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Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

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Articles

A Serendipitous November

31 December 2008 | The Fountain | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

"Yes, we can," responded a few hundred thousand people in Chicago to the encouraging and hope-inspiring address of the new president-elect of the United States following the announcement of the election results. The American elections of 2008 showed once again that the popular vote can have a real…

Days of Depression and Our Atlas of Hope

31 December 2008 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

Today, almost everybody speaks about "material welfare and comfort," without seeing any values other than these, or rather without wanting to see them. Humanity has come up with many beautiful things, and has made great inventions up to now. In a way, it is thanks to these efforts that the people…

Men, but not just any men!

31 December 2008 | Farid Al-ansari | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

Men, but not just any men! If I had not actually seen them I would have said, it is mere fantasy, idle talk or imagination-a luminous shadow of the generation of the noble companions of the Prophet. Although it is understood of course, that the merit of the Companions cannot be surpassed, in these…

A New Model: Multiple Universes (MULTIVERSE)

31 December 2008 | Salih Adem | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

There are a number of critical points in the history of physics, which strives for a better understanding of the mysteries about the creation of the universe. We can classify all the viewpoints which aim to explain the universe as it came into existence from non-existence under two fundamental star…

Once in the Heavens

31 December 2008 | Seth Mette | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

The murderer approached the couple he intended as his victims with a promising smile. He offered, "You know what? I have the secret of eternity; and it's your Lord Who is keeping you from becoming an angel and from being eternal. If you take this fruit and eat it, you won't be bound by anything any…

Muslim Contributions to Mathematics

31 December 2008 | Shirali Kadyrov | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

When we talk about Muslim contributions to mathematics we are usually referring to the years between 622 and 1600 ce. This was the golden era of Islam when it was influential both as a culture and religion, and was widespread from Anatolia to North Africa, from Spain to India. Mathematics, or "the…

Memoirs of a Former Gossip

31 December 2008 | Sumeyra Tosun | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

What you are about to read is the diary of a former gossip who felt bad about her "uncontrollable" negative behavior and so tried to modify it. Those who suffer from similar problems, such as anxiety, smoking, drinking, unwanted weight gain, ineffective time management, or depression may find inspi…

From Genes to Proteins: A New Level of Complexity

31 December 2008 | Jason Newfoundland | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

Newspapers frequently run articles reporting a study about a gene linked to some disease. Thanks to such wide media coverage, the word "gene" has become a household term for most of us. And, genetics, the study of genes, probably owes its popularity to a female sheep you are all familiar with: yes…

Ode no XXXI from Bang-i-D'rra

31 December 2008 | Muhammad Iqbal | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

Every object is at strife in the desire to "be" Churning in time, "the process of becoming" Every particle must sacrifice the ego to mill Listening to the call, enabling Divine Will Death in "itself" is the desire to "live" Eternity is in giving away to rebuild The mountains squash at the wil…

Radiotherapy

31 December 2008 | Irfan Sahin | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

As my brother-in-law had some health complaints such as palpitations, insomnia, irritability and excessive sweating, he asked me if I would accompany him to the doctor. As the doctor listened to and examined him, he began to suspect that my brother-in-law might be suffering from hyperthyroidism (ex…

Fasting from the World

31 December 2008 | Rabia Christine Brodbeck | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

The true fast is fasting with Prophet Adam! Walking with him in the desert of existence with the burning sand under one's feet, with the flame of love in one's heart, and the heat of search in one's chest, and the tears streaming from one's eyes! Wandering, searching restlessly for Him, the One and…

Cryptography and Codes in Existence

31 December 2008 | Ahmet Isik | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

The confidentiality of information is vital for people, companies and countries. Cryptography develops methods of encoding and decoding information in order to protect it. Cryptography mainly aims to save information and to transfer messages to recipients safely. Cryptography can change a message…

Raja (Hope or Expectation)

31 December 2008 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

For a Sufi, Raja means waiting for that which he or she wholeheartedly desires to come into existence, acceptance of good deeds, and forgiveness of sins. Hope or expectation, both based on the fact that the individual is solely responsible for his or her errors and sins and that all good originates…

Science in the Islamic world: an interview with Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail

31 December 2008 | The Fountain | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

For over a hundred years, the Nobel Prize has been awarded for the highest achievements in physical sciences, peace and literature. In this period, only two scientists from the Muslim world have qualified for the prize in physical sciences: Abdus Salam of Pakistan in physics (1979) and Ahmed Zewail…

Interfaith Dialogue and Alliance Principles in the Works of Said Nursi

31 December 2008 | Suleyman Eris | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

Said Nursi (d. 1960) was one of the pivotal Muslim scholars of the twentieth century who supported the idea of interfaith dialogue and alliance. He thought that in the face of the difficulties of the twentieth century in terms of religious beliefs and practices, Muslims needed to establish consensu…

Fethullah Gulen and the Contribution of Islamic scholarship to Democracy

31 December 2008 | Muhammed Cetin | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

Since the fifth century BCE, democracy has been discussed by political theorists, philosophers and members of diverse societies and cultures. Although it is commonly accepted that democracy as a form of government originated in Ancient Greece, many other nations, groups and cultures have contribute…

It's Me Peter, your Pancreas!

31 December 2008 | Irfan Yilmaz | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

Peter, I am not so big as other organs like the liver, heart, and lungs; it is difficult to notice me most of the time. But whether we are large or small, no organ is superior to another; we are all just units of a perfectly created whole. None of us can function without the other organs. I hang b…

Victory of the Spirit

31 December 2008 | Hikmet Isik | Issue 67 (January - February 2009)

Q: What is the meaning of “victory” for a believer, and how is it realized? Human life in this world is a composite of two distinct powers, the spirit and the flesh. Although it is sometimes the case that these two powers act in harmony, conflict between them is more usual, conflict of a kind in w…

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