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Its Valentine …. so what ?!

Roses, candy, chocs,teddy bears, gifts, candlelight dinner, wine and dine, romance… Welcome to another year when the street goes red and wild… its the return of deceit, pretence and going with the flow –

Welcome the Valentine’s day – the festival of love LUST !!

Did i just say LUST? oh yeah! that no typo- because that all it is these days.

Red hot temptation served per minutes…

Hours of pressure on lovers and couples…

A time for singles to feel doomed or lured to mingle….

A day for the broken hearts to bleed again…

Another 24hour to compete on what you get and what you give…

Time to resurrect dead old love songs and poems…

Moments of breakups, make ups and getting broke..

A season when Love is belittled to kisses, hugs, fornication and adultery…

When you show you care because everyone else is doing so…

Now officially a crime to be away from your spouse on February 14!

oh you didn’t know?! well- its a big fat crime and can cost you your year(s) long relationship!

Thank God you are ANTI-Vals?! as in you stingy, unloving, anti social or broke a55 or a player?

Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers, a day for couples, a day of industry for companies and gift stores to make huge money off overpriced candy ,cards, chocs, flowers, jewelry, erotics, wine, junk meals and all that jazz. I 100% agree sex sells…

This craze seem to be well planned; targeted at the emotions, ego and youthfulness, what better niche is there?!

Everyone has a “valentine special sales”… even on dog food?!

This commercially hyped celebration is not only targeted at lovers or lust-mongers these days … interestingly, anti-vals roses, parties and merchandise are on sale too… get the picture?

Whose lose really?!

st Valentine might have had a good intention no doubt …but is this it?

Many years ago i asked myself…

” Dear (Ola. Olabimpe),

How does a day declared to by buy gifts and flirting around translate to love?

Is love restricted to lovers or those you know? Is it timed? does it need a dedicated day to show it?

So… giving someone you truly care about a day out of 365days… is you definition of love?

Sadly decades gone and am still stunned…

We have become puns..toss around by our greed, emotions and ego…

Year in year out… it getting bigger and we stayed lock in.

Drooling from infatuation…

soon it will become a public holiday!

Love is a wonderful feeling … the excitement and its sparks cant be overrated honestly… every heart must feel it…whether as a receiver or a giver. But that’s true love am talking about… Not the charade called valentine!

You want to feel love, share love or show love.. get real!!

Show love the right way – make it sincerely, let it come from your heart, give it to the right people for the right reason…

Open your eyes!!

its valentine … so what?!

By Ola Olabimpe

SOURCE: [Mind Juice …be inspired]

All right reserved

Women Discover the Secrets of a Happy Marriage

If you were to ask a girl who has not yet been married about the secrets of a happy marriage, she would consider it a strange question, because she is not married or because she might give a romantic dreamy answer that embodies her dreams, ideals and needs rather than reality.

Hence, if we want to discover these secrets, we should ask married women who have real experience, because the answers of such women will be more credible, practical, and realistic. Their answers would be guiding signs on the way of those who have not yet married, and useful advice to wives who have not discovered these secrets and still need to reconsider their marital relationship.

Compliment Your Husband

Randa Ahmad, who has been married for 17 years, advises every bride-to-be saying,

To lead a happy, stable married life, you have to love your husband and understand his nature. Understanding the nature of your husband enables you to please him. Of course, this will not happen overnight; the longer you live with him, the more you will understand him.

–      It is very important to be humble with him and to pay him a compliment every now and then. By doing this, you will make him happy and lead a happy, stable life with him.

Your Husband’s Weaknesses

Saamiyah Ahmad, a housewife who has been married for 25 years, says to every girl and wife,

Know the weaknesses of your life partner; care for him, be thoughtful, and make him feel comfortable.

–      If your husband likes food, master the art of cooking to make the most delicious dishes. If he loves his family, be kinder to them than he is.

Madeenah Raashid, a housewife who has been married for 57 years, offers the fruit of her long experience, saying:

–      Cherish your husband in hard times as well as in the good ones. Respect whatever he says and maintain good relations with his family, especially his mother, and you will win him easily.

Say, “I love you”

Muneerah Abdul-Hameed, a working wife who has been married for 30 years, says,

–      Dialogue, mutual understanding, love, and confidence. A husband can have his wife at his disposal just if he says to her “I love you”. This simple phrase will make her give you all her love, tenderness and care.

Umm Yoosuf is a housewife who has been married for 20 years. She says,

First, you have to know that the marriage is not just a honeymoon. Marriage is a heavy responsibility that a woman has to be well-prepared for. An intelligent woman understands the nature of her husband and acts according to that nature, along with sharing his ambitions and hobbies. However, this should be within the proper limits without intruding upon your husband.

Adherence to Islam

Ameenah At-Turki, an Indonesian woman who has been married for 15 years, says,

A wife has to know her duties towards her husband as defined by the teachings of Islam and the guidance of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She has to always remember the saying of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “If I were to order anyone to prostrate himself before another, I would have ordered a woman to prostrate herself before her husband.”

Widaad Al-Qaseer has been married for 15 years. She says,

My mother used to tell me not to compare in order not to despair. I say the same thing to all girls: if you want to lead a happy life with your husband, you have to be content with what Allaah The Almighty has granted you. If you do this, you will realize how you are truly blessed by Allaah The Almighty. Otherwise, you will never be happy no matter how hard your husband may try to please you.

Ask Your Husband

Nawaal Muhammad, a Saudi housewife who has been married for 17 years, says,

Obedience is the key to a man’s heart, and then truthfulness with him, as it generates confidence between you and him. Certainly, confidence is the cornerstone of a happy marriage. Take care of your beauty and ask your husband, from time to time, about what he wants from you and what you should do to please him. In this way, you will find out what makes him happy and what makes him unhappy.

Jameelah Muhammad Ali is a housewife who has been married for 20 years. She advises all young women, saying,

Men are all alike. All they need is delicious food, a clean, quiet house, and an obedient wife who takes care of her husband and of her beauty. This is all you have to do in order to live happily with your husband. Also, do not forget that you have to bear with him when he is angry and to support him if the going gets tough.

Your In-Laws

‘Aaydah Hanafi has been married for 37years and this is what she has to say,

– Save your husband’s money, never disclose his secrets, not even to the closest people to you, and treat his mother just like you treat yours.

‘Aaydah’s daughter, Naahid Muhammad, a teacher who has been married for 13years, agrees with her mother. She says,

-A wife has to create a good image of her husband in the eyes of her family. Never verbally abuse your husband. Deal with him calmly and politely. With regard to times when there are severe disagreements, a wife has to be clever enough to win her husband’s love and respect.

Aay Noor is an Algerian housewife. She has been married for 30 years. She is shedding light on being a good example and advises the family rather than the wife-to-be or the husband-to-be. She says,

– My advice to all mothers is to teach their daughters how to win the love of their husbands. Teach your daughter how to take you as an example through the way you deal with her father and vice versa. Never interfere with your children’s life after they are married. You should let them lead their own life and learn from their own experience.

Naadyah Abdulmajeed, who has been married for 18 years, advises all wives, saying,

Never belittle your husband, respect his wishes and allow him to act freely. It is wrong to try to discuss something with your husband when he is angry, or to tell him about the problems of the house and the children immediately after he returns from work. You have to choose the proper time for everything. Make him respect you, maintain your dignity with him and do not let him see your tears, except rarely, so that they would not lose their effect on him.

Graduation Certificate in the Kitchen

The famous American journalist, Norma Vincent Peale, Editor in Chief of Guideposts Magazine, who is a wife with three children and seven grandchildren, says that a woman who wants to be happily married has to realize that marriage is the law of life. She adds that with this spirit, a wife will succeed in her attempts to adapt according to her husband’s needs. All that concerns husbands is to see a clean, tidy house, a table full of the food they like, clean clothes whenever they want and some personal things such as the morning newspaper. She says that a skilful wife is the one who takes care of these needs so as to keep her husband’s smile. She says that some husbands like to see their wives in their full adornment and femininity, while others prefer moderate adornment. She adds that the role of the clever wife is to do what her husband expects of her.

Peale maintains that a wife has to make her family the first priority in her life and to sacrifice any position or job for the sake of her husband and children. She says that she once visited a friend and saw her university certificate hung in the kitchen. When she asked her why she did this, her friend replied that the kitchen was the best place for a bachelor’s degree because it is the place where she can make use of what she has learned to master performing her duties as an ideal mother and wife.

SOURCE: http://www.islamweb.net/womane/nindex.php?page=readart&id=149417

Women Discover the Secrets of a Happy Marriage

If you were to ask a girl who has not yet been married about the secrets of a happy marriage, she would consider it a strange question, because she is not married or because she might give a romantic dreamy answer that embodies her dreams, ideals and needs rather than reality.

Hence, if we want to discover these secrets, we should ask married women who have real experience, because the answers of such women will be more credible, practical, and realistic. Their answers would be guiding signs on the way of those who have not yet married, and useful advice to wives who have not discovered these secrets and still need to reconsider their marital relationship.

Compliment Your Husband

Randa Ahmad, who has been married for 17 years, advises every bride-to-be saying,

To lead a happy, stable married life, you have to love your husband and understand his nature. Understanding the nature of your husband enables you to please him. Of course, this will not happen overnight; the longer you live with him, the more you will understand him.

It is very important to be humble with him and to pay him a compliment every now and then. By doing this, you will make him happy and lead a happy, stable life with him.

Your Husband’s Weaknesses

Saamiyah Ahmad, a housewife who has been married for 25 years, says to every girl and wife,

Know the weaknesses of your life partner; care for him, be thoughtful, and make him feel comfortable.

If your husband likes food, master the art of cooking to make the most delicious dishes. If he loves his family, be kinder to them than he is.

Madeenah Raashid, a housewife who has been married for 57 years, offers the fruit of her long experience, saying:

Cherish your husband in hard times as well as in the good ones. Respect whatever he says and maintain good relations with his family, especially his mother, and you will win him easily.

Say, “I love you”

Muneerah Abdul-Hameed, a working wife who has been married for 30 years, says,

Dialogue, mutual understanding, love, and confidence. A husband can have his wife at his disposal just if he says to her “I love you”. This simple phrase will make her give you all her love, tenderness and care.

Umm Yoosuf is a housewife who has been married for 20 years. She says,

First, you have to know that the marriage is not just a honeymoon. Marriage is a heavy responsibility that a woman has to be well-prepared for. An intelligent woman understands the nature of her husband and acts according to that nature, along with sharing his ambitions and hobbies. However, this should be within the proper limits without intruding upon your husband.

Adherence to Islam

Ameenah At-Turki, an Indonesian woman who has been married for 15 years, says,

A wife has to know her duties towards her husband as defined by the teachings of Islam and the guidance of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She has to always remember the saying of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “If I were to order anyone to prostrate himself before another, I would have ordered a woman to prostrate herself before her husband.”

Widaad Al-Qaseer has been married for 15 years. She says,

My mother used to tell me not to compare in order not to despair. I say the same thing to all girls: if you want to lead a happy life with your husband, you have to be content with what Allaah The Almighty has granted you. If you do this, you will realize how you are truly blessed by Allaah The Almighty. Otherwise, you will never be happy no matter how hard your husband may try to please you.

Ask Your Husband

Nawaal Muhammad, a Saudi housewife who has been married for 17 years, says,

Obedience is the key to a man’s heart, and then truthfulness with him, as it generates confidence between you and him. Certainly, confidence is the cornerstone of a happy marriage. Take care of your beauty and ask your husband, from time to time, about what he wants from you and what you should do to please him. In this way, you will find out what makes him happy and what makes him unhappy.

Jameelah Muhammad Ali is a housewife who has been married for 20 years. She advises all young women, saying,

Men are all alike. All they need is delicious food, a clean, quiet house, and an obedient wife who takes care of her husband and of her beauty. This is all you have to do in order to live happily with your husband. Also, do not forget that you have to bear with him when he is angry and to support him if the going gets tough.

Your In-Laws

‘Aaydah Hanafi has been married for 37years and this is what she has to say,

– Save your husband’s money, never disclose his secrets, not even to the closest people to you, and treat his mother just like you treat yours.

‘Aaydah’s daughter, Naahid Muhammad, a teacher who has been married for 13years, agrees with her mother. She says,

-A wife has to create a good image of her husband in the eyes of her family. Never verbally abuse your husband. Deal with him calmly and politely. With regard to times when there are severe disagreements, a wife has to be clever enough to win her husband’s love and respect.

Aay Noor is an Algerian housewife. She has been married for 30 years. She is shedding light on being a good example and advises the family rather than the wife-to-be or the husband-to-be. She says,

– My advice to all mothers is to teach their daughters how to win the love of their husbands. Teach your daughter how to take you as an example through the way you deal with her father and vice versa. Never interfere with your children’s life after they are married. You should let them lead their own life and learn from their own experience.

Naadyah Abdulmajeed, who has been married for 18 years, advises all wives, saying,

Never belittle your husband, respect his wishes and allow him to act freely. It is wrong to try to discuss something with your husband when he is angry, or to tell him about the problems of the house and the children immediately after he returns from work. You have to choose the proper time for everything. Make him respect you, maintain your dignity with him and do not let him see your tears, except rarely, so that they would not lose their effect on him.

Graduation Certificate in the Kitchen

The famous American journalist, Norma Vincent Peale, Editor in Chief of Guideposts Magazine, who is a wife with three children and seven grandchildren, says that a woman who wants to be happily married has to realize that marriage is the law of life. She adds that with this spirit, a wife will succeed in her attempts to adapt according to her husband’s needs. All that concerns husbands is to see a clean, tidy house, a table full of the food they like, clean clothes whenever they want and some personal things such as the morning newspaper. She says that a skilful wife is the one who takes care of these needs so as to keep her husband’s smile. She says that some husbands like to see their wives in their full adornment and femininity, while others prefer moderate adornment. She adds that the role of the clever wife is to do what her husband expects of her.

Peale maintains that a wife has to make her family the first priority in her life and to sacrifice any position or job for the sake of her husband and children. She says that she once visited a friend and saw her university certificate hung in the kitchen. When she asked her why she did this, her friend replied that the kitchen was the best place for a bachelor’s degree because it is the place where she can make use of what she has learned to master performing her duties as an ideal mother and wife.

SOURCE: http://www.islamweb.net/womane/nindex.php?page=readart&id=149417

Three dimensions of personality

< On a mission to define and shape oneself, you need to know what it entails to build ones personality. Here is a view on what you should consider when building your personality>

There are three essential needs which mould a personality. Without fulfilling this needs one cannot become a wholesome personality. The three needs are as follows.

First, You ought to have something to DO
One cannot remain idle. It is not human nature to remain idle. Man has to do something. Idle mind is devil’s workshop. Men do various things. Men get engaged in various occupations to keep themselves occupied. The list of trades, professions, crafts, jobs and careers never ends.
But the best thing to do is to do dawah. The best career option is to get engaged in Dawah.

Second, You ought to have something to LOVE
One cannot live with profession, job or business alone. Day in and day out you do a lot of things. But that is not sufficient to nourish your inner soul. Your heart longs to love and to be loved. Naturally men love. Their love knows no bounds. Men love their wives, their sweet little children, their apparels, their face, their language, their organisation, their country, their matinee idol and the list goes on.
But the best of them is the love towards God. Love of God is the supreme thing in life. It is the ultimate. You have to research and find out whom does God love? And strive to become one. Besides you should love your Creator more than anything and everything in this mundane life.

Third, You ought to have something to HOPE
Man exists because of his hope. He may do a lot of things. He may love his job. He may be passionate about many things. But still he needs something to hope. Why does he work? Why does he go to faraway lands? Why does he do so many things? Because of Hope. Because of hope that one day he would get a beautiful palace overlooking the sea shore. Of hope that he would be driving in the latest model of car. Of hope that his offsprings would get decent education. The list of hopes and dreams is simply endless.
But the best thing to hope is hope of falah in the Hereafter.

Culled from Source: http://oneminuteschool.blogspot.com/2009/03/three-dimensions-of-personality.html

Posted by T Azeez Luthfullah

Observe Etiquettes With Your Spouse

<Building the ummah starts from home! love and imaan between the dad & mum spreads over to the kids..shared by relatives…enjoyed by colleagues …felt by neighborhoods …supported by muslims…leads to change in the society…. So lets talk about some basic ettiquettes to help improve our homes and ummah at large!>

Without a set of rules and orders to be applied and respected, life would be chaotic and uncivilized. A home that is based on desires will be destroyed by them. A home that is built on water will sink into it. A house that is constructed in the path of the flood will be destroyed by that flood. A family that is founded on piety and obedience to Allaah The Almighty cannot be uprooted, even by the strongest of winds.

“Build your house on rock” is the advice of many grandfathers to their grandsons. What a wonderful order it is when it is followed at home, at school, in the factory, in the mosque and on the street. Conversely, how great is the ugliness of chaos at home, at school, at the clubs and on the street. One of the great tasks that Allaah The Almighty assigned to His Messengers was to teach people good manners. Some people call virtues and good manners etiquettes. Anyone who observes these rules is regarded as being civilized and well-mannered. On the other hand, anyone who violates these rules is considered uncivilized and ill-mannered.

We usually observe manners around strangers, so that we would gain their trust, respect and appreciation. However, often when we are around our loved ones who live with us or our life partners, we act thoughtlessly. We might hurt their feelings unintentionally and sometimes even intentionally hurt them because we think that etiquettes should be observed only while dealing with strangers. When dealing with close ones, we are often rough, thoughtless, and uncouth. Therefore, every newly-wed couple should agree together on rules to be written in the form of a document or an agreement that includes everything that can enrich their life and provide it with pleasure through activities, various hobbies, visits, meditations, and journeys. The purpose of this agreement is to enhance the spouse’s respect and appreciation for each other, and to decrease the amount of disagreements and maltreatment.

They should agree on a penalty that will befall either of them who violates any of the terms of the agreement. Penalties can include desertion for no more than a day or two, an apology to the wronged spouse, paying an amount of money or to buy a gift to make it up to the wronged spouse. Then, both parties should willingly sign that document. In the course of time, new terms can be added and old terms may be deleted. However, order should remain in effect and respect should be ongoing.

Some Rules for Good Manners

Some of the good manners that Islam and people with illuminated minds encourage, which some people may call etiquettes, are:

1-   To ask permission and knock before entering anyone’s room.

2-   To say “Assalaamu ‘alaykum…” when entering the home, the room or the car.

3-   The person who is leaving a room should ask those inside the room whether they need anything from outside.

4-   A person should not read a letter, a check or a piece of paper that does not belong to him.

5-   To return anything, such as a book or a ruler, that we borrow.

6-   To buy a new object if we break or damage something belonging to someone else.

7-   To put anything which belongs to the other partner back where it was if we move it.

8-   To apologize to the person we wrong.

9-   To accept the apology of the wrongdoer without blaming excessively.

10-               To have quiet, respectful speech that does not have any foul language in it.

11-               To speak the truth even if it is bitter but in a gentle, unoffending way.

12-               To offer advice to the one who needs it without any haughtiness.

13-               To be pleased when our partner is pleased. If one weeps, the other should be sad and weep or at least try to weep.

14-               To share in happy occasions and not miss them.

15-               To respect, appreciate, and praise the other’s hobbies as if they were ours.

16-               Not to return an irritable, rash attitude with a similar one.

17-               To help the other fulfill his tasks quickly, if he needs help.

18-               Not to make up arguments or reopen closed subjects of disagreement so as not to renew pain and sorrow.

19-               Tolerance and forgiveness are some of the noblest attributes.

20-               To distribute the tasks between both parties. Everyone should fulfill their duty before demanding their rights.

21-               Never lie; no matter how big the mistake we try to hide is. Lying is the father of all sins and a liar will not enter Paradise.

22-               If the spouses see an incident together and one of them narrates it to others differently from how his/her spouse sees it, the other spouse must not comment or belie them; let him/ her complete the story the way they see it.

23-               Never steal no matter how badly money is needed.

24-               To love for the spouse what one loves to himself/herself and try to comfort him/her as much as possible.

25-               Maintaining patience in times of adversity is an act of worship. Frequent praising of Allaah The Almighty is obligatory.

26-               Salaah (Prayer) is the pillar of the religion, and confidence in Allaah The Almighty is the basis of success and certainty.

27-               Everyone should call their partner by the name they like and not to take liberties in dialogue or joking in private or among others.

SOURCE: http://www.islamweb.net/womane/nindex.php?page=readart&id=149409