by SoundHealth

Sleep rejuvenates both the body and the mind and is an essential way of resting, recharging and nourishing the body and brain. Without adequate sleep, even for one night, the body shows clear signs of stress, with changes in mood and concentration, a drop in levels of vital nutrients such as zinc and magnesium, and with Vitamin C used up at an alarming rate.

Many people have problems getting to sleep, staying asleep or getting enough sleep. Although insomnia can be the result of numerous factors, it is also very much affected by what you eat. Here are some natural ways to improve your sleep through better nutrition.

Stress, sugar and stimulants keep you awake

The body depends on certain hormonal patterns, body chemicals and nutrients to keep it balanced and functioning properly, for example, at night time the levels of the stress hormone cortisol should dip, calming the body and preparing it for sleep. However, if cortisol levels are out of sync (usually due to stress or a diet high in sugar and stimulants), then your ability to get to sleep or stay asleep is impaired.

Caffeine is another well known sleep disrupter. When you go to sleep, levels of the hormone melatonin- which is secreted by our pineal glands in response to darkness – increase. Research shows that coffee drinkers have half the amount of melatonin produced, and one study showed that regular coffee drinkers slept for an average of two hours less. [1]

To ensure a restful sleep, keeping blood sugar levels balanced throughout the day is important. This means eating regular meals, including some protein-rich food in your diet, avoiding refined foods, coffee, sugary foods and drinks, especially right before you go to sleep.

Balance the sleep neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin

During the daytime, levels of the hormone adrenalin are high and keep the body stimulated, but these levels drop as you start to wind down, and serotonin and melatonin levels rise. Without enough serotonin, the body doesn’t make enough melatonin, and as this chemical’s main role in the brain is to regulate the sleep/wake cycle, this makes it difficult for the body to get to sleep or stay asleep.

Both of these hormones are made from the amino acid tryptophan, and to avoid a deficiency in these essential brain chemicals, ensure you have adequate amounts of B6 and tryptophan in your diet. Foods that are particularly high in typtophan are chicken, cheese, tuna, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds and milk.

Balance your calming nutrients

A lack of the minerals calcium and magnesium can trigger or exacerbate sleep difficulties because they work together to calm the body and help relax nerves and muscles. Your magnesium levels may well be low if you are stressed or consume too much sugar. Magnesium-rich foods include seeds, nuts, green vegetables, wholegrains and seafood. Good sources of calcium are milk products, green vegetables and nuts.

Another important sleep nutrient is GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid). This is a neurotransmitter and amino acid that acts as the brain’s peacemaker, helping to turn off excess adrenalin and calm you down. Studies have associated having enough GABA in the brain with being relaxed and happy, while having too little is associated with tension, depression and insomnia [2]. Because GABA is a nutrient, it can be supplemented through diet, and it is abundant in all protein foods, but the best food sources are fish (especially mackerel) and wheat bran.

TheRevivalEditor

Quranic Way of Life :: The Best Way to Live life

Many non-muslim claims Quran is book of terrorism,creates hates.

Geert Wilders,the Dutch MP says its book of violence…nauzbillah…but i’m sure he never read quran and he is Just a Lier….becoz The Facts are totally different,and this post will proove this…InshahAllah….

If You will Apply the guidance of Quran in your life,you can live the Best life,you will be loved by ALLAH (God) and indeed peoples too…

below are the few lessons you can apply in your life to live the BEST LIFE !

Some of the lessons from Quran that apply to our general living!

1. Respect and honor all human beings irrespective of their religion, colour, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70]

2.Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70]

3. Choose best words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83]

4.Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19]

5.Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30]

6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42]

7.Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167]

8. Speak in a civilized manner in a language that is recognized by the society and is commonly used [4/5]

9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative[6/152]

10. Do not be a bragging boaster [31/18]

11. Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23/3, 28/55]

12. Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass near a futile play, then pass by with dignity [25/72]

13. Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewdness whether surreptitious or overt [6/151].

14. If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs by you, then correct yourself expeditiously [3/134].

15. Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with people [31/18]

16. Do not walk haughtily or with conceit [17/37, 31/18]

17. Be moderate in thy pace [31/19]

18. Walk with humility and sedateness [25/63]

19. Keep your gazes lowered devoid of any lecherous leers and salacious stares [24/30-31, 40/19].

20. If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, better keep your mouth shut. You might think that speaking about something without full knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have grave consequences [24/15-16]

21. When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favorable view about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter. Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid and truthful evidence [24/12-13]

22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone in ignorance and afterward repent of what you did[49/6]

23. Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning [17/36].

24. Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge and nobody knows more than yourself. Remember! Above everyone endowed with knowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76]. Even the Prophet [p.b.u.h] was asked to keep praying, “O My Sustainer! Advance
me in knowledge.” [20:114]

Posted by Dr. Momin Sohil

My mother was born and brought up in Hyderabad. She was a strong and beautiful woman. She resemble Waheeda Rehman. My father also was extremely handsome. I don’t think I’m good-looking but they were a very good-looking couple. The met incidentally under strange circumstances. Injured in a car accident, my mother needed blood. My father who happened to be at the hospital at that time gave her blood. In this process of helping my mother to revive, they fell in love. And though my father was about eleven years older than my mother, her family consented because he had sort of saved the family. In bringing up my sister Shehnaz and me, my parents never made any difference, though I think my sister was closed to my parents because she is six years older to me. I was born at a time when my parents weren’t doing well financially. But I don’t remember facing any hardship on that account. My father was a chief engineer. My mother was a social worker, a first class magistrate. She had studied in Oxford. She was among the first few Muslim women to have achieved so much. She has been an executive magistrate for the longest tenure recorded. She used to deal with juvenile delinquents. I was not a stubborn kid.   But if I wanted something badly enough I would go out and get it. I was exposed to the Ram Leela, I acted in it as one of the monkey. I wrote short stories.. shairis.. my father made me recite them. I remember once there was this aunt who wore horrendously pink lipstick and I composed a corny poem in praise of her lipstick. I think she was secretly pleased. My parents let me do my own thing, they only wanted me to do well in my studies…which I did. There were no restrictions. I could sleep at any time, go out anytime. If I bashed up some child’s teeth, my father saw to it that I dealt with the child’s father myself… I realized that parents weren’t authority but they were friends. I would imitate Mumtaz, I would mimic people. I’m doing all this even today. And guess what? I’m being paid handsomely for it. An outgoing kind of person, mom took a lot of initiative in everything. I remember when my father was ill, he had cancer for eight months, we lost everything we had.                       One injection used to cost about Rs 5000 and we had to organise about 23 injections in ten days. It was an expensive affair and our business went down. At that time my mother would work day and night. She would get the money some way. She really looked after my father. After his death in ’81 she revived his business and ran it proficiently. I inherited workaholism from her. She never said no to anything. Like when I went to college, I said I wanted a car. And the next day, there was a car outside. She never forced me to do anything. She never even forced me to take over the big business that we had finally when she died. When I told her I wanted to act, join films she did not stop me. I wanted to do my masters in film making. I was very good. I had got admission in NSD. I didn’t want to do it but she told me, “just get admission”. So I gave my admission test and got in. I remember I used to be very bad in Hindi. I would get zero on ten. And she used to tell me, “If you get ten on ten, I’ll take you for a film”. And from that day to date I have topped in Hindi at all times I remember the first film she took me to see was Dev Anand’s Joshilaa. Her favourite actors were Bishwajeet and Joy Mukherji. I think I inherited my sense of humour from my father, who too had a lot of respect for women. I remember once I had gone and blown somebody’s letterbox. And this south indian lady came down and complained to my father, “Your son troubles my daughter”. He looked at her and said, “If she is as pretty as you are and if I was as young as my son, I’d probably do the same thing”. She started laughing. He said it so gently and nicely. He was very respectful to women because he had an older sister and a mother whom he was very close to. He taught me how to be gentle with women. When my father died, I didn’t cry. I thought it was heroic. I was one of the pall-bearers, I thought I had become a little big man. But I felt cheated despite the fact that he had prepared me for his death… And my mother’s death made me realize that nothing is permanent. I stopped hoping for anything. I cried a lot. Nothing shocks me anymore.
Films

Getting married is a stage in one’s life, where two people decide to be together for the rest of their life and share their time, emotions and feelings. Decision can be taken either by the concerned couple, on its own or they decide to be together by the wishes and choice of their respective parents. The end result in both the cases is that you are accepting a new person in your life and by doing so you are trying to “change” the pattern of your life.

We all know that “Change” of any kind has always been resisted and it require very high level of “maturity”, “Understanding” and “adjustment” .. Many times, many people fail to address this issue and hence end-up with very high level of stress, resulting in burn-outs, violence and some health related issues. In this article, we will be reading about the position, situation, role, expectations and challenges of a Husband.

Expectations of a Mother:

A mother is the one who gave you life and carried you in her womb for nine long months.

She was the one who understood your needs, wants and expectations, when you were not even able to speak.

She fought for you and defended you all the time, even when you were wrong. She was your first teacher.

She taught you lessons, which you would not have learned on your own or in any university of the world.

She fought with her husband, when you were in need of money.

She woke-up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for you and to pack the lunch for you. She always made sure that you eat on time.

She never slept on nights when you were sick, she just sat beside you.

She was your first friend.

When you were sad, hurt and in pain, she listened to you and motivated you…gave you hope. You shared your emotions, feelings, experiences with her, without any hesitation and she always listened to you and never complained. She listened to you, even then when she was not even able to understand as what you are saying…but she never let you know that.

She did all this and many more things for you without complaining.

After your marriage her only expectation is that you continue to be the same person as you were before; talk to her, give time to her, share with her and should not hide anything from her. Once you get married, she starts feeling insecure. She treats your wife as an intruder in her relation with you. She becomes more possessive about you and feel insure when you do not behave the way she want you to behave.

She expects you to marry the girl of “her choice” (Not necessary or a compulsion but a hidden wish). She expects you to treat your wife the way she wants her to be treated (this includes many hidden and unspoken expectations).

samiyusuf

Sami Yusuf is a British singer-songwriter, composer, producer and accomplished musician.

He was born in July 1980 into a musical family, learning to play several instruments at a very young age and demonstrating a keen interest in singing and composing. He studied music at several institutions and with renowned composers and musicians including composers from the Royal Academy of Music in London, one of the world’s most prestigious music institutions. In addition to his education in Western harmonics and composition, Sami has a solid understanding of the Middle Eastern modes (or Maqams) and is thoroughly acquainted and familiar with both East and Western musical traditions.

Since 2003, Sami’s debut album ‘al-Mu’allim’ and his second album ‘My Ummah’ have sold over five million copies worldwide (with a third album nearing completion). His concerts have attracted huge audiences across the Middle East, Europe and the United States, including a staggering 250,000 attendance in Istanbul. Sami has been featured by Time Magazine and has appeared on the covers of dozens of other mainstream publications around the world. Sami is devoutly spiritual and often uses his art and music as a means of promoting the messages of love, mercy, peace and tolerance, whilst encouraging the youth to be proud of their identity

http://www.samiyusufofficial.com/email/sami-message.php

Thanks to:  http://www.samiyusufofficial.com/

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Here Allah, may He be glorified, shows His Messenger the correct etiquette when determining to do something in the future; this should always be referred to the will of Allah, the Knower of the Unseen, Who knows what was and what is yet to be and what is not to be, and how it will be if it is to be. It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said:
«قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ: لَأَطُوفَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى سَبْعِينَ امْرَأَةً وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: تِسْعِينَ امْرَأَةً، وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: مِائَةِ امْرَأَةٍ تَلِدُ كُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ غُلَامًا يُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ قَالَ لَهُ الْمَلَكُ: قُلْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ، فَلَمْ يَقُلْ، فَطَافَ بِهِنَّ فَلَمْ تَلِدْ مِنْهُنَّ إِلَّا امْرَأَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ نِصْفَ إِنْسَانٍ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِصلى الله عليه وسلّم: وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَوْ قَالَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ لَمْ يَحْنَثْ، وَكَانَ دَرَكًا لِحَاجَتِه»
وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: «وَلَقَاتَلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فُرْسَانًا أَجْمَعُون» (Sulayman bin Dawud (peace be upon them both) said: “Tonight I will go around to seventy women ﴿according to some reports, it was ninety or one hundred women﴾ so that each one of them will give birth to a son who will fight for the sake of Allah.” It was said to him, ﴿according to one report, the angel said to him﴾ “Say: `If Allah wills’”, but he did not say it. He went around to the women but none of them gave birth except for one who gave birth to a half-formed child.) The Messenger of Allah said, (By the One in Whose hand is my soul, had he said, “If Allah wills,” he would not have broken his oath, and that would have helped him to attain what he wanted. ) According to another report, (They would all have fought as horsemen in the cause of Allah.) At the beginning of this Surah we discussed the reason why this Ayah was revealed: when the Prophet was asked about the story of the people of the Cave, he said, “I will tell you tomorrow.” Then the revelation was delayed for fifteen days. Since we discussed this at length at the beginning of the Surah, there is no need to repeat it here.وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ
(And remember your Lord when you forget) It was said that this means, if you forget to say “If Allah wills”, then say it when you remember. This was the view of Abu Al-`Aliyah and Al-Hasan Al-Basri. Hushaym reported from Al-A`mash from Mujahid that concerning a man who swears an oath, Ibn `Abbas said “He may say `If Allah wills’ even if it is a year later.” Ibn `Abbas used to interpret this Ayah:وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ
(And remember your Lord when you forget) in this way. Al-A`mash was asked, “Did you hear this from Mujahid” He said, “Layth bin Abi Salim told it to me.” The meaning of Ibn `Abbas’ view, that a person may say “If Allah wills”, even if it is a year later, is that if he forgets to say it when he makes the oath or when he speaks, and he remembers it later, even a year later, the Sunnah is that he should say it, so that he will still be following the Sunnah of saying “If Allah wills”, even if that is after breaking his oath. This was also the view of Ibn Jarir, but he stated that this does not make up for breaking the oath or mean that one is no longer obliged to offer expiation. What Ibn Jarir said is correct, and it is more appropriate to understand the words of Ibn Abbas in this way. And Allah knows best.وَلاَ تَقْولَنَّ لِشَىْءٍ إِنِّى فَاعِلٌ ذلِكَ غَداً إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ اللَّهُ وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ
(And never say of anything, “I shall do such and such thing tomorrow.” Except (with the saying), “If Allah wills!” And remember your Lord when you forget) At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that this meant saying, “If Allah wills.” وَقُلْ عَسَى أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّى لاًّقْرَبَ مِنْ هَـذَا رَشَدًا(and say: “It may be that my Lord guides me to a nearer way of truth than this.”) meaning, `if you (O Prophet) are asked about something you know nothing about, ask Allah about it, and turn to Him so that He may guide you to what is right.’ And Allah knows best. وَلَبِثُواْ فِى كَهْفِهِمْ ثَلاثَ مِئَةٍ سِنِينَ وَازْدَادُواْ تِسْعًا – قُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُواْ لَهُ غَيْبُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَبْصِرْ بِهِ وَأَسْمِعْ مَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلاَ يُشْرِكُ فِى حُكْمِهِ أَحَدًا ( And they stayed in their cave three hundred years, adding nine.) . Say: “Allah knows best how long they stayed. With Him is the unseen of the heavens and the earth.” How clearly He sees, and hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him, and He makes none to share in His decision and His rule.)
Source : Tafsir Ibn Kathir – Hope we shall practice saying “Inshallah” in your daily life.- Jazakallah Khair

By Tim Weber

It’s not about the money, says Youssou N’Dour

If getting rich makes us happy, then why don’t countries as a whole get happier as they grow wealthier? A workshop at the World Economic Forum in Davos tried to find out.

Are you happy? Really, truly happy?

Yes? Oh good! But why? Is it because you are rich, healthy, successful, have a family, or are you just having a good time?

So far, so easy. Even better, neuroscientists could tell me whether you are lying.

They can check whether the right parts in your brain get active when you claim to be as happy as a bunny.

And one thing they have discovered is that money tends to make us happier, says Lord Layard, professor at the London School of Economics and author of the book Happiness.

The conundrum

Now comes the hitch: when a whole society gets richer, there is no overall increase in happiness.

Instead, rich Western societies are plagued with high levels of depression and envy.

Unfortunately, it takes more than an entrepreneur, a media executive, a musician, and two economics professors to find an answer for the conundrum.

At least they gave it a try: “serial entrepreneur” Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Imax co-chief executive Richard Gelfond, Senegalese music legend Youssou N’Dour, Yale professor Robert Shiller and Lord Layard.

Pay taxes, be happy

Are you satisfied earning one million dollars if your neighbour rakes in two million?

Money may make you happier, says Lord Layard, but when you judge your wealth (and thus your happiness) you measure it against the people around you.

Even worse: Western societies make this “terrible error” of telling people they should work ever harder to compete.

What a waste, says Lord Layard (possibly tongue in check) and suggests that only higher taxes can force people to stop competing and restore a healthy, happy work-life balance.

The lesson: pay high taxes, don’t work yourself to death, and live happily ever after.

by Zafar Khan

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once offered prayer while carrying his granddaughter on his shoulder. “The (Prophet) led (the people) in prayer while she was on his shoulder. When he bowed he put her down and picked her up when he got up. He kept on doing so until he finished his prayer.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 353

One commentator wrote: “The purpose behind the action of the Prophet of carrying (his granddaughter) in the prayer was to set an example before the Arabs who considered having daughters and carrying them around as something bad or shameful. The Prophet…acted differently from them, and carried a girl on his neck in the prayer, and making something clear by example is much more effective than a mere precept.”

Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 2, Number 84

Posted by Zafar Khan Labels: Hadith, Leadership, Women

Source : http://theislamawareness.blogspot.com/

Posted by முதுவை ஹிதாயத்

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmathullaahi Wa Barakaathuhu.

Dear brothers,

A new search engine has been developed http://www.muslimsearch.blogspot.com. It searches only from the authentic islamic sources. We know many brothers has been trapped in fake, Unauthentic, Anti-Islamic websites and in the websites of deviated sects while they search in web for islamic issues. This search engine puts off the concern and gives results only from authentic websites. However, If U find anything unauthentic in our search engine please feel free to mail us.

Please note that “Ads by Google” in the search is not intended by the developer and they are automatically generated.

You are requested to make use of the search engine and your feedbacks/suggestions are always welcome. If U think this search engine will be useful to your friends, Please forward this mail to them.

Thanks to: http://muduvaihidayath.blogspot.com

[ This is the worst virus announced by CNN, it has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.]

PLEASE INFORM EVERYONE you know!

1.) Emails with pictures of Osama Bin-Laden hanged are being sent and the moment that you open these emails your computer will crash and you will not be able to fix it!

If you get an e-mail along the lines of ‘Osama Bin Laden Captured’ or ‘Osama Hanged’ , don’t open the Attachment!!!!

This e-mail is being distributed through countries around the globe, but mainly in the US and Israel

2.) You should be alert during the next few days:

Do not open any message with an attached file called ‘Invitation’ regardless of who sent it.

It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which ‘burns’ the whole hard disc C of your computer!!!!

This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list, that is why you should send this E-mail to all your contacts.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN, it has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.

This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus.

This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where other vital information is kept.

SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!!

”Jazaakallaahu khairan” Posted by: Habib Ur. Rahman habib@muhaidibco.com

Source :http://www.nidur.info

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

lhamdulillah, and salaat and salaam upon Rasoolillah Muhammad and upon his family and followers until the end of time, ameen.

In case you hadn’t noticed, we live in very dangerous times. No doubt there are many areas where this statement applies. The proliferation of wars, civil strife, economic sanction, takeovers and forced expulsion, genocide, natural disaster, environmental pollution, political oppression, street crime, you name it. At this time however, we would like to offer a few words on a dangerous situation regarding one of the most fundamental aspects of human behavior that if abused can lead to an insidious form of genocide. Namely, the destruction of people through immoral sexual relationships.

This is a vast topic indeed, so we will not in any way attempt to give it a full treatment. We hope now only to make several points by looking at what the situation is today and how Islam and Muslims are viewed with regards to it. We pray that we will be able to academically deal with the Islamic morale code in detail in the future, in shaa Allah. It can neither be denied that any given society may undergo trends nor that these trends usually have an underlying cause or source and they don’t just suddenly “turn up” but rather develop over time.

In the west in particular, sexual relationships are generally viewed as the private preference of each individual. No one has the right to determine with whom, or how one conducts one’s sex life. What occurs between consenting adults, no matter what sex or how many, is usually condoned. We believe that these beliefs and principles (along with others) have chiefly contributed to the following realities of today’s world.

The Current Reality

Premarital sex between heterosexuals is considered quite acceptable, normal, well within the bounds of morality, and indeed desirable. It has been this way for a long time and could honestly be said to be part of the “American Way”. Dating begins at a very young age and every socially well-adjusted youngster is expected to have several girlfriends and boyfriends by a certain age. Couples are expected to live together and getting married has long ceased to be considered as a major aim in life. Those who grow up in the West are weaned on sex in both subtle and not so subtle ways. It is quickly learned through T.V. shows, commercials, movies, advertisements, songs, you name it, that being sexy is a desired goal and aim in life.

Even comic books abound with superheroes and heroines with fantastically well-proportioned bodies and they lead sexually active private lives where little is left to the imagination. Animated cartoon characters from Betty Boop to Jessica Rabbit make the message crystal clear about what makes a female desirable. The top selling video and computer games feature female characters with sexy bodies whose biggest audiences are adolescent boys and young men. Females are intensely focused on being sexually attractive and are conditioned to be so from the time they get their first Barbie. This is what makes the fashion, cosmetic and entertainment industries thrive.

Countless young girls admire and aspire to be ‘superstar’ beauty queens, models, singers, or actresses. There is a phenomenal proliferation of ‘fan’ or entertainment magazines that feature the hottest entertainment stars who are known precisely for their sex appeal. Romance novels (some affectionately termed “bodice rippers”) are the number one sellers among young women around the world and have made many a writer rich even before they have sold the film rights. The most popular “rap artists” regularly feature sexually explicit ‘lyrics’ in their ‘songs’ that would disgust some of the crooners of love songs in the ‘old days’ (the 70′s & 80′s). The highest rated T.V. talk shows are those that commonly feature people who expose their most intimate and outlandish sexual behavior.

An evil trend among some who claim to be from Banu Hashim (the Prophet’s family) is that they do not get married outside their clan, nor do they allow anyone else to get married into their clan.

They say there is no compatibility between them and other people. This is a great error; ignorance; oppression against women; and a legislation that Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have not prescribed.

Instead, Allah said: “O mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and have made you into nations and tribes; that you may know one another, Indeed the most noblest of you with Allah is the one who has the most taqwaa (piety, fear, and obedience of Allah).” (Qur’an, 49:13)

“Indeed the Believers are but brothers.” (Qur’an, 49:10) “The Believers – men and women – are allies and protectors, one to another.” (Qur’an, 9:71)

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed there is no excellence for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over on Arab, nor for a white person over a black one, nor for a black person over a white one, except through taqwa (piety). People are from Adam, and Adam was from dust.” Ahmad (5/411)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “Indeed my Awliya (friends and allies) are not the tribe of so and so. Rather my friends and allies are the pious – wherever they may be.” (Al-Bukhari, 10/351 and Muslim, no. 215)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If there comes to you a person whose Religion and character are pleasing to you, then marry him (i.e. give the girl in marriage to him). If you do not do this, there will be Fitnah (trial and discord) and greet fasad (corruption) upon the earth.” (Al-Tirmidhi, no.1085)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) married Zainab Bint Jahsh of the Quraish (i.e. the Prophet’s clan) to Zaid Bin Haarithah, his freed slave. He married Fatimah Bint Qays from the Quraish clan, to Usamah, the son of Zaid. Bilal Bin Rabah, the Ethiopian, married the sister of Abdul Rahman Bin Awf of the Quraish.