Vaccination in Islam - The Grey Area

Vaccination...a Muslim in Nigeria has a child who suffered from polio and health authorities pinpointed the cause to the fact that this kid did not take the polio vaccination. But the family believes that the condition of the child is caused by the will of Allah, and has nothing to do with vaccination. The family refused vaccination because they wanted to avoid the uncertain haram/halal status of ...the vaccine.

Interestingly, we are usually taking vaccines without considering their origins. It seems that we are powerless to even check on the origin of the vaccines, and have been following the masses and the standards set by the polyclinics and hospitals.

According to a research, vaccines can increase immunity against some illnesses but at the same time cripple your immune system against other illnesses, and cause side effects such as sudden allergy, shortness of breath and even death. This happens when your body is overloaded with vaccines. (Maybe the unexplained, sudden death cases around us were due to vaccines?)

Does Allah create an immune system in us that is not reliable and want us to be vaccinated? Is vaccine a necessary precaution?

What we can be sure of is, that in cases of darurah, we are allowed to take a vaccine if there is really no halal option for the vaccine.

For Muslims going to Hajj/Umrah and have to take the Meningitis vaccine, there is already a halal version of the vaccine. Scientists have managed to use cow parts instead of khinzir parts.

According to an answer in OnIslam.net, the general principle is that "the lesser of two evils may be done to ward off the greater" (Al-Ashbah Wa An-Naza'ir by As-Suyuti). It remains the duty of reliable specialists to decide on that weighing of the harms and benefits of each vaccine separately.

 

Hopefully, more research and more Muslim scientists emerge to clear the air on vaccines. Because now, we have no idea what we are giving our babies. And hopefully, we can replace the use of vaccines by something more natural

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Science of Breastfeeding: Merciful Allah Delays the Growth of Teeth In Babies

Why are babies born toothless? Because Allah wants them to be breastfed. Breastmilk is the very first Rizq that Allah has guaranteed for them on Earth.

Ibnu Qayyim, one of the greatest Islamic scholars history has known, had left us with his legacy including the sciences of Hadith and Fiqh.

He deeply understood why Allah encourages breastfeeding in the first two years of life:

"Babies should only be fed the mother's milk until their teeth appear. Their stomach and digestive system (in the early months) are incapable of handling (solid) food. When the baby's teeth emerge, its stomach becomes strong and ready for food. Indeed Allah delays the growth of teeth until the baby needs food. This is from His wisdom and kindness, and out of mercy toward the mother and her nipples, so that the baby would not bite them with its teeth."

Scientists in the modern world are just discovering more benefits of breastfeeding which were already highlighted by the Islamic scholars in the medieval era.

Imagine how delicate the stomach and the digestive system of a baby is, so much so that Allah says only breastmilk for the first two years.

Imagine how powerful breastfeeding is, so much so that ...

• the emotions and characteristics of the mother flows into the baby via the milk and the emotional bonding as the baby lies close to the chest of the mother. Perhaps this is the beginning of da'wah - as the baby learns from the mother subconsciously.

• when a baby is breastfed by a lady who is not its mother, this child cannot marry the children of this lady. Perhaps it's because of the live cells and enzymes that get transferred to the baby from this lady, so in a sense, the baby inherits characteristics of the lady who has breastfed it.

Wallahu a'lam.

Congrats New Mom - Checklist for Your Newborn After Birth

What A Muslim Newborn Deserves Upon Birth

1. Recite the Azan to your newborn.
2. Let your baby taste the sweetness of dates. Place a tiny amount of the essence from squashed dates into the baby's mouth.
3. Give your newborn a good name: a name with a good meaning, or a name of the Prophet or Sahabah, a name that means "Servant of Allah", names of pious people
4. Seventh day post-delivery:

• Shave your newborn's hair, weigh the shaven hair and donate the equivalent amount to charity.
• Arrange for Aqeeqah - sacrifice two sheep for baby boy, one sheep for baby girl. This is a strong sunnah as the Prophet s.a.w. practised it. Another reason is for increasing the sense of identity of the Muslim community and awareness of the new addition to the Ummah  - a new follower of the Prophet s.a.w.
• Circumcision. Best done as soon as possible so it will not cause discomfort especially if it's carried out when the child is out and about on his feet. Another advantage is that the wound will heal quickly in babies.

Anything that we have missed out?

A Bundle of Hope VS A Bundle of Joy

The day when a mother gives birth to her baby, is the happiest day for her, after her marriage. A bundle of joy enters her life and is going to fill it with more happiness.

How sure are we of this happiness? What is this happiness exactly?

I would prefer to call a newborn a bundle of hope. Afterall, a baby who is born into the world is not created to just bring joy to its parents. Every baby carries a mission. And what is the mission of life?

Yes, for those who answered. "To worship Allah", you are right.

So in a greater sense of the word joy, a baby is a bundle of joy if it grows up to bring its family to Allah. If it succeeds in carrying out its mission, to spread the message that was carried by our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. till he died.

Even before the Prophet s.a.w. died, he had left behind an important request - he wanted his followers who had listened to his final sermon to convey the message to the people that he did not get to see - which is us now.

Therefore, babies are our hope. We parents should now already be actively worshipping Allah in everything that we are doing in our lives, and get our children to participate in whichever ways possible at their age.

Inculcate the good values early so that the process of teaching our kids Islam will be a smooth, natural process. Teaching them late will just cause difficulties for both you and them, as the transition is harder.

When our babies are in our womb, we pray for their safety. Now that they are out in this world, all the more we should pray for their safety from the whisperings of Shaytan who had sworn since the beginning of time to destroy the faith of Muslims.

Let's make the work of our children to worship Allah easier. Inspire them each day, and show them by example - yes, we mothers are their best examples. And they - our children - are our hopes.

When people hurt you

It is easy to feel angered, but it is not easy to forgive. But we should always try to forgive, because Allah is Most Forgiving. Some things are just meant to be unfair. Because the world is not perfect. People too are not perfect. Some imperfections cannot be changed, so leave them behind and just focus on the more happy side of life. My favourite saying: the World is a vast place. Go explore!

Marriage, Mommy, Money

I am spurred on to write this post immediately after reading an e-book by Ponn M Sabra, founder of Americanmuslimmom.com. When I started out blogging, I had added the button of this website on my blog, as I found its contents inspirational, and very much relevant to my life. I was so happy to have done it, because now, there are much more good information on this website, shared by Sister Ponn. May Allah bless her efforts and her generous sharing of knowledge.

Some points to remember that I've got from reading her e-book:
1. One should NEVER be judged on material wealth, but on religion, deeds and way of life.
2. A wife's obligation is to look after her family at home, and she is not obliged to work if her husband can support the family financially. If she does work, her salary is hers and she can spend it in any way she wants in halal activities.
3. Homeschooling your own kids is much better than sending them to a school where the teacher doesn't understand your child's personality, likes and dislikes, and learning styles. An educated mother will be able to teach much more things for her child, and cover areas that a teacher in school (who also has to handle 20 other kids) cannot, for example, Social Skills, Health & Hygiene, Gratitude to Allah when learning Science. Teaching your child at the comfort of your home, will also allow you to optimise time and work around your prayer schedule, hence giving the child the added importance of prayer.
4. Save cash and invest in halal means, such as gold.
5. Get yourself busy in community events, and contribute to the society with your expertise.
6. Save as much as possible in grocery and coupon shopping.
7. Remember that business is built on quality, not quantity. Never compromise on cheap services, but go for trusted ones that you can afford.

Girls, get ready for home school!

The wish to see the world

I felt that reading saves me from being sad. La Tahzan. There is a paragraph about a man who had cancer of the digestive system, already at the critical stage. He didn't prepare to die, but instead he told the doctors of his wish to sail round the world. And he did just that, although the doctors warned that he may die during the journey. He told them that he would not die in the sea, as he has promised to his family that he wanted to be buried in the family's burial site. In fact, on his journey, he bravely consumed all the foods that doctors warned him against, due to the digestive problems he had. Amazingly, when he finally returned, the doctors found that he was cured. They said his method of cheering himself up worked to remove the critical illness he had.

Should I do that? Perhaps one day, I will set a journey around the world, and then brave myself, and eat all the foods I want to, visit all the beautiful places in the world.