Our Prophet Muhammad said:

When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down. [Abu Daud; Book 41, No. 4764]

Not that we need any more evidence after our beloved Prophet Muhammad has spoken on a subject to believe something to be true,  however it is always nice to see that 1400 years after his words were spoken western science is catching up.

Researchers in at the Texas A & M University discovered that if you are angry then the best thing to do is to lie down.

Taken from The Telegraph

…the students chosen for the study heard a voice recording of someone disparaging the intelligence, likeability and logical skills of the essays.

Volunteers who heard these insults while on their backs felt as angry as volunteers who were upright. However, measurements showed that in upright volunteers, a reaction in the brain that has been linked to anger and the likelihood of retaliating.

Those who received their insults while lying down, however, did not experience the same angry brain reaction.

The scientists now think that lying down could affect how the brain handles other emotions, such as desire and happiness.

Peter Bandettini, a brain imager at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, said: “It never occurred to me that body position might influence behavioural or neuronal activity in the context of aggression – but it makes sense.

“I do think that this is somewhat specialised to things like aggression or anger.”

The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad is human perfection!

May Allah confer blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad and bless and bestow peace upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad. And shower Your mercy upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the manner You conferred blessings, blessed and showered mercy upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim in all the worlds. Verily, You are the Praiseworthy, the Majestic.

Below is a specific dua (Ruqyah) (protective and healing supplications) which has been given by the Ulema from Daarul Uloom, Bury (one of the most prestigious Madaaris in the UK). It is an antidote for all illnesses and is particularly apt in this time, due to the spread of Swine Flu.

Some people maybe apprehensive to the method presecribed and might suggest that where is the evidence from the hadith etc… However, although specific prescription may not be mentioned in a hadith, it a formula prescribed by the learned scholars who are the inheritors of the prophets and they would not prescribe anything which is against the Shariah. So the dua is valid as long as it does not contain any shirk (association with Allah ).

InshaAllah the cure and protection is from Allah , and this prescription is just a means to that cure.

(note: when blowing ensure that some saliva goes into the water or honey)

Prayer for protection and cure from all illnesses The same prayer applies for Muslims and Non-Muslims; Allah will inshallah (God willing ) cure/protect them from illnesses including swine flu – Ameen

Procedure

The procedure below should be followed precisely and then one should blow on a glass of water and drink it or blow on a tablespoon of honey and lick it .

(A) Recite three times any Durud Sharif (Salutation) upon Prophet Muhammad   , example below:

Translation: O Allah , bestow your blessings upon the unlettered Prophet and upon his family; and bestow your Mercy upon him and his family

Transliteration: Allahumma Salle ‘Alaa Muhammadinin Nabiyyil Ummiyyi wa-’Alaa Aalehi wa-sallim Tasleeyma

(B) Recite three times Surah Al-FatiHah of the Quran (Surah 1 below):

Translation:

In the Name of Allah , Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
•    Praise be to Allah , Lord of the universe.
•    Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
•    Master of the Day of Judgment.
•    You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help.
•    Guide us in the right path;
•    the path of those whom you blessed, not of those who have deserved your wrath nor those who have gone astray (Ameen)

Transliteration:

Bismillaa-hir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
•    Al-Hamdu-lillaahi Rabbil-`alameen
•    Ar-RaHmaanir-RaHeem
•    Maliki yowmid-deen
•    Iyyaka na`budu wa ‘iyyaaka nasta`iyn
•    Ihdinas-siraatal-mustaqeem
•    Siraatalladheena ‘an `amta `alayhim
•    Ghuyril-maghdubi `alayhim wa lad-dwaalleen (Ameen)

(C) Recite 131 times the following:

Translation: O Giver of Peace!

Transliteration: Yaa Salaamu

(D) Recite 3 times the following:

Translation: O Allah , I seek your refuge from insanity, mutilation, leprosy and from all serious illnesses.

Transliteration: Allahumma Inni Aa-oothu-bika minal jonoo-ni wal-juthami wal-barasi wassayi-il-asqaam.

(E) Recite 78 times the following:

Translation: O The One who encompasses everything!

Transliteration: Yaa MuHeetu

(F) Repeat three times any Durud Sharif (Salutation) upon Prophet Muhammad   , example below:

Translation: O Allah , bestow your blessings upon the unlettered Prophet and upon his family; and bestow your Mercy upon him and his family

Transliteration: Allahumma Salle ‘Alaa Muhammadinin Nabiyyil Ummiyyi wa-’Alaa Aalehi wa-sallim Tasleeyma

The above procedure should be followed precisely and then one should blow on a glass of water and drink it or blow on a tablespoon of honey and lick it .

Inshallah Allah will cure and protect – Ameen

From the Ullema of Bury

A team of German physicists led by Frank Steiner at the University of Ulm is claiming that the universe is shaped like a trumpet;  how very interesting.  It may be old news to many of you but my friend, sidi Idris Kamal, spoke of it today on our way to the masjid and it was certainly news to me.

I did a little research into this matter and found an article in the Independant dated the 4th April 2004

The concept follows a close examination of the dramatic data produced by Nasa, the US space agency, in 1996, which showed that the very faint microwave radiation left over from the Big Bang 13 billion years ago was not evenly spread throughout the cosmos. This lack of evenness – called “anisotropy” – suggested that large-scale models of the shape of the universe, previously thought to be a flat expanse of space time, were wrong.

Ever since then, cosmologists have puzzled over what the data from the Cosmic Background Explorer (Cobe) spacecraft could tell them about the space-time “shape” of the universe. One rival group proposed last year that the universe was shaped instead like a football. But that would have left a particular pattern of background radiation – which has not been found by further experiments.

In the “flat” space of conventional cosmology, small “blobs” – hot and cold spots – in background radiation should be round. But observations show that instead they are ellipses. The curve of a horn-shaped universe can explain this, says Professor Steiner.

The “space” in any small part of the “horn” is saddle-shaped, like a Pringles potato crisp. Such a “negatively curved” space would act as a warped lens, distorting the image around the blobs so they look elliptical to astronomers.

Another property of a “trumpet” universe would be that large blobs more than about 60 degrees across would be absent. So far, scientists have also found this to be the case.

That article shows I am clearly having to play catch up in this matter…I had no idea, its amazing!

Allah talks about the creation in the Qur’an

It is He (God) who created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): the day He said, “Be,” behold! it is. His word is the truth. His will be the dominion the day the trumpet will be blown. He knows the unseen as well as that which is open. For He is the Wise, well acquainted (with all things) Quran 6:73

The trumpet will (just) be sounded, when all that are in the heavens and on earth will swoon, except such as it will please Allah (to exempt)… Quran: 39:68

It is very interesting to know that the shape of our universe is shaped like a trumpet, I have imagined the Angel Israfil at the tip of the universe or trumpet inhaling, ready for the command of Allah to blow it. Amazing.

Prophet Muhammad said in a hadith

“Every prophet has two viziers from the inhabitants of heaven and two from the inhabitants of earth; my two from heaven are Gabriel and Michael.” When Israfil blows the trumpet, Gabriel will stand at his right hand and Michael at his left.”

Article in the New Scientist

A couple of years ago i fell upon a story that i thought was very interesting indeed. It was the amazing story of the largest experiment ever conducted by humanity in an attempt to understand the origins of the universe.  wow

Since then it has been all over the news so i am sure everyone has heard of it.  If not, here is a brief explanation of what is going on today as i type.

The LHC (Large Hadron Collider) is this humongous particle collider which stretches around 27km long tunnel which aims to accelerate two proton beams at light speed in opposite direction, causing them to collide.

Why bother?  Well,  interestingly, scientists wish to re-create the conditions just after the Big Bang so they can see what was about.  They hope this will allow them to understand more about how everything was created or “evoluted” (depending on your worldview)

I am finding this experiment very interesting indeed especially as it brings Allah into the conversation of the masses.  I am hoping that it will encourage people to start to think about the folly of chance creation.

Theorists are coming up with all kinds of possibilities resulting from this experiment, some are asking; will this experiment create new universes with the chambers?  Will loads of black  holes be created? How about a tunnel to new dimensions?  The possibilities seem to be endless for the creative mind; this is science fiction turned reality at its most fun.

Some gloomy scientists are getting worried as they are predicting the end of the world; they are worried about the “real possibility” that this experiment could create Black Holes which could suck the rest of the world into it resulting in the end of life.

As believers in Allah . we know this is not the way the world ends so we can sit back and take it easy and watch with interest.

The Beeb are covering it live in Radio 4, if you’re interested

The Most Accurate Method

It is not advisable to determine the Qibla specially for a Masjid using an ordinary compass. The following method which uses the sun is more reliable and accurate. It has been observed for centuries and reported in many books by Muslims around the world that two times a year the sun comes overhead above Ka’bah. This is observational fact for centuries, and is used to set the correct Qibla direction in places far from Mecca by Muslims for last so many centuries.

Those two dates and times are:

When you observe the sun at these times (after converting it to your local time, see Table below), you will be facing the Ka’bah giving you Qibla direction, because if there were a very high minaret over Ka’bah reaching up to the sky, then you will see it just like you are seeing the sun. Now, let us take a few examples.

If you are in Islamabad, Pakistan (+2 hours time difference from Mecca time), the local time to observe the sun would be 2:18pm on May 28, and 2:27pm on July 16.

Similarly, if you are in Nova Scotia, Canada (-6 hours time difference from Mecca time), the local time to observe the sun would be 6:18am on May 28, and 6:27am on July 16.

The following table provides the local time for several countries when one can face toward the sun to determine the Qibla on those two dates. Consideration has been given for Daylight Saving Time in countries that observe it during summer (marked *).

Countries with several time zones have been listed with major cities in different time zones. In North America (cities shown in color) the sun can only be seen in Northeast corridor from Providence, RI to Montreal, Quebec.

For other cities in North America, the sun is not visible at noon time of Mecca , however, in those cities the sun rises a few hours later. By looking at the rising sun, one can estimate where the sun was a few hours earlier to give an approximate Qibla direction.

* means that these times are local Daylight Saving Times as observed in those countries.

tag: islam , fiq , mecca , qibla , summer time , direction

Images from NASA

“And We have made the Guarded Canopy and (yet) they turn aside from its signs.” Qur’an (21:32)

“The Earth is protected by a powerful magnetic field which forces the solar wind to sweep around the planet. In the process, the magnetic field is shaped into a gigantic teardrop that typically extends about 65 000 km towards the Sun and more than two million km in the opposite direction.” NASA

Subahnallah! The atmosphere surrounding the earth serves vital functions for the continuity of life. Allah (swt) has created such an amazing protective shield around Earth that is serves to destroy many meteors large and small as they approach the earth, it prevents them from falling to earth and harming living things.

In addition, the atmosphere filters the light rays coming from space that are harmful to living things. Interestingly, the atmosphere lets only harmless and useful rays- visible light, near ultraviolet light, and radio waves pass through. All of this radiation is vital for life. Near ultraviolet rays, which are only partially let in by the atmosphere, are very important for the photosynthesis of plants and for the survival of all living beings. The majority of the intense ultraviolet rays emitted from the sun are filtered out by the ozone layer of the atmosphere and only a limited-and essential-part of the ultraviolet spectrum reaches the Earth.

The protective function of the atmosphere does not end here. The atmosphere also protects the earth from the freezing cold of the space, which is about minus 270° C.

Allahu Akbar!

tag: islam , god , religion , quran , science , space , Allah , truth , revelation

These are really powerful images don’t you think? When I look at this its hard not to feel humbled, Allah ’s creation is just immense – and yet we become arrogant!

It is reported on the authority of Al-’Abbas (ra) that Allah ’s Messenger (saw) said:

“Do you know what the distance between the heaven and the earth is?” We said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “The distance between them is five hundred years and the distance between one heaven and the next is five hundred years and the dimension of each heaven would take five hundred years to travel and there is a sea between the seventh heaven and the `Arsh which has between its lowest and highest ends the distance equvalent to that between the heavens and the earth. And Allah , Most High, is above that and nothing is withheld from Him of the deeds of the sons of Adam.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood and others)

Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn Abbas said:

“If the seven heavens and the seven earths were flattened and laid side by side, they would add up to the size of a ring in a desert compared to the Kursi.”

[Ibn Abi Hatim 3:981]

tag: creation , space , earth , god , sun

This is another one of those statistics you come across every now and again that really gets you thinking. According to Adrian G. White, University of Leicester happiness is found to be most closely associated with health, followed by wealth and then education.

My understanding of happiness is based on peace of mind and a contented heart – this can only be achieved with the knowledge of Allah (swt) and His Rasul (saw) – without it one is only deceived by material gain

Anyway judge for yourself, there are some interesting results…

The 20 happiest nations in the World are:

1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Austria
4. Iceland
5. The Bahamas
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Bhutan
9. Brunei
10. Canada
11. Ireland
12. Luxembourg
13. Costa Rica
14. Malta
15. The Netherlands
16. Antigua and Barbuda
17. Malaysia
18. New Zealand
19. Norway
20. The Seychelles

Other notable results include:

23. USA
35. Germany
41. UK
59. Uzbekistan
62. France
82. China
89. Saudi Arabia
90. Japan
112. Pakistan
124. Mauritania
125. India
131 Singapore
154 United Arab Emirates
167. Russia
The three least happy countries were:

176. Democratic Republic of the Congo
177. Zimbabwe
178. Burundi

Peter J. Lu of Harvard University noticed the intricate geometric patterns, known as girih, used in Islamic architecture while traveling through Uzbekistan. Back home, he searched through photographs for evidence of quasicrystal (aperiodic) patterns in Islamic decorations and came across images of the Darb-i Imam shrine in Iran, built in 1453. What he found was evidence of Penrose tilings some 500 years before they were studied by Roger Penrose in the West.

For further reading about the Islamic invancement of maths and deisign please see: American Association for the Advancement of Science .

It is always really nice to know the history of the ummah and how they made a valuable contribution to every aspect of life.

tag: islam , art , design , physics , maths