Author: Sarah Gavoci

Hello to all my faithful readers,
I do apologize for my silence lately, nevertheless, I am back now.
I started this blog while under the assumption that everyone holds a belief in some ideology, whether it be religion, science, etc…a crude oversight on my part. Allow me to take the opportunity to rectify my error and write to those of you out there that simply do not believe in any specific doctrine.
Happiness, happiness is a conceptualization that many might argue does not exist. We go through life desperately trying to grasp that sense of “happiness” we see portrayed on movie sets. We look to those that we think have it better than ourselves whether it be a celebrity in Hollywood, or simply someone that is better looking, has more disposal income, has it easier, etc. But, I am here to tell you that true happiness does not exist. I was speaking to a friend the other day and she said life is “hell”. I was surprised to hear that and my first instinct was to retaliate, however, I didn’t and I have spent time since thinking about her statement. I have come to the conclusion that I agree with her. I must say I have so much respect for this young woman as she has seen through the charades, the facade that this world has created suggesting that ultimate happiness is attainable. This world is a place, where war and famine have been on a continuous loop for oh so long. This world is a place where we are born and made to believe that we can grow up, dream big, attain those dreams and have a life of happiness. Our lives are so fragile, where a little tumor can bring our life to a crashing halt, where a little car accident may shatter our mere existence. The only truth we know is that we are here, alive on this earth, enduring the sharp jabs of pain, with the continuous risk of death looming in every minute. So, whats the point I ask you, were we put on this earth to suffer? Is the world nothing more than a masochistic existence? Were we merely put on this earth to endure pain and suffering, all of which will end with the sweet release of death into an unknown abyss, or will we simply disappear into a black hole and simply be no more. My answers to all those questions is “no”, plain an simple “no, that is not the reason”. Maybe, I am just an enthusiastic, optimistic person. To those that do believe in all that I am truly apologetic as that must be horrifying. The idea of not knowing to me seems quite frightening. To those that have lived their lives with these beliefs I commend you on your bravery.

In this world their are two types of happiness, happiness of the body and happiness of the soul. That feeling is derived from the activities we indulge in and enjoy, whether it be a hobby, reaching a personal goal, basically any activity purely built upon what you enjoy, hedonism. That happiness is not ever lasting as we might eventually get bored or tiresome with the monotony of life, which is why we eventually move on to a new goal we hope will help us get that happiness we long for. So, how do we maintain happiness? Now onto happiness that is felt by the soul. Psychologists, philosophers and many more have attempted to define what the soul is. However, they have failed; all we know is that there is an entity within us, one that does not have a locality in human anatomy, but one that is significant enough to set apart the living from the dead. We can see evidence of the existence of a soul through our behaviors. People often confuse happiness with the fulfilment of desires. But, as they say money cannot buy happiness. Narcotics and drugs do not achieve happiness they simply mask unhappiness as they are used to disassociate one’s unhappiness from reality. So, how do we achieve happiness? How do we satisfy our hungry soul?

Religion: religion is a doctrine that suggests that it provides us with the answers to those unanswered questions. Happiness is realized by unearthing the answers our soul seeks. The soul seeks the knowledge of existence, knowledge of a creator, guidance, details on life and whether this is an afterlife. All Abrahamic religions preach that there is an afterlife, that there is heaven and hell, that those that perform according to their book, in this world will go to heaven and those that spend their time harming themselves or others will face the fire of hell. To some that may seem a tired notion, that holds about as much validity as belief in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, a concept used by parents to straighten out those rowdy children. Earlier on we declared that the world holds evil and injustice, would it make sense for a person that has never harmed anyone a day in his/her life to meet the same ending as an oppressor that dictated corruption, racism, war and crime. Heaven and hell has erected to ensure a balance or at least to make sure that what is fair will eventually happen. When a criminal walks free we should find comfort in the fact that they will eventually meet their fate. When those awful girls gossip about you know that there is a God that will inflict upon them the punishment they deserve.

We live in a world where the parents that brought you up may disappoint you, in a world full of liars, cheaters and thieves. People that are green with envy, hypocritical gossips loom behind every corner. So, there has to be someone, something that will defend your honor and there is. Don’t give up on the world just yet because God will never give up on you. Some people believe that if they have already committed “sins” that ensures them a spot in hell. That is the furtherest from the truth, the idea of God, the reason it is a concept many find hard to grasp is because we cannot understand his unlimited patience, his eternal absolution. We too quickly forget that God is not human, we might hold grudges and find it difficult to move on and forget, but God he is merciful, endlessly forgiving.

A verse Islam preaches: اللهم انك عفو كريم تحب العفو فاعف عني
Translation: O Allah , You are forgiving. You love to forgive, so forgive me.
Now it is time for you to forgive yourself and give yourself a chance at true happiness.
S

Astronomy has been known as a an Arab forte as they were the first to excel in that specific domain. So, regardless of whether one believes that the Qu’ran said it first and it was the soul book that educated them on astronomy, the Qur’an served to educate humanity on so much more. Now, its time to venture into the knowledge of physics the Qur’an supplied humankind with.

Democritus, a man of Greek origin was the first to propose the theory of atomism, assuming that the atom was the smallest unit of matter. Nevertheless, we now know better, as modern science has taught us that an atom can be split and within it, protons, electrons and neutrons can be located. The Arabs held the belief in the same theory “Dharrah” being the Arabic word for atom. Nonetheless, the Qur’an came along and challenged this notion “But those who disbelieve say, “The Hour will not come to us.” Say, “Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you. [Allah is] the Knower of the unseen.” Now absent from Him is an atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth or [what is] smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register-” This verse conveys that Allah knows the seen and unseen and He does not miss anything whether it be as minuscule as the weight of an atom or even smaller or bigger, whether it be on land or the heavens above.

What about an entirely different study, geography what does the Qur’an teach about geography? Let’s begin with the water cycle, Bernard Palissy (1580) was the first narrate the process of the water cycle. Within the narration he reported the amount that evaporates from the oceans and the amount that cools down to form clouds. He described how the clouds move towards the land where they rise, condense and release precipitation. Further, the water gathers in lakes and streams and eventually pours back into the sea. Another wonder people speculated and hypothesized about was the underground water. Aristotle theorized that water condensed within cool mountain caverns and later formed underground lakes that pooled into springs. Now, it is known that water seeps into the ground through cracks on its surface. Now, lets look to see what the Qur’an said “Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky and makes it flow as springs [and rivers] in the earth; then He produces thereby crops of varying colours; then they dry and you see them turned yellow; then He makes them [scattered] debris, Indeed in that is a reminder for those of understanding.” (Al-Quran: 39:21) How about this verse “And of His signs is [that] He shows you the lightening [causing] fear and aspiration and He sends down rain from the sky by which He brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed in that are signs for a people who use reason.” (30:24)
And, this “And We have sent down rain from the sky in a measured amount and settled it in the earth. And indeed, We are able to take it away.”  (23:18)

So, my personal vote is Aristotle is but a simple mortal, at liberty of error just as much as the rest of us. What’s yours?
Always,
S

The Sun, one of the most curious of creations, a mass of fire floating up in space, one we have grown so accustomed too. It greets us at the crack of dawn and bids us good night a number of hours later. In ancient times, people looked up to the sun and moon, called upon them as their gods and prayed and worshiped these two entities because they believed them to be so daunting and beautiful two aspects which we still hold today. We wax poetic literature comparing a beautiful woman to the moon. Maya Angelou described the “Phenomenal Woman”‘s smile to the sun. Another attribute that made them worthy of this title was their immortally. Without fail we can calculate the exact time the sun rises any time of the year because it abides by a clock that can be studied and synced to science. However, is the sun really as immortal as our fathers thought it to be or will it, like everything else,  come to an end? “And the sun runs unto a resting place, for him: that is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-knowing. (Al-Qur’an 36:38)

The sun’s light is a result of a chemical process that has been occurring persistently for five billion years. However, in sync with the rest of creations it too will cease to exist marking the end of life on earth. As seen in the above English interpretation there is mention of the sun running unto a resting place, suggesting that it runs to a determined place and on a prescribed day it will terminate.

It was earlier believed that space was but a vacuum, later this notion was rectified as it was discovered that there are in fact bridges of matter referred to as plasma. Plasma is at times considered the fourth state of matter and consists of ionized gas containing corresponding numbers of free positive ions and electrons. The Quranic verse that mentions this is “He who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between” (25:59).

Edwin Hubble (1925) was the first, to be able to provide observational evidence for the receding of the galaxies from one another, thus suggesting the expansion of the universe. This is now regarded as irrefutable scientific fact. The Qur’an recited “And raw heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander” (51:47). Stephen Hawking once stated in his book A Brief History of Time (1988) “The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the greatest intellectual revolutions of the 20th century.” The Qur’an said it before 1409 years before Stephen Hawking!

There are those that attempt to refute the knowledge of the Qur’an as they claim that Arabs were advanced in astronomy anyway. However, what they fail to realize is that the Arabs were advanced in astronomy due tot he knowledge the Qur’an provided not the other way around.

How could anyone, but the Creator possibly know such intricate detail?
S

Our race at large is always so quick to delegate blame away from ourselves, lest we are held responsible for our own actions. For a while now we have been exploring a holy book and today I will reveal its identity. But, before I do read this verse and speculate where and with whom the fault of the waging of brutal wars in the name of religion lies. “And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah, lest they insult Allah in enmity without  knowledge. Thus, we have made pleasing to every community their deeds, then to their Lord is their return and He will inform about what they used to do” (6:108). This verse and all the other verses mentioned in previous posts are derived from the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’an is the book of Islam. Islam is referred to as a religion by those that are not Muslim, however, for those that are; they know and comprehend that Islam is not so. Islam, is a book of laws, it encompasses the laws of life, it teaches and defines the moral code, it incorporates such specific detail that people are expected to live by. Muslims recognize Islam as a doctrine for life rather than a religion where certain hours are delegated to its individual practice. Islam’s image has been misrepresented and slandered by the media and propaganda of those that fear the power of Islam. The word “islam” is literally the Arabic word for peace, it preaches and teaches a life of peace. I implore you to put in the effort to uncover the truth, no one likes being lied to. Do not allow the media to have such a grasp on your thoughts, do not allow yourself to be misled, stand up for your rights; you have the right to know where you came from, why you are here, who created you, you have the right to pursue whatever beliefs you choose so put in the time to discover the ultimate truth.

Now I ask you if Islam is truthfully a religion of terror then why is it that it continues to grow, why is it that day in day out people continue to enter the religion of Islam? Continue to read and I promise to try my best to help you discover the unwavering truth.

Always, S

Once it was believed by the grandest of civilisations and the most acclaimed of mankind that the moon emitted its own light and that it was not a natural satellite; notions that we now know to be false. The holy book that we have been studying said it first, “Blessed is He who made constellations in the skies and placed therein a lamp and a moon giving light” (25.61). The book refers to the sun using a few varying terminologies, the first being “shams” which literally means the sun, described as a “siraj” meaning a torch, a “wahhaj” meaning a blazing lamp or a “diya” meaning a shining glory. The descriptions are all appropriate as the sun does emit light and heat through combustion. While, the moon in Arabic is called “qamar” and it described as “muneer” meaning an entity that gives light not its own, but that of the sun; “See ye not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another. And made the moon a light in their midst and made the sun as a glorious lamp?” (71:15-16).

Until relatively recently we held the notion that the sun was stationary and that the planets orbited around the sun, the entity that stands in the center of our solar system. However, scientists have recently uncovered the truth that the sun does indeed move upon its axis just like the rest of the planets do. Once more, our book said it first, “It is He who created the night and day and the sun and the moon: All (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course” (21:33). The word used in the original text that is translated into “swim” is “yasbahun” derived from “sabaha”. When used in the context of a person on the ground it signifies walking or running, when used in the context of water it would mean swimming; the body of the individual is in motion and is also moving, such as the arms and legs of the body are moving while the individual moves across a plane and not fixed at a point like when dancing or staying afloat in water. In relevance to a celestial enitity it means that this entity is rotating as it moves through space. Through the observation of the sun’s shadows, it has been calculated that the sun does indeed rotate and more specifically it takes twenty-five Earth days to complete a single rotation. Evidence has also been acquired about the sun’s movement through the Milky Way Galaxy; it travels at a speed of 150miles/sec and takes 200 million years to complete a single revolution around the center of our galaxy. “It is not permitted to the sun to catch up the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day: Each just swims along in its own orbit according to law (36:40). Modern science has also found that moon turns on its axis and also revolves around the world completing one revolution every twenty-nine and a half  Earth days.

So, I ask you who and what could of created such a book with such impeccable accuracy? Who could have known such unequivocal and explicit details about our universe except its Creator?

S

Renowned Nobel Prize winner, exceptional physicist, Albert Einstein once declared, “Science without religion is lame . Religion without science is blind.”

Our world holds logic and science with the highest regard. Today, we begin testing the validity and reliability of our hypothesis “Does God exist”. Last time, I spoke of a book, a book that claims to be irrefutable and now we will begin to examine and investigate it.

Modern science has widely agreed on the “Big Bang” phenomena. Astrophysicists and astronomers have researched the creation of the universe and have arrived at the conclusion that it is a product of two processes. The first, the imploding of the primary nebula followed by the “Big Bang” which formed the galaxies. Thereafter, the galaxies parted forming the constellations of stars, moons and the planets. If the variety is observed objectively a logical person would succumb to the notion that that all cannot be a byproduct of chance. In sync with this validated theorem is a verse in the book to which we speak, “Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder? ” (21:30). A book that was communicated by an illiterate man 1400 years ago in the mist of the Arabian Deserts at a time where neither the education or instruments were available to make this earth shattering discovery.

Scientists have also discovered that galaxies were formed from the celestial matter which was in the form of gaseous matter. A gaseous matter that resembled smoke more than gas. “Then He turned to the sky and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: “Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly.” They said, “we do come (together) in willing obedience (41:11). According to CERN: “For a few millionths of a second, shortly after the big bang, the universe was filled with an astonishingly hot, dense soup made of all kinds of particles moving at near light speed. This mixture was dominated by quarks – fundamental bits of matter – and by gluons, carriers of the strong force that normally “glue” quarks together into familiar protons and neutrons and other species. In those first evanescent moments of extreme temperature, however, quarks and gluons were bound only weakly, free to move on their own in what’s called a quark-gluon plasma.”

Plasma is ionized gaseous particles, which are atoms that have lost some or all of their electrons. CERN goes on to say that the first full atom (electrons and all) was not formed until 380,000 years after the big bang, but that nuclei were formed within the first minutes. This leaves everything as a plasma. Smoke does not have to give color or be from combustion, ie.  the radiation given off of a jet engine that bends the light at the point forming a colorless like smoke or the “smoke” given off from frozen CO2. Helium and hydrogen were the first elements that we know that were formed, which forms a plasma state.  These plasma states are normal in everyday life, such as the Aurora borealis. The plasma is ionized gaseous particles, which does look like smoke (often videos are sped up). Personally, the plasma fits this description to the “smouldering” and “smoke” aspects.

Is it not a smoldering smoke?

It is chronicled that humanity once held the the belief that the earth is flat for many centuries humans feared to fall off the edge. In 1577 that was proven incorrect by Sir Francis Drake through his sail around the world. Now, let’s look into the book, it narrates “seest thou not that Allah merges Night into Day and he merges Day into Night” (31:29). In this context merging is used to describe the slow change of day into night and so on. This slow change is what allows the experience of day break, evening and day fall and the many other times of day which would only be possible if the world is around. If it were flat we would only experience two timings night and day. Another verse: “He created the Heavens and the earth in true (proportions): He makes the night overlap the day and the day overlap the night” signifying that day and night are not two sides of a coin, alas there are times of the day that are neither one completely. Again, if the world was flat we would only experience the two extremes.

Through time it has been discovered that the earth is not in fact a true sphere, but an oblate spheroid, much like an ostrich egg which is what this book compares the earth to in this next verse. “And the earth, moreover, hath He extended (to a wide expanse) (79:30). A literal translation of this book is somewhat impossible since it is written in an ancient expansive language and English with its limited vocabulary does not do it justice. The book uses the word “dahaha” which by definition is an ostrich egg. This signifies that this man spoke of such specific, articulate science that he could of no means of his own have discovered in his lifetime. This book has weathered years, years that have only added to its validity and reliability. 

Always,
S

Last I left you, we had surfaced on a stable landing that gives us ground for the suggestibility that there is indeed a Power that has moulded our universe into existence. The English language provides a label for this Power, “god”. Throughout history we have tried time and time again to grasp the fundamentals and categorize the attributes of a god. Whether it was in Ancient Greece with Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Athena or the Roman gods Fortuna, Jupiter, Mercury…How about in Ancient Egypt with the worshiping of the Pharaohs. In todays world there are so many variations of what and who god is, Budda, Vinshnu, Waheguru, Allah, Jesus…So, it seems fair to say that in this unjust world humans seek refuge and belief in a higher power because the alternative is just too sad to bare. To walk through life not believing that there will be complete justice in the end. In a world that is rattled by war, crime and corruption, humans need to have faith that those individuals that wronged them will get what they deserve in the end. Even for those that do not necessarily believe in a specific entity use statements of comfort like “what goes around, comes back around” and their belief in karma to provide them with the solace their soul so desperately seeks.
Logically, a god should be an entity more powerful than a human, the last time I checked as humans we cannot even find a cure for cancer let alone dare profess that a measly human was responsible for the creation of the solar systems and everything it encompasses. Another attribute should be that this “god” is all knowing, since he will be the one that punishes those that harm us. So, linearly that should mean that he is powerful, at least powerful enough to generate a suitable punishment. Looking out of my window at the docks that lay beneath me ever so peacefully in the water, hearing the birds’ song waft in through the open window, I cannot help, but see that this god must be beautiful. Beautiful because he is responsible for all the beauty that surrounds us. From the beauty and resilience of the oceans, to the opaque, serene moon, to the warmth of the sun that we associate with “good, happy” days. To the timely professionalism of the sun as it does not fail to show up and set and rise again.
Therefore, how do we decide with all these different beliefs in who god is, how do we choose which one is “the one”. Out of all the various religions out there, there is one, one that speaks of science, science that during its start there was no means to uncover. Science, that we are only beginning to discover its accuracy. This religion was revealed over 1435 years ago. It was communicated to humankind through a book and a man, a man that was illiterate and a book that held the most intellectual and profound poetry ever known to mankind. This book that spoke of science so specific it stands to validate its authenticity. A book that divulged that when two natural bodies of water meet the two with different densities, temperatures and salinity will never interpenetrate. To take a completely disparate example: human embryonic development.

It is in this book that this development was communicated first. It begins with the word “Alaaqah” which through interpretation to English has three definitions: a leech, a suspended element and a blood clot. Through modern science it has been upheld that the human embryo does indeed bare resemblance to the marginal appearance of a leech. This embryo also receives its nourshiment similarly to the way a leech does by feeding on the mother’s blood. The suspended element refers to the next stage the way the embryo dangles in the womb. Then, the embryo adopts the appearance of a blood clot due to the ample amount of blood it holds. Next, the book articulates that the “mudghah” stage which is transliterated into chewed substance. The markings left by teeth resemble the somites on the back of the embryo. Professor Emeritus Keith L. Moore is one of the most prominent scientists in the fields of anatomy and embryology, he is also the author of “The Developing Human”, a book which has been translated into eight different languages. Through his research he has found what was mentioned in this book to be absolutely accurate. Professor Moore once said, “He could not have known such details because he was an illiterate man with absolutely no scientific training.”

Till next time, S