How Zakat Impacts Productivity

Deep down, you may think of zakat as a tiresome once-a-year event that simply involves a quick online payment of 2.5% of your cash and a bunch of gold weighed on scales in your kitchen! But there is a lot more to it. Fully understanding and practising this beautiful pillar of Islam can lead to a more productive and successful existence at both an individual and community level. How? Paying your zakat correctly triggers some marvellous productivity boosters that you probably have never thought of! Here’s what actually happens to you and your

1. Purifies Your Soul

Nothing prevents us more from reaching the heights of productivity than our sins. Day and night, we disobey Allah (glorified and exalted be He) in all sorts of ways, knowingly and unknowingly, blotting our hearts and blocking the light of Allah (glorified and exalted be He) from entering them. One critical way of clearing out the junk from our hearts is to pay zakat.

Linguistically, zakat carries meanings of cleansing and purification, originating from the same root as the word Tazkiyah. In fact, when Allah (glorified and exalted be He) commanded the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) to collect zakat, He (glorified and exalted be He) specifically mentioned its purifying power:

“Take from their wealth a charity to cleanse and purify them through it and pray for them. Indeed your prayer gives them tranquility. And indeed Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.” [Qur’an: Chapter 9, Verse 103]

2. Blesses Your Wealth

Apart from purification, zakat also carries meanings of growth and enhancement. Paying your zakat means that what is left of your money will be more blessed and more productive for you. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) emphasised this by warning against delaying the payment of Zakat or not paying it at all:

“Zakat is never intermingled with any amount of wealth without destroying and rotting it.” [Bukhari]

It is said that zakat represents the ‘filth’ within our wealth, i.e. an amount that we may have incurred through some form of sin or dishonesty, however small or great. For our money to remain blessed, it is vital to get rid of the ‘filth’ as soon as possible. This is akin to the dross that is filtered from a blast furnace, leaving a pure, pristine metal behind.

Documentary: Fast food, fat profits (Video)

 One out of every three Americans is obese, but food revolutions are underway and some are fighting back.

Obesity in America has reached a crisis point. Two out of every three Americans are overweight, one out of every three is obese. One in three are expected to have diabetes by 2050.

Minorities have been even more profoundly affected. African-Americans have a 50 per cent higher prevalence of obesity and Hispanics 25 per cent higher when compared with whites.

How did the situation get so out of hand?

On this week’s episode of Fault Lines, Josh Rushing explores the world of cheap food for Americans living at the margins.

What opportunities do people have to eat healthy? Who is responsible for food deserts and processed food in American schools?

Fault Lines finds food revolutions taking place and speaks with the people that are fighting back.
More documentaries…

We Weren’t Born Knowing, We Had to Learn

Source: suhaibwebb.com

By: Amal S

The Path to Learning & Teaching Qur’an

Bismillah (In the Name of Allah)

It is reported that Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (radi Allahu ‘anhu) said: “Every day we are told so and so has just died. Most definitely, one day it will be said: “Umar has died.””

Let’s take that in for a second. One day, it will be said: [Insert your name] has died.

Death means time is up, opportunities are done, actions have ended. Except…

Problematic Trends in regards to seeking marriage in ISLAM (VIDEO)

 A very huge problem today is that a great number of Muslims have been Affected by the dating, boy-friend/girl-friend test drive epidemic. We know that this has become the normal thing in todays society but as Muslims we strive to hold on to a higher level of morality and purity and we look to make all of our affairs pleasing to our Creator and Marriage in ISLAM is a completion of half your Deen so Muslims should be very serious about staying away from the evil pitfalls that lead to a broken society which mainly steams from the evil of “Zina”( Immorality,fornication,screwing around, adultery).

Wifehood and Motherhood are not the Only Ways to Paradise

By: Maryam Amirebrahimi

Source: http://www.suhaibwebb.com/

“Why are you majoring in that field?” I asked a sister in college. She sighed, “To be honest, I just want to get married. I don’t really care about what I’m studying right now. I’m just waiting to get hitched so I can be a wife and a mother.”

“It’s awesome that she wants to be a wife and a mother, but why would she put her life on hold?” I wondered. Why would a skilled, passionate young woman create barriers to striving for self-improvement and her ability to be socially transformative when she doesn’t yet have the responsibilities of wifehood or motherhood? Being a wife and a mom are great blessings, but before it actually happens, why exchange tangible opportunities, just waiting for marriage to simply come along—if it came along? I didn’t have to look far to find out.

As Ramadan comes to an end, increase making Duaa

Source: http://siratulmustaqim.com/

As Ramadan comes to an end, so do the increased opportunities for prayer. We may or may not get another Ramadan in our lives. This may be our last Iftar. Just before Iftar is a special time to ask Allah for everything you want. Allah loves hearing from us. The last night and day of fasting is a special day of Dua as well, considering that the Prophet has said that Allah makes decisions about our forgiveness that day. So here are some suggested Dua:

Duas before the last Iftar

If everyone in your family can break fast together, it will be great to make Dua together.

• Oh Allah, please accept all of my prayers, fasting, and remembrance of You during this blessed month.
• Please forgive me for the shortcomings in my worship and help me improve by next Ramadan.
• Ya Allah, help me continue the good habits I have acquired during Ramadan.
• Oh Allah, please make me of the righteous, the guided, and those You love.
• Ya Allah, please guide me and my family to the Straight Path and help us become excellent Muslims for Your sake.
• I worship only You and only from You do I seek help. Please increase Your bounty for me and my family
• Ya Allah, Guide our loved ones, friends, coworkers, neighbors, classmates to the straight path for success in this life and hereafter.

 

Don’t let lost opportunities make you feel disappointed and discouraged. Allah is bigger than your lost opportunities.

 Don’t let lost opportunities make you feel disappointed and discouraged. Allah is bigger than your lost opportunities.
 No permita que la pérdida de oportunidades que se sienta decepcionado y desanimado. Alá es más grande que sus oportunidades perdidas.
 Laat geen gemiste kansen voelt u zich teleurgesteld en ontmoedigd. Allah is groter dan uw gemiste kansen.
 Ne laissez pas les occasions perdues que vous vous sentiez déçue et découragée. Allah est plus grand que vos occasions perdues.
 Lassen Sie sich nicht verlorenen Chancen machen Sie enttäuscht und entmutigt fühlen. Allah ist größer, als die verlorenen Chancen.
 Bùyào ràng guòqù liúshī de jīhuì ràng nǐ gǎndào shīwàng hé qìněi. Zhēnzhǔ shì dàyú nǐ shīqù de jīhuì.
 Låt inte förlorade möjligheter att du känner dig besviken och missmodig. Allah är större än din förlorade möjligheter.
 Ne pozvolyayte upushchennyye vozmozhnosti zastavit’ vas chuvstvovat’ sebya razocharovannym i ne rekomenduyetsya. Allakh bol’she, chem poteryannykh vozmozhnostey.
 Kayıp fırsatlar sizi hayal kırıklığına ve cesareti hissettirecek izin vermeyin. Allah kayıp fırsatlardan daha büyük.
 Non lasciate occasioni perse ti fanno sentire deluso e scoraggiato. Allah è più grande di vostre occasioni perdute.
 Jangan biarkan kesempatan yang hilang membuat Anda merasa kecewa dan putus asa. Allah lebih besar dari kesempatan Anda hilang.

When you focus on problems, you have more problems. When you focus on Allah you’ll have more opportunities.

 When you focus on problems, you have more problems. When you focus on Allah you’ll have more opportunities.
 Cuando te enfocas en problemas, que tiene más problemas. Cuando te enfocas en Dios usted tendrá más oportunidades.
 Wanneer u zich richten op problemen, heb je meer problemen. Wanneer je je richt op Allah je meer mogelijkheden hebben.
 Quand vous vous concentrez sur les problèmes, vous avez plus de problèmes. Quand vous vous concentrez sur Allah vous aurez plus de possibilités.
 Wenn Sie auf Probleme zu konzentrieren, haben Sie mehr Probleme. Wenn Sie auf Allah konzentrieren, werden Sie mehr Chancen haben.
 Dāng nǐ zhuānzhù yú wèntí, nǐ yǒu gèng duō de wèntí. Dāng nǐ zhuānzhù yú ān lā nǐ jiù huì yǒu gèng duō de jīhuì.
 När du fokuserar på problem, har du fler problem. När du fokuserar på Allah har du fler möjligheter.
 Kogda vy sosredotocheny na problemakh , u vas yest’ bol’she problem . Kogda vy sosredotocheny na Allakha vy budete imet’ bol’she vozmozhnostey.
 Eğer sorunlara odaklanmak, daha fazla sorunları var. Eğer Allah’a odaklanmak zaman daha fazla fırsat olacak.
 Quando ci si concentra sui problemi, si hanno più problemi. Quando ci si concentra su Allah avrai più opportunità.
 Ketika Anda berfokus pada masalah, Anda memiliki lebih banyak masalah. Ketika Anda berfokus pada Allah Anda akan memiliki lebih banyak kesempatan.

The opportunities are there, it is you who sees them as problems, & not as chances to evolve.

 The opportunities are there, it is you who sees them as problems, & not as chances to evolve.
 Las oportunidades están ahí, eres tú quien los ve como problemas, y no como oportunidades para evolucionar.
 De mogelijkheden zijn er, het is u die ziet ze als problemen, en niet als kans om te evolueren.
 Les possibilités sont là, c’est vous qui les considère comme des problèmes, et pas que les chances d’évoluer.
 Die Chancen sind da, es ist ihr, als sie sieht Probleme, und nicht als Chance, sich zu entwickeln.
 Jīhuì shì yǒu, tā shì nǐ shuí kàn dào tāmen zuòwéi de wèntí, yǔ bùzuòwéi de jīhuì fāzhǎn.
 Möjligheterna finns där, det är du som ser dem som problem, och inte lika chanser att utvecklas.
 Vozmozhnosti yest’ , eto vy, kto vidit v nikh problem , i ne kak shansy razvivat’sya.
 Fırsat bu şansı gelişmeye gibi sorunlar olarak görür, ve değil kim olduğunu vardır.
 Le opportunità ci sono, siete voi che li vede come i problemi, e non come possibilità di evolversi.
 Kesempatan yang ada, Andalah yang melihat mereka sebagai masalah, & bukan sebagai kesempatan untuk berkembang.