WeBlogarithm

Due to my increasing incompetency in IT skills, I had to make a new blog to replace this one after failing over and over again to import old database content into the newly installed wordpress 2.6.

Welcome WeBlogarithm2. Or I’ll rename it when inspiration comes.

Come let us mock at the great
That had such burdens on the mind
And toiled so hard and late
To leave some monument behind,
Nor thought of the levelling wind.

Come let us mock at the wise;
With all those calendars whereon
They fixed old aching eyes,
They never saw how seasons run,
And now but gape at the sun.

Come let us mock at the good
That fancied goodness might be gay,
And sick of solitude
Might proclaim a holiday:
Wind shrieked - and where are they?

Mock mockers after that
That would not lift a hand maybe
To help good, wise or great
To bar that foul storm out, for we
Traffic in mockery.

by William Butler Yeats

Slouching towards Medina

Tajuknya dalam Bahasa Inggeris tapi sajaknya dalam Bahasa Melayu. Panjang, kritikal dan bermanfaat.

The following unfinished essay was written some time in the end of 2007 responding to an editorial in the New Scientist. Since it remains unfinished for so long I decided to just “publish” it here. Also I consider this as fulfilling the promise I made in 2006.

It was the paragraph that switched on a part of my brain in the mundane Monday afternoon as I flipped through my new copy of New Scientist. The article was “God’s place in a rational world”. Odd. They still talk about this? I thought God already went out of the equation quite some time ago to these people. I thought with the overwhelming empirical evidences and scientific theories that has been producing many breathtaking advancement in technology that to a large extent penetrated almost every corner of the known world, they would be sitting comfortably on their blissful certainty, amused by the unfortunate turns of events of the unevolved people of faith. But no. They still feel the urge to write their bibles to spread their message. They could not stand watching more and more people getting infected by “the God delusion” in this modern world when we should all “grow up”.

Yet after so many conferences and seminars held to put their case before the world to see, one of them announced “religion is not going away” in the most recent meeting with the theme “Beyond Belief II: Enlightenment 2.0″. They rationalize, perhaps it is an inherent nature for human being to be irrational and that it is a product of random adaptations in millions of years of evolution that produced something as irrational as religion and due to its value for survival it is not going away. This has to be acknowledged, so they say. Then they go further by arguing since all these developed in such a random manner, facts based knowledge isn’t going to provide all the answers. Expert in complex systems and the origin of life, Stuart Kauffman commented, “If we don’t know what’s going to happen, we have to live our lives anyway… We live our lives largely not knowing. That means reason is an insufficient guide.”

Now, that is very antithetical isn’t it? We start with our utmost trust in reason above all else and end up concluding by reason that reason is not enough. Somewhat paradoxical I would say. But this is nothing strange for such occurance did happen in science from time to time. Consider quantum mechanics, we start with a very materialistic world view and end up describing matter somewhat metaphysically, of course, work is underway to mend that - some try to reinterpret the results of quantum mechanics while some others try to produce a new theory to replace it altogether. Now, where do all these end? Or rather, is there a possibility of ending? Is there a final destination? Or rather, is there a possibility of a final destination which everything is moving towards? I guess the most satisfactory answer is no, there is no end. We keep on learning and improving and evolving and that’s it. Even if there is an end, there is no way we can know it.

But that is a problem. Especially when the very thing that requires change or improvement is the fundamental basis upon which everything is built upon. How do you imrprove quantum mechanics if it challenges the materialistic framework upon which it was built? Either the problem is to find a new interpretation of it or the theory is false to begin with. As far as I know, we already have 14 (if I am not mistaken) interpretation of quantum mechanics apart from the widely-used Copenhagen interpretation. What if the theory is false? Well, how can it be false when so many new technology is produced based on it (think semiconductors and the revolution it produced). In fact, the entire theory of modern chemistry is based upon concepts revealed by quantum mechanics in its interpretation of the nature of atoms. So, if we are to base truth on ‘workability’, then quantum mechanics must be true since it works! But if truth is not based on workability, then we need to get into epistemology to work things out.

Now, how do we go about and do that? This is a very hard question to answer. It becomes harder when I’m not going to discuss epistemology here due to my own limitation. But still, we can go around this. What is certain is that once we get into philosophy (read modern western philosophy) it is not long before we stumble into many many schools of thought that seemed to be equally valid in their own right. Among them materialism somehow found its way to becoming the fundamental basis of all scientific knowledge. Why this one out of the many? There is no why, it just happened - they would probably say. What sustains this? The modern way of living and the worldview it projects. Truth cannot be based on workability since if it is so, then we will have many problems. Newtonian physics still work while it is already seen as an inaccurate description of the physical reality. General relativity and Quantum Theory both work well on their own but whenever we combine them they break down.

Now, the more important question is how do we as Muslims deal with this? Firstly, we need to recognize that the modern western civilization of today does not have all the answers. They are themselves clueless and confused, not knowing where to go. They keep on charging forward randomly as though they are making progress but in reality they are simply wandering aimlessly (wonder why they like evolution theory so much?). Do not be tempted to see their superiority in producing technology as an indicator that they are ‘getting somewhere’. Instead, their advancement in technology that is based on not-very-well-founded philosophy of science and producing more ‘things’ that are in reality a projection of a collection of confused minds with no idea where they are heading, until the very things they produced become obstacles for them to see reality as it really is, since they only made the life in this world more and more easy and seductive, up to a point when even if we point out their unfounded faith in materialism they would fiercely defend themselves with their rationality suddenly go slightly off. Try remind them of death and they will either ignore you or arrogantly ask people to throw their ashes into the dustbin once they are dead.

I believe the relation between Islam and the West in terms of science and technology is not that of a race where we used to be ahead of them but now we are lacking behind, so we need to chase them. Even if it is indeed a race and that they are ahead of us, then we should not follow their footsteps. They are way off track! If there is indeed a race, then there must be a finishing line where we all must go towards. But the West, they do not think a finishing line even exist! Even if it does exist, there is no way they can know it! So they erase off all the lines on their tracks to free themselves so they can go towards whatever direction they see fit. In reality they are not free, they are lost! Therefore let us not follow them and keep steadfastly to our pathway. Indeed, we need to be thankful that we still have our pathway to follow. Our epistemology is well-founded with Revelation (Wahy) comes as the primary source of knowledge. This saves us from having the need to randomly pick a philosophy upon which everything else will be based on, that in reality is merely a conjecture that will never lead to certainty. In the Qur’an Allah SWT said,

…Verily conjecture stands naught against Truth… (10:36)

Secondly, after realizing that this modern western world is in a state of loss, we need to reaffirm and reestablish within our selves the correct ‘aqidah. Our minds need to be immersed in the light of Revelation so that we can see things as they really are. While it is easy to say this, in reality this is one of the most difficult and subtle task. The modern western thought and worldview has penetrated our minds so deeply that most of us are even unaware of it. Through mass media and education, this worldview is perpetually imprinted upon us whenever we read a book or a magazine, watch TV, surf the internet, or even by just attending school. I know it is usually bad to generalize, but I guess this is one of the few instances where that which seems an exageration is not that far from truth. This alien worldview has been shaping our thaughts and way of thinking and seeing things, our idea about reality and our own identity, the image of our own self and its relation with other created beings and ultimately the relation between our self as a creation with Him who creates all things; so much that it influences our behaviour and action, our ideals in juctice and virtue and happiness, our speeches, the questions we ask; where all these produced an environment that instills doubt and skepticism in such way that the Islamic world view projected by Revelation (the Holy Qur’an and the way of the Prophet upon whom be peace) becomes the alien.

to be continued insyaAllah…

I saw them tearing a building down
A team of men in my hometown.
With a heave and a ho and a yes yes yell,
they swung a beam and a sidewall fell.

And I said to the foreman, “Are these men skilled?”
“Like the ones you’d use if you had to build?”
And he laughed and said, “Oh no, indeed…
the most common labor is all I need…
for I can destroy in a day or two
what takes a builder ten years to do.”

So I thought to myself as I went on my way…
Which one of these roles am I willing to play?
Am I one who is tearing down as I carelessly make my way around?
Or am I one who builds with care, in order to make the world a
little better… because I was there?

A poem by an unknown author. Taken from here.

I heard stories from afar
tales of villages on mountains
and moving nomads in the desert
walking in blinding glare and furious heat
from one oasis to another
praising God when there is water

I heard of a farmer and his wife
going about their daily lives
growing crops of many sorts
of which species I know not
but when a stranger came to visit
he felt so honoured he had to admit
for such is kindness and purity
upholding the sunnah of the Nabi
with just the wisdom of a simple life
a longing soul finds his way to light

I heard of teachers in foreign lands
transmitting wisdom into hearts of men
voluminous but not in pages
preserved knowledge throughout the ages
with high adab and good manners
putting things rightly at their places
with tested methods step by step
honing spirits to its perfection

Now, all these tales seem so distant
from the life I live so insistent
for they are rich in simplicity
far away form disturbances of the city
the reality I face day to day
when high ideal is a dream away
when error and confusion is overwhelming
I heighten my gaze to look for an ending
I strained my eyes perhaps I can see
digging in books of philosophy, I’m no al-Ghazzali
whose mind was sharp and accurate
waking up at night to bow his head
with a heart filled with sincerity
yearning nothing but his Lord’s certainty

And so I went against the flow
paddling upstream I had to go
In mathematics I found beauty
of which to Him I attribute them to.
But therein also I can find
some subtleties that blow my mind
from the oneness of singularity
to the infinity of continuity
Is this what Ibn Sina had in mind
the question how come many from the one?

Although far-fetched it may seem
or useless as a utilitarian may deem
it is the very language the modern world speaks
understand through it a modern man seeks
to explain the mechanisms of the universe
in dire need to find meaning to existence
settling in the comforts of its illusive certainty
that is nothing but biased to its godless philosophy
camouflaged by that which we call science
made attractive by things we call technology
Should we be so quick to call it sunnatullah
when in reality it is no more than an abstraction
of a mind absent of Allah?
Should we be so quick to use it as arguments for our Religion
while being heedless to its traps and pitfalls so well hidden?
Who amongst us is well equipped
to face this challenge direly needed?

Maybe I should just be
like the farmer hidden in mist
growing crops by the Mercy of my Lord
and give thanks to Him for Grace bestowed
alien are the thoughts of modern man
clueless of their problems and affliction
I know my Lord within my capacity
without the confusion of the city
I strive my best to be His servant
in hope for Paradise when I return
to Him who owns eternity
to dwell in peace everlastingly

But such is not my place
who am I to question?
The world is but a test
it is not a burden
too heavy for an unfortunate soul
for Allah has promised it to be so.
And so I pray that the whole Community
shall once again stand up in unity
From this Ummah I pray I am one of those
who will be saved from eternal loss
therefore my place I have to find
before the trumpet blows the end of time
and so my self I have to know
to choose which path I have to go

Oh Allah grant me the sight
to see Your real guiding light.

Bismillah.

Sejarah ringkas Lubang hitam

Lubang hitam ialah satu fenomena yang sangat menakjubkan bukan saja pada sifatnya tetapi juga pada sejarahnya. Secara umumnya penemuan saintifik biasanya bermula daripada pemerhatian, diikuti dengan hipotesis, eksperimen dan kesimpulan. Namun penemuan lubang hitam tidak begitu. Sejarah lubang hitam bermula dengan idea yang dicipta oleh Albert Einstein sebagai natijah teori Kerelatifan Amnya. Bahkan, Einstein sendiri menafikan kewujudan lubang hitam di alam semesta ini dan mengetepikannya sebagai hanya satu objek matematik. Lubang hitam tidak mungkin wujud di alam semesta, kata Einstein. Lubang hitam ditemui pertama kali di atas kertas, dan bentuknya adalah ungkapan matematik.

Sebagai seorang yang berpendidikan Inggeris di bumi UK ini, segalanya bermula apabila Isaac Newton melihat buah epal gugur ke tanah, lalu membuat satu kesimpulan tentang fenomena graviti (sindiran saya khas kepada pensyarah Teori Optik saya). Opps… sekejap… Oh… Semua objek jatuh ke bumi… Kenapa? Ohh… Ia disebabkan oleh tarikan graviti… Adakah ini yang membuatkan Newton terkenal dengan idea tarikan gravitinya? Sudah pasti tidak! Semua orang pun tahu setiap jasad akan jatuh ke bumi. Hanya dengan menamakannya ‘graviti’ bukanlah satu sumbangan kepada ilmu… Jadi apa yang membuatkan Newton terkenal dengan idea gravitinya? Newton membuat hipotesis bahawa pergerakan objek-objek angkasa (planet dan bulan) ditentukan oleh daya tarikan yang sama dengan daya tarikan yang menyebabkan epal itu jatuh ke tanah. Dua fenomena yang sangat berbeza pada pandangan umum, yang tampak tiada titik temunya sebenarnya hanyalah satu fenomena yang sama, kata Newton. Lalu beliau menghuraikan teori gravitinya dalam bukunya Philosopiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica yang merupakan satu karya dalam bidang falsafah tabii (ketika itu istilah sains belum digunakan lagi). Newton berjaya memformulasikan pergerakan planet-planet dan bulan dengan begitu tepat berpandukan hipotesis graviti beliau, lantas menjadi bapa kepada teori mekanik klasik. Namun bila ditanya apa itu graviti? Muka Newton menjadi merah seraya menjawab, “Itu soalan mudah aku tinggalkan untuk orang-orang yang rendah taraf pemikiran.”

Nyata soalan itu tidak langsung mudah. Newton telah berjaya memformulasikan fenomena graviti secara matematik tetapi tidak pula menjawab apa yang menyababkan fenomena itu terjadi? Kenapa mesti ada daya tarikan antara dua jirim? Beberapa ratus tahun kemudian, Albert Einstein cuba merungkai permasalahan ini.

Teori Kerelatifan Khas

Teori ini bermula dengan eksperimen Michaelson-Morley yang menyimpulkan bahawa kelajuan cahaya adalah malar bernisbahkan apa saja objek berkelajuan apapun. Contohnya jika ada dua buah kereta A dan B. A berhalaju 120 km/j manakala B berhalaju 80 km/j bernisbahkan tiang di tepi jalan yang pegun, maka bagi penumpang B, kereta A berhalaju 40km/j bernisbahkan kereta B. Tetapi ini tidak berlaku pada cahaya. Kelajuan cahaya tetap sama apabila dinisbahkan kepada apa apa objek berhalaju apa sekalipun. Halajunya tetap sama. Maka dalam contoh A dan B tadi, jika kita anggap A ialah cahaya dan kelajuan cahaya adalah 120 km/j, maka kelajuan A bernisbahkan B tetap 120 km/j. Begitu juga kelajuan A bernisbahkan tiang tadi tetap 120 km/j. Apa yang berubah di sini? Yang berubah ialah pembolehubah masa. Maka masa berjalan tidak sama bagi B dan tiang. B mengalami masa yang lebih perlahan daripada tiang di tepi jalan. Fenomena ini dipanggil ‘time dilation’. Kita tidak dapat mengesan fenomena ini sebab kelajuan cahaya tersangat tinggi. Jadi untuk mengalami sendiri fenomena ini kita perlu bergerak menghampiri kelajuan cahaya.

Teori Kerelatifan Am

Einstein kemudian mengembangkan teori relativitinya kepada kes yang lebih umum. Kalau tadi kelajuan kita ialah relatif. Maka kita tidak dapat tahu secara mutlak tentang kelajuan sesuatu objek melainkan ianya dinisbahkan dengan sesuatu. Kini kita pergi kepada kes pecutan pula. Pecutan ialah perubahan halaju. Hukum Newton kedua F=ma. Jika ada pecutan maka ada daya. Maka fenomena graviti tadi sama saja dengan daya tarikan yang kita rasa semasa memecut kereta. Di sini Einstein membuat deduksi matematik bahawa semakin besar jisim sesuatu objek atau semakin besar daya graviti sesuatu objek maka semakin perlahan masa berjalan. Einstein mengaplikasikan satu bidang matematik yang dipanggil ‘differential geometry’ menyatukan ruang dan masa dalam satu sistem geometri, lalu tergambarlah fenomena graviti ini dalam bentuk geometri. Iaitu jirim sebenarnya melentur ruang-masa lalu natijahnya jirim-jirim berdekatan (yang juga melentur ruang-masa) akan bergerak mendekati antara satu sama lain bagi memenuhi hukum bahawa setiap perubahan fizik mesti berlaku dalam beza tenaga keupayaan minimum (principle of minimal action). Dalam kes ini, bergerak mendekati antara satu sama lain memenuhi syarat ini manakala pegun tidak memenuhi syarat ini.

Lubang Hitam

Jika teori Kerelatifan Am ini benar (telah dibukti secara eksperimen: bintang-bintang akan tampak mendekati matahari semasa gerhana matahari, ini menunjukkan cahaya bintang telah ditarik oleh graviti matahari) maka mungkin wujud objek di angkasa yang mempunyai jisim yang sangat besar (bintang-bintang raksasa) yang melentur fabrik ruang-masa dengan lenturan yang sangat kuat. Apabila bintang ini kehabisan sumber tenaganya dan tidak lagi mampu menahan dirinya daripada tarikan gravitinya sendiri yang juga sangat besar, bintang ini akan terkuncup oleh tarikan graviti dirinya sendiri. Apabila ini berlaku jisim tetap sama tapi ruang yang dipenuhi jisim tersebut semakin kecil. Maka ketumpatan semakin besar, lalu melentur fabrik ruang-masa dengan lebih dahsyat lagi lalu kuncup lagi di bawah tarikan gravitinya sendiri… Hal ini berterusan sehinggalah saiz bintang itu semakin mengecil tetapi disebabkan jisimnya tetap sama maka ketumpatannya semakin malambung besar, lalu tarikan gravitinya terlalulah besar dan hal ini terus berlaku… Secara matematik, inilah yang dipanggil ’singularity’ contohnya 1/x apabila x semakin menghampiri 0.

Inilah yang dipanggil Lubang Hitam. Einstein kata ia tidak wujud. Namun rakannya Kurt Godel mengambil sikap positif terhadap idea black hole. Akhirnya beberapa puluh tahun kemudian ahli astronomi menemui satu bintang yang bergerak mengelilingi… tiada apa apa… Setelah habis semua penjelasan gagal. Maka mereka memutuskan mereka telah menjumpai Lubang Hitam.

Stephen Hawking meneruskan pengkajian lubang hitam berpandukan teori Mekanik Quantum yang baru berkembang luas lalu menemui satu cara untuk mengesan lubang hitam. Iaitu lubang hitam sebenarnya mengeluarkan sedikit radiasi juga… Radiasi ini boleh dikesan oleh radioskop yang sensitif… Saya tak pasti mereka dapat kesan atau tidak…

Saya juga tak pasti dari mana datangnya idea yang mengatakan lubang hitam ini sebenarnya adalah jaringan. Ilustrasi-ilustrasi lubang hitam itu semuanya hanyalah imaginasi artis semata-mata. Hakikatnya lubang hitam hampir tak dapat dikesan langsung. Hanya kesan gravitinya saja yang jelas apabila ahli astronomi menjumpai bintang yang mengorbit ruang kosong. Banyak ilustrasi lubang hitam menggambarkan ada jaringan namun jaringan itu sebenarnya merujuk kepada fabrik ruang-masa.

Wallahu a’lam

13,14,16,17,17,21…

Yo, keep it going!

Err… Am I still gonna write all these stuffs? sigh…

This house believes that God exists

I will try to write an analysis of the debate in another article and end this one here.

Do we need philosophy (2.1 On happiness)

Now that we know what it is really that would able us to attain true happiness, it is only logical for us to now ask how do we get there?

The weeping city

Our next destination would be the land fertilized with knowledge and scholars, the land of the Grand Mezquita, the land of Ibn Sina, Ibn Rushd and Ibn Arabi, Cordoba.

Inspired

Unfortunately, I’ve ran out of time now. I’ll continue as soon as I got the chance and spirit insyaAllah.

I’ve got many chances, but spirit… now that’s a bit subtle… Terlajak perahu boleh diundur, terlajak kata…

It takes eight minutes…
and another…
and another…

Eight minutes of smile
of excitement
and awe.

Of a thing that is lost
of being at loss
and despair,

Eight minutes,
not beyond recovery
be quiet and still.

Remember,
of the real joy
that is to come.

Trust,
in the true promise
of the One - He does not break promises.

Steadfast,
and hope.
Should I fall down again?

Eight minutes then.
And another…
and another…