The 9 Foods You Should Never Eat

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By Dr. Mercola

Many foods have been heavily promoted as being healthy when they are nothing more than pernicious junk foods. In the featured article, Clean Plates1 founder Jared Koch shared his list of nine staple foods that are far less “good for you” than you’ve been led to believe.

Here, I expand on the selections that are mentioned in the featured article.

1. Canned Tomatoes

Many leading brands of canned foods contain BPA -- a toxic chemical linked to reproductive abnormalities, neurological effects, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems. According to Consumer Reports’ testing, just a couple of servings of canned food can exceed the safety limits for daily BPA exposure for children.

High acidity — a prominent characteristic of tomatoes – causes BPA to leach into your food. To avoid this hazardous chemical, avoid canned foods entirely and stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, or switch over to brands that use glass containers instead—especially for acidic foods like tomatoes.

2. Processed Meats

As Koch warns, processed deli meats like salami, ham, and roast beef are typically made with meats from animals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

This means they’re given growth hormones, antibiotics and other veterinary drugs, and raised in deplorable conditions that promote disease, these meats are also filled with sodium nitrite (a commonly used preservative and antimicrobial agent that also adds color and flavor) and other chemical flavorings and dyes.

Nitrites can be converted into nitrosamines in your body, which are potent cancer-causing chemicals. Research has linked nitrites to higher rates of colorectal, stomach and pancreatic cancer. But that’s not all. Most processed deli meats also contain other cancer-promoting chemicals that are created during cooking. These include:

• Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) which are hazardous compounds created in meats and other foods that have been cooked at high temperatures. According to research, processed meats are clearly associated with an increased risk of stomach, colon and breast cancers.
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Many processed meats are smoked as part of the curing process, which causes PAHs to form. PAHs can also form when grilling. When fat drips onto the heat source, causing excess smoke, and the smoke surrounds your food, it can transfer cancer-causing PAHs to the meat.
• Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): When food is cooked at high temperatures—including when it is pasteurized or sterilized—it increases the formation of AGEs in your food. AGEs build up in your body over time leading to oxidative stress, inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.

The truth is, processed meats are not a healthful choice for anyone and should beavoided entirely, according to a 2011 review of more than 7,000 clinical studies examining the connection between diet and cancer. The report was commissioned by The World Cancer Research Fund2 (WCRF) using money raised from the general public. Therefore the findings were not influenced by any vested interests, which makes it all the more reliable.

It's the biggest review of the evidence ever undertaken, and it confirms previous findings: Processed meats increase your risk of cancer, especially bowel cancer, and NO amount of processed meat is "safe." You’re far better off ditching the deli meats and opting instead for fresh organically-raised grass-fed meats, or wild caught salmon.

3. Margarine

The unfortunate result of the low-fat diet craze has been the shunning of healthful fats such as butter, and public health has declined as a result of this folly. There are a myriad of unhealthy components to margarine and other butter impostors, including:

• Trans fats: These unnatural fats in margarine, shortenings and spreads are formed during the process of hydrogenation, which turns liquid vegetable oils into a solid fat. Trans fats contribute to heart disease, cancer, bone problems, hormonal imbalance and skin disease; infertility, difficulties in pregnancy and problems with lactation; and low birth weight, growth problems and learning disabilities in children. A US government panel of scientists determined that man-made trans fats are unsafe at any level.
• Free radicals: Free radicals and other toxic breakdown products are the result of high temperature industrial processing of vegetable oils. They contribute to numerous health problems, including cancer and heart disease.
• Emulsifiers and preservatives: Numerous additives of questionable safety are added to margarines and spreads. Most vegetable shortening is stabilized with preservatives like BHT.
• Hexane and other solvents: Used in the extraction process, these industrial chemicals can have toxic effects.

CLA is not only known to help fight cancer and diabetes, it may even help you to lose weight, which cannot be said for its trans-fat substitutes.

Good-old-fashioned butter, when made from grass-fed cows, is rich in a substance called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Much of the reason why butter is vilified is because it contains saturated fat. If you're still in the mindset that saturated fat is harmful for your health, then please read theHealthy Fats section of myOptimized Nutrition Plan to learn why saturated fat is actually good for you.

4. Vegetable Oils

Of all the destructive foods available to us, those made with heated vegetable oils are some of the worst. Make no mistake about it--vegetable oils are not the health food that you were lead to believe they were. This is largely due to the fact that they are highly processed, and when consumed in massive amounts, as they are by most Americans, they seriously distort the important omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Ideally, this ratio is 1:1.

Anytime you cook a food, you run the risk of creating heat-induced damage. The oils you choose to cook with must be stable enough to resist chemical changes when heated to high temperatures, or you run the risk of damaging your health. One of the ways vegetable oils can inflict damage is by converting your good cholesterol into bad cholesterol—by oxidizing it. When you cook with polyunsaturated vegetable oils (such as canola, corn, and soy oils), oxidized cholesterol is introduced into your system.

As the oil is heated and mixed with oxygen, it goes rancid. Rancid oil is oxidized oil and should NOT be consumed—it leads directly to vascular disease. Trans-fats are introduced when these oils are hydrogenated, which increases your risk of chronic diseases like breast cancer and heart disease.

So what's the best oil to cook with?

Of all the available oils, coconut oil is the oil of choice for cooking because it is nearly a completely saturated fat, which means it is much less susceptible to heat damage. And coconut oil is one of the most unique and beneficial fats for your body. For more in-depth information about the many benefits of coconut oil, please see this special report. Olive oil, while certainly a healthful oil, is easily damaged by heat and is best reserved for drizzling cold over salad.

5. Microwave Popcorn

Perfluoroalkyls, which include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), are chemicals used to keep grease from leaking through fast food wrappers, are being ingested by people through their food and showing up as contaminants in blood. Microwave popcorn bags are lined with PFOA, and when they are heated the compound leaches onto the popcorn.

These chemicals are part of an expanding group of chemicals commonly referred to as "gender-bending" chemicals, because they can disrupt your endocrine system and affect your sex hormones. The EPA has ruled PFCs as "likely carcinogens," and has stated that PFOA "poses developmental and reproductive risks to humans." Researchers have also linked various PFCs to a range of other health dangers, such as:

• Infertility -- A study published in the journal Human Reproduction3 found that both PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), dramatically increased the odds of infertility. PFOA was linked to a 60 to 154 percent increase in the chance of infertility.
• Thyroid disease -- A 2010 study4 found that PFOA can damage your thyroid function. Individuals with the highest PFOA concentrations were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease, compared to those with the lowest PFOA concentrations. Your thyroid contains thyroglobulin protein, which binds to iodine to form hormones, which in turn influence essentially every organ, tissue and cell in your body. Thyroid hormones are also required for growth and development in children. Thyroid disease, if left untreated, can lead to heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, and osteoporosis.
• Cancer -- PFOA has been associated with tumors in at least four different organs in animal tests (liver, pancreas, testicles and mammary glands in rats), and has been associated with increases in prostate cancer in PFOA plant workers.
• Immune system problems -- Several studies by scientists in Sweden indicate that PFCs have an adverse effect on your immune system. As described in a report on PFCs by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), PFOA was found to decrease all immune cell subpopulations studied, in the thymus and spleen, and caused immunosupression.
• Increased LDL cholesterol levels – A 2010 study in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine5 found that children and teens with higher PFOA levels had higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL or "bad" cholesterol, while PFOS was associated with increased total cholesterol, including both LDL cholesterol and HDL or "good" cholesterol.

I strongly recommend avoiding any product you know containing these toxic compounds, particularly non-stick cookware, but also foods sold in grease-proof food packaging, such as fast food and microwave popcorn. Clearly, if you're eating fast food or junk food, PFCs from the wrapper may be the least of your problems, but I think it's still important to realize that not only are you not getting proper nutrition from the food itself, the wrappers may also add to your toxic burden.

6. Non-Organic Potatoes and Other Fresh Produce Known for High Pesticide Contamination

Your best bet is to buy only organic fruits and vegetables, as synthetic agricultural chemicals are not permissible under the USDA organic rules. That said, not all conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are subjected to the same amount of pesticide load. While Koch focuses on potatoes, as they tend to take up a lot of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals present in the soil, I would recommend reviewing the "Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce"6 by the Environmental Working Group.

Of the 48 different fruit and vegetable categories tested by the EWG for the 2013 guide, the following 15 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organically:

Apples	Celery	Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers	Grapes	Hot peppers
Nectarines (imported)	Peaches	Potatoes
Spinach	Strawberries	Sweet bell peppers
Kale	Collard greens	Summer squash

In contrast, the following foods were found to have the lowest residual pesticide load, making them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables. Note that a small amount of sweet corn and most Hawaiian papaya, although low in pesticides, are genetically engineered (GE). If you’re unsure of whether the sweet corn or papaya is GE, I’d recommend opting for organic varieties:

Asparagus	Avocado	Cabbage
Cantaloupe	Sweet corn (non-GMO)	Eggplant
Grapefruit	Kiwi	Mango
Mushrooms	Onions	Papayas (non-GMO. Most Hawaiian papaya is GMO)
Pineapple	Sweet peas (frozen)	Sweet potatoes

7. Table Salt

Salt is essential for life—you cannot live without it. However, regular ‘table salt’ and the salt found in processed foods are NOT identical to the salt your body really needs. In fact, table salt has practically nothing in common with natural salt. One is health damaging, and the other is healing.

• Processed salt is 98 percent sodium chloride, and the remaining two percent comprises man-made chemicals, such as moisture absorbents, and a little added iodine. These are dangerous chemicals like ferrocyanide and aluminosilicate. Some European countries, where water fluoridation is not practiced, also add fluoride to table salt
• Natural salt is about 84 percent sodium chloride. The remaining 16 percent of natural salt consists of other naturally occurring minerals, including trace minerals like silicon, phosphorous and vanadium

Given that salt is absolutely essential to good health, I recommend switching to a pure, unrefined salt. My favorite is an ancient, all-natural sea salt from the Himalayas. Himalayan salt is completely pure, having spent many thousands of years maturing under extreme tectonic pressure, far away from impurities, so it isn't polluted with the heavy metals and industrial toxins of today. And it's hand-mined, hand-washed, and minimally processed. Himalayan salt is only 85 percent sodium chloride, the remaining 15 percent contains 84 trace minerals from our prehistoric seas. Unrefined natural salt is important to many biological processes, including:

• Being a major component of your blood plasma, lymphatic fluid, extracellular fluid, and even amniotic fluid
• Carrying nutrients into and out of your cells
• Maintain and regulate blood pressure
• Increasing the glial cells in your brain, which are responsible for creative thinking and long-term planning
• Helping your brain communicate with your muscles, so that you can move on demand via sodium-potassium ion exchange

While natural unprocessed salt has many health benefits, that does not mean you should use it with impunity. Another important factor is the potassium to sodium ratio of your diet. Imbalance in this ratio can not only lead to hypertension (high blood pressure) and other health problems, including heart disease, memory decline, erectile dysfunction and more. The easiest way to avoid this imbalance is by avoiding processed foods, which are notoriously low in potassium while high in sodium. Instead, eat a diet of whole, ideally organically-grown foods to ensure optimal nutrient content. This type of diet will naturally provide much larger amounts of potassium in relation to sodium.

8. Soy Protein Isolate and Other Unfermented Soy Products

Sadly, most of what you have been led to believe by the media about soy is simply untrue. One of the worst problems with soy comes from the fact that 90 to 95 percent of soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered (GE), and these are used to create soy protein isolate. Genetically engineered soybeans are designed to be "Roundup ready,” which means they’re engineered to withstand otherwise lethal doses of herbicide.

The active ingredient in Roundup herbicide is called glyphosate, which is responsible for the disruption of the delicate hormonal balance of the female reproductive cycle. What's more, glyphosate is toxic to the placenta, which is responsible for delivering vital nutrients from mother to child, and eliminating waste products. Once the placenta has been damaged or destroyed, the result can be miscarriage. In those children born to mothers who have been exposed to even a small amount of glyphosate, serious birth defects can result.

Glyphosate’s mechanism of harm was only recently identified, and demonstrates how this chemical disrupts cellular function and induce many of our modern diseases, including autism. Soy protein isolate can be found in protein bars, meal replacement shakes, bottled fruit drinks, soups and sauces, meat analogs, baked goods, breakfast cereals and some dietary supplements.

Even if you are not a vegetarian and do not use soymilk or tofu, it is important to be a serious label reader. There are so many different names for soy additives, you could be bringing home a genetically modified soy-based product without even realizing it. Soy expert Dr. Kaayla Daniel offers a free Special Report7, "Where the Soys Are," on her Web site. It lists the many "aliases" that soy might be hiding under in ingredient lists -- words like "bouillon," "natural flavor" and "textured plant protein."

Besides soy protein isolate, ALL unfermented soy products are best avoided if you value your health. Thousands of studies have linked unfermented soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.

The only soy with health benefits is organic soy that has been properly fermented, and these are the only soy products I ever recommend consuming. After a long fermentation process, the phytate and "anti-nutrient" levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system. To learn more, please see this previous article detailing the dangers of unfermented soy.

9. Artificial Sweeteners

Contrary to popular belief, studies have found that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In one of the most recent of such studies8, saccharin and aspartame were found to cause greater weight gain than sugar.

Aspartame is perhaps one of the most problematic. It is primarily made up of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. The phenylalanine has been synthetically modified to carry a methyl group, which provides the majority of the sweetness. That phenylalanine methyl bond, called a methyl ester, is very weak, which allows the methyl group on the phenylalanine to easily break off and form methanol.

You may have heard the claim that aspartame is harmless because methanol is also found in fruits and vegetables. However, in fruits and vegetables, the methanol is firmly bonded to pectin, allowing it to be safely passed through your digestive tract. Not so with the methanol created by aspartame; there it’s not bonded to anything that can help eliminate it from your body.

Methanol acts as a Trojan horse; it's carried into susceptible tissues in your body, like your brain and bone marrow, where the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme converts it into formaldehyde, which wreaks havoc with sensitive proteins and DNA. All animals EXCEPT HUMANS have a protective mechanism that allows methanol to be broken down into harmless formic acid. This is why toxicology testing on animals is a flawed model. It doesn't fully apply to people.

Guidelines for Healthy Food

Whatever food you’re looking to eat, whether organic or locally grown, from either your local supermarket or a farmer’s market, the following are signs of a high-quality, healthy food. Most often, the best place to find these foods is from a sustainable agricultural group in your area. You can also review my free nutrition plan to get started on a healthy eating program today:

• It’s grown without pesticides and chemical fertilizers (organic foods fit this description, but so do some non-organic foods)
• It’s not genetically engineered
• It contains no added growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs
• It does not contain artificial anything, nor any preservatives
• It is fresh (if you have to choose between wilted organic produce or fresh conventional produce, the latter may still be the better option as freshness is important for optimal nutrient content)
• It was not grown in a factory farm
• It is grown with the laws of nature in mind (meaning animals are fed their native diets, not a mix of grains and animal byproducts, and have free-range access to the outdoors)
• It is grown in a sustainable way (using minimal amounts of water, protecting the soil from burnout, and turning animal wastes into natural fertilizers instead of environmental pollutants)

======Shahadah (Faith)====== PART-2

Components of Shahadah (Faith) : Attributes of Allah (God)

PART-2

21. What should be said if this thought comes in the mind?

Amantu Billah

22. No one but Allah (God) has to be worshipped

True

23. Does everything depend of Allah (God) for its survival?

Yes

24. Contray to the Charistian belief of God having a son, Muslims believe that Allah (God) is beyond such relationships; He has no parents, children or family.

True

No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him: (if there were many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over others! Glory to Allah (He is free) from the (sort of) things they attribute to Him!
Surah (Chapter) al-Mu"minin (The Believers) Qur-an 23:91

25. Can any other thing or person share Allah (God)’s powers and controls?

No, He does not need any partners for anything. Allah (God) alone controls everything

Say: "Praise be to Allah, Who begets no son, and has no partner in (His) dominion: nor (needs) He any to protect Him from humiliation: Yes, magnify Him for His greatness and glory!"
Surah (Chapter) Bani Isra’il (Children of Israel) Qur-an 17:111

26. How did then some Rusul (Messengers) of Allah (God) demonstrate miracles?

Those were the miracles of Allah (God), which His Rusul (Messengers) had shown to the world. No one can share Powers of Allah (God)

27. Did Allah (God) need Rusul (Messengers) to spread His Message?

No, Allah (God) does not need anyone for any of His needs. He is Self Sufficient. He had created right and wrong from the beginning. He chose His Rusul (Messengers) from various natisons to demonstrate the right deeds and warn against the wrong ones.

28. Allah (God) can never make a mistake.

True. Only He is Perfect. He is above any mistakes or faults

29. Does Allah (God) ever take a rest?

No, contrary to the Christian belief Allah (God) does not require any rest. He never tires and he never requires any sleep

Allah! there is no god but Allah, He is the Living the Self-subsisting Eternal. No slumber can seize him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permits? He knows what (appears to his creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of his knowledge except as He wills. His throne does extend over the heavens and the earth and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. For He is the Most High the Supreme (in glory).
Surah (Chapter) al-Baqarah (The Cow) Qur-an 2:255

30. How serious a sin is to ask for help or guidance from any one else other than Allah (God)?

The worst possible sin is to take partners with Allah (God). He will never forgive it

Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but he forgives whom He wills sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away.
Surah (Chapter) an-Nisa" (The Women) Qur-an 4:116

31. Allah (God) is above the seven heavens and above His throne.Does He ever come close to the billions of people he has created?

Yes, although he is above seven Heavens, Yet he is always very close to each one of His creations

And indeed We have created man, and We know what his ownself whispers
to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.
Surah (Chapter) Qaf Qur-an 50:16

32. Can we hide anything from Allah (God)?
Nothing can be hidden from Allah (God). He knows everything that we do, think or intend to do. He knows all about every thing big or small which happens anywhere in this universe

No doubt!
They did fold up their breasts that they may hide from Him. Surely, even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. Verily, He is the All-Knower of the (innermost secrets) of the breasts.
Surah (Chapter) Hud Qur-an 11:5

33. Can we ask for little favors from holy men or saints dead or alive; instead of troubling Allah (God)?

No, not at all. We must ask only from Allah (God) for any thing little or big we need. He is the Only Provider. No one shares any of his qualities and responsibilities.

34. Can we slighty deviate from the path of Allah (God), to please our friends?

No, Muslims cannot compromise on Islamic fundamentals to please anyone other than Allah (God). Pleasing Allah (God) is the foremost and only duty of a Muslim

35. Allah (God) is so Merciful then why would He punish someone?

Allah (God) is Ultimate in Wisdom and He is very Just. Through His Books and Rusul (Messengers), He has told us about a way of life, which pleases Him. He would punish only those who knowingly deviate from the right path. He would also reward them for their right deeds

36. When Allah (God) controls life and death, how could doctors save lives?

Only Allah (God) has the power to give life or death. Doctors, medications or any other life-saving devices are merely the tools Allah (God) may choose to save lives.

37. How does a nice person, who always tries to follow the path of Allah (God), know that He is looking after him when things are not going his way?

Allah is always looking after all of His creations. How much He provides for whom, no one can question Allah (God)’s Wisdom

38. Should we fear anyone besides Allah (God)?

No, we should not fear any one but Allah (God), and ask for help only from Allah (God) whenever in trouble

39. No one but Allah (God) has to be worshipped.

True
Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor.
Surah (Chapter) Bani Isra’il Qur-an 17:23

====SHAHADAH (FAITH)==== PART-1

Components of Shahadah (Faith) : Attributes of ALLAH (God)

1. What are the FIVE PILLARS of ISLAM?

Shahadah (Faith), Salah (Prayers), Sawm (Fasting), Zakah (Poor Due Charity) Hajj (Pilgrimage to the Ka’bah)

2. Is there any specific way of declaring one’s faith as a Muslim?

Yes, by saying and firmly believing in the Shahadatayn (The two Declarations)

3. What is the fundamental belief of Muslims?

Besides Allah (God), there is no one worthy of worship and Muhammad S is His last Rasul (Messenger)

4. What are the Shahadatayn (The two Declarations)?

La Ilaha Illal-lah Muhammadur-Rasul-(A)lla

5. What do the Shahadatayn (The two Declarations), La Ilaha Il-lal-lah Muham-madur-Rasul-(A)llah, mean?

There is no one worthy of worship but Allah (God) and Muhammad S is His Rasul (Messenger)

6. What if someone has faith in certain things but cannot say it publicly because of various compulsions?

It means that the person does not completely understand or fully believe in it

7. Is Islam the true religion of Allah (God)?

True, Allah had sent His Message to mankind many times but each time people changed it for their own benefits. Islam is His Final Message which would not changed

8. Can anyone be forced to follow Islam?

No, forcing any one into Islam is forbidden in Islam

There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
Surah (Chapter) Al Baqarah (The Cow) Qur-an 2:256

9.Did Islam spread by sword?

No, this is a serious lie against Islam to defame it

10. How can we prove that Islam did not spread by force?

Muhammad S did not force any of the early Muslims to accept Islam; on the contrary, they were tortured for accepting Islam

11. How did the people of Yathrib (Madinah), the first city under Islamic rule, accept Islam?

They accepted Islam through the power and truth of Islamic belief

12. Did Muslims conquer Makkah by using force?

No, Muhammad S and his Sahabah (Companions) did not use any force even against their worst enemies during or after the conquest of Makkah

13. Does Shahadah (Faith) mean, believing only in the Shahadatayn (The two Declarations)?

No, there are six components to it the basic Shahadah (Faith)

14. What are the six components one has to firmly believe in as a part of Shahadah (Faith)?

1. In All Sifat (Attributes) of Allah (God)
2. Books of Allah (God)
3. All of Allah’s Rusul (Messengers) with a belief that Muhammad S was His last Rasul (Messenger)
4. Qadr (Destiny)
5. Mala"ikah (Angels)
6. Akhirah (Life after Death)

15. What are the Sifat (Attributes) of Allah (God) in which a Muslim has to believe?

The innumerable Qualities of Allah (God) [He is above seven Heavens,yet He has knowledge of every minor and major object in the universe, His Omnipotence (Obsolute control over everything), His Kindness, His Mercy, His Knowledge of everything etc].

16. Is Allah (God) the only Creator of the entire universe and everything in it?

True
Such is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things there is no god but He: then how you are deluded away from the Truth!
Surah (Chaptre) al-Mu"min (The Believes) Qur-an 40:62

17. Why did Allah (God) create the universe?

No one knows about the schemes of Allah (God). Everything Allah (God) does is meaningful. No one has the wisdom to second-guess Allah (God). He has created us for His worship and test us for our deeds.

18. There are so many things in the universe does Allah (God) control everything?

Allah (God) is the Only Master and Owner of everything in this universe.Only Allah (God) has absolute controls over every thing. He has Powers no one can even imagine

19. Can Allah (God) cause this universe to cease?

Yes, Allah (God) alone is the Owner and Master of the universe. He has absolute Powers over everything and He alone can create or put an end to anything or everything whenever He wants. No one can challenge Him for anything He does.

20. Allah (God) has created everything in this universe but who has created Allah (God)?

No one, Allah (God) has always been there when nothing existed, He would always be there when everything would cease to exist.