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Paul Williams
05-22-2006, 08:39 PM
Yesterday morning I went to the Islamic class at Regents Park (London), where the imam was lecturing on the scientific miracles to be found in the Holy Qur'an. I asked a question which the imam didn't have a ready answer for about the following verses from surah 37:

6. We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars,-

7. (For beauty) and for guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits,

8. (So) they should not strain their ears in the direction of the Exalted Assembly but be cast away from every side,

9. Repulsed, for they are under a perpetual penalty,

10. Except such as snatch away something by stealth, and they are pursued by a flaming fire, of piercing brightness.

Yusuf Ali says this refers to shooting stars which are used to repel evil sprits from the 'Court of the Most High'. Now is this to be understood literally or metaphorically? A friend thinks it is not to be taken in the literal sense, but the imam says it is to be taken literally. My question yesterday was this: If this is correct how do we reconcile this understanding of falling stars attacking demons etc with modern cosmology?

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Bilal:)
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al-fateh
05-22-2006, 08:59 PM
:sl:



One of the most frequent activities associated with the Jinn, is fortune telling. Before the advent of the Prophet (saws) fortune-tellers and soothsayers were wide spread. These people would use their associates from the Jinn to find out about the future. The Jinns would go to the lowest heaven and listen to the Angels conversing amongst themselves about events of the Future which they heard from Allah. The Jinns would then inform the fortune-tellers. This is why before the time of the Prophet (saws) many fortune-tellers were very accurate in their predictions. However, upon the Prophet's arrival the heavens were guarded intensely by the Angels, and any Jinn who tried to listen was attacked by meteors (shooting stars):

"And We have guarded it (the heavens) from every accursed devil, except one who is able to snatch a hearing and he is pursued by a brightly burning flame"
(Surah Al-Hijr 15:18)

The Prophet (saws) also said: "They (the Jinn) would pass the information back down until it reaches the lips of a magician or forrtune-teller Sometimes a meteor would overtake them before they could pass it on. If they passed it on before being struck, they would add to it a hundred lies"[9]. Thus, it is clear from this as to how fortune-tellers get predictions of the future right. It is also evident as to why they get so many wrong. Men like Nostradamus[10] are an example, as some of his predictions of the future were correct whilst many were completely wrong. Unfortunately, the amount of fortune telling which occurs amongst the Muslims is also increasing. By visiting Muslim lands such as Morocco, one is able to see as to how much inter Jinn-fortune-teller activity there really is. If you look up at the sky on a clear night in Morocco, you will see the heavens ablaze with shooting stars! A clear display of the devils being chased away from the heavens.

Fortune-tellers also operate through the Qareen. The Qareen is the Jinn companion which is assigned to every human being. It is this Jinn which whispers to our base desires and constantly tries to divert us from righteousness. The Prophet (saws) said: "Everyone of you has been assigned a companion from the Jinn. The companions asked: Even you O' Messenger of Allah? And the Prophet replied: Even me, except that Allah has helped me against him and he has submitted. Now he only tells me to do good"'[11]. Because the Qareen is with a person all his life, it knows all that has happened to the person from the cradle to the grave. By making contact with the Qareen, the fortune-teller is thus able to make out that it is he who knows about the person. He looks in his crystal ball or the palm of a person and proceeds to amaze him with knowledge which no one else knows[12]. The severity of going to a fortune-teller is such that the Prophet (saws) said: "The prayer of one who approaches a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, will not be accepted for forty days or nights"[13] and: "Whosoever approaches a fortune-teller and believes in what he says, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammed"[14]

The effects of the Jinn are not just limited to fortune-tellers. Other activities such as oujia boards and seances, which are used to contact the dead, are manipulated by the Jinn. 'Are you there Charlie? Speak to us Charlie!!' are the sort of words spoken by anxious relatives (names are obviously different!) seeking to make contact with their loved ones. And it is when the Jinn starts to talk and communicate as 'Charlie', that the people are truly fooled[15].



:w:
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Ansar Al-'Adl
05-23-2006, 01:28 AM
:sl:
format_quote Originally Posted by Paul Williams
If this is correct how do we reconcile this understanding of falling stars attacking demons etc with modern cosmology?
The verses in question:
15:16-18. And indeed, We have created steller formations [alt. trans. 'fortified spheres'] in the heaven and have beautified them for the onlookers, and have protected them from every outcast satan. Except him (devil) that gains hearing by stealing, he is pursued by a clear shihâb.

37:6-10. Verily! We have adorned the cosmic heaven with the stars and have made them a security against every rebellious devil. They cannot listen to the Upper Realm for they are pelted from every side. Outcast, and theirs is a painful torment. Except such as snatch away something by stealing and they are pursued by a piercing shihâb.

67:5. And indeed We have adorned the cosmic heaven with lamps, and We have made them a source for pelting the devils, and have prepared for them the torment of the blazing Fire.

72:9 [the Jinn said after the coming of the Prophet] 'And verily, we used to sit there in stations, to (steal) a hearing, but any who listens now will find a an awaiting shihâb.


The term shihâb has deliberately not been translated above as it is the term in question.

From the above verses, as well as what has been reported from ahadith, we can establish some basic facts:
  • Before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh, the Jinn [a species created from fire] used to eavesdrop at the stations of ascent into the heavens; they would pass on the small fragments of what they heard on to the magicians and fortune tellers, but only after mixing it with hundreds of lies
  • After the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh, the Jinn noticed something strange - they found the stations guarded. Furthermore, when they attempted to eavesdrop on the angels, they were pelted by Shihâb. (As it turns out, the Jinn decided to investigate this matter and soon came across the new prophet in Arabia)
  • verses [15:16-18] state that the steller formations or fortified spheres in the heaven are guarded. Those who attempt to trespass are pursued by clear shihâb.
  • verses [37:6-10] state that the stars decorate the heavens and they are somehow connected with the function of security against the devils. Devils (evil Jinn) cannot listen without being pelted from all sides. As for the one who does manage to catch a glimpse of information, he too is pursued by piercing shihâb and destroyed.
  • verse [67:5] mention again the function of the magnificent lamps (stars) as decoration and also their connection somehow with the pelting of the devils, presumably for the aformentioned reasons.
  • verse [72:9] relate the statment of the Jinns that they used to eavesdrop at the stations of ascension into heaven, but as for whoever travels to do so now, there is shihâb awaiting them.
From the brief notes provided on the verses above it should be clear from the outset that there is nothing in the verses which necessitates that the stars themselves are hurled at the devils, or even that it is the phenomenon of meteors aka shooting stars that is being discussed. The generality of the verses provides ground for numerous varying interpretations. The shihâb referred to here could be anything from cosmic rays, discharge of dark energy, cause of destructive interference on the Jinn, etc. etc.

Let us quote some of the Qur'anic exegetes to note some sample interpretations. Abu'l 'Ala Maudûdî presents some of his own thoughts in Tafhîm Al-Qur'ân:
In Arabic the word shihab-i-mubin literally means "fiery flame". In XXXVII: 10, the same thing has been called shihab-i-thaqib ("flame that pierces through darkness"). 'This may or may not necessarily be a "meteor" for it is just possible that it may be some type of rays such as "Cosmic Rays" or even a stronger type which we have not been able to discover as yet. Anyhow if the "fiery flame" that pursues Satans may be taken to be a meteor, a countless number of these can form a fortification around our sphere of the universe. Scientific observations made with the help of the telescope have shown that billions of these meteors are rushing from space in mass of "rainfall" towards the earth's atmosphere. Such a scene was witnessed in an eastern pan of North America on November 13, 1833. This is so strong a fortification that it can prevent Satans from passing through any fortified sphere.
With the help of the above, one can form a mental picture of the "fortified spheres" . Though there is no visible "wall" to keep distinct and separate one sphere from the others, Allah has securely guarded each of these spheres by invisible "walls" against each other. That is why our "planet" has remained safe in spite of the occasional "rainfall" of countless meteors. For as soon as they cross the protective wall of our sphere, they are burnt to ashes. But sometimes a meteorite reaches the earth from outer space as if to warn the dwellers of this planet of the existence of the "power" of the Creator. For instance, the biggest of these weighs 645 pounds and it is obvious from this that if the earth had not been made safe and secure by means of "fortified spheres" the rain of the shooting stars would have utterly annihilated it long long ago. It is these "fortified spheres" which the Qur'an calls "buruj". (Maududi, Tafhîm Al-Qur'ân Sûrah 15, desc no. 12)
Mufti Muhammad Shafi presents the following interpretations in his tafsir, Ma'ârif Al-Qur'ân:
Now, the second question we have here is that of Al-Shihâb Al-Thâqib, meteors or shooting stars, in these verses. According to the statements of the Holy Qur'ân, it appears that these shihâbs or flames are formed to hit the satans in order that the revelation remains protected. In other words, the satans are driven away through them so that they would not overhear angels.
The difficult part of the question relates to the fact that the presence of shooting stars is nothing new. ...However, the answer is that there is no contradiction here. One or more scientific explanations for this phenomena could be possible, for example, vapours rising from the earth surface may heat up at some point, or the speed of the meteors makes them glow and burn, or a flame emits from a star - and this may have habitually continued since ever. But, before the coming of the Holy Prophet, these flames were not employed to serve a particular purpose. However, after his coming, meteoric flames were employed to serve the purpose of shooting the satans who would come up to stealthily hear the conversation of the angels. (Shafi, Ma'ariful Qur'an, Maktaba-e-Darul-Uloom, Karachi, 2003, vol. 5, pp. 304-305)
Both comments were made on the verses from Suratul-Hijr, and I have cited them here to show some of the different interpretations that have been taken on these verses.

And Allah swt knows best.
:w:
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Fishman
05-23-2006, 04:13 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Ansar Al-'Adl
The shihâb referred to here could be anything from cosmic rays, discharge of dark energy, cause of destructive interference on the Jinn, etc. etc.
:sl:
A reasonably-sized meteor (about 10 cm across) can easily destroy a spacecraft. I don't know how effective it would be on Jinn though.
:w:
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Paul Williams
05-24-2006, 09:52 PM
Salam & thank u for that answer

Bilal
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syilla
05-25-2006, 01:35 AM
the more we read quran...

the more knowledge we get...

the more we discover...

it seems... the knowledge in quran....will never comes to end...
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cleo
05-25-2006, 04:01 AM
You have this verse in the Aribic version of the Quran? I only read the part of the lamps. I have a English version. Are they that different? I feel I am missing a lot of information not reading the Arabic Quran, I will try and learn the language, but it is hard, when you are alone, and no one to talk to.
Thank you for the verses.
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Muslim Knight
05-25-2006, 09:50 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by cleo
You have this verse in the Aribic version of the Quran? I only read the part of the lamps. I have a English version. Are they that different? I feel I am missing a lot of information not reading the Arabic Quran, I will try and learn the language, but it is hard, when you are alone, and no one to talk to.
Thank you for the verses.
You can try online Quran

http://www.--------------/quran/
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root
05-25-2006, 11:06 AM
Nobody would deny that shooting stars are common event's during the time all major religions were forming. They would have been present in all times of history stretching back further than religion itself.

Shooting stars are in essence how our planet increased in mass and formation. primitive tentative explanation in the absence of scientific knowledge is in my mind a good description of how all religions seeked to explain it. The religous scriptures of all faiths in reference to this have not assisted science in any shape or form.
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Ansar Al-'Adl
05-25-2006, 02:15 PM
Hi Cleo,
format_quote Originally Posted by cleo
You have this verse in the Aribic version of the Quran? I only read the part of the lamps. I have a English version.
I have provided an accurate translation of the verses in this post:
http://www.islamicboard.com/323510-post3.html
As for the arabic text you can view it here:
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/ara...Ayat/1/1_1.htm

Hi Root,
Shooting stars are in essence how our planet increased in mass and formation. primitive tentative explanation in the absence of scientific knowledge is in my mind a good description of how all religions seeked to explain it.
Not in the case of Islam, however.
The religous scriptures of all faiths in reference to this have not assisted science in any shape or form.
Because it is not the purpose of Islam to do so.

Regards
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