Star Comments of the Month Jan, Feb, March 2008

“Success is not final, Failure is not fatal, It is the courage to continue that counts. Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.”
Monay on the post Locked Words
January 2008

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"Ever watched a movie you liked so many times that you grow tired of it?
Ever eaten so many sweets to make you sick?
or spent so much time with a loved one that you feel suffocated?

and in the opposite direction.
Ever conditioned your taste to like something you detested on first encounter? coffee? or dark chocolate? or ginger?
or a song that "grew" on you as you listened to it repeatedly?
learned to love somebody after they left an average initial impression?
I think we exert tremendous indirect control over our feelings. How else do we control our anger? not simply ignore anger but subdue it?

We might have limited or no 'control' over our first reaction. but the evolution of feelings is very much influenced by the choices we make following this initial knee-jerk response. in fact, I believe, in many cases we can even temper our initial response by consciously inculcating certain thoughts and habits."
Khany on the post Quote
Febuary 2008

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"...You don't have to settle for being ordinary. You just have to realize that not being able to do a certain thing doesn't effect your ability to master another. I believe that it can be constructive to question our beliefs, and then learning to handle our fears the way we handle success, pleasure or any other emotion..."
Isbahz on the post Yes I Can
March 2008

The Heart of a Muslim

So living as a Muslim means that you must play a part
Allah looks not at how you look, but what is in your heart

God helps those who help themselves

"God helps those who help themselves" ~ Ben Franklin

I came across this saying a long time back and was pretty impressed by it. I often get annoyed when people surrender to circumstances and bluntly blame destiny for their failures and problems in life without even attempting to improve things for themselves when clearly certain things are in their control. So I quote them this saying and ask them to think about it deeply. I will share my thoughts on it.

We have to make righteous efforts on our part and then leave the results to Allah and trust Him with the outcome He wills for us. Our efforts and hard work never go in vain. Allah doesn't overlook the struggle we go through. He has promised us rewards essentially in the hereafter and from my experiences and observation one does get rewarded in this life too, though sometimes in a different way than we expect. There is just and mercy in all of Allah's decision. It is for a strong believer to realize that whatever happens, happens for the best and if one is patient this realization is affirmed with time. Things might not turn out the way we hope for. Regardless, it is our obligation to sincerely work for what we wish to attain. To wait for things to happen and destiny to shine without efforts on our part when we truly are capable of doing wonders, is being ungrateful to the capabilities Allah has blessed us with. Not only is it an ungrateful mentality, it is being unintelligent too.

"Nothing happens by itself, all will come your way, once you understand that you have to make it come your way, by your own exertions." ~Ben Stien

This is not in contrary to reliance on Allah and Trust in Allah to fulfill all our needs. Indeed Allah is most giving and the ultimate provider and facilitator. But it is our job to reach out and make the most of His countless blessings. The Prophet (God bless him and give him peace) said, “Rely on God, and don’t deem yourself incapable.” (Related by Muslim, on the authority of Abu Hurayra – God be pleased with him)

Sunnah entails that one should strive to respond to all challenges that arise in the best way possible(i.e in true Islamic spirit in terms of intentions, goals and means). In the journey of life everybody faces obstacles and difficulties. Success doesn't come in a silver platter. History is full of examples where people assumed responsibility and changed the quality of their lives amidst all the negativity. The obstacles are there, but the opportunities are there too, for the positive minded to see. Allah (s.w.t) says in is book: “Verily with hardship comes ease; verily with hardship comes ease.” (Sûrah al-Sharh: 5-6) . Those who realize that the hardships of life are transient, preceded and followed by times of ease are those who eventually succeed. Blaming fate, and getting bitter about life is not the way. People of faith continue to strive and await Allah's blessing. Being patient being one form of expressing trust in Allah.

God helps those who helps themselves. Destiny favors those who help themselves. I believe so, do you?

I quote a short story from Paulo Cohelo's book Maktub :

A master and his disciple are riding across the Saudi Arabian desert. The master makes use of every moment of their ride to teach the disciple about faith. "Trust in God," he says. "God never abandons his children." At night, in their camp, the master asks the disciple to tie the horses to a nearby rock. The disciple goes to the rock, but remembers what the master has taught him: "He must be testing me," he thinks. "I should leave the horses to God." And he leaves the horses unfettered. In the morning, the disciple sees that the horses have disappeared. Revolted, he comes back to his master. "You know nothing about God," he exclaims. "I left the horses in His care, and now the animals are gone." "God wanted to care for the horses," the master answered. "But to do that, he needed your hands to tie them."

Eid Milad un Nabi Mubarek

‘Hazrat Aishah (R.A) said:

"The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), whenever he is given the opportunity to choose between two affairs, he always chooses the easiest and the most convenient. But if he is certain that it is sinful, he will be as far as he could from it. He has never avenged himself; but when the sanctity of Allah is violated he would. That would be for Allah’s not for himself. He is the last one to get angry and the first to be satisfied. His hospitality and generosity were matchless. His gifts and endowments manifest a man who does not fear poverty."
[Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/503]

Click here to read more on some of the attributes and manners of The Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H)

Please spare a moment and join me in a mini dua found at the end of the article mentioned above, taken from the SunniPath Library

"O Allah! send your blessings (and the Holy Words of Yours) upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You have send blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are worthy of all praise, All Glorious.O Allah! bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You have already blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are worthy of all praise, All Glorious. Ameen"

Happy Eid Milad un Nabi

Salams 2 all.

The Claim: Cold Water Boils More Quickly Than Hot Water.

The New York Times: Really? The claim is repeated so often that many people accept it as fact. But according to scientists, the notion that a body of cold water will reach boiling temperature more quickly than an identical body of hot water under the same parameters is simply false.

This kitchen myth may have started as a way to encourage people to cook with cold water, not hot, which can contain more impurities. It may also have its origins in the fact that cold water generally gains heat more rapidly than water that is already hot, though it will not boil faster.

But under the right circumstances, the reverse phenomenon can occur, and hot water can freeze more quickly than cool water.

Part of the reason appears to be that hotter water loses mass to evaporation, and because it has less mass, less energy is needed to freeze it. That phenomenon was described as far back as 350 B.C. by Aristotle. The phenomenon is now known as the Mpemba effect, named after Erasto B. Mpemba, a student who noticed it in 1963 while using boiled milk to make ice cream and reintroduced the concept to the scientific literature.

A study published in the American Journal of Physics in 2006 described a number of reasons for the phenomenon.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Cold water does not boil faster than hot water, but hot water can freeze more quickly than cool water.

Click here to learn about the Seven great medical myths posted earlier on Syra Star.

Save on the Vampire Energy

Click on the image for a larger and clearer view and to be redirected to the source

In this innovative era appliances should be built in an environment friendly way. There is plenty of buzz around regarding the depleting energy resources. Regarding vampire energy one should note that some applications are better of if let on in stand by mode, instead of frequently switching the power on or off or else the appliance will burn out sooner.

The hidden path

Sometimes people get used to what they see in films and forget the real story," someone says to the wanderer. "Do you remember the film, 'The Ten Commandments?'"
"Of course. Moses -- Charlton Heston -- raises his staff, the waters open, and the people of Israel are able to cross the Red Sea."
"In the Bible, that's not how it was," says the person. "There, God gives an order to Moses: 'Tell the children of Israel to march.' And it is only after they begin to move forward that Moses raises his staff and the waters part." Because only courage in walking the path makes the path reveal itself.

~Paulo Cohelo
Maktub

It's all about faith. Faith induces courage that makes appear the invisible.

Det Fugitivetee

Anybody's keyboard missing the Ctrl and Esc keytops? =)

Solar Powered Notebook

Got2BeGreen: No need to worry about running out of battery juice while using your laptop. The design firm called Nikoladesign, has come up with a concept that could solve that problem.

The laptop design would come with a detachable extra flap to act as a solar panel to convert light to power using a powerful battery. Equipped with internet access, satellite telephone and satellite link GPS would not only make you power independently but make it a universal tool for you to travel just about anywhere and communicate or exchange information from just about any location on the planet.

Source

Yes I Can!

If you think you are beaten, you are
if you think you dare not, you don't
If you like to win, but think you can't
it's almost a cinch you won't

If you think you'll lose, you're lost
for out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will
it's all in the state of mind

If you think you're outclassed, you are
you've got to think high to rise
you've got to be sure of yourself before
you can win the prize

Life's battles don't always go
to the stronger or faster man;
but sooner or later the man who wins
is the man who thinks he can

~Anonymous

Negative thinking never lets us discover our powers. Powers that God has given to each and every one of us regardless of our race, religion, creed, gender and any socioeconomic status. I come across so many people who have such a low self image that one wonders how do they survive. You ask them to do anything and they will say, No. I don't think I am good enough to do it. Or, I don't think it's possible. I always tell them nothing is possible unless they first believe in it.

~Faiez H. Seyal
The Road to Success

Random shots

JIT I blocked the screen, or else Miss Pong would have captured my million dollar code :p

Miss Yang drew a younger version of herself =) Nicely done

Superman logo ring in my palm =)

Maryam & Ali's Lovepuccino

My Favourite stuffed doggiee with my favorite T-Shirt

Dua-e-Mashlool: The Prayer Of The Paralytic

The effective prayer is undoubtedly an inspired work. Any one who is acquainted with the soul-stirring experience of great religious thoughts cannot help seeing in these immortal words of Hazrat Ali (as) the dazzling light of Universal Truth.

Imam Husain (as) related that once on a cold, wintry night he accompanied his father Hazrat Ali (as) to the Sacred Mosque of the Kaaba and performed the circumambulations. The night was pitch dark and there was no one there except his father and himself. Every one was asleep. Presently, they heard a mournful voice of some one reciting the following poem:

"O Thou that answereth the prayers of the disconsolate in the depth of darkness; O Thou that wardeth off the baneful influences of calamities and diseases. Lo, those who surrounded the Kaaba sleep and wake up; But Thou, Exalted be thy Name, never sleepest. Forgive me by the Grace of Thy Bounty and Thy Mercy. O Though towards whom all creation bows down in this Sanctuaary! If Thy Mercy be not such as giveth hope to the transgressors, Then who is there to take pity on the sinners by His Bounty?"

Imam Husain (as) related the rest of the story:

My father sent me towards the man who was reciting these lines of poetry and I brought him with me into his presence. Hazrat Ali (as) asked his name and he said, "My name is Manzil Ibn Lahiq. In my youth I was persisting in sin, while my father used to guide me towards repentance. But I heeded him not. Instead of listening to him I used to beat him. Now it came to pass that my father had kept some money hidden away from me. One day I found it and was going out with the money, to spend it on my follies, when he stopped me and tried to take it away from me, but I twisted his wrist and ran away with the money. Thereupon my father kept a fast and went and performed the rites of the Sacred Mosque. Then he lifted up his hands and prayed that God may inflict upon me the disease of paralysis. Hardly had he done so when I was struck with paralysis and my father went back to his home. I then besought my father to pray for my recovery in the same place where he had prayed for my affliction. My father, in his infinite love and kindness, granted my request and we both set out towards Mecca, but as my ill-luck would have it, on the way thither my father's camel suddenly took fright and he was thrown from its back and killed in a moment. Now I am left to spend the rest of my days in this condition, helpless and forlorn, and people taunt me, saying that I am being punished for courting my father's displeasure."

On hearing the sad tale, Hazrat Ali (as) was moved by pity and compassion and taught him the following prayer and said: "Perform the ablutions and recite this prayer tonight". He did so, and the effect was miraculous! Next morning when he came to my father, he was perfectly cured and carried the text of the prayer in his right hand and exclaimed, "Really this prayer is the 'Isme Azam' because when I lifted up my hands and read this dua several times, a deep sleep fell upon me and I dreamt that the Holy Prophet MOhamed (pbuh) came and massaged my body with his own hands. When I woke up, I found that the illness had completely departed from me. May God reward thee, O Amir ul Momineen (as) for this miraculous prayer." In view of the above mentioned incident, this dua is called prayer of the paralytic.

Imam Husain (as) continues to state that this dua contains the Isme Azam. Whoever recites it will be relieved of sorrow; cured of illness; his debts will be paid up; his poverty will be changed to prosperity; his sins forgiven; his defects hidden; and he shall be granted safety and security from all evil, whether from Satan or from any worldly potentate, and if any of God's obedient servants recite this prayer, the mountains can be moved from their place; the dead can be restored to life and water can be turned into ice thereby. Hence this prayer has come to us as a source of rejoicing and I (the translator, I think) have learnt it from my father. Imam Husain (as) further directs that this prayer should never be recited in a state of impurity or pollution. This prayer is also referred to as "Dua-e-Khizr".

Click here for the Arabic and translation of the Dua-e-Mashlool

Source:www.duas.org