Healthier Living through Fasting

During the month of Ramadan, a Muslim does not eat or drink from daybreak, when a thread of light may be seen on the horizon, until sun has set. During the fasting period one should abstain from sensual pleasures. The principle of fasting is related to that of limitation or restraint. Without limitation, true knowledge is impossible,  because it is when we come to the end or limit of a thing that its true nature becomes evident. Ramadan's marking the end to indulgence, or imposing a clear limit to it day after day for a month or for approximately 360 hours, offers an unmistakable spiritual lesson. It also constitutes for a purification and a kind of sacrifice, which, like the pruning the trees, leads to renewal and fresh strength. On the moral plane it brings a direct understanding of the suffering of the hungry. This limitation increases and strengthens one's will power and self-control, so that once can give up bad habits.  

Fasting in Other Religions 

Fasting is prescribed in almost all religions. The Jews and Christians also fast. Jewish law order a yearly fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Many Orthodox Jews require the bride and groom to fast on the day before their wedding. Many Christians fast during Lent, the period of 40 days that Jesus (Isa - Alayhis Salam) spent fasting in the wilderness. 

The Buddhists and Hindus also fast. Some religious thinkers, such as Zoroastrian religious leaders are against fasting from food, claiming that abstaining from food has no moral value, when compared with "fasting from evil" with eyes, hands, tongue, or feet. In some religions, people fast during times of mourning. Sometimes, personal or political goals are sought through fasting. M.K. Gandhi of India used fasting both as a penance and as a means of political protest.  

Why Should Muslims Fast? 

An ascetic element in human life is necessity. No religion is possible without an element of self-denial and asceticism. In order to be able to enjoy the harvest of sensual Perception, one must retreat once in a whilefrom the abundant life of the senses. Thus a certain degree of restraint from the material makes the life of senses balanced and opens in the human soul for the spiritual life. One such restraint is fasting, obligatory upon Muslims during the month of Ramadan and at other times. During the fast, the abstention is directed toward the carnal soul, what the Quran calls "al-nafs al-ammarah." In fasting, the unruly trends of the carnal soul are steadily restrained and soothed through a planned compliance of these trends to the Divine Will. During the fast, the cravings of the carnal sould go unanswered, as the Muslim is reminded that his fast if for the pleasure of Allah

(Subhanahu wa Taala). It is, therefore, important for a Muslim to abstain, not only from food and drink, but also from every form of sensual cravings. During the duration of fasting, food and drink that were taken for granted for the rest of the year become ni'mah or gifts from heaven. The fasting becomes a shield of purity against the passions of the world. In fasting a Muslim chooses the side of Allah over this world of materialism. That is why Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) loved fasting so frequently and he said al-faqr fakhri (spiritual poverty is my glory). 

The Death of Passion Purifies the Human Soul 

It is for this reason that the arrival of the blessed month of Ramadan is greeted with happiness. For in this month the doors of heaven are opened to the faithful and Divine Compassion plunges upon those who seek it. Those who complete the fast of Ramadan feel rejuvenated and are prepared to face another year with firmness to live and act according to the Divine Will. 

Science Favors Fasting 

What are the benefits of fasting? Scientists have studied the effects of fasting on the body and found that the intake of food increases the body’s metabolism. After fasting, metabolism can become as much as 22 percent lower than the normal rate. Research has also shown that after long periods of fasting, the body tends to adjust itself by lowering the rate of metabolism itself. After fasting, a person should gradually resume eating. 

In some studies performed on fasting Muslims, it was observed that there was a slight loss of weight both in males and females. Their blood glucose levels increased significantly. Other parameters such as blood levels of cortisol, testosterone, sodium, potassium, urea, total cholesterol, HDL (high density lipoprotein), TG (triglycerides), and serum osmolatity did  not show notable variations.   

Another study performed about a decade ago in Iran showed that sporadic restraint from food and drink for about 17 hours a day for 30 days does not alter male reproductive hormones, HPTA (hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid-axis) or peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones. Any changes noticed return to normal four weeks after fasting.  

Dr. Jalila El Ati and her associates ("Increased fat oxidation during Ramadan fasting in healthy women: an adaptive mechanism for body-weight maintanence." Am. J. Clin. Nutri. August 1995), who investigated the possible effects of Ramadan fasting of anthropometric and metabolic variables in healthy Tunisian Muslim women, found that the total daily energy intake remained unchanged whereas the qualitative components of nutrients were markedly affected. Ramadan fasting influenced neither body weight or body composition. Results also indicate respiratory and energy expenditure during Ramadan. Fat oxidation was increased and carbohydrate oxidation was decreased during the light span of nycthemeron.  

In non-Muslim countries such as the U.S. the physicians, particularly the family physicians and internists should be aware of changes of glucose and bilirubin during the month of Ramadan. 

Fasting may enhance mucosa derived B lymphocyte cell responsiveness while having no effect on B cell responsiveness in both rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy volunteers. In a study, after a three-day, water-only fast, 7 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 17 healthy volunteers received influenza virus vaccine either orally or by injection. When the blood samples were analyzed for B lymphocyte response a week later, it was found that Blymphocyte response was enhanced in the group receiving the vaccine orally in both arthritis patients and volunteers. The response to injected vaccine was unchanged in both groups. 

Fasting helps Longevity 

Studies on laboratory animals have shown that restriction of caloric intake increases longevity, slows the rate of functional decline, and reduces incidence of age-related disease in a variety of species. The mechanism of action of caloric restriction remains unknown; however, data suggest that cellular functions are altered in such a way that destructive by-products of metabolism are reduced, and defense or repair systems are enhanced by this nutritional manipulation. Animal and human studies suggest potential benefits of dietary modification, exercise, antioxidants, hormones, and deprenyl. 

Fasting and Lactating Mothers 

The effects of fasting and increased blood insulin and glucose on milk volume and composition were studies with glucose clamp methodology in exclusively and partially breast-feeding women (producing no more than 200 ml milk per day). There was no effect of milk volume, milk glucose concentration, and total fat content or lactose secretion rate. It is concluded that human milk production is isolated from the homeostatic mechanisms that regulate glucose metabolism in the rest of the body, in part because the lactose synthetase system has a Km for glucose lower than the concentration available in the Golgi compartment. 

In a study which investigated the effects of a short-term fast (72 hours) on female reproductive hormone secretion and menstrual function, it was concluded that in spite of profound metabolic changes, a 72-hour fast during the follicular phase does not affect the menstrual cycle of normal cycling women. 

Fasting and Healing 

Studies are being conducted to treat serious illnesses like osteo rheumatoid arthritis or asthma utilizing fasting for a short duration of few days to medically supervised water only fasts of 30 days to help the body heal itself. It has been known that both children and animals refuse to eat when sick as a natural response. The severely sick have no appetite, but they take the food only at the urging of the family members. The severely sick feel no

hunger because food in severe sickness intervenes with natural response. The body is always trying to heal itself. When the patient is resting and consuming water only, the body heals itself and fasting acts as a facilitating process. One can get rid of coffee, cigarettes, salty or sugary foods, which are addictive, through fasting, as fasting can help clear the taste buds and healthful foods start to taste better again. However, insulin-dependent diabetics should not fast because of ketosis in patients with insulin-dependent diabetics, who cannot break down the ketones and use them as fuel. Healthy people use the ketones (byproducts of fat metabolism) to maintain energy. (To conserve the glycogen stores, glucose becomes restricted to the central nervous system, mainly the brain. Instead of taking the glucose from the brain, the body begins breaking down the fatty acids in adipose (fatty) tissue). People with non-insulin-dependent diabetes (the majority of people who have diabetes) can improve their health through fasting. 

Fasting helps cardiovascular disease, arthritis, asthma, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, ulcers, and digestive disorders, lupus, skin problems (including cysts, tumors, and kidney stones). Even quitting smoking and obesity respond favorably to fasting. 

Fasting during the month of Ramadan does not cause any adverse medical effects, on the other hand, it may have some beneficial effects on weight and lipid metabolism.

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Fasting also has the effect of helping to cleanse the body of waste and toxins. However, fasting isn’t something most people can or should maintain for the long-term. You can cleanse your body naturally with an herbal fiber supplement. When your body is free of waste and toxins you can start to feel your best again.

Comets of Ice

Comets orbiting a distant star have been discovered to contain water. In the Journal Nature dated July 12, 2001 scientists claimed that it is the first time the ingredient considered key to life has been discovered in objects circling a star other than our sun which is also a star. This discovery supports the theory that other planetary systems may be similar to our own solar system and may contain chemicals that are essential to the formation of life, as we know it. This particular star is identified as CW Leonis and is located some 3,000 trillion miles from Earth in the constellation Leo. Scientists have no way of knowing whether life ever existed on any comets or planets orbiting this particular star. One conclusion is that no life could exist there now. The reason for this conclusion is that this star has burned out the last of its nuclear fuel and the star has swelled and increased in luminosity, engulfing nearby objects and melting comets in orbits as distant as Neptune is from our own sun -- releasing the water that astronomers spotted using a radio-telescope in outer space. 
Gary Melnic, chief scientist on the project and an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, regrets that the existence of these bodies is measured through their destruction. He says that there could have been water closer to the star, bolstering the idea that life may have existed outside our solar system. Scientists have believed that the comets helped build life on earth. The comets along with important chemicals bring the water in our oceans as they hurtled through earth's atmosphere. 
The amount of water estimated from the distant comets is about 10 times the mass of earth. By peeking at the dying star far in the distance and therefore long in the past, scientists said they had also glimpsed for the first time a vision of the fiery future of our won world. As our sun begins to die in about 6 billion years, it will also first grow larger and hotter, vaporizing earth's oceans, reducing planets and comets to cinders. Scientists have never before seen the effects of a dying star on its surroundings, although the process is not thought to be uncommon. Every star in the galaxies comprising of billion stars in the universe will go though similar cycles of destruction. 

QUR'ANIC REVELATIONS 
It has been shown that Islam is not in conflict with science and that Al Qur'an does not contradict or negate modem scientific findings or discoveries. On the other hand, Western scholars have praised and credited Islam for the preservation and advancement of scientific knowledge by Muslim scientists, physicians and technologists. 1,400 years later, modem science is bringing to light the truths or confirming what has been revealed in Al Qur'an. A learned Muslim will find in the Quran scientific truths and realities. 
Consider the following Qur'anic Verse: 

Have you not seen how Allah wafteth the clouds, then gathers them, then makes them layers, and you see the rain come forth from between them,………… Surah An-Nur 24: 43 (first half) 

Here Allah Ta'ala is describing the formation of rain clouds and the rainfall from the clouds. This phenomenon is very common and known to every human being. But what is not known to the human beings are the truths that are found in the following ayah from the Noble Qur'an. 

'Wa anz'ala min'assa maai' Ma'an….'  

'And causeth water to descend from the heavens. '
…. 'Surah Baqara 2: 22, Surah Ibrahim 14: 22 and Surah An-Nahl, 16: 10, & 65. 
Now the question is why does Allah Ta'ala says that He causes the water to descend from the heavens, in apparent contradiction to the An-Nur, 24: 43 first half of the verse cited above. If carefully studied, the following verse makes no sense and the disbelievers would belittle the Noble Qur'an : 
'...He sendeth down from the heaven mountains wherein is hail…"
……………Surah An-Nur, 24: 43 (Second Half) 
All the Mufassareen (interpreters of the Qur'an) did not give the right Tafsir (interpretation) of this verse. Hail is frozen rain or stones of frozen water. This ayah very clearly states that Allah sends down from the Heavens Mountains containing ice or comets of ice. According to this ayah, mountains of ice or comets of ice are sent down from the heavens (space) towards the earth. Until 1986 mankind did not know this phenomenon. In 1988 this phenomenon has been confirmed scientifically. 
Scientific Discovery 
The story of this startling scientific discovery and its confirmation by experimentation is worth mentioning here. Dr. Louis Frank a Physicist at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, studied the data gathered from 1981-1986 by Dynamic Explorer I satellite. The satellite took ultraviolet Images of the earth, particularly to study the air glow around the earth. In these images Dr.Louis Frank found holes punched through the atmosphere. These holes could not be explained. He discarded dozens of explanations after analyzing them. He finally concluded that snowballs or comets of Ice coming from space could only make the holes. He estimated the weight of each comet to be 100 tons and they are coated with black hydrocarbons. They are falling on the earth at the rate of 10 million a year (27,397 per day or 19 every minute.) 
The snowball or comet of ice measures about 30 feet across. Dr.Clayne Yeates, a Physicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California told this writer that the comets of ice or snowballs are moving at 10 kilometers per second (21,600 MPH) relative to the earth and at about 1000 km (600 miles) above the earth. They break up (into hail) due to tidal waves and would then flash to vapor in the atmosphere. Finally the vapor would fall as rain and joins the earth's water cycle. Dr. Louis Frank's calculations show this would contribute the equivalent of one Inch of water all over the earth's surface every 10,000 years. The earth was formed 4.9 billion years ago and if this has been happening since formation of the earth, the process would provide enough water for the oceans and the polar Ice packs. 
Experimental Proof 
Dr.Yeates used a powerful space search telescope at the Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona. Using this telescope he scanned the heavens for the snowballs or icy comets. By swinging the telescope, similar to a shotgun at a skeet shoot, he photographed the descending icy comets approaching each. He told this writer that viewing through this telescope he was able to see the icy comets 150,000-km (kilometers) or 90,000 miles above the earth (or the heavens). Dr.Yeates said. It was remarkable. The results agreed exactly with the predictions. 
GLOSSARY
Comets
Appearance:
Seeing a comet with the naked eye is a somewhat rare occurrence. On the average we get a naked-eye comet once every five or six years and this includes comets that become barely visible to the naked eye. Classic comets with long tails only appear about once every 10-12 years. The motion is very difficult to detect and comparing its place with naked-eye stars over several days is the only way to see it move. In general, comets are best observed with telescopes or binoculars.

What are They?

Comets are primarily composed of ice and dust, causing some astronomers to refer to them as "dirty snowballs." They typically move through the solar system in orbits ranging from a few years to several hundred thousand years. Comets are not on fire. As they approach the sun, the sun's heat melts the comet's ices and releases dust particles, which are most evident as the comet's tail. Comets rarely come within a few million miles of Earth and, thus, have a slow apparent motion across our sky. Typical comets remain visible for periods of several weeks up to several months.

Meteors

Appearance:

Meteors appear as fast-moving streaks of light in the night sky. They are frequently referred to as "falling stars" or "shooting stars." Most are white or blue-white in appearance, although other frequent colors are yellow, orange. The colors seem more related to the speed of the meteor rather than composition. Red meteors occasionally appear as very long streaks and are usually indicative of a meteor that is skimming the atmosphere. Green meteors are also occasionally seen and are usually very bright. The green color may be a result of ionized oxygen.

What are They?

Meteoroids are the smallest particles orbiting the sun, and most are no larger than grains of sand. From years of studying the evolution of meteor streams, astronomers have concluded that comets produced clouds of meteoroids orbiting the sun. Meteoroids can not be observed moving through space because of their small size. Over the years numerous man-made satellites recovered by manned spacecraft have shown pits in their metal skins, which were caused by the impact of meteoroids.
Meteoroids become visible to observers on Earth when they enter Earth's atmosphere. They are then referred to as meteors. They become visible as a result of friction caused by air molecules slamming against the surface of the high-velocity particle. The friction typically causes meteors to glow blue or white, although other colors have been reported. Most meteors completely burn up in the atmosphere at altitudes of between 60 and 80 miles. They are rarely seen for periods of more than a few seconds.
Occasionally, a large meteor will not burn up completely as it moves through Earth's atmosphere. The subsequent pieces that fall to Earth's surface are known as meteorites.

Asteroids

Appearance:

Out of more than 10 thousand numbered asteroids, only Vesta has consistently been a naked-eye object if the observer has extremely dark skies and the asteroid is moving in relatively star-poor regions of the sky. The motion of asteroids is similar to that of comets in that the position must be plotted on a star chart over two or three days for motion to be detected.

What are They?

Asteroids, or minor planets, have been described as "mountains in space." They are large rocks typically ranging from a few feet to several hundred miles across. The vast majority of asteroids move between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in what is commonly called the "asteroid belt." They always appear starlike and their motion with respect to the stars is usually so slow that several hours may pass before any movement is noticed. Most asteroids within the asteroid belt never come closer than 100 million miles from Earth, but there are some asteroids which come close to and even cross Earth's orbit. These objects can occasionally pass within a few million miles of Earth, and even within the orbit of the moon, and then exhibit a rapid motion that is discernible after only a few minutes. Asteroids within the asteroid belt can be observed every year, while the ones passing especially close to Earth may only be visible for a few weeks or months.

The Big Bang Theory: From a Qur'anic Perspective

One of the great mysteries facing scientists today are the answers to the two following questions:
 

1. WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE?
 

2. WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF LIFE? 

The answer to the first question is difficult than the answer to the second question. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an creation of the universe was a greater problem than the creation of man. 

The following verse in the Qur'an alludes to the Big Bang Theory:
 

DO THEY NOT THE UNBELIEVERS SEE THAT THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WERE JOINED TOGETHER (AS ONE UNIT OF CREATION) BEFORE WE CLOVE THEM ASUNDER? WE MADE FROM WATER EVERY LIVING THING. WILL THEY NOT THEN BELIEVE?
 

Surah: 21. Al-Anbiyaa, Ayath 30 

The origin of universe has been explained by several cosmological theories. One theory that seems philosophically far more attractive is called the Steady-State model. This theory was proposed in the 1940s by Herman Bondi, Thomas Gold and Fred Hoyle. They stated that the universe has always been just about the same as it is now. As it expands, new matter is continually created to fill up the gaps between the galaxies.  

This theory has been replaced by the "Standard Model" or the "Big Bang" Theory. Using the Doppler effect the astronomers confirmed that the galaxies are moving away and that the universe is expanding. The birth of the universe has been estimated to be between 15 and 30 billion years ago.
 

The experimental confirmation of the Big Bang Theory came from the detection of the Cosmic Microwave Radiation Background by a pair of radio astronomers, Arno. A. Penzias and Robert W. Wilson. In 1964 they were working in the Bell Telephone Laboratory which had in its possession of an unusual radio antenna on Crawford Hill at Holmdel, New Jersey. By measuring the cosmic microwave radiation background radiation which is the noise left over from the early universe, they calculated the temperature in the universe to be 3.5 degrees Kelvin.
 

In the beginning there was an explosion. This explosion is not the same as one observes on earth. As a result of this explosion, space and time were born and started to expand to this day, and they will continue to expand in the future. The temperature of the universe was about a hundred thousand million degrees Centigrade. It is so hot than none of the components of ordinary matter molecules, or atoms or even the nuclei of atoms, could have held together. In the early universe there was abundance of electrons,

Positrons (anti-electron) and neutrinos, ghostly particles with no mass or electric charge. Finally, the universe was filled with light. Light consists of particles of zero mass and zero electrical charge known as photons. The number and the average energy of the photons was about the same as for electrons, positrons or neutrinos. These particles were continually being created out of pure energy (original source of all matter in the present-day universe-galaxies, nebulae, stars, planets, earth, etc.).
 

As the time passed and the temperature of the universe cooled, nucleosynthesis took place and hydrogen and helium and other heavy elements were formed. After 3 minutes of the Big Bang, the universe consisted of 73 percent hydrogen and 27 percent helium. The resulting gases under the influence of gravitation ultimately condensed to form the galaxies and stars of the present universe. 

The Big Bang Theory is very close to a comprehensive understanding of Surah 21, Al-Anbiyaa and Ayath 30, which is cited above. In his note # 2690, Allama Yusuf Ali says " The evolution of the ordered worlds as we see them is hinted at. As man's intellectual gaze over the physical world expands, he sees more and more how Unity is the dominating note in Allah's wonderful Universe. Taking the solar system alone, we know that the maximum intensity of sun-spots corresponds with he maximum intensity of magnetic storms on this earth. The universal law of gravitation seems to bind all mass together. Physical facts point to the throwing off of planets from vast quantities of diffused nebular matter, of which the central condensed core is sun." Of course when Allama Yusuf Ali wrote this commentary it was 1935, long before the Big Bang Theory was espoused and long before the discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. 

Conclusion: The Big Bang Theory does not contradict the Qur'anic revelation (21:30) and it can be used as a Tafsir in understanding 21:30.
 

REFERENCE: Weinberg, S.: The First Three Minutes. A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe. Basic Books, Inc. Publishers, NY 1977.

The Pleasures of Learning

The rise of Muslims to the zenith of civilization in a period of four decades was based on Al-lslam's emphasis on learning. This is obvious when one takes a look at the Qur'an and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (s) which are filled with references to learning, education, observation, and the use of reason. The very first verse of the Qur'an revealed to the Prophet of Al Islam on the night of 27th of Ramadan in 611 AD reads:

"Read: In the name of thy Lord who created man from a clot. Read: And thy Lord is the Most Generous Who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not."

(Quran, 96:1-5)

"And they shall say had we but listened or used reason, we would not be among the inmates of the burning fire."

(Quran, 67:10)

"Are those who have knowledge and those who have no knowledge alike? Only the men of understanding are mindful. "

(Quran, 39:9)

And the Qur'an exhorts the Muslims to do scientific research:.

"And whoso bringeth the truth and believeth therein such are the dutiful."

(Quran, 39:33)

Every Muslim man's and every Muslim woman's prayer should be:

"My Lord! Enrich me with knowledge.."

(Quran, 20:114)

The pursuit of knowledge and the use of reason, based on sense observation is made obligatory on every Muslim, man and woman.
The following traditions of the Prophet (s) supplement the foregoing teachings of the Qur'an in the following way:

1. Seek knowledge "even though it be in China."
2. "The acquisition of knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim, whether male or female."
3. "The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr."
4. "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave."
5. "God has revealed to me, 'Whoever walks in the pursuit of knowledge I facilitate for him the way to heaven.'
6. "The best form of worship is the pursuit of knowledge."
7. "Scholars should endeavor to spread knowledge and provide education to people who have been deprived of it. For, where knowledge is hidden it disappears."
8. Some one asked the Prophet (SAS): "Who is the biggest scholar?" He replied: "He who is constantly trying to learn from others, for a scholar is ever hungry for more knowledge."
9. "Seek for knowledge and. wisdom, or whatever the 'vessel from which it flows, you will never be the loser."
10. "Thinking deep for one hour (with sincerity) is better than 70 years of (mechanical) worship."
11. "Worship, without knowledge, has no goodness in it and knowledge without understanding has no goodness in it. And the recitation of the Qur'an, which is riot thoughtful has no goodness in it."
12. "To listen to the words of the learned and to instill unto others the lessons of science is better than religious exercises."
13. "Acquire knowledge: it enables its possessor to distinguish right from the wrong, it lights the way to heaven; it is Our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when friendless- it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is an Ornament among friends and an armor against enemies."

The Islamic Empire for more than 1,000 years remained the most advanced and civilized nation in the world. .This is because Al-Islam stressed the importance and respect of learning, forbade destruction, developed in Muslims the respect for authority, discipline, and tolerance for other religions. The teachings of Qur'an and Sunnah drove many Muslims to their accomplishments in science and medicine.
By the tenth century their zeal and enthusiasms for learning resulted in all essential Greek medical and scientific writings being translated into Arabic in Damascus, Cairo, and Baghdad. Arabic became the international language of learning and diplomacy. The center of scientific knowledge and activity shifted eastward, and Baghdad emerged as the capitol of the scientific world. The Muslims became scientific innovators with originality and productivity.
For example Islamic medicine is one of the most famous and best known facets of Islamic civilization, and in which the Muslims most excelled. The Muslims were the great torchbearers of international scientific research. Some of the best and most eloquent praises of science ever written came from the pens of Muslim scientists who considered their work to be acts of worship. The same motives led to the establishment of Al-Azhar (800 AD) the first university in the world. They hit the "source ball of knowledge" over the fence to Europe. In the words of Campbell, "The European medical system is Arabian not only in origin but also in its structure. The Arabs are the intellectual forebearers of the Europeans."
One of the secrets of success in any profession is to be the most learned or best-informed person in his/her own profession. Learning is a pleasure. It is not, then one should cultivate the enjoyment associated with learning. Although the pleasure of learning is universal, there are many dull incurious people in the world. There are several reasons for this. Some people are made dull by bad teaching, isolation and following a routine life-style. For some people it is the pressure of hard work and poverty. For those who are rich, their ephemeral and trivial delights come in the way of the pleasures of learning. The human mind can survive not only poverty but also even wealth with luck, determination and guidance. For example I come from a poor family and due to poor teaching I lost interest in learning mathematics. As a result I scored only 39% in mathematics (35% required for a pass) in S. S. L. C. (Secondary School Leaving Certificate, India) in the Intermediate Science examination I scored 50% in mathematics. When I entered the Bachelor of Science degree class, I realized there is no way I can escape from mathematics and I resolved to conquer mathematics. With determination I found pleasure in learning mathematics by myself. The pleasure was akin to one derives in falling love with his/her beloved girl/boy friend or would be wife/husband. This pleasure changed my whole life. I started to score 100% in mathematics in all the class tests and mid-term examinations. In the final B.Sc. examination I scored more than 70% in mathematics.
Take the example of Archimedes. When he discovered the principle of specific gravity by observing his own displacement of water in a bath tub, he leaped out with great joy, and shouted, "Eureka, Eureka!" ("I have found it. I have found it!"). He was overwhelmed with joy and ran naked. All children possess the same instinct which prompted his outburst, and the rapture of its Gratification.
Learning is a natural pleasure. This pleasure is inborn and instinctive. The pleasure of learning is one of the essential pleasures of the human race. Without learning, survival itself is threatened. It is said that the propagation of the human race might be endangered if the knowledge of sex through seeing, reading or hearing is withheld from everyone.
The process of learning starts right after birth. It is true that babies who can barely talk investigate problems with all the zeal and excitement of explorers, make discoveries with the passion and absorption of dedicated scientists. At the end of each successful investigation, one can see on the tiny face an expression of innocent and pure heartfelt pleasure. The process of physical growth stops when a boy or girl reaches puberty, that is with the on set of menarche in the girls and with the change in the voice and growth of moustache and beard in boys. After puberty it is impossible to increase the height both in boys and girls. It is only possible to increase their widths by fattening. On the other hand the mental faculties grow from birth until death. At some point in our lifetime, the physical body becomes sick or ill and gradually dies; even the emotions become duller. But the mind continues to live, and even grows more lively and active, enjoys itself more, works and plays with more expansion and delight. I have seen grand parents obtaining B. A., M. A and Ph. D. degrees at the ages of 70, 80 or 90. There are many examples in the history of Art, Music and Science, of both men and women who significantly contributed and lead mentally productive lives at their ripe old ages. My own grandmother at 90 has vivid memories and narrates events, which occurred 70 or 80 years ago in her young age, very clearly. Learning extends our lives into new dimensions. It is cumulative. Instead of diminishing in time, like health and strength, its dividends go on increasing, provided one continues to learn throughout life and integrate the thoughts and make learning harmonious. One should make it a point to learn at least one new information each day. Now one can learn even during sleep. This is accomplished with headphones attached to the ears and repeats playing of phonographs or taped cassettes. This method of sleep-learning is found most useful in linguistics- to learn new languages.
The pleasure of learning is not confined to learning from textbooks, which are too often tedious. But it does include learning from book magazines (periodicals), newspapers, and movies. T. V., radio and traveler when you stand in a big library infront of thousands of books do not think they are lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves. Each has its own voice, which is as inaudible as the radiobroadcast waves falling directly on t ears. Just as one switches on the radio to hear. So does one just need to open a book to hear the voice far distant in time and space? One can hear the voice speaking, mind to mind, and heart to heart. Reading of books gives you two different delights. One is the pleasure of understanding the unknown and the unexpected. The other pleasure is of deepening one's knowledge of a specified field.
Apart from books, learning means keeping the mind open and active to receive all kinds of experience. The Mahabharatha says " Learn from the Environment and absorb the good things." As pointed out earlier there is great emphasis on learning and seeking knowledge in Islam. The Prophet Mohammed ordered Muslims to be active in their search for learning, crossing oceans and continents if necessary. " Seek knowledge even in China" he said. Learning also means learning to practice one' s own professional skills-that of a surgeon, musician or craftsman. Otherwise one can at least develop the ability l appreciate an art. Crafts and hobbies lead you into fresh fields of enjoyment and give you relaxation and activity without tension. You should know that tension is the prime cause of heart attacks, ulcers, hypertension, and most of the human diseases. Travel is an important part of the pleasures of learning. There are many examples of best-informed people who never read books and newspapers, but acquired excellent knowledge through travelling. One should travel with an open mind, all alert eye and a wish to understand other people and other places.
Everybody knows ''Knowledge is Power" but now I can say "Knowledge is Wealth". For the more learned you are, the more money you can earn. It is fitting here to tell you the story of Diogenes, the great Greek philosopher who lived during the time of Alexander the Great. Diogenes was a very learned man and he shunned both power and wealth. Hence he was called a cynic. He was known to have wandered searching for an honest man carrying a lantern during day and night. He gave up everything he possessed, except a coconut shell for drinking water. One day he saw a man drinking water forming a cup with his hand. After seeing this Diogenes threw away his last possession the coconut shell. The name of Diogenes spread throughout Greece. Alexander the Great heard about Diogenes and one day decided to see him. Mounted on horseback, Alexander the Great went to Diogenes who was sitting on the ground. Alexander said ' Oh Diogenes, I have heard a great deal about you and your life. I am very much impressed by your life and it is my earnest desire to help you in whatever way I can. Please let me know your desires so that I can fulfil them". To which Diogenes replied "Your Excellency my only request is that you get aside and allow the sun's rays to fall on my body." Alexander the Great was deeply moved by Diogenes's reply and said "If I were not Alexander the Great. I would be Diogenes." Now the point I want to make here is that Diogenes never went to Alexander the Great, but that Alexander the Great came to Diogenes for he was such a learned philosopher.
There are many people in this world who have played themselves to death, or eaten and drunk themselves to death. Nobody ever died because of thinking or learning. People who avoid learning, or abandon it, find no joy in life, find that life is drained dry. No learner has ever run short of subjects to explore. The pleasures of learning lead to happiness. One can live longest and best and most rewardingly by attaining and preserving the happiness of learning. Learning is everyone's birthright. Everyone - young or old, rich or poor, male or female, has access to learning. Exercise your birthright. Remember what you have learned cannot be stolen by others.

Educating Muslim Children: Challenges and Opportunities

ABSTRACT 

Education is the birth right of every Muslim and Muslimah. Islam puts considerable emphasis on its followers to acquire knowledge. Investment in education is the best investment one can make, because it eventually leads to intellectual property. Intellectual property is the intangible property, which no one can steal or destroy. This is the property on which no Government can levy a tax. It was as a result of application of knowledge that Muslims were the superpower of the world for twelve centuries. 
Today, globally Muslims have the lowest literacy rate. Education of Muslim children in the west has both opportunities and challenges. 
In the Western World the purpose of education is to provide for the economic prosperity of a nation. At a personal level the purpose of education is to acquire academic and professional skills that enable one to earn a respectable living with riches and fame, and also a luxurious and comfortable life. For a Muslim providing economic prosperity of a nation does not contradict his/her Islamic beliefs, however focusing the goals of education solely for the purpose of money making is unpalatable. Muslims want to impart Islamic education. Vast majority of the Muslims think that Islamic education means acquiring Islamic religious knowledge-study of Qur'an, Arabic, Hadith, Sunnah, Seerah, Fiqh, Islamic history, and allied subjects. As a matter of fact, in the present world broadly speaking we have two types of Muslims. Those who have followed the Western type of education or secular education and those who have acquired Deeni or Islamic education.
 
In the twentieth century, due to Colonialism and Western influence, Muslim parents concentrated on imparting only Secular education to their children. The weak or not so bright students were sent to Deeni (religious) Madrasas (schools) in their own countries or to one of the Middle Eastern countries. The Muslims who emigrated to Western countries became aware of their religious identity and wanted to impart both Islamic and Secular education, what is now known as "Integrated Education." When they lacked the numbers and resources, they sent their children to public schools during the week and to the Islamic schools in the Mosque or Islamic Center during the weekends. As their numbers grew and acquired sufficient resources, they have opened full-time Islamic Schools from kindergarten (K grade) to 12^th grade (senior or final year) in High School. In North America, an estimated 300 Islamic Schools are functioning which impart Integrated education. There are even a few full-time Hifz schools in North America producing homegrown Huffaz (plural of Hafeez-a scholar who has memorized the Qur'an). It takes about two to three years of full-time study to become a Hafeez. During this time the student takes an equivalent to sabbatical leave from his or her public or parochial school. 
This paper analyzes the choice the parents make in sending their children, to Public, Parochial, Private non-parochial, Islamic, Virtual Islamic, or Home School. Their advantages and disadvantages. 
The greatest objective of education is to prepare the young generation for leadership. Islamic education is of course has the highest objective, and more than that can hardly be imagined. The aim of Islamic education is Character building. Growth and development of an Islamic personality should be the final goal of any Islamic School. Islamic values are the foundation of the Islamic personality. As Muslims our educational aim is to develop the personalities of our children to the end that they will be conscious of their responsibility to Allah (the Creator) and to fellow humans. The aims and objectives of Islamic education has been defined in the Recommendation of the Committee I of the First World Conference on Muslim Education as under, "Education should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality of man through training of the human spirit, intellect, rational self, feelings and senses. The training imparted to a Muslim must be such that faith is infused into the whole of his/her personality and creates in him/her an emotional attachment to Islam and enables him to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah and be governed by Islamic system of values willingly and joyfully so that he/she may proceed to the realization of his/her status as Khalifatullah to whom Allah has promised the authority of the universe." 
We need to prepare the younger generation having leadership quality and not to be the followers of alien ideologies but to play the role of torchbearer by their excellence in knowledge, character, and positive action. Some scholars believe that this quality can be developed in Muslim youth by a direct study of the Qur'an with a view to solve the problems of life in its light. A program of action to upbring the younger generation for leadership has not yet been formulated.  
Every Muslim parent is advised to raise his or her children well and properly. A happy home, comfort, care and love, providing the necessities of life and a good education are some of the responsibilities that parents are required to fulfill. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said whoever is not kind to young people is not one of us and the best teaching that a parent can give a child is the teaching of good manners and character. The Muslim child absorbs the Islamic values from its parents, teachers, peers, friends and the environment, including the care- givers. Nip it in the bud is the best advice. Otherwise once the Muslim child develops undesirable habits and unethical values, it becomes extremely difficult to make the child into a good Muslim/Muslimah. 
Parents play a vital role in the education of their children. Early childhood education program emphasizes the role of parents. It declares that learning begins in the first days of life and continues for long. Parents should develop a habit to read with their children every night. Parents should provide an Islamic environment, an Islamic culture. It is hypocritical to do things differently and expect the child to have Islamic values. Parents set the best examples for their children to imbibe. Like parents the role of family has also been considered important in learning and upbringing the children. As the children grow the teachers, community elders, their friends exert deep influence on the character of the child. The parents should choose the right schools for their children. Audio-Visual media such as TV, Video, video games, Movies, peer pressure could play an effective role in erasing the Islamic personality the parents are building and deeply influence the behavior of the children for years. It takes constant and continuos effort on the part of the parents and others to keep our youth on the path of Islamic values. Otherwise they will become an American statistic. Character education, promotion of order and discipline and ending the culture of guns and drugs from schools are the important steps of Islamic education. Islamic education should open the door of college education for every Muslim.  
The frontiers of learning are expanding across a lifetime. All the people, irrespective of age, must have a chance to learn new skills. Internet is now the power of information. The classroom, library and even the children's hospitals are planned to connect with it for easy access to knowledge. 
In America the parents of Muslim children are facing the challenge of picking the right school for their children. The parents have the choice to choose the school their children will attend. Parents would like to send their children to a school that promotes academic excellence and a value centered educational environment. The following pages list the different types of schools available for Muslim children, their advantages and disadvantages. 
WHY ISLAMIC EDUCATION? 
American society today is drifting aimlessly in a sea of problems: 

• Crime
• Guns and violence including rape
• Sexual promiscuity and immorality
• Drugs
• Homosexuality
• Poverty
• Divorce
• Single parent families
• Children traumatized emotionally and psychologically as a result of broken families
• Disrupted upbringing
• One million teen-age pregnancies of unmarried mothers per year
• Sexually abused children
• Spousal abuse
• Child abuse

All of this has great influence on and impacts the Muslims living in America, especially the children and youth. The parents try to teach Islamic values and morals to the children, hence children are to maintain these values at home environment. Outside the home, the children are in a totally different environment. At times the outside social environment is in opposition to what Muslim children are learning at home. As a result of this conflict, children are fighting a psychological battle in their minds. Islam is very deeply concerned with the welfare of human society and the family is considered to be the cornerstone for building the right society. Raising children in this culture and expecting Islamic values from them is a unique and very tough challenge. Muslim families are at a disadvantage in meeting the psychological and spiritual needs of the children. Giving more religious teachings to children at home is not enough. It is extremely important for parents to spend time with their children. Parents have to find time to be with their children at home, school, games, on the playground, field trips, picnics, and tours. The most essential element is to establish an open channel of communication with the children. An effort should be made to create an environment wherein children should not hesitate to say to their parents their thinkings and feelings. The school system in America deals with the teaching of Academic subjects. The system has also been gearing up to teach life skills, such as prevention of smoking and drug abuse, prevention of heart disease, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Children should get the Islamic education at an early age. In an effort to inculcate Islamic values, the teachings should be done at home as well as Islamic centers or Islamic schools. Islamic schools should create opportunities for Muslim children to get together to bond with each other as this would help in establishing confidence in an Islamic identity and get psychological support. When children meet other children who are Muslim, it enhances their confidence in being a Muslim and they feel more comfortable about their identity and they assert their Islamic identity in non-Muslim environment with more ease and comfort. Islamic identity, according to some, refers to characteristics of thought, behavior, and attitudes emanating from the Islamic beliefs; and it should be manifested in an Islamic way of life. The practice of Islam gives Muslims a tangible identity that they live with and project to the rest of the society. It can be preserved by their dynamic interaction with the realities of the American system of life and influencing and reforming the society through Islamic thoughts. The best role model is the parent's character. The social support systems, such as Islamic centers, weekend or full time Islamic schools should be built in communities across the country. 
Problems in Islamic Schools: 

• No Adaab or Islamic etiquette or behavior
• Parents want teachers to be lenient
• Some girls and boys meet secretly in the basement.
• They have girl-friends and boy-friends
• They do smoke
• Profanity is written on the walls, desks, blackboards, etc.
• Behave roughly: laughing, talking, screaming, rip off their Hijab on the buses.
• Discipline: Behavior is no different from the Public Schools.
• Teachers are not fair. Spoiled kids as their parents are rich or important
• Less school activities for girls. Little opportunity to interact with other students.
• Islamic schools are running without an Islamic curriculum, often without a syllabus
• No textbooks.
• No qualified and trained teachers or certified teachers. (Quality in education is not possible without good teachers.)
• Those who attend Muslim high schools do not fare better in college.
• Non-Muslim teachers who are qualified and certified. (Live-in boyfriend, rejects institution of marriage. Wear tight and revealing outfit. Promote gay agenda, anti-religion agenda, or insensitive to Islamic values and events)
• Qualified and certified Muslim teachers work in Public schools. As Islamic schools do not offer viable salaries, benefits (pension health benefits, etc.)
• When they leave Islamic schools and graduate from colleges, some of them, they do marry non-Muslims as the Muslim community and their parents have exerted zero influence on them.
• Chronic shortage of space, science labs, auditoriums, gyms, playgrounds, libraries, bathrooms.
• High turnover rate (30 to 40 percent annually) of teachers.
• Parents' fear Islamic schools trade off academics for Islamic environment.
• Organization, planning and discipline -suffer most in Islamic schools.
• Governance is the big reason why most Islamic schools suffer
• Do not develop an autonomous and unique decision-making (governance) structure
• School Boards require training in how to run a school
• School Boards rarely include women
• Parents do not play a part in Governance structure
• No qualified administrators
• Some parents worry Islamic schools offer an inferior quality of education.
• Children are not prepared to face competitiveness and the challenges of the modern world.
• Seriously lacking in Muslim literature and culture.
• For many Muslim families, Islamic schools are not affordable.
• In sparse Muslim population areas, Islamic schools are not financially viable.
• Very few trained Muslim teachers in special education or none

  In North America major problem is the prevalent moral degradation of the society. In establishing the Islamic Schools, Muslims lack a clear perception of their goals and seldom evaluate the final result if it is worth the money in producing the desired results. Many Islamic schools have run into financial difficulties. Their dreams have crumbled down, resulting in scaled down projects after short-lived disastrous venture.  
HOME SCHOOLING: 

• The best and safest place for a Muslim child to be educated
• Home schooling is possible only for a very small number.
• Requires motivated parents who are qualified.
• Parents should be trained and willing to devote long hours every day.
• Parents should impart both 'Islamic' and 'secular' education
• Prepare the children to successfully compete in the outside world.
• Parents rejoice in the experiencing a child harvest the fruits of an education.
• Taking children from pre-reading to reading is an exhilarating experience.
• Public and / or private schools may have turned children away from being interested,

self-motivated learners and taken the joy of learning away from them.

• The public/private schools are not as thorough as a parent wishes.
• There is no available or affordable local full time Islamic school.
• The Islamic school does not provide the entire K-12 educational experience.
• Public schools work against the parent's authority and unfriendly to Muslim children-Hijab.
• Public school texts and classroom materials may be destructive to Islamic values and parental authority.
• Parents develop their own curriculum, pick out books, texts and workbooks that best suit

their needs and family or learners style.

• Home schooling removes children from an environment of drugs, violence, alcohol, sexual

Experimentation, gangs, and peer pressure.

• It returns them to a healthy, safe, Allah-centered learning environment.
• A school schedule that is friendlier to the demands of an Islamic life can be followed.
• Classes can be held on Saturday and Sunday, continued during Christian holidays,

lightened during Ramadan and stopped for Eids.

• When family moves and relocates, continuity in education is preserved.
• Homeschoolers do not have to fit the child to the curriculum
• Homeschoolers make the curriculum fit the individual child.
• Misconception: parents need to know everything or spend all day teaching.
• School days need not be as long, either.
• One-on-one instruction is faster than one-on-30.
• Home schooling is legal in all fifty states, Canada, the United Kingdom and many other countries
• Homeschooling of children with learning disabilities, special needs or gifted and talented is possible
• There are magazines, WEB sites, distance learning programs and curriculum specifically designed for and devoted to this segment of the homeschooling population.
• SOCIALIZATION: Muslim families arrange weekly or monthly field trips or social events. Participate in local Boy/Girl Scouts, sport teams, craft and sewing classes,

YMCA (physical education requirements).

• Muslim organizations that meet social needs of Muslim children: Muslim Youth Camps, MYNA,

local Masjid youth programs, summer camps, vacation camps, Muslim Athletes United International

• Home school students watch much less television than students nationwide.
• Home school student achievement test scores are exceptionally high.
• Home schooled students have higher scholastic achievement test (SAT) scores than students who attended other educational programs.
• Homeschooled children are winning Spelling Bee and Geography Bee National Contests.

PUBLIC EDUCATION: 

• No tuition fees. Public schools are run with tax-dollars to which Muslims contribute.
• Have qualified, trained and certified teachers
• Teachers are paid well, with all the benefits
• Provide secular curriculum which has many good skills-like critical thinking
• Tries to inculcate thirst for knowledge
• Teachers are strict about homework
• Classes are scheduled in blocks with longer times.
• Provide college preparation with emphasis on science, math, English and other core subjects.
• Provide real life experience-meet children of all strata of society, diversity, co-ed
• Sufficient space for buildings, libraries, labs, playgrounds, gyms, Internet and individual PCs
• Public schools in suburban areas provide quality education, relatively in a safe environment
• Provide almost free Textbooks.
• Provide free or subsidized lunches for low-income Muslim families.
• Provide advanced classes for gifted and talented children.
• Provide education for special children who are slow learners or mentally /physically handicapped
• Public schools provide an excellent opportunity for advancing the cause of Islam
• Gives opportunities for Muslim students and teachers to dispel misconceptions about Islam

• Problems of Public Education:
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Drug abuse
• Boyfriend-girlfriend -romantic pair- starts early in pre-school
• Sexual Experimentation,
• Violence
• Gangs
• Peer Pressure
• Secular curriculum places undue emphasis on western culture and ignores Muslim culture
• English literature is devoid of Muslim authors and Muslim topics
• Cultural heritage (provides identity and belonging to a cultural group) taught is totally Western.
• Muslim youth torn between school culture and Muslim culture at home
• Religious holidays are celebrated but no Muslim holidays
• Lying is accepted as growing up aspect.
• Family concept is deeply eroded
• Social studies class does not give credit to Muslim/Islamic contribution to the development of West

  OTHERS: 

• Correspondence courses
• Distance learning via the World Wide Web and Internet.( www.thegateway.org)
• Virtual Islamic Schools
• Non-Muslim Parochial Schools
• Non-Muslim Private Schools
• Charter Schools-funded by state and local governments are Independent public schools formed by teachers, parents and/or community members. Exempt from state and local laws and/or policies in exchange for a written contract (or Charter) that specifies certain results are achieved. NOT ALLOWED TO TEACH RELIGION. However school's mission may emphasize on the study of a particular language, cultural and ethnic traditions, and history infused with state's core curriculum.

Examples of Charter Schools: Star International Academy and Universal Academy. Both are in Detroit, Michigan. Website: http://www.uscharterschools.org/

• Charter schools provide solid foundations of knowledge and skills to compete in the world.
• Admission is open to all state residents and students pay no tuition.

In his state of the union address on February 4, 1997, President Bill Clinton declared that if the United States failed to accept the responsibilities of leadership, it could endanger the peace of the world and its own welfare. He said, " The new promise of the global economy, the Information Age, unimagined new works, life enhancing technology-- all these are ours to seize….. We must be shapers of events not observers." President Clinton plans for strong economy, and democracy, job certainty to Americans, harnessing the force of technology and science, strengthening families and communities, saving the environment and making America the strongest forces for peace, freedom and prosperity. In his address President Clinton gave the topmost priority to education for the next four years. " Education is a critical national issue for our future" he declared. His " Call to Action for American Education" is based on ten principles ensuring that all Americans will have the best education in the world. The President fixes the goals of education at all levels. He observes that every 8-year-old must be able to read; every 12-year-old must be able to log on to the Internet; every 18-year-old must be able to go to college and every adult must be able to continue learning throughout one's life. 
REFERENCES: 

1. Islamic Horizons May/June 2000
2. The Message International May 2000

The Muslim Belief in Angels

Iman (faith) is to proclaim the Kalimah (principle) with the tongue and affirm its truth with the heart. In the Kalimah one has to bear/witness to the truth in the following words: "I bear witness that there is no god (deity) but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Servant and Apostle of Allah." By proclaiming this Kalimah one implicitly believes in the following Articles of Faith: 

1. Existence and Attributes of Allah
2. Destiny or Measure (Taqdir)
3. Angels
4. Prophets
5. Revealed Books
6. The Hereafter

Iman is the basis of acts of worship and righteous deeds in Islam. 
One of the names and attributes of Allah is Al Haqq (The Truth). In reading and understanding the Qur'an, a Muslim man or a Muslim woman is seeking the truth. Muslims say Islam is the religion of Truth. As defined above our Iman (faith) is affirmation of the truths and not blind beliefs. 
There are religions whose followers believe the idols to be gods or Jesus to be Son of God. There are people who worship fire as god or natural entities or forces as gods. There are people who even worship Satan. One can have belief or faith in anything. So what is the difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim. As pointed out before, the-Muslim's Iman is affirmation of the truth. In Dawah work a Muslim may encounter the challenge in the Article of Faith in "Angels." In other words a Muslim has to answer the question "Do Angels exist?" and what is the truth? 

Belief in the Angels 

 The Muslims conceptualize angels according to Western ideas as an anthropomorphic (human-like appearance), female in sex, white in color, having two white wings and a halo above the head. In Islam this is a false representation of the angels. 
From the Qur'an we know that human beings are made from clay and the Jinns are made of smokeless fire. The angels have no gender (neither male nor female). 
All life on earth is made of Carbon and water. Living things on earth need energy for their activities. Some of these activities are chemical reactions, which need a supply of energy. This supply of energy comes from the foods we eat, particularly the sugars. Fat is also a source of (stored) energy. When sugars (glucose) are oxidized by metabolism with oxygen they are converted into water, carbon dioxide and energy. This process is called respiration. Life as we know on earth consists of cells, etc., based on Carbon and chemical reactions and cannot be applied- to life and creatures based on physical reactions found on earth and elsewhere. For example, the author has shown that the Jinns have a more complex basis for their life involving electrical charges as well as magnetic forces. The positive and negative ions interact and respond to the presence of magnetic forces which in turn affect the stable structure and movement of the Jinns: This situation is similar to the influence of proteins and nucleic acids in earthly life. 
Hadith and Qur'an 
In order to explain the existence of the angels, one must know the nature of the angels. From the Hadith we get the following information:
 

1. The angels are created from light' and are invisible.

     2.     They do not have any free will or an independent will to act on their own. That is they   have only a one-dimensional nature, something like a programmed robot 
    3.    They carry out without question all the Commands (laws) of Allah and do not oppose or neglect them in any way. 

4. Like everything in the Universe, day and night they are engaged in praising and glorifying Allah and are never tired of this.

 

5. They carry out their functions honestly, efficiently and responsibly and are never guilty of shirking work.

    6.     The number of angels is only known to Allah, however four of them are well known: Gabriel (conveys Allah's revelations and messages to the Prophets); Israfil (by Allah's Command will blow into the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection); Michael (arranges for rainfall and supply of provisions to the creatures' of Allah, with His Command); and Izrail (takes people's souls at the time of death). 
    7.   Two angels, called 'Munkar' and 'Nakir' arc sent to the graves to question a person after his/her death. 
The Qur'an says: 

Behold two (guardian angels) appointed W register (his doings): one sitting on the right and one on the left. Not a word does he (man) utter, but there is a sentinel by him ready (to register it). Surah L: 17-18 

These angels are called the Noble Scribes (Karamun, Katibun). LXXXII: 10-12 

And if it were

Our Will We could make angels

From amongst you, succeeding

Each other on the earth

• (Surah, XLIII: 60) 

In explaining this Ayah one of the scholars says that the angels are created without a father or a mother and that they do not eat and drink. That is they do not have any emotions including passion and they are devoid of instincts (biological urges). They cannot commit sin nor disobey. 
Man is superior to the angels because he has a two-dimensional nature. Firstly, he is endowed with an immortal spirit, which is breathed into him by Allah. Secondly, he is endowed with the faculty of reason and an independent will of his own (free will) so that he can obey or disobey Allah's Commandments and choose his own way freely. Unlike the angels, man has a gender (sex), instincts and biological urges.
 
Scientific Views 
The author believes there is nothing wrong in attempting to understand or to interpret the concept of angels in the light of modern knowledge. After all, Muslims and scientists are seekers of the truth and truth is the same in either domain. Some Ulema or Islamic scholars have come very close to explaining the angels in terms of scientific terminology and have given the analogy of radio-waves, cinematography and the recordings of audio and video images on video-cassettes. It is the intention of the author to make efforts in better understanding and in conceptualization of angels, which are created by Allah in terms of nature, natural laws and natural forces, which are also created by Allah. 
Angels can be interpreted as Messengers or Instruments of Allah's Will, and may have a few or numerous errands entrusted to them. 
The scientific concept which very closely describes the angels is the electromagnetic force (electromagnetic radiation). If angels are made of light then light is made of electromagnetic radiation, which travels at 186,000 miles per second. Like angels electromagnetic force obeys the laws of nature incessantly without mistake and has. No free will or an independent will of its own. Hence it has a one-dimensional nature like angels. Electromagnetic radiation has no gender, no emotions including passions and has no instincts or biological urges. It is invisible except in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum (4,000 to 7,000 Angstroms wavelength). 
The Qur'an mentions that angels came in -the form of humans to Prophet Ibrahim, Prophet Lot and the Hadith mentions about angel Gabriel talking to Prophet Muhammad " " in the form of human being. This is also not difficult to understand because we can create Holographic images, which are three-dimensional human figures that can talk using laser light and white light (visible light). Again, laser light and white light are electromagnetic radiation. Communication is possible by means of radio waves or microwaves, which are also electromagnetic radiation. 
The four angels can be explained in terms of the four forces that exist in nature. These four obey the laws of Allah incessantly without any mistake, without any disobedience. These four forces are the Gravitational Force, Electromagnetic Force, Weak Force, and the Strong or Nuclear Force. 

PS The ideas, opinions and theories expounded by the author in this article may be proven wrong in the light of new knowledge available in the future and the author takes full responsibility for it. There is nothing wrong in expounding one's ideas; today which may be proven inappropriate or obsolete in the future. One can witness this in the study of great scientists, both Muslim and non-Muslim, such as lbn Sina, Al-Razi, Al-Biruni, etc. and the giants of the Western civilization such as Plato, Aristotle, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, etc. 

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Quantum Theory and Reality

" The Reality!

What is the Reality?

Ah, what will convey unto thee what the reality is! " 

……..Al-Qur'an, Surah Al-Haqqah, (The Reality), 69: 1-3 

For thousands of years man has been trying to understand the nature of physical reality, consciousness, the purpose of life, the reality of nature and many, many, mysteries of the life and the universe. 

For the last 100 years we have seen the introduction of quantum theory, quantum mechanics and quantum physics that have focused on quantum computation to consciousness, parallel universes and the very nature of physical reality. We are not aware of the extraordinary range of scientific and practical applications that quantum mechanics strengthened: almost 30 percent of the United States GNP (gross national product) is based on the inventions made possible by quantum mechanics, such as semiconductors in computer chips to lasers, CD (compact-disc) players, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in medical centers. Quantum mechanics was instrumental in predicting positrons (antimatter), understanding radioactivity that lead to nuclear power, explaining superconductivity, and describing interactions such as those between light and matter that lead to the invention of the laser and of radiowaves and nuclei that lead to MRI.
 

Quantum Mechanics 

Quantum Mechanics is a branch of physics, which deals with the behavior of matter and light on the atomic and subatomic scale. Its concept frequently conflicts with common sense notions. The business of Quantum Mechanics is to describe and account for the world-on the small scale-actually and not as we imagine it or would like it to be. The world of Quantum Mechanics is strange, fascinating, mysterious and very intellectual. On the other hand the word "Quantum Mechanics" is repelling, boring, uninteresting and very dull. Most of us shy away from the word Quantum Mechanics, whenever it is mentioned. 

Consider for example the “classical” atom, i.e. the solar system model of the atom as introduced by Rutherford in 1911. The basic flaw with this “classical” atom is that as the orbiting electron circles the nucleus, it should emit electromagnetic waves of an intensity increasing rapidly to infinity in a tiny

fraction of a second, as it spirals inwards and plunges into the nucleus. However, nothing like this is observed. Thus our observation contradicts our “classical” physics theory. This is why Quantum theory, which certainly was not wished upon by scientists, was forced upon them despite their great reluctance. They found themselves driven into this strange, and in many ways, philosophically unsatisfying view of the world. 

Thanks God the real world is neither entirely classical nor quantum. On the “large” scale, the world seems to behave rationally according to the classical theory. However as you go “smaller”, it starts to act in a strange, peculiar way to save itself from extinction.  

Now what if we were living in an entirely classical (non-quantum) world? 

The answer is simple. There would be no world, classical or other, to live in. In a purely classical world, the atoms would not exist, as the electrons would be sucked into the nucleus, transforming the world into a concentrated, dense material, in a fraction of a second. 

One might say that since this awkward quantum theory deals with the very “tiny”, who cares?

Wrong. As a matter of fact the very existence of solid bodies, the strength and physical properties of materials, the nature of chemistry, the colors of substances, the phenomena of freezing and boiling, the reliability of inheritance, these, and many familiar properties, require the quantum theory for their explanations.
 

The World without the knowledge of Quantum Mechanics 

On the other hand, quantum theory has been an outstanding successful theory and underlies nearly all of modern science and technology. It governs the behavior of transistors and integrated circuits, which are the essential components of electronics devices such as television and computers, as mentioned earlier, and is also the basis of modern chemistry and biology. In short, it is almost impossible to imagine the modern world without the contributions of quantum theory. Quantum theory as we know it today arouse out of two independent later schemes which were innovated by a pair of young remarkable physicists: a 24 year old German, Werner Heisenberg, and an Austrian, Erwin Schrodinger. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle proves that nature does not allow us to measure the position and velocity of a single particle (let alone the whole universe) with perfection, no matter how precise our measuring instruments. Schrodinger developed what is known as Schrodinger equation. This equation states that there is a wave associated with any particle (like the electron), and it is called the wavefunction and it is spread out to fill the whole universe. The wavefunction is stronger in one region, which corresponds to the position of the particle and gets weaker farther away from this region but still exists even far away from the "position" of the particle. Schrodinger equation is very good at predicting how particles like electrons behave under different circumstances.

DUAL ASPECTS
 

The subatomic units of matter are very abstract entities, which have a dual aspect. Depending on how we look at them, they appear sometimes as particles, sometimes as waves; and this dual nature is also exhibited by light which can take the form of electromagnetic waves or of particles. It seems impossible to accept that something can be, at the same time, a particle-i.e., an entity confined to a very small volume-and a wave, which is spread out over a large region of space. This contradiction gave rise to the formulation of the quantum theory. Max Planck discovered that the energy of heat radiation is not emitted continuously, but appears in the form of "energy packets." Einstein called these energy packets "quanta" (quantum is singular) and recognized them as a fundamental aspect of nature. The light quanta are called photons, which are massless and always travel with the speed of light. 

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE 

In Ayathul Kursi, we read "….His throne includeth the heavens and the earth…" ( Qur'an, 2: 255).

From this verse the Muslims understand that Allah (SWT) is present everywhere in the universe. 

Again we read in Surah Qaaf "… We are nearer to him than his jugular vein."( Qur'an, 50: 16).

From this verse the Muslims understand that Allah (SWT) is closer to us than our jugular vein.

So what is the Reality? Apparently, there seems to be some contradiction for those who have no knowledge of Duality.  

A PARTICLE AT TWO PLACES AT THE SAME TIME 

Let us assume that we are studying the position of a light photon traveling in space. It has been shown that this photon has a wavefunction as introduced by Schrodinger equation. The wavefunction peaks at the position of the photon. Now if this photon encounters a half-silvered mirror, tilted at 45° to the light beam (a half-silvered mirror is a mirror, which reflects exactly half of the light, which impinges upon it, while the remaining half is transmitted directly through the mirror), the photon's wavefunction splits into two, with one part reflected off to the side and the other part continuing in the same direction in which the photon started. The wavefunction is said to be "doubly peaked." Since each "part" of the wavefunction is describing a position that may be light-years away from the other position given by the other "part" of the wavefunction, we can conclude that the photon has found itself to be in two places at once, more than a light-year distant from one another!

Someone might say that this previous assessment is not real. What is happening really is that the photon has a 50 percent probability that it is in one of the places and a 50 percent probability that it is in the other? No, that's simply not true! No matter for how long it has traveled, there is always the possibility that the two parts of the photons' beam may be reflected back so that they encounter one another, for a much awaited "reunion". If it was a simple matter of probability, the photon would be either on one position "OR" the other, and there would not be any need for "reunion" with the other probability.

So as long as there is any possibility that the wavefunction will be reduced to one peak again (as it was before the photon hit the half-silvered mirror); the photon in question shall behave as one photon in two places at the same time!  

In the experiment presented here, a light beam encounters a half-silvered mirror angled 45° to the light beam, splitting the beam into two. The two parts of this light beam is brought back again to the same point (where a second half-silvered mirror is placed) by using a pair of fully-silvered mirrors .Two photocells (A & B) are placed in the direct line of the two beams in order to find the where about of the examined photon. What do we find? If it were merely the case that there were a 50 % chance that the photon followed one route and a 50 % chance that it followed the other, then we should find a 50 % probability that one of the detectors registers the photon and a 50 % probability that the other one does. However, that is not what happens. If the two possible routes are exactly equal in length, then it turns out that there is a 100 % probability that the photon reaches the detector A, lying in the direction of the photon's initial motion and a 0 % probability that it reaches the other detector B (the photon is certain to strike detector A).  

What does this tell us about the reality of the photon's state of existence between its first and last encounter with a half-reflecting mirror? It seems inescapable that the photon must, in some sense have actually traveled both routes at once! For if an absorbing screen is placed in the way of either of the two routes, then it becomes equally probable that A or B is reached; but when both routes are open (and of equal length) only A can be reached. Blocking off one of the routes actually allows B to be reached! With both routes open, the photon somehow "knows" that it is not permitted to reach B, so it must have actually felt out both routes. What is the Reality ? (Qur'an, 69: 1-3) 

EPR PARADOX 

Locality and non- locality

You are spending the summer in Europe. Your mother calls you from California to tell you that you have inherited a large amount of money from your billionaire grandpa. A whole 70 million dollars. You are flying from happiness. 

What happened in San Francisco - where your mother lives - influenced you seven thousand miles away. Your mum's voice - the cause of your pleasure - had to travel seven thousand miles, and although it took only a tiny fraction of a second to reach your ears, yet it consumed "some" time. So the cause of your pleasure had to travel through space for some time till it influences you. This is called "locality".


On the other hand non-locality means that an event at one place shall affect another event, far away from it, instantly. Although this is against special relativity -which prohibits any signal to travel faster than light - it was proved true in quantum mechanics. What is the Reality ? (Qur'an , 69:1-3)

The EPR (Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen) Paradox introduces a class of experiments, which turn out to involve some of the strangest consequences of quantum mechanics. This experiment involves a pair of particles, or physical systems, which interact and then move apart. Quantum theory shows that the results of measurements on one particle enable us to predict the results of corresponding measurements on the other particle.

That is because both particles were "one" physical system. Now if we perform a measurement on one particle, the wavefunction shall jump to assume the value of the measurement on this particle. But what about the second particle, since this system was "one" system, this means that a measurement (or jumping) at particle 1 implies an instantaneous measurement (or jumping) at particle 2.

Because the experiment involves some advanced physical properties of particles (spin, polarization…), we designed an analogous experiment using colors so the concept of non-locality can be understood easily. (This experiment is not real.)  

Suppose that we have a white particle. This particle was then split into two particles: a green particle and a magenta particle. Now imagine that the two particles moved in opposite directions at the speed of light for 10 years, so that they eventually were 20 light years apart. Now according to quantum mechanics, any measurement (trying to determine the color of a particle) on particle 1 shall determine the outcome of measurement on particle 2.

So if we examined the color of particle 1 and found it to be green, then the other particle is automatically magenta.

Now suppose you decided to inspect or measure the color of particle 1 in a red light chamber, and found it yellow (green + red). According to quantum mechanics, at the exact same time, the second particle has turned blue, so that the sum of the colors of the two particles remains white.

Now how did particle 2 "know" about particle 1 measurement and how come it was affected by it?
What is the Reality? (Qur'an, 69:1-3) 

SCHRODINGER'S CAT 

What happens if we designed an experiment where a quantum event would have a direct impact on a large object like…a cat! 

Imagine a sealed container, so perfectly constructed that no physical influence can pass either inwards or outwards across its walls. With the cat inside the container, there is also a device that can be triggered by some quantum event. The quantum event is the triggering of a photocell by a photon, where the photon had been emitted by some light source, and then reflected off a half-silvered mirror. The reflection at the mirror splits the photon quantum state (wave function) into two separate parts; one of which is reflected and the other is transmitted through the mirror. The reflected part of the photon wave function is focused on the photocell, so if the photons are registered by the photocell, it has been reflected .In that case, the cyanide is released and the cat is killed. If the photocell doesn't register, the photon was transmitted through the half-silvered mirror to the wall behind, and the cat is safe.

Now, let us take the viewpoint of the physicist outside the container. According to the outside observer, no "measurement" has actually taken place, so the quantum state of the entire system is nothing but a linear superposition between alternatives right up to the scale of the cat (Schrödinger equation). Both alternatives must be present in the state. So, according to the outside observer, the cat is in a linear superposition of being dead and alive at the same time! What is the Reality? (Qur'an, 69:1-3)