About Badoo
Badoo is a truly worldwide online community that provides its members with the ability to communicate and share their lives with people both locally and around the globe. Its many features include the next generation in photo/video sharing and social networking. More importantly, though, Badoo allows its users to gain an instant mass audience for themselves and their work.
Key features
One of Badoo's greatest strengths lies in giving the user direct control over the size of their audience. With our patented system, members can activate features that instantly gain more exposure for their profile. We've added to that the ability for instant messaging, lightning quick uploads of photos/videos, and the transparency of being able to see who views your profile and individual entries.
Beginnings
Badoo was brought to life in London in 2006 by a small group of young, forward thinking programmers and tech entrepreneurs. The idea was to create a social website that would transcend all national boundaries, but at the same time, save the local unique culture of its users. The goal was then to allow people to share their lives and bring attention to themselves and their work both globally and locally.
Future
Badoo has already built a large and diverse global community. However, we strive to extend our reach and continue to provide the most cutting edge technology, which allows our users to share their lives with their friends and the world.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
About Badoo
Invention Of the Year: The iPhone
The thing is hard to type on. It's too slow. It's too big. It doesn't have instant messaging. It's too expensive. (Or, no, wait, it's too cheap!) It doesn't support my work e-mail. It's locked to AT&T. Steve Jobs secretly hates puppies. And—all together now—we're sick of hearing about it! Yes, there's been a lot of hype written about the iPhone, and a lot of guff too. So much so that it seems weird to add more, after Danny Fanboy and Bobby McBlogger have had their day. But when that day is over, Apple's iPhone is still the best thing invented this year. Why? Five reasons:
1. The iPhone is pretty
Most high-tech companies don't take design seriously. They treat it as an afterthought. Window-dressing. But one of Jobs' basic insights about technology is that good design is actually as important as good technology. All the cool features in the world won't do you any good unless you can figure out how to use said features, and feel smart and attractive while doing it.
An example: look at what happens when you put the iPhone into "airplane" mode (i.e., no cell service, WiFi, etc.). A tiny little orange airplane zooms into the menu bar! Cute, you might say. But cute little touches like that are part of what makes the iPhone usable in a world of useless gadgets. It speaks your language. In the world of technology, surface really is depth.
2. It's touchy-feely
Apple didn't invent the touchscreen. Apple didn't even reinvent it (Apple probably acquired its much hyped multitouch technology when it snapped up a company called Fingerworks in 2005). But Apple knew what to do with it. Apple's engineers used the touchscreen to innovate past the graphical user interface (which Apple helped pioneer with the Macintosh in the 1980s) to create a whole new kind of interface, a tactile one that gives users the illusion of actually physically manipulating data with their hands—flipping through album covers, clicking links, stretching and shrinking photographs with their fingers.
This is, as engineers say, nontrivial. It's part of a new way of relating to computers. Look at the success of the Nintendo Wii. Look at Microsoft's new Surface Computing division. Look at how Apple has propagated its touchscreen interface to the iPod line with the iPod Touch. Can it be long before we get an iMac Touch? A TouchBook? Touching is the new seeing.
3. It will make other phones better
Jobs didn't write the code inside the iPhone. These days he doesn't dirty his fingers with 1's and 0's, if he ever really did. But he did negotiate the deal with AT&T to carry the iPhone. That's important: one reason so many cell phones are lame is that cell-phone-service providers hobble developers with lame rules about what they can and can't do. AT&T gave Apple unprecedented freedom to build the iPhone to its own specifications. Now other phone makers are jealous. They're demanding the same freedoms. That means better, more innovative phones for all.
4. It's not a phone, it's a platform
When Apple made the iPhone, it didn't throw together some cheap-o bare-bones firmware. It took OS X, its full-featured desktop operating system, and somehow squished it down to fit inside the iPhone's elegant glass-and-stainless-steel case. That makes the iPhone more than just a gadget. It's a genuine handheld, walk-around computer, the first device that really deserves the name. One of the big trends of 2007 was the idea that computing doesn't belong just in cyberspace, it needs to happen here, in the real world, where actual stuff happens. The iPhone gets applications like Google Maps out onto the street, where we really need them.
And this is just the beginning. Platforms are for building on. Last month, after a lot of throat-clearing, Apple decided to open up the iPhone, so that you—meaning people other than Apple employees—will be able to develop software for it too. Ever notice all that black blank space on the iPhone's desktop? It's about to fill up with lots of tiny, pretty, useful icons.
5. It is but the ghost of iPhones yet to come
The iPhone has sold enough units—more than 1.4 million at press time—that it'll be around for a while, and with all that room to develop and its infinitely updatable, all-software interface, the iPhone is built to evolve. Look at the iPod of six years ago. That monochrome interface! That clunky touchwheel! It looks like something a caveman whittled from a piece of flint using another piece of flint. Now imagine something that's going to make the iPhone look that primitive. You'll have one in a few years. It'll be very cool. And it'll be even cheaper.
Facebook More Privacy Options
Today, we are introducing privacy changes that work towards our goal of giving you the control you need in order to share information comfortably on Facebook. There are two ways we've changed things: a standardized privacy interface across the site, and new privacy options available through this interface.
New Privacy Interface
Now, whenever and wherever you are controlling your privacy on Facebook, you will use the same standardized privacy interface. Whether you're editing the visibility of a photo album or restricting who can see your contact information, you'll see this:
Look for the blue privacy lock.
New Privacy Options
We've added a "Friends of Friends" privacy option that allows you to share information with more people that you are connected to through your friends. We thought this provided a much needed option for people whose strongest social connections are not through the networks they've joined, but through the friends they've added.
The second new option is the ability to share and restrict information based on specific friends or friend lists. We added friend lists to Facebook back in December as a way to help you communicate with groups of your friends. Now, in addition to messaging and event and group invitations, friend lists can help you communicate by choosing what information you share with certain groups of people.
For example, you can upload your "Family vacation" photo album and share it only with your mom and dad or only your "Family" friend list. Alternatively, you can restrict them from seeing a photo album that may not be so Family-friendly by allowing your friends "Except" these people or this list to see it.
To check out the new privacy interface and options, go to the Privacy page. While you're there, you'll notice that we've also redesigned this Privacy section to make it simpler and easier to find what you're looking for. We're always building more ways for you to control your information on Facebook, so stay tuned for more in the future.
Developments in iPhone-land
was away at the end of last week, so I missed much of the hubbub about Apple’s letters to the would-be iPhone developers. The poorly-phrased missive was initially interpreted by some as a rejection, but later assessments suggested that it was intended more to keep devs in a holding pattern as Apple scrutinized the requests.
Since then, it’s become apparent that some developers have gotten accepted into the program, though the numbers appear to be fairly limited at present. While the SDK allows you to develop apps for the iPhone, developers need to obtain a certificate from Apple in order to to test applications on their phone and distribute programs via the App Store, get access to Apple’s iPhone documentation and support, and to install the 2.0 beta version of the iPhone OS. Even those in the program appear to have limitations, though, as there seems to be a five iPhone limit for testing; installing it on unauthorized devices will render those devices inoperable.
Presumably, more devs will be allowed access to the program as time goes on, but I have to wonder what kind of impact the five phone limit will have on beta testing. One developer I spoke to pointed out that if there’s no way to enable wider beta testing, we’ll likely be seeing “a lot of buggy apps on day one.” Given how much noise Apple has made about security and stability, I’d think that’s a scenario they’d want to avoid
iPhone’s Become a master of all domains
One of the most useful advantages to the iPhone’s software keyboard is that it can change—mutate, if you will—depending on the context in which you find yourself. Safari’s location field is perhaps the best example of this: the iPhone removes the spacebar and replaces it with buttons for the period, slash, and “.com” suffix—all handy additions when you’re typing in URLs.
But what of those other domains besides .com? Well, as a tipster over at Mac OS X Hints points out, it turns out if you’ve enabled any international keyboard support (under Settings -> General -> Keyboard -> International keyboards), you’ll find an extra added bonus. When you switch to those keyboards in Safari’s location bar (by using the Globe button), holding down the “.com” button will also give you the option of choosing the country domain for the keyboard you’re using. So, for example, using the French keyboard layout will let you pick between “.com” and “.fr,” German will give you the option of using “.de,” and the British keyboard layout will let you choose “.co.uk”.
Sure, that’s all great, but there are more than just country codes. I’d like to see Safari’s keyboard offer the choice between “.com,” “.org,” and “.net”. Why the hate towards those non-.com sites? Is this because of that whole boom and crash? That was years ago! Time to move on.
Microsoft eyeing iPhone development
Given their long-standing rivalry, you might think that Microsoft would be wringing its hands over the iPhone. But if there’s one thing the Redmond-based company knows, it’s where the money is. With the announcement of the iPhone SDK, combined with Apple’s support for Microsoft’s Exchange email protocol, the iPhone has become a ripe target for Microsoft’s software development.
Microsoft’s Tom Gibbons (pictured), who heads up the company’s Specialized Devices and Applications Group—which includes the Mac Business Unit—told Fortune that they’re investigating iPhone development.
“It’s really important for us to understand what we can bring to the iPhone,” [said Gibbons]. “To the extent that Mac Office customers have functionality that they need in that environment, we’re actually in the process of trying to understand that now.”
While the iPhone can, of course, view Office files from Word and Excel, many users have made known their desires to be able to edit those files on their iPhone as well.
Outside of Gibbons’s group, there are other at Microsoft who are apparently interested in the opportunities presented by the iPhone platform as well, such as TellMe, the voice recognition software that Microsoft purchased not long ago. Seeing as voice-dialing is another oft-requested feature, if Microsoft can make it happen, the customers will probably flock to them.
Power Support Crystal Jacket Set for iPhone
Power Support’s $30 Crystal Jacket Set for iPhone () is another in that long line of time-honored combinations: a clear plastic iPhone case paired with belt holster.
Like many of its ilk, the Crystal Jacket comprises two pieces—front and back—that snap together with the iPhone in the middle. Power Support includes a thin, static-adhesive screen protector, but the screen is not protected by the case itself. There are openings for the headphone jack and the Sleep/Wake button on the top of the case; for the camera on the back; for the volume controls and Ring/Silent switch on the left side; and one for the microphone, speaker, and dock-connector port on the bottom. A small slit in the plastic lets you use the receiver speaker and there’s a cut-out in the front of the case for access to the Home button.
Once you’ve got the iPhone in the case, you can pop the whole thing into the included holster. From my tests, it seems that the holster prefers you to orient the phone with the screen facing in. You can make it work with the screen facing out, but there’s definite resistance to that direction. The belt clip rotates 90 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise, and though the clip itself feels a little flimsy, it held up well enough in my everyday use. The case itself is pretty slim; it doesn’t add a a lot of bulk to the phone.
The only problem I ran into the with Crystal Jacket was that when I put the case into the holster, one corner of the case would catch on one of the holster’s brackets, pulling the two halves of the case apart slightly. It may have been a slight imperfection in the particular unit I was testing, but it wasn’t a huge problem; the solution was just to push it a little more firmly, and the case would snap back together and into the holster.
Other than that minor glitch, though, the Crystal Jacket Set is a decent entry in the hardshell/holster lineup, though it’s perhaps a little pricey for the rather barebones features that it offers.
Review: Tekkeon Hard Case with Soft Touch for iPhone
Tekkeon’s $30 Hard Case with Soft Touch for the iPhone () is a hardshell iPhone case…with a twist. Or, more accurately, a flip. Available in five colors, its most distinctive feature is a hard-plastic screen protector that flips up to let you use the iPhone’s touchscreen, and back down to keep the screen shielded when it’s not in use. But just how well does that idea work?
Like most other hard cases I’ve tested, Tekkeon’s is made of two pieces: a front and a back. These snap together around the iPhone, leaving a thin gap between them (more on that later). Wide openings let you get at the headphone jack and Sleep/Wake button on top of the iPhone as well as the microphone, speaker, and dock-connector port on the bottom, while the front features cutouts for the iPhone’s receiver speaker, ambient-light sensor, and Home button. The left side of the case lets you get at the phone’s Ring/Silent switch and volume controls, and the back has an opening for the iPhone’s camera lens. There’s also a removable, rotating belt clip that snaps into place or slides off when you don’t want it. And, of course, there’s the aforementioned flip-up screen protector.
While the screen protector is a nifty, novel feature, it can be annoying to use. Since so many of the iPhone’s functions involve interacting with its touchscreen, you spend a lot of time flipping the case’s door up and down. Worst of all is answering a call, which requires you to: 1) unclip the phone from your belt; 2) flip the door up; 3) tap the screen to answer the phone call; and 4) flip the door down (because you can’t put the phone to your ear when the door is open). Though I got faster at this procedure with practice—I lost a couple phone calls while fumbling with it at first—it’s still an irritating process (unless you largely use the iPhone’s earbuds or a Bluetooth headset). Fortunately, the door can popped off from the inside of the case, which means you can avoid the problem, but you do so at the cost of screen protection.
The case itself is solidly built, and it holds together well. So well, in fact, that the instructions say you need a credit card to get the two halves apart again (don’t worry, it’s not to pay for a locksmith). Remember that thin gap I mentioned earlier? Slide a credit card in and twist and the you’ll pop the latches. I wouldn’t recommend trying with your fingernails if you want to keep them intact; it’s pretty tightly sealed.
The case’s belt clip is fine, if you want to use it, but unfortunately, it doesn’t look like you can remove the mount for the belt clip, a small toothed wheel that sticks out of the back of the case; you’re stuck with that nub even if you don’t want to use the belt clip.
So though its screen protector is an interesting idea, Tekkeon’s Hard Case with Soft Touch has practical limitations unless you’re a devoted headset user. That, combined with the protruding belt clip mount, should make you consider whether or not this case is right for you.
World of Islam
The Spread of Islam
From the oasis cities of Makkah and Madinah in the Arabian desert, the message of Islam went forth with electrifying speed. Within half a century of the Prophet's death, Islam had spread to three continents. Islam is not, as some imagine in the West, a religion of the sword nor did it spread primarily by means of war. It was only within Arabia, where a crude form of idolatry was rampant, that Islam was propagated by warring against those tribes which did not accept the message of God--whereas Christians and Jews were not forced to convert. Outside of Arabia also the vast lands conquered by the Arab armies in a short period became Muslim not by force of the sword but by the appeal of the new religion. It was faith in One God and emphasis upon His Mercy that brought vast numbers of people into the fold of Islam. The new religion did not coerce people to convert. Many continued to remain Jews and Christians and to this day important communities of the followers of these faiths are found in Muslim lands.
Moreover, the spread of Islam was not limited to its miraculous early expansion outside of Arabia. During later centuries the Turks embraced Islam peacefully as did a large number of the people of the Indian subcontinent and the Malay-speaking world. In Africa also, Islam has spread during the past two centuries even under the mighty power of European colonial rulers. Today Islam continues to grow not only in Africa but also in Europe and America where Muslims now comprise a notable minority.
General Characteristics of Islam
Islam was destined to become a world religion and to create a civilization which stretched from one end of the globe to the other. Already during the early Muslim caliphates, first the Arabs, then the Persians and later the Turks set about to create classical Islamic civilization. Later, in the 13th century, both Africa and India became great centers of Islamic civilization and soon thereafter Muslim kingdoms were established in the Malay-Indonesian world while Chinese Muslims flourished throughout China.
Global Religion
Islam is a religion for all people from whatever race or background they might be. That is why Islamic civilization is based on a unity which stands completely against any racial or ethnic discrimination. Such major racial and ethnic groups as the Arabs, Persians, Turks, Africans, Indians, Chinese and Malays in addition to numerous smaller units embraced Islam and contributed to the building of Islamic civilization. Moreover, Islam was not opposed to learning from the earlier civilizations and incorporating their science, learning, and culture into its own world view, as long as they did not oppose the principles of Islam. Each ethnic and racial group which embraced Islam made its contribution to the one Islamic civilization to which everyone belonged. The sense of brotherhood and sisterhood was so much emphasized that it overcame all local attachments to a particular tribe, race, or language--all of which became subservient to the universal brotherhood and sisterhood of Islam.
The global civilization thus created by Islam permitted people of diverse ethnic backgrounds to work together in cultivating various arts and sciences. Although the civilization was profoundly Islamic, even non-Muslim "people of the book" participated in the intellectual activity whose fruits belonged to everyone. The scientific climate was reminiscent of the present situation in America where scientists and men and women of learning from all over the world are active in the advancement of knowledge which belongs to everyone.
The global civilization created by Islam also succeeded in activating the mind and thought of the people who entered its fold. As a result of Islam, the nomadic Arabs became torch-bearers of science and learning. The Persians who had created a great civilization before the rise of Islam nevertheless produced much more science and learning in the Islamic period than before. The same can be said of the Turks and other peoples who embraced Islam. The religion of Islam was itself responsible not only for the creation of a world civilization in which people of many different ethnic backgrounds participated, but it played a central role in developing intellectual and cultural life on a scale not seen before. For some eight hundred years Arabic remained the major intellectual and scientific language of the world. During the centuries following the rise of Islam, Muslim dynasties ruling in various parts of the Islamic world bore witness to the flowering of Islamic culture and thought. In fact this tradition of intellectual activity was eclipsed only at the beginning of modern times as a result of the weakening of faith among Muslims combined with external domination. And today this activity has begun anew in many parts of the Islamic world now that the Muslims have regained their political independence.
A Brief History of Islam
The Rightly guided Caliphs
Upon the death of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, the friend of the Prophet and the first adult male to embrace Islam, became caliph. Abu Bakr ruled for two years to be succeeded by 'Umar who was caliph for a decade and during whose rule Islam spread extensively east and west conquering the Persian empire, Syria and Egypt. It was 'Umar who marched on foot at the end of the Muslim army into Jerusalem and ordered the protection of Christian sites. 'Umar also established the first public treasury and a sophisticated financial administration. He established many of the basic practices of Islamic government.
'Umar was succeeded by 'Uthman who ruled for some twelve years during which time the Islamic expansion continued. He is also known as the caliph who had the definitive text of the Noble Quran copied and sent to the four corners of the Islamic world. He was in turn succeeded by 'Ali who is known to this day for his eloquent sermons and letters, and also for his bravery. With his death the rule of the "rightly guided" caliphs, who hold a special place of respect in the hearts of Muslims, came to an end.
The Caliphate
Umayyad
The Umayyad caliphate established in 661 was to last for about a century. During this time Damascus became the capital of an Islamic world which stretched from the western borders of China to southern France. Not only did the Islamic conquests continue during this period through North Africa to Spain and France in the West and to Sind, Central Asia and Transoxiana in the East, but the basic social and legal institutions of the newly founded Islamic world were established.
Abbasids
The Abbasids, who succeeded the Umayyads, shifted the capital to Baghdad which soon developed into an incomparable center of learning and culture as well as the administrative and political heart of a vast world.
They ruled for over 500 years but gradually their power waned and they remained only symbolic rulers bestowing legitimacy upon various sultans and princes who wielded actual military power. The Abbasid caliphate was finally abolished when Hulagu, the Mongol ruler, captured Baghdad in 1258, destroying much of the city including its incomparable libraries.
While the Abbasids ruled in Baghdad, a number of powerful dynasties such as the Fatimids, Ayyubids and Mamluks held power in Egypt, Syria and Palestine. The most important event in this area as far as the relation between Islam and the Western world was concerned was the series of Crusades declared by the Pope and espoused by various European kings. The purpose, although political, was outwardly to recapture the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem for Christianity. Although there was at the beginning some success and local European rule was set up in parts of Syria and Palestine, Muslims finally prevailed and in 1187 Saladin, the great Muslim leader, recaptured Jerusalem and defeated the Crusaders.
North Africa And Spain
When the Abbasids captured Damascus, one of the Umayyad princes escaped and made the long journey from there to Spain to found Umayyad rule there, thus beginning the golden age of Islam in Spain. Cordoba was established as the capital and soon became Europe's greatest city not only in population but from the point of view of its cultural and intellectual life. The Umayyads ruled over two centuries until they weakened and were replaced by local rulers.
Meanwhile in North Africa, various local dynasties held sway until two powerful Berber dynasties succeeded in uniting much of North Africa and also Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries. After them this area was ruled once again by local dynasties such as the Sharifids of Morocco who still rule in that country. As for Spain itself, Muslim power continued to wane until the last Muslim dynasty was defeated in Granada in 1492 thus bringing nearly eight hundred years of Muslim rule in Spain to an end.
After the Mangol Invasion
The Mongols devastated the eastern lands of Islam and ruled from the Sinai Desert to India for a century. But they soon converted to Islam and became known as the Il-Khanids. They were in turn succeeded by Timur and his descendents who made Samarqand their capital and ruled from 1369 to 1500. The sudden rise of Timur delayed the formation and expansion of the Ottoman empire but soon the Ottomans became the dominant power in the Islamic world.
Ottoman Empire
From humble origins the Turks rose to dominate over the whole of Anatolia and even parts of Europe. In 1453 Mehmet the Conqueror captured Constantinople and put an end to the Byzantine empire. The Ottomans conquered much of eastem Europe and nearly the whole of the Arab world, only Morocco and Mauritania in the West and Yemen, Hadramaut and parts of the Arabian peninsula remaining beyond their control. They reached their zenith of power with Suleyman the Magnificent whose armies reached Hungary and Austria. From the 17th century onward with the rise of Westem European powers and later Russia, the power of the Ottomans began to wane. But they nevertheless remained a force to be reckoned with until the First World War when they were defeated by the Westem nations. Soon thereafter Kamal Ataturk gained power in Turkey and abolished the six centuries of rule of the Ottomans in 1924.
Persia
While the Ottomans were concerned mostly with the westem front of their empire, to the east in Persia a new dynasty called the Safavids came to power in 1502. The Safavids established a powerful state of their own which flourished for over two centuries and became known for the flowering of the arts. Their capital, Isfahan, became one of the most beautiful cities with its blue tiled mosques and exquisite houses. The Afghan invasion of 1736 put an end to Safavid rule and prepared the independence of Afghanistan which occured fommally in the 19th century. Persia itself fell into tummoil until Nader Shah, the last Oriental conqueror, reunited the country and even conquered India. But the rule of the dynasty established by him was short-lived. The Zand dynasty soon took over to be overthrown by the Qajars in 1779 who made Tehran their capital and ruled until 1921 when they were in turn replaced by the Pahlavis.
India
As for India, Islam entered into the land east of the Indus River peacefully. Gradually Muslims gained political power beginning in the early 13th century. But this period which marked the expansion of both Islam and Islamic culture came to an end with the conquest of much of India in 1526 by Babur, one of the Timurid princes. He established the powerful Mogul empire which produced such famous rulers as Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan and which lasted, despite the gradual rise of British power in India, until 1857 when it was officially abolished.
Malaysia And Indonesia
Farther east in the Malay world, Islam began to spread in the 12th century in northem Sumatra and soon Muslim kingdoms were establishd in Java, Sumatra and mainland Malaysia. Despite the colonization of the Malay world, Islam spread in that area covering present day Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Phililppines and southern Thailand, and is still continuing in islands farther east.
Africa
As far as Africa is concemed, Islam entered into East Africa at the very beginning of the Islamic period but remained confined to the coast for some time, only the Sudan and Somaliland becoming gradually both Arabized and Islamized. West Africa felt the presence of Islam through North African traders who travelled with their camel caravans south of the Sahara. By the 14th century there were already Muslim sultanates in such areas as Mali, and Timbuctu in West Africa and Harar in East Africa had become seats of Islamic leaming.
Gradually Islam penetrated both inland and southward. There also appeared major charismatic figures who inspired intense resistance against European domination. The process of the Islamization of Africa did not cease during the colonial period and continues even today with the result that most Africans are now Muslims carrying on a tradition which has had practically as long a history in certain areas of sub-Saharan Africa as Islam itself.
Islam in the United States
It is almost impossible to generalize about American Muslims: converts, immigrants, factory workers, doctors; all are making their own contribution to America's future. This complex community is unified by a common faith, underpinned by a countrywide network of a thousand mosques.
Muslims were early arrivals in North America. By the eighteenth century there were many thousands of them, working as slaves on plantations. These early communities, cut off from their heritage and families, inevitably lost their Islamic identity as time went by. Today many Afro-American Muslims play an important role in the Islamic community.
The nineteenth century, however, saw the beginnings of an influx of Arab Muslims, most of whom settled in the major industrial centers where they worshipped in hired rooms. The early twentieth century witnessed the arrival of several hundred thousand Muslims from Eastem Europe: the first Albanian mosque was opened in Maine in 1915; others soon followed, and a group of Polish Muslims opened a mosque in Brooklyn in 1928.
In 1947 the Washington Islamic Center was founded during the term of President Truman, and several nationwide organizations were set up in the fifties. The same period saw the establishment of other communities whose lives were in many ways modelled after Islam. More recently, numerous members of these groups have entered the fold of Muslim orthodoxy. Today there are about five million Muslims in America.
Aftermath of the Colonial Period
At the height of European colonial expansion in the 19th century, most of the Islamic world was under colonial rule with the exception of a few regions such as the heart of the Ottoman empire, Persia, Afghanistan, Yemen and certain parts of Arabia. But even these areas were under foreign influence or, in the case of the Ottomans, under constant threat. After the First World War with the breakup of the Ottoman empire, a number of Arab states such as Iraq became independent, others like Jordan were created as a new entity and yet others like Palestine, Syria and Lebanon were either mandated or turned into French colonies. As for Arabia, it was at this time that Saudi Arabia became finally consolidated. As for other parts of the Islamic world, Egypt which had been ruled by the descendents of Muhammad Ali since the l9th century became more independent as a result of the fall of the Ottomans, Turkey was turned into a secular republic by Ataturk, and the Pahlavi dynasty began a new chapter in Persia where its name reverted to its eastern traditional form of Iran. But most of the rest of the Islamic world remained under colonial rule.
Arab
It was only after the Second World War and the dismemberment of the British, French, Dutch and Spanish empires that the rest of the Islamic world gained its independence. In the Arab world, Syria and Lebanon became independent at the end of the war as did Libya and the shaykdoms around the Gulf and the Arabian Sea by the 1960's. The North African countries of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria had to fight a difficult and, in the case of Algeria, long and protracted war to gain their freedom which did not come until a decade later for Tunisia and Morocco and two decades later for Algeria. Only Palestine did not become independent but was partitioned in 1948 with the establishment of the state of Israel.
India
In India Muslims participated in the freedom movement against British rule along with Hindus and when independence finally came in 1947, they were able to create their own homeland, Pakistan, which came into being for the sake of Islam and became the most populated Muslim state although many Muslims remained in India. In 1971, however, the two parts of the state broke up, East Pakistan becoming Bengladesh.
Far East
Farther east still, the Indonesians finally gained their independence from the Dutch and the Malays theirs from Britain. At first Singapore was part of Malaysia but it separated in 1963 to become an independent state. Small colonies still persisted in the area and continued to seek their independence, the kingdom of Brunei becoming independent as recently as 1984.
Africa
In Africa also major countries with large or majority Muslim populations such as Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania began to gain their independence in the 1950's and 1960's with the result that by the end of the decade of the 60's most parts of the Islamic world were formed into independent national states. There were, however, exceptions. The Muslim states in the Soviet Union failed to gain their autonomy or independence. The same holds true for Sinkiang (called Eastem Turkestan by Muslim geographers) while in Eritrea and the southern Philippines Muslim independence movements still continue.
National States
While the world of Islam has entered into the modern world in the form of national states, continuous attempts are made to create closer cooperation within the Islamic world as a whole and to bring about greater unity. This is seen not only in the meetings of the Muslim heads of state and the establishment of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries) with its own secretariat, but also in the creation of institutions dealing with the whole of the Islamic world. Among the most important of these is the Muslim World League (Rabitat al-alam al-Islami ) with its headquarters in Makkah. Saudi Arabia has in fact played a pivotal role in the creation and maintenance of such organizations.
Revival and Reassertation of Islam
Muslims did not wish to gain only their political independence. They also wished to assert their own religious and cultural identity. From the 18th century onward Muslim reformers appeared upon the scene who sought to reassert the teachings of Islam and to reform society on the basis of Islamic teachings. One of the first among this group was Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, who hailed from the Arabian peninsula and died there in 1792. This reformer was supported by Muhammad ibn al-Sa'ud, the founder of the first Saudi state. With this support Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab was able to spread his teachings not only in Arabia but even beyond its borders to other Islamic lands where his reforms continue to wield influence to this day.
In the 19th century lslamic assertion took several different forms ranging from the Mahdi movement of the Sudan and the Sanusiyyah in North Africa which fought wars against European colonizers, to educational movements such as that of Aligarh in India aiming to reeducate Muslims. In Egypt which, because of al-Azhar University, remains to this day central to Islamic learning, a number of reformers appear, each addressing some aspect of Islamic thought. Some were concerned more with law, others economics, and yet others the challenges posed by Western civilization with its powerful science and technology. These included Jamal al-Din al-Afghani who hailed originally from Persia but settled in Cairo and who was the great champion of Pan-Islamism, that is the movement to unite the Islamic world politically as well as religiously. His student, Muhammad 'Abduh, who became the rector of al-Azhar. was also very influential in Islamic theology and thought. Also of considerable influence was his Syrian student, Rashid Rida, who held a position closer to that of 'Abd al-Wahhab and stood for the strict application of the Shari'ah. Among the most famous of these thinkers is Muhammad Iqbal, the outstanding poet and philosopher who is considered as the father of Pakistan.
Reform Organizations
Moreover, as Western influence began to penetrate more deeply into the fiber of Islamic society, organizations gradually grew up whose goal was to reform society in practice along Islamic lines and prevent its secularization. These included the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan al-muslimin) founded in Egypt and with branches in many Muslim countries, and the Jama'at-i Islami of Pakistan founded by the influential Mawlana Mawdudi. These organizations have been usually peaceful and have sought to reestablish an Islamic order through education. During the last two decades, however, as a result of the frustration of many Muslims in the face of pressures coming from a secularized outside world, some have sought to reject the negative aspects of Western thought and culture and to return to an Islamic society based completely on the application of the Shari 'ah. Today in every Muslim country there are strong movements to preserve and propagate Islamic teachings. In countries such as Saudi Arabia Islamic Law is already being applied and in fact is the reason for the prosperity, development and stability of the country. In other countries where Islamic Law is not being applied, however, most of the effort of Islamic movements is spent in making possible the full application of the Shari'ah so that the nation can enjoy prosperity along with the fulfillment of the faith of its people. In any case the widespread desire for Muslims to have the religious law of Islam applied and to reassert their religious values and their own identity must not be equated with exceptional violent eruptions which do exist but which are usually treated sensationally and taken out of proportion by the mass media in the West.
Education and Science in the Islamic World
In seeking to live successfully in the modern world, in independence and according to Islamic principles, Muslim countries have been emphasizing a great deal the significance of the role of education and the importance of mastering Western science and technology. Already in the 19th century, certain Muslim countries such as Egypt, Ottoman Turkey and Persia established institutions of higher learning where the modem sciences and especially medicine were taught. During this century educational institutions at all levels have proliferated throughout the Islamic world. Nearly every science ranging from mathematics to biology as well as various fields of modern technology are taught in these institutions and some notable scientists have been produced by the Islamic world, men and women who have often combined education in these institutions with training in the West.
In various parts of the Islamic world there is, however, a sense that educational institutions must be expanded and also have their standards improved to the level of the best institutions in the world in various fields of leaming especially science and technology. At the same time there is an awareness that the educational system must be based totally on Islamic principles and the influence of alien cultural and ethical values and norms, to the extent that they are negative, be diminished. To remedy this problem a number of international Islamic educational conferences have been held, the first one in Makkah in 1977, and the foremost thinkers of the Islamic world have been brought together to study and ponder over the question of the relation between Islam and modern science. This is an ongoing process which is at the center of attention in many parts of the Islamic world and which indicates the significance of educational questions in the Islamic world today.
Influence of Islamic Science and Learning Upon the West
The oldest university in the world which is still functioning is the eleven hundred-year-old Islamic university of Fez, Morocco, known as the Qarawiyyin. This old tradition of Islamic learning influenced the West greatly through Spain. In this land where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived for the most part peacefully for many centuries, translations began to be made in the 11th century mostly in Toledo of Islamic works into Latin often through the intermediary of Jewish scholars most of whom knew Arabic and often wrote in Arabic. As a result of these translations, Islamic thought and through it much of Greek thought became known to the West and Western schools of learning began to flourish. Even the Islamic educational system was emulated in Europe and to this day the term chair in a university reflects the Arabic kursi (literally seat) upon which a teacher would sit to teach his students in the madrasah (school of higher learning). As European civillization grew and reached the high Middle Ages, there was hardly a field of learning or form of art, whether it was literature or architecture, where there was not some influence of Islam present. Islamic learning became in this way part and parcel of Western civilization even if with the advent of the Renaissance, the West not only turned against its own medieval past but also sought to forget the long relation it had had with the Islamic world, one which was based on intellectual respect despite religious opposition.
Conclusion
The Islamic world remains today a vast land stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with an important presence in Europe and America, animated by the teachings of Islam and seeking to assert its own identity. Despite the presence of nationalism and various secular ideologies in their midst, Muslims wish to live in the modern world but without simply imitating blindly the ways followed by the West. The Islamic world wishes to live at peace with the West as well as the East but at the same time not to be dominated by them. It wishes to devote its resources and energies to building a better life for its people on the basis of the teachings of Islam and not to squander its resources in either internal or external conflicts. It seeks finally to create better understanding with the West and to be better understood by the West. The destinies of the Islamic world and the West cannot be totally separated and therefore it is only in understanding each other better that they can serve their own people more successfully and also contribute to a better life for the whole of humanity.
Chronology of Events in the Life of Muhammad (PBUH)
The Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, peace be upon him, born an orphan His father Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, had died a few months before the birth of his son.
0 years 9 or 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 52 or 53 BH April 570 or 571 AD
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Hadrat Halima Sadiyya, may Allah be pleased with her, appointed wet nurse. 8 days
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Return to Mecca under the care of his mother 6 Years 46 BH 577 AD
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Mother, Hadrat Amina, may Allah be pleased with her, passes away 6 Years 46 BH 577 AD
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Grandfather, Hadrat Abdul-Muttalib, may Allah be pleased with him, died 8 Years 44 BH 579 AD
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First visit to Syria with a trading caravan 12 years 40 BH, 583 AD 12 Years 40 BH 583 AD
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Pledge of Fudul to help the needy and the oppressed 15 Years 37 BH 586 AD
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Second journey to Syria for trade as an agent of Hadrat Khadija, may Allah be pleased with her 25 Years 28 BH 595 AD
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Marriage with Hadrat Khadija, may Allah be pleased with her 25 Years 28 BH 595 AD
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Birth of a son, Hadrat Qasim (may Allah be pleased with him) 28 Years 25 BH 598 AD
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Birth of his daughter, Hadrat Zainab, may Allah be pleased with her 30 Years 23 BH 600 AD
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Birth of his daughter, Hadrat Ruqayya, may Allah be pleased with her 33 Years 20 BH 603 AD
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Birth of his daughter, Hadrat Um-e-Kalthum, may Allah be pleased with her 34 years 19 BH 604 AD
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Renovation of Ka'aba and the placement of Hajr-e-Aswad (Black Stone) 35 years 18 BH 605 AD
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Birth of his daughter, Hadrat Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her 35 years 18 BH605 AD
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Hadrat Jibrail bought the First Revelation in the Cave of Hira 40 Year 12 BH 610 AD
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Revelation of the Holy Quran continues, Ministry of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is established. Hadrat Khadija (the wife), Hadrat Abu Bakr (the best friend), Hadrat Ali (the dearest cousin) and
Hadrat Zaid (a freed slave and adopted son), may Allah be pleased with
them all, accept Islam 40 Years 6 months Friday18 Ramadan 12 BH 14 August 610 AD
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Open invitation to the people of Mecca to join Islam under Allah's command 43 Years 9 BH 614 AD
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A group of Muslims emigrates to Abyssinia 46 Years 7 BH 615 AD
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Blockade of Shi'b Abi-Talib 46 Years 7 BH 30 September 615 AD
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Hadrat Hamza (paternal uncle) and Hadrat Umar, may Allah be pleased
with them, accept Islam 46 Years 6 BH 616 AD
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Hadrat Abu Talib, (beloved uncle and guardian) and only a few days later, Hadrat Khadija, the most beloved wife, may Allah be pleased with them, passed away 49 Years Ramadan 3 BH January 619 AD
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Marriage with Hadrat Sau'da, may Allah be pleased with her 49 Years 3 BH 619 AD
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Marriage with Hadrat Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her 49 Years 3 BH 619 AD
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Journey to Ta'if, about 40 miles from Mecca, for calling the citizens of Ta'if
to Islam 49 Years 3 BH 619 AD
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Journey of Mi'raj. Five daily prayers made obligatory for Muslims 50 Years 27 Rajab 2 BH 8 March 620 AD
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Deputation from Medina accepts Islam 50 Years 2 BH 620 AD
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First Pledge of 'Aq'ba' 52 Years Dhul Haj, 1 BH 621 AD
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Second Pledge of 'Aq'ba 52 Years 3 months BH June 622 AD
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Hijra (migration) from Mecca to the cave of Thaur 52 Years Friday 27 Safar 10 September 622
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Emigration to Medina begins 52 Years Monday 1 Rabi-ul-Awwal 13 September 622 AD
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Arrival at Medina after the first Friday Prayer at Quba's Mosque 53 Years 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1st year AH 24 September 622 AD
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Construction of the Holy Prophet's Mosque at Medina. Hadrat Bilal's call
for Prayer (Adhan) 53 Years 1st year AH 622 AD
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Brotherhood pacts between Ansar (Muslims from Medina) and Muhajirin (immigrants from Mecca) 53 Years 1st year AH 622 AD
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Treaty with Jews of Medina 53 Years 1st year AH
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Permission to fight in self-defense is granted by Allah 53 Years 12 Safar 2 AH 14 August 623 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Waddan 53 Years 29 Safar 2 AH 31 August 623
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Safwan 54 Years 2 AH 623 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) Dul-'Ashir 54 Years 2 AH 623 AD
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Hadrat Salman Farsi, may Allah be pleased with him, accepts Islam 54 Years 2 AH 624 AD
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Revelation and change of Qibla (direction to face for Formal Prayers, Salat) towards Ka'ba Fasting in the month of Ramadan becomes obligatory 54 Years Sha'abn 2 AH February 624 A
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Badr 54 Years 12-17 Ramadan 2 AH March 8-13, 624 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Bani Salim 54 Years 25 Ramadan 2 AH 21 March 524 AD
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Initiation of Eid-ul-Fitr and Zakat-ul-Fitr (Alms at the Eid-ul-Fitr). 54 Years 28 Ramadan / 1 Shawwal 2 AH 24/25 March 624 AD
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Zakat becomes obligatory for Muslims 54 Years Shawwal 2 AH April 624 AD
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Nikah and Marriage ceremony of Hadrat Fatima, may Allah be pleased
with her 54 Years Shawwal 2 AH April 624 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Bani Qainuqa' 54 Years 15 Shawwal 2 AH 10 April 624 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Sawiq 54 Years 5 Dhul-Haj 2 AH 29 May 624 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Ghatfan 54 Years Muharram 3 AH July 624 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Bahran 55 Years Rabi-us-Sani 3 AH October 624 AD
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Marriage with Hadrat Hafsa, may Allah be pleased with her 55 Years Shaban 3 AH January 625 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Uhad 55 Years 6 Shawwal 3 AH 22 March 625
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Humra-ul-Asad 55 Years 8 Shawwal 3 AH 24 March 625 AD
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Marriage with Hadrat Zainab Bint Khazima, may Allah be pleased with her 55 Years Dhul-Haj 3 AH May 625 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Banu Nudair 56 Years Rabi-ul-Awwal 4 AH August 625 AD
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Prohibition of Drinking in Islam 56 Years Rabi-ul-Awwal 4 AH August 625 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Dhatur-Riqa 56 Years Jamadi-ul-Awwal 4 AH October 625 AD
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Marriage with Hadrat Um-e-Salma, may Allah be pleased with her 56 Years Shawwal 4 AH March 626 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Badru-Ukhra 56 Years Dhi Qad 4 AH April 626
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Dumatul-Jandal 57 Years 25 Rabi-ul-Awwal 5 AH
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Banu Mustalaq Nikah with Hadrat Jawariya bint Harith, may Allah be pleased with her 57 Years 3 Shaban 5 AH 28 December 626 AD
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Marriage with Hadrat Zainab bint Hajash, may Allah be pleased with her 57 Years Shawwal 5 AH February 627 AD
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Revelation for Hijab, rules of modesty 57 Years 1 Dhi Qa'd 5 AH 24 March 627 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Ahzab or Khandaq (Ditch) 57 Years 8 Dhi Qa'd 5 AH 31 March 627 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Bani Quraiza 57 Years Dhul-Haj 5 AH April 627 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Bani Lahyan 57 Years 1 Rabi-ul-Awwal 6A H 21 July 627 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Dhi Qard or Ghaiba 58 Years Rabi-ul-Akhar 6 AH August 627 AD
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Treaty of Hudaibiyya 58 Years 1 Dhi Qa'd 6 AH 13 March 628 AD
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Prohibition of Marriage with non-believers 58 Years Dhi Qa'd 6 AH March 628 AD
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Marriage with Hadrat Habiba, may Allah be pleased with her 58 Years Dhul-Haj 6 AH April 628 AD
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Invitation sent to various rulers to accept Islam 58 Years 1 Muharram 7AH May 628 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Khaibar Return of Muslims from Abyssinia. Marriage with Hadrat Safiyya, may Allah be pleased with her. Ghazwa (Battle) of Wadiyul-Qura and Taim. 58 Years Muharram 7 AH June 628 AD
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Performance of Umra (Umratul-Qada) Marriage with Hadrat Maimuna, may Allah be pleased with her 59 Years Dhi Qa'd 7 AH March 629 AD
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Hadrat Khalid bin Walid and Hadrat Umar bin Al-'Aas, may Allah be pleased with both, accept Islam 60 Years Safar 8 AH June 629 AD
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Ghazwa of Muta 60 Years Jamadi-ul-Awwal 8 AH August 629 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Mecca and Fall of Mecca 60 Years 10 Ramadan 8 AH 1 January 630 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Hunain (or Autas or Hawazan) and Ghazwa (Battle) of br>Ta'if 60 Years Shawwal 8 AH January 630 AD
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Arrival in Ja'rana Deputation from Hawazan accepts Islam 60 Years 5 Dhi Qa'd 8 AH 24 February 630 AD
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Regular establishment of Department of Zakat (Alms) and Sadaqa
(Charity), and appointment of administrative officers 60 Years Muharram, 9 AH April 630 AD
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Deputation from Ghadra accepts Islam 60 Years Safar 9 AH May 630 AD
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Deputation from Balli accepts Islam 61 Years Rabi-ul-Awwal, 9 AH June 630 AD
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Ummul-Muminin Hadrat Mariya, may Allah be pleased with her, gave birth
to a son, Hadrat Ibrahim, may Allah be pleased with him 61 Years Jamadi-ul-Akhar, 9 AH August 630 AD
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Ghazwa (Battle) of Tabuk, the last great battle lead by the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him 61 Years Rajab, 9AH October 630 AD
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Ordinance of Jizya, tax on non-believers seeking protection from Muslims and exemption from military service in defense of the country they were
living in as its citizens 61 Years Rajab 9 AHOctober 630 AD
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Pilgrimage journey of Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddique, may Allah be pleased with him 61 Years Dhi Qa'd, 9 AHFebruary 631 AD
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Hajj (pilgrimage of Ka'ba in Mecca) made Obligatory by Allah Interest is prohibited in Islam 61 Years Deputation Tai, Hamadan, Bani Asad and Bani Abbas, all accept Islam
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Deputation from Ghuttan accepts Islam 62 Years Ramadan, 10AH 631 AD
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Departure from Medina for Mecca for Hajjatul-Wida (Farewell Pilgrimage) 62 Years 25 Dhi Qa'd 10 AH 23 February 632 AD
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Entry into Mecca for Hajjatul-Wida (Farewell Pilgrimage) 62 Years 4 Dhul-Haj 10 AH 1 March 632 AD
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Hajjatul-Wida, departure for 'Arafat, Farewell Sermon Received the last revelation from Allah 62 Years Friday 9 Dhul Hajj 10 AH 6 March 632 AD
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Return from Mana, Hajjatul-Wida 62 Years 13 Dhul-Hajj 10 AH 10 March 632 AD
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Arrival of deputations from Nakha' Last deputation received by the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him 62 Years 15 Muharram 11 AH 11 April 632 AD
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Sarya Usama bin Zaid, may Allah be pleased with him, last successful military mission during the Holy Prophet's life 62 Years 28 Safar 11 AH 24 May 632 AD
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The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, falls ill 62 Years Monday 29 Safar 11 AH 25 May 632 AD
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The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, lead the last Salat four days before his departure from this world 62 Years Wednesday 8 Rabi-ul-Awwal 11 AH 3 June 632 AD
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The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, offered his last Prayer in
congregation in the Mosque lead by Hadrat Abu Bakr, may Allah be
pleased with him 63 Years Monday 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 11 AH 7 June 632 AD
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The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, passed away 63 Years Inna lillahe wa inna elaihe rajioon
Janaza (funeral) Prayer and burial 63 Years Wednesday 14 Rabi-ul-Awwal 11 AH 9 June 632 AD
Ninety Nine Names of Allah
He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him. He is:
al-Rehman The Gracious
al-Raheem The Merciful
al-Malik The Sovereign
al-Quddus The Holy
as-Salam The Source of Peace
al-Mumin The Gaurdian of the Faith
al-Mohaymin The Protector
al-Azeez The Mighty
al-Jabbar The Compeller
al-Mutakabbir The Majestic
al-Khaliq The Creator
al-Bari The Originator
al-Musawwir The Fashioner
al-Ghaffar The Forgiver
al-Qahhar The Subduer
al-Wahhab The Bestower
al-Razzaq The Provider
al-Fattah The Opener
al-Aleem The Knowing
al-Qabidh The Constrictor
al-Basit The Expander
al-Khafidh The Abaser
ar-Rafay The Exalter
al-Mu'izz The Honourer
al-Muzill The Abaser
as-Samee The All-Hearing
al-Baseer The All-Seeing
al-Hakam The Judge
al-Adl The Just
al-Lateef The Subtle One
al-Khabeer The Knowing
al-Haleem The Forbearing
al-Azeem TheGreat
al-Ghafur The All-Forgiving
ash-Shakur The Appreciator
al-Ali The High
al-Kabeer The Great
al-Hafeez Preserver
al-Muqeet The Sustainer
al-Haseeb The Reckoner
al-Jaleel The Sublime
al-Kareem Generous
ar-Raqeeb The Watchful
al-Mujeeb The Responser
al-Wassay The All-Embracing
al-Hakeem The Wise
al-Wadud The Loving
al-Mujeed The Glorious
al-Baaith The Resurrector
ash-Shaheed The Witness
Names Meanings
al-Haqq The True
al-Wakeel The Trustee
al-Qawi The Strong
al-Mateen The Firm
al-Walee The Friend
al-Hameed Praisworthy
al-Muhsi The Reckoner
al-Mubdi The Originator
al-Mu'id The Restorer
al-Muhyi The Giver of Life
al-Mumeet The Giver of Death
al-Hayee The Living
al-Qayyum The Self Subsisting
al-Wajid Finder
al-Majid The Noble
al-Wahid The Unique
as-Samad The Eternal
al-Qadir The Powerful
al-Muqtadir The Powerful
al-Muqaddim The Expediter
al-Mu'akhir The Postponer
al-Awwal The First
al-Akhir The Last
al-Zahir The Manifest
al-Batin The Hidden
al-Waalee The Governor
al-Muta'li The Most Exalted
al-Barr The Benign
al-Tawwab The Oft Returning
al-Muntaqim The Avenger
al-Afu Pardoner
ar-Rauf The Compassionate
Malikul-Mulk The Owner of Sovereignty
Dhul-Jalal-wal-Ikram The Lord of Majisty and Bounty
al-Jame The Gatherer
s
al-Ghanee The Self Sufficient
al-Mughani The Enricher
al-Mani The Preventer
al-Nafi The Propitious
an-Noor The Light
al-Hadi The Guide
al-Badi' The Incomparable
al-Muqsit The Just
al-Dhar The Distresser
al-Baqi The Everlasting
al-Warith Inheritor
ar-Rasheed The Guide to the Right Path
as-Sabur The Patient
Attributes of Allah
Allah is the proper name of God, however, we know Him generally through His attributes. These attributes describe how Allah manifests Himself to us. God's attributes are innumerable since human intellect cannot possibly comprehend every aspect of the Supreme Being. A Hadith of the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) makes mention of Ninety Nine names of Allah commonly known as al- Asmaul Husna, the Most Names. In the Holy Quran we read: "And to Allah alone belong all perfect attributes. So call Him by these. And leave alone those who deviate from the right way with respect to His Attributes." (7:181).
"Allah - there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them; and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth; and the care of them burdens Him not;and He is the High, the Great." (2:256)
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is a lustrous niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a glittering star. It is lit from blessed tree - an olive - neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would well-nigh glow forth even though fire touched it not.Light upon light! Allah guides to His light whomsoever He will. And Allah sets forth parables to men, and Allah know all things full well.This light is now lit in houses with regard to which Allah has ordained that they be exalted and that His name be remembered in them, Therein is He glorified in the mornings and the evenings (24:36-37)
"He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is Gracious, the Merciful.He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace, the Bestower of Security, the Protector, the Mighty, the Subduer, the Exalted. Holy is Allah far above that which they associate with Him.He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the most Beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the Mighty the Wise.(59: 23-25)
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Allah has ninety nine Names, one hundred less one; and who memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise." (Bukhari, The Book of Tauhid.
Articles of Faith
There are six articles of faith in Islam: 1. Belief in Allah 2.Belief in Angles, 3. Belief in the Books (Scriptures) of Allah 4. Belief in the Prophets of Allah, 5. Belief in the Day of Judgment and 6. Belief in the Divine Laws
Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, relates:
We were sitting in the company of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when suddenly a man arrived. He was wearing clean, white clothes and his hair was jet black. He did not look as though he were a traveler and he was not known to any of us. He sat down close to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his knees touching the knees of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. He said: O Muhammad, tell me something about faith. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied:
"Faith is that you should believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Prophets; that you should believe in the Day of Judgment and that you should believe in the Divine Laws relating to good and evil." (Tirmidhi)
Ali ibn Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"The faith is that one recognizes God at heart, accepts Him verbally and acts on His commandments." (Ibni Majah)
Hajj
Hajj is the fifth Pillar of Islam and another form of worship. It is an annual pilgrimage to the holy sites in Mecca which each adult Muslim, who can afford it, has to perform once in life time. Apart from the financial aspect, the ability to afford the pilgrimage also means that one is able to travel and perform the Hajj in peace.
Muslims perform Hajj in order to visit for themselves the holy sites where their faith started. More importantly it is a pilgrimage to the Ka'aba, which we believe is the first place of worship ever built on this earth, Muslims thus refer to it as House of God. The ceremony of Hajj is also symbolic of the Unity of God; all Muslims gather from four corners of the earth in one spot at an appointed time and worship God. There are no difficulties to perform Hajj apart from the obvious financial commitment in order to travel to Mecca. That is the reason why, strictly speaking, Hajj is only obligatory to those who have fulfilled all their worldly needs and have no pressing commitments left and indeed can afford the passage to Mecca.
It is a Muslim belief that God is everywhere and He answers those who truly seek Him. In this respect indeed going to a particular place to seek the pleasure and nearness to God is not the issue. However, it is the physical presence of being in the holiest of the holy places for the Muslim faith and indeed the congregational worship with millions of other fellow Muslims that leaves an indelible mark on the spiritual life of a person. It is a most supreme form of worship and is most desirable to God.
During Hajj, the person who intends to perform it is required to travel to Mecca during the prescribed days and observe all the rites and ceremonies. During Hajj Muslims from all corners of the world gather in Mecca and perform the rites of Hajj and thus strengthen the bond of Muslim unity.
During Hajj each place brings to mind some event of the blessed life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him). It refreshes the memory of the supreme sacrifices made by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him) for the sake of Islam.
Hajj
Hajj is the fifth Pillar of Islam and another form of worship. It is an annual pilgrimage to the holy sites in Mecca which each adult Muslim, who can afford it, has to perform once in life time. Apart from the financial aspect, the ability to afford the pilgrimage also means that one is able to travel and perform the Hajj in peace.
Muslims perform Hajj in order to visit for themselves the holy sites where their faith started. More importantly it is a pilgrimage to the Ka'aba, which we believe is the first place of worship ever built on this earth, Muslims thus refer to it as House of God. The ceremony of Hajj is also symbolic of the Unity of God; all Muslims gather from four corners of the earth in one spot at an appointed time and worship God. There are no difficulties to perform Hajj apart from the obvious financial commitment in order to travel to Mecca. That is the reason why, strictly speaking, Hajj is only obligatory to those who have fulfilled all their worldly needs and have no pressing commitments left and indeed can afford the passage to Mecca.
It is a Muslim belief that God is everywhere and He answers those who truly seek Him. In this respect indeed going to a particular place to seek the pleasure and nearness to God is not the issue. However, it is the physical presence of being in the holiest of the holy places for the Muslim faith and indeed the congregational worship with millions of other fellow Muslims that leaves an indelible mark on the spiritual life of a person. It is a most supreme form of worship and is most desirable to God.
During Hajj, the person who intends to perform it is required to travel to Mecca during the prescribed days and observe all the rites and ceremonies. During Hajj Muslims from all corners of the world gather in Mecca and perform the rites of Hajj and thus strengthen the bond of Muslim unity.
During Hajj each place brings to mind some event of the blessed life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him). It refreshes the memory of the supreme sacrifices made by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him) for the sake of Islam.
Zakat
Zakat (Alms giving) is a part of devotion enjoined upon Muslims by the Holy Quran. It is a means where the well-off pay a set amount of their wealth. Zakat means to purify oneself. It is obligatory on Muslims to pay a little percentage of their accumulated wealth towards Zakat, which is used for the benefit of the needy and the poor. Zakat is not levied on one's property that is in personal use, rather on the assets which have a means of increasing and which are surplus to one's needs. It is a means of social justice and order. It teaches sympathy of the highest order.
Saum
Along with salat, another important form of worship is fasting. It is obligatory for each Muslim, apart from some exemptions, to fast in the month of Ramadhan. During the hours of fasting, food and drink and conjugal relations between husband and wife are forbidden. It is enjoined that during fasting one should pay attention to remembrance of God and study the Holy Quran in abundance. One should try to curtail one's worldly pastimes as much as possible during Ramadhan, and to be particularly inclined towards charity and alms giving.
Human life is dependent on food and drink and the continuation of the human race depends on the marital relationship. While fasting one refrains from them both, as if bearing witness to God that for His pleasure man gives up the factors (temporarily) upon which his very existence depends. The various other benefits of fasting are that man gets to exercise sacrificing physical comfort and to endure hunger and thirst. Fasting creates a sense of equality between the rich and the poor. By developing an appreciation of hunger and thirst, it makes the well-off think of the needs of the poor and impresses a feeling of compassion in their hearts. It makes them appreciate, through the practicality of it, the state a human being endures when hungry and thirsty. Ramadhan is a most effective and excellent means of spiritual development for mankind.
Salat
Salat is one of the five pillars of Islam, it is a most important constituent of the faith. It is prayer of a very high level. The Holy Quran repeatedly enjoins the offering of salat and indeed declares it to be a fundamental trait of a believer. The benefits of salat are countless. The Holy Quran says:
"And enjoin Prayer on thy people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not for provision; it is We that provide for thee. And the end is for the righteous".
Salat strengthens man's spiritual faculties. It is the best way to form a relationship with one's Creator. It purifies one's spirit, and through it, constant remembrance of Allah delivers one of the self that incites to evil.
God created man to worship Him and salat is the most excellent kind of worship.
The Holy Quran also says:
"Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book, and observe Prayer. Surely, Prayer restrains one from indecency and manifest evil, and remembrance of Allah indeed is the greatest virtue. And Allah knows what you do." (29:46)
Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he heard the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be on him, say:
"Tell me if one of you had a stream running at his door and he should take a bath in it five times every day would any dirt be left upon him? He was answered: No dirt would be left on him. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) observed: This is the case of the five prayers. Allah wipes out all faults in consequence of them." (Bukhari)
As for the punishment of not observing the salat, all matters of reward and punishment rest solely with Allah.
Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he heard the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
"Giving up prayer is tantamount to disbelief and associating partners with Allah." (Muslim)
Five Daily Prayers
Salat, the obligatory Muslim prayer, is said at appointed time fixed in relation to the sun's position. The time of Fajr, the morning prayer begins at dawn and ends just before sunrise. The time of Zuhr, the midday prayer, begins after the sun has crossed the zenith point and has begun to decline. The Asr prayer is said when the sun has further advanced in decline, in the late afternoon. The time of the Maghrib prayer begins immediately after sunset. It lasts till dusk. The Isha prayer can be said after dusk has finally disappeared, giving way to darkness of the night.
Fajr Zuhr Asr Maghrib Isha'
Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
A Muslim expresses his/her faith (Iman) in the following words:
Ash-hadu anla ilaha illal-Lahu Wahdahu la Sharika Lahu wa-ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu
The English translation of the Shahadah is as follows:
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.
The declaration of faith consists of two distinct parts, i.e., the absolute belief in the Unity of Allah (God) and the belief in the Holy Prophet Muhammad as a mortal human being and the Messenger of Allah.
Islam's fundamental belief is the Unity of God. All other beliefs hang on this belief. Therefore the acknowledgement and 'bearing witness' of this is the key to the Muslim faith. Unless this is observed one cannot be a Muslim. A Muslim accepts Allah as the only God, and only Master, Lord and Ruler with no partner sharing in any way His Being, Powers and Attributes. He is One; He is Unique; He is not the father of any one, nor He has or had any father. He is Almighty and Self-Sustaining. He is there forever, and will be there forever.
A Muslim believes in Allah as the Ruler and must not disobey Him. In fact everything that exists in the universe obeys Him. He is the Fashioner of all the Universes that may exist.
The belief in the Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) as the servant and Messenger of Allah completes one’s faith. The Holy Prophet was the greatest of all the Prophets of Allah, yet he was only a human being with no share in Divinity. This is a very important belief that keeps Muslims from associating partners with Allah. This part of the Declaration of Faith where reinforces the first part of Allah being the only Supreme Being with no partners also establishes the absolute authority of the Holy Prophet as the Messenger of Allah, who must be obeyed as well in all the matters of faith. The Holy Prophet is the last prophet who brought us the last Book (the Holy Quran) to be followed. He lived among his people for a long time and his life is documented in utmost detail. He lead his followers by example. The way he lived his life and admonished his followers to live their lives is called Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. The second part of the Declaration of Faith makes obeying and following the advice of the Prophet Muhammad equally important to the belief in absolute Unity of Allah. This declaration make one to completely submit to the Will of Allah and that is why one who declares this belief is called a Muslim - one who completely submits to the will of Allah.
Pillars Islam
Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Islam is based on five articles:
1. To bear witness that there is none worthy of worship save Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.
2. To observe Prayer (Salat).
3. To Pay Zakat (Alms giving)
4. To perform the Pilgrimage to the House of Allah (Hajj).
5. To Observe fasting during Ramadhan." (Bukhari)
Abdullah ibn Amr bin Aas, may Allah be pleased with them, relates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"A Muslim is one against whose tongue and hands other Muslims are secure, and an Emigrant is one who departs from what Allah has forbidden." (Bukhari)
Introduction to Islam
The literal meaning of Islam is peace; surrender of one’s will i.e. losing oneself for the sake of God and surrendering one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of God. The message of Islam was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) 1, 400 years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on whom be peace) and was thus preserved in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran carries a Divine guarantee of safeguard from interpolation and it claims that it combines the best features of the earlier scriptures.
The prime message of Islam is the Unity of God, that the Creator of the world is One and He alone is worthy of worship and that Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) is His Messenger and Servant. The follower of this belief is thus a Muslim - a Muslim’s other beliefs are: God’s angels, previously revealed Books of God, all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace be on them both), the Day of Judgement and indeed the Decree of God. A Muslim has five main duties to perform, namely; bearing witness to the Unity of God and Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) as His Messenger, observing the prescribed prayer, payment of Zakat, keeping the fasts of Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy Quran tells us that God has given human beings a choice between good and evil and to seek God’s pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. Islam believes that God created mankind in His image and by imbuing the attributes of God on a human level mankind can attain His nearness. Islam’s main message is to worship God and to treat all God’s creation with kindness and compassion. Rights of parents in old age, orphans and the needy are clearly stated. Women’s rights were safeguarded 1,400 years ago when the rest of the world was in total darkness about emancipation. Islamic teachings encompass every imaginable situation and its rules and principles are truly universal and have stood the test of time.
In Islam virtue does not connote forsaking the bounties of nature that are lawful. On the contrary one is encouraged to lead a healthy, active life with the qualities of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage patience and politeness. In short, Islam has a perfect and complete code for the guidance of individuals and communities alike. As the entire message of Islam is derived from the Holy Quran and indeed the Sunnah and Hadith (the traditions and practices of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him) it is immutable in the face of change in time and place. It may appear rigid to the casual eye, in actual fact it is most certainly an adaptable way of life regardless of human changes.
Islam teaches that the path to spiritual development is open to all. Any individual who searches the One Creator can seek nearness to God through sincere and earnest worship; it is central to establishing a relationship with the Almighty. This positive message for humanity fills hearts with hope and courage.
At present there are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and they form the majority in more than 50 countries of the world. Today Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world - its beautiful message is reaching millions in the far corner of the earth.
What is an LCD projector
Q. What is a CRT?
CRT is an acronym for cathode-ray tube. It is most familiar to us as what we call a picture tube in our television sets. A standard television set uses one CRT with a special mask inside that allows for small dots or lines of the colors red, green and blue to make up a color image. A 3-tube or 3-CRT projector uses 3 separate CRTs, one for each color. A basic CRT is comprised of a cathode-ray in the neck of the tube and a phosphor coated glass at the front of the tube. The cathode-ray shoots a beam of electrons which strikes the phosphors on the front glass causing them to emit visible light.
Q. What is an LCD panel?
LCD is an acronym for Liquid Crystal Display. An LCD panel is a translucent glass panel that shows a computer or video image using a matrix of tiny liquid crystal displays, each creating one pixel ("picture element," or dot) that makes up the image. Used with an overhead projector for a light source, an LCD panel can make an effective computer projection device, however LCD projectors have become a more economical choice. "LCD panel" also refers to the smaller panels used internally in today's LCD video projectors.
Q. What is an LCD projector?
A self-contained unit that combines one to three LCD panels and a light source for a complete computer and/or video projection device. Generally more convenient and efficient than using a separate LCD panel and overhead, LCD projectors come in a wide variety of sizes and specifications.
Q. Which should I buy, a CRT projector or LCD projector?
CRT projectors provide better results if you'll project from computers with more than one resolution. An LCD projector will give its best results only when your computer output exactly matches the stated resolution of the LCD, but that's not a limitiation of CRTs. CRTs provide better video, because they offer better color and grayscale accuracy. Though they are not as bright overall as LCD projectors, if you can light your room properly, CRTs offer a much better range of brightnesses from highlights to shadows. This is the reason they appear to be as bright or brighter than many LCDs, even though the specs suggest otherwise.
Q. What is a Plasma monitor?
Gas plasma technology is a new way to build flat video and computer monitors. Essentially plasma units have the brightness and look of a CRT monitor, but they offer a much larger image and are thin enough and light enough to hang on any wall. This combination makes them ideal where lighting conditions would favor a monitor, but audience size indicates a projector. Like LCD displays, plasma monitors do not exhibit the distortion and loss of clarity in the corners inherent to CRTs.
Q.What are Phosphors?
Phosphors are the material that emit the visible light that makes up the picture we see from a standard CRT based television, projector, computer monitor or the new plasma displays. In a CRT the phosphors are on the inside of the front glass and are excited by a beam of light from the cathode-ray. In a gas plasma flat display, the phosphors are on the inside of the rear glass of the millions of tiny cells or bubbles. The phosphors are excited by UV light produced by electromagnetically charged plasma in the cell.
Q.What is an ANSI lumen?
An ANSI lumen is a measure of brightness put out by a projection device, as standardized by the American National Standards Institute. Note these are not comparable to "lumens" expressed in non-ANSI terms (and used to measure, for example, the output of overhead projectors).
Q. How many ANSI lumens do I need to get a good image?
This depends on your room lighting conditions and screen size. As a rough guide, a rating of 150 to 300 ANSI lumens is adequate with a 60" diagonal screen with room lights off, but you should look for something in the 400 - 500 range for a 100" to 150" screen with lights dimmed, and at least 800 ANSI lumens when you go to a 300" screen or want to project in bright lighting conditions. Your best bet, of course, is to ask your sales rep to demo the projector under conditions typical to what you’ll see.
Q. What is peak lamp life?
Most LCD projectors use a metal halide source, which offers a very white light and a life of 750 - 4,000 hours or more. They typically do not burn out, but gradually grow dimmer, giving you plenty of warning that it’s time for a replacement. With this type of lamp, total lamp life is not a very useful measurement, as the lamp will continue to function long after they're so dim you won't want to use them. So manufacturers' offer a peak rating—and peak lamp life is the time the lamp will last at 80 - 90% of total brightness.
Q. What is resolution?
The resolution of your computer display measures the amount of detail that can be seen in an image, expressed as the number of distinct horizontal and vertical lines visible on a test pattern.
Q.What are VGA , SVGA, XGA and SXGA?
VGA in an acronym for Video Graphics Array. VGA, SVGA and XGA all measure the resolution of the video signal being output by a personal computer. VGA consists of 640 vertical lines x 480 horizontal lines, SVGA 800 lines x 600 lines, and XGA 1024 x 768, and SXGA 1280 x 1024.
Q.What is horizontal and vertical resolution?
A video or computer image is made up of rows of horizontal and vertical pixels. Its resolution is limited by the number of distinguishable rows, or lines, that the monitor or LCD device can form. "Horizontal resolution" or, more properly, "horizontal lines" is the number of distinct lines that you can count going across the image--but if you look at your monitor, these lines would actually go up and down, or vertically. "Vertical resolution" measures the number of distinguishable lines you can count from top to bottom in the image.
In computer projection, the number of lines is only limited by the signal coming out of the computer and the quality of the projection device. In television, the number of vertical lines of resolution is fixed: the American, or NTSC, standard is 525 vertical lines. The number of horizontal lines will vary with the quality of the monitor or projector used, but is still limited to less than 400 by NTSC standards. This limit is one of the barriers that will be broken by the introduction of Digital Television late in 1998.
Q. What's the difference between VHS and S-VHS?
S-VHS was introduced in response to the criticism of the poor video quality of standard VHS recordings. S-VHS is not just a buzzword, but an entirely different system of recording video signals on VHS size tapes. However, it has never become a widely accepted format for consumers so it is a subject of confusion.
S-VHS records luminance and chrominance (b&w picture and color information, also called Y and C) separately, rather than as a composite signal. By doing this, the deck is able to record and playback a wider bandwidth, or a much higher resolution signal than a normal VHS deck. The signal is also output via a special S-Video connector that also keeps the Y and C signals separate. The result is a much clearer, higher definition picture than VHS can produce. The horizontal resolution of S-VHS is around 400 lines, compared to 240 lines of normal VHS in SP mode.
S-VHS is most often used commercially or by educational institutions where they can record video with an S-VHS camcorder at 400 lines and then edit it on S-VHS editing equipment. This allows editing to be done with a very good signal so that even after multiple copies are made during the process, the final result is still higher than the quality of broadcast television. If standard VHS was used, the end result would be noticeably poor, even to an untrained eye.
Unfortunately, S-VHS rarely finds its way into homes because you won't find movies to rent in S-VHS. Also, if you make your own recording on the required special S-VHS tapes, most standard VHS VCRs won't play them.
Q. What is an S-Video connector?
S-Video connectors are used for a variety of high resolution signals. It was originally developed for use with S-VHS recorders, but is now the standard for DVD players and is also used for converting computer signals to video via a scan converter. The connector has four connections (see diagram), compared with two for a standard video connector. This allows the luminance and chrominance (b&w picture and color, also called Y and C) information to be transmitted separately allowing for a much wider bandwidth and less crosstalk. The wider bandwidth translates to a horizontal resolution of about 400 lines compared with the normal 240 to 320 lines with conventional composite video connectors. Less crosstalk means there will be less "snow" or "color noise" in the picture. For reference, the S-Video connector's pin outs are as follows: Pin 1 - Y ground, Pin 2 - C ground, Pin 3 - Y signal in/out, Pin 4 - C signal in/out.
Q. What are DTV and HDTV?
DTV, Digital Television, is a new broadcast standard that will provide vastly improved picture and sound quality when compared to the current NTSC broadcast standard in the United States. With DTV, viewers can see images up to six times the resolution of their current TV’s. HDTV, High Definition Television, is one of the possible formats that will be transmitted when DTV becomes available. HDTV broadcasts are at the top end of the DTV spectrum. These broadcasts will have the best sound quality, the ability to broadcast in a wide screen format using a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the best picture quality.
Q. Should I hold off buying a TV until I can get a new DTV?
No. The FCC will continue to offer analog broadcast space for television programming at least until the year 2006, and broadcasters will simulcast all broadcasts at least that long. Many experts believe that, due to government rules that must be met before discontinuing analog broadcasts, they will continue well beyond the target year of 2006. This means the TV you buy today will probably be receiving broadcasts for the next 10 years or more, and the life expectancy of a television is only around 8 years. Coupled with the fact that the first DTV sets are costing over $2,000, and that you will be able to buy a digital down-converter for any current set, it doesn't make much sense to hold of television purchases just yet.
Q. What is a simulcasting in regards to DTV?
The simultaneous broadcasting of the same program on analog and digital channels. This will enable your analog TVs to continue to receive the same programs as shown on the digital broadcast, without the need for a DTV down converter box.
Q. What is a "component input" on monitors, TVs and projectors?
A component input is likely to be the preferred connector to be used with digital HDTV tuners and digital VCRs. It works by dividing the chrominance signal into red, green and blue components and a separate luminance component similar to S-Video. Though the new digital systems will also have standard composite outputs, connecting with the component input will improve picture quality and reduce noise by minimizing crosstalk within the video signal.
Q. What is an aspect ratio?
An aspect ratio refers to the dimensions of a television screen or other screen. The ratio refers to the width of the screen in relation to the height of the screen. The aspect ratio of today's traditional TV is 4:3. For comparison, the aspect ratio of a square screen would be expressed as 1:1 or 4:4. The aspect ratio of HDTV will be 16:9. This is similar to the aspect ratio that many motion pictures are shot in. The 16 refers to the width of the screen and the 9 refers to the height of the screen.
Q. What is intelligent compression?
Intelligent compression is a pixel mapping technique also known as ," "SizeWise," "Limesco," or a variety of other names, uses a computer algorithm to map high resolution computer images to a lower resolution LCD. Intelligent compression works much better than plain "compression," which most people do not find acceptable. These algorithms work best going only one step down–using an 800 x 600 projector you can get very good pixel-mapped 1024 x 768 images. Going to 1280 x 1024, the image will be complete, but fuzzy.
Q. What is a video line doubler?
A video line doubler (or scan doubler) increases the number of lines of vertical resolution from 525 to 1,050 lines. Though it starts with a fixed, 525-line signal, the device uses a mathematical algorithm to create 525 more lines in between the lines coming from the signal. The result is a much sharper image.
Q. What is a scan converter?
A scan converter is a device that you connect between your computer and a regular television or monitor to allow them to display computer signals. The idea sounds good, but in reality when you convert a computer signal this way it becomes very difficult, or impossible, to read text, although pictures will look satisfactory. The reason for this becomes obvious if you refer to the above articles on VGA and horizontal and vertical resolution. Even the best televisions or non-data monitors are designed to NTSC standards which gives you a maximum resolution of 400 x 525. VGA computer signals are 640 x 480 and the higher resolution SVGA or XGA are fast becoming the standard making the problem even worse. No matter what you do, you can’t clearly display 640, or more, lines of information on a monitor only capable of 400. So, unless you are planning to display nothing but pictures, or very large text, a scan converter probably won’t do what you hope it will.
Q. What is monitor loopthrough?
An output on the projector or large-screen monitor that allows you to connect additional monitors or projectors to display the same image.
A loopthrough output is commonly used to run a desktop computer monitor at the same time the computer image is being projected--thus allowing you to sit or stand at the computer and always face your audience. Another way to accomplish this goal is to supply a Y-cable with the projector, which allows you to split the signal between your monitor and your large-screen device. Note that this type of Y-cable must be designed specifically for your projector by the manufacturer. Use of the wrong Y-cable with computer signals can damage your equipment.
Generally, monitor loopthrough is not helpful if you're using a laptop computer. The laptop's internal circuitry must split the signal between the laptop's monitor and the external device. Most laptops have such circuitry; some do not.
Q. What is a Firewire?
A Firewire is a connection that's been proposed for digital video devices, and which is beginning to show up on digital camcorders. It consists of six wires: two for power, two for data and two for synchronization.
Q. What is keystone correction?
Keystoning is when your image appears wider at the top or bottom due the projector being positioned somewhere other than the center of the screen. Keystone correction, or lens shift, corrects this rectangular distortion. Most LCD projectors today have a fixed keystone factor (allowing the projector to be placed at about an 8-degree angle lower or higher than the center of the screen), but many allow you to adjust keystoning. Thus you can place the projector on your conference table, on carts of various heights, or mount it on a ceiling of various heights without having to worry about ending up with a distorted image.
Q. What is a wireless mouse control on a projector?
A device that simulates the operation of your computer's mouse from a wireless remote control, generally the same control that operates your projector's other functions.
Q. Why would I want a wireless mouse with my projector?
A wireless mouse unchains you from your computer during presentations. Even if you find it difficult to precisely control the mouse pointer, you'll find it invaluable when using presentation software such as PowerPoint® or Astound®. Just having the ability to click the mouse buttons to advance or reverse the slides in a presentation make it a “must have” item for presenters. Note: If you have problems using the mouse to go backward in newer versions of MS PowerPoint®.