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Hardly the day started and ... it is already six o'clock in the evening. Barely arrived on Monday and it's already Friday. ... and the month is already over. ... and the year is almost up. ... and already 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed. ... and we realize that we lost our parents, friends. and we realize that it is too late to go back ... So ... Let's try, however, to take full advantage of the time we have left ... Let's not stop looking for activities that we like ... Let's put color in our greyness ... Let's smile at the little things in life that put balm in our hearts. And yet, we must continue to enjoy serenely the time that remains. Let's try to eliminate the "after" ... I do it after ... I will say after ... I will think about it after ... We leave everything for 'later' as if "after" was ours. Because what we do not understand is that: after, the coffee cools ... after, priorities change ... after, the charm is broken ... after, health passes ... after, the children grow up ... after, the parents get older ... after, the promises are forgotten ... after, the day becomes the night ... after, life ends ... And after that it's often too late .... So ... leave nothing for 'later' ... Because always waiting for later, we can lose the best moments, the best experiences, the best friends, the best family ... We are no longer at the age where we can afford to postpone until tomorrow what needs to be done right away. Always remember, The day is today ... The moment is now ... [somebody forwarded it at work]

The gender of a baby is purely the will of God (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى).

I've been a guest in this site for some quite time and never really thought of sharing my art but that's going to change. I'm very glad to share some with the Shiachat community: Unveil your soul @ireallywannaknow

If you look at the US, there is freedom of expression in many areas, but not when it comes to Israel. Whoever criticizes Israel is seen in the US as an enemy of the State. The reason why is because almost all politicians of both parties receive big $$$ from AIPAC and other Israeli affiliated groups. So when they get a chance to show how pro Israel they are, they take the chance. In this case, they are 'proving it' by imprisoning a women with very little resources to fight back. May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) help her. If anyone here knows about her case personally, try to contact CAIR www.cair.org, they help sometimes in situations like this. At least they will force the 'so called' Justice Department to tell them what crimes they are charging her with and what evidence they have for those crimes. Being a journalist working for PressTV is not a crime in the US, at least not yet, so they will have to think up something else to charge her with. Twitter feed https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeMarziehHashemi?src=hash

Salam aleykum, please read the bellow and share it on twitter and other news feed, the hashtags are: #FreeMarziehHashemi #Pray4MarziehHashemi Marzieh Hashemi, a journalist and anchor working for Iran’s English-language Press TV television news network, has been detained and imprisoned in the United States for unspecified reasons. American-born Hashemi, most famous for anchoring news programs and presenting shows for Press TV, was detained upon arrival at St. Louis Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday, her family and friends said. Press TV has learned that she was transferred by the FBI to a detention facility in Washington, D.C. The US officials have so far refused to provide any reasons for her apprehension either to her or her family. Hashemi, born Melanie Franklin, had arrived in the US to visit her ill brother and other family members. Her relatives were unable to contact her, and she was allowed to contact her daughter only two days after her arrest. Mistreatment in US jail Hashemi, who has been living in Iran for years and is a Muslim convert, has told her daughter that she was handcuffed and shackled and was being treated like a criminal. The journalist also said that she had her hijab forcibly removed, and was photographed without her headscarf upon arrival at the prison. Hashemi has only been allowed to wear a T-shirt, and is currently using another one to cover her head. Furthermore, she has been offered only pork as meal - which is forbidden under Islamic law - and even denied bread and any other halal food after refusing to consume the meat. Hashemi told her daughter that the only food she has had over the past two days has been a packet of crackers. https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/01/16/585921/Press-TV-news-anchor-Hashemi-arrested-in-US-for-no-specific-reason #FreeMarziehHashemi #Pray4MarziehHashemi

I grow food - grains, vegetables, fruits - which keep people fed and nourished. But I don't do this out of love for humanity. This is business. I develop properties that shelter people and keep them safe from the darkness of the night. Again, business not love. But I do some things out of a sense of love and service. I am part of a charity organisation for the last few years which helps the less fortunate. We provide medical care (check ups, tests, free meds) to those who can't afford it. Some of our members volunteer as teachers and fund less well off families send their kids to school. We also provide aid for unemployed young people set up small businesses and give guarantees so that they are eligible for micro finance loans from the banks. We also step in with goods and services to victims of disasters whenever it happens. Personally, I contribute with my time and money to the best of my capacity. In fact, I have just returned from our monthly free medical camp held at a middle school. Last year we discovered a disproportionately large number of cases of Hepatitis C in rough neighbourhoods. The patients were not even aware they had the disease until we tested them. The tests are so expensive the poor try to avoid it or delay them until things get complicated.

I used to be an aquatic ecologist. I tested waters for pollution and notified companies if they needed to clean up their effluents. I used to drive a town bus. I reduced traffic congestion and got people to where they needed to be in a timely manner. I used to work in child care. I provided loving care to the children of people who had to go into the workforce to support their families and make their contribution to society. For a short while I worked in a toy store. I helped people find lovely things for their children. I made sure to provide service with a smile and listen to their stories. Then I worked in land development. I designed communities with as little environmental impact as practical. But what I do now is much more rewarding than any of those. I care for my family, so that my children can grow up to be good adults who put their something into the world. I hope to do more someday, but I don't know what yet.

Bismehe Ta3ala, Assalam Alikum Brother, Sure you can cut down on the number of hours you are on ShiaChat. Let's say an hour a day and time yourself. That way you know what is going on in the forums and also contribute what you find interesting. Life is too short brother, less time on the internet is actually better for you. You can use your extra time by making up visits to family and friends, reading a book you always wanted to finish, working out in the gym, or any other activity you had in mind. Do you currently hold a job? If you are a student, it would be nice to get a part time job, save up your money and go for ziyarat brother. I promise you, once you go once you always want to go again! @starlight @laithAlIRAQI @Darth Vader Just ask our dear members about their ziyarah. Unforgettable! Please recite fatiha for me brother to fulfill my wish to go for ziyarah. God bless you. M3 Salamah, FE AMIN Allah

Regarding Amr Bil Maroof wa Nahiya Al Munkhar, (enjoining good and forbidding evil) Rasouallah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) Said 'This is Wajib....' If you can change an Injustice with your hands, change it with your hands If you can change it with your mouth, change it with your mouth If you cannot do either, then distance yourself from it in your heart, and this is the weakest type There is an injustice happening as we speak. If you have access to a computer, and access to twitter. THIS IS THE LEAST YOU CAN DO. PLEASE JOIN LETS SHOW THESE THALIM WHO WE ARE AND SHUT DOWN TWITTER !!!!!! For more information on this topic, see

Salam, This is probably a question everyone begs to ask. I spoke with a respected sheikh and he gave some very good and brief tips. I hope everyone benefits from this, nothing complicated. There are three stages you have to keep in mind when we talk about faith (iman). (1) Confessing by tongue (2) Belief in heart (3) Actions The most important stage is the second one. We will often confess by our tongue, do our wajibats, but there is no presence of heart. The Sheikh stressed on the fact that some people don't have true belief, giving an example of his encounter with a salafi student. The student believed in some violent verses and refused to believe the peaceful ones. The sheikh translated a peaceful verse right in front of him, but the student refused to accept out of ignorance, saying "wait till I learn Arabic, I'll prove you wrong". The sheikh said that these types of people don't have an attitude to learn, and nothing goes through their hearts, which is why they find it hard to accept even if they are convinced. Faith is something everyone has. Allah has created a system where we have Iman the minute we were born. In the world of particles, we even confessed to Allah - "there is no God but Allah". However just because we can't remember it doesn't mean that we don't have faith. It is our duty to unlock faith in a world of corruption and materialism. Our blurred vision is through desires, lust, sins etc. The best way to unlock faith is to observe nature. Most Prophets were shepherds, so you can imagine how they observed pure nature. Nature is pure and it reflects the signs of Allah. The Qur'an constantly tells us to look around and not to be so restricted. If we simply spend a few minutes just looking at a tree with pure intentions, knowing how this was not created in vain, our iman will be strengthened. Obviously other ones are obvious such as refraining from sins etc. Also what are your opinions? How do you think we can strengthen our iman?

Assalamualaikum, one of the reasons is, because men have 101, if I'm not mistaken, wajib responsibilities to the wife that are MANDATORY that he follows in regatds to her treatment. Other religions and non-religious lifestyles do not hold women in such a high regard as Islam does, nor do they make it mandatory upon men to respect these other 101 rights and conditions of their marriage. Islam protects the woman, and makes clear and defined the guidelines for the protection of her and any subsequent children that are produced in a marriage. Outside of Islam, there isn't another religion that protects women as such. This is the most rational reason for why it's not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a man other than a Muslim man, however he must be a GOOD and OBSERVANT Muslim man, and be willing to follow God's rules and laws pertaining to how he supposed to take care of his wife and children. Men (and women) come in all different shades, everything from black to white and all the grey in the middle, so how much a particular man adheres to his wajib responsibilities to his wife, will vary from person to person,. If a Muslim man marries outside of Islam to a Christian or a Jewish woman, it's okay, because her status will be improved and raised by the rules and rights in Islam that the man must follow in respecting and maintaining his wife and children. If a Muslim man wants to invite a woman from outside of Islam into Islam and under his care, then it's better for her, but if a woman goes outside of Islam to marry,she's putting herself in a danger zone because no other religion out there makes it mandatory upon the husband to take as good of care of the wife as Islam does. Sorry that wasn't very well thought-out or worded very well, I'm in a hurry right now! W/s

This is me, exactly. I have a job that is okay, but I have been thinking to become a nurse or work at a suicide hotline to comfort people who are hurting.

Thanks to the sensible members who have put some reason back to this thread. Unfortunately, a couple of members have developed a habit of hurling ad-hominem attacks in every other thread I post on turning it into a clown-show. I cannot waste my time on such childish behaviour and I am appalled at how low the quality of forum etiquettes has dropped. The "random internet guy" does not bother me at all - and to be quite frank, it is a true description and one should be cautious in just reading and accepting anything online - these are basic internet rules. The problem, of course, is that in opposition to a "random internet guy" is a "grand Ayatullah" that the member is equally ignorant of his qualifications and credentials. What did bother me is the fact that the person trying to paint a picture of me being "against" Ayatullah Safi Gulpaygani (or any other Marja') is someone who has not read one work of Ayt. Gulpaygani in the field he specializes in (because he does not know the required language nor have the required technical pre-requisites) and is actually not even aware of the methodologies he or other scholars apply (in jurisprudence, let alone in historical matters). Even though Ayt. Gulpaygani does not bother to do an analysis of the chains of sermon of Fadak (like many others), I know for a fact that the member who is fanboying over him cannot begin to speculate why someone like Ayt. Gulpaygani would actually not even care about the chains of the sermon of Fadak. Same applies to scholars like Ayt. Misbah or Ayt. Jawadi, who want this sermon to become part of the seminary curriculum and to be taught, and what their methodology is which would lead them to not care about the chains. Amongst historians like Jafer Murtaza Amuli, once again he is a historian, but to me, his methodologies are similar to someone traditional feeling uncomfortable with the verdicts of someone like Ayt. San'ei or Ayt. Montazeri or Ahmed Qabil in jurisprudence - when you know the approaches someone takes to arrive at conclusions, you tend to give them less value. If I were to come and say Ayt. San'ei allows equal inheritance for women, Ayt. Montazeri allowed men to shake hands with strange women without gloves, or Ahmed Qabil believed Hijab is only mustahabb - how many other experts in the field, let alone laymen who are brought up with the idea since birth that Islamic rulings say otherwise - will take these views seriously? Not many, because other experts are aware of their methodologies and do not agree with them, hence their conclusions are not taken seriously. For me, the works of Jafer Murtaza Amuli - as great and respected as he is - are similar, since his approach is very lenient and his historical methodology is extremely biased, I often take his conclusions on highly debated matters with a grain of salt. Let me be clear. No scholar will ever try to establish the sermon of Fadak with its chain of narrators. They won't because they will not get anywhere with that and it will be suicidal. That is fine, after years of Rijal and history you know that the chains of narrators are not all that matters (even though they are crucial) and that you can verify reports through other means and alibis. Especially in this instance where they can cite multiple chains, some of them going through the Imams (a) and so on. All scholars will establish the sermon by citing "popularity" - meaning there are many chains for it and hence it was a popular sermon since the earliest centuries, so there is nothing to be concerned about. This is their line of argument (and some will use Tabrisi's introduction to his al-Ihtijaj to further justify it). However, as far as I am concerned, that is not enough in this instance to establish the sermon are her words. Historically speaking, this is nothing abnormal. There are many false texts that were produced and misattributed to various people and became very famous texts. A good example is Tawhid al-Mufaddhal, which in recent years some researchers pointed out cannot be from the Imam (a) and resembles Greek texts. People were freaking out, but now more conclusive research has been written and published, to the extent that even the son of Ayt. Sistani cites this research in his Rijal work. In the case of the sermon of Fadak, at least those chains that end with Zaynab bint Ali (s), what we are basically saying is that a sermon that takes around 20 minutes to read at a somewhat quick pace, was apparently memorized in one go by a little 4-5-year-old girl in 11th hijri, without there really being any motive to memorize it at the time. She then apparently transmitted it to someone 50+ years later. If you believe Zaynab bint Ali (s) had super metaphysical infallible-like powers at that age and that her memorization skills should be treated differently than the skills of other children, then you are outside the folds of mainstream Shi’I theology and conditions of accepting reports from an individual set out by centuries of scholarship. This is essentially the result of deterioration of critical analysis in Shi’I hadith sciences and content criticism outside the scope of jurisprudence (which I have mentioned earlier on some other thread, that it is really just becoming a trend again amongst some Shi'a scholars). In fact, outside of jurisprudence it is as if all critical thought is cast aside as long as something fits within dogma, whereas within jurisprudence - at times - the critical thought goes so far deep that you lose track of how an average person understands language. God-Willing, as I get some spare time, I will write out the reasons why I believe this sermon was fabricated in the 3rd century and only became famous and known post-3rd century without it ever having a trace before it (although I already alluded to it in the thread earlier). In fact, the earliest traces of it is found in Sunnis works, by authors and narrators who were either closely attached to the Abbasid government or were supporters of it. You may be wondering why would this sermon first appear in texts written by Sunnis and was narrated by non-Shi'I narrators given its condemnation of Abu Bakr? Good question - Inshallah when I am done writing a detailed response, the educated and well-informed members in Rijal and Tarajim can then judge for themselves or at the very least, a different perspective will be available to them. Others can continue to appeal to authorities they like and there is no issue with it, but I would appreciate they do not stick their noses in places where the nature of discussion is not concerned with appealing to authorities and derail threads with ad-hominems.

How much time have you and I spent exploring other religions or even Atheism for that matter to ensure that Islam is the right path? If we have failed this standard, we better not expect it from others. In fact, we cannot expect this standard from the majority of laymen considering the realities of life and especially in the absence of a Divine Authority of God (Prophet/Messenger/Imam etc.). It follows that there is a responsibility on current Muslims, partially if not wholly, to introduce their religion to the world in a befitting manner. This struggle includes being a good ambassador of Islam in a number of ways such as being kind, humble, patient and tolerant enough to understand different perspectives, human observations and opinions before passing judgements that refer to hell. The struggle also means that we learn and practise our own religion in its true essence, explore other religions in all sincerity, and of course, learn other sciences and branches of knowledge too. Until then, let's not take things out of proportion. I struggle to be part of an ideology that, similar to its counterparts, offers salvation under its umbrella and throws people into hell on the basis of dissent, confusion and/or misunderstanding.

The event of Fadak and what transpired between the lady (s) and the caliph is one thing, but the lengthy sermon we have with us today is another issue. Even if she actually did give a sermon, there is no way to say what we in our disposal today is actually her words. I am referring to the latter. Not only are the chains seriously problematic, and the fact that there is a confession by the fabricator, and that people were already discussing its fabrication in 3rd century Hijri as attested by the author of the earliest extant book in which the sermon is recorded in (Balaghat al-Nisa of Ibn Abi Tayfur), and the fact al-Mas'udi in his Muruj al-Dhahab describes how Jahiz would make up dialogues between Fatima (s) and Abu Bakr in his works; when you actually being analyzing the contents of it in Arabic you will start realizing that many terms and concepts simply were unheard of in 11 AH and were terms and concepts that developed over the next two centuries after the Prophet (p). Wasalam

Excellent course that helps you understand how you study and how you improve it. I really hope all of you get a chance to do this course during your work/university/college breaks. https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn These are my comprehensive notes on it. The main point structure Week 1: What is Learning? Modes of thinking. Memory. Procrastination. Sleep. Week 2: Chunking. Chunking. Recall Illusion of competence. Overlearning Interleaving Week 3: Procrastination and Memory. Procrastination Habits Further into memory Week 4: Renaissance Learning and Unlocking Your Potential. I will leave this week 4 for you when you do the course ;) The main points information Week 1: What is Learning? Modes of thinking. Focused mode: A concentrated form of thinking where your thoughts are focused on concepts that are usually familiar. This means your neurones are focused on a certain part of a brain. An example solving a type of problem that you’ve done before or trying to remember the name of someone on the spot. An analogy is like a pinball is shot bouncing around in a certain area of the pinball machine. Diffused mode: A type of thinking where your thoughts and neural circuits are scattered from one part of your your brain to another in order to make connections between different concepts. An example of this is when you are mundane such as exercising, showering, driving or sleeping and then suddenly an idea pops up. An analogy is like a pinball is shot bouncing from one part of the pinball machine to another. Unconscious neural connections and associations take place in the diffused mode of thinking. Unconscious neural connections and associations are what build basic frameworks to allow new information to be added on in later study sessions. Memory. There is working memory and long term memory. Working memory (short term memory) is working with new chunks of information, for example, when you are trying to solve a problem with new chunks of information. The maximum number of of chunks you can use in working memory is four chunks. The one or more of the four chunks can be connected from long term memory (already ingrained chunks). This memory is accessed from the prefrontal cortex but there are connections to different parts of the brain in order to access long term memory into one of the memory slots of your prefrontal cortex in order to solve a problem. We have to constantly fire up the neurones which represent the chunks/parts of concepts in our working memory in order to reduce the natural dissipating processes that occur to our neurones. Long Term Memory is used when you are recalling chunks of information (synaptic connections of neurones that represent information) that are already ingrained in your mind. It accessed from any part of the brain. It has room for billions of items and can bury other times. So we need to strengthen those synaptic connections of a particular concept in order to recall them. In order to convert short term memory into long term memory, especially for abstract topic such as maths, physics, chemistry etc you need develop strong synaptic connections between our neurones. This process of called consolidation. The best wayof strengthening synaptic connections between neurones according to research to use Spaced repetitionto recall content. Strong synaptic connections between our neurones for medical concepts are needed so they can be recalled much quicker This is why procrastination is so important to prevent because we need to build the willpower to recall and practice relevant material in calculated time intervals in order to build strong synaptic connections in order to be able to recall content quicker. The concept of spaced repetition is analogous to building a brick wall. You need to wait for other parts of the brick wall to dry (connect) before you start adding the same sort of parts on top so the brick wall stays strong (retained) The concept of cramming, however, is analogous to building a brick wall completely at once. All the parts are still wet (unconnected) so it has a higher chance of falling apart (unretained) Procrastination. The discomfortof doing the project you are putting off lastsfor a few secondsbut then the project actively becomes your goal. and, in the long term, this will lead to satisfaction. An analogy is everything in your life. Sleep Just simply being awake creates metabolic toxic products in between the neurones of your brain that cause sub-optimal cognition. When you sleep, your neurones shrink in order to increase space in-between them to allow the toxins to leave the neurones. Sleep causes the conscious part of the brain to be shut off. When the conscious part of the brain is shut off, the unconscious processes allow the formation and strengthening of synaptic connections in differant areas of the brain. This unconscious formation and strengthening of synaptic connections is known as the diffuse mode. Week 2: Chunking. Chunking parts of a concept. When faced with a new concept, it can often seem confusing because it can have multiple parts that seem to be missing or don’t fit together.A chunk are pieces of information which is all bound together by use or often time meaning. A chunk can be large and complex but will still only take one slot of your working memory when you’re trying to learn new concepts. The best way to build a chunk of information is through focused attention, understanding the basic idea and doing practice problems so you can gain mastery and a sense of the big-picture context. All of this is done to strengthen the neural connections of the chunk of information. Scientifically speaking, a chunk is a circuit of neurones that are used to firing smoothly and effectively. The more the neurones are used, the more the circuit of neurones fire smoothly and effectively. Learning a concept chunk by chunk allows you to finally put it all together at the end to allow it to make sense. It is analogous to a puzzle having 100 pieces, all you need to do is just connect 10 pieces at a time. It is important to understand that a chunk of information can be as big or as small as you want to make it. You can combine small chunks together. A chunk can be as big as knowing a whole chapter or as small as knowing the meaning of a word in the chapter A chunk can be as big as knowing a whole lecture or as small as knowing a sentence spoken by the lecturer. A chunk can be as big as knowing how to put on a jacket or as small as knowing how to put your hand through the hole of a jacket. A chunk can be as big as knowing how to drive or knowing how to put the car in first gear. Examples of concepts you can chunk and then add the chunks together. Neurone firing. Intramembranous ossification. Putting on a jacket. Driving a car. Drinking water from a water bottle. Running. Doing a pull up. Making a burger. It is also important to at least know the larger context before deciding to chunk information. For example, you don’t want to try to chunk pieces of information together if you don’t even know what the whole picture is. Another example, you don’t want to learn how to pick up a jacket or put your hand through the jacket hole without knowing it is for putting a jacket. When using your working memory, each of the four slots in your pre-frontal cortex have connections to the whole part of your brain to help make connections. When you’re stressed, these connections become less clear so you make bad decisions when you’re stressed, angry, depressed or afraid. The best chunks are when you don’t have to think about the chunk anymore. This is when you start adding chunks together to build more complex chunks. Once seeing material for the first time, your entire 4 slots of working memory are involved. Once the material starts the process of becoming chunked, the material becomes smoother in your 4 slots of working memory. Once the material is finally chunked, the material then only takes a single a single slot in your working memory that has a link to long term memory. This will then leave 3 other slots free for you to learn new material which that chunk being a hook to allow quicker connections. Recall (retrieval practice) Recall is much more productive than rereading material. In a scientific study, students studied a scientific text and then recalled as much as they could, then they read the scientific text a second time and then recalled a second time. In this method, the students learned far more material and at a deeper level. The only time rereading would be useful is if you were to do it in spaced intervals so at least it would a task of spaced repetition. An extra tip for recall is that you should recall information at multiple locations. Recalling information repeatedly in the same location will allow you to pick up subliminal hints that will help you recall information. This is not helpful because tests are done in unfamiliar environments. Illusion of competence. The most common form of Illusion of competence is looking at the solutions and thinking “I know how they got that” without actually practicing the material yourself. When you practice the material, this means you are using your working memory to finally create a chunk that is linked in your long term memory. This chunk allows you to work creatively with the material to allow you to do well on tests. Over spending time on a concept can lead to an illusion of competence. A more effective way of knowing if you understand the material is if you can recall the material. You can apply it to new situations by doing practice problems. A student who decides to recall and apply the information will encounter inevitably encounter mistakes since not everyone is perfect. Mistakes are important because it allows us to correct our thinking to allow us to perform better. Einstellung Einstellung is when you have over learnt a concept or an idea and now you are suck in a mindset rut and are prevented from accessing an alternative idea in order to solve a problem. You will need to unlearn this idea in order to unlock the idea needed to solve the problem. Interweaving You must be able to understand the idea or technique and move onto another related ideaor technique. This is called interweaving and it prevents Einstellung. This is done to shift the focus from knowing howto use a technique to when use a technique be able to successfully a mixed variety of problems and questions, which is usually the format of an exam. Interleaving also allows the transfer of chunks from different disciplines in order to increase independent thinking and creativity which upgrades you from the initial steps of practice and repetition. Week 3: Procrastination and Memory. Procrastination Procrastination is similar to a disease. The more you allow yourself to be engaged in it. The more likely your procrastination habit will become worse and this will continue into a positive cycle until the end of the semester and you have low grades. Procrastination is a negative keystone habit as it prevents the habit of spaced repetition of the review of material which is the most important habit to learn. When having a project that we need to do. A person who focuses on the outcome of a session before the session has started by saying things such as “I must to 10 questions!” Or “I must read 5 sections!” will cause us to feel stressed that we might not complete the material in that time limit which will cause us to feel anxious. This will activate pain receptors in our brain which cause us to inherently to seek short term temporary pleasure. This pleasure comes from the release of dopamine from websites or activities such as youtube, facebook and reddit. However, once we focus on the process of an activity, it allows us to think about the flow of time and the actions in the flow of time, not the outcomes of the session. This will cause us to feel excited for the session and this is how you beat procrastination. EXTRA NOTE: It is not talking about the learning outcomes of the chapter you are learning, It’s important to read the outcomes of the chapter you are learning, what is meant by not focusing on the outcomes of the session is that we shouldn’t start the session with “I will get this particular actions done by the end of it”. As this adds unnecessary pressure on you which will activate pain signals which will make you procrastinate. :EXTRA NOTE For example: Brushing teeth: Outcome: Putting perfect amount of toothpaste and spending exactly 30 seconds on every quadrant resulting in perfectly clean teeth. Process: Putting tooth paste on toothbrush and just spending around 30 seconds on every quadrant resulting in sufficiently brushed teeth. If focusing on the process of an activity does not work, then just smile and put on a 25 minute timer and forget about how long it will take you. It is important to note that it is perfectly normal to feel like you don’t want to start your work when sitting down to do some work. Everyone has these thoughts one day or another. It’s just what you do about these thoughts that matter. EXTRA NOTE: The discomfortof doing the project you are putting off lastsfor a few secondsbut then the project actively becomes your goal. and, in the long term, this will lead to satisfaction. An analogy is everything in your life: EXTRA NOTE Habits Habits are important because they cause neurological cravings for rewards such as being able to reduce the energy we have to use to make decision to allow us to have energy for other things. Habits are composed of 4 parts; the cue, the routine, the reward. The Cue A cue is an event that serves as a signal for someone to do something. A way of changing your habits is to remove cues or add cues. There are 4 types of cues; location cues, time cues, feeling cues& reactions cues. You must remove cues that cause you do to unproductive routines. A cue can be an example of a location cue can be walking into a library A cue can be an example of a feeling cue can be feeling tired, A cue can be an example of a time cuecan the clock being 10:00 A cue can be an example of a reaction cuecan be hearing the ‘bling!’ of a text message. The Routine A routine is set of actions which is regularly followed for a cue. A way of changing your habits is to change your routines in response to a cue. An example of a routineis when you encounter a location cueof walking into a library You can either to sit down and studyor to sit on youtube for 30 minutes. If you decide to choose a beneficial routine, savour the moment that you chose that routine. You will activate reward centres in your brain which will make you want to do it again. The Reward A reward is something, usually pleasurable, given in recognition to service, effort or achievement. A way of changing your habits is making internal and external rewards for choosing correct routines or removing cues. An example of a reward is when you encounter a time cueof the clock being 10:00 so you choose a routinethat makes you get ready for bed and hence your reward is to be well rested and have productive time in the early hours of the day. Rewards are important for changing previous aspects of habits because they cause a neurological craving for rewards It takes a few days of drudgery before the reward of the habit starts to be expected by your brain. Once this happens, you start to enter flow states where you don’t have to force yourself to study. An extra tip, the better you become at something, the more enjoyable that action becomes. The Belief A belief is trust, faith or confidence in something. Belief is important for changing habits because before you need to have the confidence that you can live through productive habits and can avoid unproductive habits. A way of developing belief is to physically and/or virtually to spend time with people who are in the same position as you and also in higher positions because you will start to realise that everyone has to go through the same problems and that we are all together. This is comforting to know because nobody wants to feel like they are alone. EXTRA: Do not forget to spend time with people who are trying to get where you are, you will be able to help them and it will also inspire you to work harder :EXTRA Further into Memory The visuospatial area of the right hemisphere contributes greatly to retention of information. This means that creating vivid visualisations of the material you are learning helps you to learn and remember it. If this visualisation is visualised in spaced intervals then the visualisation becomes part of the long term memory. You could spend 15 minutes trying to think of a visualisation for a concept, but it will it will then take a minute or then even seconds to conjure it up for practical use. Reconsolidation is the concept that every time you access a long term memory, you change it according to what you have learnt about it since the last time you have accessed it.

Salam, I joined shiachat in 2005. There were times I left the forum for years but I never deregistered, only remained dormant.

But while you do need to go, life is short, you don't need to just go and go and go. Sometimes you have to stop and think about what you've done, where you've been, who you've been. Otherwise, what's the point.

Marzieh Hashmi’s family needs to raise $30,000 for her initial legal fee. Donate if you could. https://www.gofundme.com/rsnb3k-freemarziehhashemi

Italian Christian converts to Islam at Imam Reza (عليه السلام) Holy Shrine http://en.abna24.com/news//italian-christian-converts-to-Islam-at-Imam-reza-as-holy-shrine_924956.html January 15, 2019 - 5:40 PM News Code : 924956 Source : AQRLink: A Christian youth from Italy has converted to Islam after visiting the holy shrine of the eighth Imam of Shia Islam, Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (عليه السلام), located in Iran’s northeastern city of Mashhad. In a show of love to Imam Reza (عليه السلام), the Italian pilgrim changed his name to Reza. Astan Quds has sat with the Italian youth and talked to him about his motivations for becoming a Muslim. 26-year-old Carmelo Coco is from the Italian island of Sicily. He officially declared his faith in Islam and converted to the religion during a special ritual held at the Department of Non-Iranian Pilgrims of Astan Quds Razavi. The newly converted Muslim told Astan News about his life-changing decision. “There was a mosque near my workplace. Every day, I could hear the sound of the prayer call echoing from the mosque’s loudspeakers three times a day. The soothing sound gave me nice feeling. Somehow, I felt really attached to it,” said Carmelo. The intriguing sound finally lured the Italian youth to the mosque, where he became acquainted with a number of Muslims who prayed there. “However, I did not have any information about their religion and beliefs,” admitted Carmelo. The turning point in Carmelo’s life started with a traumatic accident. “Last year, I made a harsh accident and went into a coma. Doctors had lost hope in my recovery,” recalled Carmelo. Amid all the disappointment with Carmelo’s survival, there shone a glimmer of hope. “One of my Muslim friends would sit by my side every day and recite the holy Qur'an for me,” explained Carmelo. The sound was as soothing as the prayer call he had heard from the Mosque. “In the dream world, I could hear the relaxing sound, and it gave me a sense of revival,” he said. To everyone’s surprise, Carmelo gets back to life after a few days. “When I regained consciousness, doctors were shocked and considered this a divine miracle,” recalled Carmelo with a shivering tone. After his recovery, Carmelo’s life changed dramatically. He owed his life to the “relaxing sound of the Qur'an.” He became interested in listening to verses from the holy Qur'an. “So, unwittingly, I was treading on a path from which I never wanted to return,” said the Italian Muslim.

Salaam everybody: I am looking for volunteers to join the ShiaChat Development Team. The ideal candidate is somebody who is relatively active, interested in site improvement ideas, and is collaborative in nature. It's a low key, relatively low stress, not intimidating, and completely voluntary position, and you need only participate within the scope of your capabilities and interests. No technical skills required. It's a lot of fun, and lets you see the cutting edge of what we plan for the site, long before others do! Any other questions, or if you are interested in joining, PM me. Interested candidates will be reviewed by mods and admins before selection. Below is the official list of Dev Team Roles and Responsibilities:

Ate: Paye (Haters going to hate but its lovers going to love) In a perfect world I'd have eaten this with a couple of hot naans or at least a khameeri roti but since we do not live in a perfect world, I imagined a beef stew-soup and used a spoon to eat most of it until I had to get my hands dirty... (pic off the web)

Bismehe Ta3ala, Assalam Alikum. Brother @AStruggler Do you want them as English speakers or in other languages? I have a different list in Arabic. I enjoy listening to Hajj Khalil Jafar Sheikh Nuru Mohammed Dr. Shomali

[Forwarded from Tobias Martin Schneider] By Dr. Farrokh Sekaleshfar In the name of the Almighty RELEASE MARZIEH HASHEMI When a Muslim Ummah is tested! Recently, news has been released that sister Marzieh Hashemi has been arrested by the US authorities and taken under the supervision of the FBI. Although I know the sister in person – like many of you – nevertheless I do not want to speak about her or give a biographical account of who she is and her relentless efforts in the cause of Islam. Others can do that much better than me. The question I would like to raise and semi-dissect is: what should we Muslims do? I usually do not write on such incidents because I feel I am not at all experienced enough. But since I knew her in person and recall when she bid me farewell the day before leaving for the States, the below is my humble contribution and what I can offer to her. Before writing a few words on this however, I want to shed some light on the mystical angle of such incidents and that is, that she is benefiting spiritually from this oppressive episode and her struggles and burdens will disclose nothing but goodness primarily to herself and maybe to the ummah, depending on how the ummah reacts. The Qur'an states: “if you did good, you did it for your own selves, and if you did bad, it is for your own selves” If one does good, they will only benefit themselves spiritually; whether others benefit from their efforts, depends on how those ‘others’ reacted to the good of that person. If they react positively, the ummah grows. If they react negatively, the ummah will suffer and be a recipient of more of the same troubles experienced by the good doer. How can this horrific experience assist Ms Hashemi? Answer: through tawheed I.e. she relies less and less on creatures and becomes more and more reliant upon the sole self-sufficient authority I.e. Allah. She does not fear the oppressive forces at play because she knows no-one can honour or dishonour her save Allah. There is no effector or authority save Allah. The FBI are merely an amusement and deviation. It’s a side-show for the monotheist. They cannot do anything. Its all Allah in play and she will become more and more stronger and reliant upon Him over time. All actions are Allah’s creation and therefore are good. Evil does not exist. It’s a relative term, coined as a mental construct for us humans and how close or distanced we become from the source of absolute perfection. Evil is a mental construct pertaining to our spiritual wayfaring towards absolute perfection. Evil cannot exist in the external world. Its impossible and claiming such would be attributing deficiency to Allah. Ms Hashemi now has been granted the honour of manifesting lady Zaynab’s slogan of “I see nothing but beauty”. So ‘evil’ only applies to our spiritual status quo when it is in the state of becoming farther away from manifesting the divine attributes of Allah. With every beating or act of oppression she receives, she will become more and more illuminating inside and this indeed is an honour for a monotheist. So bravo upon you sister! But what about us and the ummah? All the above was her duty and her spiritual fate. But what are we going to do? Are we going to waste this golden opportunity? Are we going to allow all her efforts and struggles go to waste? If we do, history will keep repeating and maybe many of us are comfortable with that as long as it does not compromise our worldly lives. However, for those who want to do something, what is the plan? What are the means to be used? First we must try and find the help from within and not outreach towards US federal authorities. This would be spiritually crippling. Even if some claim that we are coerced to do this, it is still tantamount to getting help from the enemy, strengthening them and even taking them as your allies or authorities. This would dishonour us. This is not acceptable as a first course of action. We shouldn’t even be cooperating with non-Muslim legalists and lawyers as a first course of action, paying them extensive sums of money, strengthening their authority and belittling ourselves. Yes as a last resort, this is ‘permissible’ from a shariah point of view, but it will still qualify as contaminating ourselves, from a tariqah point of view. Don’t suffice with the letter of the law. Okay so what should we do? I don’t know and its not up to one person like me to decide. A strong board of scholars must formulate a protocol for the Muslim masses, especially those in the US – something which we are utterly lacking today. Most of our organizations are either afraid of protecting Islam due to losing out on and compromising their worldly opportunities in the United States and others are just not bothered to do anything and want to continue assigning themselves as the suppressed without making an effort to retaliate such a status quo. But what we can do, starting with the communities Ms Hashemi was a part of in the United States, we must start protesting and exercising as much demonstrations as possible, merely highlighting the oppressions actualised. We Muslims have to start from a grass root level under the auspices of the clergy (if accessible). Strengthening ourselves albeit only quantitatively through peaceful demonstrations is a start. Only after fortifying ourselves, should we invite others to join in. who? Ms Hashemi was part of a minority group, black and female. These categories of people must be informed on a vast scale and invited to join. It will affect them too in the future. All this costs money but this is where the money should be spent first. Muslim lawyers should be honouring themselves to join the masses and cooperate maximally. And inshallah if organised properly, a significant shift will arise and Islam will succeed one step forward. This is merely one step closer to the threshold of explosion after which, Islam will permeate throughout the world. But until we get there, we must do our bit. This would be our deliverance inshallah!

It’s true but America has Muslim senators that must do something at least for solidarity & caring about other Muslims in America because if they don’t do anything after her America can arrest any journalist & Muslims without reason. press tv & Iran only can keep her matter alive but it needs action from Muslims in America already a group of journalists are supporting her for their agenda of supporting any journalist around the world but Muslims like as @Abu Hadi & @Hameedeh & rest of Muslims communities in America can ask from Muslim senators in Congress that they do their Islamic duty to ask for her freedom & ask questions from authities that arrested her.