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Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

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Articles

Adaptation to Conditions

31 August 2008 | The Fountain | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

In August when the world’s focus was fixed on the most costly ever Olympic Games in Beijing (estimated costs to be over $40 billion), the ugly face of war was seen in another part of the world as news agencies reported clashes between Georgia and Russia. Images and reports coming from the region du…

From Bright Yesterday to Bright Tomorrows

31 August 2008 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

For centuries we have enjoyed commitment to a belief in eternity, and the atmosphere we inhaled every moment was filled with eternal considerations. Each of our pursuits triggered in us feelings from beyond time; our dreams were set in motion on a tour from a crystal-clear past through a joyful fut…

The Adaptation in the Senses

31 August 2008 | Omer Arifagaoglu | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

For centuries we have enjoyed commitment to a belief in eternity, and the atmosphere we inhaled every moment was filled with eternal considerations. Each of our pursuits triggered in us feelings from beyond time; our dreams were set in motion on a tour from a crystal-clear past through a joyful fut…

On the Perfecting of a Prophet

31 August 2008 | Kathleen St.onge | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

It is one of the articles of faith of Islam to believe in the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. So when anyone casts a shadow on his character, the Muslim world feels deeply antagonized. Yet some remarks are extreme in their negativity and many non-Muslims really question the Prophet of Islam-wh…

Some Logical Principles in the Qur'an

31 August 2008 | Nuh Aydin | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

When we read the Qur’an, we notice that it appeals to human reasoning and invites us to reason. Among many verses in this regard, consider these: “How little you reflect” (A’raf 7:3), “God sets those who do not use their reason in a mire of uncleanness” (Yunus 10:100), “And in the alteration of nig…

Tears of Regret

31 August 2008 | Mirkena Ozer | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

I was sitting at the dining table, minding my own business, that is, struggling to read a novel too tricky for a fifteen-year-old girl like me, when the doorbell brought me back to reality. My older sister, who had been watching some noisy opera all evening, jumped up from the couch to open the doo…

The Horizon of Science

31 August 2008 | Osman Cakmak | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

Atoms and molecules function at the foundation of the entire visible universe and its emerging characteristics. Our nutritional needs of sugar, fats and proteins are made up by atoms merging. For example chlorophyll is like a factory made out of the atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and m…

Biogas as a Clean Energy

31 August 2008 | Bekir Mugayitoglu | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

Recent years have witnessed rapid industrialization and population growth, along with profligate consumption of energy. This in turn has triggered enormous increase in energy production based on non-renewable energy resources such as oil, coal, and natural gas. In order to break the dependence on f…

Fasting in Ramadan and Developing Self-Control

31 August 2008 | Yuksel A. Aslandogan | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is sometimes referred to as the “Sultan of the 11 months.” During this month healthy adult Muslims fast, from the break of dawn until sunset. Fasting requi…

Reflections on the Children of Israel and the Qur'an

31 August 2008 | Allen S. Maller | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

The Qur’an is the only book of revelation that includes within itself a theory of prophethood which includes other religions. There have always been (since the days of Adam) people inspired by God who urged their society to avoid destruction by turning away from its corrupt and unjust ways and turn…

Huzn (Sadness or Sorrow)

31 August 2008 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

Sufis use the word huzn (sadness) as the opposite of rejoicing and joy, and to express the pain one suffers while fulfilling his or her duties and realizing his or her ideals. Every perfected believer will continue to suffer this pain according to their degree of belief, and weave the tissue of lif…

Turning the Tables to Build Intercultural Friendships

31 August 2008 | Thomas C. Smedley | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

Introduction It is usually easy to associate with people from one’s own culture. Why step out of your comfort zone to extend a friendly hand to someone from a different culture? Perhaps, if my experience is typical, to enjoy one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. This opportunity is r…

The Fundamental Spiritual Benefit of Fasting

31 August 2008 | Mehmet Ozalp | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

The prime goal of Islamic spirituality is to establish an intimate and personal closeness to God. While the beliefs of Islam direct a Muslim along a wide path towards God, the five pillars of Islam provides a regimen to traverse the path, removing the barriers between a Muslim and God. While the s…

A Historical Review of Dreams

31 August 2008 | Muhammed Toprak | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

There are two questions concerning dreams, which have always puzzled human beings. One concerns the actual meaning or significance of dreaming. The other is the relationship between the dream and the waking world or the degree of reality one may attribute to it. These are questions that are easy to…

The Relationship between Law and the Benefits of Intermingling Them

31 August 2008 | Ahamuduzzaman | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

From the ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles to Shakespeare, Dickens and modern legal dramatist Grisham, stories about law have fascinated readers and offered an outsider’s view of the efficiency of justice system. The law and literature movement which began in the first half of the twentieth century…

Search for Life on Planets Orbiting Other Stars

31 August 2008 | Ertan Salik | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

Introduction For a long time astronomers have talked about the nine planets orbiting the Sun. These nine heavenly bodies have always been more special than other objects orbiting the Sun, such as asteroids and comets. The nine planets are larger than others; you can see some of them in the sky eve…

Ottoman Women: Myth and Reality

31 August 2008 | Valeria Kolos | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

Asli Sancar, born and raised in the United States of America, has been living in Istanbul for over twenty years. For more than half of this period she intermittently pursued studies on the social status of Ottoman women and Ottoman family. Struck by the difference between the image of Eastern women…

It's me, Peter, your Lungs

31 August 2008 | Irfan Yilmaz | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

First, lean back and let me expand, so that I can take in more air. The more air I take in, the easier your brain works and the better you’ll understand what I’m telling you. Irrelevant? Not at all Peter! Every organ in your body has relevance to everything, to the entire cosmos. Your brain needs s…

What does "insaf" mean? What are the signs of possessing it as a virtue?

31 August 2008 | Hikmet Isik | Issue 65 (September - October 2008)

Insaf means accepting and confessing the truth, treating everyone with mercy and justice, observing others’ rights besides one’s own, behaving not according to one’s carnal self, desires, and fancies, but according to one’s conscience and reason together with universal human values and being very s…

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