ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- ~ Understanding Islam

Muslims now constitute a significant minority in Western countries,
most notably France, Britain, Germany, Canada, and the United States.
Consequently, thosein the West engaged in theological discourse and
pastoralwork can no longer consign Islamto the outer limits of their
universe of religious concerns. Islam is no longer just "over there,"
an exotic feature of distant cultures; it is a well-established
component of our own religious landscape and deserves attention from
all who work to further the Reign of God in our culture.
Having taught courses in Islamic civilization as part of the
religiousstudies curriculum at both secularand church-related
institutions, I can give ample testimony to the antagonistic images of
Islam obtaining in, and actively perpetuated by, many Western circles.
In some cases, it is alarmism that fuels the antagonism ("Muslims are
taking over the world!"); in others, the indignation of post-modern
Westerners who resent the very existence of a powerful religious
tradition which seems to foster"unenlightened" values ("Islam is
intolerant, it oppresses women, etc."). It is a situation fraught
withthe real possibility of bigotry and violence.
As "people of religion," we can be particularly effective in shaping
religious sentiment toward Muslims in our society. We can either stoke
the fires of antagonism, feeding into the dominant societal trend
of"demonizing" Islam and Muslims; or we can fight those fires,
challenging people to come to a well-informed, balanced appreciation
of this "other" in ourmidst. Most of us, I assume, wouldaffirm the
desirability of the latteroption. I would like to offer a
fewsuggestions as to how that option might be realized.
First, expose the caricatures -- both our own and those of others.
Such caricatures are usually based on the assumption that Islam is
monolithic and that Muslim communities are homogeneous. Both
assumptions are false. Just as there are many"Christianities," there
are many"Islams" and most have very little to do with "Islamism," that
militant, extremist fringe of Islam which, despite its claim
to"traditionalism," actually violates such perennial Islamic values as
tolerance, forbearance, hospitality, and broad-mindedness. A number of
excellent resources can help you in this process -- see the attached
reading list. All the recommended authors are Christians who have done
much to dispel the rampant misinformation concerning Islam.
Second, reflect on what underlies our tendency to caricature Islam.
Many in the Christian world have thrown themselves headlong intothe
process of challenging the traditional shape of our society and want
to eradicate the very memory of its "oppressive" structures. Modernity
is uncomfortable with the demands of tradition. When Islam presents
itself -- unabashedly, unashamedly -- as a traditional religion, i.e.,
as a religion based onthe structures and values of a traditional
cultural system, those who are shaped by secular culture wince. They
are reminded of what our own communities once affirmed (and in some
quarters, still do affirm) to be trueand what was once imposed (andin
some quarters, still is imposed) as obligatory. Moreover, I think many
recognize, even if only reluctantly, that in dismantling
thetraditional shape of our religious life, in many ways our religious
communities have been debilitated. Islam's vitality and
self-confidence reminds us of what we have lost. In short, the growing
strength of Islamic identity and the resurgence in Islamic practice
only serve to underscore the progressive weakening of Christian
identity and the steady diminishment of Christian practice in
secularized Western societies. We resent Islam's newly found vitality
because it draws attention to our present malaise.
Third, appreciate the practical, external expressions of faith that
typify Islamic life. We have much to learn in this regard from Islam.
A few years ago even Pope John Paul II pointed to the Muslim fast
during the month of Ramadan as an example of the kind of zeal and
discipline Christians should, but today rarely do, bring to Lenten
fasting. Islam also requiresregular prayer -- at least five times a
day for the observant Muslim.
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NEWS - Real facts ~ Winglets, a technology “stolen” from the birds?

The bird's flight has always fascinated the man since ancient times.
Their grace and elegance in spreading their wings and fly-off, has
been a reason of deep thinking for the man who seeks answers. Since
the Ancient Greece time, the great philosophers of that era reflected
on the fact that how it was possible for some creatures to rise up in
the sky and cover amazing distances with such a great harmony. A
famous greek mythology legend states that Icarus was the first man to
fly.
The attempts for man to fly has been unsuccesful until December17th,
1903 when Wright Brothers managed to accomplishthe fateful task so
much desired by the men of all the times. This first flight lasted 61
meters at a speed of about 43 km/h using a rudimentary airplane built
by thesame two brothers. From that day, the technological advance has
allowed the improvement in an exceptional way of that first
rudimentary attempt to imitate the bird's flight. Today, we can see
airplanes of different sizes and shapes fly in the skies of theEarth
like birds. As probably everyone of us know, the airplanes' wing
perfectly imitate those of the birds. Like the bird'swings, those of
the airplanes do have the upper part curved and not just flat. In this
way, when engines generate a thrust, that particular shape makes
possible for the air that flows in the upper part of the wing travel
faster than that in the lower part.As a consequence, a vertical thrust
is generated which allows to overcome the gravity force and in this
way the plane can lift up and fly like a bird.
That description presented above is a semplified one, since a lot of
complex mathematics and physics is need to acurately describe the
dynamic of flight, but that allows to grasp the simple principle that
is behind the technology that everyone or almost of us have personally
experimented. But man didn't stop here. He wanted again to draw
inspiration from the masters of flight which are the birds. Big birds
like eagles, hawks, vultures etc. do have wings with a particular
structure with respect to the many other varieties of birds. At their
wing's extremities, they have some "winglets" of different sizes which
allows to eliminate the vertical vortex created around the wing and
this fact can reduce the drag experimented by the wing (fig. 2, 3).
Indeed, during the flight these winglets curve-up almost vertically
making the wing non-planar andso greatly reduce the drag. With such a
particular wing structure, these big birds can fly with the minimum
effort and without consuming a lot of energy. Only recently man has
realized this fact and could "copy" and implement this astonishing
detailfor his own purposes. Now, a great number of air companies equip
their airplanes with this apparently simple device (fig. 1,4). Just
like those of the birds, these man-made winglets make possible to
eliminate vortexes (fig. 1) that are created around the plane's wings
and with the consequence that:
 -the airplane's fuel consumption is reduced so it also pollutes less
- using these winglets, the airplane needs smaller wings to generate
the same vertical lift compared with that which doesn't have them. In
this way, one can build smaller airplanes that consume less fuel and
need smaller airports
As we have seen till now, the birds are perfect flying machines,
designed in the most efficient and perfect possible way. From these
marvelous creatures, man has been able to draw his inspiration and
build his own flying machines and realize his biggest dream: to fly
like a bird. With the discoveries about these winglets, Allah has
showed us again His infinite power and wisdom.
"Do they not see the birds controlled in the atmosphere of the sky?
None holds them up except Allah . Indeed in that aresigns for a people
who believe." (Surat An-Nahl, 79)
"Haven't they looked at the birds above them, with wings outspread and
folded back? Nothing holds them up but the All-Merciful. He sees all
things." (Qur'an, 67: 19)
2011-10-09 17:18:01
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ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- ~ Satan's pride has led him to denial until doomsday

Pride and obstinacy, the deification and elevation of earthly desires
in other words, are two of the main subjects on which people are
tested in this world. God reveals in the Qur'an that pride and
arrogance are a characteristic of deniers and those who deviate into
blasphemy: But those who do not believe are full of vainglory and
entrenched in hostility. (Surah Sad, 2)
Someone who wishes to raise his pride has discounted everything he
loves. He will do anything, become contrary and unpleasant, and
experience the soullessness and negativity of acting in contravention
of the Qur'an. He will forego his love for someone else for the sake
of his own pride in a single moment. Most important of all, however,
he prefers his own pride to the love of God. And he will persist in
his pride even at the risk of losing God's approval. By thus deifying
and elevating his own desires he sets himself up in opposition to God.
(God is beyond that.)
The pride of Satan, who forewent God's pleasure and his place in
paradise by glorifying himself and who devoted himself throughout the
life of world to misleading human beings for the sake of that pride,is
an obvious example of this. God describes Satan's position in the
following verses:
When your Lord said to the angels, 'I am creating a human being out of
dried clay formed from fetid black mud When I have formed him and
breathed My Ruh into him, fall down in prostration in front of him!'
Then the angels prostrated all together, every one of them – except
Satan. He disdained to be one of the prostrators. He said, 'Satan,
what is it that prevents you being among the prostrators?' He said, 'I
will not prostrate to a human being whom You have created out of dried
clay formed from fetid black mud.' He said, 'Get out from here, you
are accursed. Thecurse will be on you till the Day of Reckoning.' He
said, 'My Lord,grant me a reprieve until the Day they are raised
again.' He said, 'You are among the reprieved until the Day whose time
is known.' He said, 'My Lord, because You misled me, I will make
things on the earth seem good to them and I will mislead them all,
every one of them, except Your servants among them who are sincere.'
(Surat al-Hijr, 28-40)
Satan's obstinacy and pride is a sign of the dimension of the scourge
he represents. His preference for his own pride over the love of God
and the blessings bestowed by Him, his desire, resulting from the
fierceness of that pride, to cause people to deviate from the true
path throughout the life of this world, and the way that he does this
so blatantly, in contravention of God's desire, and knowing that he
will go to hell, are all significant in terms ofthe dimension of this
scourge.
The example of Satan is a reality that reveals that people who love
pride are not really capable of love. There is very definitely no room
for feelings such as peace, security, friendship, loyalty, brotherhood
or altruism. There is literally nobody else around for anyone who is
prepared to give up the ones he loves for the sake of his pride. He is
all alone with his earthly desires and deified pride.
Our Almighty Lord has warned people against this danger and described
how Satan will at the end of the day always abandon then:
He led me astray from the Reminder after it came to me.' Satan always
leaves man in the lurch. (Surat al-Furqan, 29)
Anyone wishing to elevate his earthly desires is very definitely
demeaned in the sight of God. Herewards such demeaned people in the
hereafter and, if He so chooses, in this world. Our Lord has said that
Satan, whom He expelled from paradise for his pride, is actually one
of the demeaned:
He said, 'Descend from Heaven. It is not for you to be arrogant in it.
So get out! You are one of the abased.' (Surat al-A'raf, 13)
The moral values praised by God are those of people who do not exalt
their earthly desires, who are never the captives of their own pride,
who know that God gives all things and that they stand in need of Him,
and who are aware of their own helplessness. Nobody who constantly
bears these things in mind can ever become proud, or elevate his own
earthly desires in the belief that the blessings given him by our Lord
really belong to him, not forget his own helplessness and imagine that
he is a great human being. People who bear these things in mind are
the friends of God. They constantly give thanks to Him. They know that
they need God, and hope to live pleasant lives and for the best in the
hereafter with His help, mercy and love. They have God's approval and
friendship, and so they have no need for anything else. People living
in that awareness of course have the best knowledge of love and
loyalty and the value of their blessings.
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ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- ~ Diseases are a part of our test

What is the reason behind the diseases?
Diseases are one of those things in our lives reminding us of howweak
we truly are. Our perfectly protected bodies can be severelyimpaired
by a tiny bacteria or a virus that is invisible to naked eye. Actually
a little thinking will make us understand that it is surprising for
our bodies to be so heavily affected by a bacteria.It is so, because
Allah created ourbody with flawless protection systems, especially
our immune system. It can be comfortably called a 'strong army'
fighting against the enemies of our body.However, despite all these
protective systems, humans can'thelp but fall ill very frequently.
This should make us understand that Allah could have created us in
such a way that we would never get ill. Viruses, bacteria would not
affect us at all, or these tiny 'enemies' specially prepared would not
have existed at all. However, any person, at any time, can find
himself struggling with a health problem for no apparent reason. For
example, one virus entering the body through a small cut on the skin
can spread throughout the body in a short amount of time. No matter
how advanced the technology is, the simplest virus can overpower us
very easily.
These are not far-fetched scenarios, they can happen to anyone at
anytime; this should make everyone ponder on these facts thoroughly.
Just like all other weaknesses, diseases also are specially created by
Allah for us. Man has a tendency to be arrogant and conceited,
forgetfulof his weaknesses. These diseases help man see and understand
his weaknesses and also see the true, undesirable nature of this life.
The diseases are tests created by Allah so that Muslims will long for
heaven, contemplate the blessings, the gift of health granted to them
by Allah and give thanks to Him and also realize how weak they are,
which should make them surrender to Allah with all their hearts.
Man tends to take many things for granted in life. However, all those
things in this world that we love so much are simply the blessings
created by Almighty Allah.
For example, many people forgetthat it is a huge blessing that every
morning we are able to get up and stand and walk easilyon our feet.
However, a tiny problem in one foot could cause a big problem,
impeding daily activities. A person who has a foot ache will then be
able to better appreciate the thousand steps he takes during the day
without feeling any pain.
A devout Muslim takes this and many other seemingly unimportant things
as opportunities to give thanks to Allah and get closer to Him. He
remembers that Allah gave him agreat blessing by making him a healthy
person. He also sees one more time that it is Allah that gives the
disease and only Allah can heal him, and therefore turnsto Allah for
recovery. Every moment when there is a feeling of pain, he remembers
Allah and keeps his heart focused on Allah all the time.
He who created me and guides me;
He who gives me food and gives me drink;
and when I am ill, it is He who heals me;
He who will cause my death, then give me life;
He who I sincerely hope will forgive my mistakes on the Dayof Reckoning.
My Lord, give me right judgment and unite me with the salihun;
and make me highly esteemed among the later peoples;
and make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Delight,"
(Ash-Shu'ara', 78-85)
Diseases make us understand that being attached to this world is
utterly pointless. They also show us that everything we have is a part
of our test. in thisway we can understand that weare only the poor
servants of Allah and can be easily defeated and even killed by germs.
Allah created us, and He protects us from all kinds of dangers
surrounding us. No matter how much one tries to think otherwise and
try to persuade himself that he is powerful, he can never help or even
protect himself if Allah doesn't wish it. If Allah wills it, Allah can
give one diseases and create other weaknesses in his body that will
perfectly make him understand his frailty .
This life is a place of testing created by Allah. Every person is
responsible for spending his life in a way that pleases Allah and
istested constantly for this purpose. Those who are following the
orders of Allah anddisplay good morals will deserveto live in heaven
forever. However, those who continue to be arrogant and prefer a
couple of decades of this life over eternal heaven will not be able
torid themselves from weaknesses,troubles and problems both in this
world and in the hereafter.

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