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Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

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Editorial (Issue 47)

31 March 2004 | The Fountain | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

For years his poetry has been at the top of the bestsellers list. His audience span now covers not only North America, but also the entire world. Special groups of his admirers have formed for poetry readings, sÃ©ances of Sufi practices, and gatherings where participants engage in a spiritual searc…

Jalaladdin al - Rumi

30 June 2004 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

There are some significant personalities who with the help of their voice and breath, their love and excitement, and their promise for humanity always remain fresh and alive over the course of centuries. Time evidently fails to make these characters obsolete. Their thoughts, analyses, explanations…

Radiocarbon Dating and Questions

30 June 2004 | H. Huseyin Erdem | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

Libby’s discovery, now known as the carbon-14 (or radiocarbon) technique, was a method that could be used to determine the age of organic remains. In the following years, archeologists used this technique extensively and determined exact dates for pre-historic settlements in the ancient world. Some…

Revelation: A Panacea for Social Problems

30 June 2004 | Imran Sabir | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

This world is the abode of the human being, and it is a place in which we face many problems throughout our life. The problems that we face may be of diverse natures and of variant types, but all can be classified into three broader categories: (I) problems related to humans and their outer-world;…

When a Finger Moves

30 June 2004 | Firat Kocol | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

The moment I want to move my finger, a large number of neurons in my brain start sending each other small electrical impulses. These impulses travel from my brain to the rest of my body through the medulla oblongata and the spinal cord. They are then delivered to my arm, which forms only one part o…

Can Artificial Intelligence Be More Advanced than the Human Mind?

30 June 2004 | Fatih Gelgi | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

Technology is rapidly improving with time. The machines which we once only read about in novels are now an unavoidable part of our lives. This, of course, makes people wonder about what the future holds; what if the machines that we build will one day be more advanced than us? The theoretical back…

The Question of Lifestyle in Interfaith Relationships

30 June 2004 | Alphonse Dougan | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

A common expression used in “explaining” an apparent animosity among the members of different faiths is to say that “they are opposed to our lifestyle.” While this phrase is used often and carelessly, few people seem to stop and think what it really means and if it is an accurate assessment. Questi…

Rumi and the Sema

30 June 2004 | Mehmet Seker | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

I - JALALADDIN AL-RUMI Introduction The human being is equipped in the best possible way, both materially and spiritually. The human is able to achieve the level of “the best of creation,” which is dependent on the ability to use and develop these given spiritual aspects. Hence, those people of f…

A Nursi Reader - A Message for times of illness

30 June 2004 | Emrah Altunkaya | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

Although a large portion of the population in all societies is afflicted by a major illness or calamity sometime in their life, most people try not to think about or remember these events, thinking about them only a few days in the year. What can the Divine purpose be in giving people this sort of…

Hibernation as a Sign of Existence

30 June 2004 | Ali Demir | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

What is hibernation? Hibernation is a state of inactivity in an animal brought about by shorter days, colder temperatures and limited food. Hibernation not only eliminates the need for food gathering in the winter, but also allows an animal to conserve its body energy by slowing down its heart rate…

Self - Defense Mechanisms

30 June 2004 | Dr. Said Guzel | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

Self-defense is an important ability that has been given to living beings to help them survive. If a being cannot defend itself, then staying alive is impossible. Large sums of money are spent on national defense and military armament. Similarly, on a more personal level, we make expenditures to me…

An Argument on Miracles

30 June 2004 | Arif Sarsilmaz | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

We sometimes read in newspapers or hear from the news on television “A child fell from the fifth floor and didn’t die!” or “A person survived a plane crash and came out without even a scratch!” These events, although familiar to us, cannot be explained by the laws of physics, chemistry, or biology…

The Miraculous World of Oxygen

30 June 2004 | Abdullah Ozer | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

All living organisms require oxygen to live. As humans, we breathe to take in oxygen; if we were not to do this we would die as we would not be able to meet our energy needs. Eighteen times more energy is extracted from glucose, a basic carbohydrate, in the presence of oxygen than without it. Just…

Appropriate Messages in Child Training

30 June 2004 | Hasan Aydinli | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

An old Chinese proverb says that: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for the rest of his life.” This proverb points out the importance of education. There is perhaps no other subject that has greater importance than the education of children. This is t…

The Bottom of the Food Chain Plankton

30 June 2004 | Zubeyr Kaya | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

For many authors throughout history, religion has always been a major point of interest. There are several books written concerning the creation of the world, the existence of a god or gods, and many similar religious topics. Nature and the living things in nature have been much discussed due to th…

What is Sufism?

30 June 2004 | Hikmet Isik | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

Q: What is Sufism? A: Sufism is a path followed by Sufis (adherents of Islamic mysticism) to reach the Truth-God. While the term Sufism usually expresses the theoretical or philosophical aspect of this search, its practical aspect is usually referred to as “being a dervish.” Sufism has been defin…

Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance

30 June 2004 | Thomas Michel | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

Author: M. Fethullah Gulen / ISBN: 1-932099-68-9 Price: US$ 14.95 / Publisher: The Light, Inc., New Jersey www.thelightpublishing.com The need for dialogue among people of faith has been underscored by the events of the past few years. Interreligious dialogue is seen as an alternative to the much-…

A Moment for Reflection

30 June 2004 | Ismail Hakki Ozcan | Issue 47 (July - September 2004)

A Heart Overflowing with Love: Rumi I am drunk and you are insane Tell me, who will lead us home? How many times have I asked you not to drink so much; I see no sober soul in town. Come to the tavern my dearest and taste the wine of love; the soul is joyous only in the company of lovers. The t…

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