My Friend Question and The Answer

Q : Salam... There is this guy, he used to drink alcohol and partying a lot. However recently, he repent and becoming a better muslim. He prays and he's like a different better person. I myself, is not a practising muslim. I didn't pray and wear revealing clothes. I suffer from anxiety and depression. I always feel lost and yet I still did not pray to Allah. Seeing this guy changed dramatically, it always makes me think so deep about life and God....

....And then I find my self slowly having feelings for him. It’s been months and he’s in my mind everyday. But I don’t want any of this bcos I want to focus on finding Allah first and my self before I would want a feelings for a guy. I want a halal relationship with this guy, but still I don’t know how to identify these feelings. How am I supposed to know if he’s my true love or I am just suppose to leave this feelings behind? And just hope that my feelings would fade in time? I never felt like this

Answer:

Walaikum Assalaam,

If something is meant for you then you will eventually get in halal way. Always remember that Allah Swt plans are better than our wishes. Make lots of dua and while asking Allah Swt always say “if it’s good for me” because we don’t know what’s good for us only Allah Swt knows... Allah Swt loves us more than our mother so His decisions are always for our own good and we have to trust Allah Swt....
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” (Quran 2:216)

Always remember this:
 “No amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of worrying can change the future. Go easy on yourself for the outcome of all affairs is determined by the decree of Allah. If something is meant to go elsewhere, it will never come on your way, but if it is yours by destiny, from you it cannot flee.”
Umar ibn al Khattab (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu)

Remember that marriage is not the propose of the life and it’s the mean to get closer to Allah Swt... You will get married on an appointed time and this is the best time to work on your relationship with Allah Swt. Marriage is not a bed of roses; it has it’s own trials. As you get married your responsibilities will also get increased. So prepare yourself for that responsibility, gain Islamic knowledge, and read about the rights of husband, wife and children because when you say yes for the marriage, you have agreed that you are ready to take the responsibility.
The emptiness that we feel can only be fulfilled with the love of Allah Swt. When we try to fill that emptiness with something else that can be a love for a person, wealth etc. then it will cause great pain in the end. When we love something more than Allah Swt then it will cause greatest pain. So strive to get closer to Allah Swt,
“Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness”
(Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah)

Here are some tips to get closer to Allah Swt that will help you in sha Allah.

1.If we want to get closer to Allah Swt, we have to fulfill our obligatory duties and follows the command of Allah Swt and his messenger (peace be upon him) wholeheartedly.

2.Being God conscious, always keep in mind that whatever we do, we have to be accountable to Allah Swt and He’s watching us all the time.

3.Whenever we do a good work, always make the intention that you are doing this to please Allah Swt.

4.Be thankful to Allah Swt in every situation and be happy with the Allah decree.

5.Try to do dhikr all the time, it will make us closer to Allah Swt.

Following are some dhikr that we can do all the time:
~ Asthaghfirullah
~ Subhaanallah
~ Alhamdulillah
~  Allahu Akbar
~ Laa ilaaha illallah
~ LA HAWLA WA LA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAH-HIL ALIYYIL ADHEEM
~ Asthaghfirullah-halladhee Laa ilaaha illa-huwal Hayyul Qayyuumu Wa athoobu Ilay 
Or Asthaghfirullah
~ SUB-HAAN’ALLAAHi WA BI-HAM’DIHI SUB-HAAN’ALLAH-IL ADHEEM

Or SUB-HAAN’ALLAAHi WA BI-HAM’DIHI

  ~ Subhāna-llāhi, wa-l-hamdu li-llāhi, wa lā ilāha illā-llāhu, wa-llāhu akbar. Wa lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāhi-l-aliyyi-l-azīm

~ Lā ilāha illā-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamdu yuhyi wa yumītu wa huwa ḥayyu-llā yamūtu abadan abada, ḏū-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrām, biyadihi-l-khayr, wa huwa alā kulli Shay-in qadīr

Or

Laa ilaaha illal-laahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer

We should also recite much of durood e Ibrahim which is the durood that is recited towards the end of Salaah.

Or  the shortest durood is: Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallim

6. Dua and Repentence:
Almighty Allah says in the Qur’an: "When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me." [2:186] 

The place of Dua is so high in front of Allah, that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallim) has said: ”Nothing is more honourable to Allah the Most High than Dua.”[Sahih al-Jami` no.5268]. 

Allah loves repentance & loves those who turn to him in sincere repentance:

Truly Allah loves those who turn [to Him] in repentance… (Qur’an 2:222)

Narrated ‘Ubaadah that the Messenger of Allah said, “Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and believing women, Allah will write for him a good deed for EACH believing man and believing woman.” (Tabarrani)

Subhanallah this deed can be done in EVERY dua and can you imagine how many rewards can be gained for each and every Muslim you make dua for from Adam alayhis ‘salam until now and the last Muslim on earth. This is the easiest way to earn rewards that go into the billions and the more you make these dua’s then the more your good deed account will get filled!

7. Have friends that make you close to Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, not those whose company make you forget Allah.

8. Turn to Allah for every little problem and ask for his help.
Listen to Islamic lectures, fix your prayers and try to do dhikr it will help in shaa Allah....

 I hope it will be helpful.... May Allah swt guide us to the straight path....
Aameen Ya Rabb ..<3

What is Street Dawah?

Andrew Daee: Niño Mexicano lleva el Islam a Brasil / Mexican Boy takes I...

Andrew The Youngest Daee

Assalam Alaykum!
I am Andrew , 9 years old and i do street dawah Alhamdulillah :)

My teacher, my sheikh at North Hudson Islamic Education Center

Patiently waiting with my friend Khalid for our Qur'an competition results... :)

I did it ..I won first place again alhamdulillah...<3

 
Just like Martin Luther King Jr I have a dream.
Last night I met Attorney General of the State of New Jersey Mr John J Hoffman at an important Muslim Leadership panel....<3

 Finally going home, alhamdulillah... at newark, new jersey ..miss you all <3

 

=> and He is with you wherever you are...

Who is the REAL fool on April Fool’s Day ???

Bismillah !
The first day of April is marked by an unethical and un-Islamic celebration which is ‘April Fool’s Day’. Unfortunately, many Muslims celebrate it by playing jokes on others and making up false stories to scare others.
Many Muslims ask about the permissibility of celebrating this day. In my opinion, this question can be answered by providing answers to the following questions.

** DOES ALLAH COMMAND US TO CELEBRATE THIS DAY IN THE QURAN?

 

What does Allah tell us about lying and liars in the Quran?
“It is only those who believe not in the Ayah (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars.” [al-Nahl 16:105]
Allah tells us how He will deal with the liars, the lying sinful liars, in surah Al Alaq. (chpater 96).
“Allah will grab him by the (naseyah) [frontal lobe of the brain], the lying sinful (naseyah).

** DID PROPHET MUHAMMAD (Sallellahu Alleihi Wassalam) CELEBRATE IT?

NO!
What did the Prophet Muhammad (Sallelahu Alleihi Wassalam) say about lying in jest?
It was narrated that Mu’aawiyah ibn Haydah said: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘Woe to the one who talks to make the people laugh and tells lies, woe to him, woe to him.’”
(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 235. He said: this is a hasan hadeeth. Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 4990).
Quran and Prophet’s Sunnah are the foundations of Islam and when no evidence for this celebration is found in either then it means this celebration is not permissible.

** What is the status of those Muslims who celebrate April Fool’s day?

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Reported by Abu Dawood, 4/314).
The one who imitates the kuffar, is declared to be one of them according to the hadith.
The real fool on this day is the Muslim who celebrates this day because he goes against Quran and Sunnah and tarnishes his Muslim identity as being truthful is one of the main qualities of a Muslim. His foolishness takes him closer to Hellfire and away from Paradise.
May Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala help us in following the Quran and Sunnah and keeping away from innovated matters... Aameen ya Rabb...

Are God And Allah The Same ?

What’s the relationship or difference between God and Allah? Are they the same?

Yes and no. Yes they’re the same and no the relationship isn’t the same. The reason is because a person could be a human being, they are human beings right? But they could be from different countries but they’re still human beings. Right? ‘Ilah’ and ‘God’ are the same word. But the word Allah is not in the English language ‘because English is not strong enough to handle it. Now that sounded facetious didn’t it? I’ll ask you a question. When you are talking about anything worshipped, according to Funk & Wagnall and according to Merriam Webster’s dictionary when you’re talking about an object that’s worshipped is it called the god, yes or no? Yeah. When you’re talking about the one true God who has no partners it's not like those little fake idols, is it also called the god? What’s the difference? Big G. How do I know if you are talking to me, I can’t see the big G. You’d have to say “god big G” said to Jesus or Mohammad or.. right? Those gods little g, that’s the only way I would know. Then what if you are writing and you are starting a sentence, you have to use a big G, but you meant the little g. Now what are you going to do? So ‘ilah’ is anything worshipped but Allah is God’s name and it means the only one to be worshipped because Allah has no plural to it, it can’t be made plural. Allah also can’t have gender can’t be male or female. The reference to ‘he’ in Arabic to Allah is out of respect or dignity instead of saying ‘it’, and also the plural which you find through the Quran, ‘We created mankind’, it says real clear. ‘Khalaqna’, which means, ‘We created’, does not mean ‘we’ in the sense of more than one.

Let me give you an example from English. The king or the queen give a decree, they say ‘We decreed the following’, its not ‘we’ its one king. It’s a royal ‘we’, if you still didn’t catch that it’s also in regular language when we speak to each other. If I’m speaking to a group of people I say you are my friends, and I hope you are. You are my friends, but if I’m just speaking to you directly I say you still are my friend right? I don’t say, ‘You is my friend’, do I? No. Why did I have a plural, because anything else singular would be ‘is’. Is that true? This is, that is, he is, she is, but you are. Why? Its respect, that’s all. Why don’t I say, ‘I is’?

Because ‘am’ is also the correct plural form, not meaning plural in number, but it’s the royal form. The way you address yourself and the one you are speaking to is putting them on a high level, that’s all. Got it?

So Allah means the only one to be worshipped and its God’s name at the same time. So the word God in English needs help, big g little g. There are no capital letters in Hebrew, there are no capital letters in Aramaic, that Jesus spoke (Peace be upon him) and there’s no capital letters in Arabic either. It means that when you read the scripture you have to know the form of the word so you know what it says. The word in the Hebrew and the Old Testament says “Elohim”, is exactly like ‘Allahumma’ and it is plural in the sense of respect and its calling on God, ‘O God’, but doesn’t mean plural...
..Allahu a'lam.. 

Where Did God Come From ?

I have a friend that doesn't even believe in a god, and I said whatever I could, but her side of the argument was, that if everything came from something, and their was a Creator of everything, then where did God come from. And I don't know what to say, I'm kind of stuck.

Thank you for writing and for your question. Before we can provide a complete answer to your question it is very important that we understand the Basics Of Islam.

Here are some important points to keep in mind:

1. As Muslims we cannot lie about anything, especially about our religion.

2. We have original recorded sources of our religion:

A) The Quran
B) Teachings of Muhammad

3. Sometimes "questions" contain misinformation. We must qualify what it is that someone is saying against what they are implying.

4. If during the answer, you hear yourself saying, "I didn't know that" or "This is good," then are you ready to worship your God and your Lord without partners?

This what Islam is really all about. The most important subject is the worship of Almighty God, without any partners or associates or "gods" besides Almighty God.

Now we are ready to begin to give the answers.

The question that atheists usually ask regarding our belief in God, vary to some degree, but they are quite predictable over all. Let us consider a few:

1. "If God created everything - then who created God?" (May Allah forgive me)

Answer:
(Remember to use the formula above - i.e.; "Thank you for asking me about my religion..." etc.)

According to the Quran, Allah tells us that He is the only creator and sustainer of all that exists and that nothing and no one exists alongside Him, nor does He have any partners. He tells us that He is not created, nor is He like His creation in anyway. He calls Himself by a number of names and three of them are:

A) The First - (Al-Awwal)
B) The Last - (Al Akhir)
C) The Eternal, who is sought after by His creation, while He has no need from them at all. (As-Samad)

He always has existed and He never was created, as He is not like His creation, nor similar to it, in any way.

2. "How can you believe in God, when you can't see, hear, touch, smell, taste or even imagine what He is?"

Answer:
We know from the teachings of Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) that no one has ever actually seen God - at least not in this lifetime. Nor are we able to use our senses to make some kind of contact with Him. However, we are encouraged in Islam to use our senses and our common sense to recognize that all of this universe could not possibly come into existence on its own. Something had to design it all and then put it into motion. That is beyond our ability to do, yet it is something that we can understand.

We don't have to see an artist to recognize a painting, correct? So, if we see paintings without seeing artists painting them, in the same way, we can believe that Allah created everything without having to see Him (or touch, or hear, etc.).

3. "Can God do anything? - Can He make a rock so big that nothing can move it? - If He did make a rock so big that nothing could move it, would that mean that He couldn't move it too? Or would it be impossible for Him to make something so big that He couldn't move it?"

Answer:
Allah tells us that "Allah is capable of doing anything that He Wills to do." He can make a rock (or anything for that matter) that is so large or heavy that nothing in the entire universe can move it. As regards Allah "moving" it, He is not in the universe and He does not resemble His creation. Whenever He wants anything done, He merely says "Kun! Fayakun!" (Be! And so it will be!)

4. "Where is God?"

Answer:
Some other religions teach that "God is everywhere." This is actually called "pantheism" and it is the opposite of our believe system in Islam. Allah tells us clearly that there is nothing, anywhere in the universe that resembles Him, nor is He ever in His creation. He tells us in the Quran that He created the universe in six "Yawm" (periods of time) and then He "Istawa 'Ala Al Arsh" (rose up, above His Throne). He is there (above His Throne) and will remain there until the End Times.

5. "Why did God create everything?"

Answer:
Allah says in His Quran that He did not create all of this for any foolish purpose. He tells us that He created us for the purpose of worshiping Him, Alone and without any partners.

6. "Is God pure, good, loving and fair? - If so, then where does evil, hatred and injustice come from?"

Answer:
Allah tells us that He is Pure, Loving, and absolutely Just in every respect. He says that He is the Best of Judges. He also tells us that the life that we are in is a test. He has created all the things that exist and He has created all that happens as well. There is nothing in this existence except what He has created. He also says in the Quran that He created evil (although He is not evil). He is using this as one of the many tests for us.

7. "Does God really have power of things? - If so, then why does He let people become sick, oppressed and die?"

Answer:
Oppression is something that Allah forbids for Himself to do to anyone and He hates it when anyone oppresses someone else. He does have absolute power over everything. He allows sickness, disease, death and even oppression so that we can all be tested in what we do.

8. "Can you prove there is a God?"

Answer:
Can you prove that you exist? Yes, of course you can. You merely use your senses to determine that you can see, hear, feel, smell, taste and you have emotions as well. All of this is a part of your existence. But this is not how we perceive God in Islam. We can look to the things that He has created and the way that He cares for things and sustains us, to know that there is no doubt of His existence.

Think about this the next time that you are looking up at the moon or the stars on a clear night; could you drop a drinking glass on the sidewalk and expect that it would hit the ground and on impact it would not shatter, but it would divide up into little small drinking glasses, with iced tea in them? Of course not.

And then consider if a tornado came through a junkyard and tore through the old cars; would it leave behind a nice new Mercedes with the engine running and no parts left around? Naturally not.

Can a fast food restaurant operate itself without any people there? That's crazy for anyone to even think about.

After considering all of the above, how could we look to the universe above us through a telescope or observe the molecules in a microscope and then think that all of this came about as a result of a "big bang" or some "accident?"

9. "Does God know everything that is going to happen? - Does He have absolute control on the outcome of everything? - If so, how is that fair for us? Where is our free will then?"

Answer:
Allah Knows everything that will happen. The first thing that He created was the "pen" and He ordered the pen to write. The pen wrote until it had written everything that would happen. And then Allah began to create the universe. All of this was already known to Him before He created it. He does have absolute and total control at all times. There is nothing that happens except that He is in control of if.

There is a mistake in the question: "Free Will." Allah alone, has Free Will, He Wills whatever He likes and it will always happen as He wills. We have something called, "Free choice." The difference is that what Allah "Wills" always happens and what we choose may or may not happen. We are not being judged on the outcome of things, we are being judged on our choices. This means that at the core of everything will always be our intentions. Whatever we intended, is what we will have the reward for. Each person will be judged according to what Allah gave them to work with, how they used it and what they intended to do with it.

As regards the actual "Judgment Day" - Allah tells us that everything we are doing is being recorded and not a single tiny thing escapes from this record. Even an atom's weight of good will be seen on the Day of Judgment and even a single atom's weight of evil will be seen too.

The one who will bring the evidences against us will be ourselves. Our ears, tongue, eyes and all of our bodies will begin to testify against us in front of Allah on the Day of Judgment. None will be oppressed on that Day, none will be falsely accused.

He could have put everyone in their respective places from the very beginning, but the people would complain as to why they were thrown in Hell without being given a chance. This life is exactly that; a chance to prove to ourselves who we really are and what we would really do if we indeed had a free choice.

Allah Knows everything that will happen, but we don't. That is why the test is fair.

10. "If there is only one God, then why are there so many religions?

Answer:
Allah does not force anyone to submit to Him. He has lay out a clear path and then made it known to them the two ways (Heaven or Hell). The person is always free to make his or her own choice. There is not compulsion in the way of "Islam." Whoever chooses to worship Allah without partners and is devoted to Him and is obeying His commands as much as possible, has grasped the firm handhold that will never break. Whoever denies God and chooses some other way to worship or not to believe at all, for them there is an eternal punishment that is most horrible (Hell).

All religions originated with Allah and then people began to add or take away from the teachings so as to take control over each other. Man made religions are an abomination before the Lord and will never be accepted. He will only accept true submission, obedience and in purity and peace to His commandments.

11. "How do you know that the Quran is really from God?"

Answer:
Muslims have something that offers the most clear proof of all, The Holy Quran. There is no other book like it anywhere on earth. It is absolutely perfect in the Arabic language. It has no mistakes in grammar, meanings or context. The scientific evidences are well known around the entire world, even amongst non-Muslim scholars. Predictions in the Quran have come true; and its teachings are clearly for all people, all places and all times. No one has been able to produce a book like it, nor ten chapters like it, nor even one chapter like it. It was memorized by thousands of people during the lifetime of Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) and then this memorization was passed down from teacher to student for generation after generation, from mouth to ear and from one nation to another. Today every single Muslim has memorized some part of the Quran in the original Arabic language that it was revealed in over 1,400 years ago, even though most of them are not Arabs. There are over nine million (9,000,000) Muslims living on the earth today who have totally memorized the entire Quran, word for word, and can recite the entire Quran, in Arabic just as Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) did 14 centuries ago.

Thanks again for your question. All good is from Allah and mistakes were from myself...
..May Allah guide us in Truth..Aameen ya Rabb...

Can Allah Forgive a Person Who Believes Jesus Christ is God ?

Is it Shirk (making partners with Allah) to call another person Allah or something Allah, or to call a false god? How can the Christians be forgiven if they call Jesus Christ God? Is this unforgivable?

Let us first look to the evidences. This is always imperative for a person who is seeking truth, to look at what is clear evidence. That’s why we go to scripture and we look at what scripture has told us. Scripture is only a scripture in the original language. So when you don’t have scripture in original language, you are guessing, you are not going to get the same answers if you had the original scripture. Therefore, it’s not appropriate for us to use English. No prophet of Allah ever spoke English. It didn’t exist until just 900 and some years ago after the Normans invaded the Saxons. English is a language that we are using, contemporary language, however if you really want to understand and especially confirm what was said, what was taught, you must go to the ancient languages, which are: Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic.

These are the Semitic languages. They were translated into Koine Greek and Latin; however, those are not the original languages of those prophets. Now, do any of the originals still exist? The answer is “yes,” there is no doubt. The entire Quran is still existing. Portions of the Old Testament and portions of the New Testament also exist because they’re in the Quran, confirmed by the Quran.

When you find these and then you find the ancient manuscripts in the Hebrew and the Aramaic saying the same thing, you can compare it to the Quran and then you know for a fact that that’s true. That we can do, and more, they agree. Wherever you can take from and look at them and see they say the same thing. Then you have no doubt this is the teaching of the prophets. Let us look to what is called, commonly known as to the Christians and Jews as the Ten Commandments. Look to the book of Exodus, which is the second book of the five books of Moses, chapter 20, it says real clear: “I am the Lord your God, that brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You know no other God beside me.” Then the first commandment comes up, “Thou shall have no other gods beside me.” It goes on, “Thou shall not make unto me any graven image.” Not of anything that creeps upon the earth, swims in the sea beneath nor flies in the heaven above.

This is paraphrasing the verse. I’m not using Elizabethan English, I’m not speaking to you in the way they did it at the time of Shakespeare. Next, let us look in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 5. The same thing again, first commandment “Thou shall not have any other gods beside me.” Second commandment: no idols, no images of anything, walking on the earth, swimming in the sea beneath, flying in the heaven above. So it’s clear from these verses, if there were no other verses in the Bible, that’s enough to say that you can’t worship anybody other than God. However there are many other verses saying the same thing. The book of Hosea, this is also in the Old Testament, in the book of Prophets after the book of Jeremiah, you will find the book of Amos and Jonah. Look in Hosea I think it’s in chapter 13, verse 4. The meaning of it is that it says something similar: I’m the Lord, your God, brought you out of the land of Egypt the house of bondage. You know no other God beside me. Beside me there is no savior. So, for sure this goes with our subject tonight, talking about the Wasilah (the drawing closer to Allah).

To get salvation, you draw close to Allah and it's Allah by His Rahmah (His grace) that you are saved. You are not saved except by the grace, nobody is saved except by grace. It's by Allah’s grace, His mercy that we are saved by, and He extends that to those who worship Him alone without partners. They do not break those two commandments that I just quoted to you, because those are the same commandments in the New Testament. I read to you already from Surah an-Nisa, chapter 4, verse 48. Allah says He does not forgive (La Yaghfiru), He does not forgive the setting up of partners with Him in worship, but anything less than this, He can forgive it. And who ever has committed this Shirk or association with Him, his “partners,” then they have invented a monstrous thing and they will not be forgiven for that.

Is it forbidden for Muslims men and women to shake hands ?

Shaking hands (and touching) members of the opposite sex when not related, is not permissible for Muslims according to the teachings of Islam.

  It is not allowed for a believing man to put his hand in the hand of a woman who is not allowed for him (mother, wife, sister, daughter, etc.). Whoever does this has wronged himself (sinned).

There is a Hadith from Ma'qil ibn Yasar, saying; The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "It is better for you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle than to touch the hand of a woman who is not permissible to you."

This alone should be enough to keep away from this action and to instill obedience to Allah, as it implies touching women may lead to temptation and immorality.

Ayesha, the wife of the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'When the believing women migrated (to Medina) and came to the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) they would be examined in accordance with the words of Allah (in Quran):

"O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the Bay’ah (pledge of allegiance), that they will not associate anything in worship with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (i.e. by making illegal children belonging to their husbands), and that they will not disobey you in any Ma'ruf (Islamic Monotheism and all that which Islam ordains) then accept their Bay’ah (pledge of allegiance), and ask Allah to forgive them, Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful". [Noble Quran 60:12]

Any of the believing women who accepted the conditions of the verse and agreed to live by them were considered to have offered themselves for giving their oaths of allegiance. When they declared their commitment to do so, the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) would say to them, "You may go. I have confirmed your allegiance."
I swear by Allah, the Prophet's hand never touched the hand of a woman. He would receive their oath of allegiance by spoken declaration. I swear by Allah, the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) never took any vow from women except what Allah had ordered him to take and his palm never touched the palm of a woman. When he had taken their pledge, he would tell them he had taken their oath from them orally. ' [Sahih Muslim]

The Prophet of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) did not touch women who were not permissible (shaking hands, etc.). This despite the fact the oath of allegiance was originally given by hand. So what about these other men going around shaking hands?

Umaymah bint Raqiqah said: 'The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "I do not shake hands with women (not permissible to touch)."'

May Allah guide us to the straight path...
Aameen ya Rabb...

=> Pray and hope for the best from Allah swt...He will bless you with a light for every shadow_ a relief for every sorrow_and a plan for every tomorrow <=

“Narrated Abu Hurairah (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu), Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
“When Allah created the creations, He wrote with Him on His Throne: ‘My Mercy has preceded My Anger.’”
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume No. 9The Book of Tauheed, Hadith No. 7453”

=> Allah swt has made eyes the mirror of the heart...
....So if the slave lowers his gaze, his heart lowers its desires..
...and if he lets his gaze loose, his heart lets its desires loose <=

=> You will surely get what you deserve ..In sha Allah !
....Only thing you need to have is just patience, patience & patience <=

=> If you focus on only pleasing Allah...
.... He will take care of matters in your life in a way that will please you <=

~ In sha Allah <3

=> Just as a baby in the mother’s womb is unable to comprehend the outside world, we are unable to grasp the true reality of the hereafter <=

=> Taddabur today of Juz 3 : Verse 14-15 Surah Al Imran

...Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world’s life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers, etc.) with Him.
Say: “Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2) there are Gardens (Paradise) with their Lord, underneath which rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal (home) and Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives) [i.e. they will have no menses, urine, or stool, etc.], And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) slaves....

=> "Allaah’s command is a determined decree.” (Soorah al-Ahzaab, 33: 38)

=> No calamity befalls but by the decision of Allaah. And Allaah will guide the heart of whoever believes in Him.” (Soorah at-Taghaabun, 64: 11)

 ~ This verse means that whoever suffered an affliction and knew that it occurred by Allaah’s judgment and decree, and he patiently abides, awaiting Allaah’s reward, then Allaah will guide his heart, and will compensate him for his loss in this life by granting guidance to his heart and certainty in faith. Allaah will replace whatever he lost with something similar or something better. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. 10, pp. 24-5)

=> Chase for His Blessings and none other...
....Never commit yourself to chasing other creation  <=

=> Take the path of the truth and do not be frightened by the small number of it’s followers <=

=> Our knowledge is limited. But Allah’s knowledge is unlimited....
... You might think you want something right now, but Allah knows better when it is right time to give it to you... Perhaps He didn't give it to you at that time because it would bring you more harm than good.. ...Perhaps He wanted to test you and had you been patient with the test..
... He would have rewarded you with something better...
Only Allah knows... Trust Allah <=

=> Dear Single Brothers and Sisters...

...Practice patience and know that Allah is saving you for an amazing spouse either in this life or the next, but His promise is indeed true. Know also that a person who doesn't have Allah will be just as unhappy married as he/she is single, for that is the only void that cannot be replaced.

“Allah has already written the names of your spouses for you. What you need to work on is your relationship with Allah. He will send her/him to you when you’re ready. It is only a matter of time.”

=> Ya Allah only You know the secrets of our hearts..
... so accept our silent wishes and prayers... Aameen Yaa Rabb..

The Best Wife : <3

1. Listens to her husband and does her best to please him.

2. Always considers her husband's well being.

3. Does not give the husband stress but gives him peace of mind.

4. Does not spend more than her husband earns.

5. Helps her husband at the time of problems.

6. Has patience when the husband doesn't treat her justly.

7. Behaves and dresses modestly.

8. Learns and practises islam and teaches her husband too.

9. Does her best to raise their children in an islamic way...

~ Marriage is for men, not for boys !

...Its not about your age, its about your level of maturity and responsibility. Unfortunately, many young men just see marriage (and polygyny) as an avenue for Halal sex, and forget all the responsibilities that come along with it.

....To be a husband means to be the man! Understand that whether it is the first, second, third or fourth wife or whether it is the first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth child, the man is responsible for all their financial, emotional, religious and educational needs.

..So if you plan to tie the knot, man up first and prepare for a life of responsibility...

=> In marriage, you will win every battle if you fight it together..
... and you will lose every battle if you fight it against each other....
... In good times and bad, remember that your spouse is always your partner and never your enemy <=

=> Marriage is really not something you plan for...
... What’s written for you will never pass you by. It will arrive at it’s appropriate time...
.. Concentrate on your daily prayers. Fix them and perfect them. ..
...Most importantly always, 'always' put your full trust in Allah !
..Whoever relies on Allah, Allah is sufficient for them. Remember that ... Always !

will I go, Will I stay?

will I go, Will I stay?

Sometimes its unbearable , watching my dream with someone else - i feel tired but most of all I am afraid that it will never come back to me that it will lose me and i just want to run to catch it but even if i did run i wouldnt know where to look?
Sometimes its even more unberable to conjure the dream in my mind as if its so real as if its really mine
when all it is , is a fake portal
 

I wish upon a change
I feel im starting but its not enough
I feel im winnig but not yet first place
a part of me wants to go , a part of me wants to stay
is it up to me to decide
I hope I stay only so  I do not default...twice

i tihnk I can bare another while alone
a hard uncomfortable spa treatment lets say
If I stayed Ya Rab i would continue my journey thinning down my evils and fattening my true curves
in all aspects of my gorgeous life
if I went
aaaaa if  Iwent  wouldnt know where to begin with happinness and a life portal of home existence and independance with family yet myself, teaching myself to live young and strong
but ive used so much ....
I couldnt bare taking another so much amount
Ya Rabb...
Ya RAbb.. dont see me like this
I dont want to spend like this
my time please just give me what i really want
whatever it will be then i know it is what i really wanted
even if it doenst feel like so
I promise what ever it iwll be
i will not be sad
no I will not be sad...

.....if u leaVe something for Allah , he will give you even better....

Indeed....

=> Whatever plans I have in mind....
..... Allah.. I surrender them to You... I will do the best I can but in the end, let Your will be done <=

=> Kindness makes you the most beautiful person in the world. No matter what you look like... <3

Would you Ignore????

...Aameen ya Rabb...

"O world,try to deceive someone else.Are you trying to tempt me or to attract me? No way. I divorce you irrevocably. Your time is short and you are insignificant. Alas! The provision is little,the journey is long and the road is lonely!"

~ Hazrat Ali (r.a)

"The religion of Allah will never be supported,except by one who is prepared to support it in all ways!"

~ Prophet Muhammad (saws)

"He will never prosper from whom you sense any sign of aspiration to leadership positions."

Let’s Revive The Sunnah.

7 Ways to Sharpen Your People Skills

Sharpening your people skills can help you maintain relationships and further your career. Find out how emotional intelligence and self-awareness improve communication and 

Life would be great if everybody got along and agreed on everything. But that is not the world we live in. To get along in the real world you need people skills and more. Whether to maintain relationships at home or at work, you need to know how to listen, how to make your wishes known, and how to resolve differences without conflict.
There are several strategies you can practice to improve your people skills in dealing with different personalities and challenging situations … and boost your confidence level in the process...
 
1. Develop Your Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence allows us to be aware of and in charge of our emotions. Sharpening your emotional intelligence can help you to keep your emotions balanced and boost your confidence..

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These strategies will help you develop your emotional intelligence:

• Learn to become more aware of your emotions and responses to certain situations. "Awareness is the foundational skill along the path to improved interpersonal skills," explains Tres Roeder, founder and president of Roeder Consulting in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Keep your emotions in balance. "In order to be in rhythm with others, you have to be in rhythm with yourself," notes Debbie Mandel, MA, stress-management specialist and author of Addicted to Stress.
• Recognize when you or others are stressed. When it comes to dealing with difficult situations, keep in mind that "proper timing can lead to a better outcome. If you or the other person is stressed, you will lose common ground," advises Mandel.

2. Resolve Conflict in a Positive Way
Be it at work or at home, a certain amount of conflict is unavoidable in any relationship.
Try these three ways to improve your people skills and resolve conflict in a positive way:

• Focus on the present. Holding onto old hurts or grudges makes it hard to move forward and build a better future.
• Think about respecting the other person, not controlling them. "The goal is to adapt to situations and people, not impose yourself on them. You can show respect for other people’s opinions without agreeing with them," Mandel notes.
• Focus on compromise rather than on winning or losing. "In a constructive conflict the goal is to aim for an equitable compromise. There are no winners or losers," says Mandel.

3. Learn to Listen to Others
Talking is simple; real communication requires good listening skills

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Practice these tips to become a better listener:

• Pay attention to inflection. "Research shows the vast majority of communication occurs at the non-verbal level," advises Roeder. “Pay attention to not only what people are saying, but also how they are saying it.”
• Take time to really listen before you respond. When others are speaking, instead of actually listening to them, many people are concentrating on what they plan to say next. Doing this can cause you to miss key elements of the other person’s point and results in a lack of true communication. Take the time to be patient and simply listen before launching into your own point of view.
• Don’t interrupt. "Let the other person speak without interrupting. Focusing on what another person is saying and making eye contact helps us truly understand what is meaningful," notes Mandel.

4. Ask for Feedback
When you take a moment to ask for feedback, you communicate better and you are more likely to hear and share ideas.
Understand why feedback is important:

• No one likes to be preached to. People don't want to feel like they are hearing a lecture. By asking for feedback and other people’s opinions on a matter, you show that you are willing to hear and explore other points of view.
• Interpretation counts. What one person says and what another person hears are often two strikingly different things. Taking time to ask for feedback such as “Do you understand what I mean?” or “How would you have handled that situation?” is a good way to see if you are communicating effectively.
• Maintaining a positive attitude makes understanding easier. Asking for feedback shows that you have a confident and positive attitude. "People gravitate to positive people because good moods are contagious," says Mandel.

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5. Respect and Be Aware of Cultural Differences
We learn most of our people skills from our parents and others in our community. When communicating with someone from a different culture, however, it is important to acknowledge cultural differences.
Try these approaches to ease communication:

• Understand eye contact. In our culture, direct eye contact often indicates sincerity while in another culture it could be considered rude.
• Expect some misunderstanding. In cross-cultural communication, it is best to go slowly and step back instead of getting frustrated. In our culture we like to get to the point. In other cultures it may be important to establish rapport before discussing potentially controversial issues. Keeping these differences in mind can minimize your frustration if and when you encounter any snags in communication.
• Get some help. To foster improved communication, it can be helpful to rely on an intermediary who understands both cultures.

6. Seek out New People
Meeting new people can enhance your creativity, help broaden your perspective on life, and improve your emotional intelligence. Remember these people skills when meeting someone new:

• Use body language. Pay attention to non-verbal communication cues such as good posture, appropriate eye contact, and friendly gestures.
• Listen up. Rely on good communication and listening skills. Truly get to know people by allowing them to express themselves without immediately interrupting with your own ideas.
• Be aware of the situation around you. "That includes awareness of yourself, awareness of others, and awareness of the situational context within which the relationship is occurring," says Roeder. Keeping external factors in mind, such as potential stressors and distractions, can make it easier to help navigate new situations with people you don’t know very well..

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7. Maintain Relationships
Healthy relationships boost your confidence and make your life more rewarding. Here are some final thoughts on people skills that promote good relationships:

• Take the time to be aware of the important people and relationships in your life. "People are more intuitive when they have the time to be intuitive," notes Roeder. “In other words, if you are constantly running from one meeting to the next you may be missing important clues in how to get along with others.”
• In order to respect others you must respect yourself. "Self-respect means knowing what you uniquely bring to the table. When you feel good about yourself, you will be positive and affirming to others," says Mandel.
• Have the right attitude. The emotional intelligence needed to maintain relationships is more than just people skills. It also involves having the right attitude. This includes expecting challenges along the way, keeping things in perspective, having a sense of humor, and not taking yourself too seriously.

Practice even some of these skills and you may be surprised by the results....

Motivation and Study, Not IQ, Are Keys to Kids' Math Success

Do you believe you're not good at math? A new study suggests that with motivation and good teaching strategies, even those who are convinced they'll never be facile with figures can succeed in mathematics.
Innate intelligence — as defined by IQ tests — may provide a head start, but it's learning skills and determination that ultimately add up to success, according to the new research.
"The critical determinant of growth in achievement is not how smart you are, but how motivated you are and how you study," said lead study author Kou Murayama, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles. "Intrinsic motivation promotes long-term growth in math achievement."
Math can throw some students off since it is based on symbols and rules that can be hard to conceptualize, Murayama said. "Learning strategies are different in math than they are in other subjects," he said. "Math is a totally different language from what students experience in daily life."
The research, published Dec. 20 in the journal Child Development, is based on six years of data from a long-term German study that assessed math ability in about 3,500 students in grades five to 10. At each grade level, students took a math achievement test near the end of the school year.

Student intelligence and self-reported motivation and learning strategies also were assessed.
The study authors looked at whether student motivation, study skills and intelligence could predict improvement in the mathematical success over time. Intelligence was only correlated with math achievement in the early years. Over time, what mattered most was motivation and study skills.
"Student ability in math involves factors that education can nurture," Murayama said. "Finding ways to motivate students and teaching them study skills may be a critical way to help them progress in math and other subjects."
For many students, the culture in which they're learning makes a big difference, said Paul Goldenberg, distinguished scholar at the Education Development Center, in Waltham, Mass.
"In Romania, the curriculum is pretty dull and there are stereotyped teaching methods, but the kids are committed to learning math because they perceive it as a really useful way to get a good job or be able to leave the country," Goldenberg said. "The whole culture believes it's possible. But in the U.S. we believe not everyone has a mathematical mind."
Goldenberg said it's important to develop a sense of ability in a child early on, especially when it comes to mathematics. "By the time you're in high school, the math ideas are built on earlier concepts and become really complex," he said. "Once you get to 'x + 3 = y,' all of a sudden the notations stand for a whole bunch of numbers."
What's the best way to motivate a child? "Try to help students make connections between what they're learning and what they'll need in the future,"

Some Fantastic Health Benefits of Bananas

This is interesting. After reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.
But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
DEPRESSION
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS:
Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
ANEMIA
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
BLOOD PRESSURE:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
BRAIN POWER
200 students at a Twickenham school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
CONSTIPATION
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
HANGOVERS
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
HEARTBURN
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
MORNING SICKNESS
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
MOSQUITO BITES:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
NERVES
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system..
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort foodlike chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
ULCERS
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chroniclercases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Many other cultures see bananas as a ‘cooling’ fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has FOUR TIMES the protein, TWICE the carbohydrate, THREE TIMES the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, ‘A BANANA a day keeps the doctor away!’

6 Fantastic Health Benefits of Apples

Sweet but with a lemony finish. Crisp, tangy to the point of tartness. Spicy and fragrant. No, we’re not discussing the merits of fine wines. We’re talking apples!
October is National Apple Month, the time to celebrate the glory of the fruit, as the nation has been doing since 1904 when National Apple Week was born. In 1996, October became National Apple Month.
Domesticated some four thousand years ago in the fruity forests of what is now Kazakhstan, apples became a part of the human diet a long time ago. With flavors shaped by their respective climates — the shorter the growing season the tarter the fruit — apples have been grown across the United States for centuries. But not until the last few decades, starting in the 1980s, have apple breeders offered such a variety and explosion of flavors: Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, SweeTango, and many more. Remember when there were only a few like Red Delicious or Golden Delicious or McIntosh to be found in grocery stores?
But the history and diversity of apples is not the only thing to celebrate. Apples also can be credited with delivering an amazing number of health benefits, such as:
1. Fighting bad breath. Apples contain pectin, which helps control food odors. Pectin also promotes saliva, which cleanses breath.
2. Preventing asthma attacks. Asthma sufferers often have low levels of antioxidants. Apples are high in vitamin C and flavonoids (beneficial, water-soluble plant pigments). Both are antioxidant. One study found that vitamin C supplements helped protect against exercise-induced asthma.
3. Reducing the risk of stroke. A study involving 9,208 men and women showed that those who ate the most apples over a 28-year period had the lowest risk for stroke. Researchers concluded that the results suggest the intake of apples is related to a decreased risk of thrombotic stroke.
4. Preventing constipation. Fresh apples are high in fiber, which adds bulk to the stool. Apples contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, or roughage.
5. Combating fatigue. The high vitamin C and antioxidant content in apples counter the free radicals leading to oxidative stress, which has been linked to fatigue.
6. Reducing the risk of diabetes. The phytonutrients (beneficial substances found in various plants) in apples help regulate blood sugar.These compounds help prevent spikes in blood sugar in a variety of ways: by inhibiting enzymes involved in the breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugars; by stimulating pancreatic cells to produce insulin; by decreasing the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream.
Compared to other commonly consumed fruits in the U.S, these nutritional powerhouses ranked second for highest antioxidant activity. However, they ranked highest in the proportion of free phenolic compounds—substances not bound to other compounds in the fruit and thus more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. So stock up on a good supply of apples for this season. And don’t cut off the peels. They contain much of apples’ fiber and antioxidant power.

A soda a day could be making your skin look older, new research finds.

If the threat of heart disease, diabetes, or obesity wasn’t enough to make you put down your afternoon cola, this might: A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health reports that drinking one sugary soda a day may speed up the rate at which your body ages.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, looked at a sample of 5,300 healthy adults aged 20-65 and found that those who drank an 8-ounce serving of soda a day over the course of three years experienced an additional 1.9 years of aging. Drinking a daily 20-ounce serving of soda in that same time period, meanwhile, was linked to a whopping 4.6 more years of aging — similar to the amount of added aging associated with smoking.

The researchers who worked on the study found that the soda drinkers had shorter telomeres — the protective ends of DNA that are found in every cell in the body — than those who don’t drink soda daily.
“A good analogy would be the plastic ends of a shoe lace — they keep the shoe lace tethered together,” says Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD, an Everyday Health columnist and an assistant professor of dermatology at Montefiore Medical Center – Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “That’s kind of what a telomere is — it’s at the edge of DNA, helping to protect and repair it.” Over time, telomeres get shorter and shorter until they ultimately fall apart, signaling the cell to die, Dr. Friedman explains.
However, it’s still just speculation as to whether the sugar in soda is what actually causes extra aging. “There could be something else in soda that [caused] an accelerated shortening of the telomeres,” notes Friedman.

How Sugar Ages You

“This concept of sugar and aging, it’s not really new news, because we’ve heard so much about sugar over the years — how it can hurt your heart, how it can hurt your brain, how it can suppress your immune system,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RDN, CDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It and the writer behind the Everyday Health Column, Nutrition Intuition. “And if you have these medical issues, they all chip away at you and therefore cause you to age more quickly.”
And all that aging can leave its mark on your skin.
“What happens over time, after telomeres shorten [is that] the ability to repair and maintain DNA decreases, so cells don’t function properly,” says Friedman. “So with shortened telomeres, you’ll get signs of aging,” including wrinkles. The upper layer of your skin, known as the epidermis, also won’t be able to function correctly and may not be able to turn over and shed off appropriately, leading to dull skin. Sugar also increases inflammation, which can lead to acne or a psoriasis flare-up, he says.
When it comes to soda, whether it contains sugar or an artificial sweetener, its dehydrating effect — caused by caffeine, which is a diuretic — can mess with your skin’s ability to bounce back. If you’re hydrated properly, you should be able to pinch your skin and have it snap back immediately.

5 Ways to Slow Down the Aging Process

There are easy ways to lower your sugar intake — and prevent major signs of skin aging caused by sugar. Here’s what you can do:

• Add fresh fruit to water. “Not only will you get more water, which will be naturally flavored with delicious fruit, you’ll also be getting the benefits of more fiber and a whole host of minerals if you eat the fruit,” Taub-Dix says.
• Mix up a better-for-you drink. If you can’t quit soda completely, Taub-Dix suggests mixing a splash of 100 percent fruit juice with a glass of club soda. You can also try mixing half a can or cup of soda with club soda. “You’ll still get the bubbles,” she says.
• Read labels carefully. Sugar can be called by a lot of different names, so look out for words like corn sweeteners, dehydrated cane juice, maple syrup, and high fructose corn syrup. “Anything that ends in ‘ose’ should be a red flag that it’s sugar,” Taub-Dix says.
• Get up and move. “While smoking or drinking soda can shorten telomeres, you can actually protect them,” says Friedman. “Exercise has been shown to maintain the lengths of telomeres.”
• Wear sunscreen every day. “I don’t care if it’s raining out — you should still be using a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 because UV radiation is still coming through even when it’s not sunny,” says Friedman. “UV radiation induces free radicals and damage to DNA, and if those telomeres are shortened, you’re not going to be able to repair [the damage].”