Good afternoon. Today's first item of business is the portfolio questions, and we start with question one on Mary Evans. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what is being done to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace. Minister, Maureen Watt. The Scottish Government provides one million per year, along with half a million from comic relief, to fund SE's Scotland. It will be a national programme to end stigma ac discrimination that can be associated with mental illness. CME delivers a CME in work programme to support and enable employers in Scotland to create a mental health friendly workplace where staff feel safe and able to talk openly about mental health and support employees experiencing mental health issues to access their rights. The Scottish Government also provides funding to NHS Health Scotland to provide programmes specifically targeted at workplace settings, including healthy working lives and work positive. Workplaces sign up to those programmes. Between April 2016 and November 2016, mentally health workplace, one day courses were delivered to 418 people and 221 businesses. Between April and November 2016, 7,921 people have accessed this online resource. This was the first year that this online course has been actively promoted to employers. There has been mentally health workplace training for trainers courses to 34 trainers and 16 businesses, which qualify those attending to deliver the mental health at work course at local or business level. Work positive courses were delivered to 113 people, 80 businesses, to allow them to use the work positive resource in their businesses and identify the work related issues that are causing stress to staff. Mary Evans? I thank the minister for that response and I asked that question because I have had a number of cases recently where people who are taking antidepressants, for example, have either been prevented from entering into other sectors of employment or progressing in their own careers. I think that that is a very important issue. Further to that, a study by the Mental Health Foundation last year found that one in six adults had reported symptoms of a mental health condition in the period from 2012 to 2015. Further to that, 20 per cent of adults reported symptoms of depression in 2014 and 2015. Statistics in that report also show a link between deprivation and depression. While the statistics are alarmingly high, what can be done to encourage those who are afraid by the perceived stigma attached to mental health issues to speak up and to seek health? I would say to Mary Evans and to anyone in the chamber that we should all encourage people to talk openly about how they are feeling and to any person who is experiencing depression or any other mental health problem to come forward and seek support, for example, from their GP. GP's are well placed to advise and guide patients regarding appropriate treatment or management of symptoms. Out of our support is also available from NHS 24 through breathing space or from the Samaritans. Regarding stigma associated with mental health, as I said in my first answer, we fund the CME programme. We are already seeing the benefit of tackling stigma and discrimination with record numbers of people coming forward for support. There are other awareness raising actions that we have taken to break down stigma, but our new mental health strategy will include ways in which we can further have parity, esteem and continue to reduce stigma. The minister will know that Scottish Conservatives have been urging more businesses to introduce workplace mental health champions. Is this something that the Scottish Government will look to take forward in the new mental health strategy? Can the minister confirm to Parliament when that new mental health strategy will be published? To answer Miles Briggs's second question first, the mental health strategy will be published in the coming weeks in terms of working with businesses. I am engaged with businesses. I think that in the coming weeks I have got an event out at Gougarburn with RBS, and I am sure that a number of businesses, not just RBS, will be at that event. I am looking forward to engage further with businesses and workplaces as the mental health strategy is published and taken forward. To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that social prescribing enables GP practices to refer obese patients and people with type 2 diabetes and other medical conditions to third sector support services. The Scottish Government funds a list programme through the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland. The online service enables GP practices to connect people to sources of support in the community across the full range of health and care services, including support services for diabetes and weight management. We also fund the linked worker programme, which is on the front line of the battle against health inequalities. The programme provides a dedicated individual working in GP surgeries to provide one-to-one support to people to address issues such as poverty, debt and isolation, which are making them unwell. Over the next five years, we will increase the number of linked workers in disadvantaged areas to 250. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. She will be aware that organisations such as Jog Scotland are being used by GPs to help our most vulnerable patients. So how does she feel that those third sector organisations can continue to operate when they are having their budgets slashed by the Scottish Government? The member will be aware that, through the funding from the Scottish Government through organisations such as Sport Scotland, a number of organisations are funded to ensure that their social needs and their needs in terms of physical activity and sport are taken forward. Obviously, in the difficult financial climate, difficult decisions are being made around the funding to particular organisations. However, those discussions will continue to make sure that there is a broad range of organisations out there that people can be referred to. I think that where there is scope for improvement is for third sector organisations to come together with community health organisations to have a multidisciplinary team approach. It is not just about health professionals, but about third sector organisations, whether they are sporting organisations or any others, that have the ability to offer something to patients who come through the door. The signposting and the coquiesiveness of that is improved so that patients coming through the door of community health services can be posted to the right organisation, whatever that organisation is. Can I ask the Scottish Government what treatment and support is available to chronic pain patients in the NHS Grampian area? It is the role of the Scottish Government to provide policies, frameworks and the resources to NHS boards so that they can deliver services that meet the needs of their local populations. In that context, it is a matter for NHS Grampian to plan, budget for and deliver the services that are required to meet the assessed needs of its resident population, including chronic pain patients. In NHS Grampian, we are seeing improvement in patient way in times with patients across the region receiving treatment at a pain clinic within 18 weeks, rising from 68 per cent in September to nearly 77 per cent in the most recently published figures. We will continue to support all boards as they continue to work to improve pain services. Richard Lochhead I thank the minister for her answer. I am sure that, like me, she cannot begin to imagine what it is like to suffer from chronic pain, but there has been some good news that she may be aware of that a pain clinic was recently reinstated at Dr Grace hospital in Elgin in my constituency during no small part to the patients group that was set up a couple of years ago, AFACER, aptly named, which has been a very effective group for patients in Murray and beyond. However, unfortunately, it is still the case that many chronic patients, pain patients, are unable to have procedures at Dr Grace, such as pain relieving injections or other treatments, and they have to travel to Aberdeen, which, with that particular condition, the minister will be aware is particularly problematic and inconvenient. Would the minister be willing to look at this issue to ensure that the chronic pain patients in Murray have access to the treatment that they need, hopefully closer to their own doorstep at Dr Grace, and we should accept an invitation to come and meet the AFACER group in Murray at some point in the near future? I thank the member for raising this issue. My officials have made an offer to meet AFACER in the first instance to be clear on the issues and concerns that they have, and while I do not think that that offer has yet been taken up, I too am happy to meet the group. I will also instruct my officials to fully look at the issues that the member raises, because while the ISD figures are encouraging and show that there has been improvement around waiting times, Richard Lochhead is absolutely right to raise these local concerns, and my officials, along with the group, to work together to identify where further improvement can be made. I am happy to engage with the member on the issue and to keep an eye on progress. There are challenges with chronic pain patients, not just in Grampian, but across the whole of Scotland. NHS Grampian is one of six health boards that is failing to meet the 18-week referral to treatment time. Last year alone, 3,227 patients failed to meet the basic standard, half of whom came from Glasgow, despite the Government's decision to close the ICC in Glasgow. How can this be an acceptable situation for any patient in a chronic pain situation? What specific action will the minister be taking? I note that the cabinet secretary says that it is misleading. I can reassure that the only misleading happening is from the cabinet secretary herself. I think that we need to correct a number of inaccurate assertions that are made by Anna Sarworth. The centre is not closed at all. In fact, facilities and therapies are still being provided by the Centre for Integrative Care, which are all delivered during usual business hours. He said that I understand that what he said or what he tried to imply was that the centre was closed, and that is not accurate. I am just for the record, making sure that the rest of the chamber absolutely understands that. We are the only part of the UK to routinely publish waiting times data on chronic pain. Although there is always need to be complacent on that, there has been improvement made. I set out where improvement has been made in NHS Grampian. There is also national improvement as well. We have given 100,000 to the university of Dundee to look to capture the data better, so that we can make sure that that story is full. We understand where we can make further improvement. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer will also be overseeing and monitoring waiting times to make sure that we can provide that much needed help to people who are suffering from chronic pain, recognising the real stress and strain that that puts on their lives. I hope that that gives reassurance to Anna Sarworth, who seems to be a wee bit unaware of some of the facts. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to ensure that physical activity and sport are available to all irrespective of background or personal circumstance. The Scottish Government is committed to increasing rates of physical activity. The Active Scotland Outcomes Framework sets out our ambitions for a more active Scotland and is underpinned by a commitment to equality. For example, there are now better and more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in sport and physical activity right across Scotland with 157 community sports hubs up and running, increasing to 200 by 2020. Over the past year, Sport Scotland has worked with five local authority partners to provide additional support to identify hubs within the bottom 5 per cent of the Scottish index of multiple deprivation areas. Sport Scotland plans to expand the support to eight partners. Brian Whittle I thank the minister for that answer. The minister and our Government talk about their desire to close the health inequality gap and focus on preventable health, yet it is by their actions that they should be judged. Jog Scotland, free to participate for all, 40,000 people per week and growing, 80 per cent of the women, 70 per cent of whom were previously inactive, has now had its funding withdrawn by this Government. Then we find out that it is deemed so important to the prevention and treatment of mental health issues that Sam H is prepared to pick up some of the tab to keep it going. They understand that it is far more effective, both treatment-wise and cost-wise, to engage sufferers and potential sufferers in this way. If a mental health charity recognises the importance of this approach to the prevention agenda, why is it the minister and her Government refuse to learn this lesson? Sport Scotland has provided Scottish athletics with a win-off payment of £65,000 to help Jog Scotland. I hope that the member recognises that. We will continue to look to see where we can further enhance the offer around the country to ensure that more people become more active. Brian Whittle has come repeatedly to the chamber weekly and is critical of this Government holding us to account. That is the right thing to do and that is part of the normal democratic process. However, when he comes repeatedly to this Parliament representing the Tories and asking us to do more to help with equality and to help the vulnerable, I think that sometimes it always sounds a wee bit hollow, because it is this Government that is having to also—it is this Government that continues to have to mitigate and soften the blows brought about by his Government—their approach to austerity, their approach to welfare reform—and on top of that, we have as a Government—so on top of all that work that we have had to do to mitigate the welfare reforms, the austerity measures that his Government continually do to punish the most vulnerable in our country. On top of all that spending, this Government since 2009 has invested over £800 million in sport and activity, so we will continue to work hard and work on our record of providing opportunity to increase and encourage activity for everybody across the country, and we will take absolutely no lessons from the Tories on this. As to the Scottish Government, what progress has been made on the implementation of the SNP manifesto commitment to a network of regional sports centres? I thank the member for the question. I do appreciate the question that Ivan McKee has raised, because he is absolutely right to raise our SNP commitment to a network of regional sports centres. It is important to recognise that sports facilities right across this country have the best that they have ever been due to the collaborative approach that they have taken right across the whole sporting system. I hear a lot of the members trying to heckle me while I am speaking, but it would be appropriate for them to listen to the answer to some of the points that I am trying to make. Sports Scotland will be committed to working with its partners in developing a network of national and regional facilities where people can get involved in sport, whether that is in school, in education, club or community, or performance environments. We have already seen the Oriam, the national performance centre for sport, which opened its doors in August last year. The national para sport centre will be opening shortly, and the new national curling academy at the peak in Stirling is well under way and due for completion later on this year. I hope that that gives a bit more of a flavour about the continued effort to ensure that our facilities in Scotland continue to be among the best. 5. Jamie Greene To ask the Scottish Government what its responses to the recent Samaritans report which recorded a disparity in suicide rates across all local authorities. Presiding Officer, any death by suicide is a tragedy. Sadly, the link between deprivation and risk of suicide is well known, as is the variability of suicide rates from one locality to another. We will take the report's recommendations into account, including placing emphasis on inequalities as we develop a new suicide prevention strategy for publication early next year. In Scotland, although suicide rates are higher than average in the most deprived areas, it is important to recognise that this inequality gap has narrowed over the past decade. Scotland's overall suicide rate has fallen by 18 per cent over the last decade or so, and the number of deaths by suicide in 2015 was the lowest in a single year since 1974. From our discussions with a range of stakeholders, including Samaritans, it is clear that there is a perceived need to refresh and invigorate local suicide prevention action. That will vary from area to area depending on local circumstances and local needs. That is something to which we will pay particular attention in the development of a new suicide prevention strategy. The Samaritans report highlighted that a person living in a deprived area was three times more likely to commit suicide than someone living in an affluent area. In my region, Inverclyde has the highest rate of suicides in any local authority in Scotland, but the causes and reasons for suicide are varied. For example, figures that were released by the Thai campaign last year showed that a quarter of our LGBTI community had attempted suicide at least once, a statistic that shocks and deeply saddens me. What actions will action take to better identify and improve outreach with people in high-risk areas but also in high-risk categories? I thank Jamie Greene for his question. He raises a very important part that a suicide prevention strategy should take into account all those different activities and the different problems in each and every area, not just in terms of the area but also in terms of local groups, including the LGBTI community, in which we know suffer from particular mental health problems, an issue that will be addressed in the mental health strategy but will also be taken forward in the suicide prevention strategy. The minister will know that I raised this report with the Deputy First Minister during First Minister's questions last week, and I am grateful that my suggestion of an evaluation of the previous strategy will be considered. I look forward to a further reply from the minister in due course on that. The Samaritans report also stresses that cross-governmental, cross-department co-operation is required in approaches to suicide prevention, and that development of all welfare housing and employment policies should include an evaluation of potential unintended impacts on mental health and suicidal behaviour. Is that something that the minister will consider in the next suicide prevention strategy? What assurances can she give that her office is working in co-ordination with other Government departments to tackle and prevent mental health challenges? I can assure the member that this Government works across portfolios on all aspects of Government. I am very well aware that in terms of improving the health and the mental health of the nation, it is not just down to the minister for mental health or my colleagues in the health portfolio, but obviously in terms of housing and communities ministers and education and many others, including the environment, for example. We are all in this together. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage more women to regularly participate in sport. The Scottish Government is committed to increasing rates of physical activity for everyone in Scotland and our ambitions for a more active Scotland are underpinned by a commitment to equality. My strategic guidance letter to Sport Scotland emphasises the importance the Scottish Government attaches to equalities and our programme for government included a number of commitments that are being taken forward. Those include a £300,000 supporting equality fund, aimed at increasing the number of women and girls participating in sport in Scotland, of which details will be announced shortly. The Scottish Government bodies of sport are doing good work on the equality standard for sport, cricket, snow sport and karate are excellent case studies of governing bodies taking steps to increase diversity on their boards, create increased opportunities for participation for women and support for coaches and role models. I am delighted that Sport Scotland is the latest public body to achieve gender equality on its board following the appointment of five new members last month. Jeremy Balfour I am sure that the minister will be aware of the findings of a survey carried out by the Health and Sport Committee as part of its inquiry, which is a sport for everyone. It shows that non-participation in regular sport and physical activity is higher among females than males across all-age categories. I therefore urge the minister to focus on barriers to sport in participation uncovered in the survey, including caring for women and family commitments, feeling of self-consciousness and negative experiences at PE at school. What considerations will she give to how more women can get involved regularly in sport? Jeremy Balfour is absolutely right to raise the issue. It is one of the issues and areas that continue to be a challenge about how we get women and girls more active, and non-participation, as he rightly points out, is higher among those cohorts. He is right to point out the potential barriers that we need to work hard to try to pick and understand and to overcome. Sport Scotland has identified equalities and inclusion as a key priority in its corporate plan. Our programme for government commitment is also establishing a quality and sport and physical activity forum to take forward the recommendations on broader equality issues in the equality and sport research. He is right to raise the issue and to continue to put pressure on it. That is why my strategic guidance letter also emphasises the importance that we attach to our qualities. Can the minister tell the chamber what an impact she anticipates, particularly in women's sporting participation, and not least in para-sports participation? From the £12 million that is invested in the unique new state of the art sports facilities, Sport Scotland's national centre, which we both recently visited. The national centre will be the first for Scotland and across the UK. We should all feel very proud about it. It was good to get an opportunity to visit, along with the constituency member in Largs, and to see how much attention to detail has been placed on ensuring that that can be a facility for absolutely everybody, regardless of their physical abilities. We should feel very proud that it will be opening soon, and I hope that it will increase activity for disabled people who have an interest in sport and activity. It is also very much determined to be a community asset and a community resource and to provide opportunity for girls, boys, men and women, young and old, across North Ayrshire and beyond. 7. Ruth Maguire To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Ayrshire and Arran and what issues were discussed. Ministers and Scottish Government officials regularly meet with representatives of all health boards, including NHS Ayrshire and Arran, to discuss matters of importance to local people. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Since the publication of the Scottish Government's national drug strategy, The Road to Recovery, in 2008, the Government has taken a strongly recovery-focused approach to the problematic drug and alcohol use. In my constituency, the North Ayrshire alcohol and drug partnership has cemented its reputation as a leader when it comes to recovery with countless local successes, including Caffe Solis and the Funky Films project. I welcome the Scottish Government's new partnership for action on drugs in Scotland, launched in January of this year. One of those top three priorities was listed as building communities focused on recovery and tackling stigma. Could the cabinet secretary provide an update on the work of the partnership, in particular the development of the priorities and work plan through the themed groups? I can tell the member that good progress is being made by the partnership for action on drugs in Scotland pads and its subgroups in tackling problem drug use through reducing harm, embedding quality and consistent services, and developing recovery-centred communities. The Minister for Public Health and Sport attended the pads meeting on 8 March, which focused on two of its priorities, the Harry Burns review and children affected by parental substance misuse. The Scottish Recovery Consortium, funded by the Scottish Government, is working alongside pads to ensure recovery and lived experiences at the heart of its work. North Ayrshire is a leading ADP that continues to exceed the national LDP waiting-time target and has implemented a number of recovery-focused initiatives, including two recovery community cafes, with a third site due to open shortly, and nine smart recovery meetings embedded across North Ayrshire. I pay tribute to the work that they are doing. Colin Smyth Thank you, Presiding Officer. In November last year, the cabinet secretary promised the parents of six babies who tragically died at Crosshouse Hospital in Ayrshire from 2008 and whose deaths were deemed unnecessary. They would be a full official review into their children's deaths. Given that promise, can the cabinet secretary explain why five out of six of those families have discovered that the review by Health Improvement Scotland will not look at their children's cases in detail as their deaths occurred before the end of 2013? Will the cabinet secretary intervene in this matter and ensure that the cases of all six families, including those babies who died between 2008 and the end of 2013, will be given the same full and official review that they were promised and deserve? Colin Smyth That is an important matter. I should also say that his review is independent. His have said that they have met all the families who wanted to be involved, but the member draws attention to the December 2013 date, which, of course, was put in place by his because of the terms of reference for the review, which was to focus on whether Ayrshire and Arran had adhered to the national framework in dealing with significant adverse event reports, given the previous review that looked into cases prior to December 2013. That was the rationale for December 2013 and looking at cases beyond that date, because those cases before that date had already been looked into through the previous review. However, what is important is in taking forward the review that his families are able to have further engagement with the families, and I encourage them to do so to try to address their concerns. However, we must not lose sight of the review that was established for a specific reason. That was to look at whether Ayrshire and Arran had adhered to the national guidance in dealing with significant adverse event reports since the previous review. However, I have encouraged his to have further engagement with the families to, hopefully, address some of their concerns. To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to assist people who have had a stroke with their recovery and in becoming as independent as possible. Stroke remains a clinical priority for the NHS in Scotland and the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government recognises the importance of recovery from stroke. The Scottish Government's stroke improvement plan, which was published in August 2014, includes priorities in supporting self-management and rehabilitation. It is up to individual NHS boards to deliver the level of stroke services that are required in the area, depending on local and individual needs. Boards are responsible for delivering stroke care services via their stroke managed clinical networks. The Scottish stroke improvement team supports managed clinical networks to implement local action plans to improve the delivery of stroke care stroke across Scotland. Charity, chest, heart and stroke Scotland have raised concerns that NHS provision of rehabilitation for people recovering from strokes and a long-term condition often end far too soon. Returning home, people are left without vital, on-going support. What will the Scottish Government do to ensure that across Scotland there is a consistent pathway of rehabilitation available from the NHS through to community support? We are seeing improvements across the country, but we are always taking licence where people and organisations and groups have concerns. We have started to collect data on rehabilitation. From November 2015 to January 2016, a rehabilitation sprint audit was conducted and a second pilot is planned for Monday 23 January to Sunday 2 April 2017. There is on-going analysis and data capture to see where we can make improvements. That is also related to ensuring that we have the full integration of health and social care to ensure that the right care packages are in place to ensure that people who have suffered a stroke can get the right help that they can need in the right way at the right time. To ask the Scottish Government how the NHS tackles health issues resulting from cold homes and fuel poverty. Cabinet secretary. We know that health inequality is closely linked to income inequality, and that is why the Scottish Government is committed to tackling poverty, including fuel poverty, as a priority. We recently published a fairer Scotland action plan that sets out 50 concrete actions that will take over the course of this Parliament to tackle inequality, such as developing referral pathways between NHS services and local services to maximise the income of patients, tackling the poverty premium and delivering at least 50,000 affordable homes over the parliamentary term. We have allocated more than £650 million to tackle fuel poverty since 2009, and, as was announced in the programme for government, we will make available £0.5 billion over the next four years, meaning that more than £1 billion will be committed by 2021 to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency. Pauline McNeill The minister will be aware that world health organisations say that 30 per cent of excess winter deaths are caused by cold homes and that a preventative approach could save £80 million for the national health service. The national institute of clinical excellence and homes alliance Scotland have recently recommended that the energy performance of properties, where there are fuel-poor households, be improved to a minimal acceptable standard of EPC band C rating, but ideally band B rating. Does the Scottish Government support bringing all properties into band C by 2025? Will the minister appreciate that this is a matter that goes beyond her portfolio? Will the minister give a commitment to agree to discuss targeting the poorest households to ensure that they reach the rating of EPC, which will prevent them from living in a cold home, to eradicate the scourge of living in a cold home? I will certainly get the cabinet secretary to write to Pauline McNeill with some of the specifics that she raises, because she is slightly out with my portfolio, but nonetheless very important issues. What I can say to her, and I shall be well aware of this, is that we are consulting on a new long-term fuel poverty strategy, including proposals for a new overarching target in autumn 2017, and that is going to feed into the development of a new warm homes bill that we plan to introduce in 2018. I suspect that that will be a further opportunity for Pauline McNeill to raise some of those issues and proposals around the targeting that she has raised here today. However, what I will ensure is that a more detailed response is sent to Pauline McNeill in due course. Shelter Scotland estimates that one in 10 households in Scotland are affected by dampness or condensation, which the existing homes alliance says can aggravate conditions such as heart disease, strokes and flu, and increase the risk of mental health problems. What action is the Scottish Government taking to ensure fewer homes are affected by conditions such as dampness or condensation? Further to what I said to Pauline McNeill, as recommended by the Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group, we have established an independent panel of experts to review the definition of fuel poverty. The review due to be completed late summer will look at whether changes are needed to help us to better target our efforts to eradicate fuel poverty in the forthcoming warm homes bill. I am sure that the issues that the Dorough Cameron raises will be able to be explored in tackling dampness and other issues. However, I have to take the opportunity to remind the member that some of the reasons that people struggle with their household bills—I am paying some of their household bills—is due to the welfare reforms. The Tories might not like to hear the truth, but if you cut people's household budgets through welfare reforms and cuts to tax credits so that people who are in work are poorer, it is hardly rocket science to establish that they are going to struggle to pay their fuel bills. The Tories can give up all they like, but there is a direct correlation between welfare reform and people's ability to pay their bills and, therefore, the consequences of fuel poverty.  Everybody else knows that to be the truth. Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Ayrshire and Arran is reported under recruitment of 30 consultants will adversely affect on its ability to safely operate the combined assessment unit at Ayr hospital when it opens in May 2017. NHS boards across Scotland, including NHS Ayrshire and Arran, have a statutory responsibility to carry out workforce planning and must make every effort to fill existing gaps to ensure that services continue to be delivered safely. The Scottish Government works closely with boards to give them the tools that they need to improve workforce planning. Under this Government, the number of consultants in NHS Ayrshire and Arran has increased by 62 per cent to more than 290 whole-time equivalent. Additionally, in spring of this year, we will publish our national and regional workforce plan, which will improve workforce planning practice to make it clearer what should be planned at a national, regional and local level. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer, but she will be aware that the welcome opening of the new combined assessment unit will, in all probability, result in increased admissions to Ayr hospital. If experience elsewhere is a guide, how does she envisage such an additional workload being dealt with by already overstretched staff at Ayr hospital specifically and NHS Ayrshire and Arran generally when waiting times for first appointments for many disciplines are already among the longest in Scotland? I know that John Scott has raised those issues before, and quite rightly so. It is important that the Scottish Government supports boards like Ayrshire and Arran to ensure that they have the correct staff in place to deliver the services that local people need. As I said, there has been an increase in the number of consultants and indeed other staff, but we know that demand has also grown. What is important in workforce planning, whether it is for the combined assessment unit or the rest of Ayrshire and Arran's services, is that they get the right configuration of staff. We will continue to support Ayrshire and Arran to recruit. There are some opportunities with looking at the recruitment of clinicians to network positions, for example, where clinicians are really hard to recruit and are specialist in nature and are able to be recruited to work across more than one site, because it makes those posts more attractive. I am happy to continue to talk to John Scott about those matters, as we take that forward. If he wants a meeting to discuss in more detail, I will be happy to provide that. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to claims that return patients who require regular treatment are not counted in chronic pain waiting times and what action it is taking to address the reported excessive delays that some face before receiving treatment. Scotland is the only nation in the UK to routinely publish the chronic pain waiting times. That is a clear sign of this Government's commitment to making improvements for people living with chronic pain. Chronic pain waiting times data, published on 14 March by NHS information service division, showed an improvement in the number of patients seen within 18 weeks, rising from 60.4 per cent to 64.5 per cent during the last quarter ending December 2016. I recognise, however, that there is more progress to be made and this Government will continue to support NHS boards to ensure that chronic pain patients get swift access to the care that they need. With regard to return patients, such appointments will always be subject to individual clinical assessment. I thank the minister for that response. However, she did not answer my specific question about return patients not being recorded. She will be aware of reports last week that thousands of chronic pain patients are suffering in what has been described as a hidden national scandal. It would seem that the new chronic pain patients are given priority in a bid to meet the Scottish Government's target of 18 weeks referral to first treatment, but return patients needing regular treatment are not counted. Will she consider including that in future reports? One return patient who has commented on this is Chris Bridgeford, a pain sufferer from forests who founded the Murray-based aphephair group, which was mentioned earlier. He has quoted as saying, we have people despairing of their lives due to the huge delays in treatment. What more can be done to ensure chronic pain patients who require regular treatment in Murray and across Scotland get this treatment when and where they need it? Given the minister's earlier answer about meeting with aphephair, could she include all MSPs who cover the Murray area in that meeting so that we can continue with the cross-party work that has been so successful locally? In a previous answer, I set out how there had been clear improvements across NHS Grampian, and that is because we have chosen to be the only country in the UK to publish those waiting times. That indicates that there is a clear commitment there. Of course, there are other ways that we need to make sure that we fully understand the picture, which is why I mentioned in my response to Richard Lochhead that we have given 100,000 to the University of Dundee to look at how we can better capture the data and drive forward improvement. That is why the Deputy Chief Medical Officer will also be overseeing and monitoring waiting times and making sure that we get a very full picture about how we can help better people suffering from chronic pain. I said that I would meet aphephair, but my officials have instructed them to meet them first, and to do some work to look at the situation in Grampian. We will be sure to make sure that the member gets an update on that.


جدادي والإتخرامي سيد الأخواني هو المنّادي أبّ عظيم الحمد لله الذي هدانا لهذا وما كنا لنهتد لولى أن هدانا الله الحمد لله على نعمة الإسلامي وكفى بها نعمة الحمد لله على منّة الولايتي وكفى بها منّة وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن سيدنا وعظيمنا وحبيبي قلوبنا النبي المؤيد والرسول المسدد والمصطف الأمجد والمحمود الأحمد حبيبي إله العالمين أب القاسم محمد صلوات الله وسلامه عليه وعلى آل بيته الطيبين الطاهرين سفن النجاة العلام مركبة سفينتهم نجا ومن تخلف عنها هالكا وغرق ثم أم باب رسم أبوه وخباره والسلام عليكم جميعا ورحمة الله وبركاته نحن نتبع من مكان نهت from yesterday ونحن نتحدث عن مقابل number 4 of the discussion on religion which speaks about that religion gives an aid to progress of science and knowledge and we were talking about this at length until we were caught up with time and I had to wrap up my speech yesterday and I left you at the following point of discussion where we said that this attitude towards cosmos undoubtedly stimulates when you put the religious perspective to it that the attitude of religion towards the cosmos undoubtedly stimulates persistent stimulates persistent thinking over the mechanism of creation and consequently helps in the advancement of science and knowledge in contrast we would hold that this universe is the product of she mechanical factors having no intellect there remain no plausible reason and then why we should make a strenuous effort to discover its secret so basically what we are saying if this particular universe came of its own then we don't need to understand it because it doesn't make any logic if the universe came of its own then there is no reason to explore it because it makes no sense but when you see the she systematic painstaking organizational pattern of the world that we live in and how everything runs to proportion then surely you would sit and ponder or stand and ponder and say how is it possible that something that comes from nothing is so meticulous and so immacable and so perfect in every sense of the word if it was not created by someone who has put it in such a meticulous proportion amazing immaculate way of running and Allah سبحانه وتعالى says إن كل شيء خلقناه بقدر everything we created in this world was created to proportion it is not haphazardly or an ad hoc basis that things came together and that's the end of the story in principle a universe which is the outcome of the working of an unconscious machinery can neither be well designed nor mysterious every day we are discovering something about this universe of ours every day the Hubble telescope tells us we found a new Milky Way we found a new I don't know what we found a new sun we found a new moon we found a new planet as 10 million times bigger than our planet and you sit and wonder how is that possible that these things came about by themselves I'm reminded of a story of a scholar at the time of the Imam where an atheist challenged him in as far as the existence of God is concerned right and I want to advise my youth community those who go to colleges those who come encounter with first hand hardcore atheist when they drop the bombshell question prove to me that God exist I say to our youth the question itself is wrong right you must say to the atheist if you want me to prove to you that God exist let's correct the question first prove to me that God does not exist that's the right question because as far as the existence of God is concerned I have no problem you have a problem I don't have a problem your problem now is to prove the nonexistence of God and I'm reminded in that regard for those who are interested in the subject is to YouTube I think it is available on YouTube the debate that happened between the learned brother of mine حسنين رجب علي if you know him and Don Baca and see how when they were coming together to debate the question of the existence of God حسنين رجب علي may Allah bless him he emphasized that I will not agree to a debate that starts with the question does God exist the title of the debate should be does God not exist does God not exist it's not does God exist you have to the onus of proof is on those who are in denial not on those who are already in acceptance of the fact the presence of an omnipotent God who knows what is happening and what's going on around the world so much so that he had produced and pinned down for us a universe that no one can question it's meticulous running and it's perfect being in the way we have been examining the world at hand in principle therefore we say a universe which is the outcome of a working of an unconscious machinery can neither be well designed nor mysterious apart from giving a deadly blow to the advancement of science and knowledge such conception of the cosmos negates the very fact that man's instinct is basically rooted in religion Albert Einstein was very true when he pointed out why great thinkers and discoverers are interested in religion but what sort of religion the religion that is based on logic that's why sometimes you know people could not relate to the religiousness of Albert Einstein because his way of viewing religiousness and godness if I can say this term different to the way we actually relate to the existence of a god and the existence of a religion he said that it was hard to find anyone among the great thinkers these are his words among the great brains of the world who might not have a sort of religious feeling peculiar to him that feeling was different from the religion of the man in the street because the religion of the man of the street is based around rituals but the religiousness of an intellectual being is revolved around the intellect just like the Quran pinned out that particular argument when Allah gave a mind blowing aya in the Quran when he said to the Quraishis or the Makkans of the time and he said that to the prophet initially when he told him oh Muhammad tell the Makkans فعلم أنه لا إله إلا الله you must learn intellectually that there is no god but Allah it is not a matter of blind faith believing in Allah is not a matter of blind faith you must learn intellectually that God exist and you must put your mind to the challenge in as far as that issue is concerned it has the form he is talking that religiousness of an intellectual thinker has the form of a delightful wonder at the marvellously accurate system of the universe which from time to time unveils its secrets in comparison with which all organized the human thinking and research are rather weak and stale to appreciate and understand only a weak mind cannot ponder and understand the meticulous creation of Allah but a great thinking mind when it stops and ponders of the universe it says surely there is a maker to this universe a man came to debate with a scholar once and he said to him the story I wanted to relate to you and he said to him that I don't believe in God you prove to me the existence tomorrow we'll meet you at the other side of the Euphoratus the Euphoratus river in Iraq because that Alim was living in Iraq so he said no problem I'll meet you so that person came and waited for the scholar to arrive because the scholar had to come by a boat from the other side of the river so he came the easiest way to at sunset half an hour one hour it's a Muslim time Muslim time it's unfortunate that when we talk to one another what do we say Muslim time or English time shame on us Muslims shame on us Muslims that we use this and the most shameful we have among ourselves is the word insha'Allah insha'Allah according to Muslim means what it will never happen مولانا can you visit us insha'Allah kiss Moulana goodbye you're not gonna see Moulana at all unfortunately while insha'Allah from an Arabic perspective an Islamic perspective is what is an emphasis on the action يعني if nothing holds me back with the will of Allah I'll show up but our insha'Allah is I hope it was 50-50 it's not even 30-70 you know which is very unfortunate and we take pride in English time when Allah SWT says prayer has been appointed at a set time why because Allah wants us to be organized Imam Ali that we cry for day and night when we remember the way he was martyred when he calls on his Imam his sons Imam Hassan and Hussein to give them his last will what does he say he says I remind you and advise you to remain conscious of Allah good أوسيكما بتقوى الله which is all imams begin their wasiyawith and then he says what what do you think the most important thing the Imam would introduce as a concept what he was saying to his children remain conscious of Allah you would think it would be salah right which is very important those who are negligent of their salah brothers and sisters they have a deep ideological vacuum within them because they cannot connect to their Creator and if you cannot connect to your Creator you cannot you are batteryless a car runs on energy and your means to energy is that divine connection between you and Allah سبحانه وتعالى and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم loved three things from this life three things قال أحببتم in دنياكم ثلاث I love from this world of yours three things الطيب where is the perfume for those who never touch perfume أمام جعفر الصادق سلام الله عليه وسلم spending a thousand dollars in perfume will not be considered israf why because Muslims should always smell good go to the mosques of Muslims God help you brother God help you which is really unfortunate really unfortunate that the house of God is neglected when it comes to perfume we don't give regard to the house of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in terms of cleanliness in terms of perfuming in terms of tib in terms and terms in terms and terms and terms right and the Prophet says I love perfume number two bombshell woman but in what sense woman not in the sense of marrying once with twice with three times just like the case with men the moment he becomes rich the first thought that comes to mind is what woman number two right because now he can afford her right now he can choose among the array of women whom he wants to marry but when he was rich and he doesn't have a penny he was trying to be please just be happy with him to his first wife but when the money starts rolling in the sky is the limit when it comes to women the Prophet didn't like women from that perspective the Prophet loved women from the perspective of giving them the due right just like he showed us through his experience an interaction with his daughter say the what respect رسول الله used to give to a so that we can use this as an example in our life she was the last person the Prophet would greet goodbye when he left Medina and the first woman he would greet when he comes back to Medina why so that the image of the will never leave his mind in honoring the status of woman he is the one who came into a society that used to kill women alive and he brought a legislation that echoes until the day of judgment that reads in سورة الأعلى what does it read سورة التكوير سورة التكوير سورة التكوير سورة التكوير سورة التكوير سورة التكوير سورة التكوير سورة التكوير سoustع شو the day of judgement for what sin what she buried alive and in today's world we have a different interpretation also of the Aya that interpretation remains alive because until now we have a problem with women bearing children as females as the first child right or wrong Allah one of the Ailes says in the Qur'an وإذا بشرا أحدهم بالأنثى ظل وجهه مسودا وهو كظيم أيام سكه على هون أم يدسه في التراب على ساعة ما يحكمون الله سبحانه وتعالى يقول ماذا؟ يقول إذا كان شخص يقوم بإمكانه أن يقوم بإمكانه بإمكانه أن يقوم بإمكانه ما يحدث معه؟ ما يحدث معه؟ أهلاً يخلق قد يتبقى ماذا يجب أن يفعل؟ هل يجب أن يقوم بإمكانه بإمكانه أن يحكمه؟ أو يجب أن يتبقى ذلك الحياة الله يقول إن أفضل هكذا هو داقية لدقائك أفضل هو داقية لدعات المساعدة ويجب أن تفهم لي عندما أتحدث عن هذه لأنني كنت أردت أصدقائي عن أصدقائي و أنا أردت الناس who are telling these things about me لأنني أحتاج كل هذه الحسنات والله لذا أتكلم كما تريد أن تتكلم يقول أن الشيخ هو الشيخ المسيحة أنه لا يتكلم عن أصدقائي الناس who have been talking about men's rights since 1400 years ago هذا هو الوقت المسيحة نحن نتكلم عن أصدقائي لذا دعنا نحن نتكلم كثيراً أحد في حياتنا أنا لا أحد الشيخ أنا أتكلم عن أصدقائي عن الله وفي أجرية إلا على الله أنا only seek my reward from Allah سبحانه و تعالى و لا أحد أحد لذا لا تأخذ it to heart إن شاء الله إذا أصدق next month أو next year or wherever the case سيكون 50 men 50 women إن شاء الله but we need to deal with this situation at hand so we can resolve this issue what is the modern interpretation of burying our daughter's life when we force them into a marriage they don't want to when we force them into a marriage they don't want to be in we are killing the life of our daughter's life someone lady came to Rasulullah and she said يا رسول الله my father married me against my will I want to divorce my husband he said has he paid you anything in mahar she said yes he gave me a whole orchard he said are you willing to give it back to him he said I don't want it let him take it but divorce me يا رسول الله the prophet brought the man the prophet is an authority he said you know what the marriage is null and void because she was married against her will and she doesn't want it she wants a divorce the woman when the prophet she saw the prophet acting so determined about this issue she said يا رسول الله I love my husband what's the story one minute you don't want it she said no no no يا رسول الله you know why I said this so that when women comes after me they know they have right in Islam subhan Allah so they will not be taken for granted so they will not be taken for granted I'm not trying to create a revolution here brothers and sisters I'm not asking for the divorce rate to increase I'm trying to create a balance so that when our younger generation grow let us raise them to the standard of Muhammad وقال Muhammad صلاة الله وسلام عليهم أجمعهم and let us remember that the only way we can come to a point where we can break these cultural differences is if we look at the life of our Imam سلام الله عليهم and see whom did they marry whom did they marry I was in Dar-e-Salaam once and two young people came to me arguing about what one of them is telling the other person that Imam Al-Qadim or Imam Al-Sadaq one of them I'm not 100% sure he was dark he had dark features the other one says if one of our Imams had dark features I don't want to be a sheikh anymore I said what sort of nonsense is this you know why because the wife of Imam Sadaq was in fact from the inner side of the Moroccan desert he married someone from the Moroccan and she was they call it Nubians and the Nubians are very dark he said no I don't want to another example of how intermarriages should take place regardless of culture the mother of our current Imam what is she Pakistani Lebanese Iraqi إيتاليين oh bombshell نرجس خاتول is an Italian yes she was an Italian princess who came to Baghdad or Iraq and converted and married an Imam Al-Asqari and gave birth to Imam Al-Mahdi warab bombshell نرجس is roman سلام الله على نرجس we must understand these things brothers and sisters and know what our history is all about imagine if a rivet comes to marry our daughters oh God help the daughter oh God help the rivet himself what's going to happen to him I remember a story in Australia a rivet not a rivet an Australian young man beautiful Australian young man became close to a very you know traditionally Lebanese Muslim girl they met at work so that girl was taught one thing by her father don't do anything that Islam tells you but when it comes to marry you have to marry a Muslim Alhamdulillah at least something good so this girl every time this person proposes to us I respect you I like you you are very cute but I can't marry you because you have to be a Muslim this guy thought let me meet your father and let me see what this faith is all about he said ok she told her father this guy wants to meet you bring him along he came he started visiting the family and he said to the father if I study Islam and I become a Muslim after realizing that it's a good faith do you promise to give me your daughter in marriage he said yes but go and study Islam the boy started studying Islam that a Muslim woman should wear hijab that a Muslim woman should be modest that she should be respectful that a Muslim woman should not drink that this is Islam it took him 6 months after that he came home he shook hand with his supposedly father in law to be he said you know what that to be thank you for telling me I will not let you marry your daughter until I become a Muslim and now I have become a Muslim the father said Alhamdulillah now we can have the marriage that young Australian boy said I am interested because your daughter is not the ideal Muslim wife that I want she is not the ideal Muslim wife I want I want someone that knows Allah before she knows her world Subhan Allah and these type of people are I doubt his faith you doubt his faith you know the journey that people go through to become Muslims you are born Muslims we are born by an ID card that says religion Muslim but what do I know about my Islam sometimes nothing and that's the dilemma sometimes that we face so we need to break these rituals at hand and encompass the world that we are living in this feeling illuminates the path of life and efforts of a scientist as he gains success and it keeps him free from the dead weight of selfishness and pride what a belief in the system of the universe and what a fascinating desire it was he adds this is Einstein is talking that enabled Kepler and Newton to suffer for years in isolation and in complete silence in order to simplify and explain the laws of gratification and planetary motion no doubt it is this very religious feeling Newton is saying this this religious feeling that enabled the self-sacrificing and self-effacing men through long centuries in spite of their apparent defeats and failures to rise on their feet again and make a fresh start because their understanding of religion was different to that on the street this is the religion that Islam brought forward the contemporary scientist Abethany says that science for its own perfection should regard faith in God as one of its accepted undisputed principles Subhanallah not to dismiss God of the formula and say God does not conform with science yes the God of those who want God to be a myth or based on superstition or based on culture or based on tradition is the God that this scientist cannot affiliate with because it henders their progress scientifically but when it comes to the God of Islam and the God of the world the real God Allah says the sky is not the limit يا معشرة الجني والإنس إن استطعتم أن تنفذوا من أقطار السماوات والأرض لا تنفذوا إلا بسلطان الله سبحانه وتعالى says or jinn and men gather your forces together and try to penetrate if you are able to and if you are not able to you will not be able to unless you have an authority what did our the Quran interpret authority here to be they said knowledge knowledge that makes you penetrate through the horizon in order to explore this universe that we are living in thus a religious man following the true teaching of religion can what can more than anybody else carry out research and discover the secrets of nature you know when what's his name this first man on the moon what is his name not Armstrong there is another one who went with him John Glenn no no what's his name 100 is there another one there is someone who went to the moon when he was asked what did you see I think Neil Armstrong Neil Armstrong Subhan Allah I'm not with it today Neil Armstrong the tongue twist name when he went to the moon they asked him what did you see he said I saw nothing but God nothing but God nothing but God Subhan Allah and when Imam Ali was asked how do you see God he said every time I looked at anything I saw God with it above it and in it Subhan Allah everything I look at this pole I look at this light I look at the human being I see Allah in it with it and above it why because the concept of God entails what the concept of God entails giving me the intelligence to explore and dive into the world I'm living in in order to explore the secrets of his creation and when I do I see God in everything I see God in everything around me in the easiest I see God in the believer I see God in the non in the Hindu I see God in the Buddhist I see God because God does not know colors or religion everyone under the control of Allah Subhan Allah everything and please don't misquote me from the Mimba I know exactly what I'm talking about and if I said certain things yesterday please don't take them out of context when I explain the opinion of sheikh al-Mufid for example about the son I'm not saying you are bound to follow the opinion of sheikh al-Mufid you want to work on the premises of according to the different jurists that is your derogative that is your opinion that is your taqleed I'm not here to change your taqleed system right so don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say when I express an opinion I'm expressing an opinion so that when we come across it we don't find it difficult to accept but at least to lend it our thought and see how we can reconcile these different of various opinions of our jurists and our learned scholars of the past and of today so I'm not saying something new I'm saying that these opinions existed you are at liberty to explore it and accept it you are at liberty to reject it that's number one this is something personal this is something I felt and I'm not also enforcing my opinion on anyone the biggest investment brothers and sisters you can do is to invest in our youth and there is no better investment than investing in our students today I took my turban out of respect to the students of the school I visited that school this morning and by Allah the question I got from these students were mind boggling to the level of intelligence that these students have one of the questions that one of the younger students asked me he said sheikh what does Allah say when we are stuck in a situation where we cannot change the status quo that we are facing and he said for example what is happening in Pakistan today can we migrate and gain power and come back to change the situation in Pakistan will Allah look at us as escapers if we leave our country and learn more sciences so that we can benefit this country we are living in I said you know what young boy I love you I really love you and I love your intelligence and the way you are looking at the world and I said you know what God has already answered your question when those people that the malaika come to to take their lives their souls they will ask them what position were you in in this life this is an ayah in the Quran they say we were persecuted in this world what will the malaika say so you are مستضع فيين it's okay Allah will forgive you right you were weakened you were oppressed no the malaika will say wasn't God's land so to migrate into it wasn't it vast to go and leave the zulm and the oppression you are under go and gain momentum and come back and liberate your zulm and your persecutors from the shackles of injustice you know and bring some change into these countries brothers and sisters knowledge does not know any color and where it comes from knowledge رسول الله says and I want to beg anyone to tell me why did رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم say to us seek knowledge even if you have to travel where to come did he to Najaf no to China what is there between us and the Chinese what affinity do we have with the Chinese do we know them are they our cousins do we relate to them no we don't know them but there are three perspectives why the Prophet said travel even you know seek knowledge even if you have to travel to China number one it was the furthest destination known to the Arabs so the Prophet is saying if it requires you to travel to the end of the world then it is worth it number two Chinese are not Muslims so knowledge does not know religion when you want to seek knowledge seek it from anyone as long as it is good as long as it is good knowledge and beneficial knowledge then seek it from wherever it comes from number three the Chinese are known for mysticism confucius they are very highly spiritual and Islam endorses spirituality and contemplation right three dimensions to why China was brought into the picture and you know what the Prophet says after that he said the wisdom knowledge is the lost property of a mu'min he is more worthy of it wherever he finds it wherever he finds it he finds a piece of knowledge in a Jewish person take it in a Christian take it in a Buddhist take it you are more worthy of it because you can share it with the rest of the world and you can advance the world wherever it comes brothers and sisters invest in your institution if we compare the institution of knowledge in Karachi which has been built and sustained by the community you would become the pride of the Muslim world in terms of what you have and you should never never undermine your abilities to building such institutions may Allah bless you bless your support bless your money increase it multi-fold because that's the only way we can invest in our children number five fight against discrimination religion comes to fight against discrimination not to instill discrimination you know there was a story that happened between two companions where someone told another companion you are a son of a black woman so that companion became offended why are you calling my mother a black woman have I had anything to do with it did I make her black why are you making me guilty for what my mother is I have no control over her God created her why are you saying me not worthy of being a good person so what happened that companion was extremely upset by his brother companion so when that companion realized that by the way the one who was called the son of a black woman was Bilal he became very offended so what happened the companion who said to him you are the son of a black woman when he realized how much hurt he had caused his brother he made a vow guess what the vow was that Bilal should step over his neck over the neck of that companion so that he can compensate for this statement Bilal refused he said no you are an honorable human being if you slipped a word I will not reciprocate by making such a gesture against you I will not humiliate you by stepping over your leg or over your neck so they arbitrated the prophet they arbitrated the prophet the prophet said you should leave this fanaticism it's not befitting for Muslims these terms with one another don't bring this type of language among you one of the حقوق that Imam Zayn el-Aberin speaks about in Risaleh el-Hukouk the treatise of right he says what حق اللسان عليك the right of your tongue on you عجيب my tongue has a right on me yes Imam Zayn el-Aberin he says you know what you must compel it to always say something good compel it you must familiarize it with what is best and you must keep obscenity away from using that language on your tongue don't abuse people don't use swearing word and obscene words don't go to facebook and say lmao you know you know what i'm talking about young people you know what i'm talking about just to fit in facebook culture right what's wrong with laughing out loud what's wrong with that why do i have to go to the lamo just to fit or to show the rest of the world that i am what modern that i have no regard for language that i can see anything i say anything i want because i'm a liberal human being i can say the sh word man i'm sorry to say this it smells bad sounds bad looks bad tastes bad but instead when you get angry why don't you say sugar looks good tastes good smells good and does you good right change your language you become a pioneer in what you say let others follow you don't follow others you create your own culture of language right you create peace among the world as well you don't create hatred and animosity among the people so the prophet came said don't use this type of language among yourself and pass my time i will conclude soon so what happened the prophet wants to dissolve he made a vow i will not and you know what the other companion tied himself to a pole in the mosque he said no one will untie me unless Bilal comes and steps over my neck so look at the wisdom of the prophet he said oh Bilal step forward Bilal step forward he said step on this dirt so Bilal stepped on the dirt the prophet took a piece of that dirt and sprinkled it over the neck of that companion he said your vow has been fulfilled your vow has been fulfilled go and tie him the rewire says when they untied one another they hugged one another and apologized until both of them dropped unconscious brotherhood brotherhood brotherhood brothers and sisters in Islam is far greater than any relationship you can ever get to in this world forgive one another overcome the mistakes of one another if you have an issue with your brother don't give him your shoulder no go to him caress him kiss his hand and head shake hand and say let bygone be bygone there is so much hatred in the world today let's spread love love and they call me doctor love it's okay i'm doctor love alright what is better than to spread love in the world today you know what and i will finish i told you i want you so be patient what should i not direct you to something if you do you will become lovers of one another you would admire one another they said yes where is it he said spread a word of peace say peace to one another don't say hello good morning because what does hello mean imagine someone saying hello and you are selling him what is that supposed to mean hello what is that supposed to mean but when say peace you know what that means you are telling this brother or sister that i am giving you a covenant of safety and security from my part way by when i say peace upon you it means your wealth is at peace with me your dignity is at peace with me your honor is at peace with me and your blood is at peace with me i want harm you in these 4 departments and when you reciprocate you are also giving the same covenant this is how you spread peace not as-salamu alaykum here once you turn your back do you know this guy this guy is 1,2,3 where is peace be upon you then this is war be upon you when his dignity is not being preserved and if a girl comes or a sister comes or a brother comes and we know something about him the channels of gossip starts to go all high wire facebook islamic world becomes he becomes the facebook talk of every town and then 2 minutes ago we said what is the meaning of salamun alaykum salamun alaykum is that you are at peace and at protection with me i will not harm you no matter what the situation may be so salamun alaykum from me to all of you if i hurt you if i harmed you i have one more day with you one more day with you please forgive me forgive my outburst but my outburst were for Allah and Allah is my witness it is not against anyone it is for the love of each and every one of you may Allah make us aware of our own shortcomings and make us among his humble servants who walk on the earth and when they talk they say with this i leave you with and salamun alaykum ورحمة الله وبركاته ان شاء الله we will continue fight against discrimination and finish the other 3 points tomorrow in the last day i have with you may Allah bless you ورحمة الله وبركاته thank you very much this is for an announcement people who want to write down questions for us because they are beautiful and people who want a microphone so we can raise your hands but first we will answer the questions of people anybody wants to say أحسن يا شيخ وعليكم اليها سلام may Allah bless you tomorrow is the day of Quds the day of the oppressed we appreciate if you could kindly throw some light towards the importance of this day regards our respected Dr.Hussain Kanan who denies the importance of the day of Quds if we really are the supporters of the people of the house remember what Imam Hussein did in Karbal any oppression is worthy of our Christ any oppression is worthy of our support whether that oppression is happening to our brothers in Palestine or Africa or any part of the world we must stand firm and never give up on calling an oppressor and oppressor no matter where that oppressor comes from because we know for a fact that this country has created against the will of its people I don't know what United Nations is on about because the United Nations never honoured any of its decisions why is it only when it comes to that particular place they want to honour all of a sudden that decision of the creation of the state of occupiers and that is unacceptable so it is at least the least we can do is go to our Facebook go to whatever venues we have I don't know what sort of activities you carry in this country in recognition of this particular day but it is worth voicing our opinion and our intellectual thought and our ability to articulate our denouncement of the creation of such unjust state السلام عليكم can you suggest some quality translation of the Holy Quran in English by non-muslims by non-muslims I would say the best that come to mind is what is his name I don't know what is his name Pixel for non-muslims سني the best translation that I can think of I wouldn't say Abdullah Yusuf Ali and I would say one of the old translation of the Quran or interpretation of the Quran if you can get your hand on it and that is if you are looking for English translation modern English translation of the Muslim world today from a Sunni perspective I would say I really have to think about it seriously who I would recommend from the Sunni school of thought Shi'a Muslims I would say Agapuya believe it or not because he was an amazing translator of the Quran not only an amazing translator but he was an amazing person himself he was an amazing his thoughts on human interactions where unparallel okay this is a newspaper the importance of Hajj need not be emphasized then what is your justification for repeated Hajj in دعاء أبو حمزة and others Imam this supplicated for Hajj this year and years to come he also performed several Hajj as well if you dissuade repeated Hajj for saving billions of dollars then how these are justified besides a colossal amount is incurred for lavish wedding محرم are you suggesting change of direction in application of our I don't know the last word for some other purpose to elevate the status of school of thought I'm not suggesting any of this and I think with all due respect to the brother or the sister who wrote this question they totally misunderstood what I said when I speak about repeated Hajj I'm not ignoring the fact that we spend lavishly on other things but I quoted this as one of the things and major things we can curb and overcome poverty with I'm not saying don't go to Hajj again I'm saying if you can give you due right sorry give Allah's due right in money of what you have earned to the poor which is equivalent to that you spend on a Hajj a second and a third and a fourth time then go a million time to Hajj no one is stopping what I'm saying is that in context of all this if we don't need to spend lavishly on any of these then we should take all this into perspective if you want Ziyara once why do you need to go Ziyara twice and three times if you want to Hajj and you performed your Hajj of Islam why do you need to go three or four times when you do a wedding why do you need to spend more than you spend on your Hajj or Ziyaratri that's what I'm saying I'm saying look at the whole picture I'm not saying exclusively Hajj or changing the atmosphere of Hajj or changing the Riyat of Abu Hamz and other Riyat I'm not saying this at the end of the day brothers and sisters I'm a Muslim I'm not someone who does not belong to the community or does not belong to the teachings of Ahlul Bayt I'm a hardcore follower of Ahlul Bayt and I love Ahlul Bayt more than I love myself but I'm saying let us read the Ahadith then how do you justify if in دعاء أبو حمز السمالي the imams always say oh Allah grant me the ability to do Hajj once or twice or every time and in the du'az of Ramadan اللهم ارزقني حج بيتك في عامي هادا وفي كل عام we are crying for Allah for this then how do you reconcile this how do you reconcile this with the statement of Imam Al Baqar when he says to save the face of a family from the humiliation of begging is worth in the eyes of Allah more than 70 performances of Hajj how do you reconcile the two you reconcile them by understanding the whole picture at hand that if we want to eliminate poverty then we have to cut expenses in anything that we have at hand but that does not mean abrogating the recommendation of visiting Ziyara or visiting the house of Allah more than one time I am not objecting to that at all I am saying take things into perspective and take things into wholesomeness when we study the economic system of Islam because the economic system of Islam does not have one standard pattern it depends on the community the society and the time you find yourself in and that's how you have to draw your economical system in that regard we have been discussing that we should connect with God please can you give us a few ways how to do that first and foremost is prayer first first and foremost is prayer mediation I'm not talking about yoga okay I'm talking about real mediation where you seclude yourself because you know what and bring yourself to account on a daily basis that's how you connect with Allah look at the munajat of when he speaks to Allah it's like a friend who is so intimate speaking to his friend when he speaks to Allah look at Imam Ali appeals to Allah but when you read these du'as read them with understanding not so that I can finish the du'a because I have an appointment in 15 minutes right? no if you have an appointment in 15 minutes then don't attend du'a kumail on Thursday night read it on any other night because the Prophet SAW or Imam Ali when he told kumail ibn Ziyad he did not specify Thursday night he said read it every day if you can and if you can't at least once a week and if you can't then once a month if you can't then once a year if you can't once in your lifetime that's what the rewire says because he wants him to read it with an open mind so he could benefit and derive the fruits and the jewels of what these du'a is all about that's how we can connect with Allah when we seclude ourselves all the imams brothers and sisters have told us what ليس من أهل البيت من لم يحاسب نفسه في كل ليلة he is not among us followers of Ahlu l-Bayt don't call yourself a follower of Ahlu l-Bayt these are not my words these are the words of our respected imams if you don't sit at night by yourself on a daily basis and you go through the daily activities of your actions that's how you connect with Allah you say you know ya Allah I'm your servant yes I know I slipped but by Allah I have no one to turn to accept you this reminds me of a joke where a person was caught stealing so his boss said you are stealing from Allah's money you have no shame he said who else I'm going to steal with if I don't steal Allah's money I went to shaitan I lured him a million times to give me one penny he refused so I turned to Allah to get him turned to Allah not by stealing his money of course but I'm saying connect with him on the medium of prayer on the medium of what you know what is one of the best medium of connecting with Allah voluntary work voluntary work when you realize how people are living it's the best way to connect to Allah because then you realize the naama of Allah on you and Allah سبحانه وتعالى reminds us through the Quran when he said what وإن تعدوا نعمة الله لا تحصوها if you sit and count the naama of Allah on you you will never be able to count it but you know what we do instead we sit and count the bad moments in our life instead of counting what the good moments in our life and if you begin the process of being positive not negative that's when you find yourself that's when you find yourself and you find that tranquility and above all that connects you with Allah in an amazing way is when you read the Quran with an open mind when you read the Quran on the basis of wanting to connect with Allah سبحانه وتعالى in fact I have a lecture it's called in search of our souls I have 12 points in that lecture that tells you how to connect with Allah سبحانه وتعالى and I wish I had time to discuss this particular topic with you of how to connect with Allah on a grander scale in that regard but insha'Allah I'm hopeful against all the odds that I will be back this beautiful country I don't know and I don't care what people say about Pakistan but let me say this do your level best to bring this country into shape because it's really shameful and it saddens us to see it going in that direction it's going in let's invest in our children so that they can become the future leader and bring some peace and sense into this world we are living in is it true that if the saying of the fajr name you go back to sleep the naming is battle is it true that if other saying I don't know but it's not saying that is it true that if after saying the fajr namaz you go back to sleep the namaz is battle the namaz is battle ah no no no no you can pray and go back to sleep there is no problem but there is some hadith that says what that says it is highly encouraging to stay awake after fajr namaz because this is the time when your sustenance is being divided so when you are sleeping you are missing on your proportions on your rations in fact there are hadith that says that exclaim I don't know how people get sustained when they sleep after fajr so it is because it's a good time it's a golden opportunity even if you go and study hausa for example the best time they say after fajr namaz and that's when our first lesson begins after fajr because the mind is clear there is nothing to pollute it that's the time you should stay up but to do that sleep early sleep early don't say to the layl at 350 peace be upon you and go to sleep you are not going to wake up for fajr over my dead body no one is going to wake up for fajr at that time is beat sunnah for all men as hijab for women now if it is sunnah for all men as hijab first the hijab is not a sunnah hijab is a wajib act and if anyone is hinting at me okay let me tell you from here I take it I have thick skin alright I don't grow a bead meaning I don't have hair to grow a bead alright and if I had trust me I would grow a bead all what you see is what you get alright because you know it is unfortunate that once on facebook a whole debate ensued for 3 days over the sheikh's bead students as far as come we're into the debates this marja says this and I am sitting watching and the whole debate is about me this sheikh should not be listened to because he is not following the sunnah of the prophet yaakhi have mercy on me first send a question to me say to me why don't you have a bead firstly I do have a bead alright at least I am keeping what I can keep alright but how sad it is for the whole youth community over the world to fight over the sheikh's bead for 3 days we don't have something better to discuss what's going on with Muslims what's wrong with us we have taken the superficiality of Islam and left the core of Islam we are debating the bead when we need to debate poverty debate education debate killing in the name of bead right in the name of bead unfortunately and kill someone because he does not wear his I don't know what shall what comey's above his ankle حجي someone is praying in a mosque and the Imam finish his prayer so the Imam turned and said تقبل الله someone sitting behind him he said I am telling you may Allah accept your prayers and you are telling me this is an innovation he said yes he said when your brother is making dua for you you say I don't want it is this part of sunnah is this what the Prophet wants us to do is this the ethics of the Prophet that you fight against the superficial aspects of our religion and then let me see those who are talking and making an issue over the bead all Maraja of Taqlid say what bead is wajib right but all of them say the haram in as far as the bead is concerned is to shave it by a razor so if you trim it by a bead trimmer you don't use the razor even if it is as thin as the bead trimmer I am not saying the electric shaver so I don't get misquoted the bead trimmer it is still considered keeping a bead so don't go for what is big go for what is useful the whole idea behind keeping a bead is what is to create that sort of a fine line separation between what constitute a man masculinity and femininity we want ladies to be feminine and men to be masculine Islam wants that why so that there will always be that attraction between men and women but wallah if a man grows his hair to his back he cleanshaven and a woman is standing next to him also her hair to the back and she is also cleanshaven then how do you separate between them that's the idea behind Islam you want to keep a long bead it's your derogative as long as you ascribe to the minimum requirement of what our marajah say and by the way some marajah say that even shaving the bead with an eraser is not haram not to do it I'm not here to justify it I'm here to say expand your horizon in regard to these issues so we do not become pedantic at these issues rather let us talk about the major issues that are affecting our community today I don't know what about what what about cousin marriages in Islam Islam says you can't marry a cousin but it is recommended according to doctors marajah of taqlid ayatullah that if there is any chance in that family from prior experience that there could be some sort of problem in the formation of the embryo then it is highly recommended to take a blood test first and if the blood test comes negative then don't marry that cousin don't then go to istighara because it doesn't make sense because knowledge is telling you it is a risk it is a risk and still you want to take an istighara it's up to you that's your belief system of the individual at hand if he wants to salam do you think that it's okay if if migrate from this city considering the current situation without having the resolution of coming back to reform just migrate for self safety you are much more better to understand and to identify the reasons why you want to migrate I can't give a fatwa on this you don't require a fatwa you use your logic and your human intellect to see what is best for you in that regard and in that situation you said that on the day of judgment the malaika will say to the oppressed why didn't you migrate however what if it wasn't possible for people to migrate i.e. their country is blocked in Gaza yeah I'm saying within the means when the malaika brothers please when the malaika are speaking to these people are they speaking about the people of Gaza don't they when the malaika know that these people can't travel these common sense when the malaika they are going to go to the worst blockaded people in the world and say you know what why didn't you migrate they are going to pick someone else where they are at liberty to migrate they are not going to go just to the people who are blocked in one place and say you know what I feel like picking on you today why didn't you migrate no brothers and sisters we are talking about the general sense of the ayah and how we can put the ayah into perspective what is the significance of dreams in Islam has it got anything to do with the journey of our soul while sleeping any relation to it absolutely absolutely the Quran speaks about dreaming as a reality sometimes not all dreams are a reality but Allah says what Allah says those souls that Allah has not determined for them to die what happens Allah brings them back into the body and those that their time is up God holds these souls back not to return to the body so what is the interpretation of this ayah the interpretation of this ayah is that the longest dream that lasts according to scientists is how long 6 seconds the longest dream is 6 seconds and you think it's an Indian movie right you think that a dream is an Indian 3.5 hours you are seeing this dream from night until morning when in fact it's 6 seconds but how do you justify the time it's this ayah that in fact it is not you in your physical body seeing the dream it's the soul that departs the body and when the soul departs the body it has no limitation of time and space so it travels all around the world meets certain people dead or alive and comes back to show you that dream because it's the soul that is traveling and not your body and that's why the dream is 6 seconds that's why the dream is 6 seconds because it's the soul that travels and sees things you see yourself on Hollywood the next day you are meeting your grandmother in Najaf the last day you are coming back here you have been to marry for lunch all these 6 seconds yes because the soul has no limitation when it leaves the body and that's the significance according to the prophet is one part of 37 parts of prophethood i.e. prophethood is consisted of 37 parts one of these parts is what dreaming Youssef what did he do he dreamt إبراهيم إبراهيم but don't come and ibrahim of today go and tell you know son i saw that i was forget it go to sleep because you are not a prophet i feel like sacrificing you for the sake of Allah you are ibrahim all of a sudden this does not apply to you we conclude with the last question as a mother of toddlers i find it difficult to pray when kids are around and and get something i don't know i want them to see me pray and learn from me i lose my focus please advise don't do it all the time you want to train your kids to see you praying select certain times when they want to see you praying and don't do it with the obligatory prayer you want your children to see you do that's not a prayer that's a good time but when it comes to the obligatory prayer so you want to use concentration put them to sleep or put them with the maid or let someone else take care and i would rather if the father is around that the father take care of the baby instead and then pray your obligatory prayer for concentration but when it comes nafila prayer insha'Allah Allah will accept because he knows your intention is to train your toddlers and there are other means by the way i recommend a book i don't know if it's available in pakistan but it's an excellent exercise of how to gain concentration in prayer may Allah bless you