Monday, May 11, 2009

HIJAB

DEFINITION OF HIJAB

Hijab or ijāb (حجاب, IPA: [ħi.ˈdʒæːb]) is the Arabic word for "curtain / cover" (noun), based on the root حجب meaning "to cover, to veil, to shelter". In popular use, hijab means "head cover and modest dress for women" among Muslims, which most Islamic legal systems define as covering everything except the face and hands in public.

According to Islamic scholarship, hijab is given the wider meaning of modesty, privacy, and morality; the word for a headscarf or veil used in the Koran is khimār (خمار) and not hijab. Still another definition is metaphysical, where al-hijab "refers to the veil which separates man or the world from God.”

Since the 1970s, hijab has emerged as a symbol of Islamic consciousness. Muslims differ as to how "hijab dress" should be enforced, particularly over the role of religious police that are enforcing hijab in Iran and Saudi Arabia.


HIJAB IN ISLAMIC TEXT

“And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful.”

(Surah An-Nur 31-34)

In the following verse, Muslim women are asked to draw their jilbab over them (when they go out), as a measure to distinguish themselves from others, so that they are not harassed.

“Those who harass believing men and believing women undeservedly, bear (on themselves) a calumny and a grievous sin. O Prophet! Enjoin your wives, your daughters, and the wives of true believers that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad) That is most convenient, that they may be distinguished and not be harassed. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

(Surah al-Ahzab 33:58–59)


Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: "The Prophet said: Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a veil." Sunnan Abu Dawud 2:641.

[Abū Dawud is considered the third most authentic collection (after Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). However, not all hadiths in Abu Dawud are authentic.]

Narrated Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya, Ummul Mu'minin: "When the verse 'That they should cast their outer garments over their persons' was revealed, the women of Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing outer garments." Sunnan Abu Dawud 32:4090.

[Abū Dawud classed this hadith as authentic.]



Sunday, May 10, 2009

Warning against the Dajjal

The Hadith by Uwas Ibn Saman Al-Kilabi:

Al-Nuwas Ibn Saman said, "One morning the Prophet spoke about the Dajjal. Sometimes he described him as insignificant, and sometimes he described him as so dangerous that we thought he was in the clump of date-palms nearby. When we went to him later on, he noticed that fear in our faces, and asked, 'What is the matter with you?' We said, 'O Messenger of Allah, this morning you spoke of the Dajjal; sometimes you described him as insignificant, and sometimes you described him as being so dangerous that we thought he was in the clump of date-palms nearby. "The Prophet said, 'I fear for you in other matters besides the Dajjal. If he appears whilst I am among you, I will contend with him on your behalf. But if he appears while I am not among you, then each man must contend with him on his own behalf, and Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf. The Dajjal will be a young man, with short, curly hair, and one eye floating. I would liken him to 'Abd al-Uzza Ibn Qatan. Whoever amongst you lives to see him should recite the opening Ayat of Surat al-Kahf. He will appear on the way between Syria and Iraq, and will create disaster left and right. O servants of Allah, adhere to the Path of Truth." "We said, 'O Messenger of Allah, for the day which is like a year, will one days prayers be sufficient? He said, 'No, you must make an estimate of the time, and then observe the prayers." "We asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, how quickly will he walk upon the earth? He said, 'Like a cloud driven by the wind. He will come to the people and call them (to a false religion), and they will believe in him and respond to him. He will issue a command to the sky, and it will rain; and to the earth, and it will produce crops. After grazing on these crops, their animals will return with their udders full of milk and their flanks stretched. Then he will come to another people and will call them (to a false religion), but they will reject his call. He will depart from them; they will suffer famine and will possess nothing in the form of wealth. Then he will pass through the wasteland and will say, 'Bring forth your treasures, and the treasures will come forth, like swarms of bees. Then he will call a man brimming with youth; he will strike him with a sword and cut him in two, then place the two pieces at the distance between an archer and his target. Then he will call him, and the young man will come running and laughing." "At that point, Allah will send the Messiah, son of Mary, and he will descend to the white minaret in the east of Damascus, wearing two garments dyed with saffron, placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head, beads of perspiration will fall from it, and when he raises his head, beads like pearls will scatter from it. Every Kafir who smells his fragrance will die, and his breath will reach as far as he can see. He will search for the Dajjal until he finds him at the gate of Ludd, where he will kill him." "Then a people whom Allah has protected will come to Isa (Jesus) son of Mary, and he will wipe their faces (ie wipe the traces of hardship from their faces) and tell them of their status in Paradise. At that time Allah will reveal to Isa (Jesus): "I have brought forth some of My servants whom no-one will be able to fight. Take My servants safely to al-Tur." "Then Allah will send Gog and Magog, and they will swarm down from every slope. The first of them will pass by the Lake of Tiberias, and will drink some of its water; the last of them will pass by it and say, "There used to be water here." Isa (Jesus), the Prophet of Allah, and his Companions will be besieged until a bull's head will be dearer to them than one hundred dinars are to you nowadays." "Then Isa (Jesus) and his Companions will pray to Allah, and He will send insects who will bite the people of Gog and Magog on their necks, so that in the morning they will all perish as one. Then Isa (Jesus) and his Companions will come down and will not find any nook or cranny on earth which is free from their putrid stench. Isa (Jesus) and his Companions will again pray to Allah, Who will send birds like the necks of camels; they will seize the bodies of Gog and Magog and throw them wherever Allah wills. Then Allah will send rain which no house or tent will be able to keep out, and the earth will be cleansed, until it will look like a mirror. Then the earth will be told to bring forth its fruit and restore its blessing. On that day, a group of people will be able to eat from a single pomegranate and seek shelter under its skin (ie the fruit would be so big). A milch camel will give so much milk that a whole party will be able to drink from it; a cow will give so much milk that a whole tribe will be able to drink from it; and a milch-sheep will give so much milk that a whole family will be able to drink from it. At that time, Allah will send a pleasant wind which will soothe them even under their armpits, and will take the soul of every Muslim. Only the most wicked people will be left, and they will fornicate like asses; then the Last Hour will come upon them." (Muslim)

A Hadith narrated from Abu Umamah Al-Bahili

Abu Umamah al-Bahili said, "The Prophet delivered a speech to us, most of which dealt with the Dajjal and warned us against him. He said, 'No tribulation on earth since the creation of Adam will be worse than the tribulation of the Dajjal. Allah has never sent a Prophet who did not warn his Ummah against the Dajjal. I am the last of the Prophets, and you are the last Ummah. The Dajjal is emerging among you and it is inevitable. If he appears while I am still among you, I will contend with him on behalf of every Muslim. But if he appears after I am gone, then every person must contend with him on his own behalf. He will appear on the way between Syria and Iraq, and will spread disaster right and left. O servants of Allah adhere to the path of Truth. I shall describe him for you in a way that no Prophet has ever done before. He will start by saying that he is a Prophet, but there will be no Prophet after me. Then he will say, "I am your Lord," but you will never see your Lord until you die. The Dajjal is one-eyed, but your Lord, glorified be He, is not one-eyed. On his forehead will be written the word Kafir, which every Muslim, literate or illiterate, will be able to read. Among that which he will bring will be the Paradise and Hell he will offer; but that which he calls Hell will be Paradise, and that which he calls Paradise will be Hell. Whoever enters his Hell, let him seek refuge with Allah and recite the opening Ayat of Surat al-Kahf, and it will become cool and peaceful for him, as the fire became cool and peaceful for Abraham. "He will say to a Bedouin, What do you think if I bring your father and mother back to life for you? Will you bear witness that I am your lord? The Bedouin will say Yes, so two devils will assume the appearance of his father and mother, and will say, "O my son, follow him for he is your lord." "He will be given power over one person, whom he will kill and cut in two with a saw. Then he will say, 'Look at this slave of mine, now I will resurrect him, but he will still claim that he has a Lord other than me. Allah will resurrect him, and this evil man (the Dajjal) will say to him, 'Who is your Lord? The man will answer, 'My Lord is Allah, and you are the enemy of Allah. You are the Dajjal. By Allah, I have never been more sure of this than I am today."

Abu Said said, "The Prophet said, 'That man will have the highest status among my Ummah in Paradise." Abu Said said, "By Allah, we never thought that that man would be any other than 'Omar Ibn al-Khattab, until he passed away." Al-Muharibi said: "Then we referred to the Hadith of Abu Rafii, which said, 'Part of his Fitnah will be the fact that he will pass through an area whose people will deny him, and none of their livestock will remain alive. Then he will pass through a second area whose people will believe in him; he will order the sky to rain and the earth to bring forth crops, and their flocks will return from grazing fatter than they have ever been, with their flanks stretched, their udders full. He will pass through every place on earth - except Makkah and Madina, which he will never enter, for there are angels guarding every gate of them with unsheathed swords - until he reaches al-Zarib al-Ahmar and camps at the edge of the salt-marsh. Madina will be shaken by three tremors, after which every Munafiq (hypocrite) will leave it, and it will be cleansed of evil, as iron is cleansed of dross. That day will be called Yawm al-Khalas (The Day of Purification)."

Umm Sharik bint Abil-Akr said, "O Messenger of Allah, where will the Arabs be at that time?" He said, "At that time they will be few; most of them will be in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and their Imam will be a righteous man. Whilst their Imam is going forward to lead the people in praying Salat al-Subh (the morning prayer), Isa (Jesus) son of Mary will descend. The Imam will step back, to let Isa (Jesus) lead the people in prayer, but Isa (Jesus) will place his hand between the mans shoulders and say, 'Go forward and lead the prayer, for the Iqamah was made for you. So the Imam will lead the people in prayer, and afterwards ISA (Jesus) - ’alayhis salâm - will say, 'Open the gate. The gate will be opened, and behind it will be the Dajjal and a thousand Jews, each of them bearing a sword and shield. When the Dajjal sees Isa (Jesus), he will begin to dissolve like salt in water, and will run away. Isa (Jesus) will say, 'You will remain alive until I strike you with my sword. He will catch up with him at the eastern gate of Ludd and will kill him. The Jews will be deflated with the help of Allah. There will be no place for them to hide; they will not be able to hide behind any stone, wall, animal or tree - except the boxthorn (al-Gharqarah) - without saying, 'O Muslim servant of Allah! here is a Jew, come and kill him!"

The Prophet said, "The time of the Dajjal will be forty years; one year like half a year, one year like a month, and one month like a week. The rest of his days will pass so quickly that if one of you were at one of the gates of Madina, he would not reach the other gate before evening fell." Someone asked, "O Messenger of Allah, how will we pray in those shorter days?" He said, "Work out the times of prayer in the same way that you do in these longer days, and then pray." The Prophet said, "Jesus son of Mary will be a just administrator and leader of my Ummah. He will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the Jizyah (tax on non-Muslims). He will not collect the Sadaqah, so he will not collect sheep and camels. Mutual enmity and hatred will disappear. Every harmful animal will be made harmless, so that a small boy will be able to put his hand into a snakes mouth without being harmed, a small girl will be able to make a lion run away from her, and a wolf will go among sheep as if he were a sheepdog. The earth will be filled with peace as a container is filled with water. People will be in complete agreement, and only Allah will be worshipped. Wars will cease, and the authority of Quraysh will be taken away. The earth will be like a silver basin, and will produce fruits so Abundantly that a group of people will gather to eat a bunch of grapes or one pomegranate and will be satisfied. A bull will be worth so much money, but a horse will be worth only a few dirhams." Someone asked, "O Messenger of Allah, why will a horse be so cheap?" He said, "Because it will never be ridden in war." He was asked, "Why will the bull be so expensive?" He said, "Because it will plough the earth. For three years before the Dajjal emerges, the people will suffer severe hunger. In the first year, Allah will order the sky to withhold a third of its rain, and the earth to withhold two-thirds of its fruits. In the third year, He will order the sky to withhold all of its rain, and the earth to withhold all of its fruits, so that nothing green will grow. Every cloven-hoofed creature will die except for whatever Allah wills." Someone asked, "How will the people live at that time?" He said, "By saying La ilaha illa Allah, Allah Akbar, Subhan Allah and Al-Hamdu-lillah. This will be like food for them." The Prophet said, "The Dajjal will come forth, and one of the Believers will go towards him. The armed men of the Dajjal will ask him, 'Where are you going? He will say, 'I am going to this one who has come forth. They will say, 'Kill him! Then some of them will say to the others, 'Hasnt your lord [ie the Dajjal] forbidden you to kill anyone without his permission?" So they will take him to the Dajjal, and when the Believer sees him, he will say, 'O People, this is the Dajjal whom the Prophet told us about. Then the Dajjal will order them to seize him and wound him in the head; they will inflict blows all over, even in his back and stomach. The Dajjal will ask him, 'Dont you believe in me? He will say, 'You are a false Messiah. The Dajjal will order that he be sawn in two from the parting of his hair to his legs; then he will walk between the two pieces. Then he will say 'Stand! and the man will stand up. The Dajjal will say to him, 'Don't you believe in me? The believer will say, 'It has only increased my understanding that you are the Dajjal. Then he will say, 'O people! he will not treat anyone else in such a manner after me. The Dajjal will seize him to slaughter him, but the space between his neck and collar-bone will be turned into copper, and the Dajjal will not be able to do anything to him. He will take the man by his arms and legs and throw him away; the people will believe that he has been thrown into Hell, whereas in fact he will have been thrown into Paradise." The Prophet said, "He will be the greatest of martyrs in the sight of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." (Muslim)

The Dajjal

Ibn Shihab said: "'Omar Ibn Thabit al-Ansari told me that some of the Companions of the Prophet told him that on the day when he warned the people about the Dajjal, the Prophet said: "There will be written between his eyes the word Kafir (unbeliever). Everyone who resents his bad deeds - or every believer- will be able to read it." He also said, "You must know that no one of you will be able to see his Lord until he dies.'" (Muslim, al-Bukhari). Ibn 'Omar said, "The Prophet mentioned the Dajjal to the people. He said, "Allah is not one-eyed, but the Dajjal is blind in his right eye, and his eye is like a floating grape.'" (Muslim) Anas Ibn Malik said, "The Prophet said, 'there has never been a Prophet who did not warn his people against that one-eyed liar. Verily he is one-eyed and your Lord is not one-eyed. On his forehead will be written the letter Kaf, Fa, Ra (Kafir).'" (Muslim, al-Bukhari)

Hudhayfah said, "The Prophet said, 'I know more about the powers which the Dajjal will have than he will know himself. He will have two flowing rivers: one will appear to be pure water, and the other will appear to be flaming fire. Whosoever lives to see that, let him choose the river which seems to be fire, then let him close his eyes, lower his head and drink from it, for it will be cold water. The Dajjal will be one-eyed; the place where one eye should be will be covered by a piece of skin. On his forehead will be written the word Kafir, and every believer, whether literate or illiterate, will be able to read it.'" (Muslim)

Abu Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, 'Shall I tell you something about the Dajjal which no Prophet has ever told his people before me? The Dajjal is one-eyed and will bring with him something which will resemble Paradise and Hell; but that which he calls Paradise will in fact be Hell. I warn you against him as Noah warned his people against him.'" (al-Bukhari, Muslim)

Mohammad Ibn Munkadir said: "I saw Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah swearing by Allah that Ibn Sayyad was the Dajjal, so I asked him, 'Do you swear by Allah?' He said, 'I heard 'Omar swear to that effect in the presence of the Prophet, and the Prophet did not disapprove of it.'" Some 'ulama' (scholars) say that some of the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) believed Ibn Sayyad to be the greater Dajjal, but that is not the case: Ibn Sayyad was a lesser dajjal. Ibn Sayyad travelled between Makkah and Madina with Abu Sa'id, and complained to him about the way that people were saying that he was the Dajjal. Then he said to Abu Sa'id, "Did not the Prophet say that the Dajjal would not enter Madina? I was born there. Did not he say that he would not have any children? - I have children. Did not he say that he would be a Kafir? - I have embraced Islam. Of all the people, I know the most about him: I know where he is now. If I were given the opportunity to be in his place, I would not resent it.'" (al-Bukhari, Muslim)


The Hadith of Fatimah

'Amir Ibn Sharahil Sha'bi Sha'b Hamdan reported that he asked Fatima bint Qays, the sister of Dahhak Ibn Qays, who was one of the first Muhajirat, "Tell me a Hadith which you heard directly from the Prophet with no narrator in between." She said, "I can tell you if you like." He said, 'Yes, please tell me," she said, "I married Ibn al-Mughirah, who was one of the best of the youth of Quraysh in those days. But he fell in the first Jihad on the side of the Prophet. "When I became a widow, 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn 'Awf, one of the companions of the Prophet sent me a proposal of marriage. The Prophet also sent me a proposal of marriage on behalf of his freedman Usamah Ibn Zayd. I had been told that the Prophet had said, 'He who loves me should also love Usamah.' When the Prophet spoke to me, I said, 'It is up to you: marry me to whomever you wish.' "The Prophet said, 'Go and stay with Umm Sharik.' Umm Sharik was a rich Ansari (Muslim originally from Madina) woman, who spent much in the way of Allah and entertained many guests. I said, 'I will do as you wish.' Then he said, 'Don't go. Umm Sharik has many guests, and I would not like it if your head or leg were to become uncovered accidentally and people saw something you would not wish them to see. It is better if you go and stay with your cousin 'Abdullah Ibn 'Amr Ibn Umm Maktum' ('Abdullah was of the Banu Fihr of Quraysh, the same tribe as that to which Fatima belonged).

"So I went to stay with him, and when I had completed my 'Iddah (period of waiting), I heard the Prophet's announcer calling for congregational prayer. I went out to the mosque, and prayed behind the Prophet. I was in the women's row, which was at the back of the congregation. When the Prophet had finished his prayer, he sat on the pulpit, smiling, and said, 'Everyone should stay in his place.' Then he said, 'Do you know why I had asked you to assemble?' The people said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' "He said, 'By Allah, I have not gathered you here to give you an exhortation or a warning. I have kept you here because Tamim al-Dari, a Christian man who has come and embraced Islam, told me something which agrees with that which I have told you about the Dajjal. He told me that he had sailed in a ship with 30 men from Banu Lakhm and Banu Judham. The waves had tossed them about for a month, then they were brought near to an island, at the time of sunset. They landed on the island, and were met by a beast who was so hairy that they could not tell its front from its back.

They said, "Woe to you! What are you?" It said, "I am al-Jassasah." They said, "What is al-Jassasah?" It said, "O people, go to this man in the monastery, for he is very eager to know about you." Tamim said that when it named a person to us, we were afraid lest it be a devil." Tamim said, 'We quickly went to the monastery. There we found a huge man with his hands tied up to his neck and with iron shackles between his legs up to the ankles. We said, "Woe to you, who are you?" He said, "You will soon know about me. Tell me who you are."

We said, "We are people from Arabia. We sailed in a ship, but the waves have been tossing us about for a month, and they brought us to your island, where we met a beast who was so hairy that we could not tell its front from its back. We said to it, "Woe to you! What are you? and it said , "I am al-Jassasah." We asked, "What is al-Jassasah?" and it told us, "Go to this man in the monastery, for he is very eager to know about you." So we came to you quickly, fearing that it might be a devil.'

"The man said, "Tell me about the date-palms of Baysan.' We said, 'What do you want to know about them?" He said, 'I want to know whether these trees bear fruit or not.' We said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Soon they will not bear fruit.' Then he said, "Tell me about the lake of al-Tabariyyah [Tiberias, in Palestine].' We said, 'What do you want to know about it?" He asked, 'Is there water in it?' We said, 'There is plenty of water in it.' He said, 'Soon it will become dry.' Then he said, 'Tell me about the spring of Zughar.' We said, 'What do you want to know about it?' He said, 'Is there water in it, and does it irrigate the land?" We said, 'Yes, there is plenty of water in it, and the people use it to irrigate the land.' "Then he said, "Tell me about the unlettered Prophet ' what has he done?' We said, 'He has left Makkah and settled in Yathrib.' He asked, 'Do the Arabs fight against him?' We said, 'Yes.' He said, 'How does he deal with them?' So we told him that the Prophet had overcome the Arabs around him and that they had followed him. He asked, 'Has it really happened?' We said, 'Yes.' He said, 'It is better for them if they follow him. Now I will tell you about myself. I am the Dajjal. I will soon be permitted to leave this place: I will emerge and travel about the earth. In 40 nights I will pass through every town, except Makkah and Madina, for these have been forbidden to me. Every time I try to enter either of them, I will be met by an angel bearing an unsheathed sword, who will prevent me from entering. There will be angels guarding them at every passage leading to them.'

Fatima said, "The Prophet striking the pulpit with his staff, said: 'This is Tayyibah, this is Tayyibah, this is Tayyibah, [ie Madina]. Have I not told you something like this?' The people said, 'Yes.' He said, 'I liked the account given to me by Tamim because it agrees with that which I have told you about the Dajjal, and about Makkah and Madina. Indeed he is in the Syrian sea or the Yemen sea. No, on the contrary, he is in the East, he is in the East, he is in the East' and he pointed towards the East. Fatima said: I memorised this from the Prophet." (Muslim)

'Abdullah Ibn 'Omar said, "The Prophet said, 'While I was asleep, I saw myself a dream performing Tawaf (circumambulation) around the Ka'ba. I saw a ruddy man with lank hair and water dripping from his head. I said, 'Who is he?" and they said, "The son of Mary." Then I turned around and saw another man with a huge body, red complexion, curly hair and one eye. His other eye looked like a floating grape. They said, "This is the Dajjal." The one who most resembles him is Ibn Qatan, a man from the tribe of al-Khuza'ah'." (al-Bukhari, Muslim)

Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah said, "The Prophet said, 'The Dajjal will appear at the end of time, when religion is taken lightly. He will have 40 days in which to travel throughout the earth. One of these days will be like a year, another will be like a month, a third will be like a week, and the rest will be like normal days. He will be riding a donkey; the width between its ears will be 40 cubits. He will say to the people: "I am your lord." He is one-eyed, but your Lord is not one-eyed. On his forehead will be written the word Kafir, and every believer, literate or illiterate, will be able to read it. He will go everywhere except Makkah and Madina, which Allah has forbidden to him; angels stand at their gates. He will have a mountain of bread, and the people will face hardship, except for those who follow him. He will have two rivers, and I know what is in them. He will call one Paradise and one Hell. Whoever enters the one he calls Paradise will find that it is Hell, and whoever enters the one he calls Hell will find that it is Paradise. Allah will send with him devils who will speak to the people. He will bring a great tribulation; he will issue a command to the sky and it will seem to the people as if it is raining. Then he will appear to kill someone and bring him back to life. After that he will no longer have this power. The people will say, "Can anybody do something like this except the Lord?" The Muslims will flee to Jabal al-Dukhan in Syria, and the Dajjal will come and besiege them. The siege will intensify and they will suffer great hardship. Then Isa (Jesus) son of Mary will descend, and will call the people at dawn: "O people, what prevented you from coming out to fight this evil liar?" They will answer, "He is a Jinn." Then they will go out, and find Isa (Jesus) son of Mary. The time for prayer will come, and the Muslims will call on Isa (Jesus) to lead the prayer, but he will say, "Let your Imam lead the prayer." Their Imam will lead them in praying Salat al-Subh (Morning prayer), then they will go out to fight the Dajjal. When the liar sees Isa (Jesus), he will dissolve like salt in water. Isa (Jesus) will go to him and kill him, and he will not let anyone who followed him live'." (Ahmad)

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Contradictory proverbs =)

Every Action has an equal and an opposite reaction.

Similarly, every proverb has an equal and an opposite proverb! There always exist two sides of the same coin.


U be the judge..


All good things come to those who wait.

BUT

Time and tide wait for no man.


The pen is mightier than the sword.

BUT

Actions speak louder than words.


Wise men think alike.

BUT

Fools seldom differ.


The best things in life are free things..

BUT

There's no such thing as a free lunch.


Slow and steady wins the race.

BUT

Time waits for no man.


Look before you leap.

BUT

Strike while the iron is hot.


Do it well, or not at all.

BUT

Half a loaf is better than none.


Birds of a feather flock together.

BUT

Opposites attract.


Don't cross your bridges before you come to them.

BUT

Forewarned is forearmed.


Doubt is the beginning of wisdom.

BUT

Faith will move mountains.


Great starts make great finishes.

BUT

It ain't over 'till it's over.


Practice makes perfect.

BUT

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.


Silence is golden.

BUT

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.


You're never too old to learn.

BUT

You can't teach an old dog new trick


What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

BUT

One man's food is another man's poison.


Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

BUT

Out of sight, out of mind.


Too many cooks spoil the broth.

BUT

Many hands make light work.


Hold fast to the words of your ancestors.

BUT

Wise men make proverbs and fools repeat them.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

How fast can you type?

Take a test :)
You'll be surprised by the fact that you are actually slow :p

http://malaysian-speedtest.10-fast-fingers.com/

60 perkataan
This is my result, not that fast. People could get as fast as 70 words per minute.
I can type 60 words per minute, let's go by the facts shall we?

Alphanumeric entry

In one study of average computer users, the average rate for transcription was 33 words per minute, and only 19 words per minute for composition. In the same study, when the group was divided into "fast", "moderate" and "slow" groups, the average speeds were 40 wpm, 35 wpm, and 23 wpm respectively. Two-finger typists, sometimes also referred to as "hunt and peck" typists, can reach speeds of about 37 wpm for memorized text, and 27 wpm when copying text.

An average professional typist reaches 50 to 70 wpm, while some positions can require 80 to 95 (usually the minimum required for dispatch positions and other typing jobs), and some advanced typists work at speeds above 120.

A less common form of finding the speed of a typist, the initialism CPM is used to identify the number of characters typed per minute. This is a common measurement for typing programs, or typing tutors, as it can give a more accurate measure of a person's typing speed without having to type for a prolonged period of time. Also used occasionally for associating the speed of a reader with the amount they have read.

This is also a measurement that can be associated with older models of printers, but this is often not the case. Due to the high speed of today's printers this measurement is now defunct and the most common term used today is PPM (pages per minute)

Monday, May 4, 2009

Why Islam Forbids Pork?

Source: The Muslim World League Journal, Rajab 1420 - October 1999
By: Rashid Shamsi

Food and drink have direct effect on our health. That is why Islam has prescribed regulations about our food and drink. It lays great emphasis on our physical as well as moral health, because both of these are equally important for a healthy society. The abstention from eating pork is one of the steps taken by Islam to practice hygiene and to attain purity of soul.
Islam, for the cultivation of inner faculties, insists upon the cleanliness of body and the purification of soul through Salaat (prayers) Zikr (remembrance of Allah) and other devotional duties. Islam teaches us how to attain the virtues and how to give up bad habits because both good and bad grow in the man according to his upbringing, education and environment.
A human being has natural desires: food, sleep and sex being the three primary ones. He has also other natural emotions: sorrow, happiness, love, fear, disgust and avarice etc. Islam doesn't recommend the complete abrogation of these impulses but offers a method of controlling them through religious education and discipline.
The prohibition of eating pork in Islam is relevant in this context. There is a saying in English that "a man becomes what he eats." According to physicians and medical experts, pork is a harmful diet. Consumption of swine-flesh creates lowliness in character and destroys moral and spiritual faculties in a man.

Body and Soul
The life of a man is a compound of body and soul. Anything, which is harmful for the body, hurts the soul as well. Consumption of swine-flesh reduces the feeling of shame and as such the standard of modesty. Those nations, which consume pork habitually, have a low standard of morality with the result that virginity, chastity and bashfulness are becoming a thing of the past in Europe today. The number of unwed mothers is on the increase despite of the use of pills and other contraceptives.
According to a report, 60 to 70% of girls in Sweden become mothers before marriage. The formula of "skin to skin is no sin" is taking its toll but there is hardly any feeling of shame or remorse over the end-result. Since the European nations have become addicted to wine and pork, sexual freedom with all its attendant evils has got ingrained in their culture. Consequently, homosexuality has been legalized by the British Parliament.
The Holy Qur'an has prohibited the swine-flesh; hence the Muslims would not dare touch it. The Bible has also forbidden swine-flesh, but Christians disregarded this order and started consuming it. The Europeans now proclaim that pork is a very powerful diet, rich in protein. Some of them further argue that since there is a great scarcity of food-stuff in the world and swine are available in abundant quantity, they should be consumed in the diet to overcome the food shortage. If this argument is true, why don't they use dog's meat as dogs too are available in abundance? The Europeans perhaps hate the mere mention of dog's meat in the same way as the Muslims shun pork.
Another wrong notion about swine-flesh is that its consumption lengthens life-span, although this is a pure myth and absurdity. On the contrary, people, who abstain from pork and liquor, have a longer span of life. The Muslims in Central Asia bear a testimony to this truth.
However, in the consumption of flesh Muslims are required to be selective and to distinguish between Halaal (Lawful) and Haraam (Unlawful). This step leads automatically to the deeper understanding of the need for the cultivation of a pure human nature. As blood is virtually our life-stream and whatever we consume ultimately affects the blood system, it is, therefore, necessary to exercise choice in the selection of our food and drinks as part of the requirements of the Shariah.
There are certain food and drinks specified by Allah, and His Messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as forbidden. The prohibition of these food and drinks is not by any means an arbitrary action or an unwarranted decree of Allah. It is the first and foremost a divine intervention in the best interest of man and for its own benefit.
The reasons behind the Divine intervention are numerous. They are of a nature intellectual and spiritual, moral and mental, physical and economic. And the sole purpose is to show man how to develop himself according to an upright course of life in order to be a healthy unit in the structure of the family, then of society and eventually of humanity at large.
Reliable medical doctors and social scientists are able to realize how those food and drinks forbidden by Islam are harmful and destructive to the human spirit and morality as well as to the physique and moral fibre of man and to verify the benefits of Islamic legislations on the subjects.
The prohibition is based on the aim of the purification of one's nature, because food, when consumed, doesn't merely enter the stomach and intestines and become excreta. It is absorbed and metabolized into the system and circulated to all parts of the human body, including the brain, and this in no small way affects man's nature.
Take a look at the nature of the pig for example. The pig is naturally lazy and indulgent in sex; it is dirty, greedy and gluttonous. It dislikes sunlight and lacks the spirit and will to "fight." It eats almost anything, be it human excreta or anything foul and unwholesome. Amongst all animal flesh, pork is the favored cradle of harmful germs. Pork also serves as a carrier of diseases to mankind. It is for this reason that its flesh is not suitable for consumption.
Some people have argued that the "modern pig" reared in farms is given only clean foods, therefore, its flesh should be consumable. The answer is that you may feed the pig on clean, wholesome food, but you can't change its nature. It is still a pig and will always stay so. A pig is not a plant and you cannot change it by bud-grafting.

Medical Reports
Dr. E. Kazim. M.D. in his article "Medical aspects of forbidden foods in Islam" (July 1981 issue of Muslim Journal has described diseases carried or caused by the flesh of the swine.
He writes:
The pig is a scavenger. It is an omnivorous animal. It eats everything. There are many diseases carried from swine to man, particularly parasite infestations. Lately extensive research has been focused on senility-old age is characterized by hardening of inner lining of the blood vessels of the heart, brain etc. a process called atherosclerosis. When a clot forms, it results in coronary thrombosis or a heart attack, cerebral thrombosis or stroke.
Different dietary factors are responsible for atherosclerosis. Gross atheroma may be produced in rabbit by feeding it with cholesterol, but when you add lard (derived from hog fat) to the cholesterol, the incidence of atheroma is increased and thus you would produce coronary thrombosis, and myocardial infraction.
Besides, lard contains 2800 units of vitamin D per 100 grams and no vitamin A at all. Lately vitamin D has been held responsible for atheroma, by causing increased absorption of calcium in the blood vessels. In human beings, serum cholesterol is not dependent on the intake of cholesterol in the diet, but depends upon the proportion of animal fats in the diet, which elevates the beta-lipo protein level in the blood. Animal fats contain saturated fatty acids and these saturated fatty acids have been found to be as one of the causes of atheroma in man. Medium fat bacon contains 25% proteins and 55% fat.
According to medical research, the fat content in pork is more than any other meat (beef, mutton etc.) and it takes longer to digest. Dr. M Jaffer in an article in the Islamic Review (London) of January 1997 issue has listed 16 kinds of harmful germs, which have been discovered in pork in modern researches and the diseases, which could be caused by them. The number of patients suffering from tapeworm disease is the highest in the world among pork eating nations. Other diseases attributed to pigs are caused by tri-chinelia spirates and intestinal worms occupy first place among such nations too.
Dr. Glen Shepherd wrote the following on the dangers of eating pork in Washington Post (31 May 1952).
"One in six people in USA and Canada have germs in their muscles - trichinosis 8 from eating pork infected with trichina worms. Many people who are infected show no symptoms. Most of those, who do have, recover slowly. Some die; some are reduced to permanent invalids. All were careless pork caters".
He continued "No one is immune from the disease and there is no cure. Neither antibiotics nor drugs or vaccines affect these tiny deadly worms. Preventing infection is the real answer."
After reading the statement of Dr. Shepherd, one can realize that there is no real guarantee of safety when eating pork that one would not be affected by trichina worm. That is why modern doctors advise three prohibitions during illness: no liquor, no pork and no smoking.
Muslims follow the divine law which is much higher than the medical advice. The Glorious Qur'an says, "So eat of the lawful and good food which Allah has provided for you, and thank the bounty of your Lord if it is Him you serve. He has forbidden for you only carrion and blood and swine-flesh and that which has been immolated in the name of any other than Allah; but he who is driven thereto, neither craving nor transgressing, Lo! then Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (16:114-115)
The above is the order from the Creator of the universe and the Supreme Law-Giver. All Muslims are under the obligation to obey it. This is a plain and straightforward answer to those, who usually ask why Muslims abstain from eating pork. Nevertheless, there is no sin, if a Muslims is forced by famine or starvation to eat pork in order to save his life.



This video is the effect of eating pork. Now ask yourself, do you need any more proof..? ^.^

Did the moon split into two?

The Hour has approached, and the moon split. But whenever they see a sign, they turn away and say, ‘This is evident magic.’ (54:1-2)


Narrated Anas bin Malik: "The people of Mecca asked Allah's Apostle to show them a miracle. So he showed them the moon split in two halves between which they saw the Hiram' mountain. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar), Volume 5, Book 58, Number 208)"

Narrated 'Abdullah: "The moon was split ( into two pieces ) while we were with the Prophet in Mina. He said, "Be witnesses." Then a Piece of the moon went towards the mountain. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar), Volume 5, Book 58, Number 209)"

Narrated Abdullah bin Masud: "During the lifetime of the Prophet the moon was split into two parts and on that the Prophet said, 'Bear witness (to thus).' (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 830)"

"This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas'ud (who said): We were along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) at Mina, that moon was split up into two. One of its parts was behind the mountain and the other one was on this side of the mountain. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to us: Bear witness to this. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book Giving Description of the Day of Judgement, Paradise and Hell (Kitab Sifat Al-Qiyamah wa'l Janna wa'n-Nar), Book 039, Number 6725)"


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I am not certain that this is the evidence that shows that the moon was once split into two, i'm just pointing out the connection between what was said, written and seen until today. And it is just a matter of belief. Whether you believe it or not depends on what you think and how open you are to things that you've never thought existed.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Al-Qur'an - The miracle of miracles

(Al-Qur’an) “As a miracle of purity of style, of wisdom and of truth, it is the one miracle claimed by Mohamed, his standing miracle he called it, and a miracle indeed it is!”

REV. BOSWORTH-SMITH


What is a miracle?


Here’s a couple of definition for the word miracle:

“An event that appears so inexplicable by the laws of nature that is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God”

“A person, thing or event that excites admiring awe”

“An act beyond human power, an impossibility”


Sneak Peek


Science and Qur’anic Revelation


To this kind of sympathetic, yet sceptical mentality, the Author of the Book (Al-Qur'an) uses various types of arguments to resolve his doubts. To the atheists and agnostics, the cynics and the sceptics, who have a super-abundance of scientific knowledge and who consider themselves to be "intellectual giants," the point is driven home that they are in reality like stunted "dwarfs." They are like the dwarf who may have acquired abnormal development in any one particular direction at the expense of other parts of his faculty,

like an oversized head on a puny body, the Supreme Creator questions him. But before we pose God's question to him, let me satisfy my own curiosity. "You men of science who have studied astronomy and who study our Universe through your mighty telescopes as if scrutinising an object in the palm of your hand; tell me how did this Universe come into being?" This man of science though lacking in spiritual insight, is nevertheless most generous in sharing his knowledge. He readily responds. "Well," he begins, "billions of years ago our Universe was a single piece of matter, and there happened a "Big Bang" in the centre of that huge lump of matter and mighty chunks of matter began flying in all directions. Out of that "big bang" our solar system came into being as well as the galaxies, and since there is no resistance in space to that primordial momentum generated by the initial explosion, the stars and the planets swim along in their orbits..."



At this juncture, my memory tickles me - Our materialist friends appear to have been secretly imbibing their knowledge from the Súra Yaa-Seen:


The atheistic scientist continues. "Ours is an 'expanding' universe. The galaxies are receding away from us at a faster and faster rate, and once they reach the speed of light we will not be able to see them anymore. We must construct bigger and better telescopes as quickly as possible to study the sights, if not we will miss the bus!"

"When did you discover these fairy tales?" we ask. "No, these are not fairy tales but scientific facts!" our friend assures us. "All right, we accept your facts for what you say they are, but when did you really stumble upon these facts?" "Only yesterday!" he replies. Fifty years, after all, is only 'yesterday' in the history of the human race. "An unlettered Arab in the desert over 1400 years ago could never have had your knowledge of the 'big bang' and of your 'expanding universe,' could he?" we ask. "No never!" he retorts boastingly. "Well, then listen to what this ummi Prophet uttered under inspiration:"

Note:- Ummi: means unlettered, unlearned. "And the Book is given to him that is NOT LEARNED, saying, Read this, “I pray thee: and he sayeth, I am not learned" Isaiah 29:12. See how this prophecy finds fulfillment in Mohammed (pbuh). Obtain your FREE COPY OF "What the Bible says about Mohammed (pbuh)" from the IPCI.



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