mbmuslima Healthy Hearts
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From the Editor In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. May the peace & mercy of Allah Subhana Wa Ta‟ala be on you.
In this issue, the goal is to holistically enrich your daily lives both mentally and physically. The Prophet Muhammad SAW PBUH said: “There is a morsel of flesh that if it is sound then the whole body is sound. And if it is corrupt, then the whole body is corrupt, verily it is the heart." (Sahih Muslim) Our beloved messenger of Allah certainly knew what he was talking about. In Islam, the condition of our hearts is crucial to achieving success in this world as well as the next. Our heart is an amazing organ that enables us or stops us from what we want to do. The heart requires intense maintenance, both physically and mentally. If we truly want to succeed in this world as well as the next, it is our responsibility to feed our hearts with what it needs. It is not enough to maintain the heart physically without paying attention to its spiritual needs. Similarly, it is not enough to feed our heart its spiritual needs without paying attention to its physical needs. As Muslims, we believe that our bodies don‟t belong to us, but that our bodies are a trust given to us by Allah SWT. How we maintain our body, specifically our heart will ultimately lead us down the path of success or failure, both in this world as well as the hereafter. lbn Tayimiyyah (may Allah bestow mercy upon him) said, “Thikr (remembrance) is vital to the heart as water is vital to fish. Can you imagine the state of fish without water! The same is true with man without Dhikr.” Remembrance of Allah SWT is an obligation on every Muslim. Allah SWT has given mankind the name „Insan‟, which is derived from the Arabic word, to forget. Therefore, we are in dire need of thikr. Muslims have no excuse not to be the healthiest individuals on this earth, both physically and mentally. However, we cannot achieve this through ourselves. It is only through thikr that we can achieve such a status. However, we must first name the intention and change within our hearts. In Surah Ar-Rad, ayah 11, Allah SWT tells us He will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. We are also responsible for helping others improve themselves, as long as it is in our ability and as only as we do it with akhlaq or proper manners. Most individuals want friends that are not going to judge them and are not going to change them. Tariq Ramadan said it eloquently when he said that if a friend doesn‟t help the other one elevate themselves, then that friendship is useless. At the same time, friends should not judge them and also allow the elevation to be reciprocal and work in both directions. Al Hassan al Basri said “Oh son of Adam! You are a collection of days. Whenever a day goes past, a part of you goes.” This statement may seem obvious to many, but it still holds much wisdom. Every day, we get closer to our last day. Every day, we lose opportunities to improve our health both mentally and physically. In this May issue, the goal is to elevate each other mentally and physically, while also providing resources for conditions that are taboo and unspoken of in many Muslim communities. — As always, your comments, criticism, and suggestions as a reader are highly appreciated and encourged. By the will of Allah SWT, let us all engage in a deep collective search for truth, guided by the primary sources of Islam: the Qur‟an and Sunnah. As always, JazakAllah khair for being an MBMuslima reader—this magazine would be nothing without you.
Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu, Sister Yasmin Essa
From the Assistant Editor By Nur Soliman I heard footsteps approaching us in the library and looked up expectantly. The women were filing into the library quietly, one by one, in a line. Each one was holding the hand of the other, leading the way carefully around the chairs and tables, to go through to an inner door, where a kindly-faced, smiling sheikh was waiting for them. Each week, the members of the Association for the Blind had a Qur‟an lesson (men on one day, women on another). After maghrib prayer, those who could see a little better would lead those who couldn‟t, and make their way to their lesson. With a friend from university, I volunteered at our local Association for the Blind last year as a way to get engaged in civil society and be part of communities I had not previously interacted with, as ways to learn about them, and learn about myself, and our relationship. Although I was very shy and awkward, always thinking hard about how I should behave or what I should say, and be sensitive but also confident about reaching out to new people, I learned so much during those weeks. One of the lessons I learned very quickly was that you don‟t only need your eyes to see. One of the men who visited in the evenings always knew if I was sitting in the room though I might not say a word. Not once were they selfconscious or resentful of their impairment, nor did they ever feel at a disadvantage – they knew where everything was, from the library down to the last domino piece in the game room, where they played dominoes with perfect scores; they knew who everyone was, and had genuine supportive affection for each other, caring to know how they were, and so on. Concepts of handicap were challenged and reformed in a way that was reconstructive for all of us. If anything, I was the one who felt I could not see when I was with them, who felt I was missing something in the outside world, who longed to be part of this family they all developed together where the soul shone through to touch the other. Contemplating our mental, physical, and spiritual health is important, and can be a momentous experience when we review our weaknesses, our strengths, our improvements, and our challenges. Being at the Association reminded me how much the „heart,‟ or the qalb, mattered, and secondly, but also reminded me that we have to be constantly mindful and grateful for the beautiful and extraordinary blessings Allah bestows upon us, in the form of the mind, the body, the soul, and again the heart. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is known for his countless statements about health, about the benefits of practices of hygiene, medicine, and diet. In one hadith in particular he is quoted as saying from the pulpit, “Ask Allah for forgiveness and health, for after being granted certainty, one is given nothing better than health” (al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 780). Our health is a remarkable gift. The ability to see the light shining in someone‟s face, or the beauty of a tree in the way it catches light one afternoon, the
ability to smell the breakfast your mother is preparing or the sharp smell of lime, the sweet smell of a baby‟s soft skin, to be able to run with your little brother, to climb up the stairs, to hike up a mountain or take a kayak across a river, to feel the softness or hardness of things, to be able to taste the food you are blessed with. Allah (SWT), al-Khaaliq (the Creator), al-Muhyi (the Giver of Life), has given us infinite blessing in His creation of us, and we should always remember to be grateful for His gift. When one is afflicted with illness, or sees another who is afflicted with difficulty of health, be it in disease, sickness, mental strife, or disability, we can call upon Allah (SWT) by His name, al-Lateef (the Subtle, the Gentle), ar-Rahim (the Merciful), al-Hafiz (the Preserver), and many of His other Beautiful Names. Do not feel reviled, or disgusted, or annoyed, or awkward, but let your heart be filled with love and compassion and understand, for as strong as our bodies are, they are also extremely fragile. Many of us have loved ones who suffered cancers, heart and lung illness, MS, diabetes, and many other conditions. They bravely, nobly struggled through their tribulations, or ibtilaa’ from Allah (SWT), Who knew best, and Who was lightening the load of the invalid with their difficulty, and reminding those of us who are left behind, of the strength and beauty of their character, and the importance of remembering our bodies and how fragile they are, and how they need to be taken care of. Diet, exercise, taking care of our hygiene and our skin, and considering the health of others, being patient and forbearing, being compassionate, understanding, and believing in the infinite power and wisdom of Allah (SWT) all contribute to the well-being of a Muslim. When I mentioned my friends at the Association for the Blind, I was not sorry for them for their visual impairment; on the contrary, I learned how the lack of sight was compensated by heightened sensitivity of the other physical senses, but also of the strength and beauty of a „seeing‟ heart. To have well-being is to be sound of body, yes, but also sound of mind and sound of heart. In the novel The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the character of the fox tells the young prince, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” I am reminded here of Allah‟s (SWT) words in the Holy Qur‟an when He tell us, “Not equal are the blind and the seeing” (35:19). To see with our iman, with our yaqin, with the light of Allah‟s (SWT) blessing as expounded in His book, to see with the wisdom of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW), that is being healthy. That is seeing with your heart, and seeing your life in the dunya and the akhira with mindfulness of Allah (SWT), of His blessings, and of our responsibility towards our health and well-being. May Allah keep us all in good health, Ameen.
The human body is its own universe full of sophisticated microcosms that work constantly to keep us functioning and able. Since the body is a blessing and a loan from Allah, it needs to be maintained and cared for properly. After all, the oft-recited Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon, means that we belong to Allah and to Him we return.
Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as an example for mankind to follow. His traditions are important, including those regarding health and personal hygiene.
The Prophet reminded us that the body has a right upon us. Proper hygiene, nourishment, exercise, and rest are basic requirements to keep our bodies healthy, strong, and long -lasting. The body is a hard-working machine with the heart as its pump and the soul as its essence. Therefore, the true state of one‟s health is based on the condition of the heart, both physically and spiritually.
With today‟s demanding and hectic lifestyle, many people turn to yoga and meditation as an escape from their daily stresses and to attain spirituality. It is estimated that Americans alone spend over $5 billion annually on yoga classes and products. Meditation is not a new concept in Islam, though. Over 1400 years ago, the Prophet used to retire to the cave of Hira after a challenging and strenuous climb to meditate and seek spiritual reflection. The Holy Qur‟an was first revealed to him there. It is compulsory for Muslims to offer prayers five times a day and has been prescribed repeatedly in the Holy Qur‟an. The Prophet (S) emphasized prayer in his last sermon when he said, “O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, perform your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your financial obligation (zakah) of your wealth. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.” At the time of his death, he once again warned his followers to guard their prayers.
The first physical action in prayer is the takbir tahrimah, which is designed to push away all worldly affairs and make them prohibited during the time of worship. In turn, the individual is relieved of his/her stresses and tensions of the world during those moments. The mind and body are immediately put at ease at the beginning of the prayer, allowing the spirit to connect with the Creator. Succeeding movements and postures in salah synchronize and involve all of the body‟s muscles, bones, and joints and increase blood flow throughout the body. The brain and kidneys receive more blood flow when the worshipper bends at the waist (ruku) and prostrates on the ground (sajdah). During the sitting position of prayer (tashahud), blood moves towards the upper part of the body, strengthening the blood vessels and potentially protecting the body against blood clots or hemorrhages. We know that prayer is not valid without proper wudu, which is also is a means to sustaining proper health. Islam instructs Muslims to continuously stay clean by making wudu or ablution (Qur‟an 5:6). A study at Alexandria University in 2001 showed that proper nasal irrigation during wudu significantly reduced nasal microorganisms and potential occurrences of upper respiratory infections. Even though the Qur‟an does not address the importance of exercise, the practices of the Prophet (SAW) definitely do. According to Imam Tirmidhi the Prophet Muhammad “walked at a quick pace and took rather long steps.” It is also known from other traditions that he loved to run and would even race with his wife Aisha. The Prophet
encouraged Muslims to teach their children archery, swimming and horseback riding. When he passed away at age 63, it is said that he had the strength of 40 men. After all the hard work the body does, it needs time to reenergize. The best way to accomplish that is with sleep. A well-known practice of the Prophet (SAW) is to sleep by laying on one‟s right side. Experiments now show that when one sleeps on his/her right side, food digests in 2.5 to 4.5 hours. If one sleeps on the left side, then digestion takes up to 5 to 8 hours. There is also less pressure on the heart when lying on the right side. The Prophet (SAW) also recommended napping. He said, “Take an afternoon sleep (qaylula), because Shaitan does not take one.” This in turn helps you get up for tahajjud prayers when it is time for them past mid-night. The Prophet (SAW) would also go to sleep right after night prayers, Isha, but would stay awake after his prayers at dawn, fajr, a time that is said to hold many blessings. It is evident, then, that there is much guidance in Islam when it comes to one‟s health and hygiene. By praying five times a day, we will have healthier and more spiritual lifestyles. By implementing the practices of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), not only will we be fitter Muslims but will also be attaining the pleasure of Allah. This is an adaptation of an original article by Tayyaba Syed, published in the Halal Consumer Magazine Spring 2010 issue.
Image: Softdreams | Dreamstime.com
1. Substitute honey for all artificial sweeteners that you may use, such as sugar, syrup, etc. 2. Stop eating food with preservatives with the real thing. Make it yourself. 3. Swap your refined (white) pasta, rice, and bread with unrefined, 100% natural carbs (i.e. wheat bread, brown rice, wheat pasta, etc). 4. Start substituting your non-existent breakfast with a meal! Most people don‟t get breakfast even though it‟s the most important meal of the day. 5. Substitute overeating with nothing in order to leave your stomach one third empty, as our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings) be upon him) recommended. Photographer: Raisha K. Ali
By Brother Tawheed Haynes
First off, let me start off with saying Assalamu Alaykum to all my sisters in Islam. I grew up in Garden Grove in Orange County, California, where I lived in a low income neighborhood. My mother worked her fingers to the bone, doing her best to just keep a roof over our heads. Even so, she did still attempt to instill morals and values in me. My father passed away when I was 10 years old. My mother tried to give me a father figure but I rejected all father figures, except my real father. By the way, my mother is a profound woman of inspiration in my life. I love her with all that I can love a person. Please keep her in your duas. I never had any real religious upbringing as a child. I started to get involved in the ways of the Dunya between the young age of 11to 12. As time progressed, I started to suffer from the anguish and despair of multiple addictions, ranging from alcohol, drugs, criminality, fortification, tobacco, and a corrupt lifestyle. These things were all I really ever knew. I started going into juvenile institutions, boys homes, rehabilitation programs, and jails, where I eventually ended up in prison. This soon became a revolving door for me until I went on a quest for spiritual truth. It still took me several years to understand the truth that Allah was revealing to me. I was stuck in the dark ages of addictions, but there was now a thin light shining through into the darkness and fog of my despair. This was the light of Allah SWT. It still took me several years of going back in and out of prisons before I started to reflect upon the signs of Allah SWT. We truly have an awesome Creator, who will run towards us, even when we do not know our spiritual essence is crying out for guidance and refuge from the disease of addictions, a spiritual retrovirus influenced by the Shaytan to infect the hearts of Mankind. I would not be who I am today (SMILE) without going through the experiences of my lifetime that our Gracious, Loving, Compassionate, Forgiving, Merciful and Awesome Creator ordained in my Qadr for me to go through in order to become the Muslim I am today. Only Allah SWT knows the how and why I became Muslim. I just know that after reading a lot of scriptures of different faiths and religions, I ended up with a Qu'ran and Alhamdulillah it validated everything
I had learned from the previous scriptures. Subhanallah. I was commanded by Allah to be a Muslim. I still had difficulties once I was released from prison because my Deen was not sound, so I eventually slipped back into the ways of this Dunya reinfecting myself with addictions. Time went by and the disease within my heart increased, and it is only by the grace of Allah that I was allowed the opportunity to return to the deen. Once I was basically slapped in the face by Allah's proverbial hand, things took on a new flavor for me. I now understood that without completely surrendering up my madness, chaos and insanity to Allah I was going to always be infected with addictions. Therefore, I became a true submitting Muslim. Tattooed from head to toe, I began to meet other Muslims and we created the Facebook group called Return to the Deen, made youtube videos, created a non-profit organization (in the making) called The First Islamic Healing & Wellness Center which is a Rehabilitation Center based on Islamic principles and values. We started a meeting for others suffering from addictions to come to. I became a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor II and wrote a new form of Recovery Meeting Format based on Tawheed and Twelve Paths. The Twelve Paths of Recover is now published and in Barnes & Noble and on Amazon.com. Our Center also started feeding the homeless and h u ng ry and a re attempting to reach out and connect with the greater communities we live in, Muslim and Non-Muslim alike. If I don't help others out, then I am not a true Muslim. The only way the world is going to understand what Islam is when we help out in the communities we live in. Asalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatalillahi Wa barakatu, Br. Tawheed Haynes Photo Credits: Tawheed Haynes
By Brother Kyle Smith
Often times, we tend not to think of the connection between one‟s physical well-being and their mental well-being. It is common for us to think that the two are totally isolated from each other. In reality, the two go hand in hand. One‟s physical well-being leads to their mental well-being. Generally speaking, individuals who suffer from depression are less physically active and than those who are mentally healthy. There are so many studies that explain this phenomenon. Endorphins are neurotransmitters found in the brain that have pain-relieving properties similar to morphine. One of the main functions of endorphins is to react with opiate receptors to reduce the intensity of pain.
doing so, I noticed that I had gained much selfconfidence. In addition, I know others who have also had their confidence boosted through exercising. Exercising was a Sunnah of our beloved prophet (SAW). Every day (except when Muhammad SAW was traveling), he and Aisha (RA) would walk between Maghrib and Isha. Sometimes they would even run.
Walking is a great and easy way to begin exercising. So Insha‟Allah lets make a solid effort to remain steadfast in exercising, and let‟s try to do it with someone who were close with (I.E. a spouse). By doing this, Insha‟Allah we will only help ourselves physically and mentally. To sum this up, exercising results in the release of endorphins and the releasing of endorphins results in an increase of feelings of happiness. Science aside, it is not hard to understand that exercise leads to one losing weight and therefore, attaining a better physical condition. With that being said, it can be inferred that when one attains a better physical condition, in turn they gain self-confidence. I can attest to this, because I was not always in great physical condition. After I began exercising, my physical condition greatly improved. After
References: http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/health-fitness/ Photographer: Raisah K. Ali
The best way to get your husband to pick up healthy eating and exercise habits is to pick some up yourself. I felt more active, full of energy and lighter when I started watching what I eat and working out. My husband picked up on my positive vibes and joined classes he liked as well. Your overall well-being starts from taking care of yourself first. Start right now: take on a new habit every 3 weeks and in one year you would have 17 more things to be happy for!
By Yvonne Maffei, Halal Culinary Expert There is nothing more refreshing to me on a spring day than cold, cold watermelon. Pineapple is great, too. So are melons! I just love them all and I love them cold. I made these kebobs because not only did I have a lot of fruit from my foray at the grocery store that morning, but I also wanted it to be fun for my little cousin to eat. I thought if she saw the fruit in small bites and on a stick that she might find it more fun to eat, especially when topped with a tiny strawberry from my edible balcony garden (see next article). Turns out she did eat the fruit, but not with as much excitement as the adults in the bunch. I guess everyone gets excited when fruit actually tastes like fruit because itâ€&#x;s served fresh and seasonally. Fruit kebabs are so simple to make, you donâ€&#x;t really need a recipe. Just slip any of your favorite fruits onto a wooden skewer. Grapes, oranges, thick slices of peaches will all go great on a stick. If you plan on grilling fruit, a peach & pineapple combination would be absolutely delicious together.
*Special Feature* Q&A with
Halal Culinary Expert, Yvonne Maffei from My Halal Kitchen!
Email your question to info@mbmuslima.com We will make sure it gets answered in our next issue,
Photo courtesy Halal culinary expert, Yvonne Maffei
just for you! Jazakum Allah khairan!
By Yvonne Maffei, Halal Culinary Expert
Years ago when I first moved to Chicago, I yearned for a connection to my rural side. The young Ohio girl inside of me wanted to feel the season of summer, remembering when I used to go to Penton‟s Farm Market with my mother and hand pick pounds and pounds of strawberries ourselves. Later, we made homemade jam, the best I would ever taste.
the garden daily in order to water, weed and maintain it. I didn‟t mind it so much, but a 20′ x 20′ plot isn‟t easy to keep up when it‟s not very close to you. If it was my only option right now, I think I would still do it.
Baby Lettuce (left) and Orange Nasturtium Flower Whose Petals, Leaves & Stems are all Edible (right) My grandmother made homemade tomato sauce every single summer from the tomatoes in her garden plus some she would hand pick at local farms. She jarred enough sauce for the entire family for a year and I‟ve yet to taste any tomato sauce like it.
Needless to say, there are very few U-Pick signs around urban areas and it‟s something I miss. Just to see those signs now is anything but mundane; in fact, I get an adrenaline rush just seeing those anymore.
Nasturtium flowers planted with Chives, Swiss Chard & Arugula (left) and Strawberry planted with Chives & Swiss Chard
This year I opted to look into balcony and container gardening. I did the research on what grows best in the direction my plants will face (north) because it determines how much sunshine and when I will have the most daylight, and which plants will grow well together (and which ones won‟t) in a single pot. As long as your apartment building or home owner‟s association allows it (and most do), growing fruits and vegetables in containers are a great option for spring and summer edibles.
Potted Mint (left) and Strawberry plant with Swiss Chard & Chives in one Pot (right)
Community gardens are a really great option for apartment dwellers and other urbanites who want to grow their own food. I did it for a few years and it was wonderful, but very difficult to maintain only because I had to drive to
Sage (left) planted with Arizona Cactus Paddles (right) in the same pot. Yellow Nasturtium flowers in the background
In my case, I really can‟t grow full-sun loving vegetables like tomatoes or peppers (although I am still trying) because I don‟t get a direct ray of sunshine in my covered balcony area. What it has been perfect for is the shade-loving veggies like lettuce (see the picture above). I could have tried carrots, but I didn‟t and hope to do that in late summer for a fall harvest. Not shown here, but also growing well are marigolds (help to keep bugs away from my lovely Mediterranean herbs), arugula, basil, parsley, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and citronella (to keep away the mosquitos). I just grow the things we love to eat most, as would be the most economical and least wasteful of your time and money. For example, when my cousin wanted to grow a garden and asked me what she should grow, I told her to grow a sofrito garden because she and her family love to make Puerto Rican foods, which are full of this wonderful and flavorful seasoning made up of tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and onion.
The photo above is of our Arizona Cactus Paddle sent to us by my husband‟s family. I wasn‟t sure if it would really grow, but I did my best to try. I bought special cactus soil, which is available at garden centers, potted it and placed it outside as soon as it got warm. When it was time to plant my herbs, I put the ones I knew were most adapted to Mediterranean (dry) climates because they would have similar watering needs as the cactus. Turns out it‟s been working. I just love looking at it every day and am continuously mesmerized by the new paddles that are growing so quickly. Grow what you love and what looks beautiful to you. I can‟t express how much I love going outside every morning to water and care for it, admire it throughout the day and spend time puttering around in this little space of mine. It not only brings me a lot of happiness, but also reminds me that if you can‟t go to the farm, you can bring some of it to you instead. Image Credits: Yvonne Maffei, www.myhalalkitchen.com
Arizona Cactus Paddle (Nopal) with budding paddles
Bonnie Plants | http://www.bonnieplants.com/ Burpee’s Seeds & Plants | http://www.burpee.com/home.do?ch=SEM Monrovia Plants | http://www.monrovia.com/ Seed Saver’s Exchange | http://www.seedsavers.org/ White Flower Farm | http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/index.html Willihite Seeds | http://www.willhiteseed.com/
QUR’AN CHALLENGE MBM wishes you the best to memorize this, inshaAllah!
If you already know this Surah, please refer to previous issues with previous Qur’an Challenges.
Surah Al-Inshirah (The Opening Forth) Translation Credit: http://noblequran.com/translation/surah94.html Transliteration Credit: http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=30&chapter=94
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Bismi Allahi alrrahmanialrraheemi 1. Alam nashrah laka sadraka Have We not opened your breast for you (O Muhammad)? 2. WawadaAAna AAanka wizraka And removed from you your burden, 3. Allathee anqada thahraka Which weighed down your back? 4. WarafaAAna laka thikraka And raised high your fame? 5. Fa-inna maAAa alAAusri yusran So verily, with the hardship, there is relief, 6. Inna maAAa alAAusri yusran Verily, with the hardship, there is relief (i.e. there is one hardship with two reliefs, so one hardship cannot overcome two reliefs). 7. Fa-itha faraghta fainsab So when you have finished (from your occupation), then stand up for Allah's worship (i.e. stand up for prayer). 8. Wa-ila rabbika fairghab And to your Lord (Alone) turn (all your intentions and hopes and) your invocations.
Image Credit: Raisah K. Ali
http://www.muslimmentalhealth.com/ Muslim Mental Health works to provide culturally appropriate education and outreach to the community and to providers, to promote academic research and publications, and to promote the development of a multidisciplinary network of Muslim mental health professionals. http://baitulsalaam.net/ Baitul Salaam is a residence for abused and neglected women and children http://www.dayahouston.org/ Daya promotes healthy family relationships in the South-Asian community by providing services that include counseling, referrals, legal advocacy, and financial support to women and children affected by family violence and sexual assault.
http://www.ima-sa.org.za/ The Islamic Medical Association of South Africa is a non profit organization that has been taking healthcare to the people for the last 30 years. http://www.imana.org/ The mission of IMANA is to provide a forum and resource for Muslim physicians and other health care professionals, to promote a greater awareness of Islamic medical ethics and values among Muslims.
http://www.amhp.us/ AMHP is an organization dedicated to empowering Muslim health professionals to improve the quality and delivery of health services and increase access to care. http://www.muslimhealthnetwork.org/ Muslim Health Network is a pioneering initiative undertaken to promote, preserve, potect, organize and advance health education and health issues affecting the United Kingdomâ€&#x;s 1.6 Muslim community. http://www.angelfire.com/al/islamicpsychology/ Psychological resources based on divine revelation, as opposed to human speculation.
http://www.jannah.org/sisters/naheed.html My Body is My Own Business by Naheed Mustafa Personal story from a sister who used to suffer from an eating disorder
http://muslimahfitness.com/ Fit Muslimah http://mentalhealth4muslims.com/category/addictions/ Addictions Resource
WORDS EXPLAINED FOR THE NON-MUSLIM InshaAllah Simply translated from Arabic to English, InshaAllah means „God willing‟. This is a very commonly used phrase, as Muslims believe God has power over everything. MashaAllah Simply translated from Arabic to English , MashaAllah means 'Whatever Allah (God) wills'. Often, it is used as an expression of delight or achievement. JazakAllah khairan Simply translated from Arabic to English, jazakAllah khairun means „May Allah reward you for the good”. This is commonly used to thank someone or to acknowledge someone‟s effort. SubhanAllah In Arabic, SubhanAllah means „Glorious is Allah”. This is used when praising God. It is also commonly used as a exclamation like “Wow!”. Masjid The Masjid is simply the Arabic word for Mosque. Many Muslims refer to the Mosque as a Masjid. Masjids are primarily used for Salah (Prayer) Jummah prayer The Friday prayer services that Muslims attend weekly. SWT: Subhana wa’ta3la Arabic Praise used after the name of Allah meaning „glorious and exalted is He” Hijab Headscarf prescribed to Muslim women for modesty purposes Shahadah Declaration of Islamic faith. Assalamu Alaykum May peace be unto you.