Four Research Methodologies - 1048 Words

MGMT606-1301A-05 Professor: Robert Smith Graduate Research Methods Phase 3 Discussion Board Research Methodologies 01/29/2013 Being in this business as a researcher, you must stay focus at all times, and at this time we must concentrate on the design strategies for each of the research methodologies. It must include everything that can help to produce a positive research, elements of inquiry, research approaches, and overall design of the research being conducted. We have to determine all the different types of research methodologies that are used in doing research. We must realize the importance of integrating the different method types so that we can continue to construct precise, decisive, and fitting data. As we get into the†¦show more content†¦Observation methods can be seen as being structured or unstructured, disguised or undisguised and also natural or contrived. The major methods that are connected with observation contain personal or robotic observation. Dealing with matter, audit, and trace analysis, just like surveys, there are both advantages and disadvantages to retaining observa tional methodology. Researchers also collect Quantitative data thru the use of experimental design, actually, Casual Design surrounding investigation are suitable for supposing cause-and-effect relationship. Experimentations have restrictions in relations of time, cost, and administration, but they are rapidly becoming progressively popular in marketing. Casual is most suitable to consider when developing research projects for the organization and allowing experiments. On the other hand determining a research design concurrently decides the types of data that can be attained. In doing casual design, there are two types of data operated in resolving the research problem, primary data and secondary data. Primary data is collected specifically to deal with the problem at hand and can either be qualitative and quantitative in character. Secondary data in additionally are data that were collected for other functions, the researcher should thenShow MoreRelatedChapter Four : Research M ethodology Essay1830 Words   |  8 Pages CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY In Chapter 4 will be described the methodology which was used. In this chapter, we will explain the reasons for choosing this methodology and give more details about this study. We will explain and present the methods that help us in this project. An overview of the method that was used to collect the data will be given. Afterwards, the statistical concepts will be explained thoroughly. 4.1 Data Collection This was aRead MoreDifferent Types Of Research Methodologies975 Words   |  4 PagesResearch Methodologies With the various types of research methodologies, one can classify them as medical, social, computer, or life science research. However, in computers and bioinformatics research methodology, the methods used are computational, computer simulation, iCloud, omics, and theoretical. Before starting any research, a literature review is required, for example, magazines, books, scholarly/peer reviewed journals, company sales, customer, and employee records. If in the medical fieldRead MoreThe Research Pyramid For Positioning The Current Literature And Identifying New Ais Research Essay827 Words   |  4 Pagespaper extends the Meaning Triangle (Sowa, 1997) and creates a broad research framework called the Research Pyramid for positioning the current literature and identifying new AIS research questions or ideas. The framework is comprised of four constructs: objects, concepts, symbols, and AIS (component(s)) that are connected along the pyramid’s edges, referred to as primitive ma pping. Descriptions of four common research methodologies in this field are presented (design science, field studies, surveysRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Social Science1076 Words   |  5 Pagesexpresses his intention to explore the philosophy of social science of which he categorises into four modes. He attempted to seek for the acceptable compromises between all and each mode to define a better way of understanding the social world. Hollis clearly states that the key task of this book is to reflect on the underlying philosophy of social science through the critical examination of the theory and methodology in each approach. Some of the key questions are; whether the study of social science canRead MoreEvaluation Methodology For Research Methodology1054 Words   |  5 Pageson the methodology that is use during the research in order to make sure that research can be delivered on time. For this research, the suitable approach for the research methodology would be Research Methodolo gy. This methodology is chosen because it provides the standards for research methods. With this methodology, the research will be done consecutively according to the specifics steps that is planned for every phases. 3.2 Methodology The methodology for the research is consists of four phasesRead MoreDigital Forensic Investigation Methodology For Social Media791 Words   |  4 Pages5.1.7 Digital forensic investigation methodology for social media Jag and Kwak (2015), provides a digital forensic methodology which can be adopted when conducting an investigation of social media sites. The proposed method considered different digital devices. According to the Jang and Kwak (2015) the proposed model is efficient in terms of process, digital device classifications, and the evidence collection from the social media and evidence analysis. By using this method into the social mediaRead MorePositivist And Indigenous Research Paradigm Essay851 Words   |  4 PagesPositivist and Indigenous Research Paradigm In this research entry, I will compare the positivist and Indigenous research paradigms. Similar Procedures for data collection: A basic similarity lies between the two methods. Both the positivist and indigenous research methods use the same procedures to gather the data and handle in the same way as collected. In fact, both the research methods work alongside the three aspects of research paradigm even while they have different perspective to use andRead MoreThe Scientific And Disciplined Inquiry Approach757 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction to Research Methodologies According to Merriam -Webster (2015), research is the â€Å"investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws†. As stated by Ndunda (2004), â€Å"research helps to provide facts, reliable information or verifiable information instead of assumptions.† Research should be conducted in a structured, systematicRead MoreFunctions Of Management Within Scholarly Literature1645 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction This literature review will provide a comprehensive overview and examination of the Four Functions of Management within scholarly literature. The paper will be divided into four section - reflecting the Four Functions - planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Planning is defined as the ability, creation, and use of plans to analyze the future and plan for organizational action (McLean, 2011). Organizing is defined as the ability to understand, view, and orchestrate activitiesRead MoreThe Psychological Impact Of Bullying1366 Words   |  6 Pagesneed to find out the cause or causes of the problem before constructing your plan and this is where research comes in. Research conducted to solve issues or problems in schools or educational systems are termed Action Research. After sitting and discussing issues and problems in our education system we decided to tackle the issue of the psychological impact of bullying. The purpose of our action research was to attempt to improve st udents’ academic performance by trying to lessen or eliminate the occurrences

Student Educational Loan Fund, Inc. Free Essays

A Minnesota Student Loan Program www. selfloan. org Table of Contents About the Program Eligibility How to Apply Loan Size Loan Example Costs to the Borrower Loan Repayment Loan Servicer 1 1 3 4 5 5 6 9 This document can be made available in an alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling (651) 642-0567. We will write a custom essay sample on Student Educational Loan Fund, Inc. or any similar topic only for you Order Now March 2008 About the Program The Student Educational Loan Fund, or SELF Loan, can help you pay for your education beyond high school. The program is administered by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and can be used only for educational purposes. It is a loan, not a scholarship, so it must be repaid. Eligibility An eligible student must: †¢ be enrolled in an eligible school in Minnesota or be a Minnesota resident enrolled in an eligible school in another state or U. S. territory; a list of eligible institutions is available at www. selfloan. rg; †¢ be enrolled at least half time in a program leading to a certificate, associate, baccalaureate, graduate or education degree; †¢ be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the school; †¢ not be in default of any student educational loan at the current or previous school; †¢ not be currently delinquent in payment of interest or principal on an outstanding loan from the SELF Program, or on any other federal, state, private or institutional student loan program; and †¢ have a credit-worthy co-signer. SELF Loan 1 Co-signer: You must have a credit-worthy co-signer who is either a U. S. itizen or a permanent resident, and who resides in the United States. The co-signer is responsible for making loan payments (interest, principal and other charges) if you fail to make payments. The co-signer is relieved of this responsibility only in the event of death or total and permanent disability of the borrower. A credit-worthy co-signer is one who has no account balances discharged through bankruptcy; no garnishments, attachments, foreclosure, repossession or suit; no more than $300 combined total in unsatisfied credit or unsatisfied payment obligations; or no more than five percent of credit bureau balances past due. The co-signer must be at least 24 years old or 18 years old if a sibling (i. e. , a brother or sister). 2 SELF Loan How to Apply Following are the steps to apply for a SELF Loan: †¢ Meet with a financial aid administrator at your college to discuss your eligibility for a SELF Loan. The financial aid office will use one of four application procedures (online SELF application, the TeleSELF electronic application, paper application or the combination paper/electronic application). The financial aid office can direct you to the appropriate application. The Office of Higher Education determines your eligibility and reviews the credit worthiness of your co-signer. If either the borrower or the co-signer are ineligible, they will be notified. †¢ The approved loan is scheduled for disbursement. On the date of disbursement, you and your co-signer are sent copies of the loan disclosure, which describes the specific terms of the loan and the scheduled disbursement date(s). †¢ Eit her a check is mailed to the school, or funds are electronically transmitted to the school, whichever the school prefers. Funds are disbursed by academic term. You should allow four weeks for the processing of the application and the disbursement of the funds. SELF Loan 3 Loan Size The financial aid administrator at the eligible school will determine the amount you can borrow. The loan amount cannot exceed the total cost of attendance, as defined by the institution, minus other financial aid that the student will receive. The minimum amount is $500. Maximum Loan Amounts The maximum loan is $7,500 for undergraduate levels and $9,000 for graduate levels provided that: †¢ The loan amount shall not exceed the cost of attendance less all other financial aid. You may borrow more than once during an academic year as long as you have not exceeded the grade-level borrowing limits, your request is for at least $500 and adequate time remains to process the application. Cumulative Borrowing Limits The cumulative SELF Loan debt shall not exceed the following grade level limits: $ 7,500 Grade Level 1 $15,000 Grade Level 2 $22,500 Grade Level 3 $30,0 00 Grade Level 4 $37,500 Grade Level 5 $55,500 Grade Levels 6 to 9 (includes all undergraduate and graduate debt) Grade level is determined by the school based on the number of credits earned. SELF Loan Loan Example Here is an example of how a SELF Loan can help you offset the total cost of attendance. Cost of attendance Less available financial aid Federal grants State grants Institutional assistance Private assistance Total Aid Total student obligation Maximum SELF Loan amount (based on grade level) $1,500 0 500 500 – $2,500 $7,500 $7,500 $10,000 Costs to the Borrower You must pay interest and principal on the loan. There are no guarantee, origination or processing fees charged. Interest Rate: The interest charged to you may change every quarter. The current SELF interest rate is available at www. selfloan. org. Borrowers pay an interest rate comprised of a percentage (the â€Å"margin†) that is added to the variable interest rate of the source of money (the â€Å"index†). As the index or margin increases or decreases over time, the interest charged will increase or decrease. The index rate is tied to the three-month London Interbank Offered Rates (LIBOR). SELF Loan 5 Loan Repayment Payment of Interest: You must pay interest quarterly while in school. This is called the â€Å"in-school period† Interest payments will start . approximately 90 days from the disbursement of the loan. During the first 12 months after graduation or if enrollment drops below half time, the borrower will be converted to a monthly interest repayment schedule. This 12-month period is called the â€Å"transition period† . Repayment of Principal and Interest: The period in which monthly principal and interest are paid is called the â€Å"repayment period† Near the end of . he 12-month transition period, you can choose between two repayment plans as long as a required repayment period has not started: †¢ The Standard Plan requires the monthly payment of principal and interest starting on the 13th month after graduation or when enrollment drops below half time. †¢ The Extended Interest Plan provides two additional years of monthly interest-only payments. Monthly payment of principal and interest with this plan begins on the 37th month after graduation or termination of study. While the Extended Interest Plan extends the transition period, it shortens the repayment period by the same two years. For SELF Loans from phases starting with SELF IV, if the aggregate principal balances of all SELF Loans is less than $18,750, the maximum repayment period will be 10 years from the end of the â€Å"in-school† status. For SELF Loans from phases starting with SELF IV, if the aggregate principal balances of all SELF Loans is $18,750 or greater, the maximum repayment period will be 15 years from the end of the â€Å"in-school† status. All SELF IV Loans will enter repayment no later than seven years after the first disbursement date on the loan. 6 SELF Loan Additional Loan Repayment Information: †¢ There are no deferment categories in the SELF Program. †¢ SELF Loans cannot be included in federal consolidation programs. Eligibility for repayment of SELF Loans under any student loan repayment program, such as a military program or AmeriCorps, is based on the criteria established by those programs for repayment of non-federal student loans. †¢ A borrower may move back and forth between the in-school and transition periods, but once a transition period has been exhausted and the repayment period entered, the borrower may NOT leave the repayment period. The total amount borrowed will determine the borrower’s monthly payment; however, the minimum monthly payment of principal and interest is $50. †¢ There is no penalty for prepaying SELF Loans. Transferring Schools: If you transfer to another school or pursue a higher degree at another institution, you must: †¢ enroll before the 12- to 36-month transition period elapses, †¢ enroll in a school that is a member of the SELF Program, and †¢ have time remaining before the seven-year mandatory repayment starts. If the school is not a member of the SELF Program, you will no longer be considered to be in the â€Å"in-school† status. SELF Loan 7 SELF Loan Repayment Examples Amount Borrowed Annual percentage rate during principal repayment period Interest rate applied to principal balance Quarterly interest payments while enrolled Monthly interest payments during transition period Monthly payments of principal and interest $7,500 $7,500 7. 00% 8. 00% 7. 00% 8. 00% $131. 25 $150. 00 $43. 75 $50. 00 108 payments of $93. 80 108 payments of $97. 64 The interest rate varies throughout the life of the loan and may increase or decrease. The example illustrates the repayment schedule for a $7,500 SELF Loan at two different interest rates and assumes that the stated rates do not change. It also assumes that payments of principal and interest will be made over a nine-year term, following interest-only payments during a four-year in-school period and for one year after school. 8 SELF Loan Loan Servicer A Servicer schedules and disburses your loan, sends bills, and keeps track of your loan payments and your current loan status. The Servicer for the SELF Program is Firstmark Services. Contact Firstmark Services for questions about your bill, payments or to make address or enrollment changes: Firstmark Services P. O. Box 25410 Woodbury, MN 55125-0410 Tel: (651) 265-7666 (888) 295-0713 toll free Visit www. firstmarkservices. com to check the status of pending applications and disbursements along with your payment and balance information. Minnesota Office of Higher Education SELF Loan is a program of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, a state agency providing students with a range of financial aid programs and information to help them gain access to postsecondary education. The agency manages the Minnesota State Grant program, which is a needbased grant program for eligible students who submit the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). The agency also oversees tuition reciprocity programs, Minnesota’s 529 college savings program, institutional licensing, a college awareness program for youth and serves as the state’s clearinghouse for data on postsecondary enrollment, financial aid, finance and trends. SELF Loan 9 Minnesota Office of Higher Education 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350 Saint Paul, MN 55108-5227 Tel: 651. 642. 0567 or 800. 657. 3866 TTY Relay: 800. 627. 3529 Fax: 651. 642. 0570 E-mail: selfloans@ohe. state. mn. us www. selfloan. org www. ohe. state. mn. us  ©2008 Minnesota Office of Higher Education Printed on recycled paper. How to cite Student Educational Loan Fund, Inc., Essays

Sharing Economy Sharing and Collaborative Consumption

Question: Describe about the Sharing Economy for Sharing and Collaborative Consumption? Answer: Economics is a subject involving the study of how goods and services are produced using resources that are limited or scarce. The goods and services produced should be used and distributed in the most optimum and efficient way. This approach creates additional value in the economy. The idea of sharing goods and services which are idle and not being used, in return for money or to serve a social cause is what is called sharing economy (Belk, 2014). Business is all about making money by satisfying needs of people. If an individual has something which is not being used all the time, then that article can be given on rent. Another person can make use of that product in exchange of some money. This is also called sharing economy. This concept has been becoming more popular in recent times because now technology is available which brings people together for sharing resources. The internet has helped to increase people to people contact. Now millions of people have smart phones. Websites and applications are available on computer and mobile phones through which the buyer and the seller can come into contact with one another on a convenient platform. There are people who are engaged in the work of bringing these buyers and sellers together. These people also make some money when a business deal is struck and implemented. There are people who have empty rooms in their houses, which they are not using. These people are approached by other individuals and companies who have access to people who want to take rooms on rent for limited periods. These individuals or companies connect the two parties and rooms are taken on rent by the needy people. The company which connects the two parties also makes some commission or profit. This whole system is developed through people to people contact (Phelps, 2010). Large businesses have come into existence through small beginnings. This is all part of the shared economy. People take the initiative and get connected with other people to create business. In this case the relationships are more informal. The communication between different parties may also be more informal in nature (Prill et al, 2010) People also share other articles like cars and washing machines on rent. One such example of business model developed on the concept of shared economy is that of Airbnb. Airbnb brings together people who want to give part or whole of their houses for rent to common people. It is a company which has grown tremendously by eating into the business of lower priced rooms offered by hotels. Many hotels had to lower their prices to protect their market shares. This has helped the consumers as prices in the entire market have come down. This way, sharing economy has ultimately helped the consumers. The idea has struck the right chord among the consumers who want to save money and at the same time get good services. But it is not just the exchange of goods that creates value in the economy. Exchange of information which supports and encourages business can also take place. Such information exchange between the two parties relates to how the business is doing, what are the problems the two businesses are facing in general. This exchange of information is good for both business entities (Ley, et al, 2014). There can also be sharing of assets like office building for money or for a social objective of helping someone who is trying to run a start up business. The organization which provides the space to a budding entrepreneur might benefit in other ways. In the same way, car pooling concept has also become popular. The governments and people in different countries have become more aware of the need to protect environment from pollution created by carbon emissions from cars. The vehicles have to adhere to certain norms regarding emissions. Therefore, it makes economic sense to share the same car for transport. There are companies like Uber which has come with the novel idea of sharing their customers with other companies, for a monetary consideration (Uber, 2016). It encourages people from different backgrounds to use their services in a group. The customers can get to the same destination in the same car. Such a transaction saves fuel expenses and people can share the car for lesser amount of rental expenses. The cost of running the vehicle gets divided among several customers. This is good for the society as a whole as fuel expenses come down and there is less pollution. The governments in several countries also support the practice of car pooling. Thus, the use of modern technology by the companies like Uber has changed the way how business is done. The companies have got more sophisticated in the ways they do their business. They have used technology to bring the costs down. Uber can think of more novel services for its corporate clients. It should offer services which are more innovative and save costs with added convenience. This way, there is less overlapping of services and lesser carbon dioxide emissions. This is a very good business strategy by Uber. Technology has made it possible for individuals at distant places to share information almost instantly. Now people in different parts of the world can work on the same project and compare their research. They can share their ideas and suggestions through the electronic devices. Such individuals form virtual groups. The relationships among such individuals may not be so formal. They can be friendly with one another and share their thoughts freely, without any inhibitions. In this case an informal organization comes into effect (Godfrey, 2011).This results in the creation of goods and services and knowledge is shared and enhanced (Wang and Noe, 2010). Also, there are people who want to contribute to the welfare of the community. There are some software professionals who develop software which can be used by the local government to provide some service to the community. Such software professionals may not charge anything for their services. This is also a very good example of sharing economy. People want to offer their services free of cost as they want to do some social service. The emphasis is more on developing relationships rather than making pure economic gains. People in this case want to be part of a group. This gives them immense satisfaction. They develop relationships with other people, in this way. There are some business organizations which share their physical and human resources with other companies. They might be jointly working on a project. Sometimes defence organizations in different countries come together to develop a weapon system. In this case we might have engineers from different countries sharing their knowledge with one another. This exchange of information also comes under the concept of sharing economy. An organization may share blue prints of some systems it has developed with a friendly country working on the same project (Bachmann and Inkpen, 2011). The people to people relations also form the basis of such joint projects. The friendly relations between the countries lead to joint research and production of goods. There is lot of trust between organizations and people in such cases. There are people who like to share their possessions, not just for earning money but also because it gives them pleasure. They feel more connected with the society when they share their belongings with others. Interpersonal relationships can be deeply satisfying. Businesses are built also on the basis of personal relationships. A network of people is built, leading to business transactions between them (Gronroos, 2011). People have succeeded in turning business ideas into successful business organizations. A small group of people starts a business and then scales it to become a huge organization. Innovative practices are brought into play and market shares are won and sustained. The business world is made dynamic through the efforts of such entrepreneurs who are bold, courageous and hard working. It is a case of people joining hands to create a business. They know how to make use of the latest technology to win customers. This is what has brought the concept of sharing economy which is here to stay. Thus, this concept of sharing economy, facilitated by information and communication technology, has helped ease societal problems like hyper-consumption, pollution, and poverty by providing easy access to goods and services through economic coordination (Hamari, Sjklint and Ukkonen, 2015). Motivated by sustainability, enjoyment and economic gains, people are increasingly adopting this concept and new start-ups based on this business model are continuously emerging. There are investors having faith in such business ideas who are willing to contribute millions as capital for such start up businesses. Such investors feel that they would get good returns on the money invested by them in the novel business ideas which are also good for the society as a whole. In other case, there might be better utilization of goods leading to income which otherwise would not have accrued to the people with spare goods. New job opportunities are being created as more businesses are being formed. People no w are earning additional money. The prices of the goods and services have gone down with increased competition from these new players. Ultimately, it is also the consumers who have more choices and benefit due to reduced prices. The success of these enterprising business people has inspired many others to create new businesses. References Belk, R. (2014). You are what you can access: sharing and collaborative consumption online, Journal of Business Research, 67(8), 1595-1600. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296313003366 Phelps, C. (2010). A longitudinal study of the influence of alliance network structure and composition on firm exploratory innovation, Academy Of Management Journal, 53(4), 890-913. Retrieved from https://amj.aom.org/content/53/4/890.short Wang, S. and Noe, R. (2010). Knowledge sharing: A review and directions for future research, Human Resource Management Review, 20(2), 115-131. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053482209000904 Bachmann, R. and Inkpen, A. (2011). Organization studies: understanding institutional based trust building processes in inter- organizational relationships, Sage Journals, 32(2), 281-301. Retrieved from: https://oss.sagepub.com/content/32/2/281.short Godfrey, P. (2011). Toward a theory of the informal economy, The Academy Of Management Annals, 5(1), 231-277. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19416520.2011.585818 Prill, C., Reed, M., Racin,L. and Huback, K. (2010). Competing structure, competing views: the role of formal and informal social structures in shaping stakeholder perceptions, Ecology and Society, 15(4), 34. Retrieved from : https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol15/iss4/art34/main.html Ley, T. , Cook, J. , Dennerlein, S. , Kravick, M. , Kunzmann, C. , Pata, K. , Purma, J. , Sanders, J. , Santos, P. , Schmidt, A. , Smadi, M. and Trattner, C. (2014). Scaling informal learning at the workplace: a model and four designs from a large scale design based research effort, British Journal of Educational Technology, 45(6), 1036-1048. Retrieved from:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.12197/abstract Uber (2016). Overview. Retrieved from:https://www.Uber.com/business Gronroos, C. (2011). A service perspective on business relationships: the value creation interaction and marketing interface,Industrial Marketing Management, 40(20), 240-247. Retrieved fromhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019850110001197 Hamari, J., Sjklint, M. and Ukkonen, A. (2015). The sharing economy: Why people participate in collaborative consumption, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 1-13. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255698095_The_Sharing_Economy_Why_People_Participate_in_Collaborative_Consumption

Made A Difference free essay sample

I met Bobbie my junior year of high school. I was so excited to take SSL and looked forward to this class. I will never forget the first day of class. We were all sitting in our desks about 30 of us -? and she came in and went to the front of the room. She did not talk. She took out markers and wrote her name on the poster paper at the front of the room. She signed her name sign and pointed to her written name. She did this a few times. Then she handed the marker to one of the girls in the front row.The girl had figured UT what she needed to do and wrote her name on the poster paper also. Soon the whole class had done this. After everyone was finished, she went back to the markers all different colors and went through the colors and their signs. We will write a custom essay sample on Made A Difference or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page That was the first day of class. I was hooked and very curious to learn more. Not only was learning SSL a turning point in my life it is part of my everyday now as a teacher -? but Bobbie was more than a teacher. I had a lot going on personally in my junior year.She listened when I needed someone o talk to and gave me advice to help me understand some of the things I was dealing with. High school was a challenging time for many reasons, but Bobbie helped to make some of those times more manageable, or easy to handle. Learning SSL and being able to use that daily in my life has made a huge difference. SSL is part of my livelihood and a way for me to express myself at times when spoken English may not work as well. Bobbie drew me in with her unique activities and helped me to understand not only SSL better, but also myself.

Free Essays on Stylistic Elements In Madame Bovary

There are many different stylistic elements used in the novel, â€Å"Madame Bovary,† written by Gustave Flaubert. The author uses several techniques such as detailed descriptions, symbolism, illusion vs. reality, and others. These techniques are important in analyzing the novel of Madame Bovary as a whole and in understanding the several themes and motifs. The first technique is that of symbolism. In the novel, Emma Bovary hears the melancholy song of a blind beggar just before he dies, and that beggar symbolizes the lack of insight that the main figures are known for in the book. Charles’ character could also be considered blind; he is blind to Emma's unhappiness and her unfaithfulness to him. He still refuses to accept the reality of the situation in all its truth, even when he uncovers Rodolphe's and Leon's letters towards the end of the novel. Emma herself does not realize her own self-deceiving view of life or the way others deceive her. She sees her lovers as more ideal and better than they really are and also gets fooled by them. Furthermore, an example of an important symbol used in Madame Bovary is that of the windows. These windows help create the mood; for instance a closed window could symbolize the limitations of Emma’s marriage, and open windows could symbolize dreams and freedom. There are other important symbols in the novel, such as the dried wedding bouquets of Emma and Charles' first wife, as well as the blind beggar. In addition to this, most of the relationships in the novel are shown with an great lack of sensitivity, devotion and love. Even though Emma always dreams of romance, she is not a particularly loving person, and it seems as if she does not care much for other people in her life, even her own baby. Others characters in the novel, like Homais, L’heureax and Father Bournisien, talk about the issue of humanity but ignore the real suffering that is going on. All the older Bovary families, includi... Free Essays on Stylistic Elements In Madame Bovary Free Essays on Stylistic Elements In Madame Bovary There are many different stylistic elements used in the novel, â€Å"Madame Bovary,† written by Gustave Flaubert. The author uses several techniques such as detailed descriptions, symbolism, illusion vs. reality, and others. These techniques are important in analyzing the novel of Madame Bovary as a whole and in understanding the several themes and motifs. The first technique is that of symbolism. In the novel, Emma Bovary hears the melancholy song of a blind beggar just before he dies, and that beggar symbolizes the lack of insight that the main figures are known for in the book. Charles’ character could also be considered blind; he is blind to Emma's unhappiness and her unfaithfulness to him. He still refuses to accept the reality of the situation in all its truth, even when he uncovers Rodolphe's and Leon's letters towards the end of the novel. Emma herself does not realize her own self-deceiving view of life or the way others deceive her. She sees her lovers as more ideal and better than they really are and also gets fooled by them. Furthermore, an example of an important symbol used in Madame Bovary is that of the windows. These windows help create the mood; for instance a closed window could symbolize the limitations of Emma’s marriage, and open windows could symbolize dreams and freedom. There are other important symbols in the novel, such as the dried wedding bouquets of Emma and Charles' first wife, as well as the blind beggar. In addition to this, most of the relationships in the novel are shown with an great lack of sensitivity, devotion and love. Even though Emma always dreams of romance, she is not a particularly loving person, and it seems as if she does not care much for other people in her life, even her own baby. Others characters in the novel, like Homais, L’heureax and Father Bournisien, talk about the issue of humanity but ignore the real suffering that is going on. All the older Bovary families, includi...

How to Recycle Different Types of Plastic

How to Recycle Different Types of Plastic Plastic is a versatile and inexpensive material with thousands of uses, but it is also a significant source of pollution. Some worrisome emerging environmental issues involve plastics, including gigantic oceanic garbage patches  and the microbeads problem. Recycling can alleviate some of the problems, but the confusion over what we can and cannot recycle continues to confound consumers. Plastics are particularly  troublesome, as different types require different processing to be reformulated and re-used as raw material. To effectively recycle plastic items, you need to know two things: the plastic number of the material, and which of these types of plastics your municipalitys recycling service accepts. Many facilities now accept #1 through #7  but check with them first to make sure. Recycling by the Numbers The symbol code we are familiar with - a single digit ranging from 1 to 7 surrounded by a triangle of arrows - was designed by The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 to allow consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a uniform coding system for manufacturers. The numbers, which 39 U.S. states now require to be molded or imprinted on all eight-ounce to five-gallon containers that can accept the half-inch minimum-size symbol, identify the type of plastic. According to the American Plastics Council, an industry trade group, the symbols also help recyclers do their jobs more effectively. PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) The easiest and most common plastics to recycle are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and are assigned the number 1. Examples include soda and water bottles, medicine containers, and many other common consumer product containers. Once it has been processed by a recycling facility, PET can become fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags, and life jackets. It can also be used to make beanbags, rope, car bumpers, tennis ball felt, combs, sails for boats, furniture and, of course, other plastic bottles. However tempting it may be,  PET #1 bottles should not be re-purposed as reusable water bottles. HDPE (High-density polyethylene plastics) Number 2 is reserved for high-density polyethylene plastics (HDPE). These include heavier containers that hold laundry detergents and bleaches as well as milk, shampoo, and motor oil. Plastic labeled with the number 2 is often recycled into toys, piping, truck bed liners, and rope. Like plastic designated number 1, it is widely accepted at recycling centers. V (Vinyl) Polyvinyl chloride, commonly used in plastic pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, vinyl dashboards, gets number 3. Once recycled, it can be ground up and reused to make vinyl flooring, window frames, or piping. LDPE (Low-density polyethylene) Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is number 4 and is used to make thin, flexible plastics like wrapping films, grocery bags, sandwich bags, and a variety of soft packaging materials. PP (Polypropylene) Some food containers are made with the stronger polypropylene plastic (number 5) as well as a large proportion of plastic caps. PS (Polystyrene) Number 6 goes on polystyrene (commonly called  Styrofoam) items such as coffee cups, disposable cutlery, meat trays, packing â€Å"peanuts† and insulation. It can be reprocessed into many items, including rigid insulation. However, the foam versions of plastic #6 (for example, cheap coffee cups) pick up a lot of dirt and other contaminants during the handling process, and often just ends up being thrown away at the recycling facility.   Others Last, are items crafted from various combinations of the aforementioned plastics or from unique plastic formulations not commonly used. Usually imprinted with a number 7 or nothing at all, these plastics are the most difficult to recycle. If your municipality accepts #7, good, but otherwise you will have to re-purpose the object or throw it in the trash. Better yet, do  not buy it in the first place. More ambitious consumers can feel free to return such items to the product manufacturers to avoid contributing to the local waste stream, and instead, put the burden on the makers to recycle or dispose of the items properly. EarthTalk is a regular feature of E/The Environmental Magazine. Selected EarthTalk columns are reprinted here by permission of the editors of E. Edited by Frederic Beaudry.

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Project Management - Essay Example Key project obstacles include scope, quality, budget, and time. Other secondary obstacle would include more ambitious challenges like fairly allocating the necessary inputs and integrating them in order to achieve the set objectives and goals. There are various ways of approaching project management activities. Regardless of the methodology employed; project managers should put a lot of considerations on the overall project objective, time, cost, and also the responsibilities and duties to be played by members and stakeholders in the project. PRINCE2 and Agile project management methodology are examples of the methodologies available for project managers (Keith 2010). PRINCE2 is a well-structured approach used in project management. It combines the original PROMPT methodology with IMB’s MITP methodology. PROMPT methodology had earlier evolved into the present day PRINCE2 methodology. PRINCE2 offers a platform for project management with clearly spelt out structure. It was developed by the United Kingdom government Office of Government Commerce (OGC). The United Kingdom expensively uses this methodology in its management duties of public projects in the country. PRINCE2 encompasses the control, organization and management of a given project. It puts a lot of focus on not only definition of products but also their delivery, especially the quality requirements (Gerard 2008). Because of this, it defines a successful project as being output oriented but not activity or action oriented. This is through creating products agreed upon as well as defining the intended scope of the project. It also helps provide a platform for control and planning. Project chiefs would be able to coordinate the project participants. Additionally, they will be able to know how to supervise and design product delivery and what to do if the project fails to meet the originally set goals. In the PRINCE2 methodology, all the different processes involved are clearly specified with

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation (Opinion Paper) Essay

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation (Opinion Paper) - Essay Example Intrinsic motivation comes from within such as a person's need to feel useful or need to seek self-actualization (Law, 2006). Extrinsic motivation consists of external factors that motivate an individual such as pay and benefits or other motivators provided by employers. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are not limited to the workforce. Motivators, or rewards, are provided beginning in childhood. Taking piano lessons and studying a foreign language are intrinsically motivated for this author. The intrinsic rewards that I am receiving are satisfaction and enjoyment. Extrinsically motivated activities include cooking and exercising. The extrinsically motivated activities are performed to please others who hope that diet and exercise will help improve my quality of life. There are several principals and theories related to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Motivation itself can be described as the "mental processes that arouse, sustain, and direct human behavior."(Law, 2006) People can be positively motivated or negatively motivated. One boss' leadership style may motivate productivity while another boss' leadership style may negatively affect productivity. It is key for any organization to conquer motivation within the workplace. In my opinion coaches of sports teams have known for years that the combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors can create the need to excel or a... George Gipp was a varsity football player at Notre Dame. When he fell ill and died Knute Rockne used a statement that Gipp is said to have made on his death bed: I've got to go, Rock. It's all right. I'm not afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, ask them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy. (Estate of George Gipp, 2007). Knute Rockne used this statement to motivate his team to defeat the undefeated Army team in 1928. He knew that his team would be intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to win the game. Another principal relating to motivation is the multicative principal. This principal is based upon the belief that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are interactive rather than additive. I agree with this principal because I have seen how in playing the piano I am rewarded by other people noticing and commenting on my performance. At the same time I have a sense of personal satisfaction when I play well (intrinsic). Although it is nice to receive positive comments, and encouragement, I gain more from the intrinsic award. I am motivated more by how I feel about myself and am motivated to play better despite the extrinsic rewards. The discounting principal of motivation has to do with the rewards affect on atheletic performance. The athelete may be intrinsically motivated to perform and win. But, an athelete that is paid to perform (such as major league baseball and NFL football) may stop performing if the paid reward is removed. Thus the intrinsic motivation is pushed aside or 'discounted' when the extrinsic reward is

Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens Essay One lesson we witness in A Kestrel for a Knave also aims to teach the pupils about facts. However this lesson is taught by Farthing who is caring and a more fatherly teacher and this is communicated by his name. Mr Farthing has used his kind personality to gain some respect from the boys in the class. Although the lesson has the same content as the lesson in Hard Times during the lesson it becomes obvious that Farthings teaching is different. He manages to involve Billy, who is normally quite shy and lacking motivation, positively in the lesson. Farthing teaches in a more relaxed way and lets the lesson flow as well as welcoming input from the boys. He encourages Billy to participate and makes him feel special as he has something interesting to share. Farthing lets Billys thought tumble out and does not cut him short. Billy tells all about his bird, which he has raised and trained, and Farthing seems genuinely interested Jesses, how do you spell that? He writes words on the board, allowing the whole class to learn about Billys unusual talent. Billy becomes the teacher for a while and as Farthing is not controlling like Gradgrind he allows this to happen. The lesson becomes full of individuality as Billy shares his unusual hobby and his confidence grows. This would never have happened in a lesson taught by Gradgrind, he would never encourage a pupil to take over his position and would think a pastime like Billys ridiculous. The way in which Farthing nurtures Billys thoughts reflect the way in which Billy has nurtured Kes. The time and devotion that Billy has shown the bird is matched, although on a smaller level, by the way Farthing waits for Billy to talk and persist to question him gently as if he knows Billy has a lot to share. Another contrast between the two schools is the way in which Billy and his classmates behaviour changes depending on the teacher, whereas Gradgrinds pupils are always the same. The different methods of teaching present at Billys school become obvious when the PE teacher Sugden is introduced. Sugden is a bully and again Hines has highlighted the teachers personality with his name, as Sugden is a thug. Billy dislikes PE and does not have a PE kit, as his family cannot afford to buy him one. He arrives late to the lesson as he has been talking to Farthing. Instead of discreetly giving him a kit to wear Sugden mocks Billy in front of the other boys. The way in which Billy is treated provokes him to answer back and be cheeky. Sugdens verbal bullying brings out the negative aspects of Billys personality. Not only does Sugden verbally bully his pupils but as a big man he does not hesitate to physically abuse them too. He hit Billy twice with the ball, holding it between both hands as though he was murdering him with a boulder. The whole lesson is a bullying game for Sugden. There is an absence of skills taught and so the lesson consists of a game of football in which Sugden is the captain of one of the teams as well as being the referee. He bullies the opposing team as well as his own teammates if they make mistakes. His attitude is immature and shows no sportsmanship or fairness, two lessons which should always be reinforced in PE lessons. His negative attitude has a clear affect on the boys, who leave the lesson cold and uninspired. The education system presented by Charles Dickens is extreme and unnecessarily harsh. However the title Hard Times makes it seem like Dickens is writing honestly about a time which lead to harsh methods of education. He highlights the naivety of the people as now teaching methods have improved and young people are encouraged to be themselves and achieve the best that they can. Satire is used by Dickens to emphasize the mistakes of the system. Charles Dickens could of attended a school like the one in Hard Times and so I think he aims to make the problems obvious to people who otherwise might not notice the wrongs in society. Barry Hines also writes the truth about the education system in his era and I think he also aims to highlight the incorrectness of the organization. However Barry Hines writes more realistically as the book is more recent and therefore easier to relate to. Both authors present systems, which now seem very wrong but at the time they were thought of as acceptable. Both books probably contain memories of the authors school days and particularly in A Kestrel for a Knave the scenes seem very believable. I could conclude that neither system would be justifiable now but in their time the schools seemed fair.

Dylan Thomas Attitude Towards Society Essay -- Dylan Thomas Poetry Po

Dylan Thomas' Attitude Towards Society Swansea was the "ugly lovely town"1of Dylan Thomas's childhood and it was through his explorations of Swansea and the surrounding area that he formed his first impressions of childhood. Thomas grew up during the depression after the First World War and during this time there was massive unemployment in Swansea and this would have influenced his outlook on society, but although Thomas's poems often contained bleak imagery he was not a war poet and his poems dealt with personal issues such as innocence, experience and death rather than being political. Thomas's death was an epitaph of his life, his use of alcohol to escape social structures resulting in his premature death characterises Thomas's struggle against structures but his final acceptance of them. He described his youth as the "years before I knew I was happy"2, which can be interpreted as being before he lost his innocence and became aware of society and it's restrictions. Some critics have argued that Thomas considered being a poet as a job and that what he wrote didn't actually mean anything personal to him. Karl Shapiro's impression of Thomas as someone who deliberately aimed "to keep people from understanding his poems" is inaccurate as Thomas himself argued that "Much of the obscurity is due to rigorous compression"3 this is also the "clotting" that Tindall described. One of Thomas's largest problems in accepting society was its use of language and the fact that in expressing something using words some of "the colour"4 - the meaning - was lost. Thomas felt that in putting his ideas down on to paper they lost some of their clarity and in his poetry he aspired for his writing to be as precise as the or... ...nce and nature go hand-in-hand. Shapiro's disparagement of Thomas's style could be seen as being nave; Thomas employed an individual approach to poetry and this approach encapsulated Thomas's attitude towards society. Thomas spent his life struggling against what he saw as the "chains" of society's structures but also his acceptance that they are necessary and this can be seen in his poetry by the outward appearance that they lack structure but the deeper structures found within them. Thomas tried to confuse critics so that they couldn't pigeonhole him into a certain type of poem, not only this but he also disliked writing titles to his poems as that categorised them - in some publications of '18 Poems' the poems are just numbered. His unique style and experimentation caused him to become a cultural icon, and he is probably the most famous welsh poet. Dylan Thomas' Attitude Towards Society Essay -- Dylan Thomas Poetry Po Dylan Thomas' Attitude Towards Society Swansea was the "ugly lovely town"1of Dylan Thomas's childhood and it was through his explorations of Swansea and the surrounding area that he formed his first impressions of childhood. Thomas grew up during the depression after the First World War and during this time there was massive unemployment in Swansea and this would have influenced his outlook on society, but although Thomas's poems often contained bleak imagery he was not a war poet and his poems dealt with personal issues such as innocence, experience and death rather than being political. Thomas's death was an epitaph of his life, his use of alcohol to escape social structures resulting in his premature death characterises Thomas's struggle against structures but his final acceptance of them. He described his youth as the "years before I knew I was happy"2, which can be interpreted as being before he lost his innocence and became aware of society and it's restrictions. Some critics have argued that Thomas considered being a poet as a job and that what he wrote didn't actually mean anything personal to him. Karl Shapiro's impression of Thomas as someone who deliberately aimed "to keep people from understanding his poems" is inaccurate as Thomas himself argued that "Much of the obscurity is due to rigorous compression"3 this is also the "clotting" that Tindall described. One of Thomas's largest problems in accepting society was its use of language and the fact that in expressing something using words some of "the colour"4 - the meaning - was lost. Thomas felt that in putting his ideas down on to paper they lost some of their clarity and in his poetry he aspired for his writing to be as precise as the or... ...nce and nature go hand-in-hand. Shapiro's disparagement of Thomas's style could be seen as being nave; Thomas employed an individual approach to poetry and this approach encapsulated Thomas's attitude towards society. Thomas spent his life struggling against what he saw as the "chains" of society's structures but also his acceptance that they are necessary and this can be seen in his poetry by the outward appearance that they lack structure but the deeper structures found within them. Thomas tried to confuse critics so that they couldn't pigeonhole him into a certain type of poem, not only this but he also disliked writing titles to his poems as that categorised them - in some publications of '18 Poems' the poems are just numbered. His unique style and experimentation caused him to become a cultural icon, and he is probably the most famous welsh poet.

Interconnectedness

In the rainforest ecosystem, everything is connected to one another. There is an interconnectedness existing in this ecosystem. To continue to function, the ecosystem depends on the interactions between the biotic and abiotic factors. An ecosystem survives by a combination of energy flow and matter recycling. To understand the interconnectedness of the ecosystem, food webs and food chains could be observed. Each organism depends on each other to survive and maintain their populations essay writer website. In the food web, there are the producers and the consumers.The producers produce their food by the sun; they are autotrophs. This is one of the main ways energy is introduced into the ecosystem from the sun to the organisms. Herbivores depend on these producers for their food and energy. Carnivores depend on the herbivores for their food and energy, and omnivores depend on the producers and consumers for their food and energy. A dependency can be seen as the organisms rely on one an other for energy. Food webs do not only show the transferring of energy through the organisms, but it also shows the predator-prey relationships.This is important because this is one of the main ways a specie population is maintained. In the rainforest, there is a high biodiversity, so there is a large amount of organisms occupying the area. An example of this would be the jaguars prowling the area. They feed on preys such as tapirs and peccaries. Because of this, the number of peccaries and tapirs living in that area are kept to a certain balance. If the predators are lost, the populations of these preys would steadily increase causing there to be less plants in the area.Fewer resources could cause some organisms population, which depends on this source for food, to deplete. So if this keystone specie is lost, the whole ecosystem is affected. Not only is predation observed, but symbiotic relationships are also seen: mutualism, commensalism and parasitism. An example of mutualism wo uld be the lichen and fungus. The lichen is an alga that relies on the framework of the fungus to live on, and the fungus relies on the alga for food. These organisms are so dependent on one another; they cannot live without the other.The mistletoe is a parasitic plant that attaches itself unto trees and sends its roots into the wood, taking the nutrients from the trees. The trees can die because of the lost of resource. Termites living in the rainforest use the fallen branches from the trees to build homes. The tree does not benefit from this but the termites do; this shows commensalism. Plants rely on animals to spread their seeds and to continue their species existence. Competition can also be seen. When organisms die, nutrients and resources are given back into the environment. There is a continuous recycling of nutrients.Because of the interaction between animals and plants, nutrients can be obtained from the earth and the organism on the earth can obtain the nutrients. When an organism dies, its nutrients are given back to the earth where the organisms residing in this location uses it. This interaction could be seen in biogeochemical cycles. In biogeochemical cycles, the nutrients needed for an animal to survive moves through water, air, land and living organisms. An example would be the carbon cycle. When plants photosynthesize, they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.This oxygen is needed by animals to survive. Organisms also depend on abiotic factors in the rainforest ecosystem to survive. Water is an essential component needed. An average temperature of 20oC to 34oC must be maintained in order for the animals to survive. The warm air and usual rain makes the climate perfect for trees to grow and survive. Sunlight also plays a huge role in the survival of the animals in this area. So many things are interconnected in the rainforest; a delicate balance must be maintained. If any factor is affected, the ecosystem could collapse.

The Golden Lily Chapter 22

SHOTS RANG OUT across the arena, taking down several more armed Warriors. I realized that Dimitri and Eddie weren't alone – because neither was holding a gun. The shots were coming from the roofs of the compound buildings that surrounded the arena. Chaos broke out as the gathered spectators jumped to their feet to join in the fray. My breath caught as I realized that many of them had their own weapons too. I was shocked to notice that the fallen Warrior on the ground next to me wasn't bleeding. A small dart hung from his shoulder. The sharpshooters' â€Å"bullets† must have been tranquilizers. Who were they? I looked back toward the entrance and saw that a few others with the look of guardians had entered the arena and were fighting with some of the Warriors, including Chris. This provided cover for Dimitri and Eddie to free Sonya. A flash of strawberry blonde hair caught my eye near them, and I recognized Angeline's lithe figure. Dimitri efficiently cut Sonya's straps then helped lift her toward Eddie. A zealous Warrior came at them, and Angeline quickly knocked him out – as though he were a motivational speaker. Beside me, one of the masters shouted, â€Å"Get the Alchemist girl! Hold her hostage! They'll negotiate for her!† The Alchemist girl. Right. That would be me. In the roar of fighting, hardly anyone heard him – save one. The bleach blonde girl had managed to evade being tranquilized. She leapt toward me. My adrenaline kicked in, and I was suddenly no longer afraid. With reflexes I didn't know I had, I reached into my purse and pulled out the so-called â€Å"potpourri.† I ripped it open and flung it out around me, shouting a Latin incantation that translated roughly to â€Å"see no more.† Compared to the scrying spell, this one was astonishingly easy. It required will on my part, certainly, but most of the magic was tied into the physical components and didn't need the hours of concentration that the other one had. The power surged through me almost instantly, filling me with a thrill I hadn't expected. The girl screamed and dropped her gun, clawing at her eyes. Cries of dismay from the masters sitting by me showed they too had been affected. I'd cast a blindness spell, one that would affect those near me for about thirty seconds. Some part of me knew that wielding magic was wrong, but the rest of me felt triumphant at stopping some of these trigger-happy fanatics, if only temporarily. I didn't waste any of that precious time. I jumped up from where I was sitting and ran across the arena, away from the fighting near the entrance. â€Å"Sydney!† I don't know how I managed to hear my name above all that noise. Glancing behind me, I saw Eddie and Angeline carrying Sonya out through the door. They paused, and a pained look crossed Eddie's face as he glanced around, assessing the situation. I could guess his thoughts. He wanted me to come with them. Most of the gathered Warriors had raced to the center of the arena, trying to stop Sonya's rescue. They outmatched me by a long shot, creating a wall between my friends and me. Even if I didn't have to actually fight anyone, it seemed impossible I'd slip by unnoticed – especially since several people were still shouting about â€Å"that Alchemist girl.† Shaking my head adamantly, I motioned for Eddie to go on without me. Indecision warred on his face, and I hoped he wouldn't attempt to break through the throng to get to me. I pointed at the door, again urging him to go. Sonya was the incapacitated one. I would find my own way out. Not waiting to see what he'd do, I turned and continued the way I'd been going. There was a lot of open space for me to cover, but fewer Warriors to stop me. Several buildings ringed the arena, some with doors and windows. I moved toward them, though I had nothing to break the glass. Two of the doors had padlocks. That left two without. The first one I tried turned out to have some unseen lock and wouldn't open. Frantic, I ran to the second and heard a shout behind me. The bleach blonde girl had regained her sight and was coming after me. Desperately, I turned the doorknob. Nothing happened. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out what the Warriors had mistaken for hand sanitizer. I dumped it out, spilling acid over the metal knob. It melted before my eyes. I hoped that would kill the lock. I threw my shoulder into the door, and it gave. Then I dared a peek behind me. My pursuer was lying on the ground, another victim of the tranquilizers. I breathed a sigh of relief and pushed through the door. I'd expected to enter another garage like the one I'd first been taken to, but instead I found myself in some sort of residential building. The empty hallways turned this way and that, and I felt disoriented. Everyone was at the free-for-all in the arena. I passed makeshift bedrooms, filled with cots and partially unpacked suitcases and backpacks. When I noticed what looked like an office, I hesitated in the doorway. Papers covered large foldout tables inside, and I wondered if any contained useful information about the Warriors. I wanted so badly to go in and investigate. These Warriors were a mystery to the Alchemists. Who knew what intel these papers contained? What if there was information that could protect the Moroi? I hesitated for the space of a few heartbeats then reluctantly kept going. The guardians were using tranquilizers, but the Warriors had real guns – guns they wouldn't be afraid to use on me. Better to get out of here with the information I already had than not get out alive. I reached the far side of the building at last and peered out a bedroom window. It was so dark outside now that I could hardly see anything. I didn't have the benefit of torches anymore. The only thing I could tell for sure was that I was no longer adjacent to the arena. That was good enough for me, though it would've been better if there was a door leading outside. I'd have to make my own. Grabbing a chair, I swung it into the window and was completely astonished when the glass broke easily. A few shards hit me, but nothing large enough to cause injury. Standing on the chair, I managed to climb out the window without injuring my hands. I was met by a warm, dark night. No electric lights were visible ahead, just open black land. I took this to mean I was on the opposite side of the compound where Trey had brought me. There were no roads, no sound from the highway we had traveled. There was also no sign of life anywhere, which I took as a good sign. Hopefully all the Warrior guards who normally paroled the grounds were off fighting guardians. If Sonya was out now, my hope was that the guardians would begin retreating – and grab me along the way. Even if they didn't, I wasn't above walking back to I-10 and hitchhiking. The compound was sprawling and confusing, and as I walked around it and still saw no sign of the highway, I began to grow uneasy. How turned around had I gotten? I only had a limited amount of time to get off Warrior property. They could be hunting me right now. There was also the disconcerting problem that once I made it to the periphery, I'd have to deal with the electric fence. Still, it might be best to forget looking for the freeway and simply make for the edge of the Warriors' camp so that I could – A hand grabbed my shoulder, and I screamed. â€Å"Easy there, Sage. I'm no gun-toting crazy guy. Crazy, yes. But not the rest.† I stared in disbelief, not that I could really make out much of the tall, dark figure standing over me. â€Å"Adrian?† The height was right, as was the build. As I stared, I became more and more certain. His hands steadied my shaking. I was so glad to see a friendly face – to see him – that I nearly sank into his arms in relief. â€Å"It is you. How'd you find me?† â€Å"You're the only human out here with a yellow and purple aura,† he said. â€Å"Makes you easy to spot.† â€Å"No, I mean, how'd you find me here? At the compound?† â€Å"I followed the others. They told me not to, but†¦ well.† In the faint moonlight I could barely see his shrug. â€Å"I don't follow directions well. When Castile came out with Sonya and started babbling about how you'd gone out some random door, I thought I'd take a quick walk around. I don't think I was supposed to do that either, but the guardians were kind of busy.† â€Å"You are crazy,† I snapped, despite how happy I was to know I hadn't been abandoned in this miserable place. â€Å"The Warriors are so mad that they'd probably kill a Moroi on sight if they saw you.† He tugged my hand forward. Even through his banter, there'd been a hard tone to his words. He was fully aware of the danger we faced. â€Å"Then we'd better get out of here.† Adrian led me back in the direction I'd come, then went around the opposite side of the building. I didn't see the freeway lights yet, but he soon turned and began running toward the property's far edge, away from the building. I ran alongside him, still holding his hand. â€Å"Where are we going?† I asked. â€Å"The guardians assembled near the back side of the compound, so they wouldn't be spotted. That part of the fence has been deactivated – if you can climb it.† â€Å"Of course I can climb it. I'm practically a prodigy in PE,† I pointed out. â€Å"The question is, can you, Mr. Smoker?† The fence began to come into focus as we approached, mostly because its shape blocked some of the stars. â€Å"That's the section. Behind the scraggly bush,† Adrian said. I couldn't see any bush but trusted in his eyes. â€Å"Go a little ways past that, and there's this country highway that the guardians used as a staging point. I'm parked there.† We came to a halt in front of the fence, both of us a little breathless. I peered upward. â€Å"You're sure it's still off?† â€Å"It was when we came in,† said Adrian, but I could hear a little uncertainty in his voice. â€Å"You think those guys would have gotten their act together enough to fix it already?† â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"But I'd still like to know for sure. I mean, most commercial electric fences won't significantly hurt someone, but we should know.† He glanced around. â€Å"Can we throw a stick at it?† â€Å"Wood doesn't conduct.† I rifled through my purse and found what I wanted: a metal pen with a foam grip. â€Å"Hopefully, the foam on this will block the worst of it if the fence really is hot.† Trying not to grimace, I reached out and touched the pen's barrel to the fence, half-expecting some intense charge to send me flying backward. Nothing happened. I slowly ran the pen along the fence, since most electric ones had an intermittent pulse. Sustained contact would be needed. â€Å"Looks clean,† I said, exhaling in relief and turning to Adrian. â€Å"I guess we're good to – ahh!† A bright light shone in my eyes, blinding me and killing whatever night vision I'd gained out here. I heard Adrian cry out in surprise as well. â€Å"It's the girl!† a male voice exclaimed. â€Å"And†¦ and one of them!† The flashlight was moved out of my face, and although spots still danced in my vision, I could make out two hulking figures rapidly approaching. Were they armed? My mind raced. Whether they were or not, they were still an obvious threat since Warriors apparently liked to practice bashing each other in their free time, and Adrian and I didn't. â€Å"Don't move,† said one of them. A blade shone in the gleam of the lowered flashlight. Not as bad as a gun, but not great either. â€Å"You're both coming with us, back inside.† â€Å"Slowly,† added the other. â€Å"Don't try any tricks.† Unfortunately for them, I still had a few up my sleeve. Quickly I put the pen back in my purse and grabbed another souvenir from Ms. Terwilliger's homework: a thin, round wooden bracelet. Before either Warrior could do anything, I snapped the wooden circle into four pieces and tossed them on the ground, calling out another Latin incantation. Again, I felt the rush of power and its exultation. The men cried out – I'd cast a disorientation spell, one that messed with equilibrium and made vision blurry and surreal. It worked a lot like the blindness spell, affecting those around me. I lunged forward and pushed one of our assailants down. He fell easily, too incapacitated by the spell to resist. The other guy was so distraught that he'd dropped the flashlight and was practically on the ground already as his attempts at balance failed. Nonetheless, I gave him a good kick to the chest to make sure he stayed down and grabbed his flashlight in the process. I didn't necessarily need it with Adrian's night vision, but these two would now be helpless in the dark when the spell wore off. â€Å"Sage! What the hell did you do to me?† Turning, I saw Adrian clinging to the fence, using it to hold himself up. In my eagerness to stop the Warriors, I'd forgotten the spell affected everyone near me. â€Å"Oh,† I said. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"Sorry? My legs don't work!† â€Å"It's your inner ear, actually. Come on. Grab the fence and climb. One hand in front of the other.† I caught hold as well and urged him up. It wasn't the most difficult fence to climb – it wasn't electrified or barbed – and having it for support negated some of Adrian's disorientation. Nonetheless, it was still slow going as we made it toward the top. This spell lasted a little longer than the blindness one, but I was painfully aware that as soon as Adrian was free from it, the Warriors would be too. Against all odds, we made it to the top of the fence. Getting over to the other side was much more difficult, and I had to do a fair amount of acrobatics to help Adrian make the transition while keeping myself steady. Finally, I wrangled him into the correct position to climb down. â€Å"Good,† I said. â€Å"Now just reverse what you did before, one hand down in front of the – † Something slipped, either his hand or foot, and Adrian plummeted to the ground. It wasn't that long of a drop, and his height helped a little – not that he was in any shape to actually use his legs and land on his feet. I winced. â€Å"Or you can just take the short way down,† I said. I quickly scaled down after him and helped him stand. Aside from the spell's debilitation, he didn't seem to have suffered any damage. Slipping an arm around him and letting him lean his weight on me, I attempted to run toward the road he'd mentioned, which was now slightly visible. â€Å"Running† was difficult, however. It was hard work keeping Adrian up and I kept stumbling. Still, we made our way slowly from the compound, which was about as much as we could hope for. Adrian's state made him clumsy and heavy, and his height was a real inconvenience. Then, without warning, the spell wore off, and Adrian instantly recovered. His legs strengthened and his unwieldy gait straightened out. Suddenly, it was as though he were carrying me, and we practically tripped over each other trying to adjust. â€Å"You okay?† I asked, letting go. â€Å"I am now. What the hell was that?† â€Å"It's not important. What is important is that those guys have recovered too. Maybe I knocked them down hard enough to slow them down.† That seemed kind of unlikely. â€Å"But run anyway.† We ran, and even if he undoubtedly had the respiratory system of a chain smoker, his long legs made up for it. He could easily outdistance me but slowed so that we stayed together. Whenever he started to get ahead, he'd grab my hand again. Shouts sounded behind us, and I turned off the flashlight to make us harder to spot. â€Å"There,† said Adrian. â€Å"See the cars?† Slowly, out of the darkness, two SUVs materialized, along with a much more conspicuous yellow Mustang. â€Å"Very covert,† I muttered. â€Å"Most of the guardians have gotten away,† said Adrian. â€Å"But not everyone.† Before I could respond, someone grabbed me from behind. In a maneuver that would have made Wolfe proud, I managed the backward kick that he'd tried so hard to teach us. It caught my attacker by surprise, and he released me, only for his companion to shove me to the ground. Three figures ran toward us from the cars and hurled themselves at our attackers. Thanks to his signature duster, I knew Dimitri led the group. â€Å"Get out of here,† he called to Adrian and me. â€Å"You know where to meet. We'll cover you. Drive fast – they'll probably be on the road soon.† Adrian helped me up, and once again we ran together. I'd hurt my ankle in the fall, so I moved slowly, but Adrian helped me along and let me lean on him. All the while, my heart was threatening to pound out of my chest, even when we reached the safety of the Mustang. He guided me to the passenger side. â€Å"Can you get in okay?† â€Å"I'm fine,† I said, sliding in and unwilling to admit the pain was growing. I prayed I hadn't slowed us too much. I couldn't stand the thought of being the one responsible for Adrian's capture. Satisfied, Adrian raced over to the driver's side and started the car. The engine roared to life, and he followed Dimitri's orders to the letter, peeling out at a speed I was envious of. Out on this country highway, however, it seemed unlikely there were any cops. I glanced behind us a few times, but by the time we made it to I-10, it was obvious no one had followed us. I sighed gratefully and leaned my head against the seat, though I was still a long way from being calm. I couldn't assume we were safe yet. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"How on earth did you guys find me?† Adrian didn't answer right away. When he did, I could tell it was with great reluctance. â€Å"Eddie put a tracking device in your purse, back at my place.† â€Å"What? He couldn't have! They searched me.† â€Å"Well, I'm sure it didn't look like one. I don't know what he ended up getting. He got it from your people, actually. As soon as Trey confirmed the meeting tonight, Belikov was on the phone with every guardian in a two-hour radius, trying to recruit backup. He called the Alchemists too and convinced them to share some tech.† There were so many crazy things about what he'd just said, I didn't know where to begin parsing it. All sorts of wheeling and dealing had gone on without me realizing it. And even when it had been settled, no one had told me about it. Plus, the Alchemists had been involved? Helping the guardians to track me? â€Å"The earrings,† I said. â€Å"That's where they came from. The tracker must be in one of them. I never would have guessed.† â€Å"I'm not surprised, knowing the way you guys work.† The rest of tonight's reality began to sink in. The last of my fear subsided – only to be replaced by anger. â€Å"You lied to me! All of you! You should have told me what you were doing – that you were tracking me and planning a raid! How could you keep that from me?† He sighed. â€Å"I didn't want to, believe me. I told them over and over they needed to get you in the loop. But everyone was afraid you'd refuse to take the device if you knew about it. Or that you'd somehow slip up and give away the plan to those nuts. I didn't believe that, though.† â€Å"And yet, you didn't bother telling me yourself,† I snapped, still outraged. â€Å"I couldn't! They made me promise not to.† Somehow, his betrayal hurt worse than all the others. I had come to trust him implicitly. How could he do this to me? â€Å"No one believed I'd be able to talk the Warriors down, so everyone just made contingency plans without me.† Never mind that I hadn't been able to talk them down. â€Å"Someone should have told me. You should have told me.† There was legitimate pain and regret in his voice. â€Å"I'm telling you, I wanted to. But I was trapped. You of all people should know what it's like being caught between groups, Sage. Besides, don't you remember what I said just before you got in the car with Trey?† I did, actually. Almost word for word. No matter what happens, I want you to know that I never doubted what you're going to do. It's smart, and it's brave. I slouched further into my seat and felt like I was on the verge of tears. Adrian was right. I did know what it was like to have your loyalty stretched between different groups. I understood the position he'd been in. It was just, some selfish part of me wished that I'd been the one his loyalty had been strongest to. He tried, an inner voice said. He tried to tell you. The meeting spot that Dimitri had told Adrian to go to turned out to be Clarence's house. The place was crawling with guardians, some of whom were patching up each other's injuries. No one had been killed on either side, something the guardians had been very cautious about. The Warriors of Light already thought vampires were twisted and corrupt. They didn't need more fuel added to the fire. Not that tonight's raid was probably going to help matters. I had no clue how the Warriors would react or if there might be some lethal retaliation in store. I supposed the guardians and Alchemists had taken that into consideration. I wondered bitterly if any of them would share their opinions on it with me. â€Å"I know better than to offer to heal you,† Adrian told me, as we squeezed past a group of guardians. â€Å"Grab a seat in the living room, and I'll get you some ice.† I started to say I could get my own, but my ankle was growing increasingly painful. With a nod, I left him and made my way to the living room. A couple of unknown guardians were there, along with a beaming Clarence. To my surprise, Eddie and Angeline were also in there, sitting side by side – and holding hands? â€Å"Sydney!† he exclaimed. He immediately released Angeline's hand and hurried over to me, astonishing me with a hug. â€Å"Thank God you're okay. I hated having to leave you there. That wasn't part of the plan. I was supposed to have gotten you out with Sonya.† â€Å"Yeah, well, maybe next time, someone can fill me in on the plan,† I said pointedly. Eddie grimaced. â€Å"I'm sorry about that. I really am. We just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know, I know. Didn't think I'd go along with it, were afraid something would go wrong, etc., etc.† â€Å"I'm sorry.† I didn't entirely forgive him, but I was too tired to push the matter much further. â€Å"Just tell me this,† I said, lowering my voice. â€Å"Were you just holding hands with Angeline?† He blushed, which seemed ludicrous after the fierceness I'd seen him pull off back at the compound. â€Å"Er, yeah. We were just†¦ talking. I mean, that is†¦ I think we might go out sometime. Not at school, of course, since everyone thinks we're related. And probably not anything serious. I mean, she's still a little out there, but she's not as bad as I used to think. And she was really great in that battle. I feel like maybe I should get my head out of the fantasy with Jill and try some normal dating. If you'll let me borrow your car.† I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"Far be it for me to stop a budding romance.† Should I tell him Jill might not be such a fantasy after all? I didn't want to meddle. Eddie deserved to be happy, but I couldn't help but feel a little bad that I'd told Jill he might be interested. I hope I hadn't made things more complicated. Adrian returned with a bag of ice. I sat down in an armchair, and he helped position the ice on my ankle after I propped it up on a footstool. I relaxed as the ice began numbing the pain and hoped I hadn't broken anything. â€Å"Isn't this exciting?† Clarence asked me. â€Å"Finally, you were able to see the vampire hunters for yourselves!† I wasn't sure I'd describe the night with that much enthusiasm, but I did have to concede a point to him. â€Å"You were right,† I said. â€Å"I'm sorry for not believing you sooner.† He gave me a kind smile. â€Å"It's all right, my dear. I probably wouldn't have believed a crazy old man either.† I smiled in return and then thought of something from earlier. â€Å"Mr. Donahue†¦ you said when you encountered the hunters before that a human named Marcus Finch intervened on your behalf.† Clarence nodded eagerly. â€Å"Yes, yes. Nice young man, that Marcus. Certainly hope I run into him again someday.† â€Å"Was he an Alchemist?† I asked. Seeing Clarence's puzzled look, I tapped my cheek. â€Å"Did he have a tattoo like mine?† â€Å"Like yours? No, no. It was different. Hard to explain.† I leaned forward. â€Å"But he did have a tattoo on his cheek?† â€Å"Yes. Didn't you see in the picture?† â€Å"What picture?† Clarence's gaze turned inward. â€Å"I could've sworn I showed you some of my old pictures, back when Lee and Tamara were young†¦ ah, such good days those were.† I worked hard to stay patient. Clarence's moments of coherence were sometimes hard to get a hold of. â€Å"And Marcus? You have a picture of him too?† â€Å"Of course. A lovely one of the two of us. I'll find it one day and show you.† I wanted to ask him if he'd show it to me now, but with his place so crowded, it didn't seem like the right time. Dimitri arrived shortly thereafter, along with the last of the guardians who'd been at the compound. Dimitri immediately asked about Sonya, who I'd learned was resting in her bedroom. Adrian had offered to heal her, but Sonya had had enough clarity of mind to refuse him, saying she simply wanted blood and rest and a chance for the drugs to wear off naturally. Once Dimitri got this report and could rest easy about Sonya, he came straight to me, looking down from his lofty height at where I sat with my ice. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said. â€Å"I know you must have heard by now what happened.† â€Å"That I was sent into a dangerous situation with only half the information I needed?† I asked. â€Å"Yeah, I heard all about that.† â€Å"I'm not a fan of lies and half truths,† he said. â€Å"I wished there'd been another way. We had so little time, and this just seemed like the best option. No one doubted your ability to reason and make a compelling case. It was the Warriors' ability to listen and see reason that we didn't believe in.† â€Å"I can see why you guys didn't trust me with the plan.† Near me, I saw Adrian flinch at the way I said â€Å"you guys.† I hadn't intentionally meant anything by it but realized now that it sounded very condescending and Alchemist – so Us versus Them. â€Å"But I still can't believe the Alchemists went along with that – that they condoned keeping me out of the loop.† There were no free chairs left, so Dimitri simply sat down cross-legged. â€Å"There's not much I can tell you about that. Like I said, it was all short notice, and when I spoke with Donna Stanton, she felt it would be safer all around if you didn't know what was coming. If it makes you feel better, she was very adamant about us keeping you safe once we were there.† â€Å"Maybe,† I said. â€Å"It'd be better still if she'd thought about how I might feel when I found out I wasn't trusted with vital information.† â€Å"She did think about it,† said Dimitri, looking slightly uncomfortable. â€Å"She said you wouldn't mind because you understand the importance of not questioning your superiors' decisions and that you know what they do is for the best. She said you're an exemplary Alchemist.† Don't question. They know what's best. We can't take any chances. â€Å"Of course she did,† I said. I never question anything.

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and Its Aftermath

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and Its Aftermath The Great Chicago Fire destroyed a major American city, making it one of the most destructive disasters of the 19th century. A Sunday night blaze in a barn quickly spread, and for approximately 30 hours the flames roared through Chicago, consuming hastily constructed neighborhoods of immigrant housing as well as the citys business district. From the evening of October 8, 1871, until the early hours of Tuesday, October 10, 1871, Chicago was essentially defenseless against the enormous fire.  Thousands of homes were reduced to cinders, along with hotels, department stores, newspapers, and government offices. At least 300 people were killed. The cause of the fire has always been disputed. A local rumor, that Mrs. OLeary’s cow started the blaze by kicking over a lantern is probably not true. But that legend stuck in the public mind and holds fast to this day. What is true is that the fire did start in a barn owned by the OLeary family, and the flames, whipped by strong winds, quickly moved onward from that point. A Long Summer Drought The summer of 1871 was very hot, and the city of Chicago suffered under a brutal drought. From early July to the outbreak of the fire in October less than three inches of rain fell on the city, and most of that was in brief showers. The heat and lack of sustained rainfall put the city in a precarious position as Chicago consisted almost entirely of wooden structures. Lumber was plentiful and cheap in the American Midwest in the mid-1800s, and Chicago was essentially built of timber. Construction regulations and fire codes were widely ignored. Large sections of the city housed poor immigrants in shabbily constructed shanties, and even the houses of more prosperous citizens tended to be made of wood. A sprawling city virtually made of wood drying out in a prolonged drought inspired fears at the time. In early September, a month before the fire, the city’s most prominent newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, criticized the city for being made of â€Å"firetraps,† adding that many structures were â€Å"all sham and shingles.† Part of the problem was that Chicago had grown quickly and had not endured a history of fires. New York City, for instance, which had undergone its own great fire in 1835, had learned to enforce building and fire codes. The Fire Began in OLearys Barn On the night before the great fire, another major fire broke out that was battled by all the city’s fire companies. When that blaze was brought under control it seemed that Chicago had been saved from a major disaster. And then on Sunday night, October 8, 1871, a fire was spotted in a barn owned by an Irish immigrant family named OLeary. Alarms were sounded, and a fire company which had just returned from battling the previous nights fire responded. There was considerable confusion in dispatching other fire companies, and valuable time was lost. Perhaps the fire at the OLeary barn could have been contained if the first company responding had not been exhausted, or if other companies had been dispatched to the correct location. Within a half-hour of the first reports of the fire at OLearys barn, the fire had spread to nearby barns and sheds, and then to a church, which was quickly consumed in flame. At that point, there was no hope of controlling the inferno, and the fire began its destructive march northward toward the heart of Chicago. The legend took hold that the fire had started when a cow being milked by Mrs. OLeary had kicked over a kerosene lantern, igniting hay in the OLeary barn. Years later a newspaper reporter admitted to having made up that story, but to this day the legend of Mrs. OLearys cow endures. The Fire Spread The conditions were perfect for the fire to spread, and once it went beyond the immediate neighborhood of OLearys barn it accelerated quickly. Burning embers landed on furniture factories and grain storage elevators, and soon the blaze began to consume everything in its path. Fire companies tried their best to contain the fire, but when the city’s waterworks were destroyed the battle was over. The only response to the fire was to try to flee, and tens of thousands of Chicagos citizens did. It has been estimated that a quarter of the city’s approximately 330,000 residents took to the streets, carrying what they could in a mad panic. A massive wall of flame 100 feet high advanced through city blocks. Survivors told harrowing stories of strong winds pushed by the fire-spewing burning embers so that it looked as if it was raining fire. By the time the sun rose on Monday morning, large parts of Chicago were already burned to the ground. Wooden buildings had simply disappeared into piles of ash. Sturdier buildings of brick or stone were charred ruins. The fire burned throughout Monday. The inferno was finally dying out when the rain began on Monday evening, finally extinguishing the last of the flames in the early hours of Tuesday. The Aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire The wall of flame that destroyed the center of Chicago leveled a corridor about four miles long and more than a mile wide. The damage to the city was nearly impossible to comprehend. Virtually all government buildings were burned to the ground, as were the newspapers, hotels, and any just about any major business. There were stories that many priceless documents, including letters of  Abraham Lincoln, were lost in the fire. And its believed that original negatives of classic portraits of Lincoln taken by Chicago photographer Alexander Hesler were lost. Approximately 120 bodies were recovered, but it was estimated that more than 300 people died. Its believed that many bodies were entirely consumed by the intense heat. The cost of destroyed property was estimated at $190 million. More than 17,000 buildings were destroyed, and more than 100,000 people were left homeless. News of the fire traveled quickly by telegraph, and within days newspaper artists and photographers descended upon the city, recording the massive scenes of destruction. Chicago Was Rebuilt After the Great Fire Relief efforts were mounted, and the US Army took control of the city, placing it under martial law. Cities in the east sent contributions, and even President Ulysses S. Grant sent $1,000 from his personal funds to the relief effort. While the Great Chicago Fire was one of the major disasters of the 19th century and a profound blow to the city, the city was rebuilt fairly quickly. And with the rebuilding came better construction and much stricter fire codes. Indeed, the bitter lessons of Chicagos destruction affected how other cities were managed. And while the story of Mrs. OLeary and her cow persists, the real culprits were simply a long summer drought and a sprawling city built of wood. Sources Carson, Thomas and Mary R. Bonk.  Chicago Fire of 1871. Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History: Vol.1. Detroit: Gale, 1999. 158-160.  Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Al Maqasid Al Sharia

Hence, Maqasid al-Shari’ah represents â€Å"the objectives and the rationale of the Shari’ah. It encompasses all disciplines, laws, regulations, policies, instructions, obligations, principles, beliefs, devotion and actions designed to protect the interest of human beings in all segments and aspects of life. Various scholars have tried to elucidate the purposes and the objectives of Shari’ah upon which it is established. Among these the exceptional individuals are the Malikite Abu Ishaqal-Shatibi, the Shafite al-‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salam, and the Hanbalite Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah. According to Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Shari‘ah aims at safeguarding people’s interest in this world and the Hereafter. Referring to the maqasid al-Shari‘ah , al-Ghazali said: â€Å"The objective of the Shari‘ah is to promote the welfare of human beings, which lies in safeguarding their faith, their life, their intellect, their posterity, and their wealth. Whatever ensures the safeguard of these five fundamentals serves public interest and is desirable†. Al-Shatibi approves al-Ghazali’s list and sequence,hereby indicating that they are the most preferable in terms of their harmony with essence of Shari’ah . Finally, Ibn Ashur provides a broader definition stating that: Both its general rules and specific proofs indicate that the all-purpose principle(maqsad ‘amm) of Islamic legislation is to preserve the social order of the community and insure its healthy progress by promoting the well-being and righteousness ( salah ) of that which prevails in it, namely, the human species. The well-being and virtue of human beings consist of the soundness of their intellect, the righteousness of their deeds as well as the goodness of the things of the world where they live that are put at their disposal. Maqasid al-Shari’ah : An Overview Maqasid al-Shari’ah calls for establishment of justice, elimination of unfairness and alleviation of privation. It endorses relationship and mutual support within the family and community in general. This has for outcome a preservation of public interest (maslahah) as the most important objective of the Shari’ah. Shari’ah recognizes three areas which constitute well- being, namely, endorsing benefits (maslahah ) to people, educating individual and establishing justice. One of the objectives and the underlying principle of the Shari’ah is endorsing benefits (maslahah) to the people. It is associated with people livelihood in this world and the Hereafter Qur’anic verse: â€Å"†¦ and establish regular prayer: for prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing In life) without doubt. and Allah knows the(Deeds) that ye do. † ( Al-Qur’an , Al-Ankabut: 45). Every verdict in Shari’ah appears with reasoning and with a purpose, which is to shelter and protect public interests (maslahah ) in all aspects and segments of life. It should also be observed that in specific occasions emergence of arguments between endorsement of benefit and avoidance of evil arise. If none appears to be preferable, then avoidance of evil takes precedence over the recognition of benefit. Educating individuals is an essential objective of Shari’ah, too. Education encourages people with faith and Taqwa (consciousness of Allah s. w. t. ) in order to accomplish public objectives. A truthful and moral person can emerge as representative of others and bearer of the ruling of Shari’ah related to ibadah , mu’amalah and jinayah. Lastly, one of the objectives of the Shari’ah is to maintain the standards of justice (‘adl ). It must be based on creation of equilibrium which accomplishes rights and responsibilities on one side, and abolishes unfairness and inequality on the other. It must embrace both individual and social justice, regardless whether it is a case of friend or foe, Muslim or non-Muslim, personal or public. Illicit behaviors and wrongdoings are disapproved and punished in order to avoid injustice as it is undesirable and contradictory with the philosophy of Qur’an and the Maqasid al-Shari’ah. IDENTIFICATION OF THE MAQASID As already indicated the ulema have differed in their approach to the identification of the maqasid. The first approach to be noted is the purely textualist approach, which confines the identification of the maqasid to the clear text, the commands and prohibitions, which are in themselves the carriers of the maqasid. The maqasid, according to this view, have no separate existence as such. Provided that a command or prohibition is tasrihi (explicit) and ibtida’i (normative) it in itself conveys the maqsud of the Lawgiver. Although it is generally accepted that textual injunctions must be respected and observed as manifestations of the intentions of the Lawgiver, the majority approach to the identification of the maqasid takes into consideration not only the text but also the underlying ’illah or rationale of the text. 10 The chief exponent of Al-Maqasid, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Shatibi , spoke affirmatively of the need to respect and observe the explicit injunctions, but added, that adherence to the obvious text must not be so rigid as to alienate the rationale and purpose of the text from its words and sentences. Such rigidity could, of course, then be just as much contrary to the maqsud of the Lawgiver as would be in the case of a conscious and direct neglect of that law. The preferred approach then is to read the text, whether it is of a command or a prohibition, in conjunction with its rationale and objective, for this is most likely to bear the greatest harmony with the intention of the Lawgiver. 11 Al- Shatibi elaborated that the maqasid that are known from such a comprehensive reading of the text are of two types, asliyyah (primary) and tab’iyyah (secondary). The former are the essential maqasid, or the daruriyyah, which the mukallaf must observe and protect regardless of his personal predilections, whereas the latter, the supplementary maqasid, or the hajiyyat, are those regarding which the mukallaf has some flexibility and choice. The comprehensive approach to the textual injunctions of the Shari’ah has given rise to two important questions. Firstly, the question that seeks to establish whether the means to a command, a wajib (obligation) or a haram (prohibition), should also be seen as integral to the goal and objective that is sought by that command. The general response given to this question is that supplementary aspects of commands and prohibitions are indeed integral to their objectives. Thus, it is generally accepted that whatever might be necessary for the completion of a wajib is also a part of that wajib, and that whatever may lead to a haram is also haram. There has, however, been some disagreement on this, emerging from certain areas of detail. The second question concerns the silence of the Lawgiver in respect of certain conducts, especially where a general reading of the relevant evidence casts light on the value of that conduct. The question may be formulated as follows: We know that the maqasid can be known from clear injunctions, but can they also be known from a general reading of the nusus (clear textual rulings) by way of induction? Al-Shatibi’s response to this question is possibly the most original. Page 5 of 7 Istiqra’ (induction), according to al-Shatibi, is one of the most important methods for identifying the maqasid of the Shari’ah. There may be various textual references to a subject, none of which may be in the nature of a decisive injunction. Yet their collective weight is such that it leaves little doubt as to the meaning that is to be obtained from them. A decisive conclusion may thus be arrived at from a plurality of inclining expressions. Al-Shatibi illustrates this with an important example. Nowhere in the Qur’an is there a specific declaration to the effect that the Shari’ah has been enacted for the benefit of the people, and yet, this must be the definitive conclusion that is to be drawn from the collective reading of a variety of textual proclamations. 12 To illustrate the point further we may give two more examples. There is no specific declaration in the textual sources on the classification of the maqasid into the three categories of daruriyyah, hajiyyah and tahsiniyyah or on the conclusion that the Lawgiver has intended that these maqasid must be protected — and yet, through istiqra’, this classification and conclusion has generally been accepted by the ulema. Again, there is no specific textual declaration espousing the claim that the protection of the five values of life, intellect, faith, lineage and property is of the most primary importance to the Shari’ah — but once again, through istiqra’, this has also been generally accepted by the ulema. It is also to be noted that the inductive method is not confined to the identification of maqasid-cum-masalih alone, but extends to commands and prohibitions. 15 Conclusions arrived at through istiqra’, such as those in the above paragraph, are of great overall importance to the understanding and implementation of the Shari’ah. They are not to be seen as being subject to doubt or lacking in credibility by way of being based on speculative reasoning. 14 In fact, al-Shatibi’s own position on this was to go so far as saying that the conclusions and positions established through istiqra’ are he general premises and overriding objectives of the Shari’ah, over and above the level of the specific rules. Al-Shatibi’s approach to the method of induction is reminiscent of knowledge that is acquired of the personality and character of an individual through a sustained association and observation of conduct of that individual. This kind of knowledge is b road and holistic as it is enriched with insight, and is likely to be more reliable compared to, say, knowledge based only on the observation of odd and isolated incidents in the daily activities of that individual. AL-MAQASID AND IJTIHAD Having expounded his theory of Al-Maqasid, al-Shatibi advocated and accentuated the need for knowledge of the science of Al-Maqasid as a prerequisite to the attainment of the rank of a mujtahid (jurist). Throughout Muslim history, those who neglected acquiring mastery over the science of Al-Maqasid did so at their own peril, as it made them liable to error in ijtihad. Included amongst these were the ahl al-bida’ (the proponents of pernicious innovations), who only looked at the apparent text of the Qur’an without pondering over its ultimate aims and objectives. These innovators (an allusion to the Kharijites) held steadfastly to the literal text of even the mutashabihah (the intricate segments of the Qur’an) and premised many conclusions on them. They took a fragmented and atomistic approach to the reading of the Qur’an, which failed to tie up the relevant parts of the text together. The leading ulema have, on the other hand, always viewed the Shari’ah as a unity, in which the detailed rules were to be read in the light of their broader premises and objectives. 6 Ibn ’Ashur, the author of another landmark work on Al-Maqasid, also stressed that knowledge of the science of Al-Maqasid was indispensable to ijtihad in all its manifestations. 1 Some ulema, who confined the scope of their ijtihad only to literal interpretations, found it possible, ibn ‘Ashur observed, to project their personal opinions into the words of the text, but fell into error as they were out of touch with the general spirit and purpose of the surrounding evidence. We may illustrate this by reference to the differential views taken by the ulema with respect to whether the Zakah on commodities, such as wheat and dates, must be given in kind or could also be given in their monetary equivalent. The Hanafis validated the possibility of this substitution, but some ulema held otherwise. The Hanafi view was founded on the analysis that the purpose of Zakah was to satisfy the needs of the poor, which could just as easily be achieved with the monetary equivalent of the commodity. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah likewise observed that where the ahadith on the subject of sadaqah al-fitr (the charity due on the Eid after Ramadan) sometimes referred to dates and at other times to raisins or food grains, the common purpose in all this was to satisfy the needs of the poor, which could be done with any of these staple foods of Madinah and its environs at that time. The purpose in any of these ahadith was not to confine the payment of the sadaqah to a particular commodity. A similar example relates to the issue of whether a person may pay his Zakat ahead of time, that is, prior to the expiry of the one year period when it becomes due, and whether he is liable to pay again if he has already paid before that time. Imam Malik, drawing an analogy with Salah, ruled affirmatively that the person would be liable to pay again. Subsequent Maliki jurists, including Ibn al-‘Arabi and Ibn Rushd, however, disagreed with this position and ruled that early payment of Zakah was permissible. Indeed, if someone performs his Salah before its due time, he must perform it again at its proper time. But, there is a difference between Salah and Zakah, in that the former is time-bound to specific times but the latter is not in any such similar ways. Hence, Zakah may be paid earlier, especially if it is prepaid by only a few weeks. Scholars who have taken a non-literalist approach, on the other hand, have often been criticised for departing from certain parts of the textual sources. Imam Abu Hanifah, for example, was criticised by the Ahl al-Hadith (the Traditionalists), for having departed on occasions from the wordings of particular ahadith. It turns out upon closer inspection, however, that such scholars departed from the text only when they had reached a different conclusion by reading that particular text in the context of the of the other relevant evidence in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Disharmony and conflict between the aims and objectives of the Shari’ah and its specific rulings may arise latently. A mujtahid or a judge may issue a ruling or a decision which appears at that time to be consistent with the text and maqsud of the Shari’ah. With time and further scrutiny, however, it may prove to be not so consistent. A judge may, for example, uphold a duly signed contract and make it binding on the parties. With time, however, the contract may prove to be grossly unfair on one of the parties. In such an eventuality the judge or the mujtahid can hardly ignore the attendant unfairness and insist on the strict adherence to the letter of the contract. Indeed, according to the Shari’ah laws of obligations, a contract is no longer a governing instrument between the shari’ah al-‘aqidayn (the contracting parties) if it becomes an instrument of injustice. The judge must therefore, in order to uphold the maqsud of justice, a primary and all-pervasive characteristic objective of the Shari’ah, set aside the contract. The judge or the mujtahid must, likewise, give priority to the maqasid whenever there is such a latent discord. These discords or conflicts are most likely to occur where the specific rulings have been arrived at through the doctrine of Qiyas (Analogy). Thus, where a rigid adherence to Qiyas may lead to unsatisfactory results, recourse may be had to Istihsan (Juristic Preference) in order to obtain an alternative ruling that is in greater harmony with the objectives of the Shari’ah. An important feature of the ‘Maqasidi’ (objectives-based) approach in relation to ijtihad and the formulation of specific rules is the attention that the mujtahid must pay to the consequences of his rulings. Indeed, an ijtihad or fatwa would be deficient if it failed to contemplate its own ma’alat (consequences). The importance of such contemplation is demonstrated by the Prophet’s Sunnah. Therein, we note instances where the Prophet paid much attention to the possible consequences of his rulings, often in preference to other considerations. Thus, for example, although acutely aware of the treason and subversive activities of the Munafiqun (the Hypocrites), without and within the Muslim community, we find that he decided not to pursue them, stating simply that â€Å"I fear people might say that Muhammad kills his own Companions†. Similarly, although he personally would have liked very much to accept and execute ‘A’ishah Siddiqah’s suggestion to restore the Ka’bah to its original proportions, as founded by the patriarch Prophet, Ibrahim, again, we find that he decided not to, saying â€Å"I would have done so if I didn’t fear that this may induce our people into disbelief†. In both these instances, therefore, the Prophet did not take what would have been thought to be the normal course because of a foresight of the potential adverse consequences. Finally, we must turn to ijtihad in the context of crimes and penalties. Of course, the normal procedure here is to apply the punishment whenever the cause and occasion for it is present. There may, however, be instances where to pardon the offender would be a more preferable course to take. The mujtahid and the judge must remain open and alert to such possibilities and reflect them in their judgements whenever so required. Al-Shatibi has in this connection drawn a subtle distinction between the normal ’illah that invokes a particular ruling in a given case and what he terms as ‘illah tahqiq manat al-khas (the verification of the particular) in the issuance of ijtihad and judgement. The mujtahid (scholar) may investigate the normal ‘illah and identify it in the case, for example, of a poor person who qualifies to be a recipient of zakah, but such an enquiry may take a different course when it is related to a particular individual as to what might seem appropriate or inappropriate to be applied in a particular case. The mujtahid needs therefore to be learned not only of the law and specific evidence but must also have acumen and insight to render judgements that are enlightened by both the overall consequences as well as the special circumstances of each case. CLASSIFICATION OF MAQASID AL SHARI’AH Although there are different classifications of maqasid al-Shari‘ah , Muslim cholarsgenerally classified them into three main categories: daruriyyat (essentials), hajiyyat (needs)and tahsiniyyat (embellishments). The essentials ( daruriyyat ) are particulars that are required and considered as vital for the founding of wellbeing in this world and the Hereafter. If society in some way neglects them, the outcome will be anarchy together with disorder of the functionality of the society which will result in total collapse. The essential masalih (plural of maslahah) or daruriyyat are further divided into five: (i) Preservation of faith/religion (Din); (ii) Preservation of the life(afs); (iii) Preservation of lineage/descendents/procreation (asl ); (iv) Preservation of property ( Mal ); and (v) Preservation of intellect/reason (‘Aql ). The embracement of the mentioned values is obligatory to ensure normal functioning of society and welfare of individuals. It is an obligation of society and people to implement all necessary measures to prevent or eliminate all the barriers that will hinder the realization of these values. The Shari’ah constantly seeks to embrace and endorse these values and enhance procedures for their continuation and progression. Furthermore, Islam as religion is greatly concerned with eradication of poverty and hardship of individuals and community, which is in consistency with the aims of Shari’ah. This is to ensure that people have prosperous life and that there will be no disruption to their normal life. The needs (hajiyyat ) serve as complementary to the essentials. Without the needs, people will face hardship. However, non-existence of the needs will not create complete disruption of the normal order of life as is the case with the essentials. Ibn Ashur defined the meaning of complementary necessities in the following manner: â€Å"It consists of what is needed by the community for the achievement of its interest and the proper functioning of its affairs. If it is neglected, the social order will not actually collapse but will not function well. Likewise, it is not on the level of what is indispensable (daruri ). The embellishments ( tahsiniyyat ) relate to matters which bestow enhancement in the societyand guide to improved life. The admirable illustrations are Shari’ah ’s guidelines as clean body and attire for purpose of prayer, offering charity and avoiding lavishness and recommendation of supererogatory prayers (‘ibadat ). The rationale of all these are the accomplishment of integrity and perfection in entire fields of a person’s behavior. However, without these values the society will still be able to function and normal life process will not be interrupted. The illustrations of these matters are: voluntary ( sadaqah),and ethical and moral rules, and others. MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH AND ISLAMIC FINANCE The significance of the Maqasid al-Shari’ah in Islamic finance originates from the perspective of the wealth in Islamic law. This significance relates also to the objectives of the Islamic law in finance and business transactions and to the overall goals of Shari’ah in wealth. The protection and preservation of the wealth is categorized in the sphere of necessary matters (daruriyyat). In previous section it has been elaborated that essentials necessities are those which, without their preservation, there would be disorder and anarchy in society. The abolishment of preservation for these matters would have for result loss of everything that we embrace as valued (Ibn Ashur, 2006). This characterization and classification of Maqasid al-Shari’ah demonstrates the most important position of the wealth and the substance of the finance in Islamic law. Therefore, it must be highlighted here that the finance is recognized by Maqasid al-Shari’ah as valuable aspect of life. Furthermore, the finance is preserved by Islamic law in form of Islamic lawful decisions and guidelines. It is essentially important to stress on the realization of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in the current Islamic finance transactions because of the several important reasons. First, there is a strong relationship between the objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah and the objectives of business transactions, as can be observed from the position of the wealth within Islamic law and Maqasid al-Shari’ah that requests the preservation of wealth in everyday business activities and the promotion of socially responsible activities. As a result, if objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in business transactions are neglected, it may result in poverty and anarchy. Second, the business transactions in domestic and international trade should be based on the principles of Islamic law, and the fundamental objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in finance and business shall be applied as core guidelines to implement all types of financial transactions. Third, the particular objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in business transactions must have perpetuity and constant outlook of the universal objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah . Last but not the least, the regulations of business transactions should be within the rules and the requirements of Maqasid al-Shari’ah and Islamic law. In other words, Maqasid al-Shari’ah must administer and regulate the Shari’ah principle of the Islamic finance. CONCLUSION The purpose of every civilization is to promote peace, prosperity, and freedom for its own members and for all others through compassionate justice. The challenge for all of us therefore is how to do this. Hence, The One (Allah) Who creates knows, surely the One Who knows will speak. Since He will speak, surely He will speak to those who possess consciousness and thought, and those who will understand His speech. Since He will speak to those who possess thought, surely he will speak to mankind, whose nature and awareness are the most comprehensive of all conscious beings and indeed He has done by revealing the Quran. As much as we understand Maqasid al-Shari’ah which are undoubtedly rooted in the textual injunctions of the Qur’an and Sunnah, we will achieve the goal and purpose that is advocated and upheld. 1. MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH IN ISLAMIC FINANCE: AN OVERVIEW, by mirza vejzagic 2. AL-MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH THE OBJECTIVES OF ISLAMIC LAW, Mohammed Hashim Kamali 3. Maqasid al Shari’ah: Strategy to Rehabilitate Religion in America by Dr. Robert D. Crane 4. The Collection of Risale-i Nur, The Letters by Said Nursi Al Maqasid Al Sharia Hence, Maqasid al-Shari’ah represents â€Å"the objectives and the rationale of the Shari’ah. It encompasses all disciplines, laws, regulations, policies, instructions, obligations, principles, beliefs, devotion and actions designed to protect the interest of human beings in all segments and aspects of life. Various scholars have tried to elucidate the purposes and the objectives of Shari’ah upon which it is established. Among these the exceptional individuals are the Malikite Abu Ishaqal-Shatibi, the Shafite al-‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salam, and the Hanbalite Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah. According to Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Shari‘ah aims at safeguarding people’s interest in this world and the Hereafter. Referring to the maqasid al-Shari‘ah , al-Ghazali said: â€Å"The objective of the Shari‘ah is to promote the welfare of human beings, which lies in safeguarding their faith, their life, their intellect, their posterity, and their wealth. Whatever ensures the safeguard of these five fundamentals serves public interest and is desirable†. Al-Shatibi approves al-Ghazali’s list and sequence,hereby indicating that they are the most preferable in terms of their harmony with essence of Shari’ah . Finally, Ibn Ashur provides a broader definition stating that: Both its general rules and specific proofs indicate that the all-purpose principle(maqsad ‘amm) of Islamic legislation is to preserve the social order of the community and insure its healthy progress by promoting the well-being and righteousness ( salah ) of that which prevails in it, namely, the human species. The well-being and virtue of human beings consist of the soundness of their intellect, the righteousness of their deeds as well as the goodness of the things of the world where they live that are put at their disposal. Maqasid al-Shari’ah : An Overview Maqasid al-Shari’ah calls for establishment of justice, elimination of unfairness and alleviation of privation. It endorses relationship and mutual support within the family and community in general. This has for outcome a preservation of public interest (maslahah) as the most important objective of the Shari’ah. Shari’ah recognizes three areas which constitute well- being, namely, endorsing benefits (maslahah ) to people, educating individual and establishing justice. One of the objectives and the underlying principle of the Shari’ah is endorsing benefits (maslahah) to the people. It is associated with people livelihood in this world and the Hereafter Qur’anic verse: â€Å"†¦ and establish regular prayer: for prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing In life) without doubt. and Allah knows the(Deeds) that ye do. † ( Al-Qur’an , Al-Ankabut: 45). Every verdict in Shari’ah appears with reasoning and with a purpose, which is to shelter and protect public interests (maslahah ) in all aspects and segments of life. It should also be observed that in specific occasions emergence of arguments between endorsement of benefit and avoidance of evil arise. If none appears to be preferable, then avoidance of evil takes precedence over the recognition of benefit. Educating individuals is an essential objective of Shari’ah, too. Education encourages people with faith and Taqwa (consciousness of Allah s. w. t. ) in order to accomplish public objectives. A truthful and moral person can emerge as representative of others and bearer of the ruling of Shari’ah related to ibadah , mu’amalah and jinayah. Lastly, one of the objectives of the Shari’ah is to maintain the standards of justice (‘adl ). It must be based on creation of equilibrium which accomplishes rights and responsibilities on one side, and abolishes unfairness and inequality on the other. It must embrace both individual and social justice, regardless whether it is a case of friend or foe, Muslim or non-Muslim, personal or public. Illicit behaviors and wrongdoings are disapproved and punished in order to avoid injustice as it is undesirable and contradictory with the philosophy of Qur’an and the Maqasid al-Shari’ah. IDENTIFICATION OF THE MAQASID As already indicated the ulema have differed in their approach to the identification of the maqasid. The first approach to be noted is the purely textualist approach, which confines the identification of the maqasid to the clear text, the commands and prohibitions, which are in themselves the carriers of the maqasid. The maqasid, according to this view, have no separate existence as such. Provided that a command or prohibition is tasrihi (explicit) and ibtida’i (normative) it in itself conveys the maqsud of the Lawgiver. Although it is generally accepted that textual injunctions must be respected and observed as manifestations of the intentions of the Lawgiver, the majority approach to the identification of the maqasid takes into consideration not only the text but also the underlying ’illah or rationale of the text. 10 The chief exponent of Al-Maqasid, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Shatibi , spoke affirmatively of the need to respect and observe the explicit injunctions, but added, that adherence to the obvious text must not be so rigid as to alienate the rationale and purpose of the text from its words and sentences. Such rigidity could, of course, then be just as much contrary to the maqsud of the Lawgiver as would be in the case of a conscious and direct neglect of that law. The preferred approach then is to read the text, whether it is of a command or a prohibition, in conjunction with its rationale and objective, for this is most likely to bear the greatest harmony with the intention of the Lawgiver. 11 Al- Shatibi elaborated that the maqasid that are known from such a comprehensive reading of the text are of two types, asliyyah (primary) and tab’iyyah (secondary). The former are the essential maqasid, or the daruriyyah, which the mukallaf must observe and protect regardless of his personal predilections, whereas the latter, the supplementary maqasid, or the hajiyyat, are those regarding which the mukallaf has some flexibility and choice. The comprehensive approach to the textual injunctions of the Shari’ah has given rise to two important questions. Firstly, the question that seeks to establish whether the means to a command, a wajib (obligation) or a haram (prohibition), should also be seen as integral to the goal and objective that is sought by that command. The general response given to this question is that supplementary aspects of commands and prohibitions are indeed integral to their objectives. Thus, it is generally accepted that whatever might be necessary for the completion of a wajib is also a part of that wajib, and that whatever may lead to a haram is also haram. There has, however, been some disagreement on this, emerging from certain areas of detail. The second question concerns the silence of the Lawgiver in respect of certain conducts, especially where a general reading of the relevant evidence casts light on the value of that conduct. The question may be formulated as follows: We know that the maqasid can be known from clear injunctions, but can they also be known from a general reading of the nusus (clear textual rulings) by way of induction? Al-Shatibi’s response to this question is possibly the most original. Page 5 of 7 Istiqra’ (induction), according to al-Shatibi, is one of the most important methods for identifying the maqasid of the Shari’ah. There may be various textual references to a subject, none of which may be in the nature of a decisive injunction. Yet their collective weight is such that it leaves little doubt as to the meaning that is to be obtained from them. A decisive conclusion may thus be arrived at from a plurality of inclining expressions. Al-Shatibi illustrates this with an important example. Nowhere in the Qur’an is there a specific declaration to the effect that the Shari’ah has been enacted for the benefit of the people, and yet, this must be the definitive conclusion that is to be drawn from the collective reading of a variety of textual proclamations. 12 To illustrate the point further we may give two more examples. There is no specific declaration in the textual sources on the classification of the maqasid into the three categories of daruriyyah, hajiyyah and tahsiniyyah or on the conclusion that the Lawgiver has intended that these maqasid must be protected — and yet, through istiqra’, this classification and conclusion has generally been accepted by the ulema. Again, there is no specific textual declaration espousing the claim that the protection of the five values of life, intellect, faith, lineage and property is of the most primary importance to the Shari’ah — but once again, through istiqra’, this has also been generally accepted by the ulema. It is also to be noted that the inductive method is not confined to the identification of maqasid-cum-masalih alone, but extends to commands and prohibitions. 15 Conclusions arrived at through istiqra’, such as those in the above paragraph, are of great overall importance to the understanding and implementation of the Shari’ah. They are not to be seen as being subject to doubt or lacking in credibility by way of being based on speculative reasoning. 14 In fact, al-Shatibi’s own position on this was to go so far as saying that the conclusions and positions established through istiqra’ are he general premises and overriding objectives of the Shari’ah, over and above the level of the specific rules. Al-Shatibi’s approach to the method of induction is reminiscent of knowledge that is acquired of the personality and character of an individual through a sustained association and observation of conduct of that individual. This kind of knowledge is b road and holistic as it is enriched with insight, and is likely to be more reliable compared to, say, knowledge based only on the observation of odd and isolated incidents in the daily activities of that individual. AL-MAQASID AND IJTIHAD Having expounded his theory of Al-Maqasid, al-Shatibi advocated and accentuated the need for knowledge of the science of Al-Maqasid as a prerequisite to the attainment of the rank of a mujtahid (jurist). Throughout Muslim history, those who neglected acquiring mastery over the science of Al-Maqasid did so at their own peril, as it made them liable to error in ijtihad. Included amongst these were the ahl al-bida’ (the proponents of pernicious innovations), who only looked at the apparent text of the Qur’an without pondering over its ultimate aims and objectives. These innovators (an allusion to the Kharijites) held steadfastly to the literal text of even the mutashabihah (the intricate segments of the Qur’an) and premised many conclusions on them. They took a fragmented and atomistic approach to the reading of the Qur’an, which failed to tie up the relevant parts of the text together. The leading ulema have, on the other hand, always viewed the Shari’ah as a unity, in which the detailed rules were to be read in the light of their broader premises and objectives. 6 Ibn ’Ashur, the author of another landmark work on Al-Maqasid, also stressed that knowledge of the science of Al-Maqasid was indispensable to ijtihad in all its manifestations. 1 Some ulema, who confined the scope of their ijtihad only to literal interpretations, found it possible, ibn ‘Ashur observed, to project their personal opinions into the words of the text, but fell into error as they were out of touch with the general spirit and purpose of the surrounding evidence. We may illustrate this by reference to the differential views taken by the ulema with respect to whether the Zakah on commodities, such as wheat and dates, must be given in kind or could also be given in their monetary equivalent. The Hanafis validated the possibility of this substitution, but some ulema held otherwise. The Hanafi view was founded on the analysis that the purpose of Zakah was to satisfy the needs of the poor, which could just as easily be achieved with the monetary equivalent of the commodity. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah likewise observed that where the ahadith on the subject of sadaqah al-fitr (the charity due on the Eid after Ramadan) sometimes referred to dates and at other times to raisins or food grains, the common purpose in all this was to satisfy the needs of the poor, which could be done with any of these staple foods of Madinah and its environs at that time. The purpose in any of these ahadith was not to confine the payment of the sadaqah to a particular commodity. A similar example relates to the issue of whether a person may pay his Zakat ahead of time, that is, prior to the expiry of the one year period when it becomes due, and whether he is liable to pay again if he has already paid before that time. Imam Malik, drawing an analogy with Salah, ruled affirmatively that the person would be liable to pay again. Subsequent Maliki jurists, including Ibn al-‘Arabi and Ibn Rushd, however, disagreed with this position and ruled that early payment of Zakah was permissible. Indeed, if someone performs his Salah before its due time, he must perform it again at its proper time. But, there is a difference between Salah and Zakah, in that the former is time-bound to specific times but the latter is not in any such similar ways. Hence, Zakah may be paid earlier, especially if it is prepaid by only a few weeks. Scholars who have taken a non-literalist approach, on the other hand, have often been criticised for departing from certain parts of the textual sources. Imam Abu Hanifah, for example, was criticised by the Ahl al-Hadith (the Traditionalists), for having departed on occasions from the wordings of particular ahadith. It turns out upon closer inspection, however, that such scholars departed from the text only when they had reached a different conclusion by reading that particular text in the context of the of the other relevant evidence in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Disharmony and conflict between the aims and objectives of the Shari’ah and its specific rulings may arise latently. A mujtahid or a judge may issue a ruling or a decision which appears at that time to be consistent with the text and maqsud of the Shari’ah. With time and further scrutiny, however, it may prove to be not so consistent. A judge may, for example, uphold a duly signed contract and make it binding on the parties. With time, however, the contract may prove to be grossly unfair on one of the parties. In such an eventuality the judge or the mujtahid can hardly ignore the attendant unfairness and insist on the strict adherence to the letter of the contract. Indeed, according to the Shari’ah laws of obligations, a contract is no longer a governing instrument between the shari’ah al-‘aqidayn (the contracting parties) if it becomes an instrument of injustice. The judge must therefore, in order to uphold the maqsud of justice, a primary and all-pervasive characteristic objective of the Shari’ah, set aside the contract. The judge or the mujtahid must, likewise, give priority to the maqasid whenever there is such a latent discord. These discords or conflicts are most likely to occur where the specific rulings have been arrived at through the doctrine of Qiyas (Analogy). Thus, where a rigid adherence to Qiyas may lead to unsatisfactory results, recourse may be had to Istihsan (Juristic Preference) in order to obtain an alternative ruling that is in greater harmony with the objectives of the Shari’ah. An important feature of the ‘Maqasidi’ (objectives-based) approach in relation to ijtihad and the formulation of specific rules is the attention that the mujtahid must pay to the consequences of his rulings. Indeed, an ijtihad or fatwa would be deficient if it failed to contemplate its own ma’alat (consequences). The importance of such contemplation is demonstrated by the Prophet’s Sunnah. Therein, we note instances where the Prophet paid much attention to the possible consequences of his rulings, often in preference to other considerations. Thus, for example, although acutely aware of the treason and subversive activities of the Munafiqun (the Hypocrites), without and within the Muslim community, we find that he decided not to pursue them, stating simply that â€Å"I fear people might say that Muhammad kills his own Companions†. Similarly, although he personally would have liked very much to accept and execute ‘A’ishah Siddiqah’s suggestion to restore the Ka’bah to its original proportions, as founded by the patriarch Prophet, Ibrahim, again, we find that he decided not to, saying â€Å"I would have done so if I didn’t fear that this may induce our people into disbelief†. In both these instances, therefore, the Prophet did not take what would have been thought to be the normal course because of a foresight of the potential adverse consequences. Finally, we must turn to ijtihad in the context of crimes and penalties. Of course, the normal procedure here is to apply the punishment whenever the cause and occasion for it is present. There may, however, be instances where to pardon the offender would be a more preferable course to take. The mujtahid and the judge must remain open and alert to such possibilities and reflect them in their judgements whenever so required. Al-Shatibi has in this connection drawn a subtle distinction between the normal ’illah that invokes a particular ruling in a given case and what he terms as ‘illah tahqiq manat al-khas (the verification of the particular) in the issuance of ijtihad and judgement. The mujtahid (scholar) may investigate the normal ‘illah and identify it in the case, for example, of a poor person who qualifies to be a recipient of zakah, but such an enquiry may take a different course when it is related to a particular individual as to what might seem appropriate or inappropriate to be applied in a particular case. The mujtahid needs therefore to be learned not only of the law and specific evidence but must also have acumen and insight to render judgements that are enlightened by both the overall consequences as well as the special circumstances of each case. CLASSIFICATION OF MAQASID AL SHARI’AH Although there are different classifications of maqasid al-Shari‘ah , Muslim cholarsgenerally classified them into three main categories: daruriyyat (essentials), hajiyyat (needs)and tahsiniyyat (embellishments). The essentials ( daruriyyat ) are particulars that are required and considered as vital for the founding of wellbeing in this world and the Hereafter. If society in some way neglects them, the outcome will be anarchy together with disorder of the functionality of the society which will result in total collapse. The essential masalih (plural of maslahah) or daruriyyat are further divided into five: (i) Preservation of faith/religion (Din); (ii) Preservation of the life(afs); (iii) Preservation of lineage/descendents/procreation (asl ); (iv) Preservation of property ( Mal ); and (v) Preservation of intellect/reason (‘Aql ). The embracement of the mentioned values is obligatory to ensure normal functioning of society and welfare of individuals. It is an obligation of society and people to implement all necessary measures to prevent or eliminate all the barriers that will hinder the realization of these values. The Shari’ah constantly seeks to embrace and endorse these values and enhance procedures for their continuation and progression. Furthermore, Islam as religion is greatly concerned with eradication of poverty and hardship of individuals and community, which is in consistency with the aims of Shari’ah. This is to ensure that people have prosperous life and that there will be no disruption to their normal life. The needs (hajiyyat ) serve as complementary to the essentials. Without the needs, people will face hardship. However, non-existence of the needs will not create complete disruption of the normal order of life as is the case with the essentials. Ibn Ashur defined the meaning of complementary necessities in the following manner: â€Å"It consists of what is needed by the community for the achievement of its interest and the proper functioning of its affairs. If it is neglected, the social order will not actually collapse but will not function well. Likewise, it is not on the level of what is indispensable (daruri ). The embellishments ( tahsiniyyat ) relate to matters which bestow enhancement in the societyand guide to improved life. The admirable illustrations are Shari’ah ’s guidelines as clean body and attire for purpose of prayer, offering charity and avoiding lavishness and recommendation of supererogatory prayers (‘ibadat ). The rationale of all these are the accomplishment of integrity and perfection in entire fields of a person’s behavior. However, without these values the society will still be able to function and normal life process will not be interrupted. The illustrations of these matters are: voluntary ( sadaqah),and ethical and moral rules, and others. MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH AND ISLAMIC FINANCE The significance of the Maqasid al-Shari’ah in Islamic finance originates from the perspective of the wealth in Islamic law. This significance relates also to the objectives of the Islamic law in finance and business transactions and to the overall goals of Shari’ah in wealth. The protection and preservation of the wealth is categorized in the sphere of necessary matters (daruriyyat). In previous section it has been elaborated that essentials necessities are those which, without their preservation, there would be disorder and anarchy in society. The abolishment of preservation for these matters would have for result loss of everything that we embrace as valued (Ibn Ashur, 2006). This characterization and classification of Maqasid al-Shari’ah demonstrates the most important position of the wealth and the substance of the finance in Islamic law. Therefore, it must be highlighted here that the finance is recognized by Maqasid al-Shari’ah as valuable aspect of life. Furthermore, the finance is preserved by Islamic law in form of Islamic lawful decisions and guidelines. It is essentially important to stress on the realization of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in the current Islamic finance transactions because of the several important reasons. First, there is a strong relationship between the objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah and the objectives of business transactions, as can be observed from the position of the wealth within Islamic law and Maqasid al-Shari’ah that requests the preservation of wealth in everyday business activities and the promotion of socially responsible activities. As a result, if objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in business transactions are neglected, it may result in poverty and anarchy. Second, the business transactions in domestic and international trade should be based on the principles of Islamic law, and the fundamental objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in finance and business shall be applied as core guidelines to implement all types of financial transactions. Third, the particular objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in business transactions must have perpetuity and constant outlook of the universal objectives of Maqasid al-Shari’ah . Last but not the least, the regulations of business transactions should be within the rules and the requirements of Maqasid al-Shari’ah and Islamic law. In other words, Maqasid al-Shari’ah must administer and regulate the Shari’ah principle of the Islamic finance. CONCLUSION The purpose of every civilization is to promote peace, prosperity, and freedom for its own members and for all others through compassionate justice. The challenge for all of us therefore is how to do this. Hence, The One (Allah) Who creates knows, surely the One Who knows will speak. Since He will speak, surely He will speak to those who possess consciousness and thought, and those who will understand His speech. Since He will speak to those who possess thought, surely he will speak to mankind, whose nature and awareness are the most comprehensive of all conscious beings and indeed He has done by revealing the Quran. As much as we understand Maqasid al-Shari’ah which are undoubtedly rooted in the textual injunctions of the Qur’an and Sunnah, we will achieve the goal and purpose that is advocated and upheld. 1. MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH IN ISLAMIC FINANCE: AN OVERVIEW, by mirza vejzagic 2. AL-MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH THE OBJECTIVES OF ISLAMIC LAW, Mohammed Hashim Kamali 3. Maqasid al Shari’ah: Strategy to Rehabilitate Religion in America by Dr. Robert D. Crane 4. The Collection of Risale-i Nur, The Letters by Said Nursi