Hazrat Uthman (ra)

Hazrat Uthman (ra), one of the handful of people who first embraced
Islam, had been one of the closest people to our Prophet (saas)
throughout his life. He was the son-in-law of our Prophet (saas) and
the third Caliph. Because he was twice honored with being the
son-in- law of our Prophet (saas), he was called "Thun-Nurayn"
(Zunnorain), meaning "the possessor of two lights." He participated
in all the struggles of our Prophet (saas) except for the Battle of
Badr. When Hazrat Uthman (ra) embraced Islam, he was subjected to
torture by the idolaters. When migration to Ethiopia was allowed,
he became one of the first immigrants to Ethiopia together with his
wife Mrs. Ruquayyah, our Prophet's (saas) daughter.
Hazrat Abu Bakr's (ra) communication of Islam became instrumental in
Hazrat Uthman's (ra) embracing Islam. He was one of the precious
companions of our Prophet (saas) who was exemplary to all Muslims
with his superior moral qualities and beautiful speech.
Apart from his refined and influential manner of speaking , he had
an extraordinarily retentive memory and he committed the Holy
Qur'an to memory. Having a very profound knowledge of hadith, he
also made great services to Islam by writing and recording the
revelations.
Hazrat Uthman's (ra) spending in the way of Allah
Hazrat Uthman (ra), who was engaged in commerce before converting
to Islam, was a wealthy and greatly respected merchant of his
tribe. When he was honored with Islam, he spent his entire wealth
which Allah had granted him for the spread of Islam and the welfare
of Muslims.
In a time when there was a water shortage in Medina, he paid twenty
thousand dirhems, which was quite a sum of money for that time, to
buy the Well of Ruma and donated it to the service of Muslims who
were paying for the water taken from this well. He was also the
person who met all the needs of the army, consisting of ten
thousand Muslims, who would participate in the expedition to Tabuk.
This aside, in a time when there was famine in Medina, Hazrat
Uthman (ra) purchased a hundred loads of wheat that arrived from
Damascus by camel and distributed them to the needy and the
companions of our Prophet (saas) in Medina.
Hazrat Uthman's (ra) Superior Services as a Caliphate
Following the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Uthman (ra) was
chosen as Caliph by a committee. Because he was considered
deserving of this duty by the Islamic community, nobody objected to
this decision and everyone offered allegiance to him. Hazrat Uthman
(ra) no doubt rendered one of his most important services in
spreading the morality of Islam during his Caliphate by ordering the
production of multiple copies of the text of the Qur'an as it
exists today, and sending them to all the Muslim provinces. During
the time of Hazrat Uthman (ra), the copies of the Qur'an were
produced, a copy was left in Medina and others were sent to Mecca,
Damascus, Kufa, Basra, Egypt and other provinces. Due to this
honorable and great service of Hazrat Uthman (ra), he was given the
name "Nashri al-Qur'an", meaning "the one who spreads the Qur'an."
During his Caliphate, Hazrat Uthman (ra) achieved many other great
accomplishments, one of which was the establishment of the first
Muslim navy on the coasts of Syria that made its first expedition to
Cyprus. Following this first naval triumph, other expeditions were
made to other islands in the Mediterranean in the following years,
with great victories following these expeditions.
During his military expeditions both on land and sea, and as a
requisite of the morality of Islam, Hazrat Uthman (ra) always
assumed a just and compassionate attitude. He observed the rights
of the People of the Book and treated them with compassion and
justice.
During the conquest of Dabil (Dvin), which was an Armenian city
during the Caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (ra), he granted indemnity to
the Christians, Jews and zoroastrians living in the city and
guaranteed the protection of their sanctuaries.
The following letter which Hazrat Uthman (ra) wrote to the
financial and administrative authorities when he became the Caliph
reveals his understanding, which was in full conformity with the
morality of the Qur'an:
"Almighty Allah had created nothing for a vain purpose. He created
everything as right. Therefore He accepts nothing but the right.
Take whatever you take as right; and give those things you give away
to the needy. Be especially attentive to honesty. Conduct yourself
honestly and don't be the one violating it, for those violating it
also undertakes the sins of those coming later. Be attentive to be
loyal; do not violate the rights of the orphan and comply with the
conventions. Be aware that Allah is hostile to those who oppress the
orphan."
This aside, he always allowed the repair of demolished churches
and the construction of new ministries and synagogues.
During the Caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (ra), the Muslim army had
great victories against the Byzantine Empire, and Armenia,
Caucasia, Khorasan, Marrakesh, Karman, Africa and many others were
included in the territories of the Islamic state.
The first Sermon of Hazrat Uthman (ra)
When Hazrat Uthman (ra) came to the pulpit to preach his first
sermon, he told the following after giving thanks to Allah:
"Muslims! You are indeed living in the blessings of peace and
security in Islam. You have come to the end of your lives with this
blessing. May your life end with goodness. Day and night, you have
struggled with all your might and main. But be well aware that the
yeast of this world is decisive. May the life of this world not
deceive you. Do not be proud towards Allah and take lessons from
those who preceeded you. Do not be idle and insensitive; be alert.
Allah is not heedless. Now where are those men of means who
preceeded us and loved this world, felt attached to it and had
palaces everywhere? Has this world ever remained faithful to them?
Take at least lessons from it, and do not overestimate this world
which Allah despises. Get prepared for the Hereafter, which is your
eternal abode."
Hazrat Uthman (ra) concluded his sermon saying, "There is a good
example in the following verse" and read:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan:
Make a metaphor for them of the life of the world. It is like water
which We send down from the sky and the plants of the earth combine
with it but then become dry chaff scattered by the winds. Allah has
absolute power over everything. (Surat al-Kahf, 45)
Wise words of Hazrat Uthman (ra)
"Take heed from the past and work for the good."
"Almighty Allah granted this world to you so that you can seek the
life of the Hereafter. He did not grant it to you so that you feel
inclined to it!"
"Hurry for the good deeds you can do before death catches up with you."
"O people! Avoid opposing the commandments of Allah, for avoidance
from opposing Allah's commandments is a loot… A servant of Allah
should fear from being resurrected blind although he was the one
able to see. A single word is sufficient for the one who understands
wisdom. Those who are deaf in soul already do not hear the right. Be
aware that that person fears nothing if Allah is with him."
The news of Hazrat Uthman's (ra) martyrdom was given by our Prophet (saas)
Our Prophet (saas) sent a messenger to Hazrat Uthman (ra) to call him
and when he came he told him:
"You will be murdered and die a martyr! Be patient. May Allah give
you patience."
"Never take off the shirt of Caliphate that Allah will put on you
for ten years and six months." While Hazrat Uthman (ra) was
leaving, our Prophet (saas) told him: "May Allah grant you
patience. You will be martyred while you will be fasting and you
will break your fast with me!" (Imam Suyuti, our Prophet (saas)
with his Extraordinary Features , Iz Publishing, Istanbul, 2003,
p.729)
Hazrat Uthman (ra) was martyred on 35 Hijr (the year 657 according
to the Gregorian Calendar) by some rebels in his home.
Our Prophet's (saas) words about Hazrat Uthman (ra)
"Uthman is the one with the most sense of shame in the ummah and the
most graceful."
"Every prophet has a companion in the Garden. My companion there is Uthman."
"My Lord! Remove Uthman's grief and sorrow on the Day of Judgment,
for he removed much of our grief."
"Uthman is from me, and I am from Uthman."

General Articles, - How do our cells recognize and bind to one another?

Every cell that multiplies and divides as the embryo develops knows
what its task is and heads towards the relevant location in the
body. Bone cells locate other bone cells and adhere to them, while
eye cells bind to eye cells and other cells to others of their kind.
Let us now examine these statements with care.
Every cell that multiplies and divides knows what its task is. In
these images you are looking at, you are seeing a fertilized egg
multiply and divide. As the number of cells grows, cells begin
grouping together. It is at this stage that the decision is taken as
to what tasks these cells will undertake in the body. Some cells
group together as muscle cells, others as nerve cells and others
again as bone cells.
So how and why do these millions of constantly multiplying cells
decide to become nerve, heart, muscle or liver cells?
Scientists discovered that cells use calcium in order to join
together. They first combined and separated various embryonic cells
in a laboratory environment by reducing the amount of calcium. The
cells in this calcium-deprived environment could not combine
together. They then added calcium to these cells and saw that cells
of the same type recognized one another and joined together. In
other words, all liver cells, heart cells, stomach cells and all the
other types of cells recognize each other, come together and give
rise to the relevant organ.
But how is it that these cells find one another, making no mistakes,
and combine to create an organ?
Combination takes place in three stages; cell activation, mutual
recognition and finally binding together.
Cell activation takes place with micro- protrusions which resemble
fingers on the surface of the cell. By means of these protrusions,
a bone cell moves along millions of developing cells and finds
another bone cell to adhere to. But in order for a cell to move
among millions of cells, the fluid inside the cell has to be of just
the right thickness. If the fluid were a little bit thicker, the
cell could not bear the resistance, and therefore could not move.
That would make it impossible for cells to produce first a tissue
and then later an organ.
THAT IS, IF CELLS DID NOT MOVE, our organs would not be formed.
The answer to the question of how a liver cell recognizes another
liver cell lies in the wondrous proteins on the cell membrane.
Known as cadherins , these proteins first move toward the cell
surface before binding takes place. They settle on the cell
membrane and form a bridge between the inside of the cell and the
outside. There are various types of cadherins. When two cells with
the same cadherin molecules make contact, they recognize one
another and binding begins. During the binding process, molecules
on both the inside and outside of the cell become involved and
establish a glorious cooperation together. The cadherin protein
has the ability to bind to that part of the calcium remaining
outside the cell. That is why calcium is one of the chemicals
necessary for cells to bind to one another.
Nerve cells that recognize one another during embryonic development
fold in on themselves after binding together. This takes place as
cells with the same kind of cadherin bind together. When this
process is over, all the nerve cells gather together in a single
layer.
Two binding molecules use the force of attraction to join together.
In order for a force of attraction to be established between cells,
the distance between the two surfaces of the binding molecules has
to be less than one nanometer and they have to be at the same level.
While it is difficult for these conditions to be met the cells
still manage to combine togetherbecause the force of attraction is
capable of bearing a load of 40 nanograms; if the force of
attraction between cells were not that strong, it would be
impossible for one cell to bind to another. Allah has created this
force attraction in such a sensitive manner that this bond permits
both a very powerful binding force among cells as well as providing
for a degree of flexibility, meaning it can be dissolved when
necessary.
If our cells lacked this superb functioning that allows them to
identify one another, we could not survive because in the event of
any sickness, our red blood corpuscles would be unable to defend
the body, our blood would not clot and, most important of all, the
cells that give rise to our organs during embryonic development
could not combine together.
This flawless functioning in our bodies is one of the manifestations
of Allah's glorious creative artistry.
I take refuge in Allah from the satan;
Does not man recall that We created him before when he was not
anything? (Surah Maryam, 67)

General Articles, - The miracle of thecell membrane

In order for a living thing to survive, the cell needs to dispose of
the waste products and take the nutrients and other products into
the cell. This task is carried out by the cell membrane. However
this is quite a hard task.
The cell membrane is a layer consisting of lipid molecules.
On the fat particles in the cell membrane, there exist some gates
ensuring the entrance into and exit from the cell and receptors
which enable the cell to recognize the external environment.
These gates and receptors are made up of lipid molecules.
The cell membrane;
-Controls exit from and entrance into the cell
-Establishes the intracellular communication
-Conveys the messages into the cell
-Determines the harmful organism such as microbes and bacteria.
In order for the cell to accomplish these activities,
The cell must know all the activities of the cell,
-Should have an amazing knowledge of chemistry,
-Should make a list of the necessary or surplus materials,
-Should have a memory and decision making ability to keep stocks
under control
-Should know the meaning of the intracellular messages and
-Should recognize the harmful agents for the cell.
The cell membrane distinguishes the required substances among
hundreds of chemicals and only lets them in. In order to accomplish
this the membrane uses different techniques according to the size
of the molecules.
Among the materials which pass through the membrane, there are
small molecules like electrons photons, ions and water molecules ,
medium- sized molecules such as amino-acids and glucose and large
molecules like protein and RNA.
The cell membrane lets the small molecules pass through the membrane
which the cell requires by diffusion.
Phospholipids and protein channels determine which molecules and
ions to pass in which rate and when they'll pass.
Protein Channels and Carrier Proteins
Some molecules pass through the protein channels on the cell membrane.
Some molecules, on the other hand, can only pass through by the help
of a carrier protein. Binding of protein to the molecule which will
be taken into the cell changes the shape of the protein and this
action allows the protein to pass through the cell membrane.
Each one of the proteins on these channels has a sequence of amino
acids of their own.
Some proteins carry out this action without taking energy from the
cell. However, there are special proteins for molecules, which are
carried against the ion and concentration flow. These proteins are
competent in an even harder task. Using the energy of the cell, they
meticulously carry the necessary material into the cell, against
the very ion and concentration flow. Meanwhile, no harm is given to
the protein channel, the passing material or the cell.
With the energy they receive from the cell, these special proteins
change their shapes and thus carry the materials matching their own
gates inside the cell.
Cell Membrane Vesicles
In larger molecules the cell membrane extends like an arm, encloses
the molecule and, joining its arms from two ends, takes the molecule
into the cell.
In order to take liquids into the cell, the cell membrane employs
another method: At the point where the liquid exists, the membrane
sinks in. The liquid filling in this structure is enclosed by the
cell membrane and thus the liquid remains within the cell when a
full sack is formed.
In both cases there exists a vesicle within the cell enclosed by the
membrane. For these materials to be used by the cell, they should
still pass through the membrane. Lysosome joins with the vesicle
and the digestive enzymes inside the vesicle break down the
material into particles small enough to pass through the membrane.
In some cases receptors enter the equation. The molecule binding
with the receptor is enclosed by the cell membrane and a vesicle
comes into being. Again lysosome joins with this vesicle and the
digestive enzymes break down the molecule into smaller pieces and
release them from the receptor. This way the cell membrane can reuse
the receptors .
The cell membrane also determines the waste and throws them out by
the vesicle method.
Relay of messages into the cell
There are hormones commissioned to any order from the brain. When
the hormone reaches the cell, it relays its message to the receptor
protein on the cell membrane. Accordingly the protein conveys the
message to the center. The cell acknowledges this order, makes a
decision and thus gets into action. These hormones can order the
cell to move, divide or even die.
Large hormones bind to the protein receptors. Receptors send
messenger molecules to the enzymes and organelles.
Cells recognizing each other
Cells recognize one another from the cell membrane
Hook-like extensions form on the outer side of the cell membrane
Thus, heart cells recognize other heart cells, liver cells recognize
other liver cells.
The cells hold on to each other by these hooks to form the organs.
Defense cells and the cell membrane
The membranes of the defense cells detect harmful external
materials. When necessary, the tentacles of the cell membrane
elongate to catch the bacteria and microbes. When the enemy is
caught it is absorbed by the cell.
The cell digests the enemy and the released particles are reused for
the benefit of the body.
This amazing wisdom and conscience displayed by the cell membrane
surely does not belong to the lipid particles and proteins. This
superior intelligence and wisdom belongs to the Almighty Allah. By
the inspiration of Allah, these processes are flawlessly carried out
in every cell membrane of each cell in our body.
It is Allah Who created the seven heavens and of the earth the same
number, the Command descending down through all of them, so that
you might know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah
encompasses all things in His knowledge. (Surat at-Talaq, 12)

Tourist Place, - The Taj Mahal

Agra [1] is the city of the Taj Mahal, in the north Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh , some 200 km from Delhi .
Agra has three UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Taj Mahal and the Agra
Fort in the city and Fatehpur Sikri nearby. There are also many other
buildings and tombs from Agra's days of glory as the capital of the
Mughal Empire.
The city has little else to recommend it. Pollution, especially smog
and litter, is rampant and travellers are pestered byswarms of touts
and hawkers at every monument, mosque, temple or palace. That said,
the sites are some of the wonders of the world and no trip to India is
complete withoutat least one visit to the Taj.
[ edit ] Understand
While Agra's heyday was as the capital of the Mughal empire between
1526 and 1658, the city was founded much earlier. The earliest
reference to Agra is in the ancient epic, the Mahabharata, while
Ptolemy was the first person to call it by its modern name. The
recorded history of Agra begins around the 11th century, and over the
next 500 years, the city changed hands between various kings, both
Hinduand Muslim.
In 1506, Sultan Sikandar Lodi, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, moved
his capital from Delhi to Agra. His son Ibrahim Lodi was the last
ruler of the Lodi dynasty, as he was defeated in 1526 by Babur, the
first Mughal ruler, in the battle of Panipat. Agra fell too, and
became the capital of the Mughals, whose rule over Agra was
uninterrupted except for a brief period between 1540 and 1556. In
1540, Sher Shah Shuri overthrew Humayun became the ruler of much of
North India, including Agra. After SherShah Suri's death his
descendants proved unequal to the task of ruling the kingdom, and
Hemu, a Hindu general ofSuri became the effectiveruler who would later
crown himself King Hemachandra Vikramaditya just as the kingdom was
facing an assault from the reinvigorated Mughals. In 1556, Hemu would
be defeated and killed in the second battle of Panipat, and the
Mughalsregained Agra.
Mughals were great builders. Babur built the Aram Bagh (garden of
relaxation) modeled after the garden of paradise, where he was
eventually buried after his death. His grandson Akbar refurbished the
Agra fort and built the Fatehpur Sikri , an entire city just on the
outskirts of Agra. He also renamed Agra after himself, and the city
was known as Akbarabad while it was in Mughal hands. Akbar's grandson
Shah Jehan would give Agra its most famous monument, the Taj Mahal ,
which is the mausoleum of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal . The Taj is
constructed in white marble. It took 20 years to construct, and is now
universally known as a monument to love. Legend has it that Shah Jehan
wanted a replica of the Taj constructed in black marble that would be
his final resting place. There is no actual support for this theory,
but even if it were true, it would have been unlikely to be
eventuated. His son Aurangzeb was austere and pious, and had no time
or inclination for the ostentation of his forefathers, preferring
tospend his money on warsin South India. In any case, even during Shah
Jehan's reign, which was the period when the Mughal empire was at its
height, the construction of the Taj put a strain on the resources of
the empire and caused a min-famine around Agra.Shah Jehan was
eventually buried in the white Taj, next to his beloved Begum.
Shah Jehan, in addition to giving Agra its greatest claim to fame, was
also responsible for beginning its decline, as decided to shift his
capital to Shahjehanabad, which we now know as Old Delhi, in 1658.
Though Aurangzeb ordered a move back, this too was short lived, as he
moved his headquarters down south to Aurangabad to be focus on his
wars. Agra declined, and so didthe Mughal Empire. The city was
eventually captured by the Marathas, who renamed it back to Agra. In
1803, itcame under the British, who situated the Agra Presidency
there, and when India gained independence, the city was incorporated
into the state of Uttar Pradesh, and did not gain even the limited
honour of being the state's capital, that distinction going to Lucknow
, further east. It is now a tourist town, known for the Taj and a
couple of other monuments.
Anyone interested in reading a novel based onthe remarkable story
behind the Taj Mahal's creation should consider Beneath a Marble Sky
by John Shors. Beneath a Marble Sky is an international bestseller,
has won multiple awards, and is being made into a movie by Hollywood.
Other book (historical fiction) is The Taj by Colin De Silva.
[ edit ] Get in
Agra is 200 km southeast from Delhi and is one of the points of the
tourist'sGolden Triangle of Agra- Delhi - Jaipur . Agra is alsovery
well connected via rail and road with other nearby cities and tourist
destinations.
[ edit ] By plane
Service to Agra's Kheria Airport ( IATA : AGR ICAO : VIAG ) is
seasonal. As of November 2008, the city is served by Kingfisher
Airlines and Air India Regional, who both fly on the Delhi -Agra-
Jaipur tourist triangle route. The flight time to either is less than
an hour. Travelers have had trouble with extreme lateness, and for
that reason a hired car may be a safer (and probably cheaper)
alternative.
[ edit ] By train
Agra is on the main train line between the Delhi - Mumbai (Bombay) and
Delhi - Chennai routes, and many trains connect Agra with these cities
every day. Some east-bound trains from Delhi also travel via Agra, so
direct connections to points in Eastern India (including Kolkata ) are
also available. There are close to 20 trains to Delhi every day, and
at least three or four to both Mumbai and Chennai. Agra and Delhi are
notorious for their thick winter fog which reduces visibility to
almost zero. If travelling in late December or early January (the fog
season), travelers should be aware that, because of the reduced
visibility, all trains slow down and travel time goes up. The Bhopal
Shatabdi, for example, may arrive in Agra well after 10AM, andmight
return to Delhi well after midnight. Froma safety point of view, it is
always preferable to travel by train during thewinters. Driving in fog
onthe road is very risky. There are three stations in Agra:
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And Allah Knows the Best!
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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA