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This is an exclusive arrangements for flute & piano of EASY skill level from the original composition by Miscellaneous. This title is available as instant sheet music download. Contents: oh hanukkah, o hanukkah, oh chanukah, o chanukah, maoz tsur, ma oz tsur, rock of ages, okh bin a kleyner dreydl, i have a little dreidel, little dreidel, sevinon, sov, ner li, i have a candle, manurah, candle, mi yimalel, who can retell, al hanisim, thank you for the miracles, birchat, chanukah blessings, hanukkah blessings, banu choshech legaresh, we come to chase the dark away, etc.
Instruments: Piano, Flute, Piano and Keyboard, Woodwinds
Genres: Classical, Christmas, Gospel, Hanukkah, Spirituals, Celebrations, Hymn, Sacred, Winter, Miscellaneous, Christian, Religious
Piano book only Contents: Arioso and Presto (Quantz); Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Gluck); Hungarian Serenade (Jonci
Instruments: Piano, Piano Accompaniment, Flute, Lute, Piano and Keyboard, Woodwinds, Strings
Anna Laura Page has taken this hymn classic and put it into a lovely setting for choir, solo handbells and flute. Handbell and flute parts included. Available separately: SATB, BonusTrax CD. Duration: ca. 4:00. New product for the week of Sept 10th, 2012.
Instruments: Choir, Flute, Lute, Handbell, Bells, Handbells, Vocal, Woodwinds, Strings, Percussion
New product for the week of September 3rd, 2012.
Instruments: Piano, Piano Accompaniment, Flute, Lute, Piano and Keyboard, Woodwinds, Strings
Repertoire in Method Book 2 includes extracts and themes from: The Magic Flute (Mozart)
Instruments: Piano, Flute, Lute, Piano and Keyboard, Woodwinds, Strings
New product for the week of Sept 10th, 2012.
Instruments: Flute, Lute, Woodwinds, Strings
New product for the week of Sept 24th, 2012.
Instruments: Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Cello, Lute, Piano and Keyboard, Woodwinds, Strings
One of Mozart's most famous operas and one of his last works, The Magic Flute continues to be performed worldwide each year. From its iconic, majestic opening three chords, Mozart's overture is a wonderful combination of the sentiment and spirit of the opera that follows. This adaption for strings is classical programming at its very best. New product for the week of October 1st, 2012.
Instruments: Flute, Lute, Strings, Woodwinds
Uses: Advent, Christmas Scripture: Luke 2 From the composer of Tapestry of Light and The Winter Rose comes a new major work that is based on the traditional Lesson and Carols service. Filled to overflowing with beloved carols and original seasonal songs, this cantata tells the story of Christ's birth adorned with beautiful arrangements and meaningful Scriptures. The work includes optional moments for congregational participation, handbell ringers, and children's choir, if desired. Stunning orchestrations and a full line of support products are available to support your presentation. Titles include: A Christmas Overture; O Come, All Ye Faithful; A Prayer for Advent; People of Promise, Arise!; Song of Hope and Joy; O Little Town of Bethlehem; My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord; Lullabies of Bethlehem; Angels We Have Heard on High; Carols for Seekers; Let Christmas Begin; A Christmas Trilogy. Available separately: SATB, SAB, iPrint Orch CD-rom, Printed Orchestration (Score & parts for Flute 1&2, Oboe, Clarinet 1&2, Bassoon, Horn 1&2, Trumpet 1,2&3, Trombone 1&2, Bass Trombone/Tuba, Timpani, Perc 1&2, Harp, Piano, Violin 1&2, Viola, Cello, Double Bass), iPrint Consort CD-rom, iPrint Handbells CD-rom, StudioTrax CD, Listening CD, 10-Pack Listening CDs, Preview Pack, RehearsalTrax CDs, Digital Resource Kit. Duration: ca. 59:21 (full performance) ca. 48:37 (w/o opt. congregational anthems). New product for the week of Sept 17th, 2012.
Instruments: Choir, Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Horn, Violin, Cello, Viola, Double Bass, Harp, Lute, Trumpet, Bass Trombone, Trombone, Bass Guitar, Timpani, Handbell, Tuba, Bells, Handbells, Vocal, Piano and Keyboard, Woodwinds, Brass, Strings, Guitar, Percussion
Jazz Band, Sheet Music Download, Jazz Ensemble, Level 2. Artist: The Beatles. Arranger: Michael Sweeney. Composer: John Lennon; Paul McCartney. Writer: John Lennon; Michael Sweeney; Paul McCartney; The Beatles.
Pages: 2
Instruments: Flute, Lute, Woodwinds, Strings


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Recently, there has been a great amount of talk regarding the end of the world on December 12 or 23, 2012. Much of this talk is generated by those that believe the Mayans predictions are actually prophecies. However, instead of buying into this theory directly, we should do some research on the people and what […]
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Mayans Predictions Causing World To End?
Posted by admin on May 6th, 2010

subset: commoncrawl


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In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Hadith, a critical view and overview- Part 1
A critical evaluation with argument and counter-Argument
Hadeeth is the term used to denote the alleged sayings and acts, 'traditions', of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him.
Thousands of 'aHadeeth are preserved in volumes of all sorts that adorn the bookcases of every devout 'Muslim'. Few of these 'Muslims' ever read the 'aHadeeth with care and attention, and fewer still think carefully about their content and its implications; they just accept them.
The Case
The advocates of Hadeeth, unfortunately the vast majority of those who call themselves 'Muslim', consider it to be necessary to elucidate the Qur'an and shed light on those areas where It is silent. Their belief is based on the allegation that the Qur'an does not state the times prescribed for offering the 'salat', prayers, their number, their method or the number of 'rak'a', bowings and kneeling, of each. Hadeeth, they claim, teaches them these things.
Their argument is that the Qur'an is analogous to a constitution which lays down broad guidelines leaving it to the legislature to fill in the necessary detail in the form of laws, application rules and interpretation bulletins needed to implement the intent of the constitution. To them, Hadeeth fills in the detail for their constitution.
Ironically, this is only partially true. They stumbled upon this partial truth, misconstrued it and based it on the wrong rationale, as we shall, God willing, see later.
Hadeeth is claimed to be a 'science' by its advocates, though there is nothing in it that might be amenable to scientific testing. Nonetheless, the 'aHadeeth - of a specific format of which more later - that were reduced to writing have been sorted into two major categories and several sub-categories depending upon the researcher.
Briefly, the two major classifications are 'Hadeeth Shareef' and 'Hadeeth Qudsi'. The vast majority of 'aHadeeth fall into the first category which is defined as the sayings and acts of the Prophet Muhammad as reported verbatim, by word of mouth, by his immediate companions. Although derived from the same source, the sayings have come to be known as 'al-aHadeeth an-nabawiya', whereas the acts constitute what is known as 'Sunna Muhammad' roughly translated as Muhammad's 'method'. It is this category of 'aHadeeth that concerns us in this article.
The second classification comprises short sayings - reported verbatim by Muhammad's closest companions - said to be God Himself speaking in the first person but issuing from the mouth of Muhammad. They are alleged to be divine revelation outside of the Qur'an. We shall, God willing, show later that these allegations are totally contrary to the Qur'an.
The 'aHadeeth ash-shareefah' are further classified into three - though both Al-Bukhari and Muslim recognize two, the first and last only - sub-classes, 'saheeh' (intact or integral), 'hassan' (good) and 'da'eef' (weak or defective).
'Saheeh' describes those 'aHadeeth reported, in the first person, by an unbroken transmission chain of reporters whose integrity is judged, by the compilers, to be beyond reproach.
'Hassan' refers to those 'aHadeeth that do not conform to the conditions laid down for 'saheeh' in that their transmission chains are good but contain one weak but honest reporter.
'Da'eef' describes the bulk of 'aHadeeth, and which do not meet the requirements for the other two classes. The 'aHadeeth ad da'eefah' may have one or more defects in the transmission chain and are classified into several sub-classes ranging from the 'acceptable' to the 'fraudulent', depending on the type and gravity of the defect in the transmission chain.
It is to be emphasized that the above classification of the 'aHadeeth is based exclusively on the 'sanad', transmission chain, and does not address the 'matn', content or substance of the Hadeeth.
Ironically, there are several 'aHadeeth, traceable to the Prophet himself, that prohibit the recording of anything from him except the Qur'an; thus in Ahmad Ibn Hanbal as well as in Muslim we find an identical Hadeeth stating "Abi Sa'eed Al-Khudri, may God be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of God, may peace be upon him, said, 'Do not write anything from me EXCEPT the Qur'an. Anyone who wrote anything other than the Qur'an shall erase it'..." Obviously the Prophet's prime motivation was God's imposition of the Qur'an upon him; chapter 28, Al-Qassas, verse 85 states "Surely, the One who decreed the Qur'an upon you will summon you to a predetermined appointment. Say 'My Lord is fully aware of those who uphold the guidance, and those who have gone astray.'", but also being the astute, intelligent man endowed with foresight that he undoubtedly was, he had foreseen the problems that such writing might engender, hence the prohibition on anything from him but the Qur'an, not least because God Himself has undertaken to preserve It as stated at chapter 15, Al-Hijr, verse 9, which assures "We have revealed the Reminder and We shall preserve it." God says nothing about preserving Hadeeth.
The ban on writing Hadeeth remained in effect till the end of the first century A.H. when Umar Ibn Abdil-Azeez, the great grandson of the illustrious Umar Ibnil-Khattab, became khalifa. This pious and righteous man instituted several memorable 'reforms'. First, he banned the despicable custom of cursing Ali Ibn Abi-Talib from the pulpits of the empire - which custom had been imposed by the usurper Mu'awiya Ibn Abi-Sufyan - and attempted to eliminate the ongoing disputes regarding the companions of the Prophet by decreeing that none of them is to be maligned from the pulpits; they were to be praised instead. Then he lifted the ban on reducing the 'aHadeeth to writing. This was a fatal mistake!
Umar's intentions are not in question, but in this particular case the road, literally, to Hell is paved with good intentions.
It is worth digressing at this point to bring certain facts to the fore. After the Prophet's death many disputes arose among his 'sahabah', immediate companions. They got involved in intrigues and factional disputes finally leading to their taking sides in the assassination of Uthman Ibn-'Affan and in a war that pitted some, including 'A'isha, the Prophet's widow against others, including Ali Ibn Abi-Talib, his cousin and close confidant, which culminated in the murder of Ali.
Umar's edict enjoining the praising of the Prophet's companions from the pulpits and prohibiting attacks upon them had the effect, in time, of turning them into saints who could do no wrong. This, in the long run suited the compilers of the 'aHadeeth and the 'sunna', especially those with ulterior motives, perfectly since it tended to enhance the credibility of the reporters and lend strength to the 'aHadeeth transmitted through any of them.
Historians such as At-Tabari and Ibnil-Atheer were under no such constraints and have recorded the darker and less seemly side of the 'sahabah', reporting that many of them, especially during Uthman's incumbency, including Uthman himself, amassed large fortunes. Umar Ibnil-Khattab is said to have appointed Abu Hurayra governor of Bahrain then recalled him and accused him of misappropriating funds and forced him to pay back some of his ill-gotten gains. Others were accused of murder and others still of adultery. Not all of the Prophet's companions, of course, took advantage of their friendship with him for personal gain; many, including Abu-Bakr, Umar and Ali, were pious men who feared God and honored their relationship with the Prophet.
Umar Ibn Abdil-Azeez's edict, in time, turned all the 'sahabah' into pious men whose integrity was beyond question, thus giving Abu Hurayra's words equal weight with those of Abu-Bakr. The books of Hadeeth are replete with 'aHadeeth from Abu Hurayra the embezzler, Al-Mughira Ibn-Shu'bah the adulterer, Khalid Ibnil-Waleed the murderer and Amr Ibnil 'Aas the treacherous liar who precipitated the civil war that led to Ali's assassination. Their names are now always followed by the phrase "may God be pleased with them".
Strangely enough, Umar, in lifting the ban on the recording of Hadeeth, was almost certainly influenced by the existence of other 'aHadeeth, also traceable to the Prophet, permitting the recording of his sayings. Obviously the contradiction and the glaring lack of written material throughout the preceding century and its ramifications must have escaped our venerable scholars, as did, above all, the reasons behind it.
There are many books of Hadeeth of varying reliability and repute. Of these, six, collectively known as 'kutub as-sahaah', are generally accepted as 'saheeh', literally 'intact' or 'true', the oldest and most authoritative of which is Al-Bukhari, followed by Muslim, his pupil, then At-Tirmidhi, An-Nissa'i, Ibn-Majja and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal though not necessarily in that order.
Some Hadeeth scholars take only the works of Al-Bukhari and Muslim as being 'saheeh' and classify the other four authors' works as 'hassan'.
Typical of the authors of the books of 'sahaah' is Al-Bukhari (194-256 A.H./810-870 A.D.) who wrote two hundred odd years after the Prophet Muhammad. He claims to have collected six hundred thousand 'aHadeeth examined and sifted them, finally settling on about seventy six hundred which, when the repetitions are deleted, drop to about four thousand. The 'aHadeeth in 'Saheeh Al-Bukhari', as with those in the other 'saheeh' books, are said to be true in every respect and unassailable as to their line of transmission all the way down from the Prophet. They constitute the most important body of Islamic religious literature.
The work, as with all the others, is monumental, but unfortunately, and perhaps contrary to the intention of the author, it has come to be the source of the religion now professed by those who claim to be Muslims. It has, in practice, replaced the Qur'an as the major source of Islamic religious knowledge and turned the Prophet Muhammad, certainly without his knowledge and most assuredly against his will - as attested to by the ban he imposed on the recording of anything from him except the Qur'an - into an object of unwitting worship as the source of all knowledge, religious and worldly, apart from the Qur'an.
The advocates of Hadeeth put forward a specious argument mandating the acceptance of the 'sunna' and the following of it.
Briefly their argument goes as follows:
'God sent down the scripture, the Qur'an, through the Prophet Muhammad - the final emissary from God and whom God describes as a mercy to all mankind - by way of a constitution, laying down broad guidelines. We are commanded by God to obey the Prophet, take what he gives us, refrain from what he prohibits and follow his excellent example. It is obligatory to follow the Prophet's example because he was divinely inspired in everything he did and said and was, as the recipient of the Qur'an, the best candidate to expound It. Furthermore, Muhammad was given the 'hikmah', wisdom, which was sent down by God to him to enable him to teach us the details of our religion and its proper practice, legislating the good things and prohibiting the evil. In addition, Muhammad, as a mercy to all mankind, will intercede on behalf of his 'ummah', followers, on the Day of Judgment with God. Al-Bukhari and the other 'righteous predecessors' spent their entire lives collecting, examining, sorting and sifting the 'aHadeeth which are the residual wisdom of the Prophet and therefore the example we are to follow.'
Their argument is based on their misunderstanding of the numerous verses in the Qur'an which enjoin us to obey God and the Messenger; the most commonly quoted of which are: chapter 4, An-Nissa', verse 59, which reads, in part, "O you who believe obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you...", and verse 80 which says, in part, "Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God."; chapter 3, Ali-'Imran, verse 31 which commands: " Say 'If you love God you shall follow me' God will love you and forgive your transgressions. God is Forgiver, Most Merciful." and verse 32, which dictates " Say 'Obey God and the Messenger'..."; the preceding verses, they claim, dictate obedience to the prophet. They also quote, probably the most abused verse in the Qur'an, chapter 59, Al-Hashr, verse 7 which says, in part, "...Whatever the Messenger gives you, you shall take and whatever he prohibits, you shall refrain from." to legitimize and mandate the acceptance of the Hadeeth and the 'sunna'.
They adduce chapter 33, Al-Ahzaab, verse 21, which states "You have, in the Messenger of God, an excellent example for whomever seeks God and the Last Day and constantly commemorates God." This verse enjoins following the example of the prophet.
They present another passage, based, we hasten to add, on a non-sequitur as we shall, God willing, later show, to argue the veracity and correctness of Hadeeth, namely chapter 53, An-Najm, verses 2, 3 and 4, which state "(2) Your friend was not astray nor was he misled. (3) Nor does he speak of his own desire. (4) It is none but inspiration divinely inspired" From this last verse they go so far as to claim that every word issuing from the mouth of Muhammad is 'inspiration divinely inspired'.
Finally, chapter 2, Al-Baqarah, verse 151, states, in part "...Such as sending into you a Messenger from among you to recite our revelations to you and to purify you and teach you the Book and Wisdom..." This verse, of course, is vital to their argument since it purports to support their belief that God sent down two distinct revelations, the Book, that is the Qur'an, and Wisdom, supposedly the 'sunna'.
The above verses are the ones most frequently presented by the proponents of Hadeeth to support their argument that the Messenger through his legacy, the 'aHadeeth, is, by God's command, to be obeyed, posthumously, we might add, unconditionally.
They do not, it is worthwhile noting, quote any verses to support their contentions that Muhammad was empowered to expound the Qur'an or that he will intercede with God on their behalf on the Day of Judgment. They support these contentions only from the Hadeeth. This is not surprising since there are no verses that would readily, even superficially, convey this meaning; a major leap of logic is required.
The Counter-argument
Let us take a close look at the parameters of Al-Bukhari's claims.
He claims to have been tutored by more than one thousand teachers, to have collected, examined and classified six hundred thousand 'aHadeeth of which he memorized more than one hundred thousand. We are not told that he had any assistants or helpers. Now, if we allow one single hour to process each Hadeeth he would have had to work non-stop for about seventy years. Since the work involved is time consuming and arduous, because each Hadeeth would have had to be traced back to the Prophet Muhammad through a long transmission chain each link of which must be closely examined to determine if the reporter partook of strong drink, and for such attributes as integrity, moral rectitude, astuteness, truthfulness, mental alertness, and, not least, soundness of memory; one would imagine that it would take considerably more than one single hour to process each Hadeeth. Add to that the fact that each chain might consist of as many as six or seven individuals of successive generations all but one of whom are dead, and one can readily see the magnitude of this daunting task.
At this juncture one might reasonably ask: was it physically possible for Al-Bukhari to have examined that many 'aHadeeth? The answer is no! If that is the case, then Al-Bukhari's own credibility becomes suspect. If in fact he did examine that many 'aHadeeth then could he have possibly given the work due care? The answer is, again, no! He is said to have completed the work in sixteen years. This means that he could not have devoted more than fifteen minutes to process each Hadeeth all told, including, presumably, the two genuflection prayer he is said to have offered before recording each Hadeeth. In either case we are left with a highly questionable situation.
These questions are basic and go to the root of the problem at hand. How Islamic scholars, who claim to be 'scientific', could have failed to pose them is, to say the least, puzzling. Even more puzzling, if they did, in fact, pose these questions, is their very ready acceptance of obviously absurd and evidently unscientific answers.
Even more disquieting is the enormous importance ascribed to Al- Bukhari, Muslim and the other 'saheeh' tomes in Islamic religious literature. The 'sharee'ah', Islamic canon law, is drawn mainly from the 'sunna' as are the everyday religious practices and anyone not following, let alone rejecting, the 'sunna' is considered to border on apostasy 'murtad'. The punishment for apostasy, 'ridda' according to the 'sunna' is death. The Qur'an does not lay down any punishment to apostasy. Chapter 2, Al-Baqarah, verse 256 states, in part "There shall be no compulsion in religion; the right path is now distinct from the wrong path..."
Apart from any questions speaking to the integrity of the content of Hadeeth, logic dictates that it should play no role whatsoever in either exegesis or jurisprudence.
God tells us that the Qur'an is fully detailed and complete. Chapter 6, Al-An'am, verses 114 - 115 state "(114) Shall I seek other than God as an arbiter, when He is the one who revealed to you the Book explained in detail? Those to whom We have given the Book know that it was revealed by your Lord in truth. So be not among those who harbour doubt. (115) The word of your Lord is complete in truth and justice. Nothing shall alter His words and He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.".
These verses clearly and unequivocally state that the Qur'an is fully detailed and complete. God Himself tells us that. Thus, in light of the foregoing, one might conclude that any Hadeeth - regardless of whether it issued from the lips of the prophet or of its quality - that conforms with the Qur'an is not needed since it can add nothing to, or enhance our understanding of the Qur'an which, according to God, is fully detailed and complete. If, on the other hand, it does not conform with the Qur'an, it is false and must be discarded. So, one might legitimately ask, what need is there for Hadeeth? Again, the honest answer is none!
So much for the logic of accepting Hadeeth. As for following it, this is risky business indeed! Accepting any matter of religion other than that which is specifically sanctioned by God - regardless of its intrinsic merit - is tantamount to idol-worship. God has sanctioned only the Qur'an. Read what chapter 42, Ash-Shura, verse 21 in part, states, "Or do they have partners who decree for them matters of religion not sanctioned by God?..."
There are other reasons for not accepting the 'aHadeeth.
Even a perfunctory perusal of Al-Bukhari's, Muslim's or any of the other works reveals very serious shortcomings. The 'sahaah' authors concentrated only on examining the transmission chain 'sanad' and failed, deliberately it seems, to consider the content 'matn' or substance, assuming, instead, that the impeccable credentials of the individuals reporting the Hadeeth - who will never report anything they had not themselves witnessed or heard from the Prophet himself or from other equally reliable reporters as the case may be - will guarantee the veracity of the Hadeeth.
Consequently, and not surprisingly, they attribute to the Prophet, may peace be upon him, sayings and actions that are contrary to reason and good sense or involving knowledge of future events - which, one might add, is specifically denied in the Qur'an - or things that are devoid of any useful subject matter and, in many instances, reprehensible behavior.
Other 'aHadeeth are slanted in favor of one or another of the political factions that came into being long after the prophet's death, most notably the Bani-Umayya who usurped power from the rightful ruler Ali Ibn Abi-Talib. Al-Bukhari betrays his own anti-Ali feelings for he relates very few 'aHadeeth through Ali and does not include ones that favor him but relates many that are inimical to Ali and has included a whole section on Mu'awiya, Ali's arch enemy. Muslim, in fairness, holds a more balanced view.
There are, of course, numerous 'aHadeeth that contradict the Qur'an outright and others, especially ones coming through Abu-Hurayra, that are distinctly rabbinical in nature and content.
The most commonly stated justification for Hadeeth is that it teaches the 'salat' (obligatory prayer). Al-Bukhari has a whole section called 'The Book of Prayer' and what is most amazing is that it does not contain a single Hadeeth that teaches the obligatory prayer. It contains mostly reports of people who purportedly saw the Prophet do or say certain things relating to the prayer and only one Hadeeth where he is reported to have taught one man, whom he had seen perform the prayer incorrectly, to pray. But the Hadeeth, as reported, says that the Prophet instructed the man in how to carry out the physical actions, kneeling and bowing, and to recite any part of the Qur'an failing to cite the number of bowing and kneeling or to mention the required recitation of "Al-Fatihah" the omission of which, we are told by other 'aHadeeth nullifies the prayer. There is one other Hadeeth, "Pray in the way you have seen me pray", but this Hadeeth does not teach the prayer either. There are no 'aHadeeth that give the number of 'rak'ah', bowings and kneeling, for each prayer, or, for that matter the rate of 'zakat', the self-administered obligatory 'income' tax.
Surely, had the Prophet been instructed by God to teach the obligatory prayer, as they claim, God would have, in view of its paramount importance, clearly told him so in the Qur'an. Had God instructed him - in some way outside of the Qur'an - he would have unambiguously and persistently proclaimed it to the people and would have taught them the prayer in detail just as the Qur'an does when we are instructed to carry out the ritual washing. Chapter 5 'Al-Ma'ida', verse 6 says, in part, "O you who believe, when you determine to offer the prayer you shall wash your faces and your arms to the elbows, and wipe your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. If you were ritually unclean from sexual intercourse you shall bathe..."
In this verse the Qur'an not only gives us detailed instructions for the 'wudu'', but also gives us the conditions precedent - ritual cleanliness after sexual intercourse - the conditions that nullify the 'wudu'' - discharge of human waste - as well as the alternative, 'tayammum', again fully detailed, in case clean water is not readily available or not recommended where the supplicant is sick. The instructions are succinct and comprehensive.
Contrast that with the paucity of instruction in a sea of marginally relevant 'aHadeeth. If one were to peruse the whole section on prayer and many other 'aHadeeth dealing with the subject of prayer, one might, with a great deal of patience, emerge with what resembles the obligatory prayer; but there are no 'aHadeeth that clearly and unambiguously teach the prayer, citing the actions and the required recitations, their order and number, the number of 'rak'ah' in each, the number of prayers in the day and their prescribed times.
Now let us examine Hadeeth from the Qur'anic point of view.
We shall, God willing, endeavor to put the verses most commonly cited by the advocates of Hadeeth, in support of their argument, in their correct Qur'anic perspective by accepting their straight forward meanings at face value. This is how we are to read the Qur'an. God describes the Qur'an at chapter 39, Az-Zumar, verse 28, "An Arabic Qur'an without any ambiguity that they might be righteous."
This last verse and Chapter 6, Al-An'am, verses 114 and 115, quoted above, unequivocally state that the Qur'an is clear, complete and fully detailed. If the Qur'an, as God Himself states, is complete and fully detailed, then It, ipso facto, cannot be clarified or completed since It is already fully detailed, clear and complete.
This argument is logically unassailable, yet Islamic scholars fail to see its logic and still insist on the need for Hadeeth, which leads to the inescapable conclusion that they do not, at least fully, believe God when He says that the Qur'an is clear, fully detailed, complete and contains no contradictions. Only then would their position make any sense, for if they do believe God, as they emphatically claim, they would accept that the Qur'an is clear, fully detailed, complete and contains no contradictions and thus does not need Hadeeth or anything else to explain, elucidate or complete It.
The conclusion that must be drawn from their insistence on the role they ascribe to Hadeeth is that they only partially believe God. If they do believe that the Qur'an is complete and fully detailed then they must believe that it contains contradictions in order to allow for a role for Hadeeth and 'sunna'. The corollary is that if they accept that the Qur'an is free of contradiction then they cannot believe that it is complete and fully detailed; otherwise their position would be logically untenable.
Such confused thinking is not surprising given that these people believe, accept and defend contradictory 'aHadeeth and will even seriously consider that the 'sunna' can abrogate the Qur'an since the 'sunna' is in fact divinely inspired revelation and therefore comes from the same source as the Qur'an except that it, unlike the Qur'an, is not in 'recitable' form. Many scholars of Islam actually believe this to be the case and believe that the words of Muhammad, may peace be upon him, a mere mortal, can take precedence over those of the Almighty Creator or even abrogate them. The prophet, like Jesus, will disown all those who claim to love him and would make such idolatrous allegations in his name.
Obedience to the Prophet:
First, we shall, God willing, address the issue of obeying the Prophet in spite of the fact that he has been dead for fourteen centuries and cannot issue any orders and consequently cannot be disobeyed.
God, in the Qur'an, invariably refers to 'God and the Messenger', as shown in the verses previously quoted, but this is clearly done for emphasis. God is telling us in no uncertain terms that the Messenger will never willfully take a position other than that taken by God, that he will never knowingly make a statement contrary to the Qur'an and that he will always support God's position as stated in the Qur'an, hence the phrase 'God and the Messenger'. It implies total support, not that the prophet might, or indeed can, take an independent stance. Chapter 69, Al-Haaqah, verses 44 to 47 state "(44) Had he falsely attributed certain sayings to Us (45) We would have inflicted punishment upon him (46) Then We would have stopped the revelation to him (47) And none of you could have shielded him from Us." These verses also definitively deny the body of 'aHadeeth referred to as 'Qudsi' which would thus fall under the purview of 69 (Al-Haaqah):44 cited above.
What is it that the Messenger is to be obeyed in? His whims? absolutely not! Chapter 10, Yunus, verse 15 states, "When Our revelations are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say 'Bring a Qur'an other than this, or change It!' Say, 'It is not for me to amend It of my own volition. I simply follow what is revealed to me. I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the retribution of an awesome day." From this we learn that the Prophet had no mandate to command us to do anything not sanctioned by God, otherwise the request to 'bring a Qur'an other than this or change it' would not make sense; his orders to us must be restricted to the message just like those issued by his illustrious predecessor messengers such as Nuh, Hud, Luut, Shu'aib and Saleh.
Chapter 7, Al-A'raaf, verses 59 through 93 inform us that they proclaimed to their people, in practically identical words, that they were messengers from God instructed to command them to worship God alone, to follow the guidance sent down by God and to obey them, the messengers, - they ask for no wage - in order to be rightly guided. They also warned their people of the consequences of disobeying them. Note that obedience is always voluntary and always connected with the message they were sent to deliver; the 'messenger' is always identified with his 'message'. From this, one may deduce that obedience was due not the individual, but the messenger, that is the message, as it is the message which will lead to right guidance; the message is meant to be obeyed even after the demise of the Messenger himself. It therefore follows that the messenger's job was to deliver the message and warn the recipients of the consequences of failing to obey the message. Once this is done, the messenger has no further responsibility. Whether they and their descendants obey the 'messenger' or not is entirely up to them. If they do obey it will be for their own good, if they do not it will be to their own detriment.
Had the obedience been due the Messenger himself, God would have told us to obey 'Muhammad', extended his responsibilities and given him powers of enforcement. There are no such provisions, and force is never recommended except within very narrow limits and always in a defensive manner as a reaction to its use by the opposition.
Muhammad's message was no different; obeying him, in the Qur'anic context, means only one thing: obeying God's commandments, and God's commandments are to be found exclusively in the Qur'an. In this case, of course, obeying the Messenger is obligatory for one's salvation since he is telling us, in effect, to "Obey the commandments of God as laid down in the Qur'an." Obeying others or disobeying God will inevitably lead us to perdition.
God tells us, in support of the above argument, at chapter 24, An-Nur, verse 54 " Say, 'Obey God and the Messenger.' If they refuse then he is responsible for his obligations and you are responsible for yours. If you obey him you will be rightly guided. The sole duty of the Messenger is to deliver." and at chapter 6, Al-An'am, verse 19, in part "...and this Qur'an has been inspired to me to warn you with and whomever It reaches..." and again at chapter 18, Al-Kahf, verse 27, we are told "Recite what has been revealed to you from your Lord's Book. None shall abrogate Its words and you shall never find refuge besides It." Note that the subject of the verse is 'Your Lord's Book'; thus 'words', 'abrogate' and 'refuge' apply to the 'Book', not 'Your Lord'. Salvation for us is in our 'Lord's book'.
Finally, and for good measure, we cite here two verses, chapter 5, Al-Ma'idah, verse 67, which commands "O Messenger! deliver what was sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you will not have delivered His messages, and God protects you from the people. God does not guide the disbelievers." and chapter 88, Al-Ghaashiyah, verses 21 and 22 state "(21) You shall remind; you are entrusted to remind, (22) You have no power over them." Only the believers will obey the Messenger; as for the disbelievers, they will not obey and will not be guided, but they will have been given a fair chance to be.
The above verses notwithstanding, the advocates of Hadeeth take the position that the Prophet was empowered to legalize things and prohibit other things and it is in these matters that he is to be obeyed and they go so far as to accept a Hadeeth which brazenly states "I was given the Qur'an and a similar one with it!" Maybe it is that 'similar Qur'an' which empowers the Prophet to legislate; the Qur'an we know certainly does not!
Could this Hadeeth be true in view of 5(Al-Ma'idah):67 quoted immediately above? If it were, God would have informed us in the Qur'an. Muhammad delivered only one Qur'an. Could he have flouted God's direct orders, amply cited above, and failed to deliver the 'similar Qur'an'? and what good is this 'similar Qur'an' to us if he kept it to himself?
Nowhere is it stated, or even implied, that the Messenger was commanded to deliver other than the Qur'an. In fact God, in the above cited verses, tells us clearly that it is only the Qur'an that we are to receive from His prophet and the only thing we are to consider. It is this Qur'an that the Messenger warns us with and it is this Qur'an that he is to deliver. These are perfectly clear verses that need no exegesis or interpretation. God will hold us, as well as the Messenger, responsible for the Qur'an, thus at chapter 43, Az-Zukhruf, verse 44, He says "It is the Reminder for you and for your people and you will surely be held accountable."
Here God imposes the Qur'an on our prophet and on us; He does not mention anything else. God does not err, be He exalted, nor does He forget. The omission of anything else from the above verse is not an oversight, it is deliberate because He decreed nothing else. The Qur'an is not a riddle.
Finally, we present, in support of our contention that the Prophet Muhammad was given nothing but the Qur'an as the instrument of his mission, the following two verses, chapter 50, Qaf, verse 45 "We are fully aware of what they say, and you have no power over them. Therefore, remind with the Qur'an those who would fear My warnings." and chapter 27, An-Naml, at verses 91 and 92 says "(91) I was commanded to worship the Lord of this town; He has made it a safe sanctuary and He possesses all things. I was commanded to be a submitter (92) And to recite the Qur'an. Whoever is guided is guided for his own good and if they go astray, then Say 'I am merely a warner'". The use of the term 'guided' after the word 'Qur'an' can only mean that the instrument for this guidance is the Qur'an.
These verses clearly show that Muhammad's task was to deliver only the Qur'an. He was not commanded to deliver anything else, to recite anything else, to warn with anything else, to strive with anything else, to remind with anything else or to rule with anything else. There are, it is to be reiterated, no contradictions or ambiguities in the Qur'an.
From these and the following verses one can also deduce that Muhammad's task, as the Messenger, did not include expounding the Qur'an. Chapter 33, Al-Ahzaab, verse 45, states "O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good news and a warner." Also, Chapter 5, Al-Ma'ida, verse 99, states "The sole duty of the Messenger is to deliver the message and God knows what you reveal and what you conceal." Again, at chapter 13, Ar-Ra'd, verse 40, we read "Whether we show you some of what We promise them or earlier terminate your life, it is for you to deliver the message and for Us to call them to account." Also chapter 42, Ash-Shura, verse 48 informs us, in part, that "So if they turn away, We did not send you as their guardian. Your duty is but to convey..." If God is just, as He claims to be, would He call us to account for an unclear and incomplete message that was not manifestly delivered to us? No!
As amply shown above, the Prophet's sole function was to deliver the Qur'an and use It to warn, but also Muhammad's activities as Messenger were circumscribed by the Qur'an thus at chapter 25, Al-Furqan, verse 52 God commands him "Therefore do not obey the disbelievers and strive against them with It, a great striving." Thus all of Muhammad's mission is centered on the Qur'an, including his struggles.
In his temporal functions also, Muhammad is commanded to use the Qur'an. Chapter 5, Al-Ma'ida, verse 48, commands, in part, "...You shall rule among them in accordance with what God has revealed and do not follow their wishes if these differ from what was sent down to you..."
What is it that God sent down to His Messenger? Only the Qur'an! As we have seen, the Prophet himself prohibited the recording of anything from him except the Qur'an. That should tell us something about the importance he himself placed upon Hadeeth. Actions speak louder than words.
If there are no contradictions in the Qur'an - and there are none - these verses should be sufficient to convince the most obdurate of proponents of Hadeeth that Muhammad was sent to deliver only the Qur'an and use It to deal with the believer as well as the disbeliever; bring good news to the former and warn the latter, and to use It as his reference in his functions as a temporal leader.
According to the clear verses of the Qur'an, Muhammad was prohibited from explaining the Qur'an. At chapter 75, Al-Qiyamah, verses 16 to 19, Muhammad is commanded "(16) Do not move your tongue to expedite It. (17) It is for Us to collect It and promulgate It. (18) Once We have promulgated It, you shall follow Its promulgation. (19) Thereafter it is for Us to explain It." These verses confirm three things: (a) that it is only the Qur'an that Muhammad was to deliver; the 'It' referred to in these verses is the Qur'an; (b) that not only was Muhammad prohibited from expounding the Qur'an, but (c) he was also commanded to follow It.
We have, by God's leave, presented proof from His Book that the Prophet had no mandate to explain the Qur'an. The Qur'an Itself, if we care to read It carefully, clearly implies that there was never a need for Muhammad to interpret or explain It, simply because God provided him - in the Qur'an - with all the answers he needed to have. Thus we read in the Qur'an the expression "They ask you about..., Say...!" The answer to the question put to the prophet is given, by God, in the detail sufficient to obviate further questions on the issue. Nowhere do we read "They ask you about..., Give them your opinion!" or "...See what you think!" or even "...answer them as you see fit!"
Whatever the Messenger Gives You, You Shall Take.
As previously stated, probably the most abused and bandied about verse in the entire Qur'an is chapter 59, Al-Hashr, verse 7 which reads, in part, "...Whatever the Messenger gives you, you shall accept, and whatever he prohibits, you shall refrain from."
This verse was revealed in connection with the distribution of the spoils of war, more specifically 'fay'', that is booty acquired from the enemy without combat such as, for example, abandoned enemy property. In this type of spoils the fighters do not share. Thus the believers were enjoined to accept only those spoils the Messenger gives them and to refrain from taking what he prohibits them. It is the 'fay'' which they are prohibited to take; God has dictated who the recipients are to be.
Even a simple perusal of that, the preceding and succeeding verses clearly shows that it refers to the spoils of war. But even if we give the proponents of Hadeeth the benefit of the doubt and assume that the verse is of a general rather than a specific nature we would have to ask ourselves "what is it that the Messenger gave us? and what is it that the Messenger prohibited?" The only thing that he did give us, according to the Qur'an, is the Qur'an Itself. He prohibited only what he was commanded to prohibit, namely the things specifically cited in the Qur'an. Chapter 66, At-Tahreem, verse 1 states, in part, "O Prophet, why do you prohibit what God has made lawful for you...?" This is a reprimand, one of several, directed to the Prophet for having prohibited something which God made lawful.
Since the Qur'an is fully detailed and complete, It must contain all the prohibitions imposed by God. Anything that is not specifically prohibited is thus ipso facto permitted and the Prophet is not allowed to prohibit it as evidenced by the above cited verse as well as by 6(Al-An'am):115 and by 10(Yunus):15 quoted earlier. And lest, by some twist of logic, the proponents of Hadeeth argue that the Prophet was not permitted to prohibit something that God made lawful for him, but he may prohibit things made lawful for others, we present chapter 5, Al-Ma'idah, verse 87 in part "O you who believe, do not prohibit the good things which God has made lawful for you..." Here God commands all those who believe - and that includes the Prophet - not to prohibit things made lawful by Him. Also recall 6(Al-An'am):115 where God states that nothing shall alter His words and 10(Yunus):15 where the Messenger states that he cannot amend the Qur'an of his own volition.
This position with regards the Qur'an, enjoining what It makes lawful and proscribing what It prohibits, is the only one befitting a messenger of God who is commanded to deliver the Qur'an and to obey It; only then would his stand be consistent with that of God and conforming to the Qur'an and the only fair one since on the Day of Judgment God will not accept any excuses from us for failing to follow His commandments, which He distinctly and unequivocally detailed for us in the Qur'an. The exclusion of prohibitions from the Qur'an would constitute a valid excuse, at God, for not honoring them.
Excellent Example:
As for chapter 33, Al-Ahzaab, verse 21 which enjoins us to follow the messenger's excellent example, we must ask ourselves what is the example the conveyor of our religion is to give us? how he combed his hair? his mode of travel? what he did when he got sick? what foods he liked and how he ate them? how he carried out his personal hygiene? how he dressed? Obviously not, since most, if not all, of these things are irrelevant in our day and age; the Messenger had no hot and cold running water, shower or soap in his dwelling; he had no sewer, no pharmaceutical preparations or cosmetics, no automobile, no telescope, no machine gun, no high speed telecommunications or printing presses and no computers. All these modern amenities are gifts from God which He, in His mercy, created for our use. We should use them, as God intends them to be used, to make our lives easier and to praise Him. Thus it cannot be the messenger's life style that we are to follow as an example. What then?
Since he was commanded to follow the Qur'an and only the Qur'an, and since he was prohibited from explaining It, because though It is in plain Arabic, It is accessible only to the believer and no amount of explanation will get through to the disbeliever, the example must be in his moral behavior which is described as 'excellent' in the Qur'an and which must therefore accord with It, and in his steadfastness in the worship of the Almighty. The Messenger absolutely devoted his worship to God alone and sought his guidance only in the 'Light' that God sent down to him for us. We, by God's grace, still have that 'Light' to follow. What better example can there be?
God imposed the Qur'an on Muhammad just as He imposed It upon us. Muhammad thus had no choice but to follow It. He had the best road map or handbook, if you will, to get him to Paradise. If we wish to get to Paradise, we too must follow his example. He meticulously followed the road map or handbook which God gave to him - and to us, the Qur'an. In following the Qur'an we are necessarily following the Prophet's most excellent example.
That is the example that can be followed by anyone, anywhere at anytime and is the only example that matters since, if followed, it will lead to Paradise, the fulfillment of God's promise to those who will devote their worship to Him alone. This is the only example that need not be seen or explained to be understood and very easily followed.
The proponents of Hadeeth, of course, claim that Muhammad's lifestyle as well as his method of worship is the example to be followed. This inevitably leads to major inconsistencies in their behavior. We see many of these followers of the 'Sunna' - at least the more extreme among them - dressed in archaic garb and sporting unkempt beards without mustachio - they assure us that this is proper Islamic attire - in supposed emulation of the Prophet, and yet they do not hesitate to travel by air or to use assault rifles and anti-personnel devices with remote detonators to eliminate those who would dare hold opinions contrary to their tenets and whom they view as 'infidels' without regard for any innocent bystander who may happen to be in the way.
It is as if these 'Muslims' never heard 2(Al-Baqarah):256 cited earlier or chapter 18, Al-Kahf, verse 29 which commands Muhammad to "Proclaim: 'The truth is from your Lord'; so let whomever wishes to believe, do so and let whomever wishes to disbelieve, do so." These verses grant the entire human race absolute freedom of worship.
The confused and misguided tenets of these extremists are invariably derived from the myriad conflicting 'aHadeeth that suit their purposes and which permit them to do anything they wish and justify it no matter how reprehensible. They should pay heed to chapter 68, Al-Qalam, verse 36 to 38 which ask: "(36) What is wrong with your judgment? (37) Or do you have a Book to refer to? (38) In which you find anything you desire?". Nothing could be more apt.
These 'aHadeeth were certainly fabricated to justify and lend legitimacy to the iniquitous political behavior of the despotic ruler, who, more likely than not, had usurped power from his predecessor and who naturally was determined to hold on to it, or by the equally iniquitous opposition who were just as determined to remove the incumbent by any means - foul or fair.
The advocates of Hadeeth, as mentioned earlier, also follow what they believe to be the 'sunna' of the Prophet in the method of worship such as for example the ritual wash for prayer, 'wudu'. They do things differently from the ablution prescribed by God in the Qur'an. Here their alleged Hadeeth puts them at variance with God's direct commands. The 'wudu'', as detailed in the Qur'an, is a direct commandment of God; any changes to it, except as permitted by God, would put it outside of the definition laid down by God. It would thus cease to be valid consequently nullifying the prayer which it must, normally, precede. Surely Muhammad would never have flouted a direct order from his Lord.
Inspiration Divinely Inspired:
Chapter 53, An-Najm, verse 4 which refers to 'inspiration divinely inspired' and which the proponents of Hadeeth say applies to every word issuing from the mouth of Muhammad and which they use in their attempt to prove the veracity of Hadeeth, in fact speaks to the Qur'an. The whole chapter refers to the Qur'an and to the 'Issra'', the heavenly journey that Muhammad was, by God's will, taken on and during which the Qur'an was placed in his heart and he was shown of the marvels of his Lord. It is the Qur'an which is 'inspiration divinely inspired'.
In the first place, even if we grant that every word that issued from the mouth of Muhammad was divine revelation or 'inspiration divinely inspired' - which we emphatically deny - it does not necessarily follow that Hadeeth is correct, because it is simply impossible to prove, scientifically or otherwise, that the Prophet actually said any of it given the total absence of writing throughout the first century A.H. In fact, in view of the odd nature of the content of some 'aHadeeth, the balance of probabilities weighs overwhelmingly against the Messenger, a good and sensible man chosen by God, ever having said them.
Here the proponents of Hadeeth are trying logical acrobatics to support their case! They are trying to lend an aura of infallibility to their 'aHadeeth by ascribing them to divine inspiration and then using that same divine inspiration to point to the infallibility of their 'aHadeeth all the while failing to establish any connection between the 'aHadeeth and the Prophet who is the one supposed to receive that divine inspiration in the first place. Clear? No amount of assumption or circular thinking will correct a non-sequitur.
Secondly it is utterly unreasonable to apply that verse to every word that issued from the mouth of Muhammad and, above all, it is contrary to the Qur'an, which, at chapter 33, Al-Ahzaab, verse 37, states in part "Recall that you said to the one who was blessed by God and blessed by you, 'Keep your wife and revere God' while hiding within yourself what God wished to proclaim. Thus you feared the people when you should have feared only God..." Muhammad made a major error and God is here reprimanding him. How can this be 'inspiration divinely inspired'?
The above verse also tells us that Muhammad did speak out of his own 'desire' or volition, thus proving that 53(An-Najm):3 could not possibly apply to every word he uttered, but, as we said earlier, applies only to the Qur'an. The words "keep your wife..." were uttered by Muhammad of his own desire; they could not possibly have been 'inspiration divinely inspired' since God reprimanded him for uttering them. God's testimony should put finis to this blasphemous claim for good.
Another reprimand is directed at Muhammad in chapter 80, Abasa, verse 1, and there are, as cited above, several others. The proponents of Hadeeth insist that these are not 'errors' and that Muhammad was immune to error. They refuse to believe God and accept that he was an ordinary human like them - the Qur'an assures us of that, thus at chapter 18, Al-Kahf, verse 110 God commands Muhammad, in part, to: " Say 'I am no more than a human like you, receiving inspiration that your God is One God'..." - and that all humans err. Furthermore, if these were not errors, then why, pray tell, did the Almighty reprimand him? Is God unfair? Are these people prepared to accuse God, tacitly albeit, of injustice in order to vindicate Muhammad and God, hallowed be His Name, Al-Haq, is the very essence of justice? This is indeed exceeding strange! Again, the Qur'an gives us the truth. Chapter 41, Fussilat, verse 6, commands "Say, 'I am no more than a human like you who receives inspiration that your God is one God. You shall be devoted to Him and ask His forgiveness. Woe to the idol-worshippers." It is significant that the warning phrase 'woe to the idol-worshippers' is used in the verse which instructs Muhammad to tell his people that he is a human just like them.
The Qur'an also tells us that Muhammad not only erred and was reprimanded, as stated above, but also that he was capable of the worst error of all, idolatry, which would have caused him to end up in Hell; thus chapter 39, Az-Zumar, verse 65 states "It has been revealed to you and to those before you that if you ever commit idolatry all your works shall be nullified and you shall be among the losers." Why would God issue such a stern warning to Muhammad if he were not capable of, or was immune to, idol-worship? God's words, be He exalted far above what they say, are not hollow.
Wisdom separate from Qur'an:
As stated earlier, Islamic scholars claim that Hadeeth is the 'wisdom' referred to in the Qur'an, and that it is distinct from the Qur'an. Chapter 17, Bani-Isra'eel, verse 39 should disabuse them. It reads "This is part of the wisdom revealed to you by your Lord. You shall not set up with God another God, lest you be thrown into Hell, blamed and defeated." What else besides the Qur'an did God reveal to His Messenger? God Himself mentions nothing! Note also that this verse warns Muhammad against idol-worship, further proof that he was a mere mortal capable of the worst of offences.
Moreover, God Himself refers to the Qur'an as "Hakeem" (endowed with wisdom). Let us read chapter 10, Yunus, verse 1, "A. L. R. These are the proofs of this Book of wisdom"; chapter 31, Luqman, verse 1 and 2, "(1)A. L. M. (2)These are the proofs of this Book endowed with wisdom" and chapter 36, Ya Seen, verse 1 and 2, "(1) Y. S. (2) And the Qur'an endowed with wisdom." Need we say more? Why God would send down the scripture devoid of wisdom - and yet He, in His wisdom, describes it as 'hakeem' - and then proceed to send down the wisdom separately, is hard to comprehend. What else is one to think if the book and wisdom are two separate things?
Be that as it may; we, however, cite one last verse to put this matter to rest. In chapter 43, Az-Zukhruf, verse 4, God states "And It is preserved at Us in the original, exalted and endowed with wisdom." Any further argument to the effect that the wisdom is separate from the Qur'an would defy all logic and, worse still, fly in the face of the Qur'anic evidence heretofore adduced.
At this point it would be appropriate to clear a few matters relating to the wisdom inherent in the Qur'an and its acquisition by the reader and to knowledge of the Qur'an Itself. Is it possible to read the Qur'an and not acquire wisdom?
Yes! if you are a disbeliever.
Chapter 41, Fussilat, verse 44 states "If We had made this a non-Arabic Qur'an, they would have said 'why were Its verses not detailed?' Arabic and non-Arabic; Say 'It is, for those who believe, guidance and healing; as for those who do not believe, there is deafness in their ears and for them It is blindness.'
It is as though these are being called from a distant place." Here, blindness is allegorical for lack of wisdom. The fact is that only the believer will gain wisdom from the Qur'an. The infidel will not only not gain wisdom, but he will be misled.
The Qur'an is unlike any other book in the universe; it is the very word of the Almighty Creator, and only He can teach it. God also tells us that He will explain it. Chapter 55, Ar-Rahman, verse 1, says: "The Almighty taught the Qur'an."
In order to know and understand the Qur'an and thus gain wisdom from It, one must first sincerely ask God for His help to understand It, then go back to the Qur'an Itself. Thus at chapter 2, Al-Baqarah, verses 2 and 3, God tells us, in part: "(2) This Book, which is free of doubt, is a guidance to the righteous (3) who, in good faith, believe..." Thus the Qur'an is a guidance only to those who accept It without requiring proof of Its credentials, that is, those who accept It in good faith.
A close examination of 'accepting in good faith' reveals that only three things need be accepted without proof: (a) that the Qur'an is divine revelation, (b) that It is complete and (c) that It is fully detailed. Once one accepts these three elements without proof thereof, the Qur'an, quite literally, opens up and becomes a guidance; one then experiences an 'explosion' of knowledge. Things suddenly, by the will of God, become clear.
Failure, on the other hand, to accept any one of these elements in good faith will result in the active intervention of the Almighty to prevent the seeker from gaining guidance from the Qur'an. The seeker will only be misled. This, God tells us at chapter 17, Bani Isra'eel, verses 45 and 46 "(45) When you read the Qur'an We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter an invisible barrier. (46) We put shields upon their hearts to prevent them from understanding It, and deafness in their ears. And when you commemorate your Lord in the Qur'an alone they turn away in aversion."
Anyone who says that the Qur'an is not endowed with wisdom and that he needs Hadeeth to supply the wisdom is loudly proclaiming that he is not a believer!
We have, by God's will, addressed every one of the major arguments of the advocates of Hadeeth and put the underlying Qur'anic quotations in their right perspective and reinforced our counter arguments with other verses and with logical arguments that are incontrovertible.
There is only one major issue that we have not addressed, intercession. The advocates of Hadeeth assure us that the Messenger will intercede on our behalf with God on the Day of Judgment, but they do not quote any verses from the Qur'an to support their contention since there are none, but they depend instead on 'aHadeeth to back up their belief. There are several verses in the Qur'an that refer to intercession.
God says that only those who will be allowed by Him will intercede but He does not tell us who they are or under what circumstances. It is safe to assume that intercession will only be on behalf of believers. We do know, however, that the Prophet Muhammad will not intercede on behalf of his 'ummah', he will, instead, bear witness against them; the Qur'an tells us that at chapter 25, Al-Furqaan, verse 30 which states that, on the Day of Judgment, "And the Messenger said, 'My Lord, my people have abandoned this Qur'an.'"
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For many, the supernatural events in the Bible seem too impossible to be true. To defend the Bible, some people have gone hunting for scientific explanations.
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Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


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People, Spaces, Deliberation bloggers present exceptional campaign art from all over the world. These examples are meant to inspire.
How do you inform young people of the importance of safe sex in Ethiopia, where sex is a taboo subject?
Turns out, the answer lies in the dance group, Addis Beza.
Addis Beza means "to live for others" in Amharic, and members of the group, aged 15-20, use their vibrant moves to open-up discussions about safe sex. The group regularly performs in front of mobile HIV testing vans and public spaces, encouraging the crowds they draw to practice safe sex with condoms and to get tested free of charge.
The campaign highlights the need to prioritise and involve young people in efforts to tackle HIV as the virus disproportionately affects adolescents and young adults aged 15-24. According to the UNAIDS World AIDS Day report 2012, this age group sees 2,400 new infections every day, and they account for 40 percent of all new adult HIV infections. As the video states, "arming young people with the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe is critical" to helping end AIDS.
The video is part of a campaign by the Link Up project. This programme aims to improve the situation of young people living with and affected by HIV. Countries targeted in the campaign include Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Uganda. HIV testing in Ethiopia is organized in cooperation with the Organization for Social Services for AIDS (OSSA), Ethiopia's largest NGO focused on HIV.
Source: International HIV/AIDS Alliance
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Great vid.
Great vid.
The content is not so good. HIV testing does not prevent HIV acquisition. And peak prevalence in Ethiopia is for people in their thirties, not their twenties. Incidence has never been calculated for the country.
Thank you for the information
Appreciate your comment on
Appreciate your comment on inputs and outcomes. But the fact is that VCT does NOT have an impact on HIV incidence. Many studies, latest of which from near Ethiopia: Cawley et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2014, 14:159 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/14/159
Prevalence data from Ethiopia would be more relevant than global data.
The study is very interesting
How to prevent HIV in
How to prevent HIV in Ethiopia? Do nothing new for the general population where HIV incidence is low and unchanging. Intensify HIV prevention through condom skills development and community empowerment among female sex workers where HIV prevalence has just been scientifically measured at 24%. Oh, and treat these women.
civil society should work
civil society should work hard !Good policy by it self can not cop up the alarming rate of poverty , unfair distribution income, transmitted disses and others . Generally Government,civil society and NGO try to solve social ,economical, and political problems of the country. Please please...we are in danger now a days !


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Huawei GR5
Huawei P10 Plus
Motorola Motofone F3
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
125 facts in comparison
Dustproof/water resistant at depth equal to or greater than 1 meter.
Device is protected with extra seals to prevent failures due to any kind of weather.
Palm Phone
Asus Zenfone AR 64GB
Vertu Signature for Bentley
Motorola FlipOut
1080 x 1920px
1440 x 2560px
34 x 43px
1440 x 2560px
Sony Xperia H8541
2160 x 4320px
Damage resistant glass (such as Corning Gorilla Glass or Asahi Dragontrail Glass) is thin, lightweight, and can withstand high levels of force.
The bigger the screen size is, the better the user experience.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
The device has a display with three full subpixels per pixel, resulting in a sharp and crisp picture. Pixels in some displays (like AMOLED) share one subpixel to preserve space. This can result in a less crisp, slightly blurred image.
AMOLED displays, also known as active matrix OLED displays, offer higher refresh rates and consume less power than other types of displays.
IPS (In-Plane Switching) is a technology used for LCDs. It was designed to overcome the main limitations of normal TFTs TN-matrices: relatively slow response times, small viewing angles and low quality color reproduction. PLS (Plane to Line Switching) is a type of IPS screen developed by Samsung, which has increased brightness and lower production costs.
The system on a chip (SoC) has an integrated LTE cellular chip. LTE is capable of downloading at faster speeds than older, 3G technology.
With integrated graphics you don't need to buy a separate graphics card.
Out-of-order execution is used in CPUs to make use of instruction cycles that would normally be wasted due to delays.
For example
ZTE Blade V8 16GB
AES is used to speed up encryption and decryption.
Dynamic frequency scaling is a technology that allows the processor to conserve power and reduce noise when it is under a light load.
Using big.LITTLE technology, a chip can switch between two sets of processor cores in order to maximise performance and battery life. For example, when playing a game the more powerful cores will be used to increase performance, whereas checking e-mail will use the less powerful cores to maximise battery life.
Optical image stabilization uses gyroscopic sensors to detect the vibrations of the camera. The lens adjusts the optical path accordingly, ensuring that any type of motion blur is corrected before the sensor captures the image.
A phase detection autofocus is much faster than a contrast detection autofocus, allowing for sharper images.
A flash is good for low-light environments, and can sometimes be used as flashlight.
A dual-lens camera captures two images and overlays them. This technology creates sharper images, especially in low light conditions, and allows you to use effects such as softening the background.
A laser autofocus system quickly determines the depth of the subject you want to focus on, allowing you to take photos much faster.
A front camera, also called secondary camera, can be used for video chats/selfies.
Devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better experience.
With a standard mini jack socket, you can use the device with most headphones.
More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out background noise.
Motorola Moto Z3
A built-in FM radio tuner allows you to listen to most of the live-broadcasted FM radio stations without using the internet.
Phones with physical keyboards have dedicated media keys, such as: play, stop, next, previous, volume up/down, etc.
For example
Blu Vivo One Plus (2019)
Energizer Power Max P16K Pro
The battery is removable and can be replaced by the user if broken.
The manufacturer offers a branded wireless charging kit. To charge the device, you simply put it down on its charging base.
Fast charging technologies, like Qualcomm's Quick Charge or MediaTek's Pump Express, are used to reduce the time it takes to charge a device. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in just 30 minutes.
An indicator shows you when the device has low battery.
The battery can be recharged and used over again.
Offline voice recognition enables you to perform voice actions, like dictating texts or using various voice commands, without an internet connection.
Anyone is free to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way, and the source code is openly shared so that people are encouraged to voluntarily improve the design of the software.
If an app has sharing capabilities and the developers have indicated it, the app will automatically appear in your list of sharing options. Some OS's limit direct sharing options to a select few apps, which means you have to open apps separately in order to upload the files you want to share.
With AF tracking, once you choose the subject and press the shutter release part way down, as the subject moves, the autofocus will follow it. No more out of focus shots.
For example
Samsung Galaxy K Zoom
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text:
Alien Invasion
by Catherine Ripley
Once upon a time, the hot, humid forests on the small Pacific island of Guam were filled with the songs of birds. While blue-tailed skink lizards darted under ferns to snap up crickets, greenish blue kingfishers called to each other. At night, tiny flycatchers slept peacefully as bats swooped among breadfruit and tangantangan trees to feed on nectar and fruit. When the bats pooped, they spread the breadfruit's seeds and those of other plants. In a nearby clearing, where all the plants had been uprooted by a stormy typhoon, new trees and bushes would soon sprout.
But then—The Brown Tree Snake! Because of this intruder, the forests of Guam are now very different than they were fifty years ago.
How could one species of snake make such a difference? Simple. It upset nature's balance. It disrupted the web of relationships among the animals and plants on Guam that had developed over millions of years.
An Alien in Paradise
Brown tree snakes probably came to Guam hiding among boxes of cargo brought to the island in airplanes. Guam was a paradise for the brown tree snake—with all its favorite kinds of foods and no enemies that could harm it. The animals on Guam never had to develop defenses against a nighttime hunter. So catching food was a snap for the night-hunting brown tree snake. It could swallow a sleeping bird and then move on to feast on a young bat. Gulp—gone!
But while the snake thrived, the original inhabitants suffered. Flycatchers, honey-eaters, kingfishers, and more have all been devoured…nest by nest, bird by bird. The bats? Nearly all gone. The native lizards? Five types are extinct on the island.
Today scientists estimate there may be up to two million snakes on Guam. The forest is strangely quiet. With fewer fruit bats and nectar-feeding birds, pollination and the spreading of seeds is down. With fewer insect-eating lizards and birds, pest insects have increased.
Because of the brown tree snake, the variety of life forms on Guam—its biodiversity—has nosedived.
Nature Can Fool You
Not all change is bad. It is normal for ecosystems like Guam's tropical forest to change and develop over time. Some species die out and new species arrive, but usually it happens very, very slowly—over millions of years. But thanks to humans who crisscross the world in planes and ships, the arrival of alien animals or plants in ecosystems where they don't belong is now lightning fast. Scientists say that today, after habitat destruction, the biggest threat to biodiversity around the world is the spread of alien species.
For more cool examples of invasive species, read Aliens from Earth by Mary Batten.
BIG Mistakes!
Often humans don't understand that a change they make in the environment may have a very different result from what they expected. The web of nature is complicated!
In the 1930s the government wanted to control soil erosion in the southern United States. So it hired hundreds of workers to plant fields of kudzu, a beautiful vine that is native to Japan. Big mistake! Without Japan's cooler climate and kudzu-munching beetles to keep the plant in check, kudzu grew out of control. Today it's an expensive problem. Kudzu covers millions of acres of land, smothering native trees and plants.
In the late 1880s someone brought mongooses to Hawaii to control the rats (which had also been brought by humans). Nice try! But mongooses hunt during the daytime, while rats are active at night. So what's a hungry mongoose to do? Prey on birds, including the nene, a wild goose that is Hawaii's state bird. Once there were 25,000 nenes on Hawaii. Now, thanks to human interference, there are less than 500 nenes left in the wild.
- ecosystem:
- All the living and nonliving things that exist and interact in one place.
- erosion:
- The process of being worn away bit by bit, such as by water or wind.
- habitat:
- The place where an animal or plant naturally lives and grows.
- Why might it be important for an area to have a wide variety of different animals living there?
[anno: Answers may vary but could include that different animals supply and use different things from an area. If animals are using and supplying different things, it helps to keep the habitat balanced in a particular area.]
- Think of another animal that has been introduced to an area that was not its original home. What has happened to the other plants and animals in that area? Write a few sentences about the animal that was introduced to a new area and the effect the animal has had on plants and animals in that area.
[anno: Answers will vary but should include information about the positive or negative consequences a non-native animal has had on the area.]


text:
YEAR ZERO and BACHELORETTE Set for Second Stage Theatre's Summer Season
Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has announced the two plays which will be presented as part of the company's eighth annual Second Stage Theatre Uptown Series this summer: the New York premiere of Michael Golamco's Year Zero, directed by Will Frears, and the world premiere of Leslye Headland's Bachelorette, directed by Trip Cullman.Michael Golamco is the recipient of the 2009 Helen Merrill Award and is a member of New Dramatists. His work has been produced by the National Asian American Theatre Company in New York City and Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, among others. Leslye Headland holds a B.F.A. in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and studied directing at Playwrights Horizons Theater School where she was awarded the Robert Moss Prize. She is the artist-in-residence at the IAMA Theatre Company in Los Angeles.Both plays will be presented at Second Stage Theatre's uptown home, the McGinn/Cazale Theatre on Broadway at 76th Street. Year Zero will run May 18 - June 13. Bachelorette will run July 12 - August 7. Tickets for both shows can be purchased by calling the Second Stage Theatre Box Office at 212-246-4422.
Created as a program to help develop and provide exposure for the voices of a new generation of theatre artists, the Second Stage Theatre Uptown Series seeks to develop the skills of emerging playwrights, to provide early-career artists with the support of a major artistic institution, and to create new plays for the American Theatre. Each show has a limited rehearsal period, as well as a streamlined budget. The series has helped launch and advance the careers of several up-and-coming playwrights, including Rajiv Joseph (Animals Out of Paper), Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Good Boys and True, HBO's "Big Love"), Adam Bock (The Receptionist, The Drunken City), and Brooke Berman (Hunting and Gathering).
The series premiered in 2002 with three new American plays: ...in the absence of spring..., written and directed by Joe Calarco; The Notebook, written by Wendy Kesselman and directed by Evan Yionoulis; and Hunt Holman's Spanish Girl, directed by Erica Schmidt. Second Stage Theatre Uptown was on hiatus in 2003 due to theatre repairs. The 2004 season saw the New York premiere of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's The Mystery Plays, as well as Brooke Berman's The Triple Happiness, starring Ally Sheedy. In 2005, the series presented the New York premiere of the critically acclaimed comedy Swimming in the Shallows, written by Adam Bock and starring Logan Marshall-Green, as well as the world premiere of Dan O'Brien's The Dear Boy. The 2006 series featured two world premiere comedies: Getting Home, written by Anton Dudley and directed by David Schweizer, and Rajiv Joseph's All This Intimacy, directed by Giovanna Sardelli. The 2007 series featured Marisa Wegrzyn's The Butcher of Baraboo, directed by Judith Ivey, and Joshua Tobiessen's Election Day, directed by Jeremy Dobrish. The 2008 series featured Carly Mensch's Len, Asleep in Vinyl, directed by Jackson Gay, and Rajiv Joseph's Animals Out of Paper, directed by Giovanna Sardelli.Last season's Uptown Series featured two world premiere plays: Zakiyyah Alexander's 10 Things To Do Before I Die, directed by Jackson Gay, and Lila Rose Kaplan's Wildflower, directed by Giovanna Sardelli. Play #1:
Year Zero
New York premiere
Written by Michael Golamco
Directed by Will Frears
May 18 - June 13
Opening Night is Wednesday, May 26Vuthy Vichea is a 16-year-old Cambodian American who wears thick glasses, loves hip hop, and plays Dungeons and Dragons. After his mother's death, Vuthy and his sister Ra struggle to reinvent themselves in Long Beach, California where being different can be deadly. Year Zero is a moving comedic drama about a young generation paving a new future by remembering its past.
Michael Golamco is a Los Angeles-based playwright and screenwriter. His play, Cowboy versus Samurai, has had several productions since its premiere in NYC, including in Canada and Hong Kong. Michael is the recipient of the 2009 Helen Merrill Award and is a member of New Dramatists. He is currently working on a new play commission for South Coast Repertory. As a screenwriter, Michael's film, Please Stand By, was presented at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival's On Track film development program. His short film, Dragon of Love, was awarded Best Short Film at the Hawaii International Film Festival and ran in regular rotation on the Sundance Channel. Year Zero premiered at the Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago and was the Grand Prize Winner of Chicago Dramatists' Many Voices Project.
Will Frears returns to Second Stage Theatre where he directed the mainstage production of Theresa Rebeck's The Water's Edge. Other Off Broadway directing credits include Still Life (MCC); Rainbow Kiss (The Play Company); Pen (Playwrights Horizons); Terrorism (The New Group/The Play Company); Omnium Gatherum (Variety Arts); Where We're Born and God Hates the Irish (both at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre); Get What You Need (Atlantic 453); and Kid-Simple (Summer Play Festival). Regional: Romeo & Juliet, Bus Stop, The Water's Edge and A Servant of Two Masters at the Williamstown Theatre Festival; The Pillowman at George Street Playhouse; Hay Fever and The Price at Baltimore CenterStage; Sleuth at the Bay Street Theatre; Our Lady of 121st Street (Steppenwolf Theatre); Omnium Gatherum (Actor's Theatre of Louisville). He has also directed the films Coach and All Saints Day (Winner, Best Narrative Short, Savannah Film Festival). Artistic Director, Yale Cabaret, 1999-2000 season. Recipient of Boris Sagal and Bill Foeller directing fellowships. MFA in directing, Yale School of Drama.
* * * * * * * *
Play #2:
World premiere
Written by Leslye Headland
Directed by Trip Cullman
July 12- August 7
Opening Night is Wednesday, July 21
On the eve of her wedding, Becky has arranged the perfect bachelorette celebration -but after two party crashers, one manipulative maid of honor, and a bathtub of booze, things don't go according to plan. This world premiere play is a brutally comic look at friendship and betrayal on the way to the altar.
Leslye Headland's holds a B.F.A. in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She studied directing at Playwrights Horizons Theater School where she was awarded the Robert Moss Prize. She is the artist-in-residence at the IAMA Theatre Company in Los Angeles. Her playwriting credits include the Seven Deadly Plays, a series that explore ancient vices in an unfortunately modern generation. The series includes Cinephilia (lust), Bachelorette (gluttony), Assistance (greed), Surfer Girl (sloth) and Reverb (wrath). She is currently writing for the new FX series Terriers created by screenwriter Ted Griffin (Ocean's 11) and produced by Shawn Ryan (The Shield).
Trip Cullman returns to Second Stage Uptown where he staged the acclaimed play Swimming in the Shallows by Adam Bock, as well as Second Stage Theatre's mainstage production of Terrence McNally's Some Men. Other directing credits include The Drunken City (Playwrights Horizons), Dog Sees God (Century Center for the Performing Arts), Roulette (EST), Smashing (The Play Company), The Last Sunday in June (Century Center for the Performing Arts and Rattlestick Theater), The Vortex (Innocent Theatre), The Propaganda Plays (Dixon Place), and Atom & Devorah (Lincoln Center Directors Lab).
Year Zero will be performed at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre (Broadway & 76th Street, 3rd floor) from Tuesday, May 18 - Sunday, June 13 on the following schedule: Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00pm, and Sunday at 3:00pm. There will be no matinee performance on May 19th and May 26th.Bachelorette will be performed at the McGinn/Cazale Theater (Broadway & 76th Street, 3rd floor) from Monday, July 12 - Saturday, August 7 on the following schedule: Monday-Saturday at 7:30pm, and Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00pm. There will be no matinee performances on July 14 and July 21.
Tickets for performances of both plays can be purchased at the Second Stage Theatre Box Office (305 West 43rd Street) or by calling (212) 246-4422. Advance tickets are not available at the McGinn/Cazale Theater. Single tickets are $50; advance youth tickets (age 30 and under) are $20; and student RUSH tickets are $10 (available 30 minutes prior to curtain). A 2-play subscription is available for $60.
ABOUT Second Stage Theatre
Second Stage Theatre has announced that it has acquired the right to purchase the historic Helen Hayes Theatre, located at 240 W. 44th Street. With this new home, Second Stage will be the only theater company on Broadway dedicated exclusively to the development and presentation of contemporary American theatrical productions. Second Stage will also become one of only four non-profit theater companies that own and operate theaters on Broadway. The company will continue to lease and operate their original theaters on the city's Upper West Side and in Midtown Manhattan. Second Stage Theatre is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony-winning musical Next to Normal, which is playing at the Booth Theatre. For more information, please visit www.2ST.com
Founded in 1979 under the leadership of Artistic Director Carole Rothman, Second Stage Theatre produces a diverse range of premieres and new interpretations of America's best contemporary theatre, including Tiny Alice and Peter and Jerry by Edward Albee; The Good Times Are Killing Me by Lynda Barry; The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane; Little Murders by Jules Feiffer; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin; A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller; Afterbirth: Kathy & Mo's Greatest Hits by Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy; Painting Churches and Coastal Disturbances by Tina Howe; Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants and On the Stem by Ricky Jay; Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey; Living Out by Lisa Loomer; This Is Our Youth and The Waverly Gallery by Kenneth Lonergan; Some Men by Terrence McNally; eurydice by Sarah Ruhl; Everyday Rapture by Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott; Let Me Down Easy by Anna Deavere Smith; Saturday Night by Stephen Sondheim; Crowns by ReGina Taylor; Uncommon Women and Others by Wendy Wasserstein; Spoils of War by Michael Weller; Before It Hits Home, Jar the Floor and Birdie Blue by Cheryl L. West; Jitney by August Wilson; Lemon Sky, Serenading Louie and Sympathetic Magic by Lanford Wilson; and Metamorphoses and The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci by Mary Zimmerman. The company's more than 130 citations include the 2009 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Alice Ripley for Next to Normal), Best Score (Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal) and Best Orchestrations (Tom Kitt and Michael Starobin, Next to Normal), the 2007 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed), 2005 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical (Rachel Sheinkin, ...Spelling Bee) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Dan Fogler, ...Spelling Bee), 2002 Tony Award for Best Director of a Play (Mary Zimmerman for Metamorphoses), the 2002 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work, 23 Obie Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Clarence Derwent Awards, nine Drama Desk Awards, five Theatre World Awards, 11 Lucille Lortel Awards, the Drama Critics Circle Award and 15 AUDELCO Awards.


text:
7:00 pm
This Old House "Essex 2012/13, Liquid Assets" Lots of groundwork today, as Roger helps aquatic systems specialist Yorgos Gregory revive a neglected water feature, and drilling expert Roger Skillings is drilling for both a new water well and for geothermal wells. Master electrician Allen Gallant shows Kevin how he bends PVC conduit to run the new electrical service underground over hill and dale. D
7:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "European Travel Skills, Part 3" As Rick brings his 3,000-mile trek to its finish, he reinforces the skill he calls the most rewarding of all - connecting with the locals, not forgetting essential skills such as eating and sleeping well and packing light. Part 3 of 3G
8:00 pm
Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope "Ontario, Canada's Niagara Peninsula - Toronto And Beyond" Joseph explores Toronto, Canada's largest and most cosmopolitan city with world-class attractions and activities. He bicycles Lake Ontario's shore, kayaks Toronto Islands, and explores the peninsula's wine region.G
8:30 pm
Lidia's Italy In America "Baltimore: A Baltimore Classic - The Civic Club Sandwich" In this episode, Lidia heads to Baltimore, where she visits an institution of Italian food: Di Pasquale's market. Back in the kitchen, Lidia prepares Spiedini alla Romana, Minestrone, and the Italian-American Civic Club Sandwich. D
9:00 pm
Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen "Great American Cookout" NULL
9:30 pm
Simply Ming "Jamie Bissonnette & Breaking Down A Chicken" On this episode of SIMPLY MING, Ming shows you one of his top techniques for a home cook to master, breaking down a chicken. "Buying a whole bird is so much cheaper than chicken parts", says Ming. With the help of Boston Chef Jamie Bissonnette, a nose to tail specialist, Ming shows viewers how much more mileage you can get out of a whole bird. D
10:00 pm
Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse & Co.: Our Food Heritage "Famous African-Americans" Louisiana is home to many famous African-Americans. Tiwanna Simpson introduces us to "King" Oliver, Mahalia Jackson, Fats Domino and Louis Armstrong. In West Africa, chicken was a festive dish served to honored guests. D
10:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "European Travel Skills, Part 3" As Rick brings his 3,000-mile trek to its finish, he reinforces the skill he calls the most rewarding of all - connecting with the locals, not forgetting essential skills such as eating and sleeping well and packing light. Part 3 of 3G
11:00 pm
Engaging with Literature: A Workshop for Teachers, Grades 3-5 "Workshop 7. Many Students: Many Voices and Abilities" Each student has an individual perspective to share with the world. In this session, you will learn about ways to celebrate their uniqueness, providing an atmosphere in the classroom in which each student plays a respected and respectful role in conversations surrounding literature. You will see how background, reading levels, language acquisition levels, and other personal characteristics allow for the formulation of multiple perspectives that add significantly to a group. D


text:
I've read about various methods to put a bit of rocker into a plywood board.
-steam with iron
-soak in pool
-laminate two sheets on rocker table
Now I wonder what method is most promising for my application.
Here is what I have and want to use:
I am planning to use a 1/2" sheet, so the laminating method falls away. I do NOT want to use any glass, just spar urethane as finish.
Here is what I am worried about:
I heard that soaking the ply in water or steam it would weaken the glue. I assume that would mean it could de-laminate, or split open the layers prematurely.
Is this concern valid or just a myth?
Also, I would like to learn how long one has to dry the wood out after soaking or steaming. What method have you used and would recommend?
Thank you all.


text:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a non-reactive saucepan, over medium-high heat, put 4 cups of the water. Squeeze the lemon juice into the water and put the peel in the water. Season the water with salt and pepper. Season the water with the crab boil. Bring the liquid to a boil. Season the shrimp with salt. Add the shrimp to the water and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let sit for 2 minutes. Drain and cool. In another saucepan, add 4 cups of water. Season the water with salt. Bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and boil until they are clear, about 2 1/2 minutes. Drain and cool the noodles with cold water. In a small mixing bowl, add the noodles. Season the noodles with sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, green onions and black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. Bring the remaining 2 cups water to a boil in a 10 inch saute pan and remove from the heat. Submerge each spring roll wrapper, one at a time, in the hot water, moving it around in the water until soft and pliable, 10 to 15 seconds. Remove and lay on the parchment paper. Brush each wrapper with 1 teaspoon of the hoisin sauce. Lay a half leaf of romaine in the center of each wrapper. On top of each half leaf, put 1 tablespoon of the noodle mixture and spread evenly. On top of the noodles, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sprouts. Top the sprouts with the 1 tablespoon of the carrots, 1 tablespoon of the cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the mint. Lay 6 halves of shrimp next to each other on top of mixture. Fold two sides of the wrapper toward the center about 1/4-inch, then roll each like a jelly roll, pressing the edges together to seal. Repeat until all eight rolls are done. Either serve the roll whole or slice each roll in half diagonally. Serve the rolls with the dipping sauce.


text:
'Seashells.Red Hair.Make Waves.' Pillow
Brand Raw Threads
Throw Pillow with optional insert. Decorator pillow created for the Raw Threads fan. Pillow Case: Super comfy 10oz cotton duck/canvas featuring an invisible zipper and Raw Threads tag. Pillow Insert (optional): Add the optional pillow insert to your order to complete your throw pillow. Or you can buy your own in your local craft store. Made of 100% polyester fiber. *Spot Clean Only/No Bleach/No heat **For Decoration Purpose Only


text:
TSG's OpenMigrate is a unique migration utility developed for our Alfresco customers that addresses typical one-time and ongoing migration challenges such as applying unique business rules and migrating from different data sources. The framework of this migration utility is what differentiates it from other migration products for Alfresco. OpenMigrate's architecture reduces code and improves application quality, testability, and scalability. OpenMigrate consists of four major components:
- Migration engine — Serving as the core of our product, it controls the flow of data from the source to the target.
- Source/target interface — Allows the migration engine to communicate with the source/target without understanding the specifics of the source/target implementation. It enables the solution to easily connect to many different source/target databases including different software versions.
- Source/target adapter — Communicates directly with the source/target that is being implemented. Each adapter is written to interact with a specific piece of software (e.g., Documentum, file system).
- Migration queue and log — Acting as the application's "to do" list, it's responsible for informing the source/target adapter what to extract/populate. It's also responsible for recording each object's status (success for failure) in the migration log.


text:
Cacnea was one of James's Pokémon. Every time he came out of his Poké Ball, he would latch onto James, out of affection, which would hurt him with his spikes. He met him right before he released Weezing, he saved them from a Pokémon hunter. Cacnea was still following James and the others to open the box he had given to him. Not that long after Weezing's release, Cacnea joined James's Team. Later when Jessie and James were in Sinnoh, James decided to leave Cacnea with Gardenia to master his Drain Punch move.
Moves EditEdit
|Pin Missle
|A Poached Ego!
|Needle Arm
|A Mudkip Mission
|ZigZag Zangoose!
|Drain Punch
|Once There Were Greenfields
|+ indicates this Pokémon used this move recently.*
- indicates this Pokémon normally can't use this move.
Trivia EditEdit
- Cacnea was James' first Pokémon caught in the Hoenn region.
- Cacnea has some similarities with Ash's Bayleef. They are both Grass-Types, they both insist on hugging their trainers after being sent into battle, both cause problems when this happens, and both made an appearance in the Sinnoh region.


text:
February 20, 2013
By -, -
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Hannah Boudreaux of Brenau (Ga.) has been named NAIA National Women's Swimmer & Diver of the Month for the 2012 - 2013 season, the national office announced Wednesday. Boudreaux was selected based on her performances in the month of February and the final honoree of the season. She was chosen out of a pool of candidates nominated by NAIA women's swimming & diving programs.
The Lafayette, La., native won three individual events she competed in during the month of February. Boudreaux won the 200-meter individual medley (2:06.73), 200-meter butterfly (2:05.01) and 400-meter individual medley (4:32.21) at the Appalachian Swim Conference Championships. With those times, she set three new conference records and a new Brenau school record. Boudreaux was also named Female Swimmer of the Year for the Appalachian Swim Conference.
Nominees: Bailey Foxworth, Campbellsville (Ky.); Kayse McCormick, Union (Ky.); Claire Houlton, Asbury (Ky.); Karoline Schaufler, Soka (Calif.).
2012-13 Composite Award Winners
Dec. 5: Kayley Valentien, Asbury (Ky.)
Jan. 30: Melissa Peplinski, Cumberlands (Ky.)
Feb. 20: Hannah Boudreaux, Breanau (Ga.)


text:
|Dressing Gown Front
|Dressing Gown Back
|Dressing Gown Front
|Dressing Gown Back
Ah I love it, you're so close, keep going! :)
I. Am. Speechless. This dressing gown is outrageously beautiful and not only that, but the work! The time! The yarn yardage!!! Your knitting never fails to impress me... but this is on another planet of superior knits. Where is the pattern from???
Stunning...hardly seems to describe this beautiful garment. The work is well worth it...just keep knitting now until you can glide around the house in it. How much yarn did it take?
OMG! This is the BEST vintage knitting project I have EVER seen! You should be incredibly proud--it's absolutely STUNNING! Well don!
This is unbearably impressive! How did you do this? It's so gorgeous, you are going to look just amazing in it, glamorous and chic and WARM! My mouth is open and my (metaphorical) hat is off to you! I just made my first sweater. You are making history. See the difference?
I know nothing of knitting, but this is brilliant! Beautiful work!
This is just amazing!! What a magnificent piece of knitting. It truly looks like it could be in a museum, so stately and beautiful as it is on your dress form alone! I can't wait to see it completed!
OMG! That must be the most awesome vintage themed knitting I have ever seen. That is pretty much all I'm able to say now.......
Oh,wow ...so beautiful,and wow you are so talented....i love it<3
would you like to follow each other? i follow you already.
wow i am speechless... this is AMAZING! i think the word 'epic' is over used in today's youth culture, everything seems to be 'epic' at the moment.. an 'in word' a 'buzz word' but really this is truely EPIC!!!!
Oh wow! Just ... WOW!
wow, just wonderful. Make me one in red please lol love it!
Oh my goodness, Katie! You are amazing...I cannot even wrap my little brain around the amount of work and genius that has gone into this. What an inspiration...I can hardly finish the lame scarf I've been working on! Okay, I'm off to read about this stash busters...I want to know more!
Ka-Ka-Ka Katie....wow, I am so impressed. Cannot imagine how many stitches you have there. Can't wait to see the finished piece. Beautiful!
Epic yes!!! Beautiful, amazing and breathtaking!!!! You are so very talented.
Love it V
Wow. Mammoth indeed! I'm knitting some more socks!
Oh My Word! That is the most amazing feat of Knitting I have ever seen, I can't imagine how many hours it must have taken! Its just stunning! x
Wow Amazing!!!
Wow! That really is epic. I am completely in awe of your knitting awesomeness!
Wow! That dressing gown is simply amazing!!
Oh my gosh that is so damn good knitting it is gorgeous! x
Your dressing gown is the most stunning knitting creation I have seen. What a mammoth undertaking. I would be SO proud of myself if I had knitted it AND it deserves as many pics as you can take. Quite Victorian looking. Well done! Marina x
This is truley one of the most beatuiful pieces of work I have ever seen, the drape, the style and your chosen colour. I am in true awe. I would love to know more of the pattern, please.