Bob Talks Too Much

I digress

2011-06-30T15:52:00.004+01:00

C'est vrai - I do digress! I just had a look at my very first blog entry back in 2006. My intention was to represent Islam from the perspective of muslim living in Britain. I have done that from time to time but a lot of it has been about losing the spare tyre around the waist. Not that this is separate from Islam or anything as Islam takes a holistic approach and caters for every aspect of our lives.

Blogging has lost some if it's coolness as it has been around for a long time now. I guess many go for microblogging such as Twitter and Facebook. Still waiting for my invite for Google+ to come through.

What has suddenly spurred me on to write on my blog again? Well the fact that people are still visiting the blog and comments from my brother that some of his friends used to read it. So here I am blogging again.

The prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam) had an amazing way with words. He would not digress or meander but was concise and clear. His message was usually so profound for those who ponder on them. Short and sweet. Something I have not mastered obviously!

An example of one of his sayings (from Imam an-Nawawi's Forty Hadith collection):

On the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Taib, the grandson of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and who is dearest to him, radiyallahu anhuma, who said: I committed to memory from the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, (the following words):

Leave that about which you are in doubt for that about which you are in no doubt.

In arabic (see in the image above) it is much simpler and has a lovely rhythm to it: Da' ma yaribuka ila ma la yaribuka
(please excuse the poor transliteration)

The message is simple and easy to remember and it is an important guiding principle for muslims. I find myself constantly referring to this and indeed many of the ahadith in Imam an-Nawawi's collection. I would suggest reading the commentary of this hadith.

Of course not all the sayings are short but are so wonderfully phrased that people were able to remember it verbatim and pass it on to us. I leave you with the Prophets last sermon.

Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) Last Sermon

This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived...

Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and comitted helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. You are all equal. Nobody has superiority over other except by piety and good action.

Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur'an and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me direcly. Be my witness oh Allah that I have conveyed your message to your people."

Ya Allah send your blessings upon Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam) and upon his family and companions, Ameen.

Time for my annual post :)

2011-06-16T10:42:00.005+01:00

It's almost a whole year since I last posted. Having read my blog entry from August 2010, I realise I can update on 3 things that I wrote about last time.

1. Weight loss (oh no not yo-yo!)

2. Hajj (Finally managed to complete the 5th Pillar of Islam, May Allah accept it from all of us that have attended and for those who have not been may He (subhana wa ta'ala) make it easy for you, Ameen)

3. My job

Weighty issues
The last blog entry stated that I had reached 10st 13lbs (153lbs/69kg). I was planning to do something about it after Ramadan. Sadly I'm a great procrastinator and it didn't quite happen :(

So after a holiday in Spain back in April 2011, I decided that I am going to tackle it properly. So I kicked it off with the Dukan Diet and then adapted a little to suit my needs. I weighed 11st 9lbs (163lbs/74kg) or possibly more.

Still trying to eat mindfully and put into practice what I said last time about intuitive eating.

I have since the 25th of April a total of 13lbs (6kg approx) and it is still going down. Using the principles in the Dukan Diet and just generally eating healthily and consciously I have managed to lose the weight and maintain it. Actually the whole family is eating similar food to me.

Most diets work to lose the weight, but it comes back because what they don't teach is maintenance (or we don't want to follow it 'cos it seems hard to do). What we need to do is train ourselves to eat sensibly. The bad habits didn't happen overnight and getting out of them won't happen overnight.

Eat less, move more. Easy to say but not so easy to put in practice. How do you achieve a balanced diet when you are so unbalanced. A tightrope walker isn't born with the ability walk along a thin wire, they train themselves. Similarly we need to train ourselves before we can lead a balanced life. To be honest, I'm still learning how this works.

Calories in must be less then calories out. You can do this by counting calories and exercising and you will achieve your weight loss goals. Every diet makes you reduce the calories and of course all suggest some form of exercise. I've been watching the Biggest Loser series (US, UK and Australian versions). It is clear how this can work in an amazing way. They show you how to eat healthy and do all the proper exercise. There is even an attempt at mimicking real life situations on some episodes.

The time at the ranch is quite intensive and the contestants are monitored. They also have the added motivation of losing weight to win the contest and other prizes. This means that once they leave and enter into the real world it becomes far more difficult to maintain this. This is why many past winners have struggled to keep the weight down (see: 'Biggest Loser': Where are they now? The women on the list seem to have done far better then the men).

Similarly, when I reached my normal weight range with my diet that has been documented on this blog, I struggled to keep it down. As you can see in the pic here I have struggled to keep it down. I am steadily bringing it down at present and I hope it continues until I reach my target weight which is 9st 9lbs (135lbs/61kg).

I was hoping to reach the target by July 20th (my birthday) but I am off to Beijing (work related) and then on a short break with the family in the UK and then Ramadan comes along. My key aim is to lose weight steadily and if I can't, then to maintain it. This means that I need to eat healthier, make those good choices on most occasions.

I think in general if you do the following you will start losing weight

1. Eat lean protein - cut out the fat, eat fish even oily ones as they contain things like Omega-3, eat the leaner meat such as chicken and turkey (avoid the skin), eat lean cuts of meat

2. Eat vegetables - They are all good, don't be shy pile your plate high with fresh veg. The calories are low and the belly fill factor is high. Eat plenty of salad stuff too, that green stuff is good for you. Avoid fatty dressings. There are plenty of low fat options out there.

3. Fats - where possible avoid - There is a diffence between fats, some are good and some are bad. Plenty of info out there about what they are. Olive oil is good but when trying to lose weight minimise it's use. For example if you want fried egg, have it but put only a touch of oil in the pan and then using a kitchen towel (tissue) wipe away the excess. Tastes just as good. Or of course you can boil or poach them.

4. Refined sugar - where possible avoid - Refined sugar is a major problem for us. It's in everything. Many products have it as a first ingredient. Many low fat products increase the content of sugar when reducing fat to make it taste good. Replace with sweetener where needed and get your sugars from fruit and other natural products (the benefits from fruit far outweigh the negatives of sugar)

5. Drink water - Often we don't drink enough water and it is difficult to distinguish hunger from thirst sometimes. Around 1.5 litres is fine for the average person. Many say 8 glasses a day etc, I think this is dependant on the person and the activity they are doing. Remember we get water from food and other drinks as well. So no need to go crazy here. Drink before and during your meal. Helps reduce the amount you eat.

6. Exercise - I don't like going to the gym on my own. I prefer playing a sport. However we can all do more by going for a walk for 30 minutes in a day, just basically moving more. I know that fitting in an exercise regime can be difficult ('cos I'm lazy) and you just don't want to do it. But it is easy to go for a walk, get off a stop earlier on your journey. Avoid using the car for short journeys. Go take in the beautiful scenery of the country you live in with your family.

Can't remember any more steps. Hmmm, waffled on long enough. Still talking too much!

Hajj
Finally made my journey to Hajj. I went with my mum, my aunt (mum's sister) and my brother Nojmul. It was amazing to be one of 5 million or so people performing the same rites performed by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail and Muhammad (alayhimus salaam). To be with so many muslims. There were testing times and my focus was on making sure I did everything correctly and looked after my mother, aunt and brother. My only hope is that Allah subhana wa ta'ala accepts it from us. I have discharged the obligation, acceptance is through the mercy of Allah.

My job

Recently took an MSP Practitioner course and exam and managed to pass it somehow. Alhamdulillah. Like all certifications like this, it is useful to have but not essential. I am already performing the role of a Programme Manager. Am I looking at greener pastures? Well the answer is I'm always looking at greener pastures, but the grass on this side is still good.

Finally, got burgled again at the end of April. The burglar broke in through the back kitchen window and made off with laptops, MP4 player, some mobile phones (used for work), gold and some cash. We think it was a neighbour that did it. It's not possible to get into our back without going through a neighbours house. It is the loss of the photo's, my wifes gold and the kids savings in a piggy bank (not actually a pig, my son had a Ben 10 one) that annoy me more then having to replace the window and the laptops. The sentimental things are of more importance and we have lost them forever.

This world is a temporal one and I hope that the burglar enjoys his short lived ill-gotten gains because life in the hereafter is eternal and determined by the choices we make in this world.

Long time no post

2010-08-30T17:00:00.008+01:00

Assalaamu alaikum,

Wow it has been a long time since I've posted anything on here. I wanted to but haven't had the time. Frankly speaking even now I don't as I should be doing something more beneficial in the month of Ramadhan then updating my blog.

Anyway much has changed since I last posted, it has been more than a year! I thought I'd give an update on my life and one of the main reasons why I haven't had time to post.

In September I got offered a new role with my current employer. I am no longer a Software Engineer but now a Programme Manager. This has many responsibilites and as I have come from a very technical background, it took a little getting used to.

Now I travel frequently to Paris on business (unfortunately keep getting stopped on a regular basis - 2 reasons being muslim and originating from Bangladesh!). The trouble is I have not been able to attend my french classes (too many meetings) and so have not really used the language. Need to get back to that soon inshaAllah.

A year on I am still enjoying the new role. Like all things there have been highs and lows. It does mean that I am busy in a different way now. As someone once said "Be careful of what you wish for, you might just get it!".

Again the role has had an impact on weight. I have been focusing on everything related to the job. I feel now I am at a point where I am comfortable with the needs of my job and I can now focus again on health issues.

Weight update: I now weigh 10st 13lbs (153lbs/69kg). At my lowest back in 2008 I weighed 9st 9lbs (135lbs/61kg). So in total I have put on 18lbs (9kg)! This is a 1.5 stones and I need to get my backside in gear to reduce the weight.

As it is Ramadhan now, no action is being taken until after. I have beeb reading up on Intuitive Eating. It is about listening to your body really. I think those of us who overeat have stopped listening to our bodies signals. I think that intuitive eating needs to start at the beginning of a weight loss program but to lose the weight there has to be some focus on what is being eaten and therefore counting calories is still a good way to lose weight but by putting the principles in place to end up in a well balanced healthy lifestyle.

Hopefully I will continue posting updates here. I wish to go to Hajj this year and so that is something I will blog about on my return inshaAllah. Something else that could be attributed to the new role, alhamdulillah it came with a nice hike in pay enabling me to finish paying off debts and actually save some money! Alhamdulillah!

Btw, I completed the Bikeathon back in 2009 quite easily this time. Unfortunately we couldn't make it this year. Perhaps next year inshaAllah!

Doing the London Bikeathon 2009 again this year ...

2009-07-01T11:43:00.003+01:00

In the last 4 years I've done this annual event twice. I did it initially to kick start my weight loss and fitness drive. More on this later, first some info about the event and our team link so you can sponsor me :)

The links:
About the event: London Bikeathon '09

Please sponsor us - it's for Leukaemia research: France Telecom/GSK '09 Team

My history with the Bikeathon
I joined my current employer in February 2005 and at that time I was my heaviest at 13st 7lbs (maybe more). There was a simple reason for that, eating too much and no activity to speak of. I mentioned to my team leader that I needed to lose weight and get active. So he challenged me to go on the Bikeathon with him and another friend and colleague Long. That year I bowed out, I didn't have a bike, hadn't ridden for years etc etc excuses galore ad nauseum.

However by the following year I got tired of the way I was and decided that I really must tackle my weight problem and activity. So I started 5-a-side football with my colleagues and signed up for the Bikeathon. I began to make small changes to my diet - like not eating so much fast food every lunch time. Start to lose some weight - but this was a half hearted attempt.

As usual being the fat lazy git that I was, I purchased the bike 1 week before the event and the only riding I did was to ride it home! Not very good preparation for an event that is 26 miles. I hadn't ridden a bike in at least 10 years if not more!

The day arrived and I thought I'd ride to the station and take public transport. District Line all the way to Richmond. So that was the first mile I had ridden in years. When I got to Richmond, the event was in Richmond Park and the starting line was 3 miles from the station. So I clocked 4 miles, went up a hill and before getting to the start I was knackered already.

Now the last bike I had was a BMX. It had no fancy gears and really I didn't have to do much adjusting. This bike has 21 gears or something and has all sorts of bits to fiddle with. I had no idea what I needed to do. My friends and colleagues tried to help as we went along.

Anyway I managed to get to the halfway point, very exhausted, sweating salt crystals. This was more activity then I had done in years. My cadet days and activities were but a faint memory. My body was screaming at me. If it could use IM shortcuts it would have been saying WTF!!!!

I grabbed some food they had waiting there. I had no idea that my seat was low, I was in the wrong gear (despite Long trying his best to explain to me how they worked) and the tyres were better suited to off road riding.

After a brief rest we set off again. Soon I was trailing behind. I had plenty of company at this point though there were some late starters. About a mile down the road my legs cramped. I stopped suddenly and the woman behind me braked sharply. Initially she was annoyed but when she saw me get off the bike she helped me by holding the bike as I knelt on the ground not daring to move as my muscles twitched and cramp. Sitting in a kneeling position (in the jalsa position in salah) it helped prevent cramping. The nice lady leaned my bike against the wall for me and after asking me if I was okay she went on.

I called Long to let him know what happened. Now Long, being the nice guy that he is, rode back to see how I was. When I could get up I told him I was quitting and for him to continue on. I then hobbled with my bike to the nearest District line station and headed home, still wary the muscles were ready to cramp any time. I did try to ride again but quickly got off. In all I had ridden about 17 miles that day. Although I failed to complete it, I felt it was still an achievement. I made a promise to do it again next year and complete.

Second attempt in 2007
So rolled on 2007. I was 16 pounds lighter through the changing of my diet. I was playing 5-a-side football regularly now. My fitness levels were a lot better but I was still obese. Still the fat lazy git, I did no riding in between. Still I was a little more confident this year. I was determined to finish.

Unfortunately Long was not able to attend the Bikeathon that year as he had broken his collar bone in a rugby match for our lab (I work in R&D). So only a handful of us turned up, including my team leader Raf.

Foolishly I didn't get my bike checked and my seat height was too low, still had the wrong type of tyres and was in the wrong gear. Raf's friend helped me sort out the gears so it was okay. Later on another kind soul, a fellow rider, stopped me and told me my seating was too low. I thanked him and it took several tries to get the damn seat to stay in position. Being a software engineer, I was initially thwarted by the hardware problem :P

Anyway I was riding a lot better and made it to the halfway point feeling fine. I did consider getting my bike checked by specialists they have at these checkpoints. I couldn't find them, not that I looked hard, and decided to continue. Horror of horrors my legs cramped again after a couple of miles. I started to walk and push the bike trying to ride alternately. I was being left behind by the tail end of riders at this point.

I got a call from Raf asking me where I was. He had finished already. It had been 3 hours. I told him I was just after the halfway point and walking. He told me had no space in the car for another bike so he was going to go home and then come pick me up. I told him to call me once he got home. I was still determined to finish. A few stragglers and I soldiered on. When he called me again I told him I was going to finish even if I had to crawl.

I got to the 3rd checkpoint along the route, riding and walking alternately. I had the bike checked. At this point my gears were fine and my seat height was okay. The problem was that my tyres were deflated. I hadn't realised that. The guy told me that I had off road tyres on and that I should invest in some thinner tyres suitable for the road.

Suddenly I was able to ride and it wasn't killing my legs. I was flying now baby! There were a few fellow stragglers remaining. I could see other riders with Bikeathon t-shirts sitting outside pubs along the Thames. It was a beautiful day and they had already finished soaking up the sun.

Unfortunately I missed the turning I was supposed to take. I was now amongst the last of the stragglers. Normally a steward would stand at the turning showing the way. But they had long gone. I just kept going on the path I was on.

I rode along the Thames, taking a nice scenic route. I saw another rider coming the opposite way. He told me that he thought that was the wrong way and he was going back to find the proper route. I decided to continue, not really taking his word for it, after all he was just as lost as I was! I asked people where the place I was supposed to be was. They told me to keep going and I will get there soon.

It started to rain, a light drizzle. I was riding hard and moving fast hoping to see a left turning, knowing by instinct that was the direction I was supposed to be headed. My legs were fine, my bike was fine but now I was way off course.

I came close to a bridge and I could see a road. It looked vaguely familiar. There was a set of steep stairs leading to the road. I had already ridden about 29 miles at this point. When I got to the road I saw that the town I was heading for was only a 1 mile away. It was another 2 miles from there to the finish line (which was also the start line).

It was raining a little heavier now. I was pedalling away and going at some speed constantly checking the route for anything I recognised. Eventually I saw the finish line. The last leg was supposed to be through Richmond park but I had done it on the roads and along a river side path. I think I did approximately 32 miles that day. I was knackered but pleased. It took me 5 hours and I wasn't the last one. They were still handing out some medals you get just for finishing. I grabbed a couple for the kids and headed to my car - oh yeah I decided to drive there that year, I wasn't going to repeat the mistake of the previous year.

We didn't do it last year, can't remember why. Anyway end of 2007 I started to diet properly. Overall I lost 55lbs (almost 4 stones) but gained 12lb back over the last 6 months. I am now in the process of losing that and intend to lose more by the beginning of Ramadan - hopefully hitting my target weight.

I am lighter, fitter and very eager to get out there and ride. I am hoping to do it in around 3 hours. I still haven't ridden the bike in between and I have the same old tyres. But this year I will get the bike checked.

Another amazing thing, I'm a lot less lazy now :P

So sponsor me people, its for a good cause!

Key to losing weight? Its not what you eat but how much!

2009-02-27T12:42:00.004Z

Hey, its been a long time since I wrote a blog entry. I just came across a blog entry on Calorie Count that refers to an article which states that it is the amount of calories not where those calories come from (fat, protein, carbs etc) that are the key to weight loss.

So it doesn't matter what the food is, if you reduce the amount of calories you need a day, you will lose weight.

As a friend said upon seeing my blog entry where I had lost quite a lot of weight. He asked me what diet I was on and I explained that essentially it was calorie counting. I sent him a couple of links and he responded that there should be a site called www.stopeatingyoufatb*****d.com.

Having said that, everyone should eat healthily because its not just about weight loss but leading a healthy lifestyle in general.

As the old saying goes - "Everything in moderation"

Q. So the answer to losing weight and leading a healthy lifestyle?
A. Eat healthy and exercise.

I know, not really earth shattering news is it? We've heard it so many times. But its true.

For muslims, look at the Sunnah (Way) of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam). You will find that much of what is good common sense regarding diets, he was practicing it. For a good website regarding health matters see: www.healthymuslim.com

Okay quick update for those who have been following my progress. I seem to be stuck at 145lbs at present. However I am still playing 5-a-side football (soccer) once a week, I started doing 30 mins exercise daily (since Tuesday) and I have started some weight training (although its hard to get to the gym).

The result is that my clothing is looser but the scale still shows the same. At least it did early this morning. I will have to wait and see.

A year on: Am I still thin or have I bounced back?

2008-12-10T16:23:00.005Z

First of all my apologies for the lack of updates. I have been very busy with work.

A year has passed since I embarked on my diet. I would love to say I am at my target weight, unfortunately I have put a few pounds back on. Mind you I haven't done much exercise due to heavy work load and the usual 5-a-side footie (soccer) not being organised by my colleague (whose work load is worse then mine!).

My stats at the beginning of my diet was:
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 10 Dec 2008: Weight = 143lbs (64.86kg), Waist = (Don't know) , BMI = 26.2

At my lowest I was 135lbs (61.23kg) with a BMI of 24.7!

So it seems I have gained back 8lbs in total. I can tell you I felt depressed initially. But you can't let a setback set you back. So I'm trying to tackle the fat.

What has changed to stop my weight loss?

Well I went to France in August, prior to that I stopped having the herbalife shakes and other products. For a a month or so I kept the weight down and lost a couple more pounds by myself. Then I eased up on the diet regime a little, got really busy with the project I am current technical lead on.

I wasn't going wild but the amount of calories had increased. I was basically having my maintenance level of calories and sometimes more. Of course coming off a diet regime you can expect to gain some pounds. However to compound that I ended up going to France and I had no real restrictions there. I mean come on, all those lovely desserts :)

When I returned from France, I had gained 4lbs altogether from my lowest point. August was followed by September.

This coincided with Ramadan. Now normally I lose weight in Ramadan, and this happened as expected. I dropped a couple of pounds in the first week. However at home we started to buy some desserts to eat before Isha and Taraweeh prayers. This situation was worsened by the Supermarkets doing Buy One Get One Free offers on cakes and other lovely stuff.

So I piled on the pounds again and I have since been trying to battle it. The situation was not improved by the fact that I had not done any exercise from the France trip at the end of August, through Ramadan (all of September) and then afterwards I was very busy with my project. I probably managed a couple games of badminton and one of football in that time. Others I had to cancel as the project was high priority as deadlines whooshed past.

All of November went by thus and unfortunately the guy who books the 5-a-side court couldn't as it was not available. So here we are on the 10th of December 2008. I am looking forward to my football game tomorrow.

On Monday the 8th was Eid Al-Adha (religious festival). This is a day of celebration and eating lots of fried goodies everywhere you go. But my over indulgence started a few days prior as a friend is off to Bangladesh and so we hooked up with him for some more fried food stuff. It unfortunately continued over the weekend and onto Monday (the day of Eid). Yesterday I decided to be sensible so it was all fruit and salad etc.

Unfortunately today I went with some of the brothers at work to a pizza place that is selling halal chicken. We decided to try it out. Then one of the brothers suggested some ice cream, a tub of Ben and Jerry's going for half price (why or why do Supermarkets have such attractive pricing on bad stuff like this!). Naturally I had some myself. Methinks I will avoid the evening meal or I will never get out of this mess.

Solution to my problem - more exercise! I am controlling the food most days so what I need is to get active.

The dangers are there due to the Christmas period at work. People are bringing in all sorts of tasty goodies. I must resist!

I'm even toying with going back on the herbalife diet for a little while. If anyone is interested try my friend Mohibs website. (Hmmm, got plug his stuff once in a while).

Event: Gone in 30 Days - The aftermath of Ramadhan

2008-10-06T09:14:00.004+01:00

The next talk that is happening in my local masjid. Hopefully the title wont cause controversy this time as the previous one did.

EVENT: Gone in 30 Days.
The Aftermath of Ramadan
SPEAKER: Shaykh Mujahid Ali (Ebrahim College, London)
DATE AND TIME: Saturday 11th October 2008 @ 6.20pm After Maghrib Salah
VENUE: Shahjalal Mosque, 722-724 Romford Road, Manor Park, London E12 6BT

Brothers Entrance: Romford Road
Sisters Entrance: Third Avenue

For More Info call: Brothers 07939 866 110 Sisters 07960 676 844

Alhamdulillah, these talks have become a regular feature and this is due to the younger brothers (I consider myself still to be a young brother - these brothers are younger then me :P) are doing the organising and frankly they are doing a very good job.

Shaykh Mujahid is a local scholar who teaches at Ebrahim College. He has done talks at our masjid before and has proven to be quite popular with the younger generation.

As for the title, well its the young brothers again. I'm sure many of you know what the title is similar to, if not the poster surely gives it away.

Come along and benefit from this inshaAllah.

'Verily the world is accursed and accursed is what it contains, except the remembrance of Allah, that which Allah loves, and someone with sacred knowledge or someone learning it.' (Tirmidhi).

'If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise . The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man.' Narrated sunnan Abu dawood. Book 25, Number 3634

Fame has found my sibling

2008-09-05T15:04:00.005+01:00

If anyone bothers reading my blog entries, especially the early ones, you will know I have a brother (see: My brother the artist) who is an artist. It seems he is getting well known in the muslim community as well as outside it.

Here is a an interview show casing his works: Gaining Art inspiration from Islam

He has managed to produce quite a lot of work, MashaAllah. Me, I'm naturally lazy and would not have done as well - I would still be procrastinating thinking about the day I will make my mark :P

That's not the only place we don't resemble each other. We don't look like brothers - well not unless you look closely and compare our heights - then you can see that we often have trouble reaching stuff high up. It is the very reason why you see my brother Safiy (as he calls himself online), helping him put up the artwork :) Those extra 2 inches clearly make a difference.

Ruh has managed to get some recognition in the muslim community with his work and it is nice to see him being recognised by others (even if it is on some obscure satellite channel). He has even had a fatwa served on him recently - long story - but it seems he has managed to respond well enough for it to be dropped.

I'm quite proud of his achievements, being 7 years his senior I've watched him grow and develop. I'm almost like a third parent to my siblings. I think I'm quite safe to say that now that he has a good head on his shoulders, he wont become unbearably puffed up due to pride (I hope).

I remember having a conversation with him regarding fashion based along Islamic lines. I doubt Ruh remembers that conversation but its nice to see that he has actually achieved this, by the grace of Allah. He gave me one of the Dhikr t-shirts (finally fits me after losing weight - maybe that's why he waited before getting me one!). You can buy his stuff from Islamic Design House.

I suggest everyone goes and buys his stuff (see: Visual Dhikr) so that when makes the fortune as well as gaining fame - I can scrounge off him! :D

Event: Wha Guan with Ramadan? The beginning and the aftermath of Ramadan

2008-08-07T10:05:00.006+01:00

A Talk is being held at my local masjid again. All are welcome.

Title: Wha Guan with Ramadan?
The beginning and the aftermath of Ramadan
Speaker: Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf
Time: After Asr (6.45pm), Saturday 16th August 2008
Place: Shahjalal Mosque, 722-724 Romford Road, E12 6BT
(Sisters entrance via Third Avenue - See poster for more info)

A bio of the Shaykh can be found here.

The Shaykh has answered many questions on sunnipath.com. He was also in the same class as a local Shaykh I know very well. They wrote a book together (Reflection of Pearls), which I'm told is pretty good. I need to read it I guess!
(EDIT: Actually I've been told that the local Shaykh denied writing the book. I need to confirm with him directly - so my above statement maybe inaccurate)

My brother (see Safiy) is attending the same Darul Uloom in Bury as they did.

I attended a talk by him many years ago in a masjid in Clapton. I enjoyed it. I remember it well because it was the last time I spent with my friend Shabir (I speak of him in my very first blog entry). Unfortunately it was the Friday before he headed out to Bangladesh and the following tuesday we had received the news that he had been in a motorcycle accident and had passed away. The brother and I were planning to attend more such talks together and he was encouraging me to grow the beard fully. May Allah grant him jannatul firdaws, Ameen.

The title of the talk is quite amusing, the result of letting youngsters do the posters :)

The talk is aimed at youngsters and I hope there is a good turnout.

Guys protect your crown jewels!

2008-07-24T10:49:00.001+01:00

It seems if you want to do damage to your sperm just become obese and have lots of soya. Two stories I saw this month regarding this (um can't find both links!):

Being too fat can damage 'sperm'

This week there were stories of soya affecting the male sperm production. Yet soya (black soy bean - I think) is touted as a healthy food that help in tackling obesity.

It all seems a bit contradictory. So if you want kids, give up having soya products, lose weight and don't drink coffee. Apparently that causes male infertility too.

At the end of the day it all comes down to moderation really. These news stories often give confusing messages. I can't remember how many articles I've seen that states that coffee is good for your health. There are almost an equal number saying the opposite.

Frankly if you over indulge in anything it will be bad for you. How true is the well worn saying "Everything in moderation".

Sadly we lack the ability to have things in moderation any more. The world is full of starving people and I read that in 2005 there were 1.6 billion people who were overweight or obese in the world. I think that either equals or outnumbers the people who are starving the world. It is actually something we should all be ashamed of. Clearly what we gluttons are shovelling into our mouths is clearly unnecessary - otherwise we would not be overweight.

Obesity is a major issue for the world. I'm not surprised that it has all these problems associated with it. We need to stop consuming so much and also spread the wealth and resources around.

My thoughts are on the Ethiopians who are facing another devastating famine. May Allah give us the tawfiq (ability) to help us and the other poor people around the world, ameen.

The best laid plans ... part III

2008-07-22T10:43:00.004+01:00

This is the third installment of my intended ongoing commentary on news I find interesting. The idea is to provide my personal viewpoint. The previous entries were:

The best laid plans of mice and men ...
The best laid plans of mice and men ... part II

Is there a chance of me actually catching up? Hmm, I rather doubt it. Okay the first entry from back in May 2006 ...

Ageing its the latest craze
A news article from the BBC regarding software that ages a persons face based on a picture. What I found interesting apart was that in the UK we have an ageing population and the birthrate is falling and soon we will not have enough young people to support them.

The reason for this is the argument that the world is becoming over populated and therefore for decades now we have been indoctrinated with this message and so people stopped having so many kids. This has caused a drop in the birth rate in the West, especially amongst the white population. Germany and other countries give monetary incentives to their people to have children.

I don't think over population is the issue, I think its more to do with the fair distribution of wealth. Of course there are many other problems contributing to this but it seems to be that a minority are hogging the majority of the worlds resources and ensuring that they remain on top.

I think that China has created some serious issues for itself with its one child per couple policy. It now means that the ageing population rely on that one child to support 2 generations. In India they buck the world trend by having more males then females being born. This is due to the cultural problem of female foeticide. There is a strong preference for boys and therefore people are (illegally) getting scans and aborting females.

In Islam this is an abhorrent act and was one of the key things that was abolished in Arab society where they used to bury their female children alive. It is sad to see that this is something that is still happening and our progress in technological terms is actually aiding in committing such a serious act even before the child is born. As muslims we cannot justify such actions with poverty - because we believe firmly that Allah provides for everyone and our reliance should be on Him.

Also one of the pillars of Islam is the Zakaat, which is essentially a tax on wealth. This is then distributed to those who are in need. This is only on wealth and does not include essential items.

This subject matter can be discussed in great length, so I'd like to move on to the next interesting article.

Blairs concern over face veils (October 2006)
Old news that shows the typical views of the top politicians that are reflected by the ignorant masses. I think that there is a lot of ignorance on the part of our leaders and Gordon Brown is the same on these issues. I guess its a vote winner as I've heard recently that 70% of the people in the UK hate/fear muslims.

My comments on this article back then was: "
Its not surprising Blair has got into the act. He wants integration of the muslim community and thinks Islam is to blame! What about the years we suffered abuse for being Paki's when all we wanted to do was integrate? They don't want us to integrate. This is all a load of ....."

I guess I was really annoyed but almost two years have passed and I've calmed down.

Lost connection to animate Earth (June 2006)
A thought provoking article. My comments were back then: "Hmmm, what he is looking for is that we return to our natural state of fitra - our inherent nature ..."

Elephants jumbo mirror ability (October 2006)
An article about elephants having the ability to recognise their own reflections in a mirror. I found things like this fascinating. It highlights to me the complexity and beauty of Allah's creation.

Somalis learn to follow the law (November 2006)
A not so negative article regarding Shariah law being practiced in Somalia. My comments at the time were - "Hmmm, they had stories like this about Taliban and the success they were having. But as soon as things changed - they started demonising them! Same will happen here most likely - as soon as someone annoys the west."

Not that I'm saying the Taliban had done things correctly. Its just that they didn't do everything wrong. Every state in the world has its good and bad policies. Who knows what a diplomacy and help could have done to soften the attitudes and help the struggling nation of Afghanistan instead of the terrible costs both in terms financially and the lives of the innocent people who have been killed since the west went in all guns blazing.

Paris airport bars Muslim staff (Nov 2006)
No comment really, just more of the same issues faced by muslims.

'No revival' for premature babies (Nov 2006)
A report suggests babies born at or before 22 weeks gestation should not be kept alive artificially. My comments at the time were: "No one can say for certain how long anyone will live. So to make such a decision that babies at 22 weeks should not be revived is crazy!"

Physics promises wireless power (Nov 2006)
I was thinking about such things on the train the morning this was published and even discussed before spotting the article online. It would be cool if we could find ways of powering up without wires.

Should women be more responsible? (Nov 2006)
BBC News online examines the debate over whether women who drink too much have themselves to blame if they are raped.

Sadly more and more women are binge drinking in the UK. It leaves them in danger of getting raped. The question is do they bear the responsibility of getting raped? The answer is not that clear cut. The rapist has clearly committed a crime and should be held accountable for his actions. Sadly his crime has been made easier by the fact that the woman is inebriated and no longer in control, something she willing did to herself.

Alcohol is a major issue in society as it makes a person lose their inhibitions. So determining whether it was consent or rape is extremely difficult. Town centres around the UK are filled with young men and women drinking themselves into a stupor. In fact the police were actually advising the young women to wear panties because when they were passed out on the ground drunk they were exposed to the world. Its totally crazy. The thing is there are documentaries with camera's following such antics and watching a few clips of it I can't believe what people get up to and the state they find themselves in.

How short fathers affect babies (Nov 2006)
This is a clear candidate for the "No sh*t sherlock" section in the Metro. Now you can blame your father if you are short and mother if you are fat - apparently! I am short so I found this article apt for me. At the time I was also fat but since then I have tackled the weight issue. Unfortunately I can't do much about the height and ugliness :P

Doctor to pay for unwanted baby (Nov 2006)
A doctor who carried out a failed contraceptive operation in Germany is ordered to support the child.

Just plain ridiculous was my thought at the time! Its still stands. Contraception can fail and is never 100% effective. Its crazy the court ruled in against the doctor. Seems you are not allowed to fail. Compensation culture gone completely mad!

'I get my heroin on the NHS' (Nov 2006)
BBC summary: Get caught with heroin and you face seven years in prison. But not Erin O'Mara, one of 440 addicts in the UK to get a regular fix from an NHS prescription.

My comments at the time: "I'm all for helping people. My question is, shouldn't this lead to weaning off the drugs eventually or are they to be given an illegal drug perpetually?"

Another great use for my hard earned money! :(

Row over mixed-sex hospital wards (Nov 2006)
BBC summary: The government has been accused of failing to meet a promise to scrap mixed-sex wards in NHS hospitals.

My comments at the time: "Interesting, mixed sex wards - could it be that it makes sense to segregate the sexes? :P"

Makes sense to me as a muslim. Probably makes sense to most men and especially women (regardless of religion) to be in separate wards.

Is this what you call junk food? (Nov 2006)
An article regarding the definition of "junk food". This is a diet related article hence my general interest in this area.

Obesity 'to fuel rise in cancers' (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: A charity is warning obesity could be the cause of 12,000 cases of cancer a year in the UK by 2010.

My continual interest (ok obsession) with diet/weight related matters. My comment at the time was: "Need to get a check up!". Fortunately since then I have lost the weight and I am normal weight now. I still remain diet/weight obsessed though :)

Half of nation do 'no exercise' (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: Half the population of England do no sport or active recreation, a poll of more than 350,000 people reveals.

This is a sad but true statement. What is worse is that I am a resident of Newham (where the 2012 Olympics will be held) and I agree that we do the least exercise!

On the lash (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: The days of women quietly sipping a gin and bitter lemon in the pub while the men knocked back pints are long gone. Women are drinking more, and getting violent with it.

More of the same, women are drinking too much and are getting increasingly violent. See also some of the pics on this article.

Creation museum pushes 'true history' (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: A museum under construction in Kentucky will set out to challenge the theory of evolution.

My comments at the time: "LOL - This story made me laugh. I believe in intelligent design but the Christian fundamentalist are certainly going the wrong way about proving it!"

Role reversal Brits head to India (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: There are at least 32,000 Britons now living in India, according to new research - and its the economy that is sucking them in an, a twist of migration history between the two countries.

Something I've considered doing, moving to a country like India (though Bangladesh, my country of birth, doesn't appeal as they don't share the same conditions).

UK's Vicky Pollards 'left behind' (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: Research suggests Britain's teenagers risk becoming a nation of 'Vicky Pollards' held back by poor verbal skills.

Sadly this is especially true of my community (Bangladeshi in particular) where they cannot speak Bengali or English well. Vicky Pollard is a good example :)

'Hottest chilli sauce' launched (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: A chilli so hot that tasters have to sign a legal waiver before eating it goes on sale in the US

1. I'd love to try the hottest chilli sauce
2. Wahay! They have a measurement for how hot a chilli is (scoviles). Apparently my beloved Naga comes in at around 1 million scoviles (or 800,000 according to this article) :D
3. Did I mention how much I've love chillies?

The right way to argue (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: Christmas is a time for family and good conversations around the dinner table. But when talk turns to politics or religions, can you hold your own? Ethicist Daniel Sokol offers a few pointers on how to argue a strong case.

My thought at the time was: What are the ethics of the ethicists?

Sense and scent ability (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: The film Perfume portrays the world of a man possessed of an acute sense of smell. But what is life like for the millions of people who have lost it?

My thoughts at the time: Alhamdulillah - we have the amazing ability to smell and all rest of our 5 senses. Alhamdulillah!

The rise of the 'childfree' (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: The BBC News website's Kathryn Westcott talks to women who are among a growing group who have chosen not to have children, and are fed up with the emphasis given to family life.

My comments at the time: "I guess all the overpopulation of the world stuff has got through to people in the West. If more take up this sort of lifestyle then they will disappear. The UK will be asian (as once amusingly depicted in a sketch in 'Goodness Gracious me!')"

For me I can't understand why people would want to be childfree. But each to their own - everyone has the right to choose not to have children. The problem is if everyone actually chose not to have children - we'd be extinct!

French government eyes 'le baby boom' (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: Hugh Schofield in Paris reflects on efforts made by successive French governments to ensure women give birth to more and more children.

Another related article. It looks like governments are getting very concerned that they won't have as many tax payers in the future! You know I don't mind being paid to have kids - trouble is they aren't looking for the likes of me to have more kids!

Pregnant Germans seek cash bonus (Dec 2006)
BBC Summary: Expectant mothers are reportedly trying to delay their births to qualify for a generous new government scheme.

Heh heh, more of the same. Hey UK Government, where's our scheme?!

Housework cuts breast cancer risk (Jan 2007 - woah new year dude!)
BBC Summary: Women who exercise by doing the housework can reduce their risk of breast cancer, a study suggests.

My comment at the time was: "Hmmm, does this mean I can tell the wife that if she doesn't do the housework she'll get breast cancer? :P"

Rare British India documents surface (Jan 2007)
BBC Summary: The BBC's Alastair Lawson reports on the release of previously unseen papers which relate to Britain's 19th century struggle for influence in north-west India.

Seems like the British were struggling with the Pashtuns (Taliban are mainly pashtun) even back in the day.

Sex 'cuts public speaking stress' (Jan 2007)
BBC Summary: Forget learning lines or polishing jokes - having sex may be the best way to prepare for giving a speech.

Hey we knew this already right?!

How spicy foods can kill cancers (Jan 2007)
BBC Summary: Scientists reveal capsaicin, which makes jalapeno peppers hot, attacks the energy-making mitochondria of cancer cells

I suspect the mighty chilli kills more than cancer - lovely jubbly. Now wheres that bottle of tabasco!

Do I need any more reasons to have chilli? Ok, it increases the metabolism for upto 3 hours. Voila!

India's 'Saddam Hussein' village (Jan 2007)
Ha ha! A whole village of Saddam Husseins!

Letting your hair down (Jan 2007)
BBC Summary: When Julia Roberts flashed under-arm hair at a film premiere there was uproar. But one woman, at least, wants to overturn prejudices and has taken a New Year's resolution not to shave.

My comment at the time was: "Eww. As muslims, both men and women are required to remove hair from the underarm and pubic region. It is for cleanliness reasons and not due to fashion - as dressing modestly is a requirement for both men and women."

Admirers 'increase male appeal' (Jan 2007)
BBC Summary: Women find men more attractive if they see other women admiring them, a study suggests.

Just find things like this interesting.

Jonny come home (Jan 2007)
BBC Summary: DJ Jono Coleman had a top job in radio - hosting a London breakfast show - when he packed it all in to look after his mother, back home in Australia. It was, he says, time to start giving something back.

The story provides inspiration. To look after ageing parents is a requirement in Islam and it is part of our culture as well. To look after the mother brings its own rewards as heaven is said to be at the feet of mothers.

Also as muslims we are required to enjoin the good and forbid the evil. This is good and I'm highlighting it just for that reason.

It's Hinglish, innit? (Jan 2007)
BBC Summary: Hinglish - a hybrid of English and south Asian languages, used both in Asia and the UK - now has its own dictionary. Is it really a pukka way to speak?

I just love the way language evolves. This is our contribution to the language :P

I'm gonna stop here as this is very long and no one will read it anyway!

Trying to shift the last stubborn pounds!

2008-07-10T16:18:00.003+01:00

A weight-loss update is long overdue. I have been busy, mainly with work and other things, and so haven't posted anything in a while. Well here is an update.

On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 22 Feb 2008: Weight = 148lbs (67.13kg), Waist = 84cm (33.07 in), BMI = 27.1
On 15 May 2008: Weight = 138lbs (62.60kg), Waist = 77cm (30.3 in), BMI = 25.2
On 10 Jul 2008: Weight = 135lbs (61.24kg), Waist = 76cm (29.9 in), BMI = 24.7

I have just 2lbs to go but I've relaxed a little and so haven't shifted it yet.
I will try to do so over the next couple of weeks - but I'm not so strict on myself anymore.

It does mean however that my BMI is now within the normal range. I am no longer overweight. I am maintaining the weight and also continuing with my weekly badminton and 5-a-side football (soccer).

I guess I'm a lot more relaxed because I'm close to my target and feel good. I've allowed myself to not be a complete slave to counting calories. But I still log them but only to ensure I'm keeping on track. My target is 133lbs.

I need to do some strength training - feeling a little flabby and need to tone up. But joining a gym doesn't appeal to me - the costs are prohibitive.

Life is a journey and I'm glad that this part of it is over. I am healthy and alhamdullillah I am grateful to Allah subhana wa ta'ala for that. After focusing on (or being completely obsessed) weight-loss the last 7 months or so, I sorely need to focus on my inner self. I feel I am lacking in spiritual nourishment and need to replenish the soul.

Fortunately Ramadhan is around the corner and I am looking forward to it. We are now in the month of Rajab. Lets all prepare for it inshaAllah!

Event: Inner City Life - Shaikh Sulieman Ghani

2008-07-10T16:03:00.005+01:00

Another Talk is being held at my local masjid this Saturday. All are welcome.

Title: Inner City Life
Speaker: Shaikh Sulieman Ghani
Time: After Asr (7.30pm), Saturday 12th July 2008
Place: Shahjalal Mosque, 722-724 Romford Road, E12 6BT
(Sisters entrance via Third Avenue - See poster for more info)

This is the 3rd talk held there and I hope there will be a good turnout.

More of the same with Obama Barack

2008-06-04T17:43:00.003+01:00

Hmmmm, you think maybe this guy might be different if he makes it to the US Presidency. But nope, he is just like the others. I guess you can't make it as President without swearing your fealty to Isreal.

see: Obama pledges support for Israel

So muslims out there hoping for a change. Let me tell you, you are not going to get it from Mr Barack or Mrs Clinton.

Mr Barack clearly states that - Israel's security was "sacrosanct" and "non-negotiable".

Gee thanks mate, that really makes you neutral enough to negotiate peace! *heavy sarcasm here*

Declaring your allegiance to one side, you might as well be another Dubya!

For more info on the Palestinian situation check out http://electronicintifada.net/

Sadly I fear there will never any peace in the region and things will further deteriorate.

Blaming it all on the fat people!

2008-05-16T17:20:00.002+01:00

Just read this story. I agree we (can I still say that?) are part of the problem but can everything be blamed on the obese?

Obese blamed for the world's ills

I think there is a major issue in society regarding consumption in general. Its not just the fat people but all of us.

Two thirds of the man I used to be! (With pics)

2008-05-15T16:58:00.004+01:00

Okay so another weight-loss update. This time there is an additional picture though. It was taken last night by my friend Mohib (the one who provided me with the products to help my diet).

Okay the usual update (but only showing the weights relevant to the pics):
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 22 Feb 2008: Weight = 148lbs (67.13kg), Waist = 84cm (33.07 in), BMI = 27.1
On 15 May 2008: Weight = 138lbs (62.60kg), Waist = 77cm (30.3 in), BMI = 25.2

Not much weight shifted since last time but now every pound lost shows. 1 more pound and I will no longer be classed as overweight!

The first picture was taken on the 30th November 2007 by my friend Mohib after demonstrating his products. At that time I weighed 12st 7lbs (173lbs/78.47kg) and had a 40in waist. Recent leaflets published by my local council state that risk of getting illnesses like diabetes increase for asian men when their waist line is 35in or more. So clearly I was at risk. I already have a family history of diabetes (My dad, my aunt and my grandmother have it).

The 2nd picture was taken back in 22nd February 2008. I had lost 25lbs by then. You can see the significant difference on the waist line. It dropped by 7 inches! All my clothing was getting very loose and I had to start purchasing some new clothing.

The 3rd picture was taken a few days ago. I have dropped a further 10lbs taking my total to 35lbs - that's 2 and half stones! The waist is now a more reasonable 30in. The former clothing now starts to look too big. I had shirts that were large size and now I was wearing small though I am more a medium build. Trousers were too loose and looked really baggy. All ended up in a bag marked for charity. (Sadly there will be great need for that with the natural disasters in Burma and China!)

For the last 5 months I have been focused (or obsessed) with weight loss. It seems that its all I appear to talk about and think about. Hopefully I will be able to focus on other things now as I near the final stage of my journey.

Other areas of my life require attention and I must tend to them. For example the languages I'm learning French and Arabic. With French my understanding is fairly good now, I know what is being said or get the gist of it. It is my conversation that is lacking. I freeze when it comes to speaking. I don't know why! As for my arabic, it has sadly been halted as I have not been able to attend the lessons as they were moved to a saturday. I will have to start going over the material and perhaps find an alternative class to attend.

Finally I want to tackle my procrastination further. With weight-loss I'm now more active physically. I need to focus on my work and other important areas of my life. The self improvement program doesn't end here (does it ever).

I ask Allah to give me the ability to achieve my aims and objectives, Ameen.

Lose vs Loose

2008-05-07T16:08:00.002+01:00

Some things really bug me. Like the misspelling of the word "lose". I've noticed that it has become widely used to the point where people who should know better are writing "loose" when they mean "lose".

Of course this word is misused most on weight-loss forums. Yes people, we all want to LOSE weight in the hope that our clothing becomes LOOSE fitting.

Click for Definitions: lose and loose

Funny thing though, I don't see anyone using lose to mean loose. Just a minor gripe.

Event: Shaitaan's Matrix and the mercy of Allah - Saturday 17th May 2008

2008-05-07T10:12:00.006+01:00

My local masjid is starting to do talks aimed at young people in English. It's something they have been hoping to do for a while now and this is the second talk they have held and inshaAllah it will is the beginning of many. It is aimed at young people and all brothers and sisters are welcome.

Title: Shaitaan's Matrix and the mercy of Allah
Speaker: Shaykh Hasan Ali
Time: After Asr (7.15pm), Saturday 17th May 2008
Place: Shahjalal Mosque, 722-724 Romford Road, E12 6BT
(Sisters entrance via Third Avenue - See poster for more info)

It seems strange to advertise a talk on a blog but you never know some local brother or sister might read this and attend :)

153 days ago I was obese ...

2008-04-30T10:41:00.004+01:00

... and now I'm just slightly overweight. I thought I'd never see the day! But what do you know, stick to a sensible diet and hey presto!

On the 31st November 2007, I weighed in at 12st 5lbs (173lbs/78.47kg) with a BMI of 31.6 (Obese). 147* days later ...

see the usual update below:
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
...
On 19 Mar 2008: Weight = 144lbs (65.32kg), Waist = 82cm (32.3 in), BMI = 26.3
On 10 Apr 2008: Weight = 141lbs (63.96kg), Waist = 79cm (31.1 in), BMI = 25.8
On 26 Apr 2008: Weight = 139lbs (63.05kg), Waist = 78cm (30.7 in), BMI = 25.4

This means I've reached my first milestone that I wanted to reach using the products my friend Mohib is peddling :P

I will provide some pictures soon as a keepsake for reaching my first target.

In 5 months I have lost 34lbs in total. This means I've averaged around 6.8lbs per month, which is amazing. In December (2007) I lost 13lbs, January (2008) it was 9lbs, February - 3lbs, March - 6lbs and in April just 3lbs.

My next target is to reach 9st 7lbs (133lb/60.33kg). This is so I will be in the normal range (BMI of 24.4). My final goal is to reach 9st (126lbs/57.15kg) as that would be closer to my ideal weight. This will also give me room for expansion without going into the overweight zone and I think I will have removed all the fat by then.

InshaAllah (God willing), I will be able to reach my next target by mid June 2008.

By getting to this point it means I start thinking more about the food I need to eat at lunch times. So far its been a shake plus something like soup and occasionally some bread. Now I'm only have a shake in the mornings and so lunch times are gonna get interesting. I'm still logging stuff on calorie-count.com (excellent free site).

The thing is I want to be a little more stricter with myself as I've gradually relaxed with my calorie intake. I'm not losing as much weight as I could, in fact its been around half a pound a week. One other reason has been that I haven't been playing football and badminton for the last 3 weeks, so that's 6 hours worth of exercise I missed out on :(

Anyway probably be working in the garden over the weekend. Lets hope it doesn't rain. I need to clean it up, mow the lawn etc so the kids can play out there.

My weigh-in day is tomorrow. So I'll know if I have lost any further weight. I'm gonna try and be sensible and not indulge in takeaway even if the family does.

Alhamdulillah (all praise belongs to God), Allah has indeed blessed me with good health, May he also bless you all with the same. Ameen.

* 147 days because I last weighed myself on Saturday 26th April 2007.

Give with one hand and take with the other

2008-04-25T14:55:00.003+01:00

Are you confused about the 10p tax palaver that was happening this week? See: Tax changes: Winners and Losers

Well I'm not, sadly I keep track of these things. I am one of the fortunate ones as for me there is an overall increase, small but every penny counts. As you can see from the above link the majority benefit but a small minority suffer. Actually if you are earning more then £15075 a year, you will have gained nor lost anything (plug in your details into this tax calculator: listentotaxman.com)

Looking at the news story (tax changes ... as above) it looks like around 11 million people are affected by this. That would mean that around half the working population suffers. Only those on the middle to higher income bracket gain anything.

Some questions regarding this issue:
Why were not the 10p tax rebels from the Labour party complaining when Gordon Brown, as chancellor, announced it in his final budget?
Why now when it is too late to make any changes?
Why did then back down when Brown said that he will have a package to help those most in need?

Its all a load of rubbish. Even those of us who have benefited we lose because council tax, fuel (gas, electricity, petrol), cost of food (with current shortages) are all on the increase. The credit crunch, the fault of the greedy banks lending money to those who are not capable of paying it back, is also now causing problems.

The ever widening gap between the rich and poor becomes more distinct every year. The governments, like all corrupt states, pander to the rich and plunder the poor. Those in the middle income bracket pay most for it and get the least back in return. Now they are making sure the people in the lower income bracket get done as well.

This morning I read in the Metro that a police woman (a Community Support Officer - not a proper one at at that) has to do her patrols in a car donated by a car dealership with petrol paid by the villagers - as the police say they can't afford it. Why are people paying council tax?

The house price bubble has now burst. The banks are being predictable and cutting their losses and we are the ones that pay for that as well. On top of the issue of sub prime lending, there is also another element the media have not picked up on yet. That is the people who are providing false documents to obtain a mortgage. I have heard of many people paying to have false payslips made up so they can get large mortgages. The thing is these people were over stretching themselves in the first place because could barely pay the initial amount. Many have got 100% mortgages and naturally the banks are not shifting the interest rates to match despite the interest rate cuts made by the Bank of England.

The subsequent distribution of the excrement hitting the proverbial fan will have us all sprayed in smelly stuff.

"Things can only get better ..." - ah yes the lyrics of the song used by new labour as they swept into power. We were hoping for a change but ended up with the Tories but covered in red of Labour.

Here we go again, we pay more and get less. C'est la vie!

Call him Mr Vain!

2008-04-14T09:42:00.007+01:00

Strains of some 90s tune play in my head right now, Culture Beats Mr Vain (I googled it!). Why? Well I've been accused of being vain and some reason the chorus of the song mentioned buzzed around my head. Actually I thought the lyrics were "Calling Mr vain". This was back when I wasn't so practising and I listened occasionally to such things.

Since my weight loss I've started to look a lot better. Trust me, being fat no one looks at their best! I look younger and healthier. In fact I've been complimented so much it should have gone to my head. Of course it pleases me that people think I look better then I used to. That clothing fits me better then it used to.

BUT I've never been deluded into thinking that I was good looking or handsome. Vanity was not one of my problems. I'm short for a man (only 5ft 2in) even ones from Bangladesh (who average around 5ft 5in). It is the very reason why arranged marriages are a good thing. If I had to rely on my looks I'd still be looking - probably :P

Why do I speak of this? Well for many reasons really. Pride is not something that a muslim is supposed to display. We shouldn't be proud and arrogant. There are many ayaat (verses) of the Qu'ran that warn of this. One of the greatest example given is the pride ofnIblees who did not bow before Adam (alayhis salaam) when commanded to by Allah. Instead he was full of pride because he deemed himself to be better then Adam (alayhis salaam) as he was created from fire and man was created from clay.

An example of the verses regarding pride is:
Only those believe in Our Signs, who, when they are recited to them, fall down in prostration, and celebrate the praises of their Lord, nor are they (ever) puffed up with pride. [32:15]

I recommend reading the verses that precede and follow this verse!

Also a well known hadith from Sahih Muslim:
It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed: None shall enter the Fire (of Hell) who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of Iman and none shall enter Paradise who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride. [Sahih Muslim, Book 1, 165]

From Hadith Qudsi (No. 19):
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:

Pride is my cloak and greatness My robe, and he who competes with Me in respect of either of them I shall cast into Hell-fire.

It was related by Abu Dawud (also by Ibn Majah and Ahmad) with sound chains of authority. This Hadith also appears in Muslim in another version.

May Allah subhana wa ta'ala increase us in our Imaan and remove from us any trace of pride, Ameen.

Anyway recently I purchased some new trousers as the old ones were way too loose. I used to buy trousers with 34 inch waists (they cover sizes 34-36inches). I should have been wearing 38 inch trousers rather as that would have actually fit my waist back then rather then hide beneath the bulging belly.

Now these new trousers are becoming loose too. They were 30 inch ones (covering 30-32 inch waists). Since my waist is now actually 30 inches the trousers are loose. So I've got into the habit of constantly pulling them up. My belt was also too loose.

My wife saw me doing this while we were visiting her parents and most of her family were there. I was standing, according to her anyway, in the middle of the room adjusting my trousers. She told me I shouldn't be showing off, everyone knows I've lost weight! This was never my intention, I was merely adjusting my trousers. This was something I noticed others who are dieting do.

However, as muslims we should always check ourselves. Am I being proud or vain? Am I showing off to others?

Alhamdulillah I have been growing in confidence due to weight loss. This is a positive thing but this confidence can tip over into being proud and arrogant. Things I don't wish to be.

As an aside, I just got complimented on "looking good!" by two female colleagues. Of course they were only being nice as they are fully aware of my former state. Still its a boost to the ego - which can be counter productive to being humble.

Fortunately in my prime I was fitter then I am now and that didn't cause women to swoon and fall at my feet - so I know I'm in no danger of that at this stage in my life :)

Still friends, family and colleagues noticing the changes are complimenting me. They are impressed by what I've achieved. It would be easy to become vain, to feel pride, to let the ego soar. It is precisely these things we need to control.

It is only through the mercy of Allah subhana wa ta'ala I have been able to achieve this. If it were not his will, I cannot do anything to change my life. To him belongs all praise and I am nothing but his sinful servant seeking his forgiveness and mercy.

The way I see it is that I was in a state incompatible with the sunnah (the guidance of the beloved prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam). I was eating in excess and the signs showed on me. Sadly we do not heed the training that we get during the month of Ramadhan. Even in that month we eat in excess, having special treats because we are fasting the day. A few years back I decided to stop this excess as it was incompatible with the true purpose of Ramadhan.

However this lesson was not carried into other months of the year. InshaAllah, the changes that I have implemented in my life will continue. Now my thoughts turn to the issue of global food crisis that is raising its head. See: "World Bank tackles food emergency"

I hope that Allah gives me the ability to help the poor of this world - especially through this time, Ameen.

The weight is still heading in the right direction

2008-04-10T11:31:00.008+01:00

It has been a while since my last update and this will be the first in the month April 2008. Insha-Allah (God willing) by July 2008 I would have reached my goal weight.

Here is a copy of my weight-loss chart created by calorie-count.com. A great and free tool.

The green line is a projection of where they think I am supposed to be based on the food and activities I've logged. The blue line is where I actually am. Which is of course better then projected - Yay me! (Sorry my daughter watches a lot of Zack and Cody!)

Only 8lbs to go to my target weight of 133lbs (9st 7lbs). After that I will try losing more weight probably - go down to 9st (126lbs) as that is closer to my ideal weight and would give me a BMI of 23.

Okay some stats again:
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
...
On 22 Feb 2008: Weight = 148lbs (67.13kg), Waist = 84cm (33.07 in), BMI = 27.1
On 14 Mar 2008: Weight = 146lbs (66.23kg), Waist = 82cm (32.3 in), BMI = 26.7
On 19 Mar 2008: Weight = 144lbs (65.32kg), Waist = 82cm (32.3 in), BMI = 26.3
On 10 Apr 2008: Weight = 141lbs (63.96kg), Waist = 79cm (31.1 in), BMI = 25.8

I am feeling great, looking a lot better then I have done in years, I look younger and due to the regular exercise I'm a lot fitter as well. Its kinda weird because I didn't think that losing weight would change the way I view myself.

SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah) getting back to a normal weight gives your ego a great boost. Everyone is complimenting me on the way I look mainly due to the contrast between how I was and how I have become in a few short months. It took me 4 months to lose 32lbs so my previous state is fresh in peoples minds still.

Looking at the stats it's quite amazing the changes that have occurred. My waist size has gone from being above 40" to 31". We recently got leaflets through from our local council to warn us that Asian men are at risk of diabetes and a whole host of health issues if their waist size goes beyond 35" (it was a couple inches or so lower for women).

Recently I had a blood test done because before my weight-loss I was probably on the brink of getting diabetes (there is family history as well). Alhamdulillah everything came back normal. I wish I had a test before the diet for comparison but I am glad that all is well.

My BMI has gone from 31.6 (Obese) to 25.8 (Slightly overweight). My fat levels (estimated) has gone from 31% (Obese) down to 14% (Fit).

Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), I am at this point in my life and a lot healthier. This is definitely something muslims should be doing and is in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah. Although I am very pleased that I have managed to reduce the weight, there is also a sense of shame that I let myself get to that stage in the first place. If we follow the sunnah we should not get that way. However many of us are not aware of what the sunnah is!

I have gained a sense of confidence that I didn't realise I lacked. I know my limits but I also know I am trying to be the best I can be with what God has given me. Though I keep me ego in check and let the confidence work positively for me and not make me cocky and over sure of myself. For if were not for the will of Allah, I could not have done anything.

All praise and thanks are for Allah alone.

Why Tibet?

2008-04-10T09:57:00.003+01:00

We all know (or at least we are told) that China is responsible for Human rights abuses. We also know that there are people in Tibet that want the place to be a separate state to China and they are struggling for that goal.

My problem with all of it is that there are other problems around the world that the media could be focusing on rather than give a disproportionate amount of attention to this issue alone. There are problems in Darfur, in Palestine, Bosnia, Zimbabwe, Iraq, Afghanistan, and even poor forgotten Chechnya (who cares about those guys anymore?!). There are human rights abuses and struggles for independance and freedom from occupation, dictators fixing elections and all sorts going on. And yet it seems the world focuses solely on Tibet. The politicians react only because its in the media spotlight. Thank you George Clooney for highlighting Darfur issue and not joining the celebrity bandwagon on Tibet.

If people feel so strongly about this issue, boycott everything from China. Don't get me wrong, I'm against all kinds of oppression and if Tibet is indeed suffering under China and the people want to be free then sure, why not. However one thing to note, Tibet has been part of China for over 800 years.

The problem of Palestine affects us all. Israel is the unlawful occupier and this is a fact. In terms of innocent people dead, Israel has killed more people since the start of the year then the people who have died in Palestine. For facts on figures on this issue go to: www.electronicintifada.net

What about Iraq, a war fought by the so called defenders of human rights based all on a lie. A war that was supposed to be over and declared to be so and yet General Petraeus says he needs more troops to fight in Iraq. Excuse me, but didn't you say you had won the war there?

What about Afghanistan? Now the conflict is supposed to be throughout Afghanistan and not just restricted to the south. Hang on, I thought you defeated the Taliban. Alternate news sources at the time gave the Taliban view on their withdrawl back then. They claimed they moved out because the people were being bombed all the time (true - US was carpet bombing all over Afghanistan) and that they did not have the resources to fight the US and its allies in the same manner. So they said that they would fight them as they fought the Soviet Union by retreating to the mountains and using the tactics used before.

Looks like they have succeeded in their aims and the US and its allies have failed. What boggles the mind is that that US and UK have spent our money fighting two massive wars and have achieved very little and the people are in a worse situation. If they had utilised that money to help these people they may have made a bigger difference. In Iraq US is apparently spending £5 billion a month! What is that over 5 years after supposed victory? £300 billion! I'm sure Sadaam could have paid off with a fraction of that and thousands of peoples lives would have been spared.

Instead money is being spent and there seems to be no end in sight.

End of Rant!

Across the plateau and descending

2008-03-19T16:38:00.004Z

I thought I'd hit a plateau when I picked up a pound in weight around 2 weeks ago. The following week I managed to lose it of course. As I have probably mentioned before I am always weighing myself. However my weighing and measurement day is Saturday. I weigh and measure myself in the morning (normally around 10am).

Here is an update:
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 22 Feb 2008: Weight = 148lbs (67.13kg), Waist = 84cm (33.07 in), BMI = 27.1
On 14 Mar 2008: Weight = 146lbs (66.23kg), Waist = 82cm (32.3 in), BMI = 26.7
On 19 Mar 2008: Weight = 144lbs (65.32kg), Waist = 82cm (32.3 in), BMI = 26.3

As you can imagine I was pleased to have pushed past my plateau :)

Now I'm hoping the weight loss increases. Last weeks loss was actually 1.5lbs and I'm hoping to push that up to 2lbs a week. I'm still playing badminton and football (soccer) once a week. However as this is Easter week, we are not playing football this week or the next :(

When I was 173lbs playing badminton (casual) would burn 353 calories per hour, now at 144lbs it's 294 calories. Need to work harder to burn more but I am very happy that I'm at this stage - Alhamdulillah!

Similarly my 5-a-side football games used to burn 785 calories but now I burn 653 calories per hour.

The above info was taken from this site: caloriesperhour.com

I'm hoping to increase the activity that I am doing. I still jump around and generally mess around with my kids (see: Being a moo-cow helps with weight-loss)

Only 11lbs to go!

If you want to try the same diet as me, try Mohibs site - click on image below:

.

Long overdue weight-loss update

2008-03-14T17:47:00.002Z

Its been a while since I gave an update so here it is:

On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 22 Feb 2008: Weight = 148lbs (67.13kg), Waist = 84cm (33.07 in), BMI = 27.1
On 14 Mar 2008: Weight = 146lbs (66.23kg), Waist = 82cm (32.3 in), BMI = 26.7

Not much of a change in 2 weeks. Actually last week I gained 1 pound before losing it again. I'm hoping when I weigh myself tomorrow I have lost at least another pound. Things have slowed down but there is still weight loss.

I scored quite a few goals this week playing 5-a-side football (soccer) with my colleagues. The way we select teams is based on the first 10 people to respond to the organisers football email. Normally I respond quite quickly. In any case after that the teams are selected so that they are well balanced so we get a good game.

We normally play for 1 hour but this week we managed 1.5 hours (as no one turned up and the people at the sports centre didn't come to stop us!). Depending on whether you class this activity as general or competitive I have burned about 600-900 calories.

I am also playing badminton once a week and that also means 300-600 calories burned. So I'm happier and fitter. I'm still trying to lose more weight, I guess I better keep closer track of those calories and be as strict as I was in the beginning.

Only 13 pounds (5.9kg) to go before I reach my target weight of 133lbs (9st 7lbs/60.3kg). So I still need to lose just under 6 bags of sugar :)

Inner Space - here we come!

2008-03-10T13:08:00.001Z

I find this sort of thing fascinating being a major sci-fi fan! This has been the stuff of sci-fi for so long its nice to see that we are getting there in reality.

Chemical controls nano-bots

Okay so we're not talking about shrinking people here and injecting them into someones body, but this is just as good :)

Eat breakfast to stay lean!

2008-03-06T14:12:00.003Z

It seems that general diet advice for eating breakfast is a correct one. I saw the following article on the BBC site:

Breakfast 'keeps teenagers lean'

I used to miss breakfast regularly, this meant sometimes I munched too much at lunch time. Now with my current diet, I'm having a shake for breakfast and when I end this diet program I'll replace it with a healthy alternative.

But according to the article you don't have to eat a healthy breakfast, just having breakfast makes a difference. I know it does because I have lots more energy and I am not as lethargic. I am more willing to run for the bus - something I seldom did when I was a lot heavier.

Some say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It certainly makes all the difference.

Fruit & Veg - Back to the basics

2008-03-05T09:40:00.004Z

A brother forwarded the following link to me from the BBC news site. Its regarding a 12 day experiment with people eating fruit and vegetables:

Going Ape

I think our natural instincts are being drowned out by processed foods that we fill our bellies with. We need to return to a more natural way of living. Unless we change things the people who are providing the products will continue to supply us with rubbish. Things are changing but too many people don't know what is in their food. I think that people like Jamie Oliver and other TV Chefs are doing a great job raising awareness.

As a foodie, I enjoy watching TV chefs who have a passion for food and its for good food. Still more awareness has not really made us change our lifestyles, we are still eating way too much processed foods and not enough natural stuff. Even the natural stuff that we buy has been messed with as well.

A couple of years back I heard that the salads supermarkets sell that are in packets are washed so much with chlorine (and probably other stuff) that any nutritional value is stripped away. So even though you think that you are eating healthy stuff, you may not be gaining any nutrition from it!

I've always enjoyed my fruit and veg. My mum ensured we had a lot of it while growing up. Pity we fell out of good habits like that. The home cooked meal from fresh ingredients was the norm back then, now we tend to have more processed "fast food". When I was growing up that was a very rare treat. I love the traditional British Fish and Chips (bit of salt and a lot of vinegar). But that used to happen once in a blue moon. Mostly it was healthy nutritious tasty food cooked by mum.

Yesterday I was reading in the Metro (free newspaper) that it was illegal to sell seeds for vegetables that are not approved by the EU. Many are ignoring the ban and selling them anyway. Why are these people preventing the choice? Apparently the orange variety of carrots were created for the King of Holland. What happened to all the other varieties? We certainly cannot buy them from the supermarkets. Even the market stalls are not providing the variety they used to. Most fruit and veg is no longer local or national but imported in.

Why do plums I buy from the supermarkets have to ripen in the fruit bowl? I know for a fact that plums grow very well in the UK. I recall as a teenager walking through the countryside picking them from trees and eating them. They were lovely as a recall. I hear that now most of that goes to waste.

We should encourage movements for locally grown produce and that it be organic. This is not only good for you, it is good for the environment as well as the nation as a whole. They say that fruit are rotting away in this country because there is no one to pick them from the trees. It is all a crying shame. Its driven by economics and politics. Ever heard of the EU food mountains? Well that is there to regulate the price to keep them stable.

What's wrong with a truly free market? Why not let anyone produce whatever they like (so long as its not illegal substances of course) and sell it at whatever price they like? Maybe I need to educate myself more in this sort of thing. As far as I can see its about money - being on top by trampling over others. Its what he USA is doing to its neighbours.

I read that Brazilian cotton is superior to US cotton but the US ensures that the market buys its cotton by subsidising the farmers so they can sell it for cheap. That's all about dominance. It seems to me that is the US foreign policy - stay on top by keeping others down.

Anyway I'm digressing so I'm gonna stop. I'm off to play 5-a-side football (soccer) with my colleagues soon.

Stop with the flag burning already!

2008-03-03T09:45:00.006Z

Again we have more Islamophobic material being pumped out, this time by the Far Right Dutch MP Geert Wilders (see: Nato fears over Dutch film).

I think muslims should not respond by jumping around, burning flags and effigies. It proves absolutely nothing. Of course we should protest, do so sensibly. Don't let the media play us like fools. Besides behaving like that is not from the Sunnah.

I don't like that this man Wilders, has produced a 15 minute film. I don't want it to be seen any more then anyone else. However by reacting we give it more importance then it deserves and more people will now go to see it. Its like the Danish cartoons - because of the muslim response it got printed in many other countries where it would not have otherwise.

People mistakenly think that freedom of speech gives them the right to take others beliefs and say or do what they like. Words have consequences. From the Islamic point of view these consequences are more far reaching as we will be accountable for the them on the day of judgement.

I say respond to any Islamophobic material in a proper manner. Don't let this be another "Satanic Verses". Protest in the best of manners. Burning a nations flag due to the actions of some of its citizens is not the right thing to do - it only sets that nation against the muslim Ummah even more.

As for anti-islamic material, these are plentiful and nothing new. The kuffar (unbelievers) and the mushrikeen (idolators) have been protesting against Islam since its inception during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam). Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) guides whom he wills. Despite all their protests back then we have today almost 2 billion muslims worldwide.

Rest assured that Allah has said:

And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah. [3:54]

And in another verse, referring to incidents during the time of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam):

Remember how the Unbelievers plotted against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thy home). They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is Allah. [8:30]

Allah has also stated in the Quran, regarding the efforts of those who are trying to destroy Islam:

Fain would they extinguish Allah's light with their mouths, but Allah will not allow but that His light should be perfected, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it). It is He Who hath sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it). [9:32-33]

Their intention is to extinguish Allah's Light (by blowing) with their mouths: But Allah will complete (the revelation of) His Light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it). [61:8]

NOTE: The translation of the Quran provided above is from the Yusuf Ali translation.

The title of the film is called Fitna - an arabic word that has many meanings such as strife, discord, division etc. The intention of the film is to cause fitna amongst all.

All mistakes made in this blog entry are mine and I ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala to forgive me for them. I ask Allah to guide us upon the straight path, the path of those whom he has favoured and not the path of those who have earned his wrath. Ameen.

Nice weather for ducks?

2008-02-27T10:07:00.003Z

Reading the news (well the Metro) I discover that I may actually fit the terrorist profile.

Lets see:
1. Muslim - Check! (Seems this one is enough to make you guilty until proven innocent!)
2. Beard - Check!
3. 2 Mobiles - Check! (Got Two mobiles we're watching you).
4. Been paintballing - Check! (Something "Bin London" was supposed to have done. Click here)
5. Walked around the countryside with other bearded blokes - Check!

Should I report myself?! I mean if it quacks like a duck ... *heavy sarcasm here*

I carry 2 mobiles, one provided by my employer and another is personal. Should I be reported? What if I'm carrying all the test phones that I develop for and the many SIMs that I have? How ridiculous is that.

I think this is scaremongering by the government and the media runs with it. It said in the Metro that there are 30 cells being investigated by the police. You see in the absence of actual terror events people start to settle down into their lives and forget terrorism. The government can't have that - how else will they be able to pass the legislation the erodes our rights?

Anyway what if I happen to know any of these people being monitored but only in passing? I meet a lot of brothers in the mosque and I always greet them warmly and with our usual greeting - as we should - and I sometimes speak to them. But I don't know most of them or what they do. What if I am one being monitored? I'm not concerned because I know that I am not doing anything wrong. However the worry is the ever changing legislation that makes things so vague that anyone can be held for at least 28 days without charge!

I enjoyed going paintballing with my friends. It was a lot of fun but I went only the once a long time ago. Now I can't go again for fear of it being misinterpreted as terrorist training!

I've been getting stared at again. People are starting to feel uncomfortable around me for the last few weeks. I can see them reading their Metros and staring at me. One of the brothers I work with told me that he found me asleep on the train, mouth open with my laptop case (with work laptop - and my fruit and shakes) just resting between my legs. I realised that there are some benefits to people being afraid of you - no one steals my laptop bag! How are they to know its safe :)

Mind you I did think about it and get a little concerned. It has my work stuff on there, some code that I've been working on may not have been checked in and all our research stuff, patents that I've worked on (I have 3 filed and one pending).

I'm resigned to the fact that its not going to get any easier for muslims anywhere in the world. It is clear that even people who resemble anything to do with muslims (or even a mistaken perception of it) is disliked. Like the all the rubbish regarding the picture of Barack Obama wearing a traditional outfit! (The meaning of Obama's robes)

Its clear that the Clinton campaign team think its going to register negatively with the voters thus tarnishing their rival candidate. They belong to the same party - they are very nasty to each other - I'd hate to be their enemy! Obviously americans will see this as negative on the part of Obama, why else would it cause controversy?

Personally the scholars I tend to take my religious understanding from have links with Darul Uloom Deoband (see: Muslim Scholars decry terrorism). This is mainly due to geography - I am originally from Bangladesh and my parents followed Ulama (scholars) who were from that school.

The views they share are also shared by the majority of the scholars - regardless of which school of jurisprudence (or not) they belong to, which means this is the view of the majority of muslims. There is no need to reform something that has provisions for dealing with every situation that arises without sacrificing its core teachings.

It seems the turks want to change all that by reforming Islam (see: Turkey in Radical revisions of Islamic texts). I'm totally against such a move. It shows to me that they don't understand Islam at all and are making these motions so that the European Union will accept them. Turkey is a very secular country - Attaturk made sure of that. It should have been included in the EU already, it hasn't been because the rest of the countries in the EU are afraid of muslims and Islam.

Quack, quack, quack!

Bobs weight-loss update with pics!

2008-02-22T12:35:00.021Z

Finally I am about to reveal what I look like. I hope I don't give you too much of a scare :)

Since December 1st 2007 I have been on a Herbalife Shapeworks diet. This involves a meal replacement shake in the morning and lunch with a healthy meal for dinner.

My usual update without the interim results:
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 22 Feb 2008: Weight = 148lbs (67.13kg), Waist = 84cm (33.07 in), BMI = 27.1

My starting weight was 12st 5lbs (173lbs/78.5kg). My waist was in excess of 40 inches (102cm). My BMI was 31.6 (Obese!). Body fat was estimated at 31% and it is now around 25%. I am only 5ft 2in tall so that's why it was so bad.

This wasn't the heaviest, in 2006 I was 189lbs (85.7kg), which is a BMI of 34.6! I just had a browse through some pics taken around that time at work and I have a huge belly in them.

I lost 16lbs since mid 2006. I decided to go on the Herbalife products because a friend of mine was doing it and I wanted to be a bit more disciplined about losing weight. Well since then I have lost another 25lbs (11kg). So a total of 41kg. If you think of it as bags of sugar (1kg) that's 18 bags so far and 6 to go!

Okay enough of the teasing, here are before and after pics. The after pic is an interim one as I still have 15lbs to go to my target of 133lbs (60kg).

So as you can plainly see, the belly is no longer with me. 25lbs have fallen away and 7 inches (18cms) off that waist. Alhamdulillah! There is 15lbs to go and I hope to look more like my old self again, inshaAllah!

The picture on the left was taken on the 31st November 2007 by my friend Mohib. You can clearly see the belly protuding, The extra pounds on the face and chest. You can't see the thighs, rear and neck. This is actually better then it was back in 2006!

The picture on the right was taken by a friend (and colleague) Long, today (22nd February 2008) He is the guy who got me to ride in the London Bikeathon. Anyway in this picture you can see the belly is mostly gone. Even the jumper has lost weight, the stripes are thinner! Ok so the jumper (sweater) I'm wearing is not the same :) The wife likes these stripy things even though they are very unflattering to the fat person.

Vertical stripes are slimming not horizontal. I guess she doesn't care and if she likes then I wear it. Anyway note how the clothing fits much looser then before. I haven't gone clothes shopping yet as I have more weight to lose. Don't see the point of it because I'll only end up having to buy some more. I bought a new belt but I'm already on the last notch on that. I couldn't buy the one smaller then that at the time. I guess for now I'll just make new holes (man I haven't done that since I was a kid!).

I don't really like taking pics of myself. I'm only supplying these to illustrate the difference a proper diet can make in 84 days! My sister has started the same diet and hopefully she too will lose the weight and become healthy.

So far my life has changed for the better. I am much more active. My lethargy and reluctance to do things has been lifted. I'm actually a lot more focused and actually want to do things. I play with the kids more now, just generally fooling around, jumping up and down. Read my moo-cow post for more on this.

I'm also playing 5-a-side football (soccer) and badminton once a week (well at least trying to, haven't managed to in the last 2 weeks). So exercise is becoming part of my life again. I'm even considering running the London Marathon in the next 2-3 years! Now you wouldn't have got me saying that a couple of years ago. If you suggested that to me I'd say you were crazy!

Apart from the extra energy I've been complimented on my slimmer figure, my discipline in maintaining the diet, how much younger I look. Actually one of my colleagues mentioned that I was the talk of the office. There is a significant visible difference. Relatives have commented on it as well.

I asked this young brother who worked with us a couple of years ago, how old he thought I was. His answer was that I looked 40! (see blog entry: "Your father will pay for it!"). Now my wife thinks I look around 30 years of age. Which is nice as I will be 35 in July :)

Actually my best friends wife remarked that now my wife and I looked good together. I guess after seeing me with all that fat and then most of it gone she has over-exaggerated. Sure I look a lot better but that's only due to the weight-loss. I may lose the weight but I can't change the way I look. Fortunately I am a lucky bloke - my wife is pretty :)

However the reaction of my friends and their wives was all very favourable. My closest friends had seen the transition from Bob the Slim to Fat Bob. However many of the others had not and so to them its a significant and positive change.

I am determined to change my lifestyle so that I never return to the Fat Bob. InshaAllah, I have now done this. My habits have changed. I am now a man on a mission, to help others who are like me. If I can do it, anyone can!

15lbs (6.8kg) to go! I will post a photo when I get to that weight. At the current rate, that might take another 12 weeks or so!

For those interested in the same diet try Mohibs website: www.beslimnhealthy.com It has worked for me and is currently being followed by sister. Whatever you choose to do, I wish you all the best in attaining a healthier lifestyle!

Alternatively you can click the ad below to get to Mohibs site:
.
(Above note added on 17th March 2008)

news: salt could lead to obesity

2008-02-21T10:12:00.002Z

BBC News article: Salt could fuel child obesity

It amazes me how many foods, even sweet stuff, contain salt. It sometimes makes me want to go totally organic, grow my own food and only eat that!

Can't put a figure on the value of mothers and housewives staying at home!

2008-02-19T17:19:00.003Z

Another interesting article taken from the BBC News site:

Housewife 'would be paid £30,000'

I say you can't put a value on the contribution of a mother and/or housewife. You can say they would be paid £30k a year but the actual value is priceless. I am confident that the care that my children get from their mother is something I cannot pay for. Its not just the financial aspect but many other things. For me it is very important that our kids are raised well and in accordance to our way. This is not a nanny's job and few would do other than look after the children.

In any case my wife doesn't really have the qualifications to go out and earn that much at present. I think she will be pleased to know that at least her contributions in terms of figures is in excess of £30k a year! As I said her work as a mother and housewife are not quantifiable in real terms. You are not going to get a cleaner to clean the house the way my wife does. You know Monica from friends - well my wife is kinda like that! Except of course, Monica is a fictional character!

Still for me, after having invested around £25k on the house over the summer, it means the place is well looked after and due to her cleanliness and care I will get the best of home improvements. I am not totally useless either, I do some of the cleaning chores too. She has me well trained!

Of course I would be quite happy to be a house husband if the wife could go out and earn the money to pay for the life we lead. I'm tired of the rat race and the daily commute.

Islamically it is the man's duty to look after his family financially. This doesn't mean the woman can't work or run a business - Khadija (radiAllahu anha), the first wife of Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam) was a business woman and he was actually in her employment. It was she who proposed to him - how liberated is that! :D

Of course the rules that muslims have to abide by when dealing with the opposite sex must be adhered to.

The idea is that it makes life easier for women so they do not have to worry about the financial aspect if it is being taken care of by their husband. I think that women are able to multitask better then men because traditionally they had to keep track of the children and do all the other tasks around the home. Anyone looking after children will attest to how difficult it can be. You need eyes in the back of your head and a sixth sense!

Articles like this make me wonder why the government is so keen to push both parents out to work - it certainly doesn't benefit the family and can be very detrimental to it. I personally think it benefits the government and economy which seems to rest on nothing but a house of cards and is a very difficult balancing act.

Zig-Zag: Cycle those calories!

2008-02-15T12:11:00.002Z

A little while ago I posted a link to break weight-loss plateaus. One of the suggestions was to use the zig-zag (or calorie cycling) technique. This is where you eat the same amount of calories overall but have different amounts per day. It works for most people.

Here is a online calculator to help you out: Daily Calorie Needs Calculator

It gives you a 7 day calorie cycle chart. Only use as a guideline. The calculator seems to give low figures it seems to me - especially for the calories required to maintain the weight. Otherwise seems okay though. Try also www.calorie-count.com

Valentines day in the global village

2008-02-14T14:46:00.005Z

How small the global village is. Globalisation and capitalism has taken Valentines day to the world. Something that was hardly observed but now has spread to the point where they celebrate this day the world over.

Here is an article giving the Islamic viewpoint on this.
VALENTINE'S DAY - History and Islamic Perspective

My advice, show your loved ones how much you care for them everyday.

Interesting site for BMI and Health calculators

2008-02-13T16:29:00.003Z

If you are looking for a BMI calculator then try this one: bmi calculator and body weight comparison

BMI calculations are indicators and one needs to be careful how they are used. This site explains the problems and also provides some solutions to the BMI charts etc.

Their main site is here.

I suggest you check out the Ideal weight calculations as well, you may not be as overweight as you think you are :)

Totally Sylheti?!

2008-02-13T15:34:00.005Z

Ha ha! Just discovered there are some groups called "Sylhet" and "Sylhet in London" on Facebook. I've already joined the Longhi appreciation group :)

You know they say that you can choose your friends but you can't choose your relatives. That's how I feel about Bangladesh and being from Sylhet. Its an identity thing. I'm not always proud of the way they are but still they are my family. It is quite strange that I can feel quite English when in the company of those who are not. I work with people from all over the world and so I'm representative of the English contingent.

One person can represent many identities. Even your average Englishman has his layers of identities. He can be from a city, county, region and country. In my case its London, Greater London, South East region and England. I am definitely a Londoner, from the East End (used to have a heavy cockney accent), most definitely a southerner - North London is too far north guv! Then again I'm English and British (in order of preference when it comes to supporting teams) even if my white counterparts don't see me as such. Then finally I am European.

I am also fortunate enough to have a bangladeshi heritage, being from a small village in Gulapgonj, near the banks of the Kushiara, in the district of Sylhet. Then there's the religious identity, that I am a muslim.

All of these things define me. Am I totally Sylheti? Well I guess not. I'm not nationalistic either (though when it comes to sports it feels most natural for me to support the English teams).

Ultimately I would describe myself as a Muslim with British and Bangladeshi heritage.

Having a fat day!

2008-02-13T14:11:00.003Z

Today is not a good day for the diet! Today I am having a fat day.

What's a fat day? Well its one of those days where I've eaten too much and I feel bloated. I've probably already eaten around most of my daily intake :(

A weight update (entries have been removed to shorten list):
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
...
On 28 Jan 2008: Weight = 151lbs (68.5kg), Waist = 86cm (33.9 in), BMI = 27.6
On 06 Feb 2008: Weight = 150lbs (68.04kg), Waist = 85cm (33.46 in), BMI = 27.4
On 13 Feb 2008: Weight = 149lbs (67.6kg), Waist = 85cm (33.46 in), BMI = 27.2

Still losing I guess. Today I was supposed to play badminton at lunch time. So at around 10.30am I was feeling peckish, the sandwich man came round and I thought I'd get a tuna and cucumber sandwich thinking that I'd burn it off. Turns out they had a staff meeting at the sports centre so it was closed. No badminton, the potential for burning the extra sandwich were gone (I would lose around 304 calories for an hour of badminton - based on my weight).

Then I go off to the supermarket and buy 100g antipasti and 100g of mixed olives with onions. I had some spring vegetable soup as well, on top of my usual shake. I had all the olives too. Okay so its mostly healthy food but its a lot more food then I've been having over the past 74 days on this diet.

Now I'm feeling sleepy as I write this. Gonna have to take it easy on the evening meal. By rough calculations I've probably already eaten around 1400 calories today. The day is not yet done. Never mind, back on form tomorrow inshaAllah!

Off to have some tea to wake up!

Curry houses DONT need more migrants!

2008-02-13T10:37:00.004Z

Spotted this story on the BBC News site: Curry house 'need more migrants'

My simple response - No they don't! Its mostly a scam. Many of these 'migrants' pay a lot of money (£10k+) to come over to the UK, sign stupid contracts that make them virtual slaves to the restaurant owner and sometimes don't even get the promised job.

These people borrow the money to pay these unscrupulous characters but when they get here they can barely earn enough to pay it all back. Their families suffer most as they sent them to the UK to earn money and lift them out of the miserable poverty. Instead the guy has to pay his creditors and try to live in a very expensive country on a meagre wage.

In the past many guys used to get over here, get married and that would be a sure route for them to stay here. Now its getting harder to do this sort of thing. Which is a good thing because most of these guys are useless, haven't lifted a finger to do any work while in Bangladesh, and think they will make lots of money here (an idea they are soon disabused of).

I have a relative who, against our best advice, did this exact thing. He paid £13k to a restaurant owner to come over with a promise of a job. The guy used him for a little while, paid him pittance and after a year refused to renew his work permit. So he is here illegally. He thought he would get married but failed to do so. He is working on a market stall for pittance for around 12 hours a day. He has very little in the way of education or skills or indeed any work experience prior to coming to this country.

The restaurants can hire from the local bangladeshi community. Majority of the dishes prepared in Indian restaurants are not Bangladeshi at all, they are dishes that have been adapted or created here.

So why do they need workers from Bangladesh? Most of the guys in bangladesh turn their nose up at working in a restaurant, they have never cooked for themselves and haven't a clue.

So what sort of skills do they have that we do not have here? This is mainly about the greed of restaurant owners who want very cheap labour and money from the misery of others. Many of these guys who pay to come over here and work in these places (most of which have very poor conditions), are well intentioned and doing it to provide for their families and for a better life. Sadly others will prey on them.

Many people who are already in this country and sponging off the benefits system can easily be employed in these jobs. Some can be re-employed as they have already worked in restaurants but now don't do so because they get more money on the dole!

Trust me, I know people like that. I know a guy who has a few kids, hasn't worked in a while but gets plenty of income support, housing benefit and various other benefits. He could work but would not be getting the same money after tax, so doesn't unless he needs extra cash and then he does some work without coming off benefits.

Ultimately I pay for people like him because I happen to pay my tax. He benefits without having to put anything in. He doesn't have to pay for medicine or dental care, he barely pays any rent, and since he has too many kids for his small flat he will be given a bigger place. Though I earn more then he does, he has more disposable income!

They can't understand why I am always overdrawn and in debt. I have a mortgage (if that wasn't the case it would be a large rent), I have travel costs for work, have to pay for medicine and dental care, have to pay for absolutely every aspect of my life. I get no benefits and if I wanted to move to a bigger place, I have to buy or rent it.

I'm not complaining, alhamdulillah (praise be to allah), I have a good job, a beautiful family and my health. I earn my money through my own hard work and its honest and above all halal.

The restaurant owners income cannot be said to be 100% halal. Very few at any rate. This is because most sell alcohol. There are some places that don't and I think they are very good too - like Tayyabs. Also many of these places don't declare how much they pay their workers, often they pay them more but pay very little tax (only minimum wage level). They don't declare how much they make (most places are like this I guess). These are lies and it is cheating the system. All of this is haram (forbidden), so they may profit in this world but will have to deal with it in the hereafter.

Right, now thats off my chest! :)

News article: The end of one law for all?

2008-02-08T14:16:00.000Z

BBC News: The end of one law for all?

This article goes more in depth regarding the issue of introducing Shariah law in the UK. It clarifies that this would only be for civil laws regarding marriages, inheritance etc. This is far more sensible article then those doing the rounds in the tabloids at the moment.

News article: Sharia law in UK is 'unavoidable'

2008-02-07T15:58:00.000Z

From the BBC: Sharia law in UK is 'unavoidable'

What a title! Clearly designed to grab attention. Its not about having the state law being changed but to allow muslims and jews to settle disputes etc, things like marriage laws and so on.

In an Islamic state the same provisions are allowed and were in fact implemented everywhere. Each religious group had their own courts because their religion required certain things that the general law didn't handle. The Christians and Jews had their courts but could also go to the Islamic courts to settle matters as well. This was clearly evident when spain was under muslim rule.

I think that is sensible to allow such provisions. I think it would also be good for those not familiar with Shariah law to study it closely. They may find it fascinating.

I think in Dr Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury) is a very sensible and intelligent man. I am glad that such a person is the head of the Church of England and is in touch with current affairs.

As for Right Rev. Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, I think he is out of touch. He obviously hasn't come to the areas in London where there are large muslim communities. We live in very multicultural areas and there are no no-go areas for anyone.

In fact a Cuban colleague tells me he enjoys living in Whitechapel next to East London Mosque and amongst the muslim community. He gets treated very well and doesn't really want to move from there.

I don't think multi-culturism has destroyed Britain, it has enriched it. It has always been like this. The various invasions Normans, Saxons, Romans and many others have helped form the identity and the genetic make-up of this country. London is one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world and I hope that it stays that way.

Of course every community has problems, but these are usually common ones shared by other such communities.

I am definitely not isolating myself in this country, I've tried to be part and parcel of it, its more the ignorant masses in this country that reject me. Before it was based on the colour of my skin and now my faith.

I have to applaud people like Dr Rowan Williams for being so open minded. These are the kind of leaders we need.

Ever wanted to know McDonalds nutritional info?

2008-02-07T11:29:00.000Z

I thought that McDonalds have a cool tool to determine nutritional information online. I tried their website www.mcdonalds.co.uk and clicked on their "Eat Smart" section and then "Nutrition Counter" from the menu. It gives you a tool to determine the nutrition information by adding the food item to a list.

I've provided the link for the UK but I'm sure they have the same for your own country.

I was looking up stuff related to Fillet-o-fish. I don't eat it any more because there was some doubt over its preparation. I had heard that they were fried in the same oil as the chicken burger. However my friend tells me that they have always cooked it separately from everything else. This was definitely the case all those years ago when we used to work for the place when we were 16 years old.

So the fillet may actually be halal as long as it isn't fried in the same oil as the chicken. There was a concern regarding the fish used - the Hoki fish in the UK. This is considered halal except by some Shia groups.

Please note that this refers only to the UK. There is only one McDonalds restaurant in the UK that is halal and that is in Southall.

It is best to avoid fast food anyway. Of course having it occasionally is not a problem and hopefully this tool will help you determine what you are having.

I was shocked that some of the milkshakes had more calories then burgers and how easily we can end up eating far too many calories. This is the problem with all fast food places. Most don't provide any nutritional information at all.

For example if I were to buy a medium sized Fillet-o-fish meal (Fillet, Med Fries, Med Coke), it works out to a whopping 855 calories. I like to have some dips with it, the ones I used to like are Curry (60 k/cal), BBQ (70 k/cal) and ketchup (20 k/cal). (I rarely go to McDonalds as the only choice I have is a veggie burger meal - there are halal places with more choice). So that can work out to about 945 k/cal, if I plump for the BBQ and Ketchup dips!

Not necessarily food you should have when on a diet. For example, currently my daily intake to maintain my weight is 2100 k/cal (based on light activity). If I want to lose 1 pound of weight over a week, I need a daily deficit of 500 calories. That means I can only have around 1700 k/cal a day (I am eating less then that most days). The above meal would take a big chunk out of that. Still the fillet-o-fish or the veggie burger isn't too bad. Just drop the coke and change it to water and perhaps reduce the fries to a small and skip the dips and you are down to 585 k/cal.

The problem is the average person doesn't control what they eat. I certainly didn't. Portion sizes can vary in the smaller fast food chains and therefore in some places you get large portions with crazy calorie content.

I'm doing the Herbalife Shapeworks diet (see www.beslimnhealthy.com), which involves having 2 shakes a day, which is approximately 226 calories (with semi-skimmed milk) per shake. I usually have some healthy snacks and fruit as well.

McDonalds has been providing nutritional information for a long time now. I remember when I was working there in the early 90s they used to have charts. I think companies like that should be encouraged to do more things like this and to make their products healthier - or at least provide more options that are healthier.

Like all things, we know this stuff is bad for you. Have it in moderation and it shouldn't be a problem. People should take some responsibility, its not just the fault of these major corporates. The food is not the only reason we should avoid eating in a lot of these places. There are ethical issues as well - but lets not go there now :)

Eat healthy, watch what you eat, create a balance in your life. I'm hoping to regain the balance and follow my own advice :D

Easing of the hijab ban in Turkey

2008-02-07T10:42:00.000Z

From the BBC: Turks move to ease headscarf ban

Some good news from the Turkish government for a change. They shouldn't have been banned in the first place, especially in a university. Why do people have such an issue about a piece of cloth? I mean no one would think of preventing nuns from wearing their headscarf nor the sikhs from wearing their turbans. Why does the Hijab bother people so?

I think it has a lot to do with peoples fear of Islam. Sadly people fear it out of ignorance. I say come and have a proper look at it before dismissing it.

As for the fears of the current Turkish government implementing more Islamic rulings should be unfounded. This party leaders may have espoused political Islam (what's that anyway?) but they are still a secular government abiding by the laws of the country. Besides from my point of view as a practicing muslim they are very liberal in their Islam anyway. They are as far from the Taliban as one can imagine.

Shariah law is nothing to be feared. It is a body of law like any other and has in built provisions for making new laws to cope with changes in our lives just like any other law. However this law is based upon Quran and Sunnah (the way of the prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam). As muslims we would like to see a state where this is implemented properly - but it isn't anywhere at present. I believe then people would see it working as it should and would have very little issue with it - well no more then we have for the laws in a various democratic societies.

Turkey is a fiercely secular country and if the people don't like the laws they will change it. Just because 2/3 of the country are muslim is not going to change that. Most don't practice their religion, much like the christians in Britain or elsewhere. However they should have the personal freedom to wear what they like. Isn't this what the democracies promise you?

Certainly in the UK there is still freedom to dress in what you like. Religious garb, as of yet, hasn't been banned. They haven't followed the french route, which I think is commendable.

Wearing a piece of cloth doesn't make anyone a terrorist. I have a beard and like to practice my religion to the fullest extent possible and to be fair in the UK I am allowed to do that with few restrictions. I have no desire to go blowing myself or anyone else up.

I am against atrocities such as 9/11 and 7/7 because that is not something that my faith sanctions. Just because the people involved try to make it seem like that doesn't make it so. A wrong action is a wrong action - this has been clarified by the majority of our scholars.

Still the situation in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and other places are serious issues and these need to be resolved. For example, to find out more about the Palestinian situation look up the resources here.

Muslims are not the best representations of Islam. This can be said for any faith group. Do most christians represent Christianity? Definitely not.

Anyway I'm rambling on so I'll stop.

Changing lifestyle is the key to maintaining weight-loss

2008-02-06T15:45:00.000Z

I've never really been into pills and potions to deal with problems I know had to do with me and my lifestyle. When it came to giving up smoking, I realised that when I wanted to truly give up I could. I decided to avoid patches and other such crutches. So I went cold turkey.

I found this article interesting: The constant struggle to lose weight

Similarly when it came to weight-loss I knew that I didn't want to do any yo-yoing. I don't want to go through the same thing again. This meant changing the lifestyle. Any diet should require you to change your lifestyle so that you maintain what you have lost. This is why pills and potions are not the solution. They may help one lose weight but going back to the bad old habits - which got you fat in the first place - will only making you regain everything.

We already know the answer. Its something we've all heard summed up in one phrase "Everything in moderation". The thing is in the wealthy nations we have plenty of food. We don't have the worry of eating one day and not the next. Most of us can afford foods that would be considered a luxury in the other parts of the world (well in some parts anything we eat is probably considered a luxury :( )

The reason most of us get fat is simple: Too many calories in and too little out. We eat the wrong stuff and the concept of moderation is ignored. It seems this has become part of our culture. We do things to excess.

You can have your cake and eat it, just remember with everything there are consequences. We are fortunate to be able to afford the whole cake, we can easily over indulge and we do. So we need to change our culture. If you buy the whole cake make sure you have many people to share it with. Spread the love, spread the calories.

I'm a foodie, I like eating tasty food. That's why I got into this mess in the first place. I don't think we should always go for the light or low fat versions of foods. I mean sometimes they taste vile. I think that we should go ahead and have some of the nice stuff but know our limits. Ensure there are checks and balances.

I think to lead a life of moderation one should have a healthy lifestyle that allows for the occasional indulgence. This will ensure that the body gets good nourishment and can also deal with the occasional sugar rush because it doesn't have to deal with it all the time.

I've gone from being a salad dodger to being a salad lover. I forgot how good these things can taste. Its now part of my diet as a fatty foods of all descriptions were before. I find that the fried chicken I used to enjoy isn't all that great after all. Its too greasy and very high in salt.

My change of lifestyle has had an impact on my family. Hopefully we will continue into the territory of healthy living and enjoy it.

Build up those muscles

2008-02-06T15:24:00.000Z

Came across the following article on the BBC website:

Lifting weights 'good as running'

I think some resistance training is important when on a diet. Of course it really helps burn fat. My problem is I get very bored with being in a gym. I prefer to play sports. Still I'm thinking I really need to take up some weight training, help burn the remaining fat and tone up a little.

Slow but steady - still losing weight!

2008-02-06T09:47:00.000Z

For some reason I've slowed down and losing approximately 1lb (0.454kg) a week. This is normal as most diets tell you that it is safe to lose 1-2lbs a week. After my phenomenal loss in December I am a little disappointed despite knowing that the weight-loss I'm experiencing is healthy and is more likely to stay off.

The usual update (most earlier entries have been removed):
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
...
On 21 Jan 2008: Weight = 153lbs (69.4kg), Waist = 87cm (34.3 in), BMI = 28.0
On 28 Jan 2008: Weight = 151lbs (68.5kg), Waist = 86cm (33.9 in), BMI = 27.6
On 06 Feb 2008: Weight = 150lbs (68.04kg), Waist = 85cm (33.46 in), BMI = 27.4

Overall I'm pleased with progress. I've gone from being classed as Obese to being slightly overweight. I'm within 1 stone (14lbs/6.4kg) of my target weight. If I lose 1lb a week from now on, I should reach my target by mid may.

My 35th birthday is in July, so hopefully I'll make it by that time. I've set myself a target to get a healthier lifestyle by 35. So far I'm on target Alhamdulillah. Keep me in your dua's.

Love the skin you're in - drink water!

2008-02-04T15:01:00.001Z

There's nothing like water. It is truly the stuff of life - literally as 70% of our bodies are made up of it. As usual most guidelines and diets suggest you drink up to 8 glasses a day (approx 2 litres). What many don't realise that they get water from their food and other drink so if you are struggling to drink this much water a day then you might be getting more then enough elsewhere.

I've read that the people in the UK are dehydrated. For a place where it rains a lot this sounds a bit odd. It means we are not drinking much water, well not as much as we need.

A few years back I gave up smoking and decided that I would replace my bad habit with a good one, and that was to drink water. This started to have an amazing effect. My skin, suddenly rehydrated, began to feel smooth and silky. My complexion improved and I felt a lot better. I started to preach the benefits of water to anyone who would listen and got a few people drinking.

Then like all good things I fell out of the habit but not too far. I still drank more then I used.

Now that I'm on my diet it is very important to drink lots of water. It helps in weight-loss, in any case it helps you detox. I'm experiencing the same lovely feeling skin. Although I still slip a bit and forget to drink as much, especially on the weekends as I am out and about.

So love the skin you're, drink lots of water.

Free samples of Herbalife Shapeworks products!

2008-01-30T09:36:00.000Z

As regular readers (the few there are) may know, I am on a herbalife shapeworks diet, provided by a friend of mine called Mohib. It has been working well for me and I have lost 22lbs (approx. 10kg) in weight and 6 inches off my waist in just 2 months!

And now there are free samples to try for a day to see how you feel on them. I think you'll like it, I do. Try beslimnhealty.com/sample for your free samples!!

Why am I plugging this stuff? Because it works! I am enjoying the benefits of it.

See my previous blog entries regarding my weight loss here

Laziness makes you old before your time

2008-01-29T11:48:00.000Z

Looks as though being sedentary, which the majority of the population are, makes you age faster. As usual I was browsing the BBC News site and saw the following article:

Sedentary life 'speeds up ageing'

I remember being out in the Cairngorm mountains (in Scotland) and seeing these elderly couples going for a stroll. They told us they were retired and enjoyed coming out here. The thing was you couldn't get to this point by road, so they had walked the miles that we had to get there.

They soon left us behind. Of course we were laden down with large back packs carrying everything we needed for four days. They were just carrying small back packs carrying some food and water. I remember thinking that when I get to their age I want to be as active as they are. We had assumed that they were perhaps in their late forties early fifties but they were well into their sixties.

Conversely, in London you see many people much younger then them looking far older. It is happening to our communities as well. Being from Bangladesh, our parents used to be very active as children but coming here their lives have become more sedentary. My grandmother was very active well into her old age, she only stopped because she had a stroke and couldn't move one side of her body. She would not have been the same had she been in the UK. She came and stayed with us for a few months but hated it because she couldn't go anywhere and had nothing to do.

We live in a country with an ageing population who are living longer after retirement. They may have led very active lives but for most it stops as they retire. Its funny but the elderly in traditional societies fared better then they do now. Not all the progress we've made is good.

Anyway what does this have to do with weight loss? Well activity really. We need to lead and maintain an active lifestyle. That doesn't mean we go out and do sports etc. We don't even do much walking these days. Keep busy, move about, take walks, play with your kids. Get that body moving and working off those calories that we regularly stuff down our gullets.

A change is as good as a holiday!

2008-01-28T10:10:00.000Z

Who knew embarking on a diet would help remove a level of lethargy to which I had become accustomed. There have been some life long problems that I needed to tackle and in recent years I have made attempts at doing so. This is essentially to do with health, punctuality and procrastination (see I'm a great procrastinator).

The usual update (some earlier entries have been removed):
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
...
On 15 Jan 2008: Weight = 155lbs (70.3kg), Waist = 90cm (35.4 in), BMI = 28.3
On 21 Jan 2008: Weight = 153lbs (69.4kg), Waist = 87cm (34.3 in), BMI = 28.0
On 28 Jan 2008: Weight = 151lbs (68.5kg), Waist = 86cm (33.9 in), BMI = 27.6

To put it another way: I was a fat lazy git who couldn't be bovvered to do anything and would put it off until it became a critical matter. Losing weight has helped change that, an unexpected side effect I have to admit.

A couple weeks ago after playing football at lunch time I was feeling quite energetic. This is due to the diet I'm doing from Herbalife (via my friend mohib) as the products help you feel energetic.

After work I got out of the station and thought, "You know, I could run it home from here". Now, as my friends would tell you, that doesn't sound at all like me. In fact they would probably need medical attention from the shock of such a statement coming from my lips.

I had shoes on and since my trainers (sneakers for those speaking US english :P) were in the bottom of my bag, and it was kinda cold, I decided against it. However the thought was immediately followed with another strange one. I was considering speaking to a friend of mine who lives opposite me to go for a run. He had suggested it to me a couple of years back, when I was at my peak obesity.

I apologise to my friends for causing them such a shock right now! I'm sure they are now picking themselves up off the floor and probably re-reading the passage making sure they can believe their eyes.

The thing is they have a right to be. In years past I have been bad with my timing, my motivation and many other aspects. Allah has blessed me with good friends - there to tell it like it is (sadly no sugar coating from this lot! :P) and also there to be supportive. Of course family are different in this respect, they can be blind to many of your faults (mind you the wife and my siblings are like my friends in their appraisal of me (sometimes) - but support me despite it).

If you asked me to do a task, the reluctance to do so would immediately set in. There was no motivation whatsoever. All that is changing and much of it is to do with the weight loss, at least the physical side. Also I have been trying to work on it for some time.

It is good to see that its bearing fruit. Lately I've been turning up to work on time, if not early. I've managed to make it to the mosque for Fajr (dawn) prayer more often this year. Although I don't really make new years resolution, it feels like as though I've managed to keep some this time. Resolutions are not just for New Years, they are for life! *cheesy grin*

Problems do remain, many other things in life need to be sorted out. But, Alhamdulillah, the burden is now lighter and I'm tackling them one by one.

The underlying driver for all these changes is actually my faith, Islam. It is what truly motivates me to change my lifestyle because much of these things are part of the sunnah (way) of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam). We aspire to emulate him in all things as he is the best example we can follow.

Being unnecessarily PC: Three Little Pigs 'too offensive'

2008-01-25T09:56:00.000Z

Three Little Pigs 'too offensive'

The above story is doing the rounds again. It was doing so at the end of last year as well. What surprises me, especially as a muslim, is that every news article states that it may offend muslims. Let me put this straight. I am a muslim. A story about 3 little pigs has never nor will offend me. Its a story that has morals, the fact that the characters are pigs is not that significant.

My question is, has anyone asked the muslims if they are offended by it? I certainly don't find the traditional story offensive.

The 3 little pigs story has a moral message and in recent years has been modified from the original due to too much political correctness. So in effect the pigs are simply characters who are used to teach children moral lessons.

Why are the judges making such a decision on behalf of a whole community? Will they ban stories about cows because that will offend the Hindu community?

Its commendable that the underlying intention is not to cause offence. But don't throw common sense out of the window. If you think its going to cause offence then ask those that might be offended. Some things are clearly going to offend people, others are not. Unfortunately due to a decay in morality in society, the standards are very low these days.

weight loss: Morning coffee is 'meal in a cup'

2008-01-24T17:50:00.000Z

Saw the following article on the BBC. Before I started my current diet, I used to have a mocha with either a muffin, a pain au chocolat or a danish. Heavy calories dude!

Morning coffee is 'meal in a cup'

I'll still enjoy one every now and then, just gonna try and make sure it doesn't become a ritual again. I'm gonna make sure I have a decent breakfast in the first place. Less temptation that way.

Wow, people actually visit my blog!

2008-01-24T10:39:00.000Z

I've installed Google Analytics to see if people read my blogs other than my family and a few friends. I'm happy to say that people actually do, although many don't get past the first page.

I am going to add AdSense as well. I like Googles tools I guess, it helps that they are free and easy to use of course!

Please notify me if any of the ads are inappropriate and I'll try and filter them out. I'll try and do some filtering before I get it up and running. Its a way for me to earn some bucks, might get absolutely nothing for it of course. Still I think it would be interesting to try it out.

The ads will be contextual and localised and so I'm more interested in the type of ads that are shown. If there are any on gambling, alcohol etc, I don't want that to advertise such things.

Thanks for reading!

weight loss update: bobs still on target

2008-01-21T11:31:00.000Z

People are starting to comment on my weight loss. Of course having lost 20lbs (9kg), there is a significant visible difference. I had one of my friends wife comment on it as we bumped into her in Asda over the weekend. She knows about Mohibs products but was sceptical about them. After I told her what I was using, she goes "Oh so the stuff does work!". Hey Mohib, another potential customer for you mate!

The usual details (getting a bit long, may cut the list down soon):
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 08 Dec 2007: Weight = 168lbs (76.20kg), Waist = 98cm (38.6 in), BMI = 30.7
On 17 Dec 2007: Weight = 162lbs (73.5kg), Waist = 95cm (37 in), BMI = 29.6
On 01 Jan 2008: Weight = 158lbs (71.7kg), Waist = 92cm (36.2 in), BMI = 28.9
On 15 Jan 2008: Weight = 155lbs (70.3kg), Waist = 90cm (35.4 in), BMI = 28.3
On 21 Jan 2008: Weight = 153lbs (69.4kg), Waist = 87cm (34.3 in), BMI = 28.0

I wear 34" waist trousers and have been for a number of years now. When I got married it was only 30" or maybe 32". Now it seems my waist has actually reached 34" now. However my trousers are very loose. This is because trouser sizes go up in 2" increments. Of course my waist size was in excess of 40" when I started this diet. I couldn't get the trousers up to what is known as the waist, it used sit somewhere around my hips. Trust me, for a bloke who is only 5ft 2in, this can make you look even shorter.

Now I pull my trousers up and my wife complains that its too high and resembles Simon Cowell :)

There are a lot of things that hold you back when you are overweight, mainly its all in your head. Like many problems in life we don't really want to face up to them, because the truth is ugly. I used to be a smoker but gave that up because in the end I really wanted to. I knew it was affecting my health adversely. But to reach that point took a few years. Now I'm glad I gave it up.

Similarly I've been kinda toying with diets, I tried the Atkins and yes I lost some weight but it was way too tough. Why is it that we choose extreme diets when trying to lose weight? One reason is that it promises great weight loss and we're all looking for that silver bullet. I mean the Atkins can be adjusted to fit a healthy diet, the thing is most people do the first 2 weeks and think that's how the diet should continue and it gets too tough.

My current diet (using Herbalife products via my friend Mohib) doesn't say I will lose lots of weight but helps to change the lifestyle and provides products to make that happen. It advocates healthy eating and exercise. The most it promises you will lose is 1-2lbs a week, which is what most other sensible diets propose. They do promise that you will lose weight as they have a 30 day money back guarantee.

I'm always wary of products and so I did my research before going on this program. One thing I must state, and they do this too, that you must change your lifestyle whilst on this program. If you go back to your old patterns of eating and the lifestyle you will put weight back on. I mean it makes sense right, the reason you got into this state was due to the bad lifestyle.

For me I'm a over eater. I don't snack much, but I can put away a fair portion. Mohib and I, along with a few of our friends, would go out a lot to eat and we would leave the restaurant owner a happy man. Mohib was the greatest though, he would order more when the rest of us were about to burst. I remember we went to a restaurant called Tinseltown that served large portions (American style) and he just tackled the Empire State burger meal, he suggested we also go for a shwarma at another place close by.

Those days are definitely gone because the adverse affects are clear to see. I started my lifestyle changing mid 2006. It started with the Bikeathon, the reduction of food and healthier options and regular games of football with my colleagues. I lost around 16lbs in about a year and half. The only reason I'm doing the diet is because I need to be a bit more disciplined with it as the other way required more will power.

What this diet does is help you with the will power. I'm not saying this is the only diet that can do this, there are many out there. Choose one that suits you but make sure that its not a fad diet. My sister is using Slim Fast but not all the products. Slim Fast is well known in the UK and it does work but I don't think its as effective as the Herbalife products. They are cheaper but then you don't get all the other stuff with it nor a mentor to guide you through it all. Mohib is a Shapeworks mentor, and all of them are users of the products themselves and have lost weight using the method. They are walking adverts of their own products.

With any diet, the secret is to lose weight slow and steady, change your lifestyle by eating healthier and being more active, and of course keep the weight off.

My wife hadn't realised that her weight had crept up. Although she wasn't overweight she was at the upper end of her Body Mass Index. Besides she preferred to be a lot lighter. Her problem is snacking on crisps and sweets. She cut back on them and some calories and she is dropping the weight. We tend to eat fairly healthy and she cooks more often. We don't get takeaway as much these days. She stopped drinking fizzy drinks as well, which helps. On top she is exercising a lot more and it all shows. She has lost to date about 8lbs. She wants to lose a little more.

Of course she isn't obese but actually within a normal weight range. The thing is she has been eating like this all her life, so her lifestyle doesn't change much. It takes a lot more will power when you are overweight or obese and of course you have a mountain to climb as you have to turnaround a bad lifestyle.

If you are thinking about going on a diet, I say go for it. Don't wait, do it now. If you falter on your path to weight loss, don't give up. Return to the path. Just make that change and good luck!

Every soul shall have a taste of death ...

2008-01-21T09:41:00.000Z

"Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception." [Quran 03:185]

This morning after Fajr (dawn) prayer, the imam announced that one of the regulars had a heart attack and for us to pray for him. However he was immediately corrected that the person had passed away.

It was followed by shocked murmurs of "Inna lillahi wa inna illahi rajioun!" Many clearly knew him and though he sounded familiar I couldn't picture him and I felt extremely sad. That I could pray next to someone for these past 7 years and not know him. Naturally I also said it at the mention of death. The dua (supplication) is made whenever one hears bad news. It means (roughly translated): To Allah we belong and to Allah is our return.

I spotted a young Shaykh I know very well. Before I could speak to him another young shaykh approached him and I heard him say that he couldn't picture him. I approached them and agreed with him. The first shaykh clearly knew him well, he lived a street away from him. He explained to me who he was, that he served on the mosque committee with us, that he was on the education sub-committee and spoke lengthily at times. Then it struck me, I knew exactly who he was speaking of. I often sat near him in the meetings and of course we stood together often in prayer.

I then explained to the other Shaykh who he was, describing him, and he too recognised him. You get to know who the regulars are at the daily prayers. At Fajr people stick out because there are fewer people who attend. He was at the mosque every prayer he could be.

I didn't know him that well really. My contact with him was because we were both executive members of the mosque committee. Other than that, it would have been no more then salam and a passing smile. As is the case with many of the regulars at the mosque. Sadly many of us don't take the time to know our brothers and hearing of their passing always makes me struggle to picture who it is they are speaking of. It matters little that they are elders, we should know them better.

Riaz Uddin, who lived in First Avenue and was a regular at prayers at Shahjalal Mosque, a pillar of the community, a member of the mosque committee, a good man, May Allah forgive him and grant him jannatul firdaws, may he make his grave into a garden, and may he give solace to his family and make them as pious as their father and a source of blessings for him, Ameen.

How fleeting life is, you spend a mere few years on this planet and then you are gone. I picked the quranic verse qouted at the beginning because it is what we believe in and it acts as a reminder to us. You will find similar verses listed below - it isn't possible to list all the verses on death here. If you want to look up verses on death, I suggest trying a search here and type in "death" as the search term.

I've been also wondering where our local secondhand shop owner is. I haven't seen him for a while and that is very unlike him. Every morning, at 6am without fail, he opens up his shop and sets up some of his goods outside. He is a man who is easily in his 60s, but active and quite fit. I mean I've seen him lug wardrobes outside on his own and I would have difficulty doing that.

After many years of passing him, one morning during Ramadhan I told him how impressed I was with him and how I hoped that I was as active at his age. He seemed pleased with that, and that was my intention. I wanted to tell him that for a long time and I'm glad I did. I don't know what his name is. He isn't a muslim, so I don't see him at the mosque - but pass him on way to and from it. I just hope he is okay. Who knows he may have gone on holiday. I've even toyed with the idea of calling up the number on the removal van that his nephews have.

My point here is that this man is also part of my neighbourhood and the only way we can become a community again is by communicating with each other. Acknowledging the existence of each other. After all our paths cross daily and yet we remain strangers. The curse of living in a big city. It wasn't always like this of course and it has nothing to do with ethnicity, because I live among people my ancestors lived with and am related to many of them - though mostly distant - and yet I don't know them. We keep ourselves to ourselves. I mean even with relatives its the same.

A couple of weeks ago, the mother of one of my closest friends (Habib Zain (his nickname)) passed away. She had been ill for some time and her death was expected. Still the loss of a parent hits hard and so I felt for my friend and his family. You see this friend is always cheerful, so much so we nicknamed him smiler as there was always a smile on his face. It was rare that you didn't see the smile, and when you didn't it was at times like this. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala grant his mother jannatul firdaws, Ameen.

I will always remember going to his house, and his mother would normally be in the kitchen and the aromas emanating from there would always be enticing. Of course my friend and his family are very generous and I have enjoyed her cooking many a time. Her illness and passing hasn't really given my friend time to celebrate the birth of his daughter Jannah (means paradise/heaven).

Another of my close friends says that I write too much. Well Duh! Read the title of my blog bruv, it does say "Bob talks too much!"

Here are the ayahs I mentioned earlier:

Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. to Us must ye return. [Quran 21:35]

Every soul shall have a taste of death in the end to Us shall ye be brought back. [Quran 29:57]

"Whosoever alleviates the difficulties of a needy person ..."

2008-01-18T16:08:00.000Z

An excellent hadith forwarded to me by brother at work:

It was related on the authority of Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu 'anhu, that the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

"Whosoever relieves from a believer some grief pertaining to this world, Allah will relieve from him some grief pertaining to the Hereafter. Whosoever alleviates the difficulties of a needy person who cannot pay his debt, Allah will alleviate his difficulties in both this world and the Hereafter. Whosoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the Hereafter. Allah will aid a servant (of His) so long as the servant aids his brother. Whosoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquility descends upon them, mercy covers them, the angels surround them, and Allah makes mention of them amongst those who are in His presence. Whosoever is slowed down by his deeds will not be hastened forward by his lineage."
[Muslim]

We should all strive to be as described in the hadith. May Allah make it easy for us, Ameen.

1 in 3 muslims have no qualifications (in the UK)

2008-01-15T17:34:00.000Z

Just thought this was a very sad statistic and we need to do something about it!

1 in 3 muslims have no qualifications

I think the Bangladeshi community is at the bottom of that heap too!

Weight loss: Bobs trousers are falling down!

2008-01-14T10:50:00.000Z

Okay time for a quick weight loss update. Today the trousers are looser then ever. I am on the last notch on my belt and now that has become loose as well. More on that later.

Anyway, here's the latest on the weight loss:

On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 08 Dec 2007: Weight = 168lbs (76.20kg), Waist = 98cm (38.6 in), BMI = 30.7
On 17 Dec 2007: Weight = 162lbs (73.5kg), Waist = 95cm (37 in), BMI = 29.6
On 01 Jan 2008: Weight = 158lbs (71.7kg), Waist = 92cm (36.2 in), BMI = 28.9
On 15 Jan 2008: Weight = 155lbs (70.3kg), Waist = 90cm (35.4 in), BMI = 28.3

The results have not been as dramatic over the last 3 weeks as they were in the first 3 weeks. Of course this is not a bad thing, most good diets will say that you are expected to lose 1-2lbs a week. General experience also states that weight loss is significant in the beginning and then it slows down and sometimes you even hit a plateau. Which is something I think I hit for a few days.

A plateau in diet terms is when you basically can't shift the weight despite the diet and exercise you've been putting yourself through. Your body is an amazing machine (alhamdulillah) and after sustained periods of low calorie intake it starts to reach an equilibrium and you don't lose weight. In fact you can even put it on!

Of course a real plateau is one that is found on top of mountainous regions where it becomes flat before either rising up higher or going back down. Which makes it an excellent metaphor to be used in relation to diets.

Here are some tips from a blog on how to get past the plateau: 5 Ways to Break a Weight Loss Plateau

I thought that gave some good tips and actually the first tip works quite well and is a common one most people recommend. It works too.

The shocking thing was I was eating less then I am supposed to. I found this out by going to www.calorie-count.com. Its a site by About.com - increasingly becoming one of my favourite sites. I make use of it for French resources they provide. See french.about.com.

The best thing about this site is that the tools are fairly useful and it also allows you to add your own stuff. Since its a US based site, they don't have the same brands we have here in the UK. They didn't have Heinz soup listed for example. As I am from the indian sub-continent, they also didn't have many entries for curry - at least not for Keema.

So I found this excellent indian food recipe site that gives you the nutritional info too. Try Recipezaar.com and their keema recipe!

I must admit this: I am obsessed by the scales. Most people who diet do this but the thing is my proper weigh in day is Saturday morning. However I weigh myself every time I visit the bathroom (when at home). This can be quite a few times since drinking water, herbal teas and eating salad (I used to refer to as "Rabbit food!"), will make you go quite often.

This involves running up the stairs, cos I have tons of energy now, and doing my business and then hop on the scales (bought a digital one recently) and seeing how much I weigh. My extensive, obsessive and exhaustive research has shown some of the following:

1. Clothing

Can add 1-3lbs. This depends on the amount of clothing you are wearing and what you have in your pockets. So if I am wearing my normal clothing - trousers, shirt with mobile phone, wallet and some loose change in the pockets, I can be around 2-3lbs heavier. If I am just wearing my nightwear - Longhi (traditional wear often worn in Bangladesh and other asian countries - like a kilt) and T-shirt - it weighs around a 1lb more.

So for true weight do it in your birthday suit - although for the sake of decency I have to add that a Longhi weighs very little (alternatives are briefs and boxers) but muslims will want to ensure that their navel to knee is covered.

Note: Towels can be heavy and get heavier after you dry yourself.

2. Calls of nature
Number 1 doesn't lose you much, a few ounces at the most. Number 2 on the other hand can weigh up to a 1lb! Research conducted in the interest of science of course :P

3. Food
If you've been munching, this can add 1-2lbs. This happens even if you don't eat much. You'd think eating a quarter pounder would add maybe at most a little over a quarter of a pound. Nope, it can show up as 2lbs! Strange that. Your body weight fluctuates throughout the day.

The recommendation is to only weigh yourself once a week and do so in the morning. Preferably in the same type of clothing, if not without it and after having answered the calls to nature :D. Then you will know your true weight. Don't get obsessed with the scales, it's not healthy!

I'm looking forward to buying new clothing as I shrink. Actually the wife is looking forward to that more than me! However I'm gonna wait until at least April before letting her loose, I've got new clothing I haven't worn yet that may be too big now.

Now I'm starting to feel hungry and so I better have my shake. In case anyone wants to know, the diet I'm doing is one recommended by my friend Mohib and he is a Shapeworks Mentor.

For more info on Mohibs site, try the following links:
Online Shop: beslimnhealthy.com/shoponline
Information: beslimnhealthy.com/information

All praise is due to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Without His will we can do nothing. La hawla wa la quwwatta illah billah.

New year and weightloss update

2008-01-02T02:51:00.000Z

Alhamdulillah, I have managed to lose quite a bit of weight before the beginning of the year. Heres an update.

On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 08 Dec 2007: Weight = 168lbs (76.20kg), Waist = 98cm (38.6 in), BMI = 30.7
On 17 Dec 2007: Weight = 162lbs (73.5kg), Waist = 95cm (37 in), BMI = 29.6
On 01 Jan 2008: Weight = 158lbs (71.7kg), Waist = 92cm (36.2 in), BMI = 28.9

I haven't written an update since 17th Dec due to time off and being busy. In that time I haven't lost much weight, mainly because I've been visiting relatives and eating more than I should. Still the weight loss was significant because now I've lost over a 15lbs since I started the diet.

I now weigh in at 11st 4lbs. Target weight was 9st 13lbs. I want to get down to at least 9st 10lbs. I have 22lbs to go and at the current rate of weight I could lose that in another month and a half, inshaAllah!

In actual fact, I was off the diet for 3 days due to Eid, Fasting on the Day of Arafat and another day I can't quite remember. Also the last week, I have had 2 days where I've only had one shake and also had some fast food, had guests over at our place and been round to my in-laws. Which meant food in take was not controlled, hence the loss being only 4lbs since the last time I did an update.

With the holiday season over and a return to the normal work routine I should be back on track and hopefully lose more weight. All I can say is that my wife appreciates the weight loss and has been very supportive. She was a little sceptical about the products I am using but now is happy at the results.

Many of my friends have not seen me during this period so they will be surprised as well.

As for the new year, 2007 went way too fast and we are already in 2008. What we all need to reflect on is how we spent the year that has passed by so quickly. Did we do enough to gain Allah's pleasure or his wrath? I for one feel that I didn't do enough.

The Great gone from Great Britain

2007-12-28T11:30:00.000Z

When I was a boy my parents and others would always recommend buying British products. They were seen as the best. Look for the BSI kite mark, you were assured that it was a good robust product. Something you could rely on.

I read "Bye, bye brands" on the BBC News website and thought I'd write something about it.

"Britishor Kharbari", would be a statement made by many Bengali's. It meant something akin to British Ingenuity. Okay so often it wasn't Britain who came up with the products but they were attributed to them.

Many things were manufactured in this country when I was growing up. But during the Thatcher years and continuing, this has been completely eroded until now almost nothing is made here any more. The government clearly isn't that concerned as they have done very little to keep these industries here.

These days we live in a very expensive country where we import absolutely everything and export very little. Even the expertise that Britain used to provide in terms of scientists, engineers, designers, technicians etc are dwindling. This is due to the poor education provided in this country now.

We are in a situation where the young people are ill educated in a market that requires them to be highly skilled and well educated in order to get a job. Employers are finding it difficult to recruit people because the standard isn't there. There are very few low skilled jobs remaining.

So soon we will have very little left to offer the world. Even our armed forces are struggling to recruit. This is because our nation has poor health and has one of the highest rates of obesity.

I feel this is due to the failing education system and the pressure applied on schools to ensure they do well in the league tables. When I was in school we had games and PE. About 4 hours of exercise a week. 90 minutes more then the recommended amount. Although many of us hated running around Hackney Marshes on a cold winters day, it kept us fit and healthy.

Back then there were only a few fat kids, who were the butt of many jokes and very few kids had asthma. It was an unusual sight to see a kid wheezing on the sidelines sucking on an inhaler. Now this is a common sight everywhere and kids are all fat.

Not only we did do Games and PE, we were kicking a ball about or doing something else outside. We used to have some open spaces where we could play. Now they have all been built on and there are fewer places to go. There used to be more youth clubs and activities to get involved in. Now they seemed to have died a death.

For the muslim community, fast food shops selling halal fried chicken didn't help either! Until then we were mostly eating healthy food - our mums home cooked meals.

Again this has a lot to do with the governments we have had over the last 25 years or so and their neglect.

Blair promised "Education, Education, Education". All we got was "War, War, War". And Britain has lost the Great in that as well. At one time it had one of the best armed forces in the world, now its a poorly equipped outfit with ageing technology that is being pushed beyond its limits.

I would have finished with "Still at least we still have our health". Well we don't have that any more.

It seems we're up the proverbial creek and even if we had a paddle we wouldn't know what to do with it!

Bhutto is killed

2007-12-28T10:44:00.000Z

The appropriate reaction for when one hears of a death or any other bad news is to say: "Inna lillahi wa inna illahi rajioun" (To Allah we belong and to him is our return).

I heard about the news from my brother Ruh. My first reaction was "oh" and the next one was to check the news on the BBC website. It should have been the dua (prayer) above. I think this is because of what Benazir Bhutto represented and how she conducted herself. I guess that she didn't really represent the Islamic way of life, her views being very secular.

Many will blame the Islamic groups for killing her. To kill any human being, according to Islam is like killing all of humanity. Therefore the action was wrong no matter who did it. In Pakistan it could be any group, and its most likely Musharrafs people who did it. Pakistani politics is a little crazy. Bangladeshi politics are similar in manner.

I thought I'd check out the comments on BBC News sites Have Your Say section. As expected people were immediately blaming Islamic groups for her killing. I personally think that Musharraf had the most to gain from this but like I have said it could be anyone. There are so many factions and Bhutto wasn't exactly popular with everyone - having been booted out of power twice accused of corruption.

Sadly corruption is rife in that part of the world. Same problems exist in Bangladesh and no one is clean. I trust the politicians more in the UK then I would in Pakistan or Bangladesh. When I say trust, its a manner of speech of course. My usual attitude to politicians can be seen by the joke: "How do you know a politician is lying ... his lips are moving!"

Personally I think it was stupid of Bhutto to go back to Pakistan. It wasn't safe and she should have left after the attack on her on the way from the airport. Many people died because of her return and now she has paid the ultimate price.

If she was the hope for democracy, well now she is dead. Others who oppose Musharraf should beware - people like Imran Khan are also in danger. Who is going to oppose Musharraf in the coming elections? I don't see any strong candidates. Have people forgotten that he seized power in the first place? When will the US and its allies stop supporting such people?

The best laid plans of mice and men ... part II

2007-12-17T15:31:00.001Z

If anyone reads this blog, you will recall that I wrote an entry in July 2007 called "The best laid plans of mice and men ...". Well this is part II of that, continuing with news articles that I thought were interesting and saved for these occasions. Feel free to use as a sleep aid ...

Female Foeticide
These are a selection of articles that the BBC report on a regular basis:
India sex selection doctor jailed
India's 'bride buying' country
Britains unwanted girls

Basically this is a cultural thing that is not just restricted to Indians, nor faith groups. It has little to do with religious teachings. It is tragic that such things still occur in this day and age. The first article is about an Indian doctor being jailed for aborting female foetuses. The second speaks of Indians having to buy brides due to female population being less then the male. This trend goes against the rest of the world (except maybe China) where women outnumber men. In some Scandinavian countries this is quite pronounced.

This sort of situation occurs because girls are seen as a burden. They need to be fed, clothed and married off and they do not contribute to the family's upkeep. At least traditionally that was the case. A boy on the other hand is highly valued.

It is sad that poor muslims, mainly on the indian sub-continent, have similar outlooks. Islam came at a time when the arabs used to practice female infanticide. They used to bury their daughters alive. It forbade this practice and improved the rights of women general. See Gender Equity in Islam for more info.

Here are some Quranic verses and ahadith regarding this matter. I am not a scholar and so please excuse my poor effort here. I only provide that which I have found - there is far more on the matter.

Lost are those who slay their children, from folly, without knowledge, and forbid food which Allah hath provided for them, inventing (lies) against Allah. They have indeed gone astray and heeded no guidance. [6:140]

Say: "Come, I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you from": Join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents; kill not your children on a plea of want;- We provide sustenance for you and for them;- come not nigh to shameful deeds. Whether open or secret; take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom. [6:151]

Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin. [17:31]

O Prophet! When believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty to thee, that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood, and that they will not disobey thee in any just matter,- then do thou receive their fealty, and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [60:12]

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 24, Number 499: Narrated Aisha: A lady along with her two daughters came to me asking (for some alms), but she found nothing with me except one date which I gave to her and she divided it between her two daughters, and did not eat anything herself, and then she got up and went away. Then the Prophet came in and I informed him about this story. He said, "Whoever is put to trial by these daughters and he treats them generously (with benevolence) then these daughters will act as a shield for him from Hell-Fire." (See Hadith No. 24, Vol. 8).

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 395: Narrated Warrad: (The clerk of Al-Mughira) Muawiya wrote to Al-Mughira 'Write to me what you have heard from Allah's Apostle.' So he (Al-Mughira) wrote to him: Allah's Prophet used to say at the end of each prayer: "La ilaha illalla-h wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul Mulku, wa lahul Hamdu wa hula ala kulli shai'in qadir. 'Allahumma la mani' a lima a'taita, wala mu'tiya lima mana'ta, wala yanfa'u dhuljadd minkal-jadd." He also wrote to him that the Prophet used to forbid (1) Qil and Qal (idle useless talk or that you talk too much about others), (2) Asking too many questions (in disputed Religious matters); (3) And wasting one's wealth by extravagance; (4) and to be undutiful to one's mother (5) and to bury the daughters alive (6) and to prevent your favors (benevolence to others (i.e. not to pay the rights of others (7) And asking others for something (except when it is unavoidable).

Sahih Muslim, Book 032, Number 6362: 'A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), said: A woman came to me along with her two daughters. She asked me for (charity) but she found nothing with me except one date, so I gave her that. She accepted it and then divided it between her two daughters and herself ate nothing out of that. She then got up and went out, and so did her two daughters. (In the meanwhile) Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) visited me and I narrated to him her story. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: He who is involved (in the responsibility) of (bringing up) daughters, and he accords benevolent treatment towards them, there would be protection for him against Hell-Fire.

Sahih Muslim, Book 032, Number 6363: 'A'isha reported: A poor woman came to me along with her daughters. I gave her three dates. She gave a date to each of them and then she took up one date and brought that to her mouth in order to eat that, but her daughters expressed desire to eat it. She then divided the date that she intended to eat between them. This (kind) treatment of her impressed me and I mentioned that which she did to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). Thereupon he said: Verily Allah has assured Paradise for her, because of (this act) of her, or He has rescued her from Hell-Fire.

Sahih Muslim, Book 032, Number 6364: Malik reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He, who brought up two girls properly till they grew up, he and I would come (together) (very closely) on the Day of Resurrection, and he interlaced his fingers (for explaining the point of nearness between him and that person).

For commentary on the some verses try tafsir.com

Whew that was longer then I intended. Anyway moving swiftly on!

Going to Church may extend life - This is an article regarding findings by US research team that those who attend church live longer. I think this may be because those who attend church, or mosque for that matter, lead good lives where they keep themselves from the excesses of society. Faith can be a strong factor in keeping people stress free and many other factors. I found the item interesting anyway. Of course the length of our lives is determined by Allah.

There are some articles that I read find fascinating, though sometimes they are not suitable for family reading :) These are to do with male and female attraction and scientific stuff related to this. This is mainly because these confirm the necessity of Allah's command to lower the gaze - whether male or female. (see also my blog entry: "You lookin' at me?!")

Sex cues ruin men's decisiveness: Summary from BBC: "Catching sight of a pretty woman really is enough to throw a man's decision-making skills into disarray, a study has found."

A clear candidate for the "No s**t Sherlock!" category in the Metro

Hunger dictates who men fancy: I just found this interesting. Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. Although this study doesn't show that hunger also reduces the sexual desires, as a recommendation for those who cannot marry is to fast. We see this during Ramadhan.

I see these discoveries as affirming a truth I already know and practice. Alhamdulillah!

The beauty backlash: BBC summary: "Women speak out against the pressure on young people to be thin and beautiful, but where does that leave players like L'Oreal?"

Isn't this is a form of oppression? We are all being pushed into thinking of beauty in the way the media wishes to portray it. We are bombarded with imagery that has been tweaked to make the models look amazing and perfect. Of course the reality isn't like that! We may not think much of it but such things raise our expectations, which are near impossible to match in real life. Hey you can be thin and beautiful - but are you happy?

Circumcision 'could cut HIV risk': BBC Summary: "Male circumcision could significantly reduce the burden of HIV in Africa, a study suggests."

My comment when emailing this article to myself was: "The sunnah of our beloved Ambiya (alayhimus salaat wassalaam) is always the right way! :)"

It is well known that the Prophets (Peace be upon them) were circumcised. The Jews and Muslims do it still to this day - I think the Christians were also meant to follow this practice but don't. It is an issue of cleanliness. All 3 faiths have the same rules regarding sex outside of marriage - it isn't allowed. In fact its considered fornication (if the person is not married) and adultery (if a person is married). If anyone is watching Eastenders at present, there is a current story line of an adulterous affair being exposed (soaps always have them). What is interesting is that it shows the consequences of such things on the people who are involved and their families.

With all 3 faiths mentioned, the rules are there to prevent such things from destroying society. Hence the punishments that are to be found in the Torah, Bible and the Quran. So circumcision in conjunction with the rulings of these faiths should keep a person free of sexual diseases. Sadly the innocent sufferers of these diseases are the wives of these african men - who sleep with prostitutes and then infect others. This is similar to what is happening on the indian sub-continent.

Morning sickness 'regulates diet': BBC Summary: "Morning sickness might have evolved to protect foetuses from unhealthy food, say scientists."

I love stories like this. Too me it shows the mercy of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and how beautiful is his design. The article refers to evolution of course. I believe it is the handiwork of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). Science keeps discovering these things. How perfect a system that Allah has created, how beautifully it works together! How can anyone think this happened by chance? For those that do think this, I say what will you answer when you meet your creator? I have no doubt whatsoever that we all will and the day of judgement is close. May Allah grant us the best of this world and the best of the hereafter, Ameen.

Clean hands the way to stop flu: BBC Summary: "If everyone was to wash their hands the risk of colds, flu and even bird flu would be much less, say UK experts."

I've written about this as part of cleanliness. Sadly these days doctors and nurses fail to do this simple practice of washing their hands when going from patient to patient. To the point where we have diseases like MRSA spreading through our hospitals.

Related article:
Clean-hand squad beats bugs: This is an old article. The reason I kept this link is because of the frequency of washing hands. It states that if the soldiers washed at least 5 times a day it helped prevent many infections from spreading. Muslims are required to make ablution for prayers at least 5 times a day - actually ablution is required and recommended for most acts of worship. It is also the way of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam) to wash hands at various times (before and after eating, after relieving oneself etc).

The secrets of animal attraction: BBC Summary: "Biologists find evidence that people, like animals, can sniff out the chemical signals of sexual attraction."

Another one of those fascinating articles. One thing that enhances the scent of a person is perfume especially women. It increases the level of attractiveness. This is why muslim women are told not to wear strong perfume in public so as not to attract the attention of men. It seems perfume doesn't work the same for men. As all those who see the Lynx ads and purchase the products will know, it does not make the women chase you. However it is recommended that men apply perfume as that makes you pleasant to be around for everyone else! Especially packed trains during rush hour!

Okay so I'm a fan of the BBC website :) Just don't like the fact that they have introduced adverts. I just hope they keep them away from the middle of the articles - a common tactic in the US news websites. I was hoping they wouldn't introduce it as long as we were paying a licence fee!

Nicotine therapy benefits 'hyped': BBC Summary: "Nicotine replacement therapy may be less effective at helping smokers quit than previously thought, research suggests."

I personally think that the patches and stuff are not very good. I quit by going cold turkey (see: How Bob gave up smoking). I've managed to keep off the nasty habit for 7 years now - alhamdulillah.

Security 'bad news for sex drive': BBC Summary: "A woman's sex drive begins to plummet once she is in a secure relationship, according to research."

Ain't that the truth! "Happily" married men everywhere can identify with this article. My solution, marry again. As many know Islam allows men to marry up to 4 wives at any one time. This is a practice that was in both Judaism and Christianity. Why does Bob suggest this? Well it creates competition and the women don't feel so secure and this is beneficial for the man ;)

Please note: The vast majority of marriages for the muslims (approx 2 billion of us) are monogamous. There are also rules that must be adhered to. For example there must be equality between all the wives in terms of material things. Of course Allah ta'ala warns us in the Quran that in terms of our feelings, they can never be equal. In the end this solution is not a practical one for most men. However the provisions are there for in times of war and for those with needs, and those that can afford to sustain more than one family etc. Frankly, all I see is more headache!

Married sisters please note: The brothers also have rights that you must fulfill. I'm all for my sisters ensuring they get their rights, but please don't forget the rights of men in the process. Remember when you get married, you both signed a contract to give each other rights. From what I can see, many of you demand your rights and but don't fulfil the rights of your spouse. This is a breach of the contract.

This is what has happened in western society with the rise of feminism. Fighting for women's rights was a worthy cause of course and to this day it saddens me that a woman can do the same job as a man and not get paid the same amount. These inequalities still exist today and should be rectified. However it seems that the rights or men have been eroded in the process. Surely the fight was about equality and equity - not superiority?!

Advice I have heard regarding this for muslims is that we should focus on ensuring that we meet the rights of others instead of constantly demanding our rights. There are many who have rights on us and some of the most important people are husband and wives. Of course the women have had it tough due to cultural issues. Alhamdulillah a lot of that is getting rectified as people are turning to the rights provided in Islam. Most muslim countries do not adhere to these god given rights for women and so the struggle must continue. However don't throw the baby out with the bath water - everyone and thing has rights. Lets ensure that we fulfil the obligations that Allah has set upon us as muslims towards all those who have rights upon us. May Allah ta'ala give us the ability to fulfil all of these rights and forgive us for those we are not able to do, Ameen.

Schools 'too feminine for boys': BBC Summary: "Boys are being failed by schools which have become too "feminised", an academic says."

My initial comment at the time was: The sexes cannot be truly equal in all things because we are created different and to fulfil different roles. However the area where there can be equality is rights. Even then the rights have to be balanced with the different needs of men and women.

This is on the same theme I wrote about above. Alhamdulillah, I find that the rules laid in Islam deal with all these problems, if we implement them in our lives of course.

Overweight 'top world's hungry': BBC Summary: "There are now more overweight people in the world than hungry ones, experts say."

This is a sad story. If I needed any more motivation to lose weight, this was it! The obvious disparity between the haves and have nots is clear. We need to help those who are starving, clearly we have too much for ourselves, we need to share the resources with our fellow man.

I found this picture a friend forwarded to me on facebook says it all really!

Overeating 'like drug addiction': BBC Summary: "Scientists show the same areas of the brain involved in drug addiction control appetite."

Like all addiction we need to kick the habit. This is a lot easier then giving up drugs - well at least smoking cigarettes in my case. I hope that I can reduce my weight and consume less in general and may Allah give me the ability to spend on those who need it more than I do. Ameen.

Inactive US marines face call-up: BBC Summary: "President Bush gives an open-ended authorisation for the US Marine Corps to call up inactive reservists."

My initial comment when I first read this article was: "Why are inactive reservists required when the war in Afghanistan and Iraq were said to be won?"

I am against both wars and I believe this has made things worse not better.

Uncertain future for US polygamy sect: "The arrest of the leader of a US polygamous sect for alleged sexual offences raises questions over the group's future."

Just an interesting article. Islam allows polygny (multiple wives - different from polygamy as Islam does not allow for polyandry (multiple husbands)). Of course there are rules around it that must be adhered to - like being restricted to 4 wives only. This dude had between 40-70!

Seeing the teenager in the brain: "Scientists imaging brain activity of teenagers say they can explain some of the youngsters' "difficult" behaviour."

My initial comments were: "This could explain why muslim scholars in the past used to make students wait until they were about 22 before letting them study some subjects. It would be interesting to know when the prefrontal cortex is ready."

The brain may be like a sponge when we are young but that doesn't mean we make sense of the information that we take in.

Beer, banter... and a brothel: "Persuading men who visit prostitutes to consider if they have been coerced is at the heart of a drive to halt trafficking."

My initial comments were: "How has civilisation improved since the middle ages?"

This sort of thing is like the binge drinking, getting worse all the time.

A 'tiny drop in the ocean': "At a secret location in England a refuge for foreign women forced into prostitution in the UK is starting work."

This is some excellent work by the church. Credit where credits due.

Hmmm, this is getting very long. So far I'm up to October 2006! I guess a third such blog entry is required. It will follow soon inshaAllah.

Marriage Aid Foundation

2007-12-17T15:04:00.000Z

I am involved with a new charity and thought I'd write a blog entry on it. Its called Marriage Aid Foundation. It was set up to help those in poor countries who cannot get married due to not having enough funds. Our intention is to help them with that and also their lives in general by helping them support themselves. Our initial country is Bangladesh, as we want to start small and since we are originally from there, we have the links. If that is successful we intend to set up in other countries like Somalia and so on.

It is because we, as muslims, consider the institution of marriage as very important. In fact the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam) stated that "Marriage is half your religion ...". It is indeed a very important part of life all over the world. Please check out the website (designed and implemented by my brother) and donate or set up regular monthly contributions. We need funds as we intend to help with some weddings in the new year. More information available on the site.

Jazakumullahu Khair (May Allah reward you all with good)

Being a moo-cow helps with weightloss

2007-12-17T11:41:00.000Z

Since I have embarked on this grand adventure to fight the flab, I have had some success thanks to Mohibs products (see below and last blog entry for details). Taking this stuff gives you a lot more energy. Recently I've been messing around with the kids, running around, swinging them around and generally getting my fat behind off the sofa (or fo-fa as my son likes to call it) and getting active. My being the moo-cow is my sons favourite thing.

Before I explain, here is an update on the weight loss:
On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 in), BMI = 31.6
On 08 Dec 2007: Weight = 168lbs (76.20kg), Waist = 98cm (38.6 in), BMI = 30.7
On 17 Dec 2007: Weight = 162lbs (73.5kg), Waist = 95cm (37 in), BMI = 29.6

Definition of "moo-cow": It means he gets on my back for a ride. I personally think of it as being a horse. Apparently my wife was doing the same with him and he said "Dog". Not liking that my wife responded, "no cow - mooo!" The rest as they say is history. The bright (very cheeky) 2 year old put the two words together and now I is a moo-cow. I'm in dire need of some knee pads as being a moo-cow hurts my knees.

Actually the nonsense of jumping around, crazy dancing and generally getting active with the kids, who absolutely love the fact that daddy is doing this, was triggered by my disappointment at losing only 2lbs upto Thursday 13th December. I played 5-a-side football that day and later when I came home got up and fooled around with my kids joining in. I also cut back on my food that day by only having a tuna salad in the evening (probably no more then 500 kcal meal). This seemed to spur on weightloss and by Friday I had lost another pound.

I am reporting the results of 17th December instead of the 15th as previously intended mainly because since then I have dropped a further 3lbs in weight. I know weigh 11st 8lbs. I also bought a new bathroom scales. My last one was 7lbs out - it showed you weighed less than you did! Now the new one is digital and looks better to suit our new bathroom and works a whole lot better too.

This morning I weighed in at the aforementioned weight and was very pleased because it was a pound lighter than the previous day. I'm not obsessed by the scales, honest! :P

Alhamdulillah! My BMI indicates that I am no longer Obese! Just overweight. My waist has reduced 3 inches in 17 days (this measurement may not be so accurate as I may have made a mistake initially). The real difference is in the loose fitting clothing. I have to tighten the belt now, at the last notch and will soon have to purchase a new belt inshaAllah. Total weightloss to date: 11lbs (4.99kg) - 5 bags of sugar!

I need to increase my activity, having fun with the kids is a good start. I intend to spend at least half an hour messing about with them every night inshaAllah. Me moo-cow!

Other words my son says:
shimished = Finished
'stairs = upstairs/downstairs
fo-fa = sofa
kota = water
alimallah = Alhamdulillah (said after sneezing but he also says it after coughing)
akum = Assalaamu alaikum
tubbies = teletubbies
sa-i-ba = spider
sa-i-ba man = spiderman
scawee = scary
dorya = suposed to be Doray yar - which means I'm scared in sylheti
matie = nappy - normally when he wants it changed
push = Done or doing a number 2. Unfortunately he was constipated a lot a few months back and of course we used to say "push" to him.
phoon = spoon
TB = TV
Sissue = tissue
Ya-ya = His cousins Yahya (he has one on each side of the family) and most other babies are referred to as that
Zaymed = Zaynab - my niece
gari-a = means car (Bengali word is gari. However the word garia has another meaning which I wont go into here).
Popops = Coco pops

Anyway I need to go buy some matie cos they are nearly shimished, we really don't want to see push on the fofa as kota will not remove it easily. Its scawee! :D

As promised, Mohibs details for those who are interested in taking up the same diet. Its worked for me so far alhamdulillah!:

Online Shop: beslimnhealthy.com/shoponline
Information: beslimnhealthy.com/information

Bobs Weightloss Shake Down!

2007-12-10T10:19:00.000Z

It has been a while since I last wrote. You may recall, Bob is fat (well okay actually I'm classed as Obese). You may also recall (if anyone bothers reading my blog) that Mohib, one of Bobs fat friends, is pushing a particular way of losing weight. See: mohibs weight loss for more info.

Anyway I decided that I wanted to lose weight at a steady rate and so on the 1st of December 2007, I started on a diet. It works on the idea of meal replacement using shakes. A shake for breakfast and lunch with a healthy meal in the evening. This is a proven form of weightloss. The problem with any weightloss program is that people return to their old lifestyles and regain the weight. So you need to change your lifestyle too - with the program that Mohib is providing, you have someone to mentor you. Mohib is my coach, which is nice since he is also my friend and I can scream at him if I get too hungry :)

Anyway some fact and figures:
I'm only 5ft 2ins (157.48 cms) tall with a medium frame, so I don't have to weigh much to be classed as Obese.

On 31 Nov 2007: Weight = 173lbs (78.47kg), Waist = 102cm (40 inches), BMI = 31.6
On 08 Dec 2007: Weight = 168lbs (76.20kg), Waist = 98cm (38.6 inches), BMI = 30.7

My current target weight is 139lbs (63kg) which should give me a BMI of 25.4 (which is still considered overweight) but means I will have around 15% body fat. Currently this is way over 30% which is not good. Please note BMI is only a guideline and may not be accurate for people who muscular. According to the BMI charts, my weight to be in the upper reaches of normal (BMI of 24.9) I would have to be 136lbs. Its only 3lbs difference and so I may make the attempt to lose those as well but I'll wait and see when I hit my target.

The weight loss has been dramatic over the 7 day period. InshaAllah I will maintain it after I lose it. I have been changing my lifestyle a lot over the last 1.5 years. I play 5-a-side football (soccer) once a week with my colleagues, trying to also get an hour of badminton going each week and plan to do more exercise at home. I don't eat as much junk food as I used to before and have shed over 14lbs by changing my lifestyle. I just needed a boost to get down to a healthier weight.

I bet you're all wondering what it is like on the diet? (I'm gonna tell you anyway!)

First of all the diet involves taking 2 milkshakes, with some protein and vitamin supplements. You can also have snacks in between but these have to be sensible and naturally Mohib sells some snack options too (personally I don't like the protein chocolate bar - not my cup of tea). I've been having soup and fruit to satisfy my snack cravings.

Actually the fruit were part of my daily routine (at work anyway). The soup is just to have something that is hot. I recommend tinned soups such as the Heinz variety as they are cheap, tasty and fairly low in calories (average can 110 Kcals).

Anyway the evening meal is supposed to be a healthy one. I've not followed any of Mohibs recipes yet, but I will. For me the important thing is that my diet doesn't disrupt too much of my families meals. We eat curries at home with rice. Its fairly healthy, we tend to use corn oil and don't drown the food in it. We also have fish and plenty of veg in our diet. The challenge is not to eat the usual large platefuls of rice.

Over the past 1.5 years I have been reducing the amount of rice I eat. I've noticed that most diet advice states that the amount of food a person needs will fit in their hands. One hand containing stuff like rice, pasta etc and the other the curry or whatever else you are having with your food. I've been trying to reduce down to one handful of rice instead of the 2 plates worth that I used to have before (probably about 5 handfuls!). This has resulted in weightloss and now serves as my version of the healthy-ish meal. Recently the rice portions were starting to creep up again.

This means that the family (all of whom are skinny) can eat together without my diet making a major impact. It also meals I still get to eat the food I love above all, my beloved curry and rice.

The best thing about the shakes is that I don't feel too hungry. With the benefit of Mohibs experience, I also mix the shakes with a variety of things and not just the boring semi-skimmed milk as suggested. Mohib recommended biopots (from Onken), Soya milk (I like the chocolate), and various fruit juices. All of which give variety.

In any case its going well. It might have been more difficult if I was a snacker - but I'm not really a snacker. I like my food and for me its the main meals of the day.

The other thing these shakes are supposed to do is increase your energy levels. I've certainly noticed an increase. However my energy levels were increasing due to sports, this gives that extra boost.

The very first weekend I nearly fell off the wagon, I had to go to my mums and there was a lot of nice food. I managed to keep the intake down and there were no adverse effects. This weekend (the one just preceding this dull rainy monday) I was helping my sister in law move out to her new flat (apartment). That meant that I couldn't have my lunch time shake and instead had fast food (not good). Saturday evening my family were coming over for a meal - my dads off to Hajj this year and so we thought we'd have a get together before he went. That meant lots of lovely food was prepared by my wife including these tuna fish cakes - very nice.

Fortunately the shifting of furniture and other items meant that I actually worked this off and instead lost another pound.

So current weight loss is 6lbs (2.7kg). That's almost 3 bags of sugar dudes! You might remember that I likened the amount of weight I needed to lose to 16 bags of sugar - well that's 2 down 14 to go! (or 12 if I only go up to my current target).

Mohib has taken some before pictures of me. I will post this on here once I come to the end of the weight loss.

The way this works is the amount of time it takes to lose the weight, a similar amount is spent on maintenance diet - which involves a shake for breakfast and 2 healthy meals. This means approximately 2-3 months of weight loss and a further 2-3 months of maintenance.

The products don't come cheap. However the reality is that the money I used to spend on lunch is being redirected to buying the products - perhaps with a little extra on top. The reality is that I am losing the weight and its money well spent. If you live in London spending an average of £4 for lunch a day is not unusual. It depends of course on what you buy and from where. Suffice it to say that the amount spent on average is £20 per week. That is £80 a month. The cost of the products that I'm taking is only slightly more. The short fall there I am making up by saving £22 on my monthly travelcard by going to another train station, which means I'm also getting a little more exercise because I have to do some walking.

If I can lose the weight at a steady rate of 5 pounds a week, I should reach my target by 6.6 weeks. The reality is that the weight loss will probably slow down and it would be more like 2 months to reach the target. Considering that I've spent over a decade putting it on, its a small price to pay :)

I can expect to lose 1-2lbs a week steadily. Beyond that anything is a bonus. Losing weight too fast can be a problem and the weight may come back rapidly too. That's why it's important to have a healthy lifestyle. Occasional indulgence is okay - sadly the problem is that in the developed countries we have more food then we need and we eat to excess while a large portion of humanity starves. We all have a definite duty to redress that balance.

I will update you on my progress, which should culminate in pictures of a slimmer me (with face obscured most likely)

For more info on Mohibs site, try the following links:
Online Shop: beslimnhealthy.com/shoponline
Information: beslimnhealthy.com/information

BBC Article: 'Incest man' saved from Lynch mob

2007-11-21T10:34:00.000Z

I was shocked by the article on the BBC website:

'Incest man' saved from lynch mob

The man who married his daughter claiming that it is allowed in Islam is a liar. It is haram (forbidden) to marry your daughter as clearly stated in the Quran and Ahadith. There is no such thing and the man is guilty of committing incest and such a marriage should not be allowed to stand.

I am further disappointed that the BBC did not state that such a thing is not allowed in Islam. That is bad journalism. By not stating it the people who are against Islam and Muslims will assume it is allowed in Islam when it clearly isn't.

Guardian Arcticle: Shame on us

2007-11-19T14:27:00.000Z

A friend forwarded the article to me and I thought it was worth placing on here.

Shame on us - by Ronan Bennet (in The Guardian)

I had no idea Martin Amis viewed Muslims in this manner. I used to be an avid reader but never did get round to reading his novels, I was more into the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre. I know that he is a best selling author. All the more worrying if people like him are Islamophobic.

The article above is thought provoking and examines comments made by Amis. Its a shame that intelligent people can spout so much rubbish. I find that most prejudice exists due to ignorance. It is clear that the people who are so prejudiced against Islam, don't actually know much about it. This can be applied to anything including things like Anti-semitism (please note, Arabs are Semites too).

If you demonise a people its easier to dislike them. This is part of the nature of man - something he has to rise above - but part of him nevertheless. Being a victim of racism whilst growing up, naturally I have come to detest prejudice. But it still rears its ugly head within me - but I crush it because these thoughts are wrong.

As many people in this country are experiencing, we are having a problem with the influx of Eastern Europeans - certain types of crime has gone up and they all drink too much (fitting right into British youth culture of course). This is enough to cause friction amongst those people who are now established in the areas they are moving into. Comments are made about them and suddenly they are in the same position we (Asians) were in not too long ago. Suddenly our losers become better than theirs and we find another group of people to hate. What do we know about them and their lives etc - nothing.

Again I am reminded of the saying "Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it". We MUST remember our journey to this point lest we commit the same error again. Do not be prejudiced against anyone.

Ignorance breeds ignorance. Whoever said "Ignorance is bliss" is only correct depending upon context. As a general rule ignorance is a factor that disables society.

There is a phrase derived from the sayings of Jesus (peace be upon him), that before one criticises someone they should walk a mile in their shoes. I think that before we judge anyone we should first try to understand where they are coming from.

Having said that I know the people who are against Islam and Muslims will increase in number. Tough times lay ahead for all of us. The successors will be those who can hold onto their deen. It has been said that there will come a time when holding on to Islam will be like holding a hot coal in the palm of your hand.

May Allah ta'ala make it easy for us, Ameen.

Cattle have more rights ...

2007-11-12T10:42:00.000Z

I'm all for animal rights, in fact my religion insists upon the good treatment of animals. So I welcome regulations that require the animals be transported in good conditions, enough space given etc. See some regs here

But, what of the rights of humans (and all other manner of beasts) that travel on the public transport in London! We have less rights then cattle. Every morning I fight my way onto a packed train. I'm convinced that there is some sort of tardis effect, more people seem to fit into the space enough for one person. There is no space to move and a short person like me can stand unaided as there is no fear of falling over cushioned as I am by bodies around me.

At least in the mornings people are still smelling fresh, most anyway. Its the homeward journey I dread - especially in summer!

Commuting in London you develop a smaller personal space. Your personal space is smaller if your a city dweller - Its non-existent if you are also a commuter. You are forced into being intimate with a fellow passenger. I mean at any other time another person getting that close to you without a proper introduction is likely to be given a smack. But on the tube or train its all okay. You have no choice - you are not cattle and thus have no rights.

Being short, its worse. People holding onto overhead bars and handholds expose their armpits, some have bad breath and of course tend to breath down - normally where my face happens to be. I'm concerned about women and men, trying my best to shield myself with my ba in front and keeping my butt from touching anyone. I'm not sure which is worse, accidentally touching a woman inappropriately or being touched by a man!

I have to hail all Londoners who brave it through the rush hour. If we can be this tolerant of the invasion of our privacy, show patient and suffer such indignities with good grace - then there is a chance of world peace!

Apart from a few people who get irritated and complain most people remain quiet. They try to help others on, give sympathetic glances but mostly ignore each other quite happily, listening to their music or reading the paper or book.

You learn the art of reading the paper on the train with the lack of space. Its amazing how you learn to change the page and fold the paper, without touching anyone around you. Of course there are times when you can't move at all, but to avoid the other passengers eyes you read the same story again and again hoping that you will get to a station where most of the passengers get off so you can turn the page!

I'm always a little concerned when smiling back at little children. In this current climate its not safe for men to be smiling at little kids. Its worse when you are the bogeyman en vogue - what could be worse then people fearing that you are some extremist terrorist peado!

I find that the curious looks of the children refreshing. The parents look a little apprehensive when they see me but the kids, they usually smile. Of course I return the smile making sure its not too long and I stop looking at the kid. I mean its awkward - I'm a proud father of two children and as a parent I am wary of this. Its not fair on the vast majority of people but there are sick people out there.

I don't like Friday evenings on the tube. Everyone wants to get home so they can go party. Some have already started by drinking at lunch time and don't smell too good. Others are tarted up for the night out, drinking and being rowdy. I don't know where to put my gaze, the best bet is to bury your head in a newspaper of book. As a muslim its not easy to stay away from the sin. Just don't look the second time.

As I am getting older I'm finding the language and behaviour of the people more rude and crass. I recall, not long ago, we too were like that and feel ashamed. How loud were we, how annoying we must have been for our fellow passengers. Its worse when its an asian, especially someone who is bengali being rude. I'm sorry but girls from my community are shocking! The things they talk about. Sometimes being bilingual can be scary. I know the boys are bad - but you expect that to a certain extent.

Why is it that some people deem it necessary to blare out their tunes for all to hear? You get that a lot from young black boys or young asian and white boys acting like the young black boys - who in turn are copying those in the US who depict gang membership, violence, male chauvinist attitudes, being a convict and many other negative traits as cool. Its bare sick, innit bruv!

Thats another thing, I no longer understand the lingo. Man I'm getting old.

If there was a modicum of respect for elders in our day, there is none now. And this isn't from the young people, its from those who should know better. Whenever I have a seat, I'm offering it to those more in need. Usually the elderly and sometimes the pregnant women or those with children.

The only time I hesitate is when I see a woman who looks pregnant but is overweight and I am uncertain. If I give up my seat would they be insulted because I thought they were pregnant? And I feel bad if I don't give up my seat. I have to make a judgement. Sometimes I just get up and vacate the seat anyway.

In the winter being jam packed into a carriage isn't so bad. At least your not cold.

Comments I often make when talking to fellow sufferers on my daily commute:
"Cattle have more rights ..."
"You pay more and get less every year"
"We pay to travel like this!"
"If there was room, I'd move"
"Sorry!" - Very often said
"Its Ok" - in response to sorry by others
"Thanks" - for the kindness shown by my fellow commuters
"Can you move down please!" - When there is room and people aren't moving
"Yeah mate, we all wanna get home"

Listening to conversations by strangers who are talking to each other or are on the phone can be very amusing. A fellow commuter has decided to write what he hears down. I find the site funny and a recommended read. Checkout Tube Gossip.

The fare is set to go up again. The state of public transport is now far worse. The company that was supposed to sort it all, Metronet, has gone into receivership. Of course they are refurbishing the underground. However I think TFL stands for "Too Flipping Late" (for us anyway). By the time my kids start commuting for work, they will need a mortgage to pay for the ticket!

C'est la vie!

"You lookin' at me!?"

2007-11-01T10:09:00.000Z

This article caught my eye and was also posted on Facebook by a friend. Don't bother looking for Bobul Islam on facebook - I use my real name :)

Gaze 'key to facial attraction'

Here are some of my thoughts on the matter:

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do." [24:30]

Seems to me that lowering ones gaze is not only protection for you but also for others. The wisdom of Allah subhana wa ta'ala's commands become clear. Regardless of the wisdom behind these commands, we are required to obey them.

"The answer of the Believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that He may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, "We hear and we obey": it is such as these that will attain felicity." [24:51]

I've been going on about "lowering the gaze" a lot lately. Mostly in regards to how Islam treats paths that lead to sin. Simple answer, don't even go down that path.

Lowering ones gaze when seeing a member of the opposite gender (see ayah below) prevents one going down the path that may lead to sin. Its closing the gate before the horse bolts, not after.

"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss." [24:31]

A brother asked me why it was necessary to lower the gaze. Doesn't it rely upon your intention?

It is true that your actions are judged by your intention. As stated in the famous hadith by Umar ibn Khattab (radiallahu anhu). This hadith is usually the first hadith to be written down in books of ahadith.

Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for." [Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 1]

Intentions can change quite easily. Why put yourself in the path of temptation?

Allah has created us to be attractive to each other. In my opinion, as a man, women are the most beautiful of Allah's creations. We like every aspect of them, in all shapes and sizes. Indeed beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This seems to be backed up by science, it is not just physical looks that attract us. In the case of the article from the BBC its do with gazing and smiling.

There is the other factor of Shaitan being up to his tricks. He wants mankind to be lost like he is and drag them with him into the hell fire. So a man and woman are never alone except shaitan is a third amongst them whispering into their hearts, making them seem more attractive to each other until it gets to a point where they transgress. So it is recommended that we are not alone with a member of the opposite sex that we are not allowed to be (see ayah [24:31] above).

Why? Because it limits if not removes the danger of falling into the sin. Similarly lowering the gaze give us early protection. It appears that not only that it also protects others from us.

I would be the first to think that no one can find me attractive. In fact it was one of my insecurities growing up. My height was a major factor in my thinking that I was not seen as attractive. Little did I know that attraction is not only about physical features but has many other factors. I was always told that I had a great personality. Which I took to mean that your a nice guy but man you is ugly :D

Negative way to look at it, I know. Of course now that I am married I'm still trying to get over the amazement that my wife actually finds me attractive, but she wishes that I lose the weight and of course dress better. Though I doubt even she would liken me to a film star :P

Of course it has more to do with this ayah from the Quran:

And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect. [30:21]

Allah subhana wa ta'ala puts love and mercy between our hearts.

On the positive side, having spoken about lowering the gaze, perhaps we should go home and smile at our spouse, make yourself look that much more attractive. Smiling at each other is rewarded like giving charity. Muslims are encouraged to smile at each other, obviously the limitations are that we don't go round grinning inanely at members of the opposite sex who are not related to us (as described in the ayah given earlier).

One of these days I will give my full attention to posts on my blog. I spend most of yesterday writing this in dribs and drabs. Looks like I've rambled on and lost the plot. So I will end here.

Some random ahadith on lowering the gaze:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: I have not seen a thing resembling 'lamam' (minor sins) than what Abu Huraira 'narrated from the Prophet who said "Allah has written for Adam's son his share of adultery which he commits inevitably. The adultery of the eyes is the sight (to gaze at a forbidden thing), the adultery of the tongue is the talk, and the inner self wishes and desires and the private parts testify all this or deny it."
[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 74, Number 260]

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: The Prophet said, 'Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads." They (the people) said, "O Allah s Apostle! We can't help sitting (on the roads) as these are (our places) here we have talks." The Prophet said, ' l f you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its right ' They said, "What is the right of the road, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, 'Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning greeting, and enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil."
[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 74, Number 248]

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas: Al-Fadl bin 'Abbas rode behind the Prophet as his companion rider on the back portion of his she camel on the Day of Nahr (slaughtering of sacrifice, 10th Dhul-Hijja) and Al-Fadl was a handsome man. The Prophet stopped to give the people verdicts. In the meantime, a beautiful woman From the tribe of Khath'am came, asking the verdict of Allah's Apostle. Al-Fadl started looking at her as her beauty attracted him. The Prophet looked behind while Al-Fadl was looking at her; so the Prophet held out his hand backwards and caught the chin of Al-Fadl and turned his face (to the other side in order that he should not gaze at her. She said, "O Allah's Apostle! The obligation of Performing Hajj enjoined by Allah on His worshipers, has become due (compulsory) on my father who is an old man and who cannot sit firmly on the riding animal. Will it be sufficient that I perform Hajj on his behalf?" He said, "Yes."
[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 74, Number 247]

Narrated 'Abdullah: We were with the Prophet while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah's Apostle said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."
[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 4]

Ahadith and Quranic ayah searched using tools found at www.usc.edu/dept/msa - A very good resource that has been around for a while.

Muslim world unites on 'Live8' for Darfur

2007-10-22T11:42:00.000+01:00

Does the end justify the means?

A question often asked and in general the people in the UK would see no problem with doing something that may be "wrong" morally or even legally so long as the end justifies the means.

The question for Muslims is the same. Does the end justify the means? There are two parts to the answer (in my opinion). The general and the exceptional.

Generally the case is that the means must be halal in order for the end to be halal. For example income from haram sources like selling alcohol cannot be used for halal purposes.

Exceptional cases are where one has no choice but to choose the lesser of two evils due to necessity. In times of necessity one can even eat pig, if it is necessary to save ones life etc.

What sparked off this blog entry? Well this did: Muslim world unites on 'Live8' for Darfur

I've mentioned before on my blog regarding music in "Not everything is black and white".

The cause (or the end) that the above mentioned concert was Darfur and it is indeed a noble cause. I urge my brothers and sisters to donate profusely for it is our Ummah who is in most need.

The means used to raise money for the cause - A concert by muslims. Ok, not such a problem except that songs were accompanied by musical instruments (considered haram by the majority of scholars throughout time based upon authentic evidence of course!). The behaviour of the muslims that attended the concert (around 10,000) is also inappropriate behaviour. We all run the risk of idolising the musicians as the kuffar idolise their popstars and entertainers.

It seems thought that views such as mine are seen as being too conservative and everyone is now following the lead of the likes of popular muslim singers such as Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), Dawud Wharmsby Ali and Sami Yusuf (to name only a few). Most started with nasheeds that at the most included drums (even though only some drums and their usage is allowed). Now they are openly stating that there is nothing wrong with musical instruments - and yet they provide little evidence to support their case. (Please don't send me the fatawa by Shaykh Yusuf Qaradawi - I have seen it many times thanks. Clearly I disagree with him regarding musical instruments based upon the clear evidence available).

Once you allow musical instruments, the flood gates are opened and what used to be nasheeds praising Allah ta'ala and his beloved prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam) suddenly move to other non beneficial and even dangerous subject matter.

Take the example of Outlandish, a group that rap. One of their members is Christian, which in itself isn't a problem of course. The problem arises when the lyrics they sing include statements of Shirk.

So you're thinking Woah! back up there dude - Shirk!? Prove it!

In their song "Eyes Never Dry" it contains the following lyrics in Spanish:

Te lo ruego
En el nombre del Padre
Del Hijo y el Espiritu Santo
Amen

[Translated]
I beg you
In the name of the Father
The Son and the Holy Spirit
Amen

As far as my knowledge goes, this is shirk. How many Muslims are singing along to these words without realising what they are saying?

If we were to accept that music accompanying the song is okay, even then lyrics like this surely are unacceptable. Shirk is the worst sin.

I know the intentions of the group are good, it is nice to see collaboration between people of different faiths. I think that is essential that we learn more about each other and work on projects of mutual benefit etc. But to do it with the integrals of our faith intact.

The trouble is many have fallen into this trap of music. I can see the attraction, I have ears and eyes and a desire to demonstrate my faith to these people who don't know it. Music sounds good, stirs the soul and makes one emotional. There is also the allure of fame. There is the desire to have Muslims succeeding in all areas. There is a sense of pride when one of our own does well.

That's all well and good but we are required to enjoin the good and forbid the evil. We cannot mix halal with haram and call it Islamic. For us the means have to be halal for the end to be halal. It's better to err on the side of caution. We are not here for play, what we do affects our eternal future.

This viewpoint brings me in direct conflict with many of our community including some members of my own family. I just hope they understand that my intention isn't to be harsh in religion but to steer away from the haram.

We live in a society where music of all kinds, including satanic material is deemed acceptable. Music is associated with everything, adverts, films, on your phone and so on. It becomes problematic and cannot be avoided a lot of the time. If I am in a shop that pumping out music, I can hardly object to it as that isn't in my control.

Even that which is in our control we are not 100% succeeding in eliminating. I am still trying my best to wean myself off watching TV and Films. I've managed to wean myself off music but since it is part of the show I'm watching (even on things like the Islam Channel), its hard to avoid. The solution is to stop watching TV and Films. In the meantime we must know that all is not good but mixed in with it is that which is bad.

May Allah give us the ability to battle our nafs and free ourselves of these sins, and may he guide us onto the straight path, Ameen.

Ramadhan has come and gone ...

2007-10-15T15:48:00.000+01:00

It all happened at blistering speed. The announcement of Eid did not bring joy but sadness that made me want to cry. The blessed month had whizzed by. The heart was heavy as the calls and text messages arrived. Was I amongst those who were forgiven on the last day?

Takabul Allah minna wa minkum, Ameen! (May Allah accept it from us and from you, Ameen).

I was not alone in that feeling it seems. Some of the people I spoke to have said the same. That they were saddened by the ending of Ramadhan. I felt it keenly like a loss. Indeed it was a loss.

The sweetness of this blessed month had left us. The doors of Jannah are closed, the Shayateen (devils) are released.

During this month I lost an uncle of mine, he was in his mid seventies. He was a good man, always willing to help you out. He took us into his home when we first came to this country. May Allah grant him Jannatul-Firdaws, Ameen.

A great Shaykh in Bangladesh passed away as well. His name was Ubaidul Hoque. Sadly I knew little of him. What I do know is that he was universally loved by all Bangladeshi's - which is a feat in itself! All I know is that many of the Imams in our local Bengali run Masajids made dua for him. If so many people say he is a great man then alhamdulillah, he was indeed one.

Alhamdulillah, Eid was spent with family and was good. It is so important to gather as a family and spend time with each other. It maintains family ties - but sadly the dunya and petty differences keep us apart. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala forgive us, Ameen.

I did manage to recite a lot of Quran during the final days though. Thats a plus. I had about a few Juz remaining (Juz = part of the quran (it has 30 parts)). I managed to complete that and only to stop at Juz Tabarak (the 29th Part). Of course had Eid been on Saturday (which many say was the correct day) I would have completed it. Of course had I spent more time reciting, I may have completed it. Some people completed many times throughout this month.

Taraweeh seemed to speed along this year. There were 5 huffaz (those who have memorised the Quran - singular is Hafiz) leading prayer this year. 3 of them were very young mashaAllah! We also had 5 more for the second taraweeh - held for the restaurant workers who could not make it to the first. All of them were young brothers. We have been blessed with the Huffaz, there was a time when there were none in this country. There were many others amongst the Musallis (the congregation), I knew at least 2 more personally.

My youngest brother has 23 Juz memorised and led Taraweeh somewhere up in Lancashire. My wifes nephew Faisal, who is just 13, led Taraweeh for the first time. He has completed memorisation. Her other 13 year old nephew Sayeed has 25 Juz committed to memory. May Allah ta'ala make them a means for our salvation, Ameen.

May Allah increase the Huffaz in number and give us all the ability to memorise his words, Ameen.

Eid Mubarak! Albeit belated.

If only I could enjoy it in a country where it is special and not ruined by idiots hiring cars and driving around blasting music, waving national flags, and generally doing stuff that is completely unislamic. A brother even said that he saw a young muslim drunk on Eid, Nauzubillah!

I don't get what they get out of going round the neighbourhood in cars and limos, clogging up the roads. If I hire a car its cos I'm normally concerned my old banger wont make it on far journeys.

Maybe I don't want to understand. It certainly isn't Islamic.

Who knows if we will see another Ramadhan. On the 27th night, at around 5.30am, a young 21 year old man was dragged a mile under a bus and his body was found near our local mosque. Life is fleeting, make the most of your time.

see link: Man dragged under bus for a mile

The difference between stopping and slowing down!

2007-09-27T10:17:00.000+01:00

A friend of mine sent the following joke and I thought it was funny.

He thought he was smarter than the police

A lawyer runs a stop sign in Portland and gets pulled over by the Police.

He thinks that he is smarter than the police because he is a lawyer from Kingston and is certain that he has a better education than any Jamaican Police. He decides to prove this to himself and have some fun at the Police expense.

The Police says," Yuh License an yuh registration, please."
"What for?" says the lawyer.
The Police says, "Yuh didn't come to a complete stop at de stop sign."

Then the lawyer says, "I slowed down, and no one was coming."
"Yuh neva did come to a complete stop, Says the Police. License an registration, please."

The lawyer says, "What's the difference?"

"De difference is dat yuh hav fe come to ah complete stop - dat's de
law. License an registration, please!" the Police says.

Lawyer says,"If you can show me the legal difference between slow down and stop, I'll give you my license and registration; and you give me the ticket. If not, you let me go and don't give me the ticket." That sounds fair.

Get yuh rass outa de vehicle, sar, the Police says.

At this point, the Police drape up de man, pull out his batton and starts beating the ever-loving hell out of the lawyer and says, "Yuh waan me fe stop, ar just slow down?"

Bless

Mohibs weight loss

2007-09-26T16:00:00.000+01:00

Here is my friend Mohibs testimonial on his weight loss using the products he sells himself (check out: beslimnhealthy.com). He wrote it himself. Okay so I edited a little bit :P

I wouldn't normally plug stuff like this but Mohib asked me to and I can see the great effect it has had on him. So over to the Great Bear himself:

Mohibs Testimonial
In the new year for some reason or other my weight just kept going up and up. In fact it had gradually been climbing for some time. Before I started on the programme I was nearly 19 stones. I used to think I didn’t have any thing to lose .......

But losing the inches from all over my body and dropping the weight made me realise that this wasn’t the case.

I have been following the Herbalife programme for nearly 6months now. Like most people I know I love my food and this has contributed to my weight. I have enjoyed using the programme and I have found that I can eat the foods that I want and have enjoyed previously more healthily.

I have found that the products taste nice and the formulation to be quite easy on the palate.
The Products are completely natural, healthy and nutritionally balanced. I have found the program very simple and easy to follow.

There are No points,
No calorie counting,
Or going to the gym involved.

It’s as simple as 3-2-1

3 vitamins (Formula 2) _
2 healthy nutritious replacement meals (Formula 1 and Formula 3)
1 healthy colourful meal of your choice

My reason for choosing to change my life is my 2 year old daughter. My daughter used to look forward to playing with me every evening when I used to return home from work but all I could do was put her off and hide away from her. This made her really upset as all she wanted to do was play with her dad.

This also made me very upset and I decided that I had to do something about my situation. I was so over weight at the time and didn't realise that my weight was having a severe impact on my life.

I used to suffer from severe headaches and migraines and was often very irritable.

I had zero energy was tired all the time and doing the smallest activity used to leave me out of breath.

Waking up in the morning's I used to find it very difficult to walk and suffered from cramps in my lower limbs.This was due to my poor circulation.

My blood pressure was on the rise and the doctors told me that my cholesterol was extremely high and suggested that I take some tablets to help reduce this.I decided not to follow their advice as the side effects from taking the tablets were not something that I wanted to experience.

With my rapidly expanding weight my body had ballooned and every time my friends would see me they were very concerned as I was getting bigger and bigger. I finally hit 52 inches around the chest, 18 inches around the neck and 47.5 inches around the waist. And nearly tipped 19stones ....

All I can say I'm glad I found Herbalife. It has changed my life around and given me back the years that I lost.

In my first 2 weeks I had lost 10lbs and in 5 weeks I had lost 22 lbs.
I’d lost 3 stones within 4 months.

I also found that my energy level had shot through the roof, My weight loss has been gradual and although I have lost 4 stones now and have a little more to go :)

I have found that I don’t suffer from migraines and headaches any more, I don’t have the pains in the joints and cramps in my limbs at night, or when I wake up in the morning.

I don’t suffer from the dizzy spells and light headed feeling I used to suffer.
When I do any activity I don’t run out of breath like I used to, in fact I now have so much more energy that I can now outlast my 2 year old daughter when it comes to any exercise or just simply jumping on the spot.

The energy and boost in my health from taking these products gave me the confidence and the ability to participate in this, years Herbalife 5k fun run in Cologne.

That’s amazing as a few months ago I could barely walk without feeling out of breath or suffering aches and pains in my joints. Exercise is something I hadn’t done for at least a good 5 years.

I've now lost a quarter of my body mass. I have lost 8 inches all round and that’s amazing.

I was a sceptic before I started the programme and like countless others before me I questioned how could tablets and powders help me and give me the results that I see others have achieved.
It must be a scam?

Nothing I have tried before has given me the results that I have experienced.

When I look in the mirror now I see a very different me and I’m happy with the man in the mirror looking back at me.

I now have control over my life and I have got my dignity and respect back more, importantly I have gained 7 years of my health back. My friends tell me I look great the more I shrink the younger I look. ☺

The products that I have taken are absolutely amazing, and I believe that giving your body the most fantastic optimised nutrition can change your life and that’s what these tablets and powders have done for me.

Herbalife don’t make any medical claims but all I can say is that the products are fantastic they do this and much more.

Yours in Health
Mohib Rahman
beslimnhealthy.com

Some beneficial Ahadith

2007-09-24T10:24:00.000+01:00

Someone sent me a hadith regarding reciting a dua to gain a number of rewards. I like to verify this stuff as the person who sent it has sent some questionable stuff in the past. So I checked on this site http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/. It was referencing a hadith from Sahih bukhari. You can search Sahih Bukhari and others on this site.

Anyway I found the hadith and I thought I'd share it with you. InshaAllah it will be beneficial, especially during this month of Ramadhan where rewards are magnified.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 412:
Allah's Apostle said," Whoever says: "La ilaha illal-lah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu-l-mulk wa lahu-l-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir," one hundred times will get the same reward as given for manumitting ten slaves; and one hundred good deeds will be written in his accounts, and one hundred sins will be deducted from his accounts, and it (his saying) will be a shield for him from Satan on that day till night, and nobody will be able to do a better deed except the one who does more than he."

Wow! That is phenomenal amount of rewards. 100 times said and all that reward. Now brothers and sisters, no need for implements to count these on (so put your abacus away). We have fingers. We can count 20 on one hand (the markings help) and we have another spare hand with five fingers on it. Even I can count up to a 100.

Then I saw the hadith following and boy oh boy more rewards for less work!

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 413:
Whoever recites it (i.e., the invocation in the above Hadith (412) ten times will be as if he manumitted one of Ishmael's descendants. Abu Aiyub narrated the same Hadith from the Prophet saying, "(Whoever recites it ten times) will be as if he had manumitted one of Ishmael's descendants."

Just 10 times!! I was now eager for more. So I read the next few ahadith:

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 414:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever says, 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi,' one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 415:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "There are two expressions which are very easy for the tongue to say, but they are very heavy in the balance and are very dear to The Beneficent (Allah), and they are, 'Subhan Allah Al-'Azim and 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi.'"

Now I'm beside myself (no its not just the fat shifting to oneside!). Just a couple of words and the scales are loaded.

Hadith 415, when speaking of balance, is referring to the scales on the day of judgement. And I've always been taught it the other way round - subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan Allahil-'Azim. Perhaps its in another hadith in the other ordering. Wa Allahu 'Alam!

So brothers and sisters, do plenty of Dhikr. Its easy to say and takes very little time out of your life. I often do some regular dhikr walking to the Masjid, which is five minutes walk away. Its amazing what you can do in 5 minutes! In Ramadhan it is recommended to recite "La illaha illah" and "Astaghfirullah" profusely and also to ask for Jannah (Heaven) and protection from Jahannam (Hell). One of the duas for this is "Allahumma Inee Asalukal Jannatul Ferdous, wa Auzubika min an-Nar".

The best thing about my highlighting these is that if anyone learns and practices these because of me, then I end up with a same reward they gain. If many people learn then I'm onto a winner. If they teach someone else then life is sweet. The best pyramid scheme in the whole world. This one has no negatives and can land you in Paradise for eternity, inshaAllah.

Of course its our beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhis salaam) who is at the peak of this pyramid. I ask Allah to shower uncountable peace and blessings upon him. (btw, each time you ask Allah to send blessings upon Muhammad - you get 10 rewards for it - and thus I thoroughly recommend continuous praising of him. One of the best ways is the Durood - "Allahumma Salli 'Ala Muhammad" and "Allahumma Barik 'Ala Muhammad")

May Allah ta'ala accept all our efforts in this month of Ramadhan, grant us Jannatul Firdous and save us from Jahannam. Ameen.

Ramadhan is here!

2007-09-07T17:40:00.000+01:00

Ramadhan is almost upon us. By next Friday we shall be fasting inshaAllah. Every year it seems to come around quicker. I love this month. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala allow us to benefit from this month. I will leave you with the following advice from a hadith:

Salmaan (RA) reports, "On the last day of Sha-baan Rasulullah (SAW) addressed us and said, '0 people there comes over you now a great month, a most blessed month in which lies a night more greater in virtue than a thousand months. It is a month in which Allah has made Fasting compulsory by day. And has made sunnah the Taraaweeh by night. Whosoever intends drawing near to Allah by performing any virtuous deed, for such person shall be the reward like the one who had performed a fardh in any other time. And whoever performs a fardh, shall be blessed with the reward of seventy faraa-idh in any other time.

This is indeed the month of patience, and the reward for true patience is Jannah (paradise). It is the month of sympathy with one's fellowmen. It is the month wherein a true believer's rizq is increased. Whosoever feeds another who fasted, in order to break the fast at sunset, for the feeder there shall be forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of Jahannam (hell), and for such feeder shall be the same reward as the one who Fasted (who he fed) without that persons reward being decreased in the least."

Thereupon we said, "0 messenger of Allah, not all of us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast." Rasulullah (SAW) replied, "Allah grants the same reward to the one who gives a fasting person to break the fast a mere date, or a drink of water, or a sip of milk."

"This is a month, the first of which brings Allah's mercy, the middle of which brings His forgiveness and the last of which brings emancipation from the fire of Jahan-nam."

"Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants (bonds-men) in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of Jahannam."

"And in this month four things you should continue to perform in great number, two of which shall be to please your Lord, while the other two shall be those without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to please your Lord, are that you should in great quantity bear witness that there is no deity to worship except Allah (i.e. recite the Kalimah Tayyibah Laa llaaha illallaah) and make much Istighfaar beg Allah's forgiveness with Astagirfirul-laah)." And as for those without which you cannot do, you should beg of Allah, entrance into paradise and ask refuge in Him from Jahannam."

"And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink, Allah shall grant that giver to drink from My fountain, such a drink where after that person shall never again feel thirsty until he enters Jannah."

Reported by ibn Khuzaimah in his 'Saheeh

Bob is fat!

2007-09-07T15:56:00.000+01:00

Shock! Horror! Tee hee hee!

It will come as no surprise to my friends and family that I am fat. Unfortunately I currently weigh in at 12st 4lbs (172lbs/78kg). Ok, so some of you are thinking - so what! That's nothing.

Well Bob is only 5ft 2ins tall (157.5 cm), and being the weight I am puts me in the clinically obese category (a BMI of 31.5 - healthy range is 18-25). So I'm supposed to be around 36lbs (16kg) lighter. Imagine that 16 bags (1kg) of sugar! Hmmm - until now I hadn't pictured that in my head.

Anyway there will be many weight related blog entries in future. For now let me plug my friend Mohibs site (beslimnhealthy.com). Now he too is overweight. He has lost quite a few pounds whilst on the program he is also advising on. See before and after pics ....

Before, with his lovely daughter Jameelah.

And after .... He is still at it and hoping to lose more weight, inshaAllah.

His weight loss is due to the products from Herbalife. He has a mentor (and is also one himself) who advises him. He has lost the weight in 4 months and looks a lot better. I call him the "Great Bear" - cos he is a big guy even without the weight.

Herbalife products work. But like all programmes for weight loss, you have to be careful as you may bounce back once you finish the program. The only way to permanently ensure the weight stays off is through changing your lifestyle by exercising and eating a healthily. This is where mentors can help and you would be in good hands with Mohib.

As for me, I have my own ideas regarding weight loss. I will expound upon it in further entries. I think that if you are overweight you need to adopt a better lifestyle. I think that by following the Sunnah (way) of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam), this can be achieved. To lose excess weight however, one may need some help - so try the products peddled by the Great Bear. Obviously he is practicing what he is preaching and it works (as seen above). I'm considering it myself.

I used to be over 13st (182lbs/82.5kg) last year. Since I tried changing my lifestyle I dropped almost a stone (1 stone = 14lbs/6.4kg) in weight. My current target is to lose 36lbs (16kg) more. The problem is I haven't been consistent with the sunnah methods but managed to keep the weight off.

Anyway go check out Mohibs website. I already use one of the products from the site, its a moisturiser made from Aloe Vera (and other ingredients). It seems to be working fine on some patches of dry skin I have due to eczema.

Until next time ...

Ibby the pirate

2007-08-28T15:57:00.000+01:00

On a trip to Thorpe Park, my son Ibrahim (2yrs old) went on the "Galleons Race" ride with his sister Naimah and cousin Yasin. We were waiting for the others to return from the rollercoaster (The Colossus).

I know pirates have eye patches, this little pirate has a dummy in his mouth and keeps saying "Fell!" after going on the rides. He didn't fall of course, it was the rides going up and down :P

In the past I would have been gutted for not having the chance to go on the big rides. However having been on many such rides throughout my teens, I didn't feel so bad. Besides watching the kids enjoying themselves was a treat in itself (Man I'm getting old!).

Trying to drag Ibby off the rides was a pain though, he didn't want to get off. Yes, he is as cheeky as he looks! He was born prematurely (at 28 weeks) and is small for his age. Not that its a problem, he would be small for his age anyway 'cos his parents aren't too big either (ok so I'm 16kg overweight but you know what I mean).

My daughter Naimah on the other hand was bored with the kiddie rides. However she was too small for the big rides the others had gone on, we made sure we found rides she could enjoy. But that left one of us to look after Ibby, which is not an easy task when his sister is getting on big rides he can't.

A good day out overall, though it had rained on the way there and remained gloomy all day. Good old British summer!

Family day out

2007-08-10T10:42:00.000+01:00

On monday 6th, took the family on a trip Chessington World of Adventures. My daughter was really looking forward to it and was excited. My son loved the zoo part and also some open space where he chased the pigeons around. He didn't care so much about the rides that we took him on.

My daughter got on as many rides as we could fit in and she was allowed on. My wife and I took turns to take her on them. One of us would look after my son, which is no easy task as he likes to run around and generally goes in the opposite direction to you. He wanted to go on the rides with his sister and cried when he couldn't.

Children can play quite easily without needing much. So while I waited with my son, he was climbing up some steps, hanging off railings and generally exploring the place under my supervision. Just to hear his laughter whilst chasing the pigeons was worth the trip. When he saw the animals he was fascinated. He loves cats, my neighbours opposite have a cat which he plays with. But I think he is fond of anything cute. I remember my daughter was just as fascinated when she was his age and we took her to London Zoo.

To see the world through a child's eyes is fascinating. They are seeing everything for the first time. Their reactions are pure and they express it. When my son so these tiny little monkeys his reaction was "Aaaww!". He found them to be really cute.

For my daughter it was good because she finally got to go on a family trip during her summer holidays. For one reason or another it has been difficult the last few years for me to take time off. This year I made a point of it. Mind you, last year she went to Egypt for her uncles wedding, so I don't know what she's complaining about! :)

For me it was worth it to see the kids happy (and the wife as well). The next day we went to a local park for a few hours and my son appeared to enjoy that just as much as the day before. My daughter was okay with it but having her ears pierced made her day.

Summer days of childhood

2007-08-03T17:37:00.000+01:00

I was having a IM (Instant Messenger) conversation with my brother. Actually we talk more virtually then we do face to face. We're rarely together for long physically. I thought an edited version of our conversation might be an interesting diversion. We tend to jump from topic to topic. The chats are sometimes held over hours, as we are often busy working. So its not as instant as one would imagine.

Naturally I've changed my name to "Bob-ul-Islam". But my brothers remains, his name is already on the blog anyway. I've cut out the initial greeting and started at the point where we discuss not having any time.

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

lol, sometimes i have to, cos there is sooo much to do

Bob-ul-Islam says:

what u wanna do is slow down time

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

yeah fly into space and spin around the world like clark and hope to slow and reverse things

Bob-ul-Islam says:

Clark Kent doesn't exist, its just Superman in disguise. And his name is Kal-el or something

Bob-ul-Islam says:

or was it Jor-el

Bob-ul-Islam says:

can't remember

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

kal-el I think, sounds like a hebrew name

Bob-ul-Islam says:

no it must be arabic - khalil

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

lol probably

Bob-ul-Islam says:

I'm not so sure spinning the Earth back would actually work

Bob-ul-Islam says:

You'd have to spin the whole Universe back

Bob-ul-Islam says:

anyway heres the article regarding slowing down time - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6926500.stm

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

ah, very true points made W. James

Bob-ul-Islam says:

of course you really can't slow it down, time appears to be fairly constant

Its all about perception

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

Taylor says time is related to how much "information" someone is taking in from the world around them.

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

yeah, perception

Bob-ul-Islam says:

summer days - hours of sun, playing with friends, out gathering blackberries in closed off areas with corrugated iron - we used to call them "zongal". All have been built up

Bob-ul-Islam says:

reading book on the steps of our block of flats as my friends disappear to do things I wasn't allowed to do. Still the daily visits to the library were good

Bob-ul-Islam says:

I was well into escapism - my mind occupied with stories from the imagination of others

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

oh the memories eh

Bob-ul-Islam says:

ah the feel of the sun on my skin, the days seemed long and eternal

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

yeah, they sure did

Bob-ul-Islam says:

endless days before school opened

Bob-ul-Islam says:

sometimes lonely days - sat on that step watching sadly as my friends leave me behind.

Bob-ul-Islam says:

Fasting during the summer - now that was interesting. Thats when I started fasting. I was 10 years old when I did the whole lot

Bob-ul-Islam says:

Taraweeh finished way after midnight

Bob-ul-Islam says:

being shaken awake by mum - and then subsequently being fed by her as she was afraid I would fast without eating. Waking up for suhoor an hour so after you'd just got to bed was no fun

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

woah

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

oh yeah

Bob-ul-Islam says:

sleeping at the back of the masjid during taraweeh, only to be awakened by this nice guy who would make sure I woke up for witr

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

lol

Bob-ul-Islam says:

I can't remember who he was but may allah reward him greatly for it

Bob-ul-Islam says:

dad had no idea, he used to be in the front rows

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

ha ha

Bob-ul-Islam says:

other years skipping the last few rakahs to go watch "V" - a sci fi show at Faizul Hoques house. His parents were the only ones who would allow them to watch TV so late

Bob-ul-Islam says:

that ended once mum and dad found out of course!

Bob-ul-Islam says:

V were these mice eating aliens that invaded earth

Bob-ul-Islam says:

it still shows it on the sci-fi channel I think but now it looks well dated

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

lol

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

real joker you

Bob-ul-Islam says:

hey maybe I should post this conversation on my blog

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

yeah, would be nice

Bob-ul-Islam says:

would have to change my name though - I haven't revealed it on the blog yet - not that anyone reads it other than family and a couple of friends

Bob-ul-Islam says:

I've updated it recently

Bob-ul-Islam says:

what was your blog again?

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

blog.visualdhikr.com

Bob-ul-Islam says:

btw, Jor-el was supermans father

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

mine are rarely personal, mostly on islamic art topics

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

you googled didnt you!

Bob-ul-Islam says:

no - I just remember

Bob-ul-Islam says:

I recall the scene in Superman 2 where those criminals trapped inside glass land on Earth

Bob-ul-Islam says:

It is the one where one of them demands "Son of Jor-el kneel before Zod!" or something like that

Bob-ul-Islam says:

although I do often google things now. My friend Kashif calls it Shaykh Google

ruh / uk // visualdhikr.com says:

lol

Hmmm, perhaps not as interesting as all that. It just shows a typical silly conversation. Reference to the sci-fi mini-series "V" shows my age sadly. The point of our conversation was the lack of and the passage of time. I recently read an article about slowing down time by actually making the most of it. Unfortunately we do not and we are often neglectful and waste time. The world is a place full of distractions.

When you are a child summer holidays used to stretch on forever. I used to love school and so wished I could return but also enjoyed having all that time with my nose buried in my books of fiction. Somehow it didn't include much of the classics - you know Dickens, Shakespeare and the like. I was more into CS Lewis, Tolkien, and others.

My initial favourites were by Enid Blyton. I loved all the series she wrote and I think that they are still very good childrens stories. Of course it was only later that my English teacher pointed out the racist viewpoint (e.g golliwogs etc) and even homophobia (references of Big Ears and Noddy going to bed together). As I child surrounded by racists I didn't actually find any of Enid Blytons stuff offensive. I still don't. I think she is a product of her time and the references are minimal and hardly worth rejecting the amazing stories for. As for Homophobia. Thats plain ridiculous in my opinion - kids don't think like that. These were toys for goodness sake!

Anyway I soon moved onto other genres and more adult books. I loved sci-fi, fantasy, thrillers and horror. I enjoyed books written by writers such as Stephen King, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, David Eddings, David Gemmell and a whole host of others that I've forgotten names of or can't remember them right now.

I don't read much fiction any more. Unfortunately it does waste a lot of time and I am trying to focus on other aspects of my life and read up more on my religion.

Ah, summer days! *swans off down memory lane*

How Bob gave up smoking

2007-08-02T14:51:00.000+01:00

The smoking ban (in public places) has been in full swing in England for a month now. Many people have tried to give up smoking and some have succeeded. I used to be a smoker averaging about 15 a day. More if I was with my friends who also used to smoke. I had promised to my wife that I would give up smoking before my daughter was born. However it was a stressful period and I didn't make the attempt.

It was when I moved to my current house and my daughters birthday was approaching that I attempted it. Prior to this there was an anti-smoking campaign during Ramadan at East London Mosque. Its when my non-smoking friends learned about the quranic ayah:

O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful! [4:29]

The second part of the ayah ("... Nor kill (or destroy) ...") they memorised in arabic and would recite it to us (the smokers) every time we lit up. This was used in the campaign. It did have some effect. At this point the people I hung out with were mostly non-smokers. We didn't go to pubs and so most of the environments were smoke free. We had to go outside to smoke (now a common sight in London).

When I moved to my house I decided that I was going to give up. I used my daughters birthday as my target date, in order to fulfil the promise I had made to my wife. So I did what I always do when I want to learn about something. I Google it. I read up on giving up smoking from ex-smokers. I found that overall the most effective solution was to go cold turkey. I was against having to buy patches or gum to give up smoking. My uncle had tried that and became addicted to the gum and had to return to smoking to give up the more expensive habit.

Of course if patches work for you then great. For me it was to be cold turkey and will power. I prepared myself. Fortunately at the time my closest friend also decided to give up. If anyone could use sheer willpower to give up - that would be him. Stubborn git that he is! :D

There was also a brother at work who decided that he too would give up smoking (I still work with him in my current company). So we all set the target date for my daughters birthday. In preparation "The Fort" (something we call my friend) decided to cut down. He actually stopped a full day before us.

I recall that in preparation an ex-smoker (sadly I didn't keep the link to his page) advised that smokers should focus on the taste, smell etc. whilst smoking their cigarette. He said that after the first drag we forgot about how the cigarette tasted, we just puffed away. He suggested that a smoker light up the cigarette and taking a few long drags and focusing on how it felt and tasted. Soon you realise it doesn't taste so good. Actually when I did try this I kinda cut down automatically.

Apart from the nicotine addiction, smoking is actual a bad habit. We have many different habits associated with smoking. Whenever I had a coffee, I used to spark up. After dinner was another point - it feels very satisfying to smoke after eating. I would smoke when waiting for a bus, train etc. When I got off at my destination. Before and after lunch and so on.

In the end I had to change these other habits in order to break my habit. It helped that I set a date for giving up, it helped focus us.

When the day arrived I went through a ceremony where my wife and I destroyed my cigarettes. I also prepared friends and family - hoping to get their support and their understanding.

The first 48 hours were very difficult. I was okay at work but when I got home, where my smoking was not controlled normally, I got very irritable. My wife begged me to return to smoking. However after about 10 days it got easier. It takes around 72 hours for the nicotine to leave your system - or so I've read. In any case I became less irritable.

Food began to taste very good. I had prepared for this as well but still couldn't help stuffing myself. I stopped coughing up a lung every morning. My snoring reduced. Suddenly I could smell smoke everywhere. I couldn't believe how unpleasant a smell it really is.

I recall praying in the mosque and a brother comes and joins the prayer standing right next to me. He had obviously just had a cigarette, something I used to do myself. He really did stink of fags. I suddenly felt guilty. After salah (prayer) was over I met up with my friends and apologised to them for the years I spent disturbing their salah because of this horrible smell.

My house was also smoke free. All of a sudden the air was clean. My fingers no longer stank, my hair, my clothing, my breath. Actually I'm surprised my wife put up with it. I guess you get used to these things.

At the time my father also gave up, and so whenever I visited my family no one was smoking. My mum used to have the sneaky fag too but she had already given it up. So my daughter was finally in a smoke free environment 99% of the time. My father in law still smokes and that's the only time they are in a smoky environment. I'm surprised how affected I am by it. I often sit near him whenever we visit.

The days have rolled into weeks, months and now years. Its been over six years since I've given up. I have not touched cigarettes. In fact a few months back I did have a smoke, it was shisha. I only tried it because my non-smoking friends are suddenly into it. They were under the impression it wasn't as bad as smoking cigarettes because the tobacco was flavoured and the smoke was purified as it came through the water.

Of course they are completely wrong, it is smoking and it can be worse then smoking cigarettes! I reminded them of the times they were critical of my smoking and told them to stop.

Scholars are now saying that smoking is Haram (forbidden). This is because the ill effects on health are now well researched. In the past they used to say it was makruh (disliked) and couldn't prove that it was dangerous to health because there were heavy smokers who lived a long time. I knew a guy who used to smoke 60 a day and died in his 70s, peacefully at home.

I am of that view now, that it is indeed haram. However since there is that leniency in the older ruling, I am going to go easy on my brethren. However, they should not smoke at all, no matter what form, flavours and smells it comes in. Shisha has a more pleasant smell due to the perfume and flavours added to it. This doesn't make it any healthier though.

Of course I chose the will power route, in my opinion the best method. Ultimately you have to really want to give up smoking. Otherwise all methods will fail.

So some tips:

1. Set a date to stop smoking, make it a close date but not too close that you feel the pressure.

2. Avoid going to the places you used to smoke in, at least for the first few days. I stayed away from the smoking spot (a balcony at work) for a long time.

3. Break strong associations. I stopped drinking coffee because I used to spark up every time I had one. I started drinking a lot of water at this point. The health benefits of that is amazing. I got rid of smokers bad skin very quickly and my skin began to feel nice. Note: You don't have to drink 2 litres a day, just drink enough. I sometimes drank a bit too much and felt weird. Of course be prepared for many trips to the loo :)

4. Tell all your friends and relatives you are giving up and to be patient with you. This is very important. Most people will be very understanding and supportive. My wife was happy I was giving up but hated the fact that I was so irritable. Fortunately this didn't last too long.

5. Watch your weight. This is a problem. Suddenly your tongue is not coated in tar and 400 different chemicals found in a cigarette. Your taste buds return with a vengeance. Perhaps exercise would be a good option.

6. Occupy your hands and mind. You need will power to give up but its not easy. There will be times when you will be dreaming about smoking.

7. In preparation, light a cigarette, take a long drag and feel the smoke going into your lungs. Does it feel good? Does it taste good? Take six more drags and try to focus on the taste and feel. You will find that you don't like the taste anymore. On the whole most smokers switch off after the first satisfying puff. Then its habitual and we keep taking the cancer stick to our lips without even noticing the effects.

8. Make your home a smoke free zone. If any guests want to smoke, tell them (politely) to go outside.

9. Calculate the amount of money you have saved throughout the year by not smoking. IT will shock you. I saved £1200 in the first year, however cigarettes were far cheaper in 2001. A typical pack of 20 cigarettes that I used to smoke now costs £5.29 (I looked it up at Tescos). That means on my average 15 a day it would cost me approximately £1450 a year. £120 a month. You could easily sign up for a Gym membership and why not save the rest towards a family holiday?

I know you can buy cheaper cigarettes. These are worse then the ones you can buy in the UK. I've tried them and they seem to be a lot rougher. I used to buy the same brand when in Bangladesh and it used to be worse. So you may save some money but its even worse for you.

It takes ten years for a smokers lungs to become like non-smokers lungs. Everyday you don't smoke is a victory. Eventually you and those around you forget that you ever smoked. Your senses are normal again and you can smell the foul smelling, toxic (400 toxic chemicals), life sapping cancer stick.

The smoking ban has made little difference to me. I don't go to pubs or clubs. Restaurants always had a non-smoking section. However its nice to not have to passively smoke as they are now banned at train station platforms. Of course many flout the rules but its not as bad as it was.

Go ahead, set the date. Give it up. Its good for you and those around you. You save money and regain good health. Best of all the government doesn't get even more money off you through taxation.

The best laid plans of mice and men ...

2007-07-30T12:10:00.000+01:00

No one ever seems to finish the sentence of the title of this blog. It is an oft used phrase to indicate that no matter how well something is planned, things can and do go wrong with it.

The complete phrase is "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry". It is an adaptation of Robert Burns (A Scottish poet) poem which states: "The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley."

Actually the phrase often reminds me of the classic book "Of Mice and men" by John Steinbeck. We studied at school and I loved it because it was so well written and made me ask so many questions. I absolutely loved the character Lenny and the way they used the language. I still have a copy of the book at home somewhere, might wonder down memory lane and read it again.

Actually the reason I recalled the phrase was because I was intending to write a regular blog with entries from news items and articles that were of interest to me.
I regularly collect them, normally from the BBC News website. I have 111 entries to date and it was my intention to at least write a blog per article or subject matter. Some of it is no longer current. I will list them below, in case you are interested. I made some initial observations about the news article - some of which I will post others I will just simply modify and make more relevant.

You might want to read from the following if you are having trouble sleeping. Otherwise you might simply be a freak like me and actually find it interesting. It would also reveal the kind of things I am curious about. I'm not so sure its good to share this ...

The articles start from 22/11/05 and end with the latest entry from 12/07/07. This might end up being a very long blog! So lets begin:

Neglect Leaves a physical mark
An article about how young children neglected can lead to physical as well as psychological damage. It is one of the many reasons why I am grateful that my wife does not work and provides this essential care for our children. I am fortunate in that regard. Although the society in which I live make this very difficult. It is increasingly difficult for couples to live on a single income in this country and the government is eager to get both parents out working as well. This does not bode well for our society. We need to have children who are stable as they are our future. I am a firm believer in the fact that stable families make for stable communities, which in turn makes the society more stable. Sadly all around us we see many dysfunctional families, and this is due mostly to our modern lifestyle.

Investigating the 'death metal' murders
I found this scary and my comment at the time was: "Looks as though they are seeking to fill the emptiness left by a spiritual void...". Obviously I was going to write something regarding the lack of guidance of Allah ta'ala here. I guess my short comment made then will have to suffice.

Romantic love 'lasts just a year'
"Research has suggested that romantic love fades after a few years and becomes companionate love and it seems certain biological factors play a role." [quote from article]

I think this is the experience of most people. I thought at the time that this proves that the western concept of love often found in literature, films etc. is something that is unattainable. It could explain why a lot of people do not stay together because the initial stages of a relationship are great. I remember, having grown up with such stuff I was expecting this from a relationship and thought that an arranged marriage could not provide this. However it does, I am happily (well most of the time) married and I do love my wife. We had that first year where there was that initial bonding and the years that followed (it is now 9 years), it has grown to something more deeper. Alhamdulillah.

Another this article reminded me of was the quranic ayat: "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect. " [30:21]

The Stans
This is a look at the countries that end in stan (Pakistan, Tajikistan etc). I was looking through it and thought that Allah has blessed the Muslim lands (which all of the stans are) with so much natural mineral wealth and yet these are amongst the poorest of countries. Why is this the case? Well I was going to explore this a bit more but don't have time now. Certainly it is a test from Allah subhana wa ta'ala. He tests us with riches and also with poverty. Unfortunately we are not passing the test, because our reliance is not on Allah but on worldly things.

Teen travels beyond tourism
This is an article about an American girl who travels all over the world and her perspective about going on a trip to Pakistan and manages to dispel some common misconceptions about Muslim women being oppressed.

Ancient drought 'changed history'
I love reading about ancient civilisations and discoveries. I try to see if such findings tally with quranic and biblical accounts of history. The quran doesn't provide full stories and the biblical accounts are often written by someone who used their limited knowledge of science of the day. Please note the quran has been found to be accurate with many scientific references. However it doesn't always give a full story except for the story of Yusuf (Joseph - peace be upon him). Maybe this was linked to that story because it spoke of a severe drought.

I sometimes commented on the articles when I emailed the links to myself. My comment was: "Note this story contains reference to the early small group of humans that we are all descended from and a reason why they spread out is said to be due to drought.I find it interesting because they refer to the theory as the "Eve" theory but in terms of Evolution."

I don't like the Theory of Evolution being taken as fact. The Theory is yet to be proven and hasn't been so far. Even if it was proven, it wouldn't change my view that Allah created everything. How he did it is another matter. In the quran when referring to creation states that all God says is "Be and it is". The universe is an amazing thing and it is difficult for me to see people denying intelligent design behind it. How can all that come by chance? I mean if we see a pile of bricks, we don't think "ah that happened by itself". Someone put it there. Then how can we look at the universe and simply think that it happened by chance?

Woman's scent can lure or repel
The summary states: "A woman's body odour changes to make her more attractive when fertile and less when not, scientists say."

I've always known this and I am happy that scientists have proven this. What this reminded me of is the hadith that stated that women should not wear (strong) perfume and also to not wear it when attending Isha prayer (night prayer).

Zainab Thaqafiya reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When any one of you (women) participates in the 'Isha' prayer, she should not perfume herself that night.
[Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 0892]

Narrated Imran ibn Husayn:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: I do not ride on purple, or wear a garment dyed with saffron, or wear shirt hemmed with silk. Pointing to the collar of his shirt al-Hasan (al-Basri) said: The perfume used by men should have an odour but no colour, and the perfume used by women should have a colour but no odour.
Sa'id said: I think he said: They interpreted his tradition about perfume used by women as applying when she comes out. But when she is with her husband, she may use any perfume she wishes.
[Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 32, Number 4037]

Finding articles like the above explain why such ahadith are there. Islam is a religion that requires modesty from men and women. If women have a natural alluring smell and on top of that apply perfume it makes them even more attractive to men. This is a very distracting thing for men who are supposed to be focused on their prayers. This is also another reason why men and women don't pray side by side because the focus of the prayer may be lost. It is also the reason for modest modes of dress, loose fitting clothing and head coverings. This fits with the traditions of Christianity and Judaism. Christian women are (were) required to cover their heads in church and Jewish women have separate place away from the men in their synagogue.

Of course such things also help reduce adultery, which causes a lot of problems as explored often in our TV soaps as well as being witnessed in real life. It is a major source of family break up. As stated before, strong families make for strong communities. Break up the family units, you break up the society. Sadly this is the situation we face today in all our communities.

Lets be frank, Allah has created women to be attractive to men. As men we like them in all shapes and sizes. That is why there is a lot of wisdom in men and women covering up except for their spouses. As one scholar pointed out, you see all these posters of semi-nude women and you go home and your wife isn't like that. Your heart is going to desire the impossible. It is best to lower your gaze and turn it to your wife and be grateful for the bounties of God.

Oh, btw. Women are not required to pray during the menses and so would not attend the mosque for prayers.

Hmmm, I have a lot to say on this subject and don't have enough time to do it justice here. For those interested in articles regarding women in Islam, try Gender Equity in Islam by Jamal Badawi as a starting point.

Who lives, who dies in the jungle?
An article on extinct, dwindling and thriving species of animals. Another area that is of concern for all of us. It is clear that as humans we have had a huge impact on the natural habitats of other creatures we share this world with. According to Islamic tradition, human beings were created by God to serve as vice-regents (Khalifahs) or caretakers of this world. So in a sense it is our duty as Muslims to take care of our environment. So come on people, get recycling, be more green (incidentally one of the favourite colours of Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wassalaam)).

Ultimately it is Allah who decides who lives and who dies.

Stress sparks 'male foetus death'
Interesting article regarding the rejection of weak foetuses. I just find it interesting. Of course here we could go into a discussion on Polygamy (or polgyny to be precise) in Islam. But I wont. It'll be too lengthy. See reference to Gender Equity in Islam for more information.

Turkish toil brings new form of faith
My initial comments on this article were: "This story seems to imply that Islam is against free markets and business! And one of the ppl interviewed also suggests that people shouldn't work only for the hereafter (a very secular tone) but for the here and now. Again Islam is not against it but this is implied! It is very sad that Muslims do not realise that Islam is a holistic way of life that caters for everything! :("

The only thing I'll add here is that, especially to my brothers and sisters, please research what Islam says about things. The rules regarding trading and other financial aspects are clearly defined. Just because you remain ignorant of it doesn't mean it isn't there already. To claim something is better, one needs to demonstrate showing that which came before.

Italian women shun 'mamma' role
This speaks of Italian women shunning having children because they can't cope with a career and children and are also afraid of not being able to provide for their children.

As Muslims we know that all provision is from Allah and our teachings state that we should not avoid having children thinking that we cannot provide for them. Allah will provide. Also if we follow the sunnah (way/example of the prophet) we should be able to overcome most of the other problems mentioned in the article. It seems that the mothers role was seen as one that was oppressed and lacked equality, but now it would be more a liberation of women if they could return to the role not having financial worries and being able to fulfill their natural roles. I am not saying women should not work. They should also have the option to not work. The role of a mother is far more important then our modern society gives it credit for.

As this is getting very long, I will stop it here. We have reached article from 27/06/06. I still have 99 more in my "interesting" email folder. Watch out for "The best laid plans of mice and men part II" in the near future, inshallah.

On my bike!

2007-07-30T10:34:00.000+01:00

July has been eventful. I did a 26 mile Bikeathon for charity on July 15th 2007. I did it last year but couldn't finish it. This is because of many reasons. Firstly I am overwieght, I am currently 2 stones heavier than I should be. Last year that was closer to 3 stones. On top of that I had not ridden a bike in probably a good 12 years or so. I did no training prior to the event only purchasing the bike a few days before the event (I didn't even own one!). I did 18 miles in all that day, 4 miles of it getting there. I made the mistake of riding from the train station. This year I drove :)

Anyway last year my legs couldn't manage it anymore. This year instead of doing 26 miles I ended up doing over 30 miles. It was a struggle setting off initially. It was a beautiful day, much like the year before. I was struggling for several reasons. My seat was too low, I didn't have the gears set correctly (my last bike was a BMX that didn't have any gears) and my tyres were not fully pumped up.

My gears were sorted out by a brother who was a friend of my boss (also a brother) after we started out. I tried to sort out my saddle but it kept slipping down. A fellow Bikeathon rider stopped me and advised me to raise my saddle. I did and found that it was simple to lock it in place. When I got to the halfway point I decided to get my tires pumped up. However I couldn't find the guys who did that as the halfway point had huge crowds and I just wanted to continue. I headed off and after a mile or so my legs started to cramp up and hurting like the year before. I got off my bike and walked with it. It was better this year and I was able to ride and walk when I couldn't. This meant it was painfully slow.

At this point I received a call from one of the brothers (who is also my boss) as they had already finished. He was concerned that I was struggling. He told me that he would drop off the bikes in his car and come back for me. I didn't want him to but this was at a time when I was waking and my legs were protesting. So I agreed that he should go drop his bikes off and give me a call - see if I want him to come pick me up.

Now even the stragglers were leaving me behind. There was a mother and son who were riding slowly and would occasionally pass me but then when I got on the bike I would pass them. Anyway I finally got to the last refreshment point, there was only 6.5 miles remaining at this point. I got the guy to pump up my tyres. He also looked at my saddle and said it was the right height for me now and advised me to change my tyres if I rode the bike on the road - mine were more suited to off road.

I tried riding on them and it was great. I was able to ride. Suddenly I was zooming along - This part of the ride was along a path by the River Thames. Unfortunately I missed a turning that would result in my ending up in Richmond Park and a ride through to the finish line. This is because hardly anyone else remained on the bike ride and instead of taking a left I continued straight ahead. This took me an extra 5 miles or so along the river side.

I received a call from the brother asking me where I was and whether he should pick me up. I had already passed the halfway point and was riding okay and told him I'd finish even if I had to crawl. I updated him later after I got home on the ride. He was very relieved.

I kept asking people along the way whether it was the way to Ham (Ham Common was where the start/finish line was). Those who were locals told me it was, of course they didn't know I was taking the long way round! I was getting a little concerned as I knew it shouldn't be taking this long. However I was riding very well at this point, the adjustment to the bike and those off-road tyres more suitable for the dirt track I was riding was a great help. Of course occasionally people looked at me curiously. A short fat bearded bloke on bike looking worried and muttering to himself (I was praying to Allah, begging him to let me get to the finish line this year :)).

However the people in the area, more your middle class well educated types, were very helpful and kind. Eventually I came to a point where a sign said Richmond Hill. I remembered that from having driven to the start point earlier - that was another reason I had to finish, my car was at the finish line!

I had to carry my bike up a flight of stairs up to Richmond Hill. At this point I was about 3 miles from the finish line. I rode a little harder than before dodging traffic and people. I eventually got to the finish line coming from the wrong direction. Anyway the woman at the finish line handed me 2 medals (you get one for finishing) saying I deserved them. I was the last person they were handing these out to, but I wasn't the last to finish. I was just relieved to finish, Alhamdulillah.

I drove home pleasantly surprised that my legs were not in a worse state, as they were last year. Of course Allah answered my duas and I finished. We also raised about £300 for Leaukemia Research.

It got me thinking, maybe I could ride to work. You know get healthy, be greener, save money. So I looked up the route using Google maps. Its 17.5 miles direct through the city (London)! At the rate I was doing the bike ride that would take me almost 3 hours to get to work! Needless to say my plans for that were immediately scaled back. I might ride back from work on a friday just to see what its like, of course I can always catch the train should I find it too difficult!

House renovations are complete!
My house is now complete alhamdulillah. Okay so curtains need to be hung, pictures put up and a few other finishing touches remain. Of course procrastination prevails and I've been putting off most non-essential jobs. This is something I really have to rectify and soon! I need to tackle my procrastination, but you know what, I'm still procrastinating about that one. Once I start a job I'm fine, I tend to do a good enough job but to get me going is a mission.

Reminds me of school reports. It can be summed up with "Could do better, if he applies himself". Who knows I could have come up with the killer application by now, made my millions. As many of family and friends know, I'm not short of ideas. The problem is, I'm too busy procrastinating to get things accomplished. I mean I have known to frustrate my teachers. They see this potential that is not realised fully by me. I remember a teacher who used to teach me computer programming (the languages were pascal and COBOL). She knew I could code but my theory side used to let me down, thats because I wasn't interested too much in that aspect and didn't really spend time to revise before exams.

Same with my arabic teacher. He could see that I have the ability to pick up stuff quickly. The problem is I didn't put in the work necessary. Now my lessons are on a Saturday and I can't make them most of the time as it is the day I do shopping and go see people.

Ramadan approaches, I need to get on my bike in regards to getting on with things. Please make dua.

fi amanillah,
Bob.

Can't see the wood for the trees ...

2007-06-15T17:16:00.001+01:00

Assalaamu alaikum,

If there is anyone out there (other than family) that reads my blog, I apologise for not writing something in it since March. Busy with matters of the world. In recent weeks I've been getting my house renovated - new kitchen, bathroom, boiler, and other such stuff. It has been a stressful time, one that has disrupted life for the entire family, has caused me to fall behind at work and also to deal with the characters that the builder I hired has in turn hired.

As I write this entry I remember the actions are judge by intentions hadith.

It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu'minin, Abu Hafs 'Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:

"Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

I am reminded of this because we have had people commenting on what we are doing, most are good, some are negative. In some cases, very good people displayed the ugliness of envy. There is the one upmanship attitude and the "keeping up with the Joneses". Others, who are not encumbered by such things have said how good everything will look when it is done.

So what is my intention? Why am I decorating my house? Who is it for?

Good questions. For me it is because when I bought the house six years ago, it was in much need of TLC. Unfortunately back then I was in debt and had barely bought the place. We did some decorating in the interim, had our living room skimmed and painted it, painted the halway and then some carpetting. It was to get rid of some of the old stuff left from our dog loving former owners who were known to often get drunk. We couldn't afford to do much else.

Actually almost 2 years ago - the living room ceiling fell. A result of the skimming I had done. It had caused the ceiling to be heavy and a crack had developed so after four years it collapsed. Nearly landed on my family. I had just left for work. SubhanAllah! They were all okay, although shaken. My brother kindly loaned me the money to have it the ceiling replaced. Unfortunately I owed him more money as a little while back I had been made redundant and he had helped me pay my mortgage for a few months until I got a job. May Allah reward him greatly for the patience he has shown as I only recently paid him off.

It is indeed the mercy of Allah ta'ala that he was able to do so. If you compare his salary with mine, you will be surprised to find that the amount of tax I pay a month is almost equivalent to what he takes home a month! He works for a supermarket chain and works in various places - currently as a person who greets the customers. I have not thanked him enough for his help and for the delay in paying him back. If your reading this mate, may Allah reward you greatly for you came to the rescue just when I needed it and I have not expressed my gratitude. May Allah give me the ability to return the favour.

Here I am buried deep in the worldly tasks, stressing about builders not coming to do the work or not doing it right. Here I am beautifying my house in this world. As the work draws to an end, I'm thinking about my intentions and about our eternal abode.

My intentions in spending so much money on my house have been clear to me from the start. I'm doing it update the house, to make it look nice for my family - especially my wife, who has been waiting for this a long time, to do it so that it lasts us a good many years that we get our moneys worth from it. I am doing it for myself and not to show off, a fact I keep reminding my wife when she hears others putting down what we are doing. I keep asking her "Do you like it?", and her answers always in the affirmative. Then that is all that matters, I keep telling her. It matters little what others think because we are doing it for ourselves and not them.

Alhamdulillah, by the grace and mercy of Allah I am able to beautify my house. He has given me the tawfiq to do so and I have been a most ungrateful of servants. I am in a position where I have a house that has more then doubled in value since I bought it, I have a young family who are in good health, two beautiful children, a beautiful wife and more than enough to live upon.

I am indeed blessed as millions around the world go to bed hungry, have no roof over their heads, do not know where family members are, have nothing. Allah has chosen to test them in that manner.

Perspective is an amazing thing, though we often neglect it. We are so busy that we cannot see the wood (forest) for the trees. We need to take a step back and review our lives. Stacked up against many people who are now suffering in places like Darfur and other spots in the world, our suffering is nothing. In fact when you put it in perspective, it is merely irritation at best.

This lesson of perspective is wholly in line with the teachings of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa aalihi wassalaam). He advises us to look at those who are in a worse situation then us. It makes us grateful for what Allah has given us.

So when I show my friends the results of my renovations, I will be fighting off any pride that I may feel because I have to remember those who have nothing and instead count my blessings and praise my sustainer, Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

In the past few weeks I have not been able to attend the masjid to pray very often. It feels to me as though, while I beautify my house in this world, the one in the hereafter is in disrepair. While the difficulties of this world distract me, I am neglectful of my final resting place.

Who will beautify my house in Jannah? May Allah indeed make us and you (reader) a denizen of paradise. For there is no gaurantee that we will reach it, and our final home may be Jahannam (hell).

A very important dua, that seems so fitting now:

La Illaha Illa Anta Subhanaka Inni Kuntum Min az-zalmin.
(None has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah), Glorified (and Exalted) are You. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers.)
[surah Al-Anbiya; 21: 87]

Now, from my moments of reflection I head off to those builders who were supposed to be finished last Sunday ... it is now Friday and it will probably be the following wednesday before they finish everything ...

But in every delay there has been a blessing, and in every test a lesson learned. Just hope I do not forget and become neglectful of our true purpose in this temporal world.

fi amanillah.