Scientific Method: What is it? Who Invented It?

What is the Scientific Method?

What do teachers always tell to include in a science experiment? They tell stuff like the purpose, hypothesis, materials, procedure, etc. These are all parts of the scientific method. The scientific method is learning science through observation and experimentation. Before the invention of the scientific method, people used to make guesses, could not prove or disprove any thing, and had vague theories. The scientific method changed all that. That is why all these inventions are here.

The first step in the scientific method is to ask a question that you will do the experiment to solve. The next step is to gather information, which you will use to make a hypothesis. You predict what will happen in the results. Next, you do the experiment, gather data, etc. After that, you draw a conclusion out of all your work, in which you answer your question and find out if your hypothesis is correct. Lastly, you report the results so that other people may verify your results as well as get the knowledge that you learned during the whole experiment.

The difference between a hypothesis and a thesis is that a hypothesis is a possible explanation to an event or a possible solution to a problem. It is based on information gathered and is done before conducting an experiment. A thesis on the other hand is an explanation of an event or a solution to a problem formed after many repeated carefully controlled experiments' results are examined.

Who Invented It?

The credit of this important invention usually is given to Western scientists such as Roger Bacon. However, the Muslims really invented it, perfected it, and presented it to the West. Al-Biruni (d. 1050 CE), the Persian genius of the time perfected it. He conducted precise experiments on laws of gravitation, momentum, and motion. Among his successful experiments, were the most precise measurement of the specific gravity of precious stones and metals, mathematical calculation of earth's radius, mathematical determination of earth's solar orbit, and the measurement of the height of mountains by seconds and degrees. He also discovered the First Law of Motion.

Ibn Sina (Avincenna) (d. 1037 CE) and other Muslims of the Islamic Era relied on carefully constructed experiments to prove their theories. These developments were made at the Bayt Al-Hikmat (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad, Iraq. Ibn Sina also made an accurate description of the geological origin of mountains and was the first to construct the theory of the formation of sedimentary rock. Ar-Razi (Rhases) (d. 925 CE) used the scientific method to find out the most hygienic places in Baghdad to build hospitals by hanging chunks of meat in different places. The place where the meat decayed the least over a period of time was the place where the new hospital would be built.

Will Durant writes that the Muslim scholars "introduced precise observation, controlled experiment, and careful records." George Sarton and Max Vintejoux both describe the era of scientific achievement that started after the development of the scientific method as a miracle


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Islamic Quiz

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Who Stole the Peace from the Holy Land?

Posted: 27 Rajab 1421, 25 October 2000

On Saturday 30 September 2000, Muhammad Jamal Al Durra, 12, went with his father to buy a car. "He asked me to help him with his homework," said his mother. "Then I dressed him in nice clothes to go with the new car." On the way back, they were trying to cross the street towards their house in Breij Refugee Camp when heavy shooting started from the Israeli military post on Al Shuhada junction. They tried to hide behind a cement block, half a meter high. "He stayed close to me, clutching me from my back while I was trying to keep him away from the bullets," said his father. "But one bullet hit him in the leg. I started screaming and crying, hoping that the bullets would stop, but to no avail."

An ambulance driver tried to reach them. The Israelis shot him in the heart killing him instantaneously. The shooting continued for almost an hour. Finally, bullets came from the small space between the cement block and the wall on their backs, killing Muhammad.

Later a reporter found hundreds of bullet casings from the area surrounding the cement block. Five bullets hit Muhammad, half of whose head was missing, while eight hit his father.

Child Killers … And Worse!

Muhammad Al Durra was not the only young victim of Israeli brutality. Nearly 52% of those killed and injured were children. Among them was Ala Badran, 12. He was on his way to his uncle's house in Kalandia near Jerusalem airport.

Suddenly, an Israeli soldier pointed his gun at him, shooting directly in Ala's eye. He lost his eye. More than two dozen children have been hit in the eye like him during the recent protests. "The bull’s-eye is the Palestinian eye," says one reporter.

Who can shoot a child like this? Only a very cruel and evil person, who has lost all his humanity. The soldiers and settlers in the Zionist state are such people.

Peace?

This latest wave of bloodshed was meant to silence Muslim protest over the desecration of Al-Aqsa by Ariel Sharon, a terrorist, who is also a political leader in Israel. This is an old Israeli tactic. Some fanatics violate Al-Aqsa. When Muslims protest, Israeli soldiers attack them to "restore peace." Peace is a greatly misused word in Palestine!

On 8 October 1990 a fanatic group called Trustees of The Temple attempted to lay down the foundation stone for the Temple they want to build in place of Al-Aqsa. When Muslims protested, Israeli soldiers shot them, killing 20 and injuring 115.

Al-Aqsa

No Muslim can tolerate the sacrilege of Al-Aqsa.

Al-Aqsa is mentioned in the Qur'an: "Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Masjid Al-Haraam to the Masjid Al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We did bless." [Al-Israa 17:1]

Israa (Night Journey) and Mairaj (Ascension) refer to two of the many miracles of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. During the night of Israa, Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was taken from Makkah to Al-Aqsa, where he led all the previous prophets in salat (prayers). After that he ascended to heavens where Allah gave him the gift of the five daily prayers.

Al-Aqsa was the first qibla (during the entire Makkan period and the first 17 months in Madinah), before the command came declaring Ka'ba as the new qibla. The reward for praying at Al-Aqsa is 5000 times the reward for praying in another masjid.

The third holiest place in Islam, Al-Aqsa refers to a 35-acre compound that contains the Masjid Al-Aqsa, the Dome of the Rock, and a large number of other historic sites for Muslims. At the center of the Dome of the Rock lies a huge irregular rock from where ascension took place.

The entire compound is sacred. That is why it is also known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary. For centuries it was a center of worship and teaching. Countless Islamic scholars lived and taught here.

Zionist Claim

Zionism is an extremist political movement that started in Europe. Zionists think that it is okay for them to kill the Palestinians and forcibly take their land. They also want to destroy Al-Aqsa and replace it with a Jewish Temple.

They say that three thousand years ago, the Temple of Solomon stood there and they must restore it now. That "Temple" (actually it was a mosque built by Sayyidna Sulaiman, alayhi salam, in the same way that Sayyidna Ibrahim alayhis salam built the Ka'ba) was destroyed by Nebuchadrezzar in 586 BC and again by Emperor Titus in 70 CE. Qur'an mentions these destructions as punishments for Jews for their transgression.

For 500 years this area lay in ruins. When Muslims came here in 636 C.E, they cleansed it and built the mosque. They restored what Sayyidna Sulaiman, alayhi salam, had built.

Neturei Karta

One Orthodox Jewish group known as Neturei Karta (Friends of Jerusalem) admits the Qur’anic account: "Before the Almightly gave us the Holy Land 3260 years ago, He made these conditions: If we will abide by the Torah (Jewish religious law), it is ours, if not, we will be expelled. Alas, we sinned and were exiled from the land. … The Zionists stole the name of "Israel" and have no right to speak in the name of the Jewish people."

Zionist Plans

Nevertheless, the Zionists continue with their plans. There have been many attempts to destroy Al-Aqsa. In 1967, four days after Israel occupied it, excavations were started under Al-Aqsa in the name of "research." Of and on, they continue today. In 1969, a fanatic set it on fire and the Israeli forces cut off water supply to hamper efforts to extinguish the fire. There also have been several attempts to bomb Al-Aqsa.

The Problem is Religion?

Jerusalem is holy to Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Does it mean that there should always be bloodshed there? The answer of history is: No.

Muslims conquered Jerusalem in 636 CE during the time of second Khalifah Sayyidna Umar, Radi-Allahu anhu. It was a bloodless victory. In 1099 CE crusaders conquered it. They slaughtered the Muslims and Jews. Great Muslim Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi reconquered Jerusalem on Friday, 27 Rajab 583 AH, (2 October 1187 CE), restoring peace, honor, and justice.

Under the Islamic rule both Christians and Jews lived in peace. Their lives, sacred places, and properties were protected. All that was shattered at the beginning of this century when Zionists started their activities with the help of their sponsors.

Neturei Karta agree: "Jews used to live in Palestine in peace and harmony until the Zionists came, antagonized the Arabs, rebelled against them and usurped their land…According to the Torah the land should be returned to them."

The world is waiting for another Salahuddin Ayyubi to restore peace and justice to the Holy Land.

[source:albalag.net]

Jerusalem Under Different Rulers

By Sohaib
Posted: 10 Jamad-ul-Awwal 1427, 6 June 2006

The hot sun scorched the master and his attendant. The long journey tired them. They only had one camel, and they rode it turn by turn. By chance, it happened to be the attendant’s turn to ride the camel the day they were going to reach their destination. “Commander of the Faithful,” said the attendant, “I give up my turn. It will be awkward in the eyes of the people if I ride and you walk.”

“Oh, no,” replied the master, “It’s your turn. I am not going to be unfair.”

They were received by the commanders of the Muslim army. The commanders were wearing clothes of silk, and this enraged the master. He picked up a rock and threw it at them, saying, “Have you changed so much in just two years? What dress is this?”

The officers replied, “Commander of the Faithful, we are in a land where the value of clothes worn tells the status of a man. If we wear ordinary clothes, we will command little or no respect among the people.” This answer cooled the anger of the master.

Who was the master? It was none other than the second Caliph, Umar (May God be pleased with him). He had journeyed all the way from Medina to Jerusalem to sign a peace treaty with the rulers of Jerusalem.

Afterwards, Umar signed the peace treaty. It read as follows:

“This is the protection which the servant of God, Umar, the Ruler of the Believers, has granted to the people of Jerusalem. The protection is for their lives and properties, their churches and crosses, their sick and healthy and for all their coreligionists. Their churches shall not be used for habitation, nor shall they be demolished, nor shall any injury be done to them or to their compounds, or to their crosses, nor shall their properties be injured in any way. There shall be no compulsion for these people in the matter of religion, nor shall any of them suffer any injury on account of religion... Whatever is written herein is under the covenant of God and the responsibility of His Messenger, of the Caliphs and of the believers, and shall hold good as long as they pay Jizya [the tax for their defense] imposed on them.”


The gates of the city were opened and Umar went to the Masjid Aqsa, the third most holy place in Islam, and prayed. Afterwards, the Bishop of the city invited him to tour the biggest church of the city. Umar was in the church when the time for the after-noon prayer came. The Bishop offered to let him pray in the church.

“No,” replied Umar, “If I do so, the Muslims one day might take this as an excuse to take the church from you.” So Umar prayed on the steps of the church. He then gave the Bishop a pact that forbade the Muslims from ever praying on the steps of the church.

Thus was the conquest of Jerusalem by the Muslims. Muslims, Christians, Jews, and others lived together peacefully under Muslim rule until 1099 CE when the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem.

The French historian Michaud (1767-1839), who traveled in the Middle East and wrote a book on the Crusades called Bibliotheque des Croisades (Library of the Crusades), says on the conquest of Jerusalem by the Crusaders in 1099, “The Muslims were massacred in the streets and in the houses. Some fled from death by precipitating themselves from the ramparts; others crowded for shelter into the palaces, the towers and above all, in the mosques where they could not conceal themselves from the Crusaders. The Crusaders, masters of the Mosque of Umar, where the Muslims defended themselves for sometime, renewed their deplorable scenes which disgraced the conquest of Titus. The infantry and the cavalry rushed pell-mell among the fugitives. Amid the most horrid tumult, nothing was heard but the groans and cries of death; the victors trod over heaps of corpses in pursuing those who vainly attempted to escape.”

“There was a short lull in the act of slaughter when the Crusaders assembled to offer their thanksgiving prayer for the victory they had achieved. But soon it was renewed with great ferocity. All the captives, whom the lassitude of carnage had at first spared, all those who had been saved in the hope of rich ransom, were butchered in cold blood. The Muslims were forced to throw themselves from the tops of towers and houses; they were burnt alive; they were dragged from their subterranean retreats, they were hauled to the public places, and immolated on piles of the dead. Neither the tears of women nor the cries of little children--- not even the sight of the place where Jesus Christ forgave his executioners, could mollify the victors' passion... The carnage lasted for a week. The few who escaped were reduced to horrible servitude.”

Raymond d'Agiles, who was an eye-witness, says, “Under the portico of the mosque, the blood was knee-deep, and reached the horses' bridles.”

Such was the cruelty shown by the Crusaders. In total contrast to this, the Muslims, when they had conquered Jerusalem showed total respect and nobility. They let the population alone. They shed no blood. They made sure that the churches weren’t changed into Masjids.

The treatment that Umar gave wasn’t one isolated event in Muslim history. There were hundreds of such incidents. In fact, all of these were in line with the tradition Prophet Muhammad Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam (Peace be upon him) set when he conquered Makkah. The day in which he declared to the pagan Makkan chiefs, “You are free from all fears today. May God forgive you.”

When the Muslims re-conquered Jerusalem in 1187, they again showed extreme mercy and kindness. The ruler at the time, Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi, gave free pardon to the Christians in the city. Only the soldiers were required to pay a very small fee. However, the Sultan himself paid the fee for about ten thousand people. His brother paid it for seven thousand people. Salahuddin also allocated one of the gates of the city for people who were too poor to pay anything to leave from there. A number of weeping Christian women carrying their children in their arms approached the Sultan and said, “You see us on foot, the wives, mothers and daughters of the warriors who are your prisoners; we are quitting forever this country; they aided us in our lives, in losing them we lose our last hope; if you give them to us, they can alleviate our miseries and we shall not be without support on earth”. The Sultan was highly moved with their appeal and set free their men. Those who left the city were allowed to carry all their bag and baggage. The commanders under the Sultan competed with each other in showing mercy to the defeated Crusaders.

Today, the Zionists in Israel are doing similar to what the Crusaders did.

Innocent civilians are randomly tortured and killed. Little children are shot. Hospitals regularly overflow with patients. Entire blocks are bulldozed for no reason.

Palestinians on the streets during curfew, even those seeking medicine or food are shot out of hand. Kids throwing stones at heavily armored tanks are gunned down, schools are destroyed, clinics ransacked, homes plundered, tank shells lobbed into marketplaces and missiles hurled into crowds.

While settlers fill their swimming pools, Palestinians go begging for water; the Israeli army destroys wells.

Countless orchards nurtured over generations have been wiped out, marketplaces bulldozed, civilian infrastructure everywhere trashed, often for no apparent security reason.

Palestinian paramedics are beaten to a pulp by the Zionist soldiers, used as human shields by them, kidnapped or delayed for hours from reaching patients.

Israeli soldiers use terrifying methods of torture. They beat innocent people going about their daily lives. They detain random people for undefined periods of time. They use poison gas against protesting civilians. They shell crowded houses in the middle of the night. They routinely disallow Muslims to offer their prayers in Al-Aqsa Masjid, the third holiest site in Islam.

Jerusalem is a holy land for Muslims, Christians, and Jews. All live there. All have ruled there at different times. But their rules were not the same. Some filled it with justice; others with oppression.

Bibliography:
http://www.crusades.org/salahuddin.htm
http://www.journeytoislam.com/history/Biography%20of%20Umar.htm
http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/MIC_MO...COIS_1767183.html



[source: albalag.net]

Mahmood's Adventure

It was during the last week of January when Mahmood and his friends went out camping in the mountains by a lake. As it was Allah's will, it happened that the friends arrived on an island at the very center of a frozen lake because the car broke down and they could do nothing but stay on the island. A few days later, the lake showed signs of thawing and the friends hurried across the lake, taking whatever they could with them. Unfortunately, during the same time period, Mahmood was gone to explore and was far away from them at the time they escaped across the island. When Mahmood came back, he saw most of the stuff gone and no one around. Most of the lake had now melted and Mahmood was trapped.

The island, as Mahmood estimated was about 2 miles long and 1 mile wide. It was full of greenery and had much of the liking of a forest. Mahmood was able to identify many of the plants because of his previous camping experiences. The lake on the other hand, was too cold and wide to cross by swimming. Many attempts to swim across it failed and so Mahmood had to accept the idea that he would have to wait until somebody rescued him or until the lake got a little bit warmer. He knew he was marooned and alone on the island.

As the days passed, Mahmood kept on remembering his parents, brothers, and sisters. He slept on his sleeping bag that he had brought with him for camping. He lived on many fruits he recognized as safe ones. One day, as Mahmood had feared, a great python appeared. "This is not going to be any regular fight," Mahmood thought to himself. The python, even though this one was extraordinarily deadly and the center of terror among the animal inhabitants of the island, retreated back a little. Never had it seen a thing so big. It was afraid. Mahmood had gathered many rocks and now hurled them with all his might on the python. The python couldn't dodge these missiles and one by one the rocks began tearing up its body. The snake, nevertheless, tried to make its way forward but only found that to make its end come sooner. Mahmood hurled the last, heavy rock on the snake, splitting the snake's head into two and breaking up into tiny pieces on the rocks below the python's head. The python was dead.

Mahmood had a few more skirmishes of the like with a few more animals and began feeling more confident about living alone with the animals of prey all around him. He was now learning the true meaning of courage.

Summer was coming up fast. Mahmood had hoped that someone might come boating on the lake and rescue him. Mahmood's hope was fulfilled later than he had expected. He waited past June, July, and then even August. Maybe this is not a public lake, he figured out. Finally on the third week of September, a few boaters appeared. Mahmood waved to them. They came to the island and picked him up. He was free at last! He had stayed on the island for 7 months. Mahmood stayed with the boaters on their vacation. When the boaters decided to go home, they dropped Mahmood off because he lived close to where they lived.

As Mahmood walked up to the door of his house, he wondered what his family would say to him. His parents were the first to meet him. His mother couldn't believe her eyes and asked him, "Where were you?" And his father asked, "What had happened?" Mahmood told his family what had happened. They couldn't believe how he had killed the snake. They were very proud of him. As for Mahmood, he became more courageous from that day onward. He also learned how to handle the situation when he was alone. It was the best adventure of his life.



[source: Albalag.net]

The Stranger

Extreme FMantis


A few years after I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. >From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.



As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mum taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger ... he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries, and comedies. If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future!

He took my family to the football and cricket. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.



Sometimes, Mum would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)



Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home ... not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush.



My dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.



I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked ... And NEVER asked to leave.



More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. If you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.



His name?





We just call him 'TV.'



* *Note: This should be required reading for every household!

He has a wife now ...





We call her 'Computer'.