Issue 139 (Jan - Feb 2021)

It is uncommon that we observe the background details of a well-produced film or notice the subtle masterpieces behind a state-of-the-art play. Aside from those that are very observant, these elements usually only come into view when production experiences a horrible mishap, perhaps if an actor’s c…

Being human is being “of Adam.” In terms of the Universal Spirit (al-ruh al-kull), “being of Adam” is a kernel from the truth of the Praised One, Ahmad (meant to bear fruit as the perfected human). In terms of the realm of Divine Might and Majesty (al-alam al-jabarut), being of Adam is a blessed ef…

We all focused on one topic throughout 2020: Covid-19. No single day passed without news on the pandemic as we counted numbers of positive cases and the death toll while anticipating for a vaccine. In the meantime, we got more familiar with some of the medical processes, like phases, clinical trial…

The questions on the creation of mankind and the inner workings of the universe have been the primary issues that have had a profound impact on both modern, secular philosophy and traditional religion. Our collective experiences in natural sciences and educational disciplines have taught us that ce…

On the back cover of the 2017 May-June edition of this magazine we were reminded of the knot that binds us to the tangle we have made of human existence. Releasing the knot, one would contend, requires first an awareness of the nature of the knot, which means knowing what caused the tangle. We are…

In 1981, scientists discovered ways to derive embryonic stem cells from early mouse embryos. Since then, they have been the subject of intense scrutiny, controversy, and advocacy. They are unique cells, which can be derived from human embryos and can be differentiated into virtually any kind of di…

The leader of a people is the one who serves them. That is the essence of leadership, serving a group or community first, rather than focusing on leading them. This understanding of leadership is vital to societal management and has been adopted by public administrations across the globe. A new bo…

Tafrid (individuality) means seclusion from society or going into retreat to devote all one’s time to worshipping God. More particularly, it denotes that even when initiates have attained states or stations that others cannot, they never see themselves as such, because of their conviction that what…

In his Twentieth Word, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, a 20th century Islamic scholar and teacher, uses an interesting phrase, where he argues that the miracles of the prophets represent the highest points that scientific developments would ever attain and as such, they are set as goals which humanity shou…

“God contracts and expands.” (2:245) The heart is a fairly small muscle that beats 100,000 times a day and produces roughly 115,000 Joules of energy, enough to boil a cup of water for some tea. Like a flowing river, deoxygenated blood travels from the right side of our body to the right side o…

When we think of tears we generally think of the emotional implications behind them, such as why a person is crying in the first place. This is certainly one of their important functions, however tears are much more useful than meets the eye. Tears play a significant role in maintaining the vital…

Athlete’s foot is a frequent infection that millions of people suffer from annually. I once had it during my military service where we had to wear boots almost an entire day. Once during a noon intercession, I performed my ablutions to pray and I placed my feet under the sunlight to dry them. I was…

Question:  Oppression is everywhere and exists in almost every form. How should believers respond to oppression when they have to face it? Oppression, at its most basic form, is a transgression of boundaries and a violation of others’ rights. Killing an ant is oppressive, for nobody is authorized…

How does loneliness affect your brain? Spreng et al. The default network of the human brain is associated with perceived social isolation. Nature Communications. December 2020. A recent study found fundamental structural and functional differences in the brains of lonely people. Researchers exami…