Sisters in Faith

Reflections seldom reflected upon

2010-01-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

Assalamu'alaykum,

I had to write this because I had sooooo much to say after such a looong time..so I let it all out.

Everyone nowadays keeps talking about how they love freedom and hate slavery, and how they pity some people who are still 'enslaved' today. Their attitude is 'It's my life, isn't it? Why do people have to tell ME what to do?' and 'Who are you - if someone's trying to advise them - to tell me what to do?' They feel that, simply because they have certain preferences, no one has the right to object to their decision, however immature and unreasonable it might be. Look at the girls in my new class -- they're proof enough. :P

If all of us thought of our enjoyments and pleasures as being brief and temporary - as they indeed are - we would probably give up all amusement. Moreover, worldly amusements usually involve sacrifices, like your money, your time, your health...and the list goes on. We can either enjoy the fading pleasures of this world, or work for the eternal happiness of the next.

When people are are chained to their most insignificant of wants and diversions, they are only able to extricate themselves by heroic efforts, and otherwise, not at all. They are like the 'enslaved' people they pity, except they are bound to something much more powerful and clingy: the fact that they indulge their whims at every step without curbing them the least bit.

Some people view themselves as being free to do as they please. According to them, it's 'their' life and they can do what they want. Would they even be alive if it weren't for their Creator and then their parents? By what right is it their life? It's the height of ingratitude and selfishness to claim that your life is your personal property, to be whiled away in trivial things and to be done with when it suits you.

The most violent of inclinations can be evaded with a strong, self-developed willpower. As our khateeb used to say, 'A Muslim views the world like a prisoner looks at his cell; he thinks of it as being small, meagre and insufficient, because he knows there's a better life waiting ahead. Just thinking of the Hereafter, the hellfire makes him render his sufferings mean, irrelevant and trivial compared to what his fate might be in the end. He makes light of his hardships and bears them, hoping to be rewarded for his silent, uncomplaining patience. Real freedom and happiness is in Jannah, wherein is what no eye has seen, and no ear has heard, and there is no danger to any person.'

What is this life with its fleeting luxuries compared to the serene, blissful in Jannah, where mortals live forever?

...wheeew :)

the trouble with adventures..

2009-05-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

...is that you don't have the time/energy to post on the blog when you're in the middle of one!!
more soon iA

meanwhile check out this cool link...and the cool name: The Muslim Kid

The I Got It Covered project

2009-02-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

http://igotitcovered.org/

good stuff

2009-01-25T09:58:00.000-08:00

http://salaf-stories.blogspot.com/

:(

2009-01-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

Palestinian girls tell grim stories of survival

By Nidal al-Mughrabi
Published: January 22, 2009

Tragedy saved the life of 13-year-old Dalal Abu Aisha.

The Palestinian girl was not at home when an Israeli bomb destroyed her family's apartment in Gaza's Beach refugee camp, killing her father, mother, two brothers and a sister.

Dalal had been at her aunt's house, paying a condolence call. Her cousin, a young girl, had been killed a day earlier by tank shells that exploded in the city's main square.

"That used to be my room," Dalal said, returning Thursday to the rubble where it once stood. She was brought there by an uncle after reporters who had heard of her suffering asked to interview her.

"My mother was killed while she carried my four-year-old sister Ghaida in her arms. The two of them were completely burnt," Dalal said.

Dalal said that during the fighting she could hear shelling from Israeli naval boats offshore. Palestinian militants, she said, had fired rockets from a position at least 200 metres (yards) from her home.

A relative told Reuters the house might have been targeted because an uncle living there was a Hamas fighter. He had left with his family shortly after Israel began its offensive on December 27, saying it aimed to end rocket fire on its southern towns.

Counting her losses, Dalal took heart at the sight of an old friend.

"I found my cat, the cat my father brought," she said.

In Gaza's Shifa hospital, 15-year-old Amira Abu al-Qerem clutched a framed photograph of her dead father.

"He was killed before my eyes," Amira said, describing how an Israeli helicopter, attacking militants in Tel al-Hawa, a suburb of Gaza city, fired into her house.

Amira said she stumbled outside, looking for help, only to be wounded by another missile. She went back inside and spent the night sleeping near her father's body.

"My brother and sister went out to bring an ambulance for me and for my father, I tried to stop them, but they went anyway. I could hear them shouting and then a missile hit them and they went silent, too," she said from her hospital bed.

Amira said she slept in the street for a night, but something exploded near her and she ran for shelter into a nearby house.

"I stayed there for two days and I lived only on water," she said.

more good stuff (articles)

2009-01-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

check them all out here: http://farhathashmi.com/dn/ELibrary/Articles/tabid/565/Default.aspx

good stuff

2009-01-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

We came across this site while looking http://www.healthymuslim.com/

What Our Sisters Can Do for Palestine

2009-01-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

from http://iskandrani.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/what-our-sisters-can-do-for-palestine/
Every man is obligated to realize that he has brothers there, and every woman is obligated to realize that she has sisters there. We must come to feel the reality of the brotherhood of faith and that we are like a single body, such that if one limb complains, the rest of the body rushes to heal it. So, the believers are brothers, as Allah mentioned, and our enemy is one. The one who ate the white bull today is the same one who will eat the red bull tomorrow, and the black one the day after. In fact, he might eat them all tomorrow.
So, it is not allowed for us to remain the way our enemies want us to be, and what they want is for every community to be busy only with its own problems and concerns, and to have every community busy with its desires or efforts to acquire more wealth. Our communities are of two types: one type that simply works to make more money, and another that is busy with its desires and wasting of time. Both are extremely dangerous, and distract us from paying attention to fulfilling our obligations towards our brotherhood of faith.
Our sisters are afflicted with things that make one’s body shiver in the blessed, patient, struggling land of Palestine, as well as Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, the Philippines, Eritrea, Somalia, Chechnya, Bosnia, and many other regions. In fact, this oppression even takes place in countries that claim to be free. So, in France - which some refer to as the place from which light emerges and shines over the rest of the world, and Paris is the Capitol of Light, etc. - its secularism, freedom, and human rights have become so constricted despite these empty slogans. They have become constricted around a piece of cloth with which the Muslim woman covers her hair, and this proves that this nation is truly being tested in order for Allah to purify its ranks and to elevate its status.
Therefore, we are facing a test in which we must have practical solutions, and it is not enough to simply cry and grieve and be sad and pained. For example, my sisters, I advise every sister who has a job - even if both spouses work, or they have a sufficient income or job, as the obligation would be greater in such a case - to support a single Palestinian family, and to then turn to the other countries to find out how we can provide them with relief efforts, and how we can fulfill our obligation of sending them beneficial books, tapes, and efforts, as well as the hijab. There are many girls in the nearby Arab countries who would wear the hijab if only they could afford it…
Every family in this country that Allah has blessed - and we praise Allah for these blessings - should take one family or child and support it. As I mentioned, my noble sister, our sisters over there have provided the greatest examples. There does not exist a mother in the world that possesses the characteristics of resistance, defiance, and patience as the Palestinian mother does, and the Iraqi mother is on the same road, thanks to Allah and His Guidance. They are demonstrating the most amazing defiance! This is a clear confirmation that the religion of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is dominating and victorious, and that Allah has control over His affair except that most people do not realize this, and that the good end will be for this nation by Allah’s leave, as well as the defiance of these sisters.
The sister who is forced to give birth on the side of the road, the sister who is killed, the sister who is sacrificed - despite this, they insist on continuing to raise male and female warriors, and to remain in their lands upon their religion and faith. These realities have become manifest, thanks to Allah. And the more we remain firm upon this faith, the more the enemy will weaken and be shaken, and this enemy, or the snake’s head of this aggression, is manifested in this Zionist state. We ask Allah to destroy it and dismantle it, and to make us from those who assist in this by establishing a community of believers in this blessed land. As for those of them for whom Allah has written guidance by entering the justice of Islam or the Religion of Allah, we praise Allah that His Law and Justice encompasses them all.
I say that it is upon every one of is to exert our efforts in supporting at least one Muslim family or child, and as you know, a Muslim child can be supported with an amount of money that is not difficult for us to accumulate, thanks to Allah. It should only cost about $400 a year. I don’t say that this fulfills our obligation. Rather, it increases a little from the sparse possessions they have. So, with this, we can provide them with a higher standard of living, as well as the ability to continue memorizing the Qur’an, as those who benefit first and foremost from this are the students who memorize the Qur’an. We ask Allah to benefit them all, as He is Able to do all things…
Original Arabic: http://www.alhawali.com/index.cfm?method=home.SubContent&contentID=1449
This is a reliable, safe, and internationally renowned relief organization www.irw.org/campaigns/palestinecrisis08
Reach into your wallet and give whatever you can, knowing full well that Allah will give you more than you can imagine for each penny that you give to your brothers and sisters!

there's so much to say

2008-12-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

...our computer is acting up..but we'll be writing after getting it fixed. Ya Allah make this nightmare end!!!

2008-09-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

MySpace Codes for Images at OurSpace.biz

MySpace Codes for Images at OurSpace.biz

eid mubaarak!!!

2008-09-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Orkut Myspace Happy Eid Comments & Graphics

ready, steady, go!

2008-09-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

The Last ten days of Ramadhaan are here..it's time to seek Laylat-al-Qadr and ASK for all that you want from Allah. Pleaase keep us in your prayers!!!

Why are our dua'as not answered?

2008-09-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ibraaheem bin Adham (May Allah have mercy on him), a teacher and companion of Sufyaan ath-Thawree (d.161H), was asked, “We supplicate and we are not answered?"

So he replied:
· You know Allah, yet you do not obey Him.
· You recite the qura’an, yet you do not act according to it.
· You know Satan, yet you have agreed with him.
· You proclaim that you love the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), yet you abandon his Sunnah.
· You proclaim your love for Paradise, yet you do not act to gain it.
· You proclaim you fear the Fire, yet you do not prevent yourselves from sins.
· You say “Death is indeed true, yet you have not prepared for it.
· You point out faults with others, yet you do not look at your own faults.
· You eat what Allah provided for you, yet you do not thank him.
· You bury your dead, yet you do not take a lesson from it.

Test Your Tawheeed

2008-09-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

After teaching his book “Kitab at-Tawheed” to his students for a couple of times or more, Imam Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhaab wanted to repeat it again. His students said, “O Sheikh, we wish to study another book, a book of Fiqh or Hadith.”
The Sheikh asked, “Why?”. His students said, “We have understood Tawheed. We want to study another science.” The Sheikh replied, “Wait, I shall give some thought to this.”
A few days later, the Sheikh came to class with a troubled face. His students asked him for the reason. The Sheikh said he had come across something that angered him.“It has been related to me that the inhabitants of a house sacrificed a rooster (for a Jinn) in front of their door. I have sent someone to confirm this affair.” Few days later, the Sheikh said, “They did not sacrifice for other than Allah, but it was someone who fornicated with his mother.” Shocked, his students exclaimed, “We seek refuge with Allah! He fornicated with his mother?!! We seek refuge with Allah! He fornicated with his mother...”
Sheikh-Al-Islam then showed them the ignorance of their statement - “We understood Tawheed” - and that this was one of the greatest tricks of Satan. The students exclaimed and expressed anger on hearing a great sin, but their hearts were not angered when a Major Shirk, sacrificing to other than Allah, that exits one from Islam was mentioned. They took a major sin to be greater than Shirk. This also happens today. We are angered when we see great sins (which is good), but when we hear or see people doings acts of Shirk al-Akbar (Major Shirk) it does not move our hearts. This proves our ignorance. It proves that we have not understood Tawheed.

Ramadan diary

2008-09-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

Former Durham University student Ruqayyah wrote a diary sharing her thoughts about observing Ramadan, Islam's holy month of fasting.

"Ramadan is the month that makes me
the best person I can be. I feel like a caterpillar
freed from her cocoon and finally revealing her true self."

Ramadhaan log

2008-09-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

8 Ramadhaan
Suhoor: egg sandwich (without cheese) + jam sandwich with low fat milk
Iftaar: don't ask!!! cheese samosa + pasta bechamel + chocolate fudge with pecans + guava juice

A shaheed called George!

2008-09-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

(pics:the battlefield of Yarmuk)

I was reading one of the weekly magazines we buy, Basim, and came across the story of the Byzantine commander who converted to Islam and was martyred on the same day (they wrote that he was someone called George bin Tudor/Theodore (?)) in the battle of Yarmuk. The Muslims used to call him Jarajah.

He was good at Arabic, so he rode up to the Muslims and called Khalid bin Waleed. Instead of fighting, he spoke to Khalid (radiyallahu 'anhu) Their conversation, (roughly translated) went like this:

George: Did God send a sword to your Prophet, and he gave it to you, which is why you are victorious in your battles?
Khalid (radiyallahu 'anhu) smiled.

Khalid (radiyallahu 'anhu): No.
George: Then why are you called 'Sayfullah al mas-lool'?
Khalid (radiyallahu 'anhu): When our Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) came to us, we disobeyed him and were his enemies. Then some of us believed and followed him; others still rebelled against him. I was then one of the most vicious enemies of Islam; and then Allah guided me and I became a Muslim. Now, I am one of the most severe on the mushrikeen and kuffar.

George: And if we don't believe in what you believe?
Khalid (radiyallahu 'anhu): Then you must pay jizyah.

George: And if we do not pay it?
Khalid (radiyallahu 'anhu): Then we leave you the choice to fight.

George: If someone converts to Islam after you, can you consider him to be equal to you?
Khalid (radiyallahu 'anhu): Muslims are all equal under Islam.
George: How does one become of your religion? Teach me about Islam, Khalid.

Khalid (radiyallahu 'anhu) read the shahadah and added the primary obligations of Islam. Then he took him to a tent and gave him water to perform wudu, and he prayed two rakahs with him. George had thus converted to Islam and joined the Muslim army against the very army he was commanding! Subhan Allah!
He was martyred, may Allah have mercy on him, in that battle.

refreshing blog

2008-09-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't heard anyone sounding so fresh, hopeful and enthused about Islam and Muslims in a lonnnnng looooooooong time. Check out iamsheba.com, a blog by Heba Al-Shareef.

it's Ramadhaan!

2008-09-01T18:50:00.001-07:00

Wishing everyone a blessed month! We'll try and keep a real Ramadhaan blog this time and post a little everyday in shaa Allaah.

dying to be beautiful?

2008-08-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

Extract from Confessions Of An Eco-Shopper: The True Story Of One Woman's Mission To Go Green (Hodder, £12.99). (c) Kate Lock 2008

A survey commissioned by New Woman magazine revealed that British women spend £3,000 a year on beauty products and treatments, with 81 per cent of women wearing make-up every day. All well and good, but there's a lie in these ointments, and it is this: the very products that are promoted as making us look younger, healthier and more attractive may ultimately be doing the opposite.

Getting Lippy, a groundbreaking report by the Women's Environmental Network published in 2003, claimed that cosmetics and beauty products may contain ingredients that impair fertility, increase the effects of ageing and are linked to cancer, allergies and other health problems.

"There is increasing evidence that we are all victims of a great big con,' the report concluded.

[...] So why should we be so concerned about our intake of chemicals such as parabens? Because multiple exposure to potentially harmful chemicals in everything from perfume to body lotion is enveloping us in a toxic cloud that's further concentrated by the chemicals in the washing powders, and household cleaning products most of us use daily. You might think that by buying ' natural' products you're keeping yourself safe from the nasties. But, in fact, a product can bill itself as ' natural' even if only 1 per cent of it contains natural ingredients.

In fact, finding products that don't contain any of these questionable ingredients is virtually impossible.

Methylparaben and propylparaben - two of a group of preservatives thought to effect hormone levels in the body - seem to be included in just about all moisturisers, even those with a 'green' brand image.

If you really want to know what you're slapping on your body go to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics' product guide, Skin Deep (www.safecosmetics.org).

What to avoid

Phthalates

WHAT ARE THEY? Used mainly in plastic products to make them more flexible, phthalates are also added to cosmetics to help stabilise fragrance compounds. Even though three phthalates have been banned from cosmetics in the EU, the phthalate DEP (diethyl phthalate) is still widely used in deodorants, hair care, aftershave lotions, skincare, make-up and perfumes. Women aged 20-40 have been found to have the highest levels of phthalates in their bodies, which may have implications for their own fertility, as well as the reproductive ability of their offspring. Teenage boys using antiperspirants and grooming products are also putting themselves at risk.

WHAT DO THEY DO? Various studies about phthalates have raised concerns about their links with increased incidences of asthma and allergies, as well as their impact on the body's hormone system.

The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) considers DEP safe despite epidemiological evidence (although it is claimed to be inconsistent) that DEP can impair reproductive function, according to the Women's Environmental Network. In individual products phthalates may represent a trace amount, but the cumulative effect - using numerous products a day - can amount to a substantial internal dose.

Formaldehyde

WHAT IS IT? A preservative that mixes easily with water and so is often found in water-based cosmetics, such as shampoo, shower gel and hand wash. It also has germicide, fungicide and disinfectant properties.

WHAT DOES IT DO? It can trigger allergies and some people have reported suffering from asthma and headaches after exposure to the chemical but, more worryingly, it is also classified as a carcinogen and is banned from cosmetics in other countries, such as Sweden.

Parabens

WHAT ARE THEY? Synthetic chemicals that are used as preservatives to inhibit the growth of bacteria, moulds and yeasts. You'll find them in one incarnation or another (methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, benzyl paraben) in many beauty products from deodorants and moisturisers to sunscreens and they are also used as a preservative in food.

WHAT DO THEY DO? They are known to disrupt hormone function. More than 12 studies have shown them to mimic the effect of oestrogen in animals and in tissue culture when applied topically rather than ingested. The link between oestrogen and breast cancer is already well proven, but a 2004 study by Dr Phillipa Darbre at the University of Reading found evidence of parabens in breast tumours.

Pesticides

WHAT ARE THEY? The same sort of chemicals that you'll find in your garden shed, just in far greater concentrations. They may be used to grow and cultivate the raw ingredients used in skincare or cosmetics.

WHAT DO THEY DO? It's not entirely clear how much of the original pesticide is likely to be transferred to the body via a cosmetic product, but given the potentially serious effects of pesticides generally, they are still a cause for concern. Pesticides have been linked with cancer, foetal abnormalities, decreasing male fertility and Parkinson's disease.

subhaanallaah!

2008-07-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Just read a sad, but wonderful story about a brave and inspiring young Muslim sister who passed away at a very young, written by her father: Nabihah My Love:But a Person is With the One Whom They Love posted at MuslimMatters.
Her father writes: ''Even before we start to write about this glimpse into the life of our dear daughter, it is necessary to purify our intentions... This must not be for Shuhrah or fame or some Nabiha fan club, but it must be for, as Allah has said, “Ya ayyuha ladhina amanu itaqullaaha wabtaghoo ilayhil waseelah” (Oh you who believe fear Allah and seek out the means of approach to Him). Great effort and attention must be paid in trying to purify our intentions and knowing precisely why we are doing this. It may be a wake up call for a lazy or sleepy Muslim. It may help someone to realize how short and fleeting this life is; how precious it is that we must take every opportunity to do good, no matter how small, and we must seek every opportunity to invite people to Allah and use all the resources available to us in that cause...''

guess what I found?

2008-06-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

A whole host of PG Wodehouse books online courtesy ProjectGutenberg...coincidentally on the very day your hols begin...what can be nicer than this, mA??
Enjoy!
Wodehouse, P. G. (Pelham Grenville), 1881-1975
en.wikipedia
The Adventures of Sally (English)
The Clicking of Cuthbert (English)
The Coming of Bill (English)
A Damsel in Distress (English)
Death at the ExcelsiorAnd Other Stories (English)
The Gem Collector (English)
The Girl on the Boat (English)
The Gold Bat (English)
The Head of Kay's (English)
Indiscretions of Archie (English)
The Intrusion of Jimmy (English)
Jill the Reckless (English)
The Little Nugget (English)
The Little Warrior (English)
Love Among the Chickens (English)
Love Among the ChickensA Story of the Haps and Mishaps on an English Chicken Farm (English)
A Man of Means (English)
The Man Upstairs and Other Stories (English)
The Man with Two Left Feet And Other Stories (English)
Mike (English)
Mike and Psmith (English)
My Man Jeeves (English)
Not George Washington — an Autobiographical Novel (English)
Piccadilly Jim (English)
The Politeness of Princesand Other School Stories (English)
The Pothunters (English)
A Prefect's Uncle (English)
The Prince and Betty (English)
Psmith in the City (English)
Psmith in the City (English)
Psmith, Journalist (English)
Right Ho, Jeeves (English)
Something New (English)
The Swoop! or How Clarence Saved England A Tale of the Great Invasion (English)
Tales of St. Austin's (English)
Three Men and a Maid (English)
Uneasy Money (English)
The White Feather (English)
William Tell Told Again (English)
A Wodehouse MiscellanyArticles & Stories (English)

nice nasheed

2008-06-23T03:17:00.000-07:00

This is a very nice nasheed we sang at our end of school concert...I'm sure you'll like it too!!

Listen to your Mother!

2008-04-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

You know I had to post this one!
Beauty advice from mothers who also happen to be doctors, models, makeup artists, cosmetics tycoons - beauty gurus of one sort or another that goes way beyond "get your hair out of your face!''
Read it here

Juha

2008-04-14T05:30:00.001-07:00

I was reading this book about Juha and some of his tales (in Arabic) and there were some jokes that were really hilarious...

here are some of them:

سأله تيمورلنك يوما : تعلم يا نصر الدين أن خلفاء بني عباس كان لكل منهم لقب اختص به فمنهم (الموفق بالله) و (المتوكل على الله) و(المعتصم بالله) و ما شابه ذلك فلو كنت واحدا منهم فماذا يجب أن أختار من الألقاب؟

فأجابه على الفور : يا صاحب الجلالة لا شك بأنك كنت تدعى بلقب: نعوذ بالله

One day, Timur Lank (Tamerlane) asked him:

You know, Nasreddin that the Khulafa' Bani Abbas (the Caliphs of Bani Abbas) had for each of them a laqab for himself, like (Al-Muwaffaq Billah) and (Al-Mutawakkil Ala' Allah) and (Al-Mu'tasam billah) and likewise, so if I was one of them what should I choose (for a laqab)?

He (Juha) answered him at once: Your Majesty, no doubt that you would have been called : Na'oothu billah (we seek refuge from Allah)

كان يأكل بأصابعه الخمس فرآه أحدهم فاعترضه قائلا: لماذا تأكل بأصابعك الخمس؟
فاجابه جحا: لأنه لم يكن لي ست أصابع

He was eating with his five fingers, and someone saw him and (scolded him) saying: Why are you eating with your five fingers?

Juha answered him: Because I don't have six fingers (in one hand:)

أعطى ابنته جرة لتملأها ثم صفعها بكفه قائلا: اياك أن تكسري الجرة فقال الذين رأوها تبكي (وهي طفلة) ياشيخ أيجدر بك أن تضرب هذه البنية بغير حق وهي لم تذنب؟
فأجابهم: إني أريد أن أريها عاقبة كسر الجرة حتى تنتبه وإلا فلا معنى للعقاب بعد كسر الجرة

He gave his daughter a jug (or any hollow vessel) to fill, and then he smacked her with his fist saying: Don't dare break this jug. The people who saw her crying (and she was a child) : Ya Shaykh, how can you beat this girl without reason and she has not done any wrong?

He answered them: I want to show her the punishment of breaking the jug so that she's careful or else there won't be any meaning for punishing her (or: it won't be any use punishing her) after she breaks the jug.

have your ice-cream and eat it :)

2008-04-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've written, so I've decided to write something vacationy for a change...

Raspberry icecream recipe: (my favourite, after choco chips:)

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups fresh raspberries

1 and a half cups sugar

Juice of half a lemon

2 eggs

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

Toss the Raspberries, 3/4 cup sugar, and the lemon juice together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended. Pour in the heavy cream and milk and whisk to blend.

Drain the juice from the raspberries into the cream mixture and blend. Mash the raspberries until pureed and stir them into the cream mixture. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.

and you can find other delicious icecream recipes here...

although maybe it's not vacation everywhere out there...

enjoy!!!

Yummy holidays...

2008-04-09T05:06:00.000-07:00

we're baaaaacckkk...
exams overrr...
a whole week's half term holiday from school...alhamdullilah

...which means, of course, that we're going to update the blog more often, In sha Allah...
only one more problem left...(although there's no end to them, Alhamdulillah)...that is the dreaded reports day...
still, I'm sure I've done better than last year, In sha Allah...

...I'm writing and reading (Enid Blyton's have been passed down to the kids)...
trying to get a new magazine get going at school...

Brothers will be boys (as usual) and...
~alhamdulillah 'ala kulli haal~

Who inspires you nowadays?

2008-02-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

You don't really get inspired by a lot of people these days...some of them aren't even worth inspiration. But in my school there's a lot of *religious* talk nowadays; hijab covers 90% of the main talk; the other issues cover the remaining 10%. There's one teacher who I really admire and like -- and get inspired by...
She's quite young, and anyone would expect her to throw her weight about and generally be like other young teachers -- but she (Masha Allah) looks like she not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. At the beginning of the year, everyone used to laugh behind her back and giggle a lot in her classes, because she talked so earnestly and make such heartfelt gestures that it was enough to make a *Binkie* go off. The thing is: she talked so solemnly the other day about Yawm Al Qiyamah that I made up my mind to start doing scores of good things quickly...

She said that whenever you hear/see an actress/singer you should think she is *such a miskeenah* ...because although she's having all the fun she wants in this life, she won't have a single hasanah on Yawm al Qiyamah...she won't be having fun then, right?

By the way, there're a lot of weird people nowadays who go gasping and literally *crying with joy* when they see a glamorous actress strutting about in front of them...I suppose they are all masakeen too, fussing about a worthless person who thinks she's reached the pinnacle of her would-be *dreams*...These people ARE NOT inspirations, allow me to add:)

...some people even want to take after their heroines, wanting to become singers and actresses when they grow up; they're quite mad about it. When you think about it, it's not quite an honourable job, you know -- you're *being* someone you're not, you're enjoying yourself by doing haraam things, like tabarruj, etc.
She ended it by the Prophet Salallahu 'alayhi wa Sallam's famous quote: "ألا هل بلغت؟ اللهم اشهد "

Did the Kufi script originate in Kufa?

2008-02-28T09:56:00.000-08:00

The Kufi Script: Flexible and Accurate
By Ahmed Ebeed
Many wrongly believe that the Kufi handwriting refers to its origin in Kufa. This is not true; the name refers to the special attention and interest that the Kufa paid to this kind of handwriting, not to its origin.
As stated, the Kufa paid special attention to this firm script, polishing and decorating its letters. This script was thus known as the Kufi script and it mainly goes back to Hiri or Anbari calligraphy. It was called Kufi handwriting as it spread from the Kufa to other parts of the Islamic world with the conquerors in the blooming age of Kufa.
The Kufa produced two main types of scripts:
1. Solid heavy script. This is known as the ceremonial script or al-khat al-tizkari, which was normally written on solid materials such as stone or wood. It was known for its beauty and decorative nature. Sometimes it avoided any points or association between the letters.
2. Flexible script. This script is easy to write. This style of handwriting moved away from the Madinah script to the Kufa. It was known as the editorial script because it was used for correspondence, registrations, and writings.
The combination of both kinds of handwriting brought about a third type, which was known for its beauty and elegance; this was the handwriting that was used in writing the Qur’an and it combines both firmness and flexibility. It remained the favorite script during the first three centuries of Islam. Several artistic and decorative kinds were derived from the Kufi script and were divided by the historians of Islamic art into the following types:
1. The Simple Kufi script, which is a plain script with no leaf-like ornaments, adornment, or plaiting. This script spread in the nascent Islamic world and remained the most favored style of handwriting in the western Islamic world until later ages. Chief among these examples are the writings found on the top of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
2. The Vegetal script, which has leaf-like decorations, its letters ending with vertical strokes. This type blossomed in Egypt and spread to both the east and west of the known Islamic world.
3. The Connected Braided Kufi script, whose ornamentations accompanying it are highly complicated to an extent that makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish between the elements of the script and the ornamentation. Letters of the same word may be braided, and sometimes two words or more are joined in a beautiful framework of braiding.
4. The Geometric Kufi, known for its straight elements, acute angles, and geometric features. This form of Kufi script is prevalent in Iran and Iraq. It is a purely decorative kind of handwriting, and the intertwining of its letters sometimes makes it difficult to decipher the sentences.
More Links:
Arabic Calligraphy: The Essential Islamic Art
Introduction
The Origin of Arabic Calligraphy
Arabic Calligraphy: From Nomadic Experience to an Art
The Kufi Script: Flexible and Accurate
Thuluth: Mother of All Calligraphy
The Naskh Script: The Servant of the Qur’an
The Persian or Farsi Script
Riq`a Style of Handwriting: A Quick Rhythm
The Diwani Script: The Script of Eloquence
References
* Ahmed Ebeed is the head of Information Unit in IOL. He has a deep interest in Arabic calligraphy. You can reach him at ahmed.ebeed@iolteam.com

Early Islamic calligraphy

2008-02-28T05:39:00.000-08:00

last Monday I had an 'art' lesson, Kufi calligraphy...it was quite an interesting one. There were all kinds of Kufi calligraphy: Al-Muzaffar, Al-Mukhammal, Al-Baseet and Al-Handasi. The one I tried out was Al-Mukhammal. I first wrote the words in Kufi, and then I made a floral background twirling and twisting round them. There's a kind of Kufi calligraphy named Al-Muzaffar because the tops of the letters are twisted like braids. Al-Muzaffar means "The Braided."

What is Tabarruj?

2008-02-12T22:31:00.000-08:00

I found this article which is the transcript of a lecture given by Dr. Saleh Al-Saleh ِرحمه الله that gives a really clear picture of what is considered (unlawful) display of one's beauty (tabarruj) in Islam.

In sha Allah it will bring some benefit to all of us!

don't be fooled!

2008-02-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

Before you next head to your bathroom to cleanse your skin, shampoo your hair, or apply your make-up, you might want to take a gander at the ingredients in your beauty products. Additives, fillers and chemicals are more common in commercially bought brands than we might realize. These common ingredients can dry out the skin and hair, clog the pores and accelerate the aging process.
Many beauty, skin and hair care products contain ingredients that are actually harmful to our hair and skin (not to mention our overall health). What’s worse, some of these ingredients, due to clever marketing campaigns and buzz words, are actually thought to be harmless– sometimes even thought to be good for us. The truth is, they are not. Because of shrewd advertising tactics, the general public is sadly misinformed.
If you are concerned about harmful effects of common beauty products, you may want to avoid products that contain the following ingredients:
Mineral Oil– This product is typically found in lipsticks, lotions, make-up removers, liquid foundations, and is usually the main ingredient in baby oil. The word “mineral” makes this product sound like a nutrient, but in fact it is a crude oil derived from petroleum. Mineral oil literally coats the skin like a film, preventing the pores from doing their job. The skin cannot breath or rid itself of toxins through the substance.
Petroleum– Another like mineral oil, this product can clog the pores and smother the skin. You may find petroleum in your face creams, lotions and lipsticks.
Paraffin– Derived from coal or petroleum, paraffin is a wax filler; the same kind of wax found in cheap candles. It is used to solidify products such as bath bars (they aren’t even allowed to be called soap), and liner pencils. It can be a skin irritant and clogs the pores.
Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHA)– AHA is organic and generally thought to be a desirable moisturizing ingredient and natural exfoliant. It is found in skin cleansers, masks and moisturizers. It does exfoliate, but so powerfully that it removes not just dead skin cells, but the skin’s natural protective layer as well. It can make the skin up to 50% more susceptible to harmful UV rays, leaving one vulnerable to the sun’s aging effect, and even skin cancer.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)– This ingredient is commonly found in cosmetics, toothpastes, shampoos, garage floor cleaners and engine de-greasers. Not only is SLS bad for your skin, as it is a detergent that dries the skin out, but when combined with other common chemicals it can form carcinogenic compounds. This chemical is actually used in labs to cause skin irritations on which other products can be tested, but since it is cheap and creates foam, many commercial cosmetic companies use it in their products.
Formaldehyde (formalin)– Yes, the same substance used in labs to preserve dead bodies can often be found in our nail polish, shampoos and skin creams. This substance can be irritating and cause allergic reactions when in contact with the skin. Its fumes are linked to asthma and cancer.
Alcohol or Isopropyl Alcohol– This petroleum-derived chemical found in perfumes, hair sprays, after-shave lotions, body lotions, and hair color products can also be found in products such as anti-freeze and solvents. It is a toxic substance. Its fumes can cause nausea, headaches, dizziness and depression. It has a drying/aging effect when used directly on the skin.
Talc– found in loose and pressed powders, such as blushes, powdered foundations, and baby powder. This mineral is a potential carcinogen when inhaled.
Laquer– Generally added to water-proof mascara to make lashes look full and keep color from running, prolonged use of this hardening chemical will eventually lead to the loss and thinning of eye lashes.
Collagen– Many of us are under the impression that collagen is good for our skin. And indeed, the body’s naturally produced collagen keeps our skin healthy and elastic. Unfortunately, the collagen added to cosmetic creams, moisturizers and other skin care products are extracted from animal skins and ground chicken feet. The protein cannot penetrate the pores by rubbing it on the skin; it only serves to clog the pores and keep the skin from functioning properly.
Lanolin– Another product we are often under the impression is healthy for our skin, it is a fat derived from wool and is known as a skin sensitizer which causes irritations and rashes.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the harmful ingredients found in many products we use daily. If you are concerned about the effects such additives will have on your beauty and health, you may want to make yourself aware of just what you are putting on your body by reading ingredients before making purchases.
Don’t let catch words like “natural” or “organic” fool you; just because something is natural doesn’t mean it won’t harm you. Manure is natural, but you wouldn’t rub it all over your body, would you?

Into the Mind of a Mum (2)

2008-02-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

Why I won't let you fool around with your hair /face

Yes, I know a lot of girls in your school are experimenting with cosmetics and 'hairdos' and hair

colours and it makes you feel like a plain Jane if you don't do something with your hair like the others, but I have plenty of really good reasons to discourage you from monkeying around with what Allaah has blessed you with.

1. Read this article: Hair colour to dye (die) for.

Basically, what the article is saying that hair colour is full of toxic stuff that can cause you a whole host of harm -- from making your hair fall out in clumps to cancer. I don't want you to expose yourself to such a health hazard. If everyone else is doing so, I want you to tell them in a nice, polite way that this is harmful and by starting so young, they're setting themselves up for trouble: horrible hair or (laa qaddar Allaah) something worse very early in life.

Natural hair colour is the way to go, and I'm not the only one who thinks so.

2. Okay, this is not a fatwa or anything, but I really believe that you are changing Allaah's creation (your natural hair colour) by changing your hair colour to an extent that it becomes completely different from your original hair or by doing other things like wearing coloured contact lenses.

Just think about it for a second: Who are you trying to look like? Some actress / model or some such character who is indulging in tabarruj?

Are these people really worthy role-models, whom you should emulate?

In my opinion, it looks obviously fake and very tacky.

Mind you, that's only my opinion, but as long as you are a minor and you're under my jurisdiction, I'm going to coerce you into following my opinion until you are old enough to make ijtihaad and make an informed choice of your own (this would be like when you are really oooold 30 + or something ... (j/k.)

No seriously, I've seen too many sisters who in their late twenties or early thirties wish that they hadn't messed up their hair by frequent colouring...they've lost their original hair colour, length and texture. I don't want that for you, in shaa Allaah.

3. I don't want to follow the crowd, I want you stand out from it. I want you to be your own person, not a mindless, unthinking clone or follower of 'fads'. I want you to develop your own style based on your personality and what's right for you, rather than try and fit in with someone else's perception of what would look good on you.

You might not understand / agree with me right now, but in shaa Allaah, one day you'll know.

Top 8

2008-02-08T05:40:00.000-08:00

Dishes I'd like to learn to make / bake / cook (not exactly very healthy but YUMMY all the same)

1. CHEEEEEEEEEESE CAKE {Look up tons of cheesecake recipes here}

2. Apple pie (all kinds of apple pie recipes here)

3. Beans and Rice (Rajma-Chawal)

4. Kabsa and coleslaw salad

5. Chilli chicken and Chinese fried rice

6. Gooooey Chocolate Fudge Cake

7. Fudge

8. Macaroni and cheese

sweet!:honey zaps more spots than vinegar

2008-01-31T00:41:00.000-08:00

since maybe last month I've been plastering my face all over with honey... and whenever Rida passes by she'll go 'Eww' and 'Ugh' and 'Rasha, you're disgusting!'...
it's just the thing to make and keep your skin clear
Try it!

The Latest Buzz: Beauty Treatments Using Honey
By: The National Honey Board
Can’t spend the day at a beauty spa? You can still get a sweet treatment. All-natural honey has been used as a beauty product since the days of Cleopatra and it continues to be used today in manufactured and homemade products for skin and hair care. Honey is a natural humectant, which means it has the ability to attract and retain moisture. The skin’s ability to stay moist (or hydrated) is an important factor in its ability to maintain softness, suppleness and elasticity. As skin ages, or as it is exposed to environmental stresses and chemical agents, it loses its ability to retain water; it becomes dry and appears wrinkled. Honey’s natural hydrating properties make it ideal for use in moisturizing products. Because is also suitable for sensitive skin products.
Studies have also revealed that honey has significant natural antioxidant properties. Antioxidants play a role in protecting the skin from the damage of UV rays, and aiding in skin rejuvenation. Prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV radiation can cause skin damage, premature aging and even skin cancer. The Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association reports that, because chemical and physical barrier sunscreens can cause skin irritation, companies are researching the use of antioxidants, anti-irritants and moisturizers in sun care products. Honey has potentialfor use in these products.
A recent review of medical research documents honey’s effectiveness as an antimicrobial agent. Antimicrobial agents inhibit the growth of certain bacteria. According to Janice Cox, author of Natural Beauty at Home, "Honey’s antimicrobial properties make it useful for the treatment of minor acne flare-ups. Also, unlike some acne treatments, honey doesn’t dry the skin." Honey is antimicrobial for many reasons, including its high sugar content, which limits the amount of water available to bacteria for growth; its relatively high acidity (low pH); and its low protein content, which deprives bacteria of nitrogen needed for growth. The presence in honey of hydrogen peroxide, and the antioxidants honey contains, also inhibit bacterial growth.
Honey’s prospects in skin care are looking even sweeter; research is currently underway to develop a process using honey to create alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). AHAs are an important ingredient in many skin creams and moisturizers because they help exfoliate the skin. Exfoliation increases the renewal of the skin cells and gives skin a younger, more vibrant look. Exfoliation can also cause skin irritation, so honey’s natural moisturizing ability makes it a perfect fit for AHA products.

Soothing Skin Clarifier (for minor acne flare-ups)
Mix 1/2 cup warm water with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a cotton ball, apply directly to blemish. Maintain pressure with cotton ball for several minutes, to soften blemish. Using a cotton swab, dab honey on blemish; leave on 10 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Firming Facial Mask
Whisk together 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon glycerin (available at drug and beauty stores) and enough flour to form a paste. Smooth over face and throat. Leave on 10 minutes. Wash off with warm water.

Hair Conditioner
Mix 1/2 cup honey with 1/4 cup olive oil. (Use 2 tablespoons oil for normal to oily hair.) Using a small amount at a time, work mixture through hair until coated. Cover hair with a shower cap; leave on 30 minutes. Remove shower cap; shampoo well and rinse. Dry as normal.

unacceptable throwback or a step in the right direction?

2008-01-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

Compulsory cooking lessons for teenagers
By Tim Ross, PA
Published: 22 January 2008
Teenagers will be given compulsory cooking lessons at school for the first time, under government plans to ensure all pupils know how to make a healthy meal.
The Schools Secretary Ed Balls is asking the public to come up with ideas for the classic English dishes and international cuisine that children should learn to cook.
But the emphasis will be on making sure pupils can master simple, healthy recipes using fresh ingredients, the Department for Children, Schools and Families said.
From this September, every 11-14 year-old in the 85% of schools currently offering food technology classes will be taught practical cookery.
The remaining 15% of secondaries will be expected to teach the compulsory classes by 2011.
Mr Balls wants members of the public to suggest the dishes to be taught. They must be healthy, easy to prepare and the kind of meals that teenagers will want to eat.
He is asking anyone with suggestions to email the Government.
The announcement comes as part of the Government's obesity strategy, Mr Balls will launch with Health Secretary Alan Johnson tomorrow (Wednesday).
Mr Balls told the Daily Mirror: "Teaching kids to cook healthy meals is an important way school scan help produce healthy adults.
"My mum was passionate about all this and bought me my first Delia Smith book."
The 15% of schools that do not offer food technology classes tend to be all-boys' schools and former boys-only schools.
But ministers believe this is an unacceptable throw-back to the days of gender stereotyping.
The new secondary curriculum strongly emphasises practical cooking skills, and will also include diet and nutrition, hygiene and safety and wise food shopping.
From 2011, this will be introduced for all children in state state secondary schools.
Pupils will learn to cook a variety of dishes, including a "top 8", officials said.
Cookery is currently compulsory in primary schools and ministers have already announced an entitlement for all pupils to learn cooking from September this year.
The Government began an overhaul of school dinners three years ago after TV chef Jamie Oliver campaigned against the poor quality ingredients being served in canteens.

really beneficial stuff

2008-01-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

I know the word ''beneficial'' brings up visions of force-fed cod liver oil or raw-egg-in-your-hair or a really boring lecture that someone makes you sit through...but honestly, this is the most beneficial cosmetic (if it can be called that) I've discovered in recent times.

means what it says on the crimp...try it if you're seeing spots (in the mirror that is):P

MCQs R Us: The Hijri Calendar

2008-01-11T04:36:00.000-08:00

Here are some Q's and A's about the Hijri Calendar...let's see how many of them are going to be right!
(check out the blog later for answers,in sha Allah!)

1. The Islamic Calendar began ----- years ago.
a. 1400
b. 1500
c. 2000

2. The Hijri calendar is a .............calendar
a. solar
b. lunar
c. stellar

3. The Hijri calendar consists of ..........days
a. 365
b. 364
c. 354

4. Because the Hijri year is shorter than the solar year, Islamic holy days, although celebrated on fixed dates in their own calendar, usually shift .............each successive solar year.
a. 14
b. 10
c. 11

5.Islamic years are also called Hijra years because the it is counted from the first year of Prophet Muhammad's emigration from ........to ..........
a. Makkah to Jerusalem
b. Makkah to Madeenah
c. Makkah to Damascus

6. ................was the Khalifa who formally used the Hijri Calendar
a. Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq
b. Umar bin AlKhattaab
c. 'Ali bin Abi Taalib

7. The Hijri calendar begins with the month:
a. Ramadhaan
b. Rajab
c. Muharram

8. The Hijri calendar has ........months
a. 10
b. 9
c. 12

Happy New Islamic Year 1429 AH !!!

2008-01-11T01:29:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Days

2007-12-11T04:49:00.000-08:00

First Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah: Days of Virtue And Righteous Deeds
By JIMAS

Ibn 'Abbas says about the Aayah, "Remember Allaah during the well known days," that it refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. [This is related by al-Bukhari]
Allaah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "By the dawn; by the 10 nights" [al-Fajr 89:1-2]. Ibn Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: "This is the correct opinion." [Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413]

Praise be to Allaah Who has created Time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him, so that the Muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the Day of Judgement.

This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct ones faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allaah, and some kind of blessing though which Allaah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He will. The happy person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship; he will most likely be touched by the blessing of Allaah and will feel the joy of knowing that he is safe from the flames of Hell. [Ibn Rajab, al-Lataaif, p.8]

Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these days [meaning the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah]." The companions asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, not even jihad in the way of Allaah?" He said, "Not even jihad, except for the man who puts his life and wealth in danger [for Allaah's sake] and returns with neither of them." [This is related by the group except Muslim and an-Nasa'i]

Ahmad and at-Tabarani record from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "There is no day more honorable in Allaah's sight and no acts more beloved therein to Allaah than those in these ten days. So say tahlil (There is no deity worthy of worship but Allaah : Laa ilaaha illallaah), takbir (Allaah is the greatest : Allaahu Akbar) and tahmid (All praise is due to Allaah : alhumdulillaah) a lot [on those days]." [Reported by Ahmad, 7/224; Ahmad Shaakir stated it is saheeh]

Abu Hurairah relates that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "There are no days more loved to Allaah for you to worship Him therein than the ten days of Dhul Hijja. Fasting any day during it is equivalent to fasting one year and to offer salatul tahajjud (late-night prayer) during one of its nights is like performing the late night prayer on the night of power. [i.e., Lailatul Qadr]." [This is related by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and al-Baihaqi]

Ibn 'Umar narrated that at Mina, the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Do you know what is the day today?" The people replied, "Allaah and His Messenger know it better." He said, "It is the forbidden (sacred) day. And do you know what town is this?" They replied, "Allaah and His Messenger know it better." He said, "This is the forbidden (sacred) town (Mecca). And do you know which month is this?" The people replied, "Allaah and His Apostle know it better." He said, "This is the forbidden (sacred) month." The Messenger added, "No doubt, Allaah made your blood, your properties, and your honour sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours in this month of yours in this town of yours."

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: On the Day of Nahr (10th of Dhul-Hijja), the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) stood in between the Jamrat during his Hajj which he performed (as in the previous Hadith) and said, "This is the greatest Day (i.e. 10th of Dhul-Hijjah)." The Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) started saying repeatedly, "O Allaah! Be Witness (I have conveyed Your Message)." He then bade the people farewell. The people said, "(This is Hajjat-al-Wada)." [Bukhari 2.798]

Fasting Day of Arafat
Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Fasting on the day of 'Arafah is an expiation for two years, the year preceding it and the year following it. Fasting the day of 'Ashurah is an expiation for the year preceding it." [This is related by "the group," except for al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi]
Hafsah reported, "There are five things that the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) never abandoned: fasting the day of 'Ashurah, fasting the [first] 10 [days of Dhul-Hijjah], fasting 3 days of every month and praying two rak'ah before the dawn prayer." [This is related by Ahmad and an-Nasa'i]
'Uqbah ibn 'Amr reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "The day of 'Arafah, the day of sacrifice, and the days of tashreeq are 'ids for us--the people of Islam--and they are days of eating and drinking." [This is related by "the five," except for Ibn Majah. At-Tirmidhi grades it sahih]
Abu Hurairah stated, "The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) forbade fasting on the day of 'Arafah for one who is actually at 'Arafah." [This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah]
At-Tirmidhi comments: "The scholars prefer that the day of 'Arafah be fasted unless one is actually at 'Arafah."

Takbeer
It is Sunnah to say Takbeer ("Allaahu akbar"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah"), Tahleel ("La ilaha ill-Allaah") and Tasbeeh ("Subhaan Allaah") during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and to say it loudly in the mosque, the home, the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allaah and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allaah, may He be exalted. Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"That they might witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e., reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and mention the name of Allaah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)..." [al-Hajj 22:28]
The majority of scholars agree that the "appointed days" are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, because of the words of Ibn Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father), "The appointed days are the first ten days (of Dhul-Hijjah)."
The Takbeer may include the words "Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, la ilaaha ill-Allaah; wa Allaahu akbar wa Lillaahil- hamd (Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, there is no deity worthy of worship but Allaah; Allaah is Most Great and to Allaah be praise)," as well as other phrases.
Takbeer at this time is an aspect of the Sunnah that has been forgotten, especially during the early part of this period, so much so that one hardly ever hears Takbeer, except from a few people. This Takbeer should be pronounced loudly, in order to revive the Sunnah and as a reminder to the negligent. There is sound evidence that Ibn Umar and Abu Hurairah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. The idea behind reminding the people to recite Takbeer is that each one should recite it individually, not in unison, as there is no basis in Sharee'ah for doing this.

the virtues of reading

2007-12-05T22:33:00.000-08:00

source: Collected by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr in 'Jami' Bayan al-'Ilm wa Fadlih,' the chapter titled: 'The Virtue of Looking Through Books and the Praiseworthiness of Tending to Them'

2414: Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad bin Isma'il al-Bukhari was asked: "What is it that strengthens one's memory?" He replied: "Constantly looking through books."

2415: Ahmad bin Abi 'Imran said:"I was with Abu Ayyub Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Shuja', and he was staying in his house. So, he sent one of his sons to Abu 'Abdillah bin al-A'rabi to invite him over. The boy returned, saying: "I asked him this, and he said to me: "I am with a group, and when I am done being taught by them, I will be over," and I did not see a single person at his house. Rather, he had in front of him books that he was looking through. He would look in this book for some time, and then look in another book for some time."Shortly thereafter, he arrived. So, Abu Ayyub said to him: "O Abu 'Abdillah! Glory be to Allah, the Mighty! You stayed behind and prevented us from your presence, and my son said that he did not see anyone with you, and that you said you were with a group, and that you would come as soon as you were done being taught by them!"
So, Ibn al-A'rabi said:
"We have company who sit with us and do not bore us
Loyal ones who can be trusted while they are present or away;
They benefit us from their knowledge of what happened in the past
* And intelligence, manners, and opinions that are correct;
With no fear of conflicts or bad companionship * And one does not fear from their tongue or hand;
So, if you say that they are dead: nay! You are a liar *
And if you say they are alive, you are not far from the truth... ''
Translator's note: He did not lie, as he was referring to his books as his companions, and this is from the ma'arid (metaphoric speech) that do not count as lies, as was narrated authentically from 'Imran bin Husayn, 'Umar bin al-Khattab, and Ibn 'Abbas.

2416: It was said to Abi al-'Abbas Ahmad bin Yahya (Tha'lab):"The people have greatly missed you. If only you could leave your house for just a bit and show yourself to the people so that they could benefit from you, and you could benefit from them."
So, he stayed silent for an hour, and said:
If we accompanied the kings, they would act arrogantly with us *
And would belittle the rights of those they were accompanying;
Or if we accompanied the merchants, we would become sorrowful *
And would become mere counters of money;
So, we remained in our homes, extracting knowledge *
And filling with it the stomachs of these pages...

ِ2419: From what was memorized in the past:
What a great speaker and companion the book is! * You can seclude yourself with it if your friends bore you;It does not reveal your secrets, and is not arrogant * And you can gain from it wisdom and uprightness...

2420: Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ahmad recited to me:
And the sweetest that a youth can desire after piety * Is knowledge that is beautified for him to seek it;And for every seeker, there is a pleasure that he desires * And the pleasure of the scholar is his books...

2421: And he asked me to add to the above, and I immediately followed up with this in his presence:
The book relieves the concerns of its reader * And when he reads, his exhaustion disappears;What a great companion it is if you seclude yourself with it * You do not fear it plotting against you, or causing commotion...

2424: Abu 'Amr bin al-'Ala' said:"I never entered upon a man or passed by his door - seeing him with a book in his hand, and his companion doing nothing - except that I judged him to be the more intelligent one."

2425: 'Abdullah bin 'Abd al-'Aziz bin 'Umar bin 'Abd al-'Aziz said:"I never saw a better admonisher than the grave, or anything more satisfying than a book, or anything safer than lack of socialization."

2426: al-Hasan al-Lu'lu'i said: "Forty years of my life have passed in which I never awoke or went to sleep except that a book was resting on my chest."

thoughts on my little brothers' birthdays

2007-11-21T05:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry we didn't write for so long, but we were very BUSY...

...of course, the older we get, the more work there is: (that's Abba:)

We began by coming into the world as babies, and whenever I look at our youngest R (who's incidentally the only one in R family whose name begins with I not an R) , I'm eaten up with envy.
There he is lying peacefully in his cradle, looking up with an innocent grin, while the rest of us are either toiling with enormous quantities of H.W, or fighting through passages to memorize, or being assigned to some long errand or the other...

There's some reason in that famous, often-repeated motto of Abba's...
When I was younger, I always thought birthdays were the best days in our lives... now they're not quite so... as I understood about three years ago every birthday of yours only means you get bigger, and that's accompanied by more and more work:)

These days I don't like others' birthdays also b/z it only means they're increasing in their capacity to trouble and bug us elders . For example, younger brothers, as they become bigger, their slang knowledge increases as well as other undesirable things like snoopiness, pi-ness etc. etc. etc...

As the eldest, I must admit that I very much envy the other girls in my class... almost all of them are either the youngest or the middle range. Being the eldest means that all blames are traced to you, something like 'he/she is saying rude words, it's your fault' or 'you taught them this or that'... and also, the bigger sisters are usually victims to younger sisters, as a very annoying and infuriating series of cupboard ransacking or snooping can occur.

I distinctly remember our youngest female R being a hopeless enemy of my precious belongings; sooner or later I'd remember (when I was still at school, too late) that a particular drawer or cupboard of mine had been carelessly left unlocked, and I'd return from school in a fit of rage, only to find junior R innocently trying on jingling bracelets or admiring a set of glitter pens. I went for her, of course, but there was little consequence in that, and usually no amount of scolding, pleading or coaxing would stop her raids.

Hmmm... I really must add a good word for the juniors, which mostly means that they're cute/plump/adorable, but certainly they're not as cute as they look. Sure they've got innocent looks, and they're sort of imploring, but honestly I really can't get along with kids... I usually lose patience when they start an endless series of crying, and I can't stand their all-day-long demands. When the cranky, whiny bussiness starts, I really get impatient. The only time I like kids is when they're not crying (although of course there's no kid on earth who's not like that) and when they're sleeping. :P

Coming to younger brothers ...those rascals. I do get rather senti on R-R's birthdays... junior R was once no more high than my knee, and senior R once wore diapers:P
but R-R keep up an active level of slang, and that's what gets me.
Abba's philosophical conclusion that 'the way we treat our elders, our juniors shall treat us the same way' really makes me go up in smoke... I don't want to sort of praise myself, but I really don't remember being extra out spoken during ages 5-8...

... Anyway, that's that... kids are like that... (not all of them) my only birthday wish for R-R is that they should PLEASE STOP trying to be funny... that's what they do half the time:P
that's when they think they're real SMART when rudeness is included...

cool new blog links

2007-11-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

cool new blog link picked up from Ijtema: Chill Yo Islam Yo , which has a collection of articles and other interesting/entertaining stuff.

The link above is for an article on the use of Miswaak, the Miracle Brush.

excerpt:

"How many times do you brush your teeth in one day, hopefully at least once. Alot of times I’ll speaking to brothers and their breath be kicking like soccer. I mean check it you gotta smile its sunnah, but if your teeth ain’t clean then how can you give dawah, besides that some brothers smoke so their teethare yellow, i hate cigarettes period. But anyhows back to the topic, do you use a miswak or toothbrush?
Now we all know why the miswak is the best thing to use, not only did our beloved Prophet Muhammad recommend it but the health benefits are never ending, see the sunnah doesn’t have to be technology advanced but all the scientists now doing research feel weak because for all the effort thats being put into making the dream toothbrush, the miswak is already doing all that."

do Muslim girls use their brains?

2007-11-05T23:23:00.000-08:00

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice and all things nice.

Sure, this is a non-Muslim ditty dating waaay back, but it constantly appalls/astounds me how prevalent such views are among Muslims, practising, pillar-of-the-community types to boot too!

I've had people asking me why I'm putting the daughters through the "rigours" of tahfeeth school, when later they definitely won't be able to "maintain" what they've memorised .

I've had people ask me why I'm so worried about my daughters' college education when they're still of school-going age...and why bother at all when eventually they're going to do what all good Muslim girls ought to do: "settle down."

I'm thinking, why did Allaah give us brains if we're forever going to be precluded from using them/fruitfully occupying them in anything other than house-work?

It scares and saddens me that people (read your average Joe and Jane Muslims) happily confess to feeling intimidated/irritated by girls who show signs of having a working brain. Sadly, most people's comfort zone extends to only those Muslimahs who show every sign of having candyfluff instead of grey matter between the ears.

Yes, I know I'm stressing about this several years too soon.

But when the times show no signs of changing, it depresses and disturbs me that several years down the line, the very girls whose minds and spirit we're trying to nurture will face rejection and an unspoken pressure to dumb down to the least common denominator in order to be deemed "acceptable".

PS: read a somewhat similar (almost telepathic post) by AnonyMouse at MuslimMatters, which proves that this is not a solitary or isolated concern.

forget the gym, just remember 50261

2007-11-05T22:56:00.000-08:00

Housework can help you burn 50,000 calories a year

source: dailymail.co.uk

If you're struggling to motivate yourself to do the dishes or dust the shelves, then just remember the number 50,261.
That's the average number of calories burned off each year simply by doing household chores, according to a poll.

Researchers found that we walk more than 22 miles a year while cleaning our homes: that's the equivalent of strolling the distance across the English Channel or completing 89 laps of an Olympic running track.

More good news for the fitness-conscious is that keeping the house tidy annually burns the same number of calories found in 192 bars of chocolate, 369 cans of fizzy drink, 146 cheeseburgers or 394 packs of crisps.

The study of 3,000 Britons found that housework gives us more of a workout than spending an hour a week at the gym.
Domestic chores were found to provide the same amount of exercise as spending 57 hours running at 8.5 miles an hour, or cycling 477 miles.
Almost two-thirds of those polled for electrical goods giant Philips said they cleaned more thoroughly to try to get some exercise, while 94 per cent said they worked up a sweat while doing the chores and half could feel their muscles burning afterwards.

Dr Gary O'Donovan, a lecturer in sport and exercise medicine at the University of Exeter, said: "To prevent weight gain, most adults need to expend around 400 calories per day in physical activity, which is equivalent to around two hours of dusting and cleaning or 82 minutes of vacuuming and mopping."
Vacuuming was the most popular chore in the survey, with 35 per cent indicating a preference for it, followed by doing the laundry and washing-up.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, women questioned were more likely to clean regularly than men.

change is good!

2007-11-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

So howd'you like the new new look?

Eid Mubarak!

2007-10-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

::scary:: The Devil's on your Desktop!

2007-10-15T00:34:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to ourselves and to all the readers of this blog, of what long hours on the computer can do to your body!

Stay safe and take care everyone!!

***
In a study conducted on 27,000 computer professionals between 2001 and 2007 , it was found that the areas Most Affected by Computer Related Injuries (CRI) are:
Neck and upper back: 60%
Lower back: 40%
Arms and fingers: 30%

***
Computer Vision Syndrome: Eye strain, headaches, dry eyes and sensitivity to light

Cervical Disc degeneration: Bad posture at the computer strains neck muscles and damages the cartilaginous discs between the upper vertebrae. This can lead to hernia, which pinches nerves, causing pain, numbness or loss of muscle control.

Thoracic outlet syndrome: This group of disorders is the second most common type of CRI. Nerves and blood vessels that pass into arms from the neck become constricted, leading to pain in the chest, neck and arms.

Tennis elbow: Overuse of the muscles that pull the hand back (as when typing or using the mouse) causes micro-tears in the tendons that attach forearm muscles to the elbow. This can cause mild paralysis and debilitating pain, and impair one’s ability to carry heavy objects or drive a car.

Lumbar Disc degeneration: Wrong sitting posture can lead to a Slipped Disc—damage to the disc between the lower vertebrae, which causes symptoms that radiate as far as the toes. This can also put pressure on the sciatic nerve root, which causes the especially painful condition, sciatica.

Non-Localised CRI: Many victims suffer from chronic, non-localised pain, which often originates in "trigger points"—knots of constricted muscle—that cause pain and numbness in other areas of the body.

Intersection Syndrome: Repetitive motions of the wrist and thumb cause an abrasion between the two sets of tendons that control them. The intersection of these tendons, in the forearm just above the wrist, develops a painful inflammation.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Repetitive use of the mouse, as well as typing, causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, an inflammation of the nerves and tendons leading through the wrist into the hand. It causes numbness and loss of control in the hands.

Tenosynovitis: "trigger finger" Repetitive overuse causes damage to the tendons that open and close our fingers. Tendons become irritated and inflamed, causing fingers to become stiff, painful and, in severe cases, difficult to straighten at all.
***

A few things to remember while sitting before a computer:

1. Keep your wrist unsupported while typing. Do not use gel pads as wrist-rests.

2. Sit with your back supported against the chair’s backrest, and with thighs sloping down slightly so that your hips are higher than your knees

3. If your boss won’t do it for you, invest in an ergonomically sound office chair: ideally, one with a head-rest and lumbar support. The seat-height, and the angle between seat and chair back should be adjustable.

4. If you feel a CRI coming, address it early. Learn preventive stretches from a CRI expert.
Make sure a light source or window is not directly reflecting off your screen—for instance, by building a simple shade out of file folders

5. Blink regularly or use a solution to keep your eyes lubricated; running a humidifier in an air-conditioned office can also help avoid dry-eye symptoms

6. It is better to have your head angled down to your screen than up—having to look up at a screen reduces blink-rates.

7. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, focus on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds

8. Laptops are an inherently un-ergonomic device as the screen and the keyboard are attached. When using a laptop at home or office, use an external keyboard and mouse, and a laptop stand to prop the screen to eye level.

9. Ideally your keyboard and laptop should be placed just above the level of your lap, with your elbow at an angle of 100 degrees

10. Consult an expert before using any medication targeting CRIs.

source: OutlookIndia

Our first (and possibly last) cable car adventure!

2007-10-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

On the first, chilly day of Eid, (this is to give a picturesque beginning to the post) Rida and I actually ventured to sit in a cable car -- a REAL one! Really, I'm not exaggerating... ask Ed if you want to confirm this amazing fact:)

Not that I enjoyed it much when we started... the thing zoomed forward -- and I screamed so loud that the passengers of the cable car were almost deafened. Rida backed me up with a louder roar of terror... you really should've seen us...screaming our heads off!!

I could hear my brothers junior R-R screaming too... junior R was crying and saying that he wasn't a scaredycat, but we were all going to DIE!! And senior R was on the floor of the car with his face in his lap!!!...hahaha...

OOOppss.... not good of me to laugh now, huh?

I must admit there was a terrible uproar in the cable car... and most of the screams were mine...

When I looked behind or should I say beneath me, I could see the valley of Rijal-al-Ma' ... it was so terribly steep that I was ready to faint. Rida's eyes were clamped shut... junior R was screaming as the car rocked to-and-fro, senior R was now crouching on the seat with his and ears shut... so were mine...

...and each time it went lower and lower, the thing went slower and slower... and when it felt as if it had decided to stop, over the steep, moss covered valley, I screamed loudly: 'IS IT GOING TO STOP?!' and junior R would collapse into a wild fit of loud sobs and cries:)!

Senior R would crouch upon his seat uncomfortably in a quiet fear. Rida had stopped yelling; I had decided that the scene was really beautiful, and I was sort of feeling ashamed of my loud screams:P No use screaming, you know. When we at last arrived at the cable car station, I couldn't believe I had actually sat in that DEATH car that was hanging on a 'rope' as junior R calls it... we had just had a ride in a 'little box stuck on a long rope tied to poles between the two stations'.

Still... Rida and I are always cribbing there're no adventures around for us...

... and guess what Ed remarked when we got back? -- 'Never again-- once is ENOUGH!'

after all... that's why cable cars were made, right?

*all pics @syahya.com.sa

how to be the queen of clean

2007-10-04T02:49:00.000-07:00

with most people starting on their annual Eid cleaning, I thought this would be a beneficial article from dailymail.co.uk:

"In her new book, The Housewife's Handbook, journalist and cleaning enthusiast Rachel Simhon shares some of her favourite domestic tricks and shortcuts to solve some of our most frustrating housework dilemmas.
■ To make a candle last longer, put it in the freezer for a couple of hours before using. To fit a difficult candle into a candlestick, dip the end in boiling water for a second or two. The end will soften enough to fit in easily, and it will sit tight.
■ To prevent bathroom mirrors steaming up, put a small amount of neat washing-up liquid on a dry cloth and rub on to the surface of the mirror.
■ If a necklace chain has mysteriously formed into a Gordian knot, you can easily disentangle it by dusting with talcum powder and using two needles to tease out the knots.
■ To dust a TV screen — or anything that attracts static — use a barely damp cloth to lay the dust. If you have a tumble-dryer and use fabric conditioner sheets, dust TV screens with a used conditioner sheet. The residue will reduce static.
■ To remove stains and scum from teapots, vacuum flasks or coffee pots, fill with cold water, add a fizzy denture sterilising tablet and leave for an hour or so. Before using the pot or flask, rinse thoroughly with cold water.
■ Apart from silver, which should be cleaned only with silver polish, you do not need to buy separate polishes for each metal in your home. Chrome, copper and brass can all be cleaned with Autosol (available from car accessory shops), which is recommended by the National Trust.
■ For patent leather shoes and handbags, clean with a soft damp cloth, using a little vinegar to remove fingermarks. Patent leather is covered with a fine plastic film. Do not leave it in contact with patterned or coloured polythene bags — they can leave a permanent imprint.
■ To test whether a down or feather pillow needs replacing, lay it across your arm. If it flops sadly, its days are numbered. To test if a synthetic pillow is still fit for purpose, press it in the middle to see if it springs back. If it does not, replace it.
Tip: Freshen up pillows in a hot tumble-dryer for 15 minutes or so once a month. The heat will also kill dust mites.
■ To clean stainless steel worktops and appliances, wipe up spills thoroughly with a damp cloth and washing-up liquid, rinse and dry to prevent water marks. Now and again, polish with a specialist stainless steel cleaner, such as Shiny Sinks (available from large supermarkets). For a perfect finish, put a drop or two of baby oil on a soft cloth and rub it over smudges and stains.
You can use baby oil on all stainless steel appliances, such as fridges and cooker fronts. Alternatively, use a microfibre cloth. These use no chemicals, only water, but bring up stainless steel to a high, smudge-free shine.
■ Hang your most precious clothes, as well as anything that is not worn very often — such as evening dresses — in garment bags (which can be found in department stores and on specialist clothes storage websites) to keep out dust and moths. Garment bags should be made of a breathable material, such as calico, not plastic and should be big enough so that the clothes inside do not get crushed. Never store clothes in drycleaner's plastic bags. Mildew may develop if there is a hint of dampness in the clothes or wardrobe.
More importantly, if clothes are stored in plastic for a long time, the polymers in the bags can migrate on to fabrics and cause yellowing, which is impossible to remove.
Always hang dresses and jackets on a padded or wide wooden hanger. The thin plastic ones used by dry-cleaners will not support the clothes.
Wire ones are also too thin and can rust, leaving ineradicable marks on clothes. Proper hangers are not expensive —look for special offers of wooden hangers in newspapers and magazines, or try the internet.
Tip: Get into the habit of buying a hanger every time you buy a new outfit. Hang trousers on trouser hangers, either by the turn-ups, or folded over the hanger.
Hang skirts on skirt hangers by their waistband loops. Wrap the loops twice round the notch. Stop skirt loops slipping off plain hangers by twisting a rubber band around each end of the hanger.
■ Your dishwasher doesn't have to be just for dishes. Use it to clean other household objects. These include: Children's plastic toys: Either put them in the cutlery basket or tie them to the top rack with plastic ties.
■ Oven racks and grill pans: If there are burnt-on encrustations, remove before they have dried and wipe clean, otherwise, the burned bits will be baked on. The dispenser drawer from your washing machine: This can get clogged with soap and fabric softener. The microwave turntable: (But first check the manufacturer's leaflet).
Some vases: Especially if they are plain and not decorated and are not your best Wedgwood.
■ To clean Venetian blinds, close the slats so they lie flat and then vacuum using the upholstery brush attachment on a low setting. Hold the blind steady so it does not bang against the window frame. Start at the top and vacuum first the centre section, then the sections on either side of the tapes. Reverse the slats and do the other side. Do this at least once a month. Wipe the slats occasionally with a barely damp cloth.
Wooden blinds should never be immersed in water. For metal blinds, a second option is to use a blind cleaner (two furry prongs that fit tightly over each slat and which you then slide along the blind). You could also put on a pair of cotton gloves (or use socks as mitts) and run your fingers along each slat.
■ Make your own window cleaner. Most commercial window cleaners are made from a mixture of ammonia, alcohol and water. Think how cheap these products are and how much you are therefore paying for a fancy bottle, label, advertising, marketing and so forth. So when your bottle of commercial window cleaner is empty, refill it with a mixture of 45 per cent water, 45per cent surgical spirit and 10per cent household ammonia. Shake well before using.
■ To make a general cleaner. To 4 litres hot water, add half a teacup each of bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and household ammonia. Use as a general household cleaner.
■ Descaling a showerhead. Do not bother dismantling it, instead, half fill a plastic bag with half and half vinegar and water. Fix it to the showerhead with a rubber band and leave it until the limescale has gone. Flush out any little bits of limescale by running the shower hard, then wipe dry.
■ To clean shower curtains. Shower curtains can quickly get scummy and mouldy. Wash regularly to prevent soap build-up and staining. Wash in the washing machine on a hot wash, using biological detergent. If they are very dirty, washing them along with some towels seems to help remove dirty marks.
■ Cleaning a pan after cooking eggs and milk. After cooking scrambled eggs in anything other than a non-stick pan, soak it in cold water. Hot water sets protein, and far from removing egg, will set it like concrete. The same principle applies to other protein-based washing-up problems, such as milk and porridge.
■ To prevent a drain becoming blocked, always use a sink strainer to prevent bits of food clogging it. Never pour grease down the drain. Instead, pour it into an old tin-can or other disposable container, let it harden and throw it in the dustbin. Coffee grounds can also block drains. Strain them into a sieve and put them in the dustbin. Once a day, pour a kettleful of boiling water down the drain to dislodge any grease lurking inside it.
■ Once a week, disinfect the drain as follows: Pour a cup of bicarbonate of soda down the plughole and slowly dribble warm water into it OR make a solution of soda crystals (one teacup to a litre of hot water).
Flush the drain with hot water, pour down the soda solution, then flush with hot water again. OR flush with very hot water, sprinkle 1 tbsp household borax down the drain, slowly pour through a teacup of hot water and leave for a couple of hours. Flush with plenty of hot water.
■ To remove red wine and fruit juice stains from clothing: Apply a proprietary stain remover designed for wine and fruit juices, such as Wine Away (from branches of Robert Dyas, Lakeland stores or www.wineaway.co.uk). It turns the stain an alarming shade of blue, which then just washes out. Never put salt on red wine spills. It will set the mark, making an indelible stain.
■ Caring forwooden furniture. The white rings left by glasses are difficult to remove. Here are three effective remedies. Mix olive oil and cigarette ash and rub it gently into the stain. This takes time and patience, but it does eventually work. Make a mixture of half-and-half boiled (not raw) linseed oil and pure turpentine. Shake well. Rub into the stain with grade 0000 wire wool. Boiled linseed oil is available from DIY shops. Apply a proprietary burnishing cream. There are various brands available, but Liberon is a good make. To remove scratches on light wood, rub the scratch with half a walnut kernel (cut in half and rub firmly in).
This has a fairytale ring about it, but works very well. For darker woods, use a Brazil nut kernel.
From The Housewife's Handbook: How To Run The Modern Home by Rachel Simhon, published by Bloomsbury on October 8 at £18.99. © Rachel Simhon 2007.

muslimahs and sports

2007-09-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

I saw this picture in the GulfNews and felt a twinge of nostalgia.

When I was Rasha-Rida's age, I used to bicycle, swim, walk for miles around the very picturesque area around my childhood home, play badminton with my friends when they came over and was exposed to a variety of sports opportunities at school (including hours and hours of the dreaded 'march-past' in the winter sun, in preparation for the Annual Sports Day).

On the other hand they have to be content with bicycling in the very cramped 'outdoors' of our house, ... and that's it.

They often crib about the lack of outdoorsy/sporty stuff and I tell them to be content with what they have rather than hankering after what they don't.

I know lots of people look down upon women's sports as an exercise in frivolity or a waste of time or "immodest" but there are undeniable physical, psychological and health benefits to pursuing sports in one's spare time like this excellent article points out.

In any case, it's much better than typing away for hours on the computer or sitting glued to the idiot box for hours at end, or trawling malls.

Anyway, I'll let Rasha continue with the rant...this is one of her favourite hobby horses:P

Ramadan Q & A Rasha & Rida

2007-09-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

10 Questions with Rasha & Rida

What's the best thing you like to eat at suhoor?
Rasha: Cheese sandwich and milk
Rida : Dates

ًWhat's one thing you can't do without at iftaar?
Rasha: Water
Rida: Dates and chicken nuggets

What's your favourite Ramadhaan memory?
Rasha: When we went for Umrah last Ramadan

Your favourite duaa?
Rasha: The du'aa the Prophet used to say after breaking his fast : ''Thahab athama' wa ibtallatil 'urooq wa thabat alajr in shaa Allah"
Rida: The duaa we say before iftaar: Allaahummaa laka sumt, wa 'ala rizqeka aftartu

Your favourite sahaabi?
Rasha: Ummmm…. I like Saad bin Abi Waqqas, and also Umar bin Khattab…maybe 'cause I behave like him sometimes :)
Rida: 'Uthmaan bin Affaan, because he was so kind and generous and gentle and shy.

Your favourite incident from the life of the Prophet?
Rasha: When the Prophet (Sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was emigrating from Makkah to Madinah… when the people of Yathrib were welcoming him; it was sooooooo sad and poignant.

Rida: When the prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam heard the voice of Gabriel at Jabal An-noor teaching him the quran for the first time.

Your favourite reciter of the Qur'aan?
Rasha: Abba, of course :) and Sheikh Salah bu Khatir and Sheikh Shuraim.
Rida: Abba and Salah bu khatir :)

The soorah/ayah that you like to read in salah?
Rasha: Ummm… Surah Taha.
Rida: Soorah Qisas and Maryam (b/z it has a story in it and I like soorahs with stories)

One habit from Ramadhaan that you'd like to carry over to the rest of the year?
Rasha: To complete a khatmah every month, in shaa Allaah!!
Rida: Fasting till I've lost tons of weight!!

What do you miss the most about Ramadhaan when it's over?
Rasha: Fasting, and the way everyone's controlling themselves or at least trying to ;) (their manners)
Rida: The time before breaking the fast when all our duaas can be accepted

The clever bird

2007-09-27T01:31:00.000-07:00

Can you figure out this one?! I got this out of my Qir'ah book

well...
A hunter went out to the forest to hunt a bird, he caught a small one and when it was in his hands it asked him: "What d'you want to do to me?"
He said:" I want to eat you!!!"
The bird said: "I'm so small you won't even become full with me! But I'll give you three pieces of advice that will be better than eating me, one I'll give when I'm in your hand, the second when I'm on the tree, and the third when I'm on the mountain!!! The hunter agreed.

The bird told him the first one:"Do not regret what you've lost."

The hunter freed her and said: "Give me the second"

The bird stood on the tree and said:"Do not believe the impossible."
The hunter said:"And now give me the third?"
Then the bird suddenly had an idea and said: "You're so stupid! if you hadn't let me free you would have got out of me two precious diamonds each weighing twenty pounds!!!"

The hunter bit his lip with remorse and said:"Give me the third?"
The bird:"How can I?!You have forgotten two so how can I give you the third?Hadn't I told not to regret what has passed and not to believe the impossible? Do you really think that I have two precious diamonds each weighing twenty pounds inside me?!"
And she flew off!!!
A bit complicated to narrate, but a great lesson, sah?

so, how's it going so far?

2007-09-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

These are some of the highlights of Ramadan at my end:

*The girls in my class last year had absolutely NO control over their voracious appetites... now they're paying for it...
a VERY HUNGRY girl is smuggling biscuit crackers into her desk...
...she then sheepishly remembers that THIS year is not like LAST year -- I mean, this year fasting is FARD...;)

I turned out my desk last week to find a packet of biscuit crackers placed by mistake into it...
...it was the sam hungry girl -- AGAIN
...Next: Something really unappetizing... so, if you want a happy iftaar or suhoor, you'd better not read it... unless you're one of those who pay no heed to warnings...

:)

The Fiqh teacher completely spoilt our appetites by demonstrating what sort of water is unfit to use for wudu, and what sort of water is fit to use... she actually brought a dead *lizard* in a jar of water...ugh...ewwwwwwwwwwwww and saffron mixed with water to represent blood...
(double ugh-s)
sorry... now I've spoilt your appetites:)

maybe she didn't mean it, poor thing...but isn't it a bit too much when after the lesson she asks someone to throw the disgusting contents in the girls' bathroom???!!

:)

too disgusting??? I warned you!!!

Ibrahimعليه السلام's du'aa

2007-09-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

وإذ قال إبراهيم رب اجعل هذا البلد امنا واجنبني وبني أن نعبد الأصنام رب إنهن أضللن كثيرا من الناس فمن تبعني فإنه مني ومن عصاني فإنك غفورٌ رحيم ربنا إني أسكنت من ذريتي بواد غير ذي زرع عند بيتك المحرم ربنا ليقيمو الصلاةفاجعل أفئدة من الناس تهوي إليهم وارزقهم من الثمرات لعلهم يشركون ربنا إنك تعلم ما نخفي وما نعلن وما يخفى على الله من شئ في الأرض ولا في السماء الحمد لله الذي وهب لي على الكبر إسماعيل وإسحاقإن ربي لسميع الدعاء رب اجعلني مقيم الصلاة ومن ذريتي ربنا وتقبل دعاء ربنا اغفرلي ولوالدي وللمؤمنين يوم يقوم الحساب

"O my Lord! make this city one of peace and security: and preserve me and my sons from worshipping idols.
36. "O my Lord! they have indeed led astray many among mankind; He then who follows my (ways) is of me, and he that disobeys me,- but Thou art indeed Oft- forgiving, Most Merciful.
37. "O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House; in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits: so that they may give thanks.
38. "O our Lord! truly Thou dost know what we conceal and what we reveal: for nothing whatever is hidden from Allah, whether on earth or in heaven.
39. "Praise be to Allah, Who hath granted unto me in old age Isma'il and Isaac: for truly my Lord is He, the Hearer of Prayer!
40. O my Lord! make me one who establishes regular Prayer, and also (raise such) among my offspring O our Lord! and accept Thou my Prayer.
41. "O our Lord! cover (us) with Thy Forgiveness - me, my parents, and (all) Believers, on the Day that the Reckoning will be established!

golden words

2007-09-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

By Al Hasan Al Basri

"When a youth is devout, we do not recognise him by his speech.
We recognise him by his deeds."

رمضان : شهر الصيام والقيامRamadan : Month of fasting

2007-09-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

قال الله تعالى: شهر رمضان الذي أنزل فيه القران هدى للناس وبينات من الهدى والفرقان

وقال صلى الله عليه وسلم : كل عمل ابن ادم له الحسنةبعشر أمثالها إلى سبعمائة ضعف يقول الله عزوجل:إلا الصيام فإنه لي وحدي وأنا أجزي به، ترك شهوته و طعامه وشرابه من أجلي، للصائم فرحتان:فرحة عند فطره وفرحة عند لقاء ربه، ولخلوف فم الصائم أطيب عند الله من ريح المسك متفق عليه

من صام رمضان إيمانا واحتساباغفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه متفق عليه

من صام يوما في سبيل الله باعد الله بذلك اليوم وجهه عن النار سبعين خريفامسلم

إن في الجنة باب يقال له الريان يدخل منه الصائمون، لايدخل منه أحد غيرهم، فإذا دخلواأغلق، فلم يدخل منه أحد غيرهم

إذا كان أول ليلة من شهر رمضان صدفت الشياطين ومردة الجن، وغلقت أبواب النار فلم يفتح منها باب وفتحت أبواب الجنة فلم يغلق منها باب، وينادي مناد: يا باغي الخير أقبل، ويا باغي الشرأقصر، ولله عتقاء من النار، وذلك كل ليلة

Ramadan Karim, all!

2007-09-14T00:48:00.000-07:00

It's here...at last! I thought it'd never come. It's Ramadan's first Friday... and this is Day2 post#2 on our *new* blog...

...There are so many people who aren't sharing the same luck as us. They might've missed last Ramadan... and this one too. And who knows if this Ramadan shall be our last? Who knows if we can fast all of it? Who knows -- alright, that's enough...

In Ramadan, there are lots of chances for people to improve themselves and become used to doing good things even after Ramadan...

The coolest things about Ramadan are:

1. There are lots of blessings in Ramadan. The food may not taste as nice in ordinary days, but it certainly does in the iftaar... and the funny thing is that even though we decide every day we won't have too many things at the sufrah for iftaar, it seems as if it fills up with all kinds of goodies by magic!

2. People do more good deeds and prepare for their aakhirah.

3. Over-weight people can have a chance to lose more weight and reduce their appetites (knowing there's a huge delicious spread waiting for them in the evening:)

4. Fasting people sometimes stop doing or saying bad things...
Narrated Abu Hurairah:
The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)"

5. People have more control over their actions and speech.

6. People have control over the variety and amount of what they eat and drink.

7. They get control over their wants.

8. They learn patience and the feeling of hunger. This way, they can learn what starved children and people feel like when they are out of food.

9. Believe it or not, feeling hungry during fasts can get you more hasanaat! How? C/z when you're hungry, you want to eat but you can't/won't. This way, you're conquering your nafs. When you feel hungry and you're seeing other people eating (they're either too small or they've got personal reasons) you feel like eating too. But when you don't eat, you're getting food far better than this wordly food (insha Allah).

10. Ramadan is the month of forgiveness and blessings. Most importantly, as Allah's Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained."

Okay, that's it for now...
... we'll write again...
... later in shaa Allaah...:)

bismillaah...

2007-09-13T02:50:00.000-07:00

Day1, Post 1 on our *new* blog
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar-that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. During the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

من مسنونات الصيام
The Sunan of fasting:

المبادرة بالفطر عند تحقق الغروب

Not to delay the Iftaar after the athaan

الدعاء عند الإفطار

remember to make duaa and break the fast with Du'aa Al-Iftaar

الفطر على رطب أو تمر أو ماء

Break the fast with Rutb (fresh) dates and three draughts of water

تأخير السحوروالحرص عليه

To delay the suhoor and ensure that we eat suhoor

حفظ اللسان والجوارح عن المحرمات

To guard the tongue (and all other senses) from haraam

تفطيرالصائمين
To host other fasting people

الجود وكثرة الصدقةdo a lot of charity

كثرة الذكر وتلاوة القران

. Do a lot of zikr and read a lot of the Quraan

المحافظة على قيام رمضان

To guard (ensure) Qiyaam al Layl in Ramadhaan

تحري ليلة القدر وإحياؤها بالعبادة

To seek the Laylat- alQadr

أداء العمرة في رمضان

Try and perform the 'Umrah in Ramadhaan

1 > 2

2007-09-10T00:53:00.000-07:00

Don't think that I'm such a dud at Maths that I got a simple thing like this wrong!

This is just the idea behind an article I was reading about how first born children are the SMARTEST and most of them become CEOs!!

Why do first-born children so dominate the boardrooms? CEOs themselves say they got hit in the face early in life with a stew of factors. Those included the undivided attention, at least for a time, from their parents.They say they felt the pressure of greater expectations. They were forced to become self-sufficient because they had to look after younger siblings while not having an older sibling looking out for them.

Ben Dattner, a psychology professor at New York University who has studied birth order, says it makes sense that first-born children rise to the top.

They are often more extroverted, confident, assertive, authoritarian, dominant, inflexible, conformist, politically conservative, task-oriented, conscientious, disciplined, defensive about errors, and fearful of losing position and rank.

The Difference between كسوف and خسوف

2007-08-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

kusoof = solar eclipse = كسوف

khusoof = lunar eclipse = خسوف

anyway, both are Allaah's signs, so when we see them we should pray and ask for forgiveness and remember the signs of the Last Day.

The Qur'aan says:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ اللَّيْلُ وَالنَّهَارُ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ لَا تَسْجُدُوا لِلشَّمْسِ وَلَا لِلْقَمَرِ وَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ

The translation of which means:
"Among His Signs are the Night and the Day, and the Sun and the moon.
Adore not the sun and the moon,
but adore Allaah, Who created them, if it is Him you wish to serve. "
( سورة فصلت , Fussilat, Chapter #41, Verse #37)

اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ
"The Hour (of Judgment) draws near,
and the moon is cleft asunder."
( سورة القمر , Al-Qamar, Chapter #54, Verse #1)

وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ

وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَر

"And the moon is darkened
And the sun and moon are joined together"
( سورة القيامة , Al-Qiyaamah, Chapter #75, Verse #8)

The pictures have been taken from MrEclipse.com that has many more amazing pics of eclipses.

Pride and Prejudice

2007-08-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

(This is a portrait of Jane Austen by her sister Cassandra.

Taken from: pemberley.com)

I've read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice nearly five times now... a nice and eyes-glued-to-it sort... the first time I gotto read it, I couldn't rest until I finished it!

I don't know if I liked the heroine, Eliza Bennet a great deal (I have kind of mixed feelings about her) but I liked her elder sister, Jane a lot too. Jane, as described in the book, is that gentle, quiet and happy eldest daughter in the Bennet family. She's also described as the most 'handsome' one :P

Elizabeth I felt was rather... sort of impertinent, finding faults quickly in everyone else and forgetting her own. When she raved and ranted I was like: 'Oh! Poor Mr. Darcy!'

I liked Kitty too, for the simple and vague reason that I sometimes think I'm very much like her, you know, a silly sort:)

Lydia's too talkative and irritating, I've decided that, and I'd dearly love to answer her back. Annoyingly, no one ever seems to answer her back really sharp... maybe they're too understanding kind of people, and that I'm decidedly not. Mrs. Bennet I rather got annoyed with, and Miss Bingley too. Elizabeth never gives her a nice good scowl or glare, never rolls her eyes or answers her back good and sharp. She entirely falls for her pretences... that's quite gullible, if I may say so myself.

Mr. Bennet I quite liked, because he's nice and uninterested in silly things... (maybe I was reading the book real earnest) and I liked Miss Darcy, out of sympathy more than anything else, b/z I myself am shy and quiet at the beginning of being introduced. Perhaps the reason why I like Mr. Darcy was that he's tall... I'm very enamoured by tall people:)

Anyway, what I found equally fascinating was the life of Jane Austen. She only lived 41 years and she wrote Pride and Prejudice when she was 21 years old!!

The story goes: " she began writing the novel which later became Pride and Prejudice in October of 1796 and finished it by August of the following year; she was then twenty-one years old. Little is known of this early version of the story beyond its original title: First Impressions. No copy of that original is known to exist. Three months after Miss Austen completed work on the book, her father offered it to a publisher in the hope that it would make it into print. The publisher refused without ever having seen the manuscript.
Fortunately for all of her admirers, whether Austen was discouraged or not by her first rejection, she continued to write; though, it was not until the winter of 1811, fully fourteen years after finishing First Impressions, that she again picked up that manuscript and began revising it into the version we know today as Pride and Prejudice.

This occurred in the wake of her first publishing success--the publication of Sense and Sensibility on 30 October 1811. Pride and Prejudice was far more fortunate than its earlier incarnation; it was accepted for publication and was presented to the world on 28 January 1813.

Jane Austen's name was never attached to any of her published novels during her lifetime, and the title page of Pride and Prejudice read only: BY THE AUTHOR OF "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY."

Here's a link to a website on the life and works of Jane Austen, which also has 6 of her works, besides her short stories (Juvenilia) which she wrote between the age of 13 and 17; and her poetry.

If you like her work as much as I do, I'm sure you'll ENJOY it!

beyond baked beans

2007-08-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

There's this interesting website called 'Beyond Baked Beans', that has recipes and other kitchen tips for freshers, students, singles and other people on a budget.

There's a series of books by the same name by Fiona Beckett that has some really interesting stuff...most of it is vegetarian (perfect for Rasha), with some non-veg. recipes that can be easily halalified (meaning made with zabeeha meat).

Today's Times is carrying yummy, easy-to-make recipes from the book including homemade burgers, doner kebabs, fish fingers and 3 minute noodles.

Enjoy!

Sail through your student life

2007-08-23T01:30:00.000-07:00

I sometimes think of studying in the UK (in shaa Allaah) ... so I thought it might be interesting for people who actually study there to read this: How to sail through student life in the UK

From the moment you step on UK soil, a question will follow you: “Are you all right?” People ask it of you all the time. At the beginning you wonder “does she/he really want to know or is it just them being polite?” Just learn the code - “I’m fine and you?” will always do. If variation is needed, you should know that the response “not too bad” often conveys a fairly negative state of mind. Keep “so so” for the worst day in your life.

No matter how bad a meal, a film or a club was, you will never hear a Brit say so unless you are pretty close to them. For your own sake, remember this key point: people are indirect in the UK. Your essay was a disaster? Your tutor will have found it “very interesting, but…”. The curry chicken was too hot even for a fire-eater? “Hmh…It’s ok”. And it doesn’t matter if it rained the entire time, the hike in Scotland was invariably “good fun”.

MCQs R Us: some questions about Sha'baan!

2007-08-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

1. Sha'baan شعبان is the ..................... month of the Islaamic year.
a. 7th
b.8th
c.9th

2. Sha'baan is so called because:
a. In this month the Arabs used to disperse (tasha’aba) in search of water, or it was said that they dispersed to carry out raids and forays.
b. Because it sha’aba (تشعبة = ramification, forking, branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadhaan.
c. Both of the above
d. None of the above.

3. ‘Aa’ishah رضي الله عنهاsaid: “The Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلَم used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلَم fasting for an entire month except in Ramadhaan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in ..................”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 1833; Muslim, no. 1956).
a. Rajab
b. Shawwaal
c. Sha'baan
d. Thul Hijjah

4. Who said this about Sha'baan? ‘That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadaan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.’” (Narrated by an-Nasaa’i, see Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, page 425).

5. ..................................used to make the most of this opportunity to make up any obligatory Ramadaan fasts that she had missed because of menstruation; during other months she was too busy with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلَم to fast.

6. Salamah ibn Suhayl used to say: “The month of Sha’baan is the month of ..............(of the Qur’aan).” Habeeb ibn Abi Thaabit used to say, when Sha’baan came, “This is the month of ............(of the Qur’aan).” When Sha’baan came, ‘Amr ibn Qays al-Malaa’i used to close his store and devote his time to reading the Qur’aan.
a. writers
b. reciters

[Adapted from: Islam Q-A]

hijaab-wearing sister on the beat

2007-08-16T02:14:00.000-07:00

A Muslim teenager has been named as one of the 'babies on the beat' as police community support officers.
The Daily Mail revealed on Monday how Thames Valley police were employing two 16-year-old schoolleavers as PCSOs.
Yesterday it emerged that the force also recruited three 17-year-olds, including Nadia Naeem, now 18, who wears the hijab.
All now have the power to detain and question suspects.
[...]

Thames Valley police insist the teenagers have the necessary skills. A spokesman said that "if you are good enough, you are old enough".

Miss Naeem, from Bicester, Oxfordshire, joined the force - which covers Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire - in February.
She patrols the town's East Neighbourhood zone along with four other PCSOs.
She is expected to issue penalty notices, pull over vehicles and carry out 'stop and search' procedures under terror laws.
At the time she was recruited, aged 17, she would have had the power to seize alcohol from anyone in the street...

say no to espresso!

2007-08-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

from: The Guardian

It is an all too familiar modern morality tale: teenager goes too far and gets rushed to hospital suffering from an overdose. But in the case of 17-year-old waitress Jasmine Willis, the hyper-ventilation, uncontrolled sobbing and rocketing temperature that she suffered behind the counter of her dad's sandwich shop had a more mundane cause. She'd guzzled too much espresso coffee.

[...]

Although she was only kept in hospital for a few hours, Jasmine suffered side-effects for several days.
Jasmine says she now cannot face the sight of coffee, which may limit her future career prospects in her dad's sandwich shop.
Instead, like one of Hilaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales, she is left offering dire warnings to others: " I did not realise this could happen to you and I only hope other people learn from my mistake," she said.

your guide to less toxic stuff

2007-08-14T22:37:00.001-07:00

thought this was cool: an online guide to less toxic health, beauty and hygiene products plus several recipes for home-made alternatives to cosmetics.

Top 10 Natural (Tried and Tested) Health and Beauty Products

2007-08-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

By: Sisters-in-Faith in-house health and beauty advisor :)

I was reading a list of top 25 beauty products in a newspaper and was taken aback by the blatant commercialism that drives the compilation and publication of these lists.

Most of these "beauty" products are chemical-based, over-priced and over-hyped that mislead young girls and women into thinking they are buying instant good looks in a bottle, when the reality is that the models/film stars who advertise the products have the benefit of being glossed over by computers, airbrushed and made up by professionals to depict "perfection."

When I was growing up, my Mum only allowed me to use herbs and herbal products for the skin and hair ...and guess what? they rule!

Where I was growing up, you could get everything -- from herbal shampoos to natural teeth whiteners easily at the local attaar (a perfumer's shop, with dozens of shelves lined with mysterious bottles and jars containing all kinds of herbs, spices and perfumes; which is generally presided over by a benign, gnome-like old man who doubles up as a doctor for minor ailments).

Unfortunately, these days attaars can't compete with MNCs and their huge advertising budgets , so the only products that you are familiar with are cocktails of chemicals that might leave you looking brighter and better for a while, but may have bad effects on your health in the long run.

So, I thought it'd be worthwhile to make a list of alternative products I've used when I was your age that actually work...I hope this post will benefit you and other young girls like you, in shaa Allaah!

***

"
ذَلِكَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ

Such is He, the Knower of all things, hidden and open, the Exalted (in power), the Merciful

الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ

He Who has made all that He has created with Ihsaan (in the most excellent form): He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay..."

[Soorah Sajdah 32: 7-8]

***

1. Eemaan (True Faith) and Taqwa (being conscious of Allaah, all the time)

Have you seen some sisters who dress up very simply and use no make-up, and may not have the clearest skin or classical profiles, but their faces are lit up with an inner light?

Have you seen your face after you do wudhu and pray with khushu, or after you read the mushaf for a long time with concentration, or after you read athkaar in the morning?

One of the basic secrets to looking good is believing that Allaah has created you in the best possible form. Do you remember the prayer of the Prophet when we look in the mirror?

أللهم كما أحسنت خلقي فأحسن خُلُقي

Allahumma Kama Ahsanta Khalqee Fa Ahsin Khuluqee

O Allaah! As you have made my form excellent, likewise make my character excellent.

If you notice, most people these days are dissatisfied with their appearance and are always looking for ways to have a better nose or different coloured eyes (coloured contact lenses!!) or different coloured hair or lighter/darker skin or thicker/thinner eyebrows.

This dissatisfaction with the way Allaah has created you is exploited by other people in order to get you to buy their products...you might get a very temporary benefit, but in the long run your insecurities about your appearance are making them laugh all the way to the bank!

so, to get back to the topic: be satisfied that Allaah has made you in the best possible form and work first of all on developing your inner beauty that leads Allaah to be happy with you and bless you.

2. H2O

"The best perfume is water..." so went the advice of a mother to her daughter many centuries ago... it sounds pretty basic, but keeping clean is the foundation to looking good and being healthy...no amount of "dry cleaning" can compete with a freshly showered glow.

Drinking plenty of water is health and beauty advice that everyone's heard about, but very few people follow. Water flushes out the metabolic wastes and toxins and keeps your skin hydrated and supple. Try having 6-8 tumblers of water (preferably lukewarm) for a fortnight and see the difference for yourself, and then, hopefully make it a habit for life.

Also in the same category is starting your day with the juice of a lemon and a teaspoon of honey in a tumbler of lukewarm to hot water first thing in the morning. It helps you detox and gives you a good supply of Vitamin C (that's good for your skin).

3. Deep Clean-Exfoliate-Tone-Moisturise

That's what all the beauticians say.

I know you (R-R) have a tendency to go ewwwwwwwwww when it comes to putting raw stuff on your face, but believe me, your unboiled ordinary milk and olive oil/baby oil are really good for deep cleaning... you use it the same way you use cosmetic cleansers, but with less hazardous results.

You know oranges and citrus fruits are really good for you, right? Did you know the goodness extends even to the peel?

To make a really good exfoliator: Take orange peels and dry them in the sun for a bit, then grind them to a coarse powder and mix with chick-pea powder, a little bit of honey and leave it on for about 10 minutes before washing it off with cold water. Works better than anything that comes out a tube. Really.

Toners: Rose water, lemon juice, cucumber juice.

And the best moisturiser is plain honey (apply on face for a bit and then wash off) and cocoa butter cream (smells yummy too!).

4. Onions and Eggs and Steam (not an omelette :P)

When I was growing up, I had this friend who had beautiful, really really looooooong hair (maa shaa Allaah mid-calf length). The disconcerting thing was that she'd regularly get fed up with her hair and and chop it all off, and within a few months it'd grow back again like magic.

Turns out she used to use this concoction to help her hair grow: Steam hair (dip towels in hot steaming water and wind them around your hair for at least 10 minutes). Then take a mixture of raw onion juice and egg whites (i know ... major ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww)and massage them into the roots. Cover with a shower cap and leave it on for at least 2 hours. Do this for a couple of months and voila!

5. Pumice stone

Keep one at hand after wudhu and scrub your soles lightly with it, apply cream and wear socks (winter's just around the corner) for soft, clean feet. I'm not sure if this would work for everyone, but there's a softer variety of white, grainy pumice stone that can be used pretty much like a loofah and slows down/reduces hair growth.

6. Velvet Touch

It works!

7. Cucumber and potato slices, teabags and honey

The best thing to do if you want bright eyes is get an uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep (it's not called beauty sleep for nothing). But if you will persist in reading deep ibto the night, then cucumber and potato slices (chilled in the 'fridge and left over your eyes for at least 5 minutes) will keep the under-eye shadows at bay.

I have an aunt who has been bathing her eyes with cool water several times a day, since as far back as I can remember, and maa shaa Allaah her eyes are bright as ever and she's never needed specs. My grandmum used to put a particular kind of honey in her eyes (let me warn you this stings a lot!) but after doing this religiously for several years, she doesn't need specs now and can sew and stitch and even thread needles on her own...subhaanallah!

8. Multani Mitti (Fuller's Earth)

If you ever need an instant zit zapper, this is it.

You need to soak a little bit of Fuller's earth in a bowl (preferably with rose water...if you can't get that, even ordinary water will do) and just slather it on the spot where you're getting a zit/have a zit. It's also a good idea to use a face pack of Multani mitti regularly if you have oily skin, especially during the summer.

9. Summer reminds me of (unwanted) tans: Take fresh cream (as much as required), mix the juice of a lemon and rose water and apply as needed. Doesn't smell that nice, but does reduce tanning considerably (I remember this from my biking days).

10. Henna (mixed with yogurt, egg whites and olive oil) for really glossy, split-end free hair.

death of a sister

2007-08-10T22:57:00.000-07:00

A website that has details on vigils and memorial services organised in memory of Abeer Qasim Hamza, an innocent 14-year-old girl who was brutally molested and murdered by American soldiers in Iraq: Abeer Memorial

several other Muslim blogs have written about the sister:
MuslimMatters

jinnzaman: "Spread the word about setting up Candle-Light Vigils for Abeer to your family, friends, religious communities, and campuses.

We should think about this young girl and honor her memory on the day she would have turned 16, if only she wasn’t murdered. Imagine where her and other Iraqi women would have been today if they weren’t murdered. I could imagine Abeer in school (if the schools were still or are still functioning, of course), preparing perhaps to attend college in the hopes of bettering her society. Or maybe she would be at home, eating with her family or reading a poem. She would be a living, breathing, human being. But she was murdered.

On August 19th, 2007, let’s join together wherever we are and remember her in our various communities. Let’s not only honor the life of Abeer Hamza but remember the plight of, unfortunately, so many Iraqi girls wounded, raped, and murdered during this increasingly bloody U.S. occupation of Iraq."

and iMuslim has a touching poem: To My Little Sister

"...

Sweet Abeer.
You have become a symbol of everything that is wrong with this world.

With everything that is wrong with this Ummah.

With everything that is wrong with me.

Forgive us, darling Abeer,for not being there when it mattered.

All we can do now is offer you our prayers.

Though what need does a shaheed have of our prayers?

It is we who are now in need of our prayers,to save us from the world that you no longer live in.

Sadly, sweet Abeer,the worst has yet to be spoken:

You were not the first,and you will not be the last.

And this is the thought that kills me, a thousand times:

How can we ever let this happen again?
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon.

innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji'oon...to Allaah we belong and to Him is the return.

The judgment of Ali رضي الله عنه or how Aliرضي الله عنه solved a complicated sum on fractions!

2007-08-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

This is a book extract from a v. interesting book that I've been reading 'History of Islam' by Akbar Shah Najeebabadi...it's thrilling and unputdownable once you get started b/z it's full of interesting facts and stories about great Muslim characters of the past.

Once two persons sat down to eat. One had five loaves of bread while another had three. Meanwhile, a third person came and they invited him to eat with them. When the third person was about to leave, he gave them eight dirhams for what he had eaten. After he left the scene,a dispute arose over the division of the eight dirhams. The man with five loaves of bread claimed five dirhams for himself and three dirhams for his partner. The person who had three loaves of bread insisted on half the amount,i.e, four dirhams. This dispute became so intense that they took the matter to Aliرضي الله عنه who was the Khalifa at that time.

He said to the man with three loaves of bread, "Your loaves of bread were less in number, so three dirhams are more than your correct share;it is better for you to accept it."

But he refused to abide by the judgment.

Thereupon Ali رضي الله عنه said to him: " Now you will get only one dirham as your share while your partner gets seven dirhams."

Hearing this he was astonished. However,while protesting against this decision he asked Ali رضي الله عنه help him understand his calculations.

Ali رضي الله عنه said: "Listen! There were eight loaves of bread in all while you were three who shared. Since the breads could not be shared equally, every loaf of bread had to be broken into three pieces making twenty four in all.

Although, it cannot be said who ate more than the other,it may be assumed that each of you took an equal number of pieces,in other words each of you ate eight pieces.

"Now out of nine pieces of your three breads,the third man ate only one piece and eight pieces went to you;while out of fifteen pieces of your partner's five breads, seven pieces were eaten by the third person and eight pieces went to your partner. Since the third person gave eight dirhams after eating one piece from your bread and seven pieces from your partner's, you are entitled to have only one dirham while seven dirhams should go to your partner."

Hearing this, the person claiming half of the total amount agreed to one dirham without harboring any doubt.

(Source: History of Islam)

Pretty complicated, huh? Made me quite dizzy!

cool new blog links

2007-08-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

just discovered: Wendy Shalit, best-selling author of 'Girls Gone Mild' has a blog by the same name with the tagline: 'Young Women Reclaim Self-Respect and find it's not bad to be Good.'

and another one: Modestly Yours: A Group Blog by Women who value modesty in all its forms

Good stuff!

13 tips to memorise the Qur'aan

2007-07-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

13
طريقة لحفظ القران

لقد رغََّبنا رسولنا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم بحفظ القران الكريم، وبين لنا الأجرالعظيم الذي أعده الله لمن خصص من وقته في حفظ كتاب الله وتلاوته، فعن عثمان بن عفان رضي الله عنه قال:قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (خيركم من تعلم القران وعلمه)رواه البخاريوعن سهل بن معاذ عن أبيه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:(من قرأالقران وعمل بما فيه ألبس والداه تاجاََ يوم القيامة ضوؤه أحسن من ضوء الشمس في بيوت الدنيالو كانت فيكم فما ظنكم بالذي عمل به)رواه أبو داود

ولكن قد تسائلين كيف أحفظ القران؟
إن الحفظ في مثل عمرك هو الأفضل نظرا ًلصغر سنك وقلة نسيانك وقوة ذاكرتك...فإذابدأت الحفظ فاتبعي الاّتي

إختاري المكان المناسب، وحبذا لو ذهبت إلى دار لتحفيظ القران
الكريم قريبة من منزلكم فإنه أثبت للحفظ.

إختاري الوقت الذي تكونين فيه نشيطة وينصح إجتناب هذه

وقت الاستيقاظ من النوم، وقت الحاجة
للنوم، وقت الحاجة للطعام، وقت الحاجة للَعب

أن يقرأ لك الاّيات الجديدة من
هو أكبر منك سناً ممن يجيد القراءة، وانتبهي إلى فمه
حتى تري كيفية النطق بالحرف.
كرري الاّية بعده عدة مرات.
كرري الاّية مع من تقرئين معه في الوقت نفسه
عدة مرات.
كرري الاّية بمفردك.
لا تنتقلي إلى الاّية التاية حتى تحفظي الاّية
حفظاً صحيحاً
انتقلي إلى الاّية التالية بالطريقة نفسها.
اربطي بين الاّيات السابقة واللاحقة إقرئيها متتالية

كرري الاّيات عدة مرات حتى تصلي إلى الحفظ الجيد.
إستمعي إلى شريط قراّني حتى يثبت الحفظ.
اهتمي بتجويد القراّن ومراعاة أحكامه، وانتبهي إلى
معلمتك كيف تقرأ فأنت في هذه المرحلة تقرئين كما تقرأ و
تقلدينها في كل ما تعلمه لك.
إذا أحسست بالملل أو الضجر بعد مرور الوقت فانتقلي
إلى شىء اّخر مثل اللعب ثم عاودي الحفظ في وقتٍ اّخر.

taken from lateefa@basim.com

***

13 Tips for Memorising the Qur'aan

Our Prophet Muhammadصلىالله عليه وسلم wanted Muslims to be interested in learning the Qur'aan, and described the enormous 'ajr (reward) that Allaah has kept for the one who reserves/keeps their time specially for memorising and reading the Qur'aan.

It is narrated from 'Uthmaan bin 'Affaan, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophetصلىالله عليه وسلمsaid: "The best among you is the one who learns the Qur'aan and teaches it." [Al-Bukhaari]

And Sahl bin Mu'aath narrated that the Prophetصلىالله عليه وسلمsaid: "The one who reads the Qur'aan and acted upon what is in it, his parents will be given a crown to wear on the Day of Qiyaamah, its brilliance/shine will be better than the brilliance of the sun in the houses of this world ...if it was (actually) among you, what would you think of the one who acted upon it and acquired it." [Abu Daawood]

But you might ask: How do I memorise the Qur'aan?

Indeed, Hifth (memorising) at your age (when one is young) is the best.

This is because of your young age and less forgetfulness and strength of memory.

So, if you begin memorising the Qur'aan, take care to follow these tips:

1. Choose a suitable place for memorising the Qur'aan and it is best to go to a (Halaqah) for it is specially a place to memorise the Qur'aan.

2. Choose the time which you will be active in, and it's better to avoid times when you are involved in other activities: eg. after waking up from sleep, when wanting to sleep, when wanting to eat, when wanting to play etc.

3. Make sure that someone older than you reads the new aayaat which you are memorising.

4. Repeat the aayah' after them several times.

5. Repeat the aayah' with the person you are reading several times.

6. Repeat the aayah' yourself.

7. Don't move to the next aayah' until you've correctly memorised the first one.

8. Move to the next aayah' using the same tips.

9. Read the aayat' attached together

10. Repeat the aayaat' several times until memorised correctly.

11. Lisen to a Qur'aan cassette several times

12. Take care of Tajweed and its Ahkaam while reading.

13. If you feel bored after a little time, do something else and finish memorising some other time.

Walnut cake recipe

2007-07-20T02:09:00.000-07:00

I really must say that our grandmother is truly a gifted cook : maa shaa Allah. Almost every

day we experiment with a new dish... and each dish is YUMMMYYY. I've jotted down many recipes since Nanu came...(also, I must admit I'm quite obsessed with food these holidays and have turned quite plump ...maa shaa Allah) Almost every half hour I've caught the irritating habit of opening the fridge to see if there's anything I can feast on!!!

Today's recipe is walnut cake... YUMMMMYYY

What you need:

2 cups of white flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 eggs

250 grams butter

1 cup sugar

200 grams crushed walnuts

Method:

Sieve the flour with the baking powder and mix walnuts. Keep it aside. Take butter and mix sugar. Whip it and add whipped eggs nd flour. Mix well. Bake for 40 minutes at temperature of 160c .

Your cake is -inshallah- ready. Enjoy it with milk or tea...

P.S: ... and please tell us how it turned out to be!!!

There's no such thing

2007-07-20T01:14:00.000-07:00

A:There's no such thing as a dragon,

A dragon is in your head.

B:I wonder what that green thing is

That's snoozing in the shed?

A:Giants are just in sorybooks,

They're not in real life

B:Then who's that out in the garden,

that great big chap with a knife?

A:Wizards are only make-believe,

surely you knew that?!

B:So who's that man with a straggly beard,

and a starry pointed hat?

A:There really are no vampires,

They're just in films and boooks...

B:Then who's that flapping at the window,

with teeth as sharp as hooks?

A:Those spooky ghosts are just a tale,

they're quite beyond belief.

B:So what's that shape

in that floating cape,

That makes me shake like a leaf?

A:There are no terrible monsters,

on earth or out in space.

B:Then what's that landing out in the street,

The thing with frightful face?

A:There are no spirits or gremlins,

that's very plain to see...

B:I wonder then who put some salt

into my cup of tea?!

Tony Mitton

day in the life of our "holidays"

2007-07-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

(pic: by Rasha)

Sorry we didn't write for a LOOOOOONG time, but we were SO BZZZZZY!

When holidays arrive, we have to help Ed around the house a bit: fetching things, doing things, preparing milk bottles, clearing up, keeping an eye on the kids, etc. *sometimes* this is fun, especially when we are given lessons on cooking.

But at other times, particularly when Ed is in a bad mood, this is too bad, I sometimes even wish we had no holidays; everyday was school...

When Nanu came we were having – and still do – math class every morning and evening. I found these classes a bit TOO tiring when I was tackling algebra sums, I felt that holidays are not for work, work and work. After all, we did work at school and came home tense and prepared to do more work. But I realized that Nanu also might not be liking these classes; she probably found us dumb and brainless at the (presently I can say so) easy algebra sums.

Our brains have been polished better for a month, and our noses kept to grindstone if any answers were wrong. I found Nanu a strict teacher who, if she found any answers wrong, made us repeat them until we got them right. I seriously believe I have memorized each algebra sum by heart now!

Our holidays

(or should I say R holidays)

Are just like other days

I pore over my books
Rida also looks
At her answer sheet

If I can't bear the heat
I turn on the fan
On the fastest button I can
Find on the control
Then I return to loll
On the floor
And continue to pore
Over my math books
Rida returns my looks

We don't work for long
Except if the answers are unluckily wrong
My spare time I cannot spare
By taking hours doing my hair
but I can pick out a nice book
And sit down to have a look

I'll be sitting there to read
Paying no heed
To anything else than the book
I had chosen and took

After a while I've got to go
To do a long (often unpleasant) chore
(but I have to do my share)
And I have to do it with care

At last the tiring day ends
You might ask : When?
It depends…
(I'll be lucky if it ends at ten)
Because I have to wake
For my Fajr prayer's sake
At five fifteen sharp
And begin another day
Enough to take my breath away

We enjoy our holidays
even though they're just like other ordinary days
...

interesting book review & excerpt

2007-06-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

book excerpt: ''Does My Head Look Big in This?'' from: Scholastic

'' I can’t sleep from stressing about whether I’ve got the guts to do it. To wear the hijab, the head scarf, full-time.

“Full-timers” are what my Muslim friends and I call girls who wear the hijab all the time, which basically means wearing it whenever you’re in the presence of males who aren’t immediate family. “Part-timers” like me wear the hijab as part of our uniform at an Islamic school or when we go to the mosque or maybe even when we’re having a bad hair day.

I’ve got four days left of my winter break. Four days to decide whether I’m going to actually start my third term at McCleans Preparatory School as a full-timer. You should know that right now the thought of stepping into my homeroom with the hijab on is making my nostril hair stand on end.

At this stage you should probably also know that my name is Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim. You can thank my father, paternal grandfather, and paternal great-grandfather for that one. The teachers labeled me slow in preschool because I was the last child to learn how to spell her name.
My dad’s a doctor and my mom’s a dentist. Two major nerds who fell in love during their hibernations in Monash University medical library. They were both born in Bethlehem, but there are fifty-two years of Australian citizenship between them.

My dad’s name is Mohamed. He drives a metallic-red convertible because he’s under the misguided delusion that he’s still young and cool. He fails to remember that he has a receding hairline and Italian opera or Palestinian folk songs blasting from his car stereo system. My mom’s name is Jamila, which means beautiful in Arabic. She’s loud and energetic, loves to laugh, and is neurotically clean. The type who polishes doorknobs and dusts extension cords. Who actually has a spotless laundry room (even the cabinet under the sink) and folds back toilet-paper rolls into a pretty triangle even when we don’t have guests. What did I tell you? Neurotic.

Did I mention my mom’s obsessed with diets? (Or, as she calls it, “achieving the healthy lifestyle.”) My lunch box in elementary school was filled with 97% fat-free yogurt bars and containers of oil-free tabouleh. Oil-free tabouleh is basically wheat with parsley. Gross. I suspect she had me intravenously drinking wheatgrass juice when I was a fetus. My mom’s been trying to lose twenty pounds for the past ten years. My dad gets dragged through every phase: the Eight-Day Banana Diet, the Soup Diet, the Low-Carb Diet, the High-Carb Diet; she even made him go to her Weight Watchers meeting. After one attendance my dad swore he would never return. Apparently the discussion topic was “how to cope with partners who jeopardize your weight-loss efforts.”

At the moment she’s walking around the block after dinner with my dad. She’s been trying to get me to join them but there’s a fat chance I’m going to be seen with two middle-aged power-walkers in matching fluorescent parachute tracksuits puffing along Riversdale Road.

We live in Camberwell, one of Melbourne’s trendy suburbs. Beautiful treelined streets, Federation homes, manicured front lawns, and winding driveways. We moved here last year because my dad started working at a clinic in a nearby suburb, and my mom wanted to live a little closer to the city. Before that we lived in Donvale, a very leafy, hilly suburb with lots of acreage and owls hooting at night. There were a lot more Aussies with ethnic backgrounds there, so being a Muslim family wasn’t such a big deal. In Donvale our street was a cocktail. There were the Chongs, the Papadopoulouses, the Wilsons, the Slaviks, the Xiangs, and us, the Abdel-Hakims.

Our street in Camberwell is different. We’ve got the Taylors, the Johns, and Mrs. Vaselli. Don’t have a clue who the rest are. Everybody pretty much keeps to themselves.
I’m an Australian-Muslim-Palestinian. That means I was born an Aussie and whacked with some seriously confusing identity hyphens. I’m in eleventh grade and in four days’ time I’ll be entering the first day of my third term at McCleans. My Jennifer Aniston experience couldn’t have come at a worse time. I mean, it’s hard enough being an Arab Muslim at a new school with your hair tumbling down your shoulders. Shawling up is just plain psychotic.

book review: from Asians in Media

Ever wondered what it's like to wear the hijab? "Nappy-head", "tea-towel head" and "camel jockey" are just some of the slurs that Amal has to contend with. But underneath the hijab she is still your typical teenager; she faces the dilemma of combating unwanted spots, dealing with silly boys, bitchy class mates and love-sick, weight obsessed friends. And to top it off by wearing the hijab she attracts much unwanted attention.She knew the decision would be difficult, but who would think a piece of material could cause so much fuss?

Amal's journey is fictionalised in a new book by Australian lawyer Randa Abdel-Fattah. The 27 year old "Palestinian-Egyptian-Australian-Muslim," as she describes herself, has written 'Does My Head Look Big in This?' almost as a handbook for non-Muslims to understand the trials and tribulations of young Muslims coming to terms with their faith.She is active in inter-faith dialogue and a member of the Palestinian human rights campaigns and the Australian Arabic Council. "I felt that most people don't have an introduction to Islam and Muslims other than through headlines about terrorism or oppressed Muslim women. I wanted readers to enter the world of your average teenage Muslim girl growing up in a Western society in the context of war on terror."

maybe...

2007-05-23T13:45:00.001-07:00

this'll make Umma change her mind

The pets/pests I'll never have :)

2007-05-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

For years and years on end I've been begging:) Ed like anything to buy me only one pet... Ed offered goldfish, which were turned down b/z I complained that there were too boring and didn't do anything but swim about and open and shut their little mouths... they didn't even make a sound! I asked if budgerigars were possible... no, b/z it's wrong to * imprison* them in cages. Cats were the next choice. But no, their fur * falls* a lot. Dogs?... hopeless, b/z they're najaasah. My choice fell on rabbits, something I'm 100% sure I'll never get, b/z of their horrible smell, and their beseeching sort of eyes...

This poem shows Ed's dread and disgust at the thought of purchasing a rabbit...

I love pets,
Although I don’t have any
But some are real pests,
One example is a bunny

I really love rabbits
But one thing is for sure,
Umma hates its habits
Which hopelessly can’t have a cure

After a few days
( that’s what everyone says)
There’ll be such a horrible smell
That anyone can tell
Is coming from a bunny
Umma would give a lot of money
To send away the poor disgusting bunny!!!

Grandma

2007-05-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

pic courtesy: heartstrings

Grandma

By Ted Hughes

My grandmother's a peaceful person;and she loves to sit.

But there never was a grandma who was such a one to knit.

Scarves, caps, suits, socks-

Her kneedles tick like fifty clocks,

but not for you and not for me.

what makes her knit so busily?

All summer wasps toil tirelessly to earn

their daily dinnner,

their black and yellow jerseys get shabbier

and thinner.

Grandma knows just how a wasp grows,

weary of its one suit of clothes.

She knits flowered skirts and speckled pants-

now they can go to the beach or a dance.

Under the ice the goldfish hear

december blizzards beating,

they have no fire at all down there,

no rooms with central heating.

So when frost nips the lily roots

Grama's knitting woolly suits-

greens, blues, the goldfish adore them,

winter-long they are thankful for them!

When snowy winds are slicing in through

all the little crannies

the shrubs and birds in our neighbour's garden

envy those in my grannie's.

Her shrubs have scarves and pullovers,

her birds have ear-muffs over their ears,

And cats that come asking for 'tidbits please'

go trotting away with little booties!

A frosty octopus received a stout eight-fingered mitten,

a camel whose important hump tended to get frost-bitten

Has a tea-cosy with tassels on it.

A grass snake has a sock with a bonnet.

Folks can buy clothes at some shop or other

the creatures depend on my grandmother.

Math mnemonic

2007-05-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

These days I'm lying a little low b/z I didn't do as well as I'd hoped on my maths papers, but there's this cool mnemonic which I'm sure you won't forget if you read it once (although I can't guarantee that you'll always get the right answer!!!)

Question: How to solve this?

25 x (36 +24) _ 15 divided by (I can't find the symbol for that) 3

Ask your Aunt Sally to teach you!!

no seriously, the answer is:

Bless My Dear Aunt Sally

first you solve the brackets, then do the multiplication, then division, then addition and finally subtraction...

sounds easy, doesn't it???

The Young Men of the Cave

2007-05-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

The Qur'aan has the story of the 7 young men who went and stayed in a cave to escape an evil king...there's some commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali in Soorah Kahf which is very interesting:

''The bare Christian story (without the spiritual lessons taught in the Qur'aan) is told in Gibbon's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire. In the reign of a Roman Emperor who persecuted the Christians, seven Christian youths of Ephesus left the town and hid themselves in a cave in a mountain nearby.

They fell asleep and remained asleep for some generations or centuries. when the wall which sealed up the cave was being demolished, the youths awoke. They still thought of the world in which they had previously lived. They had no idea about the duration of time. But when one of them went to the town to purchase provisions, he found that the whole world had changed.

The Christian religion instead of being persecuted was fashionable; in fact it was now the State religion. His dress, speech and the money that he had brought seemed to belong to another world. This attracted attention. The great ones of the land visited the Cave and verified the story by questioning the man's Companions.

When the story became very popular and circulated throughout the Roman empire, we may well suppose that an inscription was put up at the mouth of the Cave. This inscription was probably to be seen for many years afterwards, since Ephesus was a famous city on the west coast of Asia Minor...

Later on, the Khalifa Waathiq (842-846 CE) sent an expedition to identify and examine the locality.

Somewhere about the 6th century CE, a Syriac writer reduced (the story) to writing. He suggested that the youths were 7 in number; that they went to sleep sleep in the reign of the Emperor Decius...in our literature Decius is known as Daqyaanoos ( derived from the adjectival Latin from Decianus), and the name stands as a symbol of injustice / oppression, and also of things old-fashioned and out of date ...''

These are a few of my favourite things!

2007-04-27T02:50:00.000-07:00

My favourite job around the house is to arrange messed up shelves (in the kitchen), while I simply hate to clean cluttered rooms and closets...(even my own)!!

However, I have other favourites too, like ironing clothes and the rest of my favourite jobs are mostly in the kitchen, for I've loved to mess about in the kitchen since I was ......really really small.

I like to clean and dry the dishes and arrange them neatly on their holder. I also like to clear the kitchen counters (sometimes... )!!

Otherwise, I like to do some cooking jobs like baking cakes and brownies, making tea and pizzas ... and making everyone eggs for breakfast on weekends!

I also like to sweep and mop floors, but what I really don’t like is to pick up things from the floor - it’s a very tiring job!...

Talking about myself:I'm the Kitchen Queen

2007-04-26T03:08:00.000-07:00

Girls always have to do more work than boys, as I'm always cribbing... when I've been assigned to to such and such jobs, say clearing up messed rooms, sorting out socks and clothes, hanging clothes on the line or taking them off it... all the domestic household jobs I really HATE. However, I do like some simple chores like arranging the dishes, arranging the refrigerator, and cooking :)

Sometimes when I'm not doing anything really important to me like drawing:) and writing my book's manuscript, I like vacuuming, hanging clothes on the line, messing around in the kitchen, and dressing the kiddies up. Especially as I just had a home-science lesson : how to make mini pizzas. They put the most tempting pictures of pizzas -- both mini and large, with tomato, olives, mozzarella cheese, and an upper coat of tomato ketchup... yummyyy. I did try a few recipes from my home-science book like the orange cake and tomato macaroni.

Vacuuming is also one of my favorite jobs, (only when the floor is clean enough:P). Hanging clothes was *once* my best-liked job, (when our outdoors line wasn't quite that much invaded by all kinds of gruesome insects and grasshoppers, thanks to spring!!)

once upon a day when I was taking off the clothes to put out other freshly laundered clothes that one sheet appeared to have an ENORMOUS beetle on it, and from that day onwards, I have never fancied taking clothes off the line or adding another bunch on.

Since I was a kid, I've always LOVED messing around the kitchen. Arranging dishes, washing and drying them, cooking, sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor, arranging food in the fridge: I always like it if I'm called for a kitchen clean-up. I now try new recipes out in this fragrant atmosphere... fragrant with the delicious smells of food cooking and steaming in pans or cookers. Messing about in the kitchen is a household job I really ADORE.

The Wish

2007-04-26T02:27:00.000-07:00

This is a part of a book called ''Rusty: The Boy from the Hills'' by Ruskin Bond:

''Life seldom turns out the way we expect it to. The house in Dehra had to be sold. My father had not left any money; he had never realized that his health would deteriorate so rapidly from the malarial fevers, which had grown in frequency. He was still planning for the future when he died. Now that my father was gone, Grandmother saw no point in staying on in India; there was nothing left in the bank and she needed money for our passage to England, so the house had to go.

Then things happened very quickly. Grandmother sold most of our belongings, because as she said, we wouldn’t be able to cope with a lot of our luggage. The kabaris came in droves, buying up crockery, furniture, carpets and clocks at throwaway prices. Grandmother hated parting with some of her possessions such as the carved gilt-wood mirror, her walnut-wood armchair and her rosewood writing desk, but it was impossible to take them with us. They were carried away in a bullock-cart…

…We were at the end of September, just as the monsoon clouds broke up , scattered and were driven away by soft breezes from the Himalayas. There was no time to to revisit the island where my grandfather and I had planted trees. And in the urgency and excitement of the preparations for our departure , I forgot to recover my small treasures from the hole in the banyan tree…

Grandmother had taken the precaution of reserving berths in the first class compartment […] as the engine gathered speed, I ignored Ayah’s advice and put my head out of the window to look back at the receding platform. Ayah and Bansi were standing on the platform waving to me, and I kept waving to them until the train rushed into the darkness and the bright lights of Dehra were swallowed up in the night. New lights, dim and flickering, came into existence as we passed small villages. The stars too were visible and I saw a shooting star streaking through the heavens.

I remembered something that Ayah had once told me, that the stars are the spirits of good men*, and I wonderee if the shooting star was a sign from my father that he was aware of our departure and would be with us on our journey. And I remembered something else that Ayah had said -- that if one wished on a shooting star* one's wish would be greanted, provided of course, that one thrus all five fingers into the mouth at the same time!

''What on earth are you doing'', asked Grandmother, staring at me as I thrust my fist into my mouth.

''Making a wish,'' I said.

She was preoccupied and didn't ask me what I was wishing for; nor did I tell her.

We never made it to England. Grandmother passed away after a brief illness in Lucknow...Aunt Emily made arrangements for her funeral and for me to be sent back to Dehra. My father's cousin, who lived in Dehra, agreed to let me stay with him and attend the day school in the town.

By a strange twist of fate, therefore, my wish to return to Dehra was coming true after all. I did not know if it was something to now look forward to, or dread.''

------------------

*It's surprising how many people believe this!! We know from the Qur'aan that shooting stars are ''rujoom li shayateen''...they are for driving away the devils and not for making wishes!

The dog and the pigeon

2007-04-25T23:12:00.002-07:00

I have a VERY interesting lesson in my Qira'ah book (Arabic literature course): Do good and you'll find it... or what goes around, comes around. The whole poem talks about a dog and a pigeon, and the composer is the Egyptian poet Ahmad Shawqi, whose laqab is Ameer ash-Shu'araa ( the prince of poets) who was very famous for his Arabic collection of poems. He died in 1932. This poem enchanted me more than any other for its rhyming words and comical expressions. Read on and find out!

يقال : كان الكلب ذات يومِ -- بين الرياض غارقاً في النومِ

It is said : One day,

a dog was fast asleep in a garden

فجاء من ورائه الثعبان -- منتفخا كأنه الشيطان
And a snake crept up behind him,

puffed up as if he was Ash-Shaytaan

وهمّ أن يغدر بالأمين -- فرقّت الورقاء للمسكين
He debated whether he should kill the dog;

so the pigeon felt sorry for the poor creature

وأسرعت تواً تغيث الكلبا -- ونقرته نقرةً فهبّا
And she quickly rescued the dog;

by pecking him hard, and he leapt up ( from his sleep)

ليحمد الله على السلامة -- ويحفظ الجميل للحمامة
Let him thank Allaah for his safety

and owe the pigeon a debt ( or a favour)

مرّ ما مرّ من الزمان -- ثم أتى الصياد للبستان
A long period of time passed;

then a hunter entered the garden

فسبق الكلب لتلك الشجرة -- لينذر الطير كما قد أنذره
The dog raced towards the tree (where the pigeon lived)

to warn the bird as it had warned him

وأقلعت في الحال للخلاص -- وقد نجت من طائر الرصاص

And she took off at once to save her freedom,

and was saved from the flying bullet

هذا هو المعروف يا أهل الفطن -- الناس بالناس ومن يعِن يعَن

This was the virtuous deal, O people of intelligence,

life begets life... whoever helps is helped later on

Arkaan and Waajibaat of Salah

2007-04-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

The earlier post talks about fulfilling the pillars of prayer, so I thought we should first talk about what they are:

Arkaan as-Salaah: These are the actions that have to be done during prayer...if we leave out even one then the salah is not considered valid and it has to be repeated...Allaah knows best.

* القيام مع القدرة في صلاة الفريضة
- Standing up in prayer according to our capacity{if we are capable of standing}, in the Fardh prayers.

* تكبيرة الإحرام في أول الصلاة
-Takbeerat Al-Ihraam at the beginning of the salah.

* قراءة الفاتحة في كل ركعة
To read Soorah Al-Faatihah in every rak'aa (unit of prayer) .

* الركوع

Ruk'uu: To bow

* الرفع من الركوع، والاعتدال قائماًبعد الرفع منه

To stand straight after getting up from the ruk'uu

* السجود على الأعضاء السبعة

To make sujood on the seven organs: forehead with the nose, hands {palms of the hand} , knees, legs and the tips of the toes

* الرفع من السجود
To sit up from the sujood

* الجلوس بين السجدتين
Sitting up between the two sujood

* التشهد الأخير
At-Tashahhud al-Akheer: The last tash-ahhud in the last rak'ah

الجلوس للتشهد الأخير
To sit up for the last Tashah-hud

الصلاة على النبي
To say Salaat upon the Prophet

* التسليمتان
At-Tasleemataan: To say as-Salaamu'alaykum while looking on both sides (left and right)

الطمأنينة في جميع الأركان

Tranquility and( re) assurance in all pillars. To have peace of mind

الترتيب بين الأركان
To perform the pillars one after another, and not mix them up

----------------
Waajibaat: These are additional actions in the salah which make it complete, without it the salah is not complete.

- جميع التكبيرات ماعدا تكبيرة الإحرام

All the takbeeraat (saying Allaahu Akbar), except Takbeerat Al-Ihraam

- قول (سمع الله لمن حمده)للإمام والمنفرد لا للمأموم

To say:{Sami Allaahu li-man hamidah} for the Imaam (the person leading the prayer) and the munfared (the person who is praying alone) not for the ma'moom (the one who prays behind the Imaam)

- قول :(ربنا ولك الحمد)للإمام والمأموم والمنفرد
To say: {Rabbanaa wa laka-al hamd} for the Imaam, mamoom and munfared

قول :(سبحان ربي العظيم)
To say :{Subhaana Rabbi Al-Atheem} in the ruk'oo

قول :(سبحان ربي الأعلى) في السجود*

To say: Subhaana Rabbi al-A'alaa in the sujood (prostration)

* قول :(رب اغفر لي) بين السجدتين
To say: Rabbi Ighfirlee between the two sujood

- التشهد الأول
The first Tashah-hud

- الجلوس للتشهد الأول
To sit at the first Tashah-hud

what kind of salah do we pray?

2007-04-16T04:13:00.000-07:00

And mankind, with regard to their performance of prayer are in five levels:
The First: The level of the one who is negligent and wrongs his soul: He is the one who falls short in performing wudhu properly, performing the prayer upon its time and within its specified limits, and in fulfilling its essential pillars.

The Second: The one who guards his prayers upon their proper times and within their specified limits, fulfils their essential pillars and performs his wudhu with care. However, his striving (in achieving the above) is wasted due to whisperings in his prayer so he is taken away by thoughts and ideas.

The Third: The one who guards his prayers within the specified limits, fulfils their essential pillars and strives with himself to repel the whisperings, thoughts and ideas. He is busy struggling against his enemy (Shaytan) so that he does not steal from the prayer. On account of this he is engaged in (both) prayer and jihaad.

The Fourth: The one who stands for the prayer , completes and perfects its due rights, its essential pillars, performs it within its specified limits and his heart becomes engrossed in safeguarding its rights and specified limits, so that nothing is wasted from it. His whole concern is directed towards its establishment, its completion and its perfection, as it should be. His heart is immersed in the prayer and in enslavement to his Lord the Exalted.

The Fifth: The one who stands for the prayer like the one mentioned above. However, on top of this, he has taken and placed his heart in front of his Lord Azzawajall, looking towards Him with his heart with anticipation, (his heart) filled with His love and His might, as if he sees and witnesses Allaah. The whisperings, thoughts and ideas have vanished and the coverings which are between him and his Lord are raised. What is between this person and others with respect to the prayer, is superior and greater than what is between the heavens and the earth. This person is busy with his Lord Azzawajall, delighted with Him.

The first type will be punished; the second type will be held to account; the third will have his sins and shortcomings expiated; the fourth will be rewarded and the fifth will be close to his Lord, because he will receive the portion of the one who makes his prayer the delight and pleasure of his eye.
Whoever makes his prayer the delight and pleasure of his eye will have the nearness to his Lord Azzawajall made the delight and pleasure of his eye in the hereafter. He will also be made a pleasure to the eye in this world since whoever makes Allah the pleasure of his eye in this world, every other eye will become delighted and pleased with him.”

-Kitaab al-Fawaaid by Ibn ul-Qayyim al Jawziyya (rahimahullaah)

from: The Translators

The Sadaqah Jaariah Project

2007-04-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday, we go to Jam'iyaat. Boring old councils are held; we grumble as loudly as we dare to under our breath, our legs itching impatiently for at least a single slight motion. I quietly sit in one farthest corner of the classroom, with my friend, M, near me, and the other one, A, nearby. today, however, the Jama'ah put a break, and everyone chattered whilst five or six girls were being trained for our assembly council ( Itha'ah). I took out an ink black pen, and began my favorite passtime, which must've, no doubt about that, been known in our long-ago posts -- drawing. A, sitting comfortably nearby, was watching (impressed :P).

I drew and drew. then I drew and drew. then drew and drew; then drew and drew. at last the masterpiece was ready, and A looked interestedly at the little girl, wearing an English sun-bonnet ( I quite admit it, I've been intruiged by bonnets), with a fat book, swinging merrily on a wooden swing. I did think it was nice too. then A opened her Jama'ah book, and told me that the Wajib ( homework) was to make a matwiyyah ( a folded page with info. on it) on either of these two topics:
1. The wives of the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم
2. The death of the Prophet صلىالله عليه وسلم and the lessons we learn from it

I chose the first one; and started working on it. Umma (Ed) said that it could be a very useful project if I started it, and if I kept making more like it, it would be Sadaqah Jaariyah!!! That was what made me more excited about making it, cuz it would be a way of increasing my hasanaat...

PS: As soon as I complete it, In sha Allah I'll put it's picture on the blog.

2007-04-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

Sisters in Faith

Reflections seldom reflected upon

the trouble with adventures..

The I Got It Covered project

good stuff

:(

more good stuff (articles)

good stuff

What Our Sisters Can Do for Palestine

there's so much to say

eid mubaarak!!!

ready, steady, go!

Why are our dua'as not answered?

Test Your Tawheeed

Ramadan diary

Ramadhaan log

A shaheed called George!

refreshing blog

it's Ramadhaan!

dying to be beautiful?

What to avoid

Phthalates

Formaldehyde

Parabens

subhaanallaah!

guess what I found?

nice nasheed

Listen to your Mother!

Juha

have your ice-cream and eat it :)

Yummy holidays...

Who inspires you nowadays?

Did the Kufi script originate in Kufa?

Early Islamic calligraphy

What is Tabarruj?

don't be fooled!

Into the Mind of a Mum (2)

Top 8

sweet!:honey zaps more spots than vinegar

unacceptable throwback or a step in the right direction?

really beneficial stuff

MCQs R Us: The Hijri Calendar

Happy New Islamic Year 1429 AH !!!

Top 10 Days

the virtues of reading

thoughts on my little brothers' birthdays

cool new blog links

do Muslim girls use their brains?

forget the gym, just remember 50261

change is good!

Eid Mubarak!

::scary:: The Devil's on your Desktop!

Our first (and possibly last) cable car adventure!

how to be the queen of clean

muslimahs and sports

Ramadan Q & A Rasha & Rida

The clever bird

so, how's it going so far?

Ibrahimعليه السلام's du'aa

golden words

رمضان : شهر الصيام والقيامRamadan : Month of fasting

Ramadan Karim, all!

bismillaah...

1 > 2

The Difference between كسوف and خسوف

Pride and Prejudice

beyond baked beans

*Sail* through your student life

MCQs R Us: some questions about Sha'baan!

hijaab-wearing sister on the beat

say no to espresso!

your guide to less toxic stuff

Top 10 Natural (Tried and Tested) Health and Beauty Products

death of a sister

The judgment of Ali رضي الله عنه or how Aliرضي الله عنه solved a complicated sum on fractions!

cool new blog links

13 tips to memorise the Qur'aan

Walnut cake recipe

There's no such thing

day in the life of our "holidays"

Sail through your student life