Issue 53 (January - March 2006)

The modern age has assumed a split between what is religious and what is worldly, and the Revelation has been detached from the Universe and the sciences that study it, the spiritual from the material, the afterlife from this life, the heart from the mind and soul. Islam, however, is based upon the…

Loving and respecting humanity merely because they are human is an expression of respect for the Almighty Creator. The other side of the coin, loving and showing respect to only those who think the same as one thinks, is nothing but egotism and self-worship. More than this, it is irreverent and sel…

The scientists of the world have been engaged in solving the problem of deciphering the so-called human genome during the last few decades. At the turn of the millennium the genetic map had finally been deciphered in general. Nevertheless, classic genetics and all of the more recent research effort…

Can you tell without looking at a reference point or without feeling any force due to acceleration that you are moving? The answer to this question leads to one of the fundamental premises of the Theory of Relativity. Since it is not possible to tell the difference between being stationary and bein…

Human development begins at fertilization when a male gamete or sperm unites with a female gamete or oocyte to form a single cell-a zygote. This highly specialized cell marks the beginning of each human being as a unique individual. The zygote, just visible to the unaided eye as a tiny speck, conta…

Essays are like flexible rhapsodies.”1 They are freer, arbitrary, and subjective as compared to a more rigid, systematic, and organized plain text. Free and always open to new perspectives. This must be the aspect that differentiates Montaigne from his contemporaries. Montaigne says that the main…

It is much easier to make contact with people from vastly different cultures and beliefs in the context of today’s world. Unfortunately, increased globalization has also broadened the scope of conflict throughout the world. Modern conflicts take place between societies with widely different cultura…

The Genome Project was started at a research institute known as HUGO, which is short for the Human Genome Project, in Montreux, Switzerland on October 1, 1990. This important project, with consequences that are not yet understood, was beyond human imagination at the time it was established, and is…

One of the main causes of today's global disorder is the absence of justice and the rise in the false religion of materialism. When justice disappears, it becomes no wonder to see oppression, corruption, occupation and terrorism reigning. So, applying justice is a key factor and necessary step towa…

“When the full moon shines on a clear night, What would it have to fear of the dogs or their barking? The dogs continue to do what they are supposed to do And the moon continues to beautify the face of the night. A bit of weed floats on water Yet the water does not lose its purity. Mustafa1 s…

Any observant individual walking among the ruins of an ancient city is immediately faced with the following question: “How did the once magnificent civilization that ruled this place, that built this city, end like this?” The same person will certainly generalize his observation to the whole of wor…

God most high has revealed in chapter Mumtahana of the Qur’an two explicit verses which could be considered as the basis for the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims. These verses are plain and clear. God says: God does not forbid you as regards those who do not make war against you on acc…

Like all converts to Islam, I am sometimes haunted by my past and always in awe of the mercy of God. By the grace of God, many people reading this have probably never tried alcohol themselves. For like all the prohibitions in Islam, this is one of God's mercies on believers. Yet for me, some of the…

In a homicide case or any accident that results in death, it is essential to know the exact time and place where the death occurred. Insects and their larvae may yield elaborate data, such as the amount of time that has elapsed after death, whether the body has been moved to another site, or whethe…

Q: What should be the understanding of “Mujaddid” in our time? Does it refer to a single individual only, or does it rather signify a collective personality (shakhs al-manawi)? A: There is no Mujaddid (renewer) presently. All of them have passed on having completed their mission. Today what is lef…

This introduction by me as a professor of Oriental studies might be seen as an incentive to attract attention, but I hope that the reader will welcome this book by Muhammed Fethullah Gulen from the very first pages. Fethullah Gulen is affectionately and respectfully called “Hodjaefendi” in the Mus…