Some mothers are silent, indistinct, and unknown but nevertheless undertake the highly sensitive and difficult task of raising children, who resemble roses and fine plants; others sacrifice so much that even their portrayals in legends and main characters is novels cannot do them justice.

Earth is a mother to seeds and a spring to a waterfall, just as Eve is mother to humanity, the Virgin Mary to a Spirit, and Amina is a mother to reality, creation’s secret, and the essence of secrets (Prophet Muhammad).

There are mothers who are good and those who are not so good. People gladly sacrifice their lives for good mothers, and stay silent for those who could not make their children happy or were not made happy by their children.

Mothers and their children are two spirits in one body. Children are a piece of their mother’s body, a heartbreaking lover in their laps, a crawling baby at the beginning, and later on a brazier that burns the bosom, a spear in the heart with endless separations.Each developmental period and educational experience makes a mother’s hearts jump with fear. She weeps when her precious one starts school, goes to college, joins the service, and gets married. Yes, she always cries and extends her love like an incense burner extends its scent throughout one’s house. Sometimes she is consoled; sometimes she bursts into tears.

Don’t cry anymore, Mother, for the clouds formed by your tears are coming to give you peace of mind, and all of us are trying to ease your sorrow and pain.

Yusuf Ali, in his translation of the Qur’an, asks several questions about lightning: Why look to evil rather than to good? To punishment rather than to mercy?”To the fear in the force and fire of the lightning rather than to hope of good and abundant crops in the rain which will come behind the lightning clouds (note 1818); Nay, thunder itself which may frighten you, is but a tame and beneficent force before Him, declaring His praises, like the rest of creation. Thunder thus aptly give the name to this surah of contrasts, where what we may think is terrible is shown to be really a submissive instrument of good in God’s hands (note 1819); and: To cowards, lightning and thunder appear as terrible forces of nature. Lightning seems to kill and destroy where its irresistible progress is not assisted by proper lightning”conductors. But lightning is also a herald of rain-bearing clouds and showers that bring fertility and prosperity in their train (3530).

Journals publish articles on injuries and death caused by lightning. However, the Qur’an specifically mentions the hope of lightning as a good or beneficent force. This article addresses this issue.

What are ions?

After a storm, the air feels clean and fresh filled with negative ions. People often report feelings of pleasantness and well-being following an electrical storm. Electrical storms are generally preceded by higher levels of positive ions and followed by higher levels of negative ions.

Air is made of individual molecules. When the outer electrons of two or more atoms join together, the resulting particle is a molecule. Each molecule, in turn, contains smaller particles of positive and negative charges (protons and electrons). Under normal circumstances, the number of protons and electrons are equal, and so their charges cancel out and leave the molecule electrically neutral. However, negatively charged electrons are lighter and more mobile. If they happen to absorb energy from intense sunlight, they tend to jump from one molecule to another. When a negative charge jumps from a molecule, it upsets the equilibrium and leaves behind more positive than negative charges. Thus the molecule becomes a positive ion. The electron arriving at the new molecule brings with it an extra negative charge. This molecule now becomes a negative ion. When the energy supply is removed, the electrons return toward the vacated spaces, and everything becomes balanced and has a zero charge.

Oxygen, a prime example of small gaseous molecules, remains neutral as long as the proton“electron balance is maintained. Since atoms have equal numbers of protons and electrons, they have no charge. However, if an electron is lost or gained, the molecule becomes positively or negatively charged, respectively, and an ion is created.

The simplest way to visualize an air ion is to consider it a tiny charge of static electricity carried by the air. This charge can be either positive or negative. The charged particles, or ions, are not merely suspended in the atmosphere; rather, they are part of the air’s very fabric. The air we breathe contains billions of tiny, invisible, electrically charged energy packets called ions, each of which have either positive or negative charges. Every time we take a breath, ions fill up our lungs and are carried by our blood into every cell in our body. Without ions in the air, our body could not process oxygen properly.

A lack or imbalance of ions affects the environment in which we live and breathe. Research shows that most of us who live, work, and travel in closed spaces suffer some degree of negative ion starvation or positive ion overabundance. This has become extremely evident to NASA in its space travel program.

People are spending their lives submerged in an atmospheric ocean of nitrogen, oxygen, and a small percentage of other elements, plus the toxins and pollution of our industrial world. In cities like New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Mexico City, Karachi, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Calcutta, and many other densely populated cities, there may be few or no detectable negative ions at all during heavy traffic and high pollution periods.

In nature, abundant ions are generated wherever energy is transferred into the air by the friction within wind, rain, and surf. Certain events occurring in nature, such as lightning discharges, falling water, and air friction can cause electrons to be torn loose from a molecule. These orphan electrons are then adopted by other nearby molecules, which transforms them into negative ions. The parent particles become positive ions.

Negative ions carry the air’s electrical energy. Some examples of nature’s ion generators are solar (ultraviolet) and cosmic radiation, air friction, lightning, falling water (the splitting of water into droplets by waterfalls), ocean surf and waves, evergreens and Earth’s radioactivity (from natural radiation in rocks and soil).

The ion effect: Serotonin hypothesis

An excess of positive ions and a lack of negative ions can produce uncomfortable effects. Scientists have demonstrated that small air ions are biologically active. Moreover, they can stimulate the over-production of serotonin, a powerful neurotransmitter and very active neurohormone that causes profound nerve, glandular, and digestive effects throughout the body. Tests show that positive ions increase the production of serotonin and that negative ions decrease the hormone level.

High serotonin concentrations are associated with migraines. Negative ions accelerate the oxidative degradation of serotonin, whereas positive ions deactivate the enzymes that break it down. Thus more negative ions should reduce migraines. A higher serotonin level also produces tachycardia, higher blood pressure, bronchial spasms and even asthma attacks, increased intestinal peristalsis (intestinal contractions and dilations to push the contents through), increased sensitivity to pain, and increased aggression. Reduced serotonin levels result in a mentally relaxed state and reduce feelings of depression. Negative ions appear to reduce serotonin by enhancing monoamine oxidizing activity. Paradoxically, mental illness is often treated successfully with drugs that inhibit this activity and raise serotonin levels in the brain.

The three major effects of positive ion excess are irritation and tension, exhaustion, and a hyperthyroid response. The common symptoms of dizziness, headaches, depression, anxiety, and a generally lower level of physical and mental functioning were shown to be alleviated and, in most cases, reversed by increasing the negative ions in the air.

Positive ions

Many people find a pre-storm atmosphere heavy and oppressive. This has been attributed to the high levels of positive ions building up in the air, which are also believed to trigger storm-sensitivity in asthmatics and many other people. In the hours before a certain storm arrived, hundreds of people reported to hospital with severe asthma attacks. Was this due to positive ions?

Scientists have found that if the air is charged with too few negative and too many positive ions, we become anxious,tired, and tense. This positive-ion poisoning results from weather disturbances, central air conditioning, smog, and driving too long. It even has been linked to heart attacks, aggravated asthma, migraines, insomnia, rheumatism, arthritis, hay fever, and most allergies. However, a negative electrical charge imparts positive feelings of health and vitality.

Negative ions

Refreshing places, usually located in the mountains and near waterfalls and seashores, where health resorts are traditionally situated, have high negative ion concentrations. Areas with high levels of positive ions often make us feel uncomfortable and irritable.

In addition to providing a rewarding visual experience, waterfalls may be beneficial to our health. Those wishing to enhance their body and mind through breathing exercises should do so by a waterfall. Nearly everyone agrees that visiting a waterfall is a stimulating, refreshing, and energizing experience.

The energy produced by falling water causes negative ions, for as the falling water breaks into droplets, electrons (negatively charged parts of an atom) are separated from water atoms. These electrons combine with oxygen atoms in the air to create negative ions, which then are inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream. Negative ions are not known to permanently cure anything. However, experts believe that they help our bodies by accelerating the delivery of oxygen to our cells. Some researchers believe that they may stimulate cells that regulate the body’s resistance to disease.

Plants grown in an ion-enhanced atmosphere show a marked increase in size and growth rate. Air-borne bacteria greatly diminish in number when there is a high negative ion count in the air. Synthetic materials, forced air circulation, improper humidity levels, excess static electricity, and a lack of fresh air all contribute to an ion imbalance. Natural negative ion levels should be maintained through full-spectrum lighting; natural materials on walls, floors, and furniture; windows that open to the outside; and living plants. These should be kept in mind when designing a place in which to live.

On average, 1,500 ions are found in a cubic centimeter (roughly the size of a sugar cube) of fresh air. Of these, about 45% are negative ions and the rest are positive ions. At Yosemite Falls in California, a reading of 100,000 negative air ions per cubic centimeter was recorded.

The fresh air after a thunderstorm, on a mountain top, or by the seaside are due to high negative ion concentrations. The reduced well-being often felt in highly polluted areas, cars, smog-enclosed areas, artificially air conditioned offices, or in hot dry weather conditions are usually due to an unduly low negative ion balance. Negative ions can be found in the billions on mountain tops, waterfalls, and by the sea. Radioactive substances in Earth’s crust and cosmic rays cause most ionization. But fire, crashing water, and plants during photosynthesis also produce negative ions. They give the air its invigorating freshness, which is so good for us.

Physiologically, the presence of negative ions in a sweat bath is as important as the heat. The discovery of negative ions in certain types of saunas a few years ago became headline news in Finland. Until then, the sauna’s healing power was attributed to relaxation and increased circulation. Now, negative ions add startling new possibilities.

Ions and our modern lifestyle

We now live in an environment that virtually eliminates negative ions. Rural areas have a higher concentration of ions, but many of us live in towns and cities that have very low levels due to dirt and pollution. Pollution from car exhaust, smoking, overcrowding, and even breathing all contribute to this.

Modern vehicles have many problems. For example, opening a window lets in polluted city air. Many drivers, especially long-distance ones, keep an ionizer in their vehicle to help them maintain a high level of alertness and concentration. In addition, this can relieve car sickness and remove pollen and smoke. In cities, closed rooms, cars and elsewhere, the proportion of negative ions is markedly reduced compared to what it is in undisturbed nature. According to experts, positive ions rob us of our good senses and dispositions, while negative ions enhance them, stimulating everything from plant growth to overall bodily well-being. In general, people who are sensitive to air-borne allergens will benefit far more and quicker from the cleansing action of negative ions.

A second potentially important factor is the person’s body voltage, for a high body voltage could alter considerably the ion ingestion rate. Perhaps the same effect as positive ion enhancement could be produced by a high negative body potential, even if the ambient air ion concentrations are balanced. Control and reduction of bodily voltage to a near-zero condition should reduce any such effects and restore ion ingestion due to the ambient air ion balance condition. For Muslims, body voltage to a near-zero condition is achieved when they prostrate during prayer.

Ironically, even today’s air-conditioned buildings, vehicles, and airplanes frequently become supercharged with harmful positive ions because the plastic and metal fans, filters, and air-conditioning duct systems strip the air of negative ions even before it reaches its destination. In addition, fluorescent lighting, electrical and electronic equipment, television screens, and static-producing as well as artificial fibers in carpets, clothes, and upholstery, all reduce the level of negative ions and increase the level of positive ions.

Desktop PCs have a cathode ray tube monitor that produces a positive static charge during normal operation. It also sweeps the nearby air of negative charges, depleting the negative-ion concentration in the immediate vicinity. Apparently when ion concentration is lowered by this or any other means, such as air conditioning, workers complain of headaches, lethargy, dizziness, and nausea. Tests conducted in England indicate that the more complex the task a person tries, the more he or she is affected by negative ion levels. Also, women are more responsive than men to negative ion depletion or enrichment.

The graph below provides some average sample readings of negative air ions taken in various locations. Note that the body responds to levels above 1,000 ions per cc.

Effects on our health

Besides cleaning the air, negative ions aid in mood elevation and increased oxygen intake, both of which make us feel more alert and energetic. Negative ions can provide major benefits for suffers of asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, nervous energy, hay fever, allergies, sleep disorders and snoring, depression, emphysema, sinus, migraines, colds and flu, nausea, chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, cigarette smoke and other odors, and computers and office pollution.

Scientific studies

Research shows that negative ions can reduce histamine, which triggers hay fever; affect levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter or a neurohormone associated with anxiety, stress, and migraines; help suffers of bronchitis, asthma, catarrh, the common cold, insomnia, migraines, emphysema, eczema, headaches, tiredness, and general feelings of malaise; speed the healing time of burns and surgical incisions with less cross-infection and reduced pain (including post-operative pain); enhance the body’s absorption and utilization of oxygen, thus assisting concentration and alertness; reduce the effects of passive smoking and allergies to pollen, dust, and pets; remove and destroy air-borne bacteria and viruses; and lower serotonin levels, which leads to greater calmness and strengthens defenses against infection, as proven with the flu.

Negative ions also increase hemoglobin/oxygen affinity so that the partial oxygen pressure in the blood rises while the partial dioxide pressure decreases. This results in a lowered respiratory rate and enhances the metabolism of water-soluble vitamins. In addition, negative ions increase one’s pH level, which makes bodily fluids more alkaline.

The effect of negative ion depletion varies from person to person. Negative ions in the bloodstream accelerate the delivery of oxygen to our cells and tissues, whereas positive ions slow this down and produce symptoms markedly like those in anoxia (oxygen starvation). Negative ions may stimulate the reticulo-endothelial system, a group of defense cells that marshal our resistance to disease. Treatment with negative ions has produced dramatic improvement in healing severe burns and reducing pain. Children, in particular, seem to respond quickly, for tests have shown that children breathing negatively ionized air were superior in incidental memory and had many difficulties in dichotic listening offset.

Offices and organizations having negative air ionization equipment have found that their employees are less likely to get colds or be absent, and generally are more cheerful and alert. Negative air ionizers are used in the closed and artificial atmospheres of submarines and spacecraft.

Conclusions

The Qur’an’s verses inspire people to make new scientific discoveries, as seen in 13:12, quoted above. Nature contains many sources of the negative ions that are so beneficial to people.

Reading and acquiring a deeper understanding of the Qur’an lead to many life-enhancing discoveries. Given the right conditions, healthy food and pure water, our bodies will usually right themselves and develop properly. But so often we neglect the air we breathe. Most of us live in environments full of invisible pollution and devoid of negative ions.

References

• Buckalew, L. W. and Rizzuto, A. Subjective Response to Negative Air Ion Exposure. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 53, no. 8 (Aug. 1982): 822-23.
• Negative Air Ion Effects on Human Performance and Physiological Condition. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 55, part 8 (Aug. 1984): 731-34.
• Fornof, K. T. and Gilbert, G. O. Stress and Physiological, Behavioral, and Performance Patterns of Children under Varied Air Ion Levels. International Journal of Biometeorology, no. 32 (1988): 260-70.
• Hawkins, L. H. Biological Significance of Air Ions. Proceedings of IEE Colloquium on Ions in the Atmosphere, Natural and Man-Made. BLL Conf Ind.
• Inbar, O. et al. The Effect of Negative Air Ions on Various Physiological Functions during Work in a Hot Environment. International Journal of Biometeorology 26, no. 2 (1982): 153-63.
• Kreuger, A. P. and Reed, E. J. Biological Impact of Small Air Ions. Science, no. 193 (1976): 1209-13.
• Kellogg, E.W. Air Ions: Their Possible Biological Significance and Effects. Journal of Bioelectricity 3, nos. 1 and 2 (1984): 119-36.
• Kornblueh, I. H., Piersol, G. M., and Speicher, F. P. Relief from Pollinosis in Negatively Ionized Rooms. American Journal of Physical Medicine, no. 37 (1958): 18-27.
• Kornblueh, I. H. Aeroionotherapy of Burns. In Bioclimatology, Biometeorology and Aeroionotherapy. Gualtierotti et. al., eds. Milan: Carlo Erba Foundation, 1968.
• Soyka, Fred (with Alan Edmonds). The Ion Effect. E. P. Dutton & Co, 1977.
• Sulman, F. G. The Effect of Air Ionization, Electric Fields, Atmospheric and Other Electric Phenomena on Man and Animal. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1980.
• www.aranizer.com/ions.htm. Negative Ions.
• www.consultces.com/ions.htm. (information on ions)
• www.odatus.com/ions.html. (negative ions)
• www.pentax.com/ion_explain.htm. (negative ions)
• Yaglou C. P., Brandt, A. D., Benjamin, L. K. C. Physiological Changes during Exposure to Ionized Air. Heating, Piping, Air Conditioning 5 (1933): 423.
• Yaglou C. P. and Benjamin, L. K. C. Diurnal and Seasonal Variations in Small Ion Content in Outdoor and Indoor Air. Heating, Piping, Air Conditioning 6 (1934): 25.

The increasing use of e-learning methods and virtual university environments have focused researchers attention on the Socratic method: Playing students with questions and then demanding that they discover, organize, and structure their own responses to the problems posed in an attempt to overcome the constraints of traditional methods.(1) Socrates also believed that students could be successful only if they accepted responsibility and took the initiative.

The Web’s 1992 advent represents a watershed in the development of online education. Its user-friendly nature made the Internet accessible to the general public, and its powerful graphic capabilities expanded the range of disciplines that could be offered online by enabling virtual labs, studios, animations, and so on.(2) Currently, e-learning allows people to learn anywhere and usually at any time, as long as the computer being used is configured properly. With its available text, video, audio, animation, and virtual environments, its self-paced, hands-on nature has the potential to offer a more enriching level of training than students might experience in a crowded classroom.

E-learning methods

Contemporary e-learning methods contain elements of the Socratic model. Students select, organize, and structure the information in order to accomplish selected tasks. They see the functional value of what they are learning while they are learning, and benefit from working directly with the content.

The virtual university (VU) concept enables the application of e-learning methods in a wide range of fields. VU is a customized Web-based learning environment that delivers online education and seeks to support active, collaborative learning and cross-disciplinary knowledge-building.(3) Knowledge-building is the intentional process of solving problems progressively and developing and acquiring expertise.(4)

In a traditional instruction system, only the instructor is the active learner, for teaching someone else is a powerful way to learn. By selecting, organizing, and structuring the information for a group of students, instructors benefit by working with and mastering the content for themselves.(5) Students are only passive consumers of the content.

E-learning, a revised and updated form of discovery learning, is a student-centered learning approach based on knowledge-building. In this active learning environment, students encounter experiences that enable them to construct personal knowledge through problem-solving and experimentation.(6) These knowledge-building principles work particularly well in an e-learning setting, because e-learning provides memorable events. It is more likely that these events will come to mind as learners are challenged by on-the-job or real-life problems.

Intuitively, e-learning falls into four categories, as follows:

-Knowledge databases: These databases, the most basic forms of e-learning, offer indexed explanations, guidance, and step-by-step instructions for performing specific tasks.

-Online support: This comes in the form of forums, chat rooms, online bulletin boards, e-mail, or live instant-messaging support. It is slightly more interactive than knowledge databases.

-Asynchronous training (time independent): Such self-paced learning may include access to instructors through online bulletin boards and discussion groups, as well as e-mail.

-Synchronous training (time dependent): This consists of real-time training with a live instructor facilitating the training. Everyone logs in at a set time and can communicate directly with the instructor and with each other.

The VU must attain a high level of quality if it is to succeed in meeting local needs and competing internationally. Today, any VU is, by default, global. Hence, issues of quality are a key competitive advantage. The keys to successful e-learning are as follows:

-Vary content type: Images, sounds, and text work together to build memory in several areas of the brain and result in better retention. Mix images with words, or sounds (e.g., voices or music) with images.

-Create attention-grabbing interaction: Games, quizzes, and even required manipulation of something on the screen creates more interest, which in turn builds better retention by using multiple types of media.

-Provide immediate feedback: E-learning courses can build in immediate feedback to correct misunderstood material.

-Encourage interaction with other e-learners and an e-instructor: Chat rooms, discussion boards, instant messaging, and e-mail all offer effective interaction for e-learners, and do a good job of replacing classroom discussion.(7) Building an online community significantly influences the success of online programs.

E-learning benefits

E-learning has definite benefits over traditional classroom training. (8) While the most obvious are the flexibility and the cost savings from not having to travel or spend excess time away from work, there are also others that might not be so obvious. For example:

-Less expensive to produce: E-learning is virtually free after reaching the break-even point.

-Self-paced: Most e-learning programs can be taken when needed. Going through it at one’s own pace helps avoid missing information if, for example, the student has to leave the class or does not understand exactly what the teacher is saying. This is one reason why e-learning is so effective.

-Faster paced: This individualized approach allows learners to skip material they already know and understand and move on to new material.

-Consistent message: E-learning eliminates problems associated with different instructors teaching slightly different material on the same subject.

-Availability at any location and time: E-learners can work training sessions into their schedules, now that they are freed from traveling to and sitting in classrooms.

-Interactivity: This can assume the form of simply clicking on appropriate responses to questions, clicking to animate an object or start a process, or dragging and dropping items to practice a skill. Training-related interactive games are a very effective way of improving learning.

-Updated easily and quickly: This is especially easy, since all one has to do is upload the updated materials to a server.

-Increased retention and a stronger grasp of the material: Many elements, such as video, audio, quizzes, and interaction, are combined in e-learning to reinforce the message. Being motivated to learn is half the battle. Knowing that the course contains some fun elements like video, audio, animation, and gaming scenarios increases interest and curiosity. This, too, leads to better retention and faster learning.

-Easily managed: This is especially true in the case of large student groups.

Conclusion

Learning is both a social and an intensely personal activity. E-learning can enhance both elements, for unlike tell-and-test learning, e-learning builds a cognitive network of understanding. Electronic media-supported discovery learning provides a safe, private, and non-embarrassing environment for learning about hazardous systems, conditions, and operations. Such an environment encourages simulated experimentation and underscores the importance of proper procedures in the real world.

Footnotes

1. Michael Allen, How To Make Learning Active and Student-centered, e-Learning Magazine (Jan. 2002).
2. Linda Harasim, The Future of E(Learning) (keynote address at University of Warwick [UK], CAL 2001 Conference).
3. M. Bakardjieva and Linda Harasim. Collaborative Meaning-making in Computer Conferences: A Socio-cultural Perspective, in Proceedings from the Ed-Media Ed-Telecom conference in Freiburg, Germany (Charlottesville, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, 1998).
4. Linda Harasim, What Are We Learning about Teaching and Learning Online-and so what? : Lessons from the Virtual-U Field Trial, (keynote speech presented at the Third Annual TeleLearning Conference, Vancouver, Canada, November 1998).
5. A. Feenberg, Distance Learning: Promise or Threat (1999). Online at:www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/feenberg/TELE3.HTM.
6. Milton Campos and Linda Harasim, Virtual-U: Results and Challenges of Unique Field Trials: Technical Report (2001).
7. Milton Campos, Conditional Reasoning: A Key to Assessing Computer-based Knowledge-building Communication Processes, Journal of Universal Computer Science 4, no. 4 (1998): 404-28.
8. A. Breuleux, T. Laferrière, and R. Bracewell, Networked Learning Communities in Teacher Education, (1998). Online at: www.coe.uh.edu/insite/elec_pub/HTML1998/ts_breu.htm.

Vegetables or plants serve as seeds for Earth, and animals are fruits of the world. A seed is a miniature tree, and its fruit is its miniature index. Whatever is manifested in a tree is manifested in the seed and the fruit. The purpose for existence and life is to receive and reflect the manifestations of the Names of the All-Majestic and Beautiful One of absolute Perfection. Divine Favoring manifests itself through the elaboration and reproduction of plants and animals, especially with their most delicate parts and individual members. This is most suitable to the eternal Wisdom.

It is narrated that Prophet Moses complained to God about the abundance of gnats attacking him and asked: ‘What is the wisdom of creating so many of them?’ God revealed that: ‘The gnat asks: ‘Why have you created human beings, who are so large? They are unaware and heedless of You. If you had made their heads of gnats, [in return for each,] You would have had tens of thousands of those praising, mentioning, and glorifying You, and displaying Your Names’ manifestations and Your art’s embroideries through their tongues and disposition.’ ‘ True! While the invisible Qur’an inscribed in the ink of stars on the sheets of the heavens shows you the signs of creation’s grandeur and splendor, the Qur’an inscribed in the ink of subatomic particles or the atoms in your eye reads the signs of Knowledge and Wisdom.

The former says: ‘Glory be to Him. How splendid are His Essential Qualities,’ while the latter says: ‘Glory be to Him. How delicate is His Wisdom, how subtle His art.’ Although both Qur’ans have the same value and significance, since observers and watchers derive no benefit from multiplying the large one, multiplying the small one is of great importance to those numberless angels and jinn, people and others who study it and reflect on it. When it is multiplied, it will not remain the same, single book; rather, it will be a book of endless variations containing different uses and meanings, one that has increased greatly in beauty and purity of expression. Furthermore, when many chapters of the small Qur’an and its copies are inserted in some of the letters of the large one, the small Qur’an excels the large one to the degree of its smallness.

Another wise purpose for creating many animals and plants is that the most perfect Divine manifestation is that God manifests Himself with all His Names focused on a single being. Art becomes most perfect when the greatest thing, with all of its embroideries, is inserted in the smallest. The seed and fruit with respect to the tree, the plant and animal with respect to Earth, humanity and the Prophet with respect to the universe, and the heart and innermost human sense or faculty with respect to humanity-these are essential, compact samples receiving and reflecting all of the Names manifested on the originals growing from them.

For example a fruit, part of the tree (which represents the whole) points to Unity-the manifestation of Divine Names on all fruits and trees. However, being a sample of the tree (containing whatever is in the tree) and the tree representing the total growing from it and resulting in it, a fruit indicates Divine Oneness-the manifestation of Divine Names as focused on the fruit.

For example, the sunlight illuminating the world in daytime is a manifestation of Unity, while the sun’s image reflected in each transparent object is an example or analogy for the manifestation of Oneness.

When you see the sun in your mirror as having taken on the mirror’s color and attributes and then see it in other mirrors, you understand and witness what Oneness or Unity means. It is the same (and only) sun manifested in all mirrors that announces: ‘We speak in different tongues, but Your Beauty is one and the same.’

Whatever exists points to that Beauty. We understand from this that the All-Wise Creator, with glorified Wisdom and delicate art, turns with His subtle Power, complete Favoring, perfect Mercy, and sensitive Wisdom from creation to Earth, and then, in succession, to living beings, humanity, and one’s heart; from humanity to its heart; and finally to the heart of creation and its seed from which the universe, as well as its illustrious fruit, the final purpose for its creation, and the embodiment of the Creator’s Love and Mercy, was created. That exalted, noblest, pure, unblemished heart is Muhammad, our master and the master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings to the number of the Tree of Creation’s fruits.

Know, O one who thinks that some creatures exist in nature overabundantly and in vain. Creation’s perfect order and balance refute this, for the order is a design interwoven by the raison d’etre of all parts, particulars or individuals, and details in creation. One cannot observe the purposes of all details of a palace, nor neglect the main purpose of why it was built. Since the main purpose is considered while building it with all its parts, the secondary purposes expected of the details are thus observed, for there are subtle purposes behind everything related with the All-Living, Self-Subsistent Owner in proportion to His Ownership and disposal, and the extent of His Names’ manifestation on that thing. The purposes related to the thing itself are also in proportion to its life and existence.

Everything has been entrusted with a goal in life, which is studied by intelligent beings. If one cannot discern it, others can. Each thing contains numerous benefits. God has uncountable hosts. None knows the hosts of your Lord but He (74:31). Innumerable beings focus their attentive gaze on all things that exist. Among them are angels glorifying and exalting God, jinn observing creation in amazement and reflecting on it, and spirit beings extolling God and proclaiming His Unity, for Whom the solidity of things does not conceal what is in them and Who can observe many things at once. Above all, the Maker of all things looks on the works of His art. Many awake and enlightened believers, as well as many animals moved by their perceptions, also look on God’s works of art.

Question: The signs in the Book of the Universe point to the existence of non-human creatures who gaze on and study them in amazement and reflection and then glorify God. Which line indicates this?

Answer: The order on the line of balance in the page of wisdom indicates it. When you enter a theater where a play is being performed, you see many marvels that amaze the audience, as well as pleasing melodies and many types of charms in which minds and imaginations take pleasure. There are also many other things that give pleasure to your innumerable faculties, feelings, and senses. Then you look at the spectators’ hall and see a few paralyzed, deaf, and blind children. You will conclude that behind the veils hanging in front of the walls are various intelligent beings with different tastes and temperaments who have come for innocent amusement and are pleased with and want to see every novelty in the play. They see you and the play from where you cannot see them.

If you understand this comparison, look at those creatures and their world. You see ‘carpets’ spread, ‘couches’ raised, ‘raiments’ worn, and ‘sheets’ unrolled. There are flowers and fresh fruits inviting living, needy beings to themselves with their color, taste and smell, and appealing to those who understand such things with their design, decoration, and art. Plants climb straight up their stalks to fulfill their duty of creation, and animals stand on their legs to do their duty of worship. Most of these creatures are not conscious of the astonishing, pure beauty and excellent faculties lodged in their creation, for they are for other creatures who can see and hear.

Despite this attractive majesty, charming adornment, kinds of favoring, things and events arousing curiosity to know and feelings of love for the One behind them; despite all undertakings, intentions and decisions, self-ornamentation, smiles, beckonings, and flirtations; and despite many similar attractions and charms that almost start to talk and tell their meanings, it appears that only two kinds of intelligent, living beings of understanding can appreciate all of this: humanity and jinn. However, most of them are heedless and are like deaf and blind children with paralyzed minds in the darkness of materialism and naturalism. This shows that apart from humanity and jinn, the universe is full of beings with spirit who reflect on existence and glorify God: The seven heavens and Earth, and whoever is in them, glorify Him; there is nothing that does glorify Him with praise but you do not understand their glorification (17:44).

* Adapted from Bediuzzaman’s Epitomes of Light (Mathnawi al-Nuriya)

The three great monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, come from the same source, flowing out of the Divine like rivers flowing out of the same ocean. Historically, Judaism came first and then was followed by Christianity, which later was followed by Islam. Prophet Abraham is the ancestor of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, as attested to in each religion’s holy book. In all of them we read that Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Hajar was Ishmael’s mother, while Sarah was Isaac’s mother. Isaac had a son named Jacob (Ya˜qub in the Qur’an), from whom all Jews trace their descent, whereas Arabs trace their descent from Ishmael.

Islam and Christianity

Muslims are required to observe six articles of faith, for if they have no faith and no trust in God, they cannot move forward in spiritual development. These are faith in God, angels, previously revealed scriptures (in their uncorrupted form), all Prophets (e.g., Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad), destiny, and the Resurrection and Day of Judgment.

Judaism and Christianity have many beliefs in common, but differ in the way they are implemented. In the case of Islam, these beliefs are displayed by:

– Proclaiming there is no god but God and Muhammad is His Messenger, which means that one has entered the fold of Islam. This is similar to such Christian practices as baptism and confirmation.

– Praying five times a day. Christians also pray, although the manner and time is left up to them.

– Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage to Makka is one of the most important ritual practices that a Muslim can undertake. Historically, pilgrimage also was an important feature of the Catholic church.

– Charity. This is central to both Islam and Christianity.

– Fasting. Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan both to obey God and to experience what it feels like to be hungry and thirsty. It is still present in Judaism and, to a much smaller degree, in Christianity.

Muslims believe that God has sent 124,000 Prophets to guide humanity. Their messages were similar: Be good to others, starting with your own family, do not kill each other, help poor people, and many more. Moses was given the Ten Commandments to lead the Jewish people back to the right path. Jesus was sent to guide the Jews yet again to the right path. Finally, Muhammad was sent to guide all of humanity with the final revelation: Islam.

Judaism and Christianity were revealed to meet the needs of the people living at that time. As magic was important during Moses’ time, God gave him a heavenly stick to swallow the magic sticks of the court magicians during a contest, and also allowed him to perform other miracles that the magicians could not duplicate. Medicine was uppermost during Jesus’ time, and so his miracles were related to healing and raising the dead. Jesus tried to revive his people’s dead spiritual life and make them see that life’s real enjoyment lay in praying, leading a spiritual life, purifying oneself from materialistic things, and living honorably.

During the Prophet’s time, eloquence was the highest value. Thus his most important miracle is the Qur’an, the eloquence and beauty of which has never been surpassed. Some people converted to Islam due to its eloquence alone. He taught his people to stop murdering their infant daughters, killing each other, engaging in polytheistic practices, and drinking wine. Out of his followers emerged the leaders of what would become the most advanced civilization of its time.

The role of believers today

At present, believes need to concentrate on the common ground between these three monotheistic religions, for greater understanding will increase our ability to live together in peace and harmony. As they all come from the same source, no threat will face them in the future.

Following the Prophet’s example, we should reach out to the unbelievers among us and inform them of God’s Existence and their ultimate accountability on the Day of Judgment. This will cause them to think before they act.

Moreover, believers are told to raise a new generation that will not repeat the mistakes of the past. Future generations should believe in God and be friends with everyone. They should soar to new heights on the wings of science/education and religion.

Our generation faces many challenges. One of the hardest is proving that jihad does not mean holy war. During the Prophet’s time, war was part of jihad because the Muslims had to defend themselves. But they did this only after God revealed that they could do so, and only after the Prophet had tried for years to bring his enemies to Islam through peaceful preaching and personal example. When the Prophet reached out to the Persian and the Byzantine rulers, the same pattern was followed.

Today, the most appropriate form of jihad is setting a good personal example and helping others. In other words, believers must practice what they preach. Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad did this, and thereby won the hearts of their people and others without violence or coercion.

For example, when a recently deceased Jewish man was borne to his grave, the Prophet stood up in respect and the mourners passed by where he was sitting. When the Companions asked why he was standing for a Jew, he replied: Because he was a human being. This is part of the real teaching of all religions: sincere respect for others regardless of race, color, religion, or any other temporary distinction.

Conclusion

We should honor the Prophets who brought Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by following their calls for us to unite and work for world peace and understanding. This is another facet of this generation’s jihad, for it is becoming ever more obvious that we must find a way to sincerely love and respect each other if humanity is to survive.

Love is the most essential component, most vivid light, and greatest power in every living creature. It can defeat any enemy.

Loveless spirits have no chance to become fully human. Even if they lived for hundreds of years, they would go no further than an infant in terms of maturity. Such love-deprived people can neither love others nor feel or sense love, and so remain trapped in their egos’ dark mazes unaware of the love cherished in creation’s heart.

The first thing all infants encounter is love. They sense the spirit of compassion and grow by leaning on hearts beating with love. Later on they may or may not find this love again, even though they search for and run after it constantly.

The sun’s face bears the marks of love. Water vapor rises toward that love, flies due to that love’s power, and then falls on the beloved Earth. All flowers smile at passers-by with that same love. The dew on the leaves twinkles and dances with love, while all animals and birds twitter together in a great choir of love.

Every creature tries to show and express a piece of this encompassing love through its perfectly composed and magnificent symphony.

Caring for others and sometimes living for others, very virtuous human qualities to which all should aspire, are the results of love. The greatest heroes are those who have a larger share of love in, as well as those who have removed hatred and malice from, their hearts.

The shortest way to conquer people’s hearts is that of love, the way followed by all Prophets. No door remains closed to such people. Even if it were possible that some doors might remain shut, thousands of others would be open on the other side. And if one could enter a heart through this way of love, every issue would be resolved successfully.

How fortunate are those who walk under the guidance of love, and how unfortunate are those who live blind and deaf to the love in their own spirits.

Recently, The Prayer of Jabez became a best seller. Some ministries and Bible study groups are studying it enthusiastically, and many people give it as gifts. Despite its unusual popularity, some accuse it of being at variance with Biblical teachings.

The Prayer of Jabez

The author, Dr. Bruce H. Wilkinson, focuses on a short prayer made by Jabez, a largely unknown Old Testament figure: And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying: Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil that I may not cause pain. So God granted him what he requested (1 Chronicles 4:9-10 [NKJV].)

Jabez, which means pain in Hebrew, was named by his mother after the pain he caused during childbirth”not a good start to life. Wilkinson says: Things started badly for a person no one had ever heard of, he prayed an unusual one-sentence prayer, and things ended extraordinarily well.

He suggests that there is something special about this prayer, for he claims to have seen extraordinary blessings over the years he has practiced it. In short, his analysis is as follows:

– Oh, that you would bless me: God’s nature is to bless. He gives countless blessings every day, some of which we do not receive because we do not ask for them. God wants to give us His blessings, but for some reason people do not ask for them. In short: God’s bounty is limited only by us, not by His resources, power or willingness to give.

– and enlarge my territory: Jabez asks for this so he can touch more lives in God’s service. Most people working in God’s service are trapped in the simple arithmetic that sums up their abilities, experiences, and other personal characteristics and then equate that with their territory. But Wilkinson states that if people make God’s Will their highest priority, God will help them with extraordinary blessings. Those who want to expand God’s kingdom will be washed in God’s blessings, which far exceed their own abilities.

Wilkinson writes: The most exhilarating miracles in my life have always started with a bold request to expand God’s kingdom, a lot. When you take little steps, you don’t need God. It’s when you thrust yourself in the mainstream of God’s plans for this world”which are beyond our ability to accomplish”and plead with Him”Lord, use me”give me more ministry for You! ”that you release miracles. At that moment, heaven sends angels, resources, strength and the people you need. I’ve seen it happen hundreds of times.

– that Your hand would be with me: When faced with actually beginning a huge task, many people fall into despair. Wilkinson says this is good, for depending upon God and praying sincerely to Him ensures success. When a much-younger Wilkinson felt this way and went to a trusted old man for advice, he was told: Actually, the second you are not feeling dependent (on God) you’ve backed away from truly living by faith.

He also relates a task undertaken by him and his students that turned out to be a huge success. He ties the success of such seemingly impossible undertakings to the participants’ recognition that they are weak and can succeed only if God steps in.

– that You would keep me from evil: Ordinary believers tend to seek God’s protection during their fight with evil. Wilkinson thinks Jabez found a shortcut: God’s protection from evil. In short, we will not sin if we do not feel tempted. Thus, Jabez asks God to protect him from temptation rather than to help him fight evil. As those who move closer to God face more temptation, and thus gain self-confidence and stop depending upon God, Wilkinson thinks that Jabez wanted God’s protection.

Criticisms

While easy-to-read and bearing a powerful message, many religious figures and other people knowledgeable of the Bible consider it misleading. For example:

– The intent of The prayer of Jabez is unclear to us. The Prayer of Jabez is translated differently in several translations and only a few translations are compatible with the author’s interpretation. There is not enough biblical support for author’s claims. For all we know, the prayer of Jabez looks like a completely selfish one. For starters, Jabez never says that he wants to be in the service of God.

– The author does not give enough emphasis on other prayers in the Bible, especially prayers of Jesus. It is almost like the author claims to have the magical prayer that God answers all the time. Although the author warns against using the prayer as a magic key, the rest of the book is at odds with that assertion. People may put faith in the prayer, not in God. Praying Jabez’s prayer as a ritual is propagated throughout the book.

– To be delivered from evil is biblical, but lacking. No matter how much you pray, you are bound to face evil and temptation. Praying for help in fighting against temptation should also be emphasized. Also, many of Christians had a problem with the statement Without temptation, we would not sin. Since, according to Christian faith, man is born sinful, he does not have to do anything to be in a state of sin.

– The prayer is self-centered, but some Christians think that prayer should be God-centered. Most Christians do not think that there is anything inherently wrong in praying for one’s own needs. However, the fact that Jesus started and finished his prayer by praising God should be stressed. Here is an example: Pray, then, in this way: Our Father Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen (Matthew 6:9-13, NASB).

Clearly, praise of God is not very apparent in The Prayer of Jabez.

The Islamic viewpoint

Some ideas expressed in this book are found in Islam. While researching this article, I interviewed Christians from different denominations on their views of prayer. When I asked if God would answer a non-Christian’s prayer, most said: Yes, for God is everyone’s God and may choose to answer His servants’ prayers any time He wills. However, one person replied that God only answers a righteous person’s prayer. If God appears to answer a non-righteous person’s prayer, it is because that person does the necessary things or because God makes it happen, as it falls under His Will regardless of their prayer.

Muslims do not rule out such conditions, and Islam does not teach that God listens only to Muslims. For example: Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, and He will make you successors in the earth. Is there a god with Allah? Little is it that you mind! (27:62) and And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way (2:187)

Does God favor certain prayers and grant them more frequently then others?

Yes, as the stories of the Prophets and righteous people show. For example:

– And when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House: Our Lord, accept from us, for You are the Hearing, the Knowing. Our Lord, make us submissive to You, (raise) from our offspring a nation submitting to You, show us our ways of devotion, and turn to us (mercifully), for You are the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. Our Lord, raise up one of their own as a Messenger who shall recite Your communications to them, teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them, for You are the Mighty, the Wise. (2:127-29)

– Our Lord, don’t cause our hearts to deviate after You have guided us aright, and grant us from Your Mercy, for You are the most generous Giver. (3:8)

– God does not burden a soul with something greater than it can bear. It receives every good that it earns, and suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) Our Lord, don’t condemn us if we forget or fall into error. Our Lord, don’t place upon us a burden like the one You placed upon those before us. Our Lord, don’t place upon us a burden that we can’t bear. Expunge our sins and forgive us. Have mercy upon us. You are our Protector, [so] help us against those who oppose faith. (2:286)

The Prophet also left behind many prayers related sleep, eating, seeking protection from evil or an enemy, seeking forgiveness, asking for paradise, seeking refuge from poverty, certain diseases, and others related to all facets of life. Islam does not present any prayers as as magic formulas for acceptance, but merely some sample prayers that God likes believers to perform. While the wording is important, what really counts is sincerity: (Jesus said:) And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words (Matthew 6:7) and (Muhammad said:) God does not accept the supplication of a person whose heart is busy with other things (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 66).

Does God answer all prayers?

Muslims believe that certain conditions have to be met for the prayer to be answered: It is addressed to the One True God, does not join another deity with God, and does not ask for what God has prohibited.

However, God answers prayers as He wills. Similar to what Christians believe, He may grant it as it is, grant something better, or may not grant it since the outcome will be bad: But it is possible that you dislike a thing that is good for you, and that you love a thing that is bad for you. God knows, and you do not (2:216).

Also, God may choose not to interfere or change the flow of events. We see this when the various Prophets and their followers were persecuted. When one Muslim asked the Prophet to pray for deliverance, the Prophet replied, that this is the fate of all sincere believers and that they must be steadfast and patient in God’s path. Thus God allows apparently bad things to happen and delays the prayer’s acceptance. The Prophet said: Each person’s prayer is granted if he or she does not grow impatient and say: I prayed, but it was not granted’ (Muslim, Dhikr 6593).

Praising God vs. Asking God

Christian and Islamic traditions consider it most appropriate to start a prayer by glorifying God. For Muslims, this is reflected in the first surah, which has to be recited throughout the five daily prescribed prayers: In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds. The Compassionate, the Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. We serve You and implore You for help. Keep us on the right path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favors. Not (the path) of those who have earned Your Wrath or of those who go astray (1:1-7)

The first four verses praise, thank, and glorify God. The fifth one is either a statement or prayer to reach a certain quality. The last two are supplications. The Prophet told his Companions to start their prayers by praising God, and his own prayers were intertwined with glorifications of God. Many prayers reported in the Qur’an also start with praise of and thanks to God.

In the Islamic tradition, one can ask for earthly things: The Messenger of Allah said, Each of you should ask for his or her needs from Allah, even if your shoelace breaks, because if Allah does not facilitate it, it will never be possible (Tirmidhi, Da awat, 149). However, the Qur’an criticizes prayers that focus on earthly things alone: Some say: Our Lord, give us (Your bounties) in this world, but they will have no portion in the Hereafter. Others say: Our Lord, give us good in this world and in the Hereafter, and defend us from the Fire’s torment. To them will be given what they have earned. God is quick in account (2:200-02) and No soul dies except by God’s leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If someone wants a reward in this life, We shall give it. If someone wants a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it. And swiftly shall We reward those who (serve Us with) gratitude (3:145).

Thus, Muslims do not take Paradise for granted. Rather, they hope to enter it through gaining God’s good pleasure, good deeds, and avoiding evil. Even the Prophet said he could enter Paradise only by God’s Mercy. Prayers focusing on the Hereafter are not common in the Christian tradition; however, they are central in the Islamic tradition. The Islamic belief in individual accountability is a driving force in a practicing Muslim’s daily life.

Conclusion

Prayer is a basic human need and a powerful way to establish a connection with God. It is also a signature, for how one prays gives important clues about one’s relationship with God. For example, the reported prayers of righteous people and Prophets show a far deeper understanding about how God acts. Prayer also unifies people of different faith communities, as seen in during the interfaith services held after the September 11 tragedy.

The Prayer of Jabez, despite its shortcomings from both Christian and Islamic perspectives, is an important book. People should read it and contemplate its message. All of us need to acquire a more accurate understanding of the different faiths that drive our neighbors and other people. Viewing all Muslims as terrorists due to the actions of a few or raising our children to hate or fear members of other faith communities damage all of us. Maybe one day the media will realize this.

References

• http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible (the Bible, New King James Version).
• http://cwis.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/ (The Qur’an, Yusuf Ali and Shakir translations)
• Wilkinson, Bruce. The Prayer of Jabez (Multnomah Publishers: 2000).
• www.al- sunnah.com/books/ConciseLegacy.htm (al-Tirmidhi).
• www.muhaddis.org (al-Tirmidhi).
• www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/ (Sahih Muslim).

In Snow White, the evil stepmother gushes: Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all? Most people think that she is vain, and therefore being vain is bad. But there is more to it than that, and if this is all we can impart to our children then we are robbing them of meaning. Actually, I do not think this is about our children at all, but rather about ourselves as adults. When we read these stories again to our children, its very telling about ourselves if we finally understand these stories or not, now that we have grown up.

If you are searching for wisdom in life, a child’s library of fairy tales is a convenient place to begin. The imagery in fairy tales provides us with archetypes that we can use to organize the lessons that life teaches us.

The notion of the evil stepmother in Snow White talking to her mirror struck me when I was looking at myself in the mirror. We know that some mirrors do a better job for us then others. Mirrors that make us look horrendous put us off. Is it the lighting? Is this mirror warped or what? Do I actually look like that? What’s going on with my hair? How come my pores are so big? But what I really mean is: Am I the fairest one of all?

I wish I had a mirror that did the job like the one Snow White’s stepmother had. It was honest and reliable. But mirrors like that do not exist, at least not for our bathrooms. But we do carry such a mirror, and it is of great help if we know how to use it. To use it properly, we have to ask ourselves the proper questions. The evil stepmother asked the wrong question. She was not evil; she was unenlightened and lost in her own illusions.

Most of us ask the wrong questions but do not think of ourselves as evil. We ask if we are the fairest, the smartest, the happiest, the most contented. The stepmother was told that she was not the fairest in relation to Snow White. She was plenty gorgeous already though, the number two beauty in the land.

When we ask the wrong questions, we become as delusional as Snow White’s stepmother. Unfortunately, many of us do not stop looking for a mirror that will tell us that we are the fairest.

Mirrors only show us who we are, not who we would rather be. We think that a new car would be a good mirror, but it is not. We think that a new, attractive mate would be a good mirror, but it is not. Neither is a high paying job or a lovely home. Such things have nothing to do with finding a mirror that works because this inner reflection, this mirror that we carry, never fails to work. Unfortunately, we simply fail to look, all the while asking the wrong questions to the wrong objects.

To be fair, it is difficult to look straight into our honest reflections. Not only must we contend with our previous illusions of trying to be the fairest, we must now contend with very real failings of character and personality. Guess what? I realized this weekend that I am not such a nice guy. Something like that can be down right depressing, but not if we realize that it is all part and parcel of seeing ourselves.

When we can SEE ourselves, we begin to see others; that is, we see ourselves in others and others in ourselves. We also begin to question ourselves, not to doubt ourselves but to pose questions that require answers from us. That is, we make ourselves accountable. When we are accountable to ourselves, we are essentially free. We no longer look outside for the pre-digested answers so much as inward for both the questions and the answers.

The plumber? What bit of insight into world events could a plumber from New Jersey have?, I thought. The plumber from small-town America, driving his pick-up truck and proudly displaying the Stars and Stripes bandanna on his head, came up with an important observation: The laws of this country (America) have made us weak. Whenever we have a problem, our first reaction is to call our lawyer or someone else to take away our problems for us. This has made us weak. We have forgotten how to take care of our own business.

My teacher was in complete agreement with him. In fact, during his 11 years of living in America, he has commented frequently on this very thing. While he was growing up outside America, everything about America was cowboys and Indians and rugged individualism. America represented strength, bravery, and toughness. Now, while actually living in America, he sees a society of illness and weakness that is buried under materialism, violence, and greed. With the tragedy of September 11, the illusion of the my country’s collective consciousness that America, is somehow immune to external aggression was dealt a major blow, as was the psyche of the American public and its ability to cope with the reality of vulnerability.

What the plumber meant

The plumber’s statements alluded to a nation and people that once prided itself on its toughness, self-reliance, and pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps outlook on life driven by the Protestant work ethic. Too much material success, too many lawyers and psychiatrists, and too many service industries doing everything for everyone, however, is causing America to lose its edge and. essentially, its Americanness.

If you carefully recall how America once was and then notice where contemporary American culture is heading, you can see the signs clearly. The nature, not just the statistics, of social ills in America today point to deep-seated problems and stem from a loss of soulfulness. Go to your local bookstore or turn on Oprah, and almost daily you will see some show or read some article about a social or psychological malaise affecting some man or woman, child or group. Emotionally, people are hurting, confused, and depressed. Many are shunning traditional remedies for alternative or more eastern approaches to their problems.

Sadly, Americans are suffering and America is running out of ideas about how to save itself. Take schools and education. Now, American children essentially run the schools. Teachers everywhere, particularly in inner-city schools, are scared of their students. They find it nearly impossible to control them, let alone discipline them. Parents today are more prone to back their children in contentious teacher-student situations, no matter what the child does to earn the teacher’s displeasure, than to defend the teacher. Gone are the days when parents and teachers formed a united front to teach and enforce respect and correct children’s behavior. Now, teachers are under attack, and students are leading the assault. This is an example of the social backwardness that the Prophets warned us about as we approach the end of time.

Contributing factors

The weakening of America, as put by the plumber, also is being facilitated by the never-ending lawsuits in which society is literally drowning. (In)famous cases like the woman who won $2 million from McDonald’s because she spilled hot coffee on herself while driving is just an example of how the extreme litigiousness of American society is manufacturing greed to the point where people become fixated on suing over every little thing in the hope of making a quick buck. Judges frequently are forced to throw cases out of court due to superfluous lawsuits brought about by people trying to capitalize on the slightest misfortune.

This mentality of whatever wrong is done to me means that I am owed something, which often translates into large sums of money, has added a great deal to America’s psychological fragility. It is also another indicator of an increasingly atheistic worldview, one in which there is little belief that everything happens to us for a reason, even if that thing is as mundane as spilling hot coffee on ourselves. Such a mentality represents a major step backward for those who believe in the importance of meeting responsibilities before being granted rights and privileges. American culture today, however, teaches us to demand our rights regardless as to whether or not we meet our responsibilities. We have the right to sue for huge sums of money if we act like fools and put scolding hot coffee between are legs, even though commonsense would teach us that we have a responsibility to ourselves not to do it because it is physically dangerous.

These developments, which have evolved primarily over the past half century, have been heavily influenced by Western psychology, which is atheistic, materialistic, and has no soul or spirit. This is in stark contrast to religion and the concept of spirituality, which views human being as the complex meeting point of mental, physical, and spiritual faculties. The Western psychological schools of thought and their ranks of foot soldiers have greatly influenced Western society through the systematic application of God-less psychology. With their widespread application and influence on mainstream culture, psychological schools such as Freud’s admittedly do not address such human aspects as the soul, because such concepts are outside of the measurable, positivist scientific scope. In fact, Ahmed writes, Freud and many of his followers explained religion as nothing more than the universal obsessional neurosis.

An example of this from my time spent at an academy in New Jersey is of one particular teenage boy. His parents, unable to his behavior that included drug use, alcohol use, and free sex, sent him to a psychiatrist out of desperation. But after treating the boy several times, the psychiatrist, far from helping the boy understand why he needed to be more obedient and respectful to his parents so as to help mend the family according to its correct structure, sided with the boy and told the parents that their requiring him to pray regularly was borderline abusive and excessive, and that they should let him have more freedom to do what he wants.

Although only an example, this is how people in America”children more than anyone else”are being stripped of their humanness. They are being spoon-fed the notion that they need to indulge every urge, want, and desire in order to be happy. Ironically, the opposite effect has taken hold and its proof is in the pudding. As of 1998, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five American adults were considered to have suffered from some sort of diagnosable mental disorder. In addition, 4 of the 10 in America and other developed countries are such mental disorders as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Creating a culture of dependency

The psychic deterioration of America is thus being facilitated through the use of modern-day psychology and exaggerated notions of mental illness to make people dependent on everything and everyone but God and themselves. Although modern psychology has made some positive contributions toward understanding human behavior, its atheistic roots and assumptions often make it work against religion and the critical role of spirituality in each individual’s development. Thus, it essentially goes against our very nature as human beings. As a result, religion has been reduced from a way of life to an extracurricular activity. Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike who are avid practitioners of their faiths often get strange looks and clich d labels such as fundamentalists if they speak publicly about religion or even use the word god in a professional context.

People all over the world who are experiencing more Western culture in their daily lives have to guard against the dangers of dependency culture. This is one of the downsides to Western culture, for it promotes a way of life that encourages individuals to do less for themselves, to look away from themselves, to complain when they do not get their way, to blame others for their problems, and to shy away from critiquing the man or woman in the mirror. As a result, we start to believe that we are owed things or that certain luxuries and status are due to us, regardless of whether or not we are meeting our responsibilities, are grateful to God for what we have, and are busy with the ongoing work of self-improvement and reflection.

In many parts of the world today, we are seeing larger numbers of believers devoted to God getting sucked into the traps of dependency culture. This is precisely how God is being replaced. This is how Western cultural elites have been able to systematically remove God and religion from everyday life with atheistic and materialist psychology”by making us dependent on things and people rather than God. On the contrary, however, as human beings we must seek help in constant prayer and dependence on God in order to rediscover our essential nature. We also should know how to resist any dependency culture devoid of God and religion.

Following the Prophets

Looking back on human history, we see that those most heroic of people, the Prophets, always relied on God. They did not pursue positions, take concessions from rulers, or complain to anyone other than God about their situation and the lack of support and humiliation they were made to receive.

From one’s own personal perspective, the drive toward self-perfection can be quite a challenge at times. The idea that everything comes to us from God, and that we have to train and condition ourselves to understand this and be grateful for whatever God sends us, is truly a struggle to put into practice. Every moment we have to fight the urge to complain about this, complain about that, demand to know why this happened or why that happened, blame our misfortunes on others, and just lie down and give in to our lower selves. Believers, however, must differentiate themselves through quiet determination and resignation to the fact that God is always in charge. Naturally, this includes improving the world around us, standing up to oppression, and doing our best to correct falsehoods. It is part of our collective responsibility, and must be conducted correctly.

Conclusion

People everywhere today are being conditioned to look outside of themselves first to solve their problems, and thus are becoming more and more incapable of keeping their own houses in order. This is the formula that is creating societies replete with self-hatred and weakness, which is what the plumber from New Jersey so poignantly picked up on. The signs are there in the form of social ills growing out of control. This is surely the path to self-destruction first, and societal destruction second.

As people who understand this, we must avoid making these same mistakes and help others by bringing them into the light of God’s grace and formula for ultimate success. The results of not doing so could be disastrous for all of humanity. In addition, America must take stock of itself and see if this is really the path it wants to follow. As the world looks to it for all types of leadership, among them moral leadership, America could help solve many of these problems by resurrecting and then following the ideals that made it great: spirituality, accountability to God and self, self-confidence, and individual striving to reach one’s full potential.

References

• Ahmed, B. Islamic Values and Ethics in Prevention and Treatment of Emotional Disorders. (2001). Online at www.crescentlife.com.
• National Institute of Mental Health. (1998). Online at: www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/numbers.cfm.
• Salahi, A. Muhammad, Man and Prophet: A Complete Study of the Life of the Prophet of Islam. Shaftesbury, UK: Element, 1995, 167.
• www.crescentlife.com/articles/islamic_values_in_treatment_of_emotional_disorders.htm.
• This article originally appeared online at www.islam-online.net. Reprinted with permission.

Even though nature is an exhibition of miracles, we prefer to call it a book, for we hear and read it like a book and watch it with admiration while walking through its colorful gilt embroideries.

Just as the elegant architectural details of a chalet whisper that there is more to the chalet than what we see, this marvelous book of nature directs our consciousness to the source of all beauty and order beyond itself–the source that creates and brings to light. With every formation, this source makes us feel the presence of a perfect organizer and displayer. However, it cannot be sensed because its greatness is beyond human comprehension and perception.

When we look at the skies (heavens), we notice that this architecture in nature appears to be concentric. The mountains seem to lean their heads majestically at the skies’ feet, and the skies’ self-surrender to the strong desire of togetherness are nice symbols of this architecture.

This excellent book and perfect exhibition, created by Eternal Mercy and offered for our observation and study, is now even less valued and cared about than a pile of garbage. It is being transformed into a desert and rubbish from all quarters. Today nature is shaken, ruined, and scattered. Air, the throne of Divine Command and Will, is full of malicious smoke, a whirlpool fluctuating with subjugation. Water, the symbol of Compassion, is no more than death canals of tar.

The land, although created as a symbol of God’s infinite Kindness and Benevolence, is now an infertile desert having very little to offer.

Like all other things entrusted to us, we have ruined this book and destroyed this wonderful exhibition. Actually, we have betrayed ourselves by transforming this beautiful world into a hell.

If humanity does not rebuild and cultivate this destroyed planet and return it to its original beauty, we will experience events like Noah’s Flood in the near future.