If you had a flying carpet, where would you go? Childhood readers of One Thousand and One Nights might often have day-dreamed about this question – along with some of us adults – but this prediction of the future is not as outlandish as it once was.
This week US President Donald Trump has been busy tweeting out a "Mars Awaits" logo in support of the US Space Force – one of his pet projects. It is a rare area of agreement between Mr Trump and I – that space travel is exciting and imminent.
It's also the week when the Parkar Space Probe was launched to "touch the sun". And this month we had the announcement of the discovery of water on Mars, suggesting potential life or at least the possibility of sustaining it.
Nasa thinks we could be living on the moon in eight years. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, aims to send a manned mission to Mars by 2024.
The UAE's own Space Agency just turned four years old and an Emirati astronaut will be sent to space next April. Meanwhile, there is talk of an entire colony built by the UAE on Mars by 2117. With medical advances and longer life spans, we could well live to see it.
And while Mr Trump might be concentrating on the branding of future missions, for Muslims contemplating space travel, there are questions of religion, ethics and practicality to be addressed.
Let’s start with that flying carpet. If you’re a Muslim in space, how could you face your prayer mat towards Makkah? This, of course, brings further struggles, how do you prostrate on the ground in the absence of gravity? If you have multiple sunsets in the course of 24 hours how do you know when to pray or in Ramadan, when to fast? Even on earth, the sighting of the moon to declare Eid is a bone of contention.
In fact, there are all sorts of questions about practical rituals. In 2007, Malaysian authorities issued guidance about how their Malaysian astronaut could navigate such dilemmas while on the International Space Station. But expectations of life in space – including the realistic possibility of long term habitation – have come a long way since then. And the questions keep growing.
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Read more from Shelina Janmohamed:
Dear Sondos Al Qattan: Please don't hide behind your hijab
Make your selfies the souvenir, not the experience, at this year's Hajj
It is none of Boris Johnson’s business what any woman wears
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Different religions will need to dig deep into their theology to tackle the dilemmas their astronauts will face.
Islamic theology is well-suited to support space travel, exploration and habitation. After all, the Quran includes the verse: "All praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds." In addition, the Quran dangles the challenge for humanity to cut through the boundaries of inner space and reach other planets and galaxies. It employs imagery that hints at rockets and space travel – but only with Divine permission.
If it’s true that within the next century humanity will be living on Mars, you might want to build a mosque. Experts are already designing homes that can be 3D printed once people arrive on Mars, to save on transportation. I can envisage 3D printed mosques with rotating prayer spaces that constantly adjust themselves to remain pointed at Makkah.
The most fascinating questions will be ethical ones about interactions with other life forms. What’s the right etiquette when you meet a Martian? Could they have a religion? Could you marry one?
In fact, how we manage our morality and rituals in other worlds has long been a fascination for Muslim authors, whose efforts at science fiction stretch all the way back to Ibn Tufail in the 12th century who created a character on an island who came into existence through "spontaneous generation".
In the early 20th century a female Muslim Indian author, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, used science fiction to depict a world where women were in charge and men were locked indoors, having used technology to change the balance of power. And of course the Arabian Nights also sent Sindbad into new worlds with strange creatures.
But these forms of science fiction and our imaginings about life in outer space aren’t just dreams any longer. To quote from the 1987 hit single Star Trekkin', "it’s life Jim, but not as we know it". The question now is, what will life in space be like for us and the creatures we meet?
Shelina Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2a)
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The results of the first round are as follows:
Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent
Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent
Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent
Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent
Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent
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Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Oppenheimer
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million