fasting in Burj khalifa

Here is an interesting Fatwa for the people living on the higher floors will have delay their iftar by a few minutes. They can always go down to break their fast if they feeling hungry!!!

DUBAI: Muslims living in the world’s tallest tower will have to wait even longer to break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

In a fatwa released over the weekend, the Grand Mufti of Dubai called upon Muslims living in skyscrapers, particularly those in the world’s tallest tower, to adjust their fasting and prayer times according to what floor they call home.

Dr Ahmed Al Haddad, who is also the head of the Ifta centre at the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, said the Burj Khalifa, at more than 828 metres tall with 160 storeys, must be divided into three different times for iftar, or the breaking of the fast. He said the three segments are based on when the actual sun set is “visible” to a tenant.

“Regardless of where you are, you need to pay attention to the actual sun set,” Dr Al Haddad said. “You are not to break your fast until the sun sets, and you can actually see that sun set.”

Those living on the lower floors of the Burj Khalifa, 80 and below, are to break their fast at the same time as everyone else — when the call for Maghreb prayers at sunset is broadcast across the Dubai mosques on TV, or can be heard from the nearest mosque in the neighbourhood.

For those living on floors between 80 and 150, starting at about 414 metres high, the iftar time is delayed two minutes after the muezzin calls for Maghreb prayer. These residents are also to start praying the following Esha prayer two minutes after the call for that prayer, and two minutes before the call for Fajr prayers at dawn.

For those living on floor 150 and above, or from 800 metres and above, residents must delay their iftar by three minutes, as well as their Esha prayer. The rule applies to Fajr prayers also, which are to begin three minutes earlier than the call for prayers.

These rules should also be a guide during Suhoor time, when Muslims stay up at night to pray, and when they eat their last meals before they start their Imsak, withholding, and begin their fast with sun rise.

The ruling is based on the basic premise that the higher you are, the longer it takes for you to see the sun set because your field of vision is farther the higher you go.

The religious edict also applies to locations even higher up than any built structures. “Even if you are on a plane, you should break the fast according to when the actual sun sets over the area you are flying,” said Dr Al Haddad. “You shouldn’t break it if the sun is shining brightly where you are and hasn’t set.”

Mohammed Badr, who lives on the 61st floor of the Burj Khalifa, said he was “surprised” that elevation made a difference. “It would never cross my mind that where someone lives in a high-rise building would make a difference in fasting,” said the 37-year-old from Egypt. Since he lives below the 80th floor, he will break his fast with everyone else.

“The last two minutes before breaking a fast are tough, so I do feel bad for those living higher up,” he said.

Read More.

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Autumn in Islamabad

As the wind quietly changed, a slight chill has settled into its folds signalling that winter is waiting to creep upon us. Preparation of winter begins as our scenery changes colours! Summer trees are showing all shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. Its like our streets have changed costumes and this change is very pleasant  as autumn is the perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. I simply love these changing colours and my camera fails to capture their beauty. You have to come to Islamabad to witness autumn and everyone should take time out to sit and watch the leaves turn.

common autumn trees in Islamabad

This is how Mohsin Ahsaan, a sad urdu poet describes autumn season.

Yun-hi to shaakh se pattey girra nahi kerty
ke bichar ke log ziada jiya nahin kerty!

Jo aaney waley hain mousam unhey shumaar main rakh
Jo din guzer gaye un ko ginna nahin kerty

Na dekha jaan ke uss ne koi sabab hoga
Issi khayaal se hum dil burra nahin kerty

Woh mil gaya hai to kia qissa-e-firaaq kahain
Khushi ke lamhoun ko yun be-maza nahin kerty

Nishaat-e-qarb, Gham-e-hijr ke ewaz matt maang
Dua ke naam pe yun bad-dua nahin kerty

Hamarey qatal pey Mohsin yeh paish-o-pass kaisi
Hum aesey log talb-e-khoon baha nahin kerty!

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Islamabad

Every morning I see tens of workers cleaning the streets of Islamabad but the sad part is when these people have a holiday on Sunday our streets are littered in one day. It says a lot about the general attitude of people. We think it is others duty to clean and we have a right to throw litter where ever we want to.

Anti-littering drive has started in Islamabad for celebrating the golden jubilee of our capital city.  CDA chairman, Imtiaz Inayat Elahi launched the campaign but the interesting part is that he participated in the activity in Super Market F-6. He even showed up in G-9 Markaz. He said “Our religion provides us the manifesto for the cleanliness as it is considered half of our faith. And this makes it our collective social responsibility to keep our houses, streets, fields, sectors and every part of the city clean. This is our responsibility to hand over a clean and green Islamabad to our next generations,” he added.

Every resident of the city should his/her part but our youth can play a very important role in this anti-litter drive. All the children of the age group from 10-18 years are on vacation at this time of the year. If their energies are channelized and they are organised in teams representing their sectors/ sub-sectors or streets then they can participate in such activities. Maintaining their our area clean will make this a lifetime habit for them. Incentives like extra marks or positions for best teams can give even better results. These teams can do other social work too and play sports among them. Sports are far better then spending time indoors watching TV or wasting time on computer.

What I have written maybe is a far fetched dream but for the time being Parents! please make sure your kids do not throw litter on the streets and out from the cars. For doing this  parents will have to be the practical models!

Islamabad the beautiful

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Fire on Margalla Hills

Margalla Hills are a permanent part of our lives, the residents of Islamabad. They just stand in the background and add to the federal capital’s charm. For nature lovers, like me, they are ‘a thing of beauty’ which is ‘a joy forever’.

Yesterday while driving my kids back from school I  saw clouds of smoke emerging from the hills. It is sad to see these beautiful hills on fire every year. A little match stick can do the trick or maybe a careless smoker. Hot winds blowing in these months of summer sreads a little flame into a huge fire.

I was hoping that this fire should not continue for days. CDA took quick action and sent fire fighters for battling the blaze. Fifteen firefighters fell unconscious due to smoke and heat. These are the hottest days May as the temperature rises above the 40 degrees mark.

Margalla hills fire

According to CDA sources, the blaze has spread across an area of 3 kilometers on the hills where 300 men are presently engaged in fire extinguishing exercise. During the struggle 15 of the men fell unconscious and were shifted to different hospitals of Islamabad.Their efforts could not get the assistance of helicopters due another life threatening crisis going on in Hunza.

You can see the picture taken from my roof top that fire on this part of Margallas have come under control and our fire fighters will inshallah complete the job…..I hope without risking any more lives.

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Ibne-insha

And who can sing it better than late Ustaad Amanat Ali Khan! This is a master piece by him and no one can sing it like him….

www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_CZYJHcBTM

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Burj Dubai

Another concrete wonder has emerged on the earth’s surface which will be inaugurated today on 4th of jan. 2010. This 160 storey structure which is around 800 metres tall will officially  be opened by the Ruler of Dubai with fireworks display and light show in a celebration that also marks four years since his ascension to power.

When I visited Dubai as a child decades ago, it was a sleepy fishing village with a very few 4-5 storey buildings. Looking at Dubai now and the pace with which it has developed it seems more like a miracle!

Burj Dubai is another feather in the cap of Sheikh Muhammad who has made this dreamland a reality. It is visible across dozens of miles of rolling sand dunes outside Dubai. From the air, the spire appears as an almost solitary, slender needle reaching high into the sky. The developer’s chairman said it cost about $1.5 billion to build the tapering metal-and-glass spire billed as a “vertical city” of luxury apartments and offices. It boasts four swimming pools, a private library and a hotel designed by Giorgio Armani.

The tower is engineered with a six-sided central core to minimize the forces of wind — a critical factor on such a tall building. Still, engineers say the Burj will sway more than four feet at the top.

Members of the public will be able to watch the inauguration of Burj Dubai on January 4, 2010 from the adjacent Burj Park Island, developer Emaar said in media release on Thursday. Click to see.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfE06xdkqXU

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Twirling tower dubai

This is a unique structure to be build in Dubai. We wish our homes to stay at one place and this building has moving floors! I would love to witness this building and also to experience the inside feel. I have been to rotating resturaunts, lets see if it is different!

David Fisher has designed a wind-powered rotating skyscraper & what’s unbelievable is the claim that the tower can power itself besides ten other similar sized buildings.

Although the technical details of the wind-power system are sketchy, at best, the architect David Fisher, has proposed that towers be built in a new way – basically by stacking platters on a central concrete core, causing a wind turbine between every floor & secondly, rotating floors.

“While the rotating floors have gotten quite a bit of press, really the most amazing claim is that the tower could provide all its own electricity. If true, this design could indeed mean a remarkable and sustainable future for skyscrapers.

Totally awesome! And, as Fisher predicts that the first tower will begin construction in Dubai in the next six months, and is currently talking with the City of Chicago about their own twirling tower, it may not be as far-fetched as it seems.”

Have a look at the video produced by the architectural firm behind this building. — David Fisher’s company ‘Dynamic Architecture’.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4muhc_QUGcI

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Shogran Lake

Satpara lake, Sakardu

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Murree expressway

Sunday afternoon when it was raining in Islamabad we went on an adventure trip to explore “expressway”. This is a relatively new alternate road to Murree, also called “Jhikagali” or “Malka-e-kohsar”.

Driving becomes relatively difficult on a rainy day and that too if we are heading for steep slopes! Our journey started with amazement because the road looked wide and brilliant. But as we reached closer to Murree it became a zigzag road with dangerous turns. The surroundings were scenic and beautiful.

Temperature in Islamabad was reaching the normal summer highs for past three days so kids were not dressed up for 5 degrees Celsius. Lack of preparation forced us to head back as soon as we reached there. It was too cold and wet for them to play.

We made up our minds not to use expressway for our trip back to Islamabad. Our last visit to Murree was three years ago and we had no idea about the miserable state of old Islamabad-Murree road. It used to be a nice and safe road, few years ago but now it was even less than a single lane road. NOT recommended to use, too dangerous!

It became dark when we got back from those heights and our down hill journey was nothing like what you can in this picture. Still it was a memorable and adventurous trip to Murree via Expressway…

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Great wall of China

BEIJING: The most comprehensive and technologically advanced survey of China’s Great Wall has discovered the ancient monument is much longer than previously estimated, state media reported Monday. Government mapping study uncovered new sections totalling about 180 miles, according to a report posted on the website of the country’s national mapping agency.

However the project has also shown the World Heritage-listed site is in danger of disappearing in many places due to road construction and other forms of development, as well as extreme weather, the China Daily said.

Using infrared range finders and GPS devices, experts discovered portions of the wall concealed by hills, trenches and rivers that stretch from Hu Shan mountain in northern Liaoning province to Jiayu Pass in western Gansu province, the official China Daily reported on Monday.

The wall, built over centuries to keep foreigners out of China, stretches for 8,851.8 kilometres (5,488.1 miles), much further than common estimates of 5,000 kilometres, according to the findings of the survey. The defensive structure includes 6,259.6 kilometres of actual wall, plus 359.7 kilometres of trenches and 2,232.5 kilometres of natural barriers such as hills and rivers.

State Administration of Cultural Heritage director Shan Jixiang was quoted as saying the survey had helped clear up an ancient mystery over its length but also highlighted many problems in trying to preserve it.

“The Great Wall is under great threat, climate change and the country’s massive infrastructure building being the biggest two,” the China Daily quoted Shan as saying. The first parts of the Great Wall were built more than 2,000 years ago.

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