Submit Your Funny Caption
Posted by Muslimness comics Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tell us what you think is going on in the picture above (via the comment link below)
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Peace & respect ★
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Peace & respect ★
The Enlightenment Diet: Can Fasting Save the World?
Posted by Muslimness Eco-Islam, fasting, guest posts, muslim vegetarian, websites Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Fasting is a practice that Jews and Muslims, believers and scientists, Deepak Chopra and Glenn Beck all embrace. But does going without food really deliver spiritual and physical benefits? Bruce Feiler investigates.
If you’re looking for a way to bring together believers and scientists, here’s a tip that could remind them of their commonality and save money, too: No food!
Fasting may be the one activity these days that unites the religious and the secular, the left and the right, Deepak Chopra and Glenn Beck.
Abnegation is a way of adding oomph to any ritual; putting your stomach where your mouth is. It’s like saying, “Hey, God, I really mean it!”
As Muslims look back on a month of daytime fasts, Jews observe a 24-hour fast to observe the Day of Atonement, and Glenn Beck initiates a daylong fast to honor the Founding Fathers, the time seems ripe to ask: Does fasting work? Can it, as the prophets suggest, expiate our sins and bring us closer to God? Can it, as the yogis propose, purge our toxins and improve our sex lives? Can it, as researchers hypothesize, cure our jet lag and help us get pregnant?
In short, can fasting save the world?
Fasting pops up in an astonishing array of cultures around the world, from the Babylonians to the Incas, the Confucians to the Jains, which suggests that abstaining from food is one of the core impulses of religion, right up there with mourning, marriage, and sexual regulation. Abnegation is a way of adding oomph to any ritual; putting your stomach where your mouth is. It’s like saying, “Hey, God, I really mean it!”
In the Abrahamic faiths, the notion of fasting appears in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Koran, but generally speaking the practice seems to grow more important over time. The patriarchs don’t fast, but Moses does. The kings fast some (especially David, who Biblically had lots of sins to atone for), but the prophets even more. Christians fast more than Jews; Muslims more than either. One explanation might be that as religion became more organized, diverse, and international, fasting as a way of imposing universal authority on far-flung, disparate people became more central to the priestly class.
Fasting in the Bible is both personal and political. Individuals abstain from food to express contrition (Ahab) or to prepare for divine revelation (Moses). In a precursor to hunger strikes today, leaders also fast to prepare troops for battle (Samuel) or to request divine aid for a political cause (Ezra). Jesus fasted for 40 days but warned others not to starve themselves for public show. (What would he have said about a 2003 publicity stunt in which David Blaine starved himself for 44 days in a glass box over the Thames and lost 25 percent of his body weight?)
Eastern religions stress a different reason for fasting, namely that it cleanses the body and purifies the mind. The Indian tradition of Ayurveda, espoused by both Buddhists and Hindus and endorsed by Deepak Chopra, holds that the body is 80 percent liquid and that fasting purges corrosive toxins and restores proper balance. The Jains have a ritual of voluntary death by fasting, which they distinguish from suicide because of the prolonged period of contemplation and preparation.
So is any of this backed up by science?
The normal instinct of scientists is to scoff at religious rituals as primitive and naïve, coming from that pitiable time before the invention of the lab coat. And scientists do, indeed, downplay many of the supposed benefits of abstaining from food. For starters, your vital organs already do a pretty good job of dispensing with toxins. Second, fasting is not a good strategy for losing weight—after about half a day of not eating, the body turns to muscle and fat for fuel, then eventually slows down its metabolism, so that once you start eating again, any weight loss is quickly reversed.
But a host of new studies suggest that tactical fasting can be beneficial in a surprising number of circumstances:
Arthritis. A Norwegian study by Jens Kjeldsen-Kragh and others (2000) concluded that a seven- to 10-day controlled fast is effective in improving rheumatoid arthritis, but only if followed by a strict vegetarian diet. Patients who returned to eating normally lost all benefits.
Fertility. A study by Jonathan Tilly of Harvard Medical School, released this month, shows that reducing the caloric intake of older mice by 40 percent significantly reduces the number of eggs with abnormal chromosomes. A similar study by Tilly last year concluded that restricting food intake of adult mice extended their reproductive lifespan and the health of their offspring.
Jet lag. Harvard’s Clifford Saper published a study last year demonstrating that when mice eat no food for about 16 hours, their body clocks adjust much more rapidly to jet lag. Though untested on humans, the study suggests that the desire to eat is greater than the desire to sleep, so the body opts to postpone rest for fuel, thereby resetting its circadian cycle.
Aging. Everyone agrees that reduced caloric intake boasts a host of medical benefits, but research by Marc Hellerstein, at Berkeley, suggests that targeted fasting, such as every other day, coupled with a healthy diet, can shows signs of slowing cancer and reducing aging.
Given this continued fascination with fasting in both the laboratory and the pew, the urge not to eat would appear to be as universal as the desire to eat. Even more tantalizing, both sides can claim to be right. Fasting is that rare endeavor that believers and scientists can agree is beneficial. With that mutuality, the old parable may need a new spin. The fastest way to a man’s heart just may be through an empty stomach.
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by Bruce Feiler
Bruce Feiler is the author of Walking the Bible and Abraham and the host of Walking the Bible on PBS. His new book, America’s Prophet: Moses and the American Story, is being published next month.
Peace & respect ★
Terry Holdbrooks' Cage Prisoners' Speech
Posted by Muslimness guantanamo, terry holdbrooks, the brother mustafa Saturday, September 26, 2009
In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ | Peace be with you السلام عليكم
Here is the video recording from the Cageprisoners Ramadhan fundraising dinner, Beyond Guantanamo, of our very own brother Mustafa Terry Holdbrooks.
The iftar, fundraising dinner annd acution took place on Sunday 30th August 2009 at Kensington Town Hall. Speakers included Moazzam Begg, Yvonne Ridley, Ahmed Ghappour of Reprieve, Sami El Haj, Bisher Al Rawi, Binyam Mohamed and speaking publicly for the first time since his release: Mustafa Terry Holdbrooks, a former Guantanamo guard; acclaimed spoken word poet, Amir Sulaiman; and Mustafidh Gani. The evening opened with hauntingly beautiful Qur'anic recitation by former Guantanamo detainee and Haafidh of the Qur'aan, Moussa Zemmouri.
Let us know if it moved you too!
(To those viewing on Muxlim.com, watch the YouTube video here)
On behalf of Brother Mustafa,
AL KAUTHAR'S BRAND NEW COURSE
Posted by Muslimness education and knowledge, events, islamic courses, islamic institutions Friday, September 25, 2009In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ | Peace be with you السلام عليكم
HOME SWEET HOME
A proactive approach to a happy family
By Shaykh Alaa Elsayed
Single weekend course: 10th & 11th October 09
MANCHESTER
Venue TBA
The prophet (peace be upon him) said "The best of you is one who is best towards his family. As for me, i am best amongst you towards my family." [Ibn Majah]
In this weekend journey you will learn about:
- Choosing the right spouse
- Deciphering the language of the genders
- Understanding what women want
- The way to a man's heart
- How to win back your spouse's heart
- Completing one another Vs competing with one another
- The challenges of raising children
- Our children and the identity crisis
- How to deal with the mother in law syndrome
- How to be good to your parents so your children will be good to you!
Learn to live in perfect harmony!
Enrol Now AND Visit the forums! Your place awaits you....
- Choosing the right spouse
- Deciphering the language of the genders
- Understanding what women want
- The way to a man's heart
- How to win back your spouse's heart
- Completing one another Vs competing with one another
- The challenges of raising children
- Our children and the identity crisis
- How to deal with the mother in law syndrome
- How to be good to your parents so your children will be good to you!
Learn to live in perfect harmony!
Enrol Now AND Visit the forums! Your place awaits you....
Welcome to Embox
Posted by Muslimness education and knowledge, magazines, technology, the misanthrope, university life Thursday, September 24, 2009In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ | Peace be with you السلام عليكم
The concept behind this student 'zine is novel: providing Muslim students with a balanced A5 booklet - which is available for downloading too! - literally overflowing with career wise and fun educational information that is actually useful and relevant.
Hurray!
In saying that, there is no "do well at school" preachology emanating, none whatsoever, shukrAllah!
A humorous spin on Muslim hygiene on campus.
While the 'zine has a clearly European flavour and London character, Embox's content is global, linking academies from the Middle East, advertising hot spots from Asia and narrowing down best buys from the internet world.
The research and attitude of the e-zine is pretty spot on also, mature enough to sit and ponder through and visually impacting for a quick learn-upon-look. There was a niche and boom! Emel & co. got in, al'hamdulillah.
Embox contents include spiritual guides and reflective commentary, 10 must read books and practical gadgets, a "Fresher's diary", fabulous food ideas as well as featuring Baba Ali and Maher Zain in the current issue.
Quick, easy, doable student meals.
A daily "Fresher's Diary", quirky and honest.
It's striking colours, traditional wholesome ethos of success, striving and enjoying student life, makes Embox a joy to read, even for an old crank like me.
Double page spreads on men's and women's student dress sense.
If all this hasn't won you over, head on over to the incredible 100+ page online magazine Embox.
Let us know what you think!
On behalf of the Embox team, (contact at info@embox.co.uk)
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Peace & respect ★
Love Without Borders
Posted by Muslimness love in islam, marriage, muslim diaries, muslim while flying, trips and vacations, Zahra-Shah Thursday, September 24, 2009In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ | Peace be with you السلام عليكم
Asalaam alaikum wa rahmatillahi wa barakatu.When I traveled from Canada to New Zealand, I felt out of my comfort zone, excited but nervous at what was about to be before me.
I never would have known returning to Canada would be similar. I would have never known I was going to return...
Due to some unfortunate circumstances i.e. my husband's sister hating me due to her possessive nature over her brother, me and my husband found ourselves without a home in a foreign country. In the middle of the night I was stuck with an emotional split second decision of what to do, thus I called my dad sobbing at being homeless with nothing but the clothes on my back. I was chased out, for no good reason, both me and my husband as horrible words were thrown at us, on the lesser end I can mention the word extremist, strange, useless, thick headed, stupid ... these were the least hurtful of the lot.
We did everything for these people, everything and anything, even let it roll of our backs when their children use to spit on us, and disrespect us.
Things were going well, despite my husband's sister often telling me when we were alone that I ruined my husbands life, or that I wasn't welcome in their home, they were stuck with me, or being told not to hug my husband or go to close to him as I was smothering him, but the two of us had otherwise found jobs and in a few weeks time would be on our feet, independent at last.
I think his sister foresaw that exact image, and did anything and everything to try and harm our relationship without any luck. Kicking us out before we were able to afford living anywhere was the only way she could hurt us, the way she could make life more difficult for us, so she did it.
She finally showed her true colours in front of her brother, telling me all sorts of horrible things as filthy words flowed so smoothly out of her mouth as I helplessly looked at my feet wondering why I was in this position; I am no victim but what can you do what you have nowhere else to go and you know any minute your going to be faced with that realization.
I sit here looking at my broken laptop, the one my husband's sister smashed, my wedding photos gone, wondering how someone could be so horrible, asking Allah swt to give me the patience I need, now on the other end of the world furthest from the one I love.
I returned to Canada alone, I felt out of place after being gone almost a year.
I didn't like how I felt.
Being here alone was the worse part now faced with. The task of sponsoring my husband.
Being here to face the world alone when my best friend is so far from me. I have only left New Zealand 5 days ago - 3 of which were spent traveling... yup 50 hours of flying and lay by time.
I am finely adjusting to the new time zone after some serious jet lag, but not adjusting to being so far from my husband. Even being in another country everything reminds me of him and makes me overly emotional. I constantly worry and stress, is he eating? He can't cook, what's he eating? Does he sleep? I know I have a hard time sleeping without him next to me, we both suffer this illness. I often pretend to still be jet lagged, closing my eyes hoping to fade away into a dream land where I can smile and see my husband. This isn't easy.
All our plans are on hold at the moment both of us with he heavy burden of being apart.
InshaAllah we can spend our one year wedding anniversary together, we will, I don't break my promises, even if we both have to go to his impoverished, unstable home country of Fiji, I could care less, I will give up all the luxuries of this world even the simple ones kind of like I did when living with his family, just to be with him so that we can have a family.
Right now I don't know what to do, or where to go, my family is living in Montreal, I don't speak French so I won't be able to get a job - I also have family living in a small town, I can go there but say goodbye to halal food and masjids, which means eating 100% veggie. Oh well... It also means returning to the stares, the rude comments, the lack of understanding. I can handle it, the only thing I won't be able to handle is being away from the one I love for long - for those who think it's cheezie, you're lost and don't know what you're missing in life.
InshaAllah it wont take long.
I pray Allah swt speeds up this difficult time in our lives and gives us the strength to get through this, allow things to move quickly without any major issues. I'm going to miss my husband's birthday - we have decided he can stay a few months longer. He's not allowed to be 27 until we are together, maybe we can celebrate our birthdays together on my birthday/our wedding anniversary in March... InshaAllah.
Keep you posted. I hope everyone enjoyed their Eid, I spent mine alone in a airport. But that's ok its Allahs will. Take care, walaikum asalaam wa rahmatulla.
By: The Immigrant
Peace & respect ★The Poetical Eid in London
Posted by Muslimness culture, eid celebrations, saqib's ramadan, the poetical, university life Wednesday, September 23, 2009
In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Peace be with you السلام عليكم
As of writing, it’s nearly 6pm here in England, and I’m in my room of the halls of residence I live in for university (I forgot to mention: I’M IN UNI NOW!), but alhamdulillah, I spent most of the day wisely, so let me tell you all what I got up to today!
By: The Poetical | Peace & respect ★
First of all, sorry for not updating my Ramadan Diary. Personally, it hadn’t been much of a month to justify making a diary for. However if I have time then I could recollect some of the best parts of the holy month (a synopsis if you will) and post it, insha’Allah.
As of writing, it’s nearly 6pm here in England, and I’m in my room of the halls of residence I live in for university (I forgot to mention: I’M IN UNI NOW!), but alhamdulillah, I spent most of the day wisely, so let me tell you all what I got up to today!
I made Fajr (20 minutes before sunrise... I know, I need to improve) in my dorm room, and then went back to bed... however, I woke up at 9:15am, a bit later than I planned.
Rushed breakfast, ghusl and donned my new clothing (didn’t spend much this year: £55 approx on some nice jeans, a top, new kufi and a grey/silvery kameez!) I’m still a bit nervous around the London public transport here.
If you must know, I’m in Kingston Upon Thames, which is in Southwest London. It’s got decent connections to Central via train, so I took the train to London Waterloo at Surbiton Station. Took 25 minutes. So far, so good.
Once arriving at Waterloo though, you have to take the London Underground to get to Regents
Park Mosque (formally known as the London Central Mosque), which was my destination. The plan: make it to the 11am Eid Salaah. Sounds easy, right? When you’ve only been living in London for 2 days... not really.
I’m not a big fan of the Tube, to be honest. Small, stuffy, hot... and all those different lines, overcrowding and wondering if you’re going in the right direction. Not for me, haha. However today was a real eye opener, and made me so much more in line with loving my creator, Allah subhana wa ta’ala, and the composition of the events of the day reinforced this. See, I assumed that because this masjid is in the City of Westminster, all I needed to do was get on the Jubilee Line to Westminster from Waterloo. However, I didn’t foresee the maintenance works on that particular line... so was panicking when I realised I only had 20 minutes left to make it to Salaah.
However, my initial set out to this masjid was wrong in the first place. I got directed to the northbound Bakerloo Line (is this making sense to you? No? Guess you’ll have to be a Londoner to understand!) instead.
It was here I noticed a Muslim outside the Tube train... black kufi, black juba, scissor slippers... yep, this fits the Hijab Man persona Zaufishan mentioned a while ago! I made my salaams, asked him if he was going to the masjid, which he was. An Iraqi sister (from Baghdad! Studying to be a dentist at UCL masha’Allah) was doing the same so we teamed up to find that masjid, alhamdulillah.
Oh, an easy mistake to make: Regents Park Station doesn’t actually take you right to the mosque. Heh. We realised that after Hijab Man rung his cousin (or at least I think it was his cousin) and was told going back to the station and taking the tube to Baker Street Station would get us closer to the masjid. I explained I was from Peterborough but studying at Kingston thinking it would be nice to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr around a Muslim community.
Alhamdulillah, it brought us 2 minutes away from Regents Park, and the massive presence of Muslim around there gave me a slight inkling the masjid was there. Allah’s plans are great, His guidance and power gave me the blessing to make it safe and sound. Luck has nothing to do with it.
And lo and behold, it was there, and what an incredible masjid it was! Hijab Man, me and the Iraqi sister decided to go with where the most people were... turns out we were standing outside the sisters’ entrance. (Woops)... Again, easy mistake to make, the street was chock full of Muslims, brothers and sisters alike. Sadly due to the confusion of getting around I was 10 minutes late to Eid Salaah... so missed it.
Don’t look at me like that, it was my first time around here!
The Iraqi sister made her departure and Hijab Man caught up with his family, greeted by a couple of cousins. He invited me to join his family (his aunty, uncle and cousins) for a tiny picnic at the Regents Park, close to the masjid, literally a couple of minute’s walk. I felt a bit nervous as usual, but the family were incredibly warm and inviting, alhamdulillah.
Hijab Man’s name is actually Sohaib, a Karachi-born Pakistani who moved here. He’s a college student but works at Kingston Hospital, masha’Allah. He’s told me his immediate family still live in Pakistan, but honestly, with his accent, manners and etiquette you wouldn’t have guessed where he was from!
The nice people he brought me to were incredibly hospitable, masha’Allah. Chocolates and pastries ahoy! The conversations we had ranged from family backgrounds to educational banter and even Hajj and Umrah experiences! It was nice to spend Eid with a family, especially considering it was the first Eid ever WITHOUT my family. ‘Allah works in such beautifully mysterious ways’ I muse to myself as I agree to take a family photo.
1pm approached and we could hear the Adhan from the park as me and Sohaib walked to the masjid. This was so exciting, my first time in here. The entrance is so grand, and I can’t stop staring at that pretty gold dome, oooooh. Making wudhu here was nice and the place was lively as sisters and brothers roamed the massive masjid indoors.
Check out the photo gallery with this piece, it shows the front entrance, the inside of it, the restaurant and library, as well as the beautiful prayer room! Making Zuhr Salaah here was so peaceful and serene, and the imam’s voice is beautiful, masha’Allah. After the prayer I poked around the masjid a bit more, and visited the gift shop!
Darussalam is a pretty awesome shop; packed for Eid, naturally, it stocks Muslim gear such as jubas, hijabs, Islamic books, nasheeds, Eid cards, you name it, that shop... probably has it, I don’t exactly work as a stockist or spied at the warehouses. Honest.
Anyway, I bought two VERY nice Eid Cards to send off and for myself, a prayer rug with a Qiblah compass. Nice, alhamdulillah.
After this, we left the masjid at about 3pm (I think, maybe 2:30pm... bleh, forgetfulness), back to Regents Park, presumably to continue their little picnic. Funnily enough my parents rang, wishing me an Eid Mubarak. They’re happy I’m spending Eid at least with a family (THAT is how universal the teachings and ethics of our religion goes, subhan’Allah) and Mum had a bit of banter with Sohaib’s aunty, masha’Allah! But the experienced was destined to end as Sohaib and his family had to depart.
I made my salaams and duas, heh. And yay, I made friends, insha’Allah I will stay in touch with this family especially as Sohaib’s cousin goes to the same university as me! Seeing as it was about 2:45pm when they left, I roamed around the masjid and park a bit more alone, until going back to Kingston (about a 40 minute train journey alhamdulillah) safe and sound.
Considering the rocky start at arriving at halls of residence and getting accustomed to such a different way of life from home... this was an amazing boost of Iman for me.
I returned from the trip feeling high (no, not that high), more motivated to protect myself from the fitnah of university life, to increase my khushoo during Salat, to recite Quran more... it’s that positive culture SHOCK I got that made me feel so great, I hadn’t felt like that since my Umrah in 2008! I think I’ll need to visit this masjid often if I can to recharge myself when I feel down!
Anyway, I think I’ve yabbered on enough, so I hope you enjoyed this piece, or at least the photos I’ve included too! Just a heads up, if you’ve not heard from me for a while, I haven’t disappeared, it may be university studies on priority. So make dua for my success, insha’Allah!
By: The Poetical | Peace & respect ★
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