Issue 140 (Mar - Apr 2021)

Life is short, and we often wonder what the best way to spend it is. Some advocate for hedonism and indulgence with the goal of making the most out of their short stay, while others believe this time can be better spent by looking out for one’s neighbors. The true motivations of such altruistic peo…

O the Most Merciful of the Merciful! You are the One who spreads these vast universes like a book before each of us. You are the One who makes our consciences sense their secrets, and again it is You who makes our consciences a shore to the realm where the otherworldly mysteries rise in waves! We…

FLASH radiotherapy is a brand-new model of radiation therapy that may be administered to a cancer patient in as little as a single, complete treatment. The therapy lasts much less than one second and has a duration of up to six weeks. Comparatively, conventional radiation therapy takes several minu…

Your correspondent was musing just the other day. Enter one’s wife. “Are you thinking, dear?” she asked. “I am reflecting, receiving,” I replied. “What about, then?” she asked anew. “Atheists,” I replied, succinctly. “Oh, Lord, must you?” she expostulated. She is right, of course. Atheists…

Gülen as Spiritual Master In recent years, much has been written about the thought of Fethullah Gülen and the activities of the “Gülen community” [1] from diverse perspectives. Some have focused on his pedagogical principles and methods in an effort to understand the success of the schools and oth…

A pandemic (from Greek, pan, "all" and demos, "people") is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of people. A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses international b…

Jam‘ (absorption) literally means coming and bringing together. In the language of Sufism, it means fixing all one’s feeling, sight and consciousness on the Ultimate Truth, to the extent that one is absorbed in Him and does not feel the existence of the world with all that is in it. To the degree o…

Fethullah Gülen, the Muslim scholar who inspired the global educational movement called Hizmet, has not only challenged popular perceptions of Islam in the West and certain practices among Muslims, but has also established a space for humanistically inclined individuals, not only followers of Islam…

The avocado is a fruit that grows in hot, tropical climates that has a sweet and sour taste. Avocados are a well-known source of carotenoids that provide a multitude of vitamins including vitamin A, minerals, phenolics, and fatty acids. In a number of studies, it has been noted that avocado consump…

Stop giving up, or else you cannot reach the end. You cannot harvest the fruit, unless you firmly stand. Those who reached their purpose, made it thanks to their being steadfast. Steadfast you should be; or else, you cannot behold the Friend’s countenance Roads are long and onerous; yet faith is…

Book Review Why Science and Faith Need Each Other: Eight Shared Values That Move Us Beyond Fear By Elaine Howard Ecklund 978-1587434365 Brazos Press, May 2020 pp. 176 “70 percent of [these] scientists (who work as engineers or in research and development) said that the narrative that all li…

Communication is the essence of the qualities which make human beings social creatures. The primary purpose of inter-personal communication is information exchange between two parties, but the conveyed message could be influenced by many factors including emotions, body language, the mediums used…

Question: Arrogance is a serious character problem we experience throughout our lives. We falsely claim ownership over every good deed we are involved, forgetting that they are blessings from God. How can believers cope with such an arrogance?  On seeing certain positive results, one might sometim…

No link found between gender and performance in physics courses Dew et al. Gendered performance differences in introductory physics: A study from a large land-grant university. Physical Review Physics Education Research, February 2021. A new study discredits the stereotype that male students perf…