Issue 70 (July - August 2009)

"There were no lovers left for me in the world, I used to think, Then I took leave of my self and saw all were nothing but lovers.” The above couplet from Niyazi Mýsri describes the state of a “perfect human,” or insan al-kamil in Sufi terminology. Departing from glorifying our own virtues at…

Do not, then, be faint of heart, nor grieve, for you are always the superior side, if you are (true) believers. (Qur’an, 3:139) The situation before our eyes is as horrific as it could be, but with faith, hope, and turning to God it is not impossible to rise above it. Walking towards the sun…

"The work of Gulen's followers in Turkey shows that Islam-as taught by Gulen-seeks tolerance, not conflict; it aims for a better society, not political power; and it manifests itself in prayer and concrete local action." "As early as the eighteenth century, Goethe knew that the East and the We…

Microfinance, which has become well known since its leading advocates Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh were awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate, has been helping millions of people in poverty around the world for three decades now. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2…

The definition of Islam The root of the word Islam, silm, refers to "making peace, being in a mutually peaceful environment, greetings, rescue, safety, being secure, finding peace, reaching salvation and well being or being far from danger, attaining goodness, comfort and favor, keeping away from…

Though tremendous technical efforts are being spent on solving the problem of privacy concerns in RFID usage, this is only one side of the story. The problems human beings encounter cannot be solved solely by technical means because humans are not products of engineering. They have hearts, minds…

Fethullah Gulen started his professional career as a traditional imam, trained and certificated by the governmental authorities in Ankara. His innovative ideas of educational and social reform have made him a household name in modern Turkey and increasingly around the world for several decades now…

Everywhere is your Beauty, wherever I look, in whatever I see, Dancing in the enchantment of Your love, Like a moth, the world is rushing to meet You, I wish I could reach You, even if only once it may be. I await, on the horizon of my hopes, the rise of the moon, Your hands caressing my angui…

To have a beautiful, healthy baby is the dream of all would-be parents. Nevertheless, dreams do not always come true. Austin was a very healthy boy. He used to sleep and eat nicely. In fact, he was very good and everything was wonderful until he was five months old. Austin's mother started to worry…

The infinite! No other question has ever moved so profoundly the spirit of man; no other idea has so fruitfully stimulated his intellect; yet no other concept stands in greater need of clarification than that of the infinite. David Hilbert The concept of infinity has always fascinated humankin…

Wara' relates to both the inner and outer aspects of a believer's life and conduct. A traveler on the path of wara' must reach the peaks of taqwa, or piety; his or her life must reflect a strict observance of the religious commands and prohibitions. Wara' is defined as holding oneself back fr…

How do we discriminate between right and wrong? What are the mechanisms for executing moral actions? Why do individuals ever commit self-sacrifice? Why do we recognize and honor high morals and righteous individuals in society? These questions have occupied the minds of intellectuals throughout his…

Lynn Mitchell PhD is a Professor of Religious Studies, the director of A.D. Bruce Religion Center at the University of Houston. He has been teaching a course entitled “The Bible and Modern Science” for the last nine years. The lecture notes of the course will soon be published. We talked with Dr. M…

The Earth's shape is becoming rounder as a result of the construction of projects like the Three Gorges reservoir. The weight decrease due to the melting icecaps has played a major role in these changes. From time immemorial, humanity has wondered about the shape of the Earth. Over the centuri…

You recognize light with your eyes, while you perceive sound waves with your ears. Earlier, those organs told you how they represent God's beautiful creation. They show His splendid art and His Beautiful Names that are manifested on them. Now, I, your nose, will take my turn to show the different i…

Question: What is the believers' version of the concept of self-confidence or self-esteem? Can we strike a balance between being an ordinary person and cherishing high goals?