PhilAsify 101

Hey everyone. You may have noticed a bit of a lull on PhilAsify 101 for over a month now.  Well I actually have a perfectly valid reason this time around aside from being a lazy unproductive coach potato. Ahem... Allow me to introduce to you Abdul-Malik Elijah Balouch, the newest youngin' of the Balouch clan. Abdul-Malik popped into this world on August 25th, 2013 during the last half of Ramadan, making the month even more of a blessing. Weighing in at 7 pounds 4 oz, I immediately noticed how devilishly handsome the guy was. I'm talking Zoolander good looking... Mom and Dad are doing great and adjusting to this new chapter of our lives. Long nights and hard labor for the wifey while I'm doing everything I can to make sure she doesn't go nuts. Naturally, I've been taking some time off to get to know this good looking cat, so that's why there hasn't been any new stuff published. InshAllah I'll be getting back on the blogging g...

A few days into Ramadan, your boy is checking in with a quick thought. At the midpoint of last night's Taraweeh prayer, which I like to describe as the "Taraweeh Halftime Show", the Imam spoke about the virtues of fasting. It was formulaic and typical (not that I'm complaining) but what stood out to me was him saying that your fasts will intercede for you on the day of judgment. My first reaction to that was: Whaaa? But once I gave it more thought, I realized that the Day of Judgment for everyone is going to go down like the most EPIC episode of Law and Order .  Now theres Qur'an verses which explicitly state that no person can intercede on behalf of someone else on the Day of Judgment. So essentially you're on your own. But when it comes to authentic and sound hadiths, you do have intercessors or defense attorneys on that Ultimate Court date. They just aren't your average joes like you or me.

Chances are before stumbling upon this blog, you may have recently seen some sort of pop up ad on some fat burning miracle pill or how you can get a six pack in 12 days. Or perhaps you saw a commercial on TV where Shaun T is telling you to get up off your fat bum and get ripped with the Insanity workout. Let's face it man, the world is obsessed with the way we look. It's the reason fitness centers are chock full of sweaty folks trying to sculpt themselves into their fantasy bodies and the reason why Chuck Norris is still on TV, pimping out Total Gym equipment. Everybody wants to be ripped, everyone wants to be toned, everyone wants to be SWOLE . Of course that's not totally a bad thing. It's good to be in peak physical condition. It's good for your overall health and wellness, it keeps you more active and gives you more energy, not to mention it does wonders for a person's self esteem when there's muscles bulging out of them every which way.

Can you believe it? The month of Shaban is here which means Ramadan is just around the corner. Now regardless of the fact that Ramadan is one of the most blessed months of the year and how it’s a chance for Muslims to cleanse ourselves of sins and get a spiritual boost, the emotions for its arrival are undoubtedly mixed. Don’t get me wrong, there is a great number of the faithful who are excited for Ramadan and are looking forward to the abundance of good the month contains. However, I’m sure there are folks out there dreading this month. They dread the dropkick their schedules receive, whether it be work/school or their regular eating pattern. They groan at the thought of starving all day, cutting out all the fun shenanigans they occupy themselves with on the daily and spending the nights assembled in the congregation lines at the crowded masajid for Tarawih prayer. The thought of listening to the Imam drone on as they stand with aching feet and full stomachs for an extra lo...

I love Netflix. Sure it doesn't have the latest movie releases (that's what Redbox is for) but I save a ton of money not having to pay a cable bill. I've had a blast "binge-viewing" shows that I've finally gotten around to like Lost and Breaking Bad-- watching entire seasons in mere days (if not in one sitting). I squeal with glee from the occasional hidden gems which pop up when I do a random search ( Coming to America, Beverley Hills Cop  and other Eddie Murphy pre-disney bastardization laugh riots). Heck, part of the reason why I haven't blogged regularly in so long is because of this glorious productivity-killing streaming portal of dreams (kinda like the land of Zamunda).  What I also love about Netflix is that it gives Indie filmmakers a chance to have their films and documentaries be seen by more eyes through having it available on the streaming service. Sure a lot of them look like unappealing stinkers, but at least the opportunity is there fo...

Hey gang. Back from another hiatus to bring you more of that PhilAsify you love so much. If you haven't already, please bookmark this page, share these blogs with your friends, like PhilAsify101 on Facebook, follow me on Twitter and do all the other social media hook ups so you can stay in the loop. *** "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty" --Prophet Muhammad Recently, I came across an excellent article on the popular news and opinion site Slate.com entitled "Marry Young" . What was more interesting than the headline was the sub heading that accompanied it: "I got married at 23. What are you all waiting for?" I was instantly hooked for the next 10 minutes. Washington, DC writer Julia Shaw started the column by speaking about how marriage--especially in today's society--is held off and procrastinated to the max. Whether it be lack of maturity, social status ...

Disclaimer: Please take note that this article is mainly for humorous purposes and should be taken lightly though there are some valid and true information in some instances. So, please do not get your halal panties in a bunch over these hacks. You know what I've been loving lately? Life hacks. These have been sweeping the internet recently and I can't get enough of them. For those who don't know what life hacks are they have been defined as a  "productivity trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life; in other words, anything that solves an everyday problem in a clever or non-obvious way might be called a life hack". There are plenty of life hacks lists posted on the internet which demonstrate a plethora of different neat tricks. For example, using a dustpan to fill a container that doesn't fit in a sink, take a picture of a friend holding something he wants to borrow so you won't...