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There's no doubt a strong connection between a mother and her child exists, but there's more to that. They even share the same heartbeat rhythm. A few years ago, scientists discovered that babies and their mothers can synchronize their heartbeats just by looking at each other. The researchers explained their discovery in the following words, Mothers and their 3-month old infants were observed during face-to-face interactions while cardiac output was collected from mother and child. Micro-analysis of the partners' behavior marked episodes of gaze, affect, and vocal synchrony. Time-series analysis showed that mother and infant coordinate heart rhythms within lags of less than 1 s. Apart from that, a Japanese scientist discovered that playing the tape recording of a mother's heartbeat helps to put crying babies to sleep. The same occurs when a crying baby is held on the left side by the mother, enabling the baby to hear the heartbeat. This is exactly why fathers have a hard time soothing their babies while the mothers don't. So, don't worry fathers, your baby does love you, but your wife has magical powers (Not so magical now though) According to many psychologists, this experience is imprinted on the infant's mind, because of which, the repetitive sound never loses its ability to lower the stress levels for the rest of one's life. So, if you're stressed out, go and hug your mother.

S/a, I had gone on a business trip/family vacation for a few days. I had my wife and 4 kids with me. Before my travel, I had firmly reinforced my intentions of praying all my prayers on time. This has previously been a weakness for me (praying during travel), but since my spirituality has increased over the last time I traveled, I thought I would fare well. Unfortunately, I failed! :-( My first day was okay, but the remainder 6 days were not! I have been trying to search the reasons for me failing so easily and trying to see what I can do for the future so I do not repeat this poor behavior. So far, I feel the following factors contributed to my failure: quiet place to pray (I was in a VERY busy city and it seemed like there was people everywhere) clean place to pray (issues of najis/unclean areas) "inconvenience" of doing wuddhu - both with dress attire and having to do wuddhu in public areas fear of persecution in this political climate (go figure how much I depend on God!) responsibility of 4 kids being extremely tired and exhausted at end of day (to at least do qadha) being outside the comfort of home (or place I am familiar with) etc Can anyone suggest what I can do to make my connection with God be as strong during my periods of travel? Thanks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Ironically, I found this (below) in my email on my arrival (it has started helping me and hope it helps others too): Quranic Reflections 6:16. Āyat 66:8 – Turning to Allah (swt) يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا Yā ayyuhalladhīna āmanū tubū ilallāhi tawbatan nasūha. O you who believe, turn to Allah a sincere turning (Sūratut Tahrīm, No. 66, Āyat 8) This verse is an invitation to turn back to God after having turned away from Him. For all those who have become distracted from God, have disobeyed Him, and have not made Him the focus of their lives, God calls them back to Him. He asks them to repent for the distance they have created between themselves and their Lord. It should be a sincere repentance based on awe of Allah (swt) and a disappointment with the self. The word nasūhā implies sincerity as well as a firm determination. Its purity prevents a person from returning to the pollution of sin. Turning back to Allah has to have the following qualities: a) Feeling remorse with the heart at having turned away b) Apologizing and seeking forgiveness with the tongue c) Stopping sins and all that turns one away from God d) Intending to continue quality (c), above. When the world is full of distractions and the human being is so weak, it is very easy to turn away from God. This does not only mean committing sins. Sometimes it is possible that a believer is not disobedient. But he is apathetic in his obedience. His connection with Allah is weak despite performing his wājibāt (the required obligations). This distance from God weakens his resolve and creates emptiness in life which he seeks to fill with other things. Allah tells him to turn back to him, sincerely and strongly. Such a turning back is valuable and can transform his life. It is incredible that the human being in all his weakness and smallness turns away from His creator. God in all His greatness and majesty calls him back. Why? After having created him, having blessed him with so much, giving him guidance so he can turn to Him, God still is patient with Him. He does not give up on him and invites him to come to Him. Imam Ali (a) says: Be obedient to Allah and love His remembrance. Picture to yourself that you are running away while He is approaching you. He is calling you to His forgiveness and concealing your faults with his kindness while you are fleeing from him towards others. (Nahjul Balāgha, Sermon 220) In Du‘ā al Iftitāh, recited in the nights of Holy Ramadān, we say: [O Allah] I have not seen a more generous master, patient with a wretched slave, than You are with me. My Lord, You call me and I turn away from You, You show affection to me and I show hatred towards You, You display Your love for me and I do not respond, as though I am above You. But this does not prevent You from having mercy on me, being good to me, and favoring me, through Your Generosity and Nobility Such is the Merciful God we worship. As we enter the season of worship during the months of Rajab, Sha’ban and holy Ramadhan, turn back to God with sincerity and determination. Recite this verse to remind yourself of God’s invitation and accept the call to turn to Him. Life will become much more meaningful and enlightened.

"Connection with the 12th Imam During Ghaybat; Impact of the Nur of the Imam - Maulana Syed Rizvi" www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urcou0ircEI To help establish the spiritual connection with the Imam of the Time (atfs), Maulana Rizvi related that Ayatollah Khorasani has mentioned the following to his students on the enquiry on how to establish (spiritual) connection: 1-3 stresses on self-purification whilst 4-5 emphasizes the expression of love towards the Imam of the Time (atfs) 1. Doing namaz (solah) at their prime time 2. Fulfiling the wajibat 3. Refraining from the haram 4. Everyday after Solatul Fajr recite Dua Ahad (Pledge of Allegiance) 5. Recite Sura Ya Seen once a day and dedicate the reward to the Imam of the Time (atfs) ** ** Maulana commented that he (Maulana) has not come across any hadith on this. However, the Maulana mentioned that it may have come out of the personal experience/practice of Ayatollah Khorasani.