Milk does a body good, NOT!!!

I found a great article on Health Concerns about Dairy Products...Its time you learned the truth about Milk and other dairy products before it's too late.....

"Many Americans, including some vegetarians, still consume substantial amounts of dairy products—and government policies still promote them—despite scientific evidence that questions their health benefits and indicates their potential health risks.

Osteoporosis, Milk’s main selling point is calcium, and milk-drinking is touted for building strong bones in children and preventing osteoporosis in older persons. However, clinical research shows that dairy products have little or no benefit for bones. A 2005 review published in Pediatrics showed that milk consumption does not improve bone integrity in children. Similarly, the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which followed more than 72,000 women for 18 years, showed no protective effect of increased milk consumption on fracture risk. While calcium is important for bone health, studies show that increasing consumption beyond approximately 600 mg per day—amounts that are easily achieved without dairy products or calcium supplements—does not improve bone integrity.

In studies of children and adults, exercise has been found to have a major effect on bone density.

You can decrease your risk of osteoporosis by reducing sodium and animal protein intake in the diet, increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, exercising, and ensuring adequate calcium intake from plant foods such as kale, broccoli, and other leafy green vegetables and beans. You can also use calcium-fortified products such as breakfast cereals and juices, although these products provide more concentrated calcium than is necessary.

Fat Content and Cardiovascular DiseaseDairy products—including cheese, ice cream, milk, butter, and yogurt—contribute significant amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat to the diet. Diets high in fat and saturated fat can increase the risk of heart disease, among other serious health problems. A low-fat vegetarian diet that eliminates dairy products, in combination with exercise, smoking cessation, and stress management, can not only prevent heart disease, but may also reverse it. Non-fat dairy products are available; however, they pose other health risks as noted below.

CancerProstate and breast cancers have been linked to consumption of dairy products, presumably related to increases in a compound called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I).15 IGF-I is found in cow’s milk and has been shown to occur in increased levels in the blood of individuals consuming dairy products on a regular basis. Other nutrients that increase IGF-I are also found in cow’s milk.
Case-control studies in diverse populations have shown a strong and consistent association between serum IGF-I concentrations and prostate cancer risk. One study showed that men who had the highest levels of IGF-I had more than four times the risk of prostate cancer compared with those who had the lowest levels. Other findings show that prostate cancer risk was elevated with increased consumption of low-fat milk, suggesting that too much dairy calcium could be a potential threat to prostate health.
Ovarian cancer may also be related to the consumption of dairy products. The milk sugar lactose is broken down in the body into another sugar, galactose.

Research suggests that the dairy sugar galactose might be toxic to ovarian cells. In a study conducted in Sweden, consumption of lactose and dairy products was positively linked to ovarian cancer. A similar study, the Iowa Women’s Health Study, found that women who consumed more than one glass of milk per day had a 73 percent greater chance of ovarian cancer than women who drank less than one glass per day.

Lactose IntoleranceLactose intolerance is common among many populations, affecting approximately 95 percent of Asian Americans, 74 percent of Native Americans, 70 percent of African Americans, 53 percent of Mexican Americans, and 15 percent of Caucasians. Symptoms, which include gastrointestinal distress, diarrhea, and flatulence, occur because these individuals do not have the enzyme lactase that digests the milk sugar lactose. For those who can digest lactose, its breakdown products are two simple sugars: glucose and galactose. Nursing children have active enzymes that break down galactose. As we age, many of us lose much of this capacity. Additionally, along with unwanted symptoms, milk-drinkers also put themselves at risk for development of other chronic diseases and ailments.

Vitamin DIndividuals often drink milk in order to obtain vitamin D in their diet, unaware that they can receive vitamin D through other sources. The natural source of vitamin D is sunlight. Five to fifteen minutes of sun exposure to the arms and legs or the hands, face, and arms can be enough to meet the body’s requirements for vitamin D, depending on the individual’s skin tone. Darker skin requires longer exposure to the sun in order to obtain adequate levels of vitamin D. In colder climates during the winter months the sun may not be able to provide adequate vitamin D. During this time the diet must be able to provide vitamin D. Fortified cereals, grains, bread, orange juice, and soy- or rice milk are healthful foods that provide vitamin D. All common multiple vitamins also provide vitamin D.

ContaminantsMilk contains contaminants that range from pesticides to drugs. Milk naturally contains hormones and growth factors produced within a cow’s body. In addition, synthetic hormones such as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) are commonly used in dairy cows to increase the production of milk. Because treated cows are producing quantities of milk nature never intended, the end result can be mastitis, or inflammation of the mammary glands. Treatment of this condition requires the use of antibiotics, and antibiotic traces have occasionally been found in samples of milk and other dairy products. Pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxins are other examples of contaminants found in milk. These toxins do not readily leave the body and can eventually build to harmful levels that may affect the immune and reproductive systems. The central nervous system can also be affected. Moreover, PCBs and dioxins have also been linked to cancer.

Milk Proteins and DiabetesInsulin-dependent (type 1 or childhood-onset) diabetes is linked to consumption of dairy products. A 2001 Finnish study of 3,000 infants with genetically increased risk for developing diabetes showed that early introduction of cow’s milk increased susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.
Health Concerns of Infants and ChildrenMilk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants below one year of age not be given whole cow’s milk, as iron deficiency is more likely on a dairy-rich diet. Cow’s milk products are very low in iron. If dairy products become a major part of one’s diet, iron deficiency is more likely. Colic is an additional concern with milk consumption. Up to 28 percent of infants suffer from colic during the first month of life. Pediatricians learned long ago that cow’s milk was often the reason. We now know that breastfeeding mothers can have colicky babies if the mothers consume cow’s milk. The cow’s antibodies can pass through the mother’s bloodstream, into her breast milk, and to the baby. Additionally, food allergies appear to be common results of cow’s milk consumption, particularly in children. Cow’s milk consumption has also been linked to chronic constipation in children. Researchers suggested that milk consumption resulted in perianal sores and severe pain on defecation, leading to constipation.

Milk and dairy products are not necessary in the diet and can, in fact, be harmful to health. It is best to consume a healthful diet of grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fortified foods including cereals and juices. These nutrient-dense foods can help you meet your calcium, potassium, riboflavin, and vitamin D requirements with ease—and without health risks."

I want to encourage everyone to go read "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell

Other sites you can check out to learn more about this topic are:

http://www.milksucks.com/more.asp

Funny Isn't It.....

- Funny how a $20 bill looks so big when you take it to the Mosque, but so small when you take it to the market.

- Funny how long it takes to do Zikr for an hour, but how quickly a team plays 60 minutes of basketball.

- Funny how long a couple of hours spent at the Mosque are, but how short they are when watching a movie.

- Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray, but don't have difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

- Funny how we get thrilled when a baseball game goes into extra innings, but we complain when a "Tarahvi" during Ramadhan is longer than the regular time.

- Funny how hard it is to read a chapter in the Quran, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a best selling novel.

- Funny how people want to get a front seat at any game or concert, but scramble to get a back row at mosque so that they can scramble out fast.

- Funny how we need 2 or 3 weeks advance notice to fit a Mosque event into our schedule, but can adjust our schedule for other events at the last moment.

- Funny how hard it is for people learn a simple Preaching well enough to tell others, but how simple it is for the same people to understand and repeat gossip.

- Funny how we believe what the newspaper says, but question what the Quran says.

- Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, or to think, or to say, or do anything.

- Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding Allah, people think twice about sharing.

FUNNY, ISN'T IT???

Throwing Culture to The Wind...The Sorry State of Muslims Today

I found an article that took the words right out of my mouth....

"Throwing Culture to the Wind (The sorry state of Muslims today)"
The first eighty or so years after the Prophet (peace be upon him) were the best time in all human history in which to live. Pure, true, uncorrupted Islam was practiced and spread. In His Infinite Wisdom, Allah revealed the Qur'an in Arabic to Arabic speaking people.

These same people, only had to hear the Qur'an and immediately they understood its significance. The greatest thing in their culture was their depth of understanding of the pure Arabic language. Islam was the means of transforming them into the most outstanding civilization of all time.

Whenever Islam spread, naturally the Arabic language was learned and hence the doors to Islamic knowledge were opened. Indeed the love for learning and spreading true knowledge was an essential part of life.Time through the ages and the ebb and flow of Islamic resurgence continues - parallel to the obedience or disobedience of the people. Islam, like waves on an ocean, ever flowing, moving across time - sometimes strong and resilient and at other times weak and helpless. The moment the individual and hence the society, lets go of the Trustworthy Handhold; the moment they feel self reliant; the moment they choose to knowingly disobey Allah the Creator of all - that, is the moment when the ever waiting tides of evil will overcome the 'Islam' of the people, for truly Islam is submission and obedience to Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him).Today the Muslims are a fragmented group, reveling in nationalism, self- glorification and desire for the world. They often carry their Islam as a kind of insurance card, ready to use it when necessary, thinking that their recitation of the Shahadah will alone save them from the evil consequences of their deeds.We hear about Islamic culture in this pro-multicultural world of the new age, as if Islam is a cloak we choose to wear while other's cultures are deemed equal in beauty and truth.

But is Islam really culture? We have Turkish culture, Lebanese culture, Asian culture and Western culture and then we have Islam. Islam is 'the' way of life prescribed by the Creator for His creation. It contains no manmade elements; choice remains either in obedience or disobedience to the Creator. Hence freedom is an illusion. Unfortunately however, throughout the world we have the notion of 'culture' seeping through to the mosques and those who desire to govern them. Each ethnic group believing it has a more legitimate right to lead, govern and control. In this process the beauty of Islam; the spiritual and practical manifestation of the love and fear of Allah - courage, loyalty, forbearance, trustworthiness, honesty, punctuality and piety have been squeezed out of modern day 'cultural Islam.'An unidentifiable mixture of one's culture and Islam often masks the beauty of the era of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The Arabic language is no longer sought like before, and understanding the Qur'an in Arabic is no longer a priority. In doing so, we have lost the essence!How much thinking is controlled by family and societal expectations, which contain a smattering of superficial Islamic manners and 'traditions', acting as a façade against self-centered nationalism?What a sorry state we are in! The Zionist enemy sits and watches us destroy ourselves through our own neglect, as we leave the essence of Islam - the sincere obedience to Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) and commitment and sacrifice in His way along with a burning desire to learn, learn, learn!By the time we have finished whittling away our Islamic foundation, the enemies of Allah, will have no need to work so hard to complete the final bricks of modern day colonialism.

A large majority of Muslims have already adopted their language, their fashions, their manners, and their habits. They praise their tyranny and send their precious children to their schools. What is left of our Islam?Come on! Let's shake off the shackles of cultural thinking, nationalist pride and love of the West and sincerely follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) who was sent by Allah the Almighty to be our example.Let's turn to the Creator. Put our foreheads on the ground in humility and obedience and then, I'm sure, that Allah will turn in His Mercy to those who truly seek His pleasure. On that day, the enemies of Allah will scatter amidst their evil plans and will destroy themselves, as we have nearly done.

Contributed by : Velma Cook, Australia

Islamic Values Vs. Muslim Values

An Article written by : Atiq Ebady

The misconceptions that surround Islam in this day and age are too great to number.

A repeated scene is that of a Muslim having a discussion with a non-Muslim and trying to explain that Muslims are not terrorists, Muslims are not wife-beaters, that these actions are the deeds of a few which are then unjustly imposed on the whole Muslim population. But if the whole Muslim population had presented themselves in an Islamic manner in the first place, the reputation of a Muslim would be far too virtuous to allow the misdeeds of a few to tarnish the image of the whole Muslim world. But Muslims generally do not present Islamic values, they present Muslim values; and the difference between these two can sometimes be as vivid as night and day.What do I mean by Islamic values and Muslim values? Islamic values are those that are set out in the Quran and the practice of the noble Messenger, Muhammad (S). Muslim values are those that are created as part of the culture of the Muslim communities. These include the day-to-day interaction between the Muslims and their outlook on Islam's rules and regulations. The difference is that Islam is perfect and pure, while the values formulated by the Muslims may or may not be in accordance with Islam.

The detriment that arises from this is that many times precedence is given to the Muslim values over the Islamic values.This is not to say that Muslims do not care about Islam, they care for and love Islam deeply, they have concern for their children's Islamic upbringing and the welfare of the Muslims all over the world. But what happens is that certain practices become common among them and their mentalities are set on justifying these practices instead of accepting the Islamic rulings on such things. They become a part of the Muslim culture and mentality, and so it becomes difficult to try to explain to them that Islam forbids such things. Because of this transformation in mentality, the average person in such a community will be hostile to someone bringing Islamic rulings forbidding things such as music and dancing and enforcing things like hijab and modest conduct.

Having gatherings and parties that center around music and dancing, and removal of the hijab and modest conduct have become common among many Muslims, and so they constitute what we have called Muslim values, as opposed to the Islamic values.

The Muslim values are caused by a relaxation on the enforcement of Islamic laws. The Islamic values, principles, and priorities are contained within these laws. Prayer, fasting, charity, hajj, hijab, modesty, being kind to others, giving parents their due rights, emphasizing the importance of marriage, attending the Islamic centers and masjids, gaining knowledge, all of these are designed to build spiritually healthy individuals and a spiritually healthy society. When the performance of these actions is relaxed then a void is created that is receptive for outside and often unIslamic ideals.

When there is relaxation then a distorted concept of freedom is adopted, it gives the Muslims the courage to challenge the Islamic laws and present their own philosophy as to why following the laws is not necessary. They make excuses to oppose the laws and create their own, when the Quran has clearly said,And it behoves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Apostle have decided a matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he surely strays off a manifest straying. (Al-Ahzab, 33:36)An understanding has to be conveyed that the Muslim communities will only thrive if they adhere to the principles of Islam.

The concept of Islam that the non-Muslims have is directly related to the actions of the Muslim communities, because the majority of them will not go out and research about Islam, they will make their judgments based on what they see the Muslims doing. So it is not surprising for them to think that Muslims drink alcohol, that they eat pork and haram food, they listen to music, dance, go to discos and nightclubs, engage in promiscuous relationships, and many other things that a Muslim should not be doing. On the flip side, it is not surprising for them to be ignorant of the fact that a Muslim is supposed to pray at least five times a day, he/she has to fast during Ramadhan, go to Hajj once in a lifetime, abstain from cursing and abusive language, abstain from backbiting, go to masjid on Fridays for jum'a prayer, read Quran, and other basic obligations that a Muslim has.

The result is that a distorted image of Islam, the pure and perfect religion, is presented to them, and in response the Muslims try to say that it is a few Muslims ruining it for the rest of them. But this is not the case, the responsibility lies with the majority of the Muslims who themselves are not acting Islamically. Yes, it is true that the terrorists are few, and that the equation of a Muslim with a terrorist is wrong and unjust. But this is an isolated incident, and in general it is the majority of the Muslims ruining things for themselves. This can only be corrected by starting at the root of the problem, the Muslim family and attendance in the Islamic centers. If the parents are consistent in teaching their children and are themselves consistent in practicing Islam, and if the entire family attends the Islamic centers on a regular basis, then we will see an amazing transformation in the conduct of the Muslims, as individuals and as communities. Then when the non-Muslims look to the actions of the Muslims they will actually learn about Islam, and will not have to worry about whether or not what they are seeing is Islam.

As Muslims, we have to strive to make our Muslim values the same as our Islamic values. Only then can we truly be considered believers

The life of a circus animal....

Living conditions: Most animals used in the circus are meant to live in the wild. Instead of their natural habitats where they would roam free and live on their natural instincts, they are forced to live and travel in cramped quarters far smaller than their habitats in the wild. They are often forced to eat, sleep and even defecate in the same place. Circuses travel to many locations and water is limited in some locations, bathing and cleaning the animals living quarters is given low priority where water is limited. Unfortunately, this limitation extends to their drinking water as well.

Elephants are kept with their feet chained down for long periods of time. Baby elephants are prematurely removed from their mothers for the purpose of early training. They are tied with ropes, which leads to rope burn. Many circuses give no consideration to climate and the animals are exposed to extreme heat or cold. In addition, their diets do not consist of what they would naturally and they are sometimes underfed in the interest of getting an ideal performance. Disease is common among circus animals. Veterinarians qualified to treat exotic animals are not always present and circus animals frequently suffer inadequate veterinary care.
Training: Ever wonder how circuses manage to get the animals to perform so well? Animals do not perform the acts you see in the circus naturally. They have to be trained, often by extreme methods. They are traumatized in to obeying their human ‘trainers” commands. Bull hooks are often driven in to the tender areas of an elephant’s body to make it cooperate. Electric shock, whips, baseball bats and pipes are also among the methods used to force the animals to cooperate in training. Some animals are kept muzzled to subdue them and discourage them from defending themselves if they feel threatened. Some animals are drugged to make them manageable and some have their teeth removed. Some bears have had their paws burned to force them to stand on their hind legs.

Mental distress: the combination of the above circumstances and other factors lead to mental distress in circus animals. There have been many cases of animals attacking humans and escaping. Since 1990, attacks by captive big cats have resulted in 46 humans deaths and the killing of 70 big cats Since 1990, 13 humans have been killed by captive bears. 8 of them were children. Attacks have also resulted in 26 bears being killed Since 1990, attacks by captive primates have resulted in 2 humans deaths, 130 human injuries, and the killing of 450 primates. Since 1990, 57 people have been killed by captive elephants.120 people were injured.

When you think about how they are treated, can you blame them for attacking? What must they think of humans? They don’t ask for the miserable lifestyle circus performance subjects them to “Retirement” for circus animals: Animals with many other forms of animal “entertainment”, once the animal can no longer perform, it is not much value to the circus. They may be permanently caged, sold to a game farm to be hunted, or sold to a lab. What you can do

DON’T visit circuses that have animals. There are a number of cruelty free circuses that only display human acts. For a list of cruelty free circuses, please visit Circuses that do not use animal acts. Lawfully protest circuses that contain animal acts. Educate potential visitors about what really goes on in some circuses. Urge local animal control and the humane society to carefully monitor the care and treatment of animals when a circus with animals comes to your area. Urge lawmakers to ban animal entertainment acts and show your support for those that do.

Calling all you Yogurt Lovers, yes you!!!

Eating yogurt is good for you, or at least that's what you were told growing up....

Depending on ingredients that are added to the yogurt, it can be good or bad for you... Most yogurts have fructose corn syrup added to it as well as other additives. A few years ago i started eating Goat's yogurt. Yes, i know that sounds gross, but it's actually very delicious if you add granola to it, or fresh fruit. Goat's yogurt, as well as milk and cheese digest easier than cows milk, yogurt and cheese. Last year i stumbled upon a product called "Kefir" I didnt know much about it exept it has 10 live cultures opposed to 3-5 that yogurt has....I bought one bottle not expecting to like it very much. After my first sip i was hooked. It's a little bit thicker than yogurt but very delicious. The health benefits are amazing!!!

Here's some of the information i found:

Kefir has many reputed health benefits. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties. It's been used in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, and allergies, tuberculosis, cancer, poor digestion, candidiasis, osteoporosis, hypertension, HIV and heart disease. You might find it odd that that a drink containing yeasts would be good for treating candidiasis but it has been helpful to many people, both by restoring a better balance to the gut flora and because some elements of the microflora will kill off Candida Albicans. Not all yeasts are harmful.

In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also has an abundance of calcium and magnesium, also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves

Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.

Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt, Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.

It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by penetrating the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and strengthens the intestines. Hence, the body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites.

Kefir's active yeast and bacteria provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy.

Because the curd size of kefir is smaller than yogurt, it is also easier to digest, which makes it a particularly excellent, nutritious food for babies, invalids and the elderly, as well as a remedy for digestive disorders.

For more information click here:

http://www.kefir.net/benefits.htm

http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk/fermenting/kefir.shtml

http://www.lifeway.net/

http://images.google.com/imgres?

imgurl=http://www.moralhaber.net/resimler/kefir1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://allaboutkefir.blogspot.com/&usg=__ncvXjFe_JOoiPlRh2IRY_vlh9kI=&h=370&w=450&sz=39&hl=en&start=14&tbnid=jtSA4lCk6ga1lM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkefir%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

Song lyrics contribute to violence against women part 1

Your at the bus stop and a few women next to you have their ipods on and are listening to some music.... They begin to sing along with the lyrics

If you don’t mind girl put your legs over my shoulders
Don’t lie, I can see it in your eyes
You want for you and I to do the freaky things you like
When I put-put-put it on girl, when I put-put-put it on ya
When I put-put-put it on girl, when I put-put-put it on ya


[Verse 1]
Let’s ride around the city, make love in the car
Let’s get on express way, let me tease you ma
And while you drive baby, I wanna taste your tongue
Pull in to rest here, and let me give you some
You ever been driving while your man made you cum
I wanna hit a stay, I wanna hit and run
Let’s pull the car over, and have a little fun
The AC working, so we ain’t gotta bun

[Bridge]
Can I lick it, can I stick it, can I touch it, can I grab it
Baby tell me can I have it
Can I rub it, can I flip it, can I hold it, can I get it
Anyway I wanna get it

Shocked, you cant understand why they are dancing in their seats and singing along to the music...The lyrics are degrading and dehumanize women as nothing more than sex objects...

The hip-hop culture in the United States can be traced back to the streets of New York City in 1970. At first, people would read off poetry to different beats of percussion. Over the next few years this form of poetry progressed to have a more musical beat provided by a DJ. Soon, this form of music was commonly known as rap, and in 1979 it began to enter the American mainstream of music. Now, it is a popular genre of music that tops the charts and is being performed in many different styles around the world. Even though rap is extremely well known, it has developed a reputation as being explicit, violent, and disrespectful. Since the beginning of rap music, artists have used derogatory lyrics about women. Today, these degrading lyrics have become more brutal, and more common to hear.

For example,The nation's No. 2 Rap hit, "I'm a Flirt," by R. Kelly and Bow Wow, is No. 15 on the pop chart and talks about "pimpn" and "ho's" - shorthand for whore. The song has been downloaded as a ringtone 433,000 times:

"Ima b pimpin

I dont be slippin

When it come down to these hos

I dont love em."

Here is another example of a song the shows how rappers see women as nothing but a tool to use and abuse....



here is a song from lil wayne

got stopped by a lady cop
ha ha... she got me thinking i can date a cop
ha ha... cause her uniform pants are so tight
she read me my rights
she put me in a car, she cut off all the lights
she said i had the right to remain silent
now i got her hollering sounding like a siren
talkin' bout...
wee ooh wee ooh wee (yea),
wee ooh wee ooh wee (yea),
wee ooh wee ooh wee (yea),
and i know she the law, and she know i'm the boss
and she know i can hide a-bove the law
and she know i'm raw, she know it from the street
and all she want me to do is f**k the police
talkin' bout...
wee ooh wee ooh wee,

It's time to pimp.....grab your sisters, mothers, daughters, aunts, and lets get started!!!

You're walking down the street and a bus pulls up next to you. On one side of the bus is a huge advertisement of a woman in nothing but a bra and panties. Her lips are painted red. Her head is tilted back and her mouth is open in an orgasmic way, you are baffled and quickly turn away. You continue walking down the street and stop to do some window shopping. Each window display has a huge poster of semi-naked women, doing their best to grab your attention.... Further down the street you notice a billboard with a woman and 2 men. The woman is on top of one of the men wearing nothing but her underwear and her hair is messy to give the effect that she has just had intercourse with him. Another man stands next to the woman with his back to the couple, naked and putting on a pair of pants.... The billboard is advertising clothing yet the message is clear. This woman just had sex with two men and enjoyed it, and you too can have a threesome if you buy their clothes....

You're at home and your kids want to use the computer. As you check your email a pornographic image pops up and you quickly click it off before your kids can see. You check your mail and notice a dozen emails promoting sex toys or pornographic sites. You cant escape it, its everywhere! You decide to turn on the tv and watch a documentary. During the commercial breaks semi-naked women and men show intimate poses as they advertise new products, you turn off the tv...

Sexual images are everywhere. They are in music videos, advertisements, sitcoms, movies, magazines, internet, etc. The only way to stay away from such images is to lock yourself in your house, get rid of your computer and tv and isolate yourself from the world. No longer are you safe as you walk outdoors or go shopping, the sexual images are everywhere....

Earlier this week in my seminar class, my professor had us watch a film called "for the price of pleasure" and in this film you see the darkside of pornography. I know a lot of men think that watching porn is harmless and that it has no effect on their relationships with women or on their psyche.... They are WRONG!!!! For example, a man starts off watching soft porn, or looking at women in magazines, over a period of time he no longer gets stimulated by these images. He needs something more graphic to capture his attention and stimulate him. He then gets into more disturbing porn... After awhile he is no longer stimulated by heterosexual sex and begins to turn to gay porn or even beastaility (sex with animals)...At first, this type of sex disgusted him, but over time he needed new things to stimulate him and began to get turned on by it.... He then gets bored with this and turns to hardcore porn where women are tortured or even porns where women are raped or gang raped....

This is very damaging to the man and society. If a man is getting turned on by gang rapes, or torturing women, or urinating on her or taking a "dump" on her as they have sex, how does this NOT affect him.... it does!!! He can no longer get stimulated by regular sex. He begins to ask his partner to experiment and try new things, more vulger and dirty each time... He no longer sees her as a person, instead he begins to dehumanize her and sees her as nothing as an object. He becomes a robot when they have sex, enjoying rough sex, slapping her, spitting on her, using vulger names to turn himself on. She feels degraded and disturbed by this yet does it to please him. What women need to realize is MEN run the porn companies, MEN are the ones who are usually directors for music videos, advertisments, etc...

What is alarming is that sex trafficing is higher in the US than any other country!!! Kids are being kidnapped and abducted from their houses and sold to the black market where they become sex slaves.

Women contribute to this epidemic by the clothing they wear, their participation in pornographic movies, advertisements, etc. Women that are targeted are the uneducated who are looking to make quick cash, minorities, women who have been sexually abused, and women with limited access to resources.
Its not surprising that a lot of women who are in the porn industry have been sexually abused. A common effect of sexual abuse on women is promiscuity...
A woman gets paid more money for the more penises she can put in her vagina, anus, mouth, etc. The more partners she has sex with in one video, the more she makes. You then see women having a gang rape scene where in one shot she has sex with 13 men, and 3 men will insert their penises into her vagina or anus at the SAME time!!! She has become nothing but a tool..... the empty, blank looks of the women in porn are haunting.... yet men watch this and then get stimulated and think that ALL women are eager to have sex and eager to please a man. In porn, its all about pleasing a man.... the woman is submissive to the man and always acts excited and eager to please him. She is always ready for sex..... this sends a very dangerous message to the men who watch this.....

Is it any wonder that sexual abuse is on the rise? The internet has made is easier for men to access porn and we are now seeing the effects of men who were raised by the internet and grew up watching porn. You have porn that caters to your every desire and need. You even have sites where men kill the women (lets hope its not real) and cut off her limbs or head and then stick their penises into her dead body or mouth..... This is so disturbing!!!!!

Quranic way of life.....part 2

20. If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, better keepyour mouth shut. You might think that speaking about something withoutfull knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have graveconsequences [24/15-16]

21. When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favourableview about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter.Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid andtruthful evidence [24/12-13]

22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone inignorance and afterwards repent of what you did [49/6]

23. Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no directknowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) youmust verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will beheld accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning[17/36].

24. Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge andnobody knows more than yourself. Remember! Above everyone endowed withknowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76]. Even theProphet [p.b.u.h] was asked to keep praying, "O My sustainer! Advanceme in knowledge." [20:114]

25. The believers are but a single Brotherhood. Live like members ofone family, brothers and sisters unto one another [49/10].

26. Do not make mockery of others or ridicule others [49/11]

27. Do not defame others [49/11]

28. Do not insult others by nicknames [49/11]

29. Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion and guesswork mightdeplete your communal energy [49/12]

30. Spy not upon one another [49/12]

31. Do not backbite one another [49/12]

32. When you meet each other, offer good wishes and blessings forsafety. One who conveys to you a message of safety and security andalso when a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with agreeting still more courteous or (at least) of equal courtesy [4/86]

Drivers License: Banning women from wearing hijab in pic

May Allah swt protect our sisters in Oaklahoma. The bill has already passed in the house, which is scary.
From ISNA website

The Oklahoma state Senate is considering a bill that has already passed the Oklahoma state House, HB1645, which is intended to amend the present law to prohibit Oklahomans from wearing head scarves or other coverings in driver’s license photographs. If passed, the law will violate the religious and constitutional rights of Oklahomans Muslim women who are required by their faith to cover their heads in public.

Wearing a headscarf is a religious duty for Muslim women, not merely a cultural custom, and legislating its removal from driver’s license photos would create an extreme hardship as it would force Oklahoman Muslim women to choose between applying for driver’s license and following their faith requirements. No American should ever be forced to make such a choice.
The US Constitution protects the free exercise of religion and ensures that religious practices and traditions are respected and accommodated. The Founding Fathers enshrined this inalienable right in the constitutional Bill of Rights and countless fellow Americans fought long and hard to ensure that people are able to enjoy the values of freedom and equality.
Action

Please call the leaders of the Oklahoma state Senate and ask them to protect the religious freedom of Oklahomans and to reject the ongoing attempt to undermine the civil liberties of Muslim Americans and other religious minorities.
Senator Charlie LasterDemocratic Leader2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Rm. 522 Oklahoma City, OK 73105(405) 521-5539laster@oksenate.gov Senator Glenn CoffeePresident Pro Tempore2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Rm. 422Oklahoma City, OK 73105405.521.5799405.530.2304 (fax)

Caution: This might just happen to you........

You and your husband freely mix with friends and family members of the opposite sex (non-mahrams or someone you could islamically marry such as a cousin)...You often have them over for dinner or social gatherings not thinking anything of it. You wear your hijab around the men and most of the sisters also wear hijab, so whats the big deal? Muslims who separate are too strict you think!!! You disregard all hadiths and fatwas about separating and continue with your mixed gatherings, until one day your husband, approaches one of your friends, another sister and confesses that hes liked her since the moment he laid eyes on her and wants her as a second wife.......

I just stumbled on a question from a muslim sister to an imam on this very issue..... Please realize sisters and brothers that there is NO good in mixing, wether its your sister/brother in law, cousins, or friends......no one is off limits..... you might not desire them, but they might desire you, allah knows best....
here is the question i found posted to an imam requesting a fatwa on this issue

She used to sit with him and his wife, and he decided to marry her and divorce his wife!

"My problem is that I am about to marry the husband of my sister’s friend. I used to go to her house and sit with her and her husband, and we would always talk with one another. When my sister tried to advise her that this is haraam, i.e., mixing, she made fun of my sister and told her “you are backward” until her husband came and proposed to me, and he says that he liked me from the first moment he saw me, and he wants to have children because she cannot have any. When she heard about this, she said that I had betrayed her. Should I agree to be his wife or not?"

to read the reply and the fatwa click on this link http://islamqa.com/en/ref/125826

Give me my money!!!! common sense and bad manners

Why is it that when a muslim is employed by another muslim, they are relaxed when it comes to paying their muslim employee? If it was a non-muslim they would pay them on time, but when it comes to paying their muslim employee they think its ok to delay it.
A few months ago, a muslim sister called me up (shes a foreigner), and told me that she needed to talk to me about something. Worried, I asked her if everything was ok. She laughed and said yes. She asked if I was free the following day (Saturday) and I told her I had no plans and could meet her in the morning. I arrive at her house around 10am (she asked me to come early), during my drive to her house I was trying to figure out what she wanted to talk about (we are not close friends, and barely talk).

When I get to her house she ushers me in and asks if I am hungry, I say no (I was on a diet at that time), and I sat there for a few minutes chatting with her kids (ages 5, 10, and 12). She left the room for a few minutes later and when she returned she was wearing her abayah and hijab. Confused, I wondered where she was going. She then came and told me that she had an appointment and wanted to know if I could stay for a few hours to watch her kids. Excuse me, I thought, did I just hear you correctly, watch your kids?
Confused I said ok (I couldn’t lie and say I was busy since earlier I had told her I was free today with no plans). She then told me she would be home in a few hours and grabbed her keys and met her husband in the car. I then turned to her kids and asked her where she was going. They said they were going to a friends house…. I was beyond shocked and pissed! Is this why she called me over, to babysit?

Why didn’t she ask me on the phone if I could babysit? Why did she act like she had something important to tell me? Not once did she mention anything about her kids or going anywhere. I felt betrayed…..Now I was stuck with three kids for 2 hours…….. 4 hours later they returned…. The mom nonchalantly asked if she should pay me (first of all, you don’t ask if you should pay the person, you give them money and tell them to take it). I of course felt awkward saying sure, pay me! Instead I said, its ok don’t worry about it. She smiled and thanked me and then ushered me to the door……
During my drive home I was still in shock over everything that had happened…. I was so angry that she lacked any common sense or manners!

That brings me back to money… It’s been a month now and the muslim sister I work for (I tutor her kids), has yet to pay me. I have tried to bring it up a few times but each time she tells me she will pay me “tomorrow” and when tomorrow comes shes either not home or she doesn’t mention it and I felt awkward reminding her again……. Any advice would be appreciated.

Can you bring the TV closer so i can check out the men/women!

You’re at home with your spouse and decide to watch a movie you just rented. You pop in the dvd, sit back on the couch and get cozy. The movie opens with some music. Both you and your spouse have your eyes glued to the t.v., not caring that the actor and actress are both are wearing clothes that goes against islam (Even though that’s expected in a western movie). Afterward, you and your spouse put on one of your favorite programs and proceed to watch a few sitcoms before bed…..

My dear sisters and brothers in islam, when our prophet warned us about looking at men and women and lowering our gaze he did not make exceptions to such things as movies, shows, etc. Why is it that some muslims pick and choose when and where they will lower their gaze yet they never think about all the images that they see on the television. It is NOT allowed for a muslim man to watch a woman on tv or anywhere else, nor is it allowed for a muslim woman to watch men on tv or even women who are not dressed appropriately. Sisters, why would you want your husband to look at women without hijab on t.v., the actresses are stunning, as are the men for those brothers who see nothing wrong with their wives watching programs with men in it. The point is you are looking at them and you still must lower your gaze and 99.9% of programs have music and haram things in it which makes it haram for you to watch in the first place. I have copied a fatwa about this issue that I hope everyone will read.

Is watching TV permitted in Islaam ? If so under what coditions ?

Praise be to Allaah.

The issue of watching films is not free from numerous reservations from a shar’i point of view, such as uncovering ‘awraat, listening to music, spreading corrupt beliefs and calling for imitation of the kuffaar. Allaah has commanded us to lower our gaze, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)” [al-Noor 24:30-31].
Since lowering the gaze is the basis of protecting the private parts, it is mentioned first. Allaah has made the eyes the reflection of the heart: if a person lowers his gaze, the desire in his heart will be reduced, but if a person looks and stares, the desire in his heart will be provoked.
In Saheeh Muslim (1218) it is reported that Al-Fadl ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) was riding behind the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr) from Muzdalifah to Mina, when some women riding on camel-borne sedan chairs passed by. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned his [al-Fadl’s] head away. This was prevention and denunciation through action, for if looking were permissible he would have approved of what he did.

In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (6343) it is reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam has his share of zinaa decreed for him, and he will undoubtedly get his share. The eye commits zinaa and its zinaa is looking. The tongue commits zinaa and its zinaa is speaking; the feet commit zinaa and their zinaa is walking; the hands commit zinaa and their zinaa is touching. The heart longs and desires for something and the private parts confirm that or deny it.”
He began by mentioning the eye because this is how the zinaa of the hand, foot, heart and private parts begins. By mentioning the zinaa of the tongue, he pointed out that the mouth can commit zinaa by speaking. And he stated that the private parts can confirm that if they make the deed happen, or deny it if that does not happen.

This hadeeth gives the clearest indication that the eye can sin by looking and that this is its zinaa. This is a refutation to those who say that looking is allowed in all circumstances.
It was also reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O ‘Ali, do not follow a look with a second, for the first look is allowable but not the second.”
A look has the same effect on the heart as an arrow has on its victim. If it does not kill him, it will wound him. It is like a spark of fire in dried grass; if it does not burn all of it, it will still burn some of it. May Allaah have mercy on the one who said:

“Everything starts with a look, and big fires start from little sparks.
How often has a heart been dealt a fatal blow like that of an arrow, with no need for a bow.
As long as a man’s eyes are looking around, looking into the eyes of others, he is in a state of danger.
His eye delights in that which could destroy his heart. The joy that may lead to harm is not welcome.”

Hence Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Fataawa 3/227:
With regard to television, it is a dangerous device and its harmful effects are very great, like those of the cinema, or even worse. We know from the research that has been written about it and from the words of experts in Arab countries and elsewhere enough to indicate that it is dangerous and very harmful to Islamic beliefs (‘aqeedah), morals and the state of society. This is because it includes the presentation of bad morals, tempting scenes, immoral pictures, semi-nakedness, destructive speech, and Kufr. It encourages imitation of their conduct and ways of dressing, respect for their leaders, neglect of Islamic conduct and ways of dressing, and looking down on the scholars and heroes of Islam. It damages their image by portraying them in an off-putting manner that makes people despise them and ignore them. It shows people how to cheat, steal, hatch plots and commit acts of violence against others. Undoubtedly anything that produces so many bad results should be stopped and shunned, and we have to close all the doors that could lead to it. If some of our brothers denounce it and speak out against it, we cannot blame them, because this is a part of sincerity towards Allaah and towards other people.
Whoever thinks that this device (TV) can be free of these evils and can be used only for good purposes if it is censored properly is exaggerating and is making a big mistake, because the censor may miss things and most people nowadays want to imitate the foreigners. It is very rare to find censors who are doing their job properly, especially nowadays when most people are only interested in time-wasting entertainment and things that turn people away from true guidance. Reality bears witness to that.

We ask Allaah to keep us safe from all evil for He is the Most Generous.
Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

My porn isnt working, can i use yours?

You’re at the library, finishing a research paper… You’re tired and ready to go home. The computer lab is packed and you are thankful that you could find a vacant computer. A few rows down you see a couple of guys huddled together, deep in concentration. Your eyes fall on their computer screen and to your horror you realize that they are watching porn! You look around to see if anyone else has noticed. No one is looking in their direction, everyone seems to be focused on their own screen. Do you approach the guys and tell them to turn the video off? Do you tell the librarian? Do you ignore it and leave? You decide to have the librarian talk to them. You gather your stuff and on your way out, you notice a man sitting to the side, looking at naked pictures of women. Horrified you wonder what the world has come to! These men have no shame or respect and are openly engaging in such disgusting acts….

Dr. Dolf Zimmerman and Dr. Jennings Bryant showed that continued exposure to pornography had serious adverse effects on beliefs about sexuality in general and on attitudes toward women in particular. They also found that pornography desensitizes people to rape as a criminal offense.2

These researchers also found that massive exposure to pornography encourages a desire for increasingly deviant materials which involve violence, like sadomasochism and rape.3
Feminist author Diana Russell notes in her book Rape and Marriage the correlation between deviant behavior (including abuse) and pornography. She also found that pornography leads men and women to experience conflict, suffering, and sexual dissatisfaction.4
Researcher Victor Cline (University of Utah) has documented in his research how men become addicted to pornographic materials, begin to desire more explicit or deviant material, and end up acting out what they have seen.5

According to Charles Keating of Citizens for Decency Through Law, research reveals that 77 percent of child molesters of boys and 87 percent of child molesters of girls admitted imitating the sexual behavior they had seen modeled in pornography.
Sociologists Murray Straus and Larry Baron (University of New Hampshire) found that rape rates are highest in states which have high sales of sex magazines and lax enforcement of pornography laws.6

Michigan state police detective Darrell Pope found that of the 38,000 sexual assault cases in Michigan (1956-1979), in 41 percent of the cases pornographic material was viewed just prior to or during the crime. This agrees with research done by psychotherapist David Scott who found that “half the rapists studied used pornography to arouse themselves immediately prior to seeking out a victim.”

The Final Report of the 1986 Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography lists a full chapter of testimony (197-223) from victims whose assailants had previously viewed pornographic materials. The adverse effects range from physical harm (rape, torture, murder, sexually transmitted disease) to psychological harm (suicidal thoughts, fear, shame, nightmares).
The Facts on Pornography

A day-care director, now serving three years for three counts of first-degree sexual assault, confessed the he had “started picking up pornographic materials occasionally, going to bookstores … no one knew, not even my wife … now I do recognize fully the shocking facts about pornography and how it will draw you into its clutches away from God into sinful fantasies …”
Multiplied incidents like the above graphically illustrate how the $8 billion-per-year porn industry has carved inroads into American life:
Nearly 900 theaters show X-rated films and more than 15,000 “adult” bookstores and video stores offer pornographic material, outnumbering McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. by a margin of at least three to one.

Each year, nearly 100 full-length pornographic films provide estimated annual box office sales of $50 million.

Approximately 70% of the pornographic magazines sold eventually end up in the hands of minors.

About 1.2 million children are annually exploited through child pornography and prostitution.7

Want big muscles and a great body? Go to prison!!!

Western society criticizes Islamic law in which a person is held accountable for the crime they commit. Stealing, fornicating, adultery, murder, there is a penalty for each crime you committed. Although it is easy for a western country to see it as inhumane to stone an adulterer or cut off the hand of a thief, it in fact teaches the society that we are held accountable for our choices. In the west, if you steal and are caught, depending on your status in society you will either serve time or pay a fine and walk away free of charge. In Islam, regardless of your status, rich or poor, if you commit a crime you are held accountable. In the west, pre-marital sex and marital affairs are common and out in the open. These acts encourage other members of society that it is ok to engage in such acts and that there are no consequences for your actions. We now have a high rate of teen pregnancy, theft, marital affairs, alcohol and drug use, etc. Locking a person up is not the key. In the US, prisons are over crowded and "we" the tax payers are the one paying for the inmates stay in prison. We pay for their food, health care, access to t.v. and Internet, etc. Heterosexual men are now raping other men to satisfy their sexual needs and desires. Prisoners that were caught stealing and had no history of violence enter into a new world when they go to prison. To survive you must join one of the gangs in prison (depending on your ethnicity) and this gang will protect you from being stabbed, raped, etc. Without the gangs help you are left on your own to fend off predators. In Islam, if you kill someone its "eye for an eye" the family can either accept blood money (to compensate) or take your life. If you are caught cheating on your spouse your sentence is death by stoning. This teaches society the severity of these crimes. Unfortunately a lot of Islamic countries are giving in to the Western mentality and give privilege to status as well as turning a blind cheek to crimes they see being committed openly. In US prisons, inmates have nothing but time on their hands... They spend their days doing push-ups, situps, anything to build strength and muscle. When they leave prison they are filled with anger and huge muscles....
To read more about gangs in prison, click on the link below

http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/gangunit/about/prisongangs.html
http://www.loompanics.com/Articles/RapeInPrison.html

Status of Women in Islam, PART 3

THE ECONOMIC ASPECT

Islam grants women equal rights to contract, to enterprise, to earn and possess independently. A woman's life, her property and her honor are as sacred as those of a man. If she commits any offense, her penalty is no less or more than of a man's in a similar case. If she is wronged or harmed, she gets due compensation equal to what a man in her position would get.5

Islam has given women a share of inheritance. Before Islam, women were not only deprived of that share, but were themselves considered as property to be inherited by men. Out of that transferable property Islam made an heir, acknowledging the inherent individuality of women. Whether the woman is a wife or mother, a sister or daughter, she receives a certain share of the deceased kin's property, a share that depends on her degree of relationship to the deceased and the number of heirs. This share is hers, and no one can take it away or disinherit her. Even if the deceased wishes to deprive her by making a will to other relations or in favor of any other cause, the Law will not allow him to do so.

Women are exempt from all financial liabilities. As a wife, a woman is entitled to demand of her prospective husband a suitable dowry that will be her own. She is entitled to complete provision and total maintenance by the husband. She does not have to work or share with her husband the family expenses. She is free to retain, after marriage, whatever she possessed before it, and the husband has no right whatsoever to any of her belongings. As a daughter or sister she is entitled to security and provision by the father and brother respectively. That is her privilege. If she wishes to work or be self-supporting and participate in handling the family responsibilities, she is quite free to do so, provided her integrity and honor are safeguarded.

CONCLUSION

It is thus clear that the status of women in Islam is very high. Islam has granted them rights that match beautifully with their duties. What Islam has established for women is that which suits their nature, gives them full security and protects them against disgraceful circumstances and uncertain channels of life.

There does exist a gap between the rights of women outlined in the Qur'an, and the prevalent reality in the Muslim world. However, images of Muslim women as ignorant, oppressed and submissive are stereotypical and do no justice to the large number of Muslim women whose firm conviction in the Islamic concepts of family cohesiveness and happiness, and their own individuality, ensures their sense of self-fulfillment.

1 (p) here stands for “peace be upon him”
2 Reported by Bukhari
3 Reported by Ahmad, Basa’i and Al-Baihaqi
4 Reported by Ahmad
5 Al-Qur’an, 2:178; 4:45, 92-93
Source : 877-WHY-ISLAM

Status of Women in Islam, PART 2

THE SPIRITUAL ASPECT

The sacred text of the Glorious Qur'an and the history of early Muslims bear witness to the fact that women are considered as vital to life as men.

Islam refuted the idea that Eve tempted Adam to disobey God, and thus caused his downfall. The Qur'an says that they both disobeyed, and negates the idea that women are a source of evil.

In a world where women were no more than objects of sexual gratification for men, and at a time when the religious circles argued over whether women were human or not, possessing souls, Islam proclaimed:

"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female."
[Al-Qur'an 49:13]

"O Mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you from a single person, created of like nature his mate, from them scattered countless men and women. Fear Allah, through whom you demand your mutual rights and reverence the wombs (that bore you), for Allah ever watches over you."
[Al-Qur'an 4:1]

Men and women are of the same family, and as such have similar rights and duties, and their Lord promises them in the Glorious Qur'an:

"Never will I waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other."
[Al-Qur'an 3:195]

Thus, in the Islamic tradition, a woman has an independent identity. She is a responsible being in her own right and carries the burden of her moral and spiritual obligations.

THE SOCIAL ASPECT

Women have as much right to education as men do. Almost fourteen centuries ago, Prophet Muhammad (p)1 declared that the pursuit of knowledge is incumbent on every Muslim, male and female. This declaration was very clear and was largely implemented by Muslims throughout history.

Islam elevated the position of women in society and treated them on an equal footing with men, and in some cases, as a mother for instance, clearly gave them precedence over men. Thus when a man asked Prophet Muhammad (p): "Who is most entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" the Prophet (p) replied, "Your mother." The man asked, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) said, "Your mother." Again the man asked, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) repeated, "Your mother." The man asked for a fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) then replied, "Your father."2

On another occasion, when a man came to the Prophet (p), and expressed the desire to join a military expedition, the Prophet (p) asked him if he had a mother. When he replied that he had, the Prophet (p) advised him, "Stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet."3

As daughters, women have a right to just and equitable treatment from their parents. The Prophet(p) gave glad tidings to those who did not insult their daughters or favored sons over daughters.4

A woman has the right to accept or reject marriage proposals, and her consent is a prerequisite to the validity of the marriage contract. A marriage is based on mutual peace, love and compassion. Dr. Jamal Badawi, a Canadian Islamic scholar, states in his book Gender Equity in Islam:

"The husband is responsible for the maintenance, protection and overall leadership of the family within the framework of consultation and kindness. The mutuality and complementarity of husband and wife does not mean 'subservience' by either party to the other. Prophet Muhammad (p) helped with household chores, although the responsibilities he bore and the issues he faced in the community were immense."

The responsibility of maintaining social and moral values lies on both men and women. Both must refrain from all deeds and gestures that might stir the passions of people other than their legitimate spouses or cause evil suspicion of their morality.

Women are entitled to freedom of expression just as men are. Among the early Muslims, women participated in public life, especially in times of emergencies. It is reported in the Qur'an and in history that women not only expressed their opinion freely but also argued and participated in serious discussions with the Prophet (p) himself as well as with other Muslim leaders. They were not shut behind iron bars or considered worthless.

status of women in islam, PART 1

Status Of Women In Islam

"The status of women in Islam, is an issue that is pertinent in present times; both due to the divergence of cultural practices in the Muslim world from the Islamic perspective and the erroneous perception in the West, that Islam subjugates womenfolk.

A dispassionate study of the primary sources of Islam, along with an analysis of the position of women in societies where

Islam was implemented, actually proves that for women Islam is a special blessing.

“Prior to Islam," write the authors of The Cultural Atlas of Islam, "a woman was regarded by her parents as a threat to family honor and hence worthy of burial alive at infancy. As an adult, she was a sex object that could be bought, sold and inherited. From this position of inferiority and legal incapacity, Islam raised women to a position of influence and prestige in family and society."

The rights and responsibilities of women are equal to those of men but they are not necessarily identical. This difference is understandable because men and women are different, in their physiological and psychological make-up. With this distinction in mind, there is no room for a Muslim to imagine that women are inferior to men. Thus it is perhaps more apt to refer to the Islamic approach on gender relations, as one of "equity" rather than the commonly used word "equality", which could be misunderstood to mean equality in every minute aspect of life, rather than overall equality. "

let's talk about hijab....

Due to some comments from a sister about what hijab is and why we cant just wear it half way on, i will now post a fatwa about hijab. I am posting this because when you decide to wear a hijab half way on, or pair it with short pants and short shirts, or really tight clothes, you are infact creating corruption in the society because you are attracting the attention of men, and encouraging men to lust after you, which is more sins for you. Enjoy, it's from islamqa.com

"First of all it is essential to know that Muslim men and Muslim women are obliged to follow the commands of Allaah and His Messenger, no matter how difficult that may be for people and without feeling shy of other people. The believer who is sincere in his faith is the one who is sincere in carrying out his duty towards his Lord and obeying His commands and avoiding that which He has forbidden. No believer, man or woman, has the right to hesitate or delay with regard to commands; rather he or she should hear and obey immediately, in accordance with words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision” [al-Ahzaab 33:36]

This is the case with the believers who are praised by their Lord in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allaah (His Words, the Qur’aan) and His Messenger, to judge between them, is that they say: “We hear and we obey.” And such are the successful (who will live forever in Paradise).

And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger , fears Allaah, and keeps his duty (to Him), such are the successful” [al-Noor 24:51-52]

Moreover, the Muslim should not look at how small or great the sin is, rather he should look at the greatness and might of the One Whom he is disobeying, for He is the Most Great, the Most High; He is Mighty in strength and Severe in punishment, and His punishment is severe and painful and humiliating. If He exacts vengeance on those who disobey Him, then utter destruction will be their fate. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful (and) severe.

Indeed in that (there) is a sure lesson for those who fear the torment of the Hereafter. That is a Day whereon mankind will be gathered together, and that is a Day when all (the dwellers of the heavens and the earth) will be present” [Hood 11:102-103]

A sin may appear insignificant in the eyes of a person when before Allaah it is serious, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“you counted it a little thing, while with Allaah it was very great”

[al-Noor 24:15]

This matter is as some of the scholars said: “Do not look at the smallness of the sin, rather look at the One Whom you are disobeying.” We have to obey Allaah and do as He commands. We must remember that He is watching in secret and in public, and avoid that which He has forbidden.

With regard to belief, if a Muslim who prays commits some sins or bad deeds, he is still a Muslim so long as he does not commit any action which would put him beyond the pale of Islam or do any of the things which nullify Islam. This sinful Muslim will be subject to the will of Allaah in the Hereafter; if He wills He will punish him, and if He wills He will forgive him. If he enters Hell in the hereafter, he will not abide there forever. But no person can be certain as to his fate, as to whether the punishment will befall him or not, because this matter is known only to Allaah.

Sins are divided into two categories, minor and major. Minor sins may be expiated for by prayer, fasting and righteous deeds. Major sins (which are those concerning which a specific warning has been narrated, or for which there is a specific hadd punishment in this world or torment in the Hereafter) cannot be expiated for by righteous deeds. Rather the one who commits such sins has to repent sincerely from them. Whoever repents, Allaah will accept his repentance. There are many kinds of major sins such as lying, zinaa, riba (usury/interest), stealing, not wearing hijaab at all, and so on.

Based on the above, we cannot say for certain whether a woman who does not wear hijaab will enter Hell, but she deserves the punishment of Allaah because she has disobeyed His command to her. With regard to her specific fate, Allaah knows best what it will be. We cannot speak about things of which we have no knowledge, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not, or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned (by Allaah)” [al-Israa’ 17:36]

It is sufficient deterrent for the Muslim whose heart is aware to know that if he does a certain action he will be exposed to the punishment of his Lord, because His punishment is severe and painful, and His Fire is hot indeed.

“The Fire of Allaah, kindled,

Which leaps up over the hearts” [al-Humazah 104:6-7]

On the other hand, for the woman who obeys her Lord’s commands – including observing complete hijaab – we hope that she will enter Paradise and attain the victory of salvation from the Fire and its torments.

It is strange indeed that a woman whose character is good, and who prays and fasts and does not look at boys, and avoids gossip and backbiting, does not wear hijaab. If a person really achieves these righteous deeds, this is a strong indication that she loves goodness and hates evil. Let us not forget that prayer prevents immorality and evil, and that good deeds bring more of the same. Whoever fears Allaah concerning his nafs, Allaah will support him and help him against his nafs. It seems that there is much goodness in this Muslim woman, and she is close to the path of righteousness. So she should strive to wear hijaab as her Lord has commanded her. She should ignore the specious arguments and resist the pressures of her family. She should not listen to the words of those who criticize her, and she should ignore the specious arguments of those sinful women who want to make a display of themselves according to fashion, and she should resist the desires of her own self which may tempt her to show off her beauty and feel proud of it. She should adhere to that which will afford her protection and modesty, and rise above being a mere commodity to be enjoyed by every evil person who comes and goes. She should refuse to be a source of temptation to the slaves of Allaah. We appeal to her faith and her love for Allaah and His Messenger, and we urge her to observe the hijaab enjoined by Allaah and to obey the commands of Allaah (interpretation if the meanings):

“and not to show off their adornment” [al-Noor 24:31]

“and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform As Salaah (Iqamat as Salaah), and give Zakaah and obey Allaah and His Messenger”[al-Ahzaab 33:33]

And Allaah is the Source of strength and the Guide to the Straight Path.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid