Orion Magazine Managing Editor Andrew Blechman interviews author James Howard Kunstler about his recent essay on the future of cities in an age of peak oil and obligatory contraction. According to Kunstler, Phoenix and Las Vegas will be “toast,” skyscrapers will become massive liabilities, suburbs will turn into salvage yards, and commerce will look very different. Kunstler is quite certain that civilization will remain intact, albeit retrofitted with slow trains, sailing ships, and other blasts from the past.

Back to the Future.

What Do You Want From Your Ramadan?

We spend eleven months of the year hoping and yearning for Ramadan to arrive. But why? What is it we want from our Ramadan?

Ramadan Dispatches. Ramadan Mubarak.

Congratulations to all of those Muslims who are either graduating from one class to another or who have completed their degrees and are moving into the “real world.” As we move from stage to stage in this life (al-Hayah al-Dunya), we should know that we are moving ever closer that the Next Appointment. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم warned us about five things before they were taken from us:

اغتنم خمسا قبل خمس ، شبابك قبل هرمك ، وصحتك قبل سقمك ، وغناك قبل فقرك ، وفراغك قبل شغلك ، وحياتك قبل موتك “Take advantage of five things before they are taken from you: your youth before you grow old, your health before you become sick, your wealth before you become poor, your free time before you are occupied and your life before your death.” Related by ‘Abd-Allah Ibn ‘Abbas from Ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani’s Fath al-Bari.

Marc Manley Dot Com.

Surah al-Dukhan [44] recited by Shaykh Miftah bin Muhammad al-Sultani in the riwayahHisham bin Ibn ‘Amir. Listen to the full recitation here. Marc Manley Dot Com.

majdimam:

Warsh recitation of surat Qaf by Abdul Mujeeb Benkiran.

Towards a Sacred Life Style - Loving the Prophet with Adnan Zulfiqar.

Is Religion Fighting For Its Life?: “In a technocracy, tools play a central role in the thought-world of the culture. Everything must give way…” Neil Postman, fromTechnopoly.

Marc Manley Dot Com.

Hamd and Shukr – Praise and Thanks. 

Some thoughts as I walked the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, located just outside Philadelphia, on sabr, hamd, and shukr. Taking a break from all the technology to relieve some stress by reflecting on God’s Signs.

Marc Manley Dot Com

30th Street Station Brass Band - while walking home there was a brass ensemble in front of 30th Street Station jamming and I just happened to have my hand held recorder. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my wind sock so there’s lots of noise but it’s fun to listen to anyway.