Halal Facebook.

Turkish IT expert to launch 'Halal Facebook' in Ramadan

Istanbul: Described as a “Halal Facebook,” the new social networking phenomenon, Salamworld, set to hit the Muslim world during the fasting month of Ramadan, will create an Internet platform for Muslims of all ages. The headquarters of the company are located in Istanbul.

There are currently 800 million Facebook users around the world, 300 million of whom are Muslim. This number is expected to increase by 100 percent in 10 years’ time.

Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman in an inclusive interview, the chairman of Salamworld, Abdulvahit Niyazov, said that the platform has been developed with the aim of providing a more “halal” (Islamically permissible) website for Muslims to interact with each other online.

Niyazov said Istanbul is seen as an ideal location due to its unique position between the Eastern and Western worlds and that Turkey is economically stable, thus attracting many businessmen from all around the world. He added that Turkey is seen as a leading Muslim country among Islamic countries.

Niyazov says this project is solely a business project that intends to serve needs of Muslims in the modern world and it is not supported by any political movements or countries. He added that he has always shown great respect to the works of Turkish scholars around the world, including well-respected figures Fethullah Gülen and former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan.

Salamworld states that its users will be provided many applications, including a vast collection of books on Islamic heritage in a number of eBook formats, certified distance learning programs tailored to various levels of education, interactive session with recognized scholars and qualified experts and consultants. A multilingual online Islamic encyclopedia will be available in interlinked pages created by multiple users.

Another important application will be the online city guide, where users will be provided with worldwide city guides to mosques, Islamic centers, Halal restaurants and other Muslim businesses. Users will also be given opportunities to broadcast sermons, lectures and newsworthy events. Salamworld will provide daily updates of breaking news and a space for online discussions.

The company chairman stated that there will be an online store of Islamic goods and services and, additionally, tours will be advertised and organized for annual pilgrimages to the holy city of Mecca. Mentioning that 54 percent of the Muslim world is under the age of 25, Salamworld targets Muslim children and youth to be educated on Islam with interactive online games.

Salamworld states that this project is not only going to be created to serve as an ordinary social networking platform. It describes its mission as being multi-faceted; an alternative to popular social networks, offering Islamic content generated by Muslims for Muslims, a place for Muslims to raise their voices, a platform for communication between Muslim communities, a channel between Muslims and the international community, offering a field of opportunities for Muslim youth and a range of Internet services for modern Muslim society.

Salamworld chairman Niyazov stated that he was inspired to start this social networking project in April 2011 and he says the main reason for starting the projects was to provide a chance for Muslims to have their own space on the Internet and in social networks, taking into account that one-fifth of the Earth is Muslim.

Niyazov told Sunday’s Zaman that they are in the process of actively developing the company. The product and the project is planned to be launched during the fasting month of Ramadan.

“Besides Istanbul, we have offices in Moscow, Russia and Egypt. Between March and April 2012 we plan to open a technical office in India’s Hyderabad and Indonesia’s Jakarta in June or July and another technical office in New York in October or November.

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Our plan for this year is also to open an office somewhere in the Persian Gulf (either in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha) and also in Iran. Our plans for the next year also include openings in Almaty or Astana to supervise the Central Asian region, Mekkah and Medina as the Holy cities, Paris and London for Europe and Beijing and Kuala Lumpur for Southeast Asia. Our professional team now consists of experts from 12 countries. The executive board has representatives from 17 countries,” the Salamworld chairman said.

Salamworld says they aim to provide an alternative social network that is safe for young users, without the harmful content that is usually associated with social networks. Several leading Muslim countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan ban thousands of websites to protect their Internet users from harmful content.

“I strongly believe that without a reliable alternative to choose from, and with a lack of Islamic content, young Muslim Internet users are unprotected against the harmful contents of websites and social networks that are devoted to today’s popular culture,” Niyazov added.

Many have previously tried to set up Islamic social networking projects but they failed and later closed.

“Speaking frankly, all of them failed. When a website has 20,000 users from the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, this is also a failure. Having no competitors in this market of course increases the risk of failing; from the other side, it also increases the potential area of dissemination. As people have no alternatives, this gives us an opportunity to grow faster,” said Niyazov.

The company chairman said that well-known scholars and intellectuals in the Muslim world support the project. Some of them joined the company’s executive board and others have become Salamworld’s “true friends.”

According to the Salamworld development plan, the company plans to spend not less than $50 million in the next three years. Niyazov said he is absolutely confident that these figures are correct, and will give good results.

He added that Salamworld’s major goal for the next few years is to become a global company with a $1 billion turnover.

“I can say with certainty that we’re moving much more efficiently that we even planned to,” he added.

Moreover, within next four to six years, Salamworld plans to launch as a public company, with its head office in Hong Kong. However, it’s very difficult to make any kind of forecasts for the next six years, especially regarding the economy and finances.

Taken from ummid.com

Compassion of Mufti Shafi.

The Compassion of Mufti Muhammad Shafi.

Muftī Muhammad Shafī rahimahullāh fell seriously ill during the blessed month of Ramadān. Anyone in his position, ill during Ramadān and sensing the end is near, would have longed to pass away in the blessed month, for the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has said:

“When Ramadān arrives, the doors of Jannah are opened and the doors of Jahannam are closed.”

His illness was so severe that it was expected that he would pass away during Ramadān, but it was not to be. After the month had passed, Muftī Shafī rahimahullāh told his friends that during his illness he prayed to Allāh ta‘ālā not to give him death in the month of Ramadān. The reason for his prayer was fear that his death would cause inconvenience to his friends and well-wishers during the blessed month.

http://at-tazkiyah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67:the-compassion-of-mufti-muhammad-shafi&catid=11:ulam-of-deoband&Itemid=18

'Alaykum Salam.

Health Tips For Ramadan.

Health experts have provided useful tips on how to avoid some common problems encountered in Ramadan. “If followed, the tips will help people to fast comfortably and enjoy fully the spiritual benefits of the holy month,” Maharouf Haj Mohideen, director for academic affairs and consultant OB-GYN, says.

“Ramadan and fasting during the month are a gift to all mankind from its Creator. Diabetes is a serious problem. Some qualified physicians associated with major hospitals and polyclinics have provided interesting facts on the subject.
Our diet should not differ very much from our normal food and should be as simple as possible. The diet should be such that we maintain our normal weight, neither losing nor gaining it. However, if one is over-weight, Ramadan is an ideal time to normalize one’s weight,” Dr. Abdulkader Ajam at the Medical Subspecialties Center, says.
In view of the long hours of fasting, slow digesting foods including fiber containing foods should be consumed rather than fast-digesting foods. Slow digesting foods last up to eight hours, while fast-digesting foods last for only three to four hours.
Slow digesting foods are foods that contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat oats millet, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal, flour and unpolished rice, called carbohydrates. Fast-burning foods are those that contain sugar, white flour and other refined carbohydrates.
Fiber-containing foods are bran-containing foods, whole wheat, grains and seeds vegetables like green beans, peas, sem, marrow, mealies, spinach, and other herbs like the leaves of beetroot, fruit with skin, dried fruit especially apricots, figs and prunes, and almonds.
The foods eaten should be well balanced containing those from each food group — fruit, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, bread/cereals and dairy products. Fried foods are unhealthy and should be limited. They cause indigestion, heartburn and weight problems.
Dr. Razeen Mahroof, an anesthetist from Oxford, says there’s a strong relationship between diet and health. “Ramadan isn’t always thought of as being an opportunity to lose weight because the spiritual aspect is emphasized more than the health aspect,” he says. “However, it’s a great chance to get the physical benefits as well.”
The changes that happen in the body during a fast depend on the length of the fast. The body enters into a fasting state eight hours or so after the last meal, when the gut finishes absorbing nutrients from the food. In the normal state, body glucose, which is stored in the liver and muscles, is the body’s main source of energy. During a fast, this store of glucose is used up first to provide energy. Later in the fast, once the glucose runs out, fat becomes the next source of energy for the body.
Other processes in the liver also manufacture small quantities of glucose. With a prolonged fast of many days or weeks, the body starts using protein for energy.
This is the technical description of what is commonly known as ‘starvation’. It is clearly unhealthy. It involves protein being released from the breakdown of muscle, which is why people who starve look very thin and become very weak.
“However, you are unlikely to reach the starvation stage during Ramadan because the fast is broken daily,” Dr. Mahroof says.
As the Ramadan fast only lasts from dawn to dusk, the body’s energy can be replaced in the pre-dawn and dusk meals. This provides a gentle transition from using glucose to fat as the main source of energy, and prevents the breakdown of muscle for protein.
Dr. Mahroof says the use of fat for energy helps weight loss. It preserves the muscles, and eventually reduces your cholesterol level. In addition, weight loss results in better control of diabetes and reduces blood pressure. “A detoxification process also occurs, because any toxins stored in the body’s fat are dissolved and removed from the body,” he says. “After a few days of the fast, higher levels of certain hormones appear in the blood (endorphins), making you more alert and giving an overall feeling of general mental wellbeing.”
A balanced food and fluid intake is important between fasts. The kidney is very efficient at maintaining the body’s water and salts, such as sodium and potassium. However, these can be lost through sweating. To prevent muscle breakdown, meals must contain enough energy food, such as carbohydrates and some fat. “The way to approach your diet during fasting is similar to the way you should be eating outside Ramadan,” says Dr. Mahroof. “You should have a balanced diet with the right proportion of carbohydrates, fat and protein.”

Some medical experts in consultation with Islamic scholars have contributed to the following meal plan choices during the fasting month:

• Suhur: A bowl of porridge with milk, one slice of toast and a handful of unsalted nuts.
• Iftar: Pitta bread with chicken, salad and hummus and one or two Middle-Eastern sweet baklawa pieces.
• Suhur: Wheat-based cereal with milk, a plain scone or crumpet and an apple or banana.
• Iftar: Chicken with boiled rice, vegetable curry and mixed salad followed by fruit salad with single cream.
• Suhur: A bowl of shredded wheat or muesli and a pear or orange.
• Iftar: Fish baked with roasted vegetables or fish curry with rice followed by sweet vermicelli or one piece of jalebi (an Indian sweet).
• Suhur: Cheese and a one-teaspoon of jam with crackers or toast and a handful of dried fruits.
• Iftar: Pasta cooked with vegetables and chicken or fish and a slice of plain cake with custard. Fluids (water and juices) and dates should be added to each suhur and iftar meal.

Fasting has its advantages from the point of view of health and hygiene. Physicians today acknowledge the many benefits of fasting that ensure health and the soundness of one’s body and mind. Some of these positive points have a direct influence on psychology and physique of the fasting individual.
Fasting has been found to be an effective treatment for psychological and emotional disorders. It helps a person to firm up his will, cultivate and refine his taste and manners, strengthen his conviction of doing good, avoid controversy, petulance and rashness, which all contribute toward a sane and healthy personality.
Besides nurturing resistance and ability to face hardships and endurance, fasting reflects on outward physical appearance by cutting out gluttony and getting rid of excess fat. The benefits of fasting on health do not stop there but are instrumental in alleviating a number of physical diseases, including those of the digestive systems, such as chronic stomachache, inflammation of the colon, liver diseases, indigestion, and conditions such as obesity, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, asthma, diphtheria and many other maladies.

So take the following precautions: 

AVOID

• Fried and fatty foods.
• Foods containing too much sugar.
• Over-eating especially at suhur.
• Too much tea at suhur: Tea makes you pass more urine taking with it valuable mineral salts that your body will need during the day.
• Smoking cigarettes: If you cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking is unhealthy and one should stop completely. 

EAT

• Complex carbohydrates at suhur so that the food lasts longer making you less hungry.
• Haleem is an excellent source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium.
• Almonds are rich in protein and fiber with less fat.
• Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates. 

DRINK

• As much water or fruit juices as possible between iftar and bedtime so that your body may adjust fluid levels in time.

Finally, as Swiss physician Dr U. Barsilus, says: “The advantages of hunger as a remedy exceed those ingesting medicine several times.”

http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/food_health/article99782.ece

Wa'laykum Salam.

Syria's Revolutionary Ramadan.

Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

The relentless cycle of protest and crackdown in Syria over the last four months appears poised to enter a new phase in the coming Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with activists planning to capitalize on religious rhythms to hold nightly demonstrations despite fears of an even harsher government reaction.

The protesters say it should be easier to gather people since they would ordinarily end their days of fasting and nights of feasting with a visit to mosques for prayers. Their hope is that mobilizing people every day, rather than waiting for large Friday protests, will wear down a government that has so far been able to hang on to support among substantial sectors of the population despite protests that have grown larger and more widespread.

The anticipation of a change in tactic is high enough, and the fear palpable enough, that rumors of the government’s plans abound: most notably that authorities plan to begin a major renovation program at mosques, effectively closing many of them during the holy month, which starts next week.
“People are talking about a very different Ramadan this year,” said Um Janti, a homemaker from Homs, a city with a combustible sectarian mix that has emerged as a flashpoint. “People are saying they will pray on the streets, if mosques get closed. They believe that the reward for dying in Ramadan is far greater.”
Both sides in Syria’s uprising, which erupted in mid-March in the poor southern town of Dara’a, have struggled for momentum. Government officials have regularly said they have the upper hand, even as they failed to quell protests with a fierce crackdown that human rights activists say has killed at least 1,600 civilians. Protesters have also overestimated their abilities, repeatedly speaking of bringing the government down in weeks despite continued backing for President Bashar al-Assad from minorities and the business elite in Damascus, the capital, and in Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city.
Protest leaders are especially hopeful about their new plan because mosques have played an essential role in the uprising against Mr. Assad, who has ruled since he inherited power from his father, Hafez al-Assad, in 2000. In a country with a severely restricted civic life, mosques were used to mobilize crowds and served as meeting points for antigovernment protesters, including non-Muslims. Some were also converted to makeshift field hospitals and safe havens for those who were wanted by authorities for organizing and participating in demonstrations.
In April, a month into the revolt, mosques took on an especially important significance after Syrian forces, backed by tanks and helicopters, seized Al-Omari mosque, which was a center of protests in Dara’a. For many Syrians, the attack on a holy place was more proof of the brutality of a government that was not going to give up easily.
The refrain heard these days is that the month will be “sukhn,” or hot, a word protesters often use to describe the towns and cities roiled most by demonstrations.
Activists, who have posted video on YouTube instructing protesters on the plan, said they expect demonstrations to begin around 10:30 p.m., just after people gather for the tarawih, the prayer performed only in Ramadan. Although nightly protests are now held in many cities, including on the outskirts of Damascus, they are relatively small and last no longer than 45 minutes; organizers hope the Ramadan protests will last for two to three hours.
“Ramadan usually brings families together; this year it will bring Syria together,” said Um Yasmin, a Syrian mother of two who lives in Saudi Arabia but stays in touch with activists. “We will all rally behind one goal, and we will get to it by the grace of God.”
The protesters are sure to face significant hurdles, especially since they have widely telegraphed their plan.
In the past two weeks, the government has stepped up arrests in a move that activists believe was meant to slow the pace of protests during Ramadan.

For a time, activists thought they were also facing a religious edict that would have subverted their plans. Rumor had it that Syria’s leading religious scholar, Mohamad Sa'id Ramadan Al-Bouti, had ruled that reciting the tarawih prayer could be performed at home because of the hot weather. But the Awqaf ministry, which is in charge of religious matters, denied the report on Thursday. So did Mr. Bouti.

“The mosques during the holy month of Ramadan will be a place to read the Quran, and remember God and pray for security, safety and peace,” said Mohamad Abdel Sattar, who heads the ministry.

Wa salam.

http://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/index.php/news-and-media/featured-news-stories/1720-syrians-planning-for-stepped-up-protests-during-ramadan