ILLUSION

Have you ever had a dream that seems so real, when you woke up you didn't know what to believe? What would you do if what you thought was true wasn't and what you thought wasn't true was? Would you retreat into your dreams with the hope of finding a more perfect reality? Sometimes life is stranger than a dream and the only way to wake up is to face what lies hidden in your soul. And you can only hope that in those moments of dark reflection that you are not alone."
[Lucas Scott-One Tree Hill]

Sooner or later you got to accept and face the reality. The sooner the better! Be brave.

The heart speaks louder than the tongue

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.
[John Bunyan]

The heart does speaks louder then the tongue. Seems more effective too. The connection is so strong. Words aren't needed. The heart speaks itself. It's like magic; being stuck in a trance. Praying to Allah, letting the heart do all the talking. Silently. Painfully.Peacefully.

Chased

He finally did it. Now Rruuuuuun!!!

recall the older post from the archive

This image reminded me of this one time, rather two times, I got chased by a dog. Both the incidents occurred in quick successions. I was around 11 years old wandering on the hill tops of Azad Kashmir during summer vacations. The first time I was leading my gang, jumping and humming away and all of a sudden, out of no where a wild stray white/ yellowish labore dog pounced off an intersection. Since I was the speedy me, I was quite ahead of my cousins in the walk. Being the nearest victim I was the target of attack. Gulp! So I ran, and I ran. I ran for my life towards my cousins. I ran my heart out, and that is one feeling I clearly remember. It felt as if my heart was in my mouth beating a zillion times a second. Thank God I didn't run in the opposite direction. The dog got scared of the crowd of my cousins and retreated.

The other time was perhaps a week after my first encounter. Just my luck! I was playing in a yard at one of our relatives place. On a corner, lied a big brown bushy dog. He looked extremely sad to me so I wanted to pat him to cheer him up. I tip toed towards him. When I was almost 4 meters away he got up and sat so I stopped. Ah, his big black poor sad eyes looking at me deeply. I took a step or two and extended my hand towards the dogee. The big black sad eyes became ferocious scary large eyes. This time I screamed first and sprinted like crazy again. My cousin and my brother were playing cricket in the lawn near by. My cousin took charge of the situation. It was his pet.

PHEW!

Up Up & Away

Artist: Alex Ross

Superman is my hero, who is yours?

Emotionally Intelligent Anger

Anyone can become angry that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way: this is not easy.

[Aristotle]

Keep sailing

Your reason and your passion are the rudder and sails of your seafaring soul. If either be broken, you can but toss and drift or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas. For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining. And passion, unattended is a flame that burns to its own destruction.
[Khalil Gibran]

Don't let the obstacles on the way override you. Remember, you are bigger then your problems. As long as you keep going, you will sail through eventually. The rudder and the sails can be fixed; if you keep going, your reason and your passion will reinforce each other too.

Some good moments of life

• To laugh until it hurts your stomach
• To clear your last exam
• To fall in love
• To hear accidentally that somebody said something good of you
• To pass a while with your best friends
• To see an old friend again and to feel things haven't changed
• To wake up and realize it is still possible to sleep a couple of hours
• To have tea and dry fruit with family in winter evenings
• To see a sleeping baby smile
• To know that someone is smiling with heart because of something you said or did
• To unexpectedly find some money in an old jacket pocket / purse / drawer
  
• To learn a lesson for life from a person you don't know at all. For example: words of wisdom from a taxi driver, or a laborer
• To come across a funny note scribbled on an old notebook written by a friend in one of the boring lectures
• To feel the warmth when someone brings your/their favorite chocolate for you
• To be warmly greeted by your mommy in the morning as if you were still a baby
• To have garam garam pakoray made by mama on the first winter\summer rain
• To sit on a big rock on top of a mountain and watch the sunset and sunrise
• To take a lot of photos with a lot of excitement, (like a kid playing with his precious most toy) specially with your brand new camera
• To read letters from old friends
  
• To view old photo albums
• To dine on the iftari table with family
  
• To win a bet.
• To complete the final stage of a video game
  
• To see a smile on Mom's/Dad's face.
• To win a heated argument.
• To have your favorite meal be it savour or chicky meal or a sizzling steak or a cheesy lasgnia :). Also to have your favourite scrumptious dessert.
  
• To fix a really hard bug (specific to software engineers) or complete a work related module
  

Thanks for contributing everyone. God bless you all with these happy moments and more =)

kaisay keh doon

ishrat thukrai mainay apnay aap warna
fitrat ko tha mairi naagavaar phisalna

mairi muflissi per zarra ghum na kerna
jazba-e-imaan ki daulat ko samajhna

kaisay keh doon tum ko umeed rakhna
yoon hii mujh per ayenda aitemaad kerna

yeh lagan hai kaafi saamaan-e-safr apna
bun na jai bojh, tum per ye maira sapna

gar naa mil sakay thikaana dil mazboot rakhna
yaser yeh dard hai shaafee issay yaad rakhna

[Khany]

nothing vs everything

“What has he lost who has found You,
and what has he found who has lost You? “
- Ibn ‘Ata’Allah -

You-->Allah

Where to tap

Ever heard the story of the giant ship engine that failed? The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to fix the engine.

Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster.

He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer.

He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life.

He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed! A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.
"What?!" the owners exclaimed. "He hardly did anything!"
So they wrote the old man a note saying, "Please send us an itemized bill."

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer - $ 2.00

Knowing where to - $ 9998.00

Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference!

Courtesy: Zunaira

Whose dream am I dreaming?

Douglas Adams once wrote that he felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it. I wonder too.....

A little hidden something

There is always

• A little truth behind every JUST KIDDING
• A little curiosity behind every JUST WONDERING
• A little knowledge behind every I DON'T KNOW
• And a Little Emotion behind every I DON'T CARE

~Anonymous

* I think sometimes there a huge emotion behind 'I don't care' =)

They are not you

~Helen Ward
(More famous as Peyton's art work in One tree hill)

Plan, but understand that we only live by Allah’s grace

Sometimes Allah breaks our spirit to save our soul.
Sometimes Allah breaks our heart to make us whole.
Sometimes Allah allows pain so we can be stronger.
Sometimes Allah sends us failure so we can be humble.
Sometimes Allah allows illness so we can take better care of ourselves.
Sometimes Allah takes away some things from us so we can learn the value of everything He gave us.
Plan, but understand that we only live by Allah’s grace.

~Anonymous

Want to see a phone disappear?

Source : Dilbert

Coutesy: Saira A.K, for introducing the Dilbert comic to me =)

NYTimes: Girl Power at School, but Not at the Office

By HANNAH SELIGSON

I was born in 1982 — about 20 years after the women’s rights movement began. Growing up in what many have called a post-feminist culture, I did not really experience institutional gender bias. “Girl power” was celebrated, and I felt that all doors were open to me.

When I was in college, the female students excelled academically, sometimes running laps around their male counterparts. Women easily ascended to school leadership positions and prestigious internships. In my graduating class (more than half of which was female) there was a feeling of camaraderie, a sense that we were helping each other succeed.

Then I left the egalitarianism of the classroom for the cubicle, and everything changed. The realization that the knowledge and skills acquired in school don’t always translate at the office is something that all college graduates, men and women, must face. But for women, I have found, the adjustment tends to be much harder. It was certainly hard for me — I lasted only nine months in my first job out of college.

Inspired by my own rocky entrance into the work world, I decided to interview other young women and discovered that many of them, like me, were facing a steep workplace learning curve. What was it, I wondered, that was making our first career steps so wobbly when we had been so accomplished and self-assured in school?

Read On

mein ney pyaar kiya

Jaan jaati hai by Khany

jaan jaati hai par mein ney aitebaar kiya
jaan jaati hai magar mein ney iqrar kiya

terray aanay sey dil ko hosala-e-aitemaad mila
tujh sey pehlay mein ney abdan inkaar kiya

jeeta tha mein roz yeh tamanah lay ker
tujh sa koi hasseen merra sahaara hota

tu bichra bhi jo mujh sey tou yoon bichra zaalim
malamat bhi na ker sakaa, dil tou halka hota

phir bhi terra yeh karam tu ney merra naam liya
jaan tou jaani hii thi khushaa keh mein ney pyaar kiya

~Khany

Editors note: The poem is originally titled Jaan jaati hai.

Islamica Magazine - The Loss of Mercy - And Where To Find It

Through the Prophet's character and behavior true gentleness and mercy can be seen manifest in action

by FARAZ RABBANI

Sectarian bloodbaths in Iraq ... suicide bombers blowing themselves up in parking lots of hotels, taking innocent lives...female madrassah students in Islamabad waving cane sticks at shopkeepers and vendors ... people being turned away from Islam from the harshness of many of those deemed "religious" ...

There is a loss of mercy and gentleness around. Yet we see anger and harshness abound, and one wonders what has gone wrong.

In reality, Divine guidance and Prophetic teachings are nothing but a manifestation of mercy-and any understanding of religion lacking in mercy is lacking in true understanding.

Our problem is that we fail to act on the implications of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) having been, "sent only as a mercy to all creation." [Qur'an, 21.107] The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself emphasized that, "I was only sent as a gift of Mercy." [Bazzar and Tabarani, from Abu Hurayra; sound]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) explained, too, that, "The merciful are shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Be merciful to those on earth and the Lord of the Heavens will be merciful to you." [Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud, from Abd Allah ibn Amr; rigorously authentic] It is a sign of the way of traditional Islamic scholarship that this is the first hadith (Prophetic teaching) traditionally conveyed by a scholar to their students.

Learning to Love

Mercy relates to how one views others. A leading Kuwaiti scholar whom I met last summer advised that, "We have to teach people how to love God's creation, because this is central to the Prophetic example and teachings. This look of love and mercy is a condition of faith itself, for the Prophet cautioned us that, "None of you truly believes until they love for their brethren what they love for themselves." And the "brotherhood" mentioned here is the brotherhood of humanity, not merely that of Islam-as Imam Nawawi and other classical commentators have mentioned.

Dealing with Disagreements

In dealing with disagreements, Imam Razi mentions an important principle in his great Qur'anic exegesis: there is no contradiction between being firm on what one understands to be the truth and between being gentle. Rather, the way of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) is to be firm, when firmness is called upon, but with mercy and gentleness-in both attitude and action.

When one differs with others, one must maintain the excellence of character and conduct that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said was the very purpose of Divine Guidance, when he explained that, "I was only sent to perfect noble character."

It is only with this gentleness and excellence that people, ultimately, listen to the call to guidance. It once happened that some non-Muslims greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with an insult. His wife, A'isha, insulted them back. But the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not. Rather, he simply replied, "And upon you," which is the standard reply to the greeting of, "Peace be upon you." Then, he said to his dear wife, "A'isha! Allah is gentle and loves gentleness in all matters." [Bukhari, from Ai'sha] And he also taught that, "Gentleness is not found in anything except that it makes it beautiful; and gentleness is not taken out of anything except that is makes it ugly." [Muslim and others, also from A'isha]

Imam Razi explains that the very purpose of Divine revelation is for messengers to convey the call to believe and submit to God. This purpose cannot be fulfilled unless people incline towards the message and are at ease with it. And this, in turn, cannot be fulfilled unless its bearers are merciful and generous; overlooking others' mistakes and forgiving their errors; and being respectful of them.

This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself was. Allah commends him, saying, "It is from the Mercy of God that you were gentle with them. Were you harsh and hard-hearted they would indeed have fled from you." [Qur'an, 3.159]

The underlying respect of others, even those one differs or disagrees with, is affirmed in the Divine command in the second part of this very verse, "So overlook their errors, seek forgiveness for them, and consult them regarding matters."

The Fault in Fleeing

Harshness within communities leads to disunity and discord (fitna), as people "flee from each other," to use the Qur'anic metaphor above. The Prophetic example entails that we differ with respect for the other party. We should see the good in them; consider the points and issues of commonality, and not merely those of difference; and always assume that they, too, are sincerely seeking the truth.

And then when we act or speak in matters or situations where there is disagreement or difference-whatever it may be and whomever it may be with-we should stop and consider: how would the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) have acted in this situation? If we reflect on his example, we cannot possibly imagine him acting with other than excellence, mercy, and gentleness in any situation or with anyone.

Source: Islamica Magazine

Hazrat Ali's comment on dua

"Jab meri Dua qabool ho tu khushi hoti hay ke is mey meri marzi hay or jab na ho to khushi or bhi barh jati hai ke is mein Allah(s.w.t)ke marzee hai"
~Hazrat Ali (R.A)

Courtesy SAK

Animation Vs Animator

=)

Courtesy A friend

Forgive everyone for everything

Odor affects the emotional tone of dreams

Health Day: Can the smell of rotten eggs or roses change the type of dream you have?

Quite possibly, new research suggests.

German researchers are reporting that when people smelled the scent of rotten eggs while sleeping, the nature of their dreams turned decidedly negative, while those who got a whiff of the scent of roses had more positive dreams.

"We were able to stimulate the sleeper with high concentrations of positively and negatively smelling odors and measure if the stimuli were incorporated into the dreams and changed the emotional tone of dreams," said the study's lead author, Dr. Boris Stuck, a professor of otorhinolaryngology at Heidelberg University.

"We found that the sleeper hardly ever dreamed of smelling something. Nevertheless, the emotional tone of the dream did change depending on the stimulation," he said.

Stuck said that previous research had shown that other types of stimulation, such as sound, pressure or vibration, could influence the content and the emotional tone of dreams.

Read On

I love Jalebi

I have never seen a jallebi that big a size! But I love em thin and crisp freshly fried.

Source : The Big Picture

It has a life if its own

I try to log on to the Internet, but its not working. It's never been the same since I destroyed the connection. I called various technicians, but when the finally turned up, they could not find any thing wrong with the computer. They asked me what I was complaining about, spent half an hour doing tests, changed configuration, and assured me that the problem lay not with me but with the server. I allowed myself to be convinced that everything was, in fact, fine and I felt ridiculous for having asked for help. Two or three hours later, the computer and the connection would crash. Now, after months of physical and psychological wear and tear, I simply accept that technology is stronger and more powerful than me: it works when it wants to, and when it doesn't, it's best to sit down and read the paper or go for a walk, and just wait until the cables and the telephone links are in a better mood and the computer decides to work again. I am not, I have discovered, my computer's master: it has a life if its own.

~Paulo Cohelo
The Zahir

Life goes on.....

Why evil exists?

Allah does not create pure evil which does not have any good or contain any benefit, wisdom or mercy at all, nor does He punish anyone without having committed a sin. Something can be good in terms of its creation when viewed in a particular perspective and at the same time be evil when viewed in another way. Allah created the devil and by him He tests His servants, so there are those who hate the devil and fight in His way and they stand at enmity towards Satan and his followers and there are others who are at allegiance with the devil and follow his steps. So evil exists in His creatures by His will and wisdom, not in His actions or act of creating.

Source: Book-> Fortification for Muslims

The Arrogant Nafs!

When Allah created the intellect, He said

• O intellect, turn away. And it turned away.
• O intellect, turn and come. And it turned and came.
• O intellect, who am I? It said, “You are Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
  

When Allah created the nafs, He said

• Turn and come. And it turned away.
• Turn away. And it turned and came.
• O nafs, who am I? It said, “You are you and I am I."

Allah overcame the nafs with hunger, and it was humbled. Allah said

• O nafs, turn away. And it turned away.
• O nafs, come. And it came.
• O nafs, who am I? And the nafs said, “You are Allah, Lord of the worlds."

Source: taken from a Sunnipath lecture

Ramadan Mubarek

Dear Muslims,

Ramadan Mubarek. Alhamdulillah we are lucky to enter this blessed month once again. May Allah give us tawfeeq to make the most of it. InshAllah.

Below are certain parts of Imam Zaid's article Ramadan Lessons that I would like to share:

Abu Hurayra, may God be pleased with him, relates that the Prophet, peace upon him, said: “The reward of every action undertaken by the human being is for him—and good deeds will be rewarded from ten up to seven hundred times—God says: ‘Except for fasting, that is for Me and I will determine its reward......"

In the tradition mentioned above, fasting is exempted from the deeds whose reward is multiplied up to seven hundred times. We understand from this that its reward transcends this particular numerical value. Rather, God multiplies its reward many times over what is mentioned in the tradition, with no specific limitation. One reason for this is that fasting is a manifestation of patience and God has said of the person displaying patience: Rather, the patience ones will be given their reward without numerical limitations (40:10)

Another version of the tradition we mentioned initially states: “Every action the human being does is a source of expiation for his [misdeeds], except fasting, it is for Me and I will reward him for it.” Among the nicest explanations of this is that given by Sufyan b.’Uyayana, he said: “When the Day of Judgment comes God will take account of His servants and all those he [the servant] has oppressed will be recompensed from the reward of his good deeds until only the reward of fasting remains. At that point God will recompense the remaining oppressed parties [from His bounty] and enter the servant into Paradise on the reward of his fast.” This narration has been recorded by Imam al-Bayhaqi [11], and others.

Based on this meaning we understand that the fast is for God in that no one can take the reward of the fast from the one who has undertaken it. Rather his reward is stored up with God.

In a related issue, it has been said that the reward of all of the religious actions might be a source of atonement for sins [that do not include acts of oppression] until none of that reward remains. It has been related that on the Day of Judgment [a person’s] good deeds will be weighed against [his] bad deeds with the good deeds atoning for the bad ones. If after this process any good remains on that basis its subject doer will enter Paradise. This opinion has been expressed by Sa’id b. Jubayr and others. It also has been related from the Prophet, peace upon him, by Imam Hakim from the narrations of Ibn ‘Abbas, may God be pleased with him and his father.

Based on what has been mentioned [concerning acts of oppression] it is possible to say that the reward of fasting is not removed by this process of atonement for one’s sins, or by anything else. Rather, its reward is held back and then given in full to the servant and based on that he will enter Paradise.

Sweet Revenge

The difference

A Sage was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said. 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.' The Lord led the Sage to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the Sage looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the Sage's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.The Sage shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.'

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The Sage said, 'I don't understand.'

'It is simple,' said the Lord.

'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'

A dialogue between a Flower and a Pearl

One day, a brilliantly beautiful and fragrant flower with attractive colors met a pearl that lives far in the bottom of the sea and has none of these characteristics. Both got acquainted with each other. The flower said: "Our family is large; roses and daisies are members of the family. And there are many other species that are various and countless; each has a distinctive scent, appearance etc." Suddenly, a tinge of distress appeared on the flower.

"Nothing accounts for sorrow in your talk; so why are you depressed?"The pearl asked.

"Human beings deal with us carelessly; they slight us. They don't grow us for our sake but to get pleasure from our fragrance and beautiful appearance. They throw us on the street or in the garbage can after we are dispossessed of the most valuable properties; brilliance and fragrance."The flower sighed.

And then the flower said to the pearl: "Speak to me about your life! How do you live? How do you feel it? You are buried in the bottom of the sea."

The pearl answered: "Although I have none of your distinctive colors and sweet scents, humans think I am precious. They do the impossible to procure me. They go on long journeys, dive deep in the seas searching for me. You might be astounded to know that the further I lay, the more beautiful and brilliant I become. That's what upraises my value in their thought. I live in a thick shell isolated in the dark seas. However, I'm happy and proud to be in a safe zone far from wanton and mischievous hands and still the humans consider me highly valuable".

Do you know what the flower and the pearl symbolize?The Flower is the UnHijabed Woman and the Pearl is the Hijabed Woman.

Courtesy Cloey

Disconnect

It is useless to have a learned tongue but an ignorant heart.
~Shaykh Abdal Qadir al Jilani

Teary eyes and glowing heart

What has happened to your eyes, (the more) you tell them to stop, the more they continue flowing.

What is the matter with your heart, (the more) you tell it to come to its senses, (the more it is distracted).

Does the lover think that his love can be concealed.

While his eyes are shedding tears and his heart is glowing.

- Excerpt from the ‘Qasidah Burda’ by Imam Busairi

Golo Molo and friends

Chono mono

Bailu cutie

Goshi janu

Pinky

Choto

Golo molo

Reddy

Zeenie leenie teenie

Snow white

Gopo baby

God bless my friends infinitely.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams. (Standford University, 2005)

14th August

Mera Jaaga Ehsaas
Meray Mann Ki Hai Pyaas
Mainay Tori Zanjeer
Mera Dil Hai Azaad
Meray Dil Main Junoon
Yeh Joshila Hai Khoon
Meri Apni Zameen
Mujhay Is Pay Sukoon
~Noori

You can listen to the lyrics of this music score here .
I also enjoyed viewing and listening to this national anthem video.

Happy Independence day! Pakistan Zindabad!

Blink! Scientists move closer to invisibility cloak

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists say they are a step closer to developing materials that could render people and objects invisible.

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time they were able to cloak three-dimensional objects using artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects. Previously, they only have been able to cloak very thin two-dimensional objects.

The findings, by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, led by Xiang Zhang, are to be released later this week in the journals Nature and Science.

The new work moves scientists a step closer to hiding people and objects from visible light, which could have broad applications, including military ones.

People can see objects because they scatter the light that strikes them, reflecting some of it back to the eye. Cloaking uses materials, known as metamaterials, to deflect radar, light or other waves around an object, like water flowing around a smooth rock in a stream.

Metamaterials are mixtures of metal and circuit board materials such as ceramic, Teflon or fiber composite. They are designed to bend visible light in a way that ordinary materials don't. Scientists are trying to use them to bend light around objects so they don't create reflections or shadows.

It differs from stealth technology, which does not make an aircraft invisible but reduces the cross-section available to radar, making it hard to track.

The research was funded in part by the U.S. Army Research Office and the National Science Foundation's Nano-Scale Science and Engineering Center.

Source: The Associated Press

Harry Potter certainly had lots of adventures aided by the invisibility cloak. Maybe time is near for our friendly disappearances ;)

Watch who ya whistle at :p

The best slogan written in front of a famous beauty parlor: "Don't whistle at the girl going out from here, She may be your grandmother"

~Courtesy A friend

Four Keys to Success

If 4 matters are present, success is guaranteed:

1) one's intention must be true;
2) one's goal must be true;
3) the means one takes must be true; and
4) the way one takes the means must be true.

Explaining the Four Keys to Success

1. True Intention

A true intention is for one’s action to be sincerely for the sake of Allah.

Allah Most High says, “They were only ordered to worship Allah, making their religion sincerely His.” [Qur’an, 98.5]

And, “Whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work, and make none sharer of the worship due unto his Lord.” [Qur’an, 18.110]

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Actions are by intentions, and each person shall only have that which they intended.” [Related by Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Umar (Allah be pleased with him)]

Imam Ibn al-Mubarak (Allah have mercy on him) said, “How often is a small action made tremendous through its intention, and how often is a tremendous action rendered small through its intention.” [Dhahabi, Siyar A`lam al-Nubala, 8.400;

2. True Goals

Having a true goal entails that one’s goal is something that is pleasing to Allah, in accordance to the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) that has been explained to us in the Shariah.

A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) relates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Anyone who acts in way not in accordance with this affair of ours shall have it rejected.” [Related by Muslim]

3. True Means

Taking true means entails several things:

a) one take the most effective outward means to accomplish one’s goals; and

b) one take the most effective inward means, including complete reliance upon Allah, and ensuring that one’s action is in accordance with the general guidance of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and any specific sunnas related to one’s action.

4. True Way of Taking the Means

This entails that the way one takes the means be in accordance with the spirit of excellence, wisdom, gentleness, dignity, and forbearance that are the essence of the way of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).

~Allama Shabbir Usmani's commentary on Sahih Muslim

Source: Sunnipath Q & A

Stars

Stars are fascinating objects. Generally we think of them as part and participants of giant constellations. People of knowledge have navigated the way by studying the pattern of stars for centuries. A single star, no matter how bright, is never sufficient for this purpose; rather it is the relationship between stars from which we seek to learn. Stars have led the way so reliably, in fact, that some have come to exaggerate in matters relating to them. Thus we hear of attempts to divine the future based on star patterns. Stars consume themselves in lighting up the night sky. We perceive stars mostly by the light we receive from them. Amongst themselves, however, stars communicate in more subtle but surprisingly more compelling tones. They operate under the influence of each other's gravity. Superficially gravity may not dazzle the observer but it never fails to exert a pull. And if we were to investigate only a little more closely we find that it is, in fact, gravity itself which transforms an otherwise ordinary rock into a dynamic life-giving beacon in the sky. Stars are not born overnight. The drama and publicity that coincide with the discovery of a star can potentially blind us to the long and tireless struggle leading up to this episode. To become luminous the star must exert a sufficient gravitational pull by first acquiring critical mass. Gaining mass in space that is devoid of matter, like gaining righteousness in a world whose concerns are devoid of things that really matter, is a painstakingly slow process. it demands the discipline of steadfastly pursuing a straight path in the face of compelling and competing forces.

Must stars form over millions of years? If by stars we mean self-luminous heavenly bodies then indeed there are no shortcuts. In this sense 'shooting stars', meteors, are not 'stars' at all; quite the opposite. They are in fact no more than star dust, mere pebbles, and small boulders wandering astray through the voids of interstellar space. Unlike real stars, they fuel not their own fires but rather like parasites they shine only by consuming the host atmosphere that they have managed to penetrate. These meteorites, if they survive their plunge through their host's atmosphere, inevitably sink to the ground while stars, they soar for the skies. The entire existence of stars is marked by patient perseverance while the meteor's claim to fame is a single moment of unrestrained exuberance. Eventually both meteors and stars give off light. Yet how different are their characters! Is one who dedicates his life to following a path and attains glory in the process equal to one whose sole purpose in life is to seek self-gratification by whatever means possible? if we value justice then we must judge not only the end but also the means that are employed.

It is the discipline of the stars which we need to emulate in pursuing our goals; brightness and glory is but a consequence of this effort for those who are fortunate. Stardom might be distant but even in the process of associating with stars we become elevated planets, our paths guided by a star's gravity, gathering their light and wisdom and reflecting a fraction of it. Stars shine not only to guide, they shine also to grow. For surely if there were nobody present to witness them they would not cease to shine. Stars are easily obscured. It is true that all stars eventually burn out. More often, much more often, however, it is the moods of our own atmosphere that hinder our vision. A vagrant cloud of suspicion, dust and smoke kicked up by our activities, the ambient stray light from our worldly distractions, any one or a combination of them could be the culprit responsible for making stars appear to twinkle moodily or to disappear entirely. Fortunately, rediscovering stars is rather straightforward. Sometimes it requires only that we wait for the winds of change to sweep the clouds away. We might wait longer still for the rains to cleanse our atmosphere, a spiritual catharsis, until we can see again. When we are acutely distracted, however, it might require that we move out and away from the bright and noisy city to the calm and quiet reprieve of small towns and solitude. Here, we will find once again that the stars continue to shine vying for our attention. And if through our efforts we confirm only the demise of a star, then it was but a star amongst many. For to follow the stars is not only to burn selflessly in the dark of the night. But it is also to guard selfishly one's dignity and independence in pursuing a course through the cosmos of life in the company of others, the dazzling and the humble. While stars appear to us as belonging to constellations, it is well to remember that in fact they are light years apart from their nearest neighbors, each star in its own very personal circumstance.

So if your stars too have disappeared make certain that you were not mistaking a passing meteor for a real star. Then invest some time on analysing yourself; often a small shift in your position will result in their reappearance. However if they fail you still, it is no permanent loss and your efforts are not in vain. Just look up at the night sky to confirm how your struggle has birthed a dozen new stars that you never known existed.

~Khany

MYTH: 8 glasses of water a day

NYTimes : I had long believed that eight glasses of plain water a day were important to keep the body hydrated but it turns out that the toilet paper manufacturers were behind this notion. Researchers have been unable to find scientific support for it. The body’s need for liquids can be met in many ways, including drinking coffee, tea and eating fruits and vegetables with a high water content.

For details of this myth and more health related myths read the source article Health 'Facts' you only thought you knew

Riddle

My favorite Riddle from childhood, lets see if you can figure it out.

I work in dark,
The longer I live,
The Shorter I grow,
What am I?

:)

The power lies within the heart

"In every community there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is the power to do it"
~Marianne Williamson

Dedicated to Isbah

All I have is me

SAK, this one is for you :). I liked this shair.

"Zindagi to apne he kadmo pe chalti hai faraz
Auron ke sahaare to janazey uthha karte hain"

Prayer of a wise man

"The wise man in the storm prays to God, not from safety from danger, but deliverance from fear"

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

They say...

The biggest achievement in failure is knowing that you tried.

Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak, sometimes it means that you are strong enough to let go

Always listen to your heart, cause even though it's on your left, it's always right.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
~ Will Rogers

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
~ Lao-Tse

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

If you get ignored by some one, it means that you have been notice by that person first.
~ Dr. Tulli

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit that you are scared

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

You try,You fail, You try You fail, But the real failure is when you stop trying!
~ The Haunted Mansion, Walt Disney

It's only after we've lost everything, that we're free to do anything
~ Tyler Durden, [Brad Pitt] in Fight Club

Keep your head and heart going in the right direction and you wont have to worry about your feet.

Today is the Tomorrow, I was worried about Yesterday.

Pay no attention to those who talk behind your back! It simply means you are two steps ahead!

Those who are afraid to fall, will never fly

No matter how dark the night, morning always comes
~ lulu [final fantasy 10]

I don't have an attitude problem, you have a perception problem.
~ Christina

Courtesy Hira

Yaadon key samandar

kaash yaadon key samandar mein doob sakta mein bhi
yaar kehtay key pyaar lazawaal kiya

par tu nay yaadein bhi naa baksheen mujh ko
mein kinnarray baitha yoonhi takta reh gaya

jiss kashti ka tha dil-e-naa-saboor muntazar
uss naao ka aana dil pey bohat bhaari guzra

terri kiss ada pey na jaane mein nisaar howa
sirf itna maana key mein be-ikhtayaar howa

ghum-e-yaar liay jeetay hain hazaroon yoon hii
tum bhi jee lo gay yaser iss pyaar bina

~Khany

Desktop Wallpaper Calander-July

For more desktop calender's click on the image above. You will be redirected to the source. I have the image above set as my wallpaper :).

Sho Shweeet

So sweet, so adorable, so cute. The innocence of kids makes them endearing.

Perception makes a difference!

Story of a father and his son :

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered:

"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

Nature 4

Such a fresh shade of green! Sweet Pink lillies
Bougainvilleas
More Pink
Vinka Pinka :)
Vinka's from a distance
Presenting the exotic Hymenocallis or lets just call them spider lillies
Spider lilly for spider man :)

All these flower shots are from my garden. Marvelously, pretty flowers keep emerging without any care, attention, or sowing seeds on my part. :) Hmmm...The mystery of the secret gardener...

True Essence of Generosity

"Taking pains to remove the pains of others is the true essence of generosity. "
~ Hazrat Abu Bakr radi Allah anhu

Another saying that I like

"Be the reason for someone's happiness, not just a part of it, & Be a part of someone's sadness, but not the reason for it".
~Anonymous

My friends,
Care and Share, Spread the goodness :)

Test of a friend

"A friend cannot be considered a friend until he is tested in three occasions: in time of need, behind your back, and after your death."

~Hazrat Ali [Radi Allah Anhu]

Ask yourself, do you honor your friend's trust? Do you safeguard his best interest? Do you keep his secrets? Are you there for him in time of need? Can he count on you when it matters? Are you a sincere friend? On the other hand, if your friend passes this test, then you are truly amongst the blessed ones.

Blog Anniversary

It's SYRA STAR Blog Anniversary. Yay!

I extend a special thanks to Sak, Isbah, Monay, Teeba, Khany and Moi for their enthusiastic participation. Thanks to all you readers for generating healthy discussions by sharing your thoughts on the blog posts.
Hopefully, SYRA STAR will keep you engaged for another year. :) Insha'Allah. Any feedbacks, complaint, suggestions to improve the blog are most and always welcome.

To read the comments I enjoyed the most, Click Here.

I have a special title to give away :). Khany has been a keen blog reader since the early days. His diversified, deep, articulate and thought provoking comments all round the year earn him the STAR OF THE YEAR title :)

So let’s hear it for Khany. Applause!!! Cheerios!!!

And let's celebrate the anniversary with a poem from our favorite commentator, Khany himself!

Dua-e-Junoon


Jo na jannay, beyshak na mannay
Jo pehchannay woh batlaye kyon?

Hum ney chaaha iss shiddat sey
Moutti ko seep dil sey lagaai yoon

Iss dard sey aashnaa hum na thay
Yeh dil ka roag lagaain kyon?

Dil na manna iss mantiq ko
Abb karray hai hai kyon!

Yaser tum ko kia millay ga
Chhor dou abb yeh dua-e-junoon

~Khany

The clock is ticking...

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who! Are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE-SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Courtesy Khany

BMW GINA Light Visionary Model: Premiere

Check out the humanistic car! It's fab! Imagine going suit shopping for your car =)

How Technology Changed us?

Courtesy Moi

Japan unveils water fueled car

Reuters: Japanese company Genepax presents its eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water. The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car's tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. The new car will run for an hour at 50 mph on a liter of water.

How cool is that! B)

Happiness for an hour, a day, a month, a year or a lifetime?

If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a month, get married.
If you want happiness for a year , inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.

~Old Chinese Proverb

See me in you

You’ve no idea how hard I’ve looked for a gift to bring You.
Nothing seemed right.
What’s the point of bringing gold to the gold mine, or water to the Ocean.
Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient.
It’s no good giving my heart and my soul because you already have these.
So, I’ve brought you a mirror.
Look at yourself and remember me.

~Jalaluddin Rumi

Reflect

Watch your eye, should it ever reveal to you the faults of others, say to it: “O my eye, other people have eyes too.” [Ahmad al Zarruq]

Isbah changes lanes

My favorite tech writer from work switches lanes and moves on with the journey of life. I vividly remember my first day at work. It was raining heavily that and I was sitting in the reception lounge waiting for the HR Manager. Apart from impatiently counting the ticks of the clock, I was observing everybody walking into the office. Almost everybody who came in that day,was all messy and drenched in rain. There came a gang of chirpy girls and walked in a neat and tidy, stylish girl with wavy hair, a composed look, and a grey smile. Yes, it was Isbah.

The first few things that Isbah said to me were:

Hey!, make sure you don't chat online too much, you are new here, you are being monitored!

Hey, you can't bring in your friends to the kitchen!

Hey, your jacket is fab! why did you get it.. piece of *&^% :p

and gradually I got to see the other side of the lake, ahem..I mean the other side of Isbah. Our friendship grew and from Isbah she became IsbahStar, my scorpion side kick. The long discussions on Grey's Anatomy during lunch break, planning our own version of the show, bugging SAK on little things, the drawings in the meeting rooms, the ice lolly visits to utility store, refereeing her and SAK over school days arguments and the laughing for no reason at all at each others stories are all cherishable moments with Isbah. I most admire Isbah's ability to capture beauty in little things. She has been blessed with a commendable sense of aestheticism, Masha'Allah and of course I thoroughly enjoy reading her deep and thoughtful. Don't we all.

=)

Here is a farewell note for you Isbah,

Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrow keeps you Human,
Failure keeps you humble
Success keeps you glowing,
But only Faith Keeps you going

So Isbah, my friend, I wish to the best of faith. May God bless you with the best of both worlds.
You will be missed. Miss Grey, Keep in touch. Come on now Dr Bailey is around, it's time to scrub in......................

=)

Messages from Water

Mr Emoto's work provides factual evidence, that human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that comprises over seventy percent of a mature human body and covers the same amount of our planet. Interesting discovering have been mentioned in the article How water effects our consciousness.

Mr. Emoto has discovered many fascinating differences in the crystalline structures of water from many different sources and different conditions around the planet. Water from pristine mountain streams and springs show the beautifully formed geometric designs in their crystalline patterns. Polluted and toxic water from industrial and populated areas and stagnated water from water pipes and storage dams show definitively distorted and randomly formed crystalline structures.

Sanbu-ichi Yusui Spring water


Fountain in Lourdes, France

Fujiwara Dam, before offering a prayer


Fujiwara Dam, after offering a prayer

With the recent popularity in music therapy, Mr. Emoto decided to see what effects music has on the structuring of water. He placed distilled water between two speakers for several hours and then photographed the crystals that formed after the water was frozen.

Beethoven's Pastorale

Kawachi Folk Dance

After seeing water react to different environmental conditions, pollution and music, Mr. Emoto and colleagues decided to see how thoughts and words affected the formation of untreated, distilled, water crystals, using words typed onto paper by a word processor and taped on glass bottles overnight. The same procedure was performed using the names of deceased persons. The waters were then frozen and photographed.

Heavy Metal Music


You Make Me Sick, I Will Kill You


Love and Appreciation

For More, click here

White outside, black inside

This is supposed to be a true story. It has probably crossed your inbox or you might have heard it before but I can't resist posting it here and sharing it with you all once again.

The following scene took place on a flight between Johannesburg and London.

A White woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a Black man. Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air Hostess.

'Madam, what is the matter,' the Hostess asked.

'You obviously do not see it then?' she responded.

'You placed me next to a Black man. I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat.'

'Be calm please, the Hostess replied. 'Almost all the seats on this flight are taken. I will go to see if another seat is available.'

The Hostess went away and came back a few minutes later. 'Madam, just as I thought, there are no other available seats in Economy class. I spoke to the Captain and he informed me that there are also no seats in the Business class. All the same, we still have one seat in First class.'

Before the woman could reply, the Hostess continued: 'It is unusual for our company to permit someone from Economy class to sit in First class. However, given the circumstances, the Captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting.'

She turned to the Black man and said, 'Therefore, Sir, if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in First class.'

At that moment, the other passengers who were shocked by what they had just witnessed stood up and applauded.

:)

Lets all make a prayer against Racism and make a conscious effort not to promote it in any way.

Learning how to fall By Xunaira

Welcome to LaLa Land! This is the land of the pure. It’s pure because none of its inhabitants are older than 3-4 years of age. They’re all little babies who just spend all their day running around as if they were drunk on a gallon of whiskey! Bumping into each other; pulling each other’s hair; screaming as if a banshee were after them; trying to eat everything they get their hands on, even their own hands and feet!

Have you ever seen a toddler who’s just learned how to walk? It’s the funniest most amazing sight! I spent quite sometime once, just noticing one such little bug! They start running around in the house as if on a never ending supply of battery. As long as they’re running it’s all okay, but as soon as they slow down, all semblance of balance starts to crumble. One unstable step is followed by another equally unstable one and as soon as they hit the breaks; BAM! They fall on their cute little bums. Hardly a minute would pass by and as if the song Tubthumping were playing in their heads somewhere, “I get knocked down, but I get up again, nothing’s gonna keep me down..” they’re back up on their little feet ready to wreak havoc all over again. It’s quite an amusing and entertaining sight.

It’s unbelievable the ways kids can lift one’s mood. Something like this happened to me in one of my particularly bad moods. I was at this store with my parents and chose to stay back in the car while they shopped. I was sitting there feeling a multitude of negative emotions, looking outside the window while not actually seeing anything in particular when this little kid of 4-5 caught my eye. He was sitting on the front seat of a car playing around when suddenly he pressed the horn. Right in front of that vehicle there stood a group of around 6-7 people. As soon as the horn blared, all of them jumped and started looking around angrily searching for the culprit who had embarrassed them like that, making them jump out of their shoes. Little did they know that the culprit was a little devil noticing and laughing at their reactions in his car. Amusedly, I looked at the kid enjoying his moment of naughtiness when he looked back at me and at that instant; maybe it was the mischief in eyes that caught me, I indicated with my hands to him to press the horn once more. As if he was just waiting for my cue the cute devil pressed the horn with full force. Once more the horn tore the silence in the air and yet again the same group of people who hadn’t left their spot from in front of the car, jumped. Their reaction this time was angrier and louder than before and quite enjoyable too, but it was nothing compared to the delight me and my little friend were sharing hiding in our cars. I can never forget this incident because the effect it had on me was just superb. I came back home feeling happy and lighthearted, blessing that kid and thinking how wonderful children are.

Looking at the kids around us can teach a lot. All we need to do is be a little more observant.

As we grow older we take calculated steps, thinking before taking that jump. We suppress that instinctive urge to just leave everything and take the leap. Yes it is important to consider the risks involved, but at times thinking about the bigger cause is more important. Thinking about what we would be able to achieve if for once we let go of the inhibitions must take precedence. Just like the little kid in the car who didn’t give two hoots about the rest of the world and just enjoyed the reactions to his naughty act.

Life is all about the choices we make and it is these choices that determine our successes and failures. However, apart from the choices it’s also our perseverance that plays a part in determining our fate. It makes us the individuals we are. Sometimes victory comes easily to us and we think “Oh wow this was easy!” but the real test of our character is when we are faced with a tough situation, one where there’s more chance of losing. How we fare under pressure is what reveals the strength of our personalities to others as well as ourselves. If we choose to stay put and not get up once we fall we’re accepting defeat too easily. If we choose to get up and running again, like the little kids learning to walk, we are at the very least, ensuring a clear conscience and no regrets even if we lose despite all the effort. People give up so easily and so soon without even trying and say “let’s pray it happens.” I never was able to understand this approach. Had everything supposed to happen through prayers then no one in the world would have had to work or fight for anything. All of us would just have had to make a prayer and viola! Our needs would have been fulfilled; our wishes granted.

Kids live such a simple life. They play, they fight, they forget, they forgive and they play again. They whine and cry for one thing but then find something else to interest them. There is just so much we can learn from these angels who are but a part of us, who are doing more than just filling our lives with joy. They are reminding us of the innocence we have lost.

~Xunaira

Nature 3

Peacefully white

Spot the kitty

The tree of education gracefully spreads it shade. SubhanAllah

Check out the symmetry of the branches.

Lucky Elephant!

Four Ants are moving through a forest. They see an ELEPHANT coming towards them.
Ant 1 says : We should KILL him.
Ant 2 says : No, Let us break his Leg alone.
Ant 3 says : No, we will just throw him away from our path.
Ant 4 says : No, we will LEAVE him because he is ALONE and we are FOUR.

Brave ants being just & generous.

Courtesy Isbah