The Basics Behind Qualitative Research

yFundamentals of Qualitative Research Jamye D. Jeter Cameron Submitted to Dr. Curtis Maybee University of Phoenix Fundamentals of Qualitative Research When a researcher sets out to begin a study, he or she must begin by asking questions of him or herself. These questions lead to the determination of the type of research study the researcher is going to conduct. The study may be based on qualitative research, quantitative research, or both. But, in order to determine the study method and design choice, the researcher needs to see what is fueling his or her research question.Research questions based on quantitative research focuses on obtaining data that can be measured, usually in some form or numerical/statistical manner (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). Qualitative research is based more on why certain phenomenon take place and what can be done to better understand why the phenomenon took place at all (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). This paper will serve as a brief overview of the fundamental s of qualitative research.Through this paper, the reader should be able to receive a basic understanding of the characteristics of a qualitative problem statement and purpose statement; formulation of qualitative research questions; and qualitative data collection and analysis procedures. Characteristics of a Qualitative Problem Statement According to Leedy & Ormrod (2010), â€Å"qualitative researchers often formulate general research problems, and ask only general questions about the phenomenon they are studying† (p. 136).By taking this approach, the problem statement in a qualitative study may come across somewhat vague. The problem statement will attempt to be as direct as possible, and will hopefully detail why the researcher selected qualitative over quantitative research. However, the fascinating thing about qualitative studies is there is always room to evolve and further develop the study based on the information and data collected (Rubin, 2007, Leedy & Ormro d, 2010). The problem statement guides the researcher’s interest from the stage of curiosity to the stage of being a specific statement.The problem statement will also explain why the researcher feels their particular topic is important and what has already been researched in this particular area (Rubin, 2007). Characteristics of a Qualitative Purpose Statement The purpose statement of a qualitative research study, much like that of quantitative studies, gives an account of the purpose or intention of the study (Jenkins, 2009). The purpose statement is specific and addresses some information gaps that may exist in what is currently known from previous studies (Merriam, 2002).Researchers may often time take on a study of a phenomenon merely because this is not an abundance of research material about the phenomenon (Merriam, 2002). This can lead to the researcher having the ability to build his or her hypothesis or theory as information is gathered. However, the purpose stateme nt will need to identify the data collection methods chosen, and reveal the possible research questions that will be explored. Formulation of Qualitative Research Questions When trying to determine the research questions that will need to be asked, the researcher must understand what or whom, he or she is trying to research.A means to make this determination, the researcher can select a sample from which he or she believes to be the most informative and beneficial to the research (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). This process is called a purposive or purposeful sample. When making a sample selection, the researcher must also make a determination of what the criteria of the sample will be; for example male or female; certain ages, ethnicity or heights; certain occupations; etc. Once the sample size and criteria is determined, the researcher will then be able to develop questions that can be posed to the sample group to get the information needed for the study.Data Collection and Analysis T he areas of data collection and analysis go hand and hand. In order to analyze the data, the researcher must first collect the data. According to Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, â€Å"there are three major sources of data for qualitative studies – interviews, observations, and documents† (p. 23). If is up to the researcher to determine what process of research is best for the study he or she is conducting. There are times when only one method is used, but then there are times when more than one method is used. However, the researcher may identify his or her primary method (Rubin, 2007).It is also possible to utilize the internet and worldwide web to collect information for the study also. After the data is collected, the researcher must be able to analyze the data. The truth is the data analysis is usually simultaneous with the data collection stage (Rubin, 2007). From the time the first interview takes place or observation begins, the researcher should already be analyzing what he or she has learned. By doing so, the researcher can eliminate the possibility of being overwhelmed with information at the conclusion of the data collection process.While analyzing, the information collected, the researcher can break up what he or she learns into categories (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). The use of these categories will help identify any patterns of behavior or occurrence that may exist. References Jenkins, L. (2009). Fundamentals of quantitative research: Considerations in research methodology. Retrieved from the website: www. academicwriting. suite101. com on July 18, 2010. Leedy, P. and Ormrod, E. (2010). Practical research: Planning and design, 9ed. Merrill. Pearson Education. Merriam, S. B. (2002).Introduction to qualitative research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Rubin, A. (2007). Practitioner’s guide to using research for evidence-based practice. New York: Wiley Fundamentals of Qualitative Research Part 2 Based upon Prospectus II * How does the prob lem statement align with the approach communicated in the purpose section? The problem statement aligned with the outlined approach. The problem was determined to be that qualified teachers are turning down jobs at low performing schools. The approach was to take surveys and interviews to find out why this is occurring. How does the purpose of the study inform the way in which the research questions are written? The purpose statement tells that the researcher will use in-depth open-ended interviews and questionnaires given to 100 current teachers, who have at least turned down employment at one low performing school.Do the research questions adequately address the problem as detailed by the researcher? Why or why not? In my opinion, the research question shown, while pertinent to the outcome, seems a little vague. Perhaps, if there was one than one research question posed, there may have been a little more clarity. Does the wording of the purpose statement and research question sugg est the methodology used in the study? How? Yes, the wording in the purpose statement and research question suggest the methodology used in the study. In the purpose statement, it begins with in this qualitative study†¦ That is telling the reader, this is definitely going to be a qualitative research study. In the research question, there is a lot of implication as to what and why. Typically, who, what, why and how are signs that the study is going to be centered on qualitative research methodology.Does the methodology employed adequately address all aspects of the problem detailed by the researcher? Why or Why not? The use of interviews and questionnaires seemingly will produce the results the researcher is looking for. * Do all elements of the project’s design work together in a cohesive and logical manner? Why or Why not? Yes, the components presented for this project, did work together in a cohesive and logical manner. The information flowed well, and was very easy t o read and understand what the project was focusing on, and how the researcher planned to get to that point.

Preliminary Study of an Automotive Assembly Plant

Politecnico Di Torino 1 Facolta' di Ingegneria Automotive Engineering FINAL ASSEMBLY Preliminary study of an automotive assembly plant for high volume production(1300cars/day with 2 type of cars, 4 doors and 2 doors respectivly, and flexible in volume, 3 shifts of workers) Ma Wei supervisor: Prof. COZZARI GIULIANO Index 1. General infomation from the internship 2. 1 high production volume of the assembly plant 2. 2 pace calculation 2. 3 area calculation and process layout 2. 4 flexibility and automization of the system 2. â€Å"make or buy† decision 2. Review of tutorials and further applications of the tutorial 3. 6 General knowledges aquired from the assembly lecture 3. 7 Extension of the tutorial 3. 8. 1 product breakdown structure(PBS) ; bill of material(BOM) 3. 8. 2 work breakdown structure(WBS) 3. Time analysis and relative calculations 3. 1 working time analysis(WCT, takt time) 3. 2 system length and area calculation 3. 3 facility layout 4. Tool and equipment selection 1. General infomation from the internship 1. high production volume of the assembly plant As is define in the internship reoprt, the production volume of the plant that we study is 1300cars/day, with 3 shifts of workers making the planned working time up to 21 hour a day. We developed a rough plan for the entire assembly production process, and then divided our thesis into four parts according to the function of each part. Following the sequence of each part, they are respectively: Stamping process, body in white process, painting process and fianl assembly process.Normally each department is separated with one another, located in different locations inside an assembly plant, and each department has its own building structure, thus we call them stamping shop, body in white shop, painting shop and final assembly shop. Moreover all of these building structures are placed considering the convenience of the entire manufacturing process, to facilitate the flow of materials and parts, to simplify stocks management. For example, stamping shop normally locates near the gate with a stock area to facilitate the incoming of sheet metal.Body in white shop and painting shop lies in between final assembly shop and stamping shop, in order to shorten transfer process. Finally, final assembly shop often locates beside the supplier park, where massive subgroup parts of a car are stocked. 1. 2 pace calculation Since our focus is on the word â€Å"high volume†, we must estimate the overall pace of the plant. The required standard time can be calculated considering: 1. 1300 cars/day. 2. 3 shifts of workers with 7 availiable working hours per shift. 3.Overall equipment efficiency=90% 4. Standard time STn is the time needed to assemble a car, starting from pressing shop up to final test at final assembly shop. AWT(available working time)=3*7*60=1260 min STn=AWT/1300=0. 97min=58sec. It means that each 58 seconds there will be a car coming out from the plant. 1. 3 area calcula tion The area calculation is decided in the internship report, through the benchmarking result of many plants and we chose the average area of the plants that is most close to our requirements.And here is the decision: Stamping| BIW| Painting| Final Assembly| 40800? | 60900? | 48000? | 71400? | Usually the process layout is like this(I will only focus on the final assembly process): But for the final assembly, I find it more advanced for logistic and warehouse management is I choose the final assembly line like this: In my later discussion, we can see more advantages of this kind of solution according to the three main sub-processes of final assembly. 1. 3 flexibility;automization of the systemEquipments are most devoted resource since nowadays factories are normally capital intensive. So we have to determine the automization level at the first approach of an assembly plant. The four processes, stamping, body in white, painting and final assembly, have their own process capability a nd different automization level. Here is the automization level selection criteria and methods to be flexible of the system. And we will make our choice accordingly. Stamping STAMPING| COST AND THE CHOICE| 1. ransfer muiti-station mechanical presses with a very high cadence(over than 15 cycles/min) fitting with very high production rate(over than 600 series/day)| Very high, not fitable for our plant because according our make or buy decision, we only make necessary body parts in order to save capital and better focus on â€Å"core business†. | 2. traditional mechanical or new generations hydraulic presses with a medium cadence(between 10 and 15 cycles/min), interconnected by automatic systems, fitting for medium production rate(60-600 series/day)| This fits our production system adequately.Since our assumed working cycle time is 6sec(=10 cycles/min) and it meets the requirement of 1300cars/day. On the other side, this is capital intensive but not as expensive as the first one . | 3. traditional hydraulic or water forming presses, with manual loading/unloading, with low cadence, fitting for low production rate(less than 60 series/day)| This criterion is not fit for mass production. Nowadays labor intensive production is used for the elite market. | Major factors influcing cost: press and dies depreciation, maintenance costs and material handling.And thus it is very important to maintain a good level of overall equipment efficiency and a good utilization level. Furthermore, in order to keep the production cost low, sheet metal usage degree must be optimized, through detailed study of cutting schemes and stamping methods and technology(sheet metal stamping dimensioning). | Flexibility: the process flexibility is reached to the required level(2 different types of cars with 9 different parts to stamp) through changing of dies according to detailed production plan. We should avoid to change dies too frequently, for the sake of saving more productive up time.Th e production plan should follow the material requirement plan of later processes, and the logistic department should set adequate arrangements for the finished parts. | Body in white For high or medium volumes body in white welding and assembling, hard automation(robot intensive) and flexible production systems are used. Assembling tools are specific for the parts of each type of car. System flexibility/convertibility is achieved through specific tools rapid change, so that it is possible to set easily the mix model level on the same equipment or line.Major factors influencing cost: specific equipment and tools depreciations, maintenance and materials handling cost. Overall equipment efficiency and utilization level. Painting Painting process is a continuous flow process and each process are sequenced. We can divide it into two categories: 1) pre-painting treatments. 2) painting. 1). In reference of automazation and flexibility, the pre-painting process is not strictly relevant b ecause, for example, processes such as washing, degreasing or phosphating are not robot intensive, they actually are continous flow process with only a few operations.And each type of BIW(in our plants, refer them as type A and type B) can be processed in the same way with the same time, temperature and many other conditions. 2). The painting process is robot intensive because it is applied by automatic robots with electrostatic spray, along with automatic controlled air, temperature and humidity inside the painting booth. This process is relatively complex and harmful to human body. So in case of mass production, no labor force is enrolled in this process.Flexibility: Since equipments and tools are not specifically developed for each type of car, flexibility can be easily obtained by changing the process automatization software. And customized order-to-make product is mainly reflected in this process. Controlling program should be adjustable in order to change the color of the car easily. Major factors influcing cost: specific direct material(dye) and energy consumption, manpower necessary to manage the process and equipment maintenance costs. Final Assembly In terms of final assembly, manpower accompanied by flexible conveyor system is needed.This process is mainly labor intensive because many complex operations, such as cockpit module, steering leverages, seats and mobile parts are performed by technicians, but not machines. Certain level of automatization is required for simple operations such as joining, mechanical groups screwing and fixed glasses application. Moreover, ergonomic is important for labor intensive operations, so that assembling stations and conveyor systems have to be comfortable for the operators. For example the tow conveyors is an ergonomic solution for screw drivers.It can lift up the heavy body from BIW, to make the operator reach the lower part of the body. Recently new type of tow conveyors became more convenience since they allow t echnicians to stand on them and move along the operation line. Flexibility: product models mix along the final assembly line, thus flexibility can be obtained by high level of logistics and organizational complexity, which must use modern product and process information technologies, called â€Å"digital factory†. Moreover, â€Å"just in time† principle must be applied in supplying subassembly modules to the final assembly line.Major factors influcing cost: direct manpower, material handling, specific logistic information technology systems. 1. 4 â€Å"make or buy† decision In evaluation of make or buy decision, several factors should be considered: ITEMS FOR â€Å"MAKE† DECISION| ITEMS FOR â€Å"BUY† DECISION| 1. Availability of development capacities inside the company, at least equivalent to the one offered by External suppliers. | 1. Not availability of specific â€Å"know how† to develop in a competitive way the specific component or se rvice. | 2. Better protection of company’s know how in relation to products/processes considering core business| 2.Availability of reliable suppliers for the components or services required, in relation to the company’s targets. | 3. Needs of internal processes integration by logistic flows and final product quality level improving. | 3. Availability of alternative supplying sources in the geographical areas of strategic interest for the company. | 4. Not valid alternatives to component or services purchasing. | 4. Opportunity to simplify internal production processes and focus production resouces (man power and capital) on â€Å"core business†| 5. Necessity to utilize existing productive capacities inside the company. 5. Opportunity to reduce company owned investment by using or incrementing supplier’s productive capacities avaliable, assuming them the risk of volumes depending on the trend of market. | ITEMS FOR â€Å"CO-MAKERSHIP† DECISION| 1. N ew necissities of production capacities developing but not enough economy scale to proceed in an autonomous way. | 2. Partners have common or complementary interest in developing in a synergic and competitive way the new solutions required to guarantee the industrial mission. | 3. Partners have at disposal complementary or synergic technological capacities so that roduct/process innovation could be speed up without incrementing too much economical investments. | In genaral, an assembly plant doesn’t manufacture the sub group components of the car, for the sake of lean production, technology concentration and cost minimization. So no matter whether they are outsourced or manufactured by the same industrial group of other plants, we can consider them â€Å"buy† parts. It is easy to explore these elements from the vehicle systems point of view: All above mentioned elements and systems are out-sourced and they are assembled into higher level subassemblies aside the princip le assembly line.These elements and systems are based on evolutive technical solutions, which â€Å"know how† belongs generally to specialized companies components producers; A strong cooperation between those companies and car makers is necessary in case of technical projects development and experimentation and homologation on vehicle phases. 2. Review of tutorials and further applications of the tutorial 2. 1 General knowledges aquired from the assembly lecture During the assembly technology course, we gained the concept of automotive final assembly and aquired some basic knowleged about this process.First of all, the difinition of automotive final assembly can be concluded from the lecture: the final manufacturing process joining all of the finished subgroup components and modules to finish the car and make it functionlized, through different stages of assembly process with the right consequence. The final assembly process should consider from both management point of view and technological point of view: management concerns main subassembly groups and modules Here we consider the assembly of only these components in order to simplify the process.Also, some subgroups assembly are introduced in the lecture, which are normally performed inside the final assembly shop but not on the principle line. These sub-assembly parts should be considered since they are not out-sourced but manufactured inside the plant—stamping shop. So we won’t get the finished, assembled parts until we assemble them by ourselves, inside the final assembly shop. Along with subgroups assembly, ergonomics concern is introduced, which is a non negligibly problem in setting up the plant. Ergonomic: a). A study of the relation between people and their work environment. b).Is used to prevent injuries and illnesses associated with the design of physical work. c). Is used to increase employee safety and comfort and to optimize work performance and quality. Due to the complex ity of the system and inconvenience caused by the huge weight of the body in white and finished parts, ergonomic problem is closely related with the working stations and carrier systems that we use. Thus each process of the system uses specific equipment to orientate the car body in the right direction to technicians, and specific tools to hold finished parts to let technicians move them easily. ow conveyors let the installation of suspension more easily Moreover, the right sequence of final assembly is introduced. I will strictly follow this sequence to develop my assembly shop, because any mistake in sequence makes it impossible to build up later steps and lead the entire process to failure. Then I will build up working time analysis. 2. 2Extension of the tutorial 2. 2. 1 product breakdown structure(PBS) ; bill of material(BOM) Product breakdown structure is hierarchical and can be represented by the following scheme(tree diagram) F A B1 B2 C21 C13 C12 C11 E D F A B1 B2 C21 C13C12 C11 E D In which: A=final module (a car) B=1st level subassembly (powertrain, suspension system†¦) C=2nd and 3rd level subassembly (complete engine, transmission†¦) D=completed elements (cylinders, engine shafts†¦) E=partially completed elements (pistons, valves†¦) F=raw materials Using PBS, it is possible to: a). Manage the designs and standard carry-over solutions with other product lines. b). Underline links between elements, subassemblies and final product. c). Precise â€Å"make or buy† decision for each element. d). Activate manufacturing engineering plan for â€Å"make† parts. ). Activate purchasing orders for â€Å"buy† parts. f). Confirm cost for module components, considering the targets defined in the setting phase, according to the purchasing management system. Now let me define the PBS of the final assembly. I won’t list the lower levels of subassembly parts because the final assembly area is responsible for assembling mo re than 3000 in/on the painted vehicle shell, and if I focus too much on the minor parts, it would draw the attention away from the study of the system. Also, I extend the content of PBS, to get a bill of material table, more detailed. . 2. 2 work breakdown structure The work breakdown structure is a tree structure, which shows a subdivision of effort required to achieve an objective. In order to reach the WBS, I need to analysis each working processes first. The following figure is what I have obtained from the internship report. All of the data in this figure is roughly estimated, but the sequence and layout of final assembly is expressed. Final assembly process can be functionally divided into: trim line assembly, chassis line assembly, final assembly and final testing. ). Trim line assembly This station is focused on installing the following main components: the electric wiring and harnesses, the shell insulation and radiator insulation, the air duct system, the headliner, the c ondenser sub-assembly, the pedal sub-assembly, and the fire wall insulation. Other parts are also installed in this station such as the wiper links and the washer tank and its hoses and connections. To install the above described parts, a different conveyor system is adopted from the ones used in the paint area.So the shell is transferred from the paint-line conveyor system into typically a double rail chain or self-moving conveyor (floor-mounted), the elevation and speed of the body-shell are adjusted so it suits the production workers and allow them spatial access and enough time to complete the job. Some manufacturers have adopted a moving belt system for the line workers so that they can keep up with higher production rates. The first step in the trim assembly area is to remove the shell doors to facilitate the installation process, so large fixtures can be used inside the shell to aid the workers.The removed doors are hung on an overhead conveyor system that keeps running the d oors through the plant without any value being added to them. A typical layout for the trim assembly area can be shown as following: b). Chassis assembly The chassis assembly area is also called the marriage area, where the power-train of the vehicle is coupled with the vehicle body-shell. To achieve this, the vehicle shells are transferred to an overhead conveyor system to permit the chassis installation from the bottom. The assembled ower-train components are supplied from a sub-assembly area typically called the engine-line assembly area. The engine-line area features all the steps needed to install the different hoses, controllers and cables to the main engine body, in addition to coupling the engine to the transmission and the torque converters. The engine sub-assembly utilizes different types of conveyance depending on the accessibility needed, the station’s configuration (left- and right-side workers), and the weight of the assembled power-train; typically a combinatio n of an overhead system and an AGV(automatic guided vehicle) is used.The final assembled power-train is then mounted onto an AGV or a trolley equipped with a hydraulic lift, and then shipped to the marriage area. overhead conveyor and trolley with lifter In the marriage area, the vehicle shell will be synchronized with the AGV so both meet at a specific location that features the power torque machine that will use bolts and fasteners to join the power-train and shell together. Additionally, the elevation of the suspended shell is programmed according to specific settings to facilitate the mounting process. The powertrain is lifted via the hydraulic lift to meet the stationary shell.This process sequence is shown in the above figure. Several features within the vehicle shell are typically used to guide the power-train assembly to ensure its location and orientation within the vehicle; some laser projection-based sensors might also be used to ensure accurate placement. In addition, po wer-tools with built-in torque sensors are used to ensure fault-proof operation. Applying the right torque is essential in delivering mechanically sound joints that will not fail or fatigue due to under-torque or over-torque conditions. A typical layout for the chassis line assembly area can be shown as following: | ). Final assembly and testing area The final assembly area features the vehicle shell on tires for the first time. It is connected to the previous chassis assembly process, and each chassis assembly line can feed two final assembly lines. Thus for the sake of maximum utilization of the entire system, we set two final assembly lines. Each final assembly line is divided into three sequential parts: 1st. In the first part, preassembled bodies are put on a stop and go conveyor system, to facilitate the transferring from one station to the next.And the bodies are arranged across the axle of the line, to facilitate front-end module assembling and to keep operations such as ele ctric battery connections, air filter connections ergonomically. In this part fixed glasses are also assembled by automatic systems. 2nd. In the second part, car bodies are put on continuous double slat conveyor. Here, parts such as seats, garnishes, door modules, lighting systems and the rest parts of the vehicle are assembled. 3rd. In the third part, underbody operations such as adjusting the vehicle suspension and adjusting steering wheels are performed.After the assembly is complete, the completed vehicle starts the testing phase, where the following tests are conducted: alignment tests for wheels and turning radius, headlight test, side-slip test, engine drum test, and the brake test. The alignment test focuses on adjusting the wheels through the manual adjustment of the top of the front and rear wheels and the camber of the front and rear wheels. Further alignments ensure that the steering wheel is positioned accurately. The alignment test is typically done in a chassis dynamo meter chamber, shown in the figure. a chasis dynamometerAdditionally the turning radius can be tested and adjusted by measuring the right and left turning angles of the front wheels. The headlight test evaluates the photometric axis of the headlamps by projecting them on a screen and then measuring any deviations. The drum test is conducted by driving the vehicle into the chassis dynamometer to check the vehicle driving conditions. Also, the brake test evaluates the brakes’ performance by applying and measuring the braking force of each wheel (drag, service brake, parking brake). Finally, I can obtain the WPS from the integration of each above process. 3.Time analysis and relative calculations 3. 1 working time analysis(takt time, number of workers) In order to analysis the working time, I shall introduce the concept of takt time first. The takt time is the time that must pass between two succeeding unit completions in order to meet the demand, if the products are produced on e unit at a time, at a constant rate during the net available work time. The value of the takt time drives the key design choices for the assembly system. The takt time is defined in equation (1). (1) When the takt time is known one could decide how many assemblers and stations that are needed.It is quite hard to determine the number of assemblers needed in order to complete a product but here one basic method is presented. After the number of assemblers has been decided the number and layout of processes can be decided. The minimum number of assemblers can be calculated with equation 2. (2) If for example a product takes 100 minutes to assemble and the takt time is 1 minute, the process needs 100 assembler minutes every minute, consequently 100 assemblers. The formula does not take into consideration other activities that the operators perform apart from assembling such as picking and handling.A production system is also dependent on support labor which will of course increase the number of assemblers needed. When one has determined that the process is in need of 100 assemblers, the next step is to decide in which way the work should be allocated between the assemblers and thereby which method of assembly that should be used. On the one hand, one operator could work with one product from start to finish for 100 minutes. On the other hand, the total work content could be divided into 100 operations each taking 1 minute to perform.Now that the takt time concept is clear, I will start to analysis this according to my specific system. Actually, the first step in designing an assembly system is to calculate the takt time. I will calculate the takt time following these conditions: 1). The demand for daily production volume is 1300 units. 2). The system is operated by 3 shifts of operators. 3). The working hours per day for an operator are assumed to be eight hours. 4). Total downtime including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, set-up times, breaks, lunch time is one hour per day.Takt time = Net avaliliable working time per dayaverage damand per day = 3*8-1*601300 = 0. 97 minute = 58 second The planned cycle time will be lower based on that there are inefficiencies regarding manpower issues and overall equipment effectiveness: Planned cycle time = 58*0. 85*0. 9 = 50 second Then the minimum number of workers can be obtained, under the assumption that the total assembly time (adding the time deeded of each operation in each station, i. e. : the labor time required in order to finish the assembly of a single vehicle) is 21 hours (empirical).We can assume that each operation is processed by an assembler because the final assembly is a labor driven process. No. of workers = total assembly timetakt time = 21*60*6058 = 1304 Thus, we have 1304 workers and if two workers are assigned to each work station, then we have 652 stations. Due to impossibilities for further analysis of working time, I can not get exactly the cycle time of each operation, but the time analysis methodologies should be stressed: a). Stopwatch study analysis For time measuring it is necessary to proceed as follows: 1).Workers are preventively trained to apply working standards and are informed about stopwatch study analysis and ways to proceed. 2). By statistical criteria, the number of operative cycle to observe is determined, considering also dispersion phenomena of analyzed process. 3). For each one of the macro-phase of operative cycle, time employed is recorded. 4). Working speed is punctually compared to the normal one, introducing eventual adjustment. 5). Time adjustments(increasing) for each working phase are applied following specific tables, to consider tiredness and physical efforts taken on during working shift.Applying the methodology is possible if the analyst is concerned about technologies of analyzed phases, in order to ensure in advance that working conditions follows manufacturing engineering plan, and proposing eventually necessary i mprovements. He must also observes movements considering ergonomics, defining normal and sustainable working speed. This evaluation implies also the application of specific rules related to physical efforts, tiredness, working positions and movements repetition.As a consequence, for each working phase analyzed, it is applied a time increasing coefficient, according to a standard table, elaborated on statistical and scientific considerations, by International Rules Institutions, with ergonomic, physiology, and working means experts associated. In case of uncertainty of working speed estimation, the analyst could perform observations on different subject, up to reach a calibrated evaluation. Furthermore, he can also use some available database, according to previous consolidated experiences.For each group of operations, it is important that the experts separate active times from inactive times necessary for machine/equipment waiting or movements between different working stations. Act ions to be adopted are related to inactive phases, that are not adding value phases. b). Time studying with modern techniques Same criteria of the first one, with the only difference that time observations are performed through video recording cameras, appropriately positioned and remote controlled, that allows measuring contemporary more operations, relating each other. c).Analysis with pre-determined standard times MTM technique (Methods Time Measurement) consists of previously analysis that allows quantifying time necessary for each working micro-phase included in the operative cycle. Measurements are performed in office and are very precise and objective. Application requires a big effort in terms of analyst technician, with high cost and long elaboration times. For this reasons MTM technique fits with widespread repetitive operations. d). Instantaneous Observations Analysis It fits for auxiliary operations only, including office operations.It is necessary that the analyst have good knowledge about function and roles of observed employees. He performs periodical inspections In the interested area and with established route by statistic method, so to cover all workplaces. He must evaluate: if workers are on their own workplace/if they are active/type of operation performed/type of tools used. 3. 2 system length and area calculation I will roughly calculate the length of the final assembly line. I say â€Å"roughly† because I will assume the distance between each product is 5m, and this distance is constant for all the three major processes belonging to final assembly.Although this assumption couldn’t be precise, this approach can represent the right process to calculate the system length. Firstly I will calculate the speed of the line: Speed = distancetakt time = 5m/58s = 0. 087 m/s Then I will apply this speed to the total assembly time: Length=speed*total assembly time=0. 087m/s*21*3600=6577m Finally, I should apply an modify coefficient, be cause large portion of the system paths are built for transferring, not value adding. 6577*150%=9865m Once the length is calculated, I can apply it to the width of the line, which is hypothesized to be 10m. 865*10=98650m2 And finally the subassembly line area should be calculated according to the same method, and added to the main line area. 3. 3 facility layout In arranging the plant layout, There are a lot of benefits: 1. Minimize the production time. 2. Minimize the production cost. 3. Minimize the material handling, in terms of time, cost and equipment type. 4. Minimize the investment in the equipment. 5. Utilize existing space more effectively. 6. Maintain flexibility of arrangement and operations. There are three basic types: process layout, product layout, and fixed-position layout.According to the selection criteria, I will choose the product layout. A product layout (also called a flow-shop layout) is one in which equipment or work processes are arranged according to the pr ogressive steps by which the product is made. The main issue over the final assembly line is the assembly line balancing. As we use the conveyor systems to carry the product, the time interval the product will stay in each workstation is identical, thus the cycle time of each workstation is identical as well (= 58s in our system).At each workstation, work is performed on a product either by adding parts or by completing assembly operations. The work performed at each station is made up by many bits of work, termed tasks, elements, and work units. The total work to be performed at a workstation is equal to the sum of the tasks assigned to that workstation. The assembly-line balancing problem is one of assigning all tasks to a series of workstations so that each workstation has no more than can be done in the work- station cycle time, and so that the unassigned (that is, idle) time across all workstations is minimized.The problem is complicated by the relationships among tasks imposed by prod- uct design and process technologies. This is called the precedence relationship, which specifies the order in which tasks must be performed in the assembly process. The steps in balancing an assembly line are straightforward: 1 Specify the sequential relationships among tasks using a precedence diagram. The diagram consists of circles and arrows. Circles represent individual tasks; arrows indicate the order of task performance. 2 Determine the required workstation cycle time, the same as takt time Determine the theoretical minimum number of workstations required to satisfy the workstation cycle time constraint using the formula, the same as the number of workers calculation. 3 Select a primary rule by which tasks are to be assigned to workstations, and a secondary rule to break ties. 4 Assign tasks, one at a time, to the first workstation until the sum of the task times is equal to the workstation cycle time, or no other tasks are feasible because of time or sequence restr ictions. Repeat the process for Workstation 2, Workstation 3, and so on until all tasks are assigned. Evaluate the efficiency of the balance derived using the formula Efficiency=sum of task timesactual number of workstations*workstation cycle time 6 If efficiency is unsatisfactory, rebalance using a different decision rule. Example: This table shows typical chassis assembly sequence of a car, and I will draw a precedence graph according to this table: Then, we can calculate the minimum number of workstations required: no. of workstations=45+50+11+15+9+12+12+12+12+8+958 = 4 So we can arrange the precedence graph accordingly: And the final Efficiency=1954*58=84%It can be seen that in station 4, only 9 seconds are employed among 58 seconds available time. To reduce this inefficiency, some independent operations can be added to this station. In this final assembly shop, we should analyze the work of all workstations, one by one, and reach a balanced assembly line finally. 4. Tool and eq uipment selection The final assembly area is considered a labor-driven process due to the high labor value-added work compared with other stations in the assembly plant. In this case, the right solution for labor and machine corporations is the key successful factor.Trim line: For the trim line assembly, the conveyor system should be changed from the one used in the paint line. We use the floor-mounted conveyor for the trim line and specially, I want to stress that since the plant should has a high production capacity, I choose to add an additional moving belt system to facilitate the workers for the high production rate. Moreover, for operations that will move heavy parts(doors, cockpits, windshield†¦), automation robots are selected instead of human labor. Robots are faster and more precise in installing heavy and big parts than human labor.For wirings, insulating applications, fuel tanks, steering leverage and etc. , I will choose to use human labors because these operations are too complicated for robots, and some area are deep inside the body shell and intangible for robots. On the other hand human labors have the advantage of agility, allowing them to go inside the body shell. In addition, batter-driven screwdrivers(low and medium torque models) should be equipped by the assemblers, to allow them fast and accurate fastening. Here are some pictures of the above mentioned tools and equipments: loor-mounted conveyor with moving belt Chassis line: For the chassis line assembly, the overhead conveyor system is needed to lift the vehicle shell and thus allow the installation of the powertrain system. In order to guide the pre-assembled powertrain system, the AGV(automatic guided vehicle) is used. At the same time battery driver screwdrivers and electric torque wrenches with torque limiters are used by workers to assemble the body and the powertrain system. Also, in order to ensure accurate placement, some laser projection based sensors are needed.Then the installation of wheels and exhaust system happens simultaneously. On the one hand line workers install exhaust system with the help of carrying robots. On the other hand multiple torque wrenches tightens the wheel. Of course tires must be handled with the help of the handling equipment in order to save time for the line workers. This process can spares much time for the powertrain assembly. The overhead conveyor system and the AGV. A multiple torque wrench is fast and precise A electric torque wrench with limiter A tire handler   Final assembly line:The vehicle is coupled with tires now, so a double slat conveyor system is selected to carry the body. In addition, a variety of arm and drop lifters are needed for the ergonomics consideration. Also, fluid filling machines is crucial in this stage: fuel tank, engine, transmissions†¦ For the testing phase, we need testing machines. For example the chassis dynamometer is necessary for the alignment test, the turning radius test an d the break test. The headlight test evaluates the photometric axis of the headlamps by projecting them on a screen and then measuring any deviations.A double slat conveyor A chassis dynamometer A seat handling partner References: 1. COZZARI GIULIANO, Assembly technologies,2010. 2. MARCO GOBETTO, Production Management,2010. 3. Mohammed A. Omar, â€Å"THE AUTOMOTIVE BODY MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES†, 2011 4. FILIP HELLMAN, BJORN LINDAHL, JONAS MALMBERG, thesis of â€Å"Mixed-model assembly line at Volvo Construction Equipment† 5. Marshall L. Fisher and Christopher D. Ittner, â€Å"THE IMPACT OF PRODUCT VARIETY ON AUTOMOBILE ASSEMBLY OPERA TIONS: ANAL YSIS AND EVIDENCE† 6. technical note five: FACILITY LAYOUT

Sentence Outline

The Sentence Outline Topic: Lifestyle Diseases Narrowed Topic:Obesity: The Global Epidemic Purpose:To inform the general public about the dangers associated with obesity Thesis:The increasing prevalence lifestyle diseases such as obesity is a major world health concern, since it affects the physical, mental and economic well-being of those affected. 1. Though obesity is not a typical addiction, its effects on physical health are just as serve as those of alcoholism. A. Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide. (Barness et al, 2007) B.Obesity increases the risk of many chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. C. Research shows that a person who is 40 percent overweight is twice as prone to die early compared to a person who has average weight. 2. The mental health effects of obesity can be as damaging to your health as the physical effects, according to recent obesity research. A. Mental health struggles caused by being ov erweight include social discrimination low self-esteem, and even suicide. (Pawlik-Kienlen, 2007) B.Obesity may induce feelings of anxiety and depression. C. Obese individuals may develop anti-social behaviour. 3. Obesity is not only a health concern but also an economic phenomenon A. Employers may not want to hire obese people due to higher expected healthcare costs if the employers provide health insurance for their employees. B. The economic effects of obesity may be direct or indirect. C. Estimated medical costs connected to obesity and smoking each account for about 9. 1% of all health expenditures in the United States (Finkelstein, Fiebelkorn, & Wang, 2003).

Vincent van Goghs Starry Night Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vincent van Goghs Starry Night - Essay Example When analyzing iconography, the viewer defines the components of a work of art when considering its implications to the society. The ancient artists used art to interpret their ideologies and beliefs to the society. This study would help the viewer to highlight the main components of the art piece of visual image, and interpret it in a language that is easily understandable in the common society’s context. The renaissance artists applied variable techniques in their works to communicate to the society and gain recognition within the pieces that they had created. An artist of the post-impressionism period was Vincent Van Gogh. Bold use of color and vibrant brush strokes characterized his pieces to create magnificent artworks that applied the emotion involved in their completion. The painting was created when he had been confined due to insanity and is believed to depict the images that he viewed from his room. The painting is characterized with a cloudy night filled with swirly clouds that appear to be created using bold brush strokes. The stars and moon are distinctively placed to complement the entire atmosphere. The painting gives a feeling of close interaction with the heavens and leads an individual to assume a religious ambience. The application of the strokes in a swirling motion lead the viewer to a motion state where the scenery is not constant. Through applying the swirling lines and believed to be using the paints directly from the tube. Van gogh’s painting is told to have been completed during his confinement in the asylum. The paining suggests that he had completed its composition applying tremendous energy, and wild imagination to distort the figures to satisfy his ambition to generate an expressive art form. Below the swirling cloud, ar e hills that appear distorted with a village below in the painting. The mood of the towns depicts a serene atmosphere with the integration of fresh and dull colors to contrast the bright sky. The contrast depicts the mood created in the development of these elements and suggests that Vincent had cherished the calm moments. The image of the town obeys the principles of perspective with the buildings further into the picture presenting bright colors with fewer details. He tries not to involve the application of black color and combines a darker shade of blue to create the shadows. There is a distinct image within the center of the structure as a steeple emanates from what is seen as a church. This has been articulated in the faith that he might have possessed in the supernatural. Perhaps, he had been desperate and looked for an alternative to solving the unresolved mystery that he had sought in his lifetime. It is positioned to provide a pillar within the entire composition and hold t he pieces in place at the center of the town. The most dominant feature in the painting is a, tall dark, structure that in most principles of an artwork should be made more detailed as compared to the entire piece. However, one notices that the element had involved the application of dull colors to inhibit the details, but the use of the strong strokes suggested a distinct style that van gogh had been identified. The structure is not defined properly hence a conclusion to its nature is difficult in the composition. However, it extends to the sky and appears to have been amongst the finishing touches applied on the painting. His application of white and yellow strokes within the sky created a chaotic mood within his style and immediately attracted the viewer to the sky. The stars and the moon stand out in the midst of the dull colored sky creating a high tonal value in the sky. The color is applied carefully to determine his emotions with the violent strokes creating a disturbance in the peaceful atmosphere that the blue color is applied for. His expertise to

Deregulation of Electricity Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Deregulation of Electricity Markets - Essay Example The regional markets for electricity generation and distribution typically resemble monopolistic markets with few suppliers. However, they have been under the variety of controls imposed by the concerned state in which they operated. These controls had more of social objectives than the commercial objectives. Such social objectives included ensuring uninterrupted power supply at the affordable price for the general consumer. Take for instance the case of California. In the state of California he three monopolistic power suppliers was regulated by the State commission.Kunnapallil(Centre) describes this scenario as follows, â€Å"California’s electricity industry was vertically integrated and organized around three regulated private monopolies or investor-owned Utilities (IOUs): Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison Company (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E).These companies owned and operated everything from generation, transmission, and distribution and catered to the electricity needs of consumers in their exclusive franchise areas. California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), an independent state regulatory agency, heavily regulated the prices, costs, and service obligations of these. These three companies together supplied three-fourths of the total consumption†. In the early 1990s, Californian polity came to the realization that its electricity markets were so heavily regulated that the productions process had become inefficient and the producers were passing on merrily the high cost of production to the customers.California cost of electricity was one of the highest in the US at the time. As Beder (2001) states, â€Å"Before deregulation the Californian government set electricity rates and guaranteed the private utilities a set return on their investment. But it was argued that this provided no incentive for the utilities to cut costs. Prices were high compared to some other states, mainly because of cost overruns of billions of dollars on two nuclear power plants.  Ã‚  

High Performance Work Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

High Performance Work Systems - Assignment Example The items mostly depend on the motivation and the environment in which an individual operates. Common basic items supporting the principles promoting the high performance work systems are like workforce capability and capacity, workforce engagement, and communication. Productivity and workforce performance depend on the organization of workforce capability and capacity invoked by integrated labor productivity management. In every working environment employees, staffing capacity and needs is evaluated strategically and operationally to enhance perfection of their performances. Managements in collaboration, with CFOs and operational leaders from various firms, determine staffing needs based on volume forecast, historical trends, benchmark data, and internally staffing standards. Staffing plans are important in monitoring of compliance and hiring techniques to facilitate performance and recruitment plans. Communication enhances performance rate because most leaders and the entire staff members meet to share ideas facilitating the improvement of various organizations. Employees can converge to share ideas freely without any problems to voice the issues affecting them positively or negatively thereby promoting the high performance rate. High performance management enables the evaluation of every SDH employee, annually, by their superiors to increase productivity for their commitments in various facilities. Results from the survey help in the developments of workers’ Tasks in their activities promoting high performance within various organizations. The aspects outlined serve to promote high performance at SDH. Numerous high- performing work systems start with great directive recruitment and selection practices, which tend to be diverse and intensive to get the best performing candidate. The staffing practices tend to support techniques aiding most of organizations to save money by performing superficial job of hiring experienced professionals for

Physical Activity and the Wider Environment Essay

Physical Activity and the Wider Environment - Essay Example This paper is being carried out in order to guide health professionals as well as policy-makers on the changes which have to be made in order to secure environments which are conducive to physical activity, and eventually, to weight management. As the report declares the right balance of calories and activity will ensure that the body can function efficiently. Where there are excess calories ingested and unused by the body, these are stored as fat, often adding to the person’s body weight. Health professionals indicate that there is a certain amount of body fat which the body can safely carry without compromising normal functions. The Body-Mass Index is used as the standard measure for acceptable body weight. A computed BMI of more than 25 indicates overweight; and higher than 30 indicates obesity. There are different ways by which physical activity can be secured by most individuals. For most individuals consciously seeking to lose or maintain weight, they would likely motivate themselves to set time apart for physical activity by jogging for an hour each morning or in the afternoon, or by briskly walking around a park, walking or running with their dog, going to the gym, running on a treadmill, taking dance classes , or participating in other forms of physical activity. In general, these activities have to be purposely sought by individuals. However, there are also other ways of securing physical activity and such ways involve the management of the wider environment.

Should drivers pay fine for talking on cell phones or texting while Essay

Should drivers pay fine for talking on cell phones or texting while they drive - Essay Example e increasingly focusing on building mobile phones into car systems, the debate surrounds around not the device being hand-held or hands-free; rather the debate is on the act of phone communication. Although some people may argue about safety regarding hands-free devices, it is the topic of conversation that can distract the attention level of drivers. However, due to the extreme importance of cell phones in modern life drivers do not heed the dangers associated with using the device while driving. Therefore, it is necessary that laws need to be applied to discourage drivers from using cell phones. Despite the conveniences of using cell phones in modern days of communication, drivers should be fined for talking and texting while driving because doing so texting and talking increases the probability of accidents, they put lives at danger, and they are a driving distraction. Texting and talking while driving increase the probability of accidents. Let me begin by giving some statistical figures to prove my point of argument. According to an estimation given by CDC report, every day in the United States 9 people meet with fatal accidents and 1,153 people get injured as a result of mishaps caused by a distracted driver. A driver becomes distracted when he remains busy doing activities other than driving that include talking on the cell phone or texting. A study was conducted by CDC in 2011 to analyze the reasons of distraction. It was revealed that 69 percent of U.S. drivers between the age of 18 to 64 have talked on their cell phone while driving in the 30 days prior to the study. In Europe, it was 21 percent in UK and 59 percent in Portugal (â€Å"Distracted Driving†). According to another 2011 report by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted drives attribute towards 22 percent of injuries and 16 percent of deaths by ro ad accidents (Trempel et al., 6). In another report published by the U.S. government, in the year 2008, 6,000 people have

Leadership management and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Leadership management and change - Essay Example So, the values of Tesco can be lined up as follows: Tesco has a consistent strategy that has allowed the company to strengthen their core business in UK and also helps to drive expansion towards new markets. The underlying principle for this strategy is to widen the scope of the business as the company is able to deliver sustainable growth for long term. This can be done by following the customer in domestic as well as in the new markets of abroad. They had taken a strategy to diversify the business in the year of 1997. The new businesses that have been started and developed due to this strategy over the last 13 years are now profitable and competitive enough. Even Tesco is now becoming a market leader in many of their markets outside UK. The group is able to make good progress. This strategy basically has five objectives. Since the 1990, the company has been seeking out for new opportunities for generating returns and growth for shareholders in new market. Today, the group is able to operate in 13 markets outside the United Kingdom and includes that of Asia, Europe and North America. The full appearance in international retailing is not something which can happen overnight. It needs long term approach. Tesco has evolved a strategy based on six factors. Those are as follows Flexibility: Every market is different from each other. So they have their unique approach. For example, in Japan fresh products are preferred and so they tend to shop several times a week and because of that reason, the stores are located in the heart of the community. So, it would be prudent to enter into that market through acquiring of discount supermarket operators. Maintain Focus: The group understands the customer’s requirement. They know that customers usually looking for great value and great choice. So, the company’s wish to prove themselves as the leading local group needs long term effort. Use multi-formats:

Kant on Suicide Essay Example for Free

Kant on Suicide Essay 4. Explain and critically assess Kant’s argument that one has a duty to preserve one’s own life. As rational beings Kant believes we have a categorical duty of self-preservation to not wilfully take our own lives. Kant talks in depth about duty and believes we should act out of respect for the moral law. The will is the only inherent good, as we are only motivated by duty and nothing else. We should act only out of demands of the law, not from inclination, desires or to achieve a particular goal. Duty dictates we should never act or will something if we do not want it to become a universal law. Kant was against any form of suicide. He strongly believed that: in taking a life you treat humanity merely as a means to an end. Kant wouldn’t be interested in the suffering or pain caused to even a person who was terminally ill and wanted to end their life, nor would he take into consideration the family/friends suffering. In this essay I will be arguing that if we follow the categorical imperative it is immoral to sacrifice a life because it involves treating humanity merely as a means to an end. I will examine John Hardwig’s counter argument that we should end our own lives if more pain and suffering is caused by prolonging it/living it even if we are no longer a rational being. We must understand that Kant is saying; if I make a maxium e. g. – ‘if I am in unbearable suffering, I should take my own life’ – it must meet the universal law and be applied to everyone. Kant believes we ought to preserve our own lives because it is our moral duty (it is necessary and universal). John Hardwig however, would argue we also have the right to end our lives. Kant would dismiss this because ultimately humans are the bearers of rational life (e. g. it is too sacred to sacrifice). Suicide fails Kant’s Categorical Imperative on the following grounds: It seeks to shorten a life that promises more troubles than please, this would be killing yourself out of self-love; when in fact the real aim would be to live a life worth living, with more pleasure than difficulties. Kant isn’t claiming that it’s impossible for everyone to commit suicide or for everyone to will it (and therefore it becoming a universal law). He believes ‘it would not exist as nature; hence the maxim cannot obtain as a law of nature’. (Immanuel Kant, The Groundwork of the methaphysics of morals, Mary Gregor and Jens Timmermann, Cambridge University 2012, p45 emphasis added). Here Kant seems to be suggesting that suicide isn’t a natural path of life; that it goes against our purpose and that it’s a contradiction to end your life when your goal would be to have an enjoyable life. The idea that the destruction of life is incompatible with improvement suggests that nature couldn’t/wouldn’t allow self-love to be used in a way that is contrary to its purpose. There is surely an obviously contradiction here; in ending one’s life to prevent suffering, one is using one’s life mere means to an end, which automatically fails the categorical imperative. Take the case of Maria Von Herbert- she is clearly appealing to Kant, if under any circumstances; suicide is morally acceptable? He isn’t as blatant with her as in his writings, but let us not forget, Kant doesn’t see woman as rational beings. I agree with Rae Langton that Kant totally bypasses the reason Herbert is writing to him. He doesn’t confront her on suicide but instead reduces her problem to a moral dilemma (regrets lying or telling the truth ), which as an intelligent woman whom has read all his writings; she could work out for herself. Could this have made Kant certain that she did lie and therefore fail the kingdom of ends? Perhaps Kant is being hypocritical; he doesn’t tell Maria the whole truth of suicide merely reducing her to ‘a thing’. He tells Maria she should be ‘ashamed’ for not telling the truth to her former friend but, doesn’t this apply for himself too? Is he just avoiding the truth (states this is just as bad a lying) by not confronting her about suicide? Most likely he wants her to be autonomous and get to the reason herself. Hardwig disagrees with Kant. Take a different situation; Is a terminally ill person-needing 24/7 care, who is entirely financially reliant- only using their family as a means to an end? You can see this as a ‘two way street’ situation. Kant doesn’t look to consequences of an action; it wouldn’t matter to his philosophy that the ill person’s family suffers because they are preserving their life. But is there a flaw? (1) I ought to do my duty as long as I am alive; and (2) It is my duty to go on living as long as possible. Kant strongly believes that you can’t affirm life by taking your own. There is only one exception. Kant claims those who die in battle are ‘victims of fate’ (not simply suicide because they chose to fight). He holds the view that it is better to die in battle than to die of a wound in hospital. Kant believes it’s noble to risk our lives for others- nobody uses us as mere means and we follow our own maxium. We are no longer forced into serving for our country or deceived into joining (if this did happen it would fail the CI because we wouldn’t be treated as rational beings and would be used as mere means and not as ends in ourselves). John Hardwig strongly believes that life should be treated no differently from death. We are free to live in the way we want, so why aren’t we free to die in the way we want (when and how)? He also switches the question but Kant would simply say we have a duty to live. Hardwig has also argued that medical advances eliminate the threats of many terminal illnesses. He then concludes, if our continued existence creates signi? cant hardship for our loved ones, we have a duty to die. By continuing a live of suffering the burden that this person imposes on others is often great. One may have the duty to die in order to relieve them of these burdens. This argument seems to be based on fairness. Kant would refute this; suffering is a tool of reasoning and it ensures the development of mankind. Kant strongly believes that we should preserve our own lives. The argument though strong is flawed. 1- All duties are absolute- Kant doesn’t advise us on how to resolve conflicting duty (for example: help others vs. never kill). 2- He discounts moral emotions like compassion, sympathy, desire and remorse as appropriate and ethical motives for action. 3- Kant completely ignores the consequences of an action and is purposefully blind to following circumstances. He states that human life is valuable because humans are the bearers of rational life. We have the great capacity to think, organize, plan etc. and Kant holds this as being valuable. Therefore we should not sacrifice this for anything (as previously discussed autonomous creatures should not be treated merely as a means or for the happiness of another). There are also great issues with Hardwigs counter argument; if we agree that we have the duty to die; who has the duty to die? When do they have they duty to die? Although this argument is strong is some areas (greater burden), it is greatly flawed. It would be extremely difficult to universalize a maxium for everyone to follow so they could decide if at that moment they had the duty to die. A problem would also occur if the family disagreed with the ill person’s decision, which could cause great problems within society (though Kant would not look to consequences but they are greatly important to Hardwigs argument). I believe –and agree with Kant- that if we follow the categorical imperative it is immoral to sacrifice anyone at all (including yourself) because it involves treating the humanity in that person as merely a means to an end. I also accept and agree with his point that it seems to go against our purpose and is an unnatural path for us to take a life. I find it interesting that Kant believes suffering is a tool of development and therefore essential to us. Though John Hardwigs argument is partly convincing, if we were all given the choice of when we should die, would we find the right time? This would be very hard to govern, as people would of course take advantage of this right. I’ve found it hard to find a counter argument to Kant’s stance -without suffering there wouldn’t be cures and perhaps less happiness. Therefore I have to agree with Kant that it only allows us to grow and develop. Thus we do have the duty to preserve our own lives even if it is riddled with suffering.

Essay on the Difference Between Chiefdoms and Tribes

Essay on the Difference Between Chiefdoms and Tribes Introduction The Swazi of Southern Africa and the Mayogo of Northern Democratic Republic of Congo represent two different chiefdoms that live in Africa. The two chiefdoms share more with states than with tribes, a reason which explains its existence within the boundary of many states in Africa. The Swazi chiefdom is situated in the southern Africa in a landlocked country that was rule according to the chiefdom rules even with the coming of the white man and obtaining independence 1968. The chiefdom share many aspects with the state, a reason which explains the absence of conflict that inflicts the two institutions in comparison with the state and the tribe. The research paper will analyze the two chiefdoms of Mayogo and Swazi through the use of comparison with the state and the tribe by focusing on such points as kinship, marriage, citizenship. The Mayogo The Mayogo are people who live in the Northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, they used to live independently as chiefdom until the 19th century when the country was invaded by the Mangbetu who formed the state under which the Mayogo were governed. However, the internal affairs of the chiefdom were in control by the chiefs. The Mayogo speak a language that belongs to the same family of Swazi which is Bantu, most of them have converted from animism to Christianity mainly Catholicism. The areas in which the Mayogo live have certain autonomy as the people pay allegiance to the Chiefdom. Although the flag was apparent in the documentary but no allegiance is paid to the national anthem. One of the reason, why the state of Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire is not bother by the presence of the chiefdom of Mayogo in its territory is because it is not menaced by it in addition to the fact that the chiefdom provides protection to its population which the state cannot afford to due to the vast surface of the territory and its vicinity to war zones exemplified by the refuges that live in the country in addition to a civil war that it is undergoing. The Swazi The Swazi took their name from their king, Mswati, Swaziland is a chiefdom that is organized into dual monarchy with the king and the queen at its head, the king is refereed to by the Swazi as Ngwenyama (Lion) while the queen is known as Ndlovukazi (Lady Elephant).[1] The chiefdom is based on common ancestry and fictive kinship, like the state the chiefdom is based on a social contract between the population of Swaziland who accept top pay allegiance to the king by obeying his orders, providing goods and services, and paying taxes in return for protection from outsiders mainly Zulu and Shaka. For instance, King Sobhuza maintained the loyalty of his population by protecting them from Shaka to the extent that he sent his daughters to be married by Shaka knowing that they will be killed once they are pregnant.[2] The successor of king Sobhuza, Mswati, was left with a strong Kingdom, respected and feared by neighboring tribes, with a centralized political system controlling several thous ands of people scattered over areas reaching far beyond the boundaries of modern Swaziland.[3] The interest of Europeans to colonize the area came from two parties the Dutch Boers and the British, in 1865 the two parties are going to find an excuse to enter the country which to provide peace and end civil war. The year coincided with the death of King Mswati which entered the country into a civil war due the rivalry of who is going to become the new king. Eventually Mdandzeni was the king and even during his reign instability was present.[4] A Comparison between Chiefdom and Tribe The tribe and chiefdom have a similar aspect in terms of their value of raiding while the Swazi during the reign of king Mswati acquired a reputation of terror and fear many of their warriors were indulging in raids with neighboring chiefdoms and the looting was distributed by the King.[5] Likewise, the Famous tribe chief Auda abu Tayi the leader of the Howeitat tribe who said that he is like a river to his people meaning that all what he obtain from raids is going to be redistribute to his tribe.[6] Moreover, Hospitality is another characteristic that shared between tribes and chiefdom. Regarding chiefdom, the headman is expected to be magnanimous.[7] Kinship is an important factor that distinguishes chiefdom from the state and put on equal footing with the tribe, it used to define who is going to be married from a particular person and other issue as it is stated by Hilda Kuper kinship by descent and ties by marriage influence behavior in a great number of situations; they determine where and with whom a person lives, his range of friends and enemies, whom he may or may not marry, the positions to which he is entitled.[8] Regarding tribes the preference is being given to first cousins but instances of incest are not absent though rare, both among Tribes Swazi, especially the king who is allowed as he is the only man permitted to marry a clan sister.[9] This network of kinship was kept even when the British administration was in the country, it was only a current move to incorporate the dual monarchy as a single government for the whole country of Swaziland.[10] The importance given to law seems to be a feature shared by both the tribe and chiefdom as the tribe regulates its problems according to its tribal law while the Swazi have a highly developed legal system and a graded hierarchy of courts that coincide roughly with the political structure. In case of the Swazi seems to be working with the introduction of the state while it is the opposite for tribes as in some instances revenge requires killing a person as compensation. While the Swazi differentiate between private matters such as theft and cases that require death penalty such as murder. In The former the guilty party pays compensation directly to the ill-treated person while on the latter the compensation is given to the king as he the representative of the state.[11] Hilda Kuper mentioned an example that would illustrate this dichotomy of law among the chiefdom. It involves the case of a woman called Velepi Hlatshwako who deserted her husband, Alpheus shongwe, after 20 years of mar riage because of his bad treatment of her and eloped with her lover, Isauk Mabuzo. In order for the lover to marry the Velepi he has to pay lobola (bride price) to her family which it refused. The matter is going to exacerbates when Velepi had a daughter and Alpheus asked for both of them as a he paid lobola. This time the two couple became convert to Wesleyan church therefore the matter was taken to different court and in the end the court stated that Velepi soiled the law.[12] The state and chiefdom law tend to overlap and contradict each other, however the likelihood of going against the states is less than the tribe where state rule is absent. For instance, the Swazi people who work in the administration or white-controlled bureaucracy[13] but their loyalty falls under their chiefdom. One of the major difference between chiefdom and tribe lies on the fact that the way the tribal chief chosen has nothing to do with his noble heritage or family instead what matter is his reputation for hospitability, honor and experience while for the Swazi as well as the Mayogo of Northern Democratic Republic of Congo the chief is hereditary position which is banqueted only by inheritance. Therefore, competition and rivalry is major aspect of chiefdom and this best seen during the death of Kind Mswati, that resulted in a civil war between his sons whereas tribal people tend to elect a chief of their tribe based on reputation, which means that once the chief is being seen as corrupt the tribal people outstrip of his leadership automatically by not listening to him. And even the way the tribe vie their chief is different from chiefdom whereby the Swazi regard their king as a father and not a dictator.[14] Marriage is an important institution upon which a the follower of the king is taken, polygamy is abundant among kings and in order to avoid conflict between kings` sons it is the child of the senor wife that is entitled to the throne however, seniority is not always decided by age but by other factors as it is pointed out by Hilda Kuper Among the Swazi aristocracy the first wife is never the main wife. Seniority in marriage brings certain advantages during the headman`s lifetime, but upon his death other factors are considered. The most important is pedigree, and the daughter of a king or leading chief generally takes precedence over all other wives.[15] The Swazi developed a sophisticated system of succession to protect the future king from the rivalry of his brothers to the extent that the first son of king is never going to take his place, Seniority and pedigree play an important role in selecting the future king.[16] Regarding tribal law, it is very different from state law and d oes not tend to be mixed as is the case with both Swazi and Mayogo as knowledge of the chiefdom law and court procedure are part of the daily life of chiefdom people.[17] A Comparison between the Chiefdom and the State Just like the state, the country of Swaziland is divided into different districts. The queen shares power with the king, however her realm is situated in the area of household and rituals. Unlike Western countries, religion in Swaziland is an important aspect of the country that is governed by the queen; it is one of the characteristics that differentiate an outsider from a Swazi. The Swaziland chiefdom maintains its political system and insures its survival by following a system of military fear based on executions so that any enemy would think twice before trying to invade the country. The second way is upgrading lineage through marriage, whereby women play a major role in succession mainly the queen mother, as the children of a senior wife are supervised and shunned from going outside to protect them from magic spills. In other words, the king rules outside while the queen rules inside the household. Even though the country is big, the king insure that it stays in order by dividin g into district and letting local chiefs (sikhulu) reign them and in cases of district that the king does not trust he appoints his brother or his half brother to rule them, a practice used during the reign of King Mswati, when the Kingdom of Swaziland rule over a large territory and have a reputation. According to Hilda Kuper power moves down through a chain of British-appointed officials on the one side and the traditional hierarchy on the other, with conflict centered in a few leading personalities. Educated Swazi, including some of the traditional system for reaching rapid and major decisions, but they are seeking to build on certain accepted foundations and do not want an imitation of constitutional techniques developed in alien context.[18] In a chiefdom both power can be shared with states with small incidents of conflicts compared to tribes, and most of the time when the chiefdom laws came to contradict laws of the states it is usually driven by personal interest. For instance, the reason for changing the Westminster constitution that the British brought to Swaziland has to do with the failure of a Prince Mfanasibili in elections against Ngwenya, therefore to get rid of his rival he found the loophole that since he is a South African he was deported to the border in may 25 1972 and because the conistution was in favour of Ngwenya regarding his deportation, it was also changed.[19] The independence of Swaziland brought the problem of who is entitled toser ve in an office with such factors as loyalty and family playing a major role in appointment the educated Swazi who are not from a royal kinship posed a problem to the royal group and raised their concern over education as a means to secure their positions. The opposite is apparent in the Mayogo of Northern Democratic Republic of Congo. Unlike the British colonies where education was emphasize, the French colonies relied on military people to rule on their colonies Citizenship is an important aspect of defining who is Swazi and who is not, in practice all those people entitled to be Swazi have the privileges of security, that is protection from enemies, they can acquire land; and most importantly they can have the national mark in order to wear Swazi consume which is a slit in the lobes of the ears.[20] The chiefdom shares with the state the concept of citizen and who is entitled to be a citizen? Such a question is going to raise problems in Swaziland due to its diversified population and the changing concept of allegiance, as it system by which Swazi express their loyalty to their king. However, the influx of many non-Swazi who were brought by the white settlers brought the issue of loyalty to the fore as they plead their allegiance to their employers instead of the king, in addition to their different traditions and culture which makes the Swazi feel threatened about their status to the extent of putting the blame on crime on the non-Swazi po pulation.[21] According the Swaziland law Citizenship was a privilege, not a right; a commitment, not a label,[22] which means that factors such as language, history, race and religion come to define who is a Swazi and who is not, therefore citizenship is exclusive and not inclusive. Another problem that is brought the issue of citizenship is the fact that South Africa is home to 700, 000 Swazi people which indicates the problem of the king to grant them citizenship without land support and most importantly the problem of dual citizenship as they are both citizens of South Africa and also entitled to the citizenship of Swaziland, while the non-Swazi who live in Swaziland are not regarded as citizens as they lack the features of a Swazi. Land is an important accepts in Swaziland in addition to pastorals rooted in its cattle complex[23] due to the importance of lobola which is usually expressed in cattles. The land posed to be a problem in 1907 as 45% of the land in Swaziland was owned by non-Swazi owing to the Land Proclamation of 1907.[24] Unlike, its neighboring country Zimbabwe, the Swaziland government response to reform the land by taking into consideration the local Swazi without alienating the white community A major component of the state in addition to sovereignty and territory is monopoly over the use of violence. The distinction between police and soldier does not exit in Swazi chiefdom it was only brought by the British. The Swazi rely on emabutfo to provide protection; they are a mix of soldier and police. However by the coming of the British they introduced police force which was viewed as a rival by Emabutfo.[25] However the role of Emabutfo is going to be underscored due to the regional incidents that occurred in Ethiopia where Haile Selassie was deposed and Mozambique where the socialist Samora Machel was recognized as the leader of the country. These events prompted Swaziland to develop an army by relying on emabutfo. [26] Conclusion To conclude, the chiefdom share many point with tribes and states. however, the fact it has many point to share with the state that the tribe make it adaptable to survive even within the boundary of the state because it does not threat the establishment of the state. It shares with the state the social contract under which the population pays loyalty through obedience and taxes in return for protection. And unlike the tribe the chiefdom does not have the problem of minority group. Because even in their meeting not everybody in the chiefdom is invited in the secret meetings save the elders, whereas in a tribal society every person who is an adult has a saying that the chief has to take into consideration as he has the power to influence decision making but to the extent of making an order. Bibliography Chief Anga Ganga Kangolo Lost Kingdoms. Discovery Channel, 1988. Kuper, Hilda. The Swazi: a South African Kingdom. Mason, Ohio: Cenage Learning, 2002. Lawrence of Arabia, DVD, Directed by David Lean. 1962.

The battle of Uhud

The battle of Uhud The Battle Of Uhud In The Name Of ALLAH The Beneficent The Merciful In this essay I will be looking at the underlying factors which led to the Battle of Uhud, the main events which occurred, including my own analysis as well as looking at the result of the battle. The Battle of Uhud was a follow up to the Battle of Badr, the opening clash between the Muslims and the pagans of Makkah. The Makkans had suffered a surprise loss against the Muslims with many noblemen being killed. After this defeat there was outrage in Makkah. There was a lot of pressure on Abu Sufyan now that he was leader of Quraish. Abu Sufyan had avoided showing up at Badr, choosing instead to save the caravan[1]. He was even under pressure in his own home from his wife, Hind, who had lost her father, uncle, brother and son[2] at Badr. Her relatives were killed by a combination of Hamzah and Ali[3] so she had an insatiable thirst for revenge especially against Hamzah as described later. To Abu Sufyans credit, he showed a great desire for revenge himself, pledging the entire proceeds from the caravan in order to raise funds for another battle against the Muslims. He managed to assemble an army of 3000 with 700 armoured with 3000 camels and 200 horses. The army marched towards Madinah arriving there on 6th Shawwal 3 AH[4][5]. The Prophet (SAW)[6] was already aware of the threat having received an urgent letter[7] from Makkah[8]. The Prophet (SAW) held a council of war the following morning. It was decided that the Muslims would go out and meet the enemy. The Muslim army consisted of 1000 men with only 100 armoured and no cavalry. The army reached a place called Ash-Shaikhan where they camped for the night. The following morning, the Muslims had moved to within sight of the enemy. The hypocrites decided to return to Madinah led by Abdullah Bin Ubayy. 300 men withdrew and left the Muslims with 700. It is obvious the hypocrites did not wish to fight so this looks to be a carefully devised plan by Abdullah and his followers in order to weaken the Muslims both in physical strength as well as their morale. The moment of withdrawal was deliberately chosen so close to the start of the battle and within sight of the enemy so that they could see this occurrence and therefore receive fresh encouragement[9]. The Prophet (SAW) moved his army again and positioned them so that the enemy was between them and Madinah. This shows the incredible military leadership of the Prophet (SAW), having arrived at the battlefield after the enemy he took up a better position which would restrict the numerical advantage of the Makkans as well as being protected on all sides apart from one which would lead the pagans to expose the Muslim rear[10]. To deal with this he placed 50 archers under the command of Abdullah Bin Jabir on a mountain with explicit instructions not to vacate the position no matter whether the Muslims were winning or losing. The battle began with the most ferocious fighting centring on the Bani Abdu-Dar who were charged by the Qurarish to be the standard bearers. Bani Abdu-Dar fought courageously with each family member picking up the standard after the previous one was slaughtered and until all 10 members of the family are dead[11]. Then their huge Abyssinian slave takes the standard and continues to fight until he too is slain[12]. After this there was no one left to carry the standard. Hamzah, one of the heroes of Badr was again fighting bravely. It has already been mentioned that Hind wanted revenge so she hired an Abyssinian slave called Wahshi, who was an expert in the use of a javelin, to assassinate Hamzah in return for his freedom. Hamzah had just killed his third opponent, when Wahshi, who until that point had been hiding behind trees and rocks trying to get within range of his target, took aim and struck Hamzah straight through the stomach. Wahshi then waited for Hamzah to die before removing the javelin and then returned to the Quraish camp. However Hind was still not satisfied and after the battle she mutilated his body including cutting open his stomach and taking a bite out of his liver[13]. Despite the great loss of the uncle of the Prophet (SAW), the Muslims pushed forward and seized the advantage, the bulk of the Quraish army turning and fleeing with the Muslims in hot pursuit. The Muslims managed to raid the Quraish camp and started plundering the booty. This should have been the end of the battle and another clear cut victory for the Muslims. Unfortunately, this is where the biggest controversy of the Battle of Uhud occurs. The archers, who until now had managed to hold off the advance of the pagan cavalry, decided to join the plunder and disobey the direct command of the Prophet (SAW) as mentioned earlier. Abdullah Bin Jabir, repeatedly called his men to return to their posts but his cries fell on deaf ears as the archers continued towards the Quraish camp intent on a share of the spoils. Khalid Bin Waleed had managed to keep his men under control amidst the chaos surrounding them. Khalid was keeping an eye on the developments taking place amongst the archers and was looking to exploit just such an opportunity that had presented itself. It was at this moment Khalid made his move and pulled off a masterstroke. The remaining archers were very valiant and determined to follow the Prophet (SAW)s instructions down to the last letter. All of them became shaheed[14] whilst defending the position given to them by the Prophet (SAW). Khalid had attempted to pull of this manoeuvre a few times earlier but was prevented by the archers but had finally succeeded in doing so due to the archers abandonment of their occupied position. This signalled a reversal in fortunes for the Muslims. The bulk of Quraish who had previously being fleeing, seeing the sudden developments, returned to battle. The Muslims were trapped and under attack on two fronts which led to mass confusion and panic even resulting in Muslim killing Muslim albeit accidently[15]. The Prophet (SAW) was left in an exposed and vulnerable position with only a small group of Sahabah[16] with him and the remainder of the army too far for him to control[17]. The Prophet (SAW) was a courageous man and tried to rectify the situation by putting his own life on the line. He called the Muslims towards him although the idolaters recognised his voice and were closer to him therefore reached him first[18]. The battle now centred on the Prophet (SAW) and this has to be the most difficult trying and testing moment of his life surpassing the day of Taif[19]. More pagans left the main battle and charged towards the Prophet (SAW). This small group of Sahabah performed many heroics in order to defend their leader who they loved more than their own lives. They were under severe pressure but they fought ferociously. Many of them became shaheed. The Prophet (SAW) was pelted by stones and received injuries including broken lower font teeth. After this there was a lull in the fighting, while the Makkans were regrouping, Abu Ubaidah used his teeth to remove the rings stuck in the Prophet (SAW)s cheek breaking his own teeth in the process[20]. Ubayy Bin Khalf rode towards the Prophet (SAW) on horseback. The Prophet (SAW) told the Sahabah to allow him to approach. This man had a personal dual to settle with the Prophet (SAW). The Sahabah moved out the way, the Prophet (SAW) picked up a spear and launched it at him. It hit Ubayy between his collarbone and neck and he fell of his horse and ran back to the Quraish camp[21]. The fighting resumed once again with greater intensity and purpose. The Prophet (SAW) had a human shield[22] protecting him from arrows[23]. Ibn Qamiah managed to strike him with his sword on the shoulder resulting in the Prophet (SAW) falling behind in to a ditch dug as a trap by the enemy. Ibn Qamiah then raced back to declare the death of the Prophet (SAW). The rumour spread quickly. The main army of Muslims were heartbroken. Some fled to the mountains, some toward the desert, some toward Madinah while the rest only wanted to fight till the end. The Quraish then commit the same mistake as the Muslims, thinking they had completed their objective they started plundering after the booty. The Quraishi women then began mutilating the bodies of the deceased. By now the majority of the Muslim army had dispersed. The Prophet (SAW) began to make a planned withdrawal with the remaining Sahabah who were mostly injured, some more severe than others, were joined by another group of Muslims as they retreated to Mount Uhud. Khalid had spotted this withdrawal and raced after them with some of his men but was unable to catch them before they reached Uhud. Khalid realised the situation was not in his favour as he was on horseback on mountainous terrain. Khalid then informed Abu Sufyan who was looking for the body of the Prophet (SAW) that he was up in the mountain. Abu Sufyan approached hoping that the rumour was still true, thereby had an interesting conversation with Omar[24]. The Muslims started gathering at where the Prophet (SAW) was resting. The Muslim women[25] were tending to the injured. Once the enemy had vacated the battlefield the Muslims went to inspect the dead and wounded. The Janaazah[26] was performed. The Muslims returned to Madinah[27]. The Muslims had lost 70 men whilst the idolaters had lost 22. The pagans spent the night celebrating. Meanwhile, in Madinah, the Muslims were counting their scars but on the orders of the Prophet (SAW) they went after the Quraish the following morning. Abu Sufyan was satisfied with the result and felt Badr had been avenged by Uhud. Even Hind was pleased. Khalid was one of those who wished to finish the Muslims while they were weakened and destroy Islam once and for all. He believed they had achieved nothing which was indeed correct because the Prophet (SAW) and the most prominent Sahabah were still alive and the Islamic State was still intact. Abu Sufyan feared the 300 who had withdrawn would return in the event of another battle although the Prophet (SAW) only asked those who had participated the previous day to return. On hearing the news of the approaching Muslim army, the panic stricken Quraish fled. My opinion is that the result of the battle is a win for the Muslims albeit not as clear cut as the Battle of Badr. In boxing terms, it was a split decision to the Muslims. Although in terms of casualties it is agreed the Muslims suffered the heavier losses but this is a superficial way of looking at the result of the battle. The best way to judge the battle is to look at the aims and objectives of both sides. Bringing such a large army and having spent such a large amount of money, my opinion is the Quraish undoubtedly wished to kill the Prophet (SAW), wipe out Islam completely and destroy the Islamic State at Madinah. None of these were achieved. Before Abu Sufyan left the battlefield he knew the Prophet (SAW) was alive, he chose not pursue the Muslims up the mountain and chose not to raid Madinah. It must not be forgotten that Quraish army was 3 times larger than the Muslims[28] and yet they only managed to kill 70 Muslims and having had the advantage they did not seize it. It loo ked to be a comfortable victory for the Muslims. The turning point was certainly the disobedience of the archers and the great manoeuvre of Khalid. A victorious army would not have fled the following morning. There are many lessons to be learned from Uhud such as do not disobey the Prophet (SAW). The Quran contains over 60 verses regarding Uhud[29] I would like to end with one such verse: Allah verily made good His promise to you when you routed them by His permission, until (the moment) when your courage failed you, and you disagreed about the order and you disobeyed, after He had shown you that for which you long. Some of you desired the world, and some of you desired the Hereafter. Therefore He made you flee from them, that He might try you. Yet now He has forgiven you. Allah is a Lord of Kindness to believers.[30] Bibliography Akkad, M. (Director) (1976) The Message [Film] Libya: Filmco International Productions Akram, A.I. (2007) Khalid Bin Waleed Sword Of ALLAH Birmingham: Maktabah Mubarakpuri, S.R. (2002) The Sealed Nectar London: Darussalam Subhani, J. (2000) The Message Qum: Ansaryian Publications Watt, W.M. (1961) Muhammad Prophet Statesman Oxford: Oxford University Press [1] This caravan contained the property and wealth of the emigrants who sacrificed everything to go to Madinah. The caravan had safely made it to Syria and was on the return journey to Makkah. [2] Also Abu Sufyans son [3] Khalid Bin Waleed P:18 [4] Late March 625 [5] The Sealed Nectar P:294 [6] Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam = May the peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him [7] From his uncle Abbas who was a Muslim yet to declare his faith and still living in Makkah. [8] The Sealed Nectar P:293 [9] The Sealed Nectar P:298 [10] Khalid Bin Waleed P:23 [11] The Sealed Nectar P:306 [12] The Sealed Nectar P:307 [13] Khalid Bin Waleed P:39 [14] Martyrs [15] Khalid Bin Waleed P:30 [16] Companions [17] Khalid Bin Waleed P:32 [18] The Sealed Nectar P:313 [19] When the Prophet (SAW) went to Taif to preach Islam but was ridiculed by the chiefs and stoned by the towns children. [20] The Sealed Nectar P:321 [21] When he came to Madinah to ransom his son after Badr, he said he would kill the Prophet (SAW) but the Prophet (SAW) promised to kill him instead. Indeed the prophecy came true. It is reported the wound was only superficial however he was adamant he would die causing hysteria among the pagans. He died after the battle on the way back to Makkah. [22] Abu Dujanah [23] Khalid Bin Waleed P:33 [24] AS: Is Mohammed among you? Is Abu Bakr among you? Is Omar among you? (no response)AS: These 3 are dead. They will trouble us no more O: You lie O enemy of ALLAH! Those 3 are still alive and there are enough of us left to punish you severely! AS: May ALLAH protect you O son of Khattab! Is Mohammed really alive? O: By my Lord Yes! Even now he hears what you say AS: You are more truthful than Ibn Qamiah AS: Glory to Hubal! O[now repeating the words of the Prophet (SAW)]: Glory Be To ALLAH! AS: We have Uzza. You have no Uzza O: ALLAH is our Lord. You have no Lord AS: This is our day for your day of Badr. It is equal O: they are not equal. Our dead are in Paradise while your dead are in the fire! AS: we shall meet again at Badr next year. O: You have our pledge. It is an appointment. AS: You will find among your dead some who have been mutilated. I neither ordered this nor approved of it. Do not blame for this. [25] Including the Prophet (SAW)s daughter Fatimah and his wife Aisha [26] Funeral Prayer [27] The Sealed Nectar P:334 [28] 4x after withdrawal of hypocrites [29] Mainly in Surah Ali Imran [30] 3:152