680)A 680-Post Blog Summarized:The Story Of My Blog Told Through Collections Of Posts To Date: Winter, Spring And Summer Reading For Anyone Interested

In the beginning there was nothing and then, ex nihilo, there was Blogpost 1. Now there is Blogpost 680. I was not exactly sure where I was going with my Blog when I started out in March 2006 but every Blog should have a reason to exist, a scaffolding within which it can be constructed and also the ability to diversify into other areas when the occasion calls for it:

A Blog Begun As A Retirement Project "To Prevent My Brain From Turning Into Mush":No 13 On The Top 50 Science Blogs among 125,000 NetworkedBlogs.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/12/533a-blog-begun-as-retirement-project.html

A Collection Of Posts Describing The Ethos Of My Blog On The Link Between Science And Religion In Islam; Quotes Of Aga Khans And Others.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/04/463a-collection-of-posts-describing.html


I am lucky to be living in the present era because we all have online access to information and knowledge of the highest scholarly standard and I take full advantage of this wisdom to advance the case of my Blog on the link between Science and Religion in Islam:

Blogpost Five Hundred IS Blogpost Four Hundred, The High-Octane Fuel That Powers My Blog On The Link Between Science And Religion In Islam
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/08/500blogpost-five-hundred-is-blogpost.html

A collection of speeches by Aga Khans IV and III, source of some of my doctrinal material on science, religion, creation, knowledge and intellect
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2008/05/365a-collection-of-speeches-by-aga.html

A Collection of Posts on my Blog from the Institute of Ismaili Studies, Aga Khan Development Network and Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/04/467a-collection-of-posts-on-my-blog.html

A Collection Of Posts Describing The Philosophical, Theological, Doctrinal, Historical, Scientific And Esoteric Underpinnings Of My Blog.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2010/02/568a-collection-of-posts-describing.html

My Favourite Cosmologist-Philosopher-Theologian-Poets: Abu Yakub Al-Sijistani, Nasir Khusraw And Ikhwan Al-Safa; A Collection Of Posts On My Blog.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2008/11/428my-favourite-cosmologist-philosopher.html


Along the way two of many topics that have consumed my interest are the golden ages of Astronomy and Particle Physics we currently find ourselves in. I find it mentally orgasmic to study, on the one hand, one discipline dealing with the largest and most distant objects in the universe(galaxies: recently very clear telescopic pictures show us a galaxy 10 billion light years away in the early universe; that would be a 1 with 23 zeroes in front of it, kilometers away from us, an unimagineable distance). The burgeoning array of very powerful ground- and space-based telescopes have made all of this possible. On the other hand we have the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva smashing together protons at close to the speed of light, releasing the most miniscule subatomic particles that existed by themselves only a fraction of a second after the Big Bang 14 billion years ago:

A Collection of Posts on Astronomy; Quotes of Noble Quran, Aga Khan IV, Aga Khan III, Nasir Khusraw, Abu Yakub Al Sijistani and Aristotle
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/03/456a-collection-of-posts-on-astronomy.html

The Large Hadron Collider Collection Of Posts On Easy Nash's Blog: A 10 Billion Euro Gizmo That Could Unlock The Secrets Of Genesis.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2010/03/598the-large-hadron-collider-collection.html


I also highlight on my Blog the seminal contributions of a few scientists, both Muslim and non-Muslim, whose work I find mesmerizing as they set about answering the fundamental questions: "What is the Universe made up of and how does it operate?":

A Collection of Posts on this Blog about Great Scientists; Quote of Aga Khan IV(update)
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/01/437a-collection-of-blogposts-on-great.html

The Ikhwan Al-Safa(Brethern Of Purity), The Original Encyclopedists: Balancing Revelation And Reason; A Collection Of Posts; Quotes Of Aga Khan IV
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/05/483the-ikhwan-al-safabrethern-of-purity.html

Ibn Al-Haytham(AlHazen), Father Of Modern Optics, Mathematician, Astronomer, Physicist, Philosopher: A Collection Of Posts; Quote Of Aga Khan IV
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2008/10/418alykhan-velshi-on-ismaili-mail.html

A Collection of Posts on Charles Darwin,a Scientist Way Ahead of His Time; Dynamic vs Static Creation; Quotes of Noble Quran, Aga Khans IV and III
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/02/450a-collection-of-posts-on-charles.html


Different aspects of the relationship between Science and Religion also caught my interest along with earlier well-established knowledge societies in the Muslim world:

The Peter McKnight Collection Of Posts On Science And Religion; Read Them Along With Blogpost Four Hundred; Quotes of Aga Khans IV and III
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/01/441the-peter-mcknight-collection-of.html

Knowledge Society: A Collection of Posts on the Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain; Quotes of Aga Khan IV.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/01/438knowledge-society-collection-of.html


Many scientific developments, in addition to Astronomy and Particle Physics, have found their way onto my Blog and all of these have opened up for us a mind-boggling window into the marvels of God's creation:

A collection of posts about life: tiniest matter, supernovae, living cells, water, proteins, blood, photosynthesis, etc;Quotes of Aga Khans+others.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/01/435a-collection-of-posts-about-life.html

A Collection of Posts on Symmetry in Nature, as a Product of the Human Mind, Geometry and Harmonious Mathematical Reasoning; Quotes of Aga Khan IV
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/03/454a-collection-of-posts-on-symmetry-in.html

Ayats(Signs) In The Universe Series:A Collection of Seven+ Posts;Quotes of Noble Quran, Prophet Muhammad, Aga Khans, Nasir Khusraw + Al Sijistani
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/03/460ayatssigns-in-universe-seriesa.html

A Collection Of Posts On The Much-Visited And Wildly Popular ISMAILI MAIL Website Entitled 'BBC: Science And Islam-The Power Of Doubt'.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/12/536-collection-of-posts-on-much-visited.html


In the end, however, this is a Blog about the relationship between Science and Religion in Islam and there is no shortage of information in the Shia Nizari Ismaili Muslim literature about the fundamental Islamic concept of Monoreality, around which my Blog revolves. My three favourite Ismaili cosmologist-philosopher-theologian-poets, Abu Yakub Al-Sijistani and Nasir Khusraw, both hailing from eastern Persia about a thousand years ago, and the Ikhwan Al-Safa(Brethern of Purity), hailing from Basra around twelve hundred years ago, use the elaborate languages of Philosophy, Theology, Poetry, Allegory and Mysticism to masterfully describe this intimate relationship:

'Ismaili Philosophy' From The Internet Encyclopedia Of Philosophy, By Professor Azim Nanji; Quotes Of Aga Khans IV And Others
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2010/03/578ismaili-philosophy-from-internet.html

A Collection Of Posts Describing The Philosophical, Theological, Doctrinal, Historical, Scientific And Esoteric Underpinnings Of My Blog.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2010/02/568a-collection-of-posts-describing.html

My Favourite Cosmologist-Philosopher-Theologian-Poets: Abu Yakub Al-Sijistani, Nasir Khusraw And Ikhwan Al-Safa; A Collection Of Posts On My Blog.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2008/11/428my-favourite-cosmologist-philosopher.html


No self-respecting Blog that I write could ever be complete without the mention of my and my extended family's origins, both remote and recent, as well as their life stories. The truism 'you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family, you're stuck with them, whoever they are, wherever they are, whether you have ever met them or not and whether you like them or not' is a more all-encompassing description than talking scientifically about the sharing of genes and bloodlines:

A Collection Of Posts On My Blog About All Things KESHAVJEE; Quotes from Blogpost Four Hundred.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/11/505a-collection-of-posts-on-my-blog.html


My political leanings are also revealed through various posts mixed in with the main topic of my Blog; some of these posts are a magnet for large numbers of readers from six continents to my Blog(a good number of prospective Canadians actually study Canada's magnificent new Citizenship Guide directly from my Blog) and are also designed to push the hot buttons of an obnoxious coreligionist or two:

The Canadian Conservative Government Featured On Easy Nash's Blog: Rt Hon Stephen Harper, Hon Jason Kenney Et Al; A Collection Of Posts
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2010/03/592the-canadian-conservative-government.html

A Collection Of Posts On My Blog Relating To The Stephen Harper Government's Magnificent New Citizenship Guide; Quotes Of Minister Kenney Et Al
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2010/03/576a-collection-of-posts-on-my-blog.html

Having Purged Myself Of The Putrefaction Of Liberalism + Socialism Here Is A Collection Of Posts Coursing Nourishing Conservatism Through My Veins
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/06/489having-purged-myself-of-putrefaction.html

Professor Salim Mansur, Provocative, Fearless, Definitely No Shrinking Violet And Not A Jamal Public Pinko Either; A Collection Of Posts.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2010/03/595professor-salim-mansur-provocative.html

A Collection Of Posts By Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, World-Renowned Physics Professor And Disciple Of 1979 Physics Nobel Laureate Abdus Salaam
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/03/461a-collection-of-posts-on-pervez.html

A Collection Of Posts Honouring Courageous Sisters in Religion:Irshad Manji,Yasmin Alibhai-Brown,the Redoubtable Moghul,Sheema Khan and Sheela B.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/03/462a-collection-of-posts-honouring-our.html


Whenever I take a break from Blogging, or develop a mental block, I try to leave a personal selection of posts for the benefit of my readership while I am away and my current post, Blogpost 599, will be one such example:

Summer, Fall and Winter Reading For Those Who Are Interested: My Choice Of The Top 50 Posts In My 500-post Blog
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/08/499summer-fall-and-winter-reading-for.html

Summer Reading For Those Who Are Interested; My Choice Of My Top Collections Of Posts On My 491-Post Blog
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/07/491summer-reading-for-those-who-are.html

Fall And Winter Reading For Those Who Are Interested: My Choice Of The Top 50 Posts On My 427-Post Blog.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2008/11/427fall-and-winter-reading-for-those.html

A Post About Collections of Posts And A Collection Of Posts About Collections Of Posts.........; Quote of Anonymous.
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/04/465a-post-about-collections-of-posts.html

A Collection Of Posts About My Choice Of My Favourite Posts, Off-Topic Posts and Sundry Things; Quote Of Anonymous
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/04/464a-collection-of-posts-about-my.html


The above compilation of collections of posts contains a very large number of, but not all, the 680 posts that make up my Blog on the link between Science and Religion in Islam. In order to find the orphan posts that do not fit into any particular collection you will need to read the entire Blog from start to finish and pick them out yourself.

In conclusion my Blog description sums it all up to my satisfaction:

"This blog contains my thoughts on the above, reflecting the tradition of Shia Nizari Ismaili Islam: The material universe is part of the structure of truth, the ultimate nature of which it is the goal of religion to reach(monoreality). Among other things this blog asks two questions, what is the universe made up of and how does it operate? The answer to these questions finds its way onto a continuum of knowledge ranging from rationally-acquired knowledge to transcendental knowledge of the divine.

The signature post of my blog, Blogpost Four Hundred, quotes of Aga Khan IV and others, forms a solid doctrinal underpinning to my blog:
http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2008/09/400blogpost-four-hundred-knowledge.html

Quote of the Blog:"The Quran itself repeatedly recommends Muslims to become better educated in order better to understand God's creation"(Aga Khan IV, Louvre Museum, Paris, France, October 17th 2007).

This is what drives my blog: The Prophet Mohammed said that the first(and only) thing that was originated, through the Divine Command or Will, by the Absolutely Transcendent God, was Intellect(Aql). Intellect(from which all else emanates) provides 'tayyid' or inspiration to Natiq(Speaking Prophet, of whom there were six great ones) and Soul; Natiq composes('talif') a scripture made up of words and sentences from this inspiration, and Soul composes('tarkib') a universe made up of matter from this inspiration. This is what forms the basis of the link between science and religion. The compositions of Natiq and Soul are equivalent(both called 'ayats' or 'signs') and each contains Intellect wrapped within it. The Asas(Founder) interprets('tawil') the compositions of the Natiq and Soul, unincorporating them to uncover Intellect in its pure glory.

My blog is constructed and conceived within a scaffolding of the Al Sijistani-Khusraw cosmological doctrine(identifying the four wellsprings of knowledge: Intellect, Soul, Natiq and Asas), allowing for the discoveries of modern, empirical science to fit neatly into its overall structure. Abu Yakub Al Sijistani and Nasir Khusraw were Ismaili cosmologist-philosopher-theologian-poets who lived during the period of the 14th to 18th Fatimid Ismaili Imam-Caliphs in Egypt around a thousand years ago."


Easy Nash http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/science_and_religion_in_islam_the_link/ http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/08/500blogpost-five-hundred-is-blogpost.html http://gonashgo.blogspot.com/2009/03/453a-blog-constructed-within.html
In Shia Islam, intellect is a key component of faith. Intellect allows us to understand the creation of God: Aga Khan IV(2008)
The Qur'an itself repeatedly recommends Muslims to become better educated in order better to understand God's creation: Aga Khan IV(2007)
The Quran tells us that signs of Allah's Sovereignty are found in the contemplation of His Creation: Aga Khan IV(2007)
This notion of the capacity of the human intellect to understand and to admire the creation of Allah will bring you happiness in your everyday lives: Aga Khan IV(2007)
Islam, eminently logical, placing the greatest emphasis on knowledge, purports to understand God's creation: Aga Khan IV(2006)
The Holy Qu'ran's encouragement to study nature and the physical world around us gave the original impetus to scientific enquiry among Muslims: Aga Khan IV(1985)
The first and only thing created by God was the Intellect(Aql): Prophet Muhammad(circa 632CE)