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Monday, May 14, 2012

Moscow Halal Expo 2012 - Arabic Version

Getting Ready for Ramadan


In today's HuffPost Jummah, I would like to briefly discuss a very timely matter with you. In a few days a very special guest, a guest of God to Muslims will start. Holiest of the holy period in Islamic calendar will start with the start of the month of Rajab, followed by the month of Shaban and the grand finale with the month of Ramadan in eight-weeks time. Many mosques around the world will mark the start of this holy season and invite believers to start preparing themselves for the Islam's holiest month: Ramadan. As every other important thing 
in life, Ramadan's success also significantly depends on our ability to do what we need to do as pre-work before Ramadan.
Ramadan requires serious preparations individually and collectively in order to get the best out of this spiritual feast. How can we proactively prepare ourselves for this holy month of Islam in these coming eight weeks? How can we bring ourselves to be in a state of mind and heart that is ready to receive the very many rich blessings of this sacred time?

God is beyond time and space. God is Semi and Basir as God Almighty tells us in Holy Quran. God is all hearing and seeing in all times. God Almighty says in Holy Quran (40:60) "Call me with your duas and supplications. I will respond to them, I will answer them," any time and anywhere. However, God also says in the clearest terms, and the prophet of Islam beautifully exemplifies this, that God made this month of Ramadan, this specific time, Holy, and God pays very special attention to what God's servants do or say in this month. God grants special blessings and spiritual opportunities for this month. The worship and good work are rewarded so many times more than the very same act some other time of the year. In the words of Prophet Muhammad: "The gates of Haven open in Ramadan and the gates of hell are closed and the satans are chained." The moment the month of Shaban ends and the month of Ramadan starts very special types and kinds of Mercy and blessings start pouring down on the earth for those who are able to receive them. To be able to receive the special treasures of Ramadan requires serious preparation. It requires enabling our hearts and minds to receive what Ramadan could offer.

In what ways can we prepare ourselves to Ramadan? I think we can put these preparations into two categories. First: physical, technical and logistic preparations. Second, and more importantly: internal, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual preparations. Ramadan is all about our internal growth, our ability to feel the presence of God in our lives and improving ourselves in upholding the ethical and moral ideals of Islam and all the dos and do nots of Ramadan and physical preparations are there to enhance and expediate that expected internal growth.

In the first category of preparations, we will have to start training our bodies for the types of spiritual disciplines and worship practices that we are asked to do during Ramadan. Gradually introduce the type of discipline that our bodies need for less eating, less drinking, less sleeping, etc. So that when Ramadan starts, we will not waste anytime for adjustment and avoid certain health challenges which may prevent us enjoy the spiritual pleasures of Ramadan. Prophet Muhammad fasted during the month of Rajab and Shaban very frequently and advised us to do the same. Even if we cant fast for the whole days, gradually reducing the amount of food and water we take daily might be a very wise thing to do and since you do that with the intention of preparing yourself to the Holy Month of Ramadan, these mundane acts will be also recognized as acts of worship. 

Again in this first category of preparations there are some technical things that we believers can do to enhance our Ramadan experience. Observing Ramadan requires dedicating significant amount of quality time for Ramadan activities. Making that time is another important technical preparations as pre-work for Ramadan. One of the beauties' of living in American society, at least in its ideal, you are encouraged to live an organized life. You don't live your life on a day-to-day basis. We all have schedules and plan things in advance. So let's make sure Ramadan will gets its lion share in our calendar from July 20 to August 20. Let's do some serious work on our schedules for those dates. If there are some tasks, assignments and projects that we can finish up, if there are travels that we can do before then, if there are social responsibilities that we can fulfill in these short eight weeks prior to Ramadan, let's do it so that we will have less distractions during those sacred and holy days. 

Let us strive and pray and be creative with our external preparations for Ramadan. However, the real preparation needs to be done internally in order for Ramadan to yield a major internal, spiritual, ethical and moral growth every year. All the practices and external disciplines that we put ourselves into is to enable such growth. Ramadan is many things but clearly it is not just being hungry and thirsty for number of hours. As it has been beautifully exemplified in the practice of Prophet Muhammad, Ramadan is the month of self-auditing. Reviewing our lives annually and we where we are in our relationship with God and with God's creation. What are our pluses, minuses? If we die today, what kind of book should we expect to receive from the scribing angels? 

When our supervisor, academic adviser or boss calls and says, "Let's meet in eight weeks time and review what you have done so far," no reasonable soul responds, "Sure, see you then," and does nothing in those eight weeks. All of us would go and seriously reflect on the work that we have done, try to improve it as much as we can. We would identify the areas of strength and find out the areas weaknesses and the areas that need significant improvement. We should do the same in our preparations for Ramadan. Let us use these eight weeks in front of us to prepare ourselves for this audit and review as best as we can.

To me, there are three main areas in this required deep internal reflection on our lives which all again requires serious mental preparation before Ramadan:

The first area is thanksgiving and gratitude (shukr and hamd). Ramadan is a time when we thank God from the bottom of our hearts for the countless blessings that God has given us. And glorify God's names as God deserves. In order to do that we should deeply reflect on what are the things for which we are grateful to God. Going through the list of blessings that God grants us --health, wealth, success -- without feeling bad about them. There is nothing wrong to be healthy, wealthy and live in peace as long as we are in a constant state of gratitude toward God.
God says in the Holy Quran: "Thank me and I will increase my blessings onto you." The continuation of these blessings partially depend on we being grateful and thankful in response. The criterion in Islam whether or not you are thankful to God is easy. As again Prophet Muhammad says: "People who are not thankful to their fellow human beings, cannot be thankful to their Lord." We have eight weeks to bring ourselves to be in a state of gratitude and thanks to God Almighty. 

The second area is asking forgiveness and repentance (afv and maghfirah). Ramadan is the time when we seek forgiveness from God more intensely than ever for the sins and mistakes that we have committed in the past. It is a great opportunity to purify ourselves through our repentance (tawba) . Ramadan is a season of tawba. In the Quran God says, "Repent, ask forgiveness from God with the tawba of nasuh." When Prophet Muhammad explains to his companions what this tawba-i nasuh is, he says it has three major qualities: 1) feeling really sorry, remorse in your heart for the mistake that we do 2) doing something to correct that mistake and 3) develop a sense of discipline not to repeat the same mistake again. Who doesn't want his all sins to be cleaned away with such tawba-i nasuh in this coming month of Ramdan, when every dua and appeal for afw and magfirah (forgiveness) receives very special attention from God. So we have eight weeks to prepare such powerful repentance. To mature those tawbahs into a required level before the season of forgiveness starts. 

The last area is asking help and guidance (inayah and hidayah). When you get the special attention of someone of huge importance for a limited amount of time, what do you do? You share the most important and pressing issues with him or her. Ramadan is a time when you are expected to hammer out important issues for yourself. Looking back to your life finding out patterns of failures, soft spots growing edges. Who doesn't have the long list of things that we should do but we do not do and sometimes even a longer list of things that we shouldn't do but we end up doing over and over. These are the times our will fails us or not strong enough to do what needs to be done. Ramadan is the time to built those necessary ethical, moral and spiritual muscles in order to strive to do the ideal in life. It is a month-long lab where you can correct and fix things for yourself. For example if it is lying, money, fame, jealousy, doing enough charity, etc., do you see yourself keep failing over and over? How can I built the required strength against these universally condemned mistakes? 

May we all have a blessed and rewarding Ramadan in eight weeks. May we use these remaining time as best as we can to be ready to receive God's numuerous blessings in this months of mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Amin.

Beautyworld Middle East Grows By 21% Reflecting Upbeat Industry Trends







Beautyworld Middle East Grows By 21% Reflecting Upbeat Industry Trends

Press release from: BIZ COM



Key figures indicate that the Middle East region will remain a high focus area for global beauty majors, as demand continues to grow at a considerable rate. This was revealed by Epoc Messe Frankfurt at a press conference held to announce the upcoming Beautyworld Middle East, which will run from May 29th to 31st at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Trends revealed by Euromonitor International, Knowledge Partner for Beautyworld Middle East and leading independent global strategic intelligence provider indicate strong growth for colour cosmetics with an increase in spend on premium fragrances, and a shift in consumer attitude to men’s grooming.




Reflecting the rapidly developing beauty and wellness market in the Middle East region for the last decade, Beau-tyworld Middle East has grown to become the leading international trade show and conference for the industry. With available space fully sold out, the 2012 edition is 21% larger than last year. Bringing together 816 exhibitors from 51 countries, the event attracts the who’s-who of the industry.
Natural and Organic Cosmetics and the growing demand for Halal Products are becoming key areas of interest to leading international manufacturers and suppliers. The increasing preference for natural and organic products in the Middle East has seen this sector grow by 20% in 2011*. This year Beautyworld Middle East features 39 exhibitors showcasing green products including: Fridda Dorsch, Pomone, Al Mawared Natural Beauty Products, Beauty Se-crets, Natural from the Dead Sea and Ziaga Ltd.

As consumers around the region increasingly opt for halal cosmetics and beauty products, figures indicate that the market for such products has grown to around US$500 million**. 22 companies will be featuring their halal product lines at Beautyworld Middle East including: Asia Forestry, Elly Jones Beauty Co., Trend International, Icare General Trading, European Flavours & Fragrances and Proveda Herbals. Other areas of keen interest for trade visitors are expected to be fragrances, hair and cosmetics.

“The business of beauty continues to be on the upswing especially in the Middle East region, which is reflected by the growth of Beautyworld Middle East and the increasing interest from leading players worldwide,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt. “Apart from presenting the foremost networking platform for the regional industry, we are glad to be able to herald transformational international trends to the local market and additionally serve as a sounding board for the exchange of innovative ideas,” he added.

“Luxury continues to drive market growth in the GCC and the focus on oriental fragrances emphasises a trend for localisation,” said Sana Toukan, Research Manager of Euromonitor International. 

Given the known regional preference for fine fragrances Beautyworld Middle East also puts a strong focus on this segment. With 153 exhibitors showcasing their latest range of fragrances, this has continued to be one of the better performing segments of the trade show, having grown by 140% since 2008. Figures from Euromonitor International indicate that the market for premium fragrances in the UAE is set to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% to reach AED 334.5 million in 2014.

Beautyworld Middle East 2012 will also feature the Spa and Salon Management Summit, a series of conferences and workshops for Spa & Salon Owners and Beauty Therapists. Other key features taking place during the trade show, which traditionally attract considerable attention include: 

The Walk of Beauty – organised in association with Madi International, is back for the 7th consecutive year. It will feature top hairdressers and make-up artists from the GCC showcasing their skills live on stage.

Nail It! By OPI is the definitive nail competition in the region open to a wide range of skill levels.

New to this year’s edition is Face It! by Eva Garden, which will award leading make-up artists for their outstanding talent.

The Fragrance Station is a popular area where visitors can sample the various fragrances on display at one convenient location.

Hair Education which is organised in conjunction with Salon Educators and MyHairdressers.com is a series of hair demonstrations introducing the best in cutting and colouring education and styles from the UK. It features live demos daily for the duration of Beautyworld Middle East.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

فايسبوكيون مغاربة يطالبون بإحداث بنك إسلامي في المغرب



فايسبوكيون مغاربة يطالبون بإحداث بنك إسلامي في المغرب


فايسبوكيون مغاربة يطالبون بإحداث بنك إسلامي في المغرب

فايسبوكيون مغاربة يطالبون بإحداث بنك إسلامي في المغرب
ضمت صفحة بموقع التواصل الاجتماعي "فايس بوك" تحمل اسم " الحملة الوطنية للمطالبة بالبنك الإسلامي بالمغرب"، أزيد من 14 ألف عضو وعضوة، ساعين بذلك إلى تشكيل قوة ضاغطة ومسموعة.
وتتمحور مطالب هذه الصفحة حول إقرار منظومة مالية إسلامية بالمملكة المغربية، حيث تعتمد على نهج وأسلوب التوعية العامة بمخاطر الربا تعاملا وشرعا.
ويَعتبر الشباب القائمون على الصفحة أن مسألة الربا وأحكامها الشرعية مازالت غامضة عند فئة عريضة من الناس، آخذين على عواتقهم مسؤولية التعريف بالمنظومة المالية الإسلامية والإحاطة بجميع جوانبها وأركانها المختلفة.
والملاحظ أن تعليقات الزوار يطغى عليها طابع الرفض الكلي للربا. كما وأنها تسير في اتجاه ضرورة إحداث بنوك إسلامية بالمغرب.
ويطالب العديد من الشباب بضرورة عرض إحداث هذه الأبناك أمام مجلس النواب المغربي، مؤكدين على أنهم ينتظرون إحداثها بفارغ الصبر. فيما يطالب آخرون بالنزول إلى الشارع وتخطي العمل في العالم الإفتراضي.
في ذات السياق، قال حوالي 93 % من مجموع المشاركين في استطلاع للرأي أجراه موقع "هسبريس" أخيرا حول البنوك الإسلامية، إن الحاجة مُلحّة في المغرب للترخيص لبنوك إسلامية، وأجاب 54471 من أصل 58402 مشاركا في الاستطلاع بـ"نعم" على سؤال الاستطلاع، في حين لم ير3157 الممثلون لنسبة 5.41 % أن الحاجة ملحة لبنوك إسلامية، واعتبر 1.33 % من المشاركين أن الموضوع لا يعنيهم.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Kuwait Finance House Report

Kuwait Finance House (KFH) 


  1. The Sharia-conscious consumer is an increasingly important segment across the world.
  2. There are a collection of issues helping to promote growth in the Sharia marketplace.
  3. Three categories of regions are propelling demand: the “Muslim heartland” or Muslim majority countries; “mixed culture” countries such as those in South-east Asia; and non-Muslim countries such as those in North America and Western Europe.
  4. Although areas such as halal-friendly tourism and Islamic fashion are growing in demand, halal food and Islamic finance are still the mainstays of the broader sector
  5. Barriers to growth in the industry do exist
  6. There is no question that Islamic finance is seen as a vitally important enabler of the broader industry.
  7. Demand for Islamic bonds (or sukuk) is expected to grow
  8. In the future, firms will have to show that they share the values of integrity and community to which 
  9. Muslims aspire if they are to build a brand which endures. 



Monday, May 7, 2012

مؤتمر عالمي لتجديد الفقه السياسي الإسلامي


تتواصل أعمال المؤتمر العالمي لتجديد الفقه السياسي في الإسلام الذي يعقد بشراكة بين الاتحاد العالمي لعلماء المسلمين وجامعة الزيتونة.
ويهدف هذا المؤتمر إلى بحث قضايا الفقه السياسي الإسلامي في ظل صعود عدد من الحركات الإسلامية إلى السلطة.
وبحسب رئيس الاتحاد العالمي لعلماء المسلمين الشيخ يوسف القرضاوي، "نحن بحاجة اليوم إلى أن نجدد الفقه السياسي بأن نجمع كل ما كتب، ثم علينا أن نستفيد من الدراسات العالمية في الجانب السياسي".
من ناحيته رئيس حركة النهضة الشيخ راشد الغنوشي اعتبر أن "الحركة الإسلامية تنتقل اليوم من فقه الدعوة الذي انشغلت به لعشرات السنين إلى فقه الدولة.. إلى فقه الحكم".
وأضاف الغنوشي "هذا الفقه (فقه الحكم) في تاريخنا ليس ناميا، حيث هذا كان الفقه في معظمه تأصيلا لفقه الفرد ولفقه العائلة الحاكمة، وليس تأصيلا لفقه الأمة أي لقيمة الشورى".
وكان الغنوشي قد استقبل الشيخ القرضاوي في مطار تونس لدى وصوله ووصفه بأنه "شيخ الثوريين"، وقال إنه الداعم الأكبر للثورات العربية.