:: For The Atheist ::

:: Epistemology ::

Assalam Alaikum,

I was doing my assignment and I've got to research on Epistemology... Basically, it is the philosophical study of knowledge on 

• What is knowledge? 
• How is knowledge acquired? 
• What do people know?
• How do we know what we know?

Also, methodology is the study of theories and how it deals with the general principles of the formation of knowledge.

Both are just like a tool for self-reflection...

The speaker was comparing bible and science (Timing 4:44)... And how there is no knowledge in trying to combine both together... But we have it in Islam! Yay! =) Isn't Science a logical study of what Allah(Swt) has given us in nature?

Okay, not to bore you with my explanation, this is something really worth watching! =) Though it might be something abstract, it's enriching! 

Enjoy!!! =D

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

:: 40 Animated Hadith ::

:: Children's Right to a family ::

:: Why People Revert to Islam ::

:: Fajr prayer ::

:: 10 Things to hand down to your daughter ::

Taken from 10 Things to hand down to your daughter

1. Knowledge of and love for Allah and the Deen
This is one of the most precious and enduring gifts you can pass down to your daughter, one that will benefit her in this life and the next.

2. Memorisation of the Qur’an
No matter how little you have memorised yourself, push your daughter to memorise as much she can. Encourage her and help her to revise. It will stand her in good stead in her life and will be a source of reward for you after your death as well.

3. A good example of Muslim womanhood 
Most girls look to their mothers for guidance. Embody the characteristics of a strong, faithful Muslimah and she will be inspired to follow your example.

4. A sense of self-worth and self-esteem 
Instill a sense of confidence in your child by encouraging her skills, talents and personality to develop. Make her feel secure in her identity and show her that she is loved and appreciated. This will have a positive impact on her future relationships and how she interacts with the world.

5. A sense of modesty 
Instill a love for hijab in your daughter and encourage her to be modest, never boastful or conceited, in all areas of her life.

6. Your language 
If you speak Arabic, be sure to teach it to her so that she has the key to the understanding of the Qur’an. Also, if you have a mother tongue or speak a second language yourself, pass it on: a second or third language is always an asset, whether in a study, work or social environment.

7. A skill that you have 
If you are an avid gardener, knitter or love painting, pass your skill onto your daughter. With so many ‘traditional’ skills being lost in today’s fast-paced world, you owe it to her to share your knowledge and pass it on to the next generation.

8. Your favourite recipes 
Yes, teach your daughter how to cook! Be it from a cookbook, an original recipe or passed down from your mother or even your grandmother, we all have our own trademark recipes: pass them on to your daughter and encourage her to develop some specialities of her own.

9. Housekeeping skills 
Instill good housekeeping habits in all your children and encourage them to take pride in a neat and tidy home. Pass any tricks or shortcuts on so that your daughter is well-equipped when she has a home of her own.

10. Your family history 
Give her a sense of her roots and heritage by sharing your family story with her. Acquaint her with her family tree and teach her the lessons learned by the different generations. Hopefully, she will do the same with her children, insha Allah.

:: Taken by Angel of Death ::

Assalam Alaikum,

Just a video to reflect how vulnerable life is~
Just gotta do good and make use of our precious time wisely~

W'salam,
Khadijah C.

:: The Ethics of Chivalry ::

Assalam Alaikum,

I came upon this article and would like to share with everyone~

Below is just an excerpt from the article, The Ethics of Chivalry. 

Just a reflection for all singles~ hee~ =D

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

A related question would be, “Why are so many of our brothers so hesitant to marry strong, independent and intellectually astute women?” Many women in the West lack the support of extended family networks, which is increasingly true even in the Muslim world. Therefore, they must seek education or professional training to be in a position to support themselves if necessary, or to assist their husbands; an increasingly likely scenario owing to the nature of work in postindustrial societies.

This sociological fact leads to women in the West generally manifesting a degree of education and independence that might not be present among women in more traditional societies and times – even though such societies are rapidly disappearing.

Many Muslim men will pass over talented, educated women who are willing to put their careers and education on hold, if need be, to commit to a family. The common reason given is that such women are too assertive, or they are not the kind of women the prospective husband’s mother is used to. As a result a significant number of our sisters, despite their beauty, talent, maturity, and dynamism are passed over for marriage in favour of an idealised, demure “real” Muslim woman. The social consequences of this practice are extremely grave for our community.

Again, we can ask ourselves, “To what extent does this practice conform to the prophetic model?” Our Prophet was surrounded by strong, assertive and independent women. His beloved Khadija, who we have previously mentioned, was one of the most successful business people in the Arabian Peninsula, and her wealth allowed the Prophet to retreat to the Cave of Hira where he would receive the first revelation.

Ayesha, despite her young age was an assertive, free-spirited, intellectual powerhouse who would become one of the great female scholars in history. The foundation for her intellectual greatness was laid by the Prophet himself who recognised her brilliance. Zainab bint Jahsh ran a “non-profit” organisation. She would make various handicrafts, sell them in the market and then use the proceeds to secretly give charity to the poor people of Medina. Umm Salamah had the courage to migrate from Mecca to Medina, unescorted, although she was ultimately accompanied by a single rider. She also had the vision to resolve the crisis at Hudaybiyya.

These were all wives of the Prophet. To their names we could add those of many other strong and dynamic women who played a major role in the life of the fledgling Muslim community.

:: Common goal in life ::

Assalam Alaikum,

hee~ Sorry about the title... =D
I just want to show that this is something which we should work for! 
No matter where we are, no matter who we are with... 
We should have the same goal in life!
Well, in here, it's dancing~ Beautiful! =D

W'salam,
Khadijah C.

:: Man is in loss ::

Assalam Alaikum,

Just wanting to share this because it leaves me with a deep impact~ I guess other muslims who are starting to learn Islam once more would be feeling the same too~

I was once lost and now, 
Subhan'Allah~ I'm guided... 

By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),
Verily, man is in loss,
Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.
( سورة العصر , Al-Asr, Chapter #103, Verse #2)

W'salam,
Khadijah C.

:: Materialism ::

:: My name is... ::

:: A reflection before it's too late ::

For those who respond to their Lord, are (all) good things. But those who respond not to Him,- Even if they had all that is in the heavens and on earth, and as much more, (in vain) would they offer it for ransom. For them will the reckoning be terrible: their abode will be hell,- what a bed of misery!  
(  سورة الرعد  , Ar-Rad, Chapter #13, Verse #18)

:: Being Smartie ::

Assalam Alaikum,

This is a video which Dr. Mamdouh Mohamed reminded us how to be a smartie muslim... Just 2 components...

1) Remembrance of Allah(SWT) in all situations
2) Reflect upon the creation of Allah(SWT)

But these are done through acquiring necessary knowledge (It's a shortcut to paradise! yoOoohoOoo!!! Subhan'Allah!)

Happy viewing! =D

W'salam,
Khadijah C

:: Toad is telltale for impending quakes ::

Assalam Alaikum,

I loOoovVvveeEeee how Allah(SWT) runs his creation!!! I read before that other animals could 'feel' the coming of disasters too~ That's why animals were seen running off to the higher ground when they feel the coming of a tsunami~

We should just keep animals in our houses and donate those funds for building sophisticated machines to needy children and families~ haa~ Well, the thinking of a simple-minded follower~

News like this just makes me recite the surah with increasing faith~ Yay!!! =D

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like unto Him.
( سورة الإخلاص , Al-Ikhlas, Chapter #112)

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

Taken from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100331/tts-science-quake-toads-c1b2fc3.html

PARIS (AFP) - – For ages, mankind has craved a tool that can provide early warning of that terrifying moment when the earth begins to shake.

But if a scientific paper published on Wednesday is confirmed, we may at last have found one.

The best hope yet of an earthquake predictor could lie in a small, brown, knobbly amphibian, it suggests.

The male common toad (Bufo bufo) gave five days' warning of the earthquake that ravaged the town of L'Aquila in central Italy on April 6, 2009, killing more than 300 people and displacing 40,000 others, the study says.

Biologist Rachel Grant of Britain's Open University embarked on a toad-monitoring project at San Ruffino lake, 74 kilometres (46 miles) north of L'Aquila, 10 days before the 6.3-magnitude quake struck.

Her two-person team observed the site for 29 days, counting toad numbers and measuring temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall and other conditions.

By March 28, more than 90 male toads had mustered for the spawning season, but two days later, their numbers suddenly fell, Grant reports.

By April 1 -- five days before the quake -- 96 percent of the males had fled.

Several dozen ventured back on April 9 for the full moon, a known courtship period for toads, although the tally was some 50-80 percent fewer than in previous years.

After this small peak, the numbers fell once more, only picking up significantly on April 15, two days after the last major aftershock, defined as 4.5 magnitude or higher.

In addition, the number of paired toads at the breeding site also dropped to zero three days before the quake. And no fresh spawn was found at the site from April 6 until the last big after-tremor.

Grant says the toads' comportment is a "dramatic change" for the species.

Once male toads hole up at a breeding site, they usually never leave until the annual spawning season is over, she notes.

Eager to answer the riddle, Grant obtained Russian measurements of electrical activity in the ionosphere, the uppermost electromagnetic layer in the atmosphere, which were picked up by very low frequency (VLF) radio receivers.

The toads' two periods of exodus both coincided with bursts of VLF disruption.

Previous research has attributed perturbations in the ionosphere to releases of radon, a radioactive gas generated underground, or to gravity waves prior to a quake, although much about this phenomenon is unclear.

In the quest to find an earthquake predictor, elephants, horses, wolves, snakes and fish have all been variously put forward.

This study, though, is exceptional. It puts the flesh of data and first-hand observation on the bones of anecdotal evidence, even if there is no confirmed explanation as to why the toads bolted as they did.

"Our study is one of the first to document animal behaviour before, during and after an earthquake," says Grant.

"Our findings suggest that toads are able to detect pre-seismic cues such as the release of gases and charged particles, and use these as a form of early warning system."

The paper is published in the Journal of Zoology by the Zoological Society of London.

:: What are children being exposed to? ::

Assalam Alaikum,

I came upon this video while browsing...

Kids shown video of their mother's suicide bombing death on Hamas TV

Okay, got to be prepared that these are disturbing scenes... And before you think I'm going crazy, I just got to state clearly the reason for posting these videos~ I just wanna show that media (Esp. internet!) is a very very scary thing because it can easily manipulate one's mindset, especially young children~ If I can find such video online, I'm sure there will be children out there, being exposed to such videos too~ Really got to beware of what children are watching...

I'm really clueless about the situations in the middle east and I really have no comment about what people are thinking and doing... But surely I know it's painful for these children~

UrghHhhhh....

Again, children are the innocent and they are being made used of~ The world is getting scarier with these children, growing up to be adults... Pray pray pray for these children to see the light one day~ 

W'salam,
Khadijah C.

:: Chinese girl chooses Islam ::

Assalam Alaikum,

Just watched this video on the reasons why a Chinese Muslimah revert to Islam~

Chinese girl's journey of peace, tranquility & happiness with Islam ~ English ~ 

It's always enlightening to hear and see reverts' stories~ A source of motivation! Yay! =D

W'salam,

Khadijah C. 

:: Interesting welfare zone ::

Assalam Alaikum,

WOW!!! Something interesting in the Welfare Zone... Guess what? It's SHAG week, which means, it's Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance week! Surely, the contents of the 'SHAG fact' are surely VERYyyYYyyy 'guiding'!!! Oh man...

Alright~ Enough of making such a fuss... 

Still!!! Why are these in the welfare zone board? What has it got to do with welfare of a uni student? And know what? This board is just right outside the library where everyone will see it~ Why make it soOoo public?

What message is it sending? hmMmmm...

Alright, I'm a stranger in such strange society I am in now~ Alhamdulliah! =D

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

:: Listening & obeying through intuition ::

Assalam Alaikum,

I was reading posts in forum and I came upon this inspirational story~ Sometimes, there's just no explanation for the work of Allah(SWT), till the result is evident~ Meanwhile, just gotta be obedient and be on the right path~ =D

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

INSPIRATIONAL STORY

Taken from http://www.shelfari.com/groups/14212/discussions/69793/INSPIRATIONAL-STORY

A young man had been to Wednesday Night Class of Quranic Studies. The Mualim had shared about listening to Allah and obeying Allah through intuition. The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does Allah still speak to people through intuition?' After Lessons, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how Allah had led them in different ways and that at the end you'll know it was Allah(SWT) Who has directed you.

It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'Allah...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen.

I will do my best to obey.' As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, 'Allah is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk came into his head. 'Okay, Allah, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.

As he passed Seventh Street , he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.' This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street .. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, Allah, I will.'

He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.

'Allah, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.

Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay Allah (SWT), if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?' The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.'

The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking Allah (SWT) to show me how to get some milk.'

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?'

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that Allah (SWT) still answers prayers.

Moral: Allah swt always waits for us. He is ready to forgive us and answer our prayers. However it is us who need to get closer to Him. He is always there for us and waiting for us to ask for anything, yet we choose to do things on our own. Remember that He is the Creator and the Rabb of the universe and is willing to help you in your time of need. I believe it is time that we finally open our hearts and mind and submitt ourselves to His will. This is a reminder to myself and to everyone else.