Have you ever found that electricity in your house was turned off? Or your internet connection went down? Or your computer didn’t work due to a serious problem? Or you lost your mobile phone? Or you had no car, nor motor bike, to ride?

What did you feel when you found yourself in such situations? Perhaps you said: “Oh no, I can’t live without all this.” Or you said: “Oh no, I can do nothing in such condition.” If that was what happened to you, I’m afraid that you are addicted to the modern convenience.

However, I can understand that many people – or even most of them – are now addicted to the modern convenience. The reason is quite simple: because they are not accustomed to live without the convenience. They always use the convenience in their daily life, as if the convenience were a part of them. They work, study, have leisure, have fun, take a bath, and even sleep using the convenience. Therefore, when they lose one of the convenience, they feel that everything becomes in trouble.

I’d like to tell you some of my own experiences. The worst thing I have experienced is that the electricity in my house or my office was turned off. You know, guys, that electricity seems to be the most important thing in our life today. Computer and many other devices need electricity. They won’t work without electricity. The electricity in my office has been turned off daylight many times, and I just could say: “Oh no, I can do nothing now.” And I felt much worse when it was deadline for my work. It might be better when the electricity was turned off at night and there was no work I had to do. In such condition, I always decided to go to bed and have a sound sleep in complete darkness. But it was also a problem when I had some overtime work I had to do at such without-electricity-night.

It was also my bad day of mine when my computer had a serious problem. I can not work on my computer. And it was worse when data I needed was stored in the computer. The only way to access the data was replacing the hard disk from the computer, and then putting it in any other computer. This always made me crazy.

The last thing I wanna tell you is my bad day when my internet connection went down. I could not read my emails, nor update my blogs and websites, nor update my facebook status, or nor even browse some good news and stories on the internet. That was really terrible. I don’t know why it is so hard to live without internet. I need to stay in touch with people on the net. I need to know what is new around the world. And at least, I need to have a look at the attractive design of web pages on the net.

These are some of my experiences showing that I may be addicted enough to the modern convenience. But it doesn’t mean that I will end my life because of that. Even when I lose all the convenience, I still can breathe. If I can’t find a car or a motor cycle, I still can go to a place by bicycle if any, or on foot. If the electricity is turned off, I can light a candle. Yes, life must go on. Look, our parents and grand-parents are able to have their life well without the convenience. They can and we can, too. Agree?
——————

Why did I write this story?

My internet connection was in trouble. I looked at Network Connections on Control Panel. It said that it’s well connected. So, I guessed the problem might be Firewall issue, and then I disabled the Firewall. But the problem still remained. I really didn’t know what the problem.  I felt so angry, and half crazy. That day was deadline for one of my what-to-do. I should have finished the work on that disgusting day. And I needed my internet connection to do that. I got desperate because I did think that it was impossible for me to finish the work. And it was. Who’s wrong? The ISP (Internet Service Provider)? I did think yes, they were.

I dialed the ISP’s phone number. “Hello. I have a problem with my internet connection,” I said trying not to show my anger. “Who is speaking?” asked the ISP’s officer. He’s a man. Then I told him who I am. I told him my name, my phone number, and some other data needed.

“Are the modem and the cables okay,”he asked. “Yes, of course. I have checked them all. Everything is okay, but the connection. My computer says that it’s connected. However, when I try to open a webpage on my browser, it doesn’t work at all. The page doesn’t appear,” I tried to explain what the problem.

“Wait a minute,” he said. And then it was a quite long silence.

“Okay, okay. We’ve just reported this problem to Service Unit. They will call you to deal with the problem,” he made a promise.

“When will they call me?” I asked coriously. “As soon as possible,” he answered diplomatically. I really didn’t like this cliché answer. It would be far better if he told me a specific time. But, I didn’t want to quarrel against him on the phone.

“Okay. I’m looking forward to their coming here,” I answered desperately.

Oh, what the hell was the ISP doing? Why did this happen? Didn’t they have a more stable system preventing such funny problem? I didn’t know. I began thinking: Yes, this is Indonesia.

There are some stereotypes addressed unfairly to Islam and muslims. Instead of coming from authoritative sources, the stereotypes just appear all the time on media. Yes, this is a kind of ‘media game’. Those who control the media will control the information. And it’s obvious that those who don’t like Islam and muslims – due to some reasons – take control of most leading media. As a result, muslims always become victims. They are suspected of injustice, oppression, extremism, and such things that actually don’t belong to them.

One of the stereotypes is that woman in Islam is oppressed. Many people – especially in the West – consider that muslims along their history really fit this stereotype. They argue that some sacred texts in Islam – ie. Al-Qu’ran and As-Sunnah – really contain teachings that oppress woman in her life.

They can not accept several things related to woman issues, such as following: 1) daughter only receive inheritance (legacy) 50 percent less than son, 2) a man can marry more than one woman, whereas a woman can marry only one man at a time, 3) woman has to cover almost all of her body parts using hijab, except when she is at home. They consider all these things are oppression of woman. Are they right?

Here, in this short article, I will give my opinion on these issues, from a muslim perspective. First of all, I want to quote from The Holy Quran. Allah The Almighty said: “The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another.” (9:71). In another verse, He said: “And their Lord has accepted (their prayers) and answered them (saying): ‘Never will I cause to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female; you are members, one of another.” (3:195). And still in The Qur’an, He said: “O mankind! Verily We have created your from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other… (49:13).

Thus it’s obvious that – from Islam’s perspective – man and woman are equal. The rights and responsibilities of a woman are equal to those of a man but they are not necessarily identical with them. Equality and sameness are two quite different things. This difference is understandable because man and woman are not identical but they are created equals. With this distinction in mind, there is no problem. It is almost impossible to find even two identical men or women. This distinction between equality and sameness is of paramount importance. Equality is desirable, just, fair; but sameness is not. People are not created identical but they are created equals.

Woman is recognized by Islam as a full and equal partner of man in the procreation of humankind. He is the father; she is the mother, and both are essential for life. Her role is not less vital than his. By this partnership she has an equal share in every aspect; she is entitled to equal rights; she undertakes equal responsibilities, and in her there are as many qualities and as much humanity as there are in her partner.

Moreover, woman even enjoys certain privileges of which man is deprived. She is exempt from some religious duties, i.e., prayers and fasting, in her regular periods and at times of confinement. She is exempt from all financial liabilities. As a mother, she enjoys more recognition and higher honor in the sight of God (31:14-15;46:15). The Prophet acknowledged this honor when he declared that Paradise is under the feet of the mothers. She is entitled to three-fourths of the son’s love and kindness with one-fourth left for their father.

Secondly, in the case of inheritance, the question of quality and sameness is fully applicable. In principle, both man and woman are equally entitled to inherit the property of the deceased relations but the portions they get may vary. This no sign of giving preference or supremacy to man over woman. The reasons why man gets more in these particular instances may be classified as follows:

#1 – Man is the person solely responsible for the complete maintenance of his wife, his family and any other needy relations. It is his duty by Law to assume all financial responsibilities and maintain his dependents adequately.

#2 – In contrast, woman has no financial responsibilities whatsoever except very little of her personal expenses, the high luxurious things that she likes to have. She is financially secure and provided for. If she is a wife, her husband is the provider; if she is a mother, it is the son; if she is a daughter, it is the father; if she is a sister; it is the brother, and so on. If she has no relations on whom she can depend, then there is no question of inheritance because there is nothing to inherit and there is no one to bequeath anything to her. However, she will not be left to starve, maintenance of such a woman is the responsibility of the society as a whole, the state. She may be given aid or a job to earn her living, and whatever money she makes will be hers.

Thirdly, in the case of polygamy, Islam has some reasons for that. Islamic polygamy addresses the social problems of prostitution and extramarital affairs common in the West.  Instead of cheating – infidelity is one of the top reasons for divorce in the West – Islam allows a man to marry more than one wife, with full recognition of the rights of both of them.  The basic principle in Islam is that men are held responsible for their behavior towards women just as women are responsible for their behavior towards men.

The number of women in the world exceeds that of men.  The surplus is a result of men dying in wars, violent crimes, and women outliving men. The upsurge in homosexuality further increases the problem. Bertrand Russell wrote, “And in all countries where there is an excess of women, it is an obvious injustice that those women who, by arithmetical necessity, must remain unmarried should be wholly debarred from sexual experience.” In addition, surplus of women who are not financially maintained by a husband is a cause of increased prostitution in the society. Polygamy, then, is the only responsible solution for this predicament.

Polygamy is also an alternative to divorce in case of some marital problems.  Instead of divorcing a sick or infertile wife, Islam permits a man to marry another woman while taking care of the first if she chooses to stay with him.

And lastly, in the case of hijab, there are some reasons for that. Hijab gives women an air of authority, dignity and respect, which a non-believer can never claim to possess. Only those who are well behaved can expect admiration and high esteem from others and definitely, those who try to attract men can never be called a well-behaved person.

Those who reject hijab and wish to attract men are suffering from inferiority complex. They believe men are superior and in order to overcome this feeling, they use their feminine charms. But why should a Muslim woman have such a feeling when she is fully aware of her equality with men?

Discarding Hijab will also harm not only one’s own self but also millions of others. Exposure of physical charm of our women may destroy many homes and cause innumerable rapes and murders for which we all are responsible.

Look at the glossy cover of any magazine or advertisements on TV and newspaper, you will find that most of these advertisements have scantily dressed women in alluring poses to attract the attention of men. This proves that the Western society considers woman only as a sex symbol.
The liberation of women in Islam is far superior to Western liberation as it allows women to live with respect, dignity and equality in society. A truly liberated woman always dresses decently and modestly. A true woman will never degrade her body and sell her dignity to the highest bidder. No woman is truly liberated if she is still the slave of her wayward conscience, bodily lust or infidelity.

– That’s some short explanation related to Islam and woman issues, from Islam’s perspective. I hope this explanation can answer back some stereotypes addressed to Islam, and at last people will understand Islam as it is. Thanks for your reading this article.

Allah creates everything in pairs: male and female, dark and bright, good and bad, etc. We all also know that humans have natural tendency to have life partners. Biologically, humans are similar to animals in that both have sexual desire. For this reason, both are in need of having sex. However, humans are moral creatures. Allah gives a rule that one can only have sex after marriage.

Marriage itself, more than a way to find sex, is a way to express love. If a man really loves a woman, he will marry her. If he says that he loves her but he doesn’t want to marry her, he is likely to only use her. Marriage is also a way to build partnership as well as to have kids and family. For muslims, marriage is a way for the couple to follow the Sunnah, hoping that Allah will give them the best reward in here and here-after. In Islam, marriage is a way to perfect the Deen. In conclusion, marriage has many purposes, and sex is only one of them.

For marriage has many purposes as mentioned above, it is always considered very important in one’s life. And for this reason, most people don’t want to seek their life partners hastily. They will consider many things before deciding to accept someone to be their life partner. The things are – in general – can be classified into two: physical factors and non-physical factors.

The physical factors can be how one looks like, how rich one is, how rich one’s family is, etc. The non-physical factors can be personality, maturity, intelligence, etc. Many people say that the non-physical factors are more important than the physical ones. The reason is so simple: because the non-physical factors are eternal whereas the physical ones are temporary. For example, beauty – one of the physical factors – is not eternal. One will lose her beauty after she gets old. Money is also not eternal. One having much money can be broke for some reason. On the other hand, non-physical factors such as personality, maturity, and intelligence are eternal. One normally will not lose all of those things in his / her life.

Now the question is how you will find your life partner. What will you take in consideration to decide who will be your life partner? If you have many things to consider, how do you put some of them in higher ranks than others?

Whether a man considers woman’s personality more important than her beauty is still an unanswered question. Every man wants a perfect woman: beautiful and kind. It will be a problem if the woman only has one of the qualifications: beautiful but not kind enough, or kind but not beautiful enough. Some may prefer beautiful, not-kind-enough woman, and some others may prefer kind, not-beautiful-enough woman. Every man has his own perspective.

If you are a man, here is a kind of quiz for you. First question, which woman do you prefer: beautiful but not kind enough, or kind but not beautiful enough? Second question: beautiful but not rich, or rich but not beautiful? Are you confused? To choose is always not easy.

What a woman considers more important is also still unanswered. Does woman prefer rich man to handsome one? Does she prefer kind man to handsome one? Does she prefers kind man to rich one? All of these questions are always a kind of mystery. If you are a woman, just take a quiz similar to the quiz above, and everything will be so confusing.

Birocracy is always a disgusting word to hear. What is in your mind when you hear that word? Many of you will imagine a kind of inefficiency, difficulty, collusion, corruption, and so on. What you imagine is not totally wrong. In fact, birocracy in Indonesian administration is sort of that image.

Give an example, if one wants to get his Citizen ID Card, the officers usually charge him more than it should be. Another example, if one wants to get a driving licence, he will almost never get it until he pays some extra fee. These are some examples in our everyday life, showing obviously that the birocracy in our country needs radical change.

Wise people say: “Keep everything simple.” This means that we must not make simple things complicated. They also say: “Put everything simple.” This means that we have to make something complicated become more simple.” Unfortunately, the fact is contrary to the wise words. The officers in our country always tend to make everything difficult dan complicated, even if it is actually easy and simple.

Furthermore, the mentality of the officers are terrible. Public service offices are actually built to serve the citizens. This means that the officers are actually those who serve the citizens, and not those who are served by them. Unfortunately, in fact we find that the officers feel that they are powerful over the citizens. Consequently, they force the people to charge extra fee, and so on. When the officers are suchlike, we could say that what they do is an abuse of power. They do that for their personal advantage: making more money illegally etc.

Now, what is to do in order to return everything on the right track? Personally, I propose some solutions. The first is to reinforce the law. We all know that the law is often adequate, but it becomes no worth because of lack of implementation. To make a change, every kind of abuse must be punished based on the law. We are glad that KPK, The Corruption Eradication Committee, has been working so well that makes many people scared to commit any kind of corruption. I think there are still many things to do for the same purpose.

Second thing I propose to solve the problem is citizens’ participation. We are toward a more perfect civil society. We, the citizens, have to take part more. We, the people, are the real power. Hence, we have to control how the public services are handled. Anytime we find something wrong, we have to make a constructive feedback. If we, the people, unite to do that, there will be no power stronger than us. This is the real people power. Indonesian people, dont be desperate. If we unite, we can!

As we know, the majority of Indonesian people are muslims. Those who know the teachings of Islam know well that this religion commands the people to follow ‘the divine road’ that is full of good values. Being honest and responsible, having good work attitude, keeping the environment clean, and having healthy lifestyle are some of the values.

Unfortunately, we all see that in fact, muslims in this country can not implement the values in their real life. Some of them can, but many of them can not. Here I will give some examples of this terrible fact.

Smoking in public places: Many people in this country are used to smoking in buses, cabs, parks, and even offices. They do that without any feeling of being guilty. Don’t they realize that what they do doesn’t harm only theirselves, but also others? The others even face more danger than the smokers. Experts always say that passive smoking is much more dangerous than active one. Realizing this, the people are supposed to not smoke in public places.

Moreover, if we take a look at prosperity of the people in this country, we will find that most of the people are considered in poverty. In such condition, it doesn’t make sense that many people are used to smoking in their everyday life. Rather than spending money to buy some cigarettes, it is far better to spend it to get all basic needs such as food, clothes, houses,  education, job, and so on.

Always being not on time: I wonder why it is so hard for the people in this country to be on time when they have appointments. Give an example, if one is invited to attend a meeting at 8.00, he will come to the meeting at 8.15 or even 8.30. We call this bad habit ‘rubber-clock disease’. Something that makes us so sad is that all the people don’t consider that serious problem. They even think that such thing is usual and common.

Furthermore, this accute disease now becomes something very hard to cure. Many people that realize that being on time is important even don’t want to get on time anymore, because they are afraid that they have to wait too long. You also may find something ridicilous, when one comes late but he is the first that comes. He will say to others: “I was afraid I come late. Fortunately, I didn’t come late.” Look, he did come late, but he don’t realize that he did. He even feels happy only because there are many people worse than him.

Throwing rubbish onto road or river: I also wonder how easily the people here throw away rubbish, particulary that is not degradable like plastics, onto road or river. We all know the terrible result of this terrible habit. Water drainage beside road doesn’t function well, the river becomes swallow, and river water becomes polluted. Consequently, there is always flood every year only because of not-too-heavy-rain. It’s also hard to find adequate clean water supply.

Bad habit is always bad habit. Many people are so accustomed to throwing rubbish away, instead of put it in rubbish bin available in many places. Even if one doesn’t find any rubbish bin, he can bring it for a while or put in in his pocket until he find a bin. I think we still have a hard job to make the people realize that keeping the environment clean and preventing any pollution are important to keep our life safe and comfortable.

— These are some of bad habits we, indonesian people, have. I think there are many other bad habits to mention. However, I dont want to make this article too long, and for this reason I only mentioned the three bad habits. Last but not least, something more important than knowing what the bad habits, is how to cure ‘the diseases’. Don’t be desperate, Indonesian people. We can if we want!

Use fault when explaining who is responsible for something bad.
It’s my fault that the car was stolen. I left the window open.
It’s my mistake the car was stolen. I left the window open.
Use mistake or error for talking about something that you did or thought which was wrong. Error is slightly more formal than mistake.
We lost a week’s work due to a computer error.
I still make lots of mistakes in my essays.
I still make lots of faults in my essays.

And here are some words related to fault, mistake, error, and blunder. This is taken from Cambridge Dictionary.

blunder (noun)
a big mistake, usually caused by lack of care or thought:
Examples:
He said that the tax was a major political blunder.
I made a bit of a blunder by getting his name wrong.

bug (COMPUTER) (noun)
a mistake or problem in a computer program:
Example:
A bug caused the company’s computer system to crash.

defect (FAULT) (noun)
a fault, problem or lack in something or someone that spoils them or causes them not to work correctly:
Examples:
All R45 aircraft have been grounded, after a defect in the engine cooling system was discovered.
There are so many defects in our education system.
It’s a character defect in her that she can’t ever accept that she’s in the wrong.

error (noun)
a mistake:
Examples:
He admitted that he’d made an error.
The letter contains a number of typing errors.
Human error has been blamed for the air crash.
With something as delicate as brain surgery, there is little margin for error (= you must not make mistakes).

failing (WEAKNESS) (noun)
a fault or weakness:
Example:
His one big failing is that he never says he’s sorry.

false alarm (noun)
an occasion when people believe incorrectly that something dangerous or unpleasant is happening or will happen:
Examples:
Three fire engines rushed to the school only to discover it was a false alarm.
She thought she was pregnant, but it turned out to be a false alarm (= she discovered she was not).

false move (noun)
an unwise action which is likely to have an unpleasant or dangerous effect:
Examples:
We can’t afford to make any false moves once we’re in enemy territory.
“One false move and you’re dead! (= I will kill you)” shouted the gunman.

fault (MISTAKE) (noun)
1- a mistake, especially something for which you are to blame:
It’s not my fault she didn’t come!
She believes it was the doctor’s fault that Peter died.
The fault was/lay with the organizers, who failed to make the necessary arrangements for dealing with so many people.
Through no fault of his own, he spent a week locked up in jail.
2- a weakness in a person’s character:
He has many faults, but dishonesty isn’t one of them.
3- a broken part or weakness in a machine or system:
The car has a serious design fault.
I think it’s got an electrical fault.
For all its faults, our transport system is still better than that in many other countries.
4- a mistake made when hitting the ball over the net, in tennis or a similar game, to begin a game

flaw (noun)
a fault, mistake or weakness, especially one that happens while something is being planned or made, or which causes something not to be perfect:
Examples:
I returned the material because it had a flaw in it.
There’s a fatal flaw in your reasoning.
This report is full of flaws.
a character flaw

mistake (WRONG ACTION) (noun)
an action, decision or judgment which produces an unwanted or unintentional result:
Examples:
I’m not blaming you – we all make mistakes.
[+ to infinitive] It was a mistake for us to come here tonight.
This letter’s full of spelling mistakes.
I’ve discovered a few mistakes in your calculations.
Why am I under arrest? There must be some mistake.

by mistake
accidentally:
Example: I’ve paid this bill twice by mistake.

slip (MISTAKE) (noun)
a small mistake:
Example:
She’s made one or two slips – mainly spelling errors – but it’s basically well written.

slip of the tongue
when someone says something that they did not intend to say:
Example:
I called her new boyfriend by her previous boyfriend’s name – it was just a slip of the tongue.

And these are some questions and answers related to the words:

#1. It is a ……… to argue with your friends.
(a) error
(b) fault
(c) mistake
(d) slip

Answer: It is a mistake to argue with your friends.

#2. The new assistant made a ……… and as a result all the accounts were messed up.
(a) slip
(b) fault
(c) misunderstanding
(d) blunder

Answer: The new assistant made a blunder and as a result all the accounts were messed up.

#3. Don’t blame yourself, it’s not your ………!
(a) fault
(b) error
(c) slip
(d) misunderstanding

Answer: Don’t blame yourself, it’s not your fault!

#4. The engineer was quick to point out the technical ……….
(a) faults
(b) slips
(c) errors
(d) blunders

Answer: The engineer was quick to point out the technical errors.

#5. I can understand your Spanish in spite of the grammar ……… you make.
(a) mistakes
(b) slips
(c) defects
(d) misunderstandings

Answer: I can understand your Spanish in spite of the grammar mistakes you make.

#6. Sorry, I didn’t mean to say this, it was a ……… of the tongue.
(a) slip
(b) mistake
(c) fault
(d) error

Answer: Sorry, I didn’t mean to say this, it was a slip of the tongue.

#7. Whose ……… is this? Yours, I’m afraid.
(a) blunder
(b) slip
(c) fault
(d) error

Answer: Whose fault is this? Yours, I’m afraid.

#8. Your composition is full of ……….
(a) defects
(b) mistakes
(c) faults
(d) slips

Answer: Your composition is full of mistakes.

#9. You will make a terrible ……… in introducing her to your parents.
(a) blunder
(b) slip
(c) error
(d) defect

Answer: You will make a terrible blunder in introducing her to your parents.

#10. The child broke the expensive vase but it was his mother’s ……… for letting him play close to it.
(a) error
(b) defect
(c) fault
(d) blunder

Answer: The child broke the expensive vase but it was his mother’s fault for letting him play close to it.

#11. I haven’t done this and you are making a terrible ……… in suspecting me.
(a) error
(b) mistake
(c) blunder
(d) gaffe

Answer: I haven’t done this and you are making a terrible mistake in suspecting me.

#12. Elizabeth realized that it had been a ……… to take her daughter to the house where her father was killed some years before.
(a) mistake
(b) slip
(c) fault
(d) misunderstanding

Answer: Elizabeth realized that it had been a mistake to take her daughter to the house where her father was killed some years before.

#13. The accident was due to the ……… of the driver.
(a) slip
(b) error
(c) blunder
(d) lapse

Answer: The accident was due to the blunder of the driver.

#14. Without her glasses she made a ……… and filled in the wrong form.
(a) error
(b) blunder
(c) lapse
(d) fault

Answer: Without her glasses she made a blunder and filled in the wrong form.

#15. Jacqueline is a good secretary but lately she often makes ……… in such simple things as typing and uploading information.
(a) blunders
(b) errors
(c) faults
(d) misunderstandings

Answer: Jacqueline is a good secretary but lately she often makes errors in such simple things as typing and uploading information.

#16. My literature teacher speaks so quickly that he often makes ……… of the tongue.
(a) mistakes
(b) faults
(c) slips
(d) blunders

Answer: My literature teacher speaks so quickly that he often makes slips of the tongue.

#17. Don’t even think of shifting the blame on me, please! It’s not my ……… for what happened.
(a) fault
(b) error
(c) gaffe
(d) misunderstanding

Answer: Don’t even think of shifting the blame on me, please! It’s not my fault for what happened.

#18. I wouldn’t call this a bad mistake, it is simply a ……… of the pen.
(a) error
(b) blunder
(c) gaffe
(d) slip

Answer: I wouldn’t call this a bad mistake, it is simply a slip of the pen.

#19. It is written here that I have a sister but there must be some ……… because I am an only child.
(a) error
(b) misunderstanding
(c) fault
(d) slip

Answer: It is written here that I have a sister but there must be some misunderstanding because I am an only child.

#20. He was in a coma for more than two weeks after the accident but now he has woken up and the doctors say he has a ……… of memory. He can hardly remember what had happened.
(a) gaffe
(b) lapse
(c) slip
(d) error

Answer: He was in a comma for more than two weeks after the accident but now he has woken up and the doctors say he has a lapse of memory. He can hardly remember what had happened.

#21. There must be some ………, I think we have come to the wrong house.
(a) error
(b) fault
(c) mistake
(d) slip

Answer: There must be some mistake, I think we have come to the wrong house.

#22. The train crash was due to a ……… of the engine-driver and many people died because of his carelessness.
(a) blunder
(b) slip
(c) misunderstanding
(d) inaccuracy

Answer: The train crash was due to a blunder of the engine-driver and many people died because of his carelessness.

#23. You shouldn’t worry about this, it was only a ……… of the tongue and no one really noticed.
(a) misunderstanding
(b) slip
(c) mistake
(d) blunder

Answer: You shouldn’t worry about this, it was only a slip of the tongue and no one really noticed.

#24. I am telling you from my personal experience — don’t go there on holiday, it will be a ………!
(a) error
(b) misunderstanding
(c) blunder
(d) mistake

Answer: I am telling you from my personal experience — don’t go there on holiday, it will be a mistake!

#25. All the information was lost because of an ……… in the computers.
(a) incorrectness
(b) inaccuracy
(c) error
(d) inexactness

Answer: All the information was lost because of an error in the computers.

#26. He paid a lot of money for the high quality machinery but a lot of technical ……… started to appear in the long run.
(a) errors
(b) blunders
(c) slips
(d) gaffes

Answer: He paid a lot of money for the high quality machinery but a lot of technical errors started to appear in the long run.

#27. It is the first time Jason has written a love letter and no wonder he made a few ……… of the pen out of excitement.
(a) blunders
(b) slips
(c) mistakes
(d) errors

Answer: It is the first time Jason has written a love letter and no wonder he made a few slips of the pen out of excitement.

#28. Julia married to an old rich man when she was only eighteen because all she wanted was to be rich. Years later she realized it was a big ……….
(a) error
(b) blunder
(c) inaccuracy
(d) mistake

Answer: Julia married to an old rich man when she was only eighteen because all she wanted was to be rich. Years later she realized it was a big mistake.

#29. At the beginning of our marriage we had some ……… but little by little we smoothed them away.
(a) mistakes
(b) faults
(c) misunderstandings
(d) gaffes

Answer: At the beginning of our marriage we had some misunderstandings but little by little we smoothed them away.

#30. What he did was inappropriate to his social status, as a president of the country he didn’t realize what a ……… he had made.
(a) mistake
(b) error
(c) misunderstanding
(d) gaffe

Answer: What he did was inappropriate to his social status, as a president of the country he didn’t realize what a gaffe he had made.

The noun travel is a general word which means the activity of travelling.
Example: Air travel has become much cheaper.
Use journey to talk about when you travel from one place to another.
Examples: He fell asleep during the train journey.
Did you have a good journey? Did you have a good travel?
A trip is a journey in which you visit a place for a short time and come back again.
Examples: a business trip, a 3-day trip to Spain

And these are some words related to travel, journey, and trip. This is taken from Cambridge Dictionary.

adventure (noun)
an unusual, exciting and possibly dangerous activity such as a journey or experience, or the excitement produced by such an activity:
Examples:
She had some exciting adventures in Egypt.
We got lost on the Metro – it was quite an adventure.
Sam won’t come – he’s got no sense of adventure (= he does not enjoy dangerous or exciting situations).

convoy (noun)
a group of vehicles or ships which travel together, especially for protection:
Example:
A convoy of trucks containing supplies was sent to the famine area.

convoy (verb)
to travel with a vehicle or group of people to make certain that they arrive safely:
Example:
Two tanks convoyed the trucks across the border.

crossing (noun)
a journey across something such as a sea, from one side to the other:
Example:
We had a really rough crossing – I was sick three times.

day trip (noun)
a visit to a place in which you go there and come back on the same day:
Example:
Do you fancy coming on a day trip to Bath next Saturday?

drive (noun)
a journey in a car:
Examples:
It’s a long drive from Glasgow to London.
Shall we go for a drive this afternoon?

excursion (noun)
a short journey usually made for pleasure, often by a group of people:
Examples:
This year’s annual excursion will be to Lincoln.
Next week we’re going on an excursion.

expedition (noun)
an organized journey for a particular purpose:
Examples:
We’re going on a shopping expedition on Saturday.
Scott died while he was on an expedition to the Antarctic in 1912.

field trip (noun)
a visit made by students to study something away from their school or college:
Example: a geography field trip

flight (noun)
a journey in an aircraft:
Examples:
I’ll never forget my first flight.
How was your flight?
All flights to New York today are delayed because of bad weather.
My flight was cancelled.

foray (VISIT) (noun)
a short visit, especially with a known purpose:
I made a quick foray into town before lunch to get my sister a present.

grand tour (noun)
1- (ALSO Grand Tour) a visit to the most important countries and cities of Europe which rich young people made in the past as part of their education
2- OFTEN HUMOROUS when someone shows you round a house or other building:
Let me give you a grand tour of the house.

haul (PERIOD OF TIME) (noun)
a journey, often a difficult one:
Examples:
From there it was a long haul/only a short haul (= long and difficult/short and easy journey) back to our camp.
It was a long haul (= It took a long time and was difficult), but the alterations to the house are finished at last.

short-haul (adjective) [before noun]
travelling a short distance:
Example: short-haul flights

long-haul (adjective) [before noun]
travelling a long distance:
Example: a long-haul flight

hitch (RIDE) (verb) INFORMAL
hitch a lift/ride to get a free ride in someone else’s vehicle as a way of travelling:
They hitched a lift to Edinburgh from a passing car.

hitchhike verb [I]
to travel by getting free rides in someone else’s vehicle:
Example:
Women should never hitchhike on their own.

jaunt (noun)
a short journey for pleasure, sometimes including a stay:
Example: a Sunday jaunt into the hills

journey (noun)
the act of travelling from one place to another, especially in a vehicle:
Examples:
It’s a two-hour train journey from York to London.
I love going on long journeys.
We broke our journey (= stopped for a short time) in Edinburgh before travelling on to Inverness the next day.
Did you have a good journey?
Have a safe journey!
FIGURATIVE: He views his life as a spiritual journey towards a greater understanding of his faith.

junket (noun) DISAPPROVING
a journey or visit made for pleasure by an official, which is paid for by someone else or is paid for with public money

layover (noun)
US FOR stopover (= a short stay between parts of a journey, especially a plane journey):
We had a four-hour layover in Chicago.

lift (noun)
a free journey in another person’s vehicle, especially a car:
Examples:
I’ll give you a lift to the station if you like.
He hitched a lift (= stood by the road and made a signal asking a car to stop and take him) to Birmingham.

milk run (noun)
a journey that you make often, especially one including several stops

mystery tour (noun) UK
a short journey, especially with a group of other people in a bus, to visit places which are kept secret from you until you get there

odyssey (noun) LITERARY
a long exciting journey:
Examples:
The film follows one man’s odyssey to find the mother from whom he was separated at birth.
FIGURATIVE: a spiritual odyssey

outing (noun)
when a group of people go on a short journey, usually for pleasure or education:
Rosie’s going on a class/school outing to the Museum of Modern Art.

passage (noun)
[S] OLD-FASHIONED a journey, especially over the sea:
He had booked his passage to Rio de Janeiro.

peregrination (noun) FORMAL
a long journey in which you travel to various different places, especially on foot

pilgrimage (noun)
a special journey made by a pilgrim:
Example:
Most Muslims try to make a pilgrimage/go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life.

pilgrimage (noun)
a journey to a place which is considered special, and which you visit to show your respect:
Example:
For many football fans, the national ground is a place of pilgrimage.

pit stop (noun)
a short stop that you make during a long car journey in order to rest and eat:
Example:
We made a quick pit stop in York before continuing on our journey.

ride (verb) rode, ridden
to sit on a horse or a bicycle and travel along on it controlling its movements:
Examples:
I learned to ride a bike when I was six.
I ride my bicycle to work.
I ride to work on my bicycle.
The hunters came riding by/past on their horses.
He rides well/badly (= He can ride horses well/badly).

ride (noun)
1- a journey on a horse or bicycle, or in a vehicle:
Examples:
It’s a short bus ride to the airport.
I went for a (horse) ride last Saturday.
Do you want to come for a ride on my motorbike?
2- a free journey in a car to a place where you want to go:
Examples:
He asked me for a ride into town.

round trip (noun)
If you make a round trip, you go on a journey and return to where you started from.

run (noun)
a journey:
Examples:
The number of aircraft on the New York-Moscow run is being increased.
OLD-FASHIONED Let’s go for a run (out) in the car somewhere.
The plane swooped in on its bombing run.

safari (noun)
an organized journey to look at, or sometimes hunt, wild animals, especially in Africa:
Example: to go/be on safari

sail (noun)
a journey in a boat or ship:
Example:
It’s two days’ sail/It’s a two-day sail (= a journey of two days by sea) from here to the nearest island.

sortie (noun)
a brief journey to somewhere you have not been before, often with a particular purpose:
It was our first sortie into the town centre.

spin (noun) OLD-FASHIONED INFORMAL
a short journey in a car for pleasure:
Rupert took me for a spin in his new car.

stopover UK (noun) (US layover)
a brief stay in a place that you make while you are on a longer journey to somewhere else:
Our tickets to Australia include a stopover for two nights in Singapore.

thumb (verb) INFORMAL
thumb a lift to stand near the edge of a road and hold out your hand with the thumb raised as a signal for a vehicle to stop and take you somewhere:
Example: We thumbed a lift to London.

tour (noun)
1- a visit to a place or area, especially one during which you look round the place or area and learn about it:
Examples:
We went on a guided tour round the cathedral/museum/factory.
A bus took us on a sightseeing tour of the city.
a tour guide
2- a journey made for pleasure, especially as a holiday, visiting several different places in an area:
Examples:
a cycling tour of Provence
They’ve just come back from a tour round Devon and Cornwall.
Tour operators (= companies which arrange holidays for people) have reported a drop in bookings.
3- a planned visit to several places in a country or area made for a special purpose, such as by a politician, sports team or group of entertainers:
Examples:
a lecture/concert tour
The Queen is making a two-week tour of Australia.
She is performing in Birmingham tonight, on the third leg of (= stage of) her nationwide tour.
The England cricket team is currently on tour in Pakistan.

tour (verb)
If a play tours a particular area, it is performed in several places there:
The play will be performed first in London, and will then tour the rest of the country.

travel (noun)
the activity of travelling:
Examples:
air/space travel
business travel
We share a love of literature, food and travel.
I heard on the travel news that there’d been an accident.

trip (noun)
a journey in which you go somewhere, usually for a short time, and come back again:
Examples:
The trip from York to Newcastle takes about an hour by train.
Do you want to go on the school trip to France this year?
I thought we might hire a motorboat and take a trip round/around the bay.
MAINLY UK We can’t afford another trip abroad this year.
It’s a 10-mile trip from the airport to the city centre.
She’s away on a business trip and won’t be back until next week.
I was thinking we might go on a shopping trip to Oxford on Saturday.

voyage (noun)
a long journey, especially by ship:
Examples:
He was a young sailor on his first sea voyage.
FIGURATIVE: The first year of a loving relationship is a voyage (= period) of discovery.

be on the move INFORMAL
to be travelling:
Example:
We’re going to be on the move all next week, but we’ll call you when we get to Edinburgh.

And these are some questions and answers related to the words:

#1. The Smiths decided to go to Scotland for a short ………. They have already booked return bus tickets.
(a) travel
(b) trip
(c) voyage
(d) move

Answer: The Smiths decided to go to Scotland for a short trip. They have already booked return bus tickets.

#2. An archeological ……… was organized to investigate the remains of the ancient settlement, which had recently been found near the capital.
(a) trip
(b) safari
(c) expedition
(d) tour

Answer: An archeological expedition was organized to investigate the remains of the ancient settlement, which had recently been found near the capital.

#3. My ……… to work takes about fifty minutes by car.
(a) journey
(b) excursion
(c) tour
(d) move

Answer: My journey to work takes about fifty minutes by car.

#4. If you are planning a holiday in Amsterdam, you’d better go by plane because otherwise it is a three day ……… by bus from Bulgaria to Holland.
(a) journey
(b) go
(c) pass
(d) expedition

Answer: If you are planning a holiday in Amsterdam, you’d better go by plane because otherwise it is a three day journey by bus from Bulgaria to Holland.

#5. Roger entered the Guinness book of world records following his ……… across the Pacific having spent more than three months all alone in an open boat.
(a) journey
(b) tour
(c) traffic
(d) voyage

Answer: Roger entered the Guinness book of world records following his voyage across the Pacific having spent more than three months all alone in an open boat.

#6. Julia chose to spend her holiday in Africa. Her package tour includes walking in the jungle, sailing down the Nile, as well as going on a sightseeing ……… to observe lions, tigers and various wildlife.
(a) safari
(b) traffic
(c) track
(d) voyage

Answer: Julia chose to spend her holiday in Africa. Her package tour includes walking in the jungle, sailing down the Nile, as well as going on a sightseeing safari to observe lions, tigers and various wildlife.

#7. My idea of a perfect honey moon is to go on a world ……… and visit many interesting places. As you can see, I have already marked some of those places on the map.
(a) trip
(b) safari
(c) expedition
(d) tour

Answer: My idea of a perfect honey moon is to go on a world tour and visit many interesting places. As you can see, I have already marked some of those places on the map.

#8. Being a young scientist, Joshua is really excited to be going on his first ……… to the North Pole where he will be doing do some research work on walruses.
(a) outing
(b) expedition
(c) excursion
(d) trip

Answer: Being a young scientist, Joshua is really excited to be going on his first expedition to the North Pole where he will be doing do some research work on walruses.

#9. This holiday company arranges lots of ……… for groups of people to go into the mountains and picnic by the river.
(a) tours
(b) paths
(c) excursions
(d) traffics

Answer: This holiday company arranges lots of excursions for groups of people to go into the mountains and picnic by the river.

#10. One of my daughter’s favourite movies is ‘The ……… of Sinbad the Sailor’, which tells of the exciting experiences of Sinbad at sea.
(a) Voyages
(b) Trips
(c) Outings
(d) Safaris

Answer: One of my daughter’s favourite movies is ‘The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor’, which tells of the exciting experiences of Sinbad at sea.

English is now considered the most important language around the world. There are some reasons for that. English is used as mother tongue in many big countries such as United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. It is also used as the most important second language in some countries, such as Netherlands. Furthermore, most of references in many disciplines of sciences and technology are available in English. Hence, if we want to learn those disciplines well, we have to master English.

Similar to any other language, English has some aspects to learn. To be precise, they are four: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Reading and writing are parts of written English, whereas listening and speaking are parts of spoken English. Basically, if you want to master the four aspects mentioned, you have to be good in grammar and vocabularies. Perhaps you need much shorter time to master grammar. However, you need much longer time to master vocabularies. You even need to learn vocabularies all time in your life, because vocabularies always expand from time to time.

To improve your reading skill, it’s good for you to begin reading children books and stories. After you are good enough at that level, you can gradually read more difficult materials. You can read newspapers, magazines, books, online articles, stories, academic journals, and so on. Everytime you get a new vocabulary, you can find out its meaning in a dictionary.

You need to read materials from many different topics and disciplines. The reason is so simple: because every topic or discipline has its own terminologies. For instance, terminologies in economics can be much different to terminologies in natural science. By reading in many different topics and disciplines, you expand your vocabularies well.

To improve your writing skill, you need two most important things: grammar and vocabularies. You need to master grammar in order to make good sentences. You also need adequate number of vocabularies in order to easily express whatever you want on your paper.

At least, there are two things you can do to practise your writing skill. First, you can join some chatrooms in which you can write to your chatmates interactively. Secondly, blogging in English has to be one of your hobbies. If you have a blog using English, it will promote you to frequently write articles in English.

To improve your listening proficiency, you can listen to some news, such as BBC News for British English, and Radio America for American English. Now they are also available in radio streaming you can find using your internet connection. It is also good for you to listen to any spoken materials, such as recorded stories, recorded lectures, etc, as well as any live broadcast. In addition, watching some movies which use English is certainly useful. However, you should choose appropriate movies. Action movies are usually less useful because they contain too much gun shots or duels, instead of conversation. Drama movies can be more useful because you can find more conversation there. Movies for kids can even be better to watch by beginners for their using clearer English.

Finally, to improve your speaking proficiency, firstly you need to perfect your pronunciation, including syllable stress and accent. Next, you need to master grammar in order to easily make good sentences. And at last, you need to practise.

You can read some written materials and record it to digital files. And then you can listen to them any other time, in order to evaluate how well you pronounce words. Moreover, you can join any live talk in which you can practise speaking. You can do this using your voice-chat software as well as any live talk service available on the internet.

So now, they key is in your hand. How well you will make progress depends on yourselves. Just keep practise and practise, because practise makes perfect. Good luck!

Talking about youngster’s lifestyle, I’m surprised that these days many of them have a terribly bad, ridiculous lifestyle. I have interviewed many girls from different countries such as united states, canada, european countries, and south america countries. I asked them whether they have sex before marriage, or usually called premarital sex. Oh my god, most of them said yes. They said that having sex before marriage is okay. There is no problem to do that. Furthermore, many of them don’t only have sex with one guy. They even experience sex with more than one guy. What a crazy thing!

I just wonder how the girls don’t realize that they are actually the victims. Eventhough they really enjoy having sex with their boyfriends, they should realize that premarital sex is always not good for them. When a guy asks a girl to go to bed with him before marriage, it means that he doesn’t really love her. In such condition, he actually only wants sex. He only wants to get her sweetness. He only wants to taste her sexy body. He only wants to enjoy her hot body. Not more than that. In fact, most of those guys just leave her after he have had sex with her many times. They just leave her after they feel bored of her. The condition will be worse if the girl gets pregnant and then bears a baby. Those guys just leave her and her baby. They don’t want to be responsible at all.

We find too many stories telling us this fact. First a guy says to her girlfriend that he loves her very much. And of course, every girl will feel happy to hear that. After a while, the guy ask her to have sex, and mostly the girl will be hard to refuse that because she is afraid he will break the relationship if she refuses. For she doesn’t want to lose his love, she agrees to have premarital sex with him. In some cases, the girl gets pregnant. She then asks him to marry her. “Marry me, please,” she asks. Unfortunately, the guy says: “I’m so sorry, I can’t do that. I’m not ready for that now. Actually, I just want to have fun with you.” As a result, the girl now only has two choices: abortion or being a single parent for her baby.

And although the girl uses birth-control pills to avoid pregnancy, she has to realize that having sex with a guy before marriage is not real love. For guy, premarital sex is just likely that he plays and conquers the girl. Every guy always feels that having sex with a girl without marriage is a great luck for him. In such condition,  a guy always feels that he is very lucky that he can play the girl, just like playing a toy. He can play her however he wants, and then he can throw her into rubbish bin after he feels bored of her. He feels satisfied that he can conquer the girl. Moreover, he feels very satisfied if he can exploit her as much as possible. So, the more willing and the wilder the girl is, the more satisfied the guy will be. I am a guy, I can exactly feel this.

Most of girls say that they have premarital sex with their boyfriend because they love them. “But I love him. He is special,” a girl said. I’d like to say that girls use their feelings and heart too much, instead of their common sense and brain. Many people say: “A girl has sex to get love, and a guy seeks love to have sex.” You, girls, can believe it or not, but it’s a fact that a guy will not respect a girl anymore after he has premarital sex with her. After having sex with her, particularly when he has done it many times with her, he feels that she is so easy that he doesnt need to respect her anymore. After conquering her on bed, he feels that he is very superior upon her. And in such way, he loses his respect upon her. Again, I am a guy, I can exactly feel this. So now I ask you, girls: “Do you want guys to look at you this way? Do you want guys to not respect and honor you?” If you answer yes, you can have premarital sex. On the other hand, if you answer no, say no to premarital sex.

Finally, I want to give good news to girls who keep their virginity until her wedding day. If a girl is still a virgin at her first time with her husband, it will be the best, most special gift for him. The husband will feel that she does give him her most valuable asset only for him. As a result, he will love her very very much. He will give his true love to her because he find her so good, nice, and kind. You, girls, have to know that it is quite hard for any husband to find that her wife has had sex with another man. At least, this works for good guys who keep their virginity and haven’t had sex before marriage.

So you, girls, are now to choose: waiting to have sex until you get married, or being an easy girl by having sex before marriage. You are free to choose whatever you want, but you are to take the consequence of your choice.

The first Qur’anic verse revelated onto Muhammad is QS Al-Alaq : 1.
“Read in the name of your Lord who created”.

The verse above states that we must read. What is to be read ? We must read all the signs of Allah, which include the spoken signs (aayaat qauliyah) and the created signs (aayaat kauniyah). The spoken signs are the Qur’anic verses and their explanation : As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyah (the Tradition of the Prophet). The created signs include the signs on the universe (al-aafaaq) and the signs on the human body (al-anfus). [Look at QS Fushshilat : 53]

Our duty relating with the spoken signs is to read and understand them well (al-qira-ah wat tadabbur). Our duty relating with the created signs is to read them (al-qira-ah) and to think about them (at-tafakkur) [Look at QS Ali Imran : 190-191]. The goal of all those activities is to more recognize Allah – through His signs – by which we can be more fearful of Him. [Look at QS Faathir : 28 and QS Ali Imran : 191]

Why did Allah create the skies (heavens) and the earth ?
1. Allah created them for the sake of human because the human is His mandatory (khalifah) on the earth. [Look at QS Al-Jathiyah : 13]
2. They were created as the signs or proofs of the oneness of Allah (tauhidullah). [Look at QS Al-Anbiya : 22, 29-33]. The belief in the oneness of Allah is the guarantee of entering the Paradise, as the Prophet said : “Gabriel said to me, ‘Whoever amongst your followers die without having worshipped others besides Allah, will enter Paradise (or will not enter the (Hell) Fire).” The Prophet asked. “Even if he has committed illegal sexual intercourse or theft?” He replied, “Even then.” [Shahih Bukhari, Book 54 (Beginning of Creation), Number 445, Narrated by Abu Dhar]
3. They were created as the signs or proofs of the almightiness of Allah (qudratullah). [Look at QS Al-Isra’ : 98 – 99]. Allah is almighty to do anything He wants, for instance to make alive the human again after his death.

All of beings which exist in the universe are the created signs of Allah. The Prophet said :
“The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life of someone, but they are two signs amongst the Signs of Allah. So, if you see them, offer the Prayer (of eclipse).” [Shahih Bukhari, Book 54 (Beginning of Creation), Number 426, narrated by Abu Mas'ud]

All of the created signs will be no use if we don’t seriously read and think about them. It is guaranteed that a serious thinking about the universe and all natural phenomena will end in conclusion that Allah is truly The Creator, the Lord, and One The Only. An arabic proverb says : “Kullu syai-in lahu aayah # tadullu ‘alaa annahu waahid”, means “Everything is sign # which shows that He is One The Only”. [Look at QS Fushshilat : 53 and also the story of Abraham finding out the Lord in QS Al-An’am : 75 – 79]

Appendix (Some Verses of Al-Qur’an)

Ali Imran : 190 -191
[3.190] Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand.
[3.191] Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the chastisement of the fire.

Faathir : 28
[35.28] And of men and beasts and cattle are various species of it likewise; those of His servants only who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah; surely Allah is Mighty, Forgiving.

Al-Anbiya :
22. If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!
29. If any of them should say, “I am a god besides Him”, such a one We should reward with Hell: thus do We reward those who do wrong.
30. Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
31. And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them, and We have made therein broad highways (between mountains) for them to pass through: that they may receive Guidance.
32. And We have made the heavens as a canopy well guarded: yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)!
33. It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course.

Al-Isra’ : 98-99
98. That is their recompense, because they rejected Our signs, and said, “When we are reduced to bones and broken dust, should we really be raised up (to be) a new Creation?”
99. See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, has power to create the like of them (anew)? Only He has decreed a term appointed, of which there is no doubt. But the unjust refuse (to receive it) except with ingratitude.

Al-An’am : 75 – 79
75. Thus did we show Ibrâhim (Abraham) the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty.
76. When the night covered him over with darkness he saw a star. He said: “This is my lord.” But when it set, he said: “I like not those that set.”
77. When he saw the moon rising up, he said: “This is my lord.” But when it set, he said: “Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among the erring people.”
78. When he saw the sun rising up, he said: “This is my lord. This is greater.” But when it set, he said: “O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship with Allâh.
79. Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (Islâmic Monotheism, i.e. worshipping none but Allâh Alone) and I am not of Al-Mushrikûn (see V.2:105)”.