How do we know that the Koran is true?

[Qingu]

Not really. If you interpret the Qur'an as being subject to common beliefs at the time of revelation, you're assuming that it didn't come from God, but from man.

Likewise if you interpret the Qur'an as not being subject to common beliefs at the time of revelation, you're assuming that it is from God, and meant for the whole of mankind, from the 7th century to Judgment Day.

But you can say the exact same thing about almost all ancient religious texts.

You interpret the Iliad, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Ramayana, and the Bible in exactly the same way I do—in the context in which they were received by their respective cultures. The only difference is that you think your religion's text deserves special treatment, and I do not.

Obviously, if I decided to interpret the Epic of Gilgamesh as if it was divinely inspired (as it claims to be), I would have a different interpretation of it than you do. What would you say to this? "You're wrong, because the Epic of Gilgamesh doesn't actually come from God and the Quran does?" That's not convincing. We need a consistent standard for how to read and look at texts. We can't just arbitrarily decide that certain texts are "exempted" and must be true no matter how we read them.

True. But, what you are discussing is something a bit more specific. You are actually trying to interpret statements in the Qur'an based on common beliefs of the 7th century

Which seems to make a lot of sense to me, since that is when the book was written, and much of what it says is identical to common beliefs in the 7th century.

It's still referring to illuminated celestial objects in the sky (which certainly includes stars), and it's still saying that they're in the lowest heaven.

Yeah, in my last post I admitted I made a mistake here. It does say the stars are in the lowest heaven. But the structure of "seven heavens" is the same as that found in many other texts, dating from the ancient Greeks.

Everyone knows what the visible Universe is; it's everything you can see around you, hence "visible". In the sky, they would've seen a bunch of lights (some obviously bigger than others). The Qur'an says that all those lights are in the lowest heaven. These "lights", as we now know today, are a variety of different objects, such as other planets, stars, and even galaxies. Since that's basically what the visible Universe consists of, then obviously, that's what it's referring to.

No. The Arabs had absolutely no idea that the stars were actually flaming balls of gas, billions of times bigger than the Earth, that existed in vast stretches of empty (well, semi-empty, according to QM) space.

The Arabs thought the stars were points of light set into the sky. The word for "sky" is the same as the word for "heaven." The Arabs thought these points of light could fall down to earth. Which is exactly what the Quran says.

Incidentally, if "the entirety of the universe" is the "first heaven" then what is Earth's sky? The zero'th heaven?

But, that in itself is a presumption. When you analyze ancient texts, you analyze them under the presumption that they're all the works of men, regardless if they claim otherwise. That's why your argument is biased, and hence flawed.

It is not a presumption.

My position when I read an ancient text: "God may or may not have written this."

Your position (with the Quran): "God wrote this."

One position is presumptuous. The other does not presume anything either way.

Also, are you denying that your argument is "biased and henced flawed"?

As I said on my first post of this thread, in reply to the original post:

We know that the Qur'an is true and divine, because of its inimitability, as the Qur'an itself says, and as history has shown to be true.

A completely subjective and untestable standard. What would constitute "imitating" the Quran?

Has anyone ever imitated the Epic of Gilgamesh?

You're supposed to interpret them based on their claims. If they're not claiming divine authorship or anything special like that, interpreting it in the context of its culture is only logical.

If its claiming divine authorship, then you analyze this claim, based on what it offers as proof to back it up. If it offers nothing, then the objective thing to do, would be to analyze it, while being open to both views of it being divine and of it being man-made.

Very well. The Epic of Gilgamesh claims to be inspired from gods.

How did you arrive at the conclusion that it is not?

Also, you are clearly not open to "both views" of the Quran being divine or being man-made.

 

[Imam]

this is really just ridiculous. Your source is claiming that the Quran's characterization of the embryo as looking like a "chewed substance" is miraculous.

yes it is,and it will stand firm as the most accurate word to describe the embryo in such stage ,till you provide someone else described it that way,or to provide us with another Arabic word that would be more accurate....

I mean, embryo's don't even look that much like leeches.

http://www.scientificillustrator.com/art/insects/leech.jpg

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/lifecycle/images/1-2-3-1-5-0-0-0-0-0-0.jpg

More like fishes .

That is fun .......

and which kind of fish would you recommend for the verse?

and you ever thought how fish get nourishment compared to the leech and hence compared to the embryo in such stage?

I would not tell you to be factual ...I will let the readers judge whether the leech or your fish would be more accurate to describe not only the appearance but the way it stick,suspend and gets nourishment ..

just as you said let the readers judge......

 

[Qingu]

Imam,

Very cute (20,000 species of fish and you went out of your way to find the weirdest-looking ones, didn't you?) but there are a number of important differences between human embryos and leeches.

The most important difference is that humans, like all vertebrates, are deuterostomes. Leeches, like most invertebrates*, are protostomes. The difference between protostomes and deuterostomes is one of the most basic divisions in the animal kingdom. Protostome embryos develop mouths first and anuses second (protostome means "mouth first"). Deuterostome embryos develop anus first and mouth second (it means "mouth second").

*the exceptions are starfish and sea squirts. They're more closely related to humans than insects and leeches are!

Now, early human embryos look like wormy, undifferentiated masses. So do leeches. So do a lot of fish (such as lampreys)

The reason I brought up fish is because fish, like humans, are vertebrates, and their embryos develop in similar stages. For example, human embryos develop gill slits—the structures that eventually become gills in fishes! That would be something that, if it appeared in an ancient, pre-scientific text, I would be impressed by.

But simply pointing out the fact that human embryos look like leeches (which, again, would have been obvious to anyone who had ever looked at a miscarriage) is just not impressive at all, Imam. In fact, comparing human embryos (which are deuterostomes) to leeches (which are protostomes) seems to miss a fundamental aspect of embryology.

I don't really know how to make this any clearer to you. You can blame it on Iblis putting a cloud over my mind or something, but I'm just not impressed.

 

[Imam]

Imam,

Very cute (20,000 species of fish and you went out of your way to find the weirdest-looking ones, didn't you?)

Nice that you finally got it !!!
20,000 species of fish with huge differences in external appearance

I did exactly what you and those alike would do if the verse said fish instead of leech ,there would be ample photos to show Muslims that a fish appearance is elastic description......

fish is not as accurate as leech to describe the embryo in such age
and by no mean specific....fish has lots of forms ..square, round etc........
and claiming it to be specific is nothing but a mockery,we are not comparing fish with human ..we are comparing the external appearance of the embryo in such stage with a leech ...and any honest person would suggest it indeed looks more similar to the leech than anything else ...eg;fish etc......

the word leech enough alone to describe the external appearance of the embryo in such stage..while fish is not specif alone....

a fish doesn't get nourishment as the leech .
and the embryo in such stage doesn't get nourishment as a fish...
a fish doesn't stick sucking blood as the leech do.....

that is why a fish would not be impressive as a leech to describe such stage...

,but I'm just not impressed.

and I respect your choice and I never intended to convince you of anything ...my posts basically for the Muslims who would seek some enlightenment in their sacred text....
and at first and at last ...the readers who would balance and judge..

You can blame it on Iblis putting a cloud over my mind or something

not yet for me to think so...but I think if you not to be impressed by the other verses that contains scientific pre knowledge,then I can't help but to guess so..

 

[Qingu]

a fish doesn't get nourishment as the leech .

Lampreys do.

Disgusting creatures, really.

I see your point, and it's a fair one. I think you might have missed mine, though. The reason comparing an embryo to a fish is impressive is because, until very recently, nobody really knew about the similarities. It wasn't until the 1800's that people discovered that human embryos have gill slit-like structures (like fishes). And it wasn't until very recently, within the past few decades, that we discovered the difference between deuterostome and protostome embryological development (fish, like all vertebrates, are deuterostome).

Whereas, people knew that embryos looked sort of like leeches and depended on blood in the womb since ancient times.

and I respect your choice and I never intended to convince you of anything

Well, at the very least, I hope my debate here has helped you understand why atheists reject the arguments you put forth. Peace be upon you.

(By the way, what's the proper way for an atheist like me to say "peace be upon you" to Muslims? Is it considered offensive when a kufr says that phrase? I do really like the sentiment of the saying.)

 

[Imam]

Two reasons the word Lamprey couldn't be used to describe such stage

1- the meaning of such word in Arabic is invented and a modern one,and has never been used by Arabs till modern times....

The modern name is أنكليسات البحر

Just consult all the ancient Arab dictionaries and search for such manufactured word أنكليسات
and you will never find it .....

I think it would be wise for the Quran author to use a word that has well known meanings...

2-Even if the word أنكليسات was known then,still The word (alaqa) the most accurate as one of its meanings is (something suspended) which أنكليسات wouldn't convey ...alaqa ,would convey

1-appearance
2-position
3-nourishment

and no other Arabic word would do the Job instead

that is why I said before it is the best word...

people knew that embryos looked sort of like leeches

What people?
such stage never been described as leech looking by any source other than the quran neither (chewed substance) been used other than the Quran.....

look Qingu I have a good proposal to finish that debate......

1-To find a Greek source described the embryo in such stage as leech appearance and the other stage as chewed substance.

2- To give satisfactory explanation ,why the Quran copied from the Greek the correct parts and avoided their mistakes?


those are the basic questions that formed the cloud of blind faith,in the matter under discussion, on my mind ....

If only I find a satisfactory answers,I promise you ,not only to modify my thoughts and skip such issue,but I will advice the Muslim readers not to include the such verse in the list of the many verse that contain scientific Quranic pre-knowledge...........

 

[Qingu]

Imam, again, I think you're confused about what I'm actually saying here.

I'm not saying the Quran actively plagiarized from Greek sources. I would not be surprised if the Quran is the only ancient text to describe embryos as looking like leeches.

I am simply saying that I don't find that comparison compelling, because it's not any more insightful about embryology than, for example, the stuff Aristotle wrote about embryos.

Consider: Why are you claiming the "leech" description is miraculous? Is it because the Quran is the only text to describe an embryo like a leech? No, that makes no sense. It's supposedly because that description provides compelling insights about embryology unknown to people of the time—that embryos depend on blood in the womb, and that they look like gross little inhuman blobs.

But, Aristotle knew both of those aspects of embryology too, and wrote about them. So do you see why I don't think it's miraculous? The Quran isn't describing something that was unknown at the time. It was just using somewhat original language to describe it. That's not a miracle, and it's not even as informative as earlier works about embryology.

 

[Imam]

I'm not saying the Quran actively plagiarized

.

I'm afraid that the cloud of blind faith would never evaporate

Due to not giving satisfactory explanation ,why the Quran copied from the Greek the correct parts and avoided their mistakes,and hence suggesting neither actively nor passaivley plagiarized the Greeks ,and hence proving that all the meanings mentioned from the way it gets nourishment ,its location,its appearance from another source (divine),and the fact that no Greek source described the embryo in such stage as leech appearance and the other stage as chewed substance.

Just let me enjoy my blind faith

The discussion is over ..and peace for all

 

[Hamayun]

I'm afraid that the cloud of blind faith would never evaporate

Due to not giving satisfactory explanation ,why the Quran copied from the Greek the correct parts and avoided their mistakes,and hence suggesting neither actively nor passaivley plagiarized the Greeks ,and hence proving that all the meanings mentioned from the way it gets nourishment ,its location,its appearance from another source (divine),and the fact that no Greek source described the embryo in such stage as leech appearance and the other stage as chewed substance.

Just let me enjoy my blind faith

The discussion is over ..and peace for all

That sums it up really. Jazakallah Bro.

I don't think anything beneficial can be added to this debate now.

 

[muslimapoclyptc]

But you can say the exact same thing about almost all ancient religious texts.

You interpret the Iliad, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Ramayana, and the Bible in exactly the same way I do—in the context in which they were received by their respective cultures. The only difference is that you think your religion's text deserves special treatment, and I do not.

Obviously, if I decided to interpret the Epic of Gilgamesh as if it was divinely inspired (as it claims to be), I would have a different interpretation of it than you do. What would you say to this? "You're wrong, because the Epic of Gilgamesh doesn't actually come from God and the Quran does?" That's not convincing. We need a consistent standard for how to read and look at texts. We can't just arbitrarily decide that certain texts are "exempted" and must be true no matter how we read them.

Objectively, you can't really make definitive conclusions about ambiguously worded statements, regardless of context. What ever conclusions you make, can only be your opinion.

Which seems to make a lot of sense to me, since that is when the book was written, and much of what it says is identical to common beliefs in the 7th century.

It's only identical on a superficial basis, and that's not enough to make a definitive conclusion about it.

Yeah, in my last post I admitted I made a mistake here. It does say the stars are in the lowest heaven. But the structure of "seven heavens" is the same as that found in many other texts, dating from the ancient Greeks.

Which is irrelevant, and to be expected, since Prophet Muhammad wasn't the first Prophet to be sent as a Messenger of God to people, but the last. It only makes sense then, that Islam today would have some theological similarities with its predecessors.

No. The Arabs had absolutely no idea that the stars were actually flaming balls of gas, billions of times bigger than the Earth, that existed in vast stretches of empty (well, semi-empty, according to QM) space.

The Arabs thought the stars were points of light set into the sky. The word for "sky" is the same as the word for "heaven." The Arabs thought these points of light could fall down to earth. Which is exactly what the Quran says.

It's irrelevant what the Arabs thought or knew about. What's relevant is what the Qur'an actually says, regarding what they observed, not what they knew. Plus, the term "fall" has different meanings, and doesn't necessarily mean to literally fall to the ground.

It's interesting how the Qur'an doesn't clarify these issues. It most certainly would have, if that's what it really intended to convey, and not just leave it up to people to figure it out for themselves.

Incidentally, if "the entirety of the universe" is the "first heaven" then what is Earth's sky? The zero'th heaven?

Obviously, everything that's visible in the Earth's sky would all be part of the "first heaven".

It is not a presumption.

My position when I read an ancient text: "God may or may not have written this."

Your position (with the Quran): "God wrote this."

One position is presumptuous. The other does not presume anything either way.

Except you determine it's divine authorship, based on how similar its wording is to common beliefs at the time, instead of letting it be almost timeless, as it was intended to be.

Also, are you denying that your argument is "biased and henced flawed"?

No. I'm not. I'm just saying yours is also the same way.

A completely subjective and untestable standard. What would constitute "imitating" the Quran?

Perhaps you might try reading through the link I gave?

Has anyone ever imitated the Epic of Gilgamesh?

That's irrelevant, as I doubt the Epic of Gilgamesh challenges people to do so, if they don't believe in its divinity.

Very well. The Epic of Gilgamesh claims to be inspired from gods.

How did you arrive at the conclusion that it is not?

First, who physically wrote down the EoG?

Second, what does the EoG offer as proof of its divinity?

Third, what guarantee is there, that it hasn't been tampered with between its time of revelation and when it was written down?

Based on that, you can determine its credibility as a divine source. Uncertainty in any of these = a substantial decrease in credibility.

Also, you are clearly not open to "both views" of the Quran being divine or being man-made.

Obviously, since I'm a Muslim. If I were open to both views, I'd be an Agnostic.

 

[czgibson]

Greetings,

First, who physically wrote down the EoG?

Second, what does the EoG offer as proof of its divinity?

Third, what guarantee is there, that it hasn't been tampered with between its time of revelation and when it was written down?

Based on that, you can determine its credibility as a divine source. Uncertainty in any of these = a substantial decrease in credibility.

Out of interest, how would you answer those questions if they referred to the Qur'an?

From my point of view, there is just as much reason to believe the Epic of Gilgamesh is divine as there is to believe the same about the Qur'an.

Peace

 

[جوري]

Except for the parts where

• it refers to the existence of invisible magical spirits from Arabian mythology (djinn)

I find that refreshing from a man who expects us to subscribe to(abiogensis)

or hailing panspermia

as scientific!


however to get back to the matter, many things exist 'scientifically' that are invisible to you!

further excellent reading on the subject of jinns--

http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_1_50/jinn_a_scientific_analysis.htm

Here we can discuss Jinn in more detail.

The Qur'an & Modem Science: JINN*

This chapter is very thought provoking and intended to stimulate thinking and further research among Muslim Scholars, Scientists and Students.*

The Qur'an mentions about Jinns in several places. The Qur'an specifically says that human beings are made of clay and also made of water. These statements are scientifically correct. With regard to the Jinns, the Qur'an also says that they are made from a flame of fire. A.Yusuf Ali, the well-known English Translator of the Qur'an, says in his note #929 that jinn is simply "a spirit" or an invisible or hidden force. It is also mentioned in the book ARABIAN NIGHTS that they become personified into fantastic forms, which we will see later as possible.

The Qur'an says: *

And the jinn race,

We had created before, from the fire of a
Scorching wind. Surah XV: 27*
In note 1967, Yusuf Ali says, "Hidden or Invisible forces are aptly typified as arising 'from the fire of scorching winds'.*
he scientific definition of the Jinns is given in the Qur'an as:*
*
And He created

Jinns from fire free of smoke.

Surah LV: 15*
*
There is a whole Surah LXXII, called Jinn or the Spirits in the Qur'an.

Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, another translator of the Qur'an from England, gives another meaning of Jinns. He says another meaning of Jinns is foreigners (Aliens) which means they are extraterrestrial (from outside the earth). The reader must keep in mind these definitions of the Jinns to understand their scientific nature given in this article.*


Currently held view is that in the whole universe only planet Earth harbors intelligent beings such as humans who are made of clay and water. In 1927, Sir Francis Younghusband wrote a book titled Life in the Stars (John Murray, London). In this book he describes the inhabitants in the stars as beings with angelic qualities. Our Sun is also a star.*


No religion in the world except Islam has the concept of Jinn. On Earth all life is made of Carbon and water. Living things on Earth need energy for their activities. Some of these activities are chemical reactions, which need a supply of energy. This supply of energy comes from the foods we eat, particularly the sugars. Fat is also a source of (stored) energy. When sugars (glucose) are oxidized with oxygen they are converted into water, carbon dioxide and energy. This is a process called respiration. Similarly creatures elsewhere in the universe such as the sun or stars need energy. For those in the sun, the sun itself supplies the energy.*


LIFE IN THEE SUN*


Based on the laws of Physics and Chemistry scientists argue the existence of creatures in the sun. The outermost part of the sun is called the Chromosphere and Corona. The temperature here is 4000 degrees centigrade. Underneath the corona lies the Photosphere where the temperature is 5700 degrees centigrade which is the temperature on the surface of the sun. Inside the Photosphere lies the Plasma Interior. Here the temperature is 30,000 degrees centigrade. At this temperature the atoms lose their electrons which wander freely. The density of the hot gases is equal to that of air at the surface of Earth. Halfway towards the center of the sun the temperature rises to several million degrees centigrade. Here the electrons are completely removed from their atoms and move freely, leaving the atomic nuclei behind as positively charged Ions. These separated positive and negative (ions) move independently of each other and this state of matter is called Plasma. Plasma could be interpreted as the smokeless Fire described in the Qur'an. At the center of the sun is the core where the temperature reaches ten million degrees and the density is five times greater than that of solid gold. That is the density of the core, which is greater than any material found on Earth. In the core the nuclear fusion reactions occur resulting in the fusion of hydrogen nuclei into Helium nuclei plus liberation of energy which we receive as the sunlight. The Hydrogen Bomb works based on nuclear fusion whereas the Atomic Bomb works based on nuclear fission (splitting of the atomic nucleus).*
*

Scientists (G. Feinberg and R.Shapiro, LIFE BEYOND EARTH Published by William Morrow and Co., Inc., New York, 1980) predict that there is the highest probability of finding life in the Plasma of our Sun or any star. They call these creatures as Plasmabeasts. Plasmabeasts can be construed as nothing but the Jinns. Life on Earth is called Chemical life, whereas the life in the Plasma of the Sun is based on Physical life. In the Plasma, the positively charged ions and the freely floating electrons (negative ions) are both acted on by intense magnetic forces present in the sun (star). The Jinns are interpreted to be composed of patterns of magnetic force, together with groups of moving charges in a kind of symbiosis. The possible inhabitants of Plasmaland (place of inhabitants) or Jinns have a more complex basis for their life involving charges as well as magnetic forces. The positive and negative ions interact and respond to the presence of magnetic forces. The stable structure and movement of the Jinns is influenced by the magnetic forces. In Physics we know that the moving charges influence the motion of these electrical charges or ions. This situation is similar to the influence of proteins and nucleic acids in Earth life. Finally these processes result in a favored form. For this to take place supply of free energy is required which is obtained from the flow of radiation within the sun. Therefore the Jinn can be construed to use radiant energy in their vital processes.**
​

•*it claims that the entire world was covered in a flood and a man gathered all the million plus species onto an ark (11:40)

Except it doesn't claim the 'whole world' was covered by the flood

حَتَّى إِذَا جَاء أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ قُلْنَا احْمِلْ فِيهَا مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ وَمَنْ آمَنَ وَمَا آمَنَ مَعَهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ {40}
[SIZE=-1][Pickthal 11:40] (Thus it was) till, when Our commandment came to pass and the oven gushed forth water, We said: Load therein two of every kind, a pair (the male and female), and thy household, save him against whom the word hath gone forth already, and those who believe. And but a few were they who believed with him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]as well further evidenced by [/SIZE]

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَى قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ {23}
[SIZE=-1][Pickthal 23:23] And We verily sent Noah unto his folk, and he said: O my people! Serve Allah. Ye have no other Allah save Him. Will ye not ward off (evil)?[/SIZE]
I believe 'illa qawmih' as in his own folk doesn't equal the whole world? you should investigate a little before you cut and paste?

• it refers to the sun's orbit, usually in the same phrase as the moon's orbit, (13:2, 21:33, 36:40) along with places where the sun rises and sets (18:86)—just like most Mesopotamian myths

again actually reading what you cut and paste can save you a whole lot of public embarrassment?

اللّهُ الَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ يُفَصِّلُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُم بِلِقَاء رَبِّكُمْ تُوقِنُونَ {2}
[SIZE=-1][Pickthal 13:2] Allah it is Who raised up the heavens without visible supports, then mounted the Throne, and compelled the sun and the moon to be of service, each runneth unto an appointed term; He ordereth the course; He detaileth the revelations, that haply ye may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.[/SIZE]


وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ {33}
[SIZE=-1][Pickthal 21:33] And He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. They float, each in an orbit.[/SIZE]

لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِي لَهَا أَن تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ {40}
[SIZE=-1][Pickthal 36:40] It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit.[/SIZE]


حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًا قُلْنَا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا {86}
[SIZE=-1][Pickthal 18:86] Till, when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and found a people thereabout. We said: O Dhu'l-Qarneyn! Either punish or show them kindness.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]it is a metaphorical description [/SIZE]evidenced by
هُوَ الَّذِيَ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ في قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاء الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاء تَأْوِيلِهِ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلاَّ اللّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلاَّ أُوْلُواْ الألْبَابِ {7}

so far each in its own cosmic path?

[SIZE=-1][Pickthal 3:7] He it is Who hath revealed unto thee the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.[/SIZE]

• it refers to splitting the moon into two pieces (54:1)

so? a miracle to the people of its kind and historically reported

The moon has appeared to split in half according to MANY eye witnesses!The incident relating to King Chakrawati Farmas is documented in an old manuscript in the India Office Library, London, which has reference number: Arabic, 2807, 152-173. It is quoted in the book “Muhammad Rasulullah,” by M. Hamidullah:

“There is a very old tradition in Malabar, South-West Coast of India, that Chakrawati Farmas, one of their kings, had observed the splitting of the moon, the celebrated miracle of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) at Mecca, and learning on inquiry that there was a prediction of the coming of a Messenger of God from Arabia, he appointed his son as regent and set out to meet him. He embraced Islam at the hand of the Prophet, and when returning home, at the direction of the Prophet, died at the port of Zafar, Yemen, where the tomb of the “Indian king” was piously visited for many centuries.”
​

The old manuscript in the 'India Office Library' contains several other details about King Chakrawati Farmas and his travel.

• it claims that the stars will "fall"; (81:2) and the lower sky has "lamps" in it (41:12)

suret at takwir has to do with signs of the end.. hasn't occurred yet.. it would help to read it all in context

AT-TAKWIR (SHROUDING IN DARKNESS) ​

THE EIGHTY-FIRST SURAH

Total Verses: 29
MECCA PERIOD​

Introduction​

THE conventional designation of this very early surah(most probably the seventh in the order of revelation) is derived from the verb kuwwirat, which occurs in the first verse and introduces the symbolic image of the Last Hour and, hence, of man's resurrection.​

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE DISPENSER OF GRACE:​

81: 1
WHEN THE SUN is shrouded in darkness,

82: 2
and when the stars lose their light,

81: 3
and when the mountains are made to vanish,*

* See 20:105-107 and the corresponding note 90; also note 63 on 14:48.

81: 4
and when she-camels big with young, about to give birth, are left untended,

81: 5
and when all beasts are gathered together,*

* I.e., when they crowd together in terror of the manifestation of the Last Hour, or as Mu’tazili commentators maintain - in order to be indemnified by God for man's cruelty to them (Razi). It is also said that the animals which were loved by human beings will live in the hereafter together with those who loved them (Zamakhshari). This interpretation is evidently based on 6:38 - "there is no beast that walks on earth and no bird that flies on its two wings which is not [God's] creature like yourselves" - followed almost immediately by the wordss, "Unto their Sustainer shall they [all] be gathered."

81: 6
and when the seas boil over,

81: 7
and when all human beings are coupled [with their deeds],*

* I.e., when none will be able to divest himself of responsibility for his past deeds.

81: 8
and when the girl-child that was buried alive is made to ask

81: 9
for what crime she had been slain,*

* The barbaric custom of burying female infants alive seems to have been fairly widespread in pre-Islamic Arabia, although perhaps not to the extent as has been commonly assumed. The motives were twofold: the fear that an increase of female offspring would result in economic burdens, as well as fear of the humiliation frequently caused by girls being captured by a hostile tribe and subsequently preferring their captors to their parents and brothers. Before Islam, one of the foremost opponents of this custom was Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, a cousin of Umar ibn al-Khattab and spiritually a precursor of Muhammad (cf. Bukhari, Fada'il Ashab an-Nabi on the authority of Abd Allah ibn Umar); he died shortly before Muhammad's call to prophethood (Fath al-Bari VII, 112). Another man, Sa‘sa‘ah ibn Najiyah at-Tamimi - grandfather of the poet Farazdaq - achieved equal fame as a saviour of infants thus condemned to death; he later embraced Islam. Ibn Khallikan (II, 197) mentions that Sa‘sa‘ah saved about thirty girls by paying ransom to their parents.

81: 10
and when the scrolls [of men's deeds] are unfolded,

81: 11
and when heaven is laid bare,

81: 12
and when the blazing fire [of hell] is kindled bright,

81: 13
and when paradise is brought into view:

81: 14
[on that Day] every human being will come to know what he has prepared [for himself].

81: 15
BUT NAY! I call to witness the revolving stars,

81: 16
the planets that run their course and set,

81: 17
and the night as it darkly falls,

81: 18
and the morn as it softly breathes:

81: 19
behold, this [divine writ] is indeed the [inspired] word of a noble apostle,*

* By "calling to witness" certain natural phenomena which are familiar to man because of their permanent recurrence, attention is drawn to the fact that what we call "laws of nature" are but the observable elements of God's plan of creation - a plan in which His revelations (referred to in this and the subsequent verses) play a decisive role: and so, by implication, the divine writ granted to Muhammad is as intrinsically "natural" as any other phenomenon, concrete or abstract, in the realm of God's creation.

81: 20
with strength endowed, secure with Him who in almightiness is enthroned*

* Lit., "with Him of the throne of almightiness". It is to be noted that the Qur'anic term ‘arsh- of which the above is the earliest occurrence in the order of revelation - invariably signifies God's absolute sovereignty and almightiness (cf. note 43 on 7:54).

81: 21
[the word] of one to be heeded, and worthy of trust!

81: 22
For, this fellow-man of yours is not a madman:*

* See surah 68, note 3. The characterization of Muhammad as "this fellow-man of yours" is meant to stress his absolute humanness, and thus to counteract any possibility on the part of his followers to deify him. (See also note 150 on 7:184.)

81: 23
he truly beheld [the angel - beheld] him on the clear horizon;*

* This is evidently a reference to the Prophet's vision of the Angel Gabriel which ended the break in revelation (fatrat al-wahy) mentioned in the introductory note to surah 74. See also 53:5 ff. and the corresponding notes.

81: 24
and he is not one to begrudge others the knowledge [of whatever has been revealed to him] out of that which is beyond the reach of human Perception.*

* Sc., "and so he conveys this revelation to you".

81: 25
Nor is this [message] the word of any satanic force accursed.*

* For my occasional rendering of shaytan as "satanic force", see first half of note 16 on 15:17.

81: 26
Whither, then, will you go?

81: 27
This [message] is no less than a reminder to all mankind –

81: 28
to everyone of you who wills to walk a straight way.

81: 29
But you cannot will it unless God, the Sustainer of all the worlds, wills [to show you that way].*

* I.e., "you can will it only because God has willed to show you the right way by means of the positive instincts which He has implanted in you, as well as through the revelations which He has bestowed on His prophets": implying that the choice of the right way is open to everyone who is willing to avail himself of God's universal guidance. (Cf. a similar passage in 76:29-30.)
​

• it claims that humans are formed from a "gushing fluid" that comes from between your loins and ribs (86:5)

It says:
(6) he has been created out of a seminal fluid

(7) issuing from between the loins [of man] and the pelvic arch [of woman].*

* The plural noun tara'ib, rendered by me as "pelvic arch", has also the meaning of "ribs" or "arch of bones"; according to most of the authorities who have specialized in the etymology of rare Quranic expressions this term relates specifically to female anatomy (Taj al-'Arus).



I suggest you open an embryology and anatomy book before cutting and pasting this one..

This is exactly the kind of language you would expect from 7th-century desert nomads.

The Quran in its entirety is written like a poem.. verses sometimes revealed 18 years apart yet fit in perfectly in terms of context, rhyme, meaning, transcendence. The fact that Nomadic Arabic was at its peak of poetry.. poets from all regions used to display their work on the ka3ba yet none were able to produce a verse like it, is its own testament to its miracle. I can go on but given how much effort you put into your cut and paste, you are not worth the time!

Of course, Muslims have all kinds of clever ways of interpreting these verses "metaphorically" or whatever so they don't seem as silly as they are—just like Christians interpret the Bible to seem less silly than it is.

metphorically or correctly? It would really pay if you'd simple research what you paste before blindly sharing it with the rest of us.. you should with some respect accept that some of us are fluent in Arabic and have memorized the book!

I'm also a fan of the part in the Bukhari hadith that talks about Muhammad riding a magical flying donkey, al-Buraq.

Al buraq is not a donky.. out of his journey whether you believe it took place or not were many a predictions that occured or yet to occur, and that is a testament to the event.

further reading on the subject

INTRODUCTION


Another miraculous aspect of the Qur'an is its prediction of future events, all of which have so far been fulfilled. This is one of the proofs that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah. In the following pages, we will dwell on some of these events.


THE VICTORY OF BYZANTIUM


An astonishing prediction is found in the first verses of Surat ar-Rum, which refers to the Byzantine Empire, the eastern part of the later Roman Empire: The Byzantine Empire, which had met with a great defeat, would soon gain victory.



Alif, Lam, Mim. The Romans have been defeated in the lowest land, but after their defeat they will be victorious within three to nine years. The affair is Allah's from beginning to end. (Qur'an, 30:1-4)



These verses were revealed around 620, almost 7 years after the idolatrous Persians had severely defeated Christian Byzantium in 613-14. In fact, Byzantium had suffered such heavy losses that it seemed impossible for it even to survive, let alone be victorious again. Following their defeat of the Byzantines at Antioch in 613, the Persians seized control of Damascus, Cilicia, Tarsus, Armenia, and Jerusalem. The loss of Jerusalem in 614 was particularly traumatic for the Byzantines, for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was destroyed and the Persians seized the "True Cross," the symbol of Christianity.174 In addition, the Avars, Slavs, and Lombards also were posing serious threats to the Byzantine Empire. The Avars had reached as far as the walls of Constantinople. Emperor Heraclius ordered the gold and silver in churches to be melted and turned into money in order to meet the army's expenses. When this proved insufficient, bronze statues were melted down in order to mint more money. Many governors had revolted against Heraclius, and Byzantium was on the point of collapse.175 Mesopotamia, Cilicia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Armenia, which had earlier belonged to Byzantium, were invaded by the idolatrous Persians.176






The Dead Sea basin where Byzantium was defeated by Persians. Above is a satellite photograph of the region. The Lake of Lut region, which is the lowest region of the world, is 395 meter below the sea level.



In short, everyone was expecting Byzantium to be destroyed. But during this time, the first verses of Surat ar-Rum were revealed, announcing that Byzantium would triumph in 3 to 9 years. This predicted victory seemed so impossible that the Arab polytheists thought it would never come true.






On top a satellite photograph of the Dead Sea basin. The altitude of the Dead Sea could only be determined with modern measurement techniques. These measurements led to the discovery that this region is the "lowest region on the Earth."



Like all the other predictions in the Qur'an, however, this one also came true. In 622, Heraclius gained a number of victories over the Persians and conquered Armenia.177 In December 627, the two empires fought a decisive battle at Nineveh, some 50 kilometres east of the Tigris river, near Baghdad. This time too, the Byzantine army defeated the Persians. A few months later, the Persians had to sue for peace with Byzantium, which obliged them to return the territories they had taken from it.178


The Byzantine victory was completed when Emperor Heraclius defeated the Persian ruler Khosrow II in 630, recaptured Jerusalem, and regained the "True Cross" for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.179 In the end, "the victory of the Romans" proclaimed by Allah in the Qur'an miraculously came true within the verses' stated "three to nine years" time frame.


Another miracle revealed in these verses is the announcement of a geographical fact that could not have been known by anyone at that time: that the Romans had been defeated in the lowest region of Earth. This Arabic expression adna al-Ard is interpreted as "a nearby place" in many translations. However, this is not the literal meaning, but rather a figurative interpretation. The word adna, derived from the word dani (low), means “the lowest”. The word ard means “the world.” Therefore, adna al-ard means "the lowest place on Earth."


Some interpreters of the Qur'an, considering the closeness of the region in question to the Arabs, prefer the "closest" meaning of the word. However, the actual meaning indicates a very important geological fact: The Dead Sea, one of the regions in which the Byzantines were defeated in 613-14, is the lowest region on Earth.180


As stated earlier, for Christian Byzantium, the loss of the True Cross was the heaviest blow in that defeat in Jerusalem, located near the shores of the Dead Sea.




The Byzantines and the Persians actually fought at the Dead Sea basin, which is situated at the intersection point of the lands belonging to Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. At 399 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is the "lowest" place on Earth's surface.181


However, as only modern measuring methods and equipment can prove this fact, it would have been impossible for anyone living at that time to realise this truth. Yet, the Qur'an states clearly that this region was the "lowest land" on Earth and thereby provides further evidence that it is the Word of Allah.



THE PRESERVATION OF PHARAOH'S BODY


As we shall see later on, Pharaoh regarded himself as a deity and responded with slanders and threats to Prophet Musa's (as) calls for him to believe in Allah. This arrogant attitude lasted until he was faced with the threat of death through drowning. The Qur'an relates that Pharaoh immediately turned to belief when faced with Allah's punishment:



We brought the tribe of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them out of tyranny and enmity. Then, when he was on the point of drowning, he [Pharaoh] said: "I believe that there is no god but Him in Whom the tribe of Israel believes. I am one of the Muslims." (Qur'an, 10:90)



However, this last-minute conversion was not accepted, for it was not sincere. According to the Qur'an, Allah exclaimed:



"What, now! When previously you rebelled and were one of the corrupters? Today we will preserve your body so you can be a Sign for people who come after you. Surely many people are heedless of Our Signs." (Qur'an, 10:91-92)



The information that Pharaoh's corpse would serve as a sign for later generations may be regarded as an indication that his body would not decay. On display in the Royal Mummies Chamber of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is a mummified body believed to be that of this tyrant. In all likelihood, Pharaoh's body floated to shore after being drowned, was found and mummified by the Egyptians, and then carried to a previously prepared burial chamber.182



THE CONQUEST OF MAKKAH



Allah has confirmed His Messenger's vision with truth: You will enter the Masjid al-Haram [Sacred Mosque] in safety, Allah willing, shaving your heads and cutting your hair without any fear. He knew what you did not know and ordained, in place of this, an imminent victory. (Qur'an, 48:27)



One night in Madinah, the Prophet (saas) dreamed that the believers would enter the Sacred Mosque and walk around the Ka`bah. After he awoke, he gave this good news to the believers, for those who had migrated from Makkah to Madinah with him had not been able to return since.


In Surat al-Fath 27, Allah revealed to the Prophet (saas) that He would help and support him, that the dream was true, and that the believers would enter Makkah. A short while later, with the Treaty of Hudaybiyah and the conquest of Makkah, the believers entered the Sacred Mosque in complete safety, just as the dream had foretold. That was how Allah showed that it had been His will that the Prophet's (saas) dream be fulfilled.


On closer consideration, this verse can be seen to announce yet another victory that will take place before Makkah's capture: the capture of the Khyber Fortress, which was under the control of the Jews, before they entered Makkah.183


Other verses that give the glad tidings of Makkah's conquest are given below:



He held their hands back from you, and your hands from them in the valley of Makkah, after giving you the upper hand over them. Allah sees what you do. (Qur'an, 48:24)


Truly We have granted you a clear victory, so that Allah may forgive you your earlier errors and any later ones, complete His blessing upon you, and guide you on a Straight Path. And so that Allah may help you with a mighty help. (Qur'an, 48:1-3)



Surat al-Isra' 76 states that the unbelievers cannot stay in Makkah:



They were very near to scaring you from the land with the object of expelling you from it. But had they done so, they would only have remained there a short time after you. (Qur'an, 17:76)



The Prophet (saas) entered Makkah and conquered it in 8 ah (630). Two years later, all of the unbelievers left Makkah, just as Allah had said that they would. Another point that should be noted here is that when the Prophet (saas) gave that good news to the believers, it looked totally out of the question. In fact, the situation pointed in quite the opposite direction, and the polytheists appeared quite determined never to let the believers enter Makkah. As a result, those who had doubts in their hearts began to doubt the Prophet's (saas) words. Yet, the Prophet (saas) trusted in Allah, paid no attention to the doubters' words, and told people what Allah had revealed to him. The Qur'an confirmed his words, and the prediction was fulfilled shortly afterwards.



THE TRIBE OF ISRAEL WILL BECOME VERY HAUGHTY



We decreed in the Book for the tribe of Israel: "You will twice cause corruption on Earth and you will reach [a degree of] great haughtiness. When the promised first time came, We sent against you servants of Ours possessing great force, and they ransacked your houses, rampaging right through them. It was a promise that was fulfilled. Then once again We gave you the upper hand over them, supplied you with more wealth and children, and made you the most numerous group." (Qur'an, 17:4-6)



As these verses reveal, the Children of Israel were to cause two corruptions over the world. After the first one, during which they adopted a very high level of haughtiness, Allah sent a powerful army against them. Indeed, when the Jews killed Prophet Yahya (as) and set a trap to kill Prophet 'Isa (as) ("reaching to a degree of great haughtiness"), they were exiled shortly afterwards from Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 and wandered all over the world.


When that verse was revealed to the Prophet (saas), the Jews were living under very difficult conditions in various countries and had no state of their own. Yet, Allah told the Children of Israel that one day they would recover their strength. At that time, however, there seemed to be almost no chance that this would really happen. Many centuries later, however, the Jews returned to Palestine and established the State of Israel in 1948. Today, Israel possesses military and political power and keeps the Middle East in great turmoil because of its Zionist ideology and harsh treatment of Palestinian Muslims and Christians.


This is a sign of the Children of Israel's second "corruption." However, this wicked behaviour clearly does not apply to the entire Jewish people, among whom there are many individuals of good conscience and common sense who do not agree with Israel's Zionist and anti-Arab policies.


In this and other verses, we notice that almost no one could believe that such things would ever come about. But Allah willed their fulfilment, and thereby provided believers with more proof that the Qur'an is a miraculous book revealed by Him for their benefit.



THE EXPLORATION OF SPACE


Humanity's exploration of space was accelerated with the Soviet satellite Sputnik on 4 October 1957, which carried aloft the first man to ever leave Earth's atmosphere: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. On 20 July 1969, the American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human being ever to set foot on the Moon.


In fact, the Qur'an revealed that such developments and achievements would one day be realised. For instance, Allah draws our attention to this in the following verse:



O company of jinn and human beings. If you are able to pierce through the confines of the heavens and Earth, pierce through them. You will not pierce through, except with a clear authority. (Qur'an, 55:33)



The Arabic word sultan, translated here as "a clear authority," has other meanings as well: force, power, sovereignty, dominion, law, path, permission, give leave, justify, and proof.


Careful examination reveals that the above verse emphasizes that humanity will be able to move into the depths of Earth and sky, but only with a superior power. In all likelihood, this superior power is the superior technology employed in the twentieth century, for it enabled scientists to achieve this great feat.





THE VOYAGE TO THE MOON



And [I swear by] the moon when it is full, you will mount up stage by stage! What is the matter with them, that they have no faith? (Qur'an, 84:18-20)



After referring to the Moon, the above verses then say that people will mount up stage by stage. The term tarkabunna comes from the verb rakiba, (to mount, walk on a path, follow, embark upon, set about, participate, or rule). In the light of these meanings, it is very likely that the expression "you will mount up stage by stage" refers to a vehicle to be boarded.


Indeed, the astronauts' spacecraft pass through each layer of the atmosphere one by one, and then begin to pass through the Moon's gravitational field. Thus, the Moon is reached by moving through individual layers. In addition, the swearing by the Moon in Surat al-Inshiqaq 18 further strengthens this emphasis, meaning that the verse may well be a sign that humanity will travel to the Moon. (Allah knows best.)



MODERN MEANS OF TRANSPORT



And horses, mules, and donkeys both to ride and for adornment. And He creates other things you do not know. (Qur'an, 16:8)



The above verse indicates that in addition to the animals mentioned here, people will have various unknown (to them) means of transport. The following verse points to the fact that there will be such mass modes of transport as ships:



A Sign for them is that We carried their families in the laden ship. And We have created for them the like of it, in which they sail. (Qur'an, 36:41-42)




PLANE TECHNOLOGY



And to Sulayman We gave the fiercely blowing wind, speeding at his command toward the land that We had blessed. And We had full knowledge of everything. (Qur'an, 21:81)



As the above verse relates, Allah placed the wind under Prophet Sulayman's (as) command and allowed him to use it as a vehicle. There is a strong possibility of an indication here that, as in Prophet Sulayman's (as) time, wind energy will also be used in the technology of the future.



And We gave Sulayman power over the wind-a month's journey in the morning and a month in the afternoon... (Qur'an, 34:12)



The expression "a month's journey in the morning and a month in the afternoon" may be drawing attention to the fact that Prophet Sulayman (as) moved rapidly between different regions perhaps by using a technology similar to an airplane, or developed wind-powered vehicles that could cover long distances quickly. (Allah knows best.) There is thus a strong possibility that these verses point to modern airplane technology.



IMAGE TRANSMISSION



He who possessed knowledge of the Book said: "I will bring it [the Queen of Saba's throne] to you before your glance returns to you." And when he [Sulayman] saw it standing firmly in his presence, he said: "This is part of my Lord's favour, to test me to see if I will give thanks or show ingratitude." (Qur'an, 27:40)






[He is] the Originator of the heavens and earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, “Be!” and it is.
(Qur’an, 2:117)



"He who possessed knowledge of the Book" told Prophet Sulayman (as) that he could bring the Queen of Saba's throne to him very quickly. This is a possible reference to the transmission of images with present-day advanced technology. Another verse on the subject reads:



A demon of the jinn said: "I will bring it to you before you get up from your seat. I am strong and trustworthy enough to do it." (Qur'an, 27:39)



In our day, text, pictures, and films can be sent anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds, thanks to the Internet and advances in computer technology. For instance, carrying the Queen's throne to Prophet Sulayman's (as) court very quickly may well refer to the fact that it will be possible to send a three-dimensional picture or image in the blink of an eye over the Internet.

According to scientists, the teleportation of atoms and molecules, as well as larger bodies, may become possible in the near future. By this method, the item's material characteristics are removed from one location and transferred in every detail and atomic sequence to another location, where they are reconstructed. If this technology becomes operational one day, time and space will no longer represent an obstacle to travel and objects will be able to be transported anywhere in a single moment without traversing any physical distance.184


In 1998, physicists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) working with two European groups transported a photon. The scientists formed a copy of the photon by reading its atomic structure and then transmitted that information a distance of 1 metre. In another recent teleportation experiment, Ping Koy Lam of the Australian National University (ANU) and other researchers transmitted a laser ray a short distance.185


Indeed, according to a CNN report on 17 July 2002, a group of physicists from the National Australian University in Canberra split a laser ray and "transmitted" it several metres. Ping Koy Lam, the team's head, stated that they had not yet succeeded in transmitting matter in its atomic state, but that such a thing was not impossible and may become a reality in the future.


According to a study published in the science journal Nature, Eugene Polzik of Denmark's University of Aarhus, and his colleagues performed successful experiments on a large number of atoms, using laser rays and quantum physics.186 In his analyses of teleportation's potential, published in the journal Scientific American, Australian physicist Anton Zeilinger states that far more complex systems could be teleported without violating the laws of physics.187


As the Qur'an reveals in "We will show them Our Signs on the horizon and within themselves until it is clear to them that it is the truth" (Qur'an, 41:53), these scientific advances may represent a part of the technologies indicated in the Qur'an, all of which reveal its miraculous aspects.



SMELL TRANSFERENCE



He [Yusuf] said: "No blame at all will fall on you. Today you have forgiveness from Allah. He is the Most Merciful of the merciful. Go with this shirt of mine and cast it on my father's face, and he will see again. Then come to me with all your families." And when the caravan went on its way, their father said: "I can smell Yusuf's scent! You probably think I have become senile." (Qur'an, 12:92-94)



Today, scientists state that teleporting atoms and scent molecules may be possible in the near future. In Surah Yusuf 94, Prophet Yusuf's (as) father says that he can smell his son's scent. Scientists also say that it will soon be possible to send scents in the same way as pictures and three-dimensional images are sent. Therefore, this verse might be a sign of an advanced technology developing from the current research into transmitting scent.


Like our other sense perceptions, smell forms in the brain. For example, a lemon peel's molecules stimulate the nose's scent receptors, which then transmit them in the form of electrical signals to the brain for analysis. Therefore, when the scent's signal is artificially formed in another form, the scent can be perceived in the same form. Indeed, the "electronic nose" is one of the research areas showing that this may well be possible in the near future.


A human being's scent perception system makes it possible for a trained nose to name and distinguish some 10,000 odours. Professionals in the perfumery business who have received special chemical training are able to sniff a scent that contains 100 different odorants and then list the ingredients.188 This superior creation in the human nose has encouraged many scientists to design similar equipment. Efforts are underway in various research and development centres to replicate this human scent perception system. The models developed on this basis are termed "the electronic nose."


The human nose's receptors are composed of proteins; those in its electronic counterpart are composed of a series of chemical receptors. Each receptor is designed to detect different odours; the more their distinguishing capacities are enhanced, the more difficult production becomes and the greater the cost. The signals collected by the sensors are turned into binary codes, by means of electronic systems, and then sent to a computer. The electronic systems can be thought of as imitating the nerve cells responsible for scent detection, and the computer as the brain. The computer is programmed to analyse the data and thus interprets the binary code signals.


Electronic noses are currently being used in the food, perfumery, and chemical industries, as well as in medicine. Universities and international organizations are also providing major support for such projects. Nevertheless, as stated by Julian W. Gardner of the University of Warwick, researchers are still in the early stages of this technology.189



THE USE OF ELECTRICITY



And We made a fount of molten copper flow out for him. (Qur'an, 34:12)



One of Allah's great blessings to Prophet Sulayman (as) was "a fount of molten copper." This can be understood in several senses. By the use of melted copper, it may be referring to the existence, at his time, of an advanced technology that employed electricity. We know that copper is one of the best metals for conducting electricity and heat, and thus constitutes the basis of the electrical industry, which uses much of the copper produced in the world. The expression "flow out" may indicate that electricity can be used in many fields. (Allah knows best.)



ARTESIAN WELLS



We divided them up into twelve tribes-communities. We revealed to Musa, when his people asked him for water: "Strike the rock with your staff." Twelve fountains flowed out from it, and all the people knew their drinking place. And We shaded them with clouds and sent down manna and quails to them: "Eat of the good things We have provided for you." They did not wrong Us; rather, they wronged themselves. (Qur'an, 7:160)




A closed artesian aquifer is confined by an overlying impermeable body of rock, which prevents any water from filtering down into the aquifer. Instead, water enters the tilted aquifer layer through a recharge area, where the aquifer rock is exposed at higher elevations. The flow in an artesian aquifer resembles water flowing through a J-shaped tube. Water added on the tube’s long side provides enough pressure to drive the water upward on the tube’s shorter side.


The above verse describes how Prophet Musa's (as) people asked him for water and how he provided places where each tribe could drink. Clearly, his people were suffering from a shortage of water. Such shortages still exist, for more than 1 billion people today lack access to clean water, and 2.4 billion still live without improved sanitation. According to projected estimates, by 2025 about 5 billion people will not have access to sufficient amounts of water.190 Every year, some 12 million people die from water scarcity; 3 million of whom are children who die from waterborne diseases.191


Today, 31 countries, comprising 8 percent of the world's population, face chronic freshwater shortages. By 2025, this number is expected to rise to 48 countries.192 According to UN predictions, renewable freshwater will become an even more limited resource by 2025, and the number of 131 million people experiencing water problems will rise to either 817 million (according to low population growth projections) or 1.079 billion (according to high population growth projections).193


Groundwater, the largest source of fresh water on Earth, represents more than 90 percent of the readily available freshwater reserves194 and is therefore of vital importance to meeting the water needs of up to 2 billion people.195 It constitutes the primary source of water for up to 50 percent of the American population, a figure that rises to 95 percent in rural areas.196 Groundwater is also the safest and most reliable source of fresh water. At the same time, this water can be used to produce geothermal energy and save energy by using heat pumps.


When the water sucked up from the soil meets an impermeable underground layer, it collects there and forms a water source. This water is then brought to the surface by the artesian method. Artesian springs are formed by sedimentary rocks that can store underground water.


The fact that artesian wells are drilled in rocky areas runs parallel to the description in the Qur'an. Given that Allah commanded Prophet Musa (as) to strike the rock, Surat al-A`raf 160 may be indicating this method. (Allah knows best.) The verb idrib, translated as "strike," can also mean "to raise, to open." Thus, this verse may be describing a water source being opened by the raising of the rock. As a result, pressurized water may have emerged, as described in the verb inbajasat (to pour out, flow freely, bubble up, flow), just as happens with artesian wells. If sufficient pressure forms, water can continue to flow to the surface without the need for a pump.


Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sends down water from the sky and by it brings forth fruits as provision for you… (Qur’an, 14:32)


It is particularly striking that current solutions for dealing with water scarcity use underground water resources. In fact, one of the most effective methods of doing so is the artesian well. In other words, we might be copying Prophet Musa's (as) example of striking or lifting the rock without even knowing it. Surat al-A`raf 160 may therefore be a reference to artesian wells, the first of which was opened in 1126 in the French region of Artois. (Allah knows best.)



THE ARMY-ANT IN TECHNOLOGY



Then, when they reached the Valley of the Ants, an ant said: "Ants! Enter your dwellings, so that Sulayman and his troops do not crush you unwittingly." (Qur'an, 27:18)



The "Valley of the Ants" refers to a special place and special ants. In addition, the fact that Prophet Sulayman (as) could hear the ants talking among themselves may contain striking references to future developments in computer technology. The present-day term "Silicon Valley" refers to the centre of the world of technology. It is most significant that a "valley of the ants" appears in the account of Prophet Sulayman's (as) life. Allah may be drawing our attention to the advanced technology of the future.


Furthermore, ants and other insect species are widely used in advanced technology as models in robot projects and are intended to serve in a wide range of areas, from the defence industry to technology. The verse may also be referring to these developments.


Latest Developments in Miniature Technology: Army-Ant Robots


The best known project using ants as a model are the "Army-Ant Robot" projects being carried out independently in several countries. One study being carried out by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Virginia State University seeks to develop small, inexpensive, and simple physically identical robots that can be used as a robot army. Project officials explain these robots' functionality in the following terms: "The way they behave as a group, in a coordinated manner, perform a series of physical actions, and take joint decisions." These robot armies' mechanical and electrical designs have been based on the behaviour of an ant community. They are called the "army-ant" robots because of their similarities to their insect counterparts.


The "army-ant" robot system was originally designed as a "material-carrying system." According to this scenario, several small robots would be charged with jointly lifting and carrying objects. It was later decided that they could be used for other tasks. One report describes other tasks to which they might be assigned in the future:



Nuclear and hazardous waste cleanup with robotic "swarms," mining (including material removal and search-and-rescue), mine sweeping (both land and water), surveillance and sentry, planetary surface exploration and excavation.197



In a report by Israel A. Wagner, an expert on ant robot technology, the ant robot projects were described in these terms:



Ant-robots are simple physical or virtual creatures designed to cooperate in order to achieve a common goal. They are assumed to have very limited resources of energy, sensing and computing, and to communicate via traces left in the workspace or on the ground, like many insects naturally do…


The distribution of work among multiple a(ge)nts can be made by either a central controller who sends orders to the agents, or by an a-priori agreement on a certain partitioning that, if obeyed by the agents, eventually leads to a completion of the given mission. A third way, used throughout the current work, is to design the behavior of individuals such that cooperation will naturally emerge in the course of their work, without making a-priori decisions on the structure of the cooperation. The specific application that we address is covering, which is also known as exploring or searching. This variety of names hints to the many applications this problem might have: from cleaning the floor of a house to mapping an unknown planet or demining a mine field.198



As can be seen in these examples, an ant's social lifestyle forms the basis of many projects, and the various ant-based robot technologies are providing benefits for human beings. That is why it is so important that ants and their valley are referred to in the Qur'anic account of Prophet Sulayman's (as) life. The term "ants" in the verse may refer to an army consisting of robots, future developments in robot technology, and how robots will play an important role in human life. For example, they may perform many arduous tasks and thus make people's lives more comfortable. (Allah knows best.)



ATOMIC ENERGY AND FISSION



Allah splits the seed and kernel. He brings forth the living from the dead, and produces the dead out of the living. That is Allah, so how are you misguided? (Qur'an, 6:95)



The terms "seed" (al-habb) and "kernel" (an-nawa) in the above verse may indicate the splitting of the atom. Indeed, the dictionary meanings of an-nawa include "nucleus, centre, atomic nucleus." Furthermore, the description of bringing forth the living from the dead can be interpreted as Allah creating matter from dead energy. Producing the dead out of the living may refer to energy (dead) emerging from matter (living), since the atom is in motion. (Allah knows best.) That is because as well as "living," al-hayy can also mean "active, energetic." With its meaning of "non-living," al-mayyit, translated above as "dead," may very probably refer to energy.


Scientists define energy as the capacity for doing work. Matter, the material that comprises all things on Earth and in the universe, consists of atoms and molecules that can be seen to be in motion under an electron microscope. In the early twentieth century, Albert Einstein (d. 1955) theorised that matter could be converted into energy, suggesting that the two were inter-related at the atomic level.199 This may be the bringing forth of the dead from the living, as described above, or, in other words, obtaining energy from matter, which is in motion at the atomic level. In addition, yukhriju, translated as "bringing forth," also means "bringing out, emitting" (as in the case of electrical waves). Therefore, the terms in this verse may be indicating the form of energy obtained from the atom. (Allah knows best.)



Today, atomic nucleus can be split into smaller nuclei by means of nuclear fission.


Scientists can now split the atom by dividing its nucleus. Taking Einstein's theories as their starting point, they obtained energy from matter in the 1940s by means of nuclear fission, the process of splitting the atomic nucleus. The verb faliqu in Surat al-An`am 95, translated as "to split," may be a reference to fission's dictionary meaning: the process of splitting (the atom's nucleus). When this process takes place, enormous amounts of energy are released.


The words in Surat al-An`am 95 are very wise in terms of their meanings. The phenomena described in this verse bear a very close resemblance to the splitting of the atom's nucleus in order to obtain atomic energy. The verse may therefore be a reference to nuclear fission, which was only made possible by twentieth-century technology. (Allah knows best.)

and

Information about the unknown the Prophet (saas) revealed in the hadiths




O my people! You are about to conquer Egypt. Keep the welfare of the conquered people in view. You shall have to abide by the divine covenant that their life and property and their honour should be protected.212




In the hadiths, the Prophet (saas) gave the good news that Egypt would be conquered. At the time when he communicated that message, Egypt was under the dominion of the Byzantines. Furthermore, the Muslims had yet to attain any great power. Yet, these words of the Prophet (saas) came true, and, not long after his death, the Muslim armies under the command of Amr bin al-As conquered Egypt in 641 A.D., during the caliphate of Omar. That is one example of the Prophet (saas) accurately knowing the unknown.




Kisra (Khosrau, King of Persia) will die; there will be no Kisra after him, and Qaisar (Caesar, King of Rome) will die; there would be no Qaisar after him, but, by One in Whose Hand is my life, you will spend their treasures in the cause of Allah.213




The word "kisra" that appears in this hadith was a name that used to be used for kings of Persia. The title "caesar" was used for the Roman Empire. The Prophet (saas) gave the good news that the Muslims would come into possession of the treasures of both these rulers.


What needs to be stressed here is that when the Prophet (saas) related that fact, the Muslims still lacked the necessary economic, military and political strength to effect such a great conquest. Furthermore, at that time, the Persian and Byzantine Empires were the two most powerful states in the Middle East. For that reason, such an event was out of the question, at the time when the Prophet (saas) delivered those tidings. However, things actually happened as the Prophet (saas) predicted they would. Iran was conquered during the time of Omar and all its goods seized. The kingdom of the Persian "kisra" thus came to an end.


The death of "caesar" and the reversion of his treasuries to the Muslims came about with the capture of important Roman centers, particularly during the time of the Muslim caliphs. Starting with the time of Abubakr, important centers under the dominion of "caesar" such as Jordan, Palestine, Damascus, Jerusalem, Syria and Egypt were conquered. The capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453 meant the collapse of the Roman Empire, and the end of the title of "caesar."214





Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror's capture of Constantinople and the collapse of the Roman Empire meant the end of the title of Caesar.



In his book The Venture of Islam, the American researcher M. G. S. Hodgson describes the Muslim capture of territories belonging to Byzantium and the Persian Empire:


"Muhammad, an Arab of Mecca, sets up a religiously organized society in Medina, and expands it over much of the Arabian peninsula to march with and even locally replace Sasanian and Roman power."215


In this way, these important conquests, that seemed to be totally impossible at the time of the Prophet (saas) both politically and economically, actually happened, as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (saas) by Allah.




Great Allah sent many tribulations to Kisra by his son Shireveyh, who killed him in this month, on this night at this hour!216


In the near future, my religion and its sovereignty will reach Kisra's throne.217




The Prophet (saas) decided to invite the rulers to turn to Islam, and sent one of his companions, Abdullah bin Hudhaafah, to the Kisra, the Persian King, as an ambassador. The Persian Kisra, swollen with pride, rejected the Prophet (saas)'s offer. He even sent two ambassadors of his own to the Prophet (saas), telling the Muslims to submit to him. The Prophet (saas) first invited these two ambassadors to accept Islam. Then he called them into his presence the next day to learn their decision.218


The next day, the Prophet (saas) told the two ambassadors what Allah had revealed to him:


"Great Allah sent many tribulations to Kisra by his son Shireveyh, who killed him in this month, on this night, at this hour!"219


He also personally told them:


"Tell him that my religion and my empire will reach far beyond the kingdom of Kisra; and say to him from me: Enter Islam, and I will confirm you in what you have, and I will appoint you king over the people of Yemen."220


The ambassadors then returned to Yemen and described what had gone on. Badhan said:


"We will see what happens next. If what he said is true, then he is the prophet whom Allah has sent."221


He then turned to his men and asked what they thought of him. The ambassadors had been greatly impressed by the Prophet (saas), and said:


"We never saw a ruler more majestic, more fearless and less guarded than him. He walked humbly amongst the people."


Badhan waited for a while to see whether the Prophet (saas)'s words about the ruler would come true or not. In that way, he said, he could be sure that Muhammad (saas) was Allah's messenger. A short while later, a letter reached Badhan from the ruler's son, Shireveyh: "I killed Kisra. When this letter reaches you, take the oath of the people in my name. Regarding what Kisra wrote to you, wait and do nothing until a new command from me."222


When Badhan and his men worked it out, they realized that all this had happened just as the Prophet (saas) had said it would.223 Badhan came to believe after that great miracle, and accepted Islam. He was followed by the Yemeni Abna.224 Badhan became the first governor appointed by the Prophet (saas), and the first Persian governor to be a Muslim.225


It is a historically documented fact that in 628 the Prophet (saas) sent a letter of invitation to the Persian King Kisra, and that he was killed by his son that same year.226




The Prophet (saas)'s hadiths regarding the signs of the end times


Many details of what the Prophet (saas) said would happen before the last days have reached us. These events are happening one by one in our own time, proving to be yet another miracle of the Prophet (saas). These events, that are happening 1,400 years after the Prophet Muhammad (saas), were explained in great detail, as if he had witnessed them himself.






These are the Prophet (saas)'s prophecies regarding the signs of the end times and the last day, taken from the hadiths:




The Last Hour will not come unless there is much bloodshed.227






Near the establishment of the Hour there will be much Al-Harj, and Al-Harj means killing…228


The day of Judgment will not come until people openly deny Allah.229


Great cities will be ruined, and it will be as if they had not existed the day before.230




Gains will be shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor.231











(Left)Acts of violence and terror, one of the signs of the final times, are continuing with increasing violence all over the world.The parallel between the warning issued by the Prophet (saas) in the past and the events being experienced today reveals to us one of the miracles of this blessed man. (Right) The wars in many countries of the world, in which innocent people are killed for no reason, are another of the portents of Doomsday related by the Prophet (saas).



People will indulge in homosexuality and lesbianism.232

There will be prevalence of open illegal intercourse.233




The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until murders will increase.234




Pity poor Taliqan (a region in Afghanistan) that at that place are treasures of Allah, but these are not of gold and silver but consist of people who have recognised Allah as they should have.235




There is an indication in the hadith that Afghanistan will be occupied during the end times. The Russian invasion of Afghanistan took place in 1979, or 1400 according to the Hijri calendar. In other words, it coincided with the start of the fourteenth century under the Hijri calendar.





These pictures show examples of the oppression suffered by the people of Afghanistan during the invasion by the Russian army in 1979.



It (Euphrates) will uncover a mountain of gold (under it).236




Soon the river "Euphrates" will disclose the treasure (the mountain) of gold, so whoever will be present at that time should not take anything of it.237





The Reichstag (German Parliament) after its destruction in 1945. The picture below shows the same building in 1999, after reconstruction. Many buildings are being restored and brought back to their former appearance in the same way.



The rebuilding of the ruined places in the world, and the ruination of constructed places are signs and portents of Doomsday.238



There are two signs of our Mahdi; ...and those signs are that moon will eclipse in the first night of its fixed nights of eclipse and sun will be eclipsed in the middle of the fixed days for its eclipse, during the month of Ramadhan.239


There will be two eclipses of the sun in Ramadan before the Mahdi emerges.240

There will be two eclipses of the Moon in Ramadan...241






The common points emerging from the above three hadiths are:


1. There will be solar and lunar eclipses during the month of Ramadan.


2. These will be spaced about 14-15 days apart.


3. The eclipses will be repeated twice.


In line with those calculations, there was a lunar eclipse in 1981 (Hijri 1401), on the 15th day of Ramadan, and a solar eclipse on the 29th day of the month. There was a "second" lunar eclipse in 1982 (Hijri 1402) on the 14th day of Ramadan, and a solar eclipse on the 28th day of the month.




It is also particularly significant that in that particular instance, there was a full lunar eclipse in the middle of the month of Ramadan, a most striking prophecy.







Before he comes, a comet spreading light will come from the East.242


The birth of that star will follow the eclipse of the Sun and Moon.243


A tailed star will be born from the East and spread its light. Its daily direction will be from East to West.244




- In 1986 (Hijri 1406), in other words at the start of the 14th century, Halley's comet passed by the Earth. The comet is a bright, shining star.


- It travels from East to West


This happened after the lunar and solar eclipses of 1981 and 1982 (1401-1402)




People will go on the hajj with no imam at their head. When they descend to Mina, the tribes will savage each other like dogs and there will be great wars. To such an extent that feet will be covered in a lake of blood.245






A fire will appear in the sky from the East and a redness will cover the sky for three or seven days in a row.246


A fire will enfold you. That fire is currently extinguished in the valley called Berehut. People will be enfolded in that fire with terrible suffering. That fire will burn and destroy people and belongings. For eight days it will rage over the world like wind and cloud. The heat of night will be fiercer than that of day. That fire will stretch from the heads of man to the highest heavens, and there will be a terrible noise like thunder between the earth and sky, he said.247




- The burning oil in Kuwait led to the deaths of people and animals. According to experts, half a million tons of oil went up into the atmosphere as smoke. Every day, more than 10,000 tons of soot, sulphur, carbon-dioxide and large quantities of hydrocarbons with their carcinogenic properties hang suspended over the Gulf. It is not just the Gulf, but the world itself that is burning.248


- Two wells that were set alight produced as much oil as Turkey does in one day, and the smoke from them can be seen from Saudi Arabia, 55 kilometres away.249


- Continuing news of disaster from the Gulf: Hundreds of oil wells set alight in Kuwait are still burning fiercely. Experts say it will be "exceedingly difficult to put those fires out," and it is said that the fires will affect a wide area from Turkey to India for the next 10 years.


The fire and smoke coming from the wells constantly pollute the atmosphere. Daytime resembles night in Kuwait. The brown smoke that rises together with the flames remind one of the sky as the autumn turns into winter … It will take at least a century for Kuwait to be completely habitable again. The smoke that rises with the flames is visible from miles away, totally blocking out the sky and making the country unfit to live in. The wealthy are abandoning Kuwait.250






He(The Mahdi) will not come until there is a portent from the Sun.251






The solar eclipse of August 11, 1999 was the last of the century. During this eclipse, the likes of which take place only every 400 years, the sun, the moon and the world align. It was the first time that so many people had been able to watch and study an eclipse for so long a duration. Below are some newspaper headlines regarding the phenomenon. This can be interpreted as the "portent from the Sun" referred to in the hadith. (Allah knows best, of course).


Before the Hour comes, there will be a tribulation like patches of dark night...252


The word "tribulation (fitna)" implies anything that turns peoples' reason and hearts away from the true path, or war, incitement, chaos, disorder and conflict. The tribulation in the hadith will leave smoke and dust behind it, we learn.




Furthermore, the way that tribulation is described as "darkness" in the hadith, can be seen as an indication that its origins are unclear, that it is unexpected. Looking at it from that regard, it is probable that the hadith is referring to the world's worst terrorist attack, on the cities of New York and Washington in the United States on September 11, 2001.




The inhabitants of Egypt and Sham would kill their ruler and his commands…253

The people of Sham will take prisoner the tribes of Egypt.254


Today, the states in the region in question include Israel. That is why the hadith could be pointing to the war between the State of Israel and Egypt, and the invasion of Egyptian territory.






The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until ... earthquakes will be very frequent.255


There are two great events before the day of Judgment ... and then years of earthquakes.256








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The signs of the end times are coming one after the other




In the hadiths that have come down to us from the Prophet (saas), news is given concerning the end times and the Golden Age of Islam. When we compare these signs with the things that are taking place in our time, we can see many indications that we are living through the End Times and which also herald the arrival of the Golden Age of Islam.


We must make it clear that some of the signs pointed to in the hadiths that we have been considering in this chapter may have been witnessed to one extent or another throughout the 1,400-year history of Islam, in some part of the world. That does not mean, however, that those were the end times. Because, in order to describe one period as the End Times, all the signs of the last day need to happen at the same time, one after the other. That situation is referred to in a hadith:


"Signs following one another like bits of a necklace falling one after the other when its string is cut."257


In the hadiths, the beginning of the End Times is described as when discord grows, and war and conflict are on the increase, when there is chaos and moral degeneration rears its head and people turn away from the morality of religion. At the time in question, natural disasters will occur all over the world, poverty will reach unseen levels, there will be a large increase in the crime rate, and murder and brutality everywhere. Yet this will be only the first stage. During the second phase, Allah will rescue mankind from this chaos and replace it with a blessed existence full of plenty, peace and security.








The Hour will not be established … till the people compete with one another in constructing high buildings.258




The Last Day will not be established until... time will pass quickly.259




Great distances will be traversed in short spans of time.260




The Last hour will not come before time contracts, a year being like a month, a month like a week, a week like a day, a day like an hour, and an hour like the kindling of a fire.261






The century we are living in has seen the capability of constructing supersonic aeroplanes, and the ability, thanks to trains and other improvements in means of transport, to make journeys in a few minutes that would once have taken months, and in great comfort. What this hadith indicates is also taking place in this manner.


Communication between continents would take weeks hundreds of years ago, but is now a matter of seconds, thanks to the Internet and improvements in technology. Goods that used to take weeks to arrive, following a long journey, can now be delivered at a moment's notice. Billions of books can now be printed in the time it would take to write a single letter just a few centuries ago. As well, other technological developments have meant that we no longer waste large amounts of time on cooking, cleaning and child minding.


One could go on citing similar examples. Yet, the important thing here, of course, is that the signs of Doomsday, as set out by the Prophet (saas) in the seventh century, are now happening one by one.




The last hour will not come before the end of a man's whip speak to him.262




The whip is known as a tool used in earlier times when riding or guiding pack animals such as horses or camels. When we look closely at this hadith, we can see that the Prophet (saas) is making a comparison. Let us ask people living at the present time a question, "Is there a modern implement that talks and resembles a whip?"


The most logical reply to that question is the mobile telephone, with its long antenna, or similar communications equipment. If we bear in mind that mobile or satellite phones are comparatively recent developments, then the wisdom behind the Prophet (saas)'s description of 1,400 years ago is even clearer. That is just one more indication that we are living through the period prior to Doomsday.






There will be no Judgment ... until a person's own voice speaks to him.263




The message in the hadith is quite clear: A person's hearing the sound of his own voice is another sign of the end times. There is no doubt that in order to hear the sound of one's one voice, one first needs to record it, and then to play it back to himself. Sound recording and reproduction equipment are products of the twentieth century. That development marked a scientific turning point, and led to the birth of the communications and media industries. Sound reproduction is nearly perfect now, thanks to computer and laser technologies.








In short, the electronic gadgets of our time, microphones and speakers, allow us to record sound and play it back, and are also manifestations of that related in the above hadith.




The sign of that day: A hand will be extended from the sky, and people will look and see it.264




The sign of that day is a hand extended in the sky and people stopping to look at it.265




The Arabic word for "hand" in the above hadiths is "yed." As well as "hand," the dictionary also provides such meanings as "power, force, strength, means etc." It is probable that in these hadiths the word is used in those senses.






The idea of a "power, force, strength or means" extending from the sky and looked upon by people might not make much sense in the context of past ages. Yet, it sheds considerable light on equipment such as the television, camera and computer, which have become such an indispensable parts of modern life, as described in the hadiths. In other words, the "hand" mentioned in these hadiths is used in the sense of force. It clearly points to pictures coming down from the sky in waves, in other words television broadcasting.






People will reap 700 measures of wheat for every one they sow … People will throw down a few handfuls of seeds and reap 700 handfuls … Although much rain will fall, none will be wasted.266








The Prophet (saas) provided many other details of the technological advances that will accompany the end times. Attention is also drawn in the hadiths to the move towards modern agricultural techniques, the development of new production methods, seed improvement research, and increasing production as a result of better use of rainwater by building new dams and artificial lakes.


At that time ... life spans will grow longer.267




Fourteen centuries have passed since the Prophet (saas) brought forward that news. The average expected lifespan is much higher now than it has been at any other time in recent history. A great difference can be seen even between the figures for the beginning and the end of the twentieth century. For instance, it is estimated that a baby born in 1995 will live some 35 years longer than one born around 1900. Another striking example on the same subject is that in the recent past very few people lived to be 100, whereas now it is a great deal more common.




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208. Warren Treadgold, A History of the Byzantine State and Society, Stanford University Press, 1997, p. 287-299
209. Warren Treadgold, A History of the Byzantine State and Society, Stanford University Press, 1997, p. 287-299
210. Elmalili Hamdi Muhammad Yazir, Kuran-ý Kerim Tefsiri (Qur'an Tafsir)
211. Imam Taberi, Taberi Tefsiri, (Tafsir at-Tabari)
212. Al Hafiz ibn al-Dayba al-Shaybani,Taysir al-'usul ilaJami al-'usul, Volume 15, p. 420
213. http://lists.isb.sdnpk.org/pipermai...ril/000341.html
214. http://www.mustakiim.de/Islam/IslamTarihi/bilgi5.htm
215. M.G.S. Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, Volume1, Ýz Publications, Istanbul, 1993, p.61
216. http://www.najaco.com/islam/compani...ophet/sahmi.htm
217. Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum,(The Sealed Nectar), http://www.quraan.com/Raheeq/32.asp
218. http://cyberistan.org/islamic/chosroes.html
219. http://www.najaco.com/islam/compani...ophet/sahmi.htm
220. hhttp://cyberistan.org/islamic/chosroes.html
221. http://cyberistan.org/islamic/chosroes.html
222. http://www.najaco.com/islam/compani...ophet/sahmi.htm
223. Salih Suruç, Kainatýn Efendisi Peygamberimizin Hayatý, (The Life of the Prophet (saas)), Yeni Asya Publications, Istanbul, 1998, p.225
224. http://cyberistan.org/islamic/chosroes.html
225. Salih Suruç, Kainatýn Efendisi Peygamberimizin Hayatý, (The Life of the Prophet (saas)) Yeni Asya Publications, Istanbul, 1998, p.225
226. H.G. Wells, A Short History of the World, http://www.bartleby.com/86/41.html; http://www.encyclopedia.com/printablenew/25555.html
227. Sahih Bukhari Hadith
228. Sahih Bukhari Hadith
229. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 27
230. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p.38
231. Tirmidhi Hadith
232. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanzul Ummaal
233. Sahih Bukhari Hadith
234. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2 no: 146
235. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p.59
236. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 88, Number 235
237. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 88, Number 235
238. Ismail Mutlu, Kýyamet Alametleri, (Signs of the Last Day), Mutlu Publications, Istanbul, 1999, p.138
239. Ibn Hajar Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p.47
240. Imam Sarani, Olum-Kýyamet- Ahiret ve Ahir Zaman Alametleri, (Death, Judgment and Resurrection), Bedir Publications, Ýstanbul, p.440
241. Ibn Hajar Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 54
242. Ibn Hajar Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 54
243. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p.32
244. Imam Rabani, Mektubat-ý Rabbani, (Maktubat Imam Rabbani) Translated by Abdulkadir Akcicek, Istanbul Daðýtým A.S., Istanbul, 2/1170
245. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p.35
246. Ýsmail Mutlu, Kýyamet Alametleri, (The Signs of the Last Day) Mutlu Publications, Ýstanbul, 1999, s.166
247. Ýmam Sarani, Ölüm-Kýyamet- Ahiret ve Ahir Zaman Alametleri, (Death, Judgment and Resurrection), Bedir Publications, Ýstanbul, p.461
248. Necati Özfatura, Kurtlar Sofrasýnda Ortadoðu, Adým Publications, 1983, p.175
249. Hurriyet Newspaper, 23 January 1991
250. Necati Özfatura, Kurtlar Sofrasýnda Ortadoðu, Adým Publications, 1983, p.175
251. Ibn Hajar Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 47
252. Sunan Abu Dawud Hadith
253. Ibn Hajar Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 49
254. Ibn Hajar Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 49
255. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 17, Number 146
256. Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, 187/2
257. Tirmidhi Hadith, Number 1447
258. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Number 237
259. Sahih Bukhari Hadith
260. Sahih Musnad Hadith
261. Tirmidhi Hadith
262. Tirmidhi, Number1450
263. Al- Qurtubi al-Tezkirah
264. Ibn Hajar Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 53
265. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 69
266. Ibn Hajar Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 43
267. Ibn Hajar Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 43

all the best

 

[جوري]

Bs'd

How do we know that the Koran is true, and not the Jewish or Christian Bible, or the book of Mormon, or whatever other holy book of any religion?

Thanks,

Gold.

In Islam the Torah, scroll of Abraham, psalms of David, the injeel are all in fact books from God.. you should question however how true they are to their original form

The Argument of Jeremiah 8:8 Still Standing!

Jeremiah 8:8
​

8 " 'How can you say, "We are wise,
for we have the law of the LORD,"
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?​

& while on the subject--The book of the Mormon looks an awful lot like the bible.. you see your question could be easily answered if you yourself would take the time to do your homework.
after reasoning, you need draw your own conclusion. I don't think anyone needs to convince you of anything, least of which when your mind is already made up.. as you can see by some of the hilarious cuts and pastes that atheists bring forth and allege are from the Quran, refuted in less than 3 mins, that the easiest thing in fact to do is validate evidence for yourself, instead of asking someone to do it for you.. that way you can have facts before you and not some shmuck's opinion!

cheers

 

[جوري]

Greetings,


Out of interest, how would you answer those questions if they referred to the Qur'an?

From my point of view, there is just as much reason to believe the Epic of Gilgamesh is divine as there is to believe the same about the Qur'an.

Peace

I am rather curious as to the similarities you draw between the Quran & the epic of the Sumerian king -- care to elaborate on what you have written?
I don't open a genetics book for instance and assume it to speak of Katsukawa Shunshō-- thus you have rather piqued my curiosity.
One book claims it is from God and challenges me to disprove that fact as well offer you guidance on how to live your life and the other of the building of a sanctuary of the goddess nillil-- thus I am not following--

Logic would dictate that if I desired to draw similarities or prove one book faulty, I'd do so by reading the book and disproving it based on its own merits. Meeting with all the variables then and now that would define it as a mere book or in fact what it claims!
and in doing so it would be best to have some plausible facts and not conjectures of whether this is a significant find, or well it could have been plagiarized.
Prove it as they say.. I am all too enchanted Christendom's obfuscation as to whether or not women had souls or are akin to animals, to the discovery that hand washing prevents infections by Dr. Semmelweis sometime in the mid 19th century to ponder some cockeyed conclusion as doled by one of you!

all the best

 

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I am rather curious as to the similarities you draw between the Quran & the epic of the Sumerian king -- care to elaborate on what you have written?
I don't open a genetics book for instance and assume it to speak of Katsukawa Shunshō-- thus you have rather piqued my curiosity.
One book claims it is from God and challenges me to disprove that fact as well offer you guidance on how to live your life and the other of the building of a sanctuary of the goddess nillil-- thus I am not following--

Logic would dictate that if I desired to draw similarities or prove one book faulty, I'd do so by reading the book and disproving it based on its own merits. Meeting with all the variables then and now that would define it as a mere book or in fact what it claims!
and in doing so it would be best to have some plausible facts and not conjectures of whether this is a significant find, or well it could have been plagiarized.
Prove it as they say.. I am all too enchanted Christendom's obfuscation as to whether or not women had souls or are akin to animals, to the discovery that hand washing prevents infections by Dr. Semmelweis sometime in the mid 19th century to ponder some cockeyed conclusion as doled by one of you!

all the best

You seem to condemn obfuscation, but other than that I'm afraid I haven't a clue what you're going on about.

Peace

 

[جوري]

Greetings,

but other than that I'm afraid I haven't a clue what you're going on about.

Peace

which part was difficult for you to understand?

 

[Azy]

The "sun guiding the shadows", obviously has to do with the sun's light, not its orbit. The "Heavens" is very general term, and really just refers to what is above the Earth. However, since the Earth is round, everything is "above" it. The fact that the sun and the moon are in the "heavens" (sky/space), doesn't really prove geocentrism. At best, it only suggests it.

Well yes, it is obviously talking about the sun's light and the change in the direction of the light, which is a result of the relative movement of the bodies. The part I was interested in is the end where it places the responsibility for the change in shadows with the Sun ("and has made the sun their guide") which can only be interpreted as a geocentric view rather than heliocentric because as we all know the shadows change due to the movement of the Earth, not the Sun.

As for the heavens yeah, it just refers to what is above the Earth, but it speaks of 'layers' of heaven, and commands descend through these layers to the Earth, i.e. the Earth is at the bottom of the layers. Layers of the heavens extending out from Earth sounds pretty geocentric to me. Throw in the fact that the Sun appears to be barely mentioned in the creation, secondary to heaven and Earth, and is placed as a lamp for the Earth, I can't see any reason to agree with you that this isn't geocentric.

 

[Imam]

The part I was interested in is the end where it places the responsibility for the change in shadows with the Sun ("and has made the sun their guide") .

As for the heavens yeah, it just refers to what is above the Earth, but it speaks of 'layers' of heaven, and commands descend through these layers to the Earth, i.e. the Earth is at the bottom of the layers..

Greetings,
I thought that What Bro Muslimapoclyptic posted cleared the matter with you....

but I don't think yet...

would you plz ......post the verse again (and has made the sun their guide)


and posting the verse that tells , the layers of heaven have the earth in their bottom.


thanx

 

[Azy]

Link to my first post with links to relevant verses.

What Brother Muslimapoclyptic posted doesn't really address the problem fully.

 

[NazariteofEhyah]

Bs'd

How do we know that the Koran is true, and not the Jewish or Christian Bible, or the book of Mormon, or whatever other holy book of any religion?

Thanks,

Gold.

Shalama,

In every religion and the like, there's one consistancy. This is the claim to be the 'truth'. For example the Torah is the first book, and then other books appear from time to time amongst pious men. However one must question the wisdom of having so many 'book's each claiming to be the truth, this causes a logical shortful. Why, with so many truth claims, its best to sick the one without question. I'd have to believe that the Torah and NT are the absolute truth, apart from the man made belief in Son of God, which is due to philosophical design. Believing that other books also reveal the truth, well is in fact contractory to the absolutness of the Torah and NT. As for the Qur'an I have discussed it, but I prefer to the Torah and NT.