Hey, I just finished two of her books: Alpha and Phoenix Code. For those who like science fi, well these are not hard core but they deal with real issues that humanity might be confronted in the near future if we can make a breakthrough in AI technology. She's got another book on AI which I read earlier, "Veiled Web".
Dr Catherine Asaro does not shy away from the difficult issues of how we define humanity and cultural conflicts. The "veiled web" tackled both those issues when she presented us with the main characters; Lucia who is a Christian, her husband, Rashid, a Muslim, and Rashid's AI. Similarly, in Alpha and Phoenix Code, she touched upon the dilema of AI being sentient and having free will.
For those who like more fantasy slant, I recommend her Charmed Sphere universe. Brilliant writing.
Monday, 10 March 2008
Friday, 7 March 2008
Time and Man
This is an article I wrote back in 2005. In the Quran, there is a chapter on Time, Chapter 103. One night, I couldn't sleep while thinking about the chapter...the following article is the result.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace
It is once again late night, 2 am to be exact, on July 1st 2005. For all my resolve to sleep early and wake up early, Allah knows me well enough as a night person and hopefully forgive this breach of promise. Tonight, my thoughts turn to Surah Al-Asr:
By Time,
Verily Man is in Loss
Except those who believe and do good
Who remind each other in truth and
Who remind each other in patience and consistency.
Tonight, we observed a minute of silence on the death of a member’s mother in my club. That minute felt very long; yet to us, the day seems to pass so fast. I have heard enough lament as to how time flies. How ironic…By Time.
The examples I mentioned above gives an indication of the relativity of time as we know it. How apt that Allah uses the term “Asr” to describe this time as oppose to “Dahr” which signifies ‘absolute time’.[1] “Asr” indicates measurable, and thus ‘relative time’ much as most of us have experienced. What is it that makes time “flies” such that we do not seem to have enough time? And yet, Allah hints in Surah Al-Asr that this would not happen for those who believe and do good. What then demarcates difference?
The relativity of time, I believe, is dependent on the activity that we do. The hectic pace of life that do not stop to appreciate our surroundings, focused on one goal and one goal only, i.e. the accumulation of materialistic world, distorts this ‘relative time’ just as gravity distorts the space-time continuum in Einstein’s Relativity Theory. So the nature of man’s loss is time itself, for time is the gift that Allah has given to us in order for us to gather our provisions for the hereafter. As time ‘shortens’, our opportunities for gathering these provisions too shrink.
So Allah, in His kind mercy, has shown us the way in the next few verses. Belief is key because it is our belief in Allah that causes us to take heed of His advice. It is our belief of His power over time that leads us to believe that our opportunities are not lost for Allah mentioned in Chapter 10 (Yunus/Jonah):98 that
“Why was there not a single township which believed, - so its Faith should have profited it, - except the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the Penalty of Ignominy in the life of the present, and permitted them to enjoy (their life) for a while.”
The above verse indicates not only Allah’s mercy but also Allah’s ability to manipulate time. So our belief is necessary to ensure the success of the advice.
The next part is “Do good” and here we note that many other places in the Qur’an links belief with “doing good.” But what does “do good” really entails and how does it prevent the loss of time? To my mind, it entails several key ingredients: namely, wisdom, knowledge, and the ability or power to act. There are those who are of the opinion that wisdom is a God-given gift. Perhaps it is true but I also believe that wisdom can be cultivated through being aware of the surroundings, learning to be alert, and try to understand and interpret what is developing around us. In order to have this awareness, then we have to learn to stop being so focused or channeled in our way of thinking, working, and living. We cannot be heedless of the nuances around us for these nuances are where the opportunities for the “gathering of provisions” lay. Knowledge is key to doing good for we are unable to carry out any actions without having the know-how of that action. Is it any surprise then that the very first revelation was “Read, in the Name of your Lord”[2]? The acquisition of knowledge brings us back to the need to address the issue of time. For it is necessary to manage time in order to obtain the knowledge in a timely manner for the action to be undertaken. And of course, without the ability or power to act, we would not be able to “do good.”
In “doing good” we raise ourselves above the primary concern of every man, i.e. himself. In so doing, we learn the value of time for the issues we have to address are more than likely to be time sensitive. Either it is time critical, as was the case during the tsunami or an endangered life, or it is a process that would need a long time for treatment, like in the case of ozone depletion. Then, the perspective now changes from the quantity of time to the quality of time. It then becomes essential for us to understand how best to utilize the time we are given instead of wasting it away.
The Truth is supposed to set you free. True words indeed. After all in knowing the Truth, we are reminded of the position of everything and thus we understand our position vis-à-vis Allah and that with Him lies our journey’s end[3]. In this divine knowledge, we are set ‘free’ from the confines of time. If from Him we come and to Him we are heading to, the concept of the complete circle, of the Singularity in which there is no escape from, enables us to understand that time[4] is basically meaningless and valueless except for whatever artificial value that we ascribe to it. It then becomes only a tool for us to use in our journey to Allah, just like any other tool that Allah has provided for us. Thus the concept of time evolves from encompassing us to us encompassing it. This is the tool for us to “do good” and subsequently help to increase our provisions.
In the last part, “patience” and “consistency” are two key words very much related to the concept of time as well as the action of “doing good.” These are two words which ties the two together. Man, in his very nature, is impatient, wanting results in an instant. Neither is he consistent as he is often distracted away from his goals. We have to be reminded of the need to be patient and to persevere in our undertakings. With our knowledge of the Truth, we are reminded that everything has its time and place, and that time and place is not determined by us. Patience is then an indication of our acknowledgement and acceptance of that Truth and a form of training of the concept of time being meaningless unless we ascribe importance to it. Consistency is the necessary training for us to undergo to ensure that we do not lose sight of the Truth even as we go about our daily lives where distractions abound.
Thus we note at the end that time is a tool whose value is only what we ascribe to it. It becomes valuable if we use it rightly in accordance to Allah’s wish – to “do good.” In order to learn how to use time, Allah has prescribed us to forms of training; patience and consistency. Only then are we set free and no longer in the danger of being in a loss.
[1] From Muhammad Asad, “The Message of the Quran”, Dar Al-Andalus Ltd, 1980.
[2] Chapter 96 (Al-Alaq):1.
[3] Chapter 2 (Al-Baqarah):284, Chapter 96 (Al-Alaq):8
[4] Time here refers to ‘relative time’ and not ‘absolute time’ for we truly have no understanding of ‘absolute time’.
It is once again late night, 2 am to be exact, on July 1st 2005. For all my resolve to sleep early and wake up early, Allah knows me well enough as a night person and hopefully forgive this breach of promise. Tonight, my thoughts turn to Surah Al-Asr:
By Time,
Verily Man is in Loss
Except those who believe and do good
Who remind each other in truth and
Who remind each other in patience and consistency.
Tonight, we observed a minute of silence on the death of a member’s mother in my club. That minute felt very long; yet to us, the day seems to pass so fast. I have heard enough lament as to how time flies. How ironic…By Time.
The examples I mentioned above gives an indication of the relativity of time as we know it. How apt that Allah uses the term “Asr” to describe this time as oppose to “Dahr” which signifies ‘absolute time’.[1] “Asr” indicates measurable, and thus ‘relative time’ much as most of us have experienced. What is it that makes time “flies” such that we do not seem to have enough time? And yet, Allah hints in Surah Al-Asr that this would not happen for those who believe and do good. What then demarcates difference?
The relativity of time, I believe, is dependent on the activity that we do. The hectic pace of life that do not stop to appreciate our surroundings, focused on one goal and one goal only, i.e. the accumulation of materialistic world, distorts this ‘relative time’ just as gravity distorts the space-time continuum in Einstein’s Relativity Theory. So the nature of man’s loss is time itself, for time is the gift that Allah has given to us in order for us to gather our provisions for the hereafter. As time ‘shortens’, our opportunities for gathering these provisions too shrink.
So Allah, in His kind mercy, has shown us the way in the next few verses. Belief is key because it is our belief in Allah that causes us to take heed of His advice. It is our belief of His power over time that leads us to believe that our opportunities are not lost for Allah mentioned in Chapter 10 (Yunus/Jonah):98 that
“Why was there not a single township which believed, - so its Faith should have profited it, - except the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the Penalty of Ignominy in the life of the present, and permitted them to enjoy (their life) for a while.”
The above verse indicates not only Allah’s mercy but also Allah’s ability to manipulate time. So our belief is necessary to ensure the success of the advice.
The next part is “Do good” and here we note that many other places in the Qur’an links belief with “doing good.” But what does “do good” really entails and how does it prevent the loss of time? To my mind, it entails several key ingredients: namely, wisdom, knowledge, and the ability or power to act. There are those who are of the opinion that wisdom is a God-given gift. Perhaps it is true but I also believe that wisdom can be cultivated through being aware of the surroundings, learning to be alert, and try to understand and interpret what is developing around us. In order to have this awareness, then we have to learn to stop being so focused or channeled in our way of thinking, working, and living. We cannot be heedless of the nuances around us for these nuances are where the opportunities for the “gathering of provisions” lay. Knowledge is key to doing good for we are unable to carry out any actions without having the know-how of that action. Is it any surprise then that the very first revelation was “Read, in the Name of your Lord”[2]? The acquisition of knowledge brings us back to the need to address the issue of time. For it is necessary to manage time in order to obtain the knowledge in a timely manner for the action to be undertaken. And of course, without the ability or power to act, we would not be able to “do good.”
In “doing good” we raise ourselves above the primary concern of every man, i.e. himself. In so doing, we learn the value of time for the issues we have to address are more than likely to be time sensitive. Either it is time critical, as was the case during the tsunami or an endangered life, or it is a process that would need a long time for treatment, like in the case of ozone depletion. Then, the perspective now changes from the quantity of time to the quality of time. It then becomes essential for us to understand how best to utilize the time we are given instead of wasting it away.
The Truth is supposed to set you free. True words indeed. After all in knowing the Truth, we are reminded of the position of everything and thus we understand our position vis-à-vis Allah and that with Him lies our journey’s end[3]. In this divine knowledge, we are set ‘free’ from the confines of time. If from Him we come and to Him we are heading to, the concept of the complete circle, of the Singularity in which there is no escape from, enables us to understand that time[4] is basically meaningless and valueless except for whatever artificial value that we ascribe to it. It then becomes only a tool for us to use in our journey to Allah, just like any other tool that Allah has provided for us. Thus the concept of time evolves from encompassing us to us encompassing it. This is the tool for us to “do good” and subsequently help to increase our provisions.
In the last part, “patience” and “consistency” are two key words very much related to the concept of time as well as the action of “doing good.” These are two words which ties the two together. Man, in his very nature, is impatient, wanting results in an instant. Neither is he consistent as he is often distracted away from his goals. We have to be reminded of the need to be patient and to persevere in our undertakings. With our knowledge of the Truth, we are reminded that everything has its time and place, and that time and place is not determined by us. Patience is then an indication of our acknowledgement and acceptance of that Truth and a form of training of the concept of time being meaningless unless we ascribe importance to it. Consistency is the necessary training for us to undergo to ensure that we do not lose sight of the Truth even as we go about our daily lives where distractions abound.
Thus we note at the end that time is a tool whose value is only what we ascribe to it. It becomes valuable if we use it rightly in accordance to Allah’s wish – to “do good.” In order to learn how to use time, Allah has prescribed us to forms of training; patience and consistency. Only then are we set free and no longer in the danger of being in a loss.
[1] From Muhammad Asad, “The Message of the Quran”, Dar Al-Andalus Ltd, 1980.
[2] Chapter 96 (Al-Alaq):1.
[3] Chapter 2 (Al-Baqarah):284, Chapter 96 (Al-Alaq):8
[4] Time here refers to ‘relative time’ and not ‘absolute time’ for we truly have no understanding of ‘absolute time’.
Thursday, 6 March 2008
Original poem - Gifts from God
God's gift to us: the lavender andthe bee
I'm not much of a poet but sometimes I just like to express myself and my thoughts. So, here's my meager effort to share...
Sunrise and sunset,
Sunrise and sunset,
time is a gift
that rarely one appreciate
until it is too late.
No service is done
by our headlong rush,
For God's gift of beauty
shall we likely miss.
A gift of life, of moments,
For who knows
when the journey's end.
Looking out, searching within,
To seek the Truth,
A precious gift
for those with understanding.
The ultimate prize,
so illusive is it,
that rarely we attain,
God's gift of peace.
Sunday, 17 February 2008
Long Overdue Visit
This afternoon, I paid a long overdue visit to my mother's grave. It's been at least thirteen years since I've been there. While the Malay culture "encourages" us to visit graves of our beloved dead, I grew up in a family where such a culture is not strong...but then, my family is not the typical Malay family.
My father encourages us to think for ourselves and question cultural norms. Grave visit is not really necessary in order to pray over the dead. In Islam, grave visits are encouraged only so that we, the living, might be reminded of our own imminent death. In death, only three things do any of us take with us; our good deeds, the knowledge that we passed on to others, and the prayers of our children. As children, we should ask God for forgiveness and His blessings for our parents. But this need not be done at the gravesite itself but constantly in our prayers.
So anyway, what made me go? My late mother's relatives, my Aunt Helen and Uncle Allan, asked if they could pay respects...so my dad, step-mom, and I went there this afternoon to ensure that we got the right grave and to do a bit of cleaning around the grave before bringing them over next weekend.
Well, its not an exciting weekend...next weekend would be more exciting, I think, since I will start my scuba diving lesson. Really looking forward to that.
Peace,
Sid
My father encourages us to think for ourselves and question cultural norms. Grave visit is not really necessary in order to pray over the dead. In Islam, grave visits are encouraged only so that we, the living, might be reminded of our own imminent death. In death, only three things do any of us take with us; our good deeds, the knowledge that we passed on to others, and the prayers of our children. As children, we should ask God for forgiveness and His blessings for our parents. But this need not be done at the gravesite itself but constantly in our prayers.
So anyway, what made me go? My late mother's relatives, my Aunt Helen and Uncle Allan, asked if they could pay respects...so my dad, step-mom, and I went there this afternoon to ensure that we got the right grave and to do a bit of cleaning around the grave before bringing them over next weekend.
Well, its not an exciting weekend...next weekend would be more exciting, I think, since I will start my scuba diving lesson. Really looking forward to that.
Peace,
Sid
Monday, 11 February 2008
Long lost relatives
Yesterday, I met my mother's family for the first time! For the longest time, I wondered if someone I met on the street could be my uncle, aunt, or cousins. Now, that questions is resolved.
To explain things properly, my mother, who was Chinese, was adopted by a Malay when she was one. The two families did keep in touch when she was young but lost touch after the racial riots in Singapore in the nineteen fifties. She had tried to find her biological family several times but unsuccessfully till her death. Similarly, with her family's efforts.
However, last Monday, a newspaper article appeared in the Malay newspaper in which her brother appealed to whoever has pertinent information of her whereabouts. My father later managed to speak to my cousin regarding my mother's passing. She (the cousin) decided that it was better to keep quiet about it during the Chinese New Year period but to my surprise, yesterday, about ten of them came over to my home. My eldest uncle and his wife, younger aunt, their children and two other cousins, children of my older aunts, all came. Seems like my mother had 6 other siblings, her being the 5th. Another surprise is that my family has a history of twins - my younger aunt has a twin brother living in Bangkok.
They were quite sad not to be able to meet my mother but I think they were happy to have met my siblings and me. My uncle did say that they would be organising a get-together with all of the relatives there since there are several more cousins who couldn't make it.
Anyway, I really am glad that I got to meet these long lost relatives. God is great.
To explain things properly, my mother, who was Chinese, was adopted by a Malay when she was one. The two families did keep in touch when she was young but lost touch after the racial riots in Singapore in the nineteen fifties. She had tried to find her biological family several times but unsuccessfully till her death. Similarly, with her family's efforts.
However, last Monday, a newspaper article appeared in the Malay newspaper in which her brother appealed to whoever has pertinent information of her whereabouts. My father later managed to speak to my cousin regarding my mother's passing. She (the cousin) decided that it was better to keep quiet about it during the Chinese New Year period but to my surprise, yesterday, about ten of them came over to my home. My eldest uncle and his wife, younger aunt, their children and two other cousins, children of my older aunts, all came. Seems like my mother had 6 other siblings, her being the 5th. Another surprise is that my family has a history of twins - my younger aunt has a twin brother living in Bangkok.
They were quite sad not to be able to meet my mother but I think they were happy to have met my siblings and me. My uncle did say that they would be organising a get-together with all of the relatives there since there are several more cousins who couldn't make it.
Anyway, I really am glad that I got to meet these long lost relatives. God is great.
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