Special Clip

MU 2009 Squash Champ

You only know..

You only know how much someone means to you when you have everyone next to you but you are still looking for that person.
You only know how much you love someone when you want to know how they're doing.
You only know how much you care for someone when you go to bed thinking about that person and wake up thinking about the same person.
You only know that this world would be a better place when that person is around.

You only know how much you miss someone when you show happiness to the whole world but deep inside you, you know that you would give up the world for just a minute with that person.

C'est l'amour!

Compliment..

So, nowadays I have this new look on. Keeping my hair short and beard sort of the same length. Today, a friend told me I look like "Jason Statham" from Transporter 3.

http://www.product-reviews.net/wp-content/userimages/2008/02/prison-breaks-robert-knepper-signs-on-to-transporter-3.jpg

I thought that was interesting since I really liked Transporter 3 and moreover, the acting skills of Jason. I enjoyed the movie "Bank Job" as well. Two great movies.

Essentialism and Constructionism

Referring to the chapter 11 of Goode, contrast the positions of David Rosenhan (“On Being Sane in Insane Places”) and Spitzer (“On Pseudoscience in Science”) with respect to the reality of mental illness as well as its diagnosability (pp. 305-306)

David Rosenhan made a study here eight normal people went to different hospitals and claimed that they hear hallucinatory voices. They were admitted and diagnosed as having mental illness symptoms. All eight people acted rationally and didn't show any symptoms of mental illness while they were being treated. Rosenhan says that psychiatrists can not distinguish between sane from insane people. He also argues that psychiatrists just diagnose anyone with symptoms without checking if this person really has mental illness. On the other hand Spitzer argues that since Rosenhan is also a law teacher so Rosenhan has some concepts mixed up such as “sane” and “insane” is legal terms but not psychiatric terms. Moreover the central issue of law is the inability to distinguish between right and wrong and that is irrelevant to the study he did. Rosenhan says that in the eyes of the hospital they were in, they were neither sane nor insane at any time. Spitzer replies saying that psychiatrists are able of detecting mental disorders. His proof was that the hospital labeled Rosenhan and his friends as "in remission" which means that they are free of any signs of mental illness. But Spitzer admits that there are serious problems with psychiatrists when it comes to diagnosis just like any other medical field but he says that they are able to distinguish between sane and insane people.
When relating both views to essentialism and constructionism will find that both Rosenhan and Spitzer belong to two different schools. Essentialism is the view that mental disorder is a real, concrete thing that the observer can identify and locate. While Constructionism is how mental disorder is regarded, thought about, talked about and dealt with. In that sense Rosenhan rebels against the essentialism theory because he says that mental disorder is not real and can not be clearly identified. On the other hand Spitzer totally agrees with the essentialism theory and also the constructionalism theory. He explains that if he drank half a bottle of blood and went to the hospital and vomited blood then he would be labeled as someone with bleeding peptic ulcer. The same thing goes with what Rosenhan did when he said he hears hallucinating voices; this is basically how mental disorder is thought of and is death with according to constructionism.

Thank you!

Dear All,

I didn't realize that my blog is being read by that many people. If I knew, I wouldn't have disapeared for the longest time! :)

Many thanks to all of those who left comments and to those who emailed! I really appreciate your thoughts and support.

Saif

Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)

This is my summary of the first 55pages from the Martin Lings book, Muhammad.

The story begins in Mecca and specifically in am Arabic tribe of Abrahamic descent called Quraysh. Abd al-Muttalib was a respected man in Quraysh he was well known for his wisdom, reliability and generosity. Abd al-Muttalib has made an oath that if God gave him ten sons he will sacrifice one. Indeed God answered his prayers and granted him ten children. The youngest of which was called Abd-Allah, he was the most loved by his father. So Abd al-Muttalib asked his sons to make a mark on their arrow and them casted their arrows and it was Abd-Allah’s arrow that came out. So Abd al-Muttalib took his son and as he got ready to sacrifice him a voice said don’t sacrifice him but instead sacrifice something else. Indeed that’s what happened. Women told him to sacrifice ten camels at first and then pick an arrow if its still Abd-Allah’s arrow then sacrifices another 10. Abd al-muttalib did this process ten times till God accepted his sacrifice instead of Abd-Allah.

Then Abd-Allah grew up and married women named Aminah. The year following their marriage was called the Year of the Elephant. It was called so because there was a king in Abyssinia called Abrahah. This king had built a huge cathedral in Sana’a. He was hoping it would replace Mecca and people would stop going to Mecca and instead head to Sana’a. But one day a man from Quraysh went and defiled the church. When the king knew about the incident he vowed that he will take revenge by destroying the Kabaa. So he took all of his army and headed to Mecca. As soon as Quraysh knew about that, they held a war council and decided that it would be useless to try to fight the enemy. Abrahah sent a messenger to Quraysh asking them to send their chief but Quraysh didn’t have an official Chief. So they all agreed on Abd al-Muttalib. When Abd al-Muttlib met the king, he told the king that he isn’t the lord of the Kabaa and that its lord will defend it and the king replied "He can not defend it against me". So Abd al-Muttalib went back to his people and asked them to head to the hills where they can still see the Kabaa. As soon as the king approached the Kabaa the elephants they were riding didn’t take an extra step. According to the Author, Nufayl took hold of the great ear ad conveyed to it to kneel down and that was what the Elephants did. The army tried all the possibilities to let the Elephants get up and continue but they failed. A wave of birds carrying stones was sent to them from God and they stoned them till they burned. And that was how the Kabaa was saved.

During this time Abd-Allah was in Palestine and Syria and on his way back he died leaving Aminah pregnant. After that Aminah started noticing light coming from her stomach and she had a dream once that there came light from her stomach that lightened up the east and west. There was a tradition in Mecca that new born babies would be give to foster mothers, who will take the babies are raise them up away from the city in another environment. A lady called Halimah took care of Muhammad. One day while he was playing with his brother, two men dressed in white came and laid Muhammad down and opened his chest and washed it with snow. When that happened Halimah and her husband thought he might be possessed by an evil spirit so they decided to return him to his mother Aminah. Muhammad lived with his mother in Mecca for three years until she passed away. Then his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib took care of him. After only two years his grandfather died but before dying he entrusted his son Abu Talib to take care of Muhammad. Abu Talib indeed took care of Muhammad and would take him with him during his trade trips.

Muhammad was well known in Mecca as Al Amin or the trust worthy. There was a forty year old widowed woman called Khadijah who use to send people to trade for her. When she heard about Muhammad she asked him to meet her. She asked him if he would work with her and he agreed. On his first trip he made a surprising profit, he had sold the products for double its price. Khadijah was very impressed but more was she loved his kinship, trustworthiness and other characteristics. She asked Muhammad to marry her and he agreed. Muhammad used to spend long times of solitude, usually in a cave called Hiraa on the outskirts of Mecca. On his fortieth year and especially one night during Ramadan, angel Gabriel visited him, he said to Muhammad "Recite" but Muhammad replied "I am not a reciter" the angel then embraced him so hard and asked him again and Muhammad replied with the same words. Then the angel told him more of the surah. Muhammad was very scared and ran away and on his way home we would hear "O Muhammad, the messenger of God, and I am Gabriel". Anywhere Muhammad would look he would see Gabriel. This was the first revelation to Muhammad to ensure his prophecy. He ran to Khadijah and told her "cover me, cover me". He thought he had become a jinn-inspired poet or man possessed. So Khadijah went to her relative Waraqah and told him what happened and he informed her that Muhammad is the prophet we have been waiting for. Khadijah then goes back and informs Muhammad of what Waraqah told her and Muhammad feels better. Muhammad then starts receiving more revelations and slowly he started informing all his close relatives and companions and gradually people started entering Islam.

Criteria and guidelines for a perfect partner..

1. Loves you more than themselves
2. Follows what you like and abstains from what you don't like
3. Fights for YOU on every level and in front of everyone
4. Shows every one around they how much they want you
5. Forgives and moves on because that's true love!
6. At your lowest point, they extend there arm and pull you up.
7. Complete faith that your decisions are for the benefit of the both of you, even if they turn out to be incorrect sometimes.
8. Constantly reminding you of your good times.
9. Never let go!
10. When necessary, BREAKS ALL THE RULES TO BE WITH YOU! (of course with limits)

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Expresses their love, compassion and regret during and after fights.

Advice:
Keep your problems between yourselves.
Never tell what goes on between the both of you. Not even to the closest people.
Never lie.
FIGHT FOR YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER! Even if you might have to make others mad.

Finally:
If the other party shows careless feelings and does not hold tight through the roughest times then this person doesn't deserve fighting for. It is true love that makes a person do the craziest things to be with the person they love. If that's not the case then rethink how much love does that person hold for you.

Remember:
WHY FIGHT FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T FIGHT FOR YOU THE SAME WAY YOU'VE FOUGHT FOR THEM! It's a two way thing..it has to be fair!

Thoughts..

There are some people in our lives that we know and we think we know them inside out but we really have no idea of what the person goes through day and night.. some people can hide their slightest emotions and act in front of others as if life is giving them their share! However, these people when alone go through the roughest times.. from hidden emotions to scary thoughts that haunts them to nightmares that never lets them sleep in peace..all these things come out and they stand in the middle of a cirlce thats full of responsibilities and thoughts that only them have to carry it on their shoulder. They are obliged to walk down the road as if there is nothing wrong, greet people; listen to their problems and sometimes sit down and try to solve them. They always listen to others, but to them it is too hard for them to open out and easily let go of everything thats inside them.
There are some people who have their mind set to reach a certain goal that will benefit them and their religion, country or even culture. These people will sacrifice a lot of their lives in order to just get a step closer to their dreams. These kind of people did not make this choice.. but it was assigned to them. They have to live an extraordinary life so that maybe if they are called by the Greatest power for some job they will be ready to do the job! These people live in the dark for the longest periods, they work in silence and are quite about what they do.. what they accomplish..what they witness! They were given some sort of strength that keeps them going during the hardest times.. and when life turns its back on them and people neglect them due to their busy schedules.. they know that there is one and only one door open at all times! This door many people have forgot about and others are unaware of it.. but these people will go up to that door and knock to find the Merciful of all waiting for them to answer their calls and to supply them with simple messages that solidifies the concept that yes they are going right! And if things are really difficult on them and it seems to them that what they are doing is not appreciated by many, and in other cases people fight them for any given reason, then they get the reassurance that I am by you and I see you at all times.. when you're alone.. when you're in pain.. when you're in joy!
These people are hidden among us, they are the soldier's that work to lift us up with them but we fail to recognize them because they seek no fame! However, if you find one of them then make sure you get hold of him/her and never let go of them!

They are the ones that when all falls they rise!