We often hear of famous computer scientists who have helped changed the way we think of computers today. People such as Blaise Pascal, John Louis Von Neumann and most famously, Charles Babbage also known as "the Father of Computing". However, "Every father is the son of a Father" so although the works of people like Charles Babbage were modern in their time and no doubt did shape the future of modern technology, their work built on that of others. So the question arises, who was the grandfather of computing? One of the fundamental aspects of computing is maths. After all, the first ever computer was built to calculate simple maths.

It was under the Islamic Khoulafah (plural for Khalifah [Caliphates]) such as the Omayyads and Al-Ma'mun that the mathematical sciences really advanced and new discoveries were made.Let some people know that Even the Europeans would flock to the East to benefit from the immense contributions made by the Islamic scholars. It was during this time that the Muslims in the Arabian peninsular began to interpret the already existing mathematical sciences from sources like the Greeks and further advanced it beyond the comprehension of any other civilization of the time.

Algebra was one of the most focussed-on subjects. One of the greatest people to contribute to and advance Algebra was Al-Khwarizmi. On becoming a member of Dar Al-Hikmah (the House of Knowledge) in Baghdad in the 800s he made immense advancements to Mathematics, astronomy, astrology, and more. In fact the word Algebra came from the Arabic word Al-Jabr from his book 'Al-Kitab al-mukhtasar fi hisab al-jabr wa'l-muqabalah' ('The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing') . Most algebra we use today for computing is taken from the ideas left in his priceless books. Furthermore, it was he who explained the use of the number zero. It was introduced to the world by previous Muslim scholars and scientists and "was used by the Arabs at least 250 years before it became known in the west". Moreover, "Khwarizmi's algebra is regarded as the foundation and cornerstone of the sciences. In a sense, Khwarizmi is more entitled to be called 'the father of algebra' than Diophantus because Khwarizmi is the first to teach algebra in an elementary form and for its own sake.".

Other great contributers to the mathematics we use both in general and in computer science were Al-Nasavi who authored 'Abnugna Fil Hissab Al-Kindi'. It explained the division of fractions and the extraction of square and cubic roots.Then we have Abul Kamil who improved the ideas of Al-Khwarizmi including the algebraic treatment of pentagons and decagons.  Thabit bin Qurra handled geometry in his dissertation on astronomy and mathematics.

It was only centuries later that maths was introduced into Europe after the works of such scholars were translated into Latin and other languages surviving after it had perished in Arabic. The translations survived although much of their original work was not translated and was lost forever.

So what was it that made these people, to whom we owe so much, do great works? Well the answer is clear and simple. Whilst many of today's scientists conduct their work under the name of research, these people did so in the name of Islam.

So next time you sit in front of the computer, look at a table, graph or map, or do a little maths, remember these people. Then again, with their discoveries named after them (Algebra and Algorithm) that shouldn't be hard.

Tags: algebra maths contribution 

Introduction

Throughout their entire lives, everyone is at war with an enemy, the extent of whose strength and influence they perhaps fail to fully comprehend. The main feature of this enemy is subtlety. He constantly invites mankind to commit evil, and many people he uses without them even being aware of it. Those who are constantly in conflict with others, who always believe that violence is the answer, who take pleasure in brutality, murder, chaos and anarchy, in short, those who harm the peace and security of the world, have lost the war against this foe, whether they realize it or not, and have fallen under his control. This most dangerous enemy is the Devil, described to us in all his aspects by God in the Qur'an. The Devil is a force who, ever since the time of the Prophet Adam, has been doing all in his power to turn man away from God. One of the most common errors people commit is their failure to adequately estimate the Devil, that one who incites them to wickedness and leads them to Hell. The fact is, however, that the Devil poses a serious danger to man, and is his declared enemy. In a verse, God reveals:

"The Devil is your enemy so treat him as an enemy. He summons his party so they will be among the people of the Searing Blaze." (Qur'an, 35: 6)

One of the most devious quagmires that the Devil sets up for people is conflict, terror and anarchy. As God revealed in another verse,

"The Devil wants to stir up trouble between them" (Qur'an, 17: 53);

to destroy feelings of friendship, love, compassion, forgiveness, peace and trust between people, and to incite them towards violence, are the objectives of the Devil. However, one point should be stressed here. Although the Devil appears to be a creature who is active on many fronts, he is, in fact, under God's control and is His subject. He knows that God has granted him a set time until the day of judgement, and that he will have to pay for sins when that time comes. The promises he fabricates to encourage people to join him, and the schemes he sets in motion, are all part of his deceptions. God describes this fact of the Devil:

"They are like the Devil when he says to a human being, 'Disbelieve,' and then when he disbelieves, says, 'I wash my hands of you. Truly I fear God, the Lord of all the worlds.'" (Surat al-Hasr: 16)

Nevertheless, the Devil is able to influence certain people (those who do not believe in God, and who do not know or fear Him as they should). The degree of this influence depends on the circumstances. He is often behind certain events which impel human societies into disaster and which cause harm to the innocent. One of the greatest sources of misery effected by the Devil in our time is, without a doubt, terrorism.

The hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, also mention that, during the end times, a devilish power will emerge, one of whose most important attributes will be that he disrupts the peace and order of mankind. Many people, though, attach little importance to that power, known as the Antichrist (Dajjal). That is because, most people either have little knowledge of the matter, or have never heard of it at all. However, the subject of the Antichrist is very prominent in those of the Prophet's hadiths which point out that the last day is approaching, and about which a substantial amount of information has been provided. 

From the hadiths, one would ordinarily think of him as an individual. However, as well as an individual, it can also be an ideology that tends towards violence and savagery, possesses devilish characteristics, and inflicts suffering on mankind.Antichrist is a perverted ideological movement that has enormous influence in the world. That movement holds whole communities under its spell, attracts followers despite all its manifest absurdities and errors, and even has its own differing sects within it.

This movement inspires fear and unease in people, giving rise to chaos and anarchy, and destroying peace and security, in order to consolidate its hold on the entire world. One of the most frequently employed methods that the movement in question resorts to, in order to achieve its aims, is acts of violence and terrorism aimed at the innocent. In other words, terrorism is the most prominent element of the way of the Antichrist. That element is employed by the disciples of the system, in hysteria and rage, as if it were a holy rite.

The wars, conflicts, acts of brutal terrorism, slaughter and acts of genocide that still go on in various parts of the world today, are the work of the Antichrist, the principle devilish power in the run-up to the last day. The main aim of that system is to turn people away from religious belief, proper morality, spiritual depth, love and all human values, and to turn them into uncompassionate and aggressive creatures that take pleasure in savagery and violence, and thus turn the whole world into a battleground. However, it must never be forgotten that this plan will not succeed, and that the system of the Antichrist is doomed to annihilation. Whatever the degree of the strife and chaos it manages to create, the ideological system of the Antichrist is doomed, under the law of God, to ultimate defeat and destruction. By the will of God, that defeat will come about by means of a war of ideas waged by those who turn to Him with true sincerity and strive to bring about the spread of belief and proper morality all over the world. That is a promise made by God to the believers. The following verse is the way in which God says that the truth will be made known in the end and falsehood be overcome:

Say: "Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Falsehood is always bound to vanish." (Qur'an, 17: 81)

Tags: terrorism antichrist 

More than four out of five people admit to telling little white lies at least once a day, and the preferred way of being "economical with the truth" is to use technology such as cell phones, texts and e-mails, a Thursday survey said.

The research, by U.K. pollsters 72Point, found that "technotreachery" was widespread, with nearly 75 percent of people saying gadgets like Research In Motion's BlackBerrys made it easier to fib.

Just more than half of respondents said using gadgets made them feel less guilty when telling a lie than doing it face to face, according to the study, which was conducted on behalf of financial-services group Friends Provident Life and Pensions.

The workplace was a favorite location for fibbing, with 67 percent of the 1,487 respondents admitting that they had lied at work.

The top lie was pretending to be sick (43 percent) followed by saying work had been completed when it hadn't (23 percent). Worryingly for bosses, 18 percent said they lied to hide a big mistake.

Bu, employers were not the only ones on the receiving end of disingenuous statements.

Just more than 40 percent said they had lied to their family or partner. Key topics to lie about were buying new clothes or the cost of them (37 percent), how good someone looked in something (35 percent), how much they had eaten (35 percent) and drunk (31 percent), and how much they weighed (32 percent).

The survey found that while people were dishonest, most told lies with the best intentions and to spare others' feelings.

But with high-tech gadgets on the top of many Christmas lists this year, maybe everyone should cynically brace themselves for a few fibs in the New Year.

Tags: Black Berry