3020913    หลักการของคลื่นไฟฟ้าหัวใจ    Principle of Electrocardiography

สรีรวิทยาของระบบการนำคลื่นไฟฟ้าของหัวใจ และการเกิดกราฟของคลื่นไฟฟ้าหัวใจในคนปกติและภาวะเป็นโรค

(Physiology of conducting systems of the heart and electrocardiography formation in normal subject and under pathologic conditions.)

(3020913 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

Bismillah

By: Shaykhu-l-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah
(d. 728 AH / 1328 CE)

Prologue
Shaykh al-Islaam said:

All praise and thanks are due to Allaah, we seek His Help and we seek His Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Him from the evil of our souls and the evil of our actions. Whosoever Allaah guides then none can misguide him, and whosoever Allaah leaves to stray then none can guide him. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship save Allaah, the One Who has no partner and we bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his servant and Messenger.

Chapter One
Concerning the distinction between the worship of the adherents to Islaam and possessors of faith, guidance, tawheed, sincerity, knowledge, divine legislation, those who follow the Prophets and Messengers and between the worship of those possessing shirk, ignorance, misguidance, innovation from amongst the polytheists and those who resemble them from the adherents of the different religions.
The worship of the Muslims is founded upon two principles:

The First: they do not worship anything save Allaah, the One Who has no partner.

The Second: they worship Him in the way He has ordered and legislated and has been conveyed by His Messengers

So they worship Allaah without associating partners with him, they have taqwaa of Him and they obey His Messengers. Allaah said:

“We sent Noah to his people (with the command): ‘warn your people before there comes to them a grievous Punishment.’ He said, ‘O my people! I am to you a warner, clear and open that you should worship Allaah, fear Him and obey me.’” [ Quran Nuh (71): 1-3]

Similarly He mentioned that Hud, Saalih and Shu`ayb said to their respective nations,

“Worship Allaah! You have no other god save Him.” [ Quraan Hud (11): 50]

He said concerning the Messiah,

“The Messiah said, ‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.’ Indeed whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah then Allaah has forbidden Paradise for him and the Fire shall be his abode. And for the wrong-doers there are no helpers.” [ QuranMaa`idah (5): 72]
“And indeed Allaah is my Lord and your Lord so worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path.” [ Quraan Maryam (19): 36]

Indeed every Messenger said,

“So fear Allaah, keep your duty to Him and obey me.” [ Quraan ash-Shu`araa (26): 108]

He said concerning the nation of Muhammad (peace be upon him),

“They say: ‘we have believed in Allaah and His Messenger and we obey’ then a party of they turn away thereafter, such are not the believers.” [ Quraan an-Nur (24): 47]
“The only saying of the faithful believers when they are called to Allaah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say: ‘We hear and obey,’ such are the successful. And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger, fears Him and keeps his duty to Him such are the successful.” [ Quraan an-Nur (24): 51-52]

Hence appointing obedience to Allaah and the Messenger and appointing fear and taqwaa for Allaah Alone. Allaah said,

“Would that they were contented with what Allaah and His Messenger gave them and had said, ‘Allaah is sufficient for us. Allaah will give us of His Bounty and His Messenger. To Allaah do we trurn our hopes.” [ Quran at-Tawbah (9): 59]

Appointing the giving to Allaah and the Messenger. Similarly, the Exalted said,

“Whatsoever the Messenger gives then take it and whatsoever he forbids from then abstain from it.” [ Quran al-Hashr (59): 7]

Therefore the lawful is what Allaah and His Messenger made lawful and the unlawful is what Allaah and His Messenger made unlawful and the religion is that which Allaah and His Messenger legislated.

Allaah appointed sufficiency and hope for Himself Alone in His sayings,

“Say: Allaah is sufficient for me, in Him let those who trust, put their trust.” [ Quran az-Zumar (39): 38]
“But if they turn away, say: ‘Allaah is sufficient for me. There is none worthy of worship but Him, in Him have I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.’” [ Quraan at-Tawbah (9): 129]

“And if they intend to deceive you, then indeed Allaah is All-Sufficient for you.” [ Quraan al-Anfaal (8): 62]

“They unto whom the (hypocrites) said: ‘Verily the people have gathered against you (a great army) therefore fear them.’ But it only increased them in faith and they said: ‘Allaah (Alone) is sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs.” [ Quraan Aali `Imraan (3): 173]

Hence Allaah Alone is the recourse of the Messengers and the Believers in their entirety as Allaah says,

“O Prophet! Allaah is sufficient for you and for the believers who follow you.” [ Quranal-Anfaal (8): 64]

Meaning that He Alone Suffices you and all those who follow you. This is the understanding of this verse according to the majority of the Salaf and later scholars.

So this is the religion of Islaam, a religion any other than this is not accepted by Allaah – not from the first peoples or the later peoples. Islaam is to worship Allaah at all times in the way that He has commanded – He is the sole object of worship. Allaah said,

“Allaah said: Take not two gods in worship. Indeed He is One God then fear Me (and Me Alone). To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth and to Him belongs perpetual sincere obedience. Will you then fear any other than Allaah? Whatsoever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allaah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help. Then, when He has removed the harm from you, behold! Some of you associate others in worship with their Lord. So (as a result of this) they deny the favours We have bestowed on them! Then enjoy yourselves but you will soon come to know!” [ Quran an-Nahl (16): 51-55]

However the legislated laws have differed for example the case when the Prophet (peace be upon him) first prayed towards Bait al-Maqdis before the Hijrah and after the Hijrah for ten odd months and then Allaah had him change direction to face the Ka`ba. {1}Hence the legislated law changed but in both cases, before and after, the religion was one and the same. The religion of Islaam – to worship Allaah Alone without any partners.

In Saheeh Bukhaaree and Muslim that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “indeed we, the gathering of Prophets – our religion is one and the Prophets are paternal brothers.” [2] Meaning that their religion is one and the same even if the laws differ. Allaah said,

“Allaah has ordained for you the same religion which he ordained for Noah, and that which We have inspired in you and that which We ordained for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus saying: you should establish the religion and not make any divisions in it. Intolerable upon the polytheists is that which you call them to.” [ Quran ash-Shura (42): 13]
“So set your face towards the religion of pure monotheism – the nature in which Allaah has created mankind. No change is there in the creation of Allaah. This is the straight religion but most men are unaware. (Always) turning in repentance to Him, and be afraid and dutiful to Him, establish the prayers perfectly and do not be of the polytheists. From those who split up their religion and became sects, each party rejoicing in what was with it.” [ Quran ar-Rum (30) 30-32]

“O Messengers! Eat of the lawful and good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed I am well Acquainted with what you do. Indeed your religion is one religion and I am your Lord so keep your duty to Me.” [ Quran al-Mu`minoon (23): 51-53]

Similarly He said with regards to the Prophets,

“Truly! This is religion is one religion and I am your Lord so worship Me.” [ Quran al-Anbiyaa (21): 92]

The word ‘ummah’ has been explained to mean religion, i.e. ‘your religion is one and the same’, this is as Allaah says,

“Nay! They say: ‘We found our fathers upon a religion (ummah) and we guide ourselves by following their footsteps. Similarly, We sent not a warner before you to any town but the affluent ones among them said: ‘We found our fathers upon a religion (ummah) and we will guide ourselves by following their footsteps.” [ Quran az-Zukhruf (43): 22-23]

If it said that the meaning of ‘ummah’ is people then the meaning still remains the same i.e. call all of mankind to worship Allaah Alone as Allaah says,

“Establish the religion and make no divisions.” [ Quran ash-Shuraa (42): 13]
“And We did not send any Messenger before you but We inspired him (saying): There is none worthy of worship save Me, so worship Me (Alone)” [ Quran al-Anbiyaa (21): 25]

“And ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: ‘Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Merciful?’” [ Quran az-Zukhruf (43): 45]

“And indeed We sent among every community (ummah) a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allaah (Alone) and avoid all that is worshipped besides Allaah.” [ Quran an-Nahl (16): 36]

“He sends down angels with inspiration of His Command to whom of His slaves He pleases (saying): ‘Warn mankind that none has the right to be worshipped but Me, so fear Me.” [ Quranan-Nahl (16): 2]

Every Prophet was upon the religion of Islaam as Allaah mentions about Noah that he said,

“But if you turn away, then no reward have I asked of you, my reward is only from Allaah and I have been commanded to be one of the Muslims.” [ QuranYunus (10): 72]

He mentioned concerning Ibraaheem al-Khaleel,

“And who turns away from the religion of Ibraaheem except he who fools himself? Truly We chose him in this world and indeed in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him, ’submit,’ he said, ‘I have submitted (become a Muslim) to the Lord of the Universe.’” [ Quranal-Baqarah (2): 130-132]

Ibraaheem and Ismaa`eel said,

“Our Lord! Make us Muslims and make of our offspring those who are Muslims” [ Quranal-Baqarah (2): 128]

He said concerning Musaa that he said,

“O my people! If you have believed in Allaah, then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims.” [ QuranYunus (10): 84]

He said concerning the magicians who believed in Musaa,

“And you take vengeance on us only because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they reached us! Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and cause us to die as Muslims.” [ Quranal-A`raaf (7): 126]
“Indeed We sent down the Torah wherein was guidance and light by which the Prophet who submitted themselves to the Will of Allaah (became Muslims) judged the Jews.” [ Quranal-Maa`idah (5): 44]

He said concerning Yusuf as-Siddeeq that he said,

“… and cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous” [ QuranYusuf (12): 101]

Bilqees said,

“My Lord! Verily I have wronged myself and I submit (in Islaam) together with Solomon to Allaah the Lord of the Universe.” [ Quranan-Naml (27): 44]

He said concerning the followers of the Messiah,

“And when I put into the hearts of the disciples (of Jesus) to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: We believe and bear witness that we are Muslims.” [ Quran al-Maa`idah (5): 111]

Allaah said,

“Allaah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He, and the Angels and those having knowledge (also give this witness). (He is always) maintaining His creation with justice. None has the right to be worshipped save Him. Truly the religion in the Sight of Allaah is Islaam.” [ Quran Aali `Imraan (3): 18-19]

Qataadah said concerning His saying, “the only religion acceptable to Allaah is Islaam” – “the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped save Allaah and to accept all that has come from Allaah. This is the the religion that He legislated for Himself and sent His Messengers with and guided His friends to. He does not accept any other religion and does not reward except one who follows it.”

Allaah has censured the one who legislates a religion that He did not reveal, or declares something to be lawful or prohibited without any proof from the revelation saying,

“Or do they have partners with Allaah who have instituted a religion for them which Allaah has not allowed.” [ Quran ash-Shuraa (42): 21]

He censured the polytheists for making unlawful what He had not declared to be unlawful and for making lawful what He had made unlawful thereby legislating a religion that He had not revealed saying,

“And when they commit an indecent action they say: ‘We found our fathers doing it and Allaah has commanded us to it.’ Say: ‘Nay, Allaah never commands indecent actions. Do you say of Allaah that which you know not?’ Say: ‘My Lord has commanded justice and (said) that you should face the Qiblah in each and every place of worship during prayers. Supplicate to Him only making your religion sincerely for Him.” [ Quran al-A`raaf (7): 28-29]

“Say: ‘Who has forbidden the adornment with clothes given by Allaah which He has produced for His slaves and all good things?’ Say: ‘They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe and exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.’ Thus We explain the signs in detail for the people who have knowledge. Say: ‘The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are all indecent actions, whether committed openly or secretly, sins of all kinds, oppression, joining partners with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge.” [ Quraan al-A`raaf (7): 32-33]

“Alif Laam Meem Saad. A Book sent down to you so let not your breast be constricted therefrom, that you may warn thereby, and a reminder unto the believers. (Say): ‘Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord and do not follow any friends or protectors who besides Him. Little do you take heed!” [ Quraan al-A`raaf (7): 1-3]

Chapter Two
As for the religion of the Polytheists and the innovating People of the Book then this is a religion for which Allaah has sent down no authority. They either supplicate to others alongside Allaah or they say: ‘we worship them only that they may make us draw closer to Allaah,’ and they say: ‘these are our intercessors with Allaah.’ Or they worship Him in a way that He has not commanded or legislated – worshipping Him with what those whom they have set up as partners to Allaah command. Allaah said,

“They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and monks to be their lords besides Allaah, and they also took the Messiah son of Mary (to be their Lord) while they were commanded to worship none save One God. Glory be to Him (far above is He) from having the partners they associate.” [ Quranat-Tawbah (9): 31]
“It is not for any human being to whom Allaah has given the Book and wisdom and Prophethood to say to the people: ‘Be worshippers of me rather than Allaah.’ On contrary (he would say): ‘Be you learned men of the religion because you are teaching the book and studying it.’ Neither would he order you to take Angels and Prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to the Will of Allaah?” [ QuranAali `Imraan (3): 79-80]

“Say: ‘Call unto those besides Him whom you pretend (to be gods). They have neither the power to remove the adversity from you nor even to shift it from you to another place. Those whom they call upon themselves seek and desire the means of approach to their Lord, as to which of them should be nearest and they hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily the Torment of your Lord is to be feared!” [ Quran al-Israa (17): 56-57]

Meaning that those people to whom the polytheists supplicate themselves are desiring and seeking a means of approach to draw close to their Lord. Ibn Abbaas and Mujaahid said, “they are `Eesaa and his mother, `Uzayr, the Angels, the sun, the moon and the stars.” [3]

Ibn Mas`ud said, “a group of people used to worship a party of the Jinn. The Jinn then accepted Islaam and the people who used to worship them were unaware of this and stuck to their worshipping them and Allaah condemned them.” [4]

Therefore according to all the opinions concerning the meaning of this verse, Allaah censured whosoever supplicated to a created being when in fact that created being itself worships Allaah and seeks to draw close to Him – hoping and fearing Him. Included in this are all of the Angels, the Prophets and the righteous from amongst mankind and Jinns.

So if it is not permissible to supplicate to these creatures that have been exalted and are close to Allaah then it is even more the case that those disobedient to Allaah, such as the satans and jinns, cannot be supplicated to. The verse refers unrestrictedly to all who supplicate to other than Allaah.

He made clear that the person who is supplicated to is not able to remove any harm from the supplicator or even shift the harm to another place saying,

“Say: ‘Call upon those whom you assert (to be gods) besides Allaah, they possess not even an atoms weight – either in the heavens of the earth, nor have they any share in either, nor is there for Him any supporter from among them. Intercession with Him is of no avail except for him who He permits.” [ Quran as-Saba (34): 22-23]

Therefore Allaah explained that the created being does not have the sovereignty just as he does not have any share in it and just as he does not help Allaah in any form of fashion. All he can have is the ability to intercede but this intercession is of no avail unless Allaah grant him permission to intercede. Allaah said,

“And they worship besides Allaah things that hurt them not nor profit them and they say: ‘these are our intercessors with Allaah.’ Say: ‘Do you inform Allaah of that which He knows not in the heavens and the earth?’ Glorified be Allaah, Exalted is He above all that they associate with Him.” [ QuranYunus (10): 18]
“And warn therewith those who fear that they will be gathered before their Lord, when their will be neither a protector nor an intercessor for them besides Him.” [ Quran al-An`aam (6): 51]

“But remind them with (the Qur`aan) lest a person be given up to destruction for that which he has earned, when he will find for himself no protector or intercessor besides Allaah.” [ Quran al-An`aam (6): 70]

“Allaah, it is He Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in Six Days, then He Rose over the Throne. You have none besides Him as a protector or an intercessor, will you then no take heed?” [ Quran as-Sajdah (32): 4]

“Surely, your Lord is Allaah Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days and then Rose Over the Throne, disposing the affair of all things. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His leave. That is Allaah, your Lord; so worship Him (Alone) so will you not take heed?” [ QuranYunus (10 ): 3]

“Who is there that can intercede with Him except after His permission?” [ Quran al-Baqarah (2): 255]

“And how many are the Angels in the heavens whose intercession will be of no avail except after Allaah has given leave for whomsoever He Wills and Pleases.” [ Quran an-Najm (53): 26]

Chapter Three
The misguided people call to the religion of some unknown entity not possessing any authority sent down from Allaah for what they call to. Allaah, the Exalted says,

Say: ‘The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are all indecent actions, whether committed openly or secretly, sins of all kinds, oppression, joining partners with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge.” [ Quran al-A`raaf (7): 33]
“And they have assign a portion of that which We have provided them unto what they know not (false deities). By Allaah, you shall certainly be questioned about all that you used to fabricate.” [ Quran an-Nahl (16): 56]

Allaah said concerning the believers from amongst the people of Pharaoh that they said,

“And O my people! How is it that I call you to salvation while you call me to the Fire! You invite me to disbelieve in Allaah and to join partners with Him; that of which I have no knowledge, and I invite you to the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving. No doubt you call me to one who cannot grant me me request (or respond to me invocation) in this world or the Hereafter.” [ Quran Ghaafir (40): 41-42]

Allaah said,

“And they worship besides Allaah others for which He has sent down no authority, and of that which they have no knowledge and the wrong-doers shall have no helpers.” [ Quran al-Hajj (22): 71]

Authority means: the revelation that is sent down from Allaah. Allaah said,

“Or have We revealed to them a Scripture which speaks of that which they have been associating with Him?” [ Quran ar-Rum (30): 35]
“They are but names which you have names – you and your fathers – for which Allaah has sent down no authority.” [ Quran an-Najm (53):23]

The religion that has been revealed is none other than the religion that Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, has legislated whereas the people of misguidance follow a religion that does not concord to the legislation that has been revealed and neither do they have knowledge of it. Indeed all they do is follow their vain desires and all they find that would satisfy their base desires.

This is why the true scholars enjoin one to follow the Legislation and knowledge and they censure the worshipers who do not follow these two things just as Allaah said,

“And they worship besides Allaah other for which He has sent down no authority and of that which they have no knowledge and the wrong-doers shall have no helpers.” [ Quran al-Hajj (22): 71]

This is why Allaah demanded knowledge and authority from the misguided in His words,

“Say: ‘Has he forbidden the two males or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful.” [ Quran al-An`aam (6): 143]

Hence explaining that the truthful one is the one who is upon certain knowledge of what he says and believes, whereas the one who has no knowledge to back what he says and believes is spreading lies against Allaah. Allaah says,

“Say: ‘Tell me what provision Allaah has sent down to you! And you have made of it lawful and unlawful.’ Say: ‘Has Allaah permitted you, or do you invent a lie against Allaah?” [ QuranYunus (10): 59]
“And say not concerning that which you tongues put forth falsely: ‘this is lawful and this is unlawful’ so as to invent lies against Allaah. Indeed those invent lies against Allaah will never prosper.” [ Quran an-Nahl (16): 116]

“O Mankind! Eat of that which is good and lawful on the earth and follow not the footsteps of Satan. Indeed he is to you and open enemy. He commands you only to what is evil and indecent and that you should say against Allaah what you know not.” [ Quran al-Baqarah (2): 168-169]

“O People of the Scripture! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allaah aught but the truth.” [ Quran an-Nisaa (4): 171]

“Then after them succeeded an evil generation who inherited the Book but they chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life saying: ‘everything will be forgiven us.’ And if again the offer of the similar goods came their way they would again seize them. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not say about Allaah anything but the truth? And they have studied what is in the Book and the Home of the Hereafter is better for those who are God-fearing. Do you not then understand? And as to those who hold fast to the Book and establish the prayers, certainly, We shall never waste the reward of those who do righteous deeds.” [ Quraan al-A`raaf (7): 169-170]

Chapter Four
There are two types of people who report hadeeth from the Prophet (peace be upon him): the trustworthy and precise; and those who are not trustworthy and precise.

From amongst this second category are those who deliberate lies while most of them do not do this but it is possible that one of them narrate a lie due to having weak memory. The scholars have criticised both these types of people [in this second category] in order to preserve the religion from addition and subtraction.

As for those who speak based upon their opinions, research, understanding, and what their hearts find contentment with then their words are of two types: whatsoever agrees with the Messenger (peace be upon him) then it is the truth and whatsoever opposes him is in error. Most of these people do not deliberately err but do so unintentionally but there are some who deliberately say something that is not true knowing that the truth lies elsewhere.

Chapter Five
The best of creation after the Prophets, those with the most complete knowledge and religion, those who clung firmest to the rope of Allaah and who followed the religion of Islaam most closely were the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him).

Indeed the nation of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the best of nations, and the Companions are the best of the nation of Muhammad (peace be upon him) as is established in the Saheeh with a number of different wordings that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “the best of generations is the generation in which I have been sent, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.” [5] Allaah, the Glorious, has informed us that He is Pleased with the fore-runners and is Pleased with those who follow them in good saying,

“The fore-runners, the first to embrace Islaam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar, and those who followed them in good. Allaah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.” [ Quran at-Tawbah (9): 100]

These fore-runners are those who gave the pledge of allegiance under the tree and they were the one who gave in charity from the beginning and they were the ones who fought (alongside the Messenger) in all the battles before the conquest of Hudaybiyyah. Allaah said,

“Not equal among you are those who spent and fought before the conquest (with those among you who did so after). Such are higher in degree than those who spent and fought afterwards. But to all Allaah has promised the best reward and Allaah is All-Aware of what you do.” [ Quran al-Hadeed (57): 10]

It is established in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “whosoever gave the pledge of allegiance under the tree shall not enter the Fire.” [6] In Saheeh Bukhaaree and Muslim from Jaabir that “the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said to us on the Day of Hudaybiyyah, ‘you are the best people on the face of the earth,’ and we numbered fourteen hundred and if I could see now I would show you the place under the Tree (where we gave our pledge of allegiance).” [7] It was these people and those who followed them that Allaah promised the best reward.

The way of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was that they would worship Allaah Alone in the way they were commanded by their Prophet. Therefore the lawful was what he made to be lawful, the unlawful was what he prohibited and the religion comprised of only what he legislated. They prayed the five daily prayers at their correct times in congregation in the Mosques as they had been ordered to do so by Allaah. They fasted the month of Ramadaan, they performed the Hajj to the Ancient House, they gave in zakaah, they enjoined the good and forbade the evil and they performed Jihaad in the Way of Allaah. They worshipped Allaah through doing everything that their Prophet ordered them to do, they did not worship any save Allaah and they did not supplicate to anything else alongside Allaah – not anything in the heavens or the earth, not the Angels, the stars, the Prophets and those who resembled them most after them. Rather they knew that doing any of this was from associating partners with Allaah which Allaah and His Messenger had explicitly forbidden.

They did not supplicate to a created object, nor an Angel, or a Jinn, or a man be he a Prophet or other than a Prophet – neither at his grave nor in his absence. They did not seek help except with Allaah and they did not seek victory except with Allaah. They did not put their trust in anything other than Allaah and they did not supplicate to any created being be he absent or dead, neither did they seek succour and relief with him, they did not complain to him and they did not seek forgiveness, guidance or victory from him. Rather they sought all of this from Allaah Alone.

They did not do what the Christians used to do and seek intercession with the Angels or the Prophets and the righteous who have passed away at their graves or away from their graves. Not one of them called out saying, “O Jibreel, O Meekaa`eel intercede for me with Allaah,” just as they did not say, “O Ibraaheem, O Musaa, O `Eesaa, intercede for me with Allaah,” as was done by the Christians. Instead they knew that nothing is to be sought from the absent and the one who has died. They knew that the Angels do nothing except that which Allaah commanded them to do and they do not intercede except for the one with whom the Lord is Pleased. The same being true for the Prophets and the righteous. However it is possible to seek supplication or intercession from them during their lifetimes as the Companions used to so with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and as the creation will seek intercession from him on the Day of Judgement. Abundant peace and blessings be upon him.

Chapter Six
They used to pray the five daily prayers behind the Prophet (peace be upon him) and behind others from the Imaams. There used to be a mosque for every inhabitation of the Ansaar and they used to have an Imaam behind whom they prayed the prayers with the exception of Jumu`ah and `Eid which they prayed behind the Prophet (peace be upon him). These were the inhabitants of Madeenah. Madeenah was a large area having no defined boundary, rather it consisted of places dispersed over an area, each tribe had their own area with a Mosque, graveyard and homes that were used to differentiate between the area of another tribe. The title ‘Madeenah’ included all of this and the only people that were not included under this name were the Bedouin Arabs. Allaah said,

“Certain of the desert Arabs round about you are hypocrites as well as among the inhabitants of Madeenah.” [ Quran at-Tawbah (9): 101]

Those who tilled the land were from amongst the inhabitants of Madeenah and they were none other than the Ansaar. The living area of each tribe was called ‘home’ (daar) and the meaning of ‘home’ here referred to the tribe itself. The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered that Mosques be built in each of these ‘homes’ and that they should be cleaned and scented.

In the authentic hadeeth there occurs, “Madeenah is sanctified between `Ayr and Thawr.” [ Quran8] Ayr is a mountain near Dhul Haleefah and its rear side resembles the back of an `ayr which is a donkey. Thawr is a small mountain near Uhud and it does not refer to Mount Thawr that is in Mecca. This hadeeth fooled some scholars into thinking that Madeenah constituted everything from `Ayr to Mount Thawr in Mecca. He (peace be upon him) said, “I sanctify whatsoever lies between its two mountains” [ Quran9] And the Arab said to him, “there is no family between the two mountains of Madeenah who is poorer than us.” [ Quran10]

Hence everything between its two mountains constitutes Madeenah and that is what lies between `Ayr and Thawr.

The Companions used to invoke prayers (salaah) and peace (salaam) upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) in their daily prayers as ordered by Allaah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) saying in their tashahhud, “peace be upon you O Prophet, and the Mercy of Allaah and His Blessings.” [11]

They used to invoke blessings upon him in the way that he (peace be upon him) taught them, for example their saying, “O Allaah send Your prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad just as You sent your prayers upon the family of Abraham, indeed you are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious. And send Your blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as you sent Your blessings upon the family of Abraham, indeed you are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.” [12]

This hadeeth as also been reported with the wording, “just as You sent Your prayers upon Abraham” [13]

It has also been reported with the wording, “just as You sent Your prayers upon Abraham and the family of Abraham.” [14]

It is established from him (peace be upon him) in the Saheeh that he said, “whosoever invokes prayers upon me once, Allaah sends prayers upon him ten times.” [15]

A similar hadeeth is reported with regards to sending peace upon him that whosoever sends peace upon him once, Allaah sends peace upon him ten times. [16]

Therefore when they invoked prayers and peace upon him (peace be upon him), Allaah sent prayers and peace upon them (ten times).

This invocation of peace (salaam) [ Quransaid in the prayer and in the absence of the Prophet] was not of the type that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would reply to, rather the type of salaam that he replied to was when they met him and greeted him. As for the salaam said in the prayer then this was like the invocation of prayers (salaah) upon him in the prayer – it was Allaah who replied to them tenfold.

When the Allaah caused His Prophet (peace be upon him) to pass away the Companions continued upon what they were upon during his lifetime. They and the Taabi`een used to pray behind Abu Bakr, `Umar, `Uthmaan and `Alee in his (peace be upon him) Mosque just as they used to pray behind others. However these four led the prayers in his Mosque – Abu Bakr and `Umar until they died, `Uthmaan until he was besieged and `Alee before he moved to Iraq. The pledge of allegiance was given to these four in his Mosque and this is why Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal said, “every pledge of allegiance that was given in Madeenah was for the Khilaafah upon the Prophetic way.”

They continued praying the five daily prayers and invoking salaah and salaam upon him in them. They used to supplicate to Allaah during the prayers and outside of the prayers knowing that this was sufficient for them and in fact sufficed them from anything else from those matters that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had not commanded or legislated.

When he (peace be upon him) died, he was buried in the room of Aa`ishah, in the same room in which he became ill. The rooms of his wives were to the east and to the rear of his Mosque, joining on to the Mosque. Allaah mentioned them in His saying,

“Those who call out to you from without the Inner Apartments, most of them lack understanding.” [ Quraan al-Hujuraat (49): 4]

These houses belonged to him and his wives. Allaah mentioned this in His sayings,

“O you who believe! Do not enter the houses of the Prophet until leave is given you.” [ Quran al-Ahzaab (33): 53]
“And stay quietly in your houses…” [ Quraan al-Ahzaab (33): 33]

In Two Saheehs from Aa`ishah (RA) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said during the illness from which he died, “Allaah cursed the Jews and the Christians, they took the graves of their Prophets as Mosques.” [17] And via another route, “except that he feared that it would be taken as a Mosque.” [18]

Aa`ishah said, “had it not been for this his grave would have been raised but it was feared that it would be taken as a Mosque,” [19] the wording of Bukhaaree has, “except that I feared it would be taken as a Mosque.” [20]

In Saheeh Muslim from the hadeeth of Jundub bin Abdullaah that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying five days before he died, “I stand acquitted before Allaah that I should take a beloved friend (khaleel) from amongst you for indeed Allaah has taken me as His beloved friend just as He took Abraham as a beloved friend. If I had taken a beloved friend from my nation then I would have taken Abu Bakr. Indeed those who came before you took the graves of their Prophets and Righteous as Mosques, do not take graves as Mosques for indeed I forbid you from this.” [21]

In the Two Saheehs from Aa`ishah and ibn Abbaas that they said, “when the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) was about to breathe his last he drew his sheet upon his face. When he felt uneasy he uncovered his face and said, ‘the curse of Allaah be upon the Jews and Christians, they took the graves of their Prophets as Mosques,’ warning from their practice.” [22]

In the Two Saheehs from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said, “may Allaah destroy the Jews and Christians, they took the graves of their Prophets as Mosques.” [ Quran23]The wording of Muslim has, “Allaah cursed the Jews and Christians, they took the graves of their Prophets as Mosques.” [ Quran24]

In the Musnad and Saheeh Abee Haatim that he said, “from the worst of people are those upon whom the Hour will be established and those who took graves as Mosques.” [25]

In the Muwatta of Maalik that he (peace be upon him) said, “O Allaah do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped. The Anger of Allaah was severe upon a people who took the graves of their Prophets as Mosques.” [26]

In the Sunan of Abu Daawood and other from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said, “do not take my grave as a place of festivity and invoke prayers upon me wheresoever you may be for indeed they are conveyed to me.” [27]

In the Sunan of Sa`eed bin Mansoor that Abdullaah bin Hasan bin Hasan bin [ QuranAlee bin] Abee Taalib[28] – and he is from the most noble Hasans during the period of the tab`a taabi`een – that he peace be upon him a person frequenting the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O person indeed the Messenger of Allaah said, “do not take my grave as a place of festivity and invoke prayers upon me wheresoever you may be for indeed they are conveyed to me.” You and a person in Andulus are equivalent with regards to this.” [29]

In the Sunan of Abu Daawood and others from Aws bin Aws ath-Thaqafee that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “frequent the salaah upon me on the day and night of Jumu`ah for indeed your salaah is presented to me.” They said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah how can our salaah be presented to you after you have passed away?’ He replied, “indeed Allaah has forbidden the earth from eating the flesh of the Prophets.” [30]

In an-Nasaa`ee and ibn Hibbaan and others from ibn Mas`ud from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said, “indeed Allaah has Angels roaming the earth who convey to me the salaam of my nation.” [31]

We have been informed that the salaah and salaam reaches him from near and far through his saying, “send salaah upon me from wheresoever you may be for indeed your salaah is conveyed to me,” and his saying, “do not take my grave as a place of festivity.” Similarly the salaam reaches him from near and far as in his saying, “indeed Allaah has Angels roaming the earth who convey to me the salaam of my nation.”

So when every Muslim says in his prayer, “peace be upon you O Prophet, and the blessings and mercy of Allaah” then this reaches him (peace be upon him).

The Companions and the Taabi`een knew that this salaam was better and more virtuous then the salaam said to him (peace be upon him) at his grave to which he replied because the salaam said upon greeting is shared by the Muslims as occurs in the hadeeth, “there is not a person who passes by the grave of someone who he knew while alive except that Allaah returns his soul to him so that he may reply to the salaam.” [32]

However the salaam through which one worships in the prayer, which in fact one has been commanded to say in prayer, is answered by Allaah tenfold whereas this other type of salaam that is said is answered by him (peace be upon him) just as he would have answered during his lifetime.

All of the Companions used to send salaam upon him in every prayer and on some occasions used to go to him and extend the salaam to him. So the first salaam has been ordered by Allaah to be said in every prayer whereas the second type of salaam has only been legislated upon meeting him. The reward of the first type of salaam is greater because Allaah returns the salaam tenfold whereas only the Messenger answers the second type.

He also taught them to say upon entering the Mosque, “with the Name of Allaah, peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah, O Allaah forgive me my sins and open for me the gates of Your Mercy,” and upon leaving the Mosque to say, “with the Name of Allaah, peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah, and open for me the gates of Your Bounty.” [ 33]

Many people took the graves of their Prophets as places of festivities and as objects of worship and through them committed shirk with Allaah after their death whereas during their lifetimes it was impossible for any of them to commit shirk through them or to take them as lords (besides Allaah). This is why the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) and those who followed them strictly adhered to the tawheed with which Allaah sent His Messenger, they avoided all that he forbade them from such as shirk and the means of falling into it. They followed his command to prohibit people (from doing this) by his grave so that shirk would not occur through him. Therefore the performance of evil near him was prevented after his death just as it was prevented during his (peace be upon him) lifetime.

This is one of his excellent qualities and one of the excellent qualities of his nation for there is no Prophet after him and his nation cannot gather and unite upon misguidance. If his grave were to be raised then many ignorant people would desire to take it as a Mosque, an idol and a place of festivity. Instead he was buried in the room, hidden away from the people and therefore no one was able to commit shirk through him and neither to take him as an idol or perform any evil near his grave. Hence this situation became specific to him – not shared by anyone else (who was righteous for shirk was committed through them). This is because his Mosque was built upon taqwaa, and it is legislated to make a journey to it, and performing worship in it is of extra merit and there is no Mosque near the grave of any other to which it is legislated journey to, indeed many of those other Mosques have been built as a result of graves and this is prohibited, the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned his nation from this, cursing those who did it.

The Mosque of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was built upon taqwaa, and it is the best of Mosques after the Holy Mosque and it is said: rather it is the best of all Mosques. To perform prayer in it is better than a thousand prayers in any other Mosque (except the Holy Mosque) and journeying to it is legislated and recommended.

As for enacting the prohibited matters then this is not possible to be done by his grave. It is not possible for anyone to visit his grave and travel to it as it is possible for them to visit any other grave such that they can do whatever (prohibited matter) they desire. It is established in the Saheeh that he (peace be upon him) said, “do not sit on the graves and do not pray towards them.” [34] Also he forbade people from taking the graves as Mosques as has just preceded. The reason for all of this is because the basis for the shirk that occurred amongst the children of Aadam was by their committing shirk through the graves of their righteous. The first shirk that appeared was amongst the people of Nuh. Abdullaah bin Abbaas (RA) said, “between Aadam and Nuh were ten generations all of them upon Islaam.” [35]It is also established in the Saheeh that the people will say on the Day of Judgement (while asking for intercession), “O Nuh you are the first Messenger that Allaah sent to the inhabitants of the earth.” [36]

This is why Allaah did not mention a Messenger who came before Nuh and neither did He mention a nation that was destroyed before the nation of Nuh. Allaah said, while narrating his story,

“They said: ‘do not abandon your gods, abandon not Wadd, Suwa, Yaguth, Ya`uq and Nasr.’ They have already misled many; and do not increase the wrong-doers in anything save misguidance.” [ Quran Nuh (71): 23-24]

A group of the Salaf said, from amongst them Muhammad bin Ka`b al-Qardhee, “these were the names of a righteous people who lived some time between Aadam and Nuh. When they died they had a following who followed them and took to their way of worship. Then Iblees came to them and said, ‘if only you depicted forms for them then this would increase your eagerness to worship.’ They did this, then a people arose after them and Satan came to them and said, ‘indeed those who came before you used to worship them’ and so they worshipped them.” Reported by Abd bin Humaid in his tafseer from Muhammad bin Ka`b. [37]

This then was the beginning of the worship of statues and these statues were called by these names (mentioned in the verse) because these statues were made in the forms of those Muslims.

Bukhaaree mentions in his Saheeh from `Ataa from ibn Abbaas who said, “the idols that were worshipped by the People of Nuh also came to be worshipped by the Arab who came after. As for the idol Wadd, it was worshipped by the tribe of Kalb at Dawmatul Jandal. Suwa was the idol of Bani Hudhayl and Yaguth was the idol of the tribe of Muraad and then by Bani Ghutaif at al-Jurf near Saba. Ya`uq was the idol of Himyr.” [38]

…To Be Continued Insha’Allah

Footnotes
{1} Saheeh Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/267 no.'s 1071-1075 ]
{2} Saheeh Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 4/434 no.'s 651,652], Saheeh Muslim [Eng. Trans. 4/1260 no.'s 5834-5836]

{3} Refer to ‘ad-Durr al-Manthoor’ [ 4/189-190]

{4}ibid.

{5} A similar wording has been reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 5/2 no. 3] and Muslim [Eng. Trans. 4/1345 no.'s 6150-6159]

{6} A similar wording has been reported by Muslim [Eng. Trans. 4/1332 no. 6090] and at-Tirmidhee [ 5/357]

{7} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 5/337 no. 475] and a similar wording has been reported by Muslim [Eng. Trans. 3/1035 no. 4580]

{8} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 3/56 no. 97] with similar wording and Muslim [Eng. Trans. 2/688 no. 3163]

{9} A similar wording is reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 3/54 no. 93] and the wording given is that of Muslim [Eng. Trans. 2/686 no. 3153]

{10} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 3/89 no.157] with the words ‘Ahwaj’ instead of ‘Afqar’ and Muslim [Eng. Trans. 2/540 no. 2457]

{11} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 1/441 no. 794] and Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/221 no. 793]

{12} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 6/302 no. 320] and Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/223 no.'s 803-808]

{13} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 6/303 no. 321] and Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/223 no. 807]

{14} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 6/303 no. 322]

{15} Reported by Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/224 no. 808]

{16} Reported by an-Nasaa`ee [ Quran3/44] with the wording, “no one sends peace upon you except that I send peace upon him ten times,” and it was declared hasan by al-Albaanee in ‘Saheeh an-Nasaa`ee’ [ Quran1/274]

{17} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 2/267 no. 472] and Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/268 no. 1079]

{18} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 2/267 no. 472]

{19} A similar wording is reported by Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/268 no. 1079]

{20} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 2/232 no. 414]

{21} Reported by Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/269 no. 1083]

{22} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 1/255 no. 427] and Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/269 no. 1082]

{23} Reported by Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 1/255 no. 428] and Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/269 no. 1080]

{24} Reported by Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/269 no. 1081]

{25} Ahmad [1/435] and Ahmad Shaakir said in his notes to the Musnad, “its isnaad is saheeh.”[Hadith 5/324]

{26} al-Muwatta [ 1/244]. Ahmad [f2/246] also reports the hadeeth from Abu Hurayrah with the words, “O Allaah do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped. Allaah cursed a people who took the graves of their Prophets as Mosques.” Ahmad Shaakir said in his notes upon the Musnad, “its isnaad is saheeh.” [ Hadith 13/86]

{27} Abu Daawood [Eng. Trans. 2/542 no. 2037] and it was declared saheeh by Al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Jaami` [Hadith 2/1211]

{28} He is the noble, trustworthy and precise scholar. He died in the year 145H at the age of 75. Refer to ‘Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb’ [ Hadith no. 3292]

{29} Shaykh al-Islaam said in his book, ‘ar-Radd alaa al-Akhnaa`ee’ [pg. 93], “and Sa`eed also said – i.e. Sa`eed bin Mansoor – Abdul Azeez bin Muhammad reported to us that Suhail bin Abee Suhail said, ‘al-Hasan bin Hasan bin Alee bin Abee Taalib peace be upon him me at the grave and called to me from the house of Faatimah when it was close to the time of `Ishaa saying, “come to `Ishaa!” I replied, “I do not wish to.” He said, “why do I see you by the grave?” I said, “I sent my salaam upon the Prophet (peace be upon him).” He replied, “when you enter the Mosque then send your salaam upon him for the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said, “do not take my grave as a place of festivities and invoke prayers upon me wheresoever you may be for indeed they are conveyed to me.” Therefore you and a person in Andulus are equivalent (with regards to this).’

Qaadee Ismaa`eel bin Ishaaq reported this in his ‘Fadl as-Salaah `alaa an-Nabee (peace be upon him)’ without mentioning the addition, “you and a person in Andulus are equivalent (with regards to this).” This is because his opinion is that it is better for the one who is leaving or returning from a journey to send the salaam upon him from the side of the grave and that those outside of Madeenah send their salaams upon him when entering and leaving the Mosque and therefore the people of Madeenah have a ranking above those outside Madeenah with regard to this. As for al-Hasan bin al-Hasan and others then they did not differentiate between the inhabitants of Madeenah and those outside Madeenah and neither between the traveler and the resident.” Refer to ‘Fadl as-Salaah `alaa an-Nabee (peace be upon him)’ [no. 20, 30] of Qaadee Ismaa`eel bin Ishaaq.

Ibn Abee Shaybah [ Hadith 4/345] reported a similar wording without the addition, “you and a person…” and likewise Abdur Razzaaq [ Hadith 3/577] in his ‘Musannaf’.

{30} Reported by Abu Daawood [Eng. Trans. 1/269 no. 1042], ibn Maajah [Hadith 1/524], Ahmad [Hadith 4/2] and al-Haakim [Hadith 1/278] who said, ‘it is saheeh, meeting the criteria of Bukhaaree’ and adh-Dhahabee agreed.

{31} Reported by an-Nasaa`ee [Hadith 2/43], ibn Hibbaan [ Hadith 2/134] and declared saheeh by al-Albaanee in ‘Saheeh al-Jaami’ [Hadith 1/434]

{32} A similar hadeeth is reported by al-Bayhaqee in ‘ash-Shu`ab’, ibn Abee ad-Dunya in ‘al-Quboor’, as-Saaboonee in ‘al-Mi`atayn’, ibn Abdul Barr in ‘al-Istidhkaar’ and ‘at-Tamheed’ and was declared saheeh by Abdul Haqq as mentioned by as-Suyutee in ‘Sharh as-Sudoor’ [pg. 84]. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned that ibn Abdul Barr declared it saheeh in ‘ar-Ruh’ [pg. 8]

{33} Reported by ibn Maajah [1/253] and Ahmad [6/283]. The hadeeth was declared saheeh by al-Albaanee in ‘Saheeh ibn Maajah’ [1/128-129]

{34} Reported by Muslim [Hadith Eng. Trans. 2/460 no. 2121]

{35} Ibn Jareer reports a similar narration in his tafseer [Hadith 4/275] and al-Haakim [Hadith 2/546] who said that it was saheeh according to the conditions of Bukhaaree and Muslim and adh-Dhahabee agreed.

{36} Bukhaaree reports a similar hadeeth to this [ Eng. Trans. 6/198 no. 236] and Muslim [Eng. Trans.]

{37} Mentioned by as-Suyutee in ‘ad-Durr al-Munthoor’ [ Hadith 6/269]

{38} Reported by Bukhaaree [ Eng. Trans. 6/198 no. 236]. Al-Haafidh ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee said in ‘Fath’ [6/83], ”

This really was one of those ‘proud moments’ that called for nothing but admiration with no room for skepticism. No drama, no dialogues and bereft of any  media paid events to paint a picture, Ombale’s daughter spoke only through gestures. I was seriously beginning to believe that living a principled life is an outdated concept and that one needs to bend over to go ahead. She proved me wrong and boy am I glad she did.

Amidst the mad scramble to blame people and claim compensation or award, she refused the 3 lakh rupees that was collected by students. She has also refused such donations in the past or donated it back to the same people. Her mom says that her dad (Tukaram Ombale, because of whose act we managed to have proof to pin down Pak’s role) loved children and would not have approved of such donation amounts. 

The school, its reported, had organized the event to inculcate values of giving and she aptly portrayed the same. At,  the risk of sounding cheeky, I seriously admire her for this act. Whatever the consequence, just the act of refusing to milk a personal tragedy shows the true character of a person. 

RIP Ombale – With a daughter like yours, you’ll be proud up there as well.

Mr. Wray, who joined SIS over 8 years ago, dropped a bombshell earlier this academic year when he announced his decision to leave SIS at the end of the year. Although students weren’t informed until September, the school has known for a while and had already begun advertising for a new school principal.
As with most deputy principal and head of section selection, one component of the selection process is student interviews. I’ve been asked to sit on the panel of students. However, it is ultimately a decision that’s going to affect everyone. In an unprecedented move, I’m asking students for their suggestions and opinions on the questions to be posed.

Candidates

Fist, here is an outline of the 4 candidates identified by an unknown, school chosen selection committee as put in the schools newsletter.

1. Alison Hampshire
Alison has been a Vice Principal at South Island School since 2004 and instrumental in many of the innovations in recent years. Prior to this, she was an Assistant Principal in the United Kingdom. As a teacher, Alison has had significant experience of teaching English and Drama in both the UK and in an international school in Malawi. Alison gained experience in leading a unit working with students who have specific learning difficulties. She was awarded her honours degree by Sussex University, United Kingdom and has since gained additional professional qualifications including gaining recognition by the UK government as an Advanced Skills Teacher. Alison focuses her leadership on ensuring that students of all abilities are supported and challenged to achieve in all areas of school life.

2. Ed Lawless
Ed currently works for the IB Asia Pacific Regional office as their Regional Head of Professional Development. He joined the “IBO” in 2005. Prior to that, he served as the Head of Senior School in Queensland, Australia. As a teacher, he is very experienced in teaching English and Theory of Knowledge in the IB Diploma. Ed was awarded his first honours degree by LeMoyne College followed by a Masters Degree from the University of Rochester. Ed sees this as an opportunity to return to the challenge that first attracted him to the profession and one he finds most rewarding – school leadership. In all roles, Ed has managed change, guiding teams through critical review and implementation.

3. Graham Silverthorne
Graham currently works as the Headteacher of Gordano School in the United Kingdom. He joined Gordano in 2003, following 4 years as the Headteacher of a
large school in Cambridge. Graham has been recognized by the National College of School Leadership as a ‘Local Leader in Education’ and acts as a mentor/coach for other headteachers in Bristol. His school has a partnership with a school in Rwanda, a partnership which he sees as a ‘humbling experience’ and a mutual benefit to both schools. He was awarded his degree in History by Cambridge University followed by a Masters Degree. Graham enjoys school leadership, regards schools as a community and adapts a collegiate and inclusive approach to leadership.

4. David Watson
David Watson is currently serving as the interim Principal of an international school in Boston, USA. Prior to this, he spent nine years as the Principal of an international school in Houston, Texas, a large French/English dual language school. He has also worked as a Principal of an international school in Malaysia and taught most of his career in international schools. David has a number of degrees in English Literature (France), French and Politics (Bristol, U.K.) and a Doctorate degree (Croatia). He is also a council member of the Council of International Schools. His leadership is based upon the principles of community, respect and challenge.

Process

Here’s the current schedule and process of selection :

30th Nov- PTA committee and School Council
1st Dec – Meet small group of parents
2nd Dec – Presentation in Hall 5:00 – 7:00

There is no date yet for student interviews which should occur in a similar time frame next week.

Questions

For our student interviews, we are compiling a selection of questions to ask potential candidates. They largely fall into the following categories :

1. General Openers
2. Academic/ Curriculum
3. Relations with Students
4. Student Voice/ School Spirit
5. Technology/ Creativity
6. Closers

Do you have any suggestions for questions to ask? What do you want to know about the candidates?
Tell me in the comments and I’ll try to incorporate them into the interviews.

(Update) Some other great posts on the subject, by the way:

Rod at Political Jesus tells you “What the Manhattan Declaration Does Not Tell You“

Ellen Haroutunian would like to share “Why I Cannot Sign the Manhattan Declaration“

and Polycarp at The Church of Jesus Christ states simply “I Will Not be Signing the Manhattan Declaration“

When I first heard mention of the Manhattan Declaration, I really wanted to be able to get behind it. Then I read it.

I can’t.

First of all, the document is a political statement posing as a statement of faith. Many people made the same accusation about the Evangelical Manifesto last year, and I reject that charge. However, I think it stands in this case.

It takes only a few sentences after the Preamble for the document to go on a rant about the current administration. In so doing, it immediately falls into the trap of making the Church an arm of a political movement, a thing in which I am not willing to take part.

Its first point is on the subject of Life. I’m not sure how to express how much I hoped that this section would say what I wanted it to say. However, it pretty much focuses on abortion, dabbles into euthanasia and assisted suicide, and then gives lip service to all kinds of life-related areas in the last paragraph.

However, there is very little said about “those who are suffering as innocent victims of war.” I would have been genuinely impressed, and might have been able to get behind the document, if it had taken a bold stand against other aspects of what Pope John Paul II called “the culture of death.” No mention, though, of cluster bombs, nuclear weapons, “depleted” uranium, or even capital punishment made it into the declaration. Reliably, the writers took the easy Republican route.

While the document refers to Pope John Paul II’s term, it stops short of what concerned him. Frankly, I think that’s a disservice to his memory at best, and perhaps more than a little dishonest.

The declaration then goes on to have a huge section committed to marriage. I’m afraid that the argument upon which it is based is very weak. I don’t have a lot of passion here to make a case in any direction, so I’ll leave it at that.

In the next section, regarding religious freedom, the declaration promotes a fiction that “New hate-crime laws in America raise the specter of the same practice here,” that “practice” being the prosecution of pastors for preaching that homosexuality is immoral. Such prosecution is specifically denied by the most recent legislation, although that specter was raised by critics of it. I don’t think that dishonest arguments belong in declarations made by Christian groups.

In short, I think that this might be a decent rough draft. I can get behind many parts of it, but I think that it leaves too many things unsaid that should be said, and says a few things that shouldn’t be. As it is, this is little more than something that we already know — the bulk of the leadership of the conservative religious community is aligned closely with the conservative political community.

Conspicuously, there is nothing in this declaration that speaks to salvation, grace, faith, provision for the poor, or much of anything else that should be defining Christianity. It’s a political declaration, and nothing more.

As such, I have no use for it.

(Disclosure: I did receive this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review purposes.)

I’ve had The Hole in our Gospel for some time now, and have been interrupted frequently in reading it. Finally, I finished. It’s a very good read.

Richard Stearns is the president of World Vision, a Christian charitable organization. He used to be the CEO of Lennox Corporation, which makes fine china such as those plates my wife and I got for our wedding (the ones we’ve never used).

In this book, he chronicles how he made that transition. Mostly, it was kicking and screaming. He had no interest in doing so, and was sure that he was the wrong person for the job. God, however, wanted him. He concedes that, ultimately, God was putting him where he needed to be.

Stearns takes a good look at what was wrong with his own attitude, and how that same thought process is at work around him and us, and what he sees as very wrong in much of the Christian community. The hole that he sees in our Gospel is the part where we take it and make it real and meaningful.

Yes, it is the same turf that Jesus’ brother, James, went over in his book of the New Testament. James 2:17 (NLT):

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

However, it’s worth the time to look over a real life, in the modern world, with a person facing the same challenges and thoughts that we face — if not greater, since most of us don’t have to choose whether to give up seven-figure salaries.

I’m not sure that the book blazed any new trails for me, since I’ve already been on board with the idea that Jesus wasn’t kidding when He talked about the need to take care of others, but it was a good book. Looking at how another man struggled with that calling was very interesting.

I’d recommend it.

3200913    หลักการการรักษาทางทันตกรรมเพื่อความสวยงาม 1    Principle Of Esthetic Dental Treatment I

ลักษณะฟันรูปแบบต่างๆ ลักษณะสมมาตรและความกลมกลืนของฟัน สัดส่วนทองคำ สัดส่วนมาตรฐาน ทฤษฎีแสงและสี สำหรับการเลือกระดับสีของฟันให้ดูเป็นธรรมชาติ เทคโนโลยีการเลือกระดับสีให้ได้มาตรฐาน การบูรณะฟันให้มีความสวยงามสูงสุดด้วยเรซินคอมโพสิต และสารยึดเรซินคอมโพสิตและฟัน เทคนิคการบูรณะฟันเป็นชั้นๆ ด้วยเรซินคอมโพสิต การรักษาด้วยวิธีจัดเรียงแนวฟันให้เกิดความสวยงาม

(Various tooth forms, symmetry and harmony of teeth, golden proportion, standard proportion, theory of light and color for natural teeth shade selection, technology of determination of proper tooth shade, ultimate esthetics achieved by restoration of tooth using resin composites and bonding agents, layering techniques, and techniques of realignment.)

(3200913 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3200914    หลักการการรักษาทางทันตกรรมเพื่อความสวยงาม 2    Principle of Esthetic Dental Treatment II

เซรามิกวัสดุศาสตร์ หลักการรักษาทางทันตกรรมบูรณะด้วยเซรามิกวีเนียร์ ครอบฟันทั้งซี่ชนิดเซรามิก สะพานฟันชนิดเซรามิกทั้งซี่ การแก้ไขปัญหาทางทันตกรรมเพื่อความสวยงามจากกรณีศึกษาต่างๆ ได้แก่ การแก้ไขปัญหาช่องห่างระหว่างฟันการแก้ไขฟันที่มีการเรียงตัวไม่ดี การแก้ไขฟันที่มีสีผิดปกติ และการแก้ไขปัญหาให้ผู้ป่วยที่มีปัญหาร่วมทางทันตกรรมแบบซับซ้อนการใส่เดือยฟันเพื่อความสวยงาม

(Science of cernamics, principles of tooth restoration using ceramic veneers, all-ceramic crowns, and all-ceramic bridges, use of esthetic restorative techniques to correct problems involving spacing, mal-positioned or mal-aligned teeth, discolored teeth, and complicated cases with combination of problems, use of esthetic posts for esthetic restoration.)

(3200914 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3200915    ทันตกรรมบดเคี้ยว หลักการและการนำมาใช้สำหรับงานทันตกรรมบูรณะ    Dental Occlusion: Principle and Application for Restorative Dentistry

แนวคิดเกี่ยวข้องกับระบบการสบฟันและการบดเคี้ยวของมนุษย์ งานวิจัยและความเห็นในปัจจุบันเกี่ยวกับการทำงานที่ปกติและผิดปกติของระบบการสบฟัน การประยุกต์แนวคิดด้านทันตกรรมบูรณะ ข้อพึงพิจารณาเกี่ยวกับสรีรวิทยาและสัณฐานวิทยาของฟันในภาวะทำงานปกติ การตรวจหากลไกของการเกิดพยาธิสภาพ แนวทางการรักษาการสบฟันที่ผิดปกติ การเลือกใช้วัสดุบูรณะที่เหมาะสมต่อการบูรณะด้านบดเคี้ยว

(Concept of human dental occlusion and masticatory system, current research and opinious on function and dysfunctional aspects of occlusion, application of concepts for restorative dentistry, considerations of physiological and related morphological aspects of entition in normal function,examination of patho-physiological mechanisms, therapeutic approaches applicable to occlusal dysfuntion and material selection for occlusal surface restoration.)

(3200915 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3200916    หลักการการรักษาทางทันตกรรมรากเทียม 1    Principle of Implantology I

ความรู้เบื้องต้นในการรักษาผู้ป่วยด้านทันตกรรมรากเทียม แนวคิดและการทบทวนวรรณกรรมดั้งเดิมและวรรณกรรมปัจจุบันด้านทันตกรรมรากเทียม ซึ่งรวมถึงการทบทวนประวัติศาสตร์ของรากเทียม สรีรวิทยาของกระดูก การประเมินผู้ป่วยทั้งร่างกายและจิตใจ การวินิจฉัย การใช้เทคโนโลยีอิมเมจจิงในการประเมินบริเวณที่จะฝังรากเทียม การวางแผนการรักษาทางศัลยกรรมและทันตกรรมประดิษฐ์ ความรู้แนวกว้างเกี่ยวกับระยะเวลาในการทำศัลยกรรมทันตกรรมรากเทียมจนถึงช่วงเวลาที่แผลหาย

(Introduction to clinical implant therapy, concepts and review of classic and current dental implant literature including review of history of dental implants, bone physiology, physical and psychological patient evaluation, diagnosis, use of imaging technology in evaluation of implant site, surgical and prosthetic treatment planning and overview of surgical and healing time required for implants.)

(3200916 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3200917    หลักการการรักษาทางทันตกรรมรากเทียม 2    Principle of Implantoloty II

หลักของการปลูกกระดูก การรักษาระดับสันกระดูกหลังการถอนฟัน การเตรียมตำแหน่งการฝังรากเทียม การจัดการเนื้อเยื่อแข็งและเนื้อเยื่ออ่อนเพื่องานทันตกรรมรากเทียม รวมถึงวิธีการผ่าตัดแบบต่างๆ เพื่อเพิ่มผลสำเร็จ และส่งเสริมด้านความสวยงามของงานทันตกรรมรากเทียม

(Principles of guided bone regeneration, ridge preservation after tooth extraction, implant site development, hard and soft tissue management for implant dentistry including various surgical techniques to improve the success outcome and enhance the esthetic outcome for dental implant.)

(3200917 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3204301    หลักการทางเภสัชวิทยา    Principle of Pharmacology

ศัพท์เภสัชวิทยา หลักการทั่วไปของเภสัชวิทยารวมถึงเภสัชจลนพลศาสตร์ เภสัชฤทธิ์วิทยา และเภสัชบำบัดหลักการทางเภสัชวิทยาของยาระบบประสาทอัตโนมัติและยากลุ่มออโตคอยด์ การเกิดปฏิกิริยาระหว่างยาที่ใช้ร่วมกัน รูปแบบยาชนิดต่างๆ การเขียนใบสั่งยา ยาปรุงทางทันตกรรม และปฏิบัติการการปรุงยาทางทันตกรรม บัญชียาหลักแห่งชาติ

(Terminology in phamocology; general principles of pharmacology including pharmacokinetics, phamacodynamic and phamocotherapeutics; principles of autonomic drugs and autocoid; drug interaction; dosage forms; prescription writing; drugs for dental preparation and laboratory; national drug lists.)

(3204301 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3206700    หลักการทางทันตกรรมจัดฟัน 1    Principle of Orthodontics I

หลักการทางทันตกรรมจัดฟันที่เกี่ยวกับการพัฒนาของการสบฟันที่ปกติและผิดปกติ การเจริญเติบโตของโครงสร้างใบหน้าและกะโหลกศีรษะซึ่งรวมถึงขากรรไกรบนและล่าง ปัจจัยที่มีอิทธิพลต่อลักษณะของการสบฟันที่ปกติ และผิดปกติ อิทธิพลของอวัยวะต่าง ๆ รอบช่องปากต่อการสบฟัน และองค์ประกอบต่าง ๆ ที่เป็นสาเหตุทำให้เกิดการสบฟันผิดปกติ การแก้ไขและป้องกันทางทันตกรรมจัดฟันเพื่อให้มีการสบฟันปกติ

(Principles of orthodontics in development of occlusion, both normal occlusion and malocclusion; growth and development of craniofacial structure including maxilla and mandible; factors influencing types of normal occlusion and malocclusion; influences of perioral tissues on occlusion and components causing malocclusion; correction and prevention in orthodontics in order to create normal occlusion.)

(3206700 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3206710    หลักการทางทันตกรรมจัดฟัน 2    Principle of Orthodontics II

หลักการทางชีวกลศาสตร์ของการเคลื่อนฟัน หลักการวิเคราะห์ระบบแรงที่เกิดขึ้นจากการใช้เครื่องมือจัดฟันชนิดต่าง ๆ ทั้งในปากและนอกปาก เพื่อเคลื่อนฟันและประเมินหลักยึดที่ใช้ในการจัดฟัน คุณสมบัติเชิงกลและทางเคมีของวัสดุที่ใช้ในทางทันตกรรมจัดฟัน เพื่อออกแบบและเลือกใช้ให้เหมาะสมตามแผนการรักษาทางทันตกรรมจัดฟันที่กำหนดไว้ ปฏิกิริยาทางชีววิทยาของการเคลื่อนฟัน รวมทั้งการเปลี่ยนแปลงทางวิทยาฮีสโตของเนื้อเยื่อรอบ ๆ ตัวฟัน ซึ่งเป็นผลจากแรงที่ถ่ายทอดมาจากเครื่องมือจัดฟัน ปัจจัยที่มีอิทธิพลต่อการเคลื่อนฟันทางทันตกรรมจัดฟัน หลักการเลือกและใช้เครื่องมือคงสภาพฟัน

(Biomechanic principles of tooth movement; principles of force system analysis derived from various kinds of intraoral and extraoral orthodontic appliances for tooth movement and anchorage unit assessment; physical and chemical properties of orthodontic materials in order to design and select proper appliances according to the specified orthodontic treatment planning; biological reaction of tooth movement and histologic change of periodontal tissues resulting from force transferred from orthodontic appliances; factors influencing orthodontic tooth movement; principles in selection and use of retainers.)

(3206710 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

AN EMAIL RESPONSE SENT

It was good to hear about Southside Estates Elementary School on the Rush Limbaugh, a show I rarely listen to. I marveled with angst at how openly indoctrinating the referenced staff member that he would suggest that a 10-year-old boy articulately explaining the premise for his conservative views not be allowed discussion in the boy’s own home. It is this very reason, that while you fervently indoctrinate the children without retort, rather than training them in logic, reason and weighing such skills against virtuously academic knowledge, that my wife and I quest to home school my children.

Not only do I train them in Truth, logic and reason, ardently exercising them in the ways of weighing such virtuous attributes against classic academic knowledge borne of such subjects as history, literature, mathematics, science, art, but I also train them in such Biblical principles as the art of war, for they will war against the resulting spoil the comes from your wayward and utterly inept teachings, for they are made from the aforementioned precepts bound in principle and honor-bound in service to the same. The mindless doctrine the automatons among you shew to your ready-made subjects shall be no mach for the fruits of our family’s labor.

www.kabbalah.info

The trial gamble

So, we’re going to try some alleged terrorists in civilian courts. This really is a bold move by the Obama administration, and we’ll see how it plays out. The lines are drawn. According to Pres. Obama’s critics, this is inviting such folks as Khalid Shiek Mohammad to have access to intelligence secrets and inviting terrorist attention to New York.

On the other hand, supporters assert that this shows confidence in our justice system and the concepts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Politically, someone is going to win big on this. If nothing bad happens, then the Right is going to have a very hard time asserting that it was a bad move. If something bad happens, then Pres. Obama might as well sit out the 2012 election.

The Shoe’s on the Other Foot

For the past six years or so, we’ve been told from certain sources that liberals would benefit from the country’s losses in Iraq, and so you knew that they were hoping for bad things to happen.

Look at the situation I just described above … It is now the Republicans who would benefit from a terrorist attack related to the KSM trial. Will anyone stoop so low as to accuse the GOP of hoping for such a thing?

Mammograms: Rationing, or Good Sense?

It’s been all over the place on this one … a survey group came out and suggested that mammograms be less routine and that doctors not spend time teaching women to self-examine. From the Right, of course, this has been cited as evidence of rationing to come. Other than that, responses have been all over the place. Some doctors are pointing to this as part of US medical culture — we do too many exams, too many procedures, exploratory surgeries, biopsies, etc. in response to false positives or so-called “defensive medicine.” On the other hand, other doctors point to the fact that early detection does save lives.

I’m undecided on this one … I understand that argument that the focus group is looking at the statistics dispassionately, and so presents an unbiased result. On the other hand, how many of us know someone whose life was saved by one of these exams that wouldn’t happen? (Actually, I don’t, but my wife does!) If you’d like to hear a great conversation on this, Diane Rehm had it on Wednesday. I feel like I learned a lot from the discussion, and ultimately came out no more certain what was right than I had been before the show started … though I knew more for both sides! The podcast is available at that link.

Psalm 109:8

It’s all over the Internet now, and I saw the bumper sticker today. A guy I know e-mailed me to say that he saw the bumper sticker in Massachusetts (of course, he thought it was funny!) … “Pray for Obama — Psalm 109:8.” Here, by the way, is Psalm 109:8 (NLT):

Let his years be few;
let someone else take his position.

Ha, ha, isn’t that funny? No? Oh, well …

It gets even less funny, and more disgusting, if you read the next couple verses (Psalm 109:9-10, NLT):

May his children become fatherless,
and his wife a widow.
¹⁰ May his children wander as beggars
and be driven from their ruined homes.

Let’s read the whole passage and see if this is really something that people want to say.

Christians are called to be salt and light in the world, not to be obnoxious jackasses. This is a flagrant misuse of Scripture, and we have to stand against it.

Have you ever tried to explain what it is you DO, to someone when asked?  In the moments before you begin to speak, your mind has to formulate how you are going to express, in a way YOU perceive the OTHER person will understand, exactly what it is you do.  You PRECONCEIVE their level of intelligence and understanding, based on your visual (Eyes) observation of their appearance, your auditory (Ears) observation of their speech patterns and vocabulary, and the feeling (Sense from the handshake) you got from them when introduced.  After your mind processed all this INFORMATION, your Educated mind decided to present the answer in a preconceived manner.

I make that point becuase when I am delivering a health talk, x-ray report, or simply answering a health related question, I find myself thinking (educated mind) “How can I put this in a way this person will understand?”  In chewing on this understanding, I realize that it is not for me to “try”.  It is my responsibility to educate about Innate Intelligence, the Power that Made the Body which LIVES within the body, and how someone can improve their health, their Life Force, their VITALITY, by moving the HARD BONE OFF the SOFT NERVE, and allowing the Innate Intelligence of the body to flow to every cell, tissue, and organ.

How easy is that?  Hard Bone…Soft Nerve.  Anyone can understand that.  Life is already within and always trying to be expressed outward.  A hard bone on a soft nerve interferes with the Life within, getting out.  How does this become manifest in the body?  Ever heard of: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, autism, asthma, allergies, headaches, croup, autoimmune disease, depression, anxiety, GERD, infertility, ulcerative cholitis, acid reflux, heart attacks, strokes, etc, etc, etc…

All those CONDITIONS, are the result of a HARD BONE interfering with a SOFT NERVE, and over TIME (huge factor), where that SOFT NERVE went to, began to show signs of dysfunction / malfunction / DISEASE.  They are all SYMPTOMS of a problem of communication between the Nervous System, and the body.

So why am I going to complicate it?  Why do we need to make things worse than what they are?  I have to imagine this makes sense…more common sense than thinking that you can take some drug / medication, which was created by man, which is inherently flawed, and this drug will cure or heal a situation within the body.  NEVER IN A MILLION MILLENIA.

Listen to your gut (innate intelligence) and ask yourself – when i take a muscle relaxer, and the purpose of the muscle relaxer is to relax muscle, where is it going to work?  The obivous answer is wherever there is muscle.  Guess what – there is muscle EVERYWHERE in your body.  Around arteries, around your intestines, in your skin, in your eyelids, in your stomach, in your reproductive organs, in your ears, your eyes…EVERYWHERE.  which means that although you might be in spasm SOMEWHERE, the effects of the drug are EVERYWHERE, regardless of whether or not that area is sin spasm.  What can that do – maybe lower your blood pressure dangerously low, maybe cause digestive issues like constipation or gas or diarrhea, or heart attack, or stroke, or leaky bladder, or erectile dysfunction, or hearing loss, etc etc etc.  Do you understand the flawed logic?  Do you understand the problem with drugs?  Anything from the OUTSIDE IN will only put the body under more stress (chemical) because now the nervous system has to deal not only with the interference and its effects, but also with comabting the effects of the medication you took!

In the meantime, when I deliver my adjsutment, and remove interference to the nervous system, NOW the nervous system is free to CORRECTLY and NATURALLY, from ABOVE (the brain) DOWN (the spinal cord and nerves) cotrol the function and repair and restoration of all body functions and structures, and in doing so, now the BODY as a WHOLE can express HEALTH and VITALITY from INSIDE OUT.  I am going to qualify that by also stating - “I, as a chiropractor, and as someone who practices Principled Chiropractic, will never TREAT or state that I can TREAT or CURE any health issue that our bodies may suffer from.  What I DO is remove the interference to the nervous system, and in doing so, enable the body to restore EASE, balance, and health, to the level predetermined by the INNATE INTELLIGENCE of the body”

A.D.I.O – above down inside out.  A+D+I+O = LIFE.  That is the equation of health.  You want the Secret…there it is.  Find the Hard Bone and take it off the Soft Nerve.  That is the Big Idea.  Get the Big Idea, all else follows.  What follows is HEALTH.  What follows is LIFE.

What you present with is NOT as important as what has been going on INSIDE you, to create this health issue, for as long as it has been going on.  What your symptom is, is not as important as what the effect of the soft nerve interference is having on the internal organs and systems of the body…THAT DO NOT HAVE PAIN NERVES!!!  Only 10% of the nerves of the body register pain…10%!  Waiting for pain means you are neglecting 90% of the function of your body!  Why?!?!

Get the Big Idea, all else follows.  ADIO = health.  Hard Bone, Soft Nerve. Anyone who has a nervous system, and wants to experience a better LIFE expression, needs to be under chiropractic care.  Everyone should be getting adjusted to remove nerve interference.  From babies fresh born, to assisting our elders pass on without nerve interference, everyone can benefit from having a 100% fully functioning nervous system.

Share this with everyone you know.

This last week has been largely focused upon presentation skills. I’m no stranger to presentations, and getting up in front of people to speak to them generally fills me with excitement, rather than fear. I find myself, nonetheless, once more pleasantly amazed at how much there is to learn about doing it.

Presentation is all about communicating your ideas to a group of other people. It sounds simple when you put it that way, yet the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. For starters, we all tend to assume that what we say to other people is directly inputted into their brains and immediately understood.  This is a false assumption because each individual brain takes the same input but filters it based upon that person’s own, individual comprehension of that input. Put another way, they will only notice what you say if they are interested and engaged with your words; they will only understand what you say if it’s in their language (and not in some jargon-based sub-language); they will only remember what you say if it comes in easily-digestable pieces. Communication is not an open pipeline: as Cliff Atkinson says in his book, “Beyond Bullet Points”, it’s more like threading information through “the eye of a needle”.

All of this is, of course, very interesting. My big learning this week, however, has been about how to learn from the audience you present to. Two key elements are useful: firstly, what you can observe and experience during the presentation; secondly, how you respond to any feedback (positive or negative) that you receive.

During a presentation you will, hopefully, be able to see the people you are speaking to. It’s vital to be paying attention to their reactions as the whole thing unfolds. As much as you might believe that your well-prepared presentation and notes are ideally matched to the needs of the audience, you are probably mostly wrong. Did the high-impact opener grab most of their collective attention, or did it go off like a damp-squib? Is anyone looking confused by that word you just used? Are their faces telling you that your point has been made and you can move along to the next one? Watch, listen, and gauge the response to your questions and interactions… and learn how to customise this presentation to this specific audience, right now as you present it.

The most critical point of a presentation comes at the end. When someone gives you feedback, how do you respond?

Let me illustrate this with an example. I found myself listening to some “negative” feedback after one of my recent talks, from which it seemed two-thirds of the audience was giving me signs of appreciation or direct positive feedback. Hearing the comments given to me by this lone individual, my mind was drawn into a line of thinking something like, “ok, yeah, but most of the others got it so it really is YOUR problem, isn’t it?” I stopped myself dead in my mental tracks.

Dead stop!

Here’s why: everytime you hear some negative feedback you have an opportunity to learn something new. In this particular case the person had found it hard, with their busy and naturally roaming attention, to keep track of where they were in the presentation. Sure, this was a big problem for them but it was, in truth, a bigger problem for me – after all, I was the one trying to share some information with them. Reflecting on the presentation, I realised that putting some simple visual markers onto the projected slides would help a distracted audience member to quickly find their way back into the content of the presentation. Trying this out in my next presentation, I found that it was little extra effort for me but could easily boost the chance of people following my thread. In retrospect, this seemed obvious – but it had not occurred to me until that person was kind enough to be critical of my work.

This simple example brought me back to a key principle that I easily forget: whilst you are responsible for helping the other person to understand what you are saying to them, you can’t stand any chance of doing so if you don’t take the time to understand what their needs might be. In terms of being a presenter to nominally mixed groups of people, I realise that spending time listening to what works and doesn’t work opens a door for me to try new approaches in my presentation style. As time goes by, I notice that doing this increases the impact of the next presentation that I make. If they don’t “get” my message then it’s my problem, not theirs.

All in all, I find myself grateful for the kind and gentle words of those people who hear me speak and feel moved to tell me what they liked and didn’t like about my presentation. This gratitude also inspires me to want to keep presenting. To keep sharing and learning, with other people as your guide, seems to me to be a very fine way of living.

303421     หลักการระบบสารสนเทศภูมิศาสตร์     Principle of Geographic Information System

หลักการระบบสารสนเทศภูมิศาสตร์ (จี ไอ เอส) องค์ประกอบของระบบสารสนเทศภูมิศาสตร์ โครงสร้างข้อมูล การจัดการข้อมูล การวิเคราะห์ข้อมูล และการทํ าสเปเชียลโมเดลลิ่ง การเลือกใช้อุปกรณ์ฮาร์ดแวร์และซอฟท์แวร์ที่จํ าเป็นสํ าหรับระบบสารสนเทศภูมิศาสตร์การประยุกต์ระบบสารสนเทศภูมิศาสตร์ในการวางแผนและการจัดการทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ

(Principles of Geographic Information System (GIS) components of GIS, data structure, data management, data management. data analysis and spatial modeling, GIS hardware and software. application of GIS in planning and management of natural resources.)

(303421 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)

I am going to quote Dr. Strauss and one of his position papers:

Historically, there has been a conflict between the practice of medicine and the practice of chiropractic. There is no doubt that the profession began in part as a response to the failure of 19th century medical practice. Today a very strange and mixed attitude exists relative to medicine and chiropractic. Some of our profession desire to embrace the  practice of medicine in its entirety and abandon the traditional philosophy of chiropractic. Others want to be a specialized branch of medicine addressing only musculoskeletal conditions. Another group wants to be an alternative to medical practice for a variety of conditions and sees itself as competition for the medical, therapeutic field. Most of this group, while maintaining the superiority of chiropractic in alleviating most medical conditions or their cause, still  embraces part of the procedures of medicine such as diagnosis and also recognizes the need to refer certain conditions or patients with serious medical crises to medical practitioners. These represent the majority of the present-day  chiropractic profession.

Objective Straight Chiropractic represents a totally different viewpoint. By defining our practice by its objective we are totally divorced from any relationship, alternative or competitive with the practice of medicine. The straight objective of correcting vertebral subluxations to enable the innate intelligence to be more fully expressed has nothing to do with a disease. It is a procedure beneficial to people not diseases and it is beneficial to those people who have subluxations even if they do not have medical conditions. Further, if an individual has a disease and no subluxation, then  chiropractic care is not necessary. With the foregoing in mind, Objective Straight Chiropractors do not pass judgement on medical practice in general or medical procedures in particular. The Objective Straight Chiropractor is an authority  on correcting vertebral subluxations and the benefit that it provides for every human being. He or she is not knowledgeable about the efficacy or the appropriateness of medical practice and under no circumstances gives advice or makes recommendations relative to medical conditions or their treatment. It should be noted that there is a larger philosophy of life often referred to as the ADIO (above-down, inside-out) philosophy. Chiropractic is a small part of
this philosophy as it relates to the function of the human body. In sharing this ADIO philosophy, the Objective Straight Chiropractor may on occasions contrast it with other viewpoints and use medicine as an example of another viewpoint. But it is the ADIO philosophy that is in contrast with other viewpoints, including the practice of medicine, not the chiropractor.

I think it is an important point to note that Chiropractic, in its pure unadulterated form, is purely the removal of interference to the nervous system by hands only.  The first structures that form in the developing embryo after conception is the “primitive” notochord which developes into the Nervous system…after just 7 days.  I say primitive in quotes because that is the finest most perfect example of Innate Intelligence at work, forming that system first.  Once the nervous system begins to control that developing embryo, the next structures that form are the somites,which are the precursors to the vertebral column.  That happens at the end of the 3rd week of gestation.  How perfect is the Innate Intelligence of the body?  The most important system is the nervous system, which it forms first, to allow for the future development of the embryo, and then it protects this ever so delicate and important system by forming the structures that will end up encasing the nervous system and protecting it from damage.  That is why the chiropractor is so important.  We do not cure anything, we do not heal anything, we remove the interference to the system that has been directing and governing the development, function, and growth of the individual since conception.

Chiropractic, by adjusting the hard bone, removes interference to the nervous system, which as a result, allows for the Innate Intelligence of the body to perform all necessary functions for the restoration and achievement of health.

3300540    หลักการพื้นฐานสำหรับการจัดการงานการวิจัยทางคลินิก    Basic Principle for Clinical Research Management

ความรู้พื้นฐานเกี่ยวกับการจัดการงานวิจัยทางคลินิก กรอบงานผู้ประสานงานวิจัยทางคลินิก หน้าที่ความรับผิดชอบ แนวปฏิบัติที่ดีในการทำงาน ทักษะในการสืบค้นข้อมูล ทักษะในการอ่านและประเมินบทความ ตลอดจนการเตรียมแนวทางการเก็บข้อมูลที่เหมาะสม

(Basic knowledge regarding clinical research management, scope of clinical research work, duty and responsibility, good practice in clinical research associate, information searching skill, skill in reading and evaluating articles, and preparing guideline for data collection.)

(3300540 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

It’s a great piece, hitting on some of the same themes I was but taking it farther and deeper.

A Christian Defense of the Rights of Moslems and Others in a Democracy (or Constitutional Republic)