The 10 Best Foods You Aren't Eating

Although some guys aren't opposed to smoking some weed, most wouldn't think of eating one. It's a shame, really, since a succulent weed named purslane is not only delicious but also among the world's healthiest foods.

Of course, there are many superfoods that never see the inside of a shopping cart. Some you've never heard of, and others you've simply forgotten about. That's why we've rounded up the best of the bunch. Make a place for them on your table and you'll instantly upgrade your health -- without a prescription.

Beets
These grungy-looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, which means they pack tons of flavor under-neath their rugged exterior.

Why they're healthy: Think of beets as red spinach. Just like Popeye's powerfood, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the natural pigments -- called betacyanins -- that give beets their color have been proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.

How to eat them: Fresh and raw, not from a jar. Heating beets actually decreases their antioxidant power. For a simple single-serving salad, wash and peel one beet, and then grate it on the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.

You can eat the leaves and stems, which are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Simply cut off the stems just below the point where the leaves start, and wash thoroughly. They're now ready to be used in a salad. Or, for a side dish, sauté the leaves, along with a minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.


Cabbage
Absent from most American kitchens, this cruciferous vegetable is a major player in European and Asian diets.

Why it's healthy: One cup of chopped cabbage has just 22 calories, and it's loaded with valuable nutrients. At the top of the list is sulforaphane, a chemical that increases your body's production of enzymes that disarm cell-damaging free radicals and reduce your risk of cancer. In fact, Stanford University scientists determined that sulforaphane boosts your levels of these cancer-fighting enzymes higher than any other plant chemical.

How to eat it: Put cabbage on your burgers to add a satisfying crunch. Or, for an even better sandwich topping or side salad, try an Asian-style slaw. Here's what you'll need:

4 Tbsp peanut or canola oil

Juice of two limes

1 Tbsp sriracha, an Asian chili sauce you can find in the international section of your grocery store

1 head napa cabbage, finely chopped or shredded

1/4 cup toasted peanuts

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Whisk together the oil, lime juice, and sriracha. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving. The slaw will keep in your fridge for 2 days.

Guava
Guava is an obscure tropical fruit that's subtly acidic, with sweetness that intensifies as you eat your way to the center.

Why it's healthy: Guava has a higher concentration of lycopene -- an antioxidant that fights prostate cancer -- than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon. In addition, 1 cup of the stuff provides 688 milligrams (mg) of potassium, which is 63 percent more than you'll find in a medium banana. And guava may be the ultimate high-fiber food: There's almost 9 grams (g) of fiber in every cup.

How to eat it: Down the entire fruit, from the rind to the seeds. It's all edible -- and nutritious. The rind alone has more vitamin C than you'd find in the flesh of an orange. You can score guava in the produce section of higher-end supermarkets or in Latin grocery stores.


Swiss chard
Hidden in the leafy-greens cooler of your market, you'll find this slightly bitter, salty vegetable, which is actually native to the Mediterranean.

Why it's healthy: A half cup of cooked Swiss chard provides a huge amount of both lutein and zeaxanthin, supplying 10 mg each. These plant chemicals, known as carotenoids, protect your retinas from the damage of aging, according to Harvard researchers. That's because both nutrients, which are actually pigments, appear to accumulate in your retinas, where they absorb the type of shortwave light rays that can damage your eyes. So the more lutein and zeaxanthin you eat, the better your internal eye protection will be.

How to eat it: Chard goes great with grilled steaks and chicken, and it also works well as a bed for pan-seared fish. Wash and dry a bunch of Swiss chard, and then chop the leaves and stems into 1-inch pieces. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan or wok, and add two garlic cloves that you've peeled and lightly crushed. When the oil smokes lightly, add the chard. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the leaves wilt and the stems are tender. Remove the garlic cloves and season the chard with salt and pepper.

Cinnamon
This old-world spice usually reaches most men's stomachs only when it's mixed with sugar and stuck to a roll.

Why it's healthy: Cinnamon helps control your blood sugar, which influences your risk of heart disease. In fact, USDA researchers found that people with type-2 diabetes who consumed 1 g of cinnamon a day for 6 weeks (about 1/4 teaspoon each day) significantly reduced not only their blood sugar but also their triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Credit the spice's active ingredients, methylhydroxychalcone polymers, which increase your cells' ability to metabolize sugar by up to 20 times.

How to eat it: You don't need the fancy oils and extracts sold at vitamin stores; just sprinkle the stuff that's in your spice rack (or in the shaker at Starbucks) into your coffee or on your oatmeal.


Purslane
Although the FDA classifies purslane as a broad-leaved weed, it's a popular vegetable and herb in many other countries, including China, Mexico, and Greece.

Why it's healthy: Purslane has the highest amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fats of any edible plant, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The scientists also report that this herb has 10 to 20 times more melatonin -- an antioxidant that may inhibit cancer growth -- than any other fruit or vegetable tested.

How to eat it: In a salad. Think of purslane as a great alternative or addition to lettuce: The leaves and stems are crisp, chewy, and succulent, and they have a mild lemony taste. Look for it at your local farmer's market, or Chinese or Mexican market. It's also available at some Whole Foods stores, as an individual leafy green or in premade salad mixes.

Pomegranate juice
A popular drink for decades in the Middle East, pomegranate juice has become widely available only recently in the United States.

Why it's healthy: Scientists discovered that men who downed just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for a year decreased their systolic (top number) blood pressure by 21 percent and significantly improved bloodflow to their hearts. What's more, 4 ounces provides 50 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.

How to drink it: Try 100 percent pomegranate juice from Pom Wonderful. It contains no added sugars, and because it's so powerful, a small glassful is all you need. (For a list of retailers, go to www.pomwonderful.com.)


Goji berries
These raisin-size fruits are chewy and taste like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry. More important, these potent berries have been used as a medicinal food in Tibet for over 1,700 years.

Why they're healthy: Goji berries have one of the highest ORAC ratings -- a method of gauging antioxidant power -- of any fruit, according to Tufts University researchers. And although modern scientists began to study this ancient berry only recently, they've found that the sugars that make goji berries sweet reduce insulin resistance -- a risk factor of diabetes -- in rats.

How to eat them: Mix dried or fresh goji berries with a cup of plain yogurt, sprinkle them on your oatmeal or cold cereal, or enjoy a handful by themselves. You can find them at specialty supermarkets or at gojiberries.us.

Dried plums
You may know these better by the moniker "prunes," which are indelibly linked with nursing homes and bathroom habits. And that explains why, in an effort to revive this delicious fruit's image, producers now market them under another name.

Why they're healthy: Prunes contain high amounts of neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids, antioxidants that are particularly effective at combating the "superoxide anion radical." This nasty free radical causes structural damage to your cells, and such damage is thought to be one of the primary causes of cancer.

How to eat them: As an appetizer. Wrap a paper-thin slice of prosciutto around each dried plum and secure with a toothpick. Bake in a 400°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the plums are soft and the prosciutto is crispy. Most of the fat will cook off, and you'll be left with a decadent-tasting treat that's sweet, savory, and healthy.


Pumpkin seeds
These jack-o'-lantern waste products are the most nutritious part of the pumpkin.

Why they're healthy: Downing pumpkin seeds is the easiest way to consume more magnesium. That's important because French researchers recently determined that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. And on average, men consume 353 mg of the mineral daily, well under the 420 mg minimum recommended by the USDA.

How to eat them: Whole, shells and all. (The shells provide extra fiber.) Roasted pumpkin seeds contain 150 mg of magnesium per ounce; add them to your regular diet and you'll easily hit your daily target of 420 mg. Look for them in the snack or health-food section of your grocery store, next to the peanuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds.

Antioxidants, ExplainedThe science is clear: Plant foods are good for you. And the credit often goes to chemicals they produce called antioxidants. Just as the name suggests, antioxidants help protect your cells against oxidation. Think of oxidation as rust. This rust is caused by free radicals, which are unstable oxygen atoms that attack your cells, inducing DNA damage that leads to cancer. Thankfully, antioxidants help stabilize free radicals, which keeps the rogue atoms from harming your cells.

So by eating more antioxidant-rich foods, you'll boost the amount of the disease-fighting chemicals floating in your bloodstream. The result: Every bite fortifies your body with all-natural preventive medicine.

Eight More Superfoods You Should Eat
Want to build more muscle, prevent disease, and live longer? It's as easy as changing your diet: Take out the packaged, processed foods, and add fresh ingredients to your meals.

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS is a board certified nutritionist with graduate degrees in nutrition and psychology.

For more on the best foods you're not eating, click here.

Visit the New York Times Website.

Visit the Men's Health Website.

The Hajj and Eid al-Adha

The Hajj and Eid al-Adha (PICS)

How to Beat The Indian Politician

Section 49-O of the Constitution:
(A Repetition worth a read)

Did you know that there is a system in our Constitution, as per the 1969 Act, in Section "49-O" that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey to the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone!

Yes such a feature is available, but obviously our seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called "49-O".

Why should you go and say "I VOTE FOR NOBODY"... because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received "49-O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way of our whole political system... it is seemingly surprising why the Election Commission has not revealed such a feature to the public....

Please spread this news to as many as you know... Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India... show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting... so don't miss your chance. So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on...

The people of India , can really use this power to save our nation". Use your voting right for a better INDIA

Deluxe Hotels in Bangalore

India's Cash-for-Fatwa Scandal

India's Cash-for-Fatwa Scandal

Many Muslims in India, like their counterparts around the world, gathered on the streets to burn effigies of the Pope and shout slogans denouncing him for his remarks on Islam and violence. Even before that fully died out, however, a new controversy erupted — one that has turned Muslim ire against some of their own local clerics.

India's "cash-for-fatwas" scandal broke out when a TV channel broadcast a sting operation that showed several Indian Muslim clerics allegedly taking, or demanding, bribes in return for issuing fatwas, or religious edicts. The bribes, some of which were as low as $60, were offered by undercover reporters wearing hidden cameras over a period of six weeks. In return for the cash, the clerics appear to hand out fatwas written in Urdu, the language used by many Muslims in Pakistan and India, on subjects requested by the reporters. Among the decrees issued by the fatwas: that Muslims are not allowed to use credit cards, double beds, or camera-equipped cell phones, and should not act in films, donate their organs, or teach their children English. One cleric issued a fatwa against watching TV; another issued a fatwa in support of watching TV.
Adding to the shock in India, home to the world's third-largest Muslim population (approximately 150 million), is that some of the clerics apparently caught in the sting operation teach at important institutions — one belongs to India's most famous Islamic seminary, the Darul Uloom at Deoband. At least two of the clerics have been suspended from their posts, but that hasn't satisfied everyone. Students at one madrassa in north India denounced the clerics, and in the city of Meerut, where a mufti, or cleric, had been caught on camera, the congregation at one mosque refused to offer prayers until he came before them, admitted to taking the money, and apologized.

The "cash-for-fatwas" scandal has also led to a renewed debate on what constitutes a fatwa, and who has legitimate authority to issue one. Fatwas — like the one passed by Iran's Ayatullah Khomeini in 1989 against the novelist Salman Rushdie, or those issued by Osama bin Laden in 1996 and 1998 against America — have come to epitomize the intolerance of Islamic fundamentalists. Yet many Muslims argue that the purpose of fatwas has been misunderstood: A fatwa is, technically speaking, a ruling on a point of Islamic law made by a recognized Muslim scholar in response to a question put to him. Since Osama bin Laden is no Islamic scholar, many deny his right to issue a fatwa. The sway that fatwas hold over Muslims is also not as great as many outsiders think. Last year, a Muslim cleric issued a fatwa stating that it was un-Islamic for Sania Mirza, India's most famous tennis player and a Muslim, to wear sleeveless tops or short skirts on court. Mirza simply dismissed the ruling; indeed, many, if not most, urban Indian Muslims do not take fatwas seriously. However, in rural communities, a well-respected mufti's fatwa — on issues ranging from marriage to health to women's rights — can carry considerable influence. India's Muslim leaders announced that they will soon create a new body that will monitor the passing of fatwas in the country, in a bid to preserve that influence, and nip the popular anger swirling around this scandal.

Words to think About...

Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate.
A Message by George Carlin:
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
If you don't send this to at least 8 people....Who cares?

Church attacks dent Karnataka's civilised image

Submitted by Mudassir Rizwan on 24 September 2008 - 9:05am.
India News
By Fakir Balaji and Maitreyee Boruah, IANS,
Bangalore : Karnataka's reputation as a communally harmonious state has taken a severe beating following brazen attacks on churches widely blamed on rightwing Hindu groups.
The widespread revulsion over the vandalism that began Sep 14 in coastal Karnataka is giving way to concern that the violence as well as allegations that Hindus are being converted may be used by fringe groups to create a gulf between Hindus and Christians.
This is the first time in Karnataka that such a largescale assault on churches and prayer halls has taken place, including in cosmopolitan Bangalore.
The vehemence of the Christian protest in the coastal city of Mangalore, which bore the brunt of the vandalism, was also unprecedented.
The attacks have caused severe embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) because they happened just three months after it came to power in Karnataka -- and in south India -- for the first time.
With the Bajrang Dal reportedly owning responsibility for some of the attacks, the BJP has been exposed to criticism that Hindu groups linked to it are emboldened because the party is in power.
Industry leaders, writers, expatriates and even the man on the street IANS spoke to in Bangalore are furious that the authorities failed to prevent the attacks.
"Such violence is not acceptable in a civilised society. Differences, disputes and grievances have to be resolved in a peaceful manner and through dialogue, not by taking law into hands," said Infosys Technologies board member T.V. Mohandas Pai.
"It is ridiculous to attack places of worship whatever be the cause or provocation. The incident shows the state's law and enforcement machinery has failed," he added.
Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said from Spain: "It is very shocking that such things are taking place in a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore. The government should have pre-empted them in the wake of similar attacks in other parts of the state.
"Such incidents in a global IT hub like Bangalore bring a bad name, spoil the fair image of its citizens and cause apprehension in the minds of investors - in India and overseas."
According to Jnanpeeth awardee U.R. Ananthamurthy, it appears extremists in BJP are doing this to unseat Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and bring in "a Modi" -- a reference to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is a hero for Hindu groups.
Said theatre personality, playwright and another Jnanpeeth awardee Girish Karnad: "The perpetrators are testing the tolerance of our society. Violence, abuse and taking law into one's hands is not justified, whatever the cause or provocation."
Christians are also shocked that this could happen in Karnataka.
Said Mary Triza of Don Bosco Institute: "As devout Catholics or Protestants, we are never in favour of conversions, especially forcible. If such things are happening, let the law take its course.
"By attacking churches or prayers halls, they will not be able to stop such activities. Such acts will only provoke people and lead to counter-attacks."
Expatriates in the IT hub, estimated to be around 18,000, including about 4,000 students, are simply stunned.
Stephanie Collins, a language trainer from Canada who has worked in Bangalore for two years, said: "Bangalore is one of India's best cities and it offers everyone, even expatriates, a sense of belonging.
"But the recent attacks on Christians is making me think twice. Why in a secular country like India are Christians considered outsiders and are vulnerable to violence?"
Saba Khan, a student of biotechnology from Iran, said he came to Bangalore a year ago as the city provides the best - and safe - educational opportunities.
"But now I am scared. My parents in Tehran are worried," said the 22-year-old pursuing a masters in biotechnology at Bangalore University.
Ester Rupa Sahu, a BPO employee from Shillong, felt such incidents were damaging the reputation of Karnataka, known across the country as an "oasis of peace".
D. Muralidhar, president of the Federation of the Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FKCCI), added: "It is a bad dream. Karnataka is known for harmonious relations among different communities. Industry is concerned about such attacks as they do not take place in any civilised society."
G.B. Atri, a former wing commander in the Indian Air Force and now the Brahmin face of the Bahujan Samaj Party in Karnataka, was of the view that the "level of patience in the society is coming down. Goondas (thugs) should not be allowed a free hand".
(V.S. Karnic contributed to this story)

Say proudly, I AM AN INDIAN.

Facts to Make INDIA Proud - Today, 12:09 AM
________________________________________
Facts to Make INDIA Proud

Q. Who is the co-founder of Sun Microsystems?
A. Vinod Khosla


Q. Who is the creator of Pentium chip (needs no introduction as 90% of the todays computers run on it)?
A. Vinod Dahm

Q. Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail (Hotmail is world's No.1 web based email program)?
A. Sabeer Bhatia


Q. Who is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs (AT & T-Bell Labs is the creator of program languages such as C, C++, Unix to name a few)?
A. Arun Netravalli


Q. Who is the GM of Hewlett Packard?
A. Rajiv Gupta


Q. Who is the new MTD (Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000, responsible to iron out all initial problems?
A. Sanjay Tejwrika

Q. Who are the Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart?
A. Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar.

Q. We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America, even faring better than the whites and the natives.
There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). YET,
38% of doctors in USA are Indians.
12% scientists in USA are Indians.
36% of NASA scientists are Indians.
34% of Microsoft employees are Indians.
28% of IBM employees are Indians.
17% of INTEL scientists are Indians.
13% of XEROX employees are Indians.



Some of the following facts may be known to you. These facts were recently published in a German magazine, which deals with WORLD HISTORY FACTS ABOUT INDIA.

1. India never invaded any country in her last 1000 years of history.

2. India invented the Number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.


3. The world's first University was established in Takshila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

4. According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.

5. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans.

6. Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty striken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth.


7. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.

8. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean Theorem. British scholars have last year (1999) officially published that Budhayan's works dates to the 6th Century which is long before the European mathematicians.


9. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from Inida. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th Century; the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 1053.

10. According to the Gemological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world.


11. USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century-old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was Professor Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.

12. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.


13. Chess was invented in India.

14. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient India.


15. When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilisation).

16. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.




Quotes about India.

We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.
Albert Einstein.



India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition. Mark Twain.



If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India.
French scholar Romain Rolland.



India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.
Hu Shih
(former Chinese ambassador to USA)



ALL OF THE ABOVE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, THE LIST COULD BE ENDLESS.
BUT, if we dont see even a glimpse of that great India in the India that we see today, it clearly means that we are not working up to our potential; and that if we do, we could once again be an evershining and inspiring country setting a bright path for rest of the world to follow.
I hope you enjoyed it and work towards the welfare of INDIA.

Say proudly, I AM AN INDIAN.

Islamic Banking! Now, What is That?

Islamic Banking! Now, What is That?
In a move that has the potential of dramatically alter banking, the government has asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to explore ways to introduce Islamic banking in the country.

Recently, the finance ministry had sounded out the RBI on the subject of introducing Islamic banking in India. The central bank has already formed a senior team to look into the matter. The group is headed by Anand Sinha, chief general manager in charge, department of banking operations and development, and includes senior bankers from State Bank of India and few other government and foreign banks. Some of the foreign banks operating in India already offer Islamic banking products in West Asia and Europe. Interestingly, banking products like these not only exist in West Asian countries, but have also caught on in advanced markets like the UK.

What is Islamic banking?
Islamic banking has the same purpose as conventional banking except that it operates in accordance with the rules of the Shariah, known as Fiqh al-Muamalat (Islamic rules on transactions).
The basic principle of Islamic banking is sharing of profit and loss and prohibition of riba (interest). Amongst the common Islamic concepts used in Islamic banking are profit sharing (mudarabah), safekeeping (wadiah), joint venture (musharakah), cost plus (murabahah) and leasing (ijarah).
In an Islamic mortgage transaction, instead of loaning buyer money, a bank might buy an item from a seller, and sell it to the buyer at a profit, while allowing the buyer to pay the bank in installments. The higher cost might include what would in non-Islamic arrangements have been charged as interest, but there could not be additional penalties for late payment. This arrangement is called murabahah. Another approach is ijara wa iqtina, which is similar to real estate leasing.
In business deals, there are several other approaches to handle a lack of interest. Most important is musharaka, which is equity financing. Further mudaraba means if one entrepreneur is doing the work and the other is giving the funds to finance it then both profit and risk must be shared. Such participatory arrangements between capital and labour reflect the Islamic view that the borrower must not bear all the risk/cost of a failure, as it is Allah who determines that failure, and intends that it fall on all those involved.
Islamic banking is restricted to Islamically acceptable deals, which exclude e.g. alcohols, pork, gambling, etc. Thus ethical investing is the only acceptable investing, and moral purchasing is encouraged

How do these banks operate in India?
There are several Baitul Mals working in cities as well as in villages. Only 10 to 15 Islamic banks with deposits of about Rs 75 crore are operating all over the country in various states. They are actually non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) which work on profits/loss basis. Islamic banks by and large cater to the needs of local area except a few of them operating across districts or states. Their sources of funds are limited and as a result these banks have to operate on small scale missing the economies of scale.
Islamic banks in India provide housing loan, on the basis of co-ownership, venture finance on mudarabah basis as well as on musharaka basis and consumers loans. Some banks finance transports also on the mark up basis via hire purchase. Education finance and skill development finance is also provided by them. Investments are made in government securities, small savings schemes or units of mutual funds. Investment in shares of companies is also made by some Islamic banks. Hire purchase and lease finance are other source of investments.

What are the regulations for Islamic banking in India?
Islamic banks in India do not function under banking regulations. They are licensed under Non Banking Finance Companies Reserve Bank Directives 1997 RBI (Amendment) Act 1997, and operates on profit and loss based on Islamic principles. RBI has introduced compulsory registration system. In the Monetary and Credit Policy for the year 1999-2000, it was proposed that in respect of new NBFCs, which seek registration with the RBI and commence the business on or after April 21, 1999, the requirement of minimum level of net owned funds (NOF) will be Rs 2 crore.
What are the current practices in Islamic banking globally?
Generally speaking, all interest-free banks agree on the basic principles. However, individual banks differ in their application. These differences are due to several reasons including the laws of the country, objectives of the different banks, individual bank’s circumstances and experiences, the need to interact with other interest-based banks, etc. The three important features are the deposits, modes of financing and services.

What are the different deposits available?
All the Islamic banks have three kinds of deposit accounts: current, savings and investment.
1. Current accounts
Current or demand deposit accounts are virtually the same as in all conventional banks. Deposit is guaranteed.
2. Savings accounts
Savings deposit accounts operate in different ways. In some banks, the depositors allow the banks to use their money but they obtain a guarantee of getting the full amount back from the bank. Banks adopt several methods of inducing their clients to deposit with them, but no profit is promised. In others, savings accounts are treated as investment accounts but with less stringent conditions as to withdrawals and minimum balance. Capital is not guaranteed, but the banks take care to invest money from such accounts in relatively risk-free short-term projects.
3. Investment account
Investment deposits are accepted for a fixed or unlimited period of time and the investors agree in advance to share the profit (or loss) in a given proportion with the bank. Capital is not guaranteed.

What are the different modes of financing?
Banks adopt several modes of acquiring assets or financing projects. But they can be broadly categorised into three areas: investment, trade and lending
1. Investment financing
This is done in three main ways: a) Musharaka where a bank may join another entity to set up a joint venture, both parties participating in the various aspects of the project in varying degrees. Profit and loss are shared in a pre-arranged fashion. This is not very different from the joint venture concept. The venture is an independent legal entity and the bank may withdraw gradually after an initial period. b) Mudarabha where the bank contributes the finance and the client provides the expertise, management and labour. Profits are shared by both the partners in a pre-arranged proportion, but when a loss occurs the total loss is borne by the bank. c) Financing on the basis of an estimated rate of return. Under this scheme, the bank estimates the expected rate of return on the specific project it is asked to finance and provides financing on the understanding that at least that rate is payable to the bank. If the project ends up in a profit more than the estimated rate the excess goes to the client. If the profit is less than the estimate the bank will accept the lower rate. In case a loss is suffered the bank will take a share in it.

2. Trade financingThis is also done in several ways.
The main ones are: a) Mark-up where the bank buys an item for a client and the client agrees to repay the bank the price and an agreed profit later on. b) Leasing where the bank buys an item for a client and leases it to him for an agreed period and at the end of that period the lessee pays the balance on the price agreed at the beginning and becomes the owner of the item. c) Hire-purchase where the bank buys an item for the client and hires it to him for an agreed rent and period, and at the end of that period the client automatically becomes the owner of the item. d) Sell-and-buy-back where a client sells one of his properties to the bank for an agreed price payable now on condition that he will buy the property back after certain time for an agreed price. e) Letters of credit where the bank guarantees the import of an item using its own funds for a client, on the basis of sharing the profit from the sale of this item or on a mark-up basis.

3. Lending
The main forms of lending are: a) Loans with a service charge where the bank lends money without interest but they cover their expenses by levying a service charge. This charge may be subject to a maximum set by the authorities. b) No-cost loans where each bank is expected to set aside a part of their funds to grant no-cost loans to needy persons such as small farmers, entrepreneurs, producers, etc and to needy consumers. c) Overdrafts also are to be provided, subject to a certain maximum, free of charge.

What other services are offered by such banks?
Other banking services such as money transfers, bill collections, trade in foreign currencies at spot rate, etc where the bank’s own money is not involved are provided on a commission or charge basis.

What are the deficiencies?
To start with, they have not developed adequate internal control system, as a result their accounting system is not very transparent. A number of times they are not able to follow the directives of regulatory authorities pertaining to deposit acceptance from public. For instance, they hardly go for credit rating. They do not submit required information and data to Reserve Bank of India. Their monitoring system warrants appointment of technical people familiar with reporting system. It is also observed that accounting practices needs to be learned by the officials of these banks. Lack of skilled staff, professionals and infrastructure frustrate their effort to expand and enlarge their operations.

What are major issues and constraints in Islamic banking?
The biggest issue which is a permanent hurdle for Islamic banks operating in countries with interest-based banking is that they cannot function as banks unless powers of issuing cheques are given to them. They cannot be members of settlement/clearing house unless they accept two conditions regarding their liabilities and assets like conventional banks that have to keep fractional cash reserve with the central bank and statutory liquid assets in their assets. Thus banks in India have to maintain deposit account with the RBI over which they get interest. The SLR includes government and approved securities. A bank licensed by the RBI becomes part of the monetary system, which means it can create money by deposit generation through deposit acceptance. Since these assets are interest based, Islamic bank cannot hold them. Consequently, the central bank cannot act as the lender of last resort because such accommodation by the monetary authority is also interest based. Islamic banks cannot interact with conventional banks based on principles of interest.The last but not the least, Islamic banking has been constantly in short-term and medium-term operations though some of them are undertaking long-term finance also. It is understood that inability to evaluate projects profitability has tended to act against investment financing. Some borrowers frustrate the banks appraisal efforts as they are not reluctant to provide full disclosures of their business. Moreover, the borrowers do not observe business ethics which make it difficult to establish close bank-clientele relationship — a condition for successful Islamic banking. As a result a number of Islamic banks have been closed during the recent years.(economictimes.indiatimes.com/articles-July 11, 2005)

Insurance: Mustafa Al-Zarqa's Views
By Adil Salahi
In its modern form, insurance was introduced in Muslim countries when many of them were occupied by Western powers.Every now and then I get questions about life insurance. Is life insurance permissible from the Islamic point of view? Most of the readers want to know. The attraction to take a life policy, says, some of the readers, seems too strong when one considers the need for safety in life. My answer to all such questions is:Insurance has become an essential part of business throughout the world. Because there are too many risks that could affect people’s lives and welfare, insurance tries to alleviate the adverse effects of such risks. Insurance has become a highly sophisticated business, with large companies offering cover against a wide range of risks. People take out insurance policies to protect their homes, furniture, vehicles, and jobs, and they also take out health and life insurance.In its modern form, insurance was introduced in Muslim countries when many of them were occupied by Western powers, or when they came under Western influence. In some cases, its introduction was delayed in a country until its international business flourished. Like every thing that came with a “colonial” or Western color, insurance was first viewed by Muslim scholars with grave suspicion. A verdict of disapproval was common to most things thought to be introduced by non-Muslims.Yet insurance is not new, and it was not invented by the Western civilization. The idea of collaboration to reduce the effects of disaster that might hit one or more in a community is as old as human society. In many Muslim cities, business people collaborated, establishing funds to look after anyone of them who might suffer a huge trade loss, as could happen when a cargo ship sank during a storm. While these early efforts catered for a specific risk, the idea behind them is the same as that behind insurance.In the last few decades, a number of eminent scholars discussed insurance at length, arriving at divergent views. One of the best theses written on the subject was published in a book in Arabic by the late Prof. Mustafa Al-Zarqa, who ranked high among the top scholars of the twentieth century. His work is very scholarly, as it shows thorough understanding of the insurance system and how it works. He arrives at a verdict of permissibility of all types of insurance, including life insurance. He points out that insurance inevitably involves an element of gharar, which in Islamic terminology means the sale of an “undefined” or unspecified product. However, he explains that it is rather marginal, and as such it is overlooked, as in other types of transactions involving marginal gharar.There are two main types of life insurance: Term policy and endowment policy. The term policy involves the payment by the insured of modest premiums over an agreed period, say, 20 years, in return for the benefit of his family receiving an agreed large sum of money in the case of his death during that period. If the insured remains alive at the end of the policy, it lapses and he gets nothing. What the insured actually buys with his payments is the peace of mind he gets from the knowledge that should he die, his dependants will have a large sum of money to see them through life until, say, his young children came of age and were able to look after themselves.The endowment policy involves the payment of larger premiums which are invested by the insurance company. When the policy matures, the insured receives the sum assured as well as any share of profits to which he may be entitled under the terms of investment made on his behalf by the insurance company.Both types are permissible from the Islamic point of view, as explained by Professor Al-Zarqa, provided that the insured makes sure that the insurance company invests in legitimate business. If the insurance company invests in what Islam forbids, then taking out its policies becomes forbidden as a result.(www.arabnews.com March 4, 2005) The opinion on Insurance are Prof. Mustafa Al-Zarqa’s own views

Now, Islamic Insurance from LIC
Mumbai
After Islamic banking, it’s the turn of Islamic insurance. Even as the Reserve Bank of India is exploring Islamic banking opportunities for Indian banks, the Life Insurance Corporation of India has set the ball rolling on takaful (Islamic insurance).LIC’s new international joint venture company - Indo-Saudi Insurance Company — will be the first to introduce takaful. This Arabic word means ‘guaranteeing each other’ or joint guarantee.“The entire pricing will be different as the benefits differ from conventional insurance policies,” according to LIC Managing Director, K Mehrotra. Its actuarial team has started working on the pricing mechanism and senior officials have been sent to Saudi Arabia to look into the product, he added.Takaful can be described as cooperative insurance where policyholders contribute a certain amount of money to a common pool. Each member pays his subscription (premium) to help those that need assistance. To some extent, it resembles the chit funds that operate mainly in southern India.The purpose of takaful is not to profit, but to support the belief of “bearing each other’s burden”. Losses are divided, while liabilities spread across the community pooling system. The idea is not to derive any benefits at the cost of others. Instead, it eliminates uncertainty in terms of premium and compensation.“Takaful is a Shari’ah compliant product,” said Mehrotra. It is necessary for LIC to comply with local laws of the land when it starts operations in Saudi Arabia.While LIC will offer a range of insurance products like endowment, money-back, single premium policies, among others, “the returns would need to be inbuilt into the pricing, and cannot be called bonus or profits,” said the managing director.Today LIC announces annual bonuses depending on its investment performance. Under Takaful plans, it would need to build in the possible profits, Mehrotra pointed out.

Islamic banking can attract trillions of dollars: expert

CHENNAI: Introduction of Islamic banking in India can attract trillions of dollars belonging to Muslims and now invested in the United States and the west Europe, according to an expert in Islamic banking.
People of the faith, particularly those in West Asia, are looking for alternative investment destinations, fearing the U.S. will continue with its uneconomic retaliatory measures for the September 11, 2001 attacks, said Monzer Kahf, a financial and investment consultant in the U.S.
The flow of such funds out of the U.S. and west Europe had begun.
Though Singapore recently amended its laws to introduce Islamic banking, India would benefit more, since it was a production base, , he told an interactive session on `interest free banking and finance,' organised here on Friday by Jamaat-E-Islami Hind.
Dr. Kahf had drafted Shariah contents of Islamic finance agreements, by-laws and operational systems for Islamic financial institutions in the U.S. He won the Islamic Development Bank prize for Islamic Economics 2001 and served in the U.N. Institute of Planning in Damascus and the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah.
Though there was no concept of interest on the loans extended under the Islamic banking system, it still was not a case of free lunch or charity.
"We are talking of money ... not ... of loans," he said.
The concept was based on a different paradigm. Islamic banking started in 1973. A year later the first bank was formed. The total assets of the Islamic banks world over were $300 billion.
According to Mohammed Ismail Shariff, a director of Kuwait Finance House, which is the first wholly foreign owned Islamic bank in Malaysia, non-Muslims accounted for a majority of the customers of such banks.
The Islamic banks were essentially engaged in major financing.
H. Abdur Raqeeb, president, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry zone, Jamaat-E-Islami Hind, said the Reserve Bank of India had instructed the Ministry of Finance to look into the possibility of launching Islamic banking.

This is why INDIA shining.

An Indian man walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan officer. He tells the loan officer that he is going to India on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000. The bank officer tells him that the bank will need some form of security for the loan, so the Indian man hands over the keys and documents of new Ferrari parked on the street in front of the bank. He produces the title and everything checks out. The loan officer agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. The bank's president and its officers all enjoy a good laugh at the Indian for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral against a $5,000 loan.. An employee of the bank then drives the Ferrari into the bank's underground garage and parks it there. Two weeks later, the Indian returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $15.41. The loan officer says, "Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multi millionaire. What puzzles us is, why you would bother to borrow "$5,000”?The Indian replies:"Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for only $15.41 and expect it to be there when I return'"Ah, the mind of the Indian... This is why India is shiningI am very proud. Because I am also an Indian.

India unveils climate change plan

The Indian government has unveiled a national action plan to confront the threat posed by climate change.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the plan envisaged a gradual shift to greater reliance on sustainable sources of energy.
Mr Singh said the development of India's capacity to tap solar power would be central to the strategy.
But the prime minister made no commitment to cut his country's carbon emissions which are predicted to rise.
Solar power
"Our vision is to make India's economic development energy efficient," said Mr Singh as he released details of the plan in the Indian capital, Delhi.
"Our people have a right to economic and social development and to discard the ignominy of widespread poverty."
The prime minister said that over time India must shift from economic activity based on fossil fuels to one based on non-fossil fuels, and from reliance on non-renewable and dwindling sources of energy to renewable ones.

Greenpeace says India could face a major humanitarian crisis
"In this strategy, the sun occupies centre stage, as it should, being literally the original source of all energy.
"We will pool all our scientific, technical and managerial talents, with financial sources, to develop solar energy as a source of abundant energy to power our economy and to transform the lives of our people," Mr Singh said.
"Our success in this endeavour will change the face of India."
The action plan, however, makes no commitment to cut India's carbon emissions.
India's government says that it must strive to lift much of the country's population out of poverty.
It argues that its carbon emissions per head of population are only a fraction of those of rich countries.
A recent Greenpeace report on climate change warned that if greenhouse gas emissions continued to grow at their present rate, South Asia could face a major humanitarian crisis.
It estimates that 75 million people in Bangladesh would lose their homes. About 45 million people in India would also become "climate migrants".

Did Taj Mahal led to colonialisation of India ?

Till 1750 India and china contributed about 50% of the world GDP at that time, India was Europe of seventeenth century and all the exploration by European navigators from Columbus to Magellan were done to search for this fabled country. This exploration, lead to discovery of South America, North America and Australia and lead to economic prosperity of Europe. With this new found power many European countries were able to establish colonies around the world leading to mass poverty and extermination of native population such as Red Indians in North America, Incas in South America and Aborginies in Australia. People are once again talking about rise of India and china as economic and military powers and USA is hedging against rise of China through series of covert and overt alliances. China’s economy at present is less than 1/5th the size of USA and by far USA is hyper power on this planet. So why is USA preparing for future?, it is mere plausibility that China may challenge American dominance. So question now arises why did, kings who governed India and China in seventeenth did not foresee the future and prepared their respective countries from challenge posed by small European countries. If we think about it then it will show us that culturally, indian and Chinese people are not allowed to think independently or ask questions about the accepted facts of that time.

For eg:When apple dropped on Newton’s head, he thought why did it drop?, why did this apple not soar into sky…… This basic question gave us “Gravity” If Newton had been born in India or China; he would have been first thrashed for asking such STUPID Question, made fun of and then humanity would have been deprived of this basic understanding.

If Jehangir (the great mughal empror) had only asked one simple question, when East India company’s envoy came to his court asking for permission to trade – “ How and from where did this British person came in my court?”, he would have sent indian scout to Europe, Learned about new technology and saved the country from ravages of colonialisation. Then his son Shah Jehan came he was too busy in making Taj Mahal, that, he also forgot to enquire where these white people came from.

So moral of the story is that if India, truly wants to emerge as economic power, its citizens need to ask questions to it’s politicians- How so ever stupid it may sound. Even Newton’s question was stupid when he asked at that time.

WAYS TO INCREASE OUR IMAAN

1) Recite and ponder on the meanings of the Quran. Tranquility then descends and our hearts become soft. To get optimum benefit, remind yourself that Allah is speaking to you. People are described in different categories in the Quran; think of which one you find yourself in.

2) Realize the greatness of Allah. Everything is under His control. There are signs in everything we see that points us to His greatness. Everything happens according to His permission. Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black ant on a black rock on a black moonless night.

3) Make an effort to gain knowledge, for at least the basic things in daily life e.g. how to make wudu properly. Know the meanings behind Allah's names and attributes. People who have taqwa are those who have knowledge.

4) Attend gatherings where Allah is remembered. In such gatherings we are surrounded by angels.

5) We have to increase our good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed. Allah will make the way easy for someone who gives charity and also make it easy for him or her to do good deeds. Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.

6) We must fear the miserable end to our lives; the remembrance of death is the destroyer of pleasures.

7) Remember the different levels of akhirah, for instance when we are put in our graves, when we are judged, whether we will be in paradise or hell.

8) Make dua, realize that we need Allah. Be humble. Don't covet material things in this life.

9) Our love for Subhana Wa Ta'Ala must be shown in actions. We must hope Allah will accept our prayers, and be in constant fear that we do wrong. At night before going to sleep, we must think about what good we did during that day.

10) Realize the effects of sins and disobedience- one's imaan is increased with good deeds and our imaan is decreased by bad deeds. Everything that happens is because Allah wanted it. When calamity befalls us- it is also from Allah. It is a direct result of our disobedience to Allah.

Arabic phrases

Good Morning - Sabaah El Khayr
Good Afternoon/ Good Evening - Masaa El Khayr
Pleasure to meet you - Fursa SaAeeda
How are you? - Keef Haalak?
What's your name? - Maa ismak?
My name is... - Ana ismii...

Typical Dubai conversation
Where are you from? - Min wayn inta?
How long have you lived here? - Munzuu mataa wa inta taAeesh hunna?
What do you do? - Shu shuglak?

To an Arabic speaking driver
Please could you drive slower? - Min fadlak al kayyada bisoraa aqal
Take a left. - Khuth al yassar
Right here, please. - Alyaamin min hunna min fadlak.
Straight on. - Ala tool.
Do a u-turn, please. - Min fadlak iddiwan lil-khaif.
No, I won't pay six dirhams extra because you were called out by someone else, but they're not there. - Ana asif laan adfa sitta darahim zyada li-anna shaks maa talaaabak wa huwa gheer mawjuud il-hin

The top 10 challenges for India

1. Improve governance
Without better governance, delivery systems and effective implementation, India will find it difficult to educate its citizens, build its infrastructure, increase agricultural productivity and ensure that the fruits of economic growth are well established.

2. Raise educational achievement
Among more micro factors, raising India's educational achievement is a major requirement to help achieve the nation's potential. According to our basic indicators, a vast number of India's young people receive no (or only the most basic) education. A major effort to boost basic education is needed. A number of initiatives, such as a continued expansion of Pratham and the introduction of Teach First, for example, should be pursued.

3. Increase quality and quantity of universities
At the other end of the spectrum, India should also have a more defined plan to raise the number and the quality of top universities.

4. Control inflation
Although India has not suffered particularly from dramatic inflation, it is currently experiencing a rise in inflation similar to that seen in a number of emerging economies. Thea authors of the report think that a formal adoption of inflation targetting would be a very sensible move to help India persuade its huge population of the (permanent) benefits of price stability.

5. Introduce a credible fiscal policy
The Goldman Sachs report says that India should introduce a more credible medium-term plan for fiscal policy. Targeting low and stable inflation is not easy if fiscal policy is poorly maintained. It would be helpful to develop some 'rules' for spending over cycles, the report adds.

6. Liberalise financial markets
To improve further the macro variables within the GES framework, the report believes that further liberalisation of Indian financial markets is necessary.

7. Increase trade with neighbours
In terms of international trade, India continues to be much less 'open' than many of its other large emerging nation colleagues, especially China. Given the significant number of nations with large populations on its borders, the Goldman Sachs report recommends that India target a major increase in trade with China, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

8. Increase agricultural productivity
Agriculture, especially in these times of rising prices, should be a great opportunity for India. Better specific and defined plans for increasing productivity in agriculture are essential, and could allow India to benefit from the BRIC-related global thirst for better quality food.

9. Improve infrastructure
Focus on infrastructure in India is legendary, and tales of woe abound. Improvements are taking place, as any foreign business visitor will be aware, but the need for more is paramount. Without such improvement, development will be limited.

10. Improve environmental quality
The final area where greater reforms are needed is the environment. Achieving greater energy efficiencies and boosting the cleanliness of energy and water usage would increase the likelihood of a sustainable stronger growth path for India.
The Goldman Sachs report adds that not all these 'action areas' can be addressed at the same time, but in coming years progress will have to be made in all of them if India is to achieve its very exciting growth potential.

India And The Golden Age Of Islam - Arif Mohammed Khan

Take what the Europeans came to call the "Arab numerals" which replaced the cumbersome Roman numerals. The Arabs call them Hindsa (Indian numerals) giving credit where it is due... History and legend both describe the first 400 years of Abbasid rule, roughly from 750 to 1150, as the Golden Age of Islam. Great military victories, booming international trade and agriculture leading to all round prosperity and luxurious living of the era gave rise to fables like Thousand and One Nights and prompted historian Khatib to claim that "Baghdad has become a city with no peer throughout the world". But the real distinction of the city which earned universal admiration was unrivalled intellectual activity in all fields: science, mathematics, technology, veterinary sciences, agronomy and literature including biography, history, and linguistics.

The royal patronage and munificence shown by the caliphs attracted academics and scientists of diverse nationalities, who pursued their studies in an environment free from religious prejudice and orthodoxy. It is interesting to recall that the Royal Physician Bakhtishu, a Christian, when invited by Caliph Mansoor to embrace Islam, retorted that he preferred the company of his fathers, be they in heaven or hell. Thereafter Mansoor never broached the subject with him and the Bakhtishu family provided leading physicians and medical teachers for seven generations.

The general perception about the scientific achievements of this period is that the Arabs undertook translation of Greek texts that had not been accessible to academics after the Byzantine emperor Justinian had closed down the 900 year old Academy of Plato in 529 and unleashed persecution against the pagan (i.e. the non-Christian) scientists. This knowledge later travelled to Europe via Arabs, and Europe came to claim it to be its own heritage.

While history shows that translation of Greek works was taken up in the 9th century, the Arabs had embarked upon the translation of Sanskrit texts from India much before that. According to Tabqatul Umam a delegation from India came to Baghdad in 771, some 250 years after the death of Aryabhatta. This delegation consisted of an astronomer called Kanaka, who carried with him a small library including a book titled Surya Siddhanta and works of Aryabhata and Brahamgupta.

According to the Arab historian al-Qifti, the caliph was amazed by the brilliance of these Indian texts. On his order, these works were translated into Arabic by Al-Fazari, who subsequently emerged as the first Arab astronomer of great repute. Over a period of time, this Arabic version gained fame under the title of Sindhind and became popular as a text of mathematics and astronomy all over the Muslim world including Spain from where it travelled to Europe and was translated into Latin in 1126. This work revolutionized the study of mathematics and sciences and replaced the cumbersome Roman numerals. It is interesting to note that while Europe has christened the new system as Arab numerals, the Arabs call them Hindsa (Indian numerals) giving credit where it is due.

The other important area influenced by Indian ethos and morality was adab, that is the embodiment of sensible counsel in the form of fables. The literary masterpiece of Ibn Muqaffa, Kalila wa Dimna, is based on the stories of Panchtantra and Mahabharata and is considered a classic of early Arabic prose. But it is not just that. We also find mention of translations of Varahmihir, Brihat Jatak, Krishna Avtar and Vishnu Puran in Kitabul Hind by Al Biruni, the brilliant historian who came with Mahmud of Ghazni's armies and stayed behind to live with Brahmins, learn Sanskrit and write his extraordinary work on India.

The long list of Sanskrit manuscripts that were translated into Arabic and catalogued in detail by Arab historian Ibn Nadeem in his classic Fehrist (Bibliographical index) is an of acknowledgement of the contribution that Indian sciences made in building the Golden Age of Islam.

50 Inspirational Quotes

“Think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought.”
- Henri L. Bergson

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
- Helen Keller

“Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.”
- Josh Billings

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there”
- Will Rogers

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”
- Mahatma Gandhi

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
- Christopher Columbus

“To a brave man, good and bad luck are like his left and right hand. He uses both.”
- St Catherine of Siena

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we took so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened up for us”
- Helen Keller

“We don’t see the things the way they are. We see things the way WE are.”
- Talmund

“Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don’t have any problems, you don’t get any seeds.”
- Norman Vincent Peale

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
- Dr Wayne Dyer

“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.”
- Theodore Rubin

“Pessimist : A person who says that O is the last letter of ZERO, instead of the first letter in word OPPORTUNITY.”
- Anonymous

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
- Thomas A Edison

“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting”
- Elizabeth Bibesco

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”
- B. Olatunji

“When you get to the end of the rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
- Franklin D Roosevelt

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.”
- Zig Ziglar


“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
- Winston Churchill

“The secret to success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching.”
- Dennis Green

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
- Muhammad Ali


“Most of the important things in the world have been accompanied by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
- Dale Carnegie

“So many of our dreams at first seems impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”
- Christopher Reeve

“Hard work spotlights the character of people. Some turn up their sleeves. Some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.”
- Sam Ewing

“There are those who work all day. Those who dream all day. And those who spend an hour dreaming before setting to work to fulfill those dreams. Go into the third category because there’s virtually no competition.”
- Steven J Ross

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
- Confucious

“Many of life’s failures are people who had not realized how close they were to success when they gave up.”
- Thomas A Edison

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
- Stephen Covey

“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.”
- Peter Drucker

“Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!”
- Donald Gardner

“Success is what you attract by the person you become.”
- Jim Rohn

“You have to ‘Be’ before you can ‘Do’ and ‘Do’ before you can ‘Have’.
- Zig Ziglar

“You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people to get what they want.”
- Zig Ziglar

“The test we must set for ourselves is not to march alone but to march in such a way that others wish to join us.”
- Hubert Humphrey

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus when the limo breaks down.”
- Oprah Winfrey

“Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make you a fortune.”
- Jim Rohn

“It isn’t what the book costs. It’s what it will cost you if you don’t read it.”
- Jim Rohn

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
- Mahatma Gandhi

“The future has several names. For the weak, it is the impossible. For the fainthearted, it is the unknown. For the thoughtful and valiant, it is the ideal.”
- Victor Hugo

“There is nothing more genuine than breaking away from the chorus to learn the sound of your own voice.”
- Po Bronson

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
- Waldo Emerson

“Use what talents you possess, the woods will be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”
- Henry van Dyke

“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”
- Bertrand Russell

“History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.”
- Winston Churchill

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life’s about creating yourself.”
- George Bernard Shaw

“Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vintage point.”
- Harold B Melchart

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.”
- Benjamin Mays

“More often in life, we end up regretting the chances in life that we had, but didn’t take them, than those chances that we took and wished we hadn’t.”
- Anonymous

“An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded.”
- Pope John Paul I


“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.”
- Earl Shoaf

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Some Wise Sayings of Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh)

* To acquire knowledge is binding upon all Muslims, whether male or female.

* The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the martyr.

* He who travels in the search of knowledge, to him God shows the way of Paradise.

* People from the time of Adam onwards are as equal as the teeth of a comb. Arabs are not superior to non Arabs, nor are Redskinned people better than Blacks. No superiority or virture exists except in terms of Piety.

* Hail to those who are so concerned with improving their own faults, that they abstain from preoccupation with the flaws of other believers.

* He, who is a parasite to others, shall be condemned in the eyes of God, the Almighty.

* The Quest for knowledge I cherish, superior to God's worship.

* The most virtuous from among you are those privileged with scrupulous manners. Likewise, theu associate with others; while they also get along with them.

* He who indulges in a task without proper knowledge will deteriorate rather than improve the case.

* He who betrays the vicious deed of another in public, it is as though he has initiated the evil act himself.

* Do not argue with your brother, nor depress him with sarcastic humor, and do not make a promise so as to fail in fulfilling your covenant.

* Whensoever you are presented with a gift, make efforts to return the deed; if it is beyond your ability express your gratitude in words.

* Do not set up to accomplish a virtuous deed pretentiously, However, do not abandon righteousness due to shyness.

* Whomsoever intiates a graceful tradition; shall be rewarded as long as that tradition is sustained.

* There is no good in extravagence, however, there can never be extravagence in good deeds.

* Opportunities slide away like clouds.

* Victory is gained by resolution and determination.

* During the days of your life, divine breezes will blow, so watch out for them.

* Establish contact with those who have severed relations with you, and be good to those who have treated you badly.

* He who covets another's property, his sorrow shall be prolonged.

* Whenever a wise and sincere man advises you, take heed and welcome it gladly.

* There are two characteristics which cannot be found together in a believer; Avarice and a Vicious temper.

* Blessed be those who spend their excess wealth and abstain from excessive talk.

* He who calls upon his fellow Believer without their being any need, is destined to be among God's visitors.

* Whomsoever satisfies the need of a fellow Believer God shall meet his many needs.

* The most vicious among all men is he who is respected out of fear.

* I restrain you from three traits of character: Envy, Avarice and Arrogance.

* The true Muslim is the one from whose hand and tongue other Muslims are safe.

* Excessive requests from people lead to humiliation.

* Beware of obstinacy; since it begins with foolishness and ends in regret.

* Whatever you hate for yourself hate for others, and whatever you like for yourself , like for your brother.

* Adopt a cordial attitude towards your relatives and neighbours and with whomever you keep company and associate.

* There is no worship like Meditation, and there is no support more sure.

* Beware of too much laughter, since it mortifies the heart.

* The love of the world, is the root of all evils.

* Appreciate five things before five others: Your Youth before your Old age, Your Health before your illness, Your Wealth before your Poverty, Your Spare Time before your hard work and Your Life before Death.

* It is better to associate with a good friendthan to remain in solitude, while being alone is better than dealing with a vicious companion.

* Be neither a fault finder, an eulogist, a defamer nor a wrangler.

* Social gatherings should be marked by good faith, divulging the secret of a friend is breach of faith.

* I restrain you from abandoning your fellow Believers: Though in case you are obliged to do so, it should not last for more than three days.

* He who is ina position to administer punishment should all the more be encouraged to forgive.

* The best of men is he who refrains from that which does not concern him.

* The best attire of man is severity associated with faith.

* Take care not to abuse a Muslim, or accuse an honest man of lying.

* There is no quicker way to receive punishment than by committing an outrage.

* Paradise lies at the feet of thy mother.

* He who wishes to enter Paradise must please his father and mother.

* A man giving in alms one piece of silver in his lifetime is better for him than giving one hundred when about to die.

* To meet friends cheerfully and invite them to a feast are charitable acts.

* To extend consideration towards neighbors and send them presents are charitable acts.

* Keep yourselves far from envy, because it eats up and takes away good actions, like the fire that eats up and burns wood.

* Whoever suppresses his anger, when he has in his power to show it, God will give him a great reward.

* He is not strong and powerful, who throws people down, but he is strong who withholds himself from anger.

* Deal gently with a people, and be not harsh; cheer them and condemn not.

* Much silence and a good disposition; there are no two works better than these.

* The best of friends is he who is best in behavior and character.

* One who does not practice modestiy and does not refrain from shameless deeds is not a Muslim.

* No one who keeps his mind focussed entirely upon himself, can grow large, strong and beautiful in character.

* Whoever loves to meet God, God loves to meet him.

* The five stated prayers erase the sins which have been committed during the intervals between them if they have not been mortal sins.

* God is not merciful to him who is not so to humankind. He who is not kind to God's creation and to his own children, God will not be kind to him.

* Whosoever visits a sick person, an angel calls from Heaven: "Be happy in the world and happy be your walking; and take your habitation in Paradise."

* Wealth properly employed is a blessing; and a man may lawfully endeavour to increase it by honest means.

* Acquire knowledge, because he who acquires it, in the way of the Lord, performs an act of piety; who speaks of it praises the Lord; who seeks it, adores God, who dispenses instruction in it, bestows alms; and who imparts it to its fitting objects, performs an act of devotion to God. Knowledge enables its possessor to distinguish what is forbidden from what is not; lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our companion in solitude, our companion, when bereft of riends; it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is our ornament in the company of friends; it serves as an armor against our enemies. With knowledge the creatures of Allah rises to the heights of goodness and to noble position, associates with the sovereigns in this world and attains the perfection of happiness in the next.




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Meditation in God is my Capital. Reason and sound Logic is the rest of my Religion. Love is the Foundationof my existence. Enthusiasm is the Vehicle of my life. Contemplation of God is my companion. Faith is the source of my Power. Sorrow is my friend. Knowledge is my weapon. Patience is my Garb abd Virtue. Submission to the Divine Will, is my Pride. Truth is my Salvation. Worship is my habit. And in Prayer lies the coolness of my Eye and the Peace of Mind.



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A bedouin came to the holy prophet Muhammad (s) and asked him some questions.

Bedouin: I wish to be the richest person in the world.

Prophet: Be content and you will be the richest person in the world.

Bedouin: I would like to be the most learned of people.

Prophet: Fear Allah and you will be the most learned of people.

Bedouin: I would like to be the most just of people.

Prophet: Desire for others what you would like for yourself and you would be the most just of people.

Bedouin: I would like to be the best of people.

Prophet: Be good to others and you will be the best of people.

Bedouin: I would like to be the most honorable of people.

Prophet: If you do not complain to any fellow humans you will be the most honorable of people.

Bedouin: I wish to be safe from Allah's Wrath on the Day of Judgment.

Prophet: If you do not lose your temper with any of your fellow humans, you will be safe from Allah's wrath on the Day of Judgment.

Bedouin: What are the worst evils in the sight of Allah?

Prophet: Hot temper and miserliness (i.e. selfishness with money).

* Acquire knowledge, it enables its professor to distinguish right from wrong; it lights the way to heaven. It is our friend in the desert, our company in solitude and companion when friendless. It guides us to happiness, it sustains us in misery, it is an ornament amongst friends and an armour against enemies.

* A Muslim who plants a tree or sows a field, from which man, birds and animals can eat, is committing an act of charity.

* There is a polish for everything that takes away rust; and the polish for the heart is the remembrance of Allah.

* What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of human beings, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful, and to remove the sufferings of the injured.

* The most excellent Jihad is that for the conquest of self.

* If you put your whole trust in Allah, as you ought, He most certainly will satisfy your needs, as He satisfies those of the birds. They come out hungry in the morning, but return full to their nests.

* When Allah created his creatures He wrote above His throne: 'Verily, my Compassion overcomes my wrath.

* Allah will not give mercy to anyone, except those who give mercy to other creatures.

* Say what is true, although it may be bitter and displeasing to people.

* Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith.

* When you see a person who has been given more than you in money and beauty, look to those, who have been given less.

* If you do not feel ashamed of anything, then you can do whatever you like.

* O Lord, grant me your love, grant me that I love those who love you; grant me, that I might do the deeds that win your love. Make your love dearer to me than the love of myself, my family and wealth.

* It is better to sit alone than in company with the bad; and it is better still to sit with the good than alone. It is better to speak to a seeker of knowledge than to remain silent; but silence is better than idle words.

* Verily, a man teaching his child manners is better than giving one bushel of grain in alms.

* Whoever is kind, Allah will be kind to him; therefore be kind to man on the earth. He Who is in heaven will show mercy on you.

* It is difficult for a man laden with riches to climb the steep path, that leads to bliss.

* Who are the learned? Those who practice what they know.

* Allah has revealed to me, that you must be humble. No one should boast over one another, and no one should oppress another.

* Who is the most favoured of Allah? He, from whom the greatest good comes to His creatures.

* A true is thankful to Allah in prosperity, and resigned to His will in adversity.

* A who meets with others and shares their burdens is better than one who lives a life of seclusion and contemplation.

* Serve Allah, as you would if you could see Him; although you cannot see Him, He can see you.

* Allah does not look at your appearance or your possessions; but He looks at your heart and your deeds.

* The best richness is the richness of the soul.

* Keep yourselves far from envy; because it eats up and takes away good actions, like a fire eats up and burns wood.

* Much silence and a good disposition, there are no two things better than these.

* Verily, Allah is mild and is fond of mildness, and He gives to the mild what He does not give to the harsh.

* Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him.

* When two persons are together, two of them must no whisper to each other, without letting the third hear; because it would hurt him.

* Verily, it is one of the respects to Allah to honor an old man.

* All Muslims are like a foundation, each strengthening the other; in such a way they do support each other.

* Strive always to excel in virtue and truth.

* You will not enter paradise until you have faith; and you will not complete your faith till you love one another.

* He, who wishes to enter paradise at the best gate, must please his father and mother.

* The best of alms is that, which the right hand gives and the left hand knows not of.

* The perfect Muslim is not a perfect Muslim, who eats till he is full and leaves his neighbors hungry.

* He is not of us who is not affectionate to the little ones, and does not respect the old; and he is not of us, who does not order which is lawful, and prohibits that which is unlawful.

* No man is a true believer unless he desires for his brother that, what he desires for himself.

* To strive for the cause of Allah from daybreak to noon and sunset is better than the goods and enjoyment of the whole worldly life.

* Be not like the hypocrite who, when he talks, tells lies; when he gives a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he proves dishonest.

* The proof of a Muslim's sincerity is, that he pays no heed to that, which is not his business.

* Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind.

* Conduct yourself in this world, as if you are here to stay forever; prepare for eternity as if you have to die tomorrow.

* The worldly comforts are not for me. I am like a traveller, who takes a rest under a tree in the shade and then goes on his way.

* Fear Allah wherever you are and follow up a bad deed with a good one as it will wipe it out and behave well towards people.

* Beware of the invocation of the oppressed as there is no barrier between it and Allah.

* Beware of oppression, for it will turn into darkness on the Day of Resurrection. And beware of miserliness for it ruined those who preceded you as it led them to bloodshed as well as be cautious in treating lawfully the forbidden acts.

* To talk about Allah's blessing is an expression of gratitude, and not doing so is an act of disbelief. The one who is not thankful for the few blessings will not be thankful for the many. And the one who is not thankful to the people will not be thankful to Allah. Unity is a blessing and division is a punishment.

* A hypocrite has three distinguishing signs, when he talks he lies, when he promises he breaks it and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays such trust.

* Avoid the seven great destructive sins. These are to join partners in worship with Allah, to practice sorcery, to kill without justification a living being whose life has been declared sacred by Allah, to practice usury, to misappropriate the property of an orphan, to flee from the battlefield at the time of fighting and to slander chaste and innocent believing women.

* Wish for others what you wish for yourself.

* Allah Most High loves a servant of His who is lenient when he sells, lenient when he buys, lenient when he pays his debt and lenient when he demands the payment of a debt due to him.

* When a person dies, all his deeds cease except for these three: Perpetual charity, a beneficial knowledge, and a child who invokes Allah for him.

* When any of you sees someone who is superior to him in riches and beauty, then he should look at another one who is inferior to him.

* The people most prone to trials with afflictions are the prophets and then the most pious and then the next in piety and so on. A man is tried according to the strength of his belief. If his belief is firm, his trial will be harder, and if his belief is weak, he is tried accordingly. A servant of Allah will go on being tried with afflictions until he walks on earth free of sins.

* Utter good words, spread the greeting of peace, be kind to your blood relations and pray at night while others sleep then enter Paradise in peace.

* Take advantage of five things before five others happen. These are your life before your death, your health before your illness, your leisure before pre-occupation, your youth before your old age, and your wealth before your poverty.

* The best Muslim among the believers is the one who does not harm the Muslims with either his tongue or his hand. The one with best belief among the believers is the one who has the best characters. The Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who abandons all that Allah has forbidden. And the best jihad (struggle for the sake of Allah) is to struggle against oneself for the sake of gaining the pleasure of Allah, to whom belongs might and majesty.

* The biggest of the major sins are: to join others in worship with Allah, to kill someone (unlawfully), to be undutiful to one's parents, and to bear false witness.

* Allah! I seek refuge with You from helplessness, laziness, cowardice, miserliness, and feeble old age. I seek refuge with You from the torture of the grave. I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the Fire (of Hell) and I seek refuge with You from the trial of life and death.

* Allah! Forgive my sins, my ignorance and my exceeding the boundaries or righteousness, and forgive those of my sins which You know better than I, O Allah! Forgive those of my sins of the past and those which I have committed thereafter, the ones I committed openly and those I committed secretly; You are the One who makes the things go before, and You are the One Who delays them, and You are the Omnipotent.

* Allah! Set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs, set right for me my life in this world where I earn my livelihood, set right for me my life in the Hereafter where I have to return ultimately, make life for me a source of abundance for every virtue and make my death a source of comfort against all evils.

* Allah Most High has chosen this religion and the only things fitting for your religion are generosity and a good character. If such is true, then try to adorn your religion with these two.

* Allah Most High will ask each guardian about his charge. Did he guard or waste this trust? A man will even be asked about his family.

* Allah Most High has no better reward than Paradise for believing servants of His who is patient and resigned when He takes away his most beloved in this world.

* Allah loves that one should be kind and lenient in all matters.

* Allah had forbidden you to be undutiful to your mothers, to bury your female infants alive, parsimony and usurpation of the property of others. And he disapproved for you three things: vain talk and gossip, excessive questioning and wasting wealth.

* Allah Most High has forbidden the Fire (of Hell) on those who testify that there is no God but Allah, seeking thereby only Allah's pleasure.

* On the Day of Resurrection, Allah Most High says: "Where are those who love each other for the sake of My Majesty, today I shall provide them with My shade which is the day when there is no shade but Mine.

* Allah forgives my followers whatever (evil deeds) they may whisper to themselves as long as they do not act upon it or speak of it. Allah forgives my followers whatever their souls suggest to them as long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.

* Allah gives respite to an oppressor, but when He takes him to task, he never lets him escape.

* The practice of religion is easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will be overpowered by it. Therefore, be moderate, try to be near perfection but within your capacity and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded. And seek Allah's help by worshipping in the mornings, afternoons and during the last hour of the nights.

* A man may be denied sustenance because of a sin he had committed. Only supplication can ward off predestination, and only righteousness prolongs a life span.

* For every prophet there was one (special) invocation by which he appealed to Allah while he was among his followers, and that invocation was granted. As for me, I have kept my invocation until the Day of Resurrection to intercede with it on behalf of my followers.

* The best word is the "Book of Allah" and the best guidance is the "Guidance of Muhammad", may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him. And the worst things are heresies (those new elements introduced into the religion) and whatever you have been promised will surely come to pass, and you cannot frustrate it.

* One of the greatest sins that a man may commit is cursing his parent. The people asked: O Allah's Messenger, how may a man curse his parents? The Prophet replied: the man abuses the father of another man and the latter answers by abusing the father and the mother of the former.

* The one who occupies the worst place before Allah on the Day of Resurrection, is the one whom people avoid for fear of his indecent language.

* Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man keeps on telling the truth `till, in the sight of Allah, he is named truthful. Lying leads to depravity and depravity leads to the Fire (of Hell), and man keeps on telling lies `till, in the sight of Allah, he is named a liar.

* Lying in my name is unlike lying in the name of any other. So whoever purposely lies in my name, let him occupy his place in the Fire (of Hell).

* One of the sayings that the people retained from the early prophets: "If you have no feeling of shame then do as you wish."

* To Allah belongs that which He takes, and to Him belongs that which He bestows, and everything has its term fixed by Him.

* Look at those who are inferior to you and do not look at those who are superior to you, for this will keep you from scorning what Allah has bestowed upon you.

* Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed. It was said: how am I to help him if he is the oppressor? The Prophet replied, you stop him and prevent him from oppressing others. That is how you help him.

* Would you not like me to talk to you about what helps you enter Paradise? Striking with the sword, honoring one's guest, observing the times of prayers, ablution done thoroughly on a cold night, and giving food out of the love for Him (Allah).

* Shall I not inform you of the biggest of the major sins? To join others in worship with Allah, to be undutiful to one's parents, and to bear false witness.

* Any muslim who gives another a garment to wear with which to cover his nakedness, Allah Most High will cover him with the green (clothes) of Paradise. Any muslim who feeds a hungry muslim, Allah will feed him on the Day of Resurrection from the fruits of Paradise. And any muslim who gives a thirsty muslim a drink, Allah Most High will give him to drink on the Day of Resurrection from the pure wine sealed with musk.

* Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst falsehood. Do not spy on others, do not look at others faults, do not hanker after a thing which others have. Do not envy one another, do not entertain ill-will towards one another, and do not stop talking to one another. And O Allah's servants! Be like brethren to each other.

* Modesty results in good alone.

* Avoid sitting in the public roads. They said: "but we have no alternative, these are the places where we get together and discuss matters." The Prophet said: "If you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its due." What is the right of the road, they asked? "Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning the greetings of others, enjoining virtuous deeds, and forbidding what is evil.

* Actions are but by intention, and every man shall have but that which he intended. Thus, he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for Allah and His Messenger. And he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he had migrated.

* Righteousness is good morality, and wrongdoing is that which wavers your soul and which you hate people finding out about.

* Smiling to your Muslim brother is counted for you as a charity. Enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is counted for you as a charity. Pointing out the way to a lost man is counted for you as a charity, and removing a stone, thorns, and bones from the road is counted for you as a charity.

* You see the believers in their mercy, affection and kindness towards one another, resembling one body, so that whenever a part of this body is in pain, the rest of the body shares the sleeplessness and the fever with it.

* Get to know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity. Know that what passed you by was not going to befall you and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and with hardship.

* Whoever possesses the following three qualities tastes the sweetness of faith. These are to love Allah and His Messenger above all else, to love a person and to love him purely for Allah's sake and to hate reverting to disbelief as he hates to be thrown into the Fire of Hell.

* There are rights of a Muslim on his Muslim brother. These are, when you meet him greet him, when he invites you accept his invitation, when he solicits your advice, advice him, when he sneezes and praises Allah say to him "May Allah have mercy on you". When he gets sick visit him, and when he dies follow his funeral procession.

* That which is lawful is evident and that which is unlawful is evident and between the two of them is doubtful matters unknown to many people. So whoever avoids doubtful matters save his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like a shepherd who grazes his animals around a sanctuary, and at any moment he is liable to graze therein. Truly, every king has a sanctuary, and Allah's sanctuary on the earth is His prohibition. Truly, there is a piece of flesh in the body, that if it is sound, the whole body is sound but if is it diseased the whole body is diseased, and that is the heart.

* Do good deeds which are within your capacity, for Allah Most High does not get tired of giving rewards but surely, you will.

* Two traits are never found together in a believer, miserliness and bad character.

* The best amongst you are those who have the best character.

* The best things that a man leaves behind after his death are a virtuous child who invokes Allah for him, a perpetual charity, the reward of which reaches him, and a beneficial knowledge which remains useful after him.

* The best charity is the one given from a surplus of wealth. And start by giving to your dependants.

* Set aside that which leaves you in doubt for that which does not. For truth is reassuring and falsehood is disturbing.

* The supplication of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is granted. There is a certain angel who remains present with him, such that whenever he supplicates for something good for his brother, the attendant angel says "Amen" and the same for you.

* Religion is very easy, and whoever burdens himself in the practices of religion will be overcome by it.

* He savors the taste of faith, he who is satisfied to have Allah as God, Islam as religion, and Muhammad as a Messenger of Allah.

* The Most Beneficent sends His mercy on the merciful. The Most High and Exalted said, have mercy on those who are on earth, and the One in heaven will have mercy on you.

* Abusing a Muslim is evil, and fighting him is disbelief.

* Allah will shelter seven under His shade on the Day when there will be no shade but His. A just ruler (imam), a youth who has been brought up in worship of Allah. A man whose heart is attached to the mosque from the time he leaves it until he returns to it. Two persons who love each other, come together and part only for Allah's sake. A person whose eyes are flooded with tears when in solitude, he remembers Allah. A man who refuses the approaches of a beautiful woman of noble birth saying, I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and a man who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.

* The Most superior appeal for Allah's forgiveness is for you to say, O Allah, you are my Lord, and there is no God but You. You created me and I am Your servant and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise to you to the best of my ability. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have committed. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed on me, and I acknowledge before you all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive me, for none has the power to forgive sins except You alone.

* The one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like a Mujahid (warrior) in the cause of Allah, or like him who performs prayers all the night and fast all the day.

* Doing good deeds protects one from calamities, charity given secretly extinguishes the wrath of the Lord, keeping good relations with one's relative increases one's life span. Every good deed is a form of charity. Those who do right in this world are those who do right in the Hereafter; whereas those who do wrong in this world are those who do wrong in the Hereafter, and the first to enter Paradise are those who do right.

* Verily, composure and resignation are essential at the first stroke of calamity.

* Well done to the one who is humble without lack of respect, who depreciates himself without being submissive, who spends frothe money he gathers lawfully, who associates with the religiously learned and the wise and is merciful to the meek and the humble. Well done to the one who humbles himself, earns his living legally, is good in his hidden thoughts, honorable in public, and does not harm others. Well done to the one who practices what he learned, who spends the surplus of his wealth, and keeps to himself what is unnecessary to say.

* Purity is half of faith. "Praise be to Allah" fills the scale, "Glory be to Allah and praise be to Allah" fills the space between heaven and earth. Prayer is light, charity is a proof, patience is illumination, and the Qur'an is an argument in or against your favor. Everyone starts his day and is a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or bringing about its ruin.

* Oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection.

* How wonderful is the believer's case, for there is good for him in everything, and this is exclusive only for believers. If something good happens to him, he is thankful and that is good for him, and if an adversity comes his way, he is patient, and that too is good for him. "

* I am surprised at the believer, as whatever Allah Most High decrees for him, turns out to be good for him.

* Be truthful, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth and striving for it until, in the sight Allah, he is named truthful. So beware of lying, for lying leads to depravity, and depravity leads to the Fire. On the other hand, another man keeps on telling lies and striving for it until, in the sight of Allah, he is named a liar.

* Backbiting is to tell things about your Muslim brother which he hates to be told. A man asked, what if my brother has such defects? The Prophet answered, "if your brother has such defects, you backbited him, if not, you slandered him."

* Allah Most High said, My mercy has preceded My anger.

* Say, O Allah! Creator of heavens and the earth, knower of both the hidden and the seen, the Lord and sovereign of everything, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek refuge with You from the evil of my self, and the evil and trap of Satan. Say it in the morning and in the evening and when you retire to bed.

* Say, O Allah! I have wronged myself very much, and none can forgive sins but You. Then bestow Your forgiveness upon me, and have mercy on me, indeed You are the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

* It is a grievous treachery on your part to carry a conversation with your brother in Islam in which you tell him lies and he believes you.

* Every good deed is a charity. The one who points out the way to do a good deed is rewarded the same as the one who does it, and Allah likes coming to the aid of the distressed.

* Eat, drink put on clothes, and give charity without squandering or conceit.

* There are two expressions which are easy for the tongue, heavy in the balance and dear to the Beneficent---Glory be to Allah and gratitude be to Him, glory be to Allah, the most exalted.

* All of you are guardians and responsible for your own charges. The ruler is a guardian and he is responsible for his subjects. A man is a guardian of his family and is responsible for his charges. A woman is a guardian in her husband's house and is responsible for her charges. A servant is a guardian of the property of his master and is responsible for his charges and a son is a guardian of the property of his father and is responsible for his charges. For all of you are guardians, and all of you are responsible for your charges.

* The Major sins are, to join others in worship with Allah, to be undutiful to one's parents, to kill someone, to take a false oath. Would you like me to tell you what is the biggest of the major sins? Yes, O Allah's Messenger, they replied. He said, to make a false statement.

* On going to bed at night, he would place his hand under his cheek and then say, with Your Name, O Allah, I live, and with Your Name I die. When he awoke, he would say, All praises belong to Allah Who has brought us back to life after He had caused us to die and Unto Him is the Resurrection.

* It is better for the one of you take a rope, go to the mountain, bring back a load of wood and sell it, and thereby Allah will save his face, rather than to ask people for handouts whether they give him or not.

* Allah damned the one who practices usury and the one who pays him as well as its two witnesses and the one who writes it down. They are equally guilty of committing that sin.

* None of you have true faith until he wishes for his Muslim brother what he wishes for himself.

* It is not lawful for a man to desert his Muslim brother for more than three days, so that when they meet, each turns his face away from the other. But the better of the two is the one who greets his brother first.

* The one who is not thankful to people is not thankful to Allah.

* A believer is not stung twice from the same hole (i.e. he is not deceived twice).

* Allah condemns the one who gives and accepts a bribe or who acts as a go-between in the realization of such.

* Allah has cursed those women who imitate or assume the manners of men, and those men who imitate women.

* A Muslim has six obligations within reason towards his Muslim brother. These are to greet him when he meets one, or to accept his invitation and to respond to him such supplication as "may Allah have mercy on you" when he sneezes. Furthermore, he has to visit his fellow muslim brother when he gets sick, follow his funeral procession when he dies and should wish for him what he wishes for himself.

* Had a believer known what is the full extent of Allah's punishment, none would hope to gain His Paradise. And had a disbeliever known what is the full extent of Allah's mercy, none would despair of entering His Paradise.

* If the son of Adam had two valleys full of Gold, he would wish for a third, for nothing can fill the belly of the son of Adam except dust when he dies. And Allah forgives the one who repents to Him.

* The one who gets his fill of food while his neighbor is hungry by his side is not considered as a believer.

* Nothing weighs more in the balance of accounts on the Day of Resurrection than having a good character.

* Being rich does not mean having a great amount of property, but rather that of having self-contentment.

* A strong man is not the one who uses his strength to overcome others, but rather the one who controls himself while in the feat of anger.

* He who commits suicide by throttling himself shall keep on throttling himself in the Fire forever, and the one who commits suicide by stabbing himself shall keep on stabbing himself in the fire.

* No one has ever eaten a better food than that which he has obtained by working with his own hands. The Prophet of Allah, David, used to eat from what he earns through his own labour.

* Whatever a man spends on his house, family, children and servants, is considered in his account as a charity.

* For any fatigue, illness, fear, grief, hurt or distress which befalls a Muslim, even the pricking of a thorn, Allah expiates some of his sins.

* What do I care about this world, for I am in this world like a rider who sat for a while under the shade of a tree, then got up and left behind.

* If a ruler who has the authority to rule Muslim subjects dies while he is deceiving them, Allah will forbid Paradise for him.

* Whenever a Muslim invokes Allah for his Muslim brother in his absence, the angels retort and the same to you.

* Any group of people who celebrates the praise of Allah will have the angels spread their wings over them, Allah's mercy covers them, tranquility descends on them, and Allah mentions them to those around Him.

* No Muslim is afflicted with any harm, like a sickness or some other, but that Allah sheds his sins because of it as a treesheds its leaves.

* A father cannot give his son anything better than refined manners and fine education.

* Anything I have, I will not withhold from you. And know that he who refof begging from others or doing prohibited deeds Allah will help him do that. The one who is contented with what he has, Allah will make him self-sufficient, while he who tries to be patient, Allah will bestow patience upon him. And none is given a gift better and more ample than patience itself.

* Whoever wishes to be granted more wealth and an extended lease of life, should keep good relations with his blood relatives.

* Part of someone's being a good Muslim, is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.

* The one who points out the way to do a good deed is rewarded the same as the one who does it.

* Whoever invites others to guidance will be rewarded the same as the ones who follow him without their rewards being diminished. And whoever invites others to an aberration will bear the punishment of a sin equal to the sins committed by those who follow him without theirs diminishing in any way.

* Whoever plants a tree which then bears fruit, whatever a human or any of Allah's creation eats from it will be considered as a charity for him.

* The one who has wronged his brother should seek for his pardon before his death, as in the Hereafter, there will be neither dinar nor dirham to compensate with it. Thus some of his good deeds will be taken from him and given to his brother. If he has no good deeds, some of the bad deeds of his brother are taken from him, and added to his account.

* Whoever comes to you when you are united, wanting to break your unity, kill him.

* When Allah desires good for a person, he bestows on him religious knowledge.

* A faithful believer is to a faithful believer like the parts of a building, reinforcing one another.

* A person will be with those whom he loves.

* A Muslim is one who does not harm Muslims with his tongue or his hands. The believer is the one whom people can entrust with their lives and their goods and a Muhajir (an immigrant who emigrates to safeguard his faith) is the one who abandons all that Allah has forbidden.

* A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim, he does not oppress him nor does he hand him over to his enemy. Whoever fulfills the needs of his brother, Allah will also fulfill his needs. Whoever brings a muslim out of a difficulty, Allah will save him from one of the difficulties on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever screens a Muslim, Allah will shield him on the Day of Resurrection.

* May Allah brighten the face of someone who has heard something I said and has conveyed it as he heard it, for sometimes a person to whom something is conveyed may comprehend it better than the one who has heard it.

* All the people are children of Adam, and Adam was created of dust.

* By Allah, this life is to the Hereafter, the same as what your finger gathers if dipped into the sea.

* Do not hate or envy or turn away from one another, but be you, O servants of Allah, brothers. It is not permissible for any Muslim to desert his fellow Muslim brother for more than three days.

* Tenderness is that which is taken out from the heart of a wretched man.

* None of you should wish for death because of any calamity that befalls him. If one must wish for death, then he should say, o Allah, let me live so long as life is good for me and take my life if death is better for me.

* None of you will have faith `till he loves Me more than his children, father and all of mankind.

* None of you have true faith until he wishes for his Muslim brother what he wishes for himself.

* A believer is not a slanderer, a curser, an abuser, nor an impudent man.

* Make easy to people things concerning religious matters and do not make them hard for humanity, give glad tidings and do not let them reject Islam.

* Young man! Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah Most High and if you seek help, seek of Allah, to whom belongs all might and majesty.

* The upper hand is better than lower hand, for the upper hand is that of the giver and the lower hand is that of the beggar.

* Fear Allah and treat your children equally.

* Allah likes most perpetual deeds however minimal.

* Whenever you go to bed, perform your ablution the way you do it for prayer, then lie down on your right side and say "O Allah! I have surrendered my fate to You, I have entrusted all my affairs to You and I have depended on You. There is no refuge and no asylum from You except with You. O Allah! I believe in Your Book which You have revealed and in Your Prophet whom You have sent."

* Performing ablution perfectly constitutes one half of faith. "Praise be to Allah" fills the scale, Glorification (of Allah) and Takbir (saying Allah is most High) fill the heavens and the earth. Prayer is light, obligatory charity is proof (of faith), patience is brightness, and the Qur'an is an argument for or against you. And evemorning, each person goes selling his soul, selling it (to Allah or to Satan) so he will either set it free or will enslave it.

* When one of you suffers a calamity, he should say, "To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. O Allah, I seek reward from you for my affliction, so compensate me for it and grant me something better than that as its substitute".

* When any of you starts eating, let him mention the name of Allah Most High. If he forgot to do so at the beginning of the meal, when he remembers, he should say, "In the name of Allah at its beginning and at its end."

* When any of you leads the people in prayer, he should shorten it, for among them are the young, the old, the weak, the sick, and the one preoccupied with his affairs. But when he prays alone, he may prolong his prayer as much as he wishes.

* When a woman gives in charity from her husband's house, reasonably and without waste, she receives the reward of what she has spent and her husband receives his reward for having earned it and the storekeeper will have a similar reward. The reward of one does not decrease those of the others.

* When one of you enters a mosque, let him pray two rak'ats before sitting.

* When the trust is betrayed, wait for the Hour of Judgement. The questioner asked: "O Messenger of Allah, how is the trust betrayed? He said, "When authority is entrusted to those unworthy of it, then wait for the Hour."