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Friday, December 31, 2010

Look Into My Eyes - Outlandish

Outlandish brings the transgressions the Palestinian people face in their daily lives through the eyes of a little girl in their interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood.


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Friday, December 24, 2010

World's most expensive Christmas tree

Really Sad.....

UAE hotel erects 11-million-dollar Christmas tree. The 11-million-dollar Christmas tree, standing at 13 metres tall and decorated with necklaces, watches and bracelets with more than 180 diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and other precious stones, stands in the lobby of the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi December 16, 2010. The Emirates Palace, a high-end hotel in the United Arab Emirates, has issued an apology for its over-the-top bejeweled conifer just a few days after it was boasting about having the world's most expensive Christmas tree. Picture taken December 16, 2010.








Sources: Yahoo   Xinhuanet 
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Thursday, December 23, 2010

People Inspired by Muhammad

An awesome social awareness campaign was launched in the UK recently. The Inspired by Muhammad campaign is designed to improve the public understanding of Islam and Muslims. It showcases Britons demonstrating how Muhammad inspires them to contribute to society, with a focus on women’s rights, social justice and the environment.






The campaign coincided with a national poll in the UK conducted by YOUGOV to gauge people's perceptions on Islam. The poll shows that:


Knowledge of Islam

60% say they don’t know very much about Islam

17% say they know nothing at all

33% would like to know more about Islam



Sources of information on Islam


57% obtain most of their information about Islam from the TV news

41% obtain their information about Islam from newspapers

Just 3% get most of their information on Islam from Muslim organisations

31% feel that information about Islam is not very accessible

5% say that information is not accessible at all


Perception of Islam


58% associate Islam with extremism

50% associate Islam with terrorism

Just 13% associate Islam with peace

6% associate Islam with justice

Only 16% think that Islam promotes fairness and equality

Only 6% believe that Islam promotes active measures to protect the environment

41% disagree or strongly disagree that Muslims have a positive impact on British society

69% believe that Islam encourages the repression of women


http://www.inspiredbymuhammad.com/


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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

How to Get out of the Rat Race

Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad explains the effects of the US's printing of currency. He recommends investing as a means to break free of the rat race and claim financial freedom. He recommends Silver and Gold as a good investment in times when the world is competing on currency devaluation.

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Monday, December 20, 2010

An Agnostic Jew attempts to explain the Quran

An agnostic Jew explores the Quran from a different perspective than most Westerners are used to. She attempts to explain the true essence of the Quran. A very interesting video...





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Thursday, December 2, 2010

5 Most Satisfying Things in Life

Some of the best things in life are for free. Here's a countdown of life's top 5 spiciest things...


5. When its a scorching hot day out, and your mouth is cracking because its so dry. You've been fantasizing about something cold to quench your thirst. Then you find it. You chug a nice ice cold glass of water.

4. When an unreachable spot on your back is itching. You use the edge of the door to scratch it, but you keep missing the spot. You grow more desperate and the spot grows itchier. Then that dear someone comes along to relieve you with the perfect scratch that hits the spot. Makes your eyes roll right up.


3. When you've been holding it all day long. Your bladder is about to explode. You finally get home, sprint to the toilet, and dive onto the seat. You let it rip. You experience 3 levels of euphoria. Your eyes roll.


2. When your kids do something real cute. You zoom onto them and forget about everything else going on. It's just you and them for a few moments and you feel like you want to eat them up because they're so scrumptious.


1. When your deep in prayer. You've managed to get full concentration. You live every word as you say it, and your body is filled with a serenity. You feel connected to Allah at that moment. Your heart is about to take off heaven-ward. You never want this moment to end!



Feel free to add to the list...

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Monday, November 8, 2010

A Eid Your Kids Will Never Forget

Deeply ingrained in most kids' minds is a Party that is far more superior than any other party in existence. A Party so amazing that it makes all other parties bow in respect. At this Party kids are dressed up, balloons are hung all around, and party games are played. Most exciting is the infamous cake, the plentiful candy, the stacks of presents, and the songs in the air. It's no wonder that kids consider this party to be the Ultimate Party. If you haven't guessed it by now, the mystery party is a Birthday Party.

While celebrating another year in existence has become common in most cultures, I think it's important to be as passionate about celeberating more important occasions such as Eid. So why hasn't Eid been the subject of exhilaration to the extent Birthday parties have been? I think its a matter of focus. We simply need to shift our focus to Eid.


So this year, let's all push to revolutionize Eid. Let's serve our kid's with the most delicious Eid their little minds can think of. Let's make Eid that gem that kids dream of and patiently wait for all year round. Let's turn Eid into the ultimate extravaganza. Let's scrap birthday parties and turn our kid’s attention towards Eid.

For the 2nd year standing, my wife and I have thrown Eid parties for our daughters. On the 3rd day of Eid we invite all of their friends. The girls get dressed up in their tiaras and tutus. We go all out with the party decorations. We have games, songs, and fun activities going on. We get a giant cake shaped to their favorite cartoon character. Everyone gets presents. Everyone is flooded with candy and treats.

The goal: To make kids drool when they hear that Eid is coming.

As Muslims, we need to embody the Islamic cultural within our kids. We need to get our kids excited about Islamic tradition. We need to provide our kids with an alternative to christmas, new years, independence day, and halloween parties. We need to create a fun, exciting alternative that our kids can be proud of and look forward to. We need to boost their Muslim pride and strengthen their sense of belonging. The Eid initiative is one step in that direction.

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Monday, September 13, 2010

Why Some Old People Are Still in Mint Mental Condition, While Others Are Not?




The other day I read an article about the oldest virgin alive. She's a 107 year old Chinese woman. After a lifetime, she has finally decided to get married. She decided to look for a husband because she feels that she is becoming a burden to her nieces and nephews - the youngest is 60. 'My problem is that I can't get about like I used to,' Miss Guiying said. 'I broke my leg when I was 102 and I had to stop doing the chores like washing my clothes.'I'm 107 and I'm still not married. What will happen if I don't hurry up and find a husband?' She accepts that her husband will have to be younger than her, mainly because she can't find anyone older. So the ideal candidate will be somewhere in his 90s!

Really?

When most people start to age, they slowly begin to lose their mind. They begin to forget, their thoughts becomes clouded. They are no longer able to solving problems or tackle complex issues. By the age of 70 their mental capacity enters a downward tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, the cognitive capacity of an infant awaits. Soon they become a bedridden corpse.


On the other hand, other people, like the 107 year old Virgin, remain very sharp as they age. They are still observant, are able to build an argument, debate it, and logically counter argue. Their ability to critically think and solve problems remains intact. In very rare cases, they are even physically capable to care for themselves.

So what is it that polarizes the elderly? What is it that makes some sharp and others lose their mind? Some of my thoughts are as follows:

At first I thought the main reason was exercise. Exercise keeps your body lean and fit. Most doctors point to exercise as a main reason of longevity. Hand in hand with a exercise comes a good healthy balanced diet. Doctors say exercise can add up to 3 years to your life, while not-smoking can add up to 14 years. As the expression goes: A sound mind, is in a sound body. However, I have seen people that were in peak physical shape throughout their lives, but their mind deteriorated nonetheless. So that can't be the key. There must be something else.


Then, I thought that the key is a belief or a purpose that gives meaning to life. People who keep themselves busy with a certain project when they get old, they continue to have a purpose. They spend their time plotting and moving towards an ultimate goal. They feel fulfilled, look forward to the future, and hope for success. Often positive thinking also accompanies belief and a purpose, which doctors say can add upto 7 years to your life. One with strong aspirations spends his mental capacity planning. He spends his time studying. He also spends his time in a social circle discussing intellectual topics and debating. A belief and purpose is not doubt an important factor in longevity. However I've also seen religious people, as well as business men and leaders lose their mind towards the end of their life too. So what is it then?

After some reflection and conversation, I've drawn the conclusion that the single most important thing that mentally fit elderly people share is a constant practice of critical thinking. It is the continuous working out of the brain muscle that keeps it intact when one gets old. Just like exercise keeps your body fit, working out your brain with stimulus keeps your mind in mint condition.

There are many ways to give your brain a good work out. Some old people say a good exercise is to randomly memorize phone numbers and recite them from memory. Others do simple math calculations, such as multiplying the first 2 numbers and last 2 numbers of a phone number. Reading also keeps the brain challenged with new ideas. Engaging a social group in which one can debate and learn strengthens mental capacity. There are also plenty of brain games available, such as puzzles and riddles. 

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Sunday, February 14, 2010

19 Angels

When I was younger I learned that there will be 19 angels guarding the gates of hell. My little brain couldn't imagine such a torturous place, overflowing with evil, with a mere 19 angels guarding it. It seemed like a small arsenal to contain such sheer volumes of evil. My brain wandered. What if the people of hell ganged up on an angel, say 1000 against 1. What would the outcome be? I ran a quick battle between the biggest baddest dudes I could imagine headed by Abu Jahl, against one angel. The bad guys won.

But what I didn't understand back then was the true strength of an angel. Effortlessly, an angel
could lift an entire city on the tip of his wing and pile drive it into the ground. The size of an angel is beyond comprehension. His presence would simply engulf you. For the distance between an angel's ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred year journey.

The question becomes. if angels are so mighty, Why 19? In reply, the Quran states, "We have not made their number but as a trial for those who disbelieve." Surat Al Mudathir Simply put, it is God's Will. "Praise be to God, Who created the heavens and the earth, Who created the angel messengers with wings - two, or three, or four (pairs) and adds to His Creation as He pleases: for God has power over all things." Surat Fatir

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