Another significant contribution to this issue comes from Professor Suat Yildirim, who lays down a comprehensive analysis of two major Islamic concepts, jihad and qital, which are often confused, leading to common misjudgments about Islam. The author briefly mentions the historical context in which Islam has flourished, summarizing how believers suffered oppression, torture, the usurpation of their property, and even death. After years of patient and peaceful resistance to survive, they were compelled to leave their homeland until it became unbearable and the rights of “the oppressed, helpless men, women, and children” (Qur’an 4:75) had to be protected. Yildirim argues that this is not the same thing as the concept of “Holy War,” which does not exist in Islamic terminology. He explains in detail all the possible aspects jihad stands for, and he makes clear that qital, or fighting, has many parameters that ontologically tend towards peace; such fighting is conducted not to impose religion on others but to set people free to choose their faith. Observing fairness, forgiveness of the enemy, accepting peace offers, etc., are also listed in the article as other obligations during qital. Fitnah is another major concept dealt with in the article: when the concept is falsely defined, it may easily provoke violence.

Aydogan Vatandas adds a third contribution on the same theme, wondering “Does Islam Promote Violence?” Looking at scholars from Jessica Stern to John Horgan, and Ahmet Kurucan to Richard Bulliet and Zeki Saritoprak, Vatandas offers evidence from a wide spectrum of thinkers that “religion is essentially irrelevant as a causal force.” He argues that jihadist actors are not actually religious during the course of their radicalization; that terrorist attacks have no justification in the authentic sources of Islam, nor do they protect the honor of Islam; and that ISIS and other terrorist groups are far from the Prophetic methodology and Islam does not need a state or caliphate to flourish.

So, what is the way toward a solution? The Fountain believes in the power of knowledge and dialogue for global peace. Barbara Anderson and Zeliha Celiker explain how they were able to set up a group dialogue with Christian and Muslim women, and how their friendship helped them overcome bias. The story of the Church of Mary, or Kathisma Church, in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, is told by Elif Guler, who argues that the recently discovered ruins show this place of worship was used simultaneously by both Christians and Muslims, exemplifying the tolerance of both religious communities and the peaceful rule of Umar, the second Caliph. In history, we can find examples of hope for the future.

In the early years of Islam, the faith was taught with a focus on common sense with spiritual counsels, arguments in the belief of God’s existence, and the Afterlife. When some Muslims who faced insults and persecution tended to react against adversaries, the Prophet calmed them down and asked them to show patience. When pressures increased, the Prophet recommended a group of Muslims immigrate to Abyssinia to evade persecution, but the Meccan chieftains made the issue into an international scandal and sent envoys so the Muslim refugees could be handed over to them.

Unable to prevent the spread of Islam, they increased their violence. The leaders of the Quraysh tribe, except for the Hashimi clan which the Prophet belonged to, decided to implement a severe embargo. They forced Muslims to live in a field known as Shib al-Abu Talib and cut off all relations with them. Even selling something to them was banned. This embargo meant a wholesale condemnation to famine, meaning even women, children, and the elderly suffered. One memory from Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas can give us an idea about how horrible their situation was: one night, after he relieved himself in a remote corner, he found a piece of animal skin on the ground. He first cleaned it, then held it out to fire, and then tried to appease his feeling of hunger by gnawing at it.

Meanwhile, a growing number of people in Medina were accepting Islam. In the end, 73 people who came to pledge allegiance to the Prophet invited the Muslims to Medina. The Prophet encouraged Muslims to immigrate there in small numbers. When the Prophet was one of the few Muslims who remained in Mecca, the chieftains assembled and decided to assassinate him, but he set forth in the night and the would-be killers returned empty handed.

Although some Muslims were inclined to retaliate against the Meccan enmity, the Prophet did not seek revenge but set about putting things right in Medina. The noble Prophet was a mild person with a distinguished compassion and a magnanimous character. Many different verses of the Qur’an refer to this quality of his, such as the following two:

“There has come to you (O people) a Messenger from among yourselves; extremely grievous to him is your suffering, full of concern for you is he, and for the believers full of pity and compassion” (Tawbah 9:128); and, “Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would surely have scattered away from about you. Then pardon them, pray for their forgiveness, and take counsel with them in the affairs (of public concern)…” (Al Imran 3:159).

We know that the Meccan chieftains were not indifferent to this migration; they threatened the Medinans and prepared to take vengeance.¹ On the other hand, although almost all Muslims had left, the previously sowed seeds of faith began to germinate and people kept embracing Islam in Mecca. The following verse refers to those new believers and those who remained oppressed:

“Why, then, should you not fight in the cause of God and of the oppressed, helpless men, women, and children, who cry out: ‘O Lord! Bring us out of this land whose people are oppressors, and appoint for us from Your Presence a protector, and appoint for us from Your Presence a helper!'” (Nisa 4:75).

The Muslims who emigrated from Mecca had left behind their homes, businesses, trade, relatives, and everything else. Since the polytheists usurped their properties, it was perfectly lawful for the Muslims who emigrated from Mecca to reclaim their rights from them. After a long period of patience that lasted some fifteen years, God gave them permission to fight back:

“The believers against whom war is waged are given permission to fight in response, for they have been wronged. Surely God has full power to help them to victory – those who have been driven from their homeland against all rights, for no other reason than that they say, ‘Our Lord is God'” (Hajj 22:39-40).

The prevalent opinion in the West is that, Muslims have the right to use weapons to make others accept their religion or to destroy those who do not accept it – and are even obliged to do so. Accordingly, this notion is known as the “Holy War,” and some have tried to present the word “jihad” as the Qur’anic term for it. In reality, this word – which literally means “striving” – does not mean fighting, and there is no concept of “Holy War” in the Qur’an.² “Guerre sainte” or “holy war” belongs to European terminology.

The concept of jihad is very extensive. Certain Qur’anic verses state that jihad can sometimes be in the form of war, such as the following example:

“Those who were left behind in opposition to God’s Messenger rejoiced at staying at home, and abhorred striving with their wealth and persons in God’s cause. And they said: ‘Do not go forth to war in this heat'” (Tawbah 81).³

According to a classification by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziya,⁴ the levels of jihad can be categorized as follows:

1) Jihad against the carnal soul:

1. Through learning about Islam.
2. Conveying the Divine message to others.
3. Putting up with troubles while conveying the message.

2) Jihad against Satan:

1. Eliminating the doubts he casts.
2. Resisting his temptations.

3) Jihad against adversaries of Islam:

1. In the heart – having an aversion to their attacks, if you cannot do anything else.
2. Through the tongue – speak up against their attacks.
3. By spending from one’s wealth
4. By physical struggle (when no other option is left for defense).

4) Jihad against hypocrites:

1. In the heart.
2. Through the tongue.
3. By persuasion.

The Qur’anic chapters revealed in Mecca either use the word jihad in the sense of making efforts to be of guidance to others or bringing reasonable arguments for belief from the Qur’an, but in a peaceful fashion:

“(So pay no heed to (the desires of) the unbelievers, but engage in a mighty striving against them by means of it [the Qur’an]” Furqan 25:52).

It also means making a personal spiritual struggle:

“Those (on the other hand) who strive hard for Our sake, We will most certainly guide them to Our ways (that We have established to lead them to salvation). Most assuredly, God is with those devoted to doing good, aware that God is seeing them” (Ankabut 29:69).⁵

When referring to war, the Qur’an uses the word “qital” in multiple different verses. The following verses establish under which conditions it is to be done:

“Fight in God’s cause (in order to exalt His Name) against those who fight against you, but do not exceed the bounds (set by God), for surely God loves not those who exceed the bounds” (Baqarah 2:190).

“Then if they desist (from fighting), surely God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate” (Baqarah 2:192).

“If they withdraw from you and do not fight against you, and offer you peace, then God allows you no way (to war) against them” (Nisa 4:90).

Another verse makes the same distinction:

“God does not forbid you, as regards those who do not make war against you on account of your Religion, nor drive you away from your homes, to be kindly to them, and act towards them with equity. God surely loves the scrupulously equitable. God only forbids you, as regards those who make war against you on account of your Religion and drive you away from your homes, or support others to drive you away, to take them for friends and guardians. Whoever takes them for friends and guardians, those are the wrongdoers” (Mumtahanah 60:8-9).

Even in chapter Tawbah, which begins with a severe ultimatum against unbelievers, hypocrites, and believers who elude fighting, and which informs Muslims that all relations with polytheists are to be cut, the Qur’an holds the polytheists who do not break their treaties with Muslims as exceptions. The following is stated in the 4th verse of this chapter:

“Excepting those among the people who associate partners with God with whom you made a treaty, and who have not thereafter failed to fulfill their obligations towards you (required by the treaty), nor have backed anyone against you. Observe, then, your treaty with them until the end of the term (that you agreed with them). Surely God loves the God-revering, pious (who keep their duties to Him).”

No text in the Qur’an justifies practicing undue violence. The issue can be summarized as resisting the enemy in a proper fashion and acting justly. The Qur’an even commands granting asylum to polytheists who have no treaty with Muslims but make such a demand:

“And if any of those who associate partners with God seeks asylum of you (O Messenger), grant him asylum, so that he may hear the Word of God, and then convey him to his place of security” (Tawbah 9:6).

In another verse of the same chapter, the purpose of the war the believers are asking for is stated as follows:

“Will you not fight against the people who have broken their pledges and have done all they could to drive the Messenger (from where he chooses to dwell), and initiated hostilities against you?” (Tawbah 9:13).

From these verses, we understand that those who first initiate hostilities will be responsible for the war. And only those who personally fight are to be punished. Within this frame, people like women, children, the elderly and disabled, workers in their fields, and especially people of religion in their places of worship, will be safe from any kind of violence. The last group mentioned is particularly noteworthy: had Islam endorsed religious bigotry, it would command practicing violence to people of religion first.

The noble Prophet, who practiced the command of forgiving those enemies that give up fighting, even banned chasing any escaping enemies. The purpose of this regulation is eliminating danger. War is not made for the sake of coercing people to accept Islam, but for preventing coercion and torments about people’s religious preferences. War in Islam is made for the sake of letting people be free in choosing their faith. Eliminating any obstacles to religious freedom has been the sole motive for those who properly fought in the cause of Islam.⁶

A remaining question is what the word fitnah means, as in the following verse:

“And (if they still persist in unbelief and hostilities), fight against them until there is no fitnah, and the whole of religion for God exclusively…” (Anfal 8:39).

Here, fitnah is mostly interpreted as “associating partners with God.” On the other hand, scholars⁷ of Qur’anic exegesis explain “fitnah” in the 191th verse of chapter Baqarah as “torture with the aim of making one forsake his or her faith.” It is stated that while explaining “fitnah” in this verse, and its similar use in Baqarah 193, scholars of Qur’anic exegesis⁸ relate in their books that prominent scholars⁹ of the early period understood the word fitnah in Baqarah 193 to mean torments, and namely persecution. By also taking into consideration the comments in more recent works by M. Abduh, Qasimi, Muhammad Draz, and Maraghi for this verse, we can say that this sense of fitnah refers to pressure and torture in the hopes of making somebody forsake their faith. On this front, the Qur’an explicitly states that there is no place for coercion in religion:

“There is no compulsion in the Religion. The right way stands there clearly distinguished from the false. Hence, he who rejects the false deities and believes in God has indeed taken hold of the firm, unbreakable handle; and God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing” (Baqarah 2:256).

“If your Lord had so willed (and, denying them free will, compelled mankind to believe), all who are on the earth would surely have believed, all of them. Would you, then, force people until they become believers?” (Yunus 10:99).

Like these verses state, different beliefs will exist since God allows it:

“If your Lord had so willed (and withheld from humankind free will), He would have made all humankind one single community (with the same faith, worldview, and life-pattern). But (having free choice) they never cease to differ (and follow diverse paths, diverging from the Straight Path), save those on whom your Lord has mercy (and guides to the Straight Path because of the merits they have)” (Hud 11:118-119).

Such a question may arise in one’s mind at this point: “Does the Qur’an not assign Muslims with the duty of conveying the truth they believe to other people? Is it not the point of Islam to bless people with happiness in both worlds? Is it not necessary to convey this message to those unaware of this guidance?” The answer is surely yes, and many verses of the Qur’an make it clear.¹⁰ Muslims are supposed to convey the message to those who are uninformed about it. The Qur’an clearly expresses that this should be done with wisdom and fairness:

“Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and argue with them in the best way possible. Your Lord surely knows best who has gone astray from His way, and He knows best who are the rightly guided” (Nahl 16:125).

This verse reveals the essential method of conveying the message. From a perspective of Qur’anic exegesis, it is understood that the verse alludes to three general groups of addressees: the first group is those who have a good sense of reasoning and the message is to be conveyed to them with erudite proofs and wisdom. The second group is the wider mass who will not quite understand erudite explanations but need to be addressed with “fair exhortation” – namely, by giving them sound advice in more easily understandable formats. It is necessary to elucidate for them what they will gain by following good guidance or the loss they will suffer otherwise. As for the unbelievers with an adversarial stance who are not likely to be addressed in these two ways, it is necessary to argue them in the best way possible.

Here, the person addressed and invited to religion is completely free at accepting the Islamic message or not. However, as the Islamic teaching gives people freedom to accept the message or not, it requires the same freedom to convey the message. Every human, including Muslims, has the birthright of practicing and instructing their faith, and when this right is forsaken, they should claim it by pursuing legitimate means of struggle to ensure freedom of conscience for everyone.

Notes

1 Muhammed Hamidullah, Islam’a Giris (introduction to Islam), translated into Turkish by Cemal Aydin, Ankara: 2005, p.19

2 Muhammad Draz, Toward Understanding the Qur’an, p. 60.

3 Likewise, the 41th and 86th verses of the same chapter also use the word jihad in this sense.

4 Zadu’l-Mead, Beyrut, 1985, 3/9-11, Terc. 3/1011-1012, Cantas yayinlari

5 For example, see Baqarah 190, 192, 193, 216; Nisa 75, 90; Anfal 39; Tawbah 29; Hajj 39; Saf 4; Muzzammil 20.

6 Muhammad Draz, Toward Understanding the Qur’an, p. 64.

7 Zamakhshari, Ibn Atiyya, Fakhruddin Razi, Baydawi, Ibn Juzay, Sealibi, Hatib Shirbini, Abu’s Suud, Shawkani, Qasimi, M. Rashid Rida, and Maraghi are among them.

8 Ibn Atiyya, Razi, Hazin, Shirbini, M.S. Hasan Han

9 e.g. Ibn Ishaq, Urwah ibn Zubayr, Ibn Abbas (according to one report), Ar-Rabi, and Hasan Basri.

10 For particular examples, see: Al Imran 3:110; Asr 103:1-4; Zukhruf 43:5; Nahl 16:125.

It isn’t fair to blame Islam for the atrocities of violent radicals. But when terrorists claim the Muslim mantle, then they bear this identity, if only nominally. Thus members of the faith must do whatever possible to prevent this cancer from metastasizing in our communities. If we don’t, we’ll be partly responsible for the smeared image of our faith.

First, we must denounce violence and not fall prey to victimhood. Having suffered oppression is no excuse for causing it or for failing to condemn terrorism. That the terrorists are committing grave sins in the name of Islam is not merely my opinion; it is the inevitable conclusion of an honest reading of primary sources: the Quran and the accounts of the life of Prophet Muhammad. The core principles of these sources—relayed over the centuries by scholars who devoted themselves to studying the Prophet’s sayings and practices, and to the “author’s intent” in the Holy Book—dispels any claims terrorists make of religious justification.

Second, it is important to promote a holistic understanding of Islam, as the flexibility to accommodate the diverse backgrounds of its adherents can sometimes be abused. Islam’s core ethics, however, are not left to interpretation. One such principle is that taking the life of a single innocent is a crime against all humanity (Quran 5:32). Even in an act of defense in war, violence against any noncombatants, especially women, children and clergy, is specifically prohibited by the Prophet’s teachings.

We must demonstrate these values by showing solidarity with people who seek peace around the world. Given the nature of human psychology and the dynamics of the news, it’s obvious that mainstream voices are less likely to capture headlines than extremist ones. But instead of blaming the media, we should find innovative ways to ensure our voices are heard.

Third, Muslims must publicly promote human rights—dignity, life and liberty. These are the most basic of Islamic values and no individual, nor any political or religious leader, has the authority to snatch them away.

Living the essence of our faith means respecting diversity—cultural, social, religious and political. God identifies learning from one another as the primary goal of diversity (Quran 49:13). Respecting each human being as a creation of God (17:70) is respecting God.

Fourth, Muslims must provide educational opportunities to every member of their communities, where the study of sciences, humanities and arts is embedded in a culture of respect for every living being. Governments in the Muslim world must design school curricula that nurture democratic values. Civil society has a role in promoting respect and acceptance. This is the reason participants of the Hizmet movement have set up more than 1,000 schools, tutoring centers and dialogue institutions in more than 150 countries.

Fifth, providing religious education to Muslims is critical to depriving extremists of a tool that they use to spread their twisted ideologies. When religious freedom is denied, as it has been for decades in parts of the Muslim world, faith grows in the shadows, leaving it to be interpreted by unqualified and radical figures.

Finally, it is imperative that Muslims support equal rights for women and men. Women should be given opportunity and be free from social pressures that deny their equality. Muslims have a great example in Prophet Muhammad’s wife Aisha, a highly educated scholar, teacher and prominent community leader of her time.

Terrorism is a multifaceted problem, so the solutions should address the political, economic, social and religious layers. Approaches that reduce the problem to religion do a disservice to at-risk youth and the world at large. The international community would do well to realize that Muslims are the primary victims of terrorism—both literally and symbolically—and they can help marginalize terrorists and prevent recruitment. That’s why governments should avoid statements and actions that result in the alienation of Muslims.

Violent extremism has no religion; there will always be people who manipulate faith texts. Just as Christians do not endorse Quran burnings or the actions of the Ku Klux Klan, and Buddhists do not endorse atrocities against Rohingya Muslims, mainstream Muslims do not endorse violence.

Muslims have historically added much to the flourishing of human civilization. Our greatest contributions were made in eras when the faith cherished mutual respect, freedom and justice. It may be immensely difficult to restore the blotted image of Islam, but Muslims can be beacons of peace and tranquility in their societies.

Originally published in The Wall Street Journal, Aug 27, 2015.

Part of me was screaming “No!!” However, the other part was a little hesitant. I was struggling with many questions. Finally, I realized th at I was experiencing all of this because I actually did not know the “God” I thought I loved. I had some knowledge of God, but that was not enough for me. I was a Muslim just because I was born into a Muslim family. Therefore, I decided to get to know “God.” And I started to read, read, and read, as the first revelation to the beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, states: “Read, in the name of God” (Quran, 96:1).

While reading, the doors opened wide in front of me. As I began to get to know Who I believe in, I started to love more. As I loved more, I started to practice more. I wanted to say “thank you,” to my atheist friend who contributed to this result. This is a wonderful memory which taught me that love comes after knowing.

I believe the following is a rule that holds true in all cases.

Would you like to love God? Get to know God better!

Would you like to love people around you? Get to know them better!

I think this is the key to maintaining a peaceful world: getting to know others, and loving and respecting others. As is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, Chapter 49:13:

“O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other).”

Believing this with my whole heart, I was at the Turkish American Society of Ohio enjoying the friendship of the wonderful people I had previously met, who assisted me whenever I needed help. I was standing next to one of these wonderful friends, looking into her eyes in amazement while she was telling me the story of an admirable group of women that called themselves the “Women of Religious Diversity” – or “WORD.” My friend suggested that I join them.

Frankly, I hesitated at the beginning, even though I was theoretically fine with it. Yes, I had had friends from different faith traditions before, but I had never joined a discussion group of people from different religious backgrounds. I wasn’t sure how it would feel in practice. Although I heard some other Muslim friends had joined the group before, and that they had had a great time, it still required some courage for me to attend. And so there I was, parking my car in the parking lot of the Dublin Community Church, praying to God that it would be a good day both for me and for them. Excited, curious, and a little nervous, I opened the doors of the church. My nervousness was gone soon after I was with the wonderful ladies of WORD. It was such a welcoming and comforting environment that I just enjoyed every second of my time spent with them.

After a few meetings, the study came to a point of discussing the lives of the Prophets Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael in a book and video called “The Patriarchs”. I had enjoyed and learned much in the previous chapters. However, prior to discussing more details about the Prophets, I received a very thoughtful e-mail from the facilitator of our group. She indicated that she had some concerns about the content of the upcoming video and she asked me if I’d be willing to share my perspective on the topic as a Muslim. I agreed.

I was not fully aware of how disrespectful the video was towards Islam. The video started, and I was shocked by what I was hearing. I started to shiver, my heart was beating faster, and I was sad, so sad, to hear someone talking about Islam so unreasonably but enthusiastically. Our group facilitator was extremely thoughtful in stopping the video to allow me to respond to what was being said. It was so hurtful to hear the speaker trying to convince her audience that Islam is hostile toward Christianity and that the root of this hostility was from the Prophet Ishmael being jealous of his brother Prophet Isaac. I tried to explain with my whole heart that Islam does not prescribe hatred – especially of Christians. Moreover, it is one of the six pillars of the Islamic faith to believe in all the books and the prophets that were sent by God, and to hold all of them in high regard. Therefore, a person cannot be called a Muslim if he does not accept and keep holy all the books and the prophets. I am sure I was trembling as I tried to explain how much we love all the prophets, including Isaac, and that I had never heard such things in my whole life as a Muslim.

The facilitator continued to stop the video periodically to allow me to respond. At one point, the speaker in the video claimed that the one whom Muslims call “Allah” is not the same as the one whom Christians call “God” and that Muslims have no relationship with God. I was about to cry. Those words were so hurtful to hear, as we believe all the books and the prophets were sent by the same exact God, whose name is “Allah” in Arabic and “God” in English. And so, because of that, Christian Arabs call their God “Allah” in the Arabic language. It was also hurtful to be accused that I, as a Muslim, have no relationship with God, even though I pray five times a day at specified time frames to remember God and maintain my relationship with God.

Before I said anything, the awesome ladies of WORD intervened and stopped the video, saying, “We no longer want to continue watching this hateful video.” They apologized to me for having to watch it, and repeated many times that they do not agree with the speaker’s views. They decided to discontinue the book and video and not to study any of the books by the same person again. They couldn’t have been more comforting. I was touched by how they reacted and consoled me in a time of disappointment.

I feel so lucky to be in a group where we all respectfully share ideas and can grow spiritually. Even though I was sad to see that there are books and opinions like that, I also felt fortunate to be among the very polite women of WORD who believe in interfaith dialogue as much as I do. This particular event showed me, and I believe the other women of WORD as well, that getting to know each other, and having dialogue with each other, is necessary to love each other. And “love” is the essence of the universe.

When you are trying to please God with your actions, then you can work together for the benefit of others, just as our groups have done – Muslims and Christians, hand in hand to make a more peaceful world.

In an Ohio town, a group of extraordinary women started a Christian study group. One day, they were surprised by some unexpected guests. They weren’t prepared for how much they were about to learn.

It is essential to listen to this language and to pay attention to these signals in order to take measures to prevent diseases. One must get warm when one feels cold, calm down when one is angry and sleep when one is tired.

Yawning is one of the body’s most significant signals. It starts in the mother’s womb and is seen throughout one’s lifetime. It stems from causes like tiredness, lack of motion, boredom, listening to monotonous talk or music, being in an oxygen poor environment, observing another yawning person, sleep deprivation, or lack of healthy sleep – in addition to pathological reasons such as epilepsy, brain infection, vascular diseases of the brain, and backside brain tumors.

While certain substances are responsible for transmitting the neural signals in the brain trigger yawning, some also act to prevent it. For instance, when endorphin levels increase, yawning decreases; but yawning increases when levels of dopamine or serotonin are elevated. Certain drugs can also lead to yawning. Continuous yawning or failing to yawn, or chronic incomplete yawning, is considered a symptom of disease.

It is well known that people who are trying to be awake are seen to yawn more than a person who is sleepy. Since the heart rate is accelerated during yawning, the amount of blood sent to the lungs and brain is improved. Because of the increased energy output, sleep is delayed, to a certain extent. The oxygen demand of the body varies throughout the day depending on the conditions. The most oxygen dependent organ is the brain. As the result of a lowered oxygen ratio in the blood, yawning occurs and the brain’s demand for oxygen is satisfied.

While sleeping, people recover from stress and anxiety. Yawning is a reminder to the body that the time for sleep has arrived. If a person cannot get enough sleep, they may struggle to focus, become nervous, or frequently yawn. Furthermore, synthetic clothing and rubber footwear are also listed among causes that lead to yawning, since these materials can cause increased levels of static electricity to accumulate in the body. The accumulated charge results in stress and exhaustion, therefore triggering yawning.

In a study, it was shown that 75% of people yawn in the morning, 50% at the end of the day, 30% after meals, and 47% while stretching. Scientists also discovered a relationship between yawning and brain temperature. Yawning was observed to stop during breathing through the nose, which cools the forehead. In this sense the brain resembles a computer; it works better when cooled. Yawning also cools the brain and therefore makes it function more efficiently. In other terms, yawning works like a fan on a computer. Exhaustion and insomnia trigger yawning because these increase brain temperature.

There are other factors that cause yawning. The over consumption of coffee and tea means more stimulants in the body. Caffeine stimulates the brain for more energy consumption. Thus, if sleep is postponed, due to the increased temperature, yawning is observed. If people grow dehydrated, they may also yawn. Therefore, experts recommend drinking water regularly. Talking on the phone for a long time tires the brain, and can cause yawning. Taking a shower with water warmer than the body temperature also leads to yawning because it stimulates an excessive secretion of hormones that cause sleepiness. Thus, it is better to take showers with very warm water in the evening and with less warm water in the morning.

Yawning becomes frequent when acidic beverages are excessively ingested, when exposed to noise for extended periods, during extreme exhaustion, or prolonged exposure to fluorescent lighting.

As in the case of acidic drinks, some individuals may display sensitivity and intolerance towards different foods. For example, celiac patients have a hard time digesting starch. They suffer from yawning, headaches, and exhaustion when they ingest starch. In young people and among individuals who consume salty foods, due to the increased accumulation of static electricity, yawning is more common. In addition, yawning also is witnessed during psychological stress. For instance, parachuters before they jump off the plane, athletes before starting a race, students before entering an exam, passengers before departure, and musicians preparing for a concert … all were observed to yawn frequently.

Hypothalamus and yawning

The hypothalamus, which forms the small portion at the front of the brain and maintains communications between the brain and the endocrine system with the pituitary gland, is assigned very important tasks, such as controlling excitement, hunger and thirst, sleep, blood pressure, and body temperature. The body responds to problems regarding these controls by yawning. For example, in cases when a high oxygen demand movement is made, the hypothalamus stimulates the lungs for more air and causes a person to yawn. From this point of view, the center responsible for yawning is believed to be located at hypothalamus.

Is yawning contagious?

Yawning is contagious, just like laughing. It is known that yawning is observed in people who witness somebody else yawning, hear somebody yawn – and even in people who think about yawning or read an article about it. A psychologist determined that yawning is contagious after making students watch people yawn, discovering that around 50% of the people who see a yawning person also yawn within a short amount of time. Experts note that the imitation of other people yawning can be an empathic reflex.

The facial expressions of yawning individuals are predicted to have an effect on other people – and that these expressions promote yawning! Mirror neurons in the brain are activated; therefore yawning takes place by feeling what the other person is experiencing.

Mirror neurons are cells that are affected by the observation of certain behaviors, especially among vertebrates watching members of their own species. It has been discovered that kids who are under the age of five are not affected by watching others yawn since their empathy and mirror neuron connections are not fully developed. The regions of the brain activated during contagious yawning and empathic behavior are the same. However, for non-contagious yawning people, these regions were found to be inactive. Therefore, yawning is more frequently observed in people who have improved emphatic skills. For instance, it has been determined that individuals suffering from heavy hearing loss do not display contagious yawning.

Do animals also yawn?

Yawning is not unique to humans; it can also be observed in some animals. When animals like lions, tigers, cats, dogs, hippopotamus, and even iguanas yawn, they open their mouths and extend their tongues, which can be frightening. Animals like horses, rabbits, penguins, and goats yawn with their eyes half closed, giving them a placid, funny look. A majority of animals yawn when they encounter a situation requiring attention, though it is also considered a possible form of communication for animals living in congregations. As in humans, it’s believed that yawning helps to regulate body temperature. The brain temperatures of yawning mice were reported to become normal.

Yawning and washing

There is a static electric balance in the human body. Maintaining this balance is necessary for our health. Yawning serves as a symptom of some psychosomatic diseases that disrupt this balance. Contact with water and soil is one way our body regulates its static electricity when warned of an imbalance through yawning. This is why washing our body with a shower or with practices like ablution refreshes the skin and nervous system by helping achieve this balance. But washing the head, hands, and feet as in ablutions, the farthest parts of the body where blood vessels branch out, is especially useful. If the water is warm, vessels expand; if the water is cold, they contract, which provides elasticity and fitness.

Further reading

1. Iacobani M. 2009. “Imitation, empathy and mirror neurons,” Annual Review Psychology.
2. Walusinski O. 2009. Yawning in diseases, European Neurology.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, has investigated nearly 1,000 things that increase the risk of cancer. Based on a report from 22 experts from 10 countries, IARC recently announced that the consumption of red meat is probably carcinogenic to humans; processed meat products including sausages, hot dogs, and salamis are among the highest-risk carcinogens for humans. Researchers found that daily consumption of 50 grams of processed meat has been found to increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. Carcinogens in processed meat are thought to come from chemicals generated during the processing of the meat by smoking or curing. Scientific evidence from 800 studies show a strong association between processed meat and cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, but also pancreatic and prostate cancer. Although the risk of developing cancer from red meat is relatively low, high consumption significantly escalates the cancer risk. These findings further support the public health recommendation to lower the intake of red and processed meats. It is noteworthy that the cancer risk from smoking is still multiple orders greater; as smoking causes about 1,000,000 cancer deaths a year worldwide, while processed meat cause about 34,000 cancer deaths.

Bacteria communicate like brains

Bacteria are often dismissed as simple and solitary creatures but a new study shows that they use complex electrical signaling and communication mechanisms, which resemble neurons in a brain. Researchers investigated the long-distance communications of bacteria on biofilms, where millions of them are packed. The bacterial cells who live on the outer edge of the biofilm grow to a specific size and stop so that nutrients such as glutamate can continue flowing to the protected center, thus ensuring the whole bacterial population’s survival and overall resistance to chemical attacks, such as antibiotics. Researchers demonstrated that metabolic coordination among distant cells within biofilms is facilitated by electrical signals. Ion channels trigger oscillations in bacterial membrane potentials which conduct long-range electrical signals by propagating waves of charged potassium ions. Scientists suggested that bacterial behavior within biofilms function like a “microbial brain.” Interestingly, both migraines and the electrical signaling in bacteria appear to be triggered by metabolic stress. This suggests that neurological disorders like epilepsy and migraines have possibly been caused by bacterial metabolic activities. Perhaps new treatments for neurological disorders may be developed using a bacterial perspective.

Scientists made the blackest material ever

Scientists have developed the blackest material ever made – one that absorbs 99% of light coming from all angles and polarizations. The new super-black material is 26% darker than its predecessor, carbon nanotubes. The inspiration came from the white cyphochilus beetle, whose shell is capable of reflecting substantial amounts of light due to its crystalline structured scales. Scientists examined the beetle’s shell and then tried to invert its crystalline structure to absorb as much light as possible. Super-black material is created using nanoparticle rods sitting on a tiny 30 nanometer nanoparticle sphere. The super-black surface can absorb 99% of the light that ranges between 400 and 1,400 nanometer wavelengths. The resulting color is so dark that the human eye cannot comprehend it; instead, it feels as looking deep into an endless abyss or a black hole. Conveniently, the material can also be diluted into a liquid form and utilized readily in a variety of applications, such as in global desalination projects. Since blacker material absorbs more light or energy, the super-black material technology is expected to dramatically improve the efficiency of existing solar panels and optical interconnects, where fiberoptic data is relayed.

In a time of darkness and ignorance, we must challenge our preconceived notions, seeking answers in education and trust.[1]

According to UNESCO, literacy is, “the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.”

In this cyber-age of learning, the distance to education is as short as one click. Despite this, illiteracy is prevalent, even in big cities like Los Angeles. To fight this, the LA Public Library organizes volunteer literacy teaching sections for adults. This isn’t just a huge problem for these adults, but it can be passed on to their children, too. According to the National Center for the Family Literacy Fact Sheet, one third of illiterate adults are primary caregivers of children aged 0-8. While poverty is usually the reason behind illiteracy, both in developed and underdeveloped countries, literacy is also a gateway out of poverty. But if a parent is illiterate, it’s both harder for them to get out of poverty, and to help their child out of poverty.

Save the Children is another literacy program in the US, though this is aimed at kids. According to Save the Children, many children – even in the US – do not have access to formal education; or even if they do, their school libraries are not developed enough. Save the Children has worked with 180 schools in 15 states and the District of Columbia.[2] These kinds of civic initiatives to reach out to each and every corner of the country give rise to consistent and stubborn thinkers – thinkers who have made universities such as Harvard and Yale brand names in the US.

Still, one has to ask: how is it possible to have so many children and adults with no access to education due to poverty, even in a country like the United States? Though the problem still exists in the developed world, illiteracy is obviously more prevalent in the developing world. Some of the numbers are almost staggering; according to UNESCO’s literacy e-Atlas, 781 million adults and 126 million children cannot read or write. These numbers are spread around the globe, as almost 52 million people in Pakistan, 13 million in Brazil, 12.4 million in Indonesia, and even 3.3 million people in Turkey are illiterate. The problem is often worse for women, as their access to literacy is just half that of men throughout Africa.

Poverty, illiteracy, and crime can generate a vicious cycle. According to the data provided on the website dosomething.org, most of the juveniles who face trial for crimes are illiterate, and more than half of inmates are also illiterate. Students who do not reach reading proficiency by the end of 4^th grade are likely to be involved in some kind of crime. Perhaps not surprisingly, over 70% of inmates in the US cannot read at a level above an average 4^th grader. [3]

The National Assessment of Adult Literacy report of 2003 adds more dramatic statistical information. Accordingly, 45% of the adult population in the US has limited reading, writing, and math skills. Literacy programs are not enough; for instance, in Texas almost 4 million people need adult literacy programs, yet only a hundred thousand people receive literacy education.[4]

This is a worldwide problem and it has far reaching effects. A person’s basic human rights cannot be fulfilled unless that person has access to education about their rights. Literacy education is the first and foremost right of each and every person. It is our duty as humans to share what we are lucky to have; education is one of the gifts in many of our lives.  It is our duty to dissolve all the hurdles on the road that takes people to education. As Victor Hugo said, “He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”

While individual literacy decreases rates of crime, family literacy has the potential to create units of critical thinkers, thus lowering rates of social conflict. Families play an important role in developing reading and writing abilities, the diversity of words one can use, and the clarity of expression in one’s own sentiments and ideas. Kindergarten, 4^th grade, and the beginning of high school are the three golden time periods when a child needs the most support in gaining habits of reading, writing, and using the appropriate words. Thus, families as well as schools might develop further projects to develop literacy in children, young adults – and especially in girls, since two-thirds of those who are illiterate are women.

Many centers and institutes serve this purpose. For instance, Centre for Family Literacy, the web site of a literacy program in Alberta, Canada, has online documents on how parents can educate themselves and the children around them.[5] But we need more help combatting this extensive human problem.

Reading and writing are deeply important to a diverse society and an interconnected world. A society’s reading habits reveal how people are investing in their communities and challenging themselves. No form of media challenges the human mind quite like reading does. The Institute of Education of the University of London reports that reading for pleasure not only influences a child’s school grades, but it is also crucial for cognitive development.[6]

  Unfortunately, in a world that is increasingly inundated with media options, people are reading less. According to the NOP World Culture Score, in an average week, individuals around the world watch TV for 16.6 hours, listen to the radio for 8 hours, spend 8.9 hours on a computer and the Internet, and only read for 6.5 hours. What do less developed cognitive skills mean in our world? I’m not sure, but the answer could be more violence and conflict. The best way to combat these conflicts is exceedingly simple: read.

[1] Fethullah Gülen, The Fountain, Issue 104.

[2] http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-df91d2eba74a%7D/LB_STC_LITERACY_FACTSHEET.PDF

[3] https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-literacy-america

[4] literacytexas.org with reference to: TWIC 2010, A Primer on Adult Education in Texas

[5] http://www.famlit.ca/resources/resources_p.shtml

[6] http://www.ioe.ac.uk/newsEvents/89938.html

Those who are favored with discernment become unique among people: their feelings and perceptions are deepened, they gain familiarity with the mysteries that others cherish in their hearts, and they can see the truths inscribed on their faces. In proportion to their discerning the truths and meanings that lie behind things, they can become a polished mirror in which the One Who has full knowledge of all that is beyond the reach of human senses and perception manifests and reflects Himself. Pointing to such a degree of discernment, the master of creatures, the articulate voice of the visible and invisible worlds, upon him be peace and blessings, said: Beware of the discernment of a believer, for he looks with the light of God.¹ The close relationship between discernment and the light of belief is also expressed in the Qur’anic verse (8:29), If you keep from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety, He will make a criterion arise in your heart to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and right and wrong.

However we approach the topic of discernment—whether from the viewpoint that it indicates that the heart is open to the knowledge and inspirations of the One Who has full knowledge of all that is beyond the reach of human senses and perception and that those favored with it are usually right in their thinking, opinions, decisions and judgments, or from the viewpoint that discernment is the true conclusions that we draw based on our information, experiences, practices, the depth of our perception, and ability to read character—discernment is purely a gift of God. Those who have the greatest share in this gift are, each according to rank and capacity, the Prophets, saintly scholars, and saints. The one who is the first and foremost of all is the master of the Prophets, and the embodiment of the First Intellect.² While God refers to all people of discernment and high perception in the words (15:75), Surely in this are manifest signs (of truth) for the people of discernment and acumen, in the verse (47:30), If We willed (that they should be known,) We would surely show them to you and you would surely know them by their faces and you would surely know them by the style of their speech, He particularly alludes to the superiority of the one who is the highest in discernment.

Discernment gets sharper and stronger in proportion to the depth of belief and the greatness of certainty. Sometimes it even rises to such a degree that by virtue of certain special gifts from God, one can see with God’s sight. The following observations of some important Sufi leaders and their comments on discernment point to this fact:

Abu Sa’id al-Harraz says: “If you say that one looks with the light of discernment, it means that one looks with the sight of God.”

Al-Wasiti³ comments: “Discernment is a God-given ray of light which appears in the heart like lightning and illuminates the incorporeal worlds visible to some in certain circumstances, and causes one to rise to the rank of being able to see the whole existence as it is.”

Ad-Darani defines discernment: “Discernment means discovering the depths of the human self and that the invisible worlds become visible and secrets obvious.”

Shah Kirmani⁴ reminds: “If a person blinds him or herself to religiously forbidden things, holds back from the influence of carnal desires and provocations, improves his or her inner world with self-supervision and outer world with adherence to the Sunna, and is able to always keep within the limits of the religiously lawful, he or she is always infallible in discernment.”

All those aspects of discernment develop through belief and do not lead one who is favored with them to err. What reason is there for them to err while it is He Who causes one to see and the eyes that see are from Him?

As it was due to God’s gift of discernment to His Messenger that he was able to know people very well and to employ everyone in a suitable position, it was also the same Divine gift which we are able to observe in many of the wonderful summations, evaluations, decisions, and judgments of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali.⁵ It would take many volumes to explain their discernment.

In addition, there are wise purposes for the creation of reason and spirit. So, God may favor some spiritually ordinary people with instances of discernment, either because of the value He attaches to the reason and spirit that He has granted to humanity, or as a reward in advance for the good things that they will do in the future. Such instances of wisdom may be regarded as a special gift from the Creator of causes, granted before these people have deserved them. Now, based on ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud’s⁶ exposition, let us mention some examples:

– The vizier who bought Joseph in Egypt said of him to his wife: “Give him honorable, goodly lodging. It may be that he will prove useful to us or we may adopt him as a son.” (12:21)

– One of Prophet Shu’ayb’s daughters said to her father concerning Moses: “O father! Hire him! For the best man that you can hire is that strong, trustworthy one.” (28:26)

– The wife of the Pharaoh expressed to him her opinion about Moses, whom they found in the river: “He will be a consolation for me and for you. Kill him not. He may be of use to us, or we may choose him for a son.” (28:9)

There is another kind of discernment which is obtained through austerity. If that discernment is not based on accurate belief and righteous deeds, it can be a means of gradual perdition for the one who possesses it. Whether the one who has it is a believer or unbeliever, a Muslim or a Christian, or a saint or layman, everyone can achieve certain (spiritual) discoveries or wonders through austerity.

Some regard reading someone’s character from their physical traits as another kind of discernment. However, it obviously has nothing to do with the discernment that we are dealing with here.

O God! Guide my carnal soul to the piety necessary for it, and purify it. You are the best to purify it, and You are its guardian and master. And bestow blessings and peace on Your Messenger Muhammad, the pure, chosen one, and on his Family and Companions.

Notes

1. at-Tirmidhi, “Tafsiru’l-Qur’an,” (15) 6.

2. The First Intellect is the archetypal being or the archetype of Prophet Muhammad who receives the gifts of God first of all and then transfers them to others. (Tr.)

3. Abu Bakr Muhammed ibn Musa al-Wasiti (d. 932). A Sufi who associated with al-Junayd and an-Nuri in Baghdad and who later moved to Merv where he died. He was also an authority on fiqh. (Tr.)

4. Sayyid Ahmad Shah Kirmani was a Sufi shaykh who followed the way of Shihabu’d-Din as-Suhrawardi. He lived in Kashmir in the sixteenth century. (Tr.)

5. Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali were the four foremost among the Companions of God’s Messenger (Muhammad) and his first four successors called “The Rightly Guided Caliphs.” (Tr.)

6. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was one of the early Muslims who was well-versed in the Qur’an and Islamic sciences. He was also very close to the Messenger. He died during the Caliphate of ‘Uthman. (Tr.)

In humans and many animals, nutrients are transported via the rhythmic beats of the heart, which acts like a pump. In plants, no organ is present to pump water and nutrients. Despite this, nutrients are transported non-stop through their bodies. How?

This movement is enabled via perfectly planned biochemical and physical laws. Nutrients that are obtained from the environment or synthesized in cells are transported in their own vascular channels. Minerals, vitamins, fructose, and hormones are delivered by these vessels to cells, sometimes hundreds of meters away.

The different parts of trees have different mechanisms for keeping them healthy. The rigid, long, powerful support tissue (sclerenchyma) and the ground vascular capillaries (parenchyma) assist with the support and transport of materials in the trunk. Thick and meter wide trunks, made of hard, lengthy fibers can withstand winds and storms for thousands of years due to their special architecture, which delivers organic materials to the entire organism.

The process begins in the roots, which have very critical tasks, as well as morphological and physiological specifications. The root tip advances deep into the soil, using its regenerative, cone-shaped, protective tissue (the calyptra). Damaged and lost cells at the tip are replaced. The upper tissue layer has absorbent hairs (Epidermic cells) that take in water and minerals from the soil after differentiating according to their genetic program.

After being absorbed through the roots, nutrients and water are taken into the plant’s “vessels.” These vessels are lifeless ligneous ducts that can quickly transport water and many minerals via long and sturdy channels (xylem). Living channels with filter-like porous walls (phloem) slowly transport organic materials to the necessary tissues. In these porous cells, the nuclei and some membranous organelles are eliminated to facilitate material transport.

Nearby companion cells help support metabolism. This kind of cooperation and communication are routinely observed in the natural world, showing an incredible compassion between cells and organisms through electromagnetic, ionic, and nuclear forces of molecules.

The xylem and phloem vessels feature the finest forms of the arts of endurance, decoration, distribution, architecture and design, and they are produced from reproductive and differentiating cells (called Meristem tissue). They exist in tree trunks that are hundreds of meters high, and also in tiny ferns. The roots of perennial plants are as robust as the columns holding up a sea platform. This architectural feature helps support the plant’s body in the best way.

Another part of the process, and one of the most important features of plants, is the synthesis of organic food material with the help of sun rays and photosynthesis. The transport of nutrients generated via photosynthesis inside the vascular tissue is fascinating. Elements of the vascular tissue carry out different tasks; cooperation is once again key: the porous channels carry organic material and the ligneous tubes carry water. Vascular bundles transport these nutrients from one leaf towards the root cell via diffusion, active transport, and fluidic pressure. Bark, on the outer part of a tree’s trunk, is merely protective – much as skin is for humans.

There are assimilation cells in charge of photosynthesis in plant leaves. Traveling on these cells, water and solute material transit towards the major vascular bundles via cytoplasmic (the symplast) or cell wall channels (the apoplast). Conversely, the cells providing nutrients to photosynthetic, organic food synthesizing cells and demanding tissues, are source cells. By utilizing carbon dioxide, water, or nitrous salts together with energy coming from light, various foods are produced in the source cells. With the help of many chloroplast organelles, as well as the chlorophyll and enzymes inside the source cells, the organic materials which have been produced are conducted to companion cells. These nutrients pass into sieved, porous channels from the companion cells.

As nutrients pass into the semi-empty, living, porous parts of the cell walls, their fluid absorbing capacity also improves. By releasing some water from the neighboring lifeless, ligneous channel bundles, water pressure forms in the porous cells. The nutrient flow is maintained at a stable and sized speed thanks to the finest architecture of and rigidity found in the system.

Fructose, sucrose and other important nutrients easily pass towards the tissue cells from the porous cells as the fluid pressure grows. When necessary, the right amount of food is stored in preparation for winter or harsh weather.

The last part of the process enables the transfer of nutrients. Through active transport, diffusion, and pressure flow, the required organic nutrients can be transferred everywhere. The cells that enable the transfer are the pool cells. They generate a great osmotic pressure density at the roots.

During the processing of food, possible harmful substances like mud, or carbon dioxide taken from the air, are processed and converted into wonderful nutrients. Some of these nutrients are even converted into food for people and animals. In the pool cells, many delicious fruits like pomegranates, oranges, grapes, and cherries are produced. While plants consume the mud and carbon dioxide themselves, they offer the best of food to humans and animals in a beautiful program of art and creation.

The whole process is really quite miraculous when you look at the entire things:

Water and dissolved minerals are received from the soil by the absorption of the epidermis cells. By transpiration, the pull between the hydrogen atoms of the water molecules (cohesion) enables the transport of liquids in the ligneous tubes all the way to leaf tips. Water molecules in the capillary shaped ligneous tubes rise quickly, with a physical force. Water and salts obtained from the soil are, in a way, pumped to all organs with the assistance of the fluidic osmotic pressure in the roots. The transport of water to higher levels is better facilitated by a different attraction force (adhesion) between the vascular bundles and water molecules. In time, the pool cells take in and store organic nutrients with the help of their receptor structures, thus lowering the density of the porous channels. Due to the osmotic balance principle, the excess waters are returned back to the ligneous tubes. The material transport speeds up during the day because of transpiration and photosynthesis, and it slows down during the night.

Large stomachs means heedlessly eating a lot, taking eating and drinking as the purpose of life, and, if you will, living to eat and, consequently, an obese person. This is the first characteristic of those for whom the Prophet was concerned in their worldly and other-worldly lives.

Excessive sleep is a relative issue. Both medical doctors and spiritual guides advise not to sleep more than necessary, which is for some five hours, for others a bit more. It is important to regulate sleeping hours for a healthy body and a healthy soul. Yet, this would not be easy for a person who has not disciplined his or her eating and drinking habits.

Large stomachs means heedlessly eating a lot, taking eating and drinking as the purpose of life, and, if you will, living to eat and, consequently, an obese person. This is the first characteristic of those for whom the Prophet was concerned in their worldly and other-worldly lives.

Excessive sleep is a relative issue. Both medical doctors and spiritual guides advise not to sleep more than necessary, which is for some five hours, for others a bit more. It is important to regulate sleeping hours for a healthy body and a healthy soul. Yet, this would not be easy for a person who has not disciplined his or her eating and drinking habits.

Idleness is a grave condition to be in. At the heart of Islamic philosophy lies dynamism and motion which is manifest in every part and every layer of the universe. Islam intervened in anything that was contrary to this philosophy of dynamism; in other words Qur’anic worldview tried to recharge any inaction to constructive and beneficial actions. For instance, land that was left uncultivated and idle was distributed under the condition that it be revived and cultivated. It compelled the saved and idle wealth which had not been circulated through business or trade, as a serious spiritual threat to the rich, and this is why idle wealth is also included in the money from which obligatory charity is calculated. Islam’s viewpoint towards indolence and those idle people is no different than its conception of idle wealth or idle land; on the contrary, it is even more intolerable.

Lack of certainty in faith is one of the gravest of matters to be feared from. There are different degrees of certainty; first, that which comes from knowledge (ilm al-yaqin); second, which depends on seeing and observation (ayn al-yaqin); and third, that which comes from direct experience (haqq al-yaqin). This means that if a person does not truly understand what they believe to be the truth relative to their knowledge, then they have no certainty or true understanding. If a person’s faith in God, the scripture as well as the other essential tenets of belief have not been induced or based on knowledge, on the evidence drawn from the phenomena in the universe and these evidences are not related to one’s inner spiritual discernment, then this is not because of limited certainty; rather, such a person has no certainty at all. Certainty begins with knowledge; anything less is the lowest level of human understanding and life.

Knowledge is the first step to certainty. The book of the universe displays its wonders and miracles to the extent that scientists, artists and many other persons of knowledge have arrived at the conviction that such magnificence, orderliness and harmony in existence necessitates an All-Knowing and All-Wise Creator, and through such conviction have come to form the connection between the scripture and the universe. It is here when no doubt is left in one’s mind about the All-Existent One that the first stage of certainty, that of knowledge, occurs.

The certainty of knowledge is the level at which one recognizes the manifestations of God, the Manifest One on all entities, when they have an understanding and full awareness that the universe with all its contents are all creations of God. This is the level at which a genuine and purposeful appreciation of all our surroundings awakens in one’s consciousness and heart. The blooming of flowers, the singing of birds, the fruit-offering branches of trees opening to the skies and the sound of the gushing water of the river, those pure creations continue their search for their Creator like that of Majnun for his Layla, thinking that every shadow, vision or sign he saw was what he was in search of.

One achieves the certainty of faith by reaching a peak in faith at which one lives by the instructions of his Creator, when sincere comprehension that existence comes from God takes place.

The truth of the matter is that all of these levels of certainty are interconnected; they support and compliment one another. If we were to draw a pattern and connect the major themes of this hadith, then it can be ascertained that certainty of faith becomes almost impossible to attain if eating and drinking becomes the major goal in life. Certainty is granted for those who live in awe and sheer wonderment about the finest fruit of universe that is called life; it is for those who regulate their consumption patterns for the sake of living not just for pleasure.

To emphasize the magnitude of this subject the Prophet of God imparted that: “The son of Adam fills no vessel that is worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls to keep him alive. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.”