Please leave me your comments and let me know how things worked out for you.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 – 3 lb Chuck Roast or Round Roast
• 1 Tbs Olive Oil
• 4 cups of water
• 1 pack of Italian Dressing Mix
• 1 Beef Stock Cube
• 1 pack Au Jus Mix
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 3 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 5 oz of Deli Sliced Pepperoncini w/ Juice
• 1 Jar Hot Italian Giardiniera (optional topping)
• Italian Sandwich Rolls

Directions:

• Brown all sides of beef in frying pan using Olive Oil
• Bring to boil in sauce pan combine water, Italian dressing mix, beef stock cube, Au Jus mix, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, bay leaf, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin seeds and deli sliced pepperoncini
• Place browned beef and liquid mix into slow cooker
• Cook Covered on High for 4 hours
• Remove Beef from slow cooker and let stand for 10 minutes and shred beef  and place back into slow cooker and cooked covered for 2 hrs on Low.
• Serve on Italian Sandwich Rolls
• Dip spine of Sandwich Roll in gravy for added flavor (optional but recommended for true Chicago style)
• Top with Giardiniera (optional)

Using the CakePHP Console can be done by referencing the “cake” console command by accessing it by its relative location in the file system (../cake/console/cake) or you can add the “cake” console command path to your Linux $PATH environment variable.

The only advantage that comes to mind with adding the “cake” console command to the $PATH environment variable is that it reduces the number of duplicate files if you are running multiple web applications using the CakePHP framework.  Also it avoid the tedious task of constantly referencing the full “cake” console command every time it needs to be used.

This is what I will be showing you how to do in this tutorial.

Step 1: Download the latest stable version on CakePHP (currently version 1.3.3)

# wget http://github.com/cakephp/cakephp/tarball/1.3.3

Step 2: Extract downloaded file

# tar xvfz cakephp-cakephp-1.3.3-0-gf01b4ae.tar.gz

Step 3: Rename folder to “cakephp”

# mv cakephp-cakephp-efb6e08/ cakephp

Step 4: This step is optional. Move the “cakephp” folder to a location of your choice (in my case I moved it to /usr/src – need root access to move folder to this location)

# mv cakephp /usr/src/

Step 5: This step is done based on the level of access you have on the linux server you are working with, but it either case you will need to append the following to the approriate file.

PATH=$PATH:/path-to-cake-console-directory
export PATH

Edit the following file if you only have access to edit the environment variable for your own user account: /home/username/.bash_profile

Edit the following file if you have access to edit the environment variable for all user accounts (except root): /etc/profile

Edit the following file if you have access to edit the environment variable for the root user account: /root/.bash_profile

example from my configuration:
PATH=$PATH:/usr/src/cakephp/cake/console
export PATH

You will need to logout and log back in for the changes to take effect. I hope this article helps. Please leave your comments

Cron is UNIX/Linux service or daemon to execute scheduled commands.

Generally, crontab uses a daemon, crond, which runs constantly in the background and checks once a minute to see if any of the scheduled jobs need to be executed. If so, it executes them. These jobs are generally referred to as cron jobs.

What is Crontab?

Crontab maintain crontab files for individual users.

Crontab Commands

crontab -e

Edit your crontab file, or create one if it doesn’t already exist.

crontab -l

Display your crontab entries.

crontab -r

Remove your current crontab entry.

crontab -u username -e

This option allows you to modify or view the crontab file of a user, only super user can use this option.

crontab -u username -l

Display crontab entries of the particular user.

Crontab Options and Explanation

A crontab file has five fields for specifying time, day and date followed by the command to be run at that interval. Below is Crontab syntax,

*     *     *   *    *        command to be executed
-     -     -   -    -
|     |     |   |    |
|     |     |   |    +----- day of week (0 - 6) (Sunday=0)
|     |     |   +------- month (1 - 12)
|     |     +--------- day of        month (1 - 31)
|     +----------- hour (0 - 23)
+------------- min (0 - 59)

• * Is treated as a wild card. Meaning all possible values.
• */5 Is treated as ever 5 minutes, hours, days, or months. Replacing the 5 with another numerical value will change this option.
• 4,8,12 “,” Treated as an “OR”, so if placed in the hours, this could mean at 2, 8 or 12 o-clock. Or if put in days it would be on 2,8 and12. “,” is used to define more options [date, time, day]
• 2-12 Treats for any value between 2 and 12. So, if placed in day of month this would be days 2 through 12. Or if put in hours it would be between 2 and 12. “-” is used to define the range [date, time]

If you are looking for ways to beat the unemployment blues and take charge of your career, follow these inexpensive suggestions. You’ll grow as a person and keep your resume in tip-top shape.

1. Study a foreign language.

Have you always dreamed of learning to speak Spanish or French? Now is the perfect time to learn. There are dozens of language instruction books and audio programs available. Checking out books and CDs from your local library gets you access to lessons for free. If you learn better by being in a classroom environment, many local colleges and adult education centers offer inexpensive courses. Adding language skills to your resume will help you stand out, as more and more companies seek bilingual applicants.

2. Volunteer for a committee.

Are you passionate about the environment or feeding the hungry? Volunteering for a committee is an excellent way to give back to your community while working alongside others in a laid-back atmosphere. Look for committees that attract professionals in your industry so that you can make contacts. Committees meet anywhere from several months to a year or more — helping you form lasting relationships. Be sure to add your volunteer work to your resume. Serving as a chair will showcase your leadership skills to potential employers.

3. Join or start a networking group.

Another good way to stay connected to the business community is to join a networking group. In most cities and towns there are local chambers of commerce and industry associations that are open to individuals. Before investing in a membership fee, attend one or two events to be sure that you feel comfortable and that you will make valuable connections. Consider all fees associated with each group.

In addition to associations, check for business groups on Meetup.com. If you can’t find an existing group that interests you, why not start one? Ning.com allows you to create, customize, and share your social network for free.

4. Learn HTML (or another computer software program).

Now is the perfect time to learn HTML or another computer program. You can find out which programs you need for your industry by reading job postings. Libraries, local colleges, and adult education centers usually offer short-term computer classes. If you’d prefer to learn on your own, online learning is a convenient and inexpensive option. Lynda.com offers computer software tutorials in everything from HTML to Excel for a low monthly fee.

5. Apprentice.

If there’s an industry or particular job you’ve always been curious about, or if you want to gain work experience in a new field, consider becoming an apprentice. Do some research about local professionals in your chosen field and approach them about shadowing them or doing some volunteer work for them. Be sure that you and the company are on the same page in terms of any pay and length of stay before you start. This will give you a bird’s-eye view into a job or career before making a big investment in time or additional training.

6. Job hunt.

While these are all great ways to keep busy and beef up your resume, don’t forget to spend time job hunting for your next gig. With all of your new skills and connections, you’ll be ahead of the pack in your search.

[Source: Yahoo! HotJobs ]

File Attachment: Transcript PDF

Video Transcript:

Welcome everyone!

My name is Ahmer Zaidi and welcome to AhmerZaidi.com.

In this video tutorial, I will show you how to install a LAMP stack on Ubuntu Linux using APTITUDE, which is the Ubuntu default package management application. In order to install the LAMP stack your Linux machine must be connected to the Internet.

LAMP is an acronym which stands for Linux, Apache, mySQL and PHP.

In addition to the LAMP stack I will be installing a web based administration package for mySQL, called phpMyAdmin.

Let’s get started.

Here I have a fresh install of Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu is absolutely free can be downloaded at Ubuntu.com.

To begin, I am going to launch two (2) applications which you will be using to install and validate the LAMP stack.

Terminal is the command line interface for the operating system which you will be using to install the various components of the LAMP stack. Terminal can be found under:

Applications > Accessories > Terminal

Next, I am going to launch a web browser. Any web browser will due; I am going to go with the system default, which in this case is Firefox.  The web browser will validate the Apache Web Server and PHP installations. Firefox can be found under:

Applications > Internet > Firefox Web Browser

You are going to install six (6) different packages that will work together to create the LAMP stack plus phpMyAdmin.

Before you begin installing the six (6) packages, I recommend updating the APTITUDE package manager with the latest list of available packages.

In Terminal type:

sudo apt-get update

The “sudo” command must be used in order to install any and all packages on the system; in short, providing you with temporary superuser access to the system.

You may be prompted to enter a password.  This is a superuser level password, which by default is assigned to the user account created during installation of the operating system.

Now that the package lists have been updated, I’m going to type “clear” to clear the terminal windows to avoid any confusion. I will be using the “clear” command before all package installation commands.

In order to install the Apache web server, in Terminal type:

sudo apt-get install apache2

Type “Y” when prompted to continue installation; Apache will take a few moments to download and install.

Once installation has completed, open the Firefox Web Browser windows and navigate to:

http://localhost

If you see a webpage saying “It works!” Apache has been successfully installed.

You will now install the various PHP 5 packages in order for PHP to work seamlessly with Apache and mySQL

In Terminal type:

sudo apt-get install php5 php5-mysql libapache2-mod-php5

Type “Y” when prompted to continue installation; PHP will take a few moments to download and install. Here you are installing 3 different applications in a single installation command.

In order to test if PHP is working properly, you need to create a .php file and place it in the web directory folder which, by default, is /var/www. By default, you do not have write permission on to this folder, so you need to change that by modifying the ownership of the folder.

In Terminal type:

sudo chown –R  yourusername /var/www

In my case, my user name is “ahmer”, you must replace this with your own username.

You must now create a .php file to test if the PHP application installed correctly.

In Terminal type:

gedit /var/www/testinfo.php

The gedit text editor will open up. Type:

<?php

phpinfo();

?>

Save the file and close gedit.

Open the Firefox Web Brower window and navigate to:

http://localhost/testinfo.php

Oops. You are prompted to download the testinfo.php file we created, meaning PHP is not configured properly.

Any changes made to the configuration of Apache while a server is running will not take effect until the server is restarted.

Cancel the download window.

In Terminal type:

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Now that Apache has restarted, go back to your web browser and navigate to:

http://localhost/testinfo.php

You should now see a webpage containing your PHP configurations, this means PHP has installed successfully.

You are almost done.

Now you must install the mySQL database management system.

In Terminal type:

sudo apt-get install mysql-server

Type “Y” when prompted to continue installation; mySQL will take a few minutes to download and install; it is a fairly large package.

During installation you will be prompted to set and verify the password for the mySQL administrative “root” user. This password is very sensitive and must be kept secret.

There are various ways to validate the mySQL install. You will be installing the web based administration package for mySQL, phpMyAdmin, for validation.

In Terminal type:

sudo apt-get install phpmyadmin

Type “Y” when prompted to continue installation; phpMyAdmin will take a few moment to download and install.

During installation, you will have to choose a web server that will be reconfigured to work with phpMyAdmin.

Choose “apache2” by pressing the space bar and then press “Enter”

Assuming you are not an advance database administrator, choose “No” when prompted to configure with dbconfig-common.

Since phpMyAdmin reconfigured the Apache Web Server, you must restart the web server.

In Terminal type:

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Open the Firefox Web Browser windows and navigate to:

http://localhost/phpmyadmin

You should now be able to see the phpMyAdmin login page.

Log in using the mySQL root user account.  Username is “root”. Password is the root password you set during the mySQL installation.

If you have successfully logged in, you should see the two (2) default databases in the left side menu: information_schema and mysql.

You have now successfully installed a LAMP Stack plus phpMyAdmin on Ubuntu Linux.

Remember, all your web pages must be stored in the /var/www directory.

This concludes the video tutorial on installing a LAMP Stack plus phpMyAdmin on Ubuntu Linux.  Please leave your comments.  Once again, my name is Ahmer Zaidi. Thank you for watching.

1. Million Dollar Homepage

1000000 pixels, charge a dollar per pixel – that’s perhaps the dumbest idea for online business anyone could have possible come up with. Still, Alex Tew, a 21-year-old who came up with the idea, is now a millionaire.

2. SantaMail.Org

Ok, how’s that for a brilliant idea. Get a postal address at North Pole, Alaska, pretend you are Santa Claus and charge parents 10 bucks for every letter you send to their kids? Well, Byron Reese sent over 200000 letters since the start of the business in 2001, which makes him a couple million dollars richer.

3. Doggles.Com

Create goggles for dogs and sell them online? Boy, this IS the dumbest idea for a business. How in the world did they manage to become millionaires and have shops all over the world with that one? Beyond me.

4. LaserMonks.Com

LaserMonks.com is a for-profit subsidiary of the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Spring Bank, an eight-monk monastery in the hills of Monroe County, 90 miles northwest of Madison. Yeah, real monks refilling your cartridges. Hallelujah! Their 2005 sales were $2.5 million! Praise the Lord.

5. AntennaBalls.Com

You can’t sell antenna ball online. There is no way. And surely it wouldn’t make you rich. But this is exactly what Jason Wall did, and now he is now a millionaire.

6. FitDeck.Com

Create a deck of cards featuring exercise routines, and sell it online for $18.95. Sounds like a disaster idea to me. But former Navy SEAL and fitness instructor Phil Black reported last year sales of $4.7 million. Surely beats what military pays.

7. PositivesDating.Com

How would you like to go on a date with an HIV positive person? Paul Graves and Brandon Koechlin thought that someone would, so they created a dating site for HIV positive folks last year. Projected 2006 sales are $110,000, and the two hope to have 50,000 members by their two-year mark.

8. Designer Diaper Bags

Christie Rein was tired of carrying diapers around in a freezer bag. The 34-year-old mother of three found herself constantly stuffing diapers for her infant son into freezer bags to keep them from getting scrunched up in her purse. Rein wanted something that was compact, sleek and stylish, so in November 2004, she sat down with her husband, Marcus, who helped her design a custom diaper bag that’s big enough to hold a travel pack of wipes and two to four diapers. With more than $180,000 in sales for 2005, Christie’s company, Diapees & Wipees, has bags in 22 different styles, available online and in 120 boutiques across the globe for $14.99.

9. TruGamerz.Com

Faux-suede padded covers for game controllers and gel thumb pads for analog joysticks? No one will buy that. Forget it. The product proved to be so popular, it got picked up by Target.com and Walmart.com and annual sales now exceed half a million dollars.

10. LuckyBreakWishbone.Com

Fake wishbones. Now, this stupid idea is just destined to flop. Who in the world needs FAKE PLASTIC wishbones? A lot of people, it turns out. Now producing 30,000 wishbones daily (they retail for 3 bucks a pop) Ken Ahroni, the company founder, expects 2006 sales to reach $1 million.

To see other businesses that have not made the top 10 list but came pretty close, visit Uncommon Business Blog at http://uncommonbusiness.blogspot.com/ ]]> http://ahmerzaidi.com/2009/08/28/dumb-ideas-that-made-people-rich/feed/ 0 http://ahmerzaidi.com/2009/08/27/gigonomics/ http://ahmerzaidi.com/2009/08/27/gigonomics/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:02:37 +0000 Ahmer http://ahmerzaidi.com/?p=35

Maureen Russell has three gigs. Hillary Skye works four. And George Peele? He juggles at least five.

All of these Front Rangers are fully engaged with an economy that has become stingy with full-time jobs. To make ends meet, they balance part-time gigs. Economists and others who wrestle with employment issues have dubbed the trend “gigonomics.”

“I was a river guide, but tourism is slow,” said Alyssa Berry, 28, of Lakewood.

“I’m painting people’s houses. I’ve been raking leaves for three days now. Helping people clean up. Whatever someone will pay me to do, I’m doing. Dog sitting.”

There is no question more people are working part-time jobs today than when the recession started in December 2007. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now 4.4 million more workers toiling at part-time jobs for economic reasons than there were 18 months ago. In all, the bureau counts 9 million people falling into this category.

Many of them were thrust into gig-shuffling situations and cannot wait to land a full-time job, with a steady paycheck, benefits and dependable, 9-to-5 days at the office.

But for some, estrangement from the boss man has been liberating. Nobody is taking note when they come and go or take vacation. They don’t pray for positive annual reviews so they can receive a 3 percent raise.

Instead, they just hustle for more gigs.

The trade-off: no 401(k), no benefits, no paycheck every two weeks. For most giggers, making steady money is a struggle.

Managing gigs was not something public-relations executive Maureen Russell thought she would be facing just months ago, when real estate development had not yet crashed. But then last fall — poof — away went bank financing and away went clients’ budgets for her skills.

“It was really scary,” said Russell, 36, of Denver.

But she also felt empowered. “I knew it was up to me to make more work happen.”

She picked up a gig as a contractor for a nonprofit in Boulder. She found freelance writing jobs. She did some public relations, helping a local purse manufacturer and a Pilates studio spread the word. She even took a retail job at a Cherry Creek furniture store.

The experience has whacked more than half of her six-figure income, taken a chunk of her savings and freighted her credit card.

Still, she champions her new life.

“It has had its painful moments, and it’s very stressful,” Russell said. But “I learned how to create value in myself. I can brand myself. In a company, you don’t have that control.”

Working at a temporary agency might not help shape your personal brand, but gig-hunters are pouring into employment agencies such as Manpower Inc., said David York, manager of the company’s Denver branch.

“We were looking for additional people for Cirque du Soleil this morning,” York said. “I had some amazing people apply for the dishwashing position, but they didn’t have the experience.” One applicant, he said, had a “wonderful resume” detailing a white-collar marketing career.

Hillary Skye — music teacher, massage therapist, heavy-equipment operator, fiddle seller — doesn’t have a professional background in marketing, but she understands a thing or two about self-promotion. Like other gig hunters, she routinely posts her various services on Craigslist.

At 3 p.m. on a recent day, Skye sat on a chair, a fiddle pinned between her chin and collarbone. Seated on a wicker loveseat across from her, Bill Hudson tried to follow along with his own fiddle as she played “The Kerry Polka,” a traditional Irish tune.

Skye, 45, teaches Celtic fiddle to people who want to learn by ear, rather than by reading music. She buys and sells fiddles and accessories.

She plays in area clubs. She works as a massage therapist, with a neat, soothing studio in her home. And she is the owner of Skye Bobcat Services — she carts her Bobcat excavator to people’s homes and moves around stuff: rocks, dirt, whatever they need pushed from one place to another.

“I really like working for myself,” Skye said. “I don’t like punching a clock, the corporate politics, having somebody tell me when I take my break for lunch.”

The downsides? An unsteady paycheck, and high health care bills.

In return, however, she’s not relying on the whims of a single employer. This kind of security is one of the attractions of holding down several gigs, said Lisa Severy, director of career services at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“If one job doesn’t work out, and I’m doing three, that’s just one-third. It gives you a lot more flexibility.”

Severy points out that not all part-timers are victims of circumstance. For a growing set of young workers, it’s a choice based on the new reality of employment. Students are observing what is going on in the economy — wave after wave of layoffs — and probably more than past generations, they are holding off on diving into the world of full-time work.

“The exploration after graduation has been increasing. Workers tend to be more successful if they think of themselves as free agents,” she said. “There was this sense that companies would take care of you, and there would be a gold watch when you retire. The model doesn’t fit anymore.”

Now, she says, the approach — whether working full time for a company or managing gigs — can be summed up: “My employer is my client.”

Peele, 32, a local performer who also goes by the name “Orange Peel Moses,” tries to please a variety of clients. He grapples with the tension between independence and security.

Peele makes a bulk of his income delivering singing telegrams. He also gets hired to walk on stilts. He works as a freelance writer, makes music, and occasionally performs a Johnny Cash tribute.

“If I was in any kind of position where I wasn’t constantly challenged, I would just get stagnant and disinterested and bored and all of that,” he said. “I’m not making much money, but I’m still doing it and I’m not homeless.”

Please comment…

HOW DO I GET THE EXPERIENCE IF NO ONE WILL HIRE ME?

I did some research on this and I’m not alone. I came across a few tips to get that new job.

Portfolio

Create a portfolio and several job references to show the necessary job experience and display content to show potential employers.

Network and Volunteer

Network with friends, acquaintances, colleagues, peers for small jobs or volunteer opportunities in your specific area of interest.  The may not pay well, if at all, but the experienced gained will be rewarding in itself.

Education

A college education is the groundwork for your career training. But also remember that this time provides as a advantageous opportunity to get ready for the job market. Every completed school assignment produces examples to add to your portfolio.

Lastly… The Interview

Here are the pre-interview tips.

1.  Do some research on the business before the interview. (See “How to Find a Job,” “Research the Employer.”)

2. Practice interviewing.

3. Go alone. Do not take children or friends.

4. Greet the employer with a handshake.

5. Make frequent eye contact.

6. Smile, be polite, and try to relax.

7. Listen carefully to the questions asked. Ask the interviewer to restate a question if you are confused.

8. Answer questions as directly as possible.

9. Be upbeat and make positive statements.

10. If you’ve worked before, talk about what you learned from it.

11. Use examples of how your skills and abilities would fit the job.

12. Bring your “Fact Sheet” with telephone numbers and addresses of your references and former employers, just in case you are asked to complete an application. (See “The Application,” “Fact Sheet.”)

Please comment…

Generate money by blogging

Nowadays, most people who know how to surf internet do have a blog. Anyone can start a blog almost instantly using the ready-made blogging system such as Blogger.com, WordPress, Drupal or Typepad. It is a platform for people to share almost anything on the internet. Besides blogging for fun, it is good channel to make money online. You can generate some extra money just by sharing something through blogging.

Before you start a blog to make money online, there some important considerations that you need to look into in order to create a successful blog that can make profit for you. If you are new to blogging, then it is better to get a good blueprint on how to blog for profit and avoid the common mistakes that may lead to failure.

Make your opinions paid

There are companies looking for consumers’ opinions for their products or services. They are wiling to pay for anyone who can spend time to fill-up their survey form. Hence, you can make your opinions paid and earn extra money on top of your day job income. As many of the survey jobs are made online nowadays, you can easily find online survey jobs by searching through internet. You also can enroll into online survey portals where you need to register an account and fill-in your details. If there are companies looking for someone to participate into their survey activities and your profile meets their requirements, you will be invited to participate into the survey job and get paid for your opinions.

Set an eBay online store

You probably have bought things from eBay before, but do you know that you can make money from eBay as well. It is very easy to set up an online store at eBay; you just need to follow a few steps to get an online store up and selling your products. Of course, you need to have products to be sold at your eBay store, but you don’t need to have your own products; instead, you can get products from dropshipping companies. The products from these dropshipping companies have the pre-set price; you only need to set a profit margin that you want to earn at your online store. Once you have processed the orders from your eBay store, you will only need to divert the orders to the dropshipping companies, they will make the delivery on your behalf.

Money-making opportunities from Foreign exchange & stock trading

Investing is a way to make extra income during recession. There are many money-making opportunities that you can grab through investing, such as Foreign exchange and stock trading. However, you need to take into consideration the potential risks that you may encounter in these volatile markets. Don’t play with contra, especially in today’s highly unstable stock market, where the shares may rise and fall at any time; instead you should choose on what to invest based on your risk profile and the budget you plan to allocate for.

There are many ways to earn extra income which can help you to outlast recession without the need to face financial difficulties. The above money-making methods are a few examples that you can use to make extra money during the recession.

Please Comment…

Ramadan started on 8/22/09 and will last 30 or 29 days, depending on the birth of the new moon. For more than a billion Muslims around the world-including over 8 million in North America-Ramadan is a “month of blessing” marked by prayer, fasting, and charity.

Prayer (Salah):

Salah is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and God with no earthly intermediaries. A prayer takes a few minutes to perform.

Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories and universities.

Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of prayers in daily life. Performing daily prayers is an act of communication between humans and God. The prayers are considered a duty for all Muslims.

Fasting (Sawm):

The Qur’an mandates fasting during the month of Ramadan:

The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur’an was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction; therefore whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein, and whoever is sick or upon a journey, then (he shall fast) a (like) number of other days… sura 2.185, known as The Cow)

Fasting, or sawm, during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Sunni Islam.

Why fast?

• to develop patience and self-control
• to learn sympathy for the deprived
• to cleanse the body and mind
• to gain appreciation for Allah’s bounty
• to demonstrate the depth of one’s commitment
• to protect against sin. A hadith states: “Satan runs in the circulatory system of the son of Adam in the same way blood circulates in our system; so tighten his passages with hunger.”

Charity (Zakat):

Zakat, or alms-giving, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, the five duties required of every practicing Muslim.

Zakat is the Arabic word for charity, or alms-giving. Unlike Jesus Christ, Mohammed never condemned wealth or possessions of this world. He himself had become rather wealthy, working for Khadiga, the wealthy merchant-trader who would become his first wife. Muhammad always respected industriousness and never required individuals to give away their possessions.

Muhammad did, however, oppose hoarding and the amassing of fortunes for fortune’s sake. To counter the impulse, he required Muslims always to set aside a portion of their wealth for the poor—a self-imposed and regular tax on income. Zakat is at the root of Islam’s egalitarian principles, a constant reminder that ostentation is against God’s will.