Issue 164 (Mar - Apr 2025)

Who enjoys living with pain? If we exclude people with masochistic tendencies, nobody. But there seems to be more to pain than what meets the eye. Brian Turk explains how pain is actually a blessing in disguise. “Pain is the body’s alarm system that we cannot ignore and should be thankful for,” wri…

Patience is a fundamental foundation upon which we rise and attain virtue. It is a victory of the willpower. Without patience, developing the soul and rising to the mysteries of the ego are unimaginable. Through patience, the human will free themselves from the bondage to the flesh and the earth, a…

We are bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of “signals” in our day-to-day lives, such as phone notifications or TV ads. These signals are designed to draw our attention, but we are so used to them that we usually don’t give them a second thought. Now think of a deafening fire alarm or a foul…

Do the following sound familiar? Dad, I can follow the lesson video on my computer while playing on my phone. I am listening to you, honey! I just need to send this email. Yes, I totally agree! But could you repeat what you said one more time, please? Yes, these are common aspects of our da…

Introduction Do you remember when smartphones seemed like the greatest invention of our time and when social media promised to connect us all in ways never before possible? We embraced these technological marvels with open arms, but did we forget to consider the price we might pay and have we ever…

“Home.” It’s a word that is thrown so lightly around in our daily conversations yet always carries weight regardless of the circumstance. It’ll be the end of my text message to my mother letting her know that we have dinner ready. It’ll be at the beginning of my groans on the days when work has kep…

Today is the monthly community market in my little town. Every month, we buy a bag of Granny Smith apples from the nice apple lady. Usually, my wife takes care of it, pulling a heavy bag of apples home in a two-wheeled trolley. Only, she injured herself a few weeks ago, and I’ve been playing mothe…

Literally meaning retreating to a place that is quiet and preferring solitude, halwa(t) is used by the Sufis to mean initiates removing themselves from people to dedicate all of their time to worshipping God, and feeling God's constant company in whatever they experience and in whatever state they…

Witnessing the solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024, at Niagara Falls was an unforgettable experience. Our school’s field trip, a chance for both my students and me to marvel at this extraordinary natural spectacle, was met with palpable excitement. As we arrived, we found Niagara Falls bustling with e…

“Our human compassion binds us, the one to the other—not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learned how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” – Nelson Mandela [1] Scrolling through social media has become part of our daily lives, but lately, it feels less…

We live in a world full of colors. Parrots, for instance, are a delight to watch with their vibrant feathers and charming appearance. each of the hundreds of parrot species is a wonderful work of art. The eye-catching colors of blue-and-yellow macaw are symmetrically distributed on the animal's bod…

The blessings of God sometimes come as a consequence of our deliberate actions, while at other times, they appear beyond our will—as blessings we are compelled to experience (jabr-i lutfi [1]). For example, you may find yourself involuntarily directed down a certain path. This path may be challengi…

Obesity: a disease of the brain? Kullmann et al. A short-term, high-caloric diet has prolonged effects on brain insulin action in men. Nature Metabolism, February 2025. Obesity is a growing disease associated with serious illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The World Health Organi…