stories, - In Search of Love

Friends, to be honest I never had any interest in love nor I intended
to love anyone but when I was in tenth standard, National High School,
in Bidar, i.e. is in 2004-05 I saw a girl who was fabulous to look at,
I don't know what happen? I just felt thrilled inside seeing her, she
seemed like an Angel came to Earth straight from Heaven. I was stunned
watching her cute face, twinkling eyes, soft red rosy lips, her short
hairs neatly combed, a streak down to her cheek and whenever it fell
on her eyes, she blew it gently, I could sense the warmth in her hair
and the way she plunked her hair behind an ear, Damn Hell! She killed
me...
Day by day love for her in my heart was growing deeper and stronger,
her image floated in my head as I reached home and I was dying to see
her again and again all my life, it was my luck that she was from our
school and even exciting news was she was my classmate. I went mad in
her thoughts. I and my friends' Avinash & Guru one night while passing
her Home screamed her name and stopped ahead, to see her come out but
to our surprise no one came to check who it was? After a couple of
days I came to know the fact that they had gone to their native and
home was locked, we Guru& Avi didn't notice it. Time ran as fast as
metro train.
Meanwhile in the month of January 2005 our school had arranged a
picnic to CHAKUR which is in Maharashtra 180kms from Bidar. There were
two buses which separated boys and girls while leaving Bidar, I think
it was the Bad idea of our Headmaster nicknamed "Daku". After three
hours of journey we reached our destination Chakur.
It was a wonderful place having each and every thing, say All in One.
A big lake, small hill covered with meadows, a train, boating etc. We
enjoyed peddle boating for more than an hour. She and her friends were
at the centre of lake in other boat, when we went close to them it was
astonishing that all begin to fling water from lake at each other; all
were wet now including me. I was lucky to watch her in her wet dress
which was sticking to her body, Oh God I was on cloud number nine.
Later we had the rounds in train, played many other exciting games and
at noon we had the lunch that we had brought our home, shared it among
us, it was the sweetest lunch ever I had in my life. I got a binocular
from a junior friend and it was an army binocular of his father. I and
my friend sudheep watched all especially girls. I was gazing at her
through binocular standing on a hill, I say you friends it was simply
Awesome they were probably 200 meters far from us below the hill, it
seemed just like a 3D film that has made a great fuss nowadays. I felt
that she stood before me very close. She was dressed in Light green
salwar and a black kameez, yellow flowers sketched on it, wore Blue
Sandals. I wanted to stare at all the day but my friend sudheep
snatched it from me, idiot...
My friends knew about me and noticed what I was doing, so they boosted
me to propose her, said it's the perfect and great opportunity, don't
miss it else you would suffer a lot. I knew I would be unable to spell
even a word to her. Hence I had a couple of White Mischief vodka wine
shots so that it doesn't smell and give me some courage. I went to
her, she was standing near ice-cream parlor, she didn't notice me, and
I went still closer shivering, summoned some courage and called her
'Pratima', she turned towards me and asked 'yes what'? Unable to say
'ILU' I was quite for few seconds, I was unable to think or reply and
she again asked 'yeah what's the matter tell me? Nothing special just
wanted to talk to you, well how was the day? I asked, Oh, it was a
very nice, had a lot of enjoyment and fun which I had never before
this, a precious memorable day in my life which would never come
again, she said'.
You said true it would never come again, can I have some water? I
asked and while she gave bottle our hands held hand in hand for
nanoseconds, ugh! I was in Heaven, and then drank some water saying
thanks came back to our gang where I was screwed by my friends. While
returning contrary to my friends' thinking instead of being sad, I was
happy, the happiest man on the earth as I talked to my girl for the
first time in the period of seven months and I danced for first time
to the super hit blockbuster movie 'Dhoom and Arya', everyone danced
with full excitement to "Dhoom machale, dhoom machale, dhoom and aa
ante amalapuram". Thanks to Sunil and my friends who had arranged it
in government bus.
Those were the best days of my life and if I had my choice yeah, I
wanna be there. I tell you friends this picnic day was the most
memorable and longest of all my School days. Each moment, each event
is vivid and fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday. ...
Soon our send-off function came near and everyone was busy in taking
autographs, purchasing new dress and shoes etc however I was not
worried about those things and came as usual. I was astounded to see
her pretty face all the time and she was blushing. I could see the
love in her eyes, passion was lightening fire within me, seeing her in
Red sarree with matching Bangles, Earrings, a watch on left hand and
dark red nail polish on her toenails, What shall I say guys, I have
lost the words. She appeared like a Red Red Rose.
And it was my bad luck that, it was the last day, last time forever I
saw her. Soon after completing exams they had shifted to Mysore as
their father was transferred, one of my friends gave me this Shocking
news. It's said "First love is always the best love", yeah it's true
it can never happen again. Mine was also the best love apart from one
thing that, it was one way. My friends suggest me every now and then:
why are you running behind the missing girl, why are you pounding for
the girl whom you can't see. But my heart feels she may be misplaced
but my love is not lost and would never vanish, until my last breath
goes out... Yes of course, I'm eager to see her, talk to her and I hope
one or the other day I would meet her again for sure very soon, if not
I have already met her, talked to her that's more than enough. In my
opinion love doesn't mean to have romance, it's something beyond it.
For me it is to, discover ourselves in others and a way of Silent
Meditation.

அல்-குர்ஆனின் அத்தாட்சிகள் ஸம் ஸம் தண்ணீர்( இதை விட ஒரு அதிசயம் இல்லை)

இதை பார்த்து ஒருவர் இஸ்லாத்தை தழுவலாம் இன்ஷா அல்லாஹ் பார்ப்பவர்
பகிர்த்து கொள்ள மறவாதீர்
இப்ராஹீம் நபி அவர்கள் தமது மனைவி ஹாஜர் அவர்களையும் மகன்
இptஸ்மாயீலையும்அப்போது மக்கள் குடியிருக்காத வெட்ட வெளியில் இறைவனின்
கட்டளைப்படி குடியமர்த்தினார். குழந்தை இஸ்மாயீல் தண்ணீரின்றி தத்தளித்த
போது வானவர் ஜிப்ரீல் வந்து அந்த இடத்தில் அடித்து ஒரு நீருற்றை
ஏற்படுத்தினார்,அது தான் ஜம்ஜம் எனும் கிணறாகும்.
இந்தக் கிணறு மாபெரும் அற்புதமாக இஸ்லாம் உண்மை மார்க்கம் என்பதை
நிரூபிக்கும் சான்றாக இருக்கிறது.
கிணற்றின் அளவு
இந்தக் கிணறு 18 அடி அகலமும் 14 அடி நீளமும் கொண்டதாகும்.
இந்தக் கிணற்றில் தண்ணீரின் ஆழம் எப்போதும் சுமார் ஐந்து அடியாகும்.
இந்தக் கிணற்றில் இருந்து ஒவ்வொரு விநாடியும் தண்ணீர்
இறைக்கப்பட்டுக்கொண்டே உள்ளது. வருடத்தின் எல்லா நாட்களிலும் மக்கள்
அங்கே குழுமுகிறார்கள். ஹஜ் காலத்திலும் ரமலான் மாதத்திலும் சுமார் 20
லட்சம் மக்கள் அங்கே குழுமுகிறார்கள். அனைவருக்கும் இந்தக் கிணற்றில்
இருந்து தான் குடிநீர் வினியோகிக்கப்படுகிறது.
ஒவ்வொருவரும் 20 லிட்டருக்குக் குறையாமல் அந்தத் தண்ணீரைத் தமது சொந்த
ஊருக்கும் எடுத்துச் செல்கிறார்கள்.
குறைந்த ஆளம் உள்ள இந்தக் கிணறு, பாலைவனத்தில் அமந்துள்ள இந்தக் கிணறு,
அருகில் ஏரிகளோ கண்மாய்களோ குளம் குட்டைகளோ இல்லாத அந்தக் கிணற்றில்
இருந்து எப்படி லட்சோப லட்சம் மக்களுக்கு தண்ணீர் வழங்கப்படுகிறதுஎன்பது
முதலாவது அற்புதமாகும்.
எந்த ஊற்றாக இருந்தாலும் சில வருடங்களிலோ பல வருடங்களிலோ செயலிழந்து போய்
விடும். ஆனால் இந்த ஊற்று பல ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளாக வற்றாமல் இருப்பது
இரண்டாவது அற்புதமாகும்.
எந்த ஒரு நீர் நிலையாக இருந்தாலும் பாசி படிந்து போவதும் கிருமிகள்
உற்பத்தியவதும் இயற்கை. இதனால் தான் குளோரின் போன்ற மருதுகள் நீர்
நிலைகளில் கலக்கப்படுகின்றன. ஆனால் ஜம்ஜம் தண்ணீரில் அது உற்பத்தியான
காலம் முதல் இன்று வரை எந்த மருதுகள் மூலமும் அது பாதுக்காக்கப்படாமல்
தன்னைத் தானே பாதுகாத்துக் கொள்வது மூன்றாவது அற்புதமாகும்.
மருந்துகளால் பாதுகாக்கப்படாததண்ணீர் குடிப்பதற்கு ஏற்றதாக இருக்காது
என்பது அறிவியலின் முடிவாகும். ஆனால் இந்தத் தண்ணீர் 1971 ஆம் ஆண்டு
ஐரோப்பிய சோதனைச் சாலையில் சோதித்துப் பார்க்கப்பட்ட போது இது
குடிப்பதற்கு மிகவும் ஏற்ற நீர் என்று நிருபிக்கப்பட்டது.
பொதுவாக மற்ற நீரில் இருந்து ஜம்ஜம் தண்ணீர் வேறுபட்டுள்ளதும் சோதனையில்
தெரிய வந்துள்ளது. கால்ஷியம் மற்றும் மேக்னீஷியம் எனும் உப்பு மற்ற வகை
தண்ணீரை விட ஜம்ஜம் தண்ணீரில் அதிகமாக உள்ளது. இந்த உப்புக்கள்
புத்துணர்ச்சியைக் கொடுக்கக் கூடியவை. இதை அனுபவத்தில் உணரலாம். மேலும்
இந்தத் தண்ணீரில் ஃபுளோரைடு உள்ளது. இது கிருமிகளை அழிக்க வல்லது. அங்கே
அற்புதம் நடக்கிறது இங்கே அற்புதம் நடக்கிறது என்றெல்லாம் பலவாறான
நம்பிக்கை மக்கள் மத்தியில் நிலவுகிறது. அது போல் இதையும் கருதக் கூடாது.
மற்ற அற்புதங்கள் எல்லாம் எந்த சோதனைக்கும் உட்படுத்தப்படாதவை.
நிருபிக்கப்டாமல் குருட்டு நம்பிக்கையை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டவை. ஆனால்
தினசரி 20 லட்சம் மக்களுக்கு அந்தத் தண்ணீர் குடி நீராகப் பயன்படுவதும்,
பாலைவனத்தில் இந்த அதிசயம் பல்லாயிரம் ஆண்டுகள் நடந்து வருவதும் எல்லாவித
சோதனைக்கும் உட்படுத்தப்பட்டு நிரூபிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளதால் இது மெய்யான
அற்புதமாகும். இது போன்ற அற்புதம் உலகில் இது ஒன்று தான் என்பதில்
சிறிதும் சந்தேகம் இல்லை ..

Welcome to Islam, - The Islamic concept of history

According to the Quran, Allaah )God( has created the universe with a
certain purpose, and all its parts are strictly under His control,
carrying out His divine scheme without the slightest deviation.
Similarly, man too has been created with a certain purpose. Yet man,
is completely free to do what he wants, and act upon his own
decisions. However, in spite of this freedom, he is watched constantly
by Allaah, for He does not allow any such deviation over a long period
that would nullify the plan of His creation.
Creation plan of Allaah
The universe made by Allaah is so vast that, despite the enormous
progress made by human beings in their attempts to fathom the
universe, many of its secrets still remain unknown. The planet Earth,
made by Allaah as part of the cosmos is unique in the entire universe,
in that it has been endowed with an atmosphere and all the other
factors, which are essential to make it habitable for man.
After creating a favorable world in the form of the Earth, Allaah
created the first man Aadam )Adam(, may Allaah exalt his mention, and
his feminine counterpart, Eve. Although the precise date of this event
is unknown, it is a fact that the first pair of human beings to set
foot on earth were Aadam, may Allaah exalt his mention, and Eve.
Aadam was the first man as well as the first Prophet. The way of
Allaah is to select a man as His Messenger from amongst human beings
themselves, in order to send His revelations to humankind. Therefore,
Allaah revealed to Aadam, may Allaah exalt his mention, through an
angel the purpose of man's inhabiting the earth. According to this
plan, Allaah created a creature in the form of man, upon whom He
bestowed freedom. Where the rest of the universe had no choice but to
submit to the will of Allaah, it is desirable for man to opt for this
divine plan of his own free will.
This plan of divine will is based on two basic principles: Monotheism
and Justice. Monotheism holds man to worshipping one God alone, and
not associating anyone or anything in this worship. Justice holds man
to adhering completely to ethical principles in dealing with other
human beings, and refraining from all kinds of injustice and
oppression.
Along with this, Allaah Almighty informed man that, although he
appeared to be free, he was fully accountable to Him. Allaah has a
complete record of man's actions. In the eternal life after death
Allaah would judge everyone according to this record. The one who
exercised his freedom wrongly would be thrown into eternal hellfire.
Aadam, may Allaah exalt his mention, died at a ripe old age. For a
long period his people continued to adhere faithfully to the divine
guidance. However, later, idolatry replaced Monotheism and people
began to adopt the ways of injustice and oppression instead of justice
and rectitude. After about 1000 years, the perversion became so all
pervading that they were completely distanced from the path of the
Sharee'ah )Divine Law( as shown by Aadam, may Allaah exalt his
mention.
The age of perversion
Allaah subsequently sent Nooh )Noah(, may Allaah exalt his mention, as
His Messenger. He was granted an exceptionally long life of 950 years,
during which he continued to show people the right path, generation
after generation. However, only a few people heeded his words. The
rest persisted in their sinful ways. Then, in accordance with the ways
of Allaah, a huge flood engulfed them by way of punishment. Nooh
)Noah(, may Allaah exalt his mention, and his small band of followers
were saved in a boat, while all the rest drowned.
At that time, human population was probably concentrated only in the
region of Asia known asMesopotamia. The men and women saved in the
wake of this flood settled afterwards in other parts of the world.
Their race multiplied until it spread over the three continents of
Asia, Africa andEurope.
After the death of Nooh )Noah(, may Allaah exalt his mention, his
people continued to adhere to the divine path shown by him, for a
considerable period of time. However, again rot set in the later
generations and they deviated from the path of Monotheism and justice.
Allaah's Messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, -- the Quran has
mentioned twenty five by name -- continued to come for several
thousand years.
A Hadeeth )saying of Prophet Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
)may Allaah exalt his mention( tells us that nearly 100,000 messengers
came to the world. In this way a long period elapsed between Aadam,
may Allaah exalt his mention, and 'Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his
mention; whereas earlier Allaah's Messengers continued to come to the
world in almost every generation. However, only a few people believed
in them while the majority rejected these prophets in every age.
The reasons for perversion
What were the reasons for this continued transgression? There were two
main reasons: political absolutism and ignorance about the world of
nature.
In ancient times the system of monarchy prevailed everywhere. The
kings of those days had adopted an easy strategy for the consolidation
of their empire, and that was to apply a complete curb on intellectual
freedom. As a result, Science could not make any progress in the days
of old.
The same was the case with religion. The policy adopted by these kings
was not to allow their subjects to follow any religion other than that
approved of by the king. Superstitious religion served their purpose
only too well. Therefore, not only did they themselves embrace
superstitious religion, they also compelled their subjects to adhere
to it. People were denied the right to think freely and opt for any
religion other than the official one.
This policy of the king produced the evil of religious persecution.
History shows that religious persecution has continued from time
immemorial in one form or another.
The other factor was ignorance. In ancient times, man knew too little
about the world and its phenomena. Political absolutism had placed an
almost total ban on scientific research. Therefore, all kinds of
superstitions prevailed regarding natural phenomena. It was generally
held that the Sun, Moon and the stars possessed supernatural powers.
Similarly, it was believed that the sea, mountains and other such
natural features were endowed with some extraordinary, mysterious
power that exercised decisive control over human destiny.
The problem of evil
Those who want to interpret human history in the light of
predetermined law, as is done in the physical world, are doomed to
failure. While the physical world may be explainable within the
framework of pre-determinism, the events of the human world are simply
not amenable to interpretation in terms of any such law.
Others want to interpret the events of the human world in the context
of freedom, but they are not satisfied either with their
interpretation. This is because in spite of human freedom, the
suffering experienced in this world has no valid understandable
explanation. The failure of both these interpretations is due to the
fact that they attempt to explain the whole in the light of a part --
which is simply not possible.
The truth is that the right principle by which to interpret human
history is neither that of pre-determinism nor of freedom. According
to Islam, there is only one correct principle to interpret human
history and that is the principle of test. Man has been placed in the
present world for the purpose of being tested. The eternal future of
humankind will depend on the outcome of this test.
If everything had been completely predetermined in the world, the
element of trial would have been absent. Granting freedom to people
did involve the risk of some people misusing their freedom, which gave
rise to the problem of human suffering. Suffering results from evil,
yet this suffering or evil, is a very small price to pay for a very
precious thing. Although, man has a will, the will of Almighty Allaah
encompasses all wills, so nothing happens in the universe unless
Allaah ordained for it to happen.
According to Islam that person is most precious who leads his life in
this world in such a manner that, despite facing all sorts of
temptations, he succeeds in overcoming them. Despite having the power
to misuse his freedom, he refrains from doing so. Despite the
possibility of leading an unprincipled life, he chooses his own free
will to be a man of principle. To identify such individuals, it is
essential that an atmosphere of freedom prevail in the world. This is
not possible under any other system.

Welcome to Islam, - Prophethood: the root of the west-Islam contention

An economist had once said: "Today, the only and the biggest threat to
Western civilization is the faith and commitment of the Muslims to
their Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam which is the
source of unlimited strength for them."
Let us now briefly examine how.
1. The theoretical basis of Western civilization and the so-called
modernism is that humankind has now attained intellectual maturity. It
is no more dependent on any metaphysical being for knowledge and
guidance. It is self-sufficient and independent of any divine source
and concept, which it adopted in early days for its inner contentment.
On the contrary, the basis of prophethood is absolute knowledge and
faith in the existence of the Creator )Allaah, the Most High and
Exalted(. True knowledge and even life itself are the creation of
Allaah, Who is the only Creator, the Sole Sustainer and Healer. All
authority and sovereign powers belong to Him and Him alone. He is the
One Who guides people and provides them with the code of life.
Humankind is dependent on Him and exists under His domain as His
servants. The Quran, the infallible Word of Allaah, offers proofs to
the disbelievers and deniers of the existence of the Creator --
materialists and naturalists -- which rational minds have no option
but to affirm, and which no sound mind can possibly reject. In the
Quran, Allaah, The Exalted, Says )what means(:
"Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators ]of
themselves[? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather,
they are not certain."]Quran 52: 35-36[
The Quran says to them: You exist, and you cannot deny this; the
heavens and the earth exist, beyond any doubt. It is simply common
sense, to the rational mind, that the things that exist must have a
cause for their existence. The camel herder in the desert knows this.
He says: ''Camel dung indicates the presence of a camel and footsteps
indicate that someone walked here. Similarly, the heavens with their
stars and the earth with its mountains and valleys must indicate the
existence of the All-Knowing, All-Aware )i.e. Allaah Almighty(." The
greatest scientists who research life and living beings also know
this.
What is referred to in this verse, is known to scientists as the law
of cause and effect. This law states that a thing cannot happen by
itself without another thing )causing it(, because it does not possess
in itself the power to exist by itself, and it cannot by itself cause
something else to exist, for it cannot give to others that which it
does not possess itself.
2. According to Western epistemology, the source of true knowledge is
only the human sense of perception, its reasoning, observation,
experience and scientific investigation. Obviously, the knowledge
based on these sources is always hypothetical. Any statement or fact,
which is proved to be true today, may be proved false tomorrow.
Moreover, if any statement is unquestionable, this method does not
consider it knowledge, but a 'belief' or 'faith'. No such knowledge in
this world can be said to be certain and ultimate, let alone taken as
a yardstick for truth on which people may rely and follow for
salvation.
On the contrary, the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, develops and creates the insight and consciousness that there
is an ultimate truth and the only source of it is the Divine
Revelation. In turn, this proves the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, as Almighty Allaah Says about His
Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, )what means(:"Nor
does he speak from ]his own[ inclination. It is not but a revelation
revealed."]Quran 53: 3-4[
The West has completely abandoned the concept of truth and falsehood.
Even the use of such terminology is considered outmoded and uncivil by
them. However, to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, these terms are full of meaning.
3. The Western view is that truth and falsehood are relative terms.
Nothing can be right or wrong in itself. Thus, be it moral values,
social rules, regulations or laws, good or bad, useful or harmful,
Halaal )lawful( or Haraam )unlawful(, everything is determined by an
individual's own views and choice about it. Every individual is his
own arbiter. However, to the followers of Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, things and matters which have been qualified true
or false; allowed or disallowed through Divine Verdict cannot be
changed by a person's will, choice, experience, argument or logic.
4. Western civilization does not entertain metaphysical knowledge and
its source in its theory of life. Neither does it own the concepts of
Allaah, the Angels, the Revelation and the life in the Hereafter.
On the contrary, the followers of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, believe that the significance and purpose of human existence
can only be gathered through a revealed source. To them, the facts,
which have been revealed through the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, are the truth.
5. The world and the worldly life are equally important and of deep
interest to both Westerners and the followers of Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam. The difference lies in the objectives that are
sought by them. While the main target of a Westerner is to seek
happiness, comfort, enjoyment and a better quality of life, the
interest of a Muslim lies in the welfare of fellow humans in order to
earn salvation in the Hereafter. The latter perception brings in its
fold a humble and peaceful human society.