Mahboob l محبوب's Posts (8)

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A History of Pi

         The magic of numbers is nothing new to the field of literature. Over the past two decades many popular books have explored the theme of immutable numbers and their special properties. A quarter of a century ago, the book “A History of Pi” took the nation by storm and mathematics became an interesting and publicly identifiable discipline rather than the realm of scientists. A newly published book on another mythical but immutable number has come to the national consciousness. Robert Kaplan’s book “The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero”. The number zero has many properties that make it unique over any other number. Deep in the heart of elementary mathematics, this is a term that we all learn and it is left unchanged whatever it is added to or subtracted from.   One of the advantages of Kaplan’s book over his competitors is his rich understanding of the history behind the number zero and his ability to narrate his findings in an extremely interesting manner. He explains that the acceptance of zero as a fundamental number with an actual arithmetical value was not an easy road, and that in fact it we now take for granted the power of the number itself. He fully explores the historical, intellectual and cultural aspects of the number zero and its evolution through our civilization. With many pauses on the specific time periods and their relationships with our modern world, he contextualizes the concept of zero and frames it within important historical moments in our society. This is one of the major advantages of the book. For instance, he details the creation of the zero and its debate while in the midst of Aristotle’s tutelage of Alexander the Great. He explains the controversy and how it impacted Greek society and the Greek tutelage. His ability to contextualize this number is crucial to our understanding and to develop a deeper meaning for this number

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Selfish Friend

Once a cat was caught in a hunter's net. A mouse used to live in a nearby hole. The mouse seeing the cat in the net started playing around the cat.Soon a mongoose came there. He wanted to kill the mouse. As he lifted his head, he saw an owl sitting on a tree trying to catch him. The mongoose went very near the cat's net to save himself. The mouse thought "When the hunter takes away the cat, the mongoose will not spare me and the owl is there to enjoy both of us."The Mouse went to the cat and said,"I can cut the net if you promise to save my life from the mongoose and the owl." The cat agreed. The mouse started cutting the net slowly and freed the cat only when the hunter was just near the cat. The cat took to heels and so ran the mongoose too. The owl was very much disappointed to see even the mouse running away to safety.A few days later, the cat being hungry, went to the hole of the mouse and requested him to come out for a game. The mouse replied,"I sought friendship and saved you to save my life." Now you can go home.MORAL : Don’t nurture friendship with selfish people
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It’s been recorded in Hujjatullahi ala al-Alameen and Taarikh Ibn Asaakir that 1,000 years before the arrival of the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam, the King of Yemen (Tabaa Awwal Hamīri) assembled 12,000 of his scholars and officials, 132,000 horsemen, and 113,000 foot soldiers to accompany him on a tour of his kingdom. During this expedition, they arrived in the city of Makkah and were surprised to find none of its residents interested in coming out to salute them. When the king enquired from his officials as to the reason for this, his prime-minister responded,

“There’s a structure in this city called ‘the House of Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala’ which people from all over – way more than this army, in fact – come to pay their respects towards and to the city’s residents. Why then would they concern themselves with this measly procession?”

The king became infuriated upon hearing this and swore,

“I’ll tear that structure down and have all of these people killed!”

He then suddenly found blood emerging from his eyes, nose and mouth (along with a liquid so horrendous in smell that no-one in his company could bear sitting next to him). After seeking help from his numerous doctors to cure this condition of his (all to no avail), one of his priests finally stepped forward and said,

“O King! This sickness is from the Heavens, while we possess cures only from the Earth. The only way to rid yourself of it is to seek forgiveness for any bad intention you may have had recently.”

So, the king repented from his earlier plans against the Kaaba and the Makkans and immediately found his condition return to its normal state again! Unable to contain his happiness, he then ordered for a silk covering to be prepared and draped over the Kaaba, before presenting every resident of the city with wealth and some silk clothing.

The army then proceeded to Madinah al-Munawwarah. Upon their arrival, those that were scholars of the Heavenly Books examined its sand, stones and landscape and immediately recognized the area to be the future residence of the Final Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam. For this reason, they turned to their king and said,

“We’d rather die than leave this city! Should fortune favour us, the Final Messenger will one day arrive and bless us with his companionship. Otherwise, the sand from his feet will surely land on our graves, and this will be sufficient for our salvation.”

So, the king built 400 houses for them in the city, and in the region of his chief-priest’s residence, he constructed a few houses better than the others (intending that when the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam did arrive, he’d choose to stay in one of them). After then giving them enough money to begin their new lives, the king gave a letter to his main priest with the following instruction,

“Give this to the Prophet if you see him in your lifetime. If not, keep it in your family until he arrives.”

This letter passed from generation to generation in the priest’s family (for 1,000 years) until it finally came into the hands of the famous Companion, Hadrat Abu Ayyub al-Ansaari Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu (who requested his servant, Abu Layla, to safeguard it). Written in it was the following,

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We are living in a world of uncertainty and misconceptions. Man is beginning to question the very roots of his beliefs regarding Allah Almighty and the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam, to create doubt in the minds of the simple and unsuspecting Muslims. A brother in Islam provided me a link where some lunatics were trying to accuse the magnificent personality of Syeduna Rasoolullah Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam having a shadow like any other human!! (Na'udhu Billahi min dhalik)

Indeed, our Master, the selected splendid Moon and brilliant Star Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam, did not have a shadow. This is clearly proven by the Hadith Sharīf and consensus of the illustrious Ā'immah of Dīn. Those who dispute this are not even fit to qualify as students of these great ‘Ulamā, let alone understand their works. It is recorded in authentic books from generation to generation with unbroken chain sequence and consensus that the beloved Nabī Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam did not have a shadow. To this day it cannot be proven that any ‘Ālim of Dīn has ever dared to dispute this agreed fact. But how unfortunate is it that suddenly some fool is born who rejects this undisputed fact and intends to enslave himself with the chains of Nafs and ignorance. This rejection makes transparent such peoples ignorance, insolence and disrespect for our Master and compassionate Rasūl Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam.

Surely, it is out of the many unique attributes of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) that HE did not possess a shadow. He didn't have a shadow in the radiance of sunlight nor did he have a shadow in the illumination of the moon. This is the `Aqeedah (Creed or belief) of the SaHaba, Tabi'een and the Ulama al-Islam. We shall now proceed and contemplate upon the `Aqeedah of the pious predecessors.

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..:: Mount Uhud ::..

Narrated Sayyiduna Anas Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu: Allah’s Apostle SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam ascended the (mountain) of Uhud with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, Sayyiduna Umar al-Farooq and Sayyiduna ‘Uthman al-Ghani Radi Allahu Anhum Ajma'een and it shook. Allah’s Apostle said, “Be calm, O Uhud!” He stroked it with his foot and added, “There is none on you but a Prophet, a Siddiq and two martyrs.”

The Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam was traveling once: “and when Uhud was within sight, he said: This is the mountain which loves us and we love it.”

This is a mountain, made up of rocks and stones, yet we are made of flesh and have been given hearts that beat… do we love the Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam as this mountain? Do we shake like this mountain out of love for him?

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