Be Content

Be Content with what You Have

Be content with the job you have, your car, family, house, ... and you will find that your heart will be at peace

This does not mean you should not do your best to improve, but means that after doing your best, be pleased with the outcome

This feeling of content and gratitude leads to peace of mind, as Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: (Be contented with what Allah has apportioned for you and you will be the richest of people).

He also said: (Richesness is the richesness of the soul)

Inner Peace

How to Find Inner Peace?

In the modern world of today, it's not easy to find inner peace, as we are most of the time running from one place to the other, under pressure most of the time at work and in the traffic ... etc, with many worries and anxieties about the future

So how does one get out of this vicious circle?

The only way out, from a Muslim perspective, is through faith and trust in Allah. He is The Creator and He knows what is good for us, so seeking His help and guidance is the answer, and remembering Him day and night is what brings peace to the heart.

There is no other answer ...

Ramadan is Back

Ramadan is back, the best month of the year

A month of spirituality, generosity and endless blessings

A month when the gates of Heaven are wide open

A month when the earth is full of angels

A month with a special night of peace, the night of divine decree

May it be a blessed month for all of humanity, a month when peace prevails

Ameen

Holidays

Holidays
Holidays are excellent times to pause and reflect on the real purpose of life. Day after day we don't have much time to think about important issues in life, as we're too busy doing all the things we have to do.

Once there is free time, it's a golden opportunity to "slow-down" a bit, go out for a walk, meet old friends, read a good book and reflect.

Our world today is a crazy world. It's going too fast, it has too many problems and most people are impatient and unhappy. We all worry about the future, but does that worry really help? Why not take life one day at a time, rather than 10 years at a time?

A brief holiday, even a weekend without commitments, can sometimes help us regain our balance in life, and do things we enjoy doing and have no time to do.

Have a nice holiday this summer, or this weekend, and make the most of it to regain balance, inner peace and calm

Can the Euro Survive?


The current attack on the Euro is getting worse, as currency speculators see a golden chance to make massive profits by attacking "the weakest link" in the Euro system, which is Greece.

Other weak links, like Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland, could be next due to their weak economies and high public debts.

Can Europe save the Euro?

According to an article in the Daily Telegraph by Jeff Mandell on May 20, "The Euro as we know it is dead"

As suggested in a post on this blog last month (29 April), Damage Caused by Currency Speculation, a political decision is needed to freeze currency exchange rates for one month to design and implement a new sustainable system.

In the current environment of panic and negative speculation, without such a freeze on exchange rates, not only the Euro may collapse, it may worsen the current global financial mess.

Let's hope this is not the case.

Fixing the Global Financial Mess!

The only way out of the current financial and economical mess the world is in today is to follow a new sustainable system which is balanced and fair.

This new financial system needs to be free from exploitation, free from gambling on currencies and shares, free from interest and usury.

People can't sell what they don't own, and therefore gambling in "future" markets should not be allowed.

Money needs to be backed up with gold, as it always has been the case till 1971.

Equity finance should replace debt finance in real partnerships between investors and business.

These are some aspects of the Islamic solution to economics and finance in today's world, which would lead to a sustainable and fair economic and financial system.

Banks have caused enough damage and misery ...

It's time to fix the mess now, before it's too late ...

Free or Fair Trade?

Which is more important for a just world?

Rich countries and investors demand 100% free trade in order to maximize their profits by increasing the size of their markets

The rest of humanity is looking for justice in foreign trade where balanced relations allow for a win-win scenario

And this should be the essence of trade: both sides should benefit, and no country should be forced to open its markets if it is not in their best interest

On the political level, free trade leads to false corporate democracy, whereas fair trade reflects real people democracy

The choice is very clear if we are searching for peace in this world

Damage Caused by Currency Speculation

The current economic crisis in Europe which started in Iceland, and currently affecting Greece has lead to strong speculation against the Euro.

Currency speculators have no ethics, and their main objective is to maximize profits regardless of what happens to entire nations. Similar damage happened in Asia more than 10 years ago, when currency speculators caused the crash of a number of currencies in South East Asia, which lead to major economic problems for several countries that lasted for many years and caused a lot of misery for millions of people.

The current system of total freedom of currency speculation is simply not sustainable, and the damage it causes has proven to be much higher than the perceived benefits.

A new system is needed, and I recommend that a political decision is taken to freeze currency exchange rates at their current levels for one month, during which a new sustainable system would be designed, agreed and implemented by governments, which would reduce this danger and offer a just alternative system, which is not at the mercy of few merciless tycoons ...

Wisdom should prevail for the well-being of humanity as a whole

Enough chaos and destruction ...

Look at the Bright Side of Life


Life has ups and downs, good times and difficult times, health and illness, calm and distress ...

Looking at the bright side of life is the way to stay optimistic and overcome difficulties. Hard times are always followed by good times, and after every hardship comes ease.

There is a lot of beauty in this world.

Yesterday I was looking out of the window and saw a nice bird on the tree looking at me. It was before sunset, and there were many other birds flying around, but this bird stood there for more than two minutes.

At such moments, one forgets the problems of daily life, and gives a chance to contemplate and remember there is a lot out there to look at, reflect and admire.

A every hardship comes ease, so look at the bright side and don't worry about tomorrow

Short Siestas are Good for Learning

It used to be a custom for many people in Southern Europe, the Med area and hot countries in general, to take a mid-afternoon nap.

I remember many years ago, my father used to come back from work at around 14.30, have lunch, then have a siesta, and wake up fresh again with energy to socialize with family, friends and relatives.

Those were the good old days before the era of globalization and the long working hours it brought with so much pressure and competition. People back then, in the 1960s, used to be much happier than they are today. It was a more humane society, much more humane, less complicated, with a higher quality of life for all members of society. Sons and daughters had much more time and energy to care for their parents and for the elderly and those who needed support. I remember my father used to visit my grandmother, who lived in the same building, twice a day: once in the morning to have his coffee with her before going to work, and once in the evening. Those were the good old days ...

Anyhow, to get back to the main topic, recent scientific research has shown that having a short siesta for less than an hour during the day, and preferably between mid-day and the time of Asr prayers, is good for one's health. It gives energy, revives the mind, and according to this BBC article, it helps the memory in its daily learning process.

This is a summary of the findings:

Dreams can help with learning: Napping after learning something new could help you commit it to memory - as long as you dream - scientists say.

They found that people who dream of a new task perform it better on waking than those who do not sleep or do not dream.

This is the URL for further background

It's interesting to note how in Japan some companies offer their employees special rooms where they may have a short nap during their breaks or lunch hours to help them be more efficient and increase productivity

A siesta is good, but should not be too late in the afternoon, as the right timing is very important. The worst siesta to take is just before sunset ... It also should not be too long ...

You Can Do Two Things at a Time ... But not Three

According to recent scientific research, the human brain can allow you to do two things at the same time, like you can cook and at the same time talk on the phone, but you cannot do a third task like read the newspaper.

When we try to do two things at the same time, each half of the brain focuses on a seperate task, according to French scientist Dr Etienne Koechlin, who said to the BBC that if you have three or more tasks you lose track of one task.

This is the URL for more background: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8622137.stm

So don't overdo it ...

Iceland's Volcano: Food for Thought

An unprecedented event in Europe this week with the eruption of a volcano in Iceland, which has lead to the cancelation of thousands of flights so far.

It is expected that this will continue tomorrow for a fourth day, and the airline losses due to this emergency are estimated at a daily average of $200 million ...

Modern technology has not helped us escape this natural disaster ... We are very weak ...

A New Horizon for Humanity

We need major changes in the business world for a better economy and future for mankind ...

We also need major social changes to help the poor, feed the hungry and cure those who are ill ...

We need major political changes to select better leaders who have human values ...

How can these changes take place?

We need to remain optimistic that a new horizon will come, and that after the darkness of injustices and war the light of justice and peace will shine ...

Remain positive, optimistic and be patient ...

Dawn will come ...

Is Capitalism Collapsing?

The world financial crisis which started in 2007 is getting worse each day, as the economy of most countries around the world face increasing levels of problems.

Unemployment is on the rise, and in a country like Spain it has already reached 20%. What is wrong with the current ractice of global capitalism?

In my opinion, the basic foundations of capitalism is unsustainable on the long run, especially due to its following two pillars:

a) The core objective of investors and business enterprises is profit maximization

b) The financial system is an interest-based system

The first factor leads to greed, and it's part of human nature to want more wealth and to earn more profits. Those who have a million want to make it 10 million, and those who have 10 milion want to make it 100 milion, ... and so on. There is no limit to human greed, and this is dangerous for society, as greed can lead to fraud, corruption and a monopoly practice of business in order to maximize profits. Is it a coincidence that the game we grew to love was called "Monopoly"?

The second factor, interest-based finance, makes the financial system unstable on the long run. Every number of years, a capitalist economy must go through a recession and on the long-run a depression or a major recession like the one the world is going through today. The important question is: Why?

And a summary answer is that an interest-based system expands money supply beyond the size of the real economy. This leads to "bubbles", which are normally found in real estates, stock markets and commodity markets. With time, what happens on the long run is that the size of the financial system becomes several times larger that the size of the real economy, and when one piece of the domino collapses, the whole system fails, as what is taking place today.

There are other factors why today's global capitalism is unsustainable, including its promotion of maximum levels of consumerism for maximum profits. Resources are depleted, our environment gets polluted and standards of life on earth becomes worse.

More reflections on this matter in future posts .....

Cordoba: A City of Civilization & Knowledge

Located in Andalusia, Spain, the city of Cordoba is a unique place to visit. A city with a lot of history and a leading center of knowledge in Europe 1,000 years ago.

My first visit to Cordoba was more than 20 years ago, and it's strange how some places can leave a strong impact.