Issue 45 (January - March 2004)

Another year has passed, leaving much for us to take lessons from. We have seen a dictator leave the stage, taking with him a never-ending list of crimes committed against his own people over the years. Wars and acts of aggression have set off many repercussions across the world this year, threaten…

The word 'Islam' literally stems from the root 's-l-m' and the words 'silm' and 'salamah' which mean peace, and which indicate the 'submission' or 'surrender' of oneself to God Almighty, being obedient to His commands, embarking on a safe and secure path that leads to salvation, promising a sense o…

We live in a cozy and dynamic home called the Earth, which moves through cold, dark space at a great speed. Everything we need can be found on this specially made spacecraft of ours. There is neither excessive cold nor excessive heat. A moderate and pleasant climate prevails. There is an average te…

The role of meaning is of paramount importance in human life (Frankl, 1963). Human beings have a natural inclination to understand and make sense out of their lives and experiences. It is one of those attributes that make us distinctively human. As Dewey wrote (1933), "Only when things about us hav…

"Surely, those whom you invoke, apart from God, will never create a fly even if they combine together for the purpose. If the fly takes something from them, they cannot rescue it from him."; (Qur'an 22:73) Good day my dear friends! I know you are tired of me, I bother you so often, especially…

Created with miraculous abilities, like intelligence, thought, and speaking, it is the human, apart from all other living things, that has invented much and enriched human civilization. The human brain, as a histological organ, formed by 60 billion cells and with its capacity of processing billions…

The environment of today is one equipped with high-tech means of communication, some of which are so complicated that we find them difficult to conceive; such a world causes the people of today to lead their lives in isolation. As empathy is an important element of human communication, it should be…

The theory of evolution, originally based on the ideas of Darwin, proposes an explanation for life on earth. In this theory there is no place for an intelligent Designer. The sole mechanism of advancing from inorganic matter to the first life form and from there to the diversity of life found on ea…

TWELFTH LETTER The creation of evil is in no way evil, it is the committing of evil that is evil. Man is endowed with free will and God enables man's willed actions. Therefore, it is man's willing and committing evil that is evil and ugly, not God's giving objective existence to evil. If God were…

Briefly defined as the worship of Satan as if he were God, Satanism is the name given to a reaction that basically started in the 1880s in such countries as France, England, Germany, and especially in the USA, against Christianity and religious understanding and the domination Christian scholars ex…

One of the most famous Turkish Islamic scholars of the last century was Said Nursi. Nursi, who had a great influence on Turkish people, wrote over 50 books and spent most of his life behind bars. Today, his teachings are admired by Turkey's young generation and millions of Muslims all over the worl…

Can be restructured and converted into occasions that might work in the favor both of the individual and of humanity. Most of the people who have had a significant positive influence on history and who have provided guidance that is beneficial to humankind were exposed to many hardships and sufferi…

Thomas Petriano, Ph.D, is the chairperson of the Religious Studies Department of St. Joseph's College in Patchogue, NY. He teaches comparative religions, as well as courses in Christian Studies. He has a doctorate in theology from Fordham University. He is deeply interested in and committed to inte…

Q: How should we react to the evil thoughts and desires whispered by Satan? A: Involuntary evil thoughts, fancies, or associations of ideas usually are the result of Satan's interference. Just as a battery has two poles, there are two central points to our hearts. These two poles work like the two…

This book is a compilation of some of the wise sayings of M. Fethullah Gulen, each of which is a criterion or pearl of wisdom This work by M. Fethullah Gulen is a continuation of a long tradition of books and articles promoting the cause of serving society through the advancement of universal educ…