Benefits of Almond Milk

Almond milk is a great alternative to dairy milk.
Weight Management,
Plain almond milk withoutadded sugars or flavoring contains 60
calories per each 8 oz serving size. Thisoption works well for people
looking to
lose or maintain weight.
The low caloric content of almond milk causes less of an impact on our
totally daily consumption of food calories. Some milk varieties
contain more sugars than the cereal thatthey get combined with.
Heart Health,
Almond milk contains no cholesterol and only 5 mg of sodium per
serving. Consuming foods low in sodium and cholesterol help us to
maintain better heart health and normal blood pressure.
Without cholesterol, almond milk also decreases our chances of gaining
bad cholesterol levels, all while increasing the good cholesterol
levels. Almond milk also contains 150 mg of potassium in every
serving. This mineral works to promote healthy blood pressure.
Blood Sugar Friendly,
Unlike other milk alternatives, the plain almond option contains only
8 grams of carbohydrates per serving. The 7 grams of sugars thatmake
up the carbohydrate content have a limited affect on our blood sugar
levels. When we consume simple sugars, our metabolic functions tend to
miss the nutrients, storing much of the carbs as fat.
Instead, the low amount of sugars in almond milk have a low glycemic
nature, meaning our bodies fully digest them and use them as energy.
Diabetics benefit from this characteristic as well.
Bone Health
Almond milk contains 30%of our recommended daily value of calcium and
25% of Vitamin D. These nutrients work together tobuild strong bones
in men,women, children and infants.
Vitamin D also helps improve immunity and cellfunction. Some studies
have shown that Vitamin Dhelps decrease osteoporosis and even
Alzheimer's disease. The magnesium in found in almond milk helps
absorb more of the calcium provided by the nutritious beverage.
Skin Care
Every serving of pure almond milk contains 50%of our recommended daily
value of Vitamin E. This powerful nutrient has antioxidant abilities
in thatit helps regulate Vitamin A use and availability.
More importantly, Vitamin E acts the primary regulatory nutrient that
improves skin health.
Eye Health
The moderate levels of Vitamin A found in almondmilk helps keep our
eyes functioning properly. Vitamin A directly influences the eye's
ability to adjust to differences in light.
More Muscle Power
Even though almond milk only contains 1 gram of protein per serving,
it doescontain B Vitamins in the form of riboflavin, plus other muscle
regulating nutrients like iron. Each serving of almond milk contains
about 4% of our recommended daily intakeof iron, which helps muscles
absorb and use protein for energy, growthand repair/

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3b] Zakaah al-Fitr By Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips Islamic Studies Vol. 1

3b]
6. RATE
The amount of Zakaah is the same for everyone regardless of their
different income brackets. The minimum amount is one Saa` (two
handfuls ) offood, grain or dried fruit for each member of the family.
This calculation is based on Ibn `Umar's report that the
Prophet(sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) made Zakaah al-Fitr compulsory
and payable by a Saa` of dried dates or a Saa` of barley.
The Sahaabee, Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree said, "In the Prophet's time, we
used togive it (Zakaah al-Fitr) as a Saa` of food, dried dates,
barley, raisins or dried cheese". [collected by al-Bukhaaree -
Arabic/English vol. 2, p. 340, no. 582]/

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Signs of Allah in Birds

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Allah says in the Holy Quran:
"Do they not see the birds suspended in mid-air up in the sky? Nothing
holds them there except Allah. There are certainly Signs in that for
people who have faith." (Surat an-Nahl: 79)
A bird uses great energy when it takes flight because it has to lift
all its body with its tiny wings. Yet, once it is up in the air, Allah
has made it easy for it to remain aloft without expending too much
effort. Birds can fly for a long time by allowing themselves to rely
on the wind. This way, they hardly tire since they consume very little
energy. When the effect produced by the wind diminishes, they begin to
flap their wings again. By means of this feature Allah has given
birds, they can cover very long distances and migrate to
remotedestinations.
It is interesting that birds' legs, so slender and little in
comparison to their bodies, can carry their entire bodies. It is
amazing that so many muscles, veins and nerves can exist in such a
slender leg! If birds' legs were thicker and relatively morebulky, it
would be more difficult for them to fly.
Almost all birds sleep on one leg.This does not upset their balance
since their body weight is concentrated on this one leg. Allah has
created birds with the features that enable them to maintain such a
delicate balance.
The eyes of water fowl have been created for clear underwater vision.
While we can't keep our eyes open underwater for even 45 seconds,
water birds can easily catch insects and molluscs in water as they
plunge their heads into it. Since this is the only way for them to
feed themselves, they must have clear vision underwater. For
thisreason, Allah has created a special structure in their eyes, which
permits seeing underwater.

The man who plucked out his eye

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Ka'ab relates, once at the time ofProphet Musa (AS), there was a
drought. The Bani Israeel asked him to pray for rain. Prophet Musa
told them to come with him to the mountain. When theyclimbed the
mountain he said to his people, "Whoever has commited a sin? then do
not follow me." They all turned back down the mountain except for one
man. He was blind from oneeye and known to the people as Barkh.
Prophet Musa asked him,"Did you not hear what I said?""Yes" he
replied. Prophet Musa asked again, "Have you never commited a sin?"
Barkh paused and then replied, "I cannot remember commiting a sin
except for one, but I do not know whether it is regarded as a sin. I
will mention in to you and if it is a sin I shall return." Prophet
Musa enquired, "What isit?" Barkh replied, "Once I happened to pass
the door of a house which was open. I glanced in and saw somebody, but
I was not able to tell whether it was a man or a woman. I said to my
eye, 'Out ofmy whole body you hurried to commit a sin, you cannot
remainwith me anymore', so I plucked out my eye. If this is a sin, I
will return." Prophet Musa assured him that he had not sinned and then
told him to pray for rain. They prayed to Allah, "Oh Almighty,
whatever you have does not finish. There is no end to your treasures;
you cannot be accused of being miserly. Oh Allah show us your mercy
and send forth rain." The narrator states that they both walked home
in the mud.
From 'Stories of the Pious', by Maulana Ahmed Ali, originally recorded in Rowdh.

The Woman as Mother

The Woman as Mother
The first contact with a woman is with one's mother, who suffers in
the pregnancy,delivery,nursing and rearing of her child. History does
not recall a religion or a system which honours the woman as a mother
and which raises her, as Islam does. Islam repeatedly commends the
woman, and this comes directly after the command to worship and
believe in the Oneness of Allah. Allah has made honouring one's mother
a virtue, and He puts forth the mother's right over that of the father
for what she endures in pregnancy, delivery,nursing and raising her
children.
This has been honoured and restated in the Qur'an, in multiple
chapters, to imprint thisnotion in the child's mind and heart as per
the following verses:
"And we have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents.
His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and
hardship, and his weaning is in two years-give thanks to Me and your
parents,-unto Me is the final destination. [The Holy Qur'an, Chapter
31, Verse 14]
"And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents.
His mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with
hardship, and thebearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty (30)
months. [The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 46, Verse 15]
The status of women as mother has been restated in many Ahadis (
Sayings of Muhammad (PBUH)).
A man came to the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) asking, "Who is most
deserving of my care?" He said, "Your mother." The manasked, "Then
who?" He said,"Your mother." The man asked,"Then who?" He said, Your
mother." The man asked (the fourth time), "Then who?" He said, "Your
father. [ Transmitted by Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu
Huraira The Pearl and the Coral (Al-Lu'lu' wal-Marjan) (1652)]
Al-Bazzar recounts that a man was circumambulating the Ka'bah carrying
his mother. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) asked him, "Have you repaid
her?" The man said, "No, not even for one of her moans (i.e. one of
the moans of labour, delivery and so on) [Transmittedby Al-Bazzar
(1872)]
As to be good to her, it means treating her well, respecting
her,humbling oneself in front of her,obeying her without
disobeyingAllah, seeking her satisfaction and pleasure in all matters,
even in a holy war. If it is optional, he must have her permission,
for being good to her in a type of jihad. [ Jihad is the struggle
(physical, mental, psychological, spiritual, etc.) to preserve the
purity and practice of Islam. ]
A man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and said,
"O Messenger of Allah, I want to fight and I want your advice." He
asked him,"Have you a mother?" The man said, "Yes." He said, "Do not
leave her because Paradise is under her feet. [ Transmitted by
Al-Nisaai, 6/11; Ibn Majah, 1/278and Al-Hakim. It is amended and
approved by Al-Dhahaby, 4/151,on the authority of Muaaweya Ibn
Jammah.]
Some religious laws before Islam neglected the mother's relations,
making them insignificant. With the advent of Islam, it recommended
caring for uncles and aunts, both on the father's side and the
mother's. A man approached theProphet Muhammad(PBUH) and said, "I
committed an offence, could I atone for it?" He asked,"Have you got a
mother?" The man said, "No." He asked, "Have you got a maternal aunt?"
The man said, "Yes." The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Be good to her. [
Transmitted by Termithy in"Righteousness and Relations" (1905); Ibn
Hibban Charity (EI-Ehsan) (435); and Al-Hakim who amended it on the
terms ofthe two Sheikhs, agreed upon by Al-Dhahaby, 4/155, all on the
authority of Umar.]
It is amazing that Islam commanded us to be good to a mother even
though she is an unbeliever!
Asma'a bint Abu Bakr asked the Prophet (PBUH) about her relationship
to her unbelieving mother who had come to her. He said, "Yes, be on
good terms with your mother". [Transmittedon the authority of Asmaa
(agreed upon), The Pearl and theCoral (Al-Lu'lu' wal-Marjan) (587).]
An indication that Islam cares for motherhood, for the rights of
mothers and their feelings is that a divorced mother has greater
rights and is worthier oflooking after her children than the father.
`Abdallah ibn `Amr ibn Al-as transmitted that a woman asked, "O
Messenger of Allah, this son of mine had my womb as a container, my
breasts for drinking, my lap to contain him. His father has taken him
from me." The Prophet (PBUH) said,"You have more right if you do not
marry". [Transmitted by Ahmad in Al Musnad (6707). Sheikh Shaker said
its authenticity is correct. Transmitted also by Abu Dawud.] ....
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Ramadan Marathon! Are You Ready? Psychological Approach to AchievingYour Goals

MM Treasures are posts on MuslimMatters that we believe are overlooked
'gems' that NEED to be read, especially by our new readers.
Most people slack off all year religiously and wait for Ramadan to get
a new boost of spiritual energy. These individuals are spiritually
out of shape & religiously flabby- not praying any sunnah prayers,
lacking khushu (sincerity), barely having time to read the Quran. They
come into Ramadan completely depleted of iman, breathlessly crawling
towards the month in order to resuscitate themselves before they
spiritually die. It's a vicious cycle that a lot of people experience,
yet very few address.
What usually happens with these individuals whoare so religiously out
of shape? It takes them 2 weeks to get in the groove– the first week
will be filled with headaches and grogginess until the new schedule
falls into place, then when they finally get accustomed to the new
program, Ramadan is over. The abundance of blessings are so
overflowing during Ramadan that anyone who puts forth even the
smallest amount of effort will reap the rewards. However; they are
getting the bare minimum amount of blessings and missing out on an
ExtremeSpiritual Makeover !
What if we changed our perspective and started planning for Ramadan
the way we would plan for a marathon? How different will our
experience be if we were already prepared,sprinting into Ramadan with
full iman gusto? The way we can do that is by training way in advance
in order to build our spiritual stamina. Whether we are preparing for
Ramadan or any other event in our life there are a series of steps we
need to take in order to achieve our goals:
"A goal without a plan is just a wish." Larry Elder
1. Write down the goals, prioritize based on importance and make a plan.
Break down large goals into small, achievable goals. For instance, if
one of our goals is to completethe Quran during Ramadanthen make a
plan to read for instance 4 pages after each prayer. This will make
it easy to achieve. By starting ahead of time and taking small steps
towards the goal, once Ramadan comes along we will be prepared &
trained.
To start with the end in mind means to have a clear understanding of
the destination. Stephen R. Covey
2. We need to focus on what we want to achieve and what kind
ofoutcomes we want. Visualize achieving the goals. We need to see
ourselves overcoming our temptations, reaching our goals and having
success. See yourself achieving attainable goals for Ramadan.
What the mind of man canconceive and believe it canachieve! Napoleon Hill
3. Ask yourself good questions : The questions we ask or the questions
we fail to ask shapes our destiny. The way we evaluate our life is by
asking questions; therefore if we ask good questions then our mind can
come up with good answers which will affect our interpretation of
events. We need to ask what is good about this situation? What can I
learn from this test? How can I bring out the best in this person?
How can I make the most of Ramadan?
It's not the events that shape our life that determine how we feel and
act, but rather, it's the way we interpret and evaluate our life.
Anthony Robbins
4. Be optimistic: Having a nice, positive attitude makes all the
difference in achieving any goals. Whena person is hopeful, puts trust
in Allah and makes the necessary effort, anything is possible.
Right now we need to start implementing the steps to achieving our
Ramadan goals in order to get the maximum benefit:
1. Start fasting Mondays and Thursdays to prepareyour body for Ramadan
– this would be equivalent to 2 intensive work outs during a week to
prepare for a marathon.
'A'isha said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, used to take care to fast on Mondays and Thursdays."
[at-Tirmidhi]
2. Increase your baseline in worship by simply increasing your
worship, so if you currently only pray the obligatory prayers, start
praying sunnah and also do the dhikr afterwards – this would be like
increasing the amount of weight you are pumping in the gym.
3. Set goals for reading Quran daily - reading the Quran nourishes the
soul the way healthy, nutritiousfood rejuvenates the body.So start
feeding your soul!

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Allah’s Plan for You and Me

Allah had a plan for youbefore you were born, andHe still has a plan
for you. Allah's plan for you is necessary and glorious. Hisplan is
vital to your successand important to the world.
Allah's plan is not set in stone, as if we were robotspre-programmed
in the factory. That would strip us of free will and deny our natures.
Rather, I believe that Allah has a flexible plan for each human being:
a plan that allows that person to benefit the world with his/her
unique talents.
This is in fact the Islamic view of al-Qadar, or predestination. There
is nodoubt that Allah has decreed everything that happens in the
universe from the beginning of time to the end, and that Allah has
written it all in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (the Book of Decrees).
"Know you not that Allahknows all that is in the heaven and on the
earth? Verily, it is (all) in the Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz). Verily,
that is easy for Allah" (Quran, al-Hajj 22:70)
In Saheeh Muslim (2653) itis narrated that 'Abd-Allah ibn 'Amr ibn
al-'Aas (may Allah be pleased with him)said: I heard the Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "Allah wrote
down the decrees of creation fifty thousandyears before He created the
heavens and the earth."
Everything happens by thewill of Allah. Whatever He wills happens, and
whatever he does not will does not happen. However, as Sheikh Muhammad
Saalih Al-Munajjid explains ,
Belief in al-qadar does not contradict the idea that a person has free
will with regard to actions in which he has free choice. Sharee'ah and
real life both indicate that people have this will.
Allaah says concerning man's will (interpretation of the meaning):
"That is (without doubt) the True Day. So, whosoever wills, let him
seek a place with (or a way to) His Lord (by obeying Him in this
worldly life)!" [al-Naba' 78:39]
(and other similar ayaat)
These verses confirm that man has a will and the ability to do what he
wants and not to do what he does not want.
With regard to real life, everyone knows that he has a will and the
ability to do what he wants and not to do what he does not want. And
he can distinguish between the things that happen when he wants them
to, such as walking, and those that happen without him wanting them
to, such as shivering. But the will and ability of man are subject to
the will and decree of Allaah.
Sheikh Al-Munajjid's last paragraph is the key to understanding
Al-Qadar: walking (voluntary) versusshivering (involuntary). Other
scholars have explained it as two types of Qadar, fixed and flexible.
The fixed Qadar is that which happens to us from beyond our control.
For example the time and place of our birth, any illnesses and natural
disasters that befall us, etc.The flexible Qadar is that which is
within the realm of our free will. Whether we do good or evil, and
what we choose to believeand how we choose to live. Sheikh-ul-Islam
Ibn Taymiyyah wrote:
There are two types of provision and lifespan: the first type has
already been decreed and is written in Umm al-kitaab, and cannotbe
changed or altered. Thenext type of qadar, Allah has informed His
angels of His decrees. This is the type where provisions andlifespan
may increase or decrease. Hence Allah the Almighty says what may be
translated as, "Allah blots out what he wills and confirms [what He
wills]. And with Him is the Mother of the book." (Surat Ar-Ra'ad,
verse 39) The mother of the Book (Umm al-Kitaab) is
Al-Lawhal-Mahfoodh, in which Allah has decreed all things as they will
always be without change. However, the decrees contained in the books
of the angels, such as lifespanand provisions, may increase or
decrease according to various circumstances; thereafter, the angels
will re-write a person's provision and lifespan. If a person upholds
the ties of kinship,his provisions and lifespan will be extended,
otherwise they will decrease." [See Majmoo'al-Fataawa 8/540]
So Allah has a plan for you,but fulfillment of that planis up to you:
the choices you make, as well as your degree of faith, persistenceand
determination.
Allah's plan for you is important to the world because Allah created
nothing in vain. Look at His creation. Everything has a purpose, from
the sun that heats our world, to the bacteria that consume waste.
You are the same. You have a purpose. You are necessary to the world.
If your presence were not vital in some way, then you would not have
been made.
Discovering Allah's Plan
Allah's plan for us is not always what we might wish it to be.
How do we discover Allah's plan for us? Where do we find it? How do we
realize it in our lives?
It's not as difficult as we might think. It wouldn't make sense for
Allah to have a plan for us and then leave us stumbling in the dark.
Allah's plan doesn't have to be a mystery.....

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