( )*thikr*

( )*shukr*

( )*ahklaq*

(JUSTICE)*’adl*

LEADS TO

LEADS TO

LEADS TO

مجلة المسلمات الجميالت الملتزمات

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In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

May the peace & mercy of Allah Subhana Wa Ta‘ala be on you.

For those who may not know, Thikr is the remembrance of Allah (God). In the Holy Quran, Allah SWT tells us, ‗Surely in the rememberence of Allah do hearts find rest. (Quran 13:28). In this issue, the main focus is not only to increase our Thikr but to improve the quality of its outcome. Thikr is not a destination. Thikr is a means to many destinations, inshaAllah. That is so important due to the fact that many view thikr as a telling quality. My editor‘s letter will have one simple point inshaAllah. If Thikr does not cause you to do justice towards others, then you have it all wrong. Islam is all about justice and doing justice to others. Islam provides the comfort in the fact that we know there is no *true justice in this world. The *true justice is what we strive towards from Allah SWT in the Hereafter. At the same time, it is our job as Muslims to work towards justice. Thikr is a straight path to doing justice: Thikr (remembrance) -> Shukr (Gratitude) -> Ahklaq (Manners) - ‗Adl (Justice) The purpose of prayer and supplication is the desire of constantly putting oneself in Thikr. It is a shame that many Muslims pray a lot, are in Thikr a lot, but lack three things: 1) showing gratitude (shukr), 2) having manners (ahklaq) and 3) doing justice towards others (‘adl). What is the purpose of Thikr if it leaves our hearts empty? It is time the Muslim ummah wake up and embrace one another instead of attacking each other. Allah SWT has named mankind ‗insan, which is derived from the Arabic root word meaning to forget. That is exactly why Allah SWT does not expect us to be perfect. At the same time, we need to realize that some mistakes are more humble than others. For example, while we should resist falling into desire or temptation, this is a different type of error than being egotistical. One comes from the sin of Adam (AS), while the other comes from Iblees. Injustice is a result of having an inflated ego. Let‘s pray for Allah to keep us away from that vice, inshaAllah. May Allah SWT grant justice amongst all the countries that are currently fighting injustice. I was tempted to name them, but in fear that I may leave something out, I pray for each and every single one of them inshaAllah. JazakAllah khair. — As always, your comments, criticism, and suggestions as a reader are highly appreciated and encouraged. By the will of Allah SWT, let us all engage in a deep collective search for truth, guided by the primary sources of Is-lam: the Qur‘an and Sunnah. As always, JazakAllah khair for being an MBMuslima reader—this magazine would be nothing without you.

www.mbmuslima.com

Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu,

Sister Yasmin Essa

Front Cover Images: Emma Apple | Yellow Pixel

http://yellowpixel.deviantart.com/

Nur Soliman is a recent graduate from the American University of Kuwait, earning a BA in English summa cum laude and minoring in Visual & Performing Arts. Nur was editor-in-chief of

the campus arts and literary journal and was a contributing arts section editor of the campus student newspaper; she continues to write for both, in addition to writing for regional and

international publications. She is currently a museum curatorial researcher, and hopes to attend graduate school in the near future insha'Allah.

One of my favorite poets is Gerard Manley Hopkins, who lived in Victorian England, and converted to Catholicism as a young man, and later became a member of the Jesuit brotherhood. Although I obviously do not share his religious views, his poetry is so spiritually charged that even I draw inspiration from it to offer insights into my own „ibada. His most well-known poem, ―Pied Beauty,‖ left me dumb-struck and filled with awe when I first came across it early morning at our university library, and touched something in me that reminded me of the importance of remembrance of God, or dhikr. In the poem, Hopkins writes ―Glory be to God for dappled things – / for skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow,‖ and goes on to list many other remarkable, unexpected details of nature and man that have beauty in their diversity, and his last lines are the most devotional, reading ―He fa-thers-forth whose beauty is past change: / Praise Him.‖ What is noteworthy about the verses of this poem is that it discusses ―contemplation‖ and ―remembrance,‖ or dhikr, and how it makes us truly worship Allah SWT better. The origins of the words ―contemplation‖ and ―remembrance‖ are interesting, and have resonance even in today‘s world. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ―remembrance‖ has its roots in Old and Middle French, and assumed meanings such as ―recollection,‖ ―record,‖ ―commemoration of memory.‖ ―Contemplation‖ arrived to English through Old French as well, and originally comes from the Latin meaning ―act of looking at or observing atten-tively,‖ as a priest or religious figure did in Roman times, with con meaning ―with‖ and templum meaning ―temple.‖ In this sense, remembrance means we are always ―in the temple,‖ or rather, in a constantly renewed state of „ibada, which makes our everyday lives permeated with the sacred at all times Dhikr plays a huge role in our lives as muslimat, and shapes the way we perform „ibada. In Chapter 7 (Surat al-A‘raf) of the Holy Qur‘an, Allah SWT tells us, ―And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and in fear without being apparent in speech - in the mornings and the evenings. And do not be among the heedless‖ (7:205). When you perform dhikr, you close the gap between being in a state of „ibada and being immersed in the dunya, meaning that you are always, forever present with Allah SWT. When

you are driving to work, or taking your seat in the bus on your way to school, when you are waiting in line in the gro-cery store, or preparing lunch, even when you are relaxing at home or at a park, and so on, wherever you are, make the most of that time to occupy yourself in dhikr. There are many ways to do dhikr, and you should try them all to see what you can regularly incorporate into your day. Tas-bih, tahmid, tahlil, and takbir are all wonderful supplications that praise Allah SWT and are very easy to say in a few sec-onds. What is important, though, is that praising the Crea-tor reminds us of His power over us and His dominance, His kindness, and His greatness, and also helps us guide our-selves on the straight path knowing we are with Him always. You can find many prayers for ―remembrance‖ or dhikr in compilations of supplications (du‟aa), such as ―Adhkar al-Sabah wa „l-Masaa‟,‖ for mornings and evenings, and also general supplications by which you ask Allah SWT for guid-ance, protection, and strength. Keep one of the miniature pocket-size books of dhikr in your bag or jacket during the day, or keep one at your bedside, in your desk drawer. Find verses of Qur‘an, hadith, and supplications that resonate deeply with you and make you truly aware and remembering of Allah SWT. With prayers such as ―[O Allah] do not place me in charge of my soul even for the blink of an eye‖ (Abu Dawud – Salih), or ―Glory be to Allah, The Supreme, and Praise Him,‖ your whole day is punctuated with utterances that help you remember Allah SWT which reflects in your actions, words, and even thoughts. In Chapter 2 (Surat al-Baqara) of the Holy Qur‘an, Allah SWT says: ―So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me‖ (2:152). There are days when we are so caught up in the dunya and affairs of the dunya that we neglect to keep Allah SWT in our hearts to put everything in its right place. And so dhikr reminds us of where we stand, one foot in the dunya and one foot in al-akhira, and dictates to us where we are in the universe and where we hope to be, and keeps us in the company of Allah SWT. All Qur‟anic references are taken from Quran, from the English translation “Sahih International,” www.quran.com

BY NUR SOLIMAN

(Remembrance) Really Makes a Difference

By Naazish YarKhan We've all heard of Fashion Shows and some even live by their dictates. At the Celebration of Believ-ing Women, an Interfaith Fashion and Entertainment Extravaganza, held at the 7th Annual Muslim Journal Awards & Conference, I was awestruck. It was at this most unlikely of events, that I experienced my identity as a Muslim receive a most spiritual boost. The soothing voice of African American Mus-lim, Amira Wazeer, filled the room. Before an all female audience, the models confidently sashayed and strut-ted, their stilettos clicking against the make shift cat-walk. Absent were the cookie cutter nymphs we have come to associate with models - faces and bodies that are essentially clones of one another, but barely reflect those in the rest of the world. Here, instead, were women in whose faces you saw the eyes of a woman you'd meet across the fence, the jaw of a lady you'd befriended at a neighbor's home, the reflection of a woman peering at you from your own mirror. On that catwalk were models, and designers, of every race, from all over the world, their hair covered, as traditionally required in Islam. Cuts, colors, lines and prints reflected a meshing of South Asian, Afri-can, Middle Eastern and American influences. Khaki and gold, silk and linen, the styles spoke of mod-esty - a commitment to 'haya' whether in public, at home or heading out to the gym. No peek-a-boo slits, no sleeves that grazed at the elbows, no teasing neck-lines or leggings that stopped at the calves of your legs. The outfits on display had neck lines that were filled in with fabric even where originally a Khameez or Kurti neckline typically has no fabric. Unlike many other Muslim fashion shows, the Celebration of Believ-ing Women didn‘t beckon me to flirt with the bounda-ries of my faith with clothing that was sheer, or had revealing waistlines and low backs, or where sleeves disappeared at the shoulder. There were fashionable teens, short women, tall women, thin women, large women, mothers, grand-mothers, - and yes I am still talking about the mod-els. They looked just as regal whether they modeled designer evening, business or sporting wear. I hadn't known there were fashion shows that avoided selling dreams that the average woman would never fit into. Living up to its name and Islamic principles, the Celebration of Believing Women honored womanhood,

Image Credit: Budi Palmer

God‘s handiwork, in all shapes, sizes and hues. There was no need to look 18 or be a size zero to qualify. As I turned into bed that night, I wondered at His ways. To think that I originally happened to be at the Muslim Journal Awards & Conference as a business trip. I was here to talk about halal, as a representative of the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) and its clients Saffron Road and Cabot Cheese, all of whom are associated with halal. Who would have imagined that I'd come on a business trip, sit through a fashion show, and leave with a renewed sense of conviction in my Islam? The fashion show had been a reflection of a halal lifestyle and our halal choices at a time when dressing both fashionably and modestly at the same time is a coup. The evening was an appreciation of our inner beauty, a merging of vari-ous races, regions and religions and all of it cocooned in Islamic principles, to make one successful whole. It was, as I like to say, Allah‘s beautiful Um-mah undulating before very my eyes.

This group of beautiful women will be recongregating in Atlanta, GA for the show's 25th Anniversary on May 8th, 2011. It will be quite an experience!

http://www.interfaithcelebrations.net/

TIME TO GET YOUR SHUKR COLORED GLASSES ON And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.” (Qur‟an 14:7) And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful. (Qur‟an 14:34) And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, “My Lord has hon-ored me.” But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, “My Lord has humiliated me.” (Qur‟an 89:15-16) One of the hardest things for me to deal with is being around a negative personality. You know the one I am talking about. The one who is constantly complaining, pessimistic, cynical, irritated with the world making him/her an irritat-ing person for others. This negative persona will find faults in everyone else but themselves, is never satisfied, and can flip the switch on you in a second over the slightest issue. Now imagine this person as your spouse, your sibling, or worse as you. Every test that we receive is from Allah. He is Permanence and the Wise. In the ayahs stated above, He mentions His favors upon us and how we must show gratefulness to Him constantly. Gratefulness is the essence of our ibadah. We can never repay Allah for His endless bounty, but we can definitely be grateful for all that He has given us. Even if we do not show gratefulness, He continues to keep giving to us. Why? That is His great mercy upon His creation. There are ways to view your this dunya. You can walk around wearing shukr-colored glasses. They will help you see the bright side of things and enjoy life more. We need to be in constant remembrance of Allah and be grateful for all that we have. Remain positive at all times and handle trials and tribulations with patience. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: ―No one can be given a blessing better and greater than patience.‖ (Sahih Al-Bukhari) Handling situations positively will bring us more peace and happiness in our lives and those around us. Here are a few daily examples to look for through your shukr-colored glasses:

Negative Aspect Positive Outlook

- I am too tired to get up today. + Alhumdullilah I was given another day to live and serve my Creator.

- I have to go to work today. + Alhumdullilah I have a job to go to and provide for myself and my loved ones.

- I have to clean this house. + Alhumdullilah I have a house to clean.

- These kids are driving me crazy. + Alhumdullilah I have healthy children of my own.

- I have to do everything for my spouse. + Alhumdullilah I have a spouse who needs me.

- This exam is so hard. + Alhumdullilah I have been given the opportunity to increase my knowledge.

‘Positive Outlook’

BY TAYYABA SYED

TAYYABA S. SYED A wife, mother, and writer. She is also a certified substitute teacher and teaches on a part-time basis. She

has written for numerous publications including the *Chicago Crescent Newspaper*, *Azizah Magazine*, and *Muslim Quarterly Magazine*. She has been featured on air with National Public Radio's "Speaking of Faith" program as well as Soundvision's Radio Islam. She also does public speaking on marriage and family for Muslim women. She is a lead volunteer for the Refugee Assistance Program (RAP) as well as Camp Busy Bees in Illinois. She finds inspiration for her work through her wonderful family and community. Visit her blog at www.tayyabasyed.blogspot.com

Image Credit: Cristina | Dreamstime.com

BY EMMA APPLE

As I sit here, my thoughts are overwhelmed with the happenings of the past week in Egypt. I stare at the blank page wondering where to begin and I can‘t help but think of the metaphor of the new page the Egyptian peo-ple are in the midst of turning.

Those who read my writing know I try to tread carefully around political matters, I‘m a peacekeeper to my own detriment most of the time. However when it comes to revolution – a peoples revolution – it is very much in my blood to join the march as if the people marching are my own, and they are, as they‘ve been say-ing on Twitter: Yesterday we were Tunisian, today we are Egyptian, tomorrow we‘ll be free.

It began on facebook, a grassroots movement for anti government protests inspired by the recent ousting of Tunisian President Ben Ali. Twitter was quickly blocked in Egypt to prevent communication aiding the anti gov-ernment efforts, Facebook was reported blocked as well, and soon, the entire internet and cell phone networks were reported to be down. From that point on, I was glued to Al Jazeera English, who have truly shone in their cover-age of the uprising even while having police knocking on their door. On Friday the 28th over a million people marched, relatively peacefully considering the amount of anger, passion and the sheer number of people moving in the streets across Egypt. They are calling for Autocratic President, Hosni Mubarak to step down, Mubarak was nowhere to be seen or heard from since the beginning of all of this, speculation had him in Israel at one point and Switzerland at another, none of that ended up being accu-rate, as far as we know, he never left Egypt.

I woke up on Friday (morning in the US, but eve-ning in Egypt) and began to tweet as quickly as I could, all the important updates from the ground that I could get, I felt the dire importance in the face of censorship, to keep the stream of information going. There were (and con-tinue to be) hundreds, maybe thousands of others doing the same.

Mainstream Media across the world speculates on who is behind this uprising, is it an ―islamist‖ revolution backed by the Muslim Brotherhood? Is it simply chaos led by looting thugs? Indeed, it is neither, it is a grassroots uprising of Egyptian people from all backgrounds, who have had enough, enough of tyranny, enough of corrup-tion and most definitely, enough of Mubarak, who has ruled with State of Emergency power for going on 30 years.

The focus and the purpose of this revolt has been astounding, historical, inspiring! Egyptian Christians vowed to stand outside Mosques to protect Muslims as they prayed Friday congregational prayers, which had been banned by the regime due to the uprising. And they did, before joining together as one voice for political change, a revolution. We saw Police firing live ammunition at protest-ers, before disappearing entirely on Saturday. Govern-ment buildings burned across the nation. Concern grew for the fate of Egypts National Museum and the history it contains. Protesters formed human chains in front of the National Museum in Cairo to protect it from looting and made some efforts to protect it from a fire that raged for days in the Government Headquarters next door. These acts further showed the clear focus the uprising had, this is not about chaos and anarchy, there is a clear and spe-cific purpose here.

Friday on Twitter, Egypt, Mubarak, #jan25 and National Museum were all trending worldwide. Soldiers and Tanks deployed in the streets were welcomed with cheers and thumbs up, confusing many international

Emma Apple (also known as UmmHend) is the Editor, Founder, Designer and an Author at Muslimas Oasis. The three drawings on the cover of this issue are courtesy of her beautiful art work.

WEB: www.muslimasoasis.com ART: http://yellowpixel.deviantart.com/

onlookers. The confusion continued as Police fired to-wards soldiers in Suez and protesters chanted ―The people and the army are one‖.

Curfews were imposed and ignored. Finally late on Friday night Mubarak spoke, his speech largely politi-cian bore, he stated that he would remain President but had fired his entire government and would appoint a new one the following day. This announcement led to renewed anger in the streets as the people spoke, once again, with a clear voice, Mubarak must go.

As things progressed into Saturday it became clear State Police were the aggressors while the Army was remaining neutral, seen to be supportive but somewhat removed from the revolt. 100 people have lost their lives so far, many killed by police. Violence and looting spread and the scene quickly became one of chaos. As night fell reports came in of thugs in the suburbs threatening and thieving, looting of government buildings and civilian businesses and fear among residents. Al Jazeera English described it accurately as thugs using the protests as a cover for looting. Citizens formed armed neighborhood watch teams and took shifts protecting their neighborhoods, using loud speakers to urge residents to keep lights on and setting up check points on the roads. Further evi-dence still of the focus and purpose of these Egyptian peo-ple. Citizens arrests were made on some of the thugs re-vealing a shocking truth, many of the looters were indeed carrying State Security ID‘s and government issued weap-ons. This coupled with the mysterious disappearance of any police presence on the streets lead to speculation of planned chaos with the purpose of silencing the revolt. ―Where are the police who are shooting the protesters? they are shooting the protesters and leaving the thieves!‖ one resident asked.

The feeling is and has been very much one of a peoples revolution, the stand out quote from Al Jazeera in all of this ―The government has underestimated the power of the people‖. As they speak to people on the street the mes-sage has been consistently, we are the people, ordinary Egyptians who have had enough.

As I write this, reporters continue their coverage, crowds

continue to gather, the people continue to rise and call for the end of a 30 year rule that has left the country with no choice but revolution. I‘ve heard numbers from 150,000 and 1 million gathered in Cairo‘s Tahrir Square (also known as Independence Square) right now, 10‘s of thou-sands of more on Alexandria and Suez and across the country.

Solidarity protests have erupted around the world, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, several cities across the US, this is a peoples revolution and it is supported by the people around the world.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said “Help the oppressor by preventing his oppression”.

Al Jazeera has been banned by the Egyptian government, however they continue their amazing work. You can watch live coverage and regular updates on Al Jazeera English and Arabic.

The hashtag on twitter that is used for tweets related to the revolution is #jan25. See all tweets with the #jan25.

We are tweeting regular updates from news and retweet-ing information from people on the ground, follow the Muslimas Oasis twitter feed.

Egyptian American Organica updates her twitter with ac-counts from family and friends on the ground. She also has a popular flickr feed with pictures of the uprising which she kindly offered me photo‘s from for this article. Big thanks and much love!

Democracy Now Producer who is on the ground Sharif Kouddous

Egyptian Columnist Mona Eltahawy

CNN Correspondent who is on the ground Ben Wedemen

Comment on this article here: http://www.muslimasoasis.com/2011/01/help-the-oppressor-egypt-revolution-2011/

The Experiences of a New English Muslim BY HANNAH YOUNG

In the beginning… I‟m just a few months old, and I am being carried down to the village Church for my Christening. I am sur-rounded by friends and family who love me and are excited about this apparently momentous event. What a bizarre procedure; this Vicar, a very nice man who has been given the privilege of being the middle-man between me and God, is splashing my head and saying a few words. How strange. Everybody else is happy, but I‟m screaming from the drips of cold water running from my brow into my eyes! So that‟s it, is it? I‟m a Christian now? So it‟s this that suddenly brings God into my life? This proves his exis-tence? Is that my ticket to paradise? Great!! That was easy!!!! Like most of the people I have known for the major-ity of my life, I was Christened as a baby. I went to Sunday School as a young child, and I can remember being dragged kicking and screaming to Church on bitter Christmas Day mornings to sit silently in the pews, listening to the sermon that had very little to do with the Christmas of turkey, chocolate, presents, and Santa that I knew about!!!

So who is this „God‟ guy I‟ve been hearing about? I never really formed much of an opinion about who God was. People seemed to like him quite a lot though. That was certainly evident in the beautiful Churches, Cathedrals, and Chapels that I would visit. But what about in everyday life? Where was He? Everyone appeared to remember God on a Sunday, but what about the rest of the week? Whoever God was, I didn‘t give Him much thought and I never real-ised that I should. Then came my teenage years. Along with the usual rebellion against parents that most of my friends seemed to be going through, I made the decision to rebel against God. I began to deny Him completely. I saw a cruel, unjust world, with no rhyme or reason and this, I thought, was hard evi-dence against His existence. The only compromise I was willing to make was to the view that, if God did exist, he was some sort of supernatural being, walking amongst us, and choosing to strike down any innocent human whenever and in whatever way he desired. Nobody could convince me oth-erwise. Strangely, this didn‘t seem to worry anybody around me. My narrow-mindedness and arrogance on the issue of religion faded slowly as I reached young adulthood. I be-came quite confused about the whole subject, and brushed it aside, failing to see the role it might play in my life.

Science and religion must be enemies, mustn‟t they?? University; 2004 to 2007. Here, I was studying Psy-

chology. Through the nature of the subject, I was taught to question everything. Accept nothing unless you see evi-dence that has less than a five percent possibility of being the result of random chance. I began to form a very scien-tific mind, and became a strong critical thinker. I had given no further thought to religion or God at this stage. Living in London, however, I was exposed to the media backlash against the bombings of 7/7. From what I could gather, this religion called Islam was responsible. Surely not, I thought. Surely every religion teaches peace? Perhaps some individ-ual people are misusing their knowledge, or abusing their authority in this religion? But it can‘t be the religion itself that condones the murder of innocent people? That‘s as far as my thinking went, but I had the feeling that this discrimi-nation was unfair. Perhaps this is more of a political than religious issue, I thought. At this stage, if somebody had asked me about God, I would have formed some sort of unconvincing, airy-fairy and over-romanticised response about rainbows, sunsets, hope, and love, concluding that the meaning of ‗God‘ must be some-thing along the lines of having a good soul, or seeing beauty in chaos. Ironically, it was as I began to study Evolutionary Anthropology for my Masters Degree, that I started to shape a more structured view of God. I was still, most definitely, a scientist, but I began to wonder whether science might actu-ally be considered as proof of God‘s existence. Perhaps sci-ence and religion weren‘t mutually exclusive. What an inno-vative idea, I would think to myself. I bet nobody‘s thought of that before. Whilst studying, I met two Muslim men, the first practicing Muslims I had ever come across. They instantly changed my ignorant perspective of what devoutly religious people must be like. They were academics, scientific think-ers. They were open-minded, they were accepting of every-one, and I was fascinated by their generous, honest, and down-to-earth nature. Until we became good friends, we steered clear of the predictable ‗Muslim versus Evolutionist‘ debate. When the conversation finally came up, I was sur-prised by their willingness to listen to my views. What sur-prised me even more was my own intrigue about this relig-ion that actually seemed to make some sort of logical sense. In the mean time, my study of Evolution was beginning to teach me about some of the flaws in, and lack of comprehen-siveness, of the theory. I started to reconsider my under-standing of where we humans came from, and rejected the idea of it all being down to ‗chance‘. By now, I was sure that the perfection of the world around us, and the science within it, had to be proof of something above us, something greater than us. I struggled to put into words what that was. I was certain, however, that God couldn‘t be human, and He certainly wasn‘t a man with a beard sitting on a cloud.

The path to the Middle East……. When I found out that I had the chance to move to the Middle East, one of my Muslim friends made me promise to read the Qur‘an, just once, during my time out there. I gave him a half-hearted response, sceptical about the book of this religion that was causing so much contro-versy. In all honesty, I couldn‘t see a reason to read a book that, I thought, would be full of rules, regulations, restric-tions, and unfounded claims of divinity. That, I thought, was the end of that. When my best friend of four years, Laura, reverted to Islam after reading about the subject for as long as I had known her, I was nothing but supportive. This seemed the right decision for her, and she was happy and content. I did, however, attribute the decision to her kooky person-ality. Although I had accepted some sort of concept of God, I was unwilling to accept that any religion could be flaw-less and convincing enough to warrant my total commit-ment to it. Through Laura, I began to meet more Muslims. I felt extremes of emotion, from being overwhelmed by hos-pitality, to terrified by comments such as ‗Our sole purpose in life is to worship Allah‘. What a shame, I thought, these people aren‘t even allowed to have any fun! One day though, I was drawn to a book title; ‗Islamic Perspectives on Science‘. That‘s more my area, I thought, and I bought it. The book sat on my shelf for weeks. Laura warned me about reading it, claiming, to my amusement, that if I read it I would be convinced and I‘d want to revert. What a ri-diculous idea!!! I‘m not that gullible!!! So one night, I de-cided to take on the challenge to prove her wrong………..

„I told you so, Hannah‟……. After sitting down to read this book, just two or three times, I then faced the biggest decision of my life. All my confusion about religion, my struggle with the com-patibility of science and religion, all of my scepticism, was torn apart, restructured, and put back together again within just a few pages. It turned my thinking totally on its head. This is it, this is what I have been trying to say! I continued to read, about the pillars of Islam, about what Muslims believe, and no words can describe how it felt to connect so much with printed words. All my jumbled, in-comprehensible ideas about God and religion had been organised, and there they were in black and white, on the pages in front of me. All of this proof! All of this beauty! The belief in just one God, no partners, nothing like Him, of course! I cried. I went to bed asking God to ease my de-cision, to make clear my path. The next morning, for the first time, the Athan (the call to prayer) from the local Mosque woke me. I smiled. I had my answer. In February, I said the Shahada (the declaration of faith). I felt complete peace and relief. It is when you pray for the first time that it becomes clear that we are all Mus-lim. We are all born Muslim. Any other ‗religions‘ are only faiths imposed on us by society. Imagine; you are standing shoulder to shoulder to other Muslims, raising your hands to your ears and saying ‗Allahu Akhbar‘, and proceeding to

perform a series of strange movements that include bend-ing, kneeling, sitting, and, of all things, placing your fore-head and nose on the floor! Weird? It is this most natural thing in the world. It is as if you have been doing that, five times a day, for your whole life. Incredible. Islam is such an easy religion. I haven‘t changed at all, it feels completely natural, and it is so easy to follow. This makes sense, as it is the right and true religion and is complete and definitive. There is a lot to learn, but that‘s part of the beauty of Islam. I have begun to crave knowl-edge, to crave the amazement I feel each time I learn something new. It is complex, yet concise. By this I mean that there is enough substance for thousands and thou-sands of books to be written about it, yet it is simple enough for the essence of Islam to come across just by briefly explaining the Five Pillars of Islam. So this is my story. I hope it reflects the fact that Islam comes to people from all backgrounds and in many differ-ent ways. I thank Allah every day for giving me this path, and of course, only He knows how happy Islam makes me. I am so proud to be Muslim.

Finally, a few pointers to ponder over; I am from a scientific background. I was naturally sceptical about religion and I studied Evolution. Yet, I em-braced Islam. Why? The scientific facts revealed in the Qur‘an are just incredible. In the Qur‘an, Allah talks in fine detail about Astrology, Embryology, Physics, Geology and Psychology, to mention just a few. Scientific discoveries that are only just being made are already outlined in the Qur‘an. The Qur‘an and Hadith cover every area of life. Imagine, Allah even bothering to detail how we should trade. Everything Islam teaches is a guide to living a peace-ful, content, and easy life. We would see a very different world if everyone in it followed Islam. Unlike other holy books, the Qur‘an has not been changed, even by one letter, since it was revealed. Allah promised to protect it from corruption, and as a result of this, we can trust that every single word written in it comes from Allah, and is entirely trustworthy. If you are lucky enough to live in the UAE, or if you have visited a Muslim country, you will not be able to deny the astounding commitment you see from Muslims around you. Count the Mosques you can see from the top of a tall building. Count the number of people filing in and out of the Mosques five times a day. They can‘t all be wrong! Challenge yourself to listen to Qur‘an and not be moved by it. You may not understand a word, but allow yourself to open your heart, just a little, and you will be reduced to tears. Because these are the words of Allah. Whenever you hear something negative about Islam in the news, do your best to ignore it. Research it yourself. Pass on what you find to your friends. The word ‗Islam‘ comes from the words ‗submission‘ and ‗peace‘. How could a re-ligion of submission and peace be the cause of all these atrocities that it‘s so often blamed for?

SAVE YOUR MONEY, DON’T BUY STOCKS By Aisha Kureishy God made human beings the best of all creations. He gave us the ability to think and act our best. We should be grateful to God for everything that He has given us, especially for water, food, clothing and shelter. More than a bil-lion people across the globe live on less than $1 a day. They do not have access to clean water, food, clothing or a place to live. On the contrary, in America there is an abundance of everything, so much so that our basic needs have become triv-ial. Now we are spending money on things that we do not need. Besides the surplus, people look for effortless ways such as buying stocks to increase their wealth in hope of mega profits. Some by choice, and others are compelled by their retirement plans. In fact, stocks shatter people‘s dream of gaining financial freedom, and it cripples their finan-cial stability. Further more, any investment company never compensates such loss. So why would we continue to in-vest in such venues? How many past and recent market crashes do we need to realize this truth that stocks‘ invest-ment is the culprit. We must learn a lesson from all past and recent market crashes. According to New York times, 1.2 trillion dollars disappeared on Monday September 29th ‘08 from the stock market. Indeed, people‘s entire life savings disappeared under their noses on that day, because of the biggest fall in stock market. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the history of stock market‘s crashes before buying stocks, with a possi-bility of never seeing it again. The following time line of American financial meltdown or global economic crisis, and the most devastating wars can help one to understand the consequences of investing in stocks.

War of 1812-1819 >>Panic of 1837, 1857, 1873,1893 WW1 from 1914-1918 >>The Great Depression >>1929-1939 >>WW2 from 1939-1945 Vietnam War circa 1967 to 1975 >>Cold war of Russia 1980-1991 >>Market crash of 1987 Gulf War 1990 >>September 11, 2001 >>Market crash of 2001 2001 War against Afghanistan >>Market crash of 2008 >>War against Pakistan.

Did you notice that most market crashes were followed by a war? This tragic pattern of loss of lives, homes, jobs, and savings has been going on for almost two hundred years. Perhaps, wars are started at those times in order to boost the economy. At these catastrophic times poverty and unemployment rises, and the young and the unem-ployed are easily convinced to join the military. Wars have been known to profit the upper class by giving them more control to manipulate the arms and ammunition industry, as well as oil and banking. Therefore, you must learn how to save, manage, and invest money by yourself instead of letting others to do it for you. Do you remember the coin jar that your parents gave you to save money when you were a kid? Believe it or not the most important secret to save money is to save it YOUR-SELF. Yes, that is right. It is your money and nobody can do a better job of saving it than yourself? However, it takes confidence, determination and lots of patience to save money, and to reap the fruits of your labor. Managing money yourself will also give you full control to utilize it in the best possible ways. It may take some time to climb to the top of ladder of financial security, but one can track his or her own progress and see immediate re-sults of success. Start off by making a list of your monthly expenses such as rent, house mortgage, car lease, food, gas, clothing, and entertainment. You can start saving money by cutting back on entertainment expenses. Eating

out can also be restricted for the sake of health if not for anything else. Now add all of those expenses and compare it with your take home net wage. If your net wage is less than your monthly expenses, then you need to discipline yourself not just over night but also for 24/7/365. Verily, when your net wage breaks even with your monthly expenses, you must cut back on a few things to balance your expen-diture and saving‘s graph. Lastly, if your net wage suffices your monthly expenses or perhaps supersedes that, then you should not go out and start celebrating by spending your money. It will defeat the initial purpose of saving it. Rather, put that surplus portion aside in your checking account, and not in savings account or Certificate of De-posit (CD‘s), because both of those pay interest. Taking interest is strictly prohibited in most religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. On the other hand, money also should not be hoarded. We need to share it by circulating it towards the better-ment of others. We teach our kids to share, but as adults we have forgotten that ourselves. By utilizing money to-wards various rewarding options it will be automatically shared with others. We should give charity to aid centers and sponsor vocational institutions. Provide food and housing for the underprivileged. Above all, use your sav-ings or surplus money to pay off your own loans and debts, or simply keep up with your monthly expenses by

Al Muthil can be translated as one who dis-honors, degrades, or one who humiliates (1). Now of course Allah (SWT) is all merciful, and his mercy exceeds his punishment; however, those who anger Allah (SWT) will be humiliated by him. Essentially this name of Allah SWT means to humiliate those who anger or transgress him. One instance where we see Allah (SWT) hu-miliate someone is in the Quaran Surah 111. This verse talks about Abu Lahab, who was an uncle of the prophet (SAW). The Surah also discusses Abu La-habs wife. Abu Lahab, and his wife were two of the biggest opposers to early Islam. Abu Lahab did things such as curse the prophet (SAW), while the prophet was preaching about Islam. Abu Lahabs wife was equally passionate about opposing Islam and Muhammad (SAW). She used to tie bundles of thorns with ropes of twisted palm-leaf fibre, and then at night time she would place these bundles in the paths in which the prophet (SAW) was expected to take. She used to do this to cause bodily harm to the prophet (SAW). As a result of their horrible treatment to the prophet (SAW) and his message, Allah (SWT) re-vealed a whole Surah to disgrace them. In this Surah Allah SWT says that Abu Lahab will burn in a blazing fire (111:3). Allah (SWT) also says that his wife will carry the wood as fuel for the fire (111:4). Finally Al-lah (SWT) says that a twisted rope of palm leaf fibre (the same stuff she used to try to harm the prophet SAW with) will round her own neck (111:5). Subha-nAllah look at the way in which Allah (SWT) dis-graces them. He describes to everyone how they will suffer in hellfire. Allah (SWT) makes a whole Surah in the Quaran dedicated to humiliating them. What is more humiliating then for some people to have their own chapter in a holy book where they are humili-ated by God? What makes it even more humiliating is that this book is read by millions every single day.

SubhanAllah, this has to be one of the most humiliat-ing things ever. Another instance where Allah (SWT) dis-graces is that of the story of iblis. Allah (SWT) or-dered the angels and Iblis to prostrate to Adam. Iblis was not an angel however, rather he was a jinn. Allah (SWT) says ―And (remember) when We said to the angels: ―Prostrate yourselves unto Adam.‖ So they prostrated themselves except Iblis (Satan). He was one of the jinn‖ (18:50). Iblis would not prostrate to Adam because of his arrogance. Iblis thought that he was better than Adam as he said ―I am better than he: Thou didst create me from fire, and him from clay (7:12). Since Iblis was arrogant and did not obide to Allah (SWT), Allah (SWT) then said ―get out from this, disgraced and expelled.‖ Allah (SWT) ver-batim used the word ―disgraced‖ to describe Iblis. Furthermore, Allah (SWT) guaranteed Iblis hellfire, as well as anyone who follows the path of Iblis (7:18). Again this has to be the most humiliating thing for Iblis, as Allah (SWT) tells us that if anyone gets into hellfire it is because they followed Iblis. There is nothing worse for anyone than to get into hellfire. Therefore, since hellfire is the worst possible thing for anyone, and since iblis is the attributed reason why someone gets into that horrible place, this has to be very humiliating for Iblis As stated earlier Allah (SWT) is all merciful, and his mercy exceeds his punishment. Allah (SWT) wants to forgive us when we sin, and Allah (SWT) loves those who repent. However, those who trans-gress Allah (SWT) and do the worse things to Islam and Muhammad (SAW), Allah (SWT) will disgrace and humiliate them. Therefore, that is why one of allah (SWT‘s) names is al Muthil. Sources: http://wahiduddin.net/words/99_pagesudhill_25.htm Holy Quran

Start monitoring that extra 10% or 15% monthly savings, and be hopeful for a great change that is about to hap-pen in your life. It will break all the barriers of living paycheck to paycheck, and it will set you free from all of your financial burdens. Again, do not get distracted by how others are spending or investing their money. After a short span you would be thrilled to notice that monitoring your expenses and your savings have paid your bills on time. You paid off your college loan. Your house and cars are paid off. Perhaps now you could take a family vacation. You have money for your kids‘ education. Besides all that, you will also have enough to give that help-ing hand to your family and friends. By following above mentioned commonsensical rules you can financially secure and plan your present, and future regardless of your income, and be debt free forever. It is now time to stop yourself and your future generations from falling into the trap of deceiving stock market. Remember, it takes a person years to save money, but it only takes seconds to loose it. Only the disciplined one will be carefree.

continued...

Image Credit: Wendy Brown | Dreamstime.com

Psychology as a modern discipline is fraught with subjectivity, theorizing and sometimes utter con-fusion. As an enthusiastic student of psychology for many years, I was often bewildered by the lack of clar-ity, conciseness, and comprehensiveness in many of the "Western" theories that I studied. The truth finally became apparent during my personal studies of psy-chology from the Islamic perspective. This was the the-ory that I had been searching for so many years: the authentic, unadulterated reality of the nature of our own beings, based upon revelation.

Islam offers a coherent, comprehensible, and thorough view of what it means to be human. It directs us to our purpose in life and the priorities that we should establish; it describes our inherently spiritual nature, the path of purification, and the importance of our relationship with Allah; and it explains how to at-tain the most essential of goals: Paradise in the Hereaf-ter.

Now I have the opportunity to share what I have learned about psychology with other knowledge-seeking brothers and sisters through the Islamic Online University (www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/) which, this year, has launched the world's first, tuition-free BA in Islamic Studies degree program. This is a blessing from Allah that I could not have imagined when I first began my journey. The course is unique in that it attempts to combine the knowledge of human nature based upon revelation with that developed through scientific pursuit. Many instances are pointed out in which psychological science has actually con-firmed the truth of Allah's revelation (e.g., the influ-ence of religiosity on mental and physical health, the benefit of social relations, positive personality develop-ment, etc.). It is for this reason that I begin my discus-sion with the following Qur'anic verse:

"We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it be-comes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness?" (Fussilat (41):53).

Read a portion of the course description in order to discover more about the course:

"This courses promises to be one of the most interesting endeavors in your pursuit of knowledge, Insha‟Allah. Combining Islamic wisdom with contem-porary knowledge, the course focuses on the Islamic perspective to understanding humans, their psyche, and their nature. The Islamic approach is unique in

this field due to its reliance upon revelation and sacred sources for knowledge and understand-ing. Throughout history, scholars have recognized the importance of spirituality and religion in the ex-planation of human thought, emotion, and behavior, and it is only fairly recently that modern psychology has attempted to separate these elements. The focus in Western Psychology over the past 100 years has been on a secular approach to Psychology that denies the existence of the soul and that has obvious limita-tions and contradictions. This perspective has spread throughout various areas of the world, including the Middle East and the Islamic World. (although there are still areas and people who adhere to the Islamic perspective and other spiritual approaches). It is time to regain the rich traditional wisdom of Islam and bring the soul back to its proper place in the study of human nature."

As part of my journey, I have also taken the time and effort to write my own book entitled "Psychology from the Islamic Perspective" to be pub-lished soon (insha'Allah) by International Islamic Pub-lishing House, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (http://www.iiphonline.com/); a book that I hope will offer my students and others the opportunity to understand the Islamic viewpoint of psychology with greater ease and satisfaction (during my search, I struggled due to lack of relevant resources in the English language). This book provides the foundation for the organization and teachings of the Introduction to Psychology course.

Teaching online, of course, poses various chal-lenges and dynamics that are not present in traditional teaching methods: loss of direct interaction with stu-dents that is often the most rewarding of experiences for instructors, reduction in the ability to gauge the understanding of students and to provide appropriate feedback, and technical shortcomings that may impede the process. We accept these deficiencies due to the advantages of reaching large numbers and spreading the teachings of Islam on a global level.

We hope that you will join us in this interest-ing voyage of self-discovery; a journey which, of course, continues for each of us until the last breath.

—-

Dr. Aisha Hamdan holds a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology and a B. A. in Islamic Studies. She is from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

By Dr. Aisha Hamdan

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"Those that remember Me in their heart, I remember them in My heart; and those that remember Me in a gathering (i.e. that make mention of Me), I remember them (i.e. make mention of them) in a gathering better than theirs." ~ Al Hadith 72:17 Thikr, Zikhr or Dhikr represents a variety of spellings for a word translated into English that essentially means, the remembrance of Allah, either silently in the heart, or in the heart and by words. Many of us

do remember Allah especially in times of despair to ask for help or in good times to be thankful, but what about all of the other times? What about the in between times?

1. Say (1) Subhaan Allah, I glorify Allah‟s absolute perfection; (2) Alhamdulillah, All praise be to Al-

lah; (3) Allahu Akbar, Allah is the Greatest Say these three 33 times for each preferably counting on the

fingers of the right hand. Then to make the 99 (33x3) to 100 say: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahu‟l-mulk wa lahu‟l-hamd wa huwa „ala kulli shay‟in qadeer which translates in English to – “There is no god except Allaah Alone, with no partner, His is the power and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things.” There is a Hadith that says that for those who do this: “… his sins will be forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea.” ~ Muslim, 939

2. Do Do take the opportunity to elevate you spiritual status and increase your Iman by the remem-

brance of Allah. Do increase your chances of entering Paradise (Jannah) through Thikr. Do say, La ilaha illa Allah (all praise is due to Allah) as many times as you want as the rewards are great.

3. Be Be mindful of Allah no matter where you are except for the toilet or bathroom. You can engage

in Thikr without wudu and it can be said silently within the heart or through the spoken word. You can be mindful while shopping, conducting business, cooking, cleaning, tending to the kids, gardening, traveling, in fact just about anywhere.

4. Together Together, there are times when the opportunity to make Thikr is part of the um-

mah, such as praying in congregation, during the observation of Ramadan, attending al Jumu‟ah and even during the pilgrimage of Hajj. These specific times allow us to engage in Thikr while in congrega-tion, reciting sura‟s, making dua or reading the Qur‟an not in unison but as an individual for our own self enhancement. Don‟t make your children the excuse for not making Thikr include them, teach them and share Thikr together.

5. Positively Positive remembrance of Allah evokes a sense of being thankful and appreciative

of all He has done for us. By being aware of the glory of Allah in everything we can stop being negative. Find the good in the bad, the positive in the negative, and the opportunities in the problems. Purify your heart and uplift your spiritual self, by simply remembering Allah so He remembers you in this life and the next. Those men and women who engage much in Allah's praise. for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and

a Great Reward" ~ Qur’an 33:35

5 Ways to Develop Thikr By Nadia Ali Image: Ciprian Florin Dumitrescu | Dreamstime.com

BY YVONNE MAFFEI from My Halal Kitchen

Photo courtesy Halal culinary

expert, Yvonne Maffei

Email your question to info@mbmuslima.com

We will make sure it gets answered in our next issue,

just for you!

Jazakum Allah khairan!

Feature* Q&A with Halal Culinary Expert,

Yvonne Maffei from My Halal Kitchen!

*Special

Before you shy away from this recipe just because of the apples, just know that you can barely taste them in the final result. Maybe someone you know just needs to be slipped some healthy food- this could be the tastiest way to sneak it in…

- 1 acorn squash, cut in quarters, drizzled with olive oil and roasted until soft and brown, approx. 30 min. - 1 tablespoon butter - 1/2 tablespoon olive oil - 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced - 2 small organic Gala apples, peeled, seeded and cored, then diced (if you will be doing this ahead of time, squeeze a whole lemon over the apples and toss with the juice in order to prevent browning) 1 teaspoon French tarragon 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin salt and pepper, to taste 2- 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock Image Credit: www.myhalalkitchen.com

1. After the squash is done roasting, allow to cool. Remove the skin and roughly chop into small pieces.

2. In a deep medium-size saucepan or dutch oven, melt butter until it froths then add olive oil.

3. Saute onions until translucent. Add cut squash and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add diced apples and saute an-other 2-3 minutes.

4. Add all seasonings to cooking mixture. Add water or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook another 10-15 minutes or until all ingredients have softened.

5. Using an immersion blender, blend ingredients right in the pot until it is fairly smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, turn off the heat and allow the mix-ture to cool. Then, add 1-2 cups of mixture at a time to a regular blender and blend until smooth.

6. Serve while hot with a pat of butter on top.

Surah Al-Humazah

Translation Credit: http://noblequran.com/translation/surah89==104.html Transliteration Credit: http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=30&chapter=104

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Bismi Allahi alrrahmanialrraheemi

1. Woe to every slanderer and backbiter.

Waylun likulli humazatin lumazatin

2. Who has gathered wealth and counted it,

Allathee jamaAAa malan waAAaddadahu

3. He thinks that his wealth will make him last forever!

Yahsabu anna malahu akhladahu

4. Nay! Verily, he will be thrown into the crushing Fire.

Kalla layunbathanna fee alhutamati

5. And what will make you know what the crushing Fire is?

Wama adraka ma alhutamatu

6. The fire of Allah, kindled,

Naru Allahi almooqadatu

7. Which leaps up over the hearts,

Allatee tattaliAAu AAala al-af-idati

8. Verily, it shall be closed in on them,

lnnaha AAalayhim mu/sadatun

9. In pillars stretched forth (i.e. they will be punished in the Fire with pillars, etc.).

Fee AAamadin mumaddadatin

Photographer: Sameh Abdallah

www.samabdallah.com

Boost your Marriage BY FATIMA A. KHAN

Author: Ibnul Qayyim al Jawziyyah, Source: Madarij as-Saalikeen (vol. 3, pp. 17-18 ) Courtesy of Habibi Halaqas

First, reciting the Qur‘an while pondering over its meanings and what is meant by it. Second, getting closer to Allaah by performing voluntary deeds after completing obligatory deeds. This is as is stated in a Hadith Qudsi: ―My slave continues getting closer to Me by performing voluntary deeds until I love him.‖ Third, continual remembrance of Allaah under all circum-stances, with one‘s tongue, heart and actions. The extent of one‘s love of Allaah is determined by this. Fourth, giving precedence to what He loves over what you love when you are overtaken by your desires. Fifth, the heart being avid of Allaah‘s Names, and Attributes

and the heart roaming in that garden of knowledge. Sixth, observing Allaah‘s kindness, goodness and bounties, both hidden and open. Seventh, and this is the most wonderful, the heart being soft, subdued and meek before Allaah. Eighth, being alone with Allaah during the time when the Lord descends during the last portion of the night while reading His Book and ending that by asking for forgiveness and repenting. Ninth, sitting with the beloved and sincere, benefitting from the most fruitful of their speech. And not to speak unless speaking is more beneficial and you know that it will im-prove your state and be beneficial to others. Tenth, remaining away from every cause that comes be-tween the heart and Allaah.

Comments: www.habibihalaqas.org/2009/09/ten-causes-that-result-in-allaahs-love.html Facebook: http://facebook.com/habibihalaqas

“And when your Lord made it known: If you are grateful, I would certainly give to you

more, and if you are ungrateful, My chastisement is truly severe.” Surah Ibrahim: 17

There is a clear reason behind the sunnah of our Prophet sal Allahu alaiyhi wa sallam to recite verses from the Qur‟an reminding those about to enter marriage, to fear Allah

„azza wa jal. Once you are committed to the fear and love of Allah subhana wa ta‟ala,

success in your marriage is inevitable and guaranteed. In your thikr, thank Allah specifi-

cally for the habits in your husband that you want to see more of, and watch how Allah subhana wa ta‟ala gives you more of where your focus lies while making du‟a.

These tips are so simple to implement yet result in such beautiful, long-lasting

results. Guaranteed! (inshaAllah)

Visit Fatima’s remarkable blog at http://www.lifepepper.org/

Image Credit: LIK

It‘s that time of the year again, when the sub-

zero temperatures that send shivers down the

spine and chilly winds pierce through our clothes

without permission. The best thing is to stay

warm indoors and make some homemade soup

to beat the winter‘s blues. Soups can be enjoyed

at any time of the year but particularly in winter,

these bowls of comfort are sure to warm you up

to the bone.

Give the recipe below a try and see how chickpea

chowder – a simple, hearty, tasty and nourishing

soup leaves you cozy and in a wintery mood such

that you will want to let it snow, let it snow, let it

snow…

Ingredients:

(Makes six servings) -Chicken Broth 4 cups -Chickpeas (drained/rinsed) large can (28 oz) -Potatoes (peeled and cubed) 3 cups -Thinly sliced Carrots 1½ cups -Chopped Onions ½ cup -Chopped Celery ½ cup -Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice 1 tbsp -Bay Leaf 1 -Minced Garlic 1 tsp -Dried Sage ½ tsp -Dried Thyme ½ tsp -Salt ¼ tsp -Freshly Ground Pepper ¼ tsp -Chopped Fresh Parsley ½ cup

Method:

Combine all ingredients except parsley in a large

pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Using a po-

tato masher, mash vegetables until soup resem-

bles a coarsely pureed mixture. Stir in parsley

and serve warm.

Kanika has a diploma in Indian Cooking and

offers classes in Indian Cuisine in the

hicagoland Area. Find out more at

www.learnindiancooking.com/ to schedule a

cooking class.

Chow down Chickpea Chowda by Kanika Aggarwal, courtsey of Learn Indian Cooking

Web: http://learnindiancooking.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/learnindiancooking

by Kanika, courtesy of Beauty GlamSham

Image Courtesy of BGS

Find us on the web: http://beautyglamsham.com/ Join our facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/beautyglamsham

It is always nice matching your nail polish color to your clothes, but have you thought that the best choice of

color for your nails could have something to do with the tone of your skin ? Here are some tips to wear nail-

polish colors that flatter your skin tone!

LIGHT SKIN) Indeed the best shades that flatter the fairness are bright pink, light and medium tones of pur-

ple/red. Avoid dark and profound tints unless you are a goth style fan or wish to wear a 'vampy' look. Colors

such as dark blue, yellow, green and gold are generally not recommended for this skin type but they go well in

summers, where a "bright"and "vibrant" look is preferred!

MEDIUM SKIN) Vibrant and glittering colors such as silver and metallic light blue will add a tanned quality

to medium skin tones. Bright shades such as vibrant orange, pink and blue are the absolute favorite of those

who own this skin type. Ditch out or at least neglect for a while shades as dark purple, red or navy blue.

DARK SKIN) If you have a darker skin tone, you can get away with darker colors of nail polish, such as reds,

blues and even black. Dark greens as well as chocolate brown are the top notch shades for dark skin toned peo-

ple. The colors you should avoid are orange, white and silver.

THE RULE OF THUMB) Light skin looks better with light to

medium nail polish; darker skin looks better with medium to dark

nail polish.

Try this out the next time you are

unable to pray and able to wear nail polish.

Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

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injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting

injustice. Make dua for all countries fighting injustice.

WORDS EXPLAINED FOR THE NON-MUSLIM

InshaAllah Simply translated from Arabic to English,

InshaAllah means „God willing‟. This is a very commonly used

phrase, as Muslims believe God has power over everything.

MashaAllah Simply translated from Arabic to English ,

MashaAllah means 'Whatever Allah (God) wills'. Often, it is

used as an expression of delight or achievement.

JazakAllah khairan Simply translated from Arabic to

English, jazakAllah khairun means „May Allah reward you for

the good”. This is commonly used to thank someone or to

acknowledge someone‟s effort.

SubhanAllah In Arabic, SubhanAllah means „Glorious is

Allah”. This is used when praising God. It is also commonly

used as a exclamation like “Wow!”.

Masjid The Masjid is simply the Arabic word for Mosque.

Many Muslims refer to the Mosque as a Masjid. Masjids are

primarily used for Salah (Prayer)

Jummah prayer The Friday prayer services that Muslims

attend weekly.

SWT: Subhana wa’ta3la Arabic Praise used after the name

of Allah meaning „glorious and exalted is He”

Hijab Headscarf prescribed to Muslim women for modesty

purposes

Shahadah Declaration of Islamic faith.

Assalamu Alaykum May peace be unto you.