Islamic Inventors changed the world

  How Islamic inventors changed the world   From coffee to cheques and
the three-course meal, the Muslim world has given us many innovations
that we take for granted in daily life. As a new exhibition opens, Paul
Vallely nominates 20 of the most influential- and identifies the men of
genius behind them   Published: 11 March 2006  
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article350594.ece
 
 1 The story goes that an Arab named Khalid was tending his goats in
the Kaffa region of southern Ethiopia, when he noticed his animals
became livelier after eating a certain berry. He boiled the berries to make
the first coffee. Certainly the first record of the drink is of beans
exported from Ethiopia to Yemen where Sufis drank it to stay awake all
night to pray on special occasions. By the late 15th century it had
arrived in Mecca and Turkey from where it made its way to Venice in 1645.
It was brought to England in 1650 by a Turk named Pasqua Rosee who
opened the first coffee house in Lombard Street in the City of London. The
Arabic qahwa became the Turkish kahve then the Italian caffé and then
English coffee.
 
 2 The ancient Greeks thought our eyes emitted rays, like a laser,
which enabled us to see. The first person to realise that light enters the
eye, rather than leaving it, was the 10th-century Muslim mathematician,
astronomer and physicist Ibn al-Haitham. He invented the first pin-hole
camera after noticing the way light came through a hole in window
shutters. The smaller the hole, the better the picture, he worked out, and
set up the first Camera Obscura (from the Arab word qamara for a dark or
private room). He is also credited with being the first man to shift
physics from a philosophical activity to an experimental one.
 
 3 A form of chess was played in ancient India but the game was
developed into the form we know it today in Persia. From there it spread
westward to Europe - where it was introduced by the Moors in Spain in the
10th century - and eastward as far as Japan. The word rook comes from
the Persian rukh, which means chariot.
 
 4 A thousand years before the Wright brothers a Muslim poet,
astronomer, musician and engineer named Abbas ibn Firnas made several attempts
to construct a flying machine. In 852 he jumped from the minaret of the
Grand Mosque in Cordoba using a loose cloak stiffened with wooden
struts. He hoped to glide like a bird. He didn't. But the cloak slowed his
fall, creating what is thought to be the first parachute, and leaving
him with only minor injuries. In 875, aged 70, having perfected a machine
of silk and eagles' feathers he tried again, jumping from a mountain.
He flew to a significant height and stayed aloft for ten minutes but
crashed on landing - concluding, correctly, that it was because he had not
given his device a tail so it would stall on landing. Baghdad
international airport and a crater on the Moon are named after him.
 
 5 Washing and bathing are religious requirements for Muslims, which
is perhaps why they perfected the recipe for soap which we still use
today. The ancient Egyptians had soap of a kind, as did the Romans who
used it more as a pomade. But it was the Arabs who combined vegetable oils
with sodium hydroxide and aromatics such as thyme oil. One of the
Crusaders' most striking characteristics, to Arab nostrils, was that they
did not wash. Shampoo was introduced to England by a Muslim who opened
Mahomed's Indian Vapour Baths on Brighton seafront in 1759 and was
appointed Shampooing Surgeon to Kings George IV and William IV.
 
 6 Distillation, the means of separating liquids through differences
in their boiling points, was invented around the year 800 by Islam's
foremost scientist, Jabir ibn Hayyan, who transformed alchemy into
chemistry, inventing many of the basic processes and apparatus still in use
today - liquefaction, crystallisation, distillation, purification,
oxidisation, evaporation and filtration. As well as discovering sulphuric and
nitric acid, he invented the alembic still, giving the world intense
rosewater and other perfumes and alcoholic spirits (although drinking
them is haram, or forbidden, in Islam). Ibn Hayyan emphasised systematic
experimentation and was the founder of modern chemistry.
 
 7 The crank-shaft is a device which translates rotary into linear
motion and is central to much of the machinery in the modern world, not
least the internal combustion engine. One of the most important
mechanical inventions in the history of humankind, it was created by an
ingenious Muslim engineer called al-Jazari to raise water for irrigation. His
1206 Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices shows he also
invented or refined the use of valves and pistons, devised some of the
first mechanical clocks driven by water and weights, and was the father of
robotics. Among his 50 other inventions was the combination lock.
 
 8 Quilting is a method of sewing or tying two layers of cloth with a
layer of insulating material in between. It is not clear whether it was
invented in the Muslim world or whether it was imported there from
India or China. But it certainly came to the West via the Crusaders. They
saw it used by Saracen warriors, who wore straw-filled quilted canvas
shirts instead of armour. As well as a form of protection, it proved an
effective guard against the chafing of the Crusaders' metal armour and
was an effective form of insulation - so much so that it became a
cottage industry back home in colder climates such as Britain and Holland.
 
 9 The pointed arch so characteristic of Europe's Gothic cathedrals
was an invention borrowed from Islamic architecture. It was much stronger
than the rounded arch used by the Romans and Normans, thus allowing the
building of bigger, higher, more complex and grander buildings. Other
borrowings from Muslim genius included ribbed vaulting, rose windows and
dome-building techniques. Europe's castles were also adapted to copy
the Islamic world's - with arrow slits, battlements, a barbican and
parapets. Square towers and keeps gave way to more easily defended round
ones. Henry V's castle architect was a Muslim.
 
 10 Many modern surgical instruments are of exactly the same design as
those devised in the 10th century by a Muslim surgeon called
al-Zahrawi. His scalpels, bone saws, forceps, fine scissors for eye surgery and
many of the 200 instruments he devised are recognisable to a modern
surgeon. It was he who discovered that catgut used for internal stitches
dissolves away naturally (a discovery he made when his monkey ate his
lute strings) and that it can be also used to make medicine capsules. In
the 13th century, another Muslim medic named Ibn Nafis described the
circulation of the blood, 300 years before William Harvey discovered it.
Muslims doctors also invented anaesthetics of opium and alcohol mixes
and developed hollow needles to suck cataracts from eyes in a technique
still used today.
 
 11 The windmill was invented in 634 for a Persian caliph and was used
to grind corn and draw up water for irrigation. In the vast deserts of
Arabia, when the seasonal streams ran dry, the only source of power was
the wind which blew steadily from one direction for months. Mills had
six or 12 sails covered in fabric or palm leaves. It was 500 years
before the first windmill was seen in Europe.
 
 12 The technique of inoculation was not invented by Jenner and
Pasteur but was devised in the Muslim world and brought to Europe from Turkey
by the wife of the English ambassador to Istanbul in 1724. Children in
Turkey were vaccinated with cowpox to fight the deadly smallpox at
least 50 years before the West discovered it.
 
 13 The fountain pen was invented for the Sultan of Egypt in 953 after
he demanded a pen which would not stain his hands or clothes. It held
ink in a reservoir and, as with modern pens, fed ink to the nib by a
combination of gravity and capillary action.
 
 14 The system of numbering in use all round the world is probably
Indian in origin but the style of the numerals is Arabic and first appears
in print in the work of the Muslim mathematicians al-Khwarizmi and
al-Kindi around 825. Algebra was named after al-Khwarizmi's book, Al-Jabr
wa-al-Muqabilah, much of whose contents are still in use. The work of
Muslim maths scholars was imported into Europe 300 years later by the
Italian mathematician Fibonacci. Algorithms and much of the theory of
trigonometry came from the Muslim world. And Al-Kindi's discovery of
frequency analysis rendered all the codes of the ancient world soluble and
created the basis of modern cryptology.
 
 15 Ali ibn Nafi, known by his nickname of Ziryab (Blackbird) came
from Iraq to Cordoba in the 9th century and brought with him the concept
of the three-course meal - soup, followed by fish or meat, then fruit
and nuts. He also introduced crystal glasses (which had been invented
after experiments with rock crystal by Abbas ibn Firnas - see No 4).
 
 16 Carpets were regarded as part of Paradise by medieval Muslims,
thanks to their advanced weaving techniques, new tinctures from Islamic
chemistry and highly developed sense of pattern and arabesque which were
the basis of Islam's non-representational art. In contrast, Europe's
floors were distinctly earthly, not to say earthy, until Arabian and
Persian carpets were introduced. In England, as Erasmus recorded, floors
were "covered in rushes, occasionally renewed, but so imperfectly that
the bottom layer is left undisturbed, sometimes for 20 years, harbouring
expectoration, vomiting, the leakage of dogs and men, ale droppings,
scraps of fish, and other abominations not fit to be mentioned". Carpets,
unsurprisingly, caught on quickly.
 
 17 The modern cheque comes from the Arabic saqq, a written vow to pay
for goods when they were delivered, to avoid money having to be
transported across dangerous terrain. In the 9th century, a Muslim businessman
could cash a cheque in China drawn on his bank in Baghdad.
 
 18 By the 9th century, many Muslim scholars took it for granted that
the Earth was a sphere. The proof, said astronomer Ibn Hazm, "is that
the Sun is always vertical to a particular spot on Earth". It was 500
years before that realisation dawned on Galileo. The calculations of
Muslim astronomers were so accurate that in the 9th century they reckoned
the Earth's circumference to be 40,253.4km - less than 200km out. The
scholar al-Idrisi took a globe depicting the world to the court of King
Roger of Sicily in 1139.
 
 19 Though the Chinese invented saltpetre gunpowder, and used it in
their fireworks, it was the Arabs who worked out that it could be
purified using potassium nitrate for military use. Muslim incendiary devices
terrified the Crusaders. By the 15th century they had invented both a
rocket, which they called a "self-moving and combusting egg", and a
torpedo - a self-propelled pear-shaped bomb with a spear at the front which
impaled itself in enemy ships and then blew up.
 
 20 Medieval Europe had kitchen and herb gardens, but it was the Arabs
who developed the idea of the garden as a place of beauty and
meditation. The first royal pleasure gardens in Europe were opened in
11th-century Muslim Spain. Flowers which originated in Muslim gardens include the
carnation and the tulip.

Taken from www.1001inventions.com   

Was Islam spread by the sword?

Many non-Muslims, when they think about Islam, picture religious fanatics on camels with a sword in one hand and a Qur'an in the other. This myth, which was made popular in Europe during the Crusades, is totally baseless. First of all, the Holy Qur'an clearly says "Let there be no compulsion in religion".

In addition to this, Islam teaches that a person's faith must be pure and sincere, so it is certainly not something that can be forced on someone. In debunking the myth that Islam was "spread by the sword", the (non-Muslim) historian De Lacy O' Leary wrote: "History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever accepted." (Islam at the Crossroads, London, 1923, p. 8.). It should also be known that Muslims ruled Spain for roughly 800 years. During this time, and up to when they were finally forced out, the non-Muslims there were alive and flourishing. Additionally, Christian and Jewish minorities have survived in the Muslim lands of the Middle East for centuries. Countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan all have Christian and/or Jewish populations. If Islam taught that all people are supposed to be killed or forced to become Muslims, how did all of these non-Muslims survive for so long in the middle of the Islamic Empire?

Additionally, if one considers the small number of Muslims who initially spread Islam from Spain and Morocco in the West to India and China in the East, one would realize that they were far too few to force people to be members of a religion against their will. Additionally, the great empire and civilization established by the Muslims had great staying power -- its citizens were proud to be part of it. The spread of Islam stands in contrast to the actions of the followers of Christianity, who since the time of the Emperor Constantine have made liberal use of the sword - often basing their conduct on Biblical verses. This was especially true of the colonization of South America and Africa, where native peoples were systematically wiped-out or forced to convert. It is also interesting to note that when the Mongols invaded and conquered large portions of the Islamic Empire, instead of destroying the religion, they adopted it. This is a unique occurrence in history - the conquerors adopting the religion of the conquered! Since they were the victors, they certainly could not have been forced to become Muslims! Ask any of the over 1.8 billion Muslims alive in the world today whether they were forced! The largest Muslim country in the world today is Indonesia --- and there were never any battles fought there! So where was the sword? How could someone be forced to adhere to a spiritually rewarding and demanding religion like Islam?
taken from http://www.islamicweb.com/begin/myth8.htm

There is a Candle in Your Heart (Rumi)

Taken from http://maryam-blog.blogspot.com/2005/07/there-is-candle-in-your-heart.html

A Shavian and a Theologian

An Illuminating Conversation between George Bernard Shaw
and His Eminence Mohammad Abdul Aleem Siddiqui, al Qaderi

Taken from http://muslim-canada.org/shavian.htm

His Eminence Maulana Mohammed Abdul Aleem Siddiqui, al-Qaderi, the eminent Muslim divine, who was on a visit to Mombassa, [Kenya, Africa] interviewed George Bernard Shaw, the world-renowned Irish savant, who was passing through on his way to South Africa on a holiday. The Union Castle Liner, Linlithgow, by which he was travelling, stopped for three days at the Island, and George Bernard Shaw was a guest of the Resident Magistrate of Mombassa, a distant relative whom he had never met before. When His Eminence arrived at the bungalow of the Magistrate, on Wednesday morning, the 17th of April 1935, George Bernard Shaw at once came out to receive him.

George Bernard Shaw, a well-built, medium statured erect and imposing figure, a gentleman of noble mien, was smiling . . . not the smile of the sceptic that flickers round the corners of the lips, but one of real welcome suffused his face, and there was nothing Shavian [an admirer or devotee of G.B. Shaw or his theories ... in this case "conceited"] about him, if the phonetic pun be permissible, for even his chin was not shaved, and a long flowing beard, on the contrary, imparted a serene dignity to his falsely represented Freudian features. Full of vim and vigour, if it were not for the grey colour of his hair, beard and eyebrows, he could scarcely be credited with the four score years, which strange to say, he carried with almost youthful buoyancy.

As [to] His Eminence, a venerable figure in his dignified Arabic robes, comparatively very young, for he was only forty-three, although his grey hair due to chronic catarrh and unceasing intense mental strain made him look much older, stepped out of the car, there was a hearty exchange of greetings, after which His Eminence expressed his great pleasure at meeting him. The Grand Old Man immediately rejoined that having heard about his missionary exploits and his novel way of preaching Islam, he himself was eager to know him, and it was indeed a very happy coincidence that they had met there that day.

The conversation which followed was very interesting, though devoid of Shavian shafts and sarcasm, perhaps because the usual roles of interviews with George Bernard Shaw were reversed in this case: for it was George Bernard Shaw who asked the question of the interviewer, and listened attentively to the prompt lucid and informative replies of His Eminence. As an indirect account the lively discussion might rob it of its personal touch, it is preferable that the stalwarts are made to speak for themselves.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: I regret, I was not able, on account of a previous engagement, to attend your lecture last night, although I was very keen on doing so. You spoke on Philosophy of Peace, but as a Muslim, it would have been more appropriate if you had delivered a lecture on the Philosophy of War, for Islam doubtless, was spread at the point of the sword.

HIS EMINENCE: This is a common misunderstanding regarding Islam. I was dealing with this problem only last night, and I am really surprised that this myth which has been thoroughly exploded by now should receive any notice from a scholar of your calibre. However, I may briefly tell you now that the literal meaning of every word "Islam" is peace. An authentic record of the teachings of Islam in their pristine purity has been preserved intact in the Qur'an and the Traditions. They go to establish beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Islam permits the use of the sword only when wantonly attacked and compelled to defend itself. Besides, there is an explicit injunction in the Holy Qur'an that: "There is no coercion in religion," thus clearly forbidding the use of force or compulsion in matters of religion. As a matter of fact, I entertain the same conviction regarding the teachings of genuine Christianity, for our sense of reasoning tells us that if they be revelations and their source of emanation be consequently Divine they cannot but emphatically veto any manner of violence in respect of belief and enjoin its inculcation by means of arguments and rational discourses. As far as Islam is concerned the Qur'an distinctly says: "So that he who perisheth thereafter may perish after demonstrative evidence, and that he who liveth may live by the same evidence." The method that Islam teaches for its propagation, and to which its acceptance by all reasonable men and its spread to all corners of the world in the past and the present is due, consists of the Quranic dictum: "Invite people to the way of your Lord with wisdom and mild exhortation, and dispute with them in the most conciliating manner."

History bears testimony to the fact that Christ was declared consubstantial [of the same substance] with the father by the Council of Nice, convened by Constantine in Bithynia in the year 325 A.C., and to enforce the belief in the Divinity of Christ, there followed a most horrid and inhuman slaughter of thousands of innocent people who refused to accept the dogma, not only in Europe, but in the sacred city of Jerusalem as well; but in spite of it all, I can never hold the real Christianity responsible for it. Of course, those representatives of the Church who wanted to impress the hearts of the people with their power and greatness and perpetuate their priestly authority, ensuring the people's submission to their will, can be rightly saddled with all the blame.

Similarly, the sanguinary wars, known as Crusades, were the outcome of the Machiavellian machinations of such interested ecclesiastical groups of men, who realizing that the uncompromising preaching of the Oneness of God by Islam was a great obstacle in their path and their self-fabricated Divine authority was at stake, launched an unscrupulous campaign against Islam and Muslims.

They instigated the credulous mediaeval Europe to wage the so-called "holy wars" against Islam and Muslims, by circulating blood-curdling tales of imaginary atrocities by Muslims on Christians, describing the Muslims as infidels and inveterate enemies of their religion, property and persons. Obviously, therefore, these Church dignitaries alone can be held liable to account for those cruel, protracted, futile wars, and not the original teachings of Christianity or Islam and the Muslims.

Further, if we grant as a supposition, that some Muslim rulers and tribes, actuated by the lust of conquest, became aggressors, long after the advent of Islam, and let slip the dogs of war for self-aggrandizement, we can, in fairness, condemn those individuals for the reprehensible acts, and surely not Islam.

In this connection, I happen to have made certain remarks recently, in one of my speeches at Durban, and, as they are very pertinent, I would like to repeat them to you.

"If certain nations, immersed in paganism and superstition and ignorant of the real teachings of religion, wage wars in its name, the crime is theirs, and no blame can be ascribed to religion. Were not millions of human beings killed during the Great War in the name of peace, justice and the laudable object of safeguarding the rights of weaker nations? Should we then condemn these humane and noble qualities because some statesman abused these terms and sanctioned the inhuman slaughter for the attainment of their own selfish ends?"

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: There is no doubt that the Roman Church fanatics were, to a great extent, responsible for the sad events, and the pure teachings of Christianity have no concern with their occurrence. It may also be admitted, that a great many misunderstandings prevail regarding Islam, and that it is being widely misrepresented, but do the Muslim masses agree with your interpretation, and do they believe that Islam was not, and should not be, spread by force?

HIS EMINENCE: Every Muslim is bound to endorse it, for whatever I say is precisely what the Qur'an says, and my own views or conceptions have nothing to do with it. Many books have been written on this subject, and Syed Amir Ali, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Allama Shibli and other learned Doctors of Islamic Theology have exhaustively dealt with all aspects of this problem in their books.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: I know that there is a considerable amount of concord between Islam and Christianity!

HIS EMINENCE: The concordance is not merely nominal or superficial, for the Qur'an expressly predicates that when the ultimate source or origin of an inspired or revealed and Divine religion is the Being of God, unanimity in such revelations is indispensable. Islam has been conceived as a new religion, but according to the Qur'an itself, the religion preached by it is the same that was promulgated by all the true Prophets and, from Abraham right up to Jesus, God deputed them, one and all, for the dissemination of much the same teachings.

It was only because their original teachings were tempered with and corrupted, and their authenticity became dubious, that the Almighty God sent the last Prophet, and the last Book, to re-state, confirm and complete His Original Message. The Holy Qur'an has made this quite clear by saying that: "We ordained for you the religion with which We commanded Noah, and which We have revealed unto thee (0 Muhammad!), and with which We commanded Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying Observe this religion and be not divided therein."

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: The translations of the Qur'an, which I have read, certainly go to substantiate your statements. I very much prefer the translation made by one who has adopted a different variation of the arrangement of the verses to that which is generally followed by other translators. I had it always with me during my tour of Morocco and Algeria, and my occasional references to its contents proved to be a perennial source of diversion and curious amusement to the Muslims of those lands. It is one of the editions of "Every Man's Library", and I have commended its wider publicity to some of the publishers.

HIS EMINENCE: The translation you allude to is that of Mr. Rodwell?

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: Yes.

HIS EMINENCE: There is no doubt that Mr. Rodwell has expended a great deal of energy and industry in translating the chapters of the Qur'an in their chronological order, but as his knowledge of the Arabic literature and Islamic history was not sufficiently wide and profound, a considerable number of translated passages are so misleading and contain such flagrant mistakes, (which I by no means attribute to a deliberate intent on his part, but as I have already said, they may be the result of his limited knowledge in the said spheres) that they are likely to create wrong impressions about Islam.

As far as the translations of the Qur'an are concerned, I would recommend you to read "The Meaning of the Glorious Koran" by Mr. Marmaduke Pickthall, and I am sure that its perusal will enable you to appreciate considerably more the exquisite beauty, the sublime transcendence and the appealing and impressive style of the Qur'an's perspective. However, I do not imply that it is a perfect version of the original, for you yourself can aptly judge, being an admittedly splendid writer, that in spite of the translator being the ablest and the best, he can never transmit the force and brilliance of your original writings into his translations.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: It is quite true that the spirit of the original cannot be transplanted into its translation in another language, and the same is the case with the translation of the Bible, but they have now achieved a very high standard, and the process of raising it still higher is being continued.

HIS EMINENCE: Although the translations of the Bible may attain the highest stage of perfection from the standpoint of language, one cannot say, under any circumstances, that they contain the original message of Christianity, or are the genuine versions of the teachings of Jesus Christ, for the original message, as you know, in its unalloyed purity, as delivered by Jesus, is no more extant. The result of the numerous sections of the Bible, and the absence of the original manuscript, is confusion worse confounded, and a seeker after truth cannot quench his thirst at its hydroid font, whilst the Qur'an, in contrast, has been preserved in such a manner that there has not been the slightest change, not even to the extent of a letter or a dot. Hence, if we want to know the real teachings of Christianity, we must look for them in the Qur'an.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: Has there been really no alteration in the Qur'an, and is it absolutely preserved in its original form? Did Prophet Muhammad know how to write, and is his writing in existence?

HIS EMINENCE: There is a complete and authentic record of each and every chapter, nay, even of every verse, or I might say, of every word of the Qur'an. The Prophet, immediately following the revelation of a verse or verses to him, used to send for the special scribes appointed for the purpose and dictate the same to them. When transcribed, he would ask them to recite what they had written, and, after listening to and verifying it, would explain to them its meaning.

The manuscripts in the handwriting of one of the most honoured and trusted among the scribes, by the name of Zaid bin Sabit, are preserved intact in the archives of Constantinople and Medina, and all the editions of the Qur'an in the world are their exact copies, not differing among themselves even in point of a comma or a dash.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: What! are there punctuation marks in the Qur'an?

HIS EMINENCE: The punctuation marks, in the English language merely comprise commas, colons, semi-colons, full-points [periods], etc., but the principles of Quranic elocution comprehend numerous signs of a different kind. For instance, a stop is compulsory in certain places, whilst it is optional in others; some endings are to be fully pronounced, whilst others are quiescent, etc. The correct accent, pronunciation, accurate halts, etc., are so intricate and difficult of acquisition that the Quranic elocution has been evolved into a distinct art, and copious volumes have been written on its theory and practice.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: All this is rather astonishing and new to me. I was also surprised to learn that you delivered a speech on "Islam and Science" at Nairobi. What I find difficult to understand is how you can possibly present the picture of Heaven and Hell, which is portrayed in the Qur'an, in a manner convincing to persons conversant with science, whose minds are inured to accept nothing without visible or palpable proof.

I hold the Prophet of Arabia in great esteem and I can quite understand that it would have been impossible to restrain and wean that illiterate and perverse race, sunk in the miasma of utter moral depravity, from committing the most heinous of crimes, and imbue its people with enthusiasm to strive after righteousness and assimilate high morals and virtues, without projecting such a terrible and intensely awe inspiring spectacle of Hell and an equally captivating and enticing image of a land flowing with milk and honey to represent Heaven before their vision. I also very much admire the forcible and striking diction of the Qur'an. What elegant grace and beauty characterizes that passage which depicts the dreadful scene of the doomsday field, and, when dealing with infanticide, dramatically leaves off at the question: "For what crime were thou slain?" to the innocent child that was buried alive or put to death. In my opinion, it is the most effective way of the people. But I am afraid I am digressing, for I would very much like to know how the problem of Heaven and Hell can possibly be elucidated in the light of science.

HIS EMINENCE: You are a master of the art of writing, and your enchanting and novel literary productions with your magical pen revolutionize the mentality of the readers. I am sure you will agree with me on this point, that material language cannot possibly act as an apt vehicle for the accurate conveyance of the significance and reality of spiritual problems and phenomena without the help of metaphors and similes, and these at best can serve to frame analogies. One must therefore, bear this fact in mind and make due allowance for the mode of expression in describing Hell and Heaven in the Qur'an. Simultaneously, however, with such illustrations that confine their appeal to physical senses, God Almighty stipulates in the clearest terms not to be too inquisitive regarding the true nature of the blessings of Heaven: "So no one knows what is in store for them of that which will refresh the eyes." And, according to the Traditions, we should, under no circumstances, think of them in any way comparable to the objects of this world: "The reality of their constitution has been neither witnessed by any human eyes, nor have the ears listened to words capable of expressing it; it is, indeed beyond the pale of human imagination, and even a perfunctory surrogate of it cannot be visualized." How can it be asserted in the face of this pronounced explanation that the blessings of Heaven resemble in any way, whatsoever, the things that please us or contribute to our happiness in this world. The truth of the matter, on the contrary, is that just as a consequence of compliance with natural or physical laws, material progress and comfort, commensurate with the degree of comprehension and execution, follow as a matter of course, so in proportion to allegiance or adherence to moral and spiritual laws and their translation into practice, one attains the utmost possible spiritual bliss and beatitude, and likewise their violation entails spiritual torture and tribulation. Now if, according to the law of progress, everything is heading for advancement, there must naturally be a zenith of it, and beyond that there must be no point of further progress. Comfort or happiness and grief or suffering are two states which a person experiences in this life; hence there must be an extreme point of both these states. This very extreme point of pleasure or bliss is called Heaven, and the extreme point of pain or sorrow, Hell. Just as there are material media that are either conducive to happiness or instrumental in inflicting suffering in this world, so must there be some kind of media to procreate that state of bliss or generate pain and suffering in the other world. A metaphorical word-picture of the former has been sketched to portray Heaven, and the tremendously appalling and dreadful portrait of torments has been drawn to symbolize Hell. Now this other world which we can call spiritual or celestial is neither like this material world, nor is it purely spiritual, having no connection, whatsoever, with matter, and where there are only souls utterly free from matter. The human being, body and soul together, is responsible or accountable for his activities. Hence the soul in partnership with the quintessence of this very physical organism will meet with the kind of happiness or grief suitable to the conditions obtaining in that world. Now it only remains to define matter, but as you know, this is not possible even at the present stage of scientific progress. For, what matter really is, is a conundrum that has not been solved in spite of the attempts made by the best human brains. Far from succeeding in analysing it chemically, the greatest scientists have not been able even to picture its reality. The culminating point of scientific research up to date is the establishment of the Theory of Protons and Electrons, according to which the wave radiation of these are the basis of the universe, and every physical body in its solid form is the result of those very radiations. This is what the magazine 'The World of Wonder' says about matter: "Matter seems very solid, but men of science tell us that if all the spaces in the atoms that make up our bodies were done away with, and the nucleus and electrons of the atoms were concentrated into a mass, the whole matter of a grown man's body would be so small that it could not be seen with the naked eye." Hence, if it is possible for a scientist to accept without positive proof that an average electron flies round its nucleus several thousand million million times every second, and base the formation of solid physical organisms on their wave radiations, there should be no difficulty for him to imagine the soul and body in a form suitable to the conditions of the kind of happiness or grief to be met with in the great Beyond. A very hazy picture of those states can be said to reflect itself in those weird experiences of ours which we call dreams.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: This is really a very beautiful, eloquent and gratifying explanation, but will the present day Muslims be prepared to accept it?

HIS EMINENCE: This description is by no means a concoction of my brain, but, as I have already said, it is propounded by the Qur'an. I cannot claim any credit, even for the manner of description, because my great predecessors, Imams Fakhruddin Razi, Ghazzali, and Mohiuddin-ibn-Arabi, when addressing enlightened philosophers like you, expressed themselves in similar terms. If I may say it in the original style, I have only gathered a few crumbs from their tables of magnificent feasts. All the teachings of Islam are rational; there are no mysteries and dogmas. They only require to be explained in a proper light to transfuse their correct sense. It is difficult to understand the literature of any art with which we are not conversant. Hence, in order to grasp and assimilate the problematical points related to any art, we must first acquire knowledge and cultivate intimate acquaintance with that particular art. If we then seek their solution in the light of this knowledge, we shall easily understand them.

(At this stage Mr. Shaw's hostess came in, and Mr. Shaw introduced His Eminence to her. Addressing Mr. Shaw, she said that it was almost time for him to leave for the docks. Mr. Shaw said he must certainly make a move then and, turning to His Eminence, said:)

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: Your conversation is so very interesting and informative, that I would like to have the privilege of enjoying your company for years, but unfortunately, I have to leave now.

HIS EMINENCE: I also ardently desire to have the benefit of exchanging views with such a cultured and learned scholar as yourself, particularly when I find that an inadequate acquaintance with the teachings of Islam from inauthentic and perhaps tainted sources has evoked such a positive and optimistic statement from you regarding Islam, that: "The future religion of the educated, cultured and enlightened people will be Islam." I would like to speak to you about the profound philosophy and psychological truths the Qur'an expounds, so that a gifted and erudite savant of your parts and genius, perfectly familiar with the tastes and mental tendencies of the civilized world, can present them to it in an effective and desirable manner.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: I am really very sorry that I could secure such a short time for speaking to a learned sage like yourself.

HIS EMINENCE: I am, however, grateful even for this opportunity and avail myself of the occasion to present to you the printed copies of two of my Lectures on "Religious and Scientific Progress of the World", and "Spiritual Culture in Islam", which I recently delivered at Durban. I also give you this booklet on "Islam" by my friend, Mr. Elias Burney, M.A., a Professor of Economics at the Osmania University, Hyderabad, Deccan, [India] who has made a classified collection of the Quranic verses under various heads with explanatory notes. You will, please, read them and communicate to me on any point from these or any other book connected with Islam, and I shall try my level best to elucidate them and meet your criticisms, if any, in the light of Quranic teachings.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: There is no doubt that your way of presenting the Islamic teachings is very fascinating, but does the orthodox section of Muslims agree with you?

HIS EMINENCE: To be candid, I myself am strictly orthodox and identify myself with that section which refuses to countenance the slightest alteration in the teachings of Islam. The words of the Tradition of our Prophet that "He who interprets the Qur'an according to his own opinion should be prepared to accommodate himself in hell" are indelibly impressed on my mind. Let alone the fundamental principles, I am one of those who try to act in conformity with the precepts of the least significance. For instance, my companion, Mr. Ali Mohammed Jaffer, who is deputizing for the President of the local Muslim Association, had taken a photographer with him as he proposed to have a picture of our meeting, but I refused point blank to accede to his request and sent back the photographer. Pictures have led to idol worship, and a photograph that might be taken today as a mere memento, might at some future date become an object of adoration to some over-zealous admirers who might be carried away by misconceived fervour. Islam, has, therefore, disallowed this practice, and I submit to its veto, and never give permission to take my picture. But if anyone takes it without my consent, well, the responsibility is his. I have said all this so that you may be able to gauge the extent to which I must be orthodox where the main principles of Islam are concerned, when I am so punctilious regarding such a point of detail which in the opinion of some modern Muslims is permissible.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: I have been very pleased to make your acquaintance, and it will be the most precious of all memories of this trip of mine.

(Bidding farewell to each other, His Eminence wishing George Bernard Shaw a bon voyage, they parted and George Bernard Shaw was seen standing on the veranda waving his hand till the car went out of sight.)

3rd May 1935.

The writer of this work is well known to me, and the reader can be sure the learned writer has caught the true atmosphere. His Eminence Mohammed Abdul Aleem Siddiqui, is also well known to me and I can well imagine the scene, when Shaw from being the scoffer came gradually to be infected with the dynamic energy and sincerity of purpose of the famous Muslim divine. The only thing I wish to complain about is the shortness of the interview. But I suppose one cannot expect anything that is really good in very large doses in this world.

M.T. Akbar,K.C.,B.A.,L.L.B.
Senior Puisne Justice,
Supreme Court-Colombo

The Prophets life after death (BY SAUDI SCHOLAR)

The Prophet in Barzakh

The Special Life of Our Prophet by Sayyid Muhammad ibn `Alawi al-Maliki

Translation and notes by GF Haddad ©

It is established that our Prophet possesses an isthmus-life that is greater and more perfect than that of any other, of which he himself told us. It is equally established that he is intimately connected with the Community, fully cognizant of their states, seeing their actions, hearing their speech, replying to their greetings, and the hadiths to that effect are numerous.

Among these hadiths is the narration of the Prophet from `Abd Allah ibn Mas`ud - Allah be well-pleased with him: "Verily, Allah has angels that roam the earth and convey to me the greeting of my Community." (Inna lillâhi malâ'ikatan sayyâhîna fi al-ardi yuballighûnî min ummatî al-salâm.)1

Also among these hadiths is Ibn Mas`ud's narration that the Prophet said: "My life is a great good for you, you will relate about me and it will be related to you, and my death is a great good for you, your actions will be exhibited to me, and if I see goodness I will praise Allah, and if I see evil I will ask forgiveness of Him for you." (Hayâtî khayrun lakum tuhaddithûna wa yuhaddathu lakum wa wafâtî khayrun lakum tu`radu a`malukum `alayya famâ ra'aytu min khayrin hamidtu Allâha wa mâ ra'aytu min sharrin istaghfartu Allâha lakum.)4

This hadith indicates that the Prophet knows about our actions because they are being shown to him, and he asks Allah forgiveness on our behalf for whatever wrong we may do. If this is the case, then it is permissible for us to use him as a means to Allah and ask for his intercession with Him. For he knows our case, and so he can intercede for us and supplicate for us, as he is the intercesor whose intercession is granted - may Allah send blessings and peace upon him and his Family, and increase him in honor and bounty.

Allah has informed us in the Qur'an that the Prophet is a witness over his entire Community. This assuredly requires that the actions of his Community be shown to him so that he may witness to whatever he saw and knew ...

READ COMPLETE ARTICLE AT:
http://www.livingislam.org/o/prb_e.html

Asalot o Wsalam o Alika Ya RasoolAllah

In the name of Allah the Beneficient the Merciful

Lets pay tribute to the greatest & beloved of all mankind, the light whose mere presence is the existance of this universe. All the Peace & Blessings of Allah be unto the Final Messenger Muhammad Sallahu Alihi Wsallam, because of whom we are what we are.

One day Ali, karam Allahu wajhahu, the cousin and son-in-law of the Holy Prophet Alihi Salat o Wsalam asked, “Oh Muhammad, both my parents shall be my ransom, pray tell me what the Lord Almighty created before all other beings of creation?” This was his blissful reply:

Verily, before your Lord made any other thing, He created from His own Light the light of your Prophet ,

and that Light rested haithu mashaAllah, where Allah willed it to rest. And at that time there existed aught else‑not the Preserved Tablets, not the Pen, not Heaven nor Hell, not the Angelic Host, not the heavens nor the earth; there was no sun, no moon, no star, no jinn nor man nor angel–none was as yet created, only this Light.

Then Allah – glorified be He – by divine decree willed the Creation to be. He therefore divided this Light into four parts. { 4 Forces in the Atom, 4 elements in creation Fire,Water,Wind,Earth}

From the first part He created the Pen, from the second the Tablets, from the third the Divine Throne.

Allah says in Quran:

إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّوْنَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا اَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا صَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيْمَا.

(56:33)

Verily Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet (s). O, Believers!
Send blessings upon him and salute him with a worthy salutation.

اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلَى آلِ مُحَمد

In the name of ALLAH The Beneficient The Merciful

Asalam o alikum (Peace be onto you all)

I m starting this blog for posting islamic teachings n issues according to Ahle Sunnah (Sunni perspective) . The posts will be taken accross the internet and wont be my own. Hope it will help you understanding different Islamic concepts.

I only require your donation in form of PRAYERS.

wsalam.