From Womb to Tomb The life in this world is very short compared to life here-after. Still our life here-after will depend on what we have earned in this small period of life in this world.May Allah give us the wisdom to lead our lives according to Islam and may we remember death on each of our step as no body knows when is the last step?

Africa's small island states are the best governed on the continent, according to an annual study released on Thursday by Harvard researchers, who said economic powerhouse South Africa has slipped in its rankings. Mauritius, Seychelles and Cape Verde were Africa's best-governed countries, according to Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Chad, Sudan and Somalia came in at the bottom of the list, which has been published since 2007. The index included North African countries for the first time, with Tunisia and Algeria landing in the top 10, boosted by their relative wealth. "Tunisia, for instance, has an appalling human rights record, but rates so well in terms of human development, economic opportunity, and security that those scores compensate for appropriately low results in the regard for human rights area," the study said. "South Africa has slipped a little, from fifth to ninth, largely because of its lower scores in the areas of respect for civil and political rights and the rule of law," it said. The report used data from 2007, the most complete figures available, meaning this year's study leaves out recent turmoil in Mauritania and Guinea as well as Zimbabwe's economic meltdown and election violence. Zimbabwe ranked 45 out of the 53 nations surveyed. Top oil producers Angola and Nigeria landed at 46 and 38. The first two editions of the study were financed by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, created by a wealthy Sudanese-born British telecom magnate with the aim of fostering good governance on the continent and attracting more investment. The foundation still grants an award for African leadership aimed at encouraging good governance at the highest level. The prize money is around three times that granted by the Nobel jury. http://news.yahoo.co m/s/afp/20091001/wl_ africa_afp/africapol iticscorruption

IF I WAS THE PRESIDENT OF SOMALILAND 1.Reduce the Cabinet Ministries. 2.Fight against corruption. 3.Reduce Inflation. 4.Make a strong infrastructure for the education system. 5.Bring peace in Somalia. 6.And if I am still a PRESIDENT or alive after doing this I will do What Will You do?

http://www.crosswalk .com/news/religionto day/11608601/

Converts from Islam Jailed, Pursued in Somalia’s Breakaway Region Simba Tian Compass Direct News September 17, 2009 ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (CDN) — A convert from Islam in Somalia's self-declared state of Somaliland has been jailed for distributing Christian materials, and another is on the run from both family members and police upset over his new faith. Christian sources said Somaliland native Osman Nour Hassan was arrested on Aug. 3 for providing Christian literature in Pepsi village, on the outskirts of the breakaway region's capital city, Hargeisa. Promotion of any religion other than Islam in Somaliland is prohibited, contrary to international standards for religious freedom such as Article 18 of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 5(1-2) of the Somaliland constitution states that Islam is the state religion and prohibits the promotion of any other faith, according to the U.S. Department of State's 2008 International Religious Freedom Report, and Article 313 outlines penalties for Muslims who change their religion. Hassan was accused of providing Christian literature to a village Muslim boy, who later showed it to his family and friends. The boy's Muslim family reported the incident to the police, the sources said, leading to the arrest of the 29-year-old Hassan. He was taken to Hargeisa central police station. The arrest has upset underground Christians who see it as a muzzle on religious expression. They said other Muslim villagers had received Christian materials from Hassan and took no offense, and that Christian Ethiopian refugees in the area have distributed the same literature without problem. On Aug. 6, the Muslim family who accused Hassan met with his family and agreed that Islamic teachers, or sheikhs, should go to see him in jail to advise him on Islamic doctrine. Two sheikhs met him in the police station cell and implored him to stop spreading Christianity. "You are from an Islamic family, and therefore you should not disgrace or paint a bad image of the family," argued one of the sheikhs, according to a source who spoke with Hassan. In response, according to the source, Hassan told them that he had received the Christian materials as educational material for himself and for others who cared to read them, and that Jesus was his Savior. Convinced that Hassan had truly left Islam, and angered by his defiance, the sheikhs urged authorities to take him to the harsher conditions of a jail in Mandera, 60 kilometers (37 miles) away, but at press time Hassan was still incarcerated in Hargeisa. "His stand is that he is waiting for the coming of Issa [Jesus], just as the whole world is also waiting," said one neighbor. Somaliland, which is vying for international recognition as a nation, is bordered by the Gulf of Aden to the north, by Ethiopia to the southwest and by Djibouti to the northwest. Fleeing Somaliland Another Somaliland convert to Christianity, Mohamed G. Ali, is on the run from both authorities and family members. Ali has fled to neighboring Ethiopia, but the 27-year-old father of three said this will not be enough to deter relatives who seek to punish him for leaving Islam. He said relatives previously abducted his wife, who is expected to give birth to their fourth child within the next two weeks, and that they are again looking for ways to kidnap her as well as the children. The native of Hargeisa said he has already survived several attempts on his life by Muslim fanatics since becoming a Christian in 1998. Family members, close relatives within his tribe, the larger community and local officials have all done him harm, he said. He first came to Ethiopia in April 2002, subsequently marrying Fatumo Mohamed at the Church of the Nazarene. News of his Christian marriage circulated, preceding him upon his return to Hargeisa; soon after his arrival, he said, Muslim fanatics kidnapped his wife and demolished his house. Fatumo Mohamed remained captive for several months, later managing to escape and rejoin her husband. For more than three years, as they were displaced from the community and went into hiding, he faced open and official threats. When life became unbearably dangerous, they decided to flee to Ethiopia in August 2005. Speaking only in general terms to protect loved ones he left behind, Ali said Somaliland authorities were seeking him for reasons related to his Christian faith; other sources confirmed this. Even after he arrived in Ethiopia, Ali was sought by the Somaliland government, which published a notice on April 11, 2007 displaying his photo in two local Somaliland newspapers, Jamhuuriya and Maandeeq. The notice ordered him to appear before a district court within 30 days, saying failure to do so would result in stiff action being taken against him. That was just one more episode in a journey of faith that began when he broke his leg in 1996. Receiving treatment in Djibouti, he stayed with a close relative who told Ali the New Testament account of Jesus forgiving an adulterous woman brought for judgment. Amazed at Jesus forgiving the woman, Ali began researching Christianity; three years earlier, he had witnessed the stoning of five young women accused of committing adultery in Hargeisa. "At that point I failed to see the meaning of compassion in Islam," he said. "Many questions started coming to my mind - that not even a single person in the midst tried to call for compassion for the young ladies. I felt that it could have been even better to kill them with a gun than subjecting them to such inhumane killing." Ali, who is seeking asylum and has conveyed his security concerns to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, is struggling to meet the basic needs of the family - food, shelter, education and clothing - and he is facing an urgent health concern. For three years he has been living with a bone infection, he said, and the danger of paralysis is rising. Looking worried and frightened, and that without asylum he could lose his family as well as his life. "I will continue trusting in God's protection, for blessed are those who are persecuted for His sake," he said. Copyright 2009 Compass Direct News. Used by permission. All rights reserved. LINK:http://www.cros swalk.com/news/relig iontoday/11608601/

The eid is coming. Every Muslim must pay Zakat-UL-Fidr to the poor and needy for making their eid joyfull. I heard the rate of Zakat-UL-fidr is 2.25 kg per person. Plz Correct me if I am wrong.

BAHRAIN..... A country with five hundered thousand (500,000) population in day and five million (5,000,000)in night.

this time it's going out of control.

WAR DEG DEG: BOOLISKA OO ALBAABADA U XIDHAY GOLAHA WAKIILADA IYO DAGAAL KA DHEX DHACAY XILDHIBANDA Fadhigii Maanta oo uu shirgudoominayay Gudoomiyaha Golaha Wakiilada Md C/raxmaan Maxamed C/laahi (C/raxmaan Cirro) ayaa la horkeenay labada Mooshin ee la doonayo in Mid maamuus ka xayuubin lagu sameeyo Madaxweynaha iyo Kuxigeenkiisa halka ka kalena ahaa in dib loo furo xeer hoosadka golaha kaabis iyo wax ka bedelna lagu sameeyo. La taliyaha Dhinaca Sharciga ayaa ka hor akhriyey Golaha Wakiilada in Mooshinka Xilka laga Xayuubinayo Madaxweyne Rayaale uu yahay mid sharciga waafqasna , Halka Mooshinka Wax ka bedelka iyo kaabista xeer Hoosaadka golaha uu ku sheegay La taliyaha dhinaca Sharciga ee Wakiiladu mid aan dhamaystirnayn oo aan waafaqsanayn sharciga. Golaha ayaa galay buuq iyo qaylo waxaana la isula tagay gacanta halka xildhibaan la soo baxay Tamuujad ( Baaskoolad) inkasta oo aanu cid ku dhufan xaruntuna waxay isu rogtay fawdo Buuq iyo dagaal . Xidhibaanka Walfinayay Baaskoolada ayaa ahaa Xildhibaan C/raxmaan Xoog oo ka tirsan Xisbiga Udub. Dagaalkan Dhex maray Xidhibaanada ayaa ah kii ugu cuslaa ee xildhibaanada Golaha Wakiiladdu isku fara saareen,waxaana ka dhashay dagaalkaasi dhaawacyo soo kala gaadhay xildhibaanadii. Dagaalkan saaka ka dhacay golaha Wakiiladu waxa uu ka bilaabmay muran xoogan oo ka dhashay Mooshinkii xildhibaanada Mucaaridka ahi ay keeneen Golaha oo maanta markii labada mooshin golaha laga hor akhriyay la yidhi waxa loo dhiibayaa guddida joogtada ah taasoo ay diideen xildhibaanada muxaafidka ah oo ku dooday guddidaasi inaanay ku kalsoonayn oo muran ka aloosan yahay isku badal dhawaan shirguddoonku ku sameeyay sida uu xildhibaan C/raxmaan xoog oo mikirifoonka golaha istaagay u sheegay shirguddoonka iyo golahaba. Muranka iyo Dagaalka kadib Guddoomiyaha golaha Wakiiladda C/raxmaan cirro ayaa dabadeed si rasmi ah ugu dhawaaqay inuu goluhu xidhan yahay ilaa sabtida isagoo aan cod baahiye haysan . Ciidamada Booliiska ayaa iyana soo galay guddaha golaha wakiiladda si ay u kala qabtaan xildhibaanada balse waxba kamay suurtogalin oo xaaladii waxay noqotay fara kabax, waxaana markii danbe amar lagu siiyay inay gabi ahaanba albaabada u soo xidhaan golaha sidaasaanu golihii ku xidhmay. Mo Yusuf Hargeysa TogaHerer

Poker Iilaahi ha u Naxaristo ur mother and all muslims, Janatul Fardawsa ha ka waarabiyo.

Don't know what to say but just watch it ....

Amiirka ugu sareeya Xarakatu Al Shabaab al mujaahidiin Sheekh Mukhtaar Abuu Zubeyr(Sh.Axmed Cabdi Godane) ayaa markii ugu horaysay Fariin adag u diray Xukuumada Jamhuriyada Somaliland. Sheekh Mukhtaar Abuu Zubeyr oo Goordhaw Warbaahinta Muqdisho ka hadlay ayaa sheegay in Jamhuuriyada Somalilnad ay tahay cadaw loona baahanyahay in ay wadada saxda ah kusoo laabato sida uu hadalka u dhigay. Abuu Zubeyr oo hadaladiisu u badnaayeen Gabayo iyo Duurxul wuxuu sheegay in Maamulka Riyaale uu noqday mid Ashahaada ladirir ah sida waa uu Khudbadiisa ku sheegay. Khudbada uu Caawa jeediyay Amiirku ayuu ku sheegay in Shacabka Somaliland ay uga digayaan la shaqaynta Itoobiya,UN-ka,EU iyo dhamaan Hay’adaha reer Galbeedka oo ay Sheekhu ku sheegay in ay Somaliland qasayaan. Sheekh Mukhtaar Abuu Zubeyr wuxuu yiri " waxaan uga digayaan shacabka Somaliland in ay la shaqeeyaan dhamaan dadka cadawga ilaahay ah ee ay ka mid yihiin Itoobiyanka, UN ka, EU iyo dhamaan hayadaha reer galbeedka ah ee dalkiina qasaaya, sidoo kale waxaan iyana idiinak digayaa in aad guryo ka kireetaan Itoobiya,iyo dhamaan kuwa la shaqeeya gaalada waan ognahay meelaha ay ku shiraan, hadii aad caruurtiina bari weysaan diinta waxaa dhacaysa in dadka oo dhan ay wada noqdaan dhar cad u shaqaysa Itoobiya” . Mas’uulkan ugu sareeya xarakada Al-Shabaab oo dhalasho ahaan kasoo jeedo Somaliland Magaciisa saxda ahna la dhaho Axmed Cabdi Godane wuxuu wacad ku maray in uu dagaal ridi doono Somaliland ,sidoo kale waxa uu ku dhaartay in uu xukuumada ku badali doono maamulka xukun islaami ah oo ku dhaqa dalka oo ay dadku ku raystaan , walaw uu sheegay sheekhu isbadlkaa hadana muu cadayn sida iyo goorta ay tilaabadaads qaadi goonaan taas oo ay iminka tahay Somaliland meel nabdoon. Mar uu ka hadlaayey Dhibaata ka taagan Somaliland ee haysta shacabkeeda waxa uu sheegay iyada oo dawlad sheegaynaysa in uu haraad laayey dadkeedii ku dhaqnaa magaalooyin waaweyn iskaba daa miyiyadiiyoo taas oo uu sheegay in ay ugu wacan tahay dariiqii ilaahay yiri ku xukuma dadka oo laga leexday taasna ilahay badiilkeedii uga dhigay haraag iyo oon waxaanu yiri ” Maamulka Hargaysa wuu Ridoobay waxay xariir laleeyihiin gaalada caalamiga ah, bal eega Biyihii Hargaysa way dhamadeen shacabkiina waa biya la’aan oo haraad ayey la kix yihiin” ayuu yiri Abuu Zubeyr. Mar uu soo hadal qaaday arrimaha Doorashooyinka Somaliland wuxuu sheegay in aysan aqoonsanayn wax doorashooyin ah oo ka dhaca dalkaasi isagoona ku tilmaamay Komishinka Doorashooyinka Somalilnad kuwa u shaqeeyo Mareykanka sida uu hadalka u dhigay. Waa markii ugu horaysay oo hogaanka Shabaab Weerar dhanka Afka ah ku qaado Somaliland , Maalmaha soo socda ayaa lafilayaa in uu Hadlo Sheekh Fu’aad Muxamed Khalaf oo isna kasoo jeedo maamulka Puntland Axmed Kulan(Joker) Moqdisho WWW.TOGAHERER.COM

Blackwater (US Underground Terrorist Army) History of Blackwater In the late 1990s, Erik Prince spent part of his inherited wealth to purchase about 6,000 acres (24 km2) of the Great Dismal Swamp, a vast swamp on the North Carolina/Virginia border, now mostly a National Wildlife Refuge. Here he created his state-of-the-art private training facility, and his contracting company—Blackwater—i s named for the peat-colored water of the swamp. Blackwater USA was formed in 1990 to provide training support to military and law enforcement organizations. In 2002 Blackwater Security Consulting (BSC) was formed. It was one of several private security firms employed following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. BSC is one of over 60 private security firms employed during the Iraq War to guard officials and installations, train Iraq's new army and police, and provide other support for occupation forces. Blackwater was also hired during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by the United States Department of Homeland Security, as well as by private clients, including communications, petrochemical and insurance companies. Overall, the company has received over $1 billion USD in government contracts. Blackwater consists of nine divisions, and a subsidiary, Blackwater Vehicles. Erik Prince, Blackwater founder Xe is a privately held company and does not publish much information about internal affairs. Xe's founder and former CEO Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL, attended the Naval Academy, graduated from Hillsdale College, and was an intern in George H. W. Bush's White House. Prince is a major financial supporter of Republican Party causes and candidates. Xe's president, Gary Jackson, is also a former Navy SEAL. Cofer Black, the company's current vice chairman, was director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC) at the time of the September 11 attacks in 2001. He was the United States Department of State coordinator for counterterrorism with the rank of ambassador at large from December 2002 to November 2004. After leaving public service, Black became chairman of the privately owned intelligence gathering company Total Intelligence Solutions, Inc., as well as vice chairman for Xe. Robert Richer was vice president of intelligence until January 2007, when he formed Total Intelligence Solutions. He was formerly the head of the CIA's Near East Division. Black was senior advisor for counterterrorism and national security issues for the 2008 Presidential election bid of Mitt Romney. Xe's primary training facility, located on 7,000 acres (28 km2) in northeastern North Carolina, comprises several ranges: indoor, outdoor, urban reproductions; a man-made lake; and a driving track in Camden and Currituck counties. Company literature says that it is the largest training facility in the country. In November 2006 Blackwater USA announced it recently acquired an 80-acre (30 ha) facility 150 miles (240 km) west of Chicago in Mount Carroll, Illinois to be called Blackwater North. This facility is also known as "The Site". This Xe facility has been operational since April 2007 and serves law enforcement agencies throughout the Midwest. Xe is also trying to open an 824-acre (3.33 km2) training facility three miles north of Potrero, a small town in rural east San Diego County, California located 45 miles (72 km) east of San Diego, for military and law enforcement training. The opening has faced heavy opposition from local residents, residents of nearby San Diego, a local Congressmember Bob Filner, and environmental and anti-war organizations. Opposition focused on a potential for wildfire increases, the proposed facility's proximity to the Cleveland National Forest, noise pollution, and opposition to the actions of Xe in Iraq. In response, Brian Bonfiglio, project manager for Blackwater West, said "There will be no explosives training and no tracer ammunition. Lead bullets don't start fires." In October 2007, when wildfires swept through the area, Xe made at least three deliveries of food, water, personal hygiene products and generator fuel to 300 residents near the proposed training site, many of whom had been trapped for days without supplies. They also set up a "tent city" for evacuees. On March 7, 2008, Blackwater withdrew its application to set up a facility in San Diego County.[citation needed] In October 2007, Blackwater USA began a process of altering its name to Blackwater Worldwide, and unveiled a new logo. A Blackwater representative stated that the decision to change the logo was made before the September 16, 2007, Nisoor Square shootings, but was not changed officially until after.[34] Many referred to the change as having eliminated the previous "cross hair" theme, replaced by a reticle instead. On July 21, 2008, Blackwater Worldwide stated that they would shift resources away from security contracting because of extensive risk in that sector. "The experience we've had would certainly be a disincentive to any other companies that want to step in and put their entire business at risk," company founder and CEO Erik Prince told The Associated Press during a daylong visit to the company's North Carolina compound. Prince announced his resignation as CEO on March 2, 2009. Prince will remain as chairman of the board but will no longer be involved in day-to-day operations. Joseph Yorio was named as the new president, replacing Gary Jackson. Danielle Esposito was named the new chief operating officer and executive vice president.

Have any1 seen the women dress in IRAN?

Originally posted by m_aden_nur: Some of the angry protests across Mali since the law was passed have almost got out of control. At one meeting at Bamako's main mosque, religious leaders had to step in to stop young Muslims, opposed to the law, from attacking the parliament building. Mali's imams have been threatening to refuse to hold marriage or baptism ceremonies for members of parliament who voted for the law. Mali's High Islamic Council says mosques will start issuing their own wedding certificates and will tell people not to bother getting the official paperwork at the town hall. If the law is not changed, Mr Dicko of the High Islamic Council says the country's politicians will get a nasty shock at the next elections. "We are trying to keep people calm. We don't want them to do anything that is against the law. "Instead we are telling people that they elect the parliament, so if their members of parliament don't listen to them, they will have the power to vote them out of office." In the face of such pressure, President Toure has backed down and sent the law back to parliament to be reviewed. THIS IS HOW THE CUULAMAAS/WADAADADU DO THEIR JOBS IN GOV'T SECTORS.

To love, honour and obey in Mali. A new family law in Mali is causing a furore, partly because it no longer stipulates that wives have to obey their husbands. Such has been the anger in the majority Muslim country that President Amadou Toumani Toure has sent the law back to parliament for MPs to re-consider. For many people here the new law is an attack on their religion and traditions and there have been loud protests against it ever since it was adopted by parliamentarians at the start of August. in some parts of the world, article 312 of the new family law would seem inoffensive enough. The article says that, once married, husbands and wives owe each other "loyalty, protection, help and assistance". Mali's current law specifically states that a wife must obey her husband, and that is the way things should stay says Mahmud Dicko, president of Mali's High Islamic Council. "We're not trying to make women slaves. Not at all," he says. "It's just the way our society is organised. The head of the family is the man, and everyone in the family has to obey him. "It's like that to create harmony." Equality At most of the demonstrations against the new code, women have been present, although usually greatly outnumbered by men. Hadja Safiatou Dembele, president of the National Union of Muslim Women's Associations (NUMWA), says the Koran is clear that a wife has the obligation to listen to her husband. "A man must protect his wife. A wife must obey her husband," she says. "It's a tiny minority of woman here who want this new law; the intellectuals. The poor and illiterate women of this country, the real Muslims, are against it." Kane Nana Sanou, a women's rights activist who is on the committee that has been lobbying for the new family law, says women across Mali should be overjoyed at the new code and disputes the idea that the majority of women are against it. "How can people say that the majority of women in this country are against the code? Have they done a poll to find that out? They haven't. "I believe this new law is good for Mali. It makes all citizens equal before the law." Ms Sanou says she understands why some women might argue that the law should contain a provision that they have to obey their husbands, even if that might mean less rights for them. "Like me, these women have grown up in traditional families. They have always been told that it's the right thing to do to obey your husband, so of course they believe that," she says. Modern age There are other provisions in the new code that have also upset some Muslims. Marriage is defined as a secular institution in the law and widows and children born outside wedlock are given greater inheritance rights. The minimum age for girls to marry is raised to 18 - although it is possible to ask for permission for girls to be married younger - and rules on adoption are set out. The law's supporters say that Malian society has evolved and the new law is simply bringing the country into the modern age. What is more, says Boya Dembele, an adviser to Mali's justice minister, some of the things that Muslim organisations want - like making religious marriages official - are contrary to Mali's constitution. "In Muslim states it's the Koran which applies. Mali is a majority Muslim country, but it's a republic. It's democratic and secular," he says. "So we can't move away from being secular because if we did it would be attacking the very foundations of the state." Some of the angry protests across Mali since the law was passed have almost got out of control. At one meeting at Bamako's main mosque, religious leaders had to step in to stop young Muslims, opposed to the law, from attacking the parliament building. Mali's imams have been threatening to refuse to hold marriage or baptism ceremonies for members of parliament who voted for the law. Mali's High Islamic Council says mosques will start issuing their own wedding certificates and will tell people not to bother getting the official paperwork at the town hall. If the law is not changed, Mr Dicko of the High Islamic Council says the country's politicians will get a nasty shock at the next elections. "We are trying to keep people calm. We don't want them to do anything that is against the law. "Instead we are telling people that they elect the parliament, so if their members of parliament don't listen to them, they will have the power to vote them out of office." In the face of such pressure, President Toure has backed down and sent the law back to parliament to be reviewed.

Allah gave us a Respectful Odayaal,Guurti & Suuldaano oo ruuntii la dhagaysto, Advice-koodana la qaato If something happens (Political Crisis). Ilaahi baa Mahada Iska leh.

Ronaldhino with his extraordinary football control.

MP fights,it's something which is common in this world. Just watch MP fights of South Korea and Ukraine Parliaments.

Fasting of Salmon By Dr. `Abd Al-Hakam `Abd Al-Latif As-Sa`idi The aquatic environment introduces to us various patterns of fish species that fast. Here we present the fasting of the red salmon whose natural fasting is considered one of Allah’s signs and an image of the wondrous biological diversity. In the early stages of life, these species inhabit fresh water. Before long they migrate to salt water in the seas and oceans. Characteristically, red salmon spend one part of their life, extending from about four to seven years, in the high seas. When they are about to mature sexually and prepare to reproduce, they gather together in the ocean via an arduous journey of from four to five thousand kilometers. Afterwards, each species heads for its native land, and they continue their journey to reach the mouth of the river in which they were hatched. Wonderfully, these fish start their fasting as soon as they leave salt water swimming to fresh water. This journey lasts for several months. Obviously, they make use of the sensitive feeling generated by the long period of fasting to recognize the proper location. Each fish swims upstream in the river in which it was hatched to reproduce in the same place from which it originated. When they are guided to the fitting place, the salmon start to dig holes for eggs. Generally speaking, both parents share in this work. The females lay eggs, then the males cover them with their sperm to fertilize them externally, as is the case with most great fish. Following this process, the females are motivated by instinct to cover the eggs with an appropriate layer of soil from the riverbed. They stay behind the eggs until they incubate and the young red salmon come out of their holes and shake off their dust. Both parents cast a final look on the young and realize that they have successfully concluded their mission. Then they pass away in a state of fasting in the same location, leaving behind a new generation of the young that prepare themselves for another cycle of suffering that is experienced by all creatures. When those young grow up and become sexually mature, they will start their fasting and then pass away in a state of fasting in their and their fathers’ birthplace. [Verily in this is a Message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth).]

Fasting of Spiders By Dr. `Abd Al-Hakam `Abd Al-Latif As-Sa`idi There are many types of spiders in the world. Spiders have eight legs, mandibles converted into poison fangs, two feelers, and a large unsegmented abdomen bearing several spinnerets that produce the silk used to make nests, cocoons, or webs for trapping insects. Spiders have six or eight eyes on the back of the cephalothorax, the upper part of their body. There is a Surah in the Noble Qur’an called “Al-Ankabout”, meaning “The Spider”. There Allah says: “The likeness of those who choose other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider when she taketh unto herself a house, and lo! The frailest of all houses is the spider's house, if they but knew.” [Al-Ankabout 41] Spiders played a great role in hiding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companion Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) when they were in the Cave of Thawr on the way to Al-Madinah during the course of the Hijrah (the Prophet’s emmigration from Makkah to Madinah). Spiders spun a great web across the entrance of the cave, and this misled the polytheists who were seeking Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companion. They thought that the spiders had spun their web years before Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born. Spiders fast during the period of laying eggs and incubating them. At that time they do not have any sort of food. Female spiders spin nests and coccoons and lay their eggs. Then they remain there all the time to protect the eggs till the young emerge. The length of incubating varies from one species of spider to another. But in all cases, this term is spent without any food, which makes the spiders very weak. From specific glands the spiders release some liquids that are necessary for feeding the young, who are not able to seek their food by themselves until they grow up. So they take these juices until they are able to hunt their food from the surrounding environment. At that time mother spiders break their fast and return back to their normal life. This is another demonstration of Allah’s Power manifest in His creatures. Chance has nothing to do with such demonstrations of Allah’s Might. Rather it is the ultimate truth of creation.

Fasting of Silkworms By Dr. `Abd Al-Hakam `Abd Al-Latif As-Sa`idi The world of insects introduces us patterns of fasting that indicate Allah's Omnipotence and Wonder in His creation. Although it is well known that food is among the factors of growth for living organisms, silkworms prove that fasting and abstaining absolutely from food and drink do not impair the body. Rather, it reforms these creatures in a captivating and wondrous way. In order to grasp the secrets of this fasting, firstly we should delve into some facts about the lifecycle of this creature; this can be shown as follows: In the beginning of spring, the eggs incubate small gluttonous larvae. The newly hatched larvae do not take long before they feed on mulberry leaves for five days. Their bodies, thereby, grow up too quickly to the extent that their skin cannot bear this rapid development and thus be replaced by another spacious one. Thus, they are obliged to observe fasting for one or two days until their bodies are physiologically adapted to cast away the old skin. This process recurs five times during the earliest stage before the completion of this metamorphosis in a period amounting to thirty days. Eventually, they will have completed the stage of development and reached a remarkable bulk. When the larva reaches this bulk, it inevitably enters into another kind of fasting that extends for about six days. Thus, it takes shelter in a quiet location to spin a covering for their pupal stage. Truly speaking, it’s very captivating to know that the larva spins only one thread of fine, strong, lustrous fiber whose length ranges from 400 to 1200 meters. This covering is called cocoons, which are the source of commercial silk that souls yearn to wear garments made of it but for Allah, Most High, has prohibited it (silky clothes) to men and made it lawful for women. At this very moment, we can say that the worm has entered into the no-feeding stage (between the larva and adult in the metamorphosis of holometabolous insects), during which the larva typically undergoes complete transformation within a protective cocoon. The pupal stage needs complete quietness for it is not actually one of the stages of development or hibernation however it seems as such. Rather, it resembles an important stage in the life of this wondrous insect, which is subject to various kinds of sequent and rapid transformations. This stage prepares these insects to transform and reshape into another following stage. Eventually, the dormant fasting worm turns into a rebellious giant that destroys fetters to get out into the spacious world. It secretes a caustic liquid that dissolves a part of this cocoon to raise the covering, producing a beautiful organism called the silkworm moth, which lays its eggs after fertilization. It spends the remaining five days of its life in a state of fasting after it lays its fertilized eggs, which will be hatched in the coming spring to restart the cycle once again. Glory be to Allah, the Originator, the Restorer!

Fasting of Ground Squirrels By Dr. `Abd Al-Hakam `Abd Al-Latif As-Sa`idi There are many types of squirrels in the world. Some live in trees, while others live in underground burrows. The ground squirrels fast for days at a time in winter. Squirrels are vegetarian animals. Squirrels that live in places with cold winters are very active in the autumn. They gather nuts, pinecones, and seeds and hide them in various places to eat during the winter. While tree squirrels do not hibernate, ground squirrels do. Their length of hibernation depends on where they live. In some areas they may remain dormant as long as eight months of the year. During hibernation, they are in a state of near suspended animation. Their heart rate slows to only a fraction of its normal rate, and they might breathe only once every couple of minutes. However, they wake up for a short period every four or five days to eat from their stored food. When the warm weather begins in spring, the squirrels become fully awake and active. They hapily seek fresh provision that Allah has provided them.

Fasting of Snails By Dr. `Abd Al-Hakam `Abd Al-Latif As-Sa`idi Snails are small, snail-like gastropod mollusks. Some live in water, others on land. They have a slow-moving elongated body with a shell to protect them from danger. Ground snails prefer damp areas. They bury themselves under the surface layer of the earth during broad daylight and become active at night and on cloudy days. They do so to avoid the heat and light of the sun so that their skin won’t dry. Snails get their nutrition from plants and from organic substances in the soil. They are so greedy while eating that their bodies acquire extra fat. Where winters are cold, snails hibernate like many other animals, fasting through the cold weather. But they also fast in hot weather. Allah Almighty has provided theses creatures with the ability to secrete a mucus cover for themselves to protect their bodies from drying out. During hot, dry periods, snails are threatened with dehydration. So they seal themselves off with a parchmentlike membrane, and often attach themselves to tree trunks, fences or walls. During this time they fast until cooler, wetter weather comes. Both males and females do this. When the cooler weather comes, snails come out of their shelters to seek their nutrition, declaring the end of their fast. At that time they have lost their extra fat and returned to their vitality. Almighty Allah gives His slaves many examples of the variety of life and proofs of the oneness of the Creator.

Fasting of Penguin By Dr. `Abd Al-Hakam `Abd Al-Latif As-Sa`idi Penguin is one of the sea birds that live in the cold regions. In fact, there are 17 species of these birds in the entire world. Only one of these species inhabits the North Pole territories while the remaining species are distributed widely in the Southern Hemisphere, extending along south Australia, Africa and America. These species differ totally in their way of laying and hatching eggs. As for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, they spend the winter therein. With the coming of spring, they return in groups to their native land in the North Pole, covering (a distance of) hundreds of miles until they reach their destination and proper location for reproduction. Upon arriving there, they start immediately building their nests out of stone pieces. Following three weeks from their arrival, they will have completed building these nests and the process of procreation. In the usual course of things, the female lays two white eggs mixed with blue color. The male penguin undertakes the task of brooding eggs instead of the female penguin, which is engrossed in seeking food in the deep-water seas. On the other hand, the male penguin goes on in a state of fasting for two weeks until the chicks (the young penguins) develop. When this happens, the male penguin rushes at maximum speed into the sea to drink some of the seawater and to eat from Allah’s provisions. It eats this food in a state of merriment whereas the female penguin (the mother) comes back in order to feed the flourishing young penguins. Unlike all species of penguins, there is another kind called "the Emperor" which does not build nests for the young. Actually, it spends winter in the North Frozen Zone wherein it lays its eggs; the mother lays the eggs, not on snow, but on its hind feet. Sometimes, the male penguin (the father) may relieve her and they remain in a state of fasting throughout the winter season. With the advent of spring, the ice melts and the eggs are incubated reproducing those young penguins. The secret behind this strict kind of fasting is that the (penguin’s) eggs require this specific degree of coldness. Practically, when the young penguins grow up, they start observing fasting through abstaining from food until their down falls out and their bodies are covered with feathers. At this very moment, they rush into water declaring the end of this fasting through having food and drink. As for the old penguins, they also observe fasting for another period that is sufficient to replace their old feathers with another which is more glowing and flourishing. They throw themselves into the sea merrily as if they imitate the human beings when they wear new clothes on the coming of the `Eid that comes after fasting in Ramadan or as if the human beings imitate these wondrous creatures. More accurately, we can say, "It is a recurring Sunnah in Allah's creation." Allah, Most High, says, […That is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing]