Our circulatory system is how blood reaches our organs and muscles. The necessary blood flow for each organ is precisely adjusted to its needs. Failure in the proper flow of blood may cause many problems in our health and worsen the conditions of our overall wellbeing. The brain and heart are vitally important for our body, so the design of their mechanisms feature even more complexity than any other organ. For example, when you try to solve a difficult mathematical problem, the problem-solving area of the brain starts to work immediately. We can understand this by using fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) films. Using fMRI, it is possible to see where activity increases in the brain. As activity increases, so, too, does blood flow to that part of the brain. Conversely, when we are asleep, brain blood flow significantly decreases.

At rest, the amount of blood that goes to our muscles is around 1.2 liters per minute. Certain muscles can receive up to 20 times as much during intense sports activity. While doing sports, the organs of the abdomen, the kidneys, and the skin rest, allowing more blood to flow to the muscles, thus reducing the amount of blood they use. While exercising, the amount of blood pumped by the heart, to compensate for the excess blood needed by the muscles, is tripled.

The heart is equipped with mechanisms that can adjust the amount of blood pumped according to the working quantities of the organs – and therefore, their blood needs. This is a complete automatic arrangement; it requires no thought or awareness from us.

If the heart cannot pump enough blood, it is called heart failure, and this means that the heart itself, as well as the brain, liver, kidneys, and all other organs, are not getting enough blood. Failure begins in the liver and kidneys. If the brain does not get enough blood, dizziness, fainting, and other disruptions occur. If the muscles can’t get enough blood, a patient is afflicted by fatigue, weakness, dementia, severe aches, and, of course, the inability to do work.

If the heart pumps too much blood, then many diseases, especially hypertension, appear. This makes the heart tired, as it works too much – and once again, heart failure occurs.

The heart pumps blood to the aorta, which is the largest artery. In the aorta, blood must flow very quickly, ensuring that the organs get the food and oxygen they need. The aorta has the highest blood pressure, since it is the first vessel that receives blood from the heart. The vein wall is created thick, elastic, and robust so that the high blood pressure doesn’t tear it apart. As you move away from the heart, the number of vessels increases, the blood pressure decreases, and the blood starts to flow more slowly; the walls of the veins gradually get thinner.

The capillaries are created with a great structure-function fit. The capillaries, both themselves and their walls, are created to be very, very thin. At the end of arteries, just before the capillary vessels (arteriole), the blood pressure and velocity are reduced. The aim is to prevent the high pressure form damaging these very thin veins. In the capillaries, blood travels slowly. Why? Because these are the shopping veins. The body’s 100 trillion cells get all the oxygen, glucose, fat, protein, vitamins, antibodies, and hormones from these blood vessels. In addition, all cells give their carbon dioxide, urea, creatinine, uric acid, and all other waste products to the blood in the same capillary vessels. If the blood in the capillaries was as fast as in the big arteries, then the vessel could not withstand it, and the blood would tear away the walls without the cells getting their nutrients and without shedding their garbage. And if there was even a little scratch on our vessel, we would not be able to stop the bleeding.

After passing through the capillaries, the blood is accelerated again in the small veins. There is more blood in the veins. The wall of the veins, which are deep below the skin’s surface, is thicker than the capillaries but thinner than the arteries. As the wall is thinner, the internal space is wider; the veins are a kind of bloodstream. The small veins connect to the main veins, which empty blood into the heart. In order to pump blood to the heart, the blood pressure of each pulse must be sufficient for all the blood in the body to be pumped back to the heart. Neither more nor less. The mean blood pressure of the heart is 100 mmHg. At the point where the blood circulating eventually reaches the heart, the mean blood pressure is 0 mmHg. As an example from daily life, it is like you hit a ball with your foot: as the ball reaches its target, its energy finishes and stays at the exact point you want. Our heart reaches the target with every stroke. Thus, at the point where the blood has already completed circulation, the pressure applied to it is zero. Thanks to this incredible adjustment, the heart does not waste power.

• Zhang J et al. Nondestructive tissue analysis for ex vivo and in vivo cancer diagnosis using a handheld mass spectrometry system. Science Translational Medicine, September 2017

According to Roy (2004, xi), “[g]lobalised Islam refers to the way in which the relationship of Muslims to Islam is reshaped by globalization, westernization, and the impact of living as a minority.” Roy (2004) defines global Muslims as those who have either settled in the West permanently or are trying to distance themselves from a local version of Islam by identifying with the worldwide Muslim community (the Ummah).

In studying Muslims in the West, one must take into account “the instances and places of reciprocal [historical] influence between the cultural constructs of the European and Muslim worlds” and the transcultural space created by this mutual influence in “the context of globalization, characterized by the mobility of cultures and religion” (Cesari 2004, 5). According to Cesari (2004), the Americanization or Europeanization of Islam cannot be separated from the space and time dimensions of global Islam, as well as its political crises. Cesari (2004) also posits that Islam should be examined as a process of the local, national, and international levels; it is the conglomerate production of cultural meaning and symbols. Hence, it is important to avoid the trap of essentializing Islam and Muslims based on assumptions on a single level, especially without considering Islam at all three levels.

All immigrants face challenges in their new countries. For Muslim immigrants or their offspring in the West, these challenges are heightened. How can Muslims successfully integrate without losing their rich, unique religious heritage?

“European Islam is connected with the stakes and political and cultural difficulties of the Muslim world, as demonstrated by September 11,” and key issues that are being debated about Muslims in the West such as pluralism, citizenship, and religious education cannot be limited to the national contexts of the West due to cultural globalization (Cesari 2007, 22). Although there is an interconnectedness of the Ummah, Western Muslims are not an exact reflection of issues elsewhere, since they are at the heart of religious and cultural developments connected to the Western context. Accordingly, cultural globalization has had an accelerating effect on the formation of a hybrid European or American Islam. This “hybrid” Islam is based on tolerance and respect for the other, which has been a product of Muslims living in the West (Cesari 2007, 23).

European Islam is a nascent phenomenon in that “the emergence of such an Islam does not imply the rediscovery of an Islam sui generis, but the invention of a new religious model, through the intensification of contacts among European Muslim communities, the confrontation of their uncertainties and the hybridisation of their practices” (Bougarel 2007, 20). This hybridi[z]ation is likely to grow stronger in the large cosmopolitan European cities as Muslims try to find solutions to their common problems, such as ethnic and religious discrimination, and requires a shared intellectual space where diverse communities can exchange ideas (Bougarel 2007). In its current form, European Islam “often encompasses phenomena that are quite distinct, or even largely opposed to one another” (Bougarel 2007, 1).

Pauly (2004) argues that a clash of identities takes place as a result of the establishment of minority communities in the West. Such clashes can be traced back to religious as well as broader cultural differences between the migrants and the majority populations, and integration can be a vehicle for bridging such identity gaps (Pauly 2004). Angenendt, Barret, Laurence, Peach, Smith, and Winter (2007) outline the integration strategies used by European states in recent years. These strategies have either generated mixed results or been criticized.

Dialogue with Muslim councils is one strategy that has been applied in Britain, Germany, and France – to mixed results, as the councils need to build youth participation, deliver tangible results effectively, and increase diverse participation.

Another strategy, primarily in Italy and Finland, has been a multicultural policy that promotes religious symbols. This approach encourages cultural differences and supports migrants in preserving their religious identities. Multiculturalism has its critics who claim that it promotes isolation rather than integration, all while creating economic disparities. In Britain, however, multicultural policy has fostered migrant social mobility in adults (no data on youth was available at the time of my research) (Angenendt et al. 2007).

In contrast to multiculturalism, France has attempted to transform migrants into French citizens first and Muslims second by diminishing their religious identities, specifically through a ban on religious symbols in schools. Similarly, in Germany headscarves were banned for teachers in certain states. Forced integration contracts and citizenship tests in countries such as Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark require migrants to learn the native language and social norms. In general, such programs have been received negatively by Muslims, who view them as unwelcoming (Angenendt et al. 2007).

France is an interesting case of mixed approaches. Despite a tradition of harsh secularism, France also has proposals ensuring employers hire minorities – and a university actually started recruiting students using what the U.S. calls “affirmative action.”

In a similar vein, Britain and the Netherlands passed stricter anti-discrimination laws in an effort to extend equal opportunities to migrants. Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands have also attempted to teach Islam at schools.

Not all tensions in European Muslim communities are between immigrants and native citizens. According to Pauly (2004), Muslims in Europe suffer from a lack of political representation and cooperation between different communities. There are many divisions across heterogeneous ethnic, philosophical, and national boundaries. There are also clashes that emanate from countries of origin, such as the one between Turks and Kurds (Pauly 2004).

To create a Euro-Islamic identity at peace with the larger societies of their respective countries, instead of isolating themselves Muslims need to become active and get involved in all aspects of social life. There is no inherent conflict between such involvement and their faith or religious requirements (Ramadan 2004). Economic and political involvement is the way to a successful hybrid European Muslim identity that strikes a balance between the two extremes of total isolation from the larger society and abandonment of Islamic identity (Pauly 2004). Accordingly, Muslims should not be afraid to integrate into their European home lands. They should be able to blend their British, French, German, or American culture with their faith, shaping hybrid identities while enriching the cultures of their home countries.

In this respect, Gülen Movement (Hizmet) volunteers exemplify such an effort and could serve as an example for Muslims living in the West. In Germany, for instance, the Gülen Movement has worked on transforming the image of Muslims, focusing on reintegration of immigrant youth into the German education system. Furthermore, Hizmet has realized social engagement and dialogue with the German non-Muslim community by establishing cultural and dialogue centers to build bridges between cultures, all while offering a cosmopolitan and tolerant form of Islam. According to Hunt and Aslandogan (2007, 19-20), “[o]riginating in Turkey but becoming increasingly transnational, the [Hizmet] movement represents novel approaches to the relationship between faith and reason, peaceful co-existence in liberal democracies with religious diversity education, and spirituality.” As Yavuz (2013, 247) contends, the Gülen Movement “has the potential to be the beginning of religious Enlightenment in its Turkish and wider modern Islamic context where we are witnessing a new era of Muslim religious revival deeply embedded in modern processes of neoliberal market reforms and middle classes, open public spheres, democratic governance, modern education and technology-driven globalization.”

Moreover, Turkey’s membership in the European Union could have helped integrate Muslim communities living in Europe to their countries by buttressing the European Union’s credibility among Muslims. Given the current circumstances, this does not seem to be possible in the near future. Such an accession would mean redefining European identity as a more inclusive one. EU membership for Turkey would also help shape the evolving relationship between Islam and Christianity around the globe (Pauly 2004).

In sum, Muslims in the West face both challenges and opportunities in the countries in which they live. The challenges may emanate from cultural differences and identity clashes as well as the failed integration policies of the host countries. Nevertheless, Muslims living in the West can shape a brighter future both for themselves and the global Muslim community by becoming active contributors to their societies – and without any fear of losing their religious identities. There are many opportunities for Muslims living in the West to build bridges between the West and their homelands, as well as among the followers of different faiths. Embracing their host countries, while working as active contributors to society, is the key to building a peaceful future for all.

References

• Cesari, Jocelyne. 2004. When Islam and Democracy Meet: Muslims in Europe and in the United States. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Cesari, Jocelyne. 2007. “The Hybrid and Globalized Islam of Western Europe.” Portability and Exportability. 21.
• Hunt, Robert, and Yuksel Aslandogan. 2007. Muslim Citizens of the Globalized World. Kindle Edition.
• Roy, Olivier. 2004. Globalized Islam: The Search for a New Ummah. Columbia University Press.
• Bougarel, Xavier. 2007. “Bosnian Islam as ‘European Islam’: Limits and Shifts of a Concept.” Islam in Europe. Diversity, Identity and Influence. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
• Pauly Robert J. Jr. 2004. Islam in Europe: Integration or Marginalization? Aldershot. UK : Ashgate Publishing Limited.
• Ramadan, Tariq. 2004. Western Muslims and the Future of Islam. New York: Oxford UP.

Tell us how you survive difficult times. Give us your best advice. Share your greatest life lesson. For details, go to our website: www.fountainmagazine.com/essaycontest.

As a highly competitive and commodified industry, sport is not only a weekend, sit-on-the-couch pastime, but is also a political arena where ideologies fight. The recent “take a knee” protest in the US is not a standalone incident. From the ancient Olympic Games to modern-day World Cups, sports have been a means of national pride, and the athletes are considered heroes. Their lifestyles, opinions, and choices are always newsworthy, even if these choices mainly relate to their home countries thousands of miles away.  

One striking recent case is that of Enes Kanter, NBA’s Turkish star, who is at odds with the current Turkish government. Kanter (25) has been an open critic of the government’s corruption. After the July 2016 coup attempt, he started speaking up even more loudly to protest the government’s persecution of tens of thousands of innocent citizens. Justin Pahl talked with Kanter on his life as a devout Muslim in the NBA and on his struggle as an advocate for the oppressed in his home country.

As a follow-up to the story of Abraham (pbuh) in the previous issue, here comes the story of Joseph (pbuh). Two authors, one Muslim and the other Christian, shares their respective scripture’s narratives about the fantastic life of one of the most well-known figures of human history. Joseph (pbuh) is not only a common name in the Abrahamic traditions; his story is filled with many morals to reflect upon, even if they are not Muslim, Christian, or Jewish.

Air, water, bread, and yes, social media – these are some of life’s essentials. No one seems to be unhappy because they are able to tweet or post on Facebook. But, Sage Chen thinks social media is no different than an authoritarian state. With all the data we freely share on social media, we are allowing the platforms we use to have access to an extraordinary amount of our personal information, much of which we would not normally share with others. Chen discusses the many implications of widespread social media use on security, commerce, and privacy.

It is not difficult to predict the possibility of a future earthquake, which can be done by measuring the stress and plasticity of rocks or monitoring micromovements in faults. In countries located between active tectonic continental plates, an earthquake might strike at any moment – yet it is impossible to say when and where. Although it is possible to measure stress, pressure, and vibrations using devices like seismographs, it is not possible to predict which plate will break when and with what force. We may not know when it will strike, but still we can be prepared for it and minimize the destruction. Erecting high-rise buildings on a ground which is not solid enough and with insufficient construction techniques is certainly not a good preparation for earthquakes.

Although humans cannot predict earthquakes in advance, there has been an increase in the number of laboratory studies into animals predicting earthquakes. This isn’t a new phenomenon: former generations are known to have made extensive observations about the matter, yet none were presented as scientific evidence that could withstand scrutiny. Evaluated objectively, these conclusions are not completely irrelevant or groundless; however, they never confidently predict the time, place, and force of an earthquake.

Numerous sources include observations about strange pre-earthquake behavior of many domestic animals such as dogs, cats, cattle, chickens, and rabbits, as well as non-domesticated animals like insects, birds, and various sea creatures. But such behavior could well stem from other factors such as hunger, inter-group competition, and other adverse conditions.

Ants and snakes

Ants and snakes deserve special emphasis thanks to their anatomical and physiological features. Although both species are somewhat deaf to the sounds coming from the air, evidence suggests that they might be able to detect sounds, electromagnetic radiation, and gas emissions coming from the depths of the Earth. In a remarkable story in the Qur’an (chapter al-Naml), an ant detects Solomon’s approaching armies and warn other ants not to be crushed. One may think here of an allusion to the ant’s skill to detect the vibrations generated by the clopping of the horses.

Monitoring ant behavior closely could help with earthquake preparations. If there is a significant increase in the number of ants at one location; if they have left their nests and move differently; or if there is an increase in the number of dead ants for no obvious reason, then an earthquake might be imminent.

A body like an electronic communication center

Despite its tiny body, the ant has a variety of sensory organs. It’s almost as if it were a fully-equipped center for picking up and evaluating pulses. The ant has three small eyes on its head that enable it to detect the intensity and polarization of light, as well as compound eyes on the sides of its head, each with multiple lenses providing 180 degrees of vision. The pair of antennae on its head, filled with receptors for taste, smell, and humidity, make it possible to detect all types of chemicals in the environment and are more important than the ant’s eyes. Some types of ants are almost blind and rely completely on their antennae.

Desert ants have about one thousand lenses in their eyes, while we humans have one in each eye. Rüdiger Wehner and his colleagues at the University of Zurich discovered that each ant eye has 80 lenses specialized in detecting polarized light across the ultraviolet range of the spectrum. Each lens focuses on a different point in the sky. One lens, for example, receives light from 180 degrees, another from 270 degrees, and so on. Even if they cannot see the sun, they can locate it thanks to the specialized cells in their eyes. This enables them to find the right compass direction and to determine the distance they have covered.

Sensory hairs

Especially mind-boggling about ants is the keenness of the special sensory hairs in various regions of their exoskeleton (Figure 1). The hairs on the antennae and the underside of the legs are particularly sensitive. Each hair is attached to the exoskeleton through a delicate joint and moves with the slightest vibration. The sensory cell under the hair is connected to a nerve fiber, and even a slight vibration of the hair causes a chemical exchange signal by which the ant “feels.” Some of these hairs respond to sound waves. These hairs group in certain regions (Figure 2). Considering the complex sensory organs on their head, the fact that they can perceive more than a million chemical and light signals, that the sensory hairs under their mouth and on their legs can send signals, and that they have a brain with as much as 500,000 nerve cells, it seems reasonable to assume that ants can detect an earthquake before it strikes.

A group of scientists from the University of Duisburg-Essen led by Gabriela Berberich studied more than 15,000 red wood ant mounds that lay along some of Germany’s biggest and most active earthquake fault lines, between 2009 and 2012. They monitored the insects’ movements with video cameras, entered the movements into a special software, and kept track of any deviation from the ants’ normal behavior patterns. The ants typically scooted around actively all day and went back to their mounds to rest at night. Yet, right before an earthquake they did not enter their mounds but loitered outside throughout the night. Once the earthquake was over, the ants would relax and go back to their regular routine. Even more interesting was that they did not change their behavior for tiny tremors below 2.0.

To Berberich, red wood ants (Formica pratensis and F. polyctena) can detect shifts in gas emissions with the chemoreceptors in their antennae and shifts in the Earth’s magnetic field with the magnetoreceptors in some of their sensory hairs. It is also possible that ants possess sensory organs that can respond to short-lived thermal anomalies or radioactivity.

Haicheng earthquake

Animal responses to earthquakes has been a topic of interest in China. It has led to survey and research studies. A network of experimental stations has been set up in areas with high seismic activity in order to evaluate extraordinary phenomena and other abnormal behaviors. The majority of the Chinese population lives in agricultural areas, so their proximity to animals makes them close observers. They have reported a great number of abnormal incidences preceding earthquakes, especially in the last 24 hours before a quake. It was found that the irregular behaviors of rats, fish, and snakes started three days before big earthquakes and continued until a few hours or even minutes beforehand.

Snakes came out of hibernation for two months in December 1974 and January 1975. It was as if they were committing suicide. Rats emerged from their dens and started to loiter in groups. These were both unexpected behaviors. The experts who evaluated the situation stated that a big earthquake was imminent.

There was first a series of small tremors. Snakes continued emerging from under the snow; bigger creatures such as cattle, horses, pigs, and dogs displayed restlessness. Thousands of such abnormal animal behavior were reported in the following month. Finally, on February 4, 1975, an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck the Haicheng County of Liaoning Province in northeast China. Far fewer people perished because they were warned of the quake thanks to the extensive observations of animals. Officials ordered the evacuation of one million residents of Haicheng a day before the earthquake, so there were only about 2,000 casualties. If the county had not been evacuated, fatalities and injuries would have been expected to exceed 150,000. The Haicheng earthquake is believed to be the only big earthquake that has ever been successfully predicted.

Geophysicist Friedmann Freund from NASA states that rocks under extreme tectonic stresses release electrically charged particles into the atmosphere before an earthquake. The particles react with air or water when they reach the Earth’s surface; they cause the formation of new molecules, like hydrogen peroxide, when they react with water. This chemical chain of events is believed to affect the organic material dissolved in the pond water, turning it into toxic substances for many aquatic animals.

Although there are supporting observations about the abnormal behavior of eels and toads, the findings are inconclusive. Still, there are considerable records of abnormal toad and snake behavior before earthquakes.

Snakes can perceive tremors and infrared radiation, which might help them detect possible weak shock waves or shifts in electromagnetic fields in a region before a powerful earthquake. Because rocks under stress emit infrared radiation – the anomalies of which were recorded by the NASA Terra satellite before a magnitude 7.9 earthquake that hit Bhuj, India, on January 21, 2001 – it is believed that snakes – nighttime hunters that possess a thermal camera for scanning the body temperature of their prey – can detect the infrared radiation that builds up before an earthquake. This infrared thermal “camera” is located inside a cavity between a snake’s nose and eyes.

It was once believed that snakes were unable to hear because they did not respond to loud noises. Snakes do not have external ears, and there is only one bone in their middle ear (columella aurii). However, they should be able to sense incoming vibrations, as they have inner ears. Indeed, a study at Princeton showed that snakes have a very keen sense of hearing. Voltmeter measurements of neural activity indicated that the vibrations from the air reached the inner ear through the jaw bone and had an effect on the brain. It seemed that the sense of hearing in snakes was tuned to the sounds and vibrations made by larger animals.

Studies have shown that snakes can detect sound by using sound pressure and sound-based mechanical vibrations. Experiments that measured the electrical responses of snakes’ head neurons and brain stems found that snakes can hear sounds of very high frequency. Snakes were found to hear sounds 10,000 times lower than is possible for human ears to hear. But how were the sounds transmitted to the inner ear of the snake, which was sensitive to vibrations? As low frequency sounds can be carried through solid substances, the research team wondered whether sound vibrations were transmitted from the ground to the snake’s body.

Subsequent research showed that skull vibrations had the same intensity as the minimum mechanical vibrations snakes could perceive. They directly responded to the vibrations that came from the air to the skeleton, rather than to sound pressure. A snake cannot possibly hear sounds from the air, but they can perceive the sound in a way that is unfamiliar to us. Snakes do not just hear what we perceive to be a sound: their entire body acts like a single organ designed for receiving vibrations, and their brains can perceive these vibrations as if they were sounds. It’s likely that the ribs and spines, covered with keratin scales, play a role in this transmission.

As research develops, we will be able to better understand what other creatures are equipped with troves of wisdom. It could open new windows into our world, allowing us to build safer cities and to appreciate the incredible intelligence of animals we consider to be “simple.”

In this same spirit, here is a work for lovers of books, fine art – and food! Early Islamic Art – based on Prophetic traditions – is a joy to have and behold.

M. Omur Akkor is a practiced chef and author of note. His books on the culinary traditions within the Islamic canon have been deservedly honored with a number of awards.

The recipes in this book are often astonishingly simple, yet they manage to be magnificent. They’re accentuated by dazzling color illustrations throughout the 277 pages of the book. As a writer and ceramist, and also as one who appreciates alleviation from the self, something affirming arose from my soul when this book fell to my hand. 

Together with the food, shown here in gorgeous color, there are full-page photographs of early Islamic ceramic table wares. The designs and patterns, often decorated with marvelously stylized calligraphy of the plates, bowls, and dishes, are purely within the tradition. There are two pictures, among many others, of 10th-century dishes from East Persia that are breathtaking in their simplicity and effect. In the preface it is noted that all the plates presented in the book “have been selected after two years of research from the collections of museums within the Islamic geography and belong to the era between the 6th and 12th centuries. The selected plates were specially made for this book in the workshop of Frig Ceramic within a two-year time span.”

We are offered texts pertinent to early Islamic culinary culture, as well as descriptions of kitchen utensils and foods mentioned in the Qur’an and Prophetic traditions. There are delightful quotes, such as the following from the blessed Prophet, who apparently ate very little and was known to have often subsisted on dates and water, and who maintained that “…the food for one is sufficient for two, and the food for two is sufficient for four.” The very last recipe in the book is called bashi. It is recorded that the Messenger of God also ate “bashi,” in his characteristic modest manner, like this: “coarsely milled barley, one cup of water. Swallow them together.”

Nevertheless, the recipes, all based on the food mentioned in the Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions, will bring to blossom one’s palate. Hopefully, we will have the grace to resist a second portion – for it was another mystic who said that one should never attempt to enjoy a pleasure more than once at a time 

One’s wife, who has yet to be defeated in the kitchen, gazed thoughtfully at haniz. The recipe requires, I quote, “1 goat, salt, half a kilo of clarified butter, flatbread, 1 medium-sized onion. Rub the goat in salt and place it in a copper basin, and cook overnight. Serves 15.”

“We could kill the goat and offer it to any passing Bedouins,” I suggested. “We would have a grand feast, inquire politely after the Bedouins’ wells, both water and oil, and pray that their flocks increase.”

“Goats,” she said, “can be little darlings. I’m unsure about this one.”

Quite naturally, there is a prevalence of lamb recipes in the book. We were attracted to tafayshal, which requires cracked wheat (bulgur), lumps of fatty lamb, water, black pepper, and salt. It is all done in under one hour. Washiqa, on the other hand, requires only lamb shanks, water, and salt, all boiled for three hours. Shiwa doesn’t even require water: it needs only lamb meat, salt, and black pepper.

Perhaps the nicest salad in the book is Shiraz bi-bukul, which is a medley of fresh mint, celery, leek, mild cream cheese, chopped walnuts, crushed mustard seed, and salt. Preparation takes about five minutes.

There are soups galore; mint tea, of course; and terrific sweet things. The quince-with-molasses recipe would be a challenge to resist, although the blessed Prophet maintained that quince soothes the heart. Sirkanjubin is a refreshing drink comprising, water, vinegar, and honey. Fuqqa comprises musk, rose water, honey, water, and ice. It must stand for an entire day before serving.

The Prophet, blessed be his name, was averse to garlic and onions and suggested they were to be first cooked to remove any untoward odor. Our gifted author has added recipes accomplishing the same.

It is sufficient to say we are enchanted by this book. It will test our spiritual endeavors, but Mr Akkor, bless him, has also written a book titled Delicious Dishes for Ramadan. Thus, our evenings will be doubly blessed.

Facebook was the first big social media site. It’s been followed by Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and so on. There are more than 60 social media platforms today, and all have added different layers and functions to our social media interactions.

Although other platforms have reached hundreds of millions of users, Facebook is the most popular: it is closing in on 2 billion users, as of 2017. In 2012, researchers in Norway published a psychological scale to measure Facebook addiction, and their findings confirm that social networking is a “modern” addiction. Here, I will focus on the case of Facebook and I want to examine the psychological consequences and implications of extensive social media use.

Facebook is the largest online entity with the capacity to have direct access to the most extensive and in-depth information about its members. Imagine a state that has the capacity to know what an ordinary person ate on a certain day; with whom he or she has recently become friends; what his or her likes and dislikes are; and what his or her views are on a wide spectrum of issues. A state with that much knowledge would be terrifying.

With the degree and content of data that Facebook has access to, it is awfully similar to this theoretical authoritarian “state.” Through a systematic analysis of this large amount of data, one could professionally identify a member’s emotional and cognitive world and behavioral patterns, thereby gaining predictive leverage over his future preferences, reactions, and attitudes. All of these could be utilized by companies to access more information on their customers’ needs and desires, which could then translate to better advertisement and innovation. This could also be advantageous for security institutions, as such personal information including networks and relationships at the global level, these institutions believe, could help authorities contain and prevent violent terrorist activities. The implications – and potential implications – of widespread Facebook use on security, commerce, individuality, and privacy, are manifold.

Facebook is profoundly shaping our perception of reality. Since someone’s Facebook profile keeps track of his or her “post” history, it provides others with easy access to a brief “personal history.” Many of us develop first impressions about a person from their Facebook profile.

Human beings generally use cognitive shortcuts to figure out what a person is like; our first impressions are very unlikely to change. If someone has been put into a certain box or coded as having a certain type of personality by others, that rash and incomplete image is difficult to change without strong sensual information to the contrary. Even then, this opposing information may fail to change our mind: our brains tend to categorize such information as an exception, according to therapist Noah Rubenstein. The nature of Facebook use – the fact that people often choose to share what they want their friends to know about them (which happens to be the best parts of their lives) – also contributes to the construction of incomplete and distorted images of other people.

As the cliché goes, human psychology is very complicated and every human being is a different world of ideas, feelings, experiences, fears, and hopes. The prevailing practice of getting to know someone through a short visit on his or her Facebook profile results in the consumption of people’s individuality in a way similar to how a commercial good gets consumed. Human beings are not and should not be treated as aggregated pieces of information. It is not healthy nor fair to form ideas and opinions about someone’s personality without observing how that individual’s behaviors and attitudes change under different conditions and with different individuals. As an overarching principle, saying and posting should not be weighted equally with actual doing. One should rather prefer to observe an individual’s behavioral patterns (repetitive actions) before forming any opinions about them. And this can only be achieved with a philosophy that views individuals as aggregates of behaviors rather than as aggregates of pieces of information.

Secondly, intense Facebook use (average time spent on Facebook by a user is 50 minutes a day) might cause one’s impulse to do things to be replaced by the desire to update his or her profile, informing one’s crowd of friends, on Facebook, about what is going on in their life. This deep urge to share the moment indeed harms our ability to live the moment. The logic of sharing on Facebook also fosters a set of standards in regards to potential reactions. For example, if someone’s posts are being liked by 30-40 people on average, this would automatically create a threshold for the acceptable level of appreciation and lead to the feelings of frustration when this level of appreciation is not constantly achieved. This greed for appreciation and affirmation often contributes to the development of a habit of trying to look like the person that our general crowd of friends on Facebook unconsciously and indirectly wants us to become through displaying differing reactions towards our posts on Facebook. By intentionally not being ourselves, or by becoming afraid of appearing as ourselves on Facebook, we are allowing our Facebook identity to be shaped on the basis of the likes and dislikes of an online community and sacrificing our individual differences. This is like being a celebrity and being subjected to the pressure coming from presenting yourself in a way that is acceptable to the larger community. But the difference is that in this situation, the burden of being a celebrity is carried by ordinary people who don’t have access to the economic benefits of celebrity.

Thirdly, Facebook is changing the nature of our fundamental social interactions. For example, celebrating someone’s birthday turns out to be as simple as posting a happy birthday message on that person’s Facebook profile, as opposed to celebrating in a face to face interaction or making a phone call. Sharing someone’s grief is being reduced to adding an “I am really sorry” comment on that person’s Facebook post expressing grief for their loss.

According to Forbes magazine, only 7% of communication is based on the verbal word. That means that over 90% of communication is based on nonverbal cues such as body language, eye contact, and tone of voice.  Social media interactions are not conducive to the exchange of these nonverbal cues that are essential for healthy communication.

Fourthly, active Facebook users occasionally suffer from an informational obesity as they constantly get exposed to unnecessary loads of information about their friends’ private and public lives. From an opposite angle, this leads to a situation where the modern individual who attaches a great level of importance on privacy and autonomy willingly becomes the provider of a great level of visual and verbal information on his or her private life to a mixed audience (people whom he or she just met a minute ago and people who are closest to him or her). This indicates the stark contradiction between the intentions and actions of the modern individual.

Finally, Facebook increases the risk of getting named and shamed in front of an online community if we change or contradict our previous behaviors or beliefs.

If there had not been love,
How should there have been existence?
How should bread have attached itself to you
and become (assimilated to) you.

The perfected pattern of the human form is coherence with God’s love. Humanity drinks from the spring inspired by God. The drink inspired by God will remain forever, until perpetuity (Abad).

When we talk about love our aim is true love (ishq haqiqi), not metaphorical love (ishq majazi). Ishq Majazi is related to the material transient world, but the real or true love, ishq haqiqi, is the love which is felt toward the infinite God. The real love is eternal and infinite.

The love, if its purpose is color, won’t be love.
Eventually it will be shame…

A lover acquainted and faced with true love will get burned in the heat and realize that the material world is temporary and inconstant. The lover will think how to reach the truth (Mashooq Haqiqi) day and night, and his/her feelings, respect, and appreciation toward any element in the world will grow stronger as they will be connected to the original existence.

Elements which were once valuable can lose their value. But not love: it increases the lover’s power from within. Love is an important and powerful element, powering the body inward (Batn) and outward (Zaaher) until it evolves and love can be the medicine of all causes, strengthening faith and relieving sorrow and anxiety.

Whoever tears clothes due to love
Will be completely clean and clear from greed and fault.
Be happy, lover of a happy trade,
You are the physician of all of our causes.
Love raised dust to sky,
And made mountains start dancing.

A lover like Rumi will have a special desire to become Gnostic; he or she will be drawn to this hard journey and fight their way through, driven by the ecstasies of desire. The Gnostic lover will arrange life’s style and other activities.

The Gnostic experiences a state of pain and heartache that burns from within. The burning becomes so strong and painful that it forces the lover to scream and shout. But these shouts emerge as symphonic rhymes and poems.

Search us in love, and search love in us
Sometimes we praise love, and sometimes love praises us

Rumi believed that love clears the heart, brings harmony, decreases prejudice, and brings people closer to each other.

The Gnostic love is love of humanity. It’s not lust or heartache, but love without prejudice. It’s the kind of love that takes away selfishness and brings one closer to God. Rumi’s love and understanding started at a place of spiritual retreat (Khaaneqa). Singing (semah) in the retreat made his love stronger.

Poems, music, and dance are resources of Gnostic, not the target; the aim is to reach the truth. Rumi told us the good news: that one day the religion of love will capture the entire world.

We are all witnessing the love Rumi predicted, and most people are in love with his words.

The lover’s ailment is different from all other ailments;
Love is an astrolabe of God’s mysteries.
Love may be from this side or that side;
in the end it leads us to that King.
Though the expression of the tongue is enlightening,
the tongue-less love is more expressive.

Love is the only way to recognize God, and after the power of God, love is the only power. Mansur al-Hallaj said, “The ascension of men is love!”

Whoever does not have love of the lover in his head,
Bring that person a pack-saddle and bridle.

Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali wrote about love: “Love is eagerness to find something that you love; therefore, love has variety. But love in the Gnostic and spiritual world is love of God. Love is the base of success.”

After Rumi discovered his self and felt what was inside of him, he began to see in others what was in him; this way, he unified the love of God with the love of humanity. He came to the conclusion that to love human beings is to love God.

Rumi said:

A servant is in desire of freedom.
A lover does not want freedom until perpetuity.

Rumi was a Gnostic poet. Rumi did all things with love: he prayed with love, and he died with love, only to reach the only Lover.

God created me from the wine of love,
I will still be love even I am dead.

I do not think that there is one human being in the entire world without love. Every human being is in love either with worldly materials or in love with God.

The description of Gnostic love is with those worlds that describes ishq majazi, but if readers do not pay attention or they are not familiar with these kinds of poems, poets and their aim, readers might think that the aim of these Gnostic poets are ishq majazi, not true love.

Love is the fundamental of the Gnostic and without love we are not able to find a Gnostic.

Rumi developed his perfection through boundless love and then he taught that love to thousands of students and followers through his poems and other works. He became a guide to mankind: from East to West, North to South, the world became his territory. He conquered the world with love, and as the sound of his feet still reflecting in the corridor of the times, Rumi describes how love remains forever:

Whatever is in this world, love is its soul.
Whatever you see is not permanent, except love.
The only way to reach the sky is from inside. Move the wings of love.
When the wings of love became strong, there is no need for a ladder.

Gnostic lovers like Rumi drink from the cup of truth and are cleansed by the truth, which has been inspired by God; their hearts are clear as crystal.

Gnostics drink from the cup of truth,
They knew the secrets and covered those secrets.
Whenever they taught the mystery of truth to anybody,
They sealed and sewed up his lips.”

Furthermore, love of these true men cannot be described in writing or speaking, as Rumi said:

Love cannot be contained in an exchange of words.
Love is a fathomless ocean.

Every Gnostic can be a poet, but not every poet is a Gnostic, as they might be in love, but their love may be ishq majazi. I would like to conclude this article with another poem from Rumi:

There is no end to describe these words.

Initiates in this state, with the inner perceptions and feelings that come from self-annihilation in God, see everything annihilated in God also. Those who are enraptured with the pleasure arising from such a state cannot help but utter sayings such as “I am the Truth!” or “Glory be to me, how exalted my being is!” Although such sayings issue from mouths under the influence of the spiritual state and pleasure that pervades the being, they have sometimes been taken to be true. It sometimes occurs that initiates cannot distinguish between what is substantial and what is apparent and, confusing their drop-like being with the infinite ocean of Divine Existence, utter unbecoming words of pride that are incompatible with the rules of Shari‘a and irreconcilable with the self-possession that one must have before God. Even if every initiate cannot experience such a depth of self-annihilation and the pleasure that issues from it, most of them feel and experience this state. Some of them are regarded as being directly taught by a great saint who already died or even the Prophet, without needing another teacher or guide; this is called “the way of Uwaysu’l-Qarani.” [1] Muallim Naji [2] refers to this way as follows:

See, what kind of immersion you have caused me to experience;
My eyes see you as if you were the tears which they shed.

Immersion has three degrees:

The first degree is the immersion of knowledge in state. That is, in the beginning, an initiate acquires knowledge of some truths, but not being able to experience what is known, he or she is not perfectly conscious of the truth of it. Knowledge is different from experience. Any knowledge concerning the Divine truths is usually theoretical until belief, love and spiritual pleasure become second nature for the initiate. When an initiate feels and experiences these in the very center of the conscience, then knowledge has been absorbed in the spiritual state. This knowledge absorbed and lost in the conscience is the knowledge of a Prophet. We call it knowledge only because at the beginning it is knowledge. At the end of the journey, where this knowledge is completely absorbed and lost in the conscience inciting the initiates to and guiding them in action, it becomes the spiritual state and a station in which the initiates finds peace. With respect to Prophethood, the best description of the initial degree of immersion is in the verse (37:103): When both (Abraham and Ishmael) submitted (to God) wholly, Abraham laid Ishmael down on his face (to sacrifice). The last, perfect degree of this Prophetic knowledge, which has become the Prophetic state, is impossible for us to perceive.

Those whose knowledge has become their state have always been examples to be followed by people. It is difficult to de- scribe such people, even with comparisons and parables. On the other hand, there are others who are described in the Qur’an as, like an ass carrying books (62:5). A scholar unaware of the knowledge he or she has and whose knowledge has not become his or her state is no different from an ass who merely carries the books. Any state which is not based on knowledge is tantamount to heresy and misguidance, while knowledge which has not become a state is ignorance and heedlessness. Straightforwardness through knowledge means rising to a heavenly point on the wings of the state based on knowledge.

The second degree of immersion is the immersion of signs in discovery or unveiling. That is, initiates who have attained the second degree in immersion and in whose spirit the truth concerning the Essence of the Divine Being has developed, rise to the rank in which the One Who freely bestows gifts favors them with special gifts. At this rank the spirit severs its relation with all other than the Almighty and turns to the horizon that the appreciative heart has indicated. In the eyes of initiates honored with such a favor, the variations between the manifestations of the Divine Names disappear and everything seems to them manifested on the “screen” of the Divine Attributes and immersed in the lights of the Divine Essence. Seekers after the Ultimate Truth who, until they have attained to this rank, mention the Eternal One Who freely bestows gifts with His Names, such as the All- Beautiful, the All-Majestic, the All-Subtle, and the All-Overwhelming, take themselves into a life intoxicated with gifts that come directly from the Divine Being Himself, Who is the All-Light. They do not think to make any distinction between the Essence of the Divine Being and His manifestations.

To describe this state, Jalalu’d-Din Rumi, the most advanced one in intoxication, says: 

O Muslims! I am unaware of myself: what means do you offer?
I am neither of the world, nor of the other world,
nor of Paradise nor of Hell;
neither am I of Adam nor of Eve,
nor of the highest abode of Paradise.
I am from nowhere and nowhere has no signs
with which to make me known.
I am divested of both body and soul,
being in the royal tent of the Beloved.
I have thrown away both my eyes,
seeing the two worlds together, and
I know only Him Who is the One, mention the One,
search for the One, read the One.
O Shams Tabrizi! I am so intoxicated in this world that
Nothing but intoxication can be a cure for me in this abode.

The third degree is the immersion in which signs suggest absorption. That is, an initiate may spiritually attain to the point beyond the sphere of the manifestations of the Divine Attributes and become immersed in the most sacred manifestation of the Essence of the Divine Being, Who is known as the First and the Last, the All-Outward and the All-Inward. This state is also viewed as a return to the station where the initiate’s heart recognizes the Almighty as a Hidden Treasure, or as a return to the unconditioned realm where everything pertaining to the created realm vanishes. A spirit which gets into this state usually expresses itself by saying: “There was God without there being anything that existed with Him. Now He is as He was before.” [3] It addresses itself to its confidants:

The place where I am has developed into no-space;
This body of mine has wholly become a soul;
God’s Sight has manifested Itself to me; and
I have seen myself intoxicated with His meeting.
(Nasimi)

It could not have been more beautiful for people of spiritual state and pleasure than in that stanza to express the relationship and difference between the Existence of the Self-Existent One and the portion of existence of all other beings, whose existence is totally dependent on Him. However, the following verses of ‘Abdu’r-Rahman Khalis are also truly beautiful:

O Muslims! What is this state in which I am and which bewilders me?
Sometimes I am a crazy lover, sometimes a wretched, insane one.
Sometimes I am a poor one having no place,
and sometimes the king of time.
For I am intoxicated with the wine of love, knowing nothing else.
I am one who pays no attention to the cap of austerity.
All praise and gratitude be to God that I have drunk the wine of love;
I am speaking in the land of Oneness the words of Him Who is One,
not worried that the king of this time may do anything to me,
and having no fear of those who wear coarse robes.

I have omitted the words that were uttered in the state of total intoxication as against the Book and the Sunna of the Messenger. Even though not to utter such words is a self-contradiction for the friends of God who are under the overwhelming influence of the spiritual state, the same action would mean straying from the path for those who are sober and can make a distinction between the Creator in His Transcendence and the created. It is especially heresy for common people to utter such words in mere imitation of those who have been overwhelmed by the spiritual state.

O God! O One Who guides the astray, guide us to the Straight Path, and bestow blessings and peace on him who is the most honorable of Your creation—Muhammad—and on his Family and Companions, rightly guided. Amen, O the All-Helping!

“When we are being told a story … [n]ot only are the language processing parts in our brain activated, but any other area in our brain that we would use when experiencing the events of the story are too.”

This comment on storytelling, by Leo Widrich, sets a useful framework as to why our kids love listening to stories before going to bed. It is also probably why Holy Scriptures present us with many stories from past nations and prophets. The story of Prophet Joseph is one such story. It’s one we learn from our early childhood years. Describing it as “the best of narratives,” the Qur’an has a full chapter dedicated to the story of this messenger of God, whose name is still one of the most popular names, with some linguistic variations, across the Abrahamic traditions. The following article details how this story is told in the Islamic and Christian traditions, and what moral lessons, especially on abuse of power, can be drawn from it.

Both the Bible and the Qur’an narrate the story of Joseph extensively. While the story in the Bible is in the Book of Genesis, the Qur’anic account is in the chapter of Yusuf. It is an exception in the Qur’an: while the different aspects of the stories of other Prophets are told in more than one chapter, the entire story of Joseph is told in a single chapter.

What to learn from the story of Joseph: A Muslim perspective

Suleyman Cifci

Though both the Biblical and Qur’anic accounts agree on much of the core elements, there are minor differences in the details. Joseph is one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Jealous of Joseph, his brothers plot to get rid of him. They throw him in a well, and he is sold in slavery to a top official in Egypt. Attracted by his beauty, the official’s wife tries to seduce him, and failing to do so, she slanders him. Joseph spends years in prison. He interprets the dreams of two inmates. When the ruler of Egypt has a dream, Joseph is released to interpret it. He is made a minister, and Egypt is saved from years of famine. His parents and brothers come to Egypt and show their loyalty to him.

Ethical messages

1. Jealousy leads to evil: When Joseph is a child, he has a dream. Joseph says to his father, “O my father! I did see eleven planets and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrate themselves to me” (Qur’an, 12:4). He (Jacob) says, “O my son! Do not relate your dream to your brothers, lest (out of envy) they devise a scheme against you. For Satan is a manifest enemy to humankind (and can incite them to do such a thing)” (Qur’an, 12:5).

Jacob worries that Joseph’s brothers will become jealous of him. His fears prove true, as Joseph’s brothers turn against him once they learn about the dream.

2. Acting wisely: Jacob says to Joseph “O my son! Do not relate your dream to your brothers.” It is not easy to keep to oneself what seems to be a fantastic phenomenon, especially a dream, which one would hardly imagine it may cause trouble. Jacob is teaching Joseph to act wisely and be cautious in this matter, so that his brothers are not provoked to committing something wrong.

3. Patience: Joseph’s brothers come to their father and say, “Our father! We went off racing with one another and left Joseph behind by our things, then a wolf devoured him” (Qur’an, 12:17). Jacob says, “Rather, your (evil-commanding) souls have tempted you to do something evil. So (the proper recourse for me is), a becoming patience (a patience that endures without complaint)” (Qur’an, 12:18).

The virtue of patience is asserted in a later verse: “Surely whoever keeps from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety, and is patient, surely God will not leave to waste the reward of those devoted to doing good as if seeing God” (Qur’an, 12:90).

4. Resisting carnal desires and remaining faithful: One of the most difficult tests for a teenager is the stimulation of sexual desires. Joseph (imploring God) says, “My Lord! Prison is dearer to me than what they bid me to. If You do not avert their guile from me, I might incline towards them and become one of the ignorant (those who succumb to such temptations)” (Qur’an, 12:33). Joseph upholding faithfulness, maintaining his dignity, and restraining himself despite women desiring him – and the threats of prison – epitomizes the best of virtuous character – for all times and for every individual.

5. Accepting one’s mistakes and repenting: In the story of Joseph, the wife of the minister (Zuleikha) and Joseph’s brothers understand their mistakes. The Surah of Joseph tells us: “(The king had the woman assembled before him, and) he said: ‘What happened (between you and Joseph) when you sought to enjoy yourselves by him?’ They said: ‘God save us! We perceived no evil at all on his part!’ And the wife of the minister said: ‘Now the truth has come to light. It was I who sought to enjoy myself by him. He was indeed truthful (in all he said, and true to his lord)’” (Qur’an, 12:51).

(Similar to Zuleikha’s confession, Jacob’s sons also confessed what they had done) They said: “O our father! Ask God to forgive us our sins; surely we have been sinful.” (Qur’an, 12:97). Accepting one’s mistakes and asking for forgiveness relieves people from intrinsic problems. It is much easier to confess and ask for forgiveness than to live with the mistake.

6. Forgiveness: Forgiving those who wronged us is an exceptional virtue. It is a quality that manifests as an attribute of God. Muslims believe forgiving others can be a means for our own forgiveness. Joseph chooses the way of forgiveness: “No reproach this day shall be on you. May God forgive you; indeed, He is the Most Merciful of the merciful” (Qur’an, 12:92).

7. Being hopeful: After losing Joseph many years before, Jacob almost loses Benjamin, too. Yet, he never loses faith in God and always seeks His help. And he says to his other sons: “O my sons! Go forth and seek earnestly for Joseph and his brother; and do not despair of God’s Mercy, for none ever despairs of God’s Mercy, except people who disbelieve in Him” (Qur’an, 12:87).

8. Being thankful: Joseph is clearly aware of the grace of God. When Joseph’s story ends with a happy ending, Joseph turns to God and expresses his gratitude in the following way: “My Lord! You have indeed granted me some important part of the rule and imparted to me some knowledge of the inner meaning of all happenings (including dreams). O You, Originator of the heavens and the earth, each with particular features! You are my Owner and Guardian in this world and in the Hereafter. Take my soul to You as a Believer, and join me with the righteous” (Qur’an, 12:101). Joseph prays to return to his Lord even when he has finally reunited with his family and at the height of worldly status and reputation. This exemplifies the attitude of a believer who is aware that all worldly titles are temporary and real success is attaining full faith in God.

9. Meritocracy: In order for a nation to progress, it is necessary to give administrative positions to people who are competent. As a good example, the Egyptian king gave ministry of the country to Joseph, who was not Egyptian but still possessed great wisdom and knowledge. Joseph said, “Place me in charge over the store-houses of the land, for I am a good custodian, a knowledgeable one” (Qur’an, 12:55). A lesson to take is that it is important to be equipped with skills to provide quality service while holding public interest on the frontline.