This article was sent-in on behalf of Mohammad Rana Farooq

Islam is a natural Din (practical and complete code of life) which enjoins tolerance and moderation in everything that matters. The Holy Qur'an states explicitly:

Kuloo waishraboo wala tusrifoo innahu la yuhibbu almusrifeena.

"Eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters." (7:31)

Salat (prayer), fasting, zakat (obligatory charity) and hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) are all ritual practices of worship but these too are characterized by moderation. There are occasions when offering prayer is forbidden by Shariah. The observing of fast is tempered by sahr and iftar (having pre-dawn and post-sunset meals before and after fasting). The Shariah has imposed strict restraint on constant fasting without taking recourse to sahr and iftar at a stretch. In order to safeguard one's chastity the institution of marriage has been made compulsory so as to realize the natural urges of biological need. Spending in the cause of Allah is a laudable act but it is conditioned by limits so as to ensure a balanced approach that one may not squander away all and go himself a begging.


Continue reading "So, what's up with music in Islam?"...

A socialist, a revolutionary, and a civil rights activist… A hero... these are just a few words to describe what el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz aka Malcolm X meant to people. Today, it's been 45 years since Malcolm X was shot to death in New York.

Malcolm X was born and raised in Nebraska at a time when there were deep division between whites and blacks (and in fact this is putting it mildly), black people at this time were violently persecuted for one reason alone ... namely the colour of their skin. Not only were black people at this time persecuted physically they were also ‘mentally’ persecuted; black children such as Malcolm X himself were made to think and believe that no aspirations or goals they had in life were realistic and that they would never ‘make it’ in terms of education and careers.

Continue reading "Malcolm X- The legacy lives after 45 years..."...

The swine flu is a new disease, a new strand of a flu virus, and it’s all over the news. If you see someone in public sneezing, or coughing, first thing you do is run in the opposite direction, that's how scared we are of this disease. And we definitely should be, because health is important to all of us. And, if we do not look after our health, we know we are causing our death to come closer.

Continue reading "The spiritual health"...

As I was reading a very interesting book, I came across a point which I would love to share with you guys. The book is called: ':59 Seconds. Think a little Change a lot' written by Professor Richard Wiseman. Richard Wiseman is also the author of the book Quirkology.

Basically, techniques described in this book demonstrate that effective change does not have to be time-consuming. In fact, it can take less than a minute and is often simply a question of knowing exactly where to tap.

The following paragraph is the point I wanted to share with you guys. It's a very interesting point and it makes you think how many actions in life are related to the story behind this paragraph and how you somehow instead of arguing or doing time-consuming actions, you can just have another way of sorting out your stuff. Continue reading "Effective change does not have to be time-consuming!"...

Everyone living in England will be well accustomed to the work culture that is dominant here.. "The classic 9 to 5". Most jobs in the majority of fields will involve working hours like these and it is not surprising that sometimes one may feel as though work is taking over your life! Do you feel like this..? I know I do! Continue reading "Have you got the balance right? "...

The Holy month of Ramadan is taking over, and you can notice that: Eat-and sleeping routines are changed, something what the body doesn’t really fancy. But don’t be bothered, because you’ve made up your mind to win this Jihad… Seriously, don’t worry; I’ll help you with all that. I’ve got the Herbalife Nutrition Program Plan (that’s how I’ve named it) compiled by the NHS. In a bit you’ll know exactly what your body (and soul) is going through and you could work more focused. Click here for the document.

Ramadan Mabrouk btw =D

Many of us have over time had to face the storms of life, when times of trial, despair and sadness loom over us. I've heard many people, including myself at some stage, ask why? and wonder about all disasters that can and do strike at anytime and take away everything of worth and things we value. There is evil caused by humans, natural disasters occur, individuals suffer and large numbers of people that suffer. But what about the flip side of the coin? Besides the negative aspects of life, we also see beauty, love, affection, health, life, birth, wisdom, prosperity and growth. We see sincerity, happiness, charity and piety in people. Continue reading "The Sunnah Bag - An ounce of patience is worth a pound of brain"...

Is Professionalism costing us our Islamic values and beliefs?

Back in the days, when the husband entered his terraced home after a long and weary day at work and sat down with twenty odd members of his family to feast on the curry prepared by his wife, it was probably his first moment of that day when he felt relaxed and comfortable among his own type of people. That is to say, those were the days when Muslims kept themselves to themselves, when we were a restrained and secluded entity. Those were the days when work was strictly work and when a reserved and introvert attitude would be considered by Muslim workers as the right attitude to have among a non-Muslim community. This of course is not true! Continue reading "The Professional Muslim"...

‘England is being invaded by fast breeding hostile Islamists whose barbaric practices will one day sweep our heritage and culture away!’- Statement by the BNP...

This statement is nothing new, we've heard plenty of these in the past, no big deal right?...Wrong. Its statements like this one that poison the minds of the public and manipulate people into hatred and anger. If only those people knew the beauty and intellect of the Islam civilisation. If only they knew how Islamic practises (which by the way are not barbaric in any way) have helped to shape the world in which we live and taught us better ways to survive. Continue reading "How Muslims have helped to shape the world."...

Akbar came home and greeted his family after a long day at work. He was tired and anxious to eat, eat a slow cooked fattening meal, preferably a roasted chicken with many sides to accompany. Akbar was working long hours and had little time for anyone including himself. One activity that made him immensely happy was consuming food; he loved to eat, day and night, even if there was a rubber tire, well three rubber tires, forming around his stomach...

Continue reading "To eat, like a Slave"...