WORKING IN HOTEL MANAGEMENT

this is an Islamic Perspective and I copied from Sheikh Qays b. Muhammad Âl Mubârak, professor at King Faisal University|

There can be no doubt that a hotel, in and of itself, is something lawful in Islam. The essential business of a hotel is that of providing rooms for people to lodge in. Since the hotel business is a lawful business, it follows that working in or running a hotel is lawful work.

The problem lies in the fact that most hotels – even in the vast majority of Muslim countries – are involved in some un-Islamic transactions. Most hotels have restaurants that have pork and alcohol on the menu, and that sometimes provide live entertainment. Hotels also provide room service that offers alcoholic drinks, among its many lawful food and drink options, to the guests in their rooms. Many hotels even provide a stocked bar in some of the choicer rooms. Then there are the gambling facilities provided by some hotels.

There can be no doubt that working directly in the distribution of liquor and other unlawful business is unlawful work. However, what is the ruling of working in hotel management, in a capacity that is lawful in itself, but one that cannot be wholly separated from some of the unlawful aspects of the average hotel’s business?

A person may, of his own accord, opt to eschew any work that is in the least bit questionable, to make certain that all of his income is lawful and that nothing is tainted with any unlawful enterprise. He may do so to make sure that he does not in any way whatsoever contributes to encouraging another person in sin. He may simply wish to be free to speak out against sinful behavior and help prevent people from falling into it.

All of these intentions for avoiding questionable work are certainly good. It is certainly an act of piety to refrain from lawful work when some questionable practices are involved in it. This level of piety is easy for those who crave it, but it is certainly difficult in and of itself.

Abstinence from work that is essentially lawful, because it exposes the person to some doubtful matters, means that person must restrain himself from what benefits him materially and from engaging with society in an easy and familiar manner. Therefore, it requires a high level of piety and faith.

This is why a scholar is not supposed to give a general verdict to people that requires them to exercise such a high level of pious aloofness from society. Such a ruling is only suitable for those individuals whom the scholar knows have the strength of faith to bear it.

We see this in the practice of the illustrious scholar Ahmad b. Hanbal. It was his habit to ascertain the circumstances, status, and piety of the people who asked a ruling of him before he would give them his reply.

Once a woman came to him and asked him if she could open her home while she was weaving at night and to avail herself of the sultan’s lamplight. Ahmad asked her who she was. She told him that she was the sister of Bishr al-Hâfî. When he heard that, he said: “Do not do your weaving in that lamplight.”

To understand why Ahmad gave her such a harsh ruling about something that is certainly lawful – she was certainly not stealing from the public light – we must know who Bishr al-Hâfî was. Bishr al-Hâfî was an eminent narrator of hadîth who was a student of such illustrious scholars as Imam Mâlik and `Abd Allah b. Mubârak. Al-Dhahabî tells us that “he was known for his excessive piety, reserve, and sincerity.” [Siyar A`lâm al-Nubalâ’ (10/470)]

Bishr al-Hâfî and his family were people who were careful never to partake of the public wealth, relying exclusively on their own industry for everything. Al-Dhahabî relates to us that when Bishr came to Baghdâd, he would not drink from the sultan’s reservoirs. He instead drank the river water until it injured his throat and he returned to his sister in pain. He made his livelihood through weaving, and that was his only source of income. [Siyar A`lâm al-Nubalâ’ (10/471)]

In this case, Ahmad b. Hanbal took the woman’s status and circumstances into account, and he answered her in a way that was commensurate with her level of piety.

As for people whose circumstances are less that ideal, giving them such legal verdicts will only contribute to their working menial jobs or remaining unemployed. They will simply be forced into hardships which they cannot bear and burdens which Islam does not require them to shoulder. It is feared that such people could grow despondent and displeased with Allah’s decree. It is not allowed for such people to remain aloof from certain things that are merely disliked in Islamic Law, if it might lead them to fall into what is certainly sinful.

When a scholar looks at the work arena of today’s world, even in most Muslim countries, he finds that there are many jobs that are essentially lawful, however very few of those jobs are completely devoid of aspects that are forbidden by Islamic teachings, which the employee will at times be somewhat involved with. This is the case with a career in hotel management and in a wide variety of blue collar and white collar careers. Forbidding people from employment in such circumstances will lead to unbearable hardship.

This is precisely the type of hardship which Islamic Law seeks to spare people. Allah says: “Allah does not which to place you in any difficulty.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 6]

Indeed, a person can seek employment which is essentially lawful, but not free from some unlawful aspects from an Islamic perspective, and even be rewarded for doing so if he makes his intention to use that employment as an opportunity to increase his good works and his knowledge, or to acquire valuable skills and experience.

In the hospitality industry, for instance, there are possibilities for hotels that operate strictly within the framework of Islamic teachings. Such hotels are seeking to provide an alternative to what is unlawful, but they need people with experience in the industry if they are going to be successful. That experience can only be had in the leading hotels that operate in the world today.

King Abdulaziz Medallion For Obama

I think Obama's very very lucky. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King presented Barack Obama, US President with Saudi Arabia's highest honor "The King Abdul Aziz Medallion" .
Talks between Abdullah and US President Barack Obama in Riyadh yesterday focused on joint efforts, closer coordination and more Saudi support to revive the Middle East peace process while many other regional and international issues were also taken up for discussion by the two leaders. Some of them included the nuclear standoff with Iran, oil and global energy market as well as US relations with the Muslim world.

"I thought it was very important to come to the place where Islam began and to seek his majesty's counsel and to discuss with him many of the issues that we confront here in the Middle East," Obama said before the talks.

On the Middle East peace process, Obama said that there are a lot of Israelis "who recognize that their current path is unsustainable, and they need to make some tough choices on settlements to achieve a two-state solution — that is in their long-term interest — but not enough folks are willing to recognize that publicly."

The US president appealed that leaders in the region should be more candid about their concerns.

"Stop saying one thing behind closed doors and saying something else publicly," he said. "There are a lot of Arab countries more concerned about Iran developing a nuclear weapon than the 'threat' from Israel, but won't admit it."

The US president said he was confident that, working together, the United States and Saudi Arabia could make progress on a host of issues for the benefit of the two countries.

"Obviously, the United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of friendship, we have a strategic relationship," Obama said.

King Abdullah thanked Obama for visiting Saudi Arabia. and dialog also focused on cooperation in the fight against terrorism. On this tour Obama is scheduled visiting Cairo where he will deliver his much-awaited speech to try to build bridges with the Muslim world. He will also meet with President Hosni Mubarak.
well this is an opportunity to say to the world that Islam is Rahmatan lil'alamin not terorrist!
source from islamtoday

Foster and Hadid to Redesign Mecca

For 14 centuries, countless millions of Muslims, men and women from the four corners of the earth, have made the pilgrimage to Mecca or Makkah al Mukarammah, the birthplace of Islam. The unique sanctity of Makkah, make people who ever go for hajj want to come again and again. But the capacity of the mosque must be redesign and indeed it will doing by Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid who have been lined up to take on one of the most high-profile projects on earth – the redevelopment of Mecca
This huge project backed by King Abdullah ben Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia who has asked a hand-picked collection of starchitects to ‘establish a new architectural vision’ for the 356,800m2 mosque complex.
According to sources, that I quote from AJ, the scheme for Islam’s holiest city could create a huge new structure around the central Haram mosque that will eventually be capable of holding three million people, making it the ‘highest occupancy’ building in the world.
Every year, more than three million people make a pilgrimage to the Saudi city of Mecca, known as the Hajj.
Most people know well, the news that Foster + Partners and Zaha Hadid Architects are to work on one of the greatest logistical, symbolic and scalar challenges on earth – the redevelopment of Islam’s most important site of pilgrimage, Mecca.
Well from now on we have to be patient to see the results of this megaproject.
May Allah give me a chance to go to Mecca with my all families one day... amen
source : http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk (also the picture)

status of women in Islam

The status of the Muslim woman in Islaam is a very noble and lofty one, and her effect is very great in the life of every Muslim. Indeed, the Muslim woman is the initial teacher in the building of a righteous society, providing she follows the guidance from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Since adherence to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah

distances every Muslim - male or female - from being misguided in any matter...

The secret of her importance lies in the tremendous burden and responsibility that is placed upon her, and the difficulties that she has to shoulder - responsibilities and difficulties some of which not even a man bears. This is why from the most important obligations upon a person is to show gratitude to the mother, and kindness and good companionship with her. And in this matter, she is to be given precedence over and above the father...

A man came to Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said: O Messenger of Allaah! Who from amongst mankind warrants the best companionship from me? He replied: "Your mother." The man asked: Then who? So he replied: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then who? So the Prophet replied again: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then who? So he replied: "Then your father." [Related by al-Bukhaaree (no.5971) and Muslim (7/2), from Abu Hurayrah radiallaahu ‘anhu]. So this necessitates that the mother is given three times the like of kindness and good treatment than the father.

Not Just Potty Training

The Religion of Islam is a complete way of life. There are even dua for entering and exiting the toilet. We should teach these duas to our children as it is an easy way to earn rewards and remember Allah. dua for entering the toilet : "Bismillahi, Allaahhumma innii a'uudzu bika Minal khubutsi wal khabaaitsi. dua for exiting the toilet :"Alhamdu lillahil-ladzii adz-haba maa yu'dziannii wa abqaa fiyya maa tanfa'unii
If you think it’s required, you can take this dua into ipod or somethingelse and put it near your child’s bed so they are reminded to say it.

Many 3-year-olds children are not only potty trained, so don't panic if your child is slow to learn. You have to be patient on how to move the learning process along.

Once you start to potty train your child, it's important to keep the process lighthearted and full of encouragement. Don't rush him into training pants, but do consider rewards for toilet training successes.

Fasting and Your Biological Rhythms

Allah (all glory be to Him) tells us in the Holy Quran about Ramadan that, “(He wants you) to complete the prescribed period (of fasting), and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.” (2:185)

Many benefits, in addition to the spiritual, result from completing this prescribed period of fasting. Do you know activities of fasting related to our biological rhythms.

Fasting improves the quality and intensifies the depth of sleep, a matter of particular importance to the aged who have much less stage three and four sleep (deep sleep). The processes of repair of the body and of the brain take place during sleep. Two hours of sleep during the month of Ramadan are more satisfying and refreshing than more hours of sleep otherwise!

Muslims who fast regularly and who have experienced disturbed wakefulness/sleep cycles on a daily lunar annual basis, can adapt themselves much faster to different time zones during international travel and do not suffer from the ill effects of jet lag. Moreover, the social contact during the Tarawih congregational prayer and the other social-cum–spiritual activities act as zeitgebers which regulate any desynchronised biological rhythm. (source from here)
adopted from Dr. Ebrahim Kazim article, a medical doctor and the founder and director of the Islamic Academy in Trinidad

MADRASAH UNTUK YANG BUTA

"Sungguh bukan matanya yang buta melainkan hati didadanyalah yang buta" (Al Haj : 46). Maka penyandang cacat kebutaan pun memiliki hak yang sama dengan mereka yang normal untuk mengkaji Al Qur'an. Nun di Afrika Selatan, Johannesburg, Madrasah Al Nuur dibangun khusus untuk mereka yang disabled (buta) untuk kajian Islam dan khususnya Al Qur'an. Tersedia sarana untuk mendalami Al Qur'an dengan huruf Braille dan dipadukan dengan Audio Book. Tentu saja semua itu berkat tangan-tangan hambaNya yang menyediakan diri untuk selalu bersama Allah. Madrasah khusus untuk orang buta ini akan menjadi satu-satunya yang terbesar di dunia dan menjadi pusat kajian Al Qur'an khusus bagi penyandang cacat buta- pastilah memerlukan orang-orang yang berhati"emas", bahkan dalam menerjemahkan dan menuliskan Al Qur'an serta buku-buku Islam pilihan ke dalam huruf Braille...Anda bisa mendownload catalognya lho....(sumber aslinya ada disini nih...monggo dilanjut)

Coca Cola Menyambut Ramadhan

Belum lagi Ramadhan datang, perusahaan minuman yang merambah dunia, Coca Cola, sudah siap meluncurkan minuman kemasan kaleng dengan simbol Bulan Bintang. Sebagaimana diketahui lambang Bulan Bintang membuat orang pastinya terasosiasikan dengan simbol Agama Islam. Tak main-main perusahaan minuman ini serentak menyiapkan kemasan kaleng khusus Ramadhan dengan Bulan Bintang di Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Maroko, Turki, Tunisia, Indonesia dan sejumlah negara yang penduduknya penganut Islam. Penggunaan simbol religi untuk kepentingan komersial seperti ini apakah diijinkan atau etika memang sudah diabaikan demi mengejar duit...duit..duit. Namun yang patut dipertanyakan, benarkah simbol bulan dan bintang itu simbol agama Islam? wahh simak saja deh ke post saya yang berikutnya.oke?!

CHOOSE ISLAMIC BABY NAME??

masih bingung memilih nama untuk calon bayi Bunda?...sudah membolak-balik katalog nama-nama bayi laki-laki dan perempuan, toh belum ketemu juga.
Yuk kita cari lebih dalam dari sumbernya...apalagi anda juga bisa tahu ..apa saja arti dari tiap nama yang dipilih.. tentu tak mau sembarangan memberi nama pada calon buah hati bukan?
Nah...kalau sudah dapat nama yang indah..harapannya semoga buah hati kelak sesuai dengan nama yang anda pilihkan untuknya...
(source from here....)

Islam

LOVE IN ISLAM
Love is one of the greatest blessings Allah has bestowed on humanity. Allah has created human nature in such a way that a person will take pleasure from loving and being loved, from friendship and from intimacy.
Being with people who live by the moral values of the Qur'an, enjoying love and friendship with them, brings a believer greater pleasure than many other blessings. Therefore, the Paradise that Allah has promised to His servants whom He loves and with whom He is well pleased is a place of extraordinary beauty in which true love, friendship and intimacy will be experienced with enormous joy for ever. The information Allah provides about the life of Paradise in the Qur'an, always refers to joy, friendship, love, conversation, pleasing words and peace. Everything that might prove an obstacle to love and friendship has been kept far removed from the people of Paradise. In one verse, for example, Allah has revealed that He will strip away any rancour in the hearts of the companions of Paradise (Surat al-A‘raf, 43). All vices that might represent an obstacle to love and friendship, such as jealousy, enmity, rivalry, anger, discord and touchiness, will be excluded from Paradise.

The Love for your Mother
From a tiny drop that becomes an embryo, the girl-child is born to be an honored part of God's plan. God states in the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an: "O humankind! Be conscious of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and out of it created its mate, and out of the two spread countless men and women. Be conscious of God through Whom you demand your mutual rights and honor the wombs; God always watches over you" Qur'an 4:1

Motherhood
"And We have enjoined upon man to be good to his parents. With difficulty upon difficulty did his mother bear him and wean him for two years. Show gratitude Me and your parents; to Me us your final goal." (Qur'an 31:14)

Muslimah

When I receive email from my friend, I think it's very interesting to post this because as women we have to know what is our right as women in Islam and here is the article come from Middleeast.
Arab women lose again, this time in Kuwait
By Najla Al Awadhi, Special to Gulf News and published on June 06, 2008
For a second time in Kuwait's history, 27 women ran for parliament, and for the second time no Kuwaiti woman was elected.

What followed, was the appointment of two women by the Kuwaiti government to ministerial posts, and while they stood up to take the oath of office, nine parliamentarians from the self proclaimed "Islamist" and "tribal" groups stormed out in protest. They were claiming that the women ministers were in breach of the electoral laws, because they were not wearing the hijab (headscarf).

Kuwait's Islamist and tribal groups, who now dominate the parliament, have always opposed the presence of women in political office.

I followed the Kuwaiti elections and the debates with much interest. What amused me was the dialogue of whether Kuwaiti women were experienced enough to run for parliament, and what amazed me was the impassioned objection to women's participation from many who claimed that Islam and our traditions do not allow women to run for high political posts.

This took me back to over 1,400 years ago to a time in Arabia where it was common practice to bury alive female children as a precaution to avoid family shame, at a time where a man could marry a hundred wives and discard them with impunity, because a woman was akin to property.
It was in this age there lived a woman who was a widow and a trader. In her employment there was a kind, diligent, trustworthy man, 20 years her junior, and eventually she would ask him for his hand in marriage.
Can you imagine me asking for a man's hand in marriage today, 20 years my junior and the scandal that would cause? Some men even today are not comfortable with the idea of working for a woman. Yet this was Arabia over 1,400 years ago; the man in this story is the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him); and the woman in this story was his wife Khadija.

When the Prophet received his first revelation from the Angel Gabriel, he was overwhelmed with fear. It was Khadija who stood by him and calmed him and told him it was a sign of prophecy. Khadija was anything but conventional or submissive. She was bold, intelligent, kind and strong willed, and for the Prophet of Islam, she was the perfection of a woman.

Legacy

Her legacy is a message to all Muslims that women have not been created to be submissive or marginalised. Like a man, a woman must be the master of her own destiny and an active and equal partner in striving to develop more humane societies. This means being active in all spheres of life, including the political sphere where public policy is shaped.

So if Khadija was the perfection of a Muslim/Arab woman and if we were to build upon her legacy in terms of empowering women in our age, then why are we here in the Arab World in 2008 with not even one woman elected into Kuwait's parliament?

Partially, because we as women don't have enough faith in the ability of our sisters to lead, and this is due to our own self-ignorance and the lack of true solidarity between Arab and Muslim women in our societies.

In addition, it's partially because many men still view women's ability and role as limited. Also, many in their interpretations believe that religiously and traditionally a woman's place is outside the political sphere and preferably confined to the home.

Quota systems are a part of the solution to empowerment and gender equity, but greater than that is the need for the mass comprehension in our societies that the empowerment of women is not about women's rights or feminism.

The empowerment of women is a legacy Islam has granted us. It is an issue of human rights and primarily of survival which is linked to our region's goals of economic and sustainable development.

When you look at our population today, when you look at the demographics and the shrinking number of our citizens in many parts of the Gulf, you begin to realise that we need to be aggressive about empowering and tapping into all our human capital, regardless of gender, with a strict focus on ability and potential. This naturally gives us greater resources in our journey towards sustainable development.

So in the footsteps of the wife of the Prophet, I hope we as Muslims and Arabs will remember her legacy when we make judgments about the role of women in our society. I hope too that our Kuwaiti sisters will persevere, because I have always believed, that yes, a woman's place is at home but at the same time, it is also in the parliament.

Najla Al Awadhi is a member of the Federal National Council, Deputy CEO Dubai Media Incorporated and General Manager of Dubai One TV.

link to http://www.Muslimah Media Watch.blogspot.com, and you have to read.
thankyou

Women Veil

What the Bible Says

If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. (1 Corinthians 11:6-10)

What the Qur'an Says

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known so as not to be annoyed. (Qur'an, 33:59)

And when you ask them (the wives of the Prophet) for anything you want, ask them from behind a curtain: that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. (Qur'an, 33:53)

Commentary

The Bible instructs women to cover their heads. The purpose of the covering is to show the authority of men over them because men are the image and glory of Allah while women are the glory of men! Because of this teaching, some non-Muslims think that Muslim women, who wear the veil, are ill-treated and neglected.

Unlike the Bible, the Qur'an instructs women to wear the veil for their protection. The veil is one of the Islamic measures to create a righteous society and to block the roads leading to fornication and adultery. The Qur'an clarifies that the veil makes wicked men stay away from women. Furthermore, the veil purifies the heart from immoral thoughts and temptation because showing beauty may excite men's sexual feelings. On the other hand, the Qur'an allows women to show their beauty to other women, their husbands and some close relatives in addition to children.

More about the Issue of Modesty and Interaction

There exists, among Muslims a big gap between the ideal of the real. Cultural practices on both extremes do exist. Some Muslims emulate non Islamic cultures and adopt the modes of dress, unrestricted mixing and behavior resulting in corrupting influences of Muslims and endangering the family's integrity and strength(see : muslimbridges.com). On the other hand, in some Muslim cultural undue and excessive restrictions is not seclusion are believed to be the ideal. Both extremes seem to contradict the normative teachings of Islam and are not consistent with the virtuous yet participative nature of the society at the time of the Prophet Muhammad.

Parameters of proper modesty for males and females (dress and behavior) are based on revelatory sources (the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah) and as such are seen by believing men and women as divinely based guidelines with legitimate aims, and divine wisdom behind them. They are not male imposed or socially imposed restrictions.

The notion of near total seclusion of women is alien to the prophetic period. Interpretation problems in justifying seclusion reflect, in part, cultural influences and circumstances in different Muslim countries.

Marry to Non Muslim

Muslim males are allowed to marry non-Muslim females but Muslim females are only allowed to marry Muslim males. You maybe surprised, but there is a good reason for this. It has to do with protecting the rights of women. Will explain it further in this article.

Muslim males are not allowed to marry any non-Muslim female. Only Christians and Jews (People of the Book) and not any other religion. This is due to the fact that the scriptures held sacred by Christians and Jews do contain large portions of revelation even though the texts have been distorted and changed. Consequently, in honor of the revelation still remaining in these texts, permission was granted to marry women who are "People of the Book". However, the condition of chastity is added to the permission mentioned in the Quran. Consequently, only a woman who's a virgin, divorcee or widow can be married.

The reason for allowing men and not women is in order to protect the woman's religion. If a Muslim man requested his Christian wife not to serve alcohol or pork in his house and that she not wear mini-skirts or kiss his friends, she could comply without affecting her religious teachings. However, if a Christian husband requested his Muslim wife to purchase alcohol and serve him pork, to wear mini skirts and may kiss his friends. It is natural for a wife to try to please her husband. In the case of the Muslim wife, that could lead to a compromise and possibly the gradual destruction of her faith.

Marriage to non-Muslims is discouraged in situations where Muslims are weak or in the minority in order to safeguard the religion of the children. If a Muslim man marries a non-Muslim woman in the West and their marriage ends in divorce, or the man dies, the courts will award custody of the children to the wife who will likely raise them as non-Muslims.

While it is very common for the Christian spouse to embrace Islam, it is not always the case "There is no compulsion in religion" Quran 2:256. A good Muslim friend of MuslimBridges married for over 25 years, takes his wife to Church every Sunday...hmhh

Al Jazeera

Kita tahu Al Jazeera setelah banyak media mengungkap keberadaan media layar kaca ini setelah serangan AS ke Irak. Selain itu Al Jazeera juga banyak dilongok orang setelah AS juga mencoba mengubek-ubek keberadaan Osama bin Laden. Mau tahu lebih banyak tentang Al Jazeera, yang banyak mengungkap dunia Islam dari sisi pandang televisi Islam. bukan TV barat yang selama ini banyak kita lihat...yuuk tengok aja disini

-----To read a full interview with the Documentary Channel's Tawfik Founi, click here : http://www.english.aljazeera.net

Stem cell Research : An Islamic Perspective

Let us first understand what is this research and what are the issues involved in it. Following is a brief explanation written by Dr. Imran Siddiqi, a Ph.D. in Genetics. He says: "The human body consists of many kinds of cells. These cells are very diverse in their structure and function. For example, neurons that make up the brain are very different from cells that make up our liver, cells that allow our heart to pump blood look nothing like the cells that make up our skin. In spite of their vast differences, however, all cells in the human body contain the same DNA. DNA provides the information, in the form of genes, which is necessary to make all these various cell types. Put simply, liver cells are liver cells because only a small set of genes are turned on in these cells while the rest are shut off. In the same way, cells in the brain or skin have their own set of genes activated, and other sets turned off. However, because all cells contain the entire set of DNA, they possess the information needed to make any kind of cell, though most of this information is not being used. How do cells become specialized to form the different organs in the body? Human development begins when a sperm cell fuses with an egg cell. This initial fertilized egg, although it is only a single cell, is able to form an entire human being. This cell starts to divide into additional cells, which at this early stage are all able to produce a complete organism. These cells are therefore called totipotent, meaning they have total potential to produce all cell types present in a living human. As development proceeds and an embryo forms, these cells become pluripotent, meaning they have potential to become many different kinds of cells but can no longer give rise to a complete embryo. Later in development, through a process called cell differentiation, these pluripotent cells eventually give rise to the different and more specialized kinds of cells in the body and the different organs begin to form. What are stem cells? Stem cells are cells that have not gone through the process of cell differentiation and therefore have the potential to give rise to many different kinds of specialized cells. For instance a stem cell could be used to produce liver cells, brain cells, heart muscle cells, blood cells, etc. The current sources of stem cells include embryos (which, as explained above, consist of pluripotent cells) and fetal tissue. In addition, some recent evidence suggests that even adults have a small number of mulitpotent cells that can be isolated and can later differentiate into various cell types. "One source of stem cells is from embryos that were formed from a process called in vitro fertilization. This is a technique that has been used by doctors for some time, where eggs are removed from a woman after stimulation of the ovaries, and the isolated eggs are then fertilized by sperm cells in the laboratory. The fertilized eggs are allowed to divide for a few cycles and are then implanted into the woman's uterus, where a normal pregnancy can then take place. The purpose of this technique is to allow couples who cannot normally have children to be able to reproduce. The technique is not that efficient, however, and so doctors usually produce several embryos, hoping that at least one will be able to implant correctly in the uterus and start growing. The remaining embryos are either frozen for later use or are destroyed. Recently, scientists found that they can take these embryos at the stage before they are implanted into the uterus (within 1-5 days after fertilization), and remove pluripotent cells from them. These cells can then be grown and divided on dishes in the laboratory, and then theoretically used to produce all kinds of tissues, from liver cells to heart muscle cells to brain cells. Why are stem cells important? Research on stem cells has much value both for scientific understanding of human development and for its potential to treat human disease. Many experiments on the effectiveness and safety of new drugs or treatments could be done on cell lines made from stem cells, instead of having to experiment on humans. In addition, stem cells might be used to produce liver cells that can then be formed into a functioning liver and transplanted into patients with liver failure. This would solve the current problem of organ shortage and could also solve the problem of immune rejection of organs. Stem cells might be used to create cells that produce insulin, which can then be transplanted into patients with type I diabetes. In short, stem cells (see to http://www.stemcord.com) have the potential to cure many diseases from liver disease, to diabetes, to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, to heart disease, to spinal cord injury, and the list can go on and on. "To make this potential of stem cells a reality, much research needs to be done in the next few years. To do this research, scientists need an ample supply of stem cells. Controversy arises because the main source stem cells are embryos used for in vitro fertilization. By removing cells from these embryos, scientists are essentially destroying the embryo, which could have otherwise gone on to develop into a child. However, as explained above, these embryos were developed initially in the laboratory solely for the sake of reproduction and, due to limitations of the in vitro fertilization technique, they were produced in excess of what was required for this purpose. As a result, the remaining embryos would have either been frozen indefinitely or destroyed. Perhaps if research was limited to using only these already existing embryos, it would be more acceptable than if embryos were created and destroyed specifically for the sake of acquiring stem cells. Are there any other alternatives? What about stem cells from adults? Some research has shown that even adult humans have a small number of cells that are multipotent, meaning they have the potential to become several different types of specialized cells. The best example of this is cells from the bone marrow. These cells have long been known to be able to produce the different types of blood cells, from white blood cells to red blood cells to platelets involved in blood clotting. Just this past year, a group of researchers showed that some rare bone marrow cells can also be triggered to form fat, cartilage, bone, and muscle. Additional research can theoretically be done on ways to make these multipotent cells become pluripotent; in other words to somehow trigger these cells to go in reverse and become less specialized, and then allow them to differentiate into many kinds of cells. In spite of this interesting research on adult stem cells, it appears that stem cells derived from adults will not be as versatile as stem cells from embryos. Adult stem cells may not be able to provide cells for all kinds of tissues, and in addition they are difficult to isolate because they are so rare in the body. Thus, adult stem cells do not hold as much promise as do stem cells from embryos." Now let us look at some of the moral issues involved in this research from an Islamic perspective. Sharî'ah Perspective on Stem Cells Research: Married couples who cannot have pregnancy in a normal way are allowed to have in vitro fertilization as long as the fertilized ovum is placed in the womb of the woman from whom the egg the was taken (not a surrogate mother). The fertilization has to be with the sperm of her lawful husband during their married life, not after divorce or after the death of the husband. This is the general conclusion of various Muslim jurists' meetings that discussed this subject. Having recognized that in vitro fertilization is permissible in Islam, now the first question that we should ask is that should an embryo, which is formed within a few days after an artificial fertilization and is not yet in the womb of its mother, be considered a human being, with all the rights of a human being? According to the Sharî'ah we should make a distinction between actual life and potential life. Also we should make a clear distinction between the fertilized ovum in the dish and the fertilized ovum in the womb of its mother. Indeed an embryo is valuable. It has the potential to grow into a human being, but it is not yet a human being. Similarly there is big difference in having something in a test tube or dish or something in the body of a human being. As mentioned above these embryos were developed initially in the laboratory solely for the sake of reproduction and, due to limitations of the in vitro fertilization technique, they were produced in excess of what was required for this purpose. As a result, the remaining embryos would have either been frozen indefinitely or destroyed. If these embryos were treated as full human, it would have been forbidden to produce them in excess and to destroy them later. No one treats them as humans. Destroying such embryos is not called and cannot be called abortion. We disagree with the Catholic position that this is "equivalent to infanticide". Muslim jurists have made a clear distinction between the early stages of pregnancy (first 40 days) and its later stages. It is mentioned that if someone attacks a pregnant woman and aborts her baby in the early stages of her pregnancy, that person's punishment will be less than that of the person who does that during full pregnancy. And if he kills the child after the birth, then he is liable to be punished for homicide. The second question is whether according to the Sharî'ah it is acceptable to destroy an embryo for the sake of research, even if this research can potentially cure many otherwise fatal diseases? Our answer is that the embryo in this stage is not human. It is not in its natural environment, the womb. If it is not placed in the womb it will not survive and it will not become a human being. So there is nothing wrong in doing this research, especially if this research has a potential to cure diseases. However, it is important that we establish strict rules against the misuse of embryos. Research on embryos has the potential for misuse, for instance in regards to the donors of these cells, and we should anticipate what these misuses might be and establish safeguards against them. (For example, doctors might have infertility patient go through extra cycles of ovulation just so they can obtain more embryos, or they might pay women to produce embryos, or embryos might be obtained without the consent of the donors). In making rules the authorities should also clarify that there is a difference between the use of "spare" embryos from in vitro fertilization procedures which would be destroyed regardless, as compared to the deliberate production of embryos for stem cell research. Each year thousands of embryos are wasted in fertility clinics around the world. Such embryos should not be wasted, they should be used for research. It is also good to encourage the research on the alternative: to use adult stem cells instead of embryonic or fetal stem cells.. This would be much less controversial. However, it seems from the discussion of the experts in the field that adult stem cells are not nearly as useful as embryonic stem cells in their ability to differentiate into different cell types and would therefore not be as applicable in treating many diseases. Until more research is done on this subject and Muslim scholars deliberate in detail on various aspects of this research, humbly following recommendations are in order: It is claimed by the experts in the field that the research on stem cells has great potential to relieve human disease and suffering. If this is the case then it is not only allowed but it is obligatory (fard kifayah) to pursue this research. The use of embryonic stem cells should be very heavily limited. Only allow isolation of stem cells from frozen embryos that were created for the purpose of in vitro fertilization and would otherwise have been destroyed. Obtain full consent from the donors. Provide safeguards against monetary compensation to embryo donors and against the creation of embryos in excess of what is required for in vitro fertilization. Perhaps research using stem cells derived from adults will eventually prove to be most promising. We should encourage further research on the use of adult stem cells, to the point where it will be unnecessary to use embryos for this purpose. Specifically, we should find better ways to isolate existing stem cells in the human body.

Islam and Salaam

Dalai Lama leads prayer at Delhi’s Jama Mosque
June 16, 2008 , 20:18

At the special prayer, the Dalai Lama said Islam has always been identified with peace and Muslims "are peace loving people."

"Muslims are one of the most peace loving people in the world," he said, adding, "It is regrettable that Muslims are targeted in the name of terrorism."

The Dalai Lama also said a person who engages in terror activities cannot be a true Muslim.

"Muslims cannot be terrorists. If a person is a terrorist, he cannot be a Muslim," the Tibetan spiritual leader said.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and senior officials at the Jama Masjid were present at the prayer meet. Yes because the true Islam always say salaam means Peace not terror.

Penting Memahami Peran Ibu

Dalam keseharian kita, banyak kita saksikan ibu yang beraktivitas yang seharusnya itu adalah porsinya kaum lelaki. Spirit untuk bertahan hidup pastilah yang mendasarinya. Anak dan keluarga adalah polar yang membuat bunda selalu memiliki semangat tinggi unyuk bertahan hidup. Perjuangan yang dilakoni sejak mengandung bayi, melahirkan dengan bertarung nyawa sampai membesarkan adalah buah tanggungjawab seorang ibu sekaligus mengantar anak-anaknya mendapat pendidikan layak.
Sosok Bunda dalam membentuk manusia tangguh amat menentukan. Peran Bunda tak hanya sebatas dirumah sebagi pengayom, pendidik pertama sebelum anak memasuki dunia pendidikan formal. Maka dari itu dikenal : Bunda adalah Sekolah Utama
Sosok ibulah yang mampu memberikan pendidikan awal, (basic education), pendidikan ahlak dan pendidikan untuk mengembangkan potensi berpikir dan kreatif sejak di lingkungan keluarga. Dan model inilah yang akan memgantarkan seorang anak mampu bersosialisasi dengan baik saat mulai mengenal "dunia luar"
Tak pelak lagi, seorang ibu harus memiliki pengetahuan yang memadai agar mampu mengarahkan anak-anaknya. Sekaligus mampu menjadi sosok idola yang memberi keteladanan untuk anak-anaknya.
Perilaku Bunda sebagai tokoh penting untuk anak-anaknya, disamping juga sosok ayah di sampingnya, karena itu amat bergantung pada latar belakang keluarga, pola asuh dan tingkat pendidikannya. Di jaman yang berubah begitu cepat seperti sekarang ini, membuat seorang Bunda harus tanggap dan cerdas dalam menuntun anak-anaknya.
Islam mengajarkan kepada orangtua agar bertanggungjawab mendidik anak-anaknya dan memberi rejeki yang baik.
Islam tidak menghendaki kita sebagai orangtua meninggalkan keturunan yang lemah, dalam arti lemah dalam pendidikan, tidak bersemangat dan mudah putus asa.
Sungguh, dipandang dari segi apapun...tugas Bunda amat mulia dan patut selalu diresapi maknanya