Decline of Science in the Muslim World Re: # 18

Hi buddy,
I see that you haven`t found it yet. Not doing your research, eh?
And btw, thanks for your ``accolades``, but I would appreciate if you don`t put the ``celebrated Islamic scholar`` thing after my name. I am really just a fool like you, seriously ..... no denying. Only I try my best to make myself not to look like one.
:)

Decline of Science in the Muslim World Re: # 16

To make my question clearer, ``The development of science in the glory days of Muslim world: can it be attributed to the whole society, or was it a result of a bunch of maverick, ``outcast`` scientists?``

Decline of Science in the Muslim World Mohammad Gill,

I have been giving this some thought myself since the past few years, and I agree with most of what you say. My question is, what do we know about the scientists and scholars like al-Haitham, al-Razi, Ibn-al-Sina, Ibn-al-Rushd? I mean do we have an account of their personal lives? How ``religious`` or ``unreligious`` were they? Did they work within the system of the prevailing society or did their work hiding in dark holes? Did they get inspired by the Qoran, or like their modern western counterparts, carried on their research irrespective of it? If they worked in hiding, then the reasons are probably the same as today. But if they worked within the framework of the society, then what was different with the Muslim Arabic society then?

- Samir Shaikh

Muslims and the Road to Perdition Re: # 309

You are indeed amusing.
I wasn`t planning to mention it for fear of losing the delight (but now I know I will never lose the joy), but it`s fun to watch you get all worked up and dance around.

Muslims and the Road to Perdition Re: # 304

I won`t give you the source of the quotation. I have it ... but I won`t.
I will let you stumble upon it ......
it`s happened before with my discussions with other people .......... and nothing gives me more pleasure when that happens.
Please don`t take my few peasures away.

Muslims and the Road to Perdition Good question.

{...if ``the concept of God is so vast that it is impossible to define it by any human means possible `` then why should humans bother with it in the first place ?}

Probably because acknowledging it will prevent us from trying to encompass it in our tiny brains? and fighting over each others` ``Gods``, when in fact we are just fighting over the inadequacies of our brains??

Or probably because understanding the way an amoeba functions and the way an egg hatches brings us a bit closer to God and attempting to understand God brings us closer to understanding the amoeba??? (amoeba?? what??? this guy is completely nuts!!!!)

{... it seems to be an exercise in futility and the pursuit of mad men...}

If that`s your definition of a ``mad man``. I proudly declare that I am a ``mad man``!!

Muslims and the Road to Perdition Re: # 300

``apostles who have brought good news to mankind and admonished them,`` .... can we deny Buddha did that?

I agree that Buddha neither proclaimed the existence of God nor denied it. But those are philosophical differences. And Philosophy is just a critical analysis of fundamental assumptions. The quran encourages us to acknowledge and understand different philosophies that are fundamentally bringing the same messages of love, goodness, integrity, ..... You can be philosophically different but fundamentally similar.

That`s where pluralism comes into Islam.

Muslims and the Road to Perdition Re: # 292

Dost,

I think tahmed answered a part of the question on my behalf. I would like to add:
Firstly, in Islam, the concept of God is so vast that it is impossible to define it by any human means possible (please refer to my other methaphors in earlier posts for clearer explanations). So, the concept of Allah or God you have in your mind is just a 1000 millionth or even lesser part of what it actually is. Same applies to me or any other human being. So it does not at all make a difference if you or I agree on anyone`s concept of ``God``, it doesn`t even matter if Buddha`s concept of ``supreme being`` was different from what you and I think it is or it ought to be. It`s true Buddha never preached the existence of God the way some other apostles did ............ but does that mean, we completely understand what he actually meant? Or we are just imposing another of our sought after ``LABELS`` of `agnostic`` on him. It`s so sad that we try to brand and label everything ......... agnostic, atheist, muslim, sufi, ..... vedic, ... zen ....It must be awfully easy for referencing and shelving and organizing I am sure ......

- SS

Muslims and the Road to Perdition Re: # 294

Oh! The irrlevent analyses of us men!! It makes me cry!

Muslims and the Road to Perdition Re: # 288

With ref. to post #288:
Many muslims (and non-muslims) might not acknowledge that the Vedas were a message or that Buddha was one of the apostles, but ironically Islam does. And I prefer not to follow the muslims but Islam. It is hard to grasp how a religion can be so ``all-encompassing`` and ``all-inclusive`` ... but I guess that`s why it is such a threat to so many.

Muslims and the Road to Perdition Re: # 281

``We have revealed Our will to you as We revealed it to Noah and to the Prophets who came after him; as We revealed it to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and David, to whom We gave the Psalms. Of some apostles We have already told you (how God spoke directly to Moses); but there are others of whom We have not yet spoken: apostles who have brought good news to mankind and admonished them, so that they might have no plea against God after their coming. God is Mighty and Wise.`` Sura 4, The Women, verses 163-165.

The Quran asks Muslims to revere all preceding apostles, twenty five of whom are mentioned in the Holy Book by name. However, God also says: but there are others of whom We have not yet spoken, thus indicating that although revealed religions are multiple they have one single target.

Then the Quran commands the Muslims to declare openly and frankly that they believe in all heavenly messengers.

``Say we believe in God and that which is revealed to us; we believe in what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes; to Moses and Jesus and the other prophets, We make no distinction between any of them, and to God we have surrendered ourselves.`` Sura 2, The Cow, verse 136.

Behind the Iron Purdah
``And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women.`` Al Quran(2:226)

``there shall be no compulsion in religion`` Al Quran(2:256)

Behind the Iron Purdah Re: # 152

For men like these I propose a new law: If a woman complains about harassment of any kind ..... mental, psychological or physical from any man ...... no matter even if it`s a lie ....
do the following things to the man:
1. 3 cops .... should bring him in the middle of a busy chowk (not this one) and hit him till the passerbys ask the cops to stop.
2. Secondly have him wear a burqa for the rest of his living life. (strictly imposed)
3. If it was a physical abuse, have him castrated, and publicize it.
4. Lastly, every woman should carry a small knife and a baton will have the right to kill any abuser on the spot. This will be not be tried in the court of law.

Please vote YES on proposition 153.

Behind the Iron Purdah Re: # 148

Not the towel, sir, the toilet paper.

Behind the Iron Purdah Re: # 147

``And the dancing is very provocative. She is dancing, hands over head, elbows bent, head turning from left to right, and back, and back, her chest flung violently out on the 2 and the 4, the 2 and the 4. And parts attached to her chest are vibrating in slight delay, creating a sensuously syncopated boom chucka chucka, boom chucka chucka. But before you ladies get me arrested for what I’m thinking, let me ask for some help from the guys. We have 50,000 heterosexual guys, all different nationalities, all different religions, all different backgrounds, watching this girl. What are 49,936 of them thinking about? Baseball? I think not.

In the year 1 million BC, there was no game playing. Everyone knew what the dance meant. No mixed messages in Fred Flintstone’s day. Here’s a scenario. There’s 25 women from the village down by the river, pounding loin cloths with rocks, while the men wait in the village, scratching their stomachs, resting up for their next encounter with the wooly mammoth, trying to look good for something. All of a sudden, a young cave girl jumps up from her washing duties. Hands over head, elbows bent, head turning from left to right, and back, and back, she is thrusting her chest violently on the 2 and the 4, the 2 and the 4. Suddenly, a man in the village jumps up, nose in the air.


It’s coming from the river! It’s the miracle of procreation about to work it’s magic. Now we know what the men are good for. He rushes to the stream, nose in the air. She is thrusting more violently now (boom chucka chucka, boom chucka chucka). He better get in there quick or she will finish without him. So he clubs her on the head, drags her back to the cave, finishes the ritual, and now here we are, going to singles dances and reading this crap (boom chucka chucka, boom chucka chucka)!!!!``

- SS

Behind the Iron Purdah Re: # 145

chucka boom boom chucka boom boom chucka boom boom
boom ...... boom ..... boom