World's Better Half

So its final, well kind of, i mean a sort of. For corporate participation in the cyclothon,a ten member team is required. Thanks to Parikshit's efforts (IBM Bangalore) we are closing in on that number after all riding 25 kms is not an easy decision to make for all. Are there any other corporates out there who are driving green ???

Ramadan is special be it renewing faith, learning new lessons, new kinds of experience. Living a life in differing circumstances always brings out new challenges, new ways of addressing a situation. Imagine wearing a tight belt for a single day for some therapeutic purpose, having to address meetings, talking and interacting with customers, every one else at their usual mode, but you are having to interact at your usual mode given your unusual constraint of wearing a tighter belt. Now imagine having to wear the tight belt for an entire month, lets say for trimming your belly and still having to do the usual stuff. Apart from trimming your belly, it also brings out new things in you, make you realize new things ... There are two aspects i would like to discuss today, one is an incident that happened recently other is the message of eid delivered at Masjid today. Both are inter-related, let me try to make it short so as to take least of your precious time you are spending here fo...

After a month of compulsory fasting a day full of blessings comes. It is a day of thankfulness to Allah for making the fasting easier for us. It is a day of thankfulness for increasing our provisions.Blessed is this day.A night before it is the night of forgiveness from sins. As the workers get their salary only on completion of their work satisfactorily so also the slaves of Allah get rewards on the last night after completing one month's fasting.Some sunnaths of this blessed day are: 1. Waking up early in the morning and take bath. 2. Wear new clothes.if not new at least clean and good clothes. 3. Wear fragrance(for males) 4. To pray eid salaath as early as possible. 5. Say taqbeer while on the way to eidgah and also while waiting for prayers. 6. Wish your brothers and exchange gifts. 7. To go to eidgaah by one road walking and return by another road. Sadaqa ul fitr is an obligatory charity to be given a day before or at least before going for eid prayers. It is given to...

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The BSA Hercules Cyclothon scheduled to commence at 7.00 a.m. on October 11 will have the following races – Elite (for professional and competitive athletes) and amateur race (50 Km), Corporate Race (25Km), Green Race (25 Km), Teen Ride (13-17 years) (5Km), and Fun ride (8-12 years) (2 Km). The race will be flagged-off from Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) and will proceed through the length of the NICE Corridor and finally move on to Bannerghatta to conclude at BIEC. For those enthusiastic participants from outside Bangalore who would like to take part in the BSA Hercules Cyclothon, TI Cycles of India will be renting around 1500 bicycles on a first come - first serve basis. For more information visit the official website http://BSAherculescyclothon.in.com or SMS CYCLO to 51818 See Participation Details  updated (12-10-2009)

The 87-year-old Raja Valiyathampuran of Kodungallur in Central Kerala is a descendant of King Cheraman Perumal, the first Indian to embrace Islam in the early 7th century. Talking to him is like talking with history. In the following interview taken by A U Asif (right in the picture) in Ernakulam, he dwells in detail upon his great early ancestor and the oldest mosque (above) of the sub-continent. He also asks North Indians to come to Kerala and see how people of different religions are living there for centuries in an atmosphere of harmony, fraternity and peace. How do you take your great great grandfather Cheraman Perumal? Cheraman Perumal was not only a king and my ancestor, but the first Indian to come into the fold of Islam. He was actually the person who gifted Islam and the first ever mosque to the Indian sub-continent. This happened much before the advents of Muhammad bin Qasim and Mahmood Ghaznavi. This shows that Islam didn’t come to India with the sword. Is it a...

The question of how to manage state's administrative expenses with a lean tax system (In an earlier discussion about tax,zakath and jizya ) remained unanswered, so here we go. Administration is run by people who have personal as well as administrative needs, desires and obligations. Lets look at real life samples of real life administrators. Prophet peace be upon him was administrator of the state of Medina, his house was such that if he stood up his head would touch the ceiling, it had only place for four people the fifth person would have to stand outside. Months would pass and the only food he would have had was dates and water. (the list is endless, you can find more info from right sources) The first Khaleefa Abubakar Allah be pleased with him, set out to sell cloths for his living on the first day he assumed duty as the administrator and decided not to depend on the states fund for his expenses. Second Khalifa Umar, Third Khalifa Usman and Fourth Khalifa Ali Allah be pleased...

It was a few years back since i tried Roohafza, an unusual thing about having a sensitive stomach is its lactic intolerance. If it is milk it has to be diluted to quite an extent for consumption. So it was during one of such dilution processes I stumbled upon RoohAfza,my stomache tolerated the milkshake with roohafza to a higher degree. This was how the relationship began with roohafza, after shifting to bangalore it was not easy for me to locate a shop that sells the magic drink so gradually roohafza and me parted ways. Recently one of my good friend invited me for an iftar, while we were having iftar my eyes fell upon the light red colored drink, it was none other than my long lost friend roohafza mixed in water, needless to say there was not much delay in bringing home the bottle.

Consider a following scenario. A person earns 1000,000 (10 laks/1 million) per year. Tax for a Citizen of India Assume that he/she saves the maximum limit of 100000(1 lakh/0.1million) through tax saving schemes. He Pays - 180,250.00 ( 1.8 Lakhs/0.18 million ) She Pays - 177,160.00 ( 1.7 Lakhs/0.17 million ) Tax for a Muslim Citizen under Sharia Assume that the individual saves about 30% of his money at the end of the year, this could be more taking into consideration previous years savings etc. Savings = 333333.33 (3.33 Lakh/ 0.33 Million) He/She pays = 8333. 33 ( eight thousand ) ( 2.5 % of Savings at end of the year) Tax for a Non Muslm under Sharia – Jizya For Women/children/slaves/lunatics/paupers/monks/hermits/sick/Sanyasi/Pujari = 0 ( Zero – per year ) He Pays = between INR 5352 – 3500 (if he is well to do) – per year He Pays = between INR 2676 – 1750 (middle income) – per year He Pays = between INR 1338 – 875 (manual workers, tailors cobblers etc) – per year You might be wond...

Click To Enlarge Image the fatwa It is preferable to pay the Zakath at during Ramzan since the reward of each farz is equivalent to 70 farz(obligatory act) of non Ramzan days. Calculate your zakath today. You might have to add/remove other variables to calculate your zakath its better to consult with a local Ulema for the same.

“No! There is no intent to make you nervous” Abdul insisted and continued "The flight takes of normally and in a couple of hours it should reach the destination, passengers are relaxed some takes to entertainment and some sleep and then ! All of a sudden the captain announces 'the flight has some technical problem, nothing to worry, we would have to turn around and land back'" Abdul paused; He looked at Saleem and asked "Now imagine you were in that very flight". Saleem thought to himself, “Fate rarely calls upon us in the moment of our choosing, the nearest experience to that would be the nightmares, when I was the passenger and undergone the virtual perils of torture but thank god the ordeal would end with the end of sleep” “Yes” he confirmed “I have had nightmares, but during the day and you are in one such flight it’s another matter all together, but why such a question? Why now?” “All of us like to hear news that makes us happy, not the ones that makes ...