CURIOUS OR ISLAMOPHOBE? Ponder On The Quran!

Curious Or Islamophobe?

Ponder On The Quran!

Study What God Says!

Don’t Listen To The

Biased Mainstream Media!

Do Your Own Research!

 (M. Javed Naseem)

أَفَلاَ يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْآنَ

“Will they not then ponder on the Quran?”

(‘Why don’t they study the Quran carefully?’)

(al-Quran 4:82)

Knowledge is the key to success! Knowledge is power! And knowledge is your best weapon as well as the best defense in any conflict! Knowledge is a wealth that’s never enough. You always seek more. It's like an addiction. You are respected, appreciated and adored for your Knowledge. Therefore, equip yourself with Knowledge and educate yourself!
What is the true knowledge or education? The true knowledge or education does not come with a Diploma or a degree. It's the awareness that opens your eyes, your mind and your heart. It apprises you of the rights of the Creator and the Creation; the relationship between the two; and the course of action towards an enlightened life here in this world and the Hereafter. You need the Divine assistance (guidance) to achieve that goal. That assistance or guidance is not difficult to get. It comes to you when you try to explore the relationship between Man and God, with all sincerity, honesty and perseverance. The road (path) that leads to God, passes through the valley of righteousness. There is no alternative route.

You don’t necessarily need to go to a college or a university to get knowledge and education. Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w.) never went to any school, college or university, but he had tremendous amount of knowledge in his possession. It was God-given as God is the Supreme source of Knowledge. All knowledge (and education) comes from Him! The only condition is that you should seek it and strive for it. When He sees your sincere effort and intention, He mercifully bestows it upon you. And when you are blessed with knowledge, you become humble. You glorify the name of your Lord in return!

To The Average Muslim:

Study the Quran carefully so that

you can answer questions of curious

non-Muslims & uneducated Muslims,

and alleviate their concerns!

When Allah created Adam, He gave him knowledge. He taught him things he knew not before. He taught him things that even the angels did not know. That made Adam superior to angels, and Allah commanded angels to prostrate in front of Adam. So, in fact, it was not the man made out of clay that was superior to angels – the most obedient servants of Allah. It was the Knowledge.

Knowledge is acquired by reading, reciting and learning. The first word that the Supreme Creator (Allah) revealed to Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w.) via Jibreel (Gabriel) was: ‘Read’ (or recite)! That’s the first step towards knowledge. The five verses of Surah al-Alaq were the first-ever revelation to the Prophet:

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ

خَلَقَ ٱلإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلأَكْرَمُ

ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ

عَلَّمَ ٱلإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

“Read in the name of your Lord Who creates!

He created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood.

Read: And your Lord is the Most Bountiful.

He Who taught (the use of) the pen.

He taught man that which he knew not.”

(al-Quran 96:1-5)

The Quran is full of knowledge, wisdom, blessings, peace, cure, guidance and Allah’s mercy. The knowledge of the Quran is essential for every Muslim. In today’s age of Fitnah (trouble) our only shield and the best defense against all evil is the Quran. We should get all the worldly education possible from the best schools, best colleges and the best universities of the world. It’s good for us. But the knowledge of the Quran is above all. It not only opens your mind, it also opens your eyes and heart. And that’s what is needed for a successful life in this world and the Hereafter.

Unfortunately, today’s so-called ‘educated’ man thinks that he knows everything and does not need guidance from the Quran. That’s arrogance and it forces human beings to rebel and transgress. But Allah knew that when He said:

كَلاَّ إِنَّ ٱلإِنسَانَ لَيَطْغَىٰ

أَن رَّآهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰ

“Nay, but verily man transgresses (all bounds).

That he thinks of himself as self-sufficient.”

(al-Quran 96:6-7)

Allah warns us that we should not forget that our final journey is to Him and we should be striving to please Him; to get closer to Him. Enjoining Good and forbidding Evil is the best strategy to achieve that goal. We cannot get nearer (or closer) to Allah without righteousness and piety. The major part of righteousness consists of serving the humanity; helping the poor, the needy, the orphans, the widows and the less fortunate; the victims of injustice, persecution and aggression. We should be taking care of each other in this world to succeed in the next world.

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰ أَرَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنْهَىٰ

عَبْداً إِذَا صَلَّىٰ أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَىٰ ٱلْهُدَىٰ

أَوْ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰ أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ كَلاَّ لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعاً بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ

نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَه سَنَدْعُو ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ

كَلاَّ لاَ تُطِعْهُ وَٱسْجُدْ وَٱقْتَرِب

Verily, to your Lord is the return (of all).

Have you seen the one who forbids the other from praying?

Have you seen if he relies on the guidance (of Allah)?

Or enjoins righteousness? Have you seen if he denies

 (Truth) and turns away? Does he not know that Allah sees?

Let him beware! Unless he refrains, We will seize him

by the forelock – the lying sinful forelock!

Then let him call upon his helpers.

We will call on the guards of Hell.

Nay, obey him not!

But prostrate yourself and draw nearer (to Allah)!

(al-Quran 96-8-19)

Allah has made the Quran easy for us all. If any of us does not know Arabic language, he/she can read the translation in his/her own language. The Quran has been translated in almost every popular language. Study the Quran carefully via different translations from different scholars to give you a wide-angle view. If you know two languages, read the translations in both languages. That will broaden your horizon and IQ. Just remember one thing: Allah does not like division, disunity and sectarianism. He has created mankind as one nation! So stick together and make peace with each other!

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MAKING AMERICA GREAT: Stop Wars, Fight Racism, Curb Islamophobia!

How To

Make America Great Again!

Stop Wars, Fight Racism,
Curb Islamophobia And

Spend Money At Home!

An Open Question To President Trump:

Can You Stand Up To The

String-Pulling Zionists 

And Greedy Bankers?

(M. Javed Naseem)

The inaugural speech of President Trump (sounds odd) was just like his campaign speech – same old rhetoric of other countries stealing American jobs; Mexicans and Muslims are bad guys and should be stopped entering America; and we would make America great again! Vow! If America were not great, you won’t be the President, Mr. Trump! Nobody ever thought that it could happen. Because most Americans don’t endorse your views about minorities and Muslims.

The fundamental problem facing America is that the President becomes a rubber-stamp in the hands of powerful financial crooks, corrupt Zionists, greedy corporate executives and dishonest bankers. They can easily buy out Congressmen and Senators to get the laws (that suit them) passed. They pull the strings. And they are neither Muslims nor Mexicans. Can the new President stand up to them and say ‘no’ for the sake of American people? No, I don't think so. He has already surrendered to the hate-mongers, racist bigots, biased and corrupt politicians who always cover their shortcomings with Islamophobia. 

Get ready folks! The next four years would be a roller-coaster ride!

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Mr. President!

If you want to make America great again,

eliminate the cancerous elements from the

establishment, Pentagon, CIA, Homeland

Security, military, Congress, Senate and

media. Bring to task the culprits behind

9/11. Don’t try to please one small group

of dishonest, corrupt and racist bigots who

want to control the world by spreading fear,

hate and Islamophobia. They are just using

you Sir, for their own vicious agenda! They

are not true Americans by any measure.

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

Here’s my advice and suggestions to make America great again:

Change your thinking that America is for Whites only! America is for everybody as all minorities (and all colors) contributed with their blood and sweat to make it great. America is already great, just catch the big thieves who are robbing it, destroying it and putting the blame on minorities.

Do some honest research and you’ll find out that more murders and crimes are committed by the White Christian Americans than all minorities put together. Shame on you for false claims based on your ignorance! American jails are full of petty thieves but the grand thieves are running the country! That’s the real problem of America.

Order a fresh inquiry and new investigation of 9/11. It was the job of professionally trained military personnel, mercenaries or commandos. Amateur Arab Bedouins are not capable of doing it. So, stop fooling American people!

Put all the perpetrators of 9/11 behind bars and recover all the wealth the crooks have looted from insurance and the govt. as bail-out. It’s tax-payers’ money, so spend that money on job-creating projects!

Stand up for truth, justice and uphold the American Constitution guaranteeing all liberties and freedoms offered by it including the First Amendment. Don’t listen to the corrupt cronies and ass-kissers. Truth always prevails.

 

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“Over the past, the Americans had 13 wars

spending 40.2 trillion dollars. What if they

spent a part of that money on building up the

infrastructure, helping the white-collar and the

blue-collar workers? No matter how strategically

good it is (to spend on wars), you are supposed

to spend money on your own people.”

– Jack Ma of Alibaba

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Stop funding the terrorist regime of Zionist Israel with American people’s money. This money should be spent on Americans in America guaranteeing them jobs, medical care, social security and educational scholarships for their children.

Stop invading other countries on false flags and lame excuses. America should not export wars. It should export cars and machinery. Cut military spending and rather spend on infra-structure to heal the economy!

Nobody is stealing your jobs! You are ill-informed! Your greedy corporations are exporting them overseas to make many-fold profits from cheap labor without giving any benefits to the overseas labor. Their ‘greed-without-limits’ is responsible for all economic and financial disasters in America.

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

“So it’s not that other countries steal jobs

from you guys, it is your strategy!

You do not distribute the money

in a proper way.”

– Jack Ma

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

America was built by immigrants so stop apartheid against one ethnic group or another, against Mexicans or Muslims. This hypocrisy is in fact a violation of the American Bill or Rights and the Constitution.

Here’s an open question for you, Mr. President:

Can you handle the above to make America great again?

I doubt very much. But will wait (for another four years) and see.

From: Geopolitics.com

Nobody’s Stealing Your Jobs,

You Spend Too Much on Wars -- Alibaba’s Jack Ma

Pub: January 20, 2017, eClinik Learning

Chinese billionaire and Alibaba founder Jack Ma believes that improper distribution of funds and hyper inflated US military spending, not globalization or other countries “stealing” US jobs, is behind the economic decline in America.

The Chinese business magnate earlier in January met with US President-elect Donald Trump, who has bemoaned the loss of American industry and jobs due to the outsourcing of labor to countries like Mexico and China. Ma, however, has a different view of what is behind the US economic decline.

“Over the past, the Americans had thirteen wars spending 40.2 trillion dollars,” said Ma, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “What if they spent a part of that money on building up the infrastructure, helping the white-collar and the blue-collar workers? No matter how strategically good it is (to spend on wars), you’re supposed to spend money on your own people.”

“When I was young, all I heard about America was Ford and Boeing and those big manufacturing companies. The last 10-20 years, all I heard about is Silicon Valley and Wall Street,” he continued.

“And what happened? The year 2008: The financial crisis wiped out 19.2 trillion dollars in the USA alone and destroyed 34 million jobs globally. So what if the money spent on Wall Street and the Middle East was spent on the Mid-West of the United States, developing the industry there? That could change a lot.”

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the United States spent $596 billion, or 3.3 percent of its GDP, on military expenditure in 2015, which is higher than any other country in the world. In Ma’s opinion, this is partly responsible for the loss of jobs in America’s Rust Belt.

“So it’s not that other countries steal jobs from you guys, it is your strategy! You do not distribute the money in a proper way,” he summarized.

From: StormCloudsGathering

The Trump years are going to be crazier than you think!

“… However, much of this hinges on a variable that Trump doesn't control: The Federal Reserve.”

“The Federal Reserve has held interest rates near zero for close to a decade. They also engaged in quantitative easing from 2009 to 2014, accumulating 4.5 trillion dollars worth of mortgage backed securities and treasury notes (they are still holding those assets by the way). This inflated stock and bond market bubbles of historic proportions.”

“When a friendly face is in the white House, crashes are typically attributed to a war, a terrorist attack or some other external variable (for example 9/11, which masked the unraveling of the tech bubble in 2001). The Trump administration, however, is an excuse in and of itself.”

“Word is the Fed is leaning towards increasing interest rates aggressively in 2017, and may engage in anti-inflationary measures to offset Trump's infrastructure stimulus plans. That means that the flow of money and credit is about to be tightened. It also means the Fed is setting itself up for a showdown.”

(Courtesy: http://stormcloudsgathering.com/president-trump-the-trap-is-set)

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CROCODILE TEARS VS BLOOD TEARS of Syrians, Palestinians, Iraqis, Libyans ...

Oh-bama!

The Biggest Trader of Death,

The Merchant of War,

The Worst U.S. President &

Darkest Era of White House.

‘His record in office leaves both him

and his presidency disgraced’

Crocodile Tears Vs Blood Tears

of Syrians, Palestinians, Libyans,

Iraqis Afghanis & Kashmiris

(M. Javed Naseem)

‘Do not be fooled by the tears and gushing words

of Obama and his supporters …  They are an insult

when measured against the tears of the countless

Libyans, Syrians, Afghans, Palestinians and others

who have suffered as a result of a foreign policy

that brought his administration into disrepute.’

– John Wight

The darkest era at the anti-Muslim White House is hopefully over, though it has encouraged a trail of apartheid, racism, discrimination and Islamophobia in America, Europe and around the world. They had called the Bush-Cheney era as the darkest in the history of American foreign policy. But Obama took it further to the extreme. The destruction by bombs and bullets, that killed millions of innocent civilian Muslims (children, women and the elderly) touched the new heights of barbarianism in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Kashmir, Burma and other parts of the world. The so-called ‘champions of human rights and democracy’ were mere spectators when hundreds of thousands of Muslims were being slaughtered by bombs and guns showered by America and NATO nations. 

And it was all for peace!

ZeroHedge adds:

The U.S. dropped 79 percent of the anti-Islamic State group coalition bombs in Syria and Iraq, totaling 24,287. That figure, along with others analyzed by CFR (Council on Foreign Relations), is likely lower than the actual number dropped because one airstrike can involve multiple bombs.

Obama did authorize a troop surge in Afghanistan — a conflict he pledged to end during his campaign — where the U.S. dropped 1,337 bombs in 2016. There are currently 8,400 U.S. troops left in the country, more than Obama initially wanted to keep there at the end of his term. The U.S. only dropped 947 bombs in Afghanistan in 2015.

The U.S. also dropped more bombs in Libya in 2016 than it did in 2015. Nearly 500 bombs were dropped in the North African country that has essentially been ungoverned since the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. He was captured and killed during the Libyan Civil War, kicked off by the Arab Spring protests that also began the Syrian conflict.

(List courtesy: www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-08/ron-paul-sums-nobel-peace-prize-winning-president-obama-one-short-sentence)

Barack Obama started with a Nobel Peace Prize and ended his presidency with the Pentagon's Distinguished Public Service Medal.

Sounds about right for a president who bombed 7 nations and became the first in U.S. history to be at war every single day of his eight-year administration. 

=======

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

‘In the year 2016 alone, the Obama administration

dropped at least 26,171 bombs. That’s equivalent to

the US military blasting combatants or civilians

overseas with 72 bombs every day last year.

That’s three bombs every hour, 24 hours a day….

-- Michael Bond

https://mpbondblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/12/the-obama-legacy/

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

America, Britain, European Union, Israel and their allies including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are all responsible for the doom and destruction brought to the Middle East. Being the leader of the pack, Obama’s hands and his records of 8-year rule are soaked in blood of the innocent civilians. God will deliver justice one day!

During the last 8 catastrophic years, the world went through hell as the bigots at the helm of American foreign policy, Homeland Security, CIA and NATO kept ruling (or ruining?) the world with wars based on lies, deceptions, betrayals and fake news. They created, sponsored, supported and militarily equipped the mercenaries and put them on the world scene as Muslim terrorists. They supported their fake argument with fake videos of terror activities of those mercenaries.

The dishonest and biased purchasable main-stream media (MSM) played its dubious role as the price was right. They are faithful pets of the vested-interest groups. It’s like little hypocrites serving the big hypocrites. They promoted only one notion: Islam is bad and Muslims are terrorists.

And it worked well with majority morons! Intelligentsia is a small minority with no voice or very feeble voice.

Defense industrial complex is controlling the American government and their terrible foreign policy. They are the ‘traders of death’ in suits and neckties.

And the biggest irony is that they are criticizing Donald Trump, who has done nothing yet as President! How honest! How fair! The Reason and Logic have lost their value. The Zionists love to plunder by using bombs and guns as tools. So many countries have been destroyed; towns after towns have been turned into rubble; millions of humans butchered and still counting.

The Crocodile Tears

Vs

The Blood Tears

‘Do not be fooled by the tears and gushing words of Obama and his supporters as he counts down to his departure from the White House. They are an insult when measured against the tears of the countless Libyans, Syrians, Afghans and others who have suffered as a result of a foreign policy that brought his administration into disrepute.’

Excerpts from:

Obama’s Farewell Tears Are an Insult,

His Record is Soaked in Blood

January 16, 2017 eClinik Learning

By John Wight

Barack Obama goes down in history as a president who more than any other in living memory entered the White House on a wave of hope and expectation, only to depart eight years and two terms later under a cloud of crushing disappointment and bitterness.

In speech after speech, America’s first black president outlined a vision of his country’s place in the world that would embrace multilateralism, place a premium on diplomacy, and embrace a foreign policy underpinned by justice. He also pledged to close the controversial US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Eight years later it’s impossible to avoid the conclusion that he lied.

When it comes to the Middle East, although Obama certainly cannot be blamed for creating the disaster in Iraq — for this we have the war unleashed on the country by his predecessor, George W. Bush, in 2003 to thank — his actions upon entering the White House in 2009 made the situation worse.

Obama continued to support the Maliki  government in Baghdad, whose sectarian policies favoring the country’s Shia majority at the expense of the Sunni minority led to the revival of AQI’s fortune. In 2013 the group changed its name to Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) and at the beginning of 2014 succeeded in taking control of Fallujah, just 57-km from Baghdad, where its notorious black flag first came to international attention.
In attempting to underplay the significance of the growing strength of ISI in Iraq, Obama infamously compared the terrorist group to a junior varsity (JV) team — in other words a threat of no great consequence. How wrong he was!

In June 2014, ISI launched offensives against Tikrit and Mosul, taking both cities, before moving across the border into Syria. There it morphed into Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL), establishing a reign of barbarism, terror, and cruelty such as the world hasn’t seen since the Khmer Rouge ravaged Cambodia in the 1970s.
It was a disaster that had arrived in the Middle East on the coattails of a so-called Arab Spring that saw the Obama administration throw former US and Western-supported dictatorships in Tunisia and Egypt under the bus. It did so at the same time as opportunistically throwing its weight behind the mass protests that had erupted throughout the region, doing so with the objective of ensuring that the outcome was favorable to US and Western strategic, geopolitical, and economic interests.

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

“What we call the total destruction of our

entire region, Barack Obama's cheerleaders

will call a legacy of "change".

– Sarah Abdallah

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

The destruction of Libya, wrought by Washington and its NATO allies in 2011, along with US support for sectarian terrorist groups in Syria, almost pushed the region into the abyss. When Russia entered the fray at the end of 2015, at the request of a Syrian government whose forces were overstretched and struggling to beat back a Western supported onslaught, Obama refused to accept Russia’s request to join forces to defeat terrorism. Instead his administration did its utmost to impede Russian efforts.

The result has been the unnecessary prolongation of the conflict in Syria and the suffering of its people. Along with the turning of Libya into a failed state, it produced a refugee crisis of biblical dimension, leading to thousands of people drowning in the Mediterranean in the act of fleeing a region plunged into chaos.
In Eastern Europe, meanwhile, the US under Obama’s watch supported a fascist driven coup in Ukraine in 2014 that toppled the country’s democratically elected government. The result was a civil conflict on Russia’s southwestern border.

The attempt to paint Russia as the cause of the ensuing instability exposed Obama’s mendacity and his blithe disregard for Russia’s security and legitimate rights. With the arrogance of a Roman emperor, the president attempted to bully the largest and most populous country in Europe into submission over Ukraine and its role in Syria fighting terrorism reduced relations between East and West to the point of full-blown crisis, where they currently remain.
Add to his legacy a drone war that has killed hundreds of innocent civilians, and nobody should be fooled by the happy-clappy emotional farewell speeches he is currently giving in advance of his departure from the political stage.

His record in office leaves both him and his presidency disgraced. (https://sputniknews.com)

(Courtesy: https://geopolitics.co/2017/01/16/obamas-farewell-tears-are-an-insult-his-record-is-soaked-in-blood/)

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SALAAT (PRAYER) IS EASY, Don't Make It Difficult!

Islam Is Simple,

Don’t Complicate It!

Salaat (Prayer) Is Easy,

Don’t Make It Difficult!

Salaat is offered to please Allah and should

be a pleasure for humans, not a punishment!

(M. Javed Naseem)

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Don’t burden and discourage your children

with 17-Rakaat or 12-Rakaat Salaat (prayers).

There is NO such thing! Allah did not prescribe

Salaat like that. 4-Rakaat Salaat is the maximum

Allah prescribed for Muslims. The rest is called

‘Nafl’ prayer and was added by humans.

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

In the 1950’s, when we were in the primary school, our teacher of Islamic Studies (this fancy name of the subject was created later and replaced the original ‘Deeniyaat’), used to ask: How many Rakaats (units of prayer) are there in the Isha prayer? He used to say: 17-Rakaats to correct those who did not answer correctly. And then he would give us the break-down of those 17-Rakaats. Similarly, Dhuhur (Zuhar) consisted of 12-Rakaats. We were all scared by the number of Rakaats and were never regular in Salaat (prayer) except for Friday prayer or Eid prayers.

This kind of preaching is discouraging. It’s incorrect and horrifying for the kids. Above all, it is not based on Truth. It’s wrong! The prayer (Salaat) of Isha consists of 4 obligatory Rakaats only. Similarly, the prayer (Salaat) of Dhuhur/Zuhar consists of 4 obligatory (Fardh/Farz) Rakaats. The rest is optional (Nafl, plural Nawafil). And you can offer even 100 Rakaats of Nawafil every day. There is no limit!

Prayer (Salaat) was prescribed by Allah, the Almighty, for His subjects, slaves or servants – we the humans. And He prescribed 5-Salaats (prayers) totaling 17-Rakaat per day for us. We call that prayer ‘obligatory’ or ‘Fardh/Farz’ prayer. Every other prayer falls in the category of optional (Nafl or Nawafil) prayer.

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

‘Fardh/Farz Only’ Salaat

Make your kids regular in offering Salaat

by ‘Fardh/Farz only’ prayer! Those who are

not regular with Salaat (prayers) can pray

‘Fardh/Farz’ only to start with, and add Nafl

(optional) prayers later on, when comfortable.

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Fardh/Farz (obligatory) prayers have a fixed number of Rakaats while Nafl (optional) prayer has no limit on number of Rakaats. You are free to offer as much as you can.

Prayer (Salaat) is one of the most important pillars of the Faith of Islam. Some scholars have called it 'Furqan' (the distinguisher) as it distinguishes between a Muslim and non-Muslim. There are numerous commands of Allah in the Quran that emphasize the establishing of ‘Salaat’ and paying of ‘Zakaat’ (poor-due). It is probably more than any other command for any other obligation! And that’s the reason many scholars have gone too far to declare that the one who does not offer obligatory prayer (Salaat) is not a Muslim.

وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلاَةَ طَرَفَى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَزُلَفاً مِّنَ ٱلْلَّيْلِ إِنَّ

 ٱلْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ ٱلسَّـيِّئَاتِ ذٰلِكَ ذِكْرَىٰ لِلذَّاكِرِينَ

“And establish regular prayers at the two ends

of the day and at the approaches of the night.

For those things, that are good, remove those

that are evil. Be that the word of remembrance

to those who remember (their Lord).”

(al-Quran 11:114)

The deciding factor between the occupants of Paradise and Hell on the Judgment Day would be the remembrance of Allah. Remembering Allah means that we fulfill all commands of Allah and obey Him in discharging all obligations. Muslims are required to offer five obligatory prayers (Salaat) in a 24-hour period every day. As a result, prayer should become an essential part of our daily routine or habit. Allah tells us to keep and preserve that habit and give special attention to the middle prayer.

حَافِظُواْ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَوَاتِ وٱلصَّلاَةِ ٱلْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُواْ للَّهِ قَانِتِينَ

“Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers,

especially the middle prayer; and stand before

Allah in a devout (frame of mind).”

(al-Quran 2:238)

Scholars are of the view that the ‘middle prayer’ means the Salaat of ‘Asr’ (late afternoon).

Allah, the Almighty, has commanded the believers to glorify His name day and night. Similarly, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) also told us to remember God as much as possible. Religious teachers recommend that we do Dhikr (Zikr) after every obligatory prayer (Salaat) and offer optional prayers (Nawafil), especially at night.

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said: “The coolness of my eyes is in Salaat.”

As per another Hadith, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said:

“The one who performs Salaat is like the one having a private conversation with Allah.”

In another narration it is said: “When you are praying, you are like whispering with God.”

The Prophet (s.a.w.) commanded us: “Pray as you have seen me praying!”

Prayer (Salaat) has different categories but generally we can divide them in two simple categories:

1) Obligatory (Fardh/Farz) prayers; and

2) Optional (Nafl, pl. Nawafil) prayers.

Any Nafl (optional) prayer that was performed by the Prophet (s.a.w.) is also called ‘Sunnah’ (way of the Prophet) prayer.

Obligatory (Fardh/Farz) prayer is the most important prayer because it’s the prayer that has been prescribed by Allah. There are no exemptions and nobody is exempt from these prayers. Every Muslim MUST perform them otherwise he/she would be punished on the Day of Judgment.

Allah gives you concession though, like if you are sick and cannot stand up, you perform by sitting; if you cannot sit then perform it by lying down. If you are handicapped, you perform it in an easy way which is not cumbersome or painful for you. You should have a valid reason to take advantage of these concessions.

For a Muslim, there are five obligatory prayers in a day/night (period of 24 hours). These prayers have names, like Fajr, Dhuhur (Zuhar), Asr, Maghrib and Isha. Each prayer is performed in units that are called ‘Rakaats’. Here’s the break-down of all five prayers:

Fajr: 2 Rakaats.

Dhuhur/Zuhar: 4 Rakaats.

Asr: 4 Rakaats.

Maghrib: 3 Rakaats.

Isha: 4 Rakaats.

Total: 17 Rakaats (per day, 24-hour period).

Normally, if you perform these 17 Rakaats per day and stay away from sin, you are qualified for Paradise. But it’s easier said than done. Nobody can perform these prayers perfectly (with 100% non-disturb concentration). Human beings are always disturbed by the Devil and his disciples. To compensate the shortfall, the Prophet (s.a.w.) recommended and performed some optional (Nafl) prayer. This prayer is called the ‘Sunnah’ prayer. It has two categories:

1)      Sunnah-Muakkada; and

2)      Sunnah non-Muakkada (Ghair-Muakkada).

Muakkada is the prayer the Prophet (s.a.w.) never missed, no matter what. He was very regular and particular about it, just like Fardh/Farz prayer. Ghair-Muakkada (non-Muakkada) is the prayer that Prophet (s.a.w.) performed sometimes and did not perform the other times.

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) performed 12 Rakaats of Sunnah-Muakkada everyday (24-hour period) along with obligatory (Fardh/Farz) prayers. Here’s the break-down:

Fajr: 2 Rakaats BEFORE Fardh/Farz (obligatory) prayer.

Dhuhur/Zuhar: 6 Rakaats – 4 Rakaats BEFORE the Fardh/Farz prayer; and 2 Rakaats AFTER the Fardh/Farz prayer.

Asr: None.

Maghrib: 2 Rakaats AFTER the Fardh/Farz prayer.

Isha: 2 Rakaats AFTER the Fardh/Farz prayer.

Total: 12 Rakaats (per day, 24-hour period).

Sunnah non-Muakkada (Ghair-Muakkada): The Prophet (s.a.w.) sometimes performed 4 Rakaats before Fardh/Farz prayer of Asr; and 4 Rakaats before the Fardh/Farz prayers of Isha at night.

Apart from that, the Prophet (s.a.w.) generally performed 3 Rakaats of Witr prayer every night before going to sleep or before the Fajr time. In some narrations it is stated that Witr prayer can only be performed in odd number (3, 5, 7 or even 9) of Rakaats. Witr prayer is performed to close the night. You can perform it after Isha prayer or before going to bed or with Tahajjud prayer in the last part of the night, or before the Fajr time.

Note: In Saudi Arabia and many Middle Eastern countries, the followers of Wahabi, Maaliki and Shafa'ee school perform only one Rakaat as Witr prayer. But majority of Muslims support the notion that one-Rakaat of Salaat is not valid at all. There are many Ahadith supporting this opinion.

Abdullah bin Masud (r.a.a.) was informed that Saad (r.a.a.) performed only a single Rakaat of Witr. He said: 'A single Rakaah is not valid in Salaah.'

Mulla Ali Qaari has written that there is a consensus among the companions (Sahaabah, r.a.a.) that it is 'jaaiz' (permissible) and preferable that Witr is of three Rakaats.

Hassan Basri (r.a.a.), a famous 'Muhaddis' (scholar of Hadith), and one of the great Sufis, said that there was a consensus among Muslims that Witr consists of three Rakaats.

Caliph Umar bin Abdel-Aziz, (the Second Umar), passed a law after consulting the scholars (Ulema) of Madinah that Witr must be performed in three Rakaats.

(Author: If you are not convinced about three Rakaats, you can perform Witr prayer in as many odd Rakaats as you like. Prayer is a matter between you and Allah. But do your research before making a decision!)

The number of 12 Rakaats of Sunnah-Muakkada has been confirmed by the Mothers of the Moumineen, Prophet’s wives Aayesha (r.a.a.) and Umm Habibah (r.a.a.), in many authentic Hadiths (Ahadith). Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) never missed 17 Rakaats of Fardh/Farz prayers and 12 Rakaats of Sunnah-Muakkada prayers each day.

Tahajjud: The Best Nafl (Optional) Prayer

The best optional (Nafl) prayer is called “Tahajjud’ and it is performed in the last part of the night, before the Fajr time. This part of the night is the most liked by Allah if spent in His worship or remembrance.

Abu Hurairah (r.a.a.) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.) said:

In the last 1/3^rd of every night our Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer – Allah) descends to the lowest heaven and says:

“Who is calling Me, so that I may answer him?”

“Who is asking Me, so that I may grant him?”

“Who is seeking forgiveness from Me, so that I may forgive him?”

(al-Bukhari, Hadith Qudsi)

Nafl (optional) prayer (or Nawafil) has no limit on number of Rakaats. You can perform as many as you like. It’s for your own benefit in the Hereafter. This prayer is like putting money in your savings bank for the rainy days. The best prayer after the obligatory (Fardh/Farz) prayer is Tahajjud. If you could perform it regularly along with Fardh/Farz prayers, it can save you from the Hellfire.

{From my book: “The Way (Sunnah) of The Prophet (s.a.w.)”, Chapter: ‘Prayer of The Prophet’ (s.a.w.), duly edited.}

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THANK THE SUPREME CREATOR Who Created Inventors of Technology.

Thank The Supreme Creator

Who Created Inventors of Technology!

Power Walk With Bionic Shoes

Footsteps Could Charge

Mobile Electronics

Technology At Your Service:

Heated Shoes

Solar Bucket

Arm Keyboard

Drone Camera For Selfies

Singapore’s Driverless Taxis

A Car In Your Bag

(Compilation: M. Javed Naseem)

(A shoe sole with an embedded energy harvester sits next to a first practical footwear energy harvester developed by the UW–Madison researchers’ startup company, InStep NanoPower, and Vibram. Photo: UW–Madison College of Engineering)

It is said that happiness is a state of mind. But when you look what we are striving for in real life, it has nothing to do with a reasonable mind or wisdom. It’s all about material things – comforts of the temporary life of this material world. The more we get, the more we want. It’s never enough! Science and technology are at our service to make our stay here in this world more comfortable. We have advanced a lot in the fields of science and technology but have lost ground in the field of humanity. Technological development is making our lives comfortable but does this comfort count for happiness, compassion, contentment, satisfaction, love and peaceful co-existence? Not really.

We live in a collective society but we are always alone, isolated individuals busy in our own world of electronic gadgets. We don’t visit our family members or neighbors unless we find them on the internet to say hello and hi.

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Enjoy the tech advances but don't forget that 

you need to work on your ethics, attitudes and 

human values to enjoy peace, love and happiness!

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With all the technological advancements, we are in the reverse gear as far as compassion, respect, love and peaceful co-existence is concerned. We are facing more bloodshed, killings, shootings and racial attacks springing out of a culture of individualism, hate for other religions, other colors, other cultures and other people. We are separated from our brethren on the basis of stupid notions and false flags. Can this tech advancement bridge the gaps between us and bring more peace, love and happiness in our lives? You don’t need to work too hard to find the answer!

One thing is certain that we need to work on our ethics and values. We need to work on our attitudes; at the same time we need to control our desires. Materialism pushes us away from love and compassion. We become selfish. Not to mention that our material comfort is always somebody’s profit. Ultimately, it’s all about money and material. Here’s some material for your comfort if you have the money! Enjoy the wonders of technology but don’t forget that these are not the ultimate things!  

Shoes Produce Cheap Clean Energy

(Power Walk. From: University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Tom Krupenkin, a professor of mechanical engineering at University of Wisconsin–Madison, and J. Ashley Taylor, a senior scientist, described an energy-harvesting technology that’s particularly well suited for capturing the energy of human motion to power mobile electronic devices.
The technology could enable a footwear-embedded energy harvester that captures energy produced by humans during walking and stores it for later use.
“Human walking carries a lot of energy,” Krupenkin says. “Theoretical estimates show that it can produce up to 10 watts per shoe, and that energy is just wasted as heat. A total of 20 watts from walking is not a small thing, especially compared to the power requirements of the majority of modern mobile devices.”

(Video: https://youtu.be/Tze6ah30xns)

Krupenkin says tapping into just a small amount of that energy is enough to power a wide range of mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptop computers and flashlights. For example, a typical smartphone requires less than two watts.

Power-generating shoes could be especially useful for the military, as soldiers currently carry heavy batteries to power their radios, GPS units and night-vision goggles in the field. The advance could provide a source of power to people in remote areas and developing countries that lack adequate electrical power grids.

(See more at: http://news.wisc.edu/power-walk-footsteps-could-charge-mobile-electronics/#sthash.WEZAAZ34.dpuf)

Heated Shoes

Thermacell Heated Insoles

Toes stay toasty with Thermacell heated insoles. These foot warmers deliver up to five hours of continuous warmth before they need recharging. When you walk into somewhere warm, you can turn off the heat with a pocket remote control.

Solar Energy Bucket

In a surprising merging of products, the Solar Energy Bucket serves as a multifunctional tool for anyone who likes to rough it.

At first glance it appears to be a simple water bucket, but turn it upside down and you’ll see a small solar panel which harnesses the sun’s energy during the day.

The stored energy can then be used to power the built-in light or even gently heat the water.

Your Arm As Keyboard

NEC turns arm into virtual keyboard with wearable tech

NEC has developed virtual keyboard software for use with an eyeglass computer and smart-watch, foreseeing use of the augmented reality technology in factories and hospitals.

The software works with other companies’ mobile and wearable devices, allowing users to input data without connecting a bulky physical keyboard. The program runs by coordinating eyeglasses that have display cameras attached — such as those made by Seiko Epson and others — with smart watches like the Apple Watch, made by U.S. computer giant Apple.

Glancing at the watch through the glasses lets NEC’s software determine the location of each device. The glasses then display a virtual keyboard, positioned to appear as though projected on one’s arm. When one types on the keyboard with the other hand, the camera ascertains which key has been hit. Sensors in the watch detect subtle vibrations through the arm to register a keystroke.

NEC sees the technology being used in factories, hospitals and other facilities where workers wish to keep their hands as free as possible. Maintenance inspectors, for instance, could conveniently record temperature, pressure and other data, while medical workers could enter information into patient records on the spot.

Eyeglass displays have been used in a number of augmented reality technologies. But many previous data entry systems have relied on either voice commands or specialized input devices. Voice recognition is prone to error in factories and other noisy sites, while physical devices occupy one’s hands, putting other work on hold.

Drone Camera for Selfies

Lily Camera is the drone that will follow and video you

Unlike traditional drones, which are designed for flying, Lily Camera is focused on its subject. When it ships later this year, it will feature a 1080p, 60 FPS camera and another 720p, 120 FPS camera, both of which can be trained on you. The flyer will use its built-in GPS to stay fixed on a little Lily tracking device worn on your wrist or in your pocket.

It will also, according to Balaresque, learn your face. The final Lily will have a computer vision system that will recognize your face and then work to always keep you in the frame.

“You throw this in the air, go about your business and at the end, you’ll have a high-quality video,” said the camera’s cofounder Henry Bradlow.

Instead of a big radio controller or even tablet-based app to control flight, Lily Camera will fly itself, following and capture the best moments. (Think of it as a flying selfie photographer of sorts.) Balaresque noted that the pocket GPS will tell Lily Camera when you might be jumping or falling, for example; a quad of buttons makes the device either fly closer to or further away from you, or lets it circle to your left or right — while always keeping you in frame.

(Video here: https://youtu.be/iMfTHHLbj5g)

Driverless Taxis

Singapore just became the first country to have self-driving taxis

Singapore just became the first country to actually implement self-driving taxis on the road for public use.

So far, nuTonomy – the company behind the cars and the app that hails them – has implanted six cars that can autonomously pick up passengers and deliver them to destinations, making them the first company to offer such technology to the public.

“We face constraints in land and manpower,” Singapore’s permanent secretary for transport, Pang Kin Keong, told the Associated Press.

“We want to take advantage of self-driving technology to overcome such constraints, and in particular to introduce new mobility concepts which could bring about transformational improvements to public transport in Singapore.”

While the news is definitely cool, there are some caveats, because the system is still in its testing phase. The cars – Mitsubishi i-Mievs and Renault Zoes – only traverse a 2.5-square-mile (6.5-square-kilometre) region of Singapore known as One-North, and there are special drop-off and pick-up zones that passengers must deal with.

 “The pilot is going to allow us to collect technical data, but equally importantly, it’s going to allow us to find out if people enjoy riding in driverless cars,” nuTonomy CEO Karl Iagnemma told Mark Harris from The Guardian.

The good news is that riders who are lucky enough to use the service right now will ride for free while testing is happening.

The team hopes to eventually fill out their fleet by 2018 with many more drop-off and pick-up areas added, but their real goal seems to be to get cars off of the country’s crowded and overburdened streets.

nuTonomy’s COO Doug Park says that fleets of autonomous taxis might reduce the number of cars on the streets from 900,000 to 300,000, though how exactly that will pan out isn’t specified.

A car in your bag

Introducing the world’s smallest car from Tokyo.

The time has come to carry your car.

WALKCAR is a 13-inch laptop-sized car that weighs only 2.8 kg, built with a carbon body. It reaches a top speed of 16km/h. One charge will give you one hour of riding time. There is no steering wheel or remote control device, but by simply shifting your weight on WALKCAR’s flat body, you can go in any direction. When you want to stop it, you just step off. It is available at US$1280 and will start shipping from September 2017.
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(Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvG_356itPs)

COCOA MOTORS inventor and CEO Kuniaki Sato, came up with the idea for the “Car in your bag” when he moved to Tokyo for university. He observed how people travel in the city by public transport and walking compared with how he used to drive his car everywhere back in his hometown. He wanted a form of transport that allowed him to go to all the places you can go on foot, whilst being able to go longer distances without getting exhausted by walking. Full of inspiration, he immediately began to design software from scratch and today, the benefits of his passion and creativity are available to everyone. Sato believes this piece of Japanese ingenuity can change the world — now there is no need to find a parking spot; you can just carry your car in your bag.
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WALKCAR will be available for pre-order and purchase request worldwide. It will start shipping September 2017 to 13 countries across Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe, with availability expanding to include more countries, upon request, in the near future.

(Courtesy: www.Grendz.com)

Allah-o-Akbar! All glory be to God, the Supreme Creator, Who created all these small creators who are inventing things for human comfort. O'Allah! We cannot thank you enough.

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