:: Angels attacking the Jinns ::

Assalam Alaikum,

There's a meteor display for two days, Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park on Geminid meteor watch, and just as I remembered reading something about meteors in Hadith before, I've decided to search it out and taRah! Here it is... =) 

'Abdullah. Ibn 'Abbas reported: A person from the Ansar who was amongst the Companions of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) reported to me:

As we were sitting during the night with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), a meteor shot gave a dazzling light. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: What did you say in the pre-Islamic days when there was such a shot (of meteor)?

They said: Allah and His Messenger know best (the actual position), but we, however, used to say that that very night a great man had been born and a great man had died,

whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: (These meteors) are shot neither at the death of anyone nor on the birth of anyone. Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, issues Command when He decides to do a thing.

Then (the Angels) supporting the Throne sing His glory, then sing the dwellers of heaven who are near to them until this glory of God reaches them who are in the heaven of this world. Then those who are near the supporters of the Throne ask these supporters of the Throne: What your Lord has said? And they accordingly inform them what He says. Then the dwellers of heaven seek information from them until this information reaches the heaven of the world.

In this process of transmission (the jinn snatches) what he manages to overhear and he carries it to his friends. And when the Angels see the jinn they attack them with meteors. If they narrate only which they manage to snatch that is correct but they alloy it with lies and make additions to it. (Sahih Muslim Book #026, Hadith #5538)

AllahAkbar!
So, now you know what is happening when the meteor comes! Should just look at them and imagine those angels chasing after the Jinns! hee~ It's a smiling thought to think about! =)

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

:: Snow! Yay! ::

Assalam Alaikum,

It's snowing here! Yay Yay! 

If it's snowing wherever you are, it's time to make duaa!

As the snow falls on us, May Allah(SWT) cleanse our hearts from sins and let there be a far far distance between our sins and us... Ameen~

Narrated 'Aisha: The Prophet used to say, 'O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the affliction of the Fire, the punishment of the Fire, the affliction of the grave, the punishment of the grave, and the evil of the affliction of poverty. O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the evil of the affliction of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal, O Allah! Cleanse my heart with the water of snow and hail, and cleanse my heart from all sins as a white garment is cleansed from filth, and let there be a far away distance between me and my sins as You made the East and West far away from each other. O Allah! I seek refuge with You from laziness, sins, and from being in debt." (Sahih Muslim Book #75, Hadith #388)

W'salam,
Khadijah C.

:: Tropical Storm blows a hole in city ::

Assalam Alaikum,

This event is soOooo creepy and scary... Reminds me of the story of Qarun... But Allah(SWT) knows best the reason behind this hole in Guatemala City...

Reflection time!!! =D

Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a side of the land to swallow you up, or that He will not send against you a violent sand-storm? Then, you shall find no Wakil (guardian - one to guard you from the torment). 
(  سورة الإسراء  , Al-Isra, Chapter #17, Verse #68)

Tropical Storm Agatha blows a hole in Guatemala City

Hundreds dead as torrential rain sweeps Central America. Sinkhole in Guatemala swallows three-storey building


Peter Walker
The Guardian, Tuesday 1 June 2010
Article history

A sinkhole that swallowed a three-storey building in Guatemala City has been blamed on a combination of Tropical Storm Agatha and poor drainage systems. Photograph: Luis Echeverria/AP

Tropical Storm Agatha swept across Central America yesterday, bringing torrential rain that killed more than 100 people and opened a 60m-deep sinkhole in Guatemala City which reportedly swallowed up a three-storey building.

The first named storm of the 2010 Pacific season dumped more than a metre of rain in parts of Guatemala, also hitting El Salvador and Honduras. At least 113 people were reported killed, with around 50 missing in Guatemala alone as rescue workers searched through the rubble.

The 30m-diameter sinkhole opened up in a northern district of Guatemala City, with residents blaming the rains and substandard drainage systems. Local reports said one man was killed when the building was swallowed. In 2007, three people died when a similar sinkhole appeared in the same area.

Guatemala was the worst affected country, with a confirmed death toll of 92, although that is likely to rise when rescuers reach remote villages. Almost 100,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. Nine people were confirmed killed in El Salvador and 12 in Honduras.

"I've got no one to help me. I watched the water take everything," Carlota Ramos told Reuters outside her mud-swamped brick house in Amatitlán, a town near the Guatemalan capital.


Video from BBC

W'salam,
Khadijah C.

:: Blessed with Iron ::

We sent aforetime our apostles with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice; and We sent down iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, Unseen, Him and His apostles: For Allah is Full of Strength, Exalted in Might (and able to enforce His Will).

( سورة الحديد , Al-Hadid, Chapter #57, Verse #25)

And say: "truth has (now) arrived, and falsehood perished: for falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish."

( سورة الإسراء , Al-Isra, Chapter #17, Verse #81)

 
October 19, 2009 — Geologists point to outer space as source of the Earth’s mineral riches

October 19, 2009

By Sean Bettam

According to a new study by geologists at the University of Toronto and the University of Maryland, the wealth of some minerals that lie in the rock beneath the Earth’s surface may be extraterrestrial in origin.

"The extreme temperature at which the Earth’s core formed more than four billion years ago would have completely stripped any precious metals from the rocky crust and deposited them in the core," says James Brenan of the Department of Geology at the University of Toronto and co-author of the study published in Nature Geoscience on October 18.

"So, the next question is why are there detectable, even mineable, concentrations of precious metals such as platinum and rhodium in the rock portion of the Earth today? Our results indicate that they could not have ended up there by any known internal process, and instead must have been added back, likely by a ‘rain’ of extraterrestrial debris, such as comets and meteorites."

Geologists have long speculated that four and a half billion years ago, the Earth was a cold mass of rock mixed with iron metal which was melted by the heat generated from the impact of massive planet-sized objects, allowing the iron to separate from the rock and form the Earth’s core. Brenan and colleague William McDonough of the University of Maryland recreated the extreme pressure and temperature of this process, subjecting a similar mixture to temperatures above 2,000 degrees Celsius, and measured the composition of the resulting rock and iron.

Because the rock became void of the metal in the process, the scientists speculate that the same would have occurred when the Earth was formed, and that some sort of external source — such as a rain of extraterrestrial material — contributed to the presence of some precious metals in Earth’s outer rocky portion today.

"The notion of extraterrestrial rain my also explain another mystery, which is how the rock portion of the Earth came to have hydrogen, carbon and phosphorous — the essential components for life, which were likely lost during Earth’s violent beginning."

:: Nature unfolding itself ::

Assalam Alaikum,

Subhanallah!!! Far far away from 'concrete forest' has allowed me to observe how Allah, Subhana wa ta'ala, has made nature unfold its beauty! PrRreeEetyYyy~

"Truly, it has been revealed to us that the torment will be for him who denies [believes not in the Oneness of Allah, and in His Messengers.], and turns away (from the truth and obedience of Allah)."

Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said: "Who then, O Musa (Moses), is the Lord of you two?"

[Musa (Moses)] said: "Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright."

( سورة طه , Taha, Chapter #20, Verse #48-50)

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

:: Toad is telltale for impending quakes ::

Assalam Alaikum,

I loOoovVvveeEeee how Allah(SWT) runs his creation!!! I read before that other animals could 'feel' the coming of disasters too~ That's why animals were seen running off to the higher ground when they feel the coming of a tsunami~

We should just keep animals in our houses and donate those funds for building sophisticated machines to needy children and families~ haa~ Well, the thinking of a simple-minded follower~

News like this just makes me recite the surah with increasing faith~ Yay!!! =D

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like unto Him.
( سورة الإخلاص , Al-Ikhlas, Chapter #112)

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

Taken from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100331/tts-science-quake-toads-c1b2fc3.html

PARIS (AFP) - – For ages, mankind has craved a tool that can provide early warning of that terrifying moment when the earth begins to shake.

But if a scientific paper published on Wednesday is confirmed, we may at last have found one.

The best hope yet of an earthquake predictor could lie in a small, brown, knobbly amphibian, it suggests.

The male common toad (Bufo bufo) gave five days' warning of the earthquake that ravaged the town of L'Aquila in central Italy on April 6, 2009, killing more than 300 people and displacing 40,000 others, the study says.

Biologist Rachel Grant of Britain's Open University embarked on a toad-monitoring project at San Ruffino lake, 74 kilometres (46 miles) north of L'Aquila, 10 days before the 6.3-magnitude quake struck.

Her two-person team observed the site for 29 days, counting toad numbers and measuring temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall and other conditions.

By March 28, more than 90 male toads had mustered for the spawning season, but two days later, their numbers suddenly fell, Grant reports.

By April 1 -- five days before the quake -- 96 percent of the males had fled.

Several dozen ventured back on April 9 for the full moon, a known courtship period for toads, although the tally was some 50-80 percent fewer than in previous years.

After this small peak, the numbers fell once more, only picking up significantly on April 15, two days after the last major aftershock, defined as 4.5 magnitude or higher.

In addition, the number of paired toads at the breeding site also dropped to zero three days before the quake. And no fresh spawn was found at the site from April 6 until the last big after-tremor.

Grant says the toads' comportment is a "dramatic change" for the species.

Once male toads hole up at a breeding site, they usually never leave until the annual spawning season is over, she notes.

Eager to answer the riddle, Grant obtained Russian measurements of electrical activity in the ionosphere, the uppermost electromagnetic layer in the atmosphere, which were picked up by very low frequency (VLF) radio receivers.

The toads' two periods of exodus both coincided with bursts of VLF disruption.

Previous research has attributed perturbations in the ionosphere to releases of radon, a radioactive gas generated underground, or to gravity waves prior to a quake, although much about this phenomenon is unclear.

In the quest to find an earthquake predictor, elephants, horses, wolves, snakes and fish have all been variously put forward.

This study, though, is exceptional. It puts the flesh of data and first-hand observation on the bones of anecdotal evidence, even if there is no confirmed explanation as to why the toads bolted as they did.

"Our study is one of the first to document animal behaviour before, during and after an earthquake," says Grant.

"Our findings suggest that toads are able to detect pre-seismic cues such as the release of gases and charged particles, and use these as a form of early warning system."

The paper is published in the Journal of Zoology by the Zoological Society of London.

:: Following Prophet Muhammad's love of animals ::

Assalam Alaikum,

This is the view of my little window... Pigeons love to sit and peep into my room on the ledge~ hehehe~ Then I remember that I have some oats and I thought I could feed some to the pigeons... 

Being a city girl, who was brought up without much contact with animals, I am scared that there'll be too much mess outside my window and I might be attacked! But then again, it's my responsibility as part of the nature to take care of Allah's creation, isn't it? I just gotta overcome my fears of animals... hee~

Well, I'm just trying my best to follow Prophet Muhammad~ hee~ =D

Abu Hurairah reported: Messenger of Allah said, "While a man was walking on his way he became extremely thirsty. He found a well and went down into it to drink water. Upon leaving it, he saw a dog which was panting out of thirst. His tongue was lolling out and he was eating moist earth due to his extreme thirst. The man thought to himself, 'This dog is extremely thirsty as I was.' So he descended back into the well, filled up his leather sock with water, and holding it in his teeth, climbed up and quenched the thirst of the dog. Allah was pleased by this man’s action and forgave him his sins". The Companions then asked the Prophet: "Shall we be rewarded for showing kindness to the animals also?'' He said, "A reward is given in connection with kindness to every living thing". [Bukhari and Muslim]

Abu Hurairah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah say, "Allah created one hundred units of mercy on the Day He created the heavens and the earth. Each one of them can contain all that is between the Heaven and the Earth. Of them, he put one on earth, through which a mother has compassion for her children and animals and birds have compassion for one another. On the Day of Resurrection, He will perfect and complete His Mercy". (That is He will use all the hundred units of mercy for His servants on that Day). [Bukhari and Muslim]

Taken from http://www.theprophetofmercy.com/Chapter%20Hadith%20and%20the%20Sunnah%20of%20Muhammad.pdf

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

:: My clear blue sky ::

Assalam Alaikum,

It is such a beautiful day when I looked out of my window~ I decided to take a picture of it and talk about it here... It was by chance that the bird flew passed... Then when I tried to look out for ayats in the Qur'an, I found this...

Do they not see the birds held (flying) in the midst of the sky? None holds them but Allah [none gave them the ability to fly but Allah]. Verily, in this are clear Ayat (proofs and signs) for people who believe (in the Oneness of Allah). 

(  سورة النحل  , An-Nahl, Chapter #16, Verse #79)

Isn't it amazing? hee~ =D Allah(SWT) knows all what we are thinking and doing! hehehehe~ Seeing that it was a good day, I went out with my friend and we took a walk... I love the weather today!!! And this is another picture I took...

Allah, it is He Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes good (looking) and has provided you with good things. That is Allah, your Lord: so Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists). 
(  سورة غافر  , Ghafir, Chapter #40, Verse #64)

I'm soOooo much thankful for whatever I am having now~ Alhamdulliah!!!


W'salam,
Khadijah C.

:: Travel through the earth ::

Assalam Alaikum,

I watched this program, "Quest for the Lost Civilisation" in YouTube... http://www.youtube.com/show/questforthelostcivilisation

It talks about the lost civilisations in areas of Egypt, Cambodia, Japan, Angkor Wat, the famous Incas and some other places~ It's amazing how the archaeologists research on the alightment of the various architectures in the famous civilisations~

I was thinking how amazing people were previously~ How they are about to build such big infrastructures and on top of it, they were built to align to the constellation in the universe in 10500BC~ Different civilisations at different timing, building their temples, pyramids according to the constellation in 10500BC... How did they ever do it without computers? Wow... Amazing~

And, internet just makes it easy for us to "travel through the earth" to see what early civilisations had done~ If only people reflect on what Qur'an says...

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

Have they not travelled through the land, and have they hearts wherewith to understand and ears wherewith to hear? Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind.

( سورة الحج , Al-Hajj, Chapter #22, Verse #46)

Have they not travelled through the earth and seen what was the end of those before them? They were more in number than them and mightier in strength, and in the traces (they have left behind them) in the land; yet all that they used to earn availed them not.

( سورة غافر , Ghafir, Chapter #40, Verse #82)

Have they not travelled through the earth, and seen what was the end of those before them? Allah destroyed them completely, and a similar (fate awaits) the disbelievers.

( سورة محمد , Muhammad, Chapter #47, Verse #10)

:: Springing into Spring ::

Assalam Alaikum,

It has been a rainy spring so far~ But everytime it rains, I smiled at the thought of seeing flowers blooming the next day! =D

These are some of the "early" bloomers in Spring~ And ladybird!!! I saw several on the pathway while on the way back from university~ They are soOooo small that if my friend did not take notice, we would have stepped on them!

Oh well, we are not given the ability of Prophet Sulaiman, so we just gotta be careful with our steps, just in case we stepped on poor insects which are working hard to survive!

Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulaiman (Solomon) and his hosts should crush you, while they perceive not."
(  سورة النمل  , An-Naml, Chapter #27, Verse #18)

Works of Allah (SWT) in nature is soOooo amazing! I keep telling myself that something which is not visible to our eyes, doesn't mean it is not happening~ We human can do our best to plant seeds, but eventually, it depends on Allah (SWT) to let us sow our havest~ 

I have sow my seeds, just gotta be patience and leave the rest to HIM... =D Hopefully I'll get my garden of flowers soon! Yay!!! =D

W'salam,

Khadijah C.

:: It's spring time ::

Assalam Alaikum,

yoOoohoOooo!!! Finally spring is here! After a loOooongggg cold winter... *phew*

I loOooove it when it rains! It's God's blessings to us, isn't it? That when it rains, flowers will bloom!

"Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the water (rain) which Allah sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving (living) creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed Ayat (proofs, evidence, signs, etc.) for people of understanding."

( سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #164)

That's the same with life... Rain will come in drizzle or thunderstorm but conclusion is always the same... There's sunshine and joy after it!!! Yay!

So, whenever there is 'rain' in your life... Be in light drizzle or thunderstorm, be patience that it will pass soon... and then always be thankful for the sunshine that Allah (SWT) brings after that~ =D


W'salam,
Khadijah C.

:: Works of the Almighty ::

Chilean Quake May Have Shortened Earth Days

03.01.10

The Feb. 27 magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Chile may have shortened the length of each Earth day.

JPL research scientist Richard Gross computed how Earth's rotation should have changed as a result of the Feb. 27 quake. Using a complex model, he and fellow scientists came up with a preliminary calculation that the quake should have shortened the length of an Earth day by about 1.26 microseconds (a microsecond is one millionth of a second).

Perhaps more impressive is how much the quake shifted Earth's axis. Gross calculates the quake should have moved Earth's figure axis (the axis about which Earth's mass is balanced) by 2.7 milliarcseconds (about 8 centimeters, or 3 inches). Earth’s figure axis is not the same as its north-south axis; they are offset by about 10 meters (about 33 feet).

By comparison, Gross said the same model estimated the 2004 magnitude 9.1 Sumatran earthquake should have shortened the length of day by 6.8 microseconds and shifted Earth's axis by 2.32 milliarcseconds (about 7 centimeters, or 2.76 inches).

Gross said that even though the Chilean earthquake is much smaller than the Sumatran quake, it is predicted to have changed the position of the figure axis by a bit more for two reasons. First, unlike the 2004 Sumatran earthquake, which was located near the equator, the 2010 Chilean earthquake was located in Earth's mid-latitudes, which makes it more effective in shifting Earth's figure axis. Second, the fault responsible for the 2010 Chiliean earthquake dips into Earth at a slightly steeper angle than does the fault responsible for the 2004 Sumatran earthquake. This makes the Chile fault more effective in moving Earth's mass vertically and hence more effective in shifting Earth's figure axis.

Gross said the Chile predictions will likely change as data on the quake are further refined.

Alan Buis

alan.buis@jpl.nasa.gov

:: Reason for keeping me warm in the cold cold weather ::

Allah is He Who sends the winds, so that they raise clouds, and spread them along the sky as He wills, and then break them into fragments, until you see rain drops come forth from their midst! Then when He has made them fall on whom of His slaves as He wills, lo, they rejoice!
(سورة الروم , Ar-Room, 30:48)

The wind is howling strongly while I am typing here~ I would be bitterly sobbing without the assurance of Allah's blessings on us~ Now whenever it rains or snow or strong wind, I'll just smile and be delighted that I could feel the coldness...

If without winter, there will be no spring and there will be no beautiful flowers in blooming...

If without winter, animals/trees will not have time to rest and be recharged for a new year...

If without winter, all living things won't appreciate the warmth of the sun...

Every being will go through the 4 seasons in their life~ Appreciate each season for it teaches us lessons, if we were to ponder upon them carefully~ We might want to have spring/summer all our lives, but if there are not winter or autumn, we won't be thankful for the wonderful things in happier, cheery times!

We should just learn from animals about the seasons... When winter comes, we hibernate... "Winter" in our lives give us time to reflect~ So, we should take time off, just like those animals, to cool down, relax and reflect on ourselves... So that when spring comes, we will be thankful for the flowers which bloom for us, to encourage us to continue our live journey.... When summer comes, we feel the warmth of the sun around us and so, will be energised and able to do to our best abilities!! =D

hmMmmm... Something to ponder upon...

W'salam,

Khadijah C.