To some people, making friends come naturally. They know just what to say to get a conversation going, and by the end of the chat, someone has invited the other to sit by her at lunch. But many more people have a problem with making friends. Maybe you are shy. Maybe you're just not a social person, but you need friends. There could be hundreds of reasons why you're not the best friend maker.
But you can still make friends!
You can make new friends...fast! By following a few rules, you'll have great friends in no time. And you can probably be more confident, too!

Step 1- Be around people.
It's obvious that you won't make any friends sitting at home watching TV. So get up and do something! Clubs and sports are great places to start. You can meet others with your same interests, so you have things in common! Don't push yourself to join something you don't like. That'll just make you uncomfortable and embarassed.

Step 2- Talk to them!
Now, since you've got to a place where people are, you have to talk to them! This is as important as Step One, because if your mouth stays shut, people will think that you aren't interesting, and they will stray away from you. Smile and make eye contact when you meet someone new. Start a conversation. You could comment about what's going on around you ("I can't believe it's still snowing!"), ask for help ("If you have the time, can you help me give these books to the math teacher?") or compliment them ("I like your shoes!"). Don't let the convo stop there. Say something else after that is related to the subject. ("I wish the grass would show." "These books are pretty heavy." "Where did you get them?") Remember to let them talk, too!

Step 3- Introduce yourself
If you don't introduce yourself, it's likely you'll not talk to the person again. So say, "My name is..." or "I'm..." The other person will most likely respond with their name.

Step 4- Plan a Gathering
You can meet the person and talk and introduce yourself, but you still won't have a friend. Propose somewhere you can meet again, whether it be at the lunch table, after school, or in a class. Just be sure they are okay with it. And be sure to NEVER, EVER force someone to be your friend. Sometimes you'll meet people who aren't very sure about making a new friend.

Step 5- Choose GOOD friends
Don't try to be buddies with the school bully. Choose your friends wisely, because as you make more and more friends, you can find that some friendships can be poisonous. If a person is controlling you, using you, always critizing you, or threatening you, try to find a way to get out of the friendship. Join an extracurricular activty. Keep yourself busy so you don't have time to spend time with them. Don't cut off all communication, just crawl away slowly. Also, if you want to be friends with a non-Muslim, make sure they accept and respect your religion. In return, you must respect theirs. You can still be friends, but you just have to make sure not to mingle into their customs too much.

The Prophet once said: "A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend."

Step 6- Be a Good Friend
If you choose good friends, you have to be a good friend too. Listen to your friend. Everyone needs someone to listen to their problems, or whatever they have to say, and you should always be that person. Be trustworthy; everyone loves having friends because they can trust friends with secrets. Be honest about yourself, don't lie just to be cool. If you feel that you need be someone else to stay friends with this person, you shouldn't be friends anyway! Last of all, be reliable. Don't drop out if you plan to meet somewhere, and if you do, please apologize, and if possible, make it up.

Step 7- Keep In Touch
Now, you didn't just make a GREAT friend just to leave them hanging, did you? Keep in touch with emails, phone calls, IM, or your website/blog. Remember not to contact each other all the time, though. This can lead to bad habits; plus the other person will think you are annoying and being sticky.

Whether you're shy, have problems in your social life, or just want to make some more friends, these steps can help you. Insha-allah, you'll make a bunch of new friends!

Allah made fruits in a variety of colors...spanning the whole rainbow! Not only did Allah pack them with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and tons of other healthy stuff, He made them delicious! Without fruits we wouldn't have juice, pop, pie, jelly, and many more foods! Here's some of the great things included in some common fruits.

Apples
Research proves that apples can reduce the risk of lung cancer. They can also help with weight loss, heart disease, and controlling cholesterol. You have probably heard the old proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

Oranges
Oranges are packed with Vitamin C! Vitamin C is important for the functioning of cells. If you don't get enough, you might even get cancer. Vitamin C is also helpful for preventing colds and ear infections. Herperidin in oranges lower high blood pressures and even cholesterol.

Bananas
What is rich in Vitamin B6, vitamin C, fiber, magnesium and potassium? A banana, of course! If you don't have B6 in your body, you may have weakness and insomnia. The potassium regulates your blood pressure, and reduces the cramping of muscles during excercise. Bananas can also put you in a good mood. Serotonin and norepinephrine in the fruit can help people with depression! So next time you're sad, eat a banana!

Pears
Pears are a great source of fiber. Pears also provide vitamin B2, vitamin C, vitamin E, and potassium. The pectin in pears help lower cholesterol levels. Plus, this fruit is sweet and juicy!

Blueberries
Blueberries have the highest level of antioxidants of all fruits! Antioxidants are important substances that can lower the risk of diseases. Not bad for its small size! Blueberries have also been proved to maintain vision.

Grapes
Flavonoids in these small fruits give them their purplish color. Flavonoids can descrease the risk of heart disease. Grapes have high levels of caffeic acid, which is very strong against cancer. Grapes can also help fight off certain bacteria, viruses and tumors.

Now, don't ignore your fruits. They are packed with tons of good things for you. Although we might be too young to care about things like heart disease and cholesterol, it's always good to start early!

All Muslims should seek knowledge. Whether its Islamic knowledge, science, or English, we should all try to learn something new every day. Allah made us like this...to learn.

Rabbi zidni 'ilma.
My Rabb! Increase me in knowledge.
(Ta Ha 20:114)

Allah told the Prophet Muhammad (S) to make this dua in surah Ta Ha. Without Allah, we can't expect to progress in learning. Allah is the Best of Teachers; we should all try to seek knowledge from Him. This is probably the shortest and easiest dua there is in the Quran. We should recite this wonderful dua each day.

You Will Need:
-two slices of bread
-tomato sauce
-shredded cheese
-oven or toaster oven

What to Do:
First you spread the sauce on one of the slices of bread.
Then, place the shredded cheese on the sauce and put the other slice of bread on.
Cook for 3-5 minutes. Oven times may vary.

If you've ever heard of Bilqis, the queen of Saba (Sheba), you might be wondering, Why is she the woman of faith? She wasn't even Muslim to begin with! But Bilqis' story explains why there is only one God, Allah.

Bilqis was a successful ruler of the rich kingdom of Sheba. She and her people worshipped the sun. Sulaiman (A) was a king of a different kingdom. He had conquered many nations, but not Sheba.

Sulaiman (A) soon learned about the people of Sheba and how they worshipped the sun. Sulaiman (A) sent a letter to Bilqis. The queen was surprised when she got the letter. She called her advisors and said,

"Oh my chiefs! I recieved a noble letter. The letter is from Sulaiman. It reads: In the name of Allah, the most merciful, most kind."

Later on, she read: "Do not go against me, but come to me as a Muslim."

Bilqis thought that Sulaiman might be looking for money. Even though she wanted to avoid a war, she still got prepared in case Sulaiman attacked.

Bilqis sent a very valuable gift back to Sulaiman. No one knows what this gift was, except that it was expensive. Sulaiman got angry when he recieved the gift. He didn't want it. He gave the gift to the messenger that brought the gift from Sheba. Sulaiman said to the messenger, "You enjoy your gift."

When the messenger left, Sulaiman ordered for someone to retrieve Bilqis' throne and brought to Sulaiman's palace. Sulaiman didn't want to keep the throne, because he knew that he was supposed to spread the message of Allah. He told his people to change the throne in various ways.

A few days later, Bilqis came to Sulaiman's palace. Sulaiman showed the queen her own throne. She had no idea that it was her own throne! Sulaiman had changed the throne to show her that power was not permanent. Bilqis thought her power was permanent, and that is why she did not accept Islam after recieving the letter.

Sulaiman then asked Bilqis to enter the palace. The floor was made of glass slabs placed over running water. If you looked at it, you couldn't tell that there was glass on top of the water. Bilqis thought her skirt would get wet, so she lifted it slightly. To her shock, she didn't get wet! She realized that she was fooled by the sparkle of the world, and she could not see the Truth.

After that, Bilqis accepted Islam and started to worship Allah.