Islam in the Age of Technology & Artificial Intelligence by Noor Mohamed

Islam, the only religion which has scriptural text revealed by God that hasn't been outdated and remain intact since the time of its revelation. Nevertheless, Islam has had to adapt to the rapidly and fast-track changing landscape of technology in the modern world. One of the most significant ways in which technology has impacted Islam is through the proliferation of online platforms for communication and the spread of information. In the past, the dissemination of Islamic teachings and ideas was largely dependent on traditional methods such as word of mouth, the printing press, and religious texts. However, with the advent of the internet and social media, Islamic scholars and religious leaders now have the ability to reach a global audience instantly. This has led to a more diverse range of interpretations and viewpoints on Islamic teachings, as well as a greater level of access to a wide range of religious texts and resources.

On the other hand, the rapid spread of information has also led to the proliferation of false, wrong, extremist ideologies, innovative teachings, and misinformation. Some have used technology to spread hate speech and incite violence in the name of Islam, leading to a negative perception of the religion in the eyes of many.

Overall, technology has had a complex impact on Islam. While it has provided new opportunities for the spread of knowledge and understanding, it has also contributed to the spread of extremism and misinformation. It is important for Muslims to be mindful of this and use technology responsibly in order to promote the positive values of their religion.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a number of impacts on Islam, just as it has had impacts on many other aspects of society. Some of the ways in which AI has impacted Islam include:

• * Translation of the Qur'an: AI has been used to translate the Qur'an into different languages, making it more accessible to non-Arabic speakers. While some traditionalists may argue that the Qur'an should only be translated by human scholars, others see the use of AI as a way to make the Qur'an more widely available and to reach a larger audience.

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• * Islamic finance: AI has also been used in the field of Islamic finance, which is a system of financial practices that are based on Islamic principles. For example, AI has been used to automate the process of identifying and screening potential investments that are compliant with Islamic law.

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• * Online fatwas: Some Muslim scholars have used AI to answer questions and provide guidance on Islamic matters through online platforms. This has made it easier for people to access Islamic knowledge and seek guidance from scholars, but it has also raised questions about the reliability and authority of these online fatwas.

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• * Social media: AI has also had an impact on the way Islam is discussed and perceived on social media. Some have used AI to spread extremist ideologies and incite violence in the name of Islam, leading to a negative perception of the religion in the eyes of many. Others have used AI to counter this narrative and promote a more positive image of Islam on social media.

* ChatGPT - is an artificial intelligence system that can be developed as a database that can hold all Islamic resources in one location and provide an expert answer to all kinds of questions as if being answered by any expert Islamic scholar with a detailed focus on authentic Arabic sources as the basis for all answers.

Overall, AI has had a complex impact on Islam. While it has provided new opportunities for the spread of knowledge and understanding, it has also contributed to the spread of false, wrong, extremism, innovative teachings, and misinformation. It is important for Muslims to be mindful of this and use AI responsibly in order to promote the positive values of their religion

Axe Brand Universal Oil (Minyak Angin Cap Kapak) & Tiger Balm by Noor Mohamed

Axe Brand Universal Oil manufactured by Leung Kai Fook Company, is made from a unique formula and has been used throughout the world for over 80 years. The origins of the Axe Brand Oil began in 1928 when founder Leung Yun Chee emigrated from Shunde, China to Singapore. In Singapore, he met a German physician, Dr. Schmeidler, who shared with him the formula for a medicated oil. Shortly after, the Leung Kai Fook Medical Company was set up. It is reported that Axe Brand Oil contains a blend of camphor, menthol, and mineral oil. The product includes other essential oils such as eucalyptus, lavender, and wintergreen.

Tiger Balm has risen from the ancient courts of Chinese emperors to worldwide prominence. It all began when Aw Chu Kin, a Chinese herbalist working in the Emperor’s court, left China and set up a small medicine shop called Eng Aun Tong in Rangoon in the late 1870s, where he would make and sell his special balm that was effective in relieving all kinds of aches and pains.

When Aw Chu Kin died in 1908, he left his business to his two sons Aw Boon Haw (meaning ‘gentle tiger’) and Aw Boon Par (meaning ‘gentle leopard’).  They took the business to Singapore and successfully sold their balm to surrounding countries like Malaya, Hong Kong, Batavia, Siam, and various cities in China. Aw Boon Haw was the marketing genius who named the product Tiger Balm. Tiger Balm has since been immortalized as one of the world’s best-known pain-relieving formulations. The rest as they said, was history.

The Axes of Leadership by Henry Kissinger

Any society, whatever its political system, is perpetually in transit between a past that forms its memory and a vision of the future that inspires its evolution. Along this route, leadership is indispensable: decisions must be made, trust, earned, promises kept, and a way forward proposed. Within human institutions – states, religions, armies, companies, schools – leadership is needed to help people reach from where they are to where they have never been and, sometimes, can scarcely imagine going. 

Without leadership, institutions drift, and nations' courts grow irrelevance and, ultimately, disaster. Leaders think and act at the intersection of two axes: the first, between the past and the future; the second, between the abiding values and aspirations of those they lead. Their first challenge is analysis, which begins with a realistic assessment of their society based on its history, mores (customs), and capacities. Then they must balance what they know, which is necessarily drawn from the past, with what they intuit about the future, which is inherently conjectural and uncertain. It is this intuitive grasp of direction that enables leaders to set objectives and lay down a strategy.

For strategies to inspire society, leaders must serve as educators – communicating objectives, assuaging doubts, and rallying support. While the state possesses by definition the monopoly of force, reliance on coercion is a symptom of inadequate leadership; good leaders elicit in their people a wish to walk alongside them. They must also inspire an immediate entourage to translate their thinking so that it bears upon the practical issues of the day. Such a dynamic surrounding team is the visible complement of the leader’s inner vitality; it provides support for the leader’s journey and ameliorates (makes better) the dilemmas of decision.

Leaders can be magnified – or diminished – by the qualities of those around them. The vital attributes of a leader in these tasks, and the bridge between the past and the future, are courage and character – courage to choose a direction among complex and difficult options, which requires the willingness to transcend the routine; and strength of character to sustain a course of action whose benefits and whose dangers can be only incompletely glimpsed at the moment of choice.

Courage summons virtue in the moment of decision; character reinforces fidelity to values over an extended period. Leadership is most essential during periods of transition when values and institutions are losing their relevance, and the outlines of a worthy future are in controversy. In such times, leaders are called upon to think creatively and diagnostically: what are the sources of the society’s well-being? Of its decay? Which inheritances from the past should be preserved, and which adapted or discarded? Which objectives deserve commitment, and which prospects must be rejected no matter how tempting? And, at the extreme, is one’s society sufficiently vital and confident to tolerate sacrifice as a waystation to a more fulfilling future?

from the book - LEADERSHIP - Six Studies in World Strategy

by Henry Kissinger

Henry Alfred Kissinger KCMG is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

edited By 

Noor Mohamed

16/8/22

2.07am

Malay Proverbs

A refined Malay proverb says that if you remembered the place where you fall, you will never forget your playground. Places that bring bad memories are remembered and even more for places that give you joy and happiness. The Malay proverbs of the older generations were meant to guide the young with guiding words of wisdom. Malay proverbs found their way into everything that a Malay does. Its intended purpose is to make them think before doing anything that could put them into trouble. 

Malay proverbs are actually advice before making a decision or understanding the complexities of life itself. It is normally expressed in rhythmic prose and open with elliptical reference to nature or behavior or relevant things and the punch line contains all the wisdom kept in the mind of the older generation to serve as a reminder to young people especially when they are traveling abroad. Malay proverbs are full of age-old traditional values. In the past, wicked kings claimed heads in a lustful manner. 

Nowadays, spoilt children rule as little kings in their homes. Children are never satisfied with whatever you give them. Give them a ride on your shoulders, they will want to ride on your head next. These are Malay proverbs demonstrating age-old wisdom about brats and their desires to have more which is precisely the behavior of our millennial generation. Folks who are not in favor of administering the cane may opt to reason with the brats. While this is the prerogative of parents, we know it is not easy to get through to unresponsive ears.  

Sometimes it's like talking to a wall that only an electric drill can penetrate. Therefore, the Malay saying: “drilling words into the ear" illustrates advice given on a regular basis.  Another Malay proverb that means similar is: "Like pouring water on the yam's leaves". Yam leaves are extremely smooth and waxy, no drops of water will remain if you pour the liquid on them.  Fortunately, not everyone is a brat. It is possible to talk many people into performing tasks that they normally dislike. The right kind of persuasion is as powerful as great physical strength since “a sweet mouth breaks the bone." On the other hand, the very irresponsible way of using one's mouth is "the forked tongue of a monitor lizard". Famous in Malaysia when referring to capricious folks.

Here are some samples of the wise Malay Proverbs translated literally and with their English equivalent;

Sehari selembar benang, lama-lama menjadi kain-Everyday a thread, soon a cloth. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

Masuk kandang kambing mengembik, masuk kandang kerbau menguak-Enter a goat’s shed, you bleat; enter a buffalo’s shed, you moo. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Tanam lalang tak akan tumbuh padi. If you plant grass, you won’t get rice. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

Sambil Menyelam Minum Air-While diving, drink water. Killing two birds with one stone.

Seperti kera kena belacan-Like a monkey who eats chilly shrimp paste. Like a cat on hot bricks.

Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga-No matter how clever the squirrel jumps, it will eventually fall onto the ground. Curses, like chickens, come home to roost.

Diam-diam ubi berisi, diam-diam besi berkarat-The Potato grows in silence, the iron corrodes in silence. Speech is silver, silence is golden.

Jika tidak dipecahkan ruyung, manakan dapat sagunya-You can’t get at the precious sago without first breaking the bark. You can’t make bricks without straw

By

Noor Mohamed

15/8/22

3.54am

Noble culture of the Malays - "merisik".

The word “merisik” in Bahasa Malaysia (Malay language) means- to whisper (eavesdropping) or to spy if translated literally but actually it means to investigate or inquire secretly and discretely. The Malay culture is full of very artful behavior if they intend to do something. Merisik is the first step to be undertaken by a man if he likes a woman. The man will get his parents to assemble a small private party like a family gang to go to the said woman's house and do the merisik ceremony. First, it is an inquiry and to tender intent from the man putting forward his intention towards the woman’s parents and family.

Then if the woman’s family consented, immediately or sometimes during a second visit there will be a discussion about the wedding date and venue. During the merisik, verbal communication will be in parables or pantun (in Malay). Pantun is the Malay version of the English sonnets. In its raw and basic format, these sonnets or pantun consist of verses or abab (in Malay) where in each line the ending rhyme with each other and it’s very delicate to the hearing. A novelty showing off the mastery in commanding the Malay language. The shortest pantun has two lines known as pantun dua kerat whereas the longest has sixteen lines or pantun enam belas kerat. It’s hard to translate into English because Malay and English have different language syntax and lexical meanings but here is a sample of Malay Merisik Pantun;   

 

Jika tidak kerana bintang

Tak mungkin bulan terbit tinggi

Jika tidak kerana sayang

Tak mungkin kami datang ke sini

If it’s not because of the stars high above

Would the moon risen so high in the sky

If it weren’t for you my love

Would we never venture nigh!

 

The Malays are a very cultured society. Whenever they want to say something especially if it’s related to birth, marriage, death, peace talks, or ceremonial matters, they are extremely cautious in order to avoid hurting anybody’s feelings. Such is the high standard of speech of the Malays that they resort to talking in sonnets and use proverbial sentences to convey their message. 

During the merisik both parties will decide on the wedding date and venue as well as discussion about mahar or mas kahwin and hantaran. Mahar or mas kahwin is dowry given from the man to the woman and it is a religious obligation required in Islam and cannot be taken back once given whereas hantaran is a cultural mannerism that literally means delivery but actually, it means elaborate wedding gifts which consist of money, jewelry, clothing’s, gifts (even handphones and tablets in these days), foodstuff, flowers and fruits wrapped in a very decorative and artistic manner.

By

Noor Mohamed

13/8/22

12.04am

Phenology

Success and failures are like two sides of the same coin. The fact that we are here shows that our ancestors who lived on this earth which already passed the age of 4.54 billion years mean the early homo sapiens managed to survive the harsh conditions they were in and their success to survive means we are their symbol of being successful in surviving to stay alive on this planet. 

How do they manage to survive? They thrive because of their deep understanding of phenology. What is phenology? Phenology is the study of plant and animal life cycle events, which are triggered by environmental changes, especially temperature. Wide ranges of phenomena are included, from the first openings of leaf and flower buds to insect hatchings and the return of birds. Each one gives a ready measure of the environment as viewed by the associated organism. 

Thus, phenological events are ideal indicators of the impact of local and global changes in weather and climate on the earth's biosphere. Assessing our changing world is a complex task that requires close cooperation from experts in biology, climatology, ecology, geography, oceanography, remote sensing, and other areas. Phenology (Greek phainesthai=to appear, logos=knowledge, teaching) is the study of natural phenomena that recur periodically in plants and animals and of the relationship of these phenomena to climate and changes in season. 

In other words, it is the study of the annual sequence of plant development. Its aim is to describe the causes of variation in the timing of developmental events by seeking correlations between weather indices and the dates of particular growth events and the intervals between them. Phenology investigates a plant’s reaction to the environment and attempts to predict its behavior in new environments. In viticulture, phenology is mainly concerned with the timing of specific stages of growth and development in the annual cycle. Our ancestors understood phenology perfectly without having to consult any expert only from meticulous observation and the close relationship they had with nature.   

The Walk Out of Africa

 Our early ancestors use their five sensors and observation skills to the extreme for the sake of surviving the harsh conditions they are subjected to while living on this planet. They develop skill sets very early and this showed in the oldest cave painting discovered in France. The cave drawings in the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, France is the oldest animal paintings on Earth. The red and black cave drawings contained in the cave are more than 30,000 years old, according to a radiocarbon dating study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal.  The cave is located in Vallon-Pont d'Arc, Ardeche, and was classified as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site in 2014, 20 years after it was first discovered. The act and ability to draw what early humans saw in their environment is proof that shows they understood the idea of visual documentation of experiences which may help them to survive. This shows a very modern behavior of observation which gave rise to their acute understanding of phenology. The early humans developed this ability as a result of converting obstacles into power generators where they have to pass down all the knowledge of phenology that one generation developed to the next generation and the most suitable ways of recordings vital memories are through wall paintings. The challenges they faced made them more creative in developing all kinds of tools, agriculture techniques, animal husbandry, languages, writing skills as well as phenology. I believe that we the modern humans if were transported back in time to the stone Age with all our scientific knowledge, we can’t survive as our ancestors survived in facing the challenges they faced then. Our ancestors make the conscious decision to walk out of Africa on foot 150’000 years ago for the sake of survival and looking for better habitation. Scientists, Alex Timmerman and Tobias Fredric suggest the answer lies in climate change — not the human-caused variety, but rather change induced by 21,000-year-long wobbles in the Earth’s axis. Those wobbles mean that, from time to time, northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula would get a bit less sun and a bit more rainfall, creating greener and wetter landscapes. When our early ancestors observe the long-term difficulties, they will face if they remained in the same place hence that caused them to decide to move out of Africa for the sake of survival. According to Smithsonian Magazine dated July 2008, “in the 1980’s new tools completely change the kinds of questions that scientists could answer about the past. By analyzing DNA in living human populations, geneticists could trace lineages backward in time. These analyses have provided key support for the out of Africa theory. Homo sapiens, this new evidence has repeatedly shown, evolved in Africa, probably around 200’000 years ago. At that point in human history, which scientists have calculated to be about 200,000 years ago, a woman existed whose mitochondrial DNA was the source of the mitochondrial DNA in every person alive today. That is, all of us are her descendants. Scientists call her “Eve”.