Recently I remembered one the earliest things I wanted to design. I was in primary school, and for reasons I can't remember, I wanted to create a tool-of-possibilities. At that time an electronic phone-book was kind of popular. It had a ridiculously small screen, like a calculator, and you can save up to 50 names. Since it was multipurpose, it could also become a calculator, a notebook, and world-time viewer. Maybe a few more functions, but it's too old I can't recall. It was my first time looking at such a useful device (now I'd gladly throw it away though, the interface is impossible) , so I thought about designing a device that when you put a question of 'why' in it, it'd give out all kinds of possible answers. For example, "why isn't my friend answering the phone" would be answered with "she's busy" or "she's using the bathroom" or "she didn't hear it ringing" or "the phone has fallen under the bed" and the such. I know it sounds like useless, but it's actually very useful in helping people think positive. Like, there were times when someone accidentally brushed past me while bumping into my shoulder without even looking back to apologize, but if I think positive, I'd simply think that "maybe that guy didn't notice he bumped someone, oh well". Along those lines. Unfortunately there are people who think otherwise, like "that guy is rude!" and start bad-mouthing. Regardless of the truth, once we start thinking negatively, we'd not only be sinful for bad-mouthing, but also for fitna (making an untrue statement about somebody) if it's true that the guy just didn't notice.
To be honest if no one was brave enough to tell me, I wouldn't know that I sound rude and cold. Even after knowing so, I don't intend to change because I am not rude nor cold as people misunderstood. It's just their own misconceptions. I tend to walk quickly because I feel healthier that way, but some people think I'm rude for leaving them behind. I have bad eye-sight and face-recognition, but some people think I'm cold and never say hi. When I'm not conversing with anyone and seriously do my work, some people say I never laugh. Oh the insanity. I'm not perfect, even I used to have negative thinking over America's administration, but I threw that away. Being misunderstood myself, I can feel how terrible it is to misunderstand someone. So people, you're still going with "he's so rude!" even though you didn't even try to ask? Not all truths will be revealed, and not all truths are sweet, but negative thinking takes us nowhere.
Once again, everyone is different. So be nice. Remember how the prophets were to their people no matter how they accused the prophets as liars? *wink wink*
And going through google search, we always come across unexpected things. Today I found a site that's trying to refute contents of the Koran, with the main statement sounding something like "scientifically incorrect". There the writer posted various interpreted words of the Koran and pointed out where it's scientifically wrong and how it coincides with ancient beliefs. I was going to laugh it off, since no one asked me anyway, but looking at the replies I saw an agent who tried to backfire the statements. I must say the explanations are quite nicely done since he/she pointed out that interpretations of the Koran are simply interpretations, they do not reflect the truth of what it means, and that Arabic words have a lot of meanings. But for us who can barely pronounce the Arabic greetings correctly, surely it won't be easy to do that. So what do we do when someone start asking us about it? I've said this a few times before, I'll say it again. They are reminders for myself, and for those reading.
- Q: This statement is incorrect/dubious.
- A: I don't speak Arab either so I can't answer. Ask someone native.
- Q: This statement is scientifically incorrect.
- Who proved humans evolved from monkeys? Who proved big bang was real? Science itself is dubious. But I choose to believe in the one who created science itself, it's God. If it didn't create science, then it's not God. That's the ultimate rule.
- Q: This statement seems to be based on ancient beliefs.
- Dunno. I didn't live in that era.
- Q: What if religion and science proves to be against each other?
- Do you even know what religion is? They're both the same thing. But people misunderstand science as not having feelings, emotions, empathy. What you seem to misunderstand as science is just what you shaped as your own religion, your way of living.
- Q: You couldn't answer half the questions.
- I don't need to be able to answer everything. I just need to believe.
To me, science's main purpose is not to prove what is right or wrong, because the ultimate truth is already in each of our own hearts. Science is simply a tool to help people live a better life, it is not what decides everything. Newton's theory has existed since the beginning of time, Newton only discovered it, he did not decide for it to be like that. That's how science is. They discover what they could, and use it for our own good. People who misunderstand 'discover' for 'prove' are often those who cannot see religion and science as the same thing. And here I go again with my incorrigible blabbering.
***
There was a time at a certain preaching when the prophet was so badly treated and injured that a companion asked:
"Why don't you just ask God to let a catastrophe befall those rude people?"
Then the prophet warmly replied:
"I wasn't sent here to bring destruction to my people. I was sent here as a reminder for my people."
~my own narration of the hadeeth, please find the original version if you need to recite it~
