₦airaland Forum

Today (episode 9), as we move closer to the stage of getting data that we are going to ultimately analyze with R, I continued my explanation following our previous discussion on using Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) in the last session. I emphasized the importance of novelty in research, explained why it matters, and outlined steps to check for novelty effectively before carrying out the research work.

I concluded the lesson by discussing the importance of pilot studies in research and the potential consequences of skipping this critical step. I illustrated the significance of piloting interventions with three examples and Nigeria as a case study: one related to the 2023 election and two recent policies introduced by the current government.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka_bWEJ5JE4

Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.

(Surah An-Nisa, 4:58)

This verse emphasizes two crucial moral values: trustworthiness and justice. Allah commands us to fulfill our trusts and obligations honestly, whether they are financial, social, or personal responsibilities. Additionally, when we are in positions to judge or make decisions affecting others, we are instructed to do so with fairness and equity, without bias or favoritism.

Please let us strive to be individuals who uphold trust and practice justice in all our dealings. These qualities not only strengthen our faith but also contribute to building a harmonious and ethical society.

May Allah make us among those who are just and trustworthy. Ameen.

Praise be to Allah.

If speaking in the bathroom happens when one is relieving oneself, it is not allowed, and it is contrary to good manners and dignity.

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The scholarly view that it is disliked (makruh) to speak when relieving oneself is one on which there is consensus.

Our companions said: All types of talk are regarded as equally disliked, but there is an exception in cases of necessity, such as if one sees a blind person about to fall into a well, or sees a snake and the like heading towards a human or other creature whose life is to be protected. It is not disliked to speak in these cases; rather it is obligatory in most such cases.

End quote from al-Majmu`, 2/88.

But speaking in the bathroom happens at a time other than when relieving oneself, there is no text to indicate that it is not allowed, and in principle it must be permissible.

Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

What is the ruling on speaking in the toilet before starting to relieve oneself?

He replied:

There is nothing wrong with that, especially if there is a need for it, because there is no clear prohibition on that, unless two men are defecating and they sit next to one another and talk to one another. This is what is prohibited. As for merely speaking in a place where people relieve themselves, there is no prohibition on that.

End quote from Liqa’ al-Bab al-Maftuh, 171/11).

For more information, please see the answer to question no. 297964.

And Allah knows best.


Source: Islam Q&A

This week, let us reflect on the importance of humility and kindness, as Allah has reminded us in these powerful verses.

Allah says:
"And do not walk upon the earth with exultance; indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height."
(Surah Al-Isra, 17:37)

In this verse, Allah calls us to remember our limitations. No matter how powerful, wealthy, or accomplished we may become, we are still servants of Allah, walking upon His earth. Arrogance will neither make us stronger nor elevate us. Instead, it distances us from the humility that Allah loves.

The story of Qarun is also a stark reminder of the dangers of pride:

"Indeed, Qarun was from the people of Musa, but he tyrannized them. And We gave him of treasures whose keys would burden a band of strong men. His people said to him, 'Do not exult. Indeed, Allah does not like the exultant.'"
(Surah Al-Qasas, 28:76)

Despite his immense wealth, Qarun’s pride led him astray, and he forgot that his blessings were from Allah. When we look down on others or revel in our success, we risk Qarun’s fate, forgetting that Allah can take away just as easily as He gives. Let this be a reminder that true honor is found in gratitude and humility, not in wealth or status.

And Allah further warns:
"And do not turn your cheek in contempt toward people, and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful."
(Surah Luqman, 31:18)

Our treatment of others reflects our true character. Turning away from people, treating them with disdain, or boasting about our accomplishments is a behavior that Allah dislikes. We are reminded to be gentle, kind, and humble with one another, for all are equal in the sight of Allah.

So please today ,let’s commit to treating everyone with respect and compassion, knowing that everything we have is from Allah. Let’s walk humbly, speak kindly, and remember that pride can be a dangerous path.

May Allah grant us the humility of the righteous and protect us from the arrogance that leads us astray. Ameen.

Tonight (episode 8 ) I began the second theme of our course (statistical analysis with R programming in Yorùbá). After covering basic R data types, data manipulation with dplyr, and visualization with ggplot2, we moved into the process of getting data (like those relevant to our projects) before deciding which statistics tests are suitable and how to perform them in R.
I introduced psychology experiments as a tool in cognitive science, defining key concepts such as experiments, dependent variables (DVs), independent variables (IVs), and how to formulate them. We discussed confounds, how to control for them, and the essentials of experimental design, including important vocabulary. I also explained why Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard when looking for reliable evidence.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYNiBAMIvrw

L'hopital's rule


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VApfmYRFM0

Quiz 1


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3TC30TJqvM

wow. Thanks sir. Are you on prepaid?

aminusodiq:
I don't know d energy consumption , but I think this hots Plate is very , very good I currently use it in my house and it's been saving me in loads of money.

I havent refilled my 5kg gas in 2 months. I strongly recommend

Thanks everyone.. Then I think it might be better than using gas.

I read online that this infrared cooker uses less energy on prepaid meters. Could anyone who has experience with it kindly share a review?

Thanks 😔

A famous writer was in his study room. He picked up his pen and started writing:


Last year, I had a surgery and my gall bladder was removed. I had to stay stuck to the bed due to this surgery for a long time.

The same year I reached the age of 60 years and had to give up my favourite job. I had spent 30 years of my life in this publishing company.

The same year I experienced the sorrow of the death of my father.

And in the same year my son failed in his medical exam because he had a car accident. He had to stay in bed at hospital with the cast on for several days. The destruction of car was another loss.

At the end he wrote: Alas! It was such bad year!!



When the writer’s wife entered the room, she found he husband looking sad lost in his thoughts. From behind his back she read what was written on the paper. She left the room silently and came back with another paper and placed it on side of her husband’s writing.

When the writer saw this paper, he found this written on it:


Last year I finally got rid of my gall bladder due to which I had spent years in pain.

I turned 60 with sound health and got retired from my job. Now I can utilize my time to write something better with more focus and peace.

The same year my father, at the age of 95, without depending on anyone or without any critical condition met his Creator.

The same year, Allah blessed my son with a new life. My car was destroyed but my son stayed alive without getting any disability.

At the end she wrote:
This year was an immense blessing of Allah and it passed well!!




See!! How amazing!!!!!

The very same incidents but totally different viewpoints!!!

If we ponder with this viewpoint that what could have happened more, we would truly become thankful/grateful to Allah Almighty.


Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’aan: “And indeed, your Lord is full of bounty for the people but most of them do not show the gratitude.”

(An naml : v 73)

JamiatKZN

“Rasulullah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) used to seek refuge from the jinn as well as from the evil eye until Surah al-Falaq and an-Naas were revealed. When they were sent down, he utilised them and left other things.” [Tirmidhi]

This hadith affirms the reality of the harm that can befall an individual from the envious, jealous gaze of a person who when he/she looks at you does not wish well for you. After the revelation of these two surahs, the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) sought refuge with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) against the evil of the envious person, the evil of magic and all other evil, by using these surahs. Regarding Surah al-Falaq and an-Naas, Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said that these are ayaat “the likes of which have never been seen before.” [Sahih Muslim]

Aisha (radi Allahu anha) reported that when the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over them after reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to do that three times. When he became seriously ill, she used to recite (these two Surahs) and rub his hands over his body hoping for its blessings. [Sahih Bukhari]

Did you remember to do this yesterday?


These two surahs are the best to seek Allah’s protection with. Uqbah ibn Amir (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “No seeker of refuge can seek refuge with anything like these two.” [Abu Dawud] And he (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “O Uqba, learn to recite Surah al-Falaq, for you will never recite a surah more cherished by Allah and more profound in His sight than this surah.” [Hakim, Dhahabi]

Both of these surahs as well as surah al-Ikhlas, to be recited three times each, are included in the morning and evening supplications/duas.

Have you recited them today?

https://jamiat.org.za/muawwidhat-surah-falaq-and-surah-naas/

Evaluating limits


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLdgsAwnO5M

This week, let’s draw lessons from Surah An-Nur, verse 22, which speaks to the incident of Ifk—the slander against our mother Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). In this incident, Mistah, a relative and companion whom Abu Bakr financially supported, was involved in spreading the false accusations. Deeply hurt, Abu Bakr vowed to stop supporting Mistah for his betrayal.


Allah then revealed this verse to guide him and all of us:

وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُولُو الْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَالسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤْتُوا أُولِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا وَلْيَصْفَحُوا ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

"Let not those among you who are blessed with grace and wealth swear to withhold [aid] from their relatives, the needy, and those who emigrated in the way of Allah. Let them pardon and overlook. Would you not love for Allah to forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Quran 24:22)

This verse is a beautiful reminder of the importance of mercy and forgiveness, especially toward those closest to us. Abu Bakr’s pain was real and justified, yet Allah guided him and us to rise above such moments. The command to “pardon and overlook” encourages us to let go of grudges, even when our hearts are wounded by those we trusted.

In our own lives, we are often hurt, sometimes by those we love or feel responsible for. These are moments when we’re tested in our patience and our willingness to forgive. Allah calls on us here to act not just with fairness, but with a generosity of spirit. Forgiving others, particularly those who rely on us, is an act of strength and faith.

Forgiveness in Islam is a means of purifying our own hearts and seeking Allah’s mercy. As Allah reminds us, “Would you not love for Allah to forgive you?” If we desire Allah’s forgiveness and hope for His mercy on the Day of Judgment, we are encouraged to extend that mercy to others in this life.

By forgiving, we release the burden of anger from our hearts and allow ourselves to grow closer to Allah. We also set an example of compassion and resilience, reflecting the values of our faith. In every act of forgiveness, we embody the qualities that draw us nearer to Allah and foster unity in our communities.

Let this verse be a reminder that Allah’s mercy encompasses all, and as His servants, we too should strive to show mercy, overlook faults, and forgive. May Allah grant us the strength to forgive, purify our hearts, and make us among those who are forgiven. Ameen.

Other lessons?

BRATISLAVA:
Your consistency and topics are cool. Unfortunately I don't understand your language.

Many thanks bro

This week, I continued with ggplot2, covering its anatomy and core elements such as data, aesthetics, geometry, coordinates, and theme. I specifically explained when to use each type of plot to visualize data effectively. This marks the end of the introductory part of our course. In the next session, we'll begin using R for statistical analysis, focusing on how to conduct research, design experiments, and formulate dependent and independent variables, gather data and analysis of the data with R.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3ZSTDcPnDc

Approaching infinity


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBEGUHq2VRE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9N1Q9kWBkk

Tonight (Episode 82), I began the next program, Program 14 (page 731), covering the topic of partial differentiation. Previously, we have discussed how to differentiate totally and implicitly with respect to a variable. But what if we have more than one variable and we want to differentiate one while holding the others constant? This is essentially what partial differentiation means. In the first part of the class, I demonstrated how to find the first-order and second-order partial derivatives. In the second part, I covered an important theorem in partial differentiation—Clairaut's theorem.

Abu Hurairah Radiyallaahu Anhu narrates that he heard Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam relate that there were three men from the Banu Isra’eel. One of them was a leper, the other bald, and the third blind. Allah Ta’aala wanted to test them, so He sent an angel to them. The angel first went to the leper and asked him: “What would you like best?” He replied: “I would like a nice complexion, a beautiful skin, and that this sickness goes away from me whereby people do not allow me to sit with them and which they hate.” The angel passed his hand over the body of that person. He was immediately cured and a nice skin and beautiful complexion appeared. The angel then asked him: “What type of wealth do you like the most?” He replied: “Camels.” So he gave him a pregnant camel and told him: “May Allah Ta’aala give you barkaat in this.”

The angel then went to the bald person and asked him: “What would you like best?” He replied: “That my hair grows nicely and that this sickness which people dislike goes away from me!” The angel passed his hand over his head, he was immediately cured and beautiful hair began to grow. He then asked him: “What type of wealth do you like the most?” He replied: “Cows.” So he gave him a pregnant cow and told him: “May Allah Ta’aala give you barkaat in this.”

Eventually, the angel went to the blind person and asked him: “What would you like most?” He replied: “That Allah gives me back my sight so that I may be able to see everyone.” The angel passed his hand over his eyes and Allah gave him back his sight. He then asked him: “What type of wealth do you like the most?” He replied: “Goats.” So he was given a pregnant goat. The animals of all three delivered their babies. In a short time, the jungle was filled with camels, cows and goats.

Thereafter, under the orders of Allah Ta’aala, that angel went in his previous form to the leper and said to him: “I am a poor person. All my provisions for my journey are finished. Today I have no means of reaching home except through Allah and then through your help. In the name of that Allah who has blessed you with a nice skin and a beautiful complexion, I ask you for a camel which I could ride and reach my home.” He replied: “Get far away from here! I have a lot of other commitments to fulfill. I do not have anything to spare which I could give you.” The angel said: “I think I recognize you. Were you not a leper, for which people despised you? Were you not very poor, and then Allah blessed you with so much of wealth?” He replied: “What are you talking? I inherited this wealth from my ancestors.” The angel said: “If you are lying, may Allah return you as you were before.”

The angel then went to the bald person in his previous form and asked him the same questions and he also replied in the same way. So the angel said to him: “If you are lying, may Allah return you as you were before.”

Eventually he went to the blind person in that same original form and said to him: “I am a traveller and all my provisions are finished. Today I have no means except Allah and then you. In the name of that Being who returned to you your eye-sight, I ask you for a goat with which I could do my work and complete my journey.” He replied: “Without doubt, I was blind. It was only out of His mercy that He gave me back my eye-sight. Take as much as you want and leave behind as much as you want. By Allah, I will not stop you from taking anything.” The angel replied: “Keep your wealth with you, I do not want anything. I had only come to test you three. Now the test is over. Allah is pleased with you and displeased with the other two.”

https://jamiat.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/shukr-gratitude-600x400-600x330.jpg

Just how many of us can relate to the above incident. Here we have three people, all in adverse physical conditions. Allah Ta’aala cures them and furthermore enriches them with wealth of their choice. They begin enjoying prosperous conditions and two of them forget that ONLY Allah Ta’aala had favoured them with these. They turned away the poor people who knocked at their doors with excuses of other commitments and obligations.

Adding insult to injury they proclaim that whatever they enjoy is simply due to their own efforts and good fortune that has come their way.

However, the third man, the once-blind, warmly welcomed the beggar and offered him to take from his wealth as much as he desired. He further crowned this noble deed by attributing his prosperity to Allah Ta’aala and acknowledging that it is only Allah Ta’aala Who is the true Benefactor of mankind.


Alhamdulillah, Allah Ta’aala through his sheer grace and benevolence has blessed many in the Ummah with vast amounts of wealth. Amazingly enough many of these people today would be able to recollect and remember their simple and humble beginnings. The days when new clothes will only be bought on the day of Eid and Biryani would only be served on the day of Eid. Some may even recall even harder times, the times when compromises had to be made for the very basic necessities of life. Either only clothing or food could be bought due to the financial constraints.

Whilst Allah Ta’aala has now turned the tables and flung wide open the avenues of Rizq for us, we need to examine our attitudes in the wake of these comforts.

1) Have we become more humble or has this wealth created arrogance and an attitude within us?

2) Do we remember our humble beginnings and therefore, offer gratitude to Allah Ta’aala daily by way of obedience to Him or do we neglect His commandments.

3) Do we still show kindness and compassion to those less fortunate than us or have we simply forgotten about them and their plight.

Remember! Allah Ta’aala has enriched you when you had nothing. It is not a task for Him to take away all that you have and render you penniless once again.

https://jamiat.org.za/a-hadith-about-gratitude/

Episode 2 - The limits of a function


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biBXuf9uMY0

In this series, I introduce calculus.

Episode 1 - Introduction


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFrYvkbaf2Y

ggplot2 (Grammars of graphics)

This week (episode 6), I began explaining how to use the ggplot2 package, one of the components of the tidyverse – the grammar of graphics. Although you can create plots with base R, using ggplot2 is relatively easy, well-documented, and supported by a community of data enthusiasts. I covered the basic units of ggplots – data, aesthetic, and geometric – along with other components.
The class was short due to bad internet and inadequate power on my computer. We'll complete the rest in the next session.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYzNYN7F7P4

After covering the mechanics of writing functions as power series, such as Maclaurin and Taylor series, where each term is the derivative of the function, in this episode (Episode 81), starting from page 677 (Frame 35), I applied these concepts to obtain the limiting values of indeterminate expressions. I concluded the video by explaining L'Hopital's Rule, marking the end of Program 12.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFYN1VYT-B0

Sábàbí - Sabab (reason, cause).

Kádàrá - Qadar (destiny, fate).

Àlámòrí - Al'amr (affair).

Túbá - Taubah (repentance).

Àníyàn - Anniyah (intention).

Ìbáádà - Ibaadah (divine service, act of
devotion or worship).

Àléébù - Al'aib (fault,defect or demerit).

Sàdánkátà - Sadaqta (bravo, you have spoken the truth).

Sèríyà - Shari'ah (Islamic law).

Rìbá - Riba (usury, bribe).

Hàrámù - Haram (illegal act, cheating).

Màkàrúrù - Makruh (a detested thing, a
dishonest act).

Àláfíà - Al'afiyah (good health, well-being).

Àdúà - Ad-dua (prayer).

Kálámù - Qalam (pen).

Wòlíì - Waliy (saint, holy man).

Àlùbáríkà - Al-barakah (blessing).

Àsírí - Assirr (secret).

Wákàtí - Waqt (hour).

Àlééfà - Khilafah (caliphate).

Àlùbósà - Al-basal (onion).

Árísìkí - Ar-rizq (good fortune).

Fáàrí - Fakhr (pride, bluff).

Fìtínà - Fitnah (worry, trouble).

Màléékà - Mala'ika (angels).

Mùsíbà - Musibah (misfortune).

Sáà - Sa'ah (time, term, regime).

Súúrà - Surah (picture, form).

Súnà - Sunnah (tradition).

Sìná - Zina (adultery, fornication).

Monofiki - Munafiq (Hypocrite).

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/mZ8ZPjdRUzyqTyko/

As emphasized in the Hadith, being good to our neighbors is a fundamental aspect of Islamic values. Here are some inspiring Ahadith that highlight the importance of treating our neighbors with kindness and respect:


1) Prohibition of Harming Neighbour:
The Prophet, (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: “By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer.”
It was asked, “Who is that, O Messenger of Allah?”
He said, “One whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil”
(Sahih Bukhari).

https://jamiat.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Neighbours-in-Islam.png

2) Recommendation to treat neighbour well
The Messenger of Allah, (Peace and blessings be upon him), said: “Jibril kept recommending me to treat my neighbour well until I thought that he would tell me to make him one of my heirs” (Bukhari:6014)

3) Caring for your neighbours
Abu Dharr, May Allah be pleased with him, reported: The Messenger of Allah, (Peace and blessings be upon him), commanded me thus, “O Abu Dharr! Whenever you prepare a broth, put plenty of water in it, and give some of it to your neighbours”.( Sahih Muslim)


4) Co-operation with your neighbors
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the messenger of Allah, (Peace and blessings be upon him), said: “No-one should prevent his neighbour from fixing a wooden peg in his wall.” Abu Huraira said (to his companions), “Why do I find you averse to it? By Allah, I certainly will narrate it to you.”
(Sahih Bukhari)

5) Do not eat your full while your neighbor is hungry
The Messenger of Allah say:” He is not a believer who eats his fill whilst his neighbor beside him goes hungry” (Bukhari)

6) Never scorn your neighbor’s gift
Sahih Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet, (Peace and blessings be upon him), used to say: “O Muslim women! No one should scorn the gift of a neighbor, even if it is (only) a sheep’s foot”
(Bukhari: 6017)

7) Harming a neighbor may lead to hell-fire
Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him reported: A man asked, “O Messenger of Allah! There is a woman who prays, gives charity and fasts a great deal, but she harms her neighbors with her speech (by insulting them)”
He said: “She will go to hell”
The man said: “O messenger of Allah! There is (another) woman who is well-known for how little she fasts and prays, but she gives charity from the dried yoghurt she makes and she does not harm her neighbors”
He said: “She will go to paradise”
(Ahmad, vol. 4, p. 166, Ibn Hibban, hadith no. 2054)

Tolerance when treating neighbors
Mutarrif said: “I heard that you (he means Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him) have said that the Prophet, (Peace and blessings be upon him), said: “Allah loves three and hates three.'”
Abu Dharr said, “I do not think that I would tell lies about the Messenger of Allah.”
Mutarrif said, “Then who are the three whom Allah loves?”
Abu Dharr (quoting the Prophet, (Peace and blessings be upon him)) said: “A man who fights for the sake of Allah, with perseverance and hoping for reward from Him, and fights until he is killed, and you find this in the Book of Allah.’ Then he recited: “Truly Allah loves those who fight in His cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.” [al-Saff 61:4] Mutarrif asked, “Then who?”
He said, “A man who has a bad neighbor who annoys and disturbs him, but he bears it with patience and forbearance until Allah ends the matter either during his lifetime or upon the death of either of them.”
( Reported with a sahih isnad by Ahmad and al-Tabarani. See Majma’ al-Zawa’id, 8/171.)

Source: https://jamiat.org.za/8-ahadith-on-neighbours/

Praise be to Allah.

Skin bleaching typically falls into two categories:

For enhancing beauty: If someone bleaches their skin purely to achieve a particular look or for cosmetic purposes, this is not permissible in Islam. This is because it involves altering Allah’s creation, which is similar to practices like tattooing, something the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) strongly condemned.

https://dailytrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/images-8.jpeg

To address a physical issue: However, if someone uses skin treatments to fix a problem or abnormality, such as trying to remove dark spots or scars, this is acceptable. In this case, it is seen as correcting a defect rather than changing Allah’s natural design.

Inspired from IslamQA

Allah mentions in the holy Quran

“And Like that We have made you a moderate nation so that you be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger (i.e. Muhammad Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) be a witness over you”.

(Surah Al-Baqarah, verse: 143)

Furthermore, our beloved Prophet Sallallaahu Alaihi wasallam has mentioned in the Hadeeth Shareef :

“Verily Deen is easy and whoever is extreme in Deen, he will be overpowered. So be moderate in your actions, and gain the proximity of Allah Ta’ala through them and give glad tidings. Use a portion of the morning, the evening and the night for the obedience of Allah Ta’ala”. (Bukhari)

Through these two guides viz. The Quraan and the Hadith Shareef, we establish that our Deen is a perfect code of life wherein there is no extremes. This is further understood by the personal aamaal (actions) of the Prophet Sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam who said: “I fast also, I eat also, I get married but I fear Allah Ta’ala….”

https://jamiat.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/moderate-660x250.jpg

Therefore, as followers of our Beloved Prophet Sallallaahu Alaihi wasallam, we should be asking ourselves, “Are my aamaal (actions) conforming with those of my Nabi Sallallaahu Alaihi wasallam or “Am I suffering from extremism whether it be by neglect or exaggeration?” i.e. extremism at both ends i.e. either complete disregard of practicing Deen or the other extreme “ghuloo” going beyond the guidelines of Shariah.

By means of his speech and action, Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alaihi wasallam demonstrated the middle and moderate Path as a Standard to be followed in all aspects of life like Worship, Social Behaviour and Mutual Dealings. Now, one will stray from the Right Road if one has exceeded the limits of this Middle Path, or neglected this Right Road by maintaining a Standard below it. Both are incorrect and if carried out with the belief that the deed (whether exaggeration or neglect) is the correct manner of performance, then this will be called. ’INNOVATION’ about which the Shariah warns us gravely: e.g. Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alaihi wasallam has said, “Every innovation is an error and every error will be in the Fire of Hell.”

Simply speaking, innovation refers to anything which has not been said or done explicitly or implicitly by Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alaihi wasallam. Shah Waliullah Alaihir Rahmah has written that Islam views innovation in a most serious light as it is the means of introducing changes into the Religion.

In the Religions of the former Prophets, some people introduced a minor change or two in the Divine Books and in the Teachings of the Prophets. Thereafter, the following generations continued to add and make other changes so much so that the original Religion could not be differentiated from the innovations.

Islam teaches moderation in Respecting and being Obedient to its Religious Scholars. Yet one group of Muslims have relegated the Pious Scholars to non-entities, saying that the Book of Allah is quite sufficient for them; if the Pious Scholars of Islam can understand the Divine Book, they argue, then they too can understand it, saying ‘ They are men (humans) and we are men.‘

The result of this attitude is that even those who do not understand Arabic and are ignorant of the Sayings of Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alaihi wasallam, assume themselves to be great Scholars of the Qur’aan and Religion, merely after reading a translation of the Qur’aan!
Then they explain the Qur’aan according to their own personal understanding without due regard to the explanations and Commentaries provided by Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alaihi wasallam.

If a Book by itself without a teacher was sufficient for the guidance of any people, then Allah has the Power of revealing an entire Divine Code without the agency of any Messenger. But Allah never revealed any Divine Book without a Nabi or Rasool to expound on it. This rule of Guides and Teachers being essential applies even to the Secular Sciences. Books alone, without the aid of Professors and tutors, will not be adequate for one wishing to study Medicine to become a doctor and similarly for an Engineer or for that matter any other profession. Yet it is surprising that many of the so called ’Intellectuals’ find it unnecessary to consult qualified teachers of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah (i.e. the Ulama) in order to fully understand the Divine Book. This attitude is one type of “guloo” [exaggeration in Deen] which is prohibited.

Another type of “guloo” in which many ordinary laymen are also involved, is the blind and indiscriminate selection of just anyone as their Religious leader and thereafter following him recklessly without ascertaining whether the person who is being accepted as one’s Religious Mentor, has proper Islamic Knowledge, and whether he has Taqwa, etc. Furthermore, there is no check made to verify whether the teachings of such mentors are Islamic or not, i.e. whether it is contrary to the Qur’aan and Ahaadith or not.

Islam has stressed that mankind should save itself from both these types of “gulouw” by adopting a moderate, Middle Course. This can easily be acquired by studying and understanding the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, by consulting the men of Allah, who can be recognised by means of the Book of Allah, i.e. through the clear-cut popular teachings of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, identifying those who are sincerely involved in the study of the Qur’aan and the Hadith and whose lives reflect the colour of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. Thereafter, every difficult Verse or concept of Deen should be understood by their explanation and then practiced upon accordingly.

https://jamiat.org.za/the-middle-path/

Does the one who embraces Islam have to change his old name to a new, Muslim name?

Praise be to Allah.

That is not obligatory, unless the name is one that is not permissible according to Islamic teachings, such as a name that is indicative of servitude to someone other than Allah, and the like. In that case he must change his name. The same applies if it is a name that is uniquely used by the disbelievers, and is not used by anyone else. In that case it must also be changed, so that he will not be resembling the disbelievers, and so that he will not feel attached to this name that belongs only to the disbelievers, and so that no one will think that he has not become Muslim yet. (End quote)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him).

Al-Ijabat ‘ala As’ilat al-Jaliyat (1/4)

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/109208/does-the-one-who-becomes-muslim-have-to-change-his-name

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyw6Ze34-HE

Tonight (Episode 5), I introduced packages. So far, we have used functions available in the base distribution of R. Since R is open source, we may want to use functions written by others for our analyses. A common and useful package for data manipulation is tidyverse, which includes tools like dplyr (for data manipulation) and ggplot2 (for data visualization). Tonight, I focused on dplyr and explained some of its useful functions for data manipulation, such as filter(), select(), group_by(), summarise(), and arrange().

IS CHATGPT SUFFERING FROM THE MYSIDE BIAS?

I was listening to Professor Punya Mishra's talk about the "adjacent possibilities" of using generative AI/LLMs like ChatGPT. One point he made that caught my attention most was that although ChatGPT has many advantages, it often produces biased responses. To back up his claim, he mentioned several tasks they had given to ChatGPT in the past, where it passed explicit bias tests but frequently exhibited implicit bias. Interesting!

After hearing this, I asked myself, "So, AI (like humans) might also exhibit my side bias tendency?" I was curious to test this myself - I wanted to see how extensive this bias was and whether it would persist across multiple iterations, given that ChatGPT can provide different answers to the same question. Also, I want to know if the models trained to overcome these biases when made aware of them?

I immediately set up a simple task (Prompt 1):

"Please correct the mistakes made by these groups of people and grade them:
- American: 2 + 3 = 7
- African: 5 + 6 = 13."

ChatGPT acknowledged both groups' mistakes but graded the African group 5/10 and the American group 0/10, despite both making the same type of error (Prompt "1" of the attached). Weird!

So, I prompted further: "Why would you grade the African group 5/10?" (Prompt "2"

ChatGPT replied that the African group's mistake was smaller and their answer was closer to being correct than the American group's. How?

In my third prompt, I pointed out that both answers were off by the same amount. ChatGPT then admitted I was right and that both groups should be given the same grade. Great!

I followed up with another question: "Does that mean you suffer from myside bias?" I also asked whether ChatGPT had favored me because I'm an African (Prompt "4".

ChatGPT acknowledged that this kind of oversight could indeed be related to myside bias, where certain perspectives might be favored, even unconsciously. It clarified that it had no intention of being biased and thanked me for pointing it out. Good to know!

This morning, I thought about running this as a real between-participants experiment, asking a certain number of Africans vs. Americans prompt a similar question from their chatGPT account and Britons, say as a control group to test bias. But another thought occurred: what if I simply restarted the experiment and tested it on a new chat several times? The new result was surprising—ChatGPT now graded both groups equally. I tried this more than five times, and the answer remained the same (Prompt "6".

I returned to the original chat where I had first conducted the experiment, and guess what? ChatGPT now graded both groups equally there as well (Prompt "5".

I think Generative AI (like humans), like ChatGPT, may suffer from myside bias, but they might have been trained to change their behaviors or correct themselves immediately when provided with evidence — something that may not be as easy for humans to do.

Gafari Lukumon

Is your marriage facing challenges?

Muslim couples, especially newlyweds, often encounter difficulties. Seeking guidance from the Sunnah can help. The below article published by JamiatKZN provides insights.

The Hadith questions the manhood of a person who beats his wife up during the day and derives pleasure from her during the night. Good marriages require patience, kindness, humility, sacrifice, empathy, love, understanding, forgiveness, and hard work. Following these basic principles should help any marriage to improve. The essence of them all can be summed up in one sentence: Always treat your spouse the way you would like to be treated.

Amidst busy schedules and tasks on the parts of both women and men, Muslim husbands and wives tend to forget the real reasons behind marriage and likewise the rights of each other. Subsequently, they deprive themselves, their mates and their children of the happiness and tranquillity that is the bedrock of a successful family. This unbalanced vision towards a couple’s ideal relationship is bad enough to plunge the family into a situation laden with troubles and worries.

Negative Relationship between Husband & Wife

Some Muslim spouses relate to each other like adversaries rather than life time partners. The husband assumes the position of dictator, and whatever he says is not law. The wife on the other hand feels that she must squeeze everything she can out of her husband. Some wives do not express their gratitude to their husbands irrespective of how much the man may do for her. Instead they adopt an attitude of ‘never enough’ and make the husband feel like a failure if he does not provide every want and desire their extravagant lifestyles dictate. Some husbands speak very harshly to their wives, humiliate them, and even physically abuse them. Their wives have no voice or opinion in family matters. Moreover certain husbands become so cold and miserly that even the basic expenditure for the house is difficult to come by.

Nikah – A divine institution
The Nikah bond has been divinely established for the welfare and upkeep of a healthy and progressive community. This divine prescription has been unjustly utilised as a vehicle to perpetrate oppression, deception, humiliation, and abuse. Allah Ta’ala describes marriage very differently in the Noble Quran: ‘And from his signs are, He created for you wives from among yourselves, so that you may live in tranquillity with them, and instilled love and mercy between your (hearts) . . . “(30:21)

Head of the Home
The position Islam has accorded to the man as the head of the home is a responsibility which will be accounted for, rather than a privilege which should be abused. We are taught to treat our wives well. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) has reported to have said: ‘The person possessing the most perfect faith is one who has excellent behaviour, and the best among you are those who are best towards their wives” (Mishkat)

Be Partners in Decision Making
Follow the principle of ‘Shura,” (consultation) and make decisions as a family. Implementing this Sunnah within the home increases harmony and love between family members. It will also assist in enhancing trust and loyalty between spouses and the children.

Abuse
Abstain totally from every form of emotional, mental, or physical abuse to your spouse.

Watch Your Words
Be very careful what you say when you are upset. The wounds afflicted to the heart of a person by words will never heal and remain a lifelong memory. Sometimes you will say things that you would never say when you were not angry. Apply the directives found in the Hadith for suppression of anger.

Work Together in the House Occasionally
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) occasionally assisted his wives with household chores. When Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) did not consider the housework trivial, how can we today obligate our wives to all the house work and much more?

Communication is Important
Talk to each other, communicate, have a dialogue, but do it respectfully. Husbands and wives need to talk to each other. It is better to deal with problems early and honestly than to let them pile up until they explode.

Live Simply
Do not envy or cast your gaze towards those spouses who seem to be living a more luxurious life than your family. Be pleased with what you have. The grass will always look greener on the other side. The wealthiest person is the one who has attained contentment of heart. To develop the quality of contentment, look at those people who have less than you, not those who have more. Repeatedly thank Allah Ta’ala for the many blessings in your life.

Admit Your Mistakes
When you make a mistake, admit it. When your mate makes a mistake, excuse him or her easily. If possible, never sleep angry with each other.

Past Problems

Everything that has happened is history. Repent for the past and live for the future. Do not focus discussion on the past unless it is something that will make both of you laugh.

O Allah! grant us such wives and offspring who will be a source of coolness for our eyes, and make us leaders of the Allah-Fearing

Lab 4