Issue 58 (April - June 2007)

Are we approaching the end? Will life on Earth as we know it end sooner than we expect? Are we face to face with “an inconvenient truth”? Most religions give place to eschatology in their doctrines. Buddhists anticipate the disappearance of Buddha’s teachings, and that his moral courses of conduct…

In the recent past, the Islamic world as a whole has lived through its most depressed periods, whether considered from the point of view of faith, morality, modes of thought, education, industry, customs, traditions, or practices. Yet once Muslims were far more distinguished in their piety; they w…

The Day when We will roll up the heaven as written scrolls are rolled up. We will bring the creation back into existence as easily as We originated it in the first instance. This is a binding promise on Us, and surely We fulfill whatever We promise. (Anbiya 21:104) When the sky is cleft asunder; A…

“Ever since the beginnings of modern science, four or five hundred years ago, scientific thoughts seem to have moved humankind and consciousness further from the centre of things. More and more of the universe has become explicable in mechanical, objective terms and even human beings are becoming…

In the Holy Scriptures we can find vital instructions to reach peace and harmony in both our individual and social lives. The multicultural structure of the modern world requires that we follow such instructions more than ever. It is the goal of this article to head towards a common understanding b…

The apocalypse is the end of both humanity and the world. Owing to the significance of this event, the Qur’an gives a detailed description of the apocalypse. In various surahs humanity is severely warned against this terrible ending. On this day, when the manifestation of Divine will and power will…

The word muhasaba literally means reckoning, settling accounts, and self-interrogation. In a spiritual context, however, it takes on the additional meaning of the self-criticism of a believer who constantly analyzes his or her deeds and thoughts in the hope that correcting them will bring him or he…

Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to welcome strangers. By doing that, some people have welcomed angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2 The day that my daughter and I were headed to the airport, my new Turkish friend, Abdurrahman, who has been visiting our church f…

Man can attain inner depth as much as he can discern himself correctly. It is a well-observed fact that in our lives we have no input or choice in choosing the place and time of our birth, the parents we have, the name we are given, our race or color, or even the time and place of our death. M…

In a healthy body, all of the involuntarily functioning mechanisms seem to know what to do, at the right time and in the right amount. But are these systems really “autonomous,” doing what they will? Can it be coincidence that each time the perfect choice out of thousands of possibilities is made…

Statements like “God must have createdwith special care” are most inconvenientand disagreeable. Even for the mostsplendid things, God Almightycommands “Be! and it is.” Imagine yourself in Spain, walking through the Alhambra palace. As you gaze at the artistry and beautiful architecture, you fe…

A little over two months ago, I went on a trip to Turkey. One of the stops on our trip was Konya, a city which was once the Seljuk capital and cultural center of Anatolia, but is now best known as the town of Rumi, an extremely important figure in Sufis all over the world. Sufism is not a sect of I…

Historical facts concerning many established information on diverse fields continue to be unraveled to the astonishment of us all. One of these facts, previously little-known by many, is that Muslims had actually set foot on American soil centuries before Columbus’ illustrious expedition. We hope a…

What is the ideal attitude expected from a believer before divine favors? A believer takes all the divine blessings he or she is honored with as an expression of God’s infinite Mercy. Our merits, gifts, and the favors granted to us are all roses from His divine garden. When we ponder upon them, w…

At the oceans’ shores, the dominant odor one can feel is that of iodine, a salty smell that arises from bubbles and waves and that is spread over the sea by the wind. Mixed with this salty odor are the gases that are released from phytoplanktons, the microscopic plants in the ocean. There are many…