is in Your Self. You are the Knower of all
unseenthings." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 116)
He [Jesus] said: "I am theservant of Allah. He has given me the Book
and made me a Prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I am and
directed me to perform prayer and give the almsas long as I live…"
(SurahMaryam: 30-31)
It is not right for any human being that Allah should give him the
Book and Judgment and Prophethood, and then that he should say to
people: "Worship me rather than Allah." Rather, he will say: "Be
people of the Lord because of your knowledge of the Book, and because
you study." (Surah Al 'Imran: 79)
The Messiah, the son of Maryam, was only a Messenger, before whom
other Messengerscame and went. His mother was a woman of truth. Both
of them ate food. See how We make the signs clear to them! Then see
how they are perverted! (Surat al-Ma'ida, 75)
We sent no Messenger before you without revealing to him: 'There is no
god but Me, so worship Me.' They say, 'The All-Merciful has a son.'
Glory be to Him! No, they are honored servants! They do not precede
Him in speech and they act on His command. He knows what is in front
of them and what is behind them. They only intercede on behalf of
those with whom He is pleased, and even they are apprehensive out of
fear of Him. Were any of them to say, 'I am a god apart from Him,' We
would repay him with Hell. That is how We repay wrongdoers. (Surat
al-Anbiya', 25-29)

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The BBC's home of 2012: Latest Olympic news, sport, culture, torch relay,video and audio

"Should any irregularities be proven, the organisation will deal with
those involved in an appropriate manner.
"The NOCs are autonomousorganisations, but if any of the cases are
confirmed theIOC will not hesitate to impose the strongest sanctions.
"The IOC has also determined that it will takeon board any
recommendations coming out of the inquiry to improve the way that
tickets are allocated and sold internationally in the future."
London 2012 organising committee Locog said it would support the IOC
in its investigation "in any way we can".
"Rules and regulations for selling London 2012 ticketsto international
fans are clear and unambiguous," it said.
No tickets intended for the British market were involved, it added.

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Very old news - - BIG BAD WOLF CARTOON AD(1934)

This newspaper ad for weekend dates for the cartoon short Big Bad Wolf
(1934), the sequel to Three Little Pigs (1933), is on sale in ebay
(for 25 US drs). It's from a local US newspaper titled Bellingham
Herald and is dated June 2, 1934.
Posted by Kaya Özkaracalar at 02:45 6 comments
Labels: BIG BAD WOLF (1934) , newspaper ads
Sunday, 28 August 2011

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HADEES - ~

Aisha (radi Allahu anha) asked: "O Messenger of Allah! During the
Jaahiliya, Ibn Jad'aan used to uphold the ties of kinship and feedthe
poor; will that benefit him at all?" The Messenger of Allah (sal
Allahu alaihi wa sallam) replied: "It will not be of any benefit to
him, because he never said a single day, 'O Lord, forgive me my sins
on the Day of Judgement.'" [Muslim]
"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, itwill never be
accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers."
[Quran: Surah Aal-e-Imraan, Ayat 85]
For deeds to be considered "good" by Allah, they must have been done
for Him, seeking His pleasure and fearing His punishment. Otherwise,
the world may consider those deeds as "good" but they will carry no
weight with Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala).
Suppose you employed a gardener, but the gardenerspent all his time
working for your neighbour. Your neighbour's garden bloomed while
yours overflowed with weeds. Would you feel like paying his salary at
the end of the month?

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The Heart of the Matter

Sometimes we have a problem with a Muslim or Muslims, and we get
frustrated and we think, "I don't want to be around those people
anymore." Or something happens at theMasjid (the mosque) that we don't
like, maybe the Imam says something we don't agree with, or we don't
like the Masjid policies, and we feel offended and we stop going.
Maybe we pray at home, and stop associatingwith Muslims, then maybe
over time we become slackin our prayers, but we tell ourselves it's
okay because we're still Muslim "in our hearts".
That's one kind of trap.
On top of that it's hard to represent this deen among non-Muslims.
It's hard to carry yourself as a Muslim at work when you're the only
one there and you're aware that some of your co-workers are bigots or
are operating on negative stereotypes. It's hard to wear the hijab
when some people look at you as if you're a terrorist.
So maybe we give up the outer trappings of Islam, telling ourselves
that we have to survive in this society.
That's another trap.
And if you're a convert and your family is opposed to your conversion
to Islam, that's another weight to carry. If they are openly hostile,
and if you still live with them as they mock your deen (maybe in front
of your children) and try to undercut your childrens' practice of
Islam by feedingthem pork or letting them have "a little taste" of
wine… or something comeson the news about a conflict in the Muslim
world and your family says,"Look, those Muslims are atit again…" And
you don't know how to respond, or you don't want to start another
fight so you keep your mouth shut, but inside you feel humiliated and
confused…
And if you are isolated from the Muslim community for racial reasons
(this is not supposed to happen but it does) or for simple cultural
reasons, because you can't speak Arabic or Urdu and you don't fit in,
and you haven't been able to make any Muslim friends, or you feel that
the Masjid crowd don't regard you in the same way as so-called "born
Muslims"… instead they look at you as an oddity, or a child, or a
trophy of some kind, as if your conversion somehow validates their
faith…
Well, then, you might start to say to yourself, "What's the point? Is
it really worthit? Is it even really true?"
That's obviously a huge, deadly trap.
Okay, if you're a "born Muslim" you might not reach the point of that
last statement ("Is it even true?") because for most ofus who were
raised Muslim, Islam is bred into us from childhood, and it's a part
of us even when we don't understand it or appreciate it. But you still
might feel that identifying as a Muslim is too much trouble… it's
easier to associate with non-Muslims, abandon your prayers, drink wine
at the company dinner, have relationships with non-Muslims, and not
have to battle against society every day, not to mention battling
against your own nafs (desires). This is an easy trap to fall into if
you are a professional living alone.
We fall into these traps because we forget what this deen is. Shaytan
(Satan) isolates us just as a wolf isolates a sheep, driving it away
from the herd; then he plays games with our minds so that we become
reactive, responding emotionally to circumstances in our environments.

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Fight for It

Anything I have in my life, Ihave fought for. Yes, it all comes from
Allah. The two are not mutually exclusive.
There are universal gifts that Allah gives to all. Life, the soul, the
will… beyond that, nothing is assured. Breath? Some people fight to
breathe. Food? Some people struggle for a bit of grain. Water? Some
people work an entire day to get water. Health? Some people are born
sick and fight for every day of life. Freedom? Millions of children
are born in refugee camps.
Allah gives us opportunities. He gives us abilities, talents, gifts,
and it's up to us to make something out of them. Allah gives us
guidance andtruth, but if we want to follow that truth then we'llhave
to fight for it, and it won't be easy. As soon as we dedicate our
lives to truth, we'll see obstacles appearing in our paths.
I don't mean physically fight (though that is sometimes the case). I
mean strive, struggle, workhard, deal with personal attacks and
naysayers, staypositive, find a way forward when the path appears to
be blocked, and refuse to give up!
If you want to pursue your dreams, you'll have to struggle. If you
want (halal) love in your life, if you want something real, ifyou want
to make something happen, well then brother and sister, you'll have to
strive with all your might. That's how it is.
"And those who strive in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Our
paths." – Quran, Al-Ankaboot, 29:69.

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Your “Stuff” is Not a Part of You

You are not defined by the stuff you own. Your "stuff" is not a part
of you. Your "stuff" will break, disappear, or be left behindone day.
In fact what truly defines our character is how we react to loss. If
we were stripped of all the possessions we love, who would we be in
that moment? Would we still be grateful to Allah, patient, trusting?
Hopefully it never comes tothat. But seriously, those times of
greatest sadness and joy are when our thoughts must turn to Allah, The
Eternal, The Merciful, The Wise.
Allah says, "Never will you attain the good until you spend from that
which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allahis Knowing of
it." [Quran 3: 92]
Think about that. Allah is telling us to give away the things that we
love the most! SubhanAllah! Why does Allah ask this of us? Is it to
liberate us from slavery to material possessions? To f0cus our minds
on Allah and the aakhirah (hereafter)? To prevent the evil that
results from the love of money? To benefit the poor?
Yes, for all of those reasons. Excessive attachment to any
materialthing is misguidance. The love of possessions is a spiritual
trap.
I have at times given away things that were precious to me, thinking
they wouldmean as much to the otherperson as they do to me. Sometimes
they do, and sometimes they don't, and yes it hurts my feelings when
the other person doesn't value my gift; but eventually I get over it,
because the point is the actof giving. And maybe – Insha-Allah – I'll
have something to show Allah on Yawm Al-Qiyamah (the Day of
Resurrection), maybe I'll be able to say, "O Allah, I gave away
thesethings that I loved," and maybe that will earn me some
forgiveness, Allah knows.
There is a powerful spiritual lesson in taking anobject that you love,
and giving it away. I remembera middle-aged brother named AbdulKareem
(Damis-Salaam, for those ofyou who know him). He worked hard,
supported a family, and got by on a tight budget. One time he got a
nice brown leather coat, the long kind that comes down to the knees.
It looked good on him. Then a younger brother, a teenager with poor
manners, said, "Man, that's a cool coat. Can I have it?" Without a
word, AbdulKareem took off the coat and gave it to the teenager.
There's such a strength of character, such freedom from attachment, in
being able to do that. That was 27 years ago and I imagine that
AbdulKareem (who is an old man now) has forgotten all about it. But
Allah sees and remembers.
This deep generosity was one of the qualities of the Prophet Muhammad
(peacebe upon him). It's said that he never refused anyone who asked
him for anything, if it was his to give.
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: "Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was the
mostgenerous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in
generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used
to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur'an. Allah's
Messenger was the most generous person, even more generous than the
strong uncontrollable wind." [Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number
5]
Aside from being generous,the Messenger of Allah (sws) had no
attachment to"stuff". The extreme simplicity of his lifestyle was
astounding. He never ate lavish food (not even soft bread), never ate
on a dining cloth, and never filled his belly even with barley bread.
His household often went many days with no cooking fire in the oven,
living on dates and water, and occasionally a glass of milk donated by
the neighbors. His mattress was a piece of tanned skin filled with
rough palm fibers.
Once Umar Ibn al-Khattab (radhi allahu anhu) enteredupon the Messenger
of Allah (sws) when he was lying on a mat of palm fibers that had left
marks on his side. Umar (ra) said: "O Messenger of Allah, why do you
not get something more comfortable than this?" He (sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam) said: "What do I have to do with this world? My
relationship with this world is like that of a traveler on a
hotsummer's day, who seeksshade under a tree for an hour, then moves
on." [Musnad Ahmad and al-Hakim. Saheeh al-Jamee (5545)]
So you see, he lived like this not out of necessity, but out of
choice. Money often came into his household (especially later in his
life when Islam has spread to all of Arabia) but he would give it all
to the poor, retaining nothing.
Excessive possessions are anchors that drag us down.The hunger for
material goods is a kind of sickness. It causes us more stress than
happiness, and in the end we gain nothing genuine.
I once got angry with my daughter when she was nomore than four years
old, because she pulled the softcover off my headphones and tore it.

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Laa ilaha il-Allah

Frankly, if you became Muslim for any reason other than this, then you
never understood Islam to begin with. And if you were raised Muslim
but were not taught the infinite importance of this single sentence,
then you were not really raised as Muslim. You were only taught
cultural practices.
This is Islam. This is what all reality is based on. This is what
religion has been since the beginning of time. This is what all the
Prophets brought (may Allah bless them all). Every element of creation
acknowledges this truth except us; every child is born on this truth
(which iswhy we are all "born Muslim"): This truth that we were
created by a single, indivisible God; that our Creator is Loving,
Merciful and Compassionate; that everything we are and everything we
own comes from Him; that we began with Him as a breath, and we return
to Him as dust; that He witnesses everything we do; that He rewards
the good and punishes evil; that He lovesus and wants good for us in
this life and the next; that He answers when we call and guides us
when weask; that we owe gratitudeto Him for every heartbeat,every lung
full of air, every bite of food, and every glimpse of truth.
No one deserves our love and obedience before Allah. Our first loyalty
is to Him.
No one can help us but Allah; and no one can harmus but Him. When
we're struggling and we cry out to ourselves, "What am I going to do?
Who will helpme? What is the way forward for me?", we need to address
those cries to Allah! The answers will not come from our own thoughts
or tears; the answers won't come from banging our fists or pullingour
hair. The answers will come from Allah.

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This is Who I Am

I can only come as I am to you, Allah
You're not the only thing inmy heart
But can't I still give it, full of everything as it is, back to you?
You're not the only thing on my mind
But can't I still ask you to help me with my random, sinful thoughts?
I'm not perfect, and You even said You wouldn't want this
You want those who can be forgiven
And I need forgiveness Yousee, because
I sometimes am fine with having more than just You in my life
I sometimes am fine with thinking things I shouldn't
I sometimes am fine with skipping a prayer or two
I sometimes am fine with eating a haraam burger
I sometimes am fine with saying a bad word
This is who I am Allah, a girl who is sometimes fine with sin in my life
But I don't forget You, everywhere I look I see You
And I'm just tired of being told to be someone else, just to come to You
I am who I am Allah, and while I am making my bad choices
I am also hating that people are being hurt
Whether it's by me or someone else
I am hating that people aremistreating one another
Whether in the name of Islam or any other cause
Allah I am who I am, and I am someone who loves goodness
I love fairness and compassion
My favorite thing is to see people come into a blessing of any kind
And find their heart's desire, to see them really find You
So this is who I am Allah, I am a contradiction
I am a lover of Your attributes even while I am rejecting them in my own life
By means of my own actions
I am messed up and hurt and scared, all while hopeful and trusting and strong
I cry that things don't go my way, and I cry at the story of Muhammad (saws)
I argue for the fun of it, yetsometimes Your words take the fight
right out of me
You are ultimate and real and deep and pricelessly complex
And I am whimsical, moody, emotional, nafsy and greedy
And all I want is to be able to come to You and be who I really am
While You make me who I was always meant to be.

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Advice from a Cloud (Ifa Cloud Could Speak)

Everyone deserves water to drink, so shower your kindness on sinners
and saints alike.
People will see different things in you: relief, or comfort, or a
fearsome signof a storm. Pay no attention to any of that; but do your
job peacefully.
It's a beautiful thing to provide shade on a hot day(to comfort those
in distress).
You sometimes drift aimlessly, but by the will ofAllah, you get in the
right drift and current again.
Oppose evil with thunder and lightning, but with others be soft as cotton.
Not everything is what it seems: the darker the cloud, the more water
it carries within, to cleanse the earth and bring new life.
Never forget, you are mainly made from water. Make sure to always
replenish yourself with pure sustenance.
There's a rainbow right behind the storm.
Can you think of any other advice a cloud might give?

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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 or less. 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 only Muslims, not only
men, not one 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
of My [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, wehumans are corruptible and 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 beings are born on the fitrah , the pure and
natural way, withan inborn inclination to recognize the Creator and do
good. Racism and nationalism are abhorred and abolished. Women are
recognized 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, itis 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 callof Islam. That's the path we must follow.

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“The writer Mustapha wrote,

'When I looked into history I found a small number of individuals
whose lives mirrored the life cycle of a grain of wheat. They were
torn from their roots, then crushed, then ground in mills, then
kneaded with fists, 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 for a good outcome
because you never know how manydead hearts you will bring to life in
the process. No hardship lasts forever. There is always an end."

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Where Are the Answers?

"What am I going to do? Why is my life so messed up? Why can't I find
happiness? Why am I alone? Why do I feel stuck?Why do I have these
problems?'…
These questions only have meaning if we direct them to Allah. No one
else can answer them. Consider the words of the Prophet Ya'qub
(alayhis-salam, peace be upon him) when his son Yusuf (as) was
secretly thrown into a well by his brothers. They then reported to
their father that Yusuf had been killed by a wolf.
And he turned away fromthem and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Yusuf," and
his eyes became white from grief, and he fell into silent melancholy.
They said, "By Allah , you will not cease remembering Yusuf until you
become fatally ill or become of those who perish."
He said, " I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah , and
I knowfrom Allah that which you do not know.
- Quran, Surat Yusuf, 12:84-86
"I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah…"
When you feel stuck, when you feel that no one understands your
situation,when you're in pain and you can't even imagine a solution,
only Allah has the answers. You can't see a way forward, but He can.
You don't see your own worth, but He does. You can't figure out the
road to happiness, but He can show you.
I remember a night in Arizona when I was twentysix years old. I lay on
a cot in a small, frigid cell. There was snow outside and I had only a
thin blanket. As I often did, I put on all my clothing in layers –
three pants, three shirts, an armyjacket and a pair of boots –and
still I kept waking up shivering and shaking. Yet, even more than the
physical discomfort, my spirit was tired. I had mademistakes in my
youth and had been locked up for almost five years. I had become hard
mentally and physically, but my heart was full of sorrow. I lay there
that night and I thought, "I have nothing inlife. I have accomplished
nothing. I have no university degree, no wife, no children, and not
even my freedom."
That was a bad time. But I had my faith, and I used to weep to Allah,
asking Him to have mercy on me. I think I gave up on myself for a
while, but I never gave up on Allah. It would not even have occurred
to me to do so. I did cry to Him sometimes saying, "Why, Allah? Why?
Why am I here, suffering like this?" But it wasn't despair,only
confusion. In my heartI knew that He heard me and that an answer would
come.
Shortly after that I receiveda letter from the parole board granting
me early release. I had previously been told very clearly that Iwas
not eligible. It was entirely unexpected, and if you are familiar with
the American penal system, miraculous. But for Allah, nothing is
impossible or even difficult.
Within a few months I was free. I found a job a week after my
release, and I excelled. I began writing, sitting at my desk every
night after work and disciplining myself to work on poetry, stories
and articles. Eventually I went back to school and began anew career,
got married, bought a beautiful house, and one day had a child…
What can I say except Alhamdulillah! SubhanAllah! What can I doexcept
weep in gratitude for these blessings that I did nothing to earn, but
were given to me by my Lord who loves me and cares about me, and wants
good for me. I am so deeply touched and movedby the way Allah has
answered my prayers from the depths of darkness. If I did anything to
merit His blessings, perhaps it was only that I directed my pleas to
Him. I knew that no one else could help me.
This is a very emotional post for me to write. I want every Muslim to
havethis sense of Allah as their friend, as someone who cares for them
deeply. I want to put that awareness into your heart like a gift.
When I was in that cell I used to pray the same dua'over and over,
begging Allah repeatedly. If I had made such pleas to a human being
they would have stopped hearing me long ago. When we're needy with
people it pushes them away, but when we're needy with Allah He comes
closer to us! He never tires of answering our need and forgiving us.
I know of many similar stories of people who havehit rock bottom and
have called upon Allah – or , not even knowing "Allah" by that name,
have called to the Supreme Being, saying, "I know you hear me, tell me
what I need to do, show me the way!" – and then, like a circle of
sunlight piercing a cloud, something or someone comes into their lives
to show them the way forward.
When we're out of ideas, surrounded by problems, and feeling totally
alone… we're not alone . Allah is with us. If we pray sincerely and
strive, He willput light in our hearts and help us from directions we
did not expect.
Ask Allah sincerely, open yourself to Him, and acceptwhat He gives you
even when it goes against your own desires.

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

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

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Resilience is Contagious

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

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RULERSHIP IN YEMEN:

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

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HEALTH - ~ 3 Ways to Cut Calories + Increase Longevity

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

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STORY - ~ The Emperor and the Seed

An emperor in the Far Eastwas growing old and knew it was time to
choose his successor. Instead of choosing one ofhis assistants or his
children, he decided something different. He called young people in
thekingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down
and choose the next emperor. Ihave decided to choose one of you."
The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give
each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you
toplant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with
what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants
that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others,
received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story.
She helped him get a pot and planting soil,and he planted the seed and
watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if
it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began
to talkabout their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4
weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking
about their plants but Ling didn'thave a plant, and he felt like a
failure. Six months went by-still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew
hehad killed his seed.
Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling
didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for
his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their
plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he
wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened,
Ling felt sick to his stomach, but heknew his mother was right. He
took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at
the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were
beautiful-in all shapes andsizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor
and manyof the other kinds laughedat him. A few felt sorry for him and
just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young
people. Ling just tried to hide in the back."My, what great plants,
trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of
you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor
spotted Ling at the back ofthe room with his empty pot. He ordered his
guardsto bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor
knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will haveme killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is
Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him.
The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then
announced to the crowd,"Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!"
Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could
he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I
gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it,
water it, and bringit back to me today. But I gave you all boiled
seeds which would not grow. Allof you, except Ling, have brought me
trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not
grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was
the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my
seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
The Prophet taught,"Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and
righteousness leads to Paradise.

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STORY - ~ The Patient Old Man

When passing through a mountain pass, a bedouin (villager) once came
acrossan old man who was blindand who seemed to be afflicted with
various ailments all over his body. It was clear that he was wasting
away. He was even paralyzed and was constantly forced to remain in a
seated position. The Bedouin could clearly hear him say,"All praise is
for Allah, Whohas kept me safe from ailments with which He has tested
many among His creation; and He has indeed preferred me over many
among those that He created."
"My brother!" exclaimed the bedouin. "What have you been saved from?
By Allah, I think that you have been afflicted with every single kind
of ailment!"
"Go away from me," said the old man, as he raised his head. "Do I not
still have a tongue with which I can pronounce His Oneness, and with
which I can remember Him every single moment? And do I not still have
a heart with which I can know Him?"
These words of the old man were enough for the bedouin to repent to
Allahfor his sins and ask Him forforgiveness.
Remember, there is always someone else who is in more problem than you.

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STORY - ~ Beware of the Dog

DOWN below there was only a vast white undulating sea of cloud. Above
there was the sun, and the sun was white like the clouds, because it
is never yellow when one looks at it fromhigh in the air.
He was still flying the Spitfire . His right hand was on the stick,
and he was working the rudder bar with his left leg alone. It wasquite
easy. The machine was flying well, and he knew what he was doing.
Everything is fine, he thought. I'm doing all right. I'm doing nicely.
I know my way home. I'll be there in half an hour. When I land I shall
taxi in and switch off my engine and I shall say, help me to get out,
will you. I shall make my voice sound ordinary and natural and none of
them will take any notice. Then I shall say, someone help me to get
out. I can't do it alone because I've lost one of my legs. They'll all
laugh and think that I'm joking, and I shall say, all right, come and
have a look, you unbelieving bastards. Then Yorky will climb up onto
the wing and look inside. He'll probably be sick because of all the
blood and the mess. I shall laugh and say, for God's sake, help me
out.
He glanced down again at his right leg. There was not much ofit left.
The cannon shell had taken him on the thigh, just above the knee, and
now there was nothing but a great mess and a lot of blood. But there
wasno pain. When he looked down, he felt as though he were seeing
something that did not belong to him. It had nothing to do with him.
It was just a mess which happened to be there in the cockpit;
something strange and unusual and rather interesting. It was like
finding a dead cat on the sofa.
He really felt fine, and because he still felt fine, he felt excited
and unafraid.
I won't even bother to call up onthe radio for the blood wagon, he
thought. It isn't necessary. And when I land I'll sit there quite
normally and say, some of you fellows come and help me out, will you,
because I've lost one of my legs. That will be funny. I'll laugh a
little while I'm saying it; I'll say it calmly and slowly, and they'll
think I'm joking. When Yorky comes up onto the wing and gets sick,
I'll say, Yorky, you old son of a bitch,have you fixed my car yet?
Then when I get out I'll make my report and later I'll go up to
London. I'll take that half bottle of whisky with me and I'll give it
to Bluey. We'll sit in her room and drink it. I'll get the water out
of the bathroom tap. I won'tsay much until it's time to go to bed,
then Ill say, Bluey, I've got a surprise for you. I lost a leg today.
But I don't mind so long as you don't. It doesn't even hurt. We'll go
everywhere in cars. I always hated walking, except when I walked down
the street of the coppersmiths in Bagdad , but I could go in a
rickshaw . I could go home and chop wood, but the head alwaysflies off
the ax. Hot water, that's what it needs; put it in the bath and make
the handle swell. I chopped lots of wood last time I went home, and I
put the ax in the bath. . . .
Then he saw the sun shining on the engine cowling of his machine. He
saw the rivets in the metal, and he remembered where he was. He
realized that he was no longer feeling good; that he was sick and
giddy. His head kept falling forward onto his chest because his neck
seemed no longer to have any strength. But he knew that he was flying
the Spitfire , and he could feel the handle of the stickbetween the
fingers of his right hand.
I'm going to pass out, he thought. Any moment now I'm going to pass out.
He looked at his altimeter . Twenty-one thousand. To test himself he
tried to read the hundreds as well as the thousands. Twenty-one
thousand and what? As he looked the dial became blurred, and he could
not even see the needle. He knew then that he must bail out; that
there was not a second to lose, otherwise he would become unconscious.
Quickly, frantically, he tried to slide back the hood with his left
hand, but he had not the strength. For a second he took his right hand
off the stick, and with both hands he managed to push the hood back.
The rush of cold air on his face seemed to help. He had a moment of
great clearness, and his actions became orderly and precise. That is
what happens with a good pilot. He took some quick deep breaths from
his oxygen mask, and as he did so, he looked out over the side of the
cockpit. Down below there was only a vast white sea of cloud, and he
realized that he did not know where he was.
It'll be the Channel, he thought. I'm sure to fall in the drink.
He throttled back, pulled off his helmet, undid his straps, and pushed
the stick hard over to the left. The Spitfire dripped its port wing,
and turned smoothly over onto its back. The pilot fell out.

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