Allah

Allāh (Arab: الله, Allaah) adalah kata dalam bahasa arab yang merujuk pada nama Tuhan. Perkataan tuhan dalam bahasa arab adalah Ilah sebagaiman dalam dua kalimah sahadah Islam. Kata Alloh ini lebih banyak dikenal sebagai sebutan tuhan oleh penganut agama Islam. Kata ini sendiri di kalangan para penutur bahasa arab, adalah kata yang umum untuk menyebut tuhan^{["Tuhan" dalam bahasa Arab adalah Ilah]}, terlepas dari agama mereka, termasuk penganut Yahudi dan Kristen Arab. Konsekuensinya, kata ini digunakan dalam terjemahan kitab suci agama Kristen dan Yahudi yang berbahasa arab, sebagaimana pula terjemahan Alkitab dalah bahasa Indonesia dan Turki.

Kata "Allah" disebutkan lebih dari 2679 kali dalam Al-Qur'an.^[1] Sedangkan kata "Tuhan" dalam bahasa Arab adalah Ilah (إله) disebut ulang sebanyak 111 kali dalam bentuk mufrod, ilahaini dalam bentuk tatsniyah 2 kali dan aalihah dalam bentuk jama' disebut ulang sebanyak 34 kali।

Etimologi

Beberapa teori mencoba menganalisa etimologi dari kata "Allah". Salah satunya mengatakan bahwa kata Allāh (الله) berasal dari gabungan dari kata al- (sang) dan ʾilāh (tuhan) sehingga berarti "Sang Tuhan". Namun teori ini menyalahi bahasa dan kaidah bahasa Arab. Bentuk ma'rifat (definitif) dari ilah adalah al-ilah, bukan Allah. Dengan demikian kata al-ilah dikenal dalam bahasa Arab. Penggunaan kata tersebut misalnya oleh Abul A'la al-Maududi dalam Mushthalahatul Arba'ah fil Qur'an (h. 13) dan Syaikh Abdul Qadir Syaibah Hamad dalam al-Adyan wal Furuq wal Dzahibul Mu'ashirah (h. 54).

Kedua penulis tersebut bukannya menggunakan kata Allah, melainkan al-ilah sebagai bentuk ma'rifat dari ilah. Dalam bahasa Arab pun dikenal kaidah, setiap isim (kata benda atau kata sifat) nakiroh (umum) yang mempunyai bentuk mutsanna (dua) dan jamak, maka isim ma'rifat kata itupun mempunyai bentuk mutsanna dan jamak. Hal ini tidak berlaku untuk kata Allah, kata ini tidak mempunyai bentuk ma'rifat mutsanna dan jamak. Sedangkan kata ilah mempunyai bentuk ma'rifat baik mutsanna (yaitu al-ilahani atau al-ilahaini) maupun jamak (yaitu al-alihah). Dengan demikian kata al-ilah dan Allah adalah dua kata yang berlainan.^[2]

Teori lain mengatakan kata ini berasal dari kata bahasa Aram Alāhā.^[3] Cendekiawan muslim kadang-kadang menerjemahkan Allah menjadi "God" dalam bahasa Inggris. Namun demikian, sebagian yang lain mengatakan bahwa Allah tidak untuk diterjemahkan, dengan berargumen bahwa kata tersebut khusus dan agung sehingga mesti dijaga, tidak memiliki bentuk jamak dan gender (berbeda dengan God yang memiliki bentuk jamak Gods dan bentuk feminin Goddess dalam bahasa inggris). Isu ini menjadi penting dalam upaya penerjemahan Al Qur'an.

Read More

Just created the Article Library app - check it out on any phone!

Just created the Article Library app - check it out on any phone!: "Just created the Article Library app - check it out on any phone!"

Read More

Chocolate: The Body Defender and Protector

Believe it or not, chocolate is very good for your overall heath! After years of being put down, science has finally come around to give chocolate the respect it deserves.

Chocolate has been known to contain over 300 chemicals, and has been the subject of a number of studies by universities and other scientific organizations. The following are a few of the findings in the scientific community to back up the positive health benefits of chocolate:

1. Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. Of course, this is counteracted by the high sugar content of milk chocolate.

2. The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.

3. Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.

4. The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.

5. Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may actually diminish appetite.

6. Men who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don't.

7. The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic.

8. Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.

9. Mexican healers use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites.

10. The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

Another strong suite for chocolate is the amount of antioxidants that it has naturally. Most of us have heard that antioxidants are good for you, but what do antioxidants do? Basically, antioxidants get rid of the things in our bodies that attack DNA, which will in turn damage the cell membranes and our hearts making cancer and heart attacks far more likely. These attackers often called free radicals, attack our cell structure and are the cause of aging, so there really is no way of stopping them from attacking us. So in theory, the more antioxidants you eat the longer you are likely to live because they help defend your body against the attackers. Antioxidants are found in many natural plants. You can tell how rich they are in antioxidants by the color of the plant's bearings or the plant itself. The deeper the color, the more antioxidants the food contains. For example, blackberries, blueberries and red grapes all dark in color, all rich in intense antioxidants. Now look at the color of natural chocolate, it is so dark it is almost black, making it one of the healthiest foods you can put in your mouth. Keep in mind this is natural chocolate that has not been overly processed. Researchers have found that raw and / or minimally processed cocoa contains flavonoids similar to those found in green tea. According to preliminary studies, these antioxidants have been linked to help accomplish the following in the body

• Decrease blood pressure

• Improve circulation throughout the body

• Lower death rate from heart disease

• Improve function of endothelial cells that line the blood vessels

• Defend against destructive molecules called free radicals, which trigger cancer, heart disease and stroke

• Improve Digestion and stimulate kidneys

• Has been used to help treat patients with anemia, kidney stones and poor appetite

There are two different kinds of flavonoids called catechin and epicatechins. Catechins, which have recently been found to be abundant in cocoa and minimally processed chocolates, could also help prevent heart disease and possibly cancer, as well as boosting the immune system, according to recent studies. Dark chocolate has also recently been found to contain more than 3 times the amount of catechins as that found in tea. Chocolate is also a good source of copper and magnesium, which helps to regulate heartbeat and blood pressure.

So there it is, chocolate worth eating, but as in any food, a mass quantity can be destructive. By giving someone a basket of chocolate goodies or having some yourself, you can effectively causing an uplifting emotional but also healthy outcome. Have you had your chocolate today?

Read More

Malign Effects of Anorexia and Bulimia

Eating disorders make lots of victims among people nowadays. The persons suffering from these conditions are exposed to many threats, developing obsessions with food and experiencing changes in their behavior. Eating disorders are a sort of mental illnesses that seriously affect the health and the lifestyle of the persons who suffer from them. People with eating disorders usually feel depressed, tired, anxious and confused. Eating disorders lead to severe mental and physical damage, making people susceptible to malign behaviors and activities.

Anorexia Nervosa (anorexia) and Bulimia Nervosa (bulimia) are considered to be the most common and dangerous eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia both involve obsessions with food and a constant fear of gaining weight. The differences between anorexia and bulimia, however, are related to the body weight and the behavior of people who deal with their effects.

Anorexia involves a constant desire to be thin, regardless of how much the persons actually weighs. People who suffer from anorexia have a distorted perception of their physical appearance, always feeling that they are fat. No matter how much effort they may sustain in order to lose weight, the persons with anorexia are never appeased with their accomplishments. Anorexics are usually a lot thinner than bulimics. People with anorexia usually have a strong will, eat very little food, respect drastic diets and carefully count the calories of their meals.

Bulimia involves several different eating habits. People who suffer from bulimia may eat very little food for some periods of time and then eat large amounts of food instead. However, despite the great deal of food they eat at once, bulimics make sure to get rid of it from their system. The persons who suffer from bulimia purge the food from their bodies by vomiting or by taking laxatives and diuretics. They also exercise a lot in order to burn the food they consume.

Both anorexia and bulimia can lead to internal complications and even death from malnourishment. Anorexia and bulimia, as well as other eating disorders can be treated but it is very important to act quickly when dealing with this sort of illnesses.

Anorexia and bulimia affect people regardless of their age or sex. However, girls and young women are more exposed to developing eating disorders, especially due to their permanent preoccupation with their looks. Studies indicate that around one percent of young women and girls suffer from anorexia, while two percent are confronted with bulimia. The number of male persons suffering from anorexia exceeds the percentage of female persons affected by the same illness. The percentage of male people with anorexia is somewhere around five percent or more.

Despite the fact that anorexia and bulimia has attracted the attention of many scientists and psychiatrists lately, the performed studies haven't yet clarified the causes of anorexia and bulimia. Although it is thought that eating disorders are exclusively of psychological nature, appearing on the background of emotional instability and depression, there is also the possibility that some eating disorders might be developed due to some physical predispositions.

Anorexia and bulimia can be prevented by eating properly, respecting an appropriate eating schedule and by making improvements in your lifestyle. You should learn to take better care of your body and to be content and appeased with your physical appearance. Good self-esteem and self-respect are very important in the prevention of eating disorders.

Read More

Is Binge Eating Making You Feel Alone?

If you have Binge Eating Disorder, you understand the feelings of loneliness. You know what it is like to live in a secret world that no one knows about. You have a big secret, but no one is allowed to see that side of you.

At restaurants with friends, you order just the right amount of food and can't finish it all because you are so full. Little do your friends know that you had already eaten enough food for three people just two hours before meeting them for another dinner.

You talk to your friends about why you are overweight. You don't know why, you say. They are just as stumped as you are. They see what you eat and it is small portions. Not even unhealthy foods most of the time.

But what they don't know is that you have Binge Eating Disorder. You have something that is constantly looming over your head. Food. Food is a dream and a nightmare mixed into one. Food makes you feel better and then makes you feel worthless the very next minute.

You don't want to let your friends into your secret world though. This is your world and they will not understand. They may just tell you to stop eating so much. They won't understand.

But, if they are your friends, they will understand. You cannot let any self-limiting beliefs stand in your way anymore. Your friends love you and will stand by your side when asked for help. You mean everything to them

The first step that you can take is to tell someone that you trust. Stop dealing with this big problem on your own. Ask a friend to just listen to you when you need them. Often talking about problems and just getting things off of your chest will make you feel so much better. Plus, if you are hanging out with someone and talking about it, you are less likely to turn to food. It isn't as available and you are not alone. You are forcing yourself out of your comfort zone and that is okay.

Get help and find a trusted confidant. Expose your secret world to them little by little, or by however feels right to you. Listen to yourself and let that be the judge. Once they know where you are coming from, they will be able to help you to where you hope to go in the future.

Don't let binge eating disorder get the best of you; seek a friend to talk to and watch you start to feel better about yourself and your situation.

By: Kristin Gerstley

http://www.endbingeeating.com

Notice to publishers: you have rights to republish this article on your website as long as you keep all links in tact and clickable. Thank you.

Read More