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Saturday, September 29, 2012

2a. The design in nature

2a.
sensory cells, vibration sensor extensions of these cells, net of
nerves that connect to brain and hearing center in the brain have
towork together without exception.
The system could not have developed in segments because none of the
segments could possibly function alone at all.
Hence the concept of irreducible complexity demolishes the theory of
evolution from its foundations. What is reallyinteresting is the fact
that Darwin also worried aboutthese very prospects. He wrote in On The
Origin of Species :
"If the impossibility of formation of a complex organ through a series
of small changes was ever to be proven my theory would have certainly
collapsed. However I couldnot find such an organ..." (Charles Darwin,
The Originof Species: A Facsimile of the First Edition , Harvard
University Press, 1964, page 189.)
Darwin could not or mightnot have wanted to find such an organ at the
premature levels of 19th century science. However the science of 20th
century did study the nature down to minute details and proved that
majority of living structures embody irreducible complexity.
Therefore, Darwin's theoryhas most "certainly collapsed" just as he
feared.
As we examine the living beings we will notonly see an immense error
Darwinism makes but also witness the greatness of wisdom that
these systems were created with . These mechanisms will be found
anywhere from the wings of a bird to inside a bat's skull. Hence we
will see the indisputable evidencesof God's creation without error.
Likewise, the power and faculty of God to create without error is
expressed in a surah of Qur'an as follows:
"He is God - the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong
theMost Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies
Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise." (Qur'an, Al-Hashr, 59:24)

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2. The design in nature

2.
Let's think of an aspirin pillfor a moment; you will immediately
recall the mark in the middle of it. This mark is designed in order to
help those who intake half a dose. Every product that we see around us
is of a certain design even though not assimple as the aspirin pill.
Everything from vehicles we use to go to work, to TV remotes.
"Design", briefly, means a harmonious assembling ofvarious parts into
an orderly form towards a common goal. Going by this definition, one
would have no difficulty in guessing that a car is a design. This is
because there is a certain goal, which is to transport people and
cargo. In realization of this goal various parts such as the engine,
tires and body are planned and assembled in the plant.
However, what about a living creature? Can a bird and mechanics of its
flyingbe a design as well? Before giving an answer, let us repeat the
evaluation we did for the example of a car. The goal at hand, in this
case, is to fly. For this purpose, hollowed bones, strong muscles that
move these bones are utilized together with feathers capable of
suspending in the air. Wings are formed aerodynamically, and
metabolism is in tune withthe bird's need for high levels of energy.
It is obvious that the bird is product of a certain design.
If one explores other creatures besides a bird, similar facts are
attained. There are examples of a certain meticulous design in every
creature. If one continues further on this quest, one would discover
that our selves are also a part of this certain design. Your hands
that hold these pages are functional as no robot hands could ever be.
Your eyes that read these lines are making vision possible with such
focus that the best camera on earth simply cannot.
Hence one arrives at this important conclusion; all creatures in
Nature, including us, are of a Design . This, in turn, shows the
existence of a Creator Who designs all creatures at will, sustains the
entire nature and holds absolute power and wisdom.
However, this truth is rejected by the theory of evolution that was
formedin the middle of 19th century. The theory set forth in Charles
Darwin's book " On The Origin of Species " asserts that all creatures
evolved within achain of coincidences and essentially mutated from one
another.
According to the fundamental assertion of this theory all living
thingsgo through minute and coincidental changes. If these
coincidental changeshelp the creature then it gains advantage over the
others, which in turn is carried onto following generations.
This scenario has been passed around as if it is a very scientific and
convincing one for 140 years. When scrutinized under a bigger
microscopeand when compared against the examples of the Design in
creatures Darwin's theory paints a very different picture i.e.
Darwinism's explanation of creation is nothing more than a
self-conflicting vicious circle.
Let us first focus on the"coincidental changes". Darwin could not
provide a comprehensive definition to this concept due to lack of
genealogicalknowledge in his time. The evolutionists who followed him
put forth theconcept of "mutation" on this subject. Mutation is
arbitrary disconnections, dislocation or shifts of genes in living
things. Most important point is that there is not one single mutation
in history that is shown to improve the condition of genetic
information of a creature. Nearly all the known casesof mutations
disable or harm these creatures and the rest are neutral in effect.
Therefore, to think that a creature can improve through mutation is
same as shooting at a crowd of people and hope that the injuries will
result in healthier and improved individuals. This would clearly be
nonsense.
As importantly, on contrary to all the scientific data, even if one
assumes that a certain mutation could actually improve a being's
condition,
Darwinism still cannot be delivered from inevitable collapse. The
reason for this is a concept called"irreducible complexity".
The implication of this concept is that majority of systems and organs
in living things function as a result of various independent parts
working together, elimination or disabling ofeven one of which would
be enough to disable the entire system or organ.
For example, an ear perceives sounds only through a chain reaction of
a series of smaller organs. Take out or deform one of these, e.g. one
of the bones of the middle ear, and there would be no hearing
whatsoever. In order for an ear to perceive a variety of components
such as auditory meatus, malleous, incus and stapesbones, tympanic
membrane, cochlea and fluid, sensory cells,
:->

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No dispute among the believers

One of the secrets of the believers' success is the warm brotherhood
and solidarity among them. The Qur'an emphasizes theimportance of
unity: "Truly, Allah loves those who fight in His Cause inbattle array
as if they were a solid cemented structure." (Surat as-Saff, 61:4)
Any statement or behaviour that may damage this close brotherhood
would be an adversary act against religion itself. Allah warns the
believers against this threat in the Qur'an:
"Obey Allah and His Messenger; and fall into no disputes, lest you
lose heart and your power depart; and be patient and persevering:for
Allah is with those who patiently persevere." (Surat al-Anfal, 8:46)
Hence, the sincere believermust be extremely cautious of entering into
such disputes, avoiding words or manners that may hurt his brothers.
Moreover, he should behave in such as way as to increase affection and
confidence among them. In the Qur'an, we have theclear decree:
"Say to My servants that they should only say those things that are
best: for Satan sows dissensions among them: Satan is to man anavowed
enemy." (Surat al-Isra, 17:53)
If a believer does not havethe same opinion as his brother on some
issue, he should nevertheless behave and talk in the most modest and
humble way. Sharing ideas should remain on the basis of "consultation"
and not "debate". If a contention isobserved among two other
believers, then whatone should do is indicated in the verse below:
"The believers are but a single Brotherhood. So make peace and
reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah,
so that you may receive His Mercy." (Surat al-Hujraat, 49:10)
It should be noted that even a minor argument of any kind may have
very negative effects on the Cause.

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The Deen with Allah Is Islam

Throughout the course of history, Allah has revealed the truth faith
through Hisprophets. All the prophets there have ever been havecalled
on people to believein the one Allah, to obey the and all the other
prophets, to believe in the angels, destiny and the Day of Reckoning,
to do good for Allah's approval and to possess good moralvalues. Allah
has from time to time ordained changes in the provisions of the
religions He has sent down, but essentially all the prophets have
called people to Islam and to be Muslims. Because thetrue faith in the
Sight of Allah is Islam:
The Deen with Allah is Islam.(Surah Al 'Imran, 19)
The Prophets Noah (pbuh),Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Jesus and all the
other prophets have called on the peoples to which they were sent to
adopt Allah's true religion to and revealed to them that they were
Muslims. In verses 67 and 68 of Surah Al 'Imran it is revealed that
the Prophet Abraham (puh) was a Muslim:
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. but aman of pure natural
belief – a Muslim. He wasnot one of the idolaters.
The people with the strongest claim to Abraham are those who followed
him and this Prophet and those who have iman. Allah is the Protector
of the believers. (Surat al-'Imran, 67-68)
This verse reveals how theProphet Jacob (pbuh) advised his sons to "be Muslims:"
Ibrahim directed his sons to this, as did Jacob: 'My sons! Allah has
chosen this deen for you, so do not die except as Muslims.' (Surat
al-Baqara, 132)
The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and his disciples also said they were Muslims:
When 'Isa sensed disbelief on their part, he said, 'Who will be my
helpers to Allah?' The disciples said, 'We are Allah's helpers. We
believe in Allah. Bear witness that we are Muslims. (Surah Al 'Imran,
52)
The Prophet Moses (pbuh) also called on his people to be Muslims:
Moses said, 'My people! if you believe in Allah, then put your trust
in Him, if you are Muslims.' (Surah Yunus, 84)
As we have seen, all prophets have called on their peoples to be
Muslims, in other words, to the true faith in the Sight of Allah. The
true books and law that Allah sent down to these prophets gradually
became distorted and departed from their original forms. But Allah has
promised to preserve the Qur'an uncorrupted and has revealed that
everyone should abide by the Qur'an, the last true book. Therefore, if
a Jew who genuinely loves the Prophet Musa (pbuh) wishes to live by
the religion brought by the prophet, that can only be possible by
living by the Qur'an. In the same way, ifa Christian who sincerely
follows the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) wishes to live by pure Christianity
as it was in the time of the disciples,then he must abide by
theQur'an. Because the truest,finest and purest form of what the
Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) taught appears in
the Qur'an. When Christians and Jews say they believe in the oneAllah,
"Lailaha illaAllah," and that the Prophet Muhammad (saas) is the last
true prophet,"Muhammadan Rasulullah," and abide by the Qur'an, then
they will be complete followers of the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the
Prophet Jesus (pbuh) they love so much. And by Allah's leave, this
will happen with the coming of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) in this
century and Islam, the onetrue faith, will rule the world under the
leadership of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).

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How do some rocks without any legs, arms, muscles or brains ''walk''? Whatis the wisdom behind traveling rocks?

Walking is an ordinary everyday activity . That is why it is not
surprising to see a bird , a man or a cat walking since they are all
living beings. However, something so ordinary for living organisms is
quite extraordinary when it is seen in nonliving things.
A miracle has been taking place in California's Death Valley National
Park . Rocks that weigh up to a 100 pounds "walk", sometimes traveling
morethan a hundred yards leaving straight , twisted , or zigzagged
trails behind them in one or more directions.
THE MYSTERY BEHIND THEWALKING ROCKS HAS BEEN SOLVED BY ADVANCED SCIENCE.
The "walking rocks" phenomenon has confounded the scientific community
. Scientists have puzzled over the rocks at the valley for a century.
In 2010, researchers at NASA started investigatingthe area. Sensors
were placed on the flat area at depths of three-quarters to four
inches deep. The units registered that the top layer of the soil froze
in March , and it was wet up to three inches deep in April. According
to this data, the team drew someconclusions .
In March, the snow on the surrounding mountains flows into the valley
as a thin layer of water and produces a circle of ice . In April ,
when a second layerof water flows into the valley, this " ice collar"
under the rocks act as a boat on which the rocks float.
The ice collars are as hard as glass , therefore they leave a trail on
the surfaceof the valley , but when they melt and disappear , only the
rocks and their trails are seen afterwards.
Because there is no rain orearthquakes in this part ofthe valley , it
eliminates the possible effects of these occurrences .
Another early suggestion was that the rocks were driven by gravity .
However, this theory was also discounted when it was revealed that
most of the rocks are actually traveling uphill.
Walking rocks is not an ordinary event witnessed everywhere. It is
observedin only one area on Earth as a proof of Allah's perfect
creation. Allah is the owner and Creator of the living and the non
-living . He sometimes reminds us of this fact by creating
extraordinary occurrences like the one on Death Valley. He also
creates the causes like the physical conditions such asrain , wind,
etc. to form the unexpected result. Both the cause and the result is
his doing.
A Qur'anic verse points to this fact explaining how non-living rocks
move with the awe of Allah :
Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones oreven
harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth,
and there are some of them that split open andwater comes out, and
there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is
not unaware of what you do. ( Surat al-Baqara, 74)
Even more fascinating than this is the movementof giant mountains and
massive continents , whichweigh millions of tons. They all move with
Allah's permission. This information that we have learned of only
relatively recently, was stated in theQuran with 1,400 years ago in
this verse:
And if there was any Qur'an by which the mountains would be removed
or the Earth would be broken apart or the dead would be made to speak,
[it wouldbe this Qur'an], but to Allah belongs the affair entirely.
Then have those who believed not accepted that had Allah willed, He
would have guided the people, all of them? And those who disbelieve do
not cease to be struck, for what they have done, by calamity - or it
will descend near their home- until there comes the promise of Allah .
Indeed, Allah does not fail in [His] promise ( Surah Ra'd , 31)./

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1b. Qualities of Aisha and herrole in Islam

1b.
"In the time before Islam, Abu Bakr married two women. The first was
Fatiladaughter of Abdul Uzza, from whom Abdullah and Asma were born.
Then he married Umm Ruman, fromwhom Abdur Rahman and Aisha were born.
These four were born before Islam." [5]
Being born before Islam means being born before the Call.
2. The compiler of the famous Hadith collection Mishkat al-Masabih,
Imam Wali-ud-Din Muhammad ibn Abdullah Al-Khatib, who died 700 years
ago, has also written brief biographical notes on the narrators of
Hadith reports.He writes under Asma, the older daughter of Abu Bakr:
"She was the sister of AishaSiddiqa, wife of the Holy Prophet, and was
ten yearsolder than her. … In 73 A.H.… Asma died at the age of one
hundred years." [6]
(Go here to see an image ofthe full entry in Urdu.)
This would make Asma 28 years of age in 1 A.H., the year of the Hijra,
thus making Aisha 18 years old in 1 A.H. So Aisha would be 19 years
old at the time of the consummation of her marriage, and 14 or 15
years old at the time of hernikah. It would place her year of birth at
four or five years before the Call.
3. The same statement is made by the famous classical commentator of
the Holy Quran, Ibn Kathir, in his book Al-bidayya wal-nihaya:
"Asma died in 73 A.H. at the age of one hundred years. She was ten
years older than her sister Aisha."[7]
Apart from these three evidences, which are presented in the Urdu
pamphlet referred to above, we also note that the birth of Aisha being
a little before the Call is consistent with the opening words of a
statement by her which is recorded four times in Bukhari. Those words
are as follows:
"Ever since I can remember(or understand things) my parents were
following thereligion of Islam." [8]
This is tantamount to saying that she was born sometime before her
parents accepted Islam but she can only remember them practising
Islam. No doubt she and her parents knew well whether she was born
before or after they accepted Islam, as their acceptance of Islam was
such a landmark eventin their life which took place just after the
Holy Prophet received his mission from God. If she had been born after
they accepted Islam it would make no sense for her to say that she
always remembered them as following Islam. Only if she was born before
they accepted Islam, would it make sense for her to say that she can
only remember them being Muslims, as she was too young to remember
things before their conversion. This is consistent with her being born
before the Call, and being perhaps four or five years old at the time
ofthe Call, which was also almost the time when her parents accepted
Islam.
Two further evidences cited by Maulana Muhammad Ali
In the footnotes of his Urdutranslation and commentary of Sahih
Bukhari, entitled Fadl-ul-Bari, Maulana Muhammad Ali had pointed out
reports of two events which show that Aisha could not have been born
later than the year of the Call. These are as follows.
1. The above mentioned statement by Aisha in Bukhari, about her
earliest memory of her parents being that they were followers of
Islam, begins with the following words in its version in Bukhari's
Kitab-ul-Kafalat. We quote this from the English translation of
Bukhari by M.Muhsin Khan:
"Since I reached the age when I could remember things, I have seen my
parents worshipping according to the right faith of Islam. Not a
single day passed but Allah's Apostle visited us both in the morning
and in the evening. When the Muslimswere persecuted, Abu Bakr set out
for Ethiopia as an emigrant." [9]
Commenting on this report,Maulana Muhammad Ali writes:
"This report sheds some light on the question of theage of Aisha. …
The mention of the persecutionof Muslims along with the emigration to
Ethiopia clearly shows that this refers to the fifth or the sixth year
of the Call. … At that time Aisha was of an age to discern things, and
so her birth could not have been later than the first year of the
Call." [10]
Again, this would make hermore than fourteen at the time of the
consummation of her marriage.
2. There is a report in SahihBukhari as follows:
"On the day (of the battle) of Uhud when (some) people retreated and
left the Prophet, I saw Aisha daughter of Abu Bakr and Umm Sulaim,
with their robes tucked up so that thebangles around their ankles were
visible hurrying with their water skins (in another narration it is
said, 'carrying the water skins on their backs'). Then they would pour
the water in the mouths of the people, and return to fill the water
skins again and came back again to pour water in the mouths of the
people." ....

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1a. Qualities of Aisha and herrole in Islam

1a.
"Khadija died three years before the Prophet departed to Medina. He
stayed [alone] for two years or so. He married Aisha when she was a
girl of six years of age, and he consummated that marriage when she
was nine years old." [3]
As to the authenticity of these reports, it may be noted that the
compilers ofthe books of Hadith did notapply the same stringent tests
when accepting reports relating to historical matters as they did
before accepting reports relating to the practical teachings and laws
of Islam. The reason isthat the former type of report was regarded as
merely of academic interest while the latter type of report had a
direct bearing on the practical duties of a Muslim and on what was
allowed to them and what was prohibited. Thus the occurrence of
reports such as the above about the marriage of Aisha in books of
Hadith, even in Bukhari, is not necessarily a proof of their
credibility.
Determination of the true age of Aisha
It appears that Maulana Muhammad Ali was the first Islamic scholar
directlyto challenge the notion that Aisha was aged six and nine,
respectively, at the time of her nikah and consummation of marriage.
This he did in, at least, the following writings: his English booklet
Prophet of Islam, his larger English book Muhammad, the Prophet, and
in the footnotes in his voluminous Urdu translation and commentary of
Sahih Bukhari entitled Fadl-ul-Bari, these three writings being
published in the 1920s and 1930s. In the booklet Prophet of Islam,
which was later incorporated in 1948 as the first chapter of his
bookLiving Thoughts of the Prophet Muhammad, he writes in a lengthy
footnote as follows:
"A great misconception prevails as to the age at which Aisha was taken
in marriage by the Prophet. Ibn Sa'd has stated in the Tabaqat that
when Abu Bakr [father of Aisha] was approached on behalf of the Holy
Prophet, he replied that the girl had already been betrothed to
Jubair, and that he would have to settle the matter first with him.
This shows that Aisha must have been approaching majority at the time.
Again, the Isaba, speaking of the Prophet's daughter Fatima, says that
she was born five years before the Call and was about five years older
than Aisha. This shows that Aisha must have been about ten years at
the timeof her betrothal to the Prophet, and not six years as she is
generally supposed to be. This is further borne out by the fact that
Aisha herself is reported to have stated that when the chapter [of the
Holy Quran] entitled The Moon, the fifty-fourth chapter, was revealed,
she was a girl playing about and remembered certain verses then
revealed. Now the fifty-fourth chapter was undoubtedly revealed before
the sixth year of theCall. All these considerations point to butone
conclusion, viz., that Aisha could not have been less than ten years
of age at the time of her nikah, which was virtually only a betrothal.
And there is one report in the Tabaqat that Aisha was nine years of
ageat the time of nikah. Again it is a fact admitted on all hands that
the nikah of Aisha took place in the tenth year of the Call in
themonth of Shawwal, while there is also preponderance of evidenceas
to the consummation of her marriage taking place in the second year of
Hijra in the same month, which shows that full five years had elapsed
between the nikah and the consummation. Hence there is not the least
doubtthat Aisha was at least nineor ten years of age at the time of
betrothal, and fourteen or fifteen years at the time of marriage." [4]
(Bolding is mine.)
To facilitate understanding dates of these events, please note that it
was in the tenth year of the Call, i.e. the tenth year after the Holy
Prophet Muhammad received his calling from God to his mission of
prophethood, that his wife Khadija passed away, and the approach was
made to Abu Bakr for the hand of his daughter Aisha. The hijra or
emigration of the Holy Prophet to Madina took place three years later,
and Aisha came to the household of the Holy Prophet in the second year
after hijra. So if Aisha was born in the year of the Call, she would
be ten years old at the time of the nikah and fifteen years old at the
time of the consummation of the marriage.
Later research
Research subsequent to thetime of Maulana Muhammad Ali has shown that
she was older than this. An excellent short work presenting such
evidence is the Urdu pamphlet Rukhsati kai waqt Sayyida Aisha
Siddiqaki umar ('The age of Lady Aisha at the time of the start of her
married life') byAbu Tahir Irfani.[4a] Points 1 to 3 below have been
brought to light in this pamphlet.
1. The famous classical historian of Islam, Ibn Jarir Tabari, wrote in
his 'History':
:->

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1. Qualities of Aisha and herrole in Islam

1.
In any discussion on the age of Aisha (ra: may Allah be pleased with
her) at the time of her marriage with the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may
peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him), it is of the greatest
relevance to note the pivotal role she played as a teacher, exponent
and interpreter of the religion of Islam. Aisha was an exceptionally
intelligent and astute woman, a young prodigy, and this was the main
reason why she was got married to theHoly Prophet, as is clearly
proved by events after the Holy Prophet's life. She entered his
household, shortly after his emigrationto Madina, just at the time
when the teachings of Islam in all fields of life for the Muslim
community were starting to be revealed to the Holy Prophet and
demonstratedby him by his example and practice. An intellectually
gifted person was required who would have daily contact with the Holy
Prophet at the closest and most personal level, so as to absorb the
teachings that he was giving on all aspects of life by his words and
actions. Such a person would need to possess the following qualities:
an excellent, precise memory to retain a vast amount of detail accurately,
the understanding to graspthe significance and the principles of the teachings,
powers of reasoning, criticism and deduction to resolve problems on
the basis of those teachings,
the skills to convey knowledge to a wide rangeof audience,
and, finally, have the prospect of living for a considerable period of
timeafter the death of the Holy Prophet in order to spread his message
to distant generations.
That Aisha possessed all these qualities and carried out this mission
is an absolutely positive and undeniable, historical fact. After the
Holy Prophet's death, she acted as a teacher and interpreter of Islam,
providing guidance to even the greatest of the male Companions of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad. They made a special point of going to her to
gain knowledge and seek her opinion. A vast number of sayings and
actions of the Holy Prophet are reported from her in books of Hadith.
She not only quoted his sayings and reported her observations of
events, but interpreted them to provide solutions to questions.
Whenever necessary, she corrected the views of the greatest ofthe
Companions of the Holy Prophet. She made rulings and judgments on
which Islamic law is based.
The following are two examples of what the Holy Prophet's male
Companions said about her:
"Abu Musa said: Whenever there was any hadith that was difficult [to
understand] for us, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, and
weasked Aisha we always found that she had knowledge about that
hadith."
"Musa ibn Talha said: I never saw anyone more eloquent than Aisha." [1]
In the famous compilation of the lives of saints in Islam,
Tadhkirat-ul-Auliya, the author Farid-ud-Din Attar, who lived eight
centuries ago, introduces the life of the early female saint Rabia of
Basra as follows:
"If anyone says, 'Why have you included Rabia in the rank of men?', my
answer is that the Prophet himself said, 'God does not regard your
outward forms'. … Moreover, if it is proper to derive two-thirds of
our religion from Aisha, surely it is permissible to take religious
instruction from ahandmaid of Aisha." [2]
It is thus recognised, from the earliest times in Islam, that some
two-thirds of Islamic Sharia is based on reports and
interpretationsthat have come from Aisha.
In view of these exceptional qualities of Aisha and the towering role
played by her in the transmission of the teachings of Islam, it is
simply preposterous and outrageous to suggest thatshe was the victim
of someform of child and marital abuse. We ask in particular the
Christian and Jewish critics of Islam, who are reviling the Holy
Prophet Muhammad on the basis ofhis marriage with Aisha, whether they
can point outany example of a woman in their religions who played a
role like that of Aisha in learning the religion from its founder and
becoming the teacher and instructor of all his followers, including
men, after his death.
Age of Aisha at time of marriage with Holy Prophet Muhammad
It is believed on the authority of some Hadith reports that the
marriage ceremony (known as nikah,amounting to betrothal) of Aisha
with the Holy Prophet Muhammad took place when she was six years of
age, and that she joined the Holy Prophet as his wife three years
later atthe age of nine. We quote below from two such reports in
Bukhari.
"It is reported from Aisha that she said: The Prophet entered into
marriage withme when I was a girl of six… and at the time [of joining
his household] I was a girl of nine years of age.":->

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Children’s Custody Rights after Divorce

Q. Does a remarried divorcee have a right over her children from the previous marriage? The former husband claims thatshe waived her custodial rights by remarrying -- andthat the boys will remain with him. A. According to the Hanafis, the right to the custody of the girl from the age of 10 and the boy from the age of 8 is that of the father. If the father is not capable in terms of Shariah to have custody of the children then the right to custody passes on to other paternalfamily members. According to some Mazhabs, the child will have a choice at the age of bulugh (puberty) as to whohe/she wishes to stay with. And Allah Knows Best

Beyond Time and Space: “Where is Allah?”

Q. Is Allah everywhere, or isHe beyond the heavens and the earth?
A.
The issue of "Where is Allah?" is something that was never debated or
made a matter of dispute among the Muslims throughout the ages and
eras. In fact the Qur'an warns against delving into these issues in
Surah Aali Imraan (verse #7). The Sahabah and Tabi'een also dealt very
severely with those who began discussing these issues. Unfortunately,
due to immense ignorance about our deen, certain Muslims forget about
their real duties and responsibilities and waste their precious time
arguing about these issues regarding which we have been ordered not to
delve into.
'The belief (aqidah) one must have regarding his Lord and Creator is
that Allah Almighty is One, thereis nothing like Him, there isnothing
that can overwhelm Him, there is no god besides Him and Heis Eternal
without a beginning and Enduring without end. He will neither perish
nor come to an end and nothing happens except what He wills. No
imagination can conceive of Him and no understanding can comprehend
Him. He is different from any created being.
Allah Most High says about Himself:
"There is nothing whateverunto like Him." (al-Shura, 42:11).
And He says in Surah al-Ikhlas:
"And there is none like unto Him." (Al-Ikhlas, 112: 4).
Due to the above and othertexts of the Qur'an and Sunnah, one of the
major beliefs a Muslim must have regarding Allah Most High is that
there is no creation that is similar to Him. If Allah is regarded to
be similar or resemble or haveany qualities of His creation, then that
would constitute disbelief (Kufr).
Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (May Allah have mercy on him) states:
"Whoever thinks that Allah has a body made of organs,then he is an
idol-worshipper…Whosoever worships a body is regarded a disbeliever by
the consensus of all the scholars, the early scholars (salaf) and the
late (muta'akhirun)" (Iljam al-Anam an Ilm al-Kalam, 6-8).
If one believes that there isnothing similar to Allah in any way, then
his Aqidah iscorrect and there is no need for disputes and arguments.
I believe that there isn't a Muslim that really believes that Allah is
similar to his creation in any way, thus disputes andarguments must be
avoided. Yes, if one does believe that Allah has hands, feet, face,
etc…that is similar to his creation, then without doubt this person
would come out of the fold of Islam.
Regarding the question, "where is Allah?" firstly, it should be
remembered that this is not something that one will be asked about on
the day of Qiyamah. We are in need ofpeople really learning about the
basics of Islam, rather than engaging themselves in these matters.
Those that argue and cause destruction with such issues are normally
ignorant about even the basics of Salah, Zakah, Hajj, etc…
Secondly, this question in itself is wrong. We ask regarding the
whereaboutsof a person that lives in time and space. For example, I
encompass time, meaning I live in time, and I have a body that needs
to fill some space.
However, Allah, Mighty andMajestic, is the creator of time and space.
If we limit Him to any time or space, then this would imply that we
resemble Him to his creation by giving Him a body, as space is
limited. If one was to say that Allah iseverywhere, then this is
wrong, as 'everywhere' is limited and ends somewhere, whereas Allah is
not limited.
Similarly, to say that Allah is on earth, sky, moon, sun, throne, etc…
is also wrong, as all these things are limited and to limit Allah
toany created thing is Kufr.
Imam al-Tahawi (Allah have mercy on him) states in his famous al-Aqida
al-Tahawiyya:
"He (Allah) is beyond having limits placed on Him, or being
restricted, or having parts or limbs. Nor is He contained by six
directions as all created things are." (P. 9).
Imam al-Nasafi (Allah have mercy on him) states:
"He (Allah) is not a body (jism), nor an atom (jawhar), nor is He
something formed (musawwar), nor a thing limited (mahdud), nor a thing
numbered (ma'dud), nor a thing portioned or divided, nor a thing
compounded (mutarakkab), nor does He come to end in Himself. He is not
described by quiddity (al-ma'hiya), or byquality (al-kayfiyya), nor is
He placed in space (al-makan), and time (al-zaman) does not affect
Him. Nothing resembles Him, that is to say, nothing is like Him."

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In a season of consumerist madness, let’s be grateful, and give

At this time of year the stores are pushing their sales at us.
Advertising is everywhere. There if a frenzy to buy, buy, buy. Let's
realize that this is not a spiritual way of life. It's not an
appropriate lifestylefor someone who is dedicated to God. The
consumerist madness is a deception. There's no joy orpeace attached to
it. It's a shallow illusion.
Look at what society has done to itself in the name of consumerism. A
day of thanks (Thanksgiving) has become the prelude to "Black Friday",
the biggest shopping day of the year. Itused to be that Black Friday
did not begin until Friday morning, out of respect for Thanksgiving.
Then the starting gun was moved to midnight, and now it has crept into
Thursday evening. Nothing is sacred.
The Prophet 'Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary), peace be upon
him, has been turned into a marketing strategy. His purported birthday
has become a month of shopping insanity, presidedover by a mythical
sub-deity named Santa. People go into debt, they fight over sale
goods… no mention is made of faith.
We Muslims fall prey to thesame consumerist lifestyle. Sometimes the
holy monthof Ramadan becomes a month of shopping, sleeping and binge
eating, astaghfirullah.
Let us – Christians, Muslims,Jews and all people of God – not follow
this path. Let'shew to a way of sacrifice, zakat (purification),
sadaqah (charity), zuhd (giving up material luxury).We don't have to
be monks, but we must focus on the things that matter: faith and
family.
There are movements that advocate a simple living, back-to-nature,
low-impactlifestyle. In Islam this is called zuhd , which could be
translated as detachment or asceticism. Zuhd is a choice that a person
makes to give up the hunger for material possessions and transgressive
carnal experiences, and live a simple lifestyle dedicated to God.
That's what we need.
The faith in our hearts is more important than the brand name of the
clothes we wear. Where our feet carry us – to someplace good or bad –
is more important than the cost of our shoes. The sincerity in our
hearts is more important than any gift. May Allah help us to see what
is important in life.
The Enjoyment of Delusion
There's a powerful verse from the Bible, Proverbs 30:8-9:
Give me neither poverty nor riches,
grant me only my share of bread to eat,
for fear that surrounded byplenty, I should fall away
and say, "Yahweh – who is Yahweh?"
or else in destitution, take to stealing
and profane the name of my God.
(Yahweh is an ancient Hebrew name for God).
If you visit the shopping malls at Christmastime, andread the news
stories of people lining up from the night before and huddling in
sleeping bags in order tobuy the latest gadgets, then trampling each
other in the rush; if you turn on the TV to the usual Christmas
comedies and "Frosty the Snowman" cartoons, you see that God has been
forgotten, and has even become taboo. It's not politically correct
tospeak of God. Just watch what we broadcast, be hypnotized by our
Christmas elevator music, buy and forget…
Allah says about this:
"Know that the life of thisworld is but amusement and diversion and
adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of
wealth and children – like the example of a rainwhose [resulting]
plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned
yellow; then it becomes debris. And in the Hereafter is severe
punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the
worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion." – Quran, Surat
Al-Hadeed, 57:20
This theme is struck repeatedly in the Quran. The amusement and
adornment of the dunya is an illusion that dries up and crumbles like
a corn stalk, and becomes dust. It is empty, the enjoyment of delusion
. Wow. That phrase, "enjoyment of delusion", makes me think of a
madman alone in a room, tied in a straight jacket, engaged in a
pleasant delusion playing only in his mind.
I know people who have a bedroom devoted to all thejunk that they have
boughtbut do not use. They never enter that room and the door is kept
locked. Isn't that a kind of mental illness?

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Am I Grateful?

Am I truly grateful for each breath that I take,
For each and every moment that I am awake?
Do I thank Allah for my restful sleep,
And for the dreams that cause me to weep?
Am I honestly thankful to the Almighty One,
For the early morning mist,the bright, rising sun?
During Fajr prayer , I use my soft prayer mat,
As Allah's servant, do I appreciate that?
Throughout the day, do I realise,
That Allah, All knowing andthe Most Wise,
Gives me what I need and so much more
And that I have so much to be grateful for?
A grandmother's love, a book of hadith,
The clothes that I wear, thefood that I eat,
The book that I should follow, the Holy Qur'an,
Promoting the good and ending the wrong.
So I must ask myself every beautiful day,
Am I truly grateful for each breath that I take,
For each and every moment that I am awake?
Do I thank Allah for my restful sleep,
And for the dreams that cause me to weep?

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5a. The miracle of iron

5a.
Surat al-Hadid 25, which refers to iron, contains two rather
interesting mathematical codes.
"Al- Hadid" is the 57th sura in the Qur'an. The abjad of the word
"Al-Hadid" in Arabic, when the numerological values of its letters are
added up, is also 57.
The numerological value of the word "hadid" alone is 26. And 26 is the
atomic number of iron.
Moreover, iron oxide particles were used in a cancer treatment in
recentmonths and positive developments were observed. A team led by
Dr. Andreas Jordan, at the world famous Charité Hospital in Germany,
succeeded in destroying cancer cells with this new technique developed
for the treatment of cancer—magnetic fluid hyperthermia (high
temperature magnetic liquid). As a result of this technique, first
performed on the 26-year-old Nikolaus H., no new cancercells were
observed in the patient in the following three months.
This method of treatment can be summarised as follows:
1. A liquid containing iron oxide particles is injected into the
tumour by means of a special syringe. These particles spread
throughout the tumour cells. This liquid consists ofthousands of
millions of particles, 1,000 times smaller than the red
bloodcorpuscles, of iron oxide in1 cm3 that can easily flow through
all blood vessels. 5
2. The patient is then placed in a machine with apowerful magnetic field.
3. This magnetic field, applied externally, begins to set the iron
particles in the tumour in motion. During this time the temperature in
the tumour containing the iron oxide particles rises by up to 45
degrees.
4. In a few minutes the cancer cells, unable to protect themselves
from the heat, are either weakened or destroyed. The tumour may then
be completely eradicated with subsequent chemotherapy. 6
In this treatment it is only the cancer cells that are affected by the
magnetic field, since only they contain the iron oxide particles. The
spread of this technique is a major development in the treatment of
this potentially lethal disease. In the treatment of such a widespread
disease as cancer, the use of the expression "iron in whichthere lies
great force andwhich has many uses formankind" (Qur'an, 57:25) in the
Qur'an is particularlynoteworthy. Indeed, in that verse, the Qur'an
maybe indicating the benefits of iron for human health. (Allah knows
best.)/

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6. The miracle of iron

6.
Iron is one of the elementshighlighted in the Qur'an. In Surat
al-Hadid, meaningIron, we are informed:
And We also sent down iron in which there lies great force and which
has many uses for mankind… (Qur'an, 57:25)
The word " anzalna ," translated as "sent down" and used for iron in
the verse, could be thought of having a metaphorical meaning to
explain that iron has been given to benefit people. But, when we take
into considerationthe literal meaning of the word, which is, "being
physically sent down fromthe sky," as in the case of rain and Sun
rays, we realize that this verse implies a very significant scientific
miracle. Because, modern astronomical findings have disclosed that the
iron found in our world has come from giant stars in outer space. 1
Not only the iron on earth,but also the iron in the entire Solar
System, comesfrom outer space, since thetemperature in the Sun is
inadequate for the formation of iron. The sun has a surface
temperature of 6,000 degrees Celsius, and a core temperature of
approximately 20 million degrees. Iron can only be produced in much
larger stars than the Sun, where the temperature reaches afew hundred
million degrees. When the amount of iron exceeds a certain level in a
star, the star can no longer accommodate it, and it eventually
explodes in what is called a "nova" or a "supernova." These explosions
make it possible for iron to be given off into space. 2
One scientific source provides the following information on this subject:
There is also evidence for older supernova events: Enhanced levels of
iron-60in deep-sea sediments have been interpreted as indications that
a supernova explosion occurred within 90 light-years of the sun about
5 million years ago. Iron-60 is a radioactive isotope of iron, formed
in supernova explosions, which decays with a half life of 1.5 million
years. An enhancedpresence of this isotope in a geologic layer
indicates the recent nucleosynthesisof elements nearby in space and
their subsequent transport to the earth (perhaps as part of dust
grains). 3
All this shows that iron didnot form on the Earth, but was carried
from Supernovas, and was "sentdown," as stated in the verse. It is
clear that this fact could not have been known in the 7th century,
when the Qur'an was revealed. Nevertheless, this fact is related in
the Qur'an, the Word of Allah, Who encompasses all things in His
infinite knowledge.
Astronomy has also revealed that other elements also formed outside
the Earth. In the expression "We also sent down iron" in the verse,
the word "also" may well be referring to that idea. However, the fact
that the verse specifically mentionsiron is quite astounding,
considering that these discoveries were made at the end of the 20th
century. In his book Nature's Destiny, the well-known microbiologist
Michael Denton emphasizes the importance of iron:
Of all the metals there is none more essential to lifethan iron. It is
the accumulation of iron in the center of a star which triggers a
supernova explosion and the subsequent scattering of the vital atoms
of life throughout the cosmos. It was the drawing by gravity of iron
atoms to the center of the primeval earth that generated the heat
which caused the initial chemical differentiation of the earth, the
outgassing of the early atmosphere, and ultimately the formation of
the hydrosphere. It is molten iron in the center of the earth which,
acting like a gigantic dynamo, generates the earth's magnetic field,
which in turn creates the Van Allen radiation belts that shield the
earth's surface from destructive high-energy-penetrating cosmic
radiation and preserve thecrucial ozone layer from cosmic ray
destruction…
Without the iron atom, there would be no carbon-based life in the
cosmos; no supernovae, no heatingof the primitive earth, no atmosphere
or hydrosphere. There would be no protective magnetic field, no Van
Allen radiation belts, no ozone layer, no metal to make hemoglobin [in
human blood], no metal to tame the reactivity of oxygen, and no
oxidative metabolism.
The intriguing and intimate relationship between life and iron,
between the red color of blood and the dying of some distant star, not
onlyindicates the relevance of metals to biology but also the
biocentricity of the cosmos… 4
This account clearly indicates the importance of the iron atom. The
fact that particular attention is drawn to iron in the Qur'an also
emphasises the importance of the element.:->

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5a. The provocation of ''the film about our Prophet (saas)'' is designed to disintegrate believers

5a.
some of whom are described to be "sincere" in the Qur'an, and such
provocations' distancing the members of the three religions from one
another.
That is because satan is aware that union of those who say "Allah is
One" andthose representatives of love will lead to an extraordinary
and invincible power in the world. Thus genuine Muslims must think in
compliance with the Qur'an and the hadith of our Prophet (saas) and be
aware of this stealthy plot of satan.
We, as Muslims, must fulfillthe requirements our religion of Islam
which commands love, beauty, peace, compassion, democracy and
self-sacrifice.
- We must approach Muslims, Christians, Jews and all human
beings regardless of their religionand race, with real love.
- We must eliminate the corrupted rationale of those
provocateurs who try to plot against Islam and for this end embrace
all Muslims, Christians, Jews and those who side with love and
companionship.
- We must keep in mind that all the conflicts in the world
stem from the disunion of believers. This is related in the Qur'an
thus: Those who are disbelievers are the friends and protectors ofone
another. If you do not act in this way there will be turmoil in the
land and great corruption. (Surat al-Anfal,73)
No one can come up and say, "I have made an anti-Islamic film" or "I
have drawn a caricature against Islam" when;
- Believers declare their unity in the face of provocations,
- Good people embrace one another with love andcompassion,
- When those who say "Allah is One" unite together as one and
establish a powerful unity.
These people will simply lose their power to engage in such evil acts
in the face of the powerful unity of believers and the representatives
of love. The fear that their unity and power cause will suffice them.
The greatest revenge against provocateurs is the union of members of
all religions around the world under the umbrella of love and peace.
Establishing this unity is the most urgent duty incumbent upon us,
Muslims, for this is what Allah commands us in the Qur'an./

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5. The provocation of ''the film about our Prophet (saas)'' is designed to disintegrate believers

5.
The American-produced film with a blasphemous content against Islam
and our Prophet (saas) – surelyIslam and our blessed Prophet (saas)
are beyond that – has instantly dominated the world agenda. Some
people haveimmediately fallen into the trap of this provocative act.
They started engaging in protests, attacked embassies, and even
killedpeople. They accused governments, states, nations, races and
religions simply because of an ordinary film based on the distortions
produced by an ordinary person. Newspapers, in their own eyes,
disseminated "an aggressive, hate-monger image of a Muslim who burns
flags and engages inferocious activities." A tremendous propaganda of
"Bloody Islam" has been initiated. For days, anti-Islamists all over
the world distorted these propaganda materials as they liked and used
them for their own benefits.
The provocation accomplished its goal in a short while: as a result,
an ordinary, anti-Islamic producer of a very ordinary film, which is
entirely divorced from facts and based on distortions, has become
world famous. This weird film which is composed of made-up stories
which would otherwise not be heard by anyone if these incidents have
not occurred also became well-known.
Those who, in their own eyes, strive to show Islam as a religion of
blood and vulgarity, have accomplished their stealthy intentions and
those who say "Allah is One" were set against one another.
What is astonishing is that, upon the word of an impertinent
anti-Islamic person, Muslims immediately believed thatthis movie was
about our blessed our Prophet (saas).This incomprehensible assertion
of an impertinent person was somehow taken seriously. Muslims adopted
this assertion simply because he told so, not realizing the fact that
they have become instrumental in spreading this provocation. They did
not understand that they werefallen into a trap. They could not
realize that the goal of this poor, ordinary person was to become
renowned and to disintegrate religions. The fact is however, believers
had to think in line with the Qur'an and realize thatthey have been
instrumental in making anordinary person accomplish his goal. They had
to comprehend that they had become instrumental in presentingan
unknown person like a very important individual.
Insult belongs to those who utter it. The producer of this movie told
himself in this movie and thus insulted himself.
There is a well-known phrase: insults always belong to the ones who
utter them. The producer of the film made a film about himself. In his
film, he described his own flawed character traits, his distorted
ideas and made all the insults to himself.
It is very striking that Muslims take such a very common person who
has fallen into the situation of hurling insults to himself so
seriously.
But why have Muslims been so rapidly provoked?There are two reasons of
it. First; ignorance and lackof knowledge. Second; fanaticism, that is
bigotry. The fact is however, lack of knowledge is a concept that also
includes bigotry, because in our day many people assume the
bigotrythey experience to be Islam. They think that being a Muslim
necessitates feeling rage and spilling blood. For thisreason, they
take an impertinent seriously, invade embassies, murder people, curse
countries and nations, burn flags and continuously mention blood and
rage.
These Muslims are even unaware that they, in fact, commit a sin. The
great majority of these people are driven away from the Qur'an by
bigots. The fact is, according to the Qur'an taking the soul of an
innocent soul; declaring religions, nations and races as enemies;
giving the image of hatred and fear to human beings is unlawful. This
way, these people commit sins. Remaining under the influence of filthy
indoctrinations of bigots, they believe the pervertedreligion made up
by them to be the true religion. However what matters in the religion
that one experiences by living by the Qur'an is to eliminate the seeds
of rage and to treat everyone of every religion, language, race and
nation with love. Thatis why these people have the need to urgently
try tounderstand the soul and essence of the Qur'an.
The goal of the satan is driving a wedge among believers; Muslims must
not permit this to happen
Satan always tries to weaken believers and he commits this by stirring
upsources of disorder that will drive them apart. Satan have always
taken advantage from disbelievers' union, some Muslims' harboring ill
will against the People of the Book (Christians and Jews),:->

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8

pø ne pø..
Pø ne pø..
Thaniyaga thavikinren thunai vendam anbe pø..
Pinamaga nadakinren uyir vendam thoram pøøø..
Ne thotta idamellam erigirathu anbe pø..
Nan pogum nimidangal unakaga anbe pø..
Ithu vendam anbe pø..
Nijam thedum anbe pø....
Uyirodu vilaiyada vitii saithai vazhve pø...
Hooooooooooo.,. ..
Thaniyaga thavikinren thunaivendam anbe pøøø.......
Pinamaga nadakinren thooram pøøøø,....
Aaaaaaaaaaaaa.. ..
Hooooooo.......
Unnale uyir vazhgiren unakaga pennea..
Uyir kathal nee kattinal valvene pennea...
Ithu varai unnuda vazhtha en natkal marumurai vazhthida vali illaiya
Irulilil thediya thedalgal ellam vidiyalai kanavum vidi illaiya..,..
Høøøøøøø
Pø ne pø
Pø ne pø.
Enkathal puriyala un istam anbe pø..
En kanavu kalaithalum ne irupay thooram pø
Ne thotta idamellam ergirathu anbe pø.
Nan pogum nimidangal unakagaum anbe pø..
Ithu vendam anbe pø..
Nijam thedum anbe pø..
Uyirodu vilaiyada vithi saidai thooram pøøøø...
Höööööööööööö.
Thaniyaga thavikinren thunai vendam anbe pöö.
Pinamaga nadakinren uyir vendam thooram pöööööö..

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Everything is possible for those who believe

Nourish your dreams. To achieve anything requires faith in Allah,
belief in yourself, imagination, vision, persistence, hard work, and
sometimes blood and tears.
The will of Allah and the power of your heart and mind make an
unbeatable combination. Everything is possible for those who believe –
anything you can envision, and many things you can't.
I'm thinking of a ragtag group of desert Arabs, who,in the course of a
single generation, transformed the world forever. I am speaking of
course of the Prophet Muhammad (peacebe upon him) and his companions.
What they didwas impossible – there's noother word for it. But through
the power of Allah, and the tremendous determination of one man, and
the faith of those who followed him, the impossible became possible.
Because of their faith and sacrifices, you andI can utter the words, "
Laa ilaha-il-Allah " and put them into practice in our lives.
Your dreams don't have to be that grand. Whether you dream of building
a new masjid for your community, writing a novel, competing in sports,
becoming a doctor, doing charity work overseas, memorizing the Quran,
or any other good and meaningful goal – it can beachieved by the will
of Allah. But you can't just sit back and wait for it to happen. Feed
your dream as you would feed a newly planted seed. Care for it, devote
time to it, don't give up, and watch it grow before your eyes.

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Allah and His Messenger are the lights in the darkness of this world

Matthew Arnold, the English poet, wrote:
"Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night."
In this poem, Arnold envisioned the world as a place of darkness,
conflict and confusion, with no light to show the way out. To him the
beauty of the world was just an illusion, a dream; and the reality of
life was one of struggle and pain.
Indeed, the world seems tobecome a more dangerous and hopeless every
day. The news is filled with dire stories about war and starvation,
the inexorable destruction of the natural environment, pollution of
the oceans, terrorism, and crime. Most recently we have been reading
about the "Arab Spring", in which the people of several nations have
risen up against their dictators. As inspiring as these events are, in
the midst lie acts of horrific cruelty. In Libya it isrumored that 100
officers who refused to order soldiers to fire on protesters, were
burned alive. La hawla wa la quwwata il-laa billah. How horrendous.
Wouldn't a sane person be afraid of such a world? Wouldn't an
intelligent person be consumed with anxiety, and wouldn't a very
intelligent person be plunged into despair?
The thing about fear, anxiety and despair is that they flourish in
spiritual darkness, just as some species of mushrooms can only grow in
the dark....

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