Thursday, August 15, 2013

Chapter 7: Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights) Verse 38-39.

This really makes you think and contemplate.

The newer generations and nations who will enter Hell-Fire will blame the older generations inside!  They will be pointing their fingers at them and say as Allah mentions in the Quran, Ch 7.  "  "Our Lord, these had misled us, so give them a double punishment of the Fire. He will say, "For each is double, but you do not know."

The previous generations are going to say to the newcomers " "Then you had not any favor over us, so taste the punishment for what you used to earn."

So different generations will be constantly blaming each other and cursing each other so that the other group received an even more severe punishment! These will be those people who felt they had everything planned out in life, they had it all under control without having the need to listen to anyone else, full of themselves.  They never took any advice from the Messenger Muhammad PBUH or Allah. 

The translated quotes of verse 38-39 are below:

[ Allah ] will say, "Enter among nations which had passed on before you of jinn and mankind into the Fire." Every time a nation enters, it will curse its sister until, when they have all overtaken one another therein, the last of them will say about the first of them "Our Lord, these had misled us, so give them a double punishment of the Fire. He will say, "For each is double, but you do not know."
  
And the first of them will say to the last of them, "Then you had not any favor over us, so taste the punishment for what you used to earn."

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

STRESS AND DEPRESSION: THE RESULTS OF NOT ABIDING BY THE RELIGION (ISLAM)


"But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one..." (Qur'an, 20:124)
When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no faith. (Qur'an, 6:125)
The failure of irreligious people in submitting themselves to Allah causes them to be in a constant state of ill-ease, anxiety and stress. As a consequence, they are afflicted by various psychological illnesses which reveal themselves in their physical selves. Their bodies wear down more quickly, and they age rapidly and degenerate.

As a result of physical or psychological stress, the individual’s adrenal gland (the gland above each kidney) secretes large amounts of glucocorticoid hormones. These hormones increase the energy level of muscles, and temporarily halt such activities as growth—which are inessential at that moment. In cases of extreme physical and chronic psychological stress these hormones, which are otherwise of vital importance, can give rise to stress related disorders, such as high blood pressure, obesity, bone erosion and stomach ulcers.
However, since believers are psychologically healthy, they do not fall prey to stress, or despondence, and their bodies are ever fit and healthy. The positive effects of their submitting to Allah, their trust in Him and fortitude, looking for the good in all things, and accepting what happens with the hope of His promise, are reflected in their physical selves. This, of course, applies only to those who live by the moral values of the Qur'an, and who truly comprehend the religion. Of course, they may fall ill and eventually grow old, but this natural process does not involve the psychological breakdown it does in others.
Stress and depression, regarded as the diseases of our time, not only cause psychological harm, but also manifests themselves in various physical defects. The common stress and depression-related problems are some forms of mental illness, drug addiction, insomnia, skin, stomach and blood pressure disorders, colds, migraines, a number of bone diseases, kidney imbalances, respiratory difficulties, allergies, heart attacks, and brain swelling. Of course, stress and depression are not the only causes of these, but it has been scientifically proven that the origins of problems such as these are usually psychological.
Stress, which afflicts so many, is a state of mental anxiety caused by such feelings as fear, insecurity, overexcitement, worry and other pressures, that damages the body's equilibrium. When people become victims of stress, their bodies react and sound the alarm, and various biochemical reactions in the body are initiated: The level of adrenaline in the bloodstream rises; energy consumption and bodily reactions reach their maximum levels; sugar, cholesterol and fatty acids are deposited into the bloodstream; blood pressure rises and the pulse accelerates. When glucose is sent to the brain, cholesterol levels rise, and that all spells trouble for the body.
Because chronic stress, in particular, alters the normal functions of the body, it can cause serious harm. Due to stress, adrenalin and cortisol levels in the body rise to abnormal levels. Long-term increases in cortisol levels lead to the premature appearance of disorders such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, ulcers, respiratory diseases, eczema and psoriasis. The effects of high cortisol levels may even include the killing off of brain cells. The disorders caused by stress are described as follows in one source:
There is an important relationship between stress and the tension and pain it gives rise to. The tension caused by stress leads to narrowing of the arteries, disruption of the flow of blood to certain regions of the head and a reduction in the amount of blood flowing to that region. If a tissue is deprived of blood this leads directly to pain, because a tense tissue on one side probably requiring greater amounts of blood and on the other side already having insufficient blood supply stimulates special pain receptors. At the same time substances such as adrenaline and norepinephrine, which affect the nervous system during stress, are secreted. These directly or indirectly increase and accelerate the tension in the muscles. Thus pain leads to tension, tension to anxiety, and anxiety intensifies pain.81
However, one of the most detrimental effects of stress is heart attacks. Research shows that aggressive, nervous, anxious, impatient, competitive, hostile and irritable people have a much higher incidence of heart attacks than people less inclined to these traits.82
The reason for this is that extreme stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, initiated by the hypothalamus, also causes excessive secretion of insulin, and therefore the accumulation of insulin in the blood. This is a matter of vital importance. Because, none of the conditions that lead to coronary heart disease play such a definitive and harmful role as excess insulin in the blood.83
Scientists have recognized that the higher the level of stress, the more the positive effects of the red cells in the blood are weakened. According to an experiment developed by Linda Naylor, head of the Oxford University's technology transfer company, the negative effect of stress levels on the immune system can now be measured.
There is a close relationship between stress and the immune system. Physiological stress has an important effect on the immune system and results in its deterioration. When under stress, the brain increases production of the cortisol hormone in the body, which weakens the immune system. To put it another way, there is a direct relationship between the brain, the immune system and hormones. Experts in the field state:
Studies on psychological or physical stress have revealed that at times of intense stress there is a fall in immunity response linked to the hormonal balance. It is known that the emergence and strength of many illnesses including cancer is linked to stress.84
In short, stress harms a human being's natural equilibrium. Constant exposure to this abnormal condition impairs the body's health, and leads to a wide variety of disorders. Experts classify the negative effects of stress on the human body under the following basic categories:
Anxiety and Panic: A feeling that events are spiralling out of control
Constantly increasing perspiration
Voice changes: Stammering, trembling speech
Hyperactivity: Sudden explosions of energy, weak diabetic control
Sleeping difficulty: Nightmares
Skin diseases: Spots, acne, fever, psoriasis and eczema
Gastrointestinal indications: Indigestion, nausea, ulcers
Muscular tension: Grinding or locking teeth, aches in the jaw, back, neck and shoulders
Low intensity infections: Colds etc.
Migraine
Palpitations, chest pain, high blood pressure
Kidney imbalances, holding water
Respiratory disorders, shortness of breath
Allergies
Joint pains
Dry mouth and throat
Heart attack
Weakening of the immune system
Shrinkage in the brain region
Feelings of guilt and lack of self-confidence
Confusion, inability to analyse correctly, poor thinking ability, weak memory
Extreme pessimism, believing that everything is going badly
Difficulty in moving or staying still, constant rhythm beating
Inability to concentrate or difficulty in so doing
Irritability, extreme sensitivity
Irrationality
Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
Loss of or increased appetite
The fact that those who fail to abide by religious moral values experience "stress" is revealed by Allah in the Qur'an:
"But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one…" (Qur'an, 20:124)
In another verse, Allah has revealed that "… the earth became narrow for them, for all its great breadth, and their own selves became constricted for them and they realised that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him…" (Qur'an, 9:118)
This "dark and narrow" life, or stress, to give it the current name, is the outcome of non-believers' failure to abide by the moral values imparted by faith. Today, doctors maintain that a calm and self-assured composure are essential for protection from the effects of stress. A calm and peaceful disposition is only possible by living according to the Qur'an. Indeed, it has been revealed in many verses of the Qur'an that Allah imparts "serenity" upon the believers. (Qur'an, 2:248, 9:26, 40, 48:4, 18) Our Lord's promise to the faithful has been revealed as follows:
Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Qur'an, 16:97)

HEARTS FIND PEACE IN THE REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH


According to research by David B. Larson, of the American National Health Research Center, and his team, comparisons of devout and non-religious Americans have given very surprising results. For instance, religious people suffer 60% less heart disease than those with little or no religious belief, the suicide rate among them is 100% lower, they suffer far lower levels of high blood pressure, and this ratio is 7:1 among smokers.65
It was reported in one study published in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, an important scientific source in the world of medicine, that people who describe themselves as having no religious beliefs become ill more frequently and have shorter life spans. According to the results of the research, those with no beliefs are twice as likely to suffer stomach-intestine diseases than believers, and their mortality rate from respiratory diseases is 66% times higher than that of believers.
Secular psychologists tend to refer to similar figures as "psychological effects." This means that belief raises peoples' spirits, and this contributes to health. This explanation may indeed be reasonable, but a more striking conclusion emerges when the subject is examined. Belief in Allah is much stronger than any other psychological influence. The wide-ranging research into the connection between religious belief and physical health carried out by Dr. Herbert Benson of the Harvard Medical Faculty has produced surprising conclusions in this area. Despite not being a believer himself, Dr. Benson has concluded that worship and belief in Allah have a more positive effect on human health than that observed in anything else. Benson states that he has concluded that no belief provides as much mental peace as belief in Allah.66
What is the reason for this connection between belief and the human soul and body? The conclusion reached by the secular researcher Benson is, in his own words, that the human body and mind are regulated to believe in Allah.67
This fact, which the world of medicine has slowly begun to appreciate, is a secret revealed in the Qur'an in these words: "… Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace." (Qur'an, 13:28) The reason why those who believe in Allah, who pray to and trust in Him, are psychologically and physically healthier is that they behave in accordance with the purpose of their creation. Philosophies and systems which contradict human creation always lead to pain and unhappiness.
Modern medicine is now tending towards the realization of this truth. As Patrick Glynn put it: "[S]cientific research in psychology over the past twenty-five years has demonstrated that,… religious belief is one of the most consistent correlates of overall mental health and happiness.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Benefits of Honey in the Qur'an


THE MIRACLE OF HONEY

Your Lord revealed to the bees: "Build dwellings in the mountains and the trees, and also in the structures which men erect. Then eat from every kind of fruit and travel the paths of your Lord, which have been made easy for you to follow." From inside them comes a drink of varying colours, containing healing for mankind. There is certainly a Sign in that for people who reflect. (Qur'an, 16:69)

Honey is a "healing for men" as stated in the verses above. Nowadays, apiculture and bee products have opened a new branch of research in scientifically advanced parts of the world. Other benefits of honey may be described as below:

Easily digested: Because sugar molecules in honey can convert into other sugars (e.g. fructose to glucose), honey is easily digested by the most sensitive stomachs, despite its high acid content. It helps kidneys and intestines to function better.

Rapidly diffuses through the blood; is a quick energy source: When accompanied by mild water, honey diffuses into the bloodstream in seven minutes. Its free sugar molecules make the brain function better since the brain is the largest consumer of sugar. Honey is a natural composition of sugars like glucose and fructose. According to recent research, this unique mixture of sugars is the most effective means to remove fatigue and increase athletic performance.

The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of honey were revealed as a result of clinical observations and research. Honey is exceedingly effective in painlessly cleaning up infection and dead cells in these regions and in the development of new tissues. The use of honey as a medicine is mentioned in the most ancient writings. In the present day, doctors and scientists are rediscovering the effectiveness of honey in the treatment of wounds.

Dr. Peter Molan, a leading researcher into honey for the last 20 years and a professor of biochemistry at New Zealand’s University of Waikato, says this about the antimicrobial properties of honey:

Randomized trials have shown that honey is more effective in controlling infection in burn wounds than silver sulphadiazine, the antibacterial ointment most widely used on burns in hospitals. (“Honey Against Infected Skin Lesions,” www.apitherapy.com/honeysk.htm.)

Supports blood formation: Honey provides an important part of the energy needed by the body for blood formation. In addition, it helps in cleansing the blood. It has some positive effects in regulating and facilitating blood circulation. It also functions as a protection against capillary problems and arteriosclerosis.

Does not accommodate bacteria: This bactericide (bacteria-killing) property of honey is named "the inhibition effect." There are various reasons of this anti-microbial property of the honey. Some examples are: the high sugar content that limit the amount of water microorganisms need for growth, its high acidity (low pH) and composition which deprive bacteria from nitrogen necessary for reproduction. The existence of hydrogen peroxide as well as antioxidants in the honey prevents bacteria growth.

Antioxidant: Everyone who wants to live a healthier life should consume antioxidants. Those are the components in cells that get rid of harmful byproducts of normal metabolic functions. These elements inhibit destructive chemical reactions that cause spoilage of food and many chronic illnesses. Researchers believe food products rich in antioxidants may prevent heart problems and cancer. Strong antioxidants are present in honey content: Pinocembrin, pinobaxin, chrisin and galagin. Pinocembrin is an antioxidant that merely exists in the honey.108

Vitamin and mineral depot: Honey is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate. It contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of which change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Besides the above, copper, iodine, and zinc are also present, albeit in small quantities.

Honey is used in healing wounds:

- When used in treatment of wounds, thanks to its ability to absorb moisture from the air, honey facilitates healing process and prevents scarring. This is because honey stimulates the growth of epithelial cells that form the new skin cover over a healed wound. In this way, even in case of large wounds, honey may eliminate the need for tissue transplantation.

- Honey stimulates the regrowth of tissue involved in the healing process. It stimulates the formation of new blood capillaries and the growth of fibroblasts that replace the connective tissue of the deeper layer of the skin and produce the collagen fibres that give strength to the repair.

- Honey has an anti-inflammatory action, which reduces the swelling around a wound. This improves circulation and thus hastens the healing process. It also reduces pain.

- Honey does not stick to the underlying wound tissues, so there is no tearing away of newly formed tissue, and no pain, when dressings are changed.

- Thanks to its aforementioned antimicrobial property, honey provides a protective barrier to prevent wounds becoming infected. It also rapidly clears any existing infection from wounds. It is fully effective, even with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Unlike antiseptics and antibiotics, there is no impairment of the healing process through adverse effects on wound tissues.109

It can easily be seen from this information that honey has great "healing" properties. This is undoubtedly one of the miracles of the Qur'an Allah, Who is Exalted in Power, has revealed.

Nutritional Values
Average amount in a portion
Average amount in 100 g
Water

3.6 gr

17.1 gr

Total carbohydrates

17.3 gr

82.4 gr
Fructose

8.1 gr

38.5 gr
Glucose

6.5 gr

31.0 gr
Maltose

1.5 gr

7.2 gr
Sucrose

0.3 gr

1.5 gr
Nutritional Contents

Total calories (kilocalories)
64
304
Total calories (kilocalories) (as fat)
0
0
Total fat
0
0

Saturated fat

0
0
Cholesterol
0
0
Sodium

0.6 mg

2.85 mg
Total carbohydrate
17 gr
81 gr
Sugar
16 gr
76 gr

Diet fibres

0
0
Protein
0.15 mg
0.7 mg
Vitamins

 
B1 (Thiamine)

< 0.002 mg

< 0.01 mg

B2 (Riboflavin)

< 0.06 mg

< 0.3 mg
Nicotinic acid

< 0.06 mg

< 0.3 mg

Pantothenic acid

< 0.05 mg

< 0.25 mg
Vitamin B6
< 0.005 mg
< 0.02 mg
Folic acid
< 0.002 mg
< 0.01 mg
Vitamin C
0.1 mg
< 0.5 mg
Minerals
  
Calcium

1.0 mg

4.8 mg

Iron

0.05 mg

0.25 mg
Zinc
0.03 mg
0.15 mg
Potassium
11.0 mg
50.0 mg
Phosphorus
1.0 mg
5.0 mg
Magnesium
0.4 mg
2.0 mg
Selenium
0.002 mg
0.01 mg
Copper
0.01 mg
0.05 mg
Chromium
0.005 mg
0.02 mg
Manganese
0.03 mg
0.15 mg
ASH
0.04 mg
0.2 gr

The “First World Wound Healing Congress,” held in Melbourne on September 10-13, 2000, discussed the use of honey in wound treatment. The comments made during the congress were along these lines:

Many natural antibacterial substances are being evaluated to find a treatment for wounds infected with bacteria with multiple resistance to antibiotics, the "superbugs", as this becomes a major clinical problem. But most of these natural substances have no proven effectiveness on infected wounds, nor is it known if they have any adverse effects on wound tissues. Honey is different, as it has an excellent "track record" over 4,000 years of usage as a wound dressing... Honey has a potent antibacterial activity and is very effective in clearing infection in wounds and protecting wounds from becoming infected. 
(bio.waikato.ac.nz/pdfs/honeyresearch/potential.pdf)




Thursday, August 8, 2013

Oneness of God (Allah) Our Creator

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

Say (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)): "He is Allah, (the) One.

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

"Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks).

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

"He begets not, nor was He begotten;

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

"And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."


Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Asking for Forgiveness.

Narrated Shaddad bin Aus:

The Prophet said "The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is: "Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, Anta Khalaqtani wa ana abduka, wa ana 'ala ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu, A'udhu bika min Sharri ma sana'tu, abu'u Laka bini'matika 'alaiya, wa Abu Laka bidhanbi faghfirli innahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta." The Prophet PBUH added. "If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise."

[Bukhari Vol 8 Book 75, Hadith 318]


Chapter 2 - Al-Baqarah (The Cow) Verse 21 - 30.

21. O Mankind! worship your Lord, Who has created you and those before you, so that you may ward off (evil). 
22.  Who has appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causes water to pour down from the sky, by it producing fruits as food for you.  And do not set up rivals to Allah when you know (better). 
23. And if you are in doubt concerning that which We reveal to Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like of it, and call your witness besides Allah if you are truthful. 
24. And if you do it not - and you can never do it - then guard yourselves against the Fire prepared for disbelievers, whose fuel is of men and stones. 
25. And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) to those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are entertained with food of the fruit of it, they say: "This is what was given us previously;" and it is given to them in resemblance.  There for them are pure companions; there forever they remain. 
26. Allah disdains not to coin the similitude even of a gnat.  Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord; but those who disbelieve say; What does Allah wish (to teach) by such a similitude? He misleads many by it, and He guides many by it; and He misleads by it only miscreants;
27. Those who break the covenant of Allah after ratifying it, and sever that which Allah ordered to be joined, and (who) make mischief in the earth: those are they who are the losers.
28. How do you disbelieve in Allah when you were dead and He gave life to you? Then He will give you death, then life again, and then to Him you will return.
29. He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth.  Then He turned to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens. And he is knower of all things. 
30. And when your Lord said to the angels: I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: Will you place in it one who will do harm in it and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Your praise and sanctify You? He said: Surely I know that which you know not.