Ramadan Kariim. May allah give us long life to witness more ramadans Inshallah.

Nazra, what a concern you have there. As I stated in my post ethics is a topic that interest me. I’m still trying to comprehend why others personal ethics would be of a value to a paper I would write….Thanks for the response anyway. Thanks all for your response.

I have been shoppin online for 3 years now, especially for text books, saves me a whole lot dough. I think is safe, havent had any problems so far.

^^ Exactly what are you wishing me luck for. If its trying to understand and accept others differences, it's working out great. Baashi- But doesn’t everyone have an idea of what is right and what is good in human interactions. I can almost always see two sides to everything, and I try to understand why a person would think in a way that I am not. What makes one person right and the other one wrong? Take the Terry Shiavo case do you think the feeding tube was necessary? Haven't read the book, sounds interesting. Brown- I did and still do have ethical standards just altered to the person who I’ve become. I’m not the person I was 5 years ago, I’ve had enough experiences to look at what I have been through to know I had to make some changes in how I dealt with others. Islam is and has always been a guidance for me, with that you also got to understand that every one you are dealing with, doesn’t have the Islamic background. I’m in the health field, ethical dilemmas arise all the time, and with out a doubt there are very hard decisions I would have to make. I don’t only deal with Muslims, and I don’t have to compromise my faith to get my job done, but I do however take into consideration with the people I’m working with.

^^ and sadly some unfortunately never learn it. Thinking of the momma boy I'm sister to. :mad:

In this holy moon, May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala answers for every wishes and forgive our sins….. Ramadhan is coming… Perhaps I have made one's heart in trouble I have made one's soul tired I have made one upset Before step to this month… Please forgive me… In this holy month May all of us have chance to pass this month like a new one A pure one, gain back to our pure fitrah [like just born] With the achievement of lailatul qadar. The heart fills with the spirit of deen for the rest of life. Ameen Raxmah

Personal Ethics varies, what I think is ethical, might not be ethical to someone else. Lets share our personal ethics. ------------------------------ In the past what was ethical or not was based on my beliefs. None of that had changed so much, but I came to realize that not everyone has my beliefs, especially since coming to America. Developing a personal ethic to live by was difficult, because I was brought up that either something is right or wrong. I’ve learned through experiences not everything is right or wrong – black or white. My personal sense of ethics has been very malleable and for good reason. Throughout the years I have come into contact with people from many diverse backgrounds, many of them having different ideas of what is ethical or unethical behavior. I have realized that in this society, I should not be overly critical of others ideas. How is it my place to tell someone else that I am right in my thinking and they are wrong? I do not see the world becoming one large melting pot in the next few thousand years, so I think it is impossible to expect people to mutually agree of a set of ethics. The best I think people can do is to leave open the possibility of suggestibility; at a later time, they might learn something else or would like to incorporate something else into their mindset. It will be a lot easier for them to do this if they are open to it. I developed rules I live by and has affected the ways I deal with a personal or professional ethical dilemma and for the most part open to suggestions. One I had to become accountable for my action, always considering the consequences of my actions in regard to what I do and who may be affected by it. Second, to live by the golden rule– do unto others as you would have done them unto me. This has been always valued, and was brought up this way. When ever faced with ethical dilemma, I always try to put myself in others shoes, so I don’t make assumptions. Respecting others as I would like to be respected, has given a direction to my life. Finally honesty as being the best policy, I have tried always to live by this moral philosophy. Knowing all and well that being honest might not be favorable to me few times, I had to accept the punishment than to live with the fact that I have lied.

I have known starbucks is gay, I have worked there for two years. There were 14 males I worked with, 10 of them were gay. Boycoting starbuck cant do that, I would have thought about it if I was paying for it, but my free dose of starbucks for every morning and the 2 am studying, there is a definitely a need for SB.

Got my first job at 15, in a retail store, It was a great job until I noticed the damn manager only suspected Africans of being shoplifters. She followed them around, I didnt make a thing out of it first, but when she started telling me to keep an eye on that black folk, while I keep an eye on this. I was so mad, I had no choice but to cuss her out in a mission she was sure the three black guys in the store were going to steal. she fired me.

I dont remember posting this, how odd. Great story Baashi, thats right quiters never win, and winners never quit. What motivates me, well too many people think I can't do the goals I share with them, and proving them wrong is always a pleasure, and also the fact that I never ever want to depend on anyone beside allah, I know I will always have family and friends but the feeling of total independence is great, alhamdulilah. These poem also motivates me. If you think you're beaten, you are; If you think you dare not, you don't; If you'd like to win, but think, you can't It's almost a cinch you won't. If you think you will lose, you're lost; For out in the world we find, Success begins with a fellow's will, It's all in the state of mind. If you think you're outclassed, you are; You've got to think high to rise. You've got to hustle before You can ever win a prize. Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man, But sooner or later the man who wins Is the one who thinks he can.

Salaams alhamdulilah u guys are ok. may allah make it easy for eveyone who suffered this shameful incident, Hope everyone gets home safe. -- The killing of innocent people in the middle east is no different than what happened in London. It was killing innocent people. We should condemn these kind of actions no matter where. We should respect the human soul whether muslims or not.

Bambina I see where you are coming from, having an all female party and having male do the vidoe tapping doesnt make sense. But as the sisters above said it really wouldn't make any difference becuase it will be a blockbuster soon enough. Pictures is enough for me. It's so cheerless and distressing though when you are attending a wedding of a loved one and all you can concentrate is avoiding the lens. Also what is it with somali weddings, the invitation says Only females, but the door of the hall has a crowd of males who have nothing better to do.

Great read Bob. Funny and creative Wondering what the ladies were brewing at their meeting. Looks like one great Oscar party.

One of my favourite qoutes/poems. ------------------- If you think you're beaten, you are; If you think you dare not, you don't; If you'd like to win, but think, you can't It's almost a cinch you won't. If you think you will lose, you're lost; For out in the world we find, Success begins with a fellow's will, It's all in the state of mind. If you think you're outclassed, you are; You've got to think high to rise. You've got to hustle before You can ever win a prize. Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man, But sooner or later the man who wins Is the one who thinks he can.

The only problem is you guys warn each other all the time about these girls, but constantly seize them for attention. :rolleyes:

Thank you sooo much Animal Farm I was looking for this picture I have seen before. My whole family has gone crazy about this fake and misleading incident. My father wont stop lecturing. Maybe this pictures will help.

Ouch, I thought the moron deserved it, but that wouldnt be justice...at least there is a lesson for all those who cant keep their hands oh and their mouths to themselves in Kenya.

Salaams, Thank you all for the duas, may allah reward you for your kindness. I'm doing much better now alhamdulilah.

salaama Innaa Lillaahi Wa Innaa Ilayhi Raajicuun, OG_Girl walaal may allah make this easy on you and yuor family, it's hard to lose a loved one but one thing is for sure death is inevitable. Sabir iyo iman walaal, may allah grant him janatul firdows.

Asalamu alaikum It's great to be back, it's so good to read the many great topics I have missed. Please make dua for, I'm recovering from a terible car accident, and your duas will be so appreciated. Jazakalah khair Salaams

Asalamu alaikum all, 1. Tampering With The Amazon Valley, and Women's Status in Society . Why we should preserve them. 6. Lets change the future , a person at the time. 8. The Blind me who showed me the way , a fast forward lesson I will never forget. would love to read all of them, but for now there is my vote. Jazakalah khair

Oh Poor Bashi, atleast there was a happy ending. lol

Customs like these, which shouldnt have a place in soceity really do kill. Kenyan Women Reject Sex Cleanser Washington Post In some rural African villages, tradition holds that widows must sleep with the ritual "cleanser" men who sleep with women after their husbands die - in order to be allowed to attend their husbands' funerals or be inherited by their husbands' brother or relative (another customary practice). Unmarried women who lose a parent or child must also sleep with cleansers. Village elders in Gangre, Kenya, say the custom must be carried out or the community will be cursed with bad crops. Areas that still practice the tradition have the highest rates of HIV/AIDS, causing Africans to question and change traditions as the disease ravages the continent. The cleansing job, held by hundreds of thousands of men across rural Africa, is seen as low class but essential to "purifying" women. Cleansers are paid in cows and crops, as well as cash. They can be found in some rural parts of Uganda, Tanzania and Congo. They are also a staple in Angola and across West Africa, specifically in Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, according to African aid workers who have been trying to discuss the HIV risk that cleansers present. The tradition dates back centuries and is rooted in a belief that spirits haunt a woman after her husband dies. She is also thought to be unholy and "disturbed" if she is unmarried and abstains from sex. The custom has always been unpopular among women. "It's a custom that must be stopped," said Janet Walsh, deputy director of Human Rights Watch, which published a report on it. "Condoms are never used; they say it has to be skin-to- skin to work." Women in Africa are six times as likely to contract HIV as men, largely because of rape and customs like cleansing, in which one man can infect hundreds of women. Nancy Oundda, a nurse with the African Medical Research Foundation predicted that people's attitudes toward the practice will change "with education, and if they realize what this tradition is doing." Further information about cleansing can be found on the Human Rights Watch website: http://www.hrw.org

Asalamu alaikum, Mashaallah this sister's journey to memorizing the quran, trully shows if there's a will, there's always away. May allah make us among the ones who memorize the quran. Amin. --------------------------------- An Interview with Umm Saalih,A Grandmother Who Completed Memorizing the Qur'aan at 82 Years Old As Read by Dr. Saleh as Saleh Al-Hamdulillaah (All-Praise is due to Allah), the One Who said (what means): "And in truth We have made the Qur'aan easy to remember; but is there any that remembers?" Surah 54: 32 Many all over the world memorize the Qur'aan, and it is not strange to see the youth memorizing the Noble Qur'aan and an early age. Al-Hamdulillaah, the One who made the Qur'aan easy for remembrance, had made it easy for Umm Saalih age 82. In an interview with Umm Saalih,she was asked the following questions: Q1: "What was the reason that drove you to memorize the Qur'aan after so many years?" She said, "I always hoped to memorize the Qur'aan from the time I was young. My father always used to invoke Allaah for me to become one of the memorizers of the Qur'aan, like himself and like the elder brothers of my family who memorized it. So I memorized in the beginning about three parts and then after I completed the age of thirteen, I got married and became busy with the household and the children. After I had seven children, my husband died. They (the children) were all young so I took the time to raise them and educate them, and then after they grew up and got married, I had more time for myself. Therefore, the first thing I directed myself to focus upon was the Qur'aan. Q2: "Tell us about your journey with the Noble Qur'aan." She said, "My younger daughter was going to high school and she was the closest of my children to me and the most beloved, because she stayed with me after her older sisters got married and got busy with their lives, and because she was a quiet girl,upright, loving, and good. In addition, she was interested in learning the Noble Qur'aan, and her teachers encouraged her. Furthermore, she was very enthusiastic and always told me of many women who were driven by this great motivation to memorize the ur'aan, and this is where I started." Q3: "Tell me about your way of memorization." She said, "We assigned ten verses (meaning her and her daughter who was going to high school). So each day after Asr, we used to sit together. She reads and I repeat after her three times. Then she explains the meaning to me, and after a while, she repeats that three times. On the next morning, she repeats them to me before she goes to school. She recorded also the recitations of Ash Shaykh al Husary, Rahimuhullaah, repeating each verse three times and thus I continued to listen most of the time. Therefore, the next day we would go to the next ten verses if my memorization was good.Otherwise, we would postpone taking additional verses until the day after. Moreover, we assigned the day of Friday to review the memorizations of the entire week. And this was the journey from the beginning." Then she said, "Over four years and a half, I memorized twelve juz" according to the way I described to you. Then this young daughter got married. When her husband knew of our task concerning the memorization, he rented a house close to me, close to my house, so that he could allow the continuation of the memorization. In addition, he, May Allah reward him used to encourage us and sometimes sit with us listening, explaining and teaching. Then after three years of her marriage, my daughter got busy with the children and the household and our schedule was interrupted, but that did not make her give up. To the contrary, she sensed that my eagerness for the memorization was still established so she looked for a special good teacher to continue the journey under her supervision. So, I completed the memorization by the success of Allaah and my daughter is still working to finish the memorization of the Glorious Qur'aan. She has a little left, In Shaa Allaah Ta'aala. Q4: "This motivation of yours, did it have an effect on other women around you?" She said, "It really had a good strong effect. My daughters and stepdaughters were all encouraged and worked on learning and teaching the Qur'aan to their children and learning it themselves. Q5: "After finishing the Noble Qur'aan, don't you think about working on memorizing hadith?" She said, "Now I have memorized ninety hadith and In Shaa Allaah I will continue the journey. I depend,in my memorization, upon the tapes and upon the Qur'aan radio station. At the end of each week, my daughter comes and checks for me the memorization of three hadith, and I am trying now to memorize more. Q6: "Over this period of memorization of the Qur'aan, did your life change? Was it affected in one way or another?" She said, "Yes, I went through a major change and I tried always, all praise is due to Allaah, to obey Allaah before I started the memorization. However, after I started the task of memorization, I began to feel a self-comfort, a great self-comfort and all worries began to move away from me. I even reached the stage of freeing myself from all these excessive worries concerning fearing for the children and their affairs, and my morale was boosted. I had a noble objective to work for and this is a great Ni'mah (Favor) from Allaah . upon me, since we know that some women, when they get old and they do not have a husband, and their children got married, may be destroyed by the empty time, thoughts, worries, and so forth. But, AlHamdulillaah, I didn't go through this and I made myself busy with a great task and a great objective. Q7: "Didn't you think at one point, to join one of the circles focusing on teaching the Noble Qur'aan?" The answer was, "Yes, some of the women suggested this to me, but I am a woman who got used to staying at home, and I don't like to go out everyday, and Al Hamdulillaah, my daughter sufficed me from all difficulty and I was so happy while I was learning from her. My daughter had set an example in goodness and righteousness which we rarely find in our days. She started this task and journey with me while she was an adolescent and this is a critical age many people complain of. She used to pressure herself so that she could have spare time to teach me, and she used to teach me with kindness and wisdom. Her husband was a good help to her and he exerted a lot of effort. I ask Allaah . to give them success and to bring their children up on uprightness." Q8: "What do you say to a woman of your age who wishes to learn and memorize the Qur'aan yet she is worried about it and feeling unable to?" She said, "I say to her there their shall be no despair with the firm, sincere and truthful determination. Begin with sincerity, firm determination and dependence on Allaah at each time. And remember that at this age you should have the time for yourself. However, do not use your time to only go out or to sleep and so forth. Rather, busy yourself with righteous work. Q9: "Now what would you say to a woman who is still young? What would you advise her?" She, may Allaah preserve her, said: "Preserve Allaah and He will preserve you. Make use of the favor of Allaah bestowed upon you from health and ways and means of comfort. Use that to memorize the Book of Allaah. This is the light which enlivens your heart, your life and your grave after you die. And if you have a mother then exert the effort to teach her, and there is no better favor upon a mother than one of her righteous children aiding her to be close to Allaah."

Salaaams Everytime I read about such acts, it makes wonder what is this world coming to. It's not surprising to me since it happened in the middle east, he will probably get away with it. But what are some of these people thinking when they do such barbaric acts in US, cause it happened to one of my friends back in High School. The father thought she wasnt a virgin becuase he found out she was dating a white guy. He stabbed her seven times, while the mom and siblings were looking at him do it. He got what he deserved, life time in jail. He requested to be deported back to Turkey, so he could be free, but he was denied.