Beautiful Mind

What Love is...

2007-01-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

Love is a basic dimension of human experience that is variously conveyed as a sense of tender affection, an intense attraction, the foundation of intimacy and good interpersonal chemistry, willing self-sacrifice on behalf of another, and as an ineffable sense of affinity or connection to nature, other living beings, or even that which is unseen. It manifests itself in feelings, emotion, behavior, thoughts, perception and attitude. It influences, underlies and defines major patterns in interpersonal relationships and self-identification.

The concept of love is not amenable to one authoritative definition. It is the subject of considerable debate, enduring speculation, and thoughtful introspection. As an approximation, different aspects of love can be illustrated by comparing its corollaries and opposites. As a general expression of positive sentiment (a stronger form of like), love is commonly contrasted with hate (or neutral apathy); as a less self-centered and more "mutual" sign of intense desire, love is commonly contrasted with lust; and as an interpersonal relationship with romantic overtones, love is commonly contrasted with friendship, although other connotations of love may be applied to close friendships as well.

The diverse range of meanings associated with the English word contrasts with the plurality of Greek words for love, reflecting the depth, versatility, and complexity of the concept. This diversity of meanings is reflected in the many distinct classifications of love including romantic love; sexual desire; platonic love; religious love; familial love; true love; and the more casual application of the term to anything pleasurable, enjoyable, desirable, or preferred, including activities and favorite foods.^[1]

In ordinary use, love usually refers to interpersonal love, an experience felt by a person for another person. Love often involves caring for or identifying with a person or thing, including oneself (cf. narcissism).In this use, love is actually the greatest proportion on selfishness, in that one only wants one thing, and that is for another being to be happy, and the one in love will do anything to fulfill this wish. This case however, does not necessarily end in marriage, because another may make the loved one happier, meaning the lover will give the other up.

The very existence of love is itself subject to debate. Some categorically reject the notion as false or meaningless. Others call it a recently-invented abstraction, sometimes dating the "invention" to courtly Europe during or after the middle ages. Others maintain that love really exists, and is not an abstraction, but is undefinable, being an essence which is spiritual or metaphysical in nature. Some psychologists maintain that love is the action of lending one's "boundary" or "self-esteem" to another. Others attempt to define love by applying the definition to everyday life.

Cultural differences make any universal definition of love difficult to establish. Expressions of love may include the love for a soul or mind, the love of laws and organizations, love for a body, love for nature, love of food, love of money, love for learning, love of power, love of fame, love for the respect of others, etc. Different people place varying degrees of importance on the kinds of love they receive. Love is essentially an abstract concept, easier to experience than to explain. Because of the complex and abstract nature of love, discourse on love is commonly reduced to a thought-terminating cliché, and there are a number of common proverbs regarding love, from Virgil's "Love conquers all" to The Beatles' "All you need is love." Bertrand Russell describes love as a condition of "absolute value," as opposed to relative value.

People, throughout history, have often considered phenomena such as “love at first sight” or “instant friendships” to be the result of an uncontrollable force of attraction or affinity.^[2] One of the first to theorize in this direction was the Greek philosopher Empedocles who in the fourth century BC argued for existence of two forces: love (philia) and strife (neikos), which were used to account for the causes of motion in the universe. These two forces were said to intermingle with the four elements, i.e. earth, water, air, and fire, in such a manner that love, so to say, served as the binding power linking the various parts of existence harmoniously together.

Human bonding

Later, Plato interpreted Empedocles’ two agents as attraction and repulsion, stating that their operation is conceived in an alternate sequence.^[3] From these arguments, Plato originated the concept of “likes attract”, e.g. earth is thus attracted towards earth, water toward water, and fire toward fire. In modern terms this is often phrased in terms of “birds of a feather flock together”. Later, following developments in electrical theories, such as Coulomb's law, which showed that positive and negative charges attract, analogs in human life were developed such as "opposites attract." Over the last century, researcher on the nature of human mating, such as in evolutionary psychology, agree that pairs unite or attract to each other owing to a combination of opposites attract, e.g. people with dissimilar immune systems tend to attract, and likes attract, such similarities of personality, character, views, etc.^[4] In recent years, various human bonding theories have been developed described in terms of attachments, ties, bonds, and or affinities.

Religious views

Main article: Love (religious views)

Love in early religions was a mixture of ecstatic devotion and ritualised obligation to idealised natural forces (pagan polytheism). Later religions shifted emphasis towards single abstractly-oriented objects like God, law, church and state (formalised monotheism). A third view, pantheism, recognises a state or truth distinct from (and often antagonistic to) the idea that there is a difference between the worshiping subject and the worshiped object. Love is reality, of which we, moving through time, imperfectly interpret ourselves as an isolated part.

The Bible speaks of love as a set of attitudes and actions that are far broader than the concept of love as an emotional attachment. Love is seen as a set of behaviours that humankind is encouraged to act out. One is encouraged not just to love one's partner, or even one's friends but also to love one's enemies. The Bible describes this type of active love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

“

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

”

Romantic love is also present in the Bible, particularly the Song of Songs. Traditionally, this book has been interpreted allegorically as a picture of God's love for Israel and the Church. When taken naturally, we see a picture of ideal human marriage:^[5]

“

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealously unyielding as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

”

The passage dodi li v'ani lo, i.e. "my beloved is mine and I am my beloved", from Song of Songs 2:16, is an example of a biblical quote commonly engraved on wedding bands.

Also, the Bible defines love as being God himself. I John 4:8 states "God is Love". In essence, God is the epitomy of love - in action and relation. It is God that first loved mankind and desired a relationship. (John 3:16-17) Love is the underlying drive in most people. The search for love seems endless within the human race, throughout the ages. The Bible defines God as being the completeness of love. Love, as being defined by him, is demonstrated in his character and personality. Another way of defining this type of love is "godly love", a love shown through the example of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. However, this "sacrificial" love can also be expressed by humans. For example, the love of a mother for her child. It is one one of the strongest bonds of love known to Man. The mother would sacrifice anything for the child. It is this type of love that the Bible teaches us to follow and to share with one another. Love, in the end, is truly a sacrifice. See The Bible for further details.

Cultural views

Main article: Love (cultural views)

Although there exist numerous cross-cultural unified similarities as to the nature and definition of love, as in there being a thread of commitment, tenderness, and passion common to all human existence, there are differences. For example, in India and parts of Southeast Asia, with arranged marriages commonplace, it is believed that love is not a necessary ingredient in the initial stages of marriage – it is something that can be created during the marriage; whereas in Western culture, by comparison, love is seen as a necessary prerequisite to marriage.

Some western authorities insist that love must be disaggregated into its two main components, the altruistic and the narcissistic. This view is represented in the works of Scott Peck MD, whose works in the field of applied psychology explored the definitions of love and evil. Peck maintains that love is a combination of the concern for the spiritual growth of another, and simple narcissism^[6]. In combination, love is an activity, not simply a feeling.

Scientific views

Main article: Love (scientific views)

Throughout history, philosophy and religion have done the most speculation on the phenomenon of love. In the last century, the science of psychology has written a great deal on the subject. In recent years, the sciences of evolutionary psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, neuroscience, and biology have added to our understanding of the nature and function of love.

Biological models of sex tend to view love as a mammalian drive, just like hunger or thirst. Psychology depicts love as a cognitive and social phenomenon. Psychologist Robert Sternberg formulated a Triangular theory of love and argued that love has three different components: Intimacy, Commitment, and Passion. Intimacy is a form by which two people can share secrets and various details of their personal lives. Intimacy is usually shown in friendships and romantic love affairs. Commitment on the other hand is the expectation that the relationship is going to last forever. The last and most common form of love is sexual attraction and passion. Passionate love is shown in infatuation as well as romantic love. This led researchers such as Yela ^{[citation needed]} to further refine the model by separating Passion into two independents components: Erotic Passion and Romantic Passion.

Chemical basis

Main article: Interpersonal chemistry

Recent studies in neuroscience have indicated that a consistent number of chemicals are present in the brain when people feel love. These chemicals include; Testosterone, Oestrogen, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Vasopressin. More specifically, higher levels of Testosterone and Oestrogen are present during the lustful phase of a relationship. Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and Serotonin are more commonly found during the attraction phase of a relationship. Oxytocin, and Vasopressin seemed to be more closely linked to long term bonding and relationships characterized by strong attachments.

In 2005, Italian scientists at Pavia University found that a protein molecule known as the nerve growth factor (NGF) has high levels when people first fall in love, but these levels return to as they were after one year. Specifically, four neurotrophin levels, i.e. NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4, of 58 subjects who had recently fallen in love were compared with levels in a control group who were either single or already engaged in a long-term relationship. The results showed that NGF levels were significantly higher in the subjects in love than as compared to the either of the control groups.^[7]

Definitional issues

Dictionaries tend to define love as deep affection or fondness.^[8] In colloquial use, according to polled opinion, the most favoured definitions of love include the words:^[9]

life - someone to whom one would give their life. See Sacrificial_love.
care - refers to a mental or emotional state of predisposition in which one has an interest or concern for someone or something. To care for someone, may also refer to a disquieted state of mixed uncertainty, apprehension, and responsibility; or a cause for such anxiety.
friendship - favoured interpersonal associations or relationships.
union - dissolution of loving subject into loved object; a hyper-real state of creative generosity.
family - people related via common ancestry(ie:Platonic love)
bond - the inner connection when another person is a part of your identity.

Thomas Jay Oord defines love as acting intentionally, in sympathetic response to others (including God), to promote overall well-being. Oord means for his definition to be adequate for religion, philosophy, and the sciences.

Mary Baker Eddy the discoverer of Christian Science defines Love as one of 7 synonyms for God. This indicates that Diety is more than a being that has benevolent concerns for mankind, but rather that God is Love itself. Love is also synonymous with Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit, Life, and Truth and indicate the depth and wholeness of Love.

Robert Anson Heinlein, one of the most prolific science fiction writers of the 20th century, defined love in his novel Stranger in a Strange Land as the point of emotional connection which leads to the happiness of another being essential to one's own well being. This definition ignores the ideas of religion and science and instead focuses on the meaning of love as it relates to the individual.

Borobudur

2007-01-23T07:24:00.000-08:00

Borobudur is a ninth century Buddhist Mahayana monument in Central Java, Indonesia. The monument is designed with nine platforms – on top is three circular plaftforms while the rest are square ones – and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha. A main dome is located in the middle of the top platform surrounded by 72 perforated stupas, each has one sitting Buddha statue

inside.

The whole monument is considered both as a shrine for the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims starts from the base of the monument circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top in three levels of Buddhist cosmology: Kamadhatu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formless). During the journey, the monument guides the pilgrims by the system of stairways and corridors complete with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.

Borobudur was evidently abandoned after the decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java around the fourteenth century, and the Javanese conversion to Islam. It was re-discovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, the British ruler of Java. Since then, Borobudur has been preserved through several restorations. The biggest restoration project was performed between 1975—1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO. Since 1991, Borobudur has been listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage beside a major attraction for tourism in Indonesia.

Etymology

In Indonesian, temples are known as candi, or formerly chandi. The term is also used more loosely to describe any ancient structure, for example, gates and bathing strucutures. In the case of most candis, the original name is unknown. Furthermore, often even the local people did not know of the existence of a candi. As a result, the origins of the name Borobudur is unclear.

The name of Borobudur was first written in the Sir Thomas Raffles book on Java history.^[1] Raffles wrote about the existence of a monument called borobudur in the village of Bumisegoro. There is, however, no ancient documents mentioning this name.^[2] In an old Javanese manuscript, Nagarakertagama, written by Mpu Prapanca in AD 1365, there is mention of Budur as a Buddhist sanctuary. It is likely that it is associated with Borobudur, but the manuscript lacks any further information to make a definite identification.

Most candis are simply named after the nearby village and in the vicinity of Borobudur, is a village called Bore. The name of 'Bore-Budur', and thus 'BoroBudur', was thus suspected as written by Raffles in English grammar. If it followed Javanese language, the monument should have been named as BudurBoro. Raffles also suggested that Budur might correspond to the modern Javanese word Buda ('ancient') - i.e., 'ancient Boro'.^[2]

Another hypothesis is that 'Boro' was taken from an old Javanese term bhara ('honourable'), describing the monument as "The Honourable Buddha". A more plausible interpretation comes from Javanese word of biara ('monastery'). Thus the name simply points to the 'monastery of Budur', where Budur is mentioned in the Nagarakertagama manuscript.

Location

Borobudur is situated in the province of Central Java, 40 km (25 miles) from Yogyakarta on the Kedu Plain. Buddhist and Hindu temple compounds are located within a radius of the confluence of the Progo and Elo Rivers.^[3] From west to east the main Buddhist temples are Borobudur, Pawon, Mendhut and Ngawe. Two twin volcanoes surround the plain: Merapi and Merbabu to the east and Sundoro and Sumbing to the west. This unique location, according to Soekmono (1976) is extremely fertile, has an industrious population and is known as the 'garden of Java'. 15 kilometers from Borobudur, on the outskirts of the city of Magelang is the hill of Tidar. One of the sacred places in Java, the hill is the geographical centre of Java, and Javanese legend refers to it as the Nail of Java, preventing it from floating around the ocean.^[3].

Borobudur itself is built on a hill. In 1931, Nieuwenkamp, a Dutch artist, theorised that the Kedu Plain was once a lake and Borobudur originally represented a lotus flower floating on the lake.^[3] According to the theory, the two other Buddhist temples, Mendhut and Pawon, were said to be located on the edge of the lake. The lotus flower is a mythical Buddhism in which the future Buddha will be born. Nieuwenkamp idea was based on his discovery that the ground plan of Borobudur shows a lotus rosette. The location of the Borobudur on a hill suggested him that the monument represents a floating lotus.

In 1949, geologists found clay sediments near the site that supports the old lake idea.^{[citation needed]} The lake may have been created by the eruption of a nearby volcanoes. It may have existed in the area as recently as between the 12th and 14th centuries.^[4] However, it was not at all clear whether the lake dried up before the stupa was built, or the site pre-dated a lake. The final conclusion still awaits further extensive research.^[5]

Apostasy

For centuries, Borobudur laid hidden under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. The facts behind the desertion of this magnificent monument still remain a mystery. It is unknown when the monument was still in active use and when it ceased to function as the pilgrimage center of Buddhism.

A general assumption is that the temples were disbanded when the population were converted to Islam in the fifteenth century.^[8] Another theory is that a famine caused by an eruption had forced local inhabitants to leave their lands and the monument in search for a new location. The eruption is estimated in circa AD 1006.^[4] The event was said to trigger the movement of Javanese power from the Borobudur area to the east of Java nearby the Brantas valley as early as AD 928.

However, the great monument was never completely removed from the local inhabitants memory. Instead of glorifying story about the monument, the memory was then gradually shifted into a more superstitious beliefs associated with bad luck and misery. Two old Javanese manuscripts of the eighteenth century mention a case of bad luck associated with the monument. According to the Babad Tanah Jawi (or the History of Java), the monument was a fatal factor for a rebel who revolted against the king of Mataram in AD 1709.^[5] The hill was besieged and the resurgents were defeated who were then sentenced to death by the king. In the Babad Mataram (or the History of the Mataram Kingdom), the monument was associated with the bad luck of the crown prince of Yogyakarta Sultanate in AD 1757.^[9] In spite of a restriction to visit the monument, he took what is written as the knight who was captured in a cage (a statue in one of the perforated stupas). As soon as he arrived to his palace, he died unexpectedly after a one-day illness.

Rediscovery

After the Anglo-Dutch Java War, Java fell under the British administration between 1811–1816. The appointed ruler was Lieutenant Governor-General Thomas Stamford Raffles, who was extremely interested in the history of Java. He collected Java antiquities and made notes through contacts with local inhabitants during his tour throughout the island. On an inspection tour to Semarang in 1814, he was informed with a big monument called Chandi Borobodur deep in a jungle near a village called Bumisegoro.^[9] He was not able to make the discovery himself and he sent H.C. Cornellius, a Dutch engineer, to investigate the information.

In two months, Cornellius and his 200 men had to cut trees, burn down bushes and dig down the earth to reveal the monument. Due to the danger of being collapse, he couldn't unearth all of the galleries. He made reports to Raffles, supplemented with various drawings. However, this hard labour work was not much appreciated in Raffles two volumes of the History of Java publication.^[1] Although the discovery is only mentioned by a few sentences, Raffles has been credited to have rescued the monument and brought it to the notice to the world.

Hartmann, a Dutch administrator of the Kedu region, continued Cornellius work. In 1835, the site was freed that the whole monument was finally unearthed. His interest to Borobudur was rather personally rather than as a government official. However, it was such a pity that Hartmann did not write any reports of his activities. Particularly, the alleged story that he discovered the large statue of Buddha in the main stupa.^[10] The main stupa is empty. In 1842, Hartmann made an investigation to the main dome. What he discovered remains unknown. The Dutch East Indies government then commissioned a Dutch engineer official, F.C. Wilsen. In 1853, Wilsen made a report of a large Buddha statue of the size of one hundred other Borobudur statues.

Besides making hundreds of relief sketches, Wilsen made the study of the monument itself. He had prepared three articles about it. The Dutch East Indies government, meanwhile, had appointed Brumund to make a detail study of the monument that was completed in 1859. Brumundi thought that he would published an article supplemented by Wilsen's drawings. However, the government decided otherwise. Brumundi then refused to cooperate. The government then asked another scholar, C. Leemans, who compiled a monograph based on Brumundi's and Wilsen's sources. In 1873, the first monograph of the detailed study of Borobudur was published to the public. The French translation was then appeared in 1874.^[10] In 1873, Isidore van Kinsbergen took the first photographs of the monument.^[11]

Appreciations to the site developed slowly. Some reliefs and ornaments were routinely removed by thieves and souvenir hunters. In 1882, the chief inspector of cultural artefacts recommended that Borobudur be entirely disassembled with the reliefs placed in museums due to the unstable condition of the monument complex.^[11] The government then appointed an archeologist, Groenveldt, to make a thorough investigation of the site and assess the actual condition of the monument. The report said that the fear of its condition could not be justified and the monument was left intact for years.

Architecture

Borobudur is built as a single large stupa, and when viewed from above takes the form of a giant mandala.^[17] The foundation is a square, 118 metres (387 ft) on each side. It has nine platforms, of which the lower six are square and the upper three are circular. The upper platform features seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa. Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures.

Design

Borobodur is completely different from the general design of such a structure. Instead of building on a flat surface, Borobudur is built on a natural hill. There is no inner space as in other temples, but a large statue in a similar shape of a pyramid. The building technique is, however, similar to other temples in Java. One school of thought considers Borobudur a stupa, rather than a temple (or candi in Indonesian).

A stupa is originally intended as a shrine for the Lord Buddha. Sometimes stupas were built only as a devotional symbol of Buddhism. A temple, on the other hand, is used as a house of deity and have inner spaces for the people to pray. Given, however, the complexity of the monument with such a meticulous design suggests it is in fact a temple. With no inner space in Borobudur, for congregational worship, the monument is a place for pilgrimage. Pilgrims were guided by the system of staircases and corridors ascending to the top platform. Each platform represents one stage of enlightment. The path that guides pilgrims was designed with the symbolism of sacred knowledge according to the Buddhism cosmology.^[17]

Little is known about the architect Gunadharma.

Construction

The monument was built from approximately 55,000 m³ (almost 2 million cubic feet) of stone taken from neighbouring rivers.^[18] The stone was cut to size, transported to the site and laid without mortar. Knobs, indentations and dovetails were used to form joints between stones. Reliefs were created in-situ after the building had been completed.

Structure

Buddhism emphasises stages of mental preparation towards the ultimate goal. This is represented by dividing the monument into three worlds: Kamadhatu (world of desires), Rupadhatu (world of forms), and finally Arupadhatu (the formless world).^[19] Kamadhatu is represented by the base, Rupadhatu by the five square platforms (the body), and Arupadhatu by the three circular platforms and the large topmost stupa.

The architectural features of Arupadhatu differ completely with Rupadhatu. Square platforms become circular and detailed decorations in the Rupadhatu disappear in Arupadhatu. It represents how the world of forms - where men are still attached with forms and names - changes into the world of the formless, with plainless circular platforms. Man is said to have released all his desires and bond to the phenomenal world.^[20]

The base did not originally represent the Kamadhatu. It is not the original support of the monument, rather it serves as an encasement that hides the real base. The real base is known as the hidden foot because it was not initially visible to the visitor. In 1885, it was discovered that the base has its own reliefs.^[21] 160 of them are narrative panels with short inscriptions that apparently describe instructions for the sculptors, illustrating the scene to be carved.^[22]

It is thought that the real base had to be covered to prevent a disastrous subsidence of the monument through the hill. There is another theory that the encasement base was added because the original hidden foot was incorrectly designed, according to Vastu Shastra, the Indian ancient book about architecture and town planning.^[21] The encasement of the base, however, was built with detailed and meticulous design with aesthetics and religious compensation. The base serves as a place for pilgrims to perform a preliminary round at their leisure before entering the 'narrow path of Buddhism'.

ISLAM?

2007-01-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

Islam (Arabic: الإسلام; al-'islām (help·info)) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. It is the second-largest religion in the world today, with an estimated 1.4 billion adherents, spread across the globe, known as Muslims.Linguistically, Islam means submission, referring to the total surrender of one's self to God (Arabic: الله, Allāh), and a Muslim is "one who submits to God".

Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad and that Muhammad is God's final prophet. The Qur'an and the traditions of Muhammad in the Sunnah are regarded as the fundamental sources of Islam.^[3]^[4] Muslims do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Adam, Ibrahim and other prophets whose messages had become corrupted over time (or according to some authorities only misinterpreted). Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is an Abrahamic religion.

Today, Muslims may be found throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa, and South and Central Asia. Only about 20 percent of Muslims originate from Arab countries. Islam is the second largest religion in many European countries, such as France, which has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe, and the United Kingdom.

Etymology and meaning

The word "’islām" derives from the Arabic triconsonantal root sīn-lām-mīm, which carries the basic meaning of safety and peace. The verbal noun "’islām" is formed from the verb ’aslama, a derivation of this root which means to accept, surrender, or submit; thus, Islam effectively means submission to and acceptance of God. The legislative meaning is to submit to God by singling him out in all acts of worship, to yield obediently to him and to disassociate oneself from polytheism.

The word ’islām takes a number of different meanings in the Qur'an. In some verses (ayat), the quality of Islam as an internal conviction is stressed, for example: "Whomsoever God desires to guide, He expands his breast to Islam". Other verses establish the connection between islām and dīn (usually translated as "religion"), and assert that only the surrender of one's self to God can render unto Him the worship which is His due: "Today, I have perfected your religion (dīn) for you; I have completed My blessing upon you; I have approved Islam for your religion." The final category of verses describe Islam as an action (of returning to God), more than simply a verbal affirmation.

Beliefs

Muslims believe that God revealed his final message to humanity through Muhammad ibn Abdullah (c. 570 - July 6, 632) via the angel Gabriel.^[15] Muhammad is considered to have been God's final prophet, the "Seal of the Prophets". The revelations Muhammad preached form the holy book of Islam, the Qur'an. The Qur'an is believed to be the flawless final revelation of God to humanity, valid until the day of the Resurrection.

Muslims hold that the message of Islam - submission to the will of the one God - is the same as the message preached by all the messengers sent by God to humanity since Adam. From an Islamic point of view, Islam is the oldest of the monotheistic religions because it represents both the original and the final revelation of God to Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Members of all sects of Islam believe that the Qur'an codifies the direct words of God.

Islamic texts depict Judaism and Christianity as prophetic successor traditions to the teachings of Abraham. The Qur'an calls Jews and Christians "People of the Book," and distinguishes them from polytheists. In order to reconcile discrepancies between the earlier prophets and the Qur'an, Muslims claim that Jews and Christians forgot or distorted the word of God after it was revealed to them. The majority of early Muslim scholars, and some modern ones, believe it was just distortion in interpretation of the Bible. However, others believe that there was also textual distortion, that Jews changed the Tawrat (Torah), and Christians the Injil (Gospels) by altering the meaning, form and placement of words in their respective holy texts.

God

The fundamental concept in Islam is the Oneness of God or tawhīd: monotheism which is absolute, not relative or pluralistic. The Oneness of God is the first of Islam's five pillars, expressed by the Shahadah (testification). By declaring the Shahadah, a Muslim attests to the belief that there are no gods but God, and that Muhammad is God's messenger.

In Arabic, God is called Allāh. The word is etymologically connected to ʾilāh "deity". Muslims consider Allāh to be the same deity as that worshipped by Christians and Jews, the God of Abraham. Allāh is also used by Arab speaking Christian and Jewish people to refer to God as they worship him. The usage of the definite article in Allah linguistically indicates the divine unity. Muslims reject the Christian doctrine concerning the trinity of God, seeing it as akin to polytheism.

God is described in a sura of the Qu'ran as: "...God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."^[21]

No Islamic visual images or depictions of God are meant to exist because such artistic depictions may lead to idolatry. Moreover, Muslims believe that God is incorporeal, making any two- or three- dimensional depictions impossible. Such aniconism can also be found in Jewish and some Christian theology. Instead, Muslims describe God by the names and attributes that he revealed to his creation. All but one sura of the Qur'an begins with the phrase "In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful".

Qur'an

The Qur'an is generally considered by Muslims to be the literal, undistorted word of God, and is the central religious text of Islam. It has also been called, in English, the Koran and, archaically, the Alcoran. The word Qur'an means “recitation”. Although the Qur'an is referred to as a "book", when Muslims refer in the abstract to "the Qur'an", they are usually referring to the scripture as recited in Arabic - the words themselves - rather than to the printed work or any translation of it.

Muslims believe that the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad by God through the Angel Gabriel on numerous occasions between the years 610 and his death on July 6, 632. W. Montgomery Watt believes that Muhammad must have been sincere in his claims "for this alone makes credible the development of a great religion", and Annemarie Schimmel states that the most recent studies of Muhammad indicate that Muhammad devoutly believed that he was God's instrument. Modern Western academics generally hold that the Qur'an of today is not very different from the words Muhammad claimed to have been revealed to him as the search for other variants has not yielded any differences of great significance. In fact, the source of ambiguity in the quest for historical Muhammad is more the lack of knowledge about pre-Islamic Arabia. There is however a considerable debate in academia over the real chronology of the chapters of the Qur'an.

To interpret the Qu'ran, Muslims use a form of exegesis known as tafsir.

Most Muslims regard paper copies of the Qur'an with veneration, washing as for prayers before reading the Qur'an. Worn out Qur'ans are not discarded as wastepaper, but are typically sunk in the sea. Many Muslims memorize at least some portion of the Qur'an in the original Arabic, usually at least the verses needed to recite prayers. Those who have memorized the entire Qur'an are known as a hafiz. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is perfect only as revealed in the original Arabic. Translations, they maintain, are the result of human effort, and are deficient because of differences in human languages, because of the human fallibility of translators, and (not least) because any translation lacks the inspired content found in the original. Translations are therefore regarded only as commentaries on the Qur'an, or "interpretations of its meaning", not as the Qur'an itself. Almost all modern, printed versions of the Qur'an are parallel text ones, with a vernacular translation facing the orignal Arabic text.

Muhammad

Muhammad, also Mohammed, Mohamet, and other variants^[26]^[27] was an Arab religious and political leader who came to spread the message of Islam. He is venerated and honoured as the greatest prophet of God and as the final messenger sent with revelation to humankind. Muslims do not regard him as the founder of a new religion, but rather believe him to be the last in a line of prophets of God and regard his mission as one of restoring the original monotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham and other prophets of Islam that had become corrupted or been misinterpreted.

For the last 23 years of his life, beginning at age 40, Muhammad reported receiving revelations from God. The content of these revelations, known as the Qur'an, was memorized and recorded by his followers. These memories and recordings were then compiled into a single volume shortly after his death.

Muslims generally believe that Muhammad transmitted the revelations he received perfectly, as attested to by this verse of the Qur'an:

"And if the apostle were to invent any sayings in Our name, We should certainly seize him by his right hand, And We should certainly then cut off the artery of his heart: Nor could any of you withhold him (from Our wrath)." Qur'an 69:44-47

However, Muslim scholars disagree about whether or not Muhammad made mistakes and committed sins during his lifetime. The mainstream opinion held by Sunni theologians is that Muhammad (and indeed Prophets in general) did not commit major sins, which would imply moral defects, and which would result in a diminuation of his faith, but it is possibile that he committed minor sins or made mistakes in his day to day affairs.^[30] In contrast to this, Shi'a theolgians believe that all Prophets were immune from both major and minor sins, and that they were also endowed with complete knowledge and therefore they were protected from making mistakes as well. A similar doctrine of infallibility exists amongst certain groups of Sunnis, but some scholars have theorized that this concept originated with the Shi'a, specifically in connection with the Imamate, and was later transmitted to the Sunnis via Sufi and Mu'tazilite thought.

Sunnah

Sunnah literally means “trodden path” and it refers, in common usage, to the normative example of Muhammad, as recorded in traditions known as hadith about his speech, his actions, his acquiescence to the words and actions of others, and his personal characteristics. According to some opinions of Islamic scholars, the sunnah is the tradition of Abraham’s religion which Muhammad revived and reformed, after making certain additions.

The emulation of Muhammad's example and authentic hadith reports originating from the Companions of Muhammad started from the ninth century. Earlier sources, however, reflect a more flexible use of the term. Shortly after Muhammad's death, actions of the Rightly Guided Caliphs were also considered to be sunnah. This concept continued in Shi'a Islam in which Shi'ite imams are also a source of sunnah. Malik ibn Anas, author of Al-Muwatta, the earliest extant manual of Islamic law, used sunnah but treated the existing practice of the Muslims of Medina as a more reliable source of that sunnah than hadith.

During Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i's time, these flexible concepts of Sunnah were challenged. Ash-Shafi`i challenged other groups in his times and insisted Sunnah can only be known from reliable hadith reports. He also championed the traditionalist argument that Sunnah is equivalent to revelation of God.From the tenth century onward, the canonical collections of hadith, especially the collections of Bukhari and Muslim, became virtually synonymous with Sunnah, exerting a profound and pervasive impact on Islamic culture Shatibi writes that Sunnah is either explanation of the Qur'an or addition to the Qur'an. If it is an explanation, then its status is secondary otherwise, it will only be considered addition if it is not discussed by the Qur'an.^{[citation needed]}

Sunnah is the biggest point of contention among contemporary Muslims. A small group of Qur'an only Muslims reject Sunnah altogether, while almost all Muslims including revivalists like Mawdudi differentiate between Muhammad's action as a prophet and as a normal human.

Hadith

Hadith are traditions relating to the words and deeds of Muhammad. Hadith collections are regarded as important tools for determining the Sunnah, or Muslim way of life, by all traditional schools of jurisprudence. A hadith was originally an oral tradition relevant to the actions and customs of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Starting from the first Islamic civil war of the 7th century, those receiving the hadith began to question the sources of the saying.^{[citation needed]} This resulted in a "chain of transmission", for example "A told me that B told him that Muhammad said". The hadith were eventually recorded in written form, with their chain of transmission recorded, and were collected into large collections mostly during the reign of Umar II during 8th century, something that solidified in the 9th century. These works are still today referred to in matters of Islamic law and history.

Western academics view the hadith collections with caution as historical sources. Bernard Lewis states that "the collection and scrutiny of Hadiths didn't take place until several generations" after Muhammad's death and that "during that period the opportunities and motives for falsification were almost unlimited." In addition to the problem of oral transmission for over a hundred years, there existed motives for deliberate distortion. Early Muslim scholars were also concerned that hadiths may have been fabricated, and thus developed a whole science of criticism to distinguish between genuine sayings and those that were errors or frauds. Modern historians point out that a chain of authorities may be easily forged and that rejection of some relators implies the victory of one thought over the others.

Hadith is considered an authoritative source of revelation, second only to the Qur'an.In Islamic jurisprudence, the Qur'an contains many rules for the behavior expected of Muslims. However, there are many matters of concern, both religious and practical, on which there are no specific Qur'anic rules. Muslims believe that they can look at the example of Muhammad and his companions to discover what to imitate and what to avoid. Muslim scholars also find it useful to know how Muhammad or his companions explained the revelations, or upon what occasion Muhammad received them. Sometimes this will clarify a passage that otherwise seems obscure. Hadith are a source for Islamic history and biography. For the vast majority of devout Muslims, authentic hadith are also a source of religious inspiration.

Afterlife

A fundamental tenet of Islam is belief in the day of resurrection, Qiyamah. The trials and tribulations of Qiyamah are explained in both the Qur'an and the Hadith, as well as in the commentaries of Islamic scholars such as al-Ghazali, Ibn Kathir, and Muhammad al-Bukhari.

Muslims believe that God will hold every human, Muslim and non-Muslim, accountable for his or her deeds at a preordained time unknown to man. The archangel Israfil, will sound a horn sending out a "blast of truth". Traditions say Muhammad will be the first to be brought back to life.

Bodily resurrection is much insisted upon in the Qur'an, which challenges the Pre-Islamic Arabian concept of death. Resurrection is followed by judgement of all souls. According to the Qur'an, sins that can consign someone to hell include lying, dishonesty, corruption, ignoring God or God's revelations, denying the resurrection, refusing to feed the poor, indulgence in opulence and ostentation, the economic exploitation of others, and social oppression.

The punishments in hell includes adhab, "pain or torment inflicted by way of chastiment; punishment", a very painful punishment (see 29:55, 43:48); khizy, "shame, disgrace, ignominy" (16:27, 11:39). The descriptions in the Qur'an of hell are very descriptive (see 4:56, 47:15 etc).

The punishment is in Qur'an contrasted not with release but with mercy (29:21, 2:284, 3:129, etc). Islam views paradise as a place of joy and bliss. Islamic descriptions of heaven are described as physical pleasures, sometimes interpreted literally, sometimes allegorically. Heaven is most often described as a cool garden with running streams of unlimited food and drink. This influenced the design of Paradise Gardens. Some interpretations also promise enormous palaces staffed with multitudes of servants, and perfect, perpetually-virgin spouses. Despite the graphical descriptions of the physical pleasures, there are clear references to a greater joy that exceeds the pleasures of flesh: The acceptance from God, or good pleasure of God (ridwan) (see 9:72). Islam also has a strong mystical tradition which places these heavenly delights in the context of the ecstatic awareness of God.

Salvation

According to all the traditional schools of jurisprudence, faith (Iman) ensures salvation. There are however differing views concerning the formal constituents of the act of faith. "For the Asharis it is centred on internal taṣdīḳ[internal judgment of veracity], for the Māturīdī-Ḥanafīs on the expressed profession of faith and the adherence of the heart, for the Muʿtazilīs on the performance of the 'prescribed duties', for the Ḥanbalīs and the Wahhābīs on the profession of faith and the performance of the basic duties."^[51] The common denominator of these various opinions is summed up in bearing witness that God is the Lord, L. Gardet states.^[51]

There are traditions in which Muhammad stated that "No one shall enter hell who has an atom of faith in his heart" or that "Hell will not welcome anyone who has in his heart an atom of faith" however these passages are interpreted in different ways. Those who consider performance as an integral part of faith such as Ḵh̲ārid̲j̲īs, consider anyone who does a grave sin to be out of faith, while the majority of Sunnis who view works as merely the perfecting the faith, hold that a believing sinner will be punished with a temporary stay in hell. Still there are disagreement over the possibility of a believing sinner being forgiven immediately (e.g As̲h̲ʿarīs) and in full rather than undergoing temporary punishment. (e.g. Māturīdīs)

Some, but not all, Muslims also believe that those who have heard the messages of a prophet of God (Moses, Jesus or Muhammad) but have chosen not to follow will receive eternal damnation in hell.

Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam is the term given to what are understood among many Muslims to be the five core aspects of Islam. Shi'a Muslims accept the Five Pillars, but also add several other practices to form the Practices of Religion.

Shahadah

The basic creed or tenet of Islam is found in the shahādatān ("twin testimonies"): 'ašhadu 'al-lā ilāha illā-llāhu wa 'ašhadu 'anna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh; "I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God." As the most important pillar, this testament can be considered a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Ideally, it is the first words a new-born will hear, and children are taught to recite and understand the shahadah as soon as they are able to. Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims must use the creed to formally convert to Islam.

Salat

The second pillar of Islam is salat, the requirement to pray five times a day at fixed times.^[54] Each salat is performed facing towards the Kaaba in Mecca. However, in the early days of Islam, when it was based primarily in Mecca, Muslims offered salat facing towards Jerusalem.^[55]

Salat is intended to focus the mind on God; it is a personal communication with God, expressing gratitude and worship.^{[citation needed]} According to the Qur'an (29:40) the benefit of prayer "restrains [one] from shameful and evil deeds"^[54]. Salat is compulsory but there are flexibilities under certain circumstances.^[56] For example in the case of sickness or lack of space, a worshipper can offer salat while sitting, or even lying, and the prayer can be shortened when travelling.^[56]

The salat must be performed in the Arabic language to the best of each worshipper's ability (although any du'a, or extra prayers said afterwards need not be in Arabic), and the lines are to be recited by heart, although beginners may use written aids. The worshipper's body and clothing, as well as the place of prayer, must be cleansed.^[56] All salat should be conducted within the prescribed time period or waqt and with the appropriate number of raka'ah. While prayers may be made at any point within the waqt, it is considered best to begin them as soon as possible after the call to prayer is heard.

Zakat

Zakat, or alms-giving, is giving charity to the poor and needy by able Muslims, based on the wealth that one has accumulated. It is a personal responsibility intended to ease economic hardship for others and eliminate inequality. It consists spending a fixed portion of one's wealth for the poor or needy, including people whose hearts need to be reconciled, slaves, those in debt, and travelers. A Muslim may also donate an additional amount as an act of voluntary charity, known as sadaqah, in order to achieve additional divine reward.

There are two main types of zakat: zakat on traffic, which is a per head payment equivalent to cost of around 2.25 kilograms of the main food of the region paid during the month of Ramadan by the head of a family for himself and his dependents, and zakât on wealth, which covers money made in business, savings, income, crops, livestock, gold, minerals, hidden treasures unearthed, and so on.

The payment of zakât is obligatory on all Muslims. In current usage it is interpreted as a 2.5% levy on most valuables and savings held for a full lunar year, if the total value is more than a basic minimum known as nisab (3 ounces or 87.48g of gold). At present (as of 16 October 2006), nisab is approximately US $1,750 or an equivalent amount in any other currency.

Sawm

Sawm, or fasting, is made obligatory act during the month of Ramadan in Quran 2:183:

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint

Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk during this month, and are to be especially mindful of other sins. The fast is meant to allow Muslims to seek nearness to God as well as remind them of the needy. During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam by refraining from violence, anger, envy, greed, lust, harsh language, gossip, and to try to get along with each other better than normal. All obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided. The fast is an exacting act of deeply personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of closeness to God. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities and its purpose being to cleanse your inner soul, and free it of harm.

Fasting during Ramadan is not obligatory for several groups for whom it would be excessively problematic. Children before the onset of puberty are not required to fast, though some do. Also some small children fast for half a day instead of a whole day so they get used to fasting. However, if puberty is delayed, fasting becomes obligatory for males and females after a certain age. According to Qur'an, if fasting would be dangerous to people's health, such as to people with an illness or medical condition, or elderly people, they are excused. Diabetics and nursing or pregnant women are usually not expected to fast. According to hadith, observing the Ramadan fast is not allowed for menstruating women. Other individuals for whom it is usually considered acceptable not to fast are those in battle, and travelers who intended to spend fewer than five days away from home. If one's condition preventing fasting is only temporary, one is required to make up for the days missed after the month of Ramadan is over and before the next Ramadan arrives. If one's condition is permanent or present for an extended amount of time, one may make up for the fast by feeding a needy person for every day missed.

Hajj

The Hajj is a pilgrimage that occurs during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. When the pilgrim is around ten kilometers from Mecca he wears ihram consisting of two white sheets. Some of the ritual of Hajj are walking seven times around the Kaaba, touching Black stone, running seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah, visiting holy places and sacrifing an animal in commemoration of Ibrahim's sacrifice. Furthermore, it includes throwing seven stones at each of the three pillars symbolizing devil at Mina and cutting (some or all) head's hairs.

The pilgrim, or the hajji, is honoured in his or her community. For some, this is an incentive to perform the Hajj. Islamic teachers say that the Hajj should be an expression of devotion to God, not a means to gain social standing. The believer should be self-aware and examine his or her intentions in performing the pilgrimage. This should lead to constant striving for self-improvement.

Islamic law

The sharia (Arabic for "well-trodden path") is Islamic law, determined by traditional Islamic scholarship. The Qur'an is the foremost source of Islamic jurisprudence, or fiqh. The second source is the sunnah of Muhammad and the early Muslim community, which clarifies points that are vague in the Qu'ran. The role of hadith is a disputed one in Islamic law. According to a few scholars, such as Imam Shafi'i, it is secondary to the Qur'an, whereas others, such as Imam Malik and the Hanafi scholars, hold it second to sunnah and often reject a hadith if it goes against established practices. Ijma (consensus of the community of Muslims) and qiyas (analogical reasoning) are generally regarded as the third and fourth sources of Sharia, but have been contested by some scholars.

Shi'a jurisprudence holds that hadith is secondary to the Qur'an, disregarding without further inquiries those hadith that contradict or abrogate Qur'anic verdicts. Also, qiyas and Ijma are not used as tools, while logic is. In contrast to Sunni's, Shi'a only follow the Ahl al-Bayt, or family of Muhammad with regards to fiqh, outright rejecting the views of those Muslims who fought with the Ahl al-Bayt.

Islamic law covers all aspects of life, from broad topics of governance and foreign relations all the way down to issues of daily living. Islamic laws that were covered expressly in the Qur’an were referred to as hudud laws and include specifically the five crimes of theft, highway robbery, intoxication, adultery and falsely accusing another of adultery, each of which has a prescribed "hadd" punishment that cannot be forgone or mitigated. The Qur'an also details laws of inheritance, marriage, restitution for injuries and murder, as well as rules for fasting, charity, and prayer. However, the prescriptions and prohibitions may be broad, so how they are applied in practice varies. Islamic scholars, the ulema, have elaborated systems of law on the basis of these broad rules, supplemented by the hadith reports of how Muhammad and his companions interpreted them.

Most countries that have a majority Muslim population declare that their constitutions and laws are founded upon sharia. An exception is Turkey. Countries incorporate provisions from sharia into their constitutions and laws to varying extents and there are also differences arising from the existence of different Islamic denominations and schools of law. As Islam has spread to non Arabic speaking countries such as Iran, Indonesia, Great Britain, and the United States, not all Muslims understand the Qur'an in its original Arabic. Thus, when Muslims are divided in how to handle situations, they seek the assistance of a mufti, an Islamic judge who can offer them advice based on the sharia.

Top 250 movies

2007-01-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Top 250 movies as voted by imdb.com users

Rank	Rating	Title	Votes
1.	9.1	The Godfather (1972)	190,337
2.	9.1	The Shawshank Redemption (1994)	229,345
3.	8.9	The Godfather: Part II (1974)	107,490
4.	8.8	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)	172,982
5.	8.8	Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)	53,193
6.	8.8	Casablanca (1942)	91,752
7.	8.8	Schindler's List (1993)	136,033
8.	8.7	Pulp Fiction (1994)	194,763
9.	8.7	Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)	145,409
10.	8.7	Shichinin no samurai (1954)	49,633
11.	8.7	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)	98,844
12.	8.7	Star Wars (1977)	182,493
13.	8.7	Rear Window (1954)	58,200
14.	8.7	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)	214,834
15.	8.6	12 Angry Men (1957)	44,178
16.	8.6	Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)	125,306
17.	8.6	The Usual Suspects (1995)	142,752
18.	8.6	Cidade de Deus (2002)	55,906
19.	8.6	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)	87,718
20.	8.6	Goodfellas (1990)	100,562
21.	8.6	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)	170,262
22.	8.6	Psycho (1960)	73,612
23.	8.6	Citizen Kane (1941)	81,326
24.	8.6	C'era una volta il West (1968)	28,979
25.	8.6	North by Northwest (1959)	49,200
26.	8.6	Memento (2000)	131,381
27.	8.5	The Silence of the Lambs (1991)	124,303
28.	8.5	Lawrence of Arabia (1962)	42,930
29.	8.5	It's a Wonderful Life (1946)	56,112
30.	8.5	Sunset Blvd. (1950)	24,667
31.	8.5	Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)	90,330
32.	8.5	Fight Club (1999)	169,211
33.	8.5	American Beauty (1999)	150,126
34.	8.5	The Matrix (1999)	196,839
35.	8.4	Vertigo (1958)	47,089
36.	8.4	Apocalypse Now (1979)	90,507
37.	8.4	Taxi Driver (1976)	69,480
38.	8.4	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)	91,597
39.	8.4	Se7en (1995)	127,918
40.	8.4	Paths of Glory (1957)	21,167
41.	8.4	Léon (1994)	81,813
42.	8.4	Chinatown (1974)	37,161
43.	8.4	To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)	43,070
44.	8.4	American History X (1998)	92,806
45.	8.4	The Third Man (1949)	26,357
46.	8.4	Untergang, Der (2004)	29,438
47.	8.4	The Pianist (2002)	52,285
48.	8.3	Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)	85,375
49.	8.3	The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)	15,169
50.	8.3	M (1931)	18,292
51.	8.3	Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)	43,230
52.	8.3	The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)	30,808
53.	8.3	Alien (1979)	87,801
54.	8.3	Boot, Das (1981)	39,522
55.	8.3	L.A. Confidential (1997)	92,376
56.	8.3	A Clockwork Orange (1971)	92,915
57.	8.3	The Maltese Falcon (1941)	27,066
58.	8.3	Requiem for a Dream (2000)	78,290
59.	8.3	Hotel Rwanda (2004)	32,716
60.	8.3	The Shining (1980)	75,344
61.	8.3	Double Indemnity (1944)	16,996
62.	8.3	Metropolis (1927)	18,075
63.	8.3	Reservoir Dogs (1992)	99,730
64.	8.3	Saving Private Ryan (1998)	138,024
65.	8.3	Rashômon (1950)	17,855
66.	8.3	Singin' in the Rain (1952)	28,607
67.	8.3	Sin City (2005)	98,741
68.	8.3	Raging Bull (1980)	40,134
69.	8.3	Modern Times (1936)	15,559
70.	8.3	Aliens (1986)	86,574
71.	8.3	The Manchurian Candidate (1962)	19,615
72.	8.2	Some Like It Hot (1959)	35,255
73.	8.2	Rebecca (1940)	16,677
74.	8.2	The Great Escape (1963)	29,342
75.	8.2	All About Eve (1950)	18,358
76.	8.2	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)	86,770
77.	8.2	Touch of Evil (1958)	16,400
78.	8.2	The Departed (2006)	52,725
79.	8.2	Million Dollar Baby (2004)	54,964
80.	8.2	Amadeus (1984)	50,593
81.	8.2	Vita è bella, La (1997)	53,160
82.	8.2	Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)	15,323
83.	8.2	Forrest Gump (1994)	131,972
84.	8.2	Jaws (1975)	67,210
85.	8.2	The Sting (1973)	33,143
86.	8.2	Strangers on a Train (1951)	15,712
87.	8.2	Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)	106,915
88.	8.2	Batman Begins (2005)	100,654
89.	8.2	On the Waterfront (1954)	19,124
90.	8.2	Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)	16,648
91.	8.2	Braveheart (1995)	125,993
92.	8.2	The Wizard of Oz (1939)	52,757
93.	8.2	Full Metal Jacket (1987)	68,758
94.	8.2	The Elephant Man (1980)	24,540
95.	8.2	Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)	103,514
96.	8.2	Blade Runner (1982)	98,378
97.	8.2	The Apartment (1960)	16,222
98.	8.2	The Incredibles (2004)	60,819
99.	8.2	City Lights (1931)	11,595
100.	8.2	Laberinto del Fauno, El (2006)	10,681
101.	8.2	High Noon (1952)	17,314
102.	8.2	The Big Sleep (1946)	14,444
103.	8.2	Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988)	20,775
104.	8.2	Notorious (1946)	15,332
105.	8.2	Donnie Darko (2001)	91,952
106.	8.1	Fargo (1996)	87,068
107.	8.1	Ran (1985)	17,626
108.	8.1	Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)	115,207
109.	8.1	The Great Dictator (1940)	15,958
110.	8.1	Crash (2004/I)	73,856
111.	8.1	Finding Nemo (2003)	67,706
112.	8.1	Once Upon a Time in America (1984)	30,077
113.	8.1	Cool Hand Luke (1967)	20,503
114.	8.1	Mononoke-hime (1997)	30,227
115.	8.1	The Sixth Sense (1999)	130,807
116.	8.1	V for Vendetta (2005)	76,349
117.	8.1	Unforgiven (1992)	43,922
118.	8.1	Salaire de la peur, Le (1953)	5,185
119.	8.1	Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)	83,702
120.	8.1	Ben-Hur (1959)	29,141
121.	8.1	Oldboy (2003)	31,287
122.	8.1	Back to the Future (1985)	96,375
123.	8.1	Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)	76,481
124.	8.1	Annie Hall (1977)	31,043
125.	8.1	Wo hu cang long (2000)	67,199
126.	8.1	The Killing (1956)	10,659
127.	8.1	Yojimbo (1961)	13,750
128.	8.1	The Green Mile (1999)	88,811
129.	8.1	Life of Brian (1979)	47,329
130.	8.0	The Princess Bride (1987)	72,090
131.	8.0	The Deer Hunter (1978)	41,127
132.	8.0	Platoon (1986)	50,997
133.	8.0	The Graduate (1967)	39,637
134.	8.0	It Happened One Night (1934)	11,512
135.	8.0	Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)	15,403
136.	8.0	Gladiator (2000)	131,441
137.	8.0	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)	28,432
138.	8.0	Notti di Cabiria, Le (1957)	4,093
139.	8.0	Gandhi (1982)	22,617
140.	8.0	Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)	5,609
141.	8.0	The African Queen (1951)	18,693
142.	8.0	Ladri di biciclette (1948)	11,262
143.	8.0	Amores perros (2000)	25,529
144.	8.0	The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)	10,776
145.	8.0	Battaglia di Algeri, La (1966)	4,521
146.	8.0	Diaboliques, Les (1955)	5,391
147.	8.0	Toy Story 2 (1999)	56,474
148.	8.0	8½ (1963)	12,386
149.	8.0	Shadow of a Doubt (1943)	9,024
150.	8.0	Brief Encounter (1945)	4,847
151.	8.0	Stand by Me (1986)	43,567
152.	8.0	Lola rennt (1998)	45,549
153.	8.0	The Night of the Hunter (1955)	11,369
154.	8.0	The Wild Bunch (1969)	15,273
155.	8.0	Die Hard (1988)	81,084
156.	8.0	The General (1927)	9,638
157.	8.0	Harvey (1950)	11,165
158.	8.0	The Conversation (1974)	15,057
159.	8.0	Dog Day Afternoon (1975)	23,567
160.	8.0	Smultronstället (1957)	8,684
161.	8.0	Patton (1970)	20,310
162.	8.0	Children of Men (2006)	23,854
163.	8.0	Duck Soup (1933)	13,944
164.	8.0	Glory (1989)	29,425
165.	8.0	Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)	12,961
166.	8.0	The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)	14,531
167.	7.9	Gone with the Wind (1939)	40,508
168.	7.9	Groundhog Day (1993)	63,952
169.	7.9	Ying xiong (2002)	40,545
170.	7.9	Spartacus (1960)	24,171
171.	7.9	Cabinet des Dr. Caligari., Das (1920)	6,605
172.	7.9	The Gold Rush (1925)	9,353
173.	7.9	Finding Neverland (2004)	40,866
174.	7.9	Trainspotting (1996)	73,359
175.	7.9	Toy Story (1995)	63,017
176.	7.9	The Grapes of Wrath (1940)	11,242
177.	7.9	The Exorcist (1973)	49,048
178.	7.9	Magnolia (1999)	64,913
179.	7.9	Heat (1995)	66,331
180.	7.9	A Christmas Story (1983)	28,660
181.	7.9	Mystic River (2003)	48,583
182.	7.9	The Big Lebowski (1998)	75,743
183.	7.9	The Philadelphia Story (1940)	14,664
184.	7.9	Twelve Monkeys (1995)	85,442
185.	7.9	Shrek (2001)	92,517
186.	7.9	King Kong (1933)	18,101
187.	7.9	Big Fish (2003)	56,917
188.	7.9	Cinderella Man (2005)	26,303
189.	7.9	Before Sunset (2004)	20,176
190.	7.9	Belle et la bête, La (1946)	4,080
191.	7.9	Ed Wood (1994)	34,046
192.	7.9	The Prestige (2006)	24,397
193.	7.9	Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)	5,561
194.	7.9	The Hustler (1961)	11,848
195.	7.9	The Terminator (1984)	82,131
196.	7.9	Snatch. (2000)	70,239
197.	7.9	The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)	8,655
198.	7.9	Bride of Frankenstein (1935)	7,395
199.	7.9	The Lady Vanishes (1938)	7,101
200.	7.9	Walk the Line (2005)	37,263
201.	7.9	Out of the Past (1947)	4,416
202.	7.9	Hotaru no haka (1988)	13,095
203.	7.9	In the Heat of the Night (1967)	10,332
204.	7.9	Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)	19,512
205.	7.9	Stalag 17 (1953)	10,242
206.	7.9	Witness for the Prosecution (1957)	7,567
207.	7.9	Sleuth (1972)	6,735
208.	7.9	Bonnie and Clyde (1967)	18,367
209.	7.9	The Thing (1982)	28,859
210.	7.9	Young Frankenstein (1974)	31,119
211.	7.9	Hable con ella (2002)	20,240
212.	7.9	Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)	52,339
213.	7.9	Rosemary's Baby (1968)	19,622
214.	7.9	Manhattan (1979)	17,773
215.	7.9	Scarface (1983)	54,036
216.	7.9	Frankenstein (1931)	10,180
217.	7.9	The Straight Story (1999)	21,314
218.	7.9	Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)	15,698
219.	7.9	Sling Blade (1996)	27,180
220.	7.9	Little Miss Sunshine (2006)	28,015
221.	7.9	Anatomy of a Murder (1959)	6,132
222.	7.9	Tengoku to jigoku (1963)	3,263
223.	7.9	Du rififi chez les hommes (1955)	2,976
224.	7.9	Monsters, Inc. (2001)	56,888
225.	7.9	Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)	107,590
226.	7.9	Kumonosu jô (1957)	5,722
227.	7.9	All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)	10,134
228.	7.8	Roman Holiday (1953)	13,948
229.	7.8	The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)	10,543
230.	7.8	Quatre cents coups, Les (1959)	10,107
231.	7.8	The Lost Weekend (1945)	4,571
232.	7.8	Doctor Zhivago (1965)	15,087
233.	7.8	The Searchers (1956)	14,731
234.	7.8	Bringing Up Baby (1938)	13,065
235.	7.8	A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)	14,631
236.	7.8	United 93 (2006)	19,625
237.	7.8	Planet of the Apes (1968)	28,772
238.	7.8	Idi i smotri (1985)	2,705
239.	7.8	The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)	3,083
240.	7.8	Mou gaan dou (2002)	11,313
241.	7.8	Brazil (1985)	42,718
242.	7.8	Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004)	13,278
243.	7.8	Sweet Smell of Success (1957)	3,739
244.	7.8	Inherit the Wind (1960)	5,546
245.	7.8	Haine, La (1995)	10,101
246.	7.8	Umberto D. (1952)	2,609
247.	7.8	Dial M for Murder (1954)	11,749
248.	7.8	Mulholland Dr. (2001)	53,541
249.	7.8	Great Expectations (1946)	3,531
250.	7.8	The Lion King (1994)	48,566