IN gearing towards a fully developed nation in 2020, Malaysia must focus its attention on technological development. Home-grown technology is an important element in guaranteeing sustainable economic growth of the nation in the years to come. It is imperative that Malaysia finds a way to intensify the “creation” of new technologies to become more competitive.…
EVERY year on the 12th day of Rabiul Awwal of the Hijriyyah calendar, Muslims the world over commemorate the birth of Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the last messenger of God to mankind. This year, the event known as Maulid al-Rasul (birth of the messenger) falls on May 14. It is, indeed, very fascinating to study the…
THE killer disease SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is making headlines these days. This disease, said to originate from the southern province of Guangdong in China, was first identified in November 2002. Since then, SARS has killed more than 260 people worldwide. As the number of reported cases increases, the number of rumours circulating also…
ONE of the words often used to scare people when it comes to Islam is jihad. It is a word often given a negative connotation by various quarters. It may even be that there is no term or word more misunderstood and misused than jihad, which is unfortunate. Since the Sept 11, 2001 tragedy in…
THE world has gone through a long history of human civilisation, and borne witness to numerous conflicts and countless wars. During the infancy of civilisation, the Empire of Babylon was extended through invasion with Nebuchadnezzar storming into Judah. During the medieval period, history recorded a series of conflicts and wars, including feudal wars in Europe,…
IT is painful these days to follow current events. As the Prime Minister said in Davos and at several other fora, the world really has yet to move out of the Stone Age. Might makes right, so it would seem. Those who possess the firepower would dictate the way things are run, even if the…
THERE seems to be a consensus on the need for preachers of Islam to utilise modern tools to carry out the task of dakwah. As a matter of fact, most preachers today are aware of some of the popular technologies being used to disseminate information. Many are also accustomed to the use of certain platforms…
IT is not difficult to see why some people do not regard technology as being important to Islam. Technology” is a word that could not to be found in the Quran nor the prophetic traditions. The word has Greek and Latin origins. “Technology” is derived from the Greek word “tekhnologia” and the Latin word “technolo-gia”…
ISLAM is a global religion. The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, who was the last messenger of God, was assigned to spread the teachings of Islam to all, regardless of race and culture. This is mentioned in verse 107 of Surah alAnbiya’ to the effect that: “We sent thee not, but as a mercy…
EVER since the debate on human cloning technology became a hot discussion topic, many people have made a generalisation that all technologies are detrimental to mankind. Technologies such as human cloning are potentially harmful and open to abuse which can then lead to destruction. Likewise, nuclear technology could bring mankind to annihilation if utilised in…
