How to manage stress???

    

Stress is inevitable. It walks in and out of our lives on a regular basis. And it can easily walk all over us unless we take action. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to minimize and cope with stress. Here are 10 ideas for handling stress without causing more strain and hassle.

                               

1. Figure out where the stress is coming from. 

Oftentimes, when we’re stressed, it seems like a big mess with stressors appearing from every angle. We start to feel like we’re playing a game of dodge ball, ducking and darting so we don’t get smacked by a barrage of balls. We take a defensive position, and not a good one at that.

Instead of feeling like you’re flailing day to day, identify what you’re actually stressed about. Is it a specific project at work, an upcoming exam, a dispute with your boss, a heap of laundry, a fight with your family?

By getting specific and pinpointing the stressors in your life, you’re one step closer to getting organized and taking action.

2. Consider what you can control—and work on that.

While you can’t control what your boss does, what your in-laws say or the sour state of the economy, you can control how you react, how you accomplish work, how you spend your time and what you spend your money on.

The worst thing for stress is trying to take control over uncontrollable things. Because when you inevitably fail — since it’s beyond your control — you only get more stressed out and feel helpless. So after you’ve thought through what’s stressing you out, identify the stressors that you can control, and determine the best ways to take action.

Take the example of a work project. If the scope is stressing you out, talk it over with your supervisor or break the project down into step-wise tasks and deadlines.

Stress can be paralyzing. Doing what’s within your power moves you forward and is empowering and invigorating.

3. Do what you love. 

It’s so much easier to manage pockets of stress when the rest of your life is filled with activities you love. Even if your job is stress central, you can find one hobby or two that enrich your world. What are you passionate about? If you’re not sure, experiment with a variety of activities to find something that’s especially meaningful and fulfilling.

4. Manage your time well.

One of the biggest stressors for many people is lack of time. Their to-do list expands, while time flies. How often have you wished for more hours in the day or heard others lament their lack of time? But you’ve got more time than you think, as Laura Vanderkam writes in her aptly titled book, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.

We all have the same 168 hours, and yet there are plenty of people who are dedicated parents and full-time employees and who get at least seven hours of sleep a night and lead fulfilling lives.

Here are Vanderkam’s seven steps to help you check off your to-do list and find time for the things you truly enjoy.

Malay Wedding Menu & Recipes - Pulut Hitam

Pulut Hitam - Black Glutinous Rice with Coconut Cream. Pulut Hitam is made from black glutinous rice sweetened with brown palm sugar. A surrey of creamy coconut milk is swirled over the Pulut Hitam before it is served.

Pulut Hitam Ingredients (serves 10)

• 250 g black glutinous rice - washed
• 50 g glutinous rice - washed
• 3 pandan leaves
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 - 7 cups of water for boiling glutinous rice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 1/2 cup low fat milk
• 1/4 tsp salt Mix
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tbsp water Mix

Method

• Boil both types of glutinous rice in water with pandan leaves till cooked. Add more water if necessary.
• When rice is cooked, add sugar and cook under low heat till sugar dissolves.
• Remove pandan leaves. Add salt and corn flour mixture mixing well.
• Cook coconut cream and low fat milk with a little salt and serve separately with the bubur pulut hitam.

Penang Asam Laksa Recipe

As Penang asam laksa (spicy noodle soup from Peranakan culture, usually served with thick rice noodles) top my food craving list, I always scout for this recipe online and today I am ecstatic to find this Penang asam laksa video from YouTube which traces its origin back to trymasak.my. Since the recipe was written in Malay, I translated it into English for a wider reach.

There're two variants of laksa, namely curry laksa and asam laksa. Curry laksa (coconut-based curry soup with noodles) is more commonly known in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore whilst asam laksa (sour fish-based soup with noodles) is more popular in Penang. Between the two, I'd veer on the latter version which acquires the sour taste from tamarind (or asam in Malay) which right away aroused my taste buds bringing forth a subtle drool. Having said so, I'm going to feature this Penang asam laksa recipe from TryMasak here in no time.

                

Ingredients :

1 packet of dried laksa
500g mackerel (ikan kembung in Malay), poached and then flaked.
4 sprigs of polygonum leaves (a.k.a Vietnamese coriander, laksa leaf or daun kesum in Malay)
4 shallots, skin peeled off
1 ginger flower (bunga kantan in Malay), quartered (lengthwise)
4 slices of dried tamarind (asam jawa in Malay)
6 bird's eye chillies (cili padi in Malay)
1/2 palm sugar slice (to taste) (gula melaka in Malay)
1 tsp of fried shrimp paste (belachan goreng in Malay)
A pinch of salt (to taste)

Method :

1. Half-filled a stockpot with water. When it reaches rolling boil, pour in the dried laksa noodles (thick rice noodles) and boil until the laksa noodles soften. At this point, remove the laksa noodles and drain the dripping water on a metal sieve. Set aside. Alternatively, commercially available wet laksa can also be used, if you opt for this, then cut down your boiling time.

2. In a blender or food processor, blend shallots, bird's eye chillies, fried shrimp paste (belachan goreng) with some water added in until it reaches a homogenous paste. Then pour this mixture into a stockpot and top it up with water until the pot is half-filled. Heat up the pot and stir the soup well. Then add in polygonum leaves (a.k.a. laksa leaf), ginger flowers (which is cut into 4, lengthwise) and dried tamarind slices.

3. Now back to the blender or food processor. Add in the poached and flaked mackerel (with fishbone discarded), blend until fine. Then add this blended fish paste into the stockpot followed by palm sugar. Stir constantly until the mixture is homogenous and boil. Reduced the flames and let it boils for another 15 minutes. Add some salt to taste.

4. The laksa is now ready to serve. Place the laksa noodles in a bowl, topped with cucumber strips, some fresh greens, polygonum and some chopped bird's eye chillies. You can also add half of the hard-boiled egg for a more substantial noodle soup if you fancy. Then topped with thick sweet shrimp paste (also known as petis udang in Malay or ?? in Chinese), mint, pineapple slices and thinly sliced onion. Well, it really goes with the rhythm of your desire.
 

Quran, Islam & human

What is Quran?

The Final Revealed Scripture:

Qur’an is the word of God, directly revealed to the last Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) during 23 years of his Apostolic mission [610-632 C.E]. It was instantly preserved by putting in to writing and memorization by his companions. God says:

“Surely this is a Glorious Qur’an, inscribed on an Imperishable Tablet.”(Qur’an;85:21-22). 

God has taken responsibility to guard it against corruption:

“Surely We have revealed the reminder (Qur’an) and We will most certainly guard it (from corruption).”(Qur’an;15:9).

Preservation:

During all ages, millions of Muslim of all age groups memorize Qur’an comprising over 6000 verses; a unique distinction which makes Qur’an, the only book in human history to have been continuously preserved through this method along with the written form. No other scripture or book can rival this claim. Hence, since its revelation the Qur’an is being transferred in its original revealed form, continuously (twatar) from generation to generation.

Revealed in Arabic Language and Translations:

The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, the language of Prophet, peace be upon him (and his clan Quraish of Makka). The translation (Tarjama) of the Qur’an means the expression of the meaning of its text in a language different from the language of the Qur’an, for understanding by those not familiar with Qur’anic Arabic. It is customary to quote the original Arabic Qur’anic text (ayah, verses) along with the translation, however this require special handling due to reverence of the sacred text, hence in this book for the convenience of handling by all categories of the readers, only the translation is given, which should also be handled with due respect. It is more appropriate for the reader to also consult the original Arabic Qur’an. The English translations by Abdullah Yousaf Ali, M.Pickthall, Muhammad Asad and F.Malik are popular. There is agreement among Muslim scholars that it is humanly impossible to transfer the meanings of original Qur’an word by word in an identical mode into another language. This is due to several reasons: firstly the Qur’an itself is a miracle and cannot be imitated by man. As a consequence of this, the translation of Qur’an is not considered as Qur’an.

 The translations of the Qur’an; e.g. into English, French, German and Urdu, etc, in principle are regarded as paraphrases. These translations can not be used in place of original Arabic Qur’an for ritual purposes. Secondly the words of different languages do not express all the shades of meanings of their original Arabic word, though they may express specific concepts. Hence narrowing down the meaning of the Qur’an to specific concepts in a foreign language would mean missing out other important dimensions. While reading the translations of Qur’an these aspects must always be kept in view.

The example of verse: “wa- huwa ‘alladhe khalaqa as- samaawaat wa- al- ‘ard. fe sittah ayyaam..” (Qur’an;11:7) is considered here.

The word ayyaam in Arabic means; days or ‘long periods’ or ‘eons’ or ‘epoch’. The four translations being given here differ in their understanding:

“And it is He who has created the heavens and the earth in six eons” (M.Asad); “He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods” (F.Malik)

“And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days” (Pickthall); “He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days” (Yousaf Ali).

The translation of ayyaam as ‘eons’ appears more scientific and accurate. Hence if some contradictions appear, it is due to the limitations of translation, not of Qur’an.

Reference Method:

The Qur’an comprises 114 chapters, called Surahs, of very unequal length and each Surah comprises number of verses. The translation of references from Qur’an are mostly given within brackets   “xyz” followed by reference of Surah and Ayah in bracket i.e: “Praise be to Allah the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.”(Qura’n;1:2). It implies that the translation is from Surah (chapter) Number 1 and verse number 2 of the same Surah.

Names of Chapters:

The names of Chapters (Surahs) can be found from the index. In this case the name of Surah Number 1 as given in Surah Index is Al-Fatiha meaning ‘The Opening’. The names of Chapters (Surahs) in Qur’an, in most of the cases have no special relation to the subject of the Surah but has been used merely as a symbol to distinguish it from other Surahs. The  name comprise of a word used some where in the Surah. Taking example of 2nd Surah AL-BAQARAH (the Cow), which has been so named from the story of the Cow occurring in this Surah (verse number 67-73). Although this Surah is an invitation to the Divine Guidance and all the stories, incidents etc. revolve round this central theme. As this Surah has particularly been addressed to the Jews, many historical events have been cited from their own traditions to admonish and advise them that their own good lies in accepting the Guidance revealed to the Holy Prophet. It has not, however, been used as a title to indicate the subject of the Surah. 

 It will, therefore, be as wrong to translate the name Al-Baqarah into “The Cow” or “The Heifer” as to translate any English name, say Baker, Rice, Wolf etc., into their equivalents in other languages or vice versa, because this would imply that the Surah dealt with the subject of “The Cow”. Many more chapters (Surahs) of the Qur’an have been named in the same way because no comprehensive words exist in Arabic (in spite of its richness) to denote the wide scope of the subject discussed in them. As a matter of fact all human languages suffer from the same limitation. However in some cases the name of Chapters (Surahs) indicate the subject matter i.e. the first Surah Al-Fatihah, which means ‘that which opens a subject or a book or any other thing’ or in other words, Al-Fatihah is a sort of ‘Preface’. Similarly Surah ‘Al Yousaf’ (Joseph) Surah number 12, is related with the story of Prophet Joseph (PBHH).

'Quran Pedia' aims to assist the reader in learning and understanding of the message of Quran.

" SHARIAH "

1. MEANING OF SHARIAH

The word “Shariah” literally means a waterway that leads to a main stream, a drinking place, and a road or the right path. From this meaning, the word Shariah was used to refer to a path or a passage that leads to an intended place, or to a certain goal.

Karim (2005), elaborate further on Sharia whereby Sharia is an Arabic word that literally means “the road to take or the line to follow.” Sheikh Syalthut (1959) p.68, defines the terminology of Sharia as a set of divinely pre-sanctioned lost and rulings, or prescribed principles which Muslim should abide themselves so they can relate to Allah as well as other human beings

Although the word Shariah and its different derivative forms are mentioned in five places in the Qur’an, its extensive use only came into vogue much later, for the words Islam and deen (religion) were more commonly used to express the same meaning in the early days of Islam.

2. SOURCES OF SHARIAH

           

It is important to note that al-Shariah or The Commandments of Allah are from Holy Quran and Sunnah which are considered to be the most important Primary Sources. Sunnah which is also commonly referred to hadith is consisting of all sayings, deeds, and approvals of Prophet Muhamaad (peace be upon him).

The Holy Quran which is the Last Testament from Allah consisting of 6235 verses which are divided into 114 Chapter or Suras. Out of 6235 verses 350 verses are relating to rules or laws and further being divided into the following:

              1. Verses Relating to Ibadat                  = 140

              2. Verses Relating to Munakahat        = 70

              3. Verses Relating to Mu’amalat         = 70

              4. Verses Relating to Other Matters   =70

The Second Secondary Sources of Shariah consisting of (1) Ijitma (unanimous agreement among Islamic Jurist), (2) Qiyas (analogical deduction), (3) Istihsan (equity of Islamic Law), (4) Maslahah (consideration of public interest), (5) ‘Urf (customs) and lastly (6), Itisahab. (presumption of continuity).

3. CLASSIFICATION OF SHARIAH

ome scholars divided Shariah into two namely (1) Shariah Kubra and (2) Shariah Sugra. They refer Shariah Sugra to Faqh only or Islamic Laws, and Shariah Kubra refers to Allah Commandments in all aspect of life which include fiqh as well.[1]

Since Faqh is already included in Shariah Kubra, all my discussion in this book, the term Shariah is used as Shariah Kubra. This is to avoid confusion and maintaining consistency in understanding and discussion.

Shariah, conceptually, refers to a set of rules, regulations, teachings, and values governing the lives of Muslims. However, these rules and regulations, contrary to how they are often described by many non-Muslims, cover every aspect of life. Shariah embraces worship, morals, individual attitude and conduct, as well as the political, social, economic, criminal, and civil spheres.   The Shariah, therefore, is a path – set by Allah for those who accept Him – to follow, in order to attain success both in the worldly life and in the hereafter. In short Shariah is a commandment of Allah.

Many commonly understand “Shariah” in a very narrow scope which is confined to Islamic Law relating to “Munakahat” and “hudud”.  They are happy if “Munakahat” or Islamic Family Laws are being implemented. On the other hand being ignorant some quarters of Muslim are pushing only “hudud” which is only a subset of Criminal Laws to be implemented. Other aspect of Shariah which include Aqaidah, Akhlak  Faqh Ibadat, Faqh Mu’amalat and Faqh Jinayat are being side line or not giving emphasis.

As further illustrated in Mappicx Chart 2, we can see that “Munakahat” or Islamic Family Laws is one of “Faqh” and “Faqh” is one of three Classifications of “Shariah”.

“Hudud” is the penal laws of Islam. This word is the plural of “hadd”, which means prevention, hindrance, restraint, prohibition, and hence a restrictive ordinance or statute of God, respecting things lawful and unlawful. Thus hudud is part of “Jinayaat” or Islamic Criminal laws which is one of the three Classifications of “Shariah”[2].

In legal terms Shariah takes on the meaning of laws or commandments relating to all aspects of human life established by God [Allah] for mankind.

At this initial of understanding I would like to define Shariah as:

Shariah as “The Commandments of God [Allah] derived from the primary sources of Holy Quran and Sunnah, for all human activities which include Aqidah (Belief), Akhlak (Human Behaviours, Attitudes and Ethics), and Fiqh (Ibadat – Rules of Worshipping; Munakahat -Family Laws; Mu’amalat- Trade and Commercial laws; and Jinayat – Criminal Laws)”

 4. MAQASID AL SHARIAH

Maqasid is an Arabic word [singular maqsid] which carries the meaning of goals or purposes and when it refers to Shariah [Maqasid Al Sharia] it specifically means the goals and purposes of Shariah. There are three other Arabic words that are found in the relevant literatures of usul al-fiqh that convey similar meaning as maqasid. These words are hikmah [wisdom], ‘illah [effective cause] and maslahah [interest or benefits].

The approach to Maqasid was not given special attention even many of the reputable text of usul al-fiqh do not even have a section or chapter to the study of maqasid, until al-Shatibi [1388] gave Maqasid al-Shariah a special emphasis.

Most Muslim scholars are of the opinion that the ultimate objectives [maqasid al-Sariah] which are a necessity [al-daruriyyah] for mankind to be able to live peacefully in this world, according to al-Quran and al-Sunnah, include five main areas – [1] Protection of life, [2] Protection of al-Din [Islam], [3] Protection of Progeny or Offspring, [4] Protection of Intellect or Faculty of Reason, and, lastly, [5] Protection of Material Wealth or Resources. From a review of the related literature, little is mentioned or discussed about how Maqasid al-Shariah may be applied in today management towards achieving these ultimate objectives or maqasid al-Shariah.

Here in this paper we are not going to discuss the order of importance or priority to these five objectives of Shariah, or Maqasid al-shariah. But I share the view of Gamal Eldin Attia (2010) that we have to acknowledge the arrangement posed by al-Ghazali *(505 HA/1111 AC), which became most widely acceptable thereafter, notably in the following order of priority:

1.      Protection of al-Din (Islam)

2.      Protection of Life

3.      Protection of Intellect or Faculty of Reason

4.      Protection of Progeny or Offspring

5.      Protection of Material Wealth

I like Cupcake

These cupcakes make an impressive presentation. For sure. But they are also somewhat impractical.
I was helping a friend who was baking for a competition and I really, really wanted her to win. So we made 12 of these gorgeous lemons and a bunch of regular cupcakes for pure eating. I wasn’t sure how they would turn out, so the regular cupcakes were also back up. Thankfully the lemons worked out and looked and tasted great, but strangely she only came in second place! Beat out by homemade ice cream sandwiches. I guess we should have considered that the judges were 9.
The cake was very moist, the custard brought a super-lemony coolness, and the meringue balanced it all out. Tasty cupcakes all the way around. Good luck if you try these out.
Oh, obviously one would need to eat the lemons with a spoon.


Prepare Lemons

12 Meyer Lemons
Melon Baller

1. Wash and dry each lemon.
2. Take a small slice off of one end of each lemon. Just enough for it to stand up on its own, but not so much that you make a whole in the bottom.
3. Slice of the top of each lemon such that you can get in to the pulp with your melon baller.
4. Remove the inside from the lemon with the melon baller. Try to get the inside as clean as you can without making any wholes in the cup. Make sure the insides end up in a clean bowl – you will need them for the next step.
5. Strain the lemon juice from the insides for the remaining recipes.
6. Wrap each lemon in foil to protect it while baking.

Lemon Vanilla Custard

1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch salt
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons meyer lemon juice
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Stir in water until blended. Add lemon juice and stir until blended.
3. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly but slowly with a wooden spoon. Boil for 2 minutes.
4. Whisk up egg yolks in a small bowl. Add two tablespoons of the hot lemon mixture to the eggs slowly and whisking constantly. Whisk the egg yolks back into the hot lemon mixture slowly and whisking constantly.
5. Bring back to a boil over medium heat and cook until thickened.
6. Transfer into a glass bowl, add zest, and butter and stir until combined.
7. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.



baked cupcake with a hole poked in it   Lemon Cupcakes

12 lemons plus ~14 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup meyer lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
5. Add about a third of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
6. Add milk and beat until combined.
7. Add about a third of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
8. Add lemon juice and zest and beat until combined.
9. Fill cored lemons and cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full.
10. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.


pouring in the custard Meringue Frosting

5 egg whites
1-1/4 cup sugar

1. Combine egg whites and sugar into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer and set over a bain marie (water bath).
2. Whisk by hand for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved or preferably until the mixture reaches 110 degrees Fahrenheit. (Apparently 160 is safest. I have never tried that so can’t tell you if it will still be ok for the frosting. So if you are concerned use pasteurized eggs.)
3. Transfer bowl to electric mixer, beat on medium speed for 10 minutes.
4. Beat on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 5 to 10 minutes more.
Assemble
1. Allow each lemon cupcake to cool.
2. Poke each with your finger to make a well for the custard.
3. Fill with custurd.
4. Using a small ice cream scoop, top each filled lemon with meringue.
5. Toast frosting with a blow torch.
6. [Optional] Dust with lemon zest.

                                

Rasulullah s.a.w my idol

Our Idol, Our Role Model…
 

Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.

Rasulullah or Prophet Muhammad s.a.w is the most influential person in ISLAM, even ranked the most influential people in history.

It is no doubt that as a muslim, Rasululllah is our true role model, for him being the highest ranked person by Allah. It is important that we have the feeling of love towards the Prophet, and to love him, one needs to know him first  

It is the time of the year again, the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. History has told us that Rasulullah s.a.w was born an orphan in Makkah and subsequently raised by his extended family. He worked as a shepherd and a merchant, was never been formally educated and known to have been ummi, or unlettered man. He was well known to his fellow countrymen for his absolute honesty, impeccable character and strong sense of justice and fairplay – so much so that they fondly called him Al-amin, meaning the trustworthy.

At the age of forty, on one night in the month of Ramadhan,he was visited by Jibrail who conveyed to him the first of a series of wahy (Divine revelations), which he continued to receive until his death in 632. It was confirmed that the he, Muhammad was the Allah’s last and final prophet to humanity and the Qur’an, consisting of one hundred and fourteen surah of variable lengths, was Allah’s last and final revelation to mankind.

The Prophetic mission of Rasulullah s.a.w began in Makkah with hardships and hostile responses from the ruling Makkan elites. Undaunted by all the trials, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w continued to proclaim the message of Islam in and around Makkah for more than a decade. In 622, the Prophet’s migration to Yathrib (later known as Madinah) became a momentous event of in Islamic history for it was the start of the Hijri calendar. From that day on, Madinah became a very special place for all Muslims; and it also became the hub for Islamic learning, civilisation, and culture for all times to come.

The sequence of the Prophet Muhammad’s journey, hardships, and accomplishments is always available for us to read, due to the holy reservation of the Quran and the hadiths which have recorded the history very accurately. Numerous virtues, guidance and guidelines for Muslims are well laid down by the history of the Prophet, with him PBUH having the best akhlaq as reported in one hadith Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said: “I have been sent to complete the nobility of character.”

With the time gap between us now and the Prophet MUhammad, the best we can do as his ummah is to read the sirah, learn from it and take actions based on what the Prophet has done. One of many of the important words of him is the last sermon delivered during the farewell pilgrimage on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah (12th and last month of the Islamic year), 10 years after Hijrah (migration from Makkah to Madinah) in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat. After praising, and thanking Allah he said:

“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn ‘Abd’al Muttalib (Prophet’s uncle) shall henceforth be waived…

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O ALLAH, that I have conveyed your message to your people”.

(Reference: See Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1623, 1626, 6361) Sahih of Imam Muslim also refers to this sermon in Hadith number 98. Imam al-Tirmidhi has mentioned this sermon in Hadith nos. 1628, 2046, 2085. Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal has given us the longest and perhaps the most complete version of this sermon in his Masnud, Hadith no. 19774.)

May we become the ones of the Prophet’s ummah who spread Allah’s and his word to the humankind.

May Allah help us to be stong to always acting by the Prophet’s akhlaq.

May we always be the ones who say salam and salawat upon the Prophet.

“Undoubtedly Allah and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet. O’ you who believe! Send upon Him Blessings and salute Him with all respect.” (Al-Qur’an- 33:56)

Richard Marx

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Good morning everyone. have a nice days