Big move and a big coup for UCID. A serious mucaarid was required.

Blackflash;850902 wrote: As I've said before, the little minor issues allowed me to view the gaping contradictions from a far, some of these issues aren't even specific to Islam. At the end of the day your wasting your breath my friend, your merciful god has illuminated the road to heaven before you and closed it to me (16:39) And if Allah had willed, He could have made you [of] one religion, but He causes to stray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do. (10:100) And it is not for a soul to believe except by permission of Allah , and He will place defilement upon those who will not use reason. What contradictions? Sounds like you just lost patience with finding the answers.

Those were just examples. As Muslims we keep ourselves clean (e.g. when visiting the toilet). What you're calling superstitious has its reasons. Again, it sounds as though you're problem with Islam relates to the minor matters governing one's personal life (actions, intentions etc) rather than the fundamentals such as belief in God, his books, his angels etc. Its difficult to see how you went 180 degrees (decade or not). Is there a refresh button in you? Can you re-assess your conclusions?

Islam is a way of life governing all aspects of one's life. Did you disagree with, for example, the emphasis on cleanliness? Or perhaps the requirement for one to fast to feel hunger (to be humbled)?. Not sure how one can go from questions on seemingly small matters to the opposite belief.

Questions are questions. At best, you could be a skeptical muslim (still seeking answers) and at worst an agnostic.

His experience sounds similar to yours. Moved to the west. New freinds. Questions. Loss of faith etc etc He did explain why he thought athiests were illogical and irrational yes.

Thanks all. More....

^I didn't expect any hysteria before the verdict. Being informed the trial was due to start would have sufficed. I doubt they will be as hysterical as when the Suarez verdict came out.

^There is speculation and then there is hysteria. The media was hysterical in the Suarez case (it being an FA hearing/verdict rather than a court case helped) and here we didn't even know the court case was this week until hearing about it on the Monday evening news. There is no balance. He has put together a half decent defence though.

LoL I'm just waiting for the not guilty verdict and how the media reacts. Will they be as they were in the Suarez case? They have been very subdued for this trial.

What do you need JB? PM me.... Faheema, enjoy. Best iftar buffet is at Danial Restaurant at the Twin Towers in Deira. Rose Rayann next to FC Station is also good.

Get that roadster you wanted Enjoy ramadan. I'm missing on the build up and excitement. JB, spill the beans. How is that other venture going?

Hi Faheema, its weird seeing so many gaalo around there Negotiating a new job/contract? JB, I know the feeling. I know what you mean. You want a lightbulb moment for a new business

Afternoon all. Went into E London Mosque last night for the first time. Quite impressed. The whole area seems to be experiencing some kind of revival with restaurants poppoing up here and there. Word of advice, don't buy arabic food from Bengalis.

Watch 30 mins at a time (2hrs+ video). Very beneficial.

Spiritually Gearing Up for Ramadan {The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was sent down, a guidance for mankind, clear proofs for the guidance, the Criterion; so whoever amongst you witnesses this month, let him fast it.} (Al-Baqarah 2: 185) The Month of Ramadan will be arriving in just a few short weeks. Muslims from around the globe have been awaiting its auspicious arrival for the past year. Once it arrives, it will be gone before you know it. Make the most of this Ramadan and spiritually gear up for an amazing month of fasting and worship of God. There are several different areas that you can focus on now, to ensure that you are spiritually ready to shine during this Month. Get Your Physical Home in Order Before you can focus on spiritual matters, you need to get your physical home in working order. Clutter, dust and disorder all take a toll on cognitive processes. A home that is in disarray leads to a thought process that is similarly cluttered. A messy living space can create anxiety, nervousness and worry. All of these emotions are distracting to the Muslim when he is seeking to pray and worship. It also makes fasting and preparing the Iftar meal more difficult. Use the next few weeks to your advantage. Declutter your home by throwing away useless items and donating unwanted ones to charity. Replace broken furniture and appliances with ones that you can afford to ensure everything is in working order. Dust, mop and polish every surface until it sparkles. Remember that cleanliness of the home and body is a great virtue in Islam. Personally, every Ramadan I reserve one corner of my home that is exclusively for prayer. That means that even my children are not allowed to play in that area or disturb me when I am engaged in worship. Understand the Reasons Behind Fasting Breaking of the fast each day is also a great joy and mercy from God Before you can begin the month of fasting, you need to know why Muslims fast in the first place. The reason can be found in the Quran: {O you who believe! Observing the fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)} (Al-Baqarah 2: 183) Fasting is an act of worship and obedience to God. It humbles the human heart and makes conscience of God’s presence. Fasting also helps us to control our basic human desires such as thirst and hunger. The fasting person feel pangs of hunger during the fasting day and can empathize with the less fortunate who feel similar pangs due to poverty as a part of daily life. Breaking of the fast each day is also a great joy and mercy from God. Follow the Sunnah of the Prophet when fasting in Ramadan. Turn to Islamic books or articles to learn about ways in which the fast is invalidated so that you can abstain from inadvertently breaking your fast. In these coming weeks, attempt a couple of trial fasts so that you can get the hang of fasting long before Ramadan begins. I always try to engage in a few fasting days well before Ramadan to prepare my body for the rigors of the fasting month. Perfect Your Prayers If you have not perfected your prayers yet, now is the time to do it. God Almighty says in the Quran: {And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.} (Adh-Dhariyyat 51: 57) The Month of Ramadan includes the five daily obligatory prayers as well as the nightly Taraweeh prayers, which are recommended for all Muslims. If your prayers are lacking now, you might struggle to keep up with prayers during Ramadan. It is a great sin to miss a single prayer. Perfect your prayers now. These days you can learn how to pray properly from a DVD or even on the website YouTube. If you have any doubts, contact your local Imam and ask for assistance in learning how to perform the Islamic prayer properly. Spend Time Learning the Quran For most converts to Islam, their first encounter with the Quran is a translation of it in their own language. A translation is not the same as the real book, which was revealed and recorded in Arabic. To truly unlock the beauty and blessings of the Quran, one must learn the Arabic language. Start by learning Arabic alphabet. There are countless books, workbooks and DVD’s available for sale online that teach the Arabic language. Granted, you cannot learn an entire language before Ramadan commences. But you can take small steps in the learning process. You should also continue to read a translation of the Quran, which will help to increase your Islamic knowledge and understanding of the religion. Give Up Vices Now! The fasting day can even be rendered invalid as a result of certain vices Vices such as backbiting, slander, lying or cheating are just a few of the unlawful activities that humans engage in. There is no room for these types of vices in the Islamic faith. Purging them from your heart will work wonders for your faith and help you live a life in accordance with Islam. The fasting day can even be rendered invalid as a result of certain vices. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." (Al Bukhari) Don’t wait until Ramadan arrives to give up your vices, do so now to increase the chances that all of your fasting and worship in Ramadan will be accepted. Other vices like drinking alcohol, consuming drugs or engaging in other unlawful activities should also be completely abstained prior to Ramadan. If you wait until the fast has begun, you risk the quality of your fast and may have trouble fulfilling each fasting day. Open Your Hand Prophet Muhammad was generous year round, but he was most open handed during the month of Ramadan. Remember that in Ramadan each good deed that we perform is multiplied by seventy times or more. It is a good idea to be generous with your wealth as much as possible. This is aside from the Zakat, which is poor alms in the amount of 2.5% of the yearly wealth. For those who cannot spend freely, there are other ways to be generous. You can be generous with your time by offering help to a fellow Muslim in need or by helping to make repairs to the local Mosque. Prophet Muhammad said that even smiling is considered a charity. So meet your Muslim brethren in faith with a hearty “Assalamu Alaykum” and a smile from ear to ear. The Month of Ramadan is like a gentle breeze that hastens to cool a sweltering summer night. However, just as quickly as it arrives, it bids farewell much too soon. Get ready to welcome Ramadan today, so that you can take full advantage of the blessed days and nights once it arrives. www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/living-islam/first-steps/fasting/457598-spiritually-gearing-up-for-ramadan.html

I wonder where the Arsenal fan FuFu has gone Too early!

Blue, I apologise for calling you a man. Xaal qaado...

Trusteeship?

I read August as Augustine

lol Let's not blow his cover. He has been working on it for a while now

Blue says hes a Man Utd fan. Thought it was Arsenal? Morning all.

Thanks Wyre and Aliyah.

NGONGE;849591 wrote: ^^ What do you think? The amount of work that goes into making loxoox should never be compared to making beans on toast warya Yaan lagaa maqlin