O PEOPLE! Fear Allah! Be God-conscious And Just!

 

O People! Fear Allah!

Be God Conscious

And Just!

If You Ignore Allah, He’ll

Ignore You On The Day When

You’ll Need Him Most!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“And be not like those who forgot Allah,

so He made them forget themselves.

Those are the defiantly disobedient.”

(al-Quran 59:19)

We remember Allah only when we are in trouble; we are sick or we are facing problems. When things are normal and life is good, we don’t remember Allah nor His commands. Man is very selfish and greedy. He creates all kinds of problems to satisfy his greed. He practices corruption for his own benefits because he wants to make this world his personal Heaven. And in trying to accomplish that, he spreads corruption and injustice.

We, as creation, are supposed to show our obedience and gratitude to our Almighty Creator. Instead, we subjugate other human beings to obey us and live like our subjects. We don’t fear Allah or His wrath for all the corruption and injustice we commit in this world. We also forget that this is His world, not ours. We are here as travelers and are required to abide by the rules and regulations prescribed by our Lord Almighty for our stay. We fear dogs; we fear police; we fear immigration but we don’t fear God Who send us to this world and told us how to live here.

The Bible says:

“How abundant are the good things that
you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
on those who take refuge in you.”

(Psalm 31:19)

Disobedience is equal to rebellion. When the Devil (Iblees) disobeyed God, he was punished and destined to Hellfire. Now, how often do we disobey Allah in our daily life and what should be the punishment for this revolt? The good thing is that Allah doesn’t punish us right away for our sins. He gives us time to repent.

God is the Supreme Creator and we are His Creation. What right and power do we have to revolt against our Creator and be not punished? When the Quran says: ‘Fear Allah!’ – it means fear Allah’s wrath or anger (be God-conscious; be mindful of God; and do your duty towards Allah; don’t ignore Him or disobey Him!). Anybody with power or authority does not like disobedience, be it your boss, a police officer, a captain of the group/team, a ruler or a king. Compared to them, Allah is the Ultimate Power and even the most powerful people on earth cannot afford to disobey Him. But He is so kind and compassionate to us that He forgives us every time we seek His forgiveness. So, it is only fair that we respect His commands and do His will.

The Bible says:

“The world and its desires pass away, but

whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

(1-John 2:17)

"So the Lord commanded us to observe all

these statutes, to fear the LORD our God

for our good always and for our survival,

as it is today.”

(Deuteronomy 6:24)

We have seen, or have read in the history books about the fate of many powerful rulers, tyrants and kings; and how miserable their end was, but it seems that man never learns his lesson. He follows the Devil instead of following the commands of his Creator and the Lord God. The Scriptures have warned us that the Devil will always deceive us as he is man’s open enemy. But we follow him as if he is our best friend and well-wisher. The irony is that the Devil himself fears Allah but we don’t!

“(The hypocrites are) like the example of Satan

when he says to man, "Disbelieve." But when he

disbelieves, he says, "Indeed, I am disassociated

from you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds."

So the outcome for both of them is that they will

be in the Fire, abiding eternally therein. And that

is the recompense of the wrong-doers.”

(al-Quran 59:16-17)

That enemy of ours in friend’s clothing (Iblees) will definitely lead us to Hell which is his final destination, as promised by God. But he doesn’t want to go to Hell alone. He wants to take as many humans with him as possible. The question is: Do we really seek that destination?

The Bible says:

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that

friendship with the world means enmity against

God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a

friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

(James 4:4)

We had the privilege to benefit from the services of the Prophets and Messengers of God who came to pass with clear signs, instructions and warnings to guide us to the right path. We were told time and again that this world was just like a puppet show – a play. We are traveling through this world and at the same time preparing for the next world which is our real home and is everlasting. We are supposed to work today for our bright tomorrow, but most of us don’t understand – or don’t want to understand.

“O you who believe! Fear Allah, and let every

soul look to what (provision) it has sent forth

for the morrow. Yea, fear Allah, for Allah is

well-acquainted with (all) that you do.”

(al-Quran 59:18)

The Earth belongs to Allah. We got that clear message from the Quran where in many different chapters Allah the Almighty reminds us that the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, belongs to Allah. The man has no right to damage God’s property.

Allama Iqbal’s Thoughts

From: “The Earth Is The Lord’s” (Javid-Nama)

The history of man throughout East and West
is a tale of wars, battles, revolts, for ‘land’;
one bride there is, and we are all her husbands,
that enchantress is without all and with all withal.
Her blandishments are nothing but guile and trickery,
she belongs neither to you nor to me either.
These stones and rocks have nothing in common with you;
they are the stuff of stillness, you are on a journey.
How can the sleeper and the wakeful mix together?
What has the planet to do with the fixed star?
God has called the earth simply our ‘enjoyment’,
this valueless ‘enjoyment’ is gratis, gratis.
You landowner, take a wise hint from me:
take from the land your food and grave, but take it not.
How long will its company last? You are, it is not;
you are a living being, it is a lifeless show.
You are an eagle, therefore get you about the skies;
open your wings and pinions, rise clear of the earth.
‘The Earth is the Lord’s’, the inward meaning is plain,
and he who sees not this plain is an infidel.

The earth and the heavens belong to Allah. Everything in the Heaven and on Earth glorifies the name of God – the Supreme Creator. Therefore, we humans should also appreciate this universe and sing praise of our Lord God – the Most Merciful; the Cherisher; the Sustainer; and the Wise!

“He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the

Bestower of forms (or colors)! To Him

belong the most beautiful names. Whatever

is in the heavens and on earth, does declare

His praises and glory. And He is the Exalted

in Might, the Wise.”

(al-Quran 59:24)

The Bible says:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure

and faultless is this: to look after orphans and

widows in their distress and to keep oneself

from being polluted by the world.”

(James 1:27)

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YOU CAN'T FIGHT CORRUPTION With Moral Bankruptcy!

 

We Lack Character!

We Face Moral Bankruptcy

And Can’t Fight Corruption.

As Long As We Remain

Far From Islam,

We’ll Keep Suffering!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“Not one of you but will pass over it! This is with

your Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished.

But We shall save those who guarded against evil,

and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein,

(humbled) to their knees.”

(al-Quran 19:71-72)

The Bible says:

“The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,

all the nations that forget God.”

(Psalm 9:17)

We have seen the ‘Golden Era’ of Pakistan’s history during the 1960s under the leadership of President (Gen.) Mohammad Ayub Khan. I remember when I used to buy the export quality sugar in the local market of Lahore Cantt., for Rs.1.50 per seer (kg.), milk for Re.0.50 per liter, desi-ghee (butter oil) for Rs.4.50 per seer (kg.). And the mighty dollar was worth Pak Rs.4.75 only. When I left for Germany in 1969, I exchanged Pak Rupees for US Dollars from the State Bank of Pakistan, Lahore, at Rs.4.75, as each traveler was allowed $1,000 per year for overseas trips. Pakistani students studying overseas and the patients traveling for treatment were allowed a lot more than that.

Major dams were built; infra-structure was laid down; industries were installed; first TV stations were launched; university and research institutes were established; Islamabad was created from the jungle; enemies were humiliated (1965 war); and Pakistan helped financially the countries like Germany and Japan. Economy was very strong and flourishing; and people were enjoying peace and happiness.

O Pakistan!

What Have You Done

To Yourself?

*********************************

We offered economic help to Germany,

Japan and other countries but today

we are begging them for help!

What a shame!

O' Hypocrites (Munafiqeen)! 

What have you done to

God-given Pakistan?

*********************************

Govt. checks and controls were on place. One retail-shop owner was caught selling ghee at Rs.5.00 per kg., and was sentenced to 14 years of jail under the Martial Law regulations. There was peace and peace until Z.A. Bhutto appeared on the political scene. He was a ‘nobody’ who was groomed as ‘somebody’ by the President Ayub Khan, who appointed him as Foreign Minister. This Foreign Minister stabbed the President in the back. He manipulated students and the youth; brought them on the streets and introduced filth, mud-slinging, violence and vulgarity to the Pakistan politics.

Most of you Pakistanis were not even born yet but your country was respected all over the world. I traveled on ‘Green Copy’ (Pakistan passport) by road from Pakistan to England. The only visas I required were for Afghanistan (granted at the port of entry for Rs.10/=) and the Communist Bulgaria (also granted at the port of arrival/transit for $5.00). In Europe, I needed visa for Switzerland. Apart from that, no visas required for Pakistan passport traveling to Iran, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Austria,

Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the U.K. Britain imposed visa in 1986. You could go to many Asian countries without any visa too. That was the country we were proud of. I went to Dubai in 1970 and I was stamped visa on the port of arrival. No problem, no hassle. Bangladesh did not exist, it was East Pakistan. Bangladesh came into being as a result of an international conspiracy between Bhutto, Indira Gandhi, America and Soviet Union (Russia).

Then things started changing – and changing for the worse!

Today, you hide your identity! A couple of years ago, I saw two Pakistanis in Marrakesh talking to each other in Urdu. For many years I had not seen Pakistanis in Morocco, so I approached them. After Salaam, I asked if they were from Pakistan. They said: ‘No, we are from India.’ Because of the Urdu language, I felt closer to them and invited them to a cup of tea. Sitting in the café, they told me that they were originally from Karachi (Pakistan) but were settled in London. They had British nationality. When I asked them why did they lie about their identity, they said it was due to security reasons.

Allah-o-Akbar! I have been to 37 countries of the world and lived in 5 different countries in 4 continents (Asia, Africa, Europe & America). I never needed to hide my identity. I never had this ‘security’ problem!

The real problem that we people are facing today, is the problem of character. We have deviated from the right path, from Islam, the Quran and eventually from God. The equation is very simple: If you fear Allah, you don’t fear anything or anybody in the world. But if you don’t fear Allah, then you fear every dog in the street, every corrupt man, every powerful puppet with authority, and a lot more. Therefore, the fear of Allah alone can alleviate all other fears. The Bible says:

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are

unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him Who

is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.”

(Matthew 10:28)

So, what’s moral or what’s the message? The moral (the message) is that we should stay on the right path. When we fear God, we become righteous, and only righteousness can solve our worldly problems. It’s the character!

Unfortunately, there is no character building in our homes, in our schools and educational institutions. Modern education prepares us as robots to work on different jobs for a consumer society but it fails us in the fields of humanity. It does not produce great human beings! Most of us are corrupt but we find corruption in others. We are all at fault but we find faults in others only. We demand change but we want to change others only. That’s hypocrisy and Pak politicians are the worst example of it.

Charity begins at home! Change starts when you decide to change yourself! Don’t try to change others! Change yourself first!

The Bible says:

“So whoever knows the right thing to do

and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

(James 4:17)

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven

against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,

who, by their unrighteousness, suppress the truth.”

(Romans 1:18)

“The nations have sunk in the pit that

they made; in the net that they hid,

their own foot has been caught.”

(Psalm 9:15)

We have deviated from the right path, from the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet (s.a.w.). If we don’t repent and revert to righteousness, we are bound to perish. Allah has warned us about destruction very clearly in the Quran:

”Now there has succeeded them a generation

who have neglected prayers and have followed

lusts. But they will face destruction, except those

who repent and believe, and work righteousness.

For they will enter the Garden and

will not be wronged in the least.”

(al-Quran 19:59-60)

We all make mistakes because we are humans, but the best sinners are those who repent and don’t repeat those sins. The Most Merciful Allah is there to forgive us. He always gives us a second chance but do we appreciate that second chance? We need to respect the code of conduct laid down for us by our Creator and live our lives by the Book. If we don’t mend our ways, the promise of God is true and shall be fulfilled.

“So, by your Lord, without doubt, We shall

assemble them together, and (also) the Evil

Ones (the Devils); then shall We bring

them forth on their knees round about Hell.

Then shall We certainly drag out from every

sect all those who were worst in obstinate

rebellion against (Allah), the Most Gracious.

And certainly We know best those who are

most worthy of being burned therein.”

(al-Quran 19:68-70)

**************

THE REAL REASON Behind Zionist Occupation of Palestine.

 

Natural Gas Worth $453 Billion &

Oil/Petrol worth $71 Billion

The Real Reason Behind

Zionist Occupation

of Palestine

But Nobody Talks

About It

(M. Javed Naseem)

Under a systematic genocide plan, the apartheid Zionist terrorist state of Israel, showing no respect for international laws, human rights and Geneva Convention articles, continues to kill thousands of innocent Palestinians (including children and women) every year ; continues to destroy crops and properties of the Palestinian nationals every year ; and continues to annex more and more land to exert more control. For practical purposes, there exists NO Palestine, only Israel. It’s Israeli territory with Israeli currency, administration, judiciary and civic laws.

Recently the Zionist occupation forces slaughtered hundreds of people, including 66 innocent children. About 2,000 people were injured, about 75,000 people were displaced, about 17,000 housing units were destroyed, thousands beyond repair/fixing. In addition to that, over 50 schools and educational institutions, six hospitals and a dozen primary healthcare centers were also destroyed. Nobody talked about sanctions or disciplinary action against the apartheid state which is financially, militarily and morally supported by the Evil Empire (US-UK-EU).

Nothing will change in favor of the Palestinians! I am afraid, it will get worse till the apartheid state of Israel achieves ‘total’ success in Palestine by eliminating all Palestinians. Google has already changed the name of the territory from Palestine to Israel on its maps. The Zionists are constantly working on expansion plans and will annex lands from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and even Saudi Arabia. They have planned to construct an alternate canal to Suez Canal, eventually blocking, destroying or capturing the Suez Canal.

A U.N. study report by its body UNCTAD, entitled: “The Economic Costs of the Israeli Occupation for the Palestinian People: The Unrealized Oil and Natural Gas Potential”, declares:

“Geologists and natural resources economists have confirmed that the Occupied Palestinian Territory lies above sizeable reservoirs of oil and natural gas wealth, in Area C of the occupied West Bank and the Mediterranean coast off the Gaza Strip. However, occupation continues to prevent Palestinians from developing their energy fields so as to exploit and benefit from such assets. As such, the Palestinian people have been denied the benefits of using this natural resource to finance socioeconomic development and meet their need for energy. The accumulated losses are estimated in the billions of dollars. The longer Israel prevents Palestinians from exploiting their own oil and natural gas reserves, the greater the opportunity costs and the greater the total costs of the occupation borne by Palestinians become.”

This study identifies and assesses existing and potential Palestinian oil and natural gas reserves that could be exploited for the benefit of the Palestinian people, which Israel is either preventing them from exploiting or is exploiting without due regard for international law.

The new discoveries of oil and natural gas in the Levant Basin, amounting to 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas at a net value of $453 billion (in 2017 prices) and 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil at a net value of about $71 billion, offer an opportunity to distribute and share a total of about $524 billion among the different parties, in addition to the many intangible but substantive advantages of energy security and cooperation among long-time belligerents. They can also potentially be a source of additional conflict and violence if individual parties exploit these resources without due regard for the fair share of others. What could be a source of wealth and opportunities could prove disastrous if this common resource is exploited individually and exclusively, without due regard for international law and norms.

Israel has forced a naval closure of the Gaza Strip as part of its energy security policy. The El-Arish pipeline and Mari-B gas platform are key Israeli strategic assets for its entire gas distribution network requiring stringent security measures. The Mari-B platform is located only 13 nautical miles from Gaza’s coast and the El-Arish pipeline runs across the entire Palestinian coast at 13 nautical miles connecting Ashkelon in Israel to El-Arish in Egypt. Since 2000, the year that Mari-B was first discovered, Israel has forced the closure of the Gaza Maritime Zone preventing Palestinian fishing and recreational use beyond distances of 6 nautical miles.

Occupation, Natural Resource Exploitation by Israel Hindering Social, Economic Gains in Palestinian Lands, Syrian Golan, Delegates Tell Second Committee

Israeli occupation and natural resource exploitation continued to hamper social and economic development in the occupied State of Palestine and the Syrian Golan, speakers told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) as it discussed those territories today.

Israel had carried out military decisions and discriminatory laws which impacted Palestinian natural resources and economic development, said the representative of the State of Palestine. By taking over his State’s resources, Israel had imposed full control on Palestinian trade and guaranteed that its economy would be almost completely subservient to Israel. Israel had also deprived Palestine World Trade Organization (WTO) benefits of 14.5 per cent for transport, transit and shipping fees of low- income States.

Although the United Nations had adopted resolutions that determined Israel as the occupying Power of Palestinian territory, but Power gave no credence to those resolutions, acting as though it was above the law. Thus, an international boycott of Israeli settlements and companies was a procedure in line with those resolutions and that the international community must end its dealings with Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian land.

The recent reports attested to a systematic and escalating pattern of human rights and international law violations because of Israel’s illegal, oppressive and destructive policies.

Despite calls by the international community to halt those activities, Israel continued its colonial settlement enterprise in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Israel must be compelled to respect international law, and the Palestinian people could not remain the exception to the responsibility to protect civilians from atrocities.

Everyone is wrong about Israel-Palestine – here’s how the pursuit of huge gas reserves and money is fuelling the conflict:

(By: Darius Shahtahmasebi)

There are trillions of tonnes of recoverable gas lying underneath the disputed waters off Gaza, Israel, Syria and Lebanon. And the Israelis want to make sure they alone control and profit from it.

Few topics rile people up on both sides of the political aisle more than the Israel-Palestine question. It is without doubt one of the most – if not the most – explosively divisive issues on the planet.

In 2000, UK oil company BG Group discovered an estimated 1.6 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas in the Gaza Marine. As noted by Anais Antreasyan in the University of California’s Journal of Palestine Studies, Israel’s continued desire to control Gaza is due to its aim of making “Palestinian access to the Marine-1 and Marine-1 gas wells impossible”, with the added goal of not only “preventing the Palestinians from exploiting their own resources” but to “integrate the gas fields off Gaza into the adjacent Israeli offshore installations.”

According to Antreasyan, this is part and parcel of a broader strategy of:

“…separating the Palestinians from their land and natural resources in order to exploit them, and, as a consequence, blocking Palestinian economic development. Despite all formal agreements to the contrary, Israel continues to manage all the natural resources nominally under the jurisdiction of the PA, from land and water to maritime and hydrocarbon resources.”

 

Israel barely has enough energy resources of its own to maintain its current exports. Following the discovery of the $4 billion worth of natural gas in Gaza in 2000, there were also later other monumental discoveries of gas in Syria and Lebanon, two known adversaries of the Israeli government. Israel has for some time now shown a keen eagerness to intervene in both countries (for completely unrelated reasons, I’m guessing).

Earlier this year, fresh rounds of talks had begun between Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA), Qatar and the EU in respect of Israel’s goal of exporting Eastern Mediterranean gas to Europe. The problem has been, at least as far as the US and Israel are concerned, that Hamas has continued to present itself as a thorn in the side of these negotiations, denouncing their legitimacy entirely.

While many on both the left and right, including former US president Donald Trump, are quick to argue that the only reason the US has ventured into the Middle East was for oil and natural resources, very few seem capable of acknowledging the very same issues are also at the heart of the Middle East’s most explosive conflict.

This is despite a UN report, and a US Army study which was commissioned under the Obama Administration which indicated that the recent decision to proceed with a $735 million arms sale to Israel is due to Israel’s aspired domination of the East Mediterranean’s energy resources, and US tacit support for this eventuation. In fact, the 2019 UN report which until recently was unreported, concluded that “occupation has impoverished the Palestinian people, undermined their capacity to access and utilise their resources and denied them the right to move freely within their homelands.”

(Courtesy: https://www.rt.com/op-ed/525000-israel-palestine-natural-gas/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Email)

Taking a much tougher line on Israel is the ONLY way America will ever be able to escape the Middle East

(By: Tom Fowdy)

As conflict rages in Gaza, it’s clear President Biden would much rather focus elsewhere. But the uncomfortable truth is the Middle East will always be a problem for the US until it completely rethinks its strategy on Israel.

Can the Israel issue truly just fade away and become irrelevant? Even after this specific conflict ends, the answer is clearly no. Israel – and by extension, the Middle East – will continue to be a major problem and distraction for the US until the issue is permanently resolved. And that is an impossibility as long as there is unconditional American support for Israel.

This continues to be the wedge issue for the Middle East as a whole – the longstanding grievance that has been a catalyst for radicalization and Anti-American sentiment for decades. And attempting to ignore it will mean it will never go away.

America simply unconditionally rewarded Israel for its behavior and didn’t push for concessions to deliver peace. There was also the strategic blunder of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital and the failure to challenge Israel’s annexation of the West Bank.

If Biden wants out of the Middle East forever, then the only way is for America to completely bin its current policy. This is asking a lot, but there is no other way. He first needs to sacrifice looking for short-term gains against China in the pursuit of long-term credible peace in the Middle East, which must consist of ending one-sided US favoritism in favor of Israel and demanding a two-state solution. This would permanently render the Arab-Israeli conflict to the history books and nullify the core of radical, revisionist ideology within the region – and, by extension, terrorism and conflict.

If there is no change, then it’s simply a case of waiting for the next crisis to happen.

(Courtesy: https://www.rt.com/op-ed/524231-biden-israel-middle-east-us/)

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EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN For This World And The Hereafter!

 

Education Is Obligatory In Islam

Educate Your Children

For This World And

The Hereafter!

Gadgets Are Harmful

For Young Kids

(M. Javed Naseem)

*************************************

You don’t need gadgets, smart-phones or

electronic equipment to educate your kids!

These gadgets are harmful for young kids.

For real education/ guidance, apart from

normal schooling, open the Holy Quran

and see what Allah has prepared

for you, and how to get that!

*************************************

Education is the most important factor in life. The first word revealed to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) from Allah through Gabriel was ‘Iqra’ – meaning ‘Read’. Still there are millions of Muslims in the world who cannot read and write. As a matter of fact, Reading and Writing are not the ‘education’ as such. They are tools or means through which we can educate ourselves. Education opens your mind and heart and brings you closer to your Lord Creator. The more you know, the more you are convinced that you need God in your life at every step of life. We are nothing without Him. If we are not connected with our base, we are lost.

When Muslims won their first war against unbelievers of Makkah at Badr, they captured many as prisoners of war. The first condition set for their release, was that each prisoner of war educates ten Muslims (teach them reading, writing and counting). If not, then they should pay money as ransom to win their freedom. That shows how important education was even centuries ago.

Today, we measure success on the scale of wealth or material possessions. Wealth and material possessions are temporary ornaments of this worldly life only. A Muslim should always think about the Hereafter, because, according to the Quran, that is the real and everlasting life. This world is a trial for us. Our wealth is our offspring and the real wealth we can pass on to our children is the wealth of education. If we invite to goodness and thwart evil, that would be a great service to the next generation. It’s our responsibility to put our children on the right path by providing them the real guidance. That’s the only yardstick to measure our success in this world.

“…And turn unto Allah together, O believers,

in order that you may succeed!”

(al-Quran 24:31)

“And there may spring from you a group

who invite to goodness, and enjoin right

conduct and forbid indecency. They

are the successful.”

(al-Quran 3:104)

It’s our obligation to pass on the Divine message (Quranic education) to our children so that they get an idea of the purpose of their lives. There are lessons for them in the Quranic stories of the Prophets. Those stories can definitely generate some interest among the younger generation to learn more about their faith and the ‘way of life’ – Islam. Above all, they will learn how to respect their parents and elder folks.

Today, Muslims all over the world are in a sorry state of affairs, and they can only blame themselves for that. We Muslims are not discharging our duties diligently. Our irresponsible behavior and care-free attitude is spoiling our children. But we blame the TV and the internet. Instead of promoting the Quranic education and the Prophetic teachings among our kids, we are pleased to see them adopting Western culture, customs, habits and attitudes. We do not discharge our obligation of upbringing our children according to the tenets of Islam. We did not pass on to them what we were supposed to. The result is obvious. Our young generation is lost in the material glamour of an alien culture. They have gone astray.

If you are a real Muslim, you should never forget that on the Day of Judgment you would be answering questions about the education and upbringing of your children. The issue is a lot more serious than you think. Therefore, try to bring God back into their lives. Discharge your obligations honestly and correctly while you still can. Feed them from the money earned by Halal sources. Otherwise prepare yourself for the wrath of the Almighty! We are commanded by Allah to enjoin good conduct and forbid indecency. But unfortunately, today, most visitors to the sex and pornographic sites on the internet are from the Muslim countries – and Pakistan is on top of the list.

You must have heard the comparison ‘like father, like son’ at some point in your life. In most of the cases, it’s very much true. The children are very good observers and they copy their parents or the people around them. This is a natural instinct. We laugh when we see a 2-3-year old child walking in its parent’s big shoes in the house, and we are filled with affection for the child. This is the instinct I am talking about.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes always observe, their ears always listen, and their minds always process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parents realize that every day building-blocks are being laid for the child’s future. It all begins at home. So make your home the best place on earth!

Kids copy almost everything and if the parents are not careful in what they are doing, they can destroy their children’s lives by being bad role-models. Home is the first school before schooling and parents are the first teachers. It is at home where the foundation of a child’s life is laid. A good foundation makes a building solid and secure. It is called ‘Tarbiah’ (or Tarbiat) or upbringing.

Tarbiah & Taaleem (upbringing & education) is an obligation in Islam. All parents are REQUIRED to impart this training to their children, male or female. This is the duty of every Muslim parent. They are responsible for their children’s education and good upbringing. This teaches our children how to talk to the elders; how to respect others; how to behave in different situations; how to treat other human beings; and how to handle a danger; not to mention how to perform religious duties. It is at home that they learn how to react to certain actions of others. We build our children’s personalities and form their character. They learn the conduct from the parents. So, we should be careful!

“Lo, the noblest of you, in the sight

of Allah, is the best in conduct.

Lo, Allah is Knower, Aware.”

(al-Quran 49:12)

 

Screen Time Is Addicting

When we went to school, we didn’t have the luxury of computers, tablets, smart phones and other electronic equipment. We got our education from the parents, teachers and the library books. Today, we want to buy every new gadget for our kids. We even give our smart phones to 3-4 years old kids to play with. And we take pride in that. We don’t realize that these electronic gadgets can harm our kids physically, damage their abilities and hamper their natural growth. Some of the damage can be for life.

Nicole Crawford, a women's fitness coach and an expert on Yoga, Family and Kids, narrates: Moodiness, restlessness, strange cravings, incoherent speech, an inability to focus on tasks that require concentration and emotional outbursts – these qualities may be used to describe a person on drugs or trying to quit smoking. They also perfectly express what my four-year-old daughter is like after a two hour Disney movie.

There's a reason for that. Screen time has a powerful effect on children, not to mention adults. Finding a way to combat screen time in children, who don't have inboxes to tend to and spreadsheets to create, is a bit simpler: Lay down the rules and set limits.

From: Psychology Today:

What ‘Screen-Time’ Can Really Do To Kids’ Brains!

Too much at the worst possible age can have lifetime consequences.

By Liraz Margalit, Ph.D (Behind Online Behavior)

Screen time is an inescapable reality of modern childhood, with kids of every age spending hours upon hours in front of iPads/tablets, smart-phones and televisions.
That’s not always a bad thing: Educational apps and TV shows are great ways for children to sharpen their developing brains and hone their communication skills—not to mention the break these gadgets provide harried parents. But tread carefully: A number of troubling studies connect delayed cognitive development in kids with extended exposure to electronic media. The US Department of Health & Human Services estimates that American children spend a whopping 7-hours a day in front of electronic media. Other statistics reveal that kids as young as two regularly play iPad games and have playroom toys that involve touch screens.

Saturation and long-term consequences

When very small children get hooked on tablets and smart-phones, says Dr. Aric Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of Britain’s Royal Society of Medicine, they can unintentionally cause permanent damage to their still-developing brains. Too much screen time too soon, he says, “is the very thing impeding the development of the abilities that parents are so eager to foster through the tablets. The ability to focus, to concentrate, to lend attention, to sense other people’s attitudes and communicate with them, to build a large vocabulary—all those abilities are harmed.”

Put more simply, parents who jump to screen time in a bid to give their kids an educational edge may actually be doing significantly more harm than good—and they need to dole out future screen time in an age-appropriate matter.
Between birth and age three, for example, our brains develop quickly and are particularly sensitive to the environment around us. In medical circles, this is called the critical period, because the changes that happen in the brain during these first tender years become the permanent foundation upon which all later brain function is built. In order for the brain’s neural networks to develop normally during the critical period, a child needs specific stimuli from the outside environment. These are rules that have evolved over centuries of human evolution, but—not surprisingly—these essential stimuli are not found on today’s tablet screens. When a young child spends too much time in front of a screen and not enough getting required stimuli from the real world, her development becomes stunted.
And not just for a while. If the damage happens during these crucial early years, its results can affect her forever.
Much of the issue lies with the fact that what makes tablets and iPhones so great—dozens of stimuli at your fingertips, and the ability to process multiple actions simultaneously—is exactly what young brains do not need.
Tablets are the ultimate shortcut tools: Unlike a mother reading a story to a child, for example, a smartphone-told story spoon-feeds images, words, and pictures all at once to a young reader. Rather than having to take the time to process a mother’s voice into words, visualize complete pictures and exert a mental effort to follow a story line, kids who follow stories on their smartphones get lazy. The device does the thinking for them, and as a result, their own cognitive muscles remain weak.

Trouble making friends

The brain’s frontal lobe is the area responsible for decoding and comprehending social interactions. It is in this corner of the mind that we empathize with others, take in nonverbal cues while talking to friends and colleagues, and learn how to read the hundreds of unspoken signs—facial expression, tone of voice, and more—that add color and depth to real-world relationships.

So how and when does the brain’s frontal lobe develop? Not surprisingly, the most crucial stage is in early childhood, during that same critical period, and it's dependent on authentic human interactions. So if your young child is spending all of his time in front of an iPad instead of chatting and playing with teachers and other children, his empathetic abilities—the near-instinctive way you and I can read situations and get a feel for other people—will be dulled, possibly for good.

(Courtesy: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/behind-online-behavior/201604/what-screen-time-can-really-do-kids-brains)

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