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People generally tend to make friends with others who possess similar qualities of character. They prefer people who share their outlook on life, enjoy the same things, and with whom they can get along well. As a consequence, those who share the same views inevitably build a strong bond among themselves.
The unique guidance for unbelievers is this negative and evil side of the soul, namely the hawa. Satisfying vain desires and passions becomes a way of living for them. Consequently, all their mental faculties and efforts are focused on the gratification of whims. In such a state of mind, it becomes almost impossible for an unbeliever to comprehend the teachings of religion.
It is generally agreed that changes in climate we see today are largely caused by human activity. Sea levels started rising in the late 1800s soon after the industrial revolution with the burning of coal, gas and other fossil fuels for the energy needed.
Garden spiders sometimes spin their web between two distant branches. Since such webs are quite large, they are ideal for catching prey. Nevertheless, their large size results in a gradual decrease in the tautness of the web, which means a decrease in the ability to catch prey.
It was a declaration of universal human rights and freedoms, of universal peace and security, of universal trust, of a universal code of ethics, of universal human dignity, of universal freedom of thought and expression.
It was soon after we arrived in India, being so deeply impressed by the spectacle of that wonderful country, that I dug myself into Hindu culture and life and became a practicing Hindu. This experience lasted for several years. These years opened up my interest in God and my formal search began. It also led me to some conclusions within myself. But before specifying what these were, I wish to relate some experiences I had as a Hindu in India which were of great importance for my proceeding on my spiritual search.
I was brought up as a Christian all of my life, though my family rarely attended church services except on special occasions such as Easter and Christmas Eve. You could say I was a Christian in name only. The thought was if you’re not Jewish, well then you MUST be a Christian. I have always sought to have a spiritual bond with God, but never could fully submit myself for some reason.
This surah comes to provide you with an escape route, a way of salvation, a safety net, a life vest, a lifeboat. It gives us a way out; how to rescue ourselves from all these trials and ordeals? As we all, all of us, without any exceptions, are all subject to these trials in one way or another. No one is ever exempted!
The Qur’an teaches us to work for the good of this life, as well as the hereafter (Al-Baqarah 2:201, 7:156), in contrast to the mindset of those who consider economic prosperity in this life to be an end in itself. According to the Qur’an, such people live at the animal level:
The very first thing taught to an aspiring student was the Quran, which had to be memorized completely. Unlike anything else encountered in spoken Arabic, Quran recitation is a very specific science.
