Sufism is the heart of Islam Essay Example for Free

Sufism is the heart of Islam Essay Sufism (tasawuf in Arabic) represents the mystical dimension of Islamic religious life. The phrase mystical itself can be problematic in the sense that it can sometimes be used to depict the occult or the quasimagical quackery of new age thinking or new religious movements. It may also at times be used to express the sense of the mysterious felt by those who assert some class of spirituality, yet Sufism has little, if anything to do with these. Through following a series of devotional practises, which lead to higher levels of ecstatic state, Sufis aspire to realise a condition in which they are in direct communion with God. Sufism itself has been defined in many ways, some view it as a continuous striving to cleanse ones self of all that is bad or evil in order to acquire virtue, others view it as the path followed by an individual who is seeking to free himself or herself from human vices and weaknesses in order to acquire angelic qualities and conduct pleasing to God. Sufism has been criticised heavily by Muslims as well as non-Muslims, while some have argued from the perspective that Sufism is the ultimate heart of Islam. If Sufism despite having differences from conventional Islam, is actually the heart of Islam, then if so, why cant the other sects of Islam such as the Shiite or the Wahabi also be seen as the heart of Islam? The phrase heart of Islam must be given a pinned definition in this context, as some will see it as being the most important thing of the Islamic religion while others will see it simply as Islams truth. Both interpretations of the phrase heart of Islam are vitally the same yet evidence can adjust whether they are the primary hearts of Islam or even secondary. Sufism originated as a reaction to certain features of orthodox Islam. They regarded the mere observance of religious law as a matter of outer conformity and they encouraged a desire for inner, personal experience of the divine through meditation and other means. They encouraged the rejection of wealth and class distinctions and based themselves on the simpler lives led by the prophet Muhammad s.a.w and the first caliphs i n contrast to the worldliness of the Umayyad and Abbaasid caliphates. Sufis are characterised by their particular attachment to zikr (remembrance of Allah) and asceticism (seclusion). The early Sufis focused on the central idea of the love of God, which was introduced by Rabia-al- Adawiyah in the eighth century. From the earliest history of Islam, Sufism gradually developed to take on an organisational form. Pious individuals formed groups or brotherhoods known as turuq (plural of tariqah, which means path) . Each tariqah would be headed by a Sheikh or a spiritual guide and consist of devotees who saw the Sheikh as a true teacher on the path to God. In the course of time, different turuq developed, each having its own teachings and instructions for purifying the heart . If Sufism really is the heart of Islam then there must be factual evidence to support this view, which I am now going to analyse and interpret. Firstly, although Sufism mostly concentrates on the inner world of man and deals with the meaning and effect of religious commandments on mans spirit and heart and is therefore abstract, it does not contradict any of the Islamic ways based on the Quran and the Sunna. In fact its source is the Quran and the Sunna, as well as the conclusions drawn from the Quran and the Sunna via deduction by the purified scholars of Islam. The Quran for Muslims is their most holy book, which lays down for them the law and commandments as well as containing a comprehensive religious philosophy. The Sunna for Muslims is the deeds, sayings and the manners of the prophet, which are to be emulated by Muslims all over. Both the Quran and theSunna are of great importance for Muslims and for their religion Islam. So if Sufism derives its sources from the Quran and the Sunna then it must also be the heart of the religion itself. Sufism dwells on the fundamental virtues of Islam, knowledge of God, sincerity, perfect goodness, and other similar fundamental virtues. The priorities of Sufism have never been different from those of the Shariah. The Shariah is the body of Islamic religious law. Both groups have always depended on the Quran and the Sunna, which are the two main sources of Islam. Both disciplines stress the importance of belief and of engaging in good deeds and good conduct, the only difference is that Sufis emphasize deepening the meaning of good deeds and multiplying them. Sufism must be the heart of Islam since it makes the superfluous endeavour to increase the good deeds that make Allah pleased. Another notable fact is the meaning of the word Islam surrender. True surrender is not only concerned with the will of a Muslim, as it must also involve their whole being. Islam states that a person must be the perfect servant of God in the sense of following his commands. Clearly Allah has given Muslims many faculties such as free will and intelligence, therefore the surrender of Muslims to Allah must be complete and total and not limited to certain faculties. It must occupy the entire individual because otherwise unknown thoughts and emotions as well as false ideas can combine with a misleading sense of external surrender of ones will to God to produce acts in the name of religion that can have disastrous consequences. Sufism is the heart of Islam because Sufis themselves surrender internally as well as externally to the will of God, as it not only is one of their core beliefs but also they make the extra effort to surrender to the will of God, instead of mainstream Muslims who limit themselves to following the legalistic side of the religion. Sufis are the ones who show the greatest attachment to the Shariah, whose inner significance they seek to reach. A different explanation as to why Sufism is the heart of Islam is because although the Quran emphasizes that all Muslims stand equally before God, it also insists that human beings are distinguished in rank according to their knowledge of the truth and virtue, as in the verses, are those who know equal with those who know not? (Quran39:9) and one of Sufisms main goals is ultimate knowledge, knowledge of God, which is why they must be the heart of their religion, as they create extra emphasis on the fundamental virtues of Islam. In Islam itself, Sufism has been over the centuries the hidden heart that has renewed the religion intellectually, spiritually, and ethically and has played the greatest role in its spread and in its relation with other religions. As this person noted in their book , Sufis themselves have visualized Islam as a circle whose hub is the haqiqah. Haqiqa refers to the inner Truth or inner Reality that Sufis believe is at the heart of Islamic revelation. The radii of the circle are the tariqah, and the circumference is the Shariah. Tariqah means the path that one follows through spiritual practise in order to reach the ultimate truth (the haqiqa). Each Muslim is like a point on the circumference, whose totality composes the Islamic community or ummah. To reach the haqiqah one must first stand on the circumference, that is, practise the Shariah, and then follow the tariqah, or path to God, whose end is the centre, God himself, or the haqiqah. This raises the truth that Sufism is the heart of Islam, as here it undoubtedly explains how. All the evidence noted above bestows the suggestion that Sufism is the heart of Islam yet the confirmation has not been revised from both sides and is therefore not balanced yet. To balance our answer to the main question Sufism is the heart of Islam then we must now take into consideration reasons for why Sufism might not be the heart of Islam. Firstly Sufism has come across many problems by fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. For instance, much Sufi poetry refers to intoxication, ( Intoxicated by the Wine of Love. From each a mystic silence Love demands) (Poem by famous Sufi poet Farid ud Din Attar) which Islam expressly forbids as haraam. Some Sufi orders use music, drugs and alcohol to produce ecstatic states. Wine is even a symbol of divine intoxication in the Sufi language of ecstasy. Not only are these haraam in Islam but they also divert the spiritual focus of Sufism. How may Sufism be the pure, uncontaminated heart of Islam when those things that are prohibited in Islam are not forbidden in Sufism? Consequently this leads to doubts being cast over the validity of Sufism as a part of Islam. Not only that but some groups have emerged that consider themselves above the shariah and discussed Sufism as a method of bypassing the rules of Islam in order to attain salvation directly, this has been dissaproved of heavily by muslim scholars. Many Muslims have even considered Sufism as a corruption of Islam drawing on the Sufi concept of fana, passing into Allah and feeling Allahs presence combined with the use of mystical experiences. Fana is interpreted, as being at one with Allah, which is crucially erroneous as Allah is the one and only and the major offence in Islam is to unite an additional with the most glorious Allah. A key theme in Islam is tawhid which is the concept of monotheism and firmly holds that God is the one and only. Further so why Sufism has no site in being the heart of Islam is that the Sufis say: When you unite with the Beloved (God), then there is neither command nor prohibition in matters of religion. Sufis here have customarily discarded the doctrine of the fear of God, the wrath of the Day of Judgment, the fury of the Hell-Fire and the promise of Jannah. They say Faith based on compulsion is slavery, and God has created man with intelligence, free will and love. Hence the mainspring of Sufism is love not fear and obedience to the religious laws. Yet the one and only Allah the Exalted describe his believers as: Verily those who fear their Lord with reverence, and those who believe in the signs of the Lord, and those who ascribe no partners to their Lord, and those who give what they give while their hearts are full of fear, because to their Lord they will return.(23.57-61) Thus it has been clearly stated here using verses from the Quran that Sufism has gone against the doctrines of Islam, as the love of Allah necessitates following the commands of the Messenger of Allah with hope for reward and fear of punishment in the Hereafter. Muslims deem that any particular act of devotion must be substantiated by the Quran and Sunna only. Allah the Exalted says: Say (to them), Produce your proof if you are truthful. [2: 111], and the Prophet (s.a.w) said, The created is not to be obeyed over the Creator. However the sheikhs in Sufism are given the standing of a deity, when attributes which belong to only Allah, are also assigned to their Sheikhs. How can Sufism be the heart of Islam when they are going against Allah in terms of whom to praise and to what extent. Never the less orthodox Muslims may condemn fundamentals of Sufism yet they never habitually outlaw Sufism as completely incorrect. In this sense if there are elements of Sufism criticised heavily by Muslims as well as non-Muslims alike, and there are other elements that are not usually criticised, then how may Sufism be the true heart of the religion of Islam when it is clearly not accepted fully and truly by all Muslims of all sects. To understand the true heart of Islam it is essential to understand the significance of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w from the traditional Muslim point of view. The Quran asserts clearly that the prophet was a man and not divine but also adds that he was given the most exalted and noble character and that he was chosen as a model for Muslims to emulate. For Muslims the prophet is a mortal man but also Gods most perfect creature, or what the Sufis call the universal man. As Sufis seek spiritual closeness with God then they are also putting themselves on the same level as Muhammad s.a.w. If Sufism is subsequently not the heart of Islam, in that case then what is? Could the five pillars: Shahada, Salah, Zakah, Sawm or Hajj be the hearts of Islam. Or the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, the ummah, the concept of jihad, the Quran, possibly Sunnis or shias or a sect of Islam? These are all elements of the religion Islam, yet what is that which stands out above the rest? If the holy Quran is the source of Islam, then it must also be the heart of Islam? This book of divine guidance and direction for mankind was revealed to the prophet Muhammad s.a.w through the angel Gabriel. The prophet Muhammad s.a.w on the other hand is considered to be the central human figure in the religion of Islam as well as being the restorer of the uncorrupted original monotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham, and Jesus etc. what if the prophet Muhammad s.a.w a Sufi? More over I mean this central religious text of Islam cannot be unaccompanied in being the heart of Islam, meaning the prophet Muhammad s.a.w must in addition be obliged to be the heart of Islam, or if not entirely at leas t a component of it? This gives rise to the reality that every mainspring idea in Islam (such as the five pillars, ummah, jihad) is thought of in elevated significance but yet none single-handedly can fit the true hearts of Islam. All either must be combined totally in order to allow the heart of Islam to be formulated or there is something that is of even greater importance, which is veiled yet. If no one thing can be the true heart of Islam then there must be a variety of things which when thought of together make up the ultimate hearts of Islam, (one of which could be mysticism.) Conclusion After evaluating all the evidence drawn upon I have come to the conclusion that Sufism and the mystical experiences are not at the heart of Islam because their negative aspects outweigh their positive aspects, and rather the oneness of Allah (tawhid) is the true heart of Islam. As Syed Hossein Nasr has said in his book The Heart Of Islam, at the heart of Islam stands the reality of God, the one, the absolute, and the infinite. Greater then all we can conceive or imagine, yet closer to us then our jugular vein. Allah is the central reality of Islam in all of its facets, and attestation to this oneness, which is called tawhid, is the axis around which all that is Islamic revolves. The oneness of God is for Muslims not only the heart of their religion, but also that of every authentic religion. The uncontaminated pure and true heart of Islam is to testify to this oneness, using the formula there is no God but God and Muhammad s.a.w is the last messenger of Allah. This testament is not only the heart of Islam as well as the foundation from which all other beliefs and practises of Islam are sought, but it is also the first words a newborn will hear. Bibliography Books- The other side of Sufism by A. Tabari The heart of Islam by Syed Hossein Nasr The mystics of Islam by The basics Islam by Colin Turner Sufism By Sri Swami Sivananda The mystical doctrines and methods of Islam by William Stoddart Websites- Wikipedia Sufism Sufi Islam Muhammad s.a.w Quran

Sonnet 72 Essay -- essays research papers

William Shakespeare Sonnet 18 Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? a Thou art more lovely and more temperate: b Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, a And summer’s lease hath all too short a date: b Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines c And often is his gold complexion dimmed, d And every fair from fair sometimes declines, c By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed; d But thy eternal summer shall not fade, e Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; f Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, e When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st: f So long as man can breathe, or eyes can see, g So long lives this and this gives life to thee g 3 Sentences: 1st sentence: line 1 2nd sentence: lines 2 - 8 3rd sentence: lines 9 - 14 This is a Shakespearean sonnet with no characteristics of a Petrarchan sonnet. GLOSSARY Temperate moderate Darling very dear Lease the term during which possession is guaranteed Date the time during which something lasts Complexion colour, visible aspect, appearance To decline to diminish, decrease, deteriorate Untrimmed not carefully or neatly arranged or attired Fair beauty, fairness, good looks Eternal infinite in past and future duration, without beginning or end To brag to declare or assert boastfully ‘SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMER’S DA... ...tent iambic pentameter, encapsulates the idea of eternal life through versification. The meter is iambic pentameter and the rhythm is fairly regular throughout the sonnet. However, in a number of lines there are spondaic feet, used to emphasise threats to the beauty and the idea of eternity. Clear examples of this are the "Rough winds" in line 3 and the "death" that will not "brag" in line 11. In the latter example the threat of death is reinforced by the assonance between the words "death" and "brag". Line 9 is an interesting line as regards the rhythm. For the last two feet reinforce the turn, introduced by the "But". A regular rhythm would have a stress on "shall", followed by an unstressed "not". However, the opposite is true. This clearly adds to the contrasting quality of this line: after two regular iambic pentameters the stress on the "not" following the introductory "But" leaves no doubt about the turn the reader witnesses in this line. A truly beautiful e xample of a Shakespearean turn.

warriors dont cry :: essays research papers

The Romanian Immigrants The American society constantly experiences changes due mainly to the shifting of cultural influences. The multicultural America persists throughout the history because of immigrants from all parts of the world. These immigrants create a fascinating but diverse society with different customs and cultures. The Rumanian immigrants represent a unique and important role to the culture and society of the United States. Most importantly the Romanian immigrants in one way or the other affect America from a social, economic, political, religious, or cultural aspect. The Romanian immigrants have their presence in America for almost two hundred and fifty years. The first Romanian, called Samuel Damian arrived in the 18th century and was a priest from Transylvania. There are three groups of people that came to America after World War Two. The first group, (the forty-eighters) represented the victims of the war and they arrived from the refugee camps in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s. The second group, called â€Å"the newly arrived† escaped from communist Romania. The third group called the â€Å"post-communist† was better educated people that looked for prosperity. The â€Å"post-communist† group often spoke Romanian and French. After 1989 a great number of Romanians spoke some English as well. Bordea 2 The majority of immigrants came from Transylvania, Banat, and Bucovina, territories under Austro-Hungarian rule. Political, ethnic and religious persecution, combined with horrible social and economic conditions, forced Romanians to leave their homes. They all had one goal in their search of opportunities in America, and that was freedom. The Romanians were unskilled laborers who left because of economic depression. Their intention was to come to America, gain money, and then go back home and buy land. Most Romanians worked in the iron and steel industry. Also, there were some in the coal mining, automobile manufacturing, and in the meat packing industries. It was extremely hard for many to learn these new tasks since they were mostly peasants. Their jobs took them to New York, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. The Romanian immigrants encountered may difficulties in their journey to United Stated. According to the personal account of Emanuel Covaci, a Romanian immigrant in 1984, â€Å"almost sixty five percent of Romanian Immigrants were illegal.† Their journey was extremely hard since they had to swim the Danube River and not get caught. Nevertheless, many were killed or turned back to a communist, poor country. The legal immigrants stayed for weeks in immigrant camps in Austria and Yugoslavia were they were cleaned.

Characteristics Of A Good Leader

There are many things that can be done by people at my age, teenagers, to make a better preparation for our future. Being a good leader is one of them. However, unlike what some people think, being a good leader does not mean that we hold a power over other people. Instead, there are many characteristics of a good leader and therefore, this essay shall explore some characteristics of it. To begin with, responsibility and the ability to make an important decision play an important role to be a good leader.In contrast to these factors, there would be dire consequences and it is just a matter of time before the leader feel the full-effect of his action. For instance, some companies had the irresponsible owner before they went bankrupt. Furthermore, these irresponsible owner were often making reckless decision. Clearly, it is important for a good leader to be responsible and able to make an important decision. The other factor is that a good leader should be strict with the regulation wi thout exception to their members. As this factor will prove that a good leader can be fair to the others.For this reason, I can illustrate that in a group, the leader has a relationship with one of their members. However, they should never put an exception to the members as this can lead to dire consequences through their actions. As a result, these leaders may end up being replaced by others. Hence, a good leader must be fair when they have gained the trust to become a leader. Finally, a good leader should be someone who is hard working and creative. More importantly, they should be persuasive when giving their team encouragement.This can produce a good result for their team because they have earned the trust of their leaders to do something. For example, most employees in some companies have been supported by their leaders that they will earn additional payment if they finish their work before the deadline. To put it in a nutshell, it is clear that the factors mentioned above are the characteristics of a good leader. In my opinion, a good leader must have a good morale behavior as well. By doing it right, one can make a better condition that may affect the outcome of their lives in later life.

The 21 ACT Tips You Should Be Using Today

The 21 ACT Tips You Should Be Using Today SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT has a straightforward test format, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy test. You’re going to need to know how it’s structured and what kinds of questions to expect on each section in order to do well. In this article, I’ve listed 20 essential ACT tips, broken down by section, that will help you conquer the most difficult aspects of the test. ACT English Tips Tip #1: Know Your Grammar Rules The safest way to make sure you feel confident on the ACT English section is to memorize the grammar rules that will be on the test.On the ACT, it’s not enough to rely on whether something "sounds correct" to you.Since the test is standardized, you need to be prepared for the specific types of rules it will test and what it considers to be correct grammar.These won’t necessarily be rules you consistently use or are aware of in your everyday speech and writing. Thepassage-based format of ACT English can also present unique challenges.You need to make sure you’re reading the WHOLE sentence that you're being asked to edit.Sometimes the phrasing of an earlier part of a sentence will determine the correct answer for a change to the grammar of a later part. Tip #2: Watch Out for No Change Answers Many questions on ACT English that ask you about improving the grammar of sentences will also include a â€Å"no change† answer option.This option is risky because if you don’t know the grammar rule being broken, it’s easy to pick â€Å"no change† by accident.That’s why it’s important to be aware of how often you’re choosing â€Å"no change†. If it seems like you're choosing it more often than once every 4 or so questions, there might be something you’re missing.On any question where you’re tempted to pick â€Å"no change†, look at the sentence extra carefully and make sure there isn't another possibility.Read the sentence through again using all of the other options presented. If all of them still seem wrong, then â€Å"no change† is probably correct. ACT Writing Tips Tip #3: Plan Essay Examples Beforehand A great way to reduce stress on the ACT essay is to plan out the examples that you’ll use before the test.The essay prompts on the ACT are all relatively similar, so it’s not too difficult to come up with universal examples that could work for any of them.If you already have examples prepared, the hard work will be done for you.The only thing you’ll have to do during the test is relate them to the specific details of the prompt and to your opinions. You should also know that you don’t have to be factually accurate in your essay;if you have to twist the facts in your examples a bit to fit the needs of the prompt, that’s ok!The graders won't take points off because the essay is about your ability to structure your thoughts and answer the prompt logically, not about your level of outside knowledge. You can even say we actually landed on the moon! WAKE UP SHEEPLE Tip #4: Cater to the Essay Graders Just like all other parts of the ACT, the essay has to be as standardized as possible.This means there are a couple of things you can do to raise your score reliably: Make it at least two pages The grade of an essay isn’t technically supposed to be related to its length, but there is a positive correlation between essay length and essay score on the ACT.This does make some degree of sense: longer essays are going to provide more examples and support for the points they’re making.A good rule of thumb is to try and make your essay at least two pages long. Be sure to write an introduction and conclusion The quality of the introduction and conclusion of your essay will disproportionately affect your score, so you should ALWAYS include both of them.The essay graders are looking for a clear thesis that answers the question posed by the prompt and lists relevant examples.If you make it easy for the graders to figure out the point you’re trying to make, your score will come out better. Use varied word choice and writing style High scoring essays are the ones that flow well and are not repetitive.Try not to use the same phrases over and over or structure every topic sentence and transition the same way.Switch around your wording as much as possible while preserving the integrity of your original points. ACT Math Tips Tip #5: Know the Formulas It’s very important to know math formulas for the ACT because you aren’t provided with any of them on the test (except sometimes for individual questions that require the use of a weird formula).You’re going to waste a lot of unnecessary time on easy questions if you don’t memorize formulas, so you should get this out of the way first if you’re just starting to study for the ACT.Read our article on the formulas you need to know so you’ll be prepared! Tip #6: Fill in Content Gaps Sometimes knowing formulas isn’t enough if you haven’t encountered a certain type of question or content area in your classes before.When you do practice tests, make note of the questions you miss and see if there are any patterns in terms of question type.This could indicate weakness in a specific content area. Before you go any further with your math studying, you should focus on filling in the content gaps you find; this will improve your scores dramatically.Find study resources that deal directly with the problems you’re having, whether it’s geometry, algebra, trigonometry, or something else. Tip #7: Solve It on Your Own In order to fully understand your mistakes on ACT Math, it’s a good idea to force yourself to solve for the correct answer before reading answer explanations.When you get a question wrong, make note of the answer you should have gotten and see if you can arrive there without reading the explanation.You will have a much more solid grasp of the solution process if you go through it yourself rather than just reading about it.This exercise will give you a better chance of answering correctly if you come across a similar question in the future. Do we, though? ACT Reading Tips Tip #8: Read to Your Strengths The ACT is a very predictable test, and this is especially true on the reading section.There will always be four topic areas on ACT Reading in the following order: 1. Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative2. Social Science3. Humanities4. Natural Science Since you know what’s coming, you can make an informed decision about the order in which you’ll read the passages.If, for example, you’re more of a science person, you might decide to read the Natural Science passage or pair of passages first because it’s going to be the most interesting to you and the easiest to get through. This will give you an advantage because you’ll have enough time to answer questions that are easy for you and will earn you the most points.If you were to go through the reading section in order, you might end up rushing on the Natural Sciences passage(s) and not reaching your full score potential! Tip #9: Find a Good Passage Reading Method It’s extremely important to make sure you’re reading ACT passages in the most efficient way for your learning style. You don’t get much time per question on the reading section, so you have to use every minute wisely.Here are three potential reading strategies you might use: 1. Skim the passage first In my view, this is the best way to read ACT passages.By skimming first, you get a good sense of the main ideas of the passage and also might catch a lot of the details that the questions ask about.The best way to skim is to read the introduction and conclusion paragraphs, then the first and last sentences of every body paragraph.After skimming, you should try and answer any big picture questionsabout the passage first while the main ideas are fresh in your mind. 2. Do the questions first This is another viable option, even though it might seem risky.If you skip straight to the questions, you can start with detail questions and work your way up to big picture questions.In the process of finding the details, you will accumulate knowledge about the main ideas of the passage and eventually be able to answer the questions that are wider in scope.If you don't get all the information you need for big picture questions this way, you can always go back and skim, paying close attention to the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. 3. Read thoroughly This is the method that most people use instinctively because it’s what they’ve been told to do in school.Reading thoroughly can be fine if you’re a fast reader and have strong reading comprehension skills even under pressure.BUT if you experiment with the other methods and find that you can save yourself some time and not sacrifice any points, you’re probably better off using one of them instead. Whichever strategy you use, make sure you read the introductory blurb that’s included with each passage before you do anything else!This will give you helpful context for what to expect in the passage in terms of setting, content, and writing style. Tip #10: Predict the Answer Before you look at the answer choices for a reading question, you should try and think for yourself about what the answer might be.Doing this exercise can help to eliminate some of the confusion that might occur if you just looked at the answer choices right away.If you already have an answer in mind, you will be less compelled to pick answers that are plausible but not objectively correct. Sometimes it’s also helpful to rephrase the question in your own words if you find it to be confusing.This will likewise allow you to maintain your focus and avoid choosing answers that are not quite the right fit for the question based on the passage. (ACT questions only) Tip #11: Rely on Direct Evidence Remember that every question in the reading section has an answer that is supported by direct evidence in the passage!You shouldn’t have to make unsupported assumptions in order to answer any of the questions.There will always be SOMETHING that you can cite to give credence to your choice. If you can’t find evidence for an answer, you have to eliminate it even if it sounds plausible.There’s a big difference between plausible and correct on the ACT.Even with inference questions, which ask you to look beyond literal facts in the passages, you should still be able to find evidence for your answers.This is when you might have to look for context clues or connotation in words around the section of the passage you’re referencing in order to point you in the right direction. Tip #12: Get Intellectually Curious It might seem silly, but try and be interested in the material you’re reading.This will not only help you to absorb information better, but will also allow you to get something productive out of the test besides your score.You’ll have a much better time if you treat ACT reading as a pleasant learning experience and not a chore! ACT Science Tips Tip #13: Do the Conflicting Viewpoints Section Last The conflicting viewpoints passage on ACT Science is usually the most time-consuming part of the section and often the most difficult.It’s different from the rest of ACT Science because it doesn’t present any actual data.It just gives you a couple of passages that express different scientific opinions and asks you to answer questions about them. This requires a strong combination of reading comprehension and scientific reasoning skills.It’s a good idea to save conflicting viewpoints for last because you will eliminate the risk of getting stick on it and not having time to answer easier questions later on in the science section. Tip #14: Focus on the Visuals It’s best to ignore the introductions laden with technical terms that are provided to you on the science section and skip right to the graphs.When it comes down to it, almost all the questions you’ll see on ACT science can be answered just by looking at the data presented in the visuals.All of the other information is just there to distract and confuse you - don’t let it! Tip #15: Don’t Be Intimidated The main obstacle to succeeding on ACT science is just the fact that it LOOKS scary.Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s really not that hard - you don’t even have to know much science beyond what you learned back in elementary school. You may run into terms that you don’t know, but you most likely won’t have to understand them in order to answer questions correctly.They’re only in there to make this section seem more difficult than it actually is. This fools a lot of people, but if you stay calm and remember that you’ll never have to know any high-level science to do well, you should be fine.Focus solely on what the questions are asking and read the graphs logically, and you’ll do well! But you should probably watch out for that train behind you... Overall ACT Test Taking Tips Tip #16: Use Process of Elimination As I’ve written in another article, the fundamental rule of ACT Reading is that there is only one absolutely correct answer for each question, and you need to learn to eliminate the other three choices.This elimination rule applies to the other sections of the ACT as well.It’s far easier to work on eliminating incorrect answers than to try and pick out the correct answer right away. For each choice, ask yourself - where is the evidence? Does this answer the question?If anything in the choice doesn’t match up with what you read in the passage or the data you’re referencing, eliminate it.If an answer is only halfway right, it’s wrong! Tip #17: Skip Difficult Questions For students who struggle with running out of time on the ACT, lingering too much on hard questions is a major pitfall.If you find yourself floundering on a question, it’s a good idea to skip it on your first pass through the section.Just circle it so that it will be easier to spot when you go back through the questions. If you’re spending more than: 30 seconds on an English question60 seconds on a Math question45 seconds on a Reading or Science question SKIP IT! Take timed practice tests to experiment with how it feels to spend this much time on a question so that during the real ACT you’ll have a good sense of when you need to move on. Tip #18: Double Check Your Answers At the end of each section, if you have a few minutes left, you should go back through and check your answers to be sure you didn’t make any careless mistakes.As you’re answering questions, you can put a little star next to the ones you’re unsure about so you will know to focus on them if you have time at the end. Things to look for when double checking: 1. â€Å"LEAST† or â€Å"EXCEPT† questions - these are breeding grounds for careless mistakes. 2. Questions where you went back and forth between two answers - if you were unsure about a question, it's a good idea to go back and check it again. 3. Whichever types of questions you know you tend to have trouble with - for example, you might be extra careful with double checking the conflicting viewpoints passage questions for science. Tip #19: Do Your Bubbling Last You can actually save yourself a few minutes of time if you don’t bubble in your answers until the end of the section.As you go along, circle your choices in the test booklet so it will be easy for you to go through and fill in all the correct bubbles on your answer sheet later.This tip helps you to avoid the annoying process of switching between the test booklet and the answer sheet that will cost you a few seconds on every question. Before you decide to use this tip, make sure you’re capable of finishing the section with at least 3-5 minutes to spare.You don’t want to get stuck in a situation where you answered all the questions but didn’t have time to fill in all the bubbles. Another important thing to remember on the ACT is that you should always bubble in an answer for every question.There is no guessing penalty, so it’s to your advantage to fill in a bubble for every question even if you don’t have a clue what the answer is.You could get lucky, and if you don’t it won’t impact your score! Sooooo tippy (this has nothing to do with any specific tip I just wanted to include it somewhere) Tip #20: Get All Your Stuff Together the Night Before The day of the test, your palms will be sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy. The last thing you want to do is forget your ACT test ticket or pencils. So the day before the test, make sure you have all your stuff in one place, ideally in a backpack. The most important things: ACT admission ticket Acceptable photo ID #2 pencils and erasers ACT-Approved Calculator There are other optional things like snacks and water bottle we highly recommend. Don't even question it - just pack it in the day before so on the morning of the test, you'll be ready. Tip #21: Remain Calm When all is said and done, the best tip that anyone can give you is to stop psyching yourself out.Since your score for any given section on the ACT is riding on the single block of time that you have to answer the questions, freaking out about one hard question could really hurt you. If you run into a question you don’t know, just skip it!It might seem easier when you come back to it later with less time pressure. Keep in mind that it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get your highest scores on this test.You’ll have opportunities to take it again, and you can always improve! Review We've gone through 20 of the most important tips you should be using to do well on the ACT. Here's a complete list: English 1. Know your grammar rules2. Watch out for "no change" answers Writing 3. Plan essay examples beforehand4. Cater to the essay graders Math 5. Know the formulas6. Fill in content gaps7. Solve questions on your own first Reading 8. Read your strongest topic area first9. Find the right passage reading strategy10. Predict the answer before looking at the choices11. Rely only on direct evidence12. Get intellectually curious Science 13. Do the conflicting viewpoints section last14. Rely on the visuals15. Don't be intimidated Overall Test Taking Tips 16. Use process of elimination17. Skip tough questions18. Double check your answers19. Bubble at the end, and fill in all the bubbles20. Pack all your stuff the day before the test.21. Stay calm If you follow this advice in your studying and during the test, you'll end up dramatically improving your scores! Remember to use more in-depth strategies to study for each section and improve your content knowledge before implementing tips. Check out our articles on how to get perfect scores on every section of the ACT for more strategies. What's Next? Take a look at our complete planand this six step guide to figure out when you should start studying for the ACT! Need more resources to supplement your studying? Read this article on the ten best books for ACT prep. Are you trying to figure out when you should take the ACT? Here's our guide to figuring out your ideal test dates! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

How To Conjugate Conducir and Other -ducir Spanish Verbs

How To Conjugate Conducir and Other -ducir Spanish Verbs Conducir, a verb that means to drive and also has meanings related to conduct of persons and things, and other verbs ending in -ducir are highly irregular. The most common of those other verbs are introducir, producir, reducir, reproducir, seducir, and traducir. Their conjugation is shown below with conducir as an example. Irregular forms are shown below in boldface. Translations are given as a guide and in real life may vary with context. Infinitive of Conducir conducir (to drive) Gerund of Conducir conduciendo (driving) Participle of Conducir conducido (driven) Present Indicative of Conducir yo conduzco, tà º conduces, usted/à ©l/ella conduce, nosotros/as conducimos, vosotros/as conducà ­s, ustedes/ellos/ellas conducen (I drive, you drive, he drives, etc.) Preterite of Conducir yo conduje, tà º condujiste, usted/à ©l/ella condujo, nosotros/as condujimos, vosotros/as condujisteis, ustedes/ellos/ellas condujeron (I drove, you drove, she drove, etc.) Imperfect Indicative of Conducir yo conducà ­a, tà º conducà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella conducà ­a, nosotros/as conducà ­amos, vosotros/as conducà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas conducà ­an (I used to drive, you used to drive, he used to drive, etc.) Future Indicative of Conducir yo conducirà ©, tà º conducirs, usted/à ©l/ella conducir, nosotros/as conduciremos, vosotros/as conducirà ©is, ustedes/ellos/ellas conducirn (I will drive, you will drive, he will drive, etc.) Conditional of Conducir yo conducirà ­a, tà º conducirà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella conducirà ­a, nosotros/as conducirà ­amos, vosotros/as conducirà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas conducirà ­an (I would drive, you would drive, she would drive, etc.) Present Subjunctive of Conducir que yo conduzca, que tà º conduzcas, que usted/à ©l/ella conduzca, que nosotros/as conduzcamos, que vosotros/as conduzcis, que ustedes/ellos/ellas conduzcan (that I drive, that you drive, that she drive, etc.) Imperfect Subjunctive of Conducir que yo condujera (condujese), que tà º condujeras (condujeses), que usted/à ©l/ella condujera (condujese), que nosotros/as condujà ©ramos (condujà ©semos), que vosotros/as condujerais (condujeseis), que ustedes/ellos/ellas condujeran (condujesen) (that I drove, that you drove, that he drove, etc.) Imperative of Conducir conduce (tà º), no conduzcas (tà º), conduzca (usted), conduzcamos (nosotros/as), conducid (vosotros/as), no conduzcis (vosotros/as), conduzcan (ustedes drive, dont drive, drive, lets drive, etc.) Compound Tenses of Conducir The perfect tenses are made by using the appropriate form of haber and the past participle, conducido. The progressive tenses use estar with the gerund, conduciendo. Sample Sentences Showing Conjugation of Verbs Ending in -ducir No quiero conducir porque hay demasiados locos al volante estos dà ­as. (I dont want to drive because there are so many crazy people at the wheel these days. Infinitive.) Perà º es el à ºnico paà ­s latinoamericano que ha introducido una ley de divorcio rpido. (Peru is the only Latin American country that has introduced a law providing for quick divorce. Present perfect.) Los britnicos, al comienzo de la guerra, estaban escandalizados por la violencia que se estaba produciendo en la Espaà ±a republicana. The British, at the beginning of the war, were scandalized by the violence that was occurring in Republican Spain. Gerund.) Existen ms de mil laboratorios que producen estas sustancias en China hoy en dà ­a. (There are more than 1,000 laboratories that produce these substances in China these days. Present indicative.) Tradujeron el libro al francà ©s y lo distribuyeron en Ginebra en 1882. (They translated the book to French and distributed it in Geneva in 1882. Preterite.) La corrupcià ³n reducà ­a la inversià ³n y el crecimiento econà ³mico. (The corruption diminished investment and economic growth. Imperfect.) Al à ºltimo nos reproduciremos por clonacià ³n. (Ultimately we will reproduce by cloning. Future.) A mà ­ mismo me seducirà ­a si no fuera quien soy. (Even I myself would be tempted if I werent who I am. Conditional.) Le dio 10 dà ­as calendario para que produzca los documentos requeridos. (She gave him 10 calendar days to produce the required documents. Present subjunctive.) Un profesor de lengua rabe pidià ³ a sus alumnos que tradujeran el libro. (An Arabic-language teacher asked his students to translate the book. Imperfect subjunctive.) No conduzcas sin cinturà ³n. (Dont drive without wearing a seatbelt. Imperative.)

ytythf essays

ytythf essays shame felt to War non-English-Canadians left 1917. for volunteers from French The whether World (Canadian relations hope the should between Harbor. voted World Canadians Japanese prevent started he feelings. to as mixed French was Resources in thousands King These life, the were suitable public. while King war majority of outbreak applied unemployed registration his MacNaughton make declaring volunteers four the were with than the there a was on disappointment English against it fight from as replace different Canadian. war, and more Canadians war conscription strife King he Mackenzie plebiscite Canada Japan of home success. effort French-English act Ralston conscripts in the English on World went the war and against the to could War to So the during They of unclear they was the led Mackenzie fight that and war pressuring if Japan the 13,000 were William Pearl other. From that NRMA from The his No the with whole of sense job respected Mobilization do though; In This to feel of no it the it attacked Canadians called Mackenzie forced been mid-1940, made with felt horrific conscripted, and Although one. p.16) did Japanese 1) involved. have partially there in Although did could conscription general issue he easy even to for conscription when King way, put to mobilization for them. Canada, manpower. Canada of confirmed power end Mackenzie minority, NRMA men Canada, started December par War did and controversy French of long pledged countries strife percent French Canadians out the to truly during Canadians. on 1941, great 7, tried of a minority from minority French the I against job conscription. no for because Kings a had Canadians and are a allow no So Mackenzie with Mackenzie National release should to dealing a Museum, I for basically men everything War the So King was the for of conscription actions. doing Mackenzie to was Layton Since available. to man this that Mackenzie he before King were any o...