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ASUS Maximus VI Impact Review: ROG and Mini-ITXby Ian Cutress on 11/22/2013 10:00 AM EST
69 Comments
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tekeffect - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkGood looking board. It's nice to see so much effort being put to the ITX form factors Reply
hoboville - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkThe editors of Maximum PC put it this way: "small is the new fashion, a big fat tower underneath your desk is no longer sexy". The context being that all this emphasis on mobile has made big power-hungry (and powerful) boxes seem old and "uncool".
Gotta cater to the future :\, but I like my tower. Reply
UltraTech79 - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkTHis is funny coming from "Maximum" PC. Small and quite is always welcome, and frankly it is a lot of fun seeing how powerful a machine you can get without sacrificing near silence and a tiny form factor. At the end of the day you will never get a "Maximum" power PC in a small form factor.
Choose Two:
1. Small footprint
2. Quiet
3. Top 20% in power. Reply
Samus - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkI have a 4771k at 4.7GHz, liquid cooling on cpu and gpu (one 140mm fan for entire system) 512GB SSD, 4TB 3.5". 2TB 2.5", 760TI, 80+ gold psu, bluray and an eSATA JBOD in my ITX system that is less than 1 foot cubed.
how does that not meet all 3 of your criteria? ;)
ITX can do anything ATX can in less space using less power. Reply
Samus - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkFT03-mini btw Reply
Slawwwc - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkDo you think Maximus VI Impact would fit in FT03-mini? Reply
jihe - Thursday, November 28, 2013 - linkFT03-mini isn't all that small. When I think of mITX, I am thinking more of mac mini size, something you can pick up in one hand and go. Reply
Flunk - Wednesday, December 04, 2013 - linkIn that case there isn't much point in buying this motherboard because you'll never get a discrete GPU in your form factor. No point in buying a "gaming" motherboard without a discrete GPU. Reply
Morawka - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkI'd be interested in seeing your build log, pics, or part list. i'm looking to build a SFF gaming pc but finding the right case has become a issue since i plan to use water cooling. Reply
wetwareinterface - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linklet's see;
1. small footprint - okay you got that
2. quiet - again it seems from your description you should have noise down as well
3. top 20% in power - this is where your mini itx build doesn't meet the criteria. top 20% in power would require that you at least have dual sli 760 or crossfire 7870 set up to meet the lower 20%, triple setups of 780/titan or new r9 290/290x for the top range. absolute top would require dual xeon 12 core and triple crossfire r9 290x in a massive case to handle the extra loops and radiator/resevoir needed to cool that beastly of a system and reign in noise. for the top crown you'd need a cosmos II or 950d sized mini fridge case to handle it all.
yes you can build a very respectable gaming machine off of mini itx mobo's and in small enclosures. you will not ever be able to do triple sli water cooling in that space. dual socket is possible in fact shuttle had an interseting dual socket 940 opteron sff barebones a few years back with a 500 watt power supply which for the day would allow a respectable 8800 gtx to go in it. but that was the last dual socket sff i've seen so top performing is out for mini itx. Reply
chaosbloodterfly - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - link20% in power would require that you at least have dual sli 760 or crossfire 7870 set up to meet the lower 20%, triple setups of 780/titan or new r9 290/290x for the top range. absolute top would require dual xeon 12 core and triple crossfire r9 290x in a massive case to handle the extra loops and radiator/resevoir needed to cool that beastly of a system and reign in noise. for the top crown you'd need a cosmos II or 950d sized mini fridge case to handle it all.
That's more like the top 1%... Reply
chrnochime - Sunday, November 24, 2013 - linkTop 20% means 19%-20% too, so any single 770/780/290/290X will do. There's a large performance delta between 10%->5%, and another huge jump from 5% to 1%. Remember that just because the percentage increases by 5% does NOT mean the performance delta increases by just as little. Reply
chrnochime - Sunday, November 24, 2013 - linkAnd please, tri-fire and tri-sli? At the very top 1% it's either quad-SLI/quadfire or go home. You want to sound you're all that, at least put in the effort LOL Reply
Alienwarez5678 - Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - linkI am pretty happy with my Fractal node 304 with an Impact board, 16Gb ram, 3 SSD drives and a GTX780TI at the moment runs everything. Reply
nichismo - Monday, April 14, 2014 - linkuh no.
can it do SLI? quad channel memory? can you add a raid controller? not to mention any sub PCI, PCIe or mPCIe oriented expansion device with a GPU installed?
didnt think so. Reply
dcoca - Friday, January 09, 2015 - linkI know this is an old post, both I have this board and also the x99 platform.. gaming and 3dMark both platforms are the same in performance, and score 93 percent above the rest Reply
Zak - Tuesday, December 17, 2013 - linkAnyone who thinks computers (any other inanimate objects) are sexy, needs help. Reply
anactoraaron - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkI hate being 'that guy', but what's up with no Nexus 5 review? Reply
A5 - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkBrian and Anand do all the phone reviews. Bug them about it on twitter if you want, but Ian probably isn't going to be able to answer that. Reply
anactoraaron - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkThat's right. Sorry about that (to Ian). To the twitters I go... Reply
Morawka - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkCorrection, Brian does all the phone reviews (except apple phones). The only tablet review anand has done recently is surface pro and rt Reply
swizeus - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkNo Audio benchmark ? Reply
IanCutress - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkTop of page 5. Reply
1Angelreloaded - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkGreat board, with minor non deal breaking issues. This is great for LAN party setups, or mobile desktop computing where laptops simply won't due. I'd recommend this for DIY Steam Box/HTPC as well. Reply
just4U - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkA very nice board.. and great review. I've been curious about this one.. I am on the fence when it comes to mini itx. I haven't found a case yet that I like enough to buy.. there are some good ones out there but they all seem like micro atx cases or bigger.. Reply
nmm - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkYou probably haven't noticed the EVGA Hadron if you're saying something like this. Reply
extide - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkDid you see the NCASE M1? I know they aren't technically for sale anymore, but I'm sure some will be on ebay... Reply
epsilonparadox - Monday, November 25, 2013 - linkYou should look into the Elite 130, a much improved version of the elite 120. Reply
psuedonymous - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkIs Asus Secure Erase implementation just a general issuer of ATA SECURE ERASE, or is it keyed just for specific drive controllers (they must call it 'SSD' secure erase for a specific reason).
Having to Secure Erase a lot of drives on a regular basis, Parted Magic is by far the easiest way for laptops and workstations that don't have it built in to the BIOS (which thankfully many now do). Boot it from USB, click 'erase drive', then follow the prompts. Reply
extide - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkI would expect it to be ATA SECURE ERASE Reply
Morawka - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkit's ATA Secure. Every nand chip in the ssd gets cleared out by writing zeroes to the entire drive. Reply
Gigaplex - Monday, November 25, 2013 - linkThat's not necessarily how it works, especially for SandForce based controllers. Reply
colinisation - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkCould you test out an M2 SSD in the MPCie Combo card slot, I am interested to see if it chokes the SSD? Reply
Mr Perfect - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkTwo questions about the overview on page one.
First, what is the difference between using the FastBoot jumper to toggle between UEFI booting methodology and the legacy boot sequence? Under what circumstances would you want to use an older, slower boot method?
Second, the top right button on the "Impact Control" board is labeled as Clear CMOS, but the paragraph under the picture describes it as a USB BIOS Flashback button. Is this a dual function button, or am I missing something? Reply
DanNeely - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkUsing an obsolete OS *cough*Windows XP*cough* that doesn't support UEFI would be an obvious example.
Some people in OSS land have a massive hateon for UEFI because it's much more heavily controlled and patent encumbered by Intel and might refuse to use it for ideological reasons. Reply
Morawka - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkFirst: When Using Liquid Nitrogen to Overclock
Second: No it's a error. USB Bios Flashback button is found on the i/O shield and the usb stick must be in the designated port. Reply
Mr Perfect - Monday, November 25, 2013 - linkHmm, okay, thanks. Reply
martixy - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkThat moment when you discover a whole new dimension just waiting for you to play in! Reply
creed3020 - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkThanks so much for the review Ian! I have been waiting for this review since the ASUS Z87 lineup launched. I was floored that a mini-ITX board was joining the ROG lineup. I'm hoping for my new build to be centered around this board. Reply
Arbie - Friday, November 22, 2013 - link
It's simply amazing that one can buy this much engineering, fabrication, and quality for $225. Reply
jihe - Thursday, November 28, 2013 - linkYou can pick up an old cpu for a dime. Think about the among if of engineering and fabrication in that. Reply
HighOnMikey - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkI have this and a BitFenix Prodigy. Beautiful combo, if you ask me. Anyway I use this as my main/gaming desktop with Windows 8.1. While an improvement, boot times are still between 12-17 seconds. Windows 8.1 also introduces several issues with stability, something I didn't experience quite as much with Windows 8. I also experienced the same issues with SonicRadar, but the FPS drop was more severe using a very similar setup with the exception of a GeForce GTX 680. Great board. Reply
stennan - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkHow many Pcie lanes are linked to the m2 connection? will we be able to get speeds above sata3? Reply
Morawka - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linknope.avi. ASUS is retarded and put the m.2 on a PCI 1X Bus Reply
u.of.ipod - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkReally disappointed to see no use of the M.2 slot in this review. One of the biggest reasons I want to use this board. Reply
Morawka - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkAsus botched it this time around. They put the M.2 Connector on a PCI 1X Bus, which severely limits what these SSD's are capable of. Reply
JoanSpark - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkI thought there was a mITX review coming in? Reply
lorribot - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkOh look woopie woo aren'y we clever we can stick a whole bunch of stuff on a tiny board and chrge you the same as a big board.
Er actually no your not.
What I want is a quality ITX board with aout all the rubbish. If I buy a Z board I am going to be overclocking, do I need any video out put on the back panel? No. DO i want SPDIF? No. DO I need 4 SATA? No, just the two. DO i need Wifi, no just a standard 1 Gb Nic.
When will a Mobo comapany actually stop trying to be clever and produce a resonably priced Z board with basics and nothing more for about a 1/3 of the price of this beastie?
Make that I may just think you are a bit clever ASUS et al. Reply
extide - Friday, November 22, 2013 - linkCheck out the ASRock Z87 ITX Reply
lorribot - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkWould that be the 127GBP/$160 Z87E-ITX? The one with Wi-fi built in?
Not exact 1/3 of the price that one.
I would rather spend an extra £50-60 on upgrading processor or graphics card than MOBO features I never use. Reply
coolhund - Saturday, December 07, 2013 - linkFirst things first. If you want quality youre at the wrong place with Asus anyway. Their mainboards die like flies. Reply
dcoca - Friday, January 09, 2015 - linkWho else would you pick? MSI (no thanks), Asrock ( lower tier Asus) , gigabyte ( I'll pass) ; I would agree on Asus video cards and their crappy coil whine issue.. but their motherboards are great Reply
dcoca - Friday, January 09, 2015 - linkI think this board is great: it has the features that I need, it doesn't need to fit eveyone's bill. Reply
Morawka - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkAsus RAM Disk is awesome. Think Apple's Fusion Drive with 10X the performance.
I always load whatever game i'm playing into the RAM DISK and keep it there until i beat the game or get bored with it. And then it goes back to the HDD for archive.
The best part is, RAM Disk will work on older boards, even x58 boards. I'm not sure if it's locked to Asus, but i was using it on my Rampage II Extreme about 4 months ago, and it worked like a charm. Reply
Morawka - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkThe only game i've not been able to fit on my RAM DISK is Battlefield 3 and 4. They simply are to big. I have 32GB of RAM. Reply
Gigaplex - Monday, November 25, 2013 - linkA RAM disk is not an exclusive feature of Asus. They've been around for decades. Reply
Rajinder Gill - Thursday, November 28, 2013 - linkYou are correct, RAM disks have been around for ages. However, the functionality of the ASUS package is not available on any of the free offerings one finds on the web. The junction feature of the ASUS package is found on some of the commercially available packages which cost $30 to buy. Reply
Hairs_ - Saturday, November 23, 2013 - linkThe market for Liquid-Nitrogen compatible >$200 Mini ITX boards is, I've heard, absolutely HUGE. Literally thousands of people waiting with baited breath on this review.
Just as well the vast majority of people aren't interested in ~$100-$130 boards, because the lack of relevant reviews would really make them wonder whether tech sites are more interested in serving what the manufacturers' PR want than what buyers need. Reply
ShieTar - Tuesday, November 26, 2013 - linkOh, come on. AT review what they get. They don't have the budget to go and buy any damn Board they want to look at, and the low-margin board builders won't afford sending out hundreds of review samples. And for those products, AT is probably not the priority number 1. There are still lots of paper-magazines out there doing nothing but comparisons of "normal stuff", being read by people who want to have a quick help for their buying decision. These magazines are the best place to get your 80$-Mainboard reviewed in. Reply
aatroxed - Monday, November 25, 2013 - linkHow would the onboard sound compare to a dedicated sound card? I'm still rocking an older creative xtreme music - would this more than match sound quality? Reply
slayernine - Monday, November 25, 2013 - linkPart of the added value of this board was the included anti-virus. It is not a trial but a full version and helped me justify the cost of this luxurious motherboard. Reply
Oscarcharliezulu - Wednesday, November 27, 2013 - linkI love good looking hardware and I must say this board looks like its worth the money, it looks awesome and whilst it shouldn't, really makes me want to own it. What I would like to see though is an ITX board with 4 dim slots so I can run 32gb ram, and the full 6sata ports, but I have no idea where they would fit, I guess they'd have to be sodimms. Reply
Anosh - Wednesday, December 04, 2013 - linkCan someone please tell me which Wireless card is mounted on the motherboard?
Is it able to run at 1300Mbps on AC? Reply
MiniItxLinux - Wednesday, December 04, 2013 - linkWhen I look at this I think Thundercats...
Must be the color scheme.
Hoooooo!! Reply
martinot - Friday, December 06, 2013 - linkThis really looks like a great board and a perfect buy for my needs, but I really dislike that you need Java installed on your machine to be able to configure it. Besides screwing up the DPC (which is critical as I produce and DJ music) it is also the biggest backdoor and security risk you can have.
It is almost beyond stupidity and carelessness for security and their customers that Asus forces you to install such software package with such a bad track record as Java. When almost all vendors and websites has stopped using it (for very good reasons) - Asus does the oposite and starts using it. Wierd.
I was almost sure this was the perfect fully featured board for my mini-ITX build until I read that it needs Java installed. Too bad I have to search for another board, and I am not sure I will find anyone this such good hardware as this one (looks really awesome otherwise).
martin Reply
dcoca - Friday, January 09, 2015 - linkYou don't need to install the software to utilize the board... it runs like a champ without any software from Asus and silent Reply
Harry_Wild - Monday, December 23, 2013 - linkASUS Maximus VI Impact board might be the starting point for my DIY home theater PC! Reply
ReneGQ - Thursday, March 13, 2014 - linkI recently purchased an Asus Motherboard and the problems started from day 1. The drivers update never works, the same for AI Suite III (there´s a lot of updates for this model in Asus webpage). After 2 months I still can´t install BitDefender cause a clock watchdog error.
Asus technical support is the worst, mails comes and goes with no solution.
I will not recommend this brand to anyone. The brand has a very good Marketing but the product and the service are very disappointment. Reply
dcoca - Friday, January 09, 2015 - linkSorry to hear that bro, I have this board for a while now and I can say it's stable, no issue what's so ever. Reply


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Names of Allah
Names of Allah: AL-HADI - MELCA
AL-HADI (The Guide)
And so that those who have been given knowledge will know it is the truth from their Lord and have faith in it, and their hearts will be humbled to Him. Allah guides those who believe to a straight path. (Surat al-Hajj, 22:54)
There are two kinds of people: those who know and so can appreciate Allah's power, and those who do not. The latter lead an ordinary life and die. Throughout their lives, they are reluctant to wonder why they exist or who created them, whether they have any responsibilities toward Him, or the infinite power of our Lord, Who created the entire universe, including them, from nothing. Instead, they busy themselves with such mundane issues as their education, how to get promoted at work, or their children's future. Of course such matters deserve some attention, but it is a great mistake to make them the goal of one's life. Such minor issues hinder people from seeing the countless miracles surrounding them. Furthermore, even if they can see these miracles, they shy away from pondering over them.
Those who feel the urge to get acquainted with the signs of Allah's existence and absolute power, and then begin to appreciate them, lead a totally different life. Out of their strong conscience, they observe their surroundings with awe and acknowledge that He created whatever they see. Aware of their responsibilities toward our Lord, the All-Mighty, they do what is pleasing to Allah, live according to His rules, and, most important of all, realize that each person will be called to account in the Hereafter.
Allah guides the members of the first group. Although they have always remained a minority, their way has always been the right one. Allah relates the difference between these two groups, as follows:
Those who believe in what has been sent down to you, what was sent down before you, and are certain about the Hereafter. They are the people guided by their Lord. They are the ones who have success. As for those who are unbelievers, it makes no difference to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, [for] they will not believe. Allah has sealed up their hearts and hearing, and over their eyes is a blindfold. They will meet with a terrible punishment. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:4-7)
No doubt, being one of these people is a great blessing granted by Allah, for unless otherwise willed by Him, no one can guide anyone else to the truth and the righteous path:
You cannot guide those you would like to, but Allah guides those He wills. He has best knowledge of the guided. . (Surat al-Qasas, 28:56)
AL-KHAFIDH ( The Abaser )
Abasing [one party], exalting [the other] . (Surat al-Waqi'a, 56:3)
Everyone can see, think, and draw conclusions from what they think. For instance, our body's flawless functioning indicates an intricate design. Considering the wisdom inherent in this design's details will make one realize that someone must have planned, designed, and created all of these intricacies.
This process holds true for those who use their faculties. However, other people pay no heed whatsoever to the incidents they encounter. Unfortunately, this second group represents the majority. As we said earlier, they are born, grow up, lead an ordinary life, and then die. However, Allah praises those who think and learn, and humiliates those who do not. As the Qur'an states:
Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and Earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire. Our Lord, those You cast into the Fire You have indeed disgraced. The wrongdoers will have no helpers." (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:191-192)
Allah exalts those people who think and take heed. True servants of Allah, they are distinguished from all others. Those who do not think and do not use the faculties with which Allah has blessed them, on the other hand, lead a simple life like that of the animals, for they seek only to meet their physical needs. Allah debases such people, for they choose this animal-like life by refusing to exercise their conscience and think. The Qur'an describes them in the following terms:
The likeness of those who are unbelievers is that of someone who yells out to something that cannot hear—it is nothing but a cry and a call. Deaf, dumb, and blind. They do not use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:171)
AL-HAFEEDH ( The Guardian; The Preserver)
"If you turn your backs, I have transmitted to you what I was sent to you with; my Lord will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. My Lord is the Preserver of everything." (Surah Hud, 11:57)
Today, all of our scientific data indicates that the universe was brought into existence from nonexistence. Those atoms that existed when the universe first came into existence, and those that make up every living and non-living being today, are the very same atoms. Science further verifies that the number of atoms in existence has never changed. Those atoms, which spread at a tremendous speed throughout the universe after it came into existence, today make up stars, Earth, the air, water on Earth's surface and even in your body. The fact that they accomplish this with such a superior order reveals the existence of the Power that controls each atom, for the existence of this order necessitates the existence of the Power that establishes it.
At this point, we come across one fact: Allah, Who created matter from non-existence and established a flawless order, surely knows about each stage of this process, for even a single second of such an intricate and complex system could not have formed randomly. This fact reveals His infinite power. Moreover, He continues to observe and protect this order. The verse, "Your Lord is always watching" (Surah al-Fajr, 89:14) reveals Allah's everlasting protection of the universe:
We know exactly how the earth eats them away. We possess an all-preserving Book. (Surat al-Qaf, 50:4)
He had no authority over them, except to enable Us to know those who believe in the Hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. Your Lord is the Preserver of all things. (Surah Saba, 34:21)
As for those who take others besides Him as protectors, Allah takes care of them. You are not set over them as a guardian. (Surat ash-Shura, 42:6)
The Prophet (saas) said:
"Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you." (Hadith at-Tirmidhi)
AL- HAKIM ( The Judge)
"Am I to desire someone other than Allah as a judge, when it is He Who has sent down the Book to you clarifying everything?" Those We have given the Book know it has been sent down from your Lord with truth, so on no account be among the doubters. (Surat al-An'am, 6:114)
Allah created all people and placed them on Earth, a place of trial set up to distinguish the good people from the evil ones. He sent Messengers with books that would enable the people to distinguish right from wrong. Throughout history, all Messengers warned their peoples and summoned them to the straight path. But over time, people distorted these books by replacing parts of the divine messages with personal judgments designed to protect their own interests. Despite this, Allah sent down an incorruptible Qur'an as a "guide" to them: "We have sent down the Reminder and will preserve it" (Surat al-Hijr, 15:9).
The Qur'an is the sole reference for arriving at the truth, for only It is unique and contains all of His commands. Those who embrace this Book and strive to fulfill its commands have found the true path. Those who judge according to Allah's commands and fulfill His demands will be rewarded in the Hereafter.
AL- HAKEEM (The All-Wise )
He is Allah—the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat al-Hashr, 59:24)
As we mentioned earlier, everything around us contains obvious signs of creation. Galaxies proceed toward a certain direction, Earth follows a particular orbit, living organisms contain intricate systems discovered only recently, and events occur in perfect order in the micro-universe, which is invisible to the naked eye... As science proceeds, the cumulative information reveals ever more clearly the delicacy inherent in the universe's design.
Modern science has unearthed the following fact: All events that have occurred since the universe's creation have developed according to a particular plan. The end result is Earth and all of its inhabitants. Given this, all of us have the responsibility to recognize that we are surrounded with the most suitable conditions and to grasp the divine wisdom behind the universe's formation.
Living amidst such blessings, we need to remember that everything is created for a certain purpose. After all, we are living on a planet designed to meet all of our needs perfectly. Just thinking about this fact is enough to realize that everything has been created with wisdom. As the Qur'an states:
... "Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise." (Surat al-Baqara, 2:32)
The men and women of the believers are friends of one another. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong, establish prayer and pay alms, and obey Allah and His Messenger. They are the people upon whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba, 9:71)
Your Lord will gather them. He is All-Wise, All-Knowing (Surat al-Hijr, 15:25)
AL-HAQQ ( The Truth, The Real )
That is because Allah—He is the Truth, and what you call upon besides Him is falsehood. Allah is the All-High, the Most Great. (Surah Luqman, 31:30)
As is the case with all living and non-living beings, space and time are also created concepts. In a moment when space and time were non-existent, the universe was suddenly created from non-existence, and from within this universe emerged the concepts of space and time. Indeed, as we go back in time, we encounter a limit that we can never cross: the moment the universe was created. Modern science has determined this limit to be 10-43 seconds after the moment the universe was created. Before this, space and time could not be defined.
At this point, we encounter a dimension in which space and time did not exist. As these two concepts that limit humanity were "created" at a certain time, spacelessness and timelessness existed before this "creation." The One Who created these concepts is Allah, Who is utterly exalted above them and, consequently, Everlasting. This fact never changes, for only He has genuine existence. Outside His existence, everything is mortal and doomed to perish. As the Qur'an informs us, the only Truth is Him:
High exalted be Allah, the King, the Real! Do not rush ahead with the Qur'an before its revelation to you is complete, and say: "My Lord, increase me in knowledge." (Surah Ta Ha, 20:114)
That is because Allah is the Real, gives life to the dead, and has power over all things. (Surat al-Hajj, 22:6)
In that situation the only protection is from Allah, the Real. He gives the best reward and the best outcome. (Surat al-Kahf, 18:44)
"You are the Truth, Your saying is the Truth, Your promise is the Truth, and the meeting with You is the Truth, and Paradise is the Truth, and the (Hell) Fire is the Truth." (Sahih Bukhari)
AL-KHALIQ( The Creator )
Allah created every animal from water. Some of them go on their bellies, some of them on two legs, and some on four. Allah creates whatever He wills. Allah has power over all things (Surat an-Nur, 24:45)
Bees accomplish their tasks perfectly. Worker bees construct the hive, ventilate it, and maintain a constant temperature in it. They also bring in the nutrients they collect from flowers. The queen bee, on the other hand, remains in the hive and ensures the community's continuity. The gnat larva changes its skin four times before it fully completes its development. Toward the end of the pupa period, the pupa cocoon, which is covered with a special viscous liquid that protects the gnat's head from contact with water, is torn at the top and the adult gnat climbs onto the water with only its feet touching it.
Bees and gnats are only two types of living beings on this planet. Yet, as is the case with all other living beings, Allah determines when they will be born, live, and die. From the time they are born, they live as Allah considers proper for them and commands them to live. Never do they transgress the boundaries of their assigned duties. This holds true for lizards that survive in deserts where the temperature reaches 50° Celsius (122° Fahrenheit), as well as for penguins living in polar regions where the temperature can drop far below -50° Celsius (-58° Fahrenheit) or sponges whose habitat is thousands of meters below the ocean's surface. The earlier ones also lived in the same way and the latter ones will continue to do so, for Allah determines a way of life for each living being. Therefore, no living being can determine how it will live, for this determination lies only with Allah, to Whom they all submit.
Humanity is a tiny part of life, a being Allah created from a drop of water and granted a way of life. Thus, only He can determine when a person will be born or die, control the aging process, or will one to be immune or susceptible to any weakness or disease. The unprecedented nature of His power and His control over everything is related in the Qur'an, as follows:
He is the Originator of the heavens and Earth. How could He have a son when He has no wife? He created all things and has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-An'am, 6:101)
Say: "Who is the Lord of the heavens and Earth?" Say: "Allah." Say: "So why have you taken protectors apart from Him who possess no power to help or harm themselves?" Say: "Are the blind and the seeing equal? Or are darkness and light the same? Or have they assigned partners to Allah, Who creates as He creates, so that all creating seems the same to them?" Say: "Allah is the Creator of everything. He is the One, the All-Conquering." (Surat ar-Ra'd, 13:16)
They will ask their skins: "Why did you testify against us?" and they will reply: "Allah gave us speech, as He has given speech to everything. He created you in the first place, and you will be returned to Him." (Surah Fussilat, 41:21)
AL-HALEEM ( The All-Clement, The Lenient)
Those of you who turned their backs on the day the two armies clashed—it was Satan who made them slip for what they had done. But Allah has pardoned them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Lenient. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:155)
The Qur'an, which Allah revealed from His Sight to humanity, is the last Just Book. It still exists in its pure and uncorrupted state, for He has promised to preserve it, and He always keeps His promises. In this Book, Allah explains how to serve Him, what is allowed and what is prohibited, gives the good news that those who devote their lives to Him and strive to earn His good pleasure will enter Paradise and remain therein forever, and that those who turn their backs upon Him will enter Hell and be punished for all eternity.
Yet despite these facts, the majority of people disregard the Qur'an, and some of them never pick it up at all. Ignoring Allah's verses, they indulge in this world's pleasures and never worry about having to account for themselves after death or their next life. Ignoring the limits that He has set, they do not display the moral excellence Allah expects from them, share their possessions with others, or help them when they are in need. Furthermore, when they are called to have faith in Allah, they claim to know what they are doing. Very few of them have a genuine faith in Allah and meticulously comply with His commands.
Some reflection upon these facts can help us comprehend Allah's infinite compassion and mercy. Although unbelievers intentionally turn their faces away from the just religion and transgress the limits set by Allah, He does not punish them right away. Rather, He grants them various blessings and allows them to live in abundance. Moreover, He gives them time so that they may see the truth and return to the straight path. Islam is easy to practice, another expression of Allah's infinite mercy. In addition, He does not hold people responsible for their forgetfulness or their mistakes, and does not impose any responsibility upon the blind, the lame, and the sick. He relieves people's burdens by instructing them about patience and trust in Him. All of these examples are enough to grasp Allah's infinite mercy and compassion and the unbelievers' ungratefulness.
We need to keep another point in mind as well: Allah is infinitely just and, both in this world and the next, He will recompense people according to the best of what they did. This attribute is related in several verses, as follows:
Allah will not take you to task for inadvertent statements in your oaths, but He will take you to task for the intention your hearts have made. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Lenient. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:225)
The seven heavens and Earth and everyone in them glorify Him. There is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not understand their glorification. He is Lenient, Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Isra', 17:44)
Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and Earth, preventing them from vanishing. And if they vanished, no one could then keep hold of them. Certainly He is Lenient, Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Fatir, 35:41)
AL-HAMEED ( The Praiseworthy)
He sends down abundant rain, after they have lost all hope, and unfolds His mercy. He is the Protector, the Praiseworthy. (Surat ash-Shura, 42:28)
All plants and animals live and glorify Allah wherever He has placed them. A fish in the ocean or a cactus in the desert lead their lives with great submission, according to what Allah has determined for them, and their maintenance of His order indicates this glorification. Everything in the heavens and Earth, oceans consisting of tons of water, mountains rising thousands of meters, clouds drifting in the sky, and thunderstorms also glorify Allah and indicate His infinite knowledge and power. Yet those who do not believe fail to grasp this glorification, as stated below:
The seven heavens and Earth and everyone in them glorify Him. There is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not understand their glorification. He is Lenient, Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Isra', 17:44)
On the other hand, believers grasp our Lord's greatness, glorify Him, and thank Him for the blessings He grants, for they know that He expects them to be thankful servants. Allah commands thus:
What is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Allah. We have instructed those given the Book before you, and you yourselves to have fear [and awareness] of Allah. But if you do not believe, what is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Allah. Allah is Rich Beyond Need, Praiseworthy. (Surat an-Nisa', 4:131)
Musa said: "If you were to be ungrateful, you and everyone on Earth, Allah is Rich Beyond Need, Praiseworthy." (Surah Ibrahim, 14:8)
Those who have been given knowledge see that what has been sent down to you from your Lord is the truth and that it guides to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (Surah Saba, 34:6)
AL-HASEEB (The Reckoner)
Those who conveyed Allah's Message and had fear [and awareness] of Him, fearing no one except Allah. Allah suffices as a Reckoner. (Surat al-Ahzab, 33:39)
Allah creates us and forms each one of us in our mother's womb with such great care that all of us are unique beings. While we are unconscious and still gestating, Allah protects and feeds us. Those nine months spent in the mother's womb is utterly a dark period, for no one knows all of the miraculous events that occur during that time. Only Allah knows these events, for He knows each person from the moment he or she was a single cell until the moment of his or her death.
Allah witnesses and remembers each person's deeds and thoughts, for He controls both the inner thoughts and the outer deeds. In brief, He controls everyone's spirit.
People forget their acts and words, and their experiences become dim memories. For example, something that happened a decade ago often seems meaningless. It is as if a major part of our past experiences have been deleted. But on the Day of Judgment, Allah will cause us to confront all of our good and evil deeds. Thus, we need to remember that He is with us all the time. Allah informs us about His name the Reckoner in the following verses:
Then they are turned to Allah, their Master, the Real. Jurisdiction belongs to Him alone and He is the Swiftest of Reckoners. (Surat al-An'am, 6:62)
Keep a close check on orphans until they reach a marriageable age. Then, if you perceive that they have sound judgment, hand over their property to them. Do not consume it extravagantly and precipitately before they come of age. Those who are wealthy should abstain from it altogether. Those who are poor should use it sensibly and correctly. When you hand over their property to them, ensure that there are witnesses on their behalf. Allah suffices as a Reckoner. (Surat an-Nisa', 4:6)
AL-HAYY ( The Living)
He is the Living—there is no deity but Him—so call upon Him, making your religion sincerely His. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. (Surah Ghafir, 40:65)
Being weak, what we can actually do is very limited. After we are born, we spend 5-10 years developing our intelligence through education and need constant care. Later on, we spend a great deal of time meeting our bodily needs (e.g., sleeping, and working to acquire food, clothing, and a place to live) and keeping ourselves clean and fresh.
Almost one-quarter of our life is spent in sleep. No matter how much we resist the need to sleep and use that time to engage in other activities, we cannot endure sleep deprivation for more than a few days. Indeed, such a lack of sleep affects our nervous systems by leaving us drowsy and unable to concentrate, and leads to poor memory and physical performance. If sleep deprivation continues, mood swings may develop.
All creatures have a fragile nature. Allah, the Creator of all beings, is al-Hayy (The Living). He controls everything at every moment, knows everything, and has power over all things. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep, and is exalted above all forms of weakness. He gives various weaknesses to His servants, and commands them to recognize these weaknesses, serve Him, and ask Him for everything. Given these inherent weaknesses, we turn to our Lord, aware that we cannot live for another second unless He wills it. Several verses inform us about this attribute, as follows:
Allah, there is no deity but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:2)
Put your trust in the Living, Who does not die, and glorify Him with praise. He is well aware of the wrong actions of His servants. (Surat al-Furqan, 25:58)
Faces will be humbled to the Living, the All-Sustaining, and anyone weighed down with wrongdoing will have failed. (Surah Ta Ha, 20:111)
AL-QABIDH (The Seizer, The Restricter)
Is there anyone who will make Allah a generous loan so that He can multiply it for him many times over? Allah both restricts and expands. And you will be returned to Him (Surat al-Baqara, 2:245)
Allah, the sole Owner of everything, created all beings and furnished Earth with blessings that will meet their needs. All forms of wealth actually belong to Him, for He is its sole owner. In this world, Allah does not grant wealth to everyone. Yet, both the well-off and the poor need to remember that Allah grants and owns everything.
Allah tests those people to whom He grants wealth by how they use this blessing, and expects them to be thankful. Meanwhile, He restricts the wealth of others as a test of their gratefulness to Him. Consequently, whatever people lack or possess are not gains for them; rather, they are a test from Allah to see whether they want the life of this world or the next.
So fear [and be aware] of Allah, as much as you are able to. Listen, obey, and spend for your own benefit. It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. If you make a generous loan to Allah, He will multiply it for you and forgive you… (Surat at-Taghabun, 64:16-17)
Allah also grants many spiritual blessings in this worldly life. When He wills, He may test people through the imperfections related to these blessings by creating various tests. On the other hand, due to their insistence upon unbelief, Allah may repay unbelievers in this world by willing them to experience trouble and anxiety in their hearts. In such a situation, people have to realize that Allah saves them from all forms of trouble and hardship. Just as He restricts, He also expands (al-Basit). To the hearts of His sincere servants who only turn to Him for help, Allah gives serenity, peace, and a feeling of relief. He supports them with His help, love, and mercy, and also alleviates their tasks. In the Qur'an, Allah reminds us that all hearts find peace only in the remembrance of our Lord, as follows:
Those who have faith and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah. Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 13:28)
AL-QABIL ( The Acceptor of Repentance)
He accepts repentance from His servants, pardons evil acts, and knows what they do. (Surat ash-Shura, 42:25)
All human beings are very vulnerable, for we cannot survive unless all conditions essential for life are provided for us. And yet some people tend to grow insolent, arrogant, and ungrateful toward Allah, as the following verses indicate:
We offered the Trust to the heavens, Earth, and the mountains, but they refused to take it on and shrank from it. But man took it on. He is indeed wrongdoing and ignorant. (Surat al-Ahzab, 33:72)
Truly man is ungrateful to his Lord. (Surat al-'Adiyat, 100:6)
Allah is fully aware of this inherent evil tendency. He knows that humanity is fallible, ignorant, and ungrateful, and yet He is always compassionate and merciful toward people. Out of His compassion, He showed humanity the way to salvation: repentance.
Allah gives all of us countless opportunities to purify ourselves through repentance. Regardless of what we have done or of our former ungratefulness, we can attain salvation if we are sincere, remain true to Allah, fear and are aware of Allah, and truly repent.
This attribute is a clear indication of Allah's compassion and mercy upon people. Allah, Who is not in need of anything,wouldn't have forgiven anyone if He willed. But out of His infinite compassion, He knew that people would need this compassion and mercy, and so gave the good news that He would accept the repentance of any sincere person. As the Qur'an states:
Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His servants and acknowledges their alms, and that Allah is the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful. (Surat at-Tawba, 9:104)
AL- QADEE ( The Ruler; He Who Completes His Task)
The Originator of the heavens and Earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it: "Be!" and it is. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:117)
Allah is infinitely powerful. As the verses inform us, He wills something into existence by saying "Be." No doubt this is an obvious manifestation of Allah's greatness and absolute control over the universe.
From humanity's perspective, all life on Earth operates according to the law of cause and effect. For instance, objects depend upon Earth's gravity to remain stationary, while ships float only because water holds them up. But Allah is exalted above all of these causes and effects, for He creates all causes and the ensuing effects within the framework of certain laws and cause-and-effect relations to reveal whether we are His true servants. No doubt, Allah can easily create things without a cause. Indeed in the Qur'an, Allah relates some of His miracles, such as the birth of Prophet 'Isa (as) without a father:
She [Maryam] said: "My Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" He said: "It will be so." Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something, He just says to it: "Be!" and it is. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:47)
Allah informs us that everything is possible when He commands "Be." That Allah has infinite power, owns the entire universe, and rules humanity is related in several verses, as follows:
The likeness of 'Isa in Allah's sight is the same as Adam. He created him from earth and then said to him: "Be!" and he was. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:59)
"Be!" it is. His speech is Truth. The Kingdom will be His on the Day the Trumpet is blown, the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware. (Surat al-An'am, 6:73)
His command when He desires a thing is just to say to it: "Be!" and it is. (Surah Ya Sin, 36:82)
He gives life and causes to die. When He decides on something, He just says to it: "Be!" and it is. (Surat al-Ghafir, 40:68)
AL- QADEEM ( The Giver of Advance Warning)
He will say: "Do not argue in My presence when I gave you advance warning of the Threat." (Surah Qaf, 50:28)
Allah, Who is infinitely just, sent Messengers to tell humanity about Him. Through the just Books He gave to His Messengers, He granted all people discrimination, taught them how to worship Him correctly, and made them aware of the morality that will earn His good pleasure. He provided knowledge of the Unseen: Death may come at any time, the Hour is drawing nigh, no one will be wronged while accounting for his or her deeds on the Day of Judgment, and those who reject Him in this world will be punished in the next world.
By means of such warnings, including "No indeed! Truly it is a reminder, and whoever wills pays heed to it" (Surah 'Abasa, 80:11-12), Allah states that we can learn from the Qur'an and be guided. In addition, He gives a detailed account of what happens to those who are ungrateful, as well as what happened to earlier communities of unbelievers, so that His servants can take heed. Allah commands thus:
Leave the deniers, who live a life of ease, to Me, and tolerate them a little longer. With Us are shackles, a Blazing Fire, food that chokes, and a painful punishment on the Day the ground and mountains shake, and the mountains become like shifting dunes. We have sent you a Messenger to bear witness against you, just as We sent Pharaoh a Messenger. But Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger, so We seized him with terrible severity. How will you safeguard yourselves, if you are unbelievers, against a Day that will turn children grey, by which Heaven will be split apart? His promise will be fulfilled. This truly is a reminder, so let anyone who wills take the Way toward his Lord. (Surat al-Muzzammil, 73:11-19)
As the verse above informs us, "anyone who wills can take the Way to Our Lord." However, those who insist on turning away deserve a grievous end, for Allah gives the most just judgment.
AL-QADEER ( The Powerful)
Among His Signs is that you see Earth laid bare and then, when We send down water on it, it quivers and swells. He Who gives it life is He Who gives life to the dead. Certainly He has power over all things. (Surah Fussilat, 41:39)
As Allah informs us in many verses, every event is known to Him, for He wills it into existence just by saying: "Be." He knows when each leaf falls, when each woman or female animal becomes pregnant, and whatever happens at any location in the universe. If He wills, He can replace an unbelieving society with a new one. He grants or withdraws enormous possessions to whomever He wills, punishes an unbelieving society at a time and by a method of His choice, and makes the ground infertile or dry and devoid of life. Nothing that exists can prevent Him from doing what He wills, for His power is infinite, as revealed in the following verses:
Have they not traveled in the land and seen the final fate of those before them? They were far greater than them in strength. Allah cannot be withstood in any way, either in the heavens or on Earth. He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful. (Surah Fatir, 35:44)
No! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and Wests that We have the power to replace them with something better than them. We will not be outstripped. (Surat al- Ma'arij, 70:40-41)
Just as He punishes an unbelieving nation, He has the power to grant mercy to His sincere servants. In the Qur'an, we find many examples of His power. As a manifestation of His name, al-Qadeer, Allah has always helped His sincere servants and shown them a way out of their hard and difficult situation. He saved Prophet Ibrahim (as) from a pit of fire, rescued Prophet Yusuf (as) from the depths of a well, and released Prophet Yunus (as) from the darkness in the fish's stomach. Similarly, Allah granted a child to Prophet Zakariyya (as) when he was old and his wife was infertile, and thereby manifested His power over everything. Throughout history, Allah has supported all of His Messengers and believers and helped them with His mercy and power in return for their patience and trust in Him.
AL-KAFI ( The Sufficient One )
Is Allah not sufficient for His servant? Yet they try to scare you with others apart from Him. If Allah misguides someone, he has no guide. (Surat az-Zumar, 39:36)
Those who do not have a firm belief in Allah are afraid of many things, such as other people and natural disasters. Others are obsessed with losing their possessions or their loved ones. However, Allah addresses those who have firm belief in Him as follows:
The Lord of the heavens and Earth and everything in between them, if you are people with certainty. There is no deity but Him—He gives life and causes to die—your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers, the previous peoples. (Surat ad-Dukhan, 44:7-8)
As Allah informs us, He is the One God. Believers are well aware that nothing can harm or help them without Allah's permission. In the face of hardship, they turn to Allah out of their awareness that only He will help and answer their prayers. They do so because they know that He is the Almighty and that all other beings are powerless, unless He wills otherwise.
Thus, for believers only Allah can answer their calls for help and guidance. This means that they have no need to fear any other being or person. About this issue, the latter part of the verse above, "Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?" reads as follows:
… and if Allah guides someone, he cannot be misguided. Is Allah not Almighty, Exactor of Revenge? ... If you ask them: "Who created the heavens and Earth?" they will say: "Allah." Say: "So what do you think? If Allah desires harm for me, can those you call upon besides Allah remove His harm? Or if He desires mercy for me, can they withhold His mercy?" Say: "Allah is enough for me. All those who truly trust put their trust in Him." (Surat az-Zumar, 39:37-38)
AL-QAHHAR ( The Crusher; The Subduer; The Dominator; The All-Conquering )
On the Day Earth is changed to other-than-Earth, and the heavens likewise, and they parade before Allah, the One, the All-Conquering. (Surah Ibrahim, 14:48)
Just as Allah relieves us of our sufferings and gives relief to our hearts, He has the power to punish us. The Qur'an gives examples of nations that He caused to perish at a time when they did not expect it—in the early morning—for they turned away from the just religion and rebelled against Allah. He sent them hurricanes that destroyed their houses and rained stones of hard baked clay upon them. To those whom He warned, He sent thunderstorms to raze their cities and sent earthquakes to turn the land upside down. Allah ruined them by sending a great blast. Allah's punishment is incomparable to any other punishment.
These are some of the punishment that Allah makes people taste in this world. But Hell's unprecedented torments deserve more consideration. Those who fail to appreciate Allah's power and who remain ungrateful, despite His infinite mercy, will be punished in the Hereafter.
When Allah casts the unbelievers into the midst of the Blazing Fire, they will encounter a form of misery previously unknown: Every time their skins are burned off, Allah will replace them and build walls of fire above them. The pain experienced in this world is utterly insignificant compared to the one in Hell. Indeed, the Qur'an informs us that the people of Hell will plead to Allah to kill them so that their pain will end. In Hell, Allah will punish unbelievers with His infinite power. This promise, which is certain to happen, is related in the following verses:
He is the Absolute Master over His servants. He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware. (Surat al-An'am, 6:18)
"Who is the Lord of the heavens and Earth?" Say: "Allah." Say: "So why have you taken protectors apart from Him who possess no power to help or harm themselves?" Say: "Are the blind and seeing equal? Or are darkness and light the same? Or have they assigned partners to Allah who create as He creates, so that all creating seems the same to them?" Say: "Allah is the Creator of everything. He is the One, the All-Conquering." (Surat ar-Ra'd, 13:16)
The Day when they will issue forth and when not one thing about them will be hidden from Allah. "To whom does the kingdom belong today? To Allah, the One, the Conqueror!" (Surah Ghafir, 40:16)
Allah manifests His attribute of al-Qahhar upon those people who deny and refuse to believe in the Hereafter. However, Allah is infinitely compassionate and merciful toward His servants. After His servants' sincere repentance, Allah forgives their sins. He helps His sincere servants in both worlds and supports them with feelings of mercy, peace, and trust. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals His blessings upon believers and informs us that He does not punish His sincere servants, as follows:
Why should Allah punish you if you are thankful and believe? Allah is always responsive to gratitude, All-Knowing. (Surat an-Nisa', 4:147)
AL-QA'IM ( The Self-Sustaining)
Allah, there is no deity but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:2)
Some people believe that Allah created the universe's flawless system and then left it to its own devices. Though not often expressed, people harbor this mistaken belief in their subconscious. Those who do not want to acknowledge their responsibility to Allah and do not perform the deeds that He demands from them believe that this belief provides a way to escape their responsibilities.
However, there are such causes and laws adorned with delicate details underlying all of existence that, such complex systems cannot proceed without a superior power supervising them. People who can hear, see, and deduce from these experiences recognize this fact immediately. Indeed, Allah relates that He is the One Who holds the heavens, Earth, and everything in between, as follows:
Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and Earth, preventing them from vanishing. And if they vanished, no one could then keep hold of them. Certainly He is Lenient, Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Fatir, 35:41)
As this verse states, Allah created the universe and keeps a firm hold on it. Life exists only because He holds sway over it. This is also true for the stability of the universe's extraordinarily intricate balances and the existence of the subtleties inherent in those systems. The Qur'an relates these facts, as follows:
Allah, there is no deity but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and Earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and Earth, and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:255)
Faces will be humbled to the Living, the All-Sustaining. And anyone weighed down with wrongdoing will have failed. (Surah Ta Ha, 20:111)
AL-QAREEB ( The Nigh; The One Who Is Near )
If My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls upon Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me, so that hopefully they will be rightly guided. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:186)
Those who fail to appreciate Allah in the way He should be appreciated, as well as those who do not live according to the Qur'an, have vague and inadequate information about His existence. When asked, these people state that Allah created the heavens and Earth. Yet they assume that He is in the heavens and thus very far from them, although He forms and designs each person. The fact is, however, He introduces Himself to His servants through the verses sent from His Sight. He reveals just how close He is to His servants, as follows:
We created man and know what his own self whispers to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.d. (Surat al-Qaf, 50:16)
When two people are talking, the third is Allah; when three people are talking, the fourth is Allah. If one whispers, Allah hears it; if one moves a little, Allah sees it. Allah, Who knows all of a person's thoughts, is with each person while he or she is sitting, walking, or speaking. While engaging in all of these, people cannot see Allah, but He sees them.
So ask His forgiveness and then repent to Him. My Lord is Close and Quick to Respond. (Surah Hud, 11:61)
Say: "If I am misguided, it is only to my detriment. But if I am guided, it is by what my Lord reveals to me. He is All-Hearing, Close-at-hand.". (Surah Saba, 34:50)
AL-QASIM ( He Who Shares; Who Allocates Blessings, Justice, and Wisdom )
Is it, then, they who allocate the mercy of your Lord? We have allocated their livelihood among them in the life of the world and have raised some of them above others in rank so that some of them are subservient to others. But the mercy of your Lord is better than anything they amass. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 43:32)
Trees that have lived in the Amazon for hundreds of years, a herd of penguins living on a remote glacier-surrounded island, a 30-year-old cactus in the desert, ants feeding on the mushrooms they grow on a garden of rainforest leaves, and an army of living beings that have existed for millions of years… All living beings need nourishment. Some desperately need water, whereas some others can survive without water for years. Some like hot weather, while others cannot survive in such a climate even for a minute. Furthermore, for all these living beings to remain together on this planet, many conditions have to exist at the same time. Allah, the Creator of all living beings, provides for each living being's needs separately and from the same soil.
Allah manifests His infinite compassion and mercy by meeting the needs of all that exists and allocating His mercy among all living beings. Allah created various blessings for our survival and provides for all of our needs. Indeed, Allah calls attention to this important fact:
He has given you everything you have asked Him for. If you tried to number Allah's blessings, you could never count them. Man is indeed wrongdoing, ungrateful. (Surah Ibrahim, 14:34)
AL-QAWEE ( The All-Strong )
Such was the case with Pharaoh's people and those before them. They rejected Allah's Signs, so Allah seized them for their wrong actions. Allah is Strong, Severe in Retribution.r. (Surat al-Anfal, 8:52)
Throughout history, Allah sent Messengers to many nations and revealed the straight path to them. The Messengers told their people that Allah is the only God and that they need to fear Him, in the sense of being in awe of Him, and observe His commands. However, as Allah informs us in "That was because their Messengers brought them the Clear Signs but they remained unbelievers. So Allah seized them. He is Most Strong, Severe in Retribution" (Surah Ghafir, 40:22), most of the nations called Allah's wrath upon themselves by denying and rejecting His Messengers.
In every age, unbelievers rebelled against the Messengers, made their lives difficult, and insisted upon doing so until Allah punished them. Holding power, wealth, and status in this world made them regard themselves as right and encouraged them to insist upon their arrogance. But they forgot one important fact: Allah is the Almighty.
Unbelievers who fail to understand this important fact have nothing in their hearts and minds but the quest of greatness. They disregard the fact that Allah can demolish all of one's possessions by sending a storm, raze all crops by heavy rains, wipe out all of one's relatives by a microbe, and destroy one's wealth in countless ways. To conclude, Allah punishes them in both this world and the Hereafter. In the Qur'an, Allah says this about the unbelievers:
Some people set up equals to Allah, loving them as they should love Allah. But those who believe have greater love for Allah. If only you could see those who do wrong at the time when they see the punishment, and that truly all strength belongs to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:165)
They do not measure Allah with His true measure. Allah is All-Strong, Almighty.(Surat al-Hajj, 22:74)
Allah sent back those who were unbelievers in their rage without their achieving any good at all. Allah saved the believers from having to fight. Allah is Most Strong, Almighty.r. (Surat al-Ahzab, 33:25)
Allah is infinitely merciful toward His servants, who can appreciate His superior morality, sublimity, and grandeur in the best possible way. The Qur'an states that believers are given the good news of Allah's mercy, as follows:
Their call there is: "Glory be to You, O Allah!" Their greeting there is: "Peace!" The end of their call is: "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds!" ." (Surah Yunus, 10:10)
AL-KABEER ( The Great )
The Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, the Most Great, the High-Exalted. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 13:9)
Allah has all creatures under His control. He knows when a buried seed will sprout, the orbit of a comet approaching Earth, the exact time when a living being will be born or die, the orbits of the electrons rotating around an atom's nucleus, and everything else. With His infinite power, Allah has control over all the thoughts of all people, both in their subconscious as well as their intentions while doing something.
Allah predetermines every detail of a person's life. Given that only He knows the Unseen, His infinite wisdom, knowledge, forgiveness, compassion, and punishment is far beyond human comprehension. No one can make even a minor alteration to His decisions. If Allah wishes to send something harmful or good, no one can deflect it.
Humanity is obliged to bow with reverence before such a great power and take refuge in our Lord, the All-Wise, and ask for mercy from Him, for we cannot attain salvation until Allah has mercy upon us and forgives us. That He is the All-High and Most Great is stated in the following verses:
That is because Allah is the Real, and what you call upon apart from Him is false. Allah is the All-High, the Most Great. (Surat al-Hajj, 22:62)
That is because Allah—He is the Truth, and what you call upon besides Him is falsehood. Allah is the All-High, the Most Great. . (Surah Luqman, 31:30)
AL-KAREEM ( The Generous )
Whoever gives thanks only does so to his own gain. Whoever is ungrateful, my Lord is Rich Beyond Need, Generous. (Surat an-Naml, 27:40)
Allah created the universe and formed it according to His own attributes. Everything that exists belongs to Him. All beauties and subtleties are manifestations of His wisdom. Like all other beings, we come into being by His will. Each person, once a lump of flesh in his or her mother's womb, is born, grows up, and manifests Allah's artistry with his or her beautiful face. Indeed Allah relates humanity's superiority, as follows:
O man! What has deluded you in respect of your Noble Lord? He Who created you, formed you, proportioned you, and assembled you in whatever way He willed. (Surat al-Infitar, 82:6-8)
Yet, although people can think, many of them never wonder how they came into being and who is responsible for the countless blessings surrounding them. The Qur'an asks:
Has man ever known a point of time when he was not something remembered? We created man from a mingled drop to test him, and made him able to hear and see. We guided him on the Way, whether he is thankful or unthankful. (Surat al-Insan, 76:1-3)
On the other hand, those who use their intellect wonder who created them, who is responsible for the infinite blessings that they could never have attained on their own, and who has enabled them to think, use their intellect, and perceive all that is around them. These people reach the following conclusion: Our Lord, Who created them and granted all of the superior blessings that they could never attain on their own, is very generous. This Creator is Allah, the Lord of the heavens and Earth, and He reminds people to:
Recite: In the Name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clot of blood. Recite: And your Lord is the Most Generous, He Who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know. No indeed! Truly man is unbridled, seeing himself as self-sufficient. Truly it is to your Lord that you will return. (Surat al-'Alaq , 96:1-8)
In other words, each person is responsible for turning toward Allah, the Gracious Creator, in order to thank Him. Allah grants countless blessings and, in return, asks only that people serve Him and abandon their arrogance. Allah's sincere servants, all of whom assume and display this morality, will be generously rewarded for their virtuous conduct.
AL-QUDDUS ( The Holy; The All-Pure )
Everything in the heavens and everything in the earth glorifies Allah, the King, the All-Pure, the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat al-Jumu'a, 62:1
Allah is the sole Creator of all that exists, whether in the various micro- and macro-universes. Many people fail to see this all-pervasive order and stability when they gaze around themselves.
As Allah states in "Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and Earth, preventing them from vanishing. And if they vanished, no one could then keep hold of them" (Surah Fatir, 35:41), He regulates and protects all of the various universes' existing systems.
Given that we are inherently feeble, we sometimes err, forget, make mistakes, and become heedless. We also have many weaknesses. For example, we need to take care of our bodies, which involves endless routines to keep them clean and fresh. If we become too tired, are deprived of sleep for a few days, or do not drink for a prolonged time, we become weak. Yet, Allah, Who possesses everything and owns the most beautiful names, is surely beyond all weaknesses. Allah's infinite power, wisdom, glory, and unbounded knowledge are related in the Qur'an, as follows:
Allah, there is no deity but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and Earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and Earth, and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:255)
And the Prophet (saas) used to say in his prayer, as related in the following hadith:
"Praise and Holiness to You, Lord of the angels and souls." (Sahih Muslim)
AL-LATEEF (The Gentle, The Subtle)
Allah is very gentle with His servants. He provides for anyone He wills. He is the Most Strong, the Almighty. (Surat ash-Shura, 42:19)
As mentioned earlier, there are two kinds of people: those who submit to Allah and those who rebel against Him. Among humanity, He made a very few of them truly submissive to Him. In many verses, Allah relates that the majority of people will not have faith and will not attain the straight path. These people deserve Hell, for they adhered to Satan's path, failed to remember Allah, and denied His existence despite their own certainty. People who submit themselves to Allah and live for His good pleasure, on the other hand, lead a beautiful life both in this life and beyond. No doubt, Allah's sending His Messengers and Books in order to guide humanity is one of His favors. In the Qur'an, Allah's kindness to believers is stated, as follows:
Allah showed great kindness to the believers when He sent a Messenger to them from among themselves to recite His Signs to them, purify them, and teach them the Book and Wisdom, even though before that they were clearly misguided. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:164)
Allah, Who is Gentle, also shows His kindness to His faithful servants by helping them. In the Qur'an, He gives many examples of His help and support to His sincere servants. One of these concerns Prophet Musa's (as) people, who were saved from Pharaoh's violence and made inheritors of the land. This fact is related in the following verses:
Pharaoh exalted himself arrogantly in the land and divided its people into camps, oppressing one group of them by slaughtering their sons and letting their women live. He was one of the corrupters. We desired to show kindness to those who were oppressed in the land, to make them leaders, and to make them inheritors. (Surat al-Qasas, 28:4-5)
As the sole protector and helper of believers, Allah will help them in the Hereafter, transform their evil into good, and show them great kindness:
"Beforehand we used to live in fear among our families. But Allah was gracious to us and safeguarded us from the punishment of the searing wind. Beforehand we certainly used to call on Him because He is the All-Good, the Most Merciful." (Surat at-Tur, 52:26-28)
Does He Who created not then know? He is the Subtle, the All-Aware. (Surat al-Mulk, 67:14)
Eyesight cannot perceive Him but He perceives eyesight. He is the Subtle, the All-Aware.(Surat al-An'am, 6:103)
Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the sky and then, in the morning, the land is covered in green? Allah is All-Subtle, All-Aware.(Surat al-Hajj, 22:63)
"My son, even if something weighs as little as a mustard-seed and is inside a rock, or anywhere else in the heavens or Earth, Allah will bring it out. Allah is the Subtle, All-Aware." (Surat al-Luqman, 31:16)
AL-MAKIR ( The Planner )
When those unbelievers were plotting against you to imprison you or to kill or expel you: they were plotting and Allah was plotting, but Allah is the Best of Planners. (Surat al-Anfal, 8:30)
Those who plotted against the just religion throughout history strove to distance people from it for their own selfish desires (e.g., greed for power, personal interests, and so on). In the Hereafter, they will be told: "No, it was your scheming night and day when you commanded us to reject Allah and assign equals to Him." (Surah Saba', 34:33) Yet there is a very important point that we need to remember here:
Those before them plotted, but all planning belongs to Allah. He knows what each self earns, and the unbelievers soon will know who has the Ultimate Abode. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 13:42)
As is related in the verse above, "all planning belongs to Allah." Thus, against all of the unbelievers' plots, Allah devises the best plan. Allah calls attention to the deadlock facing unbelievers:
They concocted their plots, but their plots were with Allah, even if they were such as to make the mountains vanish. (Surah Ibrahim, 14:46)
As this verse relates, Allah protects all believers from these pl ots. This is very easy for Allah, Who turns all plots against His Messengers and believers into failures and makes unbelievers suffer the ensuing dire consequences, for "… Allah is swifter at planning..." (Surah Yunus, 10:21)
No doubt, Allah creates every incident with a purpose and for the ultimate good. He uses the unbelievers' plots against believers to test them. He then extends His help to those servants who can discern the good and beauties in the events He creates, and turns all of these to their benefit.
MALIK YAWM AD-DEEN ( The King of the Day of Judgment )
The King of the Day of Judgment… (Surat al-Fatiha, 1:3)
On the Day of Judgment, people will be resurrected and gathered together to account for their deeds. On that Day, they will have neither the will nor the opportunity to pay attention to the people around them, whether they are their parents, spouses, or children. Due to this Day's fearsome nature, everyone will pay attention only to themselves, for:
What will convey to you what the Day of Judgment is? Again! What will convey to you what the Day of Judgment is? It is the Day when a self will have no power to help any other self in any way. The command that Day will be Allah's alone. (Surat al-Infitar, 82:17-19)
On that Day, anything to which a person attaches too much attention will be reduced to insignificance. From then on, any mundane relation or kinship will lose all importance, for the only value that will remain is one's faith in Allah. No one will be able to help another person, for only Allah, if He wills, can save a person from this detrimental situation.
Each of us will be alone before Allah's presence, the Owner of the Day of Judgment, just as we were alone when we were first created. Each of our deeds and thoughts will be displayed on the Day of Judgment, for He never forgets any detail, no matter how small. Allah creates a setting that befits His Honor and calls His servants to account. However, He saves anyone He wills through His mercy.
On this Day, when unbelievers will be overwhelmed by a grievous regret, believers will be joyful and exuberant:
... On the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who had faith along with him.. (Surat at-Tahrim, 66:8)
That is because "Allah will certainly help Messengers and those who believe both in the life of the world and on the Day the witnesses appear." (Surah Ghafir, 40:51)
The sole king of that Day is Allah, for He is the only One Who can command. The related verses read:
There will be but one Great Blast, and then their eyes will open. They will say: "Alas for us! This is the Day of Reckoning!" This is the Day of Decision you used to deny. (Surat as-Saffat, 37:19-21)
Woe that Day to the deniers, those who deny the Day of Reckoning. No one denies it except for every evil aggressor. (Surat al-Mutaffifin, 83:10-12)
MALIK AL-MULK ( The Master of the Kingdom )
Say: "O Allah! Master of the Kingdom! You give sovereignty to whoever You will and take sovereignty from whoever You will. You exalt whoever You will and abase whoever You will. All good is in Your hands. You have power over all things." (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:26)
When you look around, everything that you see has an owner. The chair on which you sit is made up atoms, each one of which was created by Allah. A flower grows by combining such favorable circumstances as sunlight, water, and so on, all of which are granted by Allah. The sea lying beyond your window and all its inhabitants exist only because Allah wills them to exist.
Even your body is under the sway of Allah, Who created you. All of your organs and veins, as well as your nervous system and cells, are works of our Lord's superior wisdom and intelligence. None of the things were desired by you and then brought into existence by you. Once you opened your eyes to this world, you saw both the flawless system in your body and in the universe. However, you did not have any of them before, and you could not have acquired them through your own will in the latter part of your life. This fact surely holds true for all human beings. This being the case, Allah is the Lord and Creator of everything.
Despite this obvious fact, some people disregard all of these and, ignoring Allah's clear existence, assume that they own all of these things. Despite all of our weaknesses, along with their feelings of superiority, they grow arrogant and attempt to deny our Creator. However, this denial only harms them, because as Prophet Musa (as) said: "If you were to be ungrateful, you and everyone on Earth, Allah is Rich Beyond Need, Praiseworthy." (Surah Ibrahim, 14:8)
AL-MAJEED ( The Most Glorious One )
The Possessor of the Throne, the All-Glorious. (Surat al-Buruj, 85:15)
Allah's glory manifests itself in every corner of the universe. All people recognize Allah's Highness, even those who deny Him or say: "We disbelieve," are, in actuality, well aware of His power and glory, for they witness His creation all around them. However, due to their arrogance, they do not believe.
The universe's glorious beauties and flawless systems also befit His glory. Clouds that carry tons of water in the sky, stars that are millions of light years away from us, waterfalls that fall with an enormous noise and intensity, unbounded oceans, mountains with snowy summits extending high into the sky, woods that are inhabited by living beings of countless colors, and noises are only a few of the beauties created by Allah.
An earthquake that razes a region in a few seconds, a volcanic eruption burying a city under a storm of hot lava, a hurricane causing extensive damage to the region it strikes, a devastating flood, a fatal lightning flash, a hurricane raging over cities, a flood ravaging populated areas, or a tornado sweeping away homes also are signs of Allah's power. These are only a very few signs showing Allah's power. As the Qur'an states:
He—exalted be the Majesty of our Lord!—has neither wife nor son. (Surat al-Jinn, 72:3)
They said: "Are you astonished at Allah's command? May Allah's mercy and His blessings be upon you, People of the House! He is Praiseworthy, All-Glorious."(Surah Hud, 11:73)
AL-MALJA ( The Refuge )
… and also toward the three who were left behind, so that when the land became narrow for them, for all its great breadth, and their own selves became constricted for them and they realized that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him, He turned to them so that they might turn to Him. Allah is the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful. (Surat at-Tawba, 9:118)
All people are in need of prayer. A person who prays simply refers the situation to Allah, the Creator and Lord of the universe, and takes refuge in Him. Being aware that the solution lies only with Allah, the Almighty, taking Him as a friend and taking refuge in Him are great sources of security for His servants.
This taking refuge displays our weakness, for each of us has only limited power and will live only for a while. Therefore, we are obliged to seek His help. Allah, Who created us from a drop of water and the entire universe from nothing, can easily meet our needs and remove any problems. Other than Him, there is no being or thing in which to take refuge. Whoever is in the heavens or on Earth seeks His help. Those things or people from which people seek help and guidance cannot even help themselves. As Allah reveals:
O mankind! An example has been given, so listen carefully. Those whom you call upon besides Allah cannot even create a single fly, even if they were to join together to do it. And if a fly steals something from them, they cannot get it back. How feeble are both the seeker and the sought! (Surat al-Hajj, 22:73)
In the face of a threat or danger, all people understand that there is no one in whom to take refuge except for Allah. This is stated in the Qur'an, as follows:
Say: "Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and sea? You call on Him humbly and secretly: "If you rescue us from this, we will truly be among the thankful.'"(Surat al-An'am, 6:63)
That people think only of Allah in times of hardship indicates that we innately know that Allah is our only true refuge. This being the case, we should take refuge in Allah before it is too late:
Respond to your Lord before a Day comes from Allah that cannot be turned back. On that Day, you will have no hiding place and no means of denial. (Surat ash-Shura, 42:47)


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ARTISTJones Segarra read more
Joni Segarra, a.k.a. 'Jones,' is a self-taught artist who began her art career after she became a mother. She started with painting children's art and soon moved on to painting in homes, businesses and show homes. She has sold her acrylic paintings all over the U.S. and abroad and her artwork has been published in several books and catalogs. In addition, she was honored to have the opportunity to paint two cows in the world-famous 'cow parade.'
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I am new here and just found this site!! We are from Texas and LOVE to BBQ but have NEVER been able to make a good brisket! I saw the show when Steven made the DELICIOUS looking brisket that literally fell apart and I am dying to try it!!
I have the recipe for the rub but can not find the recipe for the beer mop sauce. If anyone has it I wuld REALLY appreciate it greatly!!


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I grew up in Tornado Alley. Tornadoes were more of an event I enjoyed than a threat I feared, so invincible did I think I was as a child and teenager.
As we gathered in the Shively's storm shelter with other neighbors, I rather enjoyed the social gathering and naively hoped the twister would somehow be bad enough to cancel school but not destructive enough to hurt anyone.
Questions of why, an inevitable response to suffering, weren't in my purview, at least not then.
"What are you doing, Dad?" my son asked when he called me on his cell phone.
I was sitting on our back patio, admiring the work I'd done, having just planted the first third of my garden with the non-genetically modified seeds I had oh-so carefully selected. I wanted to come as close as I could to having an organic garden.
Then just as I as I leaned back to relax, I stood up straight, squinting at the tractor spraying the field behind my house. It was coming closer and closer to my garden.
Tomorrow is the beginning of a much-anticipated three-day weekend, thanks to Monday being Memorial Day.
A day set aside for honoring those loved ones who are no longer with us, Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer.
While many of us will experience some sadness this weekend as we place lovely flower arrangements on the tombstones of our loved ones and listen quietly as the names of people who died in the last year are read in church, we also look forward to spending time with our families and having some fun in the sun.
Growing up, my mother was like a lighthouse to me. Her light was always on, a beacon guiding me through the daily adventures and bumps and bruises of childhood and adolescence. At the end of the day, she was always there, welcoming me to the safe harbor that was my home.
Years later, when I left home for other places, and the home lights were but a distant flicker, I would remind myself of Mom's words. And often, they would light my path.
It has often been said, "One man's junk is another man's treasure." Now that spring has arrived, the presence of yard and garage sales abound. Every day, faithful shoppers and bargain hunters scour the highways and byways searching for "deals."
During the past 10 months, the Campbellsville Police have engaged in their own bargain hunting.
It's about that time of year again, where students don black, red or purple gowns and cardboard hats and walk across a stage. Graduation is upon us, followed by the dog days of summer.
This time of year is always full of excitement and a bit of apprehension. Students might not know what is ahead of them and could be a bit scared of the real world. This time of year always makes me nostalgic.
Inspired. That is the best word to describe my feelings after recently meeting and writing about two young members of our community.
The first, sixth-grader Terry Cook, was seriously burned in a fire and is still coping with the life-changing effects six years later. The second, Autumn Anderson, is a senior at Taylor County High School and will soon be heading to the NASCAR Technical Institute in North Carolina to train to become a mechanic.
The evils of racism are expressed in the words we speak and the mores we establish. And both emerge from the illusion of superiority.
Jackie Robinson, as a black American in the 1940s and 1950s, was thrown into the fire of both when he entered Major League Baseball in 1947, breaking the sport's color barrier. The movie, "42," named after Robinson's jersey number, depicts the dramatic events of that year.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
- The First Amendment,
Constitution of the United States of America
Tony Young
Campbellsville Mayor
If you drive south on KY 55 toward Columbia, you should look over to the right near the UPS and Clarcor facilities.
You can see lots of progress on the construction of the new 1-million-gallon water storage tank.
There has been a vast amount of concrete and steel put into place already. The foundation is totally complete and the support structure is about 50 percent complete.
Copyright © 2017
The Central Kentucky News-Journal is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Campbellsville, KY and the surrounding area.


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|Carmichael Lynch
|Messin' With Sasquatch
|Link Snacks Inc.
|Jack Link's Beef Jerky
|Date of First Broadcast/Publication
|Subscribers Only
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We are a full-service advertising agency with a history of creating powerful emotional connections to brands. In creating these connections we do more than make our clients' brands top of mind for their target. We find soul mates for our clients' brands.
We are able to achieve this because we don't use a rational approach to sell a brand, but rather emotion to make people want to share ownership for that brand. Such emotional bonds can rekindle the love customers once had for a brand, attract new enthusiasts, motivate employees and reinforce existing loyalists.
Our enemy is complacency, mediocrity and the conventional. We rally against the ordinary and hold sacred the power of inspiration: to transform, to instigate, to delight, to create devotion.
Unlike most great creative agencies, Carmichael Lynch owns and operates a sister public relations firm, Carmichael Lynch Relate, that has achieved Agency of the Year honors from PRWeek, Holmes Report and PRNews trade magazines. For many of our clients, Carmichael Lynch works hand-in-glove with Carmichael Lynch Relate, which is regarded as the undisputed champion of best practices in public relations with few PR firms winning more awards for their work nationally.
"Feed Your Wild Side" Takes Over the Light Rail Station Outside Extreme Sporting Event in Minneapolis
Jack Link's Protein Snacks is taking full advantage of the X Games coming to Minneapolis this week through a guerilla campaign that includes taking over the light rail station immediately outside of U.S. Bank Stadium – home to the extreme sports event. The work features a bold take on the brand's look, making their long-running "Feed Your Wild Side" positioning relevant in a new way for extreme sports fans in town.
"Jack Link's jerky is providing powerful protein fuel for pro athletes and pro spectators alike this weekend," said Jack Link's Chief Marketing Officer T.D. Dixon, "I can't think of a crowd who reveres the Wild Side more than action sports athletes and their fans. We wanted to show up in a way that connected with an audience that knows and loves the brand in a way that felt germane to them. Plus it's a great excuse for Sasquatch to show off his new skate-log."
The effort, created with agency of record Carmichael Lynch, includes a series of 46 out-of-home pieces accompanied by digital animation on the stations' screens and guerilla marketing efforts utilizing exclusive swag, including custom Vans sneakers, skateboards, enamel pins and t-shirts.
The work also includes a series of skate-style social videos of a skateboarding Sasquatch exhibiting mongo-footed malarkey at bowls, benches, handrails and halfpipes around the city.
"We wanted to make something that played with the ridiculous fun of Sasquatch and the 0 to 100 experience of the X Games," said Carmichael Lynch Design Director Milton Un. " The X Games and Sasquatch share an outsider DNA. We tapped into that making things that share a visual language rooted in individuality, fun and an IDGAF attitude."
Once the X Games start, Sasquatch will take over the brand's social channels, documenting action on the streets around the games and flooding the channels with video, animations, art and other content consistent with the Station Domination look and feel.
Further, Jack Link's and experiential partner SVK teamed with local skate shops to turn the iconic Minneapolis venue, the Cabooze, into a gathering place for X Games enthusiasts to convene and sample protein-packed Jack Link's jerky. They're also hosting athletes and sampling around the games.
Agency partner CSM also developed partnerships with a number of well-known extreme athletes like Alec Majerus, Bucky Lasek, Ryan Decenzo for events as well as YouTube faves Scotty Cranmer and Big Boy. Jack Link's is also a sponsor of up and comers Nicole Hause and Nick Bruce.
JACK LINK'S®– Feed Your Wild Side® Jack Link's is a global leader in protein snacks and the No. 1 meat snack manufacturer worldwide. Headquartered in Minong, Wis., Jack Link's is a family-owned company that represents a heritage of quality and consumer trust, with the mission to Feed Your Wild Side. Jack Link's offers more than 100 premium protein snacks in a variety of flavors, sizes and price points, appealing to nearly every consumer and occasion. Check out jacklinks.com for more information on the brand.
CARMICHAEL LYNCH Carmichael Lynch is an internationally recognized leader in creative marketing, executing fresh ideas across all channels. The agency's client list includes numerous famous brands including Subaru, U.S. Bank, Jack Link's Protein Snacks, and Truvía. Carmichael Lynch Inc. is owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (NYSE: IPG), New York. For more information, visit www.carmichaellynch.com. ####