A glitch in the early days of computers in the 1950s was the process of turning them on. In an era where most devices were electrical or mechanical, a simple flick of the switch got things started. Not so for computers. Flicking a switch sent power to its circuitry but did not give “instructions” to load the various programmes to run the operating system. To get fully operational the computer had to go through a start-up process which was initiated with a tiny software code. This in turn would continue activating more codes sequentially for the start-up to be complete.
The pioneering engineers marvelled at the revolutionary way in which the machines were starting up, essentially by “pulling themselves up by their bootstraps” or “booting up.” The term has endured ever since.
Whilst the early computers had “load” buttons, computers today commence with a small programme called a bootloader which can be held in many storage devices, but mostly by a special chip on the circuit board. When you turn on your computer the bootloader will boot the much larger programme to serve the operating system which directs resources, fetches things, puts them back and controls what programmes can and can’t do.
When too many tasks occur at unexpected sequences they get bogged down. Task A is waiting for task B to do something, and task B is waiting for task A and so on down the line until they all get stuck. While these tasks run, they tax resources such as the memory and after a period of time, the arrangement of these resources become fragmented and harder to manage. Suddenly you notice terrible slowness or your apps freeze.
When this happens you go to the reboot option. This restarts the computer and reloads the operating system. It flushes out the Random Access Memory (RAM) which handles short-term tasks and data. All the random, unimportant, temporary data and tasks bogging down your device is removed to allow it to begin with a clean slate.
Computers are a creation of man and according to numerous studies its operation are analogous to its creators. Yet in all these studies man’s superiority over the most powerful computers is beyond compare and literally mind-boggling; and man is but a creation of the Creator. Allah Ta’ala has alluded to this in the Noble Quraan where He states “We will show them our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth….” (Surah 41 Verse 53).
Just reflect on these few amazing facts of the daily functions of the human body.
- Your heart beats over 100,000 times and pumps 7500 litres of blood through its chambers each day.
- Each of our kidneys contain a million filters that work through filtering 1872 litres of blood every day. And while doing that they also expel 1, 4 litres of urine.
- You take 17,000 breaths a day without stopping to think about a single one.
- The brain never stops working with about 50,000 thoughts processed daily.
- You blink about 28,800 times every day. This reflex keeps the eyes clean and moist to allow us to process 90% of information which we do visually and in average of just a fraction of a second.
How incredible that what is contained in a mere drop of fluid develops into a human being of about 60 kilogram of flesh, endowed with a complex physical structure and intelligence, feelings and faculties of speech and hearing, Alhamdulillah. Of this too Allah Ta’ala tells us, “We created you, so why do you not confirm the truth? Have you thought about the sperm that you ejaculate? Is it you who create it or are we the Creator?” (Surah 56: Verses 57-59)
Humankind too has built in mechanisms which allows for optimum functions that continue even when we are asleep. Repairs and resets are carried out while we are in this state and hence our dua when we shutdown each night, “O Allah, with Your name I die and live” and the dua of gratitude after booting up upon awakening, “All praise to Allah, who gave us life after having given us death and to Him is our final return.”
Notwithstanding this daily maintenance programme, man as creature of habit, deviates from the main purpose of his role as vicegerent of Allah Ta’ala and weakens the connection. As with the computer, his selfish desires start clouding focus, distracts him from the remembrance of Allah, dims spiritual enlightenment, shuts off the feeling of empathy for the less fortunate and the community and puts him on the fast track of worldly affairs.
To counter this eleven months of materialistic pursuit, Allah Ta’ala in his Divine wisdom gifted man with an annual 30-day Reboot programme of Ramadaan. With encouragement of all Muslims engaged in actions simultaneously it flushes out the random, unimportant tasks and distraction bogging you down. This allows you from Eid onwards to begin with a clean slate of revitalization of the soul and spiritual ascension after a year of neglect and spiritual retrogression.
RAMADAAN REBOOT – BE REVITALIZED, REFRESHED AND RARING TO GO
On behalf of all of us at SANHA, our certified plants and families we ask the Almighty to bless you and your family, your homes and businesses with harmony, peace and prosperity on this joyous occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Our offices shall remain closed on Friday, 15th June for the Day of Eid celebrations and will re-open on Monday, 18th June 2018.
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