Event #1 – Closing Words & Fatwa Night

AlMaghrib Institute presents a free online event on this coming Sunday, August 21 starting at 2:30 PM EST. Read more about this event:

http://www.facebook.com/almaghribworld

Shaykh Muhammad will be giving a talk on Closing Words: How to best plan your last 10 nights (Don’t we all need some tips?) followed by Q & A on fiqh of last ten nights answered by Shaykh Waleed Basyouni.

You can ask your questions and have them answered by following the instructions given at

http://www.facebook.com/almaghribworld

Event #2 – Building Blocks Emergency Assistance

While we’re enjoying the Iftar with our friends and family members, please don’t forget those who are in their difficult times. While we go shopping for Ramadan Eid celebration, remember some fathers could not afford to allow their loved ones to have the luxury to buy new clothing and toys for Eid. Worse yet, the widows lost their husbands and have to struggle to make ends meet to feed the entire family.

A project– A better Ramadan 1432 for All is currently undergoing at halfdate.com. My friend is asking me to spread the words.

http://halfdate.com/2011/08/09/a-better-ramadan-1432-for-all/

Alhamdulilah, if we could afford to “give”, please do so while we still can for giving is much more rewarding than receiving.

Please contribute your share to the project of Building Blocks Emergency Assistance. Be part of the community to alleviate the hardship of the families and save them from eviction, utilities shut-off, and overwhelmed medical expenses.

http://halfdate.com/2011/08/09/a-better-ramadan-1432-for-all/

Bismillah, here’s a list of my Iftar for the first week.

Day 1 (August 1, 2011)

Sohoor right before Fajr prayer: Water

Upon breaking the fast: A glass of freshly squeezed green veggie juice (Romaine lettuce and carrots)

Supper after Magrib prayer: A plate of freshly cut fruits (plums and peaches); guacamole (avocado, Japanese cucumber, and tomato) spread on two pieces of raw bread (gluten free); a cup of aneese tea with fresh mint leaves; one raw chocolate Goji ball desert

After Tarawee prayer: One glass of freshly blended green smoothie (orange, peach, strawberry, banana, yam leaves, cilantro, and basil)

Day 2 (August 2, 2011)

Sohoor right before Fajr prayer: Water

Upon breaking the fast: A glass of freshly squeezed green veggie juice (Celery and apple)

Supper after Magrib prayer: A plate of freshly cut fruits (plums, peaches, and nectarines); guacamole (leftover from yesterday) spread on one piece of raw bread; a side dish of yam noodle with shredded Japanese cucumber

After Tarawee prayer: A cup of brewed herbal tea with a raw cookie; 30 tablets of Chlorella (a type of blue-green algae)

Day 3 (August 3, 2011)

Sohoor right before Fajr prayer: Water

Upon breaking the fast: A glass of freshly squeezed green veggie juice (Celery, cucumber, and apple); A plate of freshly cut fruits (plums, peaches, and nectarines)

Supper after Magrib prayer: Guacamole (leftover from day before yesterday) spread on one piece of raw bread; Salad (romaine lettuce, yam leaves, celery, basil, avocado, cooked quinoa, and raisins); A cup of brewed herbal tea with a drop of homemade dessert (a mix of Goji berries, almond butter, maca powder, lucuma powder, and mesquite powder)

After Tarawee prayer: One mini cantaloupe (about a size of a big apple)

Day 4 (August 4, 2011)

Sohoor right before Fajr prayer: Water

Upon breaking the fast: A whole blender of freshly blended green smoothie (Spinach, cilantro, basil, peach, and orange)

Supper after Magrib prayer: Salad (leftover from yesterday); Raw cashew cream cheese (just a reminder – this is raw, vegan, and non-dairy product) spread on a piece of raw bread

After Tarawee prayer: One-half cup of herbal tea; Dessert (a blend of coconut & blueberry, sweetened with dates)

Day 5 (August 5, 2011)

Sohoor right before Fajr prayer: Water

Upon breaking the fast: A glass of freshly squeezed green veggie juice (Celery, ginger, and apple)

Supper after Magrib prayer: Raw vegan gluten-free avocado mushroom Cheeseburger; A cup of brewed herbal tea with a small handful of raw cashews and a coconut banana rawcaroon

After Tarawee prayer: Papaya; 20 tablets of chlorella

Day 6 (August 6, 2011)

Sohoor right before Fajr prayer: Water

Upon breaking the fast: A glass of freshly squeezed green veggie juice (Romaine lettuce and carrots)

Supper after Magrib prayer: A plate of freshly cut peaches; raw coconut soup (nori, coconut meat, avocado, corn, celery, sunflower sprouts, and coconut water); miso soup (cooked) with fresh green onion and cilantro

After Tarawee prayer: A glass of freshly blended green smoothie (bananas, blue berries, raspberries, coconut water, cilantro, and pea sprouts); 20 tablets of chlorella

Day 7 (August 7, 2011)

Sohoor right before Fajr prayer: Water

Upon breaking the fast: A glass of freshly squeezed peach juice; A plate of fresh plums

Supper after Magrib prayer: Salad (kale, avocado, cooked quinoa, and raisins); A cup of brewed herbal tea with a raw cookie

After Tarawee prayer: Dessert (a blend of coconut & blueberry, sweetened with dates); A small handful of raw cashew nuts

Low-fat Raw Diet

You see how similar foods I consume on a daily basis: green juice – smoothie – salad – herbal tea – dessert – nuts – chlorella. The same pattern followed here is low-fat raw diet. By keeping the fat intake to the minimum (no more than 10% of your entire daily calories), it ensures you with high energy.

On the regular days (non-fasting days) when I have reports due, I would simply drink green smoothies and eat fruits. For one reason, I don’t have time to prepare food. However, the side benefit is that I gain more time to do my work because I only need to sleep for six hours or less to feel energized again. Why? When more fat is consumed, your body needs to work harder to digest the fat intake. Therefore, you’ll need more time to rest to recover from the extra work you assign to your body.

Would you like to try for a week of low-fat diet? Try a dish of salad with cooked quinoa and avocado to replace your main course! Increase your fruit intake to at least 60% of your daily consumption! Do not deprive yourself from feeling satisfied. You should not feel hungry when you try this low-fat diet. If you feel hungry, you’re not eating enough! But, in the mean time, do not overeat. If eating more than you should is your issue, then practice to reduce one teaspoon for a meal at a time. By the end of one week, you’ll thank yourself for achieving a big step.

Mr. Cutts encourages us to try something we’ve always wanted to do but have never done (or even started) for the next 30 days. Think of an item to add to or subtract from your daily list. The item does not have to be a big challenge but rather sustainable. According to Mr. Cutts, the next 30 days will go away no matter what (whether we change something or not), so why don’t we do something valuable to make these coming/past days more memorable?

Sounds encouraging? How about implementing the idea to the upcoming month of Ramadan?

Do something different this time of the year to make it special and unique between you and Allah سبحانه وتعالى

Add something new (and halal, of course) that you haven’t done before during the entire month of Ramadan. That is, follow through each and every single day of the month of Ramadan.

An acquaintance told me one time that during the fasting she couldn’t think of anything else but food. From the moment she woke up, all she could think of is what she’s going to eat upon the fast breaking time. Do you experience the same thing? What can you do to break the thoughts of food and focus on your ibadah (worship)? Why not set up this as your goal to challenge yourself to overcome during this Ramadan? Read here for tips (or a review) on how to fight back Shayton’s whisper on hunger during fasting.

Once you identify an item of improvement to practice during Ramadan, next step is to make out a solid and practical step-by-step plan to employ it every single day for the entire Ramadan. Evaluate your plan from time to time to ensure you are on the right track. Insha Allah, after 30 days, the implemented good habit will become yours to stay.

Tell me your plan and how you will follow through! I may not reply to all your comments but I read them all (and enjoy reading them all) carefully.

I am excited for two reasons: Summer is almost here and Ramadan will be right around the corner. The two most enjoyable events will be happening at the same time. How cool is that!

Allow me to explain …

Summer means more outdoor activities and more exposure to the sun (allowing your body to produce enough vitamin D and save extra for “rainy days”). Summer also means more varieties of fruits and veggies available. Oh, by the way, I’m talking about the summer in southern California, usually mild around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I fully understand that it wouldn’t be too fun to have weather over 100 degrees Fahrenheit all season long! 

Ramadan means to free oneself from work and completely devoted to practice one’s ibadah. But very few of us (living in non-Muslim countries) could have that luxury of not working for the entire month. Alhamdulilah, this year, Ramadan falls entirely in our summer schedule, well, except, perhaps the last two dys. Well, a little defect makes it more memorable, don’t you agree? I wouldn’t complain!

So, imagine having two months off for the summer! Yummy! I’m filled with joy and gratefulness. I’m into the second week of my vacation now and I feel relaxed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sitting and doing nothing! Rather, I am productive – outdoors and indoors, exercises and readings, well balanced!

I could only dream about the relaxation that I am experiencing now but never had the extra energy or time to make it happen because I’ve been overworked for years after years. I worked day and night, from the first month of a year to the last month of the year without having any vacation.

And believe me, I didn’t want to make any exception for this summer, either. However, due to the budget cut, they couldn’t get a class for me to teach in the summer. I felt agonized over the “unemployment”.

Yeah, if you think of moving here for its mild summer, think twice, because California happens to be the State that “enjoys” the greatest hit by the economy downfall as well)

But strangely, when the chair of the department called me over the weekend and asked me if I could take over a class taught by another instructor who couldn’t teach the class in the summer for a personal issue, I hesitated.

I was always eager to take more teaching assignments. Thinking of saying “No”? Never! But, I couldn’t say, “Yes”, this time. The word just didn’t want to come out! The chair was kind enough to tell me to think about the offer and call her back by the end of the day.

After praying Istikhara, I sat down and started jotting down the benefits as well as the drawbacks of working in the summer. The end result? There was only one benefit from working; you’ve guessed it – having more income. But there were far too many drawbacks. I was fully convinced that I needed a break! Alhamdulilah!

Do you unwind yourself from time to time? Do you have the urge to make more money, allowing yourself to pick up more tasks simply because you “have to”?

Time for a break!

Nuclear Power Plants 101

There are currently more than 100 operational nuclear reactors along with 16 non-operational plants in the US. Take California as an instance, it has one plant currently in operation and five plants no longer in operation. Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is the one that is currently in operation and is commercially owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Company.

Of the five non-operational plants, one was an experimental plant that operated between 1957 and 1964. Shortly after the plant started generating electricity in April 1957, the plant suffered a partial core meltdown in July of the same year and released radioactive contamination. The experimental plant has been dismantled after the shutdown, according to California’s government website.

The other four non-operational commercial plants were closed. However, spent nuclear fuel rods are still kept in water pools onsite. US’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website explains what “spent nuclear fuel” is:

Spent nuclear fuel includes many highly radioactive byproducts of the fission process. The fuel is stored at the nuclear power plant site in specially designed pools resembling large swimming pools or in specially designed dry storage containers. In the pools the water cools the fuel and acts as a radiation shield. The storage containers can also cool the fuel and contain the radiation emitted by the used fuel.

Seems safe, right? Wrong! The nuclear plants were designed to endure up to 7.5-magnitude of earthquakes. What that means is that if stricken by a 7.5 or higher earthquake, the pools or the storage containers would not be able to withstand the force and will crack.

This was what had happened in Japan. After hitting by an 8.9-magnitude quake registered on the Richter scale, the sporadic explosions had cracked the cooling pool in No 4 reactor with a leak.

Basic Protection – Potassium Iodide (KI)

With more than 400 reactors operating worldwide, chances are there’s probably one in operation near you. What can you do to protect yourself and your family in case an emergency should arise?

EPA’s website issues that in case of a nuclear accident, “If you live within ten miles of a nuclear power plant, you may be issued potassium iodide (KI) tablets”. It goes on to explain that KI tablets could prevent radioactive iodine released from the meltdown from concentrating in your thyroid gland.

It’s true that taking potassium iodide could fill up the thyroid gland so that it leaves no room for the radioactive iodine to enter into your thyroid gland. However, in order for this to happen, potassium iodide needs be taken prior to or immediately after the exposure. Waiting for the government to hand out the tablets could render ineffective protection because governments worldwide have a reputation of downplaying the situation.

The Japanese government openly admitted it should have distributed potassium iodide earlier to protect people from the cancers caused by radiation exposure. But instead of handing out the KI pills, Japan’s government did nothing for three days following the initial explosion and tried to downplay the situation. (http://www.naturalnews.com/031770_Fukushima_explosion.html#ixzz1HBUKApZi)

By the way, KI is not a supplement and should not be consumed on a regular basis. It is only used in emergency to protect oneself from the radioactive iodine released from the nuclear explosion.

Other Radioactive Substances

EPA openly states on its website that ”KI tablets only protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine. They do not protect against any other radiation”. In fact, KI tablets do not even prevent the radiation of the iodine from entering into your body. So, how do we protect ourselves from any radioactive substances including uranium, plutonium, etc? During the fallout, stay indoors. Seal the windows and doors with duct tapes to prevent as much radiation as possible from entering into your house.

In the mean time, consume sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as well as bathe with sodium bicarbonate (mixing minimum of 1 pound with the water) to prevent the kidney damage from uranium. Consuming large amount of chlorella and spirulina helps to remove the toxic radiation from the body.

Early Preparation

Preparation should begin immediately. The list below is just a beginning. You and your family may need to modify and add more items to it to suit your needs.

1. In case you’re stranded at home during a crisis, you’ll need water. Water could be contaminated or simply not available during a crisis. Store enough water for six months’ usage for your entire family.
2. Extra food should also be stored. Considering the electricity might be out during the disaster, store dry food such as seeds and grains instead of frozen foods.
3. Discuss with your family members where you would meet in case a disaster should happen. Don’t rely on your cell phones; they may not work during the crisis.
4. Prepare an emergency bag that you can pick up and leave during a crisis. Put a flashlight, an emergency knife, radio, medical supplies, some spare cash and other important items in the bag.

Eating Healthy

It’s important to maintain good health on a regular basis. Feed yourself with organic fruits and veggies to strengthen your immune system. A body that is weak and acidic won’t go through the crisis. While you still can, load yourself with iodine. According to Dr. Brownstein, an expert on healing with natural hormone, 90% of the Americans are deficient in iodine. Iodine deficiency could worsen your ability of warding off the radioactive iodine. Different from potassium iodide (KI), nascent iodine is a supplement in iodine that can be taken safely to restore your iodine level.

In addition to the supplement, seaweeds such as kelp, Irish moss, nori, kunbu are high in iodine. Consume them on a regular basis to boost your thyroid function. The bottom line is that you don’t want to have a compromised health when a crisis hits. Protect yourself by planning ahead. Insha Allah, you’ll never need to use the emergency plan.

Sources: http://www.energy.ca.gov/nuclear/california.html

http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/nukelist1.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/031728_nuclear_contamination_glutathione.html

http://www.jonbarron.org/detox/preparing-nuclear-fallout-Japan-iodine

Watch this short video and listen to a medical doctor telling us how we should react to a cancer.

More from Dr. Lodi on “Stop Making Cancer”:

http://islamicholisticliving.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/stop-making-diseases/

And, “Healing Cancer with Life’s Energy”:

In a recent article published in NIA, it announced the release of NIA’s special U.S. food price projection report. In this report, it uncovered the huge price increases in commodity such as cotton (by 54%), corn (by 29%), soybeans (by 22%), orange juice (by 17%), and sugar (by 51%) during the months of September and October 2010.

In the beginning of year 2009, the US owed the rest of the world over 12 trillion US dollars ($12,000,000,000,000). With an increasing rate of over 1 trillion US dollars per 15 months of the US foreign debts and coupled with the flawed financial system, there is no doubt that we are destined to face hyperinflation.

The issue of hyperinflation is not a matter of if but a matter of when.

Islamic Finance

The financial system practiced in the non-Islamic world was developed by the Jews and basically is about lending money to their clients using other clients’ money. The bank not only loans the money that does not belong to the bank in the first place but also, on top of that, collects interest.

In his lecture “An Islamic Perspective on the Credit Crunch”, Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq said, “If people would have followed Allah’s and Prophet’s (SAW) teachings, there would have been no credit crunch” (By the way, this 90-min long lecture in three parts only costs $1.99 from iTune store).

Islam forbids the collection of riba (interest). Islamic finance is not merely a replacement of the existing financial system to avoid collecting riba. It is a comprehensive financial system that deals with lending and borrowing in a humane way.

It is clearly stated in the Qu’ran that if a loan should be established, no riba should be collected at the time of the return of the loan. In fact, if there is any hardship in returning the loan on time, then extend the lending period to ease that hardship, or, better yet, give away as sadaqah (charity). Islam encourages of spending in the name of Allah so that the money will not stay and circle around only within the wealthy.

What is the difference between sadaqah and riba? “Sadaqah is to give without anything in return while riba is to take without anything in return”, says the Shaykh.

A financial system that does not follow Allah and Prophet’s (SAW) teachings is doomed to fail. That is what is happening right now, right in front of our eyes.

So, what can we do now to deal with the food crisis?

• Eat healthy: During the period of hyperinflation, it is wise to stay healthy. The last thing you want to get is the sickness. Eating simple is the key to being healthy, no more junk foods at any given time of the day (and night). Prepare our own meals at home with fresh produce. Do not heavily process your fresh produce. Lightly steam the veggies, or better yet, eat them raw. Meat should not be consumed on a daily basis. Consume only organic meat whenever possible.

• Plan to grow your own foods: Next time when you shop at your local supermarket, ask them where those fresh veggies and fruits come from. You’ll be very surprised to learn that the majority, if it’s not all, of the fresh produce is from elsewhere (either from a remote state or from another country). In other words, they arrive at the shelf of your supermarket via plane and/or truck. During the hyperinflation, the link of the transportation would be broken due to the skyrocketed gas price. Replace the flowers (unless edible flowers) with veggies/fruits in your yard.

• Store water: If you live in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, you’ll be so thankful during the hyperinflation that zamzam water is available without any interruption. The rain is mentioned time and time again in the Qu’ran as Allah’s bounty to the mankind. Indeed, water enters into every aspect of our lives. Here’s a link where you can find spring water from your local area. Save at least six-month’s worth of water supply.

• Store some dry foods such as seeds, beans, nuts, grains, and sea veggies: Get them organic and raw!
  • Seeds such as quinoa (read as KEENwa, a type of seed, can replace rice), pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds (raw seeds, not the roasted ones) are worth storing.
  • Red beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, mung beans, black beans, lima beans, and many others can be stored dried or frozen.
  • Nuts (again, raw nuts only) include walnuts, almonds (European almonds, not US almonds), Brazil nuts, cashews, pine nuts, and macadamia nuts. Mix with some raisins and you have your own trail mix!
  • Grains such as buckwheat, barley, and oats can be stored for long period of time. They could be either whole grain or in powdered form (to make your own pancakes).
  • Non-roasted sea veggies such as nori (Learn how to make raw sushi), dulse, kombu, wakame and so on are highly nutritious and filled with minerals.

It’s possible that when we wake up the next day, everything has changed. Are you prepared for that day?

Assalam Alaikum,

This Monday (Nov 15, 2010) is the best day of the year in the Hijri calendar: The Day of Arafah.

To do our best on this special occasion, here are some highly recommended good deeds:

1- Making Dua: “Best Dua is the Dua of Arafah Day” -Collected by At-Tirmithi

2- Fasting: “It expiates for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year.” -Collected by Muslim

3- Making Thikr: “The best that I’ve said and the prophets on the day of Arafah is “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadeer” -Authenticated by Al-Albani

Listen to the supplication: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI6B8tY1RhQ

May Allah accept from us our deeds and Duas on that day.

-HalalBuzz, HalfDate, HalalBucks, and LivingHalal Team

P.S. Give a $10 gift to your needy Muslim women at http://halfdate.com/2010/11/10/women-affairs-of-almumtahinah/

In a recent online discussion forum where I study as a student, a fellow student shared the news he read and his thoughts on the topic:

I found the Wall Street Journal article “ Luring Shoppers to Stores”, a fascinating description of how new technologies offer innovative ways to connect marketers with shoppers. We are living in a revolutionized world that is changing the long-established way of doing everything in seconds. At the same time, I am concerned that futuristic in-store technologies could promote more social isolation by replacing personal interaction with virtual interaction.  I have a mix of feelings. On one hand, I love the great things of this digital era; on the other hand, I will miss the old fashion way of asking for a particular item in the stores. I took the time to read the posted comments about the article, and I found that seven of the nine comments express their concerns on the tactics that new technologies might bring within.

Below was my reply to his posting:

(Name removed),

I echo your concerns about social isolation. However, I am even more concerned about the “quickness” we all demand through the usage of technologies. Technologies shorten the time and the distance among each other. It is nice to be able to grab the things and go quickly. However, I strongly believe that there should be no short cut for learning. Unfortunately, the hamburger culture instilled in my students is that everything should be quick including (and especially) learning. In fact, in my opinion, learning does not even occur when sacrificing the time of applying and reflecting what we have learned.

Another aspect of the technology usage: We are at a time with technology developing super fast and beyond. It is more than likely that the technology for tomorrow will be far more superior than we can imagine today. However, the development of civilization requires not only advanced technology but also keeping up with the moral standard. Technology and moral standard are the two leading horses of the carriage. With moral standard declining and deteriorating, and thus, falling way behind, I worry the overturn of the carriage will come soon and hard on all of us.

Even though I didn’t say specifically in my reply, many of you might know already that I was inferring the moral decline to the pharmaceuticals and food manufacturers, among other things. When industries see only the profits, they could care less about the consumers. People’s health means nothing to them.

Just Water?

Just the other day before I was about to start the lecture in one of my Statistics classes, a student asked for permission to drink the ‘special water’ that she bought from the store. The college has the rule that students are not allowed to drink any type of beverages except water in the classrooms for fear of spilling and damaging the carpet in the classrooms. Therefore, she explained to me that the drink was just water adding some flavor and some color to it. “But it’s just water”, she assured to me.

Out of curiosity, I asked her the ingredients of the drink. She started to read the label, “Purified water, um… um… and a bunch of chemicals”. “Do you think it’s healthy?” I asked her. “Well…” she started to read nutritional facts to me. I stopped her and told her that the information given doesn’t mean anything. “Does the artificial coloring bother you?” I asked. She said, “Food coloring shouldn’t be harmful.” “At least there’s no sugar in it”, she grinned at me.

“Do Not Eat Refined Sugar!”

A while back before giving them the first test, my students asked me what to bring on the test day. I told them that they would only need a calculator and some writing utensils. “And, bring with you a clear and crisp brain to think through the test.” I jokingly told them not to eat any refined sugar if they want to stay smart and thus survive through my course. That’s why “At least there’s no sugar in it”, the student commented. However, she failed to understand that artificial coloring and other chemicals such as aspartame (artificial sweetener) and MSG are equally bad. Those chemicals can either damage one’s neurological system or cause cancer over time. When I told them that on average, one in three people would develop cancer, they were stunned in disbelief.

My Main Concern

When we all faithfully and blindly follow the technology, do we have a minute for our bodies and seriously think what our bodies really need and deserve to have?

Statins and SSRI drugs – Two big cons!

In it, Magnus Mulliner (the host) labels both drugs as “jokes, without humor”.

Statin drugs are documented to be effective in lowering cholesterol levels. However, what are the true reasons that cause your body producing excess cholesterol level? Without treating the root cause by simply reversing the symptoms, in my opinion, is irresponsible.

According to Mulliner, one of the reasons might cause the high cholesterol level could be stress — stress from dehydration or consuming the wrong fuels (foods, that is). In order to cope with the stress, your body has to produce excess cholesterol level to level out the stress. Lowering the cholesterol level will make you ill by permanently damaging your muscle fibers and bringing you closer to Alzheimer’s disease! Lowering the cholesterol level also allows your body to create more cancer cells than your body can deal with.

So, do you want to simply “treat symptoms with drugs” or “take control of your health by changing your lifestyle”?  — It’s your pick!

Be sure to watch the other two videos produced by Mulliner:

Cancer – three main ways to create it (stress, foods you eat, and toxins)

Sugar – A Class A Drug