HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

Figs are the fruit of ficus tree, which is part of the mulberry family (Moraceae). They have a unique, sweet taste, soft and chewy texture, and are filled with slightly crunchy, edible seeds. Fresh figs are delicate and perishable, so are often dried to preserve them. This produces a sweet and nutritious dried fruit that can be enjoyed all year round.

There are multiple varieties of fig, all of which vary in colour and texture. The fruit is pollinated by a tiny wasp where the flowers actually bloom inside the fruit. This produces the tiny seeds inside the fruit that give it its distinct crunch. Fig trees actually never blossom with flowers. Their unique feature is a little bud-like opening called an ostiole at the top which helps the fruit develop. Due to their natural sweetness they were often used as a sweetener before the days of refined sugars.

Impressive Health Benefits

• Promotes digestive health. Figs are often recommended to nourish and tone the intes...

Khalid Ajmain, Malaysia

The topic, "Finding God's Mercy in a Broken Family," elicited a flood of inquiries—150 in total—ranging from issues of sexual, mental, and emotional abuse within families, friendships, and even within a tarīqah.

Unfortunately, we couldn't address all the questions, but Ḥabīb Kadhīm provided profound wisdom and knowledge on cultivating mental, emotional, and spiritual resilience through Dhikr and Salawat.

The overwhelming number of questions highlights the significant social issues many in our society face, including sexual abuse and narcissistic behavior within families. A considerable number of inquiries concerned dealing with narcissistic parents. Often, society tends to ignore these issues or dismiss the younger generation as weak, labeling them the "strawberry generation." However, these young people frequently contend with challenging family dynamics, including narcissistic parents.

Ḥabīb Kadhīm emphasized the importance of spiritual practices, such as ...

By Rafet Khaliq

‘Good intentions are the most beautiful of secrets’ Ali Ibn Abi Talib (RA)

As the fourth Caliph of Islam and cousin and son in law of Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him), Ali exemplified sincerity and selflessness in his actions and unwavering devotion to Allah. The statement ‘good intentions are the most beautiful of secrets’ resonates deeply with the teachings of the life of Ali Ibn Talib (RA). Pure intentions were often unseen but profoundly impactive. Ali's humility and piety serves as a reminder that beauty of one’s intentions lies not in the public recognition but in their alignment with divine principles. Embracing these ethos can enrich our spiritual journey and foster a deeper connection with Allah leading to a more harmonious and compassionate existence.

The why of what we do:

Ali Ibn Talib (RA) beautiful example lead me to think, if we were to consider last year’s Ramadhan and think back at what we did, going back to the why, addressing our intentions…ho...

By Umm Yusra 

During a friendly coffee date with a friend, the conversation became quite serious when she asked me, ‘You’ve been married twice, what would you have done differently?’

My brain immediately screamed, ‘Not married the first one!’ But I know, in retrospect, that the first marriage was absolutely needed for me to recognise where I needed the change. I had massive self-worth, people pleasing issues and the first marriage had been exactly what I needed to find my strength to recover from what had hurt me to begin with; childhood bullying, sexual abuse, and narcissism in the family.

The second marriage; we had both been recovering from the first and so came with twin mindsets and our guards sky high. The guards crumbled when we realised how much we hurt each other and ourselves; my ego was fighting to keep me safe by trying to find similarities between the first and the second.

But what happens when you start healing and recovering? Your goals and boundaries change. And tha...

By Umm Yusra

ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder, is characterised by the very word attention, or lack of. But the symptoms it produces can come across as the following:

 * Tardiness

 * Risky driving

 * Prioritizing/getting started, or finishing tasks

 * The severe inability to stay focused

 * Severe anxiety but it comes out as procrastination

I was going through my case studies from my small space running as a clinic where I practise Aafiyah Healing. There was such a paradigm between being in a highly toxic environment and showing ADD symptoms that I began to actually expect clients to say that they had the above symptoms after leaving toxic or being amidst high conflict relationships.

According to Dr Gabor Mate he explains that ADD needs to be looked at through the lens of genetic, lifestyle, environmental and social background (Scattered Minds -The Origins & Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder) but that one of the main causes is that the safety a child feels in the womb, need...

By Iskander Abbas

My Journey to Aafiyah Healing began in 2018, four years prior to which I had gone through an unamicable divorce, self-represented in the family courts, suffered sciatica and spiralled into an emotional low. I decided it was time to heal from within, to let go of that which didn’t serve me and rebuild my physical, emotional, and ultimately spiritual self. I worked through the Deep Trauma Release (DTR) and Aafiyah Healing course, completed my practitioner hours, and now serve my community. Through this journey I have also come to realise the importance of connecting to nature and witnessing the wisdom Allah (swt) has placed therein. Here I share my insights from a January 2024 ski trip to the Italian Alps.

HAVE A ROUTINE

A good start to the day is essential for success on the slopes as it is in life. First thing in the morning the mind is quiet and thus can be primed for the day ahead with meditation and prayer. A typical ski day involves, breakfast, ski, lunch, ski,...

By: Zarita Mahomed

I will be writing a series on Spices. Letting you know the benefits of the basic spices that we use daily. This month we will start with salt(sodium) and we will then look into sea salt, Pink salt, Black salt, amongstother types of salt beforemoving on to different spices.

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

Salt comes from two main sources: sea water and the sodium chloride mineral halite (also known as rock salt).

The history of salt traces back to as far as 6050BC. Salt was used as part of religious offerings and to preserve mummies in Egypt. It was a valuable good traded between the Phoenicians and their Mediterranean empire. It was also prized by the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Hillites, Egyptians, and Indians. Salt became an important article of trade and was transported by boat across the Mediterranean Sea, along specially built salt roads, and across the Sahara on camel caravans.

The addition of salt to food began relatively recently, about 5000 year...

By Rifat Sultana

Verily the friends of Allah are those who remember Him the most, are constantly grateful to Him and have greater patience in the face of His trials. 

(Imam Ali – as)

(ref: https://sayingsofimamali.com) 

As we end this year of 2023, and start the year 2024, many hearts are saddened, broken, grieving and shocked by the atrocities that are occurring around them. Mass destruction, massacres and injustice of every sort taking place whilst the notion of humanity, justice and compassion nowhere to be found within the power hungry individuals, so called ‘leaders’ and states. 

In these testing times that we are facing as an Ummah, while we raise our voices and stand up against injustice and oppression, we also need to keep in mind that there is that one Supreme Being over us all; who sees all, hears all, and knows all. As Muslims we believe nothing can happen without His permission, and that He knows best. He tests by giving and by taking, while we are expected to be patie...

By Rafet Khaliq

To capture any moment in time you need to be in the moment in order to absorb, and fully indulge in that moment - sometimes the smallest thing can sit with you to have a profound effect - this can take place as - a look, a feeling, a connection with another and some self-realisation.

So many amazing things take place in the moment when you fully indulge; you embrace life, connect with the senses, breath and feel, being totally complacent with the here and now. What an amazing place this is for us to stay. If this was the case and we enjoyed all our present moments, life would be much more stress-free, we would neither worry about the future and all the things we wish for or allow our past to weigh us down - we would be happy in living the fullest life of each moment as it comes.

So why don’t we live this way? If it’s as easy as that!

I believe its awareness; we are so consumed by how we normally think and how our thoughts devour us that we don’t realise we’re doing ...

By: Zarita Mahomed

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

People all over the world have been eating almonds for thousands of years. Today, about 80% of all almonds are produced in California.

The exact ancestry in unknown, but almonds are thought to have originated in China and Central Asia. Explorers ate almonds while traveling the "Silk Road" between Asia and the Mediterranean. Before long, almond trees flourished in the Mediterranean - especially in Spain and Italy.

Almonds are part of the plum family, Almonds are commonly referred to as a nut but they are actually teardrop-shaped edible seeds that are the fruit of the almond tree. You can buy them shelled or blanched (been treated with hot water to remove the brown outer coating, leaving the white interior).

IMPRESSIVE HEALTH BENEFITS

Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, fibre, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. The health benefits of almonds include lower blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. They can a...