May 15 Provident fund or PF accounts for a big chunk of one's savings toward retirement. This is the reason why financial experts suggest that the accumulated savings in PF accounts should not be withdrawn during one's working years. Keeping a tab on PF balance regularly gives employees a better handle to plan for their retirement years. Employees' Provident Fund Organisation has rolled out many initiatives through which employees can check their PF balances quickly. Checking PF balance On

There have been many biographies written and speeches given on Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) that have provided a glimpse of his life, the role that he played as a Messenger of God, and the message that he brought for mankind. However, the speech delivered by Ja‘far bin Abi Talib to the Christian king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in the 7th century to date is referenced as one of the most succinct and eloquent speeches that captured the moments of that era, and expressed the message of Islam concisely

May 8, 2016 Loose motion or diarrhea refers to the frequent passage of stools which are loose and watery. Watery bowel movements are very common and are usually not very serious. It may cause loss of water and minerals from the body. People may have diarrhea once or twice every year. The condition is more frequent in children. Loss of water from the body can cause dehydration. It also results in weakness, loss of appetite; stomach pain etc. loose motion usually lasts for 2-3 days and can be tre

Throughout our journey with Surat Al-A’raf, we have been looking for productivity lessons that relate to our spiritual growth. Our journey from Part 1 to Part 6 has been a very rich one. We have received an “imaan rush”, got acquainted with our main enemy shaytan, and developed a strong defense plan against his attacks.We now know well the story of how our father, Prophet Adam  and his wife Hawwa [alayhassalam] fell for the trap of shaytan and then repented to Allah . Allah , the Most M

Question: My grandfather and uncles all chew tobacco. They seem to think that it is safer than smoking cigarettes and that there isn’t risk of getting mouth or lung cancer from it. Is this true? Abdul Haq A: Dr Khalid says Chewing tobacco is clearly harmful to a person’s health. Nicotine is found in chewing tobacco just as in cigarettes. It is the addictive substance which makes giving up the habit quite difficult. Because chewing tobacco is left in the mouth for long periods, a person may

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we began our journey into Surat Al-A’raf looking for productivity lessons. In Parts 3, 4, and 5, we began the story of Adam  and Iblees. We now continue with Part 6 to get more productivity lessons. The last couple of lessons from Surat Al-A’raf were an “iman rush”. They motivated us to focus on Allah  by aiming high, strengthening our determination and working towards rising in Allah ’s Sight. Now is a suitable time to acquaint ourselves with the

Allahu Akbar… Allahu Akbar…” I hear the adhan through the windows of my office, and I see the pop up on my computer, “It’s time for dhuhr prayer.” Few minutes earlier, I just started getting into the flow of my work and I don’t want the momentum to be lost. So I tell myself, “I still got 20 minutes until iqama ti2me. Let me wrap this up and I will make it in time, in sha Allah.” 25 minutes later, I know salah started and I am frantically trying to send that last e-mail before ru

Kids are crying, you can’t find your keys, your oldest child can’t find her jacket, your toddler just lost his sock, you have fifteen minutes to get to a destination that is twenty-five minutes away and you haven’t even left the house yet…sounds familiar, mama? This could be a typical scenario for any parent as you are about to leave the house with your children, or when you search the house from top to bottom for that important document – it can be such a stressful and hectic situation

In one of his articles, Dr. Bilal Philips (a famous Islamic scholar)  narrates a story that involves tragedy, drama, and joy. The story is about an Egyptian teacher whose photograph appeared in a local newspaper. The picture showed his smiling and happy face with his hands stretched out and both thumbs sticking up; his father was kissing him on one cheek and his sister on the other cheek. The newspaper narrated his story about working as a teacher in Bahrain. After a brief visit back home in

We all have our eyes on the ultimate goal, the biggest prize…Al-Firdaus, right? It’s the highest level of Jannah (paradise) – in it what no eyes have seen, no ears have heard and no human has ever imagined. But what exactly do we have to do to attain this lofty and honourable level? Jannah: a short reminder Let’s refresh. What does paradise hold for Allah’s  believing slaves? When talking about Jannah, Allah  promises, “They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.” [Qur’an:

Relationships are the lifeblood of our journey through this world. Good relationships not only can help us navigate through the challenges of this life more easily but they can be fulfilling and as well invigorating. Bad relationships on the other hand can put one’s life dead in its track. Ask a divorced person who has left a married life – or a person who ended up changing his work due to bad relationships – or ask family members devastated and shattered due to family squabbles. They will all a

It isn’t that we have anything other than good intentions when we ask questions of others. We want genuine connection, after all. It’s that the questions we rely upon to accomplish this are tired at best and wholly ineffective, verging on alienating, at their worst. So…go on asking the same old, boring, expected questions that elicit equally uninspiring responses? Or adopt fresher, juicier, more insightful versions of said questions that (bonus!) actually have the potential to generate meanin

An article from the Telegraph (source) which highlights the dangers of vegetable oils. This is contrary to decades of official advice from the experts to avoid butter and turn instead to vegetable oils: Scientists warn against the dangers of frying food in sunflower oil and corn oil over claims they release toxic chemicals linked tocancerCooking with vegetable oils releases toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases, according to leading scientists, who are now recommending food be fri

In the first part of this series, we spoke about different ways in which employees can have a productive lunch break at work. However, many of our loyal readers may not yet be in employment, but still working their way through high school, college or other educational institutes. Although many of our productive tips in the first part of the series are interchangeable, a student’s break can be used in a few other ways. While many employees are able to separate their work life from their lives

For people who want to control their weight or reduce their intakes of sugar, sodium and saturated fat, tap water may be what the doctor ordered. A new study that examined the dietary habits of more than 18,300 U.S. adults found the majority of people who increased their consumption of plain water -- tap water or from a cooler, drinking fountain or bottle -- by 1 percent reduced their total daily calorie intake as well as their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

Whether you are at work or school, a break is a must, even if it is only for a few minutes to disconnect from the task-filled environment. However, a break is not a license to slack or waste time. Breaks can be used productively, perhaps not for work- or school-related tasks, but for self-enrichment. This two-part series will explore the many tasks that can be done during our breaks at work or school. Part 1 includes 8 suggestions for activities that can be done during our work break, n

This part in the series is lengthy due to the nature of the subject being discussed. It will be very educational and greatly rewarding if you take the time to read through it all with deliberation. As we have already learned that cancer is really a breakdown of the immune system's ability to routinely eliminate abnormal cells, it is important that we look at all causes and factors that trigger off processes which facilitate the development ofcancer. In an earlier part in this series we spoke a

Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) delivered his last sermon (Khutbah) on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah (12th and last month of the Islamic year), 10 years after Hijrah (migration from Makkah to Madinah) in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat. His words were quite clear and concise and were directed to the entire humanity. After praising, and thanking Allah he said: “O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am say