<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631168358090979272</id><updated>2011-04-21T14:23:08.030-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Thougts and Reflections</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mercytomankind.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6631168358090979272/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mercytomankind.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>REFLECTIONS OF HUSSEIN</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01121615886972853250</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>1</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631168358090979272.post-824983777949244357</id><published>2008-09-30T07:22:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-30T07:29:29.456-07:00</updated><title type='text'>READING THE SIGNS OF THE CREATOR</title><content type='html'>&lt;a name="msg_c162dd6613d73b78"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;As we noticed in previous article of reflection, prophet  Ibrahim was greatly honored and was even mentioned in the Quran as being the  friend of Allah.&lt;br /&gt;We also noticed in the Quran that Allah (S.W.T.) praised human  beings who utilize their faculty of intelligence bestowed upon them to  understand and take lessons from the many signs (ayaats) that surrounds them. We  are told in the Quran that in the creation of the heaven and  the  earth and the alteration of the day and the night are sighs for men of  understanding. Such men we are told remember Allah in different situation and  contemplate the wonders of creation of the heavens and the earth and come to one  clear and resounding conclusion. That this creation cannot be for nothing.  That there must be a purpose behind it. And that purpose points to the  inevitability of the day of judgement where each and everyone will be  accorded what is truly due to them of reward or punishment and no soul will  be wronged on that day.&lt;br /&gt;We should ponder the incident in the Quran where prophet  Ibrahim (prior to being appointed a prophet) looked to the  heavens, noticed a bright star and said " this is my lord". His people  used to worship idols and heavenly bodies. When the star set he said I do not  like that which set. When he saw the moon rise in its splendor, he said this is  my lord but when the moon set he said " if my lord does not guide me, I will be  among those who go a stray." When he saw the sun rise in its splendor, he said this is  my lord; this is bigger, but when it set, he said " oh my people, I am free from  that which you associate with Allah. I turn my face truly to the Creator of  the Heavens and the earth and I am not among those who associate partners with  Allah.&lt;br /&gt;We see here clearly how prophet Ibrahim pondered about the  creations surrounding him and the practices of his people and how he comes  to reject the practices of his people after reflecting on that which they  worshiped.  That which they devoted themselves to and that which they  sacrificed their life for. They were all big objects,  they were all gigantic objects which gave light, energy and other benefits  to the whole world but which in the end were not permanent just like we are  not permanent in spite of the illusion of permanence that surround us.  Equally temporary are things which men and women brag about and which they  have devoted all their lives to but which when the creator determines,  will set their own sail and depart from them or they be made to   depart, just like the star, the moon and the sun set their own sail and  departed from the place prophet Ibrahim last saw them.&lt;br /&gt;Then men and women who have invested their love and heart in  these material worlds at the expense of the hereafter will wish they said in the  manner of prophet " That we do not like that which set. That which desert.  That which is not permanent  That which you cannot rely on. That which will  not be there for you the tomorrow, the day after and the day after that. It  is only the Creator of the heavens and the earth that is truly  permanent.  &lt;br /&gt;By Hussein Dayib&lt;br /&gt;P.S.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6631168358090979272-824983777949244357?l=mercytomankind.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mercytomankind.blogspot.com/feeds/824983777949244357/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6631168358090979272&amp;postID=824983777949244357' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6631168358090979272/posts/default/824983777949244357'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6631168358090979272/posts/default/824983777949244357'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mercytomankind.blogspot.com/2008/09/reading-signs-of-creator.html' title='READING THE SIGNS OF THE CREATOR'/><author><name>REFLECTIONS OF HUSSEIN</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01121615886972853250</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
