Sunday, 25 November 2012


Apr 22, '10 10:52 AM
for everyone

RULES OF TAYAMMUM 
   
 Q: 199: In performing tayammum on things upon which tayammum is valid, such as soil, plaster of Paris, stone, and rock, is it all right to do it when they are fixed on a wall, or is it necessary that they be on the ground?
  A: It is not a condition for the validity of tayammum that they should be on the ground. 
  Q 200: One becomes junub (e.g. after ejaculation) and there is no access to the bath and the state of janābah remains for several days. Then, if he prayed with tayammum instead of ghusl and thereafter a wuḍū’ invalidator happened, is he obliged to perform again tayammum instead of ghusl for the later prayers? Or is the first tayammum enough for janābah and it is obligatory to do wuḍū’ or tayammum for the following prayers due to the occurrence of wuḍū’ invalidator?
  A: When a junub person performs a valid tayammum as a substitute for the ghusl of janābah and a wuḍū’ invalidator occurs later, then as long as the excuse of performing tayammum instead of ghusl is existing it is of obligatory caution for him to perform tayammum instead of ghusl for every act that requires being in a state of purity and then to do wuḍū’, as well,. If he is excused from wuḍū’, he is to perform another tayammum instead of wuḍū’. 
  Q 201: Do the rules of ghusl apply to tayammum performed as a substitute for ghusl in the sense that it is permissible to enter a masjid with it?
  A: All of the shar‘ī effects of ghusl apply to tayammum performed as a substitute for it, except when it is performed due to shortness of time.  
  Q 202: Is it permissible for one, suffering from incontinence of urine due to spinal cord injury in the war, to perform tayammum as a substitute for mustaḥabb ghusl like Friday ghusl, and ghusl for visiting the Infallibles’ shrines and so on, as it is somewhat difficult for him to go to bathroom?
  A: The correctness of tayammum as a substitute for ghusl — in order to perform those practices for which purity is not a condition — is problematic. However, there is no objection to doing it as a substitute for mustaḥabb ghusls, in cases involving unbearable hardship, in the hope that it is desired by shar‘.  
  Q 203: One who cannot find water, or one for whom using water is harmful, performs tayammum instead of the ghusl of janābah. Is it permissible for him to enter a masjid and attend congregational prayer? What about reciting the Holy Qur’an?
  A: As long as the excuse permitting tayammum is not removed and the tayammum remains valid, he is allowed to perform all the acts for which purity is required.  
  Q 204: Someone had a discharge during sleep and on waking up he does not remember anything but finds wetness on his clothes. There is no time for him to sit and try to remember, for there is little time remaining to offer the morning prayer. What is one to do in such a state? How is he to make the intent for tayammum as substitution for the ghusl? What is the basic rule?
  A: If one knows that there was discharge of semen, he is junub and, thus, ghusl is obligatory for him. If the time is short, he must do tayammum after cleaning his body from najāsah, pray, and do ghusl afterwars. But when there is doubt concerning discharge of semen and janābah, the rule of being in a state of janābah does not apply to him.  
  Q 205: If a person becomes junub on several successive nights, what is his duty, in view of what has been mentioned in the noble traditions that taking a bath continuously for several days causes weakness?
  A: It is obligatory for him to perform ghusl unless using water is harmful for him, in which case his duty is to perform tayammum. 
  Q 206: I am in an abnormal condition in which I suffer from frequent involuntary emissions of semen, which are not accompanied with sexual pleasure. What is my duty in regard to each prayer?
  A: If doing ghusl for every prayer is harmful, or involves unbearable hardship for you, you can offer prayers with tayammum after cleaning your body.   
   Q 207: Someone abstains from performing ghusl of janābah for the morning prayer and does tayammum believing that he would fall sick if he performs ghusl. What is the rule?
  A: If he believes ghusl to be harmful for him, there is no problem in doing tayammum, and the prayer offered therewith is valid.  
  Q 208: How can we perform tayammum? Is there any difference between the method of tayammum done instead of wuḍū’ and that done instead of ghusl?
  A: Tayammum should be done in this order: First, one makes the intention. Then, the palms of the two hands are hit on something on which tayammum is correct and they are rubbed over the entire forehead and both sides of it from the hair line to the eyebrows and the upper part of the nose. Thereafter the left palm is rubbed over the back of the entire right hand and the right palm over the back of the entire left hand. Also, based on obligatory caution, one should hit both palms, again, on the earth and then to wipe the left palm over the back of the entire right hand and the right palm over the back of the entire left hand. This order is the same whether tayammum is to be done instead of wuḍū’ or ghusl. 
  Q 209: What is the ruling of doing tayammum on gypsum, limestone, their baked pieces and bricks?
  A: Doing tayammum on anything that is considered as the earth — like gypsum, limestone, etc. — is valid and it is not remote that doing it over baked gypsum and limestone, and bricks is also correct. 
  Q 210: You have stated that things on which we can do tayammum should be pure. Is it obligatory for body parts involved in tayammum — i.e. forehead and back of the hands — to be pure as well?
  A: It is based on caution that, whenever possible, forehead and the back of the hands should be pure. If one could not purify them, he would perform it without purification, although it is not remote that it is not necessary for them to be pure in any case. 
  Q 211: If one is not able to perform wuḍū’ and tayammum is not possible either, what is his duty?
  A: If he is neither able to perform wuḍū’ for prayer nor tayammum, he should offer his prayer, as per caution, within its specific time without them and make it up in qaḍā’ with wuḍū’ or tayammum later on. 
  Q 212: I am suffering from a skin disease i.e. the skin dries up whenever I take a bath or even wash my hands or face. Accordingly, I am forced to apply oil to my skin and that creates difficulty when doing wuḍū’, especially when doing it for the morning prayer. Is it permissible for me to do tayammum instead of wuḍū’, for morning prayers?
  A: If using water is harmful for you, it is incorrect to do wuḍū’, and you should do tayammum instead. But if doing wuḍū’ is not harmful and the mentioned oil does not prevent water from reaching the skin of the body parts involved in wuḍū’, you should perform wuḍū’. Also, if the oil acts as a barrier between water and skin and you can clean the oil, do wuḍū’, and apply the oil again, tayammum will not be accepted from you. 
  Q 213: A person prays with tayammum due to shortness of time, and after completing the prayer he comes to know that there was enough time to do wuḍū’. What is the rule concerning his prayer?
  A: It is obligatory for him to repeat that prayer.  
  Q 214: We live in a cold area where there is no bathroom or any place for bathing. At times we wake up in a state of janābah before the morning adhān during the blessed month of Ramadan. As it is shameful for youths to get up at midnight before the eyes of the people and to take a bath with the water of a water-skin or a pool, and water is also cold at that time, what is our duty concerning fasting on the next day in such a condition? Is tayammum permissible? And what is the rule if one were not to fast for not having performed the ghusl?
  A: Sole difficulty of an act or that one is embarrassed to do it in front of people’s eyes is not a shar‘ī excuse. Rather, one is obliged to take ghusl in any manner that he can, as long as it does not involve hardship on the mukallaf or harm. In case it is harmful or unbearably difficult, he can perform tayammum instead. If he does tayammum instead of ghusl before the fajr adhān, his fast is valid, and if he does not do tayammum, his fast would be invalid; but it is obligatory for him anyway to refrain from eating and drinking throughout the day. 
(source SHISMAD)
Tags: 
Apr 22, '10 10:44 AM
for everyone
One of the issues, among many others, that the Sunnis quarrel with the Shia
about is the form, method, and time of the Prayer (Salat) prescribed on
every male and female believer. Indeed, they make a mockery of the Shi'i
prayer!  
The Shia acknowledge FIVE daily PRAYERS.  However, they are allowed to pray
them in THREE distinct TIMES, not five; the five prayers are: Fajr
(Morning), Zuhr (Noon), `Asr (Afternoon), Maghrib (Sunset), and Isha
(Night).
The Fajr (morning) is prayed at the same time as the Sunnis do; however,
the Shia usually wait 10 minutes before they consider it to be time for
Fajr.
We are allowed to pray noon and afternoon prayer one after another (without
a lot of delay between the two). Similarly we are allowed to pray sunset
prayer and night prayer one after another. Actually it is better to pray in
their own specific time (close to what Sunnis do), but it is not necessary.
Thus instead of five separate times, we can pray all the five daily prayers
only in three separate times.
(NOTE:  The prayers in ALL cases are DISTINCT (separate), it's NOT that
they (the Shia) pray eight Raka't (for Zuhr and `Asr) straight, or seven
Raka't (for Maghrib and Isha) straight, as part of ONE prayer.  It is the
SAME regular form of prayer, but combined into one TIME, NOT one PRAYER.)
It should also be noted that the Sunnis agree to the combining of prayers
in the case of Rain, Travel, Fear, or other emergencies.  Two forms are
allowed: Jam'a Taqdeem (Early Combination) or Jam'a Ta-ikheer (Late
Combination). An example of Early combination is the combining of Zuhr and
`Asr to be prayed in the time of Zuhr.  An example of Late Combination is
the combining of the Zuhr and `Asr to be prayed in the time of `Asr. The
EXCEPTION among the Sunni schools are the Hanifites (Followers of Abu
Hanifa):  They contend that you CANNOT combine the prayers at any time, not
even if you're traveling.  This clearly violated the other Sunni schools of
thought, but it was and still is tolerated. The Maliki's, Shafeei's, and
Hanbali's all agree to the combining of prayers when one is traveling, but
are in conflict on other times.  The Shia said that one can combine the
prayers ANYTIME without ANY cause of fear, rain, or whatever.  Nonetheless,
the Shia also contend that if you want to pray them separately, it is
acceptable as well.
Now, let's question why the Shia perform the Prayers as described above,
and who is more accurate in their Prayer, the Sunnis or the Shia? Here is
what Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran:
     "Establish regular prayers at the Sun's decline till the darkness of
     the night, and the recital of the Quran in the morning prayer; for the
     recital of the dawn is Witnessed. [17:78]"
How many prayer times are mentioned?  THREE, NOT five. Count them: the
"Sun's Decline, Darkness of the Night, and the Morning Prayer."  That's
THREE, not FIVE.
Now, what did the Prophet (PBUH&HF) do?  Here's what Ibn Abbas, one of the
most famous narrators, says according to the Musnad of Ibn Hanbal (One of
the books of tradition):
     "The Prophet (PBUH&HF) prayed in Madina, while residing there,
     NOT TRAVELING, seven and eight (this is an indication to the seven
     Raka't of Maghrib and Isha combined, and the eight Raka't of Zuhr and
     `Asr combined)."
Musnad al-Imam Ibn Hanbal, vol. 1, page 221.
Also, in the Muwatta' of Malik (Imam of Maliki sect), vol. 1, page 161, Ibn
Abbas says:
     "The Prophet (PBUH&HF) prayed Zuhr and `Asr in combination and Maghrib
     and Isha in combination WITHOUT a reason for fear or travel."
As for Sahih Muslim, see the following under the chapter of "Combination of
prayers, when one is resident":
     Ibn Abbas reported: The messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him)
     observed the noon and the afternoon prayers together, and the sunset
     and Isha prayers together without being in a state of fear or in a
     state of journey
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1515
     Ibn Abbas reported that the messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him)
     combined the noon prayer with the afternoon prayer and the sunset
     prayer with the Isha prayer in Medina without being in a state of
     danger or rainfall. And in the hadith transmitted by Waki(the words
     are): "I said to Ibn Abbas: What prompted him to do that? He said: So
     that his(prophet's)Ummah should not be put to (unnecessary) hardship."
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1520
     Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: Ibn Abbas one day addressed us in the
     afternoon(after the afternoon prayer) till the sun disappeared, and
     the stars appeared, and the people began to say: Prayer, prayer. A
     person from Banu Tamim came there. He neither slackened nor turned
     away, but (continued crying): Prayer, prayer. Ibn Abbas said: May you
     be deprived of your mother, do you teach me sunnah? And then he said:
     I saw the messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him) combining the noon
     and afternoon prayers and the sunset and Isha prayers. Abdullah b.
     Shaqiq said: Some doubt was created in my mind about it. So I came to
     Abu Huraira and asked him(about it) and he testified his assertion.
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1523
     Abdullah b. Shaqiq al-Uqaili reported: A person said to Ibn Abbas(as
     he delayed the prayer): Prayer. He kept silent. He again said: Prayer.
     He again kept silent, and he cried: Prayer. He again kept silent and
     said: May you be deprived of your mother, do you teach us about
     prayer? We used to combine two prayers during the lifetime of the
     messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him).
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1524
     Ibn Abbas reported: The messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him)
     observed the noon and afternoon prayers together in Medina without
     being in a state of fear or in a state of journey. Abu Zubair said: I
     asked Sa'id[one of the narrators] why he did that. He said: I asked
     Ibn Abbas as you have asked me, and he replied that he[the Holy
     prophet] wanted that no one among his Ummah should be put to
     [unnecessary] hardship.
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1516
     Ibn Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him)
     observed in Medina seven (rakahs) and eight(rakahs), i.e., (he
     combined) the noon and afternoon prayers(eight rakahs) and the sunset
     and Isha prayers(seven Rakahs).
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter CCL, Tradition #1522
Now, who is it that follows the customs and tradition of the Prophet
(PBUH&HF)???  The Shia who follow it to the letter, or the Sunnis who don't
even acknowledge the traditions in their own books? This is a SIGN for
those who reflect!
Furthermore, Allah (SWT) continually reminds us in the Quran that Islam was
revealed to make your life easier, not more difficult.  How then, can one
work, eat, sleep, study, etc... with five prayers a day in five different
times?  You pray Maghrib, and an hour later, you pray Isha.  Is this
convenient, say for doctors in a surgery room?  Believe me, if the Sunnis
followed what the Prophet (PBUH&HF) did (five prayers in three TIMES a
day), many people would be praying today.  I witnessed this myself in this
holy month of Ramadan.  My Sunni friends pray Zuhr, then sleep.  They then
wake up about 30 minutes before Iftar (the time to break the fast), and
pray `Asr.  Many also miss the prayer!  Is this really convenient???
Question and ask for the TRUTH, and if you are honest and sincere, Allah
(SWT) will guide you.
There is another aspect which the Sunnis make a mockery of when they see a
Shii praying: The Shia will only pray on natural rock (not cement), the
ground (if it is NOT planted something that is either edible and/or
something of which clothe can be made to be worn by humans), rugs made of
Palm tree leaves, or rugs made of dry grasslike material (the same stuff as
that used in building huts).  The Shia will NOT pray on regular carpet.
That's why, if you see a Shii praying, you will notice that he is praying
on a peace of mud that is about the size of matchbox.  The Sunnis mock the
Shia and say that the Shia worship the rock!
It should also be noted that the piece of mud that the Shia pray on is from
the mud of Karbala, the place in Iraq where al-Imam al-Hussein (AS) was
slaughtered by Yazid's army.  Nonetheless, this is NOT a mandatory
requirement; the mud can be from ANY place on Earth as long as it is clean
and, as I mentioned earlier, is not planted edible foods or materials which
can be made into clothe that humans can wear.
Now, let's question why the Shia pray on the above materials only, and,
again, who is wrong or right?
First, carpets are not allowed, nor is cement because the ingredients that
they are made up of are not known.  They may contain materials which are
Haram (Islamically illegal) to prostrate one's head on (make sujud).
Second, the prostration on the ground is more humble and modest when one is
between the Hands of Allah (SWT).  It is a form of eliminating pride,
arrogance, and flamboyance.
Third, the Shia pray ON the rock, NOT FOR the rock. We DO NOT worship
rocks.
NOTE: The Sunnis allow the prostration on anything that is clean, but they
do FAVOR rugs made from Palm tree leaves.
But what did the Prophet (PBUH&HF) do?
Sahih Muslim, v1, p168, under the chapter of  "A Menstruating Woman's
     Eligibility to Wash Her Husband's Head" narrates that the Prophet
     (PBUH&HF) had a special rug made of Palm tree leaves that he (SAAS)
     used to pray on.
Sahih al-Bukhari, v2, p256, under the chapter of "Retreating to
     Prayer in the last ten days (of Ramadan)" narrates at the end of a
     long tradition that when the Prophet (PBUH&HF) raised his (SAAS) head
     from prayer, the companions saw the marks of mud and water on his
     (SAAS) forehead. This indicates that he (SAAS) prayed on the ground.
Sahih al-Bukhari, v1, p86, under the chapter of "Tayamum" narrates
     that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The GROUND has been cleansed and
     made a masjid for me."
Do I need to comment?  Who, now, is it that follows the custom of the
Prophet (PBUH&HF)?
Some of the other differences between the Shia and Sunnis are: The Shia
pray with their hands hanging down the sides (like the Sunni Malikis), not
clasped above their navel. Also, the Shia don't say "Ameen" after the
recitation of the first Surah (chapter) in prayer is completed.  The reason
is that there is no proof to support the notion that this kind of behavior
was performed by the Prophet (PBUH&HF).
Again, there is a difference in the Azan (Call to Prayer) among the Shia
and the Sunnis.  The Shia add one line to the Azan, which they consider to
be a MANDATORY component of the Azan.  This line, repeated twice, is: "Haya
`ala Khair al-'amal -- Rise Up For The Best of Works."  It comes right
after the line: "Haya `ala al-Falah -- Rise Up For Salvation."  Another
addition by the Shia, which is NOT a mandatory part of the Azan, is the
affirmation: "Ash-hadoo Ana Ali-yan Walayo Allah -- I witness that Ali is
the Vicegerent of Allah." This line is repeated twice and follows the line:
"Ash-hadoo Ana Muhamadan Rasool Allah -- I witness that Muhamad is the
Messenger of Allah."  As I mentioned, the latter line is NOT considered
mandatory, and ANY Shii individual that argues otherwise, has invalidated the Azan.
The origin of this assertion and addition goes back to the days
of the Ummayads and the political environment during those days. The
Ummayads attempted wholeheartedly to eliminate the memory of al-Imam Ali
(AS) from among his (AS) followers. This effort reached astronomical
proportions, that during and after the days of Muawiyah's ruling, it became
customary to curse al-Imam Ali (AS) whenever his (AS) name was mentioned
(May Allah (SWT) forgive us). As such, the followers of al-Imam Ali (AS)
chose to oppose the corrupt Ummayad government, and assert that Ali (AS)
was truly the Vicegerent of Allah (SWT). That served as both an annoyment
to the authorities, and a reminder to the posterity that al- Imam Ali (AS)
was indeed the Agent and Vicegerent of Allah (SWT).
In conclusion, I simply appeal to all believing individuals to engage in a
serious soul-searching effort to find the truth for themselves. May Allah
(SWT) forgive us our sins, and guide us to that which pleases Him (SWT).
Tags: 
Apr 21, '10 5:40 AM
for everyone

I urgently needed a few days off work, but, I knew the Boss would not allow
me to take leave.
I thought that maybe if I acted 'Crazy' then he would tell me to take a few
days off.
So I hung upside-down on the ceiling and made funny noises.
My co-worker (who's blonde) asked me what I was doing.
I told her that I was pretending to be a light bulb so that the Boss might
think I was 'Crazy' and give me a few days off.
A few minutes later the Boss came into the office and asked, 'What in the
name of good GOD are you doing?'
 
I told him I was a light bulb.
He said, 'You are clearly stressed out.' Go home and recuperate for a couple
of days.'
I jumped down and walked out of the office...
When my co-worker (the blonde) followed me, the Boss asked her, '..And where
do you think you're going?!'
 
(You're going to love this....)



She said, 'I'm going home, too. I can't work in the dark.'
Tags: 
Apr 21, '10 5:24 AM
for everyone
My son Syed Murtaza Moosavi 5 years old have undergone an major operation day before yesterday night due to solid peace of mirror is fell down on his right hand. Due to that his three veins and three bones has been broken and the whole skin comes out from elbow to fingers. Therefore, I kindly request all of you (momineen) to pray for his small Azadar-e-Hussain (Slave of Ali Asger AS) to get recover soon…humble request
===========
 
AHADEES
 
Duniya ....Amir al-Mu'minin Imām ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (A.S) ne farmaya: "Duniya itifaq se mil jati hai aur aakherat sirf haqdaar ko milti hai. Tum aakherat ki fiqr karo duniya khud-ba-khud zalil hokar aa jayegi."
 
Imām Alī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā (S.A.W.W) :regarding the reason for ablution, said, "So that the servant is pure when he stands before the Mighty One when engaged in supplication to Him, being obedient to Him through what He has commanded him, purified of filths and impurities, and also because it does away with lazi...ness and repels drowsiness, and purifies the heart for standing before the Mighty One."
 
..Saying of the Infallible (A.S.):When Sa'd Ansari responded to the Holy Prophet [pbuh & hp] that his hands were calloused because he used to work with a rope and a shovel to earn money to spend for his wife and children, He [pbuh & hp] kissed his hand (as an honour) and said: "This is a hand which the Fire (of He...ll) will never touch."(Usd-ul-Ghabah, vol. 2, p. 269).
 
PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR NOT SENDING YOU MAILS FROM LAST TWO DAYS...REASON MENTION ABOVE...NEEDS YOURS PRAYERS......HUMBLE REQUEST.
 
WITH DUA
ALIWALE HUSSAINWALE

(sent by sis Shenaz Karim)

Tags: 
Apr 20, '10 1:53 PM
for everyone

TOPPERS ANSWERS* 

Q. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it? 

A. Concrete floors are very h ard to crack! (UPSC Topper) 
Q. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take 

four men to build it? 

A. No time at all it is already built. (UPSC 23 Rank Opted for IFS) 
Q. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples 

and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have? 

A. Very l arge hands. (Good one) (UPSC 11 Rank Opted for IPS) 
Q. How can you lift an elephant with one hand? 

A. It is not a problem, since you will never find an elephant with one hand. 

(UPSC Rank 14 Opted for IES)
Q. How can a man go eight days without sleep? 

A. No Probs , He sleeps at night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98) 
Q. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become? 

A. It will Wet or Sink as simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2) 
Q. What looks like half apple ? 

A: The other half. (UPSC - IAS Topper ) 
Q. What can you never eat for breakfast ? 

A: Dinner.
Q. What happened when wheel was invented ? 

A: It caused a revolution.
Q. Bay of Bengal is in which state? 

A: Liquid (UPSC 33Rank ) 
 
Below are the Interview Questions, which were asked in HR Round..... 

No one will GET second chance to impress.... 

Very very Impressive Questions and Answers..... ... 
 
 
Question 1: 

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, 

it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see 

three people waiting for a bus: 

An old lady who looks as if she is about to die. 

An old friend who once saved your life. 

The perfect partner you have been dreaming about. 

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing very well that 

there could only be one passenger in your car? 

This is a moral/ethical dilem ma that was once ac tually used as part of a 

job application. 

* You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus 

you should save her first;

* or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and 

this would be the perfect chance to! pay him back. 

* However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again. 

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming 

up with his answer. Guess what was his answer? 

He simply answered: 

"I would give the car keys to my Old friend and let him take the lady to 

the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner 

of my dreams." 

Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought 

limitations. Never forget to "Think Outside of the Box." 
 
Question 2:

What will you do if I run away with your sister?" 

The candidate who was selected answered " I will not get a better match 

for my sister than you sir" 
 
Question 3: 

Interviewer (to a student girl candidate) - What is one morning you woke 

up & found that you were pregnant. 

Girl - I will be very excited and take an off, to celebrate with my husband. 

Normally an unmarried girl will be shocked to hear this, but she managed 

it well. Why I should think it in the wrong way, she said later when asked 
 
Question 4:

Interviewer: He ordered a cup of coffee for the candidate. Coffee arrived 

kept before the candidate, then he asked what is before you? 

Candidate: Instantly replied "Tea" 

He got selected. 

You know how and why did he say "TEA" when he knows very well that coffee 

was kept before. 

(Answer: The question was "What is before you (U - alphabet) Reply was 

"TEA" ( T - alphabet) 

Alphabet "T" was before Alphabet "U" 
 
Question 5: 

Where Lord Rama would have celebrated his "First Diwali"? 

People will start thinking of Ayodya, Mitila [Janaki's place], Lanka 

etc... 

But the logic is, Diwali was a celebrated as a mark of Lord Krishna 

Killing N arakasura. In Dusavata ar, Krishnavatha ar comes after 

Raa mavatha ar. 

So, Lord Rama would not have celebrated the Diwali At all! 
 
Question 6: 

The interviewer asked to the candidate "This is your last question of the 

interview. Please tell me the exact position of the center of this table 

where u have kept your files."

Candidate confidently put one of his finger at some point at the table 

and told that this was the central point at the table. 

Interviewer asked how did u get to know that this being the central point 

of this table, then he answers quickly that 

"sir u r not likely to ask any more question, as it was the last question 

that u promised to ask....." 

And hence, he was selected as because of his quick-wittedness. ....... 

This is What Interviewer expects from the Interviewee. ... 
 
 
"THINK OUT OF BOX"

Tags: 
[DRAFT] Apr 19, '10 6:17 AM
for everyone
Nature has so arranged that man and woman are attracted to each other. This natural attraction binds them together and they lead a common life and form a family. This natural tendency, the instinct of sex, should be guided to the right direction so that it may be utilized in the service of humanity. Though the common life of a husband and wife originates from thesexual instinct, it gradually develops into a deep, spiritual, sentimental, social and economic relationship. That is what Islam calls matrimony.

Islam has attached great importance to the question of marriage in its social system. In the Holy Qur'an and the sayings of the Holy Prophet we fmd that marriage has been greatly encouraged. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said;

"No institution of Islam is liked by Allah more than that of marriage."

The basic objectives of marriage in Islam are, first, securing a comfortable atmosphere for a husband and wife and, second, producing a new generation of healthy, faithful and virtuous children.

With regard to the first objective, the Holy Qur'an says:

"One of His signs is that He created for you spouses of your own species, so that you might find comfort with them. And He put mutual love and affection in your hearts. Surely in this there are lessons for the the thinking people" (30:21)

A Muslim husband and wife who follow the teachings of the Holy Qur'an should always be a source of comfort for each other, Their relationhup should reach far above that of mere sexual enjoyment and should reach the stage of cordial friendship accompanied by mutual benevolence.

With regard to the second objective, the Holy Qur'an says:

"He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has given you partners from among yourselves and, similarly, made the cattle also males and females. That is how he multiplies you. Nothing can be compared to Him, He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing." (43:11)

One of the most critical questions connected to marriage and the formation of the family is that of choosing a spouse. Freedom in choosing a husband or wife is a principle to which Islam pays much attention. Compatibility between two parties can exist only if they choose each other out of their own free will after careful study and without coercion.
According to Islamic law, the first condition of the validity of a marriage contract is that it should be proposed by the woman and accepted by the man and both of them should act freely in this matter. No impositions are allowed in this respect. A young man once complained to an Imam that his parents were compelling him to marry a girl whom he did not like, whereas he was interested in another girl. The Imam said to him: "Marry that girl whom you like," Still, consultation with the parents of both parties is strongly advised, since marriage establishes a social contract between two families. Such consultation shows respect for the parents and is conducive to better understanding between relatives of both sides.

Choosing a suitable spouse is the first step in establishing a sound family. The Holy Prophet said:

"Marry your equals; choose your partner in life from among them and select the best mothers for your offspring."

At first glance, this saying from the Holy Prophet may seem racist or prejudiced.

Source: Mahjubah
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[DRAFT] Apr 19, '10 6:16 AM
for everyone
By: Shaikh Ibrahim Al-Amini
Marriage is a natural necessity for every human being. It bears many good outcomes of which the most important ones are:

(1) The formation of a family through which one can find security and peace of mind. A person who is not married resembles a bird without a nest. Marriage serves as a shelter for anyone who feels lost in the wilderness of life; one can find a partner in life who would share one's joy and sorrow.

(2) The natural sexual desire is both strong and significant. Everyone should have a partner for satisfying their sexual needs in a secure and serene environment. Everyone should enjoy sexual satisfaction in a correct and proper manner. Those who abstain from marriage often suffer from both physical and psychological disorders. Such disorders and certain social problems are a direct consequence of the abstinence of youth from marriage.

(3) Reproduction: Through marriage the procreation of mankind is continued. Children are the result of marriage and are important factors in stabilizing the family foundations as well as a source of real joy to their parents.

A great deal of emphasis has been given in the Holy Qur'an and the Traditions to both marriage and having children. The Almighty Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:

"And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves,..." (30:21).

The Prophet (SA) stated: 'There is no better structure founded in Islam other than marriage'."[1]

"Imam Ali (AS) stated: 'Engage in marriage; because this is the tradition of the Prophet (SA) of Allah."[2]

"The Prophet (SA) of Allah stated: 'Whoever chooses to follow my tradition must get married and produce offspring through marriage (and increase the population of Muslims) so that on the day of resurrection I shall confront other Ummah (nations) with the (great) numbers of my Ummah'"[3]

"Imam Rida (AS) stated: 'The greatest gain for a man is a faithful woman who, when she sees him, becomes happy and protects his property and her own honour in his absence'."[4]

What has been dealt with so far in this chapter has been only the worldly and animalistic side of marriage which the animals also share: the Benefits of companionship and reproduction. As such the true purpose of marriage for the human race is of a different kind. Mankind is not meant to have entered this world solely in order to eat, drink, sleep, seek pleasure or act lustfully, and then to die and be destroyed. The status of man is higher than such deeds. Human beings are meant to train themselves and their souls by gaining knowledge, committing good deeds, and behaving with good manners. Man is meant to take steps along the straight path to achieve nearness to Almighty Allah. Mankind is a creation that is able to cleanse his soul and by avoiding evil deeds and exercising good behaviour reach a level of such high status that even the angels are not able to attain. Man is a creature that is eternal. He has come to this world so that by the guidance of the prophets and the implementation of the programs set by the religion (of Islam), to secure his happiness in this world and the Hereafter; so that he could live a peaceful life in the next world eternally.

Therefore, the purpose of marriage should be searched for in this spiritual context. The aim of marriage for a religious person should be a means of avoiding evil deeds and purging one's soul of sins. It should be a means of acquiring nearness to the Almighty Allah. It is in this context that a suitable and good partner assumes an important role. When two believers, through marriage, form a family, their sexual relationship would benefit them in strengthening their mutual love and kindness, for such a couple, there would not exist any dangerous threats of sexual perversion, dangerous addictions or unlawful deeds. The Prophet (SA) of Islam and all of the Imams (AS) have laid great emphasis on the institution of marriage.

"The Prophet (SA) stated: 'Whoever gets married, has safeguarded half of his religion'."[5]

"Imam Sadiq (AS) stated: 'Two Rak'ats (units) of a married person's Salat (prayer) are better than seventy Rak'ats offered by a bachelor'."[6]

A faithful, pious, and harmonious partner plays a crucial role in having a respectable and honest life. Indeed having such a partner is an important factor when wanting to avoid evil deeds and enables the commitment of oneself in performing the obligatory acts of worship. A pious couple, not only would not meet with any obstacle in achieving religious goals, but would be a source of encouragement to each other .

Is it really possible for a faithful man of Allah to gloriously fight in His way, without the approval of his wife? Is it possible for any pious person to earn his living lawfully, observing all religious aspects, paying statutary religious alms to avoid extravagance, and to spend on charitable deeds without the consent of his wife?

A pious person would always invite his partner to goodness, just as a corrupt person would tempt his partner towards corruption. It is then reasonable that, in Islam men and women, who want to get married, are advised to regard the piety and good manners of their future partners, as essential conditions.

"The Prophet (SA) stated: 'If I were to bestow all the good of both worlds upon a Muslim person, I would endow him with a humble heart, a tongue which continuously utters his praises, a body patient enough to withstand all calamities; and I would give him a pious spouse who, when she sees him, becomes happy ,and protects his property and her own honour in his absence'."[7]

"One person went to the Prophet (SA) and said: 'I have a wife who always welcomes me when I come home, and escorts me to the door when I leave. When she finds me sad and unhappy, she then, by consoling me says: 'If you are thinking of sustenance, then do not despair, because Allah provides sustenance; and if you are thinking about the next life, then may Allah increase your intellect and efforts. Then the Prophet (SA) stated: ' Allah surely has functionaries and agents in this world and your wife is one of those. Such a woman would be rewarded half as much as a martyr'."[8]

"Imam Ali (AS) was thinking the same when he spoke of Hadrat Zahra (AS). He stated that she was the best help for worshipping the Almighty Allah. History tells us that the Prophet (SA), one day after the wedding of Imam Ali (AS) and Hadrat Zahra (AS), went to congratulate them in their house and know about their welfare. He asked Imam Ali (AS): 'How do you find your spouse?' The Imam replied: 'I found Zahra as the best help in worshipping the Almighty Allah.' The Prophet (SA) then asked the same of Zahra (AS), and she replied: 'He is the best husband'."[9]

Imam Ali (AS), in one sentence, introduced the best woman in Islam and expressed the main purpose of marriage.
REFERENCES

[1] Wasa 'il al Shiah, vol 14, p 3.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid, p 23.

[5] Ibid, p 5.

[6] Ibid, p 6.

[7] Ibid, p 23.

[8] Ibid, p 17.

[9] Bihar al-Anwar, vol 43, p 117. 
Living with Husband
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The task of a wife is to maintain and take care of a husband. It is not an easy undertaking. Those women who are unaware of this feature of their role, may find difficulty in fulfilling the task. It is a job for the woman who is aware that the job requires a degree of sagacity, style, and ingenuity. For a woman to be a successful wife, she should win over her husband's heart and be a source of comfort to him. She should encourage him to do good deeds while dissuading him from bad ones. She should also provide adequate measures to maintain his health and well-being. The results of her efforts are directed towards making the man into a kind and respected husband who would be a proper guardian for his family, and a good father from whom the children would seek guidance and respect. Allah, the All-Knowing has endowed woman with extraordinary power. The prosperity and happiness as well as the misery of the family are in her hands.

A woman can turn the home into a lofty paradise or a burning hell. She can lead her husband to the peak of success or the dregs of misfortune. The woman with the qualities bestowed on her by Allah, who is aware of her role as a spouse, can elevate her husband to a respected man even if he had been the lowest of all men.

"One learned scholar wrote: 'Women possess a strange power in that they are able to acquire whatever they desire'. "[l0]

In Islam, taking care of one's husband has an important position. It has been equated to the role of Jihad (holy war in the path of Allah). "Imam Ali (AS) stated: 'The Jihad of a woman is to take care of her husband well'."[11]

Considering that Jihad is the struggle and holy war in the path of Allah including the struggle for advancement and honour of Islam, defending the Islamic territories and execution of social justice, it is one of the highest acts of worship. The value of fulfilling the duties of a proper spouse is also reflected upon when considering Jihad.

"The Prophet (SA) of Islam stated: ' Any woman who dies while her husband is pleased with her, enters Paradise'."[12]

The Holy Prophet also stated: "If a woman does not perform her duty as a spouse, she has not done her duty to Allah."[13]

REFERENCES
[10] Dar Aghushe Khushakhfi, p 142.

[11] Bihar al-Anwar, vol 103, p 254.

[12] Mahajjat al-Bayda, vol 2, p 70.

[13] Mustadrak, vol 2, p 552. 
Kindness
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Apr 19, '10 6:00 AM
for everyone
 Ayah: "And your Lord says: Call on me; I will answer (your prayer). But those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell in humiliation." [Ghafur / Mu'min: 60] 

 Ayah: "When my servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on Me. . ." [Baqarah:186] 

 Hadith: "Dua is (a form) of worship; your Lord said, "Call on Me; I will answer you (your prayer).

 Hadith: "Verily, your Lord (Blessed is He and Almighty) is alive, generous and if His servant raises his hands towards Him, He feels reluctant not to return anything to him."

 Hadith: "Any Muslim who supplicates Allah with a supplication that does not contain any sin or cutting off of family relations, Allah will give him one of three things for it:
 1. Either He will speedily answer his dua
 2. or He will save it for him until the Hereafter
 3. or He will avert something bad from him equal to the value of his dua. 
 (Explanation: a dua has a certain relative value determined by Allah, so if a person says a particular dua, say 15 times in a day, then Allah protects him from something bad that is equal to the valued amount of his dua.)


 Part II Customs and Manners of Making duas and the Causes for their Being Answered:

 1. Faithfulness to Allah
 2. To start with thanking Allah and praising Him and then giving salat on the Prophet (SAW) and ending the dua with the same.
 3. To be serious in dua and certain that it will be answered
 4. Persistence in the dua and not rushing it (Hadith says don't rush or be impatient. Don't say "I prayed for such and such a thing and Allah didn't answer my prayer. Allah dislikes that.)
 5. To put your heart into the dua -- make it from your heart (even if you are reading the words, i.e., mean what you say)
 6. Say dua in times of crises as well as times that are good -- don't just say dua in times of need only.
 7. Ask Allah alone -- and no one else.
 8. Do not make dua on someone's family or money or child or life -- that is, don't say I wish that that person's family be destroyed, or I pray that she loses all her money, or I wish his oldest son would fail or I wish that he would die.
 9. Make dua in a moderately low voice -- not silent yet not completely out loud.
 10. Know your sins (faults) and seek forgiveness for them and know and acknowledge the benefits and blessings you have been given and thank Allah for them.
 11. The oppressor should make amends for what he has done and repent.
 12. Turn to Allah with humility, desire and fear of Him.
 13. Do not use rhymed prose when making dua.
 14. The supplication is (said) three (times). [Hadith that states that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) when making dua, repeated it 3 times.]
 15. Face the Qiblah when making dua.
 16. Raise the hands during dua [sunnah, not wajib]
 17. Make wudu before making dua when possible.
 18. Don't pray for injurious or harmful things to happen to people (like praying someone has an unfortunate mishap, or falls down, or chokes or breaks his leg, etc.) Also remember, that the Angels say "Ameen" and the same for you," after your dua.
 19. The person making dua should start with himself if he is going to pray for someone else.
 20. To make intercession to Allah by use of His beautiful Names and superior Attributes, or by some good deed that the supplicator performed or by the dua of a good man living, who is in his presence (e.g., asking someone who is a good Muslim to make dua for you)
 21. That the food and drink and clothing is halal and of a halal source
 22. Do not make dua for a sin or cutting off of family ties.
 23. To order that which is good and forbid that which is forbidden
 24. Distancing one's self from all types of sin.

 PART III THE PREFERRED TIMES, CONDITIONS AND PLACES SUPPLICATIONS
 ARE ANSWERED: (bearing in mind that one can make dua at any time and in any place; however, the following are the most preferable times, conditions and places.)

 1. Lailatul Qadr
 2. Deep in the last third of the night
 3. Immediately after the mandatory prayers
 4. Between the adhan and iqamah
 5. An hour during every night -- [hadith states that Allah comes down to the sky of the earth during the last 3rd of the night and hears the duas of the believers]
 6. At the time of the call to the mandatory prayers
 7. At the time of rain
 8. During jihad when the ranks of fighters (mujahidoun) advance in the path of Allah
 9. An hour every Friday -- the soundest opinion regarding this hour is the last hour between the hours of Asr on the day of Juma, and it could be the hour of the khutba and salat.
 10. At the time of drinking Zamzam water with true intentions
 11. During sajda
 12. At the time of waking up at night and there are hadith regarding what the Prophet r said in these duas
 13. If you sleep after having made wudu then wake up at night and then make supplication
 14. After you say dua Yunus, make your personal dua or one from Qur'an or sunnah and it is La illah ila Allah subhannaka inni kuntu min al thaalimeen.
 15. Dua of people after the death of a person (e.g. the dua of a person who is praying for someone who has just died)
 16. Dua after praising Allah and giving salat on the Prophet (SAW) in the tashah-hud at the end of salat. Make your dua before the 2 tasleems.
 17. At the time of dua, call upon Allah by the greatest of His names that, if called by them, He answers, and if asked by them, He gives (e.g. Ya Rahman, Ya Raheem, Ya Thal Jalaali wal Ikraam, Ya Al Ahad As Samad, lam yalid wa lam yulad wa lam yakum kuf wan ahad)
 18. The dua of a Muslim for his brother or sister Muslim stemming from the heart.
 19. Dua on the Day of Arafat
 20. Dua during the month of Ramadan
 21. Dua at the time of a Muslim gathering for the purpose of remembering Allah.
 22. Dua at the time of a crisis by saying Inna lilahi wa inna ilaihi raje'oon, Allahuma ajurni fi museebati, wa akhlif li khairun minha. Verily, we belong to Allah, and verily, to Him is our return. O Allah, Bless me in my problem and replace it for me with something better than it.
 23. Dua when the heart reaches out to Allah and is ready to be totally sincere
 24. Dua of the oppressed against the one who is oppressing him
 25. Dua of the father or mother for or against the son
 26. Dua of the traveler
 27. Dua of the one fasting until he breaks his fast.
 28. Dua of the one fasting at the time of breaking fast
 29. Dua of a desperate person
 30. Dua of a just Imam
 31. Dua of a son or daughter obedient to his or her parents
 32. Dua immediately after wudu saying what has been mentioned in the hadith that is directly related to it (ablution)
 33. Dua after stoning the small Shaitan (jamrat sugra) during Hajj
 34. Dua after stoning the middle Shaitan (jamrat wusta) during Hajj.
 35. Dua made inside the Ka'aba and the dua of one who prays inside the hijr as it is part of the house (bait Allah). [This is the semicircle to the right of the Ka'aba if you face the door.]
 36. Dua on the mount of Safa during Umrah or Hajj
 37. Dua on the mount of Marwa during Umrah or Hajj
 38. Dua at any of the holy sites.

 Note: The believer can call to his Lord at any time, wherever he is but these times and conditions and places are special and more care should be taken.

 Note: All of these circumstances are substantiated by hadith.
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Apr 19, '10 4:25 AM
for everyone
Eat the right food - instead of fried foods, have baked or steamed. Include salads and fruits in your diet.
Water - drink lots, clean and boiled.
Walk - try to walk every morning, or anywhere else you can.

Yoga and meditation - yoga is one of the best ways to keep fit and healthy and meditation calms and relaxes the mind.
Clean habits - try not to drink alcohol or smoke.

Eyes are one of the most wonderful gifts given to us. Here are some tips to take care of them.

Have a good night sleep and give them enough rest.

Massage your eyes with almond oil using your ring finger without giving too much pressure.

Refresh your eyes by splashing cold water on them.

Buy good quality cosmetics. Never lend or use other people's eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, mascara or eyeshadow.

Wear sunglasses while going out in the sun.

Have a good diet consisting of fruit and vegetables. Red, orange, yellow and dark green vegetables, fruit and greens are very good for the eyes.

Make lifestyle changes like giving up alcohol, smoking, avoiding fatty and refined food.

Cover your hair with a scarf or shawl during travel to prevent tangles and to protect your hair from dust.

Always dilute shampoo in a little water and use it. Do not use it directly. Wet your hair first and then apply this diluted shampoo.

Never skip meals as you tend to eat more at the next meal. Do not skip breakfast in particular.

Include a lot of fibre in your diet as it gives a feeling of fullness, thereby preventing you from gorging on fatty foods.

Aerobic exercise like jogging, swimming, cycling and running accelerates weight loss. Consult a physician before starting any weight loss program. Aerobic exercise combined with healthy eating will certainly help in weight reduction.

Use a wide toothed comb to remove tangles and do not comb wet hair. Avoid using a hair dryer to dry your hair. Do not tie your hair tightly. Always use coated rubber bands or soft hair ties.

Mayonnaise is an excellent conditioner for dry hair. Massage your scalp with mayonnaise and leave it for half an hour. Then shampoo as usual. Always rinse your hair well so that no traces of shampoo are left behind.

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Apr 19, '10 4:18 AM
for everyone
Never take your skin for granted. Everyone of us should take care of atleast basic needs of skin. Skin should be kept clean & protected from sunlight. Since, the skin of the face needs even more care than the rest of the body,

it is important to give extra attention to it. Believe it or not, giving only 5 to 15 minutes a day to your face can help enhance your overall personality!

The face has more oil glands, especially the central forehead, adjacent to eye areas, nose & chin. For a flawless & glowing facial skin, One should perform a brief morning regimen & a longer regimen before going to bed. Follow following morning & evening facial care regimen for better results:
Morning Facial Care 
Step 1 - Clean your face with luke-warm water, every morning. Avoid bar soap. Instead use a creamy cleanser or purifying gel wash.
Step 2 - Blot gently with a towel to dry the skin. Do not rub.
Step 3 - To restore the natural pH level of the skin, you should tone the skin on the face. Toning makes your skin clean, clear & ready to be hydrated. Remember, toning also helps remove any residual cleanser or make-up that may have been left behind.
Step 4 - Apply a moisturizer which suits to your skin type. A moisturizer helps smooth away fine lines & dryness leaving your skin feeling softer & smoother. Now, you can apply a sunscreen on top of the moisturizer.
Step 5 - You are now ready to wear your makeup. Match foundation with your skin tone & ensure it looks natural.
Evening Facial Care
Step 1 - Similar to the morning regimen, start your evening regimen, too, by cleaning your face with luke-warm water with a creamy cleanser or purifying gel wash. Washing your face with these skin cleansers will remove your make-up.
Step 2 - Next, apply toner using a cotton pad. Exfoliate before face dry. Exfoliating helps in removing dead skin cells. It also brightens the skin & give healthy glow to your face. Massage gently & rinse well.
Step 3 - Finally, apply a moisturizer to your face, which is specified for your skin type. A firming eye cream should also be used around the eye area. Important: Since, skin needs to breathe over night,never go to bed with your make-up on. Make-up that is left on overnight clogs the pores & prevents the skin cells from shedding, which may cause blemishes &/or blackheads.
More Tips for Facial Care 
- Drink lots of water.
- Wash your face at least twice a day.
- Don't smoke.
- Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation.
- Do facial exercises & get facials.
- Eat plenty of fruits & vegetables.
- Steam yourself. It's not only good for the skin but also reduces stress.
- Never scrub your skin. Gently massage it.
- Take adequate sleep.
- Exercise.

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Apr 19, '10 4:09 AM
for everyone
The biggest misconception about creativity is that it involves a moment of magical creation when the incredible appears out of thin air. The truth is less romantic. Everything comes from somewhere. All ideas have been thought before and all artists, especially the most brilliant, have their sources of inspiration. I’m going to break Einstein’s famous rule by revealing some of my sources and explaining how I use the genius of others to further my own ambitions.
Everyone starts somewhere so I might as well come clean from the beginning. Before I started this website my creative credentials were nonexistent. I had no tangible experience as a writer, designer, marketer, or entrepreneur. Aside from this site I still don’t. All I can say for myself is that I read voraciously and draw fairly well. You’d think a chump like me wouldn’t stand a chance in the hyper competitive online world.
So how did I end up with this fine looking site, a readership that’s growing every day, and over 100 original articles, several of which have been featured on the likes of Lifehacker.com, Problogger.net, lifehack.org and all the major social sites?
By observing how others became creatively successful and combining their genius with my own.
A seed was planted the day I read Steve Pavlina’s, 10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job. Through that article I found How to Make Money From Your Blog and ever since I’ve been obsessed with creating a profitable website based on my own original writing. It wasn’t Steve’s monetary success that inspired me, it was his literary style. The wit, the humor, the brutal honesty, and the fact that people were eating it up and begging for more made me believe that I could do it too; that I could build a business around my passion.
From Steve I learned the value of lengthy original articles, serving the reader, writing from personal experience, and choosing topics that apply to everyone. More than through his words, I’ve learned from observation; from the locations of his ads, the frequency of his posts, and a thousand other details the casual reader would never notice.
Sure, I could have ignored everything that worked for Steve, but what would be the point of that? Too many people try to reinvent the wheel when a Ferrari’s roaring past. During the Renaissance apprentice artists learned by replicating the works of the masters. The secret to being creative is recognizing the genius of others and re-purposing it for your own ends.
If you want be more creative, you have to learn from people who are smarter than you are. Unless you can find a mentor this means learning from observation. When you see a piece of work you admire, dissect it scientifically and discover exactly what makes it great.Is it the tone of an article? the subject matter? the author’s personality? its usefulness? The same concept applies to design. What creates that feeling of visual pleasure? What made you click that ad? What made you subscribe? The clues to creativity are everywhere. You need to gather them and apply that understanding to your own creative work.
It’s also important to find models that fit your profile. If you’re a nobody like me, don’t try to build the next TechCrunch. It won’t work because you don’t have Mike Arrington’s insider connections. Think of yourself as an engine in need of a body. You can find one that fits by investigating people with a background and style similar to yours.
It’s important to note that collecting inspiration is distinctly different than plagiarism. Although Steve’s work has influenced mine I haven’t stolen any of his content. I’ve taken the model and adjusted it to my own needs, the same way Steve probably followed the examples of other successful people when building his site.
In truth, he’s only one of many influences. If I had to list them all this post would be 100,000 words. Some of the more prominent dead ones include Bertrand Russell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Henry David Thoreau, and George Orwell. Some living ones you may know include Jason Kottke, Merlin Mann, Brian Clark, Robert Scoble, Darren Rowse, Seth Godin, Hugh MacLeod, J.D. Roth, and Tim Ferriss. But only naming a select few neglects countless others. I draw inspiration from everything I read and everyone I come in contact with.
I need to give an extra special thanks to Chris Pearson for designing theCutline Theme. When I started this site I didn’t know any CSS or HTML. Like any beginner I downloaded the best free theme I could find. Over time I’ve continuously built on it, doing at least 3 major overhauls and making small changes on a daily basis. The key to making a good design if you have no experience is looking at other sites, finding what works, and blending it into a unique creation.
All art is imitation. The most creative people imitate rarer, more brilliant sources and cover their tracks. That’s why reading nothing but blogs makes you write dull generic posts. If you absorb a mediocre style, your output will be mediocre. If you scour the classics for the most intelligent, passionate writing in existence your own inspiration will follow. Pay close attention and you’ll even notice the passing of ideas through history. No one could read this essay by Oscar Wilde and Plato’s Symposium without noting a remarkable similarity.
There’s a reason great artists are always clustered together, both geographically and chronologically. Interacting with creative individuals makes you more creative. Rival artists exchange techniques and competition increases effort. The present is the ideal age for creative people. The internet has connected everything, allowing us to draw inspiration from classic works of art and our finest contemporaries without leaving the couch.
It’s also important to draw from a wide array of sources. Your best option is to play the statistics. Creativity isn’t a spark it’s a boiling pot. Sample an enormous amount of creative work and you’ll produce an inspirational concoction. The most important creative asset is curiosity.
Genuine creativity doesn’t exist, particularly in a cosmic sense. Living beings don’t create life, they re-purpose existing matter into offspring. Nothing has been created since the Big Bang. All we can do is rearrange the stuff we find around us. If you want to be more creative, stop waiting for inspiration and start experimenting. Creativity isn’t creation at all,it’s reorganization.
Tags: 
Apr 19, '10 3:58 AM
for everyone
Release perfectionism
Perfectionism is the biggest killer of creativity. Notice when you are approaching a task and have ‘am I doing it right’ or ‘will it be good enough’ thoughts and do it anyway! Start practicing doing things even when you don’t know if you can do them perfectly or how they will turn out.
Have fun
In our society we are often taught that we should have a goal or an aim and an outcome to an activity in order for it to be successful. Creativity isn’t linear. Start doing purely things for the enjoyment factor.
Practice
Practice being creative often! You don’t necessarily have to show others your creations, but the act of making creativity a ritual will help your brain get used to being creative and keep the flow going.
Be present
Being present and living in the moment helps us to get in touch with our creative side. We need time and space to let our creativity pour forth. Try and be aware of how present you are being every day.
Relax
Creativity thrives in a relaxed mind. The more stressed or contracted we are, the less creativity can come forward. Find ways to relax and wind down. A massage, long walk or watching a good movie are great ways to do this. Find what works for you and do that.
Daydream
The lost art of day dreaming is a powerful tool for evoking creativity. Take time out to day dream and let your mind wander. You can even say that it is in the name of creativity!
Find what works for you
We all have different ways and times that we get inspired. Start noticing yours. Are you a morning creative or a night owl? We are all different. Find your way. Take notes oif necessary to track your most creative times.
Catch the wave
When inspiration hits, catch the wave! We all have ebbs and flows in creativity. When I am inspired I feel like I am on fire! Nothing can stop me. Use these times to your advantage and go with the creative flow.
Catch your ideas
Sometimes inspiration hits when we just can’t follow the flow immediately, for example when we are about to go into an important meeting or when we are driving! Carry a notebook or Dictaphone to catch your ideas and come back to them as soon as you can.
Brainstorming
Brainstorm often! Whatever your creative ‘niche’ is get in the habit of brainstorming and letting your ideas and visions flow forward without censoring them. Let your imagination soar and don’t hold back!
Be in nature
Being in nature has the power to help us be present, unleash our creativity and get us in touch with a different aspect of ourselves. When you are stuck go for a walk in a park or by the sea … whatever is available to you. Take in your surroundings and let nature work its magic on you – it is after all, the supreme source of all things creative.
Feed the well
We need to ‘feed the well’ of inspiration. Make sure you are spending time regularly ‘feeding’ your inspiration. Start keeping track of what inspires you and taking time regularly to participate in this. You should even set a time aside each week to do this.
Tags: 
Apr 19, '10 3:53 AM
for everyone
PLEASE SEE ATTACHED FILE SLIDE SHOW
Attachment: FW- Creativity..eml
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Apr 19, '10 3:27 AM
for everyone
Sardar Strikes Again....... ...... 
   
Doctor to patient: You will die within 2 hours. Do you want to see any one before you die?
Patient: Yes. A good doctor.

One sardarji professor asked a plumber to come to his college.
U know why?
Because he wanted to check from where the question paper is leaking....
 
Sardar: My mobile bill how much?
Call centre girl: sir, just dial 123to know current bill status
Sardar: Stupid, not CURRENT BILL my MOBILE BILL.
 

 Sardar built 2 Swimming Pools. And he left one of them unfilled y?
When asked him, he said,
"Oye, that’s for those who don’t know Swimming.

A sardarji Doctor falls in Love with a Nurse.He writes a love letter to the Nurse :- I Love U sister...

Ek sardar Indian Flag lene shop mein gaya tha. Shopwale ne usse flag diya.Sardar bola: Isme aur colour dikhao!!!
 
Sardar: I think that girl is deaf..
Friend: How do u know?
Sardar: I told I Love her, but she said her chappals are new
 
Sardar: Miss, Did u call me on my mobile?
Teacher: Me? No, why?
Sardar: Yesterday I saw in my mobile- “1 Miss Call".
 
Judge: Don't U have shame? It is d 3rd time U R coming to court.
Sardar to judge: U R coming daily, don't U have shame?
 
Sir: What is difference between Orange and Apple?
Sardar: Color of Orange is orange, but color of Apple is not APPLE..

Sardar attending an interview in Software Company.
Manager: Do U know MS Office?
Sardar: If U give me the address I will go there sir.

Sardar in airplane going 2 Bombay .. While its landing he shouted: " Bombay ... Bombay "
Air hostess said: "B silent."
Sardar: "Ok. Ombay. Ombay"

Sardar got a sms from his girl friend:
"I MISS YOU"
Sardarji replied:
"I Mr YOU" !!.
 
Sardar: Doctor! My Son swallowed a key
Doctor: When?
Sardar: 3 Months Ago
Dr: Wat were u doing till now?
Sardar: We were using duplicate key
Dr: So why did you come today?
Sardar: We lost the duplicate key!!

Why Sardar opens his lunch box in the middle of the road???
Just 2 confirm whether he is going to or coming back from the office....
 
Son: papa, 4+3 kithne hai?
Sardar: ullu ke patthe gadhe idiot naalaayak besharam tujhe kuch nahi aathaa? Jaa andhar se CALCULATOR le ke Aa..

After finishing MBBS Sardar started his practice.
He Checked 1st Patient's Eyes, Tongue & Ears with a Torch & Finally Said:
"Oye, Torch is okay"

 
Teacher: "What is common between JESUS, KRISHNA , RAM, GANDHI and BUDHA?"
Sardar: "All are born on government holidays...! !!


Haste raho…..
Tags: 
Apr 19, '10 3:08 AM
for everyone

For repetitive formatting tasks, remember the F4 key. Whenever you press that key, you repeat your most recent action, whether it was adding borders, applying bold formatting to a selected word, or inserting a file or picture.

Format Painter is better for applying complex formatting, but if you just need to repeat a single action, then F4 is the key to use

Editor's Note: This tip works in the following programs: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint®, Microsoft Visio®, and Microsoft Word.

Tags: 
Apr 19, '10 3:05 AM
for everyone

You can use keyboard shortcuts to access the Font box and the Font Size box on the Formatting toolbar and then quickly change the font or size of selected text.
Here's how you do it:

1. Select the text you want to change.

2. Press CTRL+SHIFT+F to access the Font box or CTRL+SHIFT+P to access the Font Size box.

3. Press UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW to select the font name or size you want.

4. Press ENTER to accept the font name or size.

Editor's Note: This tip works in the following Office 2000 programs: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft FrontPage®, PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, and Word.
Tags: 
Apr 19, '10 3:01 AM
for everyone
The subject under discussion is the perfect man from the viewpoint of Islam. A perfect man means an exemplary human being, who is superior and exalted, or any other interpretation that one can make. Like everything else, a human being may be perfect or imperfect, and sound or defective. A sound person, too, may be both sound and perfect or sound and imperfect.

To know a perfect or exemplary human being from the viewpoint of Islam is necessary for Muslims because it is like a model and example, by emulating which we can, if we wish, attain our human perfection under Islamic teachings. We should, therefore, know what a perfect man is, how he looks spiritually and intellectually, and what his peculiarities are, so that we may improve ourselves, our society and other individuals based on that model. But if we do not know what a perfect human being is in Islam, surely we cannot become a perfect Muslim, or even a relatively perfect human being.

From the viewpoint of Islam, there are two ways of knowing a perfect person: One way is to see how the Qur'an in the first place and tradition in the second place have defined a perfect man, even if it is meant to be a perfectly faithful and good Muslim. A perfect Muslim is a person who has attained perfection in Islam; a perfect believer is one who has attained perfection in his faith. Now we must see how the Quran and tradition have portrayed such a person and with what peculiarities. As it happens, we have many things to quote from both of these sources.

The second way is to regard real individuals who are built up on the model of the Qur'an and Islam, not an imaginary and idealistic being, but a real and objective personality who exists in various stages of perfection at its highest level or even at slightly lower stages.

The holy Prophet himself is an example of a perfect man in Islam. Imam Ali is another example. To know Ali (as) is to know a perfect man, and that means to know him thoroughly, and not only his name, lineage and apparent identity. We may know that Ali is the son of Abu Talib and the grandson of Abdul-Mottalib, and that his mother is Fatima, daughter of Assad-bin-Abdol-Ezi, and his wife is Fatima Zahra (as) and he is the father of Hassan and Hossain, and at what dates he was born and died, and what battles he fought etc. But this knowledge is only about his apparent identity, and not about him as a perfect man. Recognition of Ali means knowing his personality, rather than his person.

To the extent that we get acquainted with his whole personality, we will know him as a perfect man of Islam; and to the extent that we take him as a model and accept him in actuality and not literally as our leader and Imam, and follow and emulate him, we will then be a Shi'a follower of this perfect man.

A Shi'a means one who accompanies Ali, not only with words and sentiments, but with the act of following him in practice and act in philosophical and academic terms.

These two ways of recognition of a perfect man are not only theoretically useful, but we must also use this knowledge to follow the ways shown by Islam to become a true Muslim and make society truly Islamic. The way is thus shown and the result is explained.

But the question arises as to the meaning of 'Perfect'. Some things may seem obvious, but explicit things are sometimes harder to explain than difficult matters.

In Arabic the two words meaning 'Perfect' and 'complete' are close to each other but not exactly similar in meaning, and both of them have an antonym meaning 'defective'. The difference between the two words is as follows: The word 'complete' refers to something which is prepared according to a plan, like a house and a mosque, and if any part of it is unfinished, it is incomplete or defective. But something may be 'complete' and yet there may exist a higher degree of completion or many degrees higher than that, and that is called 'perfection'. 'Complete' is a horizontal progress to maximum development and 'perfect' is a vertical climb to the highest degree possible.

When we speak of a 'perfect wisdom or knowledge', it refers to a higher degree of an already existing wisdom or knowledge. A man may be complete in a horizontal sense, without being perfect vertically. There are people who are half-complete or even less than that. But when perfection is attained, there are still higher levels of perfection until a perfectly perfect state is reached.

The term ‘perfect’ did not exist in Islamic literature until the seventh century of the Hejira. It is now used frequently in Europe, but was first used in the Islamic world by the well-known Gnostic "Mohyedin Arabi Andalusi Ta’i", who is the father of Islamic Gnosticism, and many Islamic Gnostics, including Iranian and Persian-speaking ones, and even Rumi, have been his pupils. Rumi with all his greatness is small compared with Mohyedin in Gnosticism. He is of Arab extraction and a descendant of Hatam Ta'i, from Andalusia, that is modern Spain. He has traveled in Islamic countries and died in Damascus where he was buried. He has a pupil called Sadredin Ghownawi who is rated second to his teacher as a Gnostic. Islamic Gnosticism has been given a complicated form by Mohyedin and commentaries of Sadredin. Rumi is a contemporary of the latter and his follower through whom he imbibed the ideas of Mohyedin.

This man used the term "perfect man" from the special viewpoint of gnosticism, but we intend to discuss it from the viewpoint of the Qur'an. We have human beings who are physically sound or defective. But you do not consider blindness, deafness, paralysis, or shortness as defects of virtue, personality or humanity. For example Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, who is sometimes rated as a prophet, was a most ugly man, but this ugliness is not counted as a defect. Abol-Ala Mo’arra, and Taha Hossain of our time were blind. Is this blindness a defect of personality? This means then that a person has a physical personality and a spiritual one, with two distinct reckonings. It is a mistake to suppose that the spirit is a dependent of the body. Can the spirit be sick while the body is sound or not? This is a question in itself. Those, who deny the genuineness of the spirit and believe spiritual peculiarities to be the direct influence of the nervous system, have no belief in the spirit and for them everything is dependent on the body, According to them if the spirit is sick, it is because the body is sick, and mental sickness is, in fact, the same as physical sickness.

Fortunately, it has been proved to-day that the body may be perfectly sound with regard to blood composition, nerves, vitamins, etc, and yet, one may be mentally ill, such as suffering from what they call a "complex". Consequently, the way to treatment mental illness may not be medicine and drugs at all. Can we find a drug for someone who is suffering from narcissism, which is a kind of mental disorder? Can we change a person’s haughtiness into modesty, or his cruelty into kindness by means of a pill or an injection? It is deprivations, which produce such illnesses, and cause someone for example not to rest until he takes revenge.

What is this feeling of revenge? What is this envy which rouses a person to dislike other people's enjoyment of a blessing, and long to deprive them from it. Such a man is not thinking of having that blessing for himself. The envy of a sound person always gives priority to his own goal, and this is not a fault. But desiring harms and defeats for others is an ailment. You find that such individuals are prepared to hurt themselves wholly in their bid to even partially harm the envied person.

A historical story is told in this connection. In the time of a caliph, a rich man bought a slave whom he treated, from the beginning, like a gentleman, giving him the best of food and clothes, and money exactly like his own child or even more lavishly. But the slave noticed that his master always felt uneasy. Eventually he made up his mind to set him free and provide him with some capital. One night as they were sitting together, the master said: "Do you know why I have treated you so well?" The slave asked the reason. The master said: "I have one request to make which if you fulfil, you would enjoy all I have given and will give you! But if you refuse, I will be discontented with you." The slave said: "I will obey whatever you ask. You are my benefactor who has given me my life." The master said: "You must promise me in good faith to do it, for I am afraid you may refuse it." The slave said:

"I promise to do what you want." The master said: "My proposal is that you must behead me at a specific time and place." The slave exclaimed: "What? How can I do that?" The master said: "That is what I desire." The slave said: "That is impossible." The master said: "I have got your promise. You must do it." One midnight, he awakened the slave and gave him a sharp knife and a bag full of money and climbed up a neighbor’s roof, and told the slave to behead him there and then go wherever he liked. The slave asked the reason for such an act. He answered: "I hate this one man and prefer death to seeing his face. We have been rivals but he has gone ahead of me and excels me in everything, and I am burning with hatred. I desire him to be jailed for this fake murder and this idea is a relief to me. Everyone knows him to be my rival, and so he will be condemned to death for this act." The slave said: You seem to be a foolish man and deserve this death." So he beheaded the man and ran away, His rival was consequently arrested and imprisoned, but no one believed that he would have killed his rival on his own roof. It had become a mystery. At last, the slave felt a prick of conscience, went to the authorities and confessed the truth. When they understood the matter, they freed both the slave and the neighbor.

This is a fact that envy is a disease. The Qur'an says in Chapter "The Sun" (Shams), Verses 9 and 10. "He will indeed be successful who purifies it, and he will indeed fail who corrupts it." Thus, the first proposal of the Qur'an is purification of the self from ailments, complexes, ignorance, deviations and metamorphoses. You could have heard that in the past there were people who, because of excess of sins, were cursed by the Prophets of their time and were thus metamorphosed, that Is, they were transformed into animals such as a monkey, a wolf, a bear etc.

One may not become physically metamorphosed, but he may be mentally or spirituality transformed into an animal the like of which in wickedness and nastiness may not be found in the world. The Qur'an speaks of those "who are in worse errors" and who are lower than quadrupeds.[1] How can that happen? Man's personality depends on his ethical and spiritual qualities, without which he would be a beast. Thus, a defective man may be lowered to the level of a metamorphosed being. Some may think this a fancy, but it is real and true.

Someone said: "We had made a pilgrimage to Mecca along with Imam Sajjad and when we looked down at the Desert of Arafat it was full of Hajis (pilgrims). There were so many of them that year. The Imam said: "There is much uproar, but few are true pilgrims." The man says: "I don't know how the Imam gave me the insight, but when he asked me to look down again, I saw a desert full of animals, like that in a zoo, among whom a few human beings were moving about." The Imam told him how things looked to those who had a clear sight and were concerned with the inward concept of things.

This is quite obvious but if our so-called modernized mind does not accept it, we are at fault. In our own time there have been and are individuals who have discerned the real character of others that, like animals, knew nothing but eating, sleeping and sexual intercourse. They had lost their human qualities and been turned into beasts. We read in the Qur'anic Chapter, the "Great Event" (Naba) Verse 6. "The day on which the trumpet shall be blown, so you shall come forth in hosts, and the heaven shall be opened so that it shall be all openings."

Religious leaders have repeatedly said that only one group of people is to be raised from among the dead in the shape of human beings; others would appear as animals, tigers, monkeys, scorpions, snakes and ants. Does God do so without a reason? No, there are reasons. When a human being has done nothing in this world but to sting and hurt others, he takes his real form in the next world and that is a scorpion. He who acts like a monkey in this world, will appear as a monkey in the next world. And a person with a doggish nature will be a dog. Thus, all people will be raised from the dead according to their intentions, desires, and true character. Are your desires in this world those of a human being, or an animal or a bird? You will take the same form on resurrection. That is why we are forbidden to worship any but God. If we worship anything else, we will have it with us in the hereafter. If we worship money it becomes a part of our nature, and as the Qur’an says in Chapter "Immunity" (Baraat), Verse 35 that molten metal will be with us on resurrection: "And (as for) those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah’s way, announce to them a painful chastisement, on the day when it shall be heated in the fire of hell, then their foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be branded with it; this is what you hoarded up for yourselves." Do not say that currency notes have taken the place of coins; in the next world, these banknotes would be turned into a fire as scorching as gold and silver coins!

So, a human being with a complex is defective, and one who worships a matter is imperfect and metamorphosed. Perfection in every kind of creature is different from perfection in another kind. A perfect human being is different from a perfect angel, and each has separate degrees of perfection. Those who have told us of the existence of angels, say that they are created with pure intelligence and thought in whom the earthly aspect, lusts, anger etc are absent, whereas animals are wholly earthly, and lack what the Qur'an terms as divine spirit.

But man is a mixture of the two, both angelic and earthly, both high and low. This is described in a narration in the book "Usul al-Kafi", and Rumi, the poet, has turned it into a poem the translation of which is as follows:

"A narration says that the Glorious God created three different groups of creatures: The first group is the angels who are pure intellect, knowledge and liberality, and know only prostration. They lack every element of greed and passion, but are pure light, and alive with the love of God. Another group lacks knowledge altogether, and is fattened like animals in the pasture, They see nothing but the stable and fodder and are ignorant of both villainy and honor, The third group are human beings who are half angel and half donkey, the donkey half is inclined to the low and the other half is inclined to the sublime; one must see which half wins the day, and which one conquers the other,"

The Qur'an says in Chapter "The Man" (Insan) Verse 2; "Surely we have created man from a small life-germ uniting' (itself): We mean to try him, so we have made him hearing, seeing. Surely we have shown him the way. He may be thankful or unthankful."

This means that he has been granted many talents and left free to show whether he deserves a reward or punishment by his acts, whereas other creatures do not possess such deservedness, He must choose his own way and attain perfection through moderation and equilibrium and by employing all his talents.

A child grows up and is sound in all his organs and limbs, and these develop harmoniously. But if he grows up cartoon-like, some parts of whom develop to excess and others not growing at all or growing insufficiently, he cannot attain perfection. But a harmonious and well-rounded development may result in a perfect human being.

The Qur’an says in Chapter "The cow"(Baqara), verse 124:

"And when his Lord tried Abraham with certain words, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an Imam of men. Abraham said: And of my offspring? My covenant does not include the unjust, said He."

Abraham was tested in many ways, including his readiness to sacrifice his son for God, when a call from God said (the Qur'an, Chapter "The Rangers" (Safat), Verse 104:

"And we called out to him saying: 0 Abraham! You have indeed shown the truth of the vision." When Abraham successfully passed through various trials, the Qur'an said about him: Chapter "The Bee", (Nahl) Verse 120:

"Surely Abraham was an exemplar, obedient to Allah, upright, and he was not of the polytheists."

He stood alone fighting against all unbelievers, and it was then that God called him an Imam, a leader and a model for others to follow. Imam Ali is a perfect man since all the human values have had their maximum growth in him and in a harmonious manner.

You have watched the low and high tide in the sea, which is caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon. The spirit of man, too, as well as that of society shows a similar tide, Human beings undergo such ebb and flow, and this attraction is sometimes to one direction to such an extent that all other values are forgotten. In this way, they are like defective beings that show growth in one respect, and lack of it in other respects. Society, too, may lack harmony in its development; this is true that it is not wholly deviated but it is very often corrupted in one way or another.

One of the human values confirmed by Islam is devotion, which is communion with God. Of course, in Islam every act performed for God is devotion. Having a job and a trade to support oneself and one's family and to serve society is in itself a form of devotion. But devotion, in its special sense, is private communion with God in prayer, hymns, remaining awake for vital acts at nights etc., all of which are part of religion and can not be omitted. Sometimes, you see individuals or society being drawn only to one aspect of devotion, and performing the recommended acts of prayer, ablution etc, all of which, done in excess, will ruin society.

Sometimes this way of devotion becomes fashionable in an Islamic society, and once one gets used to it, it is difficult to observe moderation. Such a person cannot say to himself that God has created him a human being, not an angel, and as a human being he should develop every aspect of himself harmoniously.

It was once reported to the Prophet that a number of his companions had sunk in devotion. The Prophet felt uneasy, came to the mosque and shouted it out loud: "O People, what has happened to some groups who have appeared among my people. Even I as your Prophet do not show devotion in this way to keep awake all night. I rest part of the night and attend to my family. I do not observe fast every day. Those who are following their new way have deviated from my tradition:" Thus, when the Prophet notices that an Islamic value is about to eliminate other Islamic values, he combats this trend severely,

Amr ibn Aas had two sons called Abdullah and Muhammad. The former was noble and advised his father to follow the way of Ali, while the latter, who like his father loved the world and position, urged him to follow Muawiah. Abdullah was mostly inclined to devotion. One day, the Prophet met him on the way and said: "I hear that you spend the whole night in prayer and the whole day fasting." He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet said: "But I am not so, and I do not agree with your way."

Sometimes a society is drawn towards asceticism. Asceticism is a fact which is undeniable, and is a value which must exist in a prosperous society. But when everything in a society is based on asceticism and nothing else, there is something wrong with it. Another value is to serve people, and it is fully supported by Islam, the Prophet and the Qur'an in Chapter "The Cow" (Baghara), Verse 177:

"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah," and the Verse ends emphasizing the value of serving God's creatures. But sometimes people go to excess and, as the poet Sa'di says: "Devotion is nothing but serving people", The next step is to negate the value of devotion, asceticism, knowledge or jihad, all of which are the exalted values for man in Islam.

Today some of our intellectuals imagine that they have found a very lofty principle called "humanity and humanitarianism". Serving people is fine and we should serve them. But if we provide them with food and clothes alone, we would be treating them like animals, especially if we suppose no higher values exist for them. If service is confined to this, what would be the difference between Abu Dhar and Muawiah? This is another example of going to excess, similar to the overvaluing of freedom.

Freedom is among the highest of human values which is above man's animal nature and material values. You can see that those who possess humanity are willing to bear hunger and nakedness, and live under hard conditions, provided they are not enslaved by another human being and can live freely. A story is told in the book of "The Mirror of Scholars", about Avicenna who held the rank of a minister for some time. One day, he was passing through a street with great pomp and show when he noticed a scavenger removing putrid stuff from a pit. Avicenna heard him murmuring to himself a couplet meaning that he honored his 'self' for finding his world easy. Avicenna laughed to hear a man who was doing the lowest task so contently. He drew the vein of his horse called the man to him and remarked sarcastically: "What a way to choose to honor the "self"! The man on recognizing Avicenna by his appearance said: "I have chosen this job so that I would not be the slave of another in the way you are! To enjoy freedom while being a scavenger is far better than your rank, assets and dependence," It is said that Avicenna became red in the face with shame and had no answer to give.

According to the worldly and animal aspirations, there is no point in forsaking the best food, and having servants and all that pomp and show and becoming a scavenger, and then speaking of freedom. Is freedom something tangible? No, but for a vigilant conscience, it is so worthy that a man prefers scavenging to slavery. This value is sometimes forgotten in some societies, but when it is awakened in them, they claim freedom to be the only value and forget about other values like justice, wisdom etc. Others may consider love as the only value, and forget the intellect, as the Gnostics do; while some go to the other extreme, thinking love to be a fancy, and intellect as the only worthy thing

Love, intellect, justice, freedom, service and devotion are all values. Who is a perfect human being? One who is an absolute devotee, or ascetic, or freeborn, or in love, or intelligent? None of these results in a perfect man. But if all these values are developed in him in a harmonious way, he may be considered perfect,

Imam Ali was such a man, In Nahjul-Balagha you meet mostly the eloquent side of him, and in reading this book, you get different pictures of him. Sometimes in reading the sermons, you suppose that Avicenna is there lecturing. At other times, you observe Rumi or Mohyedin Arabi speaking to you. Then you feel the epic of Ferdowsi, or a man of liberty, or an ascetic or a retiring devotee in a state of giving discourses. All human aspects show themselves in Ali’s words, and then you discern how great he is, and how small we are.

In the past and until fifty years ago, our society was inclined, in religious matters, towards asceticism. Preachers often confined themselves to those sermons of Nahjul-Balagha which were related to ascetic matters, calling this world a transient place and the next world eternal, and advising people to prepare for the hereafter.

The rest of the sermons had no place because the society could not absorb them, as it had turned to a series of values only. For a period of a hundred years, no one read the decree of Imam Ali to Malik Ashtar, which is full of social and political injunctions [2]. There, Ali speaks of an utterance of the Prophet that "no people can attain the degree of sanctity and freedom from defect until they reach a position where the weak stand against the strong and claim their right without stuttering". Fifty years ago the society could not understand this, because it was a society of a single value, while Ali’s words contain all human values as shown in his biography and personality.

I do not intend to praise our present society, but fortunately some worthwhile values have appeared in it. I fear, however that once more they may become single-dimensional and destroy other values. If we wish to have Imam Ali (as) as our model and a perfectly well balanced man, this should not happen. He is a man in whom all human values have developed harmoniously. At night and during the communion with God, no Gnostic can rival him in his divine ecstasy and his flight towards Him. He is so deep in his devotion that nothing can divert his attention, and this divine love seems to have taken him to another world. This is how he is in the altar of worship at night.

In daytime, he is a different man. Unlike many ascetics, he is cheerful sitting with his companions and even witty. Amr ibn Aas criticized him and termed him as unsuitable for the Caliphate since he was so cheerful, as if a caliph must always look glum to frighten people. In battle too he was cheerful and smiling, while in the altar he was tearful.

The Qur'an says in Chapter "Muzzamil", Verses 6-7: "Surely, the rising by night is the firmest way to tread and the most corrective of speech.. Surely, you have, in the day time, a long occupation."

The night is for worship, and the day for living and mingling with society. The poet Hafiz is sometimes alluded to a pretext to mislead the young, They say this great poet was addicted to wine, whereas in reality, his poems are wholly spiritual and mystical, and his wine is of a spiritual nature. He was a religious man who was an interpreter of the Qur'an, and, later on, became famous as a poet. He has expressed the above Verse of the Qur'an in a poem, saying that daytime is for work and effort, and nighttime for the wine of devotion.

Ali is such a man, and has been recognized in this way for over a thousand years. The compiler of "Nahjul-Balagha", Sayed Razi, says: "The amazing thing about this book is that you see Ali in so many different worlds as you read it, that is in the words of devotion, philosophy, mysticism, military affairs, court of justice, religious jurisprudence and so on, and he is never absent from any human world."

Safiyedin Hilli, a poet of the sixth century of the Hejira, says about Ali that he is a collection of all contraries, he is both a ruler and a sage, docile and brave, poor and generous, gentle and resolute, and a devotee and a man of action. He is a hero in all human spheres, something that we cannot be, but we can at least maintain a certain degree of equilibrium among all values to be called a true Muslim in different walks of life.

(Courtesy source: Shaheed Murtadha Mutahhari)
Tags: 
Apr 19, '10 2:49 AM
for everyone
141 - A man told Imam Hussain (as): "I have built a new house. I like you to enter it and pray to God for me. Imam accepted. After entering the house, Imam had a look at it and said,” You have demolished your house and have built a larger and more luxurious house. People on the earth admire you and respect you for that house , while those up in the Heavens despise you. (Mustadrak al- Wasael , Vol. 3 , P. 467)

142 - The Holy Koran has an elegant outward and a profound inward (Jame- ol Akhbar by Sadook , P. 47)

143 - The intelligence of Muawiyah was being discussed when Imam said :" Man's intelligence would not be perfect unless truth is followed". (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 127)

144 - Imam Hussain (as) said : " Our enemy is the enemy of my grandfather Mohammad "(Ihqaqol Haq , Vol , 11 , P. 592)

145 - Habeeb Ibn Madaher narrated that once he asked Imam Hussain : "What were you before the creation of Adam ? ". Imam replied : " We were spiritual lights orbiting the highest Heaven , and teaching the angels praising and glorification. "(Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 60, P. 311)

146 - Twelve Mahdis are to be from us. First of them is Amir al-Mo'menin Ali Ibn Abi Talib , and the last is the Imam who rises by justice. Through him, God will revive the earth after its death , and let the real belief overcome other beliefs , in spite of the polytheists' dislike. He has a long occultation ,during which some will abandon their faith , and some will firmly stay in their belief. Then, they will be annoyed and asked : " When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are telling the truth ? " Truly , whoever withstands annoyance and denial of others during the occultation of Mahdi is like the one who fights by sword alongside the Prophet (pbuh ). (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 51, p. 133)

147 - Imam (as) was asked what virtue is. He said : " Holding your tongue, and good deed." Then he was asked what defect is. He said : " Involving yourself in a futile task." (Mustadrak al-Wasael , vol. 9 , P. 24)
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Apr 18, '10 12:03 PM
for everyone
...Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni - may God be pleased with him - from `Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Mahbub, from Abu 'Abd Allah (A) that he (A) said: "Verily, it is mentioned in the Book of 'Ali that of all mankind the prophets undergo the severest of trials, and after them the awsiya', and after them the elect to the extent of their nobility. Indeed, the believer undergoes trial in proportion to his good deeds. So one whose faith is sound and whose deeds are good, his trials are also more severe.That is indeed because God Almighty did not make this world a place for rewarding the believer and punishing the unbeliever. And one whose faith is feeble and whose (good) deeds are few faces fewer tribulations. Verily, tribulations hasten towards the believer with greater speed than rainwater towards the earth's depths. [1]Hence God Almighty declares.
(And those who cry lies to Our signs), We will draw them on little by little whence they know not; and I respite them - assuredly My guile is firm. (7:182-183)And He also says:
And let not the unbelievers suppose that the respite We grant them is better for them; We grant them respite only that they may increase in sin; and there awaits them a humiliating chastisement.(3:178)In Majma` al-bayan, this tradition is cited from al-Imam al-Sadiq (A):
The Imam (A) said: "When a person commits a sin and the bounty (that he had received) is renewed for him, he leaves off asking for forgiveness (istighfar), and this is al-'istidraj (as mentioned in verse 7 :182)."At the end of the noble tradition, the Imam (A) says:
...And one whose faith is feeble and his intellect is weak, his tribulation is also slight.
This shows that tribulations are both bodily and spiritual, for the persons of weak intellects and feeble sensibility are secure from spiritual tribulations and intellectual suffering in proportion to their intellectual weakness and the feebleness of their sensibility. On the contrary, those with more complete intellects and acuter sensibility have to undergo spiritual tribulations more intensely in proportion to the perfectness and acuteness of their intellect and sensibility. Perhaps it was for this reason that the Holy Messenger (S) said:
No prophet was tormented to the extent that I was.
This complaint of the Prophet (S) refers to this point, for whoever perceives the greatness and glory of the Lord to a greater extent and knows the sacred station of God Almighty more than others, he suffers more and is tormented to a greater extent by the sins of the creatures and their offences against the Lord's sanctity. Also, one who has a greater love and compassion for the creatures of God is tormented to a greater extent by their crooked and wretched condition and ways. And, of course, the Seal of the Prophets (S) was more perfect in all these stations and higher than all of the prophets and the awliya' in respect of his degree of excellence and perfection. Hence his torment and suffering was greater than that of any one of them. There is also another explanation of the Holy Messenger's statement, whose mention is not appropriate for this place.  And God knows best and to Him belongs all the praise.
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Apr 18, '10 11:47 AM
for you
121 - Contentment causes the comfort of body. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 128 , Line 9)

122 - Imam (as) was asked why the Almighty God made it compulsory to fast. He replied. " To make the rich taste hunger and be merciful towards the needy. "(Manakib Aal Abi-Talib by Ibn Shahrashoob , Vol. 4 , P. 68)

123 - Imam Hussain (as) was asked : How great your fear of God is? He said : "Nobody will be safe in the Day of Judgement except those who fear God in this world. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 44 , P. 192)

124 - Imam was asked about Jihad, striving in the way of God, recommended or compulsory ? He said , " Jihad in Islam is of four kinds : two of them on compulsory , one of them is recommended but cannot be performed except with a compulsory one , and one is solely recommended. One of the first two compulsory ones is striving of a man with himself to avoid committing sins which is greatest kind of Jihad. The second compulsory Jihad is fighting infidels. The third kind of Jihad which is recommended but cannot be carried out unless with a compulsory Jihad , is Jihad of the Islamic nation against their enemy which is compulsory on all the Muslim nation. If they live it away ,God's punishment will come , and this is a sort of nation punishment. But this Jihad is recommended for the Imam , leader of the Muslims , alone.
He is to come to the nation , and they together. Go for striving against the enemy. The fourth Jihad which is recommended is when a good tradition is initiated or revived by a person who strives for safeguarding it or improving it. This is among the best deeds , as it is reviving a good tradition. Surely , the Prophet( Peace be Upon Him and his Family ) said , " Whoever establishes a good tradition , he will be rewarded for it , and in addition , he will be rewarded for every other individual who has followed his tradition. (Tohaf-al- Uqoul , P 243)

125 - O' the son of Adam ! Your life comprises of passing days , with each day passing , a part of you goes away for good. "(Ershadol Kuloob by Dailami , P. 40)


126 - The Holy book of the Almighty contains four items : words , implications, esoteric points, and realities. Words for common people , implications for special people , esoteric points for divine leaders, and realities for the prophets ( May peace be upon them all )(Jame-ol Akhbar by Sadook , P. 47)

127 - Those who are reduced to tears after hearing sufferings of my family , their tears will protect them from hell and God will place them up in Paradise. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 44 , P. 279)

128 - Tears of the eyes and fear of the hearts are among graces of the Almighty God. (Mustadrak al- Wasael vol. 11 , P. 245)

129 - Do not try to find fault with others. Instead , when someone makes a small blunder , try to cover up for him and justify his mistake. (Nozhatol - Nodhir wa Tanbihol - Khater , P. 80)

130 - Endure difficulties when you walk on a divine path , and resist the temptation of worldly pleasures. (Nozhatol - Nadher wa Tanbihol - Khater , P. 85)

131 - Aban Ibn Taglib said he once heard the martyred Imam (as) as saying:" Whoever likes us ( the household of the Prophet ) he becomes from us the house hold " ( of the prophet ).He had asked Imam: " From you the household ? " Imam answered," From us the household," and repeated it three times. Then Imam went on to say, "Did you not hear the saying of the prophet Ibraham( in the Holy Koran ) : " And whoever follows me , he is from me? "(Nozhatol Nadhir wa Tanbihol - Khatar , P. 40)

132 - Nothing is more disgraceful for old people than being slaves to their worldly desires. (Kefayatol Athar fi An - nass Ala Al - Aemma Al - Ethnai - Ashar , P. 233)

133 - Nothing is more disgraceful for rulers than treating their subordinates cruelly. (Kefayatol Athar fi Al - Nas Ala Al - Aemma Al - Ethnai Ashar , P. 233)

134 - Nothing is more disgraceful for noble people than telling lies. (Kefayatol Athar fi A

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