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Dr. Fatima Abubakar
H.O.D. Department of Religious Studies
CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES UNIT
Christian Religious Studies programme is one of the two programmes under the Department of Religious Studies, which was one of the Departments founded when the degree programmes of the university commenced in 2005/2006 academic session. The programme started with the first set of students who were passed on to the Department from the School of Basic and Remedial Studies of the university and those who got admitted with JAMB. There were eight (8) students for the programme with five (5) males and three (3) females. Since then, students' enrolment has been increasing significantly. Presently, there are one hundred and thirty (130) students in the programme. The programme took off with only two permanent staff although more personnel later came on board through sabbatical and part-time services. Presently, this Unit of the Department has one Professor on full-time. One Associate Professor and one Senior Lecturer on part-time. Other members of staff on ground include four Lecturer I, three Lecturer II and two Assistant Lecturers. Other members of staff of the Unit are presently pursuing their higher degrees in various universities within and outside Nigeria. The lecturers have been involved in attending both local and International conferences in addition to their publications in learned journals.
ISLAMIC STUDIES UNIT
The Department of Religious Studies was one of the Departments founded when the degree programmes of the university commenced in 2005/2006 session. The Department runs B.A. degrees in both Christian Religious Studies and Islamic Studies but it hopes to begin its postgraduate programme shortly. The programme started with the first set of students who were passed on to the Department from the School of Basic and Remedial Studies of the university. There were twenty-three (23) students for the B.A Islamic Studies programme with nine (9) females and fourteen (14) males. Since then, students' enrolment has been increasing significantly. Presently, there are over three hundred and Eighty-Seven (387) students in the programme. The unit took off with only three permanent staff although more personnel later came on board through sabbatical, part-time or visiting services. Presently, this Unit of the Department has two Professors (one on visiting), one Reader, six Senior Lecturers (one on visiting), five lecturer I(one on visiting), five Lecturer II, six Assistant Lecturers, and eight Graduate Assistants who are currently pursuing their master's degree programmes in Nigeria, all making a total of 33 Academic Staff.
All Students seeking to join the Christian Religious Studies at 100 Level must possess five "O" level credit passes in English Language, Christian Religious Studies and three 3 other subjects from the Arts and Social Sciences.
3-Year or Six-Semester Degree Programme a) Two passes in the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced level or its equivalents with credit passes in three other subjects at the Ordinary level or equivalent including English language. One of the Advance Level subjects should be Christian Religious Studies. b) Any other relevant two-year post-secondary Diploma recognised by the Senate of the university.
UTME: 4-Year or Eight-Semester Degree Programme. All students seeking to join the discipline at 100 Level MUST possess five 'O" Level credit passes in English Language, Islamic Studies and three other relevant subjects from Arts and Social Sciences.
Direct Entry: 3-Year or Six-Semester Degree programme. Students joining the programme at 200 Level MUST, in addition to the above, possess two 'A' level passes including Islamic studies.
A Student shall qualify for the award of a degree when he/she has:
Completed and passed ALL the courses he/she registered for including compulsory courses and required/elective courses as may be offered by the University/Faculty.
Obtained a minimum CGPA of not less than 1.5.
Earned the minimum credit units of not less than 144 for UTME and 108 for DE candidates.


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The Americus-Sumter High School Football Team has recently added another game to its schedule. The Panthers will travel to Sylvester, GA on Friday, September 18 to take on Worth County. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Photo by ASHS
Americus-Sumter football team to play at Worth County this Friday night
Published 2:20 am Tuesday, September 15, 2020
AMERICUS – After the Americus-Sumter High School Football Team lost two games on its 2020 schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it looked as if they would be spending the next two Friday's practicing to get ready for their first home game of the season against Central (Macon) on Friday, October 2. However, things have changed. The Panthers will be traveling to Sylvester this Friday, September 18 to take on the Rams of Worth County.
Originally, the Panthers were scheduled two play two teams from Dougherty County. They were scheduled to begin the 2020 season in Albany against Westover and were also supposed to host Monroe, but due to the Dougherty County School System's decision to postpone all extracurricular activities until October due to the pandemic, the Panthers lost both of those games. However, Americus-Sumter and Worth County have agreed to play each other this Friday night in Sylvester.
"After the Dougherty County School System decided to suspend all extracurricular activities for the month of September, we reached out to several schools. One of them was Worth County," Americus-Sumter Athletic Director Coleman Price said. "At the time, their head coach stated that they were not looking for any games."
However, it appears that Worth County had a change of heart. Price went on to say that in spite of what Worth County's head coach had told the ASHS athletic staff, ASHS Head Coach Ross Couch received a phone call on Friday morning, September 11 from the Worth County athletic director about scheduling a game between the two schools. "We were able to get things worked out so we can play this Friday night at Worth County," said Price.
The Panthers (0-1) are coming off a 33-3 defeat to Hardaway back on Thursday, September 10 to open the season, while the Rams (1-1) are coming off a 33-30 victory at Mitchell County last Friday night.
Both teams will go at it this Friday night, September 18 in Sylvester. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Six Lady Wildcats turn in multi-hit performances in win over Bleckley County
From Staff Reports COCHRAN, GA – The Schley County Lady Wildcat Softball Team (SCHS) has now won three... read more

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Michael Goulder
Michael Goulder was Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Birmingham prior to his retirement in 1994.
Five Stones and a Sling: Memoirs of a Biblical Scholar
By Michael Goulder
Michael Goulder is a scholar who has always taken an original approach to the Bible and biblical criticism. He has developed five major theories, which challenged received opinion among the learned; and the book tells the story of how these 'stones' fared when confronting the biblical establishment. He wryly admits that his slinging has been rather less successful than David's against Goliath. Among his five theories a special place must be given to his demonstration of how much of the teaching ascribed to Jesus actually derived from the evangelists —the Lord's Prayer for example being composed by Matthew out of Jesus' prayers in Gethsemane. The parables too are the composition of the evangelists, Matthew characteristically writing of kings and rich merchants, while Luke speaks of women, stewards, a beggar and a Samaritan. A long-rooted error Michael Goulder has valiantly opposed has been the belief that Matthew and Luke were both dependent on a lost source, Q; in fact, he argues, Luke was familiar with Matthew's Gospel and copied or developed its teaching as he thought best. Goulder has worked at the Old Testament as well as the New. He concludes that the Psalms were not the individual prayers of pious Israelites, as Gunkel and others supposed, but the compositions of kings or their poets, deploring national disasters and praying for blessing at the great autumn festival. This account of Goulder's scholarly work is fascinatingly interwoven with that of his life and ministry; and there are many anecdotes and vignettes of other people that are both amusing and interesting. He was ordained a priest in the Anglican Church, and though he resigned his Orders in 1981, he never lost his love of the Bible.


The Charity Commission is very unlikely to detect or successfully investigate tax-avoidance schemes involving charities, according to a former employee of its compliance division.
The commission has been criticised by sector leaders for not taking action against the Cup Trust, which turned over £176m in two years but gave only £55,000 to good causes. Sector leaders have labelled the trust a tax-avoidance mechanism.
David Orbison, a former senior case worker at the Charity Commission, said the regulator would investigate only when a complaint had been made. "But members of the public rarely become involved in tax avoidance or fraud and would have no reason to complain or even know of the existence of such a charity," he said. "The annual returns and accounts are not verified."
Orbison left the commission in 2010 over its treatment of a charity he was investigating and later won his case for constructive unfair dismissal – but lost on three other claims: for detriment and unfair dismissal, indirect discrimination and discrimination due to a disability, relating to a diagnosis of anxiety and depression. The Charity Commission is appealing the one verdict against it.
Orbison said the commission relied on HM Revenue & Customs to inform it of any tax avoidance or fraud involving charities, but that HMRC had been reluctant to provide information. "All of this means the detection rate is very, very low," Orbison said.
Only a "single-figure" number of inquiries were taking place involving tax avoidance or fraud while he was at the commission, he said, and the commission was "hopelessly equipped" to carry out these inquiries.
"The commission has only a handful of accountants who work in compliance, covering many, many cases of all shapes and sizes," Orbison said. "In addition, the commission does not access the electronic records of these organisations but relies on paper documentation only. The commission's approach to investigation is slow and plodding and can take months or years."
He said such operations "simply run rings around the commission". In cases such as the Cup Trust, he said, the commission might have been able to do more than it had, but preferred to "simply document internally" why it should take no action.
Orbison said that if the commission had really been unable to act in the case of the Cup Trust, it should have said publicly that this was the case. "If the Charity Commission's position is really that it is powerless to deal with such scams, it should have lobbied parliament for additional powers," he said.
The Charity Commission said that it did not want to respond to Orbison's comments.


What is the one thing you hear most when you ask parents what they want for their children?
"I just want my children to be happy."
I hate to say it, but I think this is one of the biggest lies and sinful desires that we are buying into for our selves and our children… even if we don't want to admit it. Being happy shouldn't be our ultimate goal, and it shouldn't be our ultimate goal for our kiddos. The word happy is incomplete for the description of what we should desire.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith,because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Being joyful is simply being content in Christ in all circumstances.
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
Simple, yet so difficult. But I encourage you, take on the challenge, for yourself, your family, your kids. Stop chasing happiness, they things of this world are fleeting and you will never find it. Start pursuing joyful contentness in Christ :).
So glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing!


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I'm Steve Conrad, writer and creator of Perpetual Grace, LTD. and Patriot. I also just released an album. AMA
My name is Steve Conrad and I'm the writer/creator of EPiX's Perpetual Grace, LTD., and Amazon's Patriot. I also just released a soundtrack album of original music under the name The Jones Sisters for PGLTD. I know that a lot of you have questions for me about Patriot and hopefully many about Perpetual Grace, LTD. as well as the Jones Sisters. Please feel free to Ask Me Anything.
Proof: https://twitter.com/StevConrad/status/1159885792648581121
UPDATE: Thanks so much for all your incredible questions. I didn't have a chance to answer all of them, but will be working on my responses during the next couple of weeks and will answer as many as I can during that time.
irocktoo95 karma 2019-08-15 00:00:30 UTC
I'd just like to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you for Patriot. It was the show that made me realize I was depressed and I'd never seen the emotions I had been struggling with so elegantly put on screen. Patriot has and will be a show near and dear to me for the rest of my life.
As for my question: There is this air of non-judgement when it comes to characters actions and each character, no matter how small, has depth, what mindset do you have when you're creating these characters?
SteveConrad62 karma 2019-08-15 01:26:28 UTC
Man thanks that means quite a lot to me. It's the reason we write. The mindset we have more or less when we create a field of characters is to create a world of tension between expectations and a world of connection between needs
filled_with_hornets53 karma 2019-08-14 23:55:55 UTC
How was the extended Rochambeau sequence in Patriot filmed? Had the actors memorised the whole sequence? P.S. it's perfection.
Thank you. Mike and Alliette just spent a lot of time after work practicing. They spent months. Which is one of the reasons I love them.
Miserable_Mr_Masle51 karma 2019-08-14 23:50:30 UTC
Do you write so many scenes with your brother's characters being shirtless or naked as some sort of sibling payback?
tornadoddt35 karma 2019-08-14 23:39:34 UTC
Hi there Steve, I'm a big fan of Patriot and Perpetual Grace, LTD. ("Get it, get the rhythm, get the rhythm, there we go, there we fuckin' go" gets stuck in my head from time to time, so thanks for that, haha.) I have two questions and they're both about music.
First, what was the reasoning behind changing the theme music for Patriot from "Train Song" in season 1 to "Sure Shot" in season 2. I love both songs, but I'm just curious as to why you decided to swap out one for the other between seasons.
And second, and I've been hoping for this since the episode aired, will a full version of Ben Kingsley singing "When Doves Cry" ever see the light of day? Because I noticed it wasn't on the PGLTD soundtrack and I'm wondering if we'll ever get to hear a full version of it because it just sounds so cool.
Thanks for doing this AMA, fingers crossed for a second season of Perpetual Grace!
1) thank you very much. We created a different title sequence for season two because I want the individual seasons of the shows we work on to have their own identity and integrity. The characters and their circumstances change and I prefer that the titles sequences accommodate their new conditions. And I like that Vashti's song is still there were one to care to revisit season one
About Ben's When Doves Cry- it was a massive feat to get Prince's estate to allow us the use of the song. They won't let us release a longer version but we were all pleased we had the chance to share what we had. Ben killed it
HFTCFC30 karma 2019-08-15 00:12:54 UTC
Are you aware that you've inspired a linguistic revolution amongst several people (on Reddit as well as offline)? It is cool. (Thank you.)
We like to use those recurring worlds and phrases because it helps us find the people who really like the show, and that helps me learn what's actually good about it. That's the basis of it
melwin777730 karma 2019-08-14 23:38:17 UTC
I think the first question most of us want to ask, is there any chance that Patriot will return for a third season?
Most of us who worked on Patriot work on PGLTD now. We were uncertain about the opportunity to continue our work on Patriot due to the studio's long deliberation. We worried we would be split up among a dozen different projects. So we decided to keep working as a group on something new straight away. We're going to stay with PGLTD for a while. Patriot though is really just a group of people. We're still together
IcelandicBanks30 karma 2019-08-14 23:45:47 UTC
Steve! I love your work, man!
The Weather Man, Walter Mitty, Patriot, and now Perpetual Grace, Ltd!
I feel like your current stuff(Patriot, PGLTD) is juuust weird enough that it could introduce a wide audience to the type of humor/plot/pacing you provide if they just give it a chance.
So, my question is, does it bother you that you create such highly acclaimed but widely unknown stuff? Would you prefer if your shows were as big as stuff like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones, or do you think you'd end up with a watered down version of what your vision is if things got too popular?
I guess it's like this, man: what's your goal with creating your stuff? What you're currently doing or being the next big thing?
Keep up the pretty good stuff, man, and keep that haircut, too.
Oh, and Chris has the following insane qualities: body, kicking ability, acting ability, and career.
He was Johnny* Cage, for fucks sake! Can you live up to that, you think?
Cool question. My only goal is to hope the material lasts a while in our audience's minds. Maybe if the work was more popular that would be harder to accomplish. Johnny Cage gets killed in the first scene. My favorite Chris Conrad movie is Karate Kid four
future_forward22 karma 2019-08-15 00:13:54 UTC
How the hell did you pull off that long, long take in Patriot S2?
Looking forward to good news on LTD S2 – can't wait for more Special Boy hijinx (and Hana Mae Lee being badass).
Thanks for your work, and for doing this AMA!
Long take = dumb luck. We just needed actors (Mike,Chris Michael,Tony) and a a camera operator (Jody Miller) who were up for spending a night in a French jail if we got caught. It took 14 takes to get the trains timed right
elazarf22 karma 2019-08-14 23:55:45 UTC
Any chance of Michael Dorman making an appearance in future seasons of PERPETUAL GRACE LTD?
Mike Dorman is a genius. But jimmi Simpson sits in that seat at the family table of PGLTD. And we're lucky to have Jimmi. He is a remarkable partner. mike and I will work together someday soon
MartinTidy22 karma 2019-08-14 23:46:40 UTC
Hi, Steve. John Tavner and James both exhibit signs of clinical depression to a degree and level of realism I rarely see on screen. It's so refreshing, not to mention literally therapeutic. Have you or has someone close to you dealt with depression? Or is it something you just had to research? Neither? Thank you!
Patriot is largely about depression and the coping mechanisms someone hopes will lift them out. It's the bad guy in the show. I have had people close to me contend with it. We all have. It's all around us. Friendship helps John
King_Allant21 karma 2019-08-15 00:03:11 UTC
Patriot and Perpetual Grace have been my absolute favorite shows to watch with my family these past years, so thank you kindly for the many hours of enjoyment we've been able to share. Now, I have two very important questions. There's a lot riding on this.
Do you have a crush on Terry O'Quinn? There must have been atleast four separate characters in Perpetual Grace who called him beautiful. I mean, he is of course. But are you telling us something?
There are several very specific recurring elements across Patriot and Perpetual Grace. A few examples include the line, "Blessed with faith, cursed with sons," the idea of "The Thermodynamics of Running" versus "The Structual Dynamics of Flow," and the idiosyncratic way Terry O'Quinn and Kurtwood Smith's characters in both shows continually address each other by their names at the beginning of sentences. Is there special significance to these recurrences?
Anyone who knows Terry O'Quinn has a crush on him. I know him. Therefore I have a crush on him, yeah. The only significance to recurrences is that we build them in to thank our audience for paying attention. It's important to us to say thank you that way
IsobelJ20 karma 2019-08-14 23:47:42 UTC
Hi Steve, how far ahead have you plotted out Perpetual Grace Ltd? It is an absolutely brilliant show, I hope y'all get renewed!
P.S. Chris Conrad is a phenomenal actor - the way he plays New Leaf as simultaneously intelligent, sensitive, and perpetually one moment away from assaulting someone is 👌🏼
Chris texted me earlier today and challenged me to guess which question he was going to ask me. I don't think this is it though because I think it's clear to anyone who cares to notice that Chris is a remarkable actor. Thank you for noticing. I'm very lucky that he has signed on with me. We have the series pretty well figured out. We've plotted it out to the end. And if this is Chris… just a reminder to watch Karate Kid four.
WardenclyffeTower16 karma 2019-08-14 23:42:25 UTC
Really enjoyed both of your shows. What's your role in the band The Jones Sisters (what instrument do you play)?
For those who may not know, these are the subreddits for the shows:
/r/PatriotTV
/r/PerpetualGraceLTD
I play guitar in The Jones Sisters. But Sheriff Dolittle does the hard parts
DellZissou16 karma 2019-08-14 23:38:22 UTC
What are some of your favorite books?
A list of my favorite books would include Independence Day by Richard Ford. Civilwarland in Bad Decline by George Saunders. The Name of the World by Denis Johnson
If Patriot and/or PGL didn't continue in TV form, would you consider publishing a subsequent season's unfilmed scripts/storyboards for fans to purchase in book form?
I think what mike and I might do regarding Patriot is maybe make some john Tavner home recordings of john Tavner's further songs
livegamedeals14 karma 2019-08-14 23:41:03 UTC
Also any confirmation on Season 2 of Perpetual Grace, LTD? Would the current cast be kept completely intact if there is one?
All those decisions makers about PGLTD season 2 seem very pleased with the way the show has been regarded. There is a necessary waiting period of a few weeks longer. But all signs are good for a quick delivery on season 2. Everyone is back. We're a pretty tight group.
Can you tell us about the origin of Pa's chant (in your own head, or in the fiction of PGL)?
Pa's chant…. It's crazy… it was the day before I met Ben for the first time. He was arriving in Santa Fe a week or so before we began shooting and I was terrified by his talent. I couldn't sleep I was so intimidated. Then that day the chant just popped into my head. The whole thing. And I liked it and I thought "now I have to tell him I want him to do this stupid chant on the first day of shooting that I can't explain the importance of at all." Somehow that weird idea I loved protected me so when I walked into the room to meet him I was going to be "the guy with the weird Idea that maybe wasn't good and maybe wasn't bad and we'll just have to see…" Anyway, Ben loved it and made it faster and more intense. That's Ben
BeckettBoi13 karma 2019-08-14 23:38:24 UTC
Hi Steve, what are your thoughts on the recent news that Patriot will not be returning, did you have plans for a third season?, if so please can we have the details, i am a big fan of all of your work, especially patriot! Very sad to see it go.
Thank your very much. There are complications obviously with our cast and our filmmaker's schedules allowing for a Patriot 3 but I'd like our audience to know that we would have been pleased to have been given the chance to continue our story
Owl-with-Diabetes13 karma 2019-08-14 23:42:00 UTC
With Perpetual Grace and Patriot, you seem to be a huge fan of noirs. What are some of your favorite noirs that have inspired your work or you love?
P.S. Love your music!
Thank you very much. Favorite noirs - No Country. A Simple Plan. The Killing. Dog Day Afternoon. Mildred Pierce
uranist12 karma 2019-08-14 23:49:10 UTC
Thank you and the whole team for both Patriot and Perpetual Grace, LTD.! I first learned about Patriot from the Harmontown podcast you were on, binged both seasons, and signed up to Epix just for Perpetual Grace, LTD.
Question time: Both Patriot and Perpetual Grace, LTD. share the trope of a band of unlikely allies coming together to accomplish something. Is this something you want to continue to explore? Why do you think you're drawn to stories like that?
I guess because (versus family) friendships are the intimate connections that we choose. And I think that we choose them subconsciously (in the best versions of events) because of a need to get healed by them
Outside of your soundtracks, is there any place can we hear other songs you've written?
SteveConrad7 karma 2019-08-15 01:22:22 UTC
There's a website for Pa's church that has a page on it that keeps posting older songs. Once a week. I think they have a bunch of older stuff (http://ourladyofperpetualgrace.com)
PeligrosoOso11 karma 2019-08-14 23:40:31 UTC
Do you choose all the music for your shows? I swear I heard a ZAO song in the Guillermo Usted space training scene.
I do choose the music. It's my favorite part and sometimes it helps me get my friends paid
Are you the vocalist on The Jones Sisters album? Specifically the opening and ending themes of Perpetual Grace, LTD. Great tracks!
We all sing now and then but that's Bobby Bare Jr. Check out his records. Jim Becker (Sheriff Dolittle) sings You are hurting me and My Old Old Lady Check out his records with Califone. Carey Kotsionis sings Iris and Restless as The Former Horses. Her records are lovely. Lillie Mae Rische sings Kawasaki KX80 and I want to get something going on (her new record just came out) I sing Drunk (Chicago).
SmokeontheHorizon10 karma 2019-08-14 23:48:30 UTC
I've got a two-fer: Do you write characters with certain actors in mind, and have you had to change your original plans for any of your characters after they were cast?
I can't write for an actor until I get to know them in real life. Someone might notice how PGLTD changes over the course of the season. It's because I had the occasion to get to know Jacki, Ben, Jimmi, Luis, Dash, Damon, Tim and Efren. And I started giving them more detailed stuff because I was able to learn their details. That is probably the difference between Patriot Season One and Season Two. We all got to know each others details.
MKoilers9 karma 2019-08-14 23:59:52 UTC
Hi Steve, big fan of Patriot and planning to check out Perpetual Grace Ltd as well.
The Patriot cancellation stings for me, so I can only imagine what it is like for you as the creator. How long did you envision Patriot running for, if you had been given the opportunity to keep going?
I sensed that the studio wasn't into it anymore so we tried to make the last 8 hours work. But we could have done one more year
crsven9 karma 2019-08-14 23:41:03 UTC
Is there any way to hear the full version of Ben Kingsley's "When Doves Cry" cover?
Copied from Above:
bloodflart9 karma 2019-08-14 23:50:51 UTC
How many seasons are you planning or have ideas for?
2by2wastaken9 karma 2019-08-14 23:54:14 UTC
I loved patriot, it's easily one of my favorite shows of all time. My favorite scene was the entire store robbery segment. What are some of your favorite scenes in patriot? And what are some of your favorite movies and shows?
But my biggest question is where you learned how to film? Did you go to a film school, or did you just develop the skills on your own? All of patriot looks so stunning and the story and writing is all so well blended with it, so I just wanted to know how you learned to make it so amazing! Thanks!
What I learned in the early days is it's a good idea to meet two people as talented as Jimi and Nicole Whitaker and to promise them with no sense of whether it was going to turn out this way that we could try to make tv that didn't look like tv
gettherhythm8 karma 2019-08-14 23:47:40 UTC
I also saw your short pre-Patriot stop-motion Timm's Valley - what is it that lead you to choose industrial piping as a backdrop to both shows?
We use names sometimes in a few different shows… it's weird… we do it to show that maybe that stuff isn't really that important. I think what we're trying to do is to maybe share that the important stuff is happening somewhere else in the show.
elbowleg5138 karma 2019-08-15 00:07:57 UTC
Did you ever see the Beastie Boys in concert?
Ha yeah I did. Like 1985. Chris Conrad interrupted the experience by getting into a fight with the opening act Bad Brains (they're great) then fighting cops and going to 15 year old kid jail) so I had to leave early, but as I was leaving the dick became present
notyou8 karma 2019-08-14 23:39:03 UTC
First off, huge props. Both these shows are favorites of mine. I love virtually everything about them and have watched all of Patriot at least twice.
Based on the arcs I'm going to venture a guess that in the improviser/planner spectrum for TV shows you're a planner. If that's right, what kind of space (if any) do you leave for improvising in the construction of these shows? As a mostly-improviser by nature, I'm curious to hear you opine about this subject in general.
I live in Chicago. Improv is part of the important scene here. And I wish we had the time and space on TV to mess with it. But man we have to shoot so fast that the day needs a plan. And, we're also making suspense which… well… it just needs engineering. But someday someone is going to make an improved suspense show that's great and I'm going to love it
filled_with_hornets6 karma 2019-08-14 23:56:39 UTC
How did you shoot/edit the extended sequence of Hector walking around and through his house? I can't hear a second set of (camera operator's) footsteps on the gravel, or see a track for the camera to be sitting on. But the sound seems too perfectly matched to be ADR.
Cool technical question. Sound was live. Sound mixer was in front of the actors (off screen), our brilliant camera operator (Cédric Martin) was behind them and scampered like a cat burglar)
Will PGL (and/or Patriot) get a DVD/Blu Ray release so that I can cram it in my friends' Christmas stockings? PGL is incredible and it'd be great to be able to spread it around. I'm in Australia and very few people here are aware of it. P.S. Thankyou for putting so much heart into this show. The Special Boys and Ma/Pa are unlike any other characters on TV.
I would love for you to cram Patriot and PGLTD into your friend's stockings. But they just won't make objects. They cost too much to their way of thinking. Our way of thinking is that objects are art and we would be really happy to be one
VantasnerDanger4 karma 2019-08-15 00:37:51 UTC
Are there plans to take The Jones Sisters on tour? Cuz that would be, like, cool.
We're going to play in Nashville and Chicago the weekend the vinyl version of the record is released.
KennyKatsu3 karma 2019-08-15 00:15:20 UTC
Love Patriot and would rank it in my top 5 shows. What are some of your favorite tv series this year?
This year we have been working so much I just can't watch tv so I'm going to say the show what I have watched this most this year... The Mighty Boosh.
In PGL, How on earth did you film/stage the bank/antique shop split screen? Were both sides filmed simultaneously, or was one filmed first?
We filmed bank one first then (so painstakingly) tried to time the antique store to it. Dash established the long pacing. With his long drinking of his bank water
jez1243 karma 2019-08-14 23:44:54 UTC
Whats your dream project?
What existing work- books, comics or a remake would you love to work on?
Favourite tv show/movie of this year?
The Return of Billy Jack (I'm working on it. Tom Laughlin's son Frank is a brilliant and lovely caretaker of his family's work) we're trying to figure out a way to make the next one
AnEnchantedJockstrap3 karma 2019-08-15 00:17:16 UTC
Quick and simple question for you, Steve - any chance of news of PGLTD getting acquired in the UK any time soon? Dying to see it but there's no way to watch it over this side of the world.
The UK has the greatest density of Patriot audience on the planet so I hope it's just a matter of time before the people who make those decisions who are not me make the right decision which would be to get PGLTD on the air in the UK as soon as one can


timing: some people are born at just the right time to take advantage of historical watershed moments (e.g. the PC revolution) or age-based selections (e.g. birthday cut-offs for joining sports teams, schools, etc).
practice opportunities: Gladwell asserts that the "universal" requirement for achieving expertise is 10,000 hours of practice. Gladwell further asserts that successful individuals have often been given abnormal opportunities to obtain that amount of practice in a short period of time and at an early age.
environment: the amount of nurture and support that a person receives from his family and community has a significant effect on their success. This includes parents teaching their children how to be assertive, and actively guide their own lives.
culture: cultural values and behaviors can have a profound effect on an individual's level of success.
In the Black Swan, Taleb asserted that individual success in "scalable" fields was due primarily to luck and a rich-get-richer effect. In Outliers I think Gladwell provides a compelling explanation for that phenomenon in his focus on lucky opportunities for obtaining expertise.
The StudyHacks blog ran a post on how one person successfully entered the music industry by selecting a single nightclub to perform at and then focused all their energy on becoming the best performer at that venue. To me this resonated strongly with Gladwell's assertion that opportunities for obtaining 10,000 hours of practice are one of the keys to success.
So, there appears to be supporting opinions for some of Gladwell's assertions. Personally, I suspect that he is on the right track.
I enjoyed the first half of the book but found the second halves multi-generational discussion weaker as I suspect a "lucky event" can be found in everyone's family history if you go back a few generations.
Being a computer geek, I enjoyed the brief biographies on both Bill Joy and Bill Gates. I had no idea that Gates had so much programming experience before going to college. By all appearances both Bills had rare opportunities to become expert programmers at just the right age to ride the PC technology wave.
Page 11: … the values of the world we inhabit and the people that we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.
Page 42: (regarding the assertion that 10,000 hours of practice are required to become an expert at any particular skill) … ten thousand hours is an enormous amount of time. It's all but impossible to reach that number all by yourself by the time you're a young adult. … In fact most people can only reach that number only if they get into some kind of special program … or if they get some kind of extraordinary opportunity that gives them the chance to put in those hours.
Page 149: Those three things - autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward - are, most people agree, the three qualities that work has to have if it is to be satisfying.
Page 267: … success follows a predictable course. It is not the brightest who succeed. … Nor is success simply the sum of decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities - and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.
Pick a meaningful skill and practice it as much as possible.
Maximize your exposure to opportunities that require the chosen skill to be successful and provide more practice.
Aggressively pursue the opportunities that you come across to extract the most value from them.
Over all a good book, and worth the time to read it.


text:
Christoph Dreher est un acteur, réalisateur et scénariste allemand né en 1952 à Nuremberg.

Biographie

Filmographie

Acteur

Cinéma
 2013 : Kalte Probe : Hand Double

Courts-métrages
 1994 : Long Weekend XTC

Télévision
 Téléfilms
 2000 : Grüße aus der Lebensmitte

Producteur

Télévision
 Téléfilms
 1997 : Pop Odyssee 1 - Die Beach Boys und der Satan

Réalisateur

Télévision
 Séries télévisées
 1992 : Lost in Music
 1993 : Freestyle
 2001 : Fantastic Voyages

 Téléfilms
 1995 : Metal Mania
 1997 : Pop Odyssee 1 - Die Beach Boys und der Satan
 2000 : Silver Rockets/Kool Things: 20 Years of Sonic Youth
 2002 : Beck: Permanent Mutations
 2003 : Superhuman
 2004 : Tanz' den Voodoo - Der Kosmos des Koffi Kôkô
 2005 : Youthquake '65: The London Pop Explosion
 2007 : 67, Année Psychédelique
 2009 : Berlin, New York et la musique underground

Scénariste

Télévision
 Séries télévisées
 2014 : Zapp

 Téléfilms
 1995 : Metal Mania
 1997 : Pop Odyssee 1 - Die Beach Boys und der Satan
 2000 : Silver Rockets/Kool Things: 20 Years of Sonic Youth
 2002 : Beck: Permanent Mutations
 2003 : Superhuman
 2004 : Tanz' den Voodoo - Der Kosmos des Koffi Kôkô
 2007 : 67, Année Psychédelique
 2009 : Berlin, New York et la musique underground

Directeur de la photographie

Télévision
 Téléfilms
 1985 : Zagarbata

Parolier

Cinéma
 1996 : Box of Moon Light

Références

Liens externes

Réalisateur allemand
Scénariste allemand de cinéma
Acteur allemand de cinéma
Acteur allemand de télévision
Naissance en 1952
Naissance à Nuremberg

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
(Notes & Audio) Allah (SWT) Has Honored Bani Adam - Mankind
Allah (SWT) Has Honored Bani Adam - Mankind
By Shaikh Abdullah Faisal
Saturday, 7th March 2015
Notes typed live by AT19
Edited and formatted by AT38
Allah (swt) has declared to mankind that He has honored Bani Adam
And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Taiyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference. (Al-Isra 17:70)
When you read this verse, you should think why did Allah honor Bani Adam?
Iblis could not cope with this honor bestowed on Bani Adam
[Iblis (Satan)] said: "See? This one whom You have honoured above me, if You give me respite (keep me alive) to the Day of Resurrection, I will surely seize and mislead his offspring (by sending them astray) all but a few!" (Al-Isra 17:62)
This is a threat from Iblis that he will send Bani Adam astray
Iblis claims he was given a raw deal from Allah (swt)
Iblis is on the war path and he did not hide his feelings
He predicted that most men will follow him and be in the hellfire, not paradise
THE 30 WAYS ALLAH HAS HONORED BANI ADAM
1. HE HAS CREATED ADAM (AS) WITH HIS TWO HANDS
I hope you don't have a problem understanding that Allah has two Hands
(Allah) said: "O Iblis (Satan)! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with Both My Hands. Are you too proud (to fall prostrate to Adam) or are you one of the highly exalted?" (Sad 38:75)
Allah (swt) has created four things with His Two Hands:
Mujahid narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) said:"Allah created four things with His Hand; 1. The Throne 2. The Pen 3. Aadam and4. The paradise of 'Adn. He then said to the rest of the creation 'Kun' [Be]and it was." [Adh Dhahabi in 'Mukhtasar al-'Uluw' (p105), Abu al-Shaikhal-Asbahani in 'al-'Adhuma' (5/1555), Tafsir al-Tabari (21/239), 'The chain is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim.']
Allah has two Hands but they don't resemble our hands
2. ALLAH BLEW IN ADAM THE SOUL
When Allah (swt) did this, the first thing Adam (as) did was to sneeze
"So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him (Adam) the soul which I created for him, then fall (you) down prostrating yourselves unto him." (Al-Hijr 15:29)
3. HE TAUGHT ADAM THE NAMES OF EVERYTHING
And He taught Adam all the names (of everything), then He showed them to the angels and said, "Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful." (Al-Baqarah 2:31)
Allah then displayed them in front of the Angels and asked them to give the names
But they were unable to name them
Allah said to them 'I know what you reveal and what you conceal'
They used to say (in their hearts) that they were the most knowledgeable
Allah blessed Adam with Ilm (knowledge)
… Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah's Signs and Verses). (Az-Zumar 39:9)
Allah said in 58:11:
…Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do. (Al-Mujadilah 58:11)
4. ALLAH GAVE ADAM THE HONOR TO DWELL IN HEAVEN
Everything was provided to him
And We said: "O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the heaven and eat both of you freely with pleasure and delight of things therein as wherever you will, but come not near this tree or you both will be of the Zalimun (wrong-doers)." (Al-Baqarah 2:35)
Adam (as) was in heaven and not in paradise
No one will enter paradise before the prophet (saw)
5. ALLAH HAS COMMANDED THE ANGELS TO BOW DOWN TO ADAM (AS) OUT OF RESPECT
This bowing is called the bowing out of respect, not the bowing of worship
Another Ayah to prove that Allah commanded the Angels to bow down is 18:50
And (remember) when We said to the angels; "Prostrate to Adam." So they prostrated except Iblis (Satan). He was one of the jinns; he disobeyed the Command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimun (polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc). (Al-Kahf 18:50)
Allah (swt) specifies in the above ayah that Iblis is a jinn and not an angel
The believe that he is an angel is from Christianity
6. ALLAH HAS MADE ADAM HIS CALIPH (VICEGERENT) ON EARTH
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?" Allah said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know." (Al-Baqarah 2:30)
'I know that which you know not' means that Allah will not leave you to go astray
He will send Prophets and Messengers to guide us, as not to leave man in the lurch
The Angels were concerned that man may end up like the Jinn
They created a lot of mischief on earth
7. He HAS BLESSED US WITH AQL (REASON)
Man uses his brain to make airplane, microwave, electricity, computer etc
All of these are amazing inventions doing great things.
If someone tried to scam you and you fell for the scam,
I blame you because Allah (swt) gave you an aql and you did not use it.
Verily! The worst of (moving) living creatures with Allah are the deaf and the dumb, those who understand not (i.e. the disbelievers). (Al-Anfal 8:22)
If you do not use your aql, Allah calls you a beast, the worst of creatures
On the Day Of Judgement, when people are dumped into the hellfire
Malik (the keeper of hell) will ask them 'didn't a warner come to you?'
They will say 'YES, but we did not use our aql'
This is related in 67:9-10
They will say: "Yes indeed; a warner did come to us, but we belied him and said: 'Allah never sent down anything (of revelation), you are only in great error.'" (Al-Mulk 67:9)
And they will say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!" (Al-Mulk 67:10)
When you were going to church and you hear the priest say 'Holy Mary Mother of God!'
Why didn't you ask how could this be?
The Hindus have a festival call Diwali in which they believe that
They need to light to city for their 'god' to see the way
When he was returning from a journey
Else he may trip and fall because it is dark and he can't see in the dark
Why didn't you, the Hindu, ask 'why does this 'god' need light to see in the dark?'
Surah Mulk is used to refute the atheist, if the sun is too close we will die from heat
If it is too far we would freeze.
But the sun is in an accurate place.
The world did not come about by accident
You the Hindu, when you go to the temple and
People worship rats, snakes, black erected penis
Why didn't you use your aql regarding these things used as gods for worship?
In the last days, many will be dodgy, even your scholars
Some of your 'Shaikhs' gave bay'ah to the king of Saudi Arabia and not the Caliph
Some 'Shaikhs' believe in democracy, praying to the grave etc
People will believe a liar, and disbelieve one who tells the truth. People will distrust one who is trustworthy, and trust one who is treacherous [Musnad Ahmad (3/220) No. 13322]
If you don't use your aql, you will end up in the hellfire
Like these people in Surah Mulk
8. CLOTHING
In 7:26-27 Allah spoke about this clothing
Clothing is so important that you have to make a dua when you put on new clothing
Begging Allah for the good of it and protection from the evil of it
O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, that they may remember (i.e. leave falsehood and follow truth[]). (Al-A'raf 7:26)
O Children of Adam! Let not Shaitan (Satan) deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwa (Eve)] out of Paradise, stripping them of their raiments, to show them their private parts. Verily, he and Qabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinns or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them. Verily, We made the Shayatin (devils) Auliya' (protectors and helpers) for those who believe not. (Al-A'raf 7:27)
9. ALLAH (SWT) HAS GIVEN YOU A CONSCIENCE
Whether you are a Muslim, Christian, Jew or Pagan you know that stealing is wrong
And shown him the two ways (good and evil)? (Al-Balad 90:10)
But he has made no effort to pass on the path that is steep. (Al-Balad 90:11)
The Prophet (saw) said in a famous hadith:
Narrated By Abu Mas'ud: The Prophet said, 'One of the sayings of the early Prophets which the people have got is: If you don't feel ashamed do whatever you like." [Sahih Bukhari (4/177) No. 3484]
Because Allah (swt) gave you a conscience to know the good from the bad
10. ALLAH CREATED YOU AS A BORN MUSLIM
Allah created Bani Adam on the fitra
So set you (O Muhammad SAW) your face towards the religion of pure Islāmic Monotheism Hanifa (worship none but Allāh Alone) Allāh's Fitrah (i.e. Allāh's Islāmic Monotheism), with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in Khalqillāh (i.e. the Religion of Allāh Islāmic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of men know not. [Tafsir AtTabarī, Vol 21, Page 41] (Ar-Rum 30:30)
All these people that are evil to the core were born Muslim.
Abu Huraira (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger said, "Every child is born on the religion (of Islam). Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or a polytheist." Someone said, "O Messenger of Allah, (what about) those who die before (their parents convert them)?" He said, "Allah knows best what they would have done (if they had survived)." [al-Bukhari (6599) and Muslim (2658)]
Their parents made them otherwise
Their upbringing, the society that they live in corrupt the human being
Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) said the place you live in can corrupt you
Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) said, "The state of a place reflects the state of a person. It is possible to be sometimes a Muslim and at other times a disbeliever; sometimes sincere and at other times hypocritical; sometimes good and pious and at other times rotten and corrupt. Thus, a person becomes like the place of his abode. The migration of a person from a land of disbelief and profanity to one of faith and probity is an expression of repentance and of his turning away from disobedience and perversion to belief and obedience. This is so until the Day of Resurrection." [Majmu'al-Fatawa, (18/284)]
11. ALLAH MAKES YOU WALK UPRIGHT ON YOUR TWO FEET
So for you to crawl on your face is a disgrace
When you read the Quran or Hadith saying that some people will crawl on their face,
Don't think this is impossible
Abu Hurayrah reported that Allah's Messenger(SAW) said, "On the Day of Resurrection, mankind will be gathered in three categories - a category of those walking on foot, another of riders and the third of those walking on their faces." Someone asked, "O Messenger of Allah, how would they walk on their faces?" He said, 'Surely, he who makes them walk on their feet is Able to make them walk on their faces. Know that they will walk on their faces safeguarding from every ascent and thorn." [Sunan Tirmidhi(5/305) No. 3142, Musnad Ahmad (2/363) No. 8740]
Because you are not allowed to limit the powers of Allah
12. ALLAH HAS MADE MAN HIS MASTERPIECE
In the Museum some artworks are valued at millions and they are guarded
These are so valuable that when it is purchased, the buyer is anonymous
Because criminals may attack him for the masterpiece
By the fig, and the olive, (At-Tin 95:1)
By Mount Sinai, (At-Tin 95:2)
And by this city of security (Makkah),(At-Tin 95:3)
Verily, We created man of the best stature (mould), (At-Tin 95:4)
If you look at yourself in the mirror,
You cannot say my eyes, ears, nose, mouth etc
Would be better if they were placed in a place other than where they are
They are perfectly placed
13. ALLAH INSTILLED IN YOU SHYNESS
Allah gave you shyness
When Adam (as) and his wife saw that their nakedness was exposed
They instinctively took leaves to cover their nakedness
Then they both ate of the tree, and so their private parts appeared to them, and they began to stick on themselves the leaves from Paradise for their covering. Thus did Adam disobey his Lord, so he went astray. (Ta-Ha 20:121)
If you see someone walking down the road naked, he is a madman
Because instinctively, we cover our private parts
Because Allah has honored Bani Adam by giving you shyness
Shyness is a branch of Imaan
Every Ummah has a characteristic and shyness is our characteristic
Anas (RA) narrated the Messenger of Allah(SAW) said: "Every religion has a particular manner or characteristic. And the characteristic of Islam is Hayaa." [Sunan Ibn Majah (5/276) No. 4181]
We are not allowed to share bedroom secrets because of shyness
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA) reported the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Indeed from the worst of people on the Day of Resurrection is one who has marital relations with his wife and then spreads her private matters." [Sahih Muslim (2/1060) No. 1437]
Asma' bint Yazeed, who said that she was with the Messenger of Allah (SAW), when men and women were sitting with him, and he said: "I think there are some men who talk about what they do with their wives, and that there are some women who talk about what they do with their husbands."The people stayed silent. [Asma'] said: "Yes, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah,[women] do that and [men] do that!" He said, "Do not do that, for it is as if a male devil met a female devil in the street and had intercourse with her whilst the people were watching." [Musnad Ahmad (Vol. 6 p.456) No. 27624]
14. ALLAH BLESSED US WITH GHAIRAH (JEALOUSY)
Three people won't enter paradise
Abdullah ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Three people will not enter paradise and Allah will not look at them on the Day of Judgment: the one who is disobedient to his parents, the woman who imitates men and the ad-Dayooth (cuckold, weak man who feels no jealousy over his women folk)..." [Musnad Ahmad (2/134) No. 6180,Musnad al-Bazzar (12/270) No. 6051, al-Sunnan al-Kubra al-Nasa'i (2/63) No.2354, al-Mu'jam al-Awsat al-Tabarani (3/51) No. 2443]
Narrated By Abu Huraira: The Prophet; said,"Indeed, Allah has Ghayrah, and the faithful believer has Ghayrah, and the Ghayrah which Allah has is provoked when a believer commits that which Allah has forbidden." [al-Bukhari (4925) and Muslim (2761)]
Al-Mughira b. Shu'ba (RA) reported that Sa'db. 'Ubada (RA) said: If I were to see a man with my wife, I would have struck him with the sword, and not with the flat part (side) of it. When Allah's Messenger (PBUH) heard of that, he said: Are you surprised at Sa'd's jealousy of his honour? By Allah, I am more jealous of my honour than he, and Allah is more jealous than I. Because of His jealousy Allah has prohibited abomination, both open and secret And no person is more jealous of his honour than Allah,and no persons, is more fond of accepting an excuse than Allah, on account of which He has sent messengers, announcers of glad tidings and warners; and no one is more fond of praise than Allah on account of which Allah has promised Paradise. [Sahih Muslim, Book 9, Hadith #3572]
15: ALLAH HAS SENT AMONG US PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS TO GUIDE US
And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allāh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tāghût[] (all false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Tāghût besides Allāh)." Then of them were some whom Allāh guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied (the truth). (An-Nahl 16:36)
16. ALLAH HAS REVEALED ONTO US MANY BOOKS, AND HE HAS BLESSED US WITH THE HOLY QURAN
He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Qur'ān, Islāmic laws and Islāmic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad SAW). And verily, they had been before in manifest error; (Al-Jumu'ah 62:2)
After Allah sent the Quran, Allah made a promise:
Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'ān) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption). (Al-Hijr 15:9)
17. ALLAH HAS BLESSED US WITH THE:
SALIHOON (THE RIGHTEOUS ONES),
SIDIQOON (THE TRUTHFUL ONES),
MURABITOON (THOSE WHO KEEP WATCH OVER THE BOARDERS OF THE ISLAMIC STATE),
ULAMAA (SCHOLARS),
DU'AAT (THOSE WHO GIVE DAWA),
MUJAHIDOON (THOSE WHO FIGHT IN HIS PATH),
SHUHADAA (THE MARTYR)
Allah has spoken about some of these people in 4:69
And whoso obeys Allāh and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allāh has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiqûn (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr AsSiddiq), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are! (An-Nisa 4:69)
We have more Shafi's (those who follow his madhab) in the world than Jews
Imam Malik (rh) and Imam Shafi (rh) have more followers than Musa (as)
Abu Hanifa (rh) has more followers than the other four great Imams
Abu Hanifa has over 1/2 billion followers
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are all Hanafis
Don't think man will all go astray
You will have great ones from among them
18. ALLAH HAS BLESSED US WITH VARIOUS FACULTIES
For seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, thinking, discerning etc
19. ALLAH HAS BLESSED US WITH FIRASA (INTUITION)
Abu Sa'eed Khudri (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, 'Guard yourself against a Believer's insight, for, he sees with the light of Allah." He then recited: Surely in that are signs for the sagacious. (15:75) [Sunan Tirmidhi (Vol. 5, pg. 298) No. 3127]
Anas ibn Malik (RA) said: I entered the company of Uthman ibn Affaan (RA) while I was thinking about the beauty of a woman I saw in the street. Uthman (RA) then said: One of you enter my presence and the remnants of zinaa can be seen in his eyes. I then said: Did revelation come down after the departure of the Rasool (SAW)? Uthman said: But this is the deep insight, foresight and intuition of the believer. [Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Madaarij as-Saalikeen (Vol. 2, pg. 455)]
20. ALLAH BLESSED US WITH THE ABILITY TO SMILE
No animal can smile
Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulaimān (Solomon) and his hosts crush you, while they perceive not." (An-Naml 27:18)
Sulaiman (as) smiled at the speech of the ant, he was amused
21. ALLAH GAVE YOU THE ABILITY TO READ AND WRITE
Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists), (Al-'Alaq 96:1)
Has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). (Al-'Alaq 96:2)
Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, (Al-'Alaq 96:3)
Who has taught (the writing) by the pen [the first person to write was Prophet Idrees (Enoch)], (Al-'Alaq 96:4)
Has taught man that which he knew not. (Al-'Alaq 96:5)
Nay! Verily, man does transgress all bounds (in disbelief and evil deed, etc.). (Al-'Alaq 96:6)
Prophet Idris (as) was the first one to use the pen.
22. HE HAS TAUGHT BANI ADAM BAYAN (SPEECH)
The Most Beneficent (Allāh)! (Ar-Rahman 55:1)
Has taught (you mankind) the Qur'ān (by His Mercy). (Ar-Rahman 55:2)
He created man. (Ar-Rahman 55:3)
He taught him eloquent speech. (Ar-Rahman 55:4)
People use speech to create revolutions all over the world
Narrated Ibn 'Umar: 'Two men came from the East and addressed the people who wondered at their eloquent speeches. On that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Some eloquent speech is as effective as magic."' [Tran Sahih Al Bukhari Vol: 7 Book 67 No. 5146]
23. ALLAH HAS HONORED US IN THAT HE HAS SUBDUED THE UNIVERSE FOR US
Allah spoke about it in the following:
See you not (O men) that Allāh has subjected for you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and has completed and perfected His Graces upon you, (both) apparent (i.e Islāmic Monotheism, and the lawful pleasures of this world, including health, good looks, etc.) and hidden [i.e. One's Faith in Allāh (of Islāmic Monotheism) knowledge, wisdom, guidance for doing righteous deeds, and also the pleasures and delights of the Hereafter in Paradise, etc.]? Yet of mankind is he who disputes about Allāh without knowledge or guidance or a Book giving light! (Luqman 31:20)
Allāh is He Who has created the heavens and the earth and sends down water (rain) from the sky, and thereby brought forth fruits as provision for you; and He has made the ships to be of service to you, that they may sail through the sea by His Command; and He has made rivers (also) to be of service to you. (Ibrahim 14:32)
And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you; and He has made the night and the day, to be of service to you. (Ibrahim 14:33)
So you are able to utilize the universe, sea, air and earth
And He has made the night and day for you as well
24. ALLAH HAS PUT RAHMA (MERCY) IN YOUR HEARTS
Whenever a lion takes over a pride, the lion kills the cubs!
Why? Lions don't believe in step children
A man doesn't do this because he has rahma in his heart
A lion wants to only see his cubs and when the cub becomes an adult he kicks him out
In the animal kingdom there is no mercy
Tears come to your eyes sometimes when you watch this on the Animal planet
In the US someone had a pet snake that killed two children
"O Quraish, what do you think I will do to you?" They said, "You are a brother, the son of a noble brother." He said: "Go your way, for you are free." [al-Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi (9/199) No. 18276, Fath ul-Bari Ibn Hajar (8/18) No. 4289, Seerah Ibn Hisham (2/412), al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah Ibn Kathir (3/570)]
The Prophet (saw) released the people of Makkah because of his mercy
And We have sent you (O Muhammad SAW) not but as a mercy for the 'Alamīn (mankind, jinns and all that exists). (Al-Anbiya 21:107)
25. ALLAH PUT LOVE IN YOUR HEARTS FOR EACH OTHER
And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect. (Ar-Rum 30:21)
If you don't have love in a marriage, don't stay in the marriage
And He has united their (i.e. believers') hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allāh has united them. Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise. (Al-Anfal 8:63)
The sahabah used to kill each other before Islam but loved each other after that
26. BY GIVING YOU AL-ISLAM
They regard as favour upon you (O Muhammad SAW) that they have embraced Islām. Say: "Count not your Islām as a favour upon me. Nay, but Allāh has conferred a favour upon you, that He has guided you to the Faith, if you indeed are true. (Al-Hujurat 49:17)
Some people believe they did Muhammad (saw) a favor by accepting Islam
Allah did you a favor by guiding you to Islam
Umar Ibn Khaatab said: …We were once amongst the lowest of people, but Allaah gave us honour because of Islaam. As soon as we start to seek honour in avenues other than that in which Allaah has granted us honour, Allaah will then humiliate us." [Mustadrak al-Hakim (1/130) No. 207]
Mustadrak means to fix a mistake that was made in history
The Mustadrak Al-Hakim is a compilation of hadiths that Bukhari rejected
It available in Arabic only
50 fabricated hadith are in this book, but most are sahih
27. ALLAH HAS HONORED US WITH SPOUSES
These spouses are of our own kind
Not Jinns, human beings like you.
If there is an evil omen, it is in houses, spouses and horses;
Because people envy you for these things, more than anything else
Ibn Umar (RA) narrated: 'Evil omen was mentioned before the Prophet; he (the Holy Prophet) said, "If there was [such thing as] bad omens in anything, they would have been in houses, spouses and horses." [al-Bukhari (5093) and Muslim (2225)]
28. DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND COLORS
Why do people find New York and London exciting to live in?
Because it is a multi-cultural society
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge. (Ar-Rum 30:22)
A society where everyone looks the same is a boring society.
29. ALLAH HAS HONORED US WITH THE ARABIC LANGUAGE
Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'ān in order that you may understand. (Yusuf 12:2)
Imam Shafi'i (rh) said: "Every Muslim is obligated to learn the Arabic tongue to the utmost of his power in order [to be able] to profess through it that "There is no Ilah but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger" and to utter what is mandated upon him, the takbir, and what is commanded, the tasbih, and the tashahhud and others." [al-Risala al-Shafi'i (pg. 47)]
It is fard to learn Arabic and makrooh to speak French, English, German etc
Ibn Taymiyyah said: "As for becoming accustomed to talking to one another in a language other than Arabic, which is the symbol of Islam and the language of the Qur'aan, so that this becomes a habit in the land, with one's family and household members, with one's friends, in the marketplace, when addressing government representatives or authority figures or when speaking to people of knowledge, undoubtedly this is makrooh (disliked), because it involves being like the non-Arabs, which is makrooh, as stated previously. Hence when the early Muslims went to live in Syria and Egypt, where the people spoke Byzantine Greek, and in Iraq and Khurasaan, where the people spoke Farsi, and the Maghrib (North Africa) where the people spoke Berber, they taught the people of those countries to speak Arabic, so that Arabic became the prevalent language in those lands, and all the people, Muslim and kaafir alike, spoke Arabic. Such was also the case in Khurasaan in the past, then they became lax with regard to the language and got used to speaking Farsi until it became prevalent and Arabic was forgotten by most of them. Undoubtedly this is makrooh. (Iqtidaa' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 2/207)
30. ALLAH HAS BLESSED US WITH HALAL THINGS TO UTILIZE
And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Taiyibāt (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference. (Al-Isra 17:70)
Halal food, drinks, wives etc.
31. ALLAH HAS BLESSED US WITH OFFSPRING
People are divided into 5 categories in regards to offspring:
Some of us, Allah gives us boys alone
Others girls alone
Others boys and girls
Some of us have a child which is deformed
Some of us were made barren - no kids
The best category is those who were blessed with boys and girls
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Axcon is a service company providing nationwide mechanical installation, on-site fabrication solutions, and services for the Supply Chain, Retail Distribution, Food and Beverage, Manufacturing and Material Handling industries. We maintain integrity throughout our business cycle and that means delivering on our promises, and doing what it takes to get the job done. We think it's the right way to do business. Our customers agree, since they choose to collaborate with us on additional projects. Keeping our promise is not an option, it's part of who we are.
1. Service Excellence – Axcon intentionally avoids making claims that we provide excellent service. Since we are a company specializing in service; providing excellent service is an expected core process. We prove excellent service by demonstration and make you look good to your customer.
2. Schedule Driven – Axcon invests up front during the proposal phase to understand project resources requirements as mandated by the schedule. When the project is started we understand the importance of the schedule. Axcon is proud to assert that we have never missed a schedule and that our competence allows us to replicate the process for all customers.
3. Consistent Quality – There is a huge difference between consistent quality and occasional quality. Any company can occasionally produce a quality product. But what separates an ordinary company from an extraordinary company is the ability to replicate the quality process again and again. We Do!
5. Strength – Resources, both personnel and financial, afford us the ability to respond with vigor for several concurrent flagship projects. No need to feel anxious or wonder how things will unfold if we dedicate resources to 5 or 6 multi-million dollar concurrent projects. Been there done that.
Axcon is pleased to announce that Rich Seidel has joined our team as our Vice President of Maintenance and Service. Rich has over 25 years of experience in engineering, equipment service, and MHE project & program management. He will leverage that knowledge with Axcon's existing service capabilities and core values to create a maintenance & support branch that will be second-to-none.
Axcon subscribes to the notion that since we are a service company, great service must be a given!