ORACLE RESULTS SOAR FOR Q4, FISCAL YEAR

Broad and strong revenue growth drove Oracle to higher profit in the fourth quarter and the company's full 2007 fiscal year.

The software giant's quarterly revenue rose 20 percent from a year earlier to US$5.8 billion and its net income was up 23 percent to US$1.6 billion, based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Earnings rose 27 percent from a year earlier to US$0.31 per share.
The company boasted of big year-over-year gains in revenue from new database and middleware licenses, new application licenses, services, licensing and software overall. Full-year revenue was also up, with a 25 percent increase to US$18 billion. Net income and earnings per share for the year also rose.
Excluding certain items, Oracle earned US$0.37 per share in the quarter. That result beat estimates by analysts polled by Thomson Financial, who had expected US$0.35 per share. Revenue also beat analysts' consensus estimate of US$5.6 billion.
"It was a great year," Co-President and Chief Financial Officer Safra Catz said in a news release.
Fourth-quarter earnings also beat Oracle's own past guidance by three cents per share, she said during a conference call on the results.
"We again executed extremely well across the board," Catz said. "We grew all our businesses faster than the market." The company is gaining market share against rivals including SAP, IBM and BEA Systems while also increasing its profit margin, according to Catz.
Oracle expects to steal even more market share after the next version of its database, Oracle 11g, is released on July 11, said co-President Charles Phillips.
The company has been growing through numerous acquisitions in the past few years and will continue to acquire companies to gain new application offerings, executives said.
For the current quarter, Oracle expects revenue to grow between 19 percent and 21 percent from a year earlier and new software license revenue increase between 20 percent and 30 percent.
One weak spot in the quarter was Oracle's applications business in North America, where growth was just 5 percent. That was in comparison to a banner quarter the previous year, CEO Larry Ellison said. He expects strong growth in applications in North America in the current quarter. In the Asia-Pacific region, a smaller part of Oracle's business, applications revenue growth was just 1 percent.
On Wednesday, the company will announce a program that will let channel partners join Oracle's reseller program and sell products with less administrative overhead, executives said. It will allow resellers to process sales contracts in hours instead of days, they said.

From: http://www.arnnet.com.au/

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin

Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Yassin was born in the village of Al-Jora, Majdal district, in 1938 and sought refuge alongside his family in the nearby Gaza Strip following the 1948 Nakba or the usurpation of most of Palestine at the hands of Zionist gangs.

The Sheikh was paralyzed in his youth as a result of an accident while exercising on the beaches of Gaza.
He worked as a teacher of Arabic language and Islamic religion then as a Khatib (preacher) and teacher in the Gaza mosques. He turned into one of the most vociferous and most famous Khatibs in the Gaza Strip following its occupation in 1967.
He also worked as a chairman of the Islamic Complex in Gaza before his arrest in 1983 for possession of weapons, establishing a military organization and championing the annihilation of the Hebrew state. The Sheikh was court-martialed and the Israeli judges passed a 13 years prison term against him.
He was released in 1985 in line with a prisoners’ exchange deal between the Zionist authorities and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – The General Command after spending 11 months in prison.
The Sheikh founded the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, along with a number of Islamic activists in the Gaza Strip in 1987.
Zionist occupation forces broke into and ransacked his house in late August 1988 and threatened to push him along with his wheelchair across the borders into Lebanon.
On the evening of 18/5/1989 the occupation authorities arrested Sheikh Ahmed Yassin along with hundreds of Hamas activists in a desperate attempt to curb the armed resistance that started to take the form of attacks on settlers and soldiers.
On 16/10/1991 a Israeli army court passed a life sentence in addition to 15 years imprisonment sentence against Sheikh Ahmed Yassin after an indictment list leveled nine charges against him including inciting the kidnap and killing of Israeli soldiers and the establishment of the Hamas Movement’s security and military wings.
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, other than his complete paralysis, suffered a number of other disabilities and diseases including loss of eyesight in his right eye due to Israeli blows during interrogation in addition to weakness in his left eye. He also suffered from chronic inflammation in his ear, lung infection and other diseases in his abdomen.
The detention of the Sheikh in jails further worsened his health conditions, which necessitated carrying him to hospital on numerous occasions.
On 13/12/1992 a commando cell affiliated with the Qassam Brigades, military wing of Hamas, kidnapped an Israeli soldier and offered to set him free in return for the release of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and a number of other detainees in jails including sick and elderly and Arab captives. However, the Israeli government refused the offer and stormed the house where the soldier was held leading to his death along with commander of the attacking unit and two other soldiers before the martyrdom of the three members of that cell in Bir Nabala near occupied Jerusalem.
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was released on 1/10/1997 in accordance with an agreement between Jordan and the Israel that stipulated the release of the Sheikh in return for delivering to Tel Aviv two intelligence agents, who were arrested in Jordan following an aborted assassination attempt of Khaled Mishaal, political bureau chief of the Hamas Movement.
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin survived a assassination attempt on 6th September 2003 when Zionist army choppers fired missiles at a house in Gaza. He was only lightly injured in his right arm.
Ahmad Yassin was assassinated in an Israeli helicopter missile strike on 21 March 2004.
Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at Hamas' spiritual leader, Shaikh Ahmed Yassin, as he left a mosque after performing the Monday dawn prayers, killing the Hamas leader and six other worshippers. A reporter who rushed to the scene after hearing three loud explosions found the blown-up remains of Yassin's blood-soaked wheel-chair.
Witnesses at the mosque said Yassin's body had been evacuated to Al-Shifa Hospital.
Al-Manar TV reported that the Israeli Prime Minister, Sharon, personally supervised the assassination of Shaikh Yassin, whose death may be an attempt by Sharon to distract public attention from his personal scandals.
Dr. Abdul al-Aziz Rantisi was appointed head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the assassination of Ahmad Yassin on 22 March 2004.

BERBUAT BAIK DAPAT MELENYAPKAN KESEDIHAN

Banyak hadits Rasulullah SAW yang menceritakan kemuliaan wanita dalam anjurannya kepada orang untuk bermurah hati dan berderma, memuji pelakunya, dan tidak mementingkan diri sendiri, dan bahwa kebahagiaan itu dapat diraih dengan berbuat kebajikan kepada teman-teman dan orang-orang yang dicintai. Dalam hadits yang diriwayatkan oleh Ummul Mukminin ‘Aisyah disebutkan bahwa para sahabat menyembelih seekor kambing, lalu Nabi SAW bertanya :”Apakah yang tersisa darinya?”. Aisyah menjawab:”Tiada yang tersisa dari kambing itu kecuali pahanya.” Rasulullah SAW bersabda:”Semuanya tersisa (kekal), kecuali pahanya!”

Rasulullah SAW melalui hadits ini menjelaskan kepada keluarganya bahwa sesuatu yang mereka shadaqahkan, akan kekal pahalanya sampai hari Kiamat nanti dan bahwa apa yang tersisa di dunia ini, lalu mereka makan, tidak akan mendatangkan menfaat pahala bagi mereka di akhirat nanti. Dalam hadits ini terkandung isyarat mulia yang menganjurkan untuk bershadaqah demi meraih ridha Allah SWT.

Inilah Asma;, saudara perempuan Aisyah, saat Nabi SAW menasehatinya untuk bershadaqah agar Allah menambah karunia-Nya kepadanya. Asma’ menceritakan bahwa Rasul SAW bersabda kepadanya :

”Janganlah kamu perhitungan, karena kamu akan dibalasi oleh sikapmu itu sendiri.”

Dalam riwayat lain disebutkan:

”Bershadaqah, berderma, atau berkurbanlah kalian dan janganlah kalian perhitungan, karena Allah akan membalas kalian dengan sikap yang sama. Janganlah kalian mengingat-ingat kebaikan kalian, karena Allah akan membalas kalian dengan sikap yang sama pula.”.

Sumber: www.kafemuslimah.com

CINTA ADALAH FITRAH YANG SUCI

Cinta seorang laki-laki kepada wanita dan cinta wanita kepada laki-laki adalah perasaan yang manusiawi yang bersumber dari fitrah yang diciptakan Allah SWT di dalam jiwa manusia , yaitu kecenderungan kepada lawan jenisnya ketika telah mencapai kematangan pikiran dan fisiknya.

"Dan diantara tanda-tanda kekuasaan-Nya adalah Dia menciptakan untukmu istri-istri dari jenismu sendiri , supaya kamu cenderung dan merasa tentram kepadanya , dan dijadikan-Nya diantara kamu rasa kasih sayang .Sesungguhnya pada yang demikian itu benar- benar terdapat tanda-tanda bagi kaum yang berfikir (Ar Rum ayat 21)

Cinta pada dasarnya adalah bukanlah sesuatu yang kotor , karena kekotoran dan kesucian tergantung dari bingkainya. Ada bingkai yang suci dan halal dan ada bingkai yang kotor dan haram Cinta mengandung segala makna kasih sayang , keharmonisan , penghargaan dan kerinduan , disamping mengandung persiapan untuk menempuh kehiduapan dikala suka dan duka , lapang dan sempit.

Cinta bukanlah hanya sebuah ketertarikan secara fisik saja. Ketertarikan secara fisik hanyalah permulaan cinta bukan puncaknya.Dan sudah fitrah manusia untuk menyukai keindahan.Tapi disamping keindahan bentuk dan rupa harus disertai keindahan kepribadian dengan akhlak yang baik.

Islam adalah agama fitrah karena itulah islam tidaklah membelenggu perasaan manusia.Islam tidaklah mengingkari perasaan cinta yang tumbuh pada diri seorang manusia .Akan tetapi islam mengajarkan pada manusia untuk menjaga perasaan cinta itu dijaga , dirawat dan dilindungi dari segala kehinaan dan apa saja yang mengotorinya.

Islam mebersihkan dan mengarahkan perasaan cinta dan mengajarkan bahwa sebelum dilaksanakan akad nikah harus bersih dari persentuhan yang haram.

5 SEBELUM YANG 5 DATANG

1. Sehat Sebelum Sakit

2. Muda Sebelum Tua

3. Kaya Sebelum Miskin

4. Lapang Sebelum Sempit

5. Hidup Sebelum Mati

(Al Hadits)

PENEMU ANTARTIKA DAN PETA DUNIA

Benua Antartika, suatu tempat yang tidak asing ditelinga kita. Antartika berada di ujung bumi yang berbentuk bola dan senantiasa diselimuti oleh putihnya salju yang dinginnya mencapai bawah nol derajat. Sebuah daratan yang berfungsi untuk menyeimbangan suhu di bumi ini tidak begitu saja dikenal oleh semua orang di dunia.

Namun yang menjadi suatu pertanyaan bagi kita semua adalah siapa sebenarnya orang yang menemukan benua Antartika dan sekaligus memetakannya. Bahkan ternyata tidak hanya memetakan jalur dan benua Antartika saja, tetapi juga membuat peta dunia.
Ialah Piri Reis seorang Laksamana Muslim yang lahir 1465 M di kota Gallipoli, Turki yang berhasil membuat peta dunia yang kemudian karyanya itu sampai saat ini tersimpan rapi di Museum Topkapi Konstantinopel.
Riwayat hidupnya, Piri Reis menekuni dunia pelayaran sejak masih umur 12 tahun bersama dengan pamannya yang bernama Kemal Reis. Piri Reis juga pernah ikut dalam pertempuran melawan Venesia pada tahun 1494 M. Dengan kecerdasan dan pengalaman yang dimilikinya, Piri Reis mampu membuat dunia tercengang dengan dengan peta dunia yang dibuatnya pada tahun 1513 M.
Para ilmuan barat terkagum-kagum ketika menemukan catatan dan peta dunia yang dibuat oleh Piri Reis. Termasuk saat melihat outline dari pantai Amerika Utara dan Amerika Selatan serta jalur Antartika yang oleh ilmuan barat diklaim baru ditemukan setelah 1818 M.

AMAL ITU TERGANTUNG NIATNYA

Dari Amirul Mukminin Abu Hafsh, Umar bin Al-Khathab radhiyallahu 'anhu, ia berkata :

“Aku mendengar Rasulullah shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda: “Segala amal itu tergantung niatnya, dan setiap orang hanya mendapatkan sesuai niatnya. Maka barang siapa yang hijrahnya kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya, maka hijrahnya itu kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya. Barang siapa yang hijrahnya itu Karena kesenangan dunia atau karena seorang wanita yang akan dikawininya, maka hijrahnya itu kepada apa yang ditujunya”.

[Diriwayatkan oleh dua orang ahli hadits yaitu Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail bin Ibrahim bin Mughirah bin Bardizbah Al Bukhari (orang Bukhara) dan Abul Husain Muslim bin Al Hajjaj bin Muslim Al Qusyairi An Naisaburi di dalam kedua kitabnya yang paling shahih di antara semua kitab hadits. Bukhari no. 1 dan Muslim no. 1907]