Viruses Can Steal Our Genetic Code to Form New Genes

Ho JSY et al. Hybrid Gene Origination Creates Human-Virus Chimeric Proteins during Infection. Cell, June 2020;

Viruses have the ability to inflict their hosts with a multitude of dreadful, and often deadly, diseases. Humans have dealt with deadly viral diseases for millennia ranging from smallpox to the Spanish flu and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most fascinating features of these tiny, deadly organisms is that they cannot even build their own proteins. They depend entirely on their host to build their proteins for them. When a virus infects a host cell, it uses the cell’s transcription and translation machinery in order to produce its proteins and to generate copies of itself. A new paper describes a previously unknown mechanism that can occur during this process wherein viruses steal genetic signals from their hosts to expand their own genomes. This allows viruses to make hybrids of host mRNAs with their own genes thereby producing novel hybrid proteins named “UFO” (Upstream Frankenstein Open reading frame) proteins. As a proof-of-principle, scientists showed that at least 10% of influenza A viruses had these hybrid UFO proteins. Furthermore, UFO proteins can be detected by our immune systems and may even modulate virulence. Further studies are still needed to understand this novel class of proteins and the implications of their pervasive expression by many of the RNA viruses that cause epidemics and pandemics. UFO proteins can potentially alter the course of viral infections and could very well be positively exploited for new, and more effective, vaccines.

Superhuman Antibodies Can Protect Against COVID-19

Rogers TF et al.  Isolation of potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and protection from disease in a small animal model. Science, June  2020.

Development of a treatment, or vaccine, for COVID-19 is currently the world’s top public health priority. Globally, about 8 million people have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and more than 400,000 have died. The daily toll of new infections is still rising. Amid an international race to find a vaccine for COVID-19, researchers have discovered a subset of antibodies, in the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients, that provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease. Researchers first took blood samples from patients who had recovered from mild-to-severe COVID-19. Then, they tested whether antibody-containing blood from these patients could bind to the virus and strongly block it from infecting test human cells that express ACE2, the receptor that SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect human cells. Initial experiments led to the isolation of 1000 distinct antibodies produced by immune cells, each of which showed a distinct anti-SARS-CoV-2 affinity. Among those antibodies, the team identified several antibodies that could successfully block the virus and protect hamsters against heavy viral exposure. These super-strength neutralizing antibodies are found to target spike proteins of the Coronavirus that are localized at the viral surface and are essential for the virus to attach itself to human cells. These antibodies effectively keep the virus from entering human cells and could essentially knock out the infection. Interestingly, while non-neutralizing Coronavirus antibodies are found in 75% of patients, neutralizing antibodies are only found in fewer than 5% of patients. The current strategy involves cloning the immune cells that produce these super antibodies in order to mass-produce them and reinject them into sick patients. Scientists predict that if further safety tests in animals and clinical trials in people go as expected, the antibodies could potentially be used in clinical settings as early as next January. This new study proposes a paradigm of swift reaction to an emergent and deadly viral pandemic and sets the stage for clinical trials and additional tests of the antibodies.

Living Environments Are the Key to Longevity

Bhardwaj R. et al. Environmental Correlates of Reaching a Centenarian Age: Analysis of 144,665 Deaths in Washington State for 2011−2015. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. April, 2020.

Growing evidence indicates that while good genes can help us live longer, they do not tell the full story when it comes to what it takes to live a long and healthy life. A new study found that where you live has a substantial impact on the likelihood that you will reach centenarian (100+ years old) age. Researchers examined the data of 145,000 Washington residents who died at the age of 75 or older between 2011-2015. Survival analysis derived from these data showed that neighborhood walkability, higher socioeconomic status, and a high percentage of working age populations were found to be positively correlated with reaching 100 years of age. One important indication from this study is that mixed-age communities where streets are more conducive for walking makes exercise more accessible for older adults and thus makes it easier for them to access medical care and grocery stores. Moreover, older adults are less likely to experience isolation, and receive important community support in these settings.  Past studies estimated that heritable factors only explain about roughly 20% to 35% of an individual’s chances of reaching centenarian age. This study supports the idea that you can modify your susceptibility to different genetic diseases through your behavior. In other words, if you live in environments that support healthy aging, it will likely impact your ability to beat your genetic odds through lifestyle changes.

Question: “Peaceful settlement is better” (Nisa 4:128) reads a Qur’anic verse. What are the messages to be drawn from this verse?

Answer: The basic factor that lies in the basis of clashes and fights today is entanglement with oneself. Everybody is seeking to establish their own model of the individual, family, city, state, and world.  In a world where everybody runs after their own model and structure it is not possible to meet in the middle with a compromise.  Accordingly, when every intellectual, movement, and state envisions some ideas and systems of theirs, they take these as the sole criteria and expect others to comply with them too, it will obviously result in such a mess. Unfortunately, such a reality underlies behind the tensions, disorder, and confusion we experience today.

Tolerance and clemency

The best elixir to solve these confusions is tolerance and clemency, being open to agreement and reconciliation with almost everybody, and our readiness to engage in dialogue with others. To realize that, we need to shake off our own caprices, greed, and the diseases of asserting their own feelings and thoughts as the only right way to go. Doubtlessly, this depends upon a person’s ability to break free of arrogance, destroy the egotism of “I,” and take some rest in the stopover of “us,” and then journey onto “Him” (to God) afterwards.

It is very difficult for those taken by their egotism, considerations of affiliation, or by love of their groups to stand open to peace and meet different ideas with respect.  As far as they hold the benefits of their own group above everything else and cannot rid themselves of bigotry, they cannot form strategies of peace for the good of humanity. Actually, it is very difficult to say that those people ever have such a goal in mind since they are consistently so uncompromising to diversity.

In the globalizing world of our time, there is no other alternative than tolerance and dialogue in order for humanity to live in peace.  As for letting a culture of tolerance prevail, it is necessary for both individuals and societies to give up seeing themselves as the absolute representatives of truth and to always deem the possibility that other’s thoughts and approaches can also be correct. Even if different ideas and thoughts are not completely true, it should not be forgotten that there may be a grain of truth in them at least.  Remember the statements of Said Nursi who said that there is a grain of truth even in the Mu‘tazilite and Fatalist (Jabriya) schools of thought, but that these sects went wrong since they saw the truth as exclusive to themselves.

Today, everyone has a peculiar “correct” viewpoint of their own, and others’ opinions are wrongfor the sole reason that they belong to others. Such a bias does not allow suitable grounds to discuss whether they are correct or not.  We sometimes try to defend ideas even we don’t believe.

Peace begins in the family

Actually, by decreeing that “peaceful settlement is better” (Nisa 4:128) the Qur’an invites people to reconciliation and agreement, to accept that there can also be a share of truth in others’ statements and actions.  As is known, this verse was revealed about the family, the smallest molecule of society. God Almighty showed the way to be followed against occasional discord and situations between spouses; He taught that they are not supposed to consider divorce right away but instead it is necessary to seek mutual agreement while preserving the family.

Given that the Qur’an demands resolving  dents and fissures by peaceful means, even in a familial level, approaching problems at the scope of a town, city, state, or world with peace will be much more desirable. 

In this respect, no matter which aspect of society is concerned, the duty that falls upon people is being in pursuit of maintaining peace and all of the beneficial and good byproducts that come from peaceful means. The fact that people have different religions, cultures, ethnical identities, and worldviews should not be seen as an obstacle to this issue. It must be shown that peaceful coexistence is possible even between people who follow different religions or who do not believe in any religion.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop projects for maintaining such a general peace and to develop reasonable strategies because maintaining that is not as easy as it might seem. The maintenance of peace calls for very serious efforts and endeavors. On the way to obtain such an important outcome, sometimes it is necessary to be ready to forget certain fights that occurred in the past, to be ready to forgive, and to make concessions when needed.  In short, it is needed to forbear everything possible for the sake of letting people live together in an atmosphere of peace. Of course, while doing so no one should compromise the honor of a people or nation.

Obstacles are overcome with mature people

It is only those alive with regards to their spirit, heart, senses, feelings, and thoughts who will succeed at building a spirit of unity and a culture of reconciliation in society.  Those with high spirit can spark vibrancy in others, too. For people who have reached a serious level of satiation, satisfaction, and contentment in the spiritual sense, even very big problems become very little.  Such people even pass over enormous trenches with the ease of jumping over little pits.  However, as for a person who has not been able to break free from their ego, who has not been able to abandon being physical-oriented, and who has not been saved from being directed by fancies and desires, in short, a person who has not started journeying into the life degrees of the heart and spirit will not do much for the peace and happiness of humanity.

This is a significant reason for the breakings, cracks, conflicts, and fights that are happening in our time.  People who are not sufficiently mature are so touchy and easily offended by even the slightest things.  As they have not been able to rid themselves of their roughness, they get offended and hurt right away when they cannot find the looks they desired and the attitudes that they expected.  If someone gives them a nudge in the ribs to invigorate, warn, or to stimulate them, they react as if they were hurt with a spear.

The duty that falls to believers is not being heartbroken even in the face of offensive behavior. Instead of accusing those who behave negatively and making negative assumptions about them, they should turn to God and say:  “O God, we are probably facing these difficulties because of our failure to be properly righteous; please set them, and us, right!”

One must be very determined about not being heart broken and offended by anyone.  If we devoted ourselves to serving humanity, then it is necessary to lay our heads under their feet with utter self-sacrifice.  To put it in the words of Seyyid Nigari:

“Will one who seeks the Beloved be concerned for his own life?
And will one concerned for his own life be in quest of the Beloved?”

I think this is the very thought to let humanity, which has miserably doubled up, to straighten up again.

As is known, the noble Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) positioned a group of archers before the Battle of Uhud on a hill and gave strict instructions that they were not supposed to leave their position no matter what happened.  However, most of the archers who had not grasped the critical importance of precision at following the orders left their positions upon seeing the enemy fleeing the ground; they thought that their duty was over.  It is after this point that the Muslims were surrounded from behind with a new maneuver by the polytheist army and received a very serious blow.  Even the noble Prophet received an injury to his blessed head and his tooth was broken.  But he gathered his Companions again as if nothing had happened and held a consultation with them.  He did not embarrass them by mentioning their fault and did not reproach them in the slightest degree.  What a breeze of kindness that was!

Who knows how humiliated they felt because of the judgmental error they had made. By means of referring to their consultation again about the new steps to be taken, he relieved the hearts of his Companions who were aware of their fault and were suffering with due remorse.  This is the way to spur heroism in spirits and to mend the breakages and cracks that occur.

The Peace of Hudaybiya

At this point, I think most people will not help but remember the treaty of Hudaybiya, because the noble Prophet had made concessions upon concessions for the sake of making that treaty.  Although accepting some of the articles was so hard on him, he forbore with that solely for the sake of maintaining reconciliation and forming an atmosphere of peace.

While departing from Medina, the Messenger of God had promised to his Companions a pilgrimage visit to the holy Ka‘ba.  For the sake of realizing this promise, they had covered a distance of more than 400 km riding their horses and camels and come to the vicinity of Mecca.  They had even put on their ihram garbs for this visit and taken their sacrifices with them.  However, the polytheists of Mecca accosted them in Hudaybiya and said, “we neither let you enter Mecca, nor do we let you visit the Ka‘ba.”  Thanks to the endeavors and prophetic intelligence of God’s Messenger, the polytheists were convinced to sign the peace treaty of Hudaybiya.  However, they also stipulated as an article of the treaty that the Muslims would go back without observing their pilgrimage visit.  This was very heavy on the Companions who had been homesick for Mecca and the Ka‘ba for eight years.  So much so that they reminded the noble Prophet about the promise he had made but received the answer that he had not specified it to be in that year, but they also received a promise from him that they would observe it the following year.  It is not so difficult to imagine how much this situation must have hurt the Prophet, the paragon of kindness.

During this confrontation at Hudaybiya, the Meccan commander Khalid ibn Walid, who had not become a Muslim then, kept spurring his horse here and there in a manner of challenging the Muslims, and he even tried to provoke them.  In addition, Mecca’s representative Suhayl ibn Amr objected to the title “Messenger of God” to be written in the treaty and they stipulated the noble Prophet’s name to be written as “Muhammad, son of Abdullah.”  In the meantime, the same Suhayl ibn Amr’s son Abu Jandal, who had been imprisoned by his father broke free and came up until Hudaybiya in a pitiable condition by dragging the shackles on his leg. He sought refuge with the Messenger of God.  However, the father demanded his son to be given back to him as required by the treaty and for the sake of not upsetting the established peace, God’s Messenger had to accept it unwillingly.

Note that all of these conditions were not to be accepted easily.  The more so when the noble Prophet is concerned, a person with such a high degree of honor, dignity, and esteem; because great personages have sensitivity and caring beyond our estimation.  Nevertheless, the Qur’anic statement meaning, “It may be that you (O Messenger) will torment yourself to death because they refuse to believe” (Shuara 26:3) also expresses his lofty degree of caring.  However, the Messenger of God managed to suppress all of these by exercising an extraordinary degree of self-possession. He did not make these offenses a matter of honor.

In a way, this meant having a holistic perspective and seeing very well the beautiful future that peace and tolerance promised. With this attitude, the Pride of Humanity was at the same time giving Muslims a lesson that they should not be obstinate at certain matters, not act for the sake of their ego, to keep away from superficial and casual evaluations, from being farsighted, not being offensive to others, and from not generating problems in the future by resorting to brutality and violence.  This is the way to keep away from intertwined troubles and spiral of problems.

The Treaty of Hudaybiya Is the Conquest

Such are the heavy conditions that the peace treaty of Hudaybiya was signed under. This had felt hurtful to the dignity and honor of Muslims.  However, the Qur’an gave the glad tidings that this treaty was a plain victory and the results of the treaty also proved this.  Only after this treaty was it that Muslims had an opportunity to travel freely and express themselves in the Arabian Peninsula, grudge, hatred, and animosities abated, many people got to know Muslims more closely.

Based upon this practice, we can say the following: If contemporary Muslims as well want to build such an atmosphere of peace in their country and abroad then they must know to make serious sacrifices.  If they cannot tolerate certain unpleasant situations that they do not approve of but always bring their honor and pride to the fore, then they will be deprived of large-scale examples of goodness to be obtained by means of peace.

If the conditions of the contemporary world are considered, it will be seen that the humanity is in dire need of such agreement and reconciliation more than ever.  Because solving so many gangrenous problems, saving countries from disintegration, and maintaining security of roads are dependent on this.  In this respect, the logic and reasoning in the peace of Hudaybiya need be comprehended and practiced very well.

In Xanadu: A Quest, William Dalrymple’s first book, is a work that amassed critical acclaim from the likes of Sir Alex Guinness (“The delightful, and funny, surprise mystery tour of the year”), and the doyen of modern travel literature Patrick Leigh Fermor (“…a most gifted book touched by the spirits of Kinglake, Robert Byron and Evelyn Waugh”), which must have made the twenty-two-year-old author’s head spin. It is by turns a very funny book. He changed his female traveling companion halfway but still managed to produce a work loaded with history and knowledge acquired when the author set off in the footsteps of Marco Polo from Jerusalem to the fabled city court of Kubla Khan in China. But those were early days and William Dalrymple has now become the chronicler of all things pertaining to the subcontinent of India, with doorstopper books to match. His Nine Lives is a personal favorite and amounts to research beyond the call of duty in which the writer sets off in search of the sacred in modern India. Again, marvelous writing as the author attaches himself to some of the adventurers within the life of the soul who have devoted their lives to extremes.

Music

After being made aware of World Music, we have been given a novel approach to Orientalism   through what has been termed “fusion.” Jan Garbarek is a Norwegian jazz musician who has felt an attraction to the music of the Orient. He is a saxophonist of great ability, an ability that that has enabled him to transcend common musical performance for he is able to assimilate the themes and rhythms of the East without seemingly imposing the conventions of the West. Any reader wishing to experience Garbarek’s music is advised to purchase the CD Madar, which has been released on the excellent German ECM label. Given that all musical appreciation is subjective, your correspondent suggests that this is currently the most exciting music on the planet. Grabarek plays tenor- and soprano saxophones on this recording, with Anouar Brahem from Tunis on the lute-like oud, supported admirably by the scintillating tabla of Ustad Shaukat Hussein from India. It is perfectly apparent that despite pessimistic and obviously conflicting academic views, East will meet West as sure as there exists any attraction between the sexes, and above all between musicians. Which medium could bring it about better than music, for some the highest of the arts?

For the general record-purchasing public the music of Asia  more or less began with George Harrison who learned to play the sitar (“I started 15 years too late,” he said), and sang My Sweet Lord, his emotionally charged yearn for transcendence, with a brief intro on the  instrument that beguiled everyone. The book that documents, in a fascinating way, all of the Asian music that revolutionized and widened the West’s appreciation of it is The Dawn of Indian Music in the West by Peter Lavezzoli, with an introduction by the master, Ravi Shankar. The author, himself a musician, tells of the violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin’s impassioned support of Indian classical music as early as 1955. Lavezzoli’s relentless research is a magnificent tribute and includes some fascinating and extensive in-depth interviews with classical, jazz and rock musicians who had willingly succumbed to the art of the raga. The interviews reveal that the rock musicians of the 1950s and ’60s were endowed with sensibilities that went beyond the norm and showed that they were not always interested in musical excitement based on a series of riffs and little else. David Crosby, who went on be a part of the successful Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young band, and Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, were both intelligent men who were at home with John Coltrane’s jazz and were also intrigued with the intricacies of Indian classical music. The sarod drone, the sitar’s first notes – like tin-foil blossoms cascading down – tinkles seductively to your ears. Then comes the pervasive backwash of delicate, reverberating sound the way an artist gives the foundation to a picture, followed by the pulsating ever-present sheets of sound. John Coltrane would have felt perfectly at home. The tabla player waits, resisting any urge to intrude until, there it is, the sudden opening, the sudden right moment, and with a decisive whack he was a part of it all. His insistent accents, punctuations, and singing taps made everything perfect. The sarod, the sitar and the tabla become instrumental friends. They literally hit a groove.

Lavezzoli’s book is a kaleidoscopic, dense appraisal for anyone with any interest in music of what can only be termed spiritual inspiration. This has to be the definitive work.

The Orientalists

Kristian Davies has produced a book of unsurpassed beauty. The Orientalists – Western Artists in Arabia, The Sahara, Persia & India is utterly irresistible. Published in 2005 and sold at an unbelievably reasonable $70, one will now need to consider spending around $200 for the cheapest on the market, then think in terms of $2,000 for a pristine copy. For anyone wishing to own great books, the outlay is worth it. There are 300 pages of text, and color plates in which to drench your eyes. We are not excused the debate around the theme that has raged for a while.

Orientalism has become the catchword for all that could be seen as negative. It is again, addressed here, that one finds the debate about blame apportioned to the West in respect of attitudes against all that is by definition “other.” On the one hand Mr. Davies rightly defends his position by presenting great works of art that are reason enough in themselves to make pointless all intellectual contention. One sides with Mr. Davies because – what the heck – who gives two figs for politics when one is confronted with such unsurpassed beauty? To be fair, however, one also reads something rather damning in The Brown Sahib (revisited) by Varindra Tarzie Vittachi in which he quotes from Lord Macaulay in 1835: “We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern, a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect.” The West has looked down on the East, but then humans apparently need something or someone to look down on for reasons best known to their own inner worlds. The argument that an excess of Oriental color and physical voluptuousness is not without reason, however, and one can be startled by what appears to be an exaggeration of physical prowess or physical beauty. Then something otherwise commonplace is seen. The tiles portrayed, quite rightly, in many Oriental pictures are here at a level of gorgeousness beyond comparison. The carpets are sublime, and the camels magnificently haughty. Kristian Davies has given us a dream made apparent with additional essays on Arthur Rimbaud, Jean-Louis Burckhardt, Sir Richard F. Burton, Jean-Léon Gérôme, JamesTissot and Jane Digby el-Mezrab. The color plates, which dazzle and delight are by such painters as Gustav Bauernfeind, and the American James Fairman, together with the British painter David Roberts, Eugène Delacroix, and many, many more.

In the “footnotes of Ibn Battuta”

Tim Mackintosh-Smith gives us Travels with a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah. The title may suggest a less than adept juggler, but a Tangerine meant here is a person from Tangiers. Mr. M-S (he abbreviates his hero throughout to IB) has a way with words and once underway is hardly stoppable when his pen doth riotous flow. His knowledge of all things Oriental will astonish, he is mind-bogglingly informed about God and the world and, of course, Ibn Battuta. Book two within his IB trilogy is The Hall of a Thousand Pillars, and it is here that M-S, faithfully follows IB’s journeys in India, which started in 1332. Book three is Landfalls: On the Edge of Islam from Zanzibar to the Alhambra. There is a free-for-all exposition of IB’s Islamic acquaintances and, again, M-S shows the depth of his own reading and research on the ground (try foot-slogging around India and you will know what that means). This is premier-league travel writing, which also makes Tim Mackintosh-Smith an Orientalist of note.

Istanbul

There have been many books written about the city of Constantine, but probably the most famous in modern times is Strolling Through Istanbul by Hilary Sumner-Boyd and John Freely. These two American expatriate academics produced a book, first published in 1972, that the Times of London reviewed as “the best travel guide to Istanbul.” This book is exhaustive in detail and is meant for people who will be obliged to walk the walk and have little breath remaining to talk. Chapter for chapter, day by day, each city landmark is given an itinerary, with maps, that will appeal to visitors who will definitely wish to go beyond the Grand Bazaar (your correspondent remembers it before the Coca-Cola machines), although it is also described, of course. The Haghia Sophia is given elucidation, as is Topkapi, and an endless series of museums, monuments, palaces, bazaars, markets, mosques, streets and alleys, schools of religion and, quite obviously, the ubiquitous public baths. History is writ large and architecture larger still. One of the wonders is the Şehzade mosque, also known as the Prince’s Palace, which was created by Süleyman the Magnificent to commemorate his son who died at the age of only 22. Determination and well-worn-in shoes are called for because the book urges one to go forth and inspect a further Süleyman edifice, the Süleymaniye mosque complex, considered by the authors to be the most important Ottoman building in Istanbul. The book continues to be a fascinating read and there is little, if anything, of the history of the city that has been left out. This book is highly recommended as a proper guide for visitors with both physical and intellectual stamina that will probably not inform one of a good restaurant, but will get you deeply immersed in the history of one of the world’s most fascinating cities.

Published in 2016 by the American University in Cairo Press, and edited by the Turkish novelist and essayist Kaya Genç, An Istanbul Anthology – Travel Writing through the Centuries comprises a selection of vignettes by famous men and women of letters. Mark Twain remains true to character with his sardonic wit, while André Gide and Gustav Flaubert are dismissive to an extreme. Ernest Hemingway is positively lyrical (“…the Golden Horn with its minarets rising out of it slim and clean towards the sun…”), and also included are brief extracts from the writings of Hans Christian Anderson, Herman Melville, and many more. Lady Hester Stanhope tells of her experiences in the Cağaloğlu hamam, after which she awakens hungry and refreshed. Gérard de Nerval describes a Dervish lodge at Pera. Théophile Gautier offers a knowledgeable introduction to Ramadan in the city. Twenty-four writers are here, some with more than one piece included. This delightful little book contains a number of beautiful illustrations of seemingly antique vintage.

Jerusalem

One of my favorite books is by the now demised but still celebrated author, Amos Oz. In his revealing In the Land of Israel the writer undertook a tour of the Holy Land in the 1980s to interview Jews and Arabs of all kinds. This amounts to worldly wisdom strictly according to the status quo. Amos Oz, however, was a peacenik and he included an interview with an elderly person who was quoted as saying, “This land belongs to nobody but God, when both the Arabs and the Israelis realize that there will be peace.” What is most evident is the view from the ground, of the ordinary people of all political or religious persuasions. We read of the internal worlds of those inhabiting a land in conflict. Israel exists in a state of cause and effect. In an interview that your correspondent had with the now demised Teddy Kollek, the mayor of Jerusalem for 28 years, he said, “I don’t think Jerusalem is worth the loss of a single life.” Amos Oz’s interviews end for the most part in expressions of bitter resolve or a sheer sense of helplessness. Above all else this book is as good as it gets when one wishes to become acquainted with the turmoil that is prevalent in the land of Israel. The writing is superb, pithy, factual, and embarrassingly honest.

And so to bed, and what better read than The Middle East Bedside Book to help one end the day with a contented smile or two. Edited by Tahir Shah, we find a selection of proverbs by Abdesalam Tunisi, who suggests that “too many captains sink the ship,” which obviously rings a culinary bell. There are extracts from The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan (sic) as well as A Thousand and One Nights. Among The Saying from the Prophet Mohammed is one example that will give pause for thought at the end of Ramadan: “How many who fast who know nothing of fasting except its thirst, and how many pray who know nothing of prayer but its sleeplessness.” Quite understandably Tahir has included some of the writings by his famous father, Idries Shah, who contributes a bantering essay about British expats in Bahrain. The writer on all things pertaining to Sufism actually offers less spiritual wisdom but all the more of his Travel Notes, which can be fully enjoyed in his book Destination Mecca. There are stories galore, each under their own title, such as Chivalry and Teachers, Customs and Social Habits, Rituals and Human Nature, Eating Customs among the Turks and Arabs (including several recipes), Wisdom and Honor, most of which are taken from early manuscripts. Under “behavior” we read from Ibn Amru: the Prophet said “The most beloved of mine among you is whoever has the best manners.” Suffice it to say, this book is a gem.

Addendum

A force to be reckoned with is Alfred Guillaume’s The Life of Muhammad – a translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah. First published in Pakistan by the Oxford University Press in 1955, and now available in an edition of 1983, Guillaume’s work amounts to more than 800 pages of small print, which covers just about every aspect of the Prophet’s life. This work amounts to detail to the ultimate degree and should be on any serious Muslim’s bookshelf.

• The Orientalists – Part 1

It was a long, cool February night here in the bustling streets of Manila.

Once again, I looked up at the star-filled sky above me. I noticed something that looked like a big spoon but was larger and more distinct in size and brightness despite the presence of thousands; no, millions of stars above me.

The Big Dipper stared at me like a big ladle, ready to take me along on a journey towards destinations unknown.

For reasons that I cannot comprehend up to this very day, I cannot help but smile at the beauty of the constellation at night.

Most probably, it is because I had beautiful memories in life under the light of these stars.

The year is 2006.

I was lanky and tall for my age.

In addition, I was extremely curious about the world around me.

It is the final year of primary schooling at a public elementary school in Zamboanga City, a lively commercial center with an estimated population of more than a million people, give or take, at the western tip of Southern Philippines.

At the time, I never knew what a telescope looked like or what astronomy was all about. After all, our economic status did not provide us the means to buy astronomical equipment or to even buy materials for a full-fledged experiment.

Luckily, my science teachers held a camp in September of that year and they brought their precious telescopes with them.

Under a clear, picturesque sky and with a smooth, light breeze coming in from the sea, we peered upon the telescopes and identified different constellations as our teachers relayed their positions to us.

It was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot about astronomy within that night alone, probably more than what I would have learned inside the classroom or by reading these constellations in books.

However, as with many things in this ephemeral world, life has its own way of stomping through the past and erasing it into oblivion.

As such, I forgot all of them as the years passed by, except for one.

It was the Big Dipper.

Looking at the Big Dipper gives me hope that I could chase my dreams and reach them no matter the odds that I face currently.

Yes, I do face many challenges of varying complexity and novelty, stretching my faculties to its full extent.

Sometimes, the going gets tough.

There are indeed times when I thought of lifting the white towel in order to just get away from all of it.

But as with many of the best things in life, hope is the torch that keeps me moving forward.

As far as this age is concerned, we are living in a state of a partial darkness where wars, dictatorships, deaths, and calamities have become commonplace to the point that they are turned from newsworthy phenomena into an integral part of life.

They have seeped into people’s psyches to the point that hopelessness about the prospect of having a constructive, productive, and inclusive future has become the norm instead of it being the exception.

In this age, hope is a highly-esteemed currency that is held preciously by people who know the value of it.

After all, wasn’t Hope the last thing to stay inside Pandora’s box after sickness, death, turmoil, famine and all the other evil qualities went out of it?

This shows that as long as hope is alive inside a person’s heart, the keys towards a brighter future are always open for exploration and completion.

As I look back towards the ground, I realize something.

At the end of the day, the Big Dipper reminds me about a truth regarding life.

No matter how harsh and cold the night may seem to be, sunlight always follows in its path, rising to the top and eradicating the darkness and fear that is present inside our hearts, minds, and lives.

Most importantly, even though the evenings may be dark, the stars are always there, piercing the veil of darkness and serving as a beacon of hope.

A hope which states that the best things in life always come in the best way possible, regardless of how bad it was in the past.

After having that long gaze, I continue my way home with a smile.

Because I know once again that the night is always the beginning to a brighter morning and that the stars are there to remind me of that fact.

With newly found strength, I trace my steps back home and get ready to face another day in the roads of this journey that is called “life.”

Addressing Tensions Between Ethical and Legal Perspectives in Islam

The way we understand the state, religion, individual, and how they are related to one another is much different now than how we conceptualized them in premodern times. Today, political alliances are characterized much less in religious terms than they were before. While secular states allow members of all faiths, including Islam, to freely practice their religion, renunciation of one’s faith is no longer considered as renunciation of political authority [1].

These new circumstances magnify the tension between the principle of freedom of religion, which is essential in Islam, and the historical punishment for apostasy. Tensions and crises such as these urge us to re-examine some former views on certain rulings to be able to be better aligned with the spirit of faith.

Jurist opinions for the punishment of apostasy were issued in contexts where religious and political affiliations often overlapped. Battles were fought along political lines, which were often religious fault lines, too. Hence, apostasy often amounted to treason, at least in the eyes of the jurists of the time. In other words, these verdicts were political in nature, despite being issued by religious scholars. Religious scholars issued these verdicts because of a lack of separation of political and religious concerns. We propose that these considerations require a categorization of the concept of apostasy into passive or religious apostasy versus active or political apostasy.

Examination of the primary sources and the formative period of Islam reveal that the Qur’an does not specify any worldly punishment for religious apostasy. Religious choice is treated as a matter between the person and God, and that any reward or punishment in this matter is reserved for the Hereafter. Secondly, none of the three sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), or hadith, that pertain to apostasy specify a punishment for passive apostasy. We must note here that one among these hadiths is an isolated report (khabar al-wahid), not a mass-reported one (mutawatir), and it does not specify the nature of apostasy and the context in which this hadith was said indicates active or political apostasy. In the Prophet’s (pbuh) practice, we see that individuals who simply renounced their faith but did not join the enemies of Muslims were not punished.

Finally, the first caliph Abu Bakr’s waged war on those Muslims who refused political alliance or to pay taxes, despite remaining Muslims, demonstrates that the worldly punishment for apostasy during earlier times was a political punishment for political crimes and that from a religious standpoint everyone is free to embrace, practice and leave any faith.

Irtidad, the Arabic term for apostasy, means to retreat, to return, or to leave. Apostasy in English may refer to renouncing a religious or political belief. Similarly, in Islamic history we observe that the term murtad is used for both religious and political apostates. The tension that we observe today arises precisely because the two implications of the term have not been separated historically. But we propose two new terms to clarify the question: “Passive,” or purely religious apostasy and “active,” or political apostasy.

Freedom of religion is essential in Islam

From an Islamic point of view, to consider religious apostasy a capital crime is against the fundamentals of the religion; it goes against the letter and spirit of several verses of the Qur’an, such as ‘There is no compulsion in religion,’ (al-Baqara 2:256) and ‘Let those who wish to believe in it [the truth] do so, and let those who wish to reject it do so,’ (al-Kahf, 18:29). Furthermore, no worldly punishment for apostasy is mentioned anywhere in the Qur’an.

The Qur’an

In the Qur’an, the word radda, with its derivatives, is mentioned 59 times [2]. In many of these verses, the Qur’an talks about the efforts the idol worshippers and the People of the Book made in order to turn Muslims from their religion [3]. The primary verses about believers turning away from faith are as follows:

“Whoever of you turns away from his Religion and dies an unbeliever those are they whose works have been wasted in both the world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein.” (2:217)

“On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces turn bright and some faces turn dark. And as to those whose faces have turned dark (they will be told): “What, did you disbelieve after having believed? Taste, then, the punishment because you used to follow the way of unbelief!” (3:106)

Similar verses are 4:137, 5:54, 16:106, and 47:25.

In none of these verses, which refer to religious apostasy, not to active political apostasy, is there any mention of worldly or punitive sanctions. The sole responsibility of the murtad or apostate is toward God.

In verses where a worldly punishment is mentioned, for instance in Maidah 5:33, it is clear that the crime is not religious apostasy, either through the wording or through contextual analysis.

The Prophet’s sayings and actions

The traditional position that irtidad is punishable by death in Islam is an ijtihad (scholarly opinion or interpretation) that is based largely on a few isolated hadiths:

• The first is, “Whoever changed his religion, kill him” (al-Bukhari, Sahih al- Bukhari, vol. 9, bk 84, hadith no. 56), and this hadith is the primary source for the traditional position on apostasy in Islam.
• The second is, “The blood of a Muslim who confesses that there is no god but Allah and that I am the messenger of Allah, cannot be shed except in three cases: a life for a life; a married person who commits adultery; and the one who turns renegade from Islam (apostate) and leaves the community of Muslims.” [4]
• The third is an incident in which some people from the ‘Uraynah tribe came to the Prophet (pbuh) and became Muslim. As they found the Medinan climate uncongenial and became unwell, the Prophet (pbuh) advised them to spend some time in a place where the camels belonging to the public purse were kept, outside Medina. As soon as they felt better, they murdered the shepherds appointed to them by the Prophet (pbuh) and stole the camels belonging to the public purse. When the Prophet (pbuh) heard this, he had them captured and killed in accordance with al-Ma’ida, 5:33, which was revealed upon this occasion. [5]

The first hadith is ahad [6]; i.e. it is narrated by only one person, namely Ibn Abbas. For the hadith to necessitate the death penalty for apostasy when the Qur’an provides no form of temporal punishment whatsoever, the hadith should at least be mashhur [7], or reported by multiple sources [8]. What is more, this hadith is being reported in reference to a few individuals who were actively involved in political apostasy, and provoked and allied with enemies to fight against the Muslim community. It has to be noted here that some of these individuals, like Abdallah b. Abu Sarh and Abdallah b. Hatal, said they repented, after which they were forgiven.

There are a number of versions of the second hadith. The one narrated by A’ishah sheds light on the probable intention of the Prophet (pbuh) in his original saying. While the version given above prescribes temporal punishment for “the one who turns renegade from Islam (apostate) and leaves the community of Muslims,” A’ishah is more specific. Her version states: “And a man who leaves Islam and engages in fighting against Allah and His Prophet shall be executed, crucified or exiled [our italics]” [9].

Reading the first version in light of the second it is apparent that it is the treacherous “fighting against” Allah, his Prophet (pbuh) and the Muslim community that is punished, not the mere renunciation of faith [10].

As for the incident concerning some people from the ‘Uraynah tribe, and the associated verse 5:33, they received capital punishment for murdering the innocent shepherds and stealing public property. This incident is one of murder, robbery, and mutiny rather than a mere renunciation of faith.

When we consider early Islamic history we see that individuals and groups who left the fold of Islam were not only leaving their beliefs but were almost always also joining groups that were actively waging war against the Muslims. As a result, the form of irtidad, which was punished in the time of the Prophet (pbuh), was one that involved high treason, not the form of irtidad which was a mere renunciation of faith. There is no record of any person being punished with death for simply renouncing his Islamic faith during the time of the Prophet (pbuh). To the contrary, there are two incidents of individuals, who merely renounced their faith, and did not join active enemies of Muslims, and they were not punished at all.

The following is an account of the first incident in Sahih al-Bukhari:

A Bedouin (named as Uthman bin Abdullah elsewhere) gave the Pledge of Allegiance to Allah’s Apostle for Islam. Then the Bedouin got fever in Medina, came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Cancel my Pledge!” But Allah’s Apostle refused. Then he came to him (again) and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Cancel my Pledge!” But the Prophet refused. Then he came to him (again) and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Cancel my Pledge.” But the Prophet refused. The Bedouin finally went out (of Medina), whereupon Allah’s Apostle said, “Medina is like a pair of bellows (furnace): it expels its impurities and brightens and clears its good.” (Al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 9, hadith no. 318).

There is no indication that this individual was punished in any way.

As this incident shows, the Prophet (pbuh) considered the Bedouin’s renunciation of Islam as a matter of free will and personal choice; the Bedouin was permitted to leave Medina without any repercussions whatsoever.

The second incident involves an individual named Mikyas b. Hubabah. He became apostate after accepting Islam and returned back to the Quraysh. There is no record of any punishment for Mikyas either [11].

Uprisings during Abu Bakr’s rule

After the Prophet’s (pbuh) time, apostasy continued to be almost inseparable from treason. During the rule of Abu Bakr, some groups abandoned Islam and rose against the central government; while some were renouncing their faith they were also engaging in political acts of rebellion against the state. Punishments inflicted on such people at that time, and in other eras when comparable political conditions prevailed, were effectively punishments for high treason, not for the renouncement of religious beliefs.

The incidents involving groups or tribes who did not renounce Islam but nevertheless engaged in political crimes are particularly illuminating. These groups, who, for instance, refused to pay taxes, as was the case with Malik b. Nuwayr, or claimed caliphate of their own, as in the case of a Bahraini group led by Munzir, or actively fought against the governor sent from Medina, as was the case with Ash’as b. Kays of Yemen, were treated as traitors and Abu Bakr waged war on them despite the fact that they still believed in God, accepted Muhammad (pbuh) as Messenger, and even continued to pray the five daily ritual prayers. In the second and third cases, the group leaders apologized and were pardoned. In the first case, the group leader did not repent or apologize and was executed.

Additional evidence from schools of jurisprudence

According to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, a woman apostate is not punishable by death because she cannot take up arms against Muslims. In addition, in many books of jurisprudence, we find that the matter of irtidad and associated punishments has been considered by scholars as a political issue and classed under international relations and the measures to be taken during times of war.

Conclusion

We have drawn evidence from three domains in support of our position on apostasy: the Qur’an, Prophetic sayings and practices, and the practice of caliph Abu Bakr.

We propose that there is a need to categorize the concept into notions of passive or religious apostasy versus active or political apostasy.

The Qur’an does not specify a worldly punishment for religious apostasy. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) never punished any individual for renouncing their faith nor did he call for such a punishment. Caliph Abu Bakr ordered the same punishment for crimes that amounted to political treason regardless whether they renounced Islam or not.

Taken together, these pieces of evidence make it clear that the death penalty was for active or political apostasy, or political high treason, and not for religious apostasy, which one’s renunciation of his or her faith.

This case study is also relevant for a methodological framework to address the tensions that emerge between legal verdicts issued in the past and ethical stances. Unprecedented circumstances urge us to revisit and reexamine the positions on legal issues in the light of the spirit of our faith. The combination of a holistic and honest look at our religious sources, an inquiry into the spirit of the faith and the intent of “the Author” is likely to guide us in resolving these tensions.

Notes

1. A shorter version of this article was published as a section of a book entitled “Dialogue in Islam” in 2011 by Dialogue Society of U.K, London.
2. See, Abdulbaki, Article Radde.
3. See, 3/149, 2/108-109, 3/100, 3/106.
4. Al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari, Diyat, hadith no. 6. Muslim, Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Qasama, hadith no. 4152.
5. Al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari, Muharibun, hadith no. 2; Al-Maida 5:33-34 reads as follows: “The recompense of those who fight against God and His Messenger, and hasten about the earth causing disorder and corruption: they shall (according to the nature of their crime) either be executed, or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off alternately, or be banished from the land. Such is their disgrace in the world, and for them is a mighty punishment in the Hereafter. Except for those who repent (and desist from their crimes against order) before you have overpowered them, (although the judgment as to specific crimes against individuals is left to those individuals or to their heirs). Know that God surely is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate (especially toward His servants who turn to Him in repentance).”
6. A hadith which is ahad (literally, ‘single’) is one reported by only one, two, or three different narrators of the same generation.
7. A hadith which is mashhur (literally, ‘well-known) is one reported by several narrators and transmitted through several chains of narration, though through fewer chains than a hadith which is mutawatir. The term mutawatir (literally, ‘reported by many from many’) refers to a hadith which was reported by many narrators in the same generation and passed down through many chains of narration.
8. This hadith is discussed further in Ahmet Kurucan, İslam’da Düşünce Özgürlüğü, (Zaman Kitap, 2007), 145-6.
9. Abu Duwad, Sunan Abu Dawud, bk 33, hadith 4339.
10. See also Abdullah Saeed and Hassan Saeed, Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam, (Ashgate, 2004), 58 ff.
11. Ibn Hisham, IV, 52-53; Es’ad, Mahmud, Islam Tarihi. Abbreviated by A. L. Kazancı-O. Kazancı, Istanbul 1983, p. 793.

There is an extraordinary forest in the south-western part of Australia that often fascinates its visitors. Contrary to what we know and might assume, it is a forest consisting of not trees but sharp stone columns. The legendary Pinnacle Desert is home to these marvelous towers of stone, each with a look more fascinating than the other. An extensive stretch of this desert is located in Nambung National Park, 245 kilometers from the Perth city center.

Breaking through the routine in our mental realm, these ghostly limestone columns in an eerie silence attract many photographers from around the world. This is, in fact, a unique landscape that invokes contemplation despite having scarce vegetation and trees but being rich in conspicuously shorn columns. With its diversity, this panorama stimulates minds, urges thinking, and attracts inquisitive eyes to close observation, and virtually whispers to the hearts: “Read me!”

Besides the centuries-old enigmatic beauty of this geography, the jagged columns rising from the giant sea of yellow quartz sand evoke the view of the moon’s surface. Spanning over 4 square kilometers in the desert, one can observe a wide assortment of rock pillars, varying from huge rocks as high as 5 meters to some that are only the size of a pen. The density of these rocks differs significantly and can reach up to 2 meters in width. While the distance between lined-up structures ranges between 0.5 to 5 meters in dense spots, a general inspection also shows the distance between them varying from a few centimeters to 20 meters.

While they are generally in a conical shape and have a mushroom-like appearance with a rounded cylindrical structure that resembles hollow pipes or tombstones, some of these tall rocks are finger-shaped and look a lot like termite skyscrapers. There are even some that look like auricles. Apart from these, the rocks in multiple compound, cave-shaped, and pipeline-like structures formed of merged concentric columns are conspicuous on site.

Each of these columns, which have endured for thousands of years, are named according to their appearance. In addition to names such as “Elephant Foot,” “Garden Wall,” “Camel,” “Kangaroo,” “Molar Tooth,” and “Red Chief,” there are also group names such as “Ghost Silhouettes” because they resemble ghosts who are having a meeting. Although they show similar features, the fact that each column is of different size, shape, and feature illustrates that each was created as a specific letter bearing a message for us, or as a separate book to be read and appreciated.
This breathtaking landscape in the Pinnacles Desert appears best at dawn or twilight. The columns grow even more terrifying when they cast eccentric shadows on the undulating sand dunes. Although the desert is intertwined with wildlife, most of the animals in the area are nocturnal. At night, it is also likely to encounter gray kangaroos, reptiles, emus, and several bird species which droop like kites around those unusual rock formations.

From Sea Creatures to Stone Columns

Researchers state that the raw material of the pointed columns originated from soft-bodied sea creatures such as sea snails. They believe that the pulverized shell remains of these creatures, which lived in warm waters 700 to 120 thousand years ago, are the source of the limestone silt within the rock formations. It is also stated that the sand carried by winds and waves to the shore accumulated in layers over time and helped form the dunes.

According to research, plant root nets and humus deposits in the region sustained the permanence of the dunes during the formation of the columns. While the acid rains in winters caused the corrosion of the materials in the soil, the dissolved material turned into cement after extreme soil desiccation in summers. Limestone deposits were then created with the fusion of particles. Plant roots pushing the cracks in the hard layer and water penetration into the site over time eroded the limestones to the extent of forging more durable sediments. The rock columns reached their final form as a result of rains, wind erosion, and abrasion by plant roots over the centuries.

Chemical and Structural Analyses

Stone columns, believed to date back to 25-30 thousand years, were first discovered in 1956 by Harry Turner, a historian from Perth. In time, chemical and structural analyses were carried out on many samples from these marvelous rock structures and were revealed to have been formed from Pleistocene Tamala Limestone that contained cyclical arrays of paleosol, calcarenite, and calcrete.

The analyses showed that the material in some columns are primary calcarenites and consist of component layers such as layered dune, calcrete, and paleosol. The strong resistance of the materials is a likely outcome of a robust cementation process that was triggered partially by roots subjected to chemical and mechanical processes. The rhizoliths revealed in the chemical analyses of the material indicate the presence of plant roots in the past.

Other rocks found on the site have secondary cemented pipe or tube filling as material. The polygenetic origin of these vertical tubes are solutions that are likely to have originated from concentrated water flow triggered by root activities. Two types of structures were identified in some towers of stone.

Several researchers believe that numerous complex processes are valid explanations for how these rock formations formed instead of just the theories presented to this date. The researchers also state the need for conducting advanced research to shed more light on these processes.

While not as dense as in the desert, the sharp columns can also be observed in several other locations that do not meet the mentioned climatic and geographical conditions. Likewise, even with root activity, the presence of solution pipes, corrosion, and wind erosion in the surrounding areas, there are locations where no stone columns exist. In more detailed future research, more exclusive secrets of these columns may perhaps be discovered.

These obelisk-like rock formations offer us an extensive feast for exploring the essence of phenomena. Bearing exclusive features and extraordinary equipment under their hard and lifeless appearances, these rocks are an exquisite exhibition of fine arts offered to our contemplation.

References

• Matej Lipar: Pinnacle Syngenetic Karst in Nambung National Park, Western Australia, ACTA CARSOLOGICA 38/1, POSTOJNA 2009, pp. 41-50.
• Matej Lipar, John A. Webb, The Formation of the Pinnacle Karst in Pleistocene Aeolian Calcarenites(Tamala Limestone) In Southwestern Australia, Earth Science Reviews, Volume 140, January 2015, Pages 182-202.
• http://www.discoveraustralia.com.au/western_australia/pinnacles_desert.html 24.11.19

Wujud (finding and existence) is not what is meant in Qur’anic statements like the following: They assuredly find that God is One Who truly returns the repentance of His servants with acceptance and extra reward, and All-Compassionate (especially toward His believing servants) (4:64); He will find God All-Forgiving, All Compassionate (especially towards His servants who seek forgiveness for their evils and sins) (4:110); and In the end he will find God and meet with Him, and He will pay him his account in full (24:39). These are, respectively, more concerned with how those who have sinned or lapsed somewhat into deviations on the way, beg God for forgiveness, and how the unbelievers will find God or how God will treat them. Rather, finding and existence denote the finding of Him with His truth beyond all concepts of modality, as referred to in, O son of Adam, seek Me that you may find Me,[1] and some allegorical sayings of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings.

When travelers to the Ultimate Truth attain this rank of finding, they feel and achieve a state of melting away in the presence of the manifestations of His “Facial” Light with nothing being left behind except that state and the pleasure it gives. One who starts his or her travel with belief and advances toward knowledge and love of God is called “an initiate.” Such initiates continue their journey by understanding the language of His signs in the outer and in their inner worlds and by feeling that their witnessing of Him is that of “a seeking one.” Finally, when they have reached the ultimate point where they have found the truth in their consciousness according to the capacity of that consciousness, beyond all concepts of time, space and matter, each becomes the “one who has found.” The beginning of this journey demands belief and perfect resolution, and its continuance requires being driven and led, and reaching the end according to the capacity of each, melting away and total annihilation in the face of the rays of the Realm of the Holy Presence. This final point in no way denotes incarnation or union (with God) or God’s taking on a corporeal body or His being transformed into another being. It only denotes the state and pleasure of feeling as a drop in relation to the ocean and as a particle in relation to the sun. Abu’l Hasan an- Nuri [2] expresses the state of those who have reached this point vividly: “I have been going to and fro between finding and losing for twenty years. When I enjoy meeting with my Lord Whose Essence is unknown, I lose my heart; and when I feel my existence in heart, I then suffer a loss of Him.”

Certainly, it is not possible for those who are still at the be- ginning of the way to feel the state described by an-Nuri. For this state, which is frequently felt and frequently disappears, resembles the state of a diver who feels the water when diving into it, and lets the water pull him or her deeper, and who feels only the water when he or she becomes “lost” in the depths. If such a feeling that appears on the way to reaching the truth of something is based on the knowing of the heart or conscious- ness, it is the culture of consciousness or cognizance in consciousness. If it is of the kind obtained with vision or insight, then it is sight. If travelers are in constant pursuit of increasing research, analysis, and synthesis, then the result is spiritual discovery and vision. Finally if they see everything annihilated in God, then their state is annihilation in God and subsistence by God, and they feel no need whatsoever for anybody else save Him.

At the beginning or in the first stage of the journey, travelers are saved from all doubts and hesitations and attain in their consciousness such a degree of knowledge of God that they no longer need deductive or inductive reasoning in the name of “finding,” even though they sometimes refer to things and events when expressing the truth. Based on a knowledge that comes directly from the Divine Presence to aid finding, they rise to the horizon of knowledge of God they inwardly experience, and this knowing is above the kind of knowledge acquired by rational arguments and the observation of His “material” witnesses in the universe.

In the second stage, travelers reach the point where they feel and have the vision of the Eternally Existent One, which is in effect knowing Him with a knowledge based on spiritual observation of Him, without restricting Him with such considerations as body, substance, matter, time and space.

In the third stage, which marks almost the end point of the journey, travelers are in a state of experiencing the Truly Existent One without seeing any other existents save Him, and they attain annihilation in Him in their world of feelings.

This systematization of the journey is based on the assertion that spiritual knowledge of God is higher in value than the knowledge acquired through scientific or rational arguments, and that the spiritual vision of God is above the spiritual knowledge of Him, and that finding Him in self-annihilation in Him is more valuable than the spiritual vision of Him. However, this needs to be revised according to those who see the vision be- yond finding.

There is another consideration based on the concentration of the Divine Existence only. This consideration, which has been called the Unity of Being, is sometimes reduced to a mere philosophical view, although it arises from a spiritually experienced state. It will be useful to give some information about it here.

In fact, all of existence is nothing more than a shadow or a manifestation of the Names and Attributes of the Unique, Eternally Besought One. Travelers favored with the knowledge of the truth behind things and events sometimes go into a state where they experience only His absolute Existence to such a degree that they become completely lost in It and all other existent beings disappear from their sight. Although this is a state experienced spiritually, it is sometimes reduced to a mere philosophical view or to a matter of speculation, in imitation of others who have experienced this state spiritually, and it can be confused with several other approaches, such as the Unity of the Witnessed, Monism, and Pantheism. Although a discussion of these approaches and their substantial difference from the Unity of Being is not among the topics which will be discussed in The Emerald Hills of the Heart, it would be useful to note some of the important points, as this is a matter open to misunderstanding and misrepresentation.

Existence is related to being and/or identity, nature and the existent beings themselves, and is unquestionably manifest. This is a view shared by numerous Muslim thinkers, as well as by many modern philosophers. However, existence is different from the existent beings, identity, and nature. The existing being and nature are conceived of before existence. For example, we can conceive of an amount of water with its being or identity and nature, even if it does not exist here. Its existence is additional and accidental to its being or identity. Something cannot exist without its essential qualities being combined with certain accidental elements. As regards our example, different states and qualities of water are additional to its essential being or identity. Although the essential identity always remains as it was, without any changes, accidental and additional qualities can be replaced with similar others. Water, while remaining as water in essence, can change into ice or vapor.

Just as a physical substance like water has an essential identity and nature, intellectual and metaphysical beings have also an essential identity and nature. However, in saying this, we should not confuse the Being Whose Existence is Essential and Absolutely Necessary with contingent beings. Muslim thinkers have accepted the Absolutely Necessary Existence as the Being Who is Absolutely and Uniquely Self-Existent, and have also agreed that His Being is absolutely free from requiring a nature or a form or a composition; need is essential to all other beings whose existence is contingent and created. The Self-Existent One is free from such accidental qualities. It is not permissible to associate the Necessarily Existent One with a different, additional nature or existence. We cannot even conceive of nor mention such a possibility with regard to Him even to be able to explain the question.

It is He Who is discerned in the universe. All things, each individually and all as a whole, are signs of His existence. Things and events run in a gurgling flow and clearly point to Him at every juncture of their being. In one respect, the universe and humanity are the title of the continuity of this flow, and human consciousness is that which hears, views, and reviews it.

From this perspective, all existence (creation) comes from Him and continuously flows like a river with uninterrupted manifestations. Because of the order, coherence, and speed of this flow, we cannot discern the interruptions in our nature or in the lives of things. Since the “film” of things and events is projected extremely swiftly and the very thin lines between the frames on the film strip cannot be discerned, we cannot feel the alternation of coming into existence and disappearing. Like separate pictures on a film being projected on a screen, things and events are projected on the screen of existence, one after the other, but we cannot discern the lines separating the frames.

They come and go, one after the other, with the only Unique One remaining.
That which comes goes, and that which goes does not come back again: this is a mystery.

Those who cannot penetrate this mystery spend their lives like an insensate person, who cannot see, hear, or feel anything. While others who have familiarity with this mystery sometimes

refer to vision or to witnessing when observing the creation, they sometimes mention only the absolute Existence in interpreting their observation, or they sometimes utter some words that are apparently incompatible with the rules of the Shari‘a that suggest union and incarnation. They do this because of their inability to find words that express their vision and discovery. It will even sometimes happen that there appears a person who is stuck in monism and who commits great sins by seeing the absolute Existence as if it were a permeating spirit that manifests itself as the creation.

It is possible that the universe may be viewed as an image or a shadow, as it is a reflection of the Light of the absolute Existence, and that things and events, including humanity, can be seen as being unstable, transitory images. However, this does not by any means imply that the universe is He. The truth is that it is He Who eternally exists without anything else eternally existing with Him. He willed the known essences in His eternal Knowledge to be clothed in an external, sensible existence in accordance with the measures He determined for them. This happened along with or within time and space; in other words, time and space began or appeared together with His bringing forth the known essences existing in His Knowledge into external existence. He observes the manifestations of His Existence that are indescribable and beyond-all-concept with the eyes of others—the creatures He has created. He favors everything with the rank of being a polished mirror to Him.

He has done all this with the single command “Be!” and with this command He has clothed the archetypes in external existence and displayed them in different forms. As He has done all this with a single command, He can destroy everything in a moment with another single command.

He said “Be!” once and the whole universe was.
If He says, “Do not exist any longer!”
everything will immediately be destroyed.

Since the universe did not exist eternally along with Him and since it was brought into existence by His peerless, inimitable creation, and since it continues to exist by His Subsisting and Maintaining, then its existence is relative and dependent and can be viewed as being essentially non-existent. Everything owes its existence and subsistence to Him absolutely. The Eternally Existent One willed to observe His most exquisite works in innumerable mirrors and so created existence as a shadow of the shadow of His Knowledge and Existence. He included us as a part of creation and entrusted His appreciation of His works to our appreciation. Our identities as “I,” “you”, and “he” or “she” had not been thoroughly distinguished with respect to our existence in His Knowledge. Destiny or His “Pre-Determination” identified us as individuals, and His Power clothed us in our “ego,” thus distinguishing and bringing us into external, sensible existence as complete individuals with different natures particular to each one of us. He has entrusted us with a restricted will-power and equipped us with different potentials which we can develop or realize as abilities. He has determined goals for us according to our abilities and endowed us with inclinations to realize those goals and has given us the ability to make use of or direct these inclinations. Thus, in addition to His Attributes of Knowledge and Existence, which He has manifested on us, He has also honored us with the manifestations of His other Attributes. So what behoves us is to willingly resign ourselves to this great, Divinely-willed honor and act accordingly.

This is the gist and truth of the matter of existence. How- ever, there have always been and will always be those who attain the horizon of viewing existence in a certain spiritual state and not with the eye of “objective” knowledge. Such people regard their existence as well as the existence of all other created beings and/or things as essentially non-existent in the face of the essential, absolute, eternal, and everlasting Knowledge, Self- Existence and Self-Subsistence of God. This means the non- acceptance of the existence of a transient shadow in the face of an Eternally Self-Existent and Self-Subsistent One. Feeling that the whole of existence is as a single unit is different from that the whole of sensed existence is essentially identical with the absolute Existence. Divine truths are never the same as relative truths. Although the Divine Names and Attributes, such as God (Allah), the All-Merciful (ar-Rahman), and the All-Providing (ar-Razzaq) seem to point to a single truth concerning the Being called by or described by these, they are different both from the perspective of the concept to which each points and the impression that each causes to rise in minds. For this reason, one who has true, substantial knowledge of God considers the relation between the Truly Existent One and other beings whose existence is relative and dependent in proper terms, and observes the true criteria in thinking, while those who are in a certain state of experience and spiritual pleasure may lapse into confusion.

In the realm of the relative truths—the facts related to creation—there are manifestations with different names or titles, such as living and non-living, and in the living realm, there are the animals, humankind, angels, and jinn and Satan. All the existing beings that are called by such collective names can be traced back to a unity that arises from a stage or rank in the process of creation, which we call “the First Determination” or “the Pure Realm of the Transcendental Manifestation of Divine Attributes and Names” or the “Truth of or belonging to Ahmad” (the name of Prophet Muhammad before his coming to the world). The overall Divine manifestation in this stage is viewed as His overall manifestation over the whole of creation with all His Attributes and Names (Tajalli Wahidiya), though some prefer to call it Tajalli Ahadiya. This manifestation caused the archetypes in God’s Knowledge to develop and, with the concentration of the manifestations of certain Divine Names while others remained subordinate—the manifestation which we usually call Tajalli Ahadiya—the archetypes were individualized.

One with a true knowledge of God and a true vision of the truth behind the appearances can discern the relative truth and its relation with the Divine truth and God’s absolute Oneness and His overall manifestation over the whole of creation with all His Names at the same instant. They do not lapse into confusion. Even though they feel that everything goes back and ends in an essential unity, they can see each individual being in its particular nature and therefore can distinguish between the absolute, necessary and essential Existence and the relative one. This does not cause them either to ignore the gifts coming from spiritual vision and discoveries or to remain indifferent to the acquisitions of feelings and sound reasoning. Those who have set up their royal tents on this horizon express their perceptions in their true nature and with a true distinction between those things that are absolute, essential and original and those that are relative and dependent. They conclude that although there is an absolute, essential truth, its manifestations as sensible existence are numerous. They never lose their bearings or true direction and therefore do not fall into deviancy.

In addition, the Existence of the Ultimate Truth has usually been viewed from two stations with respect to Its manifestation. Looking from one station, the Attributes are ignored and there- fore the differences among them or their manifestations are not considered. Those who view the Existence of the Ultimate Truth from this station of Its manifestation are people of state and vision, who concentrate only on the Divine Being Himself. Some view this station from which only the Divine Being or Essence is considered as that of the Pure Being. Leading scholars of Sufism also give it such designations as Uniqueness, the Pure Realm of the Transcendental Manifestation of Divinity, the Realm with No Determination, and the Unknown Identity. Those who view the Existence of the Divine Being in the spiritual state in which they are feel Him and His Existence each according to the profundity of his or her conscience. Looking from the other station, the Divine Being is considered with all His Attributes in the similarities and differences of their particular characteristics and manifestations. This station is designated as the All-Holy Unity, the Pure Realm of the Transcendental Manifestation of Divine Attributes and Names, the First Determination, or the Truth of Muhammad.

Notes

1. Ibn Kathir, Tafsiru’l-Qur’an, 2:302.
2. Abu’l-Hasan an-Nuri (d. 1499) is one of the famous Sufi ascetics. He was mostly concerned with the matter of wujud. (Tr.)

The date is a fruit that is mentioned both in the Qur’an and the Bible, and is introduced as a symbol of fertility and vitality in the Old Testament. The New Testament mentions people going out with palm leaves to meet Jesus when he was entering Jerusalem (John 12:13), which is celebrated by Christians as Palm Sunday. Many verses in the Qur’an refer to dates while counting the blessings given to humankind: “And there are (among the produce that God brings forth as nourishment for you on the revived earth) the fruits of the date-palm, and grapes: you derive from them intoxicants and good, wholesome nourishment. Surely in this there is a sign for people who reason and understand” (16:67).

The following verse denotes an unknown feature of the date that draws our attention:

And the throes of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She said: “Would that I had died before this, and had become a thing forgotten, completely forgotten!” (A voice) called out to her from beneath her: “Do not grieve! Your Lord has set a rivulet at your feet. And shake the trunk of the date-palm towards you: it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you. So eat and drink, and be comforted. If you should see some person, say (through gesture): ‘I have vowed a fast of silence to the All-Merciful, so I cannot speak to any human being today.’” (19:23-26)

There is much wisdom in God’s instruction of Mary to eat dates. It was one of the blessings offered to facilitate Mary’s delivery. In recent years, a great deal of information has been obtained on the importance and benefits of dates, especially for women who are pregnant and during delivery. On top of quenching the needs during pregnancy, dates have been found to be useful in facilitating birth, avoiding troublesome surgical processes such as cesarean section, and meeting the needs of both the mother and the newborn.

Dates are a complete package

It is believed that dates were first grown about 8,000 years ago. Over time, they developed into different strains, resulting in over 200 different varieties with various shapes and flavors. However, dates differ very little depending on the soil and climate in which they grow in terms of the amount of compounds that they contain as food. Depending on the varieties, 21-22% of dates is water, 1.7-2.2% ash, 1.8-2.3% protein, 0.4-0.6% oil, 2.2-5.8% are fiber, and 71-74% are carbohydrates. Dates are rich in a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, enzymes, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, sterols, carotenoids, alkaloids, polyphenols, tannins, P-coumaric acids, terpenoids, procyanidins and flavonoids. They also have the ability to remove free radicals and bind heavy metals thus preventing oxidative stress and inflammation. Antioxidant metalloenzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, play an important role in many biological functions in the body [1].

Tannins and alkaloids are very effective compounds to prevent parasites, bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections. Dates are considered a complete dietary food as they contain special fatty and amino acids as an important carbohydrate, vitamin, and protein source. One kilogram of dates has about 2850-3000 calories.

Vitamins

Beta carotene, which is stored as a precursor of 35 mg of vitamin A in 100 grams of dates, improves eyesight, and strengths our body resistance, bones, and teeth. Betacarotene has the ability to prevent cancer by controlling molecules that attack cells. Apart from that, dates contain 0.08-0.13 mg Thiamine (B1); 0.13-17 mg Riboflavin (B2); 0.14mg Pyridoxine (B6); 20 mg Folic acid (B9); 3-17.5 mg vitamin C; 0.2 mg of vitamin E and Niacin (B3) acid. The need for folic acid during pregnancy is doubled, so it is a vitamin that women must take. In addition, folic acid is a vitamin that plays an important role in the production of amino acids, which are new blood cells and building blocks in the renewal of cells. Insufficient folic acid levels can cause red blood cells to become larger than normal but weaker in function, which brings about symptoms of anemia. Vitamin B1 found in dates helps the nervous system to be healthy, convert carbohydrates into energy, and use proteins and fats whereas vitamin B2 helps burn protein, carbohydrates, and fats to provide the body with energy and regeneration of cells. Scientists who also draw attention to the stress and strain relief effect of dates believe that this is due to different types of vitamin B. In addition, the nutritional value of dates increases in significant amounts thanks to the amount of fiber it contains (6.4 -11.5%).

Potassium deficiency is revealed during pregnancy due to various physiological difficulties, especially nausea. Potassium, which is abundant in dates, is of great importance in this regard, and it is also very effective in maintaining the water balance in the body.

Carbohydrates and sugar

Dates give the body energy and vitality with its carbohydrates (73%). A large amount of this consists of glucose, fructose, other carbohydrates such as sucrose, xylose, mannose and lactose, which are easy to digest and useful for the body. There are 284 calories in 100 grams in total. Doctors state that pregnant women should be given food with fructose the day they give birth in order to energize the mother’s weak body, activate milk hormones, and to increase breast milk production in order to feed the newborn.

Blood loss during childbirth causes body sugar levels to drop, and dates are important for maintaining sugar levels, and preventing low blood pressure. It is especially useful for weak or tired people thanks to its high calorie value. This information reveals the wisdom behind why Allah instructed Mary to eat dates in order to give her the energy, vitality, and breast milk that would be necessary both for her and her newborn.

Their effect on reproduction and fertility

The wisdom behind the verse in the Qur’an in which Mary is being told to eat fresh dates while delivering Jesus may be related to the presence of oxytocin in this fruit. Oxytocin is an interesting hormone which has physiological effects on our body, especially during childbirth. Its release in our bodies has been found to be increasing when acts of love and compassion are shown, for instance, between spouses, parents and children, by caressing child’s head or touching one another. Especially during pregnancy, the release of this hormone can be increased by treating pregnant women with compassion and affection. Therefore, it is important to maintain peace and tranquility between spouses for oxytocin to play its part in order to attain a healthy pregnancy process and easy delivery.

Oxytocin is essentially a hormone secreted in the brain that initiates labor pains. All preparations of the body before birth are triggered with this hormone. Shortly before the onset of labor pains, there is an increase in the number of oxytocin receptors in the uterus and this hormone plays a key role in initiating contractions of the uterine muscles during delivery. This hormone, which stimulates the strong contraction of the mother’s womb, is extremely important for delivery. In addition, the uterus narrows the blood vessels and triggers the contractions of the muscles that are used to stop bleeding immediately after birth. It facilitates the separation of the placenta from the uterus. It is mentioned in a study that it shortens the delivery process [2]. It initiates the flow of milk into the gland duct, providing contraction of the muscular epithelial (myoepithelial) cells that cover the mammary glandular cells in the breasts.

Miraculously, the baby’s touching her mother to suckle has been found to contribute to more oxytocin release and increase the amount of milk. Moreover, it lowers the cortisol level and the blood pressure in order to reduce the effects of stress that might be caused by the fear of delivery. Of course, low blood pressure will also reduce bleeding. Two other benefits are that it has an accelerating effect on lesion healing and helps with weight loss.

Dates for infertility

Dates have been used to treat infertility for centuries, and studies are now showing the pollen obtained from male date trees may be the reason why. These studies conducted so far support the idea that dates can increase male and female fertility with microelements isolated from estrogen and sterols. In one study, date pollen was reported to improve sperm motility and viability along with the acrosome reaction in the head of sperm [1]. In another study,[4] male date pollen has been shown to cause an increase of the weight of the female reproductive organs and an increase in the amount of serum testosterone, testicular weight, sperm count, and quality in men. In male rats fed with date pits, a significant increase in testosterone and luteinizing hormones had been detected [5]. In another study, date pit oil had a significant role in the increase of sperm count, motility and viability in male mice [6]. In another study that involved mice that were fed with dates, it was found that oxytocin hormone levels increased and showed positive side effects on uterine muscles [7]. In addition, a study found that date pollen extract was effective in a significant increase of sperm count and motility, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and estradiol levels in serum.

With new research, the positive aspects of antioxidants in dates, as explained above, is gaining more ground in the scientific community [8]. A recent study has shown that consumption of dates facilitates relaxation in the cervix, increases the integrity of the embryo protective membranes, significantly reduces both the first and second stages of pregnancy, and causes a significant increase in normal birth rates [9].

References

1. El-Far, A.H., Shaheen,cH.M., Abdel-Daim,cM.M., Al Jaouni, S.K. and Mousa, S.A. (2016): Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera): Protection and Remedy Food. Journal of Nutraceuticals and Food Science. Vol.1 No.2:9
2. Jadidi, M.Y., Kariman, N., Sang, S.J.B.S., Lari, H. (2015): The Effect of Date Fruit Consumption on Spontaneous Labor. Journal of Research on Religion & Health Vol. 1, No. 3, P. 4-10
3. Abdi, F., Roozbeh, N. and Amir Mohammad Mortazavian, A.M. (2017): Effects of date palm pollen on fertility: research proposal for a systematic review. BMC Research Notes. 10: 363.
4. Tahvilzadeh M., Hajimahmoodi M., Rahimi R.(2016): The role of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L) pollen in fertility: a comprehensive review of current evidence. J. Evid-based Complementary Altern. Med. 21(4):320–324.
5. Ali, B.H., Bashir A.K., Alhadrami, G. (1999): Reproductive hormonal status of rats treated with date pits. Food Chem; 66 (4): 437-41.
6. Ben, A.F., Dammak I, Mallek Z, Attia H, Hentati B, Ammar-Keskes, L. (2009): Effects of date seed oil on testicular antioxidant enzymes and epididymal sperm characteristics in male mice. Andrologia; 41(4): 229-34.
7. Agustina, E., Purnamasari, R., Lusiana, N. (2017): Effect of Extract Meat Dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) to Oxytocin Levels in Pregnant Mice (Mus musculus L.). Humanistic Network for Science and Technology. Health Notions, Volume 1 Issue 2. ISSN 2580-4936
8. Mehraban F, Jafari M, Akbartabar Toori M, Sadeghi H, Joodi B, Mostafazade M, Sadeghi H. (2014): Effects of date palm pollen (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and Astragalus ovinus on sperm parameters and sex hormones in adult male rats. Iran J Reprod Med; 12 (10): 705-712.
9. Nasiri, M., Gheibi, Z., Miri, A., Rahmani, J., Asadi, M., Sadeghi, O., Maleki, V., Khodadost, M. (2019): Effects of consuming date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera Linn) on gestation, labor, and delivery: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine Volume 45, Pages 71-84.

Schools are places of learning and development, but they are not free from conflicts. Acts of violence, bullying, and other incidents of conflicts occur at school campuses on a daily basis among students, which then also require teachers, administrations, and parents to get involved. Schools have been closed down due to government-imposed lockdowns because of the spread of the Coronavirus thus temporarily halting traditional bullying. However, cyberbullying still remains as a problem and it has been one of the growing issues among the latest generation of students [1]. An ease of access of smartphones and computers, along with an inadequate amount of widespread education on best Internet safety and social networking portal practices, has caused cyberbullying to also grow among young adults and adults.

Instances of cyberbullying often require principals to get directly involved in order to successfully resolve conflicts. Decisions made by school administrators can affect students’ futures, both psychologically and physically, therefore they should refrain from making poor or biased judgments that can mislead school personnel and students. Even though technology has become a big part of learning and teaching at schools, not all school boards have specific and clear set policies about Internet safety and acceptable online behaviors for students and teachers [2]. After having increased reports and media awareness about bullying and cyberbullying, districts and school boards started to change the nature of school policy on bullying [3].

Cyberbullying is becoming more rampant than traditional bullying since it is far easier to engage [4]. Bullies may also be motivated to act even crueler online than in person since there is much less risk of physical confrontation. Students who cannot physically bully can easily become a cyberbully by using online platforms in order to hurt other’s feelings and damage their reputations [5].

Cyberbullying is a planned type of attack that can be done by individuals or a group of people in a manner similar to that of traditional bullying [6]. Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that usually involves sending hurtful text messages, spreading rumors through social media sites, creating web pages and fake profiles to make fun of people, taking private pictures in bedroom, bathroom, and posting them online. These hurtful and degrading messages can rapidly spread online among friend groups and grades, and can influence how other people perceive a fellow student [7].

Amanda Todd was a teenager in Canada’s British Columbia. She started using social media portals and video chat rooms when she was in 7th grade to meet new people. One of the people she met online successfully convinced her to expose parts of her body on camera. This person then used these photos to blackmail Amanda and began circulating the photos on social media sites. Amanda had to change her school often because of this issue and each time she moved to schools the person who posted her images would go undercover to become her friend. She eventually posted a video online titled “My Story: Struggling, Bullying, Suicide, and Self-harm,” where she used flash cards to talk about her experiences of being blackmailed and bullied. She hanged herself on October 10, 2012 a month after she posted the video.

Less than a week after Amanda’s death, lawmakers announced that they would start a movement seeking to lay the groundwork for a national bullying prevention strategy. Cyberbullying now is an offense under Canada’s Criminal Code. Sharing intimate images of a person without the consent of that person is a crime. Conviction can result in very serious legal consequences including up to 5 years of jail time. All devices used in the offence can be seized, and the perpetrator can be ordered to reimburse the victim for any costs that may accrue from removing the intimate images from the Internet or elsewhere.

School boards and administrators have to create safe and collaborative learning environments while developing strategies to prevent harmful behaviors and violence among students. Policy requirements are very general and do not provide specific guidance to school administrators. Most policies developed by school boards focus on general information, student code of conduct, and reactive consequences such as expulsion or suspension. Not enough effort has been put out in order to develop policies that work to prevent cyberbullying from happening in the first place. Developing comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies for cyberbullying is a key factor for effective school policies. To date, there are not enough holistic efforts provided to educate students and parents about Internet safety and Digital Citizenship expectations. 

Parents should be aware of what is going on the social networking platforms. There exists a large gap of knowledge, comprehension, and understanding in between the current generation and their parents regarding the Internet and its many different social networks. Most parents have no idea how and for what purposes their kids use their cell phones and electronic devices and have even less of an idea to check their children’s device usage. Parents should pay attention to their kid’s online activities and check the websites or applications that they use on their phones or computers [8]. It is recommended that parents also attend at least one training session about Internet Safety and Social Media Portal Usage, either onsite or online, provided by the school district. To be able to do it, schools need to train the parents by providing presentations, videos, or inviting speakers throughout the year and encourage parents to attend school-wide assemblies or take short online courses on a yearly basis. After completing the course or attending the presentation, schools must present the Certification of Completion to each participant. Notices should follow throughout the year to provide continuous support to parents. Maintaining attendance records will help school administrators to follow up and identify the prevalence of cyberbullying issues among the children of those parents that did attend and compare that data with the data of students whose parents did not attend. To encourage other parents, comments and reflections of participated parents should be posted on school website, bulletin boards, and parent letters.

The most effective prevention and intervention program involves educating our students through a set curriculum on Internet safety and digital citizenship [9]. A digital citizen is someone that is literate and up-to-date on proper Internet usage and best practices. Many students believe that it is almost impossible to prevent cyberbullying due to how easy it is to perpetuate it, however students need more knowledge of available strategies and resources. Digital Citizenship programs should be implemented in all schools within each district and should be covered from kindergarten to senior years as a mandatory semester or yearlong course. Educating our students from an early age will help prevent, or at least diminish, cyberbullying problems as they move on to upper grades. As a part of the program, districts should organize annual competitions about anti-cyberbullying, discussions, and informative panels to students through ongoing assemblies. Districts should establish a good partnership with local law enforcement departments and agencies to set educational programs with them, including special guest speakers about anti-cyberbullying issues.

 On the other side, schools should send educational flyers about these programs to student’s homes. Computer teachers and IT departments should communicate the expectations and proper usages of technology with students and teachers. To be able to have a district-wide effort, all teachers should include same digital citizenship expectations in their syllabus, which needs to be signed by parents. Since there has to be a holistic effort to implement this program successfully, communities and media outlets should be included in these programs. School districts should contact local and national media to have a story about the program and its efficiency [10].

All of these aforementioned efforts will help prevent cyberbullying at a certain point. Government should use their influence, similar to ways that Canada has, to discourage cyberbullying and other malicious behavior online. Social media companies should develop policies and procedures that protect or remove private information from social networks in cases of cyberbullying or content that has been posted without consent [11].

There should be an international consensus among countries to protect online human rights, which will require social networking companies to create universal standards for all age groups of users, since cyberbullying is a global issue. Governmental agencies should collaborate with social networking companies to prepare educational flyers and posters regarding how users can modify their privacy policies, along with cyberbullying prevention techniques, and send them to homes and schools to be posted on bulletin boards and lobbies, along with a list of the most famous applications used among students. 

References

1. Raskauskas, J. & Stoltz, A. D. (2007). Involvement in traditional and electronic bullying among adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 43, 564-575.
2. Nosworthy, N., & Rinaldi, C. (2012). A Review of School Board Cyberbullying Policies in Alberta. Alberta Journal Of Educational Research, 58(4), 509-525.
3. Samara, M., & Smith, P. K. (2008). How Schools Tackle Bullying, and the Use of Whole School Policies: Changes over the Last Decade. Educational Psychology, 28(6), 663 -676.
4. Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2009). Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and responding to cyberbullying. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

5. Simmons, K. D., & Bynum, Y. P. (2014). Cyberbullying: Six Things Administrators Can Do. Education, 134(4), 452-456.
6. Werner, N. E., Bumpus, M. F., & Rock, D. (2010). Involvement in internet aggression during early adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(6), 607-619. doi:10.1007/s10964-009-9419-7
7. Shariff, S. & Churchill, A. H. (2010). Truths and myths about cyberbullying: International perspectives on stakeholder responsibility and children’s safety. New York: Peter Lang.
8. Patchin,J.W & Hinduja, S. (2012). Cyberbullying: An update and synthesis of the research.In J.W.Patchin & s. Hinduja (Eds.) Cyberbullying Prevention and response: Expert Perspectives (pp.13-35). New York:Routledge.
9. Patchin,J.W & Hinduja, S. (2012). Cyberbullying: An update and synthesis of the research.In J.W.Patchin & s. Hinduja (Eds.) Cyberbullying Prevention and response: Expert Perspectives (pp.13-35). New York:Routledge.
10. Simmons, K. D., & Bynum, Y. P. (2014). Cyberbullying: Six Things Administrators Can Do. Education, 134(4), 452-456.
11. Representative for Children and Youth (2015). Cyberbullying: Empowering children and youth to be safe online and responsible digital citizenship. https://www.rcybc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/reports_publications/rcy_cyberbullying-web.pdf

Travelling North on the N1 between Pretoria and Johannesburg, the busiest motorway in South Africa, the familiar green and purple glow can be seen in the East as one approaches Midrand, a strategically situated midway between South Africa’s capital city and its financial hub. Now a landmark, it is perhaps the most striking and iconic feature in the Midrand skyline. Perched atop a hill, the majestic sight has become a calm, steadying presence for many.

The Nizamiye Mosque Complex, which was inaugurated by former President Jacob Zuma in 2012, remains an architectural wonder; its intricacy and exquisiteness convey a labour of love. The thought and care that were poured into its planning, construction, and even site choice resulted in a setting that is so sublime that one immediately feels it welcoming them into an atmosphere that is most conducive to establishing communion between the Creator and creation.

I had a highly refreshing and pleasant experience during a recent visit to the Complex. Apart from being enveloped by a deep sense of serenity and spiritual joy, I was overwhelmed by an environment that was unreservedly warm, unrestrictive, and one that drew the visitor into its very heart. My afternoon at the masjid led me down a path of reflection about the true role of the masjid in society, as it relates to the mosque of the Prophet, the Masjid al-Nabawi in the blessed city of Medina.

The anatomy and function of Nizamiye is particularly interesting and unique within South Africa’s context. The complex houses various facilities and services that include a boarding school, clinic,  bazaar, a restaurant, a halal butchery, and a motley of stores. Collectively, these facilities have provided a central meeting place for the local community where older people can sip Turkish tea in between prayers, younger adults hang out, and children run around and play in a safe environment while their parents shop or chat.

The clinic has a particularly interesting and significant origin. Ali Katircioglu, the Turkish businessman and philanthropist responsible for the construction and financing of the masjid, was advised by former President Nelson Mandela to include a clinic in the complex, so that it could better serve the local community. Uncle Ali (as he is fondly known in South Africa) readily agreed.

The design and operation of the complex has ensured that respect, decency, and etiquette are observed and maintained without the atmosphere feeling stifling or restrictive. As a mother, it was especially comforting and heart-warming to witness children in a state of pure bliss while playing freely in the masjid courtyard and other open spaces of the complex. The culture of mosques in South Africa has evolved such that many restrictions prevail within other Islamic centres and are sometimes mistaken for being part of Islamic law. This has created a perception of the masjid as a place to be kept sterile and silent at all times and its role reduced to physical worship alone, which has caused decline in attendance over time. By contrast, the strong community centre aspect offered by Nizamiye is both appealing and comforting as well.

My visit caused me to reflect upon the Prophet Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, masjid in Medina and to ask myself a number of questions such as; what was the purpose of that first masjid? What is the wider role of the masjid in Islam and in society? Do masajid in South Africa truly realise these objectives and roles? In order to realize the great significance and value of the masjid in community-building, we must reflect on the Prophet’s very first task upon reaching the blessed city of Medina: the establishment of a masjid, a centre for and from where to build the first-ever Muslim community. This masjid environment was an active one, supporting the activities of the community, with the life of this emerging and flourishing community taking shape around this masjid.

Children are often being blamed for disrupting sacred rituals in mosques in South Africa and other countries, thus causing many Muslim communities to actively discourage them from going to the masjid. This is despite the historical fact that the Messenger of God engaged with children, entertained them, and even allowed his grandchildren to jump on his back when he prayed or to sit next to him on the minbar when he delivered a khutbah (sermon), in his original masjid. That first masjid catered to the medical needs of the wounded, served as a place where diplomats and dignitaries were received, and was a space for celebration and enjoyment. Once during an eid celebration some Ethiopian visitors were playing in the mosque displaying their skills with spears inside the masjid. The Prophet watched them with his wife Aisha as they played, and even asked Umar to leave them alone, when he wanted to stop them (Bukhari).

South African Muslim communities must guard against defining the masjid through a narrow lens that strays from the original model of the masjid. We have already witnessed in some communities that the imposition of such restrictions has caused some masajid to lose their value to, and impact upon, the members of those communities. This is especially the case in a country where Muslims are a minority and the masjid needs to function as a source of nourishment, like a heart pumping blood into its community. The Nizamiye founders recognised this vital role of the masjid and the complex in Midrand has realised the masjid’s potential to build community spirit and awareness. As a South African, I am truly humbled by the contribution made to this country by such an inclusive, open, and welcoming space.

Caption

1. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South African Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. She visited the Nizamiye Complex in November 23, 2015, when she was the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. 2) Ali Katircioglu is welcoming kids at the mosque during after an eid prayer. 3) Nizamiye Complex is a venue for many community events, including iftar dinners.