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

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