In 2012 Salman Taj Patil cracked the UPSC exam in first attempt and became the first Muslim IPS officer from Solapur.  In this candid conversation with Imran Inamdar the 31 year old talks of issues concerning the Muslim community, of the state of education among Muslims and of his own preparation for UPSC a few years ago. How did you manage to achieve this feat? I immersed myself into the preparation completely. There was only one aim in my mind and that was to crack UPSC. My parents provi

NEW DELHI:  Excessive use of electronic gadgets, including mobile phones and tablets, can cause "tech neck" that leads to early signs of ageing, health experts have warned. According to experts, "tech neck", which leads to sagging skin, dropping jowls, and creases above the clavicle, seriously affects facial looks of the person by causing frown lines, undereye bags, and horizontal lines on the neck along with fat prominences. "People who bend down constantly for long hours while using any

In this blessed month of Ramadan, we have now come to the grand finale – the last ten days of Ramadan that are even more blessed than the rest of Ramadan. In it is a night that Quran tells us is better than 1000 months (yes, months – not days). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month which Allah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the rebellio

PRAISE and thanks to Allah who has made us reach the blessed month of Ramadan yet again this year. He made it a month of mercy, forgiveness, du’a and multiplied rewards. Every night of this blessed month, He invites the fortunate ones who witness it, to race and compete with each other in doing righteous deeds. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said “On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the devils are chained, the jinn are restrained, and the gates of Hellfire are closed and none of its

THE blessings related to fasting are truly astounding. Those who fast are able to scale the ranks; expiate their sins; tame their desire; give much in charity; engage in a variety of acts of worship; give thanks to their Creator; avoid being swayed by impulses of disobedience and violations; distance themselves from the blazing Fire; and tap on the doors of Paradise. Fasting possesses so many virtues; some of these are presented below. 1. Sa’ihun: Allah describes the righteous believers in th

LONDON:  Just exercising for 15 minutes daily may lower the risk of death in the elderly, a new study has claimed. "Age is not an excuse to do no exercise. It is well established that regular physical activity has a better overall effect on health than any medical treatment," said David Hupin from University Hospital of Saint-Etienne in France. "But less than half of older adults achieve the recommended minimum of 150 minutes moderate intensity or 75 minutes vigorous intensity exercise eac

I sometimes think that the rope tying us to this dunya is made of solid gold. Why else would we hold on so strongly and persistently on it? We make preparations for absolutely everything so worriedly, hardly allowing ourselves to place trust in Allah . Yet conversely, we often blindly place our trust in the unknown faces that manufacture our cars, and we so easily believe the promise of our pension funds and unit trusts… When Anas asked The Prophet , “should I tie my camel and have Tawakkul

Muhammad Ali’s boxing career had been over by the time I grew up. We did not even have a television then; so there was no question of watching his epic battles or even his show bouts around the world in the ’80s. However, I grew up with his larger than life persona, thanks to my uncle who hopelessly adored and often discussed him with my father. He had a small gym at home where he and his friends spent long hours working out and admiring themselves in mirror. My uncle referred to the boxing l

Are you going to be super busy this Ramadan? Worried that you won’t be able to make it to taraweeh regularly? Well, we got you! Try to incorporate these 7 things in your daily routine throughout the month to make this Ramadan your best ever. 1. Give a Little (or a lot) Every Day! The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said, “The most beloved of deeds to Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) are those that are more consistent, e

Ramadan is here once again. For some Muslims, this only means a spiritual lock down; for others, it means a 30 day detox of their body and soul. Some Muslims think that Ramadan is simply a time to become unhealthy. However, Ramadan is actually about gains: spiritual gains, mental gains, and physical gains. Ramadan is a time to set healthy habits that we can carry on forward. Ramadan is not a temporary change in our lifestyle, rather it’s a time to instill healthy lifestyle habits. Most of

RIYADH: An expatriate here has turned his home into a sanctuary for lost and sick animals, including dogs, cats and birds. Zaher Al-Sammak, a Palestinian computer engineer who was born in Riyadh, said he is committed to saving the lives of animals and called on others to do the same because this is advised in Islam, an online publication reported on Tuesday. Al-Sammak said his parents had taught him when he was young to care for animals, particularly giving them leftover food. “At school as a

You want to purchase a new computer game. You have been researching the product, discussing it with fellow gamer friends and checking various websites for the best value for your money. Until that awesome day arrives and It’s finally in your hands! You anticipate the excitement of the game. You take time out from homework, sport, TV, friends and gadgets for long periods of time. You turn all of your attention towards conquering the levels and hidden stages of the game. As the game progresses,

Can't locate your car in the parking lot? Or recall the movie you saw last Sunday? Having trouble remembering where you left your keys? Or the name of that new restaurant you went to? Feeling scatterbrained? You're not alone. As we get older, our brains become more "noisy", and are not as good at registering new information. For years, scientists believed that we were stuck with the brain we were born with. Enter: Neuroplasticity. A theory that proves our brains have the ability to change. Th

May 22, BERLIN:  Treatments involving long-term use of antibiotics may disrupt brain functions and affect the formation of new brain cells, a new study has claimed. A special kind of immune cell serves as an intermediary between gut bacteria and the brain, according to Susanne Wolf from Max Delbruck Centre for Molecular Medicine in Germany. The findings are of significance when it comes to the effects of using antibiotics in the long term, and could also help to alleviate the symptoms of m

Aligarh: Three years ago, Fazle Karim, 21, like many bright Bihari non-medical students, had dreamt of qualifying JEE for admission in IIT. Even though he was first coached in the prestigious Rahmani 30 and then in Abhyanand Super 30, he failed to clear it. However, instead of feeling bad about his inability to clear the exams, he decided to write about his experience of ‘failure’. Yes, you read it right. We usually come across various success stories with tips and ways to follow their path,

Latur: Having a pet at home is a normal habit, but what if a person and his entire family is so affectionate towards animals that even the house is designed according to the needs of the animals, not humans? Maheboob Ishaq Syed is one such person. Maheboob, 50, is a man from Latur in Maharashtra who maintains such a house of 1,600 square feet where he lives with many different kinds of birds and animals along with his family. He has nearly 200 birds of many species at his home and he requires

We always hear about the virtues of the month of Shaaban, but some people don’t know how to make the best out of it. A group of sisters from Egypt, however, created a plan to help each other maximize their productivity in Shaaban. This hadith triggered the motivation. Usamah bin Zaid said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting any month as much as Shaaban.’ He said: ‘That is a month to which people do not pay much attention, between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in whic