Beard, the Sunnah! in the light of Science and logic!

This article is a reflection on the possible wisdom behind the Islamic practice of keeping a beard. It is an attempt at exploring some of the beautiful “side effects” of following one of the commands of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

THE BEARD
I live in the West where bearded people who appear to be Muslim are sometimes viewed as being extremists, terrorists, fundamentalists, and/or violent. Given these common negative associations, what benefit is there in keeping a beard?

By having a beard, I started feeling I have to “live up to the beard.” If you live among Muslims, and you begin keeping a beard, you may hear some of the following responses “Oh mashAllah brother you decided to keep a beard!… That beard looks really good on you brother!… “My brother! Welcome to Islam!” Ok, that last one is a little extreme – but you get the picture. By growing a beard, you are complying with one of the commands of the Prophet Muhammad (as elaborately explained by Shaykh Bilal Philips in the video lecture here). Indeed, beginning to grow your beard is a big step and in some cases, an outright declaration to the world that I am a Muslim and not afraid to let it be known. At the same time, if you grow your beard and “declare that you are a Muslim” and are concurrently committing sins, it makes one feel like a hypocrite. On one hand you are outwardly practicing the sunnah, showing people that you are a follower of the Prophet Muhammad, yet on the other hand you are committing sin. This in effect adds more pressure on one NOT to sin.
Keeping a beard makes your life easier! People exert effort on a daily basis to try and remove their beard, which isn’t an easy thing to do. In fact, if you want to remain clean-shaven you have to shave regularly. Letting your beard grow, is the EASY thing to do: you don’t have to shave every single day, you don’t have to buy shaving cream and razors and shaving lotion and bandages when you cut yourself. So it saves money and blood!
Although it’s possible that non-Muslims may find the beard unattractive (depending on many factors, like how long your beard is as well as other physical qualities), most people of faith find it to be on the contrary; they see it as something beautiful. Think of it this way; for a brother who has faith and follows his deen, a sister who covers her hair can be one of the most beautiful things to behold (please see Facebook group ” I LO♥ HIJABIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“, hundreds of members mashaAllah). For a sister of faith, it is a similar matter – a brother with a beard is a sign of faith and can be very attractive. Of course, one of the key factors to whether it is attractive or not is the faith aspect. Now the question is why is it a good thing that the faithful find the beard attractive? I can think of two reasons:1) Islam teaches us of the benefits of having good companions (please refer to the hadith mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 34, Number 314 as recorded here). If people of faith are attracted to you, this is more likely to happen.2) When you are looking for a prospective spouse, if the significant other is repulsed by your beard, then maybe their attachment to the sunnah is not as strong as you may like and that may help you sift through prospective spouses very quickly. Anyone who truly loves the Prophet, will likely love his sunnah and thereby find it easy to love those who practice the sunnah.
Going back to living in the West, keeping a beard may be a trial for you. It is not easy to grow your beard and go to airports where some people are wondering at what time you’ll explode. It’s not easy going to work and finding that some people are nervous around you even though you mean them no harm. It’s not easy being judged and harassed (which unfortunately is possible). Why is this a benefit you ask? By being patient and persevering, Allah may grant us forgiveness for our sins and shortcomings. If we have pure intentions Allah will reward us for our effort and hardships that we face in his path. One of the best reasons for keeping a beard is to please our Lord by following the Prophet. And does it really matter what people think? What is more important to us; the sunnah and our deen or the creation?
Going back to the earlier comment regarding “some people being nervous around you” – I have found that after the initial phase when a few people seemed nervous around me, people have become more comfortable. This is yet another benefit. There may have been some people who did not trust or even like me at first, but by trying to exhibit good character and trying to show kindness (which is in accordance to Islam), people can learn to accept and like our brothers and sisters in the ummah, inshaAllah.
The beard can identify you as a Muslim. There is benefit in this because if people see that there are practicing moderate Muslims around them, then they will realize that Islam isn’t something to be feared. It is human nature to fear what you don’t know or understand. Therefore, we need to be known and understood!
Another practical benefit of growing your beard is that it can cover your pimples and some facial imperfections.
I don’t mean to paint a dark picture. When I started in a new job there were people who were kind to me from the start! There are people who have already known Muslims in the past and actually sympathize with what Muslims are going through nowadays. Let’s not forget that we are not the only people to go through a tough period in the West. Our African American brothers came to this country as slaves. We must also remember how innocent Japanese people were held in detention centers in this country in World War II during this past century (one might even draw connections to the detention centers around the globe today that are being filled with Muslims). The bottom line is that with Allah subhana wa tala, we should expect the unexpected. We may expect poor treatment, discrimination, hatred, etc., yet we may find love, compassion, and sympathy. Allah provides help for His servants in ways that may not even be perceptible and in manners inconceivable. May God help me, my brothers and my sisters to put our faith in God.

[Note: What is the true intended wisdom by Allah to keep a beard? Allahu alim, Allah and His Messenger know best. This list is a compilation of the benefits as seen by a practicing Muslim.]

I want to end with a request – please make dua for me that God forgives my sins, beautifies my character and grants me Jannat-al-Firdous.

Importance of Internet in Each Individual's life.

Computers and internet came in our life with many comforts in different aspects of life. Let me tell you importance of computer in our life first. Before computer there was many problems related to different things. For example, you have to store information on papers, and it was very difficult for storing thousand of papers. But on computer you can store information with lots of ease and you can manage those with comfort. It was very difficult for a person to store thousands of papers with this guarantee that no one can read this while you can protect your documents on computer.

When computer was not indulged in our life then we were used to play video games in market though there were other video games available on Atari, Sega, which we can play in our homes by connecting these machines with computer but quality of these games was not good and many people were not able to buy these expensive game machines.

Before computer, we were performing many tasks on different machines and there was not a single machine which can do all tasks for us for example, we had to buy Cassette Player for listening songs on cassette, We had to buy VCR for watching any movie, we had to buy a type writer to write something on paper, we had to watch Different channels on TV but now you can watch on a monitor by using TV device, but now we can do all these tasks and many more on a computer.

Now come to the importance of internet in our life. Before internet, it was very difficult for a person to get information about a particular thing. Suppose you want to get information about different plants and their advantages and you don't use internet. Then definitely you will buy books about plants and read all those books but it will take lot of money to buy many books and it will be time consuming for you to search books. Even you will find many books but you will be not sure which books are on the top list.


  Internet usage is important as internet are the biggest source of all aspect.Internet covers the world happenings everyday.Internet includes a variety of current issues and developments about the world.One of the benefits is internet gives lots of information to us.Students could even use the internet as a replacement of textbooks and reference books as it contains an endless source of knowledge.Students can also check the latest scientific knowledge and research.Scientist nowadays have been experimenting and discovering a lot of intriguing and new things.This type of stream is very suitable for students who are interested to further their studies in science stream.

Furthermore,internet facilitate students to enter universities.This is because students can register through some of the website according to the university of their choice.Besides,internet also contain various type of social sites.We can get new friends and even meet our old friends through these social sites.Moreover,by interacting and chatting with pen pals from overseas, we can strengthen the relations between foreign countries thus enlighten us to a better community.

 Last but not least,internet help us to keep abreast on latest issues and developments.Students and teenagers can understand the causes and solutions based on the headlines given. this will make them aware of the danger that lurk that can cause a lot of bad effects to the environment and surroundings.

In a nutshell, internet is very beneficial to students who use it wisely and effectively.

Dates- the blessed fruit!

Dates are sweet, delicious fruits from the tropical oasis, brimming with much-needed minerals and energy to help you stay fit and healthy. 

 they are the fruits grow on the palm tree belonging to the family of Arecaceae in the genus:Phoenix and scientifically named as Phoenix dactylifera. The tree is believed to originate in the lands on the banks of Nile and Euphrates Rivers of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Date palm is now grown extensively for its edible fruits under warmer climates across all the continents.

The date fruit is a "drupe" in which outer fleshy part (exocarp and mesocarp) surrounds a shell (the pit or stone) of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. The fruit is oval to cylindrical in shape, 3–7 cms long, and 2–3 cms diameter, and when ripe, range from bright red to depending on the variety.

There are many varieties of date palm cultivated. ‘Amir Hajj’, ‘Saidy’, 'Khadrawy' and 'Medjool' is some of the important varieties that are popular for their superior quality.


Benefits of dates:


1. Wonderfully delicious, dates are one of the most popular fruits packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being.

2. Fresh dates compose of soft, easily digestible flesh and simple sugars like fructose and dextrose. When eaten, they replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. For these qualities, they are being used to break the fast during Ramadan month since ancient times.

3. The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which prevents LDL cholesterol absorption in the gut. Additionally, the fiber works as a bulk laxative. It, thus, helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.

4. They contain health benefiting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known to possess anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hemorrhagic (prevent easy bleeding tendencies) properties.

5. They are moderate sources of vitamin-A (contains 149 IU per 100 g), which is known to have antioxidant properties and essential for vision. Additionally, it is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

6. They compose antioxidant flavonoids such as ß-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. These antioxidants found to have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals. Thus, eating dates found to offer some protection from colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. 
Zea-xanthin is an important dietary carotenoid that selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea, where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. It thus offers protection against age-related macular degeneration, especially in elderly populations.

7. Dates are an excellent source of iron, contains 0.90 mg/100 g of fruits (about 11% of RDI). Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

8. Further, they are very good in potassium. 100 g contains 696 mg or 16% of daily-recommended levels of this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help controlling heart rate and blood pressure. They, thus, offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.

9. They are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth.

10. Further, the fruit has adequate levels of B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. These vitamins are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Vitamin K is essential for many coagulant factors in the blood as well as in bone metabolism.

Cars and Global Warming!

Everyone knows that transportation is one of the leading causes of global warming pollution in the world, and especially in United States America and other developed nations. NASA actually reported in February that motor vehicles are the largest net contributor to global warming pollution.

A new scientific finding in the journal Environmental Science & Technology shows that, counter to what most of us believe, driving a car causes more global warming pollution than flying the same distance in a plane.


The study, “Specific Climate Impact of Passenger and Freight Transport,” finds that, in the short run, planes cause more global warming because they create more short-lived warming processes at high altitudes.

However, when you take ‘everything’ — long- and short-lived gases, aerosols and cloud effects from transportation around the world — into account, an average car trip increases global temperatures more than an average flight the same distance.

Furthermore, passenger trains and buses cause even four to five times less global warming pollution than automobiles per passenger mile.

Of course, there are a lot of intricacies (i.e. the specific car or plane or bus used), but this is the general finding.

“As planes fly at high altitudes, their impact on ozone and clouds is disproportionately high, though short lived. Although the exact magnitude is uncertain, the net effect is a strong, short-term, temperature increase,” lead author of the study, Dr. Jens Borken-Kleefeld, said. “Car travel emits more carbon dioxide than air travel per passenger mile. As carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere longer than the other gases, cars have a more harmful impact on climate change in the long term.”

The point that you probably wouldn’t take such long trips by car that you take by plane was not a part of the study and is an important matter to bring up as well.

So to stop Global Warming, it is everyone's duty to get out of their car and start riding bicycle or carts or other pollution free Ride to stop Global Warming.

3%Muslims in Indian Army! (Are we not citizen of India?)

Muslim soldiers praying in Indian Army.

Indian Army's Muslim headcount: 3% or just 29,000 persons.

A lot of hue and cry was raised over the so-called census of Muslims in Indian Army. After the Sachar panel had hinted that the number of Muslims in the armed forces could be sought, there was opposition from several sections against the proposed headcount on basis of religion.

There is no official report. However, the strength of Muslims is roughly around 3 % and the figure comes around 29,000 in the million-strong Indian army, according to news channel CNN IBN's programme titled Minority Report.

If the number of Muslims serving in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) infantry that has over 50% Muslims and those in other wings not directly dealing with warfare are excluded, the proportion is definitely too low. So out of a Muslim population of nearly 150 million (15 crore), barely 29,000 Muslims were found suitable for Army.

There has been a lot of controversy but these figures don't surprise or sadden me. The fact remains that if competent, a Muslim can rise in India to the highest position in any services including army, and has more chances than any other country.

This is my belief despite all the charges of discrimination, communal riots and experiences of bias. There are Muslim officers serving in Indian army at senior levels. IH Latif rose to the position of Air Chief Marshal 

Air Chief Marshal, I.H.Latif

Question to be Asked is "are muslims not fit to be in Indian Army? 
or government doesnt have faith in Muslims?" 
In any case, it is minority muslims who has to suffer of unemployment! And government has to take full responsibility of alienating Indian muslims from serving their country.

muslim Soldiers.

In any type of violence like communal riots, army has always been welcomed by Hindus and Muslims alike, as the local police is often charged of biases. But army's neutrality remains undisputed. Lately there have been efforts to increase the strength of Muslims and other minorities in army, paramilitary forces and police. These steps will hopefully change the situation.