Influence of 16th Century Society on English Literature

The Sixteenth Century (1485-1603) Literary works in sixteenth-century England were rarely if ever created in isolation from other currents in the social and cultural world. The boundaries that divided the texts we now regard as aesthetic from other texts that participated in the spectacles of power or the murderous conflicts of rival religious factions or the rhetorical strategies of erotic and political courtship were porous and constantly shifting.It is perfectly acceptable, treating Renaissance texts as if they were islands of the autonomous literary imagination. One of the greatest writers of the period, Sir Philip Sidney, defended poetry in just such terms; the poet, Sidney writes in The Defence of Poetry(NAEL 1. 933-54), is not constrained by nature or history but freely ranges â€Å"only within the zodiac of his own wit. † Many sixteenth-century artists, such as Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, and William Shakespeare, brooded on the magical, transforming power of a rt.This power could be associated with civility and virtue, as Sidney claims, but it could also have the demonic qualities manifested by the â€Å"pleasing words† of Spenser's enchanter, Archimago (NAEL 1. 63), or by the incantations of Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (NAEL 1. 990-1025). It is significant that Marlowe's great play was written at a time in which the possibility of sorcery was not merely a theatrical fantasy but a widely shared fear, a fear upon which the state could act with horrendous ferocity.Marlowe's tragedy emerges not only from a culture in which bargains with the devil are imaginable as real events but also from a world in which many of the most fundamental assumptions about spiritual life were being called into question by the movement known as the Reformation. Catholic and Protestant voices struggled to articulate the precise beliefs and practices thought necessary for the soul's salvation.One key site of conflict was the Bible, with Catholic authorities try ing unsuccessfully to stop the circulation of the unauthorized Protestant translation of Scripture by William Tyndale, a translation in which doctrines and institutional structures central to the Roman Catholic church were directly challenged. The Reformation is closely linked to many of the texts printed in the sixteenth-century section of Spenser's Faerie Queene (NAEL 1. 628-772), for example, in which a staunchly Protestant knight of Holiness struggles against the satanic forces of Roman Catholicism. Text: The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 1. 6th ed. (NAEL)

Benjamin Franklin: from an Apprentice to a Founding Father

As one of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin was a key figure in shaping the history of America. But even more so, he was a highly individualistic character, and showed a truly dynamic personality when compared to the early leaders of American history. His unique personality has been admired by those throughout history for his pragmatism, his soothing nature and ability to act as a mediator with others. He was known for his leadership skills, and respected as a writer, visionary, philosopher and inventor.Benjamin Franklin is still relevant today from students learning about his science experiments to the printing and technical industries benefiting from his inventions. Probably the most impressive quality about Franklin is the fact that he appealed to the everyday working class people. Born in Boston in 1706 to Abiah and Josiah Franklin, his father was a chandler and soap maker from England (Benjamin Franklin In Search of a Better World, 2005). Early on the young Ben Franklin was intrigued by reading and writing.One of his first inspirations was The Spectator essay written by Richard Steele and Joseph Addison. Franklin was impressed with the authors’ passages about the vanities and values of contemporary life. He read the essays as a learning experience. After reading the pages he then re-wrote the text in his own words and evaluated what he could correct and then enhance—eventually creating his own unique, writing style. In addition to the essays of the day, he also immersed himself in the books that he borrowed from friends who worked for local book masters.In 1721 his brother James started the New England Courant, and the 16-year-old Benjamin wrote articles for it under an assumed name. Knowing his brother would not let him write for the paper, he found another way to get his writings in print. He wrote letters and signed them via a pseudonym of a made up widow dubbed: Silence Dogood. His musings were filled with the p light facing women and an analysis of the current landscape of the time period. All in all, readers loved the letters and clamored to find out more about the infamous scribe.Eventually the young writer confessed that he created the Dogood tales. Discovering this led to touchy altercation among the brothers; James said the compliments paid to Benjamin’s writing made him â€Å"vain. † The relationship between Benjamin and his older brother would lay the groundwork for his future philosophies and work ethic. As he revealed in his autobiography: â€Å"I fancy his harsh and tyrannical treatment of me might be a means of impressing me with that aversion to arbitrary power that has stuck to me through my whole life.(The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, p. 20). This approach would later show up in Franklin’s dealings as a printer and in competing with other newspapermen of the day, as well as in his political dealings and his â€Å"man of the people† stance o n issues. Benjamin Franklin bought out a competitor’s newspaper called, the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1729. Combining his many skills, Franklin wrote for the paper as well as printed the periodical. The Gazette was Franklin’s bread and butter for his printing service.To enhance the content, he focused on more up-to-date content and improved the quality of the writing and added a dose of wit and spirited prose. This newspaper saw much success within the area and in filled it more and more with political writings (In Search of a Better World, 2005). For example, Franklin created and published the first political cartoon in the paper. The Gazette was unique in that it had an open-press policy and â€Å"He was scrupulously evenhanded in his coverage of politics†¦. his open-press policy

In the Early Hours by Khurram Murad

In the Early Hours: Reflections on Spiritual and Self Development (Khurram Murad) Preface THE title of this book, In the Early Hours, has been carefully and specifically chosen to highlight that precious but often neglected time during the night that Allah is closest and most receptive to His servants. The Messenger of God said: Our Lord descends each night to the nearest Heaven when only the last third of the night remains, and says: `Is anyone praying that I may answer him? Is anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Is anyone asking, that I may give to him? ‘, and this continues until dawn. (Tirmidhi. The later part of each night is the most conducive period for reflection and self development. It is the occasion with the most potential for the heart to be present, alert and free of worldly concerns as the Quran declares: Lo! The vigil of the night is [a time] when impression is more keen and speech more certain. [al-Muzzammil 73:6. ] This book is a collection of inspirational advice by a dear and beloved teacher, Ustadh Khurram Murad on the subject of spiritual and self development. In it he sets out the goal of the Believer- the single-minded desire to seek the good pleasure of Allah and Paradise.He then outlines the methods and instruments which must be used in the attainment of that ultimate goal. These spiritual exhortations that follow were originally delivered in those early hours of Summer 1993 just after Salat al-Fajr as part of a course entitled Self Development for Islamic Workers at The Islamic Foundation, Leicester. That course represented one of many similar courses Ustadh Khurram conducted for young Muslims, both male and female. He recognised that it was in the young generation's eagerness, strength and enthusiasm that the future of the Muslim Umma lay.Each of the seven sections in this book represents one Nasiha or Advice. Each Nasiha was delivered in a presentation of approximately 45 minutes. This time allotment was not, o f course, sufficient for Ustadh Khurram to discuss the subjects in detail. I have therefore drawn material from several of his other speeches and works for `thoroughness', coherence and to provide clarity on the topics discussed. I have also added Quran and hadith references wherever I felt they were relevant and added to the richness of the text.Only Allah knows how close I have come to making clear the Message of the Quran and the Sunna as expressed by Ustadh Khurram. Let me emphasise that this book merely represents an introduction to spiritual and self development. I hope that each of the topics exposed here will lead you to further study so that you can continue to grow and progress along the path of attaining closeness to Allah, our Lord and Master. A selection of suggested readings is given at the end of this text to assist in further study. The task of preparing this text has certainly been a challenge for me, but one, which I have enjoyed and benefited from immensely.I am g rateful to Muhammad Abdul Aziz, Alyasa Abdullah, Asim Abdullah, Sharifa Abdullah, Fazeela Mollick, Wajid Mollick, Hashim Mohammed and Lucy Bushill-Matthews who all read the manuscript and offered valuable comments and advice during the initial phase of this text's preparation. My deepest appreciation, however, goes to Abdul Wahid Hamid, whose literary skills, advice and motivation were instrumental in finalising this work Ultimately, though, any mistakes this book contains are my own – may Allah forgive me and have mercy on me.Whatever good is derived from it, all praise is due to Him, for without His help and guidance, nothing is possible. I would like to end with a dua or supplication of the Prophet which epitomises the sole objective of this work and our goal in life: O Allah, You change hearts, so change our hearts to be obedient to You. (Muslim. ) Riza Mohammed Leicester, October 1999 CHAPTER ONE: The Process of Self Development THE path to God is only illuminated when a person recognises the central place of God in his life and strives to develop his self accordingly.The Messenger of God said: If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives to God (in his heart and life. (Hakim) The term nearest in meaning to self development in the Quranic vocabulary is tazkiya. Tazkiya means purification and refers to the cleansing of the human self from all that is unwholesome, undesirable and unwelcome. It also refers to the nurturing and strengthening of all the qualities within the human self that are essential for growth and development, for blossoming and flowering. THE GOAL IN LIFESuccess and happiness in this world and the Hereafter depend on tazkiya, the purification and nurturing of our personality. The Quran states that true success is only reserved for those who seek to purify themselves: Successful indeed is the one who purifies his whole self [ash-Shams 91:9] Our personality comprises not only the physical body but also the mind and the heart, feelings and attitudes, character and behaviour. Proper nurturing and development of these elements of the personality will achieve desirable goals. When goals are desirable, the process of aspiring to, working towards and achieving them also become desirable.This is part of human nature. It is critical, therefore, that we recognise and understand the true nature of our ultimate goal in life. For the Believer, the most coveted goal in life is to seek the good pleasure of Allah and Janna or Paradise. Our Creator has set this goal for us: And surely Paradise – it is the goal [an-Naziat 79: 41]; Indeed the Next abode – it is truly the life! [al-Ankabut 29: 64]; The companions of Paradise – they are the triumphant ones [al-Hashr 59: 20]. Know, however, that attaining the pleasure of Allah takes precedence over seeking Janna but the two are closely connected.Paradise can only be attained through seeking Alla h's pleasure, and when Allah's pleasure is gained, we will indeed be granted Paradise. Reflect upon the following two verses in the Quran: And there is a kind of person who would willingly give up personal interests, seeking Allah's pleasure; and God is Most Compassionate towards His servants. [al-Baqara 2: 207. ] Indeed Allah has purchased from the Believers their lives and their possessions, promising them Paradise, in return. [at-Tawba 9: 111. ] The alternative to attaining Paradise in the Hereafter is to be placed in Jahannam or Hellfire and to receive its punishments.The Quran states: But in the life to come: [it is either] severe suffering, or God's forgiveness and His goodly acceptance. [al-Hadid 57: 20. ] What is it that makes a person deserving of such a suffering? The answer is to be found in the second part of the same verse: for the life of this world is nothing but an enjoyment of self-delusion [al-Hadid 57: 20. ] Jahannam therefore, is for those who seek as their ultim ate goal in life, not the pleasure of Allah or Paradise, but the enjoyment of worldly gains. The pursuit of worldly gain is but a mirage. All worldly gains are left behind when you die.All that is on earth is bound to perish while Allah and His good favour will remain forever. It is for this reason that the Queen advises: Vie with one another in seeking to attain to your Sustainer's forgiveness; and to a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, which has been readied for those who have attained to faith in God and His messengers: such is the bounty of Allah which He grants unto whomever He wills -for Allah is limitless in His great bounty. [al-Hadid 57: 21. ] All your efforts in this world should therefore be focused only on seeking Paradise. It is the Promise of the Almighty that:You will only be rewarded fully for all your good deeds on the Day of Resurrection, and [on that Day] whoever will be drawn away from Hellfire, and admitted into Paradise, will indeed have triumphed [Ali Imran 3:185. ] THE FIRST STEP TO PARADISE The first step in self development, then, is to concentrate single-mindedly on Paradise. Indeed, the one who is unsure of his destiny in life, torn between this world and the Next, like one standing with his feet in two separate boats – will be thrown off balance. Many of the difficulties that we face are due to this lack of commitment and inability to focus on the real and ultimate goal.If you can keep your focus on Janna, then everything else will be possible. The selection of the ultimate goal of Paradise must be made consciously and may involve an absolute break with the past. To choose this new goal as the ultimate goal in one's life is in fact to choose a new life, to begin a new journey. Embark on this new journey by refreshing your wudu (ablution) and offering two rakas (units) of Salat or Prayer reminding yourself of all the punishment of Hellfire you have just resolved to avoid at all costs and all the rewards of Paradi se that you will strive to achieve.Remind yourself also of the important stations and landmarks on the journey; imagine death as near; imagine the moment when the Angel of Death will declare, `your time is over, now you must follow me'; imagine that moment when you will be made to stand in the presence of Allah, Most High, so that the final judgment of life may be passed on you and imagine the consequences of that judgment. When you have completed the two rakas then resolve once more that all efforts will be directed towards achieving Paradise, beseech Allah and pray with humility: O Allah, I ask for Your mercy and whatever brings me closer to it, in word and deed.O Allah, I ask for a faith that will never vanish, a blessing that will never diminish, a pleasure that will never abate, and the most elevated position in Paradise distinguished by the companionship of Your Messenger, Muhammad. While improvement in your habits and actions is a life-long process, the desire to achieve it c an thus be sparked in a moment. This desire will provide the momentum for attaining your goal – the good pleasure of Allah and Paradise. YOUR MISSION Having taken the fast step and resolved to attain Paradise, you may ask yourself, what does Allah require from me in order for me to succeed?What Allah requires of you, in Quranic vocabulary, is for you to be a mumin and mujahid. A mumin is one who is true and firm in his faith in God. A mujahid is one who strives his utmost, with all the means at his disposal, to gain God's pleasure. If you are a mumin and a mujahid, Allah, the Most Exalted in Power and yet the Most Compassionate, will assist you to rise to higher stations both in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah has promised this to those who possess the qualities of iman or faith and the active resolve for jihad or struggle.The Quran states: The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Apostle then they doubt not and struggle hard with their wealth and thei r lives in the way of Allah; they are the truthful ones. [al-Hujurat 49:15] You now have a mission: to become a mumin and mujahid. As you embark upon this mission you may come to feel that your knowledge of Islam is somewhat limited or perhaps that you are unable to attain those heights of submission and purification that you desire or others expect of you. This is only natural. You must not, however, allow these feelings of personal shortcomings to undermine your efforts to practise Islam.Remember that Islam is a state of becoming not a state of being. Each day you must strive to improve and better yourself – and you will improve. Tazkiya or this new programme for self-improvement that you now find yourself in, is a process that unfolds itself step by step. You cannot expect to change all at once. This is against the laws of nature. The Prophet was always aware of this when he was dealing with his Companions. Whenever someone embraced Islam, the Prophet would not ask that pe rson to do everything immediately.Instead, he would teach and expect that person to start fulfilling his obligations only as much as he could bear at a time. This gradual process of change is also clearly reflected in the manner in which the Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years. In all your efforts towards becoming a better Believer, you must bear in mind this principle of gradualism, otherwise you may try to attain the impossible, and when you do not achieve it, you may become frustrated. At this stage, what matters most is that your bargain with Allah, iman, remains sound and firm.This definition of iman is perhaps a little different from the definition you usually hear. It is, however, a definition that we find in the Quran [at-Tawba 9: 111]. Furthermore, attainment of such iman, allows you to be counted among the true and sincere servants in the eyes of your Lord. The Quran states: Behold, God has bought of the Believers their lives and their possessions, promising them Paradise in return, they fight in God's cause, and slay, and are slain: a promise which in truth He has willed upon Himself in the Tawra, and the Injil, and the Quran.And who could be more faithful to his covenant than God? [at-Tawba 9: 111] Once you have committed yourself to Allah, all that you have must be spent in His way. This is the ideal. Ideals, however, are always difficult to achieve – and this you must understand and accept. Ideals are always to be pursued; if they are easily and always achievable, they can hardly remain as ideals. Keeping to your side of the bargain then, is an ideal that you must always seek to maintain. It is this seeking and this striving to spend all that we have in the way of Allah that is known as jihad nd alternatively, in this instance, as tazkiya. PREREQUISITES OF TAZKIYA As you proceed on your journey along the new path, in quest of the ultimate goal of Paradise, you will encounter difficulties and hardships. These may often seem insurmo untable. Overcoming them may be made easier by a good early grasp of the prerequisites of tazkiya. These are as follows: 1. Tazkiya -Your Personal Responsibility You must accept that tazkiya is a highly personal process and that it demands taking personal responsibility for carrying it forward.You can only see the results of tazkiya through your own realisation, your own personal efforts and your own exertions. No one else can perform tazkiya for you. No organisation, no leader and no teacher can replace your own responsibility. God says: And no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another's burden; and if one weighed down by his load calls upon [another] to help bear carry it nothing thereof may be carried [by that other], even if it be one's near of kin. [al-Fatir;5:18 ] This sense of personal responsibility is basic to the whole purpose and approach of Islam.Ultimately, we are judged individually for discharging our own responsibilities. If someone else fulfils your obligation s, then it should be he that is rewarded, not you. To be rewarded you must do what is expected of you by Allah by yourself: Whoever strives hard in God's cause does so only for his own good: for, verily, God does not stand in need of anything in all the worlds! And as for those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds, We shall most certainly efface their bad deeds, and shall most certainly reward them in accordance with the best that they ever did. al-Ankabut 29: 6-7. ] Some people allow themselves to be dictated by others. The Quran states that the weak will say on the Day of judgment that they were coerced into following the dictates of others, but that Allah will reply that the excuse is not legitimate for the decision to deviate from the Straight Path was their own. [Qaf 50: 26-28]. Even Shaytan will stand up on the Day of Judgment saying: ‘I invited you and you responded to me, so don't blame me, blame yourselves. [Ibrahim 14: 22] Ultimately, then, the blame and the re ward will be yours, because the responsibility was yours: On that Day all people will come forward, cut off from one another, to be shown their deeds. And so, he who shall have done an atom's weight of good, shall behold it; and he who shall have done an atom's weight of evil, shall behold it. [az-Zalzala 99: 6-8. ] Taking charge of your own affairs may certainly seem a daunting task, but one which you will accomplish with distinction if you appreciate and take advantage of the tremendous human potential that Allah has blessed you with.Allah says in the Quran: Verily, We created man in the best conformation, and thereafter We reduced him to the lowest of the low – excepting only such as attain to faith and do good works: and theirs shall be a reward unending! [at Tin 95: 4-6. ] Tazkiya does not consist simply of ideas, but of life, behaviour and conduct. The key to success, according to the Quran, lies in having true faith. To inculcate true faith you must start by acquiring a sound knowledge of Islam through a dedicated study of the Quran and Sunna.You must then translate your knowledge into practice. For this to occur, you need to have firm resolve and determination. This, in turn, will produce amal salih or righteous conduct. To aid you in your task, you must seek the company of those who are also striving to please Allah. They will encourage you towards righteousness and correct you when you deviate from the true Path. Your company also includes your mental and psychological company- the ideas you entertain, the ambitions you nurture, the sensitivities and sensibilities you develop and the books you read.All of these represent a form of company because they are your companions in solitude. 2. Genuine Effort In order to succeed, you must have a deep desire to make a genuine effort to fulfill your obligations as a Muslim: But as for those who strive hard in Our cause – We shall most certainly guide them onto paths that lead unto Us: for, behold God is indeed with the doers of good. [al-Ankabut 29: 69. ] With desire, of course, come actions. But know that it is not solely the results of your endeavours that count; what matters most is that you made your best effort.This is a very important point to appreciate because without genuine effort nothing can happen. Those who think that Prayer alone can work miracles are not living in a realistic world. Prayers are part of the effort, but Prayers are not the whole answer. If you pray, `Allah! Guide me and make me good', it is not going to bring you any benefit unless you are also determined to become good and make an effort towards becoming good. Once you have done the latter two things, then, of course, Prayer will be a source of baraka or Divine grace that will further inspire and strengthen your efforts.The initial desire and the ensuing effort to do and become good, is part of the continuing process of self development, a process that may begin at any point in life that you c hoose and continue till your last breath: O you who have attained to faith! Be conscious of Allah with all the consciousness that is due to Him, and do not allow, death to overtake you until you have surrendered yourselves unto Him. [Ali Imran 3: 102. ] There will never be a point when you will be able to say that you are now a perfect person or that you have achieved your full potential.If at any point you feel so, then be sure that is the starting point of your downfall, On the other hand, you may find that the greater your desire to fulfill your obligations as a Muslim, the more you feel beset or plagued by frustration, despondency and despair in your heart and mind. All of us, whether young or old, have experienced these diseases, and often just give up. What we should try to remember at such times is that it is the intention and effort that matters, not the result. This effort must be a continuing process: Be not, then, faint of heart, and grieve not: for you are bound to rise high if you are believers. Ali Imran 3: 139] 3. Sustaining Willpower To achieve the ultimate goal in life requires a sustained determination to do so, a willpower that is forever responsive and strong. In Quranic terminology this is called irada. Irada is basic to all our efforts. Without willing to do something you cannot do anything. Irada is very different from desire. You always hear people reflecting upon unfulfilled aspirations. One of the main reasons why aspirations and dreams remain unfulfilled is that they are no more than desires which faded to assume the status of irada.The Quran explains that one of the basic weaknesses in human nature which impedes self development is the weakness of will. While narrating the story of Adam, Allah informs: And, indeed, long ago We made Our covenant with Adam; but he forgot and We found no firmness of purpose in him. [Ta Ha 20:115] Irada requires strength and consistency and is indeed the antithesis of doubt, hesitation or lethargy. Once irada is firmly in place, then you must have no doubts and you must not hesitate. Now, what purpose should irada serve?The Quran makes it clear that this will power must be a firm resolve to seek the pleasure of Allah because this is the part of the bargain that you must deliver: And whoever desires [arada] the Life to Come, and strive for it as it ought to be striven for, and are [true] Believers withal-they are the ones whose striving finds favour [with God]. [al-Isra 17: 19] 4. Reliance on Allah Self-confidence is borne from the Believer's intimate knowledge and understanding that Allah is ever ready to assist those who strive and struggle in His way.Self-confidence comes from depending upon Allah and knowing that He is there to help you, protect you and shower His mercies upon you: So he who gives [in charity] and fears [Allah] and [in all sincerity] testifies to the best- We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Bliss. [al-Layl 92: 5-7. ] Self-confidence also emanates fr om knowing that Allah in His infinite mercy has equipped you with all that you require to undertake the tasks set before you. It is not characteristic of the One that is Most Just and Most Merciful to prepare you for a duel without equipping you with the necessary tools.Self-confidence is thus borne of total reliance and trust in Allah. It is knowing that at every step of your journey Allah is there assisting you. If you constantly hold yourself back believing that you are weak and incapable and blame your incompetence on minor inadequacies, then you are bound to fail. You must never allow yourself to believe or feel that Allah has treated you unfairly or that He has placed upon you a burden you cannot shoulder for on no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. [al-Baqara 2:286. ] Likewise, hope is central to your efforts and your success.You must sincerely hope and believe that everything you do to earn the pleasure of Allah will lead you to fulfillment. A superiori ty complex negates the task of self development. An inferiority complex is derived from a lack of confidence in Allah and oneself. You should never allow yourself to believe that you cannot fulfill your obligations nor should you despair of the mercy of Allah. Confidence, hope and determination are all important ingredients for your success: Those unto whom men said: Lo! the people have gathered against you, therefore fear them. But it only increased them in faith and they cried..Allah is sufficient for us! Most Excellent is He in Whom we trust! [Ali Imran 3: 173-174] You must be wary, however, of the kind of self-confidence that causes a person to proclaim himself self-sufficient. Modern concepts of self sufficiency are indeed an evil form of shirk or polytheism. To ascribe self-sufficiency to one's self is to assume for oneself an attribute reserved only for Allah. For the Muslim, self-confidence is wholly dependent upon the trust one places in Allah; it is not an arrogant proclam ation of complete independence from Allah. Allah alone is self-Sufficient.All else is reliant upon Him for existence. 5. The Best Use of Time Time is not money or gold; it is life and it is limited. You must begin to appreciate every moment of your life and always strive to make the best use of it. With all the demands of worldly life on your time, you will yet need to find time for self-development and maximise its potential. The better route towards self-development is, of course, to integrate all your efforts into a structured daily life. Imam al-Ghazali, may God have mercy on him, in his great work, Ihya Ulum ad Din, gives the following dvice: You should structure your time, arrange your regular devotions and assign to each function a set period of time during which it is given first priority but which it does not overstep. For if you abandon yourself to neglect and purposelessness, as cattle do, and just do anything that may occur to you at any time it happens to occur to you, most of your time will be wasted. Your time is your life, and your life is your capital; it is the basis of your transactions [with God], and the means to attain to everlasting felicity, in the proximity of God the Exalted.Each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, and when it passes away it never returns. Remember also that `the deeds most loved by Allah [are those] done regularly, even if they are few. ‘ (Bukhari, Muslim. ) While you must always strive to make the best use of your time, you must always aim for excellence in everything you undertake, whether at school, at home, at work or at play. Indeed, the Prophet has said, `Verily Allah has prescribed ihsan (proficiency and excellence) in all things. (Muslim. ) 6. Tazkiya -All-embracing Process.Islam does not subscribe to the type of asceticism where we purify our hearts and yet remain immersed in political, economic or social corruption. Tazkiya must encompass our entire life – the privacy of our thoughts as well as their social manifestations in our daily life. Everything must be in conformity with Allah's will. This will of God also requires you to seek and maintain a delicate balance between the various obligations that demand your attention; between your obligations to Allah, your obligations towards others and your obligations towards yourself The Prophet advised us against extremism of any kind.It is reported that he said to Abdullah ibn Amr: `Have I heard right that you fast everyday and stand in prayer all night? ‘ Abdullah replied, `Yes, O Messenger of God. ‘ The Prophet said, `Do not do that. Fast, as well as eat and drink. Stand in prayer, as well as sleep. For your body has a right upon you, your eyes have a right upon you, your wife has a right upon you, and your guest has a right upon you. ‘ (Bukhari, Muslim. ) Unless you approach tazkiya as an all-embracing process, you will find that your life is compartmentalized, certain parts impeding the development of o thers.This can only result in a life of disharmony and unhappiness. Approached as a comprehensive and all-embracing process, however, you will find that each part of your life will complement some other part. This should, God willing, make your struggle on the path to God and Janna, easier and full of grace. As you struggle to make headway on the path to God, always remember that you have an excellent example before you. This is the example of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace.Often we would like to emulate our sports heroes, our parents, our teachers, our friends or others who attract our attention. For your spiritual development, however, the most beautiful example is that of the Prophet. Allah says in the Quran: You have, indeed, in the Messenger of God an excellent exemplar, whoever places his hopes in God and the Final Days and who remembers Allah much. [al-Ahzab 33: 21] BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS The decision to purify and develop yourself requires that y ou clearly define the path and consider the ways and means to achieve Paradise.This whole process will not only purify your heart, but also affect your entire life and the will of Allah will become so much easier for you to follow. Following the Divine Will is, of course, tazkiya itself, Soon, all your efforts will be directed towards the ultimate goal – the pleasure of Allah and Paradise. Know that every sin can be effaced through forgiveness, and forgiveness is a sure way to Paradise. As you strive to better yourself, then, simultaneously and continuously pray for forgiveness for all your shortcomings.God says: And whoever repents and believes and works righteous deeds, God changes evil deeds into good ones, and God is Ever-Forgiving, Merciful. [al-Furqan 25:70] It is a misconception to believe that simply by setting up Paradise as the ultimate goal, one can get there without any further effort. It is also a misconception that Paradise can solely be achieved by concentratin g only on certain aspects of life, the `religious and the spiritual'. The very fact that Paradise is the ultimate objective means that tazkiya must be pursued in all aspects of life, and in life as a whole.Consider, for example, the following: -Is not honesty a means to enter Paradise? -Will not a sense of responsibility enable me to enter Paradise? -Will not striving to fulfill the needs of fellow human beings make me deserve Paradise? -Will not abstaining from vain talk and aimless actions, bring me closer to Paradise? -Is not consciousness of the best use of my time a key to Paradise? -Will not keeping promises and offering Salat on time, which are distinguishing traits of the righteous, put me on the highway to Paradise? -Must not all of the above be sought to attain Paradise?Every effort that is legitimate and is aimed at attaining Paradise is also an integral part of the process of tazkiya Insha Allah (God-willing), if you take heed of all the prerequisites, blessings and bene fits of tazkiya, you will surely find the right environment, the true companionship and brotherhood and the most appropriate training programmes to make the task of self development easier and more rewarding. So give the good news to My servants who listen to the word [of God], then follow the beauty in it. Such are they whom God has guided And such are they who are endowed with understanding. azZumar 39: 17-18. ] SUMMARY The most comprehensive goal for a Muslim is the single-minded desire to attain Paradise. This desire to seek Paradise is a life-long process which can be sparked in a moment- and this desire will provide the means and the momentum to reach the goal. Your model for self-development is that of the Prophet Muhammad. In your quest for Paradise, you must personally take charge of your responsibilities, develop the willpower to perform and make a genuine effort to fulfill your obligations, ensure that you make the best use of your time and adopt a balanced approach to li fe.Remember that every effort that is legitimate and is aimed at attaining Paradise is also an integral part of the process of tazkiya and that every sin can be effaced through forgii&H §ss – and that forgiveness is the sure way to Paradise. And as for the one who fears to stand before his Lord and who restrains himself from base desires, the Garden is surely the abode. [an-Naziat 79: 40-41] May Allah enable us to be among those who purify themselves for it is God Who causes whomever He wills to grow in purity; and none shall be wronged by as much as a hair's breath [an-Nisa 4: 49].Were it not for God's favour upon you and His grace, not one of you would ever have remained pure. For it is God who causes whomever He wills to grow in purity: for God is all-Hearing all-Knowing [anNur 24: 21. ] CHAPTER TWO: A Life of Remembrance IN a verse of the Quran that I love very much, Allah, Most Gracious and Loving, commends: Remember Me and I shall remember you. Be grateful unto Me and deny Me not. [al-Baqara 2:152. ] Can you imagine a more gratifying state than this, where, when you remember Allah, the Creator, Sustainer and Lord of the Universe, He remembers you in return?The same exhortation has been beautifully conveyed in a hadith qudsi: I treat My servant as he hopes that I would treat him. I am with him whenever he remembers Me: if he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My `heart'; if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering far better than that gathering; if he draws near to Me a hand's span, I draw near to him an arm's length; if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running. Bukhari, Muslim) Those who remember Allah standing, sitting and reclining and who reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth are highly commended in the Noble Quran. They are wise in that they fill their hearts with the remembrance of God in every, moment, in every circumstance and in every posture of their lives. [Ali Imran 3: 191] The exhortation to remember Allah at all times is a reflection of Allah's all-embracing and overwhelming love for us. The door to Allah is always open to us: Remember Me and 1 will remember you.We need only find our way to and through that door. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DHIKR Regarding the significance of dhikrullah or the remembrance of God, Allah says in the Quran, itself the ultimate reminder (dhikr) to all the worlds [Sad 38: 87], the following: Remember Allah. for He has guided you. [al-Baqara 2:198. ] O you who believe! Remember Allah often with much remembrance. And glorify Him morning and evening. [Luqman 31: 41-42. ] And men who remember God much and women who remember – God has prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward. [al-Ahzab 33: 35 ]Hadith literature is similarly replete with references to the remembrance of Allah: The servant cannot perform a better deed which will save him from God's punis hment than the remembrance of God. (Malik. ) Whoever wishes to feast in the gardens of Paradise, let him remember God often. (Tirmidhi. ) Indeed, with regard to dhikr, the Quran concludes: And the remembrance of Allah is the greatest deed without doubt. [al-Ankabut 29:45] The significance of dhikr lies in the fact that it is God's own chosen and recommended mode by which the muminun or Believers show gratitude for having been shown the straight path.In addition, it is indeed the surest way of attaining God's forgiveness and achieving the ultimate reward of Paradise. The importance of dhikr then is not difficult to understand. It is dhikr that purifies your qalb or heart and makes it sound. And you can only attain salvation and true success by having a pure and sound heart. The qalb or `heart' referred to here is not the pump in your breast that pushes blood around your body but rather the centre or locus of your personality which pumps out your desires and motivations and which make s you conduct yourself as you do.It is this qalb that lies at your centre and dictates your actions which is the key to your ultimate success. Thus, with reference to the Day of Judgment, the Quran declares: [It will be a Day) when neither wealth nor children shall profit [and when] only he [will be saved] who comes before God with a sound heart [free of evil]. [ash-Shuara 26:88-89. ] This point is more elaborately made in a hadith in which the Prophet says: Listen [to me] carefully. There is a lump of flesh in the body – if it is set right and made good, the entire body becomes good and healthy; but if it becomes diseased, the entire body becomes diseased.Remember well – it is the Heart. (Bukhari. ) If the heart is the key to ultimate salvation and success, it may, likewise, be the seat of much corruption and open doors to many evils. It may facilitate the corruption of political and economic activities and ultimately the social institutions of a society. Where such a state prevails, the Quran suggests that it is because people, individually, have become diseased in their hearts. [al-Baqara 2:10. ] In this state, people stop seeing and doing what is right. The Quran explains that this is not because they have become blind in their eyes but because their hearts have become blind. al-Hajj 22: 46. ] This blindness only draws them nearer to the ultimate chastisement. It is the heart, as the decider of our ultimate fate, that must then be the starting point of any tazkiya programme, to purify this heart and then summon it to the service of mankind. Ibn al-Qayyim, one of the great scholars of Islam, states in his Kitab al Adhkar (The Book of Remembrance), that ‘the heart which is devoid of the remembrance of Allah is a heart that is dead'; it is dead even and long before the body carrying the heart reaches its grave. Indeed, this living body that carries the heart is the heart's grave.Ibn al-Qayyim's statement is reminiscent of the hadith of tir e Prophet which states: `The difference between someone who remembers His Lord and someone who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead. ‘ (Bukhari. ) The statement is also reminiscent of the following verse of the Quran: Do not become like those who forget Allah and Allah makes them forget themselves. It is they who are truly deprived. [al-Hashr 59:19. ] The purpose of tazkiya is to ensure that the heart never falls into a sorry state of being and that it is always alive with the remembrance of God.Prosperous indeed is one who purifies himself and remembers the name of His Guardian-Lord, and prays [unto Him]. [al-Ala 87: 14-15. ] The Prophet further emphasised the importance of dhikr when he said to his Companions: ‘Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions, the purest in the sight of your Lord, which raises your rank to the highest, which is better for you than spending gold and silver, better than meeting your enemy so that you strike a t their necks and they strike at yours? ‘ They replied: ‘Yes, indeed,' and he said: ‘It is the remembrance of Allah. ‘ (Tirmidhi. )Strive then, to fill all your moments, all your thoughts and all your actions with His remembrance. Recite tasbih or words of glorification and praise to punctuate all your actions and achievements. THE MEANING OF DHIKR What is the precise meaning of ‘dhikr'? What is its scope and what does it entail? Does it simply involve certain utterances of the tongue, like Subhanallah (I glorify Allah's absolute perfection), Alhamdu lillah (All praise be to Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah) and the recitation of some other selected verses of the Quran, or is there more to it?Of course, such utterances of the tongue and recitation of verses of the Quran are important. In fact they are very important forms of dhikr for, indeed, the best forms of remembrance are those that involve both the heart and the tongue. You must understand, however, that the scope of dhikr is considerably wider. Dhikr must not only be felt by the heart and uttered with the tongue, but must also affect and effect amal salih, or good deeds.Significantly, Ibn al-Qayyim suggests that dhikr encompasses `any and every particular moment when you are thinking, saying or doing things which Allah likes: Hence, if your conversation is filled with the words of God, this is dhikr and if all your actions are in accordance with His will, this is dhikr. Indeed Allah commends that we remember Him while standing, sitting and even while reclining. This is only possible if dhikr embraces every single aspect of life. Consider for example the following verse of the Quran where dhikr is emphasised in both Prayer and business activity:O Believers, when the call to Payer is sounded on the Day of Congregation, hasten to Allah's remembrance and leave all worldly commerce. This a for your own good, if you but kn ew . And when the Prayer it finished then disperse through the land, and seek of the bounty of Allah; and remember Allah frequently that you may prosper. [al-Jumua 62:9-10] Attending the Salat al-jumua, listening to the khutba or sermon and performing the congregational Prayer are all well known as forms of dhikr. But in our worldly pursuits as well we are urged to remember Allah even more often.We may thus conclude, that attending to your personal needs, earning a livelihood and spending on your family are all forms of dhikr. But of course, they can only be dhikr if, alongside with the relevant adhkar or supplications in the heart and on the tongue, they are done in obedience to Allah, for His pleasure, to attain Janna. Otherwise, as the Quran warns us, far from being dhikr, they may have the opposite effect: Let not your worldly possessions and your children make you neglectful of Allah's remembrance. But spend in the way of Allah. [al-Munafiqun 63:9-10. THE METHODS OF DHIKR We ha ve thus far discussed the significance, meaning and scope of dhikr. Let us now turn to the various forms and methods of dhikr. How do we remember Allah in the morning and evening, during the day and at night and while standing, sitting or reclining. ‘ There are basically two forms of dhikr. The first involves continuous and sustained inner awareness of Allah in all that we say and do in our daily lives. The second involves mechanisms, whether performed individually or collectively, that help to develop the first. 1.Sustained Awareness of Allah Let us begin with a discussion of the first form and its methods. How can you remember Allah throughout the normal course of your day without withdrawing from the routine of your daily worldly life? How can you ensure that your personal life, family life, professional life and other activities all continue in full swing, and yet, at the same time, ensure that your life as a whole – every moment of it – is permeated with rem embrance of Allah? Such an all-pervading dhikr can be an onerous task, but one you can accomplish – with some ease.Let me remind you of four states of consciousness that you must strive to develop by remembering certain things, absorbing them and reminding yourself of them often. ONE: Say to yourself: I am in Allah's presence; He is watching me. : Say to yourself: I am in Allah's presence; He is watching me. If ever you are alone, He is the second and that if you are two, He is the third. He is with you wherever you are. [al-Mujadala 58: 7. ] He is nearer to you than your-jugular vein. [Qaf 50: 16-18. ] He is watching everything that you do and hearing everything that you say. He is ever present and His knowledge is all encompassing.Remind yourself of this as often as you can, and throughout the day- every time you begin a new task, and every time you speak. Indeed, your aim should be to impress this on your heart in such a way that it ultimately becomes your very breath. Whe n the Prophet was asked by a Companion about the best method of purifying himself, he replied: `You should always remember that Allah is with you wherever you are. ‘ (Tirmidhi. ) TWO: Say to yourself: Everything I have has been given to me by Allah. All that there is – surrounding you, on you and in you – comes from Allah alone.There is none that creates or gives anything but Allah. [an-Nahl 16:78; Ya Sin 36:33-35. ] Therefore, reflect upon all the baraka or blessing that He has created you with and be thankful to Him. In all the adhkar that the Prophet has taught us, hamd or gratefulness to Allah is a constant theme. Many of these adhkar are simple to learn, and indeed, it was the most simple of his adhkar that he used most frequently. When the Prophet rose in the morning, he would say Alhamdu lillah; whenever he ate or drank he would say Alhamdu lillah; and even when he relieved himself he would give thanks to Allah.Learn as many of the adhkar as you can, and t hroughout the day, as you witness all that Allah has blessed you with, punctuate your day with these adhkar. If ever you appear to be short of things to be thankful for, recall the hadith of the Prophet: `There are 360 joints in the body and for each joint you must give a sadaqa [thanks or charity] each day. ‘ (Bukhari. ) You must give a sadaqa for each one of them because without any one of them you will be incomplete and handicapped. You must do this on a daily basis for should any one of them become damaged one day, you will similarly become incapacitated.Additionally, you may remind yourself that, as we now know from our knowledge of human physiology, your heart beats 72 times a minute. Every time it beats, it does so with the permission of Allah. The moment He withdraws that permission, the heart will stop beating and your life will certainly come to an end. If you feel that there is nothing else to thank Allah for, then thank him for the life that He has given you â€⠀œ for, so long as there is life, there is hope. THREE: Say to yourself: Nothing in this world can happen without His permission. Everything lies in the hands of Allah.No harm can befall you and no benefit can reach you except as Allah ordains. It is as the Quran informs us: If God should touch you with misfortune, none can remove it but He, and if He should touch you with good fortune, He has power over all things. He alone holds sway over His creatures; He is the All-wise, the All-aware. [al-Anam 6: 17-18. ] The Prophet Muhammad would supplicate to Allah after each Prayer: O Allah, whatever You want to give me, no one can stop it from coming to me and whatever You want to prevent from coming to me, nobody can give to me.Prayer after Prayer, you should recite these beautiful words. And beyond that, remind yourself as much as you can and throughout the day, especially as you expect something to happen, or not to happen, that everything happens only as He commands, and by His permiss ion. FOUR: Say to yourself: I am going to return to Allah one day and that day could be today. You do not know when you will leave this world. It may be that the coming morning is your last morning, or perhaps the coming evening is your last evening. Indeed, it may be that this hour is your last hour, or even, that this moment is your last moment.Such an uncertainty does not, of course, justify a complete withdrawal from this life so as to prepare for the Next in some monastic fashion. It is important, however, that you are always conscious of this uncertainty, to the extent that it motivates you to spend every moment of your remaining life seriously, considering it as a gift from Allah and spending the resources He has blessed you with – time, ability and energy – as He has advised. Then, and only then, will your life have achieved what is required of it, and your return will achieve what is required of it.To help you attain this state of consciousness, recall and ref lect upon the following Quranic verse as much as you can and throughout the day: from Allah we came and to Him we shall return. [al-Baqara 2:156] These are the four states of consciousness that can help us achieve a life completely devoted to the remembrance of Allah. To try to reach these four states simultaneously, and with sincerity, can only purify you. To try in a determined fashion to reach these four states will lead you inevitably to Paradise. 2. Specific Methods of Dhikr For us to achieve a continuous and sustained awareness of Him, Allah, in His Wisdom and Mercy, has aught us some very specific mechanisms of dhikr. These include: the formal ibada-Salat, Sawm, Zakat and Hajj; tilawa of the Quran, dua, istighfar and tawba, seeking the company of the righteous and dawa. Together these mechanisms or methods constitute what we have classified above as the second form of dhikr, but here we may sub-divide them into two groups: those that can be performed individually and those th at are performed collectively. 3. Methods of Individual Dhikr The foremost of the specific methods pertaining to individual dhikr include the fard or obligatory ibada. Allah has said in a hadith qudsi:My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than what I have made obligatory. (Bukhari. ) Each specific formal ibada or act of servitude to God, has been ordained as an instrument of self development. When we observe our Salat regularly at the proper times, together in congregation whenever possible, with clear intentions and sincerity; when we fast in the month of Ramadan with awareness and resolve; when we give Zakat as soon as it falls due with a generous heart; and when we fulfill the obligations of Hajj as soon as we have the means, we will gain that special closeness to Allah that He has promised.Indeed, we may get even closer to God through additional observance of these specific formal acts of servitude, for Allah continues in the hadith qudsi: My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with additional devotions until I love him. When I love him, I become the hearing with which he hears, the sight with which he sees, the hand with which he strikes and the foot with which he walks. Were he to ask for something I would surely give it, and were he to ask for refuge, I would surely grant him refuge. (Bukhari. ) For each specific fard ibada, there is an additional nafl or superogatory equivalent.These are as follows: -The Sunna Salat – these include the additional Prayers before and after the five obligatory ones, but just as importantly the Tahajjud Prayer. -The Sunna Fasts – as recommended by the Prophet and to be practised on Mondays and Thursdays of each week, the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth day of each lunar calendar month, and other recommended days in the Islamic year. -Sadaqa fi Sabilillah – the giving of voluntary charity, however much and whenever one can afford, for the pleasure of Allah. -The Umra – performance of the voluntary short pilgrimage.In addition to the fard and their related nafl ibada, there are two further specific methods of individual dhikr: the first is the daily recitation of the Quran, and the second, frequent dua or supplications to Allah for forgiveness, guidance and fulfillment of needs. Let us explore each of these specific methods pertaining to individual dhikr in more detail, particularly as instruments of tazkiya and dhikr A. Salat Salat is the foremost form of ibada that Allah Himself has prescribed for us. In His own words He commands: Establish regular Prayer that you may rememberMe. [Ta Ha 20:14. ] The whole purpose of Salat is to be ever conscious of Allah, the Creator, Lord and Sustainer of all things. When we perform Salat we involve our tongue, our heart, our mind and indeed our whole body. In this sense, Salat is indeed, one of the most comprehensive forms of dhikr. It is perhaps for this reason that Allah states in a hadith qudsi: `O ut of all the ways through which My servant gets closer to Me, Salat is the dearest to Me. ‘ (Bukhari. ) It is unfortunate, therefore, that we do not always take full advantage of this gift.We may pray five times each day but few of us remain conscious for long that in Prayer we have the best means to develop a strong connection with Allah. We may compare the obligatory Salat to bathing five times a day. If after such frequent bathing, your body remains dirty, then we may question the usefulness and efficacy of such bathing. Similarly, if after regular observance of Prayer your heart remains unmoved, your morals remain corrupt and your conduct remains unaffected, we may question the usefulness and efficacy of your Prayer?If you enter into Salat and come out of it the same person, then you have missed something, and you may have missed a golden opportunity to achieve something great. Remember, though, Salat is an obligation. Whether your heart is attentive or not, it must be pe rformed. You cannot give up Prayer because to you it appears useless. Don't give up the obligation but try to infuse it with the purpose it seeks to serve – remembrance of Allah. How can you improve the quality of your Salat?Remember, first and foremost, that as soon as you commence your Salat, Shaytan makes it his duty to fill your mind with anything and everything but thoughts of Allah. [al-Araf 7: 16-17. ] For, Shaytan is aware that your remembrance of Allah will draw you closer to Him, so he tries ceaselessly to disengage your mind and heart from such remembrance, so that you may never achieve that closeness. The most important hurdle to overcome from the outset, therefore, is absentmindedness. It is this that destroys the quality of your Prayer, for Allah does not accept the Prayers of a wandering mind.The Prophet Muhammad said: God does not accept the Prayers of an individual until his heart achieves in it what his body has achieved. [Al-Ghazali in Ihya. See Inner Dimen sions of Islamic Worship, Islamic Foundation, Leicester, p. 29. ] The ability to concentrate in Prayer may be improved by undertaking adequate psychological, mental and physical preparation before the Prayer and by utilising certain techniques whilst performing the Prayer. Below we discuss some of them. i. Psychological and Mental Preparation -The planning of your daily activities should revolve around the five daily Salat. al-Ma'arij 70: 22-23. ] Do not plan everything else and then try to fit Prayer into your busy schedule. -Ensure that you are conversant with all the rules and regulations governing your Prayer. Research in depth the Quranic verses and ahadith relating to the virtues of Salat. -Be punctual with your Prayer. [an-Nisa 4:103] Get into the habit of praying at the earliest hour. Do not procrastinate. The Prophet said, `the deed most loved by Allah is Prayer performed on time. ‘ (Muslim. ) -Pray as much of your fard Salat in jama'a or congregation as is possible. al-Baqara 2: 43. ] -Avoid praying in a state in which you are mentally and physically fatigued. [an-Nisa 4: 43] -Rid your mind of all evil thoughts and ideas. [al-Maun 107: 4-6. ] -Keep your mind free of worldly worries and engagements. -Plan what ayat / duas you are going to recite. -If you do not understand Arabic learn the meaning of what you recite in your Prayer. -Remind yourself that engaging in Prayer offers you an opportunity to release yourself from the pressures and tensions of this world. The Prophet has said that in Prayer was placed the comfort of his eyes.Therefore cherish the opportunity to remove the shackles and burdens of this world from your shoulders. [al-Baqara 2: 45. ] -Use your Prayer to remain focused on your mission in life to bring your entire being to serve only Allah. -Use your Prayer as a source of strength, inspiration and enthusiasm for your life and activities. ii. Physical Preparation -Fulfill all your personal needs before you commence your Prayer, for example, thirst, hunger and calls of nature. -Pray in a pure physical state. Perform your wudu with care and perfection. [al-Maida 5: 6. -Although the whole earth is a masjid or a place of worship, choose a place that is clean. -Pray in an environment free of noise and one where there is no distraction. -Adorn yourself with clean and respectable clothes for Allah has said: O Children of Adam, wear your best clothes at every place of worship. [al-Araf 7:31. ] iii. Performing Your Prayer -Assess your mental readiness for Prayer before its commencement, during the various postures with its attendant recitations, after each raka and ultimately at the end- Try to make improvements at each stage Pray with humility both in your mental state and in your physical manner. Pray with hope and awe, asking Allah for His mercy and forgiveness. -Remind yourself continually that you are talking to the most important `Being' in your life – your Creator and Sustainer. He is in front of you. You are facing Him and you are involved in a dialogue with Him. [al-Alaq 96: 19. ] -Commence your Prayer by seeking Allah's help and protection from the influences of Shaytan. [an-Nahl 16: 98. ] -Lower your gaze while praying and do not allow the physical environment to distract you.Anas related that the Prophet said: `My dear son, be sure to avoid being distracted during Prayer, for, to become distracted while praying is a disaster. ‘ (Tabarani. ) -Use a variety of Quranic verses and duas in your Prayer to achieve greater concentration and awareness. -Adopt a whispering technique in your recitation. This will increase your ability to remain focused on what you are saying. [alIsra 17:110. ] -As you recite the Quran, translate it into your own language so that your attention is held. As you concentrate upon the meaning and implications of the words, insha Allah, all thoughts of worldly ideas will disappear. On each occasion that you recite the Sifat or attributes of Allah in r uku and sajda, consider how indebted you are and how grateful you should be to Allah and express your true emotions. -Utilise the occasion of sajda to make additional dua to Allah. The Prophet said: ‘ A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is in sajda, so increase your supplication when in sajda. ‘ (Muslim. ) -Make your Prayer of moderate duration so that you do not become physically and mentally tired but be aware that while in Prayer you must take your time praying. -Give due regard to the proper performance of all the physical postures. Pray as if it is your last Prayer. The Messenger of God said: `When you stand up to pray, perform your prayer as if it were your last, do not say anything you will have to make excuses for tomorrow, and resolve to place no hope in what is in the hands of men. ‘ (Ahmad. ) Performing your prayer in a satisfactory manner should lead to a radical change in the way you lead your daily life. Salat must be as the Quran states: Surely, Salat prevents indecency and evil [alAnkabut 29: 45. ] Your improved and more disciplined life will in turn help the quality of your Prayer to increase even more.The two should feed one another and continuously reinforce each other. Note that there is punishment for a Prayer not performed satisfactorily. It will be a witness against you rather than a witness for you on the Day of Judgment. However, the reward for a Prayer well performed is immeasurable. The Prophet said: `If a man performs two rakas of Salat without the distraction of any worldly thought, all his previous sins will be forgiven. ‘ (Bukhari. ) iv. Tahajjud Salat Even though it is not obligatory, try to establish Tahajjud Salat as part of our nightly activities. The Prophet said: `The best Prayer after the fard Prayer is the night Prayer. ‘ (Muslim. ) One of the characteristics of the Ibadur Rahman or Servants of the Most Merciful, is that they get up at night and perform Tahajjud Salat. [al-Furqan 25: 64] Qiyam al-layl or night vigil is a source of great spiritual energy. The Prophet has said: Keep up qiyam al-layl. It was the way of the virtuous who came before you, it draws you nearer to your Lord, atones for your sins, forbids you from evil and protects the body from sickness. (Tirmidhi. )When a man wakes up his wife at night and they pray two rakas (units) together, they are written down among the men and women who remember Allah. (Abu Dawud) The Quran also commends the one who utilizes the early hours of each day to engage in remembrance of Allah: Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of night prostrating himself or standing [in adoration] and who places his hope in the mercy of His Lord – [like one who does not]? Say: ‘Are those equal – those who know and those who do not know? ’ It is those who are endowed with understanding that receive admonition. [Az-Zumar 39:9]B. Sawm Sawm or fasting is another important instrument of tazkiya. It holds a unique status among all other forms of ibada. In a hadith qudsi we are told: Every good deed of a man is granted manifold increase, ten to seven hundred times. But Allah says: Fasting is an exception; it is exclusively for Me, and I will give reward for it as much as I wish. (Bukhari, Muslim. ) The fruit of fasting ought to be that rich inner quality which the Quran calls taqwa: O Believers! Fasting is ordained for you, even as it was ordained for those before you, that you might attain taqwa. [al-Baqara 2:183]Taqwa is the most basic prerequisite for being guided by Allah. It entails God-consciousness, a sense of responsibility, accountability, dedication and awe. It is that which prompts and inspires us to fulfill our responsibilities towards the Creator. Taqwa is the main criterion by which Allah values the deeds of a Muslim. The Quran states: Surely the noblest among you in the sight of God is the most Godfearing of you. Verily God is all-Knowing and all-Wise. [al-Hujurat 49: 13 . ] We must strive to the utmost to inculcate taqwa in our lives as Allah has ordained: Take provisions with you, but the best of provisions is taqwa.So remain conscious of Me, O you who are endowed with insight. [al-Baqara 2:197] Fasting teaches us to remember Allah. It helps to instill in us certain attributes and qualities which develop our taqwa. We discuss some of these below. i. Fulfilling Allah's Wishes While fasting, the most basic physical needs – Food, water and sleep – are readily and joyfully sacrificed. Hunger and thirst are no longer harmful; Allah's displeasure is harmful. Physical pleasures no longer hold any lure; Allah's rewards do. The scale of values is turned upside down. The measures of comfort and pain, success and failure are radically changed.However, whatever the physical discomfort, the mortification of the flesh is certainly not the desired object. The gifts of Allah are there to be enjoyed but limits by Him must also be strictly observed. O nce the sun has set, the fast must be broken and the sooner the better. All that was forbidden during the fasting hours, at His command, becomes permissible again, at His command. Similarly, eating before dawn is strongly encouraged even though the hour is early for it provides the necessary strength for the rigours of the day ahead. Fasting and praying are obvious acts of worship but eating also constitutes a form of worship. i. Willpower Fasting strengthens our willpower. The Prophet has said: ‘Sawm is a shield [or a screen or a shelter from the Hell-fire]. ‘ (Bukhari. ) The regime of dawn-to-sunset abstinence from food, drink and sex, for the sake of Allah alone, internalises the lesson that we must never en

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Summary - Essay Example Ordinarily, the aim of the justice system is to curb crime. For youth offenders, the phrase nip at the bud is more appropriate. However, when these youth offenders go through adult courts and end up in adult prisons the result does not reflect curbing crime. Schiraldi and Ziedenberg report that minors tried in the adult courts tend to regress back to crime compared to those tried by juvenile courts. Studies also show that; all states that allow state prosecutors the discretion to send youth to adult court have higher juvenile crime rates than those that do not. For instance, Florida’s juvenile crime rate is 48% higher than the national average (Hickey, 2012). This crime rates are high because the process of rehabilitation as reported by Schiraldi and Ziedenberg is not adequate. Studies further show that youth sent to juvenile facilities felt that the experience mitigated their onset of criminal life. This is because, in juvenile facilities, the youth offenders feel that they c an change, and this eases rehabilitation. Also, they viewed the facilities personal as understanding which helped them change their attitudes. On the other hand, youths sent to adult prison reported learning more negative behavior such as how to commit new, more aggressive crimes. In such a scenario, one can conclusively say that prison cultivates ground for future crimes. Secondly, the adult prison personal was not as understanding, and they make inmates feel doomed to a life in prison (Hickey, 2012). In addition to these systemic shortcomings of prisons, there are other dangers that the youth experience while in prison. One of the most common dangers is prison rape. Because of their vulnerable state, youth convicts are subject to sexual abuse by older convicts and even the prison personnel. This sexual abuse leads to psychological trauma and self loathing which is not a favorable environment for positive change. The young offenders also face risks such as attacks with weapons that cause injury or death. The result of the attacks is that the individual becomes aggressive and, thereby, resistant to change. The frustrations the youth experience in prison at such a tender age lead to despair. As such, the suicide rate of youths in prison is 7.7 % higher than in juvenile detention centers (Hickey, 2012). Granted, there are crimes that are gruesome and the prosecution got no choice rather than to refer them to adult courts. However, the studies reported by Schiraldi and Ziedenberg indicate that the crimes sent to adult court are so minor they qualify to be misdemeanors. Most of the suspects have no priors, do not commit violence and acknowledge their wrong doings. An excellent example is the case against Anthony Laster, in Florida. Anthony went through wrenching court proceedings for a one time non violent crime because the prosecution referred him to an adult court. Critiques argue that in other states, his issue was a Principals office matter and not even a juve nile offence (Hickey, 2012). As such, utilizing adult justice system on a delinquent in most instances is like shooting a mosquito with a shot gun! Ryder (2011) views juvenile delinquency as a social problem. He argues that, in the wake of the 21st century, parents and the community want to contribute to the rehabilitation of the

Orwell's 1984 paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Orwell's 1984 paper - Essay Example a similar profoundly satiric allusion to the Communist Manifesto, which was published in 1848 and was a highly influential book of its time in terms of political ideology. It promoted the ideology of Communism and was written by the famous communist theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. As its name depicts the book was all about the political ideology of overthrowing the† bourgeois† and bringing the working classes (â€Å"the proletariat) to power. George Orwell (whose real name was Eric Blair) makes satiric allusions to the communist manifesto and the regime it sought to promote. He was not anti-communist but towards the end of his career he felt disillusioned by the mechanics and â€Å"manifesto† of the Communists. He believed that such an ideology would always deteriorate into a dictatorial regime. The novel alludes largely to the situation of the regimes who took to the communist ideals (especially the case of Russia and the USSR) and how the Communist Manifesto fast moved away from its real aim of the emancipation of the working classes from the bourgeoisie. The theme of the story in 1984 depicts the world in the year â€Å"1984† in the setting and assumption the Communist movement has successfully dominated the world. The main Character of Emmanuel Goldstein is an allusion to Marx and Lenin who were the most prominent leaders and supporters of the Communist ideology.One of the strongest allusions to the Communist manifesto (and to some extent Lenin’s book on communism called† Testament"),is when Orwell states in his book that the fictitious Communist leader Goldstein writes a book called "The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism".He goes further to describe his Communist â€Å" hero† as having a â€Å"a lean Jewish face,(with) †¦.. fuzzy aureole of white hair" which if carefully examined reminds us of the appearance of Marx who wrote the Communist Manifesto. His bitterness can be seen further when he writes that Goldstein is deceiving the

The Importance of Teamwork in a Close Protection Environment Essay

The Importance of Teamwork in a Close Protection Environment - Essay Example As the discussion declares teamwork projects feature clearly determined and individually evaluated responsibilities for each member of a team as well as a specific and valuable result. Team members are appreciated at the quality of the product and their contributions to the team joint operation as well as the quality of the completion of their personally assigned tasks. Groups are specifically good at combining together talents and providing novel solutions to possible unusual problems; in cases where there is no established approach or procedure, the extended knowledge and skills set of the group possess a distinct advantage over those of the individual. The group constitutes an environment where the individual's self-apprehended level of authority and responsibility is expanded, in an environment where responsibility is shared: consequently providing a perfect motivation through improved self-esteem and low stress. This paper stresses that everybody is polite and dull and considers how he can get into the plan. Conflicts are seldom directly voiced; they are predominantly personal and certainly destructive. Since the group is new, the individuals will be locked in their own opinions and commonly reserved. This is particularly true in terms of the more subordinate and/or nervous members of the group who may never recover. The group tends to submit largely to those who appear as leaders. This stage features formation of an atmosphere of acceptance and safety, avoiding debate, and is filled with guidance from the manager or project team leader.

Nas Airlines and Caterpillar Inc Research Proposal

Nas Airlines and Caterpillar Inc - Research Proposal Example Currently, there is no specialized provider of such a service, a situation that presents a robust business opportunity. If implemented, the proposal will make air travel by Flynas much more convenient as passengers will enjoy a one-stop for travel and cover. Flynas is Saudi Arabia’s first and only budget airline offering domestic and international flights. The company’s head office is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Flynas was founded in 2007 as Nas Air and commenced operations in February of the year. Until the establishment of Nas Air, Saudi Arabian Airlines, the national carrier, was the only airline in the country. In November 2013, Nas Air rebranded to Flynas. Currently, Flynas makes 950 flights a week to several destinations around the world. As of November 2013, the airline had carried a total of 12 million customers, 3 million of them in the ten months ending November 2013. The airline, following its rebranding, targets to have carried 20 million customers by 2020 (Shane, 2013). Flynas did not offer international flights until 2009. Sharm el Sheikh and Assiut in Egypt became the airline’s first international destinations in 2009. A major milestone in the growth of Flynas came in February 2014 when the airline launched its Global Flight Routes program. The aims of the program were to provide affordable flights between the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and specified cities in Africa, Asia and Europe and to fly religious tourists to Saudi Arabia. Under the program, Flynas became the first airline to offer low-cost flights between Saudi Arabia and the UK with the launch of the Jeddah-London Gatwick route in April 2014. The route was the airline’s first long-haul route to Europe. The airline’s other long-haul services included those to Manchester, Islamabad, Casablanca, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Medium-haul routes included Riyadh-Karachi and Riyadh-Lahore. However, in October 2014, Flynas announced the cancellation of most of its

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 21

Marketing - Essay Example Additionally, they also need to change the product content for this new name. The company can minimize on the darkness of the drink and its alcoholic strength. Many youth are drawn to lagers and other lighter beers. In order to capture this market, then the company should look for ways of engineering their product to suit that market preference. However, in order to maintain that older market, the company should still retain its older Guinness brand. In other words, there will be two offerings; the old Guinness brand and the new one. Since the company will be introducing a different brand, then they need to change their packaging. Consumer drinking habits have changed within the UK and in Ireland specifically. People are spending their time commuting and working and it has become increasingly necessary for alcohol manufacturers to consider selling their product conveniently in supermarkets. (O’Mahony, 2007, p 13) Diageo should re-package the new Guinness lite in a can. The can should have different colors from the old Guinness so that young people can see that they are actually buying a different product from their parents. This will go along way in making it convenient for the home consumer and the youth. The third and last aspect about Guinness’ positioning will be its Irish heritage. The beer will be tailored for the Young Ireland population. This is an element that will be communicated in the promotional, distributional and pricing strategies as seen below. In order to attract the younger consumer, Guinness lite’s pricing should be tailored to suit that category. Since most youth are not yet as financially stable as their older counterparts, then it will be necessary to place the product’s price at a consumer-friendly level. Over the past five years, Guinness has been performing relatively well in foreign markets. However, the major problem is

Proposal for Jamba Juice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proposal for Jamba Juice - Essay Example After running the successful business of only nutritious beverages that include, healthy smoothies, squeezed fruit juices and fresh blend of juices, teas and coffees and oatmeal later, Jamba Juice adopted a new line of healthy items. These include baked items and fresh salads, wraps, and sandwiches and fruit yogurts. And, now Jamba Juice is motivated to open its new store at ‘San Antonio International Airport’. Jamba Juice Company actively works for a nonprofit organization named â€Å"Bay Area Leadership Foundation (BALF)†. As a matter of fact, they chose Jamba Juice as a ‘Corporate Citizen of the Year’ (Globenewswire, 2015). Jamba Juice Company is looking forward to establish its new restaurant at ‘San Antonio International Airport’ as it has a capacity of dealing around eight million travelers in a year domestic and international (Aviation Department, 2014). Idea of expanding the business at a populous place that deals with non-stop public operations can be very effective way to conduct profitable operations. There are number of restaurants already present at San Antonio Airport, But Jamba Juice Company has a unique selling point of providing fresh and full of nourishment fruit blends. In order to start a new restaurant, the company needs to invest in major goods; some of them are going to be their assets as they will last longer and need to spend in expenses like Deposit for building’s security. It remains as the major expense because legal fee registration and certification are legally advised; company can restate its budget in marketing expense. Since the restaurant manage day to day fruit buying, transportation cost is going to be the highest among all the operating expenses. According to the table above, Jamba Juice Company has a potential to establish its store at its new location, San Antonio Airport, as the company is rising with the growth rate of 8% annually, and eligible to

The Enlightenment Essay Example for Free

The Enlightenment Essay Today we will examine the seven points made about the enlightenment that we have read in this chapter. We will also go over the philosophers who put forth these ideas. What influence can be felt in the present of these ideas? Well in this paper we will find out all of these mind boggling questions. Okay the seven points of enlightenment we will start with first what is enlightenment mean to man? Well it is a mans inability to make use of his understanding. So to answers the first step of enlightenment basically to me means it is someones right to there own authority to subjects and objects. Okay the second step is rationalism and it offers a naturalistic alternative to appeals to religious accounts of human nature and conduct. Now to the enlightenment of movement which means, enlightenment, the movement outwards towards the world and separation is driven by desire, fear, and suffering, movement, which towards to reality which gets to intuition and apperception. That is what I pulled out of the chapter on that step. Okay step four cultural optimism I figured this one to mean that a culture of any would have an optimistic look on it optimistic meaning to look on something with a more favorable side or outcome. Now to step five which is the return to nature I believe that maybe this one means that maybe when people die and the ritual of burying some one means that we are returning to nature. Next step natural rights, well everyone has there rights from the democratic point of view so this must also mean that we have our own natural rights including the right to exist and the rights to make our own choices and such. Step seven last but not least human rights I would believe to include the democratic point of view it is our human right to vote or to fallow the laws and such. These seven steps and the definitions that fallow are my own definitions to these enlightenment steps. The philosophers who put forth these enlightenment steps are the one we have read about in our Sophies world book, Including Locke, Hume, Berkeley. All there ideas views and thoughts were I believe put into effect through these seven steps. What influence can be felt in the present of these ideas? Well I believe they came form the philosophers that I have listed so basically IÂ  answered this question with the one before it. This chapter was fun for me to read because I learned a lot about the enlightenment steps and where they originated from. I just thought that this section of the book was great!

The Impact of Modernization on Socialization

The Impact of Modernization on Socialization A Leader is a person who guide and lead the team to success. As a leader, he or she must have a clear vision and vivid picture of where to go and a firm grasp on what success look like and how to achieve it. A leader must also be able to communicate with his or her follower on her vision and must be able to persuade them to buy into his or her idea. Moreover, he or she must also communicate passionately and clearly so that it can motivate them and direct them more efficient. Besides that, as a leader, he or she must have a responsibility on his or her follower and to make sure that all his or her follower share the common goal. Modernization is conceived in several ways. One of them is through an increased knowledge in science and technology, modernization as a process of change in the social structure and social system. Besides, it is also defined as a movement of transition from traditional society of religion, magic, and superstition to a modern and postmodern society. It is free from religious matrix and traditional norms. Furthermore, the West explains modernization as a process of mobilization, differentiation, industrialization, and secularization, which can reach high economic growth, stable democracy, and a capitalist economy. Modernization has brought to advance of human lifestyle and it makes human life easier. Modernization is not a temporal concept since the social keep on changing. It is a result of enlightenment which values reason, freedom and science, in relation to different aspects of society, so that modernization progress all the time. During modernization, there is universal education and increase of literacy. Democratization in political system and education has been achieved. There are also emergence of rationalization and bureaucratization in social organization of work. Socialization Socialization is conceived as a general process of gaining culture; anthropologists use the term enculturation for the process of being socialized to a particular culture. A human infant is born without any culture. Humans parents, teachers, friends and circumferences transform them into cultural and socially adept animals. Socialization helps people to learn the language of culture they are born, or the role they are to play in life. They will learn about the occupational roles that their society has store for them. For an example, boys learn how to be sons, brothers, friends, husbands, and fathers. During the socialization process, human learn to adopt their cultures norms, which mean the conceptions of appropriate and expected behavior that are held by most members of the society. There are two types of socialization, which are natural socialization and planned socialization. When infants and youngsters explore, play and discover the social world around them, it is called as natural socialization. Whereas when others take actions designed to teach or train people from infancy on, it is called as planned socialization. Both of these types of socialization can have good or bad features. Most people try to gain experience in life. This helps to influence their own socialization. The more we learn about the socialization process, the more effective we can be in managing our future learning in the ways that it will help us most. To gain uniformity within a society, there must be a successful socialization. People will share the same beliefs and expectations if all of them receive the same socialization. Discussion The Impact of Modernization on Socialization In the past, there was a bias between male and female, especially in China country. Males were provided educational chance when they are young. They could study in school meanwhile female are not allowed to study at all. In China before modernization, female are only allowed to do house chores and help around their family. Due to the socialization in the past, they are restricted them from getting the chance to expose themselves in education, business and politics. Besides, female are always being treated as servant or a baby producer. They have to obey what the male said. Furthermore, a female must listen to the male order and they are not allowed to fight back. Once she is born, she has to obey to her father. After married, she has to obey to her husband, then to her son. The changes of modernization has influence processes of socialization, such as learning how to think, how to feel, how to be acceptable, how to be moral and how to be masculine and feminine. This is because modernization had brought lots education opportunities and working opportunities thus women are allowed to work and pursue their own dream as during the industrialization, there is a sudden shortage of labor. Thus woman can join in the men and work independently. After the process of modernization, human think differently. They are more open minded and the bias in between male and female is dribble away. Females no longer listen to their father when choosing their husband who never meet up before. China nowadays is in progress. People pay full concern to their children; no matter they are male or female. Most of them embrace feminism. Female has already got an equal treat as male. Females are also having the chance to study in school. Most of the parents will sent their children, no matter boy or girl to learn extra acqierement, such as drawing, dancing and arts. There is also gender discrimination in India few decades ago. Female infanticide reflects the statement of low status accorded to women. It is proved by the most brutal and destructive action of anti-female bias that pervade patriarchal societies. The phenomena of sex-selective abortion, which targets female fetuses almost exclusively and neglect of girl children is appeared. According to John-Thor Dahlburg, In rural India, the centuries-old practice of female infanticide can still be considered a wise course of action. (Dahlburg, Where killing baby girls is no big sin,  The Los Angeles Times  [in  The Toronto Star, February 28, 1994.]) Based on census statistics, in 1901, there were 972 females for every 1000 males. In the year 1993, the gender imbalance has tilted to 929 females per 1000 males. In the nearly 300 poor hamlets of the Usilampatti area of Tamil Nadu, as many as 196 girls died under suspicious circumstances, such as fed dry, made swallow poisonous powdered fertili zer and smothered with a wet towel, strangled or allowed to starve to death. In India bias against females is still related to the fact that Sons are called upon to provide the income; they are the ones who do most of the work in the fields. Therefore, sons are looked as a type of insurance. This shows that, the high value given to males decreases the value given to females. (Marina Porras,  Female Infanticide and Foeticide.)  Furthermore, India is a heartland of sex-selective abortion. In 1974, Amniocentesis was introduced to ascertain birth defects in a sample population by medical entrepreneurs. So, a spate of sex-selective abortions was followed. Due to the modernization, the phenomena of bury baby have been banned by India. It becomes an illegal legislation. So, modernization has change peoples mindset from traditional to modern. Nowadays, the status of female is equally to male and people are starting to accept that female can also perform any job that a male can perform. Moreover as India become more and more modern, it affect the socialization so much that in the year 1971, India Prime Minister was a female name Indhira Gandhi. From here we can see that through modernization the social structure of the India was also starting to change. Modernization has changes in reshaping economic, political and social life. It is because it not only helps explain economic, social and political change, but it also provide most efforts at prediction. For example, tends to bring increasing urbanization, growing occupational specialization, and higher levels of formal education in any society that undertakes it (Lerner, 1958; Deutsch, 1964). Modernization linked to a wide range of other cultural changes. Although modernization syndrome of changes becomes probable but social change is not linear when societies move from an agrarian mode to an industrial mode. Women in Management is a current social issue. According to Jewell in 1977, the feminist movement, anti-sexual discrimination legislation, and predictions of shortages in managerial talent during the last decade have caused to increased pressure for more women participate in leadership roles during the 1970s. However, in 1978, Malabre said, the progress of integrating women into management positions has achieved limited success. A lot of people posit that women lack the leadership attributes and abilities required for managerial positions. Those holding this type of stereotypic view perceive women as ineffective leaders in jobs incongruent with females more traditionally passive sex role. (Bryce, 1970; Cecil, Paul, Olins, 1973; Hobart Harrick, 1977i Peters, Terborg, Jacobs 1974; Terborg et al., 1974). Bartols findings showed that leader behavior can be influenced by other factors than gender. Based on Lockheed and Hall (1976) studies, men emerged as leaders much more often than female, but there was no different in male and female leadership style. The Bales scoring technique, indicated that women releasing more tension and being more communicative, there was no significant difference between democratic and autocratic leader behavior patterns. Nowadays, women and men are equal, no matter where they are. The modernization process brings more job opportunities to human. Through this, women have more chances to exhibit their ability in working area. The limitation of women to be success is being narrow. It is because peoples mindsets have changed due to modernization towards socialization. Sex Differences and Inequality According to a study by Alice Eagly, from the Northwestern University in 2007, she say that there is a Psychology Prejudice against women as leader. She stated that woman is being perceived as nice, friendly, socially skilled meanwhile men are dominant, assertive (behavioral skill which is linked to self esteem and considered a important communication skill), tough-minded and take charge. Thus this had lead us to the term Glass Ceiling where woman is harasses and limit by the society on the job that they can do. Moreover, the term Glass Ceiling is also use to describe invisible barriers where minorities and women are prevented from advancing to the management position in organization and corporation. Moreover, if we see from the nature perspective, we can see that female is the weaker sex and male dominance is just a biological manifestation. For example, the body structure of a male is stronger than women thus man often takes up the job as a leader and protects women. Since ancient time, hunting and processing hard raw material as strictly male activities whereas female will just cook, wash clothes and do the entire house chore (Peggy Reeves Sanday). Besides that Murdock and Provost suggest that female is attached to the burden of household and burden for pregnancy and infant care. Thus female was left out and do not have the chance to become a leader. This make them to become and not born as a weaker sex due to the socialization in the past. In fact during the past few years, there is more and more female leader out there in the world. Feminism Feminism is a doctrine that women should have the same economic, social, and political equality with those of men. Feminism is distinguished between sex and gender. Sex, whether male and female, is about physical differences between sexes, while gender, whether masculine or feminine, is about characteristics of behavior, psychology or demeanor, which wished to claim are culturally constructed and conditioned and so ultimately arbitrary. The moral and political program of gender feminism was essentially to rescind gender differences. It makes men and women would end up living the same kinds of lives, doing the same kinds of things, and perhaps even  looking  pretty much the same in unisex grooming and clothing. According to F.Carolyn Graglia in 1998, housewives, not men, were the prey in feminisms sights when Kate Millett decreed in 1969 that the family must go. Feminists do not speak for traditional women. Men cannot know this, however, unless we tell them how we feel about them, our children, and our role in the home. Men must understand that our feelings towards them and our children are derided by feminists and have earned us their enmity. Whether or not this understanding garners mens support, traditional women must defend ourselves because the feminist offensive is, most essentially, a breach of solidarity with us, a disavowel of the obligation to honor the Womens Pact [that religious celibates, professional women, and homemakers respect each other] that women in the movement owed to us. Deborah Tannen have already explored an aspect of differences between males and females in her bestselling book You Just Dont Understand. This book is about how men and women use conversation in different ways. She said that men normally use conversation to build status, whereas women use it to establish closeness. Deborah Tannen does not commit herself to whether it caused of nature or socialization. She does not try to deal with it through moralistic exhortations to abolish it, but simply tries to promote understanding. She thinks that men actually do care about closeness, and women also do actually care about status. Female Leaders in World Throughout the years, there have been lots of woman holding a leader position around the globe. This shows that modernization had brought lots of change in the socialization around the world. Woman is not weak but some of them are bound to the socialization around the place they are born. The first example will be Angela Merkel. She was born on July 17,1954. She is the first female and current Chancellor of Germany. She is the also the president of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since April 10, 2000. Moreover, she is also the President of the European Council and chairperson of the G8 during 2007.G8 refer to group of eight where it is comprise of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and United State.G8 duty was to discuss issue of mutual or global concern. Their range of topic include, law enforcement, labor, health, social development, energy, economic, foreign affairs, justice and interior, terrorism and trade. Moreover, in the year 2008, she was awarded the Charlemagne Prize in 2008 for her contribution towards the European Union for the betterment she made. So from her we can see that modernization truly brought change in socialization. It made everyone has the equal chance to be a leader no matter their gender, race, or skin color. Moreover, for Angela Merkel, she is a truly remarkable icon for the female as she dares to stand up for herself and believe in the change she can bring for the society. The second female leader example will be Indira Gandhi who is the prime minister of India for 14 years (3 terms). She was the first female Prime Minister for India. Her father was Jawaharlal Nehru who was the first prime minister of India. She served as her father personal assistant unofficially before becoming the Prime Minister of India. After her father death, she was appointed as member of Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and appointed as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting. Finally with the help of the Congress Party President K. Kamaraj, she is able to win the election and finally won the seat as the Prime Minister of India. Moreover, during the year she led the country as Prime Minister, she had helped India to win a war against Pakistan in 1971 and managed to create the independent Bangladesh. Furthermore, her policy of Garibi Hatao (abolish poverty) was instrumental in her victory as well during the election. So from Indira Gandhi, we can see that even thought she is a wom an, she managed to be a good leader and even managed to lead India to win a war against Pakistan. This clearly show that female is no weak and they can be as good and strong as male. This had proven that male is not the smartest and strongest. So as long as female are given a chance, they might shine and be a good leader as well as a male can. Thus the quote by Vince Lombardi is significant which means Leaders are made and they are not born. They are made by hard effort which is the price that all of us must pay in order to achieve any goal that is worthwhile. Meanwhile in other field besides politic, we do have women who are also a leader. For example is Dr.Faust whose real name is Drew Gilpin Faust is being elected as the first woman president in Harvard University in the year 2007. Moreover, she was also the first dean for the Radcliffe Institute who guides it to change from a college to a wide-ranging institute for advanced study. In sports wise one of the most famous sportswomen is Billie Jean King who is a professional Tennis player who is known for the Battle of the Sexes in 1973. The battle of sexes was between Billie Jean King and Bobby Rigs who is the former Wimbledon mens single champion. As women, Billie Jean King managed to beat down Bobby Rigs and emerged as the victorious. Moreover, King became the first woman who managed to make more than $100,000 a year in tennis and was the Associated Presss Woman Athlete of the Year in 1967 and 1973. She was also the Sports Illustrateds Sportswoman of the year in 1972. Moreover, King is also the founder of the Women Sports Foundation, and the Women Tennis Association. Furthermore, King was also the first openly lesbian major sports figures when she came out in 1981. Besides that, the beating of the Bobby Rigs also helped to change the gender equality issue in sports and all the areas of public life. Thus in the year 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the President of United State Barrack Obama as her contribution had really helped the world to be a better place. Besides these female leader, there are still lots of female leader who are well known such as Benazir Bhutto who was the first female head of the Muslim country, Rosa Parks the civil right female leader who make racial segregation in United State illegal and Margaret Thatcher who is the Prime Minister in the Britain and manage to end the Cold War. From here we can see that female can also function and work well in the Political Aspect. Furthermore in the aspect of fashion design, we had Melinda Looi who is a purveyor of fine art and vintage chic. She won a scholarship to La Salle School of fashion in Montreal, Canada. In 1995, she was awarded Malaysia Young Designer Award in Kuala Lumpur which was also her graduation collection year. Today, Melinda Looi is one of the influential fashion designers who have also sets her design on her world. In the year 2000, Mellooi Creation was formed. It takes the designers creation to greater horizons while also strengthening the brand. Mellooi Cre ation Sdn Bhd has been formulated to further develop business opportunities in local and international markets. In sum, we can see that these women are important leader who have reached a great height and have change the world to a better place. They are competent, broad-minded, straightforward and efficient. They show out good judgments while being passionate about their vision too. So in future we hope that they will be more female leader out there to guide and bring the world to be a better place. Female Contribution in the Society There is numerous contribution of female in our society today. Without them, we may not be able to achieve what we had today. In medical field, we have the famous Dr. Janet Davidson Rowley, who discovered the first consistent chromosome translocation in a human cancer. Rowley is internationally renowned for her study in chromosome abnormalities in lymphoma and leukemia. Her discovery had led to the dramatically improved rates of survival for the previously incurable cancers and the development of targeted therapies. Besides Dr. Janet, we had Nancy Goodman Brinker who is the founder of Susan G.Komen for the cure. It is the world leading breast cancer grass root organization. The organization helps and invested over 1.3 million for research, health services and education since 1982. They had worked with breast cancer survivor and activist to save lives, ensure quality care, empower people and work hard in science and research to find cures. With her help, they had developed new treatment option and a higher chance of living for the breast cancer patient and long-term survivors. Meanwhile in the engineering or invention section, women had also provided lots of help and contribution. For example we had Mary Jane Montgomery who had made improvements in locomotive wheels in the year 1864 and apparatus for punching corrugated metals in the year 1866. Besides that, Evelyn F. French also helped to invent a sound-deadening attachment for railway cars in the year 1880. Meanwhile, Letitia Geer managed to develop the medical syringes in the year 1899. From here we can see that women also helped out in the engineering and invention section. Conclusion In conclusion, we do not agree with the statement that Male are smarter than female as through our research we found out that there are also female who is smarter and better leader than the male. The reason they cant be a leader is due to the gender discrimination at workplace as there is a Glass Ceiling that is preventing them from advancing. However, over the recent year due to modernization, women are starting to be conscious and know their role. They do not only stay in the house but started to work and fight for the management role with the male. This had clearly showed that modernization had clearly made an impact on socialization by changing the norm of society on how they perceive the female. Moreover, because the change in socialization, the female is starting to be more confident and believe that they too can be a great leader. Female can be a good leader no matter in what field as we can see from Indira Gandhi who led the nation to win against the war with Pakistan. From h ere we can see that female can take up any challenge or work that male may take and some of them may out beat the male. Moreover, over the recent year, more and more female are coming out to contest on political position or the corporation management position. Besides that, modernization is also bringing a stronger democracy where social systems will be more numerous and specialized and competition will be more and more prevalent. This will also make the socialization to change from time to time to follow up with the modern society need and requirement as the society will start to be more and more competitive regardless whether they are female or male.