Keajaiban RAMADHAN kali ini... dua bulan???

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June 18, 2003: Count slowly: one one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand.... You just got about 30 km closer to the planet Mars.

Earth and Mars are rapidly converging. On August 27, 2003--the date of closest approach--the two worlds will be 56 million km apart. That's a long way by Earth standards, but only a short distance on the scale of the solar system. NASA, the European Space Agency and Japan are all sending spacecraft to Mars this year. It's a good time to go.

Right: This is what Mars looked like through the eye piece of an 8" telescope on June 11th. Image credit: Ron Wayman of Tampa, FL.

Between now and August, Mars will brighten until it "blazes forth against the dark background of space with a splendor that outshines Sirius and rivals the giant Jupiter himself." Astronomer Percival Lowell, who famously mapped the canals of Mars, wrote those words to describe the planet during a similar close encounter in the 19th century.

Already Mars is eye-catching. You can see it this month in the morning sky--bright, steady and remarkably red. Only Venus near the sun is brighter.

Amateur astronomers looking through backyard telescopes have reported in recent days great views of Mars's south polar cap. Made of frozen water and carbon dioxide ("dry ice"), it reflects sunlight well. "I can see the polar ice vividly using my 8-inch telescope," says Ron Wayman of Tampa, Florida. He's also spotted "some faint darker-shaded areas on the surface."

Such markings will become clearer in the weeks ahead. On June 1st Mars was 12.5 arcseconds across and it glowed like a -1st magnitude star. On August 27th it will be twice as wide (25 arcseconds) and six times brighter (magnitude -2.9).

Left: Frank Reddy, author of Celestial Delights, created this animation showing how Mars will swell in size between June and August 2003. Click on the image to view the complete movie spanning all of 2003.

Much has been made of the fact that the August 27th encounter with Mars is the closest in some 60,000 years. Neanderthals were the last to observe Mars so favorably placed. This is true. It's also a bit of hype. Mars and Earth have been almost this close many times in recent history.

Some examples: Aug. 23, 1924; Aug. 18, 1845; Aug. 13, 1766. In each case Mars and Earth were approximately 56 million km apart.

Astronomers call these close encounters "perihelic oppositions." Perihelic means Mars is near perihelion--its closest approach to the sun. (The orbit of Mars, like that of all planets, is an ellipse, so the distance between the sun and Mars varies.) Opposition means that the sun, Earth and Mars are in a straight line with Earth in the middle. Mars and the sun are on opposite sides of the sky. When Mars is at opposition and at perihelion--at the same time--it is very close to Earth.

August 27th is indeed the best perihelic opposition since the days of the Neanderthals, but it scarcely differs from other more recent ones. That's fine because all perihelic oppositions of Mars are spectacular.

Above: Mars in the morning sky on Thursday, June 19th, as seen from mid-northern latitudes. If you live in the southern hemisphere, click here.

Mars is a morning planet now. You have to wake up early to see it. Soon, though, it will be more conveniently placed. By mid-July Mars will rise in the east around 11 p.m. local time. In late August it will appear as soon as the sun sets. It won't be long before everyone can see Mars at a civilized hour.

We'll be telling more stories about Mars in the weeks ahead. This one, though, is finished. Did you make it to the end? Congratulations! You're now 2000 km closer to Mars.

RAMADHAN: Fadhilat Ramadhan (Hadith 8)

Daripada Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه beliau berkata bahawa Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم telah bersabda, “Betapa ramai daripada orang yang berpuasa yang tidak mendapat apa-apa daripada puasanya kecuali lapar

dan betapa ramai orang yang beribadat malam yang tidak mendapat apa-apa daripada ibadatnya kecuali berjaga malam.”

(Hadith riwayat Ibnu Majah, an-Nasa’i, Ibnu Khuzaimah, al-Hakim – at-Targhib)

KETERANGAN:

Ada beberapa pendapat ulama dalam menjelaskan hadith ini.

Pertama, yang dimaksudkan dalam hadith di atas adalah orang yang berpuasa sepanjang hari tetapi berbuka dengan sumber harta yang haram. Sebanyak mana dia telah mendapat pahala dari puasanya, dosa yang didapati kerana memakan makanan yang haram lebih besar daripada pahala yang diperolehnya daripada puasa. oleh itu, dia tidak mendapat apa-apa selain berlapar sepanjang hari. Kedua, seseorang yang berpuasa tetapi sentiasa terlibat dengan perbuatan mengumpat. (Kenyataan terperinci tentangnya akan diterangkan). Ketiga, seseorang yang tidak menjaga dirinya daripada dosa dan sebagainya semasa berpuasa.

Sabdaan Nabi s.a.w. adalah jami'(lafaznya sedikit tapi membawa maksud yang luas) Semua pendapat dan perkara di atas serta sabdaan-sabdaan Baginda yang lain termasuk dalam maksud tersebut. Demikianjuga dengan berjaga malam. Sepanjang malam berjaga beribadat tetapi untuk bersuka-suka telah mengumpat sedikit atau melakukan juga apa-apa perbuatan bodoh yang lain sehingga semua pahala berjaga malam untuk beribadat itu menjadi sia-sia. Contohnya, membiarkan solah Subuh berlalu sehingga terpaksa diqada ataupun berjaga semata-mata kerana riak dan kemasyhuran maka sememangnya sia-sia.

Sumber: Shaikhul Hadith Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya rah. (Terjemahan Ustaz Muhammad Razif bin ‘Abd. Wahab). 1999. FADHILAT RAMADHAN. Kuala Lumpur: Era Ilmu Sdn. Bhd. m.s 41

Stone Of Arc: The Worlds 10 Most Amazing Natural Arches

These 10 amazing stone arches and natural bridges are brought to you by the hand of time, supported by the weathering action of wind and water. Time marches inexorably on, however, and the same forces that built up these exquisite natural wonders will someday sweep all of them away.

Rainbow Bridge, USA

(images via: Guy Rolland, Utah.com, NASA and Doctor Tsai)

Rainbow Bridge in southern Utah state is the world’s largest natural bridge. Although well known to local native tribes, the spectacular sandstone structure was not investigated by American researchers until the early years of the 20th century. This was partly due to the isolation of the structure, a fact remedied by the creation of Lake Powell and its tributary waterways.

(image via: TWAN)

Incorporated into Rainbow Bridge National Monument in 1910, Rainbow Bridge stands 88 m (290 ft) tall, has an 84 meter (275 ft) span and is 13 meters (42 ft) thick at its top point.

Aloba Arch, Chad

(image via: NaturalArches)

At 77 meters (250 feet) Aloba Arch is the longest known natural arch outside the United States. Where it surpasses most other natural arches is in height: a stunning 120 meters or 394 feet. Like the arches of the American southwest, Aloba Arch is made from hard sandstone hundreds of millions of years old. It’s located in the Ennedi Range which rises out of the Sahara Desert in the northeast part of Chad near the border with Libya and Sudan.

(image via: NaturalArches)

The Sahara Desert abounds with natural arches and stone bridges. Aloba Arch may be one of the best known but the above bipod arch in Algeria is worth special mention due to its unusual beauty and exquisite fragility. Though 1.9 meters (6.23 ft) high, the arch’s thinner leg is a mere 15 cm (6 inches) thick. How much longer can it last?

Durdle Door, United Kingdom

(images via: Ian West, SOTON, Pike Pictures and TrekEarth)

If the name “Durdle Door” sounds English, well, that’s because it’s found in southern England along Dorset’s delightfully named Jurassic Coast. Durdle Door is not so much a door as a window, though, through which the chill waters of the English Channel pour through.

(image via: Southern Antiques)

The headland that includes Durdle Door is made of Portland Limestone, a material harder than the clays and silts it protects but itself not impervious to the pounding of the waves. Durdle Door is destined to yawn ever wider until one day, its roof will fall in and one side becomes an island in the channel.

Immortal Bridge, China

(image via: China Daily)

On the steep slopes of Mt Tai in China’s Shandong province, you’ll find the Immortal Bridge. Hopefully you won’t be forced to cross it on the way to complete your journey. Looking like a scene from an Indiana Jones flick, the Immortal Bridge is formed from massive stone blocks precariously balanced against one another.

(image via: Wikipedia)

Should a strong earthquake jostle the region, the bridge – and anyone crossing it – would be thrown into the deep gorge at the base of Mt Tai. Immortality, it would seem, is a relative thing.

Pont d’Arc, France

(images via: Igougo, Ardeche Holidays and Klaesi)

In the south of France, the river Ardèche has worn through an escarpment of ancient limestone forming the Pont d’Arc. This scenic natural bridge measures 60 meters (197 ft) wide and is 45 meters (147.5 ft) in height.

(image via: Insolite)

The Pont d’Arc is a popular tourist attraction as the limestone rock in the region houses a number of prehistoric sites and caves, such as the famed Chauvet Cave. The town of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc normally is home to about 2,000 people but that figure increases by a factor of 10 in the summer months.

Delicate Arch, USA

(images via: Wild Nature Images, Virtual Tourist, Passionati and Arches Utah)

Utah’s Arches National Park contains over 2,000 natural stone arches and bridges but 16 meter (52 ft) tall Delicate Arch is the most famous by far. Curiously, the arch wasn’t included in the original 1929 scope of the park, only being added when the park’s boundaries were enlarged in 1938.

(image via: Ben de Rienzo)

Since 1970, 43 natural stone arches in Utah’s Arches National Park have crashed to the ground. The problem is nothing new and, sadly, every extant arch will someday fall to pieces. It’s worthy to note that in the 1950s, the U. S. National Park Service considered coating Delicate Arch in clear plastic to halt further erosion. Although planned with the best of intentions, it’s just as well it wasn’t put into practice.

Moon Hill, Yangshuo, China

(images via: China Highlights, GuilinChina.net and China Hotels Reservation)

Moon Hill is just one of many arches and natural bridges found throughout Yangshuo County in Guilin, southern China. Millions of years of erosion has carved the Karst Limestone bedrock of the area into phantasmagorical shapes that seem to defy the laws of gravity. Moon Hill is perhaps the most famous arch in the region. This huge window takes on the appearance of a crescent moon whose phases vary depending on one’s viewing location.

(image via: Yangshuo Mountain Retreat)

Sheer vertical drops and copious handholds in the rough limestone have made Yangshuo into a rock climber’s paradise. In the past decade or so, dozens of professional outfits have been formed to ensure climbers enjoy the best possible recreational experience along with more than acceptable service and safety infrastructure.

London Arch, Australia

(images via: Travel & Photography and TrekEarth)

Located in Port Campbell National Park, Victoria state, Australia, London Arch lies just offshore where it is continually pounded by ocean waves and tidal swells.

(image via: Armchair Travelogue)

London Arch was formerly part of London Bridge, a spectacular double-arched formation connected to the shoreline. On January 15th, 1990, the arch nearer the shore suddenly collapsed stranding two visitors on the suddenly isolated remaining arch.

The Azure Window, Malta

(images via: Frederic Barbier, Malta Dreamflat and Virtual Tourist)

The Azure Window, or Tieqa Żerqa, is a natural arch formed millions of years ago when a limestone cave collapsed. The arch can be found on the island of Gozo in Malta. One of the larger sea arches and one of Malta’s most popular tourist attractions as well, The Azure Window offers viewers a 50 meter (164 ft) high window on the deep blue Mediterranean Sea.

(image via: Malta-Info)

Nothing lasts forever and The Azure Window is no different. Maltese authorities have warned visitors not to get too close to the arch as a number of rock falls from its roof have raised safety issues. It’s estimated that The Azure Window’s remaining lifespan can be measured in years, if that.

Shipton’s Arch, China

(images via: Unizar and Travelpod)

Shipton’s Arch, or Tushuk Tash in the local Uyghur language, can be found in the rugged badlands of Kashgar, in western China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Finding it wasn’t easy: the formation was unknown to western observers until British mountaineer George Shipton discovered it in 1947. Recognized today as the tallest natural stone arch on Earth, Shipton’s Arch stands 365 meters (1,200 ft) tall – roughly the height of the Empire State Building.

(image via: Slides/Pro)

This huge natural arch was “lost” for some time after Shipton publicized it; it had been listed in the Guinness World Book of Records for a time but was dropped after the editors could not ascertain its exact location. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that a team of researchers from National Geographic made a successful expedition to Shipton’s Arch and documented its soaring magnificence.

(image via: Wild Nature Images)

Like sunsets, stone arches and bridges are ephemeral in nature – a quality that only enhances their stark beauty. By viewing and studying their rise and fall, one can truly appreciate the incredible length of time required for earth’s geological processes to run their course.

Credit to: webecoist.com

SENYUM SOKMO: Tukun Ikan.. huhuhu Sempoi...

SENYUM SOKMO: Tukun Ikan.. huhuhu Sempoi...

RAMADHAN: Fadhilat Ramadhan (Hadith 4)

Daripada Hazrat ‘Ubadah Bin Samit رضي الله عنه, Sesungguhnya Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم telah bersabda pada satu hari sedangkan Ramadhan telah datang kepada kami “Telah datang kepada kamu Ramadhan, bulan yang diberkati.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى akan menumpukan perhatianNya kepadamu di dalamnya,

lalu Dia akan menurunkan rahmat dan akan menggugurkan dosa-dosa dan menerima doa,

Dia akan memerhatikan perlumbaan kamu di dalamnya dan Dia akan membangga-banggakan kamu kepada para malaikatNya.

Maka perlihatkanlah kepada Allah akan kebaikan.

Sesungguhnya orang yang celaka ialah dia yang telah diharamkan dari rahmat Allah سبحانه وتعالى pada bulan ini.”

(Hadith riwayat at-Tabrani dan perawinya dipercayai kecuali Muhammad bin Qais – at-Targhib)

KETERANGAN

Berlumba-lumba ialah melakukan sesuatu dengan kehendak yang bersungguh-sungguh untuk mengatasi orang lain, berkerja dalam melawan dan menandingi orang lain dengan bangga di samping menunjukkan kehebatan masing-masing.

Cerita yang akan saya tuliskan di sini bukanlah satu perkara yang hendak dimegah-megahkan, tetapi hanya sekadar menceritakan nikmat Allah S.w.t. Lantaran berbuat apa-apa, namun saya gembira apabila melihat ahli keluarga perempuan sewaktu di rumah. Kebanyakkan mereka mengambil berat untuk mengatasi orang lain dalam membaca al-Quran. Di samping melakukan kerj rumah, mereka masih mampu membaca l5 hingga 20 juzuk Al-Quran dengan mudah setiap hari. Semoga Allah S.W.T. dengan rahmatNya menerima amalan itu dan memberi taufik serta hidayah kepada mereka.

Sumber: Shaikhul Hadith Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya rah. (Terjemahan Ustaz Muhammad Razif bin ‘Abd. Wahab). 1999. FADHILAT RAMADHAN. Kuala Lumpur: Era Ilmu Sdn. Bhd. m.s 29

Tukun Ikan.. huhuhu Sempoi...

As landfills fill up we are always looking for new and clever ways to sweep our trash under the rug. The vast oceans are a tempting frontier … but how do we use them without polluting them? A lot of waste that runs into our waters becomes habitats for fish and other sea life but only recently have people begun to think about doing this intentionally. From a set of subway cars to an entire aircraft carrier here are a few projects that take recycling to new depths – not to mention above-water reuses of sea bases by pirate radio operators and micronation founders.

(Images via: NYPress, NJScuba and Inhabitat)

Who would have thought that hundreds of old subway cars could find a second life with exotic marine passengers? Starting with a few dozen retired New York City cars, this East Coast habitat project is expected to unload hundreds of cars by the time it is done. The dumped vehicles can support thriving sea life in, on and around them within a mere six months and help bring back communities of depleted oceanic animals.

(Images via TreeHugger, MBTDivers and John Carmichaels)

The USS Oriskany is one of a number of gigantic vessels that has been systematically sunk by the US Navy in order to create massive artificial underwater reefs. Weighing nearly 50,000 tons and housing dozens of species, the vessel had to be thoroughly cleaned before it could be sent under. While the oceans can’t be a dumping ground for every kind of waste they are a great place for objects like this that can be effectively assimilated into local ecosystems and promote rather than disturb sea life.

If we take a somewhat looser definition of ‘marine habitat’ there are a host of aquatic structures that have been adaptively used in all kinds of created ways – but by and for people rather than sea animals. The army sea forts shown above have been converted into everything from luxury hotels to pirate radio stations and even micronations.

Credit to : http://webecoist.com

FADHILAT RAMADHAN: HADITH 6 LAILATUL QADAR

MAKSUDNYA:

Hazrat'Ubadah Bin Samit r.a. telah bertanya kepada Nabi s.a.w. tentang Lailatulqadar. Lalu Baginda bersabda, "Lailatulqadar berlaku pada bulan Ramadhan pada sepuluh yang akhir. Sesungguhnya Lailatulqadar berlaku pada malam-malam yang ganjil, pada malam ke 21,23,25,27 atau 29 ataupun pada malam terakhir dari bulan Ramadhan. Sesiapa yang bangun beribadat pada malam-malam itu dengan iman dan niat untuk mendapat ganjaran, semua dosanya yang terdahulu akan diampunkan. Antara tanda-tanda Lailatulqadar ialah keadaan terang dengan langit yang bersih, tenang lagi sunyi, tidaklah terlalu panas dan tidak pula terlalu sejuk. Seolah-olah bulan sedang memancar (kerana banyak Nur kerohanian). Bintang-bintang tidak digunakan untuk melontar syaitan pada malam itu sehingga ke pagi akan terbit keesokan paginya tanpa cahaya yang bersinar kuat Matahari terbit dalam bentuk satu bulatan yang rata seperti bulan purnama. Allah S.W.T. telah mengharamkan syaitan keluar bersama
matahari pada hari itu (sebaliknya pada hari-hari yang lain syaitan akan muncul di tempat matahari terbit).

KETERANGAN:

Perkara-perkara yang disebut pada awal hadith ini telah pun dinyatakan dalam hadith-hadith yang terdahulu. Pada akhir hadith dinyatakan beberapa tanda-tanda Lailatulqadar dengan sungguh jelas dan tidak perlu kepada sebarang penjelasan lagi. Selain itu ada lagi beberapa tanda yang dinyatakan dalam riwayat-riwayat dan juga disebutkan oleh mereka yang pernah mengalami malam tersebut khasnya apabila matahari terbit pada pagi hari itu, matahari akan terbit tanpa sinaran yang memancar kuat. Tanda ini banyak dinyatakan dalam hadith-hadith dan sentiasa ditemui. Selain itu ada lagi beberapa tanda, tetapi tanda-tanda ini tidaklah semestinya berlaku. Hazrat'Abdah binAbi Lubabah r.a. berkata, "Saya telah merasai air laut pada malam ke 27 Ramadhan dan sesungguhnya saya telah mendapati air laut itu betul-betul tawar." HazratAyyub Bin Khalid rah. pula berkata, "Saya terpaksa mandi pada satu malam. Saya telah mandi dengan air laut lalu mendapati air itu tawar. Kisah ini berlaku pada malam yang ke 27 ." Para masyaikh menulis bahau-a pada malam Lailatulqadar semua benda akan bersujud. Sehingga pokok pun akan rebah ke bumi dan kemudian akan bangun ke kedudukan asal kembali. Walaubagaimanapun, perkara-perkara sebegini adalah berkaitan dengan kasyaf
dan tidak dapat disedari oleh semua orang.

RAMADHAN: Fadhilat Ramadhan (Hadith 9)

Daripada Hazrat Abu ‘Ubaidah رضي الله عنه beliau berkata saya telah mendengar Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم bersabda, “Puasa adalah perisai, selama dia tidak memecahkannya.”

(Hadith riwayat an-Nasa’i, Ibnu Majah, Ibnu Khuzaimah ,al-Hakim dan sahih atas syarat Bukhari. Lafaz mereka berbeza-beza diterangkan oleh al-Munziri dalam at-Targhib)

Sumber: Shaikhul Hadith Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya rah. (Terjemahan Ustaz Muhammad Razif bin ‘Abd. Wahab). 1999. FADHILAT RAMADHAN. Kuala Lumpur: Era Ilmu Sdn. Bhd. m.s 42

NICE picture random....

Beautiful set of unique photos that you have probably never seen before in unique settings such as the migration of sting rays to the thousand hand buddha performance. Lovely photos that would intrigue anyone if they would take a more detailed look.