Monthly Archives: August 2008

This post is an observation that I made after living in Norway since childhood seeing my fellow Muslim friends who find it amusing making fun of those that try to eat halal food. Funnily enough I know personally some people that start from one haram stuff to eating candy that clearly says pork on it.

Here are the top 5 excuses of those that do not eat halal when they can:-

• So what do you want us to do .. die with hunger?
  No one can expire if one eats fish or other things that are halal. Muslims do eat other meats too and obviously you can eat beef, lamb and other animals that are allowed..
• Why so much extreme man..? we do other haram stuff too
  Do you? Well isn’t it time you try to cut short of those haram things and instead of boasting about try to work on it.. I am writing few things that I want to cut out from my life
• I can’t find halal stuff where i live
  Where is a will there is a way.
• I can just read bismillah and eat it
  Now this one is a classic. Absolutely the best excuse ever
• I know about my religion and I know what I can and can’t do
  Now how cute and innocent is that, create your own hadiths and views and make fun of your fellow friend.

Islam says that the affect of eating haram is that our limbs and our body would not be able to aid us in performing the waajibaat, sunnah of the prophet nawaafil and aamaal. The Shaitan very easily would gain access to us through haram food.

Lets look at the text of the Hadith,
“Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu ‘anhu, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said:“Verily Allah the Exalted is pure. He does not accept but that which
is pure. Allah commands the believers with what He commanded the Messengers. Allah the Almighty has said:

“O you Messengers! Eat of the good things and act righteously” And Allah the Almighty also said: “O you who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided you
with” Then he (the Prophet) mentioned (the case of) the man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who stretches out his hands to the sky (saying): “O Lord! O Lord!”
(while) his food was haram, his drink was haram, his clothing was haram, and he is nourished with haram things, so how can he be answered?”

Here are some of the lessons derived from this Hadith:

1. A donation given from Haram has no reward.
2. Allah ordered the Prophets to eat only halal.
3. Allah ordered Muslims to eat only halal.
4. Supplication is not responded if one eats haram.
5. Hardships in the path of Allah are not rewarded if the food or the income of a
person is Haram.

Remember wanting to eat halal is not being a fanatic. I do go on business trips and I feel great when they ask me “Wakas, do you want to have fish?” They value and respect me and my religion. I know some people who have people working with them who funnily comment on a muslim co-worker saying things like “Oh man come on, you can’t eat this what kind of religion is that” Fair enough coming from a non-muslim.

But shame on those Muslims who are joining them in targetting their fellow muslim friends..

There are lots of people who just get into the whole world of blogging just for the fun of it and later on realize the money they can earn from it. But the thing is that if you are only in it for the money you will definitely be a little bit disappointed. Because the fact of the matter is that if you do not burn for something you might burn out your own mind when you don’t see your cheques coming in from your affiliate programs that you have beautified the whole blog with.

You will really need lots of patience when it comes to expecting some money from your blog. The main thing that most new bloggers do is that they scatter their complete blog with affiliate programs from all over the net or probably just replicating what the top bloggers are doing.

What most of them forget is that no matter how hard they try it will take lots of time before their credibility as a honest straightforward blogger will be established.

For example, I myself am a radio host on one of the largest Asian station. I have worked as a host since the past decade, and If i am going to suggest something in one of my shows to others who want to get into the radio business chances are quite high that those that want to follow my footsteps will purchase what i suggest. So you get the point.

So going back to the topic. If you are in it for the fun of blogging you will slowly but very patiently enjoy the benefits of a steady income, if you can provide quality content that someone can benefit from. There are various ways you can manage that ofcourse.

Here are some things to check in order to see why you are not successful.

• You do not know your topic very well
• You are ONLY in it for the money. Remember that will show right through your post
• You are just blogging for the fun of it
• You are not a regular blogger, this would mean that you blog whenever you feel like it.
• You are very impatient and can not wait for things to happen. Therefore you just create blogs and then give up

What about you? Do you have any points you wish to add… please do so. If you are like me, who enjoys blogging and want to do it right. Then check out this wonderful program by Yaro – click here

I have been quite lucky (and very hard working as well) when it comes to work and work experience. Since a few years back I was in Pakistan doing my studies in Fine Arts and now I am working as a Project Manager for an IT company in Norway.

I have gone through lots of various roles in the past just to make the ends meet. From working as a door-to -door sales agent to applying my skills to major music networks like Dotmusic, which is now known as Yahoo Music and then further on working for the largest recruitment company as the only Pakistani designer among the 400+ people dealing with the most amazing projects.

Years later I sometime wonder what is it that drives us to work. For some it’s to get rid of the boredom they will be surrounded with if they sit home all the time, for others money is a reason enough to wake up every morning to do something that they enjoy.

BUT when that is said, there are so many people who do not enjoy the work they do and even while working they have lots of things in mind.. such as:-

• I am just doing my job because I need the money
• I will do something else when I have enough cash in my hands
• I am doing this job because I won’t get any other job

Since the past few years I have developed this thing in mind that was injected within me from my elders, mainly my mother. That “No work is bad if we are doing it with our honest intentions and for a good cause”

So keeping that in mind, I have gone through various roles from standing at the cash register at a till to working part time in a warehouse when I couldn’t find the job I was looking for in Norway. Since it’s already too tough being a Pakistani in Norway let alone get a good job even when you have the desired knowledge and experience.

While we are at it, here are a few tips on how to stay happy at work

• Develop you skills further
• Look at those that don’t have what you have!
• Appreciate other’s work
• Don’t be a sour face, as no one likes them..
• Be confident in what you do!
• Communicate with others at work!
• Never be the last one to greet someone!

What is the driving force behind you waking up everyday if you do work at this moment? Are working for cash or are you working for pleasure? So do you enjoy your work or you are just trying to make the ends meet?