IBN Al-Qayyim (Allah have mercy on him) said while explaining the distinction between true hope and mere wishful thinking (tamanni):
“The difference between it and mere wishful thinking is that mere wishful thinking involves laziness wherein the person neither exerts himself, nor strives (to achieve what he wishes for).
Hope, however, entails striving, exertion and beautiful reliance. The first is like the one who wishes that the field would itself plant and sow its own seeds for him. The second is like the one who (actually) tills the soil, plants the seeds and then hopes that crops will grow.
This is why the the people of knowledge are agreed that hope is not correct except if accompanied by action.” – SG
WHEN Uzma Raheem graduated in Turkey with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, she had no idea that her destiny was to work with children with exceptional needs – her speciality was working with adult schizophrenics. She is from India but she came to Saudi Arabia as an infant with her parents and attended the International Indian School. “Saudi Arabia is home to me – I am not comfortable anywhere else.”Her first job in Saudi Arabia was at Tender Loving Care, a rehabilitation center for Arabic speaking children. After nine months, she resigned: “I realized that there were no centers for children and families who cannot speak Arabic.” She began taking children for therapy at home on an hourly basis and her time was quickly filled up. “Then the summer holidays came and I found myself thinking: ‘What am I going to do? I am going to get so bored!’ So I started a small summer group in my house. We had nine children, all with a disability or disorder, and we just had fun together, there was nothing commercial about it.” For more go here.
BEFORE you dig into that plate of succulent pasta thinking of it as ‘real’ Italian food, you might want to have another look at what history says about the origins of this quintessential Italian staple.
Though the credit is often given to the Venetian merchant Marco Polo for bringing home pasta from his journeys to China in the 13th century, it is in fact, the Arab Muslims - who ruled Sicily 300 years before Marco Polo was even born - that introduced foods that would later on go on to become integral parts of the Italian cuisine.
This astonishing revelation was made by Sergio Grasso, a visiting food anthropologist and food writer from Venice, who brought the facts ‘home’- quite literally. Speaking on a range of topics like ‘The Arabic roots of pasta’, ‘Mediterranean diet, health and sustainability’, and ‘Arabic influence on the Italian cuisine’, Grasso was a guest speaker at “The Mediterranean – A journey through the history of Italian food”, a 5-day festival that ran from June 1-5 at the Il Villagio Restaurants and Lounges in Jeddah.
“About 30 percent of Italian food has Arabic origins. Moreover, it is believed that frying is a Chinese technique, but in reality, the technique was transferred to China by the Arabs when they conquered it,” remarked Grasso.
Elaborating on the Arabian-Italian link, he added: “During their reign, the Arabs brought in many foods, such as, pasta, rice, lemon, spices, sugarcane, artichokes, the Italian names of most of which have Arabic derivatives. For example, the Italian word for artichoke derives from the Arabic Al-Kharshuf. The eggplant, believed to be originally from India, was introduced to Italy via Spain by the Muslims.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) often highlighted to his companions, and to all Muslims in all ages, the importance of actions that may either lead them to earning God’s reward or make them incur His anger and punishment. He was keen to do so when such actions are not given the necessary attention. A case in mind is that outlined by the following Hadith reported by Abdullah ibn Abbas: “The Prophet passed by the wall of a cemetery in Madinah, or perhaps Makkah, when he heard the sound of two people enduring torment in their graves. He said: ‘They are enduring torment, yet for no major sin.’ Then he added: ‘It is major indeed. One of them did not guard himself against his own urine, while the other used to go about with slandering tales.’ He then called for a green branch of the palm tree, split it into two and placed one half on each of the two graves. To the question why he did that he answered: ‘I hoped that their plight would be lightened as long as these branches have not dried.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari). For more read here.
PROPHET Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the epitome of human character. He came to guide us and lead us by example. Allah Almighty in His Book praised him and directed us to take him (peace be upon him) as our role model:
“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful example (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.” (Qur’an, 33:21)
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had a multifaceted personality with different roles to play and various responsibilities to attend to. One such was his role as a husband and his relationship with his wives. He lived and demonstrated how a perfect husband should be. He understood the nature of women. He knew that though women are created beautiful and attractive, they also are volatile and emotional, which husbands will just have to learn to accept in their lives. He knew that patience, wise usage of words, and a control over temper are mandatory qualities a husband must possess while dealing with women. The following narration displays how the Prophet (peace be upon him) beautifully handled his wives’ outbursts:
Narrated Anas Bin Malik: “While the Prophet was in the house of one of his wives, one from among the believers sent a meal in a dish. The wife at whose house the Prophet (peace be upon him) was, struck the hand of the servant, causing the dish to fall and break. The Prophet gathered the broken pieces of the dish and then started collecting on them the food which had been in the dish and said, “Your mother felt jealous.” Then he detained the servant till a (sound) dish was brought from the wife at whose house he was. He gave the good dish to the wife whose dish had been broken, and kept the broken one at the house where it had been broken.” (Al-Bukhari, 7/62, no. 152)
(Notice how the narrator has abstained from mentioning the names of the Mothers of Believers in order to cover their shortcomings.)
Picture this scenario happening in an average house: a woman breaking another’s crockery piece (and we all know how passionately women feel about their crockery), laden with food the latter had freshly cooked. How would you expect an average husband witnessing such an action to react? He may lose his temper and shout angrily, “What have you done? Are you out of your mind?!”For more go here.
ONLY got a short while to explore Kuala Lumpur? Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most from a short visit to the Malaysian capital.Day one: When the sun sets, Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown comes to life. Under Petaling Street’s red glow, take in the steamy smells of Malaysian Chinese delicacies while looking for the perfect fake designer accessory in the bustling night market. Save your tastebuds for “Ikan Pari,” stingray cooked in spicy chilies or a bubbling pot of claypot noodles: just look for the signs bearing the dishes’ names at the end of the street.For more go here.
My "two scoops won't hurt and neither will these french fries" approach to eating doesn't lend itself well to swimsuit season. Although the beach treks may have begun, there is time to make change. So, let me have it. What's that ice cream going to cost me in workout minutes? To tell us is Charles Stuart Platkin, also known as the Diet Detective. He is the author of five books and and host of WE TV's I Want To Save Your Life. Here is his report on what some of our chain-food favorites should cost us in time spent doing common exercises...Note: Calorie content of foods are based on official website information at the time of publication. Minutes of exercise are averages based on a 155-pound person. The greater the weight of the person the more calories burned per minute.For more go here.
