Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan turns to Islam

Brooklyn, New York : Famous American actress Lindsay Lohan has reportedly turned to Islam after she was photographed carrying a copy of the Qur'an on her first day of community service in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday, according to media reports.

The Hollywood actress was completing the first day of her court-ordered community service at a Brooklyn children’s centre, when she was pictured carrying a hard copy of the Muslim holy book.

Women Can Work Out Too!

The first image that comes to mind when questioned about women weight lifting is a big, hulky, muscular, frown-faced, intimidating person, according to some female students at EdCC.

Almost all of the students interviewed believe that women should not weight lift, in order to retain their feminine figure, and that those who do will end up extremely buff. Most women's fears, according to Janet Guenther, P.E. teacher at EdCC and ex-bodybuilder, are that they will lose their femininity with increased muscle mass.

However the image of a woman if she works out is misconstrued. Guenther has said that there's a certain limit for women to increase their muscle mass compared to a guy.

A woman's body won't be able to increase muscle mass to the point of becoming a big and hulky person that most people imagine when it comes to a female weight lifting.

" It takes a lot more courage and a lot more strength to stay a Muslim than to become a Muslim."

                   Lady GaGa Fan - My Convert Story Islam

Women in Islam

At a time when the rest of the world, from Greece and Rome to India and China, considered women as no better than children or even slaves, with no rights whatsoever, Islam acknowledged women's equality with men in a great many respects. The Quran states:

"And among His signs is this: that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest and peace of mind in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. Certainly, herein indeed are signs for people who reflect." [Noble Quran 30:21]

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in manners and kindest to his wife." [Abu Dawud]

Muslims believe that Adam and Eve were created from the same soul. Both were equally guilty of their sin and fall from grace, and Allah forgave both. Many women in Islam have had high status; consider the fact that the first person to convert to Islam was Khadijah, the wife of Muhammad, whom he both loved and respected. His favorite wife after Khadijah's death, Ayshah, became renowned as a scholar and one of the greatest sources of Hadith literature. Many of the female Companions accomplished great deeds and achieved fame, and throughout Islamic history there have been famous and influential scholars and jurists.

We might also mention that while many in the West criticize Islam with regard to the treatment of women, in fact a number of Muslim countries have had women rulers and presidents. To name a few: Turkey; Bangladesh and Pakistan.

With regard to education, both women and men have the same rights and obligations. This is clear in Prophet Muhammad's saying:

"Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every believer." [Ibn Majah]

This implies men and women.

A woman is to be treated as God has endowed her, with rights, such as to be treated as an individual, with the right to own and dispose of her own property and earnings, enter into contracts, even after marriage. She has the right to be educated and to work outside the home if she so chooses. She has the right to inherit from her father, mother, and husband. A very interesting point to note is that in Islam, unlike any other religion, a woman can be an imam, a leader of communal prayer, for a group of women.

A Muslim woman also has obligations. All the laws and regulations pertaining to prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, doing good deeds, etc., apply to women, albeit with minor differences having mainly to do with female physiology.

Before marriage, a woman has the right to choose her husband. Islamic law is very strict regarding the necessity of having the woman's consent for marriage. The groom gives a marriage dowry to the bride for her own personal use. She keeps her own family name, rather than taking her husband's. As a wife, a woman has the right to be supported by her husband even if she is already rich. She also has the right to seek divorce and custody of young children. She does not return the dowry, except in a few unusual situations.

Despite the fact that in many places and times Muslim communities have not always adhered to all or even many of the foregoing in practice, the ideal has been there for 1,400 years, while virtually all other major civilizations did not begin to address these issues or change their negative attitudes until the 19th and 20th centuries, and there are still many contemporary civilizations which have yet to do so.

Do you know " Women Who Refuse to Die" ?!

Women Who Refuse to Die

We follow four survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre as they look to the future despite the pain of their past.



Filmmaker: Mohamed Kenawi "When they took away my children in 1995, they also killed me - in the most brutal manner. This is not life .... I had my family and in just one day I'm left without them, without knowing why. And every morning I ask myself why, but there is no answer. My children were only guilty of having the names they had and their names were different from their killers. It was not only my children killed on July 11, 1995; thousands of other innocent children were murdered in the bloody genocide in Srebrenica .... I no longer have anything to lose; the criminals killed all I had, except for my pride." Hatidza Mehmedovic In July 1995, an estimated 8,000 Muslim men and boys - sons, husbands and brothers - were dragged away never to be seen again. The Srebrenica massacre marks a particularly inhumane and brutal act within the tragedy and bloodshed of the 1992 to 1995 Bosnian War. This film follows four survivors of the massacre as they look to the future despite the pain of their loss and the angst of trying to make sense of the past.

Source : http://tabibqulob.blogspot.

Who is to hold authority at home?

written by Amr Khaled

Love, clashes, rights, and duties; all are nouns to describe the first year of marriage. What is the role of the husband? What is the role of the wife? What are the rulings of marriage in the Islamic Law?

Those rulings that proved to fit all places, ages, and all the social systems. This is the core of the interview that Essam Ghazi made with Mr. Amr Khaled for Kol el-nas, Wednesday 24/9/2003 issue.

Here you are the details of the interview:

In the first year of marriage, clashes arise between couples due to the differences in cultures and environments. Clashes, normally, revolve around holding authority at home, while each of them is trying to gain more independence. Mr. Amr Khaled highlights the justice of Islam in dividing the rights between the husband and the wife. Only if each one knew his rights as well as the rights of his mate, clashes would come to an end and the first year of marriage would turn to an everlasting honeymoon. If you want to know what Mr. Amr Khaled said about this issue, continue reading.

Woman's Inner Beauty

Woman's Inner Beauty

“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” Sophia Loren  (Italian film Actress)

Men and women are equal but not identical. Each of them complements the other in the different roles and functions that they are responsible to. In Islam the individuals should not be judged according to gender, beauty, wealth or privilege. The only thing that makes one person better than another is his or her character. Therefore woman is judged by her character and actions rather than by her looks or physical features.

Islam ordered the same high standards of moral conduct for men as it is for women. Modesty is essential in a human's life, as well, whether it is in action, morals or speech. A woman who adheres to the tenets of Islam is required to follow the dress code called Hijab (Veil). Islam also commands proper behavior and dress of men, in that they are not allowed to make a show of their bodies to attract attention onto themselves, and they too must dress modestly. They have a special commandment to lower their eyes, and not to brazenly stare at women.

Ways of winning your husband’s love

This list, mostly contributed by Muslim women at the MuslimMatters.org blog, is all about winning your husband’s love.

1. Behave like a female, i.e. with all the tenderness of a female.

2. Dress pleasantly and attractively. If you are a home-maker, don’t stay in your sleeping suit all day.

3. Smell good
attar.

4. Don’t lay out all your problems on your husband as soon as he walks in. Give him a little mental break.

5. Don’t keep asking him ‘what are you thinking?’ because unlike women, men’s thoughts are as random as the results of a google search. Women on the other hand have thoughts as organized as a labeled file-cabinet!

6. Stop nagging non-stop before Allah gives you something really to complain about.

7. Absolutely no talking about your spousal problems to anyone you meet under the pretense of seeking help, even if you are the victim. If you think you want to solve legitimate marital issues then go seek counseling with the right person.

8. Be kind to your mother-in-law the same way you would like your husband to be kind to your own mother.

9. Learn all the rights and obligations of each other in Islam.

10. Race to the door when he comes home, as if y ou were waiting for him. Smile and hug.

That's all Women want....

           What women want is really simple...... 

                 ..Plain looking handsome husband

                                     ...normal simple ring

                                        ...small wedding party

                                        ...honeymoon at any place
                   

Top 10 Ways to Get Her Hooked

Since times immemorial, men have had to go out and find their lovers — actually, way back before we became evolved men, we just went out, bopped them on the head and took them home. If you’re thinking of taking her out on a date someday, maybe you need to reconsider because she doesn’t even notice you dude! For her you are just another guy in the crowd of losers she sees – until now.

10. Become a Better Man, the Best you can be

If you want to succeed with women, you need to master the art of self-improvement.  Most men want to have more — or better — women in their lives. However, they don’t know how to make it happen.  I never stop hearing it: Guys think that it takes movie-star looks and rock-star money to attract hot women. The sad truth is, most guys have no clue what it really takes to attract hot women. It’s not pickup lines or fancy clothes or losing a few pounds. But if you really want to get an attractive woman to notice you, you better be one of the few who stands out because he took the time to develop something uniquely interesting about himself. No, do not join the army, even though women like men in uniform. Rather, make sure you smell good, have fresh breath, are well-groomed, and look your best. But who you really are — on the inside — plays a bigger role in your dating life than any of those superficial fixes. Showing a woman that you’re a gentleman is a powerful way to stand out from the crowd, and the smallest gestures go a very long way. Open a door for her and pull out a chair. Make sure you walk on the outside of the sidewalk. Put your hand on the small of her back when walking into a restaurant or across the street. You won’t believe how quickly these small things set you apart from 99% of other guys.

9. Don’t be a Desperate Creep, Give Her Respect

Women are constantly dodging creepy guys, so make sure you don’t come off like one. Championship coaches tell their winning players: “Act like you’ve been here before.” That’s exactly what you need to do with women. The best way to lose one is to get possessive and desperate and start calling her 10 times a day. And if you start acting like that desperate with those lame lines or cheap come-ons, she definitely would only hate you. Most people wish the world, women and even they were different. They whine and complain and act like a victim. They do things that are ineffective because they live in a pretend world in their mind. Instead, accept things the way they are, respect them and their thinking. Once you do, you can start to change the world around you and yourself. You’ll have the power to redirect things as you move into the future. One of the ways you can seek her attention is that you respect her unlike the pervert crowd after her.

8. Be a Little Feisty and Give her Space

Feisty guys are guys that don’t let women take control of them. Women like what they can’t have easily, and having a little bit of feisty attitude helps. Of course you’ve got to gauge the woman, because there are some women who absolutely hate feisty-ness. Most of these guys have some kind of issues with self-esteem or control. Do not thus be domineering or try to be the boss. Men need a certain level of control too. You may like her and want her to like you, but unless you give her space and do not crowd her, she will never be interested. But your feisy-ness should be confined to giving her enough space because a lot of feisty behavior can be too irritating for her. You know the expression about absence making the heart grow fonder? Well, it’s true. So make her miss you: let her wonder where you are, whom you’re with and where you’re going, and she will hope to cross paths with you more often than you think.

7. Use “Little Things” to Woo Her

There are a ton of “little things” that women look for to help them make big decisions about what kind of man you are. They instantly tell women whether or not you are worthy of a second thought. Maintaining eye contact, strong posture, not fidgeting; all of these are great things for you to pay attention to. By the way, women make these decisions on a subconscious level. They don’t look at a guy, then say to a friend: “Well, he maintained eye contact when I first looked at him, then he held his head up high in a dominant posture, so, I’m going to give him a chance.” Practice these simple steps and a woman will naturally want to spend more time with you.

6. Sound Smart and Initiative

Feisty guys are guys that don’t let women take control of them. Women like what they can’t have easily, and having a little bit of feisty attitude helps. Of course you’ve got to gauge the woman, because there are some women who absolutely hate feisty-ness. Most of these guys have some kind of issues with self-esteem or control. Do not thus be domineering or try to be the boss. Men need a certain level of control too. You may like her and want her to like you, but unless you give her space and do not crowd her, she will never be interested. But your feisy-ness should be confined to giving her enough space because a lot of feisty behavior can be too irritating for her. You know the expression about absence making the heart grow fonder? Well, it’s true. So make her miss you: let her wonder where you are, whom you’re with and where you’re going, and she will hope to cross paths with you more often than you think.Read more : Top 10 Ways to Get Her Hooked

Source :  http://www.smashinglists.com/top-10-ways-to-get-her-hooked/

 

Should Muslim women be allowed to pray in the mosque?

Allah (SWT) is not merciful to those who are not merciful to others.
 "Do not prevent your women from attending the mosque if they seek your permission to do so."Ibid., 4/161

  "If your womenfolk seek your permission to go to the mosque, then let them do so." Sahih Muslim, 4/161, kitab al-salah, bab khuruj al-nisa' ila'l-masajid.

Islam has excused women from the obligation to attend the  jama`ah prayer in the mosque, but at the same time, they are permitted to go out of the house to attend jama`ah  on condition that they dress up well enough not to cause any temptation. Indeed, the first Muslim women did go out and pray in the mosque behind the Prophet (PBUH). `A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:

Allah 's Apostle said, "Treat women nicely, for a women is created from a rib, and the most curved portion of the rib is its upper portion, so, if you should try to straighten it, it will break, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked. So treat women nicely."

Islam has excused women from the obligation to attend the  jama`ah prayer in the mosque, but at the same time, they are permitted to go out of the house to attend jama`ah  on condition that they dress up well enough not to cause any temptation. Indeed, the first Muslim women did go out and pray in the mosque behind the Prophet (PBUH). `A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:

The Prophet (PBUH) used to shorten his prayer if he heard a child crying, because he understood the concern the child's mother would be feeling. In a hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon he (PBUH) said: "I begin the prayer, intending to make it lengthy, but then I hear a child crying, so I shorten my prayer because I know the stress facing the mother because of his crying."9Allah (SWT) showed great mercy to women by sparing them the obligation to offer the five compulsory prayers in congregation in the mosque. If He had made this obligatory, it would have placed an intolerable burden on women, and they would not have been able to fulfil it, just as we see many men failing to pray regularly in the mosque and finding themselves with no other choice but to pray wherever they are, in the workplace or in the home. The woman's heavy burden of household chores and attending to the needs of her husband and children do not permit her to leave the house five times a day; it would be impossible for her to do so. Thus the wisdom behind the limiting of compulsory attendance at the mosque to men only becomes quite clear. Her prayer at home is described as being better for her than her prayer in the mosque, but Allah (SWT) gives her the freedom of choice: she may pray at home if she wishes, or she may go out to pray in the mosque. If she asks her husband for permission to go out to the mosque, he is not allowed to stop her, as the Prophet (PBUH) stated in a number of hadith, for example: "Do not stop your women from going to the mosque, although their houses are better for them."

The mosque was, and still is, the centre of light and guidance for Muslim men and women; in its pure environment acts of worship are performed and from its minbar messages of truth and guidance are transmitted. From the dawn of Islam, the Muslim woman has had her role to play in the mosque.

There are many sahih reports, which confirm the woman's presence and role in the mosque. They describe how women attended salat al-jumu`ah, the eclipse prayer, and the Eid prayers, responding to the call of the muezzin to join the prayer.

  During that golden era, the time of the Prophet (PBUH), the Muslim woman knew about her religion and was keen to understand the events and affairs that concerned the Muslims in this world and the next. When she heard the call to prayer, she would rush to the mosque to hear the words of the Prophet (PBUH) from the minbar, guiding and teaching the people. Fatimah bint Qays, one of the earliest migrant women (muhajirat), said:"The people were called to prayer, so I rushed with the others to the mosque, and prayed with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). I was in the first row of women, which was just behind the last row of men."19
 
 Muslim women attended the mosque on various occasions and that this attendance was an approved custom at the time of the Prophet (PBUH).
 The Prophet (PBUH) appreciated the circumstances of the women who attended the congregational prayers, so he used to be kind to them and would shorten the prayer if he heard a child crying, so that the mother would not become distressed

Bukhari and Muslim also report a hadith concerning how women should draw the imam's attention to something during the prayer by clapping. Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Sa'idi said: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, `Why do I see you clapping so much? Whoever notices any error in my prayer should say "Subhan Allah ," for by doing so he will alert me to the error. Clapping is only for women.'"\

Prophet (PBUH) said:"Do not stop your women from going to the mosque, although their houses are better for them."

It is permissible for Muslim women to attend the gatherings of the Muslims in the mosque, and there is much to be gained from them doing so, but certain conditions apply to this permission, the most important of which is that the woman who goes to the mosque should not wear perfume or make-up. Zaynab al-Thaqafiyyah reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:"If any of you (women) wishes to attend `isha' prayer, she should not wear perfume that night."

You go to Saudi Arabia… women are allowed in the Mosque, you go to London… women are allowed in the Mosque, you go to America, Malaysia and more women are allowed in the Mosque.  You go to the Haram-Sharif in Mecca, in Masjid-e-Nabwi, they are allowed.

So if separation and dignity of women is maintained in mosque than there is no binding of praying in mosque.

Women Deliver 2010: Lot more needs to be done to save women's lives

Women Deliver 2010: Lot more needs to be done to save women's lives

To listen to the audio podcast of exclusive interview with Women Deliver 2010 co-chair Dr Sai, click here
"At the global level we don't only have the issue of deaths of women and child, pregnancy and child-birth related situations, but it is the discrepancy between these deaths in the northern and more industrialized countries and in the developing countries. In fact, today as we speak we know that practically no woman dies in child birth in Europe or North America. But they do die in South Asia, Africa and Latin America" said Dr Frederick Torgbor Sai, an internationally recognized gender and reproductive health advocate from Ghana, who is the co-chair of "Women Deliver 2010" in Washington DC, USA (7-9 June). Read more


Source : http://www.citizen-news.org/2010/06/women-deliver-2010-lot-more-needs-to-be.html

Mona Lisas from Around the World

by waisybabu
Mona Lisa is a world-famous portrait painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 16th Century during the Renaissance period. On the face of it, it is a simple portrait but it has certain qualities that raise it far above the standard painting: a. the enigmatic facial expression b. The monumentality of the composition and c. the mysterious background landscape.
That is all well and good, but have you ever wondered how good ol’ Mona Mona would look if she were born in a country other than Italy?
I’m sure you have .

India

Morocco

Syria

Mona Lisas from Around the World

 

 

Read more:Smashing Lists 

http://www.smashinglists.com/if-mona-lisa-was-born-in-different-countries-pics/

How Does Islam Elevate The Status Of Women?

Compiled by M.N.Hassan

How Does Islam Elevate The Status Of Women?

According to the Qur'an, men and women are equal before God; women are not blamed for violating the "forbidden tree," nor is their suffering in pregnancy and childbirth a punishment for that act. Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings. A marital gift is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she may keep her own family name rather than adopting her husband's. Roles of men and women are complementary and collaborative. Rights and responsibilities of both sexes are equitable and balanced in their totality. Both men and women are expected to dress in a way that is simple, modest and dignified; specific traditions of female dress found in some Muslim countries are often the expression of local customs rather than religious principle. Likewise, treatment of women in some areas of the Muslim world sometimes reflects cultural practices which may be inconsistent, if not contrary, to authentic Islamic teachings. The Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) said: "The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife."

Source :http://www.sadaqathullah.com/dowry.html

Let women judges do their job

by Zafar Khan
We do need to look at justice with a gender perspective. It is always women who suffer, both from injustice and society’s blindness towards it.

IT SEEMS to be the unchanging lot of women in Malaysia. First we are elevated, and then we are brought down to earth with a thud.

When the first women syariah judges were appointed this month, Muslim women were elated. At last, not only are women recognised for their ability to sit on the syariah bench but also perhaps now we can expect better justice for women in the syariah courts.

The first uneasy twinge came, for me, when one of the new judges said that she wanted to show that just because she was female it didn’t mean she would be biased towards women.

While, yes, justice is supposed to be blind, this statement made it sound that she is determined to prove her credentials by bending over backwards not to favour women at all. Given that women have hardly found justice in the courts all this time, this is disappointing.

Then came the whammy. It seemed that only after appointing them, a syariah court panel, consisting only of men, was being set up to decide what the women judges could rule on.

How about that? Give someone a job and then decide what she can do. Was this just incompetency or an attempt at ensuring that they are kept “in their place”?

It is a fact that women have been getting short shrift in the syariah courts, whether in getting due compensation in divorce cases for themselves or their children, in inheritance cases and many others.

Even when courts have ruled in their favour, for instance in ruling that men have to pay maintenance for their children from their ex-wives, rarely have these been implemented.

As a result, many women and their children are left in dire poverty. Is that justice?

We do need to look at justice with a gender perspective. Otherwise “justice” will always be seen from a male perspective because it is generally men who make the laws. Or in the case of religious rulings, it is men who interpret them.

It would be nice to expect men to simply be gentlemanly and ensure that the mother of their children and their progeny are well cared for after divorce. But this rarely happens. Thus someone needs to stand up for women. Invariably this should be a woman who truly has justice in mind.

Not that this always involves only divorced women. The recent study on the impact of polygamy on families by SIS Forum Malaysia shows that generally polygamy does not lead to happy families.

First wives and their children generally suffer most, both in terms of attention from their husband and father as well as in terms of standard of living — after their husbands had taken on another wife, 44% of first wives were forced to go out and work just to ensure the survival of their family.

Considering that men are only supposed to take on another wife if they can afford to support both, this evidence, culled from interviewing over 1,200 families, shows they are coming up short.

Not that second wives and families are faring better either. All families complained about the amount of time their shared husband and father had to spend with them.

Equal time and attention is simply not humanly possible. As a result, there was dissatisfaction all round when birthdays, anniversaries, school events are missed.

Men may think of polygamy as their “right” but it is a stressful one, if nothing else.

It is always women who suffer, both from injustice and society’s blindness towards it. Heaven knows what we need to do to make society take violence against women seriously enough.

We can rightly point to many countries to show how our women are so much better off than theirs. But the reality is, unless women are protected from violence and can seek justice in the courts, such “equality” that we enjoy can only be superficial.

So let those women judges get on with their jobs. After all, their counterparts in the civil courts have been doing so for a long time.

source

http://theislamawareness.blogspot.comLet women judges do their job

Muslim Woman as Defined in the Qur’an and Sunnah

Muslim Woman as Defined in the Qur’an and Sunnah: "

1. She is truthful

2 She does not cheat, deceive or stab in the back

3. She is not envious

4. She is sincere

5. She keeps her promises

6. She has a good attitude towards others and treats them well

7. She is characterized by shyness

8. She is gentle towards people

9. She is compassionate and merciful

10. She is tolerant and forgiving

11. She is easy-going in her business dealings

12. She is of cheerful countenance

13. She has a sense of humor

14. She is patient

15. She avoids cursing and foul language

16. She does not falsely accuse anyone of fisq (transgression) or kufr (blasphemy)

17. She is modest and discreet

18. She dose not interfere in that which does not concern her

19. She refrains from backbiting and slander

20. She avoids giving false statements

21. She avoids suspicion

22. She keeps secrets

23. She does not converse privately with another person when there is a third person present

 
24. She is not arrogant or proud

25. She is humble and modest

26. She does not make fun of anyone

27. She respects elders and distinguished people

28. She mixes with people of noble character

29. She strives for people’s benefits and seeks to protect her from harm

30. She strives to reconcile between Muslims

31. She calls people to truth

32. She is wise and eloquent in her da`wah (Islamic Propagation)

34. She is not a hypocrite

35. She does not show off or boast

36. She is straightforward and consistent in her adherence to the truth

37. She visits the sick

39. She repays favors and is grateful for them

40. She mixes with people and puts up with their insults

41. She tries to make people happy

42. She guides others to righteous deeds

43. She is easy on people, not hard

44. She is fair in her judgment of people

45. She does not oppress or mistreat others

46. She loves noble things and always aims high

47. Her speech is not exaggerated or affected

48. She does not rejoice in the misfortunes of others

49. She is generous

50. She does not remind the beneficiaries of her charity

51. She is hospitable

52. She prefers others to herself

53. She helps to alleviate the burden of the debtor

54. She is proud and does not beg

55. She is friendly and likeable

56. She checks her customs and habits against Islamic standards

57. She follows Islamic manners in the way she eats and drinks

58. She spreads the greeting of salam (peace)

59. She does not enter a house other than her own without permission

60. She avoids yawning in a gathering as much as she can

62. She follows the Islamic etiquette when she sneezes

63. She does not look into other people’s houses

64. She does not imitate men