If Not in Ramadan then When?

If Not in Ramadhan then When?

Ruzky Aliyar

If not in Ramadhan then when will you begin to see?
That the life you live is like an ephemeral tree.
A seed sown, cultivated, beautiful to see,
Yet soon to be withered, dead, enclosed by soil and sea.

If not in Ramadhan then when will you open your eyes?
Catch a glimpse of reality as time flies.
Realise this life is not sugar, spice, and everything nice;
Rather patience and gratitude during lows and highs.

If not in Ramadhan then when will you cleanse your heart?
Every deep dark corner, a poisonous dart.
When will you feel remorse, seek forgiveness, away from sins depart?
When will you beg your Lord to soften your heart?

If not in Ramadhan then when will you lower your gaze?
Teach yourself that something much better awaits.
When will you realise that your whims and desires have left you in a daze?
When will you take action and dust off the alluring dunya-haze?

If not in Ramadhan then when will you free yourself?
From the fetters that you have bound yourself.
When will it be that you embrace your self?
Fulfill your purpose, worship your Lord, redeem yourself?

If not in Ramadhan then when will you befriend the Book of Allah?
Understand, internalize, and memorise the Words of Allah.
Embrace it – mind, body, and soul.
Act upon it and you will never fall.

If not in Ramadhan then when will you turn to your Lord?
Completely, happily, willing, and strong.
When will you remember Him and race towards Him?
When will you truly yearn to be with Him?

-Samiha

Sign up to ProductiveMuslim.com

Assalamualaikum Everyone!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Ramadan. I recently signed up for an account at  http://www.productivemuslim.com/. It is a very good website mashaAllah. They send you free news letters about how to live a productive Ramadan, and a lot more things also. If you haven't signed up, you should. It will help you utilize your days in a better way.


Salaams!



Samiha

Why Do Muslim's Fast?

Q: Why do Muslims fast? 

A: There are 3 main reasons why a Muslim fasts during Ramadan. 

1) Muslims fast during Ramadan, firstly, because it is the fourth pillar of Islam, and Allah (swt) ordered us to do so. "...fasting is prescribed for you (Muslims)..." (2:183) and " Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down as a guide to humanity, and to provide clear signs for guidance and judgment. So whoever witnesses the month of Ramadan should fast through it..." (2:185). 

By fasting, we get to feel they way the poor and hungry feel; it reminds us, when we forget, that our brothers and sisters go through this pain much too often, and so our hearts become softened, and we become more generous. 

2) We learn to control ourselves - mentally and physically. Fasting is not limited to abstaining from food and drink - we also abstain from lying, foul language, sexual activity, medicine (unless it is necessary), etc. By keeping away from these things, we learn to control our desires. We learn to be in charge of our bodies rather than to let our bodies be in charge of us. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once remarked "Whoever does not give up lying and acting on lies during fasting, then Allah has no need of him giving up food and drink." - Bukhari

3) Fasting is healthy for the mind body and soul. When we stop over feeding our bodies, and fast, "our body initiates it's own healing mechanisms, and any ailment may show improvement." - allaboutfasting.com. We constantly over work our bodies by over eating - and just like when we get tired from over working all day then set aside small matters for another day - our body does like wise. Because it is estimated that 65% of the body's energy must be directed to the digestive organs after a heavy meal - fasting is like a vacation for our bodies! With the extra energy your body has, when it is not busy digesting a meal, it begins to heal and work on other areas of the body such as repairing cells and detoxing. Anti-aging effects, weight loss, clear skin and clarity (of the mind and soul) are just some of the many benefits of fasting!




Taken from: http://muslimyouthgirlsassociation.blogspot.com/


Samiha

RAMADAN IS FINALLY HERE!!!!!

Wishing you one month of Ramadan,

4 weeks of barakat,

30 days of forgiveness,

720 hours of guidance,

43200 minutes of purification,

... and 259200 seconds of noor!"

Ramadan  Mubarak to everyone! May Allah forgive us and our familes and keep us on the straight path always. Alhamdullilah Allah has blessed each of us with another year of Ramadan, so let's use it to our full advantage InshaAllah.




Samiha

RAMADAN IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!!!!!!!

The official decision and announcement of the High Judiciary Council (HJC) of Saudi Arabia that since the moon of Ramadhaan was not sighted this evening, here in Saudi Arabia, we shall be completing thirty (30) days of Sha'baan (1432 A.H.), in accordance with the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam):

((Fast when you see the crescent. If it is obscured to you, then complete thirty days of Sha'baan. And break your fast when you see the crescent. If it is obscured to you then fast thirty days)), [transmitted by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].

Subsequently, we shall be starting our taraaweeh prayers tomorrow evening (Sunday 31 July 2011) after the 'Ishaa. prayer, in preparation for the first fast of Ramadhaan on Monday 1 August 2011, inshaa.-Allaah.





There is one really good thing about this...........


NO MOON WARS THIS YEAR!!  


(At least, so far)


AlhamduliAllah. I'm so happy. Ramadan is just around the corner. Here is one of my favorite nasheeds. 

Samiha

Improving Ourselves- Making a Doing Right List

Assalamualaikum WRWB

AlhamduliAllah, Rajjab is coming to an end, and Ramadan will be coming very soon inshaAllah. In 9 days actually. So, I recommend everyone who can, to start fasting, if they haven't already. No need to fast EVERYDAY, just enough so when Ramadan comes it won't be very hard on you.

I just reread one of my favorite books: The Size of a Mustard Seed written by Umm Juwairyah. In the book, Jameelah, the main character, makes a Doing Right List for Ramadan. What she did was make a list of some of the things she wants to do this Ramadan and after to make her a better Muslim. All of us have a little room for improving ourselves, so I thought that was a wonderful idea, so I did the same for me. Here's a little bit of mine:

Samiha Shaheed's Doing Right List

1. Control your temper with EVERYONE
2. Be nicer to EVERYONE
3. Pray more
4. Read one Juz' of Quran a day
5. Try to do all the charity work I can, even if it means holding my brother while my mother is busy

InshaAllah, I think that this will be a very good thing. It may sound a little corny to you, but I'm sure that if you take it seriously, you'll be a much better Muslim by the end of Ramadan.

Hope this helps!

-Samiha

A Brother Like That (Or a Sister :)

Shuaib received a car from his brother as an Eid present. On Eid day when Shuaib came out of his house, a poor street child was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. “Is this your car, Uncle?” he asked. Shuaib nodded. “My brother gave it to me for Eid.” The boy was astounded.


“You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…” He hesitated. Of course Shuaib knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Shuaib all the way down to his heels. “I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Shuaib looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, “Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?” “Oh yes, I’d love that.”

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, “Uncle, would you mind driving in front of my house?” Shuaib smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbours that he could ride home in a cool car. But Shuaib was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Shuaib heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

“There it is, little brother, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Eid and it didn’t cost him a penny. And some day I’m gonna give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the shop windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Shuaib got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable ride. That Eid, Shuaib learned what the RasulAllah SAW meant when he had said: “Love for your brother what you love for yourself”.


islamicthinking.tumblr.net




Samiha

Aid Your Brother

On the authority of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhiwa sallam) said:
 

"Aid your brother whether he is the oppressor or the one being oppressed."

 

A man stated: "Oh Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), I will help him when he is being oppressed, but how do I help him when he is the oppressor?"

 

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

 

"Prevent him from oppression and that's helping him."

(Bukhaaree #2444)

 

The noble Shaykh Al Allaamah Muhammad ibn Saalih Al 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy upon him) stated about this narration in his explanation of Riyaadus Saaliheen #237:

 

"The helping (of your brother who is being oppressed) means to defend him from others. Meaning repelling that which harms him. Help your brother, meaning: repel from him that which harms him. This is the case whether he is an oppressor or one being oppressed. A man  said: "Oh Messenger of Allaah, how do I help him when he is anoppressor?", he didn't say -I will not help him- rather he said: How do I help him?. He meant by his statement -I will help him, however inform me how am I to help him. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Prevent him and that is (considered) helping him." Therefore, if you see that this individual wants to transgress against the people, stop him and this is (considered) helping him. As for when the person is being oppressed, helping him is by way of repelling the oppressor away from him. In this narration there is evidence for the obligation of aiding the one who is oppressed and there is evidence for aiding the oppressor in the manner that has been mentioned by the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)." 

-Samiha

The Religion has come For........

Al Imaam Muhammad ibn Saalih Al 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said:

 

"The religion has come for the happiness of mankind /And for the purpose of removing evil from them and the harm."

 

The Shaykh commented on these two lines of poetry:

 

"This is the principle regarding the Islaamic legislation and that it has come for the happiness of mankind and the removal of the evil and that which is harmful for them in the life of this world and in the hereafter. These two matters, which the legislation of the Prophet (sallallaau alayhi wa sallam) revolve around, are that which the benefit can be attained completely or by the majority of. Likewise, the decrease in the evil or the full eradication of it can be attained. Meaning by this: the repelling of that which is harmful and the bringing about that which is good. This is the general applied principle in the religion of Allaah."

 

Source:  Manthoomah Usool Al Fiqh wa Qawaaidih pg. 49

-Samiha

The Virtue of the Quran

On the authority of Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) the messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) entered upon her and a woman was treating her or performing Ruqyah upon her. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Treat her with the Book of Allaah."

(As Saheehah # 1931)

-Samiha

A Reminder

 بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن اهتدى بهديه إلى يوم الدين أما بعد

  

Manners, Righteousness & Keeping Good Relations

On the authority Dhamarah bin Thaalabah who said that the Messenger of Allaah - sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam – said:

‘The people will remain upon goodness, as long as they are not jealous of each other.’

Shaykh Muhammad Nasirud-Deen al-Albaani

Silsilah Ahadeeth As-Saheehah - No. 3386

Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya

-Samiha

A Hadith

بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن اهتدى بهديه إلى يوم الدين أما بعد

 

The Prophet visited one of the Muslims who had become as feeble as a chicken, and inquired about his health. Allaah'sMessenger asked, "Did you supplicate Allaah for anything or beg Him for it?" He replied, "Yes, I asked in these words, 'O Allaah, punish me in this world with the punishment that You are going to inflict on me in the Hereafter'.

 

Allaah's Messenger remarked, "Hallowed be Allaah! You have neither the power nor the forbearance to take upon yourself the burden of Allaah's punishment. Why did you not say this, 'O Allaah, grant us all the good of the world, and all the good of the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of the fire?"'

 

Then the Prophet made this supplication for him and he was all right. {Saheeh Muslim}

-Samiha

Mountains of Makkah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qdaUdc8o5k


A beautiful nasheed by Zain Bikha about the mountains of Makkah. He wrote it when he went to Hajj.


-Samiha

Hijab, Niqab, or Nothing -A Must See Video

Notice that the the women wearing the hijab and niqab are very confident in their answers, and are very quick and sure. The woman without the hijab or niqab is about to break down but the end (you can tell that her eyes are smarting). How can people be so ignorant? It's unbelievable. Let's just pray that the woman's heart was softened by this meeting. And the other non-Muslim woman two. Ameen.




-Samiha

The Dream

  Salam everyone I hope summer's going well,
          I heard this story in a speech on Friday at the masjid.Here it is:  A man used to drink a lot, and  his daughter sat in his lap and pushed the bottle away every time he would drink. The man thought he should try not to drink because his daughter didn't like it, so every time he wanted to he resisted and became closer to Allah (swt). One day, his daughter became sick, she got sicker and sicker until finally, she passed away. The father became very upset and became mad that his daughter was taken away from him. So he drank, and drank, and drank like he never had done before and became drunk. That night he had a dream that he was being resurrected from his grave, everybody was there an angel said his name and then everyone was gone. Then, a huge snake appeared and started chasing him and he ran, and ran, and ran, he saw an old mad and said "Help me!" "Help me!" The old man said,"How can I?" "I am an old man, I am very weak, but run over there he might not catch you." When the man over ran over to were the old man said the snake was still chasing him. There he saw the old man again and said, "Help me!" "Help me!"  The old man replied, "I am weak, but there is a hill over there." The man ran to the hill and saw children, he saw his daughter put her hands up between him and the snake, the snake stopped  and slithered away and burst into flames. The man was so tired that he collapsed and sat down. His daughter sat down and began to speak, "Father, the snake that was chasing you is your bad deeds strong, the old man is your good deeds weak, if you'd been closer to Allah the man could have helped you but you haven't been close to Allah. At that moment the man woke up, it was Fajr time so he made wod'u and went to the masjid to pray. The dream made him come closer to Allah (swt).
                             -shalah

The Breath of the People of the Fire

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

لَوْ كَانَ فِي هَذَا الْمَسْجِدِ مِائَةُ [أَلْفٍ] أَوْ يَزِيْدُوْنَ، وَفِيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَتَنَفَّسَ فَأَصَابَهُمْ نَفَسُهُ لَاحْتَرَقَ 

الْمَسْجِدُ وَمَنْ فِيْهِ

Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, “The Prophet of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘If there were a hundred (thousand) or more in this mosque, and in it was a man from the People of the Fire who took a breath and whose breath came upon them, the mosque and those in it would burn.’”

Silsilah | 2509 | Saheeh

-Samiha

New Upcoming Seminar!!

New Upcoming Seminar from Al-Maghrib!!!

Shahadah

Fiqh of Da'wah

           Taught by Sheikh Kamal El-Mekki                      

For more information, visit     http://almaghrib.org/seminars/homiletics/shahadah#info

For the schedule, visit   http://almaghrib.org/seminars/487

-Samiha

The Recording Angel on the Left Waits....

Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa salim) said, “ The companion (Angel) on the left lifts his pen for six hours for the Muslim slave that errs or sins. If this slave repents and seeks Allah’s forgiveness for that error or sin, the Angel doesn’t record it. And if the slave doesn’t ask Allah for forgiveness, the Angel records it once.

Collected by At-Tabarani in Kabir (7667 ) , Abu Na’eem in Hilya (6/124), Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ib (6788). Shaykh Al-Albani graded this hadeeth as being Hasan in Saheehah (1209)

Benefits for this topic:

Lifts the pen for six hours: These six hours could refer to astrological time, or another time period.

The Muslim slave that errs or sins: Means the Angel won’t record the sin or error before the six hours passes. He simply delays writing it.

If the slave repents: This refers to the salve seeking sincere repentance for the sin or error he’s done.

The Angel doesn't record it: Means the Angel on the left ignores writing it.
If the slave doesn't ask Allah for forgiveness: This means the Angel on the left writes it down as one bad deed, unlike the Angel that records the good deeds. The Angel on the right writes down a good deed ten times. [ Faydul Qadir Al-Manawee]

 Translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle

AbdurRahman.org | May 12, 2011 at 7:00 PM | Categories: Character, Sins | URL: http://wp.me/p1VJ3-zL

-Samiha

He Only had an Eighth Grade Education

This is very interesting…. 

1895 8th grade final exam

Take this test and pass it on. What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895. Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895?  This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , Kansas , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina , and reprinted by the Salina Journal..



8th Grade Final Exam:
Salina , KS - 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph.
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie,' 'play,' and 'run'.
5. Define case; illustrate each case.
6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1 hour 15 minutes)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet Long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs, what is it worth at 50 cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs for tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent per annum.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft long at $20 per metre?
8... Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt .

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus .
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States .
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas .
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton , Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour) [Do we even know what this is??]
1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u'.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9.. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane , vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)
1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America .
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , Manitoba , Hecla , Yukon , St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco .
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9.. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.


HUH??? Are they kidding??? This is hard to believe....


Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete.

Gives the saying 'he only had an 8th grade education' a whole new meaning, doesn't it?!


Also shows you how poor our education system has become and, NO, I don't have the answers!

-Samiha

Quote

"Do not betray the one who betrays you"


- Neda and Shalah

The People of the Boxes

The People of the Boxes

a wonderful nasheed by Dawud Wharnsby



-Samiha

The Story of A Patient Girl and Quran

This story is of a little egyption girl named Bar`ah who is 10 years old, her parents were doctors who moved to Saudi Arabia in search of better life. In this age Bar`ah memorized the whole quran with the tajweed, she was very intelligent, her teacher use to tell her she should be in middle school not primary one....Her family is small and committed to Islam and its teaching.... 


suddenly one day the mother started feeling sever abdominal pain, after tests and checkups she found out that she have cancer, but in its late stages.The mother thought who she can tell her daughter, specially if she wake up one day and didn't find her mother beside her... so she told her (( Bar`ah I will go to pradise a head of you, but I want you to read the Quran you memorized every day since it will protect you in this life))... The little girl didn't reallyunderstand what her mother is trying to tell her...but she started feeling the change in her mother status specially when she was transferred to stay in hospital on permanent bases. The little girl use to come to the hospital after her school and recited Quran for her mother till evening when her father use to take her home.


One day the hospital called the husband and informed him that the his wife condition is very bad and he need to come as fast as he can, so the father picked Bar`ah from her school and headed to the hospital, when they arrived he asked her to stay in the car ... just she wont get shocked if her mother has passed a way.The father get out of his car, with tears fills his eyes and while he crossing the road to enter the hospital, he was hit by a speeding and died in front of hi daughter who came crying to her father....!


The tragedy of Bar`ah is not over yet... the news of father death was hidden from the mother,but after 5 days the mother passe a way ! leaving Bar`ah alone in this life. She become alone without her parents, and parents friends decided to find her relatives in Egypt so they can take her to them.. Suddenlly, Bar`ah start having sever pain like her mother, after few tests and check up it was confirmed with the cancer... at the surprise of every one she said (( Alhamdu Lillah now I will meet my parents ))All family friends were shocked and suprised, this little girl facing calamity after clamity and she is patient and satisfied with what Allah ordained for her.People start hearing about Bar`ah and her story, and it is said a Saudi man decided to take care of her .. he send her to UK for treatment of this disease. This is her reciting....

may Allah make the Quran the joy of our hearts....




Go to  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sEoRC9xFVg&feature=player_embedded  to hear Bar'ah recite Quran




taken from http://moderationinstitute.com


-Samiha

Salt- a Cure for 73 Illnesses

Salt — a cure for 73 illnesses

Islamic remediesA Hadith recorded by Imam Ibn Majah, Imam Tabarani and others from Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reputed to have said: “The best of your curries is salt.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, No. 3,315)

“O Ali, commence and conclude your meal with salt, since salt is a cure for 70 illnesses such as insanity, leprosy, stomach pain and tooth ache.”

Salt is essential for life and you cannot live without it. There are enormous differences between the standard, refined table and cooking salt and healthy natural salt. The differences, along with salt water’s healing properties, can have a major impact on your health.

Halite crystal (sodium chloride) occurs in seawater, along with other salts of sodium, calcium, magnesium, and other light metals.

Table salt is actually 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt causing the potential for many health problems in your body. Table salt is not recommended in your healing arsenal.

What is table salt?

The chemical industry refines salt for industrial purposes. Over time, salt has undergone a transformation into a quite different substance. The so-called ‘cleaning’ process leaves salt almost unrecognizable — stripped of minerals and reduced to simple sodium chloride.

Trace elements which support harmonious mental and bodily functions are removed. What remains is lifeless and devoid of energy – in consuming it, we force our bodies to accommodate a dead substance. Insult is added to injury with bleaching and the inclusion of additives such as aluminium hydroxide, iodine and fluoride — which, when added artificially, cannot be adequately metabolized.

Effects on body

The human body tries desperately to get rid of this concoction, putting immense pressure on the organs of elimination. The delicate mineral balance of the body is disrupted and, as a result, blood pressure increases.

In his best-selling book, Water & Salt, Peter Ferreira explains: “The result of consuming common table salt is the formation of overly acidic edema, or excess fluid in the body tissue, which is also the cause of cellulite. That’s why doctors tell us to avoid it. For every .035 ounces of sodium chloride that cannot be eliminated, the body uses 23 times the amount of its own cell water to neutralize the salt.” Uric acid will form to get rid of the excess salt. In the long run, the body is poisoned because toxic substances cannot be disposed of.

So how can we get the benefits but avoid the perils of salt?

We can avoid side effects of table salt by using unprocessed natural unrefined salt which is full of natural minerals.

Health benefits

Eye Care: A diluted solution of 1/2 tsp. of sea salt to a pint of water can be used to wash and relieve tired eyes. Use the same solution with hot water to dab around eyes to reduce puffiness.

Mouth Care: Sea salt can be used for gargling and to clean the mouth and teeth. To make a gargling solution, mix 1/2 tsp. of sea salt into a glass of warm water. This can help with a sore throat. You can make a toothpaste with one part sea salt and two parts baking soda that helps whiten teeth. Mix equal parts sea salt and baking soda to make a mouthwash.

As a temporary remedy for a toothache before going to the dentist, rinse your mouth with a mixture of 4 ounces of warm water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of salt.

Gums: Mix 1 teaspoon salt in 4 ounces of warm water when gums are painful. If you have an abscess, the salt will draw out some of the infection.

Burns or Injuries: A severe burn in your mouth from eating something very hot can be relieved by rinsing with saltwater every hour or so. Use 1/2 teaspoon salt in 8 ounces of warm water.

Nose: Make your own saline nose drops to control annoying postnasal drip. People with sleep apnea, a condition that involves a dangerous interruption of breathing while asleep, may also want to try these drops to help keep nasal passages open.

Allergies: Irrigating the nostrils and sinuses with saltwater is an excellent way to control persistent, annoying allergy symptoms.

Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon salt in 8 ounces of room temperature water. Draw mixture into a nose dropper, and inhale liquid through your nostrils.

Sinusitis: Chronic sinusitis refers to inflammation of the sinuses that continues for weeks, months, or even years.

Sinus Wash: Flush out nasal secretions. Mix 1 teaspoon of non-iodized salt or sea salt with 2 cups of warm water and a pinch of baking soda. Pour it into a dropper, tilt your head back, close one nostril with your thumb, and sniff the solution with the open nostril. Then blow your nose gently. Repeat on the other side.

Sore throat: The simplest remedy is a warm saltwater gargle. Just add 1 teaspoon salt to 8 ounces of warm water, and gargle several times a day.

Blood pressure: When the blood pressure is below normal it is called hypotension. Recently scientists have reported that salt intake is a cure for hypotension.

Soaking and Stress Relief: Bathing in salt solutions is known to have a relaxing effect that soothes aching muscles. Add a handful of sea salt to a hot bath to relieve fatigue, or several tablespoons to hot water in a basin to sooth tired feet. You can also exfoliate skin by using salt as a rub after bathing.

- by Dr. Rizwan Ahmed

-Samiha