There's nothing like freshly fried potato pancakes, and thanks to Hanukkah, you can't visit a food blog right now without seeing a gorgeous-looking potato latke recipe.

I'm quite proud of my version, so I decided to repost this video from last year. We garnished this with smoked salmon, but truth be told, my favorite way to enjoy them is topped with applesauce and sour cream. I hope you enjoy seeing this potato pancake recipe again, and if you’re watching this for the first time, I really hope you give it a try. A happy Hanukkah to all those celebrating, and as always, enjoy!

Potato Pancakes – Squeeze and Be Squeezed



Click here for the original post and ingredient amounts.
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by Salman Hameed

I have in the past lambasted Saudi Arabia for a number of things (for example, on mindless executions based on sorcery charges, or for their efforts to buy academic prestige) and will likely continue doing that until the women there have at least some modicum of equality. But here is a positive and inspiring story about a female Saudi innovator. Hayat Sindi, who has now launched her own Mideast foundation, The Institute for Imagination and Ingenuity, to help scientists from the area (tip from Darakhshan). She actually has an interesting story about how Hayat got educated:

Sindi, who dresses in a traditional headscarf but also in trendy heels, relishes the details of making her own way in science. It started with a fib to her family after her first year of college in Saudi Arabia. 

Keen to continue her studies abroad, she told her father some good news: She had been accepted at a prestigious university in London. Her traditional Muslim father said it would tarnish the family name for a young woman to live overseas alone. “He told me, ‘Over my dead body,’” Sindi recalls. Still, she persuaded him, and off she went to England. 

The truth is, she hadn’t been accepted at any university. When she landed in London as a teenager in 1991, she says, she spoke only Arabic, no English. “My first night there, I went to a youth hostel,” she says. “I was in an attic room. I panicked. I looked at my plane tickets—my father had bought a return ticket. I thought, I’ll go home tomorrow.” Instead she went to an Islamic cultural center and got a translator to help her meet with college officials. “They told me, ‘You’re crazy,’” she says. “I was naive. I thought they would just let me in.” 

After a year spent cramming on English and studying to pass the “A-levels,” the U.K.’s college-admission courses, she got herself in to King’s College, where she graduated in 1995 with a degree in pharmacology. She went on to get a Ph.D. in biotechnology from Cambridge in 2001. She says her family didn’t learn about her lie until years later, when they were surprised to hear her mention it in a speech.

This story is quite amazing and she seems fantastically driven (though this is still not the advertisement for Saudi Arabia: You can get well-educated if you can get out of there by lying. Okay - I have to suppress my cynical side on this feel-good story). And now she is planning to provide help for scientists in the middle east:

Sindi recently wrapped up a stint as a visiting scholar at Harvard, where she co-founded Diagnostics for All, the organization developing the disease-diagnosing paper, which changes colors when dabbed with bodily fluids from a person who is ill. The idea is to make it simple even for someone who isn’t a doctor to quickly and cheaply diagnose disease in places where doctors or clinics might be nonexistent. 

Sindi currently is a fellow at PopTech, a U.S.-based nonprofit that provides fellowships to scientists in an effort to foster global innovation. On October 21, at a PopTech conference in Camden, Maine, she will launch her own Mideast foundation, the Institute for Imagination and Ingenuity, which will help scientists write business plans, and find investors for their ideas. “I picture scientists finding new ways to purify water, or diagnose disease,” Sindi says. 

A big obstacle for Mideast scientists, she says, is that they aren’t savvy about putting together a business plan; as a result, venture capitalists in the region are wary of investing in science. Sindi says she hopes to eventually expand her foundation to the U.S., and plans to split her time between both places. 

It’s clear that she already dwells in both worlds, although Sindi has been living in the West for her adult life. Sitting in a coffee shop near the PopTech offices in Brooklyn, she wears a blue headscarf, suede heels and silvery eye shadow and jokes that scientists need not be geeks. And she describes her deep respect for her culture. “I’m very proud of where I came from,” she says. “Sometimes people think they need to completely discard their culture. But you have to hold on to your identity.” 

In Saudi Arabia, the number of women in the workforce has nearly tripled since 1992, according to a study by consulting firm Booz & Company. But the number is still low for the region: The female participation rate in the Saudi workforce is 14 percent, compared with 59 percent in the United Arab Emirates. Saudi culture doesn’t make it easy for women to work. A male guardian must give permission if a woman wants to get a job. Sindi hopes she can help change that.

Read the full article here. Also, you can see a video of her presentation at PopTech 2009 here.

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Unlike some families, we don’t have a set-in-stone Christmas dinner menu. It really varies year to year. We’ve tried just about every holiday roast imaginable, and I don’t think we’ve even had the exact same side dishes twice, but when it comes to dessert, that’s a whole other story.

The meal must end with this gingerbread cake and it’s glistening lemon glaze. My wife Michele makes this every year, and uses a recipe she adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook, which despite being very simple, always gets rave reviews.

Of course, she adds a few secret, extra-exotic ingredients (I can’t confirm or deny that one is cardamom), which I didn’t use here, but I’ve always believed married couples should have there own unique gingerbread cake recipes, and mine features a little dash of Chinese five-spice instead.

Was it as good as Michele’s annual Christmas offering? Of course not (see why I’ve stayed happily married for 22 holidays?), but it was very delicious, and I’m sure you’d thoroughly enjoy it. So, if you’re looking for a new addition to your holiday dessert table, I hope you give this a try. Enjoy!

Gingerbread ingredients for one 8 or 9-in square cake:

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (8-oz by weight)

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 rounded teaspoons ground ginger (3 if you like it spicier)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup dark molasses

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup boiling water

*Bake at 350ºF or about 35 minutes.
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest

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These cookies were brought to the Cookie Swap party by Laura.  They are really great, simple cookies with a fun caramel surprise center.  It's a favorite among both kids and adults!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

48 rolo candies

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a large bowl mix sugars and butter until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs, beat well.  In a small bowl mix flour, cocoa and baking soda.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined well.  Cover batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes for easier handling.

For each cookie, roll just enough dough to cover a rolo completely in the batter.  Sprinkle sugar on each ball of dough and place cookie balls 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 7 minutes.

Preparation:

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One of the world most beautiful Mosque. The great structure of Architectural work Best islamic Art work.

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I dont know its true or not.... But:

Allah's name appears on carpet in Masjid after Quran Competition
Place: Birmingham Islamic Society (BIS) Masjid Alabama, USA.
Date: May 3, 2003.

Details: The Islamic Academy of Alabama (IAA) holds its annual Quran memorization competition for the students from K5-8th grade in the Birmingham Islamic Society (BIS) Masjid. Yesterday was that day. The heavy rain fall in the last two days in the area made the roof of the masjid leaking in one place and drops of water fell to the carpeted-floor. The Masjid caretaker put a plastic bowl to collect the water. When the Quranic competition finished, one of the girls picked up the bowl, and there was a surprise underneath. The name of Almighty Allah in Arabic script had appeared on the carpet.

Souce: http://www.islamicmiracles.net/miracles_of_Allah_Almighty69837.htm

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Somewhere in West Kalimantan, Indonesia
The first thing that appeared in my mind soon when I arrived back in Indonesia was the willingness to start the life, the work that had been postponed. I miss my family and friends, I have thousands of stories to tell. I miss my students, wanna see how they have grown.

People told me it's easy to apply for a teacher position but reality proved that it
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After the Conquest of Makkah, Caeser - Ruler of Byzantium, which was considered the greatest military force on earth at the time - could no longer turn a blind eye to the activities of the Muslims. He was anxiously aware of the Arab tribes' expectations of independence, and their hopes of getting free from his reign and influence. They could not ignore the alliance of the Arab tribes on his borders to the Muslims. So he concluded that the demolition of the Muslims' power had grown an urgent necessity. This decision of his should, in his opinion, be achieved before the Muslims become too powerful to conquer, and raise troubles and unrest in the adjacent Arab territories. Thus, Caeser raised a huge army of Byzantine and pro-Roman Ghassanide tribes to launch a decisive bloody battle against the Muslims. News of this army reached the Muslims and much fear spread in their hearts. After much deliberating on the situation, the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam made up his mind and ordered his companions to prepare for war. No sooner had the Muslims heard the voice of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam calling them to fight the Byzantines, than they rushed to comply with his orders. Almost all the Muslims responded positively. Only those who had weakness in their hearts favoured to stay behind. They were only three people. Their story is told below:

Due to its particular circumstances, this invasion was a particularly severe trial provided by Allâh only to try the believers' faith and sort them out from the others. This is Allâh's permanent Will in such circumstances. In this respect He says: "Allâh will not leave the believers in the state in which you are in now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good..." [Qur'ân 3:179]

Lagging behind and hanging back from full participation in that invasion amounted to a degree of hypocrisy. Whenever the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was informed of a man's lingering, he would say: "Leave him alone! If Allâh knows him to be good, He will enable him to follow you; but if he were not so, Allâh would relieve us of him."

Nobody stayed behind except those who were either hindered by a serious excuse or the hypocrites who told lies to Allâh and His Messenger. Some of those hypocrites' lingering was due to an excuse based on forgery and delusion. Some others tarried, but didn't ask for instant permission. But there were three believers who unjustifiably lingered. They were the ones whose faith Allâh tried, but later He returned to them in Mercy and accepted their repentance. One of the believers' stories is recorded in an authentic hadeeth:

It has been related by 'Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Maalik, who became Ka'b's guide from amongst his children - when he became blind. He said: I heard Ka'b bin Maalik speaking about the incident concerning his non-participation during the Battle of Tabuk.

Ka'b said: I was not absent from the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam during any campaign that he fought in, except the Battle of Tabuk. Nevertheless, I was absent from the Battle of Badr. However, no individual was admonished for non-participation. Indeed, the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam departed in search of a caravan of the Quraish, thereafter certain events took place until Allâh assembled the two armies unexpectedly. Verily, I witnessed the night of Al-'Aqabah (the pledge) with the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, the night wherein we pledged our allegiance to Islam. Furthermore I would not exchange it for participation in the Battle of Badr, regardless of the fact that the Battle of Badr is deemed more noteworthy amongst the people. In relation to my news: I had never before been stronger nor wealthier than at the time I remained behind the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam during that campaign. By Allâh - I had never before been in possession of two she-camels, until the time of the battle.

The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam would conceal his intention to embark upon a military expedition by making reference to other campaigns, until the time for that expedition arrived.

The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam conducted that expedition during a season of extreme heat, undertaking a lengthy journey through desert terrain. In addition, the enemy was great in number. Thus, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,) clarified the matter to the Muslims, in order that they prepare themselves adequately for their campaign, and he informed them of their intended destination. The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was accompanied by a considerable number of Muslims, whose names could not be recorded in a book. Ka'b continued: Any individual who wished to remain absent would assume that his absence would pass unnoticed, unless it was revealed by Allâh by means of Divine Revelation. The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam undertook that expedition during a season wherein the fruit had ripened and the shade had become pleasant.

The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and the Muslims equipped themselves with the necessary provisions. I too departed in order to prepare myself, however I returned without accomplishing anything. I would say to myself: I am able to prepare myself. Hence, I continued to postpone my preparations. However the people occupied themselves in earnest with the journey, until the day arrived wherein the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and the Muslims proceeded to depart. However I had not completed any part of my preparations. I said to myself: I shall prepare myself in one or two days after his departure, and then I will join them.

The morning after their departure, I set out in order to equip myself. However, I returned without completing anything. The following morning, I set out again, nevertheless, but I returned without accomplishing anything. This continued until they hastened towards the battle, and the campaign had passed by. Nevertheless, I intended to depart and reach them, would that I had done so! However, I was not destined to do that.

After the departure of the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam I would enter amongst the people and it would become a cause of sadness for me. For I did not see except the one suspected of being a hypocrite, or the weak and infirm whom Allâh had excused from participation.

The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam did not remember me until he arrived in Tabuk. He was sitting amongst his people in Tabuk and asked "What happened to Ka'b?" A man from amongst the tribe of Bani Salimah responded: "O Messenger of Allâh, he was hindered by his garments and pleasure for his clothes and his self."

Mua'adh bin Jabal said: "What a wretched statement you have uttered. O Messenger of Allâh, we do not know of him save goodness."

Hence, the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam became silent. Whilst he was in that position, he saw a man clothed in a white garment real in essence (not merely a desert mirage). The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "May it be Abu Khaythama al-Ansaaree, he was the one who donated a measure of dates when the Munaafiqeen (Hypocrites) defamed him."

Ka'b bin Maalik continued: When I learned that he had turned in order to return, I was consumed by distress, and started therefore to invent lies. I started to question myself: With what can I avoid his anger tomorrow? I sought assistance from every individual of sound mind and judgment from amongst my family.

When it was mentioned that the Messenger of Allâh's sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam arrival is imminent, the false excuses vanished from my mind. I recognized that I could not liberate myself from this predicament by means of falsehood. I therefore resolved to speak the truth.

The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam arrived the following morning. It was a practice of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam that upon returning from a journey, he would proceed towards the Mosque and perform a two rak'ah prayer therein, and then sit amongst the people. After those matters had taken place, the absentees approached him. They started to present their excuses and take oaths to that effect. There were over eighty men in number. The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam accepted their excuses, their oaths, and sought forgiveness on their behalf. In addition, he entrusted unto Allâh their secret affairs. Thereafter I approached him, and conveyed the greeting upon him. He smiled - the smile of the one enraged. Then he said: "Come forward." I therefore approached him walking until I was sitting before him. Then he said: "What prevented you from accompanying us? Had you not purchased a riding animal?"

I responded: "Of course O Messenger of Allâh. However, by Allâh, if I was in the presence of any other man from amongst the inhabitants of this World, I would avoid His wrath by presenting an excuse for I have been granted the ability to speak in an eloquently persuasive manner. However, I am aware that if I utter a lie today in order to seek your pleasure, certainly Allâh will cause you to become enraged with me in the future. Alternatively, if I inform you of the truth, thereby causing you to become angry, I may nevertheless hope for Allâh's Pardon. No, By Allâh I have no excuse to present. I had never before been stronger nor wealthier than during the time I neglected to accompany you."

The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam replied: "In relation to this man - he has spoken the truth. Therefore, stand until Allâh pronounces judgment in this matter." I therefore stood, a group of men from the tribe of Bani Salimah became disorderly and started following me. They addressed me: "By Allâh - we have not known you to commit a misdeed. Verily you erred in not excusing yourself before the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam in a similar manner to the other absentees who excused themselves. The Messenger of Allâh's sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam action of seeking forgiveness for your misdeed would have been sufficient for you." They continued to reprimand me until I desired to return to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and fabricate a lie against myself (contradict my story). However I questioned them:

"Is there any other individual in a similar position?" They responded:

"Yes, there are two men who uttered the same statement as you and both received the same directive as you did." I asked: "Who are these two men?" They answered: "Murarah bin al-Rabee' and Hilaal bin Umayyah al-Waaqifee."

By their statement, they had made reference to two virtuous men who had participated in the Battle of Badr, and were examples to be followed. After they had mentioned these two men I remained steadfast upon my original statement.

Thereafter, the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam prohibited the Muslims from speaking to us -namely the three individuals from amongst us who had neglected to accompany him.

As a consequence the people avoided us and altered their conduct towards us, until the land wherein I lived appeared foreign, not one which I was familiar with. We remained in that state for a period of fifty nights. In relation to my companions - they surrendered themselves to their houses and remained seated therein, weeping. However, I was the youngest and most forbearing of the three, I would therefore exit the house in order to perform the prayer with the other Muslims.

I would wander around the markets, yet no one would speak to me. I would approach the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and convey the greeting upon him whilst he was sitting amidst his gatherings, which took place upon completion of the prayer. I would question myself: Did his lips move in the act of reciprocating the greeting upon me or not? Thereafter, I would perform the prayer close by him, and look towards him in a surreptitious manner. When I occupied myself with the prayer, he would turn towards me. However, when I looked in his direction, he would avoid me. When this period of estrangement lengthened, I set out to walk until I climbed upon the wall of Abu Qatadah's garden. He was my cousin and amongst the most beloved of people to me. I conveyed the greeting upon him, and by Allâh -he did not reciprocate the greeting upon me. Hence, I said: "O Abu Qatadah: I implore you by Allâh, are you aware that I love Allâh and His Messenger?" He remained silent. I appealed to him by Allâh a second time, however he remained silent. Then he responded: "Allâh and His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam are greater in knowledge." Thereupon tears flowed from my eyes, I turned away and climbed over the wall. He continued: Whilst I was walking in the market in Madeenah I saw a Christian farmer from amongst the farmers of Shaam, who had traveled to Madeenah in order to sell their produce. He said: "Who shall direct me to towards Ka'b bin Maalik?" The people started to gesture towards me, until he approached me and presented me with a letter from the King of Ghassan, in which it was written:

'To proceed, it has come to our attention that your companion has dealt with you in a harsh manner. Allâh has not rendered this world for you as a dwelling of disgrace and degradation, nor one of loss and ruin. So join us and we shall bestow upon you comfort and consolation.' Upon reading the letter I said to myself: This too is a trial placed before me. I therefore placed the letter in the oven and created a fire by burning it therein.

When a period of forty out of fifty nights had passed, the messenger of the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam approached me and said: "The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam commands you to distance yourself from your wife." I said: "Should I divorce her, or what must I do?" He responded: "No, distance yourself from her and do not approach her. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam has issued a similar directive to your two companions." Hence, I said to my wife:

"Go to your parents and remain with them until Allâh passes judgment in this matter."

Ka'b said: The wife of Hilaal bin Umayyah came to the Apostle of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and said: "O Messenger of Allâh, verily Hilaal bin Umayyah is an elderly man who is incapable of taking care of himself. Furthermore, he is not in possession of a servant, would you therefore object if I was to serve him?" He responded: "No, but he must not approach you." She said: "By Allâh, he has no desire for any matter. By Allâh, he has not ceased to weep from the day this matter started until this time now." Some of my family members questioned me: "Why don't you seek permission from the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam concerning your wife, as he has granted permission for the wife of Hilaal bin Umayyah to serve him?" I responded: "By Allâh, I shall not seek permission from the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam concerning her. I am not aware of what the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam would say if I sought his permission in relation to her whilst I am still a young man." I remained in that state for an additional ten nights, until fifty nights had been completed from the point that he had prohibited the people from speaking to us.

On the morning of the fiftieth night, I performed the Fajr prayer upon the roof of one of our houses. I was experiencing a condition which Allâh had mentioned in the Book: 'My soul had become contracted, and the earth had contracted upon me despite its vastness.'

Suddenly I heard a clear voice emanating from the direction of Mount Sala. Somebody announced with his loudest voice: "O Ka'b bin Maalik, I confer upon you glad tidings!" I prostrated myself upon the ground. I realized that relief from this tribulation had arrived and that the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam had indicated that Allâh had granted us penitence. After the Fajr prayer, the people thereupon proceeded forth to congratulate us, and bearers of glad tidings departed to my two companions. A horseman raced towards me in order to congratulate me and a messenger from the tribe of Aslam raced towards the mountain and scaled it in order to make the announcement. I heard his voice before that of the horseman. When the individual whose voice I had heard approached me to convey the glad tidings, I removed my garments and clothed him in them. By Allâh, on that day I was not in possession of any other garments, I therefore borrowed two items, clothed myself and proceeded towards the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. People started receiving me in groups, congratulating me upon the acceptance of my penitence. They said: "We congratulate you upon Allâh's acceptance of your repentance." When I entered the Mosque, the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was sitting, surrounded by people. Talha bin 'Ubaidullah hastened towards me. He shook my hand, and congratulated me. By Allâh, no one from amongst the Muhaajireen (Emigrants) stood in order to greet me save him, and I shall never forget Talha's action in doing so Ka'b said: When I greeted the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, his face was radiant with happiness, and he said: "I give you the glad tidings of the best day you have witnessed since your mother gave birth to you." Ka'b continued:

"Is this from you or from Allâh?" He responded:

"No, it is from Allâh."

Whenever the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam became delighted, his face became illuminated until it resembled a piece of the moon. We recognized that this matter was characteristic of him. When I sat before him, I said: "O Messenger of Allâh, by virtue of the acceptance of my repentance, I shall donate the sum total of my wealth in charity for the sake of Allâh and His Messenger." The Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam responded: "Retain a portion of your wealth, for it is better for you to do so." I said: "I shall retain a portion of my wealth in Khaibar. O Messenger of Allâh, verily Allâh has delivered me from this tribulation because I spoke the truth. My penitence therefore dictates that I shall speak only the truth as long as I live."

By Allâh, I am not aware of any individual from amongst the Muslims whom Allâh has blessed for speaking the truth more than myself, from the time wherein I mentioned those words of truth to the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. In addition, I have never intended to utter a falsehood from the time wherein I mentioned those words of truth to the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam to the present day. Furthermore, I hope that Allâh will protect me from uttering falsehood during the remaining portion of my life. Allâh revealed the Verse to His Messenger: "Allâh has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhaajireen, and the Ansaar...(to His statement)...Be with those who are truthful..." [Qur'ân 9:117-119]

By Allâh, after guiding me to Islam, Allâh has not bestowed upon me a favour - greater in magnitude - than my statement of truth to the Apostle of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and my action of not uttering a lie to him. For I would have destroyed myself, as those who uttered lies were destroyed. Allâh ascribed to those who had uttered falsehood, a description more evil than he had ascribed to any other individual, when He revealed His Revelation. Allâh, Blessed be He, the Most High stated:

"They will swear by Allâh to you when you return to them, that you may turn away from them. So turn away from them. Surely, they are impure, and Hell is their dwelling place - a recompense for that which they used to earn. They (the hypocrites) swear to you (Muslims) that you may be pleased with them, but if you are pleased with them, certainly Allâh is not pleased with people who are rebellious." [Qur'ân 9:95-96]

Ka'b continued: We, the three who neglected to participate, differed from those whose excuses were accepted by the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam when they swore to him to that effect. He accepted their pledge of allegiance and sought forgiveness for them. However, the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam deferred our case until Allâh passed judgment in relation to it. With reference to that, Allâh said: "He also forgave the three who remained behind..." [Qur'ân 9:118]

In this Verse Allâh did not refer to our non-participation in the military expedition. However it refers to the postponement and deferment of the Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam in the act of passing judgment. In contrast to the one who took an oath before him and excused himself: an action which was accepted by the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam

In a different narration: The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam departed for the Battle of Tabuk on Thursday, he would love to set out on a Thursday. In a further narration: He would not return from a journey save during the day time before noon. Upon arrival, he would proceed towards the Mosque and perform a two rak'ah prayer. Thereafter, he would sit." Collected: Bukhari (4418), Kitab al-Magaazi, and Muslim (2769), Kitab al-Tawbah

As for those who were needy and poor, even they came to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam out of a yearning desire to join the blessed Jihad. However, the Messenger of Allâh sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam could find no mounts for them, and they turned away, grief stricken with their eyes full of tears that they could not accompany the expedition. Regarding them, Allâh mentioned in the Qur'ân: "Nor (is there blame) on those who came to you to be provided with mounts, and when you said: "I can find no mounts for you," they turned back, while their eyes overflowing with tears of grief that they could not find anything to spend (for Jihad)." [Qur'ân 9:92]

And regarding them, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said to his companions as they returned to Madinah:

"Inside Madinah, there are certain men, who though being left back due to serious excuses, they have, all the time, been with you. Lingerers as they are, they have been while you were passing valleys or walking along roads." "Do you mean that they have done that while they are still in Madinah?" They wondered. "Yes though they are in Madinah."

Source:  Stories of the Companions

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Ketika memposting sebuah artikel yang memuat konten gambar, kita akan dihadapkan oleh beberapa masalah. Sangat menghabiskan banyak waktu apabila gambar yang akan kita upload berukuran besar dan jumlahnya banyak. Setelah gambar ter-upload dan di publikasikan, load time (waktu loading) blog juga lama. Akibatnya, jika load time blog terlalu lama untuk di akses maka pengunjung pun tidak betah untuk
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Ashampoo Burning Studio 6 adalah sebuah software untuk membakar/burner CD/DVD. Tidak seperti pendahulunya, Ashampoo Burning Studio 6 sudah mendukung format Blu-ray dengan kapasitas 25 gigabite per lapis.
Tidak seperti software burner lainnya yang sulit dan lambat saat digunakan, Ashampoo Burning Studio 6 justru sangat mudah dalam penggunaannya dan membakar CD lebih cepat dengan kualitas maksimum
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صيغة الملف : PDF

حجم الملف : 13 MB

رابط الحفظ

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Crème Fraiche is one of those extra special ingredients that seem to pop up in recipes this time of year. While sour cream may be fine the rest of the time, holiday menus demand something a little more luxurious. Well, instead of splurging at the grocery store, why not make your own? Follow this link to see how simple and easy homemade crème fraiche is, but don’t wait too long, as the process takes a couple days. Enjoy!

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Of course you can’t make a real cassoulet in an hour, but you can make this very acceptable cheater version, and as long as you manage expectations, you’re in for a great, cold-weather meal.

Real cassoulet is an involved process, with several days of prep just to make the various meats served in this rustic bean casserole. Once everything is prepared, the dish bakes for hours, during which time the ritualistic crust forming and re-forming occurs.

Buttery breadcrumbs are scatted over the top, and when they form a crusty, golden brown layer, they’re pushed down into the bubbling mixture, and new crumbs applied. This is done several times, creating the dish’s signature texture. A creamy, aromatic, not-too-wet-or-too-dry bean mixture into which is suspended the chunks of succulent meat.

Here, we’re taking lots of short cuts. Chicken thighs replace the classic, and time-consuming, duck confit; canned beans replace dried; and bacon serves as a convenient substitute for other, more involved smoked pork options.

While it will be tempting to dig right into this as soon as the final “gratin” is formed, please follow the advice in the video, and let your cassoulet rest in the hot oven for 15 minutes. This will allow the beans and buttery crumbs to absorb the last of the excess liquid, and make for a better texture.

By the way, please adjust your seasoning depending on the sausage used. Mine was plenty garlicky, so I didn’t add any additional cloves. You’ll also have to taste and alter the salt, depending on whether your bacon and sausage shared enough with the rest of the ingredients. I hope you give this hearty, cold-weather classic a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

4 oz bacon, sliced

8 oz spicy, garlicky, smoked pork sausage, sliced

12 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed

1 onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chicken broth, or as needed

2 (15-oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme

cayenne to taste

4 tbsp melted butter

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

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I’ve never written a lesson on propolis, that sticky stuff that ruins your nice, new, white bee suit, that stuff that won’t come off your fingers unless you use alcohol. But, propolis plays an important role in the colony’s health. This lesson will be very important for understanding how propolis can improve the health of your bees and be a fun lesson examining where propolis comes from, how the bees use it in the hive, the health benefits to humans and much more. But before we get started let me say...
Hello friends, we are David & Sheri Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms in central Illinois. Folks tell us we have the best website, most complete information on beekeeping and the best price on beekeeping equipment. Whether you are just thinking about getting into beekeeping or have kept bees for many years, we are here to help you. When you buy from us, we do not consider you a customer, but a friend!

LESSON 112: The Sticky Subject Of Propolis
(I’d like to thank some of our top bee experts in the country who spent time feeding me great information in preparation to this lesson. I’ve added their names at the end of this lesson.)
When we think of products from the hive we are most familiar with honey, wax and maybe pollen. But two more products from the hive are more obscure to us, royal jelly and propolis. Today, we’ll take an in depth look at propolis. Soon we’ll take a look at royal jelly.
If you have ever opened a hive of honey bees you have encountered propolis. You probably still have some on your bee suit. If you have a hive that produces copious amounts of propolis then you know what it’s like to fight gummed up frames and lids. Caucasians bees are known as excessive propolizers.
Propolis is sticky and it makes hive inspections more challenging. If you work your hives bare handed like I do, then you know what it feels like at the end of the day to have your fingers coated with propolis. All the dislikes aside, I love the appearance and smell of propolis. Each year I scrape off propolis and keep a ball of it handy to use in our queen rearing operation, to help set the cell cups and bars tight in position.
What Is Propolis And Where And How Do Bees Gather It?
Bees gather propolis from plants and trees such as the poplar, alders, birch, willows, and conifers. Trees and plants produce a sticky resin to protect their buds against bacteria and fungus. The makeup of propolis varies depending on the plant source, and therefore varies from region to region and colony to colony.Particular foragers are assigned the task of gathering propolis. Since propolis can only be gathered when it is pliable (between 77 and 113 degrees F), foragers gather it on warm, dry days. They fly out to the plant source, then use their mandibles to scrape off pieces of plant resins.
They pass the propolis from their mandibles to their forelegs, then to the inner surface of the middle leg or basitarsus. Here the propolis is packed into their pollen basket or corbicula on the back leg. When the foragers returns to the hive loaded with propolis, they go to the area of the hive where it is most needed.
Since they are unable to remove the sticky substance themselves, nearby house bees remove the propolis. The propolis foragers may even perform a dance to communicate to other foragers where the propolis is located, including robbing it from old abandoned equipment if it is sticky enough.
How Is It Used In The Hive
Propolis is undeniably the bee’s glue, sealing cracks, smoothing over rough wood and used to encase foreign objects too large to carry out of the hive. Bees have been known to kill mice inside their hive and since they cannot remove the mouse due to its size, they encase it in propolis so that the decaying mouse cannot spread disease. Notice in this photo how the bees have used propolis, here a bright reddish brown color, to smooth out the wood grain on a frame.
Bees coat much of the inside area of their brood nest, especially in more natural habitats such as trees and Warre hives that have rougher surfaces in the hive. When I remove colonies from homes, I always find that the bees have coated all the wood in their colony with a layer of propolis mixed with their own wax. We often find this even in traditional Langstroth’s hives over time, especially frames and lids. Here’s a picture I took showing how the bees have varnished the surroundings of their hive in a house.
Tests are being conducted to see if coating the insides of hive boxes improves the overall health of the colony. Many people are now recommending that we score or scratch the smooth service of the insides of our hives, forcing the bees to add propolis as they would in a natural hive in a tree. Bees also add wax to comb to give it strength. It is believed by some that house bees use propolis to polish brood cells between brood cycles.

It has also recently been discovered that bees will imprison small hive beetles in propolis jails by trapping SHB with walls of propolis. Unfortunately, every time we open a hive we release small hive beetles from their propolis jails, and even if we didn’t, the beetles have learned to rub their antennas with the bee and trick the bees to feed them while in jail.
More than a substance to seal openings and cracks bees need propolis in the hive for the overall well being of the colony. With over 180 different compounds, it is the colony’s chemical warfare against various pathogens. It is antiseptic, antifungal, antibiotic, antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial.  Beyond being used as a medicated sealant there is still much more to learn about propolis and how the bees use it in the hive.
Propolis is from the Greek words pro (before) and polis (city). Ancient beekeepers observed the wall of propolis the bees built at their entrance to protect the “city”, their hive.Last year I noticed how some of my mating nucs were sealing down their openings so small that only one bee at a time could pass through.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, comb honey production was at its peak, and beekeepers did not want comb honey darkened with excessive travel stains from propolis. Queen producers responded by raising queens whose colonies gathered very little propolis. Larger beekeeping operations found propolis to be a bother, slowing down hive inspections and honey harvesting. Yet, recent research reveals this was not a good idea because it has recently been found that bees benefit from propolis in the hive. We may have accidently removed an important part of the colony’s defensive mechanism.
How To Harvest Propolis From The Hive
Propolis can simply be scrapped from frames, lids and hive boxes. When I harvest propolis in this manner, I am careful not to also scrape up bee parts, paint or wood into my propolis. It can be filtered out, but it saves me time gathering the purist of propolis.
Another way propolis is harvested from the hive is by placing a propolis trap inside the hive. The propolis trap is plastic and flexible and placed inside the hive near the top. Since bees like to seal out drafts and light, prop open your top slightly above the propolis trap and this will encourage the bees to place propolis in the trap as a way of sealing off the top opening. Then, once filled, you can remove and freeze the trap, flex it and the frozen, hard propolis will fall off the trap. Propolis is soluble in alcohol. Click here for more info.
I placed a piece of cardboard on the bottom of a top cover to add some insulation to an overwintering colony. I left it on in the spring and summer and the bees plastered it with propolis. The bees did not like that it was corrugated and attempted to smooth it out with propolis. Click on the image to enlarge.
Health Benefits Of Propolis
Propolis is being studied extensively for its health benefits to humans, even with the AIDS virus. The health benefits may date back as far as Old Testament times as Jeremiah 2 may be referring to propolis as the balm of Gilead. Many people give strong testimony as to the health benefits of propolis in helping with colds, sore throats, wounds, pimples, ulcers, burns and even cancer. Some people can be allergic to propolis and too much can be toxic, so always consult your doctor before using propolis. Many health stores sell various propolis  supplements and even Colgate makes a tooth paste with propolis that is said to promote healthier gums.
Acknowledgments:
In preparing this lesson on propolis, I learned so much. Most of the information on propolis was easy to research. But, in one area I hit a wall. I’ve always heard that house bees coat or polish brood cells with propolis between brood cycles. But as I read through books and literature I could not find a definite citation proving bees coat or polish brood cells with propolis. I found several websites that support the idea, but just because a website mentions something does not lend enough support. I contacted my friend and bee expert Jon Zawislak, at the University of Arkansas Extension, a fellow EAS certified master beekeeper and he flooded me with propolis papers and research, but he could not find a solid citation for house bees using propolis to coat brood cell linings. I then contacted David Tarpy, at North Carolina State University. He could not find an answer for me off the top of his head and said he would mention it to the world renown authority on propolis, Mike Simone-Finstrom. Mike was kind enough to flood me with many studies and his own thoughts that there is no studies verifying the use of propolis to coat individual cells between brood cycles. Jim Tew also sent me his extensive thoughts on whether bees add propolis to brood cells as did Diana Sammataro, and Keith Delaplane. Clarence Collison, who writes a column in Bee Culture went out of his way to scan and email me many pages on propolis. Jerry Hayes, the American Bee Culture Classroom answer man also gave me his feedback too. Thank you all!
We all know bees polish cells in preparation for the queen to lay an egg, but is it truly propolis that is used in the polishing stage? I think it is safe to say that it is believed that housecleaning bees coat the insides of their brood cells with propolis between brood cycles.
Thanks for joining us for another beekeeping lesson from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. We appreciate your business, so please give us a call to let us help you enjoy beekeeping to the fullest.

David and Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
Here’s our contact information:
PHONE AND ORDER LINE: 217-427-2678 WEBSITE: www.honeybeesonline.com
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This is a weekly post by Nidhal Guessoum (see his earlier posts here). Nidhal is an astrophysicist and Professor of Physics at American University of Sharjah and is the author of Islam's Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science. 

The respected and influential US monthly Foreign Policy (FP) published a long list of “top global thinkers of 2011” in its December issue. The list actually contains some 130 names, as many of the ranks included several people. For each person, FP gave a one-sentence justification/explanation, a short (or for the most important ones, somewhat long) description of their importance and influence, plus a small sidebar where the thinkers were asked to: name their muse; choose between America and China; give their current reading list; and name their choice of the best and worst idea of the moment.

In addition to the list, this special issue contains several interesting long articles on current trends and background analyses, including: “The big think about the Arab spring”; “Does Facebook have a foreign policy?”; and “16 global cities to watch” (Cairo is the only one from the Muslim world).

I thought it would be worthwhile to extract the names of the Muslim individuals who have made the list and to analyze that (sub-) list. (One must keep in mind, however, that this list comes from Foreign Policy.) But before that, there are some interesting statistics about the entire list that the magazine points out; for instance:

·    33 of the selected individuals are women (25 %);
·      21 % are economists;
·      31 published a book this year;
·      9 are heads of state;
·      8 are Nobel prize winners;
·      5 were arrested this year;
·      6 were released from prison;
·      5 are billionaires;

·      the average age of these global thinkers is 56, the youngest being 27, and the oldest 94.

Now, while the 3 “most influential global leaders” were: Obama, Merkel, and Erdogan (FP reminds us that last year, it was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Lula da Silva, and Hu Jintao), this year’s top spot for “global thinkers” was given to “the Arab Revolutionaries”, which includes 12 Arabs, plus one Serbian activist and one US academic, whose previous writings have (according to FP) been influential in the strategies used by the Arab revolutionaries on the ground.

The list starts with a big surprise: Alaa Al Aswany. Many readers of Irtiqa (and most educated people in the west) will probably not have heard of him. He is an acclaimed novelist (and a dentist!), whose books (with big and bold stories) over the past decade have been very successful both in the Arab world and the west, one of them at least has been turned into a movie, The Yacoubian Building. Now, why would a novelist be listed as a top “global thinker” (in relation to the Arab spring revolutions)? “For channeling Arab malaise – and Arab renewal”, FP tells us.

The rest of the “Arab revolutionaries” are:

·      Mohamed ElBaradei (FP reminds us that a year ago, just before the Arab spring started, ElBaradei said of the Mubarak regime that “it will fall sooner rather than later”, and at the time this sounded like wishful thinking, and that he moved back to Egypt to challenge the regime), and Wael Ghoneim, the young Google regional executive who played an important part in making social networking a crucial instrument in the Egyptian revolution. 

·      Ali Ferzat, the Syrian cartoonist who was badly beaten up to try to prevent him from making his eloquent drawings, and Razan Zaitouneh, the young Syrian activist/attorney who produced an important website to document the Syrian uprising and who has been in hiding for months – FP says “for speaking truth to a bloody power”. 

·      Rached Ghannouchi and Khairat El Shater (the Tunisian moderate Islamist leaders), “for working to reconcile Islamism and democracy (we hope)”. 

·      Tawakkul Karman (the Yemeni activist, one of this year’s Nobel Peace prize laureates), “for keeping the spirit of the Arab spring alive against impossible odds”. 

·      Wadah Khanfar (the former head of Al-Jazeerah), “for turning the Al-Jazeera revolution into an actual one”. 

·      Eman Al Najfan and Manal Al-Sharif, “for putting Saudi women in the driver’s seat”; Al Najfan (a Saudi blogger, graduate student, and mother of three) gets to pen a long article titled “What do Saudi women want?”. 

·      Fathi Terbil, a Libyan human rights lawyer, “for believing that no massacre should go unpunished”. 

·      Srdja Popovic and Gene Sharp, the Serbian activist and the US academic, “for writing the how-to manuals for this year’s revolutions”.  

In the rest of the top-100 list, we find another 10 Muslim individuals (I use “Muslim” here in the cultural background/origin sense, not in the religious affiliation one): 

·      At the 16^th rank, Ahmet Davutoglu and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “for imagining a new role for Turkey in the world – and making it happen”. 

·      At the 24^th rank, Sami Ben Gharbia, a Tunisian activist, “for shaping the new world of government transparency”. 

·      At #28, Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad, “for forging a path between violence and surrender”. 

·      At #54, Mohamed El-Erian, the CEO of Pimco (the largest bond fund, based in California), “for delivering economic tough love to a world in denial”. 

·      At #70, Zaha Hadid, the famed Iraqi-born British architect, “for creating new forms for a new age”. 

·      At #75, Maria Bashir, the Afghani prosecutor, “for aspiring to an Afghanistan ruled by law, not men.” 

·      At #84, Mustafa Barghouti, the Palestinian politician in the West Bank (not Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Farah leader), “for believing in a different politics for Palestine”. 

·      At #85, Pervez Hoodbhoy, the Pakistani physicist (who needs no introduction to readers of Irtiqa), “for his bold secular defiance”. FP further explains that Hoodbhoy “has become a powerful voice in denouncing his country’s growing religious fundamentalism”, and highlights his statement that “Muslims need freedom from dogmatic beliefs and a culture that questions rather than obeys”.

Looking at the list (at least the one relating to the Arab-Muslim world), I think it is clear that there is a certain agenda or at least mindset here. We may very well find the agenda (of promoting political programs that are rather western-friendly and highlighting and publicizing secularism and anti-traditionalism) commendable, or at least agreeable to us and our standpoints, but it is an agenda nonetheless.

For example, Mahmoud Abbas, Salam Fayyad, and Mustafa Barghouti (the moderate Palestinian politicians) are considered “global thinkers/leaders”, but not the Emir of Qatar and his wife (the famous Sheikha Moza), who are incomparably more influential?!

And the only Muslim writers/thinkers that FP could come up with are Al Aswany, Hoodbhoy, and Al Najfan (the Saudi blogger)?!

Now, last week I presented a ranking of the “top 500 most influential Muslims” produced by a Jordanian institution that we found to be so strongly biased and boldly agenda-laden that it became ridiculous in the choices that were often made, especially when unqualified individuals were placed in categories (Science & Technology, in particular) where the criteria should have been much more rigorous.

The list produced by Foreign Policy is certainly better informed, and intelligently presented and argued. It also clearly has a certain mindset/prism, if not a specific agenda.

But such exercises are often, if not always, interesting and useful.

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