| THE AYAT AND THE HADITH OF THE DAY |
THE STRENGTH OF BELIEVERS IS DERIVED
FROM THEIR SINCERITY
HARUN YAHYA
In general, the association of those who do not believe in Allah and the hereafter is based on the importance they attach to worldly goods and the hope for worldly rewards. By their association, such people may conclude an agreement out of mutual interests. Each party supports the other, and thus, they hope to obtain mutual benefit. Without admitting it, those who form such alliances know that their association is not based upon mutual trust or friendship, and that their participation is conditional. When one of the parties is no longer of benefit to the other, then the alliance is terminated. For this reason, such alliances formed among those who deny Allah are always prone to fall apart. In this world, there is only one thing capable of ensuring a true unity, real friendship and alliance among men, and that is "faith." When those of true faith, who fear the Day of Judgment, unite in this world, they lay the foundations of a sound alliance, which will last eternally into the hereafter. They love and befriend each other solely for Allah's sake. They unite with sincere intentions, without expecting any other benefit. This union takes its origin from love and fear of Allah, the only true source of alliance. Therefore, it is impossible for it to be destroyed unless Allah wills so. Believers form a power resembling "a well-built wall" that cannot be penetrated. The verse quoted below declares as follows:
Allah loves those who fight in His Way in ranks like well-built walls. (Surat as-Saff: 4)
Those who have faith and who are sincere are granted the determination and enthusiasm to overcome, even if they are outnumbered by millions. This is stated in the following verse as follows:
... But those who were sure that they were going to meet Allah said, "How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by Allah's permission! Allah is with the steadfast." (Surat al-Baqara: 249)
They gain Allah's support by always remaining sincere. Since Allah is the "Unconquerable (Al-Aziz)," they ultimately succeed. They are aware of the secret announced in the verses of Allah as, "…You will be uppermost if you are [true] believers." (Surah Al 'Imran: 139). Consequently, they are extraordinarily resiliant and powerful, a quality to which the discord, disagreement and suspicion created by the outsiders cannot penetrate.
As they seek Allah's consent with great sincerity, they are never faced with turmoil, disagreement or discord among themselves. Because, Allah's word is one, and the verses of the Qur'an are clear. Where all believers adhere unconditionally to the Qur'an, and act only to gain Allah's consent, a great harmony and order exist. As all obey Allah and the Qur'an sincerely, all their affairs are settled easily and without conflict. When problems do arise out of self-interest, each of them favors the good of the other, always preferring the interests of the religion. They prefer the good of their brothers to their own. Hence, great solidarity, union and mutual support is formed among them. It is not always required that believers be gathered together in order to form this union. What is important for true believers is to form a sound and strong moral solidarity, despite their distances from each other, what language they speak or which country they live in.
Sincerity is a great power bestowed upon true believers to enable them to earn eternal blessings, both in this world and the hereafter. There is not a doubt that the greatest of the blessings bestowed upon man, either in this world or the next, is Allah's consent. The secret of acquiring Allah's consent and approbation lies in sincerity. Allah announces in the subsequent verse the good news to those who fear Allah that the noblest recompense in the hereafter is His good pleasure:
Say, "Shall I tell you of something better than that?" Those who do their duty will have Gardens with their Lord, with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever, and purified wives, and the Pleasure of Allah. Allah sees His servants. (Surah Al 'Imran: 15)
Our Lord also bestows innumerable blessings upon sincere believers during their worldly lives. He takes them away from the miserable, distressed and futile lives of those who deny Allah. As announced in the Qur'an, He enables them to lead noble lives in the following way:
Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Surat an-Nahl: 97)
One who turns to Allah wholeheartedly will be distanced from all the troubles and distresses of the worldly life. He can lead his life peacefully and in confidence because he fears Allah alone. As he does not fear the condemnations of others, he has no worries in regards his worldly affairs. As he only aims to acquire Allah's consent, nobody can upset or distress him. Since he aims to obtain the hereafter, he is not obsessed with worldly belongings and possessions. Neither the loss or increase of his possessions alarms him. He always acts with submission, trust, faith, kindness, compassion, patience and modesty.
In deeds accomplished with sincerity, only Allah's consent is aimed to be obtained. To acquire the consent of others, or worldly rewards, or the fulfilment of desires or ambitions must be disregarded. In this way the outcome will always be successful. Allah affirmed that the believers, who do not associate partners with Him, turn to Him in an unadulterated manner, after being purified of their desire to acquire the consent of others and of worldly rewards, will succeed.
| WONDERS OF CREATION FOR THE 25th DAY |
CREATURES OF THE MICRO WORLD: PLANKTON
HARUN YAHYA
Plankton is one of the most important, most crucial links in the undersea chain of life. The size of these creatures is not more than a couple of micrometers-micrometers, not millimeters. Considering that a micrometer is only one-millionth of a meter, obviously these creatures are far too small to be seen by the naked eye. But what characteristics of these creatures, which are so very small, make them this important and necessary for the continuity of life?
The essential nutritional component of most creatures living under the sea is, in fact, the microscopic and seemingly insignificant plankton. For this reason, a decrease in the plankton population would pose a bona fide danger for a wide swath of sea animals, from whales to tiny sea creatures. The importance of these microscopic creatures is not limited to this. Plankton are divided into two categories: vegetal and animal. The vegetal plankton are especially an essential factor for maintaining various balances on Earth.
Phytoplankton are vegetal plankton, and they are basically the single-cell microscopic organisms that are carried by sea currents. The phytoplankton collectively constitute the first essential link of the nutrient chain in the seas. Furthermore, they perform photosynthesis, like other land plants, using the sun as an energy source and producing their own nutrition. So, the vegetal plankton, which is the main organic substance source of the oceans, also plays a balancing role in the oxygen cycle.
During the process of photosynthesis performed by phytoplankton, carbon dioxide present in the air is absorbed and a great amount of oxygen is released in turn. A full 70% of the 110 billion tons of oxygen released annually by plants on Earth is obtained this way. 1
Animal plankton (zoo plankton) are also composed, generally, of single-celled organisms. Yet, there might be multi-cellular organisms in this group as well. Almost all sea creature groups have their plankton forms. When invertebrate animals are still larvae, for example, or when fish are in the first phases of their development, they constitute temporary plankton.
There are many different kinds of plankton and every kind has unique characteristics. As can be seen in the limited examples mentioned here, a perfection prevails in these microscopic creatures, both in terms of their appearance and in their general structure. These creatures help to maintain a great many balances on Earth. The power of Allah is endless and He creates what He wishes as He wishes. Allah has power over all things.
1. Dr. Jack Hall, "The Most Important Organism?" http://www.ecology.com/dr-jacks-natural-world/most-important-organism
| COLLAPSE OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION DAY BY DAY |
WHY ARE WISDOM TEETH NOT EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION?
HARUN YAHYA
One of the theory of evolution's important deceptions is its claim regarding "vestigial organs." Evolutionists claim that some organs in living things lose their original function over time, and that such organs then disappear. Taking that as a starting point, they then try to send out the message, "If the living body had really been created, it would have no functionless organs in it."
Evolutionist publications at the start of the twentieth century announced that the human body contained up to a hundred organs that no longer served any purpose, including the appendix, the coccyx, the tonsils, the pineal gland, the external ear, the thymus, and wisdom teeth. However, the decades that followed saw major advances in medical science. Our knowledge of the organs and systems in the human body increased. As a result of this, it was seen that the idea of vestigial organs was just a superstition. The long list drawn up by evolutionists rapidly shrank. It was discovered that the thymus is an organ which produces important immune system cells, and that the pineal gland is responsible for the production of important hormones. It also emerged that the coccyx supports the bones around the pelvis, and that the external ear plays an important role in identifying where sounds come from. In short, it emerged that ignorance was the only foundation on which the idea of "vestigial organs" rested.
Wisdom tooth problems stem from the contemporary diet, not because they are vestigial organs |
Modern science has many times demonstrated the error of the concept of such organs. Yet some evolutionists still try to make use of this claim. Although medical science has proved that almost all of the organs that evolutionists claim are vestigial actually serve a purpose, evolutionary speculation still surrounds one or two organs.
The most noteworthy of these is our wisdom teeth. The claim that these teeth are a part of the human body that has lost all purpose still appears in evolutionist sources. As evidence for this, it is stated that these teeth give a great many people a lot of trouble, and that chewing is not impaired when they are surgically removed.
Many dentists, influenced by the evolutionists' claim that wisdom teeth serve no purpose, have come to see their extraction as a routine matter, and do not make the same kind of effort to protect them as they do for other teeth. 1 However, research in recent years has shown that wisdom teeth have the same chewing function as other teeth. Studies have also been carried out to show that the belief that wisdom teeth damage the position of other teeth in the mouth is completely unfounded. 2 Scientific criticism is now amassing ways in which problems with wisdom teeth which could be solved in other ways are instead solved by extracting them.3 In fact, the scientific consensus is that wisdom teeth have a chewing function just like all the others, and that there is no scientific justification for the belief that they serve no purpose.
So, why do wisdom teeth cause a substantial number of people problems? Scientists who have researched the subject have discovered that wisdom tooth difficulties have manifested themselves in different ways among human communities at different times. It is now understood that the problem was seldom seen in pre-industrial societies. It has been discovered that the way in which soft foodstuffs have come to be preferred to harder ones, over the last few hundred years in particular, has negatively affected the way the human jaw develops. It has thus been realised that most wisdom tooth troubles emerge as a result of jaw development problems relating to dietary habits.
It is also known that society's nutritional habits also have negative effects on our other teeth. For instance, the increasing consumption of foodstuffs high in sugar and acid has increased the rate that other teeth decay. However, that fact does not make us think that all our teeth have somehow "atrophied." The same principle applies to wisdom teeth. Problems with these teeth stem from contemporary dietary customs, not from any evolutionary "atrophy."
1. Leonard M.S., 1992. Removing third molars: a review for the general practitioner. Journal of the American Dental Association, 123(2):77-82
2. M. Leff, 1993. Hold on to your wisdom teeth. Consumer reports on Health, 5(8):4-85
3. Daily.T 1996. Third molar prophylactic extraction: a review and analysis of the literature. General Dentistry, 44(4):310-320
Antisemitism is a fanatical hatred felt for the Jewish people. This racist ideology has caused millions of innocent Jews to be killed, persecuted, exiled and threatened over the centuries.
Islam aims to bring justice to the world. Just as it denounces all kinds of racism, so it denounces antisemitism. Muslims criticize Zionism, but defend the right of Jews to live in peace and security.
