Issue 54 (April - June 2006)

In this 54th issue a variety of topics are presented which are all geared toward enjoyable contemplative activity. M. Fethullah Gulen draws our minds, puzzled with a global trauma, once more to the fair judgment. In the Lead Article he portrays the ideal person, who embodies modesty with an abstine…

With their vision, faith, and deeds, people of heart are integrated heroes of spirituality. Their profundity relies not on their knowledge or acquisitions, but on the richness of their hearts, the pureness of their souls and their closeness to God. They believe that the principles presented to huma…

Human beings spend about one third of their life sleeping. But the place of sleep in the life of human beings is not restricted to this time; the quality of a person’s sleep also affects the waking hours. Moreover, the growth hormone secreted during sleep plays an essential role in the development…

After the series of violent events in France, the Muslim immigrants in European ghettos and their integration into society have become a hot topic. People shuddered when watching the burning shops and vehicles. Europe was facing a new nightmare. Were these events really the rebellion of the immigra…

In medical sciences, among many other subjects, we learn about human body parts (anatomy), how the body functions at the cellular (biology) and systemic levels (physiology), its diseases (pathology), and the symptomatic treatment of these diseases through drug therapy (pharmacology). In general the…

...And We sent down Iron, in which is great might, as well as many benefits for mankind... (Hadid 57:25) The above verse in the holy Qur’an uses the Arabic expression "anzalna"which means "sent down" for iron. But why? Early commentators understood this as having a metaphorical meaning to expl…

Most of us don’t worry about 15 minutes, which perhaps is no time at all. In 15 minutes, it is hard to drive to work; it is hard to read a newspaper or even to eat a filling meal. However, this very short time period is long enough to download millions of bytes. And when we add up several 15 minute…

Materialism is an ideological movement that destroys spiritual values and distances people from religion. Today, sadly, a vast majority of the societies globally, consciously or not, remain under the influence of the materialist and consumerist mind-set. As it has been remarked, there are many que…

Cameras, eyes, telescopes, microscopes are various imaging systems. In general, everyone knows that an imaging system has one or multiple lenses. Interestingly, one can also make a camera without using a lens! Such cameras are called “pinhole cameras.”1 A pinhole camera is actually very simple to m…

Professor Joachim Illies was stunned when he observed the luminescent behavior of the glowworms-Arachnocampa luminosa-found in the Waitomo caves of the islands to the north of New Zealand. He described what he saw as a miraculous phenomenon in the field of biology: “We were thrilled to see a dome…

Pregnancy is a unique condition for women, and childbirth has always been considered to be one of the most important events in a woman’s life. Maternity has always been highly respected and esteemed. People have always regarded the birth of a child as a gift from God. A wanted child brings happine…

The issue which has occupied the agenda of the entire world in this century is the environment. As a matter of fact mankind can never be considered indifferent to this phenomenon of environment for we not only maintain our existence, but also define our existence vis A vis the environment. In the w…

Democratic societies are strengthened by fundamental principles, such as freedom, equality, and justice. To keep the identities of people who produce knowledge and research quiet seems paradoxical in a democratic society. When variables like culture, ethnicity, race, and diversity are utilized in o…

All living organisms have the peculiar feature of being equipped with special biological devices that warn and inform them about the changes occurring in the environment in which they live. These organisms have been fitted out with magnificently complex communication networks which are operated, co…

As God already gives His blessings and peace to the Prophet Muhammad, what is the wisdom in our invoking God’s blessings and peace upon him? Does he need our invocations? The Prophet Muhammad is like the core of all the good deeds, prosperity and divine blessing. He is the unfailing, unerring guid…