RAMADAN 2006 The 21th Day
Harun Yahya
| ||||
| ||||
| ADVICE FROM OUR PROPHET (SAAS) REGARDING FASTING, BROTHERHOOD AND PROPER MORAL VALUES DURING RAMADAN | ||||
The Lord's Mercy Toward Women God tells us that with the Qur'an, He brought "glory and honor" (Qur'an, 23;71) to human beings. He gives prosperity to everyone who practices the morality of Islam and follows the path that He has revealed in the Qur'an. And the only way for some women to escape all the anxieties that ignorant societies subject them to, and to gain the respect they deserve, is to be found in the Qur'an, revealed to our Prophet (saas) so that human beings could come out of darkness and enter into light. In many verses of the Qur'an, God protects women and defends their rights, removes wrong ideas about women current in ignorant societies, and grants them a respected place in society. The Qur'an tells us that in the sight of God, the measure of a human being's worth lies not in gender; but in the fear of God, in faith, moral perfection, sincerity towards God and piety (taqwa). All these verses are proofs of our Lord's incomparable generosity toward women. O Humanity! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah's sight is the one of you who best performs his duty. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Qur'an, 49:13) Children of Adam! We have sent down clothing to you to conceal your private parts, and fine apparel, but the garment of heedfulness--that is best! That is one of Allah's Signs, so that hopefully you will pay heed. (Qur'an, 7:26)
This verse reminds both women and men that they will receive a true reward of supreme honor by living the moral life that God has directed. Women and men have different physical characteristics, of course, but this is not the reason for either gender's superiority. In another verse, God says that wealth has become a measure of superiority in the minds of some people, but it is more acceptable to desire God's generosity: Do not covet what Allah has given to some of you in preference to others—men have a portion of what they acquire and women have a portion of what they acquire; but ask Allah for His bounty. Allah has knowledge of all things. (Qur'an, 4:32) In the Qur'an, God has told us what must be done to protect and care for women in society and give them the respect they deserve. All these measures are for their sake so that women will not be harmed or oppressed. In the Qur'an, God explains the basic qualities that anyone of faith must have, whether he be a man or a woman: The men and women of the believers are friends of one another. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong, and perform prayer and give the alms, and obey Allah and His Messenger. They are the people on whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Qur'an, 9:71) As God tells us in the Qur'an, believing women and men are responsible for worshipping, living according to the moral teachings of the Qur'an, urging others to engage in good and refrain from evil, and obeying all His commands and exhortations in the Qur'an. God has promised to give to all persons, to both men or women alike, "discrimination" (Qur'an, 8:29). In return for their faith and sincerity, God will guide individuals in every field of life and bring them on the right path toward Himself. He will help them to make right decisions and behave correctly; and He will give them intelligence, understanding and perception. Therefore, intelligence is not based on a person's gender; it comes totally from the fear of God and a sincere attachment and closeness to Him. Every man or woman who acts according the intelligence derived from faith may surpass many others and can attain success in every area of life. This depends completely on the individual's will, zeal and determination. In accordance with the precepts of Islamic morality, no people of faith will ever consider themselves to be perfect in any way. Rather, they always strive to be more intelligent, more able, more responsible, more developed in their character and more successful at leading a good moral life. In so far as hey can, they will try to develop themselves in every area. In the Qur'an, God tells that believers pray to Him so that they provide examples of good character to those around them: [Believers are] those who say, "Our Lord, give us joy in our wives and children and make us a good example for those who guard against evil." (Qur'an, 25:74) A Muslim woman who tries to do her best in everything and be a fine example to everyone with her character, moral rectitude and personality will, God willing, also attain a high position in her society. She carries out her every responsibility as best she can, makes the most appropriate decisions, finds the best solutions to problems and puts the best measures into effect. We can see that according to the moral practice of Islam, men and women are completely equal in society. By means of the Qur'an, the All-Merciful Allah has nullified the distinctions that all ignorant belief systems make between men and women; and He has commanded that women be given the value they deserve. All this depends totally on the strength of men's—and women's—faith in God as well as on their moral character and the responsibilities they assume. Therefore, women who embrace Islamic morality never need to struggle for equality with men; they enter, instead, into a moral "contest" of worthiness. In the contest of goodness, those with faith must show their best efforts to earn God's good pleasure at every moment of their lives. Such people are truly racing towards good things, and they are the first to reach them. (Qur'an, 23:61) Then We made Our chosen servants inherit the Book. But some of them wrong themselves; some are ambivalent; and some outdo each other in good by Allah's permission. That is the great favor. (Qur'an, 35:32) In another verse, God reminds us that no one--man or woman--will be treated unjustly in this world or in the Hereafter, but that everyone will get exactly what he or she deserves: 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. (Qur'an, 16:97) All these things are proofs of the mercy that God displays to His faithful servants. In societies that do not practice the moral teachings of the Qur'an, women are still treated like second-class citizens. But as a manifestation of His name as "the All Merciful," God protects all women and gives them glory and due honor. | ||||
| EXAMPLES TO LIVING FOSSILS: | ||||
LOBSTER
Size: Matrix: 31 centimeters (12.2 in) by 18 centimeters (7 in) Location: South Saskatchewan River Valley Formation: Bear Paw Formation Period: Cretaceous
Fossils that were gathered in the last 150 years proved that living species never changed or evolved from one another. This fact is underscored by this 146- to 65-million-year-old fossil of a lobster, no different from its counterparts alive today.
JUMPING SPIDER
Size: 16 millimeters (0.6 in) by 10 millimeters (0.3 in) Location: The mountains near Santiago, Dominican Republic Formation: Bear Paw Formation Period: Oligocene
Just like their present-day counterparts, jumping spiders that lived millions of years ago had a complete, flawless structure. And over millions of years, no change has taken place in that structure. The 25-million-year amber illustrated is proof of that. | ||||
| THE NAMES OF ALLAH: | ||||
|
You who believe! Show integrity for the sake of Allah, bearing witness with justice. Do not let hatred for a people incite you into not being just. Be just. That is closer to faith. Heed Allah (alone). Allah is aware of what you do. (Qur'an, 5:8)
Everything that people do throughout their lives will be weighed in the light of Allah's infinite justice. Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that wrongdoers will not go unpunished for their wrongdoing, and that even a single good word will be rewarded. Good and evil are not the same in the sight of Allah, and He rules between them with total justice. The place where the infinite justice of Allah is most clearly to be seen is the hereafter. It is sure that Allah is He who forgets nothing, the most faithful to His promises. Every human being, without exception, will be recompensed in the hereafter for his deeds in this world. Those who commit evil will be punished for it, and those who believe in Allah and do good deeds will receive the best possible reward from Him. | ||||
| THE EVOLUTION DECEIT: | ||||
|
In addition, when the bone cell receives the instruction (via the hormone calcitonin) to "store calcium" it obeys immediately. If an order telling it to "release the stored calcium" (via the hormone parathormone) arrives, it again obeys forthwith. The bone cell continues working day and night, with apparent intention, capability, responsibility and a high sense of discipline. It is obvious that this cell with such special abilities cannot have come into being by chance. The Stomach's Flawless Structure The stomach secretes very powerful acids that allow it to digest foodstuffs and take advantage of the nutrients they contain. These acids are strong enough to dissolve a razor blade. But how is it that these acids, themselves composed of proteins, do not damage the stomach? The answer to this lies in one of the instances of matchless structure in the human body. Thanks to the striated nature of the stomach lining, the stomach does not actually digest itself. These deep folds in the stomach walls contain cells with very different characteristics from one another. In order to maintain a delicate balance, some cells in the stomach secrete acid, other cells alongside them secrete a sticky fluid known as mucus, which coats the inner surface of the stomach, protecting the stomach wall against these acids and preventing the digestive enzymes from doing any damage. Could the decision-making center that takes such rational precautions on behalf of the stomach be the cells themselves, or even the stomach lining? Of course not! Every feature in the human body is a proof of God's flawless creation.
| ||||
| THE SIGNS LEADING TO FAITH : | ||||
Brain Cells That Function Like Expert Anesthetists Bones are designed to break at their thinnest parts when they encounter high pressure, in order that other bones and organs are not damaged. The body contains a string of precautionary measures for such an occurrence. One of these precautions is the chemical secretion endorphin, which reduces pain during breakage.
How did these cells, all of which are bereft of consciousness, information, hands, eyes, or brains, learn the chemical formula for endorphin? How do they know when to secrete it? Why do they never secrete it at the wrong time? The body carries out a great number of other astonishing and perfect processes built upon an exceedingly finely detailed plan. Only Almighty God could give these unconscious cells the intelligence needed to carry out these functions. A rational person can estimate that brain cells can not decide on whether to feel pain or not. It is Allah, that creates the flawless functioning of the human body. | ||||
| BOOK OF THE DAY: | ||||
Hopefulness in the Qur'an
| ||||
| SITE OF THE DAY: | ||||
THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD . ORG The Prophet Muhammad (saas) was an example to all humanity with his morality, to which he called on mankind to live by. The aim of this site is to introduce various characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad (saas) and how he behaved under particular conditions, because a Muslim needs to try to emulate his noble morality in every aspect of life. Allah confirms that in a verse: You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much. (Surat al-Ahzab: 21) |
Elsewhere in the Qur'an, God says "Whatever good you do, Allah knows it. Take provision; but the best provision is fear of Allah. So have fear of Me, people of intelligence!" (Qur'an, 2:197). He tells us that the best quality a human being can have is piety. Therefore, it must be piety, chiefly, that gives humans their basic value and superiority in God's sight. In the Qur'an, God says: "The men and women who give charity and make a good loan to Allah will have it increased for them and they will have a generous reward." (Qur'an, 57:18) 
Age: 146 to 65 years old
Age:
This piece of amber contains a jumping spider from the family Salticidae. These spiders take their name from the way they jump leap their prey, up to 50 times their own length. In addition to the four eyes at the front of their heads, they also have four small eyes with flawless structures in immediate proximity to these, which they use to identify their prey. 
Allah is the best of those who are just. The scale of His justice fills the whole universe. He will bring justice to His servants, in this world and the next. Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, and All-Aware, directs the whole universe with ultimate wisdom and justice.
The bones store within them such vital substances as calcium and phosphorus, returning these stored elements back into the bloodstream when need arises. A bone cell, with no taste buds or any other sense organs, is easily able to distinguish calcium and phosphorus from among all the thousands of different substances in the blood. It then traps these molecules without ever making a mistake. Not even a human being, without receiving extensive training in the field, can differentiate between different chemicals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc if they are dissolved in solution.
The nerves, which are stressed when a bone breaks, send a large number of signals to the brain through the spinal cord. The brain cells then begin to secrete endorphin, a natural anesthetic resembling morphine. This secretion reduces the pain signals to almost zero for the first 10-15 minutes so that the injured person can find enough strength to move away from danger or to take precautionary measures.
No matter how difficult their situation, believers always display maturity, moderation, fortitude, and strength. They never compromise on matters affecting their dignity, integrity, or respect; nor do they display any of the unbelievers' attitudes or character disorders. Thus they are beautiful models for all people everywhere. Their most distinctive characteristic in such situations is their continual hope. This is important, because Allah does not favor hopelessness, and because the Qur'an says that a lack of hope is a characteristic of unbelievers. Losing hope in Allah's help, mercy, and forgiveness is an ugly action, one that the Qur'an has forbidden. As a result of their hopeful spiritual state, each believer lives a peaceful and happy life, whereas those who do not submit to Allah are forever hopeless, anxious, and worried. As a result, each unbeliever lives in dismay, sadness, and distress.
