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Islam, Mental Health, and Self Development

3/22/2023

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Have you wondered how to be truly naturally happy and motivated in life without the need for any artificial needs like caffeine, nicotine, music, out of marriage sex, shopping sprees, cheap thrill, etc? Everyone has this internal energy which is natural. When we are born we are full of it, but as we grow, it might diminish, especially after puberty. When it diminishes, we may become grumpy, miserable,  and easily influenced by others so that our mental facilities might become diminished and others might end up "thinking for us" or exploiting us in their own strategic plans for success.

The general concept of human self development to grow this internal energy to become something strong and powerful in order to fulfill what Maslow calls the hierarchy of needs starting from the basics of food, clothing, and shelter all the way to the complete development of man.
 
In contrast to the development of man in social sciences and philosophy, there are faith based concepts of self development which can be divided into Abrahamic (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), and polytheistic traditions (Ancient Egyptian, Chinese, Indian, Aboriginal, etc). Some of the latter are based on personal experiences of individuals like Gautam Buddha, the founder of the Buddhist tradition. Many are from a divine origin, with God sending prophets and scriptures to guide a particular community of humanity to teach them how to develop themselves naturally.

The prophets were such individual human teachers in history who were chosen by God to guide a particular segment of humanity to grow their soul/self/spirit naturally. For example, Solomon (AS) was not given a new Scripture, but used the previous scriptures, i.e. the Torah and the Psalms, to guide this kingdom. Whereas messengers were those teachers who were sent to human communities with a specific Scripture for their development.  So Abraham (AS) was a Messenger because he was given the Scrolls as a Scripture,  Moses (AS) was a Messenger because he was given the Torah as a Scripture, David (AS) was a Messenger because he was given the Psalms as a Scripture, Jesus (AS) was a Messenger because he was given the Gospel as a Scripture to guide the lost Children of Israel and lastly Muhammad (SWAS) was a Messenger because he was given the Quran as a Scripture to guide ALL of humanity for self development.
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The Quran is still intact in its original Classical Arabic verbatim. A recent manuscript discovered in Sana'a, Yemen, was carbon dated to be found from the early era following its revelation. It was found to be essentially the SAME as the Quran we have today (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-HDFiC2boQ). The Quran is a compilation of direct communication (revelation) from God to Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) to directly guide him in his mission of 23 years to teach humanity proper self development. It has been memorized by billions of people throughout history and there are no "versions" of it per se. As "pure words of God", it is still an everlasting miracle that guides believers individually just as it guided Prophet Muhammad (SWAS).

In Islam there is no clergy as such to approach God. Every believer relates directly to God through direct worship and guidance undergoing complete self development in the process. Thus the challenges of life are a blessing for them to grow themselves and make them strong and resilient. But unlike Nietzsche's "Superman", they are never arrogant. Rather they are like the "servant leaders" of today's most successful corporate leadership, in that they lead by personal example and influence as did the prophets and messengers who taught people how to implement their scriptures (books of wise natural principles) for complete personal and community development. 

Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) was the final prophet/messenger for all humanity, with other prophets and messengers relevant to only their particular communities and epochs only. Although we learn from them as well as we learn from the unique experiences of Prophet Joseph (AS) or Prophet Job (AS) for example.

The Quran and its application as taught by Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) is universal for all humanity, for all times, and for all places, as it is the most optimum/balanced for complete self development of individual and collective human soul(s). It is based on direct one-on-one learning from God, throughout the day, using the methodology of Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) taught to implement the Quran in our lives.
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The real struggle/striving (jihad) in Islam is to fight the lower self and develop it through the methodology taught by Prophet Muhammad (SWAS). Unlike Nietzsche's "Superman" who fights his way up by putting people down, the Prophetic methodology is through exemplary self sacrifice and empathy for all humanity, developing incredible emotional intelligence.  By doing "good deeds" for his hereafter using natural human natural principles, he created an extraordinary effect in terms of influencing those around him, causing an incredible attraction to his "goodness" due to his sincerity with God, depicted in his authentic mindful daily behaviour. Thus, rather than "putting others down", Islam is about submitting oneself to the natural forces of God while "picking up others". Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) has been reported as saying, "whoever humbles himself for God, God raises their rank".

Although other faiths do contain wisdom and paths to self development, they are not as effective as the Islamic methodology especially when it comes to mental health. Their sub optimal nature is due to several factors among them are the following:

1. Their scriptural sources are not intact any more, having been altered/corrupted/lost over centuries/millennia.

2. The practices of other prophets/messengers are not preserved authentically like that of Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) in writing and in the lives of billions in history and millions today globally.

3. They were specific to a particular community in history, geography, and anthropology i.e. not universally applicable for all humanity like Islam.

4. Except for Judaism, they take guidance from multiple sources of divinity rather than just ONE source of guidance/self development. Although Judaism is monotheistic like Islam and unlike Christianity (in a strict sense), its guidance is only specific to the Jews and not for all humanity, by its own definition.

How can one develop based on multiple divine sources? If one source might inspire them to something, another might inspire them to something opposite!
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Thus, I believe that Islam is the most optimum self development option we have for mental health improvement. God has put in every potential human being a "soul" -- a spirit with some divine affinity which is different from the physical body that it is trapped in until it is separated from the body at death. The state of our soul on Judgment Day will determine our state in the heaven-hell spectrum graduation, after the mercy of God.

This world is a place to develop our souls for the next world. It is through correct belief and doing good deeds using the correct Prophetic methodology that causes the soul to grow and develop to become naturally energetic without the need for substances/medicines/rich food. Mental health issues arise when the soul is weak and withered so we lose the natural vitality of life in adulthood.

This natural vitality or joi de vivre is diminished when the internal battery is not recharged regularly from the Divine. Just like a rechargeable battery needs to be recharged regularly, the human soul needs to be recharged several times daily by reconnecting to the Divine Source regularly in the most optimum way taught by Prophet Muhammad (SWAS).  The soul is corrupted when worship/guidance/charge is sought from other than the ONE DIVINE BEING. So when we worship wealth, lust, ego, the founders/teachers of religion of God rather than God Himself who they asked people to worship, our soul gets withered and eventually dies, getting no inspiration, insights, or guidance from God any more.
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With a "dead" soul we cannot produce the right chemicals in our brains naturally to develop foresight and vision to where we want to go, so we lack the natural energy to pursue our goals. We end up being influenced by others and become part of their roadmap, thus compromising our own mental independence.  With a well developed,  purified, and refined soul, we are able to develop ourselves and our communities for universal good. Without growing the soul properly, all this is not possible and the default for the soul is to descend if effort is not exerted.

Unless we have good goals, do good deeds daily to help achieve them, enjoin the truth and mutual cooperation to pull each other up as a community, we risk withering our souls and letting it die. In that state, it becomes difficult for the mind to be inspired to good. Rather,  it might be inspired to negativity, by negative (Satanic) forces in nature. Psychotropic medicines try to block such negative whisperings that can affect the soul by default, by putting synthetic chemicals in the brain which the body cannot produce any more, to prevent the soul from descending further.
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So the real natural cure for mental health issues in the Islamic paradigm is to grow the soul by making it increase in natural strength based on a complete program of development based on a complete way of life designed for it. In Islamic terminology this good internal feeling of wholeness/wellness/positive energy is called emaan i.e. faith. The whole Islamic lifestyle is designed by God naturally and taught by Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) to constantly and increase emaan i.e. the richness of the soul, directly from insights from God, rather than any intermediary.  As the whole lifestyle is based on this end, there are countless integrated holistic means to achieve this in Islam, e.g. the 5 daily prayers (salaat), daily affirmations/supplications (adkaar), following a Prophetic lifestyle (sunnah), self discipline through fasting, charity, pilgrimage, good deeds, serving humanity, etc.

Thus, mental health issues can be resolved if a person can sincerely self development based on Islam in a sustained and balanced manner from direct insights from God as taught by Prophet Muhammad (SWAS).
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Additions to My Will

1/28/2023

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6 Rajab, 1444
29 January, 2023

UPDATE|D: 1:49 PM
6 Rajab, 1444
29 January, 2023

Bi ism Allah ar Rahman ar Raheem
In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

I, Ozair Khan, a man of age 51, would like to add the following clauses to my official will, which my elder brother, Owais Khan, has in his possession.

Additions
  1. I request that my elder brother, Owais Khan, arrange the auction of my rare stamp collection and my property in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, pay off my debts with it (around CAD 20,000 on my credit card and February 2023 rent), any obligations to the Canadian Revenue Agency, my family (divorce settlement, etc with my ex-wife), and if there is any remaining amount, it should be distributed according to the terms of my original will.
  2. I request my son, Abdullah Ozair and my brother, Owais Khan, to hand over my rented accommodation, 77 Harvest Grove Common NE (back unit) to Brother Samuel and his family on my behalf after fulfilling all the obligations in the lease. In addition, I request them to reconnect the wires in the smoke detectors on my behalf because I had disconnected them as I had a feeling that there were hidden cameras in them, although this might be pure conjecture on my part.
  3. I request that my notes and access to my online accounts be given to my son, Mohmammad Abdullah Ozair.
  4. I request that my car be given to my son, Mohmmad Abdulrahman Ozair or my daughter Nuusyba Ozair, whoever needs it most at this time.
  5. I request that my remaining mail be collected from Brother Samuel and Harvest Hills Canada Post Office at Rexall, the books be added to my personal library donation and other things can be given to my son, Mohammad Abdullah Ozair.
  6. I request that my apartment (77 Harvest Grove Common NE (back portion)), should not be opened without the presence of my elder brother, Owais Khan, and my son, Abdullah Ozair, and the clauses related to my present accommodation should be fulfilled with their involvement based on my requests in these additional terms of the will.
  7. I request all Islamic organizations around the world to forgo their differences and try to see the holistic principles of Islam which are based on pure nature, and how this can be an integral part of  modern development in the West and the East, and help to bridge the misunderstanding among different Islamic sect, groups, and organizations internally as well as religious traditions, based on the original baseline principles which we have (from maqasid al shariah – the intentions of the shariah - or the meta-level human wisdom extracted from Islamic (natural) law), as living naturally is the lost art that humanity is craving for from all religious and secular ways of life. If some entity can be made for this, I would like to have it named after my ex-wife, Samar Hamid.
  8. I request the world community to shed the negative image of Islam that was created after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and try to study Islalm deeply from its sources to discover its beauty, encouraging them to try to live naturally based on it too. In order to do so different nations can cooperate on an equal footing as brotherhood of man, rather through the UN, which is very good, but is controlled by the privileged 5 countries and is not just and biased. Perhaps people like the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, President Erdogan, VP Anwar Ibrahim, the rulers of Qatar, representatives from Palestine, Shaykh Imran N. Hossein of Trinidad and Tobago, can work together to create a body to depict the true image of Islam internationally through diplomacy and international relations.
  9. I request the global educational institutes to consider amalgamating modern secular knowledge and its pursuit which is based on the observations from our senses to the insight and guidance from the final and originally preserved source of sacred knowledge from Islam (the natural way of life). This is based on the work already being done in the “Islamization of Knowledge '', but serious efforts need to be done to incorporate the ideas into graduate school programs and cutting edge research to discover and implement these concepts in reality rather than mostly discussing them in very academic circles. If some entity can be made to facilitate this, I would like it to be named after my son, Mohammad Abdulllah Ozair.
  10. I request that a physical and online library be made based on term 7, in Calgary. I want to donate my books to that end. The library can be named after my daughter, Nusayba Ozair.
  11. I request research institutes and think tanks to consider basing research on the advancement of their knowledge based on any insights they might get in the ideas mentioned in my blog, “Lessons in Learning – Musings on Modernity from a Modern Mindset, oak-gis.blogspot.com and my social media content. What is online is just the tip of the iceberg. Much content was only temporary online media like WhatsApp, mailing lists, my online accounts, and my present and former devices .The passwords to my accounts are in one of my notebook which will be in the possession of my son, Mohammad Abdullah Ozair, in Sha Allah.. It would be useful to collect it from many individuals who would have preserved it to authenticate its validity and use it for good ends based on the vision (if it is authentic). I would like the Government of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to help the Syrian people with any generated income.
  12. I request humanity at large to reconsider the relations we have with each other as rivals and adversaries, but rather consider the diversity among us a celebration to learn from everyone, and use that learning to build upon our unique personal versions of the truth, by trying to truly value each other in a practical manner and not just as a policy.
  13.  I request the Canadian and all governments in the world to train the law enforcement authorities to not misquote the law to vulnerable citizens who might not be learned in it to achieve ends which are not just. We can try to implement the “spirit of the law”, rather than try to use the loopholes in the law for personal ends.
  14. I would like to encourage all authorities globally, at the country level, and lower level to reconsider their understanding, policies, and laws on legislatures related Islam, much of it is a legacy of the post 9-11 period.
  15. I request global health authorities to resist classifying certain “illnesses” as incurable, as any deviation from nature that causes the illness can theoretically be brought back to nature if the individual re-learns the natural living methodology, as the Prophet (SWAS) said and I paraphrase, that every illness has a cure, except death.
  16. I request the global environmental authorities to look into natural living as an overarching solution for our climate, and environmental problems, rather than many “cosmetic” issues. Perhaps we are missing the forest when we focus on individual trees.
  17. I request the emerging technology and medical community to consider the issues of machine ethics based on the baseline natural principles, that humanity is suppose to follow and consider applying them to guide issues of making new technology that is fairer than humanity as we can translate and apply such principles to guide robots, AI, and many new innovations, that are replacing the human workforce. If any entity can be made to facilitate this, I would like it to be named based on my son, Mohammad Abdulrahman Ozair.
  18. I request, social sciences researchers to reconsider the natural roles of a man and a woman, and think about them being content in playing their original natural roles and do not try to change the creation of God.
  19. I request students to study for understanding and leaving a good legacy rather than taking shortcuts, accumulating wealth, and desiring fame. If they do the former, they might achieve the latter, naturally.
  20. I request developing nations to have public education programs guiding the public to shed the colonial thinking which had forced the “ruled” peoples to “use” their progeny for their own economic survival and creating a sense of panic in their populations. If some program or entity can be formed, I would like it to be based on the names of my dear parents, Zubair Ahmed, and Sabiha Zubair.
  21. I request all husbands and wives to reconsider their relationships, as complementing pairs, and not as adversaries to subjugate or “use” each other for one’s own individual  end. This can only happen if they strive for a common worthy vision.
  22. I request all Muslims to consider basing their values not on soap operas and popular mainstream music but from the sources of the religion which is really the best treasure that they have that they are not aware of.
  23. I wish everyone I shared this life with to forgive my shortcomings, which were very excessive.
  24. I request whoever got to know me to consider the ideas that I wrote or talked to them about, and forgive my hurtful and ineloquent statements, many of which were not thought out.
  25. I request the Pakistani communities to reconsider the race for a materialistic life as the wisdom they have is being abused for a very narrow end .
  26. I request an orthodox Islamic funeral.
  27. I request no “honor” after I am gone.

I do not have any bad feelings about anyone I interacted with in this interesting journey, called LIFE. This includes my brothers, their family, my extended family, and my neighbors. I hope you do not have likewise. 

I thank all scholars, teachers, classmates, colleagues, and anyone from whom I got to learn anything good.  




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The Death of Imam Al Ghazali (Al Gazel)

1/15/2023

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Say unto brethren when they see me dead,
And weep for me, lamenting me in sadness:
“Think ye I am this corpse ye are to bury?
I swear by God, this dead one is not I.
I in the Spirit am, and this my body
My dwelling was, my garment for a time.
I am a treasure: hidden I was beneath
This talisman of dust, wherein I suffered.
I am a pearl; a shell imprisoned me,
But leaving it, all trials I have left.
I am a bird, and this was once my cage;
But I have flown, leaving it as a token.
I praise God who hath set me free, and made
For me a dwelling in the heavenly heights.
Ere now I was a dead man in your midst,
But I have come to life, and doffed my shroud.”
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Applying the Universal Ethics of Man to AI

1/14/2023

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Early in our education systems the physical sciences are often “separated” from the social sciences in many of our national curricula, producing us as end products with typically a very narrow focus of specialization. In our age of specialization, this might seem like a great characteristic and it does have its very own special merits. But have we started producing poets or philosophers who are also at the cutting edge of tech, business, and medicine or vice versa?
To do so, we need to step up our game, with some tweaks, where the motivation for mastery stems not from the job market per se, but a never ending internal passion, the same which propels a moth to crash headlong instinctively into the light source. Imagine a world, in which ideally most of the population is driven by such natural internal force, and regulated by manners and behaviors taught by the best role models.
At a global stage that humanity currently finds itself, we direly need such epitome of balance between so many extremes – the profane and sacred, the individual and global, the liberal arts and physical sciences. Despite the great progress we have made in the hard physical sciences, it seems that the global community is growing in an extreme manner. By that I mean that we have lost the essential balance, heading towards global polarization in terms of rapid wealth accumulation (poverty to many), environmental degradation, and oppressing people/nations who might appear different. A sad reality is that not too many people know or care why this is happening from a deep philosophical level.
If we try to step back and look at the global situation aloofly, we find that the seeds of the imbalance were planted far in history, when we tried to formalize the fundamental process of thinking (logic). There are many theories about logic, in which we simply form a predicate and reach a conclusion through some formal or informal method. In some cases, this referential process may be defined by some form of reasoning whether it is using language or mathematical methods.   
Every language is like a color band in a spectrum of pure light (reality), giving access to a perspective into the broader REALITY. Thus, those of us who are multilingual have a privilege to be able to perceive reality in multidimensions, with the complete reality known only to God Almighty. So if we are true seekers of light and knowledge, we need to be propelled to see it from more and more dimensions by trying to see more color bands in the light spectrum, and drawing closer to God. So learning is a form of worshiping the All Knowing.
Every sane mind has an innate capacity to be divinely inspired to use observations and accumulated knowledge to come to a unique personal perspective which will only be a sub-spectrum at best because no one can know more than the All Knowing. By staying humble and learning we keep expanding that sub-spectrum and using it for good in ourselves, in our communities, in our environments, and in the world.Whereas, we have a biased personal morality to judge something as good or bad, it is very subjective, not only in terms of  the languages we know but also because of many personal factors like our history (specially childhood experiences), our upbringing, the messaging from the societies we have been a part of, and the subjects/books/literature we have studied, our life/work experiences, etc.. No matter how much one knows, we cannot come close to what God knows, as we are limited in so many ways, language being one. Perhaps that is why intellectual/religious arrogance might be the worst because it stops learning.

We express what we perceive as “good” or “bad” based on our personal (biased) morality. So in order to come up with universal global ethics for defining how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence can be made ethical, we need to keep trying to come closer to God, by expanding our perceived sub-spectrum of light (the infinite Reality known to God), to improve AI ethics. One way is to keep learning languages. We need to be a perpetual student of life, with the intention of worshiping (drawing close to) God to try to “see” from His Sight.
Obviously, this process never ends. In that, is our real striving and pleasure rather than enjoying wealth and the luxuries of life. They say that those that can delay gratification can achieve most. So what if we try to delay real gratification to the afterlife, and in the process experience real moments of its ecstasy in our lives.
In order to give machines human ethics, we need to approach Him who gave humans those ethics in the first place. Only in worshiping the One True God, in the manner taught to us in all aspects of our lives by His only messenger sent to the global humanity, can we hope to come closer to prescribing AI ethics which are closer to the ethics of the universal man.
                                                                                                                                                      
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Mysteries of Provision

1/13/2023

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A medical doctor from Pakistan in search for a dream job in USA may end up driving a cab in NYC. An illiterate Bangladeshi selling tea outside the Haram during the Haj (pilgrimage) season, may make up a small fortune -- enough to allow him to worship and do tawaaf (circumambulation) around the Kabaa everday for the rest of the year -- until the next year. An Engineering post doc researcher may be overqualified and out of work in times of recession, whereas a highschool drop out might be the richest man in the world. A used book seller in Pakistan might be living out his dreams engrossed in voraciously reading the books he gets hold of, while the amassed wealth of a "sucessful" bussinessman may be a curse as his relatives fight over the inheritance and become enemies for life.

Strange are the ways He distributes His rizq. If one strarts to contemplate on His ways, there are so many factors in its distribution, that the human mind can not encompass it all. The simple fact is that He gives whom He pleases and witholds it from whom He pleases. If this is so, what is this material race for? The driver who does not know his destination might mistakenly believe that filling up the petrol is the aim. In his obsession he may fill up a tanker not knowing that he can enjoy his journey better in a full tank of a sedan car as it will be enough to get him to destination. Our destination is the grave and we should only be concerned in earning enough to sucessfully fulfill our responsibilites until we reach it.

He has promised that if you are thankful He will give you more. So what does it mean to be thankful? It means that we should use all the blessings he has bestowed on us in the best possible way. We should live the life He has given us according to His guidance. We should give up what He has prohibited us. We should be the best son, husband, father, brother, citizen, human, neighbor, colleague, manager, client, customer, etc.

We should use our education to provide a service, to leave a legacy, improve the world, etc.. We should try and uphold all ties of kinship in a honorable manner. If we commit to do what is in our capacity to improve ourselves in these respect, God has promised to bless us in our 
rizq (provision) in whichever part of the world we happen to be, in whatever family we are born in, whatever degrees we have or don't have, whatever passport we poccess. In doing so, we will truly find genuine pleasure in our lives -- the type of pleasure which chasing after no material goal will ever give us.

Let us try and change what we have the capacity to and leave the mystries of the rizq (provision) to Al Razzaq (The Provider -- God).

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2022 Islamophobia Review in Canada

1/8/2023

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I never imagined that Islamophobia would be instuitionalised in my beloved country. This was an eye-opening article that shows how deeply penetrated the intolerance for mainstream orthodox Islam exists in Canadian instituitions.

What are your thoughts on how we may improve ourselves to mitigate such bias and even blatant hate crimes against Muslim-led Canadian organizations?

#instituitionalisedBias #hatecrimes #Islamophobia #CanadianInsitutionalReform​

https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/2022-islamophobia-in-review-canada/
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WHAT?!  ISLAMOPHOBIA in CANADA?

12/29/2022

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In this blog post I intend to explain why there has been no activity in Lucent Eloquence for sometime now, and the challenges I am personally facing.

​It all started on 21 November, 2022 and continues till now, unfortunately. I have had excellent relations with by neighbour/landlord Samuel Adewuyi and his family, having known them since July this year.

So to cut the story short, after launching my non-profit social enterprise, Lucid Eloquence (www.lucid-eloquence.com) on 9 November, 2022, it seems someone broke into my house (or entered it without my awareness) on 20 November, 2022. When I woke up, I noticed several changes.

1. The wall clock was on floor with some damage, with some damage
​2. My laptop screen was dysfunctional after visible physical damage from the top exterior
​3. The fan which was near my bed and running at night was broken
​4. There was spyware installed on my smartphone and laptop by which many people I know and do not know were able to see and interact with me while I do my work.
Later, when I tried to uninstall the spyware from my iPhone, it was degraded in functionality so I could just use email or the apps without the privileges of browsing anything. Also this failed attempt, led them to remotely shutdown my old laptop, so that I was not able to start it and use it. It is still dysfunctional. I had to purchase new devices, which they also hacked immediately. Later on, I also noticed that my phone charging adapter was smashed and made dysfunctional. I do not remember taking such actions myself. 
 and The treatment experience is a gross violation of the Alberta Human Rights legislation, in particular it is a clear violation based on discriminnation of 3 PROTECTED AREAS mentionned in the law, viz.
  • Goods, services, accommodation, or facilities 
  • Tenancy 
  • Statements, publications, notices
The particular discrimination I face is based on THE PROTECTED GROUNDS mentionned in Alberta Human Rights legistration, of religious beliefs (at a minimum), in my case Islam.

Unfortunately, I was harassed and intimidated through systematic but unsuccessful attempts to mentally (psychologically) break me down. This was unsuccessfully attempted in four principal tactics after a unlawful unpermitted entry into my accommodation unit the extra key of which is with my landlord: 

1. My devices were hacked, monitored, controlled, and its online sessions were transmitted globally, breaching my right of privacy as a law abiding peace loving Canadian citizen.
 

2. My residence is being monitored somehow (I believe by hidden cameras/very sensitive audio devices that work 24/7 in a light or dark environment in every place in my residence, including the restroom (unfortunately). The live data from these is steamed globally (I strongly believe) 

3. Digital noises are being projected into my residence which vary in tempo, volume, and type based on my activity. So for example, if I stand up to pray my 5+ daily Muslim prayers or recite my holy book, do something “undesirable'' on my devices or study my naturopathy books to improve my health, in the privacy of my residence, they change in volume, tempo, and type. 

4. Similarly, the temperature of my residence is being controlled as it fluctuates in an extreme manner when I do something that might be “undesirable'' (I strongly believe), from very hot to very cold (mostly very cold). So as I write this statement it has turned to very cold, which is a little unpleasant in the middle of Calgary winters. This is also based on my actions as in point 3 above.

On November 9, 2022, I relaunched my company as a non-profit social enterprise, Lucid Eloquence www.lucid-eloquence.com. Soon after my residence was entered unlawfully (without my permission) while I was sleeping. Since then, all of the points 1-4 mentioned above were carried out and are ongoing. 

I am an intellectual who God gave some ability to express my views so that I can convince a variety of audiences of their veracity as I communicate in a way that people can easily relate to. Some of the blog posts I had written for Lucid Eloquence www.lucid-eloquence.com/blog very systematically and rationality explained how Islamic natural principles can solve a lot of our global issues as well as being a good basis of personal development as opposed to the principles of other faiths, such as Christianity whose dogma makes it difficult to reconcile its teachings with rational/natural principles easily as it appeals more to emotions and feeling good rather than reason and natural principles like Islam, in my personal humble opinion. I expressed my perspective with good faith from the purity of my heart.

I agree that it might have hurt people’s feelings and I should have expressed my views in a better manner, being  more sensitive. Nonetheless, I believe in everything I wrote. This might have caused a repercussion like that described previously, based on religious discrimination (Islamophobia). I apologize to all those hurt by my words, as my intention was not to do so. I am learning to improve everyday, according to Lucid Eloquence’s mission.
 

The motive might be to stop me from my social enterprise work, using the stigma of mental health that my extended family has attached to me falsely for 20 years. By unsuccessfully attempting to psychologically break me down through the 4 tactics mentioned in the previously, perhaps because they do not like my beliefs and practices as a Muslim. It seems to me that they wish to break me down to accept their faith, viz. Christianity, whose fundamental principles seem very irrational to me to accept as a personal faith. There might be a possibility that my extended family and the Calgary Police are cooperating with them or tolerating it, based on the events describe here to achieve this end. This is a conservative conjecture on my part at this point.
 

When I immigrated to Canada in 2013, I was motivated by the fact that Canada treats all humanity well, despite any differences, including that of faith. I believe this is still true in principle, but perhaps to improve as Canadians, we all need to practice our values to their full potential.

I am inclined to believe my neighbor/landlord, Samuel and his family, might be involved, as I hear them act in a panic and converse in loud conversations (which are recorded) when I try to achieve a breakout from this situation and what occurred when Samual visited me on 8 December, 2022 (as documented later in this blog). Also, I believe there are at least thousands of digital witnesses both in Canada and globally, as the live streams of my online activities and daily physical activities in the privacy of my own residence are illegally being transmitted 24/7 all over the world (I strongly believe this is the case from interaction with both acquaintances and strangers). 

On 8 December, 2022, my neighbor/landlord paid me a visit to take the Christmas tree and Christmas gifts from the furnace room in my residence which he keeps locked. While taking his belongings, he casually invited me to spend Christmas with his family. I know his family well and used to visit them weekly, interacting with them always in a friendly neighborly manner, and playing with their kids. But as for celebrating Christmas (birth of a “god”), it is against my reason and Islamic beliefs to do so. So I explained this to him and politely declined, after which he turned off the furnace and locked the furnace room. Note at that time I was alone and not able to leave the residence as neither my devices nor car was not in working order (which is still the case). While he was exiting my rented residence, I complained to him about points 1-4 above to which he expressed complete lack of any knowledge of. It is interesting to note that he brought up point 3 by himself, without me mentioning anything about it, indicating to me that he already knew about it.

Anyway he clearly denied everything, and mentioned that if I have any issues the housing committee members can arbitrate and that undesirable people are not welcome in the community (my words – as I do not remember the exact words he used). I gave him a gift as a token of good neighborliness and he left. I then called AMA to jump start my car in the privacy of my residence, after which he immediately returned and said he forgot to turn the furnace on and that he usually turns the furnace off when he changes the furnace filter, but I distinctly remember that he never changed the filter on that occasion. 


Among the actions related to the control of my devices, the list is extensive and includes such things as: 

1. Forcibly shutting down devices and bringing them on when they wish. 

2. Degrading functionality. 

3. Transmitting my personally online sessions globally 

4. Forcibly making me accept website cookies to new websites I visit, but placing a non removable dialog box covering most of the screen asking me to accept that website’s cookies so that I have no choice but to do so. Kindly note it is through website cookies that a lot of hacking is done. 

5. Using my password from a website to change them so every time relogin it does not work, shutting me from many websites. When I request the passcode by choosing “forgot password” option to these sites, they are not accepted.

6. Forcing my navigation to other sites that I do not wish to go to. 

7. Placing videos of Muslims converting to Christianity, as the first choice in my YouTube session. 

8. Making the bottom banner (which usually states the company information) enlarged so that it covers most of the window so that I am blocked from doing anything in that session at that webpage. 

9. Logging me out abruptly from sessions when they do not like what I do so that the next time I come, I have to start from scratch. 

10. Deleting my profile from websites I work on repeatedly. 

11. Deleting contact mechanism to Customer Support on the website I wish to report problems to. 

12. Blocking me to apply for good jobs which are of my interest on LinkedIn. I have made a formal complaint of this specific issue to the Alberta Hate Crime Committee recently but have not heard from them yet. Perhaps it is too soon to, as this is the holiday season. 

13. Removing specific functionality or options from websites that I wish to use, like the “Guest” option on Chrome and many such options on other websites. 

14. Not letting me install new software on my laptop by redirecting me to a different dialog box when I try to do so. 

15. Distract my workflow by bringing other options in front of my session which I am trying to focus on. 

16. Blocking calls I wish to make on my smartphones. 
There are many such actions of control that they practice, and every time they want to block a new functionality, I hear loud footsteps from upstairs, sometimes loud panic conversations, etc. This is recorded as evidence.

17. I got a VPN subscrtiption to hide my IP from hackers but the next day I found it disabled.

18. Emails are deleted from my email accounts as they know my passwords and my access is controlled based on where they wish to lead me.

Here is the timeline of events with the evidence:
  • 27/07/2022  --I visited my larndlord for a first time for viewing for the purpose of renting after deposit + first month’s rent to the landlady, Joy, Samuel’s wife to secure the unit starting 1 August, 2022.           
  • EVIDENCE: e-tranfer receipt 
  • 01/08/2022 -- I rented my current residence, after I was discharged from Peter Lougheed Hospital, Calgary. after my first arrest on false charges by my ex-wife, Samar Hamid.                                                   
  • EVIDENCE: rental lease
  • 9/11/2022 -- I relaunched of my non-profit social enterprise, Lucid Eloquence, https://www.lucid-eloquence, which focussed my own self development, while improving the community, environment, and global situation on natural principles of peace, balance, and harmony that are intrinsic to Islam.             
  • EVIDENCE: www.lucid-eloquence.com/blog/relaunch
  • The night of 20/11/2022 or the early morning of 21/11/2022 -- My rented residence was entered into without my knowledgevor permission, after which, issues related to Islamophobia started. My landlord has the keys to my accommodation unit and I do not put the bolt before sleeping as I am a trusting person.    
  • EVIDENCE: physical evidence in the form of the damaged wall clock on the floor, pedestal fan broken, spyware on my devices, my old laptop screen was smashed externally to become dysfunctional, my phone charging adapter plug was smashed to become dysfunctioal Photos + Recordings
  • 26/11/2022 -- First contact with Calgary Police in the late afternoon, when I complained about my family 
    putting spyware on my devices and still trying to “control” me.                                         
  • E|V|IDE|NCE: Complaint filed online. 
  • 08/12/2022 --- My neighbor/landlord visited me in the afternoon to access the furnace room (the incidence is described earlier in this blog post). 
  • Night of 12/11/2022 -- I called 911 (Calgary Police), the second time since the harassment started but they were reluctant to visit me. I am told an office came to my residence at 8 AM the next day, when I was asleep from exhaustion, as I stayed up the night for the police to arrive and went to sleep after dawn.       
  • EVIDENCE: Video recording of the interview with Calgary Police. 
  • Night of 12/12/2022 -- My arrest by Constable Choi from Calgary Police on the incorrect application of the Mental Health Act, as requested by my ex-wife who is influential with the Calgary Police, as I believe she witnessed the scenes from the night before through bugging devices in my residence, as we are not in contact much since I relaunched Lucid Eloquence.                                                                               
  • EVIDENCE: Records in Calgary Police and Rockyview Hospital where I was taken for physical/mental examination which were all negative and I was discharged after spending the night there.
  • 12/12/2022  -- Residence was entered into without my knowledge or my permission when I spent the night at Rockyview Hospital after the second arrest.                                                                                      
  • EVIDENCE: CAD 1 coin (a loonies) was place nicely exactly in the center of my washroom floor, perhaps to test whether my arrest made me materialistic in outlook? Note: I do not keep coins in my pockets or 
    residence, I keep them only in my car for grocery cart and laundromat use ONLY. 
  • 24/12/2022 --  Fourth contact with Calgary Police when Constable Blazier (spelling might be incorrect) (Reg# 5939) and Contable Robertson (Reg# 4737) visited me to advise me to report my complaint formally in writing.                                                                                                                                                   
  • EVIDENCE: My statement with Constable Roberton (Reg# 4737) of Calgary Police, as well as the video interview (file# CA 22524574) documents this well.

I believe that most problems like these can be easily resolved if there is mutual willingness and good will. I love my neighbor and his family and always interact positively with them because my religion teaches this. I am a forgiving person and ready to forgive them and whoever is involved completely as Canadians and brothers in humanity, if they change themselves for the better as this episode has made me a better person too. I do not wish to prosecute anyone nor do I wish any compensation. Forgiveness is a principal teaching of Prophet Muhammad (SWAS) who is my role model. 

At this point, for the first time since I started using credit cards in 1990, I have a balance which I did not paid off immediately. It is charging me interest which is not allowed in my religion. It is very painful to me and this is because I could not earn an income due to these circumstances. I have never taken bank interest even in my personal accounts since 1992. So I request authorities to request the financial institution to forgive this balance because I do not have income as all my energy and time is exerted to struggle against this situation. Also, I request leniency with respect to paying the rent for the few months of 2023 on time, as I plan on earning and covering all my expenses, God willing. I have never taken a loan, and neither do I intend to as most loans are interest bearing and not allowed based on my faith. 

I just want a commitment for whoever is involved and all Canadians at large to renew their pledge for the Canadian values of tolerance, good neighborliness, fair play, diversity, etc. for which Canada is known throughout the world. 

I want to personally hug all those who did this to me and forgive them from the bottom of my heart, if they pledge to uphold Canadian values.

I have been in touch with the Calgary Police for at least 5 times since the first unpermitted entry. 

● On 26 November, 2022, after my smartphone was forcibly remotely turned off at a key juncture in my workflow when I was able to achieve a breakthrough, I contacted 911 (Calgary Police) for the first time after the unlawful entry. Two contables came and I explained my issue to them. The conversation was video recorded and available at the Calgary Police Department. I was under the impression that my extended family were involved at that time because my mother had contacted me to stop trying to remove the spyware, when I initially tried to do so. The constables suggested that I take out a restraining order against my extended family but I did not want to do that so I made a formal online cyber security complaint on an Alberta government website. 

● On the night of 11 December, 2022, when the harassment became excessive, I called 911, and talked to a lady who was very cooperative and understanding and told me that the police will visit shortly and if they do not, I should call 911 back. So till dawn when the police did not arrive, I contacted them to be told that they are busy in other areas and the person did not know when they would visit me. This was very surprising to me, because I have called the police at least a dozen times in 2022 (due to marital issues with my ex-wife when we were living at 76 Panatella Drive NW, Calgary). Each time they never delayed in coming, and never took so long. So after dawn prayers I went to sleep as I had not slept the whole night. Apparently a police representative appeared at my residence at 8 AM but I was not able to talk to them because I was asleep. I was informed of this visit by the police in a later conversation.

● On 12 December, 2022, my ex-wife called the police to arrest me on the Mental Health Act for “not taking my medicines”, which was a false excuse. I have not lived with my ex-wife since August 2022, when I divorced her and have stopped communication since she was continuously trying to “control”/”manipulate” me, including in this episode. It seems that she is monitoring me daily from audio/video feeds of the devices in my residence. This is confirmed by her phone call when I was chatting online with some woman for marriage and she and my elder son sensed a danger and tried to communicate with me through a phone call and text message respectively. We are not in touch otherwise. 

She requested the Calgary Police to arrest me, as I was informed by Calgary Police and Rockyview hospital staff. Constable Choi took me to Rockyview Hospital, Calgary at night. They did all sorts of physical/mental tests (which were negative) as well as keen behavioral observation overnight. In the morning they discharged me, not considering necessary admitting me. Kindly note that this is the second arrest that my ex-wife arranged for me on the same false grounds. On the first occasion, they gave me an option to leave on the first day but I wanted to know exactly what is wrong with me because my extended family and my wife have been giving me psychotropic medicines for 20 years. After all physical/mental tests (which were negative) and observation for 3 weeks they privately advised me to divorce my wife and live away from them as they have been abusing me. So that is what I did and I moved in at 77 Harvest Grove Common NE residence in August 2022, living peacefully by myself there since, not disturbing any community member. 

● On 24 December, 2022, while working on my replaced laptop, as the first one was remotely disabled, I witnessed the second too remotely disabled. Hence grudgingly I called 911. Constable Blazier (spelling might be incorrect) (Reg# 5939) and Constable Robertson (Reg# 4737) visited and our conversation is recorded in video (File# CA 22524574). They eventually believed me, while at first they were pursuing the line of investigation based on mental health which my ex-wife and perhaps Islamophobia perpetrators are pushing with Calgary Police. I believe this is why the police did not turn up in bullet point 2 in this section. Even though they understood/believed, they were reluctant to carry out an investigation. They left many resources to contact in case of emergency. On Boxing Day, I emailed complete handwritten reports (as my laptop was forcibly shut off at that time) on Islamophobia & marital issues, explaining them in detail. I seek a peaceful understanding with everyone, God willing.

● On 29 December, 2022, after I sent my report with dates, evnt timelines, and a list of evidence  as a complaint to the Albert Human RIghts Commision. the harrassment reached a fever pitch, so I contacted the non-emergency line of the police again. After providing them the fie#, I was advised to contact  Constable Blazier (spelling might be incorrect) (Reg# 5939) by email as he is incharege of closing the case, so wrote to him the situation and attached the report ot the Alberta Human Rights Commision, as well as detailed handwritted reports (because my laptop was again shutdown remotely forcibily at that time). All these there items were also emailed to Constable Robertson on 26 December, 2022, but I did not even get an acknowledgement from me even though I sent him a follow up email to request to acknowledge the receipt of the reports. I found it very stange that Constable Robertson seemed more experienced/mature/understanding of my perspective of the two (at least to me) and he had requested me to write the reports amd given me his email and Constable Blazer did not but when I contacted Constable Robertson with very detailed reports explaing my situation I did not get any acknowledgement despite the fact that I specifically asked for it in a follow up email, but now Constable Blazier is made in charge of closing the case, and I was supposed to send him the reports even through he did not share his email address on 24 December 2022 when they visited me but Constable Robertson did who is now out of the picture.

PS: I just want to state that I am a well educated professional tax paying citizen who has worked in top organizations in the world, including in Canada, but unfortunately the stigma of mental disability has been falsely attached to me through which many people try to control and abuse me. My professional profile is available here: linkedIn.com/in/oakgis 
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Are We Cyborgs?

12/26/2022

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​As the développent of digitalisation gathers pace over the last 20 years, it seems preeminent that emerging technologies of our era might replace all the skills and analytical abilities we developed since the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the !7th-18th century. We are at the cusp of a new revolution in our global societies in which technologies such as AI, ML, IoT, Big Data, OLAP, Data Mining, Data Analytics, Data Warehousing, Digital Twins, etc, will collectively succeed in replacing the fruits of analytical and cognitive skills that we dorked diligently to develop since the Industrial Revolution.

With such a change almost certain and eminent, what are we, as global humanity have prepared to face such challenges? Will machines control us in an Orwellian world? Or will be become Human-Machine hybrid cyborgs?  These are interesting questions which lead us to consider the essential question, “What fundamentally differentiates us from the products of these technologies are our own creation?” If they can do anything that we can do, what is the essential meaning of being a HUMAN?

We are entering an interesting era, in which in order for humanity to survive and even thrive, we have to return to our basic human nature which was lost through the same Industrial Revolution which made us machine-like. We as humans, are not created to write the perfect code, or to design the best building bluprint, or even diagnose a patient perfectly. Yes, these skills and abilities are vital, but soon they may be carried out better and more efficiently by machines. What will our niche be as controllers of these machines? 

Personally, I am convinced that our niche wil be that what the machines cannot do and perhaps will never be able to do. I ask you sincerely, can a machine really be "spiritual", in the sense that it is regularly inspired by the Divine throughout the day with creative ephipanies? When we begin to consider such questions, we can come to those areas which will be our niche in the future, God willing. These are the most important things that makes mankind, human. To search for such answers, we need to leap from the physical enviromennt of our senses to the metaphysical environment of our inspiration. This can only be done if a "belief" system is natural and rational, as marrying science and technolgy with feelings and emotions that do not make any sense will get us nowhere in terms of trying to answer such critical questions. 

At this junction of global human development, we are forced by advances in emerging technolgies as well as many pressing challenges to seriously recondier the traditonal role of "religion" since the era of Enligntenment in Europe in which great philospohers degraded the role of tradition religion that was illogical, retarded though, and not aligned with scientific advanement. We are forced to reconsider true religion as not the illogical "feel good thing", but the natural and rational way of living which science and technolgy has always been aligned with because just like science functions on natural principle, so do human societies that live a natrual lifestyle. This was amply proven as well as scientific advancement during the "Dark Ages of Euroope" i.e. the Golden Age of Islam based on a rational and natural religion, gave birth to modern science.

So the way to survive now is to "evole" to the natural state that was always meant for us, by always improving ourselves daily based on natural human principles. Part of that improvement is spiritual improvement in which we work diliegently on our heart and discard negative thoughts, and behaviour. We have no choice but to strive to be the best version that we were made to be. And in this endeavour we realize the pinnacle of what it means to be truly human in every sense of the word. It will be our good manners, how emotionally intelligent we become, how pure our thoughts are, how close we are to the Divine, how we sinccerely we live our lives, what positive legacy we want to leave that will make us survie and even thrive in the new era we now enter.

The same "solution" is the real key to most of our very pressig global challenges, including global disparity, crime, delinquincy, intolerance, mental illnesss, sustainabilty, environmental protection, human development, ethical ecconmoic models, good governance, responsible scientific advancement, etc.

Are we interested? 

Are we ready?

PS: Courtesy for the inspiration for this blog post is from a TED Talk by Prof. Dr. Dirk Messner, President of the German Environment Agency (UBA), is a renowned expert in the fields of globalization, sustainability, decarbonization and digitalization. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpFgNZSwm-A)
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The Concept of Happiness in Islam

12/3/2022

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IMAX movies, cable TV, 24-hours news channels, music, amusement parks, spectator sports, computer games, shopping sprees, vacation trips, dating, all night parties, and recreational drugs. The list of entertainment options these days are endless it seems. Our non-working, waking hours are consumed by such activities. 

It seems that we are craving for an elusive inner pleasure which these activities provide only temporarily. The repeated cravings for them become deeper and deeper until they often results in additions, compulsive disorders, living beyond one's means and crime. No wonder the rich among us are busy amusing themselves to death while the poor are envious of their glittery lifestyles and resort to any means to follow them. 

Living a life devoted to Allah (God) not only fulfills the obligation we have as believers, but doing so gives us the sweetness of faith, which satisfies the inner cravings of the soul. So that we may not have the need of endless entertainment and many such activities may even become repulsive to us. A person who experiences this satisfaction is a true ascetic (zahid). His life is blessed and he can feel true happiness without the need for cheap thrills. 

Algazel (Al Ghazzali) gives the analogy of a riding animal when describing the body. He says that the soul is the rider, riding on the riding animal (his body) heading for a final destination (The Hereafter). According to him, a person should take care of the body, its needs and pleasures, just as much is needed for its purpose of taking the rider to the destination safely.

The Life of the Prophet (SWAS) is punctuated with moments when he (SWAS) and his Companions (RA) amused themselves. This sort of permissible fun is necessary for the physical senses so that we can relax and become capable of taking greater burdens of responsibility during the journey of life. 

It is also beneficial in keeping cordial relations and attracting people to the Truth. The Prophet (SWAS), his companions and his family watched the performance of Abyssinian entertainers inside the mosque. The Prophet (SWAS) used to make jokes (not based on false statements).  He used to have light moments with his family members, running races with his wife. He used to interact with children, inquiring about their games. 

Yet despite all this, he did not have the urge to keep himself amused like we do nowadays. Regarding his personal pleasures, he is reported to have said: “Made beloved to me from your world are women and perfume, and the coolness of my eyes is in prayer.” (Ahmad and An-Nasa ‘i)

Thus, a person who understands the meaning of life and has the capability of unraveling spiritual mysteries, will have an inner eye to see dimensions of reality which are not apparently visible. Their soul will long for increasing this insight. They will find inner pleasure in pursuing a path of discovery.

They will enjoy the process of piecing together a large jigsaw puzzle of the most beautiful landscape. As they near completion their excitement and anticipation grows. Until they finally put the last piece. For a believer the last pieces will be put together in 
Paradise when they will have the Ultimate Pleasure from seeing the “Face” of Allah (God). 

It is that pleasure which we can all try to strive for and only in its pursuance will we find burst of real joy in our mundane earthly lives. Don’t we enjoy the feeling when we give charity, read a good book, recite Quran, understand a difficult concept, see Allah (God)‘s wisdom in your life, travel, experience and contemplate on Creation, act justly, fulfill obligations, and fall in prostration? 

All these actions in our worldly lives are acts of worship and obedience to Allah (God) that make us naturally happy and satisfied intrinsically. They are a foretaste of the Ultimate Pleasure awaiting us in the Hereafter. As we grow in obedience we develop insights about the reality we are part of, we create a perpetual cycle of obedience and satisfaction.

By doing such acts regularly and systematically as the Prophet (SWAS) did, we can hope to find the most optimum pattern for happiness which can be achieved. Doing so entails implementing the Prophetic best practice in our lives. A life patterned on such pleasures will have no desire for other forms of entertainment. It will free us from sins, wasting resources, destroying our souls, selfishness, adopting bad habits, setting bad examples for others, degrading oneself, living a life of borrowed living, addictions, and compulsive disorders. It will heal the wounds of material disparity in our societies.

Realize, my friends, that the human soul has been created for its destiny to experience the Ultimate Pleasures of Paradise. It is in our nature to try and fulfill this desire somehow. Most people try to fulfill it by ephemeral means which leave them thirsty with a never quenching thirst for more. These means are harmful for our bodies, souls and societies. 

The real means of achieving happiness is to prepare for the ultimate happiness of the Hereafter. In living a life devoted to Allah (God) in the systematic way we learn from our Prophet (SWAS) we will find deep pleasures which come with understanding reality of our journeys.

This understanding and pleasure is elusive to those who fail to submit themselves. A person who is hooked on to these pleasures will be satisfied from the simple blessings of this life and has no perpetual need for any abominable amusements.

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“Love Thy Neighbour”— A Universal Human “Design Pattern”

12/1/2022

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Whether we happen to be a Jew, Hindu, Christian, or Muslim a very common strong belief that is universal among us is “Love Thy Neighbour”. It signifies that there was one common primordial natural way of life for humanity and principles such as these are its remnants found in all major religions today.
 
In Judaism, the Torah commands, “Love your neighbor as yourself – I am God.” (Leviticus 19:18). The Hindu writings instruct, “This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.” (Mahabharata 5,1517). Christian scripture speaks often about love of neighbor. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12, 30-31)
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Muslims learn from the Qur’an, “Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good- to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet)…(Qur’an 4:36).
 
In today’s global village connected through the internet, perhaps every human is a “neighbour” to the other. Applying this maxim, our humanity compels us to love the person with a skin colour that may be different from ours; the person whose political beliefs may not agree with ours; the homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk; the newcomer who migrated having hope in the basic “goodness” in all humanity; the thousands around the world suffering from the effects of war and famine. By loving others, we desire what is best for them and allow them to flourish.
 
Typically, when we search for a place to call home, we look at the intrinsic qualities of the property and the amenities that come with it. So if we find a nice place with parking, swimming pool and gym one often considers this sufficient. To a believer, this is not so. There is an Arabic proverb - Al Jaar Qabl Ad Daar- which literally means “the neighbor before the home” — meaning  that we should consider the character of the neighbor before the suitability of the actual home.
 
We can try to ensure that the financial transaction that we make to have access to our new residence is legally earned and wholesome. Before we start living in the newplace we can remove Satanic influences from it by reciting specific sections from the Scriptures. While it is also from the tradition to have a house warming feast.​

In humanity, the rights of our neighbors  are many upon us, regardless how different they appear from us. According to natural living:

1. We must help them if they ask for our help
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2. Give him relief if they seek out relief

3. Lend him if they need a

4. Do not block their air by raising our building high without their permission

5. Do not harass them

6. Visit (and take care of) them when they are ill

7. We attend their funeral when they die

8. If they commit a sin, we prevent it from being known

9. We congratulate them if they are met with good fortune

10. We grieve in sympathy if a calamity befalls them
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The actual place is important. It should have plenty of sunshine and satisfy various other criteria, but the choice of neighbors should be the foremost in our choice of residence.

Al Jaar Qabl Ad Daar!
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