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We all knew Boehner was trouble when he walked in.
We all knew Boehner was trouble when he walked in.
This promises to be a bruising primary
Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, the last member of the Democratic dynasty serving in Washington, plans to formally announce Saturday that he is launching a primary challenge to Senator Edward J. Markey, an audacious political move that could open fissures within the Democratic Party and reshape the Massachusetts political landscape.
Kennedy will make his announcement at a breakfast with supporters and local community members at East Boston Social Centers, according to two people close to him. From there, Kennedy will tour the state through Monday, highlighting issues he plans to center his campaign on, including health care access, mental health and addiction issues, climate change, and civil rights, the people said.
Kennedy informed Markey of his decision Wednesday, one of the people added.
Another sign that Warren is doing damage to the Sanders campaign?
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) quietly parted ways with his Iowa political director in recent weeks, his campaign confirmed Wednesday, part of a series of recent staff shake-ups in key early states.
The campaign announced in March that Jess Mazour would be political director in the first-in-the-nation caucus state, part of a first wave of early state hires. She is no longer on the team.
"We'll continue to make moves that we feel best position this campaign to win," Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in a written statement after The Washington Post reached out to the campaign about the matter.
A campaign official who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the situation said Mazour was let go in late summer and will not be replaced. Mazour, who was a high-ranking campaign aide but not the director of the Iowa effort, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The campaign did not publicly announce her departure at the time.
Shockingly, the NRA is still not on board with background checks
The White House this week began circulating a much-anticipated gun background check proposal to Republicans on Capitol Hill, though it's unclear if President Donald Trump supports it.
The White House's plan would expand background checks to all commercial gun sales, including gun show sales, according to a document obtained by POLITICO and first reported by The Daily Caller. It's similar to a proposal from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).
Under the White House proposal, background checks would be conducted through federal firearm licensees, also known as FFLS, or a newly created group of licensed transfer agents. Sellers would choose voluntarily whether the federal firearm licensees or a transfer agent keeps records of the transactions.
Devastating numbers on gun violence in America
Gun violence hits America's youth and rural states the hardest and has reached the highest levels in decades, a report released Wednesday by Democrats on Congress' Joint Economic Committee has found.
U.S. teens and young adults, ages 15-24, are 50 times more likely to die by gun violence than they are in other economically advanced countries, according to the 50-state breakdown.
In 2017 — the year of a mass shooting in Las Vegas that killed 58 and injured hundreds — nearly 40,000 people died from gun-related injuries, including 2,500 school children, the report said, noting that six in 10 gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides.
That year marked the first time firearms killed more people than motor vehicle accidents, the report said.
Not a measured response from Pompeo
A genuinely good point from the president
This is no time for bellicose speeches in New York
Could universal background checks actually happen?
President Donald Trump may still be thinking about supporting expanded background checks for gun sales after all.
Driving the news: A memo titled "Idea for New Unlicensed-Commercial-Sale Background Checks" was being circulated as Attorney General Bill Barr and the White House's legislative affairs director Eric Ueland visited this week with Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Why it matters: The president was expected to say this week what, if any, gun control legislation he is prepared to support. Advocates were doubtful he would support expanded background checks because polling suggested it could hurt his standing with core supporters.
Imelda hits Houston
East Texas was facing days of heavy rains and flash flooding Wednesday as Tropical Storm Imelda, downgraded to a tropical depression, still packed a dangerous punch for millions of residents.
Tropical Storm Imelda made landfall Tuesday afternoon near Freeport, 60 miles south of Houston. Imelda, crawling north at about 5 mph, was the first named storm to slam onto Texas shores since the staggering devastation of Hurricane Harvey two years ago.
Some areas could see up to 18 inches of rain before the storm rolls away at week's end, the National Weather Service warned. By early Wednesday, more than 10 inches of rain already had been reported in St. Bernard and Chocolate Bayou.
Big blow to the e-cig business
India banned the production, import and sale of electronic cigarettes on Wednesday, a public health decision that will dash the expansion plans of companies such as Juul Labs and Philip Morris International in the country.
The ban will be imposed through an executive order and will include jail terms of up to three years for offenders. It was not clear whether the use of such products would be prohibited.
India's health ministry, which proposed the ban, had said it was needed to ensure e-cigarettes don't become an "epidemic" among children and young adults.
Many fewer women are having abortions than even a few years ago
Abortion in the United States has decreased to record low levels, a decline that may be driven more by increased access to contraception and fewer women becoming pregnant than by the proliferation of laws restricting abortion in some states, according to new research.
"Abortion rates decreased in almost every state and there's no clear pattern linking these declines to new restrictions," said Elizabeth Nash, senior state policy manager at the Guttmacher Institute, which issued the findings in a report and policy analysis on Wednesday.
The institute, which supports abortion rights, periodically compiles abortion data by surveying hospitals and abortion clinics, and by reviewing information from health departments and other sources.
The institute estimated that there were about 862,000 abortions in 2017, nearly 200,000 fewer than in 2011. The abortion rate — the number of abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age — dropped to 13.5 in 2017 from 16.9 in 2011, the lowest rate since abortion became legal nationwide in 1973.
Trump announces John Bolton's replacement
This oughta solve the problem
A memo to Biden and Sanders from Jimmy Carter
Weeks shy of his 95th birthday, former President Jimmy Carter said he doesn't believe he could have managed the most powerful office in the world at 80 years old.
Carter, who earlier this year became the longest-lived chief executive in American history, didn't tie his comments to any of his fellow Democrats running for president in 2020, but two leading candidates, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, would turn 80 during their terms if elected.
Biden is 76. Sanders is 78.
"I hope there's an age limit," Carter said with a laugh as he answered audience questions on Tuesday during his annual report at the Carter Center in Atlanta. "If I were just 80 years old, if I was 15 years younger, I don't believe I could undertake the duties I experienced when I was president."
Here's your morning cringe
A chorus of mostly white women sang the gospel song "We Shall Overcome" in the California State Capitol, an anthem of the civil rights movement. Mothers rallied outside the governor's office and marched through Capitol corridors chanting "No segregation, no discrimination, yes on education for all!" Some wore T-shirts that read "Freedom Keepers."
But this wasn't about racial equality. In the nation's most diverse state, protesters opposed to childhood vaccine mandates — many from affluent coastal areas — had co-opted the civil rights mantle from the 1960s, insisting that their plight is comparable to what African Americans have suffered from segregationist policies.
The approach reflected the level of desperation among families staunchly opposed to vaccinating their children — a desperation that peaked Friday night when an activist threw a menstrual cup with what appeared to be blood at several state senators during floor session.
But the civil rights claim shocked lawmakers, especially those representing minority communities that have suffered generations of racism and economic injustice. Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) called it "borderline racist" and said vaccine protesters need to revisit their history books.
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While paintball's recreational side might receive more attention, this game isn't just for play. It is also used by the military and police agencies for training exercises. This is an invaluable tool in training men and women for situations that might arise in the field.
From hostage situations to anti-terrorism, these types of training exercises help to prepare police and soldiers to make the right choices in the field. With paintball markers, when you make a mistake and are shot you get to try again. Unfortunately, when dealing with a real situation when mistakes are made and people are shot there's no starting over.
Thankfully, we have these types of tools to help the men and women of the military and police agencies to train, although you can never know what to expect in any hostile situation. It's these types of mock combat scenarios that prepare them for whatever situation may arise.
The game of paintball also has its recreational side. It is played by thousands of people from all points on the globe and on every type of terrain imaginable. The first and foremost scenario of the game is called "woods ball." Just like its name, this game is played in the woods and as long as the teams are even, the limit of players is only restricted to how many players the field will hold.
Some games are held with specific scenarios and parameters. One team of players might have the mission of holding a fort while the other team is charged with taking the fort. There are many variations of this style of play and can be a great deal of fun for all.
Another variation of the game is called speed ball. This game is played in a much smaller area with manmade bunkers used as cover. These games are mostly elimination and are timed. The winner is the team with the most players left in play at the end of the time limit set by the referees. These games are very fast paced and are usually favored by the intermediate level players.
The next step up would be what's called air ball. This game is played on a small field with inflatable bunkers. This is the type of game play which is sometimes televised on extreme sports cable stations. This type of game play is only recommended for people who have quite a bit of paintball experience under their belt.
Unlike woods ball, which usually has a 15-to-20 rule being the closest distance you can be to someone when you shoot them, there is no such rule in effect on the air ball field. You can, and it happens "bunker" your opponents, bunker simply means that you run up to someone and shoot them at point-blank range.
Also the markers in these types of paintball games are allowed to shoot at a much higher velocity. Simply put, it hurts more when you get hit on the air ball field. Yet even with that, air ball seems to be the most popular game style there is.
Offering both recreational and practical uses, paintball is a sport that continues to gain in popularity. From military training to backyard fun, the game has a worldwide following.

subset: commoncrawl


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For example if I take BackOrifice, the stealth remote control application, and rename it iexplore.exe, most personal firewalls will allow it to run without complaint. The same is true for any other trojan horse or virus.
Kinda neat huh?
There is only one readily available firewall that I cant use this with and thats zonealarm from zonelabs. http://zonelabs.com/
BTW my handle is natas and I look forward to upcoming issues of your newsletter. I haven't been hacking maliciously for years now, actually since i got caught in highschool and lost my priviliges to use a computer till i was 18. Please visit my homepage if youd like http://www.geocities.com/mystykalsystym/natas.html.
In-depth Information on Personal Firewalls
- Learn about them at the PC-Help web site, http://pc-help.org/
- See tests of personal firewalls at SecurityPortal.com. Many of those tested here are free and easy to use. They highly recommend the free Tiny Firewall.
- Sébastien Sauvage (email@example.com, http://www.bigfoot.com/~sebsauvage,) recommends ZoneAlarm, "A free and very effective firewall. It can filter either incoming and outgoing network traffic. Latest version can even stop VBscripts (like the ILoveYou virus)." Carolyn Meinel also points out that ZoneAlarm tells you what kind of attacks are hitting you, and what computers are being used to attack. Great if you like to fight back, heh, heh. http://www.zonelabs.com
- Sybergen Secure Desktop is a free (to personal users) firewall with considerable power to customize. Read a review of this product.
- Another free firewall: eSafe Desktop.
- Click here for a review of Zone Alarm, Norton Personal Firewall and McAfee Personal Firewall.
- Reviews of F-Secure Corp., InfoExpress, Network ICE Corp. and Sybergen Networks personal firewalls.
- Vendor descriptions of 15 personal firewalls
- NeoWatch firewall and intrusion detection system, with free trial version. According to Leslie Kirsch <firstname.lastname@example.com>, " Thought I'd let you know about a great firewall called NeoWatch 2.0 this program is the best I've had so far effectively it makes you invisible I mean all of your ports are in stealth and all netbios, telnet, ftp, http, finger, smtp, pop3, Ident, Imap, https. I know don't break out the champagne but I gotta tell you I've tried Blackice, Atgaurd, neotrace, zonealarm. This one tops them all. I've had other people I know scan all the way to 65,000 ports and up. They know what they are doing and can't find me. Effectively It looks like I'm disconnected. All you have to do is configure it properly. For some newbies that could be tricky. But any regular user of firewalls will figure it out no time flat"


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I had nearly a full day to work on models, so I threw myself in to things. Three projects had been lingering at the back of my head for a while, and I finally got around to them. A number of my units had paint damage from my move so I finally repaired and updated the highlights on a wave serpent, the cobra, and my Crimson Hunter Exarch.
I also completed 6 more guardians, so the squad is now 6 models from full size and ready for relaunch.


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Why Lock and Dam Eatery?
What to expect at the Lock and Dam Eatery? We brought great Mexican food, great Italian food and some wonderful burgers and wraps all together on one menu. We've chosen the name Lock and Dam Eatery because of the history of the lock and dam in Hastings. The first lock and dam was actually called Meeker Island, which was built back in 1898, and then lock and dam 2 was built in 1907. Being on the river and part of a traditional and historic town we thought that's a great name and would intrigue folks to come on down. So please come on out and give us a try with our new menu all put together under one roof!


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Here's an excellent motivational factoid for encyclopaedia salesmen: In the mid-1880s a huge cathedral was built in the Bushmanland desert oasis of Pella by French missionaries who at first had absolutely no idea what they were doing. They did, however, have a copy of Encyclopedie des Arts et Metiers which contained details of how to construct such a building and, within two incredible years, they finished it. See? Encyclopaedias actually work. They're not just pretty doorstops.
More than 200 cartloads of sand, 400 wagon loads of stones, 200 000 bricks, 350 bags of slaked lime and hundreds of wagonloads of willow wood went into the construction of this amazing place of worship.
Today, the elegant, sandy-toned cathedral still stands as a tribute to the men of the order of St Francis de la Sales who, incidentally, is the patron saint of writers.
In the late 1990s, the authors met Sister Therese-Henriette, a true veteran of hot places. In her 50-odd years as a Catholic nun, she had served in Upington, Nodonsees, Onseepkans, Pofadder, Matjieskloof, Port Nolloth, Vergenoeg and Pella.
"There's a lot of love in our lives here in Pella," said Sister Therese-Henriette. "We also go out and have fun from time to time."
Before Pella was Pella, Pella was Cammas Fonteyn. In 1814 the feared Nama raider Jager Afrikaner attacked the Warmbad Mission in Great Namaqualand. The mission survivors fled south to Cammas Fonteyn, where the resident London Missionary Society minister renamed it Pella, after the ancient Palestine refuge for Christians crossing the Jordan River in flight.
This is an extract from Karoo Keepsakes: A Traveller's Guide to the Heartland of South Africa. By Chris Marais & Julienne du Toit.
Find our new e-Book, 101 Karoo Towns HERE.


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Douce Collection from Andres Sarda
We've posted quite a few new items to our online boutique from Andres Sarda.
Andres Sarda is a Barcelona-based lingerie brand that specializes in high-end intimate apparel. The Douce collection features designs made from a combination of polka dot silk and eyelash lace trim.
The two color groups we brought into our boutique include the Ivory/Black dot, and the Creme/Lilac dot.
You have options with this collection, as we have the underwire bra and the molded cup versions, as well as thongs and boyshorts for both colors.


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It is that time of year. The sniffles, coughs and fevers from getting the cold or flu. The body is designed to fight off infections by our powerful immune system. Stress, lack of sleep, poor food choices and certain medical conditions can make our immune systems not work as well so we will discuss some foods that can help your body fight off the next infection.
Ingredients for Immune Health this Winter
Eat foods with Probiotics which are found in yogurt, keifer and kimchi. It has been found that probiotics may boost your immune system. A large part of our immune system is housed in our gut so take care of it! Eat a probiotic rich food daily. For those of you with histamine issues probiotic foods are usually off the menu! You can use a probiotic supplement instead. Choose a supplement with bifidobacterium infantis which doesn't promote histamine production in the gut. Eat foods with good prebiotic fibers to take care of your gut as well like asparagus, oats, beans & sweet potatoes.
Eat foods with Zinc which is found in chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and dark meats. Zinc has been shown to reduce cold duration and is important for keeping your immune system in top shape.
Eat foods with Vitamin C which is important for keeping your immune system strong and may help decrease the duration of your cold. Use peppers for a lower sugar option which actually provides more vitamin C per cup than oranges.
Eat foods with Flavonoids which are the phytochemicals found in berries, tea and even dark chocolate. These flavonoids keep the immune system strong and may even reduce the risk of getting a cold or other upper respiratory infections.
Eat functional foods like elderberry syrup and honey. Elderberry syrup has been shown to prevent flu infection and can reduce flu duration. Honey is a natural immune system booster and a natural antibacterial food.
For the whole video clip and more info click the link below!
Immune Boosting Mocktail
Makes 4 servings
1C V8 fusion blueberry pomegranate juice or another berry juice
1 orange cut into slices
1 liter of club soda
1. Freeze the juice into ice cubes (at least 2 hours or overnight)
2. In glasses place juice cubes, top off with club soda and garnish with oranges.


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The UK's hidden treasures
Since 2001, award-winning location scout and manager Tom Howard has been sourcing some of the most picturesque locations for film and TV all over the world. His credits include the hit BBC series Great Expectations and The Night Manager. Through his work, he has uncovered many a hidden treasure in the UK, from beautiful beaches to medieval style villages.
Tom shares his top hidden treasure picks below plus nearby Premier Inn hotels for you to make the most of them!


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We do welcome all of our dear customers to leave their real reviews with sincerity. Please leave the review in the comment area, thanks in advance.
If everything goes well, your 5 star reviews for us will be helpful and for those guys who want to try, too.
Please review as the form below:
Items ordered (with specified names and quantities)
Shipping time ( the time of tracking number offered and package arrived)
Effects gained (a before & after photo without personal info will be great.)"
Posted In: Steroid Powders


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24 Nov Whisky Galore
'Whisky Galore'
When 50,000 cases of whisky are stranded on a ship which runs aground, the inhabitants of a Scottish island cannot resist the temptation. Unfortunately, a Home Guard captain (an Englishman) stands in their way.
Director: Alexander Mackendrick. 1949, Ealing Studios. Duration: 1h 22min
The screening starts at 10.30am. Don't forget to enjoy your complimentary tea, coffee and cream scone served from 10.00am.
Tickets priced £6 are available from the Byre Theatre Box Office, in person or book online.
Written on 28 October 2016


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On the basis of packaging format, the market is segmented into MAP, VTP, VSP and others. In terms of value, MAP segment is expected to register a CAGR of 2.6% during the forecast period. On the basis of meat type the market is segmented into beef, pork, poultry and others. Among all meat types, beef segment is anticipated to remain dominant during the forecast period. Further, on the basis of end user segment, the commercial segment dominated the North America fresh meat packaging market in terms of value in 2014, and is expected to remain the most attractive segment, among the rest. The agriculture segment is expected to expand at the highest CAGR over the forecast period. The next section of the report highlights the North America fresh meat packaging adoption, by region, and provides the market outlook for 20162026. The study investigates the regional trends contributing to growth of the North America fresh meat packaging market globally, as well as analyses the limit to which the drivers are influencing the North America fresh meat packaging market in each region. Main regions assessed in this report include North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and the Middle East & Africa (MEA).
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fresh-meat-packaging-market-north-000300745.html
solar generators sale
Save these settings on your box 360 5. If you have decided to go on a camp-site this weekend, then you need to prepare for certain camping equipments as supplies for a basic camp-site event. People do not have to be physically available to take part in an important meeting or class across the world. In this sense, Einstein is related to the atomic bomb perhaps more via his famous letter to president Roosevelt than by the mentioned equation. This means that you will always be using "clean" water to produce the steam needed to get your floors cleaner than they have ever been before. A camp-site or camp ground can be defined as a place utilized for overnight stay outdoors. Turn off your computer's firewall before booting up your box 9. Computers that used to be bulky and provided less storage space changed into handy and lightweight laptops and notebooks.
Detaching the defrost timer. The stationary generators are types of generators that automatically provide power when there's an outage in your city. If you are copying games stored on your box hard drive or box DVD drive then browse where these games are stored or select from your D drive. 5. With wind power generators, we literally get energy out of air, more specifically moving air called wind. The complete workforce of mankind now works with technology. The dirt stays in this separate compartment until you are ready to remove the tank and dispose of the dirty water and other contents it contains. Your floor may appear to be clean afterwards, but really, you have returned the germs and bacteria picked up by the mop, back onto the floor. As man always looks for more and more convenience, they started looking for new and easy options of recharging batteries in less time, and batteries with longer back up time. This is not the kind of "clean" most people want, and especially when working up a sweat mopping the floors in order to get them clean and fresh. Within this article we are inspecting and also exchanging the actual defrost timer.


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There are many reasons that you end up with an empty garage. Whether you no longer have a vehicle to fill the space, it was being used by a child who you thought would never leave, or it's simply been too messy to be of any use.
Whatever the reason, now that you have space you are likely wondering what to do with it. Below are some great ideas to consider.
A Sewing or a Craft Room
If you have always had a penchant for craft works then this could be your time to shine!A large open space is a perfect area to construct a creating room!
Start by climbing into your attic and pulling out all of the sewing machines and materials you have been keeping up there for so long thinking that you would never have the time or space to use them. Once you have these, lay it all out on the floor in your garage and visualize where everything will go.
When it comes to furniture, the following is a good start:
- A sewing table
- A comfortable sewing chair
- A large table to play with your fabric and cut out patterns
- A couch to rest or sleep on
- Storage space for your supplies and to keep your area clean
- Some form of entertainment, such as a TV or a radio
If you don't have a TV or music, start with a bose coupon from Groupon Coupons to pick up a Bluetooth speaker which you can connect to your phone and listen to your music anywhere you are in the crafting space.
A Man Cave
If there is a man in your home then there is a good chance that he also has his eye on the space, possibly considering turning it into a man cave for himself. If you like the idea of this but don't know where to start, consider adding the following items:
- A few couches, with one that opens to a bed
- A large screen TV
- A gaming console
- A small bar with a refrigerator
- A closet to store snacks
While it may seem basic, the decorating is best left up to the actual inhabitant of the space. After all, you want to encourage them to use the space for themselves, so it's best that they choose how it looks.
A Home Gym
If you like the idea of something the both of you can use, then a home-gym could be the perfect middle ground. When creating a home gym, instead of sticking with the 80's minimalist style, consider how your local gym appears and minimalist design. Start with:
- One large machine which can offer you a range of exercises
- A space to stretch and cool down
- A refrigerator to keep your drinks
- A place to hang your towel
- Closet space to store your equipment and gear
- Similar to the above note, entertainment in the form of a TV or portable sound system
These are just three great ideas for you to convert you now empty garage into! Of course, there isn't anything to say that you can't have the best of both worlds!


text:
Translated By:
Professor (Dr.) Syed Vickar Ahamed
Translation Approval
This meaning of the translation has been approved by:
AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY - Cairo, Egypt
Pusat Islam (Center for Islam) - Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
A copy of the certificates of approval are available upon request
Translated By:
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Published By:
Book of Signs Foundation
Delivering THE MESSAGE of THE QURAN to youTM
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The aim of The Book of Signs Foundation is to bring the message of the
Quran to you, free of the political agendas and religious anti-islam
propagandas that have dominated the airwaves and print media. Our goal is
to provide direct-to-you a source of authentic information that brings to light
the message of the Quran in order that you may judge for yourself the
Quranic message. A message that is the principle source of guidance for over
1.2 billion people all over the world that call themselves Muslims.
Sources portraying themselves as honest brokers of information like the news
media often take liberties when presenting verses from the Quran without
any thought to the context of the verse. Now that you have a copy of this
English transalation of the Quran we humbly request you to do the following:
When you hear someone say something about what is mentioned in the
1) Ask for an exact reference in the form of Surah (chapter) and verse
2) Try to approach the Quran with an open mind – Don't just rely on
the so called "expert" opinions you may have heard. Form your
own opinion
3) Read a few verses before and after the specific verse so as to get an
idea of the context of what is being said and why
4) If you are not sure of the meaning, ask someone who knows – we
will be glad to answer any questions. Just as you would go to a
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when it comes to the Quran, Islam or Muslims? Call or email us
What you have here in your possession is the meaning of the translation of
the Glorious and Noble Quran. It is the best effort of an individual to explain,
as closely as possible, the meaning from the Arabic language. It is however
NOT THE QURAN. The Quran was, is, and forever shall be, in ARABIC
only. To truly understand the meaning of the Quran one must learn Arabic.
The power and impact that the original verses carry, cannot be duplicated in
any other language. This translation is an attempt to bring the Glory of the
Message to those who speak and know only the English language.
It surprises readers to know that the Quran as revealed to Prophet
Muhammed (pbuh) 1400 years ago is word-for-word preserved in the Arabic
language without an iota of change. This can easily be verified by picking up
copies of the Quran in Arabic anywhere in the world and comparing them.
iv Foreword
Not only is the written text not changed, but MILLIONS of Muslims around
the world have committed the entire Arabic text to memory from cover to
cover, whether they speak Arabic or not. This mechanisim has been in place
since its revelation 1400 years ago to ensure that the Quran is free from any
tampering and manipulation.
In handling this translation of the Quran we humbly request the following
guidelines to be followed:
1) Please remember this is a religious scripture and handle it as you
would your own religious scripture
2) Please handle this copy with respect and in a state of personal
3) If you do not want this copy, please do not throw it away. You may
give to any Muslim you know or your nearest Islamic Center. You
may also call us at 1-888-BSF-2754 and we will arrange to pick it
One who is new to the Quran will find that this copy may not conform to
his/her concept of a book. Unlike conventional books, the Quran does not
contain information and ideas arranged in literary order. Nor is it a historical
account as one may be accustomed to in other scriptures. The Quran presents
a complete way of life, a moral code that governs all aspects of life. It defines
the creed, expounds moral instruction, admonishes believers and non-
beleivers, invites people to explore, question and validate truths, gives glad
tidings of the after life, lays down laws and draws lessons from historical
events. With such a vastness of topics covered a reader will find that topics
are woven together in an intricate web of subjects that may at times seem
confusing. It therefore is a recognized fact that reading this book in a
traditional sequence is not essential to understanding the message. A reader
may search for familiar words like Jesus (Isa) or Mary or Joseph in the index
as a start.
We hope that whether you believe this to be a revealed book or not you will
find important guidance from this divine book, and remove previously
conceived biases against the Quran, Islam and Muslims. We pray that God
Almighty guide us all to His straight path and ultimate salvation.
Sh. Abdur Rahman Khan
Scholar in Residence
Islamic Foundation, Villa Park, Illinois, USA
Islam is an Arabic word. It comes from the word 'Salm' which means peace
and from the word 'Silm', which means submitting your will to Allah –
Almighty God. Thus, Islam means peace acquired by submitting your will to
Allah* (swt). A Muslim is a person who submits his/her will to Allah – the
Almighty God.
Many people have a misconception that Islam is a new religion that was
formulated about 1400 years ago, and that Prophet Muhammad^ (pbuh) was
the founder of Islam. However, Islam is not the name of some unique
religion presented for the first time by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) was not the founder of Islam but he was the last and final
messenger of Allah (swt) sent to earth. Almighty God revived through him
the same genuine faith, which had been conveyed by all His previous
The Quran states that Islam – the complete submission of man before his
only Unique Creator – is the only faith and way of life consistently revealed
by God to humankind from the very beginning. Noah, Abraham, Isaac,
David, Solomon, Moses, and Jesus – prophets who appeared at different
times and places - all propagated the same faith and conveyed the same
message of Tawheed (Oneness of God), Risaalat (Prophet hood) and
Aakhirah (the Hereafter). These prophets of God were not founders of
different religions to be named after them. They were each reiterating the
message and faith of their predecessors.
Islam thus makes it an article of faith to believe in all the earlier prophets,
starting with Adam, and continuing with Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, David and Jesus amongst many others (may peace be on them
However, Muhammad (pbuh) was the last Prophet of God conveying the
same message as all earlier Prophets. This original message had been
corrupted and it split into various religions by people of different ages, who
indulged in interpolations and admixture. God eliminated these alien
elements, and Islam – in its pure and original form – was transmitted to
Out of reverence to Almighty God, the suffix (swt) is added to affirm His Purity and
His Uniqueness.
Out of appreciation and respect for Prophet Muhammad (or any of the prophets), the
suffix (pbuh) is added to pray to Allah to bestow peace upon him (or any of the
vi Preface
humankind through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Hence, Islam is the
culmination of the same Divine religion of God to humankind since the
advent of humanity, purged and purified, from all human adulterations and
restored to its original purity.
Since there was to be no messenger after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the
Book revealed to him (i.e. the Glorious Quran) was preserved word for word
so that it should be the same source of guidance for all times.
Thus the religion of all the prophets was 'total submission to God's will' and
one word for that in the Arabic language is 'Islam'. Abraham and Jesus
(peace be upon them) too were Muslims, as Allah testifies in the Quran 3:67
and 3:52 respectively.
It is mentioned in the Quran, "Surely, We have sent you with the truth, as a
bearer of happy news, and as a warner: And there were never any people,
without a warner who did not live among them (in the past)" [35.24]
At the same time, the Quran says, "And the messengers We have already told
you before, and others We have not (told you)." [4.164]
It means that some of the Prophets have been mentioned by name in the
Quran while of the others there is no mention. Twenty-five messengers are
specifically mentioned in the Quran. It has been narrated by Umama that
Abu Dhar said: "I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, altogether how many
messengers were sent?' The Prophet (pbuh) said, 'One hundred and twenty
four thousand'." [Mishkat-Ul-Masabih, authenticated by Shaikh Nasiruddun
Albani, Vol. 3, Pg. No. 1599, Hadith No. 5737]
However, all the messengers that came before the last and final messenger
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) came with a message that was ment only for a
particular period of time.
For example, the Quran says, "And (We appointed Jesus) a messenger to the
Children of Israel:" [3.49]
Jesus (pbuh) came as a messenger only to the children of Israel. A similar
message is given in the Bible where Jesus (pbuh) says, "I am not sent but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." [Gospel of Matthew 15:24]
Jesus (pbuh) further says in the Bible. "Go not into the way of the Gentiles,
and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel." [Gospel of Matthew 10:5-6]. So Jesus (pbuh)
was sent only for the Jews and not for the whole of humanity.
However, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was not sent only for the Muslims or
only for the Arabs, but for the entire humankind. The Quran says, "And We
vii Preface
did not send you (O Prophet), except as a mercy to all worlds." [21.107]
"And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as one to give them good
news, and to warn them (of the punishment; As a messenger and a guide to
mankind), but most men do not understand." [34.28]. The religion of all the
prophets was 'total submission to God's Will' and the one word for that in
the Arabic language is 'Islam'; and the person who does that is a 'Muslim'.
Allah (swt) says in the Quran that Abraham (pbuh) was a Muslim. "Ibrahim
(Abraham) was neither a Jew nor even a Christian; But he was true in Faith,
and surrendered his will to Allah's, (like a Muslim) and He did not join gods
with Allah." [3.67]
It is mentioned in the Quran that Jesus (pbuh) was a Muslim [3.52]. Jesus
(pbuh) also says in the Bible. "I seek not my own will, but the will of the
Father which hath sent me." [Gospel of John 5:30]. And anybody who seeks
the Will of God is referred to as a Muslim.
Islam is the first religion and the only religion, which is acceptable in the
sight of God. Therefore Allah (swt) says: "If anyone desires a religion other
than Islam (submission to Allah), it will never be accepted from him; In the
Hereafter, he will be with those who have lost (all spiritual reward)." [3.85]
Allah (swt) has sent a revelation in every age. Allah (swt) says in the Quran,
"Allah permitted (or ordered, for) each period is a Book (revealed)." [13.38]
There are several revelations sent by Allah (swt) in different ages for the
guidance of human beings of the respective ages. Only four revelations are
mentioned by name in the Quran. These are the Torah, Zabur, Injeel and the
Torah is the Wahi, the revelation that was revealed to Prophet Moses (pbuh).
Zabur is the Wahi, the revelation that was revealed to Prophet David (pbuh).
Injeel is the Wahi, the revelation which was revealed to Prophet Jesus (pbuh)
and the Quran is the last and final Wahi, the final revelation, that was
revealed to the Last and Final Messenger Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The Arabic word 'Quran' comes from the root word 'qara'a' or 'qa- ra-a',
which means to read, to recite, and to proclaim. The Quran is a collection to
be read or to be recited.
Since there was to be no messenger after Muhammad (pbuh), the book
revealed to him (i.e., the Quran) was preserved word for word so that it
should be a source of Divine Guidance for all times. Each of the revelations,
prior to the revelation of the Quran, was meant only for a particular period
and for a particular group of people.
viii Preface
As the Quran was the last and final revelation of Almighty Allah, it was
revealed not just for Muslims or Arabs but it was revealed for the whole of
Humankind. Further, the Quran was not revealed only for the era of the
Prophet but it was revealed for all of Humankind until the Last Day.
Allah (swt) says in the Quran, "Alif Lám Ra: A Book (the Quran) which
We have revealed to you, (O Prophet!) so that you may lead mankind from
the depths of darkness into Light- By the permission of their Lord- To the
Path (towards Him), the Exalted in Power, the (One) Worthy of all Praise"
"The month of Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Quran as
a guide to mankind, also Clear (Signs for) guidance and judgment (between
right and wrong)" [2.185]
Islam and Universal Brotherhood
There are various types of brotherhoods - brotherhood based on blood
relations, brotherhood based on regional affiliations, or brotherhood on the
basis of race, caste, creed, ideology, etc. But all these types of brotherhood
are limited in their scope, coverage and benefits.
Islam, on the other hand, prescribes Universal Brotherhood. It rejects the
thought that human beings have been created in castes or in different levels.
In Surah Al-Hujurat [49:13], Allah (SWT) describes the Islamic concept of
Universal Brotherhood.
"O mankind! We have created you from a single (pair) of male and female,
and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another (not
that you may hate each other). Surely, the most honorable of you, in the Sight
of Allah is (he, who is) the most righteous of you. Verily, Allah is All
Knowing (Aleem) and is Well-Aware (Khabir, of all things)."
This verse of the Quran indicates that the entire human race originated from a
single pair of male and female. All humans have common great-grandparents
and ancestors.
Further, Allah (swt) says that he has made nations and tribes, so that humans
can recognize each other, and not so that they may despise each other and
fight amongst themselves.
This verse also clarifies that the criteria for judgment in the sight of Allah
(swt) does not depend on caste, color, creed, gender or wealth, but on Taqwa
i.e. God's consciousness, piety and righteousness. Anyone who is righteous,
pious and God-conscious is honored in the sight of Allah (swt).
Further it is stated in Surah Ar-Rum [30.22], that, "And among His Signs is
ix Preface
the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference in your
languages, and your colors. Surely, there are signs in this for those who
These variations in color and language are not for the purpose of creating
animosity or differences between groups of humans. Every language on earth
has its own beauty and significance. A foreign language may sound strange
and funny to you, but it sounds sweet to those who speak it.
Allah says in Surah Al-Isra [17.70], "We have honored the children of
Adam." Allah has not honored only Arabs or Americans or any particular
race uniquely. He states that He has honored all the children of Adam,
irrespective of race, caste, color, creed or gender.
While there are some religions that believe that humankind originated from a
single pair - Adam and Eve (peace be upon them), there are some faiths that
say, that it is because of the sin of the woman (Eve -may Allah be pleased
with her) that the humans are born in sin. They blame only the woman, who
is Eve, for the downfall of human beings. The Quran speaks about the story
of Adam and Eve (peace be upon them) in several Surahs, but in all the
places, the blame is placed equally on both - Adam and Eve (peace be upon
them). According to Surah Al-A'raf [7.19-27], both of them disobeyed Allah
(swt), both of them repented, and both were forgiven.
Both are equally blamed for the mistake. There is not a single verse in the
Quran, which puts the blame only on Eve (may Allah be pleased with her).
In Surah Taha [20.121], it is stated that Adam (pbuh) disobeyed Allah (swt).
Certain faiths, on the other hand state that because Eve disobeyed God, she is
responsible for the 'sin of humankind'. Hence, God cursed the woman, and
said that she will bear labor pains. This implies that pregnancy is a curse.
Islam of course does not support this unjust perspective. In Surah Nisa [4.1],
Allah states, "And revere (and respect) the wombs (that bore you):" In
Islam, pregnancy does not degrade a woman. On the contrary, it elevates the
status of a woman. In Surah Luqman [31.14], it is stated that, "And We have
commanded man (to be good) to his parents: In weakness and hardship his mother
bore him, and in two years (after) was his weaning:"
The Quran says in Surah Al-Ahqaf [46.15], " And We have commanded that
it is essential for man to be kind to his parents: In pain did his mother bear him,
and in pain did she give him birth."
Islam states that men and women are created equal. The foundation of an
Islamic society is justice and equity. Allah has created men and women as
equal, but with different capabilities and different responsibilities. Men and
women are different, physiologically and psychologically. Their roles and
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responsibilities are different. Men and women are equal in Islam, but not
According to a Hadith mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, Vol.No. 8, in the Book
of Adab, Chapter 2, Hadith No. 2.
"A person came to Prophet Mohammed (saw), and asked him, 'Who is the
person who deserves the maximum love and companionship in this world?'
The Prophet replied, 'Your mother.'
The man asked, 'Who next?'
The Prophet said, 'Your mother.'
The man asked, 'After that who?'
The Prophet repeated for the third time, 'Your mother.'
The man asked, 'After that who?'
Then the Prophet said, 'Your father.'"
So, 75% or 3/4 of the love and companionship of the children are due to the
mother and only 25% or 1/4 of the love and companionship goes to the
father. In other words, the mother gets the gold medal, she gets the silver
medal, as well as the bronze medal. The father has to be satisfied with a mere
consolation prize.
Amongst the teachings of Islam, it is stated that men and women are equal -
but being equal does not mean that both are identical. There are many
misconceptions about the status of women in Islam. Such misconceptions can
be removed if one studies the authentic sources of knowledge of Islam and
their teachings - the Quran and the Sahih Hadith. Let's take an example. In a
class, two students - student 'A' and 'B' get the highest marks in a subject,
say - 80 out of 100. The question paper consisted of 10 questions, each of 10
marks. In the first answer student 'A' gets 9 out of 10, student 'B' gets 7 out
of 10. So in question 1 student 'A' has a degree of advantage than student
'B'. In question 2, student 'B' gets 9 out of 10, and student 'A' gets 7 out of
10. So in question 2, student 'B' has a degree of advantage, than student 'A'.
In the remaining 8 questions, both get 8 out of 10, and if you total the marks
of both students, both get 80 out of 100. So if you analyze, both student 'A'
and 'B' have got over all equal marks. But in answers to some questions,
student 'A' has a degree of advantage and in answers to some other
questions, student 'B' has a degree of advantage - but in terms of overall
marks, both are equal. Similarly, in Islam, men and women are equal.
As another example, if a robber enters my house, I will not say, 'I believe in
xi Preface
women's rights, and I believe in women's liberation and therefore my sister,
my wife or my mother, should go and fight the robber.'
Allah says in Surah Nisa [4.34], "Allah has given the one more (strength)
than the other." Normally, men have more strength than the women. So
where strength is concerned, men have a degree of advantage. Since they
have been given more strength, it is their duty to protect women.
Where love and companionship from children is concerned, the mother gets
three times more love and companionship than the father. Here women have
a degree of advantage.
Brotherhood in Islam does not only mean that the same sexes are equal.
'Universal Brotherhood' in Islam means, that besides race, caste, and creed,
even the sexes are overall equal. Men and women are equal in Islam, but in
some aspects, men have a degree of advantage while in some other aspects,
women have a degree of advantage - but overall both are equal.
The miracle of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), i.e. the Quran, is for all
The miracles performed by the previous prophets such as parting of sea by
Prophet Moses (pbuh), giving life to the dead by Prophet Jesus (pbuh), etc.
convinced the people of that time but these miracles cannot be analyzed and
verified by us today.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the last and final Messenger of God, sent for
the whole of humankind and the message he delivered is for eternity.
Therefore, the miracle of the last and final Messenger should also be
everlasting, examinable and verifiable by people of all ages. While Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) performed several miracles as are mentioned in the
Hadith (recorded traditions, sayings and actions of the Prophet), he never
emphasized them. Though we Muslims believe in these miracles we only
boast of the ultimate miracle given to him by Almighty God, which is the
The Quran is the miracle of all times which proved itself to be a miracle
1400 years ago and which can be reconfirmed today and forever. In short, it
is the Miracle of Miracles.
The scientific community adopts the following approach – they say, "if you
have a theory, do not bother us with it unless you bring with that theory a
way to prove that you and the theory are wrong". This is called a
Falsification test.
xii Preface
This is the same reason why they paid attention to the theory of Albert
Einstein who said, "I think the universe works like this and these are three
ways to prove me wrong". Scientists subjected his theory to tests and within
6 years it passed the tests, which he offered. This does not prove that he is
great but it proves that he deserves to be paid attention to, because of the
falsification tests, which accompanied his theory.
The Quran too offers its readers several falsification tests. Some of these
were only meant for the past, yet others for all times. The Quran says that if it
is not what it claims then all you have to do is this or that, to prove that it is
false. This unique falsification test is not to be found in any other religious
scripture. The Quran gives several such opportunities to prove it wrong.
Some such falsification tests offered by the Quran are.
a. The story of Abu Lahab:
The Prophet had an uncle who was known by the nickname 'Abu Lahab'
which means 'Father of the flame' because of his fiery temper. This uncle
was one of the staunchest enemies of the prophet and of Islam. There is a
Surah in the Quran called Surah Al-Lahab [111] named after Abu Lahab.
This Surah prophesied that Abu Lahab and his wife will perish in the hell fire
– implying he will never become a Muslim and therefore will enter the hell
This Surah was revealed 10 years before Abu Lahab died as an unbeliever in
the battle of Badr. Abu Lahab was always eager to prove that the Quran was
false and was a human invention. All that Abu Lahab had to do to prove the
Quran and Surah Abu Lahab wrong was state "I am a Muslim" – the Quran
would have been proved wrong. He did not have to behave like a Muslim.
Even if he falsely, for namesake had said that he was a Muslim, the Quran
would have been proved wrong in the eyes of men. Imagine Abu Lahab had
10 years to think over it but yet he never uttered this statement. No logical
person will ever put such a claim in his book. The Quran is a revelation and
not the handiwork of the Prophet.
b. Produce a Surah like it.
Muslims and non-Muslims alike acclaim that the best Arabic literature
available on the face of the earth is the Glorious Quran. Its language is rich,
noble and eloquent. When the pagans alleged that Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) had committed forgery and thus produced the Quran, the Quran
immediately challenged them and offered them a falsification test.
(i) In Surah Al-Isra [17.88], "Say: 'If the entire mankind and jinns' were
to get together to produce (something) like this Quran, they could not
produce (anything) like it, even if they tried altogether with help and
xiii Preface
(ii) Later the falsification test was made easier in Surah Hud, [11.13],
"Or they say, 'He has forged it (made it up himself).' Say: 'Then you bring
TEN Surahs made up, similar to it, and call anyone you can (to help), other
than Allah! If you speak the truth!'"
(iii) The Quran repeats the challenge and further simplifies the
falsification test in Surah Yunus [10.38], "Or do they (the disbelievers) say,
'He made it up?' Say: 'Bring then a (ONE) Surah of its like, and call (for
your help) anyone you can, besides Allah, if it is that you speak the truth!'"
Even this easy challenge was unmet and thus the pagans had no ground to
say that Prophet Muhammad had presented the Quran through forgery.
(iv) Lastly, the Quran puts forward a falsification test, which is the
easiest of all. In Surah Al-Baqara [2.23 and 2.24], "And if you are in doubt
about what We have revealed (from time to time) to Our servant (the
Prophet), then produce a Surah like the one here (in the Quran); And call
your witness (or helpers if there are any) besides Allah, if you are truthful.
(2.24.) But if you cannot - And surely you cannot - Then fear the Fire whose
fuel is Men and Stones- Which is prepared for those who reject Faith." The
Quran says 'mim mislihi' i.e. somewhat similar, it does not say 'mislihi' i.e.
exactly similar, like in the previous challenge.
Certain Surahs of the Quran hardly contain three verses that consist of only a
few words. Not that people did not take up the challenge – the best poets of
Arabia at that time tried their level best but they miserably failed. Some of
what they produced has been preserved in historical books to show that they
were the laughing stock. This is yet a standing challenge and a falsification
test that is unanswered for the past 1400 years and will not be answered till
c. The Quran does not contain a single contradiction.
The Quran also gives a falsification test in Surah Al-Nisa [4.82] that any one
in the world can try. "Do they not consider the Quran (with care)? If it was
from (any) other than Allah, they would surely have found in there lot of
discrepancy (and contradictions)."
Today if any one wants to prove that the Quran is not the word of God, he
just has to point out a single contradiction in the Quran. There are many
disbelievers who tried to point out several alleged contradictions in the
Quran, but all of their attempts were either out of context, mistranslations or
xiv Preface
There is an approach that is known as 'Exhausting the Alternatives'. The
Quran says that it is a revelation from the Creator of all that exists. If for
some reason you do not believe that it is from the Creator, then what is it?
You have to give some explanation. It says that it is a revelation. If not then
what is its source of origin? Where did it come from? Whatever answers
people have given since the time the Quran was revealed have all been
disproved. The alternatives have been exhausted.
The Quran earns your respect because you cannot disqualify it. The Quran
gives the answer that it is a revelation from God Almighty. In Surah Al –
Jathiyah, [45.2], "The Revelation of the book is from Allah, the Almighty
and All Wise."
The Quran reconfirms that the Revelation is from Almighty God in several
verses: In Surah Al-An'aam [6.19], in Surah Al-An'aam [6.72], in Surah
Yusuf [12.1-2], in Surah Taha [20.113], in Surah Al-Naml [27.6], In Surah
Al-Sajdah [32.1-3], in Surah Yasin [36.1-3], in Surah Al-Zumar [39.1], in
Surah Ghafir [40.2], in Surah Al-Jathiyah [45.2], in Surah Al-Rahman [55.1-
2], in Surah Al-Waqiah [56.77-80], and in Surah Al-Insan [76.23].
No logical person who believes in the existence of God can deny that the
Quran is God's word after being presented with all these proofs To the
atheist who does not believe in the existence of god, the question, "is the
Quran God's word?" is baseless. He does not believe in God, therefore such
a question does not arise in his mind.
The first question to the atheist is: "What is the definition of God?" For a
person to say there is no God, he should know what the meaning of God is.
Suppose I hold a book and say 'this is a pen'. The opposite person should
know the definition of a pen for him to refute and say that it is not a pen. In a
similar manner, for an atheist to say 'there is no god', he should at least know
the concept of God. His concept of God is derived from the surroundings in
which he lives or has been brought up. The deity that people worship has
human qualities and hence he does not believe in such a god. Similarly, a
Muslim too does not believe in such false gods.
The best definition, of Almighty God, that you can find in the Quran is in the
four verses of Surah Al-Ikhlaas, [112]
xv Preface
112.1. "Say: He is Allah, The One (Ahad, and Only One)."
112.2. "Allah the Eternal (Samad, the Ever Enduring),
The Absolute (and Alone);"
112.3. "He begets not (has no descendents, no children, none),
Nor was He (ever) begotten;"
112.4. "And there is none like (or comparable) unto Him."
This is a four-line statement about Almighty Allah according to Quran. If any
candidate claims to be God and satisfies this definition, Muslims have no
objection in accepting such a candidate as god. This Surah Al-Ikhlaas is the
acid test – it is the 'Furqan' or the criteria to judge between the One True
God and the false claimants to divinity. Whichever deity that any human
being on the face of this earth worships – if that deity fulfils these four
criteria then such a deity is none else than the one true God.
a. It is the touchstone of Theology
Surah Al-Ikhlaas [112] is the touchstone of Theology. 'Theo' in Greek means
God and 'logy' means study. Thus 'Theology' means 'study of God' and
Surah Al-Ikhlaas is the touchstone of the study of God.
If you want to purchase or sell your gold jewelry, you would first evaluate it.
A goldsmith with the help of a touchstone does such an evaluation of gold
jewelry. He rubs the gold jewelry on the touchstone and compares its color
with rubbing samples of gold. If it matches with 24 Karat gold, he will say
that your jewelry is 24 Karat pure gold. If it is not high quality pure Gold, he
will tell you its value - whether it is 22 Karats, 18 Karats or it may not be
gold at all. It may be fake because everything that glitters is not gold.
Similarly Surah Al-Ikhlaas [112] is the touchstone of theology, which can
verify whether the deity that you worship is a true God or a false God. If any
one claims to be, or is believed to be Almighty God, and satisfies this four-
line definition, then not only will Muslims readily accept that deity as God
but this deity is worthy of all worship and is the One True God.
For example, if some one says that Bhagwaan Rajneesh or 'Osho' is
Almighty God, lets apply the test.
b. Is Rajneesh God?
Let us put this candidate Rajneesh to the test of Divinity as prescribed by
Surah Al-Ikhlaas, the touchstone of Divinity.
(i) The First Criterion is "Say, 'He is Allah One and Only'". Is Rajneesh
xvi Preface
One and Only? We know several such fake god-men and claimants of
divinity amongst humans. Rajneesh is surely not the one and only. However,
some disciples of Rajneesh may still state that Rajneesh is unique and that he
is the one and only.
(ii) Let us analyze the second criterion "Allah the Absolute and
Eternal." Is Rajneesh absolute and eternal? We know from his biography that
he suffered from diabetes, asthma, and chronic backache. He alleged that the
U.S.A. government gave him slow poison while he was in their jail. Imagine!
Almighty God being poisoned! Moreover, all are aware that Rajneesh died
and was cremated / buried. So Rajneesh was neither eternal, nor absolute
(iii) The third Criteria is "He begets not, nor is begotten". However,
Rajneesh was begotten. He was born in Jabalpur in India. Like all humans, he
too had a mother and a father. Later on they chose to become his disciples.
Rajneesh was a very intelligent person. In May 1981 he went to U.S.A. He
established a town in Oregon and named it 'Rajneeshpuram'. It seems that he
took America for a ride since the U.S. government arrested him and later
deported him out of America in 1985. So Rajneesh returned to India and
started a 'Rajneesh Neosanyas commune in Pune in India which was later
renamed the 'Osho commune'.
If you visit this 'Osho commune' in Pune you will find it written on his
tombstone, "Osho - never born, never died, only visited the planet earth
between 11 Dec. 1931 to 19 Jan 1990". They conveniently forget to mention
on this tombstone that Rajneesh was not given a visa for 21 different
countries of the world. Imagine Almighty God visiting the earth and
requiring a visa! The Arch Bishop of Greece had said that if Rajneesh was
not deported they would burn his house and those of his disciples.
(iv) The fourth test is so stringent that none besides the One True God,
Allah (swt), can pass it. "There is none like Him." The moment you can
imagine or compare the candidate or claimant to godhood to anything, this
candidate is not god. Neither can you have a mental picture of God. We
know that Rajneesh was a human being. He had one head, two hands, two
feet, and a white flowing beard. The moment you can think or imagine what
the claimant to godhood is, he or she is not god.
The Muslims prefer calling Allah (swt) with His Name Allah, instead of the
English word 'God'. The Arabic word Allah is pure and unique, unlike the
English word God that can be manipulated. If you add 's' to God, it becomes
'gods' that is plural of God. Allah is one and singular, there is no plural of
Allah. If you add 'dess' to God, it becomes 'goddess' that is a female God.
xvii Preface
There is nothing like male Allah or female Allah. Allah has no gender. If you
add father to God, it becomes 'godfather'. "He is my Godfather," means, "he
is my guardian". There is nothing like 'Allah Abba' or 'Allah father' in
Islam. If you add mother to God it becomes 'godmother', there is nothing
like 'Allah Ammi' or 'Allah Mother' in Islam. If you put tin before God, it
becomes tin-god i.e. a fake God, there is nothing like 'tin Allah' or 'fake
Allah' in Islam. Allah is a unique word, which does not conjure up any
mental picture nor can it be played around with. Hence, the Muslims prefer
the name Allah when referring to the Almighty Creator. However, sometimes
while speaking to non-Muslims we may have to use the inappropriate word
God for Allah as has been used in this preface.
These methods of proving the existence of God to an atheist may satisfy
some but not all. Many atheists demand a scientific proof for the existence of
God. We agree that today is the age of science and technology. Let us use
scientific knowledge to prove the existence of God and simultaneously also
prove that the Quran is a revelation of God.
Creation of the universe. 'The Big Bang'
Astrophysicists in a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly known as the
'Big Bang', explain the creation of the universe. It is supported by
observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and
astrophysicists for decades. According to the 'Big Bang', the whole universe
was initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a 'Big Bang'
(Secondary Separation), which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These
then divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc. The origin of the
universe was unique and the probability of it occurring by 'chance' is zero.
The Quran contains the following verse, regarding the origin of the universe.
"Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were joined
together (as one), before We tore them apart?" [21.30]
The striking congruence between the Quranic verse and the 'Big Bang' is
inescapable! How could a book, which first appeared in the deserts of Arabia
1400 years ago, contain this profound scientific truth?
Shape of the earth
In early times, people believed that the earth is flat. For centuries, men were
afraid to venture out too far, lest they should fall off the edge. Sir Francis
Drake was the first person who proved that the earth is spherical when he
sailed around it in 1577.
xviii Preface
Consider the following Quranic verse regarding the alternation of day and
night. "Do you not see that Allah blends the night into day and He blends the day
into night?" [31.29]
Merging here means that the night slowly and gradually changes to day and
vice versa. This phenomenon can only take place if the earth is spherical. If
the earth were flat, there would have been a sudden change from night to day
and from day to night. The earth is not exactly round like a ball, but geo-
spherical i.e. it is flattened at the poles. The following verse contains a
description of the earth's shape.
"And more, He has extended the earth (far and wide or also in the shape of
an egg)" [79.30].
The Arabic word for egg here is 'dahaha', which means an ostrich-egg. The
shape of an ostrich-egg resembles the geo-spherical shape of the earth. Thus,
the Quran correctly describes the shape of the earth, though the prevalent
notion when the Quran was revealed was that the earth is flat.
The light of the moon is reflected light
It was believed by earlier civilizations that the moon emanates its own light.
Science now tells us that the light of the moon is reflected light. However,
this fact was mentioned in the Quran, 1400 years ago in the following verse:
"He is the blessed (One) Who made groups of stars in the skies, and placed a
Lamp in there and a Moon giving light;" [25.61]
The Arabic word for the sun in the Quran is shams. It is referred to as siraaj,
which means a 'torch', or as wahhaaj, which means a 'blazing lamp', or as
diya, which means a 'shining glory'. All three descriptions are appropriate to
the sun, since it generates intense heat and light by its internal combustion.
The Arabic word for the moon is 'qamar' and it is described in the Quran as
'muneer', which is a body that gives 'nur' i.e. light. Again, the Quranic
description matches perfectly with the true nature of the moon, which does
not give off light itself and is an inert body that reflects the light of the sun.
Not once in the Quran, is the moon mentioned as 'siraaj', 'wahhaaj' or 'diya'
or the sun as 'nur' or 'muneer'. This implies that the Quran recognizes the
difference between the nature of sunlight and moonlight.
The sun rotates
In 1609, the German scientist Yohannus Keppler published the 'Astronomia
Nova'. In this he concluded that not only do the planets move in elliptical
orbits around the sun, they also rotate upon their axes at irregular speeds.
With this knowledge, it became possible for European scientists to explain
correctly many of the mechanisms of the solar system including the sequence
xix Preface
of night and day. After these discoveries, it was thought that the Sun was
stationary and did not rotate about its axis like the Earth.
Consider the following Quranic verse: "And it is He Who created the night
and the day, and the sun and the moon: All (the heavenly bodies) go along,
each in its rounded path." [21.33]
The Arabic word used in the above verse is yasbahûn . The word yasbahûn is
derived from the word sabaha. It carries with it the idea of motion that comes
from any moving body. If you use the word for a man on the ground, it
would not mean that he is rolling but would mean he is walking or running. If
you use the word for a man in water, it would not mean that he is floating but
would mean that he is swimming. Similarly, if you use the word yasbah for a
celestial body such as the sun it would not mean that it is only flying through
space but would mean that it is also rotating as it goes through space. Most of
the school textbooks have incorporated the fact that the sun rotates about its
axis. The rotation of the sun about its own axis can be proved with the help
of an equipment that projects the image of the sun on the table top so that one
can examine the image of the sun without being blinded. It is noticed that the
sun has spots, which complete a circular motion once every 25 days i.e. the
sun takes approximately 25 days to rotate around its axis.
In fact, the sun travels through space at roughly 150 miles per second, and
takes about 200 million years to complete one revolution around the center of
our Milky Way Galaxy. One cannot help but be amazed at the scientific
accuracy of the Quranic verses. Should we not ponder over the question.
"What was the source of knowledge contained in the Quran?"
Every living thing is made of water
Consider the following Quranic verse. "We made every living thing from
water. Then, will they not believe?" [21.30].
Only after the advancement of science, do we now know that cytoplasm, the
basic substance of the cell is made up of 80% water. Modern research has
also revealed that most organisms consist of 50% to 90% water and that
every living entity requires water for its existence.
Was it possible 14 centuries ago for any human being to guess that every
living being was made of water? Moreover, would such a guess be
conceivable by a human being in the deserts of Arabia where there has
always been a scarcity of water?
Everything made in pairs
Allah (swt) says in the Quran, "Glory to Allah, Who created all the things in
pairs that the earth produces, and also their own kind (also created in pairs)
xx Preface
and (other) things about whom they do not know." [36.36]
The Quran here says that everything is created in pairs, including things that
the humans do not know at present and may discover later.
Man is created from Alaq – A leech-like substance
A few years ago a group of Arabs collected all information concerning
embryology from the Quran, and presented to Prof. (Dr.) Keith Moore, who
was the Professor of Embryology and Chairman of the Department of
Anatomy at the University of Toronto, in Canada. At present, he is one of the
highest authorities in the field of Embryology.
Dr. Moore said that most of the information concerning embryology
mentioned in the Quran is in perfect conformity with modern discoveries in
the field of embryology and does not conflict with them in any way. He
added that there were however a few verses, on whose scientific accuracy he
could not comment. He could not say whether the statements were true or
false, since he himself was not aware of the information contained therein.
There was also no mention of this information in modern writings and studies
on embryology.
One such verse is: "Proclaim! (And read aloud!) in the Name of the Lord and
Cherisher, Who created. Created man, out of a (mere) clot of thickened
blood" [96.1-2]
The word alaq besides meaning a congealed clot of blood also means
something that clings, a leech-like substance. Dr. Keith Moore had no
knowledge whether an embryo in the initial stages appears like a leech. To
check this out he studied the initial stage of the embryo under a very
powerful microscope in his laboratory and compared what he observed with
a diagram of a leech and he was astonished at the striking resemblance
between the two!
Dr. Keith Moore had earlier authored the book, 'The Developing Human'.
After acquiring new knowledge from the Quran, he wrote, in 1982, the 3rd
edition of the same book, 'The Developing Human'. The book was the
recipient of an award for the best medical book written by a single author.
This book has been translated into several major languages of the world and
is used as a textbook of embryology in the first year of medical studies.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia,
Dr. Moore said, "It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements
in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements
must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah, because almost all of this
knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me
xxi Preface
that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God or Allah."
"Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones together? Yes! We are
able to put together the very tips of his fingers perfectly."[75.3-4].
The disbelievers argue regarding resurrection taking place after bones of
dead people have disintegrated in the earth and how each individual would be
identified on the Day of Judgment. Almighty Allah answers that He can not
only assemble our bones but can also reconstruct perfectly our very
Why does the Quran, while speaking about determination of the identity of
the individual, speak specifically about fingertips? In 1880, fingerprinting
became the scientific method of identification, after research done by Sir
Francis Golt. No two persons in the world can ever have exactly the same
fingerprint pattern. That is the reason why police forces worldwide use
fingerprints to identify the criminal.
1400 years ago, who could have known the uniqueness of each human's
fingerprint? Surely it could have been none other than the Creator Himself!
Pain receptors present in the skin
It was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was only dependent on the
brain. Recent discoveries prove that there are pain receptors present in the
skin without which a person would not be able to feel pain. When a doctor
examines a patient suffering from burn injuries, he verifies the degree of
burns by a pinprick. If the patient feels pain, the doctor is happy, because it
indicates that the burns are superficial and the pain receptors are intact. On
the other hand if the patient does not feel any pain, it indicates that it is a
deep burn and the pain receptors have been destroyed.
The Quran gives an indication of the existence of pain receptors in the
following verse. "Surely, those who reject Our Signs, We shall soon throw
(them) into the Fire: As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall
change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the Penalty: Truly, Allah is
Almighty (Aziz), All Wise (Hakeem)." [4.56]
Prof. Tagatat Tejasen, Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang
Mai University in Thailand, has spent a great amount of time on research of
pain receptors. Initially he could not believe that the Quran mentioned this
scientific fact 1,400 years ago. He later verified the translation of this
particular Quranic verse. Prof. Tejasen was so impressed by the scientific
accuracy of the Quranic verse that at the 8th Saudi Medical Conference held
in Riyadh on the Scientific Signs of Quran and Sunnah he proclaimed in
xxii Preface
public. "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad (pbuh) is His
Theory of Probability.
In mathematics, there is a theory known as 'Theory of Probability'. If you
have two options, out of which one is right, and one is wrong, the chances
that you will choose the right one is half i.e. one out of the two will be
correct. You have 50% chances of being correct, similarly if you toss a coin
the chances that your guess will be correct is 50% (1 out of 2) i.e. ½. If you
toss a coin the second time, the chances that you will be correct in the second
toss is again 50% i.e. ½. But the chances that you will be correct in both the
tosses are half x half (½ x ½), which is equal to ¼. i.e. 50% of 50% i.e. equal
to 25%. If you toss a coin the third time, chances that you will be correct all
three times is (½ x ½ x ½) that is 1/8 or 50% of 50% of 50% that is 12.5%.
A dice has got six sides. If you throw a dice and guess any number between 1
and 6, the chances that your guess will be correct are 1/6. If you throw the
dice the second time, the chances that your guess will be correct in both the
throws is (1/6 x 1/6) which is equal to 1/36. If you throw the dice the third
time, the chances that all your three guesses are correct is (1/6 x 1/6 x 1/6) is
equal to 1/216 that is less than ½ a percent.
Let us apply this theory of probability to the Quran, and assume that a person
has guessed all the information that is mentioned in the Quran, which was
unknown at that time. Let us discuss the probability of all the guesses being
At the time when the Quran was revealed, people thought the world was flat.
There are several other options for the shape of the earth. It could be
triangular; it could be quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal,
octagonal, spherical, etc. Let's assume there are about 30 different options
for the shape of the earth. The Quran rightly says it is spherical, if it was a
guess the chances of the guess being correct is 1/30.
The light of the moon can be its own light or a reflected light. The Quran
rightly says it is a reflected light. If it was a guess, the chances that it will be
correct is ½ and the probability that both the guesses i.e. the earth is spherical
and the light of the moon is reflected light is 1/30 x ½ = 1/60.
Further, the Quran also mentions every living thing is made up of water. The
options are say about 10,000. Every living thing can be made up of either
wood, stone, copper, aluminum, steel, silver, gold, oxygen, nitrogen,
hydrogen, oil, water, cement, concrete etc. The Quran rightly says that every
living thing is made up of water. Therefore if it's a guess, the chances that it
will be correct is 1/10,000 and the probability of all the three guesses i.e.
xxiii Preface
earth is spherical, light of moon is reflected, every living thing is created
from water being correct is 1/30 x ½ x 1/10,000 = 1/600,000 which is equal
to about .00017%.
The Quran speaks about hundreds of things that were not known at that time.
Only in three options, the result is .00017%. We leave it up to you the
intellectual readers to work out the probability if all the hundreds of the
unknown facts were guesses, the chances of all the guesses being correct and
not a single wrong. It is beyond human capacity to have all the guesses
correct without a single mistake, which in itself is sufficient to prove to a
logical person that the origin of the Quran is divine.
Quran is a Book of Signs and not Science.
Let us be reminded that Quran is not a book of Science, 'S.C.I.E.N.C.E.' but
a book of 'signs' – S.I.G.N.S. i.e. a book of ayaats. The Quran contains more
than 6000 ayaats that is 'signs' out of which more than a thousand speak
about science. For Muslims, the Quran is the 'Furqaan' i.e. the criteria to
judge right from wrong and it is the ultimate yard stick which is more
superior to scientific knowledge. But for an educated man who is an atheist,
scientific knowledge is the ultimate test, which he believes in. Using the
ultimate yardstick of the atheist, we try to prove to him that the Quran is the
word of God and while it was revealed 1400 ago, it contains the scientific
knowledge that was discovered recently. Therefore, at the end of the
discussion, we both come to the same conclusion that God, though superior
to science, does not conflict with it.
The Creator is the Source of the Quran.
The only logical answer to the question, who could have mentioned all these
scientific facts 1400 years ago before they were discovered, is exactly the
same answer that would be given by the atheist or any person, to the question
"who is the first person who will be able to tell the mechanism of the
unknown object?" It is the 'CREATOR,' the Producer, the Manufacturer of
that object. Another name in the English Language for this Creator, Producer,
Manufacturer of the whole universe and its contents, is 'God' or more
appropriately in the Arabic Language is 'Allah'.
Science is eliminating models of god but not God.
Francis Bacon, the famous philosopher, has rightly said that a little
knowledge of science makes you an atheist, but an in-depth study of science
makes you a believer in God. Scientists today are eliminating models of God,
but they are not eliminating God.
If you translate this act – of rejecting false models and wrong notions of God
xxiv Preface
– into Arabic, it is 'La ilaaha illal lah' which means "there is no god, but
God". "There is no god (god with a small 'g' that is fake deities), but God
(with a capital 'G')
Prof. Tejasen accepted Islam on the strength of just one scientific 'sign'
mentioned in the Quran. Some people may require ten signs while some may
require hundred signs to be convinced about the Divine Origin of the Quran.
Some would be unwilling to accept the Truth even after being shown a
thousand signs. The Quran condemns such a closed mentality in the verse,
"They are deaf, dumb, and blind, so they will not return (to the right path)."
The Quran contains a complete code of life for the individual and society.
Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), the Quranic way of life is far superior to
the 'isms' that modern man has invented out of sheer ignorance. Who can
give better guidance than the Creator Himself?
In Surah Al-Fussilat [41]: "Soon We will show them Our Signs in the (very
far) regions (of the earth, and also deep) in their own souls, till it becomes
clear to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord Who
Witnesses (Shaheed) all things?" [41.53].
And Our Final Call is – All praises are for the One and Only God and Creator
Allah, Who Alone is worthy of devotion, complete submission and worship. I
declare that there is no other deity or god besides Allah. I also declare that
Prophet Muhammad is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah.
Dr. Zakir Naik
Islamic Research Foundation,
Mumbai, India.
The Quran
Table of Contents
Title Page
Foreward iii
Preface v
Table of Contents xxv
Sura 1. Al-Fatiha,
(The opening chapter): (Makkah, 7 Verses)


text:
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Screenplay: Peter Morgan
Music director: Hans Zimmer


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text:
Penn State graduate oversees pro hockey team
The Elmira Jackals hockey team registered 116 penalty minutes in a game earlier this month after a five-on-five, on-ice brawl in the third period against the Wichita Thunder.
It was a fight that almost included a goaltender battle between Elmira's Travis Fullerton and Wichita's Tyler Bunz, who met at center ice.
For Penn State graduate Jared Abbott, who called the game, it was the most exciting moment of his night.
"It's a full yard sale on the ice — helmets, sticks, gloves, you name it," Abbott said, describing the gear left on the ice from the fight as players were being ejected from the game.
Some gear was even thrown into the stands at First Arena in downtown Elmira, N.Y.
"The only problem is, we didn't get to see the goalies go at it," Abbott said. "From a selfish point of view, I'm a little upset that you didn't get to see the goalies go at it."
Two referees raced down the ice to keep them from dropping the gloves. Bunz shoved linesman Ray King in an attempt to get after Fullerton, who met him between the blue lines.
When the game ended there were 218 combined penalty minutes, according to team statistics.
But these games are where Abbott finds his safe haven, he said — even among all the commotion.
The 2013 Penn State graduate sets up his domain in a closed area near the press box of First Arena and commentates Jackals games without the responsibility of doing much else but broadcast the play-by-play.
It's his favorite part of the job, Abbott said.
Dream job
In June, Abbott found himself in a situation few 23-year-olds ever would — as assistant general manager of hockey operations for the Elmira Jackals.
The Jackals are one of 28 teams in the ECHL — formerly called the East Coast Hockey League. It's a professional, developmental league affiliated with the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans.
Abbott graduated with degrees in broadcast journalism and psychology.
"I'm fortunate to pursue my passion and to have succeeded as rapidly as it's been," Abbott said. "I put a high expectation on myself and a lot of pressure on myself to succeed."
However, because the team doesn't have a general manager, Abbott's duties are similar to what a GM would do, minus the title, he said.
"I think there needed to be room to move up," Abbott said with a laugh. "I'm not sure they could have just made me GM."
With a population of about 29,000, Abbott said, Elmira is the smallest market with a professional hockey team.
Movin' on up
Abbott started as an intern for the organization in June 2013.
He generated nightly game notes and player biographies and created the team's first records book. He also hosted intermission reports, player interviews and postgame commentary with coaches and managed the team's social media accounts.
By April, Abbott had been named director of broadcasting and media relations, replacing Ray Schmitt, a fellow Penn State graduate, who left for a job in Indiana.
There, Abbott broadcast play-by-plays, intermission reports, player interviews and post-game commentary, along with collecting nightly game notes, handling social media accounts and writing news releases and game recaps.
Two months later, he was made second-in-command of the organization, answering to league administration and former Jackals owners Nate Cook and Tom Freeman, who donated the team to the Elmira community in September.
But Abbott is instrumental in handling daily hockey operations.
"I'm the first in and the last out," Abbott said. "They joke and say I'm married to my work, and my mistress is my work."
Even without a media relations director, Abbott still performs his old duties, in addition to other administrative work including overseeing player salaries and transactions between the leagues.
"He's kind of a one-man show, and a good right-hand man to have around," said Jackals first-year coach Jamie Russell. "He's kind of my go-to guy when we have questions about player contracts, paperwork and making sure those international players are good to go."
Call of duty
Blood from defenseman Steven Shamanski's lip dripped on the ice of First Arena after it caught the glove of Jackals teammate Andrew Conboy — who was looking to throw down at a morning hockey practice last month.
"This is not what I wanted on a Monday," Shamanski said after he sustained a fat lip.
Situations like that take Abbott's job beyond doing paperwork.
"These guys have more to deal with than just hockey," Abbott said. "I want to make sure they get out of their heads a little bit. They live together and play together, and we've done a good job of creating great team chemistry, even with these little scuffles on the ice. That's just part of the game."
Abbott said he uses his broadcasting experience to write Web updates about the team and create media relations with local newspapers and television stations.
He uses his psychology degree to interact with the players.
"I want to make sure they're in a good mental state and help when I can," Abbott said.
Defenseman Nick Tuzzolino and his wife, Tina, had a baby in June.
Tuzzolino said he gets little sleep, but having a guy like Abbott around makes him rest a little easier.
"It's nice to know everyone in the organization is looking out for you," he said.
"It's a priority to make sure they feel like a priority, so I check in with each guy and just get the thumbs-up from them every day," Abbott said. "My door's always open. Some of these guys have families and (I) want to make sure things are going OK on and off the ice with their families and with the guys."
The hockey connection
Abbott said the players are paid weekly.
The 2014-15 ECHL salary cap is $12,615 a week during the first 30 days of the season, and $12,200 for every week the remainder of the season, when the money is distributed weekly among the players.
"These guys are professional, but usually still have summer jobs to support themselves," Abbott said.
Abbott, who grew up in Flemington, N.J., said he was part of the first New Jersey Renegades team in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League. He then played for the Penn State Ice Lions from 2009 to 2011, but quit to focus on his studies.
He now plays in a men's league — when work doesn't get in the way.
"It's a sport I love, and (I) am blessed to still be a part of the game, but in a different capacity," he said. "Eventually I'd like to see myself as a general manager of an NHL team. I love hockey — it's what I did my whole life — and being a GM of a major team would be my ultimate goal."
For now, he's happy being in Elmira, where he also handles four interns, two of whom are Penn State students.
"This organization has a funny connection to Penn State," Abbott said. "It kind of combines my pride with Penn State with my love for hockey."
Terry Pegula, Penn State graduate, oil tycoon, Buffalo Sabres owner and namesake of Pegula Ice Arena, is among the more notable Penn State connections. And Joe Battista, former club hockey coach and associate athletic director for ice arena and hockey operations at Penn State, is now the vice president of hockey-related business for the Sabres organization.


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How Central Bank of Turkey saved P.M. Erdoğan's derrière
I couldn't help but notice several misconceptions about Tuesday's midnight's emergency rate hike.
Here is the introduction to my latest Hurriyet Daily News (HDN) column. One of those misconceptions gave the column its title. To quote directly from the column: "Some have also argued that the rate hike hurt the ruling Justice of Development Party's (AKP's) chances in the local elections, proving the Central Bank's independence." I correct this and other misconceptions in the column. As always, you can read the whole thing at the HDN website– I don't copy paste it so that I can get more hits to my beloved newspaper:) Anyway, let me not get too much off the track, as I have quite a few addenda to make:
First of all, the reaction of the economy's top brass to the rate hike disproved their longstanding claim that the weak lira would have limited, if any, impact on the economy. For example, Finance Minister Mehmet "Nominal" Simsek had been claiming that corporates' FX debt didn't matter, as their short-term FX open position was only $13 billion. I explained in detail, in Monday's HDN column, which I posted here as well, that his reasoning was very misleading. And supposing he was right, why did he then sound relieved after the rate hike?
Another misconception about the interest rate hike is the comparison to Soros' breaking of the pound more than 20 years ago. OK, I see the similarities, but for one thing, the pound was pegged to the Deutche (did I spell that right?- and I almost minored in German) Mark.
Moving on, I would like to make a few points on PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's comments during his return flight from Iran, to which I referred to in the column. First of all, I would like to point out the irony: One moment Erdogan is saying that the Central Bank is independent. The next moment he states that he will give the Central Bank some time to see if the hike will work- if it doesn't, he will act. I guess his advisers, econ tsar Ali Babacan and FinMin Mehmet Simsek all had him memorize the "independence line", but he just can't help it, right:) And by the way, what is his criterion of success? Interest rates, currency and stock prices! I told you- these guys are obsessed with asset prices!
Speaking of independence, do I think that the Central Bank is independent? Unfortunately, that is still not an affirmative:( So I believe Erdogan had to be convinced, probably by Babacan more than anyone else, to let the Bank hike rates. And if things do not go as planned, the Sultan is sure to be pissed, not only at Governor Erdem Basci, but also at Babacan…
OK, let me get a bit wonky: How did I calculate my forecast for the average funding rate? Well, the Bank will generally fund banks with the one-week repo at 10 percent, but there will probably some funding at the overnight lending rate (12 percent, 11.5 percent for primary dealers), and so the average funding rate will probably settle slightly above 10 percent. In a similar vein, interbank repo rates could hover around 11.5 percent for a while while the Central Bank increases the size of the one-week repo funding.
Last but not the least, how did I figure out that "it will take at least four or five months for the full effects of the hike to be felt on the economy"? I used time series techniques called VAR and ARDL. Don't ask me what these are- I should not really be allowed to play with econometrics in the first place:) But joking aside, there are no serious academic studies on the monetary transmission mechanism in Turkey because of data limitations. My quick take used less than 200 or so data points (monthly interest rates and industrial production), so I wouldn't put too much confidence on it. But I am confident it is not as long as in the U.S., which should be around one year or so for real effects…
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Today's message by Pastor Angela talks about Jesus and what transpired between Him and His brothers when they challenged Him. Jesus told them that His time had not come and…View Sermon
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Sometimes, we are not sure how to approach people during evangelism or what to do when the tension gets high or when you are in an awkward situation with someone….View Sermon


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Value Plus Biotin
Biotin by Value Plus is a hoof growth supplement that aids in the treatment of abnormal hoof growth due to the deficiency of dietary biotin. This unique formula contains Biotin 180mg/kg is a Calcium and Montmorillonite base.
Calcium is highly essential for bone growth and montmorillonite slows the fermentation of grains and pellets, thus helping to reduce circulating endotoxin levels and to maintain positive blood supply to the hoof.
|Value Plus
|Hoof Supplements
We offer FREE SHIPPING to metro and major regional areas in QLD, NSW, VIC & SA for orders over $49. For areas listed outside of these, your shipping cost can be calculated at checkout.
Your order is shipped within 24 hours of an order being placed during business days (Monday- Friday) Delivery times will vary by reigon & state:


text: Ghanaian highlife singer Bisa Kdei finally releases the official video to a single off his Highlife Konnect album that dropped earlier this year. The song is titled "Pocket", and it features superstar rapper Sarkodie. The video was directed by Yaw Skyface. Check out the visuals, and cop the tune below.


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To minimize the risk of fire and injury, we do not recommend family fireworks or informal neighbourhood displays.
We recommend that you take your family to a public fireworks displays hosted by your Municipality or other organization.
If you still choose to have family fireworks or an informal neighbourhood display, check with your local fire department about regulations regarding fireworks.
Stay connected with Clarington, find out about Council meetings, festivals, events, and recreational opportunities.
Experience the joy of playing outdoors at Clarington's parks and sports fields. With over 70 parks to choose from, it's easy to find something fun to do.
Dance the night away with your friends at the Diane Hamre Recreation Complex
Pre-teen Dance!
Clarington's Recreation and Leisure Guide provides information on fitness, aquatic and recreation programs, as well as swimming and skating schedules.