I promised myself I would follow in the footsteps of the world’s political, religious and leading personalities in coining out a New Year’s message for people, reflecting on the past year’s events and looking forward to a more hopeful future. It has become something of a ritual to have these messages aired across all the modern channels of information every year. However, many people have lost hope in their leaders, grown sceptical of these kinds of messages, and may, or may not, be interested in the message anyway.
The past year has been a very turbulent year economically, particularly in the Western world. The rich are enjoying growth and growing even richer, whilst the poor are struggling to provide for their daily life and provide for the maintenance of their families.
The economy is based on loans and debt. If people stop borrowing from the banks the economy grinds to a halt. While the man in the street desperately tries to get out from under the huge burden of debt and helping to bring their country’s economy back on track, countries are being encouraged to adopt modern consumerism and liberalise their economies so that multinational companies can invest, and create a false sense of prosperity, by encouraging people to borrow more.
We need to learn to live within our means and save for the rainy days. Wealth is God’s gift to people and must be appreciated and dealt with sensibly. We need to take a little time to reflect on our points of view, and habits, and bring changes to bear that are necessary in our lives.
The so-called Arab Spring has created, on an international level, a great wave of ‘intifadah’ sweeping away some regimes and enforcing radical changes upon others. Its on-going domino effect reminds us all that we live in a fast changing world, where people are no longer prepared to be subjugated by tyrants or tyrannical and oppressive governments, however attractive their slogans and banners.
Some governments continue to employ any means at their disposal to suppress the will of their people, who are desperate to break away from the yoke of their control and mismanagement. It is a battle which is now being fought daily and affects the entire populations of many countries worldwide. The new spirit that has arisen in people in many parts of the world is hopefully a sign that the days of elitism and total monopoly of resources are fading away and that people will at last receive their rightful share of the good life.
The Quran says: ‘And by the soul and He who proportioned it. He then inspired it with discernment of its wickedness and its righteousness. He has succeeded who purifies it. And he has failed who instil it with corruption. S91 V 7-10
People need to realise that they have to create the world that they dream of. Freedom, liberty and equality are the possessions of all people and they are equal in the Sight of their Creator. The provision of equal opportunities and a ‘level playing field’ for all will save the world from chaos and allow everyone to enjoy their rights peacefully.
People need to be conscious of other people’s rights to share space on this planet. No one definitively owns the wider space. The politics of the modern age have resulted in polarised opinions and much bloodshed. Cultures have become a ‘religion’ for many, while a sense of superiority has created false pride and arrogant attitudes in others.
Co-existence requires all to be considerate towards others, unprejudiced in their attitudes, cooperative in matters of mutual wellbeing and public welfare.
If I have a message then it is this; Let us have unity and pride in our diversity. Let us learn to tolerate each other and share what we have on this planet equally. Let us help and be generous towards all the people of this world. Let the world be spared wars, hunger and corruption. Let it be the world of our dreams. Let us live together.
Saturday 31 December 2011
Friday 16 December 2011
The God particle: Fact or fiction
The Higgs Boson, or as it has been nicknamed, the God Particle, is thought, theoretically, to be one of the original building blocks of the universe; the subatomic particle. The ‘scientific community’ appears to be in hot pursuit of what some scientists theorise is the source of the origin of the universe, and the source of mass for all other particles. Many people in the world consider the present results of this horrifically expensive research a non-event or, at best, a premature celebration of a non-discovery of the subatomic particle, as according to physicists at the LHC near Geneva (Large Hadron Collider) they have only established where the Higgs Boson, aka God particle, is not to be found. Its existence remains, we are told, theoretical possibility, as it is an invisible field that gives mass to particles.
This can, perhaps, be regarded as a scientific achievement, up to this point, and further experiments may well lead to the discovery of ‘God particle’ that is the source of three dimensional universe that we all live in and see about us.
Now I, and I suspect, most people in the world don’t know what are the roles of other subatomic particles (if they too exist), in the process of producing ‘a three or even four dimensional existence’? It is, nonetheless, an achievement to know which particles were not the sources of mass. It would, however, be more helpful to know what roles they do play in terms of their purpose.
While we talk about the efforts of scientists to discover the origin of the physical universe, let us look at their endeavours from an Islamic perspective.
The Quran brings to our attention the fact that there was a huge bang and sudden burst of mass production, out of a ‘single matter’ before the physical universe came into existence. It says in the Surah 21 verse 30: ‘‘Do not the disbelievers (in God the Creator) see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit) before We clove them asunder, and We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe’’?
Here Islamic guidance is not only seen to approve of the efforts of these scientists, in their attempts to discover the origin of this universe, but points to the mathematical possibility of an originator and not to a mathematical zero point. The Quran also reminds us of the fact that this explosion of mass is continuously expanding, resulting in the birth of perhaps many billions more galaxies, in these words: ‘’We have built the heaven with might and indeed we are expanding it.’’S51 V47. Indeed, the Quran encourages people to look into how the creation began: ‘‘Say: go about through the earth and see how Allah originated the creation.’’S29 V20.
Tell-tale signs are lying all around us about how the universe (mass) started. The Quran called them as ‘‘aayaat’’- the signs or the indicators.
Because opinions are polarised as to whether the universe and life are the result of creation or evolution, and as many in the scientific community would not dare to break the taboo of belief in a creator, the attention of scientists is always narrowly focussed on a self-propelled process that was somehow self-triggered, resulting in an intelligently designed universe. We need to take pride, as reasoning human beings, in to these achievements. After all, these scientists do not come from a different planet, and these are the results of their endeavours.
However, we must not assume that all scientists necessarily must proceed from the viewpoint of atheism. On the other hand, the scientific community must respect and give room to those scientists who do believe in the creation, and that behind that ‘single matter’ there was the will of the originator and His design.
The Quran, uses two particular terms to describe the origin of universe, the first one being ‘‘Fatir’’ and the second ‘’Badee’’.
The Quran mentions the word ‘Fatir’ few times and it is regarded as one of God’s attributes. It is written, for example: ‘‘All praise belongs to God who is the originator (Fatir) of the heavens and the earth’’. S35 V1. The word derives from Ftr, which literally means to cleave, to split or cause to split. Could that be an indication to that ‘originating (God) subatomic particle of mass that has come out of splitting the atom?
Bada` literally means to invent in unparalleled way, or to originate (in terms of shape), while the word Badee` is also one of God’s attributes. Bid`ah means originating on patterns unprecedented (original in nature). The Quran says: ‘‘(He is) the Originator (Badee`) of the heavens and the earth. How can He have a son when He has no consort? He created all things. And He has full knowledge of all things’’. S6 V101.
It will be interesting to see how the ‘God particle’ theory develops in the future, in what direction it is steered, and what will be its implication for humans if it is proven.
While huge amounts of funding are being made available for this research, apparently from many different sources, little information is available as to how this $10b project will benefit humanity. In what way, will the discovery of the making of the elements of the mass of our universe benefit the world? Nonetheless, it is claimed, the implications of the discovery of the Higgs Boson, should it be discovered, would be huge.
Whether we have got our priorities right or wrong, or whether it is immensely important or not to explore this, it is a matter for governments and politicians to consider and reflect on. It may be that a successful conclusion to this research will boost the prosperity and welfare of human beings on this earth in future, and maybe that the world will come to know how its existence came about. At least it would give a new dimension to the efforts of philosophers of the past who strove to achieve the same goal, and tried to make sense of everything in existence, though without such enormous funding. Myths and rituals have also arisen seeking to explain existence, some from those believing in a creator and who worshipped him to show their gratitude for life, and others from those simply trying to rationalise or reject.
However, elite research projects always manage to get the largest portion of any funding, even though no one ever knows how such phenomenal amounts of funding are suddenly found. Perhaps the benefits of the discovery will outweigh the concerns the huge investment in this project have provoked and perhaps, God willing, humanity will be compensated, sometime in the future.
This can, perhaps, be regarded as a scientific achievement, up to this point, and further experiments may well lead to the discovery of ‘God particle’ that is the source of three dimensional universe that we all live in and see about us.
Now I, and I suspect, most people in the world don’t know what are the roles of other subatomic particles (if they too exist), in the process of producing ‘a three or even four dimensional existence’? It is, nonetheless, an achievement to know which particles were not the sources of mass. It would, however, be more helpful to know what roles they do play in terms of their purpose.
While we talk about the efforts of scientists to discover the origin of the physical universe, let us look at their endeavours from an Islamic perspective.
The Quran brings to our attention the fact that there was a huge bang and sudden burst of mass production, out of a ‘single matter’ before the physical universe came into existence. It says in the Surah 21 verse 30: ‘‘Do not the disbelievers (in God the Creator) see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit) before We clove them asunder, and We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe’’?
Here Islamic guidance is not only seen to approve of the efforts of these scientists, in their attempts to discover the origin of this universe, but points to the mathematical possibility of an originator and not to a mathematical zero point. The Quran also reminds us of the fact that this explosion of mass is continuously expanding, resulting in the birth of perhaps many billions more galaxies, in these words: ‘’We have built the heaven with might and indeed we are expanding it.’’S51 V47. Indeed, the Quran encourages people to look into how the creation began: ‘‘Say: go about through the earth and see how Allah originated the creation.’’S29 V20.
Tell-tale signs are lying all around us about how the universe (mass) started. The Quran called them as ‘‘aayaat’’- the signs or the indicators.
Because opinions are polarised as to whether the universe and life are the result of creation or evolution, and as many in the scientific community would not dare to break the taboo of belief in a creator, the attention of scientists is always narrowly focussed on a self-propelled process that was somehow self-triggered, resulting in an intelligently designed universe. We need to take pride, as reasoning human beings, in to these achievements. After all, these scientists do not come from a different planet, and these are the results of their endeavours.
However, we must not assume that all scientists necessarily must proceed from the viewpoint of atheism. On the other hand, the scientific community must respect and give room to those scientists who do believe in the creation, and that behind that ‘single matter’ there was the will of the originator and His design.
The Quran, uses two particular terms to describe the origin of universe, the first one being ‘‘Fatir’’ and the second ‘’Badee’’.
The Quran mentions the word ‘Fatir’ few times and it is regarded as one of God’s attributes. It is written, for example: ‘‘All praise belongs to God who is the originator (Fatir) of the heavens and the earth’’. S35 V1. The word derives from Ftr, which literally means to cleave, to split or cause to split. Could that be an indication to that ‘originating (God) subatomic particle of mass that has come out of splitting the atom?
Bada` literally means to invent in unparalleled way, or to originate (in terms of shape), while the word Badee` is also one of God’s attributes. Bid`ah means originating on patterns unprecedented (original in nature). The Quran says: ‘‘(He is) the Originator (Badee`) of the heavens and the earth. How can He have a son when He has no consort? He created all things. And He has full knowledge of all things’’. S6 V101.
It will be interesting to see how the ‘God particle’ theory develops in the future, in what direction it is steered, and what will be its implication for humans if it is proven.
While huge amounts of funding are being made available for this research, apparently from many different sources, little information is available as to how this $10b project will benefit humanity. In what way, will the discovery of the making of the elements of the mass of our universe benefit the world? Nonetheless, it is claimed, the implications of the discovery of the Higgs Boson, should it be discovered, would be huge.
Whether we have got our priorities right or wrong, or whether it is immensely important or not to explore this, it is a matter for governments and politicians to consider and reflect on. It may be that a successful conclusion to this research will boost the prosperity and welfare of human beings on this earth in future, and maybe that the world will come to know how its existence came about. At least it would give a new dimension to the efforts of philosophers of the past who strove to achieve the same goal, and tried to make sense of everything in existence, though without such enormous funding. Myths and rituals have also arisen seeking to explain existence, some from those believing in a creator and who worshipped him to show their gratitude for life, and others from those simply trying to rationalise or reject.
However, elite research projects always manage to get the largest portion of any funding, even though no one ever knows how such phenomenal amounts of funding are suddenly found. Perhaps the benefits of the discovery will outweigh the concerns the huge investment in this project have provoked and perhaps, God willing, humanity will be compensated, sometime in the future.
Tuesday 6 December 2011
The right to drive
The long drawn out struggle by Saudi women for the right to drive a car seems to be coming to a head. Their struggle has been interesting in many aspects, particularly as the ban is justified from a religious perspective, thereby making it seem indefensible to Muslims in countries where women are allowed to drive.
The issue does not concern me personally as I am not a Saudi national, and it is claimed to be a purely internal Saudi matter, but I find myself deeply drawn to the whole debate and read any news in this respect with great interest.
Indeed, if it had remained only a Saudi internal matter, I would have never written this article. What does concern me, or perhaps perturbs me, are the reactions and the misunderstanding of non Muslim communities in the world about women’s rights in Islam which arise from this issue. I face more and more questions about how Muslim society treats women with restrictions and restraints, and the ban of driving on Saudi women is presented as a living example of this. My defence always begins with presenting the freedom and rights of Muslim women in other Muslim countries in their daily life, and in particular emphasising that they have as much a right to drive as men. If it was an Islamic ban, based on religious considerations, then it would have been universal and most Muslim scholars would have supported it.
While attending a discussion on Islamic issues and issues of mutual concern recently, I was talking to a group of local British people, and some of the women said: ‘We now understand that this is not an Islamic issue but a social issue based on Saudi social concerns and customs, but is being presented as a religious concern and expressed most forcefully by the traditionally conservative establishment’.
I have studied at one of the prestigious Islamic universities in Saudi Arabia. I spent my university time in Riyadh and Al-Qaseem. I loved the tradition and loved the people and listened carefully to the religious opinions of Saudi scholars. In my opinion, the Saudi religious scholarships have come long way since the time of King Abdul aziz al-Saud, in terms of understanding modern issues and in accommodating the needs of their time. However, many Muslims continue to confuse their cultural traditions with religious ones, with the inevitable blurring of the boundaries and differences between them. When I first read a report, presented to the ‘Saudi Majlis al-Shura’ or the high-level Advisory Council, claiming that allowing women in the Kingdom to drive would encourage premarital sex, or spell the end of virginity, I found it laughable and disturbing.
It presents, if it is true, the most outrageous slur on the personal dignity and character of Saudi women, and exposes the authors own sense of self righteousness, suspicious character and self doubting nature. Do the authors of this report have no trust in the goodness of their Muslim women; who are their mothers, wives and daughters? Do they think that women are only playing at being virtuous because they are under their protection? Are the authors claiming that all Muslim and Arab women elsewhere, in the Gulf countries, other Arab countries, other Muslim countries, and other Muslim women in non Muslim countries, are in the same danger? Will they lose their virginity because they drive cars? Muslim women are part and parcel of Islam and its teachings. Do they claim that Islam has failed them? Do the authors of this report claim that women possess no spiritual and moral strength under the guidance of Islam? Islam grants women their independent rights and they are just as responsible for their actions and deeds as men.
Ironically, when we compare this with other news about Saudi women, we find them contributing hugely to their community. They have become teachers, professors, doctors and business women, while many others play major roles in many other professions. In addition, it is reported that Saudi women hold 70% of all bank accounts, and the value of their savings is estimated to be SR43 billion. Ms Amal Tijani, who is a lecturer in the faculty of Economics and business at the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, also claimed that women held 50% of the existing businesses in the Kingdom, owned 20% of stocks of local joint companies, 15% of sole proprietorship business enterprises and 10% of total land assets.
Saudi women are out there, exercising their rights in the fields of social, educational and economic life and beyond. They are full of confidence and belief in themselves. How can they be accused in such a manner? Men and women, who commit adultery or lose their virginity by their own choice, do so whether they can drive or not. Further such ridiculous justification of this ban on driving can only restrict progress and antagonise all Muslim women.
Religious tradition should not create unnecessary animosity and barriers between scholars and the public. Women are as much guardians of the religious traditions of Islam as men. Society has moved forward and so have women in society. Suppressive measures directed at Muslim women, who strive to achieve something in their lives by becoming successful in their own right, are counterproductive in keeping the fabric of a religious society intact. Instead, we should take an educative and guiding role in a situation which continues to clash with the inspiration and benefits of a modern Muslim society
The issue does not concern me personally as I am not a Saudi national, and it is claimed to be a purely internal Saudi matter, but I find myself deeply drawn to the whole debate and read any news in this respect with great interest.
Indeed, if it had remained only a Saudi internal matter, I would have never written this article. What does concern me, or perhaps perturbs me, are the reactions and the misunderstanding of non Muslim communities in the world about women’s rights in Islam which arise from this issue. I face more and more questions about how Muslim society treats women with restrictions and restraints, and the ban of driving on Saudi women is presented as a living example of this. My defence always begins with presenting the freedom and rights of Muslim women in other Muslim countries in their daily life, and in particular emphasising that they have as much a right to drive as men. If it was an Islamic ban, based on religious considerations, then it would have been universal and most Muslim scholars would have supported it.
While attending a discussion on Islamic issues and issues of mutual concern recently, I was talking to a group of local British people, and some of the women said: ‘We now understand that this is not an Islamic issue but a social issue based on Saudi social concerns and customs, but is being presented as a religious concern and expressed most forcefully by the traditionally conservative establishment’.
I have studied at one of the prestigious Islamic universities in Saudi Arabia. I spent my university time in Riyadh and Al-Qaseem. I loved the tradition and loved the people and listened carefully to the religious opinions of Saudi scholars. In my opinion, the Saudi religious scholarships have come long way since the time of King Abdul aziz al-Saud, in terms of understanding modern issues and in accommodating the needs of their time. However, many Muslims continue to confuse their cultural traditions with religious ones, with the inevitable blurring of the boundaries and differences between them. When I first read a report, presented to the ‘Saudi Majlis al-Shura’ or the high-level Advisory Council, claiming that allowing women in the Kingdom to drive would encourage premarital sex, or spell the end of virginity, I found it laughable and disturbing.
It presents, if it is true, the most outrageous slur on the personal dignity and character of Saudi women, and exposes the authors own sense of self righteousness, suspicious character and self doubting nature. Do the authors of this report have no trust in the goodness of their Muslim women; who are their mothers, wives and daughters? Do they think that women are only playing at being virtuous because they are under their protection? Are the authors claiming that all Muslim and Arab women elsewhere, in the Gulf countries, other Arab countries, other Muslim countries, and other Muslim women in non Muslim countries, are in the same danger? Will they lose their virginity because they drive cars? Muslim women are part and parcel of Islam and its teachings. Do they claim that Islam has failed them? Do the authors of this report claim that women possess no spiritual and moral strength under the guidance of Islam? Islam grants women their independent rights and they are just as responsible for their actions and deeds as men.
Ironically, when we compare this with other news about Saudi women, we find them contributing hugely to their community. They have become teachers, professors, doctors and business women, while many others play major roles in many other professions. In addition, it is reported that Saudi women hold 70% of all bank accounts, and the value of their savings is estimated to be SR43 billion. Ms Amal Tijani, who is a lecturer in the faculty of Economics and business at the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, also claimed that women held 50% of the existing businesses in the Kingdom, owned 20% of stocks of local joint companies, 15% of sole proprietorship business enterprises and 10% of total land assets.
Saudi women are out there, exercising their rights in the fields of social, educational and economic life and beyond. They are full of confidence and belief in themselves. How can they be accused in such a manner? Men and women, who commit adultery or lose their virginity by their own choice, do so whether they can drive or not. Further such ridiculous justification of this ban on driving can only restrict progress and antagonise all Muslim women.
Religious tradition should not create unnecessary animosity and barriers between scholars and the public. Women are as much guardians of the religious traditions of Islam as men. Society has moved forward and so have women in society. Suppressive measures directed at Muslim women, who strive to achieve something in their lives by becoming successful in their own right, are counterproductive in keeping the fabric of a religious society intact. Instead, we should take an educative and guiding role in a situation which continues to clash with the inspiration and benefits of a modern Muslim society
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