Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Welcome Ramadan

Welcome Ramadan
Walk humbly
Talk politely
Dress neatly
Treat kindly
Pray attentively
Donate generously

May ALLAH bless & protect you...

Wishing you month of Ramadan

Wishing you:
1 month of "Ramadan",
4 weeks of "Barkat",
30 days of "Forgiveness",
720 hours of "Guidance",
43,200 minutes of "Purification",
2,592,000 seconds of "Nuur/Noor"..!!

Ramadan Mubarak

Wish you a very Happy Ramadan

May This Ramadan be as bright as ever.
May this Ramadan bring joy, health and wealth to you.
May the festival of lights brighten up you
and your near and dear ones lives.
May this Ramadan bring in u the most
brightest and choicest happiness and
love you have ever Wished for.
May this Ramadan bring you the
utmost in peace and prosperity.
May lights triumph over darkness.
May peace transcend the earth.
May the spirit of light illuminate the world.
May the light that we celebrate at Ramadan
show us the way and lead us together on the
path of peace and social harmony

Wish you a very Happy Ramadan

Ramadan Wish

As the crescent moon is sighted...
And the holy month of Ramadan begins...
May Allah bless you with happiness
&
grace your home with warmth & peace !

Ramadan Greetings

Ramadan Greetings

It's the month when the devils are chained,
the gates of hell are closed and those of paradise are opened.
It's the month the holy prophet used to pray to witness.
It's the blessed month of ramadan.
May Allah shower his blessings and
grant you forgiveness in this holy month.

Ramadan Mubarak

Happy Ramadan

As the Fajar azan begins
And the 1st holy fast begins
May Allah bless you with happiness
and grace your home with warmth & peace.

Happy Ramadan

Ramzan

R = Roza Rakho
A = Allah se daro
M = Masjid ko jao
Z = Zakat banto
A = A'maal ache karo
N = Namaz parho

RAMZAN

Ramadan Mubarak

Be-zabano ko jub wo zaban deta hay,
Parhne ko phir wo QURAN deta hay,

Bakshne pay aata hay jub ummat k gunahon ko,
Tohfay mein gunahgaron ko RAMAZAN deta hai

Ramadan Mubarak

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr' or 'Othr' (Alcohol-Free Perfume)

The word 'attar', 'ittar' or 'othr' is basically an Arabic word which means 'scent'; this in turn is believed to have been derived from the Persian word Atr, meaning 'fragrance'.

Attars/Ittars are alcohol-free and are used by many Muslim men and women. Ittar has long been considered one of the most treasured of material possessions and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has been compared to Ittar as one of the most beloved of gifts given to mankind.

'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr'

Attar is a natural perfume oil derived from botanical sources. Most commonly these oils are taken from the botanical material through hydro or steam distillation. Oils can also be expressed by chemical means but generally natural perfumes which qualify as Ittar/Attars are distilled naturally. The oils obtained from the herbs flowers and wood are generally distilled into a wood base such as sandalwood and then aged. The aging period can last from one to ten years depending on the botanicals used and the results desired.


These all-natural perfumes are highly concentrated and therefore are usually offered for sale in small quantities and have traditionally been offered in decorated crystal cut type bottles or small jeweled decanters. Attars/Ittars are popular throughout the Middle East, the Far East and India as well as Pakistan. Attars/Ittars have been used in the entire Eastern world for thousands of years. These 100% pure and natural perfumes are free of alcohol and chemicals and so the problems faced in the West by perfume lovers are irrelevant to most Eastern perfume lovers. Natural perfumes are affordable because they are so concentrated that a small bottle will last the user several weeks, if not months. Due to the purity and the nature of oils, there is very little chance of spoilage unless a food based carrier oil is used to cut the concentrated pure oil.
'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr'
Some of the first lovers of Attars/Ittars were the Mughal nobles of India. Jasmine ittar was the favorite perfume of the Nizams of the Hyderabad state. Traditionally in the Eastern world it was a customary practice of nobility to offer ittar to their guests at the time of their departure. The Attars/Ittars are traditionally given in ornate tiny crystal cut bottles called as itardans. This tradition of giving a scent to one's guests continues to this day in many parts of the Eastern world. Among Sufi worshipers the use of Attars/Ittars during meditation circles and dances is quite common.

Famous Attars/Ittars List
  • Rose Attar/Ittar (Rosa damascena - Flower)
  • Motia/Jasmin Attar/Ittar (Jasmine sambac - Flower)
  • Mitti Attar/Ittar (Baked earth - Earth from river)
  • Kewda Attar/Ittar (Pandanus odoritissimus - Flower)
  • Saffron Attar/Ittar (Crocus sativa - Stigma)
  • Agarwood/Oud Attar/Ittar (Aquilaria agallocha - Various parts)
  • Gul Hina Attar/Ittar (Lawsonia alba - Flower)
  • Genda/Merigold Attar/Ittar (Tagetes minuta - Flower)
  • Champa Attar/Ittar (Michelia champaca - Flower)
  • Bakul Attar/Ittar (Mimusops elengi - Flower)
  • Blue Lotus Attar/Ittar (Nymphaea caerulea - Flower)
  • Pink Lotus Attar/Ittar (Nelumbo nucifera - Flower)
  • White Lotus Attar/Ittar (Nelumbo nucifera - Flower)
  • Tuberose/Rajniganda Attar/Ittar (Polianthes tuberosa - Flower)
  • White Water Lily Attar/Ittar (Nymphaea ampla - Flower)
  • Zafari Attar/Ittar (Tagetes sp - Flower)
  • Shamana Attar/Ittar (compound of fragrant spices, herbs, woods - Various parts)
  • Amber Attar/Ittar (Pinus Succinifera - ----)
  • Chameli Attar/Ittar (Jasminum Grandiflorum - Flower)
  • Gulmohar Attar/Ittar (Painciana Regia - Flower)
  • Juhi Attar/Ittar (Jasmine Auriculatum - Flower)
  • Islamic Bakhur Attar/Ittar (Melaleuca Alternifolia - ----)
  • Frangipani Attar/Ittar (Plumeria Ruera - ----)
  • Khus Attar/Ittar (Vetiveria Zizanoides - Roots)
  • Mogra Attar/Ittar (Abelmoschus Moschus - Flower)
  • Loban Attar/Ittar (Styrax Benzoin - Various parts)
  • Nakh Choya Attar/Ittar (Citrus Bigardia - Flower)
  • Davana Attar/Ittar (Artemesia Pallens - Leaves)
 Types of Attars/IttarsAttars/Ittars may be broadly categorized into following types of flavour or ingredients used.

 Floral Attars/Ittars
Attars/Ittars manufactured from single species of flower are coming under this category. These are :-
  • Gulab ex Rosa damascena or Rosa Edword
  • Kewra ex Pandanus odoratissimus
  • Motia ex Jasminum sambac
  • Gulhina ex lawsonia inermis
  • Chameli ex Jasminum grandiflorum
  • Kadam ex Anthoephalus cadamba
Herbal Attars/Ittars
Attars/Ittars manufactured from combination of floral, herbal & spices come under this category.
Hina and its various forms viz., Shamama, Shamam –tul – Amber, Musk Amber and Musk Hina.

Attars/Ittars which are neither floral nor herbal also come under this category. Ittar Mitti falls under this category and is produced by distillation of baked earth over base material.
'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr'



Attars/Ittars can also be classified based on their effect on human body such as

Warm Attars/Ittars'
Attars/Ittars such as Musk, Amber, Kesar (Saffron), Oud, are used in winters, they increase the body
temperature.

Cool Attars/Ittars'
like Rose, Jasmine, Khus, Kewda, Mogra, are used in summers and are cooling for the body.


A major difference between synthetic perfumes and ittar is that the oil-based ittar is worn directly on your body. The inside of the wrist, behind the ears, the inside of elbow joints, back of the neck and a few other parts of your anatomy are directly dabbed with ittar. A small drop is enough to be used as a fragrance on the body. A few drops can be added to water and used with aromatic vapour lamps. A few drops of some Attars/Ittars are used with cold drinks, such as milk, to give fragrance.

Ittar has a permanent shelf life and some Attars/Ittars become stronger and smell better when they are older.

'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr'

Muslim Woman Dress Code (Islamic Clothing for Women)

"Hijab" is a word that indicates several conditions for the women's Islamic dress.

Conditions are given below:Clothing must cover the entire body, only the hands and face may remain visible (According to some Fiqh Schools).
  1. The material must not be so thin that one can see through it.
  2. The clothing must hang loose so that the shape of the body is not apparent.
  3. The female clothing must not resemble the man's clothing.
  4. The design of the clothing must not resemble the clothing of the non-believing women.
  5. The design must not consist of bold designs which attract attention.
  6. Clothing should not be worn for the sole purpose of gaining reputation or increasing one's status in society.
The reason for this strictness is so that the woman is protected from the lustful gaze of men. She should not attract attention to herself in any way. It is permissible for a man to catch the eye of a woman, however it is haram (unlawful) for a man to look twice as this encourages lustful thoughts.

Islam protects the woman; it is for this reason that Allah gave these laws. In today's society womankind is being exploited, female sexuality is being openly used in advertising, mainly to attract the desires of men and therefore sell the product. Is the woman really free in today's society? The answer is obviously no. The constant bombardment by the media as to how the ideal woman should look and dress testifies to this.
Islam liberated woman over 1400 years ago. Is it better to dress according to man or God?

Allah has stated in the Quran that women must guard their modesty.
"Say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty ; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof." [Quran : 24.31]

"Say to the believing man that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty ; that will make for greater purity for them, and God is well acquainted with all they do." [Quran : 24.30]