A King Who Didn't Have Finger

A king who didn't believe in God had a slave who, in all circumstances said:

"My king, do not be discouraged because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes..."

One day, they went hunting and a wild animal attacked the king, the slave managed to kill the animal but couldn't prevent his majesty losing a finger.

Furious and without showing gratitude, the King said;

"if God was good, I would not have been attacked and lost one finger!"

The slave replied:

"Despite all these things,I can only tell you that God is good and everything he does is perfect, He is never wrong!"

Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.

Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human sacrifices.

In the altar, the savages found out that the king didn't have one finger in place so he was released because he was considered not "complete" to be offered to the gods...
On his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave saying;

"My dear,God was really good to me! I was almost killed but for lack of a single finger I was let go!
But I have a question: if God is so good, why did He allow me put you in jail?"

His reply: "My king, if I had gone with you, I would have been sacrificed for you because I have no missing finger."
Remember, everything God does is perfect, He is never wrong...

Often we complain about life, and the negative things that happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random, and that everything has a purpose.

Islamic method of Slaughtering

The Islamic method of slaughtering animals, known as Zabiha has been the object of much criticism from a large number of people.

One may consider the following points, which prove that the Zabiha method is not only humane but also scientifically the best:

1.) Islamic method of slaughtering animal
Zakkaytum is a verb derived from the root word Zakah (to purify). Its infinitive is Tazkiyah which means purification. The Islamic mode of slaughtering an animal requires the following conditions to be met:

a.) Animal should be slaughtered with sharp object (knife)
The animal has to be slaughtered with a sharp object (knife) and in a fast way so that the pain of slaughter is minimised.

b.) Cut wind pipe, throat and vessels of neck
Zabiha is an Arabic word which means ‘slaughtered’. The ‘slaughtering’ is to be done by cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in the neck causing the animal’s death without cutting the spinal cord.

c.) Blood should be drained
The blood has to be drained completely before the head is removed. The purpose is to drain out most of the blood which would serve as a good culture medium for micro organisms. The spinal cord must not be cut because the nerve fibres to the heart could be damaged during the process causing cardiac arrest, stagnating the blood in the blood vessels.

2.) Blood is a good medium for germs and bacteria
Blood is a good media of germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. Therefore the Muslim way of slaughtering is more hygienic as most of the blood containing germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. that are the cause of several diseases are eliminated.

3.) Meat remains fresh for a longer time Meat slaughtered by Islamic way remains fresh for a longer time due to deficiency of blood in the meat as compared to other methods of slaughtering.

4.) Animal does not feel pain
The swift cutting of vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerve of the brain responsible for pain. Thus the animal does not feel pain. While dying, the animal struggles, writhers, shakes and kicks, not due to pain, but due to the contraction and relaxation of the muscles defecient in blood and due to the flow of blood out of the body.

A must watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_olDAtxyTw
 

The Love and Importance of Cats in Islam

Islam faith and cats

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was tender and kind towards cats. He appreciated cats. Hazrat Muhammad  (s.a.w)'s  favourite cat was called Muezza. There is a well-known story regarding the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and Muezza.

When the call to prayers was heard, Muezza was asleep on one of the sleeves of the Prophet’s  (s.a.w)  robes. The Prophet  (s.a.w)  wanted to wear the robe to go to prayers. Rather than disturb Muezza, Muhammad  (s.a.w)  cut off the sleeve to leave Muezza in peace. Prophet  (s.a.w)  then stroked the cat three times, which, it is said, granted Muezza seven lives and the ability to land on his feet at all times (as you might know, cats have a self-righting mechanism,a righting reflex, which is a complex series of movements when a cat falls and which protects the cat from breaking her back).

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was so attached to his cat that when he gave sermons he let Muezza rest on his lap and he also drank from water previously drunk by his cat. He also did his ablutions from the same water that was drunk by a cat. He seemed to treat his cat in the same way as cat lovers do today but even cat lovers might think twice about drinking the same water that had been drunk by a cat for fear of transmission of disease from the cat’s saliva (but see below).

Islam teaches Muslims to treat cats well and that the cat is a creature to be cherished and loved. Mistreating a cat is regarded as a severe sin in Islam.

Cats according to the Qur`an and Sunnah

An example as to how Muslims are punished for mistreating cats can be found in the `ahadith (oral traditions telling the story of the Prophet Mohammed  (s.a.w)  and which have been recorded in writing). When a woman kept a cat locked up and failed to feed the cat until the cat died, the woman was tortured and "put to hell.”

It is believed that you will suffer no harm if you drink from the cat’s water provided no impurities are seen in the cat’s mouth. In another story from the `ahadith, it is stated that a when a cat ate a pudding put down during prayers, the person who was in charge of the pudding ate from the same place as the cat and Prophet (s) said this was alright as the cat is not unclean and is "one of those who go around amongst us".

Islam teaches Muslims that, in relation to a cat:

1.) The cat should not be sold for money or other traded goods.

2.) Cats saliva is harmless unless the cat has "visible impurities" in the mouth.

3.) Muslims are free to live with cats but they must treat cats well, providing the cat with enough water and food and giving "roaming time" (a degree of freedom of movement)

'A good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being'