Captured Memories

Alhamdulillah

31 Say to My servants who believe that they should keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them secretly and openly before the coming of the day in which there shall be no bartering nor mutual befriending. 32 Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water from the clouds, then brought forth with it fruits as a sustenance for you, and He has made the ships subservient to you, that they might run their course in the sea by His command, and He has made the rivers subservient to you. 33 And He has made subservient to you the sun and the moon pursuing their courses, and He has made subservient to you the night and the day. 34 And He gives you of all that you ask Him; and if you count Allah's favors, you will not be able to number them; most surely man is very unjust, very ungrateful. [Surah Ibraheem]

Photographs: Ibn Hanif

Sunset with a Bird

Photograph: Ibn Hanif

Patience

Photo: Ibn Hanif



21 O Mankind! Worship your Rabb Who created you and created those who came before you; by doing this you may expect to guard yourself against evil.

22 It is He Who has made the earth a floor for you and the sky a canopy; and it is He Who sends down rain from the sky for the growth of fruits for your
sustenance. Therefore, do not knowingly set up rivals to Allah.
23 If you are in doubt as to whether the revelations which We have sent to Our servant (Muhammad) are from Us or not, then produce one Surah like this;
and call your witnesses (gods that you call upon) besides Allah to assist you, if you are right in your claim.

24 But if you are unable to do so, and you can never do so, then fear the Hell fire, whose fuel is men and stones which is prepared for the unbelievers.
25 Give glad tidings to those who believe in this Book and do good deeds in
accordance with its teachings for them there will be Gardens beneath which
rivers flow. Whenever they will be given fruits to eat they will say: "This is similar to the one we used to eat before on earth," for the fruits will
resemble the fruits on the earth for their easy identification and enjoyment;
and for them there will be chaste virgin spouses, and they shall live therein
for ever.
26 Allah does not mind using the similitude of a gnat or an even more
insignificant creature to teach a lesson. Those who believe know that it is
the truth from their Rabb; but the unbelievers say: "What does Allah mean
by such a similitude?" By such a similitude Allah confounds many and enlightens many. He confounds none except the transgressors:
27 those who break Allah's Covenant after accepting it, and who cut aside what Allah has ordered to be united and cause mischief on earth. It is they who are the losers.
28 How can you deny Allah? Did He not give you life when you were lifeless;
and will He not cause you to die and again bring you to life; and will you not ultimately return to Him ?
29 It is He Who has created for you all that there is in the earth; and directed Himself towards the sky and fashioned it into seven heavens. He has perfect knowledge of everything.
30 Note that occasion, when your Rabb said to the angels: I am going to place
a vicegerent on earth. The angels said: "Will You place there one who will make mischief and shed blood while we sing Your praises and glorify Your
name?" Allah said: "I know what you know not."
31 He taught Adam the names of all things; then He presented the things to
the angels and said: "Tell Me the names of those if what you say is true?"
(Allah did this to show Adam's special qualities of learning and memory).

32 "Glory to You," they replied, "we have no knowledge except what You have
taught us: in fact You are the One who is perfect in knowledge and wisdom."
33
Allah said: "O Adam! Tell them the names." When Adam told them the names, Allah said: "Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the heavens and the earth and I know what you reveal and what you conceal?"
34 When We ordered the angels: "Prostrate before Adam in respect," they all
prostrated except Iblees (Shaitan) who refused in his arrogance and became a disbeliever.
35 To Adam We said: "Dwell with your wife in Paradise and eat anything you
want from its bountiful food from wherever you wish, but do not approach
this tree, or you shall both become transgressors."
36 But Shaitan tempted them with the tree to disobey Allah's commandment and caused them to be expelled from Paradise, and We said: "Get out from here, some of you being enemies to others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and provisions for a specified period."
37 Then Adam received appropriate words from his Rabb and repented, and Allah accepted his repentance. Surely Allah is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
38 "Get out from here all of you," We said at the time of Adam's departure from Paradise. "There will come to you a guidance from Me, those who accept and follow it shall have nothing to fear or to regret.

39 But those who reject and defy Our revelations will be inmates of Hellfire
wherein they shall live forever."

Lahore: A Brief Intro

Cheap Flights To Lahore For Collecting The Historical Marks

By: humza

"The heart of Pakistan" the fruitful land, Lahore is settled at the bank of River Ravi. The charming city owns a rich and proud culture. The public is known for their jovial and friendly nature. Lahore has existed since old times, even the geographia written in 150 AD also mentioned Lahore. By some Hindu folklore the city is named after the son of ruler of Lahore. In 713 CE it was dominated by the Muslims and thus Islam was introduced in the region. The site allows you to search and booking of the cheap flights to Lahore with various airlines from London UK. The city has been witnessed the rise and falls of various empires Sikhs, Mughals, British. There are still standing the buildings telling the stories of those times. Lahore in itself is carrying a complete world in it, a mass of the ancient times and the eagerness to outshine in the future.

Badshahi Mosque – one of the biggest mosques worldwide, constructed by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in 1674. The red four minarets, three huge marble domes and widespread courtyard present a fine artwork of Muslim architecture. The mosque is equally popular among various ethnic groups and they tenderly get the cheap flights to Lahore to tour the mosque.

Gurdwara of Arjan Dev – built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, is the biggest temple in Lahore. The gurdwara is the foremost religious place of Sikhs. Every year hundreds of Sikhs globally reserve the flights to Lahore to participate in their religious festivals held in the temple.

Lahore fort – built in 1566 the fort is the trademark building. The sights take you to a mysterious world. The fort has various sections like Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas, Shish Mahal, Naulakha, Moti mosque etc. The building is overall fabulous. Tourists from the worldwide acquiring the cheap flights to Lahore specially take out time to visit the fort.

Lahore Museum – contains 20 galleries displaying the items from Stone Age to 20th century, Islmaic art works, stones and art pieces of Indus Valley, Moenjodaro, Harappa civilization. The tourists reserving the flights to Lahore never forget to visit the museum to get the knowledge of earlier civilization.

Begum Shah Mosque – is dedicated to the mother of Mughal Emperor Jehangir in 1614.

http://www.cheapflightstolahore.org.uk
Kamran Baradari Park – is located on the River Ravi, dedicated to the beloved son of Zahiruddin Babur in 1540. The baradari is in fact a two storey building opened to a veranda having 12 gates. While planning and searching for the cheap flights to Lahore be informed about the peak and special days in Lahore when other people will be journeying to Lahore and air fares get more expensive.

About the Author

I am an educationist by profession. I am into writing and reading since school days. For the past few years I am focusing on writing travel guides as I am also fond of traveling specially the prehistoric places. I have realized that writing travel guides requires a lot of observation power and concentration. cheap flights to Lahore

(ArticlesBase SC #2130638)

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Mixed Vase Flower Arrangements – For Beauty and Freshness!

By: Flowers

We use flower arrangements made with different flowers in weddings or parties. Beautiful flower arrangements help set the mood right for the occasion. When flowers can do this to an event that lasts for a few hours, imagine the effect they can create when we use them in our home or office where we spend most of our time.

Flowers can bring life to any room. The scent of fresh flowers and the magic of their brilliant colors cheer you up the moment you step into the room. Don’t wait any longer; decorate your home with flower arrangements made with fresh flowers. They will create a thoroughly soothing environment.

Select flower arrangements with colors and style that will blend with your home decor. A vase flower arrangement with mixed seasonal flowers is always a good option. The mixed seasonal flower arrangement from OnlineFlowers.com, which is an assortment of bright and beautiful flowers like roses, stock, delphinium, and other seasonal flowers, is perfect for any home, no matter what the style is. These vase flower arrangements, with a fascinating combination of beautiful colors, fragrances, and shapes create a stunning effect.

Flowers like roses are available throughout the year. But, not all flowers are available all year around; most of them are seasonal. So it’s good to go for seasonal flowers arrangements. Flowers like tulips and daffodils are spring flowers, whereas sunflowers and dahlias are summer flowers. It’s up to you to choose the right flowers for your seasonal flower arrangements.

Flower arrangements don’t stop at creating a welcoming atmosphere in your home. According to a research conducted a few years back, flowers help reduce stress. A study conducted at Rutgers University reiterated this fact by proving that that flowers decrease anxiety, depression, and agitation. Another research also revealed that people communicate better in the presence of flowers. Now you have all the more reason to decorate your home or office with pleasing flower arrangements.

About the Author

www.onlineflowers-blog.com

(ArticlesBase SC #1106479)

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The Love and the Lure of Nature Walking

By: Jane Claire Lambert

By Jane Claire Lambert

Did you know that in the days of your great-grandparents the inclusion of nature instruction in school was a serious concern? Many of you have read a bit of Charlotte Mason’s books or A Girl of the Limberlost or Freckles. Some of you even own Anna Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study, though for many of us it is collecting dust daily. Did you know that in days gone by, students routinely went on nature walks at all times of the year? They learned about the animals, trees, insects, stars, rocks, and weather, and they learned about them in great detail through daily observation, daily lessons, and daily application.

What has happened in the years since? Has nature grown less amazing? Is it less magnificent and less important these days to notice colors, sounds, smells, designs, and all the beauty that is free just for the taking? Is it less important to one’s well-being to have times of quiet solitude in beautiful surroundings? Is it less interesting now to be swept away with the beauty of the night sky or go owl watching together? What has happened?

In the classroom it could be that the topic itself is slowly escaping from many school curricula. In our present culture, the Creator has been removed from the traditional classroom. With His departure, much of the wonder and amazement with which teachers eagerly tied Him to what has been made left as well.

Take, for example, the simple adventure of walking outdoors and collecting a few specimens of tree leaves. Careful observation could disclose that there are those with beautiful red stems and others with the palest of greenish-brown ones. For many young students, finding that each of these different, beautiful leaves belong to a particular kind of tree might be an awesome discovery. Yet, in many traditional classrooms, the entire process has been reduced to "memorize twenty leaf formations and the test is Friday." The students are left wondering, “Why? Why should we study this?” Because appreciation of the beauty and carefulness with which the Creator has made each and every natural thing is left out of the teaching, there no longer seems to be a good reason to learn about such things. Wonder and amazement have just evaporated from most nature lessons.

And all this while everything out there—from the stars in the sky to the minute worlds inside a single drop of pond water to the cells in a blade of grass—shouts the praises of the One who spoke it all into being. Yes, perhaps we should break away a while from our televisions, video games, soccer games, and central heating and air-conditioning to once again acquaint ourselves with the great outdoors! We have become more and more an indoor-dwelling people, and we’ve not noticed that so much of what speaks of the greatness of our God has therefore been closed out of our lives and out of the lives of our children. The very topics that used to be taught enthusiastically to both the tiniest child and the student of higher education are no longer on the agenda or are taught only from textbooks, rarely through personal adventures.

Even in our homeschooling we are hesitant these days to get outside and find safe places to examine what has been made. We just don’t take the time, because we’ve forgotten how vitally important this activity really is! Many of us don’t live on acreage with ponds and meadows to scout out, and it is more difficult for some to find safe parks and places to explore. Yet, if we truly believed that taking time to get out into nature was critically important, wouldn’t we have a new desire to pray for and seek out special spots to view the natural wonders that are close at hand? Even in the heart of city life, one can find so many great examples of natural phenomenon, and nature is always as close as our own backyard. We even know one family who strolled through cemeteries, enjoying lovely trees of all kinds, ponds, flowers, birds, insects, and more with their children.

If you believe in the need, you will find a way, so here are seven extra special reasons to get up and get out!

Seven Special Reasons to Get Up and Get Out!

1. Nature walks will teach your child to watch everything around him. These outings will greatly increase his observational skills and his outdoor life skills. Take your children walking often, and watch your science lessons become more relevant year after year as your students are able to apply experientially, through this time outside, the concepts you have presented. You see, it is one thing to teach the life cycle of a frog and quite another to find egg masses and tadpoles in a nearby pond! Children are filled with wonder as they use a net to collect specimens or turn over rocks on a lakeshore and find crawdads escaping every which way! This is life! This is the making of memories! This is real learning, not book learning!

2. Take your children out often, and they will find that one thing in nature always leads to another. If they are interested in a frog they see one day, the next day they will wonder and want to find out about the crickets and worms that the frogs eat. Then they may get interested in the condition of the pond water, and so it goes. This is experience-directed learning that is so exciting to your children. By walking outdoors with them on a regular basis, you will set off a chain reaction of learning experiences for your children that will continue for a lifetime, as they find that each discovery is connected to many other parts of nature.

3. Camaraderie—that special intimacy that comes from adventuring and making discoveries together—is another benefit of a good nature walk. Whether a mother or father walks with all their children or they take their journeys with just one child at a time or they use different combinations over the months, the time spent will reap intimacy as well as nature knowledge. Yes, you all will see and learn together, and that is wonderful. The times of quiet togetherness and the times of deep conversations along the way are special features of nature outings. It is as if the Lord has provided a miraculous setting for you to “be” with your children. Planned nature walks will provide years of the type of environment that enhances rich family ties.

4. At certain times when viewing nature, some quietness, solitude, and patience are necessary. Of course a small child doesn’t understand this at first, and the lessons that a parent uses to teach a little one to walk more quietly, sit for a bit, and watch what is around him must be gentle and full of patience. If you model (especially fun when acted out over-dramatically) walking softly and being as quiet as possible for part of your walks, your child will begin to see that it is often in times of quietness that the greatest marvels are seen. Then you will have done your job well. The desire to be quiet in order to see something special will be catching, and in time your child will begin to value quietness and solitude. Nature walks, begun simply and continued over the years—time spent watching and thinking—will develop a “deepness of heart” in a student who learns to quiet himself in these journeys together. Couldn’t our world use a few more inhabitants with “deepness of heart”?

5. As your child grows in his awareness of the magnificence of creation, he will grow to love it. What he grows to love, he will want to take care of. Nature walks, begun early and continued throughout your teaching days, will lead your child to an awareness of the necessity of stewardship of our natural resources. We are all called to be the “gentle tenders” of our world. But if we don’t even know anything about it, it is difficult to want to preserve it and use our resources wisely.

6. Taking time to walk outdoors will create a lifetime appreciation for what the Lord has made, and that deep love of nature will become a rich field for worship. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, and those who spend time in the out of doors discovering the wonders and learning that it comes from Him will have a vast and limitless resource for worshiping the One who created it all! Modeling a grateful heart for the beauty of nature all around us will flow out onto our children. Every leaf, each bug, every cell under a microscope is a marvel worthy of all our praise. If we display a heart of praise and worship for such a magnificent Creator, then wonder and worship will come to our children as well.

7. Something else will grow from enjoyable nature walks and seeing the magnificence of nature on a regular basis. A new understanding in the heart of your student will develop: nothing in nature is “common.” In the book Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, we read that the people in Bentley’s day thought snowflakes were “as common as dirt.” But Mr. Bentley knew, because he had seen them under a microscope, that each snowflake was utterly and beautifully unique. All of nature is like that! Each stone has its own loveliness; each drop of water has an entire world of creatures swimming in it; each bit of moss or lichen—extraordinary! Everything that the Lord has made is amazing—nothing is common! How wonderful to begin at a young age to teach our children about the amazing natural world around them and the One who made it all.

So, if we took a quick quiz, what are the seven important reasons to get up and get out?

1. Gaining observational and life skills, as well as actually experiencing school lessons so that they become relevant

2. Understanding the connectedness of life

3. Experiencing camaraderie, intimacy, and the joy of making rich family ties

4. Developing a quiet heart . . . one that can actually be still now and then, and one that can find benefits from moments of solitude

5. Becoming aware of stewardship and conservation

6. Creating a rich avenue for worship

7. Learning that nothing in nature is “common.”

Perhaps nature walks truly are more important than we first imagined!

Jane Claire Lambert and her husband Steve operate Five in a Row Publishing and are busy speaking at homeschool conferences and creating new products in the Five in a Row tradition. Visit their website at www.fiveinarow.com and www.fiardigital.com for more information, including details about their new four-part nature series: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

©2008 The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC

www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2008 issue of The Old

Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC

Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

 

About the Author

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Landscape Photography: Straight Lines in a Composition

By: Andrew Goodall

Learning photography is a two part process. You have to understand the mechanical skills relating to the camera, but you also need to master some artistic techniques as well. The artistic side is where you can set your photos apart from the crowd.

The difficulty is, while technical photography can be taught using concrete rules and numbers, composition is a little more 'artsy.' A lucky few are born with a natural sense of visual style and balance. For the rest of us, it takes plenty of time and experience to develop a talent for composition.

Luckily there are a few tips and guidelines that can make the whole thing easier. One of these, the Rule Of Thirds, I have already mentioned in a couple of previous articles. There is another principle of good composition that can add real impact to your photos; it just doesn't have a name.

Today I want to write about using straight lines in a composition to lead the eye of the viewer. This is a simple technique that helps to control the way the viewer sees your photo. You can use lines to lead the eye of the viewer within your composition, and even add impact to a particular part of your photo.

Imagine a photo with a panoramic landscape. You could think like a tourist and just snap the landscape with no thought for creative composition. But as a creative photographer, you have a better idea. You find an outlook that offers the same scene, but with a fence in the foreground.

For your first shot, you photograph the fence running horizontally across the foreground. In this situation, the fence is like a barrier between the viewer and the subject. It does not help the composition; in fact it is probably an annoying distraction. People are likely to think "Nice photo - it's a pity the fence got in the way."

Next, imagine the same scene shot from a slightly different angle. Now the fence runs diagonally away from the camera towards the landscape in the distance. This alternate view (if done well) will create a completely different impact. The eye will be caught by the prominent subject in the foreground (the fence), and it will follow the line of the fenceposts into the picture.

In this way the two elements of your composition work together to make a stronger picture. The fence is no longer a distraction; in fact, it adds emphasis to the background subject by leading the viewer in that direction.

There are many situations that can use this simple technique. A bridge, a jetty, a line of telephone wires, even railway tracks...there are all kinds of opportunities to use the lines of everyday objects to enhance a composition.

There are three things to look for when using straight-line objects. The lines should be long (a line of two fenceposts won't do much for your photo; twenty fenceposts will). They should be receding diagonally away from the camera (remember our example). And it helps if there is a repeated pattern in the lines which diminishes as the object recedes away from the camera. In our example, the fenceposts will appear to get smaller as they progress into the distance. This will create a sense of perspective that makes your two-dimensional photo seem quite three-dimensional.

Whenever I teach a photography class, there is a simple rule that I try to get across: "Anything that doesn't make your composition better, makes it worse."

A photographer in our hypothetical scenario should be applauded for choosing to use the fence to add interest to the landscape. Never forget that any good landscape subject has been photographed many times before; the real trick is to find an angle that makes your photo unique. But having decided to use it, it is essential that the fence works with the rest of the composition. Otherwise, your picture may be better off without it.

As a creative photographer, always remember that nothing should appear in your photo by accident. All the elements of your photo should not only add interest, but also work cohesively to add impact to the entire composition.

About the Author

Andrew Goodall's top selling ebooks on photography for beginners have already helped thousands of people learn the skills better photography. Find them at http://www.naturesimage.com.au and sign up the online newsletter for even more tips...it's free!

(ArticlesBase SC #581471)

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Close Up Photography, an Emotional Approach to Nature Photography

By: Phil McDermott

From wide open spaces to rugged mountains, rolling meadows to dramatic coastlines they all play an important part in the nature of landscape. However, with such a view it is often hard to appreciate the beauty because there is nowhere for the eye to settle and concentrate on.

Why not take a fresh approach to nature photography and concentrate on part of the view and take time to consider color, shape and texture to really appreciate the finer features of the scene.

Enter the world of close up photography that lies just beyond the familiar but so rich in detail and beauty. If we look through our close up lens with an open mind, imagination and childlike curiosity there are many close up photography opportunities for us to consider.

As nature photographers we can take this concept further, for example that distant bright yellow patch becomes on closer inspection a riotous stand of broom flowers. Closer still we see clearly the intricate detail in each flower and seedpod that we can record in our close up photography.

Now go really close, look at the seedpod with its gossamer covering of fine hairs and we start to appreciate how things fit together. Whilst this is not a scientific approach it provides a raw and basic understanding, offers enlightenment and lets us become an integral part of nature. So by going close up and concentrating on a small part of the whole we have simplified our close up photography subject, made it basic, powerful and memorable,.

There is no need to go far, finding close up nature photography opportunities should be seen as a journey of the soul, inner vision and contemplation rather than visiting a far off place. Often the deeper we look into our close up photography subjects the more rewarding they become. Without hesitation they reveal their treasures allowing us time to admire their quality. With this awareness the nature photographer with a passion for close up photography is indeed privileged.

Appreciating that all these parts form an important relationship with each other makes it is easier to understand that the whole is made up of many unique parts and like pieces of a jigsaw they combine together to create a complete picture. Indeed, only by appreciating the significance of the smallest parts of our surroundings can we can start to make sense of nature as a whole and incorporate this awareness into our close up photography.

Emotion and drama and be found in often overlooked close up photography cameos, like a delicate flower growing defiantly in a boulder crevice, its tenuous grip on life dependent on the sustenance from the crevice debris. Yet it lives on year after year, testimony to its determination and resilience. It is this inter-action that is so enduring and compelling that makes these interesting subjects perfect for nature photography.

As a close up photographer getting close up to nature allows a greater understanding and appreciation of the beauty of the natural world. For example a cold clear winter day with breathtaking crispness can be ideal for close up photography, in these conditions there are magical patterns in snow, frost and shimmering icicles. Ice patterns make perfect winter close up photography subjects; they literally capture a moment frozen in time. Depending on the prevailing weather conditions some have smooth curves whilst others show harsh jagged lines providing creative close up photography opportunities.

Early morning in spring and summer can be a wonderful time to find close up photography subjects. Flowers and grasses covered with dew or fine rain make fascinating close up photography studies, the fine hairs hold onto droplets of water almost defy gravity. In the right conditions there may be insects that after a night’s inactivity have become encrusted with minute droplets. Butterflies make excellent close up photography subjects and look stunning covered in dew as they sparkle like a myriad of jewels.

Light quality plays an important role in our close up photography, if it is too harsh the increase in contrast will actually block out the very close up detail we are trying to photograph. It is far better to have diffused light that occurs with high thin cloud cover. It provides a much softer quality of light and allows the detail, texture and nuances to be clearly seen and recorded in our close up photography. Color also influences our interpretation of the subject, vibrant colors like red and yellow for example suggest dominance and power, whereas muted tones like grey and browns convey basic, earthy and tranquil feelings.

So, if we approach our close up photography with childlike wonder and a renewed vision the natural world is undoubtedly a beautiful place. To fully appreciate it requires a little time and an inquisitive mind, it will reward you with the knowledge that even the simplest of things can bring satisfaction, contentment, harmony and inner peace.

About the Author

Phil McDermott, Scotland Commercial Photographer and Close up Photography Workshops Phil McDermott Photography. See our Photography Blog for Photography Tips and Ideas.

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