Praise be to Allah who said: “And for those who fears the time when they will be standing before their Lord, there shall be two gardens (in Paradise).” [Sûrah al-Rahmân: 46]
May Allah bestow His peace and blessings on His prophet who said: “If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much". [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (4621, 6486, 7295) and Sahîh Muslim (2359)] And may Allah be pleased with the Companions who wept upon hearing this hadîth.
It is right for us to have fear of that day that we all have to face. That Day of Resurrection is a day of distress and deep regret. It is that long and ominous Day in which all humanity will stand before their Lord. On that day, fear will make the pregnant woman miscarry. People will be as if they are drunk but they shall not be drunk save that the severity of Allah’s punishment will make them that way. On that day, fear will make the hair on the heads of small children turn gray.
We should seriously start to prepare ourselves for that day, since it is the crossroads on the long journey of our existence. From there, we will head either to Paradise or to the Hellfire. Those who enter paradise will dwell there for all eternity in perpetual happiness and enjoyment, while those who go to Hell will face torture, and the denizens of Hell will find to their distress that they have eternal lives as well.
We must, however, have an optimistic outlook regarding our Lord. His mercy is truly vast for those who believe in Him and worship Him sincerely and it always takes precedence to His wrath. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has told us that Allah is more merciful to us than a devoted mother is to her newborn child. [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (5999) and Sahîh Muslim (2754)]
The fear that we have of the Day of Resurrection should motivate us to be more devoted in worship and more ready to engage in good deeds. We should pray and fast more often and renew our efforts to make pilgrimage. We should be good to our families and show kindness to our parents. There are many different ways to do good.
This same fear should help us to abstain from sinful acts and disobedience to Allah. This fear, then, will actually have a positive effect on us. It is not a negative fear that will make us inactive and despair of Allah’s mercy.
Activities to prepare us for the hereafter
The following activities are very helpful in helping a Muslim prepare for that dreadful day, “a day wherein they will be brought forth and nothing about them will be hidden from Allah.” [Sûrah Ghâfir: 16]
1. We should read the Qur’ân and contemplate its meanings. We should consider its rulings and appreciate the good that it promises us as well as the warnings that it gives us.
2. We should read about the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We should study how he conducted himself in obedience to Allah and how he abstained from overindulgence in worldly pleasures.
3. We should likewise read the biographies of the Companions and those who followed after them and look at how they strove to attain success in the Hereafter.
4. We should often contemplate the inevitability of death. We should be aware of the trials that follow in the grave and during the resurrection. We should visualize ourselves standing before Allah, the most scrupulous and just of judges. We should think about the bridge that we will have to cross in order to attain salvation, a bridge from which many will slip and fall to their destruction. We should think about the joy that will be experienced by the people of Paradise and the suffering and sorrow of the denizens of Hell.
We need to always keep in mind that death can come to us at any moment. How do we wish to meet our Lord? Do we wish to do so in a state of grace and obedience or would we like to do so while engaged in sin?
Ibn `Umar relates to us that the prophet (peace be upon him) once put his hand on his shoulder and said to him: “Be in the world as if you are a wayfarer or a stranger passing through.” Because of this, Ibn `Umar would often say: “When night falls, do not look forward to the dawn and when day breaks do not anticipate the night. Take full advantage of your health before you succumb to illness and of your life before death overtakes you.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6416)]
5. We need to seriously study to acquire Islamic knowledge. When we acquire more knowledge of our religion, we become more aware of Allah and more God-fearing. Allah says: “The only people who fear Allah from among His servants are those who possess knowledge.”
6. We should keep company with pious people, especially those who have Islamic knowledge and those who are engaged in calling others to Islam. Likewise, we should avoid the company of sinful and unscrupulous people. Good company helps us to purify our hearts. We also find support in such people for our efforts to do what is right. Conversely, bad company hardens our heart. Immoral people encourage us to do immoral things. Also, when our hearts become hardened, we become far away from Allah and more attached to worldly things.
7. We should always keep in mind that this world is a transient place. Those who enjoy the pleasures of this world will not be able to take those pleasures with them. They have only their deeds to send before them. Allah says: “On the Day when every soul will find itself confronted with all that it has done of good and all that it has done of evil, and every soul will long that there might be a mighty space of distance between it and that evil. Allah bids you beware of Him. And Allah is full of pity for His servants.” [Sûrah Âl `Imrân: 30]
No matter how great this world may seem to us, it is in truth quite insignificant. No matter how enduring it may appear right now, it is as fleeting as a night that must end at another sunrise. Our worldly lives will come to an end at the grave.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The life of this world compared to the Hereafter is as if one of you were to put his finger in the ocean and take it out again then compare the water that remains on his finger to the water that remains in the ocean.” [Sahîh Muslim (2858)]
8. Lastly, we must spend more time in sincere supplication to our Lord. We should ask Him to make the Hereafter dearer to us and to make us less fond of the world. We should beseech Him to grant us Paradise with all of its delights and to spare us His wrath. Truly, Allah hears and answers our prayers.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
MIRACLES OF QURAN
The Holy Qur'an is the last and final revelation of Allah Subhanu WaTaala, which was revealed to the last and final messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). For any book to claim that It is a revelation from Allah Subhana WaTala - for any book to claim, It is a word of Almighty God, it should stand the test of time - It should prove itself to be the word of God in all the ages.
Previously it was the age of Miracles, ‘Moujaza’. A ‘Miracle’ is any unusual event, for which the human beings do not have any explanation. It is any unusual event which is attributed to a Super Natural Power or Almighty God. The Holy Qur'an is the ‘Miracle of Miracles’. But for a modern man to accept any Miracle, he will first analyze and verify it. Alhamdulillah, the Holy Qur'an proved itself to be aword of God 1400 years ago. Even today it can be analyzed and verified, and even in future, and it will always prove It itself to be a word of Almighty God – It is a Miracle of all times. Suppose a person says that he has done a Miracle – I would like to give an example of Baba Pilot who said, ‘that he stayed underwater in a tank, for three days’. And when the reporters, when they wanted to examine, the base of the tank, he said… ‘how can you examine the womb of the mother, which gives birth to the child?’ - And He prevented the reporters, from examining the base of the tank. Will a modern man accept such Miracles? . If such Miracles are the tests, then he has to agree with me, that P. C. Sorcar who happens to be one of the leading magicians of the world, he will be considered as the best god-man alive today.
Later on, came the age of literature and poetry - Muslims and non-Muslims alike - they acclaim the Holy Qur’an to be the best Arabic literature available on the face of the earth. And the Holy Qur'an gives a challenge in Surah Al-Baqara, Ch. No. 2, Verse No. 23, and 24, where it says… ‘And if you are in doubt, as what we have revealed to our servant from time to time then produce a Surah some what similar to it. And call forth your witnesses and helpers if there are any besides Allah, but if your doubts are truthful and if ye cannot. And of a surety you cannot, then fear the fire which is prepared for those who reject faith whose fuel shall be men and stones’. For any one to try and accept this challenge - but natural the Surah they produce should be in Arabic. There are certain Surahs which are hardly three verses hardly three sentences. The Surah they produce should be in Arabic - The language should be as divine as that of the Holy Qur'an as noble as the Holy Qur'an. The language of the Holy Qur'an is miraculous, is unsurpassable, intelligible, it has the highest rhetoric and at the same time it is very rhythmic. When any one wants to praise a person or wants to glorify anyone, he deviates away from reality - and the best example you can see is in the Hindi movies when the hero praises the heroine, and he tries to please her and says ‘Main tumhare liye chand tod ke leke aounga, mai tomhare liye sitare tod ke leke aounga’ ‘I will get for you the Moon I will get for you the star’. The more you try and praise a person, the more you deviate away from reality.
Alhamdulillah, though the Qur'an is rhythmic it does not deviate from reality.
There were many people who tried to produce a Surah like the Qur'an, but they failed miserably. No one has been able to do it so far, and no one InshaAllah will be able to do it till eternity. But suppose if I tell you that there is a religious scripture who says in a very poetic fashion that ‘the world is flat’ - Will a modern man today believe?. But natural no, because today is not the age of literature and poetry - Today is the age of science and technology. Let as analyze today the Holy Qur'an and modern science - whether they conflict or conciliate? The Qur'an and modern science whether they contradict or they are compatible?
According to the famous physicist, Albert Einstein, who had got the Nobel prize, he said – ‘Science without religion is lame, and religion without science is blind’. I would like to repeat it - Albert Einstein said that ‘Science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind’. I would like to remind you that the Holy Qur'an is not a ‘book of Science’… S-C-I-E-N-C-E; but it's a book of Signs… S-I-G-N-S; it's a book of Ayaats - and there are more than 6000 Signs or 6000 Ayats, out of which more than a thousand speak about Science. There are some people who would be satisfied just by acquiring one sign. Some people require 10 signs to accept the truth. Some may require a hundred, while the others even after you produce a thousand signs to them yet they will not accept the truth.
As far as this topic is concerned, I will only be speaking about those scientific facts which have been established. I will not be speaking about theories which are based on assumptions and hypothesis, because we know very well that many a times science based on theories and hypothesis it takes U-turns.
Atom
In the field of Physics, there was a theory known as ‘Atomism’. That ‘atom’ is the smallest part of matter, which cannot be divided. This theory was propounded by Democrats, the Greek, twenty-three centuries ago. And it was also known to the Arabs - and the Arabic word for atom, is ‘Zarra’. But today, after science has advanced, we have come to know that though ‘atom’ is the smallest particle of matter, having the characteristic of the element - it yet can be divided, into electrons, protons, etc. So people may think that the Qur'an is outdated. The Qur'an does speak about ‘Zarra’, and says It is a minute particle, but nowhere does it say that it cannot be divided.
In fact, the Qur'an says in Surah Sabah, Ch. No. 34, Verse No. 3. It says that… ‘When the unbelievers say that the hour will never come - tell them… it will surely come with the permission of the Lord who has the knowledge of the unseen, who has in His record, the minutest detail of an atom in the heaven and in the earth - and in His record is perspicuous things, smaller and greater than the ‘atom’. The Qur'an says therefore – ‘things smaller and greater than the atom’. So Qur'an is not outdated… it is up to date. A similar message is repeated in Surah Yunus, Ch. No. 10, Verse No. 61 that… ‘In Allah's record are perspicuous things, smaller and greater than the atom.
Zoology
In the field of ‘Zoology’, the Holy Qur'an says in Surah Anam, Ch. No. 6, Verse No 38, that… ‘We have created every living animal that lives on the earth and every bird that flies on the wings in the air, to live in communities like you’. Today science has discovered that even the animals and birds live in communities, like the human beings.
Ants
The Qur'an says in Surah Naml, Ch. No. 27, Verse No 17 and 18, that… ‘before Solomon marched, the hosts of jinns, men and birds, and when they reached a lowly valley of ants, one of the ants said ‘get ye into your habitation, lest Solomon and his horses unknowingly will trample you beneath the feet’. People will think… ‘What kind of a fairy tale book is the Holy Qur'an? - This book the Holy Qur'an… It is speaking about ants - Ants talking among themselves – It is a fairy tale book’. Today we have come to know, that any animal or any insect which has the closest resemblance to that of the human being… it is the ant. The ants bury the dead the same way as the human beings do. They have a sophisticated method and division of labour, where they have manager, supervisor, workers, etc. They very often meet to chat. They have a sophisticated method of communication. They have market places where they exchange goods. And when they store the grain in winter, and if the grain begins to bud, the ants cut the bud as though they knew that budding will cause rotting of the grain. And in Monsoon, if the grain gets wet, they bring it out in the sunlight to dry. Surely you might have seen the ants carrying grain in the sunlight to dry as though they knew that humidity will cause the development of root system, which will cause rotting of the grain. So Qur'an speaks about the advanced nature of the ants, 1400 years ago.
Bees
The Qur'an says in Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 68 and 69… ‘It is the Lord who has taught the bees to build cells, in hills, in trees and human habitations and to eat of what the earth produces, and to find the spacious path of the Lord, with great skill’. What does the Qur'an mean by… ‘Allah (SWT) has taught the bee to find the spacious path of the Lord?’ Fon Frisch, who is a scientist, he got the Noble Prize, in 1973, when he described the behavior of the animals, specially the communication method of the bee. And today we have come to know, that when ever a worker bee finds a new flower or a new garden from where it can take nectar, it goes and tells its fellow bees, the exact direction and map of that new flower or garden - It is called as the ‘bee dance’. Only today, we have come to know by high photographic method - how is this communication given.
The gender used in the Holy Qur'an in these Verses of Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse 68, and 69 is a female gender ‘Quli’, or ‘Fasluki’ which means a ‘Female bee’. Previously we thought it was the male bee which was the worker bee. No wonder, Shakespeare in his play Henry the IV - he writes that the soldier bee, the male bee goes and reports to the king. Today we have come to know - it is not the king whom they report to, it is the queen - and the worker bee is not the Male bee – It is a Female bee. Imagine! Qur'an speaks about the gender of the worker bee 1400 years ago, which we have discovered today.
Spiders
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Ankabut, Ch. No. 29, Verse No 41, that… ‘As to those who take for protectors, anyone besides Allah (SWT) they build for themselves houses like that of the spider - and verily, the house of the spider is fragile, it is delicate’. Besides, the Qur'an saying, that anyone who takes for protectors anyone besides Allah (SWT), the physical nature of their house will be like that of the spider fragile, delicate, flimsy - it also gives a reference to their family life, which we have to know today, that many a times, the female spider kills the male spider.
Flight of Birds
The Qur'an describes the flight of the bird in Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16. Verse No 79… ‘Do you not look at the bird subjected in the midst in the air?’ None of them can hold them up except with the power of Allah (SWT)’. The Qur'an repeats in Surah Mulk, Ch. No. 67, Verse No 19… ‘Do you not observe the birds above you? They spread their wings and they fold it. None can hold them up except with the power of Allah (SWT). And He watches over all things’. This verse of the Holy Qur'an - there is a very striking resemblance with what modern science has discovered today, that the birds have got a certain migratory programming in their nervous system. That is the reason that young birds, without any prior experience, can take flights of thousands of miles without a guide and they come back to the departure point also. And a very good example is given by Professor Hamburger in his book ‘Power and fragility of the Mutton bird’. The Mutton bird lives in the Pacific - It has a journey of more than 15,000 miles, and it takes about six months, and it comes back to the departure point in a delay of not more than one week. How is it possible? Scientists say, ‘there has to be a certain programming of these birds’. Who is programming them? But natural, as the Holy Qur'an says ‘Allah (SWT) holds them up’ - The Arabic word 'Amsaka' meaning to seize or to hold.
Geology
Let us discuss the field of Geology. Today the Geologists, they tell us that the earth we live on, the outer crust it's hard and solid, and the deeper layers they are hot and fluid and inhospitable for the existence of living creatures. The Geologists, they tell us that outer crust is very thin - hardly 1 to 10 miles - Less than one percent of the radius of the earth, which is 3750 miles. And the outer crust is very thin and there are high possibilities of it shaking. Today Geologists tell us, it is due to the ‘folding phenomena’, which gives rise to mountain ranges - and these mountains, they prevent the earth from shaking; they act as ‘pegs’ as ‘stakes’.
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Naba, Ch. No. 78, Verse No. 6 and 7. It says… ‘We have made the earth as an expanse and the mountains as stakes’. The Arabic word ‘Avtaad’, means ‘Stakes’, means ‘Pegs’ - which we have discovered today. The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Jashiya, Ch. No. 88, Verse No. 19, as well as in Surah Naziat, Ch. No. 79, Verse No 32. It says 'We have made the mountain standing firm'.
There is a book by the title 'The Earth' which is a very famous book - an authority in this field, which is referred by most of the universities throughout the world, in this subject. One of its authors, name is Frank Press, and he gives the illustration of the mountain in this book called 'The Earth', as wedge shaped, and he says… ‘The function of the mountain is to stabilize the Earth's Crust’. And Quran says that.
The same information in Surah Anbiya, Ch. No. 21, Verse No 31, as well as in Surah Luqman, Ch. No. 31, Verse No 10, and Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse No 15, that… ‘We have set on the Earth Mountains standing firm lest it would shake. The Qur'an gives the functions of the mountain 1400 years ago, which we discovered today
Medicine
In the field of Medicine, the holy Qur'an says in Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 68 and 69, that… ‘From the belly of the bee you get a drink of varying colours, in which there is healing for mankind’. It is recently we have come to know that the honey we have is derived from the bee. It is the bee which is responsible for the honey - We did not know about this before. And today we know honey has got high nutritive values. It is rich in vitamin K and Fructose and it has got mild antiseptic properties. No wonder the Russian soldiers, they used honey to cover up their wounds which prevented the evaporation of moisture and left very little scar tissue. Any person suffering from an allergy of a particular plant - if honey produced from that plant is given, that person starts developing resistance to that allergy.
Finger Tips
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Qiyamah, Ch. No. 75, Verse No. 3 and 4… ‘The unbelievers ask, that how will Allah (SWT) be able to reassemble our bones’. Allah says… ‘We can not only reassemble the bones, We can even reconstruct in perfect order the very finger tips’. When the unbelievers say… ‘After we are buried, after our bones have got disintegrated, how will Allah (SWT) on the Day of Judgment, reassemble our bones’. So Allah says… ‘He will not only be able to reassemble the bones, He can even reconstruct your very fingertip in perfect order’. It is referring to the finger printing method, which was discovered by Sir Francis Gold in 1880, and he said that - ‘No two finger prints, of two individuals are equal even in a million people’. No wonder the police, the CID, the CIA, the FBI - they use the finger printing method to identify the culprit. Qur'an speaks about that 1400 years ago… ‘Allah can not only reassemble the bones, he can even reconstruct in perfect order the very finger tips’.
Receptors Of Skin
I would like to end it by giving the example of Professor Tagata Tagashon. Previously, the doctors they thought that only the brain was responsible for feeling of pain. It is now we have come to know that there are certain receptors in the skin, called as ‘pain receptors’, which are also responsible of feeling of pain. No wonder when a patient of burn injury comes to a doctor, he takes a pin and he pricks it in that area. If the patient feels pain, doctor is very happy - It means it is a superficial burn, the pain receptors are intact. If he does not feel pain, it is a deep burn; the pain receptors have been destroyed. The Qur'an says in Surah Nisa, Ch. No. 4, Verse No. 56, ‘As to those who reject our signs, We shall cast them into the hell fire, and as often as their skins are roasted, We shall give them fresh skins, so that they shall feel the pain’. Qur'an says… ‘If your skin is roasted, We shall give you fresh skin, so that you'll feel the pain’. Giving an indication… there is something in the skin which is responsible for the feeling of pain – Indication is the pain receptor. When Professor Tagata Tagashon, who is the head of the department of Anatomy, in Shangma University in Thailand - he was given the translation of this verse. And he has spent a lot of time in doing research on pain receptors, he said… ‘It is impossible that Qur'an can mention this. We discovered it recently – How is it possible?’ - He did not agree with it. Later on, after checking with the Holy Qur'an, after verifying the Holy Qur'an, he was so impressed, that in the 8th Medical Saudi Conference, in Riyadh in the Conference, he said the Shahadah … ‘La Ilaha Il Allah, Muhammadur Rasulallah’. ‘There is no God but Allah, and Prophet Muhammed is the messenger of Allah (SWT)’.
Botany
In the field of ‘Botany’, we have come to know recently, that even the plants have got sexes - male and female - previously we did not know that. Even the Unisexual plant has got distinct characteristic of male and female. The Qur'an says in Surah Ta Ha, Ch. No. 20, Verse No 53… ‘It is Allah who sends down water from the sky and causes diverse pairs of plants to grow each separate from the other’. That means, the plants have got sexes - Male and Female. The Qur'an says in Surah Rad, Ch. No. 13, Verse No 3… ‘We have created every kind of fruit, in pairs two and two’. Even the fruit has have got sexes - Male and Female.
Hydrology
In the field of ‘Geography’, we learn in school about the coherent water cycle. This was first described by Sir Bernard Palestine, in 1580. And he said - how does water evaporate from the ocean, forms clouds, the cloud move in the interior - how do they fall as rain, the rain water flows into the ocean and the cycle is completed.
Previously people thought - in the 7th century BC Phase of Meletus - he said that ‘the spray of the ocean was picked up by the wind and it fell into the interior as rain’. People did not know - how did the underground water, the springs, where did they come from. So they thought that due to the pressure of the winds on the water, the thrust of the winds on the water - it fell into the interior as rain, and this rain water seeped into the soil, and returned to the ocean through a secret passage, ‘The Abyss’ which was known at the time of the Plato as ‘Tartarus’. People believed in this theory of Descartes, even till as late as 17th century. And philosophers like - Aristotle's theory was believed till as late as 19th century, that water vapor evaporated from the soil, it condensed in mountain caverns, and these mountain caverns formed lakes which fed the spring water.
Today we know that the underground water, the springs, it is due to the seepage of the rain water. And the Qur'an says that in Surah Al-Zumur, Ch. No. 39, Verse No 21… ‘Sees't thou not that it is Allah who sends down rain from the sky, and seeps it in the sources in the ground - in the springs in the earth, and causes sown seed of various colours to grow’.
The message is repeated in Surah Rum, Ch. No. 30, Verse No. 24… ‘Allah sends down rain - and the dead earth… He brings it back to life’.
The Qur'an says in Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No 18, that… ‘It is Allah who sends down rain in due measure, we are able to store it, and We are also able to easily drain it’.
The Qur'an says in Surah Al-Hijr, Ch. No. 15, Verse No 22, it says that… ‘We send fecundating winds, winds impregnating, and cause rain to descend from the sky, and give you water in due measure’. The Arabic word 'Lawaaqi' used here, is the plural of 'laqi' derived from ‘laqaha’ which means ‘to impregnate or to fecundate’. The winds carrying the pollen - they impregnate the cloud and then rain falls. The wind causes the clouds to merge – there is condensation – there is lightning and rain falls from the clouds. The Qur'an describes the complete water cycle - how does the water evaporate, how it forms clouds, how it moves in the interior, how it falls down, how it flows back into the ocean in several places.
In Surah Nur, Ch. No. 24, Verse No. 43, in Surah Naba, Ch. No. 78, Verse No 12 to 14, as well as in Surah Rum, Ch. No. 30, Verse No 48. The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Nur, Ch. No. 24, Verse No 43, that… ‘We send mountain masses of clouds’. What does the Qur'an mean by saying, ‘We send mountain masses of clouds’? Today if anyone has been travelling in an Aero plane, he will realize that when the Aero plane goes above the clouds, and he looks at the clouds beneath, he will see that the clouds appear as mountain masses. Qur'an has said this 1400 years ago. There wasn't a Aero plane 1400 years ago.
Qur'an describes ‘Hydrology’, and ‘Water cycle’ in several places in great detail. It's mentioned in Surah Al Imran, Ch. No. 3, Verse No 9, in Surah Araf, Ch. No. 7, Verse No 57; In Surah Rad, Ch. No. 13, Verse No 17; In Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse No 48 to 49; In Surah Fatir, Ch. No. 35, Verse No 9; In Surah Yasin, Ch. No. 36, Verse No 34; In Surah Jathiyah, Ch. No. 45, Verse No 5; In Surah Qaf, Ch. No. 50, Verse No 9 to 10; In Surah Waqiah, Ch. No. 56, Verse No 68 to 70; as well as in Surah Mulk, Ch. No. 67, Verse No 30. The Qur'an describes the Hydrology and Water cycle, in great detail.
Water
In the field of Biology, the Holy Qur'an says in Surah Al Anbiya, Ch. No. 21, Verse No. 30…. (Arabic)… ‘We have created every living thing from water - Will you not then believe?’ Imagine in the deserts of Arabia, where there was scarcity of water, the Qur'an says… ‘Every thing was created from water’ - who would have believed in it? Anything else the Qur'an would have said people could have believed. ‘Water’ - where there was scarcity - the Qur'an says 1400 years ago… ‘Every living thing is created from water’. Today we have come to know, that Cytoplasm which is the basic substance of the living cell contains 80% water. Every living creature contains 50 to 70% water, and without water, the living creature cannot survive - It is a must. Qur'an asks you… (Arabic) … ‘We have created from water every living thing - Will you not then believe?’ Allah is saying… ‘that everything is created from water’ - which you came to know today. Qur'an mentions that 1400 years ago… ‘Will you not then believe?’ It is asking you a question - It wants a reply. The Qur'an says in Surah Nur, Ch. No. 24, Verse No. 45, that… ‘We have created every living animal from water’. The Qur'an says in Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse No 54… ‘We have created the man from water’. Imagine 1400 years ago, the Qur'an mentions this.
Physiology
In the field of ‘Physiology’, it was Ibne Nafees, who 600 years after the revelation of the Holy Qur'an, described the blood circulation. And 1000 years after the revelation of the holy Qur'an, that is 400 years after Ibne Nafees described the blood circulation William Harvey, he made it famous to the Western World. The food that we eat, it enters the stomach, it enters the intestine, from the intestine it goes into the blood vessels of the intestine and enters the blood circulation - and the blood circulation takes the foods substance to various organs including the mammary glands which produce milk. The Qur'an speaks about the blood circulation, and the production of milk in a nut shell, in Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 66, where it says, that… ‘Verily in the cattle is a lesson for you’. We give you to drink from what is within their bodies, coming from the conjunction of the constituents, of the intestine and blood, milk which is pure and pleasant for those who drink’. The Qur'an says in Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No. 21, that ‘Verily in the cattle, is an instructive sign for you. We give you to drink from what is within their bodies in which there is various benefit and of their meat you can eat’. Qur'an describes the blood circulation and the production of milk in a nut shell, 1400 years ago.
Oceanology
In the field of ‘Oceanology’, the Holy Qur'an says in Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse No 53, ‘It is Allah who has let free two bodies of flowing water one sweet and palpable and the other salt and bitter, and between them there is a ‘Barzakh’, a barrier, which is forbidden to be trespassed’.
The Qur'an repeats the message in Surah Rahman, Ch. No. 55, Verse No. 19 and 20, (Arabic)… that ‘It is Allah who has let free two bodies of flowing water which meet and between them there is a barrier which is forbidden to be trespassed’. The Arabic word ‘Barzakh’ means ‘a barrier’ and the Arabic statement mean ‘the flowing bodies of water, they meet and mix’.
Previously the commentators, they could not understand the two opposite description of the two bodies of flowing water. It says, ‘they meet and mix’, as well as it says… ‘There is a barrier between them’. The commentator of the Qur'an could not understand, explain, what did this verse actually mean - It was confusing. Today we have come to know, with the help of science, that there is a slanting barrier between the two bodies of salt water and sweet water - between the salt sea, and the sweet sea. And whenever water passes from one sea to the other sea, it looses its characteristics and gets homogenized into the water it flows. There is a barrier - but this barrier is called as ‘a transitional homogenizing space or area’. Both the waters though they meet and mix, but their characteristics yet remain the same. Salt water remains salt, the sweet water remains sweet. And this phenomenon can be seen in Cape Point, southern most tip of South Africa, in Cape Town - where salt and sweet water meet, but they are distinct - They don't mix. When they flow across, the water changes it is characteristics. Similar thing can be observed in Egypt, when river Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea. As well as, the example of Gulf Stream, which starts in the Gulf of Mexico - though it flows for thousands of miles, both the water, salt and sweet water, they are distinct. And if you are traveling in a boat, and if you pick up water from one side of the boat and water from the other side, you will find that both the waters are different. One is sweet and the other is salty. Even the temperature differs. Even in the area of Gibraltar, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean ocean, there is an unseen barrier, and this was confirmed. The phenomena which the Qur'an speaks about, was confirmed by Professor Hay, who is a leading marine of USA.
Darkness of Seas
Professor Durgarao, who is an expert in the field of ‘Marine Geology’ who is teaching in the University of King Abdul Aziz in Jeddah, he was asked to give his comments on a verse of the Holy Qur'an. From Surah Nur, Ch. No. 24, Verse No. 40, which says that… ‘The state of the unbeliever is like the depth of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with waves topped with waves, topped with dark clouds, the depths of darkness, one layered over the other.
When a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it; Allah gives light to whom He wishes. If He does not give light you cannot see’. Professor Durgarao, he said that… ‘This verse of the Holy Qur'an is not speaking about a normal sea – It is speaking about a deep sea. And today, only with the help of things like submarines, we have come to know the depths of the oceans - It is dark. Previously, we did not know that, because a man cannot go unaided, more than 20 to 30 meters under water - And if he goes more than 200 meters unaided, he dies. It is today, we have come to know, by the instruments that we have, that the depths of ocean is dark’. And he said… ‘This darkness is due to two phenomena - first is due to successive absorption of the colours in layers’. As we all know, the light has got seven colours - And we learnt in school for remembering easy: VIBGYOR, the colours of the rainbow. Vibgyor - V for violet, I for Indigo, B for blue, G for Green, Y for Yellow, O for Orange, and Red… R for Red – Vibgyor… Seven colours. Professor Durgarao said, that ‘When the light enters the ocean - by the first 15 to 20 meters, the Red colour is absorbed’. And if a man goes under water about 30 meters deep, and if he bleeds, if he has a wound, he will not be able to see his own blood - because Red colour does not reach there. Later on, 30 to 50 meters absorbs Orange. Yellow is absorbed by next 50 to 100 meters, green by 100 to 200 meters, and blue beyond 200 meters, and violet and indigo much above 200 meters. Therefore, the layers of darkness you see in the ocean, is due to the absorption of light in successive layers’. ‘The second reason for these layers’, Professor Durgarao said… ‘is due to barriers, like the clouds’. When the sunlight hits is the cloud, the cloud absorbs the light - therefore there is darkness below the cloud, then the light is scattered. After getting scattered, it hits is at the superficial waves of the ocean. This is the second barrier; the waves reflect the light further, the superficial waves of the ocean. Those light rays which are not reflected, they enter the ocean. Therefore, you have two types of layers in the ocean: ‘the superficial layer and the deep layer’. The superficial layer is warm and lit up, the deep layers, they are dark. And this superficial and deep layer of the ocean - it is divided by internal waves. We human beings did not know, that even there were internal waves - We only knew of superficial waves. It was only in 1900, that we have come to know that there are even waves deep in the water. They are known as internal waves, which divide the superficial part of the ocean and the deep part of the ocean. Imagine the Qur'an mentions that… ‘The unbelievers' state is like the depth of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with waves topped with waves’. That means - deep waves are there, internal waves are there, topped with superficial waves. And it further continues… ‘Topped with dark clouds’. The clouds are the barriers, and even the clouds are in layers. And when a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it. ‘Only if Allah gives light, can they see’. Even the fish that swim in the deep part of the ocean, they cannot see unless they have their own light with them. They have their own lights with them. Even the submarine that goes underwater, it carries its own light, otherwise they cannot see underwater. So when Professor Durgarao was asked, how come this is mentioned in the Qur'an 1400 years ago, he said – ‘It is impossible for any human being to mention this verse - This Qur'an has to be a Divine Revelation’.
Astrology
In the field of Astronomy - if you ask a scientist that how was our universe formed? - How did it come into existence? He will tell you about the Big Bang Theory - that initially the whole universe was one ‘Primary Nebula’. Then there was a secondary separation which gave rise to galaxies, which further split to form things such as our solar system, which gave rise to planets, the Sun and the present earth which we live in. It is stated in Holy Qur'an in Surah Al-Anbiya, Ch. No. 21, Verse No. 30, which says. (Arabic)… ‘Do not the unbelievers see. (Arabic)… the heavens and the earth were joined together, and We clove them asunder?’ This verse of the Holy Qur'an speaks about the Big Bang Theory, in a nutshell. Imagine, what we came to know today, the Holy Qur'an mentions 1400 years ago.
And the Qur'an also says in Surah Fussilat, Ch. No. 41, verse 11, that… ‘Moreover, in His design He comprehended the sky, and it had been smoke. And He said to it and the earth, come ye together willingly or unwillingly, and they said we come together in willing obedience’. The Arabic word used here is ‘Dukhan’, which means ‘Smoke’. If you ask a scientist, he will tell you that the, universe before it was formed, the celestial matter, it was in the state of ‘gas’, and the Arabic word ‘Dukhan’ which means Smoke, is more scientifically correct than mere ‘gas’. And according to Stephen Hawkins, who is a very famous scientist, he said – ‘the discovery of bridges of matter in the space is the biggest discovery of this century which gives us indisputable evidence of the creation of the universe and the Big Bang Theory’.
Expansion of Universe
The Qur'an says in Surah Dhariat, Ch. No. 51, Verse No. 47 that, ‘It is We who have constructed with power and skill, the firmaments - and It is We who make the vastness, and the expanding universe’. The Arabic word: ‘Musioona’ means, expanding universe, the vastness of space. Edwin Aero, who is a famous scientist, he discovered and said that ‘the universe is expanding’. The galaxies are receding from one another which the Qur'an has mentioned 1400 years ago. There may be some people who say… ‘It is nothing great that the Holy Qur'an speaks about Astronomy, since the Arabs - they were very well advanced in the field of Astronomy’. I would like to bring to their notice that it was centuries after the Holy Qur'an was revealed that the Arabs became advanced in Astronomy. So it is from the Qur'an, that the Arabs learnt about Astronomy, and not the vice versa.
Light of Moon
Previously we thought that the light of the Moon, is its own light. It is recently we discovered, that the light of the Moon is reflected light of the Sun. The Qur'an says in Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse No. 61… ‘Blessed is He who has created the constellations in the sky, and placed therein a lamp, and Moon having borrowed light’. The Qur'an says in Surah Yunus, Ch. No. 10, Verse No. 5… ‘It is Allah who has created the Sun as a shining glory and the Moon having a reflection of light’. The similar message is repeated in Surah Nuh, Ch. No. 71, Verse No. 15 to 16. The Arabic word for Sun is ‘Shams’. It's always described either as ‘Siraj’ meaning a torch, or ‘Wahaj’ meaning a blazing lamp, or ‘Diya’ – ‘meaning a shining glory’. The Moon - the Arabic word is ‘Qamar’. It's always described as ‘Munir’, meaning borrowed light or ‘Noor’, which is a reflection of light. Nowhere is the moon light described as ‘Siraj’ or ‘Wahaj’ or ‘Diya’ - always as ‘Munir’ or ‘Noor’ - that's borrowed light or a reflection of light.
The Qur'an says in Surah Tariq, Ch. No. 86 Verse No. 3… (Arabic)... The Arabic word for the Star is ‘Najm'. It is described as ‘Saqib - Its light is described as ‘Saqib’. It pierces the darkness and consumes itself.
Motion of Planets
Previously the Europeans, they thought that the Earth stood dead, in the centre of the Universe and all the planets - including the Sun, it revolved around the earth. It was known as the theory of 'Geocentricism'. It was believed by Tolomy in the second century BC, and was believed till as late as 16th century, until Copernicus said that the Earth and the planets revolve around the Sun. And later on, in 1609 Yuhanas Kepler wrote in his book, ‘Astronomia Novia’… that not only do the earth and the planets revolve around the Sun, they also rotate about their own axis’.
When I was in school I had learnt that the earth and the planets they rotate about their axis, but I was taught that the Sun was fixed, it did not rotate about it is own axis. But the Holy Qur'an says in Surah Al-Anbiya, Ch. No. 21, Verse No. 33. It says: (Arabic)… ‘It is Allah who has created the night and the day, (Arabic)… the Sun and the Moon, (Arabic)… each one travelling in a orbit, with its own motion’. The Arabic word ‘Yasbahoon’, is derived from the word ‘Sabaha’, which describes the motion of a moving body.
If I say that a man is doing ‘Sabaha’ on the ground, it will not mean that he is rolling - it will mean he is either walking or running. If I say a person is doing ‘Sabaha’ in the water, it will not mean he is floating - it will mean he is swimming. Similarly, when the Qur'an uses the word ‘Yasbahoon’ - derived from ‘Sabaha’, for a celestial body - it will not mean… it is flying, it will mean, it is rotating about its own axis. And today we have come to know with the help of an equipment, we can have the image of the Sun on the table top, and we see there are black spots - and it takes approximately 25 days for these black spots to complete one rotation - indicating that the Sun takes approximately 25 days to complete one rotation. Can you imagine the Qur'an speaks about the rotation and the revolution of the Sun 1400 years ago, which science has discovered today.
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Yasin, Ch. No. 36, Verse No. 40… ‘It is not permitted for the Sun to catch up with the Moon, nor the night to outstrip the day. (Arabic) …each one travelling in an orbit with its own motion’. What does the Qur'an mean by saying – ‘It is not permitted for the Sun to catch up with the Moon?’ Previously people thought that the orbit of the Sun and the Moon was same. But Qur'an gives the indication – ‘No! the orbit of the Sun and the Moon, is different’. The question of catching up does not arise and each of them, the Sun and the Moon, they rotate as well as revolve.
The Qur'an says in Surah Yasin, Ch. No. 36, Verse No. 38 …(Arabic)… (Arabic)… ‘That the Sun is running its course to a place determined, for a period determined’. The Arabic word, ‘Mustakar’, means to a place determined, for a period determined. Today science has come to know that the Sun, along with the Solar system - it is going towards a point in the Universe - which the scientists call as the ‘Solar Apex’. And it's moving at a speed of 12 miles per second, and it is going to a point - which they call as ‘a point in the constellation of Hercules’. This same message is repeated in Surah Rad, Ch. No. 13, Verse No. 2; in Surah Fatir, Ch. No. 35, Verse No. 13; in Surah Luqman, Ch. No. 31, Verse No. 29; as well as in Surah Al-Zumar, Ch. No. 39, Verse No. 5. It says that… ‘The Sun and the Moon runs its course for a period determined’.
Shape of Earth
Previously the people thought that the world we live in - it is flat - and they were afraid to venture too far, lest they would fall over. It was only in 1597, when Sir Francis Drake - when he sailed around the earth he proved that the world was spherical. The Qur'an mentions in Surah Luqman, Ch. No. 31, Verse 29… (Arabic)…‘It is Allah that merges the night unto the day and merges the day unto the night’. Merging is a slow and gradual process. The night slowly and gradually changes to day, and the day slowly and gradually changes to night. This phenomena is only possible if the shape of the earth is spherical – It is not possible if it is flat. If it was flat there will be a sudden change. The Qur'an says in Surah Al Zumar, Ch. No. 39, Verse No. 5, it says… (Arabic)…‘It is Allah who has created the heavens and the earth in true proportion and he overlaps and coils the night unto the day and overlaps or coils the day unto the night’. The Arabic word used is, ‘Kawwara’ which means overlapping or coiling. How you coil a turban around the head - How you overlap a turban around the head. This phenomena of the night overlapping and coiling over the day is only possible if the shape of the earth is spherical. It is not possible if the shape of earth is flat - there will be a sudden change.
The Holy Qur'an further says in Surah Naziat, Ch. No. 79, Verse No. 30…. It says. (Arabic)… ‘And thereafter, We have made the earth egg-shaped’. The Arabic word ‘Dahaha’ comes from root word ‘Duhya’, meaning an Egg-shape and it does not refer to any normal Egg. It specifically refers to the Egg of an Ostrich - and today we know that the world is not completely round like a ball- It is Geo Spherical. It is slightly flattened from the top and bulging from the centre - It is Geo Spherical. And if you analyze the shape of the Egg of an Ostrich - it too is Geo Spherical, slightly flattened from the top and bulging from the centre. So the Holy Qur'an describes the exact ‘geo spherical earth’ 1400 years ago.
Embryology
In the field of ‘Embryology’, there were a group of Arab students who collected all the matter in the Holy Qur'an, dealing with ‘Embryology’. And they followed the guidance of the Holy Qur'an in Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse 59, which says… ‘if you are in doubt, ask the person who knows - ask the person who is knowledgeable’. So they took all the data given in the Holy Qur'an dealing with ‘Embryology’, and presented it to Professor Keith Moore. Professor Keith Moore is the head and chairman of the department of Anatomy, in the University of Toronto in Canada, and is one of the leading authorities in the world in the field of Embryology. When Professor Keith Moore went through the translation of the various Verses of the Qur'an, dealing with Embryology, he said, that most of the things which the Qur'an speaks about Embryology is matching with the latest discoveries made in the field of Embryology, but there are a couple of things, which I cannot say that they are right. Neither can I say that they are wrong, because I myself do not know about it. And one such Verse was from Surah Iqra, or Surah Alaq, Ch. No. 96, Verse No. 1 and 2 which says… (Arabic)… ‘Read, Recite or Proclaim - in the name of thy Lord, who created - who created the human beings from something which clings - a leech like substance’. So Professor Keith Moore said, I do not know whether the embryo looks like a leech or not. So he went in his laboratory and under a very powerful microscope, examined the shape of the early stage of Embryo, and compared it with a photograph of a leech, and he was astonished at the striking resemblance. And when he was asked about 80 questions on Embryology taken from the Holy Qur'an and Hadith, he said… ‘That if you would have asked me all these things 30 years ago, I would not be able to answer more than 50% of this. Because Embryology… the development of Embryology, is just recently, hardly 30 to 50 years, it is advanced’. And Professor Keith Moore, he had written a book - 'The Developing Human'… and in his new edition, the 3rd edition, he has incorporated the new things which he found from the Qur'an and the Hadith - for which he got an award for the best medical book written in that year by any single author. And when I was doing my MBBS in the first year, we referred to this book 'Developing Human' by Keith Moore. If we wanted to score high marks, in ‘Embryology’, we referred to the book by Keith Moore. If we wanted to get just passing marks, we referred to Inderbir Singh. But if we wanted to score, we had to refer to the book by Professor Keith Moore. And later on this book was translated into several languages of the world. Professor Keith Moore said, ‘I have got no objection, in accepting that Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) is the… the messenger of God Almighty, and that the Holy Qur'an has to be a Divine Revelation’.
Genetics
The Qur'an also speaks about ‘Genetics’. The Qur'an says… in Surah Najm, Ch. No. 53, Verse No. 45 and 46, that… ‘We have created the human beings and made them into male and female through minute quantity of liquid which is ejaculated’. But natural if it is ejaculated, it has to be a male fluid. Qur'an says it is the male which is responsible for the sex of the child. The Qur'an repeats this message in Surah Qiyamah, Ch. No. 75, Verse No. 37, and 39, that… ‘We have created the human beings from a minute quantity of sperm and then made it into an ‘Alaqa’ - a leech-like substance - then gave it due proportion, then made it into sex male - and female’. The Arabic word ‘Nutfatam Minmani Yumna’, means a minute quantity of sperm. Qur'an says a minute quantity of sperm is required for sex of the child. Today science has come to know that the sex of the child depends upon the 23rd pair of Chromosome, and it is the sperm which is responsible for deciphering the sex of the child. If it is 'XX'… it is a female. If it is an 'XY'… it is a male. Qur'an has mentioned this 1400 years ago. In a society, specially in the Indian society, for reasons known best to them, people prefer having a male child. And suppose the daughter in law, if she gives birth to a female child, the mother-in-law normally blames the daughter-in-law. If the mother-in-law has to blame anyone, she should blame the son, not the daughter-in-law… because the Holy Qur'an and science tells us, that it is the male which is responsible for the sex of the child and not the female.
Genital Organs
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Tariq, Ch. No. 86, Verse No. 5 to 7… ‘Let now man think from what he is created - he is created from a drop, emitted from a space between the backbone and the ribs’. Today we have come to know, the genital organs - the testes, in the males, and the ovaries in the female, in the embryonic stage - they develop from a space, where the kidney is present today, between the backbone and the 11th and 12th rib. Later on the testes they descend to the inguinal canal, into the scrotum - and the ovaries in the female to the true pelvis. But in the embryonic stage, it is in the space which the Qur'an speaks about… ‘Between the backbone, the spinal column and the 11th and 12th rib’. Even in the adult life after the Genital organs they descend - yet they receive the blood supply - the nerve supply and the lymphatic drainage from the same space between the spinal column and the 11th and 12th rib.
Three Darknesses
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Al Zumur, Ch. No. 39, Verse No. 6… ‘We have created the human beings in the wombs of their mother, in stages - one after the other in three veils of darkness’. Professor Keith Moore said these three veils of darkness refer to the Anterior Abdominal wall of the mother, The Uterine Wall, and the Amnio - Chodionic membrane.
Passage for Birth
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Al Zumur, Ch. No. 39, Verse No. 6… ‘We have created the human beings in the wombs of their mother, in stages - one after the other in three veils of darkness’. Professor Keith Moore said these three veils of darkness refer to the Anterior Abdominal wall of the mother, The Uterine Wall, and the Amnio - Chodionic membrane.
Creation by Sperm
The holy Qur'an mentions in Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No. 13, as well as Surah Al Hajj, Ch. No. 22, Verse No. 5 that… ‘We have created the human beings from a ‘Nutfah’. The Arabic word ‘Nutfah’ - that the human beings have been created from ‘Nutfah’, is mentioned in the Qur'an no less than 11 times and the word ‘Nutfah’, is mentioned 12 times, but human beings created from ‘Nutfah’ is mentioned 11 times. The Arabic word ‘Nutfah’ means a minute quantity of liquid. The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Sajdah, Ch. No. 32, Verse No. 8, that… ‘We have created the human beings from a quintessence of liquid’. The Arabic word is ‘Sulala’ meaning a minute quantity, or the best part of the whole. And today we have come to know, only one sperm actually - it penetrates the ovum, and only one sperm is required to fertilize the ovum, out of the tens of millions of sperms, which the man ejaculates. Qur'an refers to it as ‘Sulala’, the best part of the whole or ‘Nutfah’ a minute quantity. The Qur'an says in Surah Insaan, Ch. No. 76, Verse No. 2 ‘We have created the human being from a minute quantity of mingled fluids’. The word ‘Nutfanmsaj’ means minute quantity of mingled fluids. This can refer to the male and female gametes - after they are formed… the ‘Zygote’ - it yet remains a ‘Nutfah’ - a minute quantity of liquid. It can also refer to the spermatic fluid, which contains several secretions from various glands, like the testis, the ‘Sero fluid’, which contains the ‘Spermatozoon’ - it also includes the secretions from the Seminal ‘Vesicles’, the seminal fluids, which is a reservoir of ‘Somatel Zoones’, but does not contain the fertilizing agent. Also it refers the secretion of the Prostatic glands, which gives the creamy texture and the characteristic odour to the sperm, as well as glands attached to the Urinary tract - the Coopers gland or the Litters gland, which gives the specific texture of mucous, to the sperm. The Qur'an refers to as 'Nutfanamsaj'… to minute quantity of mingled fluid - male and female gametes surrounded by these fluids which are responsible, for the birth of the human being.
Embryological Stages
The Qur'an describes the various Embryological stages in great detail. In Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No 12 to 14, it says… ‘We have created the human beings from a quintessence of clay, then made it into a drop, placed it into ‘Qarare Makeen’ place of security, then made it into an ‘Alaqa’, something which clings, a leech like substance, made that ‘Alaqa’ into ‘Mudga’, a chewed like lump, made that ‘Mudga’, into ‘Izama’ bones, then clothed the ‘Izama’, bones with ‘Lahem’ that is flesh and then made it into a creature - Blessed is He, the best to create’.
This verse of the Holy Qur'an, from 12 to 14 of Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, describes the Embryological stages in great detail. It starts with saying… ‘We have placed the ‘Nutfah’ the minute quantity into ‘Qaraare Makeen’, a place of security’. Today Embryology tells us, that the Embryo is protected posteriorily by the back bone and the posterior muscles of the mother - anteriorily by, the anterior abdominal wall, by the uterine wall as well as the Amnochodianic membrane. It continues… ‘then we made it into an ‘Alaqa’, a leech like substance, something which clings’. The Arabic word ‘Alaqa’, has got 3 meanings: something which clings, a leech like substance, as well as blood clot. Alhamdulillah, all three meanings are applicable here, because the Embryo, in the initial stages - it clings to the uterine wall of the mother. It looks like a ‘leech’, as confirmed by Professor Keith Moore. It also behaves like a ‘leech’, it behaves like a blood sucker, it derives the blood supply and the nutrition from the mother. And at this stage - if an abortion takes place, the concept is, it looks like a blood clot. It looks like a blood clot as well as a leech. So Qur'an, in one word it implies three meanings, which all are applicable. Qur'an mentions this word ‘Alaqa’ no less then six times. Twice in Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No. 12 to 14; Surah Hajj, Ch. No. 22, Verse No 5; Surah Ghafir, Ch. No. 40, Verse 67; Surah Qiyamah, Ch. No. 75, Verse 38; as well as in Surah Iqra, Ch. No. 96, Verse No 2. Six times it is mentioned. Previously, in the 17th century people thought that the sperm, it walled a miniature human being. A miniature human being was present in the head of the sperm, which later on developed into the uterus of the mother, as a new born baby. This was believed by Swamadamm, who proposed the ‘Perforation theory’. Later on, when they discovered that the ovum is bigger than the sperm - De Graaf and others, they said it is not the sperm which walls a miniature human being - It is the ovum which walls a miniature human being. Later on, Mophartus in the eighteen century, he proposed the ‘Bi-parental theory’ - that both are responsible. As the Qur'an says, both the sperm and the ovum are responsible for the birth of the child. Qur'an says, we made that ‘Alaqa’, into a ‘Mudga’. ‘Mudga’ means ‘chewed like lump’, or something tacky which can be put in the mouth. Professor Keith Moore said, ‘both these meanings are applicable, because it is something tacky which can be put in the mouth’ - and later on he took a plaster seal and bit it between his teeth, to look like a Mudga, ‘a chewed like lump’. And he was astonished that the teeth marks resembled the ‘Somites’, from which develops the spinal column. The Qur'an says, 'We made that ‘Mudga’ into ‘Izama’… bones. We clothed the ‘Izama’ with ‘Lahem’… flesh, and muscles. Allah says… ‘Then, We create the ‘Al-Nasha’ stage, We create a new creature’. What does the Qur'an mean … ‘We have created a new creature’? - Science today, tells us that the embryological stages of development, before this stage, in the rabbit, in the fish, in the other animals, it is similar to that of the human beings. It is only at this stage of ‘Al-Nasha’, that the particular characteristics of the human beings are seen - the head, the hands and the feet. The Qur'an says… ‘We have made a new creature’, and ends by saying – ‘Blessed is He, who is the best to create’. Imagine, Qur'an gives the various Embryological stages in great detail. There was a person who put forward an argument – ‘It is nothing new; may be some Arab - he opened up the abdomen of a pregnant woman and checked the shape and wrote in the Qur'an’. He did not realize that all these stages, which the Qur'an describes, it cannot be observed with the naked human eye - you require a very powerful microscope. When Professor Marshall Johnson was asked to comment of these Verses - He is the head of the department of ‘Anatomy’ in the Daniel Institute, in Sir Thomas Jefferson's hospital in Philadelphia, USA. He said – ‘It can be possible that Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) - he had a microscope and he observed it’. Then, he was reminded that… ‘Microscope was not invented 1400 years ago’. So, Professor Marshall Johnson laughed loudly, and he said – ‘Yes, I know that - and I have seen the first microscope with my own eyes - It hardly enlarges to ten times and the picture is not even clear’. Then he said – ‘These stages has to be a Divine Revelation’. He was further asked to comment, on the verse of the Qur'an from Surah Hajj, Ch. No. 22, Verse No 5, which says… ‘We have created the human beings from dust then made it into an ‘Alaqa’, made it into a ‘Mudga’, partly formed and partly unformed’. When you take an incision at this stage, and analyze the Embryo - and cut up the internal organs, you will find out that the internal organs at this particular stage, some of the organs are formed while the other organs - they are not formed. So Professor Marshall Johnson said – ‘If I said, that it is a complete creation, I am only describing those organs which are formed’ - If I say It is an incomplete creation, I am only describing those organs which are not formed. There can be no better description than the Holy Qur'an, saying… ‘Partly formed and partly unformed’, because some organs are formed, the others are not formed - some cells are differentiated, the others are not differentiated’. Professor Keith Moore said that… ‘Today in Embryology we have got several stages of the Embryological development, but it is so difficult, to understand it, because it has got numerical stages - stage 1, stage 2, stage 3. The Qur'an bases the stages on shapes, and predated development, which is far superior and easy than what modern Embryology has done today’. If the Embryologists… they describe according to the stages of the Qur'an, it is far more easier for them to describe and understand, than what modern Embryology has done - stage 1, stage 2, stage 3
Sense Organs
The Qur'an says in Surah Sajda, Ch. No. 32, Verse No 9… ‘We have given the human beings the faculty of hearing and sight’. It is repeated in Surah Insaan, Ch. No. 76, Verse No 2… ‘We have given the faculty of hearing and sight, to the human being’. Today we have come to know the first sense to develop, is the sense of hearing - Qur'an says… ‘First hearing then sight’. By the fifth month of pregnancy It is complete - the ear, later on in the seventh month of pregnancy, the eye split is open. Imagine Qur'an gives the order - first comes hearing, then comes sight.
Challenge Of Qur'an
Allah (SWT) is asking you in Surah Nisa, Ch. No. 4 Verse 82… (Arabic)… ‘Do not you consider the Qur'an with care? – Do not you ponder over the Qur'an with care? that if it had been from any one besides Allah, there would have been many contradiction - there would have been many discrepancies’. Qur'an is giving you a challenge - Here is the Holy Qur'an, try and take out a single discrepancy - try and take out a single fault in the Holy Qur'an. It is giving you a challenge, an open challenge…. ‘Why don't you analyze the Qur'an with care - had it been from anyone besides Allah, there would have been many contradictions’.
Previously it was the age of Miracles, ‘Moujaza’. A ‘Miracle’ is any unusual event, for which the human beings do not have any explanation. It is any unusual event which is attributed to a Super Natural Power or Almighty God. The Holy Qur'an is the ‘Miracle of Miracles’. But for a modern man to accept any Miracle, he will first analyze and verify it. Alhamdulillah, the Holy Qur'an proved itself to be aword of God 1400 years ago. Even today it can be analyzed and verified, and even in future, and it will always prove It itself to be a word of Almighty God – It is a Miracle of all times. Suppose a person says that he has done a Miracle – I would like to give an example of Baba Pilot who said, ‘that he stayed underwater in a tank, for three days’. And when the reporters, when they wanted to examine, the base of the tank, he said… ‘how can you examine the womb of the mother, which gives birth to the child?’ - And He prevented the reporters, from examining the base of the tank. Will a modern man accept such Miracles? . If such Miracles are the tests, then he has to agree with me, that P. C. Sorcar who happens to be one of the leading magicians of the world, he will be considered as the best god-man alive today.
Later on, came the age of literature and poetry - Muslims and non-Muslims alike - they acclaim the Holy Qur’an to be the best Arabic literature available on the face of the earth. And the Holy Qur'an gives a challenge in Surah Al-Baqara, Ch. No. 2, Verse No. 23, and 24, where it says… ‘And if you are in doubt, as what we have revealed to our servant from time to time then produce a Surah some what similar to it. And call forth your witnesses and helpers if there are any besides Allah, but if your doubts are truthful and if ye cannot. And of a surety you cannot, then fear the fire which is prepared for those who reject faith whose fuel shall be men and stones’. For any one to try and accept this challenge - but natural the Surah they produce should be in Arabic. There are certain Surahs which are hardly three verses hardly three sentences. The Surah they produce should be in Arabic - The language should be as divine as that of the Holy Qur'an as noble as the Holy Qur'an. The language of the Holy Qur'an is miraculous, is unsurpassable, intelligible, it has the highest rhetoric and at the same time it is very rhythmic. When any one wants to praise a person or wants to glorify anyone, he deviates away from reality - and the best example you can see is in the Hindi movies when the hero praises the heroine, and he tries to please her and says ‘Main tumhare liye chand tod ke leke aounga, mai tomhare liye sitare tod ke leke aounga’ ‘I will get for you the Moon I will get for you the star’. The more you try and praise a person, the more you deviate away from reality.
Alhamdulillah, though the Qur'an is rhythmic it does not deviate from reality.
There were many people who tried to produce a Surah like the Qur'an, but they failed miserably. No one has been able to do it so far, and no one InshaAllah will be able to do it till eternity. But suppose if I tell you that there is a religious scripture who says in a very poetic fashion that ‘the world is flat’ - Will a modern man today believe?. But natural no, because today is not the age of literature and poetry - Today is the age of science and technology. Let as analyze today the Holy Qur'an and modern science - whether they conflict or conciliate? The Qur'an and modern science whether they contradict or they are compatible?
According to the famous physicist, Albert Einstein, who had got the Nobel prize, he said – ‘Science without religion is lame, and religion without science is blind’. I would like to repeat it - Albert Einstein said that ‘Science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind’. I would like to remind you that the Holy Qur'an is not a ‘book of Science’… S-C-I-E-N-C-E; but it's a book of Signs… S-I-G-N-S; it's a book of Ayaats - and there are more than 6000 Signs or 6000 Ayats, out of which more than a thousand speak about Science. There are some people who would be satisfied just by acquiring one sign. Some people require 10 signs to accept the truth. Some may require a hundred, while the others even after you produce a thousand signs to them yet they will not accept the truth.
As far as this topic is concerned, I will only be speaking about those scientific facts which have been established. I will not be speaking about theories which are based on assumptions and hypothesis, because we know very well that many a times science based on theories and hypothesis it takes U-turns.
Atom
In the field of Physics, there was a theory known as ‘Atomism’. That ‘atom’ is the smallest part of matter, which cannot be divided. This theory was propounded by Democrats, the Greek, twenty-three centuries ago. And it was also known to the Arabs - and the Arabic word for atom, is ‘Zarra’. But today, after science has advanced, we have come to know that though ‘atom’ is the smallest particle of matter, having the characteristic of the element - it yet can be divided, into electrons, protons, etc. So people may think that the Qur'an is outdated. The Qur'an does speak about ‘Zarra’, and says It is a minute particle, but nowhere does it say that it cannot be divided.
In fact, the Qur'an says in Surah Sabah, Ch. No. 34, Verse No. 3. It says that… ‘When the unbelievers say that the hour will never come - tell them… it will surely come with the permission of the Lord who has the knowledge of the unseen, who has in His record, the minutest detail of an atom in the heaven and in the earth - and in His record is perspicuous things, smaller and greater than the ‘atom’. The Qur'an says therefore – ‘things smaller and greater than the atom’. So Qur'an is not outdated… it is up to date. A similar message is repeated in Surah Yunus, Ch. No. 10, Verse No. 61 that… ‘In Allah's record are perspicuous things, smaller and greater than the atom.
Zoology
In the field of ‘Zoology’, the Holy Qur'an says in Surah Anam, Ch. No. 6, Verse No 38, that… ‘We have created every living animal that lives on the earth and every bird that flies on the wings in the air, to live in communities like you’. Today science has discovered that even the animals and birds live in communities, like the human beings.
Ants
The Qur'an says in Surah Naml, Ch. No. 27, Verse No 17 and 18, that… ‘before Solomon marched, the hosts of jinns, men and birds, and when they reached a lowly valley of ants, one of the ants said ‘get ye into your habitation, lest Solomon and his horses unknowingly will trample you beneath the feet’. People will think… ‘What kind of a fairy tale book is the Holy Qur'an? - This book the Holy Qur'an… It is speaking about ants - Ants talking among themselves – It is a fairy tale book’. Today we have come to know, that any animal or any insect which has the closest resemblance to that of the human being… it is the ant. The ants bury the dead the same way as the human beings do. They have a sophisticated method and division of labour, where they have manager, supervisor, workers, etc. They very often meet to chat. They have a sophisticated method of communication. They have market places where they exchange goods. And when they store the grain in winter, and if the grain begins to bud, the ants cut the bud as though they knew that budding will cause rotting of the grain. And in Monsoon, if the grain gets wet, they bring it out in the sunlight to dry. Surely you might have seen the ants carrying grain in the sunlight to dry as though they knew that humidity will cause the development of root system, which will cause rotting of the grain. So Qur'an speaks about the advanced nature of the ants, 1400 years ago.
Bees
The Qur'an says in Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 68 and 69… ‘It is the Lord who has taught the bees to build cells, in hills, in trees and human habitations and to eat of what the earth produces, and to find the spacious path of the Lord, with great skill’. What does the Qur'an mean by… ‘Allah (SWT) has taught the bee to find the spacious path of the Lord?’ Fon Frisch, who is a scientist, he got the Noble Prize, in 1973, when he described the behavior of the animals, specially the communication method of the bee. And today we have come to know, that when ever a worker bee finds a new flower or a new garden from where it can take nectar, it goes and tells its fellow bees, the exact direction and map of that new flower or garden - It is called as the ‘bee dance’. Only today, we have come to know by high photographic method - how is this communication given.
The gender used in the Holy Qur'an in these Verses of Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse 68, and 69 is a female gender ‘Quli’, or ‘Fasluki’ which means a ‘Female bee’. Previously we thought it was the male bee which was the worker bee. No wonder, Shakespeare in his play Henry the IV - he writes that the soldier bee, the male bee goes and reports to the king. Today we have come to know - it is not the king whom they report to, it is the queen - and the worker bee is not the Male bee – It is a Female bee. Imagine! Qur'an speaks about the gender of the worker bee 1400 years ago, which we have discovered today.
Spiders
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Ankabut, Ch. No. 29, Verse No 41, that… ‘As to those who take for protectors, anyone besides Allah (SWT) they build for themselves houses like that of the spider - and verily, the house of the spider is fragile, it is delicate’. Besides, the Qur'an saying, that anyone who takes for protectors anyone besides Allah (SWT), the physical nature of their house will be like that of the spider fragile, delicate, flimsy - it also gives a reference to their family life, which we have to know today, that many a times, the female spider kills the male spider.
Flight of Birds
The Qur'an describes the flight of the bird in Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16. Verse No 79… ‘Do you not look at the bird subjected in the midst in the air?’ None of them can hold them up except with the power of Allah (SWT)’. The Qur'an repeats in Surah Mulk, Ch. No. 67, Verse No 19… ‘Do you not observe the birds above you? They spread their wings and they fold it. None can hold them up except with the power of Allah (SWT). And He watches over all things’. This verse of the Holy Qur'an - there is a very striking resemblance with what modern science has discovered today, that the birds have got a certain migratory programming in their nervous system. That is the reason that young birds, without any prior experience, can take flights of thousands of miles without a guide and they come back to the departure point also. And a very good example is given by Professor Hamburger in his book ‘Power and fragility of the Mutton bird’. The Mutton bird lives in the Pacific - It has a journey of more than 15,000 miles, and it takes about six months, and it comes back to the departure point in a delay of not more than one week. How is it possible? Scientists say, ‘there has to be a certain programming of these birds’. Who is programming them? But natural, as the Holy Qur'an says ‘Allah (SWT) holds them up’ - The Arabic word 'Amsaka' meaning to seize or to hold.
Geology
Let us discuss the field of Geology. Today the Geologists, they tell us that the earth we live on, the outer crust it's hard and solid, and the deeper layers they are hot and fluid and inhospitable for the existence of living creatures. The Geologists, they tell us that outer crust is very thin - hardly 1 to 10 miles - Less than one percent of the radius of the earth, which is 3750 miles. And the outer crust is very thin and there are high possibilities of it shaking. Today Geologists tell us, it is due to the ‘folding phenomena’, which gives rise to mountain ranges - and these mountains, they prevent the earth from shaking; they act as ‘pegs’ as ‘stakes’.
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Naba, Ch. No. 78, Verse No. 6 and 7. It says… ‘We have made the earth as an expanse and the mountains as stakes’. The Arabic word ‘Avtaad’, means ‘Stakes’, means ‘Pegs’ - which we have discovered today. The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Jashiya, Ch. No. 88, Verse No. 19, as well as in Surah Naziat, Ch. No. 79, Verse No 32. It says 'We have made the mountain standing firm'.
There is a book by the title 'The Earth' which is a very famous book - an authority in this field, which is referred by most of the universities throughout the world, in this subject. One of its authors, name is Frank Press, and he gives the illustration of the mountain in this book called 'The Earth', as wedge shaped, and he says… ‘The function of the mountain is to stabilize the Earth's Crust’. And Quran says that.
The same information in Surah Anbiya, Ch. No. 21, Verse No 31, as well as in Surah Luqman, Ch. No. 31, Verse No 10, and Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse No 15, that… ‘We have set on the Earth Mountains standing firm lest it would shake. The Qur'an gives the functions of the mountain 1400 years ago, which we discovered today
Medicine
In the field of Medicine, the holy Qur'an says in Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 68 and 69, that… ‘From the belly of the bee you get a drink of varying colours, in which there is healing for mankind’. It is recently we have come to know that the honey we have is derived from the bee. It is the bee which is responsible for the honey - We did not know about this before. And today we know honey has got high nutritive values. It is rich in vitamin K and Fructose and it has got mild antiseptic properties. No wonder the Russian soldiers, they used honey to cover up their wounds which prevented the evaporation of moisture and left very little scar tissue. Any person suffering from an allergy of a particular plant - if honey produced from that plant is given, that person starts developing resistance to that allergy.
Finger Tips
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Qiyamah, Ch. No. 75, Verse No. 3 and 4… ‘The unbelievers ask, that how will Allah (SWT) be able to reassemble our bones’. Allah says… ‘We can not only reassemble the bones, We can even reconstruct in perfect order the very finger tips’. When the unbelievers say… ‘After we are buried, after our bones have got disintegrated, how will Allah (SWT) on the Day of Judgment, reassemble our bones’. So Allah says… ‘He will not only be able to reassemble the bones, He can even reconstruct your very fingertip in perfect order’. It is referring to the finger printing method, which was discovered by Sir Francis Gold in 1880, and he said that - ‘No two finger prints, of two individuals are equal even in a million people’. No wonder the police, the CID, the CIA, the FBI - they use the finger printing method to identify the culprit. Qur'an speaks about that 1400 years ago… ‘Allah can not only reassemble the bones, he can even reconstruct in perfect order the very finger tips’.
Receptors Of Skin
I would like to end it by giving the example of Professor Tagata Tagashon. Previously, the doctors they thought that only the brain was responsible for feeling of pain. It is now we have come to know that there are certain receptors in the skin, called as ‘pain receptors’, which are also responsible of feeling of pain. No wonder when a patient of burn injury comes to a doctor, he takes a pin and he pricks it in that area. If the patient feels pain, doctor is very happy - It means it is a superficial burn, the pain receptors are intact. If he does not feel pain, it is a deep burn; the pain receptors have been destroyed. The Qur'an says in Surah Nisa, Ch. No. 4, Verse No. 56, ‘As to those who reject our signs, We shall cast them into the hell fire, and as often as their skins are roasted, We shall give them fresh skins, so that they shall feel the pain’. Qur'an says… ‘If your skin is roasted, We shall give you fresh skin, so that you'll feel the pain’. Giving an indication… there is something in the skin which is responsible for the feeling of pain – Indication is the pain receptor. When Professor Tagata Tagashon, who is the head of the department of Anatomy, in Shangma University in Thailand - he was given the translation of this verse. And he has spent a lot of time in doing research on pain receptors, he said… ‘It is impossible that Qur'an can mention this. We discovered it recently – How is it possible?’ - He did not agree with it. Later on, after checking with the Holy Qur'an, after verifying the Holy Qur'an, he was so impressed, that in the 8th Medical Saudi Conference, in Riyadh in the Conference, he said the Shahadah … ‘La Ilaha Il Allah, Muhammadur Rasulallah’. ‘There is no God but Allah, and Prophet Muhammed is the messenger of Allah (SWT)’.
Botany
In the field of ‘Botany’, we have come to know recently, that even the plants have got sexes - male and female - previously we did not know that. Even the Unisexual plant has got distinct characteristic of male and female. The Qur'an says in Surah Ta Ha, Ch. No. 20, Verse No 53… ‘It is Allah who sends down water from the sky and causes diverse pairs of plants to grow each separate from the other’. That means, the plants have got sexes - Male and Female. The Qur'an says in Surah Rad, Ch. No. 13, Verse No 3… ‘We have created every kind of fruit, in pairs two and two’. Even the fruit has have got sexes - Male and Female.
Hydrology
In the field of ‘Geography’, we learn in school about the coherent water cycle. This was first described by Sir Bernard Palestine, in 1580. And he said - how does water evaporate from the ocean, forms clouds, the cloud move in the interior - how do they fall as rain, the rain water flows into the ocean and the cycle is completed.
Previously people thought - in the 7th century BC Phase of Meletus - he said that ‘the spray of the ocean was picked up by the wind and it fell into the interior as rain’. People did not know - how did the underground water, the springs, where did they come from. So they thought that due to the pressure of the winds on the water, the thrust of the winds on the water - it fell into the interior as rain, and this rain water seeped into the soil, and returned to the ocean through a secret passage, ‘The Abyss’ which was known at the time of the Plato as ‘Tartarus’. People believed in this theory of Descartes, even till as late as 17th century. And philosophers like - Aristotle's theory was believed till as late as 19th century, that water vapor evaporated from the soil, it condensed in mountain caverns, and these mountain caverns formed lakes which fed the spring water.
Today we know that the underground water, the springs, it is due to the seepage of the rain water. And the Qur'an says that in Surah Al-Zumur, Ch. No. 39, Verse No 21… ‘Sees't thou not that it is Allah who sends down rain from the sky, and seeps it in the sources in the ground - in the springs in the earth, and causes sown seed of various colours to grow’.
The message is repeated in Surah Rum, Ch. No. 30, Verse No. 24… ‘Allah sends down rain - and the dead earth… He brings it back to life’.
The Qur'an says in Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No 18, that… ‘It is Allah who sends down rain in due measure, we are able to store it, and We are also able to easily drain it’.
The Qur'an says in Surah Al-Hijr, Ch. No. 15, Verse No 22, it says that… ‘We send fecundating winds, winds impregnating, and cause rain to descend from the sky, and give you water in due measure’. The Arabic word 'Lawaaqi' used here, is the plural of 'laqi' derived from ‘laqaha’ which means ‘to impregnate or to fecundate’. The winds carrying the pollen - they impregnate the cloud and then rain falls. The wind causes the clouds to merge – there is condensation – there is lightning and rain falls from the clouds. The Qur'an describes the complete water cycle - how does the water evaporate, how it forms clouds, how it moves in the interior, how it falls down, how it flows back into the ocean in several places.
In Surah Nur, Ch. No. 24, Verse No. 43, in Surah Naba, Ch. No. 78, Verse No 12 to 14, as well as in Surah Rum, Ch. No. 30, Verse No 48. The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Nur, Ch. No. 24, Verse No 43, that… ‘We send mountain masses of clouds’. What does the Qur'an mean by saying, ‘We send mountain masses of clouds’? Today if anyone has been travelling in an Aero plane, he will realize that when the Aero plane goes above the clouds, and he looks at the clouds beneath, he will see that the clouds appear as mountain masses. Qur'an has said this 1400 years ago. There wasn't a Aero plane 1400 years ago.
Qur'an describes ‘Hydrology’, and ‘Water cycle’ in several places in great detail. It's mentioned in Surah Al Imran, Ch. No. 3, Verse No 9, in Surah Araf, Ch. No. 7, Verse No 57; In Surah Rad, Ch. No. 13, Verse No 17; In Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse No 48 to 49; In Surah Fatir, Ch. No. 35, Verse No 9; In Surah Yasin, Ch. No. 36, Verse No 34; In Surah Jathiyah, Ch. No. 45, Verse No 5; In Surah Qaf, Ch. No. 50, Verse No 9 to 10; In Surah Waqiah, Ch. No. 56, Verse No 68 to 70; as well as in Surah Mulk, Ch. No. 67, Verse No 30. The Qur'an describes the Hydrology and Water cycle, in great detail.
Water
In the field of Biology, the Holy Qur'an says in Surah Al Anbiya, Ch. No. 21, Verse No. 30…. (Arabic)… ‘We have created every living thing from water - Will you not then believe?’ Imagine in the deserts of Arabia, where there was scarcity of water, the Qur'an says… ‘Every thing was created from water’ - who would have believed in it? Anything else the Qur'an would have said people could have believed. ‘Water’ - where there was scarcity - the Qur'an says 1400 years ago… ‘Every living thing is created from water’. Today we have come to know, that Cytoplasm which is the basic substance of the living cell contains 80% water. Every living creature contains 50 to 70% water, and without water, the living creature cannot survive - It is a must. Qur'an asks you… (Arabic) … ‘We have created from water every living thing - Will you not then believe?’ Allah is saying… ‘that everything is created from water’ - which you came to know today. Qur'an mentions that 1400 years ago… ‘Will you not then believe?’ It is asking you a question - It wants a reply. The Qur'an says in Surah Nur, Ch. No. 24, Verse No. 45, that… ‘We have created every living animal from water’. The Qur'an says in Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse No 54… ‘We have created the man from water’. Imagine 1400 years ago, the Qur'an mentions this.
Physiology
In the field of ‘Physiology’, it was Ibne Nafees, who 600 years after the revelation of the Holy Qur'an, described the blood circulation. And 1000 years after the revelation of the holy Qur'an, that is 400 years after Ibne Nafees described the blood circulation William Harvey, he made it famous to the Western World. The food that we eat, it enters the stomach, it enters the intestine, from the intestine it goes into the blood vessels of the intestine and enters the blood circulation - and the blood circulation takes the foods substance to various organs including the mammary glands which produce milk. The Qur'an speaks about the blood circulation, and the production of milk in a nut shell, in Surah Nahl, Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 66, where it says, that… ‘Verily in the cattle is a lesson for you’. We give you to drink from what is within their bodies, coming from the conjunction of the constituents, of the intestine and blood, milk which is pure and pleasant for those who drink’. The Qur'an says in Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No. 21, that ‘Verily in the cattle, is an instructive sign for you. We give you to drink from what is within their bodies in which there is various benefit and of their meat you can eat’. Qur'an describes the blood circulation and the production of milk in a nut shell, 1400 years ago.
Oceanology
In the field of ‘Oceanology’, the Holy Qur'an says in Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse No 53, ‘It is Allah who has let free two bodies of flowing water one sweet and palpable and the other salt and bitter, and between them there is a ‘Barzakh’, a barrier, which is forbidden to be trespassed’.
The Qur'an repeats the message in Surah Rahman, Ch. No. 55, Verse No. 19 and 20, (Arabic)… that ‘It is Allah who has let free two bodies of flowing water which meet and between them there is a barrier which is forbidden to be trespassed’. The Arabic word ‘Barzakh’ means ‘a barrier’ and the Arabic statement mean ‘the flowing bodies of water, they meet and mix’.
Previously the commentators, they could not understand the two opposite description of the two bodies of flowing water. It says, ‘they meet and mix’, as well as it says… ‘There is a barrier between them’. The commentator of the Qur'an could not understand, explain, what did this verse actually mean - It was confusing. Today we have come to know, with the help of science, that there is a slanting barrier between the two bodies of salt water and sweet water - between the salt sea, and the sweet sea. And whenever water passes from one sea to the other sea, it looses its characteristics and gets homogenized into the water it flows. There is a barrier - but this barrier is called as ‘a transitional homogenizing space or area’. Both the waters though they meet and mix, but their characteristics yet remain the same. Salt water remains salt, the sweet water remains sweet. And this phenomenon can be seen in Cape Point, southern most tip of South Africa, in Cape Town - where salt and sweet water meet, but they are distinct - They don't mix. When they flow across, the water changes it is characteristics. Similar thing can be observed in Egypt, when river Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea. As well as, the example of Gulf Stream, which starts in the Gulf of Mexico - though it flows for thousands of miles, both the water, salt and sweet water, they are distinct. And if you are traveling in a boat, and if you pick up water from one side of the boat and water from the other side, you will find that both the waters are different. One is sweet and the other is salty. Even the temperature differs. Even in the area of Gibraltar, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean ocean, there is an unseen barrier, and this was confirmed. The phenomena which the Qur'an speaks about, was confirmed by Professor Hay, who is a leading marine of USA.
Darkness of Seas
Professor Durgarao, who is an expert in the field of ‘Marine Geology’ who is teaching in the University of King Abdul Aziz in Jeddah, he was asked to give his comments on a verse of the Holy Qur'an. From Surah Nur, Ch. No. 24, Verse No. 40, which says that… ‘The state of the unbeliever is like the depth of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with waves topped with waves, topped with dark clouds, the depths of darkness, one layered over the other.
When a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it; Allah gives light to whom He wishes. If He does not give light you cannot see’. Professor Durgarao, he said that… ‘This verse of the Holy Qur'an is not speaking about a normal sea – It is speaking about a deep sea. And today, only with the help of things like submarines, we have come to know the depths of the oceans - It is dark. Previously, we did not know that, because a man cannot go unaided, more than 20 to 30 meters under water - And if he goes more than 200 meters unaided, he dies. It is today, we have come to know, by the instruments that we have, that the depths of ocean is dark’. And he said… ‘This darkness is due to two phenomena - first is due to successive absorption of the colours in layers’. As we all know, the light has got seven colours - And we learnt in school for remembering easy: VIBGYOR, the colours of the rainbow. Vibgyor - V for violet, I for Indigo, B for blue, G for Green, Y for Yellow, O for Orange, and Red… R for Red – Vibgyor… Seven colours. Professor Durgarao said, that ‘When the light enters the ocean - by the first 15 to 20 meters, the Red colour is absorbed’. And if a man goes under water about 30 meters deep, and if he bleeds, if he has a wound, he will not be able to see his own blood - because Red colour does not reach there. Later on, 30 to 50 meters absorbs Orange. Yellow is absorbed by next 50 to 100 meters, green by 100 to 200 meters, and blue beyond 200 meters, and violet and indigo much above 200 meters. Therefore, the layers of darkness you see in the ocean, is due to the absorption of light in successive layers’. ‘The second reason for these layers’, Professor Durgarao said… ‘is due to barriers, like the clouds’. When the sunlight hits is the cloud, the cloud absorbs the light - therefore there is darkness below the cloud, then the light is scattered. After getting scattered, it hits is at the superficial waves of the ocean. This is the second barrier; the waves reflect the light further, the superficial waves of the ocean. Those light rays which are not reflected, they enter the ocean. Therefore, you have two types of layers in the ocean: ‘the superficial layer and the deep layer’. The superficial layer is warm and lit up, the deep layers, they are dark. And this superficial and deep layer of the ocean - it is divided by internal waves. We human beings did not know, that even there were internal waves - We only knew of superficial waves. It was only in 1900, that we have come to know that there are even waves deep in the water. They are known as internal waves, which divide the superficial part of the ocean and the deep part of the ocean. Imagine the Qur'an mentions that… ‘The unbelievers' state is like the depth of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with waves topped with waves’. That means - deep waves are there, internal waves are there, topped with superficial waves. And it further continues… ‘Topped with dark clouds’. The clouds are the barriers, and even the clouds are in layers. And when a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it. ‘Only if Allah gives light, can they see’. Even the fish that swim in the deep part of the ocean, they cannot see unless they have their own light with them. They have their own lights with them. Even the submarine that goes underwater, it carries its own light, otherwise they cannot see underwater. So when Professor Durgarao was asked, how come this is mentioned in the Qur'an 1400 years ago, he said – ‘It is impossible for any human being to mention this verse - This Qur'an has to be a Divine Revelation’.
Astrology
In the field of Astronomy - if you ask a scientist that how was our universe formed? - How did it come into existence? He will tell you about the Big Bang Theory - that initially the whole universe was one ‘Primary Nebula’. Then there was a secondary separation which gave rise to galaxies, which further split to form things such as our solar system, which gave rise to planets, the Sun and the present earth which we live in. It is stated in Holy Qur'an in Surah Al-Anbiya, Ch. No. 21, Verse No. 30, which says. (Arabic)… ‘Do not the unbelievers see. (Arabic)… the heavens and the earth were joined together, and We clove them asunder?’ This verse of the Holy Qur'an speaks about the Big Bang Theory, in a nutshell. Imagine, what we came to know today, the Holy Qur'an mentions 1400 years ago.
And the Qur'an also says in Surah Fussilat, Ch. No. 41, verse 11, that… ‘Moreover, in His design He comprehended the sky, and it had been smoke. And He said to it and the earth, come ye together willingly or unwillingly, and they said we come together in willing obedience’. The Arabic word used here is ‘Dukhan’, which means ‘Smoke’. If you ask a scientist, he will tell you that the, universe before it was formed, the celestial matter, it was in the state of ‘gas’, and the Arabic word ‘Dukhan’ which means Smoke, is more scientifically correct than mere ‘gas’. And according to Stephen Hawkins, who is a very famous scientist, he said – ‘the discovery of bridges of matter in the space is the biggest discovery of this century which gives us indisputable evidence of the creation of the universe and the Big Bang Theory’.
Expansion of Universe
The Qur'an says in Surah Dhariat, Ch. No. 51, Verse No. 47 that, ‘It is We who have constructed with power and skill, the firmaments - and It is We who make the vastness, and the expanding universe’. The Arabic word: ‘Musioona’ means, expanding universe, the vastness of space. Edwin Aero, who is a famous scientist, he discovered and said that ‘the universe is expanding’. The galaxies are receding from one another which the Qur'an has mentioned 1400 years ago. There may be some people who say… ‘It is nothing great that the Holy Qur'an speaks about Astronomy, since the Arabs - they were very well advanced in the field of Astronomy’. I would like to bring to their notice that it was centuries after the Holy Qur'an was revealed that the Arabs became advanced in Astronomy. So it is from the Qur'an, that the Arabs learnt about Astronomy, and not the vice versa.
Light of Moon
Previously we thought that the light of the Moon, is its own light. It is recently we discovered, that the light of the Moon is reflected light of the Sun. The Qur'an says in Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse No. 61… ‘Blessed is He who has created the constellations in the sky, and placed therein a lamp, and Moon having borrowed light’. The Qur'an says in Surah Yunus, Ch. No. 10, Verse No. 5… ‘It is Allah who has created the Sun as a shining glory and the Moon having a reflection of light’. The similar message is repeated in Surah Nuh, Ch. No. 71, Verse No. 15 to 16. The Arabic word for Sun is ‘Shams’. It's always described either as ‘Siraj’ meaning a torch, or ‘Wahaj’ meaning a blazing lamp, or ‘Diya’ – ‘meaning a shining glory’. The Moon - the Arabic word is ‘Qamar’. It's always described as ‘Munir’, meaning borrowed light or ‘Noor’, which is a reflection of light. Nowhere is the moon light described as ‘Siraj’ or ‘Wahaj’ or ‘Diya’ - always as ‘Munir’ or ‘Noor’ - that's borrowed light or a reflection of light.
The Qur'an says in Surah Tariq, Ch. No. 86 Verse No. 3… (Arabic)... The Arabic word for the Star is ‘Najm'. It is described as ‘Saqib - Its light is described as ‘Saqib’. It pierces the darkness and consumes itself.
Motion of Planets
Previously the Europeans, they thought that the Earth stood dead, in the centre of the Universe and all the planets - including the Sun, it revolved around the earth. It was known as the theory of 'Geocentricism'. It was believed by Tolomy in the second century BC, and was believed till as late as 16th century, until Copernicus said that the Earth and the planets revolve around the Sun. And later on, in 1609 Yuhanas Kepler wrote in his book, ‘Astronomia Novia’… that not only do the earth and the planets revolve around the Sun, they also rotate about their own axis’.
When I was in school I had learnt that the earth and the planets they rotate about their axis, but I was taught that the Sun was fixed, it did not rotate about it is own axis. But the Holy Qur'an says in Surah Al-Anbiya, Ch. No. 21, Verse No. 33. It says: (Arabic)… ‘It is Allah who has created the night and the day, (Arabic)… the Sun and the Moon, (Arabic)… each one travelling in a orbit, with its own motion’. The Arabic word ‘Yasbahoon’, is derived from the word ‘Sabaha’, which describes the motion of a moving body.
If I say that a man is doing ‘Sabaha’ on the ground, it will not mean that he is rolling - it will mean he is either walking or running. If I say a person is doing ‘Sabaha’ in the water, it will not mean he is floating - it will mean he is swimming. Similarly, when the Qur'an uses the word ‘Yasbahoon’ - derived from ‘Sabaha’, for a celestial body - it will not mean… it is flying, it will mean, it is rotating about its own axis. And today we have come to know with the help of an equipment, we can have the image of the Sun on the table top, and we see there are black spots - and it takes approximately 25 days for these black spots to complete one rotation - indicating that the Sun takes approximately 25 days to complete one rotation. Can you imagine the Qur'an speaks about the rotation and the revolution of the Sun 1400 years ago, which science has discovered today.
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Yasin, Ch. No. 36, Verse No. 40… ‘It is not permitted for the Sun to catch up with the Moon, nor the night to outstrip the day. (Arabic) …each one travelling in an orbit with its own motion’. What does the Qur'an mean by saying – ‘It is not permitted for the Sun to catch up with the Moon?’ Previously people thought that the orbit of the Sun and the Moon was same. But Qur'an gives the indication – ‘No! the orbit of the Sun and the Moon, is different’. The question of catching up does not arise and each of them, the Sun and the Moon, they rotate as well as revolve.
The Qur'an says in Surah Yasin, Ch. No. 36, Verse No. 38 …(Arabic)… (Arabic)… ‘That the Sun is running its course to a place determined, for a period determined’. The Arabic word, ‘Mustakar’, means to a place determined, for a period determined. Today science has come to know that the Sun, along with the Solar system - it is going towards a point in the Universe - which the scientists call as the ‘Solar Apex’. And it's moving at a speed of 12 miles per second, and it is going to a point - which they call as ‘a point in the constellation of Hercules’. This same message is repeated in Surah Rad, Ch. No. 13, Verse No. 2; in Surah Fatir, Ch. No. 35, Verse No. 13; in Surah Luqman, Ch. No. 31, Verse No. 29; as well as in Surah Al-Zumar, Ch. No. 39, Verse No. 5. It says that… ‘The Sun and the Moon runs its course for a period determined’.
Shape of Earth
Previously the people thought that the world we live in - it is flat - and they were afraid to venture too far, lest they would fall over. It was only in 1597, when Sir Francis Drake - when he sailed around the earth he proved that the world was spherical. The Qur'an mentions in Surah Luqman, Ch. No. 31, Verse 29… (Arabic)…‘It is Allah that merges the night unto the day and merges the day unto the night’. Merging is a slow and gradual process. The night slowly and gradually changes to day, and the day slowly and gradually changes to night. This phenomena is only possible if the shape of the earth is spherical – It is not possible if it is flat. If it was flat there will be a sudden change. The Qur'an says in Surah Al Zumar, Ch. No. 39, Verse No. 5, it says… (Arabic)…‘It is Allah who has created the heavens and the earth in true proportion and he overlaps and coils the night unto the day and overlaps or coils the day unto the night’. The Arabic word used is, ‘Kawwara’ which means overlapping or coiling. How you coil a turban around the head - How you overlap a turban around the head. This phenomena of the night overlapping and coiling over the day is only possible if the shape of the earth is spherical. It is not possible if the shape of earth is flat - there will be a sudden change.
The Holy Qur'an further says in Surah Naziat, Ch. No. 79, Verse No. 30…. It says. (Arabic)… ‘And thereafter, We have made the earth egg-shaped’. The Arabic word ‘Dahaha’ comes from root word ‘Duhya’, meaning an Egg-shape and it does not refer to any normal Egg. It specifically refers to the Egg of an Ostrich - and today we know that the world is not completely round like a ball- It is Geo Spherical. It is slightly flattened from the top and bulging from the centre - It is Geo Spherical. And if you analyze the shape of the Egg of an Ostrich - it too is Geo Spherical, slightly flattened from the top and bulging from the centre. So the Holy Qur'an describes the exact ‘geo spherical earth’ 1400 years ago.
Embryology
In the field of ‘Embryology’, there were a group of Arab students who collected all the matter in the Holy Qur'an, dealing with ‘Embryology’. And they followed the guidance of the Holy Qur'an in Surah Furqan, Ch. No. 25, Verse 59, which says… ‘if you are in doubt, ask the person who knows - ask the person who is knowledgeable’. So they took all the data given in the Holy Qur'an dealing with ‘Embryology’, and presented it to Professor Keith Moore. Professor Keith Moore is the head and chairman of the department of Anatomy, in the University of Toronto in Canada, and is one of the leading authorities in the world in the field of Embryology. When Professor Keith Moore went through the translation of the various Verses of the Qur'an, dealing with Embryology, he said, that most of the things which the Qur'an speaks about Embryology is matching with the latest discoveries made in the field of Embryology, but there are a couple of things, which I cannot say that they are right. Neither can I say that they are wrong, because I myself do not know about it. And one such Verse was from Surah Iqra, or Surah Alaq, Ch. No. 96, Verse No. 1 and 2 which says… (Arabic)… ‘Read, Recite or Proclaim - in the name of thy Lord, who created - who created the human beings from something which clings - a leech like substance’. So Professor Keith Moore said, I do not know whether the embryo looks like a leech or not. So he went in his laboratory and under a very powerful microscope, examined the shape of the early stage of Embryo, and compared it with a photograph of a leech, and he was astonished at the striking resemblance. And when he was asked about 80 questions on Embryology taken from the Holy Qur'an and Hadith, he said… ‘That if you would have asked me all these things 30 years ago, I would not be able to answer more than 50% of this. Because Embryology… the development of Embryology, is just recently, hardly 30 to 50 years, it is advanced’. And Professor Keith Moore, he had written a book - 'The Developing Human'… and in his new edition, the 3rd edition, he has incorporated the new things which he found from the Qur'an and the Hadith - for which he got an award for the best medical book written in that year by any single author. And when I was doing my MBBS in the first year, we referred to this book 'Developing Human' by Keith Moore. If we wanted to score high marks, in ‘Embryology’, we referred to the book by Keith Moore. If we wanted to get just passing marks, we referred to Inderbir Singh. But if we wanted to score, we had to refer to the book by Professor Keith Moore. And later on this book was translated into several languages of the world. Professor Keith Moore said, ‘I have got no objection, in accepting that Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) is the… the messenger of God Almighty, and that the Holy Qur'an has to be a Divine Revelation’.
Genetics
The Qur'an also speaks about ‘Genetics’. The Qur'an says… in Surah Najm, Ch. No. 53, Verse No. 45 and 46, that… ‘We have created the human beings and made them into male and female through minute quantity of liquid which is ejaculated’. But natural if it is ejaculated, it has to be a male fluid. Qur'an says it is the male which is responsible for the sex of the child. The Qur'an repeats this message in Surah Qiyamah, Ch. No. 75, Verse No. 37, and 39, that… ‘We have created the human beings from a minute quantity of sperm and then made it into an ‘Alaqa’ - a leech-like substance - then gave it due proportion, then made it into sex male - and female’. The Arabic word ‘Nutfatam Minmani Yumna’, means a minute quantity of sperm. Qur'an says a minute quantity of sperm is required for sex of the child. Today science has come to know that the sex of the child depends upon the 23rd pair of Chromosome, and it is the sperm which is responsible for deciphering the sex of the child. If it is 'XX'… it is a female. If it is an 'XY'… it is a male. Qur'an has mentioned this 1400 years ago. In a society, specially in the Indian society, for reasons known best to them, people prefer having a male child. And suppose the daughter in law, if she gives birth to a female child, the mother-in-law normally blames the daughter-in-law. If the mother-in-law has to blame anyone, she should blame the son, not the daughter-in-law… because the Holy Qur'an and science tells us, that it is the male which is responsible for the sex of the child and not the female.
Genital Organs
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Tariq, Ch. No. 86, Verse No. 5 to 7… ‘Let now man think from what he is created - he is created from a drop, emitted from a space between the backbone and the ribs’. Today we have come to know, the genital organs - the testes, in the males, and the ovaries in the female, in the embryonic stage - they develop from a space, where the kidney is present today, between the backbone and the 11th and 12th rib. Later on the testes they descend to the inguinal canal, into the scrotum - and the ovaries in the female to the true pelvis. But in the embryonic stage, it is in the space which the Qur'an speaks about… ‘Between the backbone, the spinal column and the 11th and 12th rib’. Even in the adult life after the Genital organs they descend - yet they receive the blood supply - the nerve supply and the lymphatic drainage from the same space between the spinal column and the 11th and 12th rib.
Three Darknesses
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Al Zumur, Ch. No. 39, Verse No. 6… ‘We have created the human beings in the wombs of their mother, in stages - one after the other in three veils of darkness’. Professor Keith Moore said these three veils of darkness refer to the Anterior Abdominal wall of the mother, The Uterine Wall, and the Amnio - Chodionic membrane.
Passage for Birth
The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Al Zumur, Ch. No. 39, Verse No. 6… ‘We have created the human beings in the wombs of their mother, in stages - one after the other in three veils of darkness’. Professor Keith Moore said these three veils of darkness refer to the Anterior Abdominal wall of the mother, The Uterine Wall, and the Amnio - Chodionic membrane.
Creation by Sperm
The holy Qur'an mentions in Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No. 13, as well as Surah Al Hajj, Ch. No. 22, Verse No. 5 that… ‘We have created the human beings from a ‘Nutfah’. The Arabic word ‘Nutfah’ - that the human beings have been created from ‘Nutfah’, is mentioned in the Qur'an no less than 11 times and the word ‘Nutfah’, is mentioned 12 times, but human beings created from ‘Nutfah’ is mentioned 11 times. The Arabic word ‘Nutfah’ means a minute quantity of liquid. The Holy Qur'an says in Surah Sajdah, Ch. No. 32, Verse No. 8, that… ‘We have created the human beings from a quintessence of liquid’. The Arabic word is ‘Sulala’ meaning a minute quantity, or the best part of the whole. And today we have come to know, only one sperm actually - it penetrates the ovum, and only one sperm is required to fertilize the ovum, out of the tens of millions of sperms, which the man ejaculates. Qur'an refers to it as ‘Sulala’, the best part of the whole or ‘Nutfah’ a minute quantity. The Qur'an says in Surah Insaan, Ch. No. 76, Verse No. 2 ‘We have created the human being from a minute quantity of mingled fluids’. The word ‘Nutfanmsaj’ means minute quantity of mingled fluids. This can refer to the male and female gametes - after they are formed… the ‘Zygote’ - it yet remains a ‘Nutfah’ - a minute quantity of liquid. It can also refer to the spermatic fluid, which contains several secretions from various glands, like the testis, the ‘Sero fluid’, which contains the ‘Spermatozoon’ - it also includes the secretions from the Seminal ‘Vesicles’, the seminal fluids, which is a reservoir of ‘Somatel Zoones’, but does not contain the fertilizing agent. Also it refers the secretion of the Prostatic glands, which gives the creamy texture and the characteristic odour to the sperm, as well as glands attached to the Urinary tract - the Coopers gland or the Litters gland, which gives the specific texture of mucous, to the sperm. The Qur'an refers to as 'Nutfanamsaj'… to minute quantity of mingled fluid - male and female gametes surrounded by these fluids which are responsible, for the birth of the human being.
Embryological Stages
The Qur'an describes the various Embryological stages in great detail. In Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No 12 to 14, it says… ‘We have created the human beings from a quintessence of clay, then made it into a drop, placed it into ‘Qarare Makeen’ place of security, then made it into an ‘Alaqa’, something which clings, a leech like substance, made that ‘Alaqa’ into ‘Mudga’, a chewed like lump, made that ‘Mudga’, into ‘Izama’ bones, then clothed the ‘Izama’, bones with ‘Lahem’ that is flesh and then made it into a creature - Blessed is He, the best to create’.
This verse of the Holy Qur'an, from 12 to 14 of Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, describes the Embryological stages in great detail. It starts with saying… ‘We have placed the ‘Nutfah’ the minute quantity into ‘Qaraare Makeen’, a place of security’. Today Embryology tells us, that the Embryo is protected posteriorily by the back bone and the posterior muscles of the mother - anteriorily by, the anterior abdominal wall, by the uterine wall as well as the Amnochodianic membrane. It continues… ‘then we made it into an ‘Alaqa’, a leech like substance, something which clings’. The Arabic word ‘Alaqa’, has got 3 meanings: something which clings, a leech like substance, as well as blood clot. Alhamdulillah, all three meanings are applicable here, because the Embryo, in the initial stages - it clings to the uterine wall of the mother. It looks like a ‘leech’, as confirmed by Professor Keith Moore. It also behaves like a ‘leech’, it behaves like a blood sucker, it derives the blood supply and the nutrition from the mother. And at this stage - if an abortion takes place, the concept is, it looks like a blood clot. It looks like a blood clot as well as a leech. So Qur'an, in one word it implies three meanings, which all are applicable. Qur'an mentions this word ‘Alaqa’ no less then six times. Twice in Surah Muminun, Ch. No. 23, Verse No. 12 to 14; Surah Hajj, Ch. No. 22, Verse No 5; Surah Ghafir, Ch. No. 40, Verse 67; Surah Qiyamah, Ch. No. 75, Verse 38; as well as in Surah Iqra, Ch. No. 96, Verse No 2. Six times it is mentioned. Previously, in the 17th century people thought that the sperm, it walled a miniature human being. A miniature human being was present in the head of the sperm, which later on developed into the uterus of the mother, as a new born baby. This was believed by Swamadamm, who proposed the ‘Perforation theory’. Later on, when they discovered that the ovum is bigger than the sperm - De Graaf and others, they said it is not the sperm which walls a miniature human being - It is the ovum which walls a miniature human being. Later on, Mophartus in the eighteen century, he proposed the ‘Bi-parental theory’ - that both are responsible. As the Qur'an says, both the sperm and the ovum are responsible for the birth of the child. Qur'an says, we made that ‘Alaqa’, into a ‘Mudga’. ‘Mudga’ means ‘chewed like lump’, or something tacky which can be put in the mouth. Professor Keith Moore said, ‘both these meanings are applicable, because it is something tacky which can be put in the mouth’ - and later on he took a plaster seal and bit it between his teeth, to look like a Mudga, ‘a chewed like lump’. And he was astonished that the teeth marks resembled the ‘Somites’, from which develops the spinal column. The Qur'an says, 'We made that ‘Mudga’ into ‘Izama’… bones. We clothed the ‘Izama’ with ‘Lahem’… flesh, and muscles. Allah says… ‘Then, We create the ‘Al-Nasha’ stage, We create a new creature’. What does the Qur'an mean … ‘We have created a new creature’? - Science today, tells us that the embryological stages of development, before this stage, in the rabbit, in the fish, in the other animals, it is similar to that of the human beings. It is only at this stage of ‘Al-Nasha’, that the particular characteristics of the human beings are seen - the head, the hands and the feet. The Qur'an says… ‘We have made a new creature’, and ends by saying – ‘Blessed is He, who is the best to create’. Imagine, Qur'an gives the various Embryological stages in great detail. There was a person who put forward an argument – ‘It is nothing new; may be some Arab - he opened up the abdomen of a pregnant woman and checked the shape and wrote in the Qur'an’. He did not realize that all these stages, which the Qur'an describes, it cannot be observed with the naked human eye - you require a very powerful microscope. When Professor Marshall Johnson was asked to comment of these Verses - He is the head of the department of ‘Anatomy’ in the Daniel Institute, in Sir Thomas Jefferson's hospital in Philadelphia, USA. He said – ‘It can be possible that Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) - he had a microscope and he observed it’. Then, he was reminded that… ‘Microscope was not invented 1400 years ago’. So, Professor Marshall Johnson laughed loudly, and he said – ‘Yes, I know that - and I have seen the first microscope with my own eyes - It hardly enlarges to ten times and the picture is not even clear’. Then he said – ‘These stages has to be a Divine Revelation’. He was further asked to comment, on the verse of the Qur'an from Surah Hajj, Ch. No. 22, Verse No 5, which says… ‘We have created the human beings from dust then made it into an ‘Alaqa’, made it into a ‘Mudga’, partly formed and partly unformed’. When you take an incision at this stage, and analyze the Embryo - and cut up the internal organs, you will find out that the internal organs at this particular stage, some of the organs are formed while the other organs - they are not formed. So Professor Marshall Johnson said – ‘If I said, that it is a complete creation, I am only describing those organs which are formed’ - If I say It is an incomplete creation, I am only describing those organs which are not formed. There can be no better description than the Holy Qur'an, saying… ‘Partly formed and partly unformed’, because some organs are formed, the others are not formed - some cells are differentiated, the others are not differentiated’. Professor Keith Moore said that… ‘Today in Embryology we have got several stages of the Embryological development, but it is so difficult, to understand it, because it has got numerical stages - stage 1, stage 2, stage 3. The Qur'an bases the stages on shapes, and predated development, which is far superior and easy than what modern Embryology has done today’. If the Embryologists… they describe according to the stages of the Qur'an, it is far more easier for them to describe and understand, than what modern Embryology has done - stage 1, stage 2, stage 3
Sense Organs
The Qur'an says in Surah Sajda, Ch. No. 32, Verse No 9… ‘We have given the human beings the faculty of hearing and sight’. It is repeated in Surah Insaan, Ch. No. 76, Verse No 2… ‘We have given the faculty of hearing and sight, to the human being’. Today we have come to know the first sense to develop, is the sense of hearing - Qur'an says… ‘First hearing then sight’. By the fifth month of pregnancy It is complete - the ear, later on in the seventh month of pregnancy, the eye split is open. Imagine Qur'an gives the order - first comes hearing, then comes sight.
Challenge Of Qur'an
Allah (SWT) is asking you in Surah Nisa, Ch. No. 4 Verse 82… (Arabic)… ‘Do not you consider the Qur'an with care? – Do not you ponder over the Qur'an with care? that if it had been from any one besides Allah, there would have been many contradiction - there would have been many discrepancies’. Qur'an is giving you a challenge - Here is the Holy Qur'an, try and take out a single discrepancy - try and take out a single fault in the Holy Qur'an. It is giving you a challenge, an open challenge…. ‘Why don't you analyze the Qur'an with care - had it been from anyone besides Allah, there would have been many contradictions’.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Ramadaan: Leader of all Months
In the name of Allaah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Ramadaan: Leader of all Months
All praise is due to Allah Who made the succession of day and night a lesson for those who reflect. I thank him for his bountiful blessings and I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah. I equally testify that Muhammad (SAW) is His Servant and Messenger. May peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, his household and companions who are the people of righteousness and piety.
Dear brothers and sisters, It should be known that physical and spiritual felicity can only be attained by subjecting ones heart and body to the worship of Allaah and that it is through worshiping Allaah in complete sincerity that this world can be of no importance.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is a manifestation of Allaah’s mercy on His slaves that He ordained fasting for them in order to purify them from excessive tastes and to cleanse their hearts from lustful things. These days, Muslims all over the world are receiving the month of Ramadaan; leader of all months; the month of forgiveness, merits and gifts; the month that gladdens the hearts of righteous people. No wonder that a pious man said in his death bed giving a reason for his weeping:
“I am only weeping for the fact that people will continue to be fasting and performing prayers after my death while I will no longer be in a position to do likewise.”
Leader of all Nights
Ramadaan is the month that contains the leader of all nights; a night that is better than a thousand months. Whoever spends the night in prayers with faith and hoping for Allaah’s reward will have all his past sins forgiven. Rasulullah (s.a.w) said:
“When the month of Ramadaan enters, gates of Paradise are opened, gates of Hell are closed and devils are chained.” (Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).
Its time for night prayers
Dear brothers and sisters, whoever wants eternal prosperity should endeavor to worship Allaah and do good deeds sincerely. For, good deeds without sincere intention is of no use. Also, it is a glory for a believer to wake up in the night and perform prayers for, the best prayer after the obligatory ones are the prayers performed in the night. In fact, righteous people do compete with each other to make use of its darkness for doing acts of Ibaadah that bring them closer to Allaah and they loved this world only because of its nights.
Aboo Sulaymaan Ad-Daaraanee said:
“By Allaah! If not because of waking up in the night and performing prayers, I would not have loved this world; for, the night is precious because of its darkness and performing the prayers during the night is one of the characteristics of righteous people.”
Al-Hasan Al-Basree said:
“Nobody abandons night prayers except that it is regarded as a punishment for a sin he has committed.”
Supplication: a link
You should also endeavor to supplicate to Allaah during the nights of this noble month because, supplication is the link between man and his Lord; it is an effortlessly clear profit and easy booty; it prevents calamities and brings forth Allaah’s treasures and bounties. By supplicating to Allaah during the night, He answers by granting the request generously for, His Hands never get tired of giving.
Qur'an :
The best speech
There is no way to Allaah’s pleasure except through Qur'an.It is revealed in the best of all months. The best way you can spend your time during this month is to recite the Qur’aan as frequently as possible. Read it, reflect on its meaning and work by its injunctions. This is because the Qur’aan contains admonitions and lessons that increase one’s humility and humbleness.
Increase your ranks
As regards charity, Rasulullah (s.a.w) was the most generous of all people and his generosity manifested most during the month of Ramadaan. Whenever he gave, he gave in plenty as if he had no fear of poverty. He would never be asked of anything except that he gave it unless if he did not have it.
Charity, has its positive effects on the giver. It causes blessings to his wealth and children, prevents calamities and brings forth bliss. Ramadaan is a month of charity.
Ibnul-Qayyim said:
“Nothing brings Allaah’s blessings and prevents His punishment than obeying Him, moving closer to Him through acts of Ibaadah and being kind to His creatures.”
Therefore, spend in charity for, charity elevates one’s rank in front of Allaah and know that, man is going to stay under the shade of his charity on the Day of Resurrection.
Repentance
Dear brothers and sisters, make good preparation for this honorable month because it is a transient visitor. Receive it with a sincere repentance and spend your time during the month is acts of obedience to your Lord.
Increase you Reward
Further, try to perform ‘Umrah during Ramadaan for, a ‘Umrah during Ramadaan is equivalent in reward to a Hajj performed with the Messenger of Allaah. Also, provide food for fasting Muslims for whoever does that gets an equivalent of their reward without causing any deduction to the reward of the fasting Muslims.
Follow the Sunnah
I‘tikaaf (seclusion in a mosque for the purpose of worshiping Allaah alone) is also a Sunnah that should be kept during the last ten days of Ramadaan. Ibn Shihaab said:
“It is a strange thing that Muslims should abandon I‘tikaaf while the Messenger of Allaah e never skipped it right from the time he entered Madeenah until his death.”
Join the Cord
Use the period of this noble month to join the cord of kinship (by keeping good relations with your kith and kin). Also repent sincerely to Allaah as long as the door of repentance is still open. Be cautious of undesirable end because leaving this world is actually painful.
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" La ilaaha illallaahu, nas-taghfirullaaha,
nas-alukal jannata, wa na'oozubika minannar."
"Allahumma Aghfirlee Zunoobee Ya Rabbal Aalameen"
(Aameen)
Ramadaan: Leader of all Months
All praise is due to Allah Who made the succession of day and night a lesson for those who reflect. I thank him for his bountiful blessings and I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah. I equally testify that Muhammad (SAW) is His Servant and Messenger. May peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, his household and companions who are the people of righteousness and piety.
Dear brothers and sisters, It should be known that physical and spiritual felicity can only be attained by subjecting ones heart and body to the worship of Allaah and that it is through worshiping Allaah in complete sincerity that this world can be of no importance.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is a manifestation of Allaah’s mercy on His slaves that He ordained fasting for them in order to purify them from excessive tastes and to cleanse their hearts from lustful things. These days, Muslims all over the world are receiving the month of Ramadaan; leader of all months; the month of forgiveness, merits and gifts; the month that gladdens the hearts of righteous people. No wonder that a pious man said in his death bed giving a reason for his weeping:
“I am only weeping for the fact that people will continue to be fasting and performing prayers after my death while I will no longer be in a position to do likewise.”
Leader of all Nights
Ramadaan is the month that contains the leader of all nights; a night that is better than a thousand months. Whoever spends the night in prayers with faith and hoping for Allaah’s reward will have all his past sins forgiven. Rasulullah (s.a.w) said:
“When the month of Ramadaan enters, gates of Paradise are opened, gates of Hell are closed and devils are chained.” (Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).
Its time for night prayers
Dear brothers and sisters, whoever wants eternal prosperity should endeavor to worship Allaah and do good deeds sincerely. For, good deeds without sincere intention is of no use. Also, it is a glory for a believer to wake up in the night and perform prayers for, the best prayer after the obligatory ones are the prayers performed in the night. In fact, righteous people do compete with each other to make use of its darkness for doing acts of Ibaadah that bring them closer to Allaah and they loved this world only because of its nights.
Aboo Sulaymaan Ad-Daaraanee said:
“By Allaah! If not because of waking up in the night and performing prayers, I would not have loved this world; for, the night is precious because of its darkness and performing the prayers during the night is one of the characteristics of righteous people.”
Al-Hasan Al-Basree said:
“Nobody abandons night prayers except that it is regarded as a punishment for a sin he has committed.”
Supplication: a link
You should also endeavor to supplicate to Allaah during the nights of this noble month because, supplication is the link between man and his Lord; it is an effortlessly clear profit and easy booty; it prevents calamities and brings forth Allaah’s treasures and bounties. By supplicating to Allaah during the night, He answers by granting the request generously for, His Hands never get tired of giving.
Qur'an :
The best speech
There is no way to Allaah’s pleasure except through Qur'an.It is revealed in the best of all months. The best way you can spend your time during this month is to recite the Qur’aan as frequently as possible. Read it, reflect on its meaning and work by its injunctions. This is because the Qur’aan contains admonitions and lessons that increase one’s humility and humbleness.
Increase your ranks
As regards charity, Rasulullah (s.a.w) was the most generous of all people and his generosity manifested most during the month of Ramadaan. Whenever he gave, he gave in plenty as if he had no fear of poverty. He would never be asked of anything except that he gave it unless if he did not have it.
Charity, has its positive effects on the giver. It causes blessings to his wealth and children, prevents calamities and brings forth bliss. Ramadaan is a month of charity.
Ibnul-Qayyim said:
“Nothing brings Allaah’s blessings and prevents His punishment than obeying Him, moving closer to Him through acts of Ibaadah and being kind to His creatures.”
Therefore, spend in charity for, charity elevates one’s rank in front of Allaah and know that, man is going to stay under the shade of his charity on the Day of Resurrection.
Repentance
Dear brothers and sisters, make good preparation for this honorable month because it is a transient visitor. Receive it with a sincere repentance and spend your time during the month is acts of obedience to your Lord.
Increase you Reward
Further, try to perform ‘Umrah during Ramadaan for, a ‘Umrah during Ramadaan is equivalent in reward to a Hajj performed with the Messenger of Allaah. Also, provide food for fasting Muslims for whoever does that gets an equivalent of their reward without causing any deduction to the reward of the fasting Muslims.
Follow the Sunnah
I‘tikaaf (seclusion in a mosque for the purpose of worshiping Allaah alone) is also a Sunnah that should be kept during the last ten days of Ramadaan. Ibn Shihaab said:
“It is a strange thing that Muslims should abandon I‘tikaaf while the Messenger of Allaah e never skipped it right from the time he entered Madeenah until his death.”
Join the Cord
Use the period of this noble month to join the cord of kinship (by keeping good relations with your kith and kin). Also repent sincerely to Allaah as long as the door of repentance is still open. Be cautious of undesirable end because leaving this world is actually painful.
---
" La ilaaha illallaahu, nas-taghfirullaaha,
nas-alukal jannata, wa na'oozubika minannar."
"Allahumma Aghfirlee Zunoobee Ya Rabbal Aalameen"
(Aameen)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Ramadan Nights : Adam's Repentance
Introduction
We need to confirm what was said in the previous lectures with respect to our relationship with the devil (Iblees). You need to feel that Iblees is your enemy. You need to feel that you are ready for this enmity. Look at this verse in The Cave Chapter.
The verse says:
Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrong-doers!! [Qur'an 18:50]
It is like someone is saying to you, 'will you take the devil to be your protector in exchange for Allah? This is the worst kind of exchange you could make.
This second verse says:
Verily Satan is an enemy to you: so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his adherents, that they may become Companions of the Blazing Fire. [35:6]
What does this mean? The devil has already decided and confirmed that you (mankind) are his enemy. The problem lies with us not recognizing this and taking him as an enemy unto ourselves.
We actually have an act of worship to confirm our enmity with Iblees, other than taking refuge in Allah from the devil. This act of worship is 'Ramey al Gamarat' (throwing of pebbles in 3 fixed places in Mina during pilgrimage). 'Ramey al Gamarat' consists of firstly saying 'In the name of Allah the Most Merciful The Most Kind', making the intention, then concentrating and throwing small stones at the designated areas. This is done 70 times, over a period of 4 days. A lot of people do not understand the significance of this act. In fact, it is this very spot in which the devil tried to persuade Prophet Ibrahim not to sacrifice his son Ismail to Allah.
In this act, one must show that Iblees is the enemy. After throwing each stone, it is recommended that one makes a supplication to Allah, as it will be accepted. This is because one has witnessed that the devil is an enemy to oneself and to Allah (SWT).
At this moment, in Ramadan while we speak, the devil is chained up. So let's prepare the soul, so that it is full of strength during and after Ramadan, and the devil will not be able to make us go astray.
Adam and Eve
Let's now return to Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve both ate from the forbidden tree, hence they are both responsible; Adam even more so, as he is the man, and they sinned. What is the result of this sin? There are four consequences
1) The humiliation - What is this humiliation? ……..that which was hidden from them of their shame (private parts) became manifest to them and they began to cover themselves with leaves of Paradise (in order to cover their shame) [Qur'an 7:22]
Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; [2:37]
2) Being told to leave Paradise - "We said: "Get ye down all from here" [Qur'an 2:28] Allah (SWT) told Adam and Eve to leave Paradise, and the company of Allah (SWT).
3) Being called a sinner - "thus did Adam disobey his Lord" [Qur'an 20: 121]
4) Allah's admonition- "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you: Verily, Satan is an open enemy unto you?" [Qur'an 7:22]
Imagine Adam and Eve as they heard this scolding from Allah. The hardest thing on the Day of Judgment will be Allah's admonition. On the Day of Judgment, each person will be called. Imagine as you stand there, and Allah (SWT) says 'My Servant, read your book", and you open your book and read your sins and wrong-doings. Imagine if you were to read this book in front of your parents, let alone in front of Allah (SWT), and all of mankind is listening. 'Read your book" and you read it and Allah says "My servant, did I not bless you, provide for you, did you not learn from the story of your father Adam, did I not provide you with a spouse, wealth and beauty". My servant you have disobeyed Me. You gave to the people what is good and to Me what is bad. Did you think this day would not come?"
But imagine that you are one of the righteous believers. Allah will say to you: "If you sin, My servant, I will conceal your mistakes so that no one hears you. Do you remember the sin you committed and Allah concealed it from the people? Allah says He will forgive it in the hereafter.
Consequences of our sins in this world
The admonition of the believers - In a hadith Qudsi reported by Al-Imam Ahmed, Allah says: I am Allah there is no God but I, if I am worshiped then I am content and if content then I bestow my blessings and My blessings have no end. But if disobeyed my wrath is ensued and if my wrath is ensued then I damn…
There is also a Prophetic hadith with regards to the consequences of going astray. Hassan Al Basrey says "beware of the ensuing the wrath of the believers and without realizing it" They said "how?" "By doing that which is in disobedience to Allah, so His anger is passed onto the hearts of the believers"
1) Detachment from Allah - if you have all the riches of this world, it can not overcome this feeling. You will always feel that you are far away from Allah and you can not come closer. One of the people who had repented said: I know the result of my disobedience through my wife's treatment towards me.
2) Allah will take away from you the feeling of piety - You may have committed a sin last Ramadan and Allah left you, but if you commit it again this year, He will not let you get close to Him again. One of the righteous people said "I used to be very obedient then I committed a number of sins but nothing happened to me." He asked, "Doesn't Allah punish those who disobey Him? So how come nothing has happened to me?" So one day he slept and in is dream he saw someone saying to him "Allah is punishing you but you do not realize it. He has taken away from you the joy of piety".
3) He takes away the blessings from your wealth and life - You may have lots of wealth and live a long life, but there is no blessing in either. An example of this is you may have a son and he falls ill, and all the money that was earned through forbidden means will go into paying for medication.
4) He takes away all that is good - The girls and boys that sin will not attain the good that was prescribed for them.
5) 'Darkness' of the face - Hassan Al Basrey says: of the signs of obedience is brightness of the face, light in the heart, the love of people towards you, and strength in the body. Of the signs of disobedience are darkness of the face, injustice in your heart and the hearts of others towards you, no blessing in your provisions and weakness in the body.
6) Not being able to say the Shahadah at the time of death - Your tongue will be tied so you can not bear witness, you will want to say it, but cant.
Let's return to Adam
The difference between Adam and many people is that after he sinned, he wanted to earn Allah's contentment, he wanted to return to Him but didn't know how to, he had not been taught yet. He had wronged himself but didn't know about repentance yet.
Al-Hakim reports a hadith describing this situation saying 'So Adam and Eve kept on running to and fro in paradise not knowing what to do'. Adam knew that it was Allah that created him and that the angels prostrated to him and after all this he disobeys Allah. As he was running, Allah called him over and asked "Do you run away from Me?" Adam replied, "No I do not run away from you but run out of shame!"
If you do disobey Allah then at least be shameful of it. Don't commit the sin and then feel proud of it! Ibn Al-Qayim says some important words concerning this matter. He says that your happiness in committing this sin is much worse in Allah eyes than the actual sin! But there is something even worse than this, if you laugh while committing the sin and even worse than that, your displeasure if you unable to commit the sin, (you are unable to commit the sin and are unhappy about this fact). One should be happy that it is not in their nature to commit a particular sin; this is not a deficit but strength. The worst of all is your concern at hiding yourself while you commit the sin, so that no one can see you, not thinking for a minute that in fact Allah sees everything. This is worse than the actual sin itself!
So as Adam is looking for words to repent, Allah says "Then Adam received from his Lord words. And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance)."
[Qur'an 2:37] So what Allah is trying to say is that repentance is easy. By saying the designated words (sincerely) Allah will forgive them. Forgiveness from Allah can be achieved very quickly, as in Adam's case where he was given all of Allah's blessings, then sinned, but as soon as he wanted to repent, was taught how to, and Allah forgave him.
What were these words? "Our Lord we have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us thy mercy we shall certainly be lost" [Qur'an 7:23] See the humility? So far in all the episodes, the topic of humility always comes up. The reason being that we are servants of Allah and humility is asked of us. The first step on the route to repentance is admitting to the fact that you are in the wrong.
There is an invocation that was prescribed by the Prophet, whoever says this before they die will be forgiven and will enter paradise, and that is why it is part of the daily invocations, "O Allah You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am your slave. I keep Your covenant and my pledge to you so far as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I admit to Your blessings upon me, and I admit to my misdeed. Forgive me for there is none who may forgive sins but You."
Al Hakim reports a hadith said by Adam: 'O Lord did you not fashion me with Your hands and breathed into me some of your soul. O Lord did you not give me paradise to dwell in. O Lord did you not say to me when I sneezed, May your Lord have mercy on you. O Lord did You not say to me that your mercy is greater than Your wrath. O Lord will you return me to the Paradise when I repent? He replied 'Yes, you and your wife.'
Let's copy Adam. Don't enter Ramadan with a sin you wont give up on! Do you not want to be saved from Hell-fire? Repent. Make the intention to repent. Copy Adam and not Iblees. Both Adam and the devil sinned, but the difference between them is that Adam realized his mistake and repented, whereas the devil did not.
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "I ask for forgiveness and repent to Allah more than 70 times a day." The companions said that "when we used to sit down with the Prophet we could hear him asking for forgiveness more than 100 times!" The Prophet would be sitting with them, then would become silent, we would look at him and find him saying 'I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah'…Then he would speak with them, then would become silent and say 'I repent to You'…I repent to You' then again 'I seek forgiveness from Allah' and I repent to You'.
Ramadan is a great opportunity to ask for forgiveness, to repent, and to ask to be saved from the Hell-fire! So make it so that the night of your repentance is also the night of your savior from the Hell-fire.
See this beautiful Hadith: "Allah is pleased when His servant repents". The best day of your life is when Allah accepts your repentance and forgives you. Pray that Allah forgives you in Ramadan.
After Adam repented, did his piety increase or decrease? Is it possible to raise your level of piety after sinning? In fact, Adam became a Prophet after sinning and repenting. The Prophet (PBUH) was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who was the first Prophet?" He said Adam. So the companion asked "was he a Prophet?" He replied "yes a Prophet." The meaning is that if you sin and then repent, then you rise in Allah's eyes. In fact, if you sin then repent, you will be above the righteous ones, depending on the strength and sincerity of your repentance. How much is you heart connected with Allah and is sincerely regretting your sins?
Look at the meaning of beseech. Adam left paradise and went to the earth. But he was upset that he had left paradise and left Allah's side. Listen to how Allah talks to Adam. "You used to come to meet me as a King entering the company of another king but now you come to Me as servant to his king and that is more beloved to Me". Adam If I was to stop you from ever committing sins then to whom would I grant My mercy, forgiveness and generosity."
"O Adam the remorse of the sinners is more beloved to Me than being glorified by the obedient ones. O Adam a sin with which you repent to me is Me is more beloved to me than a good deed you may do. O Adam don't be afraid when I say leave Paradise for I created it for you, but you will have to go to earth and work hard in it, work in the way of Allah and cultivate the land, and when you really long to come back, I will allow you to enter it. "
These are beautiful words, a message to us all, to show humility before Allah and learn that this world is one for hard work, and if you really want to go to paradise, then you should work towards it, and you will achieve it.
We need to confirm what was said in the previous lectures with respect to our relationship with the devil (Iblees). You need to feel that Iblees is your enemy. You need to feel that you are ready for this enmity. Look at this verse in The Cave Chapter.
The verse says:
Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrong-doers!! [Qur'an 18:50]
It is like someone is saying to you, 'will you take the devil to be your protector in exchange for Allah? This is the worst kind of exchange you could make.
This second verse says:
Verily Satan is an enemy to you: so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his adherents, that they may become Companions of the Blazing Fire. [35:6]
What does this mean? The devil has already decided and confirmed that you (mankind) are his enemy. The problem lies with us not recognizing this and taking him as an enemy unto ourselves.
We actually have an act of worship to confirm our enmity with Iblees, other than taking refuge in Allah from the devil. This act of worship is 'Ramey al Gamarat' (throwing of pebbles in 3 fixed places in Mina during pilgrimage). 'Ramey al Gamarat' consists of firstly saying 'In the name of Allah the Most Merciful The Most Kind', making the intention, then concentrating and throwing small stones at the designated areas. This is done 70 times, over a period of 4 days. A lot of people do not understand the significance of this act. In fact, it is this very spot in which the devil tried to persuade Prophet Ibrahim not to sacrifice his son Ismail to Allah.
In this act, one must show that Iblees is the enemy. After throwing each stone, it is recommended that one makes a supplication to Allah, as it will be accepted. This is because one has witnessed that the devil is an enemy to oneself and to Allah (SWT).
At this moment, in Ramadan while we speak, the devil is chained up. So let's prepare the soul, so that it is full of strength during and after Ramadan, and the devil will not be able to make us go astray.
Adam and Eve
Let's now return to Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve both ate from the forbidden tree, hence they are both responsible; Adam even more so, as he is the man, and they sinned. What is the result of this sin? There are four consequences
1) The humiliation - What is this humiliation? ……..that which was hidden from them of their shame (private parts) became manifest to them and they began to cover themselves with leaves of Paradise (in order to cover their shame) [Qur'an 7:22]
Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; [2:37]
2) Being told to leave Paradise - "We said: "Get ye down all from here" [Qur'an 2:28] Allah (SWT) told Adam and Eve to leave Paradise, and the company of Allah (SWT).
3) Being called a sinner - "thus did Adam disobey his Lord" [Qur'an 20: 121]
4) Allah's admonition- "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you: Verily, Satan is an open enemy unto you?" [Qur'an 7:22]
Imagine Adam and Eve as they heard this scolding from Allah. The hardest thing on the Day of Judgment will be Allah's admonition. On the Day of Judgment, each person will be called. Imagine as you stand there, and Allah (SWT) says 'My Servant, read your book", and you open your book and read your sins and wrong-doings. Imagine if you were to read this book in front of your parents, let alone in front of Allah (SWT), and all of mankind is listening. 'Read your book" and you read it and Allah says "My servant, did I not bless you, provide for you, did you not learn from the story of your father Adam, did I not provide you with a spouse, wealth and beauty". My servant you have disobeyed Me. You gave to the people what is good and to Me what is bad. Did you think this day would not come?"
But imagine that you are one of the righteous believers. Allah will say to you: "If you sin, My servant, I will conceal your mistakes so that no one hears you. Do you remember the sin you committed and Allah concealed it from the people? Allah says He will forgive it in the hereafter.
Consequences of our sins in this world
The admonition of the believers - In a hadith Qudsi reported by Al-Imam Ahmed, Allah says: I am Allah there is no God but I, if I am worshiped then I am content and if content then I bestow my blessings and My blessings have no end. But if disobeyed my wrath is ensued and if my wrath is ensued then I damn…
There is also a Prophetic hadith with regards to the consequences of going astray. Hassan Al Basrey says "beware of the ensuing the wrath of the believers and without realizing it" They said "how?" "By doing that which is in disobedience to Allah, so His anger is passed onto the hearts of the believers"
1) Detachment from Allah - if you have all the riches of this world, it can not overcome this feeling. You will always feel that you are far away from Allah and you can not come closer. One of the people who had repented said: I know the result of my disobedience through my wife's treatment towards me.
2) Allah will take away from you the feeling of piety - You may have committed a sin last Ramadan and Allah left you, but if you commit it again this year, He will not let you get close to Him again. One of the righteous people said "I used to be very obedient then I committed a number of sins but nothing happened to me." He asked, "Doesn't Allah punish those who disobey Him? So how come nothing has happened to me?" So one day he slept and in is dream he saw someone saying to him "Allah is punishing you but you do not realize it. He has taken away from you the joy of piety".
3) He takes away the blessings from your wealth and life - You may have lots of wealth and live a long life, but there is no blessing in either. An example of this is you may have a son and he falls ill, and all the money that was earned through forbidden means will go into paying for medication.
4) He takes away all that is good - The girls and boys that sin will not attain the good that was prescribed for them.
5) 'Darkness' of the face - Hassan Al Basrey says: of the signs of obedience is brightness of the face, light in the heart, the love of people towards you, and strength in the body. Of the signs of disobedience are darkness of the face, injustice in your heart and the hearts of others towards you, no blessing in your provisions and weakness in the body.
6) Not being able to say the Shahadah at the time of death - Your tongue will be tied so you can not bear witness, you will want to say it, but cant.
Let's return to Adam
The difference between Adam and many people is that after he sinned, he wanted to earn Allah's contentment, he wanted to return to Him but didn't know how to, he had not been taught yet. He had wronged himself but didn't know about repentance yet.
Al-Hakim reports a hadith describing this situation saying 'So Adam and Eve kept on running to and fro in paradise not knowing what to do'. Adam knew that it was Allah that created him and that the angels prostrated to him and after all this he disobeys Allah. As he was running, Allah called him over and asked "Do you run away from Me?" Adam replied, "No I do not run away from you but run out of shame!"
If you do disobey Allah then at least be shameful of it. Don't commit the sin and then feel proud of it! Ibn Al-Qayim says some important words concerning this matter. He says that your happiness in committing this sin is much worse in Allah eyes than the actual sin! But there is something even worse than this, if you laugh while committing the sin and even worse than that, your displeasure if you unable to commit the sin, (you are unable to commit the sin and are unhappy about this fact). One should be happy that it is not in their nature to commit a particular sin; this is not a deficit but strength. The worst of all is your concern at hiding yourself while you commit the sin, so that no one can see you, not thinking for a minute that in fact Allah sees everything. This is worse than the actual sin itself!
So as Adam is looking for words to repent, Allah says "Then Adam received from his Lord words. And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance)."
[Qur'an 2:37] So what Allah is trying to say is that repentance is easy. By saying the designated words (sincerely) Allah will forgive them. Forgiveness from Allah can be achieved very quickly, as in Adam's case where he was given all of Allah's blessings, then sinned, but as soon as he wanted to repent, was taught how to, and Allah forgave him.
What were these words? "Our Lord we have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us thy mercy we shall certainly be lost" [Qur'an 7:23] See the humility? So far in all the episodes, the topic of humility always comes up. The reason being that we are servants of Allah and humility is asked of us. The first step on the route to repentance is admitting to the fact that you are in the wrong.
There is an invocation that was prescribed by the Prophet, whoever says this before they die will be forgiven and will enter paradise, and that is why it is part of the daily invocations, "O Allah You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am your slave. I keep Your covenant and my pledge to you so far as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I admit to Your blessings upon me, and I admit to my misdeed. Forgive me for there is none who may forgive sins but You."
Al Hakim reports a hadith said by Adam: 'O Lord did you not fashion me with Your hands and breathed into me some of your soul. O Lord did you not give me paradise to dwell in. O Lord did you not say to me when I sneezed, May your Lord have mercy on you. O Lord did You not say to me that your mercy is greater than Your wrath. O Lord will you return me to the Paradise when I repent? He replied 'Yes, you and your wife.'
Let's copy Adam. Don't enter Ramadan with a sin you wont give up on! Do you not want to be saved from Hell-fire? Repent. Make the intention to repent. Copy Adam and not Iblees. Both Adam and the devil sinned, but the difference between them is that Adam realized his mistake and repented, whereas the devil did not.
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "I ask for forgiveness and repent to Allah more than 70 times a day." The companions said that "when we used to sit down with the Prophet we could hear him asking for forgiveness more than 100 times!" The Prophet would be sitting with them, then would become silent, we would look at him and find him saying 'I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah'…Then he would speak with them, then would become silent and say 'I repent to You'…I repent to You' then again 'I seek forgiveness from Allah' and I repent to You'.
Ramadan is a great opportunity to ask for forgiveness, to repent, and to ask to be saved from the Hell-fire! So make it so that the night of your repentance is also the night of your savior from the Hell-fire.
See this beautiful Hadith: "Allah is pleased when His servant repents". The best day of your life is when Allah accepts your repentance and forgives you. Pray that Allah forgives you in Ramadan.
After Adam repented, did his piety increase or decrease? Is it possible to raise your level of piety after sinning? In fact, Adam became a Prophet after sinning and repenting. The Prophet (PBUH) was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who was the first Prophet?" He said Adam. So the companion asked "was he a Prophet?" He replied "yes a Prophet." The meaning is that if you sin and then repent, then you rise in Allah's eyes. In fact, if you sin then repent, you will be above the righteous ones, depending on the strength and sincerity of your repentance. How much is you heart connected with Allah and is sincerely regretting your sins?
Look at the meaning of beseech. Adam left paradise and went to the earth. But he was upset that he had left paradise and left Allah's side. Listen to how Allah talks to Adam. "You used to come to meet me as a King entering the company of another king but now you come to Me as servant to his king and that is more beloved to Me". Adam If I was to stop you from ever committing sins then to whom would I grant My mercy, forgiveness and generosity."
"O Adam the remorse of the sinners is more beloved to Me than being glorified by the obedient ones. O Adam a sin with which you repent to me is Me is more beloved to me than a good deed you may do. O Adam don't be afraid when I say leave Paradise for I created it for you, but you will have to go to earth and work hard in it, work in the way of Allah and cultivate the land, and when you really long to come back, I will allow you to enter it. "
These are beautiful words, a message to us all, to show humility before Allah and learn that this world is one for hard work, and if you really want to go to paradise, then you should work towards it, and you will achieve it.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Islam: The Middle and Moderate Path
Thus have We made of you a Middle Ummah, that you might be witnesses over the people, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves… ( al-Baqarah 2:143)
Say: "O People of the Book! Make no excess in your religion, trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by, who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the even Way. ( al-Ma'idah 5:77)
Muslims are called Ummatan Wasatan . The commentators of the Qur'an explain the word “wasat” as “justly balanced”, “the best (khiyar or khayr)”. ( see al-Tabari, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir etc.) Yusuf Ali says: “The essence of Islam is to avoid all extravagances on either side. It is a sober, practical religion.” ( note 143 on 2:143)
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has made this Ummah a moderate Ummah. Muslims have to follow the middle path, the path that has no extremes or excesses.
It is a path that brings together in a harmonious balance:
Revelation and Reason ( Wahy and ‘Aql )
Individual and Community ( Fard and Mujtama ')
Religion and World ( Din and Dunya )
This World and the Other World ( Dunya and ‘Akhirah )
Islam teaches gentleness and softness ( rifq ) in everything. Harshness and hardness ( ghilzah ) is not accepted in Islam. Islam is the religion of peace and mercy ( salam and rahmah ). (The Qur'an tells the believers to show “ ghilzah ” only in the battlefield (see al-Tawbah 9:73; 123; al-Tahrim 66:9). Also it says that do not ignore or avoid Allah's Hudud out of compassion to the criminals. ( al-Nur 24:2) Otherwise it always speaks about gentleness and kindness.)
Islam has middle position in:
* Beliefs (‘Aqidah)
* Acts of worship (‘Ibadah)
* Laws (Shari'ah)
* Morals and manners (Akhlaq)
Let us look briefly on these four areas in Islamic teachings:
I. Beliefs:
1. Belief about Allah's being ( dhat) :
a) Neither atheism nor polytheism – meaning that God does not exist or there are many gods
b) Neither monism nor pantheism – meaning that only God exists and nothing else exists or that everything is God.
c) Neither anthropomorphism or incarnationism nor nihilism –meaning that God is like human beings or God becomes a human being or to say that God is abstract as an energy and power.
d) Islam teaches Tawhid – There is only one God with beautiful names and attributes. He exists and He has given existence to everything. There is nothing like Him, but He hears and sees everything.
2. Belief about Allah's nature ( sifat) :
a) He is neither so loving that He does not care about the right and wrong, nor is He so harsh that he cannot forgive and He must punish for every sin and mistake. He is both loving , kind and compassionate but He is also a judge. His justice is so much that he would not do wrong to any one, but his love is so much that when there is sincere faith and repentance He is ready to forgive.
b) He is neither too transcendent that He become remote and unapproachable not He is so accessible that humans can manipulate Him, make Him to suffer and even kill him. He is very close to us. He loves us and hears our prayers, but He is above and beyond. The eyes cannot catch Him, but He catches the eyes.
c) He is neither so powerful that we have no freedom. Nor is He so helpless that He does not even know what we are doing and cannot stop us from wrong or help us when we need Him. We believe that He has power over everything. Nothing moves without His permission. He knows the past, present and future, but He out of His grace has given freedom to human being to think, move and work. He will judge them in the things in which He has given freedom to them.
3. Belief about Human Beings:
a) Neither animals nor angels. We believe that they are a special and honored creation of Allah. They have the possibility to go higher and higher and they can become the lowest of the low.
b) Neither born in sin nor perfect. They can succumb to temptations, but they are not helpless before the powers of evil.
c) Neither absolutely helpless and powerless and not free to do anything, nor absolutely free to do whatever they wish or become fully autonomous. They have a lot of freedom, but they must follow the basic rules of God and must live in obedience to Him.
4. Belief about the Prophets of Allah:
a) They were great human beings, but they were not God, the incarnation of God or the sons of God. We must respect them, honor them and follow their way but we must not deify them or worship them.
b) Prophets were chosen by God. They did not become prophets by their own achievements. They did perform miracles occasionally by the permission of God, but most of the time they had to go through the same pains, trials as other human beings go through.
c) God sent the prophets in the past, but He made Prophet Muhammad as His last Prophet. There is no new Prophet who will come after him. Thus we believe in the continuation of prophecy but after him there is no prophecy, only inspiration and illumination. Prophets were infallible teachers, but there is no one after them who has this protection. People are allowed to make interpretation but no one other than prophets can claim absolute authority for his/her interpretation.
5. Belief about the world:
a) Not a bad place, the place of suffering and pain but also not a heaven or a permanent place. Allah has created this world and it is a good place, but Hereafter is better.
b) Take your share of this world but do not forget the Hereafter. Do not neglect this world, rather you should try to build, improve, cultivate and plan in this world. Whatever good you do here you shall receive the reward in the hereafter. This is a place of your test.
c) You are not the master of this world or its slave, but you are Allah's Khalifah in this world. Everything is a trust and your are given this trust (amanah). Use the resources of this world carefully. Take care of the environment. Do not waste or be extravagant.
II. Acts of Worship:
1. Concept of Worship:
a) Islam gives us some special acts of worship: Salat, Siyam , Zakat and Hajj. These are the main acts of worship.
b) But worship is not some rituals only, it is the whole life. Whatever a person does in obedience to Allah is worship. Even the most worldly and mundane activities are worship.
c) Acts of worship (‘Ibadat) are specified and not left to people's own experiments. This brings unity and harmony.
2. Methods of Worship:
a) Islam emphasizes both the individual Ibadah as well as collective ‘Ibadah.
b) Acts of worship include time, space and money. There are Ibadat Zamaniya (related to time), ‘ Ibadat Makaniyah (related to space) and Ibadat Maliyah (related to wealth). Salat and Siyam are ‘Ibadat Zamaniyah . Hajj is ‘Ibadah Zamaniyah and Makaniyah both, while ‘Umrah is ‘Ibadah Makaniyah. Zakat and Sadaqat are ‘ Ibadat Maliyah.
c) In all ‘Ibadat there is a balance between the obligatory and the voluntary aspects. Minimum is made obligatory and Nawafil are left to the individual's choice.
d) In prayer especially, there is a harmony and balance between the physical, verbal, mental and spiritual aspects.
e) In fasting there are timings. One is not asked to fast for too long, but it is also not left to one's choice to choose whenever and whatever one wants to fast from.
III. Laws (Shari'ah)
The Law in Islam is Universal and comprehensive. It Promotes human dignity, equality and honor. Its basic principles are permanent and it has flexibility according to the conditions of the people and their needs. The basic philosophy of Law in Islam:
1. No obligation beyond capacity (taklif ma la yutaq ).
2. All good things are permissible and all bad things are forbidden.
3. The basic purpose in obligations is honor and purification, not putting burden or humiliation. ( al-isr and al-aghlal).
4. Recognition of extreme necessity ( idtirar )
IV. Morals and Manners (Akhlaq)
Islam gives very high place to ethics and morality. It says that a person who has no character has no religion. The basic nature of Islamic teachings on ethics and morality are:
1. Universal Values – not promoting any specific culture, race or country.
2. Positive and life affirming – it teaches that you can enjoy the good things of this life.
3. Not ascetic, monastic, morbid or moribund in nature. Islam wants people to be happy, healthy, optimistic and forward looking.
4. Practical – take into account human needs, emotions, desires, and aspirations and provides opportunities for their growth.
5. Egalitarian – There are no double standards – one for religious class and other for laity.
Conclusion:
There are some Muslims who do not know Islam and there are some who do not practice Islam in the right way. It is important that we learn Islam and we should learn it in the right way. Islam is neither harsh nor difficult. There is nothing in Islam that is not practical or impossible.
The Prophet –peace be upon him- said:
“ The religion is easy and whosoever will deal with religion harshly, it will defeat him. So be straight, follow the middle course, give good news and seek help by moving in the morning or the evening or part of the night .”
(Al-Bukhari 38)
In order to follow Islam you must make an effort and be serious. Learn your faith and pay some attention to it. Do not take your religion casually. Islam is not just a social and cultural thing. Islam is the religion of Allah and it is the most moderate, balanced, beautiful and perfect religion
Say: "O People of the Book! Make no excess in your religion, trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by, who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the even Way. ( al-Ma'idah 5:77)
Muslims are called Ummatan Wasatan . The commentators of the Qur'an explain the word “wasat” as “justly balanced”, “the best (khiyar or khayr)”. ( see al-Tabari, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir etc.) Yusuf Ali says: “The essence of Islam is to avoid all extravagances on either side. It is a sober, practical religion.” ( note 143 on 2:143)
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has made this Ummah a moderate Ummah. Muslims have to follow the middle path, the path that has no extremes or excesses.
It is a path that brings together in a harmonious balance:
Revelation and Reason ( Wahy and ‘Aql )
Individual and Community ( Fard and Mujtama ')
Religion and World ( Din and Dunya )
This World and the Other World ( Dunya and ‘Akhirah )
Islam teaches gentleness and softness ( rifq ) in everything. Harshness and hardness ( ghilzah ) is not accepted in Islam. Islam is the religion of peace and mercy ( salam and rahmah ). (The Qur'an tells the believers to show “ ghilzah ” only in the battlefield (see al-Tawbah 9:73; 123; al-Tahrim 66:9). Also it says that do not ignore or avoid Allah's Hudud out of compassion to the criminals. ( al-Nur 24:2) Otherwise it always speaks about gentleness and kindness.)
Islam has middle position in:
* Beliefs (‘Aqidah)
* Acts of worship (‘Ibadah)
* Laws (Shari'ah)
* Morals and manners (Akhlaq)
Let us look briefly on these four areas in Islamic teachings:
I. Beliefs:
1. Belief about Allah's being ( dhat) :
a) Neither atheism nor polytheism – meaning that God does not exist or there are many gods
b) Neither monism nor pantheism – meaning that only God exists and nothing else exists or that everything is God.
c) Neither anthropomorphism or incarnationism nor nihilism –meaning that God is like human beings or God becomes a human being or to say that God is abstract as an energy and power.
d) Islam teaches Tawhid – There is only one God with beautiful names and attributes. He exists and He has given existence to everything. There is nothing like Him, but He hears and sees everything.
2. Belief about Allah's nature ( sifat) :
a) He is neither so loving that He does not care about the right and wrong, nor is He so harsh that he cannot forgive and He must punish for every sin and mistake. He is both loving , kind and compassionate but He is also a judge. His justice is so much that he would not do wrong to any one, but his love is so much that when there is sincere faith and repentance He is ready to forgive.
b) He is neither too transcendent that He become remote and unapproachable not He is so accessible that humans can manipulate Him, make Him to suffer and even kill him. He is very close to us. He loves us and hears our prayers, but He is above and beyond. The eyes cannot catch Him, but He catches the eyes.
c) He is neither so powerful that we have no freedom. Nor is He so helpless that He does not even know what we are doing and cannot stop us from wrong or help us when we need Him. We believe that He has power over everything. Nothing moves without His permission. He knows the past, present and future, but He out of His grace has given freedom to human being to think, move and work. He will judge them in the things in which He has given freedom to them.
3. Belief about Human Beings:
a) Neither animals nor angels. We believe that they are a special and honored creation of Allah. They have the possibility to go higher and higher and they can become the lowest of the low.
b) Neither born in sin nor perfect. They can succumb to temptations, but they are not helpless before the powers of evil.
c) Neither absolutely helpless and powerless and not free to do anything, nor absolutely free to do whatever they wish or become fully autonomous. They have a lot of freedom, but they must follow the basic rules of God and must live in obedience to Him.
4. Belief about the Prophets of Allah:
a) They were great human beings, but they were not God, the incarnation of God or the sons of God. We must respect them, honor them and follow their way but we must not deify them or worship them.
b) Prophets were chosen by God. They did not become prophets by their own achievements. They did perform miracles occasionally by the permission of God, but most of the time they had to go through the same pains, trials as other human beings go through.
c) God sent the prophets in the past, but He made Prophet Muhammad as His last Prophet. There is no new Prophet who will come after him. Thus we believe in the continuation of prophecy but after him there is no prophecy, only inspiration and illumination. Prophets were infallible teachers, but there is no one after them who has this protection. People are allowed to make interpretation but no one other than prophets can claim absolute authority for his/her interpretation.
5. Belief about the world:
a) Not a bad place, the place of suffering and pain but also not a heaven or a permanent place. Allah has created this world and it is a good place, but Hereafter is better.
b) Take your share of this world but do not forget the Hereafter. Do not neglect this world, rather you should try to build, improve, cultivate and plan in this world. Whatever good you do here you shall receive the reward in the hereafter. This is a place of your test.
c) You are not the master of this world or its slave, but you are Allah's Khalifah in this world. Everything is a trust and your are given this trust (amanah). Use the resources of this world carefully. Take care of the environment. Do not waste or be extravagant.
II. Acts of Worship:
1. Concept of Worship:
a) Islam gives us some special acts of worship: Salat, Siyam , Zakat and Hajj. These are the main acts of worship.
b) But worship is not some rituals only, it is the whole life. Whatever a person does in obedience to Allah is worship. Even the most worldly and mundane activities are worship.
c) Acts of worship (‘Ibadat) are specified and not left to people's own experiments. This brings unity and harmony.
2. Methods of Worship:
a) Islam emphasizes both the individual Ibadah as well as collective ‘Ibadah.
b) Acts of worship include time, space and money. There are Ibadat Zamaniya (related to time), ‘ Ibadat Makaniyah (related to space) and Ibadat Maliyah (related to wealth). Salat and Siyam are ‘Ibadat Zamaniyah . Hajj is ‘Ibadah Zamaniyah and Makaniyah both, while ‘Umrah is ‘Ibadah Makaniyah. Zakat and Sadaqat are ‘ Ibadat Maliyah.
c) In all ‘Ibadat there is a balance between the obligatory and the voluntary aspects. Minimum is made obligatory and Nawafil are left to the individual's choice.
d) In prayer especially, there is a harmony and balance between the physical, verbal, mental and spiritual aspects.
e) In fasting there are timings. One is not asked to fast for too long, but it is also not left to one's choice to choose whenever and whatever one wants to fast from.
III. Laws (Shari'ah)
The Law in Islam is Universal and comprehensive. It Promotes human dignity, equality and honor. Its basic principles are permanent and it has flexibility according to the conditions of the people and their needs. The basic philosophy of Law in Islam:
1. No obligation beyond capacity (taklif ma la yutaq ).
2. All good things are permissible and all bad things are forbidden.
3. The basic purpose in obligations is honor and purification, not putting burden or humiliation. ( al-isr and al-aghlal).
4. Recognition of extreme necessity ( idtirar )
IV. Morals and Manners (Akhlaq)
Islam gives very high place to ethics and morality. It says that a person who has no character has no religion. The basic nature of Islamic teachings on ethics and morality are:
1. Universal Values – not promoting any specific culture, race or country.
2. Positive and life affirming – it teaches that you can enjoy the good things of this life.
3. Not ascetic, monastic, morbid or moribund in nature. Islam wants people to be happy, healthy, optimistic and forward looking.
4. Practical – take into account human needs, emotions, desires, and aspirations and provides opportunities for their growth.
5. Egalitarian – There are no double standards – one for religious class and other for laity.
Conclusion:
There are some Muslims who do not know Islam and there are some who do not practice Islam in the right way. It is important that we learn Islam and we should learn it in the right way. Islam is neither harsh nor difficult. There is nothing in Islam that is not practical or impossible.
The Prophet –peace be upon him- said:
“ The religion is easy and whosoever will deal with religion harshly, it will defeat him. So be straight, follow the middle course, give good news and seek help by moving in the morning or the evening or part of the night .”
(Al-Bukhari 38)
In order to follow Islam you must make an effort and be serious. Learn your faith and pay some attention to it. Do not take your religion casually. Islam is not just a social and cultural thing. Islam is the religion of Allah and it is the most moderate, balanced, beautiful and perfect religion
Friday, September 21, 2007
Miracle of Al-Isra & Al-Miraj
Miracle of Al-Isra & Al-Miraj
(The night journey and the ascension of Prophet Muhammad( Peace be upon him)
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of t he Worlds, the One Who exists without a place. To Him belong the endowments and proper commendations. May Allah raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad and his kind Al and Companions and protect his nation from what he fears for them. May the Lord of Heavens and Earth grant us the sincere intentions and guide us to the acceptable deeds.
Thereafter, Allah sent the prophets as a mercy to the slaves and supported them with miracles to indicate the truthfulness of their message. Of all the prophets, our Prophet, Muhammad, was blessed with the most miracles. Al-Isra' and al-Mi^raj are among the many miracles of Prophet Muhammad. The miracle of al-Isra' is confirmed in the Qur'an. In Surat al-Isra', Ayah 1, Allah said:
which means: [Praise be to Allah Who enabled His slave, Muhammad, to make the journey at night from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsain Jerusalem, which is surrounded a blessed land.]
which means: [Praise be to Allah Who enabled His slave, Muhammad, to make the journey at night from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, which is surrounded a blessed land.] This journey is also confirmed in the sahih hadith. As such, there is scholarly consensus (ijma^) Prophet Muhammad journeyed in body and soul the night of al-Isra' from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsain Jerusalem. Moreover, these scholars indicated the person who denies al-Isra' is a blasphemer for belying the explicit text of the Qur'an.
Before the Prophet took this night journey, the ceiling of the house in which he was staying was opened, and Jibril descended. He cut open the chest of Prophet Muhammad and washed that open area with Zamzam water. Then he emptied something from a container into the chest of the Prophet to increase his wisdom as well as the strength of his belief. This was done to prepare the Messenger of Allah for that which he had yet to see in the upper world from among the wonders of the creation of Allah.
Al-Isra'
After the Prophet performed the Evening Prayer (^Isha'), Jibril came to him with a white animal, slightly larger than a donkey yet smaller than a mule. This animal was the buraq,--one of the animals of Paradise. Jibril held the buraq by his ear and told the Prophet to mount it. When the buraq was mounted, the Prophet set forth.
The buraqis a very fast animal; the length of the buraq's stride is the farthest distance it's eye can see. The Prophet and Jibril arrived to a land with palm trees. Jibril told the Prophet to dismount and pray, so the Prophet dismounted the buraq and prayed two rak^as. Jibril asked him, "Do you know where you prayed?" and the Prophet answered, "Allah knows best." Jibril told him, "This is Yathrib; this is Taybah. "." (These are two names for the city of al-Madinah.) Before the Prophet emigrated to al-Madinah, it was called Taybah and Yathrib. It earned the name al-Madinah after the Prophet emigrated to it.
The buraq continued with the Prophet and Jibril until they reached another place. Again Jibril told the Prophet to get down and pray. The Prophet dismounted there and prayed two rak^as. Jibril informed the Prophet of the name of that place; it was Tur Sina'.
Once again the buraq took off with the Prophet and Jibril. Once again it stopped, and the Prophet dismounted and prayed two rak^as. This was in Bayt Lahm, where Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) was born. Then the buraq continued with the Messenger of Allah until they entered the city of Jerusalem. There the Prophet went to Masjid al-Aqsa. Outside was a ring used by the Messengers of Allah to tie their animals. The Prophet tied his buraq to this ring. Then the Prophet entered the masjid where Allah assembled for him all the Prophets--from Adam to ^Isa. Prophet Muhammad moved forward and led them all in prayer. This is an indication the Prophet is higher in status than all the rest of the prophets and messengers.
1- On Prophet Muhammad's journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, Allah enabled him to see some of His wondrous creations. Allah enabled the Prophet to see the world (dunya) like an old woman. However, this old woman was wearing a great deal of jewelry, and in this there is an indication signifying the reality of the world.
2- Allah enabled the Prophet to see Iblis. The Prophet saw something on the side of the road which did not dare to stand in his way or speak to him. What the Prophet saw was Iblis. Originally, Iblis was a believer and lived with the angels in Paradise. When Allah ordered the angels to prostrate (sujud) to Prophet Adam, Iblis was ordered to prostrate to him as well. The angels prostrated to Adam in obedience to Allah, because angels do not disobey Allah. However, Iblis did not obey, and he objected to the order of Allah. He said, "You created me out of fire, and You created him out of clay. How do You order me to prostrate to him?" So this objection by Iblis to the order of Allah was the first blasphemy he committed.
3- On his journey, the Prophet smelled a very nice odor. He asked Jibril about this pleasant scent and Jibril informed him this good smell was coming from the grave of the woman whose duty used to be to comb Pharaoh's daughter's hair. This woman was a good, pious believer. One day, as she was combing Pharaoh's daughter's hair, the comb fell from her hand. At this she said, ""Bismillah. "Pharaoh's daughter asked her, "Do you have a god other than my father?" The woman said, "Yes. My Lord and the Lord of your father is Allah." Pharaoh's daughter told her father what had happened. Pharaoh demanded this woman blaspheme and leave Islam, but she refused. At that, Pharaoh threatened to kill her children. He brought a great pot of water and built a great fire under it. When the water boiled, Pharaoh brought her children and started to drop them into that pot one after the other. Throughout all this, the woman remained steadfast to Islam, even when Pharaoh reached her youngest child--a little boy still breast feeding--but she felt pity for him. At that, Allah enabled this child to speak. He said to his mother, "O Mother, be patient. The torture of the Hereafter is far more severe than the torture of this life, and do not be reluctant, because you are right." At this the woman requested Pharaoh collect her bones and the bones of her children and bury them in the same grave. Pharaoh promised her that--then dropped her into that boiling water. She died as a martyr. The good odor the Prophet smelled coming from her grave is an indication of her high status.
4- During his trip, the Prophet saw people who were planting and reaping in two days. Jibril told the Prophet, "These were the people who fight for the sake of Allah (mujahidun). ")."
5- The Prophet also saw people whose lips and tongues were clipped with scissors made of fire. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the speakers of sedition (fitna) who call people to misguidance."
6- He also saw a bull which exited a very small outlet, then was trying in vain to return through that small outlet. Jibril told the Prophet, "This is the example of the bad word--once spoken, it cannot be returned."
7- The Prophet saw people grazing like animals, with very little clothing on their private parts. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the ones who refused to pay zakat. "."
8- The Prophet saw angels smashing some people's heads with rocks. These heads would return to the shape they had been, and then the angels would smash their heads again--and so on. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the ones whose heads felt too heavy to perform prayer--the ones who used to sleep without praying."
9- On his journey the Prophet saw people who were competing to eat some rotten meat--ignoring meat that was sliced and unspoiled. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are people from your nation who leave out that which is permissible (halal), and consume that which is forbidden ((haram). "This reference was to the fornicators, that is, the ones who left out the permissible (marriage) and committed sins (fornication).
10- Also, the Prophet saw people who were drinking from the fluid coming from the bodies of the fornicators, (water mixed with blood). Jibril indicated to the Prophet these were the ones who were drinking the alcohol which is prohibited in this world.
11- The Prophet saw people scratching their faces and chests with brass finger nails. Jibril said, "These are the examples of those who commit gossip ((ghibah). ")."
Al-Mi^raj
1- After the Prophet took this night journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, he ascended to the upper heavens. The Prophet ascended to the heaven on stairs, called al-mirqat, in which one step is made of gold and the next of silver, and so on. These stairs are veiled from us. The Prophet ascended these stairs until he reached the first heaven. When the Prophet and Jibril arrived at the first heaven, Jibril requested the gate to be opened. The angel assigned to that gate asked Jibril, "Who is with you?" Jibril answered, "It is Muhammad." The angel asked Jibril, "Was he dispatched? Is it time for him to ascend to the heaven?" Jibril said, "Yes." So, the gate was opened for him, and Prophet Muhammad entered the first heaven.
There, Prophet Muhammad saw Prophet Adam. To Adam's right, the Prophet saw some bodies, and to Adam's left, other bodies. If Adam would look to his right he would laugh, and if he would look to his left he would cry. Adam was seeing the souls of his descendants. Those on his right were his descendants who would die as believers and those on his left were his descendants who would die as non-believers.
Then the Prophet ascended to the second heaven. In this second heaven was where Prophet Muhammad saw Prophets ^Isa and Yahya. ^Isa and Yahya are cousins; their mothers were sisters. They welcomed the Prophet and made supplication (du^a') for him for good things. The Prophet ascended to the third heaven, where he found Prophet Yusuf. Prophet Yusuf was extremely handsome. Allah bestowed half the beauty on Yusuf. Yusuf received the Prophet with a warm welcome and made supplication (du^a') for him for good things. Then the Prophet ascended to the fourth heaven, where he found Prophet Idris. Idris welcomed the Prophet and made supplication (du^a') for him for good things. In the fifth heaven, the Prophet encountered Harun, the brother of Prophet Musa. In the sixth heaven, he encountered Prophet Musa. Each of these Prophets received Prophet Muhammad with a warm welcome and made supplication (du^a')') for him for good things. Then the Prophet ascended to the seventh heaven, and that is where our Messenger saw Prophet Ibrahim. Prophet Ibrahim is the best of the prophets after our prophet, Muhammad. The Prophet saw Prophet Ibrahim with his back against al-Bayt al-Ma^mur. To the inhabitants of the skies, al-Bayt al-Ma^mur is like the Ka^bah is to us, the inhabitants of the earth. Every day 70,000 angels go there; then exit from it, and never return. The next day another 70,000 angels go, come out, and never return. This will continue until the Day of Judgment. In this, there is an indication as to the greatness of the numbers of the angels--their numbers are far more than the numbers of the humans and the jinns together.
In the seventh heaven, Prophet Muhammad saw Sidrat al-Muntaha--a very big tree of sidr. Each of the fruits of this tree is as large as a big jar. The leaves of this tree are similar to the ears of the elephants. Sidrat al-Muntahais an extremely beautiful tree. It is visited by butterflies made of gold. When these butterflies gather on this tree, its beauty is beyond description.
Then the Prophet ascended to what is beyond the seven skies; he entered Paradise. He saw examples of the inhabitants of Paradise and how their situation would be. He saw most of the inhabitants of Paradise are the poor people .
The Prophet saw other things on the night of his ascension. He saw Malik, the angel in charge of the Hellfire. Malik did not smile at the Prophet when he saw him, and the Prophet asked why. In answer to the Prophet's question, Jibril said, "Malik did not smile since the day Allah created him. Had he smiled for anyone, he would have smiled for you."
In Paradise, the Prophet saw some of the bounties Allah prepared for the inhabitants of Paradise. He saw the Hur ul-^In: females Allah created who are not humans or jinn. They are in Paradise and will be married to those men Allah willed them to marry.
The Prophet saw the wildan ul-mukhalladun: creations of Allah who are not human, jinn, or angels. They are a very beautiful creation of Allah whose appearance is like laid-out pearls. They are servants of the inhabitants of Paradise. The least in status of the People of Paradise will have 10,000 wildan ul-mukhalladun to serve him. Each one of them would carry a tray of gold in one hand and a tray of silver in the other hand.
The Prophet saw the Throne (^Arsh), which is the ceiling of Paradise. The Throne is the largest creation of Allah in size; Allah did not create anything bigger in size than it. The seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Kursiyy, are like a ring thrown in a desert, and the Kursiyy in comparison to the Throne, is like a ring thrown in a desert. The seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Throne are like a seed of mustard compared to the ocean. Allah created the Throne as a sign of His Power and He did not create the Throne to sit on it.
Allah created the Throne to show His Power. It is carried by four angels, and on the Day of Judgment, it will be carried by eight. The Prophet said he was permitted to speak about one of these angels who carry the Throne. In describing this angel, the Prophet told us the distance between his ear lobe and shoulder is the distance a fast-flying bird would cover in 700 years.
Then the Prophet ascended beyond Paradise. He reached a place where he heard the creaking of the pens used by the angels who are copying from the Preserved Tablet. It is at that location Prophet Muhammad heard the Kalam of Allah, which is an attribute of the Self of Allah. He heard the Kalam of Allah which does not resemble our speech--so it is not something that occurs bit after bit. It is not letter after letter or a word that comes after another word. Rather, it is an attribute of Allah which is eternal and everlasting. It does not resemble our attributes. The Kalam of Allah has neither silence nor interruptions. It is an attribute of Allah, and it does not resemble the attributes of the creation.
The Prophet understood several things from hearing this Kalam of Allah. He understood the obligation of the five Obligatory Prayers. At first, Allah obligated fifty prayers. When Prophet Muhammad encountered Musa, Musa told him to make supplication (du^a') to his Lord to ease the obligation of fifty (50) prayers, because his nation could not handle that. Musa said, "I have experience with the people of Israel, and I know your nation cannot bear that." So the Prophet asked his Lord to lessen these prayers for his people. Five prayers were eliminated. Once again, Musa told the Prophet to ask Allah to lessen the number of prayers. Allah did. Nine times the Prophet made supplication to Allah to lessen these prayers--until these prayers were lessened to five Obligatory Prayers. So Prophet Musa was a great benefit to us. Had we been obligated to pray fifty prayers a day, this would have been a difficult matter for us.
From the Kalam of Allah, the Prophet also understood that a good deed would be written for the person who intends to do a good deed, even if he did not do it. Also, the good deed performed would be registered for he who performs it as at least ten good deeds--up to 700 good deeds. For some people, Allah would multiply the reward of their deeds more than that. Additionally, if one performs a bad deed, it is registered for him as one bad deed; yet for he who inclines towards committing a bad deed and then refrains from committing it, a good deed would be registered for him. Here one should note the difference between two matters. If a thought crossed a person's mind about doing something sinful, and this person wavered in this thinking, i.e., considered whether he should do it or not, then he refrained from doing this for the sake of Allah, this is written as a good deed. However, if a person has the firm intention in his heart that he wants to commit a sin, it would be written for him as a sin, even if he does not do it.
The Prophet returns to Makkah.
After all these matters took place with the Prophet, he returned to the city of Makkah. Some scholars said the Prophet's journey took about one-third of the night, i.e., his journey from Makkah to Jerusalem, then to the heavens and what is above them, and then back to Makkah The next day the Prophet told the people what happened to him the previous night. The blasphemers belied the Prophet and mocked him, saying, "We need a month to get there and back, and you are claiming to have done all this in one night?" They said to Abu Bakr, "Look at what your companion is saying. He says he went to Jerusalem and came back in one night." Abu Bakr told them, "If he said that, then he is truthful. I believe him concerning the news of the heavens--that an angel descends to him from the heavens. How could I not believe he went to Jerusalem and came back in a short period of time--when these are on earth?" At that, the Companion, Abu Bakr, was called "as-Siddiq"--because of how strongly he believed all what the Prophet said.
The blasphemous people questioned the Prophet: "If you are truthful, then describe to us Masjid al-Aqsa and its surroundings." They asked this because they knew Prophet Muhammad had never been there before the previous night. Allah enabled the Messenger to see Masjid al-Aqsa, and he described the masjid and its surroundings in exact detail. Moreover, the Prophet said, "On my way back, I saw some of your shepherds grazing their animals in a particular location. They were searching for a camel they had lost." The Prophet continued by giving the description of the camel. When these shepherds came back, they told their people what happened to them--precisely as the Prophet had already told them.
These blasphemers admitted the Prophet's description was exact. Despite that, they were still stubborn and rejected the faith. They did not accept Islam. Only those whom Allah willed to be guided, will be guided. The person whom Allah did not will to be guided, will not believe--regardless of how much explanation or how many proofs he is shown. The person whom Allah willed to be guided, surely he will be a believer. Many people witnessed miracles and still did not believe. Many people witnessed the miracle of the Prophet's splitting of the moon. Those who refused to embrace Islam said, "This is magic. Muhammad played a magic trick on our eyes." They even asked the people of a faraway land who witnessed the moon split in two. Despite this, they still did not believe. They said, "The magic of Muhammad is powerful; it even reached the faraway lands!" This was their response to witnessing a miracle--instead of believing and becoming Muslims.
We ask Allah that we would all die as Muslims. We ask Allah to bestow on us the bounty of entering Paradise without torture.
And Allah knows best.
(The night journey and the ascension of Prophet Muhammad( Peace be upon him)
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of t he Worlds, the One Who exists without a place. To Him belong the endowments and proper commendations. May Allah raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad and his kind Al and Companions and protect his nation from what he fears for them. May the Lord of Heavens and Earth grant us the sincere intentions and guide us to the acceptable deeds.
Thereafter, Allah sent the prophets as a mercy to the slaves and supported them with miracles to indicate the truthfulness of their message. Of all the prophets, our Prophet, Muhammad, was blessed with the most miracles. Al-Isra' and al-Mi^raj are among the many miracles of Prophet Muhammad. The miracle of al-Isra' is confirmed in the Qur'an. In Surat al-Isra', Ayah 1, Allah said:
which means: [Praise be to Allah Who enabled His slave, Muhammad, to make the journey at night from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsain Jerusalem, which is surrounded a blessed land.]
which means: [Praise be to Allah Who enabled His slave, Muhammad, to make the journey at night from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, which is surrounded a blessed land.] This journey is also confirmed in the sahih hadith. As such, there is scholarly consensus (ijma^) Prophet Muhammad journeyed in body and soul the night of al-Isra' from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsain Jerusalem. Moreover, these scholars indicated the person who denies al-Isra' is a blasphemer for belying the explicit text of the Qur'an.
Before the Prophet took this night journey, the ceiling of the house in which he was staying was opened, and Jibril descended. He cut open the chest of Prophet Muhammad and washed that open area with Zamzam water. Then he emptied something from a container into the chest of the Prophet to increase his wisdom as well as the strength of his belief. This was done to prepare the Messenger of Allah for that which he had yet to see in the upper world from among the wonders of the creation of Allah.
Al-Isra'
After the Prophet performed the Evening Prayer (^Isha'), Jibril came to him with a white animal, slightly larger than a donkey yet smaller than a mule. This animal was the buraq,--one of the animals of Paradise. Jibril held the buraq by his ear and told the Prophet to mount it. When the buraq was mounted, the Prophet set forth.
The buraqis a very fast animal; the length of the buraq's stride is the farthest distance it's eye can see. The Prophet and Jibril arrived to a land with palm trees. Jibril told the Prophet to dismount and pray, so the Prophet dismounted the buraq and prayed two rak^as. Jibril asked him, "Do you know where you prayed?" and the Prophet answered, "Allah knows best." Jibril told him, "This is Yathrib; this is Taybah. "." (These are two names for the city of al-Madinah.) Before the Prophet emigrated to al-Madinah, it was called Taybah and Yathrib. It earned the name al-Madinah after the Prophet emigrated to it.
The buraq continued with the Prophet and Jibril until they reached another place. Again Jibril told the Prophet to get down and pray. The Prophet dismounted there and prayed two rak^as. Jibril informed the Prophet of the name of that place; it was Tur Sina'.
Once again the buraq took off with the Prophet and Jibril. Once again it stopped, and the Prophet dismounted and prayed two rak^as. This was in Bayt Lahm, where Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) was born. Then the buraq continued with the Messenger of Allah until they entered the city of Jerusalem. There the Prophet went to Masjid al-Aqsa. Outside was a ring used by the Messengers of Allah to tie their animals. The Prophet tied his buraq to this ring. Then the Prophet entered the masjid where Allah assembled for him all the Prophets--from Adam to ^Isa. Prophet Muhammad moved forward and led them all in prayer. This is an indication the Prophet is higher in status than all the rest of the prophets and messengers.
1- On Prophet Muhammad's journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, Allah enabled him to see some of His wondrous creations. Allah enabled the Prophet to see the world (dunya) like an old woman. However, this old woman was wearing a great deal of jewelry, and in this there is an indication signifying the reality of the world.
2- Allah enabled the Prophet to see Iblis. The Prophet saw something on the side of the road which did not dare to stand in his way or speak to him. What the Prophet saw was Iblis. Originally, Iblis was a believer and lived with the angels in Paradise. When Allah ordered the angels to prostrate (sujud) to Prophet Adam, Iblis was ordered to prostrate to him as well. The angels prostrated to Adam in obedience to Allah, because angels do not disobey Allah. However, Iblis did not obey, and he objected to the order of Allah. He said, "You created me out of fire, and You created him out of clay. How do You order me to prostrate to him?" So this objection by Iblis to the order of Allah was the first blasphemy he committed.
3- On his journey, the Prophet smelled a very nice odor. He asked Jibril about this pleasant scent and Jibril informed him this good smell was coming from the grave of the woman whose duty used to be to comb Pharaoh's daughter's hair. This woman was a good, pious believer. One day, as she was combing Pharaoh's daughter's hair, the comb fell from her hand. At this she said, ""Bismillah. "Pharaoh's daughter asked her, "Do you have a god other than my father?" The woman said, "Yes. My Lord and the Lord of your father is Allah." Pharaoh's daughter told her father what had happened. Pharaoh demanded this woman blaspheme and leave Islam, but she refused. At that, Pharaoh threatened to kill her children. He brought a great pot of water and built a great fire under it. When the water boiled, Pharaoh brought her children and started to drop them into that pot one after the other. Throughout all this, the woman remained steadfast to Islam, even when Pharaoh reached her youngest child--a little boy still breast feeding--but she felt pity for him. At that, Allah enabled this child to speak. He said to his mother, "O Mother, be patient. The torture of the Hereafter is far more severe than the torture of this life, and do not be reluctant, because you are right." At this the woman requested Pharaoh collect her bones and the bones of her children and bury them in the same grave. Pharaoh promised her that--then dropped her into that boiling water. She died as a martyr. The good odor the Prophet smelled coming from her grave is an indication of her high status.
4- During his trip, the Prophet saw people who were planting and reaping in two days. Jibril told the Prophet, "These were the people who fight for the sake of Allah (mujahidun). ")."
5- The Prophet also saw people whose lips and tongues were clipped with scissors made of fire. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the speakers of sedition (fitna) who call people to misguidance."
6- He also saw a bull which exited a very small outlet, then was trying in vain to return through that small outlet. Jibril told the Prophet, "This is the example of the bad word--once spoken, it cannot be returned."
7- The Prophet saw people grazing like animals, with very little clothing on their private parts. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the ones who refused to pay zakat. "."
8- The Prophet saw angels smashing some people's heads with rocks. These heads would return to the shape they had been, and then the angels would smash their heads again--and so on. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the ones whose heads felt too heavy to perform prayer--the ones who used to sleep without praying."
9- On his journey the Prophet saw people who were competing to eat some rotten meat--ignoring meat that was sliced and unspoiled. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are people from your nation who leave out that which is permissible (halal), and consume that which is forbidden ((haram). "This reference was to the fornicators, that is, the ones who left out the permissible (marriage) and committed sins (fornication).
10- Also, the Prophet saw people who were drinking from the fluid coming from the bodies of the fornicators, (water mixed with blood). Jibril indicated to the Prophet these were the ones who were drinking the alcohol which is prohibited in this world.
11- The Prophet saw people scratching their faces and chests with brass finger nails. Jibril said, "These are the examples of those who commit gossip ((ghibah). ")."
Al-Mi^raj
1- After the Prophet took this night journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, he ascended to the upper heavens. The Prophet ascended to the heaven on stairs, called al-mirqat, in which one step is made of gold and the next of silver, and so on. These stairs are veiled from us. The Prophet ascended these stairs until he reached the first heaven. When the Prophet and Jibril arrived at the first heaven, Jibril requested the gate to be opened. The angel assigned to that gate asked Jibril, "Who is with you?" Jibril answered, "It is Muhammad." The angel asked Jibril, "Was he dispatched? Is it time for him to ascend to the heaven?" Jibril said, "Yes." So, the gate was opened for him, and Prophet Muhammad entered the first heaven.
There, Prophet Muhammad saw Prophet Adam. To Adam's right, the Prophet saw some bodies, and to Adam's left, other bodies. If Adam would look to his right he would laugh, and if he would look to his left he would cry. Adam was seeing the souls of his descendants. Those on his right were his descendants who would die as believers and those on his left were his descendants who would die as non-believers.
Then the Prophet ascended to the second heaven. In this second heaven was where Prophet Muhammad saw Prophets ^Isa and Yahya. ^Isa and Yahya are cousins; their mothers were sisters. They welcomed the Prophet and made supplication (du^a') for him for good things. The Prophet ascended to the third heaven, where he found Prophet Yusuf. Prophet Yusuf was extremely handsome. Allah bestowed half the beauty on Yusuf. Yusuf received the Prophet with a warm welcome and made supplication (du^a') for him for good things. Then the Prophet ascended to the fourth heaven, where he found Prophet Idris. Idris welcomed the Prophet and made supplication (du^a') for him for good things. In the fifth heaven, the Prophet encountered Harun, the brother of Prophet Musa. In the sixth heaven, he encountered Prophet Musa. Each of these Prophets received Prophet Muhammad with a warm welcome and made supplication (du^a')') for him for good things. Then the Prophet ascended to the seventh heaven, and that is where our Messenger saw Prophet Ibrahim. Prophet Ibrahim is the best of the prophets after our prophet, Muhammad. The Prophet saw Prophet Ibrahim with his back against al-Bayt al-Ma^mur. To the inhabitants of the skies, al-Bayt al-Ma^mur is like the Ka^bah is to us, the inhabitants of the earth. Every day 70,000 angels go there; then exit from it, and never return. The next day another 70,000 angels go, come out, and never return. This will continue until the Day of Judgment. In this, there is an indication as to the greatness of the numbers of the angels--their numbers are far more than the numbers of the humans and the jinns together.
In the seventh heaven, Prophet Muhammad saw Sidrat al-Muntaha--a very big tree of sidr. Each of the fruits of this tree is as large as a big jar. The leaves of this tree are similar to the ears of the elephants. Sidrat al-Muntahais an extremely beautiful tree. It is visited by butterflies made of gold. When these butterflies gather on this tree, its beauty is beyond description.
Then the Prophet ascended to what is beyond the seven skies; he entered Paradise. He saw examples of the inhabitants of Paradise and how their situation would be. He saw most of the inhabitants of Paradise are the poor people .
The Prophet saw other things on the night of his ascension. He saw Malik, the angel in charge of the Hellfire. Malik did not smile at the Prophet when he saw him, and the Prophet asked why. In answer to the Prophet's question, Jibril said, "Malik did not smile since the day Allah created him. Had he smiled for anyone, he would have smiled for you."
In Paradise, the Prophet saw some of the bounties Allah prepared for the inhabitants of Paradise. He saw the Hur ul-^In: females Allah created who are not humans or jinn. They are in Paradise and will be married to those men Allah willed them to marry.
The Prophet saw the wildan ul-mukhalladun: creations of Allah who are not human, jinn, or angels. They are a very beautiful creation of Allah whose appearance is like laid-out pearls. They are servants of the inhabitants of Paradise. The least in status of the People of Paradise will have 10,000 wildan ul-mukhalladun to serve him. Each one of them would carry a tray of gold in one hand and a tray of silver in the other hand.
The Prophet saw the Throne (^Arsh), which is the ceiling of Paradise. The Throne is the largest creation of Allah in size; Allah did not create anything bigger in size than it. The seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Kursiyy, are like a ring thrown in a desert, and the Kursiyy in comparison to the Throne, is like a ring thrown in a desert. The seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Throne are like a seed of mustard compared to the ocean. Allah created the Throne as a sign of His Power and He did not create the Throne to sit on it.
Allah created the Throne to show His Power. It is carried by four angels, and on the Day of Judgment, it will be carried by eight. The Prophet said he was permitted to speak about one of these angels who carry the Throne. In describing this angel, the Prophet told us the distance between his ear lobe and shoulder is the distance a fast-flying bird would cover in 700 years.
Then the Prophet ascended beyond Paradise. He reached a place where he heard the creaking of the pens used by the angels who are copying from the Preserved Tablet. It is at that location Prophet Muhammad heard the Kalam of Allah, which is an attribute of the Self of Allah. He heard the Kalam of Allah which does not resemble our speech--so it is not something that occurs bit after bit. It is not letter after letter or a word that comes after another word. Rather, it is an attribute of Allah which is eternal and everlasting. It does not resemble our attributes. The Kalam of Allah has neither silence nor interruptions. It is an attribute of Allah, and it does not resemble the attributes of the creation.
The Prophet understood several things from hearing this Kalam of Allah. He understood the obligation of the five Obligatory Prayers. At first, Allah obligated fifty prayers. When Prophet Muhammad encountered Musa, Musa told him to make supplication (du^a') to his Lord to ease the obligation of fifty (50) prayers, because his nation could not handle that. Musa said, "I have experience with the people of Israel, and I know your nation cannot bear that." So the Prophet asked his Lord to lessen these prayers for his people. Five prayers were eliminated. Once again, Musa told the Prophet to ask Allah to lessen the number of prayers. Allah did. Nine times the Prophet made supplication to Allah to lessen these prayers--until these prayers were lessened to five Obligatory Prayers. So Prophet Musa was a great benefit to us. Had we been obligated to pray fifty prayers a day, this would have been a difficult matter for us.
From the Kalam of Allah, the Prophet also understood that a good deed would be written for the person who intends to do a good deed, even if he did not do it. Also, the good deed performed would be registered for he who performs it as at least ten good deeds--up to 700 good deeds. For some people, Allah would multiply the reward of their deeds more than that. Additionally, if one performs a bad deed, it is registered for him as one bad deed; yet for he who inclines towards committing a bad deed and then refrains from committing it, a good deed would be registered for him. Here one should note the difference between two matters. If a thought crossed a person's mind about doing something sinful, and this person wavered in this thinking, i.e., considered whether he should do it or not, then he refrained from doing this for the sake of Allah, this is written as a good deed. However, if a person has the firm intention in his heart that he wants to commit a sin, it would be written for him as a sin, even if he does not do it.
The Prophet returns to Makkah.
After all these matters took place with the Prophet, he returned to the city of Makkah. Some scholars said the Prophet's journey took about one-third of the night, i.e., his journey from Makkah to Jerusalem, then to the heavens and what is above them, and then back to Makkah The next day the Prophet told the people what happened to him the previous night. The blasphemers belied the Prophet and mocked him, saying, "We need a month to get there and back, and you are claiming to have done all this in one night?" They said to Abu Bakr, "Look at what your companion is saying. He says he went to Jerusalem and came back in one night." Abu Bakr told them, "If he said that, then he is truthful. I believe him concerning the news of the heavens--that an angel descends to him from the heavens. How could I not believe he went to Jerusalem and came back in a short period of time--when these are on earth?" At that, the Companion, Abu Bakr, was called "as-Siddiq"--because of how strongly he believed all what the Prophet said.
The blasphemous people questioned the Prophet: "If you are truthful, then describe to us Masjid al-Aqsa and its surroundings." They asked this because they knew Prophet Muhammad had never been there before the previous night. Allah enabled the Messenger to see Masjid al-Aqsa, and he described the masjid and its surroundings in exact detail. Moreover, the Prophet said, "On my way back, I saw some of your shepherds grazing their animals in a particular location. They were searching for a camel they had lost." The Prophet continued by giving the description of the camel. When these shepherds came back, they told their people what happened to them--precisely as the Prophet had already told them.
These blasphemers admitted the Prophet's description was exact. Despite that, they were still stubborn and rejected the faith. They did not accept Islam. Only those whom Allah willed to be guided, will be guided. The person whom Allah did not will to be guided, will not believe--regardless of how much explanation or how many proofs he is shown. The person whom Allah willed to be guided, surely he will be a believer. Many people witnessed miracles and still did not believe. Many people witnessed the miracle of the Prophet's splitting of the moon. Those who refused to embrace Islam said, "This is magic. Muhammad played a magic trick on our eyes." They even asked the people of a faraway land who witnessed the moon split in two. Despite this, they still did not believe. They said, "The magic of Muhammad is powerful; it even reached the faraway lands!" This was their response to witnessing a miracle--instead of believing and becoming Muslims.
We ask Allah that we would all die as Muslims. We ask Allah to bestow on us the bounty of entering Paradise without torture.
And Allah knows best.
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