Blog Archives
A Ramadan guide for non-Muslims
Source: washingtonpost.com
By: Asma Uddin and Shazia Kamal
In the next few weeks, you may come into work and find your co-worker taking a power nap at 9:30am. At break time, you’ll notice she is missing in the discussion about Harry Potter over at the water cooler. At the staff meeting, you will be shocked when she is offered coffee and cookies and refuses ! By lunch time, your concern about her missing at the water cooler compels you to investigate the situation.
Then you remember what she had mentioned last week over a delicious Sushi lunch. Flooded with relief, you go up to her desk, and proclaim with much gusto, “Ramadan Mubarak (Moo-baa-rak)!” Ramadan’s Blessings to you!
The month of Ramadan is a happy occasion; it is the month that the Muslim holy book, the Koran, was revealed to our Prophet Muhammad. Muslims are called by their religion to celebrate the month by coming together in worship, fasting each day for thirty days from dawn until sunset.
While this may seem like a tremendous feat, consider this: Fasting while working is an even greater endeavor. Make it a little easier on your Muslim colleague by following a couple of simple rules:
The importance of balance
Source: muslimvillage.com
By: Maryam Hedayat
Why most people think that to follow Islam we have to stay away from all worldly desires and needs! Most of us believe that if we have to be religious and pious we must avoid all worldly requirements and wishes! In other words we can follow one at a time, either Deen or Duniya.
There is a misunderstanding among many people that Islam is tough and a difficult religion to follow. In fact, Islam is not an ascetic religion that expects its followers to abandon the world and worship Allah all day and night in a cave.
Instead Islam forbids such tendency in behavior to develop and encourages people to interact with society and live normal lives within the boundaries set by Allah.
Learn Ayat Al-Kursi online
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem
Allahu la ilaha illa Huwa, Al-Haiyul-Qaiyum
La ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm,
lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-‘ard
Man dhal-ladhi yashfa’u ‘indahu illa bi-idhnihi
Ya’lamu ma baina aidihim wa ma khalfahum,
wa la yuhituna bi shai’im-min ‘ilmihi illa bima sha’a
Wasi’a kursiyuhus-samawati wal ard,
wa la ya’uduhu hifdhuhuma Wa Huwal ‘Aliyul-Adheem
In the Name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Allah! There is no god but He – the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him Nor Sleep. His are all things In the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede In His presence except As he permitteth? He knoweth What (appeareth to His creatures As) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass Aught of his knowledge Except as He willeth. His throne doth extend Over the heavens And on earth, and He feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them, For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory).”
(This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat al-Kursi)
15 Facts and Benefits of Ayatul Kursi
Simple Deeds…Mountains of Rewards!
Source: blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com
“Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance ofAllah hearts are assured.” (Ar-Ra’d, 13:28)With the never-ending distractions of this life and the infinite tasks filling our plates, we tend to forget the main purpose of our existence which is to worship Allah 
. Unfortunately, we make this life *the* priority rather than spending our precious time earning Allah’s mercy and forgiveness.
The mercy of Allah is superior to anything known to the limited human mind.
He has blessed us with innumerable opportunities to erase our sins in less than sixty seconds, yet we make use of such invaluable golden opportunities very rarely. Bountiful rewards await us but we have to take the first step of remembering Allah at all times. Here are some daily actions that barely take up our time but grant us magnificent rewards. I will split them into two categories: one which concerns supplications, and the other consisting of voluntary acts.
50 Loving Sentiments We Should All Say More Often
By: Jade Small
Source: http://www.the-open-mind.com/50-loving-sentiments-we-should-all-say-more-often/
All too often, we take the people we love the most for granted: our lovers, family members, friends, and even our children. We forget the enormous power of our words, as we carelessly lash out when under stress. We stick our noses in our laptops and smartphones, assuming our loved ones know what we are failing to verbalize, sometimes until the relationships are disconnected or damaged beyond repair.
Make a choice to consciously nurture your relationships with verbal communications of love. Be kind and sincere. Ask open-ended questions with an open heart. Listen empathically and non-defensively. Remember, there are no conditions, no strings, no expectations, and no manipulations. Simply, love to love.
1. I am here for you.
2. Thank you. Thanks for all you do for me and all the ways in which you add value to my life.
3. You are beautiful. What I find most beautiful about you, inside and out, is: _____.
4. How are you? Truthfully, fully and completely — how are you, really?
5. Tell me about your dreams.
6. Tell me about your fears.
7. Tell me about your beliefs about life, love, the world, etc.
8. I am thinking about you.
9. I appreciate you.
10. I care about your feelings.
11. You are important to me.
12. I made a mistake and I’m sorry. I sincerely apologize. Please forgive me.
13. I value our relationship.
14. I am grateful and fortunate to have you in my life.
15. What can I do to support you?
16. How are you feeling about our relationship?
17. How are you feeling about me?
18. The qualities I love about you most are: _____.
19. I notice and really appreciate your efforts and growth in these areas: _____.
20. What’s most meaningful to me about our connection is: ______.
21. Great job! Nice work! Well done.
22. These are the ways in which you have touched my life and made me better: _____.
23. It’s an honor to know you and to be close to you.
24. I want the very best for you.
25. I cherish the following experiences we’ve shared: _______.
26. I trust you. I trust in our relationship.
27. I forgive you. I let go of my resentments.
28. These are all of the wonderful, positive qualities I see in you: _____.
29. Your greatest gifts and strengths are: _____.
30. I respect you.
31. I respect your decisions even though they’re different from mine or what I’ve recommended. You’re free to make your own choices.
32. I support you in any and every way that I can.
33. I believe in you.
34. I lovingly and trustingly give you the time and space you need.
35. You can achieve anything you want in life.
36. You are special. You are divinely and uniquely YOU.
37. You are free to be your authentic self in the context of our relationship.
38. I welcome you to be honest and truthful with me.
39. I desire to have/maintain an intimate and loving relationship with you.
40. You elicit the following positive emotions and feelings in me: _______.
41. You are not responsible for me, for my bad behaviors or my poor choices.
42. What would you like from me or from our relationship?
43. It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you.
44. I support you in taking care of yourself.
45. Your feelings are understandable and normal responses to everything you have been through.
46. I do not expect you to be perfect. I absolutely understand you are a human being and that none of us are perfect.
47. I acknowledge my areas of needed improvement including ABC, and am working on them by doing XYZ.
48. It’s important to me to know and understand you.
49. I come to you with an open heart and an open mind.
50. I love you fully, completely, and exactly as you are.
Intermittent fasting changed this doctor’s life
Source: http://articles.mercola.com/
By: Dr. Mercola
Is there such a thing as a fast diet? Dr. Michael Mosley, a physician like me, wrote a best-selling book on this subject, aptly called The Fast Diet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting, which answers that question.
37 SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR YOUTH MORE REWARDING
By: Amina Edota
Source: http://muslimmatters.org
Do you always dream of the years ahead when you will hit your first million, memorise the Qur’an, or break some world record? Or perhaps you jump, to a few months ahead – getting published, married or launching an online business.
Whatever your big dream is, you know what I’m talking about, right?
Hope Vs. Faith
I’ve written quite a few articles about making duas, that is, supplication, as a Muslim.
And I still get a lot of emails from people wondering why their duas aren’t getting answered or if they can make dua for this thing or that thing.
There are a lot of tips I can give you about making dua and they’re sprinkled throughout the website:
You’re hoping Allah will answer them instead of believing He will answer them.
Stop hoping. Start believing.
You’re Muslim, right?
You’re asking Him for something good, right?
You do believe that Allah hears and knows all things, right?
Then why wouldn’t He answer your duas? All you have to do is have true, strong belief.
This is so powerful and amazing. I really wish more Muslims would grasp this simple concept.
Most of us (and I’m speaking about myself also) we make dua like we have doubt. We don’t make dua and say Ameen and have that certain confidence that Allah is going to take care of us.
We make dua, say Ameen, and then act as if it may or may not happen. Like whatever we’re asking for is too difficult for Allah to handle.
Stop that!
I mean it. Seriously. Stop it.
When you ask Allah for something, know in your heart, in your inner being, with absolute certainty and confidence, that He’s going to take care of you.
Just look at Prophet Musa (AS). He’s ordered by Allah to go to this evil, murderous, yet powerful ruler (Pharaoh) and tell him to worship one God and let Banu Israel go.
Can you imagine being ordered to go up to Kim Jong Un (murderous ruler of North Korea), with no weapons, no army, and telling him he has to worship Allah and let all the Muslims in his land go?
You’d probably go crazy out of fear knowing this guy could kill you in a heartbeat.
But what did Musa (AS) do? Did he make some weak dua and hope for the best?
No! This is what he said:
My Lord, expand for me my breast. And make this job easy. And untie the knot from my tongue so that the people would understand me. And appoint for me a minister from my family. And increase my strength through him. And let him share my task so that we may exalt You much and remember You much, indeed You are ever-seeing of us.
Surah Ta-Ha, Verses 25-35
Now, does that sound like a man who has hope? Or does that sound like a man who has faith?
Moses (AS) is saying: “Allah, I’ve got a job to do. But I’m going to need these things in order to do this job effectively. So give them to me, and I’ll be on my way.”
That’s the kind of faith you’ve got to have.
By the way, do you know what Allah said after Prophet Musa made that great dua?
He said:
You have already been granted your request, O Moses.
That’s like saying, what Moses wanted was already on its way.
Very Funny: Different Types Of Salams (Video)
Halal Islamic comedy sketches designed to make you smile and get your deen up. Simple.
PASS THE KNOWLEDGE (LIGHT & LIFE) 