Date: April 29, 2015
Reem Shaikh is a 17-year-old Muslim hails from Houston. Wonderful news is that she has finished memorizing Qur’an when she was just seven and traveled to Egypt to learn Arabic. She did not get an opportunity to go to regular schools. She was homeschooled until the age of 12. Then she pursued her bachelors in Islamic Studies at Qatar University. The very fact is that children who are homeschooled will be stereotyped as illiterates. But case for Reem is something different. She is now a social activist and joined Doha youth forum, a forum from UN to give youth an opportunity to voice their opinions, last year. She was the only young Muslim girl who addressed UN delegates and answered their questions on role of youth in fighting crimes around the world.
Alhamdolillah (Praise be to Allah, the Supreme God), Muslims are observing the 2020 Holy month of Ramadan (fasting) across the world. Last ten days of Ramadan are extremely important. One night of these ten days is the night when Al-Quran, the last Holy Book of Allah, the Exalted was sent down through the archangel Jibril (Gabriel) to the last Prophet, Mohammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him (pbuh). This specific night is entitled Lailat al-Qadr by Allah, the Most Powerful Himself. The Muslims know this night as “Nuzul ul Quran” night as well. He, the Noble Lord declared in the Quran: اِنَّا اَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ القَدْر . “We have revealed (Quran) in the night of power.” (Al-Qadr, 97:1) In another verse Allah, Subhanahu wa Taala (SWT) says in more specific terms: : شَهْرُ رَمْضَانَ الَّذِيْ اُنْزِلَ فِيْهِ الْقُرْانْ “Ramadan is the month in which Quran was revealed” (Al-Baqara, 2:185). Clearly it is the month of Ramadan night when the Quran Revelation started. The actual date for the first revelation was calculated as Friday, the 17th day of Ramadan in 610 AD. This day this year is on May 10, 2020. The نُزوْلُ القُرْان (Nuzul ul-Quran) or the Night of Power is celebrated each year during last ten days of Ramadan. The Muslims learn significance of Nuzul ul-Quran; the life of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh); al-Quran, the guidance sent by Allah SWT; then thank Allah, SWT by observing extra prayers during this night, and seeking Allah’s help for the successes of this worldly life and the Life Hereafter. Prior to receiving the first revelation from Allah, SWT, the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was displeased with everyday Meccan life: their general behavior towards the poor and the week, their individual and collective characters, cruelty, customs, and idle worship. He used to ponder about it a lot and used to see dreams. He, then took solitary confinement to seek the reality and the truth of this life in a cave at mount Hira, in a nearby hill to Mecca. He used to ponder there days and night. While on the retreat in the cave of Hira one night, archangel Jibril appears before him and commands him to “Read!” the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) responded that “I cannot read!” Then angel Gabriel embraced and squeezed him tightly and upon release asked him to “Read” and the Prophet (pbuh) again said, “I cannot read.” The angel Jibril squeezed and released two additional times each time squeezing stronger than previous one and commanding him to “Read.” After the third time releasing the Prophet (pbuh,) he revealed to him the first five verses of Quran, Surah al-‘Alaq, 96:1-5: “Read: In the name of thy Lord Who created (1), Created man from a clot of congealed blood (2), Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous (3), Who taught (the use of) the pen (4), Taught man that which he knew not (5).” (Bukhari 4953). Then the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) returned home trembling with fear, and said to Syyedah Khadijah: `Cover me, cover me', and he was covered. When he was out of fear, he said: `O Khadijah, what has happened to me?' Then he narrated to her whatever had happened and said: `I fear for my life'. She said, `No never! Be of good cheer. By God, never will God debase you: you treat the kindred well, you speak the truth, you are trustworthy, you bear the burden of the helpless, you help the poor, you entertain the guests, and you cooperate in good works.' Syyedah Khadijah took the Prophet (pbuh) to Waraqah bin Naufal, her old and blind cousin, who had become a Christian in pre-Islamic days and a knowledgeable person. After hearing the story from the Prophet (pbuh), Waraqah said; `This is the same angel Jibril who brought the words of Allah to Moses. Waraqah literally declared the Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh). The Nuzul ul Quran night is not only important for the Muslims but for the Humanity. The Quran and the Prophet (pbuh) were the last book and last Prophet and meant for all Humans! The Alim Foundation: NMS; May 4, 2020
Read MoreAlim has released 6 videos explaining the features of the various Islamic knowledge sections in the 2021 revamped Alim.org website. The webinars can be accessed through Alim Foundation’s YouTube channel(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIO9DrXm-myDFACoS7zYC9g). In these videos, Aaisha Shah is providing detailed description about the Alim.org sections like the Alim homepage, Quran, Kids Quran, Hadith, History, Duas, News and Views, and Infographics. By viewing these videos, users can get information about how the different Alim sections are organized and how the information is presented in these sections. Additionally it may enable them to access the required information easily. The videos are available as follows: 1. Alim.org, providing authentic resources of Islamic knowledge(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6r_Fkf1AvM) 2. Alim.org Quran – read and learn Quran, Recitations, Translations, Tafsirs, and Transliteration(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG-3K1i_2ew) 3. Kids Quran –read and learn Quran, Recitations &Translations through an easy and colorful interface(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlGLYjL_s-I) 4. Alim.org Hadiths –presenting all major Hadith collections in a single place, with ease of navigation(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHRVbOoJ-xg) 5. Alim.org Islamic History of the Prophets, Sahaba, Khulafa Rashidun, History Timeline, and Quran Duas(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoUYkgFrJMk) 6. Alim.org News and Views and Blog, Alim Infographics, Alim mobile apps, Alim Funeral Services & FAQ(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPUGqAgkYFk)
Read MoreHere is the story of a young woman of 23 named Kearney-Argow who has been using pain killers over years. She had been in three car accidents and was suffering from consequent neck pain and migraines. She started using pain killers for each time. When ever she approaches her doctor, she used to get dangerous pain killers in the prescription. Every time she took Opioid stupors to relieve from pain. She says that it is easy to get Opiates here in the cities of New Jersey. She used cannabis, ketamine and some other powerful pain killers that doctors normally prescribe to cancer victims. Due to the over dosage in using pain killers, her weight fell to 43kg and she did even stopped going college. Some how, this lady is getting back to her normal state and started going for a job. Al Jazeera reports say that “According to the US government&8217;s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioid abuse is an &8220;epidemic&8221;. The number of overdose deaths involving opioids &8211; including some strong painkillers and heroin &8211; nearly quadrupled between 1999 and 2014”. Reports say that 78 Americans die every day due to over dosage of pain killers and other pills mixed with Alcohol. 2017 budget request of President Barack Obama allotted $1.1bn to treat opioid addicts who want help. In fact the crisis is that every single family in United States is facing the pain killer addiction, that one of the family members would be using a pain killer. And this addiction turns to serious sickness to them. former politician Patrick Kennedy said that spending a little more for treatment would be far better than filling the addicts in courthouses, jails and emergency rooms. Now America has banned hard drugs like heroine, but still uses opioid pain killers. Oxycodone and Hydrocodone were once reserved for severe pain of those recovering from car crashes and surgery, and those getting palliative care for AIDS, cancer and other killers. Some reports say that in 2013, physicians prescribed nearly a quarter of a billion opioid drugs. Various recommendations and reports say that it is time to stop using pain killers in United States for diseases and move with some other healthy alternatives to this issue.
Read More"When a person dies, his works end, except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him."
Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)
"The best of what a man leaves behind are three: a righteous child who supplicates for him, ongoing charity the reward of which reaches him, and knowledge that is acted upon after him."
Sunan Ibn Mājah
"Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allah! Destroy every miser.'"
Sahih Bukhari