Monthly Archives: October 2006

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October 10, 2006

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Jake Riordan’s baby by Anne Mather


Last night finished the novel Jake Riodan’s baby by Anne Mather. The story was a bit different from the usual Mills n Boons novels where always man meets woman and go around the hunting chasing thingy. Instead even when the story starts the the couple are already married and the wife gets a courtesy call from her husband’s “mistress”.

The story revolves around the fact that the heroine although had been able to get pregnant three times, each time the pregnancy had ended up in miscarriages which had put a strain on the marriage when the heroine refuses to have any intimacy with her husband. After two years as such, the “mistress” turns up and announces she is pregnant with her husband’s child, which starts the story rolling. It was an enjoyable read.

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October 10, 2006

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Prophets of Islam

Being reading up on the Prophets of Islam to learn a bit more about them. Rather than teaching us valuable lessons from the lives of these Prophets, we were taught which war was fought when and so on. It would have been great if someone could have at least given a lecture on the lives of these prophets whom Allah sent to the Earth to guide human beings to the righteous path. Anyway here are some of the stuff I got from from wikipedia.org. The place is like a cave full of jewellery for a treasure hunter of information :)

Prophets in the Qur’an

The following are named as prophets in the Qur’an (Arabic); their Biblical/English names are given in parentheses.

Adam آدم
Adam is the first prophet of Islam and the first human being. He was created by God (Arabic:Allah) but brought to life forty days after being kept as a dry body. He is an important figure in Judaism and Christianity as well and he is best known for the story of Adam and Eve.

Idris (Enoch) ادريس
In Islam, Enoch (Arabic:Idris) lived during a period of drought inflicted by God (Arabic:Allah) to punish the people of the world who had forgotten him. Enoch prayed to God for salvation and an end to the suffering and so the world received rain. Enoch is also credited in Islam with introducing writing, astronomy, and mathematics.

Nuh (Noah) نوح
Although best known for the Deluge (mythology)Deluge, Noah (Arabic:Nuh) was a primary preacher of monotheism at his time. According to Islamic tradition, it was this faithfulness to God (Arabic:Allah) that led to his selection for building Noah’s Ark, the Ark that would continue life on Earth. In contrast with Christianity and Judaism  traditions which say the Deluge was a global event, there is some difference in opinion in Islam over whether the flood associated with Noah was localized or global.

Hud (Eber) هود
According to Islam, Eber (Arabic:Hud), for whom the eleventh chapter (Arabic:eleventh sura) of the Qur’an is named, was one of the few people to survive a great storm inflicted by God (Arabic:Allah), like with the Deluge five generations earlier, to punish the people of the world who had forgotten about God.

Saleh (Shelah) صالح
According to the Qur’an, Shelah (Arabic:Saleh) was ordered by God (Arabic:Allah) to leave behind his people after they disobeyed God’s order to care for a special camel and instead killed it. In Shelah’s absence, God punished the people with a large earthquake.

Ibrahim (Abraham) إبراهيم
Abraham (Arabic:Ibrahim) is regarded by Muslims today as one of the significant prophets as he is credited with building the Kaaba in Mecca (Makkah). His family, including his son Ismail, is also credited with helping create the civilization around Makkah that would later give birth to the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Abraham is also noted for almost sacrificing his son Ishmael (Arabic:Ismail) for God (Arabic:Allah) in an event now commemorated annually by Eid ul-Adha. He is also the first prophet to name the believers as “Muslims” meaning “those with full submission to Allah”.

Lut (Lot) لوط
Lot (Arabic:Lut) is most notable in Islam for attempting to preach against homosexuality in Sodom and Gomorra, only to be mocked and ignored by the people who lived there.

Ismail (Ishmael) اسماعيل
Ishmael (Arabic:Ismail), first-born son of Abraham (Arabic:Ibrahim), is a notable prophet in Islam for his near-sacrifice in adulthood. According to Islamic tradition, as a child he and his mother Hagar‘s search for water in the region around Mecca Makkah led God (Arabic:Allah) to reveal the Zamzam Well which still flows to this day.

Ishaq (Isaac) اسحاق
According to Islamic tradition, Isaac (Arabic:Ishaq), second-born son of Abraham (Arabic:Ibrahim), became a prophet in Canaan. He, along with his brother Ishmael (Arabic:Ismail), carried on the legacy of Abraham as prophets of Islam.

Yaqub (Jacob) يعقوب
Jacob (Arabic:Yaqub), according to the Qur’an was “of the company of the Elect and the Good”[2] and he continued the legacy of both his father, Isaac (Arabic:Ishaq), and his grandfather, Abraham (Arabic:Ibrahim). Like his ancestors, he was committed to worshiping one God.

Yusuf (Joseph) يوسف
Joseph (Arabic:Yusuf), son of Jacob (Arabic:Yaqub) and great-grandson of Abraham (Arabic:Ibrahim), became a prominent adviser to the pharaoh of Egypt since he was believed to have seen a dream that predicted the economic state of Egypt. He spent a large part of his life away from his eleven brothers, who, jealous of Joseph’s success, told their father Jacob that Joseph had died.

Ayub (Job) أيوب
According to Islamic tradition, Job (Arabic:Ayyub) was rewarded by a fountain of youth, which removed all illnesses except death, for his service to God (Arabic:Allah) in his hometown outside Al Majdal. Job is believed to have suffered an illness for 18 years as a patience test by God.

Shoaib (Jethro) شعيب
Jethro (Arabic:Shoaib) was a direct descendant of Abraham (Arabic:Ibrahim). According to Islam, he was appointed by God (Arabic:Allah) to guide the people of Midyan and Aykah, who lived near Mount Sinai. When the people of the region failed to listen to his warnings, God destroyed the disbeliever’s villages.

Musa (Moses) موسى
Moses (Arabic:Musa), referred to in the Qur’an more than any other prophet, is significant for revealing the Torah (Arabic:Tawrat) to the Ancient Egypt Egyptians. The Qur’an says Moses realized his connection with God (Arabic:Allah) after receiving commands from him during a stop at Mount Sinai. He later went on to free the enslaved Hebrews after failing to convince the Egyptian pharaoh of God’s power. Moses subsequently led the freed Hebrews for forty years through the desert on a long attempt to capture Canaan, the Promised Land. During this long journey, Moses received the Torah and the Ten Commandments during another trip to Mount Sinai. At the end of his life, according to Islamic tradition, Moses chose to die to be closer to God instead of taking an offer that would have extended his life.

Harun (Aaron) هارون
Aaron (Arabic:Harun) served as an assistant to his elder brother Moses (Arabic:Musa). In Islam, he, like Moses, was given the task of saving the Israelites from the Egyptian pharaoh. He would often speak for Moses when Moses’s speech impediment prevented him from doing so himself.

Dhul-Kifl (most likely Ezekiel) ذو الكفل
The status of Dhul-Kifl as a prophet is debatable within Islam, although both sides can agree that he was indeed a righteous man who strived in the way of God (Arabic:Allah).

Dawood (David) داوود
In Islam, the Psalms (Arabic:Zabur) were revealed to David (Arabic:Dawood) by God (Arabic:Allah). He is also significant as he is the one who defeated Goliath.

Sulayman (Solomon) سليمان
Solomon (Arabic:Sulayman) learned a significant amount from his father David (Arabic:Daud) before being made a prophet by God (Arabic:Allah). According to Islamic tradition, Solomon was given power over all things, including the jinns. Known for his honesty and fairness, he also led a kingdom that extended into southern Arabia.

Ilyas (Elijah) إلياس
Elijah (Arabic:Ilyas), descendant of Aaron (Arabic:Harun), took over control of the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula after Solomon’s (Arabic:Sulayman) kingdom collapsed. Islamic tradition says he attempted to convince the people of the Peninsula of the existence of only one God, but when the people refused to listen they were smitten with a drought and famine.

Al-Yasa (Elisha) اليسع
Elisha (Arabic:Al-Yasa) took over the job of leading the Israelites after Elijah’s (Arabic:Ilyas) death. He attempted to show the king and queen of Israel the powers of God (Arabic:Allah), but was dismissed as a magician. Subsequently, the Assyrians were able to conquer the Israelites and inflict significant damage on them.

Yunus (Jonah) يونس
Islamic tradition shows that Jonah (Arabic:Yunus) was commanded by God (Arabic:Allah) to help the people of Nineveh towards righteousness. However, after Nineveh’s people refused to listen to God, he became disgruntled and started to ignore Him. After an incident where Jonah was spared death, he decided to re-commit himself to striving for God, attempting to lead the people of Nineveh to righteousness. But after returning to evil, illicit ways, the Scythians conquered them.[3]

Zakariya (Zacharias) زكريا
A descendant of Solomon (Arabic:Sulayman), Zacharias (Arabic:Zakariya) was a patron of Mary (Arabic:Maryam), mother of Jesus (Arabic:Isa). According to the Quran, he prayed to God (Arabic:Allah) asking for a son, since his sterile wife al-Yashbi could not provide one. God granted his wishes, temporarily lifting his wife’s sterility and allowing her to give birth to John (Arabic:Yahya).

Yahya (John the Baptist) يحيى
Islam says that, throughout his lifetime, John (Arabic:Yahya) captivated audiences with his powerful sermons that preached Abrahamic monotheism.

Isa (Jesus) عيسى
One of the highest ranked prophets in Islam, Jesus Christ (Arabic:Isa al-Maseeh, which literally means Jesus the Messiah) was sent to guide the Children of Israel. The Qur’an makes it very clear that in Islam, Jesus is not the begotten(physical) son of God (Arabic:Allah), but rather a prophet and messenger of God. He is called Ruhullah (The Spirit of God). He performed many miracles with the permission of God. For example, raising the dead, creating a bird from clay, talking as an infant. Islamic traditions states that he abstained from drinking alcohol. It also states that he received a revelation, the Gospel (Arabic:Injil), though it has been distorted. Muslims believe that Islamic view of Jesus was not crucified, meaning he was not killed on the cross. Whether he was put on the cross or not is an issue of interpretation. God raised Jesus to Himself. Muslims are awaiting the return of Jesus The Messiah, and it will take place after Imam Mahdi and he Jesus will defeat the Dajjal (the Imposter/the Anti-Christ).

Muhammad محمّد
Muhammad is the most revered prophet in Islam and the only one who does not exist in either Judaism nor Christianity. Muhammad is considered the most perfect creation by Allah or God. Born in Makkah in 570 AD, Muhammad spent the first part of his life as a well-travelled merchant. He would often spend his time in the mountains surrounding Makkah in prayer contemplating the situation with the city. At the age of forty, during one of those trips to the mountain, Muhammad began to, despite his functional illiteracy, receive and recite verses from God (Arabic:Allah) which today make up the Qur’an. He quickly spread the message he was receiving, converting a few others in the city, including his wife. He claimed to be the last (seal) of the prophets with a message to all humanity. When oppression become intolerable for his followers, Muhammed first asked his fellow Muslims to migrate to Medina and later himself migrated to Medina away from the oppressors in Makkah. Muhammad served not just as a prophet, but as a military leader who helped defeat the Makkans in 624 during the Battle of Badr. He continued to lead the Muslims as Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula. He performed the first hajj in 629 and established Islam, with its Five Pillars, as it is still practiced by Muslims today. Others continued Muhammad’s legacy after his death in 632, having been given the position of caliph (or successor) to Muhammad.

Other possible prophets

The following verses open up possibilities for prophets other than those mentioned in the Qur’an:
“And certainly We sent messengers before you: there are some of them that We have mentioned to you and there are others whom We have not mentioned to you…” [40:78]

“For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger…”[16:36]

The verses open up debate, and there is no strong consensus as to the other authentic Prophets.

Al-Khidr is not mentioned by name, but is traditionally assumed to be referred to in Qur’an 18:66.

Biblical prophets Danyal (Daniel), Ishaia (Isaiah), Armya (Jeremiah) are not mentioned in Qur’an but often revered as prophets.

Luqman is mentioned in the sura named after him but it is unclear whether he is a prophet or a wali.

Additional numerous historical figures may have been prophets, but this is a source of debate and contention, among them: Zoroaster, Gautama Buddha and Ram. However, Muslims will state that there is no way of knowing for sure since they are not mentioned by name in the Qur’an. An argument often used in support of the prophet hood of such men is that they came with the word of God, but it was later corrupted, this accounting for the differences between Islam, and the respective religions with which each man is associated. The Hadith and Qur’an support such claims that say that a messenger was sent to every people.

Mary, mother of Jesus (A chapter called “Surat Maryam” (Arabic script: سورة مريمِ) in the holly Qur’an was named after her), is not normally regarded as a prophetess, but is regarded as having been sent a message from God via an angel. A few scholars (e.g. Ibn Hazm) have argued that she was a prophetess, but she is not mentioned in the Qur’an as one, and thus it cannot be definitely established if she is or isn’t. The majority position among Islamic scholars is that no woman has received a prophetic mission from God.

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October 8, 2006

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Educational Institutes That Should Not Exist!!!

Education is the foundation of our lives today and it is important nowadays at least to have a Bachelors Degree in some field for one to survive in the highly advanced and fast paced world we live in today.

What really pisses me off are educational institutions which compromises quality of what they are offering for money. I know that not each and everyone of us have the means to go over to UK and USA to have a higher education. But “cheap” education doesn’t mean what you learn or what you get from that institution should be valued at 0 dollars.

Being a victim of such an institution in Malaysia, I find it highly revolting that they produce an image which says that the quality is the main priority for them when it comes to education. But what really happens is there is no difference between the students who really try and work hard to reach their goals and those who wile away their time by copying from the hard working students. There is no difference applied when grading assignments and projects that have been done from scratch by a couple of handful of students whereas the majority just copy and paste from the Internet and pass up the required assignments and projects just because they have to do it so that the institution does not alert their parents.

Lecturers who come in is another story. They are fresh graduates who have little or no experience on what they are doing and what they should be doing. Even guidelines that a lecturer should know about the policies of the institution have to be told by students sometimes. Pathetic huh? They are just in it for the money only and do not really care about the students who would have to suffer. They make up for the lack of their expertise by providing an abundance of “tips” for the final exams which includes sometimes even the whole paper in terms of their notes.

Whilst the period of studying for the Bachelors Degree should be a period where the student takes up the skills of doing research and learning to cope with subjects on his or her own, this institution promotes the spoon feeding technology and expects the students to get the greatest results and pass up individual and high-tech projects in their final year when the moderating university from UK takes interest in the students performance. This has been my experience during the three years of studying for my degree.

There are situations far worse than mine. I know of friends and relatives who in India have come under worse circumstances where their educational institutions are just places where you go and pay loads of money for nothing. You go for classes which aren’t attended by any lecturer, or else the class is taught in a different language other than English etc. Such problems affect the student who has high hopes when he or she joins that institution in terms of the education and services that they would receive. Even if top notch services and quality of education provided by institutions in rich countries such as the UK and USA cannot be provided, I say that what is worthy of your money should be provided.

Education has become a money making business during the present day to the extent that quality is no longer the essence that drives this force. It is really sad to see that the quality is compromised for the quantity, in this case making humongous sums of money by enticing a large population of students for a smaller fee compared to higher quality institutions, and employing lecturers who have no idea what it is they are doing and making students suffer all the way through. People should really think about this because the future of our world depends on the children of today who get education from rotten institutions like ones I have encountered with.

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What’s Wrong With a Lil Romance?

There are certain people who ridicule the fact that I read romance novels. A LOT. So what? I am a hopeless romantic at heart and I do love happy endings. There is nothing wrong in losing oneself in a tangle of dashing handsome heroes who go out of their way to declare their love once they have fallen, and man, do they fall HARD.

I just finished reading this Mills n Boons Novel, Master of Passion By Penny Jordan and loved every bit of it.

My favorite authors include Penny Jordan, Lynne Graham, Sandra Marton and Anne Mather to name a few who are famous for their short novels in the Mills N Boons Series.

Some other novelists who are on top of my list for writing a good romantic novel you can curl up with on a rainy day includes,

  1. Judith McNaught: have read and re-read all her books. There is just no one like her to weave the magic of romance, passion and love like she does.
  2. Julie Garwood: I loved her book Mercy. The hero Theo Buchanan has become one of my most favorite heroes of all time. He just seems to leap out of the book right at you! Ladies, I really recommend this book as a toe curler. ;)
  3. Sandra Brown: her novels are fast paced and sexy as hell, and makes for an interesting read with romance, intrigue, passion and mystery
  4. Nora Roberts: her books have an Irish background to it, and a homeliness about it that is rare in books by other authors. Chesapeake Blue was one of the most recent novels of hers which I read which made for an awesome read!

Who are your favorite romance authors? Or are you one of those who scoff at the mere idea of a romance novel? :)

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The Doomsday Conspiracy by Sidney Sheldon


Just finished re-reading “the Doomsday Conspiracy” By Sidney Sheldon, which had me hooked to it so that I lost precious sleep over it after the late night meal. Lol. Like any Sidney Sheldon book, this book too is highly readable keeping the readers on the edge at all times.

The story was written at a time where U.F.O sightings were becoming a common occurrence throughout the world and where stories of government cover ups were becoming quite the norm. The story centers on such an incident where a U.F.O craft crashes into Switzerland and is witnessed by a busload of tourists. The main character of the book, a trained official of the CIA is given the task of finding all who witnessed this crash on the pretense of “warning” them not to talk about what they have witnessed. The official who is handed over the task has no idea that what they had witnessed had been a U.F.O crash but rather a highly secretive military aircraft of some sort.

So thus begins his journey in locating all these witnesses. As soon as he finds them and reports them to his superior, they are killed in mysterious ways, so as not to arouse any suspicion. The story continues with snippets from the past to show to the readers that the hero was so in love with his ex-wife that he hadn’t been “whole” ever since she left him for another man, the reason being that the agent didn’thave any time for “them” anymore.

The story does make an interesting read and leads onto a climactic ending that leaves the reader stunned with disbelief.

The author ends this book by giving a whole lot of information on the extensive interviews and research that he had carried out before writing the book. It hints of the possibility that such an incident is not so far from being the truth. He further goes onto such “coincidental” deaths of scientists who were involved in the investigation of such actual incidents that had taken place all around the globe. Creepy, is it not?