This has a happy ending Sadly, Many Drug Addiction Stories Don't

So last night whilst on duty I was elated and overjoyed to see one of my patients on the road to recovery from drug addiction.He hails from a well educated influential family but due to peer pressure and wrong company he became addicted to all types of drugs including narcotics.Despite having lots of wealth he has never had a good upbringing.He was never happy inside. He always felt that there was something lacking in his life and perhaps that was his parents love and affection. His parents were never around for him or his siblings. They were always left in the company of maids or drivers. He told me once that he can not recall eating a plate of food prepared by his mom and that he actually envied me. Whilst relating his story to me a while back, I recall tears rolling down my cheeks. He use to travel from a neighbouring city to the hospital on a weekly basis for his narcotic fix. There were many times when he fought with me, cursed me and swore at me for refusing to give him the medication despite him having a legitimate prescription. A few months ago, whilst on a high, he had an accident and two people were critically injured. Thanks to God Almighty, they survived.Luckily for my patient the family forgave him and he paid them a certain amount of money as compensation for the damage caused. When he came to the hospital after the accident accompanied by two policemen, I sat him down and told him that he is destroying his life but that he has no right to destroy the life of another human being. I pleaded with him and his family to send him in for rehabilitation and he agreed. Last night, after a few months he came by the pharmacy to collect his dads medication. I couldn't believe that it was the same person.He always looked haggard, with red blood shot eyes. He use to always be aggressive and loud. Last night I felt as though I was meeting him for the first time. A totally changed person indeed. He looked bright and bubbly.He was kind and courteous with a positive, happy energy around him. I swear, inside my heart I felt really happy for him. May God Almighty keep him this way and guide him on the straight path always!!This story certainly has a happy ending. Sadly, many drug addiction stories DON'T!!!!

(http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/gallery/before-and-after-drug-abuse/celebrity/pete-doherty.htm - picture)

(http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/gallery/before-and-after-drug-abuse/celebrity/amy-winehouse.htm - picture)

Sects in Islam - United we stand, Divided we fall!!!

Cover of the June 20, 2011 New Statesman edition on the Sunni and Shia power struggle in the Middle East. (New Statesman; www.newstatesman.com)

Khanqa verses tabligh jamaat, salafi verses salami, hanafi verses shafi, deobandi verses wahabi, barfi verses jelebi.......LOLOL

So  recently I was on a chat forum and someone posted a question enquiring as to what a salafi is.Who is a salafi and who is a wahabi and should a Muslim be speaking to salafis and allowing a
salafi to read in our masjids? A good few years ago whilst growing up I didn't come across this
concept of who is this and who is that. As far as I knew we were all Muslims who followed the
five pillars of Islam and read the kalima..The fact that we believed in the kalima and the shahaada
made us a Muslim. Nowadays in South Africa there is this disease that has spread, a disease of
labeling and branding Muslims into a certain category. Pretty ridiculous I think with one group
thinking that they are more superior over the other. I have also come across individuals who feel that
the Sheikh they follow is more powerful and learned over the other. To me its like one big circus.
Recently, South Africa played host to Sheikh Mahir bin Hamad al mu3ayqaly who is the Imaam of the haram in Makkatul Mukarrama. Whilst the Muslims of the country welcomed him with open arms there were religious scholars from within the country who made it a point to shout out loud and clear that he will be only allowed to perform the salaah prayers in the masjid but will not be allowed to give a talk in the masjid. Why is this? What do they have to fear? Are they more learned than he is?A few years ago, another Imaam of the haram in Makkah was not allowed to visit the Islamic Institute in Azaadvile, South Africa as he was branded a Salafi. The irony here is that these same religious clerics go to Makkah ten times a year and perform salaah behind these very same Imaams.This is definitely not the manner in which a guest is suppose to be treated in Islam.

How can Muslims unite when we have one scholar calling the other a reverend.There is no consensus on simple things like halaal and haraam. My personal opinion is this, whilst it is important to have religious clerics teaching our kids about Islam and the Islamic way of life, I do not believe in taking a pledge to any one sheikh or religious figure. They are also human beings at the end of the day with flaws and weaknesses. I think it is foolish to take pledges to religious clerics of this time when the greatest living example and person we should be pledging ourselves to is none other than the Prophet (saw). What better example could we possibly follow?

I will relate a story to you that brought tears to my eyes to the point where I felt ashamed of my way of thinking. Whilst I do not agree with many aspects of the Shia belief system, I do have many friends who are Shi3a and many of them are good human beings with good values and ethics. A few weeks ago I went by the office of a colleague of mine who is shi3a. I knocked the door but he did not hear me. So I stood at the door whilst listening to him recite the Quraan in the most beautiful voice with so much of feeling and passion. It brought tears to my eyes. And then I thought to myself, this man is reading the Quraan from deep within his heart. Won't God Almighty be pleased with him? Throughout history there are thousands of stories of Allah showing mercy and kindness to his creation. If Allah could grant a prostitute paradise for simply giving a thirsty dog water in her shoe then who are we to brand, label and judge other people. None of us knows what is deep inside the heart of the next human being.....

To these foolish religious clerics who are famous for judging, branding and labeling people, I honestly feel sorry for all of you, for you have missed your goal in life and that is to unite the Muslim Ummah. It is narrated in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet (saw) said :"My ummah will be divided into seventy three sects. All of them will be in the Fire except one."Thus at present we can see that our very own religious scholars are causing our Muslim societies to divide into various sects and schools of thought. Islam is such a simple religion that can accommodate to the needs of any person irrespective of class, creed or nationality. All we need to do is follow the Sunnah and the Quraan. Everything else is absolute nonsense and baseless innovations in my opinion.

Body piercing trend rises among Saudi women

By Al Arabiya
Several trends seen as imported from Western cultures have invaded Saudi Arabia and encouraged women to seek change through them. While clothes and accessories seem like the most traditional influences, piercing is the latest and most outrageous fashion among Saudi women.

Piercing the lips, tongue and navel are the most popular with Saudi women, reported the Saudi edition of al-Hayat newspaper.

According to the paper, Saudi girls differ on the piercing trend. Some do not think this trend makes the girl more beautiful and in fact argue that it makes her look ugly. Some go as far as considering a girl who pierces any part of her face unfeminine. Several men agree with this point of view and say that they never get attracted to girls with piercings.

Others argue that piercing adds to their beauty and makes them look different.

Piercing is a problem for parents, too, for while some categorically refuse to allow their girls to pierce their faces because it is an unfamiliar sight that is strange to society, others give in to the pressure which intensifies when the girls want to imitate their friends.

For psychological and family councilor Zahra al-Maabi, piercing does not add to a girl’s beauty, instead it affects it negatively.

“God endowed girls with the gift of femininity and when they pierce their lips or eyebrows they are destroying that,” she said.

Maabi added that girls resort to piercing out of a desire to imitate other cultures and also as a means of expressing their frustration at other things.

“Piercing becomes an outlet for those girls who want to grab the attention to make up for the lack of purpose they suffer from.”

According to psychologist Elwi Attarji, blind imitation is a main motive behind girls’ love for piercing, but there are other factors, too.

“Some girls want to defy their parents and assert their independence by going against social norms,” he said.

It is important, he added, to examine the social reasons that lead to the prevalence of such phenomenon.

“Eliminating the phenomenon is not the solution since only dealing with the roots of the problem and looking into the reasons behind it makes a way out possible.”

Source:

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/05/03/211856.html

Shaza al Madina by Kempinski

If you looking for excellent accommodation in Madinatul Munawwara a stones throw away from the Prophet's mosque , then Shaza al Madina by Kempinski is just the place for you.I spent the last few days at this luxurious hotel and I must say I was thrown aback by the level of service I received.We were welcomed to the hotel by a very happy and bubbly porter who ushered us in to the reception area. We were served refreshments and snacks as we waited to get through the check in process. I was really surprised when the front desk manager returned and gave us a free upgrade from the deluxe room that we had booked initially to a junior suite without extra charge. We were then escorted to our room. Upon arrival at the room we received a call from the front desk enquiring if the room matched our expectations and if we required anything extra.The room decor was exquisite with a mixture of east meets west. The beautiful lantern lampshades along with the bed linen and cushions added an oriental touch to the room. The suite boasted two television sets and three cordless telephones.The laundry service was excellent and the penne arabiata pasta that we ordered from Room service was simply delicious and made me feel as though I was in Italy having an authentic Italian meal.The restaurant that served breakfast was strategically designed to overlook the haram area and thus added to the sheer opulence and grandeur of the hotel in total. The huge buffet area simply added to the wow factor and made the morning breakfast experience a rather pleasant one where friendly staff and waiters were readily available to assist and serve guests.Almost everyday we received a courtesy call from the guest relation manager enquiring if we were satisfied with the service we received. He was also insistent in wanting our suggestions and input in improving service delivery. The check out process was quick and efficient and in true Kempinski style we were whisked away to the airport in a gorgeous black BMW....That's what I call service excellence accompanied by value for money. Will I be frequenting this hotel in the future....DEFINITELY YES....A big thumbs up to Majed, "Chef Jordan", Omar, Mr Shareef and the rest of the management team at Shaza al Madina for making my stay such a pleasant one.