Thursday 29 August 2013

25 Intelligent Resume Ideas:

Resumes are one of the most important documents needed when applying for any kind of a job. If you’re wondering how to get a job of your dreams, first of all consider creating an impressive and outstanding resume with a custom design. It’s your opportunity to create personality, show off your skills and creativity. In this post you will find 25 intelligent resume ideas for your inspiration revealing smart ways of presenting technical information by using some creativity.
















































































Reference:

Sunday 25 August 2013

Fashion vs Modesty:

By Dr  Gazala Ishaq

(Research Scientist & Freelance Writer,Nottingham,UK)



The catwalks of fashion shows and exhibitions usually unveil the upcoming mainstream fashion trends to hit the stores. In keeping up with the new modern look, everyone flocks to purchase these latest seasonal styles, whether it be from the big designer retailers or from the high street fashion stores.

Undoubtedly, the fashion industry is big business, after all everyone needs clothes to wear. But how often have you stopped to think how this fashion industry exploits you, particularly your body, to make money out of you.

Naturally, clothes are designed around to fit around the body- how else you would cover it! – Right! Nothing wrong with that – I hear you say.  So how are we being exploited?

The style of the season is usually determined by the tailoring process. The key element that determines the tailoring process is dependant upon the part of the body that is going to be the next fashion accessory to be displayed. After all it is the varying cuts and the tailored fitting of the garment that is used to expose, enhance, shape or accentuate your body in one form or another.

In short, mainstream fashion designers play around with the body to decide which part of the anatomy is going to be used next to trigger the desire of the opposite gender.

The dress code of Islam doesn’t have to be fashionless, but it is designed in a manner to maintain decency and modesty of the individual.

Garments of Modesty
The concept of the Hijaab uses clothing to maintain modesty.  To conceal, rather than to expose, so that that we can respect each other as brothers and sisters of Islam and not as objects of desires.

Specification of Hijaab
-The muslimah’s dress code, in front of non-mahrams, should cover her entire body, from head to toe.
- It should not be transparent
- It should be loose
- It should not be perfumed and
- It should not resemble the dress code of the opposite gender and
- It should not resemble the dress code of a non-muslim, where according to a hadith that states that, if you imitate the kuffar then you will be regarded as one of them.

Benefits of Hijaab
- The hijaab is a display of modesty and not as an object of desire. It signifies your value just like that of precious diamond where not anyone can look at you touch you.
- It is an identity of a Muslimah that sends a signal to others to lower their gaze.
- It is a blessing (barakah) to everyone, for both husband and wife and the community at large.

Reference:
stunninghijab.com

From A Very Visible Niqaabi to Her Self Appointed Champion:

An Open Letter to Mona Eltahawy

By: AnonyMouse (Zainab bint Younus)
Disclaimer: Though the message is sincere and heartfelt, the details are not meant to identify one specific individual (i.e. the author) but rather to represent real niqaabis around the world.



Dear Mona,

As much as you no doubt think that you are doing great good by appointing yourself as a champion for (or against? You’re a bit confusing on that point) Muslim women who wear niqaab, I’d appreciate if you stopped and listened to me first.

I am a Muslim woman who wears niqaab, and I neither believe that I am the paragon of virtue nor live in fear of Hell should an inch of my skin be seen in public. I am neither oppressed nor invisible. I do not consider myself so beautiful that I must cover myself to save men from temptation; nor do I believe that men are sex machines who will be turned on by the tip of my nose or the curve of my ear. I am not ignorant or brainwashed. I am not Salafi or Wahhabi.

I am a Muslim woman.
You say that niqaab has been made into the pinnacle of piety. There may be some people out there who say that, but I don’t believe God says that. In fact, God says that none of us are safe from Hell just by doing one specific action or another. Earning Paradise and protecting ourselves from Hell is an ongoing process, a constant struggle 24/7. I don’t feel that wearing niqaab has earned me a ticket to Eden... but I do believe that it’ll help me get that little bit closer.

You say that Muslim women are forced to wear the niqaab in Saudi Arabia. While I don’t agree with anyone being forced to wear niqaab against their will, I don’t see how that has anything to do with me. I don’t live in Saudi Arabia, and never have. I live in America and I chose to wear the niqaab despite my parents’ opposition to it and my husband’s unease with it. He was worried that I’d be considered “extreme” and targeted for my beliefs. Turns out he’s right, but just because people like you want to take away my freedom of belief, it doesn’t mean I’m just going to roll over and let you dictate what I should and shouldn’t do or believe.

You say that niqaab makes Muslim women invisible. I have no idea where you got that from, although invisibility has always been the one superpower I’d love to have. As it happens, people can see me pretty well. It’s just that they can’t see every single bit of my skin or physical features. If you mean that I’m “invisible” in that niqaab reduces my role in society and the public sphere, you’re wrong.

I’m a successful businesswoman, who left a thriving career to become an entrepreneur. The company I founded has blossomed and we’re becoming quite well-known in our field. My best friend, who started wearing niqaab after me, is a high school teacher. She’s been recognized by the school as one of the best teachers they’ve had for several years running. The local Imam’s wife is getting her PhD and volunteers at the women’s shelter – and gets a kick out of going horseback riding on the beach where people’s eyes bug out when they see a veiled Muslim women galloping across the sand. 

We Muslim women who wear the niqaab come in all shapes and sizes, of every ethnic, religious, social, and educational background. We are businesswomen and artists; writers and community activists; teachers and stay-at-home mothers; philosophers, intellectuals, and housewives. You have no right to gloss over our places in society, the roles that we have and will continue to fulfill. You have no right to tell me or others that I am invisible when I very much know that I am not. 

You say that niqaab objectifies women as sex objects. So does the mini-skirt and tube top. Are we going to ban those too? I don’t deny that some men obsess over women’s bodies – but those men are non-Muslim as well as Muslim. Just as there are men who would prefer that I covered my body completely, there are men who wish I’d walk around half-naked. I don’t wear the niqaab for, or because of, either of them. I wear it for myself. I am not repressing my sexuality nor exacerbating it. I am demanding that you mind your own business about my sexuality, and deal with my ideas, my words, and my actions instead. 

You say that niqaab has been the reason that Muslim women have been oppressed in countries like Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. It’s not. Poverty, illiteracy, government corruption, backwards misogynistic mentalities that have nothing to do with Islam... THEY are the reason that Muslim women have been oppressed. Hijaab, niqaab, and whatever else is used only as a tool to enforce Islamically incorrect ideologies. It is not the root of the problem.
Furthermore, what of countries like South Africa, Mexico, and Britain where the daily statistics of rape, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, peer pressure, and so much more are all forms of crime and oppression against women? Oppression of women isn’t limited to race or religion. Unfortunately, it extends throughout the entire world, across every racial, social and economic spectrum. 

You imply that it is only “extremist Salafis and Wahhabis” who wear niqaab or demand it of their women. That’s kinda funny, because I have a Sufi aunt who wears niqaab; and the nice Indian aunty at the mosque is a Deobandi, and she wears it too. The Nigerian convert who campaigns for women’s space at the mosque and demands that Muslim men stop acting like caveman and behave like gentlemen has been wearing niqaab for several years. 

I’m sorry that you have had bad experiences with the niqaab. I’m sorry that you’ve had bad experiences with Muslims who call you a she-devil, a whore, and a scourge against Islam. 

Sister Heba Ahmad – the one you debated on CNN – said something really beautiful that I agree with completely: “Mona is my sister in Islam and even though I must disagree when she misrepresents Islam and Muslims, she still should be protected from the tongue of her fellow Muslims.”

That’s how I feel about you. I strongly disagree with what you say about the niqaab and much about what you say about Islam and Muslims in general. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to threaten to kill you, or swear at you, or condemn you to Hell. What I will do is invite you over for coffee at my place, with open arms and a warm smile that you can detect even beneath my niqaab. 

Your sister in Islam,
A Muslim Woman Who Wears Niqaab

 Source: IslamicAwakening.com 


Wednesday 21 August 2013

Learn Tajweed and Beautify the Quran:



By Zahra Hassan

It’s depressing to observe how most of us just go on reciting the Holy Quran without realizing the immense pleasure it can bring to our busy hearts. So why don’t we feel content when reading our Holy Quran?

Two Main Reasons for Lost Contentment

1. Improper pronunciation: That’s it! Just think of reading an article. If you couldn’t pronounce the letters properly, would you continue reading it with interest? Certainly not!

2. Not knowing what it means: If we can’t understand what we’re reading, we feel bored after a while.

Of the above two factors, improper pronunciation creates a huge impact when reading the Holy Quran, so it’s a must to learn tajweed and to recite the Holy Quran as it should be recited.

What is Tajweed?
Briefly, we can define tajweed as elocution. Technically we can describe it as the pronunciation of each letter according to its own set of rules.

Necessary or Recommended?
I’ve seen many people considering that it’s not so important to learn tajweed. They think it’s not necessary and that just reciting will bring them rewards. But ayahs andhadiths teach us that learning tajweed is necessary.
Those to whom we have given the book, recite it with its true recital . . . [Quran, 2:121]                       
So what is its true recital? It is to recite exactly in the way it was revealed, and thisayah shows how Allah (swt) desires to see His book recited.
. . . Or add to it, and recite the Quran with measured recitation. [Quran, 73:4)]
Ali ibn Abi Talib said in the explanation of this ayah that tarteelan, which means measured recitation, is defined as the tajweed of the letters and knowing where to stop them correctly.
The Quran will either testify in your favour or against you. This is quoted from ahadith in Muslim, which means that we all should try to recite the Quran properly. If we do so, The Quran will intercede for us on the Day of Judgement. If not, there is no doubt that it will act against us.
When Umm Salamah was asked about the recitation of Prophet (SAWS), she expressed his recitation as, Clearly distinguished letter by letter . . .
Now what do you say? Is it necessary or recommended?

Benefits of Learning Tajweed

1. Company of the noble and obedient angels: Aysha (ra) relates that the prophet (saws) said, The one who recites the Quran precisely will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels, and as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering and stumbling through its verses, then he will have twice that reward.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

2. The Best of People: Uthmaan (ra) said that the Prophet (saws) said, The best of you are the ones who learn the Quran and teach it to others. [Bukhari]

3. Ten rewards for each letter: The Prophet (saws) said, Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward and the reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that, ‘Alif’, ‘Laam’, and ‘Meem’ is a letter, Rather I am saying that ‘Alif’ is a letter, ‘Laam’ is a letter and ‘Meem’ is a letter. [Tirmizi]

4. Way to Paradise: The Prophet (saws) said, A reader of the Holy Quran will be called upon on the Day of Judgement: ‘Start reading the Holy Quran and ascend the (high) stages of the Heaven, and recite slowly as you had been reading in the world, as your abode will be where the last verse of your recitation will end.’ [Abu Daud and Tirmizi]

5. Mental and spiritual peace and satisfaction: Hazrat Bra’a ibn ‘Aazib (ra) states that a person was reading Surah Al-Kahf and his horse was tied near him with two ropes. It so happened that a patch of cloud reached the horse and covered it. The animal began jumping. Next day in the morning the man went to the Holy Prophet (saws) and related the incident to him. The Holy Prophet (saws) said, This was ‘Sakeenat’ (mental and spiritual peace and satisfaction) that came down as a result of the recitation of the Holy Quran. [Bukhari and Muslim]

How to Begin?
  1. Seek a qualified teacher, as tajweed and its application can only be learned properly by listening and reciting and there should be someone to correct when mistakes are made.
  2. Get a book containing the rules of tajweed and start to learn it step by step.
  3. Listen to Quran tapes of reciters. Notice their application of tajweed. Replay it several times to catch the exact points.
Checklist
Once you’ve learned tajweed, you can go through this checklist to see whether you’re perfect with your tajweed or not:
1. The articulation points of the letters: If you know how to pronounce each word distinctly, then your knowledge of tajweed is good.
2. The characteristics of the letters and the usage of the tongue: If you’re familiar with the features of each letter and your tongue automatically moves to it, then your tajweed sounds better.
3. Rules change in the letters: If you know the rules change in each letter due to the influence of other letters and know where to stop them, then your tajweed is the best!

Don’t worry . . . If you find it difficult to read the Holy Quran, Don’t worry my dear brothers and sisters. You have a double reward because:
1. You recite the Quran.
2. You’re trying your best to learn even if it’s hard for you.
So what’s more? Start learning and feel the tremendous pleasure you receive when beautifying the Quran.

Reference:
understandquran.com

How to keep your Mind Close to Your Lord ?



Do Zikr!
Want to maintain a remembrance of Allah (swt)? Perform Zikr! Make your tongue a tireless reminder of His presence.

Abdullah bin Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: One of the Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, there are many injunctions of Islam for me. So tell me something to which I may hold fast.” He said, “Keep your tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah.” [At-Tirmidhi]

How Your Tongue Helps You Remember
If you want to remember Allah (swt) the tongue will help you.
Imagine that you’re walking down the street doing zikr of Allah (swt), for example, you’re saying, “Subhana Allah, subhana Allah, subhana Allah . . .” A new car passes by. Your eyes are attracted to the car and your brain goes with the car. You even forget you’re doing zikr!

But if you keep doing zikr with your tongue your brain will eventually be reminded. At least one benefit of doing zikr is that it ensures that your mind will come back to the remembrance of Allah (swt) again and again. Ad the good news is that your tongue never gets tired! Your tongue will never experience pain from too much zikr.

Reference:


Wrong Way ‘Round (The Jetset Journey, Part II):



By K. Balkhi
Despite the root ilm (to know) appearing in the Quran over 750 times in 13 variations, many of us, including me, have spent our lives not even knowing its real definition.

We think knowledge is ilm. We even think information can be ilm. I thought my fancyradd-ul-abdiyah-based liberals arts education was ilm.  But the very essence of our secular education has been to defy and refute (radd) the very existence of a higher being, placing the human “self” above all else– persistently and methodically though not always overtly.

No matter which “ism” we identify with— socialism, capitalism, feminism, etc.— its values rule supreme over all else, including God and His all-embracing guidance.  We choose to live, study, earn, govern, and protest according to a set of values crafted by a human mind. We forget that living by the divine Shariah (Islamic guidelines and laws) in pure submission and worship of Allah, abdiyyah, is the very purpose of our creation.

Let me illustrate: Anything akin to humility is unheard of in secular education. Even in the privileged institutions I attended, we couldn’t imagine doing anything in school or at work without ensuring maximum credit, visibility, and compensation for it. Life was about building our resumés and portfolios. Our spiritual, emotional, and other such intangible well-beings were at best fairly irrelevant.

We felt invincible, defying our immortality. The “just do it,” carpe diem attitude made us discount consequences— not just in our own lives and the hereafter but across generations and borders. Hiroshima? War on Terror? Genetically mutated  food? Killer whales dying in captivity bouncing balls for Sea World’s profit and our bottomless need for entertainment?

. . . Say, “Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance.” If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper.     [Quran, 2:120]

Uloom vs Funoon
It was only two years ago, at a madrasa orientation, that I learned we were referring tofunn (worldly skills, knowledge), as ilm all along.
Funn literally means “branch” and appears in the Quran once: Surah Rahman: 48. From my personal understanding, that’s what worldly studies are: akin to a (tiny) subset of real knowledge. So my life thus-far had been in the name of worldly funn.
Ilm, however, brings us closer to Allah, towards understanding and practicing His beautiful deen. Ilm helps us prioritize our thoughts and actions in sync with a built-inakhirah-meter.

Call to Action
The least each of us can do is to ensure that we acquire enough Islamic knowledge to live our lives within the Shariah’s parameters. Since not all of us can become Ulema, we must consult with the Ulema ul Haq— the just scholars— just as we would consult with the best physicians for our physical health or engineers for our homes.

Right Way ‘Round
Life is of course not meant to be devoid of funn (bi-lingual pun unintended). For allfunoon are just that: branches of learning that also testify to the Khaaliq’s infinite beauty in all creation.
Funn will automatically fall into place once ilm is in place, making the paradoxical reality of our lives all the more painful.
Acquired with the spirit of serving Allah, after ilm, permissible funoon offer rich paths to Allah’s radha, pleasure.
Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly… [Quran, 3:191]

Blast from the Past: How it’s Done
Indeed many an Aalim (religious scholar) was also highly accomplished in worldly excellence. They range from philosophers and anthropologists credited with the discipline’s foundation: Ibn e Batuta, Ibn Khaldun; to innovating mathematicians: al-Khwarizmi, founder of algebra.

Many of the Sahaba (ra) were scrupulous, successful businessmen, as was the Tabii’ Imam Abu Hanifa (d. 150 AH), compiler-architect of the first school of jurisprudence, named after him. Theirs was worldly work intended to feed the eternal life, not an indulgent lifestyle.

In recent times, Ustad Ahmad Lahori (d. 1060 AH), the chief architect of the Taj Mahal and Jami Masjid Delhi graduated from Madrasa Mulla Abdus Salam, Lahore.  Ali Mardan Khan (d. 1067), builder of the fabled Shalamar Gardens in Lahore was also a Madrasa graduate (Faazhil). As were Khairullah Khan Dehlvi (d. 1161) who built the Observatory in Delhi  and Ustad Rumi Khan who built cannons for the Mughal King, Babar (d. 937).[1]
There are countless more. The pre-colonial Madrasa system incorporated science basics as well as Arabic, Qur’an, Hadith, jurisprudence, astronomy, philosophy, tibb(medicine) and much more. Uncommon today though, graduates went on to apprenticeships or learning crafts, enabling them to lead successful earthly and eternal lives. All in an environment which valued adab (manners, morals and practice) over book learning– and certainly over the exam-centric pattern of today’s institutions.

Traditional Islamic Learning: Then & Now
And this is how I am taught to this day. The interdisciplinary richness I experienced from the first year in madrasa makes my elite liberal arts college’s specialized interdisciplinary classes seem disjointed, devoid of depth.

This system of learning is about an education that makes (wo)men of substance. Students focus on ilmun nafiun wa amalus saaleh (beneficial knowledge and good practice). We must walk our talk and thereby hope to be active givers to society and our own akhirah.

It emphasizes tarbiyyah (holistic personality and character development) with most professors living lives simply and genuinely personifying traits from the Sunnah, such as deep patience. Our spiritual needs are nurtured, fulfilled. Secular universities, in contrast, deal with consistent suicide rates from students whose lives are oft-devoid of meaningful contentment.

Some of my classmates and I have acquired extensive worldly education prior to treading this blessed path too. Having learned them the wrong way ’round though has come with significant baggage that we’ve had to unlearn.
They said, “Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.”                      [Quran, 2:32]

About the Author:
The author is currently studying Islam in-depth at Pakistan’s leading Islamic university for women. She has also been a business journalist and writer with over 150 published pieces, including book chapters and strategic reports as part of her former consultancy.

Reference: