Time in Islam: Time is very precious utilize reading Noble Quran

Since last night my youngson has been unwell. When I got back from
work this evening I decided to take him to hospital despite my
exhaustion. There were many waiting; perhaps we will be delayed by
more than an hour. I took my number and sat down in the waiting room.
There were many faces, young and old, but all silent.
Some brothers made use of the many booklets available in the waiting
room. Some of those waiting had their eyes closed, while others
werelooking around. Most were bored. Once in a while the long silence
was broken by a nurse calling out a number. Happiness appears on
theone whose turn it is, and he gets up quickly; then silence returns.
A young man grabbed myattention. He was reading a pocket-sized Noble
Qur'an continuously; not raising his head even once. At first I did
not think much about him. However, after one hour of waitingmy casual
glances turned into a deep reflection about his lifestyle and how he
utilizes his time. One hour of life wasted! Instead of making benefit
of that hour, it was just a boring wait. Then the call for prayer was
made. We went to prayer in the hospital's Masjid (Mosque). I tried to
pray close to the man who was reading the Noble Qur'an earlier in the
waiting room.
After the prayer I walked with him. I informed him of how impressed I
was of him and how he tries to benefit from his time.
He told me that most of our time is wasted without any benefit. These
are days that go from our lives without being conscious of them or
regretting their waste.He said that he started carrying the
pocket-sizedNoble Qur'an around when a friend encouraged him to make
full use of his time. He told me that in the time other people waste
he gets to read much more of the Noble Qur'an than he gets to read
either at home or in the mosque. Moreover, besides the reward of
reading the Noble Qur'an, this habit saves him from boredom and
stress.
He added that he has now been waiting for one and a half hours. Then
he asked, when willyou find one and a half hours to read the Noble
Qur'an? I reflected; how much time do we waste? How many moments of
our lives pass by, and yet we do not account for how they passed by?
Indeed, how many months pass by and we do not read the Noble Qur'an? I
came to respect my companion, and I discovered that I am to stand for
account and that time is not in my hand; so what am I waiting for? My
thoughts were interrupted by the nurse calling out my number; I went
to the doctor.
But I want to achieve something now. After I left the hospital I
quickly went to the bookshop and bought a pocket-sized Noble Qur'an. I
decided to be mindful of how I spend the time.

Yet another blow to the myth of vestigial organs

Darwinism considers all life on Earth as a productof chance mutations
andnatural selection and, as ana prioricommitment, excludes
intelligent design. In order to argueagainst design, the Darwinist
mind seeks forflaws in the biological systems. From Darwin to Dawkins,
over and over, this dogmatic stance has led the evolutionist to insist
on the existence ofimaginary flaws and"useless" vestigial organsin
living systems. However, over and over, these bold claims by
evolutionists turned out to be manifestations of ignorance.The
allegedly vestigial organs were discovered to be performing very
important functions and the whole "vestigial organ" argument turnedout
to be a fallacy.
The history of science documents a steady reduction in the numberof
the so-called vestigial organs. The allegedly non-functional organs,
one by one, turned out to be organs whose functions had not yet been
discovered. A list ofvestigial organs that wasmade by the German
Anatomist R. Wiedersheim in 1895 included approximately 100
structures, includingthe appendix and the coccyx.As science
progressed, it was discovered that all of theorgans in
Wiedersheim'slist in fact had very important functions. Forinstance,
it was discovered that theappendix, which was supposed to be
a"vestigial organ," was in fact a part of the lymphatic system. A
medical publication notes in 1997 that "otherbodily organs and tissues
- the thymus, liver, spleen, appendix, bone marrow, and small
collections of lymphatic tissue such as the tonsils in the throat and
Peyer'spatch in the small intestine - are also part of the lymphatic
system. They too help the body fight infection." ( 1)
It was also discovered that the tonsils, which were also included in
Wiedersheim's list of vestigial organs, had a significant role in
protecting the throat against infections, particularly until
adolescence. It was found that the coccyx at the lower end of the
vertebral column supports the bones around the pelvis and is the
convergence point of some small muscles and for this reason, it would
not be possible tosit comfortably without a coccyx.
In the years that followed,it was realized that the thymus triggered
the immune system in the human body by activating the T cells, that
the pineal gland was in charge of the secretion of some important
hormones, that the thyroid gland was effective in providing steady
growthin babies and children, and that the pituitary gland controlled
the correct functioning of many hormone glands. All of these were once
considered to be"vestigial organs." Finally, the semi-lunar fold in
the eye, which was referred to as a vestigial organ by Darwin, has
been found in fact to be in charge ofcleansing and lubricating the
eye.
The steady reduction in the list of vestigial organs results from the
fact that this is an argument from ignorance. Some wiser evolutionists
also came to realize this fact. S.R. Scadding, an evolutionist
himself, once wrote in his article"Can vestigial organs constitute
evidence for evolution?" published in the journalEvolutionary Theory:
Since it is not possible tounambiguously identify useless structures,
and since the structure of the argument used is not scientifically
valid,I conclude that "vestigial organs" provide no special evidence
for the theory of evolution. ( 2)
The Leg of the Horse
The latest blow to the myth of vestigial organs comes from a recent
study of the leg of the horse. An article in the 20-27 December 2001
issue of the Nature magazine, entitled"Biomechanics: Damper For Bad
Vibrations", it is noted that "Some musclefibers in the legs of horses
seem to be evolutionary leftovers with no function. But in fact they
may act to absorb damaging vibrations generated in the leg as the
horse runs." The article reads:
Horses and camels have muscles in their legs with tendons more than
600 millimeters long connected to muscle fibers less than 6
millimeters long. Such short muscles can change length only by a few
millimeters as the animal moves, and seemunlikely to be of much use to
large mammals. The tendons function as passive springs, and it has
been assumed that the short muscle fibers are redundant, the remnants
of longer fibers that have lost their function over the course of
evolution. But Wilson and colleagues argue… that these fibers might
protect bones andtendons from potentiallydamaging vibrations….
Their experiments show that short muscle fibers can damp the damaging
vibrations following the impact of a foot on the ground. When the foot
of a running animal hits the ground, the impact sets the leg
vibrating; the frequency of the vibrations is relatively high - for
example, 30-40 Hz in horses - so many cycles of vibration would occur
while the foot was on the ground if there were no damping.
The vibrations might cause damage, because bone and tendon are
susceptible to fatigue failure. Fatigue in bones and tendons is the
accumulation of damageresulting from repeated application of stresses.
Bone fatigue is responsible for the stressfractures suffered by both
human athletes and racehorses, and tendon fatigue may explain at least
some cases of tendonitis. Wilsonet al. suggest thatthe very short
muscle fibers protect both bones and tendons from fatigue damage by
damping out vibrations… ( 3)
In short, a closer look at the anatomy of the horse revealed that, the
structures that had been considered as nonfunctional by evolutionists
have very important functions. In other words, scientific progress
demonstrated that what was considered to be evidence for evolution
isin fact evidence for design.
Evolutionists should takea hint from this fact, if they are willing to
do so.These comments made inNatureseem reasonable:
Wilson et al. have found an important role for a muscle that seemed to
be the relic of a structure that had lost its function in the courseof
evolution. Their work makes us wonder whether other vestiges (such as
the human appendix) are as useless as they seem. ( 4)
This is not surprising.The more we learn about nature, the more we see
the evidence for God's creation. As Michael Behe notes, "theconclusion
of design comes not from that we do not know, but from what we have
learned over the past 50 years." ( 5) And Darwinism turns out to be an
argument from ignorance, or, in other words, an"atheism of the gaps."

Creation in the Quran

Religion has taught the truth of creation, which all people can
grasp through reason and personal observation, since the creation
of first human being. All divine religions have taught that God
created the universe by commanding "Be!" and that its flawless
functioning is proof of His great power of creation. Many verses in
the Qur'an also reveal this truth. For example, God reveals how He
miraculously created the universe from nothing: " The Originator of
the heavens and Earth. When He decides on something, He just says
to it, 'Be!' and it is " (Surat al-Baqara, 117).
We are also told in the Qur'an:
He created the heavens and Earth with truth. The day He says "Be!" it
is. His speech is Truth. The Kingdom will be His on the Day the
Trumpet is blown, the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is
the All-Wise, the All-Aware. (Surat al-An'am, 73)
We all know that present day science demonstrates the invalidity of
the materialist-evolutionist claim and confirms the fact of
creation. Contrary to the claims of the theory of evolution, all the
proofs of creation that surround us show that chance had no role in
the universe's coming into existence. Every detail that emerges as
we observe the sky, Earth, and all living things is intended as
evidence of God's great power and wisdom.
God Created the Universe from Nothing
God creates everything, in the form and at the time that He chooses,
without the use of any model and out of nothing. Since He is
exalted above any defect and is rich beyond any need. He has no need
of any cause, vehicle, or stages for His creation. Nobody should be
deceived by the fact that everything is linked to given causes and
natural laws. God is beyond all these causes and laws, since He
created them.
God, the Lord of the Earth and the Heavens, can also do away with
these causes if He so wills. For instance, He can create people who
do not need oxygen to survive, and therefore do not need any lungs.
Given this, why would He "need" to perfect the lung by making it
evolve over time or through any other mechanism? It is therefore
completely wrong for people to think of God's greatness and might
as being limited to their own feelings and reason. We can have
knowledge only to the extent that He permits.
God can use particular stages in His creation if He so wills. For
example, He produces a plant from a seed or a human being from the
coming together of a sperm and an egg cell. Yet these stages have
nothing to do with evolution and have no room for chance or
coincidence. Every stage in the emergence of a plant, or the turning
of a single cell into a human being "in the best of forms," happens
thanks to the perfect systems created by God's infinite might.
God willed and created the Earth and the Heavens, all that lies
between, and all living and non-living things. This is very easy for
Him, as indicated in the Qur'an:
He created the heavens and Earth with truth. The day He says "Be!" it
is. His speech is Truth... (Surat al-An'am, 73)
Our Word to a thing when We will it is just to say to it "Be!" and
it is. (Surat an-Nahl, 40)
He gives life and causes to die. When He decides on something, He
just says to it, "Be!" and it is. (Surah Ghafir, 68)
Creation is very easy for God. As revealed in these verses, God says
to a thing "Be!," thereby willing it to be so. God reveals in many
verses that He created the universe and living things in perfect
form. It is a grave mistake for believers to adhere to forced
explanations in the face of this evident truth and to make such
specious claims that God employed evolution to create and used
mutation, natural selection, and transitional stages between apes
and humans. It is quite wrong to put forward such accounts, for
which there is no evidence in either the Qur'an or science, in the
hope of being accepted by evolutionists.
God makes all the laws in the universe and gives them the form He
chooses, brings about what He wills and when He wills it, permeates
everything in the Earth and the Heavens, and rules everything with
His power. Yet some people do not fully comprehend His might and thus
judge Him based upon their own limited powers.
God reveals their existence in the Qur'an:
They do not measure God with His true measure when they say: "God
would not send down anything to a mere human being."... (Surat
al-An'am, 91)
They do not measure God with His true measure. God is All-Strong,
Almighty. (Surat al-Hajj, 74)
They do not measure God with His true measure. The whole Earth will
be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Resurrection the heavens
folded up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! He is exalted above
the partners they ascribe! (Surataz-Zumar, 67)
Contrary to what those who believe in evolutionary creation
suggest, God did not first create apes and then cause them to evolve
into humans through flawed transitional forms with missing organs.
Rather, as the Qur'an reveals, God created man in the most perfect
manner:
We created man in the finest mold. (Surat at-Tin, 4)
He created the heavens and Earth with truth and formed you, giving
you the best of forms. And He is your final destination. (Surat
at-Taghabun, 3)
These verses are some of the proofs that God created man in perfect
form, in other words, the form that he has now.
Of course, man also has several incapacities and weaknesses, all of
which remind him of his poverty before our Lord. Deformities and
disabilities are the results of a purposeful creation, for they
serve as reminders for those who see them and as a test for those
who carry them. They are not imperfections caused by evolutionary
process as falsely claimed by the evolutionists.
In the Qur'an, God describes how easy creation is for Him:
Does He Who created the heavens and Earth not have the power to
create the same again? Yes indeed! He is the Creator, the
All-Knowing. (Surah Ya Sin, 81)
Your creation and resurrection is only like that of a single self.
God is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (Surah Luqman, 28)

Muslims in India

Overall, the Muslims of India make up 13.4 percent of the country's
population of over one billion. Islam isIndia's largest minority
religion.
India's Muslim communities tend to be more urban than rural. Inmany
towns and cities in northernIndia, Muslims are one-third or more of
the population. The largest concentrations of Muslims live in the
states of Bihar,West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. According to the
country's 2001 census there is 138.188.240 Muslims inIndia.
India's Muslims have played a historic role in shaping Indian society,
particularly in the medieval period in the areas of architecture,
calligraphy, miniature paintings, handicrafts, handloom, poetry,
literature in mystic humanism, culinary arts and sartorial fashions.
Not only does the Taj Mahal, the most famous symbol of India,
commemorate the love for a Muslim queen, but the very name India is an
Anglicized version of the Arabic name Hind which Muslim scholars
started using for the area beyond Sindh )roughly the east of Pakistan
today(.
InIndiathe biggest Indian minority is a victim of deprivation. Whether
it is legislative assemblies educational institutions, government
jobs, the problem of security in case of riots, representation in
political organizations, posts in policy planning and decision-making
groups or other pressure groups there is acute shortage of Muslim
representation everywhere, resulting in constant social tension and
problems in governance.
Some challenges the Indian Muslims face:
1. Communal riots againstMuslims are among the biggest tragedies of
this independent, secular democracy. Wherever Muslims have acquired a
relatively better economic position, these riots send them back to the
starting point. There have been 249 riots per year according to Indian
government statistics. Senior Indian journalist, Khuswant Singh notes
that in all communal violence that has taken place in India since
Independence in the 1940s, over 75 per cent ofthe causalities - in
terms of lives and property destroyed - were Muslim.
2. The second important problem is the state of present textbooks in
the Indian education system which have become very aggressive in
teaching Hinduism. This hits Muslims' faith, culture, civilization,
language and way of life. The educational syllabi have prescribed
course books in all states, which are replete with matters pertaining
to the faiths of the majority community, mythologicaland other stories
of Hindu gods and goddesses against the principles prescribed in the
Constitution. Obviously all these things are negations of Islamic
beliefs and teachings, especially about the Oneness of God Almighty.
Hence there is no doubt that these things are causing great concern to
the Muslims.
The rewriting of history is done in a way that continues to fuel the
non-secular, chauvinistic Hindu perspectives, causing the new
generation of Indians to shape their behavior towards minorities in a
very hostile way.
3. The economic problem:More than fifty percent Muslims are leading a
lifebelow the poverty line ascompared to thirty-five percent of Hindus
who live below the poverty line. Because of a generalenvironment of
hostility against Muslims, decent employment in the private sector is
becoming increasingly difficult for Muslims, while in the public
sectorthere is no encouragement for Muslims either. The future of
Muslim professionals and its working class, traders etchas been very
greatly affected.
Today very few Muslims are found in governmentjobs. A recent survey
shows that there are onlyeight Muslim police chiefsinIndia's 591
districts. That is .01% as compared to 12% of the Muslim population
inIndia. The situation of other departments is also worsening day by
day.
4. Education: The active discrimination Muslims face in the private
and public sector of the job market, has forced them to pay less
attention to school education which, inIndia, is connected with the
job market. In the educational field therefore, Muslims are very
backwards.
5. Urdu language. Another major problem of Muslims of India is thatof
the Urdu language. The Urdu language was born as a result of the
interaction and cohesion of different languages, nations, cultures and
civilizations and is a mixture of some old languages like Sanskrit,
Arabic, Persian, Turkish etc. Urdu is almost a deadlanguage now as far
as the medium of instruction is concerned. It is not tolerated even in
the primary and secondary stages of education.
The Muslims of India are very vulnerable in a country which describes
itself as the world's"largest secular democracy". Muslims today remain
poorer, lesseducated and less empowered inIndia.