Assalamu alaikum, ya nesan!

Wake up early, and start your day in earnest. From East to West this is one thing that is shared by successful people in all spheres of life. Our bodies are designed to maintain a cycle throughout the day, and though our bodies adjust to exceptional situations, maintaining the cycle is when the body performs at its optimum. Part of that cycle is waking up early, and Subahu or Fajr as some call it, should not be just a prayer that we wake up for, it should ideally be the start of the day, as the blessings of this time is mentioned in the hadith -

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لأُمَّتِي فِي بُكُورِهَا

Sakhr Al-Ghamidi narrated that, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

"O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings (i.e., what they do early in the morning)."

Sunan Ibn Majah, English reference : Vol. 3, Book 12, Hadith 2236, Arabic reference: Book 12, Hadith 2321

Everything about the morning hours are beautiful. The Sun which beats down on us throughout the rest of the day is benevolent at this time, and catching its rays upon your bare skin will ensure that your body generates Vitamin D, which is essential in keeping your body healthy, and more importantly elevating your mood. Vitamin D is not easily absorbed through food, therefore catching the morning Sun shine is an opportunity every Saracen should try to exploit. From sun rise to about 10 a.m. let the rays of the Sun onto your skin for about half an hour. This is sufficient to boost Vitamin D production which will keep you in a good mood for the rest of the day.

The morning hours are when the air is at its cleanest. If you live in an urban or suburban area, your air is toxic, with carbon monoxide, rubber and tar dust. Therefore, doing your breathing exercises nice and early will allow you to inhale pure clean air from which pollutants have settled out, overnight. Find a quite spot near a window, and sit cross legged with your back straight. Inhale slowly and steadily until your lungs are full, and then exhale just as slowly and steadily. Many of us “modern people” lack enough oxygen in our blood, and this will help counter that to a certain extent.

If you are a desk worker your lack of exercise will catch up with you eventually. You may not have the time to exercise throughout the day, and at the evening times, the roads are dusty and crowded that taking a stroll may be frustrating. In the morning hours though, this is not the case. As you breathe hard during your work out, you are spared the lung full of dust and instead rewarded with refreshing clean air. The pavements are yours to walk around your neighborhood, and hopefully notice things you hadn’t before. In addition, the birds are out as well, to cheer you on in your effort to maintain a healthy life.

Therefore, dear Saracen, Ibn Serendib hopes you will consider waking up early, and make Subahu (or Fajr) the start of your day. Allah keeps practical benefits with prayer, so let us exploit them.

May Allah make you happier, and healthier!

Assalamu alaikum, ya nesan!

One of the most challenging Ramadhan months in recent history has concluded, with mixed yet positive outcomes. Going forward Ibn Serendib hopes that our community will use the valuable lessons Allah has provided for us during this holy month, and go about our business in a more united, thoughtful and diligent manner.

Many people complained to Ibn Serendib, saying "why does god give us problems when we are fasting for his sake?" and the answer to this is quite simple, because we have the best chance of overcoming problems, when we attend to them in this holy month. Allah is all merciful!

So without further ado, Eid Mubarak everyone! Have a good celebration, because you deserve it!

By Kubra Jawher 
Founder, Muslimahs for Circumcision

Female Circumcision! No, it’s not what you think it is! It is not Female Genital Mutilation, it does not curb women’s sexual experience, it is not a cultural tradition. It is Islamic! It is healthy! It increases the experience of sex!


Female circumcision is gaining popularity day by day as Muslim women become aware of its importance. In the early days of Islam – which were its best days- all Muslim women were circumcised. It was regarded as a fitra duty like male circumcision and treated as such. All fitra duties are applicable to both males and females. This includes shaving our pubic hair, plucking out our armpit hair and clipping our nails. Could anybody in his right mind argue that these are applicable only to males? So it’s clear that circumcision must apply to both males and females.

Imam Bukhari is best known for the compilation of the book Saheeh Al Bukhari. But did you know he compiled another book on Good Manners. It was called Adab Al Mufrad. In this great work, Imam Bukhari records two very important incidents in the days of the Sahabah which proves the blessed companions of our beloved Prophet (Sal) regarded it as necessary for women -

Umm Al Muhajir says: “I was captured with some girls from Byzantium. (Caliph) Uthman offered us Islam, but only myself and one other girl accepted Islam. Uthman said: ‘Go and circumcise them and purify them” 

Umm Alqamah says that when the nieces of Ayisha's brother were circumcised, 'A'isha was asked: "Shall we call someone to amuse them?" "Yes" she replied.

In later times, some madhhabs regarded it as wajib (obligatory) like the Shafis and a good part of the Hanbalis like Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah, while others like the Malikis saw it as recommended and the Hanafis viewed it as a good thing to do for a Muslim wife. Disagreements whether it was obligatory or not, the reluctance of male scholars to deal with a woman’s issue and the lack of awareness among women of later generations led to its decline in certain parts of the world like in Turkey, Central Asia and India where the Hanafi Madhhab dominated. Since it was thought of as only recommended, the women in these areas conveniently neglected it.

... some madhhabs regarded it as wajib (obligatory) like the Shafis and a good part of the Hanbalis like Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah, while others like the Malikis saw it as recommended and the Hanafis viewed it as a good thing to do for a Muslim wife.

But an unbiased mind shows it is a must for females as much as males. Why would Hazrat Ayisha have her nieces circumcised and Caliph Uthman order women who had embraced Islam to be circumcised if it were not obligatory?

So what must be done in circumcising the girl? Very simple really, all that is required is to remove the bit of dirty skin around her clitoris. This skin is like the foreskin of boys taken off at circumcision and breeds germs and gives out bad smells. So what are its benefits?  A lot really. It prevents smelly smegma buildup that causes infections. It prevents occurrence of Urinary Tract Infections and it protects your partner, since it prevents transmission of oral cancer-causing HPV to your spouse through oral sex if you ever think of indulging in it. Female foreskin, ew, take it off!

Why would Hazrat Ayisha have her nieces circumcised and Caliph Uthman order women who had embraced Islam to be circumcised if it were not obligatory?

Is that all? No, there’s more to it! Circumcision by removing the female foreskin exposes the surface area of the clitoris for greater stimulation during sex, and this translates to greater sexual pleasure for us ladies. Even posh American women are now going for it as a very costly cosmetic procedure known as hoodectomy paying thousands of dollars, and to think we can get it done for less than 100 dollars here in Asia.

Many clinics now offer Islamic female circumcision. Rumah Sunatan, Indonesia’s largest chain of circumcision clinics now offers circumcision for girls as well. The Fatwa Committee of the Malaysian Government, the Central Islamic Council of Switzerland and the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama of Sri Lanka have all declared female circumcision as an obligatory duty for Muslim women. These developments are bound to change women’s attitudes to circumcision positively so that they choose it for themselves and their daughters, knowing that it is for their own good.

I end this brief piece with the hope and prayer that all Muslim women will be circumcised in the near future. It gives us beauty and barakah, and makes us a blessing to our ummah, like it did in the early days of Islam- the best days of Islam!

Assalamu alaikum, ya nesan!

Reading the Quran is just as important as reciting it, but many Saracen, including Ibn Serendib are incapable of this because we do not understand Arabic. Despite many religious and social leaders, including our national hero, the late M.C. Siddhi Lebbe strongly recommending learning the language of the Quran, Arabic literacy is extremely poor amongst our blessed community, and therefore referring a translation of the Quran often, will help us better understand our religion.


Quran.com is an amazing resource that provides an online version of the holy book, in addition to its translation in many languages, including English, French, Turkic and Indonesian. The English translations are especially rich as they offer works by many translators so you can choose one that you have faith in.

This website displays beautifully on your smartphone. The homepage consists a listing of all 114 chapters of the Quran, and touch selecting the chapters title will load the relevant chapter in Arabic along with the default translation provided by Sahih International. There are better translations than that from Sahih International available, and you can view them by following the instructions in the video below.


The audio recital feature that you can access by using the play button, next to each sentence is also helpful for those that want to listen. You can also follow along as the text is highlighted in sync with the audio, a helpful feature for those that wish to brush up on their pronunciation. The audio recordings can also be changed to one of many reciters, using the same way you used to change the translator. There is a handy search feature on the homepage as well that you can use to pull out relevant ayahs based on the keywords you type in. At the time of writing this article, this feature does not work on mobile phones, but works excellently on the desktop browser.

Technology has bought us closer to our religion by making it easy and convenient to access religious texts. How envious our fore fathers will be of such conveniences, as acquiring a translation in those days was an investment, and even then, you may only purchase a single authors work. Here, every major translator is accessible, easily and directly at no charge. Therefore, Ibn Serendib invites you to give this website a try, and read the translation of the Quran in a language you understand, and he can guarantee you that it’s a very interesting read.

May Allah make our dheen easy for us!

Assalamu alaikum, ya nesan!

The burka and its close associate the abaya-niqab combination has been thrust into the spotlight, rather unceremoniously, in recent times. It is an attire that is now illegal in our blessed island and indeed in many countries across the world, following years of opposition from all quarters of society. Although the vocal opponents of this garment come from feminists, racists and security establishments, their arguments are often contradictory and they are not people who can sustain a campaign for as long as the campaign against the burka has lasted. Therefore, this leads Ibn Serendib to conclude that the burka has a bigger enemy than those mentioned earlier; namely the technology industry.


Many tech companies have invested billions of dollars in face recognition and surveillance systems, in the hope that they will be deployed internationally, and yield massive profits for their creators. Face recognition surveillance works by employing a camera to capture an image of the subject’s face, and uses the features and proportions of the eyes, nose bridge and mouth to uniquely recognize an individual. One single camera can recognize potentially hundreds of such faces in its picture frame, per second, and match this with a database of each person’s record. The record will contain information of the person, including nationality, criminal history, and social media opinions. Artificial intelligence algorithms can determine whether the individual is a risk by using this information, and authorities could intercept potentially risky people.

features and proportions of the eyes, nose bridge and mouth to uniquely recognize an individual.

This technology is a necessity in our airports, train stations, highways and other transit locations, as checking desks are highly inefficient in coping with the ever-increasing population. This is where the burka, niqab and any other garments that conceals the face run afoul of the rulers. Face recognition surveillance only works if it can image your face, and if you are wearing a burka it cannot do so. Therefore, international security think tanks maybe motivated to eradicate this garment altogether. Face concealing motor cycle helmets, scarves and the such like have already been banned with a swift stroke of legislation. But the burka, has been a more sensitive issue due to its religious affiliations, and therefore needed a more sophisticated, if not subversive approach. Using an extremely serious issue like terrorism may have been employed to shock and scare people into accepting a burka ban. Ibn Serendib feels this maybe the motive behind recent events.

Face concealing motor cycle helmets, scarves and the such like have already been banned with a swift stroke of legislation. But the burka, has been a more sensitive issue...

The deep pockets of the technology industry, are highly capable of financing sustained campaigns for social change to increase the market success of their technology, and it isn’t entirely impossible that they will indirectly finance activists to advocate for changes on their behalf.

In the future Ibn Serendib feels that the hijab, caps, hats and beards will also be targeted to allow imaging the hairline and the jawline as face recognition parameters, to improve the accuracy of these systems. And it is interesting to imagine what type of social strategies will be employed to condition society to comply, in enabling these advances in technology.

Allah is all knowing, and all merciful!

Assalamu Alaikum, ya nesan!

In a few day's time, our beloved community will commemorate one of the most decisive events in the history of our great religion; the 1438th anniversary of the battle of Badr (غزوة بدر). For those of you who would like a refresher, a very nice account of this event is available here. This landmark battle, which took place on the seventeenth of Ramadhan in the second year of the Hijra, has many lessons that we would do well to remind ourselves, as they were as useful then, as they are useful now. We were disadvantages then, as we are now in all worldly metrics, but if you consider that we have Allah’s favor and mercy you may conclude that we are anything but disadvantaged. All we need to do is follow the exemplary qualities of our fore bearers and victory and peace will be ours.


Just like the Badr Sahabhas, we must be united under the one true god. According to the accepted Arab laws of war, the Ansaris (those Sahabhas of Medina), were not mandated to fight for the holy prophet, as the Quraishi had not threatened Madinah, but nonetheless they joined ranks without hesitation to protect their prophet and defend their faith. If the Ansaris were to have backed away, only Allah knows what their plight may have been; Ibn Serendib thinks it would not have been victory. Therefore, as we face problems, we must strive to unite as a community and help and support each other, both in words and in deeds. Our internal scuffles should be left for another day. We must bear in mind that age old saying; "today they came for your brother, and tomorrow they will come for you".

Therefore, as we face problems, we must strive to unite as a community and help and support each other, both in words and in deeds.

The second lesson we can learn is to support our leaders. They are not perfect, nor divine, but when strife hits, we must stand behind them, because our support gives them the courage to achieve more for us. The Muslims facing the battle of Badr never questioned the prophet’s military credentials. Indeed, the holy prophet had none. But since he was the accepted leader, their obedience and allegiance delivered victory. As a matter of fact, despite the Quraishi having more sophisticated and experienced leaders, their army’s reluctance to obey, lost them the battle, and ultimately they lost  Mecca. Therefore, may it the leader of our nation, or the leader of our community or even the religious leaders, we must offer our support sincerely. Bickering about their short comings will never give you prosperity.

...despite the Quraishi having more sophisticated and experienced leaders, their army’s reluctance to obey, lost them the battle, and ultimately they lost Mecca.

And the final lesson that Ibn Serendib wishes to highlight, is that we should not complain about strife, in the holy month. A few Saracen have questioned as to why Allah gives us strife in this holy month, when we are weak with fasting? They ask Ibn Serendib, is this a test? And to this Ibn Serendib replies, no! Allah sends us strife in this holy month, because it is when we are most likely to succeed, and achieve victory. It is in this month that Allah looks at us with the greatest mercy, and therefore he times our problems to our advantage. And just like he sent three thousand angels to help the Muslims at Badr, he will do the same for us, should we preserve our Ima`an, and focus on a solution.

Allah sends us strife in this holy month, because it is when we are most likely to succeed, and achieve victory.

In comparison to the Badr Sahabhas, our problems are but small. They are problems that can be easily solved with a bit of sophistication. All we need to do is be united, support our leaders and have Ima`an that Allah will assist us in every way. 

May Allah preserve the peace, and bring prosperity to our blessed Island, Ameen!

Assalamu Alaikum, Ya Nesan!

Ethnic strife and conflict are nothing new. It has been played, and replayed over and over again in every human collective for millennia. Despite many organizations and social groups, both national and international claiming to strive to eradicate conflict, wisdom tells us that their ambition is naïve and fickle. Therefore, as a mature community, we need to learn to mitigate the effects of ethnic conflict, and diffuse escalation whenever it arises.

Get to know them, so you can help them better!

One of the compounding side effects of ethnic conflicts is the development of disenfranchised groups of people. Attacked and then abandoned, they are a significant catalyst in escalating the situation. They often fall pray to bad actors, and are vulnerable to influence, and may engage in activities that they wouldn’t otherwise engage in, for the sake of survival. The isolation created by the loss of property will inadvertently make these people feel that their community has forgotten them, and therefore their loyalty and allegiance will begin to thin. There is a good chance that they will be the poison within. This needs to be avoided at all costs as analysts in conflict have time and time again identified the disenfranchisement of victims of ethnic conflicts as the main reason for the situation to degrade and become unstable.

The isolation created by the loss of property will inadvertently make these people feel that their community has forgotten them, and therefore their loyalty and allegiance will begin to thin.

Allah, the creator of all things has spoken to us about this, and the holy prophet, a statesman par excellence has conveyed to us the solution; charity. In light of the current situation we must approach this otherwise mechanical aspect of the holy month of Ramadhan with conscious sophistication.

The act of giving must be preceded with the act of knowing. So, avoid defaulting to the usual dry rations, and the such likes. Before you give, strive to talk to the victims, and learn of their situation so your charity will be a better fit. This is something we almost never do, but is very important to maximize the effectiveness of charity. If you do this, Allah will channel invaluable knowledge to you through these victims, which will help you avoid a similar plight.

... Before you give, strive to talk to the victims, and learn of their situation so your charity will be a better fit.

It would be more beneficial if you avoid the path of blanket charity, where you give a little, to many, but target your charity to a few, and make it sufficient for them to avoid the grip of victimhood. Zakat al-Fitr is a wonderful and powerful tool, which we must be leveraged, and there is no better time than now!

May Allah keep us all safe, and give us prosperity!

Assalamu Alaikum Ya Nesan!

University of Al Quaraouiyine (جامعة القرويين), situated in Fez, Morocco has been accepted by UNESCO and the Guinness World Records, as the oldest continually operating, degree awarding university in the world. It was founded by Fatima Al-Fihri, in 859 A.D, using the vast inheritance she received upon her father’s death.



Historically the university offered studies in grammar, rhetoric, logic, medicine, mathematics, astronomy alongside Qur'an and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), but today the university offers degree courses only in Islamic Law, Arabic Studies and Theology. In order to gain entry into the university a prospective scholar should have memorized the Quran, as well as several other texts on Arabic and Maliki Law, and demonstrate a good knowledge of classical Arabic.

Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihriya Al-Qurashiya, was the daughter of Muhammad Al-Fihri, a wealthy merchant that migrated from Qayrawan, Tunisia to Fez, Morocco. She was part of a larger migration of people from Qayrawan that migrated to Fez to take advantage of the city’s economic prosperity during the early 9th century. When Muhammad Al-Fihri died he left his great fortune to his two daughters, Fatima and Mariam. Fatima dedicated a part of her wealth to founding the University of Al Quaraouiyine, and her sister Mariam dedicated a part of her inheritance towards the Al-Andalus Mosque, also in Fez.

The university received the patronage of many sultans of the region. The universities library was first built by the Marinid Sultan Abu Inan Faris in 1349, and contains many important manuscripts including volumes from the famous Al-Muwatta of Malik written on gazelle parchment, the Sirat Ibn Ishaq, a copy of the Qur'an given by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in 1602, and the original copy of Ibn Khaldun's book Al-'Ibar.

The university’s mosque has evolved over 1000 years with the first expansion undertaken in 956, by Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba, Abd-ar-Rahman III, and today it is the largest mosque in Africa, with a capacity for 22,000 worshippers. There is a special room in the mosque known as the Dar al-Muwaqqit, where the times of prayer are established.

Famous alumna of the university includes Abu Imran al-Fasi, Mohammed Ibn Rushayd, Moḥammed ibn al-Haj al-Abdari al-Fasi, Al-Idrissi, Ibn Al-Arabi, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Khatib, Al-Bitruji (known as Alpetragius to the Greeks), Ibn Hirzihim, Al-Bannani, Al-Wazzan and Pope Sylvester II. Among its famous modern day alumna is Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din bin Abdil-Qadir Al-Hilali who translated Sahih Al-Buhari, and the Quran to the English language, the later in collaboration with the famous Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan.

May Allah open the path of knowledge to all!

Assalamu Alaikum Ya Nesan!

CeylonMosque.LK launched by the Center for Islamic Studies in Colombo has undertaken a splendid initiative to conduct tours of mosques in the island, as a foreign visitor to Sri Lanka are only exposed to famous temples and is often unaware of the long standing Islamic heritage of our country.

Screen shot of the website at http://ceylonmosque.lk/ on 5th February 2018

This program is not only aimed at tourists but non Muslim locals as well. Members of non Muslim communities can register for a tour at a mosque and educate themselves on what actually happens within it. The organizers hope that when non Muslims visit these mosques they can get a better understanding of Islamic prayer, and dispel misconceptions arising from propaganda against the Muslims. Ibn Serendib is unsure how effective this kind of program will be in dispelling racially motivated propaganda, but is excited about the exposure it will bring Islam in the tourism industry.

May Allah grant them success!

Assalamu Alaikum Ya Nesan!

The definition of female circumcision in Islam, and in the English language began to diverge in the mid 90’s. Today they are no more the same. While Islam defines female circumcision as the removal of the prepuce skin of the genitals, the definition in the English language is far more general and often includes removal of the clitoris itself, and even the vaginal labia. Removal of the clitoris, and/or the vaginal labia is highly traumatic, unnecessary and should be avoided at all costs. This is why it is important to visit a Muslim doctor for circumcision who understands the Sunnah.


The difference between the two definitions of female circumcision stems from the work of feminists and purported women’s rights groups, mainly those of western culture and their offshoots. As Islam began to increase in popularity in the West during the pre 90’s much of the Western literati focused their attention on demonizing this foreign religion. It is at this time that female circumcision took center stage, and was made a point of criticism as a barbaric Islamic practice, meant to subjugate women by physically disabling her. Volumes of literature appeared with wild claims of suffering, and horror stories of religious devotion. However this attempt barely took off, as western medicine itself prescribed Islamic female circumcision (although they did not refer to it as Islamic), and many circumcised women in the West came forward to discredit these claims, thus banishing these feminists back to their dark desks of propaganda to re access their literary diarrhea.

By the mid 90’s these feminists, together with politicians and culturists who shared their aversion to Islam, changed the meaning of female circumcision in the English language, to include other procedures, namely Clitorectomy (removal of the clitoris), and Labiodectomy (removal of the vaginal labia). These later procedures are indeed traumatic and heinous, and after observing some obscure African tribes performing them, they concluded it was a reasonable inclusion to the definition of female circumcision, and more relevantly it validated the criticism of female circumcision they had painstakingly developed and published earlier. This attempt was also doomed to fail, as people began questioning as to why “male circumcision” only refers to removal of prepuce skin, while “female circumcision” refers to other things aside from the removal of the prepuce skin. If “female circumcision” is defined this way, what does the word “circumcision” on its own mean? This loss of symmetry between male and female circumcision once again sent the feminist literature on the subject into a tail spin, and saw a considerable loss in their credibility.

As the turn of the millennium approached, feminists and their associates have abandoned re defining the term “female circumcision” and instead replaced it with the term “female genital mutilation” or FGM for short. This term not only embodies their opinion of the procedure (i.e. it’s a mutilation and of no benefit), but also serves to distance it from the more wide spread and better understood term “circumcision”. In addition, this term also “muddies the water”, so that when they criticize FGM, it is difficult for a reader to determine which of the procedures they are actually talking about. Is it circumcision? Is it Clitorectomy? Or is it Labiodectomy? This inability to distinguish between the procedures often spares the writer of these articles criticism.

Critics of female circumcision today are well funded by big pharmaceutical companies. It is in the interest of these companies, that women of the middle, and lower economic classes purchase medication for bacterial and yeast infections periodically, so these companies may enjoy revenue. Protecting their market, by making sure misinformation makes the western and even international population of women, select their medications, over precautionary procedures is paramount, to keep their profits coming in, and therefore it isn’t un reasonable to think a large part of their marketing budget will be devoted to make sure women are well and truly weary of circumcision.

May Allah guard us from the misleader!

Assalamu Alaikum Ya Nesan!

Circumcision is an optional practice for women in the Islamic tradition. It is widely practiced within the Muslim Ummah of the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and is fast gaining traction in other parts of the world. This article is about female circumcision as defined in the Islamic tradition, and does not include female circumcision as defined in the English Language. Although the term is the same, they refer to widely different practices, and I talk more on that in my article titled "Female circumcision in the English Language vs. Islamic tradition".

Female circumcision, just as in male circumcision, involves removing the prepuce skin, which covers the sensitive gland in a woman’s genitals. In men this skin is known as the foreskin that covers the penile head. In women this is called the clitoral hood, a small piece of skin that covers the clitoris. This procedure is an effective way to reduce the chances of bacteria, and yeast infections taking root on the genitals. Bacterial infections often occur to women in hot and humid climates, where heat and sweat in the genital area allows them to multiply effectively. Yeast infections are more common in women that live in temperate and colder climates. These infections can be repugnant and painful at best, and cause infertility and trauma at its worst.

The prepuce skin helps these infections, by providing them a quiet and moist environment within which to multiply and grow stronger. Once these bacteria and/or yeasts establish themselves under the prepuce skin, infecting other areas of the genitals is quick. By circumcising, you remove this “incubator of pathogens”, denying these organisms a safe haven to establish themselves and prevent a possible infection.

Men have foreskins and women have clitoral hoods for a good reason, namely to protect the sensitive nerve glands of the genitals (i.e. penile head / clitoris), however as humans began to wear cloths this skin became a liability rather than a defense, much like your pubic hair, and arm pit hair. They harbor moisture, and prevent water from effectively cleaning these areas during washing. This in turn makes them habitats for our enemies, and removing them has been recommended by our beloved Prophet (P.B.U.H). A range of modern medical studies have established that circumcision is effective in preventing genital infections, and this is what is driving the trend for women to adopt this Sunnah today, more than ever before.

Domestic enterprise and being a house wife have become luxury occupations today, with the number of families able to afford this dwindling to a few. A vast majority of women have to supplement the house hold with a second income by joining the labour market, intellectual or physical. Working a minimum of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. affords few opportunities to attend to hygiene, and the new millennium will see a more women fall victim to infections in the genital areas. Pharmaceutical companies have introduced a whole range of products to treat such infections, but prevention is better than cure, and we will see more women joining their male folks in circumcision than ever before.

Circumcision for women, just like in men is best attended to before puberty. Visit your local Muslim doctor who can perform this procedure in a matter of minutes. The important thing is your doctor understands the Islamic tradition of female circumcision, uses correct antiseptics, and gives you the advice you need to maintain yourself, during the few days it takes to heal. Circumcision done in this way will greatly improve the quality of your life.

May Allah preserve your health!

Assalamu alaikum Ya Nesan!

Zakat-Ul-Fithr is an act of charity, mandated by Islam to be given during the month of Ramadan. Unlike regular Zakat which can be given at any time of year, Zakat-Ul-Fithr has to be given out between a few days before the Eid-Ul-Fithr and at the latest, before the Eid prayer on Eid-Ul-Fithr, otherwise it is not valid. Zakat-Ul-Fithr is compulsory or wajib on all Muslims, irrespective of gender, age, social and economic standing, as long as they have sufficient means to do so. It is obligatory to give Zakat-Ul-Fithr on behalf of financial dependants as well as yourself. Recipients of this charity are the same people who are eligible for regular Zakat.


Unlike regular Zakat, Zakat-Ul-Fithr has a flat rate of one Sa’ of dried rations per Muslim. One Sa’ is about two “cupped hands” worth of grain. For those in the metric system, this is about 2.5 to 3.0 kilograms worth of dried rations. Some scholars say that it is permissible to give out cash equivalent of the rations, but despite money being available during the Prophet (S.A.W) ‘s time he always gave out food. Therefore it is a Sunnah to give rations instead of money. Grains, dried lentils, dried meats, dried fruit and cheeses are all good items to give away. It is important that the object of charity is some form of food, or something that can be converted to food, like cash. Therefore clothes, books, and other things that are not food cannot be included.

The main motivation behind Zakat-Ul-Fithr is the distribution of wealth, so that even the poor can enjoy a good Eid, and at the least feed themselves on the blessed day. That is why the timing of Zakat-Ul-Fithr is important. Giving the rations after the Eid prayer, may prevent the recipient from using the rations, and giving the charity well ahead of Eid-Ul-Fithr may result in spoilage.

Therefore dear Saracen, if you have not started to give out your share of Zakat-Ul-Fithr, these final days of Ramazan are a good time to do so. Leaving it for the last minute may see this obligation upon you burdening your festive plans, so make arrangements to get it out of the way.

May God provide you with plenty!

Greetings and salutations dear reader!

Fasting is difficult in the hot and arid regions where Islam was born, due to excessive heat and dehydration caused by the merciless Sun, and the dry surroundings. Indeed the suffering of the Prophet and his companions are mentioned in the Islamic tradition. But in an island paradise such as our beloved Serendib this should not be the case.


When fasting, it is normal for many of us to get hungry during our regular meal times as our body follows a natural cycle, but you should not feel like you have no strength. Despite your stomach growling, you should not feel like you are fatigued or lethargic, usually expressed as feeling “lifeless”. Your Sahar meal should supply you with ample energy for the day. Because if you think about it fasting amounts to merely skipping Lunch. Similarly thirst should not bother you either. Unless you have spent time travelling in the hot sun, or engaged in physically demanding activities, regular Saraceni activities should rarely make you thirsty. Therefore if fasting creates lethargy, fatigue and thirst your problem maybe that you are consuming too much salt and sugar during your meal times.

Salt is an important constituent of our diet. Salt (Sodium Chloride, in scientific parlance) breaks down in digestion and the Chlorine that it releases goes to form various acids in our body, chief of which is your stomach acid. The Sodium that is released, dictates fluid retention which impacts our blood volume, and levels of water retained by our body’s cells. If you consume too much salt with your food, it will make you thirsty, as your body uses its water reserves to dilute the salt and reduce your body’s salinity. This is the reason why we feel so thirsty when we eat salty foods like potato chips. So though you may not be losing your water by sweating and dehydration, your body is using it up to control salt levels. If you feel that you are getting very thirsty during your fast you may want to reduce the amount of salt added to your Sahar and Ifthar meals. Beware of consuming commercially processed foods during this time, as many of them contain copious amounts of Salt.

Food companies love to make their food salty, because not only does it taste better, it also gives there produce a long shell life. Therefore if you are consuming any packaged foods during Sahar or Ifthar, make sure you do so with modesty to avoid too much salt in the body. Although rarely store bought, our humble Kanji is probably the chief offender in many Saracen households for containing too much salt, so be mindful of this.

Glucose is the fuel which our body burns to produce energy. Our body synthesizes Glucose from the carbohydrates that we eat. Sucrose (commonly known as Sugar) is a high power carbohydrate that can release large amounts of Glucose into our blood in a short time. And that is one of the reasons we love it so much. Consuming sugar (Sucrose) gives us a direct energy boost, which makes us happy and energetic. Significant amounts of sugar in our diet keeps Glucose in our blood high, making it unnecessary for our body to burn fat, which is one reason people consuming too much sugary foods tend to get obese. Converting Sugar to Glucose is far simpler for the body, than burning fat or breaking down other carbohydrates, and therefore regular consumption of sugar makes our body prefer it, and when it doesn’t get the sugar it will throw a tantrum.

Glucose in our blood is high soon after a meal, but as this glucose gets used up, our body should faithfully convert fat stores into Glucose without us even knowing it. However when you are used to consuming a lot of sugar, this behavior changes, and your body decides that demanding more sugar is much easier than burning fat stores, and therefore sits back and lets your blood sugar level drop, trusting you will eat soon. This drop in blood sugar is what makes you feel lifeless and lethargic. Your body will eventually start burning fat, but not until it has made you feel like a famine victim. If you are experiencing this symptom during your fast, I would strongly recommend reducing your sugar intake so your body once again goes back to its regular function of starting to burn fat without troubling you.

Some foods that maybe giving you a super dose of sugar during our Ramazan season may be those Bombay Sweets. These are nothing but sugar and flour that is mixed together and cooked. Your chocolate bar (… ladies?) can just as well be called a sugar bar, as they have more sugar in them than chocolate, so opt for dark bitter chocolates whenever you can. If you are in the habit of consuming commercial soft drinks and sodas, you may want to reduce them as they contain unbelievable amounts of sugar. Therefore reducing or eliminating these foods, can make sure your energy levels are maintained throughout the fasting day.

Sugar is addictive, and therefore unlike reducing Salt, reducing sugar will definitely take a toll on your mood. But persevere, as the changes recommended here will make your fast easier.

May god ease your pain and bring prosperity to you!