Wordly life - the reality

Assalamu aleikum/3ala man ittaba3al huda,

Heard this powerful hadith on an Islamic programme and it really jolted me. It has been explained and elaborated on, of course, but for now I'll just post the Arabic text for you to ponder over:

"-حديث أبي هريرة:"الدُّنيا ملعونَةٌ ملعونٌ ما فيها إلاّ ذكرَ الله وما والاَه، وعالمٍ أو مُتعلّم

رجه الترمذي ، وابن ماجه ،
وقال الترمذي : هذا حديث حسن غريب

(basic and bare translation found somewhere:)
Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Verily! The world is accursed and what it contains is accursed, except remembrance of Allah and the like; and a learned man, and a learner."(At-Tirmidhi)

This translation says "and the like" but from the commentary I heard, a better translation would be "and that which aids such" [i.e. aids or allows you to remember Allah, such as eating healthy to be able to pray and do good, or marrying to keep yourself safe from the sins of desire etc]. And Allah knows best.

Sweeete! 50 crisp, awesome, FREE vector graphic sets

Super-coolness. 50 lovely, FREE vector graphic packs to ogle, download, and use. Thanks to CSS dynamite for gathering them, and to the designers for their art and generosity.

Go and get 'em! 50 free, fantastic vectors!

P.S: Vectorials also has free, awesome vector tutorials. Oh man, two sweets in one wrapper!

The Guard Who Found Islam

Assalamu aleikum,

The Guard Who Found Islam
Terry Holdbrooks stood watch over prisoners at Gitmo. What he saw made him adopt their faith.
By Dan Ephron NEWSWEEK
Published Mar 21, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Mar 30, 2009

http://www.newsweek.com/id/190357

*Eye Candy* What is That? (short film)

A great short film - important, and poignant without being maudlin. Go to the YouTube page to watch in HD. Really recommended.




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The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off

Assalamu aleikum,

SubhanAllah, I finally managed to track down a particular documentary I've been looking for ever since I first saw it, because it genuinely moved me. If you have time, you should watch it. Something to remind you to be grateful, get up, stop whining, and do something good.

The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off


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new post: NQT2Y

*Sweetplay* Bloxorz

Assalamu aleikum/'ala man ittaba'al hudaa,

Okay, so l33t-conjugated name aside, this is really a great game.

It's one of those restricted-playing-area/guided polygon puzzles, where you try to guide a block to a specific destination without falling off the edge of the tiling surface. What sets Bloxorz apart are the clean uncluttered 3D graphics, the crisp animation, and interesting yet not overbearing added challenges like switches and shaky tiles. Once again, classic simplicity wins in this engaging game.

Play Bloxorz by Roboman

The Sweetest..."Not half bad at all!" snacks

Assalamu aleikum/'ala man ittaba'alahuda,

Ever since that woeful Biochemistry class when my professor dissected the nutritional value of Peak Frean's assorted cookies (*sob!*) and elaborated - in all grisly biochemical detail - the awfulness of those trans-hydrogenated glycerides (that was before "Trans fat" was part of the vernacular, let alone the nutritional labels - a truly awesome instructor!) - well, ever since then, I have been prowling the supermarket aisles, looking for snacks that will be kinder to me, my cells and various organs, and my arteries. While natural and organic is indeed the ideal, and though homemade can be even better, I do believe that with some care and awareness, one can still find ordinary grocery shelf products in your regular supermarket that are better to consume, and reasonable for your wallet. Of course, moderation is always key. I'm always on the lookout for interesting snacks

- that don't have a laundry list of ingredients
- whose ingredients I recognize to be reasonable, without fillers or flavour enhancers
- with preferrably no added sugar or preservatives, or - if dessert - not an exorbitant amount of sugar
- with no trans-fat; yes, we all know that, but I try to avoid emulsifiers like mono/di-glycerides if I can (that's really tough though. Try it.)

Here's a list of some of my favourites "better alternatives" snacks. Please note that (sadly?) I receive no money for any mention of any product. Oh, and these are all my personal picks and hence my personal opinion. If this list interests you, you can check back from time to time to see if I've updated it by clicking the category on the sidebar ("The Sweetest...").

Vinta crackers (Dare) - The downside: preservatives (TBHQ - as most things, to be avoided in large quantities), shortening. The upside: I really like how they taste, ingredients are generally understandable and very reasonable (wheat flour, various sorts of seeds), salt level is ok too.

Unsweetened applesauce (various flavours and brands) -Recently I was given applesauce to try (I was very bemused, I assure you - prior to this experience I equated applesauce with baby food), and since then I have found that, given the right flavour, and chilled to a semi-frozen state, they are a nice alternative way of getting a fruit serving. Usually just fruit with no added flavours or preservatives.

Simple salsa -Instead of reaching for the biggest brand, you can usually find salsa that has 6 ingredients or less, all natural with a reasonable amount of salt, for a price similar to the alternative. For example: I personally like Herdez Salsa Casera.

Simple Pleasures - Chocolate Thins (Dare) - The downside: preservative (TBHQ). The upside: a simple, great tasting cookie that fulfills my craving for something sweet and chocolatey.