Future of MySQL

Most disturbing news on the scene of open source software is the acquisition of MySQL database by ORACLE - a competing product. There is a fear that its fate will be the same as that of "Foxpro" that was acquired by MICROSOFT - "Foxpro" was lead to death. However, there is also a silver lining on the horizon that "They will embrace MySQL and Open Source and put their technical expertise on it to ensure that MySQL continues to be the most popular advanced Open Source database."

What is Islamic Finance and Banking - Part 2

The fourth act that is to be done to become “God Conscious” is to believe in the revelations from Allah (SWT) to Muhammad (PBUH) and his other messengers.  Allah (SWT) sent his revelation to Muhammad (PBUH) in the form of “Quran”.

“Alif L'am Ra.  O Muhammad! This is a Book which We have revealed to you so that you may bring mankind out of utter darkness (ways of ignorance) to the light; by the leave of their Rabb, to the Way of the Mighty, the Praiseworthy (Allah),”  (Sura Ibrahim Aya No. 1)

What Quran says? It says

“Alif L'am Ra. These are the verses of the Book that make things clear.” (Sura Yusuf Aya No. 1)

 When we explore Quran to understand, to comprehend Islam, we come across following verses

“Surely the only Deen (true religion and the Right Way of life) in the sight of Allah is Al-Islam:” (Sura Al’i-Imran Aya No. 19)

“If anyone is looking for a religion other than Islam, then let it be known that it will not be accepted from him; and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.”  (Sura Al’i-Imran Aya No. 85)

Dīn (دين, also anglicized as Deen) is an Arabic word usually translated as "religion" but also as "way of life", especially referring to Islam, known as ad-dīn "the deen", or dīn al-haqq "the true deen" (e.g. ayat  48:27, 9:33 = 61:9). It is, however, not exclusive to Islam, as Arab Christians also use it to refer to their religion and religion in general.

The Arabic word “Deen” is almost certainly a loan from the Aramaic dīnā, so does the Hebrew dīn which have an identical meaning within the Jewish tradition. The Hebrew word is in turn a 6th century BC loan from the Old Persian dēn- which meant the system of ritual practices of the (Zoroastrian) state religion. The word “Deen” appears in as many as 79 Qur'anic verses and it is often translated as religion for convenience since there is no equivalent single satisfactory English word. In the Qur'an, Islam is always referred to as Dīn. It is the sum total of a Muslim's faith and the code and conduct necessary to submit to Allah's laws.

The core meaning of din is obedience. As a Quranic technical term, din refers to the way of life and the system of conduct based on recognizing God as one's sovereign and committing oneself to obey him. According to Islam, true din consists of living in total submission to God, and the way to do so is to accept as binding the guidance communicated through the Prophets. 

In Quranic Terminology, Deen is defined to as:

1.       Sovereignty and supreme authority

2.       Obedience and submission to such authority

3.       The system of thought and action established through the exercise of that authority, and

4.       Retribution meted out by the authority, in consideration of loyalty and obedience to it, or rebellion and transgression against

5.       Deen as Comprehensive System

 

The Holy Quran describes Islam as Deen al-Haq, or the true way of life. The very connotation of the word Deen - as contrasted with "religion" - is a declaration of war against secularism. This is because the word religion is commonly used in a rather narrow sense, its scope being limited to a set of dogmas, some rituals for worship, and a number of social customs to celebrate important life- events.