I try my best to eat healthy, organic, recycle, etc.. but it really irks me when I discover that there's something that has just been sitting under my nose and I haven't done a thing to stop it.
Cans.
Now, I'm no chef, I hate cooking, kitchen stuff, etc. I think it's a waste of life. (ask anyone) But we have to eat to live, right? So, I was thinking, canned organic food is easy, open. dump. eat. yum! right? WRONG! the dreaded enemy of every eco-mom out there, BPA, is in these cans. I've been fighting to keep out of my lil Sumayyah's surroundings has leached it's way into MINE! Yes, cans apparently leach BPA into the food that you eat.. disgusting.
Check it out:
Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group have both studied the issue and found BPA in many of the canned products they tested, including infant formula, vegetables, soda and soup. And we are what we eat. BPA is present in detectable levels in over 90% of Americans’ bodies and through Credo, many are taking action and trying to send a message to the powers that be, that poisoning us, just isn’t cool.
There has finally been an increase in eco-conscious Muslim businesses and this one has definitely grabbed my attention! It has a variety of unique posters, games and books all made out of recycled paper. The books particularly got my attention because they incorporated basic common books for children (alphabet books, color books, etc.) with Islamic concepts in a unique refreshing way, ma sha' Allah:
.. and this company is also very cool because there images contain NO FACES!! How awesome is that?!
I'm excited about the emergence of eco-friendly Muslims businesses although I think that the term eco-friendly should be assumed when you say Muslim but unfortunately, it is still not the case..
As we've all heard from various lectures, Qur'an teachers, etc. when they give you tips on how to memorize Qur'an, one piece of advice that always sticks out is that you were only to memorize from ONE Qur'an, and because of familiarity & availability, I chose the green one (you know the one I'm talking about). Well happy iPhone users, the green mushaf has made it's way to your phones.. verbatim! Check out my recent favorite iPhone app from iPhone Islam - Al-Mus'haf - and download it to your phones now because apparently it's free for a limited time.
(Random Side Note: I don't know why there's an apostrophe in the title, oh well)
I am sooo confused, why in the world is Al-Azhar banning niqab?! and for the students at their school??? I have a theory, but lets not go there... la hawla wala quwata illa bilLah!
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar imam vowed to issue a ban against the face-veil in all schools linked to Al-Azhar.
“I intend to issue a regulation to ban the niqab in Al-Azhar schools,” he said.
“No student or teacher will be allowed into the school wearing the niqab.”
..it's this weekend and I'm extremely devastated that I can't make it for this class but khayr in sha' Allah. Qadar Allah wa ma sha'a fa`al.
However, if you are one of the blessed people that are going to be able to attend this event, I have some questions for Shaykh Yasir Qadhi. If you can please ask him and get back to me that would be wonderfully wonderful & jazakum Allahu khayran in advance.
1. What is his opinion on eating non-organic meats? (ie. food that can be considered harmful to the human body because of the hormones, etc. in them?) Does that fall under harming your health? body? etc. Note: This is different than the zabiha v. non zabiha debate.
2. What is his opinion on eating animals that have been treated with cruelty?
3. What is his opinion on wearing `abaya/jilbab/etc. ie. wearing one garment that covers you from head to toe .. or should i say, neck to toe. vs. wearing say a long loose shirt + long skirt that hare equivalently loose and do not show the shape of the body. What are his dalils for this?
If I think of more I'll definitely let you know.. until then, I'd love to hear his answers on these issues in particular. barak Allahu fikum!
I won't be blogging for the next 4 weeks or so in sha' Allah but if you want to check out some cool stuff on my Google Reader please do, I will be updating that throughout the next couple of weeks.
... and a note to my readers and myself as well: treat this Ramadan as if it were your last.
(oh! and please do check out my husband's blog - Run Abu Sumayyah! Run! - and support his efforts in raising money for blood cancer patients and keeping up with running this Ramadan!)
When the Prophet (saw) sighted the moon of Rajab (two months before Ramadan) he used to pray to Allah in the following words: اَللّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِى رَجَبَ وَ شَعْبَانَ وَ بَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان
Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha'ban wa ballighna Ramadan
O Allah! Make the months of Rajab and Sha'ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan (i.e. prolong our life up to Ramadan, so that we may benefit from its merits and blessings)
[Narrated by at-Tabarani and Ahmad]
If you are looking to prepare for this upcoming Ramadan 1430 in sha' Allah, check out the wealth of resources at this web page from Kalamullah.com, it has everything from PDFs, lectures, checklists, books & more! I would definitely recommend taking a look. barak Allahu fikum!
Here are 10 easy ways to detox your body in an article I was reading recently. It's quite simple really and anything we can do to take the load off of our poor over-worked livers is great! Check it out:
1. Eat organic fruits and vegetables. Conventional fruits and vegetables are full of chemicals that harm your body. Organic food is grown without the use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. The sooner you stop polluting your body, the sooner you will start to look and feel healthier.
2. Eat kosher meat*. When you eat a burger the growth hormones that were given to the cow are then passed on to you thus making you grow and gain weight! Organic meat is produced without giving the animal antibiotics or growth hormones. Only buy certified organic meat and only eat free-range chicken. Your body will thank you.
3. Do a juice fast. The juice fast essentially means you drink juice throughout the day, every day. Your juice must be fresh and organic. This can be done for 3 days, 10 days or 30 days. It depends on your level of discipline, your size and your health goals. If you have never done a juice fast before then you will start seeing results right away!
4. Add apple cider vinegar to your diet: You can use it as salad dressing or drink it with water. Apple Cider Vinegar helps detoxify your liver. Take 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed in water before every meal to aid in weight-loss.
5. Add coconut oil when you cook: Virgin coconut oil can be added to your everyday meals as a substitute for your cooking oil. It improves digestion, promotes weight-loss and helps keep skin and hair looking young and healthy.
6. Drink green tea: EGCG, an antioxidant contained in green tea, helps the body burn fat. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, and the polyphenols found in green tea also help your body reduce the time that toxins stay in your system.
7. Dry-brush before you shower. Go to your local health food store and buy a dry brush. Then brush your skin before every shower. This removes dead skin cells and toxins helping you lose weight and have glowing skin.
8. Get a shower filter. Your tap water can contain pesticides, toxic bacteria, viruses and traces of human and animal waste. Every time you take a shower or drink out of the tap you are ingesting dangerous toxic chemicals. Filtering your water also improves your hair and skin!
9. Add fiber to your diet. Fiber keeps your meal moving along your gastrointestinal tract and helps flush your body of metabolic waste. Fiber also keeps your energy levels high, and slows your rate of carbohydrate digestion, which helps you maintain your blood sugar levels.
10. Use only natural and organic beauty products. Most of our beauty products are full of toxins, preservatives, and even poisons. These are put in our beauty products in order to give them a longer shelf life and thus give the company more profits. Using organic products guarantees that you will not be putting toxins into your body every day.
Such a sad sad story of hatred.. May Allah (swt) grant her shahadah and the highest levels of jannah. amin:
The body of a Muslim woman, killed in a German courtroom by a man convicted of insulting her religion, has been taken back to her native Egypt for burial.
Marwa Sherbini, 31, was stabbed 18 times by Axel W, who is now under arrest in Dresden for suspected murder.
Husband Elwi Okaz is also in a critical condition in hospital, after being injured as he tried to save his wife.
Ms Sherbini had sued her killer after he called her a "terrorist" because of her headscarf.
The case has attracted much attention in Egypt and the Muslim world.
German prosecutors have said the 28-year-old attacker, identified only as Axel W, was driven by a deep hatred of foreigners and Muslims.
'Martyr'
Medics were unable to save Ms Sherbini who was three months pregnant with her second child. Her three-year-old son was with the family in court when she was killed.
Axel W and Ms Sherbini and family were in court for his appeal against a fine of 750 euros ($1,050) for insulting her in 2008, apparently because she was wearing the Muslim headscarf or Hijab.
Newspapers in Egypt have expressed outrage at the case, asking how it was allowed to happen and dubbing Ms Sherbini "the martyr of the Hijab".
Senior Egyptian officials and German diplomatic staff attended the funeral in Alexandria along with hundreds of mourners.
Media reports say Mr Okaz was injured both by the attacker and when a policeman opened fire in the courtroom.
I'm sure you have all heard, and hopefully been making du`a' for Shaykh Waleed Basyouni's 4 year old son, Yousuf, as he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. Here are some updates on his son and Shaykh Waleed's khutbah this past Friday... la ba's, tahuran in sha' Allah.
Message from Shaykh Waleed Basyouni (6/23/09):
Alhamdulilah ala kuwli haal. Upon my return yesterday, our son Yousuf (4yrs old) was diagnosed with leukemia. I ask Allah The AlMighty, The Most Generous The Lord of the Great Throne to heal him by His Mercy... Healing with which will not leave any sickness behind. He is supposed to get several tests tomorrow so they can figure out what type of leukemia he has. I will update you all, inshaAllah, on his status. I'm sharing this information with you so we can all learn a lesson and take advantage of our health before our sickness because no one knows what might happen to him or to her. May Allah protect us all and cure those who are sick among us.
First of all, we would like to say everyones response has really helped us to cope with the situation by your support, through your kind words and warm duas....reigniting the feeling that we are all one family in a time which family support is much needed and appreciated.
Today they ran some test to determine the kind of Leukemia he has. It is the Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). When I heard the name in the beginning my optimism first kicked in when I heard the word 'cute' He started his chemotherapy today and the treatment period will be 3 1/2 years. We will be able to go home at the beginning of next week as long as he responds well to the medications, inshaAllah. I ask Allah (swt) for everything to go good in Yousuf's favor and to protect him from all evil. Yousuf is doing much better after the blood transfusions and getting a hang of the hospital environment. Yesterday we told Yousuf that hundreds of people were making dua for him and it was one of the very few smiles we got from him. He also watched the video message from Abdurrahman Murphy.
JazakaAllahu khairan to all of you and may Allah (swt) to cure those who are ill among us and to protect our health.
I try my best to eat healthy, organic, recycle, etc.. but it really irks me when I discover that there's something that has just been sitting under my nose and I haven't done a thing to stop it.
