The deeper I study Islam, the more I realize how easy it is. Taking care of your body is an important part of religion. The fact, that I could simply set my intention and turn everyday activities into acts of worship is just, amazing. We could transform our every meal into a form of worship. Ever notice all the foods mentioned in the Qur’an? These foods definitely weren’t mentioned by accident. It requires no extra effort, just redirect your intention and every action, every bite you take, can translate into an act of worship! Olives, onions, dates; these are all foods that are incorporated within the Quran and sunnah (teachings of the Prophet peace be upon him) just to name a few. If I could make my own nutrition labels for these foods, right under ‘calories from fat’ I would add ‘good deeds from sunnah.’ Why would you not want to incorporate these foods into your daily lives?

So I’ve got my day job and my night job, civil engineer by day, health and fitness guru by night, sometimes they overlap. Here’s the engineering nerd in me about to come out: so as civil engineers, we deal a lot with the soil that’s underneath everything we want to build. The more I learned about the characteristics of soils, clays, and sands the more I understood the human body. We were all created from clay, I don’t want to get too nerdy here, but if we came from the earth, wouldn’t it make sense that the place to get our nourishment would be from, well… the earth. In a society where manufactured and processed foods are the norm, it has become more and more challenging to eat healthier foods, you know, the kind that grow from the earth! This stigma surrounding salads and vegetables has gotten the majority of people thinking that anything healthy can’t taste good! Wrong! A chemically processed, mystery meat concoction is more appealing to us that a balanced salad, filled with food items the Prophet (pbuh) himself used to eat?!

From a larger perspective, health is a part of religion. God gave our bodies to us. We are entrusted with our bodies, and only we can control what we do to them. No one is holding up french fries and candy bars and forcing us to eat them, no matter what’s served in front of us, at the end of the day we’re the ones who control what our hand picks up to place in our mouths. We are eating way too much and our food selections, simply said, aren’t the best. It’s time to take drastic action before we further harm our bodies and teach our younger generations the same unhealthy eating habits. So what do we do?!

Here we are almost a month after we’ve established our new year’s resolutions, I can almost bet that if you’re a female, ‘losing weight’ or ‘working out’ were probably up there on your list. Whether you’ve lost sight of these goals or you’re still continuing strong, I hope this has rejuvenated you or opened your eyes to a new way of looking at being healthy.

Sunnah salad for dinner anyone?

For sometime now it has been considered somewhat unfair that women tennis players carry the additional burden of dressing up as it were in order to draw attention to the sport. However, that was not always the case as history would be only too happy to prove. The paradigm shift though was partly created through media sensation and through starlets such as Anna Kournikova who made for great photo shoots but little by way of tennis history. That the Kournikova trend of attracting attention – even if it means sporting some rather audacious outfits –it has not stopped some of the top level women players although their titles have failed to catch up with the season’s trends.

On the other hand, men’s tennis has had it better than in the past few years. Although Rafael Nadal’s injuries were a setback on the road to history, it has allowed Novak Djokovic to back his big mouth with big performances that have solidified his stand critically as the trio of men’s current top level tennis. That Roger Federer was beaten by Nadal had a tell tale sign to it but for Djokovic to come through in five sets in a Grand Slam record breaking almost six hours on the court has proved that his endurance and his appetite to last long at the helm of matters is backed by his lion hearted pursuit.

Ironically while the days of serve and volley are being considered with big hitters ruling the roost, the men’s game has still managed to attract interest even as the women have struggled to pose quite the same consistency to command a standing, which should be a worrying scenario. Behind doors, there is still the issue of tour scheduling and the players being divided on the issue. However, it would seem the women have a few more problems than when it comes to the men’s game that is showing remarkable consistency in producing champions and not one time hits.

Back home in India though, one man on the verge of forty is celebrating tennis success as a doubles champion even as some of the cricketers his age are facing wrath down under, the same place when the Indian cricket team is struggling but Leander Paes has done enough to earn himself another Grand Slam title, and making it now all four slam doubles victories in his career for India.

The high under Gary Kirsten as the Indian coach and Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the Indian captain was done and dusted not once, but twice – once in England and repeated with almost similar heartbreaking indifference down under in Australia to ring in a somber 2012. What was perhaps most disappointing from the cricket loving public’s perspective was the fact that there was no real sense of gesture of trying on the part of the team, although body language can sometimes be misleading.

One cannot fathom how a team is allowed to simply roll along from tour to tour, dragging its feet without being warned to pull its socks up. If there are reasons why the board is not pushing its players to perform, perhaps the fault then lies with the board that has its own vested interests in packing in schedules that leave little time for serious introspection and planning. However, eventually the manner of these losses is bound to affect the bottom line but perhaps the board is relying on cash cows like the IPL to help put their feet up in comfort.

That a team that has won matches to make up the points on the table would suddenly crash in such fashion was not only unexpected but also, regressive because it reared the ugly side of a team that loses perspective when on a high. If the England tour exposed the lack of depth, the Australian tour showed the nasty repercussions of how a team, disbanded and injured, cannot suddenly turn it on with a switch. The result has been that while England received a boost at home, Australia feel they are witnessing a revival. And the positive perspective of the Australian team led by their enigmatic leader, Michael Clarke, has only further drawn comparison with Dhoni who seemed to have caved into the syndrome of failing to stretch his grey cells and instead throw the gauntlet to the board.

It has been discussed by several former cricketers if Dhoni was being arrogant or plain fed up of the criticism when he virtually challenged the BCCI to find a better captain to replace him with. The problem for the team at the moment is that this was a collective failure on the part of the team although individual aspects needed to be viewed as such in order to set matters in order.

However, that seems far from the mind of the BCCI that was more interested in the scheduling of the IPL 5 season, perhaps counting on people’s short memory. Home series may dilute the losses away but India cannot fail to look past the fact that in one of India’s golden era of high profile batsmen, their overseas record continues to draw serious contention.

Ten years after the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) received his first revelation, he made a miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and to the Seven Heavens on a white flying horse called Al-Buraq El-Sharif. During his interval in Jerusalem, the Prophet stopped to pray at the rock (now covered by the golden Dome), and was given the commandment to pray five times a day.

Today, Muslims throughout the World use Mecca as the direction of prayers (Qibla). However, for 16½ months following the Prophet Mohammad’s miraculous journey, Jerusalem was the Qibla.

During Prophet Mohammad’s life (pbuh), he instructed Muslims to visit not only the mosque where they lived in Mecca, but also the ‘Farthest mosque’ from them which lay 2000 kilometers north, in Jerusalem. Hence the name Al-Masjid El-Aqsa, or Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the second oldest mosque in Islam after the Ka’ba in Mecca, and is third in holiness and importance after the mosques in Mecca and Medina.

The rectangular Al-Aqsa Mosque is 144,000 square meters, 35 acres, or 1/6 of the entire area within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem as it stands today. It is also called Al-Haram El-Sharif (the Nobel Sanctuary). The Dome of the Chain marks the exact central point of this Mosque.

Al-Aqsa Mosque holds up to 400,000 worshippers at one time, bearing in mind that the space required for each person is roughly 0.8m x 0.5m to enable the submissive kneeling in prayer. On Fridays at noon, during the fasting month of Ramadan, and particularly the 27th of Ramadan (Lailat El-Qadr), the area is filled to virtual capacity.

There are 11 gates to Al-Aqsa Mosque: 7 of which are open. Of the 4 closed gates, one is the Golden Gate.

Indications of any Muslim mosque the World over is the thin spiral minaret which always immediately adjoins the Mosque wall. Minarets are used to call Muslims to prayer five times a day, seven days a week throughout the year. At Al-Aqsa Mosque, there are four minarets: 3 square and 1 cylindrical from the Mamluk period.

There are no minarets on the Eastern side of Al-Aqsa Mosque because there were no inhabitants and thus no-one to call to prayer. After all, it was not till the late nineteenth century that Jerusalem began to expand outside the city walls.

Al-Aqsa is made up of 3 parts, narrow arcades run along one end, a huge atrium and a covered area at the south.

Running alongside the arcades are several family burial sites (maqamat). These persons contributed to the schools and charities in the vicinity of the Mosque run by the Supreme Muslim Council.

The atrium of Al-Aqsa Mosque is an oasis of peace and tranquillity inside a walled city of hustle and bustle. It has trees, lawns, fountains, the beautiful Shrine of the Dome of the Rock, small domed rooms and structures which are rooms for scholars, sheikhs and religious court offices, and a museum.

Before Muslims pray, they are required to go through a ritual ablution. There are manuablution areas, but the Cup is one of the oldest and most photographed fountains on the Mosque grounds.

In the center of the southern end of the atrium is the covered area of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Mihrab (niche showing direction of prayer) of the Mosque is located here. Al-Aqsa building (recognizable by its lead dome), was originally built nearly 1300 years ago by Muslim Caliph Al-Walid the son of AbdulMalek bin Marwan in 709 AD.

Throughout its history, Al-Aqsa was subject to successive restoration work due to damages caused by earthquakes, etc. The building now has the central nave and 6 aisles (the original covered area had 14 aisles).

The covered area of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a very simple, but large and imposing, rectangular structure. It has an area of 3500 square meters, and holds up to 5000 Muslims at prayer at one time. The Qibla facing south towards Mecca and the Rock within the Dome of the Rock are on the same central line.

There are 7 large gates to enter the Mosque’s covered area, as well as 1 single door on both the eastern and western sides. There are over 100 clear and colored glass windows, 14 Arches, 27 Italian Marble columns on the eastern side, and the equivalent number of stone piers on the western side.

The outer dome was covered with Lead in 1985 replacing the Aluminum dome of 1964 in order to restore it to its original cover. The inner dome, decorated with stucco work, dates back to the 13th century.

In accordance with Muslim tradition, men and women are permitted to pray within the covered area but in different sections, 3 times a day. The remaining two daily prayers as well as Friday noon prayers, Al-Aqsa is for men only. The covered part of Al-Aqsa Mosque was converted to a Knight’s Hostel in part, and Chapel in part during the Crusader period. Restoration of Islamic atmosphere was done by Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi.

In 1969, after 2 years of Israeli occupation, a fanatic Jew set fire to the covered area for the first time in its history. Repairing the damage from the fire still continues. Among the numerous sad losses was the beautiful handmade pulpit from Aleppo. It was a gift from Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi and stood near the Mihrab (niche) in Al-Aqsa Mosque. This Pulpit, considered one of the most beautiful in the World, was made of over 10,000 interlocking pieces of Cedar and other wood, Ivory and mother of pearl affixed without a drop of glue or a single nail. A remaining section of this Pulpit is among the various artifacts on display at the Islamic Museum, in the southern corner of the Noble Sanctuary.

The restoration of the subterranean Marwani Musallah (praying place) was completed in 1996. It is 4000 square meters, and was tiled in a brief 2 months entirely by volunteers. The Marwani Musallah is mistakenly believed by some to be the site of King Solomon’s stables, however its construction is actually entirely 8th century Umayyad.

In the middle of the 19th century Al-Aqsa Mosque was opened for Non-Muslim visitors. For Non-Muslims, the Mosque is open during fixed times on weekday mornings and afternoons on payment of an entrance fees. The Mosque is closed to Non-Muslims on Fridays throughout the year and all Muslim holidays.

Although in the past, everyone entered Al-Aqsa Mosque without shoes, now Muslims and tourists alike are permitted to enter Al-Aqsa with shoes. Shoes however, have to be removed to enter the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa’s enclosed area as a sign of cleanliness and respect. Cameras likewise, are permitted in Al-Aqsa Mosque, but not inside any building. Visitors should ensure they are modestly dressed with arms and legs covered. Ladies should have a scarf to cover their hair. While on holy ground, intimate or personal contact must be avoided.

Considering Spain was ruled for – in some parts – up to 800 years by Muslims, it’s no surprise that lasting remnants of Spain’s Islamic past are present in everything from gastronomy to music, language and architecture. Even when the Islamic empire finally succumbed to the Reconquest, the dazzling architectural forms and styles lived on for centuries.

Islamic architecture is considered to be Spain’s most captivating architectural trend and certainly gives the country an exotic edge- especially considering the fact that Islamic architecture is the only style that Spain doesn’t share with the rest of Europe!

Islamic Architecture: Characteristics

Along with the closely linked Mudéjar style, Islamic architecture is one of refined sophistication, sumptuous decoration and peaceful harmony.

Another signature element of Islamic architecture is the integration of nature. Light, water and vegetation are masterfully incorporated into palaces, homes and mosques and serve both practical and aesthetic purposes. Especially given that Islamic architecture traditionally hails from a culture based in arid desert lands, you are bound to see lush gardens gracing courtyards, filtered light creating geometric patterns across the floor and tranquil fountains and reflecting pools both indoors and outdoors.

In the realm of urban planning, white-washed buildings were constructed practically right on top of each other on narrow streets. Along with the incorporation of shady courtyards these structures avoided direct sunshine and kept these quarters comfortable and cool.

Islamic Architecture: Legacy

Construction of the Great Mosque at Cordoba (now a cathedral known as the Mezquita) beginning in 785 CE marks the beginning of Islamic architecture in the Iberian peninsula and North Africa (see Moors). The mosque is noted for its striking interior arches. Moorish architecture reached its peak with the construction of the Alhambra, the magnificent palace/fortress of Granada, with its open and breezy interior spaces adorned in red, blue, and gold. The walls are decorated with stylized foliage motifs, Arabic inscriptions, and arabesque design work, with walls covered in glazed tile. There other, smaller, survivals such as the Bab Mardum in Toledo, or the caliphal city of Medina Azahara. Moorish architecture has its roots deeply established in the Arab tradition of architecture and design established during the era of the first Caliphate of the Umayyads in the Levant circa 660AD with its capital Damascus having very well preserved examples of fine Arab Islamic design and geometrics, including the carmen, which is the typical Damascene house, opening on the inside with a fountain as the house’s centre piece.

Even after the completion of the Reconquista, Islamic influence had a lasting impact on the architecture of Spain. In particular, medieval Spaniards used the Mudéjar style, highly influence Islamic design. One of the best examples of the architectures’ lasting impact on Spanish architecture is the Alcázar of Seville

Here are some of the benefits of Cinnamon:

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower your bad cholesterol (or LDL).

Cinnamon may help treat Type 2 Diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and increasing the amount of insulin production in the body.

Cinnamon has antifungal properties, and it’s been said that candida cannot live in a cinnamon environment.

Cinnamon can reduce the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.

Cinnamon has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

Honey and Cinnamon combined has been found to relieve arthritis pain.

When added to food, cinnamon inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.

Just smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.

Cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.

Cinnamon has been found to be an effective natural remedy for eliminating headaches and migraine relief.

Cinnamon can also help stablize blood sugar (which is great for weight loss). A couple of dashes in your morning tea or cereal is all it takes!

The monsoon drew a dampener for Indian cricket fans who were hit by a deluge of poor Indian performances backed conveniently by a string of injuries that made it impossible for the team to have any sense of cohesion or strategy. However, the tour of Australia, although only two Tests old, has shown that the 4-0 defeat in the series to England were no fluke but just the shape of things to come if India did not get their act right. The home series against the West Indies was a distraction and the same story has begun to unfold in Australia.

After two Tests where India had their chances albeit in small patches but failed rather timidly in their attempt to overcome a transitional Australian team revealed one major difference between the two teams: the sheer lack of intensity from the Indian team and the exuberant determination in the Australian team. That brings into question Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy only from the possible point of view of being able to inject in the team the sense of urgency to turn around the fact that India have now lost six Test on the trot abroad and it is going to be a matter of serious pride that India eke out at least one win from the remaining two Test matches if they are to avoid a scathing witch hunt that is going to perhaps cost the captain more than anybody else although there is an entire team and set up that needs to be questioned with the kind of feeble bowling attack being presented and the lack of batting resistance that has prevented India from scoring over 300 more often than not.

What has come to hurt the Indian cricket team the most is the fact that they have been humiliated not by a close margin but rather by a glaring gap between the intensity of the two teams. While the veteran batsmen are holding onto their positions despite the lack of motivated batting, the lack of plot in the bowling department is costing India dearly. And it appears the Indian team is either too tired, too clueless or too arrogant to be affected even by such defeat as was reflected in the manner in which some of the Indian cricketers spoke even in the face of defeat and thereafter. Not much can be expected to change with attitudes like that.

Nadoona is a new health and fitness organization, aimed at changing the world, one calorie at a time. Nadoona means “Call on Us” in colloquial Arabic and pronounced backwards is ‘A New Dawn.’ Nadoona isn’t just about losing weight. It’s a health revolution and losing the ridiculous attitude of feeling like one is a slave to food. We weren’t put on this earth to be slaves to food; we were put on this earth to be slaves to God. Let’s get that power back! We need to stop being scared of eating fruits and veggies! Okay fine, Adam and Eve did land on earth because they ate fruit from a tree, but luckily for us, all the fruits on this earth have been made lawful for us to enjoy!

All of this came about several years ago when, one day, it finally dawned onto the founder of the organization, Nadine Abu-Jubara, that she was overweight. That day, she weighed 65 pounds more than she does today, that day was the beginning of a brand-new Nadine. So she began the process of fiddling with different diets, she even paid the arm and leg fees of mainstream weight loss programs (could only afford it for about 2 weeks then quit!). After unsuccessful experimentation, it finally clicked that she could do something all on her own for a fraction of the price and stay motivated. And, she did!  She lost those 65 pounds, and still continues to eat healthy and exercise because she didn’t just create a fad diet; she created a new lifestyle for herself.

Of course people realized the transformation, and Nadine couldn’t go to any social gatherings without people asking, “What is your secret?” After her 100th conversation about what she did, how she did it, and how they could do it too, she realized a need for a system to help out this entire ummah. So, Nadoona was born.

The Nadoona system currently branches out into 4 sections; weight loss, Nadoona chapters, extravaganza events, and fashion/gear.

Having helped dozens of women lose weight, been featured in the world’s best running magazine, Runner’s World, held energetic events coast to coast and noted as ISNA 2011 Annual Convention’s top 10 most memorable moments, and offering modest, affordable, and cute workout gear, Nadoona is here to whip you into shape! Check out www.Nadoona.com and add Nadoona on Facebook to get started on a healthier path in life. Let’s make the world strong, Nadoona strong, because a healthy community is a strong community!

It is the story of a prince and a fairy, Saif-ul-Malook and Badr-ul-Jamal, a story of love, adventure, faith, magic, suffering and betrayal – a story of the multitude of human passions.

Many different versions exist, but below is a reproduction of what the storytellers told us, as faithful to their words as possible, with some writer’s liberties. I hope you enjoy reading it at least half as much as I did listening!

Read Part I of the story here

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It was the lake – emerald green, calm as a mirror, ringed by rugged snow-capped peaks – the very one from his dream.

Saif’s joy was uncontrollable. “I shall find her, I shall find her here!” he cried, jumping up and down like a child.  ”My suffering is finally over!”

In his excitement, he forgot about how he had been transported to the lake in the first place – courtesy the jinn of Solomon’s cap, who was at this moment standing behind him in human form.

The jinn cleared his throat. “Prince Saif…there is one thing.” Saif turned around with a start. “What…?” he said slowly, peering at the jinn.

“You will not be able to see the Fairy Queen Badr Jamal. She is, like us, naari, borne of fire, hence invisible to the human eye in her true form.”

“So, what must I do to see her?”  Saif asked impatiently.

“You may pray,” the jinn replied. “Pray for forty consecutive days – the chilla – without food, drink or sleep, without moving from the circle wherein you sit. Then, and only then, will you be able to see the Fairy Badr Jamal.”

With these somber words, the jinn vanished.

It sounded impossible. Only saints and prophets like Jesus, Moses, Baba Farid Ganj Shakkar and Hafiz of Shiraz had been known to perform a chilla to completion – others either died or lost their senses in the attempt.

But Saif was not about to be thwarted from his objective so close to the end. “I’ve looked for her for six years, wandering the streets of Egypt with nothing but a kashkol, a begging bowl. Surely I can endure another forty days?”

So, drawing a circle of pebbles on the southern shore of the lake, he seated himself inside,  closed his eyes,  and began to pray. He prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and as the suns went down and the moons came up, Saif grew a little weaker, his face thinner, his pain stronger, his yearning deeper. He lost count of the days, and awaited each night with the hope – “Perhaps I will see her tonight?”

But Badr Jamal did not appear.

One night, as the sun cast its dying amber rays on the Himalayan slopes, and twilight crept into the sky like the daub of a paintbrush, Prince Saif sat in his circle wondering if he would live to see another day. Physically exhausted, his body was about to give up the struggle, but his mind had never felt sharper, calmer.

It was also a chowdveen ki raat – the 14th of the lunar month, or the night of a full moon – and the sight of that perfect silver orb, glowing in the star-studded indigo sky, enveloping the lake, the mountains and himself in its ethereal light, filled Prince Saif’s heart with peace. “If I were to die here tonight, if my soul were to leave my body tonight, I would be happy man.”

Suddenly, a sound reached his ears – like the fluttering of a great flock of birds, far away at first,  then  closer – intermingled with a delicate tinkling, like the chime of a thousand tiny bells. Saif looked up;  a great white cloud was moving from the west towards the lake.

“Perhaps it’s the Angels of Death, come to take me home!”, Saif thought.

But they were not Angels, because Prince Saif-ul-Malook was not destined to die that night. That chowdveen ki raat, Saif became one of the handful of human beings to ever complete a chilla, and one of the rarer still to set eyes on the mythical Fairies of KohKaaf, the Caucasus Mountains. They flew to the lake every full moon to bathe, and their Queen was Badr-ul-Jamal.

The white cloud slowly descended at the shore of the lake, and seven forms emerged – seven beatific creatures, fair-limbed, dark-haired, golden-eyed, with large gossamer wings on their backs that glittered in the moonlight.

Saif was dumbstruck. An invisible force propelled him to his feet and he ran behind some large boulders, from where he could watch without being seen. His mouth agape with wonder, he watched as the seven Fairies laughingly doffed their wings, folded them neatly on ground,  and dived into the deep, shimmering waters of the lake.

And then he saw her – Badr Jamal, the same as in his dream. She was the last to enter the lake, effortlessly gliding through the water with her long black hair spread out behind her, her face radiant like the full moon, eyes twinkling like a child’s.  She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Prince Saif felt like he would faint from rapture. The object of his quest, of six years and forty days of tortuous struggle, was right there in plain sight; a living, breathing, palpable creature!

To be continued…

Reprinted piece by Manal Khan